The Detailed Science Case for the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer, 2019 edition

(Abridged) The Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE) is an end-to-end science platform for the design, execution and scientific exploitation of spectroscopic surveys. It will unveil the composition and dynamics of the faint Universe and impact nearly every field of astrophysics across all spatial scales, from individual stars to the largest scale structures in the Universe. Major pillars in the science program for MSE include (i) the ultimate Gaia follow-up facility for understanding the chemistry and dynamics of the distant Milky Way, including the outer disk and faint stellar halo at high spectral resolution (ii) galaxy formation and evolution at cosmic noon, via the type of revolutionary…

Adsorption of m-Xylene on Prehydrated Zeolite BaX:  Correlation between Temperature-Programmed Desorption and Low-Temperature Neutron Powder Diffraction Studies

Adsorption of m-xylene on partially hydrated zeolite BaX is studied by thermogravimetry, mass spectrometry, temperature-programmed desorption and neutron diffraction for different m-xylene loadings of the zeolite. Macroscopic and microscopic measurements, for both molecules, were correlated and relationships were found between the crystallographic positions of the adsorbed molecules on the zeolite and macroscopic properties such as the number and the area of the peaks in the desorption spectra for m-xylene or water. The influence of water molecules on the adsorption phenomenon of m-xylene on BaX zeolite was characterized. In particular, it was shown that the increase of the filling of the p…

SDSS-III: Massive Spectroscopic Surveys of the Distant Universe, the Milky Way Galaxy, and Extra-Solar Planetary Systems

Building on the legacy of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-I and II), SDSS-III is a program of four spectroscopic surveys on three scientific themes: dark energy and cosmological parameters, the history and structure of the Milky Way, and the population of giant planets around other stars. In keeping with SDSS tradition, SDSS-III will provide regular public releases of all its data, beginning with SDSS DR8 (which occurred in Jan 2011). This paper presents an overview of the four SDSS-III surveys. BOSS will measure redshifts of 1.5 million massive galaxies and Lya forest spectra of 150,000 quasars, using the BAO feature of large scale structure to obtain percent-level determinations of the…

Location of Water and Xylene Molecules Adsorbed on Prehydrated Zeolite BaX. A Low-Temperature Neutron Powder Diffraction Study