287 research outputs found
Turbulent convection: comparing the moment equations to numerical simulations
The non-local hydrodynamic moment equations for compressible convection are
compared to numerical simulations. Convective and radiative flux typically
deviate less than 20% from the 3D simulations, while mean thermodynamic
quantities are accurate to at least 2% for the cases we have investigated. The
moment equations are solved in minutes rather than days on standard
workstations. We conclude that this convection model has the potential to
considerably improve the modelling of convection zones in stellar envelopes and
cores, in particular of A and F stars.Comment: 10 pages (6 pages of text including figure captions + 4 figures),
Latex 2e with AAS Latex 5.0 macros, accepted for publication in ApJ
Application of a theory and simulation-based convective boundary mixing model for AGB star evolution and nucleosynthesis
The s-process nucleosynthesis in Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars depends on the modeling of convective boundaries. We present models and s-process simulations that adopt a treatment of convective boundaries based on the results of hydrodynamic simulations and on the theory of mixing due to gravity waves in the vicinity of convective boundaries. Hydrodynamics simulations suggest the presence of convective boundary mixing (CBM) at the bottom of the thermal pulse-driven convective zone. Similarly, convection-induced mixing processes are proposed for the mixing below the convective envelope during third dredge-up (TDU), where the ¹³C pocket for the s process in AGB stars forms. In this work, we apply a CBM model motivated by simulations and theory to models with initial mass M=2 and M = 3 Mʘ, and with initial metal content Z = 0.01 and Z = 0.02. As reported previously, the He-intershell abundances of ¹²C and ¹⁶O are increased by CBM at the bottom of the pulse-driven convection zone. This mixing is affecting the ²²Ne(α, n)²⁵Mg activation and the s-process efficiency in the ¹³C-pocket. In our model, CBM at the bottom of the convective envelope during the TDU represents gravity wave mixing. Furthermore, we take into account the fact that hydrodynamic simulations indicate a declining mixing efficiency that is already about a pressure scale height from the convective boundaries, compared to mixing-length theory. We obtain the formation of the ¹³C-pocket with a mass of ≈10⁻⁴ Mʘ. The final s-process abundances are characterized by 0.36 < [s Fe] < 0.78 and the heavy-to-light s-process ratio is -0.23 < [hs ls] < 0.45. Finally, we compare our results with stellar observations, presolar grain measurements and previous work
Interband mixing between two-dimensional states localized in a surface quantum well and heavy hole states of the valence band in narrow gap semiconductor
Theoretical calculations in the framework of Kane model have been carried out
in order to elucidate the role of interband mixing in forming the energy
spectrum of two-dimensional carriers, localized in a surface quantum well in
narrow gap semiconductor. Of interest was the mixing between the 2D states and
heavy hole states in the volume of semiconductor. It has been shown that the
interband mixing results in two effects: the broadening of 2D energy levels and
their shift, which are mostly pronounced for semiconductors with high doping
level. The interband mixing has been found to influence mostly the effective
mass of 2D carriers for large their concentration, whereas it slightly changes
the subband distribution in a wide concentration range.Comment: 12 pages (RevTEX) and 4 PostScript-figure
The s Process: Nuclear Physics, Stellar Models, Observations
Nucleosynthesis in the s process takes place in the He burning layers of low
mass AGB stars and during the He and C burning phases of massive stars. The s
process contributes about half of the element abundances between Cu and Bi in
solar system material. Depending on stellar mass and metallicity the resulting
s-abundance patterns exhibit characteristic features, which provide
comprehensive information for our understanding of the stellar life cycle and
for the chemical evolution of galaxies. The rapidly growing body of detailed
abundance observations, in particular for AGB and post-AGB stars, for objects
in binary systems, and for the very faint metal-poor population represents
exciting challenges and constraints for stellar model calculations. Based on
updated and improved nuclear physics data for the s-process reaction network,
current models are aiming at ab initio solution for the stellar physics related
to convection and mixing processes. Progress in the intimately related areas of
observations, nuclear and atomic physics, and stellar modeling is reviewed and
the corresponding interplay is illustrated by the general abundance patterns of
the elements beyond iron and by the effect of sensitive branching points along
the s-process path. The strong variations of the s-process efficiency with
metallicity bear also interesting consequences for Galactic chemical evolution.Comment: 53 pages, 20 figures, 3 tables; Reviews of Modern Physics, accepte
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Decay Properties of p pi- Systems Produced in Neutron Dissociation at Fermilab Energies
The authors have examined the decay distributions of (p{pi}{sup -}) systems produced in the reaction n + p {yields} (p{pi}{sup -}) + p for neutron momenta between 120 GeV/c and 300 GeV/c. Preliminary analysis of decay moments indicates the presence of large helicity-flip amplitudes even for small (p{pi}{sup -}) mass values, and does not support the hypothesis that the helicity non-flip (p{pi}{sup -}) states are produced peripherally in impact parameter. These results are in approximate agreement with predictions of the Deck mechanism. The experiment was performed at the M-3 neutral beam of Fermilab
Detection of Water Vapor in the Photosphere of Arcturus
We report detections of pure rotation lines of OH and H2O in the K1.5 III
red-giant star Arcturus (alpha Bootis) using high-resolution, infrared spectra
covering the regions 806-822 cm-1 (12.2-12.4 um) and 884-923 cm-1 (10.8-11.3
um). Arcturus is the hottest star yet to show water-vapor features in its
disk-averaged spectrum. We argue that the water vapor lines originate from the
photosphere, albeit in the outer layers. We are able to predict the observed
strengths of OH and H2O lines satisfactorily after lowering the temperature
structure of the very outer parts of the photosphere (log tau_500=-3.8 and
beyond) compared to a flux-constant, hydrostatic, standard MARCS model
photosphere. Our new model is consistently calculated including chemical
equilibrium and radiative transfer from the given temperature structure.
Possible reasons for a temperature decrease in the outer-most parts of the
photosphere and the assumed break-down of the assumptions made in classical
model-atmosphere codes are discussed.Comment: To appear in ApJ. See also http://www.astro.uu.se/~ryde/ART
Central immune tolerance depends on crosstalk between the classical and alternative NF-κB pathways in medullary thymic epithelial cells
Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) contribute to self-tolerance by expressing and presenting peripheral tissue antigens for negative selection of autoreactive T cells and differentiation of natural regulatory T cells. The molecular control of mTEC development remains incompletely understood. We here demonstrate by TEC-specific gene manipulation in mice that the NF-κB transcription factor subunit RelB, which is activated by the alternative NF-κB pathway, regulates development of mature mTECs in a dose-dependent manner. Mice with conditional deletion of Relb lacked mature mTECs and developed spontaneous autoimmunity. In addition, the NF-κB subunits RelA and c-Rel, which are both activated by classical NF-κB signaling, were jointly required for mTEC differentiation by directly regulating the transcription of Relb. Our data reveal a crosstalk mechanism between classical and alternative NF-κB pathways that tightly controls the development of mature mTECs to ensure self-tolerance
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KPiX, An Array of Self Triggered Charge Sensitive Cells Generating Digital Time and Amplitude Information
The Silicon Detector proposed for the International Linear Collider (ILC) requires electronic read-out that can be tightly coupled to the silicon detectors envisioned for the tracker and the electromagnetic calorimeter. The KPiX is a 1024-channel read-out chip that bump-bonds to the detector and communicates through a few digital signals, power, and detector bias. The KPiX front-end is a low-noise dual-range charge-amplifier with a dynamic range of 17 bit, achieved by autonomous switching of the feedback capacitor. The device takes advantage of the ILC duty cycle of 1 ms trains at 5 Hz rate by lowering the supply current after the data acquisition cycle for an average power consumption of <20 {micro}W/channel. During the 1 ms train, up to four events exceeding a programmable threshold can be stored, the amplitude as a voltage on a capacitor for subsequent digitization, the event time in digital format. The chip can be configured for other than ILC applications
Atmospheric Heating and Wind Acceleration: Results for Cool Evolved Stars based on Proposed Processes
A chromosphere is a universal attribute of stars of spectral type later than
~F5. Evolved (K and M) giants and supergiants (including the zeta Aurigae
binaries) show extended and highly turbulent chromospheres, which develop into
slow massive winds. The associated continuous mass loss has a significant
impact on stellar evolution, and thence on the chemical evolution of galaxies.
Yet despite the fundamental importance of those winds in astrophysics, the
question of their origin(s) remains unsolved. What sources heat a chromosphere?
What is the role of the chromosphere in the formation of stellar winds? This
chapter provides a review of the observational requirements and theoretical
approaches for modeling chromospheric heating and the acceleration of winds in
single cool, evolved stars and in eclipsing binary stars, including physical
models that have recently been proposed. It describes the successes that have
been achieved so far by invoking acoustic and MHD waves to provide a physical
description of plasma heating and wind acceleration, and discusses the
challenges that still remain.Comment: 46 pages, 9 figures, 1 table; modified and unedited manuscript;
accepted version to appear in: Giants of Eclipse, eds. E. Griffin and T. Ake
(Berlin: Springer
s-Process Nucleosynthesis in AGB Stars: A Test for Stellar Evolution
[abridged] We study the s-process in AGB stars using three different stellar
evolutionary models computed for a 3Msun and solar metallicity star. First we
investigate the formation and the efficiency of the main neutron source. We
parametrically vary the number of protons mixed from the envelope into the C12
rich core. For p/C12 > 0.3, mainly N14 is produced, which represent a major
neutron poison. The amount of C12 in the He intershell and the maximum value of
the time-integrated neutron flux are proportional. Then we generate detailed
s-process calculations on the basis of stellar evolutionary models constructed
with three different codes. One code considers convective hydrodynamic
overshoot that depends on a free parameter f, and results in partial mixing
beyond convective boundaries, the most efficient third dredge up and the
formation of the C13 pocket. For the other two codes an identical C13 pocket is
introduced in the post-processing nucleosynthesis calculations. The models
generally reproduce the spectroscopically observed s-process enhancements. The
results of the cases without overshoot are remarkably similar. The code
including hydrodynamic overshoot produces a He intershell composition near to
that observed in H-deficient central stars of planetary nebulae. As a result of
this intershell dredge up the neutron fluxes have a higher efficiency, both
during the interpulse periods and within thermal pulses. The s-element
distribution is pushed toward the heavier s-process elements and large
abundances of neutron-rich isotopes fed by branching points in the s-process
path are produced. Several observational constraints are better matched by the
models without overshoot. Our study need to be extended to different masses and
metallicities and in the space of the free overshoot parameter f.Comment: 44 pages, incl 10 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
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