111 research outputs found
Structure of 8B from elastic and inelastic 7Be+p scattering
Motivation: Detailed experimental knowledge of the level structure of light
weakly bound nuclei is necessary to guide the development of new theoretical
approaches that combine nuclear structure with reaction dynamics.
Purpose: The resonant structure of 8B is studied in this work.
Method: Excitation functions for elastic and inelastic 7Be+p scattering were
measured using a 7Be rare isotope beam. Excitation energies ranging between 1.6
and 3.4 MeV were investigated. An R-matrix analysis of the excitation functions
was performed.
Results: New low-lying resonances at 1.9, 2.5, and 3.3 MeV in 8B are reported
with spin-parity assignment 0+, 2+, and 1+, respectively. Comparison to the
Time Dependent Continuum Shell (TDCSM) model and ab initio no-core shell
model/resonating-group method (NCSM/RGM) calculations is performed. This work
is a more detailed analysis of the data first published as a Rapid
Communication. [J.P. Mitchell, et al, Phys. Rev. C 82, 011601(R) (2010)]
Conclusions: Identification of the 0+, 2+, 1+ states that were predicted by
some models at relatively low energy but never observed experimentally is an
important step toward understanding the structure of 8B. Their identification
was aided by having both elastic and inelastic scattering data. Direct
comparison of the cross sections and phase shifts predicted by the TDCSM and ab
initio No Core Shell Model coupled with the resonating group method is of
particular interest and provides a good test for these theoretical approaches.Comment: 15 pages, 19 figures, 3 tables, submitted to PR
Low-lying states in 8B
Excitation functions of elastic and inelastic 7Be+p scattering were measured
in the energy range between 1.6 and 2.8 MeV in the c.m. An R-matrix analysis of
the excitation functions provides strong evidence for new positive parity
states in 8B. A new 2+ state at an excitation energy of 2.55 MeV was observed
and a new 0+ state at 1.9 MeV is tentatively suggested. The R-matrix and Time
Dependent Continuum Shell Model were used in the analysis of the excitation
functions. The new results are compared to the calculations of contemporary
theoretical models.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, accepted as Rapid Communication in Phys. Rev.
Chaos in the Takens-Bogdanov bifurcation with O(2) symmetry
The TakensâBogdanov bifurcation is a codimension two bifurcation that provides a key to the presence of complex dynamics in many systems of physical interest. When the system is translation invariant in one spatial dimension with no left-right preference the imposition of periodic boundary conditions leads to the TakensâBogdanov bifurcation with O(2) symmetry. This bifurcation, analyzed by G. Dangelmayr and E. Knobloch, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. London A 322, 243 (1987), describes the interaction between steady states and traveling and standing waves in the nonlinear regime and predicts the presence of modulated traveling waves as well. The analysis reveals the presence of several global bifurcations near which the averaging method (used in the original analysis) fails. We show here, using a combination of numerical continuation and the construction of appropriate return maps, that near the global bifurcation that terminates the branch of modulated traveling waves, the normal form for the TakensâBogdanov bifurcation admits cascades of period-doubling bifurcations as well as chaotic dynamics of Shilânikov type. Thus chaos is present arbitrarily close to the codimension two point
Olivine or Impact Melt: Nature of the "Orange" Material on Vesta from Dawn
NASA's Dawn mission observed a great variety of colored terrains on asteroid
(4) Vesta during its survey with the Framing Camera (FC). Here we present a
detailed study of the orange material on Vesta, which was first observed in
color ratio images obtained by the FC and presents a red spectral slope. The
orange material deposits can be classified into three types, a) diffuse ejecta
deposited by recent medium-size impact craters (such as Oppia), b) lobate
patches with well-defined edges, and c) ejecta rays from fresh-looking impact
craters. The location of the orange diffuse ejecta from Oppia corresponds to
the olivine spot nicknamed "Leslie feature" first identified by Gaffey (1997)
from ground-based spectral observations. The distribution of the orange
material in the FC mosaic is concentrated on the equatorial region and almost
exclusively outside the Rheasilvia basin. Our in-depth analysis of the
composition of this material uses complementary observations from FC, the
visible and infrared spectrometer (VIR), and the Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector
(GRaND). Combining the interpretations from the topography, geomorphology,
color and spectral parameters, and elemental abundances, the most probable
analog for the orange material on Vesta is impact melt
Dragonfly: Investigating the Surface Composition of Titan
Dragonfly is a rotorcraft lander mission, selected as a finalist in NASA's New Frontiers Program, that is designed to sample materials and determine the surface composition in different geologic settings on Titan. This revolutionary mission concept would explore diverse locations to characterize the habitability of Titan's environment, to investigate how far prebiotic chemistry has progressed, and to search for chemical signatures that could be indicative of water-based and/or hydrocarbon-based life. Here we describe Dragonfly's capabilities to determine the composition of a variety of surface units on Titan, from elemental components to complex organic molecules. The compositional investigation ncludes characterization of local surface environments and finely sampled materials. The Dragonfly flexible sampling approach can robustly accommodate materials from Titan's most intriguing surface environments
A Mercury Lander Mission Concept Study for the Next Decadal Survey
Mariner 10 provided our first closeup reconnaissance of Mercury during its three flybys in 1974 and 1975. MESSENGERs 20112015 orbital investigation enabled numerous discoveries, several of which led to substantial or complete changes in our fundamental understanding of the planet. Among these were the unanticipated, widespread presence of volatile elements (e.g., Na, K, S); a surface with extremely low Fe abundance whose darkening agent is likely C; a previously unknown landformhollows that may form by volatile sublimation from within rocks exposed to the harsh conditions on the surface; a history of expansive effusive and explosive volcanism; substantial radial contraction of the planet from interior cooling; offset of the dipole moment of the internal magnetic field northward from the geographic equator by ~20% of the planets radius; crustal magnetization, attributed at least in part to an ancient field; unexpected seasonal variability and relationships among exospheric species and processes; and the presence in permanently shadowed polar terrain of water ice and other volatile materials, likely to include complex organic compounds. Mercurys highly chemically reduced and unexpectedly volatile-rich composition is unique among the terrestrial planets and was not predicted by earlier hypotheses for the planets origin. As an end-member of terrestrial planet formation, Mercury holds unique clues about the original distribution of elements in the earliest stages of the Solar System and how planets (and exoplanets) form and evolve in close proximity to their host stars. The BepiColombo mission promises to expand our knowledge of this planet and to shed light on some of the mysteries revealed by the MESSENGER mission. However, several fundamental science questions raised by MESSENGERs pioneering exploration of Mercury can only be answered with in situ measurements from the planets surface
Carbon on Mercury's Surface - Origin, Distribution, and Concentration
Distinctive low-reflectance material (LRM) was first observed on Mercury in Mariner 10 flyby images. Visible to near-infrared reflectance spectra of LRM are flatter than the average reflectance spectrum of Mercury, which is strongly red sloped (increasing in reflectance with wavelength). From Mariner 10 and early MErcury, Surface, Space, ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) flyby observations, it was suggested that a higher content of ilmenite, ulvospinel, carbon, or iron metal could cause both the characteristic dark, flat spectrum of LRM and the globally low reflectance of Mercury. Once MESSENGER entered orbit, low Fe and Ti abundances measured by the X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Spectrometers ruled out ilmenite, and ulvospinel as important surface constituents and implied that LRM was darkened by a different phase, such as carbon or small amounts of micro- or nanophase iron or iron sulfide dispersed in a silicate matrix. Low-altitude thermal neutron measurements of three LRM-rich regions confirmed an enhancement of 1-3 weight-percent carbon over the global abundance, supporting the hypothesis that LRM is darkened by carbon
Mineralogy of the Mercurian Surface
The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft orbited Mercury for four years until April 2015, revealing its structure, chemical makeup, and compositional diversity. Data from the mission have confirmed that Mercury is a compositional end-member among the terrestrial planets. The X-Ray Spectrometer (XRS) and Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) on board MESSENGER provided the first detailed geochemical analyses of Mercury's surface. These instruments have been used in conjunction with the Neutron Spectrometer and the Mercury Dual Imaging System to classify numerous geological and geochemical features on the surface of Mercury that were previously unknown. Furthermore, the data have revealed several surprising characteristics about Mercury's surface, including elevated S abundances (up to 4 wt%) and low Fe abundances (less than 2.5 wt%). The S and Fe abundances were used to quantify Mercury's highly reduced state, i.e., between 2.6 and 7.3 log10 units below the Iron-Wustite (IW) buffer. This fO2 is lower than any of the other terrestrial planets in the inner Solar System and has important consequences for the thermal and magmatic evolution of Mercury, its surface mineralogy and geochemistry, and the petrogenesis of the planet's magmas. Although MESSENGER has revealed substantial geochemical diversity across the surface of Mercury, until now, there have been only limited efforts to understand the mineralogical and petrological diversity of the planet. Here we present a systematic and comprehensive study of the potential mineralogical and petrological diversity of Mercury
The Distribution and Origin of Smooth Plains on Mercury
Orbital images from the MESSENGER spacecraft show that ~27% of Mercury's surface is covered by smooth plains, the majority (greater than 65%) of which are interpreted to be volcanic in origin. Most smooth plains share the spectral characteristics of Mercury's northern smooth plains, suggesting they also share their magnesian alkali-basalt-like composition. A smaller fraction of smooth plains interpreted to be volcanic in nature have a lower reflectance and shallower spectral slope, suggesting more ultramafic compositions, an inference that implies high temperatures and high degrees of partial melting in magma source regions persisted through most of the duration of smooth plains formation. The knobby and hummocky plains surrounding the Caloris basin, known as Odin-type plains, occupy an additional 2% of Mercuryâs surface. The morphology of these plains and their color and stratigraphic relationships suggest that they formed as Caloris ejecta, although such an origin is in conflict with a straightforward interpretation of crater size-frequency distributions. If some fraction is volcanic, this added area would substantially increase the abundance of relatively young effusive deposits inferred to have more mafic compositions. Smooth plains are widespread on Mercury, but they are more heavily concentrated in the north and in the hemisphere surrounding Caloris. No simple relationship between plains distribution and crustal thickness or radioactive element distribution is observed. A likely volcanic origin for some older terrain on Mercury suggests that the uneven distribution of smooth plains may indicate differences in the emplacement age of large-scale volcanic deposits rather than differences in crustal formational process
Statistical Study of Mercuryâs Energetic Electron Events as Observed by the GammaâRay and Neutron Spectrometer Instrument Onboard MESSENGER
We present results from a statistical analysis of Mercuryâs energetic electron (EE) events as observed by the gammaâray and neutron spectrometer instrument onboard the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft. The main objective of this study is to investigate possible anisotropic behavior of EE events using multiple data sets from MESSENGER instruments. We study the data from the neutron spectrometer (NS) and the gammaâray spectrometer anticoincidence shield (ACS) because they use the same type of borated plastic scintillator and, hence, they have very similar response functions, and their large surface areas make them more sensitive to lowâintensity EE events than MESSENGERâs particle instrumentation. The combined analysis of NS and ACS data reveals two different classes of energetic electrons: âStandardâ events and âACSâenhancedâ events. Standard events, which comprise over 90% of all events, have signal sizes that are the same in both the ACS and NS. They are likely gyrating particles about Mercuryâs magnetic field following a 90° pitch angle distribution and are located in wellâdefined latitude and altitude regions within Mercuryâs magnetosphere. ACSâenhanced events, which comprise less than 10% of all events, have signal sizes in the ACS that are 10 to 100 times larger than those observed by the NS. They follow a beamâlike distribution and are observed both inside and outside Mercuryâs magnetosphere with a wider range of latitudes and altitudes than Standard events. The difference between the Standard and ACSâenhanced event characteristics suggests distinct underyling acceleration mechanisms.Key PointsA comprehensive survey of energetic electron (EE) events observed with the neutron spectrometer (NS) and the gammaâray spectrometer anticoincidence shield (ACS) is conductedThe majority of EE events detected in the NS are also detected in the ACS and appear to be composed of gyrating, drifting electronsACSâonly and ACSâenhanced events exhibit a significantly different spatial and temporal characteristics compared with the other EE event classesPeer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145319/1/jgra54299_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145319/2/jgra54299.pd
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