29 research outputs found
[μ-1,3-Bis(diphenylphosphino)propane-κ2 P:P′]bis[bromidogold(I)]
The title compound, [Au2Br2(C27H26P2)], features linearly coordinated AuI atoms within P,Br-donor sets. The central portion of the molecule is practically planar as quantified by the Br–Au⋯Au–Br torsion angle of −169.9 (2)°. The P—Au—Br chromophores are twisted with respect to each other [dihedral angle = 52.3 (6)°]. The benzene rings on each P atom lie on either side of this plane. The Au atoms are positioned at the periphery of the molecule, which facilitates the formation of Au⋯Au interactions [3.2575 (11) Å] that result in the formation of supramolecular chains along the b-axis direction. The Au⋯Au interactions are responsible for the deviations from the ideal linear geometry for each Au atom
Detection of Cyclopropenylidene on Titan with ALMA
We report the first detection on Titan of the small cyclic molecule cyclopropenylidene (c-C3H2) from high-sensitivity spectroscopic observations made with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. Multiple lines of cyclopropenylidene were detected in two separate data sets: ~251 GHz in 2016 (Band 6) and ~352 GHz in 2017 (Band 7). Modeling of these emissions indicates abundances of 0.50 ± 0.14 ppb (2016) and 0.28 ± 0.08 (2017) for a 350 km step model, which may either signify a decrease in abundance, or a mean value of 0.33 ± 0.07 ppb. Inferred column abundances are (3–5) × 1012 cm−2 in 2016 and (1–2) × 1012 cm−2 in 2017, similar to photochemical model predictions. Previously the C3H ion has been measured in Titan's ionosphere by Cassini's Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS), but the neutral (unprotonated) species has not been detected until now, and aromatic versus aliphatic structure could not be determined by the INMS. Our work therefore represents the first unambiguous detection of cyclopropenylidene, the second known cyclic molecule in Titan's atmosphere along with benzene (C6H6) and the first time this molecule has been detected in a planetary atmosphere. We also searched for the N-heterocycle molecules pyridine and pyrimidine finding nondetections in both cases, and determining 2σ upper limits of 1.15 ppb (c-C5H5N) and 0.85 ppb (c-C4H4N2) for uniform abundances above 300 km. These new results on cyclic molecules provide fresh constraints on photochemical pathways in Titan's atmosphere, and will require new modeling and experimental work to fully understand the implications for complex molecule formation
Carma CO observations of three extremely metal-poor, star-forming galaxies
We present sensitive CO (J = 1 0) emission line observations of the three metal-poor dwarf irregular galaxies Leo P (Z ∼ 3% Zo), Sextans A (Z ∼ 7.5% Zo), and Sextans B (Z ∼ 7.5% Zo), all obtained with the Combined Array for Millimeter-wave Astronomy interferometer. While no CO emission was detected, the proximity of the three systems allows us to place very stringent (4σ) upper limits on the CO luminosity (LCO) in these metal-poor galaxies. We find the CO luminosities to be LCO < 2900 K km s-1 pc2 for Leo P, LCO < 12,400 K km s-1 pc2 for Sextans A, and LCO < 9700 K km s-1 pc2 for Sextans B. Comparison of our results with recent observational estimates of the factor for converting between LCO and the mass of molecular hydrogen, as well as theoretical models, provides further evidence that either the CO-to-H2 conversion factor increases sharply as metallicity decreases, or that stars are forming in these three galaxies very efficiently, requiring little molecular hydroge
Analysis of Neptune's 2017 Bright Equatorial Storm
We report the discovery of a large (8500 km diameter) infrared-bright
storm at Neptune's equator in June 2017. We tracked the storm over a period of
7 months with high-cadence infrared snapshot imaging, carried out on 14 nights
at the 10 meter Keck II telescope and 17 nights at the Shane 120 inch reflector
at Lick Observatory. The cloud feature was larger and more persistent than any
equatorial clouds seen before on Neptune, remaining intermittently active from
at least 10 June to 31 December 2017. Our Keck and Lick observations were
augmented by very high-cadence images from the amateur community, which
permitted the determination of accurate drift rates for the cloud feature. Its
zonal drift speed was variable from 10 June to at least 25 July, but remained a
constant m s from 30 September until at least 15
November. The pressure of the cloud top was determined from radiative transfer
calculations to be 0.3-0.6 bar; this value remained constant over the course of
the observations. Multiple cloud break-up events, in which a bright cloud band
wrapped around Neptune's equator, were observed over the course of our
observations. No "dark spot" vortices were seen near the equator in HST imaging
on 6 and 7 October. The size and pressure of the storm are consistent with
moist convection or a planetary-scale wave as the energy source of convective
upwelling, but more modeling is required to determine the driver of this
equatorial disturbance as well as the triggers for and dynamics of the observed
cloud break-up events.Comment: 42 pages, 14 figures, 6 tables; Accepted to Icaru
Drift Rates of Major Neptunian Features between 2018 and 2021
Using near-infrared observations of Neptune from the Keck and Lick
Observatories, and the Hubble Space Telescope in combination with amateur
datasets, we calculated the drift rates of prominent infrared-bright cloud
features on Neptune between 2018 and 2021. These features had lifespans of
day to 1 month and were located at mid-latitudes and near the
south pole. Our observations permitted determination of drift rates via feature
tracking. These drift rates were compared to three zonal wind profiles
describing Neptune's atmosphere determined from features tracked in H band (1.6
), K' band (2.1 ), and Voyager 2 data at visible wavelengths.
Features near measured in the F845M filter (845nm) were particularly
consistent with the K' wind profile. The southern mid-latitudes hosted multiple
features whose lifespans were 1 month, providing evidence that these
latitudes are a region of high stability in Neptune's atmosphere. We also used
HST F467M (467nm) data to analyze a dark, circumpolar wave at
latitude observed on Neptune since the Voyager 2 era. Its drift rate in recent
years (2019-2021) is /day. This is consistent with
previous measurements by Karkoschka (2011), which predict a /day drift rate during these years. It also gained a complementary bright
band just to the north.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figures, accepted to Icaru
Io’s Volcanic Activity from Time Domain Adaptive Optics Observations: 2013–2018
We present measurements of the near-infrared brightness of Io's hot spots derived from 2 to 5 μm imaging with adaptive optics on the Keck and Gemini N telescopes. The data were obtained on 271 nights between 2013 August and the end of 2018, and include nearly 1000 detections of over 75 unique hot spots. The 100 observations obtained between 2013 and 2015 have been previously published in de Kleer & de Pater the observations since the start of 2016 are presented here for the first time, and the analysis is updated to include the full five-year data set. These data provide insight into the global properties of Io's volcanism. Several new hot spots and bright eruptions have been detected, and the preference for bright eruptions to occur on Io's trailing hemisphere noted in the 2013–2015 data is strengthened by the larger data set and remains unexplained. The program overlapped in time with Sprint-A/EXCEED and Juno observations of the Jovian system, and correlations with transient phenomena seen in other components of the system have the potential to inform our understanding of the impact of Io's volcanism on Jupiter and its neutral/plasma environment