693 research outputs found
The Gas Temperature of Starless Cores in Perseus
In this paper we study the determinants of starless core temperatures in the
Perseus molecular cloud. We use NH3 (1,1) and (2,2) observations to derive core
temperatures (T_kin) and data from the COMPLETE Survey of Star Forming Regions
and the c2d Spitzer Legacy Survey for observations of the other core and
molecular cloud properties. The kinetic temperature distribution probed by NH3
is in the fairly narrow range of 9 - 15 K. We find that cores within the
clusters IC348 and NGC1333 are significantly warmer than "field" starless
cores, and T_kin is higher within regions of larger extinction-derived column
density. Starless cores in the field are warmer when they are closer to class
O/I protostars, but this effect is not seen for those cores in clusters. For
field starless cores, T_kin is higher in regions in which the 13CO linewidth
and the 1.1mm flux from the core are larger, and T_kin is lower when the the
peak column density within the core and average volume density of the core are
larger. There is no correlation between T_kin and 13CO linewidth, 1.1mm flux,
density or peak column density for those cores in clusters. The temperature of
the cloud material along the line of sight to the core, as measured by CO or
far-infrared emission from dust, is positively correlated with core temperature
when considering the collection of cores in the field and in clusters, but this
effect is not apparent when the two subsamples of cores are considered
separately.Comment: Accepted to ApJ; 13 pages, including 3 tables and three figure
Construction and measurements of a vacuum-swing-adsorption radon-mitigation system
Long-lived alpha and beta emitters in the Rn decay chain on (and
near) detector surfaces may be the limiting background in many experiments
attempting to detect dark matter or neutrinoless double-beta decay, and in
screening detectors. In order to reduce backgrounds from radon-daughter
plate-out onto the wires of the BetaCage during its assembly, an
ultra-low-radon cleanroom is being commissioned at Syracuse University using a
vacuum-swing-adsorption radon-mitigation system. The radon filter shows
~20 reduction at its output, from 7.470.56 to 0.370.12
Bq/m, and the cleanroom radon activity meets project requirements, with a
lowest achieved value consistent with that of the filter, and levels
consistently < 2 Bq/m.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of Low Radioactivity Techniques (LRT)
2013, Gran Sasso, Italy, April 10-12, 201
Determining the Mass of Dark Matter Particles with Direct Detection Experiments
In this article I review two data analysis methods for determining the mass
(and eventually the spin-independent cross section on nucleons) of Weakly
Interacting Massive Particles with positive signals from direct Dark Matter
detection experiments: a maximum likelihood analysis with only one experiment
and a model-independent method requiring at least two experiments.
Uncertainties and caveats of these methods will also be discussed.Comment: 24 pages, 10 figures, 1 reference added, typos fixed, published
version, to appear in the NJP Focus Issue on "Dark Matter and Particle
Physics
Construction and Measurements of an Improved Vacuum-Swing-Adsorption Radon-Mitigation System
In order to reduce backgrounds from radon-daughter plate-out onto detector
surfaces, an ultra-low-radon cleanroom is being commissioned at the South
Dakota School of Mines and Technology. An improved vacuum-swing-adsorption
radon mitigation system and cleanroom build upon a previous design implemented
at Syracuse University that achieved radon levels of
0.2Bqm. This improved system will employ a better pump and
larger carbon beds feeding a redesigned cleanroom with an internal HVAC unit
and aged water for humidification. With the rebuilt (original) radon mitigation
system, the new low-radon cleanroom has already achieved a 300
reduction from an input activity of Bqm to a
cleanroom activity of Bqm.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, Proceedings of Low Radioactivity Techniques (LRT)
2015, Seattle, WA, March 18-20, 201
Status of BetaCage: an Ultra-sensitive Screener for Surface Contamination
BetaCage, a gaseous neon time-projection chamber, has been proposed as a viable screener for emitters of low-energy alphas and electrons to which commercial radioactivity counting techniques are insensitive. Using radiopure materials for construction, active and passive shielding from extrinsic backgrounds, large counting area and minimal detector mass, BetaCage will be able to achieve sensitivities of 10^(â5) counts keV^(â1) kg^(â1) day^(â1) in a few days of running time. We report on progress in prototype development work since the last meeting of this workshop
Time-resolved infrared absorption spectroscopy applied to photoinduced reactions: how and why
Abstract: Time-resolved infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a widely used technique in the investigation of photoinduced reactions, given its capabilities of providing structural information about the presence of intermediates and the reaction mechanism. Despite the fact that it is used in several fields since the â80s, the communication between the different scientific communities (photochemists, photobiologists, etc.) has been to date quite limited. In some cases, this lack of communication happenedâand still happensâeven inside the same scientific community (for instance between specialists in ultrafast ps/fs IR and those in âfastâ ns/”s/ms IR). Even more surprising is the difficulty of non-specialists to understand the potential of time-resolved IR spectroscopy, despite the fact that IR spectroscopy is normally taught to all chemistry and material science students, and to several biology and physics students. This tutorial review aims at helping to solve these issues, first by providing a comprehensive but reader-friendly overview of the different techniques, and second, by focusing on five âcase studiesâ (from photobiology, gas-phase photocatalysis, photochemistry, semiconductors and metal-carbonyl complexes). We are confident that this approach can help the readerâwhichever is its backgroundâto understand the capabilities of time-resolved IR spectroscopy to study the mechanism of photoinduced reactions. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.
A (sub)millimetre study of dense cores in Orion B9
We aim to further constrain the properties and evolutionary stages of dense
cores in Orion B9. The central part of Orion B9 was mapped at 350 micron with
APEX/SABOCA. A sample of nine cores in the region were observed in C17O(2-1),
H13CO+(4-3) (towards 3 sources), DCO+(4-3), N2H+(3-2), and N2D+(3-2) with
APEX/SHFI. These data are used in conjunction with our previous APEX/LABOCA
870-micron dust continuum data. Many of the LABOCA cores show evidence of
substructure in the higher-resolution SABOCA image. In particular, we report on
the discovery of multiple very low-mass condensations in the prestellar core
SMM 6. Based on the 350-to-870 micron flux density ratios, we determine dust
temperatures of ~7.9-10.8 K, and dust emissivity indices of ~0.5-1.8. The CO
depletion factors are in the range ~1.6-10.8. The degree of deuteration in N2H+
is ~0.04-0.99, where the highest value (seen towards the prestellar core SMM 1)
is, to our knowledge, the most extreme level of N2H+ deuteration reported so
far. The level of HCO+ deuteration is about 1-2%. We also detected D2CO towards
two sources. The detection of subcondensations within SMM 6 shows that core
fragmentation can already take place during the prestellar phase. The origin of
this substructure is likely caused by thermal Jeans fragmentation of the
elongated parent core. A low depletion factor and the presence of gas-phase
D2CO in SMM 1 suggest that the core chemistry is affected by the nearby
outflow. The very high N2H+ deuteration in SMM 1 is likely to be remnant of the
earlier CO-depleted phase.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, 10 tables. Accepted for publication in
Astronomy and Astrophysic
Evidence for dust evolution within the Taurus Complex from Spitzer images
We present Spitzer images of the Taurus Complex (TC) and take advantage of
the sensitivity and spatial resolution of the observations to characterize the
diffuse IR emission across the cloud. This work highlights evidence of dust
evolution within the translucent sections of the archetype reference for
studies of quiescent molecular clouds. We combine Spitzer 160 um and IRAS 100
um observations to produce a dust temperature map and a far-IR dust opacity map
at 5' resolution. The average dust temperature is about 14.5K with a dispersion
of +/-1K across the cloud. The far-IR dust opacity is a factor 2 larger than
the average value for the diffuse ISM. This opacity increase and the
attenuation of the radiation field (RF) both contribute to account for the
lower emission temperature of the large grains. The structure of the TC
significantly changes in the mid-IR images that trace emission from PAHs and
VSGs. We focus our analysis of the mid-IR emission to a range of ecliptic
latitudes where the zodiacal light residuals are small. Within this cloud area,
there are no 8 and 24 um counterparts to the brightest 160 um emission
features. Conversely, the 8 and 24 um images reveal filamentary structure that
is strikingly inconspicuous in the 160 um and extinction maps. The IR colors
vary over sub-parsec distances across this filamentary structure. We compare
the observed colors with model calculations quantifying the impact of the RF
intensity and the abundance of stochastically heated particles on the dust SED.
To match the range of observed colors, we have to invoke variations by a factor
of a few of both the interstellar RF and the abundance of PAHs and VSGs. We
conclude that within this filamentary structure a significant fraction of the
dust mass cycles in and out the small size end of the dust size distribution.Comment: 43 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
The BetaCage, an ultra-sensitive screener for surface contamination
Material screening for identifying low-energy electron emitters and
alpha-decaying isotopes is now a prerequisite for rare-event searches (e.g.,
dark-matter direct detection and neutrinoless double-beta decay) for which
surface radiocontamination has become an increasingly important background. The
BetaCage, a gaseous neon time-projection chamber, is a proposed ultra-sensitive
(and nondestructive) screener for alpha- and beta-emitting surface contaminants
to which existing screening facilities are insufficiently sensitive.
Sensitivity goals are 0.1 betas per keV-m-day and 0.1 alphas per m-day,
with the former limited by Compton scattering of photons in the screening
samples and (thanks to tracking) the latter expected to be signal-limited;
radioassays and simulations indicate backgrounds from detector materials and
radon daughters should be subdominant. We report on details of the background
simulations and detector design that provide the discrimination, shielding, and
radiopurity necessary to reach our sensitivity goals for a chamber with a
9595 cm sample area positioned below a 40 cm drift region and
monitored by crisscrossed anode and cathode planes consisting of 151 wires
each.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of Low Radioactivity Techniques (LRT)
2013, Gran Sasso, Italy, April 10-12, 201
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