26,807 research outputs found
First narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves from known pulsars in advanced detector data
Spinning neutron stars asymmetric with respect to their rotation axis are potential sources of
continuous gravitational waves for ground-based interferometric detectors. In the case of known pulsars a
fully coherent search, based on matched filtering, which uses the position and rotational parameters
obtained from electromagnetic observations, can be carried out. Matched filtering maximizes the signalto-
noise (SNR) ratio, but a large sensitivity loss is expected in case of even a very small mismatch
between the assumed and the true signal parameters. For this reason, narrow-band analysis methods have
been developed, allowing a fully coherent search for gravitational waves from known pulsars over a
fraction of a hertz and several spin-down values. In this paper we describe a narrow-band search of
11 pulsars using data from Advanced LIGOâs first observing run. Although we have found several initial
outliers, further studies show no significant evidence for the presence of a gravitational wave signal.
Finally, we have placed upper limits on the signal strain amplitude lower than the spin-down limit for 5 of
the 11 targets over the bands searched; in the case of J1813-1749 the spin-down limit has been beaten for
the first time. For an additional 3 targets, the median upper limit across the search bands is below the
spin-down limit. This is the most sensitive narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves carried
out so far
Enhancing the significance of gravitational wave bursts through signal classification
The quest to observe gravitational waves challenges our ability to
discriminate signals from detector noise. This issue is especially relevant for
transient gravitational waves searches with a robust eyes wide open approach,
the so called all- sky burst searches. Here we show how signal classification
methods inspired by broad astrophysical characteristics can be implemented in
all-sky burst searches preserving their generality. In our case study, we apply
a multivariate analyses based on artificial neural networks to classify waves
emitted in compact binary coalescences. We enhance by orders of magnitude the
significance of signals belonging to this broad astrophysical class against the
noise background. Alternatively, at a given level of mis-classification of
noise events, we can detect about 1/4 more of the total signal population. We
also show that a more general strategy of signal classification can actually be
performed, by testing the ability of artificial neural networks in
discriminating different signal classes. The possible impact on future
observations by the LIGO-Virgo network of detectors is discussed by analysing
recoloured noise from previous LIGO-Virgo data with coherent WaveBurst, one of
the flagship pipelines dedicated to all-sky searches for transient
gravitational waves
The Brown Dwarf Kinematics Project I. Proper motions and tangential velocities for a large sample of late-type M, L, and T dwarfs
We report proper-motion measurements for 427 late-type M, L, and T dwarfs, 332 of which have been measured for the first time. Combining these new proper motions with previously published measurements yields a sample of 841 M7-T8 dwarfs. We combined parallax measurements or calculated spectrophotometric distances, and computed tangential velocities for the entire sample. We find that kinematics for the full and volume-limited 20 pc samples are consistent with those expected for the Galactic thin disk, with no significant differences between late-type M, L, and T dwarfs. Applying an age-velocity relation we conclude that the average kinematic age of the 20 pc sample of ultracool dwarfs is older than recent kinematic estimates and more consistent with age results calculated with population synthesis models. There is a statistically distinct population of high tangential velocity sources (V tan > 100 km s^â1) whose kinematics suggest an even older population of ultracool dwarfs belonging to either the Galactic thick disk or halo. We isolate subsets of the entire sample, including low surface gravity dwarfs, unusually blue L dwarfs, and photometric outliers in J â Ks color and investigate their kinematics. We find that the spectroscopically distinct class of unusually blue L dwarfs has kinematics clearly consistent with old age, implying that high surface gravity and/or low metallicity may be relevant to their spectral properties. The low surface gravity dwarfs are kinematically younger than the overall population, and the kinematics of the red and blue ultracool dwarfs suggest ages that are younger and older than the full sample, respectively. We also present a reduced proper-motion diagram at 2MASS (Two Micron All Sky Survey) Ks for the entire population and find that a limit of HKs > 18 excludes M dwarfs from the L and T dwarf population regardless of near-infrared color, potentially enabling the identification of the coldest brown dwarfs in the absence of color information
FliPer: Checking the reliability of global seismic parameters from automatic pipelines
Our understanding of stars through asteroseismic data analysis is limited by
our ability to take advantage of the huge amount of observed stars provided by
space missions such as CoRoT, Kepler, K2, and soon TESS and PLATO. Global
seismic pipelines provide global stellar parameters such as mass and radius
using the mean seismic parameters, as well as the effective temperature. These
pipelines are commonly used automatically on thousands of stars observed by K2
for 3 months (and soon TESS for at least around 1 month). However, pipelines
are not immune from misidentifying noise peaks and stellar oscillations.
Therefore, new validation techniques are required to assess the quality of
these results. We present a new metric called FliPer (Flicker in Power), which
takes into account the average variability at all measured time scales. The
proper calibration of FliPer enables us to obtain good estimations of global
stellar parameters such as surface gravity that are robust against the
influence of noise peaks and hence are an excellent way to find faults in
asteroseismic pipelines.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings for SF2A 2017 (Paris
Object preference by walking fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, is mediated by vision and graviperception
Walking fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, use visual information to orient towards salient objects in their environment,
presumably as a search strategy for finding food, shelter or other resources. Less is known, however, about the role of vision or
other sensory modalities such as mechanoreception in the evaluation of objects once they have been reached. To study the role
of vision and mechanoreception in exploration behavior, we developed a large arena in which we could track individual fruit flies
as they walked through either simple or more topologically complex landscapes. When exploring a simple, flat environment
lacking three-dimensional objects, flies used visual cues from the distant background to stabilize their walking trajectories. When
exploring an arena containing an array of cones, differing in geometry, flies actively oriented towards, climbed onto, and explored
the objects, spending most of their time on the tallest, steepest object. A flyâs behavioral response to the geometry of an object
depended upon the intrinsic properties of each object and not a relative assessment to other nearby objects. Furthermore, the
preference was not due to a greater attraction towards tall, steep objects, but rather a change in locomotor behavior once a fly
reached and explored the surface. Specifically, flies are much more likely to stop walking for long periods when they are perched
on tall, steep objects. Both the vision system and the antennal chordotonal organs (Johnstonâs organs) provide sufficient
information about the geometry of an object to elicit the observed change in locomotor behavior. Only when both these sensory
systems were impaired did flies not show the behavioral preference for the tall, steep objects
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