The evolution and masses of the neutron star and donor star in the high mass X-ray binary OAO 1657−415

We report near-infrared radial velocity (RV) measurements of the recently identified donor star in the high mass X-ray binary (HMXB) system OAO 1657−415 obtained in the H band using ISAAC on the Very Large Telescope. Cross-correlation methods were employed to construct a RV curve with a semi-amplitude of 22.1 ± 3.5 km s−1. Combined with other measured parameters of this system it provides a dynamically determined neutron star (NS) mass of 1.42 ± 0.26 M⊙ and a mass of 14.3 ± 0.8 M⊙ for the Ofpe/WN9 highly evolved donor star. OAO 1657−415 is an eclipsing HMXB pulsar with the largest eccentricity and orbital period of any within its class. Of the 10 known eclipsing X-ray binary pulsars OAO 1657−415 becomes the ninth with a dynamically determined NS mass solution and only the second in an eccentric system. Furthermore, the donor star in OAO 1657−415 is much more highly evolved than the majority of the supergiant donors in other HMXBs, joining a small but growing list of HMXBs donors with extensive hydrogen depleted atmospheres. Considering the evolutionary development of OAO 1657−415, we have estimated the binding energy of the envelope of the mass donor and find that there is insufficient energy for the removal of the donor’s envelope via spiral-in, ruling out a common envelope evolutionary scenario. With its non-zero eccentricity and relatively large orbital period the identification of a definitive evolutionary pathway for OAO 1657−415 remains problematic, we conclude by proposing two scenarios which may account for OAO 1657−415 current orbital configuration.

Growth of Carbon Nanotubes on Surfaces: The Effects of Catalyst and Substrate

We report a study of synthesising air-stable, nearly monodispersed bimetallic colloids of Co/Pd and Fe/Mo of varying compositions as active catalysts for the growth of carbon nanotubes. Using these catalysts we have investigated the effects of catalyst and substrate on the carbon nanostructures formed in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) process. We will show how it is possible to assess the influence of both the catalyst and the support on the controlled growth of carbon nanotube and nanofiber arrays. The importance of the composition of the catalytic nuclei will be put into perspective with other results from the literature. Furthermore, the influence of other synthetic parameters such as the nature of the nanoparticle catalysts will also be analysed and discussed in detail.

Bimetallic PtSn/C catalysts obtained via SOMC/M for glycerol steam reforming

A detailed study on the preparation of bimetallic PtSn/C catalysts using surface-controlled synthesis methods, and on their catalytic performance in the glycerol steam reforming reaction has been carried out. In order to obtain these well-defined bimetallic phases, techniques derived from Surface Organometallic Chemistry on Metals (SOMC/M) were used. The preparation process involved the reaction between an organometallic compound ((C4H9)4Sn) and a supported transition metal (Pt) in a H2 atmosphere. Catalysts with Sn/Pt atomic ratios of 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 were obtained, and characterized using several techniques: ICP, H2 chemisorption, TEM and XPS. These systems were tested in the glycerol steam reforming varying the reaction conditions (glycerol concentration and reaction temperature). The best performance was observed for the catalysts with the lowest tin contents (PtSn0.2/C and PtSn0.3/C). It was observed that the presence of tin increased the catalysts’ stability when working under more severe reaction conditions.