3,251 research outputs found
Transverse Galaxy Velocities from Multiple Topological Images
The study of the kinematics of galaxies within clusters or groups has the
limitation that only one of the three velocity components and only two of the
three spatial components of a galaxy position in six-dimensional phase space
can normally be measured. However, if multiple topological images of a cluster
exist, then the radial positions and sky plane mean velocities of galaxies in
the cluster may also be measurable from photometry of the two cluster images.
The vector arithmetic and principles of the analysis are presented. These are
demonstrated by assuming the suggested topological identification of the
clusters RX J1347.5-1145 and CL 09104+4109 to be correct and deducing the
sky-plane relative velocity component along the axis common to both images of
this would-be single cluster.
Three out of four of the inferred transverse velocities are consistent with
those expected in a rich cluster. A control sample of random `common' sky-plane
axes, independent of the topological hypothesis, implies that this is not
surprising. This shows that while galaxy kinematics are deducible from
knowledge of cosmological topology, it is not easy to use them to refute a
specific candidate manifold.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, accepted for MNRA
Use of the VAD technique and measurements of momentum flux in the stratosphere at Aercibo, part 4.3A
The Arecibo 430-MHz radar was used in the velocity-azimuth display (VAD) mode to obtain radial velocity measurements at 16 azimuth directions from which the three-dimensional wind field and momentum flux can be calculated. The radar was operated on a nearly continuous basis for a seven-day period in May of 1982 and the elapsed time between start and finish of a VAD scan was approximately 35 minutes. Radial velocities were measured in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (6-24 km) with at height resolution of 150 meters at a zenith angle of 15 deg. Vertical and horizontal velocities are calculated from the sums and differences, respectively, of radial velocity pairs, i.e., at azimuth directions AZ and AZ + 180 degrees. Momentum flux at a particular azimuth is calculated by taking the difference between the square of radial velocities at AZ and AZ + 180 degrees. It should be noted that measurements of radial velocity pairs are not simultaneous but are time delayed by approximately 15-25 minutes. This period, the time required to rotate the antenna feed and take measurements at AZ and AZ + 180 deg, effectively limits sampling of velocities and momentum fluxes to longer period gravity waves and planetary waves
Co-accelerated particles in the C-metric
With appropriately chosen parameters, the C-metric represents two uniformly
accelerated black holes moving in the opposite directions on the axis of the
axial symmetry (the z-axis). The acceleration is caused by nodal singularities
located on the z-axis.
In the~present paper, geodesics in the~C-metric are examined. In general
there exist three types of timelike or null geodesics in the C-metric:
geodesics describing particles 1) falling under the black hole horizon;
2)crossing the acceleration horizon; and 3) orbiting around the z-axis and
co-accelerating with the black holes.
Using an effective potential, it can be shown that there exist stable
timelike geodesics of the third type if the product of the parameters of the
C-metric, mA, is smaller than a certain critical value. Null geodesics of the
third type are always unstable. Special timelike and null geodesics of the
third type are also found in an analytical form.Comment: 10 pages, 12 EPS figures, changes mainly in abstract & introductio
Regulatory Reform in the Intercity Bus Industry
This Article will analyze the economic structure of the intercity bus industry and the type of service received by the public under the present regulatory scheme. It will then discuss what regulatory reforms could improve service, how these issues are addressed in the recent House-passed bill, and what further legislative reforms should be made
Detecting the Cosmic Gravitational Wave Background with the Big Bang Observer
The detection of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMB) was one of
the most important cosmological discoveries of the last century. With the
development of interferometric gravitational wave detectors, we may be in a
position to detect the gravitational equivalent of the CMB in this century. The
Cosmic Gravitational Background (CGB) is likely to be isotropic and stochastic,
making it difficult to distinguish from instrument noise. The contribution from
the CGB can be isolated by cross-correlating the signals from two or more
independent detectors. Here we extend previous studies that considered the
cross-correlation of two Michelson channels by calculating the optimal signal
to noise ratio that can be achieved by combining the full set of interferometry
variables that are available with a six link triangular interferometer. In
contrast to the two channel case, we find that the relative orientation of a
pair of coplanar detectors does not affect the signal to noise ratio. We apply
our results to the detector design described in the Big Bang Observer (BBO)
mission concept study and find that BBO could detect a background with
.Comment: 15 pages, 12 Figure
Flame detector operable in presence of proton radiation
A detector of ultraviolet radiation for operation in a space vehicle which orbits through high intensity radiation areas is described. Two identical ultraviolet sensor tubes are mounted within a shield which limits to acceptable levels the amount of proton radiation reaching the sensor tubes. The shield has an opening which permits ultraviolet radiation to reach one of the sensing tubes. The shield keeps ultraviolet radiation from reaching the other sensor tube, designated the reference tube. The circuitry of the detector subtracts the output of the reference tube from the output of the sensing tube, and any portion of the output of the sensing tube which is due to proton radiation is offset by the output of the reference tube. A delay circuit in the detector prevents false alarms by keeping statistical variations in the proton radiation sensed by the two sensor tubes from developing an output signal
Detection Strategies for Extreme Mass Ratio Inspirals
The capture of compact stellar remnants by galactic black holes provides a
unique laboratory for exploring the near horizon geometry of the Kerr
spacetime, or possible departures from general relativity if the central cores
prove not to be black holes. The gravitational radiation produced by these
Extreme Mass Ratio Inspirals (EMRIs) encodes a detailed map of the black hole
geometry, and the detection and characterization of these signals is a major
scientific goal for the LISA mission. The waveforms produced are very complex,
and the signals need to be coherently tracked for hundreds to thousands of
cycles to produce a detection, making EMRI signals one of the most challenging
data analysis problems in all of gravitational wave astronomy. Estimates for
the number of templates required to perform an exhaustive grid-based
matched-filter search for these signals are astronomically large, and far out
of reach of current computational resources. Here I describe an alternative
approach that employs a hybrid between Genetic Algorithms and Markov Chain
Monte Carlo techniques, along with several time saving techniques for computing
the likelihood function. This approach has proven effective at the blind
extraction of relatively weak EMRI signals from simulated LISA data sets.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, Updated for LISA 8 Symposium Proceeding
Chaotic Scattering and Capture of Strings by Black Hole
We consider scattering and capture of circular cosmic strings by a
Schwarzschild black hole. Although being a priori a very simple axially
symmetric two-body problem, it shows all the features of chaotic scattering. In
particular, it contains a fractal set of unstable periodic solutions; a
so-called strange repellor. We study the different types of trajectories and
obtain the fractal dimension of the basin-boundary separating the space of
initial conditions according to the different asymptotic outcomes. We also
consider the fractal dimension as a function of energy, and discuss the
transition from order to chaos.Comment: RevTeX 3.1, 9 pages, 5 figure
Exact Polynomial Eigenmodes for Homogeneous Spherical 3-Manifolds
Observational data hints at a finite universe, with spherical manifolds such
as the Poincare dodecahedral space tentatively providing the best fit.
Simulating the physics of a model universe requires knowing the eigenmodes of
the Laplace operator on the space. The present article provides explicit
polynomial eigenmodes for all globally homogeneous 3-manifolds: the Poincare
dodecahedral space S3/I*, the binary octahedral space S3/O*, the binary
tetrahedral space S3/T*, the prism manifolds S3/D_m* and the lens spaces
L(p,1).Comment: v3. Final published version. 27 pages, 1 figur
Space missions to detect the cosmic gravitational-wave background
It is thought that a stochastic background of gravitational waves was
produced during the formation of the universe. A great deal could be learned by
measuring this Cosmic Gravitational-wave Background (CGB), but detecting the
CGB presents a significant technological challenge. The signal strength is
expected to be extremely weak, and there will be competition from unresolved
astrophysical foregrounds such as white dwarf binaries. Our goal is to identify
the most promising approach to detect the CGB. We study the sensitivities that
can be reached using both individual, and cross-correlated pairs of space based
interferometers. Our main result is a general, coordinate free formalism for
calculating the detector response that applies to arbitrary detector
configurations. We use this general formalism to identify some promising
designs for a GrAvitational Background Interferometer (GABI) mission. Our
conclusion is that detecting the CGB is not out of reach.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures, IOP style, References Adde
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