47,773 research outputs found
Distributions of Long-Lived Radioactive Nuclei Provided by Star Forming Environments
Radioactive nuclei play an important role in planetary evolution by providing
an internal heat source, which affects planetary structure and helps facilitate
plate tectonics. A minimum level of nuclear activity is thought to be necessary
--- but not sufficient --- for planets to be habitable. Extending previous work
that focused on short-lived nuclei, this paper considers the delivery of
long-lived radioactive nuclei to circumstellar disks in star forming regions.
Although the long-lived nuclear species are always present, their abundances
can be enhanced through multiple mechanisms. Most stars form in embedded
cluster environments, so that disks can be enriched directly by intercepting
ejecta from supernovae within the birth clusters. In addition, molecular clouds
often provide multiple episodes of star formation, so that nuclear abundances
can accumulate within the cloud; subsequent generations of stars can thus
receive elevated levels of radioactive nuclei through this distributed
enrichment scenario. This paper calculates the distribution of additional
enrichment for K, the most abundant of the long-lived radioactive
nuclei. We find that distributed enrichment is more effective than direct
enrichment. For the latter mechanism, ideal conditions lead to about 1 in 200
solar systems being directly enriched in K at the level inferred for the
early solar nebula (thereby doubling the abundance). For distributed enrichment
from adjacent clusters, about 1 in 80 solar systems are enriched at the same
level. Distributed enrichment over the entire molecular cloud is more
uncertain, but can be even more effective.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
The Ultimate Halo Mass in a LCDM Universe
In the far future of an accelerating LCDM cosmology, the cosmic web of
large-scale structure consists of a set of increasingly isolated halos in
dynamical equilibrium. We examine the approach of collisionless dark matter to
hydrostatic equilibrium using a large N-body simulation evolved to scale factor
a = 100, well beyond the vacuum--matter equality epoch, a_eq ~ 0.75, and 53/h
Gyr into the future for a concordance model universe (Omega_m ~ 0.3,
Omega_Lambda ~ 0.7). The radial phase-space structure of halos -- characterized
at a < a_eq by a pair of zero-velocity surfaces that bracket a dynamically
active accretion region -- simplifies at a > 10 a_eq when these surfaces merge
to create a single zero-velocity surface, clearly defining the halo outer
boundary, rhalo, and its enclosed mass, mhalo. This boundary approaches a fixed
physical size encompassing a mean interior density ~ 5 times the critical
density, similar to the turnaround value in a classical Einstein-deSitter
model. We relate mhalo to other scales currently used to define halo mass
(m200, mvir, m180b) and find that m200 is approximately half of the total
asymptotic cluster mass, while m180b follows the evolution of the inner zero
velocity surface for a < 2 but becomes much larger than the total bound mass
for a > 3. The radial density profile of all bound halo material is well fit by
a truncated Hernquist profile. An NFW profile provides a somewhat better fit
interior to r200 but is much too shallow in the range r200 < r < rhalo.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to MNRAS letter
Light curves for bump Cepheids computed with a dynamically zoned pulsation code
The dynamically zoned pulsation code developed by Castor, Davis, and Davison was used to recalculate the Goddard model and to calculate three other Cepheid models with the same period (9.8 days). This family of models shows how the bumps and other features of the light and velocity curves change as the mass is varied at constant period. The use of a code that is capable of producing reliable light curves demonstrates that the light and velocity curves for 9.8 day Cepheid models with standard homogeneous compositions do not show bumps like those that are observed unless the mass is significantly lower than the 'evolutionary mass.' The light and velocity curves for the Goddard model presented here are similar to those computed independently by Fischel, Sparks, and Karp. They should be useful as standards for future investigators
Further experimental tests for simple relations between unpolarized and polarized quark parton distributions
Some simple relations between unpolarized and polarized quark parton
distributions have direct experimental consequences which will be presented
here. In particular, we will see that it is possible to relate the deep
inelastic structure functions and , both for proton and deuteron, in
fair agreement with experimental data.Comment: 5 pages, in Latex, 3 figure
Solving non-perturbative flow equations
Non-perturbative exact flow equations describe the scale dependence of the
effective average action. We present a numerical solution for an approximate
form of the flow equation for the potential in a three-dimensional N-component
scalar field theory. The critical behaviour, with associated critical
exponents, can be inferred with good accuracy.Comment: Latex, 14 pages, 2 uuencoded figure
A Review and Outlook for the Removal of Radon-Generated Po-210 Surface Contamination
The next generation low-background detectors operating deep underground aim
for unprecedented low levels of radioactive backgrounds. The deposition and
presence of radon progeny on detector surfaces is an added source of energetic
background events. In addition to limiting the detector material's radon
exposure in order to reduce potential surface backgrounds, it is just as
important to clean surfaces to remove inevitable contamination. Such studies of
radon progeny removal have generally found that a form of etching is effective
at removing some of the progeny (Bi and Pb), however more aggressive
techniques, including electropolishing, have been shown to effectively remove
the Po atoms. In the absence of an aggressive etch, a significant fraction of
the Po atoms are believed to either remain behind within the surface or
redeposit from the etching solution back onto the surface. We explore the
chemical nature of the aqueous Po ions and the effect of the oxidation state of
Po to maximize the Po ions remaining in the etching solution of contaminated Cu
surfaces. We present a review of the previous studies of surface radon progeny
removal and our findings on the role of oxidizing agents and a cell potential
in the preparation of a clean etching technique.Comment: Proceedings of the Low Radioactivity Techniques (LRT) 2017, Seoul,
South Korea, May 24-26, 201
Jet correlation measurement in heavy-ion collisions: from RHIC to LHC
We attempt to deduce simple options of `jet quenching' phenomena in heavy-ion
collisions at \snn=5.5 \tev at the LHC from the present knowledge of
leading-hadron suppression at RHIC energies. In light of the nuclear
modification factor for leading particles we introduce the nuclear modification
factor for jets, \RAA^{jet}, and for the longitudinal momenta of particles
along the jet axis, \RAA^{p_{\rm L}}.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, proceedings, MIT workshop on fluctuations and
correlations in relativistic nuclear collision
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