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At least 181 records · Page 10

Tunable and Degradable Dynamic Thermosets from Compatibilized Polyhydroxyalkanoate Blends

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are versatile, biobased polyesters that are often targeted for use as degradable thermoplastic replacements for polyolefins. Given the substantial chemical diversity of PHA, their potential as cross-linked polymers could also enable similar platforms for reversible, degradable thermosets. In this work, we genetically engineered Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to synthesize poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyundecenoate) (PHBU), which contains both 3-hydroxybutyrate and unsaturated 3-hydroxyundecenoate components. To reduce the brittleness of this polymer, we physically blended PHBU with the soft copolymer poly(3-hydroxydecanonate-co-3-hydroxyundecenoate) in mass ratios of 1:3, 1:1, and 3:1. Upon observing varying degrees of immiscibility by scanning electron microscopy, we installed dynamic boronic ester cross-links via thiol–ene click chemistry, which resulted in compatibilized dynamic thermoset blends ranging in hard, medium, and soft rubber or elastomer thermomechanical profiles. These dynamic thermoset blends were subjected to controlled biological degradation experiments in freshwater conditions, achieving timely mass loss despite the cross-linked architectures. Overall, this work highlights a two-component platform for the production of degradable and reprocessable dynamic thermoset blends suitable for several classes of cross-linked polymer technologies from tailored, biological PHA copolymers.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The dynamical state of RXCJ1230.7+3439: A multi-substructured merging galaxy cluster

We analyse the kinematical and dynamical state of the galaxy cluster RXCJ1230.7+3439 (RXCJ1230), at $z$ = 0.332 using 93 new spectroscopic redshifts of galaxies acquired at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo and from SDSS DR16 public data. We study the density galaxy distribution retrieved from photometric SDSS multiband data and find that RXCJ1230 appears as a clearly isolated peak in the redshift space, with a global line-of-sight (LOS) velocity dispersion of $σ$ v = 1004 -122 +147 km s -1 . Several tests applied to the spatial and velocity distributions reveal that RXCJ1230 is a complex system with the presence of three subclusters, located to the southwest, east, and south with respect to the main body of the cluster, containing several bright galaxies (BGs) in their respective cores. Our analyses confirm that the three substructures are in a pre-merger phase, where the main interaction takes place with the southwest subclump, almost in the plane of the sky. We compute a velocity dispersion of $σ$ v ~ 1000 and $σ$ v ~ 800 km s -1 for the main cluster and the southwest substructure, respectively. The central main body and southwest substructure differ by ~870 km s -1 in the LOS velocity. From these data, we estimate a dynamical mass of $M$ 200 = 9.0 ± 1.5 × 1014 $M$ ⊙ and 4.4 ± 3.3 × 1014 $M$ ⊙ for the RXCJ1230 main body and southwest clump, respectively, which reveals that the cluster will undergo a merger characterised by a 2:1 mass ratio impact. We solve a two-body problem for this interaction and find that the most likely solution suggests that the merging axis lies ~17° from the plane of the sky and the subcluster will fully interact in ~0.3 Gyr. However, a slight excess in the X-ray temperature observed in the southwest clump confirms a certain degree of interaction already. The comparison between the dynamical masses and those derived from X-ray data reveals good agreement within errors (differences ~15%), which suggests that the innermost regions (< r 500 ) of the galaxy clumps are almost in hydrostatical equilibrium. In summary, RXCJ1230 is a young but also massive cluster in a pre-merging phase accreting other galaxy systems from its environment.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

BVR{sub C}I{sub C} Observations and Analysis of the UV LEO-type Binary, the Pre-WUMa, V1023 Persei

V1023 Per is a polar spotted, but well-detached dwarf binary, very likely a Pre-WUMa eclipsing binary. It was observed on 11 nights in 2015 October, November, and December at Dark Sky Observatory in North Carolina with the 0.81 m reflector of Appalachian State University. The period behavior is complex and may be increasing with a cubic or quadratic ephemeris. Its odd light curves are of high amplitude but have no totality and reach maximum light just before and following the secondary eclipse, indicating that it has polar spots similar to UV Leo. The 28 yr orbital period study calls the attention of observers to further monitor this binary to understand the complex nature of the period evolution. Its presently fixed polar spot does indicate that it must have a strong magnetic field and that it is synchronously rotating. The BVR{sub c}I{sub c} simultaneous 2016 Wilson–Devinney program (W-D) solution gives fillouts of 68% and 75% for the primary and secondary components, respectively. The polar position of the spot, its radius (24°), and T-fact (0.75) indicate that a strong magnetic field is present. The small ΔT in the components (∼289 K) show that the stars are similar in spectral type despite them being well detached. The inclination is high, ∼85.°19 ± 0.°04, but there is not a total eclipse due to the high mass ratio (∼0.739 ± 0.001). Due to the low galactic position (longitude = 150.°390, latitude = −1.°023), its reddening is addressed. The primary components temperature is estimated to be 5250 ± 250 K.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Film Thickness and Composition Effects in Symmetric Ternary Block Copolymer/Homopolymer Blend Films: Domain Spacing and Orientation

We report thickness and homopolymer molar mass dependencies in thin film blends of a compositionally symmetric 75 kg/mol lamellar polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) diblock copolymer (PS-b-PMMA) with near-equal volume fractions of PS and PMMA homopolymers on “neutral” surfaces that promote a vertical domain orientation. PS and PMMA homopolymers with equal molar masses of 1, 3, and 22 kg/mol are blended in a 1:1 mass ratio. To efficiently explore this parameter space, we prepared combinatorial samples with gradient homopolymer concentrations using electrospray deposition (ESD) and gradient film thicknesses using flow coating; these samples were subsequently characterized by grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Our results demonstrate that the added homopolymers increase or reduce domain spacings with respect to the neat (unblended) block copolymer depending on their molar masses, in line with previous reports; a simple heuristic to estimate the domain scaling in ternary blends based on the homopolymer molar mass agrees well with data for the thinnest blend films studied here. More surprisingly, we observe that the measured domain spacing in blends also depends on film thickness, with thicker films exhibiting larger domain spacings than thinner films at the same homopolymer concentration. Furthermore, thickness gradients at fixed homopolymer concentrations reveal a change in lamellae orientation from vertical to horizontal as film thickness is increased beyond the nominal lamellar domain spacing. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations indicate that this change in orientation is induced by homopolymer segregation to film surfaces. Finally, tying these effects together, we hypothesize that the observed dependence of domain spacing on film thickness is a consequence of changes in the vertical homopolymer composition profile in thicker films during lamellae reorientation and the conformational asymmetry between PMMA and PS segments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Photometric and Spectroscopic Analysis of Four Contact Binaries

We present the photometric and spectroscopic analysis of four W UMa binaries J015829.5+260333 (hereinafter as J0158), J030505.1+293443 (hereinafter as J0305), J102211.7+310022 (hereinafter as J1022), and KW Psc. The VR {sub c} I {sub c} band photometric observations are carried out with the 1.3 m Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope (DFOT). For low-resolution spectroscopy, we used the 2 m Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) as well as the archival data from the 4 m LAMOST survey. The systems J0158 and J0305 show a period increase rate of 5.26( ± 1.72) × 10{sup −7} days yr{sup −1} and 1.78( ± 1.52) × 10{sup −6} days yr{sup −1}, respectively. The period of J1022 is found to be decreasing with a rate of 4.22 ( ± 1.67) × 10{sup −6} days yr{sup −1}. The period analysis of KW Psc displays no change in its period. The PHOEBE package is used for the light-curve modeling and basic parameters are evaluated with the help of the GAIA parallax. The asymmetry of light curves is explained with the assumption of cool spots at specific positions on one of the components of the system. On the basis of temperatures, mass ratios, fill-out factors, and periods, the system J1022 is identified as a W-subtype system while the others show some mixed properties. To probe the chromospheric activities in these W UMa binaries, their spectra are compared with the known inactive stars’ spectra. The comparison shows emission in H {sub α}, H {sub β}, and Ca II. To understand the evolutionary status of these systems, the components are plotted in mass–radius and mass–luminosity planes with other well characterized binary systems. The secondary components of all the systems are away from ZAMS, which indicates that the secondary is more evolved than the primary component.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Burning conditions and transportation pathways determine biomass-burning aerosol properties in the Ascension Island marine boundary layer

Abstract. African biomass-burning aerosol (BBA) in the southeast Atlantic Ocean (SEA) marine boundary layer (MBL) is an important contributor to Earth's radiation budget, yet its representation remains poorly constrained in regional and global climate models. Data from the Layered Atlantic Smoke Interactions with Clouds (LASIC) field campaign on Ascension Island (7.95° S, 14.36° W) provide insight into how burning conditions, fuel type, transport pathways, and atmospheric processing affect the chemical, microphysical, and optical properties of BBA between June and September 2017. A total of 10 individual plume events characterize the seasonal evolution of the BBA properties. Early-season inefficient fires, determined by low refractory black carbon to above-background carbon monoxide mixing ratios (rBC : ΔCO), led to enhanced concentrations of organic- and sulfate-rich aerosols. Mid-season efficient fires, determined by higher rBC : ΔCO values, led to rBC-enriched BBA. A mix of efficient and inefficient fires later in the season resulted in conflicting BBA properties. Prolonged transport (∼ 10 d) through the MBL and lower free troposphere (FT) facilitated chemical and aqueous-phase processing, which led to a reduction in organic aerosol mass concentrations. This resulted in lower organic aerosol (OA) to rBC (OA : rBC) mass ratios (2–5) in the MBL compared to higher values (5–15) in the nearby FT. These atmospheric and cloud oxidation processes yield more light-absorbing BBA and explain the notably low single-scattering albedo at 530 nm (SSA530) values (< 0.80) observed in the MBL. This study establishes a robust correlation between SSA530 and OA : rBC across the MBL and FT, underscoring the dependency of optical properties on chemical composition.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Model Sensitivities of Biomass-Burning Aerosol Chemical Aging, Sulfate Formation, and Cloud Droplet Activation in the Southeastern Atlantic Using CESM and E3SM

Biomass-burning smoke drives large uncertainty in climate projections of the Earth's radiative balance. This is due to the chemical and physical evolution of smoke and its impact on clouds and radiation. Here we focus on the southeastern Atlantic region and its inflow of African biomass-burning smoke during August 2017. We evaluate smoke properties and processes in two coupled earth-system models, the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) and Community Earth System Model (CESM). These are compared against in situ aircraft observations from two field campaigns, ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS (ORACLES) and CLoud–Aerosol–Radiation Interaction and Forcing: Year 2017 (CLARIFY-2017). Observations reveal an increase and subsequent decrease in smoke mean diameter, and a steady decrease in the mass ratio of organic aerosol (OA) to black carbon aerosol (BC) (OA:BC) over 4–12 days of aging, neither captured by the base models. Implementation of a photolytic loss scheme for secondary organic aerosol (SOA)—as a proxy for other heterogeneous volatilization chemistry—and a ∼1-day conversion for primary OA to SOA significantly improves the representation of this loss. In the boundary layer, both models show dimethyl sulfide driving a large increase in the sulfate aerosol mass fraction from the free troposphere, which is consistent with observations. Finally, models tend to underpredict cloud droplet number concentration partially due to weak modeled turbulent updraft strength, and model performance improves when the parameterized turbulent updraft strength is increased substantially. These results are expected to provide insights into future model development to reduce climate model uncertainties.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Optimization of matrix viscosity improves polypropylene fiber dispersion and properties of engineered cementitious composites

Engineered cementitious composites (ECC) is a durable cementitious material with high tensile ductility and strain-hardening characteristics. Although considered as a cost-effective fiber for ECC, polypropylene (PP) fiber is reportedly difficult to disperse in mortar matrix due to its high aspect ratio and hydrophobicity. In this study, the matrix viscosity of a low-carbon ECC based on limestone calcined clay cement was tailored as a variable to improve PP fiber dispersion under a pre-determined mixing protocol. The effect of matrix viscosity on the composite fresh and hardened properties was investigated experimentally. Results suggested an optimal range of matrix viscosity (10.3–11.5 Pa . s) favors the composite tensile strength and strain capacity at 28 days. At the optimal state with a 0.1 % viscosity modifying admixture (VMA)-to-binder mass ratio, PP-ECC achieved 7.0 % tensile strain capacity and 3.5 MPa ultimate tensile strength. When matrix viscosity falls outside the desired range, both ultimate tensile strength and strain capacity were diminished. By tailoring the VMA dosage, the matrix viscosity can be adjusted for desired fiber dispersion, workability, and mechanical properties. Finally, the findings of this study provide a technical reference for the practical design and application of PP-ECC.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Search for subsolar-mass black hole binaries in the second part of Advanced LIGO’s and Advanced Virgo’s third observing run

ABSTRACT We describe a search for gravitational waves from compact binaries with at least one component with mass $0.2$–$1.0 \, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ and mass ratio q ≥ 0.1 in Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and Advanced Virgo data collected between 2019 November 1, 15:00 utc and 2020 March 27, 17:00 utc. No signals were detected. The most significant candidate has a false alarm rate of $0.2 \, \rm {yr}^{-1}$. We estimate the sensitivity of our search over the entirety of Advanced LIGO’s and Advanced Virgo’s third observing run, and present the most stringent limits to date on the merger rate of binary black holes with at least one subsolar-mass component. We use the upper limits to constrain two fiducial scenarios that could produce subsolar-mass black holes: primordial black holes (PBH) and a model of dissipative dark matter. The PBH model uses recent prescriptions for the merger rate of PBH binaries that include a rate suppression factor to effectively account for PBH early binary disruptions. If the PBHs are monochromatically distributed, we can exclude a dark matter fraction in PBHs $f_\mathrm{PBH} \gtrsim \, 0.6$ (at 90 per cent confidence) in the probed subsolar-mass range. However, if we allow for broad PBH mass distributions, we are unable to rule out fPBH = 1. For the dissipative model, where the dark matter has chemistry that allows a small fraction to cool and collapse into black holes, we find an upper bound fDBH < 10−5 on the fraction of atomic dark matter collapsed into black holes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

One Planet or Two Planets? The Ultra-sensitive Extreme-magnification Microlensing Event KMT-2019-BLG-1953

We present the analysis of a very high-magnification (A ∼ 900) microlensing event KMT-2019-BLG-1953. A single-lens single-source (1L1S) model appears to approximately delineate the observed light curve, but the residuals from the model exhibit small but obvious deviations in the peak region. A binary-lens (2L1S) model with a mass ratio of q ∼ 2 × 10{sup −3} improves the fits by Δχ {sup 2} = 181.8, indicating that the lens possesses a planetary companion. From additional modeling by introducing an extra planetary lens component (3L1S model) and an extra source companion (2L2S model), it is found that the residuals from the 2L1S model further diminish, but claiming these interpretations is difficult due to the weak signals with Δχ {sup 2} = 16.0 and 13.5 for the 3L1S and 2L2L models, respectively. From a Bayesian analysis, we estimate that the host of the planets has a mass of M{sub host}=0.31{sub −0.17}{sup +0.37} M{sub ⊙} and that the planetary system is located at a distance of D{sub L}=7.04{sub −1.33}{sup +1.10} kpc toward the Galactic center. The mass of the securely detected planet is M{sub p}=0.64{sub −0.35}{sup +0.76} M{sub J}. The signal of the potential second planet could have been confirmed if the peak of the light curve had been more densely observed by follow-up observations, and thus the event illustrates the need for intensive follow-up observations for very high-magnification events even in the current generation of high-cadence surveys.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

KMT-2019-BLG-1339L: An M Dwarf with a Giant Planet or a Companion near the Planet/Brown Dwarf Boundary

We analyze KMT-2019-BLG-1339, a microlensing event with an obvious but incompletely resolved brief anomaly feature around the peak of the light curve. Although the origin of the anomaly is identified to be a companion to the lens with a low mass ratio q, the interpretation is subject to two different degeneracy types. The first type is the ambiguity in ρ, representing the angular source radius scaled to the angular radius of the Einstein ring, θ {sub E}, and the other is the s ↔ s {sup -1} degeneracy. The former type, “finite-source degeneracy,” causes ambiguities in both s and q, while the latter induces an ambiguity only in s. Here, s denotes the separation (in units of θ {sub E}) in projection between the lens components. We estimate that the lens components have masses (M{sub 1},M{sub 2})-(0.27{sub -0.15}{sup +0.36} M{sub ⊙},11{sub -7}{sup +16} M{sub J}) and -(0.48{sub -0.28}{sup +0.40} M{sub ⊙},1.3{sub -0.7}{sup +1.1} M{sub J}) according to the two solutions subject to the finite-source degeneracy, indicating that the lens comprises an M dwarf and a companion with a mass around the planet/brown dwarf boundary or a Jovian-mass planet. It is possible to lift the finite-source degeneracy by conducting future observations utilizing a high-resolution instrument because the relative lens–source proper motion predicted by the solutions is widely different.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Production of Very Light Elements and Strontium in the Early Ejecta of Neutron Star Mergers

Abstract We study the production of very light elements ( Z < 20) in the dynamical and spiral-wave wind ejecta of binary neutron star mergers by combining detailed nucleosynthesis calculations with the outcome of numerical relativity merger simulations. All our models are targeted to GW170817 and include neutrino radiation. We explore different finite-temperature, composition-dependent nuclear equations of state, and binary mass ratios, and find that hydrogen and helium are the most abundant light elements. For both elements, the decay of free neutrons is the driving nuclear reaction. In particular, ∼0.5–2 × 10 −6 M ⊙ of hydrogen are produced in the fast expanding tail of the dynamical ejecta, while ∼1.5–11 × 10 −6 M ⊙ of helium are synthesized in the bulk of the dynamical ejecta, usually in association with heavy r -process elements. By computing synthetic spectra, we find that the possibility of detecting hydrogen and helium features in kilonova spectra is very unlikely for fiducial masses and luminosities, even when including nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium effects. The latter could be crucial to observe helium lines a few days after merger for faint kilonovae or for luminous kilonovae ejecting large masses of helium. Finally, we compute the amount of strontium synthesized in the dynamical and spiral-wave wind ejecta, and find that it is consistent with (or even larger than, in the case of a long-lived remnant) the one required to explain early spectral features in the kilonova of GW170817.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Heterogeneous Diels–Alder tandem catalysis for converting cellulose and polyethylene into BTX

Producing biomass-derived aromatic hydrocarbons via controllable Diels–Alder reactions is a promising approach to recover energy and chemicals from waste streams. A tandem Diels–Alder catalysis consisting of SAPO-34 and Fe/HZSM-5 (stacked catalysis or mixed catalysis) was evaluated for thermochemical conversion of cellulose and polyethylene blends into benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX). Aromatization catalyst type significantly affected the activity of tandem catalysis, and the BTX obtained from the HZSM-5 stacked catalysis was ~2.3 times higher than that of the USY stacked one. An introduction of Fe active promoters into HZSM-5 increased the Lewis to Brønsted acid sites molar ratio (L/B) from 0.4 to 4.1. The comparison between Fe/HZSM-5 stacked catalysis and parent HZSM-5 single catalysis indicated that the former was more effective for BTX production, obtaining a nearly two-fold increase in yield with a high selectivity of 82.8%. A close proximity between Fe/HZSM-5 and SAPO-34 in the mixed catalysis increased the BTX enhancement to 1.8. A synergistic effect was provided by the coordination of Lewis and Brønsted acid sites in the Fe/HZSM-5 mixed catalysts for facilitating BTX generation, achieving a maximum of 25.9% at a Fe/HZSM-5 to SAPO-34 mass ratio of 1:1 with a theoretical L/B of 7.2. Finally, this work provides a sustainable strategy to produce biomass-derived aromatic hydrocarbons.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A Numerical Method for Determining the Elements of Circumbinary Orbits and Its Application to Circumbinary Planets and the Satellites of Pluto-Charon

Planets and satellites orbiting a binary system exist in the solar system and extrasolar planetary systems. Their orbits can be significantly different from Keplerian orbits, if they are close to the binary and the secondary-to-primary mass ratio is high. A proper description of a circumbinary orbit is in terms of the free eccentricity e {sub free} at the epicyclic frequency κ {sub 0}, forced eccentricity e {sub forced} at the mean motion n {sub 0}, and oscillations at higher frequencies forced by the non-axisymmetric components of the binary’s potential. We show that accurate numerical values for the amplitudes and frequencies of these terms can be extracted from numerical orbit integrations by applying fast Fourier transformation (FFT) to the cylindrical distance between the circumbinary object and the center of mass of the binary as a function of time. We apply this method to three Kepler circumbinary planets and the satellites of Pluto-Charon. For the satellite Styx of Pluto-Charon, the FFT results for κ {sub 0} and e {sub free} differ significantly from the first-order analytic value and the value reported by Showalter & Hamilton, respectively. We show that the deviation in κ {sub 0} is likely due to the effect of the 3:1 mean-motion resonance and discuss the implications of the lower value for e {sub free}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Shortest Microlensing Event with a Bound Planet: KMT-2016-BLG-2605

With a planet–host mass ratio q = 0.012 ± 0.001, KMT-2016-BLG-2605 has the shortest Einstein timescale, t {sub E} = 3.41 ± 0.13 days, of any planetary microlensing event to date. This prompts us to examine the full sample of seven short (t {sub E} < 7 days) planetary events with good q measurements. We find that six have clustered Einstein radii θ {sub E} = 115 ± 20 μas and lens–source relative proper motions μ {sub rel} ≃ 9.5 ± 2.5 mas yr{sup -1}. For the seventh, these two quantities could not be measured. These distributions are consistent with a Galactic bulge population of very low mass (VLM) hosts near the hydrogen-burning limit. This conjecture could be verified by imaging at first adaptive optics light on next-generation (30 m) telescopes. Based on a preliminary assessment of the sample, “planetary” companions (i.e., below the deuterium-burning limit) are divided into “genuine planets,” formed in their disks by core accretion, and VLM brown dwarfs, which form like stars. We discuss techniques for expanding the sample, which include taking account of the peculiar “anomaly-dominated” morphology of the KMT-2016-BLG-2605 light curve.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Comparison of δ 13 C analyses of individual foraminifer ( Orbulina universa ) shells by secondary ion mass spectrometry and gas source mass spectrometry

Rationale: The use of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to perform micrometer-scale in situ carbon isotope (δ 13 C) analyses of shells of marine microfossils called planktic foraminifers holds promise to explore calcification and ecological processes. The potential of this technique, however, cannot be realized without comparison to traditional whole-shell δ 13 C values measured by gas source mass spectrometry (GSMS). Methods: Paired SIMS and GSMS δ 13 C values measured from final chamber fragments of the same shell of the planktic foraminifer Orbulina universa are compared. The SIMS–GSMS δ 13 C differences (Δ 13 C SIMS-GSMS ) were determined via paired analysis of hydrogen peroxide-cleaned fragments of modern cultured specimens and of fossil specimens from deep-sea sediments that were either untreated, sonicated, and cleaned with hydrogen peroxide or vacuum roasted. After treatment, fragments were analyzed by a CAMECA IMS 1280 SIMS instrument and either a ThermoScientific MAT-253 or a Fisons Optima isotope ratio mass spectrometer (GSMS). Results: Paired analyses of cleaned fragments of cultured specimens (n = 7) yield no SIMS–GSMS δ 13 C difference. However, paired analyses of untreated (n = 18) and cleaned (n = 12) fragments of fossil shells yield average Δ 13 C SIMS-GSMS values of 0.8‰ and 0.6‰ (±0.2‰, 2 SE), respectively, while vacuum roasting of fossil shell fragments (n = 11) removes the SIMS–GSMS δ 13 C difference. Conclusions: The noted Δ 13 C SIMS-GSMS values are most likely due to matrix effects causing sample–standard mismatch for SIMS analyses but may also be a combination of other factors such as SIMS measurement of chemically bound water. The volume of material analyzed via SIMS is ~10 5 times smaller than that analyzed by GSMS; hence, the extent to which these Δ 13 C SIMS-GSMS values represent differences in analyte or instrument factors remains unclear.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Fundamental Parameters of the Eclipsing Binary DD CMa and Evidence for Mass Exchange

We present a detailed photometric and spectroscopic analysis of DD CMa, based on published survey photometry and new spectroscopic data. We find an improved orbital period of P {sub o} = 2.0084530(6) days. Our spectra reveal Hβ and Hα absorptions with weak emission shoulders, and we also find a color excess in the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer multiband photometry, interpreted as signatures of circumstellar matter. We model the V-band orbital light curve derived from the ASAS and ASAS-SN surveys, assuming a semidetached configuration and using the mass ratio and temperature of the hotter star derived from our spectroscopic analysis. Our model indicates that the system consists of a B2.5 dwarf and a B9 giant of radii 3.2 and 3.7 R {sub ⊙}, respectively, orbiting in a circular orbit of radius 6.75 R {sub ⊙}. We also found M {sub c} = 1.7 ± 0.1 M {sub ⊙}, T {sub c} = 11,350 ± 100 K, and M {sub h} = 6.4 ± 0.1 M {sub ⊙}, T {sub h} = 20,000 ± 500 K, for the cooler and hotter star, respectively. We find broad single emission peaks in Hα and Hβ after subtracting the synthetic stellar spectra. Our results are consistent with mass exchange between the stars and suggest the existence of a stream of gas being accreted onto the early B-type star.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

A declining major merger fraction with redshift in the local Universe from the largest-yet catalogue of major and minor mergers in SDSS

It is difficult to accurately identify galaxy mergers and it is an even larger challenge to classify them by their mass ratio or merger stage. In previous work we used a suite of simulated mergers to create a classification technique that uses linear discriminant analysis to identify major and minor mergers. Here, we apply this technique to 1.3 million galaxies from the SDSS DR16 photometric catalogue and present the probability that each galaxy is a major or minor merger, splitting the classifications by merger stages (early, late, post-coalescence). We present publicly available imaging predictor values and all of the above classifications for one of the largest-yet samples of galaxies. We measure the major and minor merger fraction (f merg ) and build a mass-complete sample of galaxies, which we bin as a function of stellar mass and redshift. For the major mergers, we find a positive slope of fmerg with stellar mass and negative slope of f merg with redshift between stellar masses of 10.5 < M * (log M ⊙ ) < 11.6 and redshifts of 0.03 < z < 0.19. We are able to reproduce an artificial positive slope of the major merger fraction with redshift when we do not bin for mass or craft a complete sample, demonstrating the importance of mass completeness and mass binning. Further, we determine that the positive trend of the major merger fraction with stellar mass is consistent with a hierarchical assembly scenario. The negative trend with redshift requires that an additional assembly mechanism, such as baryonic feedback, dominates in the local Universe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗