3,529 research outputs found
Theoretical and material studies on thin-film electroluminescent devices
The effect of surface nucleation processes on the quality of ZnS layers grown on (001) GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy is reported. Reflection high energy electron diffraction indicated that nucleation at high temperatures produced more planar surfaces than nucleation at low temperatures, but the crystalline quality as accessed by x ray double crystal diffractometry is relatively independent of nucleation temperature. A critical factor in layer quality was the initial roughness of the GaAs surfaces
Device and method for frictionally testing materials for ignitability
Test apparatus for determining ignition characteristics of various metal in oxidizer environments simulating operating conditions for materials is invented. The test apparatus has a chamber through which the oxidizing agent flows, and means for mounting a stationary test sample therein, a powered, rotating shaft in the chamber rigidly mounts a second test sample. The shaft is axially movable to bring the samples into frictional engagement and heated to the ignition point. Instrumentation connected to the apparatus provides for observation of temperatures, pressures, loads on and speeds of the rotating shaft, and torques whereby components of stressed oxygen systems can be selected which will avoid accidental fires under working conditions
Energy Distribution of Micro-events in the Quiet Solar Corona
Recent imaging observations of EUV line emissions have shown evidence for
frequent flare-like events in a majority of the pixels in quiet regions of the
solar corona. The changes in coronal emission measure indicate impulsive
heating of new material to coronal temperatures. These heating or evaporation
events are candidate signatures of "nanoflares" or "microflares" proposed to
interpret the high temperature and the very existence of the corona. The energy
distribution of these micro-events reported in the literature differ widely,
and so do the estimates of their total energy input into the corona. Here we
analyze the assumptions of the different methods, compare them by using the
same data set and discuss their results.
We also estimate the different forms of energy input and output, keeping in
mind that the observed brightenings are most likely secondary phenomena. A
rough estimate of the energy input observed by EIT on the SoHO satellite is of
the order of 10% of the total radiative output in the same region. It is
considerably smaller for the two reported TRACE observations. The discrepancy
can be explained partially by different thresholds for flare detection. There
is agreement on the slope and the absolute value of the distribution if the
same method were used and a numerical error corrected. The extrapolation of the
power law to unobserved energies that are many orders of magnitude smaller
remains questionable. Nevertheless, these micro-events and unresolved smaller
events are currently the best source of information on the heating process of
the corona
A generalized bayesian inference method for constraining the interiors of super Earths and sub-Neptunes
We aim to present a generalized Bayesian inference method for constraining
interiors of super Earths and sub-Neptunes. Our methodology succeeds in
quantifying the degeneracy and correlation of structural parameters for high
dimensional parameter spaces. Specifically, we identify what constraints can be
placed on composition and thickness of core, mantle, ice, ocean, and
atmospheric layers given observations of mass, radius, and bulk refractory
abundance constraints (Fe, Mg, Si) from observations of the host star's
photospheric composition. We employed a full probabilistic Bayesian inference
analysis that formally accounts for observational and model uncertainties.
Using a Markov chain Monte Carlo technique, we computed joint and marginal
posterior probability distributions for all structural parameters of interest.
We included state-of-the-art structural models based on self-consistent
thermodynamics of core, mantle, high-pressure ice, and liquid water.
Furthermore, we tested and compared two different atmospheric models that are
tailored for modeling thick and thin atmospheres, respectively. First, we
validate our method against Neptune. Second, we apply it to synthetic
exoplanets of fixed mass and determine the effect on interior structure and
composition when (1) radius, (2) atmospheric model, (3) data uncertainties, (4)
semi-major axes, (5) atmospheric composition (i.e., a priori assumption of
enriched envelopes versus pure H/He envelopes), and (6) prior distributions are
varied. Our main conclusions are: [...]Comment: Astronomy & Astrophysics, 597, A37, 17 pages, 11 figure
Collisions between equal sized ice grain agglomerates
Following the recent insight in the material structure of comets,
protoplanetesimals are assumed to have low densities and to be highly porous
agglomerates. It is still unclear if planetesimals can be formed from these
objects by collisional growth. Therefore, it is important to study numerically
the collisional outcome from low velocity impacts of equal sized porous
agglomerates which are too large to be examined in a laboratory experiment. We
use the Lagrangian particle method Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics to solve the
equations that describe the dynamics of elastic and plastic bodies.
Additionally, to account for the influence of porosity, we follow a previous
developed equation of state and certain relations between the material strength
and the relative density. Collisional growth seems possible for rather low
collision velocities and particular material strengths. The remnants of
collisions with impact parameters that are larger than 50% of the radius of the
colliding objects tend to rotate. For small impact parameters, the colliding
objects are effectively slowed down without a prominent compaction of the
porous structure, which probably increases the possibility for growth. The
protoplanetesimals, however, do not stick together for the most part of the
employed material strengths. An important issue in subsequent studies has to be
the influence of rotation to collisional growth. Moreover, for realistic
simulations of protoplanetesimals it is crucial to know the correct material
parameters in more detail.Comment: 7 pages, 11 figures, accepted by A&
Density dynamics from current auto-correlations at finite time- and length-scales
We consider the increase of the spatial variance of some inhomogeneous,
non-equilibrium density (particles, energy, etc.) in a periodic quantum system
of condensed matter-type. This is done for a certain class of initial quantum
states which is supported by static linear response and typicality arguments.
We directly relate the broadening to some current auto-correlation function at
finite times. Our result is not limited to diffusive behavior, however, in that
case it yields a generalized Einstein relation. These findings facilitate the
approximation of diffusion constants/conductivities on the basis of current
auto-correlation functions at finite times for finite systems. Pursuing this,
we quantitatively confirm the magnetization diffusion constant in a spin chain
which was recently found from non-equilibrium bath scenarios.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in Europhys. Let
Quiescent Radio Emission from Southern Late-type M Dwarfs and a Spectacular Radio Flare from the M8 Dwarf DENIS 1048-3956
We report the results of a radio monitoring program conducted at the
Australia Telescope Compact Array to search for quiescent and flaring emission
from seven nearby Southern late-type M and L dwarfs. Two late-type M dwarfs,
the M7 V LHS 3003 and the M8 V DENIS 1048-3956, were detected in quiescent
emission at 4.80 GHz. The observed emission is consistent with optically thin
gyrosynchrotron emission from mildly relativistic (~1-10 keV) electrons with
source densities n_e ~ 10 G magnetic fields. DENIS
1048-3956 was also detected in two spectacular, short-lived flares, one at 4.80
GHz (peak f_nu = 6.0+/-0.8 mJy) and one at 8.64 GHz (peak f_nu = 29.6+/-1.0
mJy) approximately 10 minutes later. The high brightness temperature (T_B >~
10^13 K), short emission period (~4-5 minutes), high circular polarization
(~100%), and apparently narrow spectral bandwidth of these events imply a
coherent emission process in a region of high electron density (n_e ~
10^11-10^12 cm^-3) and magnetic field strength (B ~ 1 kG). If the two flare
events are related, the apparent frequency drift in the emission suggests that
the emitting source either moved into regions of higher electron or magnetic
flux density; or was compressed, e.g., by twisting field lines or gas motions.
The quiescent fluxes from the radio-emitting M dwarfs violate the Gudel-Benz
empirical radio/X-ray relations, confirming a trend previously noted by Berger
et al. (abridged)Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Graphene microwave transistors on sapphire substrates
We have developed metal-oxide graphene field-effect transistors (MOGFETs) on
sapphire substrates working at microwave frequencies. For monolayers, we obtain
a transit frequency up to ~ 80 GHz for a gate length of 200 nm, and a power
gain maximum frequency of about ~ 3 GHz for this specific sample. Given the
strongly reduced charge noise for nanostructures on sapphire, the high
stability and high performance of this material at low temperature, our MOGFETs
on sapphire are well suited for a cryogenic broadband low-noise amplifier
Survey on solar X-ray flares and associated coherent radio emissions
The radio emission during 201 X-ray selected solar flares was surveyed from
100 MHz to 4 GHz with the Phoenix-2 spectrometer of ETH Zurich. The selection
includes all RHESSI flares larger than C5.0 jointly observed from launch until
June 30, 2003. Detailed association rates of radio emission during X-ray flares
are reported. In the decimeter wavelength range, type III bursts and the
genuinely decimetric emissions (pulsations, continua, and narrowband spikes)
were found equally frequently. Both occur predominantly in the peak phase of
hard X-ray (HXR) emission, but are less in tune with HXRs than the
high-frequency continuum exceeding 4 GHz, attributed to gyrosynchrotron
radiation. In 10% of the HXR flares, an intense radiation of the above genuine
decimetric types followed in the decay phase or later. Classic meter-wave type
III bursts are associated in 33% of all HXR flares, but only in 4% they are the
exclusive radio emission. Noise storms were the only radio emission in 5% of
the HXR flares, some of them with extended duration. Despite the spatial
association (same active region), the noise storm variations are found to be
only loosely correlated in time with the X-ray flux. In a surprising 17% of the
HXR flares, no coherent radio emission was found in the extremely broad band
surveyed. The association but loose correlation between HXR and coherent radio
emission is interpreted by multiple reconnection sites connected by common
field lines.Comment: Solar Physics, in pres
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