1,644 research outputs found
Thermophysical properties of warm dense hydrogen
We study the thermophysical properties of warm dense hydrogen using quantum
molecular dynamics simulations. New results are presented for the pair
distribution functions, the equation of state, the Hugoniot curve, and the
reflectivity. We compare with available experimental data and predictions of
the chemical picture. Especially, we discuss the nonmetal-to-metal transition
which occurs at about 40 GPa in the dense fluid
Interpolation formula for the electrical conductivity of nonideal plasmas
On the basis of a quantum-statistical approach to the electrical conductivity
of nonideal plasmas we derive analytical results in the classical low-density
regime, in the degenerate Born limit, and for the contribution of the
Debye-Onsager relaxation effect. These explicit results are used to construct
an improved interpolation formula of the electrical conductivity valid in a
wide range of temperature and density which allows to compare with available
experimental data of nonideal plasmas.Comment: 7 pages, 1 tabl
Thermal evolution and structure models of the transiting super-Earth GJ 1214b
The planet GJ 1214b is the second known super-Earth with a measured mass and
radius. Orbiting a quiet M-star, it receives considerably less mass-loss
driving X-ray and UV radiation than CoRoT-7b, so that the interior may be quite
dissimilar in composition, including the possibility of a large fraction of
water. We model the interior of GJ 1214b assuming a two-layer (envelope+rock
core) structure where the envelope material is either H/He, pure water, or a
mixture of H/He and H2O. Within this framework we perform models of the thermal
evolution and contraction of the planet. We discuss possible compositions that
are consistent with Mp=6.55 ME, Rp=2.678 RE, an age tau=3-10 Gyr, and the
irradiation level of the atmosphere. These conditions require that if water
exists in the interior, it must remain in a fluid state, with important
consequences for magnetic field generation. These conditions also require the
atmosphere to have a deep isothermal region extending down to 80-800 bar,
depending on composition. Our results bolster the suggestion of a
metal-enriched H/He atmosphere for the planet, as we find water-world models
that lack an H/He atmosphere to require an implausibly large water-to-rock
ratio of more than 6:1. We instead favor a H/He/H2O envelope with high water
mass fraction (~0.5-0.85), similar to recent models of the deep envelope of
Uranus and Neptune. Even with these high water mass fractions in the H/He
envelope, generally the bulk composition of the planet can have subsolar
water:rock ratios. Dry, water-enriched, and pure water envelope models differ
to an observationally significant level in their tidal Love numbers k2 of
respectively ~0.018, 0.15, and 0.7.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, accepted to Ap
Uranus evolution models with simple thermal boundary layers
The strikingly low luminosity of Uranus (Teff ~ Teq) constitutes a
long-standing challenge to our understanding of Ice Giant planets. Here we
present the first Uranus structure and evolution models that are constructed to
agree with both the observed low luminosity and the gravity field data. Our
models make use of modern ab initio equations of state at high pressures for
the icy components water, methane, and ammonia. Proceeding step by step, we
confirm that adiabatic models yield cooling times that are too long, even when
uncertainties in the ice:rock ratio (I:R) are taken into account. We then argue
that the transition between the ice/rock-rich interior and the H/He-rich outer
envelope should be stably stratified. Therefore, we introduce a simple thermal
boundary and adjust it to reproduce the low luminosity. Due to this thermal
boundary, the deep interior of the Uranus models are up to 2--3 warmer than
adiabatic models, necessitating the presence of rocks in the deep interior with
a possible I:R of solar. Finally, we allow for an equilibrium
evolution (Teff ~ Teq) that begun prior to the present day, which would
therefore no longer require the current era to be a "special time" in Uranus'
evolution. In this scenario, the thermal boundary leads to more rapid cooling
of the outer envelope. When Teff ~ Teq is reached, a shallow, subadiabatic zone
in the atmosphere begins to develop. Its depth is adjusted to meet the
luminosity constraint. This work provides a simple foundation for future Ice
Giant structure and evolution models, that can be improved by properly treating
the heat and particle fluxes in the diffusive zones.Comment: 13 pages, Accepted to Icaru
Quantum molecular dynamics simulations for the nonmetal-to-metal transition in fluid helium
We have performed quantum molecular dynamics simulations for dense helium to
study the nonmetal-to-metal transition at high pressures. We present new
results for the equation of state and the Hugoniot curve in the warm dense
matter region. The optical conductivity is calculated via the Kubo-Greenwood
formula from which the dc conductivity is derived. The nonmetal-to-metal
transition is identified at about 1 g/ccm. We compare with experimental results
as well as with other theoretical approaches, especially with predictions of
chemical models.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
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