361 research outputs found
Assessment of GNC Impacts of Chemical Plume Impingement in the Case of Prisma Irides Experiment
This paper presents the preliminary analysis of an in-orbit demonstration opportunity to test plume impingement as a viable means to change the attitude state of a space debris based on the Prisma and Picard missions. This technique has been proposed as part of the COBRA concept studied by ESA in collaboration with GMV, Politecnico di Milano and Thales-Alenia Space, as an active debris removal concept relying on the exhaust plume of a monopropellant chemical propulsion system as a means to impart momentum and ultimately modify the orbit of a space debris object in a contactless manner. The feasibility of the experiment is presented as well as its critical areas, no showstoppers are identified
Independent measurement of the Hoyle state feeding from 12B using Gammasphere
Using an array of high-purity Compton-suppressed germanium detectors, we
performed an independent measurement of the -decay branching ratio from
to the second-excited (Hoyle) state in . Our
result is , which is a factor smaller than the previously
established literature value, but is in agreement with another recent
measurement. This could indicate that the Hoyle state is more clustered than
previously believed. The angular correlation of the Hoyle state
cascade has also been measured for the first time. It is consistent with
theoretical predictions
Be+Sn scattering at near-barrier energies within a four body model
Cross sections for elastic and inelastic scattering of the weakly-bound
Be nucleus on a Sn target have been measured at seven bombarding
energies around and above the Coulomb barrier. The elastic angular
distributions are analyzed with a four-body continuum-discretized
coupled-channels (CDCC) calculation, which considers Be as a three-body
projectile ( + + n). An optical model analysis using the S\~ao
Paulo potential is also shown for comparison. The CDCC analysis shows that the
coupling to the continuum part of the spectrum is important for the agreement
with experimental data even at energies around the Coulomb barrier, suggesting
that breakup is an important process at low energies. At the highest incident
energies, two inelastic peaks are observed at 1.19(5) and 2.41(5) MeV.
Coupled-channels (CC) calculations using a rotational model confirm that the
first inelastic peak corresponds to the excitation of the 2 state in
Sn, while the second one likely corresponds to the excitation of the
3 state.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures. Accepted as PR
Isolation of a wide range of minerals from a thermally treated plant: Equisetum arvense, a Mare’s tale
Silica is the second most abundant biomineral being exceeded in nature only by biogenic CaCO3. Many land plants (such as rice, cereals, cucumber, etc.) deposit silica in significant amounts to reinforce their tissues and as a systematic response to pathogen attack. One of the most ancient species of living vascular plants, Equisetum arvense is also able to take up and accumulate silica in all parts of the plant. Numerous methods have been developed for elimination of the organic material and/or metal ions present in plant material to isolate biogenic silica. However, depending on the chemical and/or physical treatment applied to branch or stem from Equisetum arvense; other mineral forms such glass-type materials (i.e. CaSiO3), salts (i.e. KCl) or luminescent materials can also be isolated from the plant material. In the current contribution, we show the chemical and/or thermal routes that lead to the formation of a number of different mineral types in addition to biogenic silica
Studying X-ray burst nucleosynthesis in the laboratory
Type I X-ray bursts are the most common explosions in the Galaxy; however, the nucleosynthesis that occurs during the thermonuclear runaway and explosion is poorly understood. In this proceedings we discuss current experimental efforts and techniques that are being used to study X-ray burst nucleosynthesis in the laboratory. Specifically, radioactive ion beam techniques that have recently been developed have allowed the study of some of the most important (α, p) reactions in X-ray bursts for the first time. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd
The ESA Hera Mission: Detailed Characterization of the DART Impact Outcome and of the Binary Asteroid (65803) Didymos
Hera is a planetary defense mission under development in the Space Safety and Security Program of the European Space Agency for launch in 2024 October. It will rendezvous in late 2026 December with the binary asteroid (65803) Didymos and in particular its moon, Dimorphos, which will be impacted by NASA’s DART spacecraft on 2022 September 26 as the first asteroid deflection test. The main goals of Hera are the detailed characterization of the physical properties of Didymos and Dimorphos and of the crater made by the DART mission, as well as measurement of the momentum transfer efficiency resulting from DART’s impact. The data from the Hera spacecraft and its two CubeSats will also provide significant insights into asteroid science and the evolutionary history of our solar system. Hera will perform the first rendezvous with a binary asteroid and provide new measurements, such as radar sounding of an asteroid interior, which will allow models in planetary science to be tested. Hera will thus provide a crucial element in the global effort to avert future asteroid impacts at the same time as providing world-leading science
- …