Other Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons^™

Galaxy And Mass Assembly: A Comparison Between Galaxy-Galaxy Lens Searches In Kids/Gama, Shawn Knabel, Benne Holwerda

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Strong gravitational lenses are cases where a distant background galaxy is located directly behind a massive foreground galaxy, whose gravity causes the light from the background galaxy to bend around the foreground galaxy. In addition to being visually stunning, these rare events are useful laboratories for furthering our understanding of gravity and cosmology and to determine properties, such as the mass and dark matter content, of the lensing galaxies themselves. The trouble is finding enough of these strong gravitational lenses for further study. The immensity of the catalogs being collected by state-of-the-art telescopes requires equally innovative methods for interpreting that …

Large‐Amplitude Mountain Waves In The Mesosphere Observed On 21 June 2014 During Deepwave: 1.Wave Development, Scales, Momentum Fluxes, And Environmental Sensitivity, Michael J. Taylor, Pierre-Dominique Pautet, David C. Fritts, Bernd Kaifler, Steven M. Smith, Yucheng Zhao, Neal R. Criddle, Pattilyn Mclaughlin, William R. Pendleton Jr., Michael P. Mccarthy, Gonzalo Hernandez, Stephen D. Eckermann, James Doyle, Markus Rapp, Ben Liley, James M. Russell Iii

Publications

A remarkable, large‐amplitude, mountain wave (MW) breaking event was observed on the night of 21 June 2014 by ground‐based optical instruments operated on the New Zealand South Island during the Deep Propagating Gravity Wave Experiment (DEEPWAVE). Concurrent measurements of the MW structures, amplitudes, and background environment were made using an Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper, a Rayleigh Lidar, an All‐Sky Imager, and a Fabry‐Perot Interferometer. The MW event was observed primarily in the OH airglow emission layer at an altitude of ~82 km, over an ~2‐hr interval (~10:30–12:30 UT), during strong eastward winds at the OH altitude and above, which weakened …

Searching For Trends In Atmospheric Compositions Of Extrasolar Planets, Kassandra Weber, Paola Rodriguez Hidalgo, Adam Turk, Troy Maloney, Stephen Kane

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

No abstract provided.

One-Note-Samba Approach To Cosmology, Florentin Smarandache, Victor Christianto

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Inspired by One Note Samba, a standard jazz repertoire, we present an outline of Bose-Einstein Condensate Cosmology. Although this approach seems awkward and a bit off the wall at first glance, it is not impossible to connect altogether BEC, Scalar Field Cosmology and Feshbach Resonance with Ermakov-Pinney equation. We also briefly discuss possible link with our previous paper which describes Newtonian Universe with Vortex in terms of Ermakov equation.

Hyper Wide Field Imaging Of The Local Group Dwarf Irregular Galaxy Ic 1613: An Extended Component Of Metal-Poor Stars, Ragadeepika Pucha, Jeffrey Carlin, Beth Willman, Jay Strader, David Sand, Keith Bechtol, Jean Brodie, Denija Crnojević, Duncan Forbes, Christopher Garling, Jonathan Hargis, Annika Peter, Aaron Romanowsky

Faculty Publications

Stellar halos offer fossil evidence for hierarchical structure formation. Since halo assembly is predicted to be scale-free, stellar halos around low-mass galaxies constrain properties such as star formation in the accreted subhalos and the formation of dwarf galaxies. However, few observational searches for stellar halos in dwarfs exist. Here we present gi photometry of resolved stars in isolated Local Group dwarf irregular galaxy IC 1613 (M sstarf ~ 108 M ⊙). These Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam observations are the widest and deepest of IC 1613 to date. We measure surface density profiles of young main-sequence, intermediate to old red giant branch, and …

Spatially Resolved Stellar Kinematics Of The Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy Dragonfly 44. I. Observations, Kinematics, And Cold Dark Matter Halo Fits, Pieter Van Dokkum, Asher Wasserman, Shany Danieli, Roberto Abraham, Jean Brodie, Charlie Conroy, Duncan Forbes, Christopher Martin, Matt Matuszewski, Aaron Romanowsky, Alexa Villaume

Faculty Publications

We present spatially resolved stellar kinematics of the well-studied ultra-diffuse galaxy (UDG) Dragonfly 44, as determined from 25.3 hr of observations with the Keck Cosmic Web Imager. The luminosity-weighted dispersion within the half-light radius is ${\sigma }_{1/2}={33}_{-3}^{+3}$ km s−1, lower than what we had inferred before from a DEIMOS spectrum in the Hα region. There is no evidence for rotation, with ${V}_{\max }/\langle \sigma \rangle \lt 0.12$ (90% confidence) along the major axis, in possible conflict with models where UDGs are the high-spin tail of the normal dwarf galaxy distribution. The spatially averaged line profile is more peaked than a …

“Where Is Everybody?” Fermi’S Paradox, Evolution, And Sin, Noreen L. Herzfeld

Computer Science Faculty Publications

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project has been scanning the heavens for signs of intelligent life for almost half a century. So far, nothing. This raises the question physicist Enrico Fermi asked, "Where is everybody?" The probability of intelligent life on another planet is high so why the silence? Technological civilizations may be short-lived. The mechanisms of evolution that lead to intelligent life and technological development also lead to propensities traditionally labeled as sin. These propensities make it difficult for technological civilizations to survive long enough to escape their home planet.

Brightest Cluster Galaxy Evolution Exploration: Comparing The Separation Of Cluster X-Ray Light And Visible Wavelength Galaxy Light With Spectral Data, Matthew Aaron Salinas

Physics

Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs), the brightest galaxy in a cluster of hundreds to thousands of galaxies, are some of the biggest, brightest, and most massive galaxies in the universe. Characterizing a BCG can help discover more about galaxy evolution - the aging, changing, and possible merging (collisions) of galaxies. This project involves determining the separation of the peak of x-ray emission of the galaxy cluster, and the peak of visible emission of the BCG to characterize the system as being disturbed or undisturbed that can then lead to discoveries about its formation and evolution. We have found that 17.4% of …

Spatially Resolved Stellar Populations And Kinematics With Kcwi: Probing The Assembly History Of The Massive Early-Type Galaxy Ngc 1407, Anna Ferré-Mateu, Duncan Forbes, Richard Mcdermid, Aaron Romanowsky, Jean Brodie

Faculty Publications

Using the newly commissioned Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) instrument on the Keck II telescope, we analyze the stellar kinematics and stellar populations of the well-studied massive early-type galaxy (ETG) NGC 1407. We obtained high signal-to-noise integral field spectra for a central and an outer (around one effective radius toward the southeast direction) pointing with integration times of just 600 s and 2400 s, respectively. We confirm the presence of a kinematically distinct core also revealed by VLT/MUSE data of the central regions. While NGC 1407 was previously found to have stellar populations characteristic of massive ETGs (with radially constant …

Differential Photometry Of Active Galactic Nuclei Using Time Resolved Observations With The 1m Nickel Telescope Of Lick Observatory, Chance L. Spencer

Physics

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are exotic objects in the center of some galaxies with luminosities that can greatly outshine the stars of the host galaxy across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. The origin of the UV/optical light is thought to be due to accretion of material onto the supermassive black hole in their centers. Since these objects are too far away to resolve the gravitational sphere of influence of the black hole directly, we make use of a method called reverberation mapping. We measure the lag between the AGN power-law continuum emitted by the accretion disk and the Doppler-broadened emission lines …

Microcontroller Differential Gps To Subtract Signal Delay Due To Ambient Free Electrons In The Ionosphere, Diana Jane Swanson

Physics

The goal of this project is to create a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that is more precise than one GPS receiver on its own. The technique is to take the difference between a GPS receiver’s measured position and its actual position, then use radio frequency (RF) communication to send that differential value to another microcontroller GPS receiver. This differential value will be added to the measured second location to get a more accurate position for the second GPS receiver, thus creating a differential GPS.

Long-Term Dust Formation By Core Collapse Supernovae, Kelsie Marie Krafton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Studying long-term dust formation by CCSNe is an important step toward understanding the large dust masses found in early galaxies. The amazing new discovery of approximately a solar mass of cold dust in the ejecta of SN 1987A has caused a complete re-evaluation of dust formation in core collapse supernovae (CCSNe). CCSNe form only a small amount of dust after three years, but SN 1987A has a dust mass that is several orders of magnitude larger after 25 years. A recent study of SN 2010jl by Gall et al. (2014) made the fascinating suggestion that dust is continuously forming in …

Real-Time Rfi Mitigation In Radio Astronomy, Emily Ramey, Nick Joslyn, Richard Prestage, Michael Lam, Luke Hawkins, Tim Blattner, Mark Whitehead

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

As the use of wireless technology has increased around the world, Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) has become more and more of a problem for radio astronomers. Preventative measures exist to limit the presence of RFI, and programs exist to remove it from saved data, but the use of algorithms to detect and remove RFI as an observation is occurring is much less common. Such a method would be incredibly useful for observations in which the data must undergo several rounds of processing before being saved, as in pulsar timing studies. Strategies for real-time mitigation have been discussed and tested with …

Arecibo Message, Joshua P. Tan

Open Educational Resources

This two week assignment asks students to interpret and analyze the 1974 Arecibo Message sent by Drake and Sagan. Week 1 introduces the concepts behind the construction of the message and engages with a critical analysis of the architecture and the contents of the message. Week 2 asks students to develop software in a Jupyter Notebook (available for free from the Anaconda Python Distribution) to interpret messages that were similar to those produced by Drake and Sagan.

Machine Learning Pipeline For Exoplanet Classification, George Clayton Sturrock, Brychan Manry, Sohail Rafiqi

SMU Data Science Review

Planet identification has typically been a tasked performed exclusively by teams of astronomers and astrophysicists using methods and tools accessible only to those with years of academic education and training. NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration program has introduced modern satellites capable of capturing a vast array of data regarding celestial objects of interest to assist with researching these objects. The availability of satellite data has opened up the task of planet identification to individuals capable of writing and interpreting machine learning models. In this study, several classification models and datasets are utilized to assign a probability of an observation being an exoplanet. …

Induced Magnetic Dipole On Jupiter’S Moon Europa, Luke Francis, Michele Zanolin

Student Works

Physics can have some of the most unique and extraordinary applications of basic principles applied on a larger scale. This paper will explore the properties of induced magnetic dipoles and will examine this phenomenon directly from Jupiter's moon, Europa. These properties will be used to determine if there is liquid water beneath its icy surface and how this conclusion was verified. This will be accomplished using the concepts of magnetic dipoles and induced currents. Recent missions have also revealed estimates of the depth of Europa's subsurface ocean. There have been many measurements taken of Europa's magnetic field, and they are …

Measurement Of Solar Spectral Irradiance And Surface Ozone At Carrollton, Georgia, Usa, During The Great American Eclipse On 21 August 2017, Kirthi Tennakone, L Ajith Desilva, Charles A. Zander*, Shea Rose, Austin B. Kerlin

Georgia Journal of Science

Measurements conducted at the University of West Georgia, Carrollton, Georgia, during the time of the solar eclipse of 21^st August 2017 demonstrated that the integrated spectral irradiance in defined wavelength ranges in the ultraviolet and visible calculated as a fraction of the total irradiance reached a minimum at maximum obscuration of the Sun, whereas in an infrared range it was maximum. The method of analysis adopted supports the view that the changes in spectral irradiance during highly obscured partial phases is a consequence of limb darkening. In a surface ozone measurement, a minimum in ozone concentration occurred 30 +_ …

Charged Compact Binary Coalescence Signal And Electromagnetic Counterpart Of Plunging Black Hole–Neutron Star Mergers, Bing Zhang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

If at least one of the members of a compact binary coalescence is charged, the inspiral of the two members would generate a Poynting flux with an increasing power, giving rise to a brief electromagnetic counterpart temporally associated with the chirp signal of the merger (with possibly a small temporal offset), which we term as the charged compact binary coalescence (cCBC) signal. We develop a general theory of cCBC for any mass and amount of charge for each member. Neutron stars (NSs), as spinning magnets, are guaranteed to be charged, so the cCBC signal should accompany all NS mergers. The …

From Big Science To “Deep Science”, Florentin Smarandache, Victor Christianto

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The Standard Model of particle physics has accomplished a great deal including the discovery of Higgs boson in 2012. However, since the supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model has not been successful so far, some physicists are asking what alternative deeper theory could be beyond the Standard Model? This article discusses the relationship between mathematics and physical reality and explores the ways to go from Big Science to “Deep Science”.

Nanosat Tracking And Identification Techniques And Technologies, Mark A. Skinner

Space Traffic Management Conference

Nanosats (and CubeSats, ‘Smallsats’, etc.) are of order 10 cm in size, and are at or near the limits of what can be tracked and characterized, using existing space surveillance assets. Additionally, given the CubeSat form-factor, they are often launched in large numbers (scores), and can be virtually identical. Thus are they difficult to track and to identify.

We have identified a number of technologies that future nanosat missions could employ that would enhance the trackability and/or identification of their satellites when on-orbit. Some of these technologies require active illumination of the satellite with electromagnetic energy, either in the radio …

Applications Of Information Theory In Solar And Space Physics, Jay R. Johnson, Simon Wing

Faculty Publications

Characterizing and modeling processes at the sun and space plasma in our solar system are difficult because the underlying physics is often complex, nonlinear, and not well understood. The drivers of a system are often nonlinearly correlated with one another, which makes it a challenge to understand the relative effects caused by each driver. However, entropy-based information theory can be a valuable tool that can be used to determine the information flow among various parameters, causalities, untangle the drivers, and provide observational constraints that can help guide the development of the theories and physics-based models. We review two examples of …

Analytic Modeling Of Eccentric Binary Black Holes : From Inspiral To Merger, Dillon Paige Buskirk

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The orbital evolution of black hole binaries is described by two main phases: the inspiral and the merger. Using the post-Newtonian (PN) theory for the inspiral phase of the binary, we build up a Mathematica script to obtain strain waveforms for the inspiral. We expand our previous inspiral formulation to include eccentric orbits, which greatly complicates the calculations. Since this model breaks down as the two bodies approach merger, a separate model for the merger and ring-down is required. This part of the evolution is highly non-linear and numerical relativity (NR) is required to simulate this problem. However, this is …

The Dark Sky Character Of Archaeological Landscapes: Cultural Meaning And Conservation Strategies, Frank Prendergast

Book/Book Chapter

This paper presents the first ever study of light pollution at selected Irish prehistoric archaeological landscapes. The concepts of cosmology and landscape are first briefly described and followed by a summary of early human settlement of the island. Building on this, the extant corpus of early prehistoric megalithic burial tombs is illustrated to show their contrasting distribution patterns and typology. Analysis of tomb locations using nearest-neighbour statistical methods reveals evidence of intentional clustering. Further geo-statistical analysis identifies the geographical locations and the density ranking of these nucleated clusters - a feature especially evident in the passage tomb tradition on this …

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.

Finding Obscure Black Hole Growth Via Spectral Energy Distribution Modeling, Randall K. Chan

Honors Theses

An active galactic nucleus (AGN) occurs when the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy starts to grow. We still currently do not know what triggers AGN. Theories suggest that galaxy mergers could trigger AGNs, but past research has not been able to find a correlation between x-ray detected AGNs and disturbed galaxies. The present research looks specifically at AGN not detected in the x-ray, or obscured AGN. Using a newly updated IDL code, FAST, we were able to identify potential obscured AGN through spectral energy distribution (SED) modeling. We found a total of 526 obscured AGN in …

Unh Observatory Exoplanet Transit Depth Limit, Nicholas R. Larose

Honors Theses and Capstones

Using the University of New Hampshire Observatory, we performed multiple exoplanet transits observations on a variety of systems. Of these transits, those performed with ideal weather conditions were chosen to do extensive analysis on. The transit chosen for initial analysis was HAT-P-56b. We then used Z-Score values, along with the average mean and standard deviation collected from multiple transits to determine a minimum possible transit depth of 7.4 +/- 0.6 mmag. This value will allow UNH to access exoplanet transit observation and / or confirm potential exoplanets, thus making the UNH Observatory more research capable. A follow up threshold transit …

Electron Model Based On Helmholtz’S Electron Vortex Theory & Kolmogorov’S Theory Of Turbulence, Florentin Smarandache, Victor Christianto, Robert Neil Boyd

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In this paper, we explore a new electron model based on Helmholtz’s electron vortex and Kolmogorov theory of turbulence. We also discuss a new model of origination of charge and matter.

Differences Between High-Productive And Low-Productive Active Regions, Declan Brick

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

A Few Calculations Of Receding Moon From Spherical Kinetic Dynamics, Receding Planetary Orbits, And The Quantization Of Celestial Motions, Florentin Smarandache, Victor Christianto, Robert Neil Boyd

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The present article discusses some interesting phenomena including the Lense-Thirring type anomalous precession, using a known spherical kinetic dynamics approach. Other implications include a plausible revised version of the celestial quantization equation described by Nottale and Rubcic & Rubcic. If the proposition described herein corresponds to the facts, then this kinetic dynamics interpretation of ‘frame-dragging’ effect could be viewed as a step to unification between GTR-type phenomena and QM. Further observation to verify or refute this conjecture is recommended, plausibly using LAGEOS type satellites.

Analysis Of Autoguiding For Exoplanet Transit Research At The Unh Observatory, Anthony Cappuccio

Honors Theses and Capstones

This paper will discuss the proper calibration technique for an autoguider of a CCD camera and the results that follow from successful exoplanet transit observations. A brief background on exoplanets, the transit method, and the analysis of their parent stars through photometry will be examined. The results will be presented in a before and after framework that will visually represent the data improvements from autoguiding as graphical Light Curves (LC). The addition of being able to autoguide at the UNH observatory will work towards providing future students with the possibility of performing follow-up ground-based observations and archiving their work online …