5,739 research outputs found
On the Abundance of Holmium in the Sun
The abundance of holmium (Z = 67) in the Sun remains uncertain. The
photospheric abundance, based on lines of Ho II, has been reported as +0.26 +/-
0.16 (on the usual scale where log(H) = 12.00), while the meteoretic value is
+0.51 +/- 0.02. Cowan code calculations have been undertaken to improve the
partition function for this ion by including important contributions from
unobserved levels arising from the (4f^{11}6p + 4f^{10}(5d + 6s)^{2}) group.
Based on 6994 computed energy levels, the partition function for Ho II is 67.41
for a temperature of 6000 K. This is approximately 1.5 times larger than the
value derived from the 49 published levels. The new partition function alone
leads to an increase in the solar abundance of Ho to log(Ho) = +0.43. This is
within 0.08 dex of the meteoretic abundance. Support for this result has been
obtained through LTE spectrum synthesis calculations of a previously
unidentified weak line at 3416.38 A in the solar spectrum. Attributing the
feature to Ho II, the observations may be fitted with log(Ho) = +0.53. This
calculation assumes log(gf) = 0.25 and is uncertain by at least 0.1 dex.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Solar Physic
Line identification studies using traditional techniques and wavelength coincidence statistics
Traditional line identification techniques result in the assignment of individual lines to an atomic or ionic species. These methods may be supplemented by wavelength coincidence statistics (WCS). The strength and weakness of these methods are discussed using spectra of a number of normal and peculiar B and A stars that have been studied independently by both methods. The present results support the overall findings of some earlier studies. WCS would be most useful in a first survey, before traditional methods have been applied. WCS can quickly make a global search for all species and in this way may enable identifications of an unexpected spectrum that could easily be omitted entirely from a traditional study. This is illustrated by O I. WCS is a subject to well known weakness of any statistical technique, for example, a predictable number of spurious results are to be expected. The danger of small number statistics are illustrated. WCS is at its best relative to traditional methods in finding a line-rich atomic species that is only weakly present in a complicated stellar spectrum
Dynamical detection of three triple stellar systems in open clusters
We present a kinematic analysis of three triple stellar systems belonging to
two open clusters: CPD-60{\deg}961 and HD66137 in NGC2516, and HD315031 in
NGC6530. All three systems are hierarchical triples with a close binary bound
to a third body in a wider orbit, whose presence is detected through velocity
variations of the close binary barycentre. Orbital parameters are derived from
radial velocity curves. Absolute parameters for all stars are estimated
assuming cluster membership. Some dynamical and evolutionary aspects of these
systems are discussed, particularly the possible influence of Kozai cycles. The
two systems of NGC2516 have similar orbital configurations with inner periods
of 11.23 d and 8.70 d and outer periods of 9.79 yr and 9.24 yr. We report also
radial velocity measurements of the components of the visual binary
CPD-60{\deg}944 in NGC2516. Including results from previous works, this cluster
would harbor 5 hierarchical triples. The young system HD315031 has an inner
binary with a period of 1.37 d and a very eccentric (e=0.85) outer orbit with a
period of 483 d. Possible dynamical evolutionary scenarios are discussed.
Long-term radial velocity monitoring is highlighted as strategy for the
detection of subsystems with intermediate separations, which are hard to cover
with normal spectroscopic studies or visual techniques.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Societ
Lanthanides and other spectral oddities in a Centauri
Context: There is considerable interest in the helium variable a Cen as a
bridge between helium-weak and helium-strong CP stars. Aims: We investigate Ce
III and other possible lanthanides in the spectrum the of hottest chemically
peculiar (CP) star in which these elements have been found. A {Kr II line
appears within a broad absorption which we suggest may be due to a high-level
transition in C II. Methods: Wavelengths and equivalent widths are measured on
high-resolution UVES spectra, analyzed, and their phase-variations
investigated. Results: New, robust identifications of Ce III and Kr II are
demonstrated. Nd III is likely present. A broad absorption near 4619[A] is
present at all phases of a Cen, and in some other early B stars. Conclusions:
The presence of lanthanides in a Cen strengthens the view that this star is a
significant link between the cooler CP stars and the hotter helium-peculiar
stars. Broad absorptions in a Cen are not well explained.Comment: Research Note accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysics; 4 pages, 4
Figs. 2 Table
Explosive Ballooning Flux Tubes in Tokamaks
Tokamak stability to, potentially explosive, `ballooning' displacements of
elliptical magnetic flux tubes is examined in large aspect ratio equilibrium.
Above a critical pressure gradient the energy stored in the plasma may be
lowered by finite (but not infinitesimal) displacements of such tubes
(metastability). Above a higher pressure gradient, the linear stability
boundary, such tubes are linearly and nonlinearly unstable. The flux tube
displacement can be of the order of the pressure gradient scale length. Plasma
transport from displaced flux tubes may result in rapid loss of confinement.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure
Temperature Evolution of the Quantum Gap in CsNiCl3
Neutron scattering measurements on the one-dimensional gapped S=1
antiferromagnet, CsNiCl3, have shown that the excitation corresponding to the
Haldane mass gap Delta at low temperatures persists as a resonant feature to
high temperatures. We find that the strong upward renormalisation of the gap
excitation, by a factor of three between 5 and 70K, is more than enough to
overcome its decreasing lifetime. We find that the gap lifetime is
substantially shorter than that predicted by the scaling theory of Damle and
Sachdev in its low temperature range of validity. The upward gap
renormalisation agrees with the non-linear sigma model at low temperatures and
even up to T of order 2Delta provided an upper mass cutoff is included.Comment: Latex, 3 figures, accepted by Pysical Review
The interaction between transpolar arcs and cusp spots
Transpolar arcs and cusp spots are both auroral phenomena which occur when
the interplanetary magnetic field is northward. Transpolar arcs are associated
with magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail, which closes magnetic flux and
results in a "wedge" of closed flux which remains trapped, embedded in the
magnetotail lobe. The cusp spot is an indicator of lobe reconnection at the
high-latitude magnetopause; in its simplest case, lobe reconnection
redistributes open flux without resulting in any net change in the open flux
content of the magnetosphere. We present observations of the two phenomena
interacting--i.e., a transpolar arc intersecting a cusp spot during part of its
lifetime. The significance of this observation is that lobe reconnection can
have the effect of opening closed magnetotail flux. We argue that such events
should not be rare
Stratification and Isotope Separation in CP Stars
We investigate the elemental and isotopic stratification in the atmospheres
of selected chemically peculiar (CP) stars of the upper main sequence.
Reconfiguration of the UVES spectrograph in 2004 has made it possible to
examine all three lines of the Ca II infrared triplet. Much of the material
analyzed was obtained in 2008.
We support the claim of Ryabchikova, Kochukhov & Bagnulo (RKB) that the
calcium isotopes have distinct stratification profiles for the stars 10 Aql, HR
1217, and HD 122970, with the heavy isotope concentrated toward the higher
layers. Better observations are needed to learn the extent to which Ca-40
dominates in the deepest layers of all or most CP stars that show the presence
of Ca-48. There is little evidence for Ca-40 in the spectra of some HgMn stars,
and the infrared triplet in the magnetic star HD 101065 is well fit by pure
Ca-48. In HR 5623 (HD 133792) and HD 217522 it is likely that the heavy isotope
dominates, though models are possible where this is not the case.
While elemental stratification is surely needed in many cases, we point out
the importance of including adjustments in the assumed Teff and log(g) values,
in attempts to model stratification. We recommend emphasis on profiles of the
strongest lines, where the influence of stratification is most evident.
Isotopic mixtures, involving the 4 stable calcium nuclides with masses
between 40 and 48 are plausible, but are not emphasized.Comment: 16 Pages, 20 Figures, 10 Tables. Accepted for publication in Monthly
Notices of the RA
Two and Three Dimensional Incommensurate Modulation in Optimally-Doped BiSrCaCuO
X-ray scattering measurements on optimally-doped single crystal samples of
the high temperature superconductor BiSrCaCuO reveal
the presence of three distinct incommensurate charge modulations, each
involving a roughly fivefold increase in the unit cell dimension along the {\bf
b}-direction. The strongest scattering comes from the well known (H, K
0.21, L) modulation and its harmonics. However, we also observe broad
diffraction which peak up at the L values complementary to those which
characterize the known modulated structure. These diffraction features
correspond to correlation lengths of roughly a unit cell dimension,
20 in the {\bf c} direction, and of 185
parallel to the incommensurate wavevector. We interpret these features as
arising from three dimensional incommensurate domains and the interfaces
between them, respectively. In addition we investigate the recently discovered
incommensuate modulations which peak up at (1/2, K 0.21, L) and related
wavevectors. Here we explicitly study the L-dependence of this scattering and
see that these charge modulations are two dimensional in nature with weak
correlations on the scale of a bilayer thickness, and that they correspond to
short range, isotropic correlation lengths within the basal plane. We relate
these new incommensurate modulations to the electronic nanostructure observed
in BiSrCaCuO using STM topography.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure
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