Ion Irradiation of Asphaltite: Optical Effects and Implications for Trans-Neptunian Objects and Centaurs

Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) and Centaurs show remarkable colour variationsin the visual and near-infrared spectral regions. Surface alteration processes such asspace weathering (e.g., bombardment with ions) and impact resurfacingmay play an important role in the colour diversity of such bodies. Ion irradiation ofhydrocarbon ices and their mixtures with water ice transforms neutral (grey) surfacecolours of ices to red and further to grey. Along with the ices, TNOs and Centaursprobably contain complex carbonaceous compounds, in particular, complexhydrocarbons. Unlike ices, such refractory organic materials have originally lowvisual albedos and red colours in the visible and near-infrared ranges. Here wepresent the first results of ion irradiation experiments on asphaltite. Asphaltite isa natural complex hydrocarbon material. The reflectance spectra of asphaltite inthe 0.4–0.8 μm range have been recorded before irradiation and after eachirradiation step. We demonstrate that irradiation of this red dark material with30 keV H⁺ and 15 keV N⁺ ions gradually transforms its colour from redto grey as a result of carbonization. A moderate increase in the visual albedo hasbeen observed. These results may imply that the surfaces of primitive red objectsoptically dominated by complex refractory organics may show a similar spaceweathering trend. Our laboratory results were compared with published coloursof TNOs and Centaurs. A broad variety of spectral colours observed for TNOs andCentaurs may be reproduced by various spectra of irradiated organics correspondingto different ion fluences. However, such objects probably also contain ices and silicatecomponents which show different space weathering trends. This fact, together with alack of information about albedos, may explain difficulties to reveal correlations between surface colours within TNO and Centaur populations and their other properties, such as absolute magnitudes and orbital parameters.     

On the most general accurate solutions for Buchdahl's fluid spheres

The most general accurate solutions for the Buchdhal fluid sphere were obtained and matched with the Schwarzchild's exterior solution at the pressure free interface. Various parameters of the solutions were so adjusted that the energy density, pressure and temperature were positive and decreasing away from the centre, and the velocity of sound was less than unity throughout the spheroid model. Using this procedure, the maximum mass of the fluid sphere with a surface density of2 × 10¹⁴gm cm^-3 was determined to be 3.82MΘ and 4.57 MΘ for strong and weak energy conditions respectively. PACS number: 0402, 0402J, 0440D, 95301 This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Kinematics in the z = 2.81 Galaxy and the Evidence for Rotation

The existence of rotation signatures in damped Lyαabsorption systems represents a crucial test of the hypothesis that these features arise in disks of normal spiral galaxies. We apply the method for evaluating such signatures to the metal absorption lines in QSO 0528-250. In particular, the systemic redshift of the absorber is inferred from the recent detection of emission in the absorber by Möller and Warren. The kinematics of this absorber are particularly interesting because molecular hydrogen, the densest ISM component of the assumed foreground absorbing galaxy, is detected. Contrary to a recent claim, the method yields a satisfactory value for the assumed rotation velocity of the absorber.     

Microtextures and crystal chemistry in P21/c pigeonites

Summary ?A single-crystal X-ray investigation was performed on crystals of P2₁/c natural pigeonite with varying Ca and Fe^* ( = Fe²⁺ + Mn²⁺) contents, in order to verify the effect of microtextural disorder on structure refinements and to constrain the crystal chemistry of pigeonite. Antiphase domains and exsolution lamellae affect differently the refinement results. In a crystal free of exsolution the structure obtained after refinement with all reflections is an average of that of the antiphase domains and of their boundaries, whereas in an exsolved crystal it represents only the structure of the prevailing pigeonite lamellae. The refinement using only h + k odd reflections seems to give the structure of the Ca-free pigeonite characteristic of the antiphase domains rather than that of Ca-rich domain walls. The ratio of the scale factors in refinements with all reflections and with only h + k odd reflections allows the ratios of the exsolved augite and pigeonite phases to be estimated. The crystal chemistry of the investigated samples follows the trends outlined by data on Ca-free and Fe-free synthetic samples. In particular, it is shown that Ca and Fe^* substitution for Mg induce similar changes in the average structure, i.e. both induce an expansion in the M1 polyhedron and decrease the difference between the M2–O3 distances. Received October 18, 2001; revised version accepted February 15, 2002     

2D/3D Dust Continuum Radiative Transfer Codes to Analyze and Predict VLTI Observations

Radiative Transfer (RT) codes with image capability are a fundamental tool for preparing interferometric observations and for interpreting visibility data. In view of the upcoming VLTI facilities, we present the first comparison of images/visibilities coming from two 3D codes that use completely different techniques to solve the problem of self-consistent continuum RT. In addition, we focus on the astrophysical case of a disk distorted by tidal interaction with by-passing stars or internal planets and investigate for which parameters the distortion can be best detected in the mid-infrared using the mid-infrared interferometric device MIDI. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.