Observation of sub-Bragg diffraction of waves in crystals

We investigate the diffraction conditions and associated formation of stopgaps for waves in crystals with different Bravais lattices. We identify a prominent stopgap in high-symmetry directions that occurs at a frequency below the ubiquitous first-order Bragg condition. This sub-Bragg diffraction condition is demonstrated by reflectance spectroscopy on two-dimensional photonic crystals with a centred rectangular lattice, revealing prominent diffraction peaks for both the sub-Bragg and first-order Bragg condition. These results have implications for wave propagation in 2 of the 5 two-dimensional Bravais lattices and 7 out of 14 three-dimensional Bravais lattices, such as centred rectangular, triangular, hexagonal and body-centred cubic

Regularity of higher codimension area minimizing integral currents

This lecture notes are an expanded version of the course given at the ERC-School on Geometric Measure Theory and Real Analysis, held in Pisa, September 30th - October 30th 2013. The lectures aim to explain the main steps of a new proof of the partial regularity of area minimizing integer rectifiable currents in higher codimension, due originally to F. Almgren, which is contained in a series of papers in collaboration with C. De Lellis (University of Zurich).Comment: This text will appear in "Geometric Measure Theory and Real Analysis", pp. 131--192, Proceedings of the ERC school in Pisa (2013), L. Ambrosio Ed., Edizioni SNS (CRM Series

Far-UV Emissions of the Sun in Time: Probing Solar Magnetic Activity and Effects on Evolution of Paleo-Planetary Atmospheres

We present and analyze FUSE observations of six solar analogs. These are single, main-sequence G0-5 strs selected as proxies for the Sun at several stages of its main-sequence lifetime. The emission features in the FUSE 920-1180 A wavelength range allow for a critical probe of the hot plasma over three decades in temperature. Using the flux ratio CIII 1176/977 as diagnostics, we investigate the dependence of the electron pressure of the transition region as a function of the rotation period, age and magnetic activity. The results from these solar proxies indicate that the electron pressure of the stellar ~10^5-K plasma decreases by a factor of about 70 between the young, fast-rotating magnetically active star and the old, slow-rotating inactive star. Also, the observations indicate that the average surface fluxes of emission features strongly decrease with increasing stellar age and longer rotation period. The emission flux evolution with age or rotation period is well fitted by power laws, which become steeper from cooler chromospheric (10^4 K) to hotter coronal (10^7 K) plasma. The relationship for the integrated (920-1180 A) FUSE flux indicates that the solar far-ultraviolet emissions were about twice the present value 2.5 Gyr ago and about 4 times the present value 3.5 Gyr ago. Note also that the FUSE/FUV flux of the Zero-Age Main Sequence Sun could have been higher by as much as 50 times. Our analysis suggests that the strong FUV emissions of the young Sun may have played a crucial role in the developing planetary system, in particular through the photoionization, photochemical evolution and possible erosion of the planetary atmospheres. (abridged)Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

The Initial Mass Function of the Orion Nebula Cluster across the H-burning limit

We present a new census of the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) over a large field of view (>30'x30'), significantly increasing the known population of stellar and substellar cluster members with precisely determined properties. We develop and exploit a technique to determine stellar effective temperatures from optical colors, nearly doubling the previously available number of objects with effective temperature determinations in this benchmark cluster. Our technique utilizes colors from deep photometry in the I-band and in two medium-band filters at lambda~753 and 770nm, which accurately measure the depth of a molecular feature present in the spectra of cool stars. From these colors we can derive effective temperatures with a precision corresponding to better than one-half spectral subtype, and importantly this precision is independent of the extinction to the individual stars. Also, because this technique utilizes only photometry redward of 750nm, the results are only mildly sensitive to optical veiling produced by accretion. Completing our census with previously available data, we place some 1750 sources in the Hertzsprung-Russel diagram and assign masses and ages down to 0.02 solar masses. At faint luminosities, we detect a large population of background sources which is easily separated in our photometry from the bona fide cluster members. The resulting initial mass function of the cluster has good completeness well into the substellar mass range, and we find that it declines steeply with decreasing mass. This suggests a deficiency of newly formed brown dwarfs in the cluster compared to the Galactic disk population.Comment: 16 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Light scattering from three-level systems: The T-matrix of a point-dipole with gain

We present an extension of the T-matrix approach to scattering of light by a three-level system, using a description based on a Master equation. More particularly, we apply our formalism to calculate the T-matrix of a pumped three-level atom, providing an exact and analytical expression describing the influence of a pump on the light scattering properties of an atomic three-level system

Multiplicity of Nearby Free-floating Ultra-cool Dwarfs: a HST-WFPC2 search for companions

We present HST/WFPC2 observations of a sample of 134 ultra-cool objects (spectral types later than M7) coming from the DENIS, 2MASS and SDSS surveys, with distances estimated to range from 7 pc to 105 pc. Fifteen new ultra-cool binary candidates are reported here. Eleven known binaries are confirmed and orbital motion is detected in some of them. We estimate that the closest binary systems in this sample have periods between 5 and 20 years, and thus dynamical masses will be derived in the near future. For the calculation of binary frequency we restrict ourselves to systems with distances less than 20 pc. After correction of the binaries bias, we find a ratio of visual binaries (at the HST limit of detection) of around 10%, and that ~15% of the 26 objects within 20 parsecs are binary systems with separations between 1 and 8 A.U. The observed frequency of ultra-cool binaries is similar than that of binaries with G-type primaries in the separation range from 2.1 A.U. to 140 A.U. There is also a clear deficit of ultra-cool binaries with separations greater than 15 A.U., and a possible tendency for the binaries to have mass ratios near unity. Most systems have indeed visual and near-infrared brightness ratios between 1 and 0.3. We discuss our results in the framework of current scenarios for the formation and evolution of free-floating brown dwarfs.Comment: 67 pages, 14 figures, Accepted for publication in AJ, September 2003. First submission to AJ: august 2002, 5 submission

Mars Relay Lander and Orbiter Overflight Profile Estimation

This software allows science and mission operations to view graphs of geometric overflights of satellites and landers within the Mars (or other planetary) networks. It improves on the MaROS Web interface within any modern Web browser, in that it adds new capabilities to the MaROS suite. The profile for an overflight is an important element for selecting communication/ overflight opportunities between the landers and orbiters within the Mars network. Unfortunately, determining these estimates is very computationally expensive and difficult to compute by hand. This software allows the user to select different overflights (via the existing MaROS Web interface) and specify the smoothness of the estimation. Estimates for the geometric relationship between a lander and an orbiter are determined based upon the orbital conditions of the orbiter at the moment the orbiter rises above the horizon from the perspective of the lander. It utilizes 2-body orbital equations to propagate the trajectory through the duration of the view period, and returns profiles that represent the range between the two vehicles, and the elevation and azimuth angles of the orbiter as measured from the lander s position. The algorithms assume a 2-body relationship with an ideal, spherical planetary body, so therefore can see errors less than 2% at polar landing sites on Mars. These algorithms are being implemented to provide rough estimates rapidly for the geometry of a geometric view period where more complete data is unavailable, such as for planning purposes. While other software for this task exists, each at the time of this reporting has been contained within a much more complicated package. This tool allows science and mission operations to view the estimates with a few clicks of the mouse

Troubling identities: teacher education students` constructions of class and ethnicity

Working with diverse student populations productively depends on teachers and teacher educators recognizing and valuing difference. Too often, in teacher education programs, when markers of identity such as gender, ethnicity, \u27race\u27, or social class are examined, the focus is on developing student teachers\u27 understandings of how these discourses shape learner identities and rarely on how these also shape teachers\u27 identities. This article reports on a research project that explored how student teachers understand ethnicity and socio-economic status. In a preliminary stage of the research, we asked eight Year 3 teacher education students who had attended mainly Anglo-Australian, middle class schools as students and as student teachers, to explore their own ethnic and classed identities. The complexities of identity are foregrounded in both the assumptions we made in selecting particular students for the project and in the ways they constructed their own identities around ethnicity and social class. In this article we draw on these findings to interrogate how categories of identity are fluid, shifting and ongoing processes of negotiation, troubling and complex. We also consider the implications for teacher education.<br /

Temperature constraints on the coldest brown dwarf known WISE 0855-0714

Context. Nearby isolated planetary mass objects are beginning to be discovered, but their individual properties are poorly constrained because their low surface temperatures and strong molecular self-absorption make them extremely faint. Aims. We aimed to detect the near infrared emission of the coldest brown dwarf (BD) found so far, WISE0855$-$0714, located $\sim$2.2 pc away, and to improve its temperature estimate (T$_{\rm eff}$= 225-260 K) from a comparison with state-of-the-art models of BD atmospheres. Methods. We observed the field containing WISE0855-0714 with HAWK-I at the VLT in the $Y$ band. For BDs with T$_{\rm eff}<$500\,K theoretical models predict strong signal (or rather less molecular absorption) in this band. Results. WISE0855-0714 was not detected in our Y-band images, thus placing an upper limit on its brightness to Y>24.4 mag at 3-$\sigma$ level, leading to Y-[4.5]>10.5. Combining this limit with previous detections and upper limits at other wavelengths, WISE0855$-$0714 is confirmed as the reddest BD detected, further supporting its status as the coldest known brown dwarf. We applied spectral energy distribution fitting with collections of models from two independent groups for extremely cool BD atmospheres leading to an effective temperature of T$_{\rm eff}<$250\,K,.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. A&A letter Accepte

A Hubble Space Telescope ACS Search for Brown Dwarf Binaries in the Pleiades Open Cluster

We present the results of a high-resolution imaging survey for brown dwarf binaries in the Pleiades open cluster. The observations were carried out with the Advance Camera for Surveys onboard the Hubble Space Telescope. Our sample consists of 15 bona-fide brown dwarfs. We confirm 2 binaries and detect their orbital motion, but we did not resolve any new binary candidates in the separation range between 5.4AU and 1700AU and masses in the range 0.035--0.065~Msun. Together with the results of our previous study (Martin et al., 2003), we can derive a visual binary frequency of 13.3$^{+13.7}_{-4.3}$\% for separations greater than 7~AU masses between 0.055--0.065~M_{\sun} and mass ratios between 0.45--0.9$<q<$1.0. The other observed properties of Pleiades brown dwarf binaries (distributions of separation and mass ratio) appear to be similar to their older counterparts in the field.Comment: 29 pages, 7 figures, 6 tables, accepted for publication in Ap