373 research outputs found
Extrasolar Planet Transits Observed at Kitt Peak National Observatory
We obtained J-, H- and JH-band photometry of known extrasolar planet
transiting systems at the 2.1-m Kitt Peak National Observatory Telescope using
the FLAMINGOS infrared camera between October 2008 and October 2011. From the
derived lightcurves we have extracted the mid-transit times, transit depths and
transit durations for these events. The precise mid-transit times obtained help
improve the orbital periods and also constrain transit-time variations of the
systems. For most cases the published system parameters successfully accounted
for our observed lightcurves, but in some instances we derive improved
planetary radii and orbital periods. We complemented our 2.1-m infrared
observations using CCD z'-band and B-band photometry (plus two Hydrogen Alpha
filter observations) obtained with the Kitt Peak Visitor's Center telescope,
and with four H-band transits observed in October 2007 with the NSO's 1.6-m
McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope. The principal highlights of our results are: 1)
our ensemble of J-band planetary radii agree with optical radii, with the
best-fit relation being: (Rp/R*)J = 0.0017 + 0.979 (Rp/R*)optical, 2) We
observe star spot crossings during the transit of WASP-11/HAT-P-10, 3) we
detect star spot crossings by HAT-P-11b (Kepler-3b), thus confirming that the
magnetic evolution of the stellar active regions can be monitored even after
the Kepler mission has ended, and 4) we confirm a grazing transit for
HAT-P-27/WASP-40. In total we present 57 individual transits of 32 known
exoplanet systems.Comment: 33 pages, 6 figures, accepted in Publications of the Astronomical
Society of the Pacifi
How to measure working memory capacity in the change detection paradigm
Although the measurement of working memory capacity is crucial to understanding working memory and its interaction with other cognitive faculties, there are inconsistencies in the literature on how to measure capacity. We address the measurement in the change detection paradigm, popularized by Luck and Vogel (Nature, 390, 279–281, 1997). Two measures for this task—from Pashler (Perception & Psychophysics, 44, 369–378, 1988) and Cowan (The Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 24, 87–114, 2001), respectively—have been used interchangeably, even though they may yield qualitatively different conclusions. We show that the choice between these two measures is not arbitrary. Although they are motivated by the same underlying discrete-slots working memory model, each is applicable only to a specific task; the two are never interchangeable. In the course of deriving these measures, we discuss subtle but consequential flaws in the underlying discrete-slots model. These flaws motivate revision in the modal model and capacity measures
Study of Non-Standard Neutrino Interactions with Atmospheric Neutrino Data in Super-Kamiokande I and II
In this paper we study non-standard neutrino interactions as an example of
physics beyond the standard model using atmospheric neutrino data collected
during the Super-Kamiokande I(1996-2001) and II(2003-2005) periods. We focus on
flavor-changing-neutral-currents (FCNC), which allow neutrino flavor
transitions via neutral current interactions, and effects which violate lepton
non-universality (NU) and give rise to different neutral-current
interaction-amplitudes for different neutrino flavors. We obtain a limit on the
FCNC coupling parameter, varepsilon_{mu tau}, |varepsilon_{mu tau}|<1.1 x
10^{-2} at 90%C.L. and various constraints on other FCNC parameters as a
function of the NU coupling, varepsilon_{e e}. We find no evidence of
non-standard neutrino interactions in the Super-Kamiokande atmospheric data.Comment: 12 Pages, 14 figures. To be submitted to Phys. Rev.
Atmospheric neutrino oscillation analysis with sub-leading effects in Super-Kamiokande I, II, and III
We present a search for non-zero theta_{13} and deviations of sin^2
theta_{23} from 0.5 in the oscillations of atmospheric neutrino data from
Super-Kamiokande -I, -II, and -III. No distortions of the neutrino flux
consistent with non-zero theta_{13} are found and both neutrino mass hierarchy
hypotheses are in agreement with the data. The data are best fit at Delta m^2 =
2.1 x 10^-3 eV^2, sin^2 theta_{13} = 0.0, and sin^2 theta_{23} =0.5. In the
normal (inverted) hierarchy theta_{13} and Delta m^2 are constrained at the
one-dimensional 90% C.L. to sin^2 theta_{13} < 0.04 (0.09) and 1.9 (1.7) x
10^-3 < Delta m^2 < 2.6 (2.7) x 10^-3 eV^2. The atmospheric mixing angle is
within 0.407 <= sin^2 theta_{23} <= 0.583 at 90% C.L.Comment: 17 Pages, 14 figures. To be submitted to Phys. Rev. D Minor update to
text after referee comments. Figures modified for better grayscale printing
Search for Nucleon Decay into Charged Anti-lepton plus Meson in Super-Kamiokande I and II
Searches for a nucleon decay into a charged anti-lepton (e^+ or {\mu}^+) plus
a light meson ({\pi}^0, {\pi}^-, {\eta}, {\rho}^0, {\rho}^-, {\omega}) were
performed using the Super-Kamiokande I and II data. Twelve nucleon decay modes
were searched for. The total exposure is 140.9 kiloton \cdot years, which
includes a 91.7 kiloton \cdot year exposure (1489.2 live days) of
Super-Kamiokande-I and a 49.2 kiloton \cdot year exposure (798.6 live days) of
Super-Kamiokande-II. The number of candidate events in the data was consistent
with the atmospheric neutrino background expectation. No significant evidence
for a nucleon decay was observed in the data. Thus, lower limits on the nucleon
partial lifetime at 90% confidence level were obtained. The limits range from
3.6 \times 10^31 to 8.2 \times 10^33 years, depending on the decay modes.Comment: 25 pages, 18 figure
Evidence for the Appearance of Atmospheric Tau Neutrinos in Super-Kamiokande
Super-Kamiokande atmospheric neutrino data were fit with an unbinned maximum
likelihood method to search for the appearance of tau leptons resulting from
the interactions of oscillation-generated tau neutrinos in the detector.
Relative to the expectation of unity, the tau normalization is found to be
1.42 \pm 0.35 \ (stat) {\}^{+0.14}_{-0.12}\ (syst) excluding the
no-tau-appearance hypothesis, for which the normalization would be zero, at the
3.8 level. We estimate that 180.1 \pm 44.3\ (stat)
{\}^{+17.8}_{-15.2}\ (syst) tau leptons were produced in the 22.5 kton
fiducial volume of the detector by tau neutrinos during the 2806 day running
period. In future analyses, this large sample of selected tau events will allow
the study of charged current tau neutrino interaction physics with oscillation
produced tau neutrinos.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. This is the version as published in Physical
Review Letters including the supplemental figure. A typographical error in
the description of figure 3 is also correcte
An Indirect Search for WIMPs in the Sun using 3109.6 days of upward-going muons in Super-Kamiokande
We present the result of an indirect search for high energy neutrinos from
WIMP annihilation in the Sun using upward-going muon (upmu) events at
Super-Kamiokande. Datasets from SKI-SKIII (3109.6 days) were used for the
analysis. We looked for an excess of neutrino signal from the Sun as compared
with the expected atmospheric neutrino background in three upmu categories:
stopping, non-showering, and showering. No significant excess was observed. The
90% C.L. upper limits of upward-going muon flux induced by WIMPs of 100
GeV/c were 6.4 cm sec and 4.0
cm sec for the soft and hard annihilation channels, respectively.
These limits correspond to upper limits of 4.5 cm and
2.7 cm for spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon scattering cross
sections in the soft and hard annihilation channels, respectively.Comment: Add journal reference. Also fixed typo and cosmetic things in the old
draf
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First measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters using neutrinos and antineutrinos by NOvA.
The NOvA experiment has seen a 4.4σ signal of ν[over ¯]_{e} appearance in a 2 GeV ν[over ¯]_{μ} beam at a distance of 810 km. Using 12.33×10^{20} protons on target delivered to the Fermilab NuMI neutrino beamline, the experiment recorded 27 ν[over ¯]_{μ}→ν[over ¯]_{e} candidates with a background of 10.3 and 102 ν[over ¯]_{μ}→ν[over ¯]_{μ} candidates. This new antineutrino data are combined with neutrino data to measure the parameters |Δm_{32}^{2}|=2.48_{-0.06}^{+0.11}×10^{-3} eV^{2}/c^{4} and sin^{2}θ_{23} in the ranges from (0.53-0.60) and (0.45-0.48) in the normal neutrino mass hierarchy. The data exclude most values near δ_{CP}=π/2 for the inverted mass hierarchy by more than 3σ and favor the normal neutrino mass hierarchy by 1.9σ and θ_{23} values in the upper octant by 1.6σ
Solar neutrino results in Super-Kamiokande-III
The results of the third phase of the Super-Kamiokande solar neutrino
measurement are presented and compared to the first and second phase results.
With improved detector calibrations, a full detector simulation, and improved
analysis methods, the systematic uncertainty on the total neutrino flux is
estimated to be ?2.1%, which is about two thirds of the systematic uncertainty
for the first phase of Super-Kamiokande. The observed 8B solar flux in the 5.0
to 20 MeV total electron energy region is 2.32+/-0.04 (stat.)+/-0.05 (sys.)
*10^6 cm^-2sec^-1, in agreement with previous measurements. A combined
oscillation analysis is carried out using SK-I, II, and III data, and the
results are also combined with the results of other solar neutrino experiments.
The best-fit oscillation parameters are obtained to be sin^2 {\theta}12 =
0.30+0.02-0.01(tan^2 {\theta}12 = 0.42+0.04 -0.02) and {\Delta}m2_21 =
6.2+1.1-1.9 *10^-5eV^2. Combined with KamLAND results, the best-fit oscillation
parameters are found to be sin^2 {\theta}12 = 0.31+/-0.01(tan^2 {\theta}12 =
0.44+/-0.03) and {\Delta}m2_21 = 7.6?0.2*10^-5eV^2 . The 8B neutrino flux
obtained from global solar neutrino experiments is
5.3+/-0.2(stat.+sys.)*10^6cm^-2s^-1, while the 8B flux becomes
5.1+/-0.1(stat.+sys.)*10^6cm^-2s^-1 by adding KamLAND result. In a three-flavor
analysis combining all solar neutrino experiments, the upper limit of sin^2
{\theta}13 is 0.060 at 95% C.L.. After combination with KamLAND results, the
upper limit of sin^2 {\theta}13 is found to be 0.059 at 95% C.L..Comment: 19 pages, 33 figures in the main text. The appendix section on errata
is added in v
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