Physics Commons^™

The Search For Heavily Obscured Active Galactic Nuclei In The Local Universe, Ross Silver

All Dissertations

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in the center of galaxies that accrete surrounding gas and emit across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. They are the most energetic persistent emitters in the Universe, capable of outshining their host galaxies despite their emission originating from a region smaller than our Solar System. AGN were some of the first sources discovered that helped teach us that there were galaxies outside of our own, and they proved the existence of black holes. Moreover, AGN can give us valuable insights into other branches of astrophysics. For example, they can be used to …

X Radiation Dose Monitoring For Adolescent And Adult Patients In Selected Health Care Environment Related Places, Kevin Riandi

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

A study on patient absorption dose according to age group was carried out. The amount of absorbed A study on patient absorption dose according to age group was carried out. The amount of absorbed dose of X-ray radiation affect the body cells. Health care hospitals such as clinics, environments that use ionizing radiation. Based on the procedure for using ionizing radiation for medical purposes, the Indonesian Nuclear Energy Supervisory Agency recommends monitoring radiation doses for health workers on health service environment. Likewise with the patient, because the patient is directly exposed to the ionizing radiation. Some researh explained that the …

Studies Of Inner-Shell Chemistry Of Mercury Based Compounds At Extreme Conditions, Sarah Schyck

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

It has been theoretically predicted that when mercury difluoride (HgF2) is pressurized to above 50 GPa in the presence of molecular fluorine, it will most likely transform into mercury tetrafluoride (HgF4), thus mercury will behave as a transition element at high pressure. However, there is no experimental evidence verifying this prediction yet. To begin with, the crystalline properties of pure HgF2 at high pressure were not experimentally established. In this thesis, the high pressure structural properties of HgF2 are investigated by means of synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. Our results reveal that the predicted, ambient cubic structure of HgF2 with the …

X-Ray Swift Observations Of Sn 2018cow, L E. Rivera Sandoval, T J. Maccarone, A Corsi, P J. Brown, David Pooley, J C. Wheeler

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research

Supernova (SN) 2018cow is an optical transient detected in the galaxy CGCG 137–068. It has been classified as a SN due to various characteristics in its optical spectra. The transient is also a bright X-ray source. We present results of the analysis of ∼ 62 ks of X-ray observations taken with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory over 27 days. We found a variable behavior in the 0 . 3 − 10 keV X-ray light curve of SN 2018cow, with variability timescales of days. The observed X-ray variability could be due to the interaction between the SN ejecta and a non-uniform …

Spectral Properties Of The Galactic Supernova Remnant Vela Jr. (G266.2-1.2) Using Chandra, Nergi̇s Cesur, Aytap Sezer, Murat Hüdaverdi̇

Turkish Journal of Physics

An X-ray nonthermal spectral investigation of the galactic shell-type supernova remnant (SNR) Vela Jr. using archival data from Chandra for the northern and northwestern rims of the SNR is presented. Spectra were extracted from four emission regions in these rims (three in the northwestern rim and one in the northern). The X-ray spectra of the northwestern rim were well reproduced by a single power-law and the synchrotron model srcut, and for the north rim, the spectra were fitted by a single and a broken power-law, respectively. The spectra of both rims show no line emission. Each spectrum was fit by …

Mapping Heavy Elements In The Supernova Remnant G290.1-0.8, Murat Hüdaverdi̇

Turkish Journal of Physics

We present the imaging and spectroscopic study results of G290.1-0.8 Supernova Remnant (SNR) using the Suzaku X-ray archival data. The SNR belongs to the mixed-morphology class with its centrally peaked asymmetric X-ray core and distorted radio shell-like plasma. The X-ray spectra is well defined with isothermal plasma of kTe ∼ 0:5 keV. The radial profile shows enhanced elemental abundances. The EW maps reveal inhomogeneous asymmetric spatial distribution of elemental abundances. The northeast of the SNR is bright in Ne, Mg, and Si. The EW maps are enhanced in the direction of the X-ray elongation, suggesting that the distorted X-ray structure …

The Effects Of X-Ray Background On The X-Ray Emission From The Galacticsupernova Remnants, Nergi̇s Cesur, Aytap Sezer, Murat Hüdaverdi̇

Turkish Journal of Physics

We present the results of an X-ray background emission study of the well-known Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) Cas A, RCW 86, RX J1713.7-3946, and SN 1006 by using the archival Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray Observatories data. With the advent of detector technologies and increased capability of the spectral resolutions, accurate background modelling for the extended sources, such as SNRs, is getting crucial at the modelling step since it might be effective on estimating the physical parameters of the plasma. For this purpose, we concentrate on the background emission spectral modelling by investigating its spectral parameters and components. Hence, the results …

Mesh And Diffraction-Based X-Ray Phase Imaging, Congxiao He

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

More than a hundred years have passed since X-rays were detected by Wilhelm Rontgen. Due to their properties, they soon became widely applied in many areas, especially medical imaging. Recently, many new X-ray imaging techniques were designed, including phase imaging and diffraction enhanced imaging, DEI.

Spatially Offset Active Galactic Nuclei. Ii. Triggering In Galaxy Mergers, R Scott Barrows, Julia M. Comerford, Jenny E. Greene, David Pooley

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research

Galaxy mergers are likely to play a role in triggering active galactic nuclei (AGNs), but the conditions under which this process occurs are poorly understood. In Paper I, we constructed a sample of spatially offset X-ray AGNs that represent galaxy mergers hosting a single AGN. In this paper, we use our offset AGN sample to constrain the parameters that affect AGN observability in galaxy mergers. We also construct dual-AGN samples with similar selection properties for comparison. We find that the offset AGN fraction shows no evidence for a dependence on AGN luminosity, while the dual-AGN fractions show stronger evidence for …

Coherent Scatter And Grid-Based Phase Imaging For Materials Discrimination, Sean Niccholas Starr-Baier

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Traditional X-Ray images provide a meaningful way to differentiate between materials with differing attenuation coefficients. The low contrast provided by this method for materials of low electron density or similar attenuation is a limitation of traditional radiography. Two alternatives have presented themselves as viable candidates for widening the viability of X-Ray imaging, Coherent scatter, and phase contrast imaging provide a means to distinguish between objects of both low absorption and similar attenuation.

Hst Imaging Of The Dusty Filaments And Nucleus Swirl In Ngc4696 At The Centre Of The Centaurus Cluster, A. C. Fabian, S. A. Walker, H. R. Russell, C. Pinto, R. E. A. Canning, P. Salome, J. S. Sanders, G. B. Taylor, E. G. Zweibel, C. J. Conselice, F. Combes, C. S. Crawford, Gary J. Ferland, J. S. Gallagher Iii, N. A. Hatch, R. M. Johnstone, C. S. Reynolds

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Narrow-band HST imaging has resolved the detailed internal structure of the 10 kpc diameter H α+[N II] emission line nebulosity in NGC4696, the central galaxy in the nearby Centaurus cluster, showing that the dusty, molecular, filaments have a width of about 60 pc. Optical morphology and velocity measurements indicate that the filaments are dragged out by the bubbling action of the radio source as part of the active galactic nucleus feedback cycle. Using the drag force we find that the magnetic field in the filaments is in approximate pressure equipartition with the hot gas. The filamentary nature of the …

Reconciling Ag-Star Formation, The Soltan Argument, And Meier's Paradox, David Garofalo, Matthew I. Kim, Damian J. Christian, Emily Hollingworth

Faculty and Research Publications

We provide a theoretical context for understanding the recent work of Kalfountzou et al. showing that star formation is enhanced at lower optical luminosity in radio-loud quasars. Our proposal for coupling the assumption of collimated FRII quasar-jet-induced star formation with lower accretion optical luminosity also explains the observed jet power peak in active galaxies at higher redshift compared to the peak in accretion power, doing so in a way that predicts the existence of a family of radio-quiet active galactic nuclei associated with rapidly spinning supermassive black holes at low redshift, as mounting observations suggest. The relevance of this work …

Strong Variability Of The Coronal Line Region In Ngc 5548, Hermine Landt, Martin J. Ward, Katrien C. Steenbrugge, Gary J. Ferland

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present the second extensive study of the coronal line variability in an active galaxy. Our data set for the well-studied Seyfert galaxy NGC 5548 consists of five epochs of quasi-simultaneous optical and near-infrared spectroscopy spanning a period of about five years and three epochs of X-ray spectroscopy overlapping in time with it. Whereas the broad emission lines and hot dust emission varied only moderately, the coronal lines varied strongly. However, the observed high variability is mainly due to a flux decrease. Using the optical [Fe vii] and X-ray O vii emission lines we estimate that the coronal line gas …

The Young Radio Lobe Of 3c 84: Inferred Gas Properties In The Central 10 Pc, Yutaka Fujita, Nozomu Kawakatu, Isaac Shlosman, Hirotaka Ito

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We analyse the environment of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) in the centre of a massive elliptical galaxy NGC 1275 in the Perseus cluster, hosting the radio source 3C 84. We focus on the young radio lobe observed inside the estimated Bondi accretion radius, and discusss the momentum balance between the jet associated with the lobe and the surrounding gas. The results are compared with the proper motion of the radio lobe obtained with the very long baseline interferometry. We find that under assumption of a high-density environment ( ≳ 100 cm⁻³), the jet power must be comparable …

A High-Speed X-Ray Detector System For Noninvasive Fluid Flow Measurements, Timothy B. Morgan, Benjamin R. Halls, Terrence R. Meyer, Theodore J. Heindel

Terrence R Meyer

The opaque nature of many multiphase flows has long posed a significant challenge to the visualization and measurement of desired characteristics. To overcome this difficulty, X-ray imaging, both in the form of radiography and computed tomography, has been used successfully to quantify various multiphase flow phenomena. However, the relatively low temporal resolution of typical X-ray systems limit their use to moderately slow flows and time-average values. This paper discusses the development of an X-ray detection system capable of high-speed radiographic imaging that can be used to visualize multiphase flows. Details of the hardware will be given and then applied to …

Deep Chandra, Hst-Cos, And Megacam Observations Of The Phoenix Cluster: Extreme Star Formation And Agn Feedback On Hundred Kiloparsec Scales, Michael Mcdonald, B. R. Mcnamara, Reinout J. Van Weeren, Douglas E. Applegate, Matthew Bayliss, Marshall W. Bautz, Bradford A. Benson, John E. Carlstrom, Lindsey E. Bleem, Marios Chatzikos, A. C. Edge, A. C. Fabian, Gordon P. Garmire, Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo, Christine Jones-Forman, Adam B. Mantz, Eric D. Miller, Brian Stalder, Sylvain Veilleux, John A. Zuhone

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present new ultraviolet, optical, and X-ray data on the Phoenix galaxy cluster (SPT-CLJ2344-4243). Deep optical imaging reveals previously undetected filaments of star formation, extending to radii of ~50–100 kpc in multiple directions. Combined UV-optical spectroscopy of the central galaxy reveals a massive (2 x 10⁹ M_⊙), young (~4.5 Myr) population of stars, consistent with a time-averaged star formation rate of 610 ± 50 M_⊙ yr⁻¹. We report a strong detection of O ᴠɪ λλ1032,1038, which appears to originate primarily in shock-heated gas, but may contain a substantial contribution (>1000 M_{⊙ …}

Development Of A Source Of Quasi-Monochromatic Mev Energy Photons, Donald Umstadter, Sudeep Banerjee, Viswanathan Ramanathan, Nathan Powers, Nathaniel Cunningham, Nathan A. Chandler-Smith

Donald P. Umstadter

We report current progress on a project to develop an all-optically-driven x-ray photon source. A laser pulse with 40-50 TW of peak power is focused on a supersonic helium nozzle to drive a relativistic plasma wave. Electron beams with energies of 320 MeV (+/- 28 MeV) are accelerated by means of laser wakefield acceleration. Remarkably, the acceleration region is only 3 mm in length. This accelerator is currently being employed to demonstrate the generation of MeV- energy x-ray by means of all-optical Thomson scattering. By this mechanism, a lower power, laser pulse (from the same laser system) is focused onto …

Variability Of The Coronal Line Region In Ngc 4151, Hermine Landt, Martin J. Ward, Katrien C. Steenbrugge, Gary J. Ferland

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present the first extensive study of the coronal line variability in an active galaxy. Our data set for the nearby source NGC 4151 consists of six epochs of quasi-simultaneous optical and near-infrared spectroscopy spanning a period of about 8 yr and five epochs of X-ray spectroscopy overlapping in time with it. None of the coronal lines showed the variability behaviour observed for the broad emission lines and hot dust emission. In general, the coronal lines varied only weakly, if at all. Using the optical [Fe vii] and X-ray O vii emission lines we estimate that the coronal line gas …

Compact Source Of Narrowband And Tunable X-Rays For Radiography, Sudeep Banerjee, Shouyuan Chen, Nathan D. Powers, Daniel Haden, Cheng Liu, Grigory V. Golovin, Jun Zhang, Baozhen Zhao, S. Clarke, Sara Pozzi, Jack Silano, H. Karwowski, Donald Umstadter

Donald Umstadter Publications

We discuss the development of a compact X-ray source based on inverse-Compton scattering with a laser-driven electron beam. This source produces a beam of high-energy X-rays in a narrow cone angle (5–10 mrad), at a rate of 108 photons-s_1. Tunable operation of the source over a large energy range, with energy spread of ~50%, has also been demonstrated. Photon energies >10 MeV have been obtained. The narrowband nature of the source is advantageous for radiography with low dose, low noise, and minimal shielding.

The Effects Of Plaster On Radiation Doses Given To Patients, Onur Karaman, Ayşe Güneş Tanir, Mustafa Hi̇cabi̇ Bölükdemi̇r

Turkish Journal of Physics

The purpose of this investigation is to measure the total attenuation coefficients (TACs) of plaster materials using different geometries of the plaster, field sizes, and photon beam energies. The percent depth dose measurements were made using X-rays at 6 MV and 18 MV from the linear accelerator in order to plan the probable radiation dose to be given to the patient wearing a plaster cast. The TAC was experimentally determined in solid phantoms of various thicknesses both with and without plaster over areas of 5 x 5 cm^2, 10 x 10 cm^2, and 15 x 15 cm^2. The experimentally measured …

The Host Galaxies Of X-Ray Selected Active Galactic Nuclei To Z = 2.5: Structure, Star Formation, And Their Relationships From Candels And Herschel/Pacs, Dale D. Kocevski, D. J. Rosario, D. H. Mcintosh, A. Van Der Wel, J. Kartaltepe, P. Lang, P. Santini, S. Wuyts, D. Lutz, M. Rafelski, C. Villforth

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We study the relationship between the structure and star formation rate (SFR) of X-ray selected low and moderate luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the two Chandra Deep Fields, using Hubble Space Telescope imaging from the Cosmic Assembly Near Infrared Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) and deep far-infrared maps from the PEP+GOODS-Herschel survey. We derive detailed distributions of structural parameters and FIR luminosities from carefully constructed control samples of galaxies, which we then compare to those of the AGNs. At z ~ 1, AGNs show slightly diskier light profiles than massive inactive (non-AGN) galaxies, as well as modestly higher levels …

Candels/Goods-S, Cdfs, And Ecdfs: Photometric Redshifts For Normal And X-Ray-Detected Galaxies, Li-Ting Hsu, Mara Salvato, Kirpal Nandra, Marcella Brusa, Ralf Bender, Johannes Buchner, Jennifer L. Dooley, Dale D. Kocevski, Yicheng Guo, Nimish P. Hathi, Cyprian Rangel, S. P. Willner, Murray Brightman, Antonis Georgakakis, Tamás Budavári, Alexander S. Szalay, Matthew L.N. Ashby, Guillermo Barro, Tomas Dahlen, Sandra M. Faber, Henry C. Ferguson, Audrey Galametz, Andrea Grazian, Norman A. Grogin, Kuang-Han Huang, Anton M. Koekemoer, Ray A. Lucas, Elizabeth Mcgrath, Bahram Mobasher, Michael Peth, David J. Rosario, Jonathan R. Trump

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present photometric redshifts and associated probability distributions for all detected sources in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDFS). This work makes use of the most up-to-date data from the Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Legacy Survey (CANDELS) and the Taiwan ECDFS Near-Infrared Survey (TENIS) in addition to other data. We also revisit multi-wavelength counterparts for published X-ray sources from the 4 Ms CDFS and 250 ks ECDFS surveys, finding reliable counterparts for 1207 out of 1259 sources (~96%). Data used for photometric redshifts include intermediate-band photometry deblended using the TFIT method, which is used for the first time in …

A Comparative Study Of Gupix And Geopixe Software In The Analysis Of Pixe Spectra Of Aerosol Samples, Sean Collison

Honors Theses

Proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) spectroscopy is a powerful tool used in the Union College Ion-Beam Analysis Laboratory for the elemental analysis of environmental pollution. Samples are bombarded with proton beams from the 1.1‐MV Pelletron accelerator and characteristic X-rays emitted from the samples are detected, resulting in X-ray energy spectra. These spectra are analyzed using software packages that fit the data and calculate the concentrations of elements in the samples. I have performed a comparative study of two of the most popular software packages, GUPIX and GeoPIXE, in the analysis of atmospheric aerosol samples to assess the strengths and weaknesses of …

Electron Cooling In A Young Radio Supernova: Sn 2012aw, Naveen Yadav, Alak Ray, Christopher Stockdale, Poonam Chandrasiri, Randall Smith, Rupak Roy, Vikram Dwarkadas, Firoza Sutaria, David Pooley

Physics Faculty Research and Publications

We present the radio observations and modeling of an optically bright Type II-P supernova (SN), SN 2012aw which exploded in the nearby galaxy Messier 95 (M95) at a distance of 10 Mpc. The spectral index values calculated using C, X, and K bands are smaller than the expected values for the optically thin regime. During this time, the optical bolometric light curve stays in the plateau phase. We interpret the low spectral-index values to be a result of electron cooling. On the basis of comparison between the Compton cooling timescale and the synchrotron cooling timescale, we find that …

Diffraction-Based Techniques For High Contrast X-Ray Imaging, Lubna Naseem Peerzada

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Two X-ray diffraction based techniques for high contrast were explored to improve contrast in radiology: diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) and coherent scatter imaging.

Megamaser Detection And Nuclear Obscuration In Seyfert Galaxies, M. Ramolla, M. Hass, V. N. Bennert, R. Chini

Physics

We revisit the relation between H₂O maser detection rate and nuclear obscuration for a sample of 114 Seyfert galaxies drawn from the CfA, 12 μm, and IRAS F25/F60 catalogs. These sources have mid-infrared spectra from the Spitzer Space Telescope and we search for accompanying X-ray and [O III] 5007 Å fluxes from the literature. We use the strength of the [O IV] 25.9 μm emission line as a tracer of the intrinsic AGN strength. After the normalization by [O IV], the observed X-ray flux provides information about X-ray absorption. The distribution of X-ray/[O IV] flux ratios …

Scaling Relations And Overabundance Of Massive Clusters At Z ≳ 1 From Weak-Lensing Studies With The Hubble Space Telescope, M J. Jee, Ks Dawson, H Hoekstra, S Perlmutter, P Rosati, M Brodwin, N Sukuzi, B Koester, M Postman, L Lubin, J Meyers, Sa Stanford, K Barbary, F Barrientos, P Eisenhardt, Hc Ford, Dg Gibank, Md Gladders, A Gonzalez, Dw Harris, Xiaosheng Huang, C Lidman, Es Rykoff, D Rubin, Al Spadafora

Physics and Astronomy

We present weak gravitational lensing analysis of 22 high-redshift (z 1) clusters based on Hubble Space Telescope images. Most clusters in our sample provide significant lensing signals and are well detected in their reconstructed two-dimensional mass maps. Combining the current results and our previous weak-lensing studies of five other high-z clusters, we compare gravitational lensing masses of these clusters with other observables. We revisit the question whether the presence of the most massive clusters in our sample is in tension with the current ΛCDM structure formation paradigm. We find that the lensing masses are tightly correlated with the …

Relationship Between Photospheric Magnetic Fields And Coronal Activities, Changyi Tan

Dissertations

Coronal emission comes in two forms, a steady component where the corona is heated to million degrees and a much hotter transient component of solar flares. Both components are known to be related to the evolution of surface magnetic fields. This dissertation studies the evolution of photospheric magnetic fields and flow fields and their relation to the properties of these two coronal emission components.

The key issue in the study of the steady coronal emission is the coronal heating problem: how the corona is heated to millions of degrees while the underlying solar photosphere is only a few thousand degrees. …

Application Of X-Ray Diffraction To Material Analysis And Medical Imaging, Wei Zhou

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Powder diffraction is commonly used to determine the structures of both inorganic and organic materials. The angle and intensity of the diffraction (also called coherent scatter) peak depends on the nanostructure of the material. When no x-ray optic is used, the peak width broadens, and hence the resolution worsens, as the sample area is increased. However, a small sample area gives low diffracted signal intensity, particularly for thin films and for organic materials, which have low diffraction cross sections. X-ray optics can be used in x-ray powder diffraction to increase the diffraction intensity, thus decreasing exposure times. For a small …

Measured Optical Constants Of Copper From 10 Nm To 35 Nm, David D. Allred, Nicole Brimhall, Nicholas Herrick, Justin Peatross, R. Steven Turley, Michael Ware

Faculty Publications

We use laser high-order harmonics and a polarization-ratioreflectance technique to determine the optical constants of copper and oxidized copper in the wavelength range 10-35 nm. This measurement resolves previously conflicting data sets, where disagreement on optical constants of copper in the extreme ultraviolet most likely arises from inadvertent oxidation of samples before measurement.