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Astrophysics and Astronomy

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2012

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Articles 1 - 30 of 66

Full-Text Articles in Physics

Testing Diagnostics Of Nuclear Activity And Star Formation In Galaxies At Z > 1, Jonathan R. Trump, Nicholas P. Konidaris, Guillermo Barro, David C. Koo, Dale D. Kocevski, Stéphanie Juneau, Benjamin J. Weiner, S. M. Faber, Ian S. Mclean, Renbin Yan, Pablo G. Pérez-González, Victor Villar Dec 2012

Testing Diagnostics Of Nuclear Activity And Star Formation In Galaxies At Z > 1, Jonathan R. Trump, Nicholas P. Konidaris, Guillermo Barro, David C. Koo, Dale D. Kocevski, Stéphanie Juneau, Benjamin J. Weiner, S. M. Faber, Ian S. Mclean, Renbin Yan, Pablo G. Pérez-González, Victor Villar

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present some of the first science data with the new Keck/MOSFIRE instrument to test the effectiveness of different AGN/SF diagnostics at z ~ 1.5. MOSFIRE spectra were obtained in three H-band multi-slit masks in the GOODS-S field, resulting in 2 hr exposures of 36 emission-line galaxies. We compare X-ray data with the traditional emission-line ratio diagnostics and the alternative mass-excitation and color-excitation diagrams, combining new MOSFIRE infrared data with previous HST/WFC3 infrared spectra (from the 3D-HST survey) and multiwavelength photometry. We demonstrate that a high [O III]/Hβ ratio is insufficient as an active galactic nucleus (AGN) indicator …


The Central Molecular Gas Structure In Liners With Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei: Evidence For Gradual Disappearance Of The Torus, F. Müller-Sánchez, M. A. Prieto, M. Mezcua, R. I. Davies, M. A. Malkan, Moshe Elitzur Dec 2012

The Central Molecular Gas Structure In Liners With Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei: Evidence For Gradual Disappearance Of The Torus, F. Müller-Sánchez, M. A. Prieto, M. Mezcua, R. I. Davies, M. A. Malkan, Moshe Elitzur

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present observations of the molecular gas in the nuclear environment of three prototypical low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs), based on VLT/SINFONI AO-assisted integral-field spectroscopy of H2 1-0 S(1) emission at angular resolutions of ~0.''17. On scales of 50-150 pc, the spatial distribution and kinematics of the molecular gas are consistent with a rotating thin disk, where the ratio of rotation (V) to dispersion (σ) exceeds unity. However, in the central 50 pc, the observations reveal a geometrically and optically thick structure of molecular gas (V/σ < 1 and N H > 1023 cm–2 …


Two-Component Structure Of The HΒ Broad-Line Region In Quasars. I. Evidence From Spectral Principal Component Analysis, Chen Hu, Jian-Min Wang, Luis C. Ho, Gary J. Ferland, Jack A. Baldwin, Ye Wang Nov 2012

Two-Component Structure Of The HΒ Broad-Line Region In Quasars. I. Evidence From Spectral Principal Component Analysis, Chen Hu, Jian-Min Wang, Luis C. Ho, Gary J. Ferland, Jack A. Baldwin, Ye Wang

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We report on a spectral principal component analysis (SPCA) of a sample of 816 quasars, selected to have small Fe II velocity shifts with spectral coverage in the rest wavelength range 3500-5500 Å. The sample is explicitly designed to mitigate spurious effects on SPCA induced by Fe II velocity shifts. We improve the algorithm of SPCA in the literature and introduce a new quantity, the fractional-contribution spectrum, that effectively identifies the emission features encoded in each eigenspectrum. The first eigenspectrum clearly records the power-law continuum and very broad Balmer emission lines. Narrow emission lines dominate the second eigenspectrum. The …


Photocatalytic Activity Of Core/Shell Semiconductor Nanocrystals Featuring Spatial Separation Of Charges, Dimuthu Perera, Ryan Lorek, Rony S. Khnayzer, Pavel Moroz, Timothy O’Connor, Dmitry Khon, Geoffrey Diederich, Erich Kinder, Scott Lambright, Felix N. Castellano, Mikhail Zamkov Nov 2012

Photocatalytic Activity Of Core/Shell Semiconductor Nanocrystals Featuring Spatial Separation Of Charges, Dimuthu Perera, Ryan Lorek, Rony S. Khnayzer, Pavel Moroz, Timothy O’Connor, Dmitry Khon, Geoffrey Diederich, Erich Kinder, Scott Lambright, Felix N. Castellano, Mikhail Zamkov

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The present study investigates the photocatalytic activity of ZnSe/CdS core/shell semiconductor nanocrystals. These nanoparticles exhibit a spatial separation of photoinduced charges between the core and the shell domains, which makes them potentially viable for photocatalytic applications. Unfortunately, one of the excited charges remains inside the core semiconductor and thus cannot efficiently react with the external environment. Here, we explore this issue by investigating the mechanisms of hole extraction from the ZnSe core to the surface of the CdS shell. In particular, the effect of shell thickness in ZnSe/CdS core/shell nanocrystals on the ability of core-localized charges to perform oxidative reactions …


Modeling Spiral Galaxy Luminosity Profiles, Jordan Rozum, Matt Garlock, Shane L. Larson, Bradley W. Carroll Oct 2012

Modeling Spiral Galaxy Luminosity Profiles, Jordan Rozum, Matt Garlock, Shane L. Larson, Bradley W. Carroll

Browse All Undergraduate research

The distribution of spiral and bar galaxy inclination an- gles is expected to be uniform. However, analysis of sev- eral major galaxy catalogs shows this is not the case; galaxies oriented near edge-on are significantly more common in these catalogs. In an attempt to explain this discrepancy, we have developed a galaxy simulation code to compute the appearance of a spiral type galaxy as a function of its morphological parameters. We examine the dependence of observed brightness upon inclination angle by using smooth luminous mass density and in- terstellar medium (ISM) density distributions. The lu- minous mass component is integrated …


Black Holes In The Conical Ensemble, Robert A. Mcnees Iv, Daniel Grumiller Oct 2012

Black Holes In The Conical Ensemble, Robert A. Mcnees Iv, Daniel Grumiller

Physics: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We consider black holes in an “unsuitable box”: a finite cavity coupled to a thermal reservoir at a temperature different than the black hole’s Hawking temperature. These black holes are described by metrics that are continuous but not differentiable due to a conical singularity at the horizon. We include them in the Euclidean path integral sum over configurations, and analyze the effect this has on black hole thermodynamics in the canonical ensemble. Black holes with a small deficit (or surplus) angle may have a smaller internal energy or larger density of states than the nearby smooth black hole, but they …


Long-Lived Electron Spins In A Modulation Doped (100) Gaas Quantum Well, John S. Colton, D. Meyer, K Clark, D. Craft, J. Cutler, T. Park, P. White Oct 2012

Long-Lived Electron Spins In A Modulation Doped (100) Gaas Quantum Well, John S. Colton, D. Meyer, K Clark, D. Craft, J. Cutler, T. Park, P. White

Faculty Publications

We have measured T1 spin lifetimes of a 14 nm modulation-doped (100) GaAs quantum well using a time-resolved pump-probe Kerr rotation technique. The quantum well was selected by tuning the wavelength of the probe laser. T1 lifetimes in excess of 1 Us were measured at 1.5 K and 5.5 T, exceeding the typical T2 lifetimes that have been measured in GaAs and II-VI quantum wells by orders of magnitude. We observed effects from nuclear polarization, which were largely removable by simultaneous nuclear magnetic resonance, along with two distinct lifetimes under some conditions that likely result from probing two differently localized …


The Critical Coupling Likelihood Method: A New Approach For Seamless Integration Of Environmental And Operating Conditions Of Gravitational Wave Detectors Into Gravitational Wave Searches, Cesar A. Costa, Cristina V. Torres Sep 2012

The Critical Coupling Likelihood Method: A New Approach For Seamless Integration Of Environmental And Operating Conditions Of Gravitational Wave Detectors Into Gravitational Wave Searches, Cesar A. Costa, Cristina V. Torres

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Any search effort for gravitational waves (GWs) using interferometric detectors like LIGO needs to be able to identify if and when noise couples into the detector’s output signal. The critical coupling likelihood (CCL) method has been developed to characterize potential noise coupling and in the future aid GW search efforts. By testing two hypotheses about pairs of channels, CCL is able to identify undesirable coupled instrumental noise from potential GW candidates. Our preliminary results show that CCL can associate up to ∼80% of observed artifacts with SNR ⩾ 8 with local noise sources, while reducing the duty cycle of the …


Pumping Up The [N I] Nebular Lines, Gary J. Ferland, W. J. Henney, C. R. O'Dell, R. L. Porter, P. A. M. Vanhoof, R. J. R. Williams Sep 2012

Pumping Up The [N I] Nebular Lines, Gary J. Ferland, W. J. Henney, C. R. O'Dell, R. L. Porter, P. A. M. Vanhoof, R. J. R. Williams

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The optical [N I] doublet near 5200 Å is anomalously strong in a variety of emission-line objects. We compute a detailed photoionization model and use it to show that pumping by far-ultraviolet (FUV) stellar radiation previously posited as a general explanation applies to the Orion Nebula (M42) and its companion M43; but, it is unlikely to explain planetary nebulae and supernova remnants. Our models establish that the observed nearly constant equivalent width of [N I] with respect to the dust-scattered stellar continuum depends primarily on three factors: the FUV to visual-band flux ratio of the stellar population, the optical properties …


Improved He I Emissivities In The Case B Approximation, R. L. Porter, Gary J. Ferland, P. J. Storey, M. J. Detisch Sep 2012

Improved He I Emissivities In The Case B Approximation, R. L. Porter, Gary J. Ferland, P. J. Storey, M. J. Detisch

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We update our prior work on the case B collisional-recombination spectrum of He i to incorporate ab initio photoionization cross-sections. This large set of accurate, self-consistent cross-sections represents a significant improvement in He i emissivity calculations because it largely obviates the piecemeal nature that has marked all modern works. A second, more recent set of ab initio cross-sections is also available, but we show that those are less consistent with bound-bound transition probabilities than our adopted set. We compare our new effective recombination coefficients with our prior work and our new emissivities with those by other researchers, and we conclude …


Neutron Electric Dipole Moment: Research And Development, Benjamin Barber Aug 2012

Neutron Electric Dipole Moment: Research And Development, Benjamin Barber

Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

The neutron's electric dipole moment (nEDM) serves as an important test of the Standard Model of particle physics and it's various alternatives. Various models of fundamental physics allow for different magnitudes for the nEDM, and recent experiments have begun to exclude some models. Valparaiso University is part of a collaboration of institutions working on an improved experiment to measure the nEDM, to be conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the next few years. The experiment will be performed at 0.4 Kelvin, and will involve the use of magnetic fields and very large electric fields. Research at Los Alamos National …


Studying The Variability Of Dying Stars, Austin Bain, Hannah Rotter, Aaron Seider Aug 2012

Studying The Variability Of Dying Stars, Austin Bain, Hannah Rotter, Aaron Seider

Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

In this project, we are observing and analyzing the light variability in a class of dying stars. This involves observing then on clear nights, primarily at the Valparaiso University Observatory but also including a few nights at the SARA Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. Thus far this summer we have observed for 25 nights and we observed 31 stars. Some of them we observed on every clear night and others we observed once or twice a week. We are analyzing a subset of 18 of these. We find that they have varied in light by 12 to …


Telescope Assembly Alignment Simulator Performance Optimization, Joshua G. Thompson, Brian Eney, Zaheer Ali, Bob Thompson Aug 2012

Telescope Assembly Alignment Simulator Performance Optimization, Joshua G. Thompson, Brian Eney, Zaheer Ali, Bob Thompson

STAR Program Research Presentations

The Telescope Assembly Alignment Simulator (TAAS) calibrates scientific instruments (SI’s) that are installed on the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). An SI’s accuracy is directly dependent on the consistent performance of the TAAS, which has never been fully characterized. After designing various thermal and optical experiments to identify the current unknowns of TAAS, we now have a far better grasp on how the equipment behaves.


Residual Cooling And Persistent Star Formation Amid Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback In Abell 2597, G. R. Tremblay, C. P. O'Dea, S. A. Baum, T. E. Clarke, C. L. Sarazin, J. N. Bregman, F. Combes, M. Donahue, A. C. Edge, A. C. Fabian, Gary J. Ferland, B. R. Mcnamara, R. Mittal, J. B. R. Oonk, A. C. Quillen, H. R. Russell, J. S. Sanders, P. Salomé, G. M. Voit, R. J. Wilman, M. W. Wise Aug 2012

Residual Cooling And Persistent Star Formation Amid Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback In Abell 2597, G. R. Tremblay, C. P. O'Dea, S. A. Baum, T. E. Clarke, C. L. Sarazin, J. N. Bregman, F. Combes, M. Donahue, A. C. Edge, A. C. Fabian, Gary J. Ferland, B. R. Mcnamara, R. Mittal, J. B. R. Oonk, A. C. Quillen, H. R. Russell, J. S. Sanders, P. Salomé, G. M. Voit, R. J. Wilman, M. W. Wise

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

New Chandra X-ray and Herschel Far-Infrared (FIR) observations enable a multiwavelength study of active galactic nucleus (AGN) heating and intracluster medium (ICM) cooling in the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) of Abell 2597 (z= 0.0821). The new Chandra observations reveal the central ≲30 kpc X-ray cavity network to be more extensive than previously thought, and associated with enough enthalpy to theoretically inhibit the inferred classical cooling flow. Nevertheless, we present new evidence, consistent with previous results, that a moderately strong residual cooling flow is persisting at 4–8 per cent of the classically predicted rates in a spatially structured manner …


Effect Of Particle Statistics In Strongly Correlated Two-Dimensional Hubbard Models, Ehsan Khatami, Marcos Rigol Aug 2012

Effect Of Particle Statistics In Strongly Correlated Two-Dimensional Hubbard Models, Ehsan Khatami, Marcos Rigol

Faculty Publications

We study the onset of particle statistics effects as the temperature is lowered in strongly correlated two-dimensional Hubbard models. We utilize numerical linked-cluster expansions and focus on the properties of interacting lattice fermions and two-component hard-core bosons. In the weak-coupling regime, where the ground state of the bosonic system is a superfluid, the thermodynamic properties of the two systems at half filling exhibit very large differences even at high temperatures. In the strong-coupling regime, where the low-temperature behavior is governed by a Mott insulator for either particle statistics, the agreement between the thermodynamic properties of both systems extends to regions …


Student-Teacher Interactions For Bringing Out Student Ideas About Energy, Benedikt W. Harrer, Michael Wittmann, Rachel Scherr Aug 2012

Student-Teacher Interactions For Bringing Out Student Ideas About Energy, Benedikt W. Harrer, Michael Wittmann, Rachel Scherr

Faculty Publications

Modern middle school science curricula use group activities to help students express their thinking and enable them to work together like scientists. We are studying rural 8th grade science classrooms using materials on energy. Even after spending several months with the same curriculum on other physics topics, students' engagement in group activities seems to be restricted to creating lists of words that are associated with energy. Though research suggests that children have rich and potentially valuable ideas about energy, our students don't seem to spontaneously use and express their ideas in the classroom. Only within or after certain interactions with …


Information Content Of Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking, Marcelo Gleiser, Nikitas Stamatopoulos Aug 2012

Information Content Of Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking, Marcelo Gleiser, Nikitas Stamatopoulos

Dartmouth Scholarship

We propose a measure of order in the context of nonequilibrium field theory and argue that this measure, which we call relative configurational entropy (RCE), may be used to quantify the emergence of coherent low-entropy configurations, such as time-dependent or time-independent topological and nontopological spatially extended structures. As an illustration, we investigate the nonequilibrium dynamics of spontaneous symmetry breaking in three spatial dimensions. In particular, we focus on a model where a real scalar field, prepared initially in a symmetric thermal state, is quenched to a broken-symmetric state. For a certain range of initial temperatures, spatially localized, long-lived structures known …


Observation Of Resistively Detected Hole Spin Resonance And Zero-Field Pseudo-Spin Splitting In Epitaxial Graphene, Ramesh G. Mani, John Hankinson, Claire Berger, Walter A. De Heer Aug 2012

Observation Of Resistively Detected Hole Spin Resonance And Zero-Field Pseudo-Spin Splitting In Epitaxial Graphene, Ramesh G. Mani, John Hankinson, Claire Berger, Walter A. De Heer

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Electronic carriers in graphene show a high carrier mobility at room temperature. Thus, this system is widely viewed as a potential future charge-based high-speed electronic material to complement–or replace–silicon. At the same time, the spin properties of graphene have suggested improved capability for spin-based electronics or spintronics and spin-based quantum computing. As a result, the detection, characterization and transport of spin have become topics of interest in graphene. Here we report a microwave photo-excited transport study of monolayer and trilayer graphene that reveals an unexpectedly strong microwave-induced electrical response and dual microwave-induced resonances in the dc resistance. The results suggest …


Leds And Astronomy, Britny N. Delp, Stephen M. Pompea Aug 2012

Leds And Astronomy, Britny N. Delp, Stephen M. Pompea

STAR Program Research Presentations

Using a Czerny-Turner spectrometer, 45 different types of outdoor lights were categorized. These spectra were used to determine how useful the light is to human eyes and how dark skies friendly these lights are. Dark skies friendly lighting means that little to no light shines above a right angle to the light, and should emit as little as possible below 500nm (green) wavelengths. The short wavelengths present a problem to astronomers in the form of Rayleigh scattering. The following criterion were used in selecting the best source for urban and rural lighting: color rendition measured by color rendering index (CRI), …


A Proper Motion Study Of The Haro 6-10 Outflow: Evidence For A Subarcsecond Binary, Bruce Wilking, Kevin Marvel, Mark Claussen, Bradley Gerling, Alwyn Wootten, Erika Gibb Jul 2012

A Proper Motion Study Of The Haro 6-10 Outflow: Evidence For A Subarcsecond Binary, Bruce Wilking, Kevin Marvel, Mark Claussen, Bradley Gerling, Alwyn Wootten, Erika Gibb

Physics Faculty Works

We present single-dish and very long baseline interferometry observations of an outburst of water maser emission from the young binary system Haro 6-10. Haro 6-10 lies in the Taurus molecular cloud and contains a visible T Tauri star with an infrared companion 1farcs3 north. Using the Very Long Baseline Array, we obtained five observations spanning three months and derived absolute positions for 20 distinct maser spots. Three of the masers can be traced over three or more epochs, enabling us to extract absolute proper motions and tangential velocities. We deduce that the masers represent one side of a bipolar outflow …


The Gas/Dust Ratio Of Circumstellar Disks: Testing Models Of Planetesimal Formation, David Horne, Erika Gibb, Terrence Rettig, Sean Brittain, David Tilley, Dinshaw Balsara Jul 2012

The Gas/Dust Ratio Of Circumstellar Disks: Testing Models Of Planetesimal Formation, David Horne, Erika Gibb, Terrence Rettig, Sean Brittain, David Tilley, Dinshaw Balsara

Physics Faculty Works

We present high-resolution, near-infrared NIRSPEC observations of CO absorption toward six class II T Tauri stars: AA Tau, DG Tau, IQ Tau, RY Tau, CW Tau, and Haro 6-5b. 12CO overtone absorption lines originating from the circumstellar disk of each object were used to calculate line-of-sight gas column densities toward each source. We measured the gas/dust ratio as a function of disk inclination, utilizing measured visual extinctions and inclinations for each star. The majority of our sources show further evidence for a correlation between the gas/dust column density ratio and disk inclination similar to that found by Rettig et al.


Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy And Wide-Angle X-Ray Scattering: Investigations On Polypropylene-Vapor-Grown Carbon Nanofiber Composites, Mircea Chipara, John Hamilton, Alin Cristian Chipara, Tom George, Dorina M. Chipara, Elamin Ibrahim, Karen Lozano, David J. Sellmyer Jul 2012

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy And Wide-Angle X-Ray Scattering: Investigations On Polypropylene-Vapor-Grown Carbon Nanofiber Composites, Mircea Chipara, John Hamilton, Alin Cristian Chipara, Tom George, Dorina M. Chipara, Elamin Ibrahim, Karen Lozano, David J. Sellmyer

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) investigations of isotactic polypropylene (iPP)-vapor-grown carbon nanofiber (VGCNF) composites containing various amounts of VGCNFs ranging between 0 and 20 wt %. are reported. The FTIR investigations were focused on the regularity bands of iPP. The FTIR data indicated a drop in the isotacticity index as the concentration of nanofibers was increased; this suggested a decrease in the crystallinity. WAXS measurements revealed a dominating α 1 phase, with a small admixture of γ phase or mesophase. The loading of the polymeric matrix with carbon nanofibers (CNFs) did not induce significant changes …


The Nuclear Infrared Emission Of Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei, R. E. Mason, E. Lopez-Rodriguez, C. Packham, A. Alonso-Herrero, N. A. Levenson, J. Radomski, C. Ramos Almeida, L. Colina, Moshe Elitzur, I. Aretxaga, P. F. Roche, N. Oi Jun 2012

The Nuclear Infrared Emission Of Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei, R. E. Mason, E. Lopez-Rodriguez, C. Packham, A. Alonso-Herrero, N. A. Levenson, J. Radomski, C. Ramos Almeida, L. Colina, Moshe Elitzur, I. Aretxaga, P. F. Roche, N. Oi

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present high-resolution mid-infrared (MIR) imaging, nuclear spectral energy distributions (SEDs), and archival Spitzer spectra for 22 low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs; Lbol ≲ 1042 erg s–1). Infrared (IR) observations may advance our understanding of the accretion flows in LLAGNs, the fate of the obscuring torus at low accretion rates, and, perhaps, the star formation histories of these objects. However, while comprehensively studied in higher-luminosity Seyferts and quasars, the nuclear IR properties of LLAGNs have not yet been well determined. We separate the present LLAGN sample into three categories depending on their Eddington ratio and radio …


Nanoenergetic Composite Based On I2o5/Al For Biological Agent Defeat, Mkhitar Hobosyan, Alexander V. Kazanksy, Karen S. Martirosyan Jun 2012

Nanoenergetic Composite Based On I2o5/Al For Biological Agent Defeat, Mkhitar Hobosyan, Alexander V. Kazanksy, Karen S. Martirosyan

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

The risk of bioterrorism events involving the intentional airborne release of contagious agents has led to development of new approaches for bio agent defeat technologies both indoors and outdoors. This report describes nanoenergetic gas generators (NGG) system that exhibit long term stability and superior release of biocidal substances for destruction of pathogenic bacteria. The effect of iodine vaporization on destroying of Escherichia coli (E-coli, HB101 K-12 strain) by using expressing Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) was investigated. HB101 K-12 has been genetically modified to prevent its growth unless grown on an enriched medium. To obtain quantitative data we used pGLO transformation …


More About Arc-Polarized Structures In The Solar Wind, S A. Haaland, B Sonnerup, G Paschmann May 2012

More About Arc-Polarized Structures In The Solar Wind, S A. Haaland, B Sonnerup, G Paschmann

Dartmouth Scholarship

We report results from a Cluster-based study of the properties of 28 arc-polarized magnetic structures (also called rotational discontinuities) in the solar wind. These Alfve ́nic events were selected from the database created and analyzed by Knetter (2005) by use of criteria chosen to elim- inate ambiguous cases. His studies showed that standard, four-spacecraft timing analysis in most cases lacks sufficient accuracy to identify the small normal magnetic field compo- nents expected to accompany such structures, leaving unan- swered the question of their existence. Our study aims to break this impasse. By careful application of minimum vari- ance analysis of …


Chemical Composition Of Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin): Another ''Atypical'' Comet, Erika Gibb, Boncho Bonev, Geronimo Villanueva, Michael Disanti, Michael Mumma, Emily Sudholt, Yana Radeva May 2012

Chemical Composition Of Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin): Another ''Atypical'' Comet, Erika Gibb, Boncho Bonev, Geronimo Villanueva, Michael Disanti, Michael Mumma, Emily Sudholt, Yana Radeva

Physics Faculty Works

We measured the volatile chemical composition of comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin) on three dates from 2009 January 30 to February 1 using NIRSPEC, the high-resolution (λ/Δλ ≈ 25,000), long-slit echelle spectrograph at Keck 2. We sampled nine primary (parent) volatile species (H2O, C2H6, CH3OH, H2CO, CH4, HCN, C2H2, NH3, CO) and two product species (OH* and NH2). We also report upper limits for HDO and CH3D. C/2007 N3 (Lulin) displayed an unusual composition when compared to other comets. Based on comets measured to date, CH4 and C2H6 exhibited "normal" abundances relative to water, CO and HCN were only moderately depleted, …


Quantum Quenches In Disordered Systems: Approach To Thermal Equilibrium Without A Typical Relaxation Time, Ehsan Khatami, Marcos Rigol, Armando Relaño, Antonio García-García May 2012

Quantum Quenches In Disordered Systems: Approach To Thermal Equilibrium Without A Typical Relaxation Time, Ehsan Khatami, Marcos Rigol, Armando Relaño, Antonio García-García

Faculty Publications

We study spectral properties and the dynamics after a quench of one-dimensional spinless fermions with short-range interactions and long-range random hopping. We show that a sufficiently fast decay of the hopping term promotes localization effects at finite temperature, which prevents thermalization even if the classical motion is chaotic. For slower decays, we find that thermalization does occur. However, within this model, the latter regime falls in an unexpected universality class, namely, observables exhibit a power-law (as opposed to an exponential) approach to their thermal expectation values.


Synthesis And Upconversion Spectroscopy Of Yb Er Doped M2o2s (M = La, Gd, Y) Phosphors, G. A. Kumar, Madhab Pokhrel, Dhiraj K. Sardar, Alejandrina Martinez May 2012

Synthesis And Upconversion Spectroscopy Of Yb Er Doped M2o2s (M = La, Gd, Y) Phosphors, G. A. Kumar, Madhab Pokhrel, Dhiraj K. Sardar, Alejandrina Martinez

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Yb and Er doped M2O2S (M = Y, Gd, La) phosphor was synthesized by solid state flux fusion method and their up conversion spectral properties were studied as a function different Yb concentrations. The solid state flux fusion results in well crystallized hexagonal shaped phosphor particles of average size 4–6 μm. Upconversion spectral studies shows that all the compositions are stronger in green emission with the green emission intensity 1.7 times than the red in composition Gd2O2S:Yb(8)Er(1), Y2O2S:Yb(9)Er(1), La2O2S:Yb(3)Er(7) (All mol%). The internal upconversion efficiency for the green emission bands was calculated to be 74, 62, 100% respectively in …


In An Expanding Universe, What Doesn’T Expand?, Richard H. Price, Joseph D. Romano Apr 2012

In An Expanding Universe, What Doesn’T Expand?, Richard H. Price, Joseph D. Romano

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

The expansion of the universe is often viewed as a uniform stretching of space that would affect compact objects such as atoms and stars, as well as the separation of galaxies. One usually hears that bound systems do not take part in the general expansion, but a much more subtle question is whether bound systems expand partially. In this paper, a definitive answer is given for a very simple system: a classical “atom” bound by electrical attraction. With a mathematical description appropriate for undergraduate physics majors, we show that this bound system either completely follows the cosmological expansion, or, after …


Calibrating The Star Endcap Electromagnetic Calorimeter Using Pi-O’S, Benjamin Barber Apr 2012

Calibrating The Star Endcap Electromagnetic Calorimeter Using Pi-O’S, Benjamin Barber

Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

The default energy calibration of the STAR EEMC (Endcap ElectroMagnetic Calorimeter) uses the energy deposition of minimally ionizing particles (MIPs). An alternate method is to use pi-0's. We are reporting a preliminary proof-of-principle calibration method using pi-0's. This method reconstructs the invariant mass of photon pairs, assumed to be resulting from pi-0 decays, using standard two-body kinematics. When many photon pairs are analyzed, a peak is expected in the resulting invariant mass distribution near the pi-0 mass. Using the measured mass of this peak, and the known mass of the pi-0, a minimization routine adjusts the detector gains to optimize …