19000459
Polarized dust emission of magnetized molecular cloud cores
We compute polarization maps for molecular cloud cores modeled as magnetized singular isothermal toroids, under the assumption that the emitting dust grains are aspherical and aligned with the large-scale magnetic field. We show that, depending on the inclination of the toroid with the line-of-sight, the bending of the magnetic field lines resulting from the need to counteract the inward pull of gravity naturally produces a depolarization effect toward the centre of the map. We compute the decrease of polarization degree with increasing intensity for different viewing angles and frequencies, and we show that an outward increasing temperature gradient, as expected in starless cores heated by the external radiation field, enhances the decrease of polarization. We compare our results with recent observations, and we conclude that this geometrical effect, together with other mechanisms of depolarization, may significantly contribute to the decrease of polarization degrees with intensity observed in the majority of molecular cloud cores. Finally, we consider the dependence of the polarization degree on the dust temperature gradient predicted for externally heated clouds, and we briefly comment on the limits of the Chandrasekhar-Fermi formula to estimate the magnetic field strength in molecular cloud cores.
15769380
Modeling the magnetic field in the protostellar source NGC 1333 IRAS 4A
Context. Magnetic fields are believed to play a crucial role in the process of star formation. Aims. We compare high-angular resolution observations of the submillimeter polarized emission of NGC 1333 IRAS 4A, tracing the magnetic field around a low-mass protostar, with models of the collapse of magnetized molecular cloud cores. Methods. Assuming a uniform dust alignment efficiency, we computed the Stokes parameters and synthetic polarization maps from the model density and magnetic field distribution by integrations along the line-of-sight and convolution with the interferometric response. Results. The synthetic maps are in good agreement with the data. The best-fitting models were obtained for a protostellar mass of 0.8 M� ,o f age 9× 10 4 yr, formed in a cloud with an initial mass-to-flux ratio ∼2 times the critical value. Conclusions. The magnetic field morphology in NGC 1333 IRAS 4A is consistent with the standard theoretical scenario for the formation of solar-type stars, where well-ordered, large-scale, rather than turbulent, magnetic fields control the evolution and collapse of the molecular cloud cores from which stars form.
119561246
Formation of OB associations in galaxies
We consider the formation of OB associations from two perspectives: (1) the fractional gas consumption in star formation, , per dynamical timescale tdyn in a galaxy, and (2) the origin of the so-called Kennicutt-Schmidt law, that the rate of star formation per unit area is proportional to a power, α, of the surface density in H I and H2 gas when certain thresholds are crossed. The empirical findings that ≈ 10-2 and α ≈ 1.4 or 1.5 have simple explanations if the rate of star formation is magnetically regulated. An empirical test of the ideas resides in an analysis of why giant OB associations are "strung out like pearls along the arms" of spiral galaxies.
14748555
Possible signature of hypernova nucleosynthesis in a beryllium‐rich halo dwarf★
As part of a large survey of halo and thick disc stars, we found one halo star, HD 106038, exceptionally overabundant in beryllium. In spite of its low metallicity, [Fe/H]=−1.26, the star has log(Be/H) =−10.60, which is similar to the solar meteoritic abundance, log(Be/H) =−10.58. This abundance is more than 10 times higher the abundance of stars with similar metallicity and cannot be explained by models of chemical evolution of the Galaxy that include the standard theory of cosmic ray spallation. No other halo star exhibiting such a beryllium overabundance is known. In addition, overabundances of Li, Si, Ni, Y and Ba are also observed. We suggest that all these chemical peculiarities, excepting the Ba abundance, can be simultaneously explained if the star was formed in the vicinity of a hypernova.
53662238
MAGNETIC INTERACTIONS IN PRE-MAIN-SEQUENCE BINARIES
Young stars typically have strong magnetic fields, so that the magnetospheres of newly formed close binaries can interact, dissipate energy, and produce synchrotron radiation. The V773 Tau A binary system, a pair of T Tauri stars with a 51 day orbit, displays such a signature, with peak emission taking place near periastron. This paper proposes that the observed emission arises from the change in energy stored in the composite magnetic field of the system. We model the fields using the leading order (dipole) components and show that this picture is consistent with current observations. In this model, the observed radiation accounts for a fraction of the available energy of interaction between the magnetic fields from the two stars. Assuming antisymmetry, we compute the interaction energy E int as a function of the stellar radii, the stellar magnetic field strengths, the binary semimajor axis, and orbital eccentricity, all of which can be measured independently of the synchrotron radiation. The variability in time and energetics of the synchrotron radiation depend on the details of the annihilation of magnetic fields through reconnection events, which generate electric fields that accelerate charged particles, and how those charged particles, especially fast electrons, are removed from the interaction region. However, the major qualitative features are well described by the background changes in the global magnetic configuration driven by the orbital motion. The theory can be tested by observing a collection of pre-main-sequence binary systems.
18590
The Chemistry of the early universe
The process of molecule formation in the primor- dial gas is considered in the framework of Friedmann cosmo- logical models from redshift z =1 0 4 to z =0 . First, a com- prehensive analysis of 87 gas phase reaction rates (both col- lisional and radiative) relevant in the physical environment of the expanding universe is presented and critically discussed. On this basis, calculations are carried out of the abundance of 21 molecular species as function of redshift, for different values of the cosmological parameters 0, and H0, evaluating con- sistently the molecular heating and cooling due to H2 ,H D and LiH molecules. One of the major improvements of this work is the use of a better treatment of H recombination that leads to a reduction of a factor 2-3 in the abundance of electrons and H + at freeze-out, with respect to previous studies. The lower residual ionization has a negative effect on the chemistry of the primordial gas in which electrons and protons act as cat- alysts in the formation of the first molecules. We find that in the standard model (h =0 :67, 10 =4 :5, 0 =1 and (D/H) =4 :3 10 5 ), the residual fractional ionization at z =1 is (e= H) =3 :0210 4 , and the main molecular species fractional abundances (H2= H) =1 :1 10 6 , (HD=H 2 )=1 :1 10 3 , (HeH + = H) =6 :2 10 13 , (LiH + = H) =9 :4 10 18 and (LiH=LiH + )=7 :6 10 3 . We devise a reduced chemical network that reproduces with excellent accuracy the numerical results of the complete model and allows to follow the chemical compositions and the thermal properties of a primordial gas in the presence of an external radiation field. Finally, we provide accurate cooling functions of H2, HD and LiH in a wide range of density and temperature that can be conveniently used in a variety of cosmological applications.
55332577
THE HERA-B ELECTRON PRETRIGGER SYSTEM
In this paper the pretrigger system designed for the electromagnetic calorimeter of the HERA-B experiment is described. This system will provide the electron candidates to the first-level trigger. The first results obtained with a whole readout and pretrigger prototype chain are also described. ( 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
35523068
The LHCb Farm Monitoring and Control System
The LHCb experiment at CERN will have an online trigger farm composed of up to 2000 PCs. In order to monitor and control each PC and to supervise the overall status of the farm, a Farm Monitoring and Control System (FMC) was developed. The FMC is based on DIM (Distributed Information Management System) as network communication layer, it is accessible both through a command line interface and through the PVSS (Prozessvisualisierung und Steuerung) graphical interface, and it is interfaced to the Finite State Machine (FSM) of the LHCb Experiment Control System (ECS) in order to manage anomalous farm conditions. The FMC is an integral part of the ECS, which is in charge of monitoring and controlling all on-line components; it uses the same tools (DIM, PVSS, FSM, etc.) to guarantee its complete integration and a coherent look and feel throughout the whole control system.
122515004
The Electromagnetic calorimeter for the OBELIX experiment
Abstract We describe the electromagnetic calorimeter of the OBELIX detector installed on the LEAR facility at CERN: the criteria followed to design its structure and the tests and preparation work performed on the different components are discussed, to conclude with the description of the main control procedures operating on the assembled detector during the first tests of the apparatus on the LEAR beam.
122900738
Neutron background determination in the Gran Sasso laboratory by means of a novel coincidence neutron spectrometer
SummaryWe present the results of recent background measurements in the Gran Sasso Laboratory. The measurements were performed by a coincidence neutron spectrometer, allowing neutron identification by means of two different stages of pulse-amplitude analysis.
118241507
Searching for micro black holes at LHC
An exciting feature of brane-world models with large extra dimensions [1] is that the fundamental scale of gravity M G could be as low as the electroweak scale (M G ≃ 1TeV). Since the mass of a black hole must be larger than M G, otherwise the classical concept of event horizon would be lost, micro black holes of a few TeV’s may therefore be produced at the LHC in this scenario (for some recent reviews, see [2]).