142 research outputs found
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Mid-infrared spectroscopy of calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions: a tool to detect primitive asteroids?
Calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions in Vigarano, Ornans and Allende have characteristic refractory components that may help us identify primitive near-Earth asteroids through mid-IR space telescope spectrometers. We have identified some features
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Mid-infrared reflectance spectroscopy of calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions: a way to detect primitive asteroids?
Dust from collisions: A way to probe the composition of exo-planets?
In order to link infrared observations of dust formed during planet formation
in debris disks to mid-infrared spectroscopic data of planetary materials from
differentiated terrestrial and asteroidal bodies, we obtained absorption
spectra of a representative suite of terrestrial crustal and mantle materials,
and of typical Martian meteorites. A series of debris disk spectra
characterized by a strong feature in the 9.0-9.5 micron range (HD23514,
HD15407a, HD172555 and HD165014), is comparable to materials that underwent
shock, collision or high temperature events. These are amorphous materials such
as tektites, SiO2-glass, obsidian, and highly shocked shergottites as well as
inclusions from mesosiderites (Group A). A second group (BD+20307, Beta
Pictoris, HD145263, ID8, HD113766, HD69830, P1121, and Eta Corvi) have strong
pyroxene and olivine bands in the 9-12 micron range and is very similar to
ultramafic rocks (e.g. harzburgite, dunite)(Group B). This could indicate the
occurrence of differentiated materials similar to those in our Solar System in
these other systems. However, mixing of projectile and target material, as well
as that of crustal and mantle material has to be taken into account in large
scale events like hit-and-run and giant collisions or even large-scale
planetary impacts. This could explain the olivine-dominated dust of group B.
The crustal-type material of group A would possibly require the stripping of
upper layers by grazing-style hit-and run encounters or high energy events like
evaporation/condensation in giant collisions. In tidal disruptions or the
involvement of predominantly icy/water bodies the resulting mineral dust would
originate mainly in one of the involved planetesimals. This could allow
attributing the observed composition to a specific body (such as e.g. Eta
Corvi)
HD 145263: Spectral Observations of Silica Debris Disk Formation via Extreme Space Weathering?
We report here time domain infrared spectroscopy and optical photometry of
the HD145263 silica-rich circumstellar disk system taken from 2003 through
2014. We find an F4V host star surrounded by a stable, massive 1e22 - 1e23 kg
(M_Moon to M_Mars) dust disk. No disk gas was detected, and the primary star
was seen rotating with a rapid ~1.75 day period. After resolving a problem with
previously reported observations, we find the silica, Mg-olivine, and
Fe-pyroxene mineralogy of the dust disk to be stable throughout, and very
unusual compared to the ferromagnesian silicates typically found in primordial
and debris disks. By comparison with mid-infrared spectral features of
primitive solar system dust, we explore the possibility that HD 145263's
circumstellar dust mineralogy occurred with preferential destruction of
Fe-bearing olivines, metal sulfides, and water ice in an initially comet-like
mineral mix and their replacement by Fe-bearing pyroxenes, amorphous pyroxene,
and silica. We reject models based on vaporizing optical stellar megaflares,
aqueous alteration, or giant hypervelocity impacts as unable to produce the
observed mineralogy. Scenarios involving unusually high Si abundances are at
odds with the normal stellar absorption near-infrared feature strengths for Mg,
Fe, and Si. Models involving intense space weathering of a thin surface patina
via moderate (T < 1300 K) heating and energetic ion sputtering due to a stellar
superflare from the F4V primary are consistent with the observations. The space
weathered patina should be reddened, contain copious amounts of nanophase Fe,
and should be transient on timescales of decades unless replenished.Comment: 41 Pages, 5 Figures, 5 Tables, Accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journa
Global Search for New Physics with 2.0/fb at CDF
Data collected in Run II of the Fermilab Tevatron are searched for
indications of new electroweak-scale physics. Rather than focusing on
particular new physics scenarios, CDF data are analyzed for discrepancies with
the standard model prediction. A model-independent approach (Vista) considers
gross features of the data, and is sensitive to new large cross-section
physics. Further sensitivity to new physics is provided by two additional
algorithms: a Bump Hunter searches invariant mass distributions for "bumps"
that could indicate resonant production of new particles; and the Sleuth
procedure scans for data excesses at large summed transverse momentum. This
combined global search for new physics in 2.0/fb of ppbar collisions at
sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV reveals no indication of physics beyond the standard model.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures. Final version which appeared in Physical Review D
Rapid Communication
Measurement of Resonance Parameters of Orbitally Excited Narrow B^0 Mesons
We report a measurement of resonance parameters of the orbitally excited
(L=1) narrow B^0 mesons in decays to B^{(*)+}\pi^- using 1.7/fb of data
collected by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. The mass and width
of the B^{*0}_2 state are measured to be m(B^{*0}_2) =
5740.2^{+1.7}_{-1.8}(stat.) ^{+0.9}_{-0.8}(syst.) MeV/c^2 and \Gamma(B^{*0}_2)
= 22.7^{+3.8}_{-3.2}(stat.) ^{+3.2}_{-10.2}(syst.) MeV/c^2. The mass difference
between the B^{*0}_2 and B^0_1 states is measured to be
14.9^{+2.2}_{-2.5}(stat.) ^{+1.2}_{-1.4}(syst.) MeV/c^2, resulting in a B^0_1
mass of 5725.3^{+1.6}_{-2.2}(stat.) ^{+1.4}_{-1.5}(syst.) MeV/c^2. This is
currently the most precise measurement of the masses of these states and the
first measurement of the B^{*0}_2 width.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, 1 table. Submitted to Phys.Rev.Let
Measurement of the fraction of t-tbar production via gluon-gluon fusion in p-pbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV
We present a measurement of the ratio of t-tbar production cross section via
gluon-gluon fusion to the total t-tbar production cross section in p-pbar
collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV at the Tevatron. Using a data sample with an
integrated luminosity of 955/pb recorded by the CDF II detector at Fermilab, we
select events based on the t-tbar decay to lepton+jets. Using an artificial
neural network technique we discriminate between t-tbar events produced via
q-qbar annihilation and gluon-gluon fusion, and find
Cf=(gg->ttbar)/(pp->ttbar)<0.33 at the 68% confidence level. This result is
combined with a previous measurement to obtain the most precise measurement of
this quantity, Cf=0.07+0.15-0.07.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.
Forward-Backward Asymmetry in Top Quark Production in ppbar Collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV
Reconstructable final state kinematics and charge assignment in the reaction
ppbar->ttbar allows tests of discrete strong interaction symmetries at high
energy. We define frame dependent forward-backward asymmetries for the outgoing
top quark in both the ppbar and ttbar rest frames, correct for experimental
distortions, and derive values at the parton-level. Using 1.9/fb of ppbar
collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV recorded with the CDF II detector at the
Fermilab Tevatron, we measure forward-backward top quark production asymmetries
in the ppbar and ttbar rest frames of A_{FB,pp} = 0.17 +- 0.08 and A_{FB,tt} =
0.24 +- 0.14.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Phys.Rev.Lett, corrected references
and change of tex
Abundances of the elements in the solar system
A review of the abundances and condensation temperatures of the elements and
their nuclides in the solar nebula and in chondritic meteorites. Abundances of
the elements in some neighboring stars are also discussed.Comment: 42 pages, 11 tables, 8 figures, chapter, In Landolt- B\"ornstein, New
Series, Vol. VI/4B, Chap. 4.4, J.E. Tr\"umper (ed.), Berlin, Heidelberg, New
York: Springer-Verlag, p. 560-63
Terrestrial modification of the Ivuna meteorite and a reassessment of the chemical composition of the CI type specimen
The rare CI carbonaceous chondrites are the most aqueously altered and chemically primitive meteorites but due to their porous nature and high abundance of volatile elements are susceptible to terrestrial weathering. The Ivuna meteorite, type specimen for the CI chondrites, is the largest twentieth-century CI fall and probably the CI chondrite least affected by terrestrial alteration that is available for study. The main mass of Ivuna (BM2008 M1) has been stored in a nitrogen atmosphere at least since its arrival at the Natural History Museum (NHM), London, in 2008 (70 years after its fall) and could be considered the most pristine CI chondrite stone. We report the mineralogy, petrography and bulk elemental composition of BM2008 M1 and a second Ivuna stone (BM1996 M4) stored in air within wooden cabinets. We find that both Ivuna stones are breccias consisting of multiple rounded, phyllosilicate-rich clasts that formed through aqueous alteration followed by impact processing. A polished thin section of BM2008 M1 analysed immediately after preparation was found to contain sulphate-bearing veins that formed when primary sulphides reacted with oxygen and atmospheric water. A section of BM1996 M4 lacked veins but had sulphate grains on the surface that formed in ≤6 years, ∼3 times faster than previous reports for CI chondrite sections. Differences in the extent of terrestrial alteration recorded by BM2008 M1 and BM1996 M4 probably reflect variations in the post-recovery curation history of the stones prior to entering the NHM collection, and indicate that where possible pristine samples of hydrated carbonaceous should be kept out of the terrestrial environment in a stable atmosphere to avoid modification. The bulk elemental composition of the two Ivuna stones show some variability due to their heterogeneous nature but in general are similar to previous analyses of CI chondrites. We combine our elemental abundances with literature values to calculate a new average composition for the Ivuna meteorite, which we find is in good agreement with existing compilations of element compositions in the CI chondrites and the most recent solar photospheric abundances
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