321 research outputs found
Resonant ion-pair formation in electron recombination with HF^+
The cross section for resonant ion-pair formation in the collision of
low-energy electrons with HF^+ is calculated by the solution of the
time-dependent Schrodinger equation with multiple coupled states using a wave
packet method. A diabatization procedure is proposed to obtain the electronic
couplings between quasidiabatic potentials of ^1Sigma^+ symmetry for HF. By
including these couplings between the neutral states, the cross section for
ion-pair formation increases with about two orders of magnitude compared with
the cross section for direct dissociation. Qualitative agreement with the
measured cross section is obtained. The oscillations in the calculated cross
section are analyzed. The cross section for ion-pair formation in electron
recombination with DF^+ is calculated to determine the effect of isotopic
substitution.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure
X-ray speed reading: enabling fast, low noise readout for next-generation CCDs
Current, state-of-the-art CCDs are close to being able to deliver all key
performance figures for future strategic X-ray missions except for the required
frame rates. Our Stanford group is seeking to close this technology gap through
a multi-pronged approach of microelectronics, signal processing and novel
detector devices, developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT) and MIT Lincoln Laboratory (MIT-LL). Here we report results
from our (integrated) readout electronics development, digital signal
processing and novel SiSeRO (Single electron Sensitive Read Out) device
characterization.Comment: To appear in SPIE Proceeding of Astronomical Telescopes +
Instrumentation, 202
Observations of H3+ in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium
Surprisingly large column densities of H3+ have been detected using infrared
absorption spectroscopy in seven diffuse cloud sightlines (Cygnus OB2 12,
Cygnus OB2 5, HD 183143, HD 20041, WR 104, WR 118, and WR 121), demonstrating
that H3+ is ubiquitous in the diffuse interstellar medium. Using the standard
model of diffuse cloud chemistry, our H3+ column densities imply unreasonably
long path lengths (~1 kpc) and low densities (~3 cm^-3). Complimentary
millimeter-wave, infrared, and visible observations of related species suggest
that the chemical model is incorrect and that the number density of H3+ must be
increased by one to two orders of magnitude. Possible solutions include a
reduced electron fraction, an enhanced rate of H2 ionization, and/or a smaller
value of the H3+ dissociative recombination rate constant than implied by
laboratory experiments.Comment: To be published in Astrophysical Journal, March 200
Overview of the use of the PCI bus in present and future high energy physics data acquisition systems
Enhanced cosmic-ray flux toward zeta Persei inferred from laboratory study of H3+ - e- recombination rate
The H3+ molecular ion plays a fundamental role in interstellar chemistry, as
it initiates a network of chemical reactions that produce many interstellar
molecules. In dense clouds, the H3+ abundance is understood using a simple
chemical model, from which observations of H3+ yield valuable estimates of
cloud path length, density, and temperature. On the other hand, observations of
diffuse clouds have suggested that H3+ is considerably more abundant than
expected from the chemical models. However, diffuse cloud models have been
hampered by the uncertain values of three key parameters: the rate of H3+
destruction by electrons, the electron fraction, and the cosmic-ray ionisation
rate. Here we report a direct experimental measurement of the H3+ destruction
rate under nearly interstellar conditions. We also report the observation of
H3+ in a diffuse cloud (towards zeta Persei) where the electron fraction is
already known. Taken together, these results allow us to derive the value of
the third uncertain model parameter: we find that the cosmic-ray ionisation
rate in this sightline is forty times faster than previously assumed. If such a
high cosmic-ray flux is indeed ubiquitous in diffuse clouds, the discrepancy
between chemical models and the previous observations of H3+ can be resolved.Comment: 6 pages, Nature, in pres
Foliations of Isonergy Surfaces and Singularities of Curves
It is well known that changes in the Liouville foliations of the isoenergy
surfaces of an integrable system imply that the bifurcation set has
singularities at the corresponding energy level. We formulate certain
genericity assumptions for two degrees of freedom integrable systems and we
prove the opposite statement: the essential critical points of the bifurcation
set appear only if the Liouville foliations of the isoenergy surfaces change at
the corresponding energy levels. Along the proof, we give full classification
of the structure of the isoenergy surfaces near the critical set under our
genericity assumptions and we give their complete list using Fomenko graphs.
This may be viewed as a step towards completing the Smale program for relating
the energy surfaces foliation structure to singularities of the momentum
mappings for non-degenerate integrable two degrees of freedom systems.Comment: 30 pages, 19 figure
PCI - HIPPI Interface Modules
Interface modules between PCI local bus and HIPPI are described. The modules are intended to aid the implementation of the high performance computer network. the aimed maximum throughput of the interface module is 100MBytes/sec while sustained data transfer rate depends of the particular system performance
Networks uncover hidden lexical borrowing in Indo-European language evolution
Language evolution is traditionally described in terms of family trees with ancestral languages splitting into descendent languages. However, it has long been recognized that language evolution also entails horizontal components, most commonly through lexical borrowing. For example, the English language was heavily influenced by Old Norse and Old French; eight per cent of its basic vocabulary is borrowed. Borrowing is a distinctly non-tree-like process—akin to horizontal gene transfer in genome evolution—that cannot be recovered by phylogenetic trees. Here, we infer the frequency of hidden borrowing among 2346 cognates (etymologically related words) of basic vocabulary distributed across 84 Indo-European languages. The dataset includes 124 (5%) known borrowings. Applying the uniformitarian principle to inventory dynamics in past and present basic vocabularies, we find that 1373 (61%) of the cognates have been affected by borrowing during their history. Our approach correctly identified 117 (94%) known borrowings. Reconstructed phylogenetic networks that capture both vertical and horizontal components of evolutionary history reveal that, on average, eight per cent of the words of basic vocabulary in each Indo-European language were involved in borrowing during evolution. Basic vocabulary is often assumed to be relatively resistant to borrowing. Our results indicate that the impact of borrowing is far more widespread than previously thought
Incidence, detection, and tumour stage of breast cancer in a cohort of Italian women with negative screening mammography report recommending early (short-interval) rescreen
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