Debris disks in main sequence binary systems

We observed 69 A3-F8 main sequence binary star systems using the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. We find emission significantly in excess of predicted photospheric flux levels for 9(+4/-3)% and 40(+7/-6)% of these systems at 24 and 70 microns, respectively. Twenty two systems total have excess emission, including four systems that show excess emission at both wavelengths. A very large fraction (nearly 60%) of observed binary systems with small (<3 AU) separations have excess thermal mission. We interpret the observed infrared excesses as thermal emission from dust produced by collisions in planetesimal belts. The incidence of debris disks around main sequence A3-F8 binaries is marginally higher than that for single old AFGK stars. Whatever combination of nature (birth conditions of binary systems) and nurture (interactions between the two stars) drives the evolution of debris disks in binary systems, it is clear that planetesimal formation is not inhibited to any great degree. We model these dust disks through fitting the spectral energy distributions and derive typical dust temperatures in the range 100--200 K and typical fractional luminosities around 10^-5, with both parameters similar to other Spitzer-discovered debris disks. Our calculated dust temperatures suggest that about half the excesses we observe are derived from circumbinary planetesimal belts and around one third of the excesses clearly suggest circumstellar material. Three systems with excesses have dust in dynamically unstable regions, and we discuss possible scenarios for the origin of this short-lived dust.Comment: ApJ, in press. 57 pages, including 7 figures (one of which is in color

Synthesis, Characterization and Magnetic Susceptibility of the Heavy Fermion Transition Metal Oxide LiV_{2}O_{4}

The preparative method, characterization and magnetic susceptibility \chi measurements versus temperature T of the heavy fermion transition metal oxide LiV_{2}O_{4} are reported in detail. The intrinsic \chi(T) shows a nearly T-independent behavior below ~ 30 K with a shallow broad maximum at about 16 K, whereas Curie-Weiss-like behavior is observed above 50-100 K. Field-cooled and zero-field-cooled magnetization M measurements in applied magnetic fields H = 10 to 100 G from 1.8 to 50 K showed no evidence for spin-glass ordering. Crystalline electric field theory for an assumed cubic V point group symmetry is found insufficient to describe the observed temperature variation of the effective magnetic moment. The Kondo and Coqblin-Schrieffer models do not describe the magnitude and T dependence of \chi with realistic parameters. In the high T range, fits of \chi(T) by the predictions of high temperature series expansion calculations provide estimates of the V-V antiferromagnetic exchange coupling constant J/k_{B} ~ 20 K, g-factor g ~ 2 and the T-independent susceptibility. Other possible models to describe the \chi(T) are discussed. The paramagnetic impurities in the samples were characterized using isothermal M(H) measurements with 0 < H <= 5.5 Tesla at 2 to 6 K. These impurities are inferred to have spin S_{imp} ~ 3/2 to 4, g_{imp} ~ 2 and molar concentrations of 0.01 to 0.8 %, depending on the sample.Comment: 19 typeset RevTeX pages, 16 eps figures included, uses epsf; to be published in Phys. Rev.

Carbon Dioxide Capture and Separation Techniques for Gasification-based Power Generation Point Sources

The capture/separation step for carbon dioxide (CO2) from large-point sources is a critical one with respect to the technical feasibility and cost of the overall carbon sequestration scenario. For large-point sources, such as those found in power generation, the carbon dioxide capture techniques being investigated by the in-house research area of the National Energy Technology Laboratory possess the potential for improved efficiency and reduced costs as compared to more conventional technologies. The investigated techniques can have wide applications, but the research has focused on capture/separation of carbon dioxide from flue gas (post-combustion from fossil fuel-fired combustors) and from fuel gas (precombustion, such as integrated gasification combined cycle or IGCC). With respect to fuel gas applications, novel concepts are being developed in wet scrubbing with physical absorption; chemical absorption with solid sorbents; and separation by membranes. In one concept, a wet scrubbing technique is being investigated that uses a physical solvent process to remove CO2 from fuel gas of an IGCC system at elevated temperature and pressure. The need to define an ideal solvent has led to the study of the solubility and mass transfer properties of various solvents. Pertaining to another separation technology, fabrication techniques and mechanistic studies for membranes separating CO2 from the fuel gas produced by coal gasification are also being performed. Membranes that consist of CO2-philic ionic liquids encapsulated into a polymeric substrate have been investigated for permeability and selectivity. Finally, dry, regenerable processes based on sorbents are additional techniques for CO2 capture from fuel gas. An overview of these novel techniques is presented along with a research progress status of technologies related to membranes and physical solvents

Modeling of Surface Damage at the Si/SiO2_2-interface of Irradiated MOS-capacitors

Surface damage caused by ionizing radiation in SiO$_2$ passivated silicon particle detectors consists mainly of the accumulation of a positively charged layer along with trapped-oxide-charge and interface traps inside the oxide and close to the Si/SiO$_2$-interface. High density positive interface net charge can be detrimental to the operation of a multi-channel $n$-on-$p$ sensor since the inversion layer generated under the Si/SiO$_2$-interface can cause loss of position resolution by creating a conduction channel between the electrodes. In the investigation of the radiation-induced accumulation of oxide charge and interface traps, a capacitance-voltage characterization study of n/$\gamma$- and $\gamma$-irradiated Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) capacitors showed that close agreement between measurement and simulation were possible when oxide charge density was complemented by both acceptor- and donor-type deep interface traps with densities comparable to the oxide charges. Corresponding inter-strip resistance simulations of a $n$-on-$p$ sensor with the tuned oxide charge density and interface traps show close agreement with experimental results. The beneficial impact of radiation-induced accumulation of deep interface traps on inter-electrode isolation may be considered in the optimization of the processing parameters of isolation implants on $n$-on-$p$ sensors for the extreme radiation environments.Comment: Corresponding author: T. Peltola. 24 pages, 17 figures, 6 table

Stars and brown dwarfs in the sigma Orionis cluster: the Mayrit catalogue

The young sigma Orionis cluster is an indispensable basis for understanding the formation and evolution of stars, brown dwarfs and planetary-mass objects. Our knowledge of its stellar population is, however, incomplete. I present the Mayrit catalogue, that comprises most of the stars and high-mass brown dwarfs of the cluster. The basis of this work is an optical-near infrared correlation between the 2MASS and DENIS catalogues in a circular area of radius 30 arcmin centred on the OB-type binary sigma Ori AB. The analysis is supported on a bibliographic search of confirmed cluster members with features of youth and on additional X-ray, mid-infrared and astrometric data. I list 241 sigma Orionis stars and brown dwarfs with known features of youth, 97 candidate cluster members (40 are new) and 115 back- and foreground sources in the survey area. The 338 cluster members and member candidates constitute the Mayrit catalogue. This catalogue is a suitable input for studying the spatial ditribution, multiplicity, properties and frequency of discs and the complete mass function of sigma Orionis.Comment: accepted for publication in A&A, section 14. Online catalogs and dat

Closed-flavor pi + J/psi and pi + Upsilon Cross Sections at Low Energies from Dipion Decays

The scale of low energy c-cbar and b-bbar cross sections on light hadrons is of great importance to searches for the quark gluon plasma using the heavy-quarkonium suppression signature. Unfortunately, little is known about these near-threshold cross sections at present, and recent theoretical estimates span many orders of magnitude. Here we use experimental data on the four observed closed-flavor heavy quarkonium hadronic decays psi' -> pi pi J/psi, Upsilon' -> pi pi Upsilon, Upsilon'' -> pi pi Upsilon and Upsilon'' -> pi pi Upsilon', combined with simple models of the transition amplitudes, to estimate the pion scattering cross sections of c-cbar and b-bbar mesons near threshold. Specifically we consider the closed-flavor reactions pi J/psi -> pi psi', pi Upsilon -> pi Upsilon', pi Upsilon -> pi Upsilon'' and pi Upsilon' -> pi Upsilon'' and their time-reversed analogues. Our results may be useful in constraining theoretical models of the strong interactions of heavy quarkonia, and can be systematically improved through future detailed studies of dipion decays, notably psi' -> pi pi J/psi and Upsilon'' -> pi pi Upsilon.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

New Particles Working Group Report of the Snowmass 2013 Community Summer Study

This report summarizes the work of the Energy Frontier New Physics working group of the 2013 Community Summer Study (Snowmass)

The ALMA REBELS Survey: The Cosmic H i Gas Mass Density in Galaxies at z ≈ 7

The neutral atomic gas content of individual galaxies at large cosmological distances has until recently been difficult to measure due to the weakness of the hyperfine H I 21 cm transition. Here we estimate the H I gas mass of a sample of main-sequence star-forming galaxies at z similar to 6.5-7.8 surveyed for [C II] 158 mu m emission as part of the Reionization Era Bright Emission Line Survey (REBELS), using a recent calibration of the [C II]-to-H I conversion factor. We find that the H I gas mass excess in galaxies increases as a function of redshift, with an average of M-HI /M-star approximate to 10, corresponding to H I gas mass fractions of f(HI) = M-HI /(M-star + M-HI) = 90%, at z approximate to 7. Based on the [C II] 158 mu m luminosity function (LF) derived from the same sample of galaxies, we further place constraints on the cosmic H I gas mass density in galaxies (rho(HI)) at this redshift, which we measure to be rho(HI) = 7.1(-3.0)(+6.4) x 10(6) M-circle dot Mpc(-3). This estimate is substantially lower by a factor of approximate to 10 than that inferred from an extrapolation of damped Ly alpha absorber (DLA) measurements and largely depends on the exact [C II] LF adopted. However, we find this decrease in rho(HI) to be consistent with recent simulations and argue that this apparent discrepancy is likely a consequence of the DLA sight lines predominantly probing the substantial fraction of H I gas in high-z galactic halos, whereas [C II] traces the H I in the ISM associated with star formation. We make predictions for this buildup of neutral gas in galaxies as a function of redshift, showing that at z greater than or similar to 5, only approximate to 10% of the cosmic H I gas content is confined in galaxies and associated with the star-forming ISM

Nearby low-mass triple system GJ795

We report the results of our optical speckle-interferometric observations of the nearby triple system GJ795 performed with the 6-m BTA telescope with diffraction-limited angular resolution. The three components of the system were optically resolved for the first time. Position measurements allowed us to determine the elements of the inner orbit of the triple system. We use the measured magnitude differences to estimate the absolute magnitudes and spectral types of the components of the triple: $M_{V}^{Aa}$=7.31$\pm$0.08, $M_{V}^{Ab}$=8.66$\pm$0.10, $M_{V}^{B}$=8.42$\pm$0.10, $Sp_{Aa}$ $\approx$K5, $Sp_{Ab}$ $\approx$K9, $Sp_{B}$ $\approx$K8. The total mass of the system is equal to $\Sigma\mathcal{M}_{AB}$=1.69$\pm0.27\mathcal{M}_{\odot}$. We show GJ795 to be a hierarchical triple system which satisfies the empirical stability criteria.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, published in Astrophysical Bulleti

Worker remittances and the global preconditions of ‘smart development’

With the growing environmental crisis affecting our globe, ideas to weigh economic or social progress by the ‘energy input’ necessary to achieve it are increasingly gaining acceptance. This question is intriguing and is being dealt with by a growing number of studies, focusing on the environmental price of human progress. Even more intriguing, however, is the question of which factors of social organization contribute to a responsible use of the resources of our planet to achieve a given social result (‘smart development’). In this essay, we present the first systematic study on how migration – or rather, more concretely, received worker remittances per GDP – helps the nations of our globe to enjoy social and economic progress at a relatively small environmental price. We look at the effects of migration on the balance sheets of societal accounting, based on the ‘ecological price’ of the combined performance of democracy, economic growth, gender equality, human development, research and development, and social cohesion. Feminism in power, economic freedom, population density, the UNDP education index as well as the receipt of worker remittances all significantly contribute towards a ‘smart overall development’, while high military expenditures and a high world economic openness are a bottleneck for ‘smart overall development’