16,495 research outputs found
ST/STIS Spectroscopy of the White Dwarfs in the Short-Period Dwarf Novae LL And and EF Peg
We present new HST/STIS observations of the short-period dwarf novae LL And
and EF Peg during deep quiescence. We fit stellar models to the UV spectra and
use optical and IR observations to determine the physical parameters of the
whitedwarfs in the systems, the distances to the binaries, and the properties
of thesecondary stars. Both white dwarfs are relatively cool, having T_{eff}
near 15000K, and consistent with a mass of 0.6 M-sun. The white dwarf in LL And
appears to be of solar abundance or slightly lower while that in EF Peg is near
0.1-0.3 solar. LL And is found to be 760 pc away while EF Peg is closer at 380
pc. EF Peg appears to have an ~M5V secondary star, consistent with that
expected for its orbital period, while the secondary object in LL And remains a
mystery.Comment: Accepted in Ap
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The effects of bilingualism on speakers who stutter during late childhood
Objectives: To examine stuttering by children speaking an alternative language exclusively (LE) or with English (BIL) and to study onset of stuttering, school performance and recovery rate relative to monolingual speakers who stutter (MONO).
Design: Clinical referral sample with supplementary data obtained from speech recordings and interviews.
Setting: South-East England, 1999–2007.
Participants: Children aged 8–12 plus who stuttered (monolingual and bilingual) and fluent bilingual controls
(FB).
Main outcome measures: Participants’ stuttering history, SATS scores, measures of recovery or persistence of stuttering.
Results: 69 (21.8%) of 317 children were bilingual. Of 38 children who used a language other than English at home, 36 (94.7%) stuttered in both languages. Fewer LE (15/38, 39.5%) than BIL (23/38, 60.5%) children stuttered at first referral to clinic, but more children in the fluent control sample were LE (28/38, 73.7%) than BIL (10/38, 26.3%). The association between stuttering and bilingual group (LE/BIL) was significant by x2 test; BIL speakers have more chance of stuttering than LE speakers. Age at stuttering onset and male/female ratio for LE, BIL and MONO speakers were similar (4 years 9 months, 4 years 10 months and 4 years 3 months, and 4.1:1, 4.75:1 and 4.43:1, respectively). Educational achievement was not affected by bilingualism relative to the MONO and FB groups. The recovery rate for the LE and MONO controls together (55%) was significantly higher by x2 test than for the BIL group (25%).
Conclusions: BIL children had an increased risk of stuttering and a lower chance of recovery from stuttering than LE and MONO speakers
A theoretical model for single molecule incoherent scanning tunneling spectroscopy
Single molecule scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS), with dephasing due to
elastic and inelastic scattering, is of some current interest. Motivated by
this, we report an extended Huckel theory (EHT) based mean-field
Non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) transport model with electron-phonon
scattering treated within the self-consistent Born approximation (SCBA).
Furthermore, a procedure based on EHT basis set modification is described. We
use this model to study the effect of the temperature dependent dephasing, due
to low lying modes in far-infrared range for which hw<<kT, on the resonant
conduction through highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level of a phenyl
dithiol molecule sandwiched between two fcc-Au(111) contacts. Furthermore, we
propose to include dephasing in room temperature molecular resonant conduction
calculations.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
Measurement of the elastic scattering cross section of neutrons from argon and neon
Background: The most significant source of background in direct dark matter
searches are neutrons that scatter elastically from nuclei in the detector's
sensitive volume. Experimental data for the elastic scattering cross section of
neutrons from argon and neon, which are target materials of interest to the
dark matter community, were previously unavailable. Purpose: Measure the
differential cross section for elastic scattering of neutrons from argon and
neon in the energy range relevant to backgrounds from (alpha,n) reactions in
direct dark matter searches. Method: Cross-section data were taken at the
Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) using the neutron
time-of-flight technique. These data were fit using the spherical optical
model. Results: The differential cross section for elastic scatting of neutrons
from neon at 5.0 and 8.0 MeV and argon at 6.0 MeV was measured. Optical-model
parameters for the elastic scattering reactions were determined from the best
fit to these data. The total elastic scattering cross section for neon was
found to differ by 6% at 5.0 MeV and 13% at 8.0 MeV from global optical-model
predictions. Compared to a local optical-model for 40Ar, the elastic scattering
cross section was found to differ from the data by 8% at 6.0 MeV. Conclusions:
These new data are important for improving Monte-Carlo simulations and
background estimates for direct dark matter searches and for benchmarking
optical models of neutron elastic scattering from these nuclei
Long term time-lapse microgravity and geotechnical monitoring of relict salt-mines, Marston, Cheshire, UK.
The area around the town of Northwich in Cheshire, U. K., has a long history of catastrophic ground subsidence caused by a combination of natural dissolution and collapsing abandoned mine workings within the underlying Triassic halite bedrock geology. In the village of Marston, the Trent and Mersey Canal crosses several abandoned salt mine workings and previously subsiding areas, the canal being breached by a catastrophic subsidence event in 1953. This canal section is the focus of a long-term monitoring study by conventional geotechnical topographic and microgravity surveys. Results of 20 years of topographic time-lapse surveys indicate specific areas of local subsidence that could not be predicted by available site and mine abandonment plan and shaft data. Subsidence has subsequently necessitated four phases of temporary canal bank remediation. Ten years of microgravity time-lapse data have recorded major deepening negative anomalies in specific sections that correlate with topographic data. Gravity 2D modeling using available site data found upwardly propagating voids, and associated collapse material produced a good match with observed microgravity data. Intrusive investigations have confirmed a void at the major anomaly. The advantages of undertaking such long-term studies for near-surface geophysicists, geotechnical engineers, and researchers working in other application areas are discussed
Catching VY Sculptoris in a low state
Context. In the context of a large campaign to determine the system
parameters of high mass transfer cataclysmic variables, we found VY Scl in a
low state in 2008. Aims. Making use of this low state, we study the stellar
components of the binary with little influence of the normally dominating
accretion disc. Methods. Time-resolved spectroscopy and photometry of VY Scl
taken during the low state are presented. We analysed the light-curve and
radial velocity curve and use time-resolved spectroscopy to calculate Doppler
maps of the dominant emission lines. Results. The spectra show narrow emission
lines of Halpha, Hbeta, HeI, NaID, and FeII, as well as faint TiO absorption
bands that trace the motion of the irradiated secondary star, and Halpha and
HeI emission line wings that trace the motion of the white dwarf. From these
radial velocities, we find an orbital period of 3.84 h, and put constraints on
binary parameters such as the mass ratio M2/M1 of 0.43 and the inclination of
15 deg. With a secondary's mass between 0.3 and 0.35 Msol, we derive the mass
for the white dwarf as M1 = 0.6-0.1 Msol.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Infrared spectroscopy of cataclysmic variables: III. Dwarf novae below the period gap and novalike variables
We present K-band spectra of the short-period dwarf novae YZ Cnc, LY Hya, BK
Lyn, T Leo, SW UMa and WZ Sge, the novalike variables DW UMa, V1315 Aql, RW
Tri, VY Scl, UU Aqr and GP Com, and a series of field dwarf stars with spectral
types ranging from K2-M6.
The spectra of the dwarf novae are dominated by emission lines of HI and HeI.
The large velocity and equivalent widths of these lines, in conjunction with
the fact that the lines are double-peaked in the highest inclination systems,
indicate an accretion disc origin. In the case of YZ Cnc and T Leo, for which
we obtained time-resolved data covering a complete orbital cycle, the emission
lines show modulations in their equivalent widths which are most probably
associated with the bright spot (the region where the gas stream collides with
the accretion disc). There are no clear detections of the secondary star in any
of the dwarf novae below the period gap, yielding upper limits of 10-30% for
the contribution of the secondary star to the observed K-band flux. In
conjunction with the K-band magnitudes of the dwarf novae, we use the derived
secondary star contributions to calculate lower limits to the distances to
these systems.
The spectra of the novalike variables are dominated by broad, single-peaked
emission lines of HI and HeI - even the eclipsing systems we observed do not
show the double-peaked profiles predicted by standard accretion disc theory.
With the exception of RW Tri, which exhibits NaI, CaI and 12CO absorption
features consistent with a M0V secondary contributing 65% of the observed
K-band flux, we find no evidence for the secondary star in any of the novalike
variables. The implications of this result are discussed.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, to appear in MNRA
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