Optimizing Convolutional Neural Networks For Transient Detection In Optical Astronomy With Augmented Datasets,
2023
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Optimizing Convolutional Neural Networks For Transient Detection In Optical Astronomy With Augmented Datasets, Wendy Mendoza
Theses and Dissertations
We present a technique for optical transient detection using artificial neural networks, particularly a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), a deep learning algorithm. This method analyzes images of the same area of the sky captured by several telescopes, with one image serving as a reference for a probable transient’s epoch and the other as an image from a previous epoch. We train the CNN on simulated sources and test it on actual image data samples using data from the Dr. Cristina V. Torres Memorial Astronomical Observatory and Sloan Digital Sky Survey. This autonomous detection method replaces the standard procedure, which involves …
Near-Ir Spectroscopic Analysis Of The Primary Volatile Composition Of Long And Short-Period Comets,
2023
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Near-Ir Spectroscopic Analysis Of The Primary Volatile Composition Of Long And Short-Period Comets, Younas Khan
Dissertations
Comets are among the most well-preserved objects that formed in the protosolar nebula ∼4.5 Gyr ago. Hence, they are important for understanding various aspects of the formation, evolution, and habitability of the solar system. Multiple primary volatiles (molecules directly sublimating into the coma from the nucleus) emit via rovibrational transitions in the near-IR, providing opportunities to calculate their abundances. To date, only ∼50 comets have been characterized for their primary volatiles, with the short-period Jupiter-family comets (JFCs) being significantly underrepresented. In contrast, hundreds of comets have been sampled at optical/UV wavelengths, primarily for the composition of daughter species, leading to …
Observation Of Robust Zero Energy Extended States,
2023
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Observation Of Robust Zero Energy Extended States, Jannatul Ferdous, Cem Yuce, Andrea Alu, Hamidreza Ramezani
Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications
Topological edge states arise at the interface of two topologically distinct structures and have two distinct features: they are localized and robust against symmetry protecting disorder. On the other hand, conventional transport in one dimension is associated with extended states, which typically do not have topological robustness. In this letter, using lossy coupled resonators in one dimension, we demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally the existence of robust states residing in the bulk. We show that they are unusually robust against disorders in coupling between adjacent sites and losses. Our work paves the way to a different form of robust transport …
Dyonic Taub-Nut-Ads Space Phase Structure,
2023
American University in Cairo
Dyonic Taub-Nut-Ads Space Phase Structure, Mohamed Tharwat
Theses and Dissertations
The Taub-NUT spacetime remains to hold many mysteries more than half a century after its discovery. The metric's controversy owes largely to the nut charge and the existence of Misner strings. Traditionally the metric is treated in the euclidean signature, this treatment hides the Misner strings. We treat the Taub-NUT spacetime with the Misner strings visible, not enforcing the time periodicity condition. We examine the phase structure belonging to three different horizon geometries. We deal with the hyperbolic, flat and spherical cases. We consider the stable phases, the phase transitions that exist between them, and find the preferable phases in …
Extreme Horizontal Wind Perturbations In The Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere Over South America Associated With The 2022 Hunga Eruption,
2023
Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Rostock
Extreme Horizontal Wind Perturbations In The Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere Over South America Associated With The 2022 Hunga Eruption, Facundo L. Poblet, Jorge L. Chau, J. Federico Conte, Juha Vierinen, Jose Suclupe, Alan Liu, Rodolfo R. Rodriguez
Publications
On 15 January 2022, the Hunga volcano produced a massive explosion that generated perturbations in the entire atmosphere. Nonetheless, signatures in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) have been challenging to identify. We report MLT horizontal wind perturbations using three multistatic specular meteor radars on the west side of South America (spanning more than 3,000 km). The most notorious signal is an exceptional solitary wave with a large vertical wavelength observed around 18 UT at all three sites, with an amplitude of ∼50 m/s mainly in the westward direction. Using a customized analysis, the wave is characterized as traveling at …
Bayesian Inference For The White Dwarf Initial-Final Mass Relation,
2023
Harvard University
Bayesian Inference For The White Dwarf Initial-Final Mass Relation, Nathan Stein, Ted Von Hippel, David Van Dyk, Steven Degennaro, Elizabeth Jeffery, Bill Jefferys
Publications
Stars lose mass as they age, and understanding mass loss is important for understanding stellar evolution. The initial-final mass relation (IFMR) is the relationship between a white dwarf’s initial mass on the main sequence and its final mass. We have developed a new method for fitting the IFMR based on a Bayesian analysis of photometric observations, combining deterministic models of stellar evolution in an internally coherent way. No mass data are used. Our method yields precise inferences (with uncertainties) for a parameterized linear IFMR. Our method can also return posterior distributions of white dwarf initial and final masses.
Databases And Inter-Connectivity In Ground-Based Astronomy,
2023
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Databases And Inter-Connectivity In Ground-Based Astronomy, Ted Von Hippel, C. M. Mountain
Publications
Optical and infrared ground-based astronomy is undergoing a renaissance. Advances in material technology, system modeling, and the ability to correct atmospheric distortions in real time have produced a new generation of powerful, large telescopes. An equally profound revolution stems from the availability of large observational databases that span the electromagnetic spectrum. The increased use of such databases as well as the need to operate the new telescopes efficiently requires the development of a National or International Virtual Observatory to set standards for astronomical database formats, data quality assurance, and access protocols, and also to provide all-inclusive centers for data products.
Cosmological Vector Fields And Constraining The Neutrino Masses,
2023
Dartmouth College
Cosmological Vector Fields And Constraining The Neutrino Masses, Avery J. Tishue
Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations
In this thesis I explore two main topics: the role and consequences of cosmological vector fields, and new ideas for constraining fundamental physics with state-of-the-art experiments. These topics are disparate in content and technique but unified in their attempt to leverage novel approaches to better understand longstanding questions in cosmology. These questions, such as ``What is causing the universe to accelerate today?'' and ``What are the neutrino masses?'', underpin the modern cosmological paradigm. They play a key role in our understanding of cosmic history, the formation of structure, and the fate of our universe. Answers to or hints about these …
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama): Comparing Visually And Spectroscopically Identified Galaxy Merger Samples,
2023
University of Louisville
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama): Comparing Visually And Spectroscopically Identified Galaxy Merger Samples, Alice Desmons, Sarah Brough, Cristina Martínez-Lombilla, Roberto De Propris, Benne Holwerda, Ángel R. López-Sánchez
Faculty and Staff Scholarship
We conduct a comparison of the merging galaxy populations detected by a sample of visual identification of tidal features around galaxies as well as spectroscopically detected close pairs of galaxies to determine whether our method of selecting merging galaxies biases our understanding of galaxy interactions. Our volume-limited parent sample consists of 852 galaxies from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey in the redshift range 0.04 ≤ z ≤ 0.20 and stellar mass range 9.50 ≤ log 10(M⋆/M⊙)≤ 11.0" role="presentation" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: normal; font-family: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; …
Constraints On The Cosmic Expansion History From Gwtc–3,
2023
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Constraints On The Cosmic Expansion History From Gwtc–3, R. Abbott, H. Abe, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, N. Adhikari, Michael G. Benjamin, Teviet Creighton, Mario C. Diaz, Francisco Llamas, Soma Mukherjee, Gaukhar Nurbek, Volker Quetschke, Wenhui Wang
Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications
We use 47 gravitational wave sources from the Third LIGO–Virgo–Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector Gravitational Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC–3) to estimate the Hubble parameter H(z), including its current value, the Hubble constant H0. Each gravitational wave (GW) signal provides the luminosity distance to the source, and we estimate the corresponding redshift using two methods: the redshifted masses and a galaxy catalog. Using the binary black hole (BBH) redshifted masses, we simultaneously infer the source mass distribution and H(z). The source mass distribution displays a peak around 34 M⊙, followed by a drop-off. Assuming …
Development Of A Particle-In-Cell/Monte Carlo Simulation For Weakly Ionized Plasmas,
2023
Macalester College
Development Of A Particle-In-Cell/Monte Carlo Simulation For Weakly Ionized Plasmas, Xiaochuan (Chloe) Zheng, James Doyle
Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy
A plasma is a gaseous system that contains large numbers of electrons and ions that are subject to forces produced by electric and magnetic fields. Weakly ionized plasmas, where the plasma density is much lower than the background gas density, are common in laboratory, atmospheric, and astrophysical situations. Theoretical calculations of plasma properties are challenging due to the complexity of the differential equations used to characterize fundamental physics. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations bypass the mathematical difficulties associated with analytic models, at the expense of more complex and time-consuming computer calculations. In this work we developed a one dimensional PIC simulation of …
Tools For Refining The Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation,
2023
Macalester College
Tools For Refining The Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation, Ezra D. Wolf
Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy
This paper discusses the development of tools for galactic photometry using wise, and for reduction and analysis of 21cm galaxy spectra. These Python-based tools can then be applied to selected data in order to refine the Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation. This relation, between baryonic mass and rotational velocity of a galaxy, proves useful for extragalactic research, particularly in calculating redshift-independent distances. While these tools could be further improved, they provide a robust process for calculation of particular galaxy characteristics.
Hydrosphere: Modeling The Planetary Structure Of Ocean Planets And Icy Moons,
2023
Macalester College
Hydrosphere: Modeling The Planetary Structure Of Ocean Planets And Icy Moons, Karlee R. Taylor
Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy
In recent years, “water worlds” have become increasingly of interest to astrobiologists due to their high potential for habitability, as the large amount water on their surfaces is not only necessary for life, but also promises long-term climatic stability. However, also necessary for life is the exchange of chemical compounds between the geosphere and the hydrosphere - something which may be ob- structed by the presence of high pressure ices on these ocean planets and icy moons. In order to explore the habitability of bodies with various surface temperatures, water masses, and core radii, this project develops a model of …
From Experiment To Theory: Investigate The Effect Of Pump Beam Size On Photovoltaic Material Behavior,
2023
Macalester College
From Experiment To Theory: Investigate The Effect Of Pump Beam Size On Photovoltaic Material Behavior, Dengyu Tu
Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy
In orde to investigate the effect of the pump beam size on an ultrafast conductivity measurement experiment, an experiment using Femto XL-500 laser and a simulation using Mathematica were performed. From the experiment data, we found that as the size of the pump beam decreases beyond certain limit, the Drude model can not accurately predict the relationship between conductivity and frequency. In addition, the simulation results corroborate with the experiment result that there is a limit for the size of the pump beam.
Machine Learning Refinements To Metallicity-Dependent Isotopic Abundances,
2023
Macalester College
Machine Learning Refinements To Metallicity-Dependent Isotopic Abundances, Haoxuan Sun
Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy
The project aims to use machine learning algorithms to fit the free parameters of an isotopic scaling model to elemental observations. The processes considered are massive star nucleosynthesis, Type Ia SNe, the s-process, the r-process, and p-isotope production. The analysis on the successful fits seeks to minimize the reduced chi squared between the model and the data. Based upon the successful refinement of the isotopic parameterized scaling model, a table providing the 287 stable isotopic abundances as a function of metallicity, separated into astrophysical processes, is useful for identifying the chemical history of them. The table provides a complete averaged …
Machine Learning Applications For Materials Science: Predicting Properties Of Two-Dimensional Magnetic Materials,
2023
Macalester College
Machine Learning Applications For Materials Science: Predicting Properties Of Two-Dimensional Magnetic Materials, Paige Stevenson
Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy
We trained successful neural networks to predict the formation energy and magnetic moment of 2-dimensional ferromagnetic materials of similar structure to Cr2Ge2Te6. We collect elemental data on materials with known and unknown properties from easily accessible sources to screen for viable materials for use in future research. Random forest regressors were used to identify the most important predictors of our target qualities, which perform better on predictions of formation energy than magnetic moment. We predict the properties of 1225 materials that are candidates for further research in two-dimensional magnetism and identify several potential sources of error in our models that …
Fabricating Perovskite Solar Cells: Fabrication Guide For Limited Lab Capabilities,
2023
Macalester College
Fabricating Perovskite Solar Cells: Fabrication Guide For Limited Lab Capabilities, Erin F. S. Leary
Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy
Within the realm of emerging photovoltaics, Perovskite cells are one of the most intriguing technologies. Within a little over a decade, Perovskite solar cells have rivaled the efficiencies of traditional silicon solar cells and strongly outpaced other emerging photovoltaic technologies. This paper aims to show a fabrication guide for creating Perovskite solar cells in a limited lab setting. The fabrication guide created structures with strong physical reliability, but limited electrical reliability. More research is needed to ensure greater reliability and proper electrical function.
Solar Radio Bursts —Deployable Low-Band Ionosphere And Transients Experiment (Dlite) Arrays,
2023
Macalester College
Solar Radio Bursts —Deployable Low-Band Ionosphere And Transients Experiment (Dlite) Arrays, Jonathan M. Kazor, Jason Kooi
Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy
Solar radio bursts, phenomenon that often accompany CME, solar flares and other solar events, can be detected on earth and used in the prediction of solar weather that affects earth systems in several ways. As part of the NREIP Program supporting the Naval Research Laboratory, Remote Sensing Division, approximately ten interns participated in the analysis of data collected by DLITE and WAVES radio data. Data from DLITE is often used as a complement to data from WAVES due to differences in frequency range and resolution. The analysis helps to correlate the DLITE data with the data collected from other sources. …
Mapping The Tesseral Field Of Saturn,
2023
Macalester College
Mapping The Tesseral Field Of Saturn, Aurora Hiveley
Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy
Saturn's rotation rate is still uncertain, and while it is theorized to exhibit differential rotation much like Jupiter, this claim is somewhat disputed. By analyzing the properties of waves in the ring system of Saturn as measured by the Cassini spacecraft, we aim to provide observational evidence of this phenomenon. The results of wave analysis allow us to characterize the perturbers responsible for the production of these waves, which are believed to be mass anomalies in the interior of Saturn itself. By calculating the masses of these anomalies and attempting to pinpoint their locations inside of the planet, we provide …
Trinification With A Bi-Adjoint Higgs Field,
2023
Macalester College
Trinification With A Bi-Adjoint Higgs Field, Ross Ferguson
Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy
In this paper, we propose a novel extension of the Standard Model of particle physics, based on the trinification gauge group $SU(3)_C \times SU(3)_L \times SU(3)_R$. Symmetry breaking is achieved using a bi-adjoint Higgs field (transforming under the left- and right-handed subgroups) along with a more conventional bi-triplet to ensure the correct breaking and pattern of fermion masses. To preserve a discrete $Z_2$ symmetry (T-parity), we also introduce a right-handed triplet to completely break trinification symmetry to the Standard Model. The minimization conditions and conditions for the boundedness of the potential for this model are calculated. Additionally, the Standard Model …
