34,580 research outputs found
Finding the Origin of the Pioneer Anomaly
Analysis of radio-metric tracking data from the Pioneer 10/11 spacecraft at
distances between 20 - 70 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun has consistently
indicated the presence of an anomalous, small, constant Doppler frequency
drift. The drift can be interpreted as being due to a constant acceleration of
a_P= (8.74 \pm 1.33) x 10^{-8} cm/s^2 directed towards the Sun. Although it is
suspected that there is a systematic origin to the effect, none has been found.
As a result, the nature of this anomaly has become of growing interest. Here we
present a concept for a deep-space experiment that will reveal the origin of
the discovered anomaly and also will characterize its properties to an accuracy
of at least two orders of magnitude below the anomaly's size. The proposed
mission will not only provide a significant accuracy improvement in the search
for small anomalous accelerations, it will also determine if the anomaly is due
to some internal systematic or has an external origin. A number of critical
requirements and design considerations for the mission are outlined and
addressed. If only already existing technologies were used, the mission could
be flown as early as 2010.Comment: 21 SS pages, 4+1 figures. final changes for publicatio
Nodeless superconductivity in the noncentrosymmetric MoRhN superconductor: a SR study
The noncentrosymmetric superconductor MoRhN, with K,
adopts a -Mn-type structure (space group 432), similar to that of
MoAlC. Its bulk superconductivity was characterized by magnetization
and heat-capacity measurements, while its microscopic electronic properties
were investigated by means of muon-spin rotation and relaxation (SR). The
low-temperature superfluid density, measured via transverse-field (TF)-SR,
evidences a fully-gapped superconducting state with , very close to 1.76 - the BCS gap value for
the weak coupling case, and a magnetic penetration depth nm.
The absence of spontaneous magnetic fields below the onset of
superconductivity, as determined by zero-field (ZF)-SR measurements, hints
at a preserved time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state. Both TF-and
ZF-SR results evidence a spin-singlet pairing in MoRhN.Comment: 5 figures and 5 pages. Accepted for publication as a Rapid
Communication in Phys. Rev.
Coexistence of localized and itinerant electrons in BaFe2X3 (X = S and Se) revealed by photoemission spectroscopy
We report a photoemission study at room temperature on BaFe2X3 (X = S and Se)
and CsFe2Se3 in which two-leg ladders are formed by the Fe sites. The Fe 2p
core-level peaks of BaFe2X3 are broad and exhibit two components, indicating
that itinerant and localized Fe 3d sites coexist similar to KxFe2-ySe2. The Fe
2p core-level peak of CsFe2Se3 is rather sharp and is accompanied by a
charge-transfer satellite. The insulating ground state of CsFe2Se3 can be
viewed as a Fe2+ Mott insulator in spite of the formal valence of +2.5. The
itinerant versus localized behaviors can be associated with the stability of
chalcogen p holes in the two-leg ladder structure.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, Accepted in publication for Physical Review
Neutron-Capture Elements in the Double-Enhanced Star HE 1305-0007: a New s- and r-Process Paradigm
The star HE 1305-0007 is a metal-poor double-enhanced star with metallicity
[Fe/H] , which is just at the upper limit of the metallicity for the
observed double-enhanced stars. Using a parametric model, we find that almost
all s-elements were made in a single neutron exposure. This star should be a
member of a post-common-envelope binary. After the s-process material has
experienced only one neutron exposure in the nucleosynthesis region and is
dredged-up to its envelope, the AGB evolution is terminated by the onset of
common-envelope evolution. Based on the high radial-velocity of HE 1305-0007,
we speculate that the star could be a runaway star from a binary system, in
which the AIC event has occurred and produced the r-process elements.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, paper accepted for publication in Chinese Physics
letter
Factors affecting metal mobilisation during oxidation of sulphidic, sandy wetland substrates
Most metals accumulate as sulphides under anoxic conditions in wetland substrates, reducing their bioavailability due to the solubility of metal sulphides. However, upon oxidation of these sulphides when the substrate is occasionally oxidised, metals can be released from the solid phase to the pore water or overlaying surface water. This release can be affected by the presence of carbonates, organic matter and clay. We compared changes of Cd, Cu and Zn mobility (CaCl2 extraction) during oxidation of a carbonate-rich and a carbonate-poor sulphidic, sandy wetland substrate. In addition, we studied how clay with low and high cation sorption capacity (bentonite and kaolinite, respectively) and organic matter (peat) can counteract Cd, Cu and Zn release during oxidation of both carbonate-rich and carbonate-poor sulphidic sediments. CaCl2-extractability of Cu, a measure for its availability, is low in both carbonate-poor and carbonate-rich substrates, whereas its variability is high. The availability of Cd and Zn is much higher and increases when peat is supplied to carbonate-poor substrates. A strong reduction of Cd and Zn extractability is observed when clay is added to carbonate-poor substrates. This reduction depends on the clay type. Most observations could be explained taking into account pH differences between treatments, with kaolinite resulting in a lower pH in comparison to bentonite. These pH differences affect the presence and characteristics of dissolved organic carbon and the metal speciation, which in turns affects the interaction of metals with the solid soil phase. In carbonate-rich substrates, Cd and Zn availability is lower and the effects of peat and clay amendment are less clear. The latter can also be attributed to the high pH and lack of pH differences between treatments
Application of Hamamatsu MPPC to T2K Neutrino Detectors
A special type of Hamamatsu MPPC, with a sensitive area of 1.3x1.3mm^2
containing 667 pixels with 50x50um^2 each, has been developed for the near
neutrino detector in the T2K long baseline neutrino experiment. About 60 000
MPPCs will be used in total to read out the plastic scintillator detectors with
wavelength shifting fibers. We report on the basic performance of MPPCs
produced for T2K.Comment: Contribution to the proceedings of NDIP 2008, Aix-les-Bains, France,
June 15-20, 200
Hydration temperature rise and thermal stresses induced in segment-on-pier of prestressed concrete box girder bridge
The heat generation from chemical reactions of hardening concrete causes temperature rise and thermal expansion. When the concrete temperature eventually cools down to the ambient, thermal contraction would result. If the tendency of volume change and associated thermal movement are restrained, thermal stresses would be induced and this would lead to early thermal cracking. The issue of thermal cracking should be duly considered in mass concrete construction. Regarding concrete bridge construction, the piles, pile caps, bridge piers, crosshead girders, and bridge diaphragms are typical examples of mass concrete elements. A bridge project in real-life is selected for study in this paper, with focus on the segment-on-pier accommodating the diaphragm of prestressed concrete girder deck. The segment was instrumented to measure its actual early age temperature rise on site. Finite element simulation and analysis was conducted to evaluate the time variations of temperature distributions and thermal stresses induced in the bridge segment. The risk of thermal cracking can be indicated by the measurement and analysis results. The techniques employed in this study are useful for planning of temperature control measures in similar projects
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