76 research outputs found
Lunar simulation model and optical studies for Lunar Orbiter system support
Lunar model which simulates topographic and photometric characteristics of lunar surfac
The role of electron-screening deformations in solar nuclear fusion reactions and the solar neutrino puzzle
Thermonuclear fusion reaction rates in the solar plasma are enhanced by the
presence of the electron cloud that screens fusing nuclei. The present work
studies the influence of electron screening deformations on solar reaction
rates in the framework of the Debye-Huckel model. These electron-ion cloud
deformations, assumed here to be static and axially symmetric, are shown to be
able to considerably influence the solar neutrino fluxes of the pp and the CNO
chains, with reasonable changes in the macroscopic parameters of the standard
solar model (SSM) . Various known deformation sources are discussed but none of
them is found strong enough to have a significant impact on the SSM neutrino
fluxes.Comment: Revised version (14 RevTeX pages, 3 ps figures). Accepted for
publication in Nuclear Physics
Nuclear Reaction Rates in a Plasma
The problem of determining the effects of the surrounding plasma on nuclear
reaction rates in stars is formulated ab initio, using the techniques of
quantum statistical mechanics. We derive a result that expresses the complete
effects of Coulomb barrier penetration and of the influence of the surrounding
plasma in terms of matrix elements of well defined operators. We find that
possible "dynamical screening" effects that have been discussed in the
literature are absent. The form of our results suggests that an approach that
relies on numerical calculations of the correlation functions in a classical
Coulomb gas, followed by construction of an effective two body potential and a
quantum barrier penetration calculation, will miss physics that is as important
as the physics that it includes.Comment: 66 pages, revtex, Errors Fixed, Explanation Adde
Lunar navigation study, sections 1 through 7 Final report, Jun. 1964 - May 1965
Lunar navigation analysis using passive nongyro, inertial navigation, and radio frequency technolog
Lunar navigation study, summary volume Final report, Jun. 1964 - May 1965
Lunar surface navigation and guidance study to implement lunar surface vehicle exploration mission
Screening of Nuclear Reactions in the Sun and Solar Neutrinos
We quantitatively determine the effect and the uncertainty on solar neutrino
production arising from the screening process. We present predictions for the
solar neutrino fluxes and signals obtained with different screening models
available in the literature and by using our stellar evolution code. We explain
these numerical results in terms of simple laws relating the screening factors
with the neutrino fluxes. Futhermore we explore a wider range of models for
screening, obtained from the Mitler model by introducing and varying two
phenomenological parameters, taking into account effects not included in the
Mitler prescription. Screening implies, with respect to a no-screening case, a
central temperat reduction of 0.5%, a 2% (8%) increase of Beryllium
(Boron)-neutrino flux and a 2% (12%) increase of the Gallium (Chlorine) signal.
We also find that uncertainties due to the screening effect ar at the level of
1% for the predicted Beryllium-neutrino flux and Gallium signal, not exceeding
3% for the Boron-neutrino flux and the Chlorine signal.Comment: postscript file 11 pages + 4 figures compressed and uuencoded we have
replaced the previous paper with a uuencoded file (the text is the same) for
any problem please write to [email protected]
Pulsation modes in rapidly rotating stellar models based on the Self-Consistent Field method
Context: New observational means such as the space missions CoRoT and Kepler
and ground-based networks are and will be collecting stellar pulsation data
with unprecedented accuracy. A significant fraction of the stars in which
pulsations are observed are rotating rapidly.
Aims: Our aim is to characterise pulsation modes in rapidly rotating stellar
models so as to be able to interpret asteroseismic data from such stars.
Methods: The pulsation code developed in Ligni\`eres et al. (2006) and Reese
et al. (2006) is applied to stellar models based on the self-consistent field
(SCF) method (Jackson et al. 2004, 2005, MacGregor et al. 2007).
Results: Pulsation modes in SCF models follow a similar behaviour to those in
uniformly rotating polytropic models, provided that the rotation profile is not
too differential. Pulsation modes fall into different categories, the three
main ones being island, chaotic, and whispering gallery modes, which are
rotating counterparts to modes with low, medium, and high l-|m| values,
respectively. The frequencies of the island modes follow an asymptotic pattern
quite similar to what was found for polytropic models. Extending this
asymptotic formula to higher azimuthal orders reveals more subtle behaviour as
a function of m and provides a first estimate of the average advection of
pulsation modes by rotation. Further calculations based on a variational
principle confirm this estimate and provide rotation kernels that could be used
in inversion methods. When the rotation profile becomes highly differential, it
becomes more and more difficult to find island and whispering gallery modes at
low azimuthal orders. At high azimuthal orders, whispering gallery modes, and
in some cases island modes, reappear.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&
New indication for a dichotomy in the interior structure of Uranus and Neptune from the application of modified shape and rotation data
Since the Voyager fly-bys of Uranus and Neptune, improved gravity field data
have been derived from long-term observations of the planets' satellite
motions, and modified shape and solid-body rotation periods were suggested. A
faster rotation period (-40 min) for Uranus and a slower rotation period
(+1h20) of Neptune compared to the Voyager data were found to minimize the
dynamical heights and wind speeds. We apply the improved gravity data, the
modified shape and rotation data, and the physical LM-R equation of state to
compute adiabatic three-layer structure models, where rocks are confined to the
core, and homogeneous thermal evolution models of Uranus and Neptune. We
present the full range of structure models for both the Voyager and the
modified shape and rotation data. In contrast to previous studies based solely
on the Voyager data or on empirical EOS, we find that Uranus and Neptune may
differ to an observationally significant level in their atmospheric heavy
element mass fraction Z1 and nondimensional moment of inertia, nI. For Uranus,
we find Z1 < 8% and nI=0.2224(1), while for Neptune Z1 < 65% and nI=0.2555(2)
when applying the modified shape and rotation data, while for the unmodified
data we compute Z1 < 17% and nI=0.230(1) for Uranus and Z1 < 54% and
nI=0.2410(8) for Neptune. In each of these cases, solar metallicity models
(Z1=0.015) are still possible. The cooling times obtained for each planet are
similar to recent calculations with the Voyager rotation periods: Neptune's
luminosity can be explained by assuming an adiabatic interior while Uranus
cools far too slowly. More accurate determinations of these planets' gravity
fields, shapes, rotation periods, atmospheric heavy element abundances, and
intrinsic luminosities are essential for improving our understanding of the
internal structure and evolution of icy planets.Comment: accepted to Planet. Space Sci., special editio
Evolution of a 3 \msun star from the main sequence to the ZZ Ceti stage: the role played by element diffusion
The purpose of this paper is to present new full evolutionary calculations
for DA white dwarf stars with the major aim of providing a physically sound
reference frame for exploring the pulsation properties of the resulting models
in future communications. Here, white dwarf evolution is followed in a
self-consistent way with the predictions of time dependent element diffusion
and nuclear burning. In addition, full account is taken of the evolutionary
stages prior to the white dwarf formation. In particular, we follow the
evolution of a 3 \msun model from the zero-age main sequence (the adopted
metallicity is Z=0.02) all the way from the stages of hydrogen and helium
burning in the core up to the thermally pulsing phase. After experiencing 11
thermal pulses, the model is forced to evolve towards its white dwarf
configuration by invoking strong mass loss episodes. Further evolution is
followed down to the domain of the ZZ Ceti stars on the white dwarf cooling
branch. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of the chemical abundance
distribution due to diffusion processes and the role played by hydrogen burning
during the white dwarf evolution. Furthermore, the implications of our
evolutionary models for the main quantities relevant for adiabatic pulsation
analysis are discussed. Interestingly, the shape of the Ledoux term is markedly
smoother as compared with previous detailed studies of white dwarfs. This is
translated into a different behaviour of the Brunt-Vaisala frequency.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
A New, Efficient Stellar Evolution Code for Calculating Complete Evolutionary Tracks
We present a new stellar evolution code and a set of results, demonstrating
its capability at calculating full evolutionary tracks for a wide range of
masses and metallicities. The code is fast and efficient, and is capable of
following through all evolutionary phases, without interruption or human
intervention. It is meant to be used also in the context of modeling the
evolution of dense stellar systems, for performing live calculations for both
normal star models and merger-products.
The code is based on a fully implicit, adaptive-grid numerical scheme that
solves simultaneously for structure, mesh and chemical composition. Full
details are given for the treatment of convection, equation of state, opacity,
nuclear reactions and mass loss.
Results of evolutionary calculations are shown for a solar model that matches
the characteristics of the present sun to an accuracy of better than 1%; a 1
Msun model for a wide range of metallicities; a series of models of stellar
populations I and II, for the mass range 0.25 to 64 Msun, followed from
pre-main-sequence to a cool white dwarf or core collapse. An initial final-mass
relationship is derived and compared with previous studies. Finally, we briefly
address the evolution of non-canonical configurations, merger-products of
low-mass main-sequence parents.Comment: MNRAS, in press; several sections and figures revise
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