Sea ice-atmosphere interaction: Application of multispectral satellite data in polar surface energy flux estimates

The application of multi-spectral satellite data to estimate polar surface energy fluxes is addressed. To what accuracy and over which geographic areas large scale energy budgets can be estimated are investigated based upon a combination of available remote sensing and climatological data sets. The general approach was to: (1) formulate parameterization schemes for the appropriate sea ice energy budget terms based upon the remotely sensed and/or in-situ data sets; (2) conduct sensitivity analyses using as input both natural variability (observed data in regional case studies) and theoretical variability based upon energy flux model concepts; (3) assess the applicability of these parameterization schemes to both regional and basin wide energy balance estimates using remote sensing data sets; and (4) assemble multi-spectral, multi-sensor data sets for at least two regions of the Arctic Basin and possibly one region of the Antarctic. The type of data needed for a basin-wide assessment is described and the temporal coverage of these data sets are determined by data availability and need as defined by parameterization scheme. The titles of the subjects are as follows: (1) Heat flux calculations from SSM/I and LANDSAT data in the Bering Sea; (2) Energy flux estimation using passive microwave data; (3) Fetch and stability sensitivity estimates of turbulent heat flux; and (4) Surface temperature algorithm

RHIC Physics with the Parton Cascade Model

We present an analysis of the net-baryon number rapidity distribution and of direct photon emission in the framework of the Parton Cascade Model.Comment: 4 pages 4 figures included, proceedings of QM 200

Chemical composition of a sample of bright solar-metallicity stars

We present a detailed analysis of seven young stars observed with the spectrograph SOPHIE at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence for which the chemical composition was incomplete or absent in the literature. For five stars, we derived the stellar parameters and chemical compositions using our automatic pipeline optimized for F, G, and K stars, while for the other two stars with high rotational velocity, we derived the stellar parameters by using other information (parallax), and performed a line-by-line analysis. Chromospheric emission-line fluxes from CaII are obtained for all targets. The stellar parameters we derive are generally in good agreement with what is available in the literature. We provide a chemical analysis of two of the stars for the first time. The star HIP 80124 shows a strong Li feature at 670.8 nm implying a high lithium abundance. Its chemical pattern is not consistent with it being a solar sibling, as has been suggested.Comment: To be published on A

Submillimeter-wave emission of three Galactic red novae: cool molecular outflows produced by stellar mergers

Red novae are optical transients erupting at luminosities typically higher than those of classical novae. Their outbursts are believed to be caused by stellar mergers. We present millimeter/submillimeter-wave observations with ALMA and SMA of the three best known Galactic red novae, V4332 Sgr, V1309 Sco, and V838 Mon. The observations were taken 22, 8, and 14 yr after their respective eruptions and reveal the presence of molecular gas at excitation temperatures of 35-200 K. The gas displays molecular emission in rotational transitions with very broad lines (full width $\sim$400 km\s). We found emission of CO, SiO, SO, SO$_2$ (in all three red novae), H$_2$S (covered only in V838 Mon) and AlO (present in V4332 Sgr and V1309 Sco). No anomalies were found in the isotopic composition of the molecular material and the chemical (molecular) compositions of the three red novae appear similar to those of oxygen-rich envelopes of classical evolved stars (RSGs, AGBs, post-AGBs). The minimum masses of the molecular material that most likely was dispersed in the red-nova eruptions are 0.1, 0.01, and 10$^{-4}$ M$_{\odot}$ for V838 Mon, V4332 Sgr, and V1309 Sco, respectively. The molecular outflows in V4332 Sgr and V1309 Sco are spatially resolved and appear bipolar. The kinematic distances to V1309 Sco and V4332 Sgr are 2.1 and 4.2 kpc, respectively. The kinetic energy stored in the ejecta of the two older red-nova remnants of V838 Mon and V4332 Sgr is of order $10^{46}$ erg, similar to values found for some post-AGB (pre-PN) objects whose bipolar ejecta were also formed in a short-duration eruption. Our observations strengthen the link between these post-AGB objects and red novae and support the hypothesis that some of the post-AGB objects were formed in a common-envelope ejection event or its most catastrophic outcome, a merger.Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, accepted to A&

Observation of quantum oscillations between a Josephson phase qubit and a microscopic resonator using fast readout

We have detected coherent quantum oscillations between Josephson phase qubits and microscopic critical-current fluctuators by implementing a new state readout technique that is an order of magnitude faster than previous methods. The period of the oscillations is consistent with the spectroscopic splittings observed in the qubit's resonant frequency. The results point to a possible mechanism for decoherence and reduced measurement fidelity in superconducting qubits and demonstrate the means to measure two-qubit interactions in the time domain

The three-dimensional structure of the Eta Carinae Homunculus

We investigate, using the modeling code SHAPE, the three-dimensional structure of the bipolar Homunculus nebula surrounding Eta Carinae, as mapped by new ESO VLT/X-Shooter observations of the H2 $\lambda=2.12125$ micron emission line. Our results reveal for the first time important deviations from the axisymmetric bipolar morphology: 1) circumpolar trenches in each lobe positioned point-symmetrically from the center and 2) off-planar protrusions in the equatorial region from each lobe at longitudinal (~55 degrees) and latitudinal (10-20 degrees) distances from the projected apastron direction of the binary orbit. The angular distance between the protrusions (~110 degrees) is similar to the angular extent of each polar trench (~130 degrees) and nearly equal to the opening angle of the wind-wind collision cavity (~110 degrees). As in previous studies, we confirm a hole near the centre of each polar lobe and no detectable near-IR H2 emission from the thin optical skirt seen prominently in visible imagery. We conclude that the interaction between the outflows and/or radiation from the central binary stars and their orientation in space has had, and possibly still has, a strong influence on the Homunculus. This implies that prevailing theoretical models of the Homunculus are incomplete as most assume a single star origin that produces an axisymmetric nebula. We discuss how the newly found features might be related to the Homunculus ejection, the central binary and the interacting stellar winds. We also include a 3D printable version of our Homunculus model.Comment: 14 pages, 7 color figures, 1 interactive 3D figure (Figure 5, requires Adobe Reader), published in MNRAS. A 3D printable version of our Homunculus model can be downloaded from http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011568/Eta_Car_Homunuculus_3D_model.zip or from the 'Supporting Information' link in the electronic version of the MNRAS articl

Quantum pattern recognition with liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance

A novel quantum pattern recognition scheme is presented, which combines the idea of a classic Hopfield neural network with adiabatic quantum computation. Both the input and the memorized patterns are represented by means of the problem Hamiltonian. In contrast to classic neural networks, the algorithm can return a quantum superposition of multiple recognized patterns. A proof of principle for the algorithm for two qubits is provided using a liquid state NMR quantum computer.Comment: updated version, Journal-ref adde

Laboratory Tests of Gravitational Physics Using a Cryogenic Torsion Pendulum

Progress and plans are reported for a program of gravitational physics experiments using cryogenic torsion pendula undergoing large amplitude torsional oscillation. The program includes a UC Irvine project to measure the gravitational constant G and joint UC Irvine - U. Washington projects to test the gravitational inverse square law at a range of about 10 cm and to test the weak equivalence principle.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, contribution to the 10th Marcel Grossman Conference Proceedings (Rio de Janeiro, July 20 - 26, 2003) - changed wording in first paragraph of section

Bounds on long-lived charged massive particles from Big Bang nucleosynthesis

The Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) in the presence of charged massive particles (CHAMPs) is studied in detail. All currently known effects due to the existence of bound states between CHAMPs and nuclei, including possible late-time destruction of Li6 and Li7 are included. The study sets conservative bounds on CHAMP abundances in the decay time range 3x10^2 sec - 10^12 sec. It is stressed that the production of Li6 at early times T ~ 10keV is overestimated by a factor ~ 10 when the approximation of the Saha equation for the He4 bound state fraction is utilised. To obtain conservative limits on the abundance of CHAMPs, a Monte-Carlo analysis with ~ 3x10^6 independent BBN runs, varying reaction rates of nineteen different reactions, is performed (see attached erratum, however). The analysis yields the surprising result that except for small areas in the particle parameter space conservative constraints on the abundance of decaying charged particles are currently very close to those of neutral particles. It is shown that, in case a number of heretofore unconsidered reactions may be determined reliably in future, it is conceivable that the limit on CHAMPs in the early Universe could be tightened by orders of magnitude. An ERRATUM gives limits on primordial CHAMP densities when the by Ref. Kamimura et al. recently more accurately determined CHAMP reaction rates are employed.Comment: includes Erratum showing most up to date limits after determination of the most important reaction rate

Detection of a Far-Infrared Bow-Shock Nebula Around R Hya: the First MIRIAD Results

We present the first results of the MIRIAD (MIPS [Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer] Infra-Red Imaging of AGB [asymptotic giant branch] Dustshells) project using the Spitzer Space Telescope. The primary aim of the project is to probe the material distribution in the extended circumstellar envelopes (CSE) of evolved stars and recover the fossil record of their mass loss history. Hence, we must map the whole of the CSEs plus the surrounding sky for background subtraction, while avoiding the central star that is brighter than the detector saturation limit. With our unique mapping strategy, we have achieved better than one MJy/sr sensitivity in three hours of integration and successfully detected a faint (< 5 MJy/sr), extended (~400 arcsec) far-infrared nebula around the AGB star R Hya. Based on the parabolic structure of the nebula, the direction of the space motion of the star with respect to the nebula shape, and the presence of extended H alpha emission co-spatial to the nebula, we suggest that the detected far-IR nebula is due to a bow shock at the interface of the interstellar medium and the AGB wind of this moving star. This is the first detection of the stellar-wind bow-shock interaction for an AGB star and exemplifies the potential of Spitzer as a tool to examine the detailed structure of extended far-IR nebulae around bright central sources. \Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ