Generalized Acoustic Energy Density And Its Applications,
2010
Brigham Young University - Provo
Generalized Acoustic Energy Density And Its Applications, Buye Xu
Theses and Dissertations
The properties of acoustic kinetic energy density and total energy density of sound fields in lightly damped enclosures have been explored thoroughly in the literature. Their increased spatial uniformity makes them more favorable measurement quantities for various applications than acoustic potential energy density (or squared pressure), which is most often used. In this dissertation, a new acoustic energy quantity, the generalized acoustic energy density (GED), will be introduced. It is defined by introducing weighting factors, α and 1 − α, in the formulation of total acoustic energy density. With the additional degree of freedom, the GED can conform to the …
Cosmic Microwave Background Constraints On Cosmological Models With Large-Scale Isotropy Breaking,
2010
University of Richmond
Cosmic Microwave Background Constraints On Cosmological Models With Large-Scale Isotropy Breaking, Haoxuan Zheng, Emory F. Bunn
Physics Faculty Publications
Several anomalies appear to be present in the large-angle cosmic microwave background anisotropy maps of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, including the alignment of large-scale multipoles. Models in which isotropy is spontaneously broken (e.g., by a scalar field) have been proposed as explanations for these anomalies, as have models in which a preferred direction is imposed during inflation. We examine models inspired by these, in which isotropy is broken by a multiplicative factor with dipole and/or quadrupole terms. We evaluate the evidence provided by the multipole alignment using a Bayesian framework, finding that the evidence in favor of the model …
The Trilinear Hamiltonian: A Zero-Dimensional Model Of Hawking Radiation From A Quantized Source,
2010
Dartmouth College
The Trilinear Hamiltonian: A Zero-Dimensional Model Of Hawking Radiation From A Quantized Source, Paul D. Nation, Miles P. Blencowe
Dartmouth Scholarship
We investigate a quantum parametric amplifier with dynamical pump mode, viewed as a zero-dimensional model of Hawking radiation from an evaporating black hole. We derive the conditions under which the spectrum of particles generated from vacuum fluctuations deviates from the thermal spectrum predicted for the conventional parametric amplifier. We find that significant deviations arise when the pump mode (black hole) has emitted nearly half of its initial energy into the signal (Hawking radiation) and idler (in-falling particle) modes. As a model of black hole dynamics, this finding lends support to the view that late-time Hawking radiation contains information about the …
Xmm-Newton Observations Of Hd 189733 During Planetary Transits,
2010
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Xmm-Newton Observations Of Hd 189733 During Planetary Transits, Ignazio Pillitteri, Scott J. Wolk, Ofer Cohen, Vinay Kashyap, Heather Knutson, Carey M. Lisse, Gregory W. Henry
Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications
We report on two XMM-Newton observations of the planetary host star HD 189733. The system has a close in planet and it can potentially affect the coronal structure via interactions with the magnetosphere. We have obtained X-ray spectra and light curves from EPIC and the Reflection Grating Spectrometer on board XMM-Newton which we have analyzed and interpreted. We reduced X-ray data from the primary transit and secondary eclipse that occurred on 2007 April 17 and 2009 May 18, respectively. In the 2007 April observation, only variability due to weak flares is recognized. In 2009 HD 189733 exhibited an X-ray flux …
Optical Discovery Of An Apparent Galactic Supernova Remnant G159.6+7.3,
2010
Dartmouth College
Optical Discovery Of An Apparent Galactic Supernova Remnant G159.6+7.3, Robert A. Fesen, Dan Milisavljevic
Dartmouth Scholarship
Deep Hα images of portions of a faint 3° × 4° Hα shell centered at l = 1596, b = 73 seen on the Virginia Tech Spectral Line Survey images revealed the presence of several thin emission filaments along its eastern limb. Low-dispersion optical spectra of two of these filaments covering the wavelength range of 4500-7500 Å show narrow Hα line emissions with velocities around –170 ± 30 km s–1. Both the morphology and spectra of these filaments are consistent with a Balmer-dominated shock interpretation and we propose that these optical filaments indicate that the large Hα emission …
Discovery Of Cyclic Spot Activity On The G8 Giant Hd 208472,
2010
Ege University
Discovery Of Cyclic Spot Activity On The G8 Giant Hd 208472, Orkun Özdarcan, Serdar Evren, Klaus G. Strassmeier, Thomas Granzer, Gregory W. Henry
Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications
We present and analyze 17 consecutive years of UBVRI time-series photometry of the spotted giant component of the RS CVn binary HD 208472. Our aim is to determine the morphology and the evolution of its starspots by using periodsearch techniques and two-spot light-curve modelling. Spots on HD208472 always occur on hemispheres facing the observer during orbital quadrature and flip their location to the opposite hemisphere every approximately six years. The times when the spots change their preferential hemisphere correspond to times when the light curve amplitudes are the smallest and when abrupt changes of the photometric periods are observed. During …
Local Group Dwarf Spheroidals: Correlated Deviations From The Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation,
2010
Case Western Reserve University
Local Group Dwarf Spheroidals: Correlated Deviations From The Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation, Stacy S. Mcgaugh
Faculty Scholarship
Local Group dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies are the faintest extragalactic stellar systems known. We examine recent data for these objects in the plane of the Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation (BTFR). While some dwarf spheroidals adhere to the BTFR, others deviate substantially. We examine the residuals from the BTFR and find that they are not random. The residuals correlate with luminosity, size, metallicity, ellipticity, and susceptibility of the dwarfs to tidal disruption in the sense that fainter, more elliptical, and tidally more susceptible dwarfs deviate farther from the BTFR. These correlations disfavor stochastic processes and suggest a role for tidal effects. We …
The Climate Of Hd 189733b From Fourteen Transits And Eclipses Measured By Spitzer,
2010
University of California, Santa Barbara
The Climate Of Hd 189733b From Fourteen Transits And Eclipses Measured By Spitzer, Eric Agol, Nicolas B. Cowan, Heather A. Knutson, Drake Deming, Jason H. Steffen, Gregory W. Henry, David Charbonneau
Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications
We present observations of six transits and six eclipses of the transiting planet system HD 189733 taken with the Spitzer Space Telescope's Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) at 8 μm, as well as a re-analysis of previously published data. We use several novel techniques in our data analysis, the most important of which is a new correction for the detector "ramp" variation with a double-exponential function, which performs better and is a better physical model for this detector variation. Our main scientific findings are (1) an upper limit on the variability of the dayside planet flux of 2.7% (68% confidence); (2) …
A Hot Jupiter Orbiting The 1.7 M☉ Subgiant Hd 102956*,
2010
California Institute of Technology
A Hot Jupiter Orbiting The 1.7 M☉ Subgiant Hd 102956*, John Asher Johnson, Brendan P. Bowler, Andrew W. Howard, Gregory W. Henry, Geoffrey W. Marcy, Howard Isaacson, John Michael Brewer, Debra A. Fischer, Timothy D. Morton, Justin R. Crepp
Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications
We report the detection of a giant planet in a 6.4950 day orbit around the 1.68 M☉ subgiant HD 102956. The planet has a semimajor axis a = 0.081 AU and a minimum mass MPsin i =0.96 MJup. HD 102956 is the most massive star known to harbor a hot Jupiter, and its planet is only the third known to orbit within 0.6 AU of a star more massive than 1.5 M☉. Based on our sample of 137 subgiants with M⋆>1.45 M☉, we find that 0.5%–2.3% of A-type stars harbor a close-in planet (a < 0.1 AU) with MPsin i > 1 MJup, consistent with hot-Jupiter …
The California Planet Survey. I. Four New Giant Exoplanets*,
2010
University of California - Berkeley
The California Planet Survey. I. Four New Giant Exoplanets*, Andrew W. Howard, John Asher Johnson, Geoffrey W. Marcy, Debra A. Fischer, Jason T. Wright, David Bernat, Gregory W. Henry, Kathryn M. G. Peek, Howard Isaacson, Kevin Apps, Michael Endl, William D. Cochran, Jeff A. Valenti, Jay Anderson, Nikolai E. Piskunov
Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications
We present precise Doppler measurements of four stars obtained during the past decade at Keck Observatory by the California Planet Survey (CPS). These stars, namely, HD 34445, HD 126614, HD 13931, and Gl 179, all show evidence for a single planet in Keplerian motion. We also present Doppler measurements from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) for two of the stars, HD 34445 and Gl 179, that confirm the Keck detections and significantly refine the orbital parameters. These planets add to the statistical properties of giant planets orbiting near or beyond the ice line, and merit follow-up by astrometry, imaging, and space-borne …
Veritas Search For Vhe Gamma-Ray Emission From Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies,
2010
Cork Institute of Technology
Veritas Search For Vhe Gamma-Ray Emission From Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies, P. T. Reynolds, Et. Al.
Physical Sciences Publications
Indirect dark matter searches with ground-based gamma-ray observatories provide an alternative for identifying the particle nature of dark matter that is complementary to that of direct search or accelerator production experiments. We present the results of observations of the dwarf spheroidal galaxies Draco, Ursa Minor, Boötes 1, and Willman 1 conducted by the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS). These galaxies are nearby dark matter dominated objects located at a typical distance of several tens of kiloparsecs for which there are good measurements of the dark matter density profile from stellar velocity measurements. Since the conventional astrophysical background …
Predictions For The Rates Of Compact Binary Coalescences Observable By Ground-Based Gravitational-Wave Detectors,
2010
California Institute of Technology
Predictions For The Rates Of Compact Binary Coalescences Observable By Ground-Based Gravitational-Wave Detectors, J. Abadie, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, M. Abernathy, T. Accadia, F. Acernese, C. Adams, R. Adhikari, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. Allen, E. Amador Ceron, R. S. Amin, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, F. Antonucci, S. Aoudia, M. A. Arain, M. Araya, M. Aronsson, K. G. Arun, Y. Aso, S. Aston, P. Astone, D. E. Atkinson, P. Aufmuth, C. Aulbert, S. Babak, P. Baker, G. Ballardin, S. Ballmer, Tiffany Z. Summerscales
Faculty Publications
We present an up-to-date, comprehensive summary of the rates for all types of compact binary coalescence sources detectable by the initial and advanced versions of the ground-based gravitational-wave detectors LIGO and Virgo. Astrophysical estimates for compact-binary coalescence rates depend on a number of assumptions and unknown model parameters and are still uncertain. Themost confident among these estimates are the rate predictions for coalescing binary neutron stars which are based on extrapolations from observed binary pulsars in our galaxy. These yield a likely coalescence rate of 100 Myr-1 per MilkyWay Equivalent Galaxy (MWEG), although the rate could plausibly range from 1 …
Biofunctionalization And Immobilization Of A Membrane Via Peptide Binding (Cr3-1, S2) By A Monte Carlo Simulation,
2010
University of Southern Mississippi
Biofunctionalization And Immobilization Of A Membrane Via Peptide Binding (Cr3-1, S2) By A Monte Carlo Simulation, Ras B. Pandey, Hendrik Heinz, Jie Feng, Barry L. Farmer
Faculty Publications
A coarse-grained computer simulation model is used to study the immobilization of a dynamic tethered membrane (representation of a clay platelet) in a matrix of mobile peptide chains CR3-1:(1)Trp-(2)Pro-(3)Ser-(4)Ser-(5)Tyr-(6)Leu-(7)Ser-(8)Pro-(9)Ile-(10)Pro-(11)Tyr-(12)Ser and S2:(1)His-(2)Gly-(3)Ile-(4)Asn-(5)Thr-(6)Thr-(7)Lys-(8)Pro-(9)Phe-(10)Lys-(11)Ser-(12)Val on a cubic lattice. Each residue interacts with the membrane nodes with appropriate interaction and executes their stochastic motion with the Metropolis algorithm. Density profiles, binding energy of each residue, mobility, and targeted structural profile are analyzed as a function of peptide concentration. We find that the binding of peptides S2 is anchored by lysine residues ((7)Lys,(10)Lys) while peptides CR3-1 do not bind to membrane. The membrane slows down …
A Portable Neutron Spectroscope (Nspect) For Detection, Imaging And Identification Of Nuclear Material,
2010
University of New Hampshire
A Portable Neutron Spectroscope (Nspect) For Detection, Imaging And Identification Of Nuclear Material, James M. Ryan, Chris Bancroft, Peter F. Bloser, U Bravar, Dominique Fourguette, Colin Frost, Liane Larocque, Mark L. Mcconnell, Jason S. Legere, Jane Pavlich, Greg Ritter, Greg Wassick, Joshua Wood, R S. Woolf
Space Science Center
We have developed, fabricated and tested a prototype imaging neutron spectrometer designed for real-time neutron source location and identification. Real-time detection and identification is important for locating materials. These materials, specifically uranium and transuranics, emit neutrons via spontaneous or induced fission. Unlike other forms of radiation (e.g. gamma rays), penetrating neutron emission is very uncommon. The instrument detects these neutrons, constructs images of the emission pattern, and reports the neutron spectrum. The device will be useful for security and proliferation deterrence, as well as for nuclear waste characterization and monitoring. The instrument is optimized for imaging and spectroscopy in the …
Quiescent X-Ray Emission From Cen X-4: A Variable Thermal Component,
2010
University of Michigan
Quiescent X-Ray Emission From Cen X-4: A Variable Thermal Component, Edward M. Cackett, Edward F. Brown, Jon M. Miller, Rudy Wijnands
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research Publications
The nearby neutron star low-mass X-ray binary, Cen X-4, has been in a quiescent state since its last outburst in 1979. Typically, quiescent emission from these objects consists of thermal emission (presumably from the neutron star surface) with an additional hard power-law tail of unknown nature. Variability has been observed during quiescence in Cen X-4 on both timescales as short as hundreds of seconds and as long as years. However, the nature of this variability is still unknown. Early observations seemed to show it was all due to a variable hard X-ray tail. Here, we present new and archival observations …
Relativistic Particle Acceleration In Tangled Magnetic Fields,
2010
Technological University Dublin
Relativistic Particle Acceleration In Tangled Magnetic Fields, Stephen O'Sullivan, Brian Reville, Andrew Taylor
Conference papers
We present simulations of the transport of fast particles through three-dimensional turbulent magnetic field configurations. A time dependency is imposed on the plane wave modes used in constructing these fields such than acceleration via the second-order Fermi process is possible. We consider simulations of models with low and high turbulence levels for non-relativistic waves. The predictions of quasi-linear theory are discussed with respect to the simulation data. We conclude that for pure stochastic acceleration via Alfvén waves to be plausible as the generator of UHECR in Cen A, the baryon number density would need to be several orders of magnitude …
Probing The Evolving Massive Star Population In Orion With Kinematic And Radioactive Tracers,
2010
Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse & Excellence Cluster Universe, Technische Universität München
Probing The Evolving Massive Star Population In Orion With Kinematic And Radioactive Tracers, R. Voss, R. Diehl, J. S. Vink, Dieter H. Hartmann
Publications
Context. Orion is the nearest star-forming region to host a significant number of young and massive stars. The energy injected by these OB stars is thought to have created the Eridanus superbubble. Because of its proximity, Orion is a prime target for a detailed investigation of the interaction between massive stars and their environment. Aims. We study the massive star population of Orion and its feedback in terms of energy and mass, in order to compare the current knowledge of massive stars with kinematic and radioactive tracers in the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM). Methods. We assembled a census of the …
Relativistic Lines And Reflection From The Inner Accretion Disks Around Neutron Stars,
2010
University of Michigan
Relativistic Lines And Reflection From The Inner Accretion Disks Around Neutron Stars, Edward M. Cackett, Jon M. Miller, David R. Ballantyne, Didier Barret, Sudip Bhattacharyya, Martin Boutelier, M. Coleman Miller, Tod E. Strohmayer, Rudy Wijnands
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research Publications
A number of neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) have recently been discovered to show broad, asymmetric Fe K emission lines in their X-ray spectra. These lines are generally thought to be the most prominent part of a reflection spectrum, originating in the inner part of the accretion disk where strong relativistic effects can broaden emission lines. We present a comprehensive, systematic analysis of Suzaku and XMM-Newton spectra of 10 neutron star LMXBs, all of which display broad Fe K emission lines. Of the 10 sources, 4 are Z sources, 4 are atolls, and 2 are accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars …
Compact Binaries In Star Clusters - I. Black Hole Binaries Inside Globular Clusters,
2010
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Compact Binaries In Star Clusters - I. Black Hole Binaries Inside Globular Clusters, J. M.B. Downing, M. J. Benacquista, M. Giersz, R. Spurzem
Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications
We study the compact binary population in star clusters, focusing on binaries containing black holes, using a self-consistent Monte Carlo treatment of dynamics and full stellar evolution. We find that the black holes experience strong mass segregation and become centrally concentrated. In the core the black holes interact strongly with each other and black hole-black hole binaries are formed very efficiently. The strong interactions, however, also destroy or eject the black hole-black hole binaries. We find no black hole-black hole mergers within our simulations but produce many hard escapers that will merge in the Galactic field within a Hubble time. …
The Sensitivity Of The Parkes Pulsar Timing Array To Individual Sources Of Gravitational Waves,
2010
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The Sensitivity Of The Parkes Pulsar Timing Array To Individual Sources Of Gravitational Waves, D. R.B. Yardley, G. B. Hobbs, Fredrick A. Jenet, J. P.W. Verbiest, Z. L. Wen, R. N. Manchester, W. A. Coles, W. Van Straten, M. Bailes
Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications
We present the sensitivity of the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array to gravitational waves (GWs) emitted by individual supermassive black hole binary systems in the early phases of coalescing at the cores of merged galaxies. Our analysis includes a detailed study of the effects of fitting a pulsar timing model to non-white timing residuals. Pulsar timing is sensitive at nanoHertz frequencies and hence complementary to Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory and Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. We place a sky-averaged constraint on the merger rate of nearby (z < 0.6) black hole binaries in the early phases of coalescence with a chirp mass of 1010 M⊙ of less than one merger every 7 yr. The prospects for future GW astronomy of this type with the proposed Square Kilometre Array telescope are discussed. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 RAS.
