Bayesian Inference Of Polarized Cosmic Microwave Background Power Spectra From Interferometric Data,
2013
University of Richmond
Bayesian Inference Of Polarized Cosmic Microwave Background Power Spectra From Interferometric Data, Ata Karakci, P. M. Sutter, Le Zhang, Emory F. Bunn, Andrei Korotkov, Peter Timbie, Gregory S. Tucker, Benjamin D. Wandelt
Physics Faculty Publications
Detection of B-mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation is one of the frontiers of observational cosmology. Because they are an order of magnitude fainter than E-modes, it is quite a challenge to detect B-modes. Having more manageable systematics, interferometers prove to have a substantial advantage over imagers in detecting such faint signals. Here, we present a method for Bayesian inference of power spectra and signal reconstruction from interferometric data of the CMB polarization signal by using the technique of Gibbs sampling. We demonstrate the validity of the method in the flat-sky approximation for a simulation of an …
Fundamental Limits Of Detection In The Near And Mid Infrared,
2013
Claremont McKenna College
Fundamental Limits Of Detection In The Near And Mid Infrared, Nathan Lenssen
CMC Senior Theses
The construction of the James Webb Space Telescope has brought attention to infrared astronomy and cosmology. The potential information about our universe to be gained by this mission and future infrared telescopes is staggering, but infrared observation faces many obstacles. These telescopes face large amounts of noise by many phenomena, from emission off of the mirrors to the cosmic infrared background. Infrared telescopes need to be designed in such a way that noise is minimized to achieve sufficient signal to noise ratio on high redshift objects. We will investigate current and planned space and ground based telescopes, model the noise …
Gauge Field Preheating At The End Of Inflation,
2013
Kenyon College
Gauge Field Preheating At The End Of Inflation, J. Tate Deskins, John T. Giblin Jr., Robert R. Caldwell
Dartmouth Scholarship
Here we consider the possibility of preheating the Universe via the parametric amplification of a massless, U(1) abelian gauge field. We assume that the gauge field is coupled to the inflaton via a conformal factor with one free parameter. We present the results of high-resolution three-dimensional simulations of this model and show this mechanism efficiently preheats the Universe to a radiation-dominated final state.
Heteroclinic And Homoclinic Connections Between The Sun-Earth Triangular Points And Quasi-Satellite Orbits For Solar Observations,
2013
G.M.V. Aerospace & Defence S.A.U.
Heteroclinic And Homoclinic Connections Between The Sun-Earth Triangular Points And Quasi-Satellite Orbits For Solar Observations, Pedro J. Llanos, Gerald R. Hintz, Martin W. Lo, James K. Miller
Publications
Investigation of new orbit geometries exhibits a very attractive behavior for a spacecraft to monitor space weather coming from the Sun. Several orbit transfer mechanisms are analyzed as potential alternatives to monitor solar activity such as a sub-solar orbit or quasi-satellite orbit and short and long heteroclinic and homoclinic connections between the triangular points L4 and L5 and the collinear point L3 of the CRTBP (circular restricted three-body problem) in the Sun-Earth system. These trajectories could serve as channels through where material can be transported from L5 to L3 by performing small maneuvers at the departure of the Trojan orbit. …
Ensemble Forecasting Of Coronal Mass Ejections Using The Wsa-Enlil With Coned Model,
2013
Air Force Institute of Technology
Ensemble Forecasting Of Coronal Mass Ejections Using The Wsa-Enlil With Coned Model, D. Emmons, Ariel O. Acebal, A. Pulkkinen, A. Taktakishvili, Peter Macneice, D. Odstrcil
Faculty Publications
The combination of the Wang‐Sheeley‐Arge (WSA) coronal model, ENLIL heliospherical model version 2.7, and CONED Model version 1.3 (WSA‐ENLIL with CONED Model) was employed to form ensemble forecasts for 15 halo coronal mass ejections (halo CMEs). The input parameter distributions were formed from 100 sets of CME cone parameters derived from the CONED Model. The CONED Model used image processing along with the bootstrap approach to automatically calculate cone parameter distributions from SOHO/LASCO imagery based on techniques described by Pulkkinen et al. (2010). The input parameter distributions were used as input to WSA‐ENLIL to calculate the temporal evolution of the …
Challenges For Λcdm And Mond,
2013
Case Western Reserve University
Challenges For Λcdm And Mond, Stacy S. Mcgaugh
Faculty Scholarship
The Universe on large scales is well described by the ΛCDM cosmological model. There however remain some heavy clouds on our global understanding, especially on galaxy scales, which we review here. While some of these clouds might perhaps disappear through small compensatory adjustments of the model, such as changing the mass of the dark matter particles or accounting better for baryonic physics, others should rather be taken as strong indications that the physics of the dark sector is, at the very least, much richer and complex than currently assumed, and that our understanding of gravity and dynamics might also be …
A Study In Merger Induced Galaxy Evolution Through Post-Starburst Systems,
2013
University of Northern Iowa
A Study In Merger Induced Galaxy Evolution Through Post-Starburst Systems, Zachary Dean Griffith
Honors Program Theses
We discuss an optical study of a triple galaxy system at a redshift of 0.06. In optical images from Data Release 7 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), the system consists of a close pair plus another galaxy at a projected distance of 35 kpc. Tidal features extending at least 30 kpc are visible to the southeast of both the galaxy pair and the third member of the system, suggesting significant interaction. One of the the pair and the more isolated galaxy are low-luminosity radio sources. The lone galaxy appears extended in a radio map from the FIRST survey. …
Effective Field Theory Approach To Gravitationally Induced Decoherence,
2013
Dartmouth College
Effective Field Theory Approach To Gravitationally Induced Decoherence, M. P. Blencowe
Dartmouth Scholarship
Adopting the viewpoint that the standard perturbative quantization of general relativity provides an effective description of quantum gravity that is valid at ordinary energies, we show that gravity as an environment induces the rapid decoherence of stationary matter superposition states when the energy differences in the superposition exceed the Planck energy scale.
Scalar Polarization Operator In A Superfluid Medium,
2013
University of Texas at El Paso
Scalar Polarization Operator In A Superfluid Medium, Sajib Kumar Barman
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
A QCD-inspired effective theory of fermions is considered to study superfluidity. We calculate the quark propagator in a theory with fermion-fermion condensate at finite density. In this theory color degrees of freedom are absent and the quark-quark interaction is modeled through a Yukawa interaction term. Since the diquark condensate is neutral, the system is a superfluid. To study the response of this superfluid to the scalar field propagation, we find the scalar polarization operator of the system.
Planetary Nebula Spectrograph Survey Of S0 Galaxy Kinematics – Ii. Clues To The Origins Of S0 Galaxies,
2013
University of Nottingham
Planetary Nebula Spectrograph Survey Of S0 Galaxy Kinematics – Ii. Clues To The Origins Of S0 Galaxies, A. Cortesi, M. R. Merrifield, L. Coccato, M. Arnaboldi, O. Gerhard, Aaron J. Romanowsky, N. G. Douglass, K. Kuiijken, M. Capaccioli, K. C. Freeman, K. Saha, A. L. Chies-Santos
Faculty Publications
The stellar kinematics of the spheroids and discs of S0 galaxies contain clues to their formation histories. Unfortunately, it is difficult to disentangle the two components and to recover their stellar kinematics in the faint outer parts of the galaxies using conventional absorption line spectroscopy. This paper therefore presents the stellar kinematics of six S0 galaxies derived from observations of planetary nebulae, obtained using the Planetary Nebula Spectrograph. To separate the kinematics of the two components, we use a maximum-likelihood method that combines the discrete kinematic data with a photometric component decomposition. The results of this analysis reveal that: the …
The Densest Galaxy,
2013
Michigan State University
The Densest Galaxy, J. Strader, A. C. Seth, J. P. Brodie, D. A. Forbes, G. Fabbiano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, C. Conroy, N. Caldwell, V. Pota, C. Usher, J. A. Arnold
Faculty Publications
We report the discovery of a remarkable ultra-compact dwarf galaxy around the massive Virgo elliptical galaxy NGC 4649 (M60), which we call M60-UCD1. With a dynamical mass of 2.0 × 108 M ☉ but a half-light radius of only ~24 pc, M60-UCD1 is more massive than any ultra-compact dwarfs of comparable size, and is arguably the densest galaxy known in the local universe. It has a two-component structure well fit by a sum of Sérsic functions, with an elliptical, compact (rh = 14 pc; n ~ 3.3) inner component and a round, exponential, extended (rh = 49 pc) outer component. …
The Paucity Of Globular Clusters Around The Field Elliptical Ngc 7507,
2013
CCT La Plata-CONICET-UNLP
The Paucity Of Globular Clusters Around The Field Elliptical Ngc 7507, J. P. Caso, T. Richtler, L. P. Bassino, R. Salinas, R. R. Lane, Aaron J. Romanowsky
Faculty Publications
There is strong evidence that globular cluster systems (GCSs) of massive galaxies are largely assembled by infall/accretion processes. Therefore, we expect the GCSs of isolated elliptical galaxies to be poor. Alhough not completely isolated, NGC 7507 is a massive field elliptical galaxy with an apparently very low dark matter content. Aims: We determine the richness, the colour distribution, and the structural properties of the GCS of NGC 7507. Methods: We perform wide-field Washington photometry with data obtained with the MOSAIC II camera at the 4m-Blanco telescope, CTIO. Results: The GCS is very poor with S_N ~ 0.6. We identify three …
Angular Momentum And Galaxy Formation Revisited: Effects Of Variable Mass-To-Light Ratios,
2013
Space Telescope Science Institute
Angular Momentum And Galaxy Formation Revisited: Effects Of Variable Mass-To-Light Ratios, S. M. Fall, Aaron J. Romanowsky
Faculty Publications
We rederive the relation between the specific angular momentum j sstarf and the mass M sstarf of the stellar matter in galaxies of different morphological types. This is a revision of the j sstarf-M sstarf diagram presented in our recent comprehensive study of galactic angular momentum. In that work, we estimated j sstarf from kinematic and photometric data that extended to large radii and M sstarf from near-infrared luminosities LK with an assumed universal mass-to-light ratio M sstarf/LK . However, recent stellar population models show large variations in M sstarf/LK correlated with B – V color. In the present work, …
Book Review: Weird Worlds: Bizarre Bodies Of The Solar System And Beyond,
2013
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Book Review: Weird Worlds: Bizarre Bodies Of The Solar System And Beyond, T. D. Oswalt
Publications
This document is Dr. Oswalt’s review of Weird Worlds : Bizarre Bodies of the Solar System and Beyond by David A. J. Seargent. Springer, 2013 309p, 1461470633 $34.95, 9781461470632 $34.95.
Illuminating The Darkest Gamma-Ray Bursts With Radio Observations,
2013
Roger Williams University
Illuminating The Darkest Gamma-Ray Bursts With Radio Observations, B.A. Zauderer, E. Berger, R. Margutti, A.J. Levan, F. Olivares E., D.A. Perley, W. Fong, A. Horesh, Adria Updike, J. Greiner, N.R. Tanvir, T. Laskar, R. Chornock, A.M. Soderberg, K.M. Menten, E. Nakar, J. Carpenter, P. Chandra, A.J. Castro-Tirado, M. Bremer, J. Gorosabel, S. Guziy, D. P´Erez-Ram´Irez, J.M. Winters
Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Single Spin Asymmetry An In Polarized Proton–Proton Elastic Scattering At √S = 200 Gev,
2013
Old Dominion University
Single Spin Asymmetry An In Polarized Proton–Proton Elastic Scattering At √S = 200 Gev, L. Adamczyk, G. Agakishiev, M. M. Aggarwal, Z. Ahammed, A. V. Alakhverdyants, I. Alekseev, J. Alford, C. D. Anson, D. Arkhipkin, E. Aschenauer, S. Bültmann, I. Koralt, D. Plyku
Physics Faculty Publications
We report a high precision measurement of the transverse single spin asymmetry AN at the center of mass energy √s = 200 GeV in elastic proton–proton scattering by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The AN was measured in the four-momentum transfer squared t range 0.003 ⩽ | t | ⩽ 0.035 ( GeV / c ) 2 , the region of a significant interference between the electromagnetic and hadronic scattering amplitudes. The measured values of AN and its t-dependence are consistent with a vanishing hadronic spin-flip amplitude, thus providing strong constraints on the ratio of the …
The Lismullin Enclosure:A Designed Ritual Space,
2013
Technological University Dublin
The Lismullin Enclosure:A Designed Ritual Space, Frank Prendergast
Book/Book Chapter
The discovery in 2007 of a prehistoric post-built enclosure at Lismullin, Co. Meath, during archaeological investigations in advance of the construction of the M3 motorway is, arguably, the most significant Irish archaeological discovery of recent times. This appendix summarises a commissioned specialist report on the spatial and archaeoastronomical features of the enclosure.
Analysis Of Mathematical Descriptions Of Gravitational Microlensing,
2013
University of Northern Iowa
Analysis Of Mathematical Descriptions Of Gravitational Microlensing, Sarah Michelle Pearce
Honors Program Theses
This thesis will provide an analysis of some aspects of gravitational microlensing and the quantitative descriptions used to model the astrophysical systems involved. One aspect of the mathematical description of micro lensing events that is investigated in this thesis is the evolution of micro lensing equations from the formalism of general relativity. The derivation of these equations from those governing general relativity and the bending of light rays in geometric optics is explicitly determined. The relationship between the equations used to model events and the light curves produced is investigated. The effect of degeneracies in the mathematical equations used to …
The 72-H Webt Microvariability Observation Of Blazar S5 0716+714 In 2009,
2013
Florida International University
The 72-H Webt Microvariability Observation Of Blazar S5 0716+714 In 2009, G Bhatta, Stéphane Vennes
Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications
Context. The international Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) consortium planned and carried out three days of intensive micro-variability observations of S5 0716+714 from February 22, 2009 to February 25, 2009. This object was chosen due to its bright apparent magnitude range, its high declination, and its very large duty cycle for micro-variations. Aims. We report here on the long continuous optical micro-variability light curve of 0716+714 obtained during the multi-site observing campaign during which the Blazar showed almost constant variability over a 0.5 mag range. The resulting light curve is presented here for the first time. Observations from participating observatories …
Modeling The X-Ray Light Curves Of Cygnus X-3 Possible Role Of The Jet,
2013
University of Helsinki
Modeling The X-Ray Light Curves Of Cygnus X-3 Possible Role Of The Jet, Osmi Vilhu, Diana Carina Hannikainen
Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications
Context. We address the physics behind the soft X-ray light curve asymmetries in Cygnus X-3, a well-known microquasar. Aims. Observable eff ects of the jet close to the line-of-sight were investigated and interpreted within the frame of light curve physics. Methods. The path of a hypothetical imprint of the jet, advected by theWolf-Rayet-wind, was computed and its crossing with the line-of-sight during the binary orbit determined. We explored the possibility that physically this “imprint” is a formation of dense clumps triggered by jet bow shocks in the wind (“clumpy trail”). Models for X-ray continuum and emission line light curves were …
