The Gravitational Wave Signature of Core-Collapse Supernovae

We review the ensemble of anticipated gravitational-wave (GW) emission processes in stellar core collapse and postbounce core-collapse supernova evolution. We discuss recent progress in the modeling of these processes and summarize most recent GW signal estimates. In addition, we present new results on the GW emission from postbounce convective overturn and protoneutron star g-mode pulsations based on axisymmetric radiation-hydrodynamic calculations. Galactic core-collapse supernovae are very rare events, but within 3-5 Mpc from Earth, the rate jumps to 1 in ~2 years. Using the set of currently available theoretical gravitational waveforms, we compute upper-limit optimal signal-to-noise ratios based on current and advanced LIGO/GEO600/VIRGO noise curves for the recent SN 2008bk which exploded at ~3.9 Mpc. While initial LIGOs cannot detect GWs emitted by core-collapse events at such a distance, we find that advanced LIGO-class detectors could put significant upper limits on the GW emission strength for such events. We study the potential occurrence of the various GW emission processes in particular supernova explosion scenarios and argue that the GW signatures of neutrino-driven, magneto-rotational, and acoustically-driven core-collapse SNe may be mutually exclusive. We suggest that even initial LIGOs could distinguish these explosion mechanisms based on the detection (or non-detection) of GWs from a galactic core-collapse supernova.Comment: Topical Review, accepted for publication in CQG. 51 pages, 13 figures, a version of the article with high-resolution figures is available from http://stellarcollapse.org/papers/Ott_SN_GW_review2008.pdf. Update: Added section on core collapse simulations and the treatment of general relativit

Space shuttle lift-off dynamic model

Previously developed dynamic models for the calculation of lift-off dynamic response of the space shuttle vehicle can handle only response of the vehicle with eight holddown arms attached or with all holddown arms detached. The new model developed in the referenced report takes into account the transition period between holddown and lift-off by giving the model the ability to vary holddown point separation as a function of vehicle flexible body and rigid body motion. This report documents a study made to verify the new model's capability to simulate vehicle response at lift-off. To do this, a finite element model of the skirt is made and coupled to the free-free modes of the vehicle and cantilevered modes calculated and compared with the previously developed model. Results indicate that the new model will be able to predict accurate vehicle loads

Long-term impacts of tropical storms and earthquakes on human population growth in Haiti and the Dominican Republic

Since the 18th century, Haiti and the Dominican Republic have experienced similar natural forces, including earthquakes and tropical storms. These countries are two of the most prone of all Latin American and Caribbean countries to natural hazards events, while Haiti seems to be more vulnerable to natural forces. This article discusses to what extent geohazards have shaped both nation's demographic developments. The data show that neither atmospheric nor seismic forces that directly hit the territory of Haiti have significantly affected the country's population growth rates and spatial population densities. Conversely, since the 1950s more people were exposed to atmospheric hazards, in particular, in regions which historically experienced higher storm frequencies

Canonical Interacting Quantum Fields on Two-Dimensional De Sitter Space

We present the ${\mathscr P}(\varphi)_2$ model on de Sitter space in the canonical formulation. We discuss the role of the Noether theorem and we provide explicit expressions for the energy-stress tensor of the interacting model.Comment: minor correction

Two algebraic properties of thermal quantum field theories

We establish the Schlieder and the Borchers property for thermal field theories. In addition, we provide some information on the commutation and localization properties of projection operators.Comment: plain tex, 14 page

Pore formation in fluctuating membranes

We study the nucleation of a single pore in a fluctuating lipid membrane, specifically taking into account the membrane fluctuations, as well as the shape fluctuations of the pore. For large enough pores, the nucleation free energy is well-described by shifts in the effective membrane surface tension and the pore line tension. Using our framework, we derive the stability criteria for the various pore formation regimes. In addition to the well-known large-tension regime from the classical nucleation theory of pores, we also find a low-tension regime in which the effective line and surface tensions can change sign from their bare values. The latter scenario takes place at sufficiently high temperatures, where the opening of a stable pore of finite size is entropically favorable.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

The Progenitor Dependence of the Preexplosion Neutrino Emission in Core-Collapse Supernovae

We perform spherically-symmetric general-relativistic simulations of core collapse and the postbounce preexplosion phase in 32 presupernova stellar models of solar metallicity with zero-age-main-sequence masses of 12 M_{sun} to 120 M_{sun}. Using energy-dependent three-species neutrino transport in the two-moment approximation with an analytic closure, we show that the emitted neutrino luminosities and spectra follow very systematic trends that are correlated with the compactness (~M/R) of the progenitor star's inner regions via the accretion rate in the preexplosion phase. We find that these qualitative trends depend only weakly on the nuclear equation of state, but quantitative observational statements will require independent constraints on the equation of state and the rotation rate of the core as well as a more complete understanding of neutrino oscillations. We investigate the simulated response of water Cherenkov detectors to the electron antineutrino fluxes from our models and find that the large statistics of a galactic core collapse event may allow robust conclusions on the inner structure of the progenitor star.Comment: 16 emulateapj pages, 10 figures, 1 table. matches published versio