An equation of state from cool-dense fluids to hot gases for mixed elements

An equation of state for the domain extending from hot gases to cool-dense fluids is formulated for a hydrogen-helium mixture. The physical processes take account of temperature ionization and dissociation, electron degeneracy, Coulomb coupling and pressure ionization. Pressure ionization and Coulomb coupling are studied with simple and comprehensive modeling. A single and complete algorithm is achieved with explicit expressions available for the whole domain from hot gases to cool dense fluids ($T>10^2$). Pressure ionization and Coulomb coupling have been examined for their contributions to the pressure and internal energy. The result reveals that their contributions smooth the variation of the pressure and internal energy in the region of pressure ionization even at very low temperatures.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, ApJ, accepted, E-mail: [email protected]

Accretion Disks around Young Objects. I. The Detailed Vertical Structure

We discuss the properties of an accretion disk around a star with parameters typical of classical T Tauri stars (CTTS), and with the average accretion rate for these disks. The disk is assumed steady and geometrically thin. The turbulent viscosity coefficient is expressed using the alpha prescription and the main heating mechanisms considered are viscous dissipation and irradiation by the central star. The energy is transported by radiation, turbulent conduction and convection. We find that irradiation from the central star is the main heating agent of the disk, except in the innermost regions, R less than 2 AU. The irradiation increases the temperature of the outer disk relative to the purely viscous case. As a consequence, the outer disk (R larger than 5 AU) becomes less dense, optically thin and almost vertically isothermal, with a temperature distribution T proportional to R^{-1/2}. The decrease in surface density at the outer disk, decreases the disk mass by a factor of 4 respect to a purely viscous case. In addition, irradiation tends to make the outer disk regions stable against gravitational instabilities.Comment: 41 pages, 14 postscript figures, LaTeX, accepted by Ap

Tonic excitation or inhibition is set by GABAA conductance in hippocampal interneurons

Inhibition is a physiological process that decreases the probability of a neuron generating an action potential. The two main mechanisms that have been proposed for inhibition are hyperpolarization and shunting. Shunting results from increased membrane conductance, and it reduces the neuron-firing probability. Here we show that ambient GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, can excite adult hippocampal interneurons. In these cells, the GABAA current reversal potential is depolarizing, making baseline tonic GABAA conductance excitatory. Increasing the tonic conductance enhances shunting-mediated inhibition, which eventually overpowers the excitation. Such a biphasic change in interneuron firing leads to corresponding changes in the GABAA-mediated synaptic signalling. The described phenomenon suggests that the excitatory or inhibitory actions of the current are set not only by the reversal potential, but also by the conductance

Spectroscopic Survey of the Galaxy with Gaia II. The expected science yield from the Radial Velocity Spectrometer

The Gaia mission is designed as a Galaxy explorer, and will measure simultaneously, in a survey mode, the five or six phase space parameters of all stars brighter than 20th magnitude, as well as providing a description of their astrophysical characteristics. These measurements are obtained by combining an astrometric instrument with micro-arcsecond capabilities, a photometric system giving the magnitudes and colours in 15 bands and a medium resolution spectrograph named the Radial Velocity Spectrometer (RVS). The latter instrument will produce spectra in the 848 to 874 nm wavelength range, with a resolving power R = 11 500, from which radial velocities, rotational velocities, atmospheric parameters and abundances can be derived. A companion paper (Katz et al. 2004) presents the characteristics of the RVS and its performance. This paper details the outstanding scientific impact of this important part of the Gaia satellite on some key open questions in present day astrophysics. The unbiased and simultaneous acquisition of multi-epoch radial velocities and individual abundances of key elements in parallel with the astrometric parameters is essential for the determination of the dynamical state and formation history of our Galaxy. Moreover, for stars brighter than V=15, the resolving power of the RVS will give information about most of the effects which influence the position of a star in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, placing unprecedented constraints on the age, internal structure and evolution of stars of all types. Finally, the RVS multi-epoch observations are ideally suited to the identification, classification and characterisation of the many types of double, multiple and variable stars.Comment: 33 pages, 11 figures, in press at MNRAS. Figs 1, 3 and 9 included at reduced resolution; available in full resolution at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09012.