R Coronae Borealis during the 1983-1984 brightness minimum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goncharova, R.I.

1985-01-01

The light curves and U-B, B-V, V-R colour - indexes curves of R CrB from July 1983 to September 1984, are presented. The correlation between deep light fadings and pulsations is considered. Variations of colour-indexes during pulsations in the optical bands at the rising branch of the light curve are discussed

A GLOBAL MODEL OF THE LIGHT CURVES AND EXPANSION VELOCITIES OF TYPE II-PLATEAU SUPERNOVAE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pejcha, Ondřej [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 4 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Prieto, Jose L., E-mail: pejcha@astro.princeton.edu [Núcleo de Astronomía de la Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Diego Portales, Av. Ejército 441 Santiago (Chile)

2015-02-01

We present a new self-consistent and versatile method that derives photospheric radius and temperature variations of Type II-Plateau supernovae based on their expansion velocities and photometric measurements. We apply the method to a sample of 26 well-observed, nearby supernovae with published light curves and velocities. We simultaneously fit ∼230 velocity and ∼6800 mag measurements distributed over 21 photometric passbands spanning wavelengths from 0.19 to 2.2 μm. The light-curve differences among the Type II-Plateau supernovae are well modeled by assuming different rates of photospheric radius expansion, which we explain as different density profiles of the ejecta, and we argue that steeper density profiles result in flatter plateaus, if everything else remains unchanged. The steep luminosity decline of Type II-Linear supernovae is due to fast evolution of the photospheric temperature, which we verify with a successful fit of SN 1980K. Eliminating the need for theoretical supernova atmosphere models, we obtain self-consistent relative distances, reddenings, and nickel masses fully accounting for all internal model uncertainties and covariances. We use our global fit to estimate the time evolution of any missing band tailored specifically for each supernova, and we construct spectral energy distributions and bolometric light curves. We produce bolometric corrections for all filter combinations in our sample. We compare our model to the theoretical dilution factors and find good agreement for the B and V filters. Our results differ from the theory when the I, J, H, or K bands are included. We investigate the reddening law toward our supernovae and find reasonable agreement with standard R{sub V}∼3.1 reddening law in UBVRI bands. Results for other bands are inconclusive. We make our fitting code publicly available.

The Infrared Light Curve of SN 2011fe in M101 and the Distance to M101

OpenAIRE

Matheson, T.; Joyce, R. R.; Allen, L. E.; Saha, A.; Silva, D. R.; Wood-Vasey, W. M.; Adams, J. J.; Anderson, R. E.; Beck, T. L.; Bentz, M. C.; Bershady, M. A.; Binkert, W. S.; Butler, K.; Camarata, M. A.; Eigenbrot, A.

2012-01-01

We present near infra-red light curves of supernova (SN) 2011fe in M101, including 34 epochs in H band starting fourteen days before maximum brightness in the B-band. The light curve data were obtained with the WIYN High-Resolution Infrared Camera (WHIRC). When the data are calibrated using templates of other Type Ia SNe, we derive an apparent H-band magnitude at the epoch of B-band maximum of 10.85 \\pm 0.04. This implies a distance modulus for M101 that ranges from 28.86 to 29.17 mag, depend...

Application of Geodetic VLBI Data to Obtaining Long-Term Light Curves for Astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Kijima, Masachika

2010-01-01

The long-term light curve is important to research on binary black holes and disk instability in AGNs. The light curves have been drawn mainly using single dish data provided by the University of Michigan Radio Observatory and the Metsahovi Radio Observatory. Hence, thus far, we have to research on limited sources. I attempt to draw light curves using VLBI data for those sources that have not been monitored by any observatories with single dish. I developed software, analyzed all geodetic VLBI data available at the IVS Data Centers, and drew the light curves at 8 GHz. In this report, I show the tentative results for two AGNs. I compared two light curves of 4C39.25, which were drawn based on single dish data and on VLBI data. I confirmed that the two light curves were consistent. Furthermore, I succeeded in drawing the light curve of 0454-234 with VLBI data, which has not been monitored by any observatory with single dish. In this report, I suggest that the geodetic VLBI archive data is useful to obtain the long-term light curves at radio bands for astrophysics.

A Data-driven Study of RR Lyrae Near-IR Light Curves: Principal Component Analysis, Robust Fits, and Metallicity Estimates

Science.gov (United States)

Hajdu, Gergely; Dékány, István; Catelan, Márcio; Grebel, Eva K.; Jurcsik, Johanna

2018-04-01

RR Lyrae variables are widely used tracers of Galactic halo structure and kinematics, but they can also serve to constrain the distribution of the old stellar population in the Galactic bulge. With the aim of improving their near-infrared photometric characterization, we investigate their near-infrared light curves, as well as the empirical relationships between their light curve and metallicities using machine learning methods. We introduce a new, robust method for the estimation of the light-curve shapes, hence the average magnitudes of RR Lyrae variables in the K S band, by utilizing the first few principal components (PCs) as basis vectors, obtained from the PC analysis of a training set of light curves. Furthermore, we use the amplitudes of these PCs to predict the light-curve shape of each star in the J-band, allowing us to precisely determine their average magnitudes (hence colors), even in cases where only one J measurement is available. Finally, we demonstrate that the K S-band light-curve parameters of RR Lyrae variables, together with the period, allow the estimation of the metallicity of individual stars with an accuracy of ∼0.2–0.25 dex, providing valuable chemical information about old stellar populations bearing RR Lyrae variables. The methods presented here can be straightforwardly adopted for other classes of variable stars, bands, or for the estimation of other physical quantities.

Aspherical Supernovae: Effects on Early Light Curves

Science.gov (United States)

Afsariardchi, Niloufar; Matzner, Christopher D.

2018-04-01

Early light from core-collapse supernovae, now detectable in high-cadence surveys, holds clues to a star and its environment just before it explodes. However, effects that alter the early light have not been fully explored. We highlight the possibility of nonradial flows at the time of shock breakout. These develop in sufficiently nonspherical explosions if the progenitor is not too diffuse. When they do develop, nonradial flows limit ejecta speeds and cause ejecta–ejecta collisions. We explore these phenomena and their observational implications using global, axisymmetric, nonrelativistic FLASH simulations of simplified polytropic progenitors, which we scale to representative stars. We develop a method to track photon production within the ejecta, enabling us to estimate band-dependent light curves from adiabatic simulations. Immediate breakout emission becomes hidden as an oblique flow develops. Nonspherical effects lead the shock-heated ejecta to release a more constant luminosity at a higher, evolving color temperature at early times, effectively mixing breakout light with the early light curve. Collisions between nonradial ejecta thermalize a small fraction of the explosion energy; we will address emission from these collisions in a subsequent paper.

THE INFRARED LIGHT CURVE OF SN 2011fe IN M101 AND THE DISTANCE TO M101

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matheson, T.; Joyce, R. R.; Allen, L. E.; Saha, A.; Silva, D. R.; Binkert, W. S.; Butler, K.; Everett, M.; Wood-Vasey, W. M.; Adams, J. J.; Anderson, R. E.; Beck, T. L.; Bentz, M. C.; Bershady, M. A.; Eigenbrot, A.; Gallagher, J. S.; Camarata, M. A.; Garnavich, P. M.; Glikman, E.; Harbeck, D.

2012-01-01

We present near-infrared light curves of supernova (SN) 2011fe in M101, including 34 epochs in H band starting 14 days before maximum brightness in the B band. The light curve data were obtained with the WIYN High-Resolution Infrared Camera. When the data are calibrated using templates of other Type Ia SNe, we derive an apparent H-band magnitude at the epoch of B-band maximum of 10.85 ± 0.04. This implies a distance modulus for M101 that ranges from 28.86 to 29.17 mag, depending on which absolute calibration for Type Ia SNe is used.

THE INFRARED LIGHT CURVE OF SN 2011fe IN M101 AND THE DISTANCE TO M101

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matheson, T.; Joyce, R. R.; Allen, L. E.; Saha, A.; Silva, D. R.; Binkert, W. S.; Butler, K.; Everett, M. [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Wood-Vasey, W. M. [Pittsburgh Particle Physics, Astrophysics, and Cosmology Center (PITT-PACC), University of Pittsburgh, 3941 O' Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (United States); Adams, J. J. [Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Anderson, R. E.; Beck, T. L. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Bentz, M. C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, Astronomy Offices, One Park Place South SE, Suite 700, Atlanta, GA 30303 (United States); Bershady, M. A.; Eigenbrot, A.; Gallagher, J. S. [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 475 North Charter Street, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Camarata, M. A. [Department of Physics, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515 (United States); Garnavich, P. M. [Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Glikman, E. [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511 (United States); Harbeck, D., E-mail: matheson@noao.edu [WIYN Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); and others

2012-07-20

We present near-infrared light curves of supernova (SN) 2011fe in M101, including 34 epochs in H band starting 14 days before maximum brightness in the B band. The light curve data were obtained with the WIYN High-Resolution Infrared Camera. When the data are calibrated using templates of other Type Ia SNe, we derive an apparent H-band magnitude at the epoch of B-band maximum of 10.85 {+-} 0.04. This implies a distance modulus for M101 that ranges from 28.86 to 29.17 mag, depending on which absolute calibration for Type Ia SNe is used.

Light Curve Solution of the Contact Binary AW UMa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. H. Jeong

1997-12-01

Full Text Available A total of 1088 observations (272 in B,272 in V, 272 in R, and 272 in I were made from January to February in 1995 at Chungbuk National University observatory(CbNUO. We constructed BVRI light curves with our data. The photometric solution of these light curves was obtained by means of the Wilson-Devinney method. Our result was compared with those by previous investigators.

The host galaxy and optical light curve of the gamma-ray burst GRB 980703

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holland, S.; Fynbo, J.P.U.; Hjorth, J.

2001-01-01

We present deep HST/STIS and ground-based photometry of the host galaxy of the gamma-ray burst GRB 980703 taken 17, 551, 710, and 716 days after the burst. We find that the host is a blue, slightly over-luminous galaxy with V-gal = 23.00 +/-0.10, (V - R)(gal) = 0.43 +/-0.13, and a centre...... 980703 with any special features in the host. The host galaxy appears to be a typical example of a compact star forming galaxy similar to those found in the Hubble Deep Field North. The R-band light curve of the optical afterglow associated with this gamma-ray burst is consistent with a single power...

Photoelectic BV Light Curves of Algol and the Interpretations of the Light Curves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ho-Il Kim

1985-06-01

Full Text Available Standardized B and V photoelectric light curves of Algol are made with the observations obtained during 1982-84 with the 40-cm and the 61-cm reflectors of Yonsei University Observatory. These light curves show asymmetry between ascending and descending shoulders. The ascending shoulder is 0.02 mag brighter than descending shoulder in V light curve and 0.03 mag in B light curve. These asymmetric light curves are interpreted as the result of inhomogeneous energy distribution on the surface of one star of the eclipsing pair rather than the result of gaseous stream flowing from KOIV to B8V star. The 180-year periodicity, so called great inequality, are most likely the result proposed by Kim et al. (1983 that the abrupt and discrete mass losses of cooler component may be the cause of this orbital change. The amount of mass loss deduced from these discrete period changes turned out to be of the order of 10^(-6 - 10^(-5 Msolar.

Characterizing the V-band light-curves of hydrogen-rich type II supernovae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anderson, Joseph P.; González-Gaitán, Santiago; Hamuy, Mario

2014-01-01

a dispersion of 0.56 mag, offering the prospect of using type II supernovae as purely photometric distance indicators. Our analysis suggests that the type II population spans a continuum from low-luminosity events which have flat light-curves during the "plateau" stage, through to the brightest events which...

Periodicity Analysis of X-ray Light Curves of SS 433

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jun-yi; Lu, Xiang-long; Zhao, Qiu-wen; Dong, Dian-qiao; Lao, Bao-qiang; Lu, Yang; Wei, Yan-heng; Wu, Xiao-cong; An, Tao

2017-01-01

SS 433 is sofar the unique X-ray binary that has the simultaneously detected orbital period, super-orbital period, and nutation period, as well as a bidirectional spiral jet. The study on its X-ray light variability is helpful for understanding the dynamic process of the system, and the correlations between the different wavebands. In this paper, two time-series analysis techniques, i.e., the Lomb-Scargle periodogram and weighted wavelet Z-transform, are employed to search for the periods in the Swift/BAT (Burst Alert Telescope) (15-50 keV) and RXTE/ASM (Rose X-ray Timing Explorer/All Sky Monitor) (1.5-3, 3- 4, and 5-12 keV) light curves of SS 433, and the Monte Carlo simulation is performed for the obtained periodical components. For the 15-50 keV energy band, five significant periodical components are detected, which are P1(∼6.29 d), P2 (∼6.54 d), P3 (∼13.08 d), P4 (∼81.50 d), and P5 (∼162.30 d). For the 3-5 and 5-12 keV energy bands, the periodical components P3 (∼13 d) and P5 (∼162 d) are detected in both energy bands. However, for the 1.5-3 keV energy band, no significant periodic signal is detected. P5 is the strongest periodic signal in the power spectrum for all the energy bands of 3-5, 5-12, and 15-50 keV, and it is consistent with the previous result obtained from the study of optical light curves. Furthermore, in combination with the radio spiral jet of SS 433, it is suggested that the X-ray and optical variability of P5 (∼162 d) is probably related to the precession of its relativistic jet. The high correlation between the X-ray and optical light curves may also imply that the X-ray and optical radiations are of the same physical origin. P3 shows a good agreement with the orbital period (∼13.07 d) obtained by the previous study, and P2 and P4 are respectively the high-frequency harmonics of P3 and P5. P1 is detected only in the power spectrum of the 15-50 keV energy band, and it is consistent with the nutation period of the system. As

Simulating Supernova Light Curves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Even, Wesley Paul [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Dolence, Joshua C. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-05-05

This report discusses supernova light simulations. A brief review of supernovae, basics of supernova light curves, simulation tools used at LANL, and supernova results are included. Further, it happens that many of the same methods used to generate simulated supernova light curves can also be used to model the emission from fireballs generated by explosions in the earth’s atmosphere.

Simulating Supernova Light Curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Even, Wesley Paul; Dolence, Joshua C.

2016-01-01

This report discusses supernova light simulations. A brief review of supernovae, basics of supernova light curves, simulation tools used at LANL, and supernova results are included. Further, it happens that many of the same methods used to generate simulated supernova light curves can also be used to model the emission from fireballs generated by explosions in the earth's atmosphere.

THE CARNEGIE SUPERNOVA PROJECT: LIGHT-CURVE FITTING WITH SNooPy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burns, Christopher R.; Persson, S. E.; Madore, Barry F.; Freedman, Wendy L.; Stritzinger, Maximilian; Phillips, M. M.; Boldt, Luis; Campillay, Abdo; Folatelli, Gaston; Gonzalez, Sergio; Krzeminski, Wojtek; Morrell, Nidia; Salgado, Francisco; Kattner, ShiAnne; Contreras, Carlos; Suntzeff, Nicholas B.

2011-01-01

In providing an independent measure of the expansion history of the universe, the Carnegie Supernova Project (CSP) has observed 71 high-z Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the near-infrared bands Y and J. These can be used to construct rest-frame i-band light curves which, when compared to a low-z sample, yield distance moduli that are less sensitive to extinction and/or decline-rate corrections than in the optical. However, working with NIR observed and i-band rest-frame photometry presents unique challenges and has necessitated the development of a new set of observational tools in order to reduce and analyze both the low-z and high-z CSP sample. We present in this paper the methods used to generate uBVgriYJH light-curve templates based on a sample of 24 high-quality low-z CSP SNe. We also present two methods for determining the distances to the hosts of SN Ia events. A larger sample of 30 low-z SNe Ia in the Hubble flow is used to calibrate these methods. We then apply the method and derive distances to seven galaxies that are so nearby that their motions are not dominated by the Hubble flow.

LATE-TIME LIGHT CURVES OF TYPE II SUPERNOVAE: PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SUPERNOVAE AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Otsuka, Masaaki; Meixner, Margaret; Panagia, Nino [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Fabbri, Joanna; Barlow, Michael J.; Wesson, Roger [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom); Clayton, Geoffrey C.; Andrews, Jennifer E. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Gallagher, Joseph S. [Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science, Raymond Walters College, 9555 Plain field Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45236 (United States); Sugerman, Ben E. K. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore, MD 21204 (United States); Ercolano, Barbara [Universitaets-Sternwarte Muenchen, Scheinerstr. 1, 81679 Muenchen (Germany); Welch, Douglas, E-mail: otsuka@stsci.edu, E-mail: otsuka@asiaa.sinica.edu.tw [Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M1 (Canada)

2012-01-01

We present BVRIJHK-band photometry of six core-collapse supernovae, SNe 1999bw, 2002hh, 2003gd, 2004et, 2005cs, and 2006bc, measured at late epochs (>2 yr) based on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and the Gemini North, and WIYN telescopes. We also show the JHK light curves of supernova impostor SN 2008S up to day 575 because it was serendipitously in our SN 2002hh field of view. Of our 43 HST observations in total, 36 observations are successful in detecting the light from the SNe alone and measuring magnitudes of all the targets. HST observations show a resolved scattered light echo around SN 2003gd at day 1520 and around SN 2002hh at day 1717. Our Gemini and WIYN observations detected SNe 2002hh and 2004et as well. Combining our data with previously published data, we show VRIJHK-band light curves and estimate decline magnitude rates at each band in four different phases. Our prior work on these light curves and other data indicate that dust is forming in our targets from days {approx}300 to 400, supporting SN dust formation theory. In this paper we focus on other physical properties derived from late-time light curves. We estimate {sup 56}Ni masses for our targets (0.5-14 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -2} M{sub Sun }) from the bolometric light curve of each of days {approx}150-300 using SN 1987A as a standard (7.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -2} M{sub Sun }). The flattening or sometimes increasing fluxes in the late-time light curves of SNe 2002hh, 2003gd, 2004et, and 2006bc indicate the presence of light echoes. We estimate the circumstellar hydrogen density of the material causing the light echo and find that SN 2002hh is surrounded by relatively dense materials (n(H) >400 cm{sup -3}) and SNe 2003gd and 2004et have densities more typical of the interstellar medium ({approx}1 cm{sup -3}). We analyze the sample as a whole in the context of physical properties derived in prior work. The {sup 56}Ni mass appears well correlated with progenitor mass with a slope of 0

Intensive Monitoring Survey of Nearby Galaxies (IMSNG): Catching Early Light Curves of Supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Im, Myungshin; IMSNG Team

2018-01-01

SNe light curves have been used to study the expansion history of the universe, and a lot of efforts have gone into understanding the overall shape of the radioactively powered light curve. However, we still have little direct observational evidence for the theorized SN progenitor systems. Recent studies suggest that the light curve of a supernova shortly after its explosion (world. Through this survey, we expect to catch the very early precursor emission as faint as R=21 mag (~0.1 Rsun for the progenitor). This poster outlines this project, and present a few scientific highlights, such as the early light curve of SN 2015F in NGC 2442.

EXPLORING THE VARIABLE SKY WITH LINEAR. III. CLASSIFICATION OF PERIODIC LIGHT CURVES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palaversa, Lovro; Eyer, Laurent; Rimoldini, Lorenzo [Observatoire Astronomique de l' Université de Genève, 51 chemin des Maillettes, CH-1290 Sauverny (Switzerland); Ivezić, Željko; Loebman, Sarah; Hunt-Walker, Nicholas; VanderPlas, Jacob; Westman, David; Becker, Andrew C. [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, P.O. Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195-1580 (United States); Ruždjak, Domagoj; Sudar, Davor; Božić, Hrvoje [Hvar Observatory, Faculty of Geodesy, Kačićeva 26, 10000 Zagreb (Croatia); Galin, Mario [Faculty of Geodesy, Kačićeva 26, 10000 Zagreb (Croatia); Kroflin, Andrea; Mesarić, Martina; Munk, Petra; Vrbanec, Dijana [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Bijenička cesta 32, 10000 Zagreb (Croatia); Sesar, Branimir [Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Stuart, J. Scott [Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 244 Wood Street, Lexington, MA 02420-9108 (United States); Srdoč, Gregor, E-mail: lovro.palaversa@unige.ch [Saršoni 90, 51216 Viškovo (Croatia); and others

2013-10-01

We describe the construction of a highly reliable sample of ∼7000 optically faint periodic variable stars with light curves obtained by the asteroid survey LINEAR across 10,000 deg{sup 2} of the northern sky. The majority of these variables have not been cataloged yet. The sample flux limit is several magnitudes fainter than most other wide-angle surveys; the photometric errors range from ∼0.03 mag at r = 15 to ∼0.20 mag at r = 18. Light curves include on average 250 data points, collected over about a decade. Using Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) based photometric recalibration of the LINEAR data for about 25 million objects, we selected ∼200,000 most probable candidate variables with r < 17 and visually confirmed and classified ∼7000 periodic variables using phased light curves. The reliability and uniformity of visual classification across eight human classifiers was calibrated and tested using a catalog of variable stars from the SDSS Stripe 82 region and verified using an unsupervised machine learning approach. The resulting sample of periodic LINEAR variables is dominated by 3900 RR Lyrae stars and 2700 eclipsing binary stars of all subtypes and includes small fractions of relatively rare populations such as asymptotic giant branch stars and SX Phoenicis stars. We discuss the distribution of these mostly uncataloged variables in various diagrams constructed with optical-to-infrared SDSS, Two Micron All Sky Survey, and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer photometry, and with LINEAR light-curve features. We find that the combination of light-curve features and colors enables classification schemes much more powerful than when colors or light curves are each used separately. An interesting side result is a robust and precise quantitative description of a strong correlation between the light-curve period and color/spectral type for close and contact eclipsing binary stars (β Lyrae and W UMa): as the color-based spectral type varies from K4 to F5, the

The Peculiar Light Curve of J1415+1320: A Case Study in Extreme Scattering Events

Science.gov (United States)

Vedantham, H. K.; Readhead, A. C. S.; Hovatta, T.; Koopmans, L. V. E.; Pearson, T. J.; Blandford, R. D.; Gurwell, M. A.; Lähteenmäki, A.; Max-Moerbeck, W.; Pavlidou, V.; Ravi, V.; Reeves, R. A.; Richards, J. L.; Tornikoski, M.; Zensus, J. A.

2017-08-01

The radio light curve of J1415+1320 (PKS 1413+135) shows time-symmetric and recurring U-shaped features across the centimeter-wave and millimeter-wave bands. The symmetry of these features points to lensing by an intervening object as the cause. U-shaped events in radio light curves in the centimeter-wave band have previously been attributed to Extreme scattering events (ESE). ESEs are thought to be the result of lensing by compact plasma structures in the Galactic interstellar medium, but the precise nature of these plasma structures remains unknown. Since the strength of a plasma lens evolves with wavelength λ as {λ }2, the presence of correlated variations at over a wide wavelength range casts doubt on the canonical ESE interpretation for J1415+1320. In this paper, we critically examine the evidence for plasma lensing in J1415+1320. We compute limits on the lensing strength and the associated free-free opacity of the putative plasma lenses. We compare the observed and model ESE light curves, and also derive a lower limit on the lens distance based on the effects of parallax due to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. We conclude that plasma lensing is not a viable interpretation for J1415+1320's light curves and that symmetric U-shaped features in the radio light curves of extragalactic sources do not present prima facie evidence for ESEs. The methodology presented here is generic enough to be applicable to any plasma-lensing candidate.

Light extraction block with curved surface

Science.gov (United States)

Levermore, Peter; Krall, Emory; Silvernail, Jeffrey; Rajan, Kamala; Brown, Julia J.

2016-03-22

Light extraction blocks, and OLED lighting panels using light extraction blocks, are described, in which the light extraction blocks include various curved shapes that provide improved light extraction properties compared to parallel emissive surface, and a thinner form factor and better light extraction than a hemisphere. Lighting systems described herein may include a light source with an OLED panel. A light extraction block with a three-dimensional light emitting surface may be optically coupled to the light source. The three-dimensional light emitting surface of the block may includes a substantially curved surface, with further characteristics related to the curvature of the surface at given points. A first radius of curvature corresponding to a maximum principal curvature k.sub.1 at a point p on the substantially curved surface may be greater than a maximum height of the light extraction block. A maximum height of the light extraction block may be less than 50% of a maximum width of the light extraction block. Surfaces with cross sections made up of line segments and inflection points may also be fit to approximated curves for calculating the radius of curvature.

REFLECTED LIGHT CURVES, SPHERICAL AND BOND ALBEDOS OF JUPITER- AND SATURN-LIKE EXOPLANETS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dyudina, Ulyana; Kopparla, Pushkar; Ingersoll, Andrew P.; Yung, Yuk L. [Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, 150-21 California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Zhang, Xi [University of California Santa Cruz 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Li, Liming [Department of Physics, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204 (United States); Dones, Luke [Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300, Boulder CO 80302 (United States); Verbiscer, Anne, E-mail: ulyana@gps.caltech.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4325 (United States)

2016-05-10

Reflected light curves observed for exoplanets indicate that a few of them host bright clouds. We estimate how the light curve and total stellar heating of a planet depends on forward and backward scattering in the clouds based on Pioneer and Cassini spacecraft images of Jupiter and Saturn. We fit analytical functions to the local reflected brightnesses of Jupiter and Saturn depending on the planet’s phase. These observations cover broadbands at 0.59–0.72 and 0.39–0.5 μ m, and narrowbands at 0.938 (atmospheric window), 0.889 (CH4 absorption band), and 0.24–0.28 μ m. We simulate the images of the planets with a ray-tracing model, and disk-integrate them to produce the full-orbit light curves. For Jupiter, we also fit the modeled light curves to the observed full-disk brightness. We derive spherical albedos for Jupiter and Saturn, and for planets with Lambertian and Rayleigh-scattering atmospheres. Jupiter-like atmospheres can produce light curves that are a factor of two fainter at half-phase than the Lambertian planet, given the same geometric albedo at transit. The spherical albedo is typically lower than for a Lambertian planet by up to a factor of ∼1.5. The Lambertian assumption will underestimate the absorption of the stellar light and the equilibrium temperature of the planetary atmosphere. We also compare our light curves with the light curves of solid bodies: the moons Enceladus and Callisto. Their strong backscattering peak within a few degrees of opposition (secondary eclipse) can lead to an even stronger underestimate of the stellar heating.

Characterization of Type Ia Supernova Light Curves Using Principal Component Analysis of Sparse Functional Data

Science.gov (United States)

He, Shiyuan; Wang, Lifan; Huang, Jianhua Z.

2018-04-01

With growing data from ongoing and future supernova surveys, it is possible to empirically quantify the shapes of SNIa light curves in more detail, and to quantitatively relate the shape parameters with the intrinsic properties of SNIa. Building such relationships is critical in controlling systematic errors associated with supernova cosmology. Based on a collection of well-observed SNIa samples accumulated in the past years, we construct an empirical SNIa light curve model using a statistical method called the functional principal component analysis (FPCA) for sparse and irregularly sampled functional data. Using this method, the entire light curve of an SNIa is represented by a linear combination of principal component functions, and the SNIa is represented by a few numbers called “principal component scores.” These scores are used to establish relations between light curve shapes and physical quantities such as intrinsic color, interstellar dust reddening, spectral line strength, and spectral classes. These relations allow for descriptions of some critical physical quantities based purely on light curve shape parameters. Our study shows that some important spectral feature information is being encoded in the broad band light curves; for instance, we find that the light curve shapes are correlated with the velocity and velocity gradient of the Si II λ6355 line. This is important for supernova surveys (e.g., LSST and WFIRST). Moreover, the FPCA light curve model is used to construct the entire light curve shape, which in turn is used in a functional linear form to adjust intrinsic luminosity when fitting distance models.

Estimation of error on the cross-correlation, phase and time lag between evenly sampled light curves

Science.gov (United States)

Misra, R.; Bora, A.; Dewangan, G.

2018-04-01

Temporal analysis of radiation from Astrophysical sources like Active Galactic Nuclei, X-ray Binaries and Gamma-ray bursts provides information on the geometry and sizes of the emitting regions. Establishing that two light-curves in different energy bands are correlated, and measuring the phase and time-lag between them is an important and frequently used temporal diagnostic. Generally the estimates are done by dividing the light-curves into large number of adjacent intervals to find the variance or by using numerically expensive simulations. In this work we have presented alternative expressions for estimate of the errors on the cross-correlation, phase and time-lag between two shorter light-curves when they cannot be divided into segments. Thus the estimates presented here allow for analysis of light-curves with relatively small number of points, as well as to obtain information on the longest time-scales available. The expressions have been tested using 200 light curves simulated from both white and 1 / f stochastic processes with measurement errors. We also present an application to the XMM-Newton light-curves of the Active Galactic Nucleus, Akn 564. The example shows that the estimates presented here allow for analysis of light-curves with relatively small (∼ 1000) number of points.

Automated Blazar Light Curves Using Machine Learning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Spencer James [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-07-27

This presentation describes a problem and methodology pertaining to automated blazar light curves. Namely, optical variability patterns for blazars require the construction of light curves and in order to generate the light curves, data must be filtered before processing to ensure quality.

Absolute Distances to Nearby Type Ia Supernovae via Light Curve Fitting Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Vinkó, J.; Ordasi, A.; Szalai, T.; Sárneczky, K.; Bányai, E.; Bíró, I. B.; Borkovits, T.; Hegedüs, T.; Hodosán, G.; Kelemen, J.; Klagyivik, P.; Kriskovics, L.; Kun, E.; Marion, G. H.; Marschalkó, G.; Molnár, L.; Nagy, A. P.; Pál, A.; Silverman, J. M.; Szakáts, R.; Szegedi-Elek, E.; Székely, P.; Szing, A.; Vida, K.; Wheeler, J. C.

2018-06-01

We present a comparative study of absolute distances to a sample of very nearby, bright Type Ia supernovae (SNe) derived from high cadence, high signal-to-noise, multi-band photometric data. Our sample consists of four SNe: 2012cg, 2012ht, 2013dy and 2014J. We present new homogeneous, high-cadence photometric data in Johnson–Cousins BVRI and Sloan g‧r‧i‧z‧ bands taken from two sites (Piszkesteto and Baja, Hungary), and the light curves are analyzed with publicly available light curve fitters (MLCS2k2, SNooPy2 and SALT2.4). When comparing the best-fit parameters provided by the different codes, it is found that the distance moduli of moderately reddened SNe Ia agree within ≲0.2 mag, and the agreement is even better (≲0.1 mag) for the highest signal-to-noise BVRI data. For the highly reddened SN 2014J the dispersion of the inferred distance moduli is slightly higher. These SN-based distances are in good agreement with the Cepheid distances to their host galaxies. We conclude that the current state-of-the-art light curve fitters for Type Ia SNe can provide consistent absolute distance moduli having less than ∼0.1–0.2 mag uncertainty for nearby SNe. Still, there is room for future improvements to reach the desired ∼0.05 mag accuracy in the absolute distance modulus.

Light curve analysis of the late type binary V523 Cassiopeiae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Latković O.

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We present the analysis of V and R light curves of the late type contact binary V523 Cas for the season of 2006. These observations make part of the monitoring program aimed at studying the long-term light curve variability in this system. Our results confirm that the system is in an over contact configuration, and include a bright spot in the neck region of the cooler and larger primary. We compare these results with the previous solution, obtained for the season 2005 dataset and discuss the differences.

LIGHT CURVES OF CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE WITH SUBSTANTIAL MASS LOSS USING THE NEW OPEN-SOURCE SUPERNOVA EXPLOSION CODE (SNEC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morozova, Viktoriya; Renzo, Mathieu; Ott, Christian D.; Clausen, Drew; Couch, Sean M.; Ellis, Justin; Roberts, Luke F.; Piro, Anthony L.

2015-01-01

We present the SuperNova Explosion Code (SNEC), an open-source Lagrangian code for the hydrodynamics and equilibrium-diffusion radiation transport in the expanding envelopes of supernovae. Given a model of a progenitor star, an explosion energy, and an amount and distribution of radioactive nickel, SNEC generates the bolometric light curve, as well as the light curves in different broad bands assuming blackbody emission. As a first application of SNEC, we consider the explosions of a grid of 15 M ⊙ (at zero-age main sequence, ZAMS) stars whose hydrogen envelopes are stripped to different extents and at different points in their evolution. The resulting light curves exhibit plateaus with durations of ∼20–100 days if ≳1.5–2 M ⊙ of hydrogen-rich material is left and no plateau if less hydrogen-rich material is left. If these shorter plateau lengths are not seen for SNe IIP in nature, it suggests that, at least for ZAMS masses ≲20 M ⊙ , hydrogen mass loss occurs as an all or nothing process. This perhaps points to the important role binary interactions play in generating the observed mass-stripped supernovae (i.e., Type Ib/c events). These light curves are also unlike what is typically seen for SNe IIL, arguing that simply varying the amount of mass loss cannot explain these events. The most stripped models begin to show double-peaked light curves similar to what is often seen for SNe IIb, confirming previous work that these supernovae can come from progenitors that have a small amount of hydrogen and a radius of ∼500 R ⊙

LIGHT CURVES OF CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE WITH SUBSTANTIAL MASS LOSS USING THE NEW OPEN-SOURCE SUPERNOVA EXPLOSION CODE (SNEC)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morozova, Viktoriya; Renzo, Mathieu; Ott, Christian D.; Clausen, Drew; Couch, Sean M.; Ellis, Justin; Roberts, Luke F. [TAPIR, Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, MC 350-17, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Piro, Anthony L., E-mail: morozvs@tapir.caltech.edu [Carnegie Observatories, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States)

2015-11-20

We present the SuperNova Explosion Code (SNEC), an open-source Lagrangian code for the hydrodynamics and equilibrium-diffusion radiation transport in the expanding envelopes of supernovae. Given a model of a progenitor star, an explosion energy, and an amount and distribution of radioactive nickel, SNEC generates the bolometric light curve, as well as the light curves in different broad bands assuming blackbody emission. As a first application of SNEC, we consider the explosions of a grid of 15 M{sub ⊙} (at zero-age main sequence, ZAMS) stars whose hydrogen envelopes are stripped to different extents and at different points in their evolution. The resulting light curves exhibit plateaus with durations of ∼20–100 days if ≳1.5–2 M{sub ⊙} of hydrogen-rich material is left and no plateau if less hydrogen-rich material is left. If these shorter plateau lengths are not seen for SNe IIP in nature, it suggests that, at least for ZAMS masses ≲20 M{sub ⊙}, hydrogen mass loss occurs as an all or nothing process. This perhaps points to the important role binary interactions play in generating the observed mass-stripped supernovae (i.e., Type Ib/c events). These light curves are also unlike what is typically seen for SNe IIL, arguing that simply varying the amount of mass loss cannot explain these events. The most stripped models begin to show double-peaked light curves similar to what is often seen for SNe IIb, confirming previous work that these supernovae can come from progenitors that have a small amount of hydrogen and a radius of ∼500 R{sub ⊙}.

An analysis of the small amplitude variations in the light curves of the R Coronae Borealis variables, S Apodis and UW Centauri

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilkenny, D.; Flanagan, C.

1983-01-01

The small amplitude variations in the light curves of the R CrB stars, S Aps and UW Cen, are examined. The periodicity of these variations appears to be changing rapidly in S Aps and slowly, if at all, in UW Cen. The evolutionary consequences of these effects are discussed. (author)

Statistical analysis of the W Cyg light curve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klyus, I.A.

1983-01-01

A statistical analysis of the light curve of W Cygni has been carried out. The process of brightness variations brightness of the star is shown to be a stationary stochastic one. The hypothesis of stationarity of the process was checked at the significance level of α=0.05. Oscillations of the brightness with average durations of 131 and 250 days have been found. It is proved that oscillations are narrow-band noise, i.e. cycles. Peaks on the power spectrum corresponding to these cycles exceed 99% confidence interval. It has been stated that the oscillations are independent

Light Curve and SED Modeling of the Gamma-Ray Binary 1FGL J1018.6–5856: Constraints on the Orbital Geometry and Relativistic Flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An, Hongjun; Romani, Roger W., E-mail: hjan@chungbuk.ac.kr [Department of Physics/KIPAC, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-4060 (United States)

2017-04-01

We present broadband spectral energy distributions and light curves of the gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6−5856 measured in the X-ray and the gamma-ray bands. We find that the orbital modulation in the low-energy gamma-ray band is similar to that in the X-ray band, suggesting a common spectral component. However, above a GeV the orbital light curve changes significantly. We suggest that the GeV band contains significant flux from a pulsar magnetosphere, while the X-ray to TeV light curves are dominated by synchrotron and Compton emission from an intrabinary shock (IBS). We find that a simple one-zone model is inadequate to explain the IBS emission, but that beamed Synchrotron-self Compton radiation from adiabatically accelerated plasma in the shocked pulsar wind can reproduce the complex multiband light curves, including the variable X-ray spike coincident with the gamma-ray maximum. The model requires an inclination of ∼50° and an orbital eccentricity of ∼0.35, consistent with the limited constraints from existing optical observations. This picture motivates searches for pulsations from the energetic young pulsar powering the wind shock.

The mass of the black hole in 1A 0620-00, revisiting the ellipsoidal light curve modelling

Science.gov (United States)

van Grunsven, Theo F. J.; Jonker, Peter G.; Verbunt, Frank W. M.; Robinson, Edward L.

2017-12-01

The mass distribution of stellar-mass black holes can provide important clues to supernova modelling, but observationally it is still ill constrained. Therefore, it is of importance to make black hole mass measurements as accurate as possible. The X-ray transient 1A 0620-00 is well studied, with a published black hole mass of 6.61 ± 0.25 M⊙, based on an orbital inclination i of 51.0° ± 0.9°. This was obtained by Cantrell et al. (2010) as an average of independent fits to V-, I- and H-band light curves. In this work, we perform an independent check on the value of i by re-analysing existing YALO/SMARTS V-, I- and H-band photometry, using different modelling software and fitting strategy. Performing a fit to the three light curves simultaneously, we obtain a value for i of 54.1° ± 1.1°, resulting in a black hole mass of 5.86 ± 0.24 M⊙. Applying the same model to the light curves individually, we obtain 58.2° ± 1.9°, 53.6° ± 1.6° and 50.5° ± 2.2° for V-, I- and H-band, respectively, where the differences in best-fitting i are caused by the contribution of the residual accretion disc light in the three different bands. We conclude that the mass determination of this black hole may still be subject to systematic effects exceeding the statistical uncertainty. Obtaining more accurate masses would be greatly helped by continuous phase-resolved spectroscopic observations simultaneous with photometry.

LCC: Light Curves Classifier

Science.gov (United States)

Vo, Martin

2017-08-01

Light Curves Classifier uses data mining and machine learning to obtain and classify desired objects. This task can be accomplished by attributes of light curves or any time series, including shapes, histograms, or variograms, or by other available information about the inspected objects, such as color indices, temperatures, and abundances. After specifying features which describe the objects to be searched, the software trains on a given training sample, and can then be used for unsupervised clustering for visualizing the natural separation of the sample. The package can be also used for automatic tuning parameters of used methods (for example, number of hidden neurons or binning ratio). Trained classifiers can be used for filtering outputs from astronomical databases or data stored locally. The Light Curve Classifier can also be used for simple downloading of light curves and all available information of queried stars. It natively can connect to OgleII, OgleIII, ASAS, CoRoT, Kepler, Catalina and MACHO, and new connectors or descriptors can be implemented. In addition to direct usage of the package and command line UI, the program can be used through a web interface. Users can create jobs for ”training” methods on given objects, querying databases and filtering outputs by trained filters. Preimplemented descriptors, classifier and connectors can be picked by simple clicks and their parameters can be tuned by giving ranges of these values. All combinations are then calculated and the best one is used for creating the filter. Natural separation of the data can be visualized by unsupervised clustering.

a new approach of Analysing GRB light curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varga, B.; Horvath, I.

2005-01-01

We estimated the T xx quantiles of the cumulative GRB light curves using our recalculated background. The basic information of the light curves was extracted by multivariate statistical methods. The possible classes of the light curves are also briefly discussed

Deep-learnt classification of light curves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mahabal, Ashish; Gieseke, Fabian; Pai, Akshay Sadananda Uppinakudru

2017-01-01

Astronomy light curves are sparse, gappy, and heteroscedastic. As a result standard time series methods regularly used for financial and similar datasets are of little help and astronomers are usually left to their own instruments and techniques to classify light curves. A common approach is to d...

Flare Characteristics from X-ray Light Curves

Science.gov (United States)

Gryciuk, M.; Siarkowski, M.; Sylwester, J.; Gburek, S.; Podgorski, P.; Kepa, A.; Sylwester, B.; Mrozek, T.

2017-06-01

A new methodology is given to determine basic parameters of flares from their X-ray light curves. Algorithms are developed from the analysis of small X-ray flares occurring during the deep solar minimum of 2009, between Solar Cycles 23 and 24, observed by the Polish Solar Photometer in X-rays (SphinX) on the Complex Orbital Observations Near-Earth of Activity of the Sun-Photon (CORONAS- Photon) spacecraft. One is a semi-automatic flare detection procedure that gives start, peak, and end times for single ("elementary") flare events under the assumption that the light curve is a simple convolution of a Gaussian and exponential decay functions. More complex flares with multiple peaks can generally be described by a sum of such elementary flares. Flare time profiles in the two energy ranges of SphinX (1.16 - 1.51 keV, 1.51 - 15 keV) are used to derive temperature and emission measure as a function of time during each flare. The result is a comprehensive catalogue - the SphinX Flare Catalogue - which contains 1600 flares or flare-like events and is made available for general use. The methods described here can be applied to observations made by Geosynchronous Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES), the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and other broad-band spectrometers.

Infrared rotational light curves on Jupiter induced by wave activities and cloud patterns andimplications on brown dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Huazhi; Zhang, Xi; Fletcher, Leigh; Orton, Glenn S.; Sinclair, James Andrew; Fernandes,, Joshua; Momary, Thomas W.; Warren, Ari; Kasaba, Yasumasa; Sato, Takao M.; Fujiyoshi, Takuya

2017-10-01

Many brown dwarfs exhibit infrared rotational light curves with amplitude varying from a fewpercent to twenty percent (Artigau et al. 2009, ApJ, 701, 1534; Radigan et al. 2012, ApJ, 750,105). Recently, it was claimed that weather patterns, especially planetary-scale waves in thebelts and cloud spots, are responsible for the light curves and their evolutions on brown dwarfs(Apai et al. 2017, Science, 357, 683). Here we present a clear relationship between the direct IRemission maps and light curves of Jupiter at multiple wavelengths, which might be similar withthat on cold brown dwarfs. Based on infrared disk maps from Subaru/COMICS and VLT/VISIR,we constructed full maps of Jupiter and rotational light curves at different wavelengths in thethermal infrared. We discovered a strong relationship between the light curves and weatherpatterns on Jupiter. The light curves also exhibit strong multi-bands phase shifts and temporalvariations, similar to that detected on brown dwarfs. Together with the spectra fromTEXES/IRTF, our observations further provide detailed information of the spatial variations oftemperature, ammonia clouds and aerosols in the troposphere of Jupiter (Fletcher et al. 2016,Icarus, 2016 128) and their influences on the shapes of the light curves. We conclude that waveactivities in Jupiter’s belts (Fletcher et al. 2017, GRL, 44, 7140), cloud holes, and long-livedvortices such as the Great Red Spot and ovals control the shapes of IR light curves and multi-wavelength phase shifts on Jupiter. Our finding supports the hypothesis that observed lightcurves on brown dwarfs are induced by planetary-scale waves and cloud spots.

Light Curve Analysis of SAO23229

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ho-Il Kim

1993-06-01

Full Text Available We have made UBV light curves of a newly discovered eclipsing binary, SAO23229 at Sobaeksan Astronomy Observatory. We determined a minimum light time of HJD2448636.1170+/-0.0005 that is 3 minutes later than predicted time, and founda peculiar light variation at phase 0.75 that may not be secondary eclipse. Orbital period of SAO23229 would be 4.2 days rather than 2.1 days. Our analysis of the light curves shows that SAO23229 has a detached configuration consisting of two almost identical F type main sequence stars.

An Alternate Light Curve Solution of AR Lacertae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Suh Park

1984-09-01

Full Text Available Photoelectric UBV light curves of AR Lacertae made in one season during 1981-82 are presented. Although the shape of the light curves in the outside eclipses show a strong distortion, the scatter of observations as well as phase coverage are better than those previously available. Fourier coefficients are derived from the V-light curve and observed curve successfully rectified to the Russell model. Light curve solutions are computed and the geometrical and physical parameters of AR Lac are derived as as = 0.812, ag = 0.341, j = 86°3, Ls = 0.372, Lg = 0.628, k = 0.53, Xs = 0.85, Xg = 0.4.

Multi-Band Intra-Night Optical Variability of BL Lacertae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haritma Gaur

2017-12-01

Full Text Available We monitored BL Lacertae frequently during 2014–2016 when it was generally in a high state. We searched for intra-day variability for 43 nights using quasi-simultaneous measurements in the B, V, R, and I bands (totaling 143 light curves; the typical sampling interval was about eight minutes. On hour-like timescales, BL Lac exhibited significant variations during 13 nights in various optical bands. Significant spectral variations are seen during most of these nights such that the optical spectrum becomes bluer when brighter. The amplitude of variability is usually greater for longer observations but is lower when BL Lac is brighter. No evidence for periodicities or characteristic variability time-scales in the light curves was found. The color variations are mildly chromatic on long timescales.

Classification of ASKAP Vast Radio Light Curves

Science.gov (United States)

Rebbapragada, Umaa; Lo, Kitty; Wagstaff, Kiri L.; Reed, Colorado; Murphy, Tara; Thompson, David R.

2012-01-01

The VAST survey is a wide-field survey that observes with unprecedented instrument sensitivity (0.5 mJy or lower) and repeat cadence (a goal of 5 seconds) that will enable novel scientific discoveries related to known and unknown classes of radio transients and variables. Given the unprecedented observing characteristics of VAST, it is important to estimate source classification performance, and determine best practices prior to the launch of ASKAP's BETA in 2012. The goal of this study is to identify light curve characterization and classification algorithms that are best suited for archival VAST light curve classification. We perform our experiments on light curve simulations of eight source types and achieve best case performance of approximately 90% accuracy. We note that classification performance is most influenced by light curve characterization rather than classifier algorithm.

Use of supernovae light curves for testing the expansion hypothesis and other cosmological relations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rust, B.W.

1974-01-01

This thesis is primarily concerned with a test of the expansion hypothesis based on the relation Δt/sub obs/ = (1 + V/sub r//c)Δt/sub int/ where Δt/sub int/ is the time lapse characterizing some phenomenon in a distant galaxy, Δt/sub obs/ is the observed time lapse and V/sub r/ is the symbolic velocity of recession. If the red shift is a Doppler effect, the observed time lapse should be lengthened by the same factor as the wave length of the light. Many authors have suggested type I supernovae for such a test because of their great luminosity and the uniformity of their light curves, but apparently the test has heretofore never actually been performed. Thirty-six light curves were gathered from the literature and one (SN1971i) was measured. All of the light curves were reduced to a common (m/sub pg/) photometric system. The comparison time lapse, Δt/sub c/, was taken to be the time required for the brightness to fall from 0.5 m below peak to 2.5 m below peak. The straight line regression of Δt/sub c/ on V/sub r/ gives a correlation coefficient significant at the 93 percent level, and the simple static Euclidean hypothesis is rejected at that level. The regression line also deviates from the prediction of the classical expansion hypothesis. Better agreement was obtained using the chronogeometric theory of I. E. Segal ( []972 Astron. and Astrophys. 18, 143), but the scatter in the present data makes it impossible to distinguish between these alternate hypotheses at the 95 percent confidence level. The question of how many additional light curves would be needed to give definite tests is addressed. It is shown that at the present rate of supernova discoveries, only a few more years would be required to obtain the necessary data if light curves are systematically measured for the more distant supernovae. (Diss. Abstr. Int., B)

Optical and IR light curves of VV Puppis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szkody, P.; Bailey, J.A.; Hough, J.H.

1983-01-01

We present optical (0.36 to 0.6 μm) light curves with time resolutions of seconds and infrared (IR) (1.25 to 2.2 μm) light curves with time resolutions of minutes for VV Puppis during a high state. The optical light curves show a single hump with largest amplitude in the V filter, while the IR light curves show a double hump sinusoidal variation. Flickering is evident in both the optical and IR light curves, with the largest amplitude in optical B light. Through subtraction of the low state fluxes from our high state values, we obtain a flux distribution of the accretion column which peaks at 0.55 μm and becomes #betta# 2 in the IR, consistent with current cyclotron models. Comparison of the observed IR variations throughout the orbit with the expected variations due to an M4 star heated by an accretion column at an inclination of 66 0 suggests that the IR light is a combination of the secondary star plus contributions from two emitting poles. (author)

A Simple yet Accurate Method for Students to Determine Asteroid Rotation Periods from Fragmented Light Curve Data

Science.gov (United States)

Beare, R. A.

2008-01-01

Professional astronomers use specialized software not normally available to students to determine the rotation periods of asteroids from fragmented light curve data. This paper describes a simple yet accurate method based on Microsoft Excel[R] that enables students to find periods in asteroid light curve and other discontinuous time series data of…

Spotted star light curve numerical modeling technique and its application to HII 1883 surface imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Kolbin, A. I.; Shimansky, V. V.

2014-04-01

We developed a code for imaging the surfaces of spotted stars by a set of circular spots with a uniform temperature distribution. The flux from the spotted surface is computed by partitioning the spots into elementary areas. The code takes into account the passing of spots behind the visible stellar limb, limb darkening, and overlapping of spots. Modeling of light curves includes the use of recent results of the theory of stellar atmospheres needed to take into account the temperature dependence of flux intensity and limb darkening coefficients. The search for spot parameters is based on the analysis of several light curves obtained in different photometric bands. We test our technique by applying it to HII 1883.

SHOCK BREAKOUT AND EARLY LIGHT CURVES OF TYPE II-P SUPERNOVAE OBSERVED WITH KEPLER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garnavich, P. M.; Tucker, B. E.; Rest, A.; Shaya, E. J.; Olling, R. P.; Kasen, D; Villar, A.

2016-01-01

We discovered two transient events in the Kepler field with light curves that strongly suggest they are type II-P supernovae (SNe II-P). Using the fast cadence of the Kepler observations we precisely estimate the rise time to maximum for KSN2011a and KSN2011d as 10.5 ± 0.4 and 13.3 ± 0.4 rest-frame days, respectively. Based on fits to idealized analytic models, we find the progenitor radius of KSN2011a (280 ± 20 R ⊙ ) to be significantly smaller than that for KSN2011d (490 ± 20 R ⊙ ), but both have similar explosion energies of 2.0 ± 0.3 × 10 51 erg. The rising light curve of KSN2011d is an excellent match to that predicted by simple models of exploding red supergiants (RSG). However, the early rise of KSN2011a is faster than the models predict, possibly due to the supernova shock wave moving into pre-existing wind or mass-loss from the RSG. A mass-loss rate of 10 −4 M ⊙ yr −1 from the RSG can explain the fast rise without impacting the optical flux at maximum light or the shape of the post-maximum light curve. No shock breakout emission is seen in KSN2011a, but this is likely due to the circumstellar interaction suspected in the fast rising light curve. The early light curve of KSN2011d does show excess emission consistent with model predictions of a shock breakout. This is the first optical detection of a shock breakout from a SNe II-P

Deep-learnt classification of light curves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mahabal, Ashish; Gieseke, Fabian; Pai, Akshay Sadananda Uppinakudru

2017-01-01

is to derive statistical features from the time series and to use machine learning methods, generally supervised, to separate objects into a few of the standard classes. In this work, we transform the time series to two-dimensional light curve representations in order to classify them using modern deep......Astronomy light curves are sparse, gappy, and heteroscedastic. As a result standard time series methods regularly used for financial and similar datasets are of little help and astronomers are usually left to their own instruments and techniques to classify light curves. A common approach...... learning techniques. In particular, we show that convolutional neural networks based classifiers work well for broad characterization and classification. We use labeled datasets of periodic variables from CRTS survey and show how this opens doors for a quick classification of diverse classes with several...

THE LICK AGN MONITORING PROJECT: PHOTOMETRIC LIGHT CURVES AND OPTICAL VARIABILITY CHARACTERISTICS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walsh, Jonelle L.; Bentz, Misty C.; Barth, Aaron J.; Minezaki, Takeo; Sakata, Yu; Yoshii, Yuzuru; Baliber, Nairn; Bennert, Vardha Nicola; Street, Rachel A.; Treu, Tommaso; Li Weidong; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Stern, Daniel; Brown, Timothy M.; Canalizo, Gabriela; Gates, Elinor L.; Greene, Jenny E.; Malkan, Matthew A.; Woo, Jong-Hak

2009-01-01

The Lick AGN Monitoring Project targeted 13 nearby Seyfert 1 galaxies with the intent of measuring the masses of their central black holes using reverberation mapping. The sample includes 12 galaxies selected to have black holes with masses roughly in the range 10 6 -10 7 M sun , as well as the well-studied active galactic nucleus (AGN) NGC 5548. In conjunction with a spectroscopic monitoring campaign, we obtained broadband B and V images on most nights from 2008 February through 2008 May. The imaging observations were carried out by four telescopes: the 0.76 m Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope, the 2 m Multicolor Active Galactic Nuclei Monitoring telescope, the Palomar 60 inch (1.5 m) telescope, and the 0.80 m Tenagra II telescope. Having well-sampled light curves over the course of a few months is useful for obtaining the broad-line reverberation lag and black hole mass, and also allows us to examine the characteristics of the continuum variability. In this paper, we discuss the observational methods and the photometric measurements, and present the AGN continuum light curves. We measure various variability characteristics of each of the light curves. We do not detect any evidence for a time lag between the B- and V-band variations, and we do not find significant color variations for the AGNs in our sample.

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE X-RAY LIGHT CURVE OF THE {gamma} Cas-LIKE B1e STAR HD 110432

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Myron A. [Catholic University of America, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Lopes de Oliveira, Raimundo [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon s/n, 49100-000 Sao Cristovao, SE (Brazil); Motch, Christian, E-mail: msmith@stsci.edu [Observatoire Astronomique, Universite de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7550, 11 rue de l' Universite, F-67000 Strasbourg (France)

2012-08-10

HD 110432 (BZ Cru; B1Ve) is the brightest member of a small group of '{gamma} Cas analogs' that emit copious hard X-ray flux, punctuated by ubiquitous 'flares'. To characterize the X-ray time history of this star, we made a series of six RXTE multi-visit observations in 2010 and an extended observation with the XMM-Newton in 2007. We analyzed these new light curves along with three older XMM-Newton observations from 2002 to 2003. Distributed over five months, the RXTE observations were designed to search for long X-ray modulations over a few months. These observations indeed suggest the presence of a long cycle with P Almost-Equal-To 226 days and an amplitude of a factor of two. We also used X-ray light curves constructed from XMM-Newton observations to characterize the lifetimes, strengths, and interflare intervals of 1615 flare-like events in the light curves. After accounting for false positive events, we infer the presence of 955 (2002-2003) and 386 (2007) events we identified as flares. Similarly, as a control we measured the same attributes for an additional group of 541 events in XMM-Newton light curves of {gamma} Cas, which, after a similar correction, yielded 517 flares. We found that the flare properties of HD 110432 are mostly similar to our control group. In both cases the distribution of flare strengths are best fit with log-linear relations. Both the slopes of these distributions and the flaring frequencies themselves exhibit modest fluctuations. We discovered that some flares in the hard X-ray band of HD 110432 were weak or unobserved in the soft band and vice versa. The light curves also occasionally show rapid curve drop-offs that are sustained for hours. We discuss the existence of the long cycle and these flare properties in the backdrop of two rival scenarios to produce hard X-rays, a magnetic star-disk interaction, and the accretion of blobs onto a secondary white dwarf.

Observation of mass loss in R CrB during the visual light minimum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kameswara Rao, N.

1981-01-01

Visual light minima of R CrB stars are thought to be caused by the formation of circumstellar dust. It has been observed at the time of the light minimum that there is difference in the reddening between the descending and the rising branches of the light curves. The extinction during the descending branch tends to be neutral with not much of colour change, while there occurs redder colours during the recovery part of the light curve (Forrest 1974). It is probable that the gas causing the broad emission lines with Ne approximately 5 x 10 11 cm -3 also produces the neutral extinction due to electron scattering. An extinction of 4.5 mag can result if this region is assumed to extend to 2R. (Auth.)

Visible bands of ammonia: band strengths, curves of growth, and the spatial distribution of ammonia on Jupiter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lutz, B.L.; Owen, T.

1980-01-01

We report room-temperature laboratory studies of the 5520 A (6ν 1 ) and 6475 A (5ν 1 ) bands of self-broadened ammonia at column densities ranging from 1.7--435.7 meter-amagats (m-am). Detailed equivalent-width measurements at 24 different pressure-pathlength combinations corresponding to four pressures between 44 and 689 torr and pathlengths between 32 and 512 m are used to determin curves of growth and integrated band strengths. The band strengths for the 6ν 1 and 5ν 1 overtones are 5520 A: S=0.096 +- 0.005 cm -1 (m-am) -1 and 6475 A: S=0.63 +- 0.03 cm -1 (m-am) -1 , respectively.Using these band strengths and curves of growth, we analyze new spatially resolved spectra of Jupiter showing a nonhomogeneous distribution of ammonia in the Jovian atmosphere. The observed variations in the CH 4 /NH 3 mixing ratio are interpreted as evidence of altitude-dependent depletion of ammonia in the atmosphere

SP (4,R) symmetry in light nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, D.R.

1979-01-01

A classification of nuclear states according to the noncompact sympletic Lie algebras sp(2n,R), n = 1, 2, 3, is investigated. Such a classification has recently been shown to be physically meaningful. This classification scheme is the appropriate generalization fo Elliott's SU 3 model of rotational states in deformed light nuclei to include core excitations. A restricted classification according to the Lie algebra, sp(4,R), is motivated. Truncation of the model space to a single sp(4,R) irreducible representation allows the inclusion of states possessing very high excitation energy. An sp(4,R) model study is performed on S = T = 0 positive-parity rotational bands in the deformed light nuclei 16 O and 24 Mg. States are included in the model space that possess up to 10h ω in excitation energy. Results for the B(E2) transition rates compare favorable with experiment, without resort to effective charges

The hidden X-ray breaks in afterglow light curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curran, P. A.; Wijers, R. A. M. J.; Horst, A. J. van der; Starling, R. L. C.

2008-01-01

Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) afterglow observations in the Swift era have a perceived lack of achromatic jet breaks compared to the BeppoSAX, or pre-Swift era. Specifically, relatively few breaks, consistent with jet breaks, are observed in the X-ray light curves of these bursts. If these breaks are truly missing, it has serious consequences for the interpretation of GRB jet collimation and energy requirements, and the use of GRBs as standard candles.Here we address the issue of X-ray breaks which are possibly 'hidden' and hence the light curves are misinterpreted as being single power-laws. We show how a number of precedents, including GRB 990510 and GRB 060206, exist for such hidden breaks and how, even with the well sampled light curves of the Swift era, these breaks may be left misidentified. We do so by synthesising X-ray light curves and finding general trends via Monte Carlo analysis. Furthermore, in light of these simulations, we discuss how to best identify achromatic breaks in afterglow light curves via multi-wavelength analysis

Combined effects of blue light and supplemental far-red light and effects of increasing red light with constant far-red light on growth of kidney bean [Phaseolus vulgaris] under mixtures of narrow-band light sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanyu, H.; Shoji, K.

2000-01-01

Increasing blue light and decreasing R: FR with supplementary far-red light affect morphogenesis, dry matter production and dry matter partitioning to leaves, stems and roots. In this study, the combined effects of the two spectral treatments were examined in kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown under the mixture of four different narrow-band light sources. In addition, because the leaf and stem growth are accelerated by increasing red light (600-700 nm) in proportion to far-red light (700-800 nm) while keeping R : FR constant, this study was conducted to determine whether red light or far-red light causes the acceleration of growth. Increasing blue light (400-500 nm) and decreasing R : FR only interacted on stem extension. The results illustrated with figures suggest that blue light amplifies or attenuates the acceleration of stem extension caused by decreasing R : FR. On the other hand, increasing red light with constant far-red light had no influence on leaf expansion or stem extension while R : FR increased. Because the acceleration of leaf and stem growth is caused by increasing either far-red light or both red and far-red light in our environmental conditions, the stimulative effects on leaves and stems seem to require increases in far-red light rather than red light

Epigenetic basis of neuronal plasticity: Association with R/G-band boundaries on human chromosomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshihisa Watanabe

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Epigenetic mechanisms have been suggested to have roles in neuroplasticity, in particular with regard to learning and memory formation, and in a range of neural diseases. In addition to epigenetic marks, the human genome also contains large-scale compartmentalized structures that might also influence neuroplasticity and neural disease. These structures result from variations in the amounts of GC% and in the timing of DNA replication and give rise to longitudinal differentiation (light and dark bands along chromosomes after the appropriate staining. Here we describe our current understanding of the biological importance of the boundaries between these light and dark bands (the so-called R/G boundaries. We propose that the R/G-band boundaries on human chromosomes can be altered by epigenetic mechanisms, and that these changes may affect neuroplasticity, which is important to memory and learning, and may also have a role in the development of neural diseases associated with genomic instability.

Gamma-Ray Light Curves from Pulsar Magnetospheres with Finite Conductivity

Science.gov (United States)

Harding, A. K.; Kalapotharakos, C.; Kazanas, D.; Contopoulos, I.

2012-01-01

The Fermi Large Area Telescope has provided an unprecedented database for pulsar emission studies that includes gamma-ray light curves for over 100 pulsars. Modeling these light curves can reveal and constrain the geometry of the particle accelerator, as well as the pulsar magnetic field structure. We have constructed 3D magnetosphere models with finite conductivity, that bridge the extreme vacuum and force-free solutions used in previous light curves modeling. We are investigating the shapes of pulsar gamma-ray light curves using these dissipative solutions with two different approaches: (l) assuming geometric emission patterns of the slot gap and outer gap, and (2) using the parallel electric field provided by the resistive models to compute the trajectories and . emission of the radiating particles. The light curves using geometric emission patterns show a systematic increase in gamma-ray peak phase with increasing conductivity, introducing a new diagnostic of these solutions. The light curves using the model electric fields are very sensitive to the conductivity but do not resemble the observed Fermi light curves, suggesting that some screening of the parallel electric field, by pair cascades not included in the models, is necessary

SNaX: A Database of Supernova X-Ray Light Curves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ross, Mathias; Dwarkadas, Vikram V., E-mail: Mathias_Ross@msn.com, E-mail: vikram@oddjob.uchicago.edu [Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, 5640 S Ellis Avenue, ERC 569, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States)

2017-06-01

We present the Supernova X-ray Database (SNaX), a compilation of the X-ray data from young supernovae (SNe). The database includes the X-ray fluxes and luminosities of young SNe, from days to years after outburst. The original goal and intent of this study was to present a database of Type IIn SNe (SNe IIn), which we have accomplished. Our ongoing goal is to expand the database to include all SNe for which published data are available. The database interface allows one to search for SNe using various criteria, plot all or selected data points, and download both the data and the plot. The plotting facility allows for significant customization. There is also a facility for the user to submit data that can be directly incorporated into the database. We include an option to fit the decay of any given SN light curve with a power-law. The database includes a conversion of most data points to a common 0.3–8 keV band so that SN light curves may be directly compared with each other. A mailing list has been set up to disseminate information about the database. We outline the structure and function of the database, describe its various features, and outline the plans for future expansion.

SNaX: A Database of Supernova X-Ray Light Curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, Mathias; Dwarkadas, Vikram V.

2017-01-01

We present the Supernova X-ray Database (SNaX), a compilation of the X-ray data from young supernovae (SNe). The database includes the X-ray fluxes and luminosities of young SNe, from days to years after outburst. The original goal and intent of this study was to present a database of Type IIn SNe (SNe IIn), which we have accomplished. Our ongoing goal is to expand the database to include all SNe for which published data are available. The database interface allows one to search for SNe using various criteria, plot all or selected data points, and download both the data and the plot. The plotting facility allows for significant customization. There is also a facility for the user to submit data that can be directly incorporated into the database. We include an option to fit the decay of any given SN light curve with a power-law. The database includes a conversion of most data points to a common 0.3–8 keV band so that SN light curves may be directly compared with each other. A mailing list has been set up to disseminate information about the database. We outline the structure and function of the database, describe its various features, and outline the plans for future expansion.

The All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) Light Curve Server v1.0

Science.gov (United States)

Kochanek, C. S.; Shappee, B. J.; Stanek, K. Z.; Holoien, T. W.-S.; Thompson, Todd A.; Prieto, J. L.; Dong, Subo; Shields, J. V.; Will, D.; Britt, C.; Perzanowski, D.; Pojmański, G.

2017-10-01

The All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) is working toward imaging the entire visible sky every night to a depth of V˜ 17 mag. The present data covers the sky and spans ˜2-5 years with ˜100-400 epochs of observation. The data should contain some ˜1 million variable sources, and the ultimate goal is to have a database of these observations publicly accessible. We describe here a first step, a simple but unprecedented web interface https://asas-sn.osu.edu/ that provides an up to date aperture photometry light curve for any user-selected sky coordinate. The V band photometry is obtained using a two-pixel (16.″0) radius aperture and is calibrated against the APASS catalog. Because the light curves are produced in real time, this web tool is relatively slow and can only be used for small samples of objects. However, it also imposes no selection bias on the part of the ASAS-SN team, allowing the user to obtain a light curve for any point on the celestial sphere. We present the tool, describe its capabilities, limitations, and known issues, and provide a few illustrative examples.

EVEREST: Pixel Level Decorrelation of K2 Light Curves

Science.gov (United States)

Luger, Rodrigo; Agol, Eric; Kruse, Ethan; Barnes, Rory; Becker, Andrew; Foreman-Mackey, Daniel; Deming, Drake

2016-10-01

We present EPIC Variability Extraction and Removal for Exoplanet Science Targets (EVEREST), an open-source pipeline for removing instrumental noise from K2 light curves. EVEREST employs a variant of pixel level decorrelation to remove systematics introduced by the spacecraft’s pointing error and a Gaussian process to capture astrophysical variability. We apply EVEREST to all K2 targets in campaigns 0-7, yielding light curves with precision comparable to that of the original Kepler mission for stars brighter than {K}p≈ 13, and within a factor of two of the Kepler precision for fainter targets. We perform cross-validation and transit injection and recovery tests to validate the pipeline, and compare our light curves to the other de-trended light curves available for download at the MAST High Level Science Products archive. We find that EVEREST achieves the highest average precision of any of these pipelines for unsaturated K2 stars. The improved precision of these light curves will aid in exoplanet detection and characterization, investigations of stellar variability, asteroseismology, and other photometric studies. The EVEREST pipeline can also easily be applied to future surveys, such as the TESS mission, to correct for instrumental systematics and enable the detection of low signal-to-noise transiting exoplanets. The EVEREST light curves and the source code used to generate them are freely available online.

Type II Supernova Light Curves and Spectra from the CfA

Science.gov (United States)

Hicken, Malcolm; Friedman, Andrew S.; Blondin, Stephane; Challis, Peter; Berlind, Perry; Calkins, Mike; Esquerdo, Gil; Matheson, Thomas; Modjaz, Maryam; Rest, Armin; Kirshner, Robert P.

2017-11-01

We present multiband photometry of 60 spectroscopically confirmed supernovae (SNe): 39 SNe II/IIP, 19 IIn, 1 IIb, and 1 that was originally classified as a IIn but later as a Ibn. Of these, 46 have only optical photometry, 6 have only near-infrared (NIR) photometry, and 8 have both optical and NIR. The median redshift of the sample is 0.016. We also present 195 optical spectra for 48 of the 60 SN. There are 26 optical and 2 NIR light curves of SNe II/IIP with redshifts z> 0.01, some of which may give rise to useful distances for cosmological applications. All photometry was obtained between 2000 and 2011 at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO), via the 1.2 m and 1.3 m PAIRITEL telescopes for the optical and NIR, respectively. Each SN was observed in a subset of the u\\prime {UBVRIr}\\prime I\\prime {{JHK}}s bands. There are a total of 2932 optical and 816 NIR light curve points. Optical spectra were obtained using the FLWO 1.5 m Tillinghast telescope with the FAST spectrograph and the MMT Telescope with the Blue Channel Spectrograph. Our photometry is in reasonable agreement with select samples from the literature: two-thirds of our star sequences have average V offsets within ±0.02 mag and roughly three-quarters of our light curves have average differences within ±0.04 mag. The data from this work and the literature will provide insight into SN II explosions, help with developing methods for photometric SN classification, and contribute to their use as cosmological distance indicators.

On Some Statistical Properties of GRBs with Measured Redshifts Having Peaks in Optical Light Curves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grigorii Beskin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We studied the subset of optical light curves of gamma-ray bursts with measured redshifts and well-sampled R band data that have clearly detected peaks. Among 43 such events, 11 are promptoptical peaks (P, coincident with gamma-ray activity, 22 are purely afterglows (A, and 10 more carrythe signatures of an underlying activity (A(U. We studied pair correlations of their gamma-ray andoptical parameters, e.g. total energetics, peak optical luminosities, and durations. The main outcomeof our study is the detection of source frame correlations between both optical peak luminosity and total energy and the redshift for classes A and A(U, and the absence of such a correlation for class Pevents. This result seems to provide evidence of the cosmological evolution of a medium around the burst defining class A and A(U energetics, and the absence of cosmological evolution of the internal properties of GRB engines. We also discuss some other prominent correlations.

An Empirical Fitting Method for Type Ia Supernova Light Curves: A Case Study of SN 2011fe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, WeiKang; Filippenko, Alexei V., E-mail: zwk@astro.berkeley.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)

2017-03-20

We present a new empirical fitting method for the optical light curves of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). We find that a variant broken-power-law function provides a good fit, with the simple assumption that the optical emission is approximately the blackbody emission of the expanding fireball. This function is mathematically analytic and is derived directly from the photospheric velocity evolution. When deriving the function, we assume that both the blackbody temperature and photospheric velocity are constant, but the final function is able to accommodate these changes during the fitting procedure. Applying it to the case study of SN 2011fe gives a surprisingly good fit that can describe the light curves from the first-light time to a few weeks after peak brightness, as well as over a large range of fluxes (∼5 mag, and even ∼7 mag in the g band). Since SNe Ia share similar light-curve shapes, this fitting method has the potential to fit most other SNe Ia and characterize their properties in large statistical samples such as those already gathered and in the near future as new facilities become available.

Infrared photometry, extinction curves and R values for stars in the southern Milky Way

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whittet, D.C.B.; Breda, I.G. Van; Glass, I.S.

1976-01-01

Infrared photometry in the JHKL bands is combined with photoelectric scanner photometry to give interstellar extinction curves in the range lambda 0.34 to 3.4 μ for 22 early-type stars in the Southern Milky Way. The extinction curves show variations in curvature in the infrared which are related to the well-known change in slope in the near ultraviolet. The curves are extrapolated to lambda -1 = 0 with the aid of Mie theory computations for a graphite-iron-silicate grain model, and values of the ratio of total to selective extinction R = Asub(v)/Esub(B-V) are deduced. R is found to vary between 2.7 and 3.5 with a median value of 3.2 for stars with long-path-length reddening, while two stars in the rho Ophiuchi dark cloud have R values of 3.6 and 4.3. The variations found in the extinction curves probably result from regional fluctuations in the mean grain size and/or composition along the line of sight, and any systematic variation in R with galactic longitude is likely to be small. The derived R values are correlated with the wavelength of maximum polarization. R is found to be normal for HD 90706 in the cluster IC 2581, for which a high R value has been suggested. It is noted that R has now been shown to lie in the range 4.1 to 4.4 for stars in the denser regions of the rho Ophiuchi cloud by four independent methods. None of the observed stars show strong infrared excess radiation at 3.4 μ. Small excesses measured for a few high-luminosity stars associated with mass loss may be due to free-free emission in gaseous stellar envelopes. (author)

Exploring Algorithms for Stellar Light Curves With TESS

Science.gov (United States)

Buzasi, Derek

2018-01-01

The Kepler and K2 missions have produced tens of thousands of stellar light curves, which have been used to measure rotation periods, characterize photometric activity levels, and explore phenomena such as differential rotation. The quasi-periodic nature of rotational light curves, combined with the potential presence of additional periodicities not due to rotation, complicates the analysis of these time series and makes characterization of uncertainties difficult. A variety of algorithms have been used for the extraction of rotational signals, including autocorrelation functions, discrete Fourier transforms, Lomb-Scargle periodograms, wavelet transforms, and the Hilbert-Huang transform. In addition, in the case of K2 a number of different pipelines have been used to produce initial detrended light curves from the raw image frames.In the near future, TESS photometry, particularly that deriving from the full-frame images, will dramatically further expand the number of such light curves, but details of the pipeline to be used to produce photometry from the FFIs remain under development. K2 data offers us an opportunity to explore the utility of different reduction and analysis tool combinations applied to these astrophysically important tasks. In this work, we apply a wide range of algorithms to light curves produced by a number of popular K2 pipeline products to better understand the advantages and limitations of each approach and provide guidance for the most reliable and most efficient analysis of TESS stellar data.

Modeling of a Robust Confidence Band for the Power Curve of a Wind Turbine.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez, Wilmar; Méndez, Alfredo; Maldonado-Correa, Jorge L; Balleteros, Francisco

2016-12-07

Having an accurate model of the power curve of a wind turbine allows us to better monitor its operation and planning of storage capacity. Since wind speed and direction is of a highly stochastic nature, the forecasting of the power generated by the wind turbine is of the same nature as well. In this paper, a method for obtaining a robust confidence band containing the power curve of a wind turbine under test conditions is presented. Here, the confidence band is bound by two curves which are estimated using parametric statistical inference techniques. However, the observations that are used for carrying out the statistical analysis are obtained by using the binning method, and in each bin, the outliers are eliminated by using a censorship process based on robust statistical techniques. Then, the observations that are not outliers are divided into observation sets. Finally, both the power curve of the wind turbine and the two curves that define the robust confidence band are estimated using each of the previously mentioned observation sets.

The X-Ray Light Curve of the Very Luminous Supernova SN 1978K in NGC 1313

Science.gov (United States)

Schlegel, Eric M.; Petre, R.; Colbert, E. J. M.

1996-01-01

We present the 0.5-2.0 keV light curve of the X-ray luminous supernova SN 1978K in NGC 1313, based on six ROSAT observations spanning 1990 July to t994 July. SN 1978K is one of a few supernovae or supernova remnants that are very luminous (˜1039-1040 ergs s-1) in the X-ray, optical, and radio bands, and the first, at a supernova age of 10-20 yr, for which sufficient data exist to create an X-ray light curve. The X-ray flux is approximately constant over the 4 yr sampled by our observations, which were obtained 12-16 yr after the initial explosion. Three models exist to explain the large X-ray luminosity: pulsar input, a reverse shock running back into the expanding debris of the supernova, and the outgoing shock crushing of cloudlets in the debris field. Based upon calculations of Chevalier & Fransson, a pulsar cannot provide sufficient energy to produce the soft X-ray luminosity. Based upon the models and the light curve to date, it is not possible to discern the evolutionary phase of the supernova.

Study of the Vapor-Liquid Coexistence Curve and the Critical Curve for Nonazeotropic Refrigerant Mixture R152a + R114 System

Science.gov (United States)

Kabata, Yasuo; Higashi, Yukihiro; Uematsu, Masahiko; Watanabe, Koichi

Measurements of the vapor-liquid coexistence curve in the critical region for the refrigerant mixture of R152a (CH3CHF2: 1, l-difluoroethane) +R 114 (CCIF2CCIF2 :1, 2-dichloro-1, 1, 2, 2-tetrafluoroethane) system were made by visual observation of the disappearance of the meniscus at the vapor-liquid interface within an optical cell. Forty-eight saturated densities along the vapor-liquid coexistence curve between 204 and 861 kg·m-3 for five different compositions of 10, 20, 50, 80 and 90 wt% R 152a were obtained in the temperature range 370 to 409 K. The experimental errors of temperature, density, and mass fraction were estimated within ±10mK, ±0.5% and +0.05 %, respectively. On the basis of these measurements, the critical parameters of five different compositions for the R 152a +R 114 system were determined in consideration of the meniscus disappearance level as well as intensity of the critical opalescence. In accordance with the previous results of three other refrigerant mixtures, i.e., R 12 +R 22 system, R 22 +R 114 system and R 13B1 + R 114 system, the coexistence curve and critical curve on the temperature-density diagram for binary refrigerant mixtures were discussed. In addition, correlations of its composition dependence for this system were proposed.

Light Curve Variations of AR Lacertae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Il-Seong Nha

1991-12-01

Full Text Available Sixteen unitary Light curves of AR Lac in B and V are made at Yonsei University Observatory in the period of 1980-1988. Some overview findings of light variations are made. (1 The light variations outside eclipse follow none of the wave migration patterns reported by previous investigators. (2 Complicated shapes outside eclipse are apparently much reduced in the light curves of 1983-1984. This suggests that, in the future, AR Lac has a chance to attain a normal state with mo complicated interactions. (3 The depths of the primary and the secondary mid-eclipses are changing year-to-year. (4 The K0 star, the larger component, has brightened by 0.m14 V, while the G2 star has shown a fluctuation of about 0.m05 in V. (5 The B-V values at primary mid-eclipse have no correlation with the depth variations. (6 Independently of the increase of maximum brightness, the B-V colors in the non-eclipsed phases changed slightly over the years.

The Carnegie Supernova Project I. Analysis of stripped-envelope supernova light curves

Science.gov (United States)

Taddia, F.; Stritzinger, M. D.; Bersten, M.; Baron, E.; Burns, C.; Contreras, C.; Holmbo, S.; Hsiao, E. Y.; Morrell, N.; Phillips, M. M.; Sollerman, J.; Suntzeff, N. B.

2018-02-01

Stripped-envelope (SE) supernovae (SNe) include H-poor (Type IIb), H-free (Type Ib), and He-free (Type Ic) events thought to be associated with the deaths of massive stars. The exact nature of their progenitors is a matter of debate with several lines of evidence pointing towards intermediate mass (MinitCarnegie Supernova Project (CSP-I) that are unparalleled in terms of photometric accuracy and wavelength range. Light-curve parameters are estimated through the fits of an analytical function and trends are searched for among the resulting fit parameters. Detailed inspection of the dataset suggests a tentative correlation between the peak absolute B-band magnitude and Δm15(B), while the post maximum light curves reveals a correlation between the late-time linear slope and Δm15. Making use of the full set of optical and near-IR photometry, combined with robust host-galaxy extinction corrections, comprehensive bolometric light curves are constructed and compared to both analytic and hydrodynamical models. This analysis finds consistent results among the two different modeling techniques and from the hydrodynamical models we obtained ejecta masses of 1.1-6.2M⊙, 56Ni masses of 0.03-0.35M⊙, and explosion energies (excluding two SNe Ic-BL) of 0.25-3.0 × 1051 erg. Our analysis indicates that adopting κ = 0.07 cm2 g-1 as the mean opacity serves to be a suitable assumption when comparing Arnett-model results to those obtained from hydrodynamical calculations. We also find that adopting He I and O I line velocities to infer the expansion velocity in He-rich and He-poor SNe, respectively, provides ejecta masses relatively similar to those obtained by using the Fe II line velocities, although the use of Fe II as a diagnostic does imply higher explosion energies. The inferred range of ejecta masses are compatible with intermediate mass (MZAMS ≤ 20M⊙) progenitor stars in binary systems for the majority of SE SNe. Furthermore, our hydrodynamical modeling of the

SiFTO: An Empirical Method for Fitting SN Ia Light Curves

Science.gov (United States)

Conley, A.; Sullivan, M.; Hsiao, E. Y.; Guy, J.; Astier, P.; Balam, D.; Balland, C.; Basa, S.; Carlberg, R. G.; Fouchez, D.; Hardin, D.; Howell, D. A.; Hook, I. M.; Pain, R.; Perrett, K.; Pritchet, C. J.; Regnault, N.

2008-07-01

We present SiFTO, a new empirical method for modeling Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) light curves by manipulating a spectral template. We make use of high-redshift SN data when training the model, allowing us to extend it bluer than rest-frame U. This increases the utility of our high-redshift SN observations by allowing us to use more of the available data. We find that when the shape of the light curve is described using a stretch prescription, applying the same stretch at all wavelengths is not an adequate description. SiFTO therefore uses a generalization of stretch which applies different stretch factors as a function of both the wavelength of the observed filter and the stretch in the rest-frame B band. We compare SiFTO to other published light-curve models by applying them to the same set of SN photometry, and demonstrate that SiFTO and SALT2 perform better than the alternatives when judged by the scatter around the best-fit luminosity distance relationship. We further demonstrate that when SiFTO and SALT2 are trained on the same data set the cosmological results agree. Based on observations obtained with MegaPrime/MegaCam, a joint project of CFHT and CEA/DAPNIA, at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) which is operated by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, the Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) of France, and the University of Hawaii. This work is based in part on data products produced at the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre as part of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey, a collaborative project of NRC and CNRS.

Some fundamental questions about R-curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolednik, O.

1992-01-01

With the help of two simple thought experiments it is demonstrated that there exist two physically different types of fracture toughness. The crack-growth toughness, which is identical to the Griffith crack growth resistance, R, is a measure of the non-reversible energy which is needed to produce an increment of new crack area. The size of R is reflected by the slopes of the R-curves commonly used. So an increasing J-Δa-curve does not mean that the crack-growth resistance increases. The fracture initiation toughness, J i , is a normalized total energy (related to the ligament area) which must be put into the specimen up to fracture initiation. Only for ideally brittle materials R and J i have equal sizes. For small-scale yielding a relationship exists between R and J i , ao a one-parameter description of fracture processes is applicable. For large-scale yielding R and J i are not strictly related and both parameters are necessary to describe the fracture process. (orig.) [de

GLOBAL MAPPING OF EARTH-LIKE EXOPLANETS FROM SCATTERED LIGHT CURVES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawahara, Hajime; Fujii, Yuka

2010-01-01

Scattered lights from terrestrial exoplanets provide valuable information about their planetary surface. Applying the surface reconstruction method proposed by Fujii et al. to both diurnal and annual variations of scattered light, we develop a reconstruction method of land distribution with both longitudinal and latitudinal resolutions. We find that one can recover a global map of an idealized Earth-like planet on the following assumptions: (1) cloudlessness, (2) a face-on circular orbit, (3) known surface types and their reflectance spectra, (4) lack of atmospheric absorption, (5) known rotation rate, (6) a static map, and (7) the absence of a moon. Using the dependence of light curves on planetary obliquity, we also show that the obliquity can be measured by adopting the χ 2 minimization or the extended information criterion. We demonstrate the feasibility of our methodology by applying it to a multi-band photometry of a cloudless model Earth with future space missions such as the occulting ozone observatory (O3). We conclude that future space missions can estimate both the surface distribution and the obliquity at least for cloudless Earth-like planets within 5 pc.

IMPROVED DARK ENERGY CONSTRAINTS FROM ∼100 NEW CfA SUPERNOVA TYPE Ia LIGHT CURVES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hicken, Malcolm; Challis, Peter; Kirshner, Robert P.; Wood-Vasey, W. Michael; Blondin, Stephane; Jha, Saurabh; Kelly, Patrick L.; Rest, Armin

2009-01-01

We combine the CfA3 supernovae Type Ia (SN Ia) sample with samples from the literature to calculate improved constraints on the dark energy equation of state parameter, w. The CfA3 sample is added to the Union set of Kowalski et al. to form the Constitution set and, combined with a BAO prior, produces 1 + w = 0.013 +0.066 -0.068 (0.11 syst), consistent with the cosmological constant. The CfA3 addition makes the cosmologically useful sample of nearby SN Ia between 2.6 and 2.9 times larger than before, reducing the statistical uncertainty to the point where systematics play the largest role. We use four light-curve fitters to test for systematic differences: SALT, SALT2, MLCS2k2 (R V = 3.1), and MLCS2k2 (R V = 1.7). SALT produces high-redshift Hubble residuals with systematic trends versus color and larger scatter than MLCS2k2. MLCS2k2 overestimates the intrinsic luminosity of SN Ia with 0.7 V = 3.1 overestimates host-galaxy extinction while R V ∼ 1.7 does not. Our investigation is consistent with no Hubble bubble. We also find that, after light-curve correction, SN Ia in Scd/Sd/Irr hosts are intrinsically fainter than those in E/S0 hosts by 2σ, suggesting that they may come from different populations. We also find that SN Ia in Scd/Sd/Irr hosts have low scatter (0.1 mag) and reddening. Current systematic errors can be reduced by improving SN Ia photometric accuracy, by including the CfA3 sample to retrain light-curve fitters, by combining optical SN Ia photometry with near-infrared photometry to understand host-galaxy extinction, and by determining if different environments give rise to different intrinsic SN Ia luminosity after correction for light-curve shape and color.

TOWARD CHARACTERIZATION OF THE TYPE IIP SUPERNOVA PROGENITOR POPULATION: A STATISTICAL SAMPLE OF LIGHT CURVES FROM Pan-STARRS1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanders, N. E.; Soderberg, A. M.; Chornock, R.; Berger, E.; Challis, P.; Drout, M.; Kirshner, R. P.; Lunnan, R.; Marion, G. H.; Margutti, R.; McKinnon, R.; Milisavljevic, D. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Gezari, S. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2421 (United States); Betancourt, M. [Department of Statistics, University of Warwick, Coventry (United Kingdom); Foley, R. J. [Astronomy Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1002 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Narayan, G. [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Rest, A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Kankare, E.; Mattila, S. [Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA), University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20, 21500 Piikkiö (Finland); Smartt, S. J., E-mail: nsanders@cfa.harvard.edu [Astrophysics Research Centre, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queens University, BT7 1NN, Belfast (United Kingdom); and others

2015-02-01

In recent years, wide-field sky surveys providing deep multiband imaging have presented a new path for indirectly characterizing the progenitor populations of core-collapse supernovae (SNe): systematic light-curve studies. We assemble a set of 76 grizy-band Type IIP SN light curves from Pan-STARRS1, obtained over a constant survey program of 4 yr and classified using both spectroscopy and machine-learning-based photometric techniques. We develop and apply a new Bayesian model for the full multiband evolution of each light curve in the sample. We find no evidence of a subpopulation of fast-declining explosions (historically referred to as ''Type IIL'' SNe). However, we identify a highly significant relation between the plateau phase decay rate and peak luminosity among our SNe IIP. These results argue in favor of a single parameter, likely determined by initial stellar mass, predominantly controlling the explosions of red supergiants. This relation could also be applied for SN cosmology, offering a standardizable candle good to an intrinsic scatter of ≲ 0.2 mag. We compare each light curve to physical models from hydrodynamic simulations to estimate progenitor initial masses and other properties of the Pan-STARRS1 Type IIP SN sample. We show that correction of systematic discrepancies between modeled and observed SN IIP light-curve properties and an expanded grid of progenitor properties are needed to enable robust progenitor inferences from multiband light-curve samples of this kind. This work will serve as a pathfinder for photometric studies of core-collapse SNe to be conducted through future wide-field transient searches.

Pre-nebular Light Curves of SNe I

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnett, W. David [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Fryer, Christopher [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States); Matheson, Thomas [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, AZ (United States)

2017-09-01

We compare analytic predictions of supernova light curves with recent high-quality data from SN2011fe (Ia), KSN2011b (Ia), and the Palomar Transient Factory and the La Silla-QUEST variability survey (LSQ) (Ia). Because of the steady, fast cadence of observations, KSN2011b provides unique new information on SNe Ia: the smoothness of the light curve, which is consistent with significant large-scale mixing during the explosion, possibly due to 3D effects (e.g., Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities), and provides support for a slowly varying leakage (mean opacity). For a more complex light curve (SN2008D, SN Ib), we separate the luminosity due to multiple causes and indicate the possibility of a radioactive plume. The early rise in luminosity is shown to be affected by the opacity (leakage rate) for thermal and non-thermal radiation. A general derivation of Arnett’s rule again shows that it depends upon all processes heating the plasma, not just radioactive ones, so that SNe Ia will differ from SNe Ibc if the latter have multiple heating processes.

ASTEROID LIGHT CURVES FROM THE PALOMAR TRANSIENT FACTORY SURVEY: ROTATION PERIODS AND PHASE FUNCTIONS FROM SPARSE PHOTOMETRY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waszczak, Adam [Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Chang, Chan-Kao; Cheng, Yu-Chi; Ip, Wing-Huen; Kinoshita, Daisuke [Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan (China); Ofek, Eran O. [Benoziyo Center for Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot (Israel); Laher, Russ; Surace, Jason [Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Masci, Frank; Helou, George [Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Levitan, David; Prince, Thomas A.; Kulkarni, Shrinivas, E-mail: waszczak@caltech.edu [Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2015-09-15

We fit 54,296 sparsely sampled asteroid light curves in the Palomar Transient Factory survey to a combined rotation plus phase-function model. Each light curve consists of 20 or more observations acquired in a single opposition. Using 805 asteroids in our sample that have reference periods in the literature, we find that the reliability of our fitted periods is a complicated function of the period, amplitude, apparent magnitude, and other light-curve attributes. Using the 805-asteroid ground-truth sample, we train an automated classifier to estimate (along with manual inspection) the validity of the remaining ∼53,000 fitted periods. By this method we find that 9033 of our light curves (of ∼8300 unique asteroids) have “reliable” periods. Subsequent consideration of asteroids with multiple light-curve fits indicates a 4% contamination in these “reliable” periods. For 3902 light curves with sufficient phase-angle coverage and either a reliable fit period or low amplitude, we examine the distribution of several phase-function parameters, none of which are bimodal though all correlate with the bond albedo and with visible-band colors. Comparing the theoretical maximal spin rate of a fluid body with our amplitude versus spin-rate distribution suggests that, if held together only by self-gravity, most asteroids are in general less dense than ∼2 g cm{sup −3}, while C types have a lower limit of between 1 and 2 g cm{sup −3}. These results are in agreement with previous density estimates. For 5–20 km diameters, S types rotate faster and have lower amplitudes than C types. If both populations share the same angular momentum, this may indicate the two types’ differing ability to deform under rotational stress. Lastly, we compare our absolute magnitudes (and apparent-magnitude residuals) to those of the Minor Planet Center’s nominal (G = 0.15, rotation-neglecting) model; our phase-function plus Fourier-series fitting reduces asteroid photometric rms

SDSS J14584479+3720215: A BENCHMARK JHK{sub S} BLAZAR LIGHT CURVE FROM THE 2MASS CALIBRATION SCANS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davenport, James R. A.; Ruan, John J.; Becker, Andrew C. [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Macleod, Chelsea L. [Physics Department, The United States Naval Academy, 572c Holloway Road, Annapolis, MD 21402 (United States); Cutri, Roc M., E-mail: jrad@astro.washington.edu [Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2015-04-10

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are well-known to exhibit flux variability across a wide range of wavelength regimes, but the precise origin of the variability at different wavelengths remains unclear. To investigate the relatively unexplored near-IR (NIR) variability of the most luminous AGNs, we conduct a search for variability using well sampled JHK{sub s}-band light curves from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) calibration fields. Our sample includes 27 known quasars with an average of 924 epochs of observation over three years, as well as one spectroscopically confirmed blazar (SDSS J14584479+3720215) with 1972 epochs of data. This is the best-sampled NIR photometric blazar light curve to date, and it exhibits correlated, stochastic variability that we characterize with continuous auto-regressive moving average (CARMA) models. None of the other 26 known quasars had detectable variability in the 2MASS bands above the photometric uncertainty. A blind search of the 2MASS calibration field light curves for active galactic nucleus (AGN) candidates based on fitting CARMA(1,0) models (damped-random walk) uncovered only seven candidates. All seven were young stellar objects within the ρ Ophiuchus star forming region, five with previous X-ray detections. A significant γ-ray detection (5σ) for the known blazar using 4.5 yr of Fermi photon data is also found. We suggest that strong NIR variability of blazars, such as seen for SDSS J14584479+3720215, can be used as an efficient method of identifying previously unidentified γ-ray blazars, with low contamination from other AGNs.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Lick AGN monitoring 2011: light curves (Barth+, 2015)

Science.gov (United States)

Barth, A. J.; Bennert, V. N.; Canalizo, G.; Filippenko, A. V.; Gates, E. L.; Greene, J. E.; Li, W.; Malkan, M. A.; Pancoast, A.; Sand, D. J.; Stern, D.; Treu, T.; Woo, J.-H.; Assef, R. J.; Bae, H.-J.; Brewer, B. J.; Cenko, S. B.; Clubb, K. I.; Cooper, M. C.; Diamond-Stanic, A. M.; Hiner, K. D.; Honig, S. F.; Hsiao, E.; Kandrashoff, M. T.; Lazarova, M. S.; Nierenberg, A. M.; Rex, J.; Silverman, J. M.; Tollerud, E. J.; Walsh, J. L.

2015-05-01

This project was allocated 69 nights at the Lick 3m Shane telescope, distributed between 2011 March 27 and June 13. Observations were conducted using the Kast double spectrograph (3440-5515Å on the blue side and 5410-8200Å on the red side). In order to extend our light curves for two AGNs, we also requested additional observations from other observers using the Kast spectrograph: Mrk 50 from 2011 January through March, and Zw 229-015 in June and July. For Zw 229-015, three additional observations were taken 20-23 days after the end of our main campaign. See section 3. (2 data files).

SPOTTED STAR LIGHT CURVES WITH ENHANCED PRECISION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, R. E.

2012-01-01

The nearly continuous timewise coverage of recent photometric surveys is free of the large gaps that compromise attempts to follow starspot growth and decay as well as motions, thereby giving incentive to improve computational precision for modeled spots. Due to the wide variety of star systems in the surveys, such improvement should apply to light/velocity curve models that accurately include all the main phenomena of close binaries and rotating single stars. The vector fractional area (VFA) algorithm that is introduced here represents surface elements by small sets of position vectors so as to allow accurate computation of circle-triangle overlap by spherical geometry. When computed by VFA, spots introduce essentially no noticeable scatter in light curves at the level of one part in 10,000. VFA has been put into the Wilson-Devinney light/velocity curve program and all logic and mathematics are given so as to facilitate entry into other such programs. Advantages of precise spot computation include improved statistics of spot motions and aging, reduced computation time (intrinsic precision relaxes needs for grid fineness), noise-free illustration of spot effects in figures, and help in guarding against false positives in exoplanet searches, where spots could approximately mimic transiting planets in unusual circumstances. A simple spot growth and decay template quantifies time profiles, and specifics of its utilization in differential corrections solutions are given. Computational strategies are discussed, the overall process is tested in simulations via solutions of synthetic light curve data, and essential simulation results are described. An efficient time smearing facility by Gaussian quadrature can deal with Kepler mission data that are in 30 minute time bins.

CSI 2264: characterizing accretion-burst dominated light curves for young stars in NGC 2264

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stauffer, John; Cody, Ann Marie; Rebull, Luisa; Carey, Sean; Baglin, Annie; Alencar, Silvia; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Carpenter, John; Findeisen, Krzysztof; Venuti, Laura; Bouvier, Jerome; Turner, Neal J.; Plavchan, Peter; Terebey, Susan; Morales-Calderón, María; Micela, Giusi; Flaccomio, Ettore; Song, Inseok; Gutermuth, Rob; Hartmann, Lee

2014-01-01

Based on more than four weeks of continuous high-cadence photometric monitoring of several hundred members of the young cluster NGC 2264 with two space telescopes, NASA's Spitzer and the CNES CoRoT (Convection, Rotation, and planetary Transits), we provide high-quality, multi-wavelength light curves for young stellar objects whose optical variability is dominated by short-duration flux bursts, which we infer are due to enhanced mass accretion rates. These light curves show many brief—several hours to one day—brightenings at optical and near-infrared wavelengths with amplitudes generally in the range of 5%-50% of the quiescent value. Typically, a dozen or more of these bursts occur in a 30 day period. We demonstrate that stars exhibiting this type of variability have large ultraviolet (UV) excesses and dominate the portion of the u – g versus g – r color-color diagram with the largest UV excesses. These stars also have large Hα equivalent widths, and either centrally peaked, lumpy Hα emission profiles or profiles with blueshifted absorption dips associated with disk or stellar winds. Light curves of this type have been predicted for stars whose accretion is dominated by Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities at the boundary between their magnetosphere and inner circumstellar disk, or where magneto-rotational instabilities modulate the accretion rate from the inner disk. Among the stars with the largest UV excesses or largest Hα equivalent widths, light curves with this type of variability greatly outnumber light curves with relatively smooth sinusoidal variations associated with long-lived hot spots. We provide quantitative statistics for the average duration and strength of the accretion bursts and for the fraction of the accretion luminosity associated with these bursts.

Modelling gamma-ray light curves of phase-aligned millisecond pulsars

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Shan; Zhang, Li; Li, Xiang; Jiang, Zejun

2018-04-01

Three gamma-ray millisecond pulsars (MSPs), PSR J1939+2134, PSR J1959+2048, and PSR J0034-0534, have been confirmed to have a common feature of phase-aligned in radio and gamma-ray bands. With a geometric (two-pole caustic) model and a physical outer gap model (revised 3D outer gap model) in a three dimensional (3D) retarded magnetic dipole with a perturbation magnetic field, the observed features of these MSPs are studied. In order to obtained the best-fitting model parameters, the Markov chain Monte Carlo technique is used and reasonable GeV band light curves for three MSPs are given. Our calculations indicate that MSPs emit high energy photons with smaller inclination angles (α ≈ 10°-50°), larger view angles (ζ ≈ 65°-100°), and smaller perturbation factor (ɛ ≈ -0.15-0.1). Note that the factor ɛ, describing the strength of the perturbed magnetic field, is all less than zero in these two models, so the magnetic field caused by current-induced play a leading role in the pulsed location of MSPs.

CSI 2264: CHARACTERIZING YOUNG STARS IN NGC 2264 WITH STOCHASTICALLY VARYING LIGHT CURVES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stauffer, John; Rebull, Luisa; Carey, Sean [Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Cody, Ann Marie [NASA Ames Research Center, Kepler Science Office, Mountain View, CA 94035 (United States); Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Carpenter, John [Astronomy Department, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Turner, Neal J. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Terebey, Susan [Department of Physics and Astronomy, 5151 State University Drive, California State University at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90032 (United States); Morales-Calderón, Maria [Centro de Astrobiología, Dpto. de Astrofísica, INTA-CSIC, P.O. BOX 78, E-28691, ESAC Campus, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid (Spain); Alencar, Silvia H. P.; McGinnis, Pauline; Sousa, Alana [Departamento de Física—ICEx—UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 30270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Bouvier, Jerome; Venuti, Laura [Université de Grenoble, Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), F-38000 Grenoble (France); Hartmann, Lee; Calvet, Nuria [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI:48105 (United States); Micela, Giusi; Flaccomio, Ettore [INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, Piazza del Parlamento 1, I-90134, Palermo (Italy); Song, Inseok [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2451 (United States); Gutermuth, Rob, E-mail: stauffer@ipac.caltech.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); and others

2016-03-15

We provide CoRoT and Spitzer light curves and other supporting data for 17 classical T Tauri stars in NGC 2264 whose CoRoT light curves exemplify the “stochastic” light curve class as defined in 2014 by Cody et al. The most probable physical mechanism to explain the optical variability within this light curve class is time-dependent mass accretion onto the stellar photosphere, producing transient hot spots. Where we have appropriate spectral data, we show that the veiling variability in these stars is consistent in both amplitude and timescale with the optical light curve morphology. The veiling variability is also well-correlated with the strength of the He i 6678 Å emission line, predicted by models to arise in accretion shocks on or near the stellar photosphere. Stars with accretion burst light curve morphology also have variable mass accretion. The stochastic and accretion burst light curves can both be explained by a simple model of randomly occurring flux bursts, with the stochastic light curve class having a higher frequency of lower amplitude events. Members of the stochastic light curve class have only moderate mass accretion rates. Their Hα profiles usually have blueshifted absorption features, probably originating in a disk wind. The lack of periodic signatures in the light curves suggests that little of the variability is due to long-lived hot spots rotating into or out of our line of sight; instead, the primary driver of the observed photometric variability is likely to be instabilities in the inner disk that lead to variable mass accretion.

Light curve of the CX Cep eclipsing binary system and characteristics of a Wolf-Rayet star

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipunova, N.A.; Cherepashchuk, A.M.

1982-01-01

The photoelectric B, V, R observations of the eclipsing Wolf-Rayet binary CX Cep (WN 5 + 08V, V approximately equal to 12sup(m),1, p approximately equal to 2sup(d),127) have been carried out. The physical characteristics of the WN 5 star, the core radius r 0 =(4.5+-2.5) Rsub(S) (Rsub(S) is the Sun radius) and the brightness temperature of the core Tsub(b)>50 000 K, are determined from the analysis of the light curve lambdasub(eff) approximately equal to 6 000 A. These characteristics are close to those of the WN 5 star in the eclipsing Wolf-Rayet binary V 444 Cyg. The results of the interpretation of the light curves of two eclipsing Wolf-Rayet binaries (V 444 Cyg and CX Cep) confirm the conclusions of the modern theory of evolution of massive close binary systems [ru

The Kepler Light Curves of AGN: A Detailed Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Krista Lynne; Mushotzky, Richard F.; Boyd, Patricia T.; Malkan, Matt; Howell, Steve B.; Gelino, Dawn M.

2018-04-01

We present a comprehensive analysis of 21 light curves of Type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGN) from the Kepler spacecraft. First, we describe the necessity and development of a customized pipeline for treating Kepler data of stochastically variable sources like AGN. We then present the light curves, power spectral density functions (PSDs), and flux histograms. The light curves display an astonishing variety of behaviors, many of which would not be detected in ground-based studies, including switching between distinct flux levels. Six objects exhibit PSD flattening at characteristic timescales that roughly correlate with black hole mass. These timescales are consistent with orbital timescales or free-fall accretion timescales. We check for correlations of variability and high-frequency PSD slope with accretion rate, black hole mass, redshift, and luminosity. We find that bolometric luminosity is anticorrelated with both variability and steepness of the PSD slope. We do not find evidence of the linear rms–flux relationships or lognormal flux distributions found in X-ray AGN light curves, indicating that reprocessing is not a significant contributor to optical variability at the 0.1%–10% level.

The behaviour of the moment of inertia curve in a recrossing of the ground state band and the super band in 158Er

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dracoulis, G.D.

1978-11-01

The recrossing of the ground state band with the super band as an explanation for the second anomaly in 158 Er is examined in terms of the moment of inertia. A two band mixing calculation does not reproduce the experimenal moment of inertia curve

UNSUPERVISED TRANSIENT LIGHT CURVE ANALYSIS VIA HIERARCHICAL BAYESIAN INFERENCE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanders, N. E.; Soderberg, A. M.; Betancourt, M.

2015-01-01

Historically, light curve studies of supernovae (SNe) and other transient classes have focused on individual objects with copious and high signal-to-noise observations. In the nascent era of wide field transient searches, objects with detailed observations are decreasing as a fraction of the overall known SN population, and this strategy sacrifices the majority of the information contained in the data about the underlying population of transients. A population level modeling approach, simultaneously fitting all available observations of objects in a transient sub-class of interest, fully mines the data to infer the properties of the population and avoids certain systematic biases. We present a novel hierarchical Bayesian statistical model for population level modeling of transient light curves, and discuss its implementation using an efficient Hamiltonian Monte Carlo technique. As a test case, we apply this model to the Type IIP SN sample from the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey, consisting of 18,837 photometric observations of 76 SNe, corresponding to a joint posterior distribution with 9176 parameters under our model. Our hierarchical model fits provide improved constraints on light curve parameters relevant to the physical properties of their progenitor stars relative to modeling individual light curves alone. Moreover, we directly evaluate the probability for occurrence rates of unseen light curve characteristics from the model hyperparameters, addressing observational biases in survey methodology. We view this modeling framework as an unsupervised machine learning technique with the ability to maximize scientific returns from data to be collected by future wide field transient searches like LSST

UNSUPERVISED TRANSIENT LIGHT CURVE ANALYSIS VIA HIERARCHICAL BAYESIAN INFERENCE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanders, N. E.; Soderberg, A. M. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Betancourt, M., E-mail: nsanders@cfa.harvard.edu [Department of Statistics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

2015-02-10

Historically, light curve studies of supernovae (SNe) and other transient classes have focused on individual objects with copious and high signal-to-noise observations. In the nascent era of wide field transient searches, objects with detailed observations are decreasing as a fraction of the overall known SN population, and this strategy sacrifices the majority of the information contained in the data about the underlying population of transients. A population level modeling approach, simultaneously fitting all available observations of objects in a transient sub-class of interest, fully mines the data to infer the properties of the population and avoids certain systematic biases. We present a novel hierarchical Bayesian statistical model for population level modeling of transient light curves, and discuss its implementation using an efficient Hamiltonian Monte Carlo technique. As a test case, we apply this model to the Type IIP SN sample from the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey, consisting of 18,837 photometric observations of 76 SNe, corresponding to a joint posterior distribution with 9176 parameters under our model. Our hierarchical model fits provide improved constraints on light curve parameters relevant to the physical properties of their progenitor stars relative to modeling individual light curves alone. Moreover, we directly evaluate the probability for occurrence rates of unseen light curve characteristics from the model hyperparameters, addressing observational biases in survey methodology. We view this modeling framework as an unsupervised machine learning technique with the ability to maximize scientific returns from data to be collected by future wide field transient searches like LSST.

CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS OF SN 1987A: THE SOFT X-RAY LIGHT CURVE REVISITED

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helder, E. A.; Broos, P. S.; Burrows, D. N. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Dewey, D. [MIT Kavli Institute, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Dwek, E. [Observational Cosmology Laboratory, Code 665, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); McCray, R. [JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Park, S. [Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Box 19059, Arlington, TX 76019 (United States); Racusin, J. L. [NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Zhekov, S. A. [Space Research and Technology Institute, Akad. G. Bonchev str., bl.1, Sofia 1113 (Bulgaria)

2013-02-10

We report on the present stage of SN 1987A as observed by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. We reanalyze published Chandra observations and add three more epochs of Chandra data to get a consistent picture of the evolution of the X-ray fluxes in several energy bands. We discuss the implications of several calibration issues for Chandra data. Using the most recent Chandra calibration files, we find that the 0.5-2.0 keV band fluxes of SN 1987A have increased by {approx}6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -13} erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2} per year since 2009. This is in contrast with our previous result that the 0.5-2.0 keV light curve showed a sudden flattening in 2009. Based on our new analysis, we conclude that the forward shock is still in full interaction with the equatorial ring.

Rectification of light refraction in curved waveguide arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Longhi, Stefano

2009-02-15

An "optical ratchet" for discretized light in photonic lattices, which enables observing rectification of light refraction at any input beam conditions, is theoretically presented, and a possible experimental implementation based on periodically curved zigzag waveguide arrays is proposed.

Multiperiodicity in the light curve of Alpha Orionis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karovska, M.

1987-01-01

Alpha Ori, a supergiant star classified as M2 Iab, is characterized by pronounced variability encompassing most of its observed parameters. Variability on two different time scales has been observed in the light and velocity curves: a long period variation of about 6 years and superposed on this, irregular fluctuations having a time scale of several hundred days. This paper reports the results of Fourier analysis of more than 60- years of AAVSO (American Association of Variable Stars Observers) data which suggest a multiperiodicity in the light curve of α Ori

Rectification of light refraction in curved waveguide arrays

OpenAIRE

Longhi, S.

2010-01-01

An 'optical ratchet' for discretized light in photonic lattices, which enables to observe rectification of light refraction at any input beam conditions, is theoretically presented, and a possible experimental implementation based on periodically-curved zigzag waveguide arrays is proposed.

Light-Curve Diagnosis of a Hot Spot for Accretion-Disk Models

OpenAIRE

FUKUE, Jun

2003-01-01

Light curves of a hot spot rotating in a relativistic Keplerian disk were found to be periodic with typically two peaks, originating from a gravitational focusing effect and a Doppler boost. On the other hand, we found that light curves of a hot spot spirally infalling in a sub-Keplerian advective disk are aperiodic with typically a single peak, originating from a gravitational focusing effect or a Doppler boost. Such a difference in the light curves of a hot spot can discriminate background ...

Imprints of the quasar structure in time-delay light curves: Microlensing-aided reverberation mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Sluse, D.; Tewes, M.

2014-11-01

The advent of large area photometric surveys has raised a great deal of interest in the possibility of using broadband photometric data, instead of spectra, to measure the size of the broad line region of active galactic nuclei. We describe here a new method that uses time-delay lensed quasars where one or several images are affected by microlensing due to stars in the lensing galaxy. Because microlensing decreases (or increases) the flux of the continuum compared to the broad line region, it changes the contrast between these two emission components. We show that this effect can be used to effectively disentangle the intrinsic variability of those two regions, offering the opportunity to perform reverberation mapping based on single-band photometric data. Based on simulated light curves generated using a damped random walk model of quasar variability, we show that measurement of the size of the broad line region can be achieved using this method, provided one spectrum has been obtained independently during the monitoring. This method is complementary to photometric reverberation mapping and could also be extended to multi-band data. Because the effect described above produces a variability pattern in difference light curves between pairs of lensed images that is correlated with the time-lagged continuum variability, it can potentially produce systematic errors in measurement of time delays between pairs of lensed images. Simple simulations indicate that time-delay measurement techniques that use a sufficiently flexible model for the extrinsic variability are not affected by this effect and produce accurate time delays.

Gamma-Ray Pulsar Light Curves as Probes of Magnetospheric Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Harding, A. K.

2016-01-01

The large number of gamma-ray pulsars discovered by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope since its launch in 2008 dwarfs the handful that were previously known. The variety of observed light curves makes possible a tomography of both the ensemble-averaged field structure and the high-energy emission regions of a pulsar magnetosphere. Fitting the gamma-ray pulsar light curves with model magnetospheres and emission models has revealed that most of the high-energy emission, and the particles acceleration, takes place near or beyond the light cylinder, near the current sheet. As pulsar magnetosphere models become more sophisticated, it is possible to probe magnetic field structure and emission that are self-consistently determined. Light curve modeling will continue to be a powerful tool for constraining the pulsar magnetosphere physics.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: SNe II light curves & spectra from the CfA (Hicken+, 2017)

Science.gov (United States)

Hicken, M.; Friedman, A. S.; Blondin, S.; Challis, P.; Berlind, P.; Calkins, M.; Esquerdo, G.; Matheson, T.; Modjaz, M.; Rest, A.; Kirshner, R. P.

2018-01-01

Since all of the optical photometry reported here was produced as part of the CfA3 and CfA4 processing campaigns, see Hicken+ (2009, J/ApJ/700/331) and Hicken+ (2012, J/ApJS/200/12) for greater details on the instruments, observations, photometry pipeline, calibration, and host-galaxy subtraction used to create the CfA SN II light curves. (8 data files).

QUEST1 Variability Survey. III. Light Curve Catalog Update

Science.gov (United States)

Rengstorf, A. W.; Thompson, D. L.; Mufson, S. L.; Andrews, P.; Honeycutt, R. K.; Vivas, A. K.; Abad, C.; Adams, B.; Bailyn, C.; Baltay, C.; Bongiovanni, A.; Briceño, C.; Bruzual, G.; Coppi, P.; Della Prugna, F.; Emmet, W.; Ferrín, I.; Fuenmayor, F.; Gebhard, M.; Hernández, J.; Magris, G.; Musser, J.; Naranjo, O.; Oemler, A.; Rosenzweig, P.; Sabbey, C. N.; Sánchez, Ge.; Sánchez, Gu.; Schaefer, B.; Schenner, H.; Sinnott, J.; Snyder, J. A.; Sofia, S.; Stock, J.; van Altena, W.

2009-03-01

This paper reports an update to the QUEST1 (QUasar Equatorial Survey Team, Phase 1) Variability Survey (QVS) light curve catalog, which links QVS instrumental magnitude light curves to Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) objects and photometry. In the time since the original QVS catalog release, the overlap between publicly available SDSS data and QVS data has increased by 8% in sky coverage and 16,728 in number of matched objects. The astrometric matching and the treatment of SDSS masks have been refined for the updated catalog. We report on these improvements and present multiple bandpass light curves, global variability information, and matched SDSS photometry for 214,941 QUEST1 objects. Based on observations obtained at the Llano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory, operated by the Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía for the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia of Venezuela.

Fiscal 1974 Sunshine Project result report. R and D on solar heat power generation system (R and D on curved reflector light collection system); 1974 nendo taiyonetsu hatsuden system no kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. kyokumen shuko hoshiki system no kenkyu kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1975-05-30

This report composed of 6 parts summarizes the fiscal 1974 Sunshine Project research result on the solar heat power generation system with a curved reflector light collection system. Part 1 outlines the research target, research result and research system. Part 2 describes each research item in detail. This part on system and hardware researches is composed of (1) study on 1,000kW system, (2) development of plane/parabolic reflector light collection equipment, (3) development of parabolic reflector light collection equipment, (4) development of selective transparent membrane and selective absorption surface, and (5) study on heat storage equipment and heat exchange equipment. Part 3 describes the future R and D plan for every year focusing the fiscal 1975 R and D plan. Part 4 describes various cooperative activities with other research groups such as various committees related to the Sunshine Project, universities and Electrotechnical Laboratory. Part 5 describes several patents produced during this R and D. Part 6 summarizes the results on this R and D. (NEDO)

AEOLUS: A MARKOV CHAIN MONTE CARLO CODE FOR MAPPING ULTRACOOL ATMOSPHERES. AN APPLICATION ON JUPITER AND BROWN DWARF HST LIGHT CURVES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karalidi, Theodora; Apai, Dániel; Schneider, Glenn; Hanson, Jake R. [Steward Observatory, Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Pasachoff, Jay M., E-mail: tkaralidi@email.arizona.edu [Hopkins Observatory, Williams College, 33 Lab Campus Drive, Williamstown, MA 01267 (United States)

2015-11-20

Deducing the cloud cover and its temporal evolution from the observed planetary spectra and phase curves can give us major insight into the atmospheric dynamics. In this paper, we present Aeolus, a Markov chain Monte Carlo code that maps the structure of brown dwarf and other ultracool atmospheres. We validated Aeolus on a set of unique Jupiter Hubble Space Telescope (HST) light curves. Aeolus accurately retrieves the properties of the major features of the Jovian atmosphere, such as the Great Red Spot and a major 5 μm hot spot. Aeolus is the first mapping code validated on actual observations of a giant planet over a full rotational period. For this study, we applied Aeolus to J- and H-band HST light curves of 2MASS J21392676+0220226 and 2MASS J0136565+093347. Aeolus retrieves three spots at the top of the atmosphere (per observational wavelength) of these two brown dwarfs, with a surface coverage of 21% ± 3% and 20.3% ± 1.5%, respectively. The Jupiter HST light curves will be publicly available via ADS/VIZIR.

Exquisite Nova Light Curves from the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI)

OpenAIRE

Hounsell, R.; Bode, M. F.; Hick, P. P.; Buffington, A.; Jackson, B. V.; Clover, J. M.; Shafter, A. W.; Darnley, M. J.; Mawson, N. R.; Steele, I. A.; Evans, A.; Eyres, S. P. S.; O'Brien, T. J.

2010-01-01

We present light curves of three classical novae (KT Eridani, V598 Puppis, V1280 Scorpii) and one recurrent nova (RS Ophiuchi) derived from data obtained by the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) on board the Coriolis satellite. SMEI provides near complete sky-map coverage with precision visible-light photometry at 102-minute cadence. The light curves derived from these sky maps offer unprecedented temporal resolution around, and especially before, maximum light, a phase of the nova eruption n...

Interpretation of eclipsing light curves of dwarf novae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matvienko, A.N.; Cherepashchuk, A.M.; Yagola, A.G.

1988-01-01

The method for interpretation of eclipsing light curves of dwarf novae is proposed, taking into account the influence of the hot spot situated in the outer part of the disk-like envelope surrounding a white dwarf. This method is applied to the analysis of the eclipsing light curves of the system Z Cha in the quiet and active stages. It is shown that the optical luminosity of the hot spot in the system Z Cha in the active stage is 3-5 times greater than that in the quiet stage. Radius of the disk-like envelope in the active stage is more than twice greater than that in the quiet stage

Infrared and optical light curves of EX Hydrae and VW Hydri

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherrington, M.R.; Lawson, P.A.; King, A.R.; Jameson, R.F.

1980-01-01

Optical and infrared light curves of EX Hya (V and K) and VW Hyi (J and K) are presented. The infrared colours imply very large discs for these systems. It is also found for EX Hya that the structure of the light curves is non-repeatable. (author)

Experimental R-curve behavior in partially stabilized zirconia using moiracute e interferometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perry, K.E.; Okada, H.; Atluri, S.N.

1993-01-01

Moiracute e interferometry is employed to study toughening in partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ). Energy to fracture as a function of crack growth curves (R-curves) is derived from mode I compliance calculations and from near tip fitting of the moiracute e fringes. The effect of the tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation in the zirconia is found by comparing the bulk compliance R-curves to the locally derived moiracute e R-curve. Localized strain field plots are produced from the moiracute e data for the PSZ zirconia. The observed transformation zone height compares favorably with that predicted by Okada et al. in a companion paper, as does the qualitative nature of the R-curve with predictions by Stump and Budiansky

Light curves for ''bump Cepheids'' computed with a dynamically zoned pulsation code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, T.F.; Castor, J.E.; Davis, C.G.

1978-01-01

The dynamically zoned pulsation code developed by Castor, Davis, and Davison has been used to recalculate the Goddard model and to calculate three other Cepheid models with the same period (9.8 days). This family of models shows how the bumps and other features of the light and velocity curves change as the mass is varied at constant period. This study, with a code that is capable of producing reliable light curves, shows again that the light and velocity curves for 9.8-day Cepheid models with standard homogeneous compositions do not show bumps like those that are observed unless the mass is significantly lower than the ''evolutionary mass.'' The light and velocity curves for the Goddard model presented here are similar to those computed independently by Fischel, Sparks, and Karp. They should be useful as standards for future investigators

CONSTRAINTS ON THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRST LIGHT FROM SN 2014J

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goobar, A.; Amanullah, R.; Kromer, M.; Sollerman, J.; Taddia, F.; Siverd, R.; Stassun, K. G.; Pepper, J.; Kasliwal, M.

2015-01-01

We study the very early light curve of supernova 2014J (SN 2014J) using the high-cadence broad-band imaging data obtained by the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope, which fortuitously observed M 82 around the time of the explosion, starting more than 2 months prior to detection, with up to 20 observations per night. These observations are complemented by observations in two narrow-band filters used in an Hα survey of nearby galaxies by the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory that also captured the first days of the brightening of the supernova. The evolution of the light curves is consistent with the expected signal from the cooling of shock heated material of large scale dimensions, ≳1R ☉ . This could be due to heated material of the progenitor, a companion star or pre-existing circumstellar environment, e.g., in the form of an accretion disk. Structure seen in the light curves during the first days after explosion could also originate from radioactive material in the outer parts of an exploding white dwarf, as suggested from the early detection of gamma-rays. The model degeneracy translates into a systematic uncertainty of ±0.3 days on the estimate of the first light from SN 2014J

Early light curves for Type Ia supernova explosion models

Science.gov (United States)

Noebauer, U. M.; Kromer, M.; Taubenberger, S.; Baklanov, P.; Blinnikov, S.; Sorokina, E.; Hillebrandt, W.

2017-12-01

Upcoming high-cadence transient survey programmes will produce a wealth of observational data for Type Ia supernovae. These data sets will contain numerous events detected very early in their evolution, shortly after explosion. Here, we present synthetic light curves, calculated with the radiation hydrodynamical approach STELLA for a number of different explosion models, specifically focusing on these first few days after explosion. We show that overall the early light curve evolution is similar for most of the investigated models. Characteristic imprints are induced by radioactive material located close to the surface. However, these are very similar to the signatures expected from ejecta-CSM or ejecta-companion interaction. Apart from the pure deflagration explosion models, none of our synthetic light curves exhibit the commonly assumed power-law rise. We demonstrate that this can lead to substantial errors in the determination of the time of explosion. In summary, we illustrate with our calculations that even with very early data an identification of specific explosion scenarios is challenging, if only photometric observations are available.

tgcd: An R package for analyzing thermoluminescence glow curves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Peng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Thermoluminescence (TL glow curves are widely used in dosimetric studies. Many commercial and free-distributed programs are used to deconvolute TL glow curves. This study introduces an open-source R package tgcd to conduct TL glow curve analysis, such as kinetic parameter estimation, glow peak simulation, and peak shape analysis. TL glow curves can be deconvoluted according to the general-order empirical expression or the semi-analytical expression derived from the one trap-one recombination center (OTOR model based on the Lambert W function by using a modified Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm from which any of the parameters can be constrained or fixed. The package provides an interactive environment to initialize parameters and offers an automated “trial-and-error” protocol to obtain optimal fit results. First-order, second-order, and general-order glow peaks (curves are simulated according to a number of simple kinetic models. The package was developed using a combination of Fortran and R programming languages to improve efficiency and flexibility.

MAPPING H-BAND SCATTERED LIGHT EMISSION IN THE MYSTERIOUS SR21 TRANSITIONAL DISK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Follette, Katherine B.; Close, Laird; Tamura, Motohide; Hashimoto, Jun; Kwon, Jungmi; Kandori, Ryo; Whitney, Barbara; Grady, Carol; Andrews, Sean M.; Wisniewski, John; Brandt, Timothy D.; Dong, Ruobing; Mayama, Satoshi; Abe, Lyu; Brandner, Wolfgang; Feldt, Markus; Carson, Joseph; Currie, Thayne; Egner, Sebastian E.; Goto, Miwa

2013-01-01

We present the first near infrared (NIR) spatially resolved images of the circumstellar transitional disk around SR21. These images were obtained with the Subaru HiCIAO camera, adaptive optics, and the polarized differential imaging technique. We resolve the disk in scattered light at H-band for stellocentric 0.''1 ≤ r ≤ 0.''6 (12 ∼ –6 ) are inconsistent with our H-band images when they are assumed to carry over to small grains, suggesting that surface grains scattering in the NIR either survive or are generated by whatever mechanism is clearing the disk midplane. In fact, the radial polarized intensity profile of our H-band observations is smooth and steeply inwardly-increasing (r –3 ), with no evidence of a break at the 36 AU sub-mm cavity wall. We hypothesize that this profile is dominated by an optically thin disk envelope or atmosphere component. We also discuss the compatibility of our data with the previously postulated existence of a sub-stellar companion to SR21 at r ∼ 10-20 AU, and find that we can neither exclude nor verify this scenario. This study demonstrates the power of multiwavelength imaging of transitional disks to inform modeling efforts, including the debate over precisely what physical mechanism is responsible for clearing these disks of their large midplane grains.

A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF SWIFT/X-RAY TELESCOPE DATA. IV. SINGLE POWER-LAW DECAYING LIGHT CURVES VERSUS CANONICAL LIGHT CURVES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR A UNIFIED ORIGIN OF X-RAYS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang Enwei; Lue Houjun; Hou Shujin; Zhang Binbin; Zhang Bing

2009-01-01

By systematically analyzing the Swift/XRT light curves detected before 2009 July, we find 19 light curves that monotonously decay as a single power law (SPL) with an index of 1 ∼ 1.7 from tens (or hundreds) of seconds to ∼10 5 s post the gamma-ray burst (GRB) trigger. They are apparently different from the canonical light curves characterized by a shallow-to-normal decay transition. We compare the observations of the prompt gamma rays and the X-rays for these two samples of GRBs (SPL vs. canonical). No statistical difference is found in the prompt gamma-ray properties for the two samples. The X-ray properties of the two samples are also similar, although the SPL sample tends to have a slightly lower neutral hydrogen absorption column for the host galaxies and a slightly larger energy release compared with the canonical sample. The SPL X-ray Telescope (XRT) light curves in the burst frame gradually merge into a conflux, and their luminosities at 10 5 s are normally distributed at log L/ergs s -1 = 45.6 ± 0.5. The normal decay segment of the canonical XRT light curves has the same feature. Similar to the normal decay segment, the SPL light curves satisfy the closure relations and therefore can be roughly explained with external shock models. In the scenario that the X-rays are the afterglows of the GRB fireball, our results indicate that the shallow decay would be due to energy injection into the fireball and the total energy budget after injection for both samples of GRBs is comparable. More intriguing, we find that a prior X-ray emission model proposed by Yamazaki is more straightforward to interpret the observed XRT data. We show that the zero times (T 0 ) of the X-rays are 10 2 -10 5 s prior to the GRB trigger for the canonical sample, and satisfy a log-normal distribution. The negligible T 0 's of the SPL sample are consistent with being the tail of T 0 distributions at low end, suggesting that the SPL sample and the canonical sample may be from a same

Generalized Fermat's principle and action for light rays in a curved spacetime

Science.gov (United States)

Frolov, Valeri P.

2013-09-01

We start with formulation of the generalized Fermat’s principle for light propagation in a curved spacetime. We apply Pontryagin’s minimum principle of the optimal control theory and obtain an effective Hamiltonian for null geodesics in a curved spacetime. We explicitly demonstrate that dynamical equations for this Hamiltonian correctly reproduce null geodesic equations. Other forms of the action for light rays in a curved spacetime are also discussed.

R-curve behaviour of ferroelectric ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egorov, N.Ya.; Kramarov, S.O.

2004-01-01

The attempt's made to identify and evaluate the regularities of developing the fractures in the ferroelectric ceramics and also-study the effect of the polishing operation on the strength characteristics of the piezoceramics. The R-curve behaviour in the ferroelectric ceramics is studied on the samples of the barium titanate and lead zirconate-titanate by the four-point bending with controlled surface fractures. It is established that increasing curve of resistance to the fracture growth is observed in the piezoceramics under the conditions of the fracture stable growth. The results obtained on the polished samples prove that the mechanical processing introduces the compression surface stresses into the piezoceramic materials [ru

Exact fast computation of band depth for large functional datasets: How quickly can one million curves be ranked?

KAUST Repository

Sun, Ying

2012-10-01

© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Band depth is an important nonparametric measure that generalizes order statistics and makes univariate methods based on order statistics possible for functional data. However, the computational burden of band depth limits its applicability when large functional or image datasets are considered. This paper proposes an exact fast method to speed up the band depth computation when bands are defined by two curves. Remarkable computational gains are demonstrated through simulation studies comparing our proposal with the original computation and one existing approximate method. For example, we report an experiment where our method can rank one million curves, evaluated at fifty time points each, in 12.4 seconds with Matlab.

Devil in the Details: Investigating Astrophysical Phenomena with Kepler Light Curves

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Jon Michael; SOC, Kepler; SO, Kepler; Kepler Science Team

2011-05-01

The light curves produced by the Kepler photometer are unprecedented in their photometric precision, completeness, and contiguity. Moreover, although Kepler was designed to detect 100 ppm changes in brightness corresponding to transits of Earth-size planets crossing Sun-size stars, the Kepler light curves preserve intrinsic intensity variations across a large dynamic range, including those of RR Lyrae stars, which can increase their brightness by more than a factor of two over a few hours. The large dynamic range and phenomenal photometric precision of Kepler promises to revolutionize the study of intrinsic stellar variability and a wide variety of variable stars on timescales from minutes to several years. In this paper, we describe the science pipeline processing that produces the uncorrected and the systematic error-corrected light curves, and give examples of residual instrumental artifacts that can be found in the data, such as those caused by thermal changes due to the position of the spacecraft with relation to the sun or heaters cycling on and off on various spacecraft components (which can change the shape of the telescope and alter its focus), as well as examples of processing artifacts that can occur. We also describe algorithms in development that promise to improve our ability to identify and remove instrumental signatures and further reduce the incidence of processing artifacts in the archival light curves, thereby increasing the usability of the corrected light curves for astrophysical investigations. Kepler was selected as the 10th mission of the Discovery Program. Funding for this mission is provided by the NASA Science Mission Directorate.

Light and velocity curve bumps for BW Vulpeculae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pesnell, W.D.; Cox, A.N.

1980-01-01

Bumps in the light and radial velocity curves of the Beta Cephei star BW Vulpeculae were modeled. Two mechanisms, a resonance phenomena and non-linear pulsations, were investigated. The resonance condition was clearly not fulfilled, the calculated period ratio being approximately 0.60, where a value of 0.50 L +- 0.03 is required for resonance. In the non-linear calculation, the bump appears, with the correct phase, but was found at an amplitude that is too large. Further, the light curve does not show any bump-like feature. The cause of the bump is the large spurious boost given the star's velocity field by the solution methods. The calculated periods of the stellar models are shorter than those of previous calculations, enhancing the possibility that these stars pulsate in a radial fundamental mode

Mass estimates from optical-light curves for binary X-ray sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avni, Y.

1978-01-01

The small amplitude variations with orbital phase of the optical light from X-ray binaries are caused by the changing geometrical aspect of the primary as seen by a fixed observer. The shape and the amplitude of the light curve depends on the stellar masses and on the orbital elements. The light curve can, therefore, be used to determine, or set limits on, the parameters of the binary system. A self-consistent procedure for the calculation of the light curve can be formulated if the primary is formulated if the primary is uniformly rotating at an angular velocity equal to the angular velocity of its orbital revolution in a circular orbit, and if the primary is in a hydrostatic and radiative equilibrium in the co-rotating frame. When the primary is further approximated to be centrally condensed, the above set of assumptions is called the standard picture. The standard picture is described, its validity discussed and its application to various systems reviewed. (C.F.)

New Light Curves and Analysis of the Overcontact Binaries PP Lac and DK Sge

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, S. J.; Hargis, J. R.; Bradstreet, D. H.

2004-12-01

As a by-product of the ongoing work with the Catalog and AtLas of Eclipsing Binaries database (CALEB; Bradstreet et al. 2004), several hundred eclipsing binary systems have been identified that have either unpublished or poor quality light curves. We present new V & Rc light curves for the overcontact systems PP Lac and DK Sge, both chosen because their deep eclipses (peak-to-peak amplitudes of nearly 0.7 mag) help constrain the light curve modelling. Data were obtained using the 41-cm telescope at the Eastern University Observatory equipped with an SBIG ST-10XME CCD. PP Lac (P= 0.40116 d) is a W-type contact binary with only one previously published light curve (Dumont & Maraziti 1990), but the data are sparse and almost non-existent at primary eclipse. Modelling of these data gave varying results; the published mass ratios differ by nearly 0.3. Our data confirms the noted differing eclipse depths but we find the primary eclipse to be total. We present a new light curve solution using Binary Maker 3 (Bradstreet & Steelman 2002) and Wilson-Devinney, finding the mass ratio to be well-constrained by the duration of total eclipse. A period study will be presented using previously existing and newly derived times of minimum light. DK Sge (P=0.62182 d) appears to be an A-type contact binary with no published light curve. The eclipses are partial, with the primary eclipse being deeper by about 0.08 mag. The maxima show evidence of a slight asymmetry, although the light curve appears to be repeatable over the 1 month of observations. We present the first light curve solution using Binary Maker 3 and Wilson-Devinney, but have limited mass ratio constraints due to the absence of radial velocity data. A period study will be presented using previously existing and newly derived times of minimum light.

NEPTUNE'S DYNAMIC ATMOSPHERE FROM KEPLER K2 OBSERVATIONS: IMPLICATIONS FOR BROWN DWARF LIGHT CURVE ANALYSES.

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Amy A; Rowe, Jason F; Gaulme, Patrick; Hammel, Heidi B; Casewell, Sarah L; Fortney, Jonathan J; Gizis, John E; Lissauer, Jack J; Morales-Juberias, Raul; Orton, Glenn S; Wong, Michael H; Marley, Mark S

2016-02-01

Observations of Neptune with the Kepler Space Telescope yield a 49 day light curve with 98% coverage at a 1 minute cadence. A significant signature in the light curve comes from discrete cloud features. We compare results extracted from the light curve data with contemporaneous disk-resolved imaging of Neptune from the Keck 10-m telescope at 1.65 microns and Hubble Space Telescope visible imaging acquired nine months later. This direct comparison validates the feature latitudes assigned to the K2 light curve periods based on Neptune's zonal wind profile, and confirms observed cloud feature variability. Although Neptune's clouds vary in location and intensity on short and long timescales, a single large discrete storm seen in Keck imaging dominates the K2 and Hubble light curves; smaller or fainter clouds likely contribute to short-term brightness variability. The K2 Neptune light curve, in conjunction with our imaging data, provides context for the interpretation of current and future brown dwarf and extrasolar planet variability measurements. In particular we suggest that the balance between large, relatively stable, atmospheric features and smaller, more transient, clouds controls the character of substellar atmospheric variability. Atmospheres dominated by a few large spots may show inherently greater light curve stability than those which exhibit a greater number of smaller features.

Light Curve Simulation Using Spacecraft CAD Models and Empirical Material Spectral BRDFS

Science.gov (United States)

Willison, A.; Bedard, D.

This paper presents a Matlab-based light curve simulation software package that uses computer-aided design (CAD) models of spacecraft and the spectral bidirectional reflectance distribution function (sBRDF) of their homogenous surface materials. It represents the overall optical reflectance of objects as a sBRDF, a spectrometric quantity, obtainable during an optical ground truth experiment. The broadband bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), the basis of a broadband light curve, is produced by integrating the sBRDF over the optical wavelength range. Colour-filtered BRDFs, the basis of colour-filtered light curves, are produced by first multiplying the sBRDF by colour filters, and integrating the products. The software package's validity is established through comparison of simulated reflectance spectra and broadband light curves with those measured of the CanX-1 Engineering Model (EM) nanosatellite, collected during an optical ground truth experiment. It is currently being extended to simulate light curves of spacecraft in Earth orbit, using spacecraft Two-Line-Element (TLE) sets, yaw/pitch/roll angles, and observer coordinates. Measured light curves of the NEOSSat spacecraft will be used to validate simulated quantities. The sBRDF was chosen to represent material reflectance as it is spectrometric and a function of illumination and observation geometry. Homogeneous material sBRDFs were obtained using a goniospectrometer for a range of illumination and observation geometries, collected in a controlled environment. The materials analyzed include aluminum alloy, two types of triple-junction photovoltaic (TJPV) cell, white paint, and multi-layer insulation (MLI). Interpolation and extrapolation methods were used to determine the sBRDF for all possible illumination and observation geometries not measured in the laboratory, resulting in empirical look-up tables. These look-up tables are referenced when calculating the overall sBRDF of objects, where

ELECTROMAGNETIC EMISSION FROM LONG-LIVED BINARY NEUTRON STAR MERGER REMNANTS. II. LIGHT CURVES AND SPECTRA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siegel, Daniel M. [Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute), Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm (Germany); Ciolfi, Riccardo, E-mail: daniel.siegel@aei.mpg.de, E-mail: riccardo.ciolfi@unitn.it [Physics Department, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 14, I-38123 Trento (Italy)

2016-03-01

Recent observations indicate that in a large fraction of binary neutron star (BNS) mergers a long-lived neutron star (NS) may be formed rather than a black hole. Unambiguous electromagnetic (EM) signatures of such a scenario would strongly impact our knowledge on how short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) and their afterglow radiation are generated. Furthermore, such EM signals would have profound implications for multimessenger astronomy with joint EM and gravitational-wave (GW) observations of BNS mergers, which will soon become reality thanks to the ground-based advanced LIGO/Virgo GW detector network. Here we explore such EM signatures based on the model presented in a companion paper, which provides a self-consistent evolution of the post-merger system and its EM emission up to ∼10{sup 7} s. Light curves and spectra are computed for a wide range of post-merger physical properties. We present X-ray afterglow light curves corresponding to the “standard” and the “time-reversal” scenario for SGRBs (prompt emission associated with the merger or with the collapse of the long-lived NS). The light curve morphologies include single and two-plateau features with timescales and luminosities that are in good agreement with Swift observations. Furthermore, we compute the X-ray signal that should precede the SGRB in the time-reversal scenario, the detection of which would represent smoking-gun evidence for this scenario. Finally, we find a bright, highly isotropic EM transient peaking in the X-ray band at ∼10{sup 2}–10{sup 4} s after the BNS merger with luminosities of L{sub X} ∼ 10{sup 46}–10{sup 48} erg s{sup −1}. This signal represents a very promising EM counterpart to the GW emission from BNS mergers.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: AQ Boo VRI differential light curves (Wang+, 2016)

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, S.; Zhang, L.; Pi, Q.; Han, X. L.; Zhang, X.; Lu, H.; Wang, D.; Li, T.

2016-11-01

On March 22 and April 19 in 2014, we observed AQ Boo with the 60cm telescope at Xinglong Station of the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC). The CCD camera on this telescope has a resolution of 1024 x 1024 pixels and its corresponding field of view is 17'x17' (Yang, 2013NewA...25..109Y). The other three days of data were obtained using the 1-m telescope at Yunnan Observatory of Chinese Academy of Sciences, on January 20, 21 and February 28 in 2015. The CCD camera on this telescope has a resolution of 2048x2048 pixels and its corresponding field of view is 7.3'x7.3'. Bessel VRI filters were used. The exposure times are 100-170s, 50-100s and 50-80s in the V, R, I bands, respectively. (1 data file).

Using Light Curves to Characterize Size and Shape of Pseudo-Debris

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriquez, Heather M.; Abercromby, Kira J.; Jarvis, Kandy S.; Barker, Edwin

2006-01-01

Photometric measurements were collected for a new study aimed at estimating orbital debris sizes based on object brightness. To obtain a size from optical measurements the current practice is to assume an albedo and use a normalized magnitude to calculate optical size. However, assuming a single albedo value may not be valid for all objects or orbit types; material type and orientation can mask an object s true optical cross section. This experiment used a CCD camera to record data, a 300 W Xenon, Ozone Free collimated light source to simulate solar illumination, and a robotic arm with five degrees of freedom to move the piece of simulated debris through various orientations. The pseudo-debris pieces used in this experiment originate from the European Space Operations Centre s ESOC2 ground test explosion of a mock satellite. A uniformly illuminated white ping-pong ball was used as a zero-magnitude reference. Each debris piece was then moved through specific orientations and rotations to generate a light curve. This paper discusses the results of five different object-based light curves as measured through an x-rotation. Intensity measurements, from which each light curve was generated, were recorded in five degree increments from zero to 180 degrees. Comparing light curves of different shaped and sized pieces against their characteristic length establishes the start of a database from which an optical size estimation model will be derived in the future.

X-ray heating and the optical light curve of HZ Herculis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrenod, S.C.; Shields, G.A.

1975-01-01

We discuss theoretically the optical light curve of HZ Her, the binary companion of the pulsed X-ray source Her X-1. Using model stellar atmospheres, we construct light curves that are in agreement with UBV photometry of HZ Her except for the sharpness of the minimum. Unlike previous authors, we find that heating of the photosphere of HZ Her by the observed X-ray flux is sufficient to explain the amplitude of the light variations in each color, if the X-ray emission persists at HZ Her throughout the 35-day ON-OFF CYCLE. We rule out a corona surrounding HZ Her as the source of the extra light near minimum, and we also rule out a model wherein the extra light is caused by a stellar wind that electron-scatters optical light emitted by the photosphere of the hot side of the star

Implications of the Early X-Ray Afterglow Light Curves of Swift GRBs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Granot, Jonathan; /KIPAC, Menlo Park; Konigl, Arieh; /Chicago U., Astron. Astrophys. Ctr. /Chicago U., EFI; Piran, Tsvi; /Hebrew U.

2006-01-17

According to current models, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced when the energy carried by a relativistic outflow is dissipated and converted into radiation. The efficiency of this process, {epsilon}{sub {gamma}}, is one of the critical factors in any GRB model. The X-ray afterglow light curves of Swift GRBs show an early stage of flattish decay. This has been interpreted as reflecting energy injection. When combined with previous estimates, which have concluded that the kinetic energy of the late ({approx}> 10 hr) afterglow is comparable to the energy emitted in {gamma}-rays, this interpretation implies very high values of {epsilon}{sub {gamma}}, corresponding to {approx}> 90% of the initial energy being converted into {gamma}-rays. Such a high efficiency is hard to reconcile with most models, including in particular the popular internal-shocks model. We re-analyze the derivation of the kinetic energy from the afterglow X-ray flux and re-examine the resulting estimates of the efficiency. We confirm that, if the flattish decay arises from energy injection and the pre-Swift broad-band estimates of the kinetic energy are correct, then {epsilon}{sub {gamma}} {approx}> 0.9. We discuss various issues related to this result, including an alternative interpretation of the light curve in terms of a two-component outflow model, which we apply to the X-ray observations of GRB 050315. We point out, however, that another interpretation of the flattish decay--a variable X-ray afterglow efficiency (e.g., due to a time dependence of afterglow shock microphysical parameters)--is possible. We also show that direct estimates of the kinetic energy from the late X-ray afterglow flux are sensitive to the assumed values of the shock microphysical parameters and suggest that broad-band afterglow fits might have underestimated the kinetic energy (e.g., by overestimating the fraction of electrons that are accelerated to relativistic energies). Either one of these possibilities implies a

EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL DIVERSITY OF EARLY TYPE IA SUPERNOVA LIGHT CURVES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piro, Anthony L. [Carnegie Observatories, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Morozova, Viktoriya S., E-mail: piro@obs.carnegiescience.edu [Theoretical Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Boulevard, M/C 350-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2016-07-20

During the first several days after explosion, Type Ia supernova light curves probe the outer layers of the exploding star, and therefore provide important clues for identifying their progenitors. We investigate how both the shallow {sup 56}Ni distribution and the presence of circumstellar material shape these early light curves. This is performed using a series of numerical experiments with parameterized properties for systematic exploration. Although not all of the considered models may be realized in nature (and indeed there are arguments why some of them should not occur), the spirit of this work is to provide a broader exploration of the diversity of possibilities. We find that shallower {sup 56}Ni leads to steeper, bluer light curves. Differences in the shape of the rise can introduce errors in estimating the explosion time, and thus impact efforts to infer upper limits on the progenitor or companion radius from a lack of observed shock cooling emission. Circumstellar material can lead to significant luminosity during the first few days, but its presence can be difficult to identify depending on the degree of nickel mixing. In some cases, the hot emission of circumstellar material may even lead to a signature similar to an interaction with a companion, and thus in the future additional diagnostics should be gathered for properly assessing early light curves.

Delamination R-curve as a material property of unidirectional glass/epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shokrieh, M.M.; Heidari-Rarani, M.; Ayatollahi, M.R.

2012-01-01

Highlights: → The R-curve behavior of a unidirectional laminate as a material property is investigated. → Effect of initial crack length and thickness on R-curve is experimentally shown. → A mathematical relation is proposed to model the R-curve behavior of any unidirectional laminated composite. -- Abstract: It is still questionable to think of delamination resistance of a double cantilever beam (DCB) as a material property independent of the specimen size and geometry. In this research, the effects of initial crack length and DCB specimen thickness on the mode I delamination resistance curve (R-curve) behavior of different unidirectional glass/epoxy DCB specimens are experimentally investigated. It is observed that the magnitudes of initiation and propagation delamination toughness (G Ic-init and G Ic-prop ) as well as the fiber bridging length are constant in a specific range of the initial crack length to the DCB specimen thickness ratios of 8.5 0 /h < 19. Finally, a mathematical relationship is proposed for prediction of mode I delamination behavior (from the initiation to propagation) of E-glass/epoxy DCB specimens.

Four-dimensional hilbert curves for R-trees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haverkort, Herman; Walderveen, Freek van

2011-01-01

Two-dimensional R-trees are a class of spatial index structures in which objects are arranged to enable fast window queries: report all objects that intersect a given query window. One of the most successful methods of arranging the objects in the index structure is based on sorting the objects...... according to the positions of their centers along a two-dimensional Hilbert space-filling curve. Alternatively, one may use the coordinates of the objects' bounding boxes to represent each object by a four-dimensional point, and sort these points along a four-dimensional Hilbert-type curve. In experiments...

Zooxanthellae Harvested by Ciliates Associated with Brown Band Syndrome of Corals Remain Photosynthetically Competent▿

Science.gov (United States)

Ulstrup, Karin E.; Kühl, Michael; Bourne, David G.

2007-01-01

Brown band syndrome is a new coral affliction characterized by a local accumulation of yet-unidentified ciliates migrating as a band along the branches of coral colonies. In the current study, morphologically intact zooxanthellae (= Symbiodinium) were observed in great numbers inside the ciliates (>50 dinoflagellates per ciliate). Microscale oxygen measurements and variable chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis along with microscopic observations demonstrated that zooxanthellae within the ciliates are photosynthetically competent and do not become compromised during the progression of the brown band zone. Zooxanthellae showed similar trends in light acclimation in a comparison of rapid light curve and steady-state light curve measures of variable chlorophyll a fluorescence. Extended light exposure of steady-state light curves resulted in higher quantum yields of photosystem II. The brown band tissue exhibited higher photosynthetically active radiation absorptivity, indicating more efficient light absorption due to a higher density of zooxanthellae in the ciliate-dominated zone. This caused relatively higher gross photosynthesis rates in the zone with zooxanthella-containing ciliates compared to healthy coral tissue. The observation of photosynthetically active intracellular zooxanthellae in the ciliates suggests that the latter can benefit from photosynthates produced by ingested zooxanthellae and from photosynthetic oxygen production that alleviates diffusion limitation of oxic respiration in the densely populated brown band tissue. It remains to be shown whether the zooxanthellae form a stable symbiotic association with the ciliate or are engulfed incidentally during grazing on coral tissue and then maintained as active inside the ciliate for a period before being digested and replaced by new zooxanthellae. PMID:17259357

Zooxanthellae harvested by ciliates associated with brown band syndrome of corals remain photosynthetically competent.

Science.gov (United States)

Ulstrup, Karin E; Kühl, Michael; Bourne, David G

2007-03-01

Brown band syndrome is a new coral affliction characterized by a local accumulation of yet-unidentified ciliates migrating as a band along the branches of coral colonies. In the current study, morphologically intact zooxanthellae (= Symbiodinium) were observed in great numbers inside the ciliates (>50 dinoflagellates per ciliate). Microscale oxygen measurements and variable chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis along with microscopic observations demonstrated that zooxanthellae within the ciliates are photosynthetically competent and do not become compromised during the progression of the brown band zone. Zooxanthellae showed similar trends in light acclimation in a comparison of rapid light curve and steady-state light curve measures of variable chlorophyll a fluorescence. Extended light exposure of steady-state light curves resulted in higher quantum yields of photosystem II. The brown band tissue exhibited higher photosynthetically active radiation absorptivity, indicating more efficient light absorption due to a higher density of zooxanthellae in the ciliate-dominated zone. This caused relatively higher gross photosynthesis rates in the zone with zooxanthella-containing ciliates compared to healthy coral tissue. The observation of photosynthetically active intracellular zooxanthellae in the ciliates suggests that the latter can benefit from photosynthates produced by ingested zooxanthellae and from photosynthetic oxygen production that alleviates diffusion limitation of oxic respiration in the densely populated brown band tissue. It remains to be shown whether the zooxanthellae form a stable symbiotic association with the ciliate or are engulfed incidentally during grazing on coral tissue and then maintained as active inside the ciliate for a period before being digested and replaced by new zooxanthellae.

PAIR INSTABILITY SUPERNOVAE: LIGHT CURVES, SPECTRA, AND SHOCK BREAKOUT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasen, Daniel; Woosley, S. E.; Heger, Alexander

2011-01-01

For the initial mass range (140 M sun sun ) stars die in a thermonuclear runaway triggered by the pair-production instability. The supernovae they make can be remarkably energetic (up to ∼10 53 erg) and synthesize considerable amounts of radioactive isotopes. Here we model the evolution, explosion, and observational signatures of representative pair instability supernovae (PI SNe) spanning a range of initial masses and envelope structures. The predicted light curves last for hundreds of days and range in luminosity from very dim to extremely bright (L ∼ 10 44 erg s -1 ). The most massive events are bright enough to be seen at high redshift, but the extended light curve duration (∼1 yr)-prolonged by cosmological time-dilation-may make it difficult to detect them as transients. A more promising approach may be to search for the brief and luminous outbreak occurring when the explosion shock wave first reaches the stellar surface. Using a multi-wavelength radiation-hydrodynamics code we calculate that, in the rest frame, the shock breakout transients of PI SNe reach luminosities of 10 45 -10 46 erg s -1 , peak at wavelengths ∼30-170 A, and last for several hours. We discuss how observations of the light curves, spectra, and breakout emission can be used to constrain the mass, radius, and metallicity of the progenitor.

New limb-darkening coefficients for modeling binary star light curves

Science.gov (United States)

Van Hamme, W.

1993-01-01

We present monochromatic, passband-specific, and bolometric limb-darkening coefficients for a linear as well as nonlinear logarithmic and square root limb-darkening laws. These coefficients, including the bolometric ones, are needed when modeling binary star light curves with the latest version of the Wilson-Devinney light curve progam. We base our calculations on the most recent ATLAS stellar atmosphere models for solar chemical composition stars with a wide range of effective temperatures and surface gravitites. We examine how well various limb-darkening approximations represent the variation of the emerging specific intensity across a stellar surface as computed according to the model. For binary star light curve modeling purposes, we propose the use of a logarithmic or a square root law. We design our tables in such a manner that the relative quality of either law with respect to another can be easily compared. Since the computation of bolometric limb-darkening coefficients first requires monochromatic coefficients, we also offer tables of these coefficients (at 1221 wavelength values between 9.09 nm and 160 micrometer) and tables of passband-specific coefficients for commonly used photometric filters.

Exquisite Nova Light Curves from the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI)

Science.gov (United States)

Hounsell, R.; Bode, M. F.; Hick, P. P.; Buffington, A.; Jackson, B. V.; Clover, J. M.; Shafter, A. W.; Darnley, M. J.; Mawson, N. R.; Steele, I. A.; Evans, A.; Eyres, S. P. S.; O'Brien, T. J.

2010-11-01

We present light curves of three classical novae (CNe; KT Eridani, V598 Puppis, V1280 Scorpii) and one recurrent nova (RS Ophiuchi) derived from data obtained by the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) on board the Coriolis satellite. SMEI provides near complete skymap coverage with precision visible-light photometry at 102 minute cadence. The light curves derived from these skymaps offer unprecedented temporal resolution around, and especially before, maximum light, a phase of the eruption normally not covered by ground-based observations. They allow us to explore fundamental parameters of individual objects including the epoch of the initial explosion, the reality and duration of any pre-maximum halt (found in all three fast novae in our sample), the presence of secondary maxima, speed of decline of the initial light curve, plus precise timing of the onset of dust formation (in V1280 Sco) leading to estimation of the bolometric luminosity, white dwarf mass, and object distance. For KT Eri, Liverpool Telescope SkyCamT data confirm important features of the SMEI light curve and overall our results add weight to the proposed similarities of this object to recurrent rather than to CNe. In RS Oph, comparison with hard X-ray data from the 2006 outburst implies that the onset of the outburst coincides with extensive high-velocity mass loss. It is also noted that two of the four novae we have detected (V598 Pup and KT Eri) were only discovered by ground-based observers weeks or months after maximum light, yet these novae reached peak magnitudes of 3.46 and 5.42, respectively. This emphasizes the fact that many bright novae per year are still overlooked, particularly those of the very fast speed class. Coupled with its ability to observe novae in detail even when relatively close to the Sun in the sky, we estimate that as many as five novae per year may be detectable by SMEI.

Fourier techniques for an analysis of eclipsing binary light curves. Pt. 6b

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demircan, O.

1980-01-01

This is a continuation of a previous paper which appeared in this journal (Demircan, 1980b) and aims at ascertaining some other relations between the integral transforms of the light curves of eclipsing binary systems. The appropriate use of these relations should facilitate the numerical computations for an analysis of eclipsing binary light curves by different Fourier techniques. (orig.)

Four-colour photometry of eclipsing binaries. XXXII. Light curves of V1031 Orionis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clausen, J.V.; Nordstroem, B.; Andersen, J.; Nordstroem, B.; Andersen, J.

1989-01-01

Complete uvby light curves are presented for the bright, southern, A-type triple system V1031 Orionis which consists of two well-separated eclipsing components in a circular orbit and a third component at an angular distance of about 0.16 sec. The light curves contain 1280 points in each colour, obtained from 1980 to 1983

Four-colour photometry of eclipsing binaries. XXXII. Light curves of V1031 Orionis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clausen, J V; Nordstroem, B; Andersen, J [Copenhagen Univ. Observatory, (DK); Nordstroem, B; Andersen, J [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA (US)

1989-12-01

Complete uvby light curves are presented for the bright, southern, A-type triple system V1031 Orionis which consists of two well-separated eclipsing components in a circular orbit and a third component at an angular distance of about 0.16 sec. The light curves contain 1280 points in each colour, obtained from 1980 to 1983.

SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVAE POWERED BY MAGNETARS: LATE-TIME LIGHT CURVES AND HARD EMISSION LEAKAGE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, S. Q.; Wang, L. J.; Dai, Z. G.; Wu, X. F.

2015-01-01

Recently, research performed by two groups has revealed that the magnetar spin-down energy injection model with full energy trapping can explain the early-time light curves of SN 2010gx, SN 2013dg, LSQ12dlf, SSS120810, and CSS121015 but fails to fit the late-time light curves of these superluminous supernovae (SLSNe). These results imply that the original magnetar-powered model is challenged in explaining these SLSNe. Our paper aims to simultaneously explain both the early- and late-time data/upper limits by considering the leakage of hard emissions. We incorporate quantitatively the leakage effect into the original magnetar-powered model and derive a new semianalytical equation. Comparing the light curves reproduced by our revised magnetar-powered model with the observed data and/or upper limits of these five SLSNe, we found that the late-time light curves reproduced by our semianalytical equation are in good agreement with the late-time observed data and/or upper limits of SN 2010gx, CSS121015, SN 2013dg, and LSQ12dlf and the late-time excess of SSS120810, indicating that the magnetar-powered model might be responsible for these SLSNe and that the gamma-ray and X-ray leakages are unavoidable when the hard photons were down-Comptonized to softer photons. To determine the details of the leakage effect and unveil the nature of SLSNe, more high-quality bolometric light curves and spectra of SLSNe are required

Closed Paths of Light Trapped in a Closed Fermat Curve

Science.gov (United States)

Dana-Picard, Thierry; Naiman, Aaron

2002-01-01

Geometric constructions have previously been shown that can be interpreted as rays of light trapped either in polygons or in conics, by successive reflections. The same question, trapping light in closed Fermat curves, is addressed here. Numerical methods are used to study the behaviour of the reflection points of a triangle when the degree of the…

Discovery of the optical counterpart and early optical observations of GRB 990712

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sahu, K.C.; Vreesvijk, P.; Bakos, G.

2000-01-01

We present the discovery observations of the optical counterpart of the gamma-ray burst GRB 990712 taken 4.16 hr after the outburst and discuss its light curve observed in the V, R, and I bands during the first similar to 35 days after the outburst. The observed light curves were fitted with a po......We present the discovery observations of the optical counterpart of the gamma-ray burst GRB 990712 taken 4.16 hr after the outburst and discuss its light curve observed in the V, R, and I bands during the first similar to 35 days after the outburst. The observed light curves were fitted...

TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA LIGHT CURVE INFERENCE: HIERARCHICAL MODELS IN THE OPTICAL AND NEAR-INFRARED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandel, Kaisey S.; Narayan, Gautham; Kirshner, Robert P.

2011-01-01

We have constructed a comprehensive statistical model for Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) light curves spanning optical through near-infrared (NIR) data. A hierarchical framework coherently models multiple random and uncertain effects, including intrinsic supernova (SN) light curve covariances, dust extinction and reddening, and distances. An improved BAYESN Markov Chain Monte Carlo code computes probabilistic inferences for the hierarchical model by sampling the global probability density of parameters describing individual SNe and the population. We have applied this hierarchical model to optical and NIR data of 127 SNe Ia from PAIRITEL, CfA3, Carnegie Supernova Project, and the literature. We find an apparent population correlation between the host galaxy extinction A V and the ratio of total-to-selective dust absorption R V . For SNe with low dust extinction, A V ∼ V ∼ 2.5-2.9, while at high extinctions, A V ∼> 1, low values of R V < 2 are favored. The NIR luminosities are excellent standard candles and are less sensitive to dust extinction. They exhibit low correlation with optical peak luminosities, and thus provide independent information on distances. The combination of NIR and optical data constrains the dust extinction and improves the predictive precision of individual SN Ia distances by about 60%. Using cross-validation, we estimate an rms distance modulus prediction error of 0.11 mag for SNe with optical and NIR data versus 0.15 mag for SNe with optical data alone. Continued study of SNe Ia in the NIR is important for improving their utility as precise and accurate cosmological distance indicators.

THE INFORMATION CONTENT IN ANALYTIC SPOT MODELS OF BROADBAND PRECISION LIGHT CURVES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walkowicz, Lucianne M. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Peyton Hall, 4 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08534 (United States); Basri, Gibor [Astronomy Department, University of California at Berkeley, Hearst Field Annex, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Valenti, Jeff A. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2013-04-01

We present the results of numerical experiments to assess degeneracies in light curve models of starspots. Using synthetic light curves generated with the Cheetah starspot modeling code, we explore the extent to which photometric light curves constrain spot model parameters, including spot latitudes and stellar inclination. We also investigate the effects of spot parameters and differential rotation on one's ability to correctly recover rotation periods and differential rotation in the Kepler light curves. We confirm that in the absence of additional constraints on the stellar inclination, such as spectroscopic measurements of vsin i or occultations of starspots by planetary transits, the spot latitude and stellar inclination are difficult to determine uniquely from the photometry alone. We find that for models with no differential rotation, spots that appear on opposite hemispheres of the star may cause one to interpret the rotation period to be half of the true period. When differential rotation is included, the changing longitude separation between spots breaks the symmetry of the hemispheres and the correct rotation period is more likely to be found. The dominant period found via periodogram analysis is typically that of the largest spot. Even when multiple spots with periods representative of the star's differential rotation exist, if one spot dominates the light curve the signal of differential rotation may not be detectable from the periodogram alone. Starspot modeling is applicable to stars with a wider range of rotation rates than other surface imaging techniques (such as Doppler imaging), allows subtle signatures of differential rotation to be measured, and may provide valuable information on the distribution of stellar spots. However, given the inherent degeneracies and uncertainty present in starspot models, caution should be exercised in their interpretation.

THE INFORMATION CONTENT IN ANALYTIC SPOT MODELS OF BROADBAND PRECISION LIGHT CURVES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walkowicz, Lucianne M.; Basri, Gibor; Valenti, Jeff A.

2013-01-01

We present the results of numerical experiments to assess degeneracies in light curve models of starspots. Using synthetic light curves generated with the Cheetah starspot modeling code, we explore the extent to which photometric light curves constrain spot model parameters, including spot latitudes and stellar inclination. We also investigate the effects of spot parameters and differential rotation on one's ability to correctly recover rotation periods and differential rotation in the Kepler light curves. We confirm that in the absence of additional constraints on the stellar inclination, such as spectroscopic measurements of vsin i or occultations of starspots by planetary transits, the spot latitude and stellar inclination are difficult to determine uniquely from the photometry alone. We find that for models with no differential rotation, spots that appear on opposite hemispheres of the star may cause one to interpret the rotation period to be half of the true period. When differential rotation is included, the changing longitude separation between spots breaks the symmetry of the hemispheres and the correct rotation period is more likely to be found. The dominant period found via periodogram analysis is typically that of the largest spot. Even when multiple spots with periods representative of the star's differential rotation exist, if one spot dominates the light curve the signal of differential rotation may not be detectable from the periodogram alone. Starspot modeling is applicable to stars with a wider range of rotation rates than other surface imaging techniques (such as Doppler imaging), allows subtle signatures of differential rotation to be measured, and may provide valuable information on the distribution of stellar spots. However, given the inherent degeneracies and uncertainty present in starspot models, caution should be exercised in their interpretation.

Determinations of its Absolute Dimensions and Distance by the Analyses of Light and Radial-Velocity Curves of the Contact Binary -I. V417 Aquilae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae Woo Lee

2004-06-01

Full Text Available New photometric and spectroscopic solutions of W-type overcontact binary V417 Aql were obtained by solving the UBV light curves of Samec et al. (1997 and radial-velocity ones of Lu & Rucinski (1999 with the 2003 version of the Wilson-Devinney binary code. In the light curve synthesis the light of a third-body, which Qian (2003 proposed, was considered and obtained about 2.7%, 2.2%, and 0.4% for U, B, and V bandpasses, respectively. The model with third-light is better fitted to eclipse parts than that with no third-light. Absolute dimensions of V417 Aql are determined from our solution as M1=0.53 M⊙, M2=1.45 M⊙, R1=0.84 R⊙ and R2=1.31 M⊙, and the distance to it is deduced as about 216pc. Our distance is well consistent with that (204pc derived from Rucinski & Duerbeck's (1997 relation, MV=MV(log P, B-V, but is more distant than that (131±40pc determined by the Hipparcos trigonometric parallax. The difference may result from the relatively large error of Hipparcos parallax for V417 Aql.

Broad self-trapped and slow light bands based on negative refraction and interference of magnetic coupled modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Yun-tuan; Ni, Zhi-yao; Zhu, Na; Zhou, Jun

2016-01-01

We propose a new mechanism to achieve light localization and slow light. Through the study on the coupling of two magnetic surface modes, we find a special convex band that takes on a negative refraction effect. The negative refraction results in an energy flow concellation effect from two degenerated modes on the convex band. The energy flow concellation effect leads to forming of the self-trapped and slow light bands. In the self-trapped band light is localized around the source without reflection wall in the waveguide direction, whereas in the slow light band, light becomes the standing-waves and moving standing-waves at the center and the two sides of the waveguide, respectively. (paper)

Broad self-trapped and slow light bands based on negative refraction and interference of magnetic coupled modes.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Yun-Tuan; Ni, Zhi-Yao; Zhu, Na; Zhou, Jun

2016-01-13

We propose a new mechanism to achieve light localization and slow light. Through the study on the coupling of two magnetic surface modes, we find a special convex band that takes on a negative refraction effect. The negative refraction results in an energy flow concellation effect from two degenerated modes on the convex band. The energy flow concellation effect leads to forming of the self-trapped and slow light bands. In the self-trapped band light is localized around the source without reflection wall in the waveguide direction, whereas in the slow light band, light becomes the standing-waves and moving standing-waves at the center and the two sides of the waveguide, respectively.

The R band light curves of eclipses of U Gem in outburst

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šimon, Vojtěch

č. 5453 (2003), s. 1-4 ISSN 0374-0676 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1003909 Keywords : cataclysmic variables * general binaries stars Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics

EXTRASOLAR STORMS: PRESSURE-DEPENDENT CHANGES IN LIGHT-CURVE PHASE IN BROWN DWARFS FROM SIMULTANEOUS HST AND SPITZER OBSERVATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Hao; Apai, Dániel; Karalidi, Theodora [Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Marley, Mark S. [NASA Ames Research Center, Naval Air Station, Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA 94035 (United States); Flateau, Davin [Department of Planetary Sciences, 1629 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Showman, Adam P. [Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, 1629 University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Metchev, Stanimir [The University of Western Ontario, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON N6A 3K7 (Canada); Buenzli, Esther [Institute for Astronomy, ETH Zürich Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 27, 8093 Zürich (Switzerland); Radigan, Jacqueline [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Artigau, Étienne [Département de Physique, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 (Canada); Lowrance, Patrick J. [Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, MS 100-22, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Burgasser, Adam J., E-mail: haoyang@email.arizona.edu, E-mail: apai@arizona.edu [Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)

2016-07-20

We present Spitzer /Infrared Array Camera Ch1 and Ch2 monitoring of six brown dwarfs during eight different epochs over the course of 20 months. For four brown dwarfs, we also obtained simulataneous Hubble Space Telescope ( HST )/WFC3 G141 grism spectra during two epochs and derived light curves in five narrowband filters. Probing different pressure levels in the atmospheres, the multiwavelength light curves of our six targets all exhibit variations, and the shape of the light curves evolves over the timescale of a rotation period, ranging from 1.4 to 13 hr. We compare the shapes of the light curves and estimate the phase shifts between the light curves observed at different wavelengths by comparing the phase of the primary Fourier components. We use state-of-the-art atmosphere models to determine the flux contribution of different pressure layers to the observed flux in each filter. We find that the light curves that probe higher pressures are similar and in phase, but are offset and often different from the light curves that probe lower pressures. The phase differences between the two groups of light curves suggest that the modulations seen at lower and higher pressures may be introduced by different cloud layers.

Photometric light curves for seven rapidly-rotating K dwarfs in the Pleiades and Alpha Persei clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Stauffer, John R.; Schild, Rudolph A.; Baliunas, Sallie L.; Africano, John L.

1987-01-01

Light curves and period estimates were obtained for several Pleiades and Alpha Persei cluster K dwarfs which were identified as rapid rotators in earlier spectroscopic studies. A few of the stars have previously-published light curves, making it possible to study the long-term variability of the light-curve shapes. The general cause of the photometric variability observed for these stars is an asymmetric distribution of photospheric inhomogeneities (starspots). The presence of these inhomogeneities combined with the rotation of the star lead to the light curves observed. The photometric periods derived are thus identified with the rotation period of the star, making it possible to estimate equatorial rotational velocities for these K dwarfs. These data are of particular importance because the clusters are sufficiently young that stars of this mass should have just arrived on the main sequence. These data could be used to estimate the temperatures and sizes of the spot groups necessary to produce the observed light curves for these stars.

Orbital Signatures from Observed Light Curves of Blazars

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-01-27

Jan 27, 2016 ... Variability in active galactic nuclei is observed in UV to X-ray emission based light curves. This could be attributed to orbital signatures of the plasma that constitutes the accretion flow on the putative disk or in the developing jet close to the inner region of the central black hole. We discuss some theoretical ...

Robust flat bands in RCo5 (R=rare earth) compounds

OpenAIRE

Ochi, Masayuki; Arita, Ryotaro; Matsumoto, Munehisa; Kino, Hiori; Miyake, Takashi

2014-01-01

The mechanism to realize the peculiar flat bands generally existing in RCo5 (R=rare earth) compounds is clarified by analyzing the first-principles band structures and the tight-binding model. These flat bands are constructed from the localized eigenstates, the existence of which is guaranteed by the partial cancelation between the intersite hopping amplitudes among the Co-3d states at the Kagome sites and those between the Kagome and honeycomb sites. Their relative positions to other bands c...

A Composite Light Curve Model of the Symbiotic Nova PU Vul (1979

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kato M.

2012-06-01

Full Text Available PU Vul (1979 is a symbiotic nova that shows a long-lasting flat optical peak followed by a slow decline. We made a quasi-evolution model for outbursts on a 0.6 M⊙ white dwarf consisting of a series of static solutions with optically-thin winds. Our theoretical models reproduce well the observed visual/UV light curves as well as the new estimates of the temperature and radius of the hot component. We also modeled the light curve of the 1980 and 1994 eclipses as the total eclipse occulted by a pulsating M-giant companion star. In the second eclipse, the visual magnitude is dominated by nebular emission which is possibly ejected from the hot component between 1990 to 2000. We have quantitatively estimated three components of emission, i.e., the white dwarf, companion and nebular, and made a composite light curve that represents well the evolution of the PU Vul outburst.

Searching for transits in the WTS with the difference imaging light curves

Science.gov (United States)

Zendejas Dominguez, Jesus

2013-12-01

The search for exo-planets is currently one of the most exiting and active topics in astronomy. Small and rocky planets are particularly the subject of intense research, since if they are suitably located from their host star, they may be warm and potentially habitable worlds. On the other hand, the discovery of giant planets in short-period orbits provides important constraints on models that describe planet formation and orbital migration theories. Several projects are dedicated to discover and characterize planets outside of our solar system. Among them, the Wide-Field Camera Transit Survey (WTS) is a pioneer program aimed to search for extra-solar planets, that stands out for its particular aims and methodology. The WTS has been in operation since August 2007 with observations from the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, and represents the first survey that searches for transiting planets in the near-infrared wavelengths; hence the WTS is designed to discover planets around M-dwarfs. The survey was originally assigned about 200 nights, observing four fields that were selected seasonally (RA = 03, 07, 17 and 19h) during a year. The images from the survey are processed by a data reduction pipeline, which uses aperture photometry to construct the light curves. For the most complete field (19h-1145 epochs) in the survey, we produce an alternative set of light curves by using the method of difference imaging, which is a photometric technique that has shown important advantages when used in crowded fields. A quantitative comparison between the photometric precision achieved with both methods is carried out in this work. We remove systematic effects using the sysrem algorithm, scale the error bars on the light curves, and perform a comparison of the corrected light curves. The results show that the aperture photometry light curves provide slightly better precision for objects with J detect transits in the WTS light curves, we use a modified version of the box

Orbital Light Curves of UU Aquarii in Stunted Outburst

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, J. W.; Honeycutt, R. K.; Henden, A. A.; Campbell, R. T.

2018-02-01

Stunted outbursts are ∼0.ͫ6 eruptions, typically lasting 5–10 days, which are found in some novalike cataclysmic variables, including UU Aqr. The mechanism responsible for stunted outbursts is uncertain but is likely related to an accretion disk instability or to variations in the mass transfer rate. A campaign to monitor the eclipse light curves in UU Aqr has been conducted in order to detect any light curve distortions due to the appearance of a hot spot on the disk at the location of the impact point of the accretion stream. If stunted outbursts are due to a temporary mass transfer enhancement, then predictable deformations of the orbital light curve are expected to occur during such outbursts. This study used 156 eclipses on 135 nights during the years 2000–2012. During this interval, random samples found the system to be in stunted outbursts 4%–5% of the time, yielding ∼7 eclipses obtained during some stage of stunted outburst. About half of the eclipses obtained during stunted outbursts showed clear evidence for hot spot enhancement, providing strong evidence that the stunted outbursts in UU Aqr are associated with mass transfer variations. The other half of the eclipses during stunted outburst showed little or no evidence for hot spot enhancement. Furthermore, there were no systematic changes in the hot spot signature as stunted outbursts progressed. Therefore, we have tentatively attributed the changes in hot spot visibility during stunted outburst to random blobby accretion, which likely further modulates the strength of the accretion stream on orbital timescales.

Light scattering by rough surfaces for increase of absorption of low band gap light in solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kloppstech, Konstantin; Knabe, Sebastian; Bauer, Gottfried H. [Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg (Germany)

2011-07-01

Scattering of low band gap light for the increase of the absorption of low band gap photons is commonly formulated in phenomenological magnitudes such as haze factors resulting from experiments at particular scattering media. We have formulated analytically and described by numerical simulations the scattering of light by the interaction of photons with rough surfaces based on wave numbers of photons k{sub {lambda}} and wave numbers of the topological surface contour k{sub s} that has been derived in 2 dimensions via AFM analyses of the contour function h(x,y) of the scattering medium, e.g. a glassy diffusor. We have distinguished two regimes: i) k{sub {lambda}}r from the scattering medium and scattering angle {beta}. In particular for the wave optical approach we find a ''scattering function'' that contains the contour function h(x,y) however that substantially departs from its puristic Fourier Transform.

Type IIP supernova light curves affected by the acceleration of red supergiant winds

Science.gov (United States)

Moriya, Takashi J.; Förster, Francisco; Yoon, Sung-Chul; Gräfener, Götz; Blinnikov, Sergei I.

2018-05-01

We introduce the first synthetic light-curve model set of Type IIP supernovae exploded within circumstellar media in which the acceleration of the red supergiant winds is taken into account. Because wind acceleration makes the wind velocities near the progenitors low, the density of the immediate vicinity of the red supergiant supernova progenitors can be higher than that extrapolated by using a constant terminal wind velocity. Therefore, even if the mass-loss rate of the progenitor is relatively low, it can have a dense circumstellar medium at the immediate stellar vicinity and the early light curves of Type IIP supernovae are significantly affected by it. We adopt a simple β velocity law to formulate the wind acceleration. We provide bolometric and multicolour light curves of Type IIP supernovae exploding within such accelerated winds from the combinations of three progenitors, 12-16 M⊙; five β, 1-5; seven mass-loss rates, 10-5-10-2 M⊙ yr-1; and four explosion energies, (0.5-2) × 1051 erg. All the light-curve models are available at https://goo.gl/o5phYb. When the circumstellar density is sufficiently high, our models do not show a classical shock breakout as a consequence of the interaction with the dense and optically thick circumstellar media. Instead, they show a delayed `wind breakout', substantially affecting early light curves of Type IIP supernovae. We find that the mass-loss rates of the progenitors need to be 10-3-10-2 M⊙ yr-1 to explain typical rise times of 5-10 d in Type IIP supernovae assuming a dense circumstellar radius of 1015 cm.

Generation of three wide frequency bands within a single white-light cavity

Science.gov (United States)

Othman, Anas; Yevick, David; Al-Amri, M.

2018-04-01

We theoretically investigate the double-Λ scheme inside a Fabry-Pérot cavity employing a weak probe beam and two strong driving fields together with an incoherent pumping mechanism. By generating analytical expressions for the susceptibility and applying the white-light cavity conditions, we devise a procedure that reaches the white-light condition at a smaller gas density than the values typically cited in similar previous studies. Further, when the intensities of the two driving fields are equal, a single giant white band is obtained, while for unequal driving fields three white bands can be present in the cavity. Two additional techniques are then advanced for generating three white bands and a method is described for displacing the center frequency of the bands. Finally, some potential applications are suggested.

Elastic-plastic fracture assessment using a J-R curve by direct method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asta, E.P.

1996-01-01

In the elastic-plastic evaluation methods, based on J integral and tearing modulus procedures, an essential input is the material fracture resistance (J-R) curve. In order to simplify J-R determination direct, a method from load-load point displacement records of the single specimen tests may be employed. This procedure has advantages such as avoiding accuracy problems of the crack growth measuring devices and reducing testing time. This paper presents a structural integrity assessment approach, for ductile fracture, using the J-R obtained by a direct method from small single specimen fracture tests. The J-R direct method was carried out by means of a developed computational program based on theoretical elastic-plastic expressions. A comparative evaluation between the direct method J resistance curves and those obtained by the standard testing methodology on typical pressure vessel steels has been made. The J-R curves estimated from the direct method give an acceptable agreement with the approach proposed in this study which is reliable to use for engineering determinations. (orig.)

SIMULATED PERFORMANCE OF TIMESCALE METRICS FOR APERIODIC LIGHT CURVES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Findeisen, Krzysztof; Hillenbrand, Lynne [Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Cody, Ann Marie, E-mail: krzys@astro.caltech.edu [Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, MC 314-6, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2015-01-10

Aperiodic variability is a characteristic feature of young stars, massive stars, and active galactic nuclei. With the recent proliferation of time-domain surveys, it is increasingly essential to develop methods to quantify and analyze aperiodic variability. We develop three timescale metrics that have been little used in astronomy—Δm-Δt plots, peak-finding, and Gaussian process regression—and present simulations comparing their effectiveness across a range of aperiodic light curve shapes, characteristic timescales, observing cadences, and signal to noise ratios. We find that Gaussian process regression is easily confused by noise and by irregular sampling, even when the model being fit reflects the process underlying the light curve, but that Δm-Δt plots and peak-finding can coarsely characterize timescales across a broad region of parameter space. We make public the software we used for our simulations, both in the spirit of open research and to allow others to carry out analogous simulations for their own observing programs.

SIMULATED PERFORMANCE OF TIMESCALE METRICS FOR APERIODIC LIGHT CURVES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Findeisen, Krzysztof; Hillenbrand, Lynne; Cody, Ann Marie

2015-01-01

Aperiodic variability is a characteristic feature of young stars, massive stars, and active galactic nuclei. With the recent proliferation of time-domain surveys, it is increasingly essential to develop methods to quantify and analyze aperiodic variability. We develop three timescale metrics that have been little used in astronomy—Δm-Δt plots, peak-finding, and Gaussian process regression—and present simulations comparing their effectiveness across a range of aperiodic light curve shapes, characteristic timescales, observing cadences, and signal to noise ratios. We find that Gaussian process regression is easily confused by noise and by irregular sampling, even when the model being fit reflects the process underlying the light curve, but that Δm-Δt plots and peak-finding can coarsely characterize timescales across a broad region of parameter space. We make public the software we used for our simulations, both in the spirit of open research and to allow others to carry out analogous simulations for their own observing programs

Multi-band transmission color filters for multi-color white LEDs based visible light communication

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qixia; Zhu, Zhendong; Gu, Huarong; Chen, Mengzhu; Tan, Qiaofeng

2017-11-01

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based visible light communication (VLC) can provide license-free bands, high data rates, and high security levels, which is a promising technique that will be extensively applied in future. Multi-band transmission color filters with enough peak transmittance and suitable bandwidth play a pivotal role for boosting signal-noise-ratio in VLC systems. In this paper, multi-band transmission color filters with bandwidth of dozens nanometers are designed by a simple analytical method. Experiment results of one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) tri-band color filters demonstrate the effectiveness of the multi-band transmission color filters and the corresponding analytical method.

REVISITING EVIDENCE OF CHAOS IN X-RAY LIGHT CURVES: THE CASE OF GRS 1915+105

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mannattil, Manu; Gupta, Himanshu; Chakraborty, Sagar, E-mail: mmanu@iitk.ac.in, E-mail: hiugupta@iitk.ac.in, E-mail: sagarc@iitk.ac.in [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016 (India)

2016-12-20

Nonlinear time series analysis has been widely used to search for signatures of low-dimensional chaos in light curves emanating from astrophysical bodies. A particularly popular example is the microquasar GRS 1915+105, whose irregular but systematic X-ray variability has been well studied using data acquired by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer . With a view to building simpler models of X-ray variability, attempts have been made to classify the light curves of GRS 1915+105 as chaotic or stochastic. Contrary to some of the earlier suggestions, after careful analysis, we find no evidence for chaos or determinism in any of the GRS 1915+105 classes. The dearth of long and stationary data sets representing all the different variability classes of GRS 1915+105 makes it a poor candidate for analysis using nonlinear time series techniques. We conclude that either very exhaustive data analysis with sufficiently long and stationary light curves should be performed, keeping all the pitfalls of nonlinear time series analysis in mind, or alternative schemes of classifying the light curves should be adopted. The generic limitations of the techniques that we point out in the context of GRS 1915+105 affect all similar investigations of light curves from other astrophysical sources.

A Semiautomatic Pipeline for Be Star Light Curves

Science.gov (United States)

Rímulo, L. R.; Carciofi, A. C.; Rivinius, T.; Okazaki, A.

2016-11-01

Observational and theoretical studies from the last decade have shown that the Viscous Decretion Disk (VDD) scenario, in which turbulent viscosity is the physical mechanism responsible for the transport of material and angular momentum ejected from the star to the outer regions of the disk, is the only viable model for explaining the circumstellar disks of Be stars. In the α-disk approach applied to the VDD, the dimensionless parameter α is a measure of the turbulent viscosity. Recently, combining the time-dependent evolution of a VDD α-disk with non-LTE radiative transfer calculations, the first measurement of the α parameter was made, for the disk dissipation of the Be star ω CMa. It was found that α≍ 1 for that Be disk. The main motivation of this present work is the statistical determination of the α parameter. For this purpose, we present a pipeline that will allow the semiautomatic determination of the α parameter of several dozens of light curves of Be stars available from photometric surveys, In this contribution, we describe the pipeline, outlining the main staps required for the semiautomatic analysis of light curves

Transit Timing Variation analysis with Kepler light curves of KOI 227 and Kepler 93b

Science.gov (United States)

Dulz, Shannon; Reed, Mike

2017-01-01

By searching for transit signals in approximately 150,000 stars, NASA’s Kepler Space telescope found thousands of exoplanets over its primary mission from 2009 to 2013 (Tenenbaum et al. 2014, ApJS, 211, 6). Yet, a detailed follow-up examination of Kepler light curves may contribute more evidence on system dynamics and planetary atmospheres of these objects. Kepler’s continuous observing of these systems over the mission duration produced light curves of sufficient duration to allow for the search for transit timing variations. Transit timing variations over the course of many orbits may indicate a precessing orbit or the existence of a non-transiting third body such as another exoplanet. Flux contributions of the planet just prior to secondary eclipse may provide a measurement of bond albedo from the day-side of the transiting planet. Any asymmetries of the transit shape may indicate thermal asymmetries which can measure upper atmosphere motion of the planet. These two factors can constrain atmospheric models of close orbiting exoplanets. We first establish our procedure with the well-documented TTV system, KOI 227 (Nesvorny et al. 2014, ApJ, 790, 31). Using the test case of KOI 227, we analyze Kepler-93b for TTVs and day-side flux contributions. Kepler-93b is likely a rocky planet with R = 1.50 ± 0.03 Earth Radii and M = 2.59 ± 2.0 Earth Masses (Marcy et al. 2014, ApJS, 210, 20). This research is funded by a NASA EPSCoR grant.

A method for the rapid generation of nonsequential light-response curves of chlorophyll fluorescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Serôdio, João; Ezequiel, João; Frommlet, Jörg; Laviale, Martin; Lavaud, Johann

2013-11-01

Light-response curves (LCs) of chlorophyll fluorescence are widely used in plant physiology. Most commonly, LCs are generated sequentially, exposing the same sample to a sequence of distinct actinic light intensities. These measurements are not independent, as the response to each new light level is affected by the light exposure history experienced during previous steps of the LC, an issue particularly relevant in the case of the popular rapid light curves. In this work, we demonstrate the proof of concept of a new method for the rapid generation of LCs from nonsequential, temporally independent fluorescence measurements. The method is based on the combined use of sample illumination with digitally controlled, spatially separated beams of actinic light and a fluorescence imaging system. It allows the generation of a whole LC, including a large number of actinic light steps and adequate replication, within the time required for a single measurement (and therefore named "single-pulse light curve"). This method is illustrated for the generation of LCs of photosystem II quantum yield, relative electron transport rate, and nonphotochemical quenching on intact plant leaves exhibiting distinct light responses. This approach makes it also possible to easily characterize the integrated dynamic light response of a sample by combining the measurement of LCs (actinic light intensity is varied while measuring time is fixed) with induction/relaxation kinetics (actinic light intensity is fixed and the response is followed over time), describing both how the response to light varies with time and how the response kinetics varies with light intensity.

Eclipsing binary stars with extreme light curve asymmetries mined from large astronomical surveys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Papageorgiou Athanasios

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The O’Connell effect is one of the most perplexing challenges in binary studies as it has not been convincingly explained. Furthermore, a simple method to obtain essential parameters for eclipsing binaries exhibiting this effect and to extract information describing the asymmetry in the light curve maxima is needed. We have developed an automated program that characterizes the morphology of light curves by depth of both minima, height of both maxima and curvature outside the eclipses.

Photometric Observation and Light Curve Analysis of Binary System ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-01-27

Jan 27, 2016 ... Photometric Observation and Light Curve Analysis of Binary System ER-Orionis ... February to April 2008 with the 51 cm telescope of Biruni Observatory of Shiraz University in U, B and V filters (Johnson system) and an RCA 4509 photomultiplier. ... Articles are also visible in Web of Science immediately.

Candidate Binary Trojan and Hilda Asteroids from Rotational Light Curves

Science.gov (United States)

Sonnett, Sarah M.; Mainzer, Amy K.; Grav, Tommy; Masiero, Joseph R.; Bauer, James M.; Kramer, Emily A.

2017-10-01

Jovian Trojans (hereafter, Trojans) are asteroids in stable orbits at Jupiter's L4 and L5 Lagrange points, and Hilda asteroids are inwards of the Trojans in 3:2 mean-motion resonance with Jupiter. Due to their special dynamical properties, observationally constraining the formation location and dynamical histories of Trojans and HIldas offers key input for giant planet migration models. A fundamental parameter in assessing formation location is the bulk density - with low-density objects associated with an ice-rich formation environment in the outer solar system and high-density objects typically linked to the warmer inner solar system. Bulk density can only be directly measured during a close fly-by or by determining the mutual orbits of binary asteroid systems. With the aim of determining densities for a statistically significant sample of Trojans and Hildas, we are undertaking an observational campaign to confirm and characterize candidate binary asteroids published in Sonnett et al. (2015). These objects were flagged as binary candidates because their large NEOWISE brightness variations imply shapes so elongated that they are not likely explained by a singular equilibrium rubble pile and instead may be two elongated, gravitationally bound asteroids. We are obtaining densely sampled rotational light curves of these possible binaries to search for light curve features diagnostic of binarity and to determine the orbital properties of any confirmed binary systems by modeling the light curve. We compare the We present an update on this follow-up campaign and comment on future steps.

NEAR-INFRARED LIGHT CURVES OF THE BROWN DWARF ECLIPSING BINARY 2MASS J05352184-0546085: CAN SPOTS EXPLAIN THE TEMPERATURE REVERSAL?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez Maqueo Chew, Yilen; Stassun, Keivan G.; Prsa, Andrej; Mathieu, Robert D.

2009-01-01

We present near-infrared JHK S light curves for the double-lined eclipsing binary system Two Micron All Sky Survey J05352184 - 0546085, in which both components have been shown to be brown dwarfs with an age of ∼1 Myr. We analyze these light curves together with the previously published I C -band light curve and radial velocities to provide refined measurements of the system's physical parameters. The component masses and radii are here determined with an accuracy of ∼6.5% and ∼1.5%, respectively. In addition, we confirm the previous surprising finding that the primary brown dwarf has a cooler effective temperature than its lower mass companion. Next, we perform a detailed study of the residual variations in the out-of-eclipse phases of the light curves to ascertain the properties of any inhomogeneities (e.g., spots) on the surfaces of the brown dwarfs. Our analysis reveals two low-amplitude (∼0.02 mag) periodic signals, one attributable to the rotation of the primary with a period of 3.293 ± 0.001 d and the other to the rotation of the secondary with a period of 14.05 ± 0.05 d. Both periods are consistent with the measured vsin i and radii. Finally, we explore the effects on the derived physical parameters of the system when spots are included in the modeling of the light curves. The observed low-amplitude rotational modulations are well fitted by cool spots covering a small fraction (∼<10%) of the brown dwarfs' surfaces. Such small spots negligibly affect the physical properties of the brown dwarfs, and thus by themselves cannot explain the primary's unexpectedly low surface temperature. To mimic the observed ∼200 K suppression of the primary's temperature, our model requires that the primary possesses a very large spot coverage fraction of ∼65%. These spots must in addition be symmetrically distributed on the primary's surface so as not to produce photometric variations larger than observed. Altogether, a spot configuration in which the primary

KEPLER ECLIPSING BINARY STARS. III. CLASSIFICATION OF KEPLER ECLIPSING BINARY LIGHT CURVES WITH LOCALLY LINEAR EMBEDDING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matijevič, Gal; Prša, Andrej; Orosz, Jerome A.; Welsh, William F.; Bloemen, Steven; Barclay, Thomas

2012-01-01

We present an automated classification of 2165 Kepler eclipsing binary (EB) light curves that accompanied the second Kepler data release. The light curves are classified using locally linear embedding, a general nonlinear dimensionality reduction tool, into morphology types (detached, semi-detached, overcontact, ellipsoidal). The method, related to a more widely used principal component analysis, produces a lower-dimensional representation of the input data while preserving local geometry and, consequently, the similarity between neighboring data points. We use this property to reduce the dimensionality in a series of steps to a one-dimensional manifold and classify light curves with a single parameter that is a measure of 'detachedness' of the system. This fully automated classification correlates well with the manual determination of morphology from the data release, and also efficiently highlights any misclassified objects. Once a lower-dimensional projection space is defined, the classification of additional light curves runs in a negligible time and the method can therefore be used as a fully automated classifier in pipeline structures. The classifier forms a tier of the Kepler EB pipeline that pre-processes light curves for the artificial intelligence based parameter estimator.

SELECTION OF BURST-LIKE TRANSIENTS AND STOCHASTIC VARIABLES USING MULTI-BAND IMAGE DIFFERENCING IN THE PAN-STARRS1 MEDIUM-DEEP SURVEY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, S.; Gezari, S.; Heinis, S.; Chornock, R.; Berger, E.; Soderberg, A.; Stubbs, C. W.; Kirshner, R. P.; Rest, A.; Huber, M. E.; Narayan, G.; Marion, G. H.; Burgett, W. S.; Foley, R. J.; Scolnic, D.; Riess, A. G.; Lawrence, A.; Smartt, S. J.; Smith, K.; Wood-Vasey, W. M.

2015-01-01

We present a novel method for the light-curve characterization of Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey (PS1 MDS) extragalactic sources into stochastic variables (SVs) and burst-like (BL) transients, using multi-band image-differencing time-series data. We select detections in difference images associated with galaxy hosts using a star/galaxy catalog extracted from the deep PS1 MDS stacked images, and adopt a maximum a posteriori formulation to model their difference-flux time-series in four Pan-STARRS1 photometric bands g P1 , r P1 , i P1 , and z P1 . We use three deterministic light-curve models to fit BL transients; a Gaussian, a Gamma distribution, and an analytic supernova (SN) model, and one stochastic light-curve model, the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, in order to fit variability that is characteristic of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We assess the quality of fit of the models band-wise and source-wise, using their estimated leave-out-one cross-validation likelihoods and corrected Akaike information criteria. We then apply a K-means clustering algorithm on these statistics, to determine the source classification in each band. The final source classification is derived as a combination of the individual filter classifications, resulting in two measures of classification quality, from the averages across the photometric filters of (1) the classifications determined from the closest K-means cluster centers, and (2) the square distances from the clustering centers in the K-means clustering spaces. For a verification set of AGNs and SNe, we show that SV and BL occupy distinct regions in the plane constituted by these measures. We use our clustering method to characterize 4361 extragalactic image difference detected sources, in the first 2.5 yr of the PS1 MDS, into 1529 BL, and 2262 SV, with a purity of 95.00% for AGNs, and 90.97% for SN based on our verification sets. We combine our light-curve classifications with their nuclear or off-nuclear host galaxy offsets, to

VizieR Online Data Catalog: V873 Per BVR light curves (Kriwattanawong+, 2015)

Science.gov (United States)

Kriwattanawong, W.; Poojon, P.

2015-07-01

BVR photometric observations of V873 Per were carried out on the 0.5-m telescope at Sirindhorn Observatory, Chiang Mai University. The photometric data were taken during four nights (November 27-30, 2011), by using SBIG CCD (Model of ST10-XME), with exposure time of 90s. A total of 855 individual observations were obtained in three filter bands (285 observations per filter band). The IRAF package was used for data reduction and the BVR magnitude measurements. (1 data file).

Photometric Observation and Light Curve Analysis of Binary System ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. Photometric observations of the over-contact binary ER ORI were performed during November 2007 and February to April 2008 with the 51cm telescope of Biruni Observatory of Shiraz University in U, B and V filters (Johnson system) and an RCA 4509 photomultiplier. We used these data to obtain the light curves ...

A unique UV flare in the optical light curve of the quasar J004457.9+412344

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hatzidimitriou D.

2012-12-01

Full Text Available We found that the nova candidate J004457.9+412344 is a radio-quiet quasar at z ∼ 2. Its optical long-term light curve, covering more than half a century, shows quasar typical flux variations superimposed by a spectacular single flare lasting more than one year (observer frame. We could not find comparable light curves among the several thousand catalogued radio-quiet quasars in the stripe 82 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The decreasing part of the flare light curve roughly follows a power law t−5/3. The quasar spectrum, the total energy of the flare, and the decline of the light curve are consistent with the tidal disruption of a ∼10 Mʘ giant star by a supermassive black hole of a few 108 Mʘ. We argue that the alternative explanation by gravitational microlensing is less likely, though it cannot be definitely excluded.

A simple derivation of r* for curved exponential families

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jens Ledet

1997-01-01

For curved exponential families we consider modified likelihood ratio statistics of the form rL = r + log (u/r)/r, where r is the signed root of the likelihood ratio statistic. We are testing a one-dimensional hypothesis, but in order to specify approximate ancillary statistics we consider the test...... as one in a series of tests. By requiring asymptotic independence and asymptotic normality of the test statistics in a large deviation region there is a particular choice of the statistic u which suggests itself. The derivation of this result is quite simple, only involving a standard saddlepoint...... approximation followed by a transformation. We give explicit formulas for the statistic u, and include a discussion of the case where some coordinates of the underlying variable are lattice....

Machine Learning Techniques for Stellar Light Curve Classification

Science.gov (United States)

Hinners, Trisha A.; Tat, Kevin; Thorp, Rachel

2018-07-01

We apply machine learning techniques in an attempt to predict and classify stellar properties from noisy and sparse time-series data. We preprocessed over 94 GB of Kepler light curves from the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) to classify according to 10 distinct physical properties using both representation learning and feature engineering approaches. Studies using machine learning in the field have been primarily done on simulated data, making our study one of the first to use real light-curve data for machine learning approaches. We tuned our data using previous work with simulated data as a template and achieved mixed results between the two approaches. Representation learning using a long short-term memory recurrent neural network produced no successful predictions, but our work with feature engineering was successful for both classification and regression. In particular, we were able to achieve values for stellar density, stellar radius, and effective temperature with low error (∼2%–4%) and good accuracy (∼75%) for classifying the number of transits for a given star. The results show promise for improvement for both approaches upon using larger data sets with a larger minority class. This work has the potential to provide a foundation for future tools and techniques to aid in the analysis of astrophysical data.

Red light-induced shift of the fluence-response curve for first positive curvature of maize [Zea mays] coleoptiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofmann, E.; Schäfer, E.

1987-01-01

The fluence-response curve for first positive phototropic curvture of dark-grown maize coleoptiles is shifted to ten-fold higher fluences if the coieoptiles are irradiated with red light 2 h prior to the phototropic induction with blue light. Fluence-response curves for this red-induced shift were obtained with unilateral red irradiations 2 h prior to inductive blue pulses of different fluences. They differ significantly depending on whether the red light was given from the same side as or the opposite side to the respective inductive blue pulse, thus demonstrating that the red light effect is a local response of the coleoptile. The fluence-response curves for an inductive blue pulse in the ascending part were compared with those for an inductive blue pulse in the descending part of the fluence-response curve for blue light induced phototropism. They are quite different in threshold of red light sensitivity and shape for irradiations from both the same and the opposite sides. This offers evidence for the hypothesis that at least two different photosystems are involved in phototropism, and that they are modulated differently by a red light preirradiation. All these fluence-response curves indicate that it is possible to increase the response in the coleoptile, if the red light preirradiation is given opposite to the inductive blue pulse. This is supported by blue light fluence-response curves obtained after a weak unilateral red preirradiation. (author)

Hierarchical Models for Type Ia Supernova Light Curves in the Optical and Near Infrared

Science.gov (United States)

Mandel, Kaisey; Narayan, G.; Kirshner, R. P.

2011-01-01

I have constructed a comprehensive statistical model for Type Ia supernova optical and near infrared light curves. Since the near infrared light curves are excellent standard candles and are less sensitive to dust extinction and reddening, the combination of near infrared and optical data better constrains the host galaxy extinction and improves the precision of distance predictions to SN Ia. A hierarchical probabilistic model coherently accounts for multiple random and uncertain effects, including photometric error, intrinsic supernova light curve variations and correlations across phase and wavelength, dust extinction and reddening, peculiar velocity dispersion and distances. An improved BayeSN MCMC code is implemented for computing probabilistic inferences for individual supernovae and the SN Ia and host galaxy dust populations. I use this hierarchical model to analyze nearby Type Ia supernovae with optical and near infared data from the PAIRITEL, CfA3, and CSP samples and the literature. Using cross-validation to test the robustness of the model predictions, I find that the rms Hubble diagram scatter of predicted distance moduli is 0.11 mag for SN with optical and near infrared data versus 0.15 mag for SN with only optical data. Accounting for the dispersion expected from random peculiar velocities, the rms intrinsic prediction error is 0.08-0.10 mag for SN with both optical and near infrared light curves. I discuss results for the inferred intrinsic correlation structures of the optical-NIR SN Ia light curves and the host galaxy dust distribution captured by the hierarchical model. The continued observation and analysis of Type Ia SN in the optical and near infrared is important for improving their utility as precise and accurate cosmological distance indicators.

The 1.4 GHZ light curve of GRB 970508

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Galama, TJ; Wijers, RAMJ; Groot, PJ; Strom, RG; De Bruyn, AG; Kouveliotou, C; Robinson, CR; van Paradus, J

1998-01-01

We report on Westerbork 1.4 GHz radio observations of the radio counterpart to gamma-ray burst GRB 970508, between 0.80 and 138 days after this event. The 1.4 GHz light curve shows a transition from optically thick to thin emission between 39 and 54 days after the event. We derive the slope p of the

Fourier analysis of the light curves of eclipsing variables. XV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demircan, O.

1978-01-01

A new general expression for the theoretical moments Asub(2m) of the light curves of eclipsing systems has been presented in the form of infinite series expansion. In this expansion, the terms have been given as the product of two different polynomials which satisfy certain three-term recursion formulae, and the coefficients diminish rapidly with increasing number of terms. Thus, the numerical values of the theoretical moments Asub(2m) can be generated recursively up to four significant figures for any given set of eclipse elements. This can be utilized to solve the eclipse elements in two ways: (i) with an indirect method, (ii) with a direct method as minimization to the observational moments Asub(2m) (area fitting). The procedures for obtaining the elements of any eclipsing system consisting of spherical stars have been automated by making use of the new expression for the moments Asub(2m) of the light curves. The theoretical functions f 0 , f 2 , f 4 , f 6 , g 2 and g 4 which are the functions of a and c 0 , have been used to solve the eclipse elements from the observed photometric data. The closed-form expressions for the functions f 2 , f 4 and f 6 have also been derived in terms of Kopal's I-integrals. The automated methods for obtaining the eclipse elements from one minimum alone have been tested on the light curves of YZ (21) Cassiopeiae under the spherical model assumptions. The results of these applications are given. (Auth.)

UBV Light Curves of AR Lacertae During 1980-'81 and 1981-'82

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Il-Seong Nha

1985-12-01

Full Text Available The UBV observations of the brightest RE CVn-type eclipsing binary star AR Lac were made at four observatories, two in Korea and two in the U.S. in the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons. As a result of the cooperation, two light curves in the yellow and in the blue were completed for each observing seasons. Ultraviolet observations were also made at three of the four observatories. The orbital period of AR Lac apparantly decreased around 1977. An analysis of our yellow light curves together with five other yellow curves available in the literature since 1975 shows that there seems no periodicity in the migration of the distortion waves. There is a gradual decrease of at least 0.m1 between 1976 and 1982 in the brightness of the cooler component if one assumes that the hotter component is constant.

The Physics of Type Ia Supernova Light Curves. I. Analytic Results and Time Dependence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinto, Philip A.; Eastman, Ronald G.

2000-01-01

We develop an analytic solution of the radiation transport problem for Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and show that it reproduces bolometric light curves produced by more detailed calculations under the assumption of a constant-extinction coefficient. This model is used to derive the thermal conditions in the interior of SNe Ia and to study the sensitivity of light curves to various properties of the underlying supernova explosions. Although the model is limited by simplifying assumptions, it is adequate for demonstrating that the relationship between SNe Ia maximum-light luminosity and rate of decline is most easily explained if SNe Ia span a range in mass. The analytic model is also used to examine the size of various terms in the transport equation under conditions appropriate to maximum light. For instance, the Eulerian and advective time derivatives are each shown to be of the same order of magnitude as other order v/c terms in the transport equation. We conclude that a fully time-dependent solution to the transport problem is needed in order to compute SNe Ia light curves and spectra accurate enough to distinguish subtle differences of various explosion models. (c) 2000 The American Astronomical Society

Two R curves for partially stabilized zirconia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rose, L.R.F.; Swain, M.V.

1986-01-01

The enhanced fracture toughness due to stress-induced transformation can be explained from two view points: (1) the increase can be attributed to the need to supply a work of transformation, or (2) the transformation can be considered to result in internal stresses which oppose crack opening. Experimental results for magnesia-partially-stabilized zirconia are presented for the two experimental measures of toughness corresponding to these two viewpoints, namely (1) the specific work of fracture, R, and (2) the nominal stress intensity factor, K/sup R/. It is observed that these two measures are not equivalent during the initial stage of R-curve behavior, prior to reaching steady-state cracking. The theoretical reason for this difference is discussed. In particular, it is noted that the usual definition for the crack extension force does not correspond to the experimentally measured work of fracture in the presence of stress-induced (or pre-existing) sources of internal stress

Contributions to the R-curve behaviour of ceramic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fett, T.

1994-12-01

Several ceramic materials show an increase in crack growth resistance with increasing crack extension. Especially, in case of coarse-grained alumina this ''R-curve effect'' is caused by crack-face interactions in the wake of the advancing crack. Similar effects occur for whisker reinforced ceramics. Due to the crack-face interactions so-called ''bridging stresses'' are generated which transfer forces between the two crack surfaces. A second reason for an increase of crack-growth resistance are stress-induced phase transformations in zirconia ceramics with the tetragonal phase changing to the monoclinic phase. These transformations will affect the stress field in the surroundings of crack tips. The transformation generates a crack-tip transformation zone and, due to the stress balance, also residual stresses in the whole crack region which result in a residual stress intensity factor. This additional stress intensity factor is also a reason for the R-curve behaviour. In this report both effects are outlined in detail. (orig.) [de

Corot 310266512: A Light Curve With Primary, Secondary And Tertiary Eclipses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernández Fernández Javier

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We present the photometric study of an interesting target in the CoRoT exoplanet database: CoRoT 310266512. Its light curve shows primary, secondary and tertiary eclipses that suggests the presence of at least three celestial bodies. The primary and secondary eclipses have the same orbital period, 7.42 days, and the tertiary eclipse has an orbital period of 3.27 days. Two of the tertiary eclipses fall within a primary eclipse and a secondary eclipse. The properties of the light curve indicate the presence of two physically separated systems. The primary and secondary eclipses corresponds to a binary system (System I. The tertiary eclipses correspond to a star-planet system or a star-dwarf system (System II. Some parameters of these two systems are obtained from JKTEBOP [1] program.

Detection of secondary eclipses of WASP-10b and Qatar-1b in the Ks band and the correlation between Ks-band temperature and stellar activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, Patricia; Barrado, David; Lillo-Box, Jorge; Diaz, Marcos; López-Morales, Mercedes; Birkby, Jayne; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Hodgkin, Simon

2017-10-01

The Calar Alto Secondary Eclipse study was a program dedicated to observe secondary eclipses in the near-IR of two known close-orbiting exoplanets around K-dwarfs: WASP-10b and Qatar-1b. Such observations reveal hints on the orbital configuration of the system and on the thermal emission of the exoplanet, which allows the study of the brightness temperature of its atmosphere. The observations were performed at the Calar Alto Observatory (Spain). We used the OMEGA2000 instrument (Ks band) at the 3.5m telescope. The data was acquired with the telescope strongly defocused. The differential light curve was corrected from systematic effects using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) technique. The final light curve was fitted using an occultation model to find the eclipse depth and a possible phase shift by performing a MCMC analysis. The observations have revealed a secondary eclipse of WASP-10b with depth of 0.137%, and a depth of 0.196% for Qatar-1b. The observed phase offset from expected mid-eclipse was of -0.0028 for WASP-10b, and of -0.0079 for Qatar-1b. These measured offsets led to a value for |ecosω| of 0.0044 for the WASP-10b system, leading to a derived eccentricity which was too small to be of any significance. For Qatar-1b, we have derived a |ecosω| of 0.0123, however, this last result needs to be confirmed with more data. The estimated Ks-band brightness temperatures are of 1647 K and 1885 K for WASP-10b and Qatar-1b, respectively. We also found an empirical correlation between the (R'HK) activity index of planet hosts and the Ks-band brightness temperature of exoplanets, considering a small number of systems.

Preparation of Kepler light curves for asteroseismic analyses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

García, R.A.; Hekker, Saskia; Stello, Dennis

2011-01-01

The Kepler mission is providing photometric data of exquisite quality for the asteroseismic study of different classes of pulsating stars. These analyses place particular demands on the pre-processing of the data, over a range of time-scales from minutes to months. Here, we describe processing...... procedures developed by the Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium to prepare light curves that are optimized for the asteroseismic study of solar-like oscillating stars in which outliers, jumps and drifts are corrected....

Photonic band edge assisted spontaneous emission enhancement from all Er3+ 1-D photonic band gap structure

Science.gov (United States)

Chiasera, A.; Meroni, C.; Varas, S.; Valligatla, S.; Scotognella, F.; Boucher, Y. G.; Lukowiak, A.; Zur, L.; Righini, G. C.; Ferrari, M.

2018-06-01

All Er3+ doped dielectric 1-D Photonic Band Gap Structure was fabricated by rf-sputtering technique. The structure was constituted by of twenty pairs of SiO2/TiO2 alternated layers doped with Er3+ ions. The scanning electron microscopy was used to check the morphology of the structure. Transmission measurements put in evidence the stop band in the range 1500 nm-1950 nm. The photoluminescence measurements were obtained by optically exciting the sample and detecting the emitted light in the 1.5 μm region at different detection angles. Luminescence spectra and luminescence decay curves put in evidence that the presence of the stop band modify the emission features of the Er3+ ions.

Plant lighting system with five wavelength-band light-emitting diodes providing photon flux density and mixing ratio control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yano Akira

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Plant growth and development depend on the availability of light. Lighting systems therefore play crucial roles in plant studies. Recent advancements of light-emitting diode (LED technologies provide abundant opportunities to study various plant light responses. The LED merits include solidity, longevity, small element volume, radiant flux controllability, and monochromaticity. To apply these merits in plant light response studies, a lighting system must provide precisely controlled light spectra that are useful for inducing various plant responses. Results We have developed a plant lighting system that irradiated a 0.18 m2 area with a highly uniform distribution of photon flux density (PFD. The average photosynthetic PFD (PPFD in the irradiated area was 438 micro-mol m–2 s–1 (coefficient of variation 9.6%, which is appropriate for growing leafy vegetables. The irradiated light includes violet, blue, orange-red, red, and far-red wavelength bands created by LEDs of five types. The PFD and mixing ratio of the five wavelength-band lights are controllable using a computer and drive circuits. The phototropic response of oat coleoptiles was investigated to evaluate plant sensitivity to the light control quality of the lighting system. Oat coleoptiles irradiated for 23 h with a uniformly distributed spectral PFD (SPFD of 1 micro-mol m–2 s–1 nm–1 at every peak wavelength (405, 460, 630, 660, and 735 nm grew almost straight upwards. When they were irradiated with an SPFD gradient of blue light (460 nm peak wavelength, the coleoptiles showed a phototropic curvature in the direction of the greater SPFD of blue light. The greater SPFD gradient induced the greater curvature of coleoptiles. The relation between the phototropic curvature (deg and the blue-light SPFD gradient (micro-mol m–2 s–1 nm–1 m–1 was 2 deg per 1 micro-mol m–2 s–1 nm–1 m–1. Conclusions The plant lighting system, with a computer with a

New methods for deriving cometary secular light curves: C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) revisited

Science.gov (United States)

Womack, Maria; Lastra, Nathan; Harrington, Olga; Curtis, Anthony; Wierzchos, Kacper; Ruffini, Nicholas; Charles, Mentzer; Rabson, David; Cox, Timothy; Rivera, Isabel; Micciche, Anthony

2017-10-01

We present an algorithm for reducing scatter and increasing precision in a comet light curve. As a demonstration, we processed apparent magnitudes of comet Hale-Bopp from 16 highly experienced observers (archived with the International Comet Quarterly), correcting for distance from Earth and phase angle. Different observers tend to agree on the difference in magnitudes of an object at different distances, but the magnitude reported by observer is shifted relative to that of another for an object at a fixed distance. We estimated the shifts using a self-consistent statistical approach, leading to a sharper light curve and improving the precision of the measured slopes. The final secular lightcurve for comet Hale-Bopp ranges from -7 au (pre-perihelion) to +8 au (post-perihelion) and is the best secular light curve produced to date for this “great” comet. We discuss Hale-Bopp’s lightcurve evolution and possibly related physical implications, and potential usefulness of this light curve for comparisons with other future bright comets. We also assess the appropriateness of using secular lightcurves to characterize dust production rates in Hale-Bopp and other dust-rich comets. M.W. acknowledges support from NSF grant AST-1615917.

Evaluation of J-R curve testing of nuclear piping materials using the direct current potential drop technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hackett, E.M.; Kirk, M.T.; Hays, R.A.

1986-08-01

A method is described for developing J-R curves for nuclear piping materials using the DC Potential Drop (DCPD) technique. Experimental calibration curves were developed for both three point bend and compact specimen geometries using ASTM A106 steel, a type 304 stainless steel and a high strength aluminum alloy. These curves were fit with a power law expression over the range of crack extension encountered during J-R curve tests (0.6 a/W to 0.8 a/W). The calibration curves were insensitive to both material and sidegrooving and depended solely on specimen geometry and lead attachment points. Crack initiation in J-R curve tests using DCPD was determined by a deviation from a linear region on a plot of COD vs. DCPD. The validity of this criterion for ASTM A106 steel was determined by a series of multispecimen tests that bracketed the initiation region. A statistical differential slope procedure for determination of the crack initiation point is presented and discussed. J-R curve tests were performed on ASTM A106 steel and type 304 stainless steel using both the elastic compliance and DCPD techniques to assess R-curve comparability. J-R curves determined using the two approaches were found to be in good agreement for ASTM A106 steel. The applicability of the DCPD technique to type 304 stainless steel and high rate loading of ferromagnetic materials is discussed. 15 refs., 33 figs

DETERMINATION OF THE LIGHT CURVE OF THE ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE BY ITS ROTATION PATH AS PREPARATION TO THE INVERSE PROBLEM SOLUTION

OpenAIRE

Pavlenko, Daniil

2012-01-01

Developing the algorithm of estimation of the rotational parameters of the artificial satellite by its light curve, we face the necessity to compute test light curves for various initially given types of rotation and specific features of lighting of the satellite. In the present study the algorithm of creation of such light curves with the simulation method and the obtained result are described.

CfA3: 185 TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA LIGHT CURVES FROM THE CfA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hicken, Malcolm; Challis, Peter; Kirshner, Robert P.; Bakos, Gaspar; Berlind, Perry; Brown, Warren R.; Caldwell, Nelson; Calkins, Mike; Cho, Richard; Contreras, Maria; Jha, Saurabh; Matheson, Tom; Modjaz, Maryam; Rest, Armin; Michael Wood-Vasey, W.; Barton, Elizabeth J.; Bragg, Ann; Briceno, Cesar; Ciupik, Larry; Dendy, Kristi-Concannon

2009-01-01

We present multiband photometry of 185 type-Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), with over 11,500 observations. These were acquired between 2001 and 2008 at the F. L. Whipple Observatory of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA). This sample contains the largest number of homogeneously observed and reduced nearby SNe Ia (z ∼< 0.08) published to date. It more than doubles the nearby sample, bringing SN Ia cosmology to the point where systematic uncertainties dominate. Our natural system photometry has a precision of ∼<0.02 mag in BVRIr'i' and ∼<0.04 mag in U for points brighter than 17.5 mag. We also estimate a systematic uncertainty of 0.03 mag in our SN Ia standard system BVRIr'i' photometry and 0.07 mag for U. Comparisons of our standard system photometry with published SN Ia light curves and comparison stars, where available for the same SN, reveal agreement at the level of a few hundredths mag in most cases. We find that 1991bg-like SNe Ia are sufficiently distinct from other SNe Ia in their color and light-curve-shape/luminosity relation that they should be treated separately in light-curve/distance fitter training samples. The CfA3 sample will contribute to the development of better light-curve/distance fitters, particularly in the few dozen cases where near-infrared photometry has been obtained and, together, can help disentangle host-galaxy reddening from intrinsic supernova color, reducing the systematic uncertainty in SN Ia distances due to dust.

Ensemble Learning Method for Outlier Detection and its Application to Astronomical Light Curves

Science.gov (United States)

Nun, Isadora; Protopapas, Pavlos; Sim, Brandon; Chen, Wesley

2016-09-01

Outlier detection is necessary for automated data analysis, with specific applications spanning almost every domain from financial markets to epidemiology to fraud detection. We introduce a novel mixture of the experts outlier detection model, which uses a dynamically trained, weighted network of five distinct outlier detection methods. After dimensionality reduction, individual outlier detection methods score each data point for “outlierness” in this new feature space. Our model then uses dynamically trained parameters to weigh the scores of each method, allowing for a finalized outlier score. We find that the mixture of experts model performs, on average, better than any single expert model in identifying both artificially and manually picked outliers. This mixture model is applied to a data set of astronomical light curves, after dimensionality reduction via time series feature extraction. Our model was tested using three fields from the MACHO catalog and generated a list of anomalous candidates. We confirm that the outliers detected using this method belong to rare classes, like Novae, He-burning, and red giant stars; other outlier light curves identified have no available information associated with them. To elucidate their nature, we created a website containing the light-curve data and information about these objects. Users can attempt to classify the light curves, give conjectures about their identities, and sign up for follow up messages about the progress made on identifying these objects. This user submitted data can be used further train of our mixture of experts model. Our code is publicly available to all who are interested.

Testing the stationarity of white dwarf light-curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molnar, L; Kollath, Z; Plachy, E; Paparo, M

2009-01-01

Long period white dwarfs show changes in their frequency spectra from one observing season to another, i.e. their light-curves cannot be considered as stationary multiperiodic variations on long timescales. However, due to the complex frequency spectra of these stars and the narrow frequency spacing, it is still unknown, what the shortest time scale is, where real physical modulation exists. We present tests on artificial data, resembling the observations, using time-frequency distributions (TFDs), Fourier-analysis and the analytical signal method.

Nonclassical-light generation in a photonic-band-gap nonlinear planar waveguide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perina, Jan Jr.; Sibilia, Concita; Tricca, Daniela; Bertolotti, Mario

2004-01-01

The optical parametric process occurring in a photonic-band-gap planar waveguide is studied from the point of view of nonclassical-light generation. The nonlinearly interacting optical fields are described by the generalized superposition of coherent signals and noise using the method of operator linear corrections to a classical strong solution. Scattered backward-propagating fields are taken into account. Squeezed light as well as light with sub-Poissonian statistics can be obtained in two-mode fields under the specified conditions

Human Adolescent Phase Response Curves to Bright White Light.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowley, Stephanie J; Eastman, Charmane I

2017-08-01

Older adolescents are particularly vulnerable to circadian misalignment and sleep restriction, primarily due to early school start times. Light can shift the circadian system and could help attenuate circadian misalignment; however, a phase response curve (PRC) to determine the optimal time for receiving light and avoiding light is not available for adolescents. We constructed light PRCs for late pubertal to postpubertal adolescents aged 14 to 17 years. Participants completed 2 counterbalanced 5-day laboratory sessions after 8 or 9 days of scheduled sleep at home. Each session included phase assessments to measure the dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) before and after 3 days of free-running through an ultradian light-dark (wake-sleep) cycle (2 h dim [~20 lux] light, 2 h dark). In one session, intermittent bright white light (~5000 lux; four 20-min exposures) was alternated with 10 min of dim room light once per day for 3 consecutive days. The time of light varied among participants to cover the 24-h day. For each individual, the phase shift to bright light was corrected for the free-run derived from the other laboratory session with no bright light. One PRC showed phase shifts in response to light start time relative to the DLMO and another relative to home sleep. Phase delay shifts occurred around the hours corresponding to home bedtime. Phase advances occurred during the hours surrounding wake time and later in the afternoon. The transition from delays to advances occurred at the midpoint of home sleep. The adolescent PRCs presented here provide a valuable tool to time bright light in adolescents.

Hypersonic modulation of light in three-dimensional photonic and phononic band-gap materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Akimov, A V; Tanaka, Y; Pevtsov, A B; Kaplan, S F; Golubev, V G; Tamura, S; Yakovlev, D R; Bayer, M

2008-07-18

The elastic coupling between the a-SiO2 spheres composing opal films brings forth three-dimensional periodic structures which besides a photonic stop band are predicted to also exhibit complete phononic band gaps. The influence of elastic crystal vibrations on the photonic band structure has been studied by injection of coherent hypersonic wave packets generated in a metal transducer by subpicosecond laser pulses. These studies show that light with energies close to the photonic band gap can be efficiently modulated by hypersonic waves.

SELECTION OF BURST-LIKE TRANSIENTS AND STOCHASTIC VARIABLES USING MULTI-BAND IMAGE DIFFERENCING IN THE PAN-STARRS1 MEDIUM-DEEP SURVEY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, S.; Gezari, S.; Heinis, S. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, Stadium Drive, College Park, MD 21224 (United States); Chornock, R.; Berger, E.; Soderberg, A.; Stubbs, C. W.; Kirshner, R. P. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Rest, A. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Huber, M. E.; Narayan, G.; Marion, G. H.; Burgett, W. S. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Foley, R. J. [Astronomy Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1002 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Scolnic, D.; Riess, A. G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Lawrence, A. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); Smartt, S. J.; Smith, K. [Astrophysics Research Centre, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen' s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Wood-Vasey, W. M. [Pittsburgh Particle Physics, Astrophysics, and Cosmology Center, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, 3941 O' Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (United States); and others

2015-03-20

We present a novel method for the light-curve characterization of Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey (PS1 MDS) extragalactic sources into stochastic variables (SVs) and burst-like (BL) transients, using multi-band image-differencing time-series data. We select detections in difference images associated with galaxy hosts using a star/galaxy catalog extracted from the deep PS1 MDS stacked images, and adopt a maximum a posteriori formulation to model their difference-flux time-series in four Pan-STARRS1 photometric bands g {sub P1}, r {sub P1}, i {sub P1}, and z {sub P1}. We use three deterministic light-curve models to fit BL transients; a Gaussian, a Gamma distribution, and an analytic supernova (SN) model, and one stochastic light-curve model, the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, in order to fit variability that is characteristic of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We assess the quality of fit of the models band-wise and source-wise, using their estimated leave-out-one cross-validation likelihoods and corrected Akaike information criteria. We then apply a K-means clustering algorithm on these statistics, to determine the source classification in each band. The final source classification is derived as a combination of the individual filter classifications, resulting in two measures of classification quality, from the averages across the photometric filters of (1) the classifications determined from the closest K-means cluster centers, and (2) the square distances from the clustering centers in the K-means clustering spaces. For a verification set of AGNs and SNe, we show that SV and BL occupy distinct regions in the plane constituted by these measures. We use our clustering method to characterize 4361 extragalactic image difference detected sources, in the first 2.5 yr of the PS1 MDS, into 1529 BL, and 2262 SV, with a purity of 95.00% for AGNs, and 90.97% for SN based on our verification sets. We combine our light-curve classifications with their nuclear or off-nuclear host

B and V photoelectric photometry and light curve solution of the interacting binary systems HI Puppis, BL Eridani and SY Horologii

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kern, J.R.

1985-01-01

The first photoelectric observations of the eclipsing binary systems HI Puppis, BL Eridani, and SY Horologii were obtained and complete B and V light curves are presented. Improved light elements were derived for all three systems. The light curves of HI Puppis were analyzed by the three different computer models of Wilson and Devinney (1971), Binnendijk (1977), and Wood (1971) to get the geometrical and photometric elements of the system. HI Puppis, whose light curves show a total eclipse at secondary minimum, is shown to be a classic A-Type W Ursae Majoris system. The geometrical and photometric elements of BL Eridani were obtained from the analysis of the light curves using the method of Wilson and Devinney. The asymmetric nature of the light curve is treated as being due to the presence of an underluminous starspot on the primary component. The light curves of BL Eri show secondary eclipse to be total. The system is found to be a near contact system with the primary component filling its Roche lobe and the secondary nearly filling its lobe with a fill-out ratio of approximately 1.0. The light curves of SY Horologii were also subjected to the model of Wilson and Devinney. Both primary and secondary eclipses are partial

Light tuning DC and AC electrical properties of ZnO-rGO based hybrid nanocomposite film

Science.gov (United States)

Nath, Debarati; Mandal, S. K.; Deb, Debajit; Rakshit, J. K.; Dey, P.; Roy, J. N.

2018-03-01

We have investigated the electrical and optoelectrical properties of a zinc oxide (ZnO):reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite film prepared through the sol gel process on a glass substrate under dark and illumination conditions of light. The bandgap of the composite film is decreased from the pure ZnO nanofilm due to the formation of a Zn-O-C bond in the composite film. The linear behavior in the Current-Voltage curve is attributed to Ohmic contact between ZnO and rGO grains. The photocurrent of the composite film is found to increase with an increase in light intensity having two different slopes, indicating an enhancement of the mobility of carriers and dissociation rate of excitons. The observed decrement of the impedance value with the intensity of light may be due to the flow of charge carriers and the presence of the light dependent relaxation process in the system. Nyquist plots have been fitted using a parallel combination of grain boundary resistances and grain boundary capacitance at different intensities of light. The relaxation frequency is observed to shift towards the high frequency regime. Carrier transit time has been calculated from relaxation frequency showing opposite behavior with the intensity of light. These results indicate the higher generations of photogenerated carriers at the interface between rGO and ZnO grains and an enhancement of the charge transport process due to the increment of the mobility of charge carriers in the system.

IMAGING STARSPOT EVOLUTION ON KEPLER TARGET KIC 5110407 USING LIGHT-CURVE INVERSION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roettenbacher, Rachael M.; Monnier, John D.; Harmon, Robert O.; Barclay, Thomas; Still, Martin

2013-01-01

The Kepler target KIC 5110407, a K-type star, shows strong quasi-periodic light curve fluctuations likely arising from the formation and decay of spots on the stellar surface rotating with a period of 3.4693 days. Using an established light-curve inversion algorithm, we study the evolution of the surface features based on Kepler space telescope light curves over a period of two years (with a gap of .25 years). At virtually all epochs, we detect at least one large spot group on the surface causing a 1%-10% flux modulation in the Kepler passband. By identifying and tracking spot groups over a range of inferred latitudes, we measured the surface differential rotation to be much smaller than that found for the Sun. We also searched for a correlation between the 17 stellar flares that occurred during our observations and the orientation of the dominant surface spot at the time of each flare. No statistically significant correlation was found except perhaps for the very brightest flares, suggesting that most flares are associated with regions devoid of spots or spots too small to be clearly discerned using our reconstruction technique. While we may see hints of long-term changes in the spot characteristics and flare statistics within our current data set, a longer baseline of observation will be needed to detect the existence of a magnetic cycle in KIC 5110407.

The Prompt-afterglow Connection in Gamma-ray Bursts: a Comprehensive Statistical Analysis of Swift X-ray Light-curves

Science.gov (United States)

Margutti, R.; Zaninoni, E.; Bernardini, M. G.; Chincarini, G.; Pasotti, F.; Guidorzi, C.; Angelini, Lorella; Burrows, D. N.; Capalbi, M.; Evans, P. A.;

The GO Cygni system: photoelectric observations and light curves analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rovithis, P.; Rovithis-Livaniou, H.; Niarchos, P.G.

1990-01-01

Photoelectric observations, in B and V, of the system GO Cygni obtained during 1985 at the Kryonerion Astronomical Station of the National Observatory of Greece are given. The corresponding light curves (typical β Lyrae) are analysed using Frequency Domain techniques. New photoelectric and absolute elements for the system are given, and its period was found to continue its increasing

The effect of lunarlike satellites on the orbital infrared light curves of Earth-analog planets.

Science.gov (United States)

Moskovitz, Nicholas A; Gaidos, Eric; Williams, Darren M

2009-04-01

We have investigated the influence of lunarlike satellites on the infrared orbital light curves of Earth-analog extrasolar planets. Such light curves will be obtained by NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) and ESA's Darwin missions as a consequence of repeat observations to confirm the companion status of a putative planet and determine its orbit. We used an energy balance model to calculate disk-averaged infrared (bolometric) fluxes from planet-satellite systems over a full orbital period (one year). The satellites are assumed to lack an atmosphere, have a low thermal inertia like that of the Moon, and span a range of plausible radii. The planets are assumed to have thermal and orbital properties that mimic those of Earth, while their obliquities and orbital longitudes of inferior conjunction remain free parameters. Even if the gross thermal properties of the planet can be independently constrained (e.g., via spectroscopy or visible-wavelength detection of specular glint from a surface ocean), only the largest (approximately Mars-sized) lunarlike satellites can be detected by light curve data from a TPF-like instrument (i.e., one that achieves a photometric signal-to-noise ratio of 10 to 20 at infrared wavelengths). Nondetection of a lunarlike satellite can obfuscate the interpretation of a given system's infrared light curve so that it may resemble a single planet with high obliquity, different orbital longitude of vernal equinox relative to inferior conjunction, and in some cases drastically different thermal characteristics. If the thermal properties of the planet are not independently established, then the presence of a lunarlike satellite cannot be inferred from infrared data, which would thus demonstrate that photometric light curves alone can only be used for preliminary study, and the addition of spectroscopic data will be necessary.

pROC: an open-source package for R and S+ to analyze and compare ROC curves.

Science.gov (United States)

Robin, Xavier; Turck, Natacha; Hainard, Alexandre; Tiberti, Natalia; Lisacek, Frédérique; Sanchez, Jean-Charles; Müller, Markus

2011-03-17

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves are useful tools to evaluate classifiers in biomedical and bioinformatics applications. However, conclusions are often reached through inconsistent use or insufficient statistical analysis. To support researchers in their ROC curves analysis we developed pROC, a package for R and S+ that contains a set of tools displaying, analyzing, smoothing and comparing ROC curves in a user-friendly, object-oriented and flexible interface. With data previously imported into the R or S+ environment, the pROC package builds ROC curves and includes functions for computing confidence intervals, statistical tests for comparing total or partial area under the curve or the operating points of different classifiers, and methods for smoothing ROC curves. Intermediary and final results are visualised in user-friendly interfaces. A case study based on published clinical and biomarker data shows how to perform a typical ROC analysis with pROC. pROC is a package for R and S+ specifically dedicated to ROC analysis. It proposes multiple statistical tests to compare ROC curves, and in particular partial areas under the curve, allowing proper ROC interpretation. pROC is available in two versions: in the R programming language or with a graphical user interface in the S+ statistical software. It is accessible at http://expasy.org/tools/pROC/ under the GNU General Public License. It is also distributed through the CRAN and CSAN public repositories, facilitating its installation.

Neurofilament light chain and oligoclonal bands are prognostic biomarkers in radiologically isolated syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Matute-Blanch, Clara; Villar, Luisa M; Álvarez-Cermeño, José C; Rejdak, Konrad; Evdoshenko, Evgeniy; Makshakov, Gleb; Nazarov, Vladimir; Lapin, Sergey; Midaglia, Luciana; Vidal-Jordana, Angela; Drulovic, Jelena; García-Merino, Antonio; Sánchez-López, Antonio J; Havrdova, Eva; Saiz, Albert; Llufriu, Sara; Alvarez-Lafuente, Roberto; Schroeder, Ina; Zettl, Uwe K; Galimberti, Daniela; Ramió-Torrentà, Lluís; Robles, René; Quintana, Ester; Hegen, Harald; Deisenhammer, Florian; Río, Jordi; Tintoré, Mar; Sánchez, Alex; Montalban, Xavier; Comabella, Manuel

2018-04-01

The prognostic role of cerebrospinal fluid molecular biomarkers determined in early pathogenic stages of multiple sclerosis has yet to be defined. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the prognostic value of chitinase 3 like 1 (CHI3L1), neurofilament light chain, and oligoclonal bands for conversion to clinically isolated syndrome and to multiple sclerosis in 75 patients with radiologically isolated syndrome. Cerebrospinal fluid levels of CHI3L1 and neurofilament light chain were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Uni- and multivariable Cox regression models including as covariates age at diagnosis of radiologically isolated syndrome, number of brain lesions, sex and treatment were used to investigate associations between cerebrospinal fluid CHI3L1 and neurofilament light chain levels and time to conversion to clinically isolated syndrome and multiple sclerosis. Neurofilament light chain levels and oligoclonal bands were independent risk factors for the development of clinically isolated syndrome (hazard ratio = 1.02, P = 0.019, and hazard ratio = 14.7, P = 0.012, respectively) and multiple sclerosis (hazard ratio = 1.03, P = 0.003, and hazard ratio = 8.9, P = 0.046, respectively). The best cut-off to classify cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chain levels into high and low was 619 ng/l, and high neurofilament light chain levels were associated with a trend to shorter time to clinically isolated syndrome (P = 0.079) and significant shorter time to multiple sclerosis (P = 0.017). Similarly, patients with radiologically isolated syndrome presenting positive oligoclonal bands converted faster to clinically isolated syndrome and multiple sclerosis (P = 0.005 and P = 0.008, respectively). The effects of high neurofilament light chain levels shortening time to clinically isolated syndrome and multiple sclerosis were more pronounced in radiologically isolated syndrome patients with ≥37 years compared to younger patients. Cerebrospinal fluid

SN 2015as: a low-luminosity Type IIb supernova without an early light-curve peak

Science.gov (United States)

Gangopadhyay, Anjasha; Misra, Kuntal; Pastorello, A.; Sahu, D. K.; Tomasella, L.; Tartaglia, L.; Singh, Mridweeka; Dastidar, Raya; Srivastav, S.; Ochner, P.; Brown, Peter J.; Anupama, G. C.; Benetti, S.; Cappellaro, E.; Kumar, Brajesh; Kumar, Brijesh; Pandey, S. B.

2018-05-01

We present results of the photometric (from 3 to 509 d post-explosion) and spectroscopic (up to 230 d post-explosion) monitoring campaign of the He-rich Type IIb supernova (SN) 2015as. The (B - V) colour evolution of SN 2015as closely resemble those of SN 2008ax, suggesting that SN 2015as belongs to the SN IIb subgroup that does not show the early, short-duration photometric peak. The light curve of SN 2015as reaches the B-band maximum about 22 d after the explosion, at an absolute magnitude of -16.82 ± 0.18 mag. At ˜75 d after the explosion, its spectrum transitions from that of a SN II to a SN Ib. P Cygni features due to He I lines appear at around 30 d after explosion, indicating that the progenitor of SN 2015as was partially stripped. For SN 2015as, we estimate a 56Ni mass of ˜0.08 M⊙ and ejecta mass of 1.1-2.2 M⊙, which are similar to the values inferred for SN 2008ax. The quasi-bolometric analytical light-curve modelling suggests that the progenitor of SN 2015as has a modest mass (˜0.1 M⊙), a nearly compact (˜0.05 × 1013 cm) H envelope on top of a dense, compact (˜2 × 1011 cm) and a more massive (˜1.2 M⊙) He core. The analysis of the nebular phase spectra indicates that ˜0.44 M⊙ of O is ejected in the explosion. The intensity ratio of the [Ca II]/[O I] nebular lines favours either a main-sequence progenitor mass of ˜15 M⊙ or a Wolf-Rayet star of 20 M⊙.

SUPERNOVA LIGHT CURVES POWERED BY FALLBACK ACCRETION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dexter, Jason; Kasen, Daniel, E-mail: jdexter@berkeley.edu [Departments of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2013-07-20

Some fraction of the material ejected in a core collapse supernova explosion may remain bound to the compact remnant, and eventually turn around and fall back. We show that the late time ({approx}>days) power potentially associated with the accretion of this 'fallback' material could significantly affect the optical light curve, in some cases producing super-luminous or otherwise peculiar supernovae. We use spherically symmetric hydrodynamical models to estimate the accretion rate at late times for a range of progenitor masses and radii and explosion energies. The accretion rate onto the proto-neutron star or black hole decreases as M-dot {proportional_to}t{sup -5/3} at late times, but its normalization can be significantly enhanced at low explosion energies, in very massive stars, or if a strong reverse shock wave forms at the helium/hydrogen interface in the progenitor. If the resulting super-Eddington accretion drives an outflow which thermalizes in the outgoing ejecta, the supernova debris will be re-energized at a time when photons can diffuse out efficiently. The resulting light curves are different and more diverse than previous fallback supernova models which ignored the input of accretion power and produced short-lived, dim transients. The possible outcomes when fallback accretion power is significant include super-luminous ({approx}> 10{sup 44} erg s{sup -1}) Type II events of both short and long durations, as well as luminous Type I events from compact stars that may have experienced significant mass loss. Accretion power may unbind the remaining infalling material, causing a sudden decrease in the brightness of some long duration Type II events. This scenario may be relevant for explaining some of the recently discovered classes of peculiar and rare supernovae.

The EB factory project. I. A fast, neural-net-based, general purpose light curve classifier optimized for eclipsing binaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paegert, Martin; Stassun, Keivan G.; Burger, Dan M.

2014-01-01

We describe a new neural-net-based light curve classifier and provide it with documentation as a ready-to-use tool for the community. While optimized for identification and classification of eclipsing binary stars, the classifier is general purpose, and has been developed for speed in the context of upcoming massive surveys such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. A challenge for classifiers in the context of neural-net training and massive data sets is to minimize the number of parameters required to describe each light curve. We show that a simple and fast geometric representation that encodes the overall light curve shape, together with a chi-square parameter to capture higher-order morphology information results in efficient yet robust light curve classification, especially for eclipsing binaries. Testing the classifier on the ASAS light curve database, we achieve a retrieval rate of 98% and a false-positive rate of 2% for eclipsing binaries. We achieve similarly high retrieval rates for most other periodic variable-star classes, including RR Lyrae, Mira, and delta Scuti. However, the classifier currently has difficulty discriminating between different sub-classes of eclipsing binaries, and suffers a relatively low (∼60%) retrieval rate for multi-mode delta Cepheid stars. We find that it is imperative to train the classifier's neural network with exemplars that include the full range of light curve quality to which the classifier will be expected to perform; the classifier performs well on noisy light curves only when trained with noisy exemplars. The classifier source code, ancillary programs, a trained neural net, and a guide for use, are provided.

Light polarization management via reflection from arrays of sub-wavelength metallic twisted bands

Science.gov (United States)

Nawrot, M.; Haberko, J.; Zinkiewicz, Ł.; Wasylczyk, P.

2017-12-01

With constant progress of nano- and microfabrication technologies, photolithography in particular, a number of sub-wavelength metallic structures have been demonstrated that can be used to manipulate light polarization. Numerical simulations of light propagation hint that helical twisted bands can have interesting polarization properties. We use three-dimensional two-photon photolithography (direct laser writing) to fabricate a few-micrometer-thick arrays of twisted bands and coat them uniformly with metal. We demonstrate that circular polarization can be generated from linear polarization upon reflection from such structures over a broad range of frequencies in the mid infrared.

Supernova light-curve fitters and dark energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bengochea, Gabriel R., E-mail: gabriel@iafe.uba.a [Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio (IAFE), CC 67, Suc. 28, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2011-01-24

We show that when a procedure is made to remove the tension between a supernova Ia (SN Ia) data set and observations from BAO and CMB, there might be the case where the same SN Ia set built with two different light-curve fitters behaves as two separate and distinct supernova sets, and the tension found by some authors between supernova sets actually could be due to tension or inconsistency between fitters. We also show that the information of the fitter used in an SN Ia data set could be relevant to determine whether phantom type models are favored or not when such a set is combined with the BAO/CMB joint parameter.

Supernova light-curve fitters and dark energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bengochea, Gabriel R.

2011-01-01

We show that when a procedure is made to remove the tension between a supernova Ia (SN Ia) data set and observations from BAO and CMB, there might be the case where the same SN Ia set built with two different light-curve fitters behaves as two separate and distinct supernova sets, and the tension found by some authors between supernova sets actually could be due to tension or inconsistency between fitters. We also show that the information of the fitter used in an SN Ia data set could be relevant to determine whether phantom type models are favored or not when such a set is combined with the BAO/CMB joint parameter.

Efficient propagation of TM polarized light in photonic crystal components exhibiting band gaps for TE polarized light

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borel, Peter Ingo; Frandsen, Lars Hagedorn; Thorhauge, Morten

2003-01-01

We have investigated the properties of TM polarized light in planar photonic crystal waveguide structures, which exhibit photonic band gaps for TE polarized light. Straight and bent photonic crystal waveguides and couplers have been fabricated in silicon-on-insulator material and modelled using a 3......D finite-difference-time-domain method. The simulated spectra are in excellent agreement with the experimental results, which show a propagation loss as low as 2.5±4 dB/mm around 1525 nm and bend losses at 2.9±0.2 dB for TM polarized light. We demonstrate a high coupling for TM polarized light...

Machine-learned Identification of RR Lyrae Stars from Sparse, Multi-band Data: The PS1 Sample

Science.gov (United States)

Sesar, Branimir; Hernitschek, Nina; Mitrović, Sandra; Ivezić, Željko; Rix, Hans-Walter; Cohen, Judith G.; Bernard, Edouard J.; Grebel, Eva K.; Martin, Nicolas F.; Schlafly, Edward F.; Burgett, William S.; Draper, Peter W.; Flewelling, Heather; Kaiser, Nick; Kudritzki, Rolf P.; Magnier, Eugene A.; Metcalfe, Nigel; Tonry, John L.; Waters, Christopher

2017-05-01

RR Lyrae stars may be the best practical tracers of Galactic halo (sub-)structure and kinematics. The PanSTARRS1 (PS1) 3π survey offers multi-band, multi-epoch, precise photometry across much of the sky, but a robust identification of RR Lyrae stars in this data set poses a challenge, given PS1's sparse, asynchronous multi-band light curves (≲ 12 epochs in each of five bands, taken over a 4.5 year period). We present a novel template fitting technique that uses well-defined and physically motivated multi-band light curves of RR Lyrae stars, and demonstrate that we get accurate period estimates, precise to 2 s in > 80 % of cases. We augment these light-curve fits with other features from photometric time-series and provide them to progressively more detailed machine-learned classification models. From these models, we are able to select the widest (three-fourths of the sky) and deepest (reaching 120 kpc) sample of RR Lyrae stars to date. The PS1 sample of ˜45,000 RRab stars is pure (90%) and complete (80% at 80 kpc) at high galactic latitudes. It also provides distances that are precise to 3%, measured with newly derived period-luminosity relations for optical/near-infrared PS1 bands. With the addition of proper motions from Gaia and radial velocity measurements from multi-object spectroscopic surveys, we expect the PS1 sample of RR Lyrae stars to become the premier source for studying the structure, kinematics, and the gravitational potential of the Galactic halo. The techniques presented in this study should translate well to other sparse, multi-band data sets, such as those produced by the Dark Energy Survey and the upcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Galactic plane sub-survey.

DETERMINISTIC COMPONENTS IN THE LIGHT CURVE AMPLITUDE OF Y OPH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pop, Alexandru; Turcu, Vlad; Vamos, Calin

2010-01-01

About two decades after the discovery of the amplitude decline of the light curve of the classical Cepheid Y Oph, its study is resumed using an increased amount of homogenized data and an extended time base. In our approach, the investigation of different time series concerning the light curve amplitude of Y Oph is not only the reason for the present study, but also a stimulus for developing a coherent methodology for studying long- and short-term variability phenomena in variable stars, taking into account the details of concrete observing conditions: amount of data, data sampling, time base, and individual errors of observational data. The statistical significance of this decreasing trend was estimated by assuming its linearity. We approached the decision-making process by formulating adequate null and alternative hypotheses, and testing the value of the regression line slope for different data sets via Monte Carlo simulations. A variability analysis, through various methods, of the original data and of the residuals obtained after removing the linear trend was performed. We also proposed a new statistical test, based on amplitude spectrum analysis and Monte Carlo simulations, intended to evaluate how detectible is a given (linear) trend in well-defined observing conditions: the trend detection probability. The main conclusion of our study on Y Oph is that, even if the false alarm probability is low enough to consider the decreasing trend to be statistically significant, the available data do not allow us to obtain a reasonably powerful test. We are able to confirm the light curve amplitude decline, and the order of magnitude of its slope with a better statistical substantiation. According to the obtained values of the trend detection probability, it seems that the trend we are dealing with is marked by a low detectibility. Our attempt to find signs of possible variability phenomena at shorter timescales ended by emphasizing the relative constancy of our data

M DWARFS IN SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY STRIPE 82: PHOTOMETRIC LIGHT CURVES AND FLARE RATE ANALYSIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kowalski, Adam F.; Hawley, Suzanne L.; Hilton, Eric J.; Becker, Andrew C.; Sesar, Branimir; West, Andrew A.; Bochanski, John J.

2009-01-01

We present a flare rate analysis of 50,130 M dwarf light curves in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Stripe 82. We identified 271 flares using a customized variability index to search ∼2.5 million photometric observations for flux increases in the u and g bands. Every image of a flaring observation was examined by eye and with a point-spread function-matching and image subtraction tool to guard against false positives. Flaring is found to be strongly correlated with the appearance of Hα in emission in the quiet spectrum. Of the 99 flare stars that have spectra, we classify eight as relatively inactive. The flaring fraction is found to increase strongly in stars with redder colors during quiescence, which can be attributed to the increasing flare visibility and increasing active fraction for redder stars. The flaring fraction is strongly correlated with |Z| distance such that most stars that flare are within 300 pc of the Galactic plane. We derive flare u-band luminosities and find that the most luminous flares occur on the earlier-type m dwarfs. Our best estimate of the lower limit on the flaring rate (averaged over Stripe 82) for flares with Δu ≥ 0.7 mag on stars with u -1 deg -2 but can vary significantly with the line of sight.

First principles electronic band structure and phonon dispersion curves for zinc blend beryllium chalcogenide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dabhi, Shweta, E-mail: venu.mankad@gmail.com; Mankad, Venu, E-mail: venu.mankad@gmail.com; Jha, Prafulla K., E-mail: venu.mankad@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Maharaja Krishnakumasinhji Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar-364001 (India)

2014-04-24

A detailed theoretical study of structural, electronic and Vibrational properties of BeX compound is presented by performing ab-initio calculations based on density-functional theory using the Espresso package. The calculated value of lattice constant and bulk modulus are compared with the available experimental and other theoretical data and agree reasonably well. BeX (X = S,Se,Te) compounds in the ZB phase are indirect wide band gap semiconductors with an ionic contribution. The phonon dispersion curves are represented which shows that these compounds are dynamically stable in ZB phase.

Flexible Hilbert-Curve Loop Antenna Having a Triple-Band and Omnidirectional Pattern for WLAN/WiMAX Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dang-Oh Kim

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A triple-band flexible loop antenna is proposed for WLAN/WiMAX applications in this paper. The proposed antenna is formed by the third-order Hilbert-curve and bending type structure which provides flexible characteristics. Even though the radius of the curvature for bending antennas is changed, a triple-band feature still remains in the proposed antenna. Moreover, the antenna exhibits the characteristics of omnidirectional radiation pattern and circular polarization. To verify the receiving performance of antenna, a simulation on the antenna factor was conducted by an EM simulator. Based on these results, the suggested antenna makes a noteworthy performance over typical loop antennas.

Common Envelope Light Curves. I. Grid-code Module Calibration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galaviz, Pablo; Marco, Orsola De; Staff, Jan E.; Iaconi, Roberto [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW (Australia); Passy, Jean-Claude, E-mail: Pablo.Galaviz@me.com [Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Auf dem Hügel 71, D-53121 Bonn (Germany)

2017-04-01

The common envelope (CE) binary interaction occurs when a star transfers mass onto a companion that cannot fully accrete it. The interaction can lead to a merger of the two objects or to a close binary. The CE interaction is the gateway of all evolved compact binaries, all stellar mergers, and likely many of the stellar transients witnessed to date. CE simulations are needed to understand this interaction and to interpret stars and binaries thought to be the byproduct of this stage. At this time, simulations are unable to reproduce the few observational data available and several ideas have been put forward to address their shortcomings. The need for more definitive simulation validation is pressing and is already being fulfilled by observations from time-domain surveys. In this article, we present an initial method and its implementation for post-processing grid-based CE simulations to produce the light curve so as to compare simulations with upcoming observations. Here we implemented a zeroth order method to calculate the light emitted from CE hydrodynamic simulations carried out with the 3D hydrodynamic code Enzo used in unigrid mode. The code implements an approach for the computation of luminosity in both optically thick and optically thin regimes and is tested using the first 135 days of the CE simulation of Passy et al., where a 0.8  M {sub ⊙} red giant branch star interacts with a 0.6  M {sub ⊙} companion. This code is used to highlight two large obstacles that need to be overcome before realistic light curves can be calculated. We explain the nature of these problems and the attempted solutions and approximations in full detail to enable the next step to be identified and implemented. We also discuss our simulation in relation to recent data of transients identified as CE interactions.

A powerful test for weak periodic signals with unknown light curve shape in sparse data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jager De, O.C.; Raubenheimer, B.C.; Swanepoel, J.W.H.

1989-01-01

A problem with most tests for periodicity is that they are powerful enough to detect only certain kinds of periodic shapes in the case of weak signals. This causes a selection effect with the identification of weak periodic signals. A new test for uniformity called the H-test is derived for which the probability distribution is an exponential function. This test is shown to have a very good power against most light curve shapes encountered in X- and γ-ray Astronomy and therefore makes the detection of sources with a larger variety of shapes possible. The use of the H-test is suggested if no a priori information about the light curve shape is available. It is also shown how the probability distribution of the test statistics changes when a periodicity search is conducted using very small steps in the period or frequency range. The flux sensitivity for various light curve shapes is also derived for a few tests and this flux is on average a minimum for the H-test

THREE FUNDAMENTAL PERIODS IN AN 87 YEAR LIGHT CURVE OF THE SYMBIOTIC STAR MWC 560

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leibowitz, Elia M.; Formiggini, Liliana, E-mail: elia@astro.tau.ac.il [The Wise Observatory and the School of Physics and Astronomy, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel)

2015-08-15

We construct a visual light curve of the symbiotic star MWC covering the last 87 years of its history. The data were assembled from the literature and from the AAVSO data bank. Most of the periodic components of the system brightness variation can be accounted for by the operation of three basic clocks of the periods P1 = 19,000 days, P2 = 1943 days, and P3 = 722 days. These periods can plausibly, and consistently with the observations, be attributed to three physical mechanisms in the system: the working of a solar-like magnetic dynamo cycle in the outer layers of the giant star of the system, the binary orbit cycle, and the sidereal rotation cycle of the giant star. MWC 560 is the seventh symbiotic star with historical light curves that reveal similar basic characteristics of the systems. The light curves of all these stars are well interpreted on the basis of the current understanding of the physical processes that are the major sources of the optical luminosity of these symbiotic systems.

THREE FUNDAMENTAL PERIODS IN AN 87 YEAR LIGHT CURVE OF THE SYMBIOTIC STAR MWC 560

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leibowitz, Elia M.; Formiggini, Liliana

2015-01-01

We construct a visual light curve of the symbiotic star MWC covering the last 87 years of its history. The data were assembled from the literature and from the AAVSO data bank. Most of the periodic components of the system brightness variation can be accounted for by the operation of three basic clocks of the periods P1 = 19,000 days, P2 = 1943 days, and P3 = 722 days. These periods can plausibly, and consistently with the observations, be attributed to three physical mechanisms in the system: the working of a solar-like magnetic dynamo cycle in the outer layers of the giant star of the system, the binary orbit cycle, and the sidereal rotation cycle of the giant star. MWC 560 is the seventh symbiotic star with historical light curves that reveal similar basic characteristics of the systems. The light curves of all these stars are well interpreted on the basis of the current understanding of the physical processes that are the major sources of the optical luminosity of these symbiotic systems

AGAINST THE WIND: RADIO LIGHT CURVES OF TYPE IA SUPERNOVAE INTERACTING WITH LOW-DENSITY CIRCUMSTELLAR SHELLS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harris, Chelsea E.; Nugent, Peter E.; Kasen, Daniel N., E-mail: chelseaharris@berkeley.edu [Astronomy Department, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-06-01

For decades a wide variety of observations spanning the radio through optical and on to the X-ray have attempted to uncover signs of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) interacting with a circumstellar medium (CSM). The goal of these studies is to constrain the nature of the hypothesized SN Ia mass-donor companion. A continuous CSM is typically assumed when interpreting observations of interaction. However, while such models have been successfully applied to core-collapse SNe, the assumption of continuity may not be accurate for SNe Ia, because shells of CSM could be formed by pre-supernova eruptions (novae). In this work, we model the interaction of SNe with a spherical, low-density, finite-extent CSM and create a suite of synthetic radio synchrotron light curves. We find that CSM shells produce sharply peaked light curves. We also identify a fiducial set of models that obey a common evolution and can be used to generate radio light curves for an interaction with an arbitrary shell. The relations obeyed by the fiducial models can be used to deduce CSM properties from radio observations; we demonstrate this by applying them to the nondetections of SN 2011fe and SN 2014J. Finally, we explore a multiple shell CSM configuration and describe its more complicated dynamics and the resultant radio light curves.

Light Curve Stability and Period Behavior of the Contact Binary TZ ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

J. Astrophys. Astr. (2013) 34, 329–339 c Indian Academy of Sciences. Light Curve Stability and Period Behavior of the Contact. Binary TZ Boo. M. M. Elkhateeb1,2 & M. I. Nouh1,2,∗. 1National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, 11421 Helwan, Cairo, Egypt. 2Physics Department, College of Science, Northern ...

Light Curve Periodic Variability of Cyg X-1 using Jurkevich Method ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. The Jurkevich method is a useful method to explore periodic- ity in the unevenly sampled observational data. In this work, we adopted the method to the light curve of Cyg X-1 from 1996 to 2012, and found that there is an interesting period of 370 days, which appears in both low/hard and high/soft states.

KIC 4552982: outbursts and pulsations in the longest-ever pseudo-continuous light curve of a ZZ Ceti

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bell K. J.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available KIC 4552982 was the first ZZ Ceti (hydrogen-atmosphere pulsating white dwarf identified to lie in the Kepler field, resulting in the longest pseudo-continuous light curve ever obtained for this type of variable star. In addition to the pulsations, this light curve exhibits stochastic episodes of brightness enhancement unlike any previously studied white dwarf phenomenon. We briefly highlight the basic outburst and pulsation properties in these proceedings.

Type Ia Supernova Light Curve Inference: Hierarchical Models for Nearby SN Ia in the Optical and Near Infrared

Science.gov (United States)

Mandel, Kaisey; Kirshner, R. P.; Narayan, G.; Wood-Vasey, W. M.; Friedman, A. S.; Hicken, M.

2010-01-01

I have constructed a comprehensive statistical model for Type Ia supernova light curves spanning optical through near infrared data simultaneously. The near infrared light curves are found to be excellent standard candles (sigma(MH) = 0.11 +/- 0.03 mag) that are less vulnerable to systematic error from dust extinction, a major confounding factor for cosmological studies. A hierarchical statistical framework incorporates coherently multiple sources of randomness and uncertainty, including photometric error, intrinsic supernova light curve variations and correlations, dust extinction and reddening, peculiar velocity dispersion and distances, for probabilistic inference with Type Ia SN light curves. Inferences are drawn from the full probability density over individual supernovae and the SN Ia and dust populations, conditioned on a dataset of SN Ia light curves and redshifts. To compute probabilistic inferences with hierarchical models, I have developed BayeSN, a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm based on Gibbs sampling. This code explores and samples the global probability density of parameters describing individual supernovae and the population. I have applied this hierarchical model to optical and near infrared data of over 100 nearby Type Ia SN from PAIRITEL, the CfA3 sample, and the literature. Using this statistical model, I find that SN with optical and NIR data have a smaller residual scatter in the Hubble diagram than SN with only optical data. The continued study of Type Ia SN in the near infrared will be important for improving their utility as precise and accurate cosmological distance indicators.

WEATHER ON THE NEAREST BROWN DWARFS: RESOLVED SIMULTANEOUS MULTI-WAVELENGTH VARIABILITY MONITORING OF WISE J104915.57–531906.1AB

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biller, Beth A.; Crossfield, Ian J. M.; Mancini, Luigi; Ciceri, Simona; Kopytova, Taisiya G.; Bonnefoy, Mickaël; Deacon, Niall R.; Schlieder, Joshua E.; Buenzli, Esther; Brandner, Wolfgang; Bailer-Jones, Coryn A. L.; Henning, Thomas; Goldman, Bertrand [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Southworth, John [Astrophysics Group, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG (United Kingdom); Allard, France; Homeier, Derek; Freytag, Bernd [Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 allée d' Italie, F-69364 Lyon cedex 07 (France); Greiner, Jochen [Max-Planck Institute for extraterrestrische Physik, D-85748 Garching, Giessenbachstr (Germany)

2013-11-20

We present two epochs of MPG/ESO 2.2 m GROND simultaneous six-band (r'i'z' JHK) photometric monitoring of the closest known L/T transition brown dwarf binary WISE J104915.57–531906.1AB. We report here the first resolved variability monitoring of both the T0.5 and L7.5 components. We obtained 4 hr of focused observations on the night of 2013 April 22 (UT), as well as 4 hr of defocused (unresolved) observations on the night of 2013 April 16 (UT). We note a number of robust trends in our light curves. The r' and i' light curves appear to be anti-correlated with z' and H for the T0.5 component and in the unresolved light curve. In the defocused dataset, J appears correlated with z' and H and anti-correlated with r' and i', while in the focused dataset we measure no variability for J at the level of our photometric precision, likely due to evolving weather phenomena. In our focused T0.5 component light curve, the K band light curve displays a significant phase offset relative to both H and z'. We argue that the measured phase offsets are correlated with atmospheric pressure probed at each band, as estimated from one-dimensional atmospheric models. We also report low-amplitude variability in i' and z' intrinsic to the L7.5 component.

Phase shifts and nonellipsoidal light curves: Challenges from mass determinations in x-ray binary stars

Science.gov (United States)

Cantrell, Andrew Glenn

We consider two types of anomalous observations which have arisen from efforts to measure dynamical masses of X-ray binary stars: (1) Radial velocity curves which seemingly show the primary and the secondary out of antiphase in most systems, and (2) The observation of double-waved light curves which deviate significantly from the ellipsoidal modulations expected for a Roche lobe filling star. We consider both problems with the joint goals of understanding the physical origins of the anomalous observations, and using this understanding to allow robust dynamical determinations of mass in X-ray binary systems. In our analysis of phase-shifted radial velocity curves, we discuss a comprehensive sample of X-ray binaries with published phase-shifted radial velocity curves. We show that the most commonly adopted explanation for phase shifts is contradicted by many observations, and consider instead a generalized form of a model proposed by Smak in 1970. We show that this model is well supported by a range of observations, including some systems which had previously been considered anomalous. We lay the groundwork for the derivation of mass ratios based on our explanation for phase shifts, and we discuss the work necessary to produce more detailed physical models of the phase shift. In our analysis of non-ellipsoidal light curves, we focus on the very well-studied system A0620-00. We present new VIH SMARTS photometry spanning 1999-2007, and supplement this with a comprehensive collection of archival data obtained since 1981. We show that A0620-00 undergoes optical state changes within X-ray quiescence and argue that not all quiescent data should be used for determinations of the inclination. We identify twelve light curves which may reliably be used for determining the inclination. We show that the accretion disk contributes significantly to all twelve curves and is the dominant source of nonellipsoidal variations. We derive the disk fraction for each of the twelve curves

Controlling emission and propagation of light with photonic band gap crystals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yeganegi Dastgerdi, Elahe

2014-01-01

In certain three-dimensional crystals, a frequency range exist for all polarizations for which light is not allowed to propagate in any direction, called the 3D photonic band gap: a frequency range where the density of vacuum fluctuations vanishes in an ideal infinitely large and perfect system. The

Characterization of KS-material by means of J-R-curves especially using the partial unloading technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voss, B.; Blauel, J.G.; Schmitt, W.

1983-01-01

Essential components of nuclear reactor systems are fabricated from materials of high thoughness to exclude brittle failure. With increasing load, a crack tip will blunt, a plastic zone will be formed, voids may nucleate and coalesce thus initiating stable crack extension when the crack driving parameter, e.g. J, exceeds the initiation value Jsub(i). Further stable crack growth will occur with further increasing J prior to complete failure of the structure. The specific material resistance against crack extension is characterized by J resistance curves Jsub(R)=J(Δa). ASTM provides a standard to determine the initiation toughness Jsub(Ic) from a Jsub(R)-curve [1] and a tentative standard for determining the Jsub(R)-curve by a single specimen test [2]. To generate a Jsub(R)-curve values for the crack driving parameter J and the corresponding stable crack growth Δa have to be measured. Besides the multiple specimen technique [1], the potential drop and especially the partial unloading compliance method [2] are used to measure stable crack growth. Some special problems and some results for pressure vessel steels are discussed in this paper. (orig./RW)

Adiabatic potential-energy curves of long-range Rydberg molecules: Two-electron R -matrix approach

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tarana, Michal; Čurík, Roman

2016-01-01

Roč. 93, č. 1 (2016), 012515 ISSN 0556-2791 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GP14-15989P Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : adiabatic-potential- energy curves * Rydberg molecules * theoretical chemistry Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry

Adiabatic potential-energy curves of long-range Rydberg molecules: Two-electron R -matrix approach

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tarana, Michal; Čurík, Roman

2016-01-01

Roč. 93, č. 1 (2016), 012515 ISSN 0556-2791 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GP14-15989P Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : adiabatic-potential-energy curves * Rydberg molecules * theoretical chemistry Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry

ON THE R-CURVE BEHAVIOR OF HUMAN TOOTH ENAMEL

OpenAIRE

Bajaj, Devendra; Arola, Dwayne

2009-01-01

In this study the crack growth resistance behavior and fracture toughness of human tooth enamel were quantified using incremental crack growth measures and conventional fracture mechanics. Results showed that enamel undergoes an increase in crack growth resistance (i.e. rising R-curve) with crack extension from the outer to the inner enamel, and that the rise in toughness is function of distance from the Dentin Enamel Junction (DEJ). The outer enamel exhibited the lowest apparent toughness (0...

MULTI-COLOR OPTICAL AND NEAR-INFRARED LIGHT CURVES OF 64 STRIPPED-ENVELOPE CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bianco, F. B.; Modjaz, M. [Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003 (United States); Hicken, M.; Friedman, A.; Kirshner, R. P.; Challis, P.; Marion, G. H. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Bloom, J. S. [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States); Wood-Vasey, W. M. [PITT PACC, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 3941 O' Hara Street, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (United States); Rest, A., E-mail: fb55@nyu.edu [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2014-08-01

We present a densely sampled, homogeneous set of light curves of 64 low-redshift (z ≲ 0.05) stripped-envelope supernovae (SNe of Type IIb, Ib, Ic, and Ic-BL). These data were obtained between 2001 and 2009 at the Fred L. Whipple Observatory (FLWO) on Mount Hopkins in Arizona, with the optical FLWO 1.2 m and the near-infrared (NIR) Peters Automated Infrared 1.3 m telescopes. Our data set consists of 4543 optical photometric measurements on 61 SNe, including a combination of U BV RI, U BV r{sup ′}i{sup ′}, and u{sup ′} BV r{sup ′}i{sup ′}, and 1919 JHK{sub s} NIR measurements on 25 SNe. This sample constitutes the most extensive multi-color data set of stripped-envelope SNe to date. Our photometry is based on template-subtracted images to eliminate any potential host-galaxy light contamination. This work presents these photometric data, compares them with data in the literature, and estimates basic statistical quantities: date of maximum, color, and photometric properties. We identify promising color trends that may permit the identification of stripped-envelope SN subtypes from their photometry alone. Many of these SNe were observed spectroscopically by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) SN group, and the spectra are presented in a companion paper. A thorough exploration that combines the CfA photometry and spectroscopy of stripped-envelope core-collapse SNe will be presented in a follow-up paper.

Light Curve Periodic Variability of Cyg X-1 using Jurkevich Method

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The Jurkevich method is a useful method to explore periodicity in the unevenly sampled observational data. In this work, we adopted the method to the light curve of Cyg X-1 from 1996 to 2012, and found that there is an interesting period of 370 days, which appears in both low/hard and high/soft states. That period may be ...

An Unusual Strong Visible-Light Absorption Band in Red Anatase TiO2 Photocatalyst Induced by Atomic Hydrogen-Occupied Oxygen Vacancies.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yongqiang; Yin, Li-Chang; Gong, Yue; Niu, Ping; Wang, Jian-Qiang; Gu, Lin; Chen, Xingqiu; Liu, Gang; Wang, Lianzhou; Cheng, Hui-Ming

2018-02-01

Increasing visible light absorption of classic wide-bandgap photocatalysts like TiO 2 has long been pursued in order to promote solar energy conversion. Modulating the composition and/or stoichiometry of these photocatalysts is essential to narrow their bandgap for a strong visible-light absorption band. However, the bands obtained so far normally suffer from a low absorbance and/or narrow range. Herein, in contrast to the common tail-like absorption band in hydrogen-free oxygen-deficient TiO 2 , an unusual strong absorption band spanning the full spectrum of visible light is achieved in anatase TiO 2 by intentionally introducing atomic hydrogen-mediated oxygen vacancies. Combining experimental characterizations with theoretical calculations reveals the excitation of a new subvalence band associated with atomic hydrogen filled oxygen vacancies as the origin of such band, which subsequently leads to active photo-electrochemical water oxidation under visible light. These findings could provide a powerful way of tailoring wide-bandgap semiconductors to fully capture solar light. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Searching for transits in the Wide Field Camera Transit Survey with difference-imaging light curves

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zendejas, Dominguez J.; Koppenhoefer, J.; Saglia, R.; Birkby, J.L.; Hodgkin, S.; Kovács, G.; Pinfield, D.; Sipocz, B.; Barrado, D.; Bender, R.; Burgo, del C.; Cappetta, M.; Martín, E.; Nefs, B.; Riffeser, A.; Steele, P.

2013-01-01

The Wide Field Camera Transit Survey is a pioneer program aiming at for searching extra-solar planets in the near-infrared. The images from the survey are processed by a data reduction pipeline, which uses aperture photometry to construct the light curves. We produce an alternative set of light

GRB 071112C: A CASE STUDY OF DIFFERENT MECHANISMS IN X-RAY AND OPTICAL TEMPORAL EVOLUTION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, K. Y.; Tung, Y. H.; Lin, H. M.; Wang, S. Y.; Lehner, M. J.; Wang, J. H.; Wen, C. Y. [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, P.O. Box 23-141, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Urata, Y.; Ip, W. H. [Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, Chung-Li 32054, Taiwan (China); Xin, L. P.; Qiu, Y.; Wei, J. [National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Yoshida, M. [Hiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526 (Japan); Zheng, W.; Akerlof, C. [Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Bianco, F. B. [Department of Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, Mail Code 9530, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9530 (United States); Kawai, N. [Department of Physics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-21-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551 (Japan); Kuroda, D. [Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Kamogata, Asakuchi, Okayama 719-0232 (Japan); Marshall, S. L. [Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, 2575 Sand Hill Road, MS 29, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States); Schwamb, M. E. [Department of Physics, Yale University, P.O. Box 208121, New Haven, CT 06520-8121 (United States); and others

2012-03-20

We present a study on GRB 071112C X-ray and optical light curves. In these two wavelength ranges, we have found different temporal properties. The R-band light curve showed an initial rise followed by a single power-law decay, while the X-ray light curve was described by a single power-law decay plus a flare-like feature. Our analysis shows that the observed temporal evolution cannot be described by the external shock model in which the X-ray and optical emission are produced by the same emission mechanism. No significant color changes in multi-band light curves and a reasonable value of the initial Lorentz factor ({Gamma}{sub 0} = 275 {+-} 20) in a uniform interstellar medium support the afterglow onset scenario as the correct interpretation for the early R band rise. The result suggests that the optical flux is dominated by afterglow. Our further investigations show that the X-ray flux could be created by an additional feature related to energy injection and X-ray afterglow. Different theoretical interpretations indicate the additional feature in X-ray can be explained by either late internal dissipation or local inverse-Compton scattering in the external shock.

On the number of light rings in curved spacetimes of ultra-compact objects

Science.gov (United States)

Hod, Shahar

2018-01-01

In a very interesting paper, Cunha, Berti, and Herdeiro have recently claimed that ultra-compact objects, self-gravitating horizonless solutions of the Einstein field equations which have a light ring, must possess at least two (and, in general, an even number of) light rings, of which the inner one is stable. In the present compact paper we explicitly prove that, while this intriguing theorem is generally true, there is an important exception in the presence of degenerate light rings which, in the spherically symmetric static case, are characterized by the simple dimensionless relation 8 πrγ2 (ρ +pT) = 1 [here rγ is the radius of the light ring and { ρ ,pT } are respectively the energy density and tangential pressure of the matter fields]. Ultra-compact objects which belong to this unique family can have an odd number of light rings. As a concrete example, we show that spherically symmetric constant density stars with dimensionless compactness M / R = 1 / 3 possess only one light ring which, interestingly, is shown to be unstable.

Determination of J-R curve from only one experimental test on one sample

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebey, J.; Roche, R.L.

1983-01-01

Increasing attention has been given in fracture mechanics to the use of the J concept not only as a criterion of the onset of crack propagation, but also as an aid in the study of propagation stability. As a consequence, there is a need to determine the variation of J with crack extension, this being usually presented in curves known as J-R curves. Earlier methods for determining such curves used several specimens. The present paper describes a procedure avoiding any direct measurement of the crack length and giving a correct value of J when crack propagation occurs. (author)

The Discovery of Ellipsoidal Variations in the Kepler Light Curve of HAT-P-7

OpenAIRE

Welsh, William F.; Orosz, Jerome A.; Seager, Sara; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Jenkins, Jon; Rowe, Jason F.; Koch, David; Borucki, William J.

2010-01-01

We present an analysis of the early Kepler observations of the previously discovered transiting planet HAT-P-7b. The light curve shows the transit of the star, the occultation of the planet, and the orbit phase-dependent light from the planet. In addition, phase-dependent light from the star is present, known as "ellipsoidal variations". The very nearby planet (only 4 stellar radii away) gravitationally distorts the star and results in a flux modulation twice per orbit. The ellipsoidal variat...

Oscillatory patterns in the light curves of five long-term monitored type 1 active galactic nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Kovačević, Andjelka B.; Pérez-Hernández, Ernesto; Popović, Luka Č.; Shapovalova, Alla I.; Kollatschny, Wolfram; Ilić, Dragana

2018-04-01

New combined data of five well-known type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are probed with a novel hybrid method in a search for oscillatory behaviour. Additional analysis of artificial light curves obtained from the coupled oscillatory models gives confirmation for detected periods that could have a physical background. We find periodic variations in the long-term light curves of 3C 390.3, NGC 4151 and NGC 5548, and E1821 + 643, with correlation coefficients larger than 0.6. We show that the oscillatory patterns of two binary black hole candidates, NGC 5548 and E1821 + 643, correspond to qualitatively different dynamical regimes of chaos and stability, respectively. We demonstrate that the absence of oscillatory patterns in Arp 102B could be the result of a weak coupling between oscillatory mechanisms. This is the first good evidence that 3C 390.3 and Arp 102B, categorized as double-peaked Balmer line objects, have qualitative different dynamics. Our analysis shows a novelty in the oscillatory dynamical patterns of the light curves of these type 1 AGNs.

PyTranSpot: A tool for multiband light curve modeling of planetary transits and stellar spots

Science.gov (United States)

Juvan, Ines G.; Lendl, M.; Cubillos, P. E.; Fossati, L.; Tregloan-Reed, J.; Lammer, H.; Guenther, E. W.; Hanslmeier, A.

2018-02-01

Several studies have shown that stellar activity features, such as occulted and non-occulted starspots, can affect the measurement of transit parameters biasing studies of transit timing variations and transmission spectra. We present PyTranSpot, which we designed to model multiband transit light curves showing starspot anomalies, inferring both transit and spot parameters. The code follows a pixellation approach to model the star with its corresponding limb darkening, spots, and transiting planet on a two dimensional Cartesian coordinate grid. We combine PyTranSpot with a Markov chain Monte Carlo framework to study and derive exoplanet transmission spectra, which provides statistically robust values for the physical properties and uncertainties of a transiting star-planet system. We validate PyTranSpot's performance by analyzing eleven synthetic light curves of four different star-planet systems and 20 transit light curves of the well-studied WASP-41b system. We also investigate the impact of starspots on transit parameters and derive wavelength dependent transit depth values for WASP-41b covering a range of 6200-9200 Å, indicating a flat transmission spectrum.

Dependence on supernovae light-curve processing in void models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bengochea, Gabriel R., E-mail: gabriel@iafe.uba.ar [Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (IAFE), UBA-CONICET, CC 67, Suc. 28, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina); De Rossi, Maria E., E-mail: derossi@iafe.uba.ar [Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (IAFE), UBA-CONICET, CC 67, Suc. 28, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina); Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2014-06-02

In this work, we show that when supernova Ia (SN Ia) data sets are used to put constraints on the free parameters of inhomogeneous models, certain extra information regarding the light-curve fitter used in the supernovae Ia luminosity fluxes processing should be taken into account. We found that the size of the void as well as other parameters of these models might be suffering extra degenerations or additional systematic errors due to the fitter. A recent proposal to relieve the tension between the results from Planck satellite and SNe Ia is re-analyzed in the framework of these subjects.

Light-Induced Type-II Band Inversion and Quantum Anomalous Hall State in Monolayer FeSe

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Z. F.; Liu, Zhao; Yang, Jinlong; Liu, Feng

2018-04-01

Coupling a quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) state with a superconducting state offers an attractive approach to detect the signature alluding to a topological superconducting state [Q. L. He et al., Science 357, 294 (2017), 10.1126/science.aag2792], but its explanation could be clouded by disorder effects in magnetic doped QAH materials. On the other hand, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) quantum spin Hall (QSH) state is identified in the well-known high-temperature 2D superconductor of monolayer FeSe [Z. F. Wang et al., Nat. Mater. 15, 968 (2016), 10.1038/nmat4686]. Here, we report a light-induced type-II band inversion (BI) and a QSH-to-QAH phase transition in the monolayer FeSe. Depending on the handedness of light, a spin-tunable QAH state with a high Chern number of ±2 is realized. In contrast to the conventional type-I BI resulting from intrinsic spin-orbital coupling (SOC), which inverts the band an odd number of times and respects time reversal symmetry, the type-II BI results from a light-induced handedness-dependent effective SOC, which inverts the band an even number of times and does not respect time reversal symmetry. The interplay between these two SOC terms makes the spin-up and -down bands of an AFM QSH state respond oppositely to a circularly polarized light, leading to the type-II BI and an exotic topological phase transition. Our finding affords an exciting opportunity to detect Majorana fermions in one single material without magnetic doping.

Gamma-ray pulsar physics: gap-model populations and light-curve analyses in the Fermi era

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pierbattista, M.

2010-01-01

This thesis research focusses on the study of the young and energetic isolated ordinary pulsar population detected by the Fermi gamma-ray space telescope. We compared the model expectations of four emission models and the LAT data. We found that all the models fail to reproduce the LAT detections, in particular the large number of high E objects observed. This inconsistency is not model dependent. A discrepancy between the radio-loud/radio-quiet objects ratio was also found between the observed and predicted samples. The L γ α E 0.5 relation is robustly confirmed by all the assumed models with particular agreement in the slot gap (SG) case. On luminosity bases, the intermediate altitude emission of the two pole caustic SG model is favoured. The beaming factor f Ω shows an E dependency that is slightly visible in the SG case. Estimates of the pulsar orientations have been obtained to explain the simultaneous gamma and radio light-curves. By analysing the solutions we found a relation between the observed energy cutoff and the width of the emission slot gap. This relation has been theoretically predicted. A possible magnetic obliquity α alignment with time is rejected -for all the models- on timescale of the order of 10 6 years. The light-curve morphology study shows that the outer magnetosphere gap emission (OGs) are favoured to explain the observed radio-gamma lag. The light curve moment studies (symmetry and sharpness) on the contrary favour a two pole caustic SG emission. All the model predictions suggest a different magnetic field layout with an hybrid two pole caustic and intermediate altitude emission to explain both the pulsar luminosity and light curve morphology. The low magnetosphere emission mechanism of the polar cap model, is systematically rejected by all the tests done. (author) [fr

PERIOD ESTIMATION FOR SPARSELY SAMPLED QUASI-PERIODIC LIGHT CURVES APPLIED TO MIRAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Shiyuan; Huang, Jianhua Z.; Long, James [Department of Statistics, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX (United States); Yuan, Wenlong; Macri, Lucas M., E-mail: lmacri@tamu.edu [George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX (United States)

2016-12-01

We develop a nonlinear semi-parametric Gaussian process model to estimate periods of Miras with sparsely sampled light curves. The model uses a sinusoidal basis for the periodic variation and a Gaussian process for the stochastic changes. We use maximum likelihood to estimate the period and the parameters of the Gaussian process, while integrating out the effects of other nuisance parameters in the model with respect to a suitable prior distribution obtained from earlier studies. Since the likelihood is highly multimodal for period, we implement a hybrid method that applies the quasi-Newton algorithm for Gaussian process parameters and search the period/frequency parameter space over a dense grid. A large-scale, high-fidelity simulation is conducted to mimic the sampling quality of Mira light curves obtained by the M33 Synoptic Stellar Survey. The simulated data set is publicly available and can serve as a testbed for future evaluation of different period estimation methods. The semi-parametric model outperforms an existing algorithm on this simulated test data set as measured by period recovery rate and quality of the resulting period–luminosity relations.

chipPCR: an R package to pre-process raw data of amplification curves.

Science.gov (United States)

Rödiger, Stefan; Burdukiewicz, Michał; Schierack, Peter

2015-09-01

Both the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and quantitative isothermal amplification (qIA) are standard methods for nucleic acid quantification. Numerous real-time read-out technologies have been developed. Despite the continuous interest in amplification-based techniques, there are only few tools for pre-processing of amplification data. However, a transparent tool for precise control of raw data is indispensable in several scenarios, for example, during the development of new instruments. chipPCR is an R: package for the pre-processing and quality analysis of raw data of amplification curves. The package takes advantage of R: 's S4 object model and offers an extensible environment. chipPCR contains tools for raw data exploration: normalization, baselining, imputation of missing values, a powerful wrapper for amplification curve smoothing and a function to detect the start and end of an amplification curve. The capabilities of the software are enhanced by the implementation of algorithms unavailable in R: , such as a 5-point stencil for derivative interpolation. Simulation tools, statistical tests, plots for data quality management, amplification efficiency/quantification cycle calculation, and datasets from qPCR and qIA experiments are part of the package. Core functionalities are integrated in GUIs (web-based and standalone shiny applications), thus streamlining analysis and report generation. http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/chipPCR. Source code: https://github.com/michbur/chipPCR. stefan.roediger@b-tu.de Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Conjugation of fiber-coupled wide-band light sources and acousto-optical spectral elements

Science.gov (United States)

Machikhin, Alexander; Batshev, Vladislav; Polschikova, Olga; Khokhlov, Demid; Pozhar, Vitold; Gorevoy, Alexey

2017-12-01

Endoscopic instrumentation is widely used for diagnostics and surgery. The imaging systems, which provide the hyperspectral information of the tissues accessible by endoscopes, are particularly interesting and promising for in vivo photoluminescence diagnostics and therapy of tumour and inflammatory diseases. To add the spectral imaging feature to standard video endoscopes, we propose to implement acousto-optical (AO) filtration of wide-band illumination of incandescent-lamp-based light sources. To collect maximum light and direct it to the fiber-optic light guide inside the endoscopic probe, we have developed and tested the optical system for coupling the light source, the acousto-optical tunable filter (AOTF) and the light guide. The system is compact and compatible with the standard endoscopic components.

BINARY CANDIDATES IN THE JOVIAN TROJAN AND HILDA POPULATIONS FROM NEOWISE LIGHT CURVES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sonnett, S.; Mainzer, A.; Masiero, J.; Bauer, J. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Grav, T., E-mail: Sarah.Sonnett@jpl.nasa.gov [Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ (United States)

2015-02-01

Determining the binary fraction for a population of asteroids, particularly as a function of separation between the two components, helps describe the dynamical environment at the time the binaries formed, which in turn offers constraints on the dynamical evolution of the solar system. We searched the NEOWISE archival data set for close and contact binary Trojans and Hildas via their diagnostically large light curve amplitudes. We present 48 out of 554 Hilda and 34 out of 953 Trojan binary candidates in need of follow-up to confirm their large light curve amplitudes and subsequently constrain the binary orbit and component sizes. From these candidates, we calculate a preliminary estimate of the binary fraction without confirmation or debiasing of 14%-23% for Trojans larger than ∼12 km and 30%-51% for Hildas larger than ∼4 km. Once the binary candidates have been confirmed, it should be possible to infer the underlying, debiased binary fraction through estimation of survey biases.

On the mean profiles of radio pulsars - II. Reconstruction of complex pulsar light curves and other new propagation effects

Science.gov (United States)

Hakobyan, H. L.; Beskin, V. S.; Philippov, A. A.

2017-08-01

Our previous paper outlined the general aspects of the theory of radio light curve and polarization formation for pulsars. We predicted the one-to-one correspondence between the tilt of the linear polarization position angle of the the circular polarization. However, some of the radio pulsars indicate a clear deviation from that correlation. In this paper, we apply the theory of the radio wave propagation in the pulsar magnetosphere for the analysis of individual effects leading to these deviations. We show that within our theory the circular polarization of a given mode can switch its sign, without the need to introduce a new radiation mode or other effects. Moreover, we show that the generation of different emission modes on different altitudes can explain pulsars, that presumably have the X-O-X light-curve pattern, different from what we predict. General properties of radio emission within our propagation theory are also discussed. In particular, we calculate the intensity patterns for different radiation altitudes and present light curves for different observer viewing angles. In this context we also study the light curves and polarization profiles for pulsars with interpulses. Further, we explain the characteristic width of the position angle curves by introducing the concept of a wide emitting region. Another important feature of radio polarization profiles is the shift of the position angle from the centre, which in some cases demonstrates a weak dependence on the observation frequency. Here we demonstrate that propagation effects do not necessarily imply a significant frequency-dependent change of the position angle curve.

Fourier analysis of the light curves of eclipsing variables, XXIV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edalati, M.T.

1978-01-01

The aim of the present paper will be to evaluate numerically Jacobian and other functions which have been discussed in more detail in a previous paper of this series, and also choose the most convenient moments to obtain a good determination for the unknown eclipse parameters a and c 0 . More than 12 different pairs of g-functions for real values of m have been investigated numerically and diagrammatically. The behaviour of g-functions depends but very little on different combination of the moments, and related diagrams are approximately the same as g 2 and g 4 . The behaviour of the vanishing Jacobian, arising from different pairs of g-functions for real values of m>= 0 . Accordingly, the author obtains the optimum combination of the moments (i.e., A 6 , A 7 , A 8 and A 9 ) in g-functions g 7 and g 8 . It has been noted that the behaviour of the g-functions which depend on the combinations of the higher order moments (i.e., m>= 5) have been ruled out, because the proportional error of the moments Asub(2m) increases with increasing values of real m. The automated method has been tested successfully on the light curve of RT Per. Finally, a comparison is given of the elements of RT Per arising from two different pairs of g-functions, i.e. g 2 , g 4 and g 7 , g 8 for the light curves analysis. (Auth.)

VizieR Online Data Catalog: WASP-22, WASP-41, WASP-42, WASP-55 (Southworth+, 2016)

Science.gov (United States)

Southworth, J.; Tregloan-Reed, J.; Andersen, M. I.; Calchi Novati, S.; Ciceri, S.; Colque, J. P.; D'Ago, G.; Dominik, M.; Evans, D. F.; Gu, S.-H.; Herrera-Cordova, A.; Hinse, T. C.; Jorgensen, U. G.; Juncher, D.; Kuffmeier, M.; Mancini, L.; Peixinho, N.; Popovas, A.; Rabus, M.; Skottfelt, J.; Tronsgaard, R.; Unda-Sanzana, E.; Wang, X.-B.; Wertz, O.; Alsubai, K. A.; Andersen, J. M.; Bozza, V.; Bramich, D. M.; Burgdorf, M.; Damerdji, Y.; Diehl, C.; Elyiv, A.; Figuera Jaimes, R.; Haugbolle, T.; Hundertmark, M.; Kains, N.; Kerins, E.; Korhonen, H.; Liebig, C.; Mathiasen, M.; Penny, M. T.; Rahvar, S.; Scarpetta, G.; Schmidt, R. W.; Snodgrass, C.; Starkey, D.; Surdej, J.; Vilela, C.; von Essen, C.; Wang, Y.

2018-05-01

17 light curves of transits of the extrasolar planetary systems WASP-22, WASP-41, WASP-42 and WASP-55 are presented. 13 of the light curves were obtained using the Danish 1.54m telescope at ESO La Silla, Chile, in the Bessell R or Bessell I passbands. The other 4 light curves were obtained using the 84cm telescope at Observatorio Cerro Armazones, Chile, using either an R filter or no filter. The errorbars for each transit have been scaled so the best-fitting model (obtained using the JKTEBOP code) has a reduced chi-squared value of 1.0. (4 data files).

Broadband tunable electromagnetically induced transparency analogue metamaterials based on graphene in terahertz band

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yue; Leng, Yanbing; Wang, Li; Dong, Lianhe; Liu, Shunrui; Wang, Jun; Sun, Yanjun

2018-06-01

Most of the actively controlled electromagnetically induced transparency analogue (EIT-like) metamaterials were implemented with narrowband modulations. In this paper, a broadband tunable EIT-like metamaterial based on graphene in the terahertz band is presented. It consists of a cut wire as the bright resonator and two couples of H-shaped resonators in mirror symmetry as the dark resonators. A broadband tunable property of transmission amplitude is realized by changing the Fermi level of graphene. Furthermore, the geometries of the metamaterial structure are optimized to achieve the ideal curve through the simulation. Such EIT-like metamaterials proposed here are promising candidates for designing active wide-band slow-light devices, wide-band terahertz active filters, and wide-band terahertz modulators.

High-precision 2MASS JHK{sub s} light curves and other data for RR Lyrae star SDSS J015450 + 001501: Strong constraints for nonlinear pulsation models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szabó, Róbert; Ivezić, Željko; Kiss, László L.; Kolláth, Zoltán [Konkoly Observatory, MTA CSFK, Konkoly Thege Miklós út 15-17, H-1121 Budapest (Hungary); Jones, Lynne; Becker, Andrew C.; Davenport, James R. A. [Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195-1580 (United States); Sesar, Branimir [Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Cutri, Roc M., E-mail: rszabo@konkoly.hu [Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2014-01-01

We present and discuss an extensive data set for the non-Blazhko ab-type RR Lyrae star SDSS J015450+001501, including optical Sloan Digital Sky Survey ugriz light curves and spectroscopic data, LINEAR and Catalina Sky Survey unfiltered optical light curves, and infrared Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) JHK{sub s} and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer W1 and W2 light curves. Most notable is that light curves obtained by 2MASS include close to 9000 photometric measures collected over 3.3 yr and provide an exceedingly precise view of near-infrared variability. These data demonstrate that static atmosphere models are insufficient to explain multiband photometric light-curve behavior and present strong constraints for nonlinear pulsation models for RR Lyrae stars. It is a challenge to modelers to produce theoretical light curves that can explain data presented here, which we make publicly available.

Efficient dye-sensitized solar cells from curved silicate microsheet caged TiO2 photoanodes. An avenue of enhancing light harvesting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Zubin; Tang, Qunwei; He, Benlin; Chen, Haiyan; Yu, Liangmin

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Curved silicate microsheets are incorporated with TiO 2 for light harvesting in DSSC • The optical matching between silicate and TiO 2 is superior to light reflection. • The curved silicate can hinder the recombination reaction of electrons with I 3 − . • The DSSC with TiO 2 /curved silicate photoanode shows an efficiency of 9.22% - Abstract: Enhancement of light harvesting has been a persistent objective for elevating dye excitation and therefore power conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Here we launch a strategy of markedly enhancing light harvesting by caging TiO 2 nanoparticles with curved silica microsheets. The results show that the strategy is versatile in suppressing the recombination reaction of electrons with I 3 − species in liquid electrolyte. Due to the superior reflective behaviors of curved silica microsheets, an optimal efficiency of 9.22% is recorded under simulated air mass 1.5 global sunlight on the DSSC in comparison with 6.51% and 7.51% from pristine TiO 2 and planar silicate microsheet incorporated TiO 2 photoanode based solar cells, respectively. This strategy is also believed to be applicable to other solar cells such as perovskite solar cells and quantum dot-sensitized solar cells.

High solar-light photocatalytic activity of using Cu3Se2/rGO nanocomposites synthesized by a green co-precipitation method

Science.gov (United States)

Nouri, Morteza; Saray, Abdolali Moghaddam; Azimi, H. R.; Yousefi, Ramin

2017-11-01

Current work presents a facile, cost-effective, and green method to synthesize copper selenide nanostructures and copper selenide/graphene nanocomposites. The products were synthesized by a co-precipitation method by glycine amino acid as a green surfactant and graphene oxide (GO) sheets as a graphene source. X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) of the products indicated that the products were Cu2Se3 with tetragonal phase. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and the XRD patterns indicated that the GO sheets were changed into reduced GO (rGO) during the synthesis process. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) images showed the nanoparticles (NPs) that were decorated on rGO sheets had the significantly smaller size in compared to the pristine NPs. UV-vis results revealed that, the absorption peak of the products were in the visible region with a band-gap value between 1.85 eV and 1.95 eV. Finally, the products were applied as photocatalytic materials to remove Methylene Blue (MB) dye under solar-light and visible-light irradiation conditions. It was observed; the rGO had a significant role in enhancing the photocatalytic performance of the products and Cu2Se3/rGO (15%) could degrade more than 91% and 73% of MB only during 1 h under solar-light and visible-light sources, respectively.

APSIDAL MOTION AND A LIGHT CURVE SOLUTION FOR 13 LMC ECCENTRIC ECLIPSING BINARIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zasche, P.; Wolf, M.; Vraštil, J.; Pilarcik, L. [Astronomical Institute, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, CZ-180 00 Praha 8, V Holešovičkách 2 (Czech Republic)

2015-12-15

New CCD observations for 13 eccentric eclipsing binaries from the Large Magellanic Cloud were carried out using the Danish 1.54 m telescope located at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. These systems were observed for their times of minimum and 56 new minima were obtained. These are needed for accurate determination of the apsidal motion. Besides that, in total 436 times of minimum were derived from the photometric databases OGLE and MACHO. The O – C diagrams of minimum timings for these B-type binaries were analyzed and the parameters of the apsidal motion were computed. The light curves of these systems were fitted using the program PHOEBE, giving the light curve parameters. We derived for the first time relatively short periods of the apsidal motion ranging from 21 to 107 years. The system OGLE-LMC-ECL-07902 was also analyzed using the spectra and radial velocities, resulting in masses of 6.8 and 4.4 M{sub ⊙} for the eclipsing components. For one system (OGLE-LMC-ECL-20112), the third-body hypothesis was also used to describe the residuals after subtraction of the apsidal motion, resulting in a period of about 22 years. For several systems an additional third light was also detected, which makes these systems suspect for triplicity.

More basic approach to the analysis of multiple specimen R-curves for determination of J/sub c/

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, K.W.; Williams, J.A.

1980-02-01

Multiple specimen J-R curves were developed for groups of 1T compact specimens with different a/W values and depth of side grooving. The purpose of this investigation was to determine J/sub c/ (J at onset of crack extension) for each group. Judicious selection of points on the load versus load-line deflection record at which to unload and heat tint specimens permitted direct observation of approximate onset of crack extension. It was found that the present recommended procedure for determining J/sub c/ from multiple specimen R-curves, which is being considered for standardization, consistently yielded nonconservative J/sub c/ values. A more basic approach to analyzing multiple specimen R-curves is presented, applied, and discussed. This analysis determined J/sub c/ values that closely corresponded to actual observed onset of crack extension

Positional glow curve simulation for thermoluminescent detector (TLD) system design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Branch, C.J.; Kearfott, K.J.

1999-01-01

Multi- and thin element dosimeters, variable heating rate schemes, and glow-curve analysis have been employed to improve environmental and personnel dosimetry using thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs). Detailed analysis of the effects of errors and optimization of techniques would be highly desirable. However, an understanding of the relationship between TL light production, light attenuation, and precise heating schemes is made difficult because of experimental challenges involved in measuring positional TL light production and temperature variations as a function of time. This work reports the development of a general-purpose computer code, thermoluminescent detector simulator, TLD-SIM, to simulate the heating of any TLD type using a variety of conventional and experimental heating methods including pulsed focused or unfocused lasers with Gaussian or uniform cross sections, planchet, hot gas, hot finger, optical, infrared, or electrical heating. TLD-SIM has been used to study the impact on the TL light production of varying the input parameters which include: detector composition, heat capacity, heat conductivity, physical size, and density; trapped electron density, the frequency factor of oscillation of electrons in the traps, and trap-conduction band potential energy difference; heating scheme source terms and heat transfer boundary conditions; and TL light scatter and attenuation coefficients. Temperature profiles and glow curves as a function of position time, as well as the corresponding temporally and/or spatially integrated glow values, may be plotted while varying any of the input parameters. Examples illustrating TLD system functions, including glow curve variability, will be presented. The flexible capabilities of TLD-SIM promises to enable improved TLD system design

The determination of kinetic parameters of LiF : Mg,Ti from thermal decaying curves of optical absorption bands

CERN Document Server

Yazici, A N

2003-01-01

In this paper, the thermal bleaching curves (TBCs) of specific optical absorption bands of LiF : Mg,Ti were measured as a function of temperature. The TBCs obtained were analysed to extract the kinetic parameters (the thermal activation energy (E) and the frequency factor (s)) of some TL glow peaks of LiF : Mg,Ti on the basis of the developed first-order kinetic model over a specified temperature region.

Wavelength-tuned light emission via modifying the band edge symmetry: Doped SnO2 as an example

KAUST Repository

Zhou, Hang

2014-03-27

We report the observation of ultraviolet photoluminescence and electroluminescence in indium-doped SnO2 thin films with modified "forbidden" bandgap. With increasing indium concentration in SnO 2, dominant visible light emission evolves into the ultraviolet regime in photoluminescence. Hybrid functional first-principles calculations demonstrate that the complex of indium dopant and oxygen vacancy breaks "forbidden" band gap to form allowed transition states. Furthermore, undoped and 10% indium-doped SnO2 layers are synthesized on p-type GaN substrates to obtain SnO2-based heterojunction light-emitting diodes. A dominant visible emission band is observed in the undoped SnO 2-based heterojunction, whereas strong near-ultraviolet emission peak at 398 nm is observed in the indium-doped SnO2-based heterojunction. Our results demonstrate an unprecedented doping-based approach toward tailoring the symmetry of band edge states and recovering ultraviolet light emission in wide-bandgap oxides. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

A UNIFORM SEARCH FOR SECONDARY ECLIPSES OF HOT JUPITERS IN KEPLER Q2 LIGHT CURVES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coughlin, J. L.; López-Morales, M.

2012-01-01

In this paper, we present the results of searching the Kepler Q2 public data set for the secondary eclipses of 76 hot Jupiter planet candidates from the list of 1235 candidates published by Borucki et al. This search has been performed by modeling both the Kepler pre-search data conditioned light curves and new light curves produced via our own photometric pipeline. We derive new stellar and planetary parameters for each system, while calculating robust errors for both. We find 16 systems with 1σ-2σ, 14 systems with 2σ-3σ, and 6 systems with >3σ confidence level secondary eclipse detections in at least one light curve produced via the Kepler pre-search data conditioned light curve or our own pipeline; however, results can vary depending on the light curve modeled and whether eccentricity is allowed to vary or not. We estimate false alarm probabilities of 31%, 10%, and 6% for the 1σ-2σ, 2σ-3σ, and >3σ confidence intervals, respectively. Comparing each secondary eclipse result to theoretical expectations, we find that the majority of detected planet candidates emit more light than expected owing to thermal blackbody emission in the optical Kepler bandpass, and present a trend of increasing excess emission with decreasing maximum effective planetary temperature. These results agree with previously published optical secondary eclipse data for other hot Jupiters. We explore modeling biases, significant planetary albedos, non-local thermodynamic equilibrium or other thermal emission, significant internal energy generation, and misidentification of brown dwarfs, low-mass stars, or stellar blends as possible causes of both the excess emission and its correlation with expected planetary temperature. Although we find that no single cause is able to explain all of the planet candidates, significant planetary albedos, with a general trend of increasing planetary albedos with decreasing atmospheric temperatures, are able to explain most of the systems. Identifying

EXTRACTING PERIODIC TRANSIT SIGNALS FROM NOISY LIGHT CURVES USING FOURIER SERIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samsing, Johan [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Peyton Hall, 4 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2015-07-01

We present a simple and powerful method for extracting transit signals associated with a known transiting planet from noisy light curves. Assuming the orbital period of the planet is known and the signal is periodic, we illustrate that systematic noise can be removed in Fourier space at all frequencies by only using data within a fixed time frame with a width equal to an integer number of orbital periods. This results in a reconstruction of the full transit signal, which on average is unbiased despite no prior knowledge of either the noise or the transit signal itself being used in the analysis. The method therefore has clear advantages over standard phase folding, which normally requires external input such as nearby stars or noise models for removing systematic components. In addition, we can extract the full orbital transit signal (360°) simultaneously, and Kepler-like data can be analyzed in just a few seconds. We illustrate the performance of our method by applying it to a dataset composed of light curves from Kepler with a fake injected signal emulating a planet with rings. For extracting periodic transit signals, our presented method is in general the optimal and least biased estimator and could therefore lead the way toward the first detections of, e.g., planet rings and exo-trojan asteroids.

Effect of stellar activity on the high precision transit light curve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oshagh, M.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Stellar activity features such as spots and plages can create difficulties in determining planetary parameters through spectroscopic and photometric observations. The overlap of a transiting planet and a stellar spot, for instance, can produce anomalies in the transit light curve that may lead to inaccurate estimation of the transit duration, depth, and timing. Such inaccuracies can affect the precise derivation of the planet’s radius. In this talk we will present the results of a quantitative study on the effects of stellar spots on high precision transit light curves. We show that spot anomalies can lead to the estimate of a planet radius that is 4% smaller than the real value. The effects on the transit duration can also be of the order of 4%, longer or shorter. Depending on the size and distribution of spots, anomalies can also produce transit timing variations with significant amplitudes. For instance, TTVs with signal amplitudes of 200 seconds can be produced by spots as large as the largest sunspot. Finally, we examine the impact of active regions on the transit depth measurements in different wavelengths, in order to probe the impact of this effect on transmission spectroscopy measurements. We show that significant (up to 10% underestimation/overestimation of the planet-to-star radius ratio can be measured, especially in the short wavelength regime.

Multi-messenger Light Curves from Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Internal Shock Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bustamante, Mauricio [Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics (CCAPP), The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Heinze, Jonas; Winter, Walter [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Platanenallee 6, D-15738 Zeuthen (Germany); Murase, Kohta, E-mail: bustamanteramirez.1@osu.edu, E-mail: walter.winter@desy.de, E-mail: jonas.heinze@desy.de, E-mail: murase@psu.edu [Center for Particle and Gravitational Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16802 (United States)

2017-03-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are promising as sources of neutrinos and cosmic rays. In the internal shock scenario, blobs of plasma emitted from a central engine collide within a relativistic jet and form shocks, leading to particle acceleration and emission. Motivated by present experimental constraints and sensitivities, we improve the predictions of particle emission by investigating time-dependent effects from multiple shocks. We produce synthetic light curves with different variability timescales that stem from properties of the central engine. For individual GRBs, qualitative conclusions about model parameters, neutrino production efficiency, and delays in high-energy gamma-rays can be deduced from inspection of the gamma-ray light curves. GRBs with fast time variability without additional prominent pulse structure tend to be efficient neutrino emitters, whereas GRBs with fast variability modulated by a broad pulse structure can be inefficient neutrino emitters and produce delayed high-energy gamma-ray signals. Our results can be applied to quantitative tests of the GRB origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, and have the potential to impact current and future multi-messenger searches.

Multi-messenger light curves from gamma-ray bursts in the internal shock model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bustamante, Mauricio [Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics (CCAPP); Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Dept. of Physics; Murase, Kohta [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Center for Particle and Gravitational Astrophysics; Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Dept. of Astronomy and Astrophysics; Winter, Walter [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany)

2016-06-15

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are promising as sources of neutrinos and cosmic rays. In the internal shock scenario, blobs of plasma emitted from a central engine collide within a relativistic jet and form shocks, leading to particle acceleration and emission. Motivated by present experimental constraints and sensitivities, we improve the predictions of particle emission by investigating time-dependent effects from multiple shocks. We produce synthetic light curves with different variability timescales that stem from properties of the central engine. For individual GRBs, qualitative conclusions about model parameters, neutrino production efficiency, and delays in high-energy gamma rays can be deduced from inspection of the gamma-ray light curves. GRBs with fast time variability without additional prominent pulse structure tend to be efficient neutrino emitters, whereas GRBs with fast variability modulated by a broad pulse structure tend to be inefficient neutrino emitters and produce delayed high-energy gamma-ray signals. Our results can be applied to quantitative tests of the GRB origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, and have the potential to impact current and future multi-messenger searches.

Temporal Evolution of the Gamma-ray Burst Afterglow Spectrum for an Observer: GeV–TeV Synchrotron Self-Compton Light Curve

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fukushima, Takuma; Fujita, Yutaka [Department of Earth and Space Science, Osaka University, Osaka, 560-0043 (Japan); To, Sho; Asano, Katsuaki, E-mail: fukushima@vega.ess.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp, E-mail: fujita@vega.ess.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp, E-mail: tosho@icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp, E-mail: asanok@icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582 (Japan)

2017-08-01

We numerically simulate the gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow emission with a one-zone time-dependent code. The temporal evolutions of the decelerating shocked shell and energy distributions of electrons and photons are consistently calculated. The photon spectrum and light curves for an observer are obtained taking into account the relativistic propagation of the shocked shell and the curvature of the emission surface. We find that the onset time of the afterglow is significantly earlier than the previous analytical estimate. The analytical formulae of the shock propagation and light curve for the radiative case are also different from our results. Our results show that even if the emission mechanism is switching from synchrotron to synchrotron self-Compton, the gamma-ray light curves can be a smooth power law, which agrees with the observed light curve and the late detection of a 32 GeV photon in GRB 130427A. The uncertainty of the model parameters obtained with the analytical formula is discussed, especially in connection with the closure relation between spectral index and decay index.

How to adapt broad-band gravitational-wave searches for r-modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, Benjamin J.

2010-01-01

Up to now there has been no search for gravitational waves from the r-modes of neutron stars in spite of the theoretical interest in the subject. Several oddities of r-modes must be addressed to obtain an observational result: The gravitational radiation field is dominated by the mass current (gravitomagnetic) quadrupole rather than the usual mass quadrupole, and the consequent difference in polarization affects detection statistics and parameter estimation. To astrophysically interpret a detection or upper limit it is necessary to convert the gravitational-wave amplitude to an r-mode amplitude. Also, it is helpful to know indirect limits on gravitational-wave emission to gauge the interest of various searches. Here I address these issues, thereby providing the ingredients to adapt broad-band searches for continuous gravitational waves to obtain r-mode results. I also show that searches of existing data can already have interesting sensitivities to r-modes.

A new methodology for the evaluation of the J-R curve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donoso, J. R.; Zahr, J.; Landes, J. D.

2005-01-01

A new methodology for the construction of J-R curves for ductile materials, based upon the analytical integration of the P-ν relation, is presented. This method is based on the Common and Concise Formats, and on a postulated crack growth law, that relates the amount of stable crack growth with plastic displacement. The model developed, denoted asnC and C, reproduces quite well the experimentally obtained P-ν, Δa-ν and J-Δa curves. The results suggest that the amount of stable crack growth in a ductile material follows a power-law behaviour in its dependence with plastic displacement. This methodology may be used to evaluate instability conditions, through the adequate analytical treatment of the P-ν and J-Δa relations. (Author) 35 refs

VizieR Online Data Catalog: NGC 6822 Cepheids JHKs light curves (Feast+, 2012)

Science.gov (United States)

Feast, M. W.; Whitelock, P. A.; Menzies, J. W.; Matsunaga, N.

2013-03-01

Our survey of NGC 6822 is confined to the optical bar which is aligned nearly north-south. We used the Japanese-South African IRSF (InfraRed Survey Facility) telescope equipped with the SIRIUS camera, which permits simultaneous imaging in the J, H and Ks bands. We defined three overlapping fields, with field 1 centred at RA=19:44:56 and DE=-14:48:06 (2000.0). Fields 2 and 3 are centred 6.7 arcmin north and south, respectively, from field 1. The three fields, approximately 7.8 arcmin2, were observed in JHKs at 19, 18 and 16 epochs, respectively, over a period of 3.5yr. (2 data files).

Human phase response curve to a 1 h pulse of bright white light

Science.gov (United States)

St Hilaire, Melissa A; Gooley, Joshua J; Khalsa, Sat Bir S; Kronauer, Richard E; Czeisler, Charles A; Lockley, Steven W

2012-01-01

The phase resetting response of the human circadian pacemaker to light depends on the timing of exposure and is described by a phase response curve (PRC). The current study aimed to construct a PRC for a 1 h exposure to bright white light (∼8000 lux) and to compare this PRC to a dim background light PRC. These data were also compared to a previously completed 6.7 h bright white light PRC and a dim background light PRC constructed under similar conditions. Participants were randomized for exposure to 1 h of either bright white light (n= 18) or dim background light (n= 18) scheduled at 1 of 18 circadian phases. Participants completed constant routine (CR) procedures in dim light (light exposure to assess circadian phase. Phase shifts were calculated as the difference in timing of dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) during pre- and post-stimulus CRs. Exposure to 1 h of bright white light induced a Type 1 PRC with a fitted peak-to-trough amplitude of 2.20 h. No discernible PRC was observed in the dim background light PRC. The fitted peak-to-trough amplitude of the 1 h bright light PRC was ∼40% of that for the 6.7 h PRC despite representing only 15% of the light exposure duration, consistent with previous studies showing a non-linear duration–response function for the effects of light on circadian resetting. PMID:22547633

Emergence of curved light-cones in a class of inhomogeneous Luttinger liquids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jérôme Dubail, Jean-Marie Stéphan, Pasquale Calabrese

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The light-cone spreading of entanglement and correlation is a fundamental and ubiquitous feature of homogeneous extended quantum systems. Here we point out that a class of inhomogenous Luttinger liquids (those with a uniform Luttinger parameter $K$ at low energy display the universal phenomenon of curved light cones: gapless excitations propagate along the geodesics of the metric $ds^2=dx^2+v(x^2 d\\tau^2$, with $v(x$ being the calculable spatial dependent velocity induced by the inhomogeneity. We confirm our findings with explicit analytic and numerical calculations both in- and out-of-equilibrium for a Tonks-Girardeau gas in a harmonic potential and in lattice systems with artificially tuned hamiltonian density.

Improved liver R2* mapping by pixel-wise curve fitting with adaptive neighborhood regularization.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Changqing; Zhang, Xinyuan; Liu, Xiaoyun; He, Taigang; Chen, Wufan; Feng, Qianjin; Feng, Yanqiu

2018-08-01

To improve liver R2* mapping by incorporating adaptive neighborhood regularization into pixel-wise curve fitting. Magnetic resonance imaging R2* mapping remains challenging because of the serial images with low signal-to-noise ratio. In this study, we proposed to exploit the neighboring pixels as regularization terms and adaptively determine the regularization parameters according to the interpixel signal similarity. The proposed algorithm, called the pixel-wise curve fitting with adaptive neighborhood regularization (PCANR), was compared with the conventional nonlinear least squares (NLS) and nonlocal means filter-based NLS algorithms on simulated, phantom, and in vivo data. Visually, the PCANR algorithm generates R2* maps with significantly reduced noise and well-preserved tiny structures. Quantitatively, the PCANR algorithm produces R2* maps with lower root mean square errors at varying R2* values and signal-to-noise-ratio levels compared with the NLS and nonlocal means filter-based NLS algorithms. For the high R2* values under low signal-to-noise-ratio levels, the PCANR algorithm outperforms the NLS and nonlocal means filter-based NLS algorithms in the accuracy and precision, in terms of mean and standard deviation of R2* measurements in selected region of interests, respectively. The PCANR algorithm can reduce the effect of noise on liver R2* mapping, and the improved measurement precision will benefit the assessment of hepatic iron in clinical practice. Magn Reson Med 80:792-801, 2018. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Systematic study of photoluminescence upon band gap excitation in perovskite-type titanates R 1/2Na1/2TiO3:Pr (R=La, Gd, Lu, and Y)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inaguma, Yoshiyuki; Tsuchiya, Takeshi; Katsumata, Tetsuhiro

2007-01-01

Pr 3+ -doped perovskites R 1/2 Na 1/2 TiO 3 :Pr (R=La, Gd, Lu, and Y) were synthesized, and their structures, optical absorption and luminescent properties were investigated, and the relationship between structures and optical properties are discussed. Optical band gap of R 1/2 Na 1/2 TiO 3 increases in the order R=La, Gd, Y, and Lu, which is primarily due to a decrease in band width accompanied by a decrease in Ti-O-Ti bond angle. Intense red emission assigned to f-f transition of Pr 3+ from the excited 1 D 2 level to the ground 3 H 4 state upon the band gap photo-excitation (UV) was observed for all compounds. The wavelength of emission peaks was red-shifted in the order R=La, Gd, Y, and Lu, which originates from the increase in crystal field splitting of Pr 3+ . This is attributed to the decrease in inter-atomic distances of Pr-O together with the inter-atomic distances (R, Na)-O, i.e., increase in covalency between Pr and O. The results indicate that the luminescent properties in R 1/2 Na 1/2 TiO 3 :Pr are governed by the relative energy level between the ground and excited state of 4f 2 for Pr 3+ , and the conduction and valence band, which is primarily dependent on the structure, e.g., the tilt of TiO 6 octahedra and the Pr-Ti inter-atomic distance and the site symmetry of Pr ion. - Graphical abstract: The red intense emission assigned to f-f transition of Pr 3+ from the excited 1 D 2 level to the ground 3 H 4 state upon the band gap photo-excitation (UV) was observed upon the band gap photo-excitation in perovskites R 1/2 Na 1/2 TiO 3 :Pr(R=La, Gd, Lu, and Y). It was found that the systematic changes in their luminescent properties are strongly dependent on the structure

Influence of pump-field scattering on nonclassical-light generation in a photonic-band-gap nonlinear planar waveguide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perina, Jan Jr.; Sibilia, Concita; Tricca, Daniela; Bertolotti, Mario

2005-01-01

Optical parametric process occurring in a nonlinear planar waveguide can serve as a source of light with nonclassical properties. The properties of the generated fields are substantially modified by scattering of the nonlinearly interacting fields in a photonic-band-gap structure inside the waveguide. A general quantum model of linear operator amplitude corrections to the amplitude mean values and its numerical analysis provide conditions for efficient squeezed-light generation as well as generation of light with sub-Poissonian photon-number statistics. The destructive influence of phase mismatch of the nonlinear interaction can fully be compensated using a suitable photonic-band-gap structure inside the waveguide. Also an increase of the signal-to-noise ratio of the incident optical field can be reached in the waveguide

Cosmological parameter uncertainties from SALT-II type Ia supernova light curve models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosher, J.; Sako, M.; Guy, J.; Astier, P.; Betoule, M.; El-Hage, P.; Pain, R.; Regnault, N.; Kessler, R.; Frieman, J. A.; Marriner, J.; Biswas, R.; Kuhlmann, S.; Schneider, D. P.

2014-01-01

We use simulated type Ia supernova (SN Ia) samples, including both photometry and spectra, to perform the first direct validation of cosmology analysis using the SALT-II light curve model. This validation includes residuals from the light curve training process, systematic biases in SN Ia distance measurements, and a bias on the dark energy equation of state parameter w. Using the SN-analysis package SNANA, we simulate and analyze realistic samples corresponding to the data samples used in the SNLS3 analysis: ∼120 low-redshift (z < 0.1) SNe Ia, ∼255 Sloan Digital Sky Survey SNe Ia (z < 0.4), and ∼290 SNLS SNe Ia (z ≤ 1). To probe systematic uncertainties in detail, we vary the input spectral model, the model of intrinsic scatter, and the smoothing (i.e., regularization) parameters used during the SALT-II model training. Using realistic intrinsic scatter models results in a slight bias in the ultraviolet portion of the trained SALT-II model, and w biases (w input – w recovered ) ranging from –0.005 ± 0.012 to –0.024 ± 0.010. These biases are indistinguishable from each other within the uncertainty; the average bias on w is –0.014 ± 0.007.

Cosmological Parameter Uncertainties from SALT-II Type Ia Supernova Light Curve Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mosher, J. [Pennsylvania U.; Guy, J. [LBL, Berkeley; Kessler, R. [Chicago U., KICP; Astier, P. [Paris U., VI-VII; Marriner, J. [Fermilab; Betoule, M. [Paris U., VI-VII; Sako, M. [Pennsylvania U.; El-Hage, P. [Paris U., VI-VII; Biswas, R. [Argonne; Pain, R. [Paris U., VI-VII; Kuhlmann, S. [Argonne; Regnault, N. [Paris U., VI-VII; Frieman, J. A. [Fermilab; Schneider, D. P. [Penn State U.

2014-08-29

We use simulated type Ia supernova (SN Ia) samples, including both photometry and spectra, to perform the first direct validation of cosmology analysis using the SALT-II light curve model. This validation includes residuals from the light curve training process, systematic biases in SN Ia distance measurements, and a bias on the dark energy equation of state parameter w. Using the SN-analysis package SNANA, we simulate and analyze realistic samples corresponding to the data samples used in the SNLS3 analysis: ~120 low-redshift (z < 0.1) SNe Ia, ~255 Sloan Digital Sky Survey SNe Ia (z < 0.4), and ~290 SNLS SNe Ia (z ≤ 1). To probe systematic uncertainties in detail, we vary the input spectral model, the model of intrinsic scatter, and the smoothing (i.e., regularization) parameters used during the SALT-II model training. Using realistic intrinsic scatter models results in a slight bias in the ultraviolet portion of the trained SALT-II model, and w biases (w (input) – w (recovered)) ranging from –0.005 ± 0.012 to –0.024 ± 0.010. These biases are indistinguishable from each other within the uncertainty, the average bias on w is –0.014 ± 0.007.

Real-time evaluation of two light delivery systems for photodynamic disinfection of Candida albicans biofilm in curved root canals.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabino, C P; Garcez, A S; Núñez, S C; Ribeiro, M S; Hamblin, M R

2015-08-01

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (APDT) combined with endodontic treatment has been recognized as an alternative approach to complement conventional root canal disinfection methods on bacterial biofilms. We developed an in  vitro model of bioluminescent Candida albicans biofilm inside curved dental root canals and investigated the microbial reduction produced when different light delivery methods are employed. Each light delivery method was evaluated in respect to the light distribution provided inside curved root canals. After conventional endodontic preparation, teeth were sterilized before canals were contaminated by a bioluminescent strain of C. albicans (CEC789). Methylene blue (90 μM) was introduced into the canals and then irradiated (λ = 660 nm, P = 100 mW, beam diameter = 2 mm) with laser tip either in contact with pulp chamber or within the canal using an optical diffuser fiber. Light distribution was evaluated by CCD camera, and microbial reduction was monitored through bioluminescence imaging. Our findings demonstrated that the bioluminescent C. albicans biofilm model had good reproducibility and uniformity. Light distribution in dental tissue was markedly dependent on the light delivery system, and this strategy was directly related to microbial destruction. Both light delivery systems performed significant fungal inactivation. However, when irradiation was performed with optical diffuser fiber, microbial burden reduction was nearly 100 times more effective. Bioluminescence is an interesting real-time analysis to endodontic C. albicans biofilm inactivation. APDT showed to be an effective way to inactivate C. albicans biofilms. Diffuser fibers provided optimized light distribution inside curved root canals and significantly increased APDT efficiency.

FIB/FESEM experimental and analytical assessment of R-curve behavior of WC–Co cemented carbides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tarragó, J.M., E-mail: jose.maria.tarrago@upc.edu [CIEFMA, Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Enginyeria Metallúrgica, ETSEIB, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); CRnE, Centre de Recerca en Nanoenginyeria, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Jiménez-Piqué, E. [CIEFMA, Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Enginyeria Metallúrgica, ETSEIB, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); CRnE, Centre de Recerca en Nanoenginyeria, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Schneider, L. [Sandvik Hyperion, Coventry CV4 0XG (United Kingdom); Casellas, D. [Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic, 08243 Manresa (Spain); Torres, Y. [Departamento de Ingeniería y Ciencia de los Materiales y del Transporte, ETSI, Universidad de Sevilla, 41092 Sevilla (Spain); Llanes, L. [CIEFMA, Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Enginyeria Metallúrgica, ETSEIB, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); CRnE, Centre de Recerca en Nanoenginyeria, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)

2015-10-01

Exceptional fracture toughness levels exhibited by WC–Co cemented carbides (hardmetals) are due mainly to toughening derived from plastic stretching of crack-bridging ductile enclaves. This takes place due to the development of a multiligament zone at the wake of cracks growing in a stable manner. As a result, hardmetals exhibit crack growth resistance (R-curve) behavior. In this work, the toughening mechanics and mechanisms of these materials are investigated by combining experimental and analytical approaches. Focused Ion Beam technique (FIB) and Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) are implemented to obtain serial sectioning and imaging of crack–microstructure interaction in cracks arrested after stable extension under monotonic loading. The micrographs obtained provide experimental proof of the developing multiligament zone, including failure micromechanisms within individual bridging ligaments. Analytical assessment of the multiligament zone is then conducted on the basis of experimental information attained from FIB/FESEM images, and a model for the description of R-curve behavior of hardmetals is proposed. It was found that, due to the large stresses supported by the highly constrained and strongly bonded bridging ligaments, WC–Co cemented carbides exhibit quite steep but short R-curve behavior. Relevant strength and reliability attributes exhibited by hardmetals may then be rationalized on the basis of such toughening scenario.

Secondary eclipses in the CoRoT light curves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Belmonte Juan Antonio

2013-04-01

Full Text Available We identify and characterize secondary eclipses in the original light curves of published CoRoT planets using uniform detection and evaluation criteria. Our analysis is based on a Bayesian statistics: the eclipse search is carried out using Bayesian model selection, and the characterization of the plausible eclipse candidates using Bayesian parameter estimation. We discover statistically significant eclipse events for two planets, CoRoT-6b and CoRoT-11b, and for one brown dwarf, CoRoT-15b. We also find marginally significant eclipse events passing our plausibility criteria for CoRoT-3b, 13b, 18b, and 21b, and confirm the previously published CoRoT-1b and CoRoT-2b eclipses.

Evaluation of R-curves in ceramic materials based on bridging interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fett, T.; Munz, D.

1991-10-01

In coarse-grained alumina the crack growth resistance increases with increasing crack extension due to crack-border interactions. The crack shielding stress intensity factor can be calculated from the relation between the bridging stresses and the crack opening displacement. The parameters of this relation can be obtained from experimental results on stable or subcritical crack extension. Finally the effected of the R-curve on the behaviour of components with small cracks is discussed. (orig.) [de

Crack resistance curves determination of tube cladding material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bertsch, J. [Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland)]. E-mail: johannes.bertsch@psi.ch; Hoffelner, W. [Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland)

2006-06-30

Zirconium based alloys have been in use as fuel cladding material in light water reactors since many years. As claddings change their mechanical properties during service, it is essential for the assessment of mechanical integrity to provide parameters for potential rupture behaviour. Usually, fracture mechanics parameters like the fracture toughness K {sub IC} or, for high plastic strains, the J-integral based elastic-plastic fracture toughness J {sub IC} are employed. In claddings with a very small wall thickness the determination of toughness needs the extension of the J-concept beyond limits of standards. In the paper a new method based on the traditional J approach is presented. Crack resistance curves (J-R curves) were created for unirradiated thin walled Zircaloy-4 and aluminium cladding tube pieces at room temperature using the single sample method. The procedure of creating sharp fatigue starter cracks with respect to optical recording was optimized. It is shown that the chosen test method is appropriate for the determination of complete J-R curves including the values J {sub 0.2} (J at 0.2 mm crack length), J {sub m} (J corresponding to the maximum load) and the slope of the curve.

X-BAND LINEAR COLLIDER R and D IN ACCELERATING STRUCTURES THROUGH ADVANCED COMPUTING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Z

2004-01-01

This paper describes a major computational effort that addresses key design issues in the high gradient accelerating structures for the proposed X-band linear collider, GLC/NLC. Supported by the US DOE's Accelerator Simulation Project, SLAC is developing a suite of parallel electromagnetic codes based on unstructured grids for modeling RF structures with higher accuracy and on a scale previously not possible. The new simulation tools have played an important role in the R and D of X-Band accelerating structures, in cell design, wakefield analysis and dark current studies

Helical Tomography of an Accretion Disk by Superhump Light Curves of the 2001 Outburst of WZ Sagittae

Science.gov (United States)

Osaki, Yoji

2003-06-01

A new method for analyzing complex superhump light curves for the 2001 outburst of WZ Sagittae is proposed. The complexity arises because intrinsically time-varying and non-axisymmetric distributions of superhump light sources are coupled with the aspect effects around the binary orbital phase because of its high orbital inclination. The new method can disentangle these complexities by separating the non-axisymmetric spatial distribution in the disk from the time variation with the superhump period. It may be called a helical tomography of an accretion disk because it can reconstruct a series of disk images (i.e., disk's azimuthal structures) at different superhump phases. The power spectral data of superhump light curves of the 2001 outburst of WZ Sge by Patterson et al. (2002, PASP, 114, 721) are now interpreted under a new light based on the concept of helical tomography, and the azimuthal wave numbers of various frequency modes are identified. In particular, a frequen! cy component, nω0 - Ω, where ω0 and Ω are the orbital frequency and a low frequency of the apsidal precession of the eccentric disk, is understood as an (n - 1)-armed traveling wave in the disk. A vigorous excitation of a wave component of cos(2Θ - 3ω0t) in the first week of the superhump era of WZ Sge, where Θ is the azimuthal angle, supports Lubow's (1991, AAA 54.064.175) theory of non-linear wave coupling of the eccentric Lindblad resonance for the superhump phenomenon. This method can in principle be applied to other SU UMa stars with high orbital inclination if light curves are fully covered over the beat cycle.

Low mass SN Ia and the late light curve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colgate, S.A.; Fryer, C.L.

1995-01-01

The late bolometric light curves of type Ia supernovae, when measured accurately over several years, show an exponential decay with a 56d half-life over a drop in luminosity of 8 magnitudes (10 half-lives). The late-time light curve is thought to be governed by the decay of Co 56 , whose 77d half-life must then be modified to account for the observed decay time. Two mechanisms, both relying upon the positron fraction of the Co 56 decay, have been proposed to explain this modification. One explanation requires a large amount of emission at infra-red wavelengths where it would not be detected. The other explanation has proposed a progressive transparency or leakage of the high energy positrons (Colgate, Petschek and Kriese, 1980). For the positrons to leak out of the expanding nebula at the required rate necessary to produce the modified 56d exponential, the mass of the ejecta from a one foe (10 51 erg in kinetic energy) explosion must be small, M ejec = 0.4M circle-dot with M ejec ∝ KE 0.5 . Thus, in this leakage explanation, any reasonable estimate of the total energy of the explosion requires that the ejected mass be very much less than the Chandrasekhar mass of 1.4M circle-dot . This is very difficult to explain with the ''canonical'' Chandrasekhar-mass thermonuclear explosion that disintegrates the original white dwarf star. This result leads us to pursue alternate mechanisms of type Ia supernovae. These mechanisms include sub-Chandrasekhar thermonuclear explosions and the accretion induced collapse of Chandrasekhar mass white dwarfs. We will summarize the advantages and disadvantages of both mechanisms with considerable detail spent on our new accretion induced collapse simulations. These mechanisms lead to lower Ni 56 production and hence result in type Ia supernovae with luminosities decreased down to ∼ 50% that predicted by the ''standard'' model

Graphene oxide quantum dot-sensitized porous titanium dioxide microsphere: Visible-light-driven photocatalyst based on energy band engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yu; Qi, Fuyuan; Li, Ying; Zhou, Xin; Sun, Hongfeng; Zhang, Wei; Liu, Daliang; Song, Xi-Ming

2017-07-15

We report a novel graphene oxide quantum dot (GOQD)-sensitized porous TiO 2 microsphere for efficient photoelectric conversion. Electro-chemical analysis along with the Mott-Schottky equation reveals conductivity type and energy band structure of the two semiconductors. Based on their energy band structures, visible light-induced electrons can transfer from the p-type GOQD to the n-type TiO 2 . Enhanced photocurrent and photocatalytic activity in visible light further confirm the enhanced separation of electrons and holes in the nanocomposite. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Transit Light Curve Project. VIII. Six Occultations of the Exoplanet TrES-3

OpenAIRE

Winn, Joshua N.; Holman, Matthew J.; Shporer, Avi; Fernandez, Jose; Mazeh, Tsevi; Latham, David W.; Charbonneau, David; Everett, Mark E.

2008-01-01

We present photometry of the exoplanet host star TrES-3 spanning six occultations (secondary eclipses) of its giant planet. No flux decrements were detected, leading to 99%-confidence upper limits on the planet-to-star flux ratio of 0.00024, 0.0005, and 0.00086 in the i, z, and R bands respectively. The corresponding upper limits on the planet's geometric albedo are 0.30, 0.62, and 1.07. The upper limit in the i band rules out the presence of highly reflective clouds, and is only a factor of ...

Probing Millisecond Pulsar Emission Geometry Using Light Curves From the Fermi Large Area Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Venter, Christo; Harding, Alice; Guillemot, L.

2009-01-01

An interesting new high-energy pulsar sub-population is emerging following early discoveries of gamma-ray millisecond pulsars (MSPs) by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). We present results from 3D emission modeling, including the Special Relativistic effects of aberration and time-of-flight delays and also rotational sweepback of 13-field lines, in the geometric context of polar cap (PC), slot gap (SG), outer gap (OG), and two-pole caustic (TPC) pulsar models. In contrast to the general belief that these very old, rapidly-rotating neutron stars (NSs) should have largely pair-starved magnetospheres due to the absence of significant pair production, we find that most of the light curves are best fit by SG and OG models, which indicates the presence of narrow accelerating gaps limited by robust pair production -- even in these pulsars with very low spin-down luminosities. The gamma-ray pulse shapes and relative phase lags with respect to the radio pulses point to high-altitude emission being dominant for all geometries. We also find exclusive differentiation of the current gamma-ray MSP population into two MSP sub-classes: light curve shapes and lags across wavebands impose either pair-starved PC (PSPC) or SG / OG-type geometries. In the first case, the radio pulse has a small lag with respect to the single gamma-ray pulse, while the (first) gamma-ray peak usually trails the radio by a large phase offset in the latter case. Finally, we find that the flux correction factor as a function of magnetic inclination and observer angles is typically of order unity for all models. Our calculation of light curves and flux correction factor f(_, _, P) for the case of MSPs is therefore complementary to the "ATLAS paper" of Watters et al. for younger pulsars.

InGaP DHBT for High Efficiency L-band T/R Module, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — A fully monolithically integrated L-band T/R module using InGaP/GaAs-based HBTs (heterojunction bipolar transistors) for both the transmit and receive functions is...

Dual-etalon cavity ring-down frequency-comb spectroscopy with broad band light source

Science.gov (United States)

Chandler, David W; Strecker, Kevin E

2014-04-01

In an embodiment, a dual-etalon cavity-ring-down frequency-comb spectrometer system is described. A broad band light source is split into two beams. One beam travels through a first etalon and a sample under test, while the other beam travels through a second etalon, and the two beams are recombined onto a single detector. If the free spectral ranges ("FSR") of the two etalons are not identical, the interference pattern at the detector will consist of a series of beat frequencies. By monitoring these beat frequencies, optical frequencies where light is absorbed may be determined.

SPITZER OBSERVATIONS OF COMET 67P/CHURYUMOV-GERASIMENKO AT 5.5-4.3 AU FROM THE SUN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelley, Michael S.; Wooden, Diane H.; Tubiana, Cecilia; Boehnhardt, Hermann; Woodward, Charles E.; Harker, David E.

2009-01-01

We report Spitzer Space Telescope observations of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at 5.5 and 4.3 AU from the Sun, post-aphelion. Comet 67P is the primary target of the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission. The Rosetta spacecraft will rendezvous with the nucleus at heliocentric distances similar to our observations. Rotationally resolved observations at 8 and 24 μm (at a heliocentric distance, r h , of 4.8 AU) that sample the size and color-temperature of the nucleus are combined with aphelion R-band light curves observed at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and yield a mean effective radius of 2.04 ± 0.11 km, and an R-band geometric albedo of 0.054 ± 0.006. The amplitudes of the R-band and mid-infrared light curves agree, which suggests that the variability is dominated by the shape of the nucleus. We also detect the dust trail of the comet at 4.8 and 5.5 AU, constrain the grain sizes to be ∼ h = 4 AU in 2014.

Observations and light curve solutions of four ultrashort-period binaries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kjurkchieva D.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents light curve solutions of our observations of four new ultrashort-period eclipsing binaries with MS components. Two of them have periods almost at the upper limit (0.22 days of the ultrashort-period binaries, while the periods of around 0.18 days of CSS J171508.5+350658 and CSS J214633.8+120016 are amongst the shortest known orbital periods. CSS J171410.0+ 445850, CSS J214633.8+120016 and CSS J224326.0+154532 are over contact binaries with fill out factors around 0.25 while CSS J171508.5+350658 is a semidetached system. The two targets with shortest periods consist of M dwarfs.

A new approach to the analysis of Mira light curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mennessier, M.O.; Barthes, D.; Mattei, J.A.

1990-01-01

Two different but complementary methods for predicting Mira luminosities are presented. One method is derived from a Fourier analysis, it requires performing deconvolution, and its results are not certain due to the inherent instability of deconvolution problems. The other method is a learning method utilizing artificial intelligence techniques where a light curve is presented as an ordered sequence of pseudocycles, and rules are learned by linking the characteristics of several consecutive pseudocycles to one characteristic of the future cycle. It is observed that agreement between these methods is obtainable when it is possible to eliminate similar false frequencies from the preliminary power spectrum and to improve the degree of confidence in the rules

Spotted star mapping by light curve inversion: Tests and application to HD 12545

Science.gov (United States)

Kolbin, A. I.; Shimansky, V. V.

2013-06-01

A code for mapping the surfaces of spotted stars is developed. The concept of the code is to analyze rotational-modulated light curves. We simulate the process of reconstruction for the star surface and the results of simulation are presented. The reconstruction atrifacts caused by the ill-posed nature of the problem are deduced. The surface of the spotted component of system HD 12545 is mapped using the procedure.

WASP-36b: A NEW TRANSITING PLANET AROUND A METAL-POOR G-DWARF, AND AN INVESTIGATION INTO ANALYSES BASED ON A SINGLE TRANSIT LIGHT CURVE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, A. M. S.; Anderson, D. R.; Hellier, C.; Maxted, P. F. L.; Smalley, B.; Southworth, J. [Astrophysics Group, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG (United Kingdom); Collier Cameron, A. [SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, Fife, KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Gillon, M.; Jehin, E. [Institut d' Astrophysique et de Geophysique, Universite de Liege, Allee du 6 Aout, 17 Bat. B5C, Liege 1 (Belgium); Lendl, M.; Queloz, D.; Triaud, A. H. M. J.; Pepe, F.; Segransan, D.; Udry, S. [Observatoire de Geneve, Universite de Geneve, 51 Chemin des Maillettes, 1290 Sauverny (Switzerland); West, R. G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); Barros, S. C. C.; Pollacco, D. [Astrophysics Research Centre, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen' s University, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Street, R. A., E-mail: amss@astro.keele.ac.uk [Las Cumbres Observatory, 6740 Cortona Drive Suite 102, Goleta, CA 93117 (United States)

2012-04-15

We report the discovery, from WASP and CORALIE, of a transiting exoplanet in a 1.54 day orbit. The host star, WASP-36, is a magnitude V = 12.7, metal-poor G2 dwarf (T{sub eff} = 5959 {+-} 134 K), with [Fe/H] =-0.26 {+-} 0.10. We determine the planet to have mass and radius, respectively, 2.30 {+-} 0.07 and 1.28 {+-} 0.03 times that of Jupiter. We have eight partial or complete transit light curves, from four different observatories, which allow us to investigate the potential effects on the fitted system parameters of using only a single light curve. We find that the solutions obtained by analyzing each of these light curves independently are consistent with our global fit to all the data, despite the apparent presence of correlated noise in at least two of the light curves.

Design of airborne imaging spectrometer based on curved prism

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Yunfeng; Xiangli, Bin; Zhou, Jinsong; Wei, Xiaoxiao

2011-11-01

A novel moderate-resolution imaging spectrometer spreading from visible wavelength to near infrared wavelength range with a spectral resolution of 10 nm, which combines curved prisms with the Offner configuration, is introduced. Compared to conventional imaging spectrometers based on dispersive prism or diffractive grating, this design possesses characteristics of small size, compact structure, low mass as well as little spectral line curve (smile) and spectral band curve (keystone or frown). Besides, the usage of compound curved prisms with two or more different materials can greatly reduce the nonlinearity inevitably brought by prismatic dispersion. The utilization ratio of light radiation is much higher than imaging spectrometer of the same type based on combination of diffractive grating and concentric optics. In this paper, the Seidel aberration theory of curved prism and the optical principles of Offner configuration are illuminated firstly. Then the optical design layout of the spectrometer is presented, and the performance evaluation of this design, including spot diagram and MTF, is analyzed. To step further, several types of telescope matching this system are provided. This work provides an innovational perspective upon optical system design of airborne spectral imagers; therefore, it can offer theoretic guide for imaging spectrometer of the same kind.

Correlation between SiO v = 3 J = 1 → 0 maser excitation and the light curve of a long-period variable star

Science.gov (United States)

Oyadomari, Miyako; Imai, Hiroshi; Nagayama, Takumi; Oyama, Tomoaki; Matsumoto, Naoko; Nakashima, Jun-ichi; Cho, Se-Hyung

2018-03-01

In order to understand the excitation mechanisms of silicon monoxide (SiO) masers around long-period variables (LPVs), we have investigated distributions of the SiO v = 2 and v = 3 J = 1 → 0 masers around 12 LPVs by very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations with the VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA) and the Nobeyama 45 m telescopes. VLBI fringes of the v = 3 maser emission were detected for five LPVs. The composite maps of the v = 2 and v = 3 masers were made for T Cep, W Hya, WX Psc, and R Leo using the spectral line phase-referencing technique. The v = 2 maser spots were distributed in a ring-like form around the central stars, while it is difficult to recognize any specific morphology in the v = 3 maser distributions due to the small number of v = 3 spots detected. However in T Cep, we find that the distribution of the v = 3 maser spots correlates well with the v = 2 masers within a few milliarcseconds (0.2-0.3 au) in position and 1 km s-1 in line-of-sight velocity at the light curve phase of ϕ = 0.28 (ϕ = 0.0 and 1.0 correspond to the visible light maxima). This correlation implies that the mechanism of line-overlapping between the mid-infrared lines of H2O and SiO molecules works in T Cep at ϕ = 0.28. We discuss the possibility that the line-overlapping may work at the limited duration from the maximum to the minimum of the stellar light curve.

Spectral optimization simulation of white light based on the photopic eye-sensitivity curve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai, Qi; Hao, Luoxi; Lin, Yi; Cui, Zhe

2016-01-01

Spectral optimization simulation of white light is studied to boost maximum attainable luminous efficacy of radiation at high color-rendering index (CRI) and various color temperatures. The photopic eye-sensitivity curve V(λ) is utilized as the dominant portion of white light spectra. Emission spectra of a blue InGaN light-emitting diode (LED) and a red AlInGaP LED are added to the spectrum of V(λ) to match white color coordinates. It is demonstrated that at the condition of color temperature from 2500 K to 6500 K and CRI above 90, such white sources can achieve spectral efficacy of 330–390 lm/W, which is higher than the previously reported theoretical maximum values. We show that this eye-sensitivity-based approach also has advantages on component energy conversion efficiency compared with previously reported optimization solutions

Spectral optimization simulation of white light based on the photopic eye-sensitivity curve

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dai, Qi, E-mail: qidai@tongji.edu.cn [College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Key Laboratory of Ecology and Energy-saving Study of Dense Habitat (Tongji University), Ministry of Education, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Hao, Luoxi; Lin, Yi; Cui, Zhe [College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Key Laboratory of Ecology and Energy-saving Study of Dense Habitat (Tongji University), Ministry of Education, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China)

2016-02-07

Spectral optimization simulation of white light is studied to boost maximum attainable luminous efficacy of radiation at high color-rendering index (CRI) and various color temperatures. The photopic eye-sensitivity curve V(λ) is utilized as the dominant portion of white light spectra. Emission spectra of a blue InGaN light-emitting diode (LED) and a red AlInGaP LED are added to the spectrum of V(λ) to match white color coordinates. It is demonstrated that at the condition of color temperature from 2500 K to 6500 K and CRI above 90, such white sources can achieve spectral efficacy of 330–390 lm/W, which is higher than the previously reported theoretical maximum values. We show that this eye-sensitivity-based approach also has advantages on component energy conversion efficiency compared with previously reported optimization solutions.

Differing sensitivity to fluorescent light in Chinese hamster cells containing equally incorporated quantities of BUdR versus IUdR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, J.B.; Morstyn, G.; Russo, A.; Kinsella, T.J.; Fornace, A. Jr.; McPherson, S.; Glatstein, E.

1984-01-01

Chinese hamster V79 cells that had incorporated approximately equal levels of either BUdR or IUdR into their DNA were found to be equal sensitizers to x rays. However, BUdR-substituted cells were much more sensitive to fluorescent light than IUdR-substituted cells, both on a cell survival basis and by the initial number of single strand DNA breaks induced. Since a major toxicity to the use of BUdR clinically has been light-induced skin rash, these data indicate that the use of IUdR clinically might cause less untoward toxicity but yet provide the same radiosensitization as BUdR

Ultraviolet light curves of U Geminorum and VW Hydri

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, C.-C.; Panek, R.J.; Holm, A.V.; Schiffer, F.H. III

1982-01-01

Ultraviolet light curves have been obtained for the quiescent dwarf novae U Gem and VW Hyi. The amplitude of the hump associated with the accretion hot spot is much smaller in the UV than in the visible. This implies that the bright spot temperature is roughly 12000 K if it is optically thick. A hotter spot would have to be optically thin in the near UV. The flux distribution of U Gem in quiescence cannot be fitted by model spectra of steady state, viscous accretion disks. The absolute luminosity, the flux distribution, and the far UV spectrum suggest that the primary star is visible in the far UV. The optical-UV flux distribution of VW Hyi could be matched roughly by the authors' model accretion disks, but the fitting is poorly constrained due to the uncertainty in its distance. (Auth.)

THE GALACTIC R CORONAE BOREALIS STARS: THE C2 SWAN BANDS, THE CARBON PROBLEM, AND THE 12C/13C RATIO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hema, B. P.; Pandey, Gajendra; Lambert, David L.

2012-01-01

Observed spectra of R Coronae Borealis (RCB) and hydrogen-deficient carbon (HdC) stars are analyzed by synthesizing the C 2 Swan bands (1, 0), (0, 0), and (0, 1) using our detailed line list and the Uppsala model atmospheres. The (0, 1) and (0, 0) C 2 bands are used to derive the 12 C abundance, and the (1, 0) 12 C 13 C band to determine the 12 C/ 13 C ratios. The carbon abundance derived from the C 2 Swan bands is about the same for the adopted models constructed with different carbon abundances over the range 8.5 (C/He = 0.1%) to 10.5 (C/He = 10%). Carbon abundances derived from C I lines are about a factor of four lower than the carbon abundance of the adopted model atmosphere over the same C/He interval, as reported by Asplund et al., who dubbed the mismatch between adopted and derived C abundance as the 'carbon problem'. In principle, the carbon abundances obtained from C 2 Swan bands and that assumed for the model atmosphere can be equated for a particular choice of C/He that varies from star to star. Then, the carbon problem for C 2 bands is eliminated. However, such C/He ratios are in general less than those of the extreme helium stars, the seemingly natural relatives to the RCB and HdC stars. A more likely solution to the C 2 carbon problem may lie in a modification of the model atmosphere's temperature structure. The derived carbon abundances and the 12 C/ 13 C ratios are discussed in light of the double degenerate and the final flash scenarios.

Time-resolved light emission of a, c, and r-cut sapphires shock-compressed to 65 GPa

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Q. C.; Zhou, X. M.

2018-04-01

To investigate light emission and dynamic deformation behaviors, sapphire (single crystal Al2O3) samples with three crystallographic orientations (a, c, and r-cut) were shock-compressed by the planar impact method, with final stress ranges from 47 to 65 GPa. Emission radiance and velocity versus time profiles were simultaneously measured with a fast pyrometer and a Doppler pin system in each experiment. Wave profile results show anisotropic elastic-plastic transitions, which confirm the literature observations. Under final shock stress of about 52 GPa, lower emission intensity is observed in the r-cut sample, in agreement with the previous report in the literature. When final shock stress increases to 57 GPa and 65 GPa, spectral radiance histories of the r-cut show two stages of distinct features. In the first stage, the emission intensity of r-cut is lower than those of the other two, which agrees with the previous report in the literature. In the second stage, spectral radiance of r-cut increases with time at much higher rate and it finally peaks over those of the a and c-cut. These observations (conversion of intensified emission in the r-cut) may indicate activation of a second slip system and formation of shear bands which are discussed with the resolved shear stress calculations for the slip systems in each of the three cuts under shock compression.

Can an observer really catch up with light?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian, Guihua; Zheng, Zhao

2003-01-01

Given a null geodesic γ 0 (λ) with a point r in (p, q) conjugate to p along γ 0 (λ), up to the second variation, there will be a variation of γ 0 (λ) which will give a timelike curve from p to q. This is the well-known theory proved in the famous book (Hawking S W and Ellis G F R 1973 The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)). In this paper, we prove that the timelike curves coming from the above-mentioned second variation have a proper acceleration approaching infinity as the timelike curves approach the null geodesic. This means no observer infinitesimally near the light can begin at the same point with it and finally catch up with it. Only when separated from the light path finitely, can the observer begin at the same point with it and really catch up with it

Fractal Property in the Light Curve of BL Lac Object S5 0716+714 ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

tal method and then simulate the data with the Weierstrass–Mandelbrot. (W–M) function. It is considered that the ... The infrared observation indicated that the interstellar clouds have a fractal structure with dimension ... The observational data of the R-band (top panel) and simulation data with W–M function (bottom panel).

Correlation of Photocatalytic Activity with Band Structure of Low-dimensional Semiconductor Nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Fanke

band edge, unlike the mid-gap states introduced by oxygen vacancies, leading to an improvement in visible and UV photocatalysis. The Pt nanoparticles both enhanced separation of charge carriers and acted as reaction sites for hydrogen evolution. The photocatalytic hydrogen generation rate of the La 2Ti2O7 nanosheets was increased to ˜21 muM g-1 hr-1 from zero in visible light by nitrogen doping and Pt loading, showing the importance of the positioning of dopant energy levels within the band gap. Third, a hematite/reduced graphene oxide (alpha-Fe2 2O3/rGO) nanocomposite was synthesized by a hydrolysis method. The photocatalytic oxygen evolution rate of the hematite was increased from 387 to 752 muM g-1 hr-1 by incorporating rGO. Photoelectrochemical measurements showed that coupling the hematite nanoparticles with the rGO can greatly increase the photocurrent and reduce the charge recombination rate, overcoming the poor charge recombination characteristics of hematite and allowing its small band gap to be taken advantage of. Fourth, a Au/La 2Ti2O7/rGO heterostructure was synthesized to further enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen generation rate of the La 2Ti2O7 nanosheets. The enhanced performance of photocatalytic water splitting was due to plasmonic energy transfer, which resulted from the plasmonic Au nanoparticles on the La2Ti 2O7 nanosheets. This heterostructure showed doping, charge extraction, and plasmonics work synergistically. Fifth, nanoscale p-n junctions on the rGO were formed by depositing the p-type MoS 2 nanoplatelets onto the n-type nitrogen-doped rGO. The p-MoS2/n-rGO heterostructure had significant photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity under solar light irradiation. The enhanced charge generation and suppressed charge recombination due to the p-n junctions led to enhance solar hydrogen generation reaction while allowing replacement of the expensive Pt nanoparticles with an eco-friendly alternative. The research results in this dissertation are

VizieR Online Data Catalog: RVs and R-band obs. of the EB* V541 Cyg (Torres+, 2017)

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, G.; McGruder, C. D.; Siverd, R. J.; Rodriguez, J. E.; Pepper, J.; Stevens, D. J.; Stassun, K. G.; Lund, M. B.; James, D.

2017-10-01

V541 Cyg was observed spectroscopically at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) with the Digital Speedometer (DS) on the 1.5m Tillinghast reflector at the Fred L. Whipple Observatory on Mount Hopkins (AZ). We gathered 72 exposures between 2000 July and 2004 October (R~35000). Observations of V541 Cyg were obtained between 2007 May and 2014 November in the course of the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope transiting planet program (KELT). The passband of these observations resembles that of a very broad R-band filter. The magnitudes given in tables 2 and 3 are instrumental (not referring to a standard photometric system). (3 data files).

Deep R-band counts of z ≈ 3 Lyman-break galaxy candidates with the LBT

Science.gov (United States)

Boutsia, K.; Grazian, A.; Giallongo, E.; Castellano, M.; Pentericci, L.; Fontana, A.; Fiore, F.; Gallozzi, S.; Cusano, F.; Paris, D.; Speziali, R.; Testa, V.

2014-03-01

Aims: We present a deep multiwavelength imaging survey (UGR) in 3 different fields, Q0933, Q1623, and COSMOS, for a total area of ~1500 arcmin2. The data were obtained with the Large Binocular Camera on the Large Binocular Telescope. Methods: To select our Lyman-break galaxy (LBG) candidates, we adopted the well established and widely used color-selection criterion (U - G vs. G - R). One of the main advantages of our survey is that it has a wider dynamic color range for U-dropout selection than in previous studies. This allows us to fully exploit the depth of our R-band images, obtaining a robust sample with few interlopers. In addition, for 2 of our fields we have spectroscopic redshift information that is needed to better estimate the completeness of our sample and interloper fraction. Results: Our limiting magnitudes reach 27.0(AB) in the R band (5σ) and 28.6(AB) in the U band (1σ). This dataset was used to derive LBG candidates at z ≈ 3. We obtained a catalog with a total of 12 264 sources down to the 50% completeness magnitude limit in the R band for each field. We find a surface density of ~3 LBG candidates arcmin-2 down to R = 25.5, where completeness is ≥95% for all 3 fields. This number is higher than the original studies, but consistent with more recent samples. Observations were carried out using the Large Binocular Telescope at Mt. Graham, AZ. The LBT is an international collaboration among institutions in the United States, Italy, and Germany. LBT Corporation partners are The University of Arizona on behalf of the Arizona university system; Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Italy; LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Germany, representing the Max-Planck Society, the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, and Heidelberg University; The Ohio State University; and The Research Corporation, on behalf of The University of Notre Dame, University of Minnesota, and University of Virginia.Full Tables A.1-A.3 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http

Solvothermal fabrication of activated semi-coke supported TiO2-rGO nanocomposite photocatalysts and application for NO removal under visible light

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Weiwei; Li, Chunhu; Wang, Liang; Sun, ShengNan; Yan, Xin

2015-10-01

The photocatalysts of activated semi-coke supported TiO2-rGO nanocomposite (TiO2-rGO/ASC) with different contents of reduced graphene oxide were fabricated by one-step solvothermal method for NO removal under visible light irradiation. It was confirmed that 8% content of reduced graphene oxide presented the best NO photooxidation performance under visible light irradiation at 70 °C with 350-400 mg/m3 NO,5% O2 and 5% relative humidity. The reasons for improved activity were discussed, alloyed with the mechanism of producing CO. Detailed structural information of TiO2-rGO/ASC photocatalysts was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-Vis DRS) and photoluminescence (PL), which indicated that the introduction of rGO was responsible for well dispersion, smaller crystalline size, red shift of absorption band and suppressing quick photo-induced charges recombination of TiO2-rGO/ASC photocatalysts. Optimization of operational parameters with 70 °C, 8% O2 and 8% relative humidity were also obtained. Deactivation of TiO2-rGO/ASC photocatalysts for NO removal was investigated by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. Regeneration experiments showed that thermal vapor regeneration would be optimal method owing to excellent regenerative capacity and inexpensive procedure.

Advanced mobile satellite communications system using Ka and MM-wave bands in Japan's R and D satellite project

Science.gov (United States)

Isobe, Shunkichi; Ohmori, Shingo; Hamamoto, Naokazu; Yamamoto, Minoru

1991-01-01

Communications Research Laboratory (CRL) studied an advanced mobile satellite communications system using Ka and millimeter-wave bands in the R&D Satellite project. The project started in 1990 and the satellite will be launched in 1997. On-board multi-beam interconnecting is one of basic functions to realize one-hop connection among Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs), mobile, and hand-held terminals in future mobile satellite communications system. An Intermediate Frequency (IF) filter bank and regenerative transponder are suitable for this function. The transponder configuration of an advanced mobile communications mission of the R&D Satellite for experiment is shown. High power transmitters of Ka and millimeter-wave bands, a 3x3 IF filter band and Single Channel Per Carrier/Time Division Multiplexing (SCPC/TDM) regenerative MODEMS, which will be boarded on the R&D Satellite, are being developed for the purpose of studying the feasibility of advanced mobile communications system.

An adaptive-binning method for generating constant-uncertainty/constant-significance light curves with Fermi-LAT data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lott, B.; Escande, L.; Larsson, S.; Ballet, J.

2012-01-01

Here, we present a method enabling the creation of constant-uncertainty/constant-significance light curves with the data of the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT). The adaptive-binning method enables more information to be encapsulated within the light curve than with the fixed-binning method. Although primarily developed for blazar studies, it can be applied to any sources. Furthermore, this method allows the starting and ending times of each interval to be calculated in a simple and quick way during a first step. The reported mean flux and spectral index (assuming the spectrum is a power-law distribution) in the interval are calculated via the standard LAT analysis during a second step. In the absence of major caveats associated with this method Monte-Carlo simulations have been established. We present the performance of this method in determining duty cycles as well as power-density spectra relative to the traditional fixed-binning method.

The Origin and Evolution of the Infrared Light Curve of SN2010jl

Science.gov (United States)

Dwek, Eli; Sarangi, Arkaprabha; Arendt, Richard; Fox, Ori; Kallman, Timothy; Kazanas, Demosthenes

2018-01-01

SN2010jl is a luminous core-collapse supernova (CCSN) of Type IIn that is surrounded by a dense circumstellar medium (CSM). The supernova (SN) luminosity vastly exceeds the available power from radiactive elements in the ejecta, and is powered by the interaction of the SN shock wave with the ambient medium. Upper limits on the UV and near-IR (NIR) emission from pre-explosion images of the region suggest that any progenitor star was hidden by pre-existing CSM dust. After day ~80, the SN spectrum shows the development of an IR excess above the extrapolated UVO emission arising from the shocked CSM. This IR component is attributed to thermal emission from dust.After day ~300, the light curve exhibits a rise in the NIR luminosity, concurrent with a steep decline at UVO wavelengths. Ruling out any possible contribution of SN-condensed dust to the IR light curve, we show that the early IR emission arises from the pre-existing CSM dust that survived the flash of radiation from the shock breakout. The late IR emission arises from newly-formed CSM dust that condensed in the cooling dust-free postshock gas of the advancing SN shock wave. Our analysis presents the first detailed modeling of dust formation in a cooling postshock environment, and provides important insights into the interaction of the SN shock wave with the CSM.

Investigation of band structure and electrochemical properties of h-BN/rGO composites for asymmetric supercapacitor applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha, Sanjit; Jana, Milan; Samanta, Pranab; Murmu, Naresh C. [Surface Engineering & Tribology Division, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur, 713209 (India); Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-CMERI Campus, Durgapur, 713209 (India); Kim, Nam H. [Advanced Materials Institute of BIN Convergence Technology (BK21 Plus Global), Dept. of BIN Convergence Technology, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, 54896 (Korea, Republic of); Kuila, Tapas, E-mail: tkuila@gmail.com [Surface Engineering & Tribology Division, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur, 713209 (India); Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-CMERI Campus, Durgapur, 713209 (India); Lee, Joong H., E-mail: jhl@jbnu.ac.kr [Advanced Materials Institute of BIN Convergence Technology (BK21 Plus Global), Dept. of BIN Convergence Technology, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, 54896 (Korea, Republic of); Carbon Composite Research Centre, Department of Polymer & Nanoscience and Technology, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, 54896 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-04-01

The effect of different content of graphene oxide (GO) on the electrical and electrochemical property of h-BN/reduced GO (rGO) hetero-structure is investigated elaborately. The increasing amount of rGO within the h-BN moiety plays fascinating role by reducing the electronic work function while increasing the density of state of the electrode. Furthermore, different h-BN/rGO architecture shows different potential window and the transition from pseudocapacitance to electrochemical double layer capacitance (EDLC) is observed with increasing π-conjugation of C atoms. The rod like h-BN is aligned as sheet while forming super-lattice with rGO. Transmission electron microscopy images show crystalline morphology of the hetero-structure super-lattice. The valance band and Mott-Shotky relationship determined from Mott-Shotky X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that the electronic band structure of super-lattice is improved as compared to the insulating h-BN. The h-BN/rGO super-lattice provides high specific capacitance of ∼960 F g{sup −1}. An asymmetric device configured with h-BN/rGO super-lattice and B, N doped rGO shows very high energy and power density of 73 W h kg{sup −1} and 14,000 W kg{sup −1}, respectively. Furthermore, very low relaxation time constant of ∼1.6 ms and high stability (∼80%) after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles ensure the h-BN/rGO super-lattice as potential materials for the next generation energy storage applications. - Highlights: • Band gap energy of boron nitride decreased with increasing graphene oxide content. • Graphene oxide effectively affected the charge storage mechanism of the composite. • Morphology of boron nitride changed from rod to sheet while forming superlattice. • Highly conducting superlattice showed excellent supercapacitor performance. • Asymmetric device exhibited long stability with high energy and power density.

Visible-light activity of N-LiInO{sub 2}: Band structure modifications through interstitial nitrogen doping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Kaiqiang [College of Material Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 (China); Xu, Difa, E-mail: xudifa@sina.com [Hunan Key Laboratory of Applied Environmental Photocatalysis, Changsha University, Changsha, 410022 (China); Zhang, Xiangchao; Luo, Zhuo; Wang, Yutang [Hunan Key Laboratory of Applied Environmental Photocatalysis, Changsha University, Changsha, 410022 (China); Zhang, Shiying, E-mail: cdzhangshiying@163.com [College of Material Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 (China); Hunan Key Laboratory of Applied Environmental Photocatalysis, Changsha University, Changsha, 410022 (China)

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The interstitial nitrogen doping into LiInO{sub 2} is achieved at low temperature. • The band gap narrowing to an extent of 2.8 eV from 3.5 eV is observed. • The doping favours charge carrier separation and photocatalytic activity. • Superoxide radical is the dominant active specie in the pollutant degradation. - Abstract: Element doping is a promising strategy to improve the photo-response and photocatalytic activity of semiconductor photocatalyst with a wide band gap. To reduce the band gap of LiInO{sub 2} that is considered as a novel photocatalyst, nitrogen-doped LiInO{sub 2} (N-LiInO{sub 2}) is successfully fabricated by treating LiInO{sub 2} and urea at 200 °C. It is found that interstitial instead of substitutional configurations are formed in the crystal structure of N-LiInO{sub 2} due to the low-treating temperature and rich-oxygen conditions. The interstitial N-doping forms a doping state with 0.6 eV above the valence band maximum and a defect state with 0.1 eV below the conduction band minimum, reducing the band gap of LiInO{sub 2} from 3.5 to 2.8 eV. N-LiInO{sub 2} exhibits higher photocatalytic activity towards methylene blue (MB) degradation under 380 nm light irradiation, which is 1.4 times that of pure LiInO{sub 2}. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of N-LiInO{sub 2} is attributed to the extended light absorption and the improved charge carrier separation, which result in more reactive species participating in the photcatalytic process. This work provides a further understanding on tuning the band structure of semiconductor photocatalyst by N-doping strategies.

Effects of forward and backward transitions in light intensities in tau-illuminance curves of the rat motor activity rhythm under constant dim light.

Science.gov (United States)

Cambras, Trinitat; Díez-Noguera, Antoni

2012-07-01

Circadian rhythms are strongly influenced by light intensity, the effects of which may persist beyond the duration of light exposure (aftereffects). Here, the authors constructed period-illuminance curves for the motor activity circadian rhythm of male and female rats by recording the effects of a series of small upward and downward steps in light intensity (illuminance ranging between .01 lux of dim red light and 1 lux of white light) on their activity. In all cases, stepwise changes were made in five logarithmic steps (irradiance: dim red light: .692 µW/cm(2) and white light: .006, .016, .044, .12, and .315 µW/cm(2), corresponding, respectively, to .02, .05, .14, .13, and 1 lux measured at cage level), with changes in intensity every 2 wks. One group of rats (DLD) started in dim red light, moved up to 1 lux white light, and then back down to the original light intensity. Another group (LDL) started at 1 lux, moved down to .01 lux, and then back up to the original intensity. Motor activity data were recorded throughout the experiment and tau values, the percentage of variance explained by the rhythm, and the mean motor activity for each stage and group were calculated. The results show differences in the dynamics of tau values between the DLD and LDL groups and between males and females. In the LDL group, the tau values of both males and females were dependent on light intensity, and were similar for the forward and backward transitions. In other words, no aftereffects were found, and no differences were detected between males and females. In the DLD group, however, differences were found between males and females. Males had a tau value of 24 h 20 min under dim red light, 25 h 40 min under 1 lux, and 24 h 50 min on return to dim red light. It is noticeable that the tau values of the backward branch of the illuminance curve contradicted classical predictions, since at .38 and .14 lux the tau values were shorter than those found under the same intensities after

GRB 110530A: Peculiar Broad Bump and Delayed Plateau in Early Optical Afterglows

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Shu-Qing; Xin, Li-Ping; Liang, En-Wei; Wei, Jian-Yan; Urata, Yuji; Huang, Kui-Yun; Qiu, Yu-Lei; Deng, Can-Min; Wang, Yuan-Zhu; Deng, Jin-Song

2016-11-01

We report our very early optical observations of GRB 110530A and investigate its jet properties together with its X-ray afterglow data. A peculiar broad onset bump followed by a plateau is observed in its early R band afterglow light curve. The optical data in the other bands and the X-ray data are well consistent with the temporal feature of the R band light curve. Our joint spectral fits of the optical and X-ray data show that they are in the same regime, with a photon index of ∼1.70. The optical and X-ray afterglow light curves are well fitted with the standard external shock model by considering a delayed energy injection component. Based on our modeling results, we find that the radiative efficiency of the gamma-ray burst jet is ∼ 1 % and the magnetization parameter of the afterglow jet is \\lt 0.04 with a derived extremely low {ε }B (the ratio of shock energy to the magnetic field) of (1.64+/- 0.25)× {10}-6. These results indicate that the jet may be matter dominated. A discussion on delayed energy injection from the accretion of the late fall-back material of its pre-supernova star is also presented.

Effects of blue light on flavonoid accumulation linked to the expression of miR393, miR394 and miR395 in longan embryogenic calli.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hansheng; Lin, Yuling; Chen, Xiaohui; Bai, Yu; Wang, Congqiao; Xu, Xiaoping; Wang, Yun; Lai, Zhongxiong

2018-01-01

While flavonoid metabolism's regulation under light conditions by structural genes and transcription factors is understood, the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in this pathway have been rarely reported. In this paper, the accurate control of light was firstly enabled through the specially designed plant growth chamber which ensures consistency and accuracy of the cultivation of longan ECs and the repeatability of the experiments. Then, longan ECs were cultured in this chamber for 25 days. The change of growth rate of longan ECs was compared under different light qualities (dark, blue, green, white, green), intensities (16, 32, 64, 128, 256 μmol ·m-2 ·s-1), and durations (8 h, 12 h, 16 h, 20h, 24h). Results indicated that longan ECs had a high growth rate in the condition of blue or green light, at intensity ranged from 16 μmol·m-2·s-1 to 64 μmol·m-2·s-1, and duration from 8 h to 16 h. In addition, the contents of total flavonoids, rutin, and epicatechin were determined. Results indicated that flavonoid contents of longan ECs reached the highest value under blue light, at 32 μmol·m-2·s-1 and 12h/d. Blue light promoted the accumulation of epicatechin, but inhibited the synthesis of rutin. Finally, the expressions of flavonoid pathway genes, miRNAs and target genes were analyzed by qPCR. These results indicated that miR393 and its target gene DlTIR1-3, miR394 and its target gene DlAlMT12, and miR395 and its target gene DlAPS1 had a negative regulating relationship under blue light in longan ECs. Furthermore, miR393, miR394, and miR395 acted on target genes, which negatively regulated flavonoid key genes DlFLS and positively regulated key genes DlCHS, DlCHI, DlF3'H, DlDFR, DlLAR, and finally affected the accumulation of flavonoids. The treatment of longan ECs under the blue light at the intensity of 32 μmol·m-2·s-1 for 12 h/d inhibited the expression of miR393, miR394 and miR395, which promoted the expression of target genes and the accumulation of

A Hybrid Algorithm for Period Analysis from Multiband Data with Sparse and Irregular Sampling for Arbitrary Light-curve Shapes

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Abhijit; Vivas, A. Katherina

2017-12-01

Ongoing and future surveys with repeat imaging in multiple bands are producing (or will produce) time-spaced measurements of brightness, resulting in the identification of large numbers of variable sources in the sky. A large fraction of these are periodic variables: compilations of these are of scientific interest for a variety of purposes. Unavoidably, the data sets from many such surveys not only have sparse sampling, but also have embedded frequencies in the observing cadence that beat against the natural periodicities of any object under investigation. Such limitations can make period determination ambiguous and uncertain. For multiband data sets with asynchronous measurements in multiple passbands, we wish to maximally use the information on periodicity in a manner that is agnostic of differences in the light-curve shapes across the different channels. Given large volumes of data, computational efficiency is also at a premium. This paper develops and presents a computationally economic method for determining periodicity that combines the results from two different classes of period-determination algorithms. The underlying principles are illustrated through examples. The effectiveness of this approach for combining asynchronously sampled measurements in multiple observables that share an underlying fundamental frequency is also demonstrated.

Warm white LEDs lighting over Ra=95 and its applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kobashi, Katsuya; Taguchi, Tsunemasa

2007-02-01

We have for the first time developed warm white LEDs lighting using a combination of near ultraviolet LED and three-band (red, green and blue) white phosphors. This LED has the average color-rendering index Ra=96. Moreover, special color-rendering index R9 (red) and R15 (face color of Japanese) are estimated to be 95 and 97, respectively. We will describe the results of evaluation on the medical lighting applications such as operation, treatment and endoscope experiments, application to the LED fashions and application to the Japanese antique art (ink painting) lighting.

Multi-band, multi-epoch observations of the transiting warm Jupiter WASP-80b

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fukui, Akihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke [Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Asakuchi, Okayama 719-0232 (Japan); Kawashima, Yui; Ikoma, Masahiro; Kurosaki, Kenji [Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Narita, Norio; Nishiyama, Shogo; Takahashi, Yasuhiro H.; Nagayama, Shogo [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Onitsuka, Masahiro; Baba, Haruka; Ryu, Tsuguru [The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Ita, Yoshifusa; Onozato, Hiroki [Astronomical Institute, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578 (Japan); Hirano, Teruyuki; Kawauchi, Kiyoe [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551 (Japan); Hori, Yasunori [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Nagayama, Takahiro [Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan); Tamura, Motohide [Department of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, and National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Japan); Kawai, Nobuyuki, E-mail: afukui@oao.nao.ac.jp [Department of Physics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, Oookayama, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8551 (Japan); and others

2014-08-01

WASP-80b is a warm Jupiter transiting a bright late-K/early-M dwarf, providing a good opportunity to extend the atmospheric study of hot Jupiters toward the lower temperature regime. We report multi-band, multi-epoch transit observations of WASP-80b by using three ground-based telescopes covering from optical (g', R{sub c}, and I{sub c} bands) to near-infrared (NIR; J, H, and K{sub s} bands) wavelengths. We observe 5 primary transits, each in 3 or 4 different bands simultaneously, obtaining 17 independent transit light curves. Combining them with results from previous works, we find that the observed transmission spectrum is largely consistent with both a solar abundance and thick cloud atmospheric models at a 1.7σ discrepancy level. On the other hand, we find a marginal spectral rise in the optical region compared to the NIR region at the 2.9σ level, which possibly indicates the existence of haze in the atmosphere. We simulate theoretical transmission spectra for a solar abundance but hazy atmosphere, finding that a model with equilibrium temperature of 600 K can explain the observed data well, having a discrepancy level of 1.0σ. We also search for transit timing variations, but find no timing excess larger than 50 s from a linear ephemeris. In addition, we conduct 43 day long photometric monitoring of the host star in the optical bands, finding no significant variation in the stellar brightness. Combined with the fact that no spot-crossing event is observed in the five transits, our results confirm previous findings that the host star appears quiet for spot activities, despite the indications of strong chromospheric activities.

Gamma-ray Burst X-ray Flares Light Curve Fitting

Science.gov (United States)

Aubain, Jonisha

2018-01-01

Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous explosions in the Universe. These electromagnetic explosions produce jets demonstrated by a short burst of prompt gamma-ray emission followed by a broadband afterglow. There are sharp increases of flux in the X-ray light curves known as flares that occurs in about 50% of the afterglows. In this study, we characterized all of the X-ray afterglows that were detected by the Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT), whether with flares or without. We fit flares to the Norris function (Norris et al. 2005) and power laws with breaks where necessary (Racusin et al. 2009). After fitting the Norris function and power laws, we search for the residual pattern detected in prompt GRB pulses (Hakkila et al. 2014, 2015, 2017), that may indicate a common signature of shock physics. If we find the same signature in flares and prompt pulses, it provides insight into what causes them, as well as, how these flares are produced.

Simplicial band depth for multivariate functional data

KAUST Repository

López-Pintado, Sara

2014-03-05

We propose notions of simplicial band depth for multivariate functional data that extend the univariate functional band depth. The proposed simplicial band depths provide simple and natural criteria to measure the centrality of a trajectory within a sample of curves. Based on these depths, a sample of multivariate curves can be ordered from the center outward and order statistics can be defined. Properties of the proposed depths, such as invariance and consistency, can be established. A simulation study shows the robustness of this new definition of depth and the advantages of using a multivariate depth versus the marginal depths for detecting outliers. Real data examples from growth curves and signature data are used to illustrate the performance and usefulness of the proposed depths. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Research on low-frequency band gap property of a hybrid phononic crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yake; Yao, Hong; Du, Jun; Zhao, Jingbo; Chao, Ding; Wang, Benchi

2018-05-01

A hybrid phononic crystal has been investigated. The characteristic frequency of XY mode, transmission loss and displacement vector have been calculated by the finite element method. There are Bragg scattering band gap and local resonance band gap in the band structures. We studied the influence factors of band gap. There are many flat bands in the eigenfrequencies curve. There are many flat bands in the curve. The band gap covers a large range in low frequency. The band gaps cover more than 95% below 3000 Hz.

V2282 Sgr Revisited

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Nesci

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The nature of V2282 Sgr is examined on the basis of several multiband observations: a 20 years long I-band light curve of V2282 Sgr obtained from archive photographic plates of the Asiago and Catania Observatories; a CCD R-band light curve obtained at Cornero Observatory; JHK photometry from 2MASS and UKDISS; Spitzer IRAC and MIPS images; optical spectra from Loiano Observatory; X-ray flux from CHANDRA. The star has a K-type spectrum with strong emission lines and is irregularly variable at all wavebands. The overall evidences suggest that V2282 Sgr is a Pre Main Sequence star with an accretion disk.

Theoretical Magnon Dispersion Curves for Gd

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindgård, Per-Anker; Harmon, B. N.; Freeman, A. J.

1975-01-01

The magnon dispersion curve of Gd metal has been determined from first principles by use of augmented-plane-wave energy bands and wave functions. The exchange matrix elements I(k⃗, k⃗′) between the 4f electrons and the conduction electrons from the first six energy bands were calculated under...

GRB 090313 AND THE ORIGIN OF OPTICAL PEAKS IN GAMMA-RAY BURST LIGHT CURVES: IMPLICATIONS FOR LORENTZ FACTORS AND RADIO FLARES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melandri, A.; Kobayashi, S.; Mundell, C. G.; Guidorzi, C.; Bersier, D.; Steele, I. A.; Smith, R. J.; De Ugarte Postigo, A.; Pooley, G.; Yoshida, M.; Castro-Tirado, A. J.; Gorosabel, J.; Kubanek, P.; Sota, A.; JelInek, M.; Gomboc, A.; Bremer, M.; Winters, J. M.; De Gregorio-Monsalvo, I.; GarcIa-Appadoo, D.

2010-01-01

We use a sample of 19 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that exhibit single-peaked optical light curves to test the standard fireball model by investigating the relationship between the time of the onset of the afterglow and the temporal rising index. Our sample includes GRBs and X-ray flashes for which we derive a wide range of initial Lorentz factors (40 e and show that values derived from the early time light-curve properties are consistent with published typical values derived from other afterglow studies. We produce expected radio light curves by predicting the temporal evolution of the expected radio emission from forward and reverse shock components, including synchrotron self-absorption effects at early time. Although a number of GRBs in this sample do not have published radio measurements, we demonstrate the effectiveness of this method in the case of Swift GRB 090313, for which millimetric and centimetric observations were available, and conclude that future detections of reverse-shock radio flares with new radio facilities such as the EVLA and ALMA will test the low-frequency model and provide constraints on magnetic models.

USER EVALUATION OF EIGHT LED LIGHT SOURCES WITH DIFFERENTSPECIAL COLOUR RENDERING INDICES R9

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Markvart, Jakob; Iversen, Anne; Logadóttir, Ásta

2013-01-01

In this study we evaluated the influence of the special colour rendering index R9 on subjective red colour perception and Caucasian skin appearance among untrained test subjects. The light sources tested are commercially available LED based light sources with similar correlated colour temperature...... and general colour rendering index, but with varying R9. It was found that the test subjects in general are more positive towards light sources with higher R9. The shift from a majority of negative responses to a majority of positive responses is found to occur at R9 values of ~20....

Solvothermal fabrication of activated semi-coke supported TiO{sub 2}-rGO nanocomposite photocatalysts and application for NO removal under visible light

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Weiwei; Li, Chunhu, E-mail: lichunhu@ouc.edu.cn; Wang, Liang; Sun, ShengNan; Yan, Xin

2015-10-30

Highlights: • Activated semi-coke supported TiO{sub 2}-rGO photocatalysts were fabricated by one-step solvothermal method. • The photocatalytic performance for NO removal was studied under visible light irradiation. • The introduction of rGO is responsible for superior photocatalytic activity. • Optimum operational parameters at 70 °C, with 8% O{sub 2} and 8% relative humidity were obtained. • Thermal vapor regeneration is the most suitable generation method. - Abstract: The photocatalysts of activated semi-coke supported TiO{sub 2}-rGO nanocomposite (TiO{sub 2}-rGO/ASC) with different contents of reduced graphene oxide were fabricated by one-step solvothermal method for NO removal under visible light irradiation. It was confirmed that 8% content of reduced graphene oxide presented the best NO photooxidation performance under visible light irradiation at 70 °C with 350–400 mg/m{sup 3} NO,5% O{sub 2} and 5% relative humidity. The reasons for improved activity were discussed, alloyed with the mechanism of producing CO. Detailed structural information of TiO{sub 2}-rGO/ASC photocatalysts was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV–Vis DRS) and photoluminescence (PL), which indicated that the introduction of rGO was responsible for well dispersion, smaller crystalline size, red shift of absorption band and suppressing quick photo-induced charges recombination of TiO{sub 2}-rGO/ASC photocatalysts. Optimization of operational parameters with 70 °C, 8% O{sub 2} and 8% relative humidity were also obtained. Deactivation of TiO{sub 2}-rGO/ASC photocatalysts for NO removal was investigated by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. Regeneration experiments showed that thermal vapor regeneration would be optimal method owing to excellent regenerative capacity and inexpensive procedure.

Modelling the KIC8462852 light curves: compatibility of the dips and secular dimming with an exocomet interpretation

Science.gov (United States)

Wyatt, M. C.; van Lieshout, R.; Kennedy, G. M.; Boyajian, T. S.

2018-02-01

This paper shows how the dips and secular dimming in the KIC8462852 light curve can originate in circumstellar material distributed around a single elliptical orbit (e.g. exocomets). The expected thermal emission and wavelength dependent dimming is derived for different orbital parameters and geometries, including dust that is optically thick to stellar radiation, and for a size distribution of dust with realistic optical properties. We first consider dust distributed evenly around the orbit, then show how to derive its uneven distribution from the optical light curve and to predict light curves at different wavelengths. The fractional luminosity of an even distribution is approximately the level of dimming times stellar radius divided by distance from the star at transit. Non-detection of dust thermal emission for KIC8462852 thus provides a lower limit on the transit distance to complement the 0.6 au upper limit imposed by 0.4 d dips. Unless the dust distribution is optically thick, the putative 16 per cent century-long secular dimming must have disappeared before the WISE 12 μm measurement in 2010, and subsequent 4.5 μm observations require transits at >0.05 au. However, self-absorption of thermal emission removes these constraints for opaque dust distributions. The passage of dust clumps through pericentre is predicted to cause infrared brightening lasting tens of days and dimming during transit, such that total flux received decreases at wavelengths dimming levels than seen for KIC8462852 are more common in the Galactic population and may be detected in future transit surveys.

Calibration curves for quantifying praseodymium by UV-VIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez M, R.; Lopez G, H.; Rojas H, A.

2007-01-01

The UV-Vis spectroscopic technique was used to determine the absorption bands depending on the concentration from the praseodymium solutions at pH3. Those more appropriate were in the wavelength of 215 nm, for concentrations of 0.0001-0.026 M, of 481nm, 468 nm and 443 nm, for concentrations of 0.026-0.325 M, and of 589 nm, for concentrations of 0.026-0.65 M of the praseodymium. To these wavelengths the calibration curves were determined, which presented correlation coefficients between 0.9976 and 0.9999 except of the absorption of 589 nm that gave R 2 = 0.9014. (Author)

Spectral Filtering Criteria for U-Band Test Light for In-Service Line Monitoring in Optical Fiber Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Honda, Nazuki; Izumita, Hisashi; Nakamura, Minoru

2006-06-01

In the fiber-to-the-home era, thousands of optical fibers will have to be accommodated in the central offices of optical access networks. To reduce maintenance costs and improve the service reliability of optical fiber networks, the authors must develop an optical fiber line testing system with a function for in-service line monitoring that uses a test light with a wavelength different from the communication light wavelength. To monitor an in-service line in an optical network, the effective rejection ratio of the test light must be taken into account. This ratio depends on the spectrum of the test light from the optical time-domain reflectometer and the rejection band of the filter in front of the optical network unit. The dependence of the effective rejection ratio as a function of the sideband suppression ratio (SBSR) and of the ratio of the rejection band to the bandwidth of the sideband noise d/D is clarified. When d/D =0.1 and the target effective rejection ratio of the filter is -40 dB, the SBSR and the filter loss of the termination cable must be -70 and -43 dB, respectively, or the SBSR must be -80 dB. When d/D service line monitoring for a 10-Gb/s transmission using a 1650-nm test light with an SBSR of -80 dB is also demonstrated.

Recurrence network measures for hypothesis testing using surrogate data: Application to black hole light curves

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, Rinku; Harikrishnan, K. P.; Misra, R.; Ambika, G.

2018-01-01

Recurrence networks and the associated statistical measures have become important tools in the analysis of time series data. In this work, we test how effective the recurrence network measures are in analyzing real world data involving two main types of noise, white noise and colored noise. We use two prominent network measures as discriminating statistic for hypothesis testing using surrogate data for a specific null hypothesis that the data is derived from a linear stochastic process. We show that the characteristic path length is especially efficient as a discriminating measure with the conclusions reasonably accurate even with limited number of data points in the time series. We also highlight an additional advantage of the network approach in identifying the dimensionality of the system underlying the time series through a convergence measure derived from the probability distribution of the local clustering coefficients. As examples of real world data, we use the light curves from a prominent black hole system and show that a combined analysis using three primary network measures can provide vital information regarding the nature of temporal variability of light curves from different spectroscopic classes.

The Westerbork HI survey of spiral and irregular galaxies - II. R-band surface photometry of late-type dwarf galaxies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Swaters, RA; Balcells, M

R-band surface photometry is presented for 171 late-type dwarf and irregular galaxies. For a subsample of 46 galaxies B-band photometry is presented as well. We present surface brightness profiles as well as isophotal and photometric parameters including magnitudes, diameters and central surface

ChR2 transgenic animals in peripheral sensory system: Sensing light as various sensations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Zhi-Gang; Wang, Hongxia

2016-04-01

Since the introduction of Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) to neuroscience, optogenetics technology was developed, making it possible to activate specific neurons or circuits with spatial and temporal precision. Various ChR2 transgenic animal models have been generated and are playing important roles in revealing the mechanisms of neural activities, mapping neural circuits, controlling the behaviors of animals as well as exploring new strategy for treating the neurological diseases in both central and peripheral nervous system. An animal including humans senses environments through Aristotle's five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch). Usually, each sense is associated with a kind of sensory organ (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin). Is it possible that one could hear light, smell light, taste light and touch light? When ChR2 is targeted to different peripheral sensory neurons by viral vectors or generating ChR2 transgenic animals, the animals can sense the light as various sensations such as hearing, touch, pain, smell and taste. In this review, we focus on ChR2 transgenic animals in the peripheral nervous system. Firstly the working principle of ChR2 as an optogenetic actuator is simply described. Then the current transgenic animal lines where ChR2 was expressed in peripheral sensory neurons are presented and the findings obtained by these animal models are reviewed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

BEER ANALYSIS OF KEPLER AND CoRoT LIGHT CURVES. IV. DISCOVERY OF FOUR NEW LOW-MASS WHITE DWARF COMPANIONS IN THE KEPLER DATA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faigler, S.; Kull, I.; Mazeh, T.; Kiefer, F. [School of Physics and Astronomy, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel); Latham, D. W. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Bloemen, S. [Department of Astrophysics, IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. BOX 9010, NL-6500 GL Nijmegen (Netherlands)

2015-12-10

We report the discovery of four short-period eclipsing systems in the Kepler light curves, consisting of an A-star primary and a low-mass white dwarf (WD) secondary (dA+WD)—KIC 4169521, KOI-3818, KIC 2851474, and KIC 9285587. The systems show BEaming, Ellipsoidal and Reflection (BEER) phase modulations together with primary and secondary eclipses. These add to the 6 Kepler and 18 WASP short-period eclipsing dA+WD binaries that were previously known. The light curves, together with follow-up spectroscopic observations, allow us to derive the masses, radii, and effective temperatures of the two components of the four systems. The orbital periods, of 1.17–3.82 days, and WD masses, of 0.19–0.22 M{sub ⊙}, are similar to those of the previously known systems. The WD radii of KOI-3818, KIC 2851474, and KIC 9285587 are 0.026, 0.035, and 0.026 R{sub ⊙}, respectively, the smallest WD radii derived so far for short-period eclipsing dA+WD binaries. These three binaries extend the previously known population to older systems with cooler and smaller WD secondaries. KOI-3818 displays evidence for a fast-rotating primary and a minute but significant eccentricity, ∼1.5 × 10{sup −3}. These features are probably the outcome of the mass-transfer process.

A simple transformation for converting CW-OSL curves to LM-OSL curves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bulur, E.

2000-01-01

A simple mathematical transformation is introduced to convert from OSL decay curves obtained in the conventional way to those obtained using a linear modulation technique based on a linear increase of the stimulation light intensity during OSL measurement. The validity of the transformation...... was tested by the IR-stimulated luminescence curves from feldspars, recorded using both the conventional and the linear modulation techniques. The transformation was further applied to green-light-stimulated OSL from K and Na feldspars. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved....

Non-regularized inversion method from light scattering applied to ferrofluid magnetization curves for magnetic size distribution analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rijssel, Jos van; Kuipers, Bonny W.M.; Erné, Ben H.

2014-01-01

A numerical inversion method known from the analysis of light scattering by colloidal dispersions is now applied to magnetization curves of ferrofluids. The distribution of magnetic particle sizes or dipole moments is determined without assuming that the distribution is unimodal or of a particular shape. The inversion method enforces positive number densities via a non-negative least squares procedure. It is tested successfully on experimental and simulated data for ferrofluid samples with known multimodal size distributions. The created computer program MINORIM is made available on the web. - Highlights: • A method from light scattering is applied to analyze ferrofluid magnetization curves. • A magnetic size distribution is obtained without prior assumption of its shape. • The method is tested successfully on ferrofluids with a known size distribution. • The practical limits of the method are explored with simulated data including noise. • This method is implemented in the program MINORIM, freely available online

Testing the nature of the supermassive black hole candidate in SgrA* with light curves and images of hot spots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Zilong; Kong, Lingyao; Bambi, Cosimo

2014-01-01

General relativity makes clear predictions about the spacetime geometry around black holes. In the near future, new facilities will have the capability to explore the metric around SgrA*, the supermassive black hole candidate at the center of our Galaxy, and to open a new window to test the Kerr black hole hypothesis. In this paper, we compute light curves and images associated with compact emission regions (hot spots) orbiting around Kerr and non-Kerr black holes. We study how the analysis of the properties of the radiation emitted by a hot spot can be used to test the Kerr nature of SgrA*. We find that the sole observation of the hot spot light curve can at most constrain a combination of the black hole spin and of possible deviations from the Kerr solution. This happens because the same orbital frequency around a Kerr black hole can be found for a non-Kerr object with a different spin parameter. Second order corrections in the light curve due to the background geometry are typically too small to be identified. While the observation of the hot spot centroid track can potentially bound possible deviations from the Kerr solution, that is out of reach for the near future for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer instrument GRAVITY. The Kerr black hole hypothesis could really be tested in the case of the discovery of a radio pulsar in a compact orbit around SgrA*. Radio observations of such a pulsar would provide precise estimates of the mass and the spin of SgrA*, and the combination of these measurements (probing the weak field) with the hot spot light curve information (probing the strong field) may constrain/find possible deviations from the Kerr solution with quite good precision.

Testing the nature of the supermassive black hole candidate in SgrA* with light curves and images of hot spots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Zilong; Kong, Lingyao; Bambi, Cosimo [Center for Field Theory and Particle Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, 200433 Shanghai (China)

2014-06-01

General relativity makes clear predictions about the spacetime geometry around black holes. In the near future, new facilities will have the capability to explore the metric around SgrA*, the supermassive black hole candidate at the center of our Galaxy, and to open a new window to test the Kerr black hole hypothesis. In this paper, we compute light curves and images associated with compact emission regions (hot spots) orbiting around Kerr and non-Kerr black holes. We study how the analysis of the properties of the radiation emitted by a hot spot can be used to test the Kerr nature of SgrA*. We find that the sole observation of the hot spot light curve can at most constrain a combination of the black hole spin and of possible deviations from the Kerr solution. This happens because the same orbital frequency around a Kerr black hole can be found for a non-Kerr object with a different spin parameter. Second order corrections in the light curve due to the background geometry are typically too small to be identified. While the observation of the hot spot centroid track can potentially bound possible deviations from the Kerr solution, that is out of reach for the near future for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer instrument GRAVITY. The Kerr black hole hypothesis could really be tested in the case of the discovery of a radio pulsar in a compact orbit around SgrA*. Radio observations of such a pulsar would provide precise estimates of the mass and the spin of SgrA*, and the combination of these measurements (probing the weak field) with the hot spot light curve information (probing the strong field) may constrain/find possible deviations from the Kerr solution with quite good precision.

Ultraviolet Light Curves of Gaia16apd in Superluminous Supernova Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tolstov, Alexey; Zhiglo, Andrey; Nomoto, Ken’ichi; Blinnikov, Sergei [Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (WPI), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8583 (Japan); Sorokina, Elena [Sternberg Astronomical Institute, M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow (Russian Federation); Kozyreva, Alexandra, E-mail: alexey.tolstov@ipmu.jp [The Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel)

2017-08-10

Observations of Gaia16apd revealed extremely luminous ultraviolet emission among superluminous supernovae (SLSNe). Using radiation hydrodynamics simulations, we perform a comparison of UV light curves, color temperatures, and photospheric velocities between the most popular SLSN models: pair-instability supernova, magnetar, and interaction with circumstellar medium. We find that the interaction model is the most promising to explain the extreme UV luminosity of Gaia16apd. The differences in late-time UV emission and in color evolution found between the models can be used to link an observed SLSN event to the most appropriate model. Observations at UV wavelengths can be used to clarify the nature of SLSNe and more attention should be paid to them in future follow-up observations.

Light-Curve Modelling Constraints on the Obliquities and Aspect Angles of the Young Fermi Pulsars

Science.gov (United States)

Pierbattista, M.; Harding, A. K.; Grenier, I. A.; Johnson, T. J.; Caraveo, P. A.; Kerr, M.; Gonthier, P. L.

2015-01-01

In more than four years of observation the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi satellite has identified pulsed gamma-ray emission from more than 80 young or middle-aged pulsars, in most cases providing light curves with high statistics. Fitting the observed profiles with geometrical models can provide estimates of the magnetic obliquity alpha and of the line of sight angle zeta, yielding estimates of the radiation beaming factor and radiated luminosity. Using different gamma-ray emission geometries (Polar Cap, Slot Gap, Outer Gap, One Pole Caustic) and core plus cone geometries for the radio emission, we fit gamma-ray light curves for 76 young or middle-aged pulsars and we jointly fit their gamma-ray plus radio light curves when possible. We find that a joint radio plus gamma-ray fit strategy is important to obtain (alpha, zeta) estimates that can explain simultaneously detectable radio and gamma-ray emission: when the radio emission is available, the inclusion of the radio light curve in the fit leads to important changes in the (alpha, gamma) solutions. The most pronounced changes are observed for Outer Gap and One Pole Caustic models for which the gamma-ray only fit leads to underestimated alpha or zeta when the solution is found to the left or to the right of the main alpha-zeta plane diagonal respectively. The intermediate-to-high altitude magnetosphere models, Slot Gap, Outer Gap, and One pole Caustic, are favored in explaining the observations. We find no apparent evolution of a on a time scale of 106 years. For all emission geometries our derived gamma-ray beaming factors are generally less than one and do not significantly evolve with the spin-down power. A more pronounced beaming factor vs. spin-down power correlation is observed for Slot Gap model and radio-quiet pulsars and for the Outer Gap model and radio-loud pulsars. The beaming factor distributions exhibit a large dispersion that is less pronounced for the Slot Gap case and that decreases from

Numerical Modelling of the Special Light Source with Novel R-FEM Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavel Fiala

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents information about new directions in the modelling of lighting systems, and an overview of methods for the modelling of lighting systems. The novel R-FEM method is described, which is a combination of the Radiosity method and the Finite Elements Method (FEM. The paper contains modelling results and their verification by experimental measurements and by the Matlab simulation for this R-FEM method.

Wavelength-tuned light emission via modifying the band edge symmetry: Doped SnO2 as an example

KAUST Repository

Zhou, Hang; Deng, Rui; Li, Yongfeng; Yao, Bin; Ding, Zhanhui; Wang, Qingxiao; Han, Yu; Wu, Tao; Liu, Lei

2014-01-01

at 398 nm is observed in the indium-doped SnO2-based heterojunction. Our results demonstrate an unprecedented doping-based approach toward tailoring the symmetry of band edge states and recovering ultraviolet light emission in wide-bandgap oxides. © 2014

Supervised detection of anomalous light curves in massive astronomical catalogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nun, Isadora; Pichara, Karim; Protopapas, Pavlos; Kim, Dae-Won

2014-01-01

The development of synoptic sky surveys has led to a massive amount of data for which resources needed for analysis are beyond human capabilities. In order to process this information and to extract all possible knowledge, machine learning techniques become necessary. Here we present a new methodology to automatically discover unknown variable objects in large astronomical catalogs. With the aim of taking full advantage of all information we have about known objects, our method is based on a supervised algorithm. In particular, we train a random forest classifier using known variability classes of objects and obtain votes for each of the objects in the training set. We then model this voting distribution with a Bayesian network and obtain the joint voting distribution among the training objects. Consequently, an unknown object is considered as an outlier insofar it has a low joint probability. By leaving out one of the classes on the training set, we perform a validity test and show that when the random forest classifier attempts to classify unknown light curves (the class left out), it votes with an unusual distribution among the classes. This rare voting is detected by the Bayesian network and expressed as a low joint probability. Our method is suitable for exploring massive data sets given that the training process is performed offline. We tested our algorithm on 20 million light curves from the MACHO catalog and generated a list of anomalous candidates. After analysis, we divided the candidates into two main classes of outliers: artifacts and intrinsic outliers. Artifacts were principally due to air mass variation, seasonal variation, bad calibration, or instrumental errors and were consequently removed from our outlier list and added to the training set. After retraining, we selected about 4000 objects, which we passed to a post-analysis stage by performing a cross-match with all publicly available catalogs. Within these candidates we identified certain known

Supervised Detection of Anomalous Light Curves in Massive Astronomical Catalogs

Science.gov (United States)

Nun, Isadora; Pichara, Karim; Protopapas, Pavlos; Kim, Dae-Won

2014-09-01

The development of synoptic sky surveys has led to a massive amount of data for which resources needed for analysis are beyond human capabilities. In order to process this information and to extract all possible knowledge, machine learning techniques become necessary. Here we present a new methodology to automatically discover unknown variable objects in large astronomical catalogs. With the aim of taking full advantage of all information we have about known objects, our method is based on a supervised algorithm. In particular, we train a random forest classifier using known variability classes of objects and obtain votes for each of the objects in the training set. We then model this voting distribution with a Bayesian network and obtain the joint voting distribution among the training objects. Consequently, an unknown object is considered as an outlier insofar it has a low joint probability. By leaving out one of the classes on the training set, we perform a validity test and show that when the random forest classifier attempts to classify unknown light curves (the class left out), it votes with an unusual distribution among the classes. This rare voting is detected by the Bayesian network and expressed as a low joint probability. Our method is suitable for exploring massive data sets given that the training process is performed offline. We tested our algorithm on 20 million light curves from the MACHO catalog and generated a list of anomalous candidates. After analysis, we divided the candidates into two main classes of outliers: artifacts and intrinsic outliers. Artifacts were principally due to air mass variation, seasonal variation, bad calibration, or instrumental errors and were consequently removed from our outlier list and added to the training set. After retraining, we selected about 4000 objects, which we passed to a post-analysis stage by performing a cross-match with all publicly available catalogs. Within these candidates we identified certain known

The Effect of an Offset Polar Cap Dipolar Magnetic Field on the Modeling of the Vela Pulsar's Gamma-Ray Light Curves

Science.gov (United States)

Barnard, M.; Venter, C.; Harding, A. K.

2016-01-01

We performed geometric pulsar light curve modeling using static, retarded vacuum, and offset polar cap (PC) dipole B-fields (the latter is characterized by a parameter epsilon), in conjunction with standard two-pole caustic (TPC) and outer gap (OG) emission geometries. The offset-PC dipole B-field mimics deviations from the static dipole (which corresponds to epsilon equals 0). In addition to constant-emissivity geometric models, we also considered a slot gap (SG) E-field associated with the offset-PC dipole B-field and found that its inclusion leads to qualitatively different light curves. Solving the particle transport equation shows that the particle energy only becomes large enough to yield significant curvature radiation at large altitudes above the stellar surface, given this relatively low E-field. Therefore, particles do not always attain the radiation-reaction limit. Our overall optimal light curve fit is for the retarded vacuum dipole field and OG model, at an inclination angle alpha equals 78 plus or minus 1 degree and observer angle zeta equals 69 plus 2 degrees or minus 1 degree. For this B-field, the TPC model is statistically disfavored compared to the OG model. For the static dipole field, neither model is significantly preferred. We found that smaller values of epsilon are favored for the offset-PC dipole field when assuming constant emissivity, and larger epsilon values favored for variable emissivity, but not significantly so. When multiplying the SG E-field by a factor of 100, we found improved light curve fits, with alpha and zeta being closer to best fits from independent studies, as well as curvature radiation reaction at lower altitudes.

Properties of the Variation of the Infrared Emission of OH/IR Stars I. The K Band Light Curves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyung-Won Suh

2009-09-01

Full Text Available To study properties of the variation of the infrared emission of OH/IR stars, we collect and analyze the infrared observational data in K band for nine OH/IR stars. We use the observational data obtained for about three decades including recent data from the two micron all sky survey (2MASS and the deep near infrared survey of the southern sky (DENIS. We use Marquardt-Levenberg algorithm to determine the pulsation period and amplitude for each star and compare them with previous results of infrared and radio investigations.

Characterizing high-energy light curves of Fermi/Lat GRBs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gillette, Jarred [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)

2015-08-21

A systematic analysis of the light curves of Gamma-Ray Burst (GRBs) with redshift and detected at high-energy (> 100 MeV) by Fermi/LAT has never been done before our work, because there were only a handful of detections. Now we have 20 of those, which we can use to characterize the GRBs in their rest frame. We compared a characteristic decay times Tc of GRBs with redshifts using the new “Pass 8” data, and used a Crystal Ball function to parametrize GRB characteristics. An unexpected anti-correlation between Tc and the peak flux was observed. This means that brighter peaked GRBs have shorter durations. There is also no correlation between the Tc and the decay index, which makes the anti-correlation with brightness more clear. This results appears to be consistent with the External Shock model, which is one of the competing hypothesis on the origin of the high-energy emission. We did not observe any bimodality, which is seen in GRBs at lower energies.

Vaporization of comet nuclei: Light curves and life times

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cowan, J J [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (USA). Center for Astrophysics; A' Hearn, M F [Maryland Univ., College Park (USA)

1979-10-01

The authors have examined the effects of vaporization from the nucleus of a comet and show that a latitude dependence of vaporization can, in some cases, explain asymmetries in commetary light curves. They also find that a non-uniform distribution of solar radiation over a comet can considerably shorten the vaporization lifetime compared to the results normally obtained by assuming that the nuclear surface is isothermal. Independent of any latitude effects, comets with CO/sub 2/-dominated nuclei and with periherlion distances less than 0.5 AU have vaporization lifetimes less than or comparable to their dynamical ejection times. This may explain the observed deficit of comets with small perihelion distances. Similarly comets with CO/sub 2/-dominated nuclei and perihelia near Jupiter's orbit have vaporization lifetimes that are shorter than the time for capture into short-period orbits. They suggest, therefore, that at least some new comets are composed in large part of CO/sub 2/, while only H/sub 2/O-dominated comets, with lower vaporization rates, can survive to be captured into short-period orbits.

"TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region. XII. Thermal light curves of Haumea, 2003 VS2 and 2003 AZ84 with Herschel/PACS

Science.gov (United States)

Santos-Sanz, P.; Lellouch, E.; Groussin, O.; Lacerda, P.; Müller, T. G.; Ortiz, J. L.; Kiss, C.; Vilenius, E.; Stansberry, J.; Duffard, R.; Fornasier, S.; Jorda, L.; Thirouin, A.

2017-08-01

Context. Time series observations of the dwarf planet Haumea and the Plutinos 2003 VS2 and 2003 AZ84 with Herschel/PACS are presented in this work. Thermal emission of these trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) were acquired as part of the "TNOs are Cool" Herschel Space Observatory key programme. Aims: We search for the thermal light curves at 100 and 160 μm of Haumea and 2003 AZ84, and at 70 and 160 μm for 2003 VS2 by means of photometric analysis of the PACS data. The goal of this work is to use these thermal light curves to obtain physical and thermophysical properties of these icy Solar System bodies. Methods: When a thermal light curve is detected, it is possible to derive or constrain the object thermal inertia, phase integral and/or surface roughness with thermophysical modeling. Results: Haumea's thermal light curve is clearly detected at 100 and 160 μm. The effect of the reported dark spot is apparent at 100 μm. Different thermophysical models were applied to these light curves, varying the thermophysical properties of the surface within and outside the spot. Although no model gives a perfect fit to the thermal observations, results imply an extremely low thermal inertia (0.73) for Haumea's surface. We note that the dark spot region appears to be only weakly different from the rest of the object, with modest changes in thermal inertia and/or phase integral. The thermal light curve of 2003 VS2 is not firmly detected at 70 μm and at 160 μm but a thermal inertia of (2 ± 0.5) MKS can be derived from these data. The thermal light curve of 2003 AZ84 is not firmly detected at 100 μm. We apply a thermophysical model to the mean thermal fluxes and to all the Herschel/PACS and Spitzer/MIPS thermal data of 2003 AZ84, obtaining a close to pole-on orientation as the most likely for this TNO. Conclusions: For the three TNOs, the thermal inertias derived from light curve analyses or from the thermophysical analysis of the mean thermal fluxes confirm the generally small

Photometric light curves for ten rapidly rotating stars in Alpha Persei, the Pleiades, and the field

Science.gov (United States)

Prosser, Charles F.; Schild, Rudolph E.; Stauffer, John R.; Jones, Burton F.

1993-01-01

We present the results from a photometric monitoring program of ten rapidly rotating stars observed during 1991 using the FLWO 48-in. telescope. Brightness variations for an additional six cluster stars observed with the Lick 40-in. telescope are also given. The periods and light curves for seven Alpha Persei members, two Pleiades members, and one naked T Tauri field star are reported.

Dissolution glow curve in LLD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haverkamp, U.; Wiezorek, C.; Poetter, R.

1990-01-01

Lyoluminescence dosimetry is based upon light emission during dissolution of previously irradiated dosimetric materials. The lyoluminescence signal is expressed in the dissolution glow curve. These curves begin, depending on the dissolution system, with a high peak followed by an exponentially decreasing intensity. System parameters that influence the graph of the dissolution glow curve, are, for example, injection speed, temperature and pH value of the solution and the design of the dissolution cell. The initial peak does not significantly correlate with the absorbed dose, it is mainly an effect of the injection. The decay of the curve consists of two exponential components: one fast and one slow. The components depend on the absorbed dose and the dosimetric materials used. In particular, the slow component correlates with the absorbed dose. In contrast to the fast component the argument of the exponential function of the slow component is independent of the dosimetric materials investigated: trehalose, glucose and mannitol. The maximum value, following the peak of the curve, and the integral light output are a measure of the absorbed dose. The reason for the different light outputs of various dosimetric materials after irradiation with the same dose is the differing solubility. The character of the dissolution glow curves is the same following irradiation with photons, electrons or neutrons. (author)

Factors Associated with Visual Fatigue from Curved Monitor Use: A Prospective Study of Healthy Subjects.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haeng Jin Lee

Full Text Available To investigate the factors associated with visual fatigue using monitors with various radii of curvature.Twenty normal healthy adults (8 men, 12 women; mean age, 26.2 ± 2.5 years prospectively watched five types of monitors including flat, 4000R, 3000R, 2000R, and 1000R curved monitors for 30 min. An experienced examiner measured the ophthalmological factors including near point of accommodation (NPA, near point of convergence (NPC, refraction, parameters during pupil response at light and saccadic movement just before and after the visual tasks. The questionnaires about subjective ocular symptoms were also investigated just before and after the visual tasks.The NPA increased after the visual tasks with a flat monitor compared with the curved monitors, with the 1000R curved monitor showing the smallest change (p = 0.020. The NPC increased for every monitor after the visual tasks; the largest increase occurred with the flat monitor (p = 0.001. There was no difference in refractive error, pupil response, or saccadic movement in the comparison of before and after the visual tasks. Among the nine factors in the questionnaire, the score of "eye pain" was significantly higher for the flat monitor versus the 1000R curved monitor after the visual tasks (p = 0.034.We identified NPA, NPC, and eye pain as factors associated with visual fatigue. Also, the curvature of the monitor was related to the visual fatigue.

Validity of single term energy expression for ground state rotational band of even-even nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, S.; Kumar, R.; Gupta, J.B.

2005-01-01

Full text: There are large numbers of empirical studies of gs band of even-even nuclei in various mass regions. The Bohr-Mottelson's energy expression is E(I) = AX + BX 2 +CX 3 +... where X = I(I+1). The anharmonic vibrator energy expression is: E(I) = al + bl 2 + cl 3 SF model with energy expression: E(I)= pX + qI + rXI... where the terms represents the rotational, vibrational and R-V interaction energy, respectively. The validity f the various energy expressions with two terms had been tested by Sharma for light, medium and heavy mass regions using R I s. R 4 plots (where, spin I=6, 8, 10, 12), which are parameter independent. It was also noted, that of the goodness of energy expression can be judged with the minimum input of energies (i.e. only 2 parameters) and predictability's of the model p to high spins. Recently, Gupta et. al proposed a single term energy expression (SSTE) which was applied for rare earth region. This proposed power law reflected the unity of rotation - vibration in a different way and was successful in explaining the structure of gs-band. It will be useful for test the single term energy expression for light and heavy mass region. The single term expression for energy of ground state band can be written as: E I =axI b , where the index b and the coefficient a are the constant for the band. The values of b+1 and a 1 are as follows: b 1 =log(R 1 )/log(I/2) and a 1 =E I /I b ... The following results were gained: 1) The sharp variation in the value of index b at given spin will be an indication of the change in the shape of the nucleus; 2) The value of E I /I b is fairly constant with spin below back-bending, which reflects the stability of shape with spin; 3) This proposed power law is successful in explaining the structure of gs-band of nuclei

Light responses of mire mosses - a key to survival after water-level drawdown?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hájek, Tomáš; Tuittila, E. S.; Ilomets, M.; Laiho, R.

2009-01-01

Roč. 118, č. 2 (2009), s. 240-250 ISSN 0030-1299 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB600050503 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60050516 Keywords : Sphagnum * photosynthesis * light-respose curve Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 3.147, year: 2009

Theoretical light curve for the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi - Determination of the white dwarf mass, composition, and distance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, M.

1991-01-01

Sequences of steady mass-loss solutions are constructed for the envelopes on a white dwarf with mass 1.33, 1.35, 1.36, 1.37, and 1.377 solar mass as models of the decay phase of novae. The envelopes are assumed to have a uniform chemical composition with X = 0.73, 0.6, 0.52, 0.44, 0.33, and 0.11 for hydrogen and Z = 0.02 for heavy elements by weight. An excellent agreement with the observed light curves of UV and optical is obtained in the models with a white dwarf mass of 1.36 solar mass with hydrogen content X = 0.52, and 1.37 solar mass with X = 0.6. The distance of RS Oph is obtained to be 1.6 kpc from the comparison between the theoretical and observed light curves. The success of this wind model is a strong indication from the theoretical point of view that RS Oph is a thermonuclear runaway event. 31 refs

Light-curve Modulation of Low-mass Stars in K2. I. Identification of 481 Fast Rotators in the Solar Neighborhood

Science.gov (United States)

Saylor, Dicy; Lepine, Sebastien; Crossfield, Ian; Petigura, Erik A.

2018-01-01

The K2 mission is targeting large numbers of nearby (d 40 mas yr‑1, V < 20). Additionally, the mission is targeting low-mass, high proper motion stars associated with the local (d < 500 pc) Galactic halo population also selected from SUPERBLINK. K2 campaigns 0 through 8 monitored a total of 26,518 of these cool main-sequence stars. We used the auto-correlation function to search for fast rotators by identifying short-period photometric modulations in the K2 light curves. We identified 481 candidate fast rotators with rotation periods <4 days that show light-curve modulations consistent with starspots. Their kinematics show low average transverse velocities, suggesting that they are part of the young disk population. A subset (13) of the fast rotators is found among those targets with colors and kinematics consistent with the local Galactic halo population and may represent stars spun up by tidal interactions in close binary systems. We further demonstrate that the M dwarf fast rotators selected from the K2 light curves are significantly more likely to have UV excess and discuss the potential of the K2 mission to identify new nearby young GKM dwarfs on the basis of their fast rotation rates. Finally, we discuss the possible use of local halo stars as fiducial, non-variable sources in the Kepler fields.

SOAP-T: a tool to study the light curve and radial velocity of a system with a transiting planet and a rotating spotted star

Science.gov (United States)

Oshagh, M.; Boisse, I.; Boué, G.; Montalto, M.; Santos, N. C.; Bonfils, X.; Haghighipour, N.

2013-01-01

We present an improved version of SOAP named "SOAP-T", which can generate the radial velocity variations and light curves for systems consisting of a rotating spotted star with a transiting planet. This tool can be used to study the anomalies inside transit light curves and the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect, to better constrain the orbital configuration and properties of planetary systems and the active zones of their host stars. Tests of the code are presented to illustrate its performance and to validate its capability when compared with analytical models and real data. Finally, we apply SOAP-T to the active star, HAT-P-11, observed by the NASA Kepler space telescope and use this system to discuss the capability of this tool in analyzing light curves for the cases where the transiting planet overlaps with the star's spots. The tool's public interface is available at http://www.astro.up.pt/resources/soap-t/

Pr:Ca1-xRxF2+x (R=Y or Gd) crystals: Modulated blue, orange and red emission spectra with the proportion of R3+ ions

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hao; Qian, Xiaobo; Guo, Linyang; Jiang, Dapeng; Wu, Qinghui; Tang, Fei; Su, Liangbi; Ju, Qiangwen; Wang, Jingya; Xu, Jun

2018-04-01

The spectroscopic properties of 0.6at.%:Pr:Ca1-xRxF2+x (R = Y, Gd; x = 0,0.006, 0.012, 0.03, 0.06) crystals were investigated and compared. The XRD tests were conducted and the cell dimensions of the crystals were calculated. Room temperature absorption spectra have been registered and analyzed. The emission spectra and decay curves of the crystals were obtained at room temperature. Increasing the proportion of the lattice regulators of Y3+ or Gd3+ ions could significantly enhance the luminescence intensity of all visible emission bands with different ratios. Particularly, the emission intensity ratio of orange to red increased from 0.15 to 1.9 in Pr:Ca1-xYxF2+x crystals and to 1.02 in Pr:Ca1-xGdxF2+x crystals, respectively. Furthermore, Pr:Ca1-xGdxF2+x crystals have substantially strong emission at orange and red region of 580-660 nm, comparable with blue light at 482 nm. The quantum efficiency of the crystals increased rapidly with the increment of R3+ concentration, and finally tend to be 100%.

CSI 2264: CHARACTERIZING YOUNG STARS IN NGC 2264 WITH SHORT-DURATION PERIODIC FLUX DIPS IN THEIR LIGHT CURVES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stauffer, John; Cody, Ann Marie; Rebull, Luisa; Plavchan, Peter; Carey, Sean [Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); McGinnis, Pauline; Alencar, Silvia H. P. [Departamento de Física—ICEx—UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 30270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Carpenter, John [Astronomy Department, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Turner, Neal J. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Terebey, Susan [Department of Physics and Astronomy, 5151 State University Drive, California State University at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90032 (United States); Morales-Calderón, María [Centro de Astrobiología, Dpto. de Astrofísica, INTA-CSIC, PO BOX 78, E-28691, ESAC Campus, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid (Spain); Bouvier, Jerome; Venuti, Laura [Université de Grenoble, Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), F-38000 Grenoble (France); CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Hartmann, Lee; Calvet, Nuria [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 (United States); Micela, Giusi; Flaccomio, Ettore [INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, Piazza del Parlamento 1, I-90134, Palermo (Italy); Song, Inseok [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602–2451 (United States); Gutermuth, Rob, E-mail: stauffer@ipac.caltech.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); and others

2015-04-15

We identify nine young stellar objects (YSOs) in the NGC 2264 star-forming region with optical CoRoT light curves exhibiting short-duration, shallow periodic flux dips. All of these stars have infrared excesses that are consistent with their having inner disk walls near the Keplerian co-rotation radius. The repeating photometric dips have FWHMs generally less than 1 day, depths almost always less than 15%, and periods (3 < P < 11 days) consistent with dust near the Keplerian co-rotation period. The flux dips vary considerably in their depth from epoch to epoch, but usually persist for several weeks and, in two cases, were present in data collected in successive years. For several of these stars, we also measure the photospheric rotation period and find that the rotation and dip periods are the same, as predicted by standard “disk-locking” models. We attribute these flux dips to clumps of material in or near the inner disk wall, passing through our line of sight to the stellar photosphere. In some cases, these dips are also present in simultaneous Spitzer IRAC light curves at 3.6 and 4.5 microns. We characterize the properties of these dips, and compare the stars with light curves exhibiting this behavior to other classes of YSOs in NGC 2264. A number of physical mechanisms could locally increase the dust scale height near the inner disk wall, and we discuss several of those mechanisms; the most plausible mechanisms are either a disk warp due to interaction with the stellar magnetic field or dust entrained in funnel-flow accretion columns arising near the inner disk wall.

CSI 2264: CHARACTERIZING YOUNG STARS IN NGC 2264 WITH SHORT-DURATION PERIODIC FLUX DIPS IN THEIR LIGHT CURVES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stauffer, John; Cody, Ann Marie; Rebull, Luisa; Plavchan, Peter; Carey, Sean; McGinnis, Pauline; Alencar, Silvia H. P.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Carpenter, John; Turner, Neal J.; Terebey, Susan; Morales-Calderón, María; Bouvier, Jerome; Venuti, Laura; Hartmann, Lee; Calvet, Nuria; Micela, Giusi; Flaccomio, Ettore; Song, Inseok; Gutermuth, Rob

2015-01-01

We identify nine young stellar objects (YSOs) in the NGC 2264 star-forming region with optical CoRoT light curves exhibiting short-duration, shallow periodic flux dips. All of these stars have infrared excesses that are consistent with their having inner disk walls near the Keplerian co-rotation radius. The repeating photometric dips have FWHMs generally less than 1 day, depths almost always less than 15%, and periods (3 < P < 11 days) consistent with dust near the Keplerian co-rotation period. The flux dips vary considerably in their depth from epoch to epoch, but usually persist for several weeks and, in two cases, were present in data collected in successive years. For several of these stars, we also measure the photospheric rotation period and find that the rotation and dip periods are the same, as predicted by standard “disk-locking” models. We attribute these flux dips to clumps of material in or near the inner disk wall, passing through our line of sight to the stellar photosphere. In some cases, these dips are also present in simultaneous Spitzer IRAC light curves at 3.6 and 4.5 microns. We characterize the properties of these dips, and compare the stars with light curves exhibiting this behavior to other classes of YSOs in NGC 2264. A number of physical mechanisms could locally increase the dust scale height near the inner disk wall, and we discuss several of those mechanisms; the most plausible mechanisms are either a disk warp due to interaction with the stellar magnetic field or dust entrained in funnel-flow accretion columns arising near the inner disk wall

SIMULATIONS OF GAMMA-RAY BURST JETS IN A STRATIFIED EXTERNAL MEDIUM: DYNAMICS, AFTERGLOW LIGHT CURVES, JET BREAKS, AND RADIO CALORIMETRY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Colle, Fabio; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico; Granot, Jonathan; Lopez-Camara, Diego

2012-01-01

The dynamics of gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets during the afterglow phase is most reliably and accurately modeled using hydrodynamic simulations. All published simulations so far, however, have considered only a uniform external medium, while a stratified external medium is expected around long duration GRB progenitors. Here, we present simulations of the dynamics of GRB jets and the resulting afterglow emission for both uniform and stratified external media with ρ ext ∝r –k for k = 0, 1, 2. The simulations are performed in two dimensions using the special relativistic version of the Mezcal code. Common to all calculations is the initiation of the GRB jet as a conical wedge of half-opening angle θ 0 = 0.2 whose radial profile is taken from the self-similar Blandford-McKee solution. The dynamics for stratified external media (k = 1, 2) are broadly similar to those derived for expansion into a uniform external medium (k = 0). The jet half-opening angle is observed to start increasing logarithmically with time (or radius) once the Lorentz factor Γ drops below θ –1 0 . For larger k values, however, the lateral expansion is faster at early times (when Γ > θ –1 0 ) and slower at late times with the jet expansion becoming Newtonian and slowly approaching spherical symmetry over progressively longer timescales. We find that, contrary to analytic expectations, there is a reasonably sharp jet break in the light curve for k = 2 (a wind-like external medium), although the shape of the break is affected more by the viewing angle (for θ obs ≤ θ 0 ) than by the slope of the external density profile (for 0 ≤ k ≤ 2). Steeper density profiles (i.e., increasing k values) are found to produce more gradual jet breaks while larger viewing angles cause smoother and later appearing jet breaks. The counterjet becomes visible as it becomes sub-relativistic, and for k = 0 this results in a clear bump-like feature in the light curve. However, for larger k values the jet

SIMULATIONS OF GAMMA-RAY BURST JETS IN A STRATIFIED EXTERNAL MEDIUM: DYNAMICS, AFTERGLOW LIGHT CURVES, JET BREAKS, AND RADIO CALORIMETRY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Colle, Fabio; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico [TASC, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Granot, Jonathan [Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel); Lopez-Camara, Diego [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ap. 70-543, 04510 D.F. (Mexico)

2012-05-20

The dynamics of gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets during the afterglow phase is most reliably and accurately modeled using hydrodynamic simulations. All published simulations so far, however, have considered only a uniform external medium, while a stratified external medium is expected around long duration GRB progenitors. Here, we present simulations of the dynamics of GRB jets and the resulting afterglow emission for both uniform and stratified external media with {rho}{sub ext}{proportional_to}r{sup -k} for k = 0, 1, 2. The simulations are performed in two dimensions using the special relativistic version of the Mezcal code. Common to all calculations is the initiation of the GRB jet as a conical wedge of half-opening angle {theta}{sub 0} = 0.2 whose radial profile is taken from the self-similar Blandford-McKee solution. The dynamics for stratified external media (k = 1, 2) are broadly similar to those derived for expansion into a uniform external medium (k = 0). The jet half-opening angle is observed to start increasing logarithmically with time (or radius) once the Lorentz factor {Gamma} drops below {theta}{sup -1}{sub 0}. For larger k values, however, the lateral expansion is faster at early times (when {Gamma} > {theta}{sup -1}{sub 0}) and slower at late times with the jet expansion becoming Newtonian and slowly approaching spherical symmetry over progressively longer timescales. We find that, contrary to analytic expectations, there is a reasonably sharp jet break in the light curve for k = 2 (a wind-like external medium), although the shape of the break is affected more by the viewing angle (for {theta}{sub obs} {<=} {theta}{sub 0}) than by the slope of the external density profile (for 0 {<=} k {<=} 2). Steeper density profiles (i.e., increasing k values) are found to produce more gradual jet breaks while larger viewing angles cause smoother and later appearing jet breaks. The counterjet becomes visible as it becomes sub-relativistic, and for k = 0 this results

Aqueous Synthesis of ZnSe/ZnS-2-R-Benzothiazole Nanocrystals with White Emission

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying-Fan Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We prepared water-soluble white light-emitting ZnSe/ZnS-2-R-benzothiazole nanocrystals (NCs, R = 2-hydroxy-5-(2,5-dimethyl-thienyl-phenyl. The penicillamine (Pen capped ZnSe/ZnS NCs were firstly prepared with high photoluminescence quantum yields (PL QY of 40%. Then they bond to 2-R-benzothiazole molecules, resulting in white light-emitting ZnSe/ZnS-2-R-benzothiazole NCs with QY of 75% over a 375 to 650 nm range of emission, which can be applied to white light-emitting diodes. The ZnSe/ZnS-2-R-benzothiazole NCs with two emission bands at around 451 and 557 nm were discussed and the possible mechanism of the interaction of ZnSe/ZnS NCs with 2-R-benzothiazole was also proposed.

Full Phase Multi-Band Study of Eclipsing Binaries 1SWASP J061850.43+220511.9 and 2MASSJ07095549+3643564

Science.gov (United States)

Terheide, Rachel; Zhang, Liyun; Han, Xianming; Lu, Hongpeng

2018-01-01

We present full-phase VRI-band light curves for eclipsing binary 1SWASP J061850.43+220511.9, and full-phase BVRI-band light curves for eclipsing binary 2MASS J07095549+3643564. The observations were conducted using the 0.94-m Holcomb Observatory telescope located on Butler University Campus in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the 0.6-m SARA telescope located at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. We obtained key system parameters for both eclipsing binaries. For 1SWASP J061850.43+220511.9, the period is 0.21482 ±0.00053 days compared to 0.21439 days from an older study (Lohr et. al), the system mass ratio is found as 2.50 and the system is classified as EW type. Similarly, for 2MASS J07095549+3643564, we obtained a linear ephemeris and a physical model for the first time. We found its period to be 0.22297 ±0.00032 days, as compared to 0.446092 days and 0.11152 days from previous research (Drake et. al 2014, Hartman et. al 2011). 2MASS J07095549+3643564 is classified as a W Uma type eclipsing binary.

Optical light curve of GRB 121011A: a textbook for the onset of GRB afterglow in a mixture of ISM and wind-type medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xin, Li-Ping; Wei, Jian-Yan; Qiu, Yu-Lei; Deng, Jin-Song; Wang, Jing; Han, Xu-Hui

2016-01-01

We report the optical observations of GRB 121011A by the 0.8m TNT facility at Xinglong observatory, China. The light curve of the optical afterglow shows a smooth and featureless bump during the epoch of ∼130 s and ∼5000 s with a rising index of 1.57 ± 0.28 before the break time of 539 ± 44 s, and a decaying index of about 1.29 ± 0.07 up to the end of our observations. Moreover, the X-ray light curve decays in a single power-law with a slope of about 1.51 ± 0.03 observed by XRT onboard Swift from 100 s to about 10 000 s after the burst trigger. The featureless optical light curve could be understood as an onset process under the external-shock model. The typical frequency has been below or near the optical one before the deceleration time, and the cooling frequency is located between the optical and X-ray wavelengths. The external medium density has a transition from a mixed stage of ISM and wind-type medium before the peak time to the ISM at the later phase. The joint-analysis of X-ray and optical light curves shows that the emissions from both frequencies are consistent with the prediction of the standard afterglow model without any energy injections, indicating that the central engine has stopped its activity and does not restart anymore after the prompt phase. (paper)

The hierarchically organized splitting of chromosome bands into sub-bands analyzed by multicolor banding (MCB).

Science.gov (United States)

Lehrer, H; Weise, A; Michel, S; Starke, H; Mrasek, K; Heller, A; Kuechler, A; Claussen, U; Liehr, T

2004-01-01

To clarify the nature of chromosome sub-bands in more detail, the multicolor banding (MCB) probe-set for chromosome 5 was hybridized to normal metaphase spreads of GTG band levels at approximately 850, approximately 550, approximately 400 and approximately 300. It could be observed that as the chromosomes became shorter, more of the initial 39 MCB pseudo-colors disappeared, ending with 18 MCB pseudo-colored bands at the approximately 300-band level. The hierarchically organized splitting of bands into sub-bands was analyzed by comparing the disappearance or appearance of pseudo-color bands of the four different band levels. The regions to split first are telomere-near, centromere-near and in 5q23-->q31, followed by 5p15, 5p14, and all GTG dark bands in 5q apart from 5q12 and 5q32 and finalized by sub-band building in 5p15.2, 5q21.2-->q21.3, 5q23.1 and 5q34. The direction of band splitting towards the centromere or the telomere could be assigned to each band separately. Pseudo-colors assigned to GTG-light bands were resistant to band splitting. These observations are in concordance with the recently proposed concept of chromosome region-specific protein swelling. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

Spontaneous mutability and light-induced mutagenesis in Salmonella typhimurium: effects of an R-plasmid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valdivia, L.

1979-01-01

The UV-protecting plasmid R46 was transferred by conjugation to a genetically marked mouse-virulent Salmonella typhimurium strain, not derived from LT2; in this host the plasmid conferred UV protection and enhanced UV mutagenesis just as it does in LT2 lines. Tra - derivatives of R46 encountered during transduction retained UV-protecting and mutagenesis-enhancing ability. Stored strains carrying the R46-derived plasmids with strong mutator effect but not UV-protecting had lost most of their original streptomycin resistance but were slightly resistant to spectinomycin; attempts to transfer such plasmids failed. R46 enhanced the weak mutagenic effect of visible light on several his and trp mutants of strain LT2, including some whose frequency of spontaneous reversion was not increased by the plasmid. A mutagenic effect was produced by visible-light irradiation of hisG46(R46), either growing cells or nonmultiplying (histidine-deprived cells at 10 0 C). Presence of catalase or cyanide during irradiation did not prevent mutagenesis, which excludes some hypothetical mechanisms. Visible-light irradiation of hisG46 or hisG46(R46) under strict anaerobiosis had little or no mutagenic effect (controls showed that revertants if produced would have been detected). This is as expected if visible-light irradiation in air causes photodynamic damage to DNA and mutations are produced during error-prone, plasmid-enhanced repair

Consideration of uncertainties in CCDF risk curves in safety oriented decision making processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stern, E.; Tadmor, J.

1988-01-01

In recent years, some of the results of Probabilistic Risk Assessment (i.e. the magnitudes of the various adverse health effects and other effects of potential accidents in nuclear power plants) have usually been presented in Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function curves, widely known as CCDF risk curves. CCDF curves are characteristic of probabilistic accident analyses and consequence calculations, although, in many cases, the codes producing the CCDF curves consist of a mixture of both probabilistic and deterministic calculations. One of the main difficulties in the process of PRA is the problem of uncertainties associated with the risk assessments. The uncertainties, as expressed in CCDF risk curves can be classified into two main categories: (a) uncertainties expressed by the CCDF risk curve itself due to its probabilistic nature and - (b) the uncertainty band of CCDF risk curves. The band consists of a ''family of CCDF curves'' which represents the risks (e.g. early/late fatalities) evaluated at various levels of confidence for a specific Plant-Site Combination (PSC) i.e. a certain nuclear power plant located at a certain site. The reasons why a family of curves rather than a single curve represents the risk of a certain PSC have been discussed. Generally, the uncertainty band of CCDF curves is limited by the 95% (''conservative'') and the 5% curves. In most cases the 50% (median, ''best estimate'') curve is also shown because scientists tend to believe that it represents the ''realistic'' (or real) risk of the plant

Band-gap and band-edge engineering of multicomponent garnet scintillators from first principles

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Yadav, S.K.; Uberuaga, B.P.; Nikl, Martin; Jiang, C.; Stanek, C.R.

2015-01-01

Roč. 4, č. 5 (2015), "054012-1"-"054012-9" ISSN 2331-7019 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP204/12/0805 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : scintillator * electronic band gap structure * garnets * band gap engineering Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 4.061, year: 2015

Energy Impacts of Wide Band Gap Semiconductors in U.S. Light-Duty Electric Vehicle Fleet.

Science.gov (United States)

Warren, Joshua A; Riddle, Matthew E; Graziano, Diane J; Das, Sujit; Upadhyayula, Venkata K K; Masanet, Eric; Cresko, Joe

2015-09-01

Silicon carbide and gallium nitride, two leading wide band gap semiconductors with significant potential in electric vehicle power electronics, are examined from a life cycle energy perspective and compared with incumbent silicon in U.S. light-duty electric vehicle fleet. Cradle-to-gate, silicon carbide is estimated to require more than twice the energy as silicon. However, the magnitude of vehicle use phase fuel savings potential is comparatively several orders of magnitude higher than the marginal increase in cradle-to-gate energy. Gallium nitride cradle-to-gate energy requirements are estimated to be similar to silicon, with use phase savings potential similar to or exceeding that of silicon carbide. Potential energy reductions in the United States vehicle fleet are examined through several scenarios that consider the market adoption potential of electric vehicles themselves, as well as the market adoption potential of wide band gap semiconductors in electric vehicles. For the 2015-2050 time frame, cumulative energy savings associated with the deployment of wide band gap semiconductors are estimated to range from 2-20 billion GJ depending on market adoption dynamics.

Technological change in energy systems. Learning curves, logistic curves and input-output coefficients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Haoran; Koehler, Jonathan

2007-01-01

Learning curves have recently been widely adopted in climate-economy models to incorporate endogenous change of energy technologies, replacing the conventional assumption of an autonomous energy efficiency improvement. However, there has been little consideration of the credibility of the learning curve. The current trend that many important energy and climate change policy analyses rely on the learning curve means that it is of great importance to critically examine the basis for learning curves. Here, we analyse the use of learning curves in energy technology, usually implemented as a simple power function. We find that the learning curve cannot separate the effects of price and technological change, cannot reflect continuous and qualitative change of both conventional and emerging energy technologies, cannot help to determine the time paths of technological investment, and misses the central role of R and D activity in driving technological change. We argue that a logistic curve of improving performance modified to include R and D activity as a driving variable can better describe the cost reductions in energy technologies. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the top-down Leontief technology can incorporate the bottom-up technologies that improve along either the learning curve or the logistic curve, through changing input-output coefficients. An application to UK wind power illustrates that the logistic curve fits the observed data better and implies greater potential for cost reduction than the learning curve does. (author)

One-phase and two-phase homologous curves for coolant pumps of the pressurized light water nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, G.A. dos.

1990-01-01

The two-phase coolant pump model of pressurized light water nuclear reactors is an important point for the loss of primary coolant accident analysis. The single-phase pump characteristics are an essential feature for operational transients studies, for example, the shut-down and start-up of pump. These parameters, in terms of the homologous curves, set up the complete performance of the pump and are input for transients and accidents analysis thermal-hydraulic codes. This work propose a mathematical model able to predict the single-phase and two-phase homologous curves where it was incorporated geometric and operational pump condition. The results were compared with the experimental tests data from literature and it has showed a good agreement. (author)

A Multi-year Search for Transits of Proxima Centauri. I. Light Curves Corresponding to Published Ephemerides

Science.gov (United States)

Blank, David L.; Feliz, Dax; Collins, Karen A.; White, Graeme L.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Curtis, Ivan A.; Hart, Rhodes; Kielkopf, John F.; Nelson, Peter; Relles, Howard; Stockdale, Christopher; Jayawardene, Bandupriya; Pennypacker, Carlton R.; Shankland, Paul; Reichart, Daniel E.; Haislip, Joshua B.; Kouprianov, Vladimir V.

2018-06-01

Proxima Centauri has become the subject of intense study since the radial-velocity (RV) discovery by Anglada-Escudé et al. of a planet orbiting this nearby M dwarf every ∼11.2 days. If Proxima Centauri b transits its host star, independent confirmation of its existence is possible, and its mass and radius can be measured in units of the stellar host mass and radius. To date, there have been three independent claims of possible transit-like event detections in light curve observations obtained by the MOST satellite (in 2014–15), the Bright Star Survey Telescope telescope in Antarctica (in 2016), and the Las Campanas Observatory (in 2016). The claimed possible detections are tentative, due in part to the variability intrinsic to the host star, and in the case of the ground-based observations, also due to the limited duration of the light curve observations. Here, we present preliminary results from an extensive photometric monitoring campaign of Proxima Centauri, using telescopes around the globe and spanning from 2006 to 2017, comprising a total of 329 observations. Considering our data that coincide directly and/or phased with the previously published tentative transit detections, we are unable to independently verify those claims. We do, however, verify the previously reported ubiquitous and complex variability of the host star. We discuss possible interpretations of the data in light of the previous claims, and we discuss future analyses of these data that could more definitively verify or refute the presence of transits associated with the RV-discovered planet.

The hamster clock phase-response curve from summerlike light:dark cycles and its role in daily and seasonal timekeeping.

Science.gov (United States)

Alleva, John J; Alleva, Frederic R

2002-11-01

We address the subject of entrainment of the hamster clock by the day:night cycle in summer when the sun sets after 6 PM and rises before 6 AM (nights cycles were simulated by 6 light:dark (LD) cycles with D estrus and wheel running in hamsters. The onset of estrus was observed every 4 d in the same hamsters as a phase marker of their 24 h clock. On the day before an experimental estrus, preceded and followed by control onsets, a dark period was imposed to cover a putative 6 PM-6 AM light-sensitive period (LSP). This was scanned with a light pulse (and periodic 5 sec bell alarms) lasting 5-240 min. Shifts in onset of estrus on the next day were plotted vs. the end of the light pulse for PM times ("dusk") and its onset for AM times ("dawn"). The resulting phase shifts from the six SLDs were similar, permitting their combination into a single phase-response curve (PRC) of 1605 shifts. This SLD composite PRC rose at 10:15 PM, peaked at 2 AM (81 min advanced shift), fell linearly to 5:55 AM, and then abruptly to normal at 6 AM (no shift). Peak shift was unaffected by light pulse duration or intensity, or hamster age. The SLD composite PRC lacked the 6 PM-9 PM curve of delayed shifts present in reported PRCs from LD 12 h:12 h and DD. However, a two-pulse experiment showed that all light from 6 PM to L-off was needed to block (balance) the advancing action of a 5 min morning light pulse, thereby maintaining entrainment. A working hypothesis to explain daily entrainment and seasonal fertility in the golden hamster is illustrated. A nomenclature for labeling the phases of the hamster clock (circadian time) is proposed.

Angle-resolved spin wave band diagrams of square antidot lattices studied by Brillouin light scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gubbiotti, G.; Tacchi, S. [Istituto Officina dei Materiali del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IOM-CNR), Sede di Perugia, c/o Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Via A. Pascoli, I-06123 Perugia (Italy); Montoncello, F.; Giovannini, L. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Università di Ferrara, Via G. Saragat 1, I-44122 Ferrara (Italy); Madami, M.; Carlotti, G. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Università di Perugia, Via A. Pascoli, I-06123 Perugia (Italy); Ding, J.; Adeyeye, A. O. [Information Storage Materials Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576 (Singapore)

2015-06-29

The Brillouin light scattering technique has been exploited to study the angle-resolved spin wave band diagrams of squared Permalloy antidot lattice. Frequency dispersion of spin waves has been measured for a set of fixed wave vector magnitudes, while varying the wave vector in-plane orientation with respect to the applied magnetic field. The magnonic band gap between the two most dispersive modes exhibits a minimum value at an angular position, which exclusively depends on the product between the selected wave vector magnitude and the lattice constant of the array. The experimental data are in very good agreement with predictions obtained by dynamical matrix method calculations. The presented results are relevant for magnonic devices where the antidot lattice, acting as a diffraction grating, is exploited to achieve multidirectional spin wave emission.

Rotation of cometary nuclei: new light curves and an update of the ensemble properties of Jupiter-family comets

Science.gov (United States)

Kokotanekova, R.; Snodgrass, C.; Lacerda, P.; Green, S. F.; Lowry, S. C.; Fernández, Y. R.; Tubiana, C.; Fitzsimmons, A.; Hsieh, H. H.

2017-11-01

We report new light curves and phase functions for nine Jupiter-family comets (JFCs). They were observed in the period 2004-2015 with various ground telescopes as part of the Survey of Ensemble Physical Properties of Cometary Nuclei as well as during devoted observing campaigns. We add to this a review of the properties of 35 JFCs with previously published rotation properties. The photometric time series were obtained in Bessel R, Harris R and SDSS r΄ filters and were absolutely calibrated using stars from the Pan-STARRS survey. This specially developed method allowed us to combine data sets taken at different epochs and instruments with absolute-calibration uncertainty down to 0.02 mag. We used the resulting time series to improve the rotation periods for comets 14P/Wolf, 47P/Ashbrook-Jackson, 94P/Russell and 110P/Hartley 3 and to determine the rotation rates of comets 93P/Lovas and 162P/Siding Spring for the first time. In addition to this, we determined the phase functions for seven of the examined comets and derived geometric albedos for eight of them. We confirm the known cut-off in bulk densities at ˜0.6 g cm-3 if JFCs are strengthless. Using a model for prolate ellipsoids with typical density and elongations, we conclude that none of the known JFCs requires tensile strength larger than 10-25 Pa to remain stable against rotational instabilities. We find evidence for an increasing linear phase function coefficient with increasing geometric albedo. The median linear phase function coefficient for JFCs is 0.046 mag deg-1 and the median geometric albedo is 4.2 per cent.

New Kronig-Penney Equation Emphasizing the Band Edge Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Szmulowicz, Frank

2008-01-01

The Kronig-Penney problem is a textbook example for discussing band dispersions and band gap formation in periodic layered media. For example, in photonic crystals, the behaviour of bands next to the band edges is important for further discussions of such effects as inhibited light emission, slow light and negative index of refraction. However,…

Light bending in F [ g (□) R ] extended gravity theories

Science.gov (United States)

Giacchini, Breno L.; Shapiro, Ilya L.

2018-05-01

We show that in the weak field limit the light deflection alone cannot distinguish between different R + F [ g (□) R ] models of gravity, where F and g are arbitrary functions. This does not imply, however, that in all these theories an observer will see the same deflection angle. Owed to the need to calibrate the Newton constant, the deflection angle may be model-dependent after all necessary types of measurements are taken into account.