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Real-Space Approach To Time Dependent Current Density Functional Theory, Daniel S. Jensen 2010 Brigham Young University - Provo

Real-Space Approach To Time Dependent Current Density Functional Theory, Daniel S. Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

A real-space time-domain calculation of the frequency-dependent dielectric constant of nonmetallic crystals is outlined and the integrals required for this calculation are computed. The outline is based on time dependent current density functional theory and is partially implemented in the ab initio density functional theory FIREBALL program. The addition of a vector potential to the Hamiltonian of the system is discussed as well as the need to include the current density in addition to the particle density. The derivation of gradient integrals within a localized atomic-like orbital basis is presented for use in constructing the current density. Due to the …


Oh Megamasers In Merging Galaxies: A Multi-Frequency Study Of Iizw096, Kirstin Marie Cooprider 2010 Brigham Young University - Provo

Oh Megamasers In Merging Galaxies: A Multi-Frequency Study Of Iizw096, Kirstin Marie Cooprider

Theses and Dissertations

OH Megamasers (OHMs) generally appear in luminous infrared regions i.e. merging galaxies. In this study we assume that OHMs may not be represented by their association with star formation solely, because of the possibility of a compact AGN source in the merging galaxies. In fact, previously classified starburst galaxies where OHMs are found are now optically observed as AGN. OHMs may also serve as a reasonable criterion for the evolutionary stage of the merger. This project focuses on observations from a multi-frequency analysis of merging regions with known OHMs. Optically, Hα and BVRI filters provided an environmental perspective of the …


In Search Of Empty Places: Voids In The Distribution Of Galaxies, Brian K. Bucklein 2010 Brigham Young University - Provo

In Search Of Empty Places: Voids In The Distribution Of Galaxies, Brian K. Bucklein

Theses and Dissertations

We investigate several techniques to identify voids in the galaxy distribution of matter in the universe. We utilize galaxy number counts as a function of apparent magnitude and Wolf plots to search a two- or three-dimensional data set in a pencil-beam fashion to locate voids within the field of view. The technique is able to distinguish between voids that represent simply a decrease in density as well as those that show a build up of galaxies on the front or back side of the void. This method turns out to be primarily useable only at relatively short range (out to …


Colours Of Bulges And Discs Within Galaxy Clusters And The Signature Of Disc Fading On Infall, Michael J. Hudson, Jeffrey B. Stevenson, Russell J. Smith, Gary A. Wegner 2010 University of Waterloo

Colours Of Bulges And Discs Within Galaxy Clusters And The Signature Of Disc Fading On Infall, Michael J. Hudson, Jeffrey B. Stevenson, Russell J. Smith, Gary A. Wegner

Dartmouth Scholarship

The origins of the bulge and disc components of galaxies are of primary importance to understanding galaxy formation. Here bulge–disc decomposition is performed simultaneously in B and R bands for 922 bright galaxies in eight nearby (z < 0.06) clusters with deep redshift coverage using photometry from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) Fundamental Plane Survey. The total galaxy colours follow a universal colour–magnitude relation (CMR). The discs of L* galaxies are 0.24 mag bluer in B−R than bulges. Bulges have a significant CMR slope while the CMR slope of discs is flat. Thus the slope of the CMR of the total light is driven primarily (60 per cent) by the bulge CMR, and to a lesser extent (40 per cent) by the change in the bulge‐to‐total ratio …


Evidence For The Supernova-Synthesized Dust From The Rising Afterglow Of Grb071025 At Z ∼ 5, Daniel A. Perley, J. S. Bloom, C. R. Klein, S. Covino, T. Minezaki, P. Wozniak, W. T. Vestrand, G. G. Williams, P. Milne, N R. Butler, A C. Updike, T Kruhler, P Afonso, A Antonelli, L Cowie, P Ferrero, J Greiner, Dieter H. Hartmann, Y Kakazu, A Küpcü Yoldaş, A N. Morgan, P A. Price, J X. Prochaska, Y Yoshii 2010 Department of Astronomy, University of California

Evidence For The Supernova-Synthesized Dust From The Rising Afterglow Of Grb071025 At Z ∼ 5, Daniel A. Perley, J. S. Bloom, C. R. Klein, S. Covino, T. Minezaki, P. Wozniak, W. T. Vestrand, G. G. Williams, P. Milne, N R. Butler, A C. Updike, T Kruhler, P Afonso, A Antonelli, L Cowie, P Ferrero, J Greiner, Dieter H. Hartmann, Y Kakazu, A Küpcü Yoldaş, A N. Morgan, P A. Price, J X. Prochaska, Y Yoshii

Publications

We present observations and analysis of the broad-band afterglow of Swift GRB 071025. Using optical and infrared (RIYJHK) photometry, we derive a photometric redshift of 4.4 < 5.2; at this redshift our simultaneous multicolour observations begin at ∼30 s after the gamma-ray burst trigger in the host frame, during the initial rising phase of the afterglow. We associate the light-curve peak at ∼580 s in the observer frame with the formation of the forward shock, giving an estimate of the initial Lorentz factor 0 ∼ 200. The red spectral energy distribution (even in regions not affected by the Lyman α break) provides secure evidence of a large dust column. However, the inferred extinction curve shows a prominent flat component between 2000 and 3000 Å in the rest frame, inconsistent with any locally observed template but well fitted by models of dust formed by supernovae. Time-dependent fits to the extinction profile reveal no evidence of dust destruction and limit the decrease in the extinction column to A3000 < 0.54 mag after t = 50 s in the rest frame. Together with studies of high-z quasars, our observations suggest a transition in dust properties in the early Universe, possibly associated with a transition between supernova-dominated and asymptotic giant branch-dominated modes of dust production.


Modeling Gas Distribution In Protoplanetary Accretion Disks, Martin Kronberg, Josiah Lewis, Sean D. Brittain 2010 University of Washington

Modeling Gas Distribution In Protoplanetary Accretion Disks, Martin Kronberg, Josiah Lewis, Sean D. Brittain

Publications

Protoplanetary accretion disks are disks of dust and gas which surround and feed material onto a forming star in the earliest stages of its evolution. One of the most useful methods for studying these disks is near infrared spectroscopy of rovibrational CO emission. This paper presents the methods in which synthetically generated spectra are modeled and fit to spectral data gathered from protoplanetary disks. This paper also discussed the methods in which this code can be improved by modifying the code to run a Monte Carlo analysis of best fit across the CONDOR cluster at Clemson University, thereby allowing for …


Probing Protoplanetary Disk Upper Atmospheres For Heating And Dust Settling Using Synthetic Co Spectra, Josiah Lewis, Martin Kronberg, Sean D. Brittain 2010 Covenant College

Probing Protoplanetary Disk Upper Atmospheres For Heating And Dust Settling Using Synthetic Co Spectra, Josiah Lewis, Martin Kronberg, Sean D. Brittain

Publications

CO emission is a useful probe of the warm gas distribution in the planet forming regions of disks around Herbig Ae/Be (HAeBe) stars. We model UV fluoresced and thermally excited CO in the circumstellar disks of several HAeBes. We find indications of dust settling in the upper atmospheres of HD 141569 and HD 97048 and a correlation between PAH luminosity and gas heating in these two systems.


Herschel-Pacs Observation Of The 10 Myr Old T Tauri Disk Tw Hya. Constraining The Disk Gas Mass, W F. Thi, G Mathews, F Menard, P Woitke, G Meeus, P Riviere-Marichalar, C Pinte, C D. Howard, A Roberge, G Sandell, I Pascucci, B Riaz, C A. Grady, W.R.F. Dent, I Kamp, G Duchene, J.-C. Augereau, E Pantin, B Vandenbussche, I Tilling, J P. Williams, C Eiroa, D Barrado, J M. Alacid, S Andrews, D R. Ardila, G Aresu, Sean D. Brittain, D R. Ciardi, W Danchi 2010 University of Edinburgh

Herschel-Pacs Observation Of The 10 Myr Old T Tauri Disk Tw Hya. Constraining The Disk Gas Mass, W F. Thi, G Mathews, F Menard, P Woitke, G Meeus, P Riviere-Marichalar, C Pinte, C D. Howard, A Roberge, G Sandell, I Pascucci, B Riaz, C A. Grady, W.R.F. Dent, I Kamp, G Duchene, J.-C. Augereau, E Pantin, B Vandenbussche, I Tilling, J P. Williams, C Eiroa, D Barrado, J M. Alacid, S Andrews, D R. Ardila, G Aresu, Sean D. Brittain, D R. Ciardi, W Danchi

Publications

Planets are formed in disks around young stars. With an age of ~10 Myr, TW Hya is one of the nearest T Tauri stars that is still surrounded by a relatively massive disk. In addition a large number of molecules has been found in the TW Hya disk, making TW Hya the perfect test case in a large survey of disks with Herschel–PACS to directly study their gaseous component. We aim to constrain the gas and dust mass of the circumstellar disk around TW Hya. We observed the fine-structure lines of [O i] and [C ii] as part of the …


Gas In The Protoplanetary Disc Of Hd 169142: Herschel's View, G Meeus, C Pinte, P Woitke, B Montesinos, I Mendigutia, P Riviere-Marichalar, C Eiroa, G S. Mathews, B Vandenbussche, C D. Howard, A Roberge, G Sandell, G Duchene, F Menard, C A. Grady, W.R.F. Dent, I Kamp, J C. Augereau, W F. Thi, I Tilling, J M. Alacid, S Andrews, D R. Ardila, G Aresu, D Barrado, Sean D. Brittain 2010 UAM Campus Cantoblanco

Gas In The Protoplanetary Disc Of Hd 169142: Herschel's View, G Meeus, C Pinte, P Woitke, B Montesinos, I Mendigutia, P Riviere-Marichalar, C Eiroa, G S. Mathews, B Vandenbussche, C D. Howard, A Roberge, G Sandell, G Duchene, F Menard, C A. Grady, W.R.F. Dent, I Kamp, J C. Augereau, W F. Thi, I Tilling, J M. Alacid, S Andrews, D R. Ardila, G Aresu, D Barrado, Sean D. Brittain

Publications

In an effort to simultaneously study the gas and dust components of the disc surrounding the young Herbig Ae star HD 169142, we present far-IR observations obtained with the PACS instrument onboard the Herschel Space Observatory. This work is part of the open time key program GASPS, which is aimed at studying the evolution of protoplanetary discs. To constrain the gas properties in the outer disc, we observed the star at several key gas-lines, including [OI] 63.2 and 145.5 mum, [CII] 157.7 mum, CO 72.8 and 90.2 mum, and o-H2O 78.7 and 179.5 mum. We only detect the [OI] 63.2 …


A Sea Change In Eta Carinae, Andrea Mehner, Kris Davidson, Roberta M. Humphreys, John C. Martin, Kazunori Ishibashi, Gary J. Ferland, Nolan R. Walborn 2010 University of Minnesota

A Sea Change In Eta Carinae, Andrea Mehner, Kris Davidson, Roberta M. Humphreys, John C. Martin, Kazunori Ishibashi, Gary J. Ferland, Nolan R. Walborn

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Major stellar-wind emission features in the spectrum of η Car have recently decreased by factors of order 2 relative to the continuum. This is unprecedented in the modern observational record. The simplest, but unproven, explanation is a rapid decrease in the wind density.


Herschel Photometry Of Brightest Cluster Galaxies In Cooling Flow Clusters, A. C. Edge, J. B. R. Oonk, R. Mittal, S. W. Allen, S. A. Baum, H. Böhringer, J. N. Bregman, M. N. Bremer, F. Combes, C. S. Crawford, M. Donahue, E. Egami, A. C. Fabian, Gary J. Ferland, S. L. Hamer, N. A. Hatch, W. Jaffe, R. M. Johnstone, B. R. McNamara, C. P. O'Dea, P. Popesso, A. C. Quillen, P. Salomé, C. L. Sarazin, G. M. Voit, R. J. Wilman, M. W. Wise 2010 Durham University, UK

Herschel Photometry Of Brightest Cluster Galaxies In Cooling Flow Clusters, A. C. Edge, J. B. R. Oonk, R. Mittal, S. W. Allen, S. A. Baum, H. Böhringer, J. N. Bregman, M. N. Bremer, F. Combes, C. S. Crawford, M. Donahue, E. Egami, A. C. Fabian, Gary J. Ferland, S. L. Hamer, N. A. Hatch, W. Jaffe, R. M. Johnstone, B. R. Mcnamara, C. P. O'Dea, P. Popesso, A. C. Quillen, P. Salomé, C. L. Sarazin, G. M. Voit, R. J. Wilman, M. W. Wise

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The dust destruction timescales in the cores of clusters of galaxies are relatively short given their high central gas densities. However, substantial mid-infrared and sub-mm emission has been detected in many brightest cluster galaxies. In this letter we present Herschel PACS and SPIRE photometry of the brightest cluster galaxy in three strong cooling flow clusters, A1068, A2597 and Zw3146. This photometry indicates that a substantial mass of cold dust is present (> 3×107 M⊙) at temperatures significantly lower (20–28 K) than previously thought based on limited MIR and/or sub-mm results. The mass and temperature of the dust appear …


Herschel Observations Of Fir Emission Lines In Brightest Cluster Galaxies, A. C. Edge, J. B. R. Oonk, R. Mittal, S. W. Allen, S. A. Baum, H. Böhringer, J. N. Bregman, M. N. Bremer, F. Combes, C. S. Crawford, M. Donahue, E. Egami, A. C. Fabian, Gary J. Ferland, S. L. Hamer, N. A. Hatch, W. Jaffe, R. M. Johnstone, B. R. McNamara, C. P. O'Dea, P. Popesso, A. C. Quillen, P. Salomé, C. L. Sarazin, G. M. Voit, R. J. Wilman, M. W. Wise 2010 Durham University, UK

Herschel Observations Of Fir Emission Lines In Brightest Cluster Galaxies, A. C. Edge, J. B. R. Oonk, R. Mittal, S. W. Allen, S. A. Baum, H. Böhringer, J. N. Bregman, M. N. Bremer, F. Combes, C. S. Crawford, M. Donahue, E. Egami, A. C. Fabian, Gary J. Ferland, S. L. Hamer, N. A. Hatch, W. Jaffe, R. M. Johnstone, B. R. Mcnamara, C. P. O'Dea, P. Popesso, A. C. Quillen, P. Salomé, C. L. Sarazin, G. M. Voit, R. J. Wilman, M. W. Wise

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The question of how much gas cools in the cores of clusters of galaxies has been the focus of many, multiwavelength studies in the past 30 years. In this letter we present the first detections of the strongest atomic cooling lines, [Cii], [Oi] and [Nii] in two strong cooling flow clusters, A1068 and A2597, using Herschel-PACS. These spectra indicate that the substantial mass of cold molecular gas (> 109 M⊙) known to be present in these systems is being irradiated by intense UV radiation, most probably from young stars. The line widths of these FIR lines …


Herschel Images Of Ngc 6720: H2 Formation On Dust Grain, P. A. M. van Hoof, G. C. Van de Steene, M. J. Barlow, K. M. Exter, B. Sibthorpe, T. Ueta, V. Peris, M. A. T. Groenewegen, J. A. D. L. Blommaert, M. Cohen, W. De Meester, Gary J. Ferland, W. K. Gear, H. L. Gomez, P. C. Hargrave, E. Huygen, R. J. Ivison, C. Jean, S. J. Leeks, T. L. Lim, G. Olofsson, E. T. Polehampton, S. Regibo, P. Royer, B. M. Swinyard, B. Vandenbussche, H. Van Winckel, C. Waelkens, H. J. Walker, R. Wesson 2010 Royal Observatory of Belgium, Belgium

Herschel Images Of Ngc 6720: H2 Formation On Dust Grain, P. A. M. Van Hoof, G. C. Van De Steene, M. J. Barlow, K. M. Exter, B. Sibthorpe, T. Ueta, V. Peris, M. A. T. Groenewegen, J. A. D. L. Blommaert, M. Cohen, W. De Meester, Gary J. Ferland, W. K. Gear, H. L. Gomez, P. C. Hargrave, E. Huygen, R. J. Ivison, C. Jean, S. J. Leeks, T. L. Lim, G. Olofsson, E. T. Polehampton, S. Regibo, P. Royer, B. M. Swinyard, B. Vandenbussche, H. Van Winckel, C. Waelkens, H. J. Walker, R. Wesson

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Herschel PACS and SPIRE images have been obtained of NGC 6720 (the Ring nebula). This is an evolved planetary nebula with a central star that is currently on the cooling track, due to which the outer parts of the nebula are recombining. From the PACS and SPIRE images we conclude that there is a striking resemblance between the dust distribution and the H2 emission, which appears to be observational evidence that H2 forms on grain surfaces. We have developed a photoionization model of the nebula with the Cloudy code which we used to determine the physical conditions of …


A Displaced Supermassive Black Hole In M87, Daniel P. Batcheldor, A. Robinson, D. J. Axon, Eric S. Perlman, D. Merritt 2010 Florida Institute of Technology

A Displaced Supermassive Black Hole In M87, Daniel P. Batcheldor, A. Robinson, D. J. Axon, Eric S. Perlman, D. Merritt

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

Isophotal analysis of M87, using data from the Advanced Camera for Surveys, reveals a projected displacement of 6.8 ± 0.8 pc (~0farcs1) between the nuclear point source (presumed to be the location of the supermassive black hole, SMBH) and the photo-center of the galaxy. The displacement is along a position angle of 307° ± 17° and is consistent with the jet axis. This suggests the active SMBH in M87 does not currently reside at the galaxy center of mass, but is displaced in the counter-jet direction. Possible explanations for the displacement include orbital motion of an SMBH binary, gravitational perturbations …


Apo B100 Similarities To Viral Proteins Suggest Basis For Ldl-Dna Binding And Transfection Capacity, Juan Guevara, Nagindra Prashad, Boris Ermolinsky, John W. Gaubatz, Dongcheul Kang, Andrea E. Schwarzbach, David S. Loose, Natalia Valentinova Guevara 2010 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Apo B100 Similarities To Viral Proteins Suggest Basis For Ldl-Dna Binding And Transfection Capacity, Juan Guevara, Nagindra Prashad, Boris Ermolinsky, John W. Gaubatz, Dongcheul Kang, Andrea E. Schwarzbach, David S. Loose, Natalia Valentinova Guevara

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

LDL mediates transfection with plasmid DNA in a variety of cell types in vitro and in several tissues in vivo in the rat. The transfection capacity of LDL is based on apo B100, as arginine/lysine clusters, suggestive of nucleic acid-binding domains and nuclear localization signal sequences, are present throughout the molecule. Apo E may also contribute to this capacity because of its similarity to the Dengue virus capsid proteins and its ability to bind DNA. Synthetic peptides representing two apo B100 regions with prominent Arg/Lys clusters were shown to bind DNA. Region 1 (0014Lys-Ser 0160) shares sequence motifs present in …


Testing Modified Newtonian Dynamics With Rotation Curves Of Dwarf And Low Surface Brightness Galaxies, Stacy S. McGaugh 2010 Case Western Reserve University

Testing Modified Newtonian Dynamics With Rotation Curves Of Dwarf And Low Surface Brightness Galaxies, Stacy S. Mcgaugh

Faculty Scholarship

Dwarf and low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies are ideal objects to test modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND), because in most of these galaxies the accelerations fall below the threshold where MOND supposedly applies. We have selected from the literature a sample of 27 dwarf and LSB galaxies. MOND is successful in explaining the general shape of the observed rotation curves for roughly three quarters of the galaxies in the sample presented here. However, for the remaining quarter, MOND does not adequately explain the observed rotation curves. Considering the uncertainties in distances and inclinations for the galaxies in our sample, a small …


Diode Properties Of Nanotube Networks, David D. Allred, Bryan Hicks, Stephanie Getty 2010 Brigham Young University

Diode Properties Of Nanotube Networks, David D. Allred, Bryan Hicks, Stephanie Getty

Faculty Publications

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) were prepared using iron catalysts deposited by indirect evaporation on silicon substrate covered with 500 nm-thick thermal oxide. Diode SWCNT devices have been fabricated using Au and Al, as the asymmetric metal contacts, and a random network of metallic and semiconducting nanotubes as the device channel. No effort was made to align the SWCNTs or to eliminate metallic nanotubes in our devices. Asymmetric voltage-current behavior was seen. Current rectification was observed in the source-drain bias range of -3 V to +3 V. Rectification was somewhat surprising since, although metallic tubes are in the minority (~ 1/3), …


Application Of Asymptotic Expansions For Maximum Likelihood Estimators Errors To Gravitational Waves From Binary Mergers: The Single Interferometer Case, M. Zanolin, S. Vitale, N. Makris 2010 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Application Of Asymptotic Expansions For Maximum Likelihood Estimators Errors To Gravitational Waves From Binary Mergers: The Single Interferometer Case, M. Zanolin, S. Vitale, N. Makris

Publications

In this paper we describe a new methodology to calculate analytically the error for a maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) for physical parameters from gravitational wave signals. All the existing literature focuses on the usage of the Cramer Rao Lower bounds (CRLB) as a mean to approximate the errors for large signal to noise ratios. We show here how the variance and the bias of an MLE estimate can be expressed instead in inverse powers of the signal to noise ratios where the first order in the variance expansion is the CRLB. As an application we compute the second order of …


Making A Big Bang: Understanding The Observable Universe, Shane L. Larson 2010 Utah State University

Making A Big Bang: Understanding The Observable Universe, Shane L. Larson

Public Talks

No abstract provided.


Black Holes: Myths, Legends And Truths, Shane L. Larson 2010 Utah State University

Black Holes: Myths, Legends And Truths, Shane L. Larson

Public Talks

No abstract provided.


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