arXiv subjects

S. Miller

Publications and source records attributed to S. Miller.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

First candidates for {\gamma} vibrational bands built on the [505]11/2- neutron orbital in odd-A Dy isotopes

Rotational structures have been measured using the Jurogam II and GAMMASPHERE arrays at low spin following the 155Gd({\alpha},2n)157Dy and 148Nd(12C, 5n)155Dy reactions at 25 and 65 MeV, respectively. We report high-K bands, which are conjectured to be the first candidates of a K{\pi}= 2+ {\gamma} vibrational band, built on the [505]11/2- neutron orbital, in both odd-A 155, 157Dy isotopes. The coupling of the first excited K=0+ states or the so-called \b{eta} vibrational bands at 661 and 676 keV in 154Dy and 156Dy to the [505]11/2- orbital, to produce a K{\pi}=11/2- band, was not observed in both 155Dy and 157Dy, respectively. The implication of these findings on the interpretation of the first excited 0+ states in the core nuclei 154Dy and 156Dy are also discussed.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2019

Modelling H$_{3}^{+}$ in planetary atmospheres: effects of vertical gradients on observed quantities

Since its discovery in the aurorae of Jupiter ~30 years ago, the H$_{3}^{+}$ ion has served as an invaluable probe of giant planet upper atmospheres. However, the vast majority of monitoring of planetary H$_{3}^{+}$ radiation has followed from observations that rely on deriving parameters from column-integrated paths through the emitting layer. Here, we investigate the effects of density and temperature gradients along such paths on the measured H$_{3}^{+}$ spectrum and its resulting interpretation. In a non-isothermal atmosphere, H$_{3}^{+}$ column densities retrieved from such observations are found to represent a lower limit, reduced by 20% or more from the true atmospheric value. Global simulations of Uranus' ionosphere reveal that measured H$_{3}^{+}$ temperature variations are often attributable to well-understood solar zenith angle effects rather than indications of real atmospheric variability. Finally, based on these insights, a preliminary method of deriving vertical temperature structure is demonstrated at Jupiter using model reproductions of electron density and H$_{3}^{+}$ measurements. The sheer diversity and uncertainty of conditions in planetary atmospheres prohibits this work from providing blanket quantitative correction factors; nonetheless, we illustrate a few simple ways in which the already formidable utility of H$_{3}^{+}$ observations in understanding planetary atmospheres can be enhanced.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2016

EUV-driven ionospheres and electron transport on extrasolar giant planets orbiting active stars

The composition and structure of the upper atmospheres of Extrasolar Giant Planets (EGPs) are affected by the high-energy spectrum of their host stars from soft X-rays to EUV. This emission depends on the activity level of the star, which is primarily determined by its age. We focus upon EGPs orbiting K- and M-dwarf stars of different ages. XUV spectra for these stars are constructed using a coronal model. These spectra are used to drive both a thermospheric model and an ionospheric model, providing densities of neutral and ion species. Ionisation is included through photo-ionisation and electron-impact processes. We find that EGP ionospheres at all orbital distances considered and around all stars selected are dominated by the long-lived H$^+$ ion. In addition, planets with upper atmospheres where H$_2$ is not substantially dissociated have a layer in which H$_3^+$ is the major ion at the base of the ionosphere. For fast-rotating planets, densities of short-lived H$_3^+$ undergo significant diurnal variations, with the maximum value being driven by the stellar X-ray flux. In contrast, densities of longer-lived H$^+$ show very little day/night variability and the magnitude is driven by the level of stellar EUV flux. The H$_3^+$ peak in EGPs with upper atmospheres where H$_2$ is dissociated under strong stellar illumination is pushed to altitudes below the homopause, where this ion is likely to be destroyed through reactions with heavy species. The inclusion of secondary ionisation processes produces significantly enhanced ion and electron densities at altitudes below the main EUV ionisation peak, as compared to models that do not include electron-impact ionisation. We estimate infrared emissions from H$_3^+$, and while, in an H/H$_2$/He atmosphere, these are larger from planets orbiting close to more active stars, they still appear too low to be detected with current observatories.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2013

Detection of a Noble Gas Molecular Ion, {36}ArH^+, in the Crab Nebula

Noble gas molecules have not hitherto been detected in space. From spectra obtained with the Herschel Space Observatory, we report the detection of emission in the 617.5 GHz and 1234.6 GHz J = 1-0 and 2-1 rotational lines of {36}ArH^+ at several positions in the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant known to contain both H2 molecules and regions of enhanced ionized argon emission. {36}Ar is believed to have originated from explosive nucleosynthesis in massive stars during core-collapse supernova events. Its detection in the Crab Nebula, the product of such a supernova event, confirms this expectation. The likely excitation mechanism for the observed {36}ArH^+ emission lines is electron collisions in partially ionized regions with electron densities of a few hundred per centimeter cubed.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

Precise measurement of alpha-K for the 65.7-keV M4 transition in 119Sn: Extended test of internal-conversion theory

We have measured the K-shell internal conversion coefficient, alpha-K, for the 65.7-keV M4 transition in 119Sn to be 1621(25). This result agrees well with Dirac-Fock calculations in which the effect of the K-shell atomic vacancy is accounted for, and disagrees with calculations in which the vacancy is ignored. This extends our precision tests of theory to Z = 50, the lowest Z yet measured.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2013

The domination of Saturn's low latitude ionosphere by ring `rain'

Saturn's ionosphere is produced when the otherwise neutral atmosphere is exposed to a flow of energetic charged particles or solar radiation. At low latitudes the latter should result in a weak planet-wide glow in infrared (IR), corresponding to the planet's uniform illumination by the Sun. The observed low-latitude ionospheric electron density is lower and the temperature higher than predicted by models. A planet-ring magnetic connection has been previously suggested in which an influx of water from the rings could explain the lower than expected electron densities in Saturn's atmosphere. Here we report the detection of a pattern of features, extending across a broad latitude band from ~25 to 60 degrees, that is superposed on the lower latitude background glow, with peaks in emission that map along the planet's magnetic field lines to gaps in Saturn's rings. This pattern implies the transfer of charged water products from the ring-plane to the ionosphere, revealing the influx on a global scale, flooding between 30 to 43% of the planet's upper-atmospheric surface. This ring `rain' plays a fundamental role in modulating ionospheric emissions and suppressing electron densities.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2011

EChO - Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory

A dedicated mission to investigate exoplanetary atmospheres represents a major milestone in our quest to understand our place in the universe by placing our Solar System in context and by addressing the suitability of planets for the presence of life. EChO -the Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory- is a mission concept specifically geared for this purpose. EChO will provide simultaneous, multi-wavelength spectroscopic observations on a stable platform that will allow very long exposures. EChO will build on observations by Hubble, Spitzer and groundbased telescopes, which discovered the first molecules and atoms in exoplanetary atmospheres. EChO will simultaneously observe a broad enough spectral region -from the visible to the mid-IR- to constrain from one single spectrum the temperature structure of the atmosphere and the abundances of the major molecular species. The spectral range and resolution are tailored to separate bands belonging to up to 30 molecules to retrieve the composition and temperature structure of planetary atmospheres. The target list for EChO includes planets ranging from Jupiter-sized with equilibrium temperatures Teq up to 2000 K, to those of a few Earth masses, with Teq ~300 K. We have baselined a dispersive spectrograph design covering continuously the 0.4-16 micron spectral range in 6 channels (1 in the VIS, 5 in the IR), which allows the spectral resolution to be adapted from several tens to several hundreds, depending on the target brightness. The instrument will be mounted behind a 1.5 m class telescope, passively cooled to 50 K, with the instrument structure and optics passively cooled to ~45 K. EChO will be placed in a grand halo orbit around L2. We have also undertaken a first-order cost and development plan analysis and find that EChO is easily compatible with the ESA M-class mission framework.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2011

Methane in the atmosphere of the transiting hot Neptune GJ436b?

We present an analysis of seven primary transit observations of the hot Neptune GJ436b at 3.6, 4.5 and $8~μ$m obtained with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) on the Spitzer Space Telescope. After correcting for systematic effects, we fitted the light curves using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique. Combining these new data with the EPOXI, HST and ground-based $V, I, H$ and $K_s$ published observations, the range $0.5-10~μ$m can be covered. Due to the low level of activity of GJ436, the effect of starspots on the combination of transits at different epochs is negligible at the accuracy of the dataset. Representative climate models were calculated by using a three-dimensional, pseudo-spectral general circulation model with idealised thermal forcing. Simulated transit spectra of GJ436b were generated using line-by-line radiative transfer models including the opacities of the molecular species expected to be present in such a planetary atmosphere. A new, ab-initio calculated, linelist for hot ammonia has been used for the first time. The photometric data observed at multiple wavelengths can be interpreted with methane being the dominant absorption after molecular hydrogen, possibly with minor contributions from ammonia, water and other molecules. No clear evidence of carbon monoxide and dioxide is found from transit photometry. We discuss this result in the light of a recent paper where photochemical disequilibrium is hypothesised to interpret secondary transit photometric data. We show that the emission photometric data are not incompatible with the presence of abundant methane, but further spectroscopic data are desirable to confirm this scenario.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2009

A new collective phenomenon arising from spin anisotropic perturbations to a Heisenberg square lattice manifested in paramagnetic resonance experiments

We report unexpected behaviour in a family of Cu spin- 1/2 systems, in which an apparent gap in the low energy magneto-optical absorption spectrum opens at low temperature. This previously unreported collective phenomenon arises at temperatures where the energy of the dominant exchange interaction exceeds the thermal energy. Simulations of the observed shifts in electron paramagnetic resonance spectral weight, which include spin anisotropy, reproduce this behavior yielding the magnitude of the spin anisotropy in these compounds.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Water in the Near IR spectrum of Comet 8P/Tuttle

High resolution spectra of Comet 8P/Tuttle were obtained in the frequency range 3440.6-3462.6 cm-1 on 3 January 2008 UT using CGS4 with echelle grating on UKIRT. In addition to recording strong solar pumped fluorescent (SPF) lines of H2O, the long integration time (152 miutes on target) enabled eight weaker H2O features to be assigned, most of which had not previously been identified in cometary spectra. These transitions, which are from higher energy upper states, are similar in character to the so-called 'SH' lines recorded in the post Deep Impact spectrum of comet Tempel 1 (Barber et al., 2007). We have identified certain characteristics that these lines have in common, and which in addition to helping to define this new class of cometary line, give some clues to the physical processes involved in their production. Finally, we derive an H2O rotational temperature of 62+/- K and a water production rate of (1.4+/-0.3)E28 molecules/s.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

The Upper Atmosphere of HD17156b

HD17156b is a newly-found transiting extrasolar giant planet (EGP) that orbits its G-type host star in a highly eccentric orbit (e~0.67) with an orbital semi-major axis of 0.16 AU. Its period, 21.2 Earth days, is the longest among the known transiting planets. The atmosphere of the planet undergoes a 27-fold variation in stellar irradiation during each orbit, making it an interesting subject for atmospheric modelling. We have used a three-dimensional model of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere for extrasolar gas giants in order to simulate the progress of HD17156b along its eccentric orbit. Here we present the results of these simulations and discuss the stability, circulation, and composition in its upper atmosphere. Contrary to the well-known transiting planet HD209458b, we find that the atmosphere of HD17156b is unlikely to escape hydrodynamically at any point along the orbit, even if the upper atmosphere is almost entirely composed of atomic hydrogen and H+, and infrared cooling by H3+ ions is negligible. The nature of the upper atmosphere is sensitive to to the composition of the thermosphere, and in particular to the mixing ratio of H2, as the availability of H2 regulates radiative cooling. In light of different simulations we make specific predictions about the thermosphere-ionosphere system of HD17156b that can potentially be verified by observations.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Using SPICA Space Telescope to characterize Exoplanets

We present the 3.5m SPICA space telescope, a proposed Japanese-led JAXA-ESA mission scheduled for launch around 2017. The actively cooled (<5 K), single aperture telescope and monolithic mirror will operate from ~3.5 to ~210 um and will provide superb sensitivity in the mid- and far-IR spectral domain (better than JWST at lambda > 18 um). SPICA is one of the few space missions selected to go to the next stage of ESA's Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 selection process. In this White Paper we present the main specifications of the three instruments currently baselined for SPICA: a mid-infrared (MIR) coronagraph (~3.5 to ~27 um) with photometric and spectral capabilities (R~200), a MIR wide-field camera and high resolution spectrometer (R~30,000), and a far-infrared (FIR ~30 to ~210 um) imaging spectrometer - SAFARI - led by a European consortium. We discuss their capabilities in the context of MIR direct observations of exo-planets (EPs) and multiband photometry/high resolution spectroscopy observations of transiting exo-planets. We conclude that SPICA will be able to characterize the atmospheres of transiting exo-planets down to the super-Earth size previously detected by ground- or space-based observatories. It will also directly detect and characterize Jupiter/Neptune-size planets orbiting at larger separation from their parent star (>5-10 AU), by performing quantitative atmospheric spectroscopy and studying proto-planetary and debris disks. In addition, SPICA will be a scientific and technological precursor for future, more ambitious, IR space missions for exo-planet direct detection as it will, for example, quantify the prevalence exo-zodiacal clouds in planetary systems and test coronographic techniques, cryogenic systems and lightweight, high quality telescopes. (abridged)

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Frequency and Impact of Galaxy Mergers and Interactions over the last 7 Gyr

We explore the history and impact of galaxy mergers and interactions over z~0.24 to 0.80, based on HST ACS, Combo-17, and Spitzer 24 mu data of ~4500 galaxies in the GEMS survey. Using visual and quantitative parameters,we identify galaxies with strong distortions indicative of recent strong interactions and mergers versus normal galaxies (E/S0, Sa, Sb-Sc, Sd/Irr). Our results are: (1) The observed fraction F of strongly disturbed systems among high mass (M>=2.5E10 Msun) galaxies is ~9% to 12% in every Gyr bin over z~0.24 to 0.80. The corresponding merger rate is a few times 10^-4 galaxies Gyr-1 Mpc-3. The fraction F shows fair agreement with the merger fraction of mass ratio >=1:10 predicted by several LCDM-based simulations. (2) For M>=1E9 Msun systems, the average star formation rate (SFR) of strongly disturbed systems is only modestly enhanced with respect to normal galaxies, in agreement with recent simulations. In fact, over z~0.24 to 0.80, strongly disturbed systems only account for a small fraction (<~30%) of the total SFR density. This suggests that the behaviour of the cosmic SFR density over the last seven billion years is predominantly shaped by normal galaxies.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Previously unobserved water lines detected in the post-impact spectrum of Comet Tempel 1

The recently puplished Barber-Tennyson (BT2) synthetic H$_2$O water line list is the most complete and accurate line list in existence. It is finding application in a wide range of astrophysical environments. UKIRT spectra of comet Tempel 1, obtained after the 'Deep Impact' event, revealed several known H$_2$O solar pumped fluorescent (SPF)lines in the 2.8945 to 2.8985 $μ$m region. In addition, using synthetic spectra produced with BT2, several emission lines were identified that had not previously been recorded in cometary spectra. Unlike the SPF lines, which are transitions from doubly-excited stretch states, these transitions, that we label 'SH', are from states with three or four quanta of vibrational excitation. The SH features were particularly strong during the period 20-40 minutes after impact.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Non-grey hydrogen burning evolution of sub-Solar mass Population III stars

The primordial elements, H, He and Li are included in a low temperature equation of state and monochromatic opacity function. The equation of state and opacity function are incorporated into the stellar evolution code NG-ELMS, which makes use of a non-grey model atmosphere computed at runtime. NG-ELMS is used to compute stellar evolution models for primordial and lithium free element mixtures, for stars in the sub-Solar mass range 0.8--0.15 Msol. We find that lithium has little or no effect upon the structure and observable properties of of stars in this mass range. Furthermore lithium is completely destroyed by fusion before the main sequence in stars of mass less than ~0.7 Mol. We find that on the red giant branch and Hayashi track, the use of a non-grey model atmosphere to provide the upper boundary conditions for the stellar evolution calculation, results in significantly cooler less luminous stars, across the mass range

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

The role of HeH+ in cool helium rich white dwarfs

HeH$^+$ is found to be the dominant positive ion over a wide range of temperatures and densities relevant to helium rich white dwarfs. The inclusion of HeH$^+$ in ionization equilibrium computations increases the abundance of free electrons by a significant factor. For temperatures below 8000 K, He$^-$ free-free absorption is increased by up to a factor of 5, by the inclusion of HeH$^+$. Illustrative model atmospheres and spectral energy distributions are computed, which show that HeH$^+$ has a strong effect upon the density and pressure structure of helium rich white dwarfs with teff < 8000 K. The inclusion of HeH$^+$ significantly reddens spectral energy distributions and broad band color indices for models with Teff < 5500 K. This has serious implications for existing model atmospheres, synthetic spectra and cooling curves for helium rich white dwarfs.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Cluster Growth in two- and three-dimensional Granular Gases

Dissipation in granular media leads to interesting phenomena as there are cluster formation and crystallization in non-equilibrium dynamical states. The freely cooling system is examined concerning the energy decay and the cluster evolution in time, both in two and three dimensions. Interesting parallels to percolation theory are obtained in three dimensions.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2003

The effect of the electron donor H3+ on the pre-main and Main Sequence evolution of low mass zero metallicity stars

H3+ has been shown (Lenzuni et al. 1991, ApJS, 76, 759) to be the dominant positive ion, in a zero metallicity gas at low temperature and intermediate to high density. It therefore affects both the number of free electrons and the opacity of the gas. The most recent H3+ partition function (Neale and Tennyson, 1995, ApJ, 454, L169) is an order of magnitude larger at 4000 K than all previous partition functions, implying that H3+ is a more important electron donor than previously thought. Here we present new Rosseland mean opacities for a hydrogen-helium gas of 1000 < T(K) < 9000 and -14 < log10(density [g/cc]) < -2. In the calculation of these opacities we have made use of the latest collision induced absorption data as well as the most recent H3+ partition function and line opacity data. It is shown that these updated and new sources of opacity give rise to a Rosseland mean opacity for a hydrogen-helium gas which is in general greater than that calculated in earlier works. The new opacity data are then used to model the evolution of low mass 0.15-0.8 Mo zero metallicity stars, from pre-Main Sequence collapse to Main Sequence turn-off. To investigate the effect of H3+ on the evolution of low mass zero metallicity stars, we repeat our calculations neglecting H3+ as a source of electrons and line opacity. We find that H3+ can have an effect on the structure and evolution of stars of mass ~0.5 Mo or less. A gray atmosphere is used for the calculation, which is sufficient to demonstrate that H3+ affects the evolution of very low mass stars to a greater degree than previously believed.

astro-ph↗