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Full-Text Articles in Astrophysics and Astronomy

Studying The Impact Of The Geospace Environment On Solar Lithosphere Coupling And Earthquake Activity, Dimitar Ouzounov, Galina Khachikyan Dec 2023

Studying The Impact Of The Geospace Environment On Solar Lithosphere Coupling And Earthquake Activity, Dimitar Ouzounov, Galina Khachikyan

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In solar–terrestrial physics, there is an open question: does a geomagnetic storm affect earthquakes? We expand research in this direction, analyzing the seismic situation after geomagnetic storms (GMs) accompanied by the precipitation of relativistic electrons from the outer radiation belt to form an additional radiation belt (RB) around lower geomagnetic lines. We consider four widely discussed cases in the literature for long-lived (weeks, months) RBs due to GMs and revealed that the 1/GMs 24 March 1991 with a new RB at L~2.6 was followed by an M7.0 earthquake in Alaska, 30 May 1991, near footprint L = 2.69; the 2/GMs …


Black Holes, Disk Structures, And Cosmological Implications In E-Dimensional Space, Subhash Kak, Menas C. Kafatos Dec 2022

Black Holes, Disk Structures, And Cosmological Implications In E-Dimensional Space, Subhash Kak, Menas C. Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We examine a modern view of the universe that builds on achieved successes of quantum mechanics, general relativity, and information theory, bringing them together in integrated approach that is founded on the realization that space itself is e-dimensional. The global and local implications of noninteger dimensionality are examined, and how it may have increased from the value of zero to its current value is investigated. We find surprising aspects that tie to structures in the universe, black holes, and the role of observations.


Knotty Inflation And The Dimensionality Of Spacetime, Arjun Berera, Roman V. Buniy, Thomas W. Kephart, Heinrich Päs, João G. Rosa Oct 2017

Knotty Inflation And The Dimensionality Of Spacetime, Arjun Berera, Roman V. Buniy, Thomas W. Kephart, Heinrich Päs, João G. Rosa

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We suggest a structure for the vacuum comprised of a network of tightly knotted/linked flux tubes formed in a QCD-like cosmological phase transition and show that such a network can drive cosmological inflation. As the network can be topologically stable only in three space dimensions, this scenario provides a dynamical explanation for the existence of exactly three large spatial dimensions in our Universe.


Elvis: Exploring The Local Volume In Simulations, Shea Garrison-Kimmel, Michael Boylan-Kolchin, James S. Bullock, Kyle Lee Jan 2014

Elvis: Exploring The Local Volume In Simulations, Shea Garrison-Kimmel, Michael Boylan-Kolchin, James S. Bullock, Kyle Lee

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We introduce a set of high-resolution dissipationless simulations that model the Local Group (LG) in a cosmological context: Exploring the Local Volume in Simulations (ELVIS). The suite contains 48 Galaxy-size haloes, each within high-resolution volumes that span 2-5 Mpc in size, and each resolving thousands of systems with masses below the atomic cooling limit. Half of the ELVIS galaxy haloes are in paired configurations similar to the Milky Way (MW) and M31; the other half are isolated, mass-matched analogues. We find no difference in the abundance or kinematics of substructure within the virial radii of isolated versus paired hosts. On …


Limit On Continuous Neutrino Emission From Neutron Stars, Itzhak Goldman, Shmuel Nussinov Jan 2010

Limit On Continuous Neutrino Emission From Neutron Stars, Itzhak Goldman, Shmuel Nussinov

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The timing data of the binary pulsar PSR1913+16, are used to establish an upper limit on the rate of continuous neutrino emission from neutron stars. Neutrino emission from each of the neutron stars of the binary system, increases the star binding energy and thus translates to a decrease in their masses. This in turn implies an increase with time of the binary period. Using the pulsar data we obtain an upper limit on the allowed rate of mass reduction: vertical bar M vertical bar < 1.1 x 10(-12) yr(-1) M, where M is the total mass of the binary. This constrains exotic nuclear equations of state that predict continuous neutrino emissions. The limit applies also to other channels of energy loss, e. g. axion emission. Continued timing measurements of additional binary pulsars, should yield a stronger limit in the future.


The Recent High State Of The Bl Lacertae Object Ao 0235 And Cross-Correlations Between Optical And Radio Bands, M. Roy, I. E. Papadikis, E. Ramos-Colon, R. Sambruna, K. Tsinganos, J. Papamastorkis, Menas Kafatos Jan 2000

The Recent High State Of The Bl Lacertae Object Ao 0235 And Cross-Correlations Between Optical And Radio Bands, M. Roy, I. E. Papadikis, E. Ramos-Colon, R. Sambruna, K. Tsinganos, J. Papamastorkis, Menas Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We present new optical (B, V , R, I) and radio (at 14.5, 8.5, and 4.8 GHz) observations of the γ-ray- loud blazar AO 0235+164 obtained during the high state of 1997 December-1998 January. The data were combined with historical light curves from the literature to study correlated optical and radio variations over a time span of more than 20 years. Flux variability with large and energy-dependent amplitude is observed at both wave bands, with the source varying over all timescales sampled (years-months- days), in agreement with previous reports. We have performed a cross-correlation analysis of optical and radio light …


Ion Viscosity Mediated By Tangled Magnetic Fields: An Application To Black Hole Accretion Disks, P. Subramanian, P. A. Becker, Menas Kafatos Jan 1996

Ion Viscosity Mediated By Tangled Magnetic Fields: An Application To Black Hole Accretion Disks, P. Subramanian, P. A. Becker, Menas Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We examine the viscosity associated with the shear stress exerted by ions in the presence of a tangled magnetic field. As an application, we consider the effect of this mechanism on the structure of black hole accretion disks. We do not attempt to include a self-consistent description of the magnetic field. Instead, we assume the existence of a tangled field with coherence length λcob• which is the average distance between the magnetic "kinks" that scatter the particles. For simplicity, we assume that the field is self-similar, and take λcob to be a fixed fraction ξ of the local disk height …


Implications Of Gamma-Ray Transparency Constraints In Blazars: Minimum Distances And Gamma-Ray Collimation, P. A. Becker, Menas Kafatos Jan 1995

Implications Of Gamma-Ray Transparency Constraints In Blazars: Minimum Distances And Gamma-Ray Collimation, P. A. Becker, Menas Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We develop a general expression for the γ-γ absorption coefficient, αγγ, for γ-rays propagating in an arbitrary direction at an arbitrary point in space above an X-ray-emitting accretion disk. The X-ray intensity is assumed to vary as a power law in energy and radius between the outer disk radius, R0 , and the inner radius, Rm., which is the radius of marginal stability for a Schwarzschild black hole. We use our result for αγγ to calculate the γ-γ optical depth, Tγγ, for γ-rays created at height z and propagating at angle Φ relative to the disk axis, and we show …


Multiwavelength Observations Of Markarian 421 During A Tev/X-Ray Flare, D. J. Macomb, C. W. Akerlof, H. D. Aller, M. F. Aller, D. L. Bertsch, Menas Kafatos Jan 1995

Multiwavelength Observations Of Markarian 421 During A Tev/X-Ray Flare, D. J. Macomb, C. W. Akerlof, H. D. Aller, M. F. Aller, D. L. Bertsch, Menas Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

A Te V flare from the BL Lac object Mrk 421 was detected in May of 1994 by the Whipple Observatory air Cherenkov experiment during which the flux above 250 GeV increased by nearly an order of magnitude over a 2-day period. Contemporaneous observations by ASCA showed the X-ray flux to be in a very high state. We present these results, combined with the first ever simultaneous or nearly simultaneous observations at Ge V gamma-ray, UV, IR, mm, and radio energies for this nearest BL Lac object. While the GeV gamma-ray flux increased slightly, there is little evidence for variability …


Shock Study In Fully Relativistic Isothermal Flows. Ii, Ruixin Yang, Menas Kafatos Jan 1995

Shock Study In Fully Relativistic Isothermal Flows. Ii, Ruixin Yang, Menas Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The isothermal shocks and their stabilities in fully relativistic accretion wedge flows onto black holes are studied. The jump condition across the shock is modified by the relativistic effects when the sound speed is comparable to the speed of light. With a new kind of instability analysis, it is found that only one of the two possible shocks is stable. The results are applied to the QPO behavior in galactic black hole candidates such as Cygnus X-1.