161 research outputs found
2-16 mu m spectroscopy of micron-sized enstatite (Mg,Fe)(2)Si2O6 silicates from primitive chondritic meteorites
We present mid-infrared spectra from individual enstatite silicate grains separated from primitive type 3 chondritic meteorites. The 2-16 mu m transmission spectra were taken with microspectroscopic Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) techniques as part of a project to produce a data base of infrared spectra from minerals of primitive meteorites for comparison with astronomical spectra. In general, the wavelength of enstatite bands increases with the proportion of Fe. However, the wavelengths of the strong En(100) bands at 10.67 and 11.67 decrease with increasing Fe content. The 11.67-mu m band exhibits the largest compositional wavelength shift (twice as large as any other). Our fits of the linear dependence of the pyroxene peaks indicate that crystalline silicate peaks in the 10-mu m spectra of Herbig AeBe stars, HD 179218 and 104237, are matched by pyroxenes of En(90-92) and En(78-80), respectively. If these simplistic comparisons with the astronomical grains are correct, then the enstatite pyroxenes seen in these environments are more Fe-rich than are the forsterite (Fo(100)) grains identified in the far-infrared which are found to be Mg end-member grains. This differs from the general composition of type 3 chondritic meteoritic grains in which the pyroxenes are more Mg-rich than are the olivines from the same meteorite
Dust from collisions: A way to probe the composition of exo-planets?
In order to link infrared observations of dust formed during planet formation
in debris disks to mid-infrared spectroscopic data of planetary materials from
differentiated terrestrial and asteroidal bodies, we obtained absorption
spectra of a representative suite of terrestrial crustal and mantle materials,
and of typical Martian meteorites. A series of debris disk spectra
characterized by a strong feature in the 9.0-9.5 micron range (HD23514,
HD15407a, HD172555 and HD165014), is comparable to materials that underwent
shock, collision or high temperature events. These are amorphous materials such
as tektites, SiO2-glass, obsidian, and highly shocked shergottites as well as
inclusions from mesosiderites (Group A). A second group (BD+20307, Beta
Pictoris, HD145263, ID8, HD113766, HD69830, P1121, and Eta Corvi) have strong
pyroxene and olivine bands in the 9-12 micron range and is very similar to
ultramafic rocks (e.g. harzburgite, dunite)(Group B). This could indicate the
occurrence of differentiated materials similar to those in our Solar System in
these other systems. However, mixing of projectile and target material, as well
as that of crustal and mantle material has to be taken into account in large
scale events like hit-and-run and giant collisions or even large-scale
planetary impacts. This could explain the olivine-dominated dust of group B.
The crustal-type material of group A would possibly require the stripping of
upper layers by grazing-style hit-and run encounters or high energy events like
evaporation/condensation in giant collisions. In tidal disruptions or the
involvement of predominantly icy/water bodies the resulting mineral dust would
originate mainly in one of the involved planetesimals. This could allow
attributing the observed composition to a specific body (such as e.g. Eta
Corvi)
A Self-Consistent Model of the Circumstellar Debris Created by a Giant Hypervelocity Impact in the HD172555 System
Spectral modeling of the large infrared excess in the Spitzer IRS spectra of
HD 172555 suggests that there is more than 10^19 kg of sub-micron dust in the
system. Using physical arguments and constraints from observations, we rule out
the possibility of the infrared excess being created by a magma ocean planet or
a circumplanetary disk or torus. We show that the infrared excess is consistent
with a circumstellar debris disk or torus, located at approximately 6 AU, that
was created by a planetary scale hypervelocity impact. We find that radiation
pressure should remove submicron dust from the debris disk in less than one
year. However, the system's mid-infrared photometric flux, dominated by
submicron grains, has been stable within 4 percent over the last 27 years, from
IRAS (1983) to WISE (2010). Our new spectral modeling work and calculations of
the radiation pressure on fine dust in HD 172555 provide a self-consistent
explanation for this apparent contradiction. We also explore the unconfirmed
claim that 10^47 molecules of SiO vapor are needed to explain an emission
feature at 8 um in the Spitzer IRS spectrum of HD 172555. We find that unless
there are 10^48 atoms or 0.05 Earth masses of atomic Si and O vapor in the
system, SiO vapor should be destroyed by photo-dissociation in less than 0.2
years. We argue that a second plausible explanation for the 8 um feature can be
emission from solid SiO, which naturally occurs in submicron silicate "smokes"
created by quickly condensing vaporized silicate.Comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journa
Abundances of the elements in the solar system
A review of the abundances and condensation temperatures of the elements and
their nuclides in the solar nebula and in chondritic meteorites. Abundances of
the elements in some neighboring stars are also discussed.Comment: 42 pages, 11 tables, 8 figures, chapter, In Landolt- B\"ornstein, New
Series, Vol. VI/4B, Chap. 4.4, J.E. Tr\"umper (ed.), Berlin, Heidelberg, New
York: Springer-Verlag, p. 560-63
Measurement of the fraction of t-tbar production via gluon-gluon fusion in p-pbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV
We present a measurement of the ratio of t-tbar production cross section via
gluon-gluon fusion to the total t-tbar production cross section in p-pbar
collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV at the Tevatron. Using a data sample with an
integrated luminosity of 955/pb recorded by the CDF II detector at Fermilab, we
select events based on the t-tbar decay to lepton+jets. Using an artificial
neural network technique we discriminate between t-tbar events produced via
q-qbar annihilation and gluon-gluon fusion, and find
Cf=(gg->ttbar)/(pp->ttbar)<0.33 at the 68% confidence level. This result is
combined with a previous measurement to obtain the most precise measurement of
this quantity, Cf=0.07+0.15-0.07.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.
Measurement of Resonance Parameters of Orbitally Excited Narrow B^0 Mesons
We report a measurement of resonance parameters of the orbitally excited
(L=1) narrow B^0 mesons in decays to B^{(*)+}\pi^- using 1.7/fb of data
collected by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. The mass and width
of the B^{*0}_2 state are measured to be m(B^{*0}_2) =
5740.2^{+1.7}_{-1.8}(stat.) ^{+0.9}_{-0.8}(syst.) MeV/c^2 and \Gamma(B^{*0}_2)
= 22.7^{+3.8}_{-3.2}(stat.) ^{+3.2}_{-10.2}(syst.) MeV/c^2. The mass difference
between the B^{*0}_2 and B^0_1 states is measured to be
14.9^{+2.2}_{-2.5}(stat.) ^{+1.2}_{-1.4}(syst.) MeV/c^2, resulting in a B^0_1
mass of 5725.3^{+1.6}_{-2.2}(stat.) ^{+1.4}_{-1.5}(syst.) MeV/c^2. This is
currently the most precise measurement of the masses of these states and the
first measurement of the B^{*0}_2 width.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, 1 table. Submitted to Phys.Rev.Let
Forward-Backward Asymmetry in Top Quark Production in ppbar Collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV
Reconstructable final state kinematics and charge assignment in the reaction
ppbar->ttbar allows tests of discrete strong interaction symmetries at high
energy. We define frame dependent forward-backward asymmetries for the outgoing
top quark in both the ppbar and ttbar rest frames, correct for experimental
distortions, and derive values at the parton-level. Using 1.9/fb of ppbar
collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV recorded with the CDF II detector at the
Fermilab Tevatron, we measure forward-backward top quark production asymmetries
in the ppbar and ttbar rest frames of A_{FB,pp} = 0.17 +- 0.08 and A_{FB,tt} =
0.24 +- 0.14.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Phys.Rev.Lett, corrected references
and change of tex
Global Search for New Physics with 2.0/fb at CDF
Data collected in Run II of the Fermilab Tevatron are searched for
indications of new electroweak-scale physics. Rather than focusing on
particular new physics scenarios, CDF data are analyzed for discrepancies with
the standard model prediction. A model-independent approach (Vista) considers
gross features of the data, and is sensitive to new large cross-section
physics. Further sensitivity to new physics is provided by two additional
algorithms: a Bump Hunter searches invariant mass distributions for "bumps"
that could indicate resonant production of new particles; and the Sleuth
procedure scans for data excesses at large summed transverse momentum. This
combined global search for new physics in 2.0/fb of ppbar collisions at
sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV reveals no indication of physics beyond the standard model.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures. Final version which appeared in Physical Review D
Rapid Communication
Solar System Abundances of the Elements
Representative abundances of the chemical elements for use as a solar
abundance standard in astronomical and planetary studies are summarized.
Updated abundance tables for solar system abundances based on meteorites and
photospheric measurements are presented.Comment: 46 pages; 5 figures; 8 tables; In: Principles and Perspectives in
Cosmochemistry.Lecture Notes of the Kodai School on 'Synthesis of Elements in
Stars' held at Kodaikanal Observatory, India, April 29 - May 13, 2008 (Aruna
Goswami and B. Eswar Reddy eds.) Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings,
Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2010, p. 379-417 (ISBN 978-3-642-10351-3),
201
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