1,631 research outputs found
Astronomical seeing and ground-layer turbulence in the Canadian High Arctic
We report results of a two-year campaign of measurements, during arctic
winter darkness, of optical turbulence in the atmospheric boundary-layer above
the Polar Environment Atmospheric Laboratory in northern Ellesmere Island
(latitude +80 deg N). The data reveal that the ground-layer turbulence in the
Arctic is often quite weak, even at the comparatively-low 610 m altitude of
this site. The median and 25th percentile ground-layer seeing, at a height of
20 m, are found to be 0.57 and 0.25 arcsec, respectively. When combined with a
free-atmosphere component of 0.30 arcsec, the median and 25th percentile total
seeing for this height is 0.68 and 0.42 arcsec respectively. The median total
seeing from a height of 7 m is estimated to be 0.81 arcsec. These values are
comparable to those found at the best high-altitude astronomical sites
The design and implementation of a CT and MRI compatible multipurpose phantom: testing the effectiveness of multiple contrast material concentrations for CTA
Thesis (M.A.)--Boston UniversityThe purpose of our study was to determine if it is possible to acquire CTA images of small vessels using lower concentrations of iodinated contrast material without substantially diminishing image quality. A custom designed multi-purpose phantom was used to test multiple concentrations of iodinated contrast material using low x-ray tube voltage experimental CTA protocols. A single scan using 120 kVp and Noise Index at a setting of 23 was compared to scans using 100 kVp and 80 kVp tube voltages and Noise Index settings of 23, 21, and 19. Lower tube voltages did produce increased attenuation in contrast material regions of interest, however, increased image noise caused the CNR and FOM for the currently established imaging protocol to be superior to the experimental protocols tested. Despite minor decreases in image quality, the experimental imaging protocols were able to produce images utilizing significantly decrease levels of radiation dose. Given minor changes in imaging quality, the ability to substantially reduce dose while maintaining a satisfactory level of image quality was positive. Further experimentation with low kVp CTA imaging utilizing additional NI settings is warranted
to measure possible further improvements in image quality while still maintaining low radiation dose
Arbitrary-order Hilbert spectral analysis for time series possessing scaling statistics: a comparison study with detrended fluctuation analysis and wavelet leaders
In this paper we present an extended version of Hilbert-Huang transform,
namely arbitrary-order Hilbert spectral analysis, to characterize the
scale-invariant properties of a time series directly in an amplitude-frequency
space. We first show numerically that due to a nonlinear distortion,
traditional methods require high-order harmonic components to represent
nonlinear processes, except for the Hilbert-based method. This will lead to an
artificial energy flux from the low-frequency (large scale) to the
high-frequency (small scale) part. Thus the power law, if it exists, is
contaminated. We then compare the Hilbert method with structure functions (SF),
detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), and wavelet leader (WL) by analyzing
fractional Brownian motion and synthesized multifractal time series. For the
former simulation, we find that all methods provide comparable results. For the
latter simulation, we perform simulations with an intermittent parameter {\mu}
= 0.15. We find that the SF underestimates scaling exponent when q > 3. The
Hilbert method provides a slight underestimation when q > 5. However, both DFA
and WL overestimate the scaling exponents when q > 5. It seems that Hilbert and
DFA methods provide better singularity spectra than SF and WL. We finally apply
all methods to a passive scalar (temperature) data obtained from a jet
experiment with a Taylor's microscale Reynolds number Relambda \simeq 250. Due
to the presence of strong ramp-cliff structures, the SF fails to detect the
power law behavior. For the traditional method, the ramp-cliff structure causes
a serious artificial energy flux from the low-frequency (large scale) to the
high-frequency (small scale) part. Thus DFA and WL underestimate the scaling
exponents. However, the Hilbert method provides scaling exponents
{\xi}{\theta}(q) quite close to the one for longitudinal velocity.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figure
A multi-wavelength view on the dusty Wolf-Rayet star WR 48a
We present results from the first attempts to derive various physical
characteristics of the dusty Wolf-Rayet star WR 48a based on a multi-wavelength
view of its observational properties. This is done on the basis of new optical
and near-infrared spectral observations and on data from various archives in
the optical, radio and X-rays. The optical spectrum of WR 48a is acceptably
well represented by a sum of two spectra: of a WR star of the WC8 type and of a
WR star of the WN8h type. The strength of the interstellar absorption features
in the optical spectra of WR 48a and the near-by stars D2-3 and D2-7 (both
members of the open cluster Danks 2) indicates that WR 48a is located at a
distance of ~4 kpc from us. WR 48a is very likely a thermal radio source and
for such a case and smooth (no clumps) wind its radio emission suggests a
relatively high mass-loss rate of this dusty WR star (dM/dt = a few x 10^(-4)
solar masses per year). Long timescale (years) variability of WR 48a is
established in the optical, radio and X-rays. Colliding stellar winds likely
play a very important role in the physics of this object. However, some
LBV-like (luminous blue variable) activity could not be excluded as well.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 16 pages, 16 figures, 6 table
Spatially-Resolved Spectra of the "Teacup" AGN: Tracing the History of a Dying Quasar
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Galaxy Zoo project has revealed a number
of spectacular galaxies possessing Extended Emission-Line Regions (EELRs), the
most famous being Hanny's Voorwerp galaxy. We present another EELR object
discovered in the SDSS endeavor: the Teacup Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN),
nicknamed for its EELR, which has a handle like structure protruding 15 kpc
into the northeast quadrant of the galaxy. We analyze physical conditions of
this galaxy with long-slit ground based spectroscopy from Lowell, Lick, and
KPNO observatories. With the Lowell 1.8m Perkin's telescope we took multiple
observations at different offset positions, allowing us to recover spatially
resolved spectra across the galaxy. Line diagnostics indicate the ionized gas
is photoionized primarily by the AGN. Additionally we are able to derive the
hydrogen density from the [S II] 6716/6731 ratio. We generated two-component
photoionization models for each spatially resolved Lowell spectrum. These
models allow us to calculate the AGN bolometric luminosity seen by the gas at
different radii from the nuclear center of the Teacup. Our results show a drop
in bolometric luminosity by more than two orders of magnitude from the EELR to
the nucleus, suggesting that the AGN has decreased in luminosity by this amount
in a continuous fashion over 46,000 years, supporting the case for a dying AGN
in this galaxy independent of any IR based evidence. We demonstrate that
spatially resolved photoionization modeling could be applied to EELRs to
investigate long time scale variability.Comment: 38 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
Demonstration of a Near-IR Laser Comb for Precision Radial Velocity Measurements in Astronomy
We describe a successful effort to produce a laser comb around 1.55 m in
the astronomical H band using a method based on a line-referenced,
electro-optical-modulation frequency comb. We discuss the experimental setup,
laboratory results, and proof of concept demonstrations at the NASA Infrared
Telescope Facility (IRTF) and the Keck-II telescope. The laser comb has a
demonstrated stability of 200 kHz, corresponding to a Doppler precision of
~0.3 m/s. This technology, when coupled with a high spectral resolution
spectrograph, offers the promise of 1 m/s radial velocity precision suitable
for the detection of Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones of cool M-type
stars
Simulations of Spinodal Nucleation in Systems with Elastic Interactions
Systems with long-range interactions quenched into a metastable state near
the pseudospinodal exhibit nucleation that is qualitatively different than the
classical nucleation observed near the coexistence curve. We have observed
nucleation droplets in our Langevin simulations of a two-dimensional model of
martensitic transformations and have determined that the structure of the
nucleating droplet differs from the stable martensite structure. Our results,
together with experimental measurements of the phonon dispersion curve, allow
us to predict the nature of the droplet. These results have implications for
nucleation in many solid-solid transitions and the structure of the final
state
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