7,819 research outputs found
Spectral Classification and Effective Temperatures of L and T Dwarfs Based of Near-Infrared Spectra
We have obtained near-infrared spectra of L dwarfs, L/T transition objects
and T dwarfs using Subaru. Resulting spectra are examined in detail to see
their dependence on the spectral types. We have obtained bolometric
luminosities of the objects with known parallaxes in our sample, first by
integrating the spectra and second by K band bolometric correction. We derive
the relation between effective temperature and spectral type.Comment: To appear in May 20, 2004 issue of ApJ There is a companion paper by
Tsuji, Nakajima and Yanagisaw
Chemical Equilibrium Abundances in Brown Dwarf and Extrasolar Giant Planet Atmospheres
We calculate detailed chemical abundance profiles for a variety of brown
dwarf and extrasolar giant planet atmosphere models, focusing in particular on
Gliese 229B, and derive the systematics of the changes in the dominant
reservoirs of the major elements with altitude and temperature. We assume an
Anders and Grevesse (1989) solar composition of 27 chemical elements and track
330 gas--phase species, including the monatomic forms of the elements, as well
as about 120 condensates. We address the issue of the formation and composition
of clouds in the cool atmospheres of substellar objects and explore the rain
out and depletion of refractories. We conclude that the opacity of clouds of
low--temperature (900 K), small--radius condensibles (specific chlorides
and sulfides), may be responsible for the steep spectrum of Gliese 229B
observed in the near infrared below 1 \mic. Furthermore, we assemble a
temperature sequence of chemical transitions in substellar atmospheres that may
be used to anchor and define a sequence of spectral types for substellar
objects with Ts from 2200 K to 100 K.Comment: 57 pages total, LaTeX, 14 figures, 5 tables, also available in
uuencoded, gzipped, and tarred form via anonymous ftp at
www.astrophysics.arizona.edu (cd to pub/burrows/chem), submitted to Ap.
Dust in the Photospheric Environment: Unified Cloudy Models of M, L, and T Dwarfs
We address the problem of how dust forms and how it could be sustained in the
static photospheres of cool dwarfs for a long time. In the cool and dense gas,
dust forms easily at the condensation temperature, T_cond, and the dust can be
in detailed balance with the ambient gas so long as it remains smaller than the
critical radius, r_cr. However, dust will grow larger and segregate from the
gas when it will be larger than r_cr somewhere at the lower temperature, which
we refer to as the critical temperature, T_cr. Then, the large dust grains will
precipitate below the photosphere and only the small dust grains in the region
of T_cr < T < T_cond can be sustained in the photosphere. Thus a dust cloud is
formed. Incorporating the dust cloud, non-grey model photo- spheres in
radiative-convective equilibrium are extended to T_eff as low as 800K. Observed
colors and spectra of cool dwarfs can consistently be accounted for by a single
grid of our cloudy models. This fact in turn can be regarded as supporting
evidence for our basic assumption on the cloud formation.Comment: 50 pages with 14 postscript figures, to be published in Astrophys.
CIT-5: a high-silica zeolite with 14-ring pores
The synthesis and structure of a new zeolite, CIT-5 (California Institute of Technology Number Five), is described, which possesses one-dimensional pores comprised of 14 T-atoms (tetrahedrally coordinated silicon or aluminium atoms)
Photometric Variability in the Ultracool Dwarf BRI 0021-0214: Possible Evidence for Dust Clouds
We report CCD photometric monitoring of the nonemission ultracool dwarf BRI
0021-0214 (M9.5) obtained during 10 nights in 1995 November and 4 nights in
1996 August, with CCD cameras at 1 m class telescopes on the observatories of
the Canary Islands. We present differential photometry of BRI 0021-0214, and we
report significant variability in the I-band light curve obtained in 1995. A
periodogram analysis finds a strong peak at a period of 0.84 day. This
modulation appears to be transient because it is present in the 1995 data but
not in the 1996 data. We also find a possible period of 0.20 day, which appears
to be present in both the 1995 and 1996 datasets. However, we do not find any
periodicity close to the rotation period expected from the spectroscopic
rotational broadening (< 0.14 day). BRI 0021-0214 is a very inactive object,
with extremely low levels of Halpha and X-ray emission. Thus, it is unlikely
that magnetically induced cool spots can account for the photometric
variability. The photometric variability of BRI 0021-0214 could be explained by
the presence of an active meteorology that leads to inhomogeneous clouds on the
surface. The lack of photometric modulation at the expected rotational period
suggests that the pattern of surface features may be more complicated than
previously anticipated.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 26 pages, 13 figures include
The non-uniform, dynamic atmosphere of Betelgeuse observed at mid-infrared wavelengths
We present an interferometric study of the continuum surface of the red
supergiant star Betelgeuse at 11.15 microns wavelength, using data obtained
with the Berkeley Infrared Spatial Interferometer each year between 2006 and
2010. These data allow an investigation of an optically thick layer within 1.4
stellar radii of the photosphere. The layer has an optical depth of ~1 at 11.15
microns, and varies in temperature between 1900 K and 2800 K and in outer
radius between 1.16 and 1.36 stellar radii. Electron-hydrogen atom collisions
contribute significantly to the opacity of the layer. The layer has a
non-uniform intensity distribution that changes between observing epochs. These
results indicate that large-scale surface convective activity strongly
influences the dynamics of the inner atmosphere of Betelgeuse, and mass-loss
processes.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, in press (ApJ
Infrared Spectra and Visibilities as Probes of the Outer Atmospheres of Red Supergiant Stars
In the light of the recent results of the stellar interferometry, we examine
the nature of the extra molecular layer outside the photosphere of red super-
giant stars, so far studied mostly with the use of the infrared spectra.
Although the visibility data are more direct probes of the spatial structure of
the outer atmosphere, it is essential that they are analyzed in combination
with the spectral data of a wide spectral coverage. In the case of the M2
supergiant mu Cephei, several sets of data, both spectra and visibilities,
strongly suggested the presence of an extra-molecular layer, and its basic
parameters are estimated to be: excitation temperature T_ex = 1600 K, column
densities of CO and H2O N_col = 3.0d+20/cm2, and inner radius R_in = 2.0R*. The
result shows reasonable agreement with the one based on the infrared spectra
alone, and this may be because the infrared spectra already include some
information on the spatial structure of the outer atmosphere. It is important,
however, that the model inferred from the spectra is now fully supported with
the recent visibility data. In the case of the M2 supergiant alpha Orionis, the
infrared spectra and visibilities show a consistent picture in that its
molecular layer is closer to the photosphere (R_in = 1.3R*) with higher gas
temperature (T_ex = 2250 K) and lower gas column density (N_col = 1.0d+20/cm2),
compared with that of mu Cephei. Some controversy on the interpretation of the
mid infrared data of alpha Orionis can be reconciled.Comment: 47 pages, 14 Postscript figures, to be published in the Astrophysical
Journa
Optical linear polarization in ultra cool dwarfs: A tool to probe dust in the ultra cool dwarf atmospheres
Aims.Recent studies have detected linear polarization in L dwarfs in the
optical I band. Theoretical models have been developed to explain this
polarization. These models predict higher polarization at shorter wavelengths.
We discuss the polarization in the R and I band of 4 ultra cool dwarfs.
Methods.We report linear polarization measurements of 4 ultra cool dwarfs in
the R and I bands using the Intermediate dispersion Spectrograph and Imaging
System (ISIS) mounted on the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope (WHT). Results.As
predicted by theoretical models, we find a higher degree of polarization in the
R band when compared to polarization in the I band for 3/4 of these ultra cool
dwarfs. This suggests that dust scattering asymmetry is caused by oblateness
>.We also show how these measurements fit the theoretical models. A case for
variability of linear polarization is found, which suggests the presence of
randomly distributed dust clouds. We also discuss one case for the presence of
a cold debris disk.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure
Detection of Formaldehyde Towards the Extreme Carbon Star IRC+10216
We report the detection of H2CO (formaldehyde) around the carbon-rich AGB
star, IRC+10216. We find a fractional abundance with respect to molecular
hydrogen of x(H2CO)= (1.3 {+1.5}{-0.8}) x 10^{-8}. This corresponds to a
formaldehyde abundance with respect to water vapor of x(H2CO)/x(H2O)=(1.1 +/-
0.2) x 10^{-2}, in line with the formaldehyde abundances found in Solar System
comets, and indicates that the putative extrasolar cometary system around
IRC+10216 may have a similar chemical composition to Solar System comets.
However, we also failed to detect CH3OH (methanol) around IRC+10216 and our
upper limit of x(CH3OH)/x(H2O) < 7.7 x 10^{-4}, (3 sigma), indicates that
methanol is substantially underabundant in IRC+10216, compared to Solar System
comets. We also conclude, based on offset observations, that formaldehyde has
an extended source in the envelope of IRC+10216 and may be produced by the
photodissociation of a parent molecule, similar to the production mechanism for
formaldehyde in Solar System comet comae. Preliminary mapping observations also
indicate a possible asymmetry in the spatial distribution of formaldehyde
around IRC+10216, but higher signal-to-noise observations are required to
confirm this finding. This study is based on observations carried out with the
IRAM 30m telescope. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany) and
IGN (Spain). (abridged)Comment: accepted to ApJ, 45 pages, 11 figure
Investigation of viscous coupling effects in three-phase flow by lattice Boltzmann direct simulation and machine learning technique
The momentum transfer across fluid interfaces in multi-phase flow leads to a non-negligible viscous coupling effect. In this study, we use the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) as a direct simulator to solve the three-phase flow at pore scale. The viscous coupling effects are investigated for various fluid configurations in simple pore geometries with different conditions in terms of saturation, wettability and viscosity ratio. It is found that the viscous coupling effect can be significant for certain configurations. A parametric modification factor for conventional three-phase conductance model is then proposed to estimate the viscous coupling effect. The modification factor as a function of viscosity ratios can be easily incorporated into existing pore network model (PNM) to eliminate errors from viscous coupling effect. Moreover, an elegant approach using machine learning technique is proposed to predict the multi-phase permeability by a trained Artificial Neural Network (ANN) from the direct simulation database. Such data-driven approach can be extended to develop a more sophisticated PNM for a better prediction of transport properties taking account of the viscous coupling effects
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