1,287 research outputs found
On the Geometric Modeling of the Uplink Channel in a Cellular System
To meet the challenges of present and future wireless communications realistic propagation models that consider both spatial and temporal channel characteristics are used. However, the complexity of the complete characterization of the wireless medium has pointed out the importance of approximate but simple approaches. The geometrically based methods are typical examples of lowâcomplexity but adequate solutions. Geometric modeling idealizes the aforementioned wireless propagation environment via a geometric abstraction of the spatial relationships among the transmitter, the receiver, and the scatterers. The paper tries to present an efficient way to simulate mobile channels using geometricalâbased stochastic scattering models. In parallel with an overview of the most commonly used propagation models, the basic principles of the method as well the main assumptions made are presented. The study is focused on three wellâknown proposals used for the description of the Angleâof âArrival and TimeâofâArrival statistics of the incoming multipaths in the uplink of a cellular communication system. In order to demonstrate the characteristics of these models illustrative examples are given. The physical mechanism and motivations behind them are also included providing us with a better understanding of the physical insight of the propagation medium
Light Curves for Rapidly-Rotating Neutron Stars
We present raytracing computations for light emitted from the surface of a
rapidly-rotating neutron star in order to construct light curves for X-ray
pulsars and bursters. These calculations are for realistic models of
rapidly-rotating neutron stars which take into account both the correct
exterior metric and the oblate shape of the star. We find that the most
important effect arising from rotation comes from the oblate shape of the
rotating star. We find that approximating a rotating neutron star as a sphere
introduces serious errors in fitted values of the star's radius and mass if the
rotation rate is very large. However, in most cases acceptable fits to the
ratio M/R can be obtained with the spherical approximation.Comment: Accepted by the Astrophysical Journal. 13 pages & 7 figure
Gravitational Waves Probe the Coalescence Rate of Massive Black Hole Binaries
We calculate the expected nHz--Hz gravitational wave (GW) spectrum from
coalescing Massive Black Hole (MBH) binaries resulting from mergers of their
host galaxies. We consider detection of this spectrum by precision pulsar
timing and a future Pulsar Timing Array. The spectrum depends on the merger
rate of massive galaxies, the demographics of MBHs at low and high redshift,
and the dynamics of MBH binaries. We apply recent theoretical and observational
work on all of these fronts. The spectrum has a characteristic strain
, just below the detection limit from
recent analysis of precision pulsar timing measurements. However, the amplitude
of the spectrum is still very uncertain owing to approximations in the
theoretical formulation of the model, to our lack of knowledge of the merger
rate and MBH population at high redshift, and to the dynamical problem of
removing enough angular momentum from the MBH binary to reach a GW-dominated
regime.Comment: 31 Pages, 8 Figures, small changes to match the published versio
Simulation of large photomultipliers for experiments in astroparticle physics
We have developed an accurate simulation model of the large 9 inch
photomultiplier tubes (PMT) used in water-Cherenkov detectors of cosmic-ray
induced extensive air-showers. This work was carried out as part of the
development of the Offline simulation software for the Pierre Auger Observatory
surface array, but our findings may be relevant also for other astrophysics
experiments that employ similar large PMTs.
The implementation is realistic in terms of geometrical dimensions, optical
processes at various surfaces, thin-film treatment of the photocathode, and
photon reflections on the inner structure of the PMT. With the quantum
efficiency obtained for this advanced model we have calibrated a much simpler
and a more rudimentary model of the PMT which is more practical for massive
simulation productions. We show that the quantum efficiency declared by
manufactures of the PMTs is usually determined under conditions substantially
different from those relevant for the particular experiment and thus requires
careful (re)interpretation when applied to the experimental data or when used
in simulations. In principle, the effective quantum efficiency could vary
depending on the optical characteristics of individual events.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figure
High-fidelity state detection and tomography of a single ion Zeeman qubit
We demonstrate high-fidelity Zeeman qubit state detection in a single trapped
88 Sr+ ion. Qubit readout is performed by shelving one of the qubit states to a
metastable level using a narrow linewidth diode laser at 674 nm followed by
state-selective fluorescence detection. The average fidelity reached for the
readout of the qubit state is 0.9989(1). We then measure the fidelity of state
tomography, averaged over all possible single-qubit states, which is 0.9979(2).
We also fully characterize the detection process using quantum process
tomography. This readout fidelity is compatible with recent estimates of the
detection error-threshold required for fault-tolerant computation, whereas
high-fidelity state tomography opens the way for high-precision quantum process
tomography
MoCA: A Monte Carlo code for Comptonisation in Astrophysics. I. Description of the code and first results
We present a new Monte Carlo code for Comptonisation in Astrophysics (MoCA).
To our knowledge MoCA is the first code that uses a single photon approach in a
full special relativity scenario, and including also Klein-Nishina effects as
well as polarisation. In this paper we describe in detail how the code works,
and show first results from the case of extended coronae in accreting sources
Comptonising the accretion disc thermal emission. We explored both a slab and a
spherical geometry, to make comparison with public analytical codes more easy.
Our spectra are in good agreement with those from analytical codes for
low/moderate optical depths, but differ significantly, as expected, for optical
depths larger than a few. Klein-Nishina effects become relevant above 100 keV
depending on the optical thickness and thermal energy of the corona. We also
calculated the polarisation properties for the two geometries, which show that
X-ray polarimetry is a very useful tool to discriminate between them.Comment: 16 pages, 20 figure
The supermassive black hole mass - S\'ersic index relations for bulges and elliptical galaxies
Scaling relations between supermassive black hole mass, M_BH, and host galaxy
properties are a powerful instrument for studying their coevolution. A complete
picture involving all of the black hole scaling relations, in which each
relation is consistent with the others, is necessary to fully understand the
black hole-galaxy connection. The relation between M_BH and the central light
concentration of the surrounding bulge, quantified by the S\'ersic index n, may
be one of the simplest and strongest such relations, requiring only
uncalibrated galaxy images. We have conducted a census of literature S\'ersic
index measurements for a sample of 54 local galaxies with directly measured
M_BH values. We find a clear M_BH - n relation, despite an appreciable level of
scatter due to the heterogeneity of the data. Given the current M_BH - L_sph
and the L_sph - n relations, we have additionally derived the expected M_BH - n
relations, which are marginally consistent at the 2 sigma level with the
observed relations. Elliptical galaxies and the bulges of disc galaxies are
each expected to follow two distinct bent M_BH - n relations due to the
S\'ersic/core-S\'ersic divide. For the same central light concentration, we
predict that M_BH in the S\'ersic bulges of disc galaxies are an order
magnitude higher than in S\'ersic elliptical galaxies if they follow the same
M_BH - L_sph relation.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA
Sensitivity of orbiting JEM-EUSO to large-scale cosmic-ray anisotropies
The two main advantages of space-based observation of extreme-energy
(~eV) cosmic-rays (EECRs) over ground-based observatories are
the increased field of view, and the all-sky coverage with nearly uniform
systematics of an orbiting observatory. The former guarantees increased
statistics, whereas the latter enables a partitioning of the sky into spherical
harmonics. We have begun an investigation, using the spherical harmonic
technique, of the reach of \J\ into potential anisotropies in the
extreme-energy cosmic-ray sky-map. The technique is explained here, and
simulations are presented. The discovery of anisotropies would help to identify
the long-sought origin of EECRs.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures. To appear in the proceedings of the Cosmic Ray
Anisotropy Workshop, Madison Wisconsin, September 201
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