7,548 research outputs found
Speeding up simulations of relativistic systems using an optimal boosted frame
It can be computationally advantageous to perform computer simulations in a
Lorentz boosted frame for a certain class of systems. However, even if the
computer model relies on a covariant set of equations, it has been pointed out
that algorithmic difficulties related to discretization errors may have to be
overcome in order to take full advantage of the potential speedup. We summarize
the findings, the difficulties and their solutions, and show that the technique
enables simulations important to several areas of accelerator physics that are
otherwise problematic, including self-consistent modeling in three-dimensions
of laser wakefield accelerator stages at energies of 10 GeV and above.Comment: To be published in the proceedings of DPF-2009, Detroit, MI, July
2009, eConf C09072
Mid-J CO Emission in Nearby Seyfert Galaxies
We study for the first time the complete sub-millimeter spectra (450 GHz to
1550 GHz) of a sample of nearby active galaxies observed with the SPIRE Fourier
Transform Spectrometer (SPIRE/FTS) onboard Herschel. The CO ladder (from Jup =
4 to 12) is the most prominent spectral feature in this range. These CO lines
probe warm molecular gas that can be heated by ultraviolet photons, shocks, or
X-rays originated in the active galactic nucleus or in young star-forming
regions. In these proceedings we investigate the physical origin of the CO
emission using the averaged CO spectral line energy distribution (SLED) of six
Seyfert galaxies. We use a radiative transfer model assuming an isothermal
homogeneous medium to estimate the molecular gas conditions. We also compare
this CO SLED with the predictions of photon and X-ray dominated region (PDR and
XDR) models.Comment: Proceedings of the Torus Workshop 2012 held at the University of
Texas at San Antonio, 5-7 December 2012. C. Packham, R. Mason, and A.
Alonso-Herrero (eds.); 6 pages, 3 figure
The physical characteristics of the gas in the disk of Centaurus A using the Herschel Space Observatory
We search for variations in the disk of Centaurus A of the emission from
atomic fine structure lines using Herschel PACS and SPIRE spectroscopy. In
particular we observe the [C II](158 m), [N II](122 and 205 m), [O
I](63 and 145 m) and [O III](88 m) lines, which all play an important
role in cooling the gas in photo-ionized and photodissociation regions. We
determine that the ([C II]+[O I])/ line ratio, a proxy for the
heating efficiency of the gas, shows no significant radial trend across the
observed region, in contrast to observations of other nearby galaxies. We
determine that 10 - 20% of the observed [C II] emission originates in ionized
gas. Comparison between our observations and a PDR model shows that the
strength of the far-ultraviolet radiation field, , varies between
and and the hydrogen nucleus density varies between
and cm, with no significant radial trend in
either property. In the context of the emission line properties of the
grand-design spiral galaxy M51 and the elliptical galaxy NGC 4125, the gas in
Cen A appears more characteristic of that in typical disk galaxies rather than
elliptical galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 22 pages, 10
figures, 5 table
Measuring Galaxy Asymmetries in 3D
One of the commonly used non-parametric morphometric statistics for galaxy
profiles and images is the asymmetry statistic. With an eye to current and
upcoming large neutral hydrogen (HI) surveys, we develop a 3D version of the
asymmetry statistic that can be applied to datacubes. This statistic is more
resilient to variations due to the observed geometry than 1D asymmetry
measures, and can be successfully applied to lower spatial resolutions (3-4
beams across the galaxy major axis) than the 2D statistic. We have also
modified the asymmetry definition from an `absolute difference' version to a
`squared difference' version that removes much of the bias due to noise
contributions for low signal-to-noise observations. Using a suite of mock
asymmetric cubes we show that the background-corrected, squared difference 3D
asymmetry statistic can be applied to many marginally resolved galaxies in
large wide-area HI surveys such as WALLABY on the Australian SKA Pathfinder
(ASKAP).Comment: 14 pages, Accepted to MNRA
Herschel and JCMT observations of the early-type dwarf galaxy NGC 205
We present Herschel dust continuum, James Clerk Maxwell Telescope CO(3-2)
observations and a search for [CII] 158 micron and [OI] 63 micron spectral line
emission for the brightest early-type dwarf satellite of Andromeda, NGC 205.
While direct gas measurements (Mgas ~ 1.5e+6 Msun, HI + CO(1-0)) have proven to
be inconsistent with theoretical predictions of the current gas reservoir in
NGC 205 (> 1e+7 Msun), we revise the missing interstellar medium mass problem
based on new gas mass estimates (CO(3-2), [CII], [OI]) and indirect
measurements of the interstellar medium content through dust continuum
emission. Based on Herschel observations, covering a wide wavelength range from
70 to 500 micron, we are able to probe the entire dust content in NGC 205
(Mdust ~ 1.1-1.8e+4 Msun at Tdust ~ 18-22 K) and rule out the presence of a
massive cold dust component (Mdust ~ 5e+5 Msun, Tdust ~ 12 K), which was
suggested based on millimeter observations from the inner 18.4 arcsec. Assuming
a reasonable gas-to-dust ratio of ~ 400, the dust mass in NGC 205 translates
into a gas mass Mgas ~ 4-7e+6 Msun. The non-detection of [OI] and the low
L_[CII]-to-L_CO(1-0) line intensity ratio (~ 1850) imply that the molecular gas
phase is well traced by CO molecules in NGC 205. We estimate an atomic gas mass
of 1.5e+4 Msun associated with the [CII] emitting PDR regions in NGC 205. From
the partial CO(3-2) map of the northern region in NGC 205, we derive a
molecular gas mass of M_H2 ~ 1.3e+5 Msun. [abridged]Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Dynamics of coupled bosonic systems with applications to preheating
Coupled, multi-field models of inflation can provide several attractive
features unavailable in the case of a single inflaton field. These models have
a rich dynamical structure resulting from the interaction of the fields and
their associated fluctuations. We present a formalism to study the
nonequilibrium dynamics of coupled scalar fields. This formalism solves the
problem of renormalizing interacting models in a transparent way using
dimensional regularization. The evolution is generated by a renormalized
effective Lagrangian which incorporates the dynamics of the mean fields and
their associated fluctuations at one-loop order. We apply our method to two
problems of physical interest: (i) a simple two-field model which exemplifies
applications to reheating in inflation, and (ii) a supersymmetric hybrid
inflation model. This second case is interesting because inflation terminates
via a smooth phase transition which gives rise to a spinodal instability in one
of the fields. We study the evolution of the zero mode of the fields and the
energy density transfer to the fluctuations from the mean fields. We conclude
that back reaction effects can be significant over a wide parameter range. In
particular for the supersymmetric hybrid model we find that particle production
can be suppressed due to these effects.Comment: 23 pages, 16 eps-figures, minor changes in the text, references
added, accepted for publication in PR
Linking dust emission to fundamental properties in galaxies: The low-metallicity picture
In this work, we aim at providing a consistent analysis of the dust
properties from metal-poor to metal-rich environments by linking them to
fundamental galactic parameters. We consider two samples of galaxies: the Dwarf
Galaxy Survey (DGS) and KINGFISH, totalling 109 galaxies, spanning almost 2 dex
in metallicity. We collect infrared (IR) to submillimetre (submm) data for both
samples and present the complete data set for the DGS sample. We model the
observed spectral energy distributions (SED) with a physically-motivated dust
model to access the dust properties. Using a different SED model (modified
blackbody), dust composition (amorphous carbon), or wavelength coverage at
submm wavelengths results in differences in the dust mass estimate of a factor
two to three, showing that this parameter is subject to non-negligible
systematic modelling uncertainties. For eight galaxies in our sample, we find a
rather small excess at 500 microns (< 1.5 sigma). We find that the dust SED of
low-metallicity galaxies is broader and peaks at shorter wavelengths compared
to more metal-rich systems, a sign of a clumpier medium in dwarf galaxies. The
PAH mass fraction and the dust temperature distribution are found to be driven
mostly by the specific star-formation rate, SSFR, with secondary effects from
metallicity. The correlations between metallicity and dust mass or total-IR
luminosity are direct consequences of the stellar mass-metallicity relation.
The dust-to-stellar mass ratios of metal-rich sources follow the well-studied
trend of decreasing ratio for decreasing SSFR. The relation is more complex for
highly star-forming low-metallicity galaxies and depends on the chemical
evolutionary stage of the source (i.e., gas-to-dust mass ratio). Dust growth
processes in the ISM play a key role in the dust mass build-up with respect to
the stellar content at high SSFR and low metallicity. (abridged)Comment: 44 pages (20 pages main body plus 5 Appendices), 11 figures, 9
tables, accepted for publication in A&
Tunable Electron Multibunch Production in Plasma Wakefield Accelerators
Synchronized, independently tunable and focused J-class laser pulses are
used to release multiple electron populations via photo-ionization inside an
electron-beam driven plasma wave. By varying the laser foci in the laboratory
frame and the position of the underdense photocathodes in the co-moving frame,
the delays between the produced bunches and their energies are adjusted. The
resulting multibunches have ultra-high quality and brightness, allowing for
hitherto impossible bunch configurations such as spatially overlapping bunch
populations with strictly separated energies, which opens up a new regime for
light sources such as free-electron-lasers
- …