9,594 research outputs found
MONTAGE: AGB nucleosynthesis with full s-process calculations
We present MONTAGE, a post-processing nucleosynthesis code that combines a
traditional network for isotopes lighter than calcium with a rapid algorithm
for calculating the s-process nucleosynthesis of the heavier isotopes. The
separation of those parts of the network where only neutron-capture and
beta-decay reactions are significant provides a substantial advantage in
computational efficiency. We present the yields for a complete set of s-process
isotopes for a 3 Mo, Z = 0.02 stellar model, as a demonstration of the utility
of the approach. Future work will include a large grid of models suitable for
use in calculations of Galactic chemical evolution.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures. Accepted by PAS
Nonlinear forecasts of ?<i>o</i>F2: variation of model predictive accuracy over time
International audienceSpace weather effects can strongly influence high-frequency (HF) communications by changing the ionospheric environment through which the radio waves propagate. Since many systems utilize HF communications, the ability to make real-time assessments of propagation conditions is an important part of space weather monitoring systems. In this paper, we present new techniques for measuring high-latitude HF communications link parameters using data from SuperDARN radars. These techniques use ground-scatter returns to define the variation in skip distance with frequency. From these data, the maximum usable frequency (MUF) as a function of range is determined and ionospheric critical frequencies are estimated. These calculations are made in near-real-time and the results are made available on the World Wide Web. F-region critical frequencies calculated using this method show good agreement with ionosonde data
Tamari Lattices and the symmetric Thompson monoid
We investigate the connection between Tamari lattices and the Thompson group
F, summarized in the fact that F is a group of fractions for a certain monoid
F+sym whose Cayley graph includes all Tamari lattices. Under this
correspondence, the Tamari lattice operations are the counterparts of the least
common multiple and greatest common divisor operations in F+sym. As an
application, we show that, for every n, there exists a length l chain in the
nth Tamari lattice whose endpoints are at distance at most 12l/n.Comment: 35page
Climatic trends in E-region critical frequency and virtual height above Tromsø (70° N, 10° E)
International audienceWe have examined the long time series of observations of E-region virtual height (1948?2006) and critical frequency (1935-2006) hitherto made by the Tromsø ionosonde at 70° N, 19° E. Combining a simplistic trend analysis with a rigorous treatment of errors we identify a negative trend in critical frequency. While a similar analysis of the virtual height h'E also suggests a negative trend, a closer examination reveals a possible weak positive trend prior to ~1975 and a strong negative trend from ~1975 to present. These two metrics of essentially the same feature of the ionosphere do not exhibit the same signature since critical frequency is controlled by photochemistry within the E-layer while height is controlled by pressure level. We further find that the trend in critical frequency is a daylight/summer phenomenon, no significant trend being evident in the winter subset of the data. On the other hand, the trends in virtual height are independent of season/daylight
Stacking Gravitational Wave Signals from Soft Gamma Repeater Bursts
Soft gamma repeaters (SGRs) have unique properties that make them intriguing
targets for gravitational wave (GW) searches. They are nearby, their burst
emission mechanism may involve neutron star crust fractures and excitation of
quasi-normal modes, and they burst repeatedly and sometimes spectacularly. A
recent LIGO search for transient GW from these sources placed upper limits on a
set of almost 200 individual SGR bursts. These limits were within the
theoretically predicted range of some models. We present a new search strategy
which builds upon the method used there by "stacking" potential GW signals from
multiple SGR bursts. We assume that variation in the time difference between
burst electromagnetic emission and burst GW emission is small relative to the
GW signal duration, and we time-align GW excess power time-frequency tilings
containing individual burst triggers to their corresponding electromagnetic
emissions. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we confirm that gains in GW energy
sensitivity of N^{1/2} are possible, where N is the number of stacked SGR
bursts. Estimated sensitivities for a mock search for gravitational waves from
the 2006 March 29 storm from SGR 1900+14 are also presented, for two GW
emission models, "fluence-weighted" and "flat" (unweighted).Comment: 17 pages, 16 figures, submitted to PR
The frequency and properties of young tidal dwarf galaxies in nearby gas-rich groups
We present high-resolution Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) HI
observations and deep Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) optical imaging of
two galaxy groups: NGC 4725/47 and NGC 3166/9. These data are part of a
multi-wavelength unbiased survey of the gas-rich dwarf galaxy populations in
three nearby interacting galaxy groups. The NGC 4725/47 group hosts two tidal
knots and one dIrr. Both tidal knots are located within a prominent HI tidal
tail, appear to have sufficient mass (M_gas~10^8 M_sol) to evolve into
long-lived tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs) and are fairly young in age. The NGC
3166/9 group contains a TDG candidate, AGC 208457, at least three dIrrs and
four HI knots. Deep CFHT imaging confirms that the optical component of AGC
208457 is bluer -- with a 0.28 mag g-r colour -- and a few Gyr younger than its
purported parent galaxies. Combining the results for these groups with those
from the NGC 871/6/7 group reported earlier, we find that the HI properties,
estimated stellar ages and baryonic content of the gas-rich dwarfs clearly
distinguish tidal features from their classical counterparts. We optimistically
identify four potentially long-lived tidal objects associated to three separate
pairs of interacting galaxies, implying that TDGs are not readily produced
during interaction events as suggested by some recent simulations. The tidal
objects examined in this survey also appear to have a wider variety of
properties than TDGs of similar mass formed in current simulations of
interacting galaxies, which could be the result of pre- or post-formation
environmental influences.Comment: 18 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Abundances on the Main Sequence of Omega Centauri
Abundance ratios of carbon, nitrogen and strontium relative to iron,
calculated using spectrum synthesis techniques, are given for a sample of main
sequence and turnoff stars that belong to the globular cluster omega Centauri.
The variations of carbon, nitrogen and/or strontium show several different
abundance patterns as a function of [Fe/H]. The source of the
enhancements/depletions in carbon, nitrogen and/or strontium may be enrichment
from asymptotic giant branch stars of low (1--3 solar masses) and intermediate
(3--8 solar masses) mass. Massive rotating stars which produce excess nitrogen
without carbon and oxygen overabundances may also play a role. These abundances
enable different contributors to be considered and incorporated into the
evolutionary picture of omega Cen.Comment: 43 Pages, 13 Figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
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