Thomas Lee Elifritz

Northwest Africa NWA 7325 Green Meteorite From Planet Mercury

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2013/pdf/2164.pdf

Space.com Article

Update : This meteorite may be too old to be from Mercury. Some other planetoid I guess.

Phase Diagram – 1T-TaS_2-x_Se_x – Superconductivity

http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.6715

New Superconductivity in Layered 1T-TaS_2-xSe_x Single Crystals Fabricated by Chemical Vapor Transport, Yu Liu, Ran Ang, Wenjian Lu, Wenhai Song, Lijun Li and Yuping Sun

Layered transition-metal dichalcogenides 1T-TaS_2-xSe_x (0<=x<=2) single crystals have been successfully fabricated by using a chemical vapor transport technique in which Ta locates in octahedral coordination with S and Se atoms. This is the first superconducting example by the substitution of S site, which violates an initial rule based on the fact that superconductivity merely emerges in 1T-TaS₂ by applying the high pressure or substitution of Ta site. We demonstrate the appearance of a series of electronic states in 1T-TaS_2-xSe_x with Se content. Namely, the Mott phase melts into a nearly commensurate charge-density-wave (NCCDW) phase, superconductivity in a wide x range develops within the NCCDW state, and finally commensurate charge-density-wave (CCDW) phase reproduces for heavy Se content. The present results reveal that superconductivity is only characterized by robust Ta 5d band, demonstrating the universal nature in 1T-TaS₂ systems that superconductivity and NCCDW phase coexist in the real space.

This is cool. Really cool.

Dare I say … Se xy!

JPL Press Release

Hypothesis Presented at the 44th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, March 18-22, 2013

BBC News Article

http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.4772

Anionic depolymerization transition in IrTe₂, Yoon Seok Oh, J. J. Yang, Y. Horibe and S.-W. Cheong, Phys. Rev. Lett., In Press

Selenium (Se) substitution drastically increases the transition temperature of iridium ditelluride (IrTe₂) to a diamagnetic superstructure from 278 K to 560 K. Transmission electron microscopy experiments revealed that this enhancement is accompanied by the evolution of non-sinusoidal structure modulations from q = 1/5(101)- to q = 1/6(101)- types. These comprehensive results are consistent with the concept of the destabilization of polymeric Te-Te bonds at the transition, the temperature of which is increased by chemical and hydrostatic pressure and by the substitution of Te with the more electronegative Se. This temperature-induced depolymerization transition in IrTe₂ is unique in crystalline inorganic solids.

This is big.

Anthropocene Endocene – Post Holocene Geological Era

The Anthropocene geological era is going to be very brief.

Asteroid 2013 ET – Goldstone Radar Image

NASA JPL Press Release

http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.3856

Direct measurement of the upper critical field in a cuprate superconductor, G. Grissonnanche, O. Cyr-Choiniere, F. Laliberte, S. Rene de Cotret, A. Juneau-Fecteau, S. Dufour-Beausejour, M.-E. Delage, D. LeBoeuf, J. Chang, B. J. Ramshaw, D. A. Bonn, W. N. Hardy, R. Liang, S. Adachi, N. E. Hussey, B. Vignolle, C. Proust, M. Sutherland, S. Kramer, J.-H. Park, D. Graf, N. Doiron-Leyraud and Louis Taillefer

The factors that control the exceptional strength of superconductivity in cuprates are not understood. The upper critical field H_c2 is a fundamental measure of the pairing strength, yet there is no agreement on its magnitude, and only indirect, model-dependent estimates are available. In underdoped YBa₂Cu₃O_y, a remarkably low critical field H_vs is sufficient to suppress the state of zero resistance, but specific heat data have been interpreted to imply that H_c2 is much greater than H_vs. A wide separation of H_c2 and H_vs is often regarded as a defining property of underdoped cuprates. Here we report the direct determination of H_c2 in ultraclean crystals of YBa₂Cu₃O_y and YBa₂Cu₃O₈ from high-field thermal conductivity measurements. These reveal that there is no vortex liquid phase at T -> 0, where H_c2 = H_vs. Given this equality, we use high-field resistivity measurements to map out H_c2 in YBa₂Cu₃O_y as a function of doping p. We find that H_c2(p) consists of two domes, peaked at p1 ~ 0.08 and p2 ~ 0.18, each straddling an underlying critical point at which the Fermi surface of YBa₂Cu₃O_y undergoes a transformation. These coincide with the onset of spin order and charge order, respectively. Our findings highlight the separate roles of spin and charge orders in the rise and fall of superconductivity in cuprates.

Final Quote :

… they elucidate the origin of the dome like Tc curve as being due primarily to a competition from charge order, rather than phase fluctuations.

.

http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.3396

Quasiparticle mass enhancement close to the quantum critical point in BaFe₂(As_{1-x}P_x)₂, P. Walmsley, C. Putzke, L. Malone, I. Guillamon, D. Vignolles, C. Proust, S. Badoux, A.I. Coldea, M.D. Watson, S. Kasahara, Y. Mizukami, T. Shibauchi, Y. Matsuda and A. Carrington

We report a combined study of the specific heat and de Haas-van Alphen effect in the iron-pnictide superconductor BaFe₂(As_{1-x}P_x)₂. Our data when combined with results for the magnetic penetration depth give compelling evidence for the existence of a quantum critical point (QCP) close to x = 0.30 which affects the majority of the Fermi surface by enhancing the quasiparticle mass. The results show that the sharp peak in the inverse superfluid density seen in this system results from a strong increase in the quasiparticle mass at the QCP.

Awesomely awesome!

The Moons of Planet Pluto

The Formation of Pluto’s Low Mass Satellites, Scott J. Kenyon and Benjamin C. Bromley, Submitted to the Astronomical Journal

Motivated by the New Horizons mission, we consider how Pluto’s small satellites — currently P5, Nix, P4, and Hydra — grow in debris from the giant impact that forms the Pluto-Charon binary or in solid material captured from the protoplanetary debris disk. If the satellites have masses close to their minimum masses, our analysis suggests that capture of material into a circumplanetary or circumbinary debris disk is a viable mechanism for satellite formation. If the satellites are more massive, they probably form in debris from the giant impact. After the impact, Pluto and Charon accrete some of the debris and eject the rest from the binary orbit. During the ejection, high velocity collisions among debris particles produce a collisional cascade, leading to the ejection of some debris from the system and enabling the remaining debris particles to find stable orbits around the binary. Our numerical simulations of viscous diffusion, coagulation, and migration show that collisional evolution within a ring or disk of debris leads to a few small satellites orbiting Pluto-Charon. These simulations are the first to demonstrate migration-induced mergers within a particle disk. The final satellite masses correlate with the initial disk mass. More massive disks tend to produce fewer satellites. For the current properties of the satellites, our results strongly favor initial debris masses of 3-10 times 10¹⁹ g and current satellite albedos A = 0.4 ~ -1. We also predict an ensemble of smaller satellites with radii of 1 – 3 km or less and very small particles with radii of 1 – 100 cm and optical depth tau <= 10^-10. These objects should have semimajor axes outside the current orbit of Hydra.

This is starting to get some press. The small moons don’t seem to be much of a problem, but these simulations also indicate the existence of macroscopic particles and objects as well.

Debris. Orbital debris. Pluto bad. Bad Pluto!

Vulcan and Styx. Everything has to have a name, right?

http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.2649

A revised estimate of the occurrence rate of terrestrial planets in the habitable zones around kepler m-dwarfs, Ravi kumar Kopparapu, Accepted to Astrophysical Journal Letters

Because of their large numbers, low mass stars may be the most abundant planet hosts in our Galaxy. Furthermore, terrestrial planets in the habitable zones (HZs) around M-dwarfs can potentially be characterized in the near future and hence may be the first such planets to be studied. Recently Dressing & Charbonneau (2013) used Kepler data and calculated the frequency of terrestrial planets in the HZ of cool stars to be 0.15^+0.13_-0.06 per star for Earth-size planets (0.5 – 1.4 R_⊕). However, this estimate was derived using the Kasting et al.(1993) HZ limits, which were not valid for stars with effective temperatures lower than 3700 K. Here we update their result using new HZ limits from Kopparapu et al.(2013) for stars with effective temperatures between 2600 K and 7200 K, which includes the cool M stars in the Kepler target list. The new habitable zone boundaries increase the number of planet candidates in the habitable zone. Assuming Earth-size planets as 0.5 – 1.4 R_⊕, when we reanalyze their results, we obtain a terrestrial planet frequency of 0.48^+0.12_-0.24 and 0.53^+0.08_-0.17 planets per M-dwarf star for conservative and optimistic limits of the HZ boundaries, respectively. Assuming Earth-size planets as 0.5 – 2 R_⊕, the frequency increases to 0.51^+0.10_-0.20 per star for the conservative estimate and to 0.61^+0.07_-0.15 per star for the optimistic estimate. Within uncertainties, our optimistic estimates are in agreement with a similar optimistic estimate from the radial velocity survey of M-dwarfs (0.41^+0.54_-0.13, Bonfils et al. (2011)). So, the potential for finding Earth-like planets around M stars may be higher than previously reported.

Billions and billions. No, wait … trillions and trillions!

Sun Nearest Neighbor Stars Brown Dwarfs

WISE J104915.57-531906

Everything has got to have a name. Two names are better than one!

I wonder how many planets this thing has.

Brown Dwarf Binary Pair Wise

http://m.iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/765/2/111

On the Formation of Dipeptides in Interstellar Model Ices, R. I. Kaiser, A. M. Stockton, Y. S. Kim, E. C. Jensen, and R. A. Mathies, The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 765, Page 111

The hypothesis of an exogenous origin and delivery of biologically important molecules to early Earth presents an alternative route to their terrestrial in situ formation. Dipeptides like Gly-Gly detected in the Murchison meteorite are considered as key molecules in prebiotic chemistry because biofunctional dipeptides present the vital link in the evolutionary transition from prebiotic amino acids to early proteins. However, the processes that could lead to the exogenous abiotic synthesis of dipeptides are unknown. Here, we report the identification of two proteinogenic dipeptides—Gly-Gly and Leu-Ala—formed via electron-irradiation of interstellar model ices followed by annealing the irradiated samples to 300 K. Our results indicate that the radiation-induced, non-enzymatic formation of proteinogenic dipeptides in interstellar ice analogs is facile. Once synthesized and incorporated into the ”building material” of solar systems, biomolecules at least as complex as dipeptides could have been delivered to habitable planets such as early Earth by meteorites and comets, thus seeding the beginning of life as we know it.

Hugh Mann – Futurama

http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.0894

Salts and radiation products on the surface of Europa, M.E. Brown and K.P. Hand, The Astrophysical Journal, In Press

The surface of Europa could contain the compositional imprint of a underlying interior ocean, but competing hypotheses differ over whether spectral observations from the Galileo spacecraft show the signature of ocean evaporates or simply surface radiation products unrelated to the interior. Using adaptive optics at the W.M. Keck Observatory, we have obtained spatially resolved spectra of most of the disk of Europa at a spectral resolution ~40 times higher than seen by the Galileo spacecraft. These spectra show a previously undetected distinct signature of magnesium sulfate salts on Europa, but the magnesium sulfate is confined to the trailing hemisphere and spatially correlated with the presence of radiation products like sulfuric acid and SO2. On the leading, less irradiated, hemisphere, our observations rule out the presence of many of the proposed sulfate salts, but do show the presence of distorted water ice bands. Based on the association of the potential MgSO4, detection on the trailing side with other radiation products, we conclude that MgSO4 is also a radiation product, rather than a constituent of a Europa ocean brine. Based on ocean chemistry models, we hypothesize that, prior to irradiation, magnesium is primarily in the form of MgCl2, and we predict that NaCl and KCl are even more abundant, and, in fact, dominate the non-ice component of the leading hemisphere. We propose observational tests of this new hypothesis.

Discovery News Article

I, for one, welcome our Europan jellyfish overlords.

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/339/6123/1060.short

Synchronous Change of Atmospheric CO₂ and Antarctic Temperature During the Last Deglacial Warming, F. Parrenin, V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Köhler, D. Raynaud, D. Paillard, J. Schwander, C. Barbante, A. Landais, A. Wegner and J. Jouzel, Science, Vol. 339 no. 6123 pp. 1060-1063, 1 March 2013

Understanding the role of atmospheric CO₂ during past climate changes requires clear knowledge of how it varies in time relative to temperature. Antarctic ice cores preserve highly resolved records of atmospheric and Antarctic temperature for the past 800,000 years. Here we propose a revised relative age scale for the concentration of atmospheric CO₂ and Antarctic temperature for the last deglacial warming, using data from five Antarctic ice cores. We infer the phasing between CO₂ concentration and Antarctic temperature at four times when their trends change abruptly. We find no significant asynchrony between them, indicating that Antarctic temperature did not begin to rise hundreds of years before the concentration of atmospheric CO₂, as has been suggested by earlier studies.

http://arxiv.org/abs/1302.6917

Superconducting pairing and the pseudogap in nematic striped La_2-xSr_xCuO₄, S. Sugai, Y. Takayanagi, N. Hayamizu, T. Muroi, R. Shiozaki, J. Nohara, K. Takenaka and K. Okazaki

The individual k parallel and k perpendicular stripe excitations in fluctuating spin-charge stripes have not been observed yet. In Raman scattering if we set, for example, incident and scattered light polarizations to two possible stripe directions, we can observe the fluctuating stripe as if it is static. Using the different symmetry selection rule between the B_1g two-magnon scattering and the B_1g and B_2g isotropic electronic scattering, we succeeded to obtain the k parallel and k perpendicular strip magnetic excitations separately in La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ Only the k perpendicular stripe excitations appear in the wide-energy isotropic electronic Raman scattering, indicating that the charge transfer is restricted to the direction perpendicular to the stripe. This is the same as the Burgers vector of an edge dislocation which easily slides perpendicularly to the stripe. Hence charges at the edge dislocation move together with the dislocation perpendicularly to the stripe, while other charges are localized. A looped edge dislocation has lower energy than a single edge dislocation. The superconducting coherence length is close to the inter-charge stripe distance at x <= 0.2. Therefore we conclude that Cooper pairs are formed at looped edge dislocations. The restricted charge transfer direction naturally explains the opening of a pseudogap around (0, π) for the stripe parallel to the b axis and the reconstruction of the Fermi surface to have a flat plane near (0, π). They break the four-fold rotational symmetry. Furthermore the systematic experiments revealed the carrier density dependence of the isotropic and anisotropic electronic excitations, the spin density wave and/or charge density wave gap near (π/2, {π/2), and the strong coupling between the electronic states near (π/2, π/2) and the zone boundary phonons at (π, π).

Choice quote :

The paired charges moving with the edge dislocation is like a bipolaron. The binding energy is, however, related to not only the electron-phonon interaction but also the stripe formation energy including the electron, spin and charge interactions.

See also : http://arxiv.org/abs/1302.4060

Raman Studies of Anisotropic Magnetic Excitations in Fluctuating Nematic Striped La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ and the Comparison to Uniform Nd_2-xCe_xCuO₄, S. Sugai, Y. Takayanagi, N. Hayamizu, Y. Sone, N. Nakagawa, T. Muroi, International Conference on Superstripes 2012: Phase Separation and Superstripes in High Temperature Superconductors and Related Materials, 11-17 July, 2012, Erice-Sicily, Italy

http://arxiv.org/abs/1302.7317

Weak phase stiffness and nature of the quantum critical point in underdoped cuprates, Yucel Yildirim and Wei Ku

We demonstrate that the zero-temperature superconducting phase diagram of underdoped cuprates can be quantitatively understood in the strong binding limit, using only the experimental spectral function of the “normal” pseudo-gap phase without any free parameter. In the prototypical (La_1-xSr_x)₂CuO₄, a kinetics-driven d-wave superconductivity is obtained above the critical doping δ_c ~ 5.2%$, below which complete loss of superfluidity results from local quantum fluctuation involving local p-wave pairs. Near the critical doping, a enormous mass enhancement of the local pairs is found responsible for the observed rapid decrease of phase stiffness. Finally, a striking mass divergence is predicted at δ_c that dictates the occurrence of the observed quantum critical point and the sudden suppression of the Nernst effects in the nearby region.

Wei Ku is the new Richard Feynmann. Or Linus Pauling. Take your pick.

The Planet Mercury Rotating In Color

Mercury appears to be splattered with glop from the outer solar system.

And plenty of bright sunlight! Your new vacation destination!

Russia Russian Meteor Impact Bolide Explosion

The speed of sound is much slower than the speed of light.

Update 1 : So far I’ve seen a circular hole in the ice of a lake and some darkish specs of material, so it could be a carbonaceaous object! And so it seems they will find pieces of it much farther downrange. The lag between the bolide explosion and the pressure wave seems to indicate it was fairly high when it disintegrated and they are getting reports from neaby cities and villages.

http://74.mvd.ru/news/item/845855/

Update 2 : There is enough worldwide data now for number crunching and the result is approximately 17 meters in diameter and 10,000 metric tons at a low angle of incidence, obviously. Some of the small fragments found around the lake crater have been sent for analysis and the preliminary description is black and strong, so it may not be carbonaceous.

The fragments starting to look more like the higher density Sikhote-Alin iron type meteorites. Some of the fragments have been sent for analysis and if they are demonstrated to be genuine a specific composition and density would close the solution for this event and we can move on.

All that remains is picking up the pieces. Carbonaceous pieces would be much more valuable. That would at least help defray the cost of the injuries and the cleanup.

Update 3 : It looks like the hole in the ice may be a false lead, and thus it could be a long while before any meteorite fragments of the bolide are obtained. Apparently the strewn field lies a good distance off into the Siberian forest.

Update 4 : The analysis of the meteorites is in, the hole in the ice is genuine, the fragments are friable ordinary chondrites with a 10% iron content.

Dash Cam Video Gif Russia Russian Meteor Bolide Impact Explosion

http://www.news.wisc.edu/21471

Nickel Nanoparticles Carbon Dioxide Catalysis

http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2013/cy/c3cy20791a

Nickel nanoparticles catalyse reversible hydration of carbon dioxide for mineralization carbon capture and storage, Gaurav A. Bhaduri and Lidija Šiller, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2013, Advance Article Published Online 17 January 2013

The separation and storage of CO₂ in geological form as mineral carbonates has been seen as a viable method to reduce the concentration of CO₂ from the atmosphere. Mineralization of CO₂ to mineral salts like calcium carbonate provides a stable storage of CO₂. Reversible hydration of CO₂ to carbonic acid is the rate limiting step in the mineralization process. We report catalysis of the reversible hydration of CO₂ using nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs) at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The catalytic activity of the NiNPs is pH independent and as they are water insoluble and magnetic they can be magnetically separated for reuse. The reaction steps were characterized using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and a possible reaction mechanism is described.

This process was developed by Sea Urchin larvae.

http://arxiv.org/abs/1302.0248

Competition between the Pseudogap and Superconducting States of
Bi₂Sr₂Ca_0.92Y_0.08Cu₂O_8+δ, G. Coslovich, C. Giannetti, F. Cilento, S. Dal Conte, T. Abebaw, D. Bossini, G. Ferrini, H. Eisaki, M. Greven, A. Damascelli, F. Parmigiani, To Be Published In Physical Review Letters

Ultrafast broadband transient reflectivity experiments are performed to study the interplay between the non-equilibrium dynamics of the pseudogap and the superconducting phases in Bi₂Sr₂Ca_0.92Y_0.08Cu₂O_8+δ. Once superconductivity is established the relaxation of the pseudogap proceeds ~ 2 times faster than in the normal state, and the corresponding transient reflectivity variation changes sign after ~ 0.5 ps. The results can be described by a set of coupled differential equations for the pseudogap and for the superconducting order parameter. The sign and strength of the coupling term suggest a remarkably weak competition between the two phases, allowing their coexistence.

http://arxiv.org/abs/1301.6674

Habitable Zones Around Main-Sequence Stars: New Estimates, Ravi kumar Kopparapu, Ramses Ramirez, James F. Kasting, Vincent Eymet, Tyler D. Robinson, Suvrath Mahadevan, Ryan C. Terrien, Shawn Domagal-Goldman, Victoria Meadows and Rohit Deshpande, Accepted to Astrophysical Journal

Identifying terrestrial planets in the habitable zones (HZs) of other stars is one of the primary goals of ongoing radial velocity and transit exoplanet surveys and proposed future space missions. Most current estimates of the boundaries of the HZ are based on 1-D, cloud-free, climate model calculations by Kasting et al. (1993). The inner edge of the HZ in Kasting et al. (1993) model was determined by loss of water, and the outer edge was determined by the maximum greenhouse provided by a CO₂ atmosphere. A conservative estimate for the width of the HZ from this model in our Solar system is 0.95 – 1.67 AU.

Here, an updated 1-D radiative-convective, cloud-free climate model is used to obtain new estimates for HZ widths around F, G, K and M stars. New H₂O and CO₂ absorption coefficients, derived from the HITRAN 2008 and HITEMP 2010 line-by-line databases, are important improvements to the climate model. According to the new model, the water loss (inner HZ) and maximum greenhouse (outer HZ) limits for our Solar System are at 0.99 AU and 1.70 AU, respectively, suggesting that the present Earth lies near the inner edge. Additional calculations are performed for stars with effective temperatures between 2600 K and 7200 K, and the results are presented in parametric form, making them easy to apply to actual stars. The new model indicates that, near the inner edge of the HZ, there is no clear distinction between runaway greenhouse and water loss limits for stars with T_eff < ~5000 K which has implications for ongoing planet searches around K and M stars. To assess the potential habitability of extrasolar terrestrial planets, we propose using stellar flux incident on a planet rather than equilibrium temperature. This removes the dependence on planetary (Bond) albedo, which varies depending upon the host star’s spectral type. We suggest that conservative estimates of the HZ (water loss and maximum greenhouse limits) should be used for current RV surveys and Kepler mission to obtain a lower limit on η⊕, so that future flagship missions like TPF-C and Darwin are not undersized. Our model does not include the radiative effects of clouds; thus, the actual HZ boundaries may extend further in both directions than the estimates just given.

http://arxiv.org/abs/1301.6165

Microlens Surveys are a Powerful Probe of Asteroids, Andrew Gould and Jennifer C. Yee, Submitted to The Astrophysical Journal

While of order a million asteroids have been discovered, the number in rigorously controlled samples that have precise orbits and rotation periods, as well as well-measured colors, is relatively small. In particular, less than a dozen main-belt asteroids with estimated diameters D < 3km, have excellent rotation periods. We show how existing and soon-to-be-acquired microlensing data can yield a large asteroid sample with precise orbits and rotation periods, which will include roughly 6% of all asteroids with maximum brightness I < 18.4 and lying within 10deg of the ecliptic. This sample will be dominated by small and very small asteroids, down to D ~ 1km.

We have shown that existing microlensing surveys, particularly the OGLE survey contain a vast wealth of asteroid data from an almost completely untapped region of parameter space. These data could be exploited to construct a catalog of asteroids with well-measured orbital parameters, precise rotation periods and amplitudes, and essentially perfectly known completeness down to I = 18.4. Currently, there are fewer than a dozen such asteroids within a magnitude of this limit, and these do not have well-defined completeness properties. These same data can also be used to find asteroid binaries and find asteroid shapes.

http://arxiv.org/abs/1301.6128

Fluctuating charge density waves in a cuprate superconductor, Darius H. Torchinsky, Fahad Mahmood, Anthony T. Bollinger, Ivan Božović and Nuh Gedik, Accepted for Publication in Nature Materials

Cuprate materials hosting high-temperature superconductivity (HTS) also exhibit various forms of charge and/or spin ordering whose significance is not fully understood. To date, static charge-density waves (CDWs) have been detected by diffraction probes only at special doping or in an applied external field. However, dynamic CDWs may also be present more broadly and their detection, characterization and relationship with HTS remain open problems. Here, we present a new method, based on ultrafast spectroscopy, to detect the presence and measure the lifetimes of CDW fluctuations in cuprates. In an underdoped La_1.9Sr_0.1CuO₄ film (T_c = 26 K), we observe collective excitations of CDW that persist up to 100 K. This dynamic CDW fluctuates with a characteristic lifetime of 2 ps at T = 5 K which decreases to 0.5 ps at T = 100 K. In contrast, in an optimally doped La_1.84Sr_0.16CuO₄ film (T_c = 38.5 K), we detect no signatures of fluctuating CDWs at any temperature, favoring the competition scenario. This work forges a path for studying fluctuating order parameters in various superconductors and other materials.

Update : Now published in Nature Materials.

Steely Dan – Only A Fool Would Say That – Can’t Buy A Thrill – ABC – 1972

The Tsiolkovsky Group

I have arrived. The guy whose name must not be mentioned!

I can’t wait to testify before the Space, Science and Technology Committees.

Dung Beetle Milky Way Space Program

In the future African Dung Beetles will have their own space program.

Lunar Direct Polar Moon Base – Endurance

I’m with the Russians on this one. There are two races, actually, one to get an American crew to the ISS on an American rocket in an American capsule, which SpaceX hopes to do by 2015, and another race to put something, anything, on the pole of the moon. That’s open ended, but I hear the Chinese may try it next year. The Russians must be serious if they are calling for 2015.

Anyways, we’re stuck on SEP and GCR shielding for any hapless crews who may wish to try it. Right now I’m leaning towards mobile habitats that simply drive up to and under the moon base legs – park and plug. That way I could lower the center of gravity of the damn thing with some lunar regolith on the bottom of the lower tank, plus with all the engines it should provide some shielding from above. Then – walls. Concentric mounds with offset entrances. Exhaust blast ejecta deflectors. I heard Caterpillar wanted to get involved, but I’d like to avoid the dust. One idea I had was sending a core stage around the pole of the moon and bring it looping back in a big polar orbit and then punch a landing crater in the appropriate place and then land in that crater. You’d have to find a fresh and deep one on the edge of a rim and I don’t know how easy that will be on the pole of the moon.

It’s just hard to imagine an elevator ride up one of these things, but weirder things are possible.

The entire idea revolves around getting large cylindrical solar power arrays into place to feed all the hungry bots. This will be a combined communications and navigation satellite sitting on the pole of the moon, where it no longer requires any attitude control fuel, and nothing much bad can happen to it – except possibly tipping over. It would be nice to get some sun and regolith temperature stats. But I am still sentimentally attached to large silo houses. At least I won’t have to worry about thunderstorms and tornadoes. I still have tipping over and falling apart dreams.

Update : The more or less almost finished three page NIAC paper may be found here.

Bigelow BEAM Spherical Inflatable Habitat

This too has been well covered by the media, so I’m just going to briefly discuss the technical ramifications of this stunning new development. Bob’s habitats previously have been big and bulky toroidal affairs that inflate from large heavy metallic cylinders. This entirely new device is a greatly simplified and much lighter weight sphere that deploys from what is essentially a docking ring and airlock. This is highly relevant now that we have developed a new universal near earth space development architecture that uses cryogenic core and upper stages as fundamental space based infrastructure, because EVERY vehicle can carry one of these habitats installed at the tops of the tanks, and they can be inflated directly into the empty fuel tanks as a bladder for stored water to be used as radiation shielding. The water is not stored in that habitat, it is stored between the habitat and the tank as a buffer to the inflated living space, or in this case, the plant growing space. Since we now believe we have the capability to land these large core stage and upper stage tanks directly onto the surface of the poles of the moon, this is the breakthrough that was necessary to complete the architecture as we have developed it. So I hope that puts Mr. Bigelow’s breakthrough into a better perspective as well.

I will be developing a two page NIAC white paper on this subject – here.

http://arxiv.org/abs/1301.3808

Formation of Regular Satellites from Ancient Massive Rings in the Solar System, A. Crida and S. Charnoz, Science. Vol 338, p. 1196, 30 November 2012

When a planetary tidal disk -like Saturn’s rings- spreads beyond the Roche radius (inside which planetary tides prevent aggregation), satellites form and migrate away. Here, we show that most regular satellites in the solar system probably formed in this way. According to our analytical model, when the spreading is slow, a retinue of satellites appear with masses increasing with distance to the Roche radius, in excellent agreement with Saturn’s, Uranus’, and Neptune’s satellite systems. This suggests that Uranus and Neptune used to have massive rings that disappeared to give birth to most of their regular satellites. When the spreading is fast, only one large satellite forms, as was the case for Pluto and Earth. This conceptually bridges the gap between terrestrial and giant planet systems.

More worlds in collision!

Oh … whatever.

NASAWatch and Parabolic Arc have already blogged this, but they don’t have to actually write one, or maybe they will, anyone can do it. You just have to junp through hoops with NSPIRES and now SAM. The last one certainly resulted in some interesting ideas, but I think it’s going to have to be a pretty cold day in a deep thermal reservoir crater on the moon before monoatomic hydrogen is used as a cryogenic rocket fuel.

I remember I got the announcement and being pretty peeved over the previous (2011) run at it, so I just banged out a two page paper about what was on my mind at the time and submitted.

I think I was Number 005. I know it wasn’t long after I got the announcement email, but it was a week or so before Newt Gingrich’s moon colony speech, and if I had waited things would have turned out rather differently, I believe, because it took me less than a month after the speech to publish what would have been an even more interesting NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts paper – Lunar Direct. Not that there was anything wrong with the architecture I submitted. You just have to understand the target audience here. And so now I have to condense an entire year of post NIAC thoughts into a three page paper with an additional preformatted summary page on a topic that is now utterly old and ordinary for me – Lunar Bases.

All because politics requires that I hawk this to a broke dysfunctional nation until the already late 2014 budget request comes out this year, if at all. Maybe this year I can get the prez to do more than just sign a bill and make a speech. The last three runs at this problem were unsuccessful.

I am suffering from indifferentism.

Update : If anyone is interested, Here is the online workspace for this proposal.

You can watch and see how it’s done. New things happening every day!

Update 2 : I submitted on January 30th and I was number 002!

Update 3 : This NIAC proposal was rejected as ‘incremental’. You just can’t make this shit up!

Rockets powered by atomic hydrogen, anti-matter and dark energy are the next big thing.

Robot Spider Virus

No wonder the Federation has enlisted the help of the Borg.

The zombie bots are coming.

Rio Tinto Iron Sulfur Salt Extremophile Bacteria Bacterial Mat

Including archeons, extremophiles and fungi. Yuk.

I think it’s great that it’s all fried and dead on the surface of Mars. One less thing!

PhysOrg News Article

F. Gómez, J.A. Rodríguez-Manfredi, N. Rodríguez, M. Fernández-Sampedro, F.J. Caballero-Castrejón, R. Amils. “Habitability: Where to look for life? Halophilic habitats: Earth analogs to study Mars habitability”. Planetary and Space Science 68 (1): 48-55, 2012.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032063311003941

We are reporting here some preliminary studies about endolithic niches inside salt deposits used by phototrophs for taking advantage of sheltering particular light wavelengths. These acidic salts deposits located in Río Tinto shelter life forms which are difficult to localize by eye. Techniques for its localization and study during space missions are needed to develop. Extreme environments are good scenarios where to test and train those techniques and where hypothetical astrobiological space missions could be simulated for increasing possibilities of micro niches identification.

http://www.lapetus.uchile.cl/lapetus/archivos/1339604923linandcho12.pdf

The Habitability of Our Earth and Other Earths: Astrophysical, Geochemical, Geophysical, and Biological Limits on Planet Habitability, Charles H. Lineweaver and Aditya Chopra