Related papers: Deuterium abundance and cosmology
The early universe according to the big bang and the grand unified theories is discussed. The shortcomings of big bang are summarized together with their resolution by inflationary cosmology. Inflation, the subsequent oscillation and decay…
Analyses of spectra obtained with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite, together with spectra from the Copernicus and IMAPS instruments, reveal an unexplained very wide range in the observed deuterium/hydrogen (D/H)…
White dwarfs are the most common endpoints of stellar evolution. They are often found in close binary systems in which the white dwarf is accreting matter from a companion star, either via an accretion disc or channelled along the white…
We have detected new HD absorption systems at high redshifts, z_abs=2.626 and z_abs=1.777, identified in the spectra of the quasars J0812+3208 and Q1331+170, respectively. Each of these systems consists of two subsystems. The HD column…
We have calculated the evolution of low metallicity red giant stars under the assumption of deep mixing between the convective envelope and the hydrogen burning shell. We find that the extent of the observed abundance anomalies, and in…
We calculate the present expansion of our Universe endowed with relict colored objects - quarks and gluons - that survived hadronization either as isolated islands of quark-gluon "nuggets", or spread uniformly in the Universe. In the first…
This paper aims to provide an introduction to the problem of determining the mass-radius relationship for white dwarfs. Both Newtonian and general relativistic case are examined, electromagnetic interactions are considered and the problem…
The last few years have seen a surge in excitement about measurements of statistics of the primordial fluctuations beyond the power spectrum. New ideas for precision tests of Gaussianity and statistical isotropy in the data are developing…
We examine 14 hot white dwarfs for signs of infrared excess using the Spitzer Space Telescope. Twelve of the objects are massive white dwarfs which have been suggested to be the result of binary mergers. The remaining two objects are…
We present a model for the cosmological evolution of quasars (QSOs) under the assumption that they are powered by massive accreting black holes. Accretion flows around massive black holes make a transition from high radiative efficiency…
Quasars, as the most luminous persistent sources in the Universe, have broad applications for cosmological studies. In particular, they can be employed to directly measure the expansion history of the Universe, similarly to SNe Ia. The…
The analysis of absorption features along the line of sight to distant sources is an invaluable tool for observational cosmology, giving a direct insight into the physical and chemical state of the inter/circumgalactic medium. Such…
New results, namely the independent determination of the deuterium abundance in several quasar absorption systems, and the complementary determination of the cosmological baryon density by observations of anisotropies in the cosmic…
We systematically investigate the mergers of neutron star-white dwarf binaries from beginning to end, with focus on the properties of the inflows and outflows in accretion disks and their electromagnetic emissions. Using population…
The physics of brown dwarfs has continuously improved since the discovery of these astrophysical bodies. The first important developments were devoted to the description of their mechanical structure, with the derivation of an appropriate…
We investigate the abundance and distribution of metals in the high-redshift intergalactic medium and circum-galactic medium through the analysis of a sample of almost 600 SiIV absorption lines detected in high and intermediate resolution…
We present atmospheric parameters and Fe abundances derived for the majority of dwarf stars (north of -30 degrees declination) which are up to now known to host extrasolar planets. High-resolution spectra have been obtained with the…
Although the current galaxy models yield calculations consistent with much of the data, many irregularities exist, exceptions have been found to the current models, the $\Lambda$CDM model apparently fails on galaxy scales, dark matter…
The photospheres of some white dwarfs are "polluted" by accretion of material from their surrounding planetary debris. White dwarfs with dust disks are often heavily polluted and high-resolution spectroscopic observations of these systems…
Circumstellar disks of planetary debris are now known or suspected to closely orbit hundreds of white dwarf stars. To date, both data and theory support disks that are entirely contained within the preceding giant stellar radii, and hence…