A Rich Population of X-ray Emitting Wolf-Rayet Stars in the Galactic Starburst Cluster Westerlund 1

Recent optical and IR studies have revealed that the heavily-reddened starburst cluster Westerlund 1 (Wd 1) contains at least 22 Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars, comprising the richest WR population of any galactic cluster. We present results of a senstive Chandra X-ray observation of Wd 1 which detected 12 of the 22 known WR stars and the mysterious emission line star W9. The fraction of detected WN stars is nearly identical to that of WC stars. The WN stars WR-A and WR-B as well as W9 are exceptionally luminous in X-rays and have similar hard heavily-absorbed spectra with strong Si XIII and S XV emission lines. The luminous high-temperature X-ray emission of these three stars is characteristic of colliding wind binary systems but their binary status remains to be determined. Spectral fits of the X-ray bright sources WR-A and W9 with isothermal plane-parallel shock models require high absorption column densities log N$_{H}$ = 22.56 (cm$^{-2}$) and yield characteristic shock temperatures kT_shock ~ 3 keV (T ~ 35 MK).Comment: ApJL, 2006, in press (3 figures, 1 table

A Persistent High-Energy Flux from the Heart of the Milky Way : Integral's view of the Galactic Center

The Ibis/Isgri imager on Integral detected for the first time a hard X-ray source, IGR J17456-2901, located within 1' of Sgr A* over the energy range 20-100 keV. Here we present the results of a detailed analysis of ~7 Ms of Integral observations of the GC. With an effective exposure of 4.7 Ms we have obtained more stringent positional constraints on this HE source and constructed its spectrum in the range 20-400 keV. Furthermore, by combining the Isgri spectrum with the total X-ray spectrum corresponding to the same physical region around SgrA* from XMM data, and collected during part of the Integral observations, we constructed and present the first accurate wide band HE spectrum for the central arcmins of the Galaxy. Our complete analysis of the emission properties of IGR shows that it is faint but persistent with no variability above 3 sigma contrary to what was alluded to in our first paper. This result, in conjunction with the spectral characteristics of the X-ray emission from this region, suggests that the source is most likely not point-like but, rather, that it is a compact, yet diffuse, non-thermal emission region. The centroid of IGR is estimated to be R.A.=17h45m42.5, decl.=-28deg59'28'', offset by 1' from the radio position of Sgr A* and with a positional uncertainty of 1'. Its 20-400 keV luminosity at 8 kpc is L=5.4x10^35 erg/sec. Very recently, Hess detected of a source of ~TeV g-rays also located within 1' of Sgr A*. We present arguments in favor of an interpretation according to which the photons detected by Integral and Hess arise from the same compact region of diffuse emission near the central BH and that the supernova remnant Sgr A East could play an important role as a contributor of very HE g-rays to the overall spectrum from this region.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap

Ionic conductivity on a wetting surface

Recent experiments measuring the electrical conductivity of DNA molecules highlight the need for a theoretical model of ion transport along a charged surface. Here we present a simple theory based on the idea of unbinding of ion pairs. The strong humidity dependence of conductivity is explained by the decrease in the electrostatic self-energy of a separated pair when a layer of water (with high dielectric constant) is adsorbed to the surface. We compare our prediction for conductivity to experiment, and discuss the limits of its applicability.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; one section and two illustrations added; figures updated and discussion added; typo fixe

Reduced ventilation and enhanced magnitude of the deep Pacific carbon pool during the last glacial period

It has been proposed that the ventilation of the deep Pacific carbon pool was not significantly reduced during the last glacial period, posing a problem for canonical theories of glacial–interglacial CO2 change. However, using radiocarbon dates of marine tephra deposited off New Zealand, we show that deep- (>2000 m>2000 m) and shallow sub-surface ocean–atmosphere 14C age offsets (i.e. ‘reservoir-’ or ‘ventilation’ ages) in the southwest Pacific increased by ∼1089 and 337 yrs respectively, reaching ∼2689 and ∼1037 yrs during the late glacial. A comparison with other radiocarbon data from the southern high-latitudes suggests that broadly similar changes were experienced right across the Southern Ocean. If, like today, the Southern Ocean was the main source of water to the glacial ocean interior, these observations would imply a significant change in the global radiocarbon inventory during the last glacial period, possibly equivalent to an increase in the average radiocarbon age >2 km>2 km of ∼700 yrs∼700 yrs. Simple mass balance arguments and numerical model sensitivity tests suggest that such a change in the ocean's mean radiocarbon age would have had a major impact on the marine carbon inventory and atmospheric CO2, possibly accounting for nearly half of the glacial–interglacial CO2 change. If confirmed, these findings would underline the special role of high latitude shallow sub-surface mixing and air–sea gas exchange in regulating atmospheric CO2 during the late Pleistocene.This work was supported by the Royal Society, through a University Research Fellowship granted to LCS, and by NERC grant NE/L006421/1.This is the final published version. It first appeared at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X1400716X#

Can we predict the duration of an interglacial?

Differences in the duration of interglacials have long been apparent in palaeoclimate records of the Late and Middle Pleistocene. However, a systematic evaluation of such differences has been hampered by the lack of a metric that can be applied consistently through time and by difficulties in separating the local from the global component in various proxies. This, in turn, means that a theoretical framework with predictive power for interglacial duration has remained elusive. Here we propose that the interval between the terminal oscillation of the bipolar seesaw and three thousand years (kyr) before its first major reactivation provides an estimate that approximates the length of the sea-level highstand, a measure of interglacial duration. We apply this concept to interglacials of the last 800 kyr by using a recently-constructed record of interhemispheric variability. The onset of interglacials occurs within 2 kyr of the boreal summer insolation maximum/precession minimum and is consistent with the canonical view of Milankovitch forcing pacing the broad timing of interglacials. Glacial inception always takes place when obliquity is decreasing and never after the obliquity minimum. The phasing of precession and obliquity appears to influence the persistence of interglacial conditions over one or two insolation peaks, leading to shorter (~ 13 kyr) and longer (~ 28 kyr) interglacials. Glacial inception occurs approximately 10 kyr after peak interglacial conditions in temperature and CO2, representing a characteristic timescale of interglacial decline. Second-order differences in duration may be a function of stochasticity in the climate system, or small variations in background climate state and the magnitude of feedbacks and mechanisms contributing to glacial inception, and as such, difficult to predict. On the other hand, the broad duration of an interglacial may be determined by the phasing of astronomical parameters and the history of insolation, rather than the instantaneous forcing strength at inception

Chandra X-ray Observations of the Young Stellar Cluster NGC 6193 in the Ara OB1 Association

A 90 ks Chandra HETG observation of the young stellar cluster NGC 6193 in the southern Ara OB1 association detected 43 X-ray sources in a 2' x 2' core region centered on the young O stars HD 150135 (O6.5V) and HD 150136 (O3+O6V). The cluster is dominated by exceptionally bright X-ray emission from the two O stars, which are separated by only 10 arcsecs. The X-ray luminosity of HD 150136 is log Lx = 33.39 (ergs/s), making it one of the most luminous O-star X-ray sources known. All of the fainter X-ray sources in the core region have near-IR counterparts, but JHK photometry provides little evidence for near-IR excesses. These core sources have typical mean photon energies of 2 keV and about one-third are variable. It is likely that some are young low-mass stars in the cluster, but cluster membership remains to be determined. Grating spectra show that the X-ray properties of HD 150135 and HD 150136 are similar, but not identical. Both have moderately broadened unshifted emission lines and their emission is dominated by cool plasma, pointing to a wind shock origin. However, the emission of HD 150136 is slightly hotter and 4 times more luminous than its optical twin HD 150135. We discuss the possibility that a radiative colliding wind shock contributes to the prodigious X-ray output of the short-period (2.66 d) binary HD 150136. A surprising result is that the X-ray emission of HD 150136 is slowly variable on a timescale of less than one day. The origin of the variability is not yet known, but the observed behavior suggests that it is an occultation effect.Comment: To appear in MNRAS; 5 tables, 13 figure

Spiral Waves in Chaotic Systems

Spiral waves are investigated in chemical systems whose underlying spatially-homogeneous dynamics is governed by a deterministic chaotic attractor. We show how the local periodic behavior in the vicinity of a spiral defect is transformed to chaotic dynamics far from the defect. The transformation occurs by a type of period doubling as the distance from the defect increases. The change in character of the dynamics is described in terms of the phase space flow on closed curves surrounding the defect.Comment: latex file with three postscript figures to appear in Physical review Letter

Io: IUE observations of its atmosphere and the plasma torus

Two of the main components of the atmosphere of Io, neutral oxygen and sulfur, were detected with the IUE. Four observations yield brightnesses that are similar, regardless of whether the upstream or the downstream sides of the torus plasma flow around Io is observed. A simple model requires the emissions to be produced by the interaction of O and S columns in the exospheric range with 2 eV electrons. Cooling of the 5 eV torus electrons is required prior to their interaction with the atmosphere of Io. Inconsistencies in the characteristics of the spectra that cannot be accounted for in this model require further analysis with improved atomic data. The Io plasma torus was monitored with the IUE. The long-term stability of the warm torus is established. The observed brightnesses were analyzed using a model of the torus, and variations of less than 30 percent in the composition are observed, the quantitative results being model dependent

Evaluation of an Electrostatic Dust Removal System with Potential Application in Next-Step Fusion Devices

The ability to manage inventories of carbon, tritium, and high-Z elements in fusion plasmas depends on means for effective dust removal. A dust conveyor, based on a moving electrostatic potential well, was tested with particles of tungsten, carbon, glass and sand. A digital microscope imaged a representative portion of the conveyor, and dust particle size and volume distributions were derived before and after operation. About 10 cu mm volume of carbon and tungsten particles were moved in under 5 seconds. The highest driving amplitude tested of 3 kV was the most effective. The optimal driving frequency was 210 Hz (maximum tested) for tungsten particles, decreasing to below 60 Hz for the larger sand particles. Measurements of particle size and volume distributions after 10 and 100 cycles show the breaking apart of agglomerated carbon, and the change in particle distribution over short timescales 1 s)

Association of Mesocotyl and Coleptile Elongation with Seeding Vigor in Rice

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the relationship of mesocotyl and coleoptile elongation to seedling vigor and plant height in rice (Oryza sativa). A laboratory experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential lengths of the mesocotyl and coleoptile of semidwarf and standard rice genotypes. Four genotypes exhibited inherent differences in their ability for mesocotyl and coleoptile elongation. The semidwarf genotypes (\u27M-101 \u27 and RU 7703008) showed reduced mesocotyls, coleoptiles, and total lengths (mesocotyl + coleoptile); whereas, the tall plant type (\u27L-201\u27 and \u27Labelle\u27) had comparatively longer mesocotyls, coleoptiles, and total lengths. Itis assumed that mesocotyl elongation is the most important of the three parameters evaluated in seedling vigor, but total length is the least variable. Significant differences were detected among seeding depths and genotypes in the greenhouse experiment for emergence percentage, emergence index, coleoptile, and mesocotyl lengths. The field experiment verified that the low seedling vigor was due to the shorter mesocotyls and coleoptiles of the semidwarf genotypes in this test and was primarily responsible for poor stand establishment