Instrumentation Commons^™

Revisiting The Properties Of X-Ray Active Galactic Nuclei In The Ssa22 Protocluster: Normal Supermassive Black Hole And Host-Galaxy Growth For Agns In A Z=3.09 Overdensity, Erik B. Monson, Keith Doore, Rafael T. Eufrasio, Bret D. Lehmer, David M. Alexander, Chris M. Harrison, Mariko Kubo, Cristian Saez, Hideki Umehata

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We analyze the physical properties of eight X-ray-selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and one candidate protoquasar system (ADF22A1) in the z = 3.09 SSA22 protocluster by fitting their X-ray-to-IR spectral energy distributions (SEDs) using our SED-fitting code, Lightning (https://www.github.com/rafaeleufrasio/lightning). We recover star formation histories (SFHs) for seven of these systems which are well fit by composite stellar population plus AGN models. We find indications that four out of nine of the SSA22 AGN systems we study have host galaxies below the main sequence, with SFR/SFRMS ≤ −0.4. The remaining SSA22 systems, including ADF22A1, are consistent with obscured supermassive black hole …

The Large Deficit Of Hmxb Emission From Luminous Infrared Galaxies: The Case Of The Circumnuclear Starburst Ring In Ngc 7552, Lacey West, Kristen Garofali, Bret D. Lehmer, Andrea Prestwich, Rafael Eufrasio, Wasutep Luangtip, Timothy P. Roberts, Andreas Zezas

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs), the most extreme star-forming galaxies in the nearby (D < 30 Mpc) universe, show a notable X-ray emission deficiency (up to a factor of ∼10) compared with predictions from scaling relations of galaxy-wide high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) luminosity with star formation rate. In the nearby (≈20 Mpc) LIRG NGC 7552, the majority of the IR emission originates in a circumnuclear starburst ring, which has been resolved into several discrete knots of star formation. We present results from recent Chandra observations of NGC 7552, which reveal significant deficits in the 2–7 keV X-ray luminosities from two of the most powerful star-forming knots. We hypothesize that the expected luminous HMXB populations in these knots are either (1) obscured by very large column densities or (2) suppressed due to the knots having relatively high metallicity and/or very young ages (≲5 Myr). We distinguish between these possibilities using data from recent NuSTAR observations, whose sensitivity above 10 keV is capable of uncovering heavily obscured HMXB populations, since emission at these energies is more immune to absorption effects. We find no evidence of a heavily obscured HMXB population in the central region of NGC 7552, suggesting suppressed HMXB formation. We further show that metallicity-dependent scaling relations cannot fully account for the observed deficit from the most powerful star-forming knots or the central region as a whole. Thus, we suggest that recent bursts in local star formation activity likely drive the high L_IR within these regions on timescales ≲5 Myr, shorter than the timescale required for the formation of HMXBs.

Databases And Inter-Connectivity In Ground-Based Astronomy, Ted Von Hippel, C. M. Mountain

Publications

Optical and infrared ground-based astronomy is undergoing a renaissance. Advances in material technology, system modeling, and the ability to correct atmospheric distortions in real time have produced a new generation of powerful, large telescopes. An equally profound revolution stems from the availability of large observational databases that span the electromagnetic spectrum. The increased use of such databases as well as the need to operate the new telescopes efficiently requires the development of a National or International Virtual Observatory to set standards for astronomical database formats, data quality assurance, and access protocols, and also to provide all-inclusive centers for data products.

Lightning: An X-Ray To Submillimeter Galaxy Sed-Fitting Code With Physically Motivated Stellar, Dust, And Agn Models, Keith Doore, Erik B. Monson, Rafael T. Eufrasio, Bret D. Lehmer, Kristen Garofali, Antara Basu-Zych

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present an updated version of Lightning, a galaxy spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting code that can model X-ray to submillimeter observations. The models in Lightning include the options to contain contributions from stellar populations, dust attenuation and emission, and active galactic nuclei (AGNs). X-ray emission, when utilized, can be modeled as originating from stellar compact binary populations with the option to include emission from AGNs. We have also included a variety of algorithms to fit the models to observations and sample parameter posteriors; these include adaptive Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), affine-invariant MCMC, and Levenberg–Marquardt gradient-descent (MPFIT) algorithms. To …

Improvements To Isru For Rocket Fuel Generation, Justin Sharp

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

The development of efficient in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies is crucial for the establishment of an extraterrestrial, self-sustaining colony. The generation of rocket fuel at potential colony locations is necessary to provide the transportation of people and cargo to and from these locations.Three processes are discussed for the improvement of ISRU methods to generate rocket fuel: electrolysis and electrochemical improvements to the process of crude fuel production, physical and chemical methods for separation of gaseous H2 and O2, and materials and cryogenics engineering for storage and transportation of liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX). Storage and transportation of cryogenics …

Optimal Method For Reconstructing Polychromatic Maps From Broadband Observations With An Aysmmetric Antenna Pattern, Brianna Cantrall, Emory F. Bunn, Solomon Quinn

Honors Theses

Broadband time-ordered data obtained from telescopes with a wavelength-dependent, asymmetric beam pattern can be used to extract maps at multiple wavelengths from a single scan. This technique is especially useful when collecting data on cosmic phenomena such as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation, as it provides the ability to separate the CMB signal from foreground contaminants. We develop a method to determine the optimal linear combinations of wavelengths (“colors”) that can be reconstructed for a given telescope design and the number of colors that are measurable with high signal-to-noise ratio. The optimal colors are found as eigenvectors of a …

Applications Of Digital Filters In Radio Astronomy, Joseph William Kania

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The radio sky spans tens of orders of magnitude in length, density, and time.
In this thesis, using novel filtering techniques and two different telescopes,
we investigate two tracers of cosmic structure: Baryon Acoustic Oscillations
(BAOs) and Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). BAOs formed as the universe cooled
after the Big Bang. BAOs provide a fiducial length scale of the universe
throughout cosmic time and thus can be used to understand how the universe
is evolving. FRBs are very bright, short timescale, bursts of as-yet unknown
origin which occur uniformly on the sky at a rate of a few thousand per …

3-D Visualizations Of Terrestial Exoplanet Interiors Generated With Magrathea In Blender, Tristan Benally, David Rice

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

There has been significant progress in simulating exoplanet interiors in the past decade. With the discovery of the TRAPPIST-1 system in the last few years, there have been many publications presenting models to best characterize specific aspects of exoplanets in study. However, with more parameters and considerations for different characteristics of an exoplanet there will be a need to represent many findings into a comprehensive model in the future. We extend the capabilities of MAGRATHEA from a planet interior solver to start incorporating multi-faceted functions starting with generating 3-D terrestrial planetary visualizations using a 3-D open-source computer graphic software called …

The Analysis Of Radio And X-Ray Energetics Of Fast Radio Bursts, Emily Huerta

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Here, we analyze the graphs and figures presented in Laha et al. (2022) and compare their slopes to our figures. Laha et al. (2022) includes two graphs, one that shows a comparison between radio fluence vs. x-ray fluence and radio energy vs. x-ray energy. In these graphs, the slopes are anywhere from 3.3e-14 to 2e-5, which are much less than unity. Our figures are consistent with these values, also providing slopes anywhere between the same range. Strong limits on this ratio between radio and x-ray energetics can either support the magnetar progenitor model, or completely dismiss it. Since we found …

A Method For Exploring The Habitability Of Earth-Like Exoplanets: Applications To Tess Objects Of Interest 203 B, 256 B, And 700 D, Paul Bonney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has and is continuing to discover a multitude of potentially habitable planet candidates. As more planets are detected and confirmed, it becomes increasingly important to strategically search for signs of habitability with which to differentiate and prioritize them for further observation, in particular with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). To facilitate this, I have created a method for prioritizing TESS planet candidates based on parameters derived from their light curves and have applied the method to the TESS Candidate Target List (CTL). This data set uses preliminary fits to transit modeling which can …

Using Neural Network To Search For Isolated Hα Clouds In The Virgo Cluster, Audra Carver

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

No abstract provided.

Mining The Data Cubes In Sub-Mm And Optical Astronomy, Nathanael Pichette

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

No abstract provided.

The Cosmic History Of X-Ray Binary Evolution, Woodrow Gilbertson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Chandra Deep Fields provide an extraordinary window into the high-energy history of the cosmos. Observations of non-active galaxies within the deep fields can be leveraged to extract information about the formation and evolution of X-ray binaries (XRBs). Previous studies have suggested that the evolution of XRB luminosity can be expressed a function of physical parameters such as star formation rate, stellar mass, stellar age, and metallicity. The goal of this work is to develop and implement a complete physical parameterization for the luminosity of XRB populations, which can be utilized for a variety of further studies.

Chapter 1 provides …

Climatology Of Deep O+ Dropouts In The Night-Time F-Region In Solar Minimum Measured By A Langmuir Probe Onboard The International Space Station, Shantanab Debchoudhury, Aroh Barjatya, Joseh I. Minow, Victoria N. Coffey, Linda N. Parker

Publications

The Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) onboard the International Space Station includes a Wide sweeping Langmuir Probe (WLP) that has been operating in the F-region of the ionosphere at ∼400 km since 2006. While traditional Langmuir probe estimates include critical plasma parameters like electron density and temperature, we have also extracted the O+ percentage from the total ion constituents. This O+ composition dataset from the recent minimum in the Solar Cycle 24 reveals orbits with dropouts in O+ to below 80% of the total background ion density at ISS orbital altitudes. The observed O+ percentages during these dropouts are much …

Tesing Cababilities Of Proposed Telescope Lynx Through Simulated Bubbles In The Intracluster Medium, Sierra Rose Hauck

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Cepheid Variable Light Curve Analysis On The Embry-Riddle 1-Meter Telescope, Kayla Taylor

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

This report details light curve analysis for four Cepheid variable stars (Polaris, RT Aurigae, RX Aurigae, and Zeta Geminorum) using Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's 1-meter reflecting telescope and a SBIG-STX 16803 camera with a g filter. Observations were conducted once per week during the Spring 2021 semester; at least one three-hour shift was allotted per week according to the Observational Astronomy Telescope Allocation Committee (TAC). Individual light curves for each target Cepheid were then compared to published data to analyze evidence of evolution on the Instability Strip. Although the light curves showed the sinusoidal nature of brightness oscillations, amplitudes of the …

Physical Characteristics And Classification Of The Large Amplitude Variable Star V1719 Cygni, Ashley Lieber, Logan Siems, Julia Kennefick, Michael Fitzgerald

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Pulsating stars are used as standard candles which are helpful in determining distances to stellar objects along with the relationship between their period and apparent luminosity. The focus of this study was the variable star, V1719 Cygni, which is often classified as a Delta (δ) Scuti star, but there exists debate that it should be classified as a RR Lyrae star due to its abnormal light curve and similar characteristics between the two variable star categories. Observational data was taken in 2019 using the Las Cumbres Observatory international telescope network. The resulting data were calibrated using comparison stars in the …

Development Of A Fluxgate Magnetometer Model, Eleonora Olsmats

Honors Theses and Capstones

As a part of the UNH SWFO-L1 mission to monitor space weather and the sun’s behavior, the fluxgate magnetometer is an important component to measure external magnetic fields. The basic principle of a fluxgate magnetometer is to detect changes in the ambient magnetic field by inducing a magnetic field in a ferromagnetic material via a drive winding. Each magnetometer is unique due to the ferromagnetic properties of the core material which can be seen in the hysteresis loop which is a relationship between the magnetic field strength (H) and the induced magnetic field (B). Measuring the hysteresis of a fluxgate …

Constraining The Star Formation Histories Of Galaxies In The Swift/Uvot + Manga (Swim) Value-Added Catalog, Nikhil Ajgaonkar

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

Although our understanding about galaxy evolution has improved in the past few
decades, we still do not understand how galaxies suddenly stop forming stars and move towards a quiescent phase. In order to do that, we must derive the Star Formation Histories (SFHs) of galaxies, that trace the change in Star Formation (SF) inside the galaxy over the cosmic timescale. This is achieved by using a set of spatially resolved near-ultraviolet (NUV) and optical spectroscopic images of the galaxies. We generate the Swift/UVOT + MaNGA value added catalog (SwiM VAC; Molina et al., 2020b) which comprises 150 galaxies having a …

Preliminary Studies Of Background Rejection Capabilities For The Southern Wide−Field Gamma−Ray Observatory, Sonali Mohan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO), is a next-generation
gamma-ray observatory to be constructed in the Southern Hemisphere that will com-
plement current and future instruments by providing a wide-field coverage of a large
portion of the southern sky and a better sensitivity to the 100 GeVs to few PeVs
photon band to understand extreme astrophysical phenomena throughout the uni-
verse. Air shower events initiated by gamma rays will be recorded by the detector
and reconstructed to extract shower properties. The challenge for air-shower arrays
in the observation of gamma-ray sources is the large background of hadronic cos-
mic rays. …