Tar production in coal pyrolysis - the effect of catalysts, pressure and extraction

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Superconductivity in Heavy Alkaline-Earths Intercalated Graphites

We report the discovery of superconductivity below 1.65(6) K in Sr-intercalated graphite SrC6, by susceptibility and specific heat (Cp) measurements. In comparison with CaC6, we found that the anisotropy of the upper critical fields for SrC6 is much reduced. The Cp anomaly at Tc is smaller than the BCS prediction indicating an anisotropic superconducting gap for SrC6 similar to CaC6. The significantly lower Tc of SrC6 as compared to CaC6 can be understood in terms of "negative" pressure effects, which decreases the electron-phonon coupling for both in-plane intercalant and the out-of-plane C phonon modes. We observed no superconductivity for BaC6 down to 0.3 K.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Gamma-Ray Bursts observed by XMM-Newton

Analysis of observations with XMM-Newton have made a significant contribution to the study of Gamma-ray Burst (GRB) X-ray afterglows. The effective area, bandpass and resolution of the EPIC instrument permit the study of a wide variety of spectral features. In particular, strong, time-dependent, soft X-ray emission lines have been discovered in some bursts. The emission mechanism and energy source for these lines pose major problems for the current generation of GRB models. Other GRBs have intrinsic absorption, possibly related to the environment around the progenitor, or possible iron emission lines similar to those seen in GRBs observed with BeppoSAX. Further XMM-Newton observations of GRBs discovered by the Swift satellite should help unlock the origin of the GRB phenomenon over the next few years.Comment: To appear in proceedings of the "XMM-Newton EPIC Consortium meeting, Palermo, 2003 October 14-16", published in Memorie della Societa Astronomica Italian

Spectral evolution and the onset of the X-ray GRB afterglow

Based on light curves from the Swift Burst Analyser, we investigate whether a `dip' feature commonly seen in the early-time hardness ratios of Swift-XRT data could arise from the juxtaposition of the decaying prompt emission and rising afterglow. We are able to model the dip as such a feature, assuming the afterglow rises as predicted by Sari & Piran (1999). Using this model we measure the initial bulk Lorentz factor of the fireball. For a sample of 23 GRBs we find a median value of Gamma_0=225, assuming a constant-density circumburst medium; or Gamma_0=93 if we assume a wind-like medium.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. To appear in the proceedings of GRB 2010, Annapolis November 2010. (AIP Conference proceedings

Whole-brain patterns of 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging in Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies

Acknowledgements We thank Craig Lambert for his help in processing the MRS data. The study was funded by the Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust (grant ref: 05/JTA) and was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre and the Biomedical Research Unit in Lewy Body Dementia based at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust and Newcastle University and the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and Biomedical Research Unit in Dementia based at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Structural and electrostatic effects at the surfaces of size- and charge-selected aqueous nanodrops.

The effects of ion charge, polarity and size on the surface morphology of size-selected aqueous nanodrops containing a single ion and up to 550 water molecules are investigated with infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectroscopy and theory. IRPD spectra of M(H2O) n where M = La3+, Ca2+, Na+, Li+, I-, SO42- and supporting molecular dynamics simulations indicate that strong interactions between multiply charged ions and water molecules can disrupt optimal hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) at the nanodrop surface. The IRPD spectra also reveal that "free" OH stretching frequencies of surface-bound water molecules are highly sensitive to the ion's identity and the OH bond's local H-bond environment. The measured frequency shifts are qualitatively reproduced by a computationally inexpensive point-charge model that shows the frequency shifts are consistent with a Stark shift from the ion's electric field. For multiply charged cations, pronounced Stark shifting is observed for clusters containing ∼100 or fewer water molecules. This is attributed to ion-induced solvent patterning that extends to the nanodrop surface, and serves as a spectroscopic signature for a cation's ability to influence the H-bond network of water located remotely from the ion. The Stark shifts measured for the larger nanodrops are extrapolated to infinite dilution to obtain the free OH stretching frequency of a surface-bound water molecule at the bulk air-water interface (3696.5-3701.0 cm-1), well within the relatively wide range of values obtained from SFG measurements. These cluster measurements also indicate that surface curvature effects can influence the free OH stretching frequency, and that even nanodrops without an ion have a surface potential that depends on cluster size

A universal GRB photon energy-peak luminosity relation

The energetics and emission mechanism of GRBs are not well understood. Here we demonstrate that the instantaneous peak flux or equivalent isotropic peak luminosity, L_iso ergs s^-1, rather than the integrated fluence or equivalent isotropic energy, E_iso ergs, underpins the known high-energy correlations. Using new spectral/temporal parameters calculated for 101 bursts with redshifts from BATSE, BeppoSAX, HETE-II and Swift we describe a parameter space which characterises the apparently diverse properties of the prompt emission. We show that a source frame characteristic-photon-energy/peak luminosity ratio, K_z, can be constructed which is constant within a factor of 2 for all bursts whatever their duration, spectrum, luminosity and the instrumentation used to detect them. The new parameterization embodies the Amati relation but indicates that some correlation between E_peak and E_iso follows as a direct mathematical inference from the Band function and that a simple transformation of E_iso to L_iso yields a universal high energy correlation for GRBs. The existence of K_z indicates that the mechanism responsible for the prompt emission from all GRBs is probably predominantly thermal.Comment: Submitted to Ap

The Distance to Nova V959 Mon from VLA Imaging

Determining reliable distances to classical novae is a challenging but crucial step in deriving their ejected masses and explosion energetics. Here we combine radio expansion measurements from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array with velocities derived from optical spectra to estimate an expansion parallax for nova V959 Mon, the first nova discovered through its gamma-ray emission. We spatially resolve the nova at frequencies of 4.5-36.5 GHz in nine different imaging epochs. The first five epochs cover the expansion of the ejecta from 2012 October to 2013 January, while the final four epochs span 2014 February to 2014 May. These observations correspond to days 126 through 199 and days 615 through 703 after the first detection of the nova. The images clearly show a non-spherical ejecta geometry. Utilizing ejecta velocities derived from 3D modelling of optical spectroscopy, the radio expansion implies a distance between 0.9 +/- 0.2 and 2.2 +/- 0.4 kpc, with a most probable distance of 1.4 +/- 0.4 kpc. This distance implies a gamma-ray luminosity much less than the prototype gamma-ray-detected nova, V407 Cyg, possibly due to the lack of a red giant companion in the V959 Mon system. V959 Mon also has a much lower gamma-ray luminosity than other classical novae detected in gamma-rays to date, indicating a range of at least a factor of 10 in the gamma-ray luminosities for these explosions.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables, submitted to ApJ 2015-01-21, under revie

Lasers incorporating 2D photonic bandgap mirrors

Semiconductor lasers incorporating a 2D photonic lattice as a one end mirror in a Fabry-Perot cavity are demonstrated. The photonic lattice is a 2D hexagonal close-packed array with a lattice constant of 220 nm. Pulsed threshold currents of 110 mA were observed from a 180 μm laser