190 research outputs found
K2-137 b: an Earth-sized planet in a 4.3-hour orbit around an M-dwarf
We report the discovery from K2 of a transiting terrestrial planet in an
ultra-short-period orbit around an M3-dwarf. K2-137 b completes an orbit in
only 4.3 hours, the second-shortest orbital period of any known planet, just 4
minutes longer than that of KOI 1843.03, which also orbits an M-dwarf. Using a
combination of archival images, AO imaging, RV measurements, and light curve
modelling, we show that no plausible eclipsing binary scenario can explain the
K2 light curve, and thus confirm the planetary nature of the system. The
planet, whose radius we determine to be 0.89 +/- 0.09 Earth radii, and which
must have a iron mass fraction greater than 0.45, orbits a star of mass 0.463
+/- 0.052 Msol and radius 0.442 +/- 0.044 Rsol.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Upper limits on the strength of periodic gravitational waves from PSR J1939+2134
The first science run of the LIGO and GEO gravitational wave detectors
presented the opportunity to test methods of searching for gravitational waves
from known pulsars. Here we present new direct upper limits on the strength of
waves from the pulsar PSR J1939+2134 using two independent analysis methods,
one in the frequency domain using frequentist statistics and one in the time
domain using Bayesian inference. Both methods show that the strain amplitude at
Earth from this pulsar is less than a few times .Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the Proceedings of the 5th Edoardo
Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, Tirrenia, Pisa, Italy, 6-11 July
200
Improving the sensitivity to gravitational-wave sources by modifying the input-output optics of advanced interferometers
We study frequency dependent (FD) input-output schemes for signal-recycling
interferometers, the baseline design of Advanced LIGO and the current
configuration of GEO 600. Complementary to a recent proposal by Harms et al. to
use FD input squeezing and ordinary homodyne detection, we explore a scheme
which uses ordinary squeezed vacuum, but FD readout. Both schemes, which are
sub-optimal among all possible input-output schemes, provide a global noise
suppression by the power squeeze factor, while being realizable by using
detuned Fabry-Perot cavities as input/output filters. At high frequencies, the
two schemes are shown to be equivalent, while at low frequencies our scheme
gives better performance than that of Harms et al., and is nearly fully
optimal. We then study the sensitivity improvement achievable by these schemes
in Advanced LIGO era (with 30-m filter cavities and current estimates of
filter-mirror losses and thermal noise), for neutron star binary inspirals, and
for narrowband GW sources such as low-mass X-ray binaries and known radio
pulsars. Optical losses are shown to be a major obstacle for the actual
implementation of these techniques in Advanced LIGO. On time scales of
third-generation interferometers, like EURO/LIGO-III (~2012), with
kilometer-scale filter cavities, a signal-recycling interferometer with the FD
readout scheme explored in this paper can have performances comparable to
existing proposals. [abridged]Comment: Figs. 9 and 12 corrected; Appendix added for narrowband data analysi
The fundamental constants and their variation: observational status and theoretical motivations
This article describes the various experimental bounds on the variation of
the fundamental constants of nature. After a discussion on the role of
fundamental constants, of their definition and link with metrology, the various
constraints on the variation of the fine structure constant, the gravitational,
weak and strong interactions couplings and the electron to proton mass ratio
are reviewed. This review aims (1) to provide the basics of each measurement,
(2) to show as clearly as possible why it constrains a given constant and (3)
to point out the underlying hypotheses. Such an investigation is of importance
to compare the different results, particularly in view of understanding the
recent claims of the detections of a variation of the fine structure constant
and of the electron to proton mass ratio in quasar absorption spectra. The
theoretical models leading to the prediction of such variation are also
reviewed, including Kaluza-Klein theories, string theories and other
alternative theories and cosmological implications of these results are
discussed. The links with the tests of general relativity are emphasized.Comment: 56 pages, l7 figures, submitted to Rev. Mod. Phy
Quantum state preparation and macroscopic entanglement in gravitational-wave detectors
Long-baseline laser-interferometer gravitational-wave detectors are operating
at a factor of 10 (in amplitude) above the standard quantum limit (SQL) within
a broad frequency band. Such a low classical noise budget has already allowed
the creation of a controlled 2.7 kg macroscopic oscillator with an effective
eigenfrequency of 150 Hz and an occupation number of 200. This result, along
with the prospect for further improvements, heralds the new possibility of
experimentally probing macroscopic quantum mechanics (MQM) - quantum mechanical
behavior of objects in the realm of everyday experience - using
gravitational-wave detectors. In this paper, we provide the mathematical
foundation for the first step of a MQM experiment: the preparation of a
macroscopic test mass into a nearly minimum-Heisenberg-limited Gaussian quantum
state, which is possible if the interferometer's classical noise beats the SQL
in a broad frequency band. Our formalism, based on Wiener filtering, allows a
straightforward conversion from the classical noise budget of a laser
interferometer, in terms of noise spectra, into the strategy for quantum state
preparation, and the quality of the prepared state. Using this formalism, we
consider how Gaussian entanglement can be built among two macroscopic test
masses, and the performance of the planned Advanced LIGO interferometers in
quantum-state preparation
Global impacts of aerosols from particular source regions and sectors
We study the impacts of present-day aerosols emitted from particular regions and from particular sectors, as predicted by the Goddard Institute for Space Studies GCM, We track the distribution and direct radiative forcing of aerosols, including sulfate and black and organic carbon, emitted from major source regions (North America, Europe, south Asia, Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa). We also partition the emissions by sector, including industrial, power, residential, transport, biomass burning, and natural. Southeast Asia produces 15% and 10% of the world's black carbon and sulfate and exports over 2/3 of this burden over the Northern Hemisphere. About 1/2 of the SO<inf>2</inf> emitted by Southeast Asia and Europe is not converted to sulfate because of oxidant limitation. Although Africa has the largest biomass burning emissions, South America generates a larger (about 20% of the global carbonaceous) aerosol burden; about 1/2 of this burden is exported and dominates the carbonaceous aerosol load in the Southern Hemisphere. Calculated direct anthropogenic radiative forcings are -0.29, -0.06, and 0.24 W m-2 for sulfate, organic, and black carbon, respectively. The largest BC radiative forcings are from residential (0.09 W m-2) and transport (0.06 W m-2) sectors, making these potential targets to counter global warming. However, scattering components within these sectors reduce these to 0.04 and 0.03 W m-2, respectively. Most anthropogenic sulfate comes from power and industry sectors, and these sectors are responsible for the large negative aerosol forcings over the central Northern Hemisphere. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union
Search for gravitational wave bursts in LIGO's third science run
We report on a search for gravitational wave bursts in data from the three
LIGO interferometric detectors during their third science run. The search
targets subsecond bursts in the frequency range 100-1100 Hz for which no
waveform model is assumed, and has a sensitivity in terms of the
root-sum-square (rss) strain amplitude of hrss ~ 10^{-20} / sqrt(Hz). No
gravitational wave signals were detected in the 8 days of analyzed data.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures. Amaldi-6 conference proceedings to be published
in Classical and Quantum Gravit
Searching for a Stochastic Background of Gravitational Waves with LIGO
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) has performed
the fourth science run, S4, with significantly improved interferometer
sensitivities with respect to previous runs. Using data acquired during this
science run, we place a limit on the amplitude of a stochastic background of
gravitational waves. For a frequency independent spectrum, the new limit is
. This is currently the most sensitive
result in the frequency range 51-150 Hz, with a factor of 13 improvement over
the previous LIGO result. We discuss complementarity of the new result with
other constraints on a stochastic background of gravitational waves, and we
investigate implications of the new result for different models of this
background.Comment: 37 pages, 16 figure
Measurement of the Decay Amplitudes of B0 --> J/psi K* and B0s --> J/psi phi Decays
A full angular analysis has been performed for the pseudo-scalar to
vector-vector decays, B0 --> J/psi K* and B_s --> J/psi phi, to determine the
amplitudes for decays with parity-even longitudinal and transverse polarization
and parity-odd transverse polarization. The measurements are based on 190 B0
candidates and 40 B_s candidates collected from a data set corresponding to 89
inverse pb of pbarp collisions at root(s) = 1.8 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron.
In both decays the decay amplitude for longitudinal polarization dominates and
the parity-odd amplitude is found to be small.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl
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