2,294 research outputs found

    Synthetic Observations of Simulated Radio Galaxies I: Radio and X-ray Analysis

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    We present an extensive synthetic observational analysis of numerically- simulated radio galaxies designed to explore the effectiveness of conventional observational analyses at recovering physical source properties. These are the first numerical simulations with sufficient physical detail to allow such a study. The present paper focuses on extraction of magnetic field properties from nonthermal intensity information. Synchrotron and inverse-Compton intensities provided meaningful information about distributions and strengths of magnetic fields, although considerable care was called for. Correlations between radio and X-ray surface brightness correctly revealed useful dynamical relationships between particles and fields. Magnetic field strength estimates derived from the ratio of X-ray to radio intensity were mostly within about a factor of two of the RMS field strength along a given line of sight. When emissions along a given line of sight were dominated by regions close to the minimum energy/equipartition condition, the field strengths derived from the standard power-law-spectrum minimum energy calculation were also reasonably close to actual field strengths, except when spectral aging was evident. Otherwise, biases in the minimum- energy magnetic field estimation mirrored actual differences from equipartition. The ratio of the inverse-Compton magnetic field to the minimum-energy magnetic field provided a rough measure of the actual total energy in particles and fields in most instances, within an order of magnitude. This may provide a practical limit to the accuracy with which one may be able to establish the internal energy density or pressure of optically thin synchrotron sources.Comment: 43 pages, 14 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ, v601 n2 February 1, 200

    Structure of the X-ray Emission from the Jet of 3C 273

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    We present images from five observations of the quasar 3C 273 with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The jet has at least four distinct features which are not resolved in previous observations. The first knot in the jet (A1) is very bright in X-rays. Its X-ray spectrum is well fitted with a power law with alpha = 0.60 +/- 0.05. Combining this measurement with lower frequency data shows that a pure synchrotron model can fit the spectrum of this knot from 1.647 GHz to 5 keV (over nine decades in energy) with alpha = 0.76 +/- 0.02, similar to the X-ray spectral slope. Thus, we place a lower limit on the total power radiated by this knot of 1.5e43 erg/s; substantially more power may be emitted in the hard X-ray and gamma-ray bands. Knot A2 is also detected and is somewhat blended with knot B1. Synchrotron emission may also explain the X-ray emission but a spectral bend is required near the optical band. For knots A1 and B1, the X-ray flux dominates the emitted energy. For the remaining optical knots (C through H), localized X-ray enhancements that might correspond to the optical features are not clearly resolved. The position angle of the jet ridge line follows the optical shape with distinct, aperiodic excursions of +/-1 deg from a median value of -138.0deg. Finally, we find X-ray emission from the ``inner jet'' between 5 and 10" from the core.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures; accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. For the color image, see fig1.ps or http://space.mit.edu/~hermanm/papers/3c273/fig1.jp

    The Optical-Near-IR Spectrum of the M87 Jet From HST Observations

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    We present 1998 HST observations of M87 which yield the first single-epoch optical and radio-optical spectral index images of the jet at 0.15â€Čâ€Č0.15'' resolution. We find ≈0.67 \approx 0.67, comparable to previous measurements, and ≈0.9 \approx 0.9 (FΜ∝Μ−αF_\nu \propto \nu^{-\alpha}), slightly flatter than previous workers. Reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. These observations reveal a large variety of spectral slopes. Bright knots exhibit flatter spectra than interknot regions. The flattest spectra (αo∌0.5−0.6\alpha_o \sim 0.5-0.6; comparable to or flatter than αro\alpha_{ro}) are found in two inner jet knots (D-East and HST-1) which contain the fastest superluminal components. In knots A, B and C, αo\alpha_o and αro\alpha_{ro} are essentially anti-correlated. Near the flux maxima of knots HST-1 and F, changes in αro\alpha_{ro} lag changes in αo\alpha_o, but in knots D and E, the opposite relationship is observed. This is further evidence that radio and optical emissions in the M87 jet come from substantially different physical regions. The delays observed in the inner jet are consistent with localized particle acceleration, with tacc<<tcoolt_{acc} << t_{cool} for optically emitting electrons in knots HST-1 and F, and tacc∌tcoolt_{acc} \sim t_{cool} for optically emitting electrons in knots D and E. Synchrotron models yield \nu_B \gsim 10^{16} Hz for knots D, A and B, and somewhat lower values, ÎœB∌1015−1016\nu_B \sim 10^{15}- 10^{16} Hz, in other regions. If X-ray emissions from knots A, B and D are co-spatial with optical and radio emission, we can strongly rule out the ``continuous injection'' model. Because of the short lifetimes of X-ray synchrotron emitting particles, the X-ray emission likely fills volumes much smaller than the optical emission regions.Comment: Text 17 pages, 3 Tables, 11 figures, accepted by Ap

    Formation of molecular hydrogen on analogues of interstellar dust grains: experiments and modelling

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    Molecular hydrogen has an important role in the early stages of star formation as well as in the production of many other molecules that have been detected in the interstellar medium. In this review we show that it is now possible to study the formation of molecular hydrogen in simulated astrophysical environments. Since the formation of molecular hydrogen is believed to take place on dust grains, we show that surface science techniques such as thermal desorption and time-of-flight can be used to measure the recombination efficiency, the kinetics of reaction and the dynamics of desorption. The analysis of the experimental results using rate equations gives useful insight on the mechanisms of reaction and yields values of parameters that are used in theoretical models of interstellar cloud chemistry.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figs. Published in the J. Phys.: Conf. Se

    New Chandra observations of the jet in 3C273. I. Softer X-ray than radio spectra and the X-ray emission mechanism

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    The jet in 3C273 is a high-power quasar jet with radio, optical and X-ray emission whose size and brightness allow a detailed study of the emission processes acting in it. We present deep Chandra observations of this jet and analyse the spectral properties of the jet emission from radio through X-rays. We find that the X-ray spectra are significantly softer than the radio spectra in all regions of the bright part of the jet except for the first bright "knot A", ruling out a model in which the X-ray emission from the entire jet arises from beamed inverse-Compton scattering of cosmic microwave background photons in a single-zone jet flow. Within two-zone jet models, we find that a synchrotron origin for the jet's X-rays requires fewer additional assumptions than an inverse-Compton model, especially if velocity shear leads to efficient particle acceleration in jet flows.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, emulateapj. Accepted by Ap

    Measurement of Analyzing Power for Proton-Carbon Elastic Scattering in the Coulomb-Nuclear Interference Region with a 22-GeV/c Polarized Proton Beam

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    The analyzing power for proton-carbon elastic scattering in the coulomb-nuclear interference region of momentum transfer, 9.0×10−3<−t<4.1×10−29.0\times10^{-3}<-t<4.1\times10^{-2} (GeV/c)2c)^{2}, was measured with a 21.7 GeV/cc polarized proton beam at the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron of Brookhaven National Laboratory. The ratio of hadronic spin-flip to non-flip amplitude, r5r_5, was obtained from the analyzing power to be Rer5=0.088±0.058\text{Re} r_5=0.088\pm 0.058 and Imr5=−0.161±0.226\text{Im} r_5=-0.161\pm 0.226.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures and 1 table. Accepted by Physical Review Letter

    Applications of the RHIC AC Dipoles and Their Expected Performance

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    Two AC dipoles with horizontal and vertical oscillating magnetic fields will be installed in RHIC. They will provide coherent oscillations for beam dynamic studies and betatron function measurements. The AC dipole with horizontal magnetic field will also be used to induce a full spin flip for RHIC polarized proton experiments. This note discusses the applications of the AC dipoles in RHIC and their expected parameter

    Measurement of direct photon production at Tevatron fixed target energies

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    Measurements of the production of high transverse momentum direct photons by a 515 GeV/c piminus beam and 530 and 800 GeV/c proton beams in interactions with beryllium and hydrogen targets are presented. The data span the kinematic ranges of 3.5 < p_T < 12 GeV/c in transverse momentum and 1.5 units in rapidity. The inclusive direct-photon cross sections are compared with next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations and expectations based on a phenomenological parton-k_T model.Comment: RevTeX4, 23 pages, 32 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

    ASCR/HEP Exascale Requirements Review Report

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    This draft report summarizes and details the findings, results, and recommendations derived from the ASCR/HEP Exascale Requirements Review meeting held in June, 2015. The main conclusions are as follows. 1) Larger, more capable computing and data facilities are needed to support HEP science goals in all three frontiers: Energy, Intensity, and Cosmic. The expected scale of the demand at the 2025 timescale is at least two orders of magnitude -- and in some cases greater -- than that available currently. 2) The growth rate of data produced by simulations is overwhelming the current ability, of both facilities and researchers, to store and analyze it. Additional resources and new techniques for data analysis are urgently needed. 3) Data rates and volumes from HEP experimental facilities are also straining the ability to store and analyze large and complex data volumes. Appropriately configured leadership-class facilities can play a transformational role in enabling scientific discovery from these datasets. 4) A close integration of HPC simulation and data analysis will aid greatly in interpreting results from HEP experiments. Such an integration will minimize data movement and facilitate interdependent workflows. 5) Long-range planning between HEP and ASCR will be required to meet HEP's research needs. To best use ASCR HPC resources the experimental HEP program needs a) an established long-term plan for access to ASCR computational and data resources, b) an ability to map workflows onto HPC resources, c) the ability for ASCR facilities to accommodate workflows run by collaborations that can have thousands of individual members, d) to transition codes to the next-generation HPC platforms that will be available at ASCR facilities, e) to build up and train a workforce capable of developing and using simulations and analysis to support HEP scientific research on next-generation systems.Comment: 77 pages, 13 Figures; draft report, subject to further revisio
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