Exterior Giant Planet Effects On Terrestrial Architecture,
2017
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Exterior Giant Planet Effects On Terrestrial Architecture, Anna Corinne Childs
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Terrestrial planet formation is a chaotic and violent process which is not fully understood. Prior to Kepler, Solar System observations were the basis for planet formation models. How- ever, Kepler observations have shown that exoplanet systems are very different from our solar system, thus requiring a more complete planet formation model. With advancements in com- putational ability, N-body integrators, and collision models, we can explore planet formation by experimenting with simulations in different parameter space. Our Solar System has shown us that exterior giant planets can play a vital role in the shaping of the final terrestrial planet system. Our …
Using Two Simulation Tools To Teach Concepts In Introductory Astronomy: A Design-Based Research Approach,
2017
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Using Two Simulation Tools To Teach Concepts In Introductory Astronomy: A Design-Based Research Approach, Pamela A. Maher
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Technology in college classrooms has gone from being an enhancement to the learning experience to being something expected by both instructors and students. This design-based research investigation takes technology one step further, putting the tools used to teach directly in the hands of students. The study examined the affordances and constraints of two simulation tools for use in introductory astronomy courses. The variety of experiences participants had using two tools; a virtual reality headset and fulldome immersive planetarium simulation, to manipulate a lunar surface flyby were identified using a multi-method research approach with N = 67 participants. Participants were recruited …
Probing Broad Line Regions Of Active Galactic Nuclei,
2017
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Probing Broad Line Regions Of Active Galactic Nuclei, Champika Sandamali Weerasooriya
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
The broad line regions (BLR) of Type I Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are too small to be spatially resolved even with the most powerful telescopes available. Observations suggest that BLR gas is moving under the influence of the gravitational potential of the central supermassive black-hole (SMBH) and responds to the variations in the ionizing continuum flux of the accretion disk, giving rise to broad emission line variations with a time delay. Reverberation mapping campaigns seek to use this time variability to resolve the BLRs in the time domain instead of spatial domain, providing a way to infer geometry and kinematics …
Testing The Wind-Shock Paradigm For B-Type Star X-Ray Production With Θ Carinae,
2017
Florida Institute of Technology
Testing The Wind-Shock Paradigm For B-Type Star X-Ray Production With Θ Carinae, Trisha F. Doyle
Theses and Dissertations
We present Chandra X-ray grating spectroscopy of the B0.2V star, θ Carinae. θ Car is in a critical transition region between the latest O-type and earliest B-type stars, where some of these stars are observed to have UV-determined mass-loss rates much lower than theoretically expected. In general, X-ray emission in this low-luminosity regime should be less prominent than in O-star winds, but observations have shown a higher than expected production of X-ray emission from the winds of these stars (e.g., Cohen et al. 2008; Huenemoerder et al. 2012). A hot wind could explain weak UV wind signatures, but this severely …
Evaporated Aluminum Fluoride As A Barrier Layer To Retard Oxidation Of Aluminum Mirrors,
2017
Brigham Young University
Evaporated Aluminum Fluoride As A Barrier Layer To Retard Oxidation Of Aluminum Mirrors, Margaret Miles
Theses and Dissertations
The aluminum oxide growth rate for aluminum protected with 2.4 nm of aluminum fluoride has been determined. We show that a 2.4 nm aluminum fluoride layer does not prevent aluminum from oxidation but does significantly retard the oxide growth – decreasing the oxide layer thickness from 1 nm in less than an hour to 0.9 nm over 116 hours. Additionally, the optical constants for aluminum oxide growing under an aluminum fluoride barrier layer have been determined – showing an increase in absorption at high energies for Al2O3 forming at room temperature as compared to highly ordered Al …
The Morphology And Uniformity Of Circumstellar Oh/H2O Masers Around Oh/Ir Stars,
2017
Brigham Young University
The Morphology And Uniformity Of Circumstellar Oh/H2O Masers Around Oh/Ir Stars, Derek Sean Felli
Theses and Dissertations
Even though low mass stars (< 8 solar masses) vastly outnumber high mass stars (< 8 solar masses), the more massive stars drive the chemical evolution of galaxies from which the next generation of stars and planets can form. Understanding mass loss of asymptotic giant branch stars contributes to our understanding of the chemical evolution of the galaxy, stellar populations, and star formation history. Stars with mass < 8 solar masses form planetary nebulae, while those with mass < 8 solar masses go supernova. In both cases, these stars enrich their environments with elements heavier than simple hydrogen and helium molecules. While some general info about how stars die and form planetary nebulae are known, specific details are missing due to a lack of high-resolution observations and analysis of the intermediate stages. For example, we know that mass loss in stars creates morphologically diverse planetary nebulae, but we do not know the uniformity of these processes, and therefore lack detailed models to better predict how spherically symmetric stars form asymmetric nebulae. We have selected a specific group of late-stage stars and observed them at different scales to reveal the uniformity of mass loss through different layers close to the star. This includes observing nearby masers that trace the molecular shell structure around these stars. This study revealed detailed structure that was analyzed for uniformity to place constraints on how the mass loss processes behave in models. These results will feed into our ability to create more detailed models to better predict the chemical evolution of the next generation of stars and planets.
Machine Learning To Discover And Optimize Materials,
2017
Brigham Young University
Machine Learning To Discover And Optimize Materials, Conrad Waldhar Rosenbrock
Theses and Dissertations
For centuries, scientists have dreamed of creating materials by design. Rather than discovery by accident, bespoke materials could be tailored to fulfill specific technological needs. Quantum theory and computational methods are essentially equal to the task, and computational power is the new bottleneck. Machine learning has the potential to solve that problem by approximating material behavior at multiple length scales. A full end-to-end solution must allow us to approximate the quantum mechanics, microstructure and engineering tasks well enough to be predictive in the real world. In this dissertation, I present algorithms and methodology to address some of these problems at …
Biases In Metallicity Measurements From Global Galaxy Spectra: The Effects Of Flux Weighting And Diffuse Ionized Gas Contamination,
2017
University of California - Los Angeles
Biases In Metallicity Measurements From Global Galaxy Spectra: The Effects Of Flux Weighting And Diffuse Ionized Gas Contamination, Ryan L. L. Sanders, Alice E. Shapley, Kai Zhang, Renbin Yan
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Galaxy metallicity scaling relations provide a powerful tool for understanding galaxy evolution, but obtaining unbiased global galaxy gas-phase oxygen abundances requires proper treatment of the various line-emitting sources within spectroscopic apertures. We present a model framework that treats galaxies as ensembles of H II and diffuse ionized gas (DIG) regions of varying metallicities. These models are based upon empirical relations between line ratios and electron temperature for H II regions, and DIG strong-line ratio relations from SDSS-IV MaNGA IFU data. Flux-weighting effects and DIG contamination can significantly affect properties inferred from global galaxy spectra, biasing metallicity estimates by more than …
The Alma Early Science View Of Fuor/Exor Objects - V. Continuum Disc Masses And Sizes,
2017
Universidad Diego Portales
The Alma Early Science View Of Fuor/Exor Objects - V. Continuum Disc Masses And Sizes, Lucas Cieza, Dary Ruiz-Rodriguez, Sebastian Perez, Simon Casassus, Jonathan P. Williams, Alice Zurlo, David A. Principe, Antonio Hales, Jose L. Prieto, John J. Tobin, Zhaohuan Zhu, Sebastian Marino
Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research
Low-mass stars build a significant fraction of their total mass during short outbursts of enhanced accretion known as FUor and EXor outbursts. FUor objects are characterized by a sudden brightening of ∼5 mag at visible wavelengths within 1 yr and remain bright for decades. EXor objects have lower amplitude outbursts on shorter time-scales. Here we discuss a 1.3 mm Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) mini-survey of eight outbursting sources (three FUors, four EXors, and the borderline object V1647 Ori) in the Orion Molecular Cloud. While previous papers in this series discuss the remarkable molecular outflows observed in the three FUor …
Total Molecular Gas Masses Of Planck – Herschel Selected Strongly Lensed Hyper Luminous Infrared Galaxies,
2017
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Total Molecular Gas Masses Of Planck – Herschel Selected Strongly Lensed Hyper Luminous Infrared Galaxies, K. C. Harrington, M. S. Yun, B. Magnelli, D. T. Frayer, A. Karim, A. Weiß, D. Riechers, E. F. Jiménez-Andrade, D. Berman, James Lowenthal, F. Bertoldi
Astronomy: Faculty Publications
We report the detection of CO(1–0) line emission from seven Planck and Herschel selected hyper luminous (LIR(8−1000μm) > 1013 L⊙) infrared galaxies with the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). CO(1–0) measurements are a vital tool to trace the bulk molecular gas mass across all redshifts. Our results place tight constraints on the total gas content of these most apparently luminous high-z star-forming galaxies (apparent IR luminosities of LIR > 1013 − 14 L⊙), while we confirm their predetermined redshifts measured using the Large Millimeter Telescope, LMT (zCO = 1.33–3.26). The CO(1–0) lines show similar profiles as compared to Jup = 2–4 transitions previously …
An Exactly Solvable Quench Protocol For Integrable Spin Models,
2017
University of California - San Diego
An Exactly Solvable Quench Protocol For Integrable Spin Models, Diptarka Das, Sumit R. Das, Damián A. Galante, Robert C. Myers, Krishnendu Sengupta
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Quantum quenches in continuum field theory across critical points are known to display different scaling behaviours in different regimes of the quench rate. We extend these results to integrable lattice models such as the transverse field Ising model on a one-dimensional chain and the Kitaev model on a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice using a nonlinear quench protocol which allows for exact analytical solutions of the dynamics. Our quench protocol starts with a finite mass gap at early times and crosses a critical point or a critical region, and we study the behaviour of one point functions of the quenched operator at …
Hypervolatiles In A Jupiter-Family Comet: Observations Of 45p/Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková Using Ishell At The Nasa-Irtf,
2017
Goddard Space Flight Center
Hypervolatiles In A Jupiter-Family Comet: Observations Of 45p/Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková Using Ishell At The Nasa-Irtf, Michael Disanti, Boncho Bonev, Neil Russo, Ronald Vervack, Erika Gibb, Nathan Roth, Adam Mckay, Hideyo Kawakita, Lori Feaga, Harold Weaver
Physics Faculty Works
We used the new high spectral resolution cross-dispersed facility spectrograph, iSHELL, at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Maunakea, HI, to observe Jupiter-family comet (JFC) 45P/Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková. We report water production rates, as well as production rates and abundance ratios relative to H2O, for eight trace parent molecules (native ices), CO, CH4, H2CO, CH3OH, HCN, NH3, C2H2, and C2H6, on 2 days spanning UT 2017 January 6/7 and 7/8, shortly following perihelion. Trace species were measured simultaneously with H2O and/or OH prompt emission, a proxy for H2O production, thereby providing a robust and consistent means of establishing the native ice composition …
On The Time Variation Of Dust Extinction And Gas Absorption For Type Ia Supernovae Observed Through A Nonuniform Interstellar Medium,
2017
University of San Francisco
On The Time Variation Of Dust Extinction And Gas Absorption For Type Ia Supernovae Observed Through A Nonuniform Interstellar Medium, Xiaosheng Huang, G Aldering, M. Biederman, B. Herger
Physics and Astronomy
For Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) observed through a nonuniform interstellar medium (ISM) in its host galaxy, we investigate whether the nonuniformity can cause observable time variations in dust extinction and in gas absorption due to the expansion of the SN photosphere with time. We show that, owing to the steep spectral index of the ISM density power spectrum, sizable density fluctuation amplitudes at the length scale of typical ISM structures () will translate to much smaller fluctuations on the scales of an SN photosphere. Therefore, the typical amplitude of time variation due to a nonuniform ISM, of absorption equivalent …
An X-Ray Study Of Two B+B Binaries: Ah Cep And Cw Cep,
2017
East Tennessee State University
An X-Ray Study Of Two B+B Binaries: Ah Cep And Cw Cep, Richard Ignace, K. T. Hole, Lidia M. Oskinova, J. P. Rotter
ETSU Faculty Works
AH Cep and CW Cep are both early B-type binaries with short orbital periods of 1.8 days and 2.7 days, respectively. All four components are B0.5V types. The binaries are also double-lined spectroscopic and eclipsing. Consequently, solutions for orbital and stellar parameters make the pair of binaries ideal targets for a study of the colliding winds between two B stars. Chandra ACIS-I observations were obtained to determine X-ray luminosities. AH Cep was detected with an unabsorbed X-ray luminosity at a 90% confidence interval of erg s−1, or , relative to the combined Bolometric luminosities of the two components. While formally …
Initial Mass Function Variability (Or Not) Among Low-Velocity Dispersion, Compact Stellar Systems,
2017
University of California, Santa Cruz
Initial Mass Function Variability (Or Not) Among Low-Velocity Dispersion, Compact Stellar Systems, Alexa Villaume, Jean Brodie, Charlie Conroy, Aaron Romanowsky, Pieter Van Dokkum
Faculty Publications
Analyses of strong gravitational lenses, galaxy-scale kinematics, and absorption-line stellar population synthesis (SPS) have all concluded that the stellar initial mass function (IMF) varies within the massive early-type galaxy (ETG) population. However, the physical mechanism that drives variation in the IMF is an outstanding question. Here we use new SPS models to consider a diverse set of compact, low-velocity dispersion stellar systems: globular clusters (GCs), an ultra-compact dwarf (UCD), and the compact elliptical (cE) galaxy M32. We compare our results to massive ETGs and available dynamical measurements. We find that the GCs have stellar mass-to-light ratios (M/L) that are either …
Evolution Of Galactic Outflows At Z ~ 0–2 Revealed With Sdss, Deep2, And Keck Spectra,
2017
The University of Tokyo, Japan
Evolution Of Galactic Outflows At Z ~ 0–2 Revealed With Sdss, Deep2, And Keck Spectra, Yuma Sugahara, Masami Ouchi, Lihwai Lin, Crystal L. Martin, Yoshiaki Ono, Yuichi Harikane, Takatoshi Shibuya, Renbin Yan
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We conduct a systematic study of galactic outflows in star-forming galaxies at z ~ 0–2 based on the absorption lines of optical spectra taken from SDSS DR7, DEEP2 DR4, and Keck (Erb et al.). We carefully make stacked spectra of homogeneous galaxy samples with similar stellar mass distributions at z ~ 0–2 and perform the multicomponent fitting of model absorption lines and stellar continua to the stacked spectra. We obtain the maximum (vmax) and central (vout) outflow velocities and estimate the mass loading factors (η), a ratio of the mass outflow rate …
The Discovery And Mass Measurement Of A New Ultra-Short-Period Planet: K2-131b,
2017
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Discovery And Mass Measurement Of A New Ultra-Short-Period Planet: K2-131b, Fei Dai, Joshua N. Winn, Davide Gandolfi, Sharon X. Wang, Johanna K. Teske, Jennifer Burt, Simon Albrecht, Oscar Barragán, William D. Cochran, Michael Endl, Malcolm Fridlund, Artie P. Hatzes, Teruyuki Hirano, Lea A. Hirsch, Marshall C. Johnson, Anders Bo Justesen, John Livingston, Carina M. Persson, Jorge Prieto-Arranz, Andrew Vanderburg, Roi Alonso, Giuliano Antoniciello, Pamela Arriagada, R. Paul Butler, Juan Cabrera, Jeffrey D. Crane, Felice Cusano, Szilárd Csizmadia, Hans Deeg, Sergio B. Dieterich, Philipp Eigmüller, Anders Erikson, Mark E. Everett, Akihiko Fukui, Sascha Grziwa, Eike W. Guenther, Gregory W. Henry, Steve B. Howell, John Asher Johnson, Judith Korth, Masayuki Kuzuhara, Norio Narita, David Nespral, Grzegorz Nowak, Enric Palle, Martin Pätzold, Heike Rauer, Pilar Montañés Rodríguez, Stephen A. Shectman, Alexis M. S. Smith, Ian B. Thompson, Vincent Van Eylen, Michael W. Williamson, Robert A. Wittenmyer
Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications
We report the discovery of a new ultra-short-period planet and summarize the properties of all such planets for which the mass and radius have been measured. The new planet, K2-131b, was discovered in K2 Campaign 10. It has a radius of ${1.81}_{-0.12}^{+0.16}\,{R}_{\oplus }$ and orbits a G dwarf with a period of 8.9 hr. Radial velocities obtained with Magellan/PFS and TNG/HARPS-N show evidence for stellar activity along with orbital motion. We determined the planetary mass using two different methods: (1) the "floating chunk offset" method, based only on changes in velocity observed on the same night; and (2) a Gaussian …
Sdss-Iv Manga: Constraints On The Conditions For Star Formation In Galaxy Discs,
2017
The University of Tokyo, Japan
Sdss-Iv Manga: Constraints On The Conditions For Star Formation In Galaxy Discs, David V. Stark, Kevin A. Bundy, Matthew E. Orr, Philip F. Hopkins, Kyle Westfall, Matthew Bershady, Cheng Li, Dmitry Bizyaev, Karen L. Masters, Anne-Marie Weijmans, Ivan Lacerna, Daniel Thomas, Niv Drory, Renbin Yan, Kai Zhang
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Regions of disc galaxies with widespread star formation tend to be both gravitationally unstable and self-shielded against ionizing radiation, whereas extended outer discs with little or no star formation tend to be stable and unshielded on average. We explore what drives the transition between these two regimes, specifically whether discs first meet the conditions for self-shielding (parametrized by dust optical depth, τ) or gravitational instability (parametrized by a modified version of Toomre's instability parameters, Qthermal, which quantifies the stability of a gas disc that is thermally supported at T = 104 K). We first introduce a new …
Ion-Scale Wave Properties And Enhanced Ion Heating Across The Low-Latitude Boundary Layer During Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability,
2017
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Ion-Scale Wave Properties And Enhanced Ion Heating Across The Low-Latitude Boundary Layer During Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability, T. W. Moore, K. Nykyri, A. P. Dimmock
Publications
In the Earth's magnetosphere, the magnetotail plasma sheet ions are much hotter than in the shocked solar wind. On the dawn sector, the cold-component ions are more abundant and hotter by 30–40% when compared to the dusk sector. Recent statistical studies of the flank magnetopause and magnetosheath have shown that the level of temperature asymmetry of the magnetosheath is unable to account for this, so additional physical mechanisms must be at play, either at the magnetopause or plasma sheet that contributes to this asymmetry. In this study, we perform a statistical analysis on the ion-scale wave properties in the three …
Discovery Of Very-High-Energy Emission From Rgb J2243+203 And Derivation Of Its Redshift Upper Limit,
2017
Department of Physical Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland
Discovery Of Very-High-Energy Emission From Rgb J2243+203 And Derivation Of Its Redshift Upper Limit, P. T. Reynolds, Et Al
Physical Sciences Publications
Very-high-energy (VHE; > 100 GeV) gamma-ray emission from the blazar RGB J2243+203 was discovered with the VERITAS Cherenkov telescope array, during the period between 2014 December 21 and 24. The VERITAS energy spectrum from this source can be fitted by a power law with a photon index of 4.6 ± 0.5, and a flux normalization at 0.15 TeV of . The integrated Fermi-LAT flux from 1 to 100 GeV during the VERITAS detection is , which is an order of magnitude larger than the four-year-averaged flux in the same energy range reported in the 3FGL catalog, (). The detection with …
