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A. Segura

Publications and source records attributed to A. Segura.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Resistive MHD Simulations of Stellar Wind-Magnetosphere Coupling in TRAPPIST-1e

Close-in terrestrial exoplanets around M dwarfs reside in dense, magnetized winds, where non-ideal plasma coupling can strongly affect how electromagnetic energy is redistributed within the dayside interaction region. We present three-dimensional resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the TRAPPIST-1 wind interacting with a dipolar TRAPPIST-1e magnetosphere for three stellar-wind forcing cases and four prescribed magnetic diffusivities, $\eta=(0,\ 538.018,\ 5.38018\times10^{8},\ 5.38018\times10^{12})$ cm$^{2}$ s$^{-1}$. Energy transport is diagnosed using maps of the total energy density, the magnitude of the total Poynting flux, and the divergence of the total Poynting flux. We further estimate a radio-power proxy from the volume integral of $\nabla\cdot \mathbf{S}_{\rm total}$ over the dayside bow-shock and magnetopause layers. Across all cases, increasing prescribed $\eta$ broadens the coupling layer and shifts the dominant energy-conversion regions from thin, patchy boundary arcs to thicker, more spatially extended structures, with an increasing relative contribution from the magnetopause. The inferred radio-power proxy increases by several orders of magnitude across the explored scan. However, because the estimated numerical magnetic diffusivity in the strongest-gradient regions is $\eta_{\rm num}\sim10^{15}$-$10^{16}$ cm$^{2}$ s$^{-1}$, the present $\eta$ scan is best interpreted as a controlled sensitivity study rather than as a direct constraint on the physical diffusivity of the TRAPPIST-1e environment. For the adopted planetary fields ($B_{\rm eq}=0.32$-$1.28$ G), the maximum cyclotron frequencies are $\nu_{c,\max}\approx1.8$-$7.2$ MHz, below the ground-based window, implying that meaningful radio constraints on TRAPPIST-1e magnetism will require space-based observations below 10 MHz or substantially stronger planetary fields than those assumed here.

astro-ph.EP

TOI-1080 b: a temperate, rocky planet orbiting a quiet M4V host

We present the detection and validation of a small, temperate transiting exoplanet orbiting TOI-1080 every 3.9652482$^{+0.0000014}_{-0.0000015}$ days. The host is a quiet M4V star at 25.6 pc. The planet signal was first detected by TESS and validated using TESS and ground-based observations. By fitting the available light curves, the planet radius is measured to be 1.200+- 0.058 Rearth and its equilibrium temperature of 368$^{+12}_{-10}$ K. With NIRPS radial velocities, we are able to place a 3-sigma upper limit on the mass of TOI-1080 b of 10.7 Mearth. Our injection-recovery tests enable us to discard additional transiting planets in the TOI-1080 system with radii down to 0.9 Rearth and periods between 0.5 and 7.7 days, and planets with radii larger than 1.4 Rearth for periods up to 19 days. We demonstrate that it is highly amenable to characterisation of its mass and putative atmosphere. In particular, we find that TOI-1080 b is an exceptional target for the ongoing JWST+HST Rocky Worlds DDT programme, having a priority score that is higher than four out of nine targets currently being investigated by the programme. TOI-1080 b can be added to the sample of nearby benchmark planets accessible for detailed study with JWST.

astro-ph.EP

The Habitability of GJ 357 d : Possible Climates and Observability

The GJ 357 system harbors 3 planets orbiting a bright, nearby M2.5V star at 9.44pc. The innermost planet GJ 357 b (TOI-562.01) is a hot transiting Earth-size planet with Earth-like density, which receives about 12 times the irradiation Earth receives from the Sun, and was detected using data from TESS. Radial velocities discovered two more planets in the system at 9.12 (GJ 357 c) and 55.6 days (GJ 357 d), with minimum masses of 3.59+/-0.50 and 6.1+/-1 Earth masses, and an irradiation of 4.4 and 0.38 Earths irradiation, respectively. GJ 357 d receives slightly less stellar irradiation than Mars does in our own Solar System, which puts it in the Habitable Zone for its host star. GJ 357 d could not have been detected with TESS and whether it transits remains an open question. Here we model under what conditions GJ 357 d could sustain surface habitability and present planetary models as well as synthetic transmission, reflection and emission spectra for a range of models for GJ 357 d from water worlds to Earth-like models. With Earth-analog outgassing rates, GJ 357 d would be a frozen rocky world, however with an increased CO2 level, as would be expected if a geological cycle regulates carbon dioxide concentration like on Earth, the planet models show temperate surface conditions. If we can detect a transit of GJ 357 d, it would become the closest transiting, potentially habitable planet in the solar neighborhood. Even if GJ 357 d does not transit, the brightness of its star makes this planet in the Habitable Zone of a close-by M star a prime target for observations with Extremely Large telescopes as well as future space missions.

astro-ph.EP

Two dimensional collective electron magnetotransport, oscillations and chaos in a semiconductor superlattice

When quantized, traces of classically chaotic single particle systems include eigenvalue statistics and scars in eigenfuntions. Since 2001, many theoretical and experimental works have argued that classically chaotic single electron dynamics influences and controls collective electron transport. For transport in semiconductor superlattices under tilted magnetic and electric fields, these theories rely on a reduction to a one-dimensional self-consistent drift model. A two-dimensional theory based on self-consistent Boltzmann transport does not support that single electron chaos influences collective transport. This theory agrees with existing experimental evidence of current self-oscillations, predicts spontaneous collective chaos via a period doubling scenario and it could be tested unambiguously by measuring the electric potential inside the superlattice under a tilted magnetic field.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Monazite-type SrCrO4 under compression

We report a high-pressure study of monoclinic monazite-type SrCrO4 up to 26 GPa. Therein we combined x-ray diffraction, Raman and optical-absorption measurements with ab initio calculations, to find a pressure-induced structural phase transition of SrCrO4 near 8-9 GPa. Evidence of a second phase transition was observed at 10-13 GPa. The crystal structures of the high-pressure phases were assigned to the tetragonal scheelite-type and monoclinic AgMnO4-type structures. Both transitions produce drastic changes in the electronic band gap and phonon spectrum of SrCrO4. We determined the pressure evolution of the band gap for the low-pressure and high-pressure phases as well as the frequencies and pressure dependences of the Raman-active modes. In all three phases most Raman modes harden under compression; however the presence of low-frequency modes which gradually soften is also detected. In monazite-type SrCrO4, the band gap blue-shifts under compression, but the transition to the scheelite phase causes an abrupt decrease of the band gap in SrCrO4. Calculations showed good agreement with experiments and were used to better understand the experimental results. From x-ray diffraction studies and calculations we determined the pressure dependence of the unit-cell parameters of the different phases and their ambient-temperature equations of state. The results are compared with the high-pressure behavior of other monazites, in particular PbCrO4. A comparison of the high-pressure behavior of the electronic properties of SrCrO4 (SrWO4) and PbCrO4 (PbWO4) will also be made. Finally, the possible occurrence of a third structural phase transition is discussed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Optical and structural study of the pressure-induced phase transition of CdWO$_4$

The optical absorption of CdWO$_4$ is reported at high pressures up to 23 GPa. The onset of a phase transition was detected at 19.5 GPa, in good agreement with a previous Raman spectroscopy study. The crystal structure of the high-pressure phase of CdWO$_4$ was solved at 22 GPa employing single-crystal synchrotron x-ray diffraction. The symmetry changes from space group $P$2/$c$ in the low-pressure wolframite phase to $P2_1/c$ in the high-pressure post-wolframite phase accompanied by a doubling of the unit-cell volume. The octahedral oxygen coordination of the tungsten and cadmium ions is increased to [7]-fold and [6+1]-fold, respectively, at the phase transition. The compressibility of the low-pressure phase of CdWO$_4$ has been reevaluated with powder x-ray diffraction up to 15 GPa finding a bulk modulus of $B_0$ = 123 GPa. The direct band gap of the low-pressure phase increases with compression up to 16.9 GPa at 12 meV/GPa. At this point an indirect band gap crosses the direct band gap and decreases at -2 meV/GPa up to 19.5 GPa where the phase transition starts. At the phase transition the band gap collapses by 0.7 eV and another direct band gap decreases at -50 meV/GPa up to the maximum measured pressure. The structural stability of the post-wolframite structure is confirmed by \textit{ab initio} calculations finding the post-wolframite-type phase to be more stable than the wolframite at 18 GPa. Lattice dynamic calculations based on space group $P2_1/c$ explain well the Raman-active modes previously measured in the high-pressure post-wolframite phase. The pressure-induced band gap crossing in the wolframite phase as well as the pressure dependence of the direct band gap in the high-pressure phase are further discussed with respect to the calculations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

UV Surface Environment of Earth-like Planets Orbiting FGKM Stars Through Geological Evolution

The UV environment of a host star affects the photochemistry in the atmosphere, and ultimately the surface UV environment for terrestrial planets and therefore the conditions for the origin and evolution of life. We model the surface UV radiation environment for Earth-sized planets orbiting FGKM stars at the 1AU equivalent distance for Earth through its geological evolution. We explore four different types of atmospheres corresponding to an early Earth atmosphere at 3.9 Gyr ago and three atmospheres covering the rise of oxygen to present day levels at 2.0 Gyr ago, 0.8 Gyr ago and modern Earth (Following Kaltenegger et al. 2007). In addition to calculating the UV flux on the surface of the planet, we model the biologically effective irradiance, using DNA damage as a proxy for biological damage. We find that a pre-biotic Earth (3.9 Gyr ago) orbiting an F0V star receives 6 times the biologically effective radiation as around the early Sun and 3520 times the modern Earth-Sun levels. A pre-biotic Earth orbiting GJ 581 (M3.5V) receives 300 times less biologically effective radiation, about 2 times modern Earth-Sun levels. The UV fluxes calculated here provide a grid of model UV environments during the evolution of an Earth-like planet orbiting a range of stars. These models can be used as inputs into photo-biological experiments and for pre-biotic chemistry and early life evolution experiments.

astro-ph.EP

Effect of UV Radiation on the Spectral Fingerprints of Earth-like Planets Orbiting M dwarfs

We model the atmospheres and spectra of Earth-like planets orbiting the entire grid of M dwarfs for active and inactive stellar models with $T_{eff}$ = 2300K to $T_{eff}$ = 3800K and for six observed MUSCLES M dwarfs with UV radiation data. We set the Earth-like planets at the 1AU equivalent distance and show spectra from the VIS to IR (0.4$μ$m - 20$μ$m) to compare detectability of features in different wavelength ranges with JWST and other future ground- and spaced-based missions to characterize exo-Earths. We focus on the effect of UV activity levels on detectable atmospheric features that indicate habitability on Earth, namely: H$_2$O, O$_3$, CH$_4$, N$_2$O and CH$_3$Cl. To observe signatures of life - O$_2$/O$_3$ in combination with reducing species like CH$_4$, we find that early and active M dwarfs are the best targets of the M star grid for future telescopes. The O$_2$ spectral feature at 0.76$μ$m is increasingly difficult to detect in reflected light of later M dwarfs due to low stellar flux in that wavelength region. N$_2$O, another biosignature detectable in the IR, builds up to observable concentrations in our planetary models around M dwarfs with low UV flux. CH$_3$Cl could become detectable, depending on the depth of the overlapping N$_2$O feature. We present a spectral database of Earth-like planets around cool stars for directly imaged planets as a framework for interpreting future lightcurves, direct imaging, and secondary eclipse measurements of the atmospheres of terrestrial planets in the HZ to design and assess future telescope capabilities.

astro-ph.EP

Tuning the band gap of PbCrO4 through high-pressure: Evidence of wide-to-narrow semiconductor transitions

The electronic transport properties and optical properties of lead(II) chromate (PbCrO4) have been studied at high pressure by means of resistivity, Hall-effect, and optical-absorption measurements. Band-structure first-principle calculations have been also performed. We found that the low-pressure phase is a direct band-gap semiconductor (Eg = 2.3 eV) that shows a high resistivity. At 3.5 GPa, associated to a structural phase transition, a band-gap collapse takes place, becoming Eg = 1.8 eV. At the same pressure the resistivity suddenly decreases due to an increase of the carrier concentration. In the HP phase, PbCrO4 behaves as an n-type semiconductor, with a donor level probably associated to the formation of oxygen vacancies. At 15 GPa a second phase transition occurs to a phase with Eg = 1.2 eV. In this phase, the resistivity increases as pressure does probably due to the self-compensation of donor levels and the augmentation of the scattering of electrons with ionized impurities. In the three phases the band gap red shifts under compression. At 20 GPa, Eg reaches a value of 0.8 eV, behaving PbCrO4 as a narrow-gap semiconductor.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Anomalous high-pressure Jahn-Teller behavior in CuWO4

High-pressure optical-absorption measurements performed in CuWO4 up to 20 GPa provide experimental evidence of the persistence of the Jahn-Teller (JT) distortion in the whole pressure range both in the low-pressure triclinic and in the highpressure monoclinic phase. The electron-lattice coupling associated with the eg(Exe) and t2g(Txe) orbitals of Cu2+ in CuWO4 are obtained from correlations between the JT distortion of the CuO6 octahedron and the associated structure of Cu2+ d-electronic levels. This distortion and its associated JT energy (EJT) decrease upon compression in both phases. However, both the distortion and associated EJT increase sharply at the phase transition pressure (PT = 9.9 GPa) and we estimate that the JT distortion persists for a wide pressure range not being suppressed up to 37 GPa. These results shed light on the transition mechanism of multiferroic CuWO4 suggesting that the pressureinduced structural phase transition is a way to minimize the distortive effects associated with the toughness of the JT distortion.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

The electronic structure of zircon-type orthovanadates: Effects of high-pressure and cation substitution

The electronic structure of four ternary-metal oxides containing isolated vanadate ions is studied. Zircon-type YVO4, YbVO4, LuVO4, and NdVO4 are investigated by high-pressure optical-absorption measurements up to 20 GPa. First-principles calculations based on density-functional theory were also performed to analyze the electronic band structure as a function of pressure. The electronic structure near the Fermi level originates largely from molecular orbitals of the vanadate ion, but cation substitution influence these electronic states. The studied ortovanadates, with the exception of NdVO4, undergo a zircon-scheelite structural phase transition that causes a collapse of the band-gap energy. The pressure coefficient dEg/dP show positive values for the zircon phase and negative values for the scheelite phase. NdVO4 undergoes a zircon-monazite-scheelite structural sequence with two associated band-gap collapses.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

A combined high-pressure experimental and theoretical study of the electronic band-structure of scheelite-type AWO4 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb) compounds

The optical-absorption edge of single crystals of CaWO4, SrWO4, BaWO4, and PbWO4 has been measured under high pressure up to ~20 GPa at room temperature. From the measurements we have obtained the evolution of the band-gap energy with pressure. We found a low-pressure range (up to 7-10 GPa) where alkaline-earth tungstates present a very small Eg pressure dependence (-2.1 < dEg/dP < 8.9 meV/GPa). In contrast, in the same pressure range, PbWO4 has a pressure coefficient of -62 meV/GPa. The high-pressure range is characterized in the four compounds by an abrupt decrease of Eg followed by changes in dEg/dP. The band-gap collapse is larger than 1.2 eV in BaWO4. We also calculated the electronic-band structures and their pressure evolution. Calculations allow us to interpret experiments considering the different electronic configuration of divalent metals. Changes in the pressure evolution of Eg are correlated with the occurrence of pressure-induced phase transitions. The band structures for the low- and high-pressure phases are also reported. No metallization of any of the compounds is detected in experiments nor is predicted by calculations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

High-pressure study of substrate material ScAlMgO4

We report on the structural properties of ScAlMgO4 studied under quasi-hydrostatic pressure using synchrotron high-pressure x-ray diffraction up to 40 GPa. We also report on single-crystal studies of ScAlMgO4 performed at 300 K and 100 K. We found that the low-pressure phase remains stable up to 24 GPa. At 28 GPa, we detected a reversible phase transformation. The high-pressure phase is assigned to a monoclinic distortion of the low-pressure phase. No additional phase transition is observed up to 40 GPa. In addition, the equation of state, compressibility tensor, and thermal expansion coefficients of ScAlMgO4 are determined. The bulk modulus of ScAlMgO4 is found to be 143(8) GPa, with a strong compressibility anisotropy. For the trigonal low-pressure phase, the compressibility along the c-axis is twice than perpendicular one. A perfect lattice match with ZnO is retained under pressure in the pressure range of stability of wurtzite ZnO.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Model Spectra of the First Potentially Habitable Super-Earth - Gl581d

Gl581d has a minimum mass of 7 MEarth and is the first detected potentially habitable rocky Super-Earth. Our models confirm that a habitable atmosphere can exist on Gl581d. We derive spectroscopic features for atmospheres, assuming an Earth-like composition for this planet, from high oxygen atmosphere analogous to Earth's to high CO2 atmospheres with and without biotic oxygen concentrations. We find that a minimum CO2 partial pressure of about 7 bar, in an atmosphere with a total surface pressure of 7.6 bar, are needed to maintain a mean surface temperature above freezing on Gl581d. We model transmission and emergent synthetic spectra from 0.4μm to 40μm and show where indicators of biological activities in such a planet's atmosphere could be observed by future ground- and space-based telescopes. The model we present here only represents one possible nature - an Earth-like composition - of a planet like Gl581d in a wide parameter space. Future observations of atmospheric features can be used to examine if our concept of habitability and its dependence on the carbonate-silicate cycle is correct, and assess whether Gl581d is indeed a habitable super-Earth.

astro-ph.EP

High-pressure x-ray diffraction and ab initio study of Ni2Mo3N, Pd2Mo3N, Pt2Mo3N, Co3Mo3N, and Fe3Mo3N: Two families of ultra-incompressible bimetallic interstitial nitrides

We have studied by means of high-pressure x-ray diffraction the structural stability of Ni2Mo3N, Co3Mo3N, and Fe3Mo3N. We also report ab initio computing modeling of the high-pressure properties of these compounds, Pd2Mo3N, and Pt2Mo3N. We have found that the nitrides remain stable in the ambient-pressure cubic structure at least up to 50 GPa and determined their equation of state. All of them have a bulk modulus larger than 300 GPa. Single-crystal elastic constants have been calculated in order to quantify the stiffness of the investigated nitrides. We found that they should have a Vickers hardness similar to that of cubic spinel nitrides like gamma-Si3N4

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Hall-effect and resistivity measurements in CdTe and ZnTe at high pressure: Electronic structure of impurities in the zincblende phase and the semi-metallic or metallic character of the high-pressure phases

We carried out high-pressure resistivity and Hall-effect measurements in single crystals of CdTe and ZnTe up to 12 GPa. Slight changes of transport parameters in the zincblende phase of CdTe are consitent with the shallow character of donor impurities. Drastic changes in all the transport parameters of CdTe were found around 4 GPa, i.e. close to the onset of the cinnabar to rock-salt transition. In particular, the carrier concentration increases by more than five orders of magnitude. Additionally, an abrupt decrease of the resistivity was detected around 10 GPa. These results are discussed in comparison with optical, thermoelectric, and x-ray diffraction experiments. The metallic character of the Cmcm phase of CdTe is confirmed and a semi-metallic character is determined for the rock-salt phase. In zincblende ZnTe, the increase of the hole concentration by more than two orders of magnitude is proposed to be due to a deep-to-shallow transformation of the acceptor levels. Between 9 and 11 GPa, transport parameters are consistent with the semiconducting character of cinnabar ZnTe. A two orders of magnitude decrease of the resistivity and a carrier-type inversion occurs at 11 GPa, in agreement with the onset of the transition to the Cmcm phase of ZnTe. A metallic character for this phase is deduced.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

High-pressure structural phase transitions in CuWO4

We study the effects of pressure on the structural, vibrational, and magnetic behavior of cuproscheelite. We performed powder x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy experiments up to 27 GPa as well as ab initio total-energy and lattice-dynamics calculations. Experiments provide evidence that a structural phase transition takes place at 10 GPa from the low-pressure triclinic phase (P-1) to a monoclinic wolframite-type structure (P2/c). Calculations confirmed this finding and indicate that the phase transformation involves a change in the magnetic order. In addition, the equation of state for the triclinic phase is determined: V0 = 132.8(2) A3, B0 = 139 (6) GPa and = 4. Furthermore, experiments under different stress conditions show that non-hydrostatic stresses induce a second phase transition at 17 GPa and reduce the compressibility of CuWO4, B0 = 171(6) GPa. The pressure dependence of all Raman modes of the triclinic and high-pressure phases is also reported and discussed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

High-pressure phase transitions and compressibility of wolframite-type tungstates

This paper reports an investigation on the phase diagram and compressibility of wolframite-type tungstates by means of x-ray powder diffraction and absorption in a diamond-anvil cell and ab initio calculations. The diffraction experiments show that monoclinic wolframite-type MgWO4 suffers at least two phase transitions, the first one being to a triclinic polymorph with a structure similar to that of CuWO4 and FeMoO4-II. The onset of each transition is detected at 17.1 and 31 GPa. In ZnWO4 the onset of the monoclinic-triclinic transition has been also found at 15.1 GPa. These findings are supported by density-functional theory calculations, which predict the occurrence of additional transitions upon further compression. Calculations have been also performed for wolframite-type MnWO4, which is found to have an antiferromagnetic configuration. In addition, x-ray absorption and diffraction experiments as well as calculations reveal details of the local-atomic compression in the studied compounds. In particular, below the transition pressure the ZnO6 and equivalent polyhedra tend to become more regular, whereas the WO6 octahedra remain almost unchanged. Fitting the pressure-volume data we obtained the equation of state for the low-pressure phase of MgWO4 and ZnWO4. These and previous results on MnWO4 and CdWO4 are compared with the calculations, being the compressibility of wolframite-type tungstates systematically discussed. Finally Raman spectroscopy measurements and lattice dynamics calculations are presented for MgWO4.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci