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- Renno, N.O., et al.
(author)
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Ground-atmosphere interactions at Gale
- 2013
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We analyze variations in environmental parameters and regolith properties along Curiosity’s track to determine the possible causes of an abrupt change in the thermal properties of the ground and the atmosphere observed around Sol 120, as the rover transitioned from an area of sandy soil (Rocknest) to an area of fractured bedrock terrain (Yellowknife). Curiosity is instrumented with the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) and the Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) sensors to measure the air temperature, the ground temperature, and the hydrogen content of the shallow subsurface along Curiosity’s track. Analysis of the REMS data is used to estimate the regolith’s heat budget. This analysis suggests that the abrupt decrease in the ground and atmosphere temperature and the difference between ground and air temperatures observed around Sol 120 is likely caused by an increase in the soil thermal inertia. The changes in thermal inertia have been known for some time so confirming this by the REMS package provides ground truthing. A new unexpected finding is that the regolith water content, as indicated by DAN’s detection of hydrogen content, is higher in the Yellowknife soil. Another interesting finding at this site are the holes and other signs of recent geological activity in the area of fractured terrain that may reflect large volumetric variations and facilitate gas exchange between the ground and atmosphere. Near-surface volumetric changes in soil and bedrock could reflect changes in the volume of subsurface H2O, or in the partitioning of H2O among its three phases. Volume increases could also result from salt crystal growth in rock pores and soil pores associated with the adsorption of water vapor. Crystallization in pores is a significant weathering process on Earth; it could well be active on Mars. Salts also inhibits the exchange of moisture between the ground and the atmosphere, and cements the soils of arid places such as in the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica. Indeed, salts might be responsible for the ubiquitous martian duricrust. More importantly, salt crusts have the potential to create pockets of wet regolith in the shallow martian subsurface that could be habitable. A better understanding of ground-atmosphere interactions has the potential to shed new light into aqueous processes in the shallow martian subsurface.
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2. |
- Vogt, A., et al.
(author)
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High-spin structure of Xe-134
- 2016
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In: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. - 2469-9985. ; 93:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Detailed spectroscopic information on the N similar to 82 nuclei is necessary to benchmark shell-model calculations in the region. The nuclear structure above long-lived isomers in Xe-134 is investigated after multinucleon transfer (MNT) and actinide fission. Xenon-134 was populated as (i) a transfer product in Xe-136 + U-238 and Xe-136 + Pb-208 MNT reactions and (ii) as a fission product in the Xe-136 + U-238 reaction employing the high-resolution Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA). Trajectory reconstruction has been applied for the complete identification of beamlike transfer products with the magnetic spectrometer PRISMA. The Xe-136 + Pt-198 MNT reaction was studied with the gamma-ray spectrometer GAMMASPHERE in combination with the gas detector array Compact Heavy Ion Counter (CHICO). Several high-spin states in Xe-134 on top of the two long-lived isomers are discovered based on gamma gamma-coincidence relationships and information on the gamma-ray angular distributions as well as excitation energies from the total kinetic energy loss and fission fragments. The revised level scheme of Xe-134 is extended up to an
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3. |
- Vogt, A., et al.
(author)
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Isomers and high-spin structures in the N=81 isotones Xe-135 and Ba-137
- 2017
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In: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. - : AMER PHYSICAL SOC. - 2469-9985. ; 95:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The high-spin structures and isomers of the N = 81 isotones Xe-135 and Ba-137 are investigated after multinucleon-transfer (MNT) and fusion-evaporation reactions. Both nuclei are populated (i) in Xe-136+ U-238 and (ii) Xe-136+ Pb-208 MNT reactions employing the high-resolution Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA) coupled to the magnetic spectrometer PRISMA, (iii) in the Xe-136+ Pt-198 MNT reaction employing the gamma-ray array GAMMASPHERE in combination with the gas-detector array CHICO, and (iv) via a B-11+ Te-130 fusion-evaporation reaction with the HORUS gamma-ray array at the University of Cologne. The high-spin level schemes of Xe-135 and Ba-137 are considerably extended to higher energies. The 2058-keV (19/2(-)) state in Xe-135 is identified as an isomer, closing a gap in the systematics along the N = 81 isotones. Its half-life is measured to be 9.0(9) ns, corresponding to a reduced transition probability of B(E2,19/2(-) -> 15/2(-)) = 0.52(6) W.u. The experimentally deduced reduced transition probabilities of the isomeric states are compared to shell-model predictions. Latest shell-model calculations reproduce the experimental findings generally well and provide guidance to the interpretation of the new levels.
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