5,225 research outputs found
Detecting a rotation in the epsilon Eridani debris disc
The evidence for a rotation of the epsilon Eridani debris disc is examined.
Data at 850 micron wavelength were previously obtained using the Submillimetre
Common User Bolometer Array (SCUBA) over periods in 1997-1998 and 2000-2002. By
chi-square fitting after shift and rotation operations, images from these two
epochs were compared to recover proper motion and orbital motion of the disc.
The same procedures were then performed on simulated images to estimate the
accuracy of the results.
Minima in the chi-square plots indicate a motion of the disc of approximately
0.6'' per year in the direction of the star's proper motion. This
underestimates the true value of 1'' per year, implying that some of the
structure in the disc region is not associated with epsilon Eridani,
originating instead from background galaxies. From the chi-square fitting for
orbital motion, a counterclockwise rotation rate of ~2.75 degrees per year is
deduced. Comparisons with simulated data in which the disc is not rotating show
that noise and background galaxies result in approximately Gaussian
fluctuations with a standard deviation +/-1.5 degrees per year. Thus
counterclockwise rotation of disc features is supported at approximately a
2-sigma level, after a 4-year time difference. This rate is faster than the
Keplerian rate of 0.65 degrees per year for features at ~65 AU from the star,
suggesting their motion is tracking a planet inside the dust ring.
Future observations with SCUBA-2 can rule out no rotation of the epsilon
Eridani dust clumps with ~4-sigma confidence. Assuming a rate of about 2.75
degrees per year, the rotation of the features after a 10-year period could be
shown to be >1 degree per year at the 3-sigma level.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure
Absence of magnetic long range order in YCrSbO: bond-disorder induced magnetic frustration in a ferromagnetic pyrochlore
The consequences of nonmagnetic-ion dilution for the pyrochlore family
Y()O ( = magnetic ion, = nonmagnetic
ion) have been investigated. As a first step, we experimentally examine the
magnetic properties of YCrSbO ( = 0.5), in which the magnetic
sites (Cr) are percolative. Although the effective Cr-Cr spin exchange
is ferromagnetic, as evidenced by a positive Curie-Weiss temperature,
= 20.1(6) K, our high-resolution neutron powder
diffraction measurements detect no sign of magnetic long range order down to 2
K. In order to understand our observations, we performed numerical simulations
to study the bond-disorder introduced by the ionic size mismatch between
and . Based on these simulations, bond-disorder ( 0.23)
percolates well ahead of site-disorder ( 0.61). This model
successfully reproduces the critical region (0.2 < < 0.25) for the N\'eel
to spin glass phase transition in Zn(CrGa)O, where
the Cr/Ga-sublattice forms the same corner-sharing tetrahedral network as the
-sublattice in Y()O, and the rapid drop in
magnetically ordered moment in the N\'eel phase [Lee , Phys. Rev. B
77, 014405 (2008)]. Our study stresses the nonnegligible role of bond-disorder
on magnetic frustration, even in ferromagnets
The feasibility of sea surface temperature determination using satellite infrared data
Sea surface temperature determination feasibility using satellite infrared dat
Co-located wave and offshore wind farms: A preliminary approach to the shadow effect
In recent years, with the consolidation of offshore wind technology and the progress carried out for wave energy technology, the option of combine both technologies has arisen. This combination rest mainly in two main reasons: in one hand, to increase the sustainability of both energies by means of a more rational harnessing of the natural resources; in the other hand, to reduce the costs of both technologies by sharing some of the most important costs of an offshore project. In addition to these two powerful reasons there are a number of technology synergies between wave and wind systems which makes their combination even more suitable. Co-located projects are one of the alternatives to combine wave-wind systems, and it is specially for these project were so-called shadow effect synergy becomes meaningful. In particular, this paper deals with the co-location of Wave Energy Conversion (WEC) technologies into a conventional offshore wind farm. More specifically, an overtopping type of WEC technology was considered in this work to study the effects of its co-location with a conventional offshore wind park. This study aims to give a preliminary approach to the shadow effect and its implications for both wave and offshore wind energies
Predicting the frequencies of diverse exo-planetary systems
Extrasolar planetary systems range from hot Jupiters out to icy comet belts
more distant than Pluto. We explain this diversity in a model where the mass of
solids in the primordial circumstellar disk dictates the outcome. The star
retains measures of the initial heavy-element (metal) abundance that can be
used to map solid masses onto outcomes, and the frequencies of all classes are
correctly predicted. The differing dependences on metallicity for forming
massive planets and low-mass cometary bodies are also explained. By
extrapolation, around two-thirds of stars have enough solids to form Earth-like
planets, and a high rate is supported by the first detections of low-mass
exo-planets.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures; accepted by MNRA
CO-LOCATED WAVE AND OFFSHORE WIND FARMS: A PRELIMINARY CASE STUDY OF AN HYBRID ARRAY
In recent years, with the consolidation of offshore wind technology and the progress carried out for wave energy technology, the option of co-locate both technologies at the same marine area has arisen. Co-located projects are a combined solution to tackle the shared challenge of reducing technology costs or a more sustainable use of the natural resources. In particular, this paper deals with the co-location of Wave Energy Conversion (WEC) technologies into a conventional offshore wind farm. More specifically, an overtopping type of WEC technology was considered in this work to study the effects of its co-location with a conventional offshore wind park
Forming the first planetary systems: debris around Galactic thick disc stars
The thick disc contains stars formed within the first Gyr of Galactic
history, and little is known about their planetary systems. The Spitzer MIPS
instrument was used to search 11 of the closest of these old low-metal stars
for circumstellar debris, as a signpost that bodies at least as large as
planetesimals were formed. A total of 22 thick disc stars has now been
observed, after including archival data, but dust is not found in any of the
systems. The data rule out a high incidence of debris among star systems from
early in the Galaxy's formation. However, some stars of this very old
population do host giant planets, at possibly more than the general incidence
among low-metal Sun-like stars. As the Solar System contains gas giants but
little cometary dust, the thick disc could host analogue systems that formed
many Gyr before the Sun.Comment: accepted by MNRAS Letters; 5 pages, 4 figure
Lending a hand: could machine learning help hospital staff make better use of patient feedback?
Study of random process theory Final report, 1 Jul. 1965 - 1 Apr. 1966
Random process theory applied to discrete stationary and nonstationary data processing techniques - autocorrelation, and optimum smoothing for stationary processe
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