Gravitational-wave astronomy: the high-frequency window

This contribution is divided in two parts. The first part provides a text-book level introduction to gravitational radiation. The key concepts required for a discussion of gravitational-wave physics are introduced. In particular, the quadrupole formula is applied to the anticipated ``bread-and-butter'' source for detectors like LIGO, GEO600, EGO and TAMA300: inspiralling compact binaries. The second part provides a brief review of high frequency gravitational waves. In the frequency range above (say) 100Hz, gravitational collapse, rotational instabilities and oscillations of the remnant compact objects are potentially important sources of gravitational waves. Significant and unique information concerning the various stages of collapse, the evolution of protoneutron stars and the details of the supranuclear equation of state of such objects can be drawn from careful study of the gravitational-wave signal. As the amount of exciting physics one may be able to study via the detections of gravitational waves from these sources is truly inspiring, there is strong motivation for the development of future generations of ground based detectors sensitive in the range from hundreds of Hz to several kHz.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, Lectures presented at the 2nd Aegean Summer School on the Early Universe, Syros, Greece, September 200

Development and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies against the Snakehead Rhabdovirus

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against the snakehead rhabdovirus (SHRV) were produced. These MAbs were characterized by immunofluorescence and neutralization tests, and by their ability to immunoprecipitate viral proteins. Of 15 MAbs developed, 9 were isotyped as IgG1 and 6 were IgG2a. Eight of the MAbs recognized the viral glycoprotein in an immuneprecipitation assay. Three of these, designated E1-9A, P10C, and O10F, had neutralizing activity. By immunofluorescence, 12 MAbs showed good binding activity in SHRV-infected epithelioma papulosum cyprini cells. In an indirect fluorescence assay, the MAbs gave varied staining patterns depending upon the viral structural proteins recognized.Keywords: Structural proteins, Snakehead rhabdovirus, Immunofluorescence, Monoclonal antibodie

A study of the appearance of tau neutrinos from a gamma ray burst by detecting their horizontal electromagnetic showers

We explore the possibilty of detecting horizontal electromagnetic showers of tau neutrinos from individual gamma ray bursts, in large scale detectors like HiRes and Telescope Array. We study the role of the parameters of a gamma ray burst in determining the expected number of tau events from that burst. The horizontal beam of tau leptons produce visible signals in the atmosphere. We find that there is a slim chance of observing tau lepton appearances from GRBs with Telescope Array. The number of signals is strongly dependent on the Lorentz factor $\Gamma$, redshift $z$ of a GRB, energy emitted in muon neutrinos and antineutrinos $E_{\nu,HE}$ and also on some other parameters of a GRB. It is possible to understand neutrino oscillations in astrophysical neutrinos and the mechanism or model of neutrino production inside a GRB by detection or non detection of tau lepton signals from it.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures, minor changes made in the tex

Comparison of advanced gravitational-wave detectors

We compare two advanced designs for gravitational-wave antennas in terms of their ability to detect two possible gravitational wave sources. Spherical, resonant mass antennas and interferometers incorporating resonant sideband extraction (RSE) were modeled using experimentally measurable parameters. The signal-to-noise ratio of each detector for a binary neutron star system and a rapidly rotating stellar core were calculated. For a range of plausible parameters we found that the advanced LIGO interferometer incorporating RSE gave higher signal-to-noise ratios than a spherical detector resonant at the same frequency for both sources. Spheres were found to be sensitive to these sources at distances beyond our galaxy. Interferometers were sensitive to these sources at far enough distances that several events per year would be expected

Genetic, abiotic and social influences on sex differentiation in cichlid fishes and the evolution of sequential hermaphroditism

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73799/1/j.1467-2979.2005.00184.x.pd

The electromagnetic counterpart of the binary neutron star merger LIGO/Virgo GW170817. I. Discovery of the optical counterpart using the Dark Energy Camera

We present the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) discovery of the optical counterpart of the first binary neutron star merger detected through gravitational wave emission, GW170817. Our observations commenced 10.5 hours post-merger, as soon as the localization region became accessible from Chile. We imaged 70 deg2 in the i and z bands, covering 93% of the initial integrated localization probability, to a depth necessary to identify likely optical counterparts (e.g., a kilonova). At 11.4 hours post-merger we detected a bright optical transient located 10:600 from the nucleus of NGC4993 at redshift z = 0:0098, consistent (for H0 = 70 km s-1 Mpc-1) with the distance of 40±8 Mpc reported by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration (LVC). At detection the transient had magnitudes i=17.3 and z=17.4, and thus an absolute magnitude of Mi = -15.7, in the luminosity range expected for a kilonova. We identified 1,500 potential transient candidates. Applying simple selection criteria aimed at rejecting background events such as supernovae, we find the transient associated with NGC4993 as the only remaining plausible counterpart, and reject chance coincidence at the 99.5% confidence level. We therefore conclude that the optical counterpart we have identified near NGC4993 is associated with GW170817. This discovery ushers in the era of multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves, and demonstrates the power of DECam to identify the optical counterparts of gravitational-wave sources