2,548 research outputs found
Long GRBs from binary stars: runaway, Wolf-Rayet progenitors
The collapsar model for long gamma-ray bursts requires a rapidly rotating
Wolf-Rayet star as progenitor. We test the idea of producing rapidly rotating
Wolf-Rayet stars in massive close binaries through mass accretion and
consecutive quasi-chemically homogeneous evolution; the latter had previously
been shown to provide collapsars below a certain metallicity threshold for
single stars. The binary channel presented here may provide a means for massive
stars to obtain the high rotation rates required to evolve quasi-chemically
homogeneous and fulfill the collapsar scenario. Moreover, it suggests that a
possibly large fraction of long gamma-ray bursts occurs in runaway stars.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the conference "Unsolved problems in
stellar physics" - Cambridge, July 200
Infrared Observations During the Secondary Eclipse of HD 209458b: I. 3.6-Micron Occultation Spectroscopy Using the VLT
We search for an infrared signature of the transiting extrasolar planet HD
209458b during secondary eclipse. Our method, which we call `occultation
spectroscopy,' searches for the disappearance and reappearance of weak spectral
features due to the exoplanet as it passes behind the star and later reappears.
We argue that at the longest infrared wavelengths, this technique becomes
preferable to conventional `transit spectroscopy'. We observed the system in
the wing of the strong nu-3 band of methane near 3.6 microns during two
secondary eclipses, using the VLT/ISAAC spectrometer at a spectral resolution
of 3300. Our analysis, which utilizes a model template spectrum, achieves
sufficient precision to expect detection of the spectral structure predicted by
an irradiated, low-opacity (cloudless), low-albedo, thermochemical equilibrium
model for the exoplanet atmosphere. However, our observations show no evidence
for the presence of this spectrum from the exoplanet, with the statistical
significance of the non-detection depending on the timing of the secondary
eclipse, which depends on the assumed value for the orbital eccentricity. Our
results reject certain specific models of the atmosphere of HD 209458b as
inconsistent with our observations at the 3-sigma level, given assumptions
about the stellar and planetary parameters.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figures Accepted to Astrophysical Journa
Work extremum principle: Structure and function of quantum heat engines
We consider a class of quantum heat engines consisting of two subsystems
interacting via a unitary transformation and coupled to two separate baths at
different temperatures . The purpose of the engine is to extract
work due to the temperature difference. Its dynamics is not restricted to the
near equilibrium regime. The engine structure is determined by maximizing the
extracted work under various constraints. When this maximization is carried out
at finite power, the engine dynamics is described by well-defined temperatures
and satisfies the local version of the second law. In addition, its efficiency
is bounded from below by the Curzon-Ahlborn value and from
above by the Carnot value . The latter is reached|at finite
power|for a macroscopic engine, while the former is achieved in the equilibrium
limit . When the work is maximized at a zero power, even a small
(few-level) engine extracts work right at the Carnot efficiency.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure
Thermodynamic efficiency of information and heat flow
A basic task of information processing is information transfer (flow). Here
we study a pair of Brownian particles each coupled to a thermal bath at
temperature and , respectively. The information flow in such a
system is defined via the time-shifted mutual information. The information flow
nullifies at equilibrium, and its efficiency is defined as the ratio of flow
over the total entropy production in the system. For a stationary state the
information flows from higher to lower temperatures, and its the efficiency is
bound from above by . This upper bound is
imposed by the second law and it quantifies the thermodynamic cost for
information flow in the present class of systems. It can be reached in the
adiabatic situation, where the particles have widely different characteristic
times. The efficiency of heat flow|defined as the heat flow over the total
amount of dissipated heat|is limited from above by the same factor. There is a
complementarity between heat- and information-flow: the setup which is most
efficient for the former is the least efficient for the latter and {\it vice
versa}. The above bound for the efficiency can be [transiently] overcome in
certain non-stationary situations, but the efficiency is still limited from
above. We study yet another measure of information-processing [transfer
entropy] proposed in literature. Though this measure does not require any
thermodynamic cost, the information flow and transfer entropy are shown to be
intimately related for stationary states.Comment: 19 pages, 1 figur
Thermally Induced Fluctuations Below the Onset of Rayleigh-B\'enard Convection
We report quantitative experimental results for the intensity of
noise-induced fluctuations below the critical temperature difference for Rayleigh-B\'enard convection. The structure factor of the fluctuating
convection rolls is consistent with the expected rotational invariance of the
system. In agreement with predictions based on stochastic hydrodynamic
equations, the fluctuation intensity is found to be proportional to
where . The
noise power necessary to explain the measurements agrees with the prediction
for thermal noise. (WAC95-1)Comment: 13 pages of text and 4 Figures in a tar-compressed and uuencoded file
(using uufiles package). Detailed instructions of unpacking are include
Boundary Limitation of Wavenumbers in Taylor-Vortex Flow
We report experimental results for a boundary-mediated wavenumber-adjustment
mechanism and for a boundary-limited wavenumber-band of Taylor-vortex flow
(TVF). The system consists of fluid contained between two concentric cylinders
with the inner one rotating at an angular frequency . As observed
previously, the Eckhaus instability (a bulk instability) is observed and limits
the stable wavenumber band when the system is terminated axially by two rigid,
non-rotating plates. The band width is then of order at small
() and agrees well with
calculations based on the equations of motion over a wide -range.
When the cylinder axis is vertical and the upper liquid surface is free (i.e.
an air-liquid interface), vortices can be generated or expelled at the free
surface because there the phase of the structure is only weakly pinned. The
band of wavenumbers over which Taylor-vortex flow exists is then more narrow
than the stable band limited by the Eckhaus instability. At small
the boundary-mediated band-width is linear in . These results are
qualitatively consistent with theoretical predictions, but to our knowledge a
quantitative calculation for TVF with a free surface does not exist.Comment: 8 pages incl. 9 eps figures bitmap version of Fig
Square patterns in Rayleigh-Benard convection with rotation about a vertical axis
We present experimental results for Rayleigh-Benard convection with rotation
about a vertical axis at dimensionless rotation rates in the range 0 to 250 and
upto 20% above the onset. Critical Rayleigh numbers and wavenumbers agree with
predictions of linear stability analysis. For rotation rates greater than 70
and close to onset, the patterns are cellular with local four-fold coordination
and differ from the theoretically expected Kuppers-Lortz unstable state. Stable
as well as intermittent defect-free square lattices exist over certain
parameter ranges. Over other ranges defects dynamically disrupt the lattice but
cellular flow and local four-fold coordination is maintained.Comment: ReVTeX, 4 pages, 7 eps figures include
Rayleigh-B\'{e}nard convection in a homeotropically aligned nematic liquid crystal
We report experimental results for convection near onset in a thin layer of a
homeotropically aligned nematic liquid crystal heated from below as a function
of the temperature difference and the applied vertical magnetic
field and compare them with theoretical calculations. The experiments cover
the field range 8 \alt h \equiv H/ H_{F} \alt 80 ( is the
Fr\'eedericksz field). For less than a codimension-two field the bifurcation is subcritical and oscillatory, with travelling- and
standing-wave transients. Beyond the bifurcation is stationary and
subcritical until a tricritical field is reached, beyond which it
is supercritical. The bifurcation sequence as a function of found in the
experiment confirms the qualitative aspects of the theoretical predictions.
However, the value of is about 10% higher than the predicted value and
the results for are systematically below the theory by about 2% at small
and by as much as 7% near . At , is continuous within
the experimental resolution whereas the theory indicates a 7% discontinuity.
The theoretical tricritical field is somewhat below the
experimental one. The fully developed flow above for is
chaotic. For the subcritical stationary bifurcation also
leads to a chaotic state. The chaotic states persist upon reducing the Rayleigh
number below , i.e. the bifurcation is hysteretic. Above the tricritical
field , we find a bifurcation to a time independent pattern which within
our resolution is non-hysteretic.Comment: 15 pages incl. 23 eps figure
A High Resolution Measurement of the 2.223 MeV Neutron Capture Line in a Solar Flare
An intense solar flare lasting 40 s was observed by the HEAO 3 γ-ray spectrometer on 1979
November 9 at 3:05 UT. The flare was observed in four high-resolution germanium detectors as well
as in five CsI shield detectors over an energy range of 100 keV to above 5 MeV. Of particular interest
is a line feature at 2.2248 ± 0.0010 MeV. The precise energy measurement provides unambiguous
evidence that this is the ^1H(n,γ)^2H line resulting from neutron capture on hydrogen. An upper limit
of 5 keV is found for the natural line width. The time dependence of the neutron capture line is
discussed as well as the overall characteristics of the November 9 flare
Characteristics of Hospitalized Children With a Diagnosis of Malnutrition
Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141004/1/jpen0623-sup-0001.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141004/2/jpen0623.pd
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