499 research outputs found
The asymmetric profile of the H76 alpha line emission from MWC349
MWC349 is an emission-line star found by Merrill, Humason and Burwell (1932). Braes, Habing and Schoenmaker (1972) discovered that it is a strong radio source. The radio emission originates in a massive ionized wind that is expanding with a velocity of about 50 km s(-1). Its continuum spectrum fits well a nu(0.6) power law from the cm wavelengths to the far-IR. Radio recombination line emission from the envelope of MWC349 was first detected by Altenhoff, Strittmatter and Wendker (1981). We have obtained good signal-to-noise ratio, Very Large Array observations of the H76 alpha radio recombination line from the ionized wind of MWC349. Our data reveal that the profile is markedly asymmetric, with a steep rise on the blue side. This asymmetry could be due to non-LTE effects in the formation and transfer of the line or to intrinsic asymmetries in the envelope. Our analysis suggests that most probably the peculiar profile is caused by a non-LTE enhancement of the line emission from the side of the envelope nearer to the observer. This asymmetry has the opposite sense than that observed in optical and IR recombination lines, where a different effect (absorption of the stellar continuum by the gas in the wind between the star and the observer) is known to be dominant, leading to the classic P Cygni profile. We propose that the profiles of the radio recombination lines from ionized stellar winds will have this characteristic shape, while optical and IR recombination lines are characterized by P Cygni-like profiles. Unfortunately, at present the detection of radio recombination lines from ionized stellar winds is only feasible for MWC349 and a few other objects
Phase diagram and magnetic properties of LaCaMnO compound for
In this article a detailed study of LaCaMnO () phase diagram using powder x-ray diffraction and magnetization
measurements is presented. Unfortunately, in the related literature no properly
characterized samples have been used, with consequence the smearing of the real
physics in this complicated system. As the present results reveal, there are
two families of samples. The first family concerns samples prepared in
atmosphere ( Atm) which are all ferromagnetic with Curie
temperature rising with . The second family concerns samples, where a post
annealing in nearly zero oxygen partial pressure is applied. These samples show
a canted antiferromagnetic structure for below , while
for an unconventional ferromagnetic insulated phase is
present below . The most important difference between nonstoichiometric
and stoichiometric samples concerning the magnetic behavior, is the anisotropy
in the exchange interactions, in the stoichiometric samples putting forward the
idea that a new orbital ordered phase is responsible for the ferromagnetic
insulating regime in the LaCaMnO compound
An Attempt to Observe Debris from the Breakup of a Titan 3C-4 Transtage
In February 2007 dedicated observations were made of the orbital space predicted to contain debris from the breakup of the Titan 3C-4 transtage back on February 21, 1992. These observations were carried out on the Michigan Orbital DEbris Survey Telescope (MODEST) in Chile with its 1.3deg field of view. The search region or orbital space (inclination and right ascension of the ascending node (RAAN) was predicted using NASA#s LEGEND (LEO-to-GEO Environment Debris) code to generate a Titan debris cloud. Breakup fragments are created based on the NASA Standard Breakup Model (including fragment size, area-to-mass (A/M), and delta-V distributions). Once fragments are created, they are propagated forward in time with a subroutine GEOPROP. Perturbations included in GEOPROP are those due to solar/lunar gravity, radiation pressure, and major geopotential terms. Barker, et. al, (AMOS Conference Proceedings, 2006, pp. 596-604) used similar LEGEND predictions to correlate survey observations made by MODEST (February 2002) and found several possible night-to-night correlations in the limited survey dataset. One conc lusion of the survey search was to dedicate a MODEST run to observing a GEO region predicted to contain debris fragments and actual Titan debris objects (SSN 25000, 25001 and 30000). Such a dedicated run was undertaken with MODEST between February 17 and 23, 2007 (UT dates). MODEST#s limiting magnitude of 18.0 (S\N approx.10) corresponds to a size of 22cm assuming a diffuse Lambertian albedo of 0.2. However, based on observed break-up data, we expect most debris fragments to be smaller than 22cm which implies a need to increase the effective sensitivity of MODEST for smaller objects. MODEST#s limiting size can be lowered by increasing the exposure time (20 instead of 5 seconds) and applying special image processing. The special processing combines individual CCD images to detect faint objects that are invisible on a single CCD image. Sub-images are cropped from six consecutive CCD images with pixel shifts between images being consistent with the predicted movement of a Titan object. A median image of all the sub-images is then created leaving only those objects with the proper Titan motion. Limiting the median image in this manner brings the needed computer time to process all images taken on one night down to about 50 hours of CPU time
Timing Analysis with INTEGRAL: Comparing Different Reconstruction Algorithms
INTEGRAL is one of the few instruments capable of detecting X-rays above 20keV. It is therefore in principle well suited for studying X-ray variability in this regime. Because INTEGRAL uses coded mask instruments for imaging, the reconstruction of light curves of X-ray sources is highly non-trivial. We present results from the comparison of two commonly employed algorithms, which primarily measure flux from mask deconvolution (ii-lc-extract) and from calculating the pixel illuminated fraction (ii-light). Both methods agree well for timescales above about 10 s, the highest time resolution for which image reconstruction is possible. For higher time resolution, ii-light produces meaningful results, although the overall variance of the lightcurves is not preserved
The Casimir energy of skyrmions in the 2+1-dimensional O(3)-model
One-loop quantum corrections to the classical vortices in 2+1 dimensional
O(3)-models are evaluated. Skyrme and Zeeman potential terms are used to
stabilize the size of topological solitons. Contributions from zero modes,
bound-states and scattering phase-shifts are calculated for vortices with
winding index n=1 and n=2. For both cases the S-matrix shows a pronounced
series of resonances for magnon-vortex scattering in analogy to the
well-established baryon resonances in hadron physics, while vortices with n>2
are already classically unstable against decay. The quantum corrections
destabilize the classically bound n=2 configuration. Approximate independence
of the results with respect to changes in the renormalization scale is
demonstrated.Comment: 24 pages LaTeX, 14 figure
Prioritising prevention strategies for patients in antiretroviral treatment programmes in resource-limited settings
Expanded access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) offers opportunities to strengthen HIV prevention in resource-limited settings. We invited 27 ART programmes from urban settings in Africa, Asia and South America to participate in a survey, with the aim to examine what preventive services had been integrated in ART programmes. Twenty-two programmes participated; eight (36%) from South Africa, two from Brazil, two from Zambia and one each from Argentina, India, Thailand, Botswana, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Morocco, Uganda and Zimbabwe and one occupational programme of a brewery company included five countries (Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi). Twenty-one sites (96%) provided health education and social support, and 18 (82%) provided HIV testing and counselling. All sites encouraged disclosure of HIV infection to spouses and partners, but only 11 (50%) had a protocol for partner notification. Twenty-one sites (96%) supplied male condoms, seven (32%) female condoms and 20 (91%) provided prophylactic ART for the prevention of mother-to child transmission. Seven sites (33%) regularly screened for sexually transmitted infections (STI). Twelve sites (55%) were involved in activities aimed at women or adolescents, and 10 sites (46%) in activities aimed at serodiscordant couples. Stigma and discrimination, gender roles and funding constraints were perceived as the main obstacles to effective prevention in ART programmes. We conclude that preventive services in ART programmes in lower income countries focus on health education and the provision of social support and male condoms. Strategies that might be equally or more important in this setting, including partner notification, prompt diagnosis and treatment of STI and reduction of stigma in the community, have not been implemented widely
Measurement of Nuclear Transparency for the A(e,e' pi^+) Reaction
We have measured the nuclear transparency of the A(e,e' pi^+) process in
^{2}H,^{12}C, ^{27}Al, ^{63}Cu and ^{197}Au targets. These measurements were
performed at the Jefferson Laboratory over a four momentum transfer squared
range Q^2 = 1.1 - 4.7 (GeV/c)^2. The nuclear transparency was extracted as the
super-ratio of from data to a model of
pion-electroproduction from nuclei without pi-N final state interactions. The
Q^2 and atomic number dependence of the nuclear transparency both show
deviations from traditional nuclear physics expectations, and are consistent
with calculations that include the quantum chromodynamical phenomenon of color
transparency.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figs Changes to figure 2 and 3 (error band updated and
theory curves updated
Study of the A(e,e') Reaction on H, H, C, Al, Cu and Au
Cross sections for the p()n process on H, H, C,
Al, Cu and Au targets were measured at the Thomas
Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) in order to extract the
nuclear transparencies. Data were taken for four-momentum transfers ranging
from =1.1 to 4.8 GeV for a fixed center of mass energy of =2.14
GeV. The ratio of and was extracted from the measured
cross sections for H, H, C and Cu targets at = 2.15
and 4.0 GeV allowing for additional studies of the reaction mechanism. The
experimental setup and the analysis of the data are described in detail
including systematic studies needed to obtain the results. The results for the
nuclear transparency and the differential cross sections as a function of the
pion momentum at the different values of are presented. Global features
of the data are discussed and the data are compared with the results of model
calculations for the p()n reaction from nuclear targets.Comment: 28 pages, 19 figures, submited to PR
A Halomethane thermochemical network from iPEPICO experiments and quantum chemical calculations
Internal energy selected halomethane cations CH3Cl+, CH2Cl2+, CHCl3+, CH3F+, CH2F2+, CHClF2+ and CBrClF2+ were prepared by vacuum ultraviolet photoionization, and their lowest energy dissociation channel studied using imaging photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy (iPEPICO). This channel involves hydrogen atom loss for CH3F+, CH2F2+ and CH3Cl+, chlorine atom loss for CH2Cl2+, CHCl3+ and CHClF2+, and bromine atom loss for CBrClF2+. Accurate 0 K appearance energies, in conjunction with ab initio isodesmic and halogen exchange reaction energies, establish a thermochemical network, which is optimized to update and confirm the enthalpies of formation of the sample molecules and their dissociative photoionization products. The ground electronic states of CHCl3+, CHClF2+ and CBrClF2+ do not confirm to the deep well assumption, and the experimental breakdown curve deviates from the deep well model at low energies. Breakdown curve analysis of such shallow well systems supplies a satisfactorily succinct route to the adiabatic ionization energy of the parent molecule, particularly if the threshold photoelectron spectrum is not resolved and a purely computational route is unfeasible. The ionization energies have been found to be 11.47 ± 0.01 eV, 12.30 ± 0.02 eV and 11.23 ± 0.03 eV for CHCl3, CHClF2 and CBrClF2, respectively. The updated 0 K enthalpies of formation, ∆fHo0K(g) for the ions CH2F+, CHF2+, CHCl2+, CCl3+, CCl2F+ and CClF2+ have been derived to be 844.4 ± 2.1, 601.6 ± 2.7, 890.3 ± 2.2, 849.8 ± 3.2, 701.2 ± 3.3 and 552.2 ± 3.4 kJ mol–1, respectively. The ∆fHo0K(g) values for the neutrals CCl4, CBrClF2, CClF3, CCl2F2 and CCl3F and have been determined to be –94.0 ± 3.2, –446.6 ± 2.7, –702.1 ± 3.5, –487.8 ± 3.4 and –285.2 ± 3.2 kJ mol–1, respectively
Nuclear transparency and effective kaon-nucleon cross section from the A(e, e'K+) reaction
We have determined the transparency of the nuclear medium to kaons from
measurements on C, Cu, and Au targets.
The measurements were performed at the Jefferson Laboratory and span a range in
four-momentum-transfer squared Q=1.1 -- 3.0 GeV. The nuclear
transparency was defined as the ratio of measured kaon electroproduction cross
sections with respect to deuterium, (). We further
extracted the atomic number () dependence of the transparency as
parametrized by and, within a simple model assumption,
the in-medium effective kaon-nucleon cross sections. The effective cross
sections extracted from the electroproduction data are found to be smaller than
the free cross sections determined from kaon-nucleon scattering experiments,
and the parameter was found to be significantly larger than those
obtained from kaon-nucleus scattering. We have included similar comparisons
between pion- and proton-nucleon effective cross sections as determined from
electron scattering experiments, and pion-nucleus and proton-nucleus scattering
data.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
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