1,995 research outputs found
Nuclear Structure Studies at ISOLDE and their Impact on the Astrophysical r-Process
The focus of the present review is the production of the heaviest elements in
nature via the r-process. A correct understanding and modeling requires the
knowledge of nuclear properties far from stability and a detailed prescription
of the astrophysical environment. Experiments at CERN/ISOLDE have played a
pioneering role in exploring the characteristics of nuclear structure in terms
of masses and beta-decay properties. Initial examinations paid attention to far
unstable nuclei with magic neutron numbers related to r-process peaks, while
present activities are centered on the evolution of shell effects with the
distance from the valley of stability. We first show in site-independent
applications the effect of both types of nuclear properties on r-process
abundances. Then, we explore the results of calculations related to two
different `realistic' astrophysical sites, (i) the supernova neutrino wind and
(ii) neutron star mergers. We close with a list of remaining theoretical and
experimental challenges needed to overcome for a full understanding of the
nature of the r-process, and the role CERN/ISOLDE can play in this process.Comment: LATEX, 38 pages, 16 figures, submitted to Hyperfine Interaction
Charged-Particle and Neutron-Capture Processes in the High-Entropy Wind of Core-Collapse Supernovae
The astrophysical site of the r-process is still uncertain, and a full
exploration of the systematics of this process in terms of its dependence on
nuclear properties from stability to the neutron drip-line within realistic
stellar environments has still to be undertaken. Sufficiently high neutron to
seed ratios can only be obtained either in very neutron-rich low-entropy
environments or moderately neutron-rich high-entropy environments, related to
neutron star mergers (or jets of neutron star matter) and the high-entropy wind
of core-collapse supernova explosions. As chemical evolution models seem to
disfavor neutron star mergers, we focus here on high-entropy environments
characterized by entropy , electron abundance and expansion velocity
. We investigate the termination point of charged-particle reactions,
and we define a maximum entropy for a given and ,
beyond which the seed production of heavy elements fails due to the very small
matter density. We then investigate whether an r-process subsequent to the
charged-particle freeze-out can in principle be understood on the basis of the
classical approach, which assumes a chemical equilibrium between neutron
captures and photodisintegrations, possibly followed by a -flow
equilibrium. In particular, we illustrate how long such a chemical equilibrium
approximation holds, how the freeze-out from such conditions affects the
abundance pattern, and which role the late capture of neutrons originating from
-delayed neutron emission can play.Comment: 52 pages, 31 figure
Closed shells at drip-line nuclei
The shell structure of magic nuclei far from stability is discussed in terms
of the self-consistent spherical Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory. In particular,
the sensitivity of the shell-gap sizes and the two-neutron separation energies
to the choice of particle-hole and particle-particle components of the
effective interaction is investigated.Comment: 19 pages, LaTeX, 8 uuencoded figures available upon reques
Nucleosynthesis Modes in the High-Entropy-Wind of Type II Supernovae: Comparison of Calculations with Halo-Star Observations
While the high-entropy wind (HEW) of Type II supernovae remains one of the
more promising sites for the rapid neutron-capture (r-) process, hydrodynamic
simulations have yet to reproduce the astrophysical conditions under which the
latter occurs. We have performed large-scale network calculations within an
extended parameter range of the HEW, seeking to identify or to constrain the
necessary conditions for a full reproduction of all r-process residuals
N_{r,\odot}=N_{\odot}-N_{s,\odot} by comparing the results with recent
astronomical observations. A superposition of weighted entropy trajectories
results in an excellent reproduction of the overall N_{r,\odot}-pattern beyond
Sn. For the lighter elements, from the Fe-group via Sr-Y-Zr to Ag, our HEW
calculations indicate a transition from the need for clearly different sources
(conditions/sites) to a possible co-production with r-process elements,
provided that a range of entropies are contributing. This explains recent
halo-star observations of a clear non-correlation of Zn and Ge and a weak
correlation of Sr - Zr with heavier r-process elements. Moreover, new
observational data on Ru and Pd seem to confirm also a partial correlation with
Sr as well as the main r-process elements (e.g. Eu).Comment: 15 pages, 1 table, 4 figures; To be published in the Astrophysical
Journal Letter
On three topical aspects of the N=28 isotonic chain
The evolution of single-particle orbits along the N=28 isotonic chain is
studied within the framework of a relativistic mean-field approximation. We
focus on three topical aspects of the N=28 chain: (a) the emergence of a new
magic number at Z=14; (b) the possible erosion of the N=28 shell; and (c) the
weakening of the spin-orbit splitting among low-j neutron orbits. The present
model supports the emergence of a robust Z=14 subshell gap in 48Ca, that
persists as one reaches the neutron-rich isotone 42Si. Yet the proton removal
from 48Ca results in a significant erosion of the N=28 shell in 42Si. Finally,
the removal of s1/2 protons from 48Ca causes a ~50% reduction of the spin-orbit
splitting among neutron p-orbitals in 42Si.Comment: 12 pages with 5 color figure
A Parametric Study of Actuator Requirements for Active Turbine Tip Clearance Control of a Modern High Bypass Turbofan Engine
The efficiency of aircraft gas turbine engines is sensitive to the distance between the tips of its turbine blades and its shroud, which serves as its containment structure. Maintaining tighter clearance between these components has been shown to increase turbine efficiency, increase fuel efficiency, and reduce the turbine inlet temperature, and this correlates to a longer time-on-wing for the engine. Therefore, there is a desire to maintain a tight clearance in the turbine, which requires fast response active clearance control. Fast response active tip clearance control will require an actuator to modify the physical or effective tip clearance in the turbine. This paper evaluates the requirements of a generic active turbine tip clearance actuator for a modern commercial aircraft engine using the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation 40k (C-MAPSS40k) software that has previously been integrated with a dynamic tip clearance model. A parametric study was performed in an attempt to evaluate requirements for control actuators in terms of bandwidth, rate limits, saturation limits, and deadband. Constraints on the weight of the actuation system and some considerations as to the force which the actuator must be capable of exerting and maintaining are also investigated. From the results, the relevant range of the evaluated actuator parameters can be extracted. Some additional discussion is provided on the challenges posed by the tip clearance control problem and the implications for future small core aircraft engines
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