Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons^™

Ultra-Sensitive High-Precision Spectroscopy Of A Fast Molecular Ion Beam, A. Mills, B. Stiller, M. Porambo, Manori Perera, H. Kreckel, B. Mccall

Scholarship

Direct spectroscopy of a fast molecular ion beam offers many advantages over competing techniques, including the generality of the approach to any molecular ion, the complete elimination of spectral confusion due to neutral molecules, and the mass identification of individual spectral lines. The major challenge is the intrinsic weakness of absorption or dispersion signals resulting from the relatively low number density of ions in the beam. Direct spectroscopy of an ion beam was pioneered by Saykally and co-workers in the late 1980s, but has not been attempted since that time. Here, we present the design and construction of an ion …

The Core Collapse Supernova Rate In The Sdss-Ii Supernova Survey, Matthew Frederick Taylor

Wayne State University Dissertations

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey II Supernova Survey (SDSS-II SN), though designed as a type Ia supernova search for cosmology, also discovered a large sample of core collapse supernovae (CCSN). I use the SDSS-II SN data to measure the volumetric CCSN rate in the redshift range (0.03 < z < 0.09), finding a volume-averaged rate of 0.98±0.18 ×10⊃−4⊃h⊂70⊂⊃3⊃yr⊃−1⊃Mpc⊃−3⊃. The CCSN luminosity function is also extracted from the data, and its implications on the cosmic star formation history are considered.

Two-Body Photodisintegration Of 3he Between 7 And 16 Mev, W. Tornow, H. J. Karwowski, J. H. Kelley, R. Raut, G. Rusev, S. C. Stave, A. P. Tonchev, A. Deltuva, A. C. Fonseca, L. E. Marcucci, R. Schiavilla

Physics Faculty Publications

A comprehensive data set is reported for the two-body photodisintegration cross section of ³He using mono-energetic photon beams at eleven energies between 7.0 and 16.0 MeV. A ³He + Xe high-pressure gas scintillator served as target and detector. Although our data are in much better agreement with our state-of-the-art theoretical calculations than the majority of the previous data, these calculations underpredict the new data by about 10%. This disagreement suggests an incomplete understanding of the dynamics of the three-nucleon system and its response to electromagnetic probes.

Using Observations Of Distant Quasars To Constrain Quantum Gravity, Eric S. Perlman, Yeejack Ng, David J.E. Floyd, Wayne A. Christiansen

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

Aims. The small-scale nature of spacetime can be tested with observations of distant quasars. We comment on a recent paper by Tamburini et al. (2011, A&A, 533, A71) which claims that Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of the most distant quasars place severe constraints on models of foamy spacetime. Methods. If space is foamy on the Planck scale, photons emitted from distant objects will accumulate uncertainties in distance and propagation directions thus affecting the expected angular size of a compact object as a function of redshift. We discuss the geometry of foamy spacetime, and the appropriate distance measure for calculating …

The Period And Amplitude Changes In The Coolest Gw Virginis Variable Star (Pg 1159-Type) Pg 0122+200, Gérard P. Vauclair, Jianning Fu, Jan Erik Solheim, Seunglee Kim, Noël Dolez, M Chevreton, Li Chen, Matt A. Wood, Isaac M. Silver, Zs Bognár, Margit Paparó, Alejandro H. Córsico

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

Context: The PG 1159 pre-white dwarf stars experiment a rapidly cooling phase with a time scale of a few 106 years. Theoretical models predict that the neutrinos produced in their core should play a dominant role in the cooling, mainly at the cool end of the PG 1159 sequence. Measuring the evolutionary time scale of the coolest PG 1159 stars could offer a unique opportunity to empirically constrain the neutrino emission rate. Aims. A subgroup of the PG 1159 stars are nonradial pulsators, the GW Vir type of variable stars. They exhibit g-mode pulsations with periods of a few hundred …

The Increasing Rotation Period Of Comet 10p/Tempel 2, Matthew M. Knight, Tony L. Farnham, David G. Schleicher, Edward W. Schwieterman

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

We imaged comet 10P/Tempel 2 on 32 nights from 1999 April through 2000 March. R-band light curves were obtained on 11 of these nights from 1999 April through 1999 June, prior to both the onset of significant coma activity and perihelion. Phasing of the data yields a double-peaked light curve and indicates a nucleus rotational period of 8.941 ± 0.002 hr with a peak-to-peak amplitude of ∼0.75 mag. Our data are sufficient to rule out all other possible double-peaked solutions as well as the single- and triple-peaked solutions. This rotation period agrees with one of five possible solutions found in …

Suppression Of Away-Side Jet Fragments With Respect To The Reaction Plane In Au + Au Collisions At √Snn=200 Gev, Andrew Marshall Adare, Gyöngyi Baksay, László A. Baksay, Szabolcs Rembeczki, Marcus Hohlmann

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

Pair correlations between large transverse momentum neutral pion triggers (pT=4 - 7 GeV/c) and charged hadron partners (pT=3 - 7 GeV/c) in central (0%-20%) and midcentral (20%-60%) Au+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV are presented as a function of trigger orientation with respect to the reaction plane. The particles are at larger momentum than where jet shape modifications have been observed, and the correlations are sensitive to the energy loss of partons traveling through hot dense matter. An out-of-plane trigger particle produces only 26±20% of the away-side pairs that are observed opposite of an in-plane trigger particle for midcentral (20%-60%) collisions. …

Suppression Of Away-Side Jet Fragments With Respect To The Reaction Plane In Au + Au Collisions At √Snn=200 Gev, Andrew Marshall Adare, Gyöngyi Baksay, László A. Baksay, Szabolcs Rembeczki, Marcus Hohlmann, Phenix Collaboration

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

Pair correlations between large transverse momentum neutral pion triggers (pT=4 - 7 GeV/c) and charged hadron partners (pT=3 - 7 GeV/c) in central (0%-20%) and midcentral (20%-60%) Au+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV are presented as a function of trigger orientation with respect to the reaction plane. The particles are at larger momentum than where jet shape modifications have been observed, and the correlations are sensitive to the energy loss of partons traveling through hot dense matter. An out-of-plane trigger particle produces only 26±20% of the away-side pairs that are observed opposite of an in-plane trigger particle for midcentral (20%-60%) collisions. …

Physical Conditions In A Galactic Star Forming Region W22, Akshaya Rane

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

This document describes study of an active star forming region in our galaxy (the Milky Way) known as W22. Physical conditions in these regions can help us in understanding star formation processes in the universe and hence the structure and evolution of the universe. Zeeman effect measurements in 18 cm OH absorption line were carried out in order to estimate the line of sight magnetic field strength in the molecular cloud associated with this star forming region. Other physical parameters such as hydrogen column density, optical depth, critical magnetic field were also determined from these measurements. The region was mapped …

Teaching Introductory Undergraduate Physics Using Commercial Video Games, Soumya Mohanty, Sergio Cantu

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Commercial video games are increasingly using sophisticated physics simulations to create a more immersive experience for players. This also makes them a powerful tool for engaging students in learning physics. We provide some examples to show how commercial off-the-shelf games can be used to teach specific topics in introductory undergraduate physics. The examples are selected from a course taught predominantly through the medium of commercial video games.

The Effects Of Seductive Details In An Inflatable Planetarium, Sean Gillette

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Astronomy is becoming a forgotten science, which is evident by its relatively low enrollment figures compared to biology, chemistry, and physics. A portable inflatable planetarium brings relevance back to astronomy and offers support to students and educators by simulating realistic astronomical environments. This study sought to determine if learning is improved in an inflatable planetarium by adhering to the design principles of the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML), specifically the coherence principle, in an authentic classroom. Two groups of 5th grade students of similar ability were purposefully assigned using a 1-teacher-to-many-students format with mean lesson lengths of 34 minutes. …

A Gravitational Wave Observatory Operating Beyond The Quantum Shot-Noise Limit, J. Abadie, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. Abernathy, C. Adams, R. Adhikari, C. Affeldt, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. S. Allen, E. Amador Ceron, D. Amariutei, R. S. Amin, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, K. Arai, M. A. Arain, M. C. Araya, S. M. Aston, D. Atkinson, P. Aufmuth, C. Aulbert, B. E. Aylott, S. Babak, P. Baker, S. Ballmer, D. Barker, B. Barr, P. Barriga, L. Barsotti, Tiffany Z. Summerscales

Faculty Publications

© 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. Around the globe several observatories are seeking the first direct detection of gravitational waves (GWs). These waves are predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity and are generated, for example, by black-hole binary systems. Present GW detectors are Michelson-type kilometre-scale laser interferometers measuring the distance changes between mirrors suspended in vacuum. The sensitivity of these detectors at frequencies above several hundred hertz is limited by the vacuum (zero-point) fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. A quantum technology - the injection of squeezed light - offers a solution to this problem. Here we demonstrate …

Next-To-Next-To-Leading Soft-Gluon Corrections For The Top Quark Cross Section And Transverse Momentum Distribution, Nikolaos Kidonakis

Faculty Articles

I present results for top quark production in hadronic collisions at LHC and Tevatron energies. The soft-gluon corrections to the differential cross section are resummed at next-to-next-to-leading-logarithm accuracy via the two-loop soft anomalous dimension matrices. Approximate next-to-next-to-leading-order differential and total cross sections are calculated. Detailed theoretical predictions are shown for the t (t) over bar cross section and the top quark p(T) distribution at the Tevatron and the LHC.

Cosmic Voices: Searching For Signs Of Life Elsewhere In The Universe, Shane L. Larson

Public Talks

No abstract provided.

D-Dimensional Bose Gases And The Lambert W Function, Sree Ram Valluri, J Tanguay, M Gil, D J. Jeffrey

Physics and Astronomy Publications

The applications of the Lambert W function (also known as the W function) to D-dimensional Bose gases are presented. We introduce two sets of families of logarithmic transcendental equations that occur frequently in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics and present their solution in terms of the W function. The low temperature T behavior of free ideal Bose gases is considered in three and four dimensions. It is shown that near condensation in four dimensions, the chemical potential μ and pressure P can be expressed in terms of T through the W function. The low T behavior of one- and two-dimensional ideal …

Pitch Angle Scattering In The Outer Heliosheath And Formation Of The Interstellar Boundary Explorer Ribbon, Konstantin V. Gamayunov, Ming Zhang, Hamid K. Rassoul

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

The dominant and unexpected feature in the first Interstellar Boundary EXplorer (IBEX) maps is a ribbon of the enhanced energetic neutral atom (ENA) emissions. Presenting the first results from IBEX,McComas et al. identified six possible mechanisms of ribbon formation. One of the mechanisms, the so-called secondary ENA mechanism, was already quantitatively elaborated by Heerikhuisen et al., and they successfully reproduced the main features of the ribbon. We further study the "secondary ENA" mechanism by quantifying a previously omitted stage of the proton evolution between two consecutive acts of the charge-exchange in the outer heliosheath (OHS). The main findings can be …

The Kepler Light Curve Of V344 Lyrae: Constraining The Thermal-Viscous Limit Cycle Instability, John K. Cannizzo, Martin D. Still, Steve B. Howell, Matt A. Wood, Alan P. Smale

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

We present time-dependent modeling based on the accretion disk limit cycle model for a 270 d light curve of the short-period SU UMa-type dwarf nova V344 Lyr taken by Kepler. The unprecedented precision and cadence (1 minute) far surpass that generally available for long-term light curves. The data encompass two superoutbursts and 17 normal (i.e., short) outbursts. The main decay of the superoutbursts is nearly perfectly exponential, decaying at a rate ~12 d mag−1, while the much more rapid decays of the normal outbursts exhibit a faster-than-exponential shape. Our modeling using the basic accretion disk limit cycle can produce the …

Pitch Aangle Scattering In The Outer Heliosheath And Formation Of The Interstellar Boundary Explorer Ribbon, Konstantin V. Gamayunov, Ming Zhang, Hamid K. Rassoul

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

The dominant and unexpected feature in the first Interstellar Boundary EXplorer (IBEX) maps is a ribbon of the enhanced energetic neutral atom (ENA) emissions. Presenting the first results from IBEX,McComas et al. identified six possible mechanisms of ribbon formation. One of the mechanisms, the so-called secondary ENA mechanism, was already quantitatively elaborated by Heerikhuisen et al., and they successfully reproduced the main features of the ribbon. We further study the "secondary ENA" mechanism by quantifying a previously omitted stage of the proton evolution between two consecutive acts of the charge-exchange in the outer heliosheath (OHS). The main findings can be …

The Nasa-Uc Eta-Earth Program. Ii. A Planet Orbiting Hd 156668 With A Minimum Mass Of Four Earth Masses*, Andrew W. Howard, John Asher Johnson, Geoffrey W. Marcy, Debra A. Fischer, Jason T. Wright, Gregory W. Henry, Howard Isaacson, Jeff A. Valenti, Jay Anderson, Nikolai Piskunov

Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications

We report the discovery of HD 156668 b, an extrasolar planet with a minimum mass of MPsin i = 4.15 M⊕. This planet was discovered through Keplerian modeling of precise radial velocities from Keck-HIRES and is the second super-Earth to emerge from the NASA-UC Eta-Earth Survey. The best-fit orbit is consistent with circular and has a period of P = 4.6455 days. The Doppler semi-amplitude of this planet, K = 1.89 m s−1, is among the lowest ever detected, on par with the detection of GJ 581 e using HARPS. A longer period (P ≈ 2.3 years), low-amplitude signal of …

Transit Spectrophotometry Of The Exoplanet Hd 189733b Ii. New Spitzer Observations At 3.6 Μm, Jean-Michel Désert, David K. Sing, Alfred Vidal-Madjar, Guillaume Hébrard, David Ehrenreich, Alain Lecavelier Des Etangs, Vivien Parmentier, Roger Ferlet, Gregory W. Henry

Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications

Context. We present a new primary transit observation of the hot-jupiter HD 189733b, obtained at 3.6 μm with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. Previous measurements at 3.6 microns suffered from strong systematics, and conclusions could hardly be obtained with confidence on the water detection by comparison of the 3.6 and 5.8 microns observations.

Aims. We aim at constraining the atmospheric structure and composition of the planet and improving previously derived parameters.

Methods. We use a high-S/NSpitzer photometric transit light curve to improve the precision of the near infrared radius of …