Shock temperatures in calcite (CaCO3): Implication for shock induced decomposition

The temperatures induced in crystalline calcite upon planar shock compression (95–160 GPa) are reported from two-stage light gas-gun experiments. The temperatures are obtained fitting 6-channel optical pyrometer radiances in the 450 to 900 nm range, to a Planck radiation law temperature varied from 3300 to 5400 K. Calculations demonstrate that the temperatures are some 400 to 1350 K lower than if either shock-induced melting and/or disproportionation of calcite behind the shock front was not occurring. Here calcite is modeled as disproportionating into a molecular liquid, or a solid CaO plus CO2 gas. For temperature calculations, specific heat at constant volume for one mole of CO2 is taken to be 6.7R as compared to 9R in the solid state; whereas calcite and CaO have their solid state values (15R and 6R). Calculations also suggest that the onset of decomposition in calcite to CaO and CO2 during loading occurs at ~75±10 GPa, along the Hugoniot whereas decomposition begins upon unloading from 18 GPa. The 18 GPa value is based on comparison of VISAR measurements of particle velocity profiles induced upon isentropic expansion with one-dimensional numerical simulation

Net energy analysis of solar and conventional domestic hot water systems in Melbourne, Australia

It is commonly assumed that solar hot water systems save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Very rarely has the life-cycle energy requirements of solar hot water systems been analysed, including their embodied energy. The extent to which solar hot water systems save energy compared to conventional systems in Melbourne, Australia, is shown through a comparative net energy analysis. The solar systems provided a net energy saving compared to the conventional systems after 0.5 to 2 years, for electricity and gas systems respectively.<br /

Reaction cross-section predictions for nucleon induced reactions

A microscopic calculation of the optical potential for nucleon-nucleus scattering has been performed by explicitly coupling the elastic channel to all the particle-hole (p-h) excitation states in the target and to all relevant pickup channels. These p-h states may be regarded as doorway states through which the flux flows to more complicated configurations, and to long-lived compound nucleus resonances. We calculated the reaction cross sections for the nucleon induced reactions on the targets $^{40,48}$Ca, $^{58}$Ni, $^{90}$Zr and $^{144}$Sm using the QRPA description of target excitations, coupling to all inelastic open channels, and coupling to all transfer channels corresponding to the formation of a deuteron. The results of such calculations were compared to predictions of a well-established optical potential and with experimental data, reaching very good agreement. The inclusion of couplings to pickup channels were an important contribution to the absorption. For the first time, calculations of excitations account for all of the observed reaction cross-sections, at least for incident energies above 10 MeV.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures. Submitted to INPC 2010 Conference Proceeding

Spin polarized states in strongly asymmetric nuclear matter

In the framework of a Fermi liquid theory it is considered the possibility of appearance of spin polarized states in strongly asymmetric nuclear matter with Skyrme effective interaction. The zero temperature dependence of neutron and proton spin polarization parameters as functions of density is found for SLy4, SLy5 effective forces. It is shown that at some critical density it will be formed the state with the oppositely directed spins of neutrons and protons, while the state with the same direction of spins does not appear. In comparison with neutron matter, even small admixture of protons strongly decreases the threshold density of spin instability. It is clarified that protons become totally polarized within very narrow density domain while in the density profile of neutron spin polarization parameter their appear long tails near the transition density.Comment: Prepared with RevTeX4, 8p., 3 figures; to appear in PR