1,109 research outputs found
B12Hn and B12Fn: planar vs icosahedral structures
Using density functional theory and quantum Monte Carlo calculations, we show that B12Hn and B12Fn (n = 0 to 4) quasi-planar structures are energetically more favorable than the corresponding icosahedral clusters. Moreover, we show that the fully planar B12F6 cluster is more stable than the three-dimensional counterpart. These results open up the possibility of designing larger boron-based nanostructures starting from quasi-planar or fully planar building blocks
Determination of the minimum masses of heavy elements in the envelopes of Jupiter and Saturn
We calculate the minimum mass of heavy elements required in the envelopes of
Jupiter and Saturn to match the observed oversolar abundances of volatiles.
Because the clathration efficiency remains unknown in the solar nebula, we have
considered a set of sequences of ice formation in which the fraction of water
available for clathration is varied between 0 and 100 %. In all the cases
considered, we assume that the water abundance remains homogeneous whatever the
heliocentric distance in the nebula and directly derives from a gas phase of
solar composition. Planetesimals then form in the feeding zones of Jupiter and
Saturn from the agglomeration of clathrates and pure condensates in proportions
fixed by the clathration efficiency. A fraction of Kr and Xe may have been
sequestrated by the H3+ ion in the form of stable XeH3+ and KrH3+ complexes in
the solar nebula gas phase, thus implying the formation of at least partly Xe-
and Kr-impoverished planetesimals in the feeding zones of Jupiter and Saturn.
These planetesimals were subsequently accreted and vaporized into the hydrogen
envelopes of Jupiter and Saturn, thus engendering volatiles enrichments in
their atmospheres, with respect to hydrogen. Taking into account both
refractory and volatile components, and assuming plausible molecular mixing
ratios in the gas phase of the outer solar nebula, we show that it is possible
to match the observed enrichments in Jupiter and Saturn, whatever the
clathration efficiency. Our calculations predict that the O/H enrichment
decreases from 6.7 to 5.6 times solar (O/H) in the envelope of Jupiter and from
18.1 to 15.4 times solar (O/H) in the envelope of Saturn with the growing
clathration efficiency in the solar nebula.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa
Optimized unconventional superconductivity in a molecular Jahn-Teller metal
Understanding the relationship between the superconducting, the neighboring insulating, and the normal metallic state above Tc is a major challenge for all unconventional superconductors. The molecular A3C60 fulleride superconductors have a parent antiferromagnetic insulator in common with the atom-based cuprates, but here, the C603â electronic structure controls the geometry and spin state of the structural building unit via the on-molecule Jahn-Teller effect. We identify the Jahn-Teller metal as a fluctuating microscopically heterogeneous coexistence of both localized Jahn-Tellerâactive and itinerant electrons that connects the insulating and superconducting states of fullerides. The balance between these molecular and extended lattice features of the electrons at the Fermi level gives a dome-shaped variation of Tc with interfulleride separation, demonstrating molecular electronic structure control of superconductivity
Time-Reversal Symmetry-Breaking Superconductivity in Heavy Fermion PrOs4Sb12 detected by Muon Spin Relaxation
We report on muon spin relaxation measurements of the 4f^2-based
heavy-fermion superconductor filled-skutterudite PrOs4Sb12. The results reveal
the spontaneous appearance of static internal magnetic fields below the
superconducting transition temperature, providing unambiguous evidence for the
breaking of time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state. A discussion
is made on which of the spin or orbital component of Cooper pairs carries a
nonzero momentum.Comment: 5 pages with 3 figure
Nonlocal Effects and Shrinkage of the Vortex Core Radius in YNi2B2C Probed by muSR
The magnetic field distribution in the vortex state of YNi2B2C has been
probed by muon spin rotation (muSR). The analysis based on the London model
with nonlocal corrections shows that the vortex lattice has changed from
hexagonal to square with increasing magnetic field H. At low fields the vortex
core radius, rho_v(H), decreases with increasing H much steeper than what is
expected from the sqrt(H) behavior of the Sommerfeld constant gamma(H),
strongly suggesting that the anomaly in gamma(H) primarily arises from the
quasiparticle excitations outside the vortex cores.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
The W51 Giant Molecular Cloud
We present 45"-47" angular resolution maps at 50" sampling of the 12CO and
13CO J=1-0 emission toward a 1.39 deg x 1.33 deg region in the W51 HII region
complex. These data permit the spatial and kinematic separation of several
spectral features observed along the line of sight to W51, and establish the
presence of a massive (1.2 x 10^6 Mo), large (83 pc x 114 pc) giant molecular
cloud (GMC), defined as the W51 GMC, centered at (l,b,V) = (49.5 deg, -0.2 deg,
61 km/s). A second massive (1.9 x 10^5 Mo), elongated (136 pc x 22 pc)
molecular cloud is found at velocities of about 68 km/s along the southern edge
of the W51 GMC. Of the five radio continuum sources that classically define the
W51 region, the brightest source at lambda 6cm (G49.5-0.4) is spatially and
kinematically coincident with the W51 GMC and three (G48.9-0.3, G49.1-0.4, and
G49.2-0.4) are associated with the 68 km/s cloud. Published absorption line
spectra indicate that the fifth prominent continuum source (G49.4-0.3) is
located behind the W51 molecular cloud. The W51 GMC is among the upper 1% of
clouds in the Galactic disk by size and the upper 5-10% by mass. While the W51
GMC is larger and more massive than any nearby molecular cloud, the average H2
column density is not unusual given its size and the mean H2 volume density is
comparable to that in nearby clouds. The W51 GMC is also similar to other
clouds in that most of the molecular mass is contained in a diffuse envelope
that is not currently forming massive stars. We speculate that much of the
massive star formation activity in this region has resulted from a collision
between the 68 km/s cloud and the W51 GMC.Comment: Accepted for publication by the Astronomical Journal. 21 pages, plus
7 figures and 1 tabl
Observation of the first gravitational microlensing event in a sparse stellar field : the Tago event
We report the observation of the first gravitational microlensing event in a
sparse stellar field, involving the brightest (V=11.4 mag) andclosest (~ 1 kpc)
source star to date. This event was discovered by an amateurastronomer, A.
Tago, on 2006 October 31 as a transient brightening, by ~4.5 mag during a ~15
day period, of a normal A-type star (GSC 3656-1328) in the Cassiopeia
constellation. Analysis of both spectroscopic observations and the light curve
indicates that this event was caused by gravitational microlensing rather than
an intrinsically variable star. Discovery of this single event over a 30 year
period is roughly consistent with the expected microlensing rate for the whole
sky down to V = 12 mag stars. However, the probability for finding events with
such a high magnification (~ 50) is much smaller, by a factor ~1/50, which
implies that the true event rate may be higher than expected. This discovery
indicates the potential of all sky variability surveys, employing frequent
sampling by telescopes with small apertures and wide fields of view, for
finding such rare transient events, and using the observations to explore
galactic disk structure and search for exo-planets.Comment: 13 pages, 2 tables, 3 figures, accepted by Ap
Large-scale mapping observations of the CI(3P1-3P0) and CO(J=3-2) lines toward the Orion A molecular cloud
Large scale mapping observations of the 3P1-3P0 fine structure transition of
atomic carbon (CI, 492 GHz) and the J=3-2 transition of CO (346 GHz) toward the
Orion A molecular cloud have been carried out with the Mt. Fuji
submillimeter-wave telescope. The observations cover 9 square degrees, and
include the Orion nebula M42 and the L1641 dark cloud complex. The CI emission
extends over almost the entire region of the Orion A cloud and is surprisingly
similar to that of 13CO(J=1-0).The CO(J=3-2) emission shows a more featureless
and extended distribution than CI.The CI/CO(J=3-2) integrated intensity ratio
shows a spatial gradient running from the north (0.10) to the south (1.2) of
the Orion A cloud, which we interpret as a consequence of the temperature
gradient. On the other hand, the CI/13CO(J=1-0) intensity ratio shows no
systematic gradient. We have found a good correlation between the CI and
13CO(J=1-0) intensities over the Orion A cloud. This result is discussed on the
basis of photodissociation region models.Comment: Text file is 13 pages long, and 3 figure files (pdf format). NRO
Report No. 508 (1999). University of Tokyo, Resceu 41/9
- âŠ