Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons^™

The Pre-Roche Lobe Overflow Evolution Of Massive Close Binary Stars: A Study Of Rotation, Wind Enhanced Mass-Loss, And The Bi-Stability Jump, Thomas C. Gehrman Jr.

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Massive stars have the ability to enrich their environment with heavy elements and influence star formation in galaxies. Some massive stars exist in binary systems with short orbital periods. These are called massive close binaries. It is important to understand the evolution of massive close binary systems to gain insight about galaxy evolution. Massive stars above 20 solar masses experience a bi-stability jump where there is a sudden increase in mass-loss rate in their winds. There is ongoing research in this field, but the study of the bi-stability jump and its effects on massive close binary star properties has not …

Narrow-Band Search For Gravitational Waves From Known Pulsars Using The Second Ligo Observing Run, B. P. Abbott, B. Abbott, Teviet Creighton, Mario C. Diaz, Soma Mukherjee, D. Tuyenbayev, Volker Quetschke, Malik Rakhmanov, K. E. Ramirez, Satzhan Sitmukhambetov, Robert Stone, A. K. Zadrozny

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Isolated spinning neutron stars, asymmetric with respect to their rotation axis, are expected to be sources of continuous gravitational waves. The most sensitive searches for these sources are based on accurate matched filtering techniques that assume the continuous wave to be phase locked with the pulsar beamed emission. While matched filtering maximizes the search sensitivity, a significant signal-to-noise ratio loss will happen in the case of a mismatch between the assumed and the true signal phase evolution. Narrowband algorithms allow for a small mismatch in the frequency and spin-down values of the pulsar while coherently integrating the entire dataset. In …

Kinetic Pathways Of Topology Simplification By Type-Ii Topoisomerases In Knotted Supercoiled Dna, Riccardo Ziraldo, Andreas Hanke, Stephen D. Levene

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The topological state of covalently closed, double-stranded DNA is defined by the knot type $K$ and the linking-number difference $\\Delta Lk$ relative to unknotted relaxed DNA. DNA topoisomerases are essential enzymes that control the topology of DNA in all cells. In particular, type-II topoisomerases change both $K$ and $\\Delta Lk$ by a duplex-strand-passage mechanism and have been shown to simplify the topology of DNA to levels below thermal equilibrium at the expense of ATP hydrolysis. It remains a key question how small enzymes are able to preferentially select strand passages that result in topology simplification in much larger DNA molecules. …

Atlas Of Experimental And Theoretical High Temperature Methane Cross Sections From T = 295 To 1000k In The Near-Infrared, Andy Wong, Peter F. Bernath, Michael Rey, Andrei V. Nikitin, Vladimir G. Tyuterev

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Spectra of hot methane were recorded using a tube furnace and a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer. We obtained experimental absorption spectra in the 1.85-1.11 μm near-infrared region at eight temperatures ranging from 295 K up to 1000 K. We have converted these into an atlas of absorption cross sections at each temperature for the methane tetradecad, icosad and triacontad polyads, excluding some spectral intervals either strongly contaminated by water or due to baseline fringes. On the theoretical side, the spectra were simulated from the ab initio-based Reims-Tomsk TheoReTS line list for the same experimental conditions. This line list has been …

The Dynamical State Of A Young Stellar Cluster, Timothy Sullivan

Doctoral Dissertations

"The dynamical state of the young star-forming cluster Rho Ophiuchi is considered, with emphasis on the L1688 cloud. Radial velocities are derived for 32 YSOs, with some being multi-epoch, using Markov-Chain Monte Carlo routines based upon the package emcee. Sources are chosen based upon their spectral index to focus on the earlier stages of star formation, in this case, Class I and Flat spectrum objects, and compared with a sample of Class II and III objects from the same embedded cluster. It is found that the radial velocity dispersion for these younger objects is Δv = 2.8 ± 0:6 …

Search For Gravitational Waves From A Long-Lived Remnant Of The Binary Neutron Star Merger Gw170817, B. P. Abbott, B. Abbott, Teviet Creighton, Mario C. Diaz, Volker Quetschke, Malik Rakhmanov, K. E. Ramirez, Robert Stone, D. Tuyenbayev, W. H. Wang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

One unanswered question about the binary neutron star coalescence GW170817 is the nature of its post-merger remnant. A previous search for post-merger gravitational waves targeted high-frequency signals from a possible neutron star remnant with a maximum signal duration of 500 s. Here, we revisit the neutron star remnant scenario and focus on longer signal durations, up until the end of the second Advanced LIGO-Virgo observing run, which was 8.5 days after the coalescence of GW170817. The main physical scenario for this emission is the power-law spindown of a massive magnetar-like remnant. We use four independent search algorithms with varying degrees …

Ground State Phase Diagram Of The One-Dimensional Bose-Hubbard Model From Restricted Boltzmann Machines, Kristopher Mcbrian, Giuseppe Carleo, Ehsan Khatami

Faculty Publications

Motivated by recent advances in the representation of ground state wavefunctions of quantum many-body systems using restricted Boltzmann machines as variational ansatz, we utilize an open-source platform for constructing such ansatz called NetKet to explore the extent of applicability of restricted Boltzmann machines to bosonic lattice models. Within NetKet, we design and train these machines for the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model through a Monte Carlo sampling of the Fock space. We vary parameters such as the strength of the onsite repulsion, the chemical potential, the system size and the maximum site occupancy and use converged equations of state to identify phase …

Search For Transient Gravitational-Wave Signals Associated With Magnetar Bursts During Advanced Ligo’S Second Observing Run, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, Teviet Creighton, Mario C. Diaz, Soma Mukherjee, Volker Quetschke, K. E. Ramirez, Malik Rakhmanov, Satzhan Sitmukhambetov, Robert Stone

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present the results of a search for short- and intermediate-duration gravitational-wave signals from four magnetar bursts in Advanced LIGO’s second observing run. We find no evidence of a signal and set upper bounds on the root sum squared of the total dimensionless strain (hrss) from incoming intermediate-duration gravitational waves ranging from 1.1 × 10−22 at 150 Hz to 4.4 × 10−22 at 1550 Hz at 50% detection efficiency. From the known distance to the magnetar SGR 1806–20 (8.7 kpc), we can place upper bounds on the isotropic gravitational-wave energy of 3.4 × 10^-44 erg at 150 Hz assuming optimal …

Satellite Maintenance: An Opportunity To Minimize The Kessler Effect, Bettina M. Mrusek Dr.

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Recently, there has been an emphasis on the growing problem of orbital debris. While the advantages of placing satellites into space are numerous, advances in satellite technology combined with the growth of the industry have resulted with a significant amount of debris in the orbits surrounding our planet. The harshness of the space environment has also contributed to the debris, as evidenced by the number of objects currently in orbit which are not operational. As the amount of debris grows, so too does the likelihood of collisions, ultimately culminating in the Kessler Effect. However, recent advances in propulsion, advanced navigation, …

The Role Of Angular Momentum In The Interplay Between Disk Galaxies And Their Host Dark Matter Halos: Corollaries For The Hubble Fork Diagram, Angela Collier

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

A majority of disk galaxies host stellar bars that regulate and amplify the flow of angular momentum, J, between disks and their parent dark matter (DM) halos. These bars constitute the prime factor driving internal galaxy evolution. Yet, a non-negligible fraction of disks lack this morphological feature, which led to adoption of the Hubble Fork Diagram. The complex evolution of barred galaxies has been studied by means of numerical simulations, complemented by observations. Despite prolonged efforts, many fundamental questions remain, in part because cosmological simulations still lack the necessary resolution to account for resonant interactions and simulations of isolated …

Non-Covalent And Covalent Interactions Between Phenylacetylene And Quinoline Radical Cations With Polar And Non-Polar Molecules In The Gas Phase, Adam C. Pearcy

Theses and Dissertations

Gas phase molecular clusters present an ideal medium for observing factors that drive chemical reactions without outside interferences from excessive solvent molecules. Introducing an ion into the cluster promotes ion-molecule interactions that may manifest in a variety of non-covalent or even covalent binding motifs and are of significant importance in many fields including atmospheric and astronomical sciences. For instance, in outer space, molecules are subject to ionizing radiation where ion-molecule reactions become increasingly competitive to molecule-molecule interactions. To elucidate individual ion-molecule interaction information, mass spectrometry was used in conjunction with appropriate theoretical calculations.

Three main categories of experiment were conducted …

Reply To Commentary By R Duggleby (2019), Edward J. Steele, Shirwan Al-Mufti, Kenneth Augustyn, Rohana Chandrajith, John P. Coghlan, S. G. Coulson, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

No abstract provided.

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 …

The Frequency Of Dust Lanes In Edge-On Spiral Galaxies Identified By Galaxy Zoo In Kids Imaging Of Gama Targets, Benne W. Holwerda, Lee Kelvin, Ivan Baldry, Chris Lintott, Mehmet Alpaslan, Kevin A. Pimbblet, Jochen Liske, Thomas Kitching, Steven Bamford, Jelte De Jong, Maciej Bilicki, Andrew Hopkins, Joanna Bridge, R. Steele, A. Jacques, S. Goswami, S. Kusmic, W. Roemer, S. Kruk, C. C. Popescu, K. Kuijken, L. Wang, A. Wright

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Dust lanes bisect the plane of a typical edge-on spiral galaxy as a dark optical absorption feature. Their appearance is linked to the gravitational stability of spiral disks; the fraction of edge-on galaxies that displays a dust lane is a direct indicator of the typical vertical balance between gravity and turbulence: a balance struck between the energy input from star formation and the gravitational pull into the plane of the disk. Based on morphological classifications by the Galaxy Zoo project on the Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS) imaging data in the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) fields, we explore the relation …

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 …

The Search For Microbial Martian Life And American Buddhist Ethics, Daniel S. Capper

Faculty Publications

Multiple searches hunt for extraterrestrial life, yet the ethics of such searches in terms of fossil and possible extant life on Mars have not been sufficiently delineated. In response, in this essay I propose a tripartite ethic for searches for microbial Martian life that consists of default nonharm toward potential living beings, default nonharm to the habitats of potential living beings, but also responsible, restrained scientific harvesting of some microbes in limited transgression of these default nonharm modes. Although this multifaceted ethic remains secular and hence adaptable to space research settings, it arises from both a qualitative analysis of authoritative …

Phased Array Feed Beamforming And Its Application In Mapping Extended Sources, Gargi Roy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ever since the detection of radio signals, technology has strived to improve the performance of the hardware associated with detecting and observing faint radio sources by improving signal processing and detection techniques. Phased array feeds (PAFs) for radio telescopes can yield in an increase in the survey speed and field of view for reflector antennas. Beamforming, calibration, and imaging are some of the challenges that need to be addressed in order to further the development of PAFs. There is a trade-off between achieving high sensitivity and maintaining a stable clean beam pattern when it comes to beamforming design strategies. A …

Exploring The Diffuse Neutral Hydrogen In And Around Nearby Galaxies, Amy Sardone

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

We explore the environment of 36 nearby galaxies in neutral hydrogen (H I) as part of the MeerKAT H I Observations of Nearby Galactic Objects; Observing Southern Emitters (MHONGOOSE) survey with the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT), and the Imaging Galaxies Intergalactic and Nearby En- vironment (IMAGINE) survey with the Parkes Radio Telescope. We obtained deep observations of each of these galaxies, reaching column density detection sensitivities as low as NHI ∼ 1e17 cm^−2, which allowed us to quantify the amount of diffuse H I in both samples of galaxies. This allows us to search for evidence of …

Understanding The Very High Energy Γ-Ray Emission From A Fast Spinning Neutron Star Environment, Chad A. Brisbois

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Pulsars, and their associated pulsar wind nebulae, are factories producing high energy electrons and positrons in our galaxy. The Dragonfly nebula is a Vela-like pulsar wind nebula in the Cygnus region powered by the spin down of PSR J2021+3651. The TeV γ-ray source 2HWC J2019+367 was originally discovered in 2007 by the Milagro Observatory and has been associated with this pulsar. This dissertation presents the first detailed morphological and spectral study of the TeV emission up to the highest photon energies of 2HWC J2019+367. This analysis has identified two sources, the extended source HAWC J2019+368 and the point source HAWC …

On The Cosmological Models With Matter Creation, Emil M. Prodanov, Rossen Ivanov

Articles

The matter creation model of Prigogine--Géhéniau--Gunzig--Nardone is revisited in terms of a redefined creation pressure which does not lead to irreversible adiabatic evolution at constant specific entropy. With the resulting freedom to choose a particular gas process, a flat FRWL cosmological model is proposed based on three input characteristics: (i) a perfect fluid comprising of an ideal gas, (ii) a quasi-adiabatic polytropic process, and (iii) a particular rate of particle creation. Such model leads to the description of the late-time acceleration of the expanding Universe with a natural transition from decelerating to accelerating regime. Only the Friedmann equations and the …

Engaging Adolescent Kyrgyzstani Efl Students In Digital Storytelling Projects About Astronomy, Nadezhda Chubko, Julia E. Morris, David H. Mckinnon, Eileen V. Slater, Geoffrey W. Lummis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This research is based on the Journey through Space and Time (JTST) educational astronomy project for primary and junior high school science curricula in Australia, which seeks to improve students' astronomy content knowledge through science inquiry. The focus of the current project is on the learning needs of students for whom the language of instruction is a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL). This article reports the results of a pilot case study conducted in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in December 2017. The research employed a Type II Case Study design. Data were collected through video and audio recordings of classroom interactions. The …