8,347 research outputs found
Compact source detection in multi-channel microwave surveys: from SZ clusters to polarized sources
In this paper we describe the state-of-the art status of multi-frequency
detection techniques for compact sources in microwave astronomy. From the
simplest cases where the spectral behaviour is well-known (i.e. thermal SZ
clusters) to the more complex cases where there is little a priori information
(i.e. polarized radio sources) we will review the main advances and the most
recent results in the detection problem.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in the Special Issue
"Astrophysical Foregrounds in Microwave Surveys" of the journal Advances in
Astronom
Evidence for Astrophysical Muon Neutrinos from the Northern Sky with IceCube
Results from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory have recently provided
compelling evidence for the existence of a high energy astrophysical neutrino
flux utilizing a dominantly Southern Hemisphere dataset consisting primarily of
nu_e and nu_tau charged current and neutral current (cascade) neutrino
interactions. In the analysis presented here, a data sample of approximately
35,000 muon neutrinos from the Northern sky was extracted from data taken
during 659.5 days of livetime recorded between May 2010 and May 2012. While
this sample is composed primarily of neutrinos produced by cosmic ray
interactions in the Earth's atmosphere, the highest energy events are
inconsistent with a hypothesis of solely terrestrial origin at 3.7 sigma
significance. These neutrinos can, however, be explained by an astrophysical
flux per neutrino flavor at a level of Phi(E_nu) = 9.9^{+3.9}_{-3.4} times
10^{-19} GeV^{-1} cm^{-2} sr^{-1} s^{-1} ({E_nu / 100 TeV})^{-2}, consistent
with IceCube's Southern Hemisphere dominated result. Additionally, a fit for an
astrophysical flux with an arbitrary spectral index was performed. We find a
spectral index of 2.2^{+0.2}_{-0.2}, which is also in good agreement with the
Southern Hemisphere result.Comment: 4 figures, 2, tables, includes supplementary materia
Multifrequency Photo-polarimetric WEBT Observation Campaign on the Blazar S5 0716+714: Source Microvariability and Search for Characteristic Timescales
Here we report on the results of the WEBT photo-polarimetric campaign
targeting the blazar S5~0716+71, organized in March 2014 to monitor the source
simultaneously in BVRI and near IR filters. The campaign resulted in an
unprecedented dataset spanning \,h of nearly continuous, multi-band
observations, including two sets of densely sampled polarimetric data mainly in
R filter. During the campaign, the source displayed pronounced variability with
peak-to-peak variations of about and "bluer-when-brighter" spectral
evolution, consisting of a day-timescale modulation with superimposed hourlong
microflares characterized by \,mag flux changes. We performed an
in-depth search for quasi-periodicities in the source light curve; hints for
the presence of oscillations on timescales of \,h and \,h do
not represent highly significant departures from a pure red-noise power
spectrum. We observed that, at a certain configuration of the optical
polarization angle relative to the positional angle of the innermost radio jet
in the source, changes in the polarization degree led the total flux
variability by about 2\,h; meanwhile, when the relative configuration of the
polarization and jet angles altered, no such lag could be noted. The
microflaring events, when analyzed as separate pulse emission components, were
found to be characterized by a very high polarization degree () and
polarization angles which differed substantially from the polarization angle of
the underlying background component, or from the radio jet positional angle. We
discuss the results in the general context of blazar emission and energy
dissipation models.Comment: 16 pages, 17 Figures; ApJ accepte
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasar Lens Search. IV. Statistical Lens Sample from the Fifth Data Release
We present the second report of our systematic search for strongly lensed
quasars from the data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). From extensive
follow-up observations of 136 candidate objects, we find 36 lenses in the full
sample of 77,429 spectroscopically confirmed quasars in the SDSS Data Release
5. We then define a complete sample of 19 lenses, including 11 from our
previous search in the SDSS Data Release 3, from the sample of 36,287 quasars
with i<19.1 in the redshift range 0.6<z<2.2, where we require the lenses to
have image separations of 1"<\theta<20" and i-band magnitude differences
between the two images smaller than 1.25 mag. Among the 19 lensed quasars, 3
have quadruple-image configurations, while the remaining 16 show double images.
This lens sample constrains the cosmological constant to be
\Omega_\Lambda=0.84^{+0.06}_{-0.08}(stat.)^{+0.09}_{-0.07}(syst.) assuming a
flat universe, which is in good agreement with other cosmological observations.
We also report the discoveries of 7 binary quasars with separations ranging
from 1.1" to 16.6", which are identified in the course of our lens survey. This
study concludes the construction of our statistical lens sample in the full
SDSS-I data set.Comment: 37 pages, 2 figures and 5 tables, accepted to A
Saturn's Exploration Beyond Cassini-Huygens
For its beautiful rings, active atmosphere and mysterious magnetic field,
Saturn is a fascinating planet. It also holds some of the keys to understanding
the formation of our Solar System and the evolution of giant planets in
general. While the exploration by the Cassini-Huygens mission has led to great
advances in our understanding of the planet and its moons, it has left us with
puzzling questions: What is the bulk composition of the planet? Does it have a
helium core? Is it enriched in noble gases like Jupiter? What powers and
controls its gigantic storms? We have learned that we can measure an outer
magnetic field that is filtered from its non-axisymmetric components, but what
is Saturn's inner magnetic field? What are the rings made of and when were they
formed? These questions are crucial in several ways: a detailed comparison of
the compositions of Jupiter and Saturn is necessary to understand processes at
work during the formation of these two planets and of the Solar System. This
calls for the continued exploration of the second largest planet in our Solar
System, with a variety of means including remote observations and space
missions. Measurements of gravity and magnetic fields very close to the
planet's cloud tops would be extremely valuable. Very high spatial resolution
images of the rings would provide details on their structure and the material
that form them. Last but not least, one or several probes sent into the
atmosphere of the planet would provide the critical measurements that would
allow a detailed comparison with the same measurements at Jupiter. [abridged
abstract
COrE (Cosmic Origins Explorer) A White Paper
COrE (Cosmic Origins Explorer) is a fourth-generation full-sky,
microwave-band satellite recently proposed to ESA within Cosmic Vision
2015-2025. COrE will provide maps of the microwave sky in polarization and
temperature in 15 frequency bands, ranging from 45 GHz to 795 GHz, with an
angular resolution ranging from 23 arcmin (45 GHz) and 1.3 arcmin (795 GHz) and
sensitivities roughly 10 to 30 times better than PLANCK (depending on the
frequency channel). The COrE mission will lead to breakthrough science in a
wide range of areas, ranging from primordial cosmology to galactic and
extragalactic science. COrE is designed to detect the primordial gravitational
waves generated during the epoch of cosmic inflation at more than
for . It will also measure the CMB gravitational lensing
deflection power spectrum to the cosmic variance limit on all linear scales,
allowing us to probe absolute neutrino masses better than laboratory
experiments and down to plausible values suggested by the neutrino oscillation
data. COrE will also search for primordial non-Gaussianity with significant
improvements over Planck in its ability to constrain the shape (and amplitude)
of non-Gaussianity. In the areas of galactic and extragalactic science, in its
highest frequency channels COrE will provide maps of the galactic polarized
dust emission allowing us to map the galactic magnetic field in areas of
diffuse emission not otherwise accessible to probe the initial conditions for
star formation. COrE will also map the galactic synchrotron emission thirty
times better than PLANCK. This White Paper reviews the COrE science program,
our simulations on foreground subtraction, and the proposed instrumental
configuration.Comment: 90 pages Latex 15 figures (revised 28 April 2011, references added,
minor errors corrected
- …