1,486 research outputs found
Models for Modules
We recall the structure of the indecomposable sl(2) modules in the
Bernstein-Gelfand-Gelfand category O. We show that all these modules can arise
as quantized phase spaces of physical models. In particular, we demonstrate in
a path integral discretization how a redefined action of the sl(2) algebra over
the complex numbers can glue finite dimensional and infinite dimensional
highest weight representations into indecomposable wholes. Furthermore, we
discuss how projective cover representations arise in the tensor product of
finite dimensional and Verma modules and give explicit tensor product
decomposition rules. The tensor product spaces can be realized in terms of
product path integrals. Finally, we discuss relations of our results to brane
quantization and cohomological calculations in string theory.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figure
Periphery Plots for Contextualizing Heterogeneous Time-Based Charts
Patterns in temporal data can often be found across different scales, such as
days, weeks, and months, making effective visualization of time-based data
challenging. Here we propose a new approach for providing focus and context in
time-based charts to enable interpretation of patterns across time scales. Our
approach employs a focus zone with a time and a second axis, that can either
represent quantities or categories, as well as a set of adjacent periphery
plots that can aggregate data along the time, value, or both dimensions. We
present a framework for periphery plots and describe two use cases that
demonstrate the utility of our approach.Comment: To Appear in IEEE VIS 2019 Short Papers. Open source software and
other materials available on github:
https://github.com/PrecisionVISSTA/PeripheryPlots Video figure available on
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/34967814
Discovery of a Transition to Global Spin-up in EXO 2030+375
EXO 2030+375, a 42-second transient X-ray pulsar with a Be star companion,
has been observed to undergo an outburst at nearly every periastron passage for
the last 13.5 years. From 1994 through 2002, the global trend in the pulsar
spin frequency was spin-down. Using RXTE data from 2003 September, we have
observed a transition to global spin-up in EXO 2030+375. Although the spin
frequency observations are sparse, the relative spin-up between 2002 June and
2003 September observations, along with an overall brightening of the outbursts
since mid 2002 observed with the RXTE ASM, accompanied by an increase in
density of the Be disk, indicated by infrared magnitudes, suggest that the
pattern observed with BATSE of a roughly constant spin frequency, followed by
spin-up, followed by spin-down is repeating. If so this pattern has
approximately an 11 year period, similar to the 15 +/- 3 year period derived by
Wilson et al. (2002) for the precession period of a one-armed oscillation in
the Be disk. If this pattern is indeed repeating, we predict a transition from
spin-up to spin-down in 2005.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters, 4 pages, 5 figures, using
emulateapj.cl
The Nature of the Compact Supernova Remnants in Starburst Galaxies
Radio observations of starburst regions in galaxies have revealed groups of
compact nonthermal sources that may be radiative supernova remnants expanding
in the interclump medium of molecular clouds. Because of the high pressure in
starburst regions, the interclump medium may have a density ~ 10^3 H atoms
cm^{-3} in a starburst nucleus like M82 and ~ 10^4 H atoms cm^{-3} in an
ultraluminous galaxy like Arp 220. In M82, our model can account for the sizes,
the slow evolution, the high radio luminosities, and the low X-ray luminosities
of the sources. We predict expansion velocities ~ 500 km/s, which is slower
than the one case measured by VLBI techniques. Although we predict the remnants
to be radiative, the expected radiation is difficult to detect because it is at
infrared wavelengths and the starburst is itself very luminous; one detection
possibility is broad [OI] 63 micron line emission at the positions of the radio
remnants. The more luminous and compact remnants in Arp 220 can be accounted
for by the higher molecular cloud density. In our model, the observed remnants
lose most of the supernova energy to radiation. Other explosions in a lower
density medium may directly heat a hot, low density interstellar component,
leading to the superwinds that are associated with starburst regions.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, ApJ submitte
Carbon in Spiral Galaxies from Hubble Space Telescope Spectroscopy
We present measurements of the gas-phase C/O abundance ratio in six H II
regions in the spiral galaxies M101 and NGC 2403, based on ultraviolet
spectroscopy using the Faint Object Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope.
The C/O ratios increase systematically with O/H in both galaxies, from log C/O
approximately -0.8 at log O/H = -4.0 to log C/O approx. -0.1 at log O/H = -3.4.
C/N shows no correlation with O/H. The rate of increase of C/O is somewhat
uncertain because of uncertainty as to the appropriate UV reddening law, and
uncertainty in the metallicity dependence on grain depletions. However, the
trend of increasing C/O with O/H is clear, confirming and extending the trend
in C/O indicated previously from observations of irregular galaxies. Our data
indicate that the radial gradients in C/H across spiral galaxies are steeper
than the gradients in O/H. Comparing the data to chemical evolution models for
spiral galaxies shows that models in which the massive star yields do not vary
with metallicity predict radial C/O gradients that are much flatter than the
observed gradients. The most likely hypothesis at present is that stellar winds
in massive stars have an important effect on the yields and thus on the
evolution of carbon and oxygen abundances. C/O and N/O abundance ratios in the
outer disks of spirals determined to date are very similar to those in dwarf
irregular galaxies. This implies that the outer disks of spirals have average
stellar population ages much younger than the inner disks.Comment: 38 pages, 9 postscript figures, uses aaspp4.sty. Accepted for
publication in The Astrophysical Journa
The Microchannel X-ray Telescope on Board the SVOM Satellite
We present the Micro-channel X-ray Telescope (MXT), a new narrow-field (about
1{\deg}) telescope that will be flying on the Sino-French SVOM mission
dedicated to Gamma-Ray Burst science, scheduled for launch in 2021. MXT is
based on square micro pore optics (MPOs), coupled with a low noise CCD. The
optics are based on a "Lobster Eye" design, while the CCD is a focal plane
detector similar to the type developed for the seven eROSITA telescopes. MXT is
a compact and light (<35 kg) telescope with a 1 m focal length, and it will
provide an effective area of about 45 cmsq on axis at 1 keV. The MXT PSF is
expected to be better than 4.2 arc min (FWHM) ensuring a localization accuracy
of the afterglows of the SVOM GRBs to better than 1 arc min (90\% c.l. with no
systematics) provided MXT data are collected within 5 minutes after the
trigger. The MXT sensitivity will be adequate to detect the afterglows for
almost all the SVOM GRBs as well as to perform observations of non-GRB
astrophysical objects. These performances are fully adapted to the SVOM science
goals, and prove that small and light telescopes can be used for future small
X-ray missions.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, proceedings of the conference "Swift: 10 years of
Discovery", Rome, December 2-5, 2014. To be published by Po
The Microchannel X-ray Telescope for the Gamma-Ray Burst mission SVOM
We present the Microchannel X-ray Telescope, a new light and compact
focussing telescope that will be flying on the Sino-French SVOM mission
dedicated to Gamma-Ray Burst science. The MXT design is based on the coupling
of square pore micro-channel plates with a low noise pnCCD. MXT will provide an
effective area of about 50 cmsq, and its point spread function is expected to
be better than 3.7 arc min (FWHM) on axis. The estimated sensitivity is
adequate to detect all the afterglows of the SVOM GRBs, and to localize them to
better then 60 arc sec after five minutes of observation.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, to be published in SPIE Astronomical Telescopes
+ Instrumentation, Montreal, June 201
Short GRBs at the dawn of the gravitational wave era
We derive the luminosity function and redshift distribution of short Gamma
Ray Bursts (SGRBs) using (i) all the available observer-frame constraints (i.e.
peak flux, fluence, peak energy and duration distributions) of the large
population of Fermi SGRBs and (ii) the rest-frame properties of a complete
sample of Swift SGRBs. We show that a steep with a>2.0
is excluded if the full set of constraints is considered. We implement a Monte
Carlo Markov Chain method to derive the and functions
assuming intrinsic Ep-Liso and Ep-Eiso correlations or independent
distributions of intrinsic peak energy, luminosity and duration. To make our
results independent from assumptions on the progenitor (NS-NS binary mergers or
other channels) and from uncertainties on the star formation history, we assume
a parametric form for the redshift distribution of SGRBs. We find that a
relatively flat luminosity function with slope ~0.5 below a characteristic
break luminosity ~3 erg/s and a redshift distribution of SGRBs
peaking at z~1.5-2 satisfy all our constraints. These results hold also if no
Ep-Liso and Ep-Eiso correlations are assumed. We estimate that, within ~200 Mpc
(i.e. the design aLIGO range for the detection of GW produced by NS-NS merger
events), 0.007-0.03 SGRBs yr should be detectable as gamma-ray events.
Assuming current estimates of NS-NS merger rates and that all NS-NS mergers
lead to a SGRB event, we derive a conservative estimate of the average opening
angle of SGRBs: ~3-6 deg. Our luminosity function implies an
average luminosity L~1.5 erg/s, nearly two orders of magnitude
higher than previous findings, which greatly enhances the chance of observing
SGRB "orphan" afterglows. Efforts should go in the direction of finding and
identifying such orphan afterglows as counterparts of GW events.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in Astronomy
& Astrophysics. Figure 5 and angle ranges corrected in revised versio
The Large-scale Bipolar Wind in the Galactic Center
During a 9-month campaign (1996--1997), the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX)
satellite mapped the Galactic Plane at mid-infrared wavelengths (4.3--21.3um).
Here we report evidence for a spectacular limb- brightened, bipolar structure
at the Galactic Center extending more than a degree (170 pc at 8.0 kpc) on
either side of the plane. The 8.3um emission shows a tight correlation with the
3, 6 and 11 cm continuum structure over the same scales. Dense gas and dust are
being entrained in a large-scale bipolar wind powered by a central starburst.
The inferred energy injection at the source is ~10^54/kappa erg for which
\kappa is the covering fraction of the dusty shell (kappa <= 0.1).
There is observational evidence for a galactic wind on much larger scales,
presumably from the same central source which produced the bipolar shell seen
by MSX. Sofue has argued that the North Polar Spur -- a thermal x-ray/radio
loop which extends from the Galactic Plane to b = +80 deg -- was powered by a
nuclear explosion (1-30 x 10^55 erg) roughly 15 Myr ago. We demonstrate that an
open-ended bipolar wind (~10^55 erg), when viewed in near-field projection,
provides the most natural explanation for the observed loop structure. The
ROSAT 1.5 keV diffuse x-ray map over the inner 45 deg provides compelling
evidence for this interpretation. Since the faint bipolar emission would be
very difficult to detect beyond the Galaxy, the phenomenon of large-scale
galactic winds may be far more common than has been observed to date.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures, aastex. High resolution figures are available at
ftp://www.aao.gov.au/pub/local/jbh/astro-ph/GC/. Astrophysical Journal,
accepte
The 3rd IBIS/ISGRI soft gamma-ray survey catalog
In this paper we report on the third soft gamma-ray source catalog obtained
with the IBIS/ISGRI gamma-ray imager on board the INTEGRAL satellite. The
scientific dataset is based on more than 40 Ms of high quality observations
performed during the first three and a half years of Core Program and public
IBIS/ISGRI observations. Compared to previous IBIS/ISGRI surveys, this catalog
includes a substantially increased coverage of extragalactic fields, and
comprises more than 400 high-energy sources detected in the energy range 17-100
keV, including both transients and faint persistent objects which can only be
revealed with longer exposure times.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Suppl.; 11 pages; 4 figures Minor
changes to conten
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