3,127 research outputs found
STARLIB: A Next-Generation Reaction-Rate Library for Nuclear Astrophysics
STARLIB is a next-generation, all-purpose nuclear reaction-rate library. For
the first time, this library provides the rate probability density at all
temperature grid points for convenient implementation in models of stellar
phenomena. The recommended rate and its associated uncertainties are also
included. Currently, uncertainties are absent from all other rate libraries,
and, although estimates have been attempted in previous evaluations and
compilations, these are generally not based on rigorous statistical
definitions. A common standard for deriving uncertainties is clearly warranted.
STARLIB represents a first step in addressing this deficiency by providing a
tabular, up-to-date database that supplies not only the rate and its
uncertainty but also its distribution. Because a majority of rates are
lognormally distributed, this allows the construction of rate probability
densities from the columns of STARLIB. This structure is based on a recently
suggested Monte Carlo method to calculate reaction rates, where uncertainties
are rigorously defined. In STARLIB, experimental rates are supplemented with:
(i) theoretical TALYS rates for reactions for which no experimental input is
available, and (ii) laboratory and theoretical weak rates. STARLIB includes all
types of reactions of astrophysical interest to Z = 83, such as (p,g), (p,a),
(a,n), and corresponding reverse rates. Strong rates account for thermal target
excitations. Here, we summarize our Monte Carlo formalism, introduce the
library, compare methods of correcting rates for stellar environments, and
discuss how to implement our library in Monte Carlo nucleosynthesis studies. We
also present a method for accessing STARLIB on the Internet and outline updated
Monte Carlo-based rates.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement
Series; 96 pages, 22 figure
Development and Characterisation of a Gas System and its Associated Slow-Control System for an ATLAS Small-Strip Thin Gap Chamber Testing Facility
A quality assurance and performance qualification laboratory was built at
McGill University for the Canadian-made small-strip Thin Gap Chamber (sTGC)
muon detectors produced for the 2019-2020 ATLAS experiment muon spectrometer
upgrade. The facility uses cosmic rays as a muon source to ionise the quenching
gas mixture of pentane and carbon dioxide flowing through the sTGC detector. A
gas system was developed and characterised for this purpose, with a simple and
efficient gas condenser design utilizing a Peltier thermoelectric cooler (TEC).
The gas system was tested to provide the desired 45 vol% pentane concentration.
For continuous operations, a state-machine system was implemented with alerting
and remote monitoring features to run all cosmic-ray data-acquisition
associated slow-control systems, such as high/low voltage, gas system and
environmental monitoring, in a safe and continuous mode, even in the absence of
an operator.Comment: 23 pages, LaTeX, 14 figures, 4 tables, proof corrections for Journal
of Instrumentation (JINST), including corrected Fig. 8b
First direct mass-measurement of the two-neutron halo nucleus 6He and improved mass for the four-neutron halo 8He
The first direct mass-measurement of He has been performed with the
TITAN Penning trap mass spectrometer at the ISAC facility. In addition, the
mass of He was determined with improved precision over our previous
measurement. The obtained masses are (He) = 6.018 885 883(57) u and
(He) = 8.033 934 44(11) u. The He value shows a deviation from
the literature of 4. With these new mass values and the previously
measured atomic isotope shifts we obtain charge radii of 2.060(8) fm and
1.959(16) fm for He and He respectively. We present a detailed
comparison to nuclear theory for He, including new hyperspherical harmonics
results. A correlation plot of the point-proton radius with the two-neutron
separation energy demonstrates clearly the importance of three-nucleon forces.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Non-linear optical susceptibilities, Raman efficiencies and electrooptic tensors from first-principles density functional perturbation theory
The non-linear response of infinite periodic solids to homogenous electric
fields and collective atomic displacements is discussed in the framework of
density functional perturbation theory. The approach is based on the 2n + 1
theorem applied to an electric-field-dependent energy functional. We report the
expressions for the calculation of the non-linear optical susceptibilities,
Raman scattering efficiencies and electrooptic coefficients. Different
formulations of third-order energy derivatives are examined and their
convergence with respect to the k-point sampling is discussed. We apply our
method to a few simple cases and compare our results to those obtained with
distinct techniques. Finally, we discuss the effect of a scissors correction on
the EO coefficients and non-linear optical susceptibilities
Cool bottom processes on the thermally-pulsing AGB and the isotopic composition of circumstellar dust grains
(Abridged) We examine the effects of cool bottom processing (CBP) on several
isotopic ratios in the convective envelope during the TP-AGB phase of evolution
in a 1.5 M_sun initial-mass star of solar initial composition. We use a
parametric model which treats extra mixing by introducing mass flow between the
convective envelope and the underlying radiative zone. The parameters of this
model are the mass circulation rate (Mdot) and the maximum temperature (T_P)
experienced by the circulating material. The effects of nuclear reactions in
the flowing matter were calculated using a set of structures of the radiative
zone selected from a complete stellar evolution calculation. The compositions
of the flowing material were obtained and the resulting changes in the envelope
determined. Abundant ^26Al was produced by CBP for log T_P > 7.65. While
^26Al/^27Al depends on T_P, the isotopic ratios in CNO elements depend
dominantly on the circulation rate. The correspondence is shown between models
of CBP as parameterized by a diffusion formalism within the stellar evolution
model and those using the mass-flow formalism employed here. The isotopic
ratios are compared with the data on circumstellar dust grains. It is found
that the ratios ^{18}O/^{16}O, ^{17}O/^{16}O, and ^26Al/^27Al observed for
oxide grains formed at C/O < 1 are reasonably well-understood. However, the
^15N/^14N, ^12C/^13C, and ^26Al/^27Al in carbide grains (C/O > 1) require many
stellar sources with ^14N/^15N at least a factor of 4 below solar. The rare
grains with ^12C/^13C < 10 cannot be produced by any red-giant or AGB source.Comment: 35 pages, plus 18 included figures. Scheduled for January 10, 2003
issue of Ap
Universality in fully developed turbulence
We extend the numerical simulations of She et al. [Phys.\ Rev.\ Lett.\ 70,
3251 (1993)] of highly turbulent flow with Taylor-Reynolds number
up to , employing a reduced wave
vector set method (introduced earlier) to approximately solve the Navier-Stokes
equation. First, also for these extremely high Reynolds numbers ,
the energy spectra as well as the higher moments -- when scaled by the spectral
intensity at the wave number of peak dissipation -- can be described by
{\it one universal} function of for all . Second, the ISR
scaling exponents of this universal function are in agreement with
the 1941 Kolmogorov theory (the better, the large is), as is the
dependence of . Only around viscous damping leads to
slight energy pileup in the spectra, as in the experimental data (bottleneck
phenomenon).Comment: 14 pages, Latex, 5 figures (on request), 3 tables, submitted to Phys.
Rev.
Predicting the impact of outdoor vector control interventions on malaria transmission intensity from semi-field studies
BACKGROUND: Semi-field experiments with human landing catch (HLC) measure as the outcome are an important step in the development of novel vector control interventions against outdoor transmission of malaria since they provide good estimates of personal protection. However, it is often infeasible to determine whether the reduction in HLC counts is due to mosquito mortality or repellency, especially considering that spatial repellents based on volatile pyrethroids might induce both. Due to the vastly different impact of repellency and mortality on transmission, the community-level impact of spatial repellents can not be estimated from such semi-field experiments. METHODS: We present a new stochastic model that is able to estimate for any product inhibiting outdoor biting, its repelling effect versus its killing and disarming (preventing host-seeking until the next night) effects, based only on time-stratified HLC data from controlled semi-field experiments. For parameter inference, a Bayesian hierarchical model is used to account for nightly variation of semi-field experimental conditions. We estimate the impact of the products on the vectorial capacity of the given Anopheles species using an existing mathematical model. With this methodology, we analysed data from recent semi-field studies in Kenya and Tanzania on the impact of transfluthrin-treated eave ribbons, the odour-baited Suna trap and their combination (push-pull system) on HLC of Anopheles arabiensis in the peridomestic area. RESULTS: Complementing previous analyses of personal protection, we found that the transfluthrin-treated eave ribbons act mainly by killing or disarming mosquitoes. Depending on the actual ratio of disarming versus killing, the vectorial capacity of An. arabiensis is reduced by 41 to 96% at 70% coverage with the transfluthrin-treated eave ribbons and by 38 to 82% at the same coverage with the push-pull system, under the assumption of a similar impact on biting indoors compared to outdoors. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this analysis of semi-field data suggest that transfluthrin-treated eave ribbons are a promising tool against malaria transmission by An. arabiensis in the peridomestic area, since they provide both personal and community protection. Our modelling framework can estimate the community-level impact of any tool intervening during the mosquito host-seeking state using data from only semi-field experiments with time-stratified HLC
Solutions to the Optical Cascading Equations
Group theoretical methods are used to study the equations describing
\chi^{(2)}:\chi^{(2)} cascading. The equations are shown not to be integrable
by inverse scattering techniques. On the other hand, these equations do share
some of the nice properties of soliton equations. Large families of explicit
analytical solutions are obtained in terms of elliptic functions. In special
cases, these periodic solutions reduce to localized ones, i.e., solitary waves.
All previously known explicit solutions are recovered, and many additional ones
are obtainedComment: 21 page
Nuclear uncertainties in the NeNa-MgAl cycles and production of 22Na and 26Al during nova outbursts
Classical novae eject significant amounts of nuclear processed material into
the interstellar medium. Among the isotopes synthesized during such explosions,
two radioactive nuclei deserve a particular attention: 22Na and 26Al. In this
paper, we investigate the nuclear paths leading to 22Na and 26Al production
during nova outbursts by means of an implicit, hydrodynamic code that follows
the course of the thermonuclear runaway from the onset of accretion up to the
ejection stage. New evolutionary sequences of ONe novae have been computed,
using updated nuclear reaction rates relevant to 22Na and 26Al production.
Special attention is focused on the role played by nuclear uncertainties within
the NeNa and MgAl cycles in the synthesis of such radioactive species. From the
series of hydrodynamic models, which assume upper, recommended or lower
estimates of the reaction rates, we derive limits on the production of both
22Na and 26Al. We outline a list of nuclear reactions which deserve new
experimental investigations in order to reduce the wide dispersion introduced
by nuclear uncertainties in the 22Na and 26Al yields.Comment: 46 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical
Journa
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