2,530 research outputs found
Polarization Diffusion from Spacetime Uncertainty
A model of Lorentz invariant random fluctuations in photon polarization is
presented. The effects are frequency dependent and affect the polarization of
photons as they propagate through space. We test for this effect by confronting
the model with the latest measurements of polarization of Cosmic Microwave
Background (CMB) photons.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
Radio jet emission from GeV-emitting narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies
We studied the radio emission from four radio-loud and gamma-ray-loud
narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies. The goal was to investigate whether a
relativistic jet is operating at the source, and quantify its characteristics.
We relied on the most systematic monitoring of such system in the cm and mm
radio bands which is conducted with the Effelsberg 100 m and IRAM 30 m
telescopes and covers the longest time-baselines and the most radio frequencies
to date. We extract variability parameters and compute variability brightness
temperatures and Doppler factors. The jet powers were computed from the light
curves to estimate the energy output. The dynamics of radio spectral energy
distributions were examined to understand the mechanism causing the
variability. All the sources display intensive variability that occurs at a
pace faster than what is commonly seen in blazars. The flaring events show
intensive spectral evolution indicative of shock evolution. The brightness
temperatures and Doppler factors are moderate, implying a mildly relativistic
jet. The computed jet powers show very energetic flows. The radio polarisation
in one case clearly implies a quiescent jet underlying the recursive flaring
activity. Despite the generally lower flux densities, the sources appear to
show all typical characteristics seen in blazars that are powered by
relativistic jets.Comment: Accepted for publication in 4 - Extragalactic astronomy of Astronomy
and Astrophysic
F-GAMMA: Variability Doppler factors of blazars from multiwavelength monitoring
Recent population studies have shown that the variability Doppler factors can
adequately describe blazars as a population. We use the flux density variations
found within the extensive radio multi-wavelength datasets of the F-GAMMA
program, a total of 10 frequencies from 2.64 up to 142.33 GHz, in order to
estimate the variability Doppler factors for 58 -ray bright sources,
for 20 of which no variability Doppler factor has been estimated before. We
employ specifically designed algorithms in order to obtain a model for each
flare at each frequency. We then identify each event and track its evolution
through all the available frequencies for each source. This approach allows us
to distinguish significant events producing flares from stochastic variability
in blazar jets. It also allows us to effectively constrain the variability
brightness temperature and hence the variability Doppler factor as well as
provide error estimates. Our method can produce the most accurate (16\% error
on average) estimates in the literature to date.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Using Narrow Band Photometry to Classify Stars and Brown Dwarfs
We present a new system of narrow band filters in the near infrared that can
be used to classify stars and brown dwarfs. This set of four filters, spanning
the H band, can be used to identify molecular features unique to brown dwarfs,
such as H2O and CH4. The four filters are centered at 1.495 um (H2O), 1.595 um
(continuum), 1.66 um (CH4), and 1.75 um (H2O). Using two H2O filters allows us
to solve for individual objects' reddenings. This can be accomplished by
constructing a color-color-color cube and rotating it until the reddening
vector disappears. We created a model of predicted color-color-color values for
different spectral types by integrating filter bandpass data with spectra of
known stars and brown dwarfs. We validated this model by making photometric
measurements of seven known L and T dwarfs, ranging from L1 - T7.5. The
photometric measurements agree with the model to within +/-0.1 mag, allowing us
to create spectral indices for different spectral types. We can classify A
through early M stars to within +/-2 spectral types, late-type M and L dwarfs
to within +/-0.3 spectral types and T dwarfs to within +/-0.1 spectral types
1-sigma. Thus, we can distinguish between a T1 and a T3 dwarf. The four
physical bands can be converted into two reddening-free indices, mu1 and mu2,
and an extinction, AV, for the individual object. This technique, which is
equivalent to extremely low resolution spectroscopy, can be used to survey
large areas to provide rough spectral classifications for all the stars in the
area, ranging down to the coolest brown dwarfs. It should prove particularly
useful in young clusters where reddening can be high.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, submitted 18 Aug. 2003, accepted 5 Dec. 2003 to
Ap
On the phenomenological classification of continuum radio spectra variability patterns of Fermi blazars
The F-GAMMA program is a coordinated effort to investigate the physics of
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) via multi-frequency monitoring of {\em Fermi}
blazars. The current study is concerned with the broad-band radio spectra
composed of measurement at ten frequencies between 2.64 and 142 GHz. It is
shown that any of the 78 sources studied can be classified in terms of their
variability characteristics in merely 5 types of variability. The first four
types are dominated by spectral evolution and can be reproduced by a simple
two-component system made of the quiescent spectrum of a large scale jet
populated with a flaring event evolving according to Marscher & Gear (1985).
The last type is characterized by an achromatic change of the broad-band
spectrum which must be attributed to a completely different mechanism. Here are
presented, the classification, the assumed physical system and the results of
simulations that have been conducted.Comment: 2011 Fermi Symposium proceedings - eConf C11050
Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization
Cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy is our richest source of
cosmological information; the standard cosmological model was largely
established thanks to study of the temperature anisotropies. By the end of the
decade, the Planck satellite will close this important chapter and move us
deeper into the new frontier of polarization measurements. Numerous
ground--based and balloon--borne experiments are already forging into this new
territory. Besides providing new and independent information on the primordial
density perturbations and cosmological parameters, polarization measurements
offer the potential to detect primordial gravity waves, constrain dark energy
and measure the neutrino mass scale. A vigorous experimental program is
underway worldwide and heading towards a new satellite mission dedicated to CMB
polarization.Comment: Review given at TAUP 2005; References added; Additional reference
Intrinsic Localized Modes Observed in the High Temperature Vibrational Spectrum of NaI
Inelastic neutron measurements of the high-temperature lattice excitations in
NaI show that in thermal equilibrium at 555 K an intrinsic mode, localized in
three dimensions, occurs at a single frequency near the center of the spectral
phonon gap, polarized along [111]. At higher temperatures the intrinsic
localized mode gains intensity. Higher energy inelastic neutron and x-ray
scattering measurements on a room-temperature NaI crystal indicate that the
creation energy of the ground state of the intrinsic localized mode is 299 meV.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures Revised version; final versio
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