2,007 research outputs found
Continuous catalytic decomposition of methane
Continuous catalytic decomposition of methane and application to space life support syste
Continuous catalytic decomposition of methane
Water is conserved by employing sequence of reactions whereby 75 percent of methane from Sabatier reaction is decomposed to solid carbon and hydrogen; hydrogen is then separated from residual methane and utilized in usual Sabatier reaction to reduce remaining metabolic carbon dioxide
A Long-Lived Accretion Disk Around a Lithium-Depleted Binary T Tauri Star
We present a high dispersion optical spectrum of St 34 and identify the
system as a spectroscopic binary with components of similar luminosity and
temperature (both M3+/-0.5). Based on kinematics, signatures of accretion, and
location on an H-R diagram, we conclude that St 34 is a classical T Tauri star
belonging to the Taurus-Auriga T Association. Surprisingly, however, neither
component of the binary shows LiI 6708 A, absorption, the most universally
accepted criterion for establishing stellar youth. In this uniquely known
instance, the accretion disk appears to have survived longer than the lithium
depletion timescale. We speculate that the long-lived accretion disk is a
consequence of the sub-AU separation companion tidally inhibiting, though not
preventing, circumstellar accretion. Comparisons with pre-main sequence
evolutionary models imply, for each component of St 34, a mass of 0.37+/-0.08
Msun and an isochronal age of 8+/-3 Myr, which is much younger than the
predicted lithium depletion timescale of ~ 25 Myr. Although a distance 38%
closer than that of Taurus-Auriga or a hotter temperature scale could reconcile
this discrepancy at 21-25 Myr, similar discrepancies in other systems and the
implications of an extremely old accreting Taurus-Auriga member suggest instead
a possible problem with evolutionary models. Regardless, the older age implied
by St 34's depleted lithium abundance is the first compelling evidence for a
substantial age spread in this region. Additionally, since St 34's coeval
co-members with early M spectral types would likewise fail the lithium test for
youth, current membership lists may be incomplete.Comment: 4 pages, including 2 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ Let
An optical spectroscopic H-R diagram for low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in Orion
The masses and temperatures of young low mass stars and brown dwarfs in star-
forming regions are not yet well established because of uncertainties in the
age of individual objects and the spectral type vs. temperature scale
appropriate for objects with ages of only a few Myr. Using multi-object optical
spectroscopy, 45 low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in the Trapezium Cluster in
Orion have been classified and 44 of these confirmed as bona fide cluster
members. The spectral types obtained have been converted to effective
temperatures using a temperature scale intermediate between those of dwarfs and
giants, which is suitable for young pre-main sequence objects. The objects have
been placed on an H-R diagram overlaid with theoretical isochrones. The low
mass stars and the higher mass substellar objects are found to be clustered
around the 1 Myr isochrone, while many of the lower mass substellar objects are
located well above this isochrone. An average age of 1 Myr is found for the
majority of the objects. Assuming coevality of the sources and an average age
of 1 Myr, the masses of the objects have been estimated and range from 0.018 to
0.44Msun. The spectra also allow an investigation of the surface gravity of the
objects by measurement of the sodium doublet equivalent width. With one
possible exception, all objects have low gravities, in line with young ages,
and the Na indices for the Trapezium objects lie systematically below those of
young stars and brown dwarfs in Chamaeleon, suggesting that the 820 nm Na index
may provide a sensitive means of estimating ages in young clusters.Comment: 19 pages, accepted by MNRA
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