3,243 research outputs found
Kinetics of the reaction of nitric oxide with hydrogen
Mixtures of NO and H2 diluted in argon or krypton were heated by incident shock waves, and the infrared emission from the fundamental vibration-rotation band of NO at 5.3 microns was used to monitor the time-varying NO concentration. The reaction kinetics were studied in the temperature range 2400-4500 K using a shock-tube technique. The decomposition of nitric oxide behind the shock was found to be modeled well by a fifteen-reaction system. A principle result of the study was the determination of the rate constant for the reaction H + NO yields N + OH, which may be the rate-limiting step for NO removal in some combustion systems. Experimental values of k sub 1 were obtained for each test through comparisons of measured and numerically predicted NO profiles
Decomposition of NO studied by infrared emission and CO laser absorption
A diagnostic technique for monitoring the concentration of NO using absorption of CO laser radiation was developed and applied in a study of the decomposition kinetics of NO. Simultaneous measurements of infrared emission by NO at 5.3 microns were also made to validate the laser absorption technique. The data were obtained behind incident shocks in NO-N2O-Ar (or Kr) mixtures, with temperatures in the range 2400-4100 K. Rate constants for dominant reactions were inferred from comparisons with computer simulations of the reactive flow
Rotational quenching of CO due to H collisions
Rate coefficients for state-to-state rotational transitions in CO induced by
both para- and ortho-H collisions are presented. The results were obtained
using the close-coupling method and the coupled-states approximation, with the
CO-H interaction potential of Jankowski & Szalewicz (2005). Rate
coefficients are presented for temperatures between 1 and 3000 K, and for
CO() quenching from to all lower levels. Comparisons
with previous calculations using an earlier potential show some discrepancies,
especially at low temperatures and for rotational transitions involving large
. The differences in the well depths of the van der Waals
interactions in the two potential surfaces lead to different resonance
structures in the energy dependence of the cross sections which influence the
low temperature rate coefficients. Applications to far infrared observations of
astrophysical environments are briefly discussed.Comment: 28 pages, 10 figure
Port Stanley Magnetic Observatory installation report 6 - 10 February 2003
This report describes the modifications made to the Port Stanley Geomagnetic Observatory
during a visit to the Falkland Islands in February 2003. Since the report is intended as a technical
reference for observatory operation, the instruments, computing equipment, software and cabling
have been described in detail. The modifications were undertaken to ensure the continued supply
of high quality geomagnetic data from this observatory, and to this end, there are some further
recommendations for future visits listed in the final section of the report
HD line emission in Proto-Planetary Disks
%Context: {Previous studies have indicated that the 372.4 GHz ground
transition of ortho-HD might be a powerful probe of Proto-Planetary
Disks. The line could be especially suited for study of the disk mid-plane,
where the bulk of the mass resides and where planet formation takes place.}
%Aims: {Provide detailed theoretical predictions for the line intensity,
profile and maps expected for representative disk models.} %Methods: {We
determine the physical and chemical structure of the disks from the model
developed by Ceccarelli & Dominik (2005). The line emission is computed with
the new radiative transfer method developed recently by Elitzur & Asensio Ramos
(2006).} %Results: {We present intensity maps convolved with the expected ALMA
resolution, which delineate the origin of the HD 372.4 GHz line. In the
disk inner regions, the line probes the conditions in the mid-plane out to
radial distances of a few tens of AU, where Solar-like planetary systems might
form. In the disk outermost regions, the line originates from slightly above
the mid-plane. When the disk is spatially resolved, the variation of line
profile across the image provides important information about the velocity
field. Spectral profiles of the entire disk flux show a double peak shape at
most inclination angles.} %Conclusions: {Our study confirms that the 372.4 GHz
HD line provides powerful diagnostics of the mid-plane of
Proto-Planetary Disks. Current submillimeter telescopes are capable of
observing this line, though with some difficulties. The future ALMA
interferometer will have the sensitivity to observe and even spatially resolve
the HD line emission.}Comment: To appear in A&
A Brush Seals Program Modeling and Developments
Some events of a US Army/NASA Lewis Research Center brush seals program are
reviewed, and the development of ceramic brush seals is described. Some preliminary roomtemperature flow data are modeled and compare favorably to the results of Ergun
Therapeutic strategies for Huntington’s disease
PURPOSE AND REVIEW: Huntington's disease is a fatal autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a trinucleotide expansion in the HTT gene, and current therapies focus on symptomatic treatment. This review explores therapeutic approaches that directly target the pathogenic mutation, disrupt HTT mRNA or its translation. RECENT FINDINGS: Zinc-finger transcription repressors and CRISPR-Cas9 therapies target HTT DNA, thereby preventing all downstream pathogenic mechanisms. These therapies, together with RNA interference (RNAi), require intraparenchymal delivery to the brain in viral vectors, with only a single delivery potentially required, though they may carry the risk of irreversible side-effects.
Along with RNAi, antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) target mRNA, but are delivered periodically and intrathecally. ASOs have safely decreased mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) levels in the central nervous system of patients, and a phase 3 clinical trial is currently underway.
Finally, orally available small molecules, acting on splicing or posttranslational modification, have recently been shown to decrease mHTT in animal models. SUMMARY: Huntingtin-lowering approaches act upstream of pathogenic mechanisms and therefore have a high a priori likelihood of modifying disease course. ASOs are already in late-stage clinical development, whereas other strategies are progressing rapidly toward human studies
Water emission from the high-mass star-forming region IRAS 17233-3606. High water abundances at high velocities
We investigate the physical and chemical processes at work during the
formation of a massive protostar based on the observation of water in an
outflow from a very young object previously detected in H2 and SiO in the IRAS
17233-3606 region. We estimated the abundance of water to understand its
chemistry, and to constrain the mass of the emitting outflow. We present new
observations of shocked water obtained with the HIFI receiver onboard Herschel.
We detected water at high velocities in a range similar to SiO. We
self-consistently fitted these observations along with previous SiO data
through a state-of-the-art, one-dimensional, stationary C-shock model. We found
that a single model can explain the SiO and H2O emission in the red and blue
wings of the spectra. Remarkably, one common area, similar to that found for H2
emission, fits both the SiO and H2O emission regions. This shock model
subsequently allowed us to assess the shocked water column density,
N(H2O)=1.2x10^{18} cm^{-2}, mass, M(H2O)=12.5 M_earth, and its maximum
fractional abundance with respect to the total density, x(H2O)=1.4x10^{-4}. The
corresponding water abundance in fractional column density units ranges between
2.5x10^{-5} and 1.2x10^{-5}, in agreement with recent results obtained in
outflows from low- and high-mass young stellar objects.Comment: accepted for publication as a Letter in Astronomy and Astrophysic
The Great Eruption of Eta Carinae
During the years 1838-1858, the very massive star {\eta} Carinae became the
prototype supernova impostor: it released nearly as much light as a supernova
explosion and shed an impressive amount of mass, but survived as a star.1 Based
on a light-echo spectrum of that event, Rest et al.2 conclude that "a new
physical mechanism" is required to explain it, because the gas outflow appears
cooler than theoretical expectations. Here we note that (1) theory predicted a
substantially lower temperature than they quoted, and (2) their inferred
observational value is quite uncertain. Therefore, analyses so far do not
reveal any significant contradiction between the observed spectrum and most
previous discussions of the Great Eruption and its physics.Comment: To appear in Nature, a brief communication arising in response to
Rest et al. 2012. Submitted to Nature February 17, 201
Rovibrationally resolved photodissociation of HeH+
Accurate photodissociation cross sections have been obtained for the A-X
electronic transition of HeH+ using ab initio potential curves and dipole
transition moments. Partial cross sections have been evaluated for all
rotational transitions from the vibrational levels v"=0-11 and over the entire
accessible wavelength range 100-1129 Angstrom. Assuming a Boltzmann
distribution of the rovibrational levels of the X state, photodissociation
cross sections are presented for temperatures between 500 and 12,000 K. A
similar set of calculations was performed for the pure rovibrational
photodissociation in the X-X electronic ground state, but covering photon
wavelengths into the far infrared. Applications of the cross sections to the
destruction of HeH+in the early Universe and in UV-irradiated environments such
as primordial halos and protoplanetary disks are briefly discussed
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