Ground-based NIR emission spectroscopy of HD189733b

We investigate the K and L band dayside emission of the hot-Jupiter HD 189733b with three nights of secondary eclipse data obtained with the SpeX instrument on the NASA IRTF. The observations for each of these three nights use equivalent instrument settings and the data from one of the nights has previously reported by Swain et al (2010). We describe an improved data analysis method that, in conjunction with the multi-night data set, allows increased spectral resolution (R~175) leading to high-confidence identification of spectral features. We confirm the previously reported strong emission at ~3.3 microns and, by assuming a 5% vibrational temperature excess for methane, we show that non-LTE emission from the methane nu3 branch is a physically plausible source of this emission. We consider two possible energy sources that could power non-LTE emission and additional modelling is needed to obtain a detailed understanding of the physics of the emission mechanism. The validity of the data analysis method and the presence of strong 3.3 microns emission is independently confirmed by simultaneous, long-slit, L band spectroscopy of HD 189733b and a comparison star.Comment: ApJ accepte

Traveling Wave Reactor and Condition of Existence of Nuclear Burning Soliton-Like Wave in Neutron-Multiplying Media

Physical fundamentals of traveling wave reactor are considered. We show that the condition of existence of nuclear burning soliton-like wave in a neutron-multiplying medium is determined in general by two conditions. The first condition (necessary) is determined by relationship between the equilibrium concentration and critical concentration of active (fissionable) isotope that is a consequence of the Bohr–Sommerfeld quantization condition. The second condition (sufficient) is set by the so-called Wigner quantum statistics, or more accurately, by a statistics of the Gaussian simplectic ensembles with respect to the parameter that describes the squared width of burning wave front of nuclear fuel active component