24,935 research outputs found
Observational Tests Of Intermediate Mass Star Yields Using Planetary Nebulae
This paper summarizes a project designed to study abundances in a sample of
planetary nebulae representing a broad range in progenitor mass and
metallicity. We collect abundances of C, N, and O determined for the entire
sample and compare them with theoretical predictions of planetary nebula
abundances from a grid of intermediate-mass star models. We find very good
agreement between observations and theory, lending strong support to our
current understanding of nucleosynthesis in stars with progenitor masses below
8 solar masses. This agreement between observation and theory also supports the
validity of published stellar yields of C and N in the study of the abundance
evolution of these two elements.Comment: 2 pages, to appear in the proceedings of ``Cosmic Evolution'', held
at Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, November 13-17, 200
A new way to see inside black holes
Black holes are real astrophysical objects, but their interiors are hidden
and can only be "observed" through mathematics. The structure of rotating black
holes is typically illustrated with the help of special coordinates. But any
such coordinate choice necessarily results in a distorted view, just as the
choice of projection distorts a map of the Earth. The truest way to depict the
properties of a black hole is through quantities that are coordinate-invariant.
We compute and plot all the independent curvature invariants of rotating,
charged black holes for the first time, revealing a landscape that is much more
beautiful and complex than usually thought.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, published in Bridges Baltimore 2015: Mathematics,
Music, Art, Architecture, Culture (Phoenix, AZ: Tessellations Publishing,
2015), 479-482. Revised to fix a referenc
Role of the surface in the measurement of the Leidenfrost temperature
Role of surfaces in measuring Leidenfrost temperatur
Study of localization in the quantum sawtooth map emulated on a quantum information processor
Quantum computers will be unique tools for understanding complex quantum
systems. We report an experimental implementation of a sensitive, quantum
coherence-dependent localization phenomenon on a quantum information processor
(QIP). The localization effect was studied by emulating the dynamics of the
quantum sawtooth map in the perturbative regime on a three-qubit QIP. Our
results show that the width of the probability distribution in momentum space
remained essentially unchanged with successive iterations of the sawtooth map,
a result that is consistent with localization. The height of the peak relative
to the baseline of the probability distribution did change, a result that is
consistent with our QIP being an ensemble of quantum systems with a
distribution of errors over the ensemble. We further show that the previously
measured distributions of control errors correctly account for the observed
changes in the probability distribution.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figure
Abundances of Disk Planetary Nebulae in M31 and the Radial Oxygen Gradient
We have obtained spectra of 16 planetary nebulae in the disk of M31 and
determined the abundances of He, N, O, Ne, S and Ar. Here we present the median
abundances and compare them with previous M31 PN disk measurements and with PNe
in the Milky Way. We also derive the radial oxygen gradient in M31, which is
shallower than that in the Milky Way, even accounting for M31's larger disk
scale length.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure, 1 table, to appear in the proceedings of IAU
Symposium No. 283, Planetary Nebulae: An Eye to the Futur
ELSA: An Integrated, Semi-Automated Nebular Abundance Package
We present ELSA, a new modular software package, written in C, to analyze and
manage spectroscopic data from emission-line objects. In addition to
calculating plasma diagnostics and abundances from nebular emission lines, the
software provides a number of convenient features including the ability to
ingest logs produced by IRAF's splot task, to semi-automatically merge spectra
in different wavelength ranges, and to automatically generate various data
tables in machine-readable or LaTeX format. ELSA features a highly
sophisticated interstellar reddening correction scheme that takes into account
temperature and density effects as well as He II contamination of the hydrogen
Balmer lines. Abundance calculations are performed using a 5-level atom
approximation with recent atomic data, based on R. Henry's ABUN program.
Improvements planned in the near future include use of a three-region
ionization model, similar to IRAF's nebular package, error propagation, and the
addition of ultraviolet and infrared line analysis capability. Detailed
documentation for all aspects of ELSA are available at
http://www.williams.edu/Astronomy/research/PN .Comment: 2 pages, contributed paper, IAU Symp. 234, Planetary Nebulae in Our
Galaxy and Beyon
Regional variation in digital cushion pressure in the forefeet of horses and elephants
In this study, we seek to understand how the digital cushion morphologies evident in horse and elephant feet influence internal and external foot pressures. Our novel use of invasive blood pressure monitoring equipment, combined with a pressure pad and force plate, enabled measurements of (ex vivo) digital cushion pressure under increasing axial loads in seven horse and six elephant forefeet. Linear mixed effects models (LMER) revealed that internal digital cushion pressures increase under load and differ depending on region; elephant feet experienced higher magnitudes of medial digital cushion pressure, whereas horse feet experienced higher magnitudes of centralised digital cushion pressure. Direct comparison of digital cushion pressure magnitudes in both species, at equivalent loads relative to body weight, revealed that medial and lateral pressures increased more rapidly with load in elephant limbs. Within the same approximate region, internal pressures exceeded external, palmar pressures (on the sole of the foot), supporting previous Finite Element (FE) predictions. High pressures and large variations in pressure may relate to the development of foot pathology, which is a major concern in horses and elephants in a captive/domestic environment
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