7,486 research outputs found
Location, orbit and energy of a meteoroid impacting the moon during the Lunar Eclipse of January 21, 2019
During lunar eclipse of January 21, 2019 a meteoroid impacted the Moon
producing a visible light flash. The impact was witnessed by casual observers
offering an opportunity to study the phenomenon from multiple geographical
locations. We use images and videos collected by observers in 7 countries to
estimate the location, impact parameters (speed and incoming direction) and
energy of the meteoroid. Using parallax, we achieve determining the impact
location at lat. , lon. and
geocentric distance as 356553 km. After devising and applying a photo-metric
procedure for measuring flash standard magnitudes in multiple RGB images having
different exposure times, we found that the flash, had an average G-magnitude
. We use gravitational ray tracing (GRT) to
estimate the orbital properties and likely radiant of the impactor. We find
that the meteoroid impacted the moon with a speed of km/s (70%
C.L.) and at a shallow angle, degrees. Assuming a normal error
for our estimated flash brightness, educated priors for the luminous efficiency
and object density, and using the GRT-computed probability distributions of
impact speed and incoming directions, we calculate posterior probability
distributions for the kinetic energy (median = 0.8 kton), body
mass ( = 27 kg) and diameter ( = 29 cm), and crater
size ( = 9 m). If our assumptions are correct, the crater left by
the impact could be detectable by prospecting lunar probes. These results arose
from a timely collaboration between professional and amateur astronomers which
highlight the potential importance of citizen science in astronomy.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, 4 tables. Data and scripts available in
https://github.com/seap-udea/MoonFlashes. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Jets, knots and tails in planetary nebulae: NGC 3918, K 1-2 and Wray 17-1
We analyze optical images and high-resolution, long-slit spectra of three
planetary nebulae which possess collimated, low-ionization features. NGC 3918
is composed of an inner, spindle-shaped shell mildly inclined with respect to
the plane of the sky. Departing from the polar regions of this shell, we find a
two-sided jet expanding with velocities which increase linearly with distance
from 50 to 100 km/s. The jet is probably coeval with the inner shell (with the
age of approximately 1000 D yr, where D is the distance in kpc), suggesting
that its formation should be ascribed to the same dynamical processes which
also shaped the main nebula, and not to a more recent mass loss episode. We
discuss the formation of the aspherical shell and jet in the light of current
hydrodynamical and magnetohydrodynamical theories. K 1-2 is a planetary nebula
with a close binary nucleus which shows a collimated string of knots embedded
in a diffuse, elliptical shell. The knots expand with a velocity similar to
that of the elliptical nebula (25 km/s), except for an extended tail located
out of the main nebula, which linearly accelerates up to 45 km/s. We estimate
an inclination on the line of the sight of 40 degres for the string of knots;
once the orientation of the orbit is also determined, this information will
allow us to test the prediction of current theories of the occurrence of polar
jets from close binary systems. Wray 17-1 has a complex morphology, showing two
pairs of low-ionization structures located in almost perpendicular directions
from the central star, and embedded in a large, diffuse nebula. The two pairs
show notable similarities and differences, and their origin is very puzzling.Comment: 20 pages plus 10 figures. ApJ recently published (ApJ 523, 721
(1999)
On the analytic-numeric treatment of weakly singular integrals on arbitrary polygonal domains
An alternative analytical approach to calculate the weakly singular free-space static potential integral associated to uniform sources is presented. Arbitrary oriented flat polygons are considered as integration domains. The technique stands out by its mathematical simplicity and it is based on a novel integral transformation. The presented formula is equivalent to others existing in literature, being also concise and suitable within a singularity subtraction framework. Generalized Cartesian product rules built on the double exponential formula are utilized to integrate numerically the resulting analytical 2D potential integral. As a consequence, drawbacks associated to endpoint singularities in the derivative of the potential are tempered. Numerical examples within a surface integral equation-Method of Moments framework are finally provided
Noether's Theorem and time-dependent quantum invariants
The time dependent-integrals of motion, linear in position and momentum
operators, of a quantum system are extracted from Noether's theorem
prescription by means of special time-dependent variations of coordinates. For
the stationary case of the generalized two-dimensional harmonic oscillator, the
time-independent integrals of motion are shown to correspond to special
Bragg-type symmetry properties. A detailed study for the non-stationary case of
this quantum system is presented. The linear integrals of motion are
constructed explicitly for the case of varying mass and coupling strength. They
are obtained also from Noether's theorem. The general treatment for a
multi-dimensional quadratic system is indicated, and it is shown that the
time-dependent variations that give rise to the linear invariants, as conserved
quantities, satisfy the corresponding classical homogeneous equations of motion
for the coordinates.Comment: Plain TeX, 23 pages, preprint of Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares,
UNAM Departamento de F\ii sica and Matem\'aticas Aplicadas, No. 01 (1994
Cuticular wax composition in Cocos nucifera L.: physicochemical analysis of wax components and mapping of their QTLs onto the coconut molecular linkage map
On the Mechanism of the Copper-Catalyzed Enantioselective 1,4-Addition of Grignard Reagents to α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds
The mechanism of the enantioselective 1,4-addition of Grignard reagents to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds promoted by copper complexes of chiral ferrocenyl diphosphines is explored through kinetic, spectroscopic, and electrochemical analysis. On the basis of these studies, a structure of the active catalyst is proposed. The roles of the solvent, copper halide, and the Grignard reagent have been examined. Kinetic studies support a reductive elimination as the rate-limiting step in which the chiral catalyst, the substrate, and the Grignard reagent are involved. The thermodynamic activation parameters were determined from the temperature dependence of the reaction rate. The putative active species and the catalytic cycle of the reaction are discussed.
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