8,482 research outputs found
Vacuum-UV spectroscopy of interstellar ice analogs. II. Absorption cross-sections of nonpolar ice molecules
Dust grains in cold circumstellar regions and dark-cloud interiors at 10-20 K
are covered by ice mantles. A nonthermal desorption mechanism is invoked to
explain the presence of gas-phase molecules in these environments, such as the
photodesorption induced by irradiation of ice due to secondary ultraviolet
photons. To quantify the effects of ice photoprocessing, an estimate of the
photon absorption in ice mantles is required. In a recent work, we reported the
vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) absorption cross sections of nonpolar molecules in the
solid phase. The aim was to estimate the VUV-absorption cross sections of
nonpolar molecular ice components, including CH4, CO2, N2, and O2. The column
densities of the ice samples deposited at 8 K were measured in situ by infrared
spectroscopy in transmittance. VUV spectra of the ice samples were collected in
the 120-160 nm (10.33-7.74 eV) range using a commercial microwave-discharged
hydrogen flow lamp. We found that, as expected, solid N2 has the lowest
VUV-absorption cross section, which about three orders of magnitude lower than
that of other species such as O2, which is also homonuclear. Methane (CH4) ice
presents a high absorption near Ly-alpha (121.6 nm) and does not absorb below
148 nm. Estimating the ice absorption cross sections is essential for models of
ice photoprocessing and allows estimating the ice photodesorption rates as the
number of photodesorbed molecules per absorbed photon in the ice.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, 7 table
Toward Improved Support for Research on Delivery of Home- and Community-Based Long-Term Care
Stronger and more consistent support is needed for research on long-term care. A greater investment in research will strengthen the ability of public and private organizations to provide effective and efficient assistance to people with disabilities and their informal caregivers. This paper provides a rationale for stronger research funding for the field and outlines several options to strengthen research
Long-Term Care: Informed by Research
Health services research has contributed to health policy and service developments that have led to major improvements in the quality of long-term care in the United States. This policy brief highlights a few areas in which publicly and privately funded research has informed the long-term care field
Working Paper: Elders in Massachusetts Prefer Paid Caregivers
Older Massachusetts residents would rather have paid professionals provide their long-term care than their own children, according to a recent UMass Poll of 461 Massachusetts residents
Investigation of HNCO isomers formation in ice mantles by UV and thermal processing: an experimental approach
Current gas phase models do not account for the abundances of HNCO isomers
detected in various environments, suggesting a formation in icy grain mantles.
We attempted to study a formation channel of HNCO and its possible isomers by
vacuum-UV photoprocessing of interstellar ice analogues containing HO,
NH, CO, HCN, CHOH, CH, and N followed by warm-up, under
astrophysically relevant conditions. Only the HO:NH:CO and HO:HCN
ice mixtures led to the production of HNCO species. The possible isomerization
of HNCO to its higher energy tautomers following irradiation or due to ice
warm-up has been scrutinized. The photochemistry and thermal chemistry of
HO:NH:CO and HO:HCN ices was simulated using the Interstellar
Astrochemistry Chamber (ISAC), a state-of-the-art ultra-high-vacuum setup. The
ice was monitored in situ by Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy in
transmittance. A quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) detected the desorption of
the molecules in the gas phase. UV-photoprocessing of
HO:NH:CO/HO:HCN ices lead to the formation of OCN as main
product in the solid state and a minor amount of HNCO. The second isomer HOCN
has been tentatively identified. Despite its low efficiency, the formation of
HNCO and the HOCN isomers by UV-photoprocessing of realistic simulated ice
mantles, might explain the observed abundances of these species in PDRs, hot
cores, and dark clouds
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