分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: The nearby bright M-dwarf star L~98-59 has three terrestrial-sized planets. One challenge remaining in characterizing atmospheres around such planets is that it is not known a priori whether they possess any atmospheres. Here we report the study of the atmospheres of L~98-59~c and L~98-59~d using the near-infrared spectral data from the G141 grism of HST/WFC3. We can reject the hypothesis of a clear atmosphere dominated by hydrogen and helium at a confidence level of $\sim$ 3~sigma for both planets. Thus they may have a primary hydrogen-dominated atmosphere with an opaque cloud layer, or have lost their primary hydrogen-dominated atmosphere and re-established a secondary thin atmosphere, or have no atmosphere at all. We cannot distinguish between these scenarios for the two planets using the current HST data. Future observations with JWST would be capable of confirming the existence of atmospheres around L~98-59~c and d and determining their compositions.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: This paper introduces the first results of observations with the Ultra-Long-Wavelength (ULW) -- Low Frequency Interferometer and Spectrometer (LFIS) on board the selenocentric satellite Longjiang-2. We present a brief description of the satellite and focus on the LFIS payload. The in-orbit commissioning confirmed a reliable operational status of the instrumentation. We also present results of a transition observation, which offers unique measurements on several novel aspects. We estimate the RFI suppression required for such a radio astronomy instrumentation at the Moon distances from Earth to be of the order of 80 dB. We analyse a method of separating Earth- and satellite-originated radio frequency interference (RFI). It is found that the RFI level at frequencies lower than a few MHz is smaller than the receiver noise floor.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: We are using archived data from HST of transiting exoplanet L~98-59~b to place constraints on its potentially hot atmosphere. We analyze the data from five transit visits and extract the final combined transmission spectrum using Iraclis. Then we use the inverse atmospheric retrieval code TauREx to analyze the combined transmission spectrum. There is a weak absorption feature near 1.40~$\mu m$ and 1.55~$\mu m$ in the transmission spectrum, which can be modeled by a cloudy atmosphere with abundant HCN. However, the unrealistically high abundance of HCN derived cannot be explained by any equilibrium chemical model with reasonable assumptions. Thus, the likeliest scenario is that L~98-59~b has a flat, featureless transmission spectrum in the WFC3/G141 bandpass due to a thin atmosphere with high mean molecular weight, an atmosphere with an opaque aerosol layer, or no atmosphere, and it is very unlikely for L~98-59~b to have a clear hydrogen-dominated primary atmosphere. Due to the narrow wavelength coverage and low spectral resolution of HST/WFC3 G141 grism observation, we cannot tell these different scenarios apart. Our simulation shows future higher precision measurements over wider wavelengths from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) can be used to better characterize the planetary atmosphere of L~98-59~b.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: The physics potential of detecting $^8$B solar neutrinos is exploited at the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), in a model independent manner by using three distinct channels of the charged-current (CC), neutral-current (NC) and elastic scattering (ES) interactions. Due to the largest-ever mass of $^{13}$C nuclei in the liquid-scintillator detectors and the potential low background level, $^8$B solar neutrinos would be observable in the CC and NC interactions on $^{13}$C for the first time. By virtue of optimized event selections and muon veto strategies, backgrounds from the accidental coincidence, muon-induced isotopes, and external backgrounds can be greatly suppressed. Excellent signal-to-background ratios can be achieved in the CC, NC and ES channels to guarantee the $^8$B solar neutrino observation. From the sensitivity studies performed in this work, we show that one can reach the precision levels of 5%, 8% and 20% for the $^8$B neutrino flux, $\sin^2\theta_{12}$, and $\Delta m^2_{21}$, respectively, using ten years of JUNO data. It would be unique and helpful to probe the details of both solar physics and neutrino physics. In addition, when combined with SNO, the world-best precision of 3% is expected for the $^8$B neutrino flux measurement.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: We are using archived data from HST of transiting exoplanet L~98-59~b to place constraints on its potentially hot atmosphere. We analyze the data from five transit visits and extract the final combined transmission spectrum using Iraclis. Then we use the inverse atmospheric retrieval code TauREx to analyze the combined transmission spectrum. There is a weak absorption feature near 1.40~$\mu m$ and 1.55~$\mu m$ in the transmission spectrum, which can be modeled by a cloudy atmosphere with abundant HCN. However, the unrealistically high abundance of HCN derived cannot be explained by any equilibrium chemical model with reasonable assumptions. Thus, the likeliest scenario is that L~98-59~b has a flat, featureless transmission spectrum in the WFC3/G141 bandpass due to a thin atmosphere with high mean molecular weight, an atmosphere with an opaque aerosol layer, or no atmosphere, and it is very unlikely for L~98-59~b to have a clear hydrogen-dominated primary atmosphere. Due to the narrow wavelength coverage and low spectral resolution of HST/WFC3 G141 grism observation, we cannot tell these different scenarios apart. Our simulation shows future higher precision measurements over wider wavelengths from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) can be used to better characterize the planetary atmosphere of L~98-59~b.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: This paper introduces the first results of observations with the Ultra-Long-Wavelength (ULW) -- Low Frequency Interferometer and Spectrometer (LFIS) on board the selenocentric satellite Longjiang-2. We present a brief description of the satellite and focus on the LFIS payload. The in-orbit commissioning confirmed a reliable operational status of the instrumentation. We also present results of a transition observation, which offers unique measurements on several novel aspects. We estimate the RFI suppression required for such a radio astronomy instrumentation at the Moon distances from Earth to be of the order of 80 dB. We analyse a method of separating Earth- and satellite-originated radio frequency interference (RFI). It is found that the RFI level at frequencies lower than a few MHz is smaller than the receiver noise floor.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: The nearby bright M-dwarf star L~98-59 has three terrestrial-sized planets. One challenge remaining in characterizing atmospheres around such planets is that it is not known a priori whether they possess any atmospheres. Here we report the study of the atmospheres of L~98-59~c and L~98-59~d using the near-infrared spectral data from the G141 grism of HST/WFC3. We can reject the hypothesis of a clear atmosphere dominated by hydrogen and helium at a confidence level of $\sim$ 3~sigma for both planets. Thus they may have a primary hydrogen-dominated atmosphere with an opaque cloud layer, or have lost their primary hydrogen-dominated atmosphere and re-established a secondary thin atmosphere, or have no atmosphere at all. We cannot distinguish between these scenarios for the two planets using the current HST data. Future observations with JWST would be capable of confirming the existence of atmospheres around L~98-59~c and d and determining their compositions.
分类: 物理学 >> 核物理学 提交时间: 2016-09-13
摘要: Linear alkylbenzene (LAB) is adopted to be the organic solvent for the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) liquid scintillator detectors due to the ultra-transparency. However the current Rayleigh scattering length calculation disagrees with the measurement. The present paper for the first time reports the Rayleigh scattering of LAB being anisotropic and the depolarization ratio being 0.31+-0.01(stat.)+-0.01(sys.). We proposed an indirectly method for Rayleigh scattering measurement with Einstein-Smoluchowski-Cabannes formula, and the Rayleigh scattering length of LAB is determined to be 28.2+-1.0 m at 430 nm.
分类: 物理学 >> 核物理学 提交时间: 2016-09-13
摘要: Rayleigh scattering poses an intrinsic limit for the transparency of organic liquid scintillators. This work focuses on the Rayleigh scattering length of linear alkylbenzene (LAB), which will be used as the solvent of the liquid scintillator in the central detector of the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory. We investigate the anisotropy of the Rayleigh scattering in LAB, showing that the resulting Rayleigh scattering length will be significantly shorter than reported before. Given the same overall light attenuation, this will result in a more efficient transmission of photons through the scintillator, increasing the amount of light collected by the photosensors and thereby the energy resolution of the detector.
分类: 物理学 >> 核物理学 提交时间: 2016-09-13
摘要: We has set up a light scattering spectrometer to study the depolarization of light scattering in linear alkylbenzene. From the scattering spectra it can be unambiguously shown that the depolarized part of light scattering belongs to Rayleigh scattering. The additional depolarized Rayleigh scattering can make the effective transparency of linear alkylbenzene much better than it was expected. Therefore sufficient scintillation photons can transmit through the large liquid scintillator detector of JUNO. Our study is crucial to achieving the unprecedented energy resolution 3\%/E(MeV)−−−−−−−√ for JUNO experiment to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy. The spectroscopic method can also be used to judge the attribution of the depolarization of other organic solvents used in neutrino experiments.
分类: 物理学 >> 核物理学 提交时间: 2016-08-30
摘要: The liquid scintillator (LS) has been widely utilized in the past, running and future neutrino experiments, and requirement to the LS radio-purity is higher and higher. The water extraction is a powerful method to remove soluble radioactive nuclei, and a mini-extraction station has been constructed. To evaluate the extraction efficiency and optimize the operation parameters, a setup to load radioactivity to LS and a laboratory scale setup to measure radioactivity which use Bi^{212}-Po^{212}-Pb^{208} cascade decay are developed. Experiences from laboratory study will be useful to large scale water extraction plants design and the optimization of working in future.