Aqueous alteration on main belt primitive asteroids: results from visible spectroscopy

This work focuses on the study of the aqueous alteration process which acted in the main belt and produced hydrated minerals on the altered asteroids. The aqueous alteration is particularly important for unraveling the processes occurring during the earliest times of the Solar System history, as it can give information both on the asteroids thermal evolution and on the localization of water sources in the asteroid belt. We present new spectral observations in the visible region of 80 asteroids belonging to the primitive classes C, G, F, B and P. We combine the present observations with the visible spectra of asteroids available in the literature for a total of 600 primitive main belt asteroids. Our analysis shows that the aqueous alteration sequence starts from the P-type objects, practically unaltered, and increases through the F, B, C, and G asteroids. Around 50% of the observed C-type asteroids show absorption features in the vis. range due to hydrated silicates, implying that more than 70% of them will have a 3 $\mu$m absorption band and thus hydrated minerals on their surfaces. The process dominates in primitive asteroids located between 2.3 and 3.1 AU, that is at smaller heliocentric distances than previously suggested. The aqueous alteration process dominates in the 50--240 km sized primitive asteroids, while it is less effective for bodies smaller than 50 km. No correlation is found between the aqueous alteration process and the asteroids albedo or orbital elements. Comparing the $\sim$ 0.7 $\mu$m band parameters of hydrated silicates and CM2 carbonaceous chondrites, we see that the band center of meteorites is at longer wavelengths than that of asteroids. This difference on center positions may be attributed to different minerals abundances, and to the fact that CM2 available on Earth might not be representative of the whole aqueous altered asteroids population.Comment: Icarus, accepted for publication on 28 January 2014 Manuscript pages: 38; Figures: 13 ; Tables:

Hybrid PCM\u2014aluminium foams\u2019 thermal storages: an experimental study

The latent heat absorption phenomenon associated with melting of a suitable Phase Change Material can be an effective way to improve the Thermal Energy Storage behaviour in many applications. However, the most suitable materials to be used in heating and refrigeration systems find intrinsic limitations due to their poor heat transfer capabilities. This work experimentally studies the use of aluminum foams as heat transfer medium to improve the overall heat transfer of paraffin waxes that can be possible phase change materials to be implemented in hybrid sensible-latent water thermal energy storages. The experimental tests were run in a dedicated setup designed, developed, and built at the Department of Management and Engineering of the University of Padova. The effects of the use of aluminum foams as enhancing heat transfer medium were studied by comparing the loading and unloading processes of a paraffin wax with melting temperature around 40 \ub0C, with and without metal foams, in a water thermal storage unit. The effects of three different foams with 5, 20, and 40 Pores Per Inch (PPI) were investigated

Inhomogeneities on the surface of 21 Lutetia, the asteroid target of the Rosetta mission

CONTEXT: In July 2010 the ESA spacecraft Rosetta will fly-by the main belt asteroid 21 Lutetia. Several observations of this asteroid have been so far performed, but its surface composition and nature are still a matter of debate. For long time Lutetia was supposed to have a metallic nature due to its high IRAS albedo. Later on it has been suggested to have a surface composition similar to primitive carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, while further observations proposed a possible genetic link with more evolved enstatite chondrite meteorites. AIMS: In order to give an important contribution in solving the conundrum of the nature of Lutetia, in November 2008 we performed visible spectroscopic observations of this asteroid at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG, La Palma, Spain). METHODS: Thirteen visible spectra have been acquired at different rotational phases. RESULTS: We confirm the presence of a narrow spectral feature at about 0.47-0.48 micron already found by Lazzarin et al. (2009) on the spectra of Lutetia. We also find a spectral feature at about 0.6 micron, detected by Lazzarin et al. (2004) on one of their Lutetia's spectra. More importantly, our spectra exhibit different spectral slopes between 0.6 and 0.75 micron and, in particular, we found that up to 20% of the Lutetia surface could have flatter spectra. CONCLUSIONS: We detected a variation of the spectral slopes at different rotational phases that could be interpreted as possibly due to differences in the chemical/mineralogical composition, as well as to inhomogeneities of the structure of the Lutetia's surface (e.g., the presence of craters or albedo spots) in the southern hemisphere.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Updated on 25 March 2010

An experimental analysis of a solar assisted absorption heat pump with earth seasonal storage

A plant composed of an energy roof, a seasonal earth storage and an absorption heat pump has been experimented. The purpose was to study the behaviour of the various components and their interaction. The surveys were carried out over a two year period. The following operations were considered: the charging of the earth storage by the energy roof and the working of an absorption heat pump connected either to the energy roof or to the earth storage

Energy analysis of industrial climatization by an innovative radiant condensing system

Radiant heating plants have become increasingly popular in the last decades, particularly for industrial applications. Generally, they are high temperature radiant heating type, even if more recently low temperature radiant floors have increased their spread due to the increased thermal insulation of buildings. Moreover, radiant floors allow for cooling as well. In this paper, energy performance of a high temperature radiant tubes heating plant coupled to a condensing system for the climatization of an industrial building are investigated by dynamic simulation. A Trnsys type is modified in order to simulate the behavior of the high temperature condensing system: both the radiative (between the heating and the surrounding surfaces) and the convective heat exchanges with suitable devices (like baffles applied in order to reduce convection and consequent thermal stratification) are considered. Energy performance is compared to that of two more traditional plants such as warm air heater, and low temperature radiant floor coupled to condensing boiler. Finally, some considerations about the energy performance of the radiant tubes system in cooling mode are reported

PVT and ETC coupling for annual heating and cooling by absorption heat pumps

Until recently, solar assisted heat pumps have used solar collectors as a cold source. Solar collectors provide, when possible, direct heat, otherwise they offer temperature levels to the heat pump evaporator higher than the outside air. At the same time, solar thermal cooling exploits the solar collectors and the absorption chiller only in hot months. Photovoltaic/Thermal (PVT) modules have been available on the market in recent years for solar cogeneration, but their utilization can be problematic due to PhotoVoltaic (PV) cell damage in cases where there is no heating request. This paper considers the possibility of coupling evacuated tube collectors and photovoltaic/thermal modules to drive an absorption heat pump-based plant operating as an absorption chiller in the summertime. The cold source is the solar energy and the ground, which is recharged by the solar thermal and photovoltaic/thermal collectors and by the cooling of the absorber-condenser in mid-seasons and summer. This study analyzes the system behavior in yearly operation and evaluates the role of suitable storage tanks in two different climates, varying the size of the two solar fields and the generator tank. In the best plant configuration, a primary energy ratio of 26.6 in colder climates with cloudy skies and 20 in hotter climates with clearer skies is obtained

Heliocentric distance dependencies of the C2 lifetime and C2 parent production rate in comet P/Brorsen-Metcalf (1989o)

Comet P/Brorsen-Metcalf (1989o) has been extensively observed in the visible and in the ultraviolet during its latest apparition of summer 1989. In this paper we report a preliminary determination of the C2 production rates and lifetimes and we compare those rates to the H2O production rates obtained from UV data

Recent developments in multi-parametric three-dimensional stress field representation in plates weakened by cracks and notches

The paper deals with the three-dimensional nature and the multi-parametric representation of the stress field ahead of cracks and notches of different shape. Finite thickness plates are considered, under different loading conditions. Under certain hypotheses, the three-dimensional governing equations of elasticity can be reduced to a system where a bi-harmonic equation and a harmonic equation have to be simultaneously satisfied. The former provides the solution of the corresponding plane notch problem, the latter provides the solution of the corresponding out-of-plane shear notch problem. The analytical frame is applied to some notched and cracked geometries and its degree of accuracy is discussed comparing theoretical results and numerical data from 3D FE models

Notch Stress Intensity Factors Applied to U and V-Shaped Radiused Notches under In-plane Shear Loading

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Fracture behaviour of notched round bars made of PMMA subjected to torsion at -60 °C

This paper presents seventy new experimental results from PMMA notched specimens tested under torsion at 60 C. The notch root radius ranges from 0.025 to 7.0 mm. At this temperature the non-linear effects previously observed on specimens of the same material tested at room temperature strongly reduce. The averaged value of the strain energy density over a control volume is used to assess the critical loads to failure. The radius of the control volume and the critical strain energy density are evaluated a priori by using in combination the mode III critical stress intensity factor from cracked-like specimens and the critical stress to failure detected from semicircular notches with a large notch root radiu