9,408 research outputs found
Quasi-classical rate coefficient calculations for the rotational (de)excitation of H2O by H2
The interpretation of water line emission from existing observations and
future HIFI/Herschel data requires a detailed knowledge of collisional rate
coefficients. Among all relevant collisional mechanisms, the rotational
(de)excitation of H2O by H2 molecules is the process of most interest in
interstellar space. To determine rate coefficients for rotational de-excitation
among the lowest 45 para and 45 ortho rotational levels of H2O colliding with
both para and ortho-H2 in the temperature range 20-2000 K. Rate coefficients
are calculated on a recent high-accuracy H2O-H2 potential energy surface using
quasi-classical trajectory calculations. Trajectories are sampled by a
canonical Monte-Carlo procedure. H2 molecules are assumed to be rotationally
thermalized at the kinetic temperature. By comparison with quantum calculations
available for low lying levels, classical rates are found to be accurate within
a factor of 1-3 for the dominant transitions, that is those with rates larger
than a few 10^{-12}cm^{3}s^{-1}. Large velocity gradient modelling shows that
the new rates have a significant impact on emission line fluxes and that they
should be adopted in any detailed population model of water in warm and hot
environments.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, 1 table (the online material (4 tables) can be
obtained upon request to [email protected]
Laser-induced electron emission from a tungsten nanotip: identifying above threshold photoemission using energy-resolved laser power dependencies
We present an experiment studying the interaction of a strongly focused 25 fs
laser pulse with a tungsten nanotip, investigating the different regimes of
laser-induced electron emission. We study the dependence of the electron yield
with respect to the static electric field applied to the tip. Photoelectron
spectra are recorded using a retarding field spectrometer and peaks separated
by the photon energy are observed with a 45 % contrast. They are a clear
signature of above threshold photoemission (ATP), and are confirmed by
extensive spectrally resolved studies of the laser power dependence.
Understanding these mechanisms opens the route to control experiment in the
strong-field regime on nanoscale objects.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure
Topological properties of quantum periodic Hamiltonians
We consider periodic quantum Hamiltonians on the torus phase space
(Harper-like Hamiltonians). We calculate the topological Chern index which
characterizes each spectral band in the generic case. This calculation is made
by a semi-classical approach with use of quasi-modes. As a result, the Chern
index is equal to the homotopy of the path of these quasi-modes on phase space
as the Floquet parameter (\theta) of the band is varied. It is quite
interesting that the Chern indices, defined as topological quantum numbers, can
be expressed from simple properties of the classical trajectories.Comment: 27 pages, 14 figure
The IRAM-30m line survey of the Horsehead PDR: III. High abundance of complex (iso-)nitrile molecules in UV-illuminated gas
Complex (iso-)nitrile molecules, such as CH3CN and HC3N, are relatively
easily detected in our Galaxy and in other galaxies. We constrain their
chemistry through observations of two positions in the Horsehead edge: the
photo-dissociation region (PDR) and the dense, cold, and UV-shielded core just
behind it. We systematically searched for lines of CH3CN, HC3N, C3N, and some
of their isomers in our sensitive unbiased line survey at 3, 2, and 1mm. We
derived column densities and abundances through Bayesian analysis using a large
velocity gradient radiative transfer model. We report the first clear detection
of CH3NC at millimeter wavelength. We detected 17 lines of CH3CN at the PDR and
6 at the dense core position, and we resolved its hyperfine structure for 3
lines. We detected 4 lines of HC3N, and C3N is clearly detected at the PDR
position. We computed new electron collisional rate coefficients for CH3CN, and
we found that including electron excitation reduces the derived column density
by 40% at the PDR position. While CH3CN is 30 times more abundant in the PDR
than in the dense core, HC3N has similar abundance at both positions. The
isomeric ratio CH3NC/CH3CN is 0.15+-0.02. In the case of CH3CN, pure gas phase
chemistry cannot reproduce the amount of CH3CN observed in the UV-illuminated
gas. We propose that CH3CN gas phase abundance is enhanced when ice mantles of
grains are destroyed through photo-desorption or thermal-evaporation in PDRs,
and through sputtering in shocks. (abridged)Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic
Collisional excitation of water by hydrogen atoms
We present quantum dynamical calculations that describe the rotational
excitation of HO due to collisions with H atoms. We used a recent, high
accuracy potential energy surface, and solved the collisional dynamics with the
close-coupling formalism, for total energies up to 12 000 cm. From these
calculations, we obtained collisional rate coefficients for the first 45 energy
levels of both ortho- and para-HO and for temperatures in the range T =
5-1500 K. These rate coefficients are subsequently compared to the values
previously published for the HO / He and HO / H collisional
systems. It is shown that no simple relation exists between the three systems
and that specific calculations are thus mandatory
Rotational Excitation of HC_3N by H_2 and He at low temperatures
Rates for rotational excitation of HC3N by collisions with He atoms and H2
molecules are computed for kinetic temperatures in the range 5-20K and 5-100K,
respectively. These rates are obtained from extensive quantum and
quasi-classical calculations using new accurate potential energy surfaces
(PES)
Environmental protection of titanium alloys in centrifugal compressors at 500°C in saline atmosphere
The use of the titanium alloy Ti-6246 (Ti–6Al–2Sn–4Zr–6Mo, wt-%) for gas turbine compressors allows an increase in working temperature and stress level. Under severe service conditions, the material experiences combined high temperature and high mechanical stress and, in saline atmospheres, stress corrosion cracking (SCC) can occur, leading to catastrophic mechanical failure. The present study was performed to evaluate the potential of several surface treatments to protect Ti-6246 alloy, after salt deposit, from hot salt SCC at temperatures ?500°C and 500 MPa static mechanical stress conditions. Shot peening, thermal oxidation and metal–ceramic coatings were investigated. Experimental results confirm the existence of brittle stress corrosion phenomena marked by a low residual elongation of test samples and the presence of oxides on the fracture surfaces. Both shot peening and metal–ceramic coatings increase the hot salt SCC resistance of the alloy. Times to rupture were improved by a factor of 3 for shot peening and by a factor of 10 for metal–ceramic coatings. Inversely, the time to rupture of preoxidised alloys has been halved compared with uncoated alloys. As well as these interesting quantitative results, structural studies of metal–ceramic coatings showed that they are mechanically and chemically compatible with the titanium alloy substructure and should work under severe thermomechanical stresses and aggressive atmospheres
Band Distributions for Quantum Chaos on the Torus
Band distributions (BDs) are introduced describing quantization in a toral
phase space. A BD is the uniform average of an eigenstate phase-space
probability distribution over a band of toral boundary conditions. A general
explicit expression for the Wigner BD is obtained. It is shown that the Wigner
functions for {\em all} of the band eigenstates can be reproduced from the
Wigner BD. Also, BDs are shown to be closer to classical distributions than
eigenstate distributions. Generalized BDs, associated with sets of adjacent
bands, are used to extend in a natural way the Chern-index characterization of
the classical-quantum correspondence on the torus to arbitrary rational values
of the scaled Planck constant.Comment: 12 REVTEX page
Upper bound on the density of Ruelle resonances for Anosov flows
Using a semiclassical approach we show that the spectrum of a smooth Anosov
vector field V on a compact manifold is discrete (in suitable anisotropic
Sobolev spaces) and then we provide an upper bound for the density of
eigenvalues of the operator (-i)V, called Ruelle resonances, close to the real
axis and for large real parts.Comment: 57 page
Collisional excitation of doubly and triply deuterated ammonia NDH and ND by H
The availability of collisional rate coefficients is a prerequisite for an
accurate interpretation of astrophysical observations, since the observed media
often harbour densities where molecules are populated under non--LTE
conditions. In the current study, we present calculations of rate coefficients
suitable to describe the various spin isomers of multiply deuterated ammonia,
namely the NDH and ND isotopologues. These calculations are based on
the most accurate NH--H potential energy surface available, which has
been modified to describe the geometrical changes induced by the nuclear
substitutions. The dynamical calculations are performed within the
close--coupling formalism and are carried out in order to provide rate
coefficients up to a temperature of = 50K. For the various
isotopologues/symmetries, we provide rate coefficients for the energy levels
below 100 cm. Subsequently, these new rate coefficients are used
in astrophysical models aimed at reproducing the NHD, NDH and ND
observations previously reported towards the prestellar cores B1b and 16293E.
We thus update the estimates of the corresponding column densities and find a
reasonable agreement with the previous models. In particular, the
ortho--to--para ratios of NHD and NHD are found to be consistent with
the statistical ratios
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