Thermochemical stability of low-iron, manganese-enriched olivine in astrophysical environments

Low-iron, manganese-enriched (LIME) olivine grains are found in cometary samples returned by the Stardust mission from comet 81P/Wild 2. Similar grains are found in primitive meteoritic clasts and unequilibrated meteorite matrix. LIME olivine is thermodynamically stable in a vapor of solar composition at high temperature at total pressures of a millibar to a microbar, but enrichment of solar composition vapor in a dust of chondritic composition causes the FeO/MnO ratio of olivine to increase. The compositions of LIME olivines in primitive materials indicate oxygen fugacities close to those of a very reducing vapor of solar composition. The compositional zoning of LIME olivines in amoeboid olivine aggregates is consistent with equilibration with nebular vapor in the stability field of olivine, without re-equilibration at lower temperatures. A similar history is likely for LIME olivines found in comet samples and in interplanetary dust particles. LIME olivine is not likely to persist in nebular conditions in which silicate liquids are stable

Arecibo H I absorption measurements of pulsars and the electron density at intermediate longitudes in the first galactic quadrant

We have used the Arecibo telescope to measure the H i absorption spectra of eight pulsars. We show how kinematic distance measurements depend on the values of the Galactic constants R_0 and θ_0 , and we select our preferred current values from the literature. We then derive kinematic distances for the low-latitude pulsars in our sample and electron densities along their lines of sight. We combine these measurements with all others in the inner Galactic plane visible from Arecibo to study the electron density in this region. The electron density in the interarm range 48° ‹l ‹70° is 0.017^(+0.012)_(-0.007)(68% c.l.) cm^(−3). This is 0.75^(+0.49)_(-0.22(68% c.l) of the value calculated by the Galactic electron density model of Cordes & Lazio. The model agrees more closely with electron density measurements toward Arecibo pulsars lying closer to the Galactic center, at 30° ‹l ‹ 48° . Our analysis leads to the best current estimate of the distance of the relativistic binary pulsar B1913+16:d = 9.0 ± 3 kpc. We use the high-latitude pulsars to search for small-scale structure in the interstellar hydrogen observed in absorption over multiple epochs. PSR B0301+19 exhibited significant changes in its absorption spectrum over 22 yr, indicating H i structure on a ~500 AU scale

Arecibo HI Absorption Measurements of Pulsars and the Electron Density at Intermediate Longitudes in the First Galactic Quadrant

We have used the Arecibo telescope to measure the HI absorption spectra of eight pulsars. We show how kinematic distance measurements depend upon the values of the galactic constants R_o and Theta_o, and we select our preferred current values from the literature. We then derive kinematic distances for the low-latitude pulsars in our sample and electron densities along their lines of sight. We combine these measurements with all others in the inner galactic plane visible from Arecibo to study the electron density in this region. The electron density in the interarm range 48 degrees < l < 70 degrees is [0.017 (-0.007,+0.012) (68% c.l.)] cm^(-3). This is 0.75 (-0.22,+0.49) (68% c.l.) of the value calculated by the Cordes & Lazio (2002) galactic electron density model. The model agrees more closely with electron density measurements toward Arecibo pulsars lying closer to the galactic center, at 30 degrees<l<48 degrees. Our analysis leads to the best current estimate of the distance of the relativistic binary pulsar B1913+16: d=(9.0 +/- 3) kpc. We use the high-latitude pulsars to search for small-scale structure in the interstellar hydrogen observed in absorption over multiple epochs. PSR B0301+19 exhibited significant changes in its absorption spectrum over 22 yr, indicating HI structure on a ~500 AU scale.Comment: Accepted by Astrophysical Journal September 200

Phase Structure of Compact Star in Modified Quark-Meson Coupling Model

The K$^-$ condensation and quark deconfinement phase transitions are investigated in the modified quark-meson coupling model. It is shown that K$^-$ condensation is suppressed because of the quark deconfinement when $B^{1/4}<$202.2MeV, where $B$ is the bag constant for unpaired quark matter. With the equation of state (EOS) solved self-consistently, we discuss the properties of compact stars. We find that the EOS of pure hadron matter with condensed K$^-$ phase should be ruled out by the redshift for star EXO0748-676, while EOS containing unpaired quark matter phase with $B^{1/4}$ being about 180MeV could be consistent with this observation and the best measured mass of star PSR 1913+16. We then probe into the change of the phase structures in possible compact stars with deconfinment phase as the central densities increase. But if the recent inferred massive star among Terzan 5 with M$>$1.68M$_{\odot}$ is confirmed, all the present EOSes with condensed phase and deconfined phase would be ruled out and therefore these exotic phases are unlikely to appear within neutron stars.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Primitive clasts in the Dar al Gani 319 polymict ureilite: Precursors of the ureilites

Primitive clasts in the polymict ureilite Dar al Gani (DaG) 319 include dark clasts, sulfide- or metal-rich clasts, and unusual chondritic fragments. The dark clasts consist mainly of phyllosilicates, sulfides and magnetite with or without fayalitic olivine. The sulfide-rich clasts consist of a silicate-rich matrix and heterogeneously distributed sulfide. The metal-rich clasts consist of a silicate-rich matrix with variable amounts of metal. The unusual chondritic fragments are chondrule and equilibrated chondrite fragments. Oxygen isotopic compositions of the silicate-rich matrices in the sulfide-rich or metal-rich clasts plot on the carbonaceous chondrite anhydrous mineral (CCAM) mixing line between Allende matrix and a dark clast in the Nilpena polymict ureilite. Their oxygen isotopic compositions are similar to those of the monomict ureilites. Considering its chondritic composition and oxygen isotopic composition, the silicate-rich matrix of the sulfide-rich clasts is the best candidate for the ureilite precursors. However, the matrix has an Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratio (mg ratio) of 0.56 and is too ferroan to produce the monomict ureilites with mg ratios of 0.74-0.95. Therefore, it may have experienced various degrees of reduction to produce precursors with the mg ratios, needed to form the monomict ureilites as residues during fractional melting. Oxygen isotopic compositions of the unusual chondritic fragments plot near the ordinary chondrites on a 3-isotope diagram, suggesting that they have no direct genetic relationship to the monomict ureilites. They were projectiles that collided with the ureilite parent body (UPB)

Testing post-Newtonian theory with gravitational wave observations

The Laser Interferometric Space Antenna (LISA) will observe supermassive black hole binary mergers with amplitude signal-to-noise ratio of several thousands. We investigate the extent to which such observations afford high-precision tests of Einstein's gravity. We show that LISA provides a unique opportunity to probe the non-linear structure of post-Newtonian theory both in the context of general relativity and its alternatives.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Does tiny-scale atomic structure exist in the interstellar medium ?

We report on preliminary results from the recent multi-epoch neutral hydrogen absorption measurements toward three pulsars, B0823+26, B1133+16 and B2016+28, using the Arecibo telescope. We do not find significant variations in optical depth profiles over periods of 0.3 and 9--10 yr, or on spatial scales of 10--20 and 70--85 AU. The large number of non detections of the tiny scale atomic structure suggests that the AU-sized structure is not ubiquitous in the interstellar medium and could be quite a rare phenomenon.Comment: Accepted by ApJ Letters, 5 pages, 2 figure