7,909 research outputs found
Relations between extensional tectonics and magmatism within the Southern Oklahoma aulacogen
Variations in the geometry, distribution and thickness of Cambrian igneous and sedimentary units within southwest Oklahoma are related to a late Proterozoic - early Paleozoic rifting event which formed the Southern Oklahoma aulacogen. These rock units are exposed in the Wichita Mountains, southwest Olkahoma, located on the northern margin of a Proterozoic basin, identified in the subsurface by COCORP reflection data. Overprinting of the Cambrian extensional event by Pennyslvanian tectonism obsured the influence of pre-existing basement structures and contrasting basement lithologies upon the initial development of the aulacogen
Atmospheric Escape from Hot Jupiters
The extra-solar planet HD209458b has been found to have an extended
atmosphere of escaping atomic hydrogen (Vidal-Madjar et al. 2003), suggesting
that ``hot Jupiters'' closer to their parent stars could evaporate. Here we
estimate the atmospheric escape (so called evaporation rate) from hot Jupiters
and their corresponding life time against evaporation. The calculated
evaporation rate of HD209458b is in excellent agreement with the HI Lyman-alpha
observations. We find that the tidal forces and high temperatures in the upper
atmosphere must be taken into account to obtain reliable estimate of the
atmospheric escape. Because of the tidal forces, we show that there is a new
escape mechanism at intermediate temperatures at which the exobase reaches the
Roche lobe. From an energy balance, we can estimate plausible values for the
planetary exospheric temperatures, and thus obtain typical life times of
planets as a function of their mass and orbital distance.Comment: A&A Letters, in pres
Using aircraft measurements to determine the refractive index of Saharan dust during the DODO Experiments
Much uncertainty in the value of the imaginary part of the refractive index of mineral dust contributes to uncertainty in the radiative effect of mineral dust in the atmosphere. A synthesis of optical, chemical and physical in-situ aircraft measurements from the DODO experiments during February and August 2006 are used to calculate the refractive index mineral dust encountered over West Africa. Radiative transfer modeling and measurements of broadband shortwave irradiance at a range of altitudes are used to test and validate these calculations for a specific dust event on 23 August 2006 over Mauritania. Two techniques are used to determine the refractive index: firstly a method combining measurements of scattering, absorption, size distributions and Mie code simulations, and secondly a method using composition measured on filter samples to apportion the content of internally mixed quartz, calcite and iron oxide-clay aggregates, where the iron oxide is represented by either hematite or goethite and clay by either illite or kaolinite. The imaginary part of the refractive index at 550 nm (ni550) is found to range between 0.0001 i to 0.0046 i, and where filter samples are available, agreement between methods is found depending on mineral combination assumed. The refractive indices are also found to agree well with AERONET data where comparisons are possible. ni550 is found to vary with dust source, which is investigated with the NAME model for each case. The relationship between both size distribution and ni550 on the accumulation mode single scattering albedo at 550 nm (Ï0550) are examined and size distribution is found to have no correlation to Ï0550, while ni550 shows a strong linear relationship with Ï0550. Radiative transfer modeling was performed with different models (Mie-derived refractive indices, but also filter sampling composition assuming both internal and external mixing). Our calculations indicate that Mie-derived values of ni550 and the externally mixed dust where the iron oxide-clay aggregate corresponds to the goethite-kaolinite combination result in the best agreement with irradiance measurements. The radiative effect of the dust is found to be very sensitive to the mineral combination (and hence refractive index) assumed, and to whether the dust is assumed to be internally or externally mixed
Entanglement between an electron and a nuclear spin 1/2
We report on the preparation and detection of entangled states between an
electron spin 1/2 and a nuclear spin 1/2 in a molecular single crystal. These
were created by applying pulses at ESR (9.5 GHz) and NMR (28 MHz) frequencies.
Entanglement was detected by using a special entanglement detector sequence
based on a unitary back transformation including phase rotation.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Bayesian multiscale deconvolution applied to gamma-ray spectroscopy
A common task in gamma-ray astronomy is to extract spectral information, such as model constraints and incident photon spectrum estimates, given the measured energy deposited in a detector and the detector response. This is the classic problem of spectral âdeconvolutionâ or spectral inversion. The methods of forward folding (i.e., parameter fitting) and maximum entropy âdeconvolutionâ (i.e., estimating independent input photon rates for each individual energy bin) have been used successfully for gamma-ray solar flares (e.g., Rank, 1997; Share and Murphy, 1995). These methods have worked well under certain conditions but there are situations were they donât apply. These are: 1) when no reasonable model (e.g., fewer parameters than data bins) is yet known, for forward folding; 2) when one expects a mixture of broad and narrow features (e.g., solar flares), for the maximum entropy method; and 3) low count rates and low signal-to-noise, for both. Low count rates are a problem because these methods (as they have been implemented) assume Gaussian statistics but Poisson are applicable. Background subtraction techniques often lead to negative count rates. For Poisson data the Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE) with a Poisson likelihood is appropriate. Without a regularization term, trying to estimate the âtrueâ individual input photon rates per bin can be an ill-posed problem, even without including both broad and narrow features in the spectrum (i.e., amultiscale approach). One way to implement this regularization is through the use of a suitable Bayesian prior. Nowak and Kolaczyk (1999) have developed a fast, robust, technique using a Bayesian multiscale framework that addresses these problems with added algorithmic advantages. We outline this new approach and demonstrate its use with time resolved solar flare gamma-ray spectroscopy
Stability analysis of polarized domains
Polarized ferrofluids, lipid monolayers and magnetic bubbles form domains
with deformable boundaries. Stability analysis of these domains depends on a
family of nontrivial integrals. We present a closed form evaluation of these
integrals as a combination of Legendre functions. This result allows exact and
explicit formulae for stability thresholds and growth rates of individual
modes. We also evaluate asymptotic behavior in several interesting limits.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, Late
Energetic proton spectra in the 11 June 1991 solar flare
The June 11, 1991 gamma-ray flare seen by the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory (CGRO) displays several features that make it a dynamic and rich event. It is a member of a class of long duration gamma-ray events with both 2.223 MeV and greater than 8 MeV emission for hours after the impulsive phase. It also contains an inter-phase between the impulsive and extended phases that presents a challenge to the standard gamma-ray line (GRL) flare picture. This phase has strong 2.223 MeV emission and relatively weak 4.44 MeV emission indicative of a very hard parent proton spectrum. However, this would indicate emission greater than 8 MeV, which is absent from this period. We present the application of new spectroscopy techniques to this phase of the flare in order to present a reasonable explanation for this seemly inconsistent picture
ââThereâs so much more to it than what I initially thoughtââ: Stepping into researchersâ shoes with a class activity in a first year psychology survey course
In psychology, it is widely agreed that research methods, although central to the discipline, are particularly challenging to learn and teach, particularly at introductory level. This pilot study explored the potential of embedding a student-conducted research activity in a one-semester undergraduate Introduction to Psychology survey course, with the aims of (a) engaging students with the topic of research methods; (b) developing studentsâ comprehension and application of research methods concepts; and (c) building studentsâ ability to link research with theory. The research activity explored shoe ownership, examining gender differences and relationships with age, and linking to theories of gender difference and of consumer identity. The process of carrying out the research and reflecting on it created a contextualized, active learning environment in which students themselves raised many issues that research methods lectures seek to cover. Students also wrote richer assignments than standard first year mid-term essay
Energetic proton spectra in the 11 June 1991 solar flare
We have studied a subset of the 11 June 1991 solar flare Îł-ray data that we believe arise from soft proton or ion spectra. Using data from the COMPTEL instrument on the Compton Observatory we discuss the gamma-ray intensities at 2.223 MeV, 4â7 MeV, and 8â30 MeV in terms of the parent proton spectrum responsible for the emission
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