Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons^™

Recent Developments In Spacetime-Symmetry Tests In Gravity, Q. G. Bailey

Publications

Motivated by potentially detectable but minuscule signatures from Planckscale or other new physics, there has been a substantial increase in tests of spacetime symmetry in gravity in recent years. Some novel hypothetical effects that break local Lorentz symmetry and CPT symmetry in gravitational experiments as well as solar system and astrophysical observations have been studied in recent works. Much of this work uses the effective field theory framework, the Standard-Model Extension (SME), that includes gravitational couplings. In other cases, the parameters in specific hypothetical models of Lorentz violation in gravity have been tested.

A 3+1 Decomposition Of The Minimal Standard-Model Extension Gravitational Sector, Nils A. Nilsson, Kellie O'Neal-Ault, Quentin G. Bailey

Publications

The 3+1 (ADM) formulation of General Relativity is used in, for example, canonical quantum gravity and numerical relativity. Here we present a 3+1 decomposition of the minimal Standard-Model Extension gravity Lagrangian. By choosing the leaves of foliation to lie along a timelike vector field we write the theory in a form which will allow for comparison and matching to other gravity models.

Testing The Gravitational Weak Equivalence Principle In The Standard-Model Extension With Binary Pulsars, Lijing Shao, Quentin G. Bailey

Publications

The standard model extension provides a framework to systematically investigate possible violation of the Lorentz symmetry. Concerning gravity, the linearized version was extensively examined. We here cast the first set of experimental bounds on the nonlinear terms in the field equation from the anisotropic cubic curvature couplings. These terms introduce body-dependent accelerations for self-gravitating objects, thus violating the gravitational weak equivalence principle (GWEP). Novel phenomena, which are absent in the linearized gravity, remain experimentally unexplored. We constrain them with precise binary-orbit measurements from pulsar timing, wherein the high density and large compactness of neutron stars are crucial for the test. …

Gaia, White Dwarfs, And The Age Of The Galaxy, Ted Von Hippel, E.J. Jeffery, David Van Dyk, D.C. Stenning, E. Robinson, W.H. Jefferys

Publications

The Milky Way is composed of four major stellar populations: the thin disk, thick disk, bulge, and halo. At present, we do not know the age of any of these populations to better than one or two billion years. This lack of knowledge keeps us from answering fundamental questions about the Galaxy: When did the thin disk, thick disk, and halo form? Did they form over an extended period, and if so, how long? Was star formation continuous across these populations or instead occur in distinct episodes? The Gaia satellite is providing precise trigonometric parallaxes for a plethora of white …

Book Review: Exoplanets : Hidden Worlds And The Quest For Extraterrestrial Life, T. D. Oswalt

Publications

This document is Dr. Oswalt’s review of Exoplanets : Hidden Worlds and the Quest for Extraterrestrial Life. Harvard, 2018. 254p bibl index, 9780674976900 $24.95, 9780674988897

Spacetime Groups, Ian M. Anderson, Charles G. Torre

Publications

A spacetime group is a connected 4-dimensional Lie group G endowed with a left invariant Lorentz metric h and such that the connected component of the isometry group of h is G itself. The Newman-Penrose formalism is used to give an algebraic classification of spacetime groups, that is, we determine a complete list of inequivalent spacetime Lie algebras, which are pairs (g,η), with g being a 4-dimensional Lie algebra and η being a Lorentzian inner product on g. A full analysis of the equivalence problem for spacetime Lie algebras is given which leads to a completely algorithmic solution to the …

Vortex: A New Rocketexperiment To Studymesoscale Dynamics At The Turbopause, Gerald A. Lehmacher, Miguel F. Larsen, Michael J. Taylor, Jonathan B. Snively, Aroh Barjatya, Franz-Josef Lübken, Jorge L. Chau

Publications

The goal of this new investigation is to better understand gravity waves and their interactions as they propagate from the mesosphere into the lower thermosphere, to characterize the mesoscale wind field, and to identify regions of divergence, vorticity, and stratified turbulence. The Vorticity Experiment (VortEx) will comprise two salvoes of each two sounding rockets scheduled to be launched from Andøya Space Center, Norway in February 2022. The rockets will observe horizontally spaced wind profiles, neutral density and temperature profiles, and plasma densities. Additional information about the background conditions and mesoscale dynamics will be obtained by lidars, meteor radars and a …

First Mms Observation Of Energetic Particles Trapped In High-Latitude Magnetic Field Depressions, Katariina Nykyri, Christina Chu, Xuanye Ma, Stephen A. Fuselier, Rachel Rice

Publications

We present a case study of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations of the Southern Hemispheric dayside magnetospheric boundaries under southward interplanetary magnetic field direction with strong By component. During this event MMS encountered several magnetic field depressions characterized by enhanced plasma beta and high fluxes of high‐energy electrons and ions at the dusk sector of the southern cusp region that resemble previous Cluster and Polar observations of cusp diamagnetic cavities. Based on the expected maximum magnetic shear model and magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we show that for the present event the diamagnetic cavity‐like structures were formed in an unusual location. Analysis of …

Book Review: Life On Mars: What To Know Before We Go, T. D. Oswalt

Publications

This document is Dr. Oswalt’s review of Life on Mars: what to know before we go. Princeton, 2018. 302p index ISBN 9780691180533, $29.95; ISBN 9781400889945 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Bayesian Analysis Of Two Stellar Populations In Galactic Globular Clusters Ii: Ngc 5024, Ngc 5272, And Ngc 6352, Rachel Wagner-Kaiser, Ted Von Hippel, David Stenning, Elliot Robinson, Ata Sarajedini, David Van Dyk, Nathan Stein, William H. Jefferys

Publications

We use Cycle 21 Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations and HST archival ACS Treasury observations of Galactic Globular Clusters to find and characterize two stellar populations in NGC 5024 (M53), NGC 5272 (M3), and NGC 6352. For these three clusters, both single and double-population analyses are used to determine a best fit isochrone(s). We employ a sophisticated Bayesian analysis technique to simultaneously fit the cluster parameters (age, distance, absorption, and metallicity) that characterize each cluster. For the two-population analysis, unique population level helium values are also fit to each distinct population of the cluster and the relative proportions of the …

Interaction Between Gravitational Radiation And Electromagnetic Radiation, Preston Jones, Douglas Singleton

Publications

In this review paper we investigate the connection between gravity and electromagnetism from Faraday to the present day. The particular focus is on the connection between gravitational and electromagnetic radiation. We discuss electromagnetic radiation produced when a gravitational wave passes through a magnetic field. We then discuss the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with gravitational waves via Feynman diagrams of the process graviton + graviton → photon + photon. Finally we review recent work on the vacuum production of counterpart electromagnetic radiation by gravitational waves.

Testing Velocity-Dependent Cpt-Violating Gravitational Forces With Radio Pulsars, Lijing Shao, Quentin G. Bailey

Publications

In the spirit of effective field theory, the standard-model extension (SME) provides a comprehensive framework to systematically probe the possibility of Lorentz/CPT violation. In the pure gravity sector, operators with mass dimension larger than 4, while in general being advantageous to short-range experiments, are hard to investigate with systems of astronomical size. However, there is exception if the leading-order effects are CPT-violating and velocity-dependent. Here we study the lowest-order operators in the pure gravity sector that violate the CPT symmetry with carefully chosen relativistic binary pulsar systems. Applying the existing analytical results to the dynamics of a binary orbit, we …

Gravity's Light In The Shadow Of The Moon, Andri Gretarsson, Preston Jones, Douglas Singleton

Publications

In this essay we look at the possibility of vacuum production of very low frequency electromagnetic radiation from a gravitational wave background (i.e. gravity's light). We also propose that this counterpart electromagnetic radiation should be detectable by a lunar orbiting satellite which is periodically occulted by the Moon (i.e., in the shadow of the Moon). For concreteness we consider the possibility of detection of both the gravitational wave and hypothesized electromagnetic radiation counterpart from the supernova core collapse of Betelgeuse

Relating Noncommutative So(2,3)* Gravity To The Lorentz-Violating Standard-Model Extension, Quentin G. Bailey, Charles D. Lane

Publications

We consider a model of noncommutative gravity that is based on a spacetime with broken local SO(2,3)* symmetry. We show that the torsion-free version of this model is contained within the framework of the Lorentz-violating Standard-Model Extension (SME). We analyze in detail the relation between the torsion-free, quadratic limits of the broken SO(2,3)* model and the Standard-Model Extension. As part of the analysis, we construct the relevant geometric quantities to quadratic order in the metric perturbation around a flat background.

A Bayesian Analysis Of The Ages Of Four Open Clusters, Elizabeth Jeffery, Ted Von Hippel, David A. Van Dyk, David C. Stenning, Elliot Robinson, Nathan Sten, William H. Jefferys

Publications

In this paper we apply a Bayesian technique to determine the best fit of stellar evolution models to find the main sequence turn off age and other cluster parameters of four intermediate-age open clusters: NGC 2360, NGC 2477, NGC 2660, and NGC 3960. Our algorithm utilizes a Markov chain Monte Carlo technique to fit these various parameters, objectively finding the best-fit isochrone for each cluster. The result is a high-precision isochrone fit. We compare these results with the those of traditional “by-eye” isochrone fitting methods. By applying this Bayesian technique to NGC 2360, NGC 2477, NGC 2660, and NGC 3960, …

Localization Effects On The Dissipation Of Gravity Wave Packets In The Upper Mesophere And Lower Thermosphere, C. J. Heale, R. L. Walterscheid, J. B. Snively

Publications

Gravity waves not subject to breaking or filtering will dissipate due to viscosity and thermal conduction in the thermosphere. However, the evolutions of wave packets, and the altitudes they reach, are highly dependent upon the spectral content. In this paper, a 2‐D numerical model is used to investigate the effect of spatial localization (and thus spectral content) of a wave packet on its dissipation, dispersion, and spectral evolution. It is found that most wave packets launched below the thermosphere evolve to smaller central vertical wavelengths as the faster, longer vertical wavelength components reach the dissipative thermosphere and are removed first, …

Database Review: Sao/Nasa Astrophysics Data System, Laura Pope Robbins

Publications

Laura Pope Robbins is an advisor for The Charleston Advisor, and the review below is included in Scholarly Commons with the permission of the publisher.

The Astrophysics Data System (ADS) is the premier Open Access research database for astronomy and astrophysics containing over 13 million bibliographic records. These records include journal articles, books, conference proceedings, historical observatory bulletins, and other gray literature. An exceptional feature of ADS is the visualizations it creates, showing author networks, overlapping citations, and frequently occurring terminology giving researchers new ways to explore the literature. It is a unique resource that is as easy for a …

Modulation Of Low-Altitude Ionospheric Upflow By Linear And Nonlinear Atmospheric Gravity Waves, M. R. Burleigh, C. J. Heale, M. D. Zettergren, J. B. Snively

Publications

This study examines how thermospheric motions due to gravity waves (GWs) drive ion upflow in the F region, modulating the topside ionosphere in a way that can contribute to ion outflow. We present incoherent scatter radar data from Sondrestrom, from 31 May 2003 which showed upflow/downflow motions, having a downward phase progression, in the field‐aligned velocity, indicating forcing by a thermospheric GW. The GW‐upflow coupling dynamics are investigated through the use of a coupled atmosphere‐ionosphere model to examine potential impacts on topside ionospheric upflow. Specifically, a sequence of simulations with varying wave amplitude is conducted to determine responses to a …

E-Hooks Provide Guidance And A Soft Landing For The Microtubule Binding Domain Of Dynein, Nayere Tajielyato, Lin Li, Yunhui Peng, Joshua Alper, Emil Alexov

Publications

Macromolecular binding is a complex process that involves sensing and approaching the binding partner, adopting the proper orientation, and performing the physical binding. We computationally investigated the role of E-hooks, which are intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) at the C-terminus of tubulin, on dynein microtubule binding domain (MTBD) binding to the microtubule as a function of the distance between the MTBD and its binding site on the microtubule. Our results demonstrated that the contacts between E-hooks and the MTBD are dynamical; multiple negatively charted patches of amino acids on the E-hooks grab and release the same positively charged patches on the …

Identifying Weak Interdomain Interactions That Stabilize The Supertertiary Structure Of The N-Terminal Tandem Pdz Domains Of Psd-95, Inna S. Yanez Orozco, Frank A. Mindlin, Junyan Ma, Bo Wang, Brie Levesque, Matheu Spencer, Soheila Rezaei Adariani, George Hamilton, Feng Ding, Mark E. Bowen, Hugo Sanabria

Publications

Previous studies of the N-terminal PDZ tandem from PSD-95 produced divergent models and failed to identify interdomain contacts stabilizing the structure. We used ensemble and single-molecule FRET along with replica-exchange molecular dynamics to fully characterize the energy landscape. Simulations and experiments identified two conformations: an open-like conformation with a small contact interface stabilized by salt bridges, and a closed-like conformation with a larger contact interface stabilized by surface-exposed hydrophobic residues. Both interfaces were confirmed experimentally. Proximity of interdomain contacts to the binding pockets may explain the observed coupling between conformation and binding. The low-energy barrier between conformations allows submillisecond dynamics, …

Dust Production And Depletion In Evolved Planetary Systems, J. Farihi, Ted Von Hippel, Rik Van Lieshout, P.W. Cauley, Erik Dennihy, Et Al.

Publications

The infrared dust emission from the white dwarf GD 56 is found to rise and fall by 20 per cent peak-to-peak over 11.2 yr, and is consistent with ongoing dust production and depletion. It is hypothesized that the dust is produced via collisions associated with an evolving dust disc, temporarily increasing the emitting surface of warm debris, and is subsequently destroyed or assimilated within a few years. The variations are consistent with debris that does not change temperature, indicating that dust is produced and depleted within a fixed range of orbital radii. Gas produced in collisions may rapidly re-condense onto …

Three-Dimensional Hybrid Simulation Of Viscous-Like Processes At Saturn's Magnetosphere Boundary, P. A. Delamere, B. Burkholder, X. Ma

Publications

Saturn's magnetosheath flows exhibit significant dawn/dusk asymmetry. The dawnside flows are reduced from expectation, suggesting significant momentum transport through the magnetopause boundary where the flow shear is maximized. It has been suggested that the solar wind interaction with the giant magnetospheres is, in fact, dominated by a viscous‐like interaction governed by the Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability. In three dimensions, the Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability can generate small‐scale and intermittent magnetic reconnection due, in part, to a twisted magnetic field topology. The net result is a field line threading of the magnetopause boundary and the generation of Maxwell shear stresses. Here we present three‐dimensional hybrid …

Bayesian Hierarchical Modelling Of Initial-Final Mass Relations Across Star Clusters, Shijing Si, David A. Van Dyk, Ted Von Hippel, Elliot Robinson, Elizabeth Jeffery, David C. Stenning

Publications

The initial-final mass relation (IFMR) of white dwarfs (WDs) plays an important role in stellar evolution. To derive precise estimates of IFMRs and explore how they may vary among star clusters, we propose a Bayesian hierarchical model that pools photometric data from multiple star clusters. After performing a simulation study to show the benefits of the Bayesian hierarchical model, we apply this model to five star clusters: the Hyades, M67, NGC 188, NGC 2168, and NGC 2477, leading to reasonable and consistent estimates of IFMRs for these clusters. We illustrate how a cluster-specific analysis of NGC 188 using its own …

Bayesian Analysis Of Two Stellar Populations In Galactic Globular Clusters I: Statistical And Computational Methods, David Stenning, Ted Von Hippel, Rachel Wagner-Kaiser, Elliot Robinson, David Van Dyk, Ata Sarajedini, Nathan Stein

Publications

We develop a Bayesian model for globular clusters composed of multiple stellar populations, extend- ing earlier statistical models for open clusters composed of simple (single) stellar populations (e.g., van Dyk et al. 2009; Stein et al. 2013). Specifically, we model globular clusters with two populations that differ in helium abundance. Our model assumes a hierarchical structuring of the parameters in which physical properties|age, metallicity, helium abundance, distance, absorption, and initial mass|are common to (i) the cluster as a whole or to (ii) individual populations within a cluster, or are unique to (iii) individual stars. An adaptive Markov chain Monte Carlo …

Book Review: Spectral Atlas For Amateur Astronomers: A Guide To The Spectra Of Astronomical Objects And Terrestrial Light Sources, T. D. Oswalt

Publications

This document is Dr. Oswalt’s review of Spectral Atlas for Amateur Astronomers: A Guide to the Spectra of Astronomical Objects and Terrestrial Light Sources by Richard Walker. Cambridge 2017, 277 p bibl index, 9781107165908 $89.99, 9781316731048 $72.00

Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability: Lessons Learned And Ways Forward, A. Masson, K. Nykyri

Publications

The Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI) is a ubiquitous phenomenon across the Universe, observed from 500 m deep in the oceans on Earth to the Orion molecular cloud. Over the past two decades, several space missions have enabled a leap forward in our understanding of this phenomenon at the Earth’s magnetopause. Key results obtained by these missions are first presented, with a special emphasis on Cluster and THEMIS. In particular, as an ideal instability, the KHI was not expected to produce mass transport. Simulations, later confirmed by spacecraft observations, indicate that plasma transport in Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) vortices can arise during non-linear stage …

Orbital Characteristics Of The Subdwarf-B And F V Star Binary Ec 20117-4014 (=V4640 Sgr), T. Otani, T. D. Oswalt, A. E. Lynas-Gray, D. Kilkenny, C. Koen, M. Amaral, R. Jordan

Publications

Among the competing evolution theories for subdwarf-B (sdB) stars is the binary evolution scenario. EC 20117-4014 (=V4640 Sgr) is a spectroscopic binary system consisting of a pulsating sdB star and a late F main-sequence companion; however, the period and the orbit semimajor axes have not been precisely determined. This paper presents orbital characteristics of the EC 20117-4014 binary system using 20 years of photometric data. Periodic observed minus calculated (O–C) variations were detected in the two highest-amplitude pulsations identified in the EC 20117-4014 power spectrum, indicating the binary system's precise orbital period (P = 792.3 …

Breaking The Habit: The Peculiar 2016 Eruption Of The Unique Recurrent Nova M31n 2008-12a, M. Henze, T. D. Oswalt, M. J. Darnley, S. C. Williams, M. Kato, Et Al.

Publications

Since its discovery in 2008, the Andromeda galaxy nova M31N 2008-12a has been observed in eruption every single year. This unprecedented frequency indicates an extreme object, with a massive white dwarf and a high accretion rate, which is the most promising candidate for the single-degenerate progenitor of a Type Ia supernova known to date. The previous three eruptions of M31N 2008-12a have displayed remarkably homogeneous multiwavelength properties: (i) from a faint peak, the optical light curve declined rapidly by two magnitudes in less than two days, (ii) early spectra showed initial high velocities that slowed down significantly within days and …

A Versatile Carbon Nanotube-Based Scalable Approach For Improving Interfaces In Li-Ion Battery Electrodes, Lakshman K. Ventrapragada, Jingyi Zhu, Stephen E. Creager, Apparao M. Rao, Ramakrishna Podila

Publications

Resistive interfaces within the electrodes limit the energy and power densities of a battery, for example, a Li-ion battery (LIB). Typically, active materials are mixed with conductive additives in organic solvents to form a slurry, which is then coated on current collectors (e.g., bare or carbon-coated Al foils) to reduce the inherent resistance of the active material. Although many approaches using nanomaterials to either replace Al foils or improve conductivity within the active materials have been previously demonstrated, the resistance at the current collector active material interface (CCAMI), a key factor for enhancing the energy and power densities, remains unaddressed. …

Gw170817: Implications For The Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background From Compact Binary Coalescences, B. P. Abbott, K. Aultoneal, S. Gaudio, K. Gill, E. M. Gretarsson, B. Hughey, M. Muratore, J. W. W. Pratt, S. G. Schwalbe, K. Staats, M. J. Szczepańczyk, M. Zanolin, Et Al.

Publications

The LIGO Scientific and Virgo Collaborations have announced the event GW170817, the first detection of gravitational waves from the coalescence of two neutron stars. The merger rate of binary neutron stars estimated from this event suggests that distant, unresolvable binary neutron stars create a significant astrophysical stochastic gravitational-wave background. The binary neutron star component will add to the contribution from binary black holes, increasing the amplitude of the total astrophysical background relative to previous expectations. In the Advanced LIGO-Virgo frequency band most sensitive to stochastic backgrounds (near 25 Hz), we predict a total astrophysical background with amplitude ΩGW(f=25  Hz)=1.8+2.7−1.3×10−9 with …