A spatially resolved limb flare on Algol B observed with XMM-Newton

We report XMM-Newton observations of the eclipsing binary Algol A (B8V) and B (K2III). The XMM-Newton data cover the phase interval 0.35 - 0.58, i.e., specifically the time of optical secondary minimum, when the X-ray dark B-type star occults a major fraction of the X-ray bright K-type star. During the eclipse a flare was observed with complete light curve coverage. The decay part of the flare can be well described with an exponential decay law allowing a rectification of the light curve and a reconstruction of the flaring plasma region. The flare occurred near the limb of Algol B at a height of about 0.1R with plasma densities of a few times 10^11 cm^-3 consistent with spectroscopic density estimates. No eclipse of the quiescent X-ray emission is observed leading us to the conclusion that the overall coronal filling factor of Algol B is small.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, accepted by A&

Workshop on Geology of the Apollo 17 Landing Site

The topics covered include the following: petrology, lithology, lunar rocks, lunar soil, geochemistry, lunar geology, lunar resources, oxygen production, ilmenite, volcanism, highlands, lunar maria, massifs, impact melts, breccias, lunar crust, Taurus-Littrow, minerals, site selection, regolith, glasses, geomorphology, basalts, tectonics, planetary evolution, anorthosite, titanium oxides, chemical composition, and the Sudbury-Serenitatis analogy

Copepods encounter rates from a model of escape jump behaviour in turbulence

A key ecological parameter for planktonic copepods studies is their interspecies encounter rate which is driven by their behaviour and is strongly influenced by turbulence of the surrounding environment. A distinctive feature of copepods motility is their ability to perform quick displacements, often dubbed jumps, by means of powerful swimming strokes. Such a reaction has been associated to an escape behaviour from flow disturbances due to predators or other external dangers. In the present study, the encounter rate of copepods in a developed turbulent flow with intensity comparable to the one found in copepods' habitat is numerically investigated. This is done by means of a Lagrangian copepod (LC) model that mimics the jump escape reaction behaviour from localised high-shear rate fluctuations in the turbulent flows. Our analysis shows that the encounter rate for copepods of typical perception radius of ~ {\eta}, where {\eta} is the dissipative scale of turbulence, can be increased by a factor up to ~ 100 compared to the one experienced by passively transported fluid tracers. Furthermore, we address the effect of introducing in the LC model a minimal waiting time between consecutive jumps. It is shown that any encounter-rate enhancement is lost if such time goes beyond the dissipative time-scale of turbulence, {\tau}_{\eta}. Because typically in the ocean {\eta} ~ 0.001m and {\tau}_{\eta} ~ 1s, this provides stringent constraints on the turbulent-driven enhancement of encounter-rate due to a purely mechanical induced escape reaction.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figure

Static and dynamic structure factors in the Haldane phase of the bilinear-biquadratic spin-1

The excitation spectra of the T=0 dynamic structure factors for the spin, dimer, and trimer fluctuation operators as well as for the newly defined center fluctuation operator in the one-dimensional S=1 Heisenberg model wi th isotropic bilinear $(J\cos\theta)$ and biquadratic $(J\sin\theta)$ exchange are investigated via the recursion method for systems with up to N=18 site s over the predicted range, $-\pi/4<\theta\lesssim\pi/4$, of the topologically ordered Haldane phase. The four static and dynamic structure factors probe t he ordering tendencies in the various coupling regimes and the elementary and composite excitations which dominate the T=0 dynamics. At $\theta = \arctan{1/3}$ (VBS point), the dynamically relevant spectra in the invariant subspaces with total spin $S_T = 0,1,2$ are dominated by a branch of magnon states $(S_T = 1)$, by continua of two-magnon scattering states $(S_T = 0,1,2)$, and by discrete branches of two-magnon bound states with positive interaction energy $(S_T = 0,2)$. The dimer and trimer spectra at $q=\pi$ ar e found to consist of single modes with $N$-independent excitation energies $\omega_\lambda^D/|e_0|=5$ and $\omega_\lambda^T/|e_0|=6$, where $e_0=E_0/N$ is the ground-state energy per site. The basic structure of the dynamically relevant excitation spectrum remains the same over a substantial parameter range within the Haldane phase. At the transition to the dimerized phase ($\theta=-\pi/4$), the two-magnon excitations turn into two-spinon excitations.Comment: 12 pages, 4 Postscript figure

TDC Chip and Readout Driver Developments for COMPASS and LHC-Experiments

A new TDC-chip is under development for the COMPASS experiment at CERN. The ASIC, which exploits the 0.6 micrometer CMOS sea-of-gate technology, will allow high resolution time measurements with digitization of 75 ps, and an unprecedented degree of flexibility accompanied by high rate capability and low power consumption. Preliminary specifications of this new TDC chip are presented. Furthermore a FPGA based readout-driver and buffer-module as an interface between the front-end of the COMPASS detector systems and an optical S-LINK is in development. The same module serves also as remote fan-out for the COMPASS trigger distribution and time synchronization system. This readout-driver monitors the trigger and data flow to and from front-ends. In addition, a specific data buffer structure and sophisticated data flow control is used to pursue local pre-event building. At start-up the module controls all necessary front-end initializations.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Preliminary data on boulders at station 6, Apollo 17 landing site

A cluster of boulders at Station 6 (Apollo 17 landing site) consists of breccias derived from the North Massif. Three preliminary lithologic units were established, on the basis of photogeologic interpretations; all lithologies identified photogeologically were sampled. Breccia clasts and matrices studied petrographically and chemically fall into two groups by modal mineralogy: (1) low-K Fra Mauro or high basalt composition, consisting of 50-60% modal feldspar, approximately 45% orthopyroxene and 1-7% Fe-Ti oxide; (2) clasts consisting of highland basalt composition, consisting of 70% feldspar, 30% orthopyroxene and olivine and a trace of Fe-Ti oxide

HST FUV C IV observations of the hot DG Tauri jet

Protostellar jets are tightly connected to the accretion process and regulate the angular momentum balance of accreting star-disk systems. The DG Tau jet is one of the best-studied protostellar jets and contains plasma with temperatures ranging over three orders of magnitude within the innermost 50 AU of the jet. We present new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) far ultraviolet (FUV) long-slit spectra spatially resolving the C IV emission (T~1e5 K) from the jet for the first time, and quasi-simultaneous HST observations of optical forbidden emission lines ([O I], [N II], [S II] and [O III]) and fluorescent H2 lines. The C IV emission peaks at 42 AU from the stellar position and has a FWHM of 52 AU along the jet. Its deprojected velocity of around 200 km/s decreases monotonically away from the driving source. In addition, we compare our HST data with the X-ray emission from the DG Tau jet. We investigate the requirements to explain the data by an initially hot jet compared to local heating. Both scenarios indicate a mass loss by the T~1e5 K jet of ~1e-9 Msun/year, i.e., between the values for the lower temperature jet (T~1e4 K) and the hotter X-ray emitting part (T>1e6 K). However, a simple initially hot wind requires a large launching region (~1 AU), and we therefore favor local heating.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, accepted by A&A letter

High-energy magnetic excitations in overdoped La2−x_{2-x}Srx_{x}CuO4_{4} studied by neutron and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering

We have performed neutron inelastic scattering and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) at the Cu-$L_3$ edge to study high-energy magnetic excitations at energy transfers of more than 100 meV for overdoped La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_{4}$ with $x=0.25$ ($T_c=15$ K) and $x=0.30$ (non-superconducting) using identical single crystal samples for the two techniques. From constant-energy slices of neutron scattering cross-sections, we have identified magnetic excitations up to ~250 meV for $x=0.25$. Although the width in the momentum direction is large, the peak positions along the (pi, pi) direction agree with the dispersion relation of the spin-wave in the non-doped La$_{2}$CuO$_{4}$ (LCO), which is consistent with the previous RIXS results of cuprate superconductors. Using RIXS at the Cu-$L_3$ edge, we have measured the dispersion relations of the so-called paramagnon mode along both (pi, pi) and (pi, 0) directions. Although in both directions the neutron and RIXS data connect with each other and the paramagnon along (pi, 0) agrees well with the LCO spin-wave dispersion, the paramagnon in the (pi, pi) direction probed by RIXS appears to be less dispersive and the excitation energy is lower than the spin-wave of LCO near (pi/2, pi/2). Thus, our results indicate consistency between neutron inelastic scattering and RIXS, and elucidate the entire magnetic excitation in the (pi, pi) direction by the complementary use of two probes. The polarization dependence of the RIXS profiles indicates that appreciable charge excitations exist in the same energy range of magnetic excitations, reflecting the itinerant character of the overdoped sample. A possible anisotropy in the charge excitation intensity might explain the apparent differences in the paramagnon dispersion in the (pi, pi) direction as detected by the X-ray scattering.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure

X-ray to NIR emission from AA Tauri during the dim state - Occultation of the inner disk and gas-to-dust ratio of the absorber

AA Tau is a well-studied, nearby classical T Tauri star, which is viewed almost edge-on. A warp in its inner disk periodically eclipses the central star, causing a clear modulation of its optical light curve. The system underwent a major dimming event beginning in 2011 caused by an extra absorber, which is most likely associated with additional disk material in the line of sight toward the central source. We present new XMM-Newton X-ray, Hubble Space Telescope FUV, and ground based optical and near-infrared data of the system obtained in 2013 during the long-lasting dim phase. The line width decrease of the fluorescent H$_2$ disk emission shows that the extra absorber is located at $r>1\,$au. Comparison of X-ray absorption ($N_H$) with dust extinction ($A_V$), as derived from measurements obtained one inner disk orbit (eight days) after the X-ray measurement, indicates that the gas-to-dust ratio as probed by the $N_H$ to $A_V$ ratio of the extra absorber is compatible with the ISM ratio. Combining both results suggests that the extra absorber, i.e., material at $r>1\,$au, has no significant gas excess in contrast to the elevated gas-to-dust ratio previously derived for material in the inner region ($\lesssim0.1\,$au).Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures, accepted by A&