7,696 research outputs found
PAH Formation in O-rich Planetary Nebulae
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been observed in O-rich
planetary nebulae towards the Galactic Bulge. This combination of oxygen-rich
and carbon-rich material, known as dual-dust or mixed chemistry, is not
expected to be seen around such objects. We recently proposed that PAHs could
be formed from the photodissociation of CO in dense tori. In this work, using
VISIR/VLT, we spatially resolved the emission of the PAH bands and ionised
emission from the [SIV] line, confirming the presence of dense central tori in
all the observed O-rich objects. Furthermore, we show that for most of the
objects, PAHs are located at the outer edge of these dense/compact tori, while
the ionised material is mostly present in the inner parts of these tori,
consistent with our hypothesis for the formation of PAHs in these systems. The
presence of a dense torus has been strongly associated with the action of a
central binary star and, as such, the rich chemistry seen in these regions may
also be related to the formation of exoplanets in post-common-envelope binary
systems.Comment: 14, accepted for publication in the MNRAS Journa
Disk evaporation in a planetary nebula
We study the Galactic bulge planetary nebula M 2-29 (for which a 3-year
eclipse event of the central star has been attributed to a dust disk) using HST
imaging and VLT spectroscopy, both long-slit and integral field. The central
cavity of M 2-29 is filled with a decreasing, slow wind. An inner high density
core is detected, with radius less than 250 AU, interpreted as a rotating
gas/dust disk with a bipolar disk wind. The evaporating disk is argued to be
the source of the slow wind. The central star is a source of a very fast wind
(1000 km/s). An outer, partial ring is seen in the equatorial plane, expanding
at 12 km/s. The azimuthal asymmetry is attributed to mass-loss modulation by an
eccentric binary. M 2-29 presents a crucial point in disk evolution, where
ionization causes the gas to be lost, leaving a low-mass dust disk behind.Comment: 11 pages, accepted for publication in "Astronomy and Astrophysics
The bias-extension test for the analysis of in-plane shear properties of textile composite reinforcements and prepregs: a review
The bias-extension test is a rather simple experiment aiming to determine in-plane shear properties of textile composite reinforcements. However the mechanics during the test involves fibrous material at large shear strains and large rotations of the fibres. Several aspects are still being studied and are not yet modeled in a consensual manner. The standard analysis of the test is based on two assumptions: inextensibility of the fibers and rotations at the yarn crossovers without slippage. They lead to the development of zones with constant fibre orientations proper to the bias-extension test. Beyond the analysis of the test within these basic assumptions, the paper presents studies that have been carried out on the lack of verification of these hypothesis (slippage, tension in the yarns, effects of fibre bending). The effects of temperature, mesoscopic modeling and tension locking are also considered in the case of the bias-extension test
Trade-offs Between Water Transport Capacity and Drought Resistance in Neotropical Canopy Liana and Tree Species
In tropical forest canopies, it is critical for upper shoots to efficiently provide water to leaves for physiological function while safely preventing loss of hydraulic conductivity due to cavitation during periods of soil water deficit or high evaporative demand. We compared hydraulic physiology of upper canopy trees and lianas in a seasonally dry tropical forest to test whether trade-offs between safety and efficiency of water transport shape differences in hydraulic function between these two major tropical woody growth forms. We found that lianas showed greater maximum stem-specific hydraulic conductivity than trees, but lost hydraulic conductivity at less negative water potentials than trees, resulting in a negative correlation and trade-off between safety and efficiency of water transport. Lianas also exhibited greater diurnal changes in leaf water potential than trees. The magnitude of diurnal water potential change was negatively correlated with sapwood capacitance, indicating that lianas are highly reliant on conducting capability to maintain leaf water status, whereas trees relied more on stored water in stems to maintain leaf water status. Leaf nitrogen concentration was related to maximum leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity only for lianas suggesting that greater water transport capacity is more tied to leaf processes in lianas compared to trees. Our results are consistent with a trade-off between safety and efficiency of water transport and may have implications for increasing liana abundance in neotropical forests
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Improved Log(gf) Values for Lines of Ti I and Abundance Determinations in the Photospheres of the Sun and Metal-Poor Star HD 84937 (Accurate Transition Probabilities for Ti I)
New atomic transition probability measurements for 948 lines of Ti I are reported. Branching fractions from Fourier transform spectra and from spectra recorded using a 3 m echelle spectrometer are combined with published radiative lifetimes from laser-induced fluorescence measurements to determine these transition probabilities. Generally good agreement is found in comparisons to the NIST Atomic Spectra Database. The new Ti I data are applied to re-determine the Ti abundance in the photospheres of the Sun and metal-poor star HD 84937 using many lines covering a range of wavelength and excitation potential to explore possible non-local thermal equilibrium effects. The variation of relative Ti/Fe abundance with metallicity in metal-poor stars observed in earlier studies is supported in this study.NSF AST-1211055, AST-0908978, AST-1211585NSF REU grant AST-1004881ESO Science Archive Facility 073.D-0024, 266.D-5655NASA NAS 5-26555Astronom
Dependence of the Fundamental Plane Scatter on Galaxy Age
The fundamental plane (FP) has an intrinsic scatter that can not be explained
purely by observational errors. Using recently available age estimates for
nearby early type galaxies, we show that a galaxy's position relative to the FP
depends on its age. In particular, the mean FP corresponds to ellipticals with
an age of ~10 Gyr. Younger galaxies are systematically brighter with higher
surface brightness relative to the mean relation. Old ellipticals form an
`upper envelope' to the FP. For our sample of mostly non-cluster galaxies, age
can account for almost half of the scatter in the B band FP. Distance
determinations based on the FP may have a systematic bias, if the mean age of
the sample varies with redshift.
We also show that fundamental plane residuals, B-V colors and Mg_2 line
strength are consistent with an ageing central burst superposed on an old
stellar population. This reinforces the view that these age estimates are
tracing the last major episode of star formation induced by a gaseous merger
event. We briefly discuss the empirical `evolutionary tracks' of
merger-remnants and young ellipticals in terms of their key observational
parameters.Comment: 14 pages, Latex, 2 figures, accepted by ApJ Letter
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Bioinspired snapping-claw apparatus to study hydrodynamic cavitation effects on the corrosion of metallic samples
A creative low-cost and compact mechanical device that mimics the rapid closure of the pistol shrimp claw was used to conduct electrochemical experiments, in order to study the effects of hydrodynamic cavitation on the corrosion of aluminum and steel samples. Current-time curves show significant changes associated with local variations in dissolved O2 concentration, cavitation-induced erosion and changes in the nature of the surface corrosion products
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Introduction
This is an introduction to "Too Little, Too Late: The Quest to Resolve Sovereign Debt Crisis". Sovereign debt crises are becoming, once again, frequent. In some cases, the costs to the citizens of those countries facing such crises have been enormous. Deficiencies in the mechanisms for resolving such crises cast a pallor over countries that are not yet in a crisis but worry that they might become so; and indeed, the high costs and uncertainties associated with debt restructuring dampen cross-border capital flows and force especially developing countries and emerging markets to pay higher interest rates than might be the case if there were better ways of resolving these debt problems.There have been several important academic studies addressing various aspects of frameworks for sovereign debt restructuring and the advantages and disadvantages of these mechanisms relative to the private contractual approach. In light of the recent events and progress in our understanding of the issues, these studies need to be updated. This book fills in this gap by providing a collection of essays from top academic economists, lawyers, and practitioners in the field, providing guidance on the most critical questions. (Many of these ideas were presented as part of an ongoing series of conferences held at Columbia University on frameworks for sovereign debt restructuring.
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