3,767 research outputs found
The Super Bigbite Project: a Study of Nucleon Form Factors
A proposed set of instrumentation, collectively referred to as the Super
Bigbite project, is presented. Used in three different configurations it will
allow measurements of three nucleon electromagnetic form factors GEn, GEp, and
GMn with unprecedented precision to Q2-values up to three times higher than
existing data
Flavor decomposition of the elastic nucleon electromagnetic form factors
The u- and d-quark contributions to the elastic nucleon electromagnetic form
factors have been determined using experimental data on GEn, GMn, GpE, and GpM.
Such a flavor separation of the form factors became possible up to 3.4 GeV2
with recent data on GEn from Hall A at JLab. At a negative four-momentum
transfer squared Q2 above 1 GeV2, for both the u- and d-quark components, the
ratio of the Pauli form factor to the Dirac form factor, F2/F1, was found to be
almost constant, and for each of F2 and F1 individually, the d-quark portions
of both form factors drop continuously with increasing Q2.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Use of a general imaging model to achieve predictive autofocus in the scanning electron microscope.
This work outlines the development of a general imaging model for use in autofocus, astigmatism correction, and resolution analysis. The model is based on the modulation transfer function of the system in the presence of aberrations, in particular, defocus.
The signals used are related to the ratios of the Fourier transforms of images captured under different operating conditions. Methods are developed for working with these signals in a consistent manner.
The model described is then applied to the problem of autofocus. A fairly general autofocus algorithm is presented and results given which reflect the predictive properties of this model.
The imaging system used for the generation of results was a scanning electron microscope (SEM), although the conclusions should be valid across a far wider range of instruments. It is, however, the specific requirements of the SEM that make the generalisation presented here particularly useful. We have, therefore, confined our investigation to SEM
Detection of very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from the vicinity of PSR B1706-44 with H.E.S.S
The energetic pulsar PSR B1706-44 and the adjacent supernova remnant (SNR)
candidate G 343.1-2.3 were observed by H.E.S.S. during a dedicated
observational campaign in 2007. A new source of very-high-energy (VHE; E > 100
GeV) gamma-ray emission, HESS J1708-443, was discovered with its centroid at
RA(J2000) = 17h08m10s and Dec(J2000) = -44d21', with a statistical error of 3
arcmin on each axis. The VHE gamma-ray source is significantly more extended
than the H.E.S.S. point-spread function, with an intrinsic Gaussian width of
0.29 +/- 0.04 deg. Its energy spectrum can be described by a power law with a
photon index Gamma = 2.0 +/- 0.1 (stat) +/- 0.2 (sys). The integral flux
measured between 1-10 TeV is ~17% of the Crab Nebula flux in the same energy
range. The possible associations with PSR B1706-44 and SNR G343.1-2.3 are
discussed.Comment: 4+ pages, 2 figures; v1 submitted to ICRC Proceedings on 15 May 2009;
v2 has additional references and minor change
Pulsational instability of yellow hypergiants
Instability of population I (X=0.7, Y=0.02) massive stars against radial
oscillations during the post-main sequence gravitational contraction of the
helium core is investigated. Initial stellar masses are in the range from
65M_\odot to 90M_\odot. In hydrodynamic computations of self-exciting stellar
oscillations we assumed that energy transfer in the envelope of the pulsating
star is due to radiative heat conduction and convection. The convective heat
transfer was treated in the framework of the theory of time-dependent turbulent
convection. During evolutionary expansion of outer layers after hydrogen
exhaustion in the stellar core the star is shown to be unstable against radial
oscillations while its effective temperature is Teff > 6700K for
Mzams=65M_\odot and Teff > 7200K for mzams=90M_\odot. Pulsational instability
is due to the \kappa-mechanism in helium ionization zones and at lower
effective temperature oscillations decay because of significantly increasing
convection. The upper limit of the period of radial pulsations on this stage of
evolution does not exceed 200 day. Radial oscillations of the hypergiant resume
during evolutionary contraction of outer layers when the effective temperature
is Teff > 7300K for Mzams=65M_\odot and Teff > 7600K for Mzams=90M_\odot.
Initially radial oscillations are due to instability of the first overtone and
transition to fundamental mode pulsations takes place at higher effective
temperatures (Teff > 7700K for Mzams=65M_\odot and Teff > 8200K for
Mzams=90M_\odot). The upper limit of the period of radial oscillations of
evolving blueward yellow hypergiants does not exceed 130 day. Thus, yellow
hypergiants are stable against radial stellar pulsations during the major part
of their evolutionary stage.Comment: 20 pages, 7 gigures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy Letter
X-Ray Evidence for Flare Density Variations and Continual Chromospheric Evaporation in Proxima Centauri
Using the XMM-Newton X-ray observatory to monitor the nearest star to the
Sun, Proxima Centauri, we recorded the weakest X-ray flares on a magnetically
active star ever observed. Correlated X-ray and optical variability provide
strong support for coronal energy and mass supply by a nearly continuous
sequence of rapid explosive energy releases. Variable emission line fluxes were
observed in the He-like triplets of OVII and NeIX during a giant flare. They
give direct X-ray evidence for density variations, implying densities between
2x10^{10} - 4x10^{11} cm^{-3} and providing estimates of the mass and the
volume of the line-emitting plasma. We discuss the data in the context of the
chromospheric evaporation scenario.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, accepted by The Astrophysical Journal, Letters;
improved calculations of radiative loss of cool plasma (toward end of paper
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