282 research outputs found

    Quantitative magneto-optical investigation of superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures

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    We present a detailed quantitative magneto-optical imaging study of several superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures, including Nb deposited on top of thermomagnetically patterned NdFeB, and permalloy/niobium with erasable and tailored magnetic landscapes imprinted in the permalloy layer. The magneto-optical imaging data is complemented with and compared to scanning Hall probe microscopy measurements. Comprehensive protocols have been developed for calibrating, testing, and converting Faraday rotation data to magnetic field maps. Applied to the acquired data, they reveal the comparatively weaker magnetic response of the superconductor from the background of larger fields and field gradients generated by the magnetic layer.Comment: 21 pages, including 2 pages of supplementary materia

    Searching for dark matter sub-structure with HAWC

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    Numerical simulations show that the dark matter halos surrounding galaxies are expected to contain many over-densities or sub-halos. The most massive of these sub-halos can be optically observed in the form of dwarf galaxies. However, most lower mass sub-halos are predicted to exist as dark dwarf galaxies: sub-halos like dwarf galaxies with no luminous counterpart. It may be possible to detect these unseen sub-halos from gamma-ray signals originating from dark matter annihilation. The High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory (HAWC) is a very high energy (500 GeV to \u3e100 TeV) gamma ray detector with a wide field-of-view and near continuous duty cycle, making HAWC ideal for unbiased sky surveys. We perform a search for gamma ray signals from dark dwarfs in the Milky Way halo with HAWC. We perform a targeted search of HAWC gamma-ray sources which have no known association with lower-energy counterparts, based on an unbiased survey of the entire sky. With no sources found to strongly prefer dark matter models, we calculate the ability of HAWC to observe dark dwarfs. We also compute the HAWC sensitivity to potential future detections for a given model of dark matter substructure. Assuming thermal dark matter, we find the corresponding J-factor of a dark dwarf required to reach the HAWC detection criterion is 5.79× 1020 GeV2 cm−5 sr for one particular set of dark matter assumptions. HAWC is found to be able to competitively constrain dark matter annihilation from discovered halos with J-factors on the scale of 1019 GeV2 cm−5 sr or greater, with better constraints obtained on dark matter models with \u3e10 TeV masses and sources that transit overhead

    Where ecosystems, people and health meet: academic traditons and emerging fields for research and practice

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    Human-driven environmental change has brought attention to the importance of ecosystems in sustaining human health and well-being. There are various schools of thought and fields of inquiry and action that seek to understand health in relation to linked social and ecological phenomena. We describe 18 such fields and outline common elements and incongruities among them. They converge around the application of systems thinking and crossing disciplinary boundaries, while differences are found in methodologies, research foci and problem framing. Although fields encourage sustainable and equitable pathways for health promotion, depoliticized and ahistorical approaches continue to be standard practice. Future research calls for a deeper commitment to examining ourselves as political actors, making space for conversations around power dynamics, and (re)centering participants in research methodologies.As mudanças ambientais antrópicas despertaram a atenção para a importância dos ecossistemas como fundamentais para sustentar a saúde e o bem-estar humanos. Várias escolas de pensamento e campos de atuação em pesquisa e ação buscam compreender a saúde e os fenômenos sociais e ecológicos associados. Apresentamos 18 desses campos de atuação destacando seus elementos comuns e divergências. Eles convergem em torno do cruzamento de fronteiras disciplinares e na aplicação do pensamento sistêmico, enquanto as principais diferenças são encontradas nas metodologias, nos enfoques de pesquisa e no enquadramento dos problemas. Embora os campos busquem promover a saúde pelos caminhos sustentáveis e equitativos, as abordagens despolitizadas e a-históricas continuam sendo parte da prática padrão. Pesquisas futuras requerem um compromisso maior na avaliação das nossas próprias condutas como atores políticos e na promoção de novos espaços de discussões sobre a dinâmica de poder, a fim de (re)centralizar os participantes nas metodologias de pesquisa

    Developing a relational approach to energy demand: A methodological and conceptual guide

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    In a recent review of research on the role of social relations in shaping energy demand, authors documented increasing interest in relational approaches to energy [1]. Relational approaches to energy conceive of human behaviour as produced and reproduced by social relations and interactions, placing relationships at the centre of inquiry, as well as understanding these relationships in the context of infrastructure and the built environment. In this paper, we build on a relational approach in new economic sociology, and on our research project about the social relations of energy retrofit, to offer a methodological and conceptual guide to those working on energy demand topics. We detail the ontological and epistemological starting points of our relational approach, and articulate how research can be designed to capture the role of social relations in shaping decision-making on energy, as well as to offer innovative insights for policy-makers and practitioners. We use our experience in a research project on energy retrofit as a case study, reflecting on the practical aspects of this research approach to provide suggestions for research design for those interested in doing similar work. This includes defining key concepts and the way they interact in a conceptual framework for a relational approach to energy. We also offer some conceptually driven research questions as a starting point for energy research projects. We finish by discussing the potential for further application of these ideas in research, policy and practice

    Observation of the Crab Nebula with the HAWC Gamma-Ray Observatory

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    The Crab Nebula is the brightest TeV gamma-ray source in the sky and has been used for the past 25 years as a reference source in TeV astronomy, for calibration and verification of new TeV instruments. The High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory (HAWC), completed in early 2015, has been used to observe the Crab Nebula at high significance across nearly the full spectrum of energies to which HAWC is sensitive. HAWC is unique for its wide field-of-view, nearly 2 sr at any instant, and its high-energy reach, up to 100 TeV. HAWC's sensitivity improves with the gamma-ray energy. Above \sim1 TeV the sensitivity is driven by the best background rejection and angular resolution ever achieved for a wide-field ground array. We present a time-integrated analysis of the Crab using 507 live days of HAWC data from 2014 November to 2016 June. The spectrum of the Crab is fit to a function of the form ϕ(E)=ϕ0(E/E0)αβln(E/E0)\phi(E) = \phi_0 (E/E_{0})^{-\alpha -\beta\cdot{\rm{ln}}(E/E_{0})}. The data is well-fit with values of α=2.63±0.03\alpha=2.63\pm0.03, β=0.15±0.03\beta=0.15\pm0.03, and log10(ϕ0 cm2 s TeV)=12.60±0.02_{10}(\phi_0~{\rm{cm}^2}~{\rm{s}}~{\rm{TeV}})=-12.60\pm0.02 when E0E_{0} is fixed at 7 TeV and the fit applies between 1 and 37 TeV. Study of the systematic errors in this HAWC measurement is discussed and estimated to be ±\pm50\% in the photon flux between 1 and 37 TeV. Confirmation of the Crab flux serves to establish the HAWC instrument's sensitivity for surveys of the sky. The HAWC survey will exceed sensitivity of current-generation observatories and open a new view of 2/3 of the sky above 10 TeV.Comment: Submitted 2017/01/06 to the Astrophysical Journa

    The 2HWC HAWC Observatory Gamma Ray Catalog

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    We present the first catalog of TeV gamma-ray sources realized with the recently completed High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory (HAWC). It is the most sensitive wide field-of-view TeV telescope currently in operation, with a 1-year survey sensitivity of ~5-10% of the flux of the Crab Nebula. With an instantaneous field of view >1.5 sr and >90% duty cycle, it continuously surveys and monitors the sky for gamma ray energies between hundreds GeV and tens of TeV. HAWC is located in Mexico at a latitude of 19 degree North and was completed in March 2015. Here, we present the 2HWC catalog, which is the result of the first source search realized with the complete HAWC detector. Realized with 507 days of data and represents the most sensitive TeV survey to date for such a large fraction of the sky. A total of 39 sources were detected, with an expected contamination of 0.5 due to background fluctuation. Out of these sources, 16 are more than one degree away from any previously reported TeV source. The source list, including the position measurement, spectrum measurement, and uncertainties, is reported. Seven of the detected sources may be associated with pulsar wind nebulae, two with supernova remnants, two with blazars, and the remaining 23 have no firm identification yet.Comment: Submitted 2017/02/09 to the Astrophysical Journa

    All-particle cosmic ray energy spectrum measured by the HAWC experiment from 10 to 500 TeV

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    We report on the measurement of the all-particle cosmic ray energy spectrum with the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory in the energy range 10 to 500 TeV. HAWC is a ground based air-shower array deployed on the slopes of Volcan Sierra Negra in the state of Puebla, Mexico, and is sensitive to gamma rays and cosmic rays at TeV energies. The data used in this work were taken from 234 days between June 2016 to February 2017. The primary cosmic-ray energy is determined with a maximum likelihood approach using the particle density as a function of distance to the shower core. Introducing quality cuts to isolate events with shower cores landing on the array, the reconstructed energy distribution is unfolded iteratively. The measured all-particle spectrum is consistent with a broken power law with an index of 2.49±0.01-2.49\pm0.01 prior to a break at (45.7±0.1(45.7\pm0.1) TeV, followed by an index of 2.71±0.01-2.71\pm0.01. The spectrum also respresents a single measurement that spans the energy range between direct detection and ground based experiments. As a verification of the detector response, the energy scale and angular resolution are validated by observation of the cosmic ray Moon shadow's dependence on energy.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, 4 tables, submission to Physical Review

    Daily monitoring of TeV gamma-ray emission from Mrk 421, Mrk 501, and the Crab Nebula with HAWC

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    We present results from daily monitoring of gamma rays in the energy range 0.5\sim0.5 to 100\sim100 TeV with the first 17 months of data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory. Its wide field of view of 2 steradians and duty cycle of >95>95% are unique features compared to other TeV observatories that allow us to observe every source that transits over HAWC for up to 6\sim6 hours each sidereal day. This regular sampling yields unprecedented light curves from unbiased measurements that are independent of seasons or weather conditions. For the Crab Nebula as a reference source we find no variability in the TeV band. Our main focus is the study of the TeV blazars Markarian (Mrk) 421 and Mrk 501. A spectral fit for Mrk 421 yields a power law index Γ=2.21±0.14stat±0.20sys\Gamma=2.21 \pm0.14_{\mathrm{stat}}\pm0.20_{\mathrm{sys}} and an exponential cut-off E0=5.4±1.1stat±1.0sysE_0=5.4 \pm 1.1_{\mathrm{stat}}\pm 1.0_{\mathrm{sys}} TeV. For Mrk 501, we find an index Γ=1.60±0.30stat±0.20sys\Gamma=1.60\pm 0.30_{\mathrm{stat}} \pm 0.20_{\mathrm{sys}} and exponential cut-off E0=5.7±1.6stat±1.0sysE_0=5.7\pm 1.6_{\mathrm{stat}} \pm 1.0_{\mathrm{sys}} TeV. The light curves for both sources show clear variability and a Bayesian analysis is applied to identify changes between flux states. The highest per-transit fluxes observed from Mrk 421 exceed the Crab Nebula flux by a factor of approximately five. For Mrk 501, several transits show fluxes in excess of three times the Crab Nebula flux. In a comparison to lower energy gamma-ray and X-ray monitoring data with comparable sampling we cannot identify clear counterparts for the most significant flaring features observed by HAWC.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

    Constraining the pˉ/p\bar{p}/p Ratio in TeV Cosmic Rays with Observations of the Moon Shadow by HAWC

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    An indirect measurement of the antiproton flux in cosmic rays is possible as the particles undergo deflection by the geomagnetic field. This effect can be measured by studying the deficit in the flux, or shadow, created by the Moon as it absorbs cosmic rays that are headed towards the Earth. The shadow is displaced from the actual position of the Moon due to geomagnetic deflection, which is a function of the energy and charge of the cosmic rays. The displacement provides a natural tool for momentum/charge discrimination that can be used to study the composition of cosmic rays. Using 33 months of data comprising more than 80 billion cosmic rays measured by the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory, we have analyzed the Moon shadow to search for TeV antiprotons in cosmic rays. We present our first upper limits on the pˉ/p\bar{p}/p fraction, which in the absence of any direct measurements, provide the tightest available constraints of 1%\sim1\% on the antiproton fraction for energies between 1 and 10 TeV.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by Physical Review

    Search for very-high-energy emission from Gamma-ray Bursts using the first 18 months of data from the HAWC Gamma-ray Observatory

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    The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-ray Observatory is an extensive air shower detector operating in central Mexico, which has recently completed its first two years of full operations. If for a burst like GRB 130427A at a redshift of 0.34 and a high-energy component following a power law with index -1.66, the high-energy component is extended to higher energies with no cut-off other than from extragalactic background light attenuation, HAWC would observe gamma rays with a peak energy of \sim300 GeV. This paper reports the results of HAWC observations of 64 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by Swift\mathit{Swift} and Fermi\mathit{Fermi}, including three GRBs that were also detected by the Large Area Telescope (Fermi\mathit{Fermi}-LAT). An ON/OFF analysis method is employed, searching on the time scale given by the observed light curve at keV-MeV energies and also on extended time scales. For all GRBs and time scales, no statistically significant excess of counts is found and upper limits on the number of gamma rays and the gamma-ray flux are calculated. GRB 170206A, the third brightest short GRB detected by the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor on board the Fermi\mathit{Fermi} satellite (Fermi\mathit{Fermi}-GBM) and also detected by the LAT, occurred very close to zenith. The LAT measurements can neither exclude the presence of a synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) component nor constrain its spectrum. Instead, the HAWC upper limits constrain the expected cut-off in an additional high-energy component to be less than 100 GeV100~\rm{GeV} for reasonable assumptions about the energetics and redshift of the burst.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, published in Ap
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