4,613 research outputs found
Advances in Atomic Data for Neutron-Capture Elements
Neutron(n)-capture elements (atomic number Z>30), which can be produced in
planetary nebula (PN) progenitor stars via s-process nucleosynthesis, have been
detected in nearly 100 PNe. This demonstrates that nebular spectroscopy is a
potentially powerful tool for studying the production and chemical evolution of
trans-iron elements. However, significant challenges must be addressed before
this goal can be achieved. One of the most substantial hurdles is the lack of
atomic data for n-capture elements, particularly that needed to solve for their
ionization equilibrium (and hence to convert ionic abundances to elemental
abundances). To address this need, we have computed photoionization cross
sections and radiative and dielectronic recombination rate coefficients for the
first six ions of Se and Kr. The calculations were benchmarked against
experimental photoionization cross section measurements. In addition, we
computed charge transfer (CT) rate coefficients for ions of six n-capture
elements. These efforts will enable the accurate determination of nebular Se
and Kr abundances, allowing robust investigations of s-process enrichments in
PNe.Comment: To be published in IAU Symp. 283: Planetary Nebulae, an Eye to the
Future; 2 page
The Abundances of Light Neutron-Capture Elements in Planetary Nebulae. II. S-Process Enrichments and Interpretation
We present the results of a large-scale survey of neutron(n)-capture elements in Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe), undertaken to study enrichments from s-process nucleosynthesis in their progenitor stars. From new K-band observations of over 100 PNe supplemented by data from the literature, we have detected the emission lines [Kr III] 2.199 mu m and/or [Se IV] 2.287 mu m in 81 of 120 objects. We determine Se and Kr elemental abundances, employing ionization correction formulae derived in the first paper of this series. We find a significant range in Se and Kr abundances, from near solar (no enrichment) to enhanced by > 1.0 dex relative to solar, which we interpret as self-enrichment due to in situ s-process nucleosynthesis. Kr tends to be more strongly enriched than Se; in 18 objects exhibiting both Se and Kr emission, we find that [Kr/Se] = 0.5 +/- 0.2. Our survey has increased the number of PNe with n-capture element abundance determinations by a factor of 10, enabling us for the first time to search for correlations with other nebular properties. As expected, we find a positive correlation between s-process enrichments and the C/O ratio. Type I and bipolar PNe, which arise from intermediate-mass progenitors (> 3-4 M-circle dot), exhibit little to no s-process enrichments. Finally, PNe with H-deficient Wolf-Rayet central stars do not exhibit systematically larger s-process enrichments than objects with H-rich nuclei. Overall, 44% of the PNe in our sample display significant s-process enrichments (> 0.3 dex). Using an empirical PN luminosity function to correct for incompleteness, we estimate that the true fraction of s-process enriched Galactic PNe is at least 20%.NSF AST 97-31156, AST 04-06809Astronom
The Abundances of Light Neutron-Capture Elements in Planetary Nebulae
We present preliminary results from a large-scale survey of the
neutron(n)-capture elements Se and Kr in Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe).
These elements may be produced in PN progenitors by s-process nucleosynthesis,
and brought to the stellar envelope by third dredge-up (TDU). We have searched
for [Kr III] 2.199 and [Se IV] 2.287 m in 120 PNe, and detected one or
both lines in 79 objects, for a detection rate of 66%. In order to determine
abundances of Se and Kr, we have added these elements to the atomic database of
the photoionization code CLOUDY, and constructed a large grid of models to
derive corrections for unobserved ionization stages. Se and Kr are enriched in
73% of the PNe in which they have been detected, and exhibit a wide range of
abundances, from roughly solar to enriched by a factor of 10 or more. These
enrichments are interpreted as evidence for the operation of the s-process and
TDU in the progenitor stars. In line with theoretical expectations, Kr is more
strongly enhanced than Se, and the abundances of both elements are correlated
with the carbon abundance. Kr and Se are strongly enhanced in Type I PNe, which
may be evidence for the operation of the Ne neutron source in
intermediate-mass AGB stars. These results constitute the first broad
characterization of s-process enrichments in PNe as a population, and reveal
the impact of low- and intermediate-mass stars on the chemical evolution of
trans-iron elements in the Galaxy.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in IAU Symp. 234, "Planetary Nebulae in
our Galaxy and Beyond", eds. M. J. Barlow and R. H. Mende
Macroservers: An Execution Model for DRAM Processor-In-Memory Arrays
The emergence of semiconductor fabrication technology allowing a tight coupling between high-density DRAM and CMOS logic on the same chip has led to the important new class of Processor-In-Memory (PIM) architectures. Newer developments provide powerful parallel processing capabilities on the chip, exploiting the facility to load wide words in single memory accesses and supporting complex address manipulations in the memory. Furthermore, large arrays of PIMs can be arranged into a massively parallel architecture. In this report, we describe an object-based programming model based on the notion of a macroserver. Macroservers encapsulate a set of variables and methods; threads, spawned by the activation of methods, operate asynchronously on the variables' state space. Data distributions provide a mechanism for mapping large data structures across the memory region of a macroserver, while work distributions allow explicit control of bindings between threads and data. Both data and work distributuions are first-class objects of the model, supporting the dynamic management of data and threads in memory. This offers the flexibility required for fully exploiting the processing power and memory bandwidth of a PIM array, in particular for irregular and adaptive applications. Thread synchronization is based on atomic methods, condition variables, and futures. A special type of lightweight macroserver allows the formulation of flexible scheduling strategies for the access to resources, using a monitor-like mechanism
The Abundances of Light Neutron-Capture Elements in Planetary Nebulae III. The Impact of New Atomic Data on Nebular Selenium and Krypton Abundance Determinations
The detection of neutron(n)-capture elements in several planetary nebulae
(PNe) has provided a new means of investigating s-process nucleosynthesis in
low-mass stars. However, a lack of atomic data has inhibited accurate
trans-iron element abundance determinations in astrophysical nebulae. Recently,
photoionization and recombination data were determined for Se and Kr, the two
most widely detected n-capture elements in nebular spectra. We have
incorporated these new data into the photoionization code Cloudy. To test the
atomic data, numerical models were computed for 15 PNe that exhibit emission
lines from multiple Kr ions. We found systematic discrepancies between the
predicted and observed emission lines that are most likely caused by inaccurate
photoionization and recombination data. These discrepancies were removed by
adjusting the Kr--Kr photoionization cross sections within their
cited uncertainties and the dielectronic recombination rate coefficients by
slightly larger amounts. From grids of models spanning the physical conditions
encountered in PNe, we derive new, broadly applicable ionization correction
factor (ICF) formulae for calculating Se and Kr elemental abundances. The ICFs
were applied to our previous survey of near-infrared [Kr III] and [Se IV]
emission lines in 120 PNe. The revised Se and Kr abundances are 0.1-0.3 dex
lower than former estimates, with average values of [Se/(O, Ar)]=0.120.27
and [Kr/(O, Ar)]=0.820.29, but correlations previously found between their
abundances and other nebular and stellar properties are unaffected. We also
find a tendency for high-velocity PNe that can be associated with the Galactic
thick disk to exhibit larger s-process enrichments than low-velocity PNe
belonging to the thin disk population.Comment: 73 pages, 6 figures, 18 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ
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