Flux-ratio anomalies from discs and other baryonic structures in the Illustris simulation

The flux ratios in the multiple images of gravitationally lensed quasars can provide evidence for dark matter substructure in the halo of the lensing galaxy if the flux ratios differ from those predicted by a smooth model of the lensing galaxy mass distribution. However, it is also possible that baryonic structures in the lensing galaxy, such as edge-on discs, can produce flux-ratio anomalies. In this work, we present the first statistical analysis of flux-ratio anomalies due to baryons from a numerical simulation perspective. We select galaxies with various morphological types in the Illustris simulation and ray-trace through the simulated halos, which include baryons in the main lensing galaxies but exclude any substructures, in order to explore the pure baryonic effects. Our ray-tracing results show that the baryonic components can be a major contribution to the flux-ratio anomalies in lensed quasars and that edge-on disc lenses induce the strongest anomalies. We find that the baryonic components increase the probability of finding high flux-ratio anomalies in the early-type lenses by about 8% and by about 10 - 20% in the disc lenses. The baryonic effects also induce astrometric anomalies in 13% of the mock lenses. Our results indicate that the morphology of the lens galaxy becomes important in the analysis of flux-ratio anomalies when considering the effect of baryons, and that the presence of baryons may also partially explain the discrepancy between the observed (high) anomaly frequency and what is expected due to the presence of subhalos as predicted by the CDM simulations.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, accepted by MNRA

ROBAST: Development of a ROOT-Based Ray-Tracing Library for Cosmic-Ray Telescopes and its Applications in the Cherenkov Telescope Array

We have developed a non-sequential ray-tracing simulation library, ROOT-based simulator for ray tracing (ROBAST), which is aimed to be widely used in optical simulations of cosmic-ray (CR) and gamma-ray telescopes. The library is written in C++, and fully utilizes the geometry library of the ROOT framework. Despite the importance of optics simulations in CR experiments, no open-source software for ray-tracing simulations that can be widely used in the community has existed. To reduce the dispensable effort needed to develop multiple ray-tracing simulators by different research groups, we have successfully used ROBAST for many years to perform optics simulations for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). Among the six proposed telescope designs for CTA, ROBAST is currently used for three telescopes: a Schwarzschild-Couder (SC) medium-sized telescope, one of SC small-sized telescopes, and a large-sized telescope (LST). ROBAST is also used for the simulation and development of hexagonal light concentrators proposed for the LST focal plane. Making full use of the ROOT geometry library with additional ROBAST classes, we are able to build the complex optics geometries typically used in CR experiments and ground-based gamma-ray telescopes. We introduce ROBAST and its features developed for CR experiments, and show several successful applications for CTA.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics. 11 pages, 10 figures, 4 table

Test particle acceleration in a numerical MHD experiment of an anemone jet

To use a 3D numerical MHD experiment representing magnetic flux emerging into an open field region as a background field for tracing charged particles. The interaction between the two flux systems generates a localised current sheet where MHD reconnection takes place. We investigate how efficiently the reconnection region accelerates charged particles and what kind of energy distribution they acquire. The particle tracing is done numerically using the Guiding Center Approximation on individual data sets from the numerical MHD experiment. We derive particle and implied photon distribution functions having power law forms, and look at the impact patterns of particles hitting the photosphere. We find that particles reach energies far in excess of those seen in observations of solar flares. However the structure of the impact region in the photosphere gives a good representation of the topological structure of the magnetic field.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Uniform white light distribution with low loss from coloured LEDs using polymer doped polymer mixing rods

Colour mixing of red, green and blue (RGB) LEDs is demonstrated for a 6 cm long PMMA cylindrical rod with a transparent refractive index matched micro particle (TRIMM) diffuser sheet at the output end. Ray tracing simulations have been performed, and the output light distributions, transmittances and losses modelled and compared with experiment. Photographed and modelled colour mixing results are presented for rods with and without TRIMM sheet mixers. The TRIMM particles homogenize the light output of plain PMMA rods to form white light, with negligible backscattering. A simple method for measuring the concentration of the particles in the diffuser sheet is described, and computer modeling and analysis of TRIMM particle systems is discussed

ROBAST: Development of a Non-Sequential Ray-Tracing Simulation Library and its Applications in the Cherenkov Telescope Array

We have developed a non-sequential ray-tracing simulation library, ROot-BAsed Simulator for ray Tracing (ROBAST), which is aimed for wide use in optical simulations of cosmic-ray (CR) and gamma-ray telescopes. The library is written in C++ and fully utilizes the geometry library of the ROOT analysis framework. Despite the importance of optics simulations in CR experiments, no open-source software for ray-tracing simulations that can be widely used existed. To reduce the unnecessary effort demanded when different research groups develop multiple ray-tracing simulators, we have successfully used ROBAST for many years to perform optics simulations for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). Among the proposed telescope designs for CTA, ROBAST is currently being used for three telescopes: a Schwarzschild--Couder telescope, one of the Schwarzschild--Couder small-sized telescopes, and a large-sized telescope (LST). ROBAST is also used for the simulations and the development of hexagonal light concentrators that has been proposed for the LST focal plane. By fully utilizing the ROOT geometry library with additional ROBAST classes, building complex optics geometries that are typically used in CR experiments and ground-based gamma-ray telescopes is possible. We introduce ROBAST and show several successful applications for CTA.Comment: In Proceedings of the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2015), The Hague, The Netherlands. All CTA contributions at arXiv:1508.0589

General relativistic Poynting-Robertson effect to diagnose wormholes existence: static and spherically symmetric case

We derive the equations of motion of a test particle in the equatorial plane around a static and spherically symmetric wormhole influenced by a radiation field including the general relativistic Poynting-Robertson effect. From the analysis of this dynamical system, we develop a diagnostic to distinguish a black hole from a wormhole, which can be timely supported by several and different observational data. This procedure is based on the possibility of having some wormhole metrics, which smoothly connect to the Schwarzschild metric in a small transition surface layer very close to the black hole event horizon. To detect such a metric-change, we analyse the emission proprieties from the critical hypersurface (stable region where radiation and gravitational fields balance) together with those from an accretion disk in the Schwarzschild spacetime toward a distant observer. Indeed, if the observational data are well fitted within such model, it immediately implies the existence of a black hole; while in case of strong departures from such description it means that a wormhole could be present. Finally, we discuss our results and draw the conclusions.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, 1 Table. Paper accepted on April 30, 2020 on Physical Review

3D Particle Tracking Velocimetry Method: Advances and Error Analysis

A full three-dimensional particle tracking system was developed and tested. By using three separate CCDs placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle, the threedimensional location of particles can be determined. Particle locations measured at two different times can then be used to create a three-component, three-dimensional velocity field. Key developments are: the ability to accurately process overlapping particle images, offset CCDs to significantly improve effective resolution, allowance for dim particle images, and a hybrid particle tracking technique ideal for three-dimensional flows when only two sets of images exist. An in-depth theoretical error analysis was performed which gives the important sources of error and their effect on the overall system. This error analysis was verified through a series of experiments, which utilized a test target with 100 small dots per square inch. For displacements of 2.54mm the mean errors were less than 2% and the 90% confidence limits were less than 5.2 μm in the plane perpendicular to the camera axis, and 66 μm in the direction of the camera axis. The system was used for flow measurements around a delta wing at an angle of attack. These measurements show the successful implementation of the system for three-dimensional flow velocimetry