2,416 research outputs found
Effective destruction of CO by cosmic rays: implications for tracing H gas in the Universe
We report on the effects of cosmic rays (CRs) on the abundance of CO in clouds under conditions typical for star-forming galaxies in the Universe.
We discover that this most important molecule for tracing H gas is very
effectively destroyed in ISM environments with CR energy densities , a range expected in numerous
star-forming systems throughout the Universe. This density-dependent effect
operates volumetrically rather than only on molecular cloud surfaces (i.e.
unlike FUV radiation that also destroys CO), and is facilitated by: a) the
direct destruction of CO by CRs, and b) a reaction channel activated by
CR-produced He. The effect we uncover is strong enough to render
Milky-Way type Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs) very CO-poor (and thus
CO-untraceable), even in ISM environments with rather modestly enhanced average
CR energy densities of . We conclude
that the CR-induced destruction of CO in molecular clouds, unhindered by dust
absorption, is perhaps the single most important factor controlling the
CO-visibility of molecular gas in vigorously star-forming galaxies. We
anticipate that a second order effect of this CO destruction mechanism will be
to make the H distribution in the gas-rich disks of such galaxies appear
much clumpier in CO =1--0, 2--1 line emission than it actually is. Finally
we give an analytical approximation of the CO/H abundance ratio as a
function of gas density and CR energy density for use in galaxy-size or
cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, and propose some key observational
tests.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 29 page
An Alternative Accurate Tracer of Molecular Clouds: The "-Factor"
We explore the utility of CI as an alternative high-fidelity gas mass tracer
for Galactic molecular clouds. We evaluate the X-factor for the 609
m carbon line, the analog of the CO X-factor, which is the ratio of the
H column density to the integrated CO(1-0) line intensity. We use
3D-PDR to post-process hydrodynamic simulations of turbulent, star-forming
clouds. We compare the emission of CI and CO for model clouds irradiated by 1
and 10 times the average background and demonstrate that CI is a comparable or
superior tracer of the molecular gas distribution for column densities up to cm. Our results hold for both reduced and full chemical
networks. For our fiducial Galactic cloud we derive an average of
cmKkms and of cmKkms.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, accepted to MNRAS Letter
The low-mass stellar population in the young cluster Tr37: Disk evolution, accretion, and environment
We present a study of accretion and protoplanetary disks around M-type stars
in the 4 Myr-old cluster Tr37. With a well-studied solar-type population, Tr37
is a benchmark for disk evolution. We used low-resolution spectroscopy to
identify 141 members (78 new) and 64 probable members, mostly M-type stars.
H\alpha\ emission provides information about accretion. Optical, 2MASS,
Spitzer, and WISE data are used to trace the SEDs. We construct radiative
transfer models to explore the structures of full-disks, pre-transition,
transition, and dust-depleted disks. Including the new and previously known
members, we confirm that a substantial fraction (~2/5) of disks show signs of
evolution, either as radial dust evolution (transition/pre-transition disks) or
as a more global evolution (low small-dust masses, dust settling, and
weak/absent accretion signatures). Accretion is strongly dependent on the SED
type. About half of the transition objects are consistent with no accretion,
and dust-depleted disks have weak (or undetectable) accretion signatures,
especially among M-type stars. The analysis of accretion and disk structure
suggests a parallel evolution of dust and gas. We find several distinct classes
of evolved disks, based on SED type and accretion, pointing to different disk
dispersal mechanisms and probably different evolutionary paths. Dust depletion
and opening of inner holes appear to be independent processes: most transition
disks are not dust-depleted, and most dust-depleted disks do not require inner
holes. The differences in disk structure between M-type and solar-type stars in
Tr37 (4 Myr) are not as remarkable as in the young, sparse, Coronet cluster
(1-2 Myr), suggesting that other factors, like the environment/interactions,
are likely to play a role in the disk evolution and dispersal. Finally, we also
find some evidence of clumpy star formation or mini-clusters within Tr37.Comment: 21 pages, 16 figures, plus appendix with tables and figures. Accepted
by A&
Fast microwave-assisted synthesis of Li-stuffed garnets and insights into Li diffusion from muon spin spectroscopy
Lithium-stuffed garnets attract huge attention due to their outstanding potential as solid-state electrolytes for lithium batteries. However, there exists a persistent challenge in the reliable synthesis of these complex functional oxides together with a lack of complete understanding of the lithium-ion diffusion mechanisms in these important materials. Addressing these issues is critical to realizing the application of garnet materials as electrolytes in all solid-state lithium-ion batteries. In this work, a cubic phase garnet of nominal composition Li6.5Al0.25La2.92Zr2O12 is synthesized through a microwave-assisted solid-state route for the first time, reducing considerably the reaction times and heating temperatures. Lithium-ion diffusion behavior is investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and state-of-art muon spin relaxation (μSR) spectroscopy, displaying activation energies of 0.55 ± 0.03 eV and 0.19 ± 0.01 eV respectively. This difference arises from the high inter-grain resistance, which contributes to the total resistance in EIS measurements. In contrast, μSR acts as a local probe providing insights on the order of the lattice, giving an estimated value of 4.62 × 10−11 cm2 s−1 for the lithium diffusion coefficient. These results demonstrate the potential of this lithium-stuffed garnet as a solid-state electrolyte for all-solid state lithium-ion batteries, an area of growing interest in the energy storage community
Thermo-chemical district networks
Thermo-chemical networks are a new technology for district networks, which can provide heating, cooling and drying in one heat loss-free multiservice network. The innovation is the use of thermo-chemical fluids as transport medium, e.g. in the form of concentrated salt solutions, rather than water. Due to the hygroscopic characteristics of the salt solutions, a chemical potential is transported and not thermal energy as in conventional networks. The chemical potential is used to generate useful heat or cold from ambient heat at the place and time of demand or to dehumidify air for drying or air conditioning processes. An important advantage of this novel technology is that the technology is heat loss-free, which means the thermochemical potential stored in the fluids degrade neither in the piping infrastructures nor in storages. In comparison to conventional district heating networks, thermo-chemical networks can be realized with less investment (no insulation is required) and over longer distances (no heat losses occur). The aspect of heat loss-free storage is also interesting for applications of seasonal thermal storage. In particular with solar energy, allowing shifting the energy available in summer to the wintertime. Thermo-chemical district networks and the possibility of long-term storages will improve the efficiency and profitability of the use of solar energy in district heating networks. The demonstrators, realised in Canton Zurich, are part of the project "H-DisNet" funded by the European Program Horizon2020 (Agreement No. 695780
The sit up test to exhaustion as a test for muscular endurance evaluation
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS The aim of this study was to examine the sit up test to exhaustion as a field test for muscular endurance evaluation in a sample of sedentary people of both sexes.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was performed. Three-hundred-eighty-one participants volunteered for the study (28.5 \ub1 10.0 years; 168.2 \ub1 8.9 cm; 65.1 \ub1 11.1 kg), of which 194 males (27.5 \ub1 10.2 years; 173.6 \ub1 7.0 cm; 71.2 \ub1 5.2 kg) and 187 females (29.6 \ub1 10.1 years; 162.6 \ub1 7.1 cm; 58.7 \ub1 8.9 kg). Each subject voluntarily and randomly performed: a sit up test (SUT), a push up test (PUT), and a free weight squat test (ST), all till exhaustion. A multiple regression analysis was adopted for data analysis. Subsequently a percentile model for muscle endurance was developed. The 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile were identified as upper limit for low muscular endurance, average muscular endurance, and lower limit for high muscular endurance, respectively.
RESULTS:
Considering the sit up test as the dependent variable, the coefficients (R(2) = 0.23; r = 0.49; p < 0.001), and (R(2) = 0.31; r = 0.57; p < 0.001) emerged from a multiple regression analysis applied with respect to the push up test and the squat test, respectively. Gender stratification showed regression coefficients of (R(2) = 0.19; r = 0.44; p < 0.001) for SUT vs. PUT, and (R(2) = 0.30; r = 0.56; p < 0.001) for SUT vs. ST in male; and (R(2) = 0.23; r = 0.49; p < 0.001) for SUT vs. PUT, and (R(2) = 0.34; r = 0.59; p < 0.001) for SUT vs. ST in female.
CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION:
The SUT showed low inter-relation with the other proposed tests indicating that the adoption of a single test for the global evaluation of muscle endurance is not the optimal approach. Moreover, the SUT was found to be inexpensive, safe, and appropriate for core muscle endurance measurement for both male and female
Superconductivity in NdFe1-xCoxAsO (0.05 < x < 0.20) and rare-earth magnetic ordering in NdCoAsO
The phase diagram of NdFe1-xCoxAsO for low cobalt substitution consists of a
superconducting dome (0.05 < x < 0.20) with a maximum critical temperature of
16.5(2) K for x = 0.12. The x = 1 end member, NdCoAsO, is an itinerant
ferromagnet (TC = 85 K) with an ordered moment of 0.30(1) BM at 15 K. Below TN
= 9 K, Nd spin-ordering results in the antiferromagnetic coupling of the
existing ferromagnetic planes. Rietveld analysis reveals that the
electronically important two-fold tetrahedral angle increases from 111.4 to
115.9 deg. in this series. Underdoped samples with x = 0.046(2) and x =
0.065(2) show distortions to the orthorhombic Cmma structure at 72(2) and 64(2)
K, respectively. The temperature dependences of the critical fields Hc2(T) near
Tc are linear with almost identical slopes of 2.3(1) T K-1 for x = 0.065(2), x
= 0.118(2) and x = 0.172(2). The estimated critical field Hc2(0) and
correlation length for optimally doped samples are 26(1) T and 36(1) Angstrom.
A comparison of the maximum reported critical temperatures of
well-characterized cobalt doped 122- and 1111-type superconductors is
presented.Comment: accepted to PR
Microwave-assisted synthesis and electrochemical evaluation of VO2 (B) nanostructures
Understanding how intercalation materials change during electrochemical operation is paramount to optimizing their behaviour and function and in situ characterization methods allow us to observe these changes without sample destruction. Here we first report the improved intercalation properties of bronze phase vanadium dioxide VO2 (B) prepared by a microwave-assisted route which exhibits a larger electrochemical capacity (232 mAh g-1) compared with VO2 (B) prepared by a solvothermal route (197 mAh g-1). These electrochemical differences have also been followed using in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy allowing us to follow oxidation state changes as they occur during battery operation
D3_1.Guideline-for-analysis-on-plant-and-mulches
The aim of this handbook of experimental guidelines is to level out analyses run during the Domino project on practices for sustainable management of organic apple orchard and vineyard in field condition.
Analysis refer to the main crop and to the performances of species introduced ad living mulches. A second section reports protocol for soil chemical, physical and biological fertility evaluations.
Indication are provided for activities run either in structured experimental stations as well as in farm trials.
The standard levels of accuracy allowing to collect reliable information are exposed for both experimental condition
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