Digital Commons Network^™

Conformal Tensors Via Lovelock Gravity, David Kastor

David Kastor

Constructs from conformal geometry are important in low dimensional gravity models, while in higher dimensions the higher curvature interactions of Lovelock gravity are similarly prominent. Considering conformal invariance in the context of Lovelock gravity leads to natural, higher-curvature generalizations of the Weyl, Schouten, Cotton and Bach tensors, with properties that straightforwardly extend those of their familiar counterparts. As a first application, we introduce a new set of conformally invariant gravity theories in D=4k dimensions, based on the squares of the higher curvature Weyl tensors.

Characterizing Distant Galaxies: Spectral Energy Distribution Analysis Of X-Ray Selected Star Forming Galaxies, Seth Pohatan Johnson

Open Access Dissertations

Comprehensive and robust analysis of galaxies found throughout cosmic time provides the means to probe the underlying characteristics of our Universe. Coupling observations and theory, spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting provides a method to derive the intrinsic properties of distant galaxies which then aid in defining galaxy populations and constraining current galaxy formation and evolution scenarios. One such population are the sub-millimeter galaxies (SMGs) whose high infrared luminosities -- typically associated with dust-obscured star formation -- and redshift distribution places them as likely key components in galaxy evolution. To fully analyze these systems, however, requires a near complete sampling of …

On The Universality Of Inner Black Hole Mechanics And Higher Curvature Gravity, Alejandra Castro, Nima Dehmami, Gaston Giribet, David Kastor

David Kastor

Black holes are famous for their universal behavior. New thermodynamic relations have been found recently for the product of gravitational entropies over all the horizons of a given stationary black hole. This product has been found to be independent of the mass for all such solutions of Einstein-Maxwell theory in d=4,5. We study the universality of this mass independence by introducing a number of possible higher curvature corrections to the gravitational action. We consider finite temperature black holes with both asymptotically flat and (A)dS boundary conditions. Although we find examples for which mass independence of the horizon entropy product continues …

Gravitational Tension And Thermodynamics Of Planar Ads Spacetimes, Basem M. El-Menoufi, Benjamin Ett, David Kastor, Jennie Traschen

David Kastor

We derive new thermodynamic relations for asymptotically planar AdS black hole and soliton solutions. In addition to the ADM mass, these spacetimes are characterized by gravitational tensions in each of the planar spatial directions. We show that with planar AdS asymptotics, the sum of the ADM mass and tensions necessarily vanishes, as one would expect from the AdS /CFT correspondence. Each Killing vector of such a spacetime leads to a Smarr formula relating the ADM mass and tensions, the black hole horizon and soliton bubble areas, and a set of thermodynamic volumes that arise due to the non-vanishing cosmological constant. …

Thermodynamic Volumes And Isoperimetric Inequalities For De Sitter Black Holes, Brian P. Dolan, David Kastor, David KubiznˇA´K, Robert B. Mann, Jennie Traschen

David Kastor

We consider the thermodynamics of rotating and charged asymptotically de Sitter black holes. Using Hamiltonian perturbation theory techniques, we derive three different first law relations including variations in the cosmological constant, and associated Smarr formulas that are satisfied by such spacetimes. Each first law introduces a different thermodynamic volume conjugate to the cosmological constant. We examine the relation between these thermodynamic volumes and associated geometric volumes in a number of examples, including Kerr-dS black holes in all dimensions and Kerr-Newman-dS black holes in D=4. We also show that the Chong-Cvetic-Lu-Pope solution of D=5 minimal supergravity, analytically continued to positive cosmological …

Bayesian Anatomy Of Galaxy Structure, Ilsang Yoon

Open Access Dissertations

In this thesis I develop Bayesian approach to model galaxy surface brightness and apply it to a bulge-disc decomposition analysis of galaxies in near-infrared band, from Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). The thesis has three main parts.

First part is a technical development of Bayesian galaxy image decomposition package Galphat based on Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm. I implement a fast and accurate galaxy model image generation algorithm to reduce computation time and make Bayesian approach feasible for real science analysis using large ensemble of galaxies. I perform a benchmark test of Galphat and demonstrate significant improvement in parameter …

An X-Rays Survey Of The Young Stellar Population Of The Lynds 1641 And Iota Orionis Regions, I. Pillitteri, S.J. Wolk, S.T. Megeath, L. Allen, J. Bally, Marc Gagne, R. A. Gutermuth, L. Hartman, G. Micela, P. Myers, J.M. Oliveira, S. Sciortino, F. Walter, L. Redbull, J. Stauffer

Robert A. Gutermuth

We present an XMM-Newton survey of the part of the Orion A cloud south of the Orion Nebula. This survey includes the Lynds 1641 (L1641) dark cloud, a region of the Orion A cloud with very few massive stars and hence a relatively low ambient UV flux, and the region around the O9 III star ι Orionis. In addition to proprietary data, we used archival XMM data of the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) to extend our analysis to a major fraction of the Orion A cloud. We have detected 1060 X-ray sources in L1641 and the ι Ori region. About …

The Lmt Galaxies 3 Mm Spectroscopic Survey: First Results, D. Rosa Gonzalez, P. Schloerb, O. Vega, L. Hunt, Gopal Narayanan, D. Calzetti, M. Yun, E. Terlevich, R. J. Terlevich, Y. D. Mayya, M. Chavez, A. Montana, A. M. Perez Garcia

Gopal Narayanan

The molecular phase of the interstellar medium (ISM) in galaxies offers fundamental insight for understanding star-formation processes and how stellar feedback affects the nuclear activity of certain galaxies. We present here Large Millimeter Telescope spectra obtained with the Redshift Search Receiver, a spectrograph that covers simultaneously the 3 mm band from 74 to 111 GHz with a spectral resolution of around 100 km/s. Our selected galaxies, have been detected previously in HCN, and have different degrees of nuclear activity — one normal galaxy (NGC 6946), the starburst prototype (M82) and two %ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs, IRAS 17208-0014 and Mrk 231). …

Abundant Cyanopolyynes As A Probe Of Infall In The Serpens South Cluster-Forming Region, R.K. Friesen, L. Medeiros, S. Schnee, T.L. Bourke, J. Di Francesco, R. A. Gutermuth, P.C. Myers

Robert A. Gutermuth

No abstract provided.

The Cos-Halos Survey: Rationale, Design, And A Census Of Circumgalactic Neutral Hydrogen, Jason Tumlinson, Christopher Thom, Jessica K. Werk, J. Xavier Prochaska, Todd M. Tripp, Neal S. Katz, Romeel Dave, Benjamin D. Oppenheimer, Joseph D. Meiring, Amanda Brady Ford, John M. O'Meara, Molly S. Peeples, Kenneth R. Sembach, David H. Weinberg

Neal S. Katz

We present the design and methods of the COS-Halos survey, a systematic investigation of the gaseous halos of 44 z = 0.15-0.35 galaxies using background QSOs observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. This survey has yielded 39 spectra of z em sime 0.5 QSOs with S/N ~10-15 per resolution element. The QSO sightlines pass within 150 physical kpc of the galaxies, which span early and late types over stellar mass log M */M ☉ = 9.5-11.5. We find that the circumgalactic medium exhibits strong H I, averaging sime 1 Å in Lyα equivalent width out …

Co Abundance Variations In The Orion Molecular Cloud, F. Ripple, M.H. Heyer, R. A. Gutermuth, R.L. Snell, C.M. Brunt

Robert A. Gutermuth

Infrared stellar photometry from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) and spectral line imaging observations of 12CO and 13CO J = 1–0 line emission from the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (FCRAO) 14-m telescope are analysed to assess the variation of the CO abundance with physical conditions throughout the Orion A and Orion B molecular clouds. Three distinct Av regimes are identified in which the ratio between the 13CO column density and visual extinction changes corresponding to the photon-dominated envelope, the strongly self-shielded interior, and the cold, dense volumes of the clouds. Within the strongly self-shielded interior of the Orion …

Hydrogen & Metal Line Absorption Around Low-Redshift Galaxies In Cosmological Hydrodynamic Simulations, Amanda Brady Ford, Benjamin D. Oppenheimer, Romeel Dave, Neal S. Katz, Juna A. Kolmeier, David H. Weinberg

Neal S. Katz

We study the physical conditions of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) around z = 0.25 galaxies as traced by H I and metal line absorption, using cosmological hydrodynamic simulations that include galactic outflows. Using lines of sight targeted at impact parameters from 10 kpc to 1 Mpc around galaxies with halo masses from 1011–1013 M⊙, we study the physical conditions and their variation with impact parameter b and line-of-sight velocity Δv in the CGM as traced by H I, Mg II, Si IV, C IV, O VI and Ne VIII absorbers. All ions show a strong excess of absorption near galaxies …

Filamentary Accretion Flows In The Embedded Serpens South Protocluster, Helen Kirk, Philip C. Myers, Tyler L. Bourke, R. A. Gutermuth, Abigail Hedden, Grant W. Wilson

Robert A. Gutermuth

Filamentary structures are ubiquitous from large-scale molecular clouds (a few parsecs) to small-scale circumstellar envelopes around Class 0 sources (~1000 AU to ~0.1 pc). In particular, recent observations with the Herschel Space Observatory emphasize the importance of large-scale filaments (a few parsecs) and star formation. The small-scale flattened envelopes around Class 0 sources are reminiscent of the large-scale filaments. We propose an observationally derived scenario for filamentary star formation that describes the evolution of filaments as part of the process for formation of cores and circumstellar envelopes. If such a scenario is correct, small-scale filamentary structures (0.1 pc in length) …

The High-Ion Content And Kinematics Of Low-Redshift Lyman Limit Systems, Andrew J. Fox, Nicolas Lehner, Jason Tumlinson, J. Christopher Howk, Todd M. Tripp, J. Xavier Prochaska, John M. O'Meara, Jessica K. Werk, Rognmon Bordoloi, Neal S. Katz, Benjamin D. Oppenheimer, Romeel Dave

Neal S. Katz

We study the high-ion content and kinematics of the circumgalactic medium around low-redshift galaxies using a sample of 23 Lyman limit systems (LLSs) at 0.08 < z < 0.93 observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope. In Lehner et al., we recently showed that low-z LLSs have a bimodal metallicity distribution. Here we extend that analysis to search for differences between the high-ion and kinematic properties of the metal-poor and metal-rich branches. We find that metal-rich LLSs tend to show higher O VI columns and broader O VI profiles than metal-poor LLSs. The total H I line width (Δv 90 statistic) in LLSs is not correlated with metallicity, indicating that the H I kinematics alone cannot be used to distinguish inflow from outflow and gas recycling. Among the 17 LLSs with O VI detections, all but two show evidence of kinematic sub-structure, in the form of O VI-H I centroid offsets, multiple components, or both. Using various scenarios for how the metallicities in the high-ion and low-ion phases of each LLS compare, we constrain the ionized hydrogen column in the O VI phase to lie in the range log N(H II) ~ 17.6-20. The O VI phase of LLSs is a substantial baryon reservoir, with M(high-ion) ~ 108.5-10.9 (r/150 kpc)2 M ☉, similar to the mass in the low-ion phase. Accounting for the O VI phase approximately doubles the contribution of low-z LLSs to the cosmic baryon budget.

The Protoplanetary Disks In The Nearby Massive Star Forming Region Cygnus Ob2, M.G. Guarcello, J.J. Drake, N. J. Wright, J. E. Drew, R. A. Gutermuth, J. L. Hora, T. Naylor, T. Aldroft, A. Fruscione, D. Garcia-Alvarez, V. L. Kashyap, R. King

Robert A. Gutermuth

The formation of stars in massive clusters is one of the main modes of the star formation process. However, the study of massive star-forming regions is hampered by their typically large distances to the Sun. One exception to this is the massive star-forming region Cygnus OB2 in the Cygnus X region, at the distance of ~1400 pc. Cygnus OB2 hosts very rich populations of massive and low-mass stars, being the best target in our Galaxy to study the formation of stars, circumstellar disks, and planets in the presence of massive stars. In this paper, we combine a wide and deep …