Other Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons^™

To Apply Or Not To Apply: A Survey Analysis Of Grant Writing Costs And Benefits, Ted Von Hippel, Courtney Von Hippel

Publications

We surveyed 113 astronomers and 82 psychologists active in applying for federally funded research on their grant-­‐writing history between January, 2009 and November, 2012. We collected demographic data, effort levels, success rates, and perceived non-­‐financial benefits from writing grant proposals. We find that the average proposal takes 116 PI hours and 55 CI hours to write; although time spent writing was not related to whether the grant was funded. Effort did translate into success, however, as academics who wrote more grants received more funding. Participants indicated modest non-­‐monetary benefits from grant writing, with psychologists reporting a somewhat greater benefit overall …

Void Cosmology-Better Explains What Happens First, Background Radiation, Voids In Space, Hydrogen Concentrations, James T. Struck

James T Struck

1

Void Cosmology better explains What Happened First, Cosmic

Microwave Background at around 4. 73 K, 150 Million Light

Year Diameter Largest Voids, Red shift at Distance through

Void Drifting/Void Expansion, Void Inflation, Gravitational

mass and Void Movement, and Helium at 25 % Versus

Hydrogen at 75 % Due to Particle Combination and less Higher

Element Concentrations

Abbe George Lemaitre 1894-1966 was a Belgian cosmologist,

mathematician, priest, physicist who postulated an explosive

beginning. In the 1940’s, George Gamow, Hans Bethe and

Ralph Alpher went from Lemaitre’s starting nuclear fission

ideas to ideas of nuclear fusion being responsible for the

Universe’s …

Evidence Of Attenuation Of Vhe Blazar Spectra By Extragalactic Background Light, Cameron Allen

Physics

The spectrum of two blazar objects, 1ES 1959+650 and 1ES 2344+514, are analyzed for evidence of interactions with the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL), using combined data from the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System and the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, By analyzing the distinct curvature across the combined spectrum, we infer that the very-high energy (VHE) gamma-rays must be attenuated by interactions with the EBL. We also find that the measured 1ES 1959+650 spectrum is sensitive to the intrinsic blazar model, with a preference for a power-law with an exponential cutoff (EPWL). The measured curvature is a combination of …

Unmatter Plasma, Relativistic Oblique-Length Contraction Factor, Neutrosophic Diagram And Neutrosophic Degree Of Paradoxicity: Articles And Notes, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This book has four parts. In the first part, we collected five recent papers, published before in Progress in Physics, but reviewed. In the first paper, we approach a novel form of plasma, Unmatter Plasma. The electron-positron beam plasma was generated in the laboratory in the beginning of 2015. This experimental fact shows that unmatter, a new form of matter that is formed by matter and antimatter bind together (mathematically predicted a decade ago) really exists. That is the electron-positron plasma experiment of 2015 is the experimentum crucis verifying the mathematically predicted unmatter. In the second paper, we generalize the …

Human Behavior During Spaceflight - Evidence From An Analog Environment, Kenny M. Arnaldi, Guy Smith, Jennifer E. Thropp

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Spaceflight offers a multitude of stressors to humans living and working in space, originating from the external space environment and the life-support system. Future space participants may be ordinary people with different medical and psychosocial backgrounds who may not receive the intense spaceflight preparation of astronauts. Consequently, during a mission, a space participant’s mood and behavior could differ from a trained astronaut. This study was an exploratory research project that used an artificial habitat to replicate an orbital environment and the activities performed by humans in space. The study evaluated whether the type of environment affects mood and temperament. Two …

Investigation Of Waves In The Very Local Interstellar Medium, Parisa Mostafavi

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Exonest: Bayesian Model Selection Applied To The Detection And Characterization Of Exoplanets Via Photometric Variations, Ben Placek, Kevin H. Knuth, Daniel Angerhausen

Physics Faculty Scholarship

EXONEST is an algorithm dedicated to detecting and characterizing the photometric signatures of exoplanets, which include reflection and thermal emission, Doppler boosting, and ellipsoidal variations. Using Bayesian inference, we can test between competing models that describe the data as well as estimate model parameters. We demonstrate this approach by testing circular versus eccentric planetary orbital models, as well as testing for the presence or absence of four photometric effects. In addition to using Bayesian model selection, a unique aspect of EXONEST is the potential capability to distinguish between reflective and thermal contributions to the light curve. A case study is …

Constraints On Very High Energy Emission From Grb 130427a, P. T. Reynolds, Et Al

Physical Sciences Publications

Prompt emission from the very fluent and nearby (z = 0.34) gamma-ray burst GRB 130427A was detected by several orbiting telescopes and by ground-based, wide-field-of-view optical transient monitors. Apart from the intensity and proximity of this GRB, it is exceptional due to the extremely long-lived high-energy (100 MeV to 100 GeV) gamma-ray emission, which was detected by the Large Area Telescope on the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope for ~70 ks after the initial burst. The persistent, hard-spectrum, high-energy emission suggests that the highest-energy gamma rays may have been produced via synchrotron self-Compton processes though there is also evidence that …

Characterizing New Calibration Sources In Liquid Xenon Dark Matter Searches, Evan P. Bray, Rafael Lang, Sean Macmullin

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

In order to use the XENON1T liquid xenon detector as a means for detecting dark matter, the response to nuclear and electronic recoils must be well calibrated. Electronic-recoil calibration of XENON1T will be done by using the noble gas radon-220 that emanates from a custom thorium-228 source to observe the electron recoils that its daughter elements induce in liquid xenon. A silicon PIN diode was constructed to ensure that the Th228 source does not contaminate the system with the long-lived isotopes Th228 (T1/2 of 1.9 y) or Radium-224 (T1/2 of 3.6 d). The PIN diode was fixed in a custom …

Measuring K-Shell Transitions In L-Shell Ions Of Aluminum Using Llnl Ebit, Grecia Ramos

STAR Program Research Presentations

We measured the transition energies of the 1s-2p Kα transitions in Al4+ through Al11+. The aluminum ions were created and trapped using the LLNL’s Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT). Once created and trapped, upper levels were collisionally excited by electrons in EBIT's electron beam. X-ray emission following radiative decay of excited levels was detected using the EBIT Calorimeter Spectrometer (ECS). We have measured the centroids of the strongest lines to an accuracy of less than 1 eV. These results will be used to properly identify line emission from celestial x-ray sources, such as elliptical galaxy NGC 4472 and black hole …

Phylogenetic Diversity Of Microbial Isolates From The Mars Pathfinder, Kyla Bradylong, Adriana Blachowicz, Parag Vaishampayan, James N. Benardini, Wayne Schubert

STAR Program Research Presentations

As spacecraft are sent to different planets, they take with them microscopic pieces of life from Earth. It is the task of the Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group to keep as much of this life off other planets as possible as well as document any life that may have been sent. During the construction of the Mars Pathfinder, samples were collected from various locations on the spacecraft to test for contamination. These samples were then isolated, grown, documented, preserved and their 16S rRNA genes were sequenced for identification. The 16S rRNA gene sequence is utilized because it is a highly …

Basic Astronomy Labs, Terry L. Smith, Michael D. Reynolds, Jay S. Huebner

Jay S Huebner

Providing the tools and know-how to apply the principles of astronomy first-hand, these 43 laboratory exercises each contain an introduction that clearly shows budding astronomers why the particular topic of that lab is of interest and relevant to astronomy. About one-third of the exercises are devoted solely to observation, and no mathematics is required beyond simple high school algebra and trigonometry.Organizes exercises into six major topics—sky, optics and spectroscopy, celestial mechanics, solar system, stellar properties, and exploration and other topics—providing clear outlines of what is involved in the exercise, its purpose, and what procedures and apparatus are to be used. …

Cosmic Sound In The Lyman Alpha Forest, Spencer Everett, Matt Kwiecien, Cordell Newmiller

DePaul Discoveries

Using the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), the authors attempt to detect the baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAOs) using the discrete wavelet transform. The wavelet transform is used to construct the power spectrum of intergalactic clouds of matter at large (Mpc) distance scales. It was found that the wavelet transform used here does not have high enough resolution to detect the BAOs. However, the techniques used in this study allow for future improvements in the transform that could potentially resolve the expected peak in the power spectrum and indicate the existence of BAOs.

The Energetic Particle Detector (Epd) Investigation And The Energetic Ion Spectrometer (Eis) For The Magnetospheric Multiscale (Mms) Mission, B. H. Mauk, J. B. Blake, D. N. Baker, J. H. Clemmons, Geoffrey Reeves, Harlan E. Spence, S. E. Jaskulek, C. E. Schlemm, L. E. Brown, Steve Cooper, J. V. Craft, J. F. Fennell, R. S. Gurnee, C. M. Hammock, J. R. Hayes, P. A. Hill, G. C. Ho, J. C. Hutcheson, A. D. Jacques, S. Kerem, D. G. Mitchell, K. S. Nelson, N. P. Paschalidis, E. Rossano, M. R. Stokes, J. H. Westlake

Space Science Center

Abstract

The Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) Investigation is one of 5 fields-and-particles investigations on the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. MMS comprises 4 spacecraft flying in close formation in highly elliptical, near-Earth-equatorial orbits targeting understanding of the fundamental physics of the important physical process called magnetic reconnection using Earth’s magnetosphere as a plasma laboratory. EPD comprises two sensor types, the Energetic Ion Spectrometer (EIS) with one instrument on each of the 4 spacecraft, and the Fly’s Eye Energetic Particle Spectrometer (FEEPS) with 2 instruments on each of the 4 spacecraft. EIS measures energetic ion energy, angle and elemental compositional distributions from …

Dipole Bound Excited States Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Containing Nitrogen And Their Relation To The Interstellar Medium, Mallory L. Theis

Honors College Theses

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the most abundant type of molecule present in the interstellar medium (ISM). It has been hypothesized that nitrogen replacement within a ring is likely for PAHs present in the ISM. Additionally, electrons, protons, and hydrogen atoms are readily added to or removed from PAHs creating a truly diverse set of chemistries in various interstellar regions. The presence of a nitrogen within a PAH (called a PANH herein) that is additionally dehydrogenated leads to a neutral radical with a large dipole moment. It has recently been shown through the use of high-level quantum chemical computations for …

Towards A Sustainable Modular Robot System For Planetary Exploration, S. G. M. Hossain

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis investigates multiple perspectives of developing an unmanned robotic system suited for planetary terrains. In this case, the unmanned system consists of unit-modular robots. This type of robot has potential to be developed and maintained as a sustainable multi-robot system while located far from direct human intervention. Some characteristics that make this possible are: the cooperation, communication and connectivity among the robot modules, flexibility of individual robot modules, capability of self-healing in the case of a failed module and the ability to generate multiple gaits by means of reconfiguration. To demonstrate the effects of high flexibility of an individual …

Magnetic Fields In An Expanding Universe, David Kastor, Jennie Traschen

David Kastor

We find a solution to 4D Einstein-Maxwell theory coupled to a massless dilaton field describing a Melvin magnetic field in an expanding universe with 'stiff matter' equation of state parameter w=+1. As the universe expands, magnetic flux becomes more concentrated around the symmetry axis for dilaton coupling a<1/3√ and more dispersed for a>1/3√. An electric field circulates around the symmetry axis in the direction determined by Lenz's law. For a=0 the magnetic flux through a disk of fixed comoving radius is proportional to the proper area of the disk. This result disagrees with the usual expectation based on a test magnetic field that this …

Landsat-8: Science And Product Vision For Terrestrial Global Change Research, David P. Roy, M. A. Wulder, T. R. Loveland, C. E. Woodcock, R. G. Allen, M. C. Anderson, D. Helder, J. R. Irons, D. M. Johnson, R. Kennedy, T. A. Scambos, C. B. Schaaf, J. R. Schott, Y. Sheng, E. F. Vermote, A. S. Belward, R. Bindschadler, W. B. Cohen, F. Gao, J. D. Hipple, P. Hostert, Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nv, C. O. Justice, Ayse Kilic, V. Kovalskyy, Z. P. Lee, L. Lymburner, J. G. Masek, J. Mccorkel, Y. Shuai, R. Trezza, J. Vogelmann, R. H. Wynne, Z. Zhu

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Landsat 8, a NASA and USGS collaboration, acquires global moderate-resolution measurements of the Earth's terrestrial and polar regions in the visible, near-infrared, short wave, and thermal infrared. Landsat 8 extends the remarkable 40 year Landsat record and has enhanced capabilities including new spectral bands in the blue and cirrus cloud-detection portion of the spectrum, two thermal bands, improved sensor signal-to-noise performance and associated improvements in radiometric resolution, and an improved duty cycle that allows collection of a significantly greater number of images per day. This paper introduces the current (2012–2017) Landsat Science Team's efforts to establish an initial understanding of …

Low Mach Number Fluctuating Hydrodynamics Of Diffusively Mixing Fluids, Aleksandar Donev, Andy J. Nonaka, Yifei Sun, Thomas Fai, Alejandro Garcia, John B. Bell

Alejandro Garcia

We formulate low Mach number fluctuating hydrodynamic equations appropriate for modeling diffusive mixing in isothermal mixtures of fluids with different density and transport coefficients. These equations eliminate the fast isentropic fluctuations in pressure associated with the propagation of sound waves by replacing the equation of state with a local thermodynamic constraint. We demonstrate that the low Mach number model preserves the spatio-temporal spectrum of the slower diffusive fluctuations. We develop a strictly conservative finite-volume spatial discretization of the low Mach number fluctuating equations in both two and three dimensions. We construct several explicit Runge-Kutta temporal integrators that strictly maintain the …

[Sabbatical Report], Louis-Gregory Strolger

Sabbatical Reports

I spent my AY2014 sabbatical year at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), with plans of completing the analyses of supernova rates for both thermonuclear and corecolliape events in high redshift galaxies from the Multi-cycle Treasury Projects with the Hubble Space Telescope.