2,696 research outputs found
Post density functional theoretical studies of highly polar semiconductive Pb(TiNi)O solid solutions: The effects of cation arrangement on band gap
We use a combination of conventional density functional theory (DFT) and
post-DFT methods, including the local density approximation plus Hubbard
(LDA+), PBE0, and self-consistent to study the electronic properties of
Ni-substituted PbTiO (Ni-PTO) solid solutions. We find that LDA
calculations yield unreasonable band structures, especially for Ni-PTO solid
solutions that contain an uninterrupted NiO layer. Accurate treatment of
localized states in transition-metal oxides like Ni-PTO requires post-DFT
methods. -site Ni/Ti cation ordering is also investigated. The -site
cation arrangement alters the bonding between Ni and O, and therefore strongly
affects the band gap () of Ni-PTO. We predict that Ni-PTO solid
solutions should have a direct band gap in the visible light energy range, with
polarization similar to the parent PbTiO. This combination of properties
make Ni-PTO solid solutions promising candidate materials for solar energy
conversion devices.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figure
Modeling GRB 050904: Autopsy of a Massive Stellar Explosion at z=6.29
GRB 050904 at redshift z=6.29, discovered and observed by Swift and with
spectroscopic redshift from the Subaru telescope, is the first gamma-ray burst
to be identified from beyond the epoch of reionization. Since the progenitors
of long gamma-ray bursts have been identified as massive stars, this event
offers a unique opportunity to investigate star formation environments at this
epoch. Apart from its record redshift, the burst is remarkable in two respects:
first, it exhibits fast-evolving X-ray and optical flares that peak
simultaneously at t~470 s in the observer frame, and may thus originate in the
same emission region; and second, its afterglow exhibits an accelerated decay
in the near-infrared (NIR) from t~10^4 s to t~3 10^4 s after the burst,
coincident with repeated and energetic X-ray flaring activity. We make a
complete analysis of available X-ray, NIR, and radio observations, utilizing
afterglow models that incorporate a range of physical effects not previously
considered for this or any other GRB afterglow, and quantifying our model
uncertainties in detail via Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis. In the process,
we explore the possibility that the early optical and X-ray flare is due to
synchrotron and inverse Compton emission from the reverse shock regions of the
outflow. We suggest that the period of accelerated decay in the NIR may be due
to suppression of synchrotron radiation by inverse Compton interaction of X-ray
flare photons with electrons in the forward shock; a subsequent interval of
slow decay would then be due to a progressive decline in this suppression. The
range of acceptable models demonstrates that the kinetic energy and circumburst
density of GRB 050904 are well above the typical values found for low-redshift
GRBs.Comment: 45 pages, 7 figures, and ApJ accepted. Revised version, minor
modifications and 1 extra figur
Measuring the Spins of Stellar Black Holes: A Progress Report
We use the Novikov-Thorne thin disk model to fit the thermal continuum X-ray
spectra of black hole X-ray binaries, and thereby extract the dimensionless
spin parameter a* = a/M of the black hole as a parameter of the fit. We
summarize the results obtained to date for six systems and describe work in
progress on additional systems. We also describe recent methodological
advances, our current efforts to make our analysis software fully available to
others, and our theoretical efforts to validate the Novikov-Thorne model.Comment: 6 pages, conference proceedings, X-ray Astronomy 2009: Present
Status, Multi-Wavelength Approach and Future Perspectives, AIP, eds. A.
Comastri et al.; list of authors revise
Dark pair coherent states of the motion of a trapped ion
We propose a scheme for generating vibrational pair coherent states of the
motion of an ion in a two-dimensional trap. In our scheme, the trapped ion is
excited bichromatically by three laser beams along different directions in the
X-Y plane of the ion trap. We show that if the initial vibrational state is
given by a two-mode Fock state, the final steady state, indicated by the
extinction of the fluorescence emitted by the ion, is a pure state. The
motional state of the ion in the equilibrium realizes that of the
highly-correlated pair coherent state.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure
The Mass of the Black Hole in Cygnus X-1
Cygnus X-1 is a binary star system that is comprised of a black hole and a
massive giant companion star in a tight orbit. Building on our accurate
distance measurement reported in the preceding paper, we first determine the
radius of the companion star, thereby constraining the scale of the binary
system. To obtain a full dynamical model of the binary, we use an extensive
collection of optical photometric and spectroscopic data taken from the
literature. By using all of the available observational constraints, we show
that the orbit is slightly eccentric (both the radial velocity and photometric
data independently confirm this result) and that the companion star rotates
roughly 1.4 times its pseudosynchronous value. We find a black hole mass of M
=14.8\pm1.0 M_{\sun}, a companion mass of M_{opt}=19.2\pm1.9 M_{\sun}, and the
angle of inclination of the orbital plane to our line of sight of i=27.1\pm0.8
deg.Comment: Paper II of three papers on Cygnus X-1; 27 pages including 5 figures
and 3 tables, ApJ in pres
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