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Full-Text Articles in Physics

A Radial Velocity Survey Of Embedded Sources In The Rho Ophiuchi Cluster, Timothy Sullivan, Bruce Wilking, Thomas Greene, Lindsey Lisalda, Erika Gibb, Chemeda Ejeta Jul 2019

A Radial Velocity Survey Of Embedded Sources In The Rho Ophiuchi Cluster, Timothy Sullivan, Bruce Wilking, Thomas Greene, Lindsey Lisalda, Erika Gibb, Chemeda Ejeta

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No abstract provided.


Task-Layer Multiplicity As A Measure Of Community Level Health, Phil Fraundorf Jul 2019

Task-Layer Multiplicity As A Measure Of Community Level Health, Phil Fraundorf

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Te insights of many disciplines, and of commonsense, about individual-level well-being might be strengthened by a shif in focus to community-level well-being in a way that respects belief systems as well as the power of each individual. We start with the jargon of complex systems and the possibility that a small number of broken symmetries, marked by the edges of a hierarchical series of physical subsystem types, underlie the delicate correlation-based complexity of life on our planet’s surface. We show that an information-theory-inspired model of attention-focus on correlation layers, which looks in/out from the boundaries of skin, family, and culture, …


Hypervolatiles In A Jupiter-Family Comet: Observations Of 45p/Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková Using Ishell At The Nasa-Irtf, Michael Disanti, Boncho Bonev, Neil Russo, Ronald Vervack, Erika Gibb, Nathan Roth, Adam Mckay, Hideyo Kawakita, Lori Feaga, Harold Weaver Nov 2017

Hypervolatiles In A Jupiter-Family Comet: Observations Of 45p/Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková Using Ishell At The Nasa-Irtf, Michael Disanti, Boncho Bonev, Neil Russo, Ronald Vervack, Erika Gibb, Nathan Roth, Adam Mckay, Hideyo Kawakita, Lori Feaga, Harold Weaver

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We used the new high spectral resolution cross-dispersed facility spectrograph, iSHELL, at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Maunakea, HI, to observe Jupiter-family comet (JFC) 45P/Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková. We report water production rates, as well as production rates and abundance ratios relative to H2O, for eight trace parent molecules (native ices), CO, CH4, H2CO, CH3OH, HCN, NH3, C2H2, and C2H6, on 2 days spanning UT 2017 January 6/7 and 7/8, shortly following perihelion. Trace species were measured simultaneously with H2O and/or OH prompt emission, a proxy for H2O production, thereby providing a robust and consistent means of establishing the native ice composition …


Beyond 3 Au From The Sun: The Hypervolatiles Ch4, C2h6, And Co In The Distant Comet C/2006 W3 (Christensen), Boncho Bonev, Geronimo Villanueva, Michael Disanti, Hermann Boehnhardt, Manuela Lippi, Erika Gibb, Lucas Paganini, Michael Mumma May 2017

Beyond 3 Au From The Sun: The Hypervolatiles Ch4, C2h6, And Co In The Distant Comet C/2006 W3 (Christensen), Boncho Bonev, Geronimo Villanueva, Michael Disanti, Hermann Boehnhardt, Manuela Lippi, Erika Gibb, Lucas Paganini, Michael Mumma

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Comet C/2006 W3 (Christensen) remained outside a heliocentric distance (R h) of 3.1 au throughout its apparition, but it presented an exceptional opportunity to directly sense a suite of molecules released from its nucleus. The Cryogenic Infrared Echelle Spectrograph at ESO-VLT detected infrared emissions from the three "hypervolatiles" (CO, CH4, and C2H6) that have the lowest sublimation temperatures among species that are commonly studied in comets by remote sensing. Even at R h = 3.25 au, the production rate of each molecule exceeded those measured for the same species in a number of other comets, although these comets were observed …


Multiple Phase Transitions In An Agent-Based Evolutionary Model With Neutral Fitness, Sonya Bahar, Dawn King, Adam Scott Apr 2017

Multiple Phase Transitions In An Agent-Based Evolutionary Model With Neutral Fitness, Sonya Bahar, Dawn King, Adam Scott

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Null models are crucial for understanding evolutionary processes such as speciation and adaptive radiation. We analyse an agent-based null model, considering a case without selection—neutral evolution—in which organisms are defined only by phenotype. Universal dynamics has previously been demonstrated in a related model on a neutral fitness landscape, showing that this system belongs to the directed percolation (DP) universality class. The traditional null condition of neutral fitness (where fitness is defined as the number of offspring each organism produces) is extended here to include equal probability of death among organisms. We identify two types of phase transition: (i) a non-equilibrium …


The Composition Of Comet C/2012 K1 (Panstarrs) And The Distribution Of Primary Volatile Abundances Among Comets, Nathan Roth, Erika Gibb, Boncho Bonev, Michael Disanti, Michael Mumma, Geronimo Villanueva, Lucas Paganini Mar 2017

The Composition Of Comet C/2012 K1 (Panstarrs) And The Distribution Of Primary Volatile Abundances Among Comets, Nathan Roth, Erika Gibb, Boncho Bonev, Michael Disanti, Michael Mumma, Geronimo Villanueva, Lucas Paganini

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On 2014 May 22 and 24 we characterized the volatile composition of the dynamically new Oort cloud comet C/2012 K1 (PanSTARRS) using the long-slit, high resolution (λ/Δλ ≈ 25,000) near-infrared echelle spectrograph (NIRSPEC) at the 10 m Keck II telescope on Maunakea, Hawaii. We detected fluorescent emission from six primary volatiles (H2O, HCN, CH4, C2H6, CH3OH, and CO). Upper limits were derived for C2H2, NH3, and H2CO. We report rotational temperatures, production rates, and mixing ratios (relative to water). Compared with median abundance ratios for primary volatiles in other sampled Oort cloud comets, trace gas abundance ratios in C/2012 K1 …


First-Principles Calculated Decomposition Pathways For Libh4 Nanoclusters, Zhi-Quan Huang, Wei-Chih Chen, Feng-Chuan Chuang, Eric Majzoub, Vidvuds Ozoliņš Sep 2016

First-Principles Calculated Decomposition Pathways For Libh4 Nanoclusters, Zhi-Quan Huang, Wei-Chih Chen, Feng-Chuan Chuang, Eric Majzoub, Vidvuds Ozoliņš

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We analyze thermodynamic stability and decomposition pathways of LiBH4 nanoclusters using grand-canonical free-energy minimization based on total energies and vibrational frequencies obtained from density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. We consider (LiBH4)n nanoclusters with n = 2 to 12 as reactants, while the possible products include (Li)n, (B)n, (LiB)n, (LiH)n, and Li2BnHn; off-stoichiometric LinBnHm (m ≤ 4n) clusters were considered for n = 2, 3, and 6. Cluster ground-state configurations have been predicted using prototype electrostatic ground-state (PEGS) and genetic algorithm (GA) based structural optimizations. Free-energy calculations show hydrogen release pathways markedly differ from those in bulk LiBH4. While experiments have found …


En Route To Destruction: The Evolution In Composition Of Ices In Comet D/2012 S1 (Ison) Between 1.2 And 0.34 Au From The Sun As Revealed At Infrared Wavelengths, M. Disanti, B. Bonev, E. Gibb, L. Paganini, G. Villanueva, M. Mumma, J. Keane, G. Blake, N. Russo, K. Meech, R. Vervack, A. Mckay Mar 2016

En Route To Destruction: The Evolution In Composition Of Ices In Comet D/2012 S1 (Ison) Between 1.2 And 0.34 Au From The Sun As Revealed At Infrared Wavelengths, M. Disanti, B. Bonev, E. Gibb, L. Paganini, G. Villanueva, M. Mumma, J. Keane, G. Blake, N. Russo, K. Meech, R. Vervack, A. Mckay

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We report production rates for H2O and eight trace molecules (CO, C2H6, CH4, CH3OH, NH3, H2CO, HCN, C2H2) in the dynamically new, Sun-grazing Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON), using high-resolution spectroscopy at Keck II and the NASA IRTF on 10 pre-perihelion dates encompassing heliocentric distances Rh = 1.21–0.34 AU. Measured water production rates spanned two orders of magnitude, consistent with a long-term heliocentric power law Q(H2O) ${\rm{\propto }}{R}_{{\rm{h}}}^{(-3.1\pm 0.1)}$. Abundance ratios for CO, C2H6, and CH4 with respect to H2O remained constant with Rh and below their corresponding mean values measured among a dominant sample of Oort Cloud comets. CH3OH was …


Relative Proper Motions In The Rho Ophiuchi Cluster, Bruce Wilking, Frederick Vrba, Timothy Sullivan Dec 2015

Relative Proper Motions In The Rho Ophiuchi Cluster, Bruce Wilking, Frederick Vrba, Timothy Sullivan

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Near-infrared images optimized for astrometry have been obtained for four fields in the high-density L 1688 cloud core over a 12 year period. The targeted regions include deeply embedded young stellar objects (YSOs) and very low luminosity objects too faint and/or heavily veiled for spectroscopy. Relative proper motions in R.A. and decl. were computed for 111 sources and again for a subset of 65 YSOs, resulting in a mean proper motion of (0,0) for each field. Assuming each field has the same mean proper motion, YSOs in the four fields were combined to yield estimates of the velocity dispersions in …


An Optical Spectroscopic Survey Of The Serpens Main Cluster: Evidence For Two Populations?, Kristen Erickson, Bruce Wilking, Michael Meyer, Jinyoung Kim, William Sherry, Matthew Freeman Feb 2015

An Optical Spectroscopic Survey Of The Serpens Main Cluster: Evidence For Two Populations?, Kristen Erickson, Bruce Wilking, Michael Meyer, Jinyoung Kim, William Sherry, Matthew Freeman

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We have completed an optical spectroscopic survey of a sample of candidate young stars in the Serpens Main star-forming region selected from deep B, V, and R band images. While infrared, X-ray, and optical surveys of the cloud have identified many young stellar objects (YSOs), these surveys have been biased toward particular stages of pre-main sequence evolution. We have obtained over 700 moderate resolution optical spectra that, when combined with published data, have led to the identification of 63 association members based on the presence of Hα in emission, lithium absorption, X-ray emission, a mid-infrared excess, and/or reflection nebulosity. Twelve …


C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) At Ir Wavelengths And The Variability Of Co Abundances Among Oort Cloud Comets, L. Paganini, M. Mumma, G. Villanueva, J. Keane, G. Blake, B. Bonev, M. Disanti, E. Gibb, K. Meech Aug 2014

C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) At Ir Wavelengths And The Variability Of Co Abundances Among Oort Cloud Comets, L. Paganini, M. Mumma, G. Villanueva, J. Keane, G. Blake, B. Bonev, M. Disanti, E. Gibb, K. Meech

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We report production rates, rotational temperatures, and related parameters for gases in C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) using the Near InfraRed SPECtrometer at the Keck Observatory, on six UT dates spanning heliocentric distances (Rh ) that decreased from 1.35 AU to 1.16 AU (pre-perihelion). We quantified nine gaseous species (H2O, OH*, CO, CH4, HCN, C2H6, CH3OH, NH3, and NH2) and obtained upper limits for two others (C2H2 and H2CO). Compared with organics-normal comets, our results reveal highly enriched CO, (at most) slightly enriched CH3OH, C2H6, and HCN, and CH4 consistent with "normal", yet depleted, NH3, C2H2, and H2CO. Rotational temperatures increased from …


The Unexpectedly Bright Comet C/2012 F6 (Lemmon) Unveiled At Near-Infrared Wavelengths, Lucas Paganini, Michael Disanti, Michael Mumma, Geronimo Villanueva, Boncho Bonev, Jacqueline Keane, Erika Gibb, Hermann Boehnhardt, Karen Meech Dec 2013

The Unexpectedly Bright Comet C/2012 F6 (Lemmon) Unveiled At Near-Infrared Wavelengths, Lucas Paganini, Michael Disanti, Michael Mumma, Geronimo Villanueva, Boncho Bonev, Jacqueline Keane, Erika Gibb, Hermann Boehnhardt, Karen Meech

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We acquired near-infrared spectra of the Oort cloud comet C/2012 F6 (Lemmon) at three different heliocentric distances (R h) during the comet's 2013 perihelion passage, providing a comprehensive measure of the outgassing behavior of parent volatiles and cosmogonic indicators. Our observations were performed pre-perihelion at R h = 1.2 AU with CRIRES (on 2013 February 2 and 4), and post-perihelion at R h = 0.75 AU with CSHELL (on March 31 and April 1) and R h = 1.74 AU with NIRSPEC (on June 20). We detected 10 volatile species (H2O, OH* prompt emission, C2H6, CH3OH, H2CO, HCN, CO, CH4, …


Detection Of Ch4 In The Gv Tau N Protoplanetary Disk, David Horne, Erika Gibb Oct 2013

Detection Of Ch4 In The Gv Tau N Protoplanetary Disk, David Horne, Erika Gibb

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T Tauri stars are low mass young stars that may serve as analogs to the early solar system. Observations of organic molecules in the protoplanetary disks surrounding T Tauri stars are important for characterizing the chemical and physical processes that lead to planet formation. Searches for undetected molecules, particularly in the inner, planet forming regions of these disks are important for testing protoplanetary disk chemical models and for understanding the evolution of volatiles through the star and planet formation process. We used NIRSPEC on Keck 2 to perform a high resolution (λ/Δλ ~ 25,000) L-band survey of T Tauri star …


Ice And Dust In The Prestellar Dark Cloud Lynds 183: Preplanetary Matter At The Lowest Temperatures, David Horne, D. Whittet, C Poteet, J. Chiar, L. Paganini, V Bajaj, S. Shenoy, A Adamson Aug 2013

Ice And Dust In The Prestellar Dark Cloud Lynds 183: Preplanetary Matter At The Lowest Temperatures, David Horne, D. Whittet, C Poteet, J. Chiar, L. Paganini, V Bajaj, S. Shenoy, A Adamson

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Dust grains are nucleation centers and catalysts for the growth of icy mantles in quiescent interstellar clouds, the products of which may accumulate into preplanetary matter when new stars and solar systems form within the clouds. In this paper, we present the first spectroscopic detections of silicate dust and the molecular ices H2O, CO, and CO2 in the vicinity of the prestellar core L183 (L134N). An infrared photometric survey of the cloud was used to identify reddened background stars, and we present spectra covering solid-state absorption features in the wavelength range 2-20 μm for nine of them. The mean composition …


Spectro-Astrometry Of Water In Dr Tauri, Logan Brown, Matthew Troutman, Erika Gibb May 2013

Spectro-Astrometry Of Water In Dr Tauri, Logan Brown, Matthew Troutman, Erika Gibb

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We present high-resolution, near-infrared spectro-astrometric (SA) data for the T Tauri star DR Tau using NIRSPEC at the Keck II telescope. Spectro-astrometry obtains sub-seeing spatial information from emission lines originating in a non-point source object, such as a circumstellar disk. We report the first detection of water SA signatures in a protoplanetary disk. Three water features near 3 μm were averaged together to produce the total signal analyzed. Using a disk model, we constrained the position angle of the disk (~140°), the inclination of the disk (~13°), and the emitting region of the emission lines (~0.056-0.38 AU).


A Proper Motion Study Of The Haro 6-10 Outflow: Evidence For A Subarcsecond Binary, Bruce Wilking, Kevin Marvel, Mark Claussen, Bradley Gerling, Alwyn Wootten, Erika Gibb Jul 2012

A Proper Motion Study Of The Haro 6-10 Outflow: Evidence For A Subarcsecond Binary, Bruce Wilking, Kevin Marvel, Mark Claussen, Bradley Gerling, Alwyn Wootten, Erika Gibb

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We present single-dish and very long baseline interferometry observations of an outburst of water maser emission from the young binary system Haro 6-10. Haro 6-10 lies in the Taurus molecular cloud and contains a visible T Tauri star with an infrared companion 1farcs3 north. Using the Very Long Baseline Array, we obtained five observations spanning three months and derived absolute positions for 20 distinct maser spots. Three of the masers can be traced over three or more epochs, enabling us to extract absolute proper motions and tangential velocities. We deduce that the masers represent one side of a bipolar outflow …


The Gas/Dust Ratio Of Circumstellar Disks: Testing Models Of Planetesimal Formation, David Horne, Erika Gibb, Terrence Rettig, Sean Brittain, David Tilley, Dinshaw Balsara Jul 2012

The Gas/Dust Ratio Of Circumstellar Disks: Testing Models Of Planetesimal Formation, David Horne, Erika Gibb, Terrence Rettig, Sean Brittain, David Tilley, Dinshaw Balsara

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We present high-resolution, near-infrared NIRSPEC observations of CO absorption toward six class II T Tauri stars: AA Tau, DG Tau, IQ Tau, RY Tau, CW Tau, and Haro 6-5b. 12CO overtone absorption lines originating from the circumstellar disk of each object were used to calculate line-of-sight gas column densities toward each source. We measured the gas/dust ratio as a function of disk inclination, utilizing measured visual extinctions and inclinations for each star. The majority of our sources show further evidence for a correlation between the gas/dust column density ratio and disk inclination similar to that found by Rettig et al.


Chemical Composition Of Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin): Another ''Atypical'' Comet, Erika Gibb, Boncho Bonev, Geronimo Villanueva, Michael Disanti, Michael Mumma, Emily Sudholt, Yana Radeva May 2012

Chemical Composition Of Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin): Another ''Atypical'' Comet, Erika Gibb, Boncho Bonev, Geronimo Villanueva, Michael Disanti, Michael Mumma, Emily Sudholt, Yana Radeva

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We measured the volatile chemical composition of comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin) on three dates from 2009 January 30 to February 1 using NIRSPEC, the high-resolution (λ/Δλ ≈ 25,000), long-slit echelle spectrograph at Keck 2. We sampled nine primary (parent) volatile species (H2O, C2H6, CH3OH, H2CO, CH4, HCN, C2H2, NH3, CO) and two product species (OH* and NH2). We also report upper limits for HDO and CH3D. C/2007 N3 (Lulin) displayed an unusual composition when compared to other comets. Based on comets measured to date, CH4 and C2H6 exhibited "normal" abundances relative to water, CO and HCN were only moderately depleted, …


The Initial Mass Function And Disk Frequency Of The Ρ Ophiuchi Cloud: An Extinction-Limited Sample, Kristen Erickson, Bruce Wilking, Michael Meyer, John Robinson, Lauren Stephenson Sep 2011

The Initial Mass Function And Disk Frequency Of The Ρ Ophiuchi Cloud: An Extinction-Limited Sample, Kristen Erickson, Bruce Wilking, Michael Meyer, John Robinson, Lauren Stephenson

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We have completed an optical spectroscopic survey of an unbiased, extinction-limited sample of candidate young stars covering 1.3 deg2 of the ρ Ophiuchi star-forming region. While infrared, X-ray, and optical surveys of the cloud have identified many young stellar objects (YSOs), these surveys are biased toward particular stages of stellar evolution and are not optimal for studies of the disk frequency and initial mass function. We have obtained over 300 optical spectra to help identify 135 association members based on the presence of Hα in emission, lithium absorption, X-ray emission, a mid-infrared excess, a common proper motion, reflection nebulosity, and/or …


Temporal And Spatial Aspects Of Gas Release During The 2010 Apparition Of Comet 103p/Hartley 2, M. Mumma, B. Bonev, G. Villanueva, L. Paganini, M. Disanti, E. Gibb, J. Keane, K. Meech, G. Blake, R. Ellis, M. Lippi, H. Boehnhardt, K. Magee-Sauer Jun 2011

Temporal And Spatial Aspects Of Gas Release During The 2010 Apparition Of Comet 103p/Hartley 2, M. Mumma, B. Bonev, G. Villanueva, L. Paganini, M. Disanti, E. Gibb, J. Keane, K. Meech, G. Blake, R. Ellis, M. Lippi, H. Boehnhardt, K. Magee-Sauer

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We report measurements of eight primary volatiles (H2O, HCN, CH4, C2H6, CH3OH, C2H2, H2CO, and NH3) and two product species (OH and NH2) in comet 103P/Hartley 2 using high-dispersion infrared spectroscopy. We quantified the long- and short-term behavior of volatile release over a three-month interval that encompassed the comet's close approach to Earth, its perihelion passage, and flyby of the comet by the Deep Impact spacecraft during the EPOXI mission. We present production rates for individual species, their mixing ratios relative to water, and their spatial distributions in the coma on multiple dates. The production rates for water, ethane, HCN, …


Epoxi: Comet 103p/Hartley 2 Observations From A Worldwide Campaign ; Astrophysical Journal Letters, K. Meech, M. A'Hearn, J. Adams, P. Bacci, J. Bai, L. Barrera, M. Battelino, J. Bauer, E. Becklin, B. Bhatt, N. Biver, D. Bockelee-Morvan, D. Bodewits, H. Bohnhardt, J. Boissier, B. Bonev, W. Borghini, J. Brucato, E. Bryssinck, M. Buie, H. Canovas, D. Castellano, S. Charnley, W. Chen, P. Chiang, Y. Choi, D. Christian, Y. Chuang, Anita Cochran, P. Colom, M. Combi, I. Coulson, J. Crovisier, N. Russo, K. Dennerl, K. Dewahl, M. Disanti, M. Facchini, T. Farnham, Y. Fernandez, H. Floren, U. Frisk, T. Fujiyoshi, R. Furusho, T. Fuse, G. Galli, D. Garcia-Hernandez, A. Gersch, Z. Getu Jan 2011

Epoxi: Comet 103p/Hartley 2 Observations From A Worldwide Campaign ; Astrophysical Journal Letters, K. Meech, M. A'Hearn, J. Adams, P. Bacci, J. Bai, L. Barrera, M. Battelino, J. Bauer, E. Becklin, B. Bhatt, N. Biver, D. Bockelee-Morvan, D. Bodewits, H. Bohnhardt, J. Boissier, B. Bonev, W. Borghini, J. Brucato, E. Bryssinck, M. Buie, H. Canovas, D. Castellano, S. Charnley, W. Chen, P. Chiang, Y. Choi, D. Christian, Y. Chuang, Anita Cochran, P. Colom, M. Combi, I. Coulson, J. Crovisier, N. Russo, K. Dennerl, K. Dewahl, M. Disanti, M. Facchini, T. Farnham, Y. Fernandez, H. Floren, U. Frisk, T. Fujiyoshi, R. Furusho, T. Fuse, G. Galli, D. Garcia-Hernandez, A. Gersch, Z. Getu

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Earth- and space-based observations provide synergistic information for space mission encounters by providing data over longer timescales, at different wavelengths and using techniques that are impossible with an in situ flyby. We report here such observations in support of the EPOXI spacecraft flyby of comet 103P/Hartley 2. The nucleus is small and dark, and exhibited a very rapidly changing rotation period. Prior to the onset of activity, the period was ~16.4 hr. Starting in 2010 August the period changed from 16.6 hr to near 19 hr in December. With respect to dust composition, most volatiles and carbon and nitrogen isotope …


Mutation Size Optimizes Speciation In An Evolutionary Model, Nathan Dees, Sonya Bahar Aug 2010

Mutation Size Optimizes Speciation In An Evolutionary Model, Nathan Dees, Sonya Bahar

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The role of mutation rate in optimizing key features of evolutionary dynamics has recently been investigated in various computational models. Here, we address the related question of how maximum mutation size affects the formation of species in a simple computational evolutionary model. We find that the number of species is maximized for intermediate values of a mutation size parameter μ; the result is observed for evolving organisms on a randomly changing landscape as well as in a version of the model where negative feedback exists between the local population size and the fitness provided by the landscape. The same result …


Co And H3 + Toward Mwc 1080, Mwc 349, And Lkhα 101, Erika Gibb, S. Brittain, T Rettig, M Troutman, Theodore Simon, C Kulesa May 2010

Co And H3 + Toward Mwc 1080, Mwc 349, And Lkhα 101, Erika Gibb, S. Brittain, T Rettig, M Troutman, Theodore Simon, C Kulesa

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We present high-resolution, near-infrared NIRSPEC observations of the fundamental rovibrational CO and H+ 3 R(1,0), R(1,1) u , and Q(1,0) transitions toward three early-type young stars: MWC 1080, MWC 349, and LkHα 101. These observations were performed for the purpose of constraining the physical characteristics of the interstellar material along each line of sight. Toward MWC 1080, we detected strong CO absorption and determined a column density upper limit of 1.4 × 1014 cm–2 for H+ 3. We infer that there is very little diffuse material along the line of sight toward MWC 1080 and that the CO absorption is …


Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz): Parent Volatiles, A Search For Deuterated Methane, And Constraint On The Ch4 Spin Temperature, Boncho Bonev, Michael Mumma, Erika Gibb, Michael Disanti, Geronimo Villanueva, Karen Magee-Sauer, Richard Ellis Jul 2009

Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz): Parent Volatiles, A Search For Deuterated Methane, And Constraint On The Ch4 Spin Temperature, Boncho Bonev, Michael Mumma, Erika Gibb, Michael Disanti, Geronimo Villanueva, Karen Magee-Sauer, Richard Ellis

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High-dispersion (λ/δλ ≈ 25,000) infrared spectra of Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) were acquired on 2004 November 28-29, and 2005 January 19 (UT dates) with the Near InfraRed echelle SPECtrograph (NIRSPEC) at the Keck-2 telescope on Mauna Kea. We detected H2O, CH4, C2H2, C2H6, CO, H2CO, CH3OH, HCN, and NH3 and we conducted a sensitive search for CH3D. We report rotational temperatures, production rates, and mixing ratios (with respect to H2O) at heliocentric distances of 1.49 AU (2004 November) and 1.21 AU (2005 January). We highlight three principal results. (1) The mixing ratios of parent volatiles measured at 1.49 AU and …


Time-Resolved Au-Scale Jets Traced By Masers In The Iras 4a/B Regions Of Ngc 1333, Bruce Wilking, Kevin Marvel, Mark Claussen, Alwyn Wootten Sep 2008

Time-Resolved Au-Scale Jets Traced By Masers In The Iras 4a/B Regions Of Ngc 1333, Bruce Wilking, Kevin Marvel, Mark Claussen, Alwyn Wootten

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We present results of VLBI observations of the water masers associated with IRAS 4A and IRAS 4B in the NGC 1333 star-forming region taken in four epochs over a two month period. Both objects have been classified as extremely young sources, and each source is known to be a multiple system. Using the Very Long Baseline Array, we detected 35 masers in epoch I, 40 masers in epoch II, 35 in epoch III, and 24 in epoch IV. Only one identified source in each system is associated with these masers. These data are used to calculate proper motions for the …


The Peculiar Volatile Composition Of Comet 8p/Tuttle: A Contact Binary Of Chemically Distinct Cometesimals?, Boncho Bonev, Michael Mumma, Yana Radeva, Michael Disanti, Erika Gibb, Geronimo Villanueva Jun 2008

The Peculiar Volatile Composition Of Comet 8p/Tuttle: A Contact Binary Of Chemically Distinct Cometesimals?, Boncho Bonev, Michael Mumma, Yana Radeva, Michael Disanti, Erika Gibb, Geronimo Villanueva

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We report measurements of eight native (i.e., released directly from the comet nucleus) volatiles (H2O, HCN, CH4, C2H2, C2H6, CO, H2CO, and CH3OH) in comet 8P/Tuttle using NIRSPEC at Keck 2. Comet Tuttle reveals a truly unusual composition, distinct from that of any comet observed to date at infrared wavelengths. The prominent enrichment of methanol relative to water contrasts with the depletions of other molecules, especially C2H2, HCN, and H2CO. We suggest that the nucleus of 8P/Tuttle may contain two cometesimals characterized by distinct volatile composition. The relative abundances C2/CN, C2/OH, and CN/OH in 8P/Tuttle (measured at optical/near-UV wavelengths) differ …


Thermal Roots Of Correlation-Based Complexity, Philip Fraundorf Jan 2008

Thermal Roots Of Correlation-Based Complexity, Philip Fraundorf

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Bayesian maxent lets one integrate thermal physics and information theory points of view in the quantitative study of complex systems. Since net surprisal (a free energy analog for measuring “departures from expected”) allows one to place second law constraints on mutual information (a multimoment measure of correlations), it makes a quantitative case for the role of reversible thermalization in the natural history of invention, and suggests multiscale strategies to monitor standing crop as well. It prompts one to track evolved complexity starting from live astrophysically observed processes, rather than only from evidence of past events. Various gradients and boundaries that …


Depleted Carbon Monoxide In Fragment C Of The Jupiter-Family Comet 73p/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, M. Disanti, W. Anderson, G. Villanueva, B. Bonev, K. Magee-Sauer, E. Gibb, M. Mumma May 2007

Depleted Carbon Monoxide In Fragment C Of The Jupiter-Family Comet 73p/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, M. Disanti, W. Anderson, G. Villanueva, B. Bonev, K. Magee-Sauer, E. Gibb, M. Mumma

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Carbon monoxide emission was targeted in fragment C of the recently split Jupiter-family comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 during its 2006 apparition, using the Cryogenic Echelle Spectrograph (CSHELL) at the NASA IRTF on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Simultaneous sounding with H2O near 4.65 μm revealed highly depleted CO, consistent with a mixing ratio of 0.5% ± 0.13%. Along with depleted CH3OH but nearly normal HCN, this may indicate that this comet formed in the inner giant planets' region or, alternatively, that it formed relatively late, after significant clearing of the protosolar nebula.


The Shape Of Galaxy Cluster Dark Matter Haloes: Systematics Of Its Imprint On Cluster Gas And Comparison To Observations, Ricardo Flores, Brandon Allgood, Andrey Kravtsov, Joel Primack, David Buote, James Bullock May 2007

The Shape Of Galaxy Cluster Dark Matter Haloes: Systematics Of Its Imprint On Cluster Gas And Comparison To Observations, Ricardo Flores, Brandon Allgood, Andrey Kravtsov, Joel Primack, David Buote, James Bullock

Physics Faculty Works

We study predictions for galaxy cluster observables that can test the statistics of dark matter halo shapes expected in a flat Λ cold dark matter (CDM) universe. We present a simple analytical model for the prediction of cluster-scale X-ray observations, approximating clusters as isothermal systems in hydrostatic equilibrium, and dark matter haloes as ellipsoids with uniform axial ratios (homeoidal ellipsoids). We test the model against high-resolution, hydrodynamic cluster simulations to gauge its reliability. We find that this simple prescription does a good job of predicting cluster X-ray ellipticities compared to the simulations as long as one focuses on cluster regions …


Warm Hcn, C2h2, And Co In The Disk Of Gv Tau, Erika Gibb, K. Van Brunt, S. Brittain, T Rettig May 2007

Warm Hcn, C2h2, And Co In The Disk Of Gv Tau, Erika Gibb, K. Van Brunt, S. Brittain, T Rettig

Physics Faculty Works

We present the first high-resolution, ground-based observations of HCN and C2H2 toward the T Tauri binary star system GV Tau. We detected strong absorption due to HCN ν3 and weak C2H2 [ν3 and ν2 + (ν4 + ν5)img1.gif] absorption toward the primary (GV Tau S) but not the infrared companion. We also report CO column densities and rotational temperatures, and present abundances relative to CO of HCN/CO ~ 0.6% and C2H/CO ~ 1.2% and an upper limit for CH4/CO < 0.37% toward GV Tau S. Neither HCN nor C2H2 were detected toward the infrared companion, and results suggest that abundances may differ between the two sources.