1,648 research outputs found
The rp Process Ashes from Stable Nuclear Burning on an Accreting Neutron Star
We calculate the nucleosynthesis during stable nuclear burning on an
accreting neutron star. This is appropriate for weakly magnetic neutron stars
accreting at near-Eddington rates in low mass X-ray binaries, and for most
accreting X-ray pulsars. We show that the nuclear burning proceeds via the
rapid proton capture process (rp process), and makes nuclei far beyond the iron
group. The final mixture of nuclei consists of elements with a range of masses
between approximately A=60 and A=100. The average nuclear mass of the ashes is
set by the extent of helium burning via (alpha,p) reactions, and depends on the
local accretion rate.
Our results imply that the crust of these accreting neutron stars is made
from a complex mixture of heavy nuclei, with important implications for its
thermal, electrical and structural properties. A crustal lattice as impure as
our results suggest will have a conductivity set mostly by impurity scattering,
allowing more rapid Ohmic diffusion of magnetic fields than previously
estimated.Comment: To appear in the Astrophysical Journal (33 pages, LaTeX, including 11
postscript figures
Structural Phase Transition in the Superconducting Pyrochlore Oxide Cd2Re2O7
We report a structural phase transition found at Ts = 200 K in a pyrochlore
oxide Cd2Re2O7 which shows superconductivity at Tc = 1.0 K. X-ray
diffractionexperiments indicate that the phase transition is of the second
order, from a high-temperature phase with the ideal cubic pyrochlore structure
(space group Fd-3m) to a low-temperature phase with another cubic structure
(space group F-43m). It is accompanied by a dramatic change in the resistivity
and magnetic susceptibility and thus must induce a significant change in the
electronic structure of Cd2Re2O7.Comment: 4 pages, 4figures, proceeding for ISSP
Hall effect in superconducting Fe(Se0.5Te0.5) thin films
The Hall effect is investigated for eight superconducting Fe(Se_0.5_Te_0.5_)
thin films grown on MgO and LaSrAlO_4_ substrates with different transition
temperatures (T_c_). The normal Hall coefficients (R_H_) have positive values
with magnitude of 1 - 1.5 x 10^-3^ cm^3^/C at room temperature for the all
samples. With decreasing temperature, we find two characteristic types of
behavior in R_H_(T) depending on T_c_. For thin films with lower T_c_
(typically T_c_ < 5 K), R_H_ start decreasing approximately below T = 250 K
toward a negative side, some of which shows sign reversal at T = 50 - 60 K, but
turns positive toward T = 0 K. On the other hand for the films with higher T_c_
(typically T_c_ > 9 K), R_ H_ leaves almost unchanged down to T = 100 K, and
then starts decreasing toward a negative side. Around the temperatures when
R_H_ changes its sign from positive to negative, obvious nonlinearity is
observed in the field-dependence of Hall resistance as to keep the low-field
R_H_ positive while the high-field R_H_ negative. Thus the electronic state
just above T_c_ is characterized by n_e_ (electron density) > n_h_ (hole
density) with keeping \mu_e_ < \mu_h_. These results suggest the dominance of
electron density to the hole density is an essential factor for the occurence
of superconductivity in Fe-chalcogenide superconductors.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, revised version for Physical Review B. accepted
for publication in Physical Review
Microscopic analysis of the chemical reaction between Fe(Te,Se) thin films and underlying CaF
To understand the chemical reaction at the interface of materials, we
performed a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation in four types of
Fe(Te,Se) superconducting thin films prepared on different types of substrates:
CaF2 substrate, CaF2 substrate with a CaF2 buffer layer, CaF2 substrate with a
FeSe buffer layer, and a LaAlO3 substrate with a CaF2 buffer layer. Based on
the energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) analysis, we found possible
interdiffusion between fluorine and selenium that has a strong influence on the
superconductivity in Fe(Te,Se) films. The chemical interdiffusion also plays a
significant role in the variation of the lattice parameters. The lattice
parameters of the Fe(Te,Se) thin films are primarily determined by the chemical
substitution of anions, and the lattice mismatch only plays a secondary role.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figur
No Go Theorem for Kinematic Self-Similarity with A Polytropic Equation of State
We have investigated spherically symmetric spacetimes which contain a perfect
fluid obeying the polytropic equation of state and admit a kinematic
self-similar vector of the second kind which is neither parallel nor orthogonal
to the fluid flow. We have assumed two kinds of polytropic equations of state
and shown in general relativity that such spacetimes must be vacuum.Comment: 5 pages, no figures. Revtex. One word added to the title. Final
version to appear in Physical Review D as a Brief Repor
Rotational Evolution During Type I X-Ray Bursts
The rotation rates of six weakly-magnetic neutron stars accreting in low-mass
X-ray binaries have most likely been measured by Type I X-ray burst
observations with RXTE. The nearly coherent oscillations detected during the
few seconds of thermonuclear burning are most simply understood as rotational
modulation of brightness asymmetries on the neutron star surface. We show that,
as suggested by Strohmayer and colleagues, the frequency changes of 1-2 Hz
observed during bursts are consistent with angular momentum conservation as the
burning shell hydrostatically expands and contracts. We calculate how vertical
heat propagation through the radiative outer layers of the atmosphere and
convection affect the coherence of the oscillation. We show that the evolution
of the rotational profile depends strongly on whether the burning layers are
composed of pure helium or mixed hydrogen/helium. Our results help explain the
absence (presence) of oscillations from hydrogen-burning (helium-rich) bursts
that was found by Muno and collaborators.
We investigate angular momentum transport within the burning layers and the
recoupling of the burning layers with the star. We show that the
Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is quenched by the strong stratification, and that
mixing between the burning fuel and underlying ashes by the baroclinic
instability does not occur. However, the baroclinic instability may have time
to operate within the differentially rotating burning layer, potentially
bringing it into rigid rotation.Comment: To appear in The Astrophysical Journal; minor corrections made to
tables and figure
Crustal Heating and Quiescent Emission from Transiently Accreting Neutron Stars
Nuclear reactions occurring deep in the crust of a transiently accreting
neutron star efficiently maintain the core at a temperature >5e7 K. When
accretion halts, the envelope relaxes to a thermal equilibrium set by the flux
from the hot core, as if the neutron star were newly born. For the
time-averaged accretion rates typical of low-mass X-ray transients, standard
neutrino cooling is unimportant and the core thermally re-radiates the
deposited heat. The resulting luminosity has the same magnitude as that
observed from several transient neutron stars in quiescence. Confirmation of
this mechanism would strongly constrain rapid neutrino cooling mechanisms for
neutron stars. Thermal emission had previously been dismissed as a predominant
source of quiescent emission since blackbody spectral fits implied an emitting
area much smaller than a neutron star's surface. However, as with thermal
emission from radio pulsars, fits with realistic emergent spectra will imply a
substantially larger emitting area. Other emission mechanisms, such as
accretion or a pulsar shock, can also operate in quiescence and generate
intensity and spectral variations over short timescales. Indeed, quiescent
accretion may produce gravitationally redshifted metal photoionization edges in
the quiescent spectra (detectable with AXAF and XMM). We discuss past
observations of Aql~X-1 and note that the low luminosity X-ray sources in
globular clusters and the Be star/X-ray transients are excellent candidates for
future study.Comment: 5 pages, 2 ps figures, uses AASTEX macros. To appear in ApJ letters,
10 September 1998. Revised to conform with journal; minor numerical
correction
High-pressure study on the superconducting pyrochlore oxide Cd2Re2O7
Superconducting and structural phase transitions in a pyrochlore oxide
Cd2Re2O7 are studied under high pressure by x-ray diffraction and electrical
resistivity measurements. A rich P-T phase diagram is obtained, which contains
at least two phases with the ideal and slightly distorted pyrochlore
structures. It is found that the transition between them is suppressed with
increasing pressure and finally disappears at a critical pressure Pc = 3.5 GPa.
Remarkable enhancements in the residual resistivity as well as the coefficient
A of the AT 2 term in the resistivity are found around the critical pressure.
Superconductivity is detected only for the phase with the structural
distortion. It is suggested that the charge fluctuations of Re ions play a
crucial role in determining the electronic properties of Cd2Re2O7.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, submitted to J. Phys. Soc. Jp
The nuclear reaction waiting points, Mg22, Si26, S30, and Ar34, and bolometrically double peaked type I X-ray bursts
Type I X-ray bursts with a double peak in the bolometric luminosity have been
observed from several sources. The separation between the two peaks are on the
order of a few seconds. We propose a nuclear waiting point impedance in the
thermonuclear reaction flow to explain these observations. Nuclear structure
information suggests the potential waiting points: Mg22, Si26, S30 and Ar34,
which arise in conditions, where a further reaction flow has to await a
beta-decay, because the (alpha,p)-reaction is too weak to overcome the target
Coulomb-barrier and the (p,gamma)-reaction is quenched by photo-disintegration
at the burst temperature. The conclusion is that the effects of the
experimentally unknown S30(alpha,p)Cl33 and Ar34(alpha,p)K37 might be directly
visible in the observation of X-ray burst light curves.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Astrophys. J. Let
Magnetic and superconducting properties of Cd2Re2O7: Cd NMR and Re NQR
We report Cd NMR and Re NQR studies on Cd2Re2O7, the first superconductor
among pyrochlore oxides Tc=1 K. Re NQR spectrum at zero magnetic field below
100 K rules out any magnetic or charge order. The spin-lattice relaxation rate
below Tc exhibits a pronounced coherence peak and behaves within the
weak-coupling BCS theory with nearly isotropic energy gap. Cd NMR results point
to moderate ferromagnetic enhancement at high temperatures followed by rapid
decrease of the density of states below the structural transition temperature
of 200 K.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
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