Abstract
Prior studies have hypothesized that some polluted white dwarfs record continent-like granitic crust—which is abundant on Earth and perhaps uniquely indicative of plate tectonics. But these ...inferences derive from only a few elements, none of which define rock type. We thus present the first estimates of rock types on exoplanets that once orbited polluted white dwarfs—stars whose atmospheric compositions record the infall of formerly orbiting planetary objects—examining cases where Mg, Si, Ca and Fe are measured with precision. We find no evidence for continental crust, or other crust types, even after correcting for core formation. However, the silicate mantles of such exoplanets are discernable: one case is Earth like, but most are exotic in composition and mineralogy. Because these exoplanets exceed the compositional spread of >4,000 nearby main sequence stars, their unique silicate compositions are unlikely to reflect variations in parent star compositions. Instead, polluted white dwarfs reveal greater planetary variety in our solar neighborhood than currently appreciated, with consequently unique planetary accretion and differentiation paths that have no direct counterparts in our Solar System. These require new rock classification schemes, for quartz + orthopyroxene and periclase + olivine assemblages, which are proposed here.
Abstract
In this study, LDPE materials with different kinds of antioxidants were prepared by melt-blending method. To reveal the aging mechanism and the anti-oxidation efficiency of LDPE in the ...presence of copper, series of characterizations including tensile testing, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and computation simulation were performed. The experimental results indicated that the aging process significantly decreased the tensile strength and elongation of those aged samples except 1024, which retarded the aging degradation of LDPE at the same condition. These results were further confirmed by the FTIR analysis with the carbonyl index values. Additionally, the melting peaks of DSC plots became broader and shifted to the lower temperatures during the aging process for S-0, S-3114 and S-1010, whereas no obvious changes were observed for S-1024. Importantly, according to the results obtained from computation simulation, a strong metal-ligand interaction between hydrazide group and copper ions was formed to prevent the further oxidation, which accounted for the excellent anti-oxidation behavior of 1024 for LDPE in the presence of copper.
The metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as emerging materials have attracted worldwide attention. In this study, a novel strategy by blending classic MOFs material UiO-66-NH2 to efficiently enhance the ...thermal stability and thermal aging resistance of silicone rubber (SR) was proposed. The experimental results indicated that very low dosage (0.25–1.5 part) of UiO-66-NH2 addition could effectively increase the thermal-oxidative stability of SR, which was proved by that the values of T5 (temperature at 5% weight loss) and Tm (the maximum thermal decomposition rate temperature) of SR were greatly increased by 43.4 °C and 97.9 °C, respectively. Moreover, the retention rate of elongation at break and tensile strength of SR with 1.5 part UiO-66-NH2 could remain about 72% and 57% after 288 h treatment in 210 °C. The possible heat resistance mechanism was explored by processing torque (PT) and thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS), whose results suggested that even very low addition of UiO-66-NH2 could efficiently inhibit degradation of SR chains and obstruct heat transfer due to its low thermal conductivity. This study provided a novel strategy to enhance thermal stability of rubber materials, and might open up new filed for polymer material processing.
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•a new strategy by blending UiO-66-NH2 enhanced thermal stability of silicone rubber (SR)•Onset degradation temperature was improved by 43.4 °C with 1 part of UiO-66-NH2 addition•Maximum thermal decomposition rate temperature was simultaneously improved by 97.9 °C•UiO-66-NH2 endowed SR with 72% elongation at break after 288 h thermal aging at 210 °C•UiO-66-NH2 endowed SR with 57% tensile strength after 288 h thermal aging at 210 °C
Abstract
Between 30% and 50% of white dwarfs (WDs) show heavy elements in their atmospheres. This pollution is thought to arise from the accretion of planetesimals perturbed by outer planet(s) to ...within the WD’s tidal disruption radius. A small fraction of these WDs show either emission or absorption from circumstellar (C-S) gas. The abundances of metals in the photospheres of WDs with C-S gas are mostly similar to the bulk composition of the Earth. The C-S component arises from gas produced through collisions and/or the sublimation of disintegrating planetesimals. High-resolution spectroscopic observations of WD 1124−293 reveal photospheric and C-S absorption of Ca in multiple transitions. Here, we present high signal-to-noise ratio spectra, an updated WD atmosphere analysis, and a self-consistent model of its C-S gas. We constrain the abundances of Ca, Mg, and Fe in the photosphere of WD 1124−293, and find agreement with the abundances of these three species in the C-S gas. We find the location of the C-S gas is ∼100 white dwarf radii, the C-S and photospheric compositions are thus far consistent, the gas is not isothermal, and the amount of C-S Ca has not changed in two decades. We also demonstrate how to use Cloudy to model C-S gas viewed in absorption around polluted WDs. Modeling the abundances of gas around polluted WDs with Cloudy provides a new method to measure the composition of exoplanetesimals and will allow a direct comparison to the composition of rocky bodies in the solar system.
The photospheres of some white dwarfs (WDs) are "polluted" by accretion of material from their surrounding planetary debris. WDs with dust disks are often heavily polluted and high-resolution ...spectroscopic observations of these systems can be used to infer the chemical compositions of extrasolar planetary material. Here, we report spectroscopic observation and analysis of 19 WDs with dust disks or candidate disks. The overall abundance pattern very much resembles that of bulk Earth and we are starting to build a large enough sample to probe a wide range of planetary compositions. We found evidence for accretion of Fe-rich material onto two WDs as well as O-rich but H-poor planetary debris onto one WD. In addition, there is a spread in Mg/Ca and Si/Ca ratios and it cannot be explained by differential settling or igneous differentiation. The ratios appear to follow an evaporation sequence. In this scenario, we can constrain the mass and number of evaporating bodies surrounding polluted WDs.
Abstract
Excess infrared flux from white dwarf stars is likely to arise from a dusty debris disk or a cool companion. In this work, we present near-infrared spectroscopic observations with ...Keck/MOSFIRE, Gemini/GNIRS, and Gemini/Flamingos-2 of seven white dwarfs with infrared excesses identified in previous studies. We confirmed the presence of dust disks around four white dwarfs (Gaia J0611–6931, Gaia J0006+2858, Gaia J2100+2122, and WD 0145+234) as well as two new white dwarf–brown dwarf pairs (Gaia J0052+4505 and Gaia J0603+4518). In three of the dust disk systems, we detected for the first time near-infrared metal emissions (Mg
i
, Si I, and possibly Fe I) from a gaseous component of the disk. We developed a new Markov Chain Monte Carlo framework to constrain the geometric properties of each dust disk. In three systems, the dust disk and the gas disk appear to coincide spatially. For the two brown dwarf–white dwarf pairs, we identified broad molecular absorption features typically seen in L dwarfs. The origin of the infrared excess around Gaia J0723+6301 remains a mystery. Our study underlines how near-infrared spectroscopy can be used to determine sources of infrared excess around white dwarfs, which has now been detected photometrically in hundreds of systems.
Advanced capabilities in electrical recording are essential for the treatment of heart-rhythm diseases. The most advanced technologies use flexible integrated electronics; however, the penetration of ...biological fluids into the underlying electronics and any ensuing electrochemical reactions pose significant safety risks. Here, we show that an ultrathin, leakage-free, biocompatible dielectric layer can completely seal an underlying layer of flexible electronics while allowing for electrophysiological measurements through capacitive coupling between tissue and the electronics, and thus without the need for direct metal contact. The resulting current-leakage levels and operational lifetimes are, respectively, four orders of magnitude smaller and between two and three orders of magnitude longer than those of any other flexible-electronics technology. Systematic electrophysiological studies with normal, paced and arrhythmic conditions in Langendorff hearts highlight the capabilities of the capacitive-coupling approach. Our technology provides a realistic pathway towards the broad applicability of biocompatible, flexible electronic implants.
Studies of excess infrared radiation around white dwarfs provide important constraints on the evolution of planetary systems and low-mass companions beyond the main-sequence stage. In this paper ...series, we focus on identifying and characterizing bright white dwarfs with an infrared excess. Here, we present 188 infrared excess candidates from Gaia and unWISE, 147 of which are new discoveries. Further characterization of this sample can significantly increase the current list of white dwarf debris disks and white dwarfs with low-mass companions.
Body temperature provides an insight into the physiological state of a person, and body temperature changes reflect much information about human health. In this study, a garment for monitoring human ...body temperature based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors is reported. The FBG sensor was encapsulated with a PMMA tube and calibrated in the thermostatic water bath. The results showed that FBG sensors had good vibration resistance, and the wavelength changed about 0-1 pm at a 0.5-80 Hz vibration frequency. The bending path of the optical fiber after integration with clothing is discussed. When the bending radius is equal to or greater than 20 mm, a lower bending loss can be achieved even under the bending and stretching of the human body. The FBG sensor, the optical fiber, and the garment were integrated together using hot melt glue by the electric iron and the hot press machine. Through experiments of monitoring human body temperature, the sensor can reach the human armpit temperature in about 10-15 min with the upper arm close to the torso. Because it is immune to electromagnetic interferences, the smart garment can be used in some special environments such as ultrasonography, magnetic resonance (MR), and aerospace.
The most heavily polluted white dwarfs often show excess infrared radiation from circumstellar dust disks, which are modeled as a result of tidal disruption of extrasolar minor planets. Interaction ...of dust, gas, and disintegrating objects can all contribute to the dynamical evolution of these dust disks. Here, we report two infrared variable dusty white dwarfs, SDSS J1228+1040 and G29-38. For SDSS J1228+1040, compared to the first measurements in 2007, the IRAC 3.6 and 4.5 fluxes decreased by 20% before 2014 to a level also seen in the recent 2018 observations. For G29-38, the infrared flux of the 10 m silicate emission feature became 10% stronger between 2004 and 2007, We explore several scenarios that could account for these changes, including tidal disruption events, perturbation from a companion, and runaway accretion. No satisfactory causes are found for the flux drop in SDSS J1228+1040 due to the limited time coverage. Continuous tidal disruption of small planetesimals could increase the mass of small grains and concurrently change the strength of the 10 m feature of G29-38. Dust disks around white dwarfs are actively evolving and we speculate that there could be different mechanisms responsible for the temporal changes of these disks.
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