Evaluating the New Automatic Method for the Analysis of Absorption Spectra Using Synthetic Spectra

We recently presented a new "artificial intelligence" method for the analysis of high-resolution absorption spectra (Bainbridge and Webb, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 2017, 468,1639-1670). This new method unifies three established numerical methods: a genetic algorithm (GVPFIT); non-linear least-squares optimisation with parameter constraints (VPFIT); and Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA). In this work, we investigate the performance of GVPFIT and BMA over a broad range of velocity structures using synthetic spectra. We found that this new method recovers the velocity structures of the absorption systems and accurately estimates variation in the fine structure constant. Studies such as this one are required to evaluate this new method before it can be applied to the analysis of large sets of absorption spectra. This is the first time that a sample of synthetic spectra has been utilised to investigate the analysis of absorption spectra. Probing the variation of nature's fundamental constants (such as the fine structure constant), through the analysis of absorption spectra, is one of the most direct ways of testing the universality of physical laws. This "artificial intelligence" method provides a way to avoid the main limiting factor, i.e., human interaction, in the analysis of absorption spectra.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, published on 5 April 2017 in Univers

Constraints to the SSC model for Mkn 501

We fit the SEDs of the TeV blazar Mkn 501 adopting the homogeneous Synchrotron-Self Compton model to simultaneous X-ray and TeV spectra recently become available. We present detailed model spectra calculated with the above constraints and taking into account the absorption of TeV photons by the IR background. We found that the curved TeV spectra can be naturally reproduced even without IRB absorption. Taking IRB absorption into account changes the required parameter values only slightly.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the conference "X-Ray Astronomy '99", Bologna, Italy, September 199

Indirect Optical Absorption of Single Crystalline beta-FeSi2

We investigated optical absorption spectra near the fundamental absorption edge of beta-FeSi2 single crystals by transmission measurements. The phonon structure corresponding to the emission and absorption component was clearly observed in the low-temperature absorption spectra. Assuming exciton state in the indirect allowed transition, we determined a phonon energy of 0.031 +- 0.004 eV. A value of 0.814 eV was obtained for the exciton transition energy at 4K.Comment: 10 pages with 3 figure

A catalogue of absorption-line systems in QSO spectra

We present a new catalog of absprption-line systems identified in the quasar spectra. It contains data on 821 QSOs and 8558 absorption systems comprizing 16139 absorption lines with measured redshifts in the QSO spectra. The catalog includes absorption-line systems consisting of lines of heavy elements, lines of neutral hydrogen, Lyman limit systems, damped Ly\alpha absorption systems, and broad absorption-line systems. The catalog is available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/412/707 and at www.ioffe.ru/astro/QC. Using the data of the present catalog we also discuss redshift distributions of absorption-line systems.Comment: 3 pages with 1 postscript figur

Nuclear-Motion Effects in Attosecond Transient Absorption Spectroscopy of Molecules

We investigate the characteristic effects of nuclear motion on attosecond transient absorption spectra in molecules by calculating the spectrum for different model systems. Two models of the hydrogen molecular ion are considered: one where the internuclear separation is fixed, and one where the nuclei are free to vibrate. The spectra for the fixed nuclei model are similar to atomic spectra reported elsewhere, while the spectra obtained in the model including nuclear motion are very different and dominated by extremely broad absorption features. These broad absorption features are analyzed and their relation to molecular dissociation investigated. The study of the hydrogen molecular ion validates an approach based on the Born-Oppenheimer approximation and a finite electronic basis. This latter approach is then used to study the three-dimensional hydrogen molecule including nuclear vibration. The spectrum obtained from H$_2$ is compared to the result of a fixed-nuclei calculation. In the attosecond transient absorption spectra of H$_2$ including nuclear motion we find a rich absorption structure corresponding to population of different vibrational states in the molecule, while the fixed-nuclei spectra again are very similar to atomic spectra. We find that light-induced structures at well-defined energies reported in atomic systems are also present in our fixed nuclei molecular spectra, but suppressed in the ${\text{H}_2}^+$ and H$_2$ spectra with moving nuclei. We show that the signatures of light-induced structures are closely related to the nuclear dynamics of the system through the shapes and relative arrangement of the Born-Oppenheimer potential energy curves

Radiative properties of highly magnetized isolated neutron star surfaces and approximate treatment of absorption features in their spectra

In the X-ray spectra of most X-ray dim isolated neutron stars (XDINSs) absorption features with equivalent widths (EWs) of 50 -- 200 eV are observed. We theoretically investigate different models to explain absorption features and compare their properties with the observations. We consider various theoretical models for the magnetized neutron star surface: naked condensed iron surfaces and partially ionized hydrogen model atmospheres, including semi-infinite and thin atmospheres above a condensed surface. The properties of the absorption features (especially equivalent widths) and the angular distributions of the emergent radiation are described for all models. A code for computing light curves and integral emergent spectra of magnetized neutron stars is developed. We assume a dipole surface magnetic field distribution with a possible toroidal component and corresponding temperature distribution. A model with two uniform hot spots at the magnetic poles can also be employed. Light curves and spectra of highly magnetized neutron stars with parameters typical for XDINSs are computed using different surface temperature distributions and various local surface models. Spectra of magnetized model atmospheres are approximated by diluted blackbody spectra with one or two Gaussian lines having parameters, which allow us to describe the model absorption features. To explain the prominent absorption features in the soft X-ray spectra of XDINSs a thin atmosphere above the condensed surface can be invoked, whereas a strong toroidal magnetic field component on the XDINS surfaces can be excluded.Comment: 54 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in A&

KOALA:A program for the processing and decomposition of transient spectra

Extracting meaningful kinetic traces from time-resolved absorption spectra is a non-trivial task, particularly for solution phase spectra where solvent interactions can substantially broaden and shift the transition frequencies. Typically, each spectrum is composed of signal from a number of molecular species (e. g., excited states, intermediate complexes, product species) with overlapping spectral features. Additionally, the profiles of these spectral features may evolve in time (i.e., signal nonlinearity), further complicating the decomposition process. Here, we present a new program for decomposing mixed transient spectra into their individual component spectra and extracting the corresponding kinetic traces: KOALA (Kinetics Observed After Light Absorption). The software combines spectral target analysis with brute-force linear least squares fitting, which is computationally efficient because of the small nonlinear parameter space of most spectral features. Within, we demonstrate the application of KOALA to two sets of experimental transient absorption spectra with multiple mixed spectral components. Although designed for decomposing solution-phase transient absorption data, KOALA may in principle be applied to any time-evolving spectra with multiple components. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.</p