4,371 research outputs found
On the mechanism for orbital-ordering in KCuF3
The Mott insulating perovskite KCuF3 is considered the archetype of an
orbitally-ordered system. By using the LDA+dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT)
method, we investigate the mechanism for orbital-ordering (OO) in this
material. We show that the purely electronic Kugel-Khomskii super-exchange
mechanism (KK) alone leads to a remarkably large transition temperature of T_KK
about 350 K. However, orbital-order is experimentally believed to persist to at
least 800 K. Thus Jahn-Teller distortions are essential for stabilizing
orbital-order at such high temperatures.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Non-LTE Monte Carlo Radiative Transfer: II. Non-Isothermal Solutions for Viscous Keplerian Disks
We discuss the basic hydrodynamics that determines the density structure of
the disks around hot stars. Observational evidence supports the idea that these
disks are Keplerian (rotationally supported) gaseous disks. A popular scenario
in the literature, which naturally leads to the formation of Keplerian disks,
is the viscous decretion model. According to this scenario, the disks are
hydrostatically supported in the vertical direction, while the radial structure
is governed by the viscous transport. This suggests that the temperature is one
primary factor that governs the disk density structure. In a previous study we
demonstrated, using 3-D NLTE Monte Carlo simulations, that viscous keplerian
disks can be highly non-isothermal. In this paper we build upon our previous
work and solve the full problem of the steady-state non-isothermal viscous
diffusion and vertical hydrostatic equilibrium. We find that the
self-consistent solution departs significantly from the analytic isothermal
density, with potentially large effects on the emergent spectrum. This implies
that non-isothermal disk models must be used for a detailed modeling of Be star
disks.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, Ap
X-ray Modeling of \eta\ Carinae and WR140 from SPH Simulations
The colliding wind binary (CWB) systems \eta\ Carinae and WR140 provide
unique laboratories for X-ray astrophysics. Their wind-wind collisions produce
hard X-rays that have been monitored extensively by several X-ray telescopes,
including RXTE. To interpret these RXTE X-ray light curves, we model the
wind-wind collision using 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations.
Adiabatic simulations that account for the absorption of X-rays from an assumed
point source at the apex of the wind-collision shock cone by the distorted
winds can closely match the observed 2-10keV RXTE light curves of both \eta\
Car and WR140. This point-source model can also explain the early recovery of
\eta\ Car's X-ray light curve from the 2009.0 minimum by a factor of 2-4
reduction in the mass loss rate of \eta\ Car. Our more recent models relax the
point-source approximation and account for the spatially extended emission
along the wind-wind interaction shock front. For WR140, the computed X-ray
light curve again matches the RXTE observations quite well. But for \eta\ Car,
a hot, post-periastron bubble leads to an emission level that does not match
the extended X-ray minimum observed by RXTE. Initial results from incorporating
radiative cooling and radiatively-driven wind acceleration via a new
anti-gravity approach into the SPH code are also discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of the 39th Li\'ege Astrophysical
Colloquium, held in Li\`ege 12-16 July 2010, edited by G. Rauw, M. De Becker,
Y. Naz\'e, J.-M. Vreux, P. William
Multi-Wavelength Implications of the Companion Star in Eta Carinae
Eta Carinae is considered to be a massive colliding wind binary system with a
highly eccentric (e \sim 0.9), 5.54-yr orbit. However, the companion star
continues to evade direct detection as the primary dwarfs its emission at most
wavelengths. Using three-dimensional (3-D) SPH simulations of Eta Car's
colliding winds and radiative transfer codes, we are able to compute synthetic
observables across multiple wavebands for comparison to the observations. The
models show that the presence of a companion star has a profound influence on
the observed HST/STIS UV spectrum and H-alpha line profiles, as well as the
ground-based photometric monitoring. Here, we focus on the Bore Hole effect,
wherein the fast wind from the hot secondary star carves a cavity in the dense
primary wind, allowing increased escape of radiation from the hotter/deeper
layers of the primary's extended wind photosphere. The results have important
implications for interpretations of Eta Car's observables at multiple
wavelengths.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, To be published in the proceedings of the meeting
'Four Decades of Research on Massive Stars' in honor of Tony Moffat, 11-15
July 2011, Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Quebe
Divergent nematic susceptibility in an iron arsenide superconductor
Within the Landau paradigm of continuous phase transitions, ordered states of
matter are characterized by a broken symmetry. Although the broken symmetry is
usually evident, determining the driving force behind the phase transition is
often a more subtle matter due to coupling between otherwise distinct order
parameters. In this paper we show how measurement of the divergent nematic
susceptibility of an iron pnictide superconductor unambiguously distinguishes
an electronic nematic phase transition from a simple ferroelastic distortion.
These measurements also reveal an electronic nematic quantum phase transition
at the composition with optimal superconducting transition temperature.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure
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