20,013 research outputs found
A route to explain water anomalies from results on an aqueous solution of salt
In this paper we investigate the possibility to detect the hypothesized
liquid-liquid critical point of water in supercooled aqueous solutions of
salts. Molecular dynamics computer simulations are conducted on bulk TIP4P
water and on an aqueous solution of sodium chloride in TIP4P water, with
concentration c = 0.67 mol/kg. The liquid-liquid critical point is found both
in the bulk and in the solution. Its position in the thermodynamic plane shifts
to higher temperature and lower pressure for the solution. Comparison with
available experimental data allowed us to produce the phase diagrams of both
bulk water and the aqueous solution as measurable in experiments. Given the
position of the liquid-liquid critical point in the solution as obtained from
our simulations, the experimental determination of the hypothesized
liquid-liquid critical point of water in aqueous solutions of salts appears
possible.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication on the Journal of
Chemical Physics (2010)
Structural Properties of High and Low Density Water in a Supercooled Aqueous Solution of Salt
We consider and compare the structural properties of bulk TIP4P water and of
a sodium chloride aqueous solution in TIP4P water with concentration c = 0.67
mol/kg, in the metastable supercooled region. In a previous paper [D.
Corradini, M. Rovere and P. Gallo, J. Chem. Phys. 132, 134508 (2010)] we found
in both systems the presence of a liquid-liquid critical point (LLCP). The LLCP
is believed to be the end point of the coexistence line between a high density
liquid (HDL) and a low density liquid (LDL) phase of water. In the present
paper we study the different features of water-water structure in HDL and LDL
both in bulk water and in the solution. We find that the ions are able to
modify the bulk LDL structure, rendering water-water structure more similar to
the bulk HDL case. By the study of the hydration structure in HDL and LDL, a
possible mechanism for the modification of the bulk LDL structure in the
solution is identified in the substitution of the oxygen by the chloride ion in
oxygen coordination shells.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication on J. Phys.
Chem
Driving extreme variability: The evolving corona and evidence for jet launching in Markarian 335
Variations in the X-ray emission from the narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxy,
Markarian 335 (Mrk 335), are studied on both long and short timescales through
observations made between 2006 and 2013 with XMM-Newton, Suzaku and NuSTAR.
Changes in the geometry and energetics of the corona that give rise to this
variability are inferred through measurements of the relativistically blurred
reflection seen from the accretion disc. On long timescales, we find that
during the high flux epochs the corona has expanded, covering the inner regions
of the accretion disc out to a radius of 26(-7,+10)rg. The corona contracts to
within 12rg and 5rg in the intermediate and low flux epochs, respectively.
While the earlier high flux observation made in 2006 is consistent with a
corona extending over the inner part of the accretion disc, a later high flux
observation that year revealed that the X-ray source had become collimated into
a vertically-extended jet-like corona and suggested relativistic motion of
material upward. On short timescales, we find that an X-ray flare during a low
flux epoch in 2013 corresponded to a reconfiguration from a slightly extended
corona to one much more compact, within just 2~3rg of the black hole. There is
evidence that during the flare itself, the spectrum softened and the corona
became collimated and slightly extended vertically as if a jet-launching event
was aborted. Understanding the evolution of the X-ray emitting corona may
reveal the underlying mechanism by which the luminous X-ray sources in AGN are
powered.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Seyfert galaxies with Swift: giant flares, rapid drops, and other surprises
Swift has initiated a new era of understanding the extremes of active
galactic nuclei (AGN) variability, their drivers and underlying physics. This
is based on its rapid response, high sensitivity, good spatial resolution, and
its ability to collect simultaneously X--ray-to-optical SEDs. Here, we present
results from our recent monitoring campaigns with Swift of highly variable AGN,
including outbursts, deep low states, and unusual long-term trends in several
Seyfert galaxies including Mrk 335, WPVS007, and RXJ2314.9+2243. We also report
detection of a new X-ray and optical outburst of IC 3599 and our Swift
follow-ups. IC 3599 was previously known as one of the AGN with the
highest-amplitude outbursts. We briefly discuss implications of this second
outburst of IC 3599 for emission scenarios including accretion-disk
variability, repeat tidal disruption events, and the presence of a binary
supermassive black hole.Comment: to appear in "Swift: 10 years of discovery", Proceedings of Scienc
Hodge polynomials of the moduli spaces of pairs
Let be a smooth projective curve of genus over the complex
numbers. A holomorphic pair on is a couple , where is a
holomorphic bundle over of rank and degree , and is
a holomorphic section. In this paper, we determine the Hodge polynomials of the
moduli spaces of rank 2 pairs, using the theory of mixed Hodge structures. We
also deal with the case in which has fixed determinant.Comment: 23 pages, typos added, minor change
Probing the geometry and motion of AGN coronae through accretion disc emissivity profiles
To gain a better understanding of the inner disc region that comprises active
galactic nuclei it is necessary to understand the pattern in which the disc is
illuminated (the emissivity profile) by X-rays emitted from the continuum
source above the black hole (corona). The differences in the emissivity
profiles produced by various corona geometries are explored via general
relativistic ray tracing simulations. Through the analysis of various
parameters of the geometries simulated it is found that emissivity profiles
produced by point source and extended geometries such as cylindrical slabs and
spheroidal coronae placed on the accretion disc are distinguishable. Profiles
produced by point source and conical geometries are not significantly
different, requiring an analysis of reflection fraction to differentiate the
two geometries. Beamed point and beamed conical sources are also simulated in
an effort to model jet-like coronae, though the differences here are most
evident in the reflection fraction. For a point source we determine an
approximation for the measured reflection fraction with the source height and
velocity. Simulating spectra from the emissivity profiles produced by the
various geometries produce distinguishable differences. Overall spectral
differences between the geometries do not exceed 15 per cent in the most
extreme cases. It is found that emissivity profiles can be useful in
distinguishing point source and extended geometries given high quality spectral
data of extreme, bright sources over long exposure times. In combination with
reflection fraction, timing, and spectral analysis we may use emissivity
profiles to discern the geometry of the X-ray source.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Mrk 1014: An AGN Dominated ULIRG at X-rays
In this paper we report on an XMM-Newton observation of the ultraluminous
infrared QSO Mrk 1014. The X-ray observation reveals a power-law dominated
(photon index of about 2.2) spectrum with a slight excess in the soft energy
range. AGN and starburst emission models fit the soft excess emission equally
well, however, the most plausible explanation is an AGN component as the
starburst model parameter, temperature and luminosity, appear physically
unrealistic. The mean luminosity of Mrk 1014 is about 2 times 10^44 erg s^-1.
We have also observed excess emission at energies greater than 5 keV. This
feature could be attributed to a broadened and redshifted iron complex, but
deeper observations are required to constrain its origin. The light curve shows
small scale variability over the 11 ks observation. There is no evidence of
intrinsic absorption in Mrk 1014. The X-ray observations support the notion of
an AGN dominated central engine. We establish the need for a longer observation
to constrain more precisely the nature of the X-ray components.Comment: 5 pages incl. 3 figures, MNRAS in pres
Anomalous relaxation kinetics and charge density wave correlations in underdoped BaPb1-xBixO3
Superconductivity often emerges in proximity of other symmetry-breaking
ground states, such as antiferromagnetism or charge-density-wave (CDW) order.
However, the subtle inter-relation of these phases remains poorly understood,
and in some cases even the existence of short-range correlations for
superconducting compositions is uncertain. In such circumstances, ultrafast
experiments can provide new insights, by tracking the relaxation kinetics
following excitation at frequencies related to the broken symmetry state. Here,
we investigate the transient terahertz conductivity of BaPb1-xBixO3 - a
material for which superconductivity is adjacent to a competing CDW phase -
after optical excitation tuned to the CDW absorption band. In insulating BaBiO3
we observed an increase in conductivity and a subsequent relaxation, which are
consistent with quasiparticles injection across a rigid semiconducting gap. In
the doped compound BaPb0.72Bi0.28O3 (superconducting below Tc=7K), a similar
response was also found immediately above Tc. This observation evidences the
presence of a robust gap up to T=40 K, which is presumably associated with
short-range CDW correlations. A qualitatively different behaviour was observed
in the same material fo T>40 K. Here, the photo-conductivity was dominated by
an enhancement in carrier mobility at constant density, suggestive of melting
of the CDW correlations rather than excitation across an optical gap. The
relaxation displayed a temperature dependent, Arrhenius-like kinetics,
suggestive of the crossing of a free-energy barrier between two phases. These
results support the existence of short-range CDW correlations above Tc in
underdoped BaPb1-xBixO3, and provide new information on the dynamical interplay
between superconductivity and charge order.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure
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