RR Lyrae Atmospherics: Wrinkles Old and New. A Preview

I report some results of an echelle spectroscopic survey of RR Lyrae stars begun in 2006 that I presented in my Henry Norris Lecture of January 4, 2010. Topics include (1) atmospheric velocity gradients, (2) phase-dependent envelope turbulence as it relates to Peterson's discoveries of axial rotation on the horizontal branch and to Stothers' explanation of the Blazhko effect, (3) the three apparitions of hydrogen emission during a pulsation cycle, (4) the occurrence of He I lines in emission and absorption, (5) detection of He II emission and metallic line-doubling in Blazhko stars, and finally (6) speculation about what helium observations of RR Lyrae stars in omega Centauri might tell us about the putative helium populations and the horizontal branch of that strange globular cluster.Comment: 13 pages, 10 Figures, submitted to A

Carbon incorporation during ethene oxidation on Pd(111) studied by in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at 2 x 10-3 mbar

The oxidation of ethene on the Pd(111) surface was studied in the temperature range of 330–923 K by in situ XPS and mass spectrometry during both heating and cooling in a reaction mixture of

In situ XPS study of Pd(111) oxidation. Part 1: 2D oxide formation in 10 3 mbar O2

The oxidation of the Pd(111) surface was studied by in situ XPS during heating and cooling in 3 · 10 3 mbar O2. A number of adsorbed/dissolved oxygen species were identified by in situ XPS, such as the two dimensional surface oxide (Pd5O4), the supersaturated Oads layer, dissolved oxygen and the ð ffiffiffiffiffi p67 ffiffiffiffiffi p67ÞR12.2 surface structure. Exposure of the Pd(111) single crystal to 3 · 10 3 mbar O2 at 425 K led to formation of the 2D oxide phase, which was in equilibrium with a supersaturated Oads layer. The supersaturated Oads layer was characterized by the O 1s core level peak at 530.37 eV. The 2D oxide, Pd5O4, was characterized by two O 1s components at 528.92 eV and 529.52 eV and by two oxygen-induced Pd 3d5/2 components at 335.5 eV and 336.24 eV. During heating in 3 · 10 3 mbar O2 the supersaturated Oads layer disappeared whereas the fraction of the surface covered with the 2D oxide grew. The surface was completely covered with the 2D oxide between 600 K and 655 K. Depth profiling by photon energy variation confirmed the surface nature of the 2D oxide. The 2D oxide decomposed completely above 717 K. Diffusion of oxygen in the palladium bulk occurred at these temperatures. A substantial oxygen signal assigned to the dissolved species was detected even at 923 K. The dissolved oxygen was characterised by the O 1s core level peak at 528.98 eV. The ‘‘bulk’’ nature of the dissolved oxygen species was verified by depth profiling. During cooling in 3 · 10 3 mbar O2, the oxidised Pd2+ species appeared at 788 K whereas the 2D oxide decomposed at 717 K during heating. The surface oxidised states exhibited an inverse hysteresis. The oxidised palladium state observed during cooling was assigned to a new oxide phase, probably the ð ffiffiffiffiffi p67 ffiffiffiffiffi p67ÞR12.2 structure

Bright Blazhko RRab Lyrae stars observed by ASAS and the SuperWASP surveys

Period study of 321 fundamental mode galactic field RR Lyrae type stars (RRab), which had appropriate data in ASAS and SuperWASP surveys, brighter than 12.5 mag in maximum light was performed. We found 100 stars to be definitely modulated. In 25 cases, previously unknown modulation was revealed and 8 new candidates for Blazhko stars were identified. In 18 previously found Blazhko stars, no modulation was detectable. Multiple modulation was revealed for eight stars that were previously proposed to show simple modulation. In total, there were twelve stars with some peculiarity in their modulation in the sample. This brings the incidence rate of multiple/irregularly-modulated stars to 12 %. The ratio of the modulation periods of five of the double-modulated stars was within the ratios of small integers. One of stars studied, IK Hya, showed a very interesting frequency spectrum, which we interpret as changing Blazhko period between 71.81 and 75.57 days and an additional 1403-day-long cycle analogous to a four-year cycle of the prototype RR Lyr. The limits of the shorter period produce a beating period that is approximately twice as big as a 1403-day period. The newly revealed Blazhko star RZ CVn seems to undergo changes in the amplitude of the modulation, as well as in the basic pulsation and Blazhko periods. We found that the incidence rate of the Blazhko RR Lyraes is at least 31 %, more likely even higher. It was also found that the majority of the Blazhko variables show triplet structures in their frequency spectra and that in 89 % of these cases, the peak with larger amplitude is on the right-hand side of the main pulsation component.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysic

In situ XPS study of Pd(111) oxidation at elevated pressure, Part 2: Palladium oxidation in the 10^1 mbar range

The oxidation of the Pd(1 1 1) surface was studied by in situ XPS during heating and cooling in 0.4 mbar O2. The in situ XPS data were complemented by ex situ TPD results. A number of oxygen species and oxidation states of palladium were observed in situ and ex situ. At 430 K, the Pd(1 1 1) surface was covered by a 2D oxide and by a supersaturated Oads layer. The supersaturated Oads layer transforms into the Pd5O4 phase upon heating and disappears completely at approximately 470 K. Simultaneously, small clusters of PdO, PdO seeds, are formed. Above 655 K, the bulk PdO phase appears and this phase decomposes completely at 815 K. Decomposition of the bulk oxide is followed by oxygen dissolution in the near-surface region and in the bulk. The oxygen species dissolved in the bulk is more favoured at high temperatures because oxygen cannot accumulate in the near-surface region and d