894 research outputs found
Protoplanetary Disk Masses in the Young NGC 2024 Cluster
We present the results from a Submillimeter Array survey of the 887 micron
continuum emission from the protoplanetary disks around 95 young stars in the
young cluster NGC 2024. Emission was detected from 22 infrared sources, with
flux densities from ~5 to 330 mJy; upper limits (at 3sigma) for the other 73
sources range from 3 to 24 mJy. For standard assumptions, the corresponding
disk masses range from ~0.003 to 0.2Msolar, with upper limits at
0.002--0.01Msolar. The NGC 2024 sample has a slightly more populated tail at
the high end of its disk mass distribution compared to other clusters, but
without more information on the nature of the sample hosts it remains unclear
if this difference is statistically significant or a superficial selection
effect. Unlike in the Orion Trapezium, there is no evidence for a disk mass
dependence on the (projected) separation from the massive star IRS2b in the NGC
2024 cluster. We suggest that this is due to either the cluster youth or a
comparatively weaker photoionizing radiation field.Comment: ApJ, in pres
Holocene Vegetation, Climate, and Carbon History on Western Kodiak Island, Alaska
At Phalarope Pond, western Kodiak Island, a multidisciplinary study using pollen and spores, macrofossils, stable isotopes, and carbon accumulation provides the Holocene vegetation and climate history following the deglaciation that began over 16,000 cal years ago (yr BP) [years Before Present, as calibrated from 1950]. Following a cold and dry Younger Dryas, a warm and wet early Holocene was characterized by abundant ferns in a sedge tundra environment with maximum carbon accumulation, similar to high latitude peatlands globally. About 8,700 cal yr BP sedge and ferns declined and climate remained warm as drier conditions prevailed, limiting carbon sequestration. The abrupt shift in D/H (Deuterium/Hydrogen) isotopes of about 60 percent indicates a shift to cooler conditions or a more distal moisture source. Neoglaciation beginning about 3,700 cal yr BP is evident from increases in Artemisia, Empetrum and Betula, signifying cooler conditions, while Alnus declines, paralleling regional trends
ALMA Observations of Asymmetric Molecular Gas Emission from a Protoplanetary Disk in the Orion Nebula
We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations
of molecular line emission from d216-0939, one of the largest and most massive
protoplanetary disks in the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC). We model the spectrally
resolved HCO (4--3), CO (3--2), and HCN (4--3) lines observed at 0\farcs5
resolution to fit the temperature and density structure of the disk. We also
weakly detect and spectrally resolve the CS (7--6) line but do not model it.
The abundances we derive for CO and HCO are generally consistent with
expected values from chemical modeling of protoplanetary disks, while the HCN
abundance is higher than expected. We dynamically measure the mass of the
central star to be which is inconsistent with the
previously determined spectral type of K5. We also report the detection of a
spatially unresolved high-velocity blue-shifted excess emission feature with a
measurable positional offset from the central star, consistent with a Keplerian
orbit at . Using the integrated flux of the feature in
HCO (4--3), we estimate the total H gas mass of this feature to be at
least , depending on the assumed temperature. The
feature is due to a local temperature and/or density enhancement consistent
with either a hydrodynamic vortex or the expected signature of the envelope of
a forming protoplanet within the disk.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A
Immersive, interactive, web-enabled computer simulation as a trigger for learning: The Next Generation of Problem-based Learning in Educational Leadership
Abstract from ERIC: This paper describes the use of advanced computer technology in an innovative educational leadership program. This program integrates full-motion video scenarios that simulate the leadership challenges typically faced by principals over the course of a full school year. These scenarios require decisions that are then coupled to consequences and scored in the background to create a profile of learner strengths and needs. Because the content has been filmed in an operating school and because of the unique choice-consequence sequences, the immersive and interactive simulation triggers more potent learning than is possible with either previous paper-and-pencil or discussion-based techniques. The scenarios are embedded in a Web-enabled framework that facilitates the provision of individualized feedback tailored to the specific choices made by the learner, and supports the collection of multiple metrics that relate to the performance of the learner and the learning framework itself. Project Authentic Learning for Leaders (ALL) demonstrates the future of teaching and learning in either hybrid (face-to-face instruction plus digital teaching and learning) or in individual anywhere, anytime learning. (Contains 5 figures.
ALMA Observations of the Largest Proto-Planetary Disk in the Orion Nebula, 114-426: A CO Silhouette
We present ALMA observations of the largest protoplanetary disk in the Orion
Nebula, 114-426. Detectable 345 GHz (856 micron) dust continuum is produced
only in the 350 AU central region of the ~1000 AU diameter silhouette seen
against the bright H-alpha background in HST images. Assuming optically thin
dust emission at 345 GHz, a gas-to-dust ratio of 100, and a grain temperature
of 20 K, the disk gas-mass is estimated to be 3.1 +/- 0.6 Jupiter masses. If
most solids and ices have have been incorporated into large grains, however,
this value is a lower limit. The disk is not detected in dense-gas tracers such
as HCO+ J=4-3, HCN J=4-3, or CS =7-6. These results may indicate that the
114-426 disk is evolved and depleted in some light organic compounds found in
molecular clouds. The CO J=3-2 line is seen in absorption against the bright 50
to 80 K background of the Orion A molecular cloud over the full spatial extent
and a little beyond the dust continuum emission. The CO absorption reaches a
depth of 27 K below the background CO emission at VLSR ~6.7 km/s about 0.52
arcseconds (210 AU) northeast and 12 K below the background CO emission at VLSR
~ 9.7 km/s about 0.34 arcseconds (140 AU) southwest of the suspected location
of the central star, implying that the embedded star has a mass less than 1
Solar mass .Comment: 20 pages, 4 figure
ALMA Observations of the Orion Proplyds
We present ALMA observations of protoplanetary disks ("proplyds") in the
Orion Nebula Cluster. We imaged 5 individual fields at 856um containing 22
HST-identified proplyds and detected 21 of them. Eight of those disks were
detected for the first time at submillimeter wavelengths, including the most
prominent, well-known proplyd in the entire Orion Nebula, 114-426. Thermal dust
emission in excess of any free-free component was measured in all but one of
the detected disks, and ranged between 1-163 mJy, with resulting disk masses of
0.3-79 Mjup. An additional 26 stars with no prior evidence of associated disks
in HST observations were also imaged within the 5 fields, but only 2 were
detected. The disk mass upper limits for the undetected targets, which include
OB stars, theta1Ori C and theta1Ori F, range from 0.1-0.6 Mjup. Combining these
ALMA data with previous SMA observations, we find a lack of massive (>3 Mjup)
disks in the extreme-UV dominated region of Orion, within 0.03 pc of O-star
theta1Ori C. At larger separations from theta1Ori C, in the far-UV dominated
region, there is a wide range of disk masses, similar to what is found in
low-mass star forming regions. Taken together, these results suggest that a
rapid dissipation of disk masses likely inhibits potential planet formation in
the extreme-UV dominated regions of OB associations, but leaves disks in the
far-UV dominated regions relatively unaffected.Comment: ApJ, in pres
Masses and Mixings in a Grand Unified Toy Model
The generation of the fermion mass hierarchy in the standard model of
particle physics is a long-standing puzzle. The recent discoveries from
neutrino physics suggests that the mixing in the lepton sector is large
compared to the quark mixings. To understand this asymmetry between the quark
and lepton mixings is an important aim for particle physics. In this regard,
two promising approaches from the theoretical side are grand unified theories
and family symmetries. In this note we try to understand certain general
features of grand unified theories with Abelian family symmetries by taking the
simplest SU(5) grand unified theory as a prototype. We construct an SU(5) toy
model with family symmetry
that, in a natural way, duplicates the observed mass hierarchy and mixing
matrices to lowest approximation. The system for generating the mass hierarchy
is through a Froggatt-Nielsen type mechanism. One idea that we use in the model
is that the quark and charged lepton sectors are hierarchical with small mixing
angles while the light neutrino sector is democratic with larger mixing angles.
We also discuss some of the difficulties in incorporating finer details into
the model without making further assumptions or adding a large scalar sector.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures, RevTeX, v2: references updated and typos
corrected, v3: updated top quark mass, comments on MiniBooNE result, and
typos correcte
The O(N) Model at Finite Temperature: Renormalization of the Gap Equations in Hartree and Large-N Approximation
The temperature dependence of the sigma meson and pion masses is studied in
the framework of the O(N) model. The Cornwall-Jackiw-Tomboulis formalism is
applied to derive gap equations for the masses in the Hartree and large-N
approximations. Renormalization of the gap equations is carried out within the
cut-off and counter-term renormalization schemes. A consistent renormalization
of the gap equations within the cut-off scheme is found to be possible only in
the large-N approximation and for a finite value of the cut-off. On the other
hand, the counter-term scheme allows for a consistent renormalization of both
the large-N and Hartree approximations. In these approximations, the meson
masses at a given nonzero temperature depend in general on the choice of the
cut-off or renormalization scale. As an application, we also discuss the
in-medium on-shell decay widths for sigma mesons and pions at rest.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, typos corrected and refs. added, accepted in
Journal of Physics
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