Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons^™

Searching For Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Flashes Via Lightning And The Fermi Space Telescope, Kareem Omar

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

University Scholar Series: Michael Kaufman, Michael Kaufman

University Scholar Series

H2O in Interstellar Space: How the Universe Conspires to Make Water Everywhere

On October 28, 2015, Dr. Michael Kaufman spoke in the University Scholar Series hosted by Provost Andy Feinstein at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. His talk was titled “H₂O in Interstellar Space: How the Universe Conspires to Make Water, Water Everywhere.” Dr. Kaufman's astrophysics research focuses on the interactions and feedback between newly formed stars and the interstellar medium—the raw material from which stars form. He constructs computational models of the radiative transfer, dynamics and chemistry that occur in regions of active star formation, …

On The Formation And Evolution Of The First Be Star In A Black Hole Binary Mwc 656, M. Grudzinska, K. Belczynski, J. Casares, S. E. De Mink, J. Ziolkowski, I. Negueruela, M. Ribó, I. Ribas, J. M. Paredes, A. Herrero, M. Benacquista

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We find that the formation of MWC 656 (the first Be binary containing a black hole) involves a common envelope phase and a supernova explosion. This result supports the idea that a rapidly rotating Be star can emerge out of a common envelope phase, which is very intriguing because this evolutionary stage is thought to be too fast to lead to significant accretion and spin up of the B star.We predict ~10-100 of B-BH binaries to currently reside in the Galactic disc, among which around 1/3 contain a Be star, but there is only a small chance to observe a …

Measurement Of The Target-Normal Single-Spin Asymmetry In Quasielastic Scattering From The Reaction 3He↑(E,E′ ), Chiranjib Dutta, Wolfgang Korsch, Y.-W. Zhang, E. Long, M. Mihovilovič, G. Jin, K. Allada, B. Anderson, J. R. M. Annand, T. Averett, C. Ayerbe-Gayoso, W. Boeglin

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We report the first measurement of the target single-spin asymmetry, A_y, in quasielastic scattering from the inclusive reaction ³He^↑(e,e′ ) on a ³He gas target polarized normal to the lepton scattering plane. Assuming time-reversal invariance, this asymmetry is strictly zero for one-photon exchange. A nonzero A_y can arise from the interference between the one- and two-photon exchange processes which is sensitive to the details of the substructure of the nucleon. An experiment recently completed at Jefferson Lab yielded asymmetries with high statistical precision at Q²=0.13, 0.46, and …

Absolute Dimensions Of The Metallic-Line Eclipsing Binary V501 Monocerotis, Guillermo Torres, Claud H. Sandberg Lacy, Krešimir Pavlovski, Francis C. Fekel, Matthew W. Muterspaugh

Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications

We report extensive high-resolution spectroscopic observations and V-band differential photometry of the slightly eccentric 7.02 day detached eclipsing binary V501 Mon (A6m+F0), which we use to determine its absolute dimensions to high precision (0.3% for the masses and 1.8% for the radii, or better). The absolute masses, radii, and temperatures are MA = 1.6455 ± 0.0043 M⊙, RA = 1.888 ± 0.029 R⊙, and ${T}_{{\rm{eff}}}^{{\rm{A}}}$ = 7510 ± 100 K for the primary and MB = 1.4588 ± 0.0025 M⊙, RB = 1.592 ± 0.028 R⊙, and TeffB = 7000 ± 90 K for the secondary. Apsidal motion has been …

Stochastic Acceleration Of Galactic Cosmic Rays By Compressible Plasma Fluctuations In Supernova Shells, Ming Zhang

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

A theory of 2-stage acceleration of Galactic cosmic rays in supernova remnants is proposed. The first stage is accomplished by the supernova shock front, where a power-law spectrum is established up to a certain cutoff energy. It is followed by stochastic acceleration with compressible waves/turbulence in the downstream medium. With a broad ∝k^(-2) spectrum for the compressible plasma fluctuations, the rate of stochastic acceleration is constant over a wide range of particle momentum. In this case, the stochastic acceleration process extends the power-law spectrum cutoff energy of Galactic cosmic rays to the knee without changing the spectral slope. This situation …

Pulsar J0453+1559: A Double Neutron Star System With A Large Mass Asymmetry, J. G. Martinez, K. Stovall, P. C.C. Freire, J. S. Deneva, F. A. Jenet, M. A. Mclaughlin, M. Bagchi, S. D. Bates, A. Ridolfi

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

To understand the nature of supernovae and neutron star (NS) formation, as well as binary stellar evolution and their interactions, it is important to probe the distribution of NS masses. Until now, all double NS (DNS) systems have been measured as having a mass ratio close to unity (q ≥ 0.91). Here, we report the measurement of the individual masses of the 4.07-day binary pulsar J0453+1559 from measurements of the rate of advance of periastron and Shapiro delay: the mass of the pulsar is Mp = 1.559 � 0.005 Mo and that of its companion is Mo; q = 0.75. …

Variations In Solar Wind Fractionation As Seen By Ace/Swics And The Implications For Genesis Mission Results, P. Pilleri, Daniel B. Reisenfeld, T. H. Zurbuchen, S. T. Lepri, P. Shearer, J. A. Gilbert, R. Von Steiger, R. C. Wiens

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We use Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE)/Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer (SWICS) elemental composition data to compare the variations in solar wind (SW) fractionation as measured by SWICS during the last solar maximum (1999-2001), the solar minimum (2006-2009), and the period in which the Genesis spacecraft was collecting SW (late 2001-early 2004). We differentiate our analysis in terms in SW regimes (i.e., originating from interstream or coronal hole flows, or coronal mass ejecta). Abundances are normalized to the low-first ionization potential (low-FIP) ion magnesium to uncover correlations that are not apparent when normalizing to high-FIP ions. We find that relative …

First Nustar Observations Of Mrk 501 Within A Radio To Tev Multi-Instrument Campaign, P. T. Reynolds, Nustar, Magic, Veritas, F-Gamma

Physical Sciences Publications

We report on simultaneous broadband observations of the TeV-emitting blazar Markarian 501 between 2013 April 1 and August 10, including the first detailed characterization of the synchrotron peak with Swift and NuSTAR. During the campaign, the nearby BL Lac object was observed in both a quiescent and an elevated state. The broadband campaign includes observations with NuSTAR, MAGIC, VERITAS, the Fermi Large Area Telescope, Swift X-ray Telescope and UV Optical Telescope, various ground-based optical instruments, including the GASP-WEBT program, as well as radio observations by OVRO, Metsähovi, and the F-Gamma consortium. Some of the MAGIC observations were affected …

Arecibo Pulsar Survey Using Alfa. Iv. Mock Spectrometer Data Analysis, Survey Sensitivity, And The Discovery Of 40 Pulsars, P. Lazarus, A. Brazier, J. W.T. Hessels, C. Karako-Argaman, V. M. Kaspi, R. Lynch, E. Madsen, C. Patel, S. M. Ransom, Fredrick Jenet

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The on-going Arecibo Pulsar-ALFA (PALFA) survey began in 2004 and is searching for radio pulsars in the Galactic plane at 1.4 GHz. Here we present a comprehensive description of one of its main data reduction pipelines that is based on the PRESTO software and includes new interference-excision algorithms and candidate selection heuristics. This pipeline has been used to discover 40 pulsars, bringing the surveys discovery total to 144 pulsars. Of the new discoveries, eight are millisecond pulsars (MSPs; P 10 ms) and one is a Fast Radio Burst (FRB). This pipeline has also re-detected 188 previously known pulsars, 60 of …

Spin Nematics, Valence-Bond Solids, And Spin Liquids In So(N) Quantum Spin Models On The Triangular Lattice, Ribhu K. Kaul

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We introduce a simple model of SO(N) spins with two-site interactions which is amenable to quantum Monte Carlo studies without a sign problem on nonbipartite lattices. We present numerical results for this model on the two-dimensional triangular lattice where we find evidence for a spin nematic at small N, a valence-bond solid at large N, and a quantum spin liquid at intermediate N. By the introduction of a sign-free four-site interaction, we uncover a rich phase diagram with evidence for both first-order and exotic continuous phase transitions.

Redicting The Α Comae Berenices Time Of Eclipse: How 3 Ambiguous Measurements Out Of 609 Caused A 26 Year Binary's Eclipse To Be Missed, Matthew W. Muterspaugh, Marcella J. P. Wijngaarden, Hubertus F. Henrichs, Benjamin F. Lane, William I. Hartkopf, Gregory W. Henry, Gail H. Schaefer, Chris D. Farrington, Christian A. Hummel, Robert T. Zavala

Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications

The dwarf stars in the 26 year period binary α Com were predicted to eclipse each other in early 2015. That prediction was based on an orbit model made with over 600 astrometric observations using micrometers, speckle interferometry, and long baseline optical interferometry. Unfortunately, it has been realized recently that the position angle measurements for three of the observations from ∼100 years ago were in error by 180°, which warped the orbital fit. The eclipse was likely 2 months earlier than predicted (MJD 56979, 2014 November 18 UT, 7 days before the first photometric observations of this system for the …

Discovery Of An Apparent High Latitude Galactic Supernova Remnant, Robert A. Fesen, Jack M. M. Neustadt, Christine S. Black, Ari H. D. Koeppel

Dartmouth Scholarship

Deep Hα images of a faint emission complex 4.0 x 5.5 degrees in angular extent and located far off the Galactic plane at l = 70.0 degrees, b=-21.5 degrees reveal numerous thin filaments suggestive of a supernova remnant's shock emission. Low dispersion optical spectra covering the wavelength range 4500 - 7500 A show only Balmer line emissions for one filament while three others show a Balmer dominated spectrum along with weak [N I] 5198, 5200 A, [O I] 6300, 6364 A, [N II] 6583 A, [S II] 6716, 6731 A and in one case [O III] 5007 A line emission. …

Sun-Like Magnetic Cycles In The Rapidly Rotating Young Solar Analog Hd 30495, Ricky Egeland, Travis S. Metcalfe, Jeffrey C. Hall, Gregory W. Henry

Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications

A growing body of evidence suggests that multiple dynamo mechanisms can drive magnetic variability on different timescales, not only in the Sun but also in other stars. Many solar activity proxies exhibit a quasi-biennial (∼2 year) variation, which is superimposed upon the dominant 11 year cycle. A well-characterized stellar sample suggests at least two different relationships between rotation period and cycle period, with some stars exhibiting long and short cycles simultaneously. Within this sample, the solar cycle periods are typical of a more rapidly rotating star, implying that the Sun might be in a transitional state or that it has …

Research And Development Of A Smart Module Integrated Converter For The Future Of Renewable Energy, Phong Tran

University Grant Program Reports

This research focused on developing of a Smart Module Integrated Converter for grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) system. This technology enhances the commercial micro-inverters with novel network-supported, grid-adapted functionalities. The micro-inverter utilizes open source and reference design from Microchip to keep design and production at low cost.

Astr 103: Descriptive Astronomy Syllabus, Michael Sibbernsen

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

Syllabus for ASTR 103 Descriptive Astronomy for Fall 2015 semester.

Astr 224: Astronomy And Astrophysics Laboratory, Zachary Smith

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

Syllabus for ASTR 224 Astronomy and Astrophysics Laboratory for Fall 2015.

Astr 204: Introduction To Astronomy And Astrophysics, Shawn Langan

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

Syllabus for ASTR 204 Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics for Fall 2015 semester.

Phys 361/399h

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Astr 113: Life In The Universe Syllabus, Edward Schmidt

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

Syllabus for ASTR 113 Life in the Universe for Fall 2015 semester.

Phys 212h

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Possibility Of O And Ne Contamination In Ulysses Observations Of Interstellar Helium, Brian E. Wood, Hans-Reinhard Müller, Maciej Bzowski, Justyna M. Sokół

Dartmouth Scholarship

We explore the possibility that interstellar O and Ne may be contributing to the particle signal from the GAS instrument on Ulysses, which is generally assumed to be entirely He. Motivating this study is the recognition that an interstellar temperature higher than any previously estimated from Ulysses data could potentially resolve a discrepancy between Ulysses He measurements and those from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). Contamination by O and Ne could lead to Ulysses temperature measurements that are too low. We estimate the degree of O and Ne contamination necessary to increase the inferred Ulysses temperature to …

Herschel Observations Of Edge-On Spirals (Heroes) : Ii. Tilted-Ring Modelling Of The Atomic Gas Disks., F. Allaert, G. Gentile, M. Baes, G. De Geyter, T. M. Hughes, F. Lewis, S. Bianchi, I. De Looze, J. Fritz, Benne W. Holwerda, J. Verstappen, S. Viaene

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Context. Edge-on galaxies can offer important insight into galaxy evolution because they are the only systems where the distribution of the different components can be studied both radially and vertically. The HEROES project was designed to investigate the interplay between the gas, dust, stars, and dark matter (DM) in a sample of 7 massive edge-on spiral galaxies. Aims. In this second HEROES paper, we present an analysis of the atomic gas content of 6 out of 7 galaxies in our sample. The remaining galaxy was recently analysed according to the same strategy. The primary aim of this work is to …

Depth-Resolved Multispectral Sub-Surface Imaging Using Multifunctional Upconversion Phosphors With Paramagnetic Properties, Zaven Ovanesyan, L. Christopher Mimun, Gangadharan Ajith Kumar, Brian G. Yust, Chamath Dannongoda, Karen S. Martirosyan, Dhiraj K. Sardar

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Molecular imaging is very promising technique used for surgical guidance, which requires advancements related to properties of imaging agents and subsequent data retrieval methods from measured multispectral images. In this article, an upconversion material is introduced for subsurface near-infrared imaging and for the depth recovery of the material embedded below the biological tissue. The results confirm significant correlation between the analytical depth estimate of the material under the tissue and the measured ratio of emitted light from the material at two different wavelengths. Experiments with biological tissue samples demonstrate depth resolved imaging using the rare earth doped multifunctional phosphors. In …

Numerical Studies Of Various Néel-Vbs Transitions In Su(N) Anti-Ferromagnets, Ribhu K. Kaul, Matthew S. Block

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

In this manuscript we review recent developments in the numerical simulations of bipartite SU(N) spin models by quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods. We provide an account of a large family of newly discovered sign-problem free spin models which can be simulated in their ground states on large lattices, containing O(10⁵) spins, using the stochastic series expansion method with efficient loop algorithms. One of the most important applications so far of these Hamiltonians are to unbiased studies of quantum criticality between Neel and valence bond phases in two dimensions - a summary of this body of …

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_{⊙ …}

Electrically Tunable Transport In The Antiferromagnetic Mott Insulator Sr2Iro4, C. Wang, H. Seinige, Gang Cao, J.-S. Zhou, J. B. Goodenough, M. Tsoi

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Electronic transport properties of the antiferromagnetic Mott insulator Sr₂IrO₄ have been investigated under extremely high electric biases. Using nanoscale contacts, we apply electric fields up to a few MV/m to a single crystal of Sr₂IrO₄ and observe a continuous reduction in the material's resistivity with increasing bias, characterized by a reduction in the transport activation energy by as much as 16%. Temperature-dependent resistivity measurements provide a means to unambiguously retrieve the bias dependence of the activation energy from the Arrhenius plots at different biases. We further demonstrate the feasibility of reversible resistive switching induced …

Testing Lorentz Symmetry With Planetary Orbital Dynamics, A. Hees, Q. G. Bailey, C. Le Poncin-Lafitte, A. Bourgoin, A. Rivoldini, B. Lamine, F. Meynadier, C. Guerlin, P. Wolf

Publications

Planetary ephemerides are a very powerful tool to constrain deviations from the theory of general relativity (GR) using orbital dynamics. The effective field theory framework called the Standard-Model Extension (SME) has been developed in order to systematically parametrize hypothetical violations of Lorentz symmetry (in the Standard Model and in the gravitational sector). In this communication, we use the latest determinations of the supplementary advances of the perihelia and of the nodes obtained by planetary ephemerides analysis to constrain SME coefficients from the pure gravity sector and also from gravity-matter couplings. Our results do not show any deviation from GR and …

Detection Of 610-Mhz Radio Emission From Hot Magnetic Stars, P. Chandra, G. A. Wade, J. O. Sundqvist, D. Oberoi, J. H. Grunhut, A. Ud-Doula, V. Petit, David H. Cohen, M. E. Oksala, A. David-Uraz

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

We have carried out a study of radio emission from a small sample of magnetic O- and B-type stars using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, with the goal of investigating their magnetospheres at low frequencies. These are the lowest frequency radio measurements ever obtained of hot magnetic stars. The observations were taken at random rotational phases in the 1390 and the 610 MHz bands. Out of the eight stars, we detect five B-type stars in both the 1390 and the 610 MHz bands. The three O-type stars were observed only in the 1390 MHz band, and no detections were obtained. …

Impact Of Declining Proposal Success Rates On Scientific Productivity, Ted Von Hippel, Priscilla Cushman, Todd Hoeksema, Chryssa Kouveliotou, James Lowenthal, Bradley Peterson, Keivan G. Stassun,

Publications

Over the last decade proposal success rates in the fundamental sciences have dropped significantly. Astronomy and related fields funded by NASA and NSF are no exception. Data across agencies show that this is not principally the result of a decline in proposal merit (the proportion of proposals receiving high rankings is largely unchanged), nor of a shift in proposer demographics (seniority, gender, and institutional affiliation have all remained unchanged), nor of an increase (beyond inflation) in the average requested funding per proposal, nor of an increase in the number of proposals per investigator in any one year. Rather, the statistics …