Basic Connection between Superconductivity and Superfluidity

A basic and inherently simple connection is shown to exist between superconductivity and superfluidity. It is shown here that the author's previously derived general equation which agrees well with the superconducting transition temperatures for the heavy-electron superconductors, metallic superconductors, oxide supercon- ductors, metallic hydrogen, and neutron stars, also works well for the superfluid transition temperature of 2.6 mK for liquid 3He. Reasonable estimates are made from 10^-3 K to 10^9K -- a range of 12 orders of magnitude. The same paradigm applies to the superfluid transition temperature of liquid 4He, but results in a slightly different equation. The superfluid transition temperature for dilute solutions of 3He in superfluid 4He is estimated to be ~ 1 to 10mK. This paradigm works well in detail for metallic, cuprate, and organic superconductors.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figure

A comparative study of Type II-P and II-L supernova rise times as exemplified by the case of LSQ13cuw

We report on our findings based on the analysis of observations of the Type II-L supernova LSQ13cuw within the framework of currently accepted physical predictions of core-collapse supernova explosions. LSQ13cuw was discovered within a day of explosion, hitherto unprecedented for Type II-L supernovae. This motivated a comparative study of Type II-P and II-L supernovae with relatively well-constrained explosion epochs and rise times to maximum (optical) light. From our sample of twenty such events, we find evidence of a positive correlation between the duration of the rise and the peak brightness. On average, SNe II-L tend to have brighter peak magnitudes and longer rise times than SNe II-P. However, this difference is clearest only at the extreme ends of the rise time versus peak brightness relation. Using two different analytical models, we performed a parameter study to investigate the physical parameters that control the rise time behaviour. In general, the models qualitatively reproduce aspects of the observed trends. We find that the brightness of the optical peak increases for larger progenitor radii and explosion energies, and decreases for larger masses. The dependence of the rise time on mass and explosion energy is smaller than the dependence on the progenitor radius. We find no evidence that the progenitors of SNe II-L have significantly smaller radii than those of SNe II-P.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, accepted by A&

The size, density, and formation of the Orcus-Vanth system in the Kuiper belt

The Kuiper belt object Orcus and its satellite Vanth form an unusual system in the Kuiper belt. Orcus is amongst the largest objects known in the Kuiper belt, but the relative size of Vanth is much larger than that of the tiny satellites of the other large objects. From Hubble Space Telescope observations we find that Orcus and Vanth have different visible colors and that Vanth does not share the water ice absorption feature seen in the infrared spectrum of Orcus. We also find that Vanth has a nearly face-on circular orbit with a period of 9.5393 +-0.0001 days and semimajor axis of 8980+-20 km, implying a system mass of 6.32+- 0.01 X 10^20 kg or 3.8% the mass of dwarf planet Eris. From Spitzer Space Telescope observations we find that the thermal emission is consistent with a single body with diameter 940+-70 km and a geometric albedo of 0.28+-0.04. Assuming equal densities and albedos, this measurements implies sizes of Orcus and Vanth of 900 and 280 km, respectively, and a mass ratio of 33. Assuming a factor of 2 lower albedo for the non-icy Vanth, however, implies sizes of 820 and 640 km and a mass ratio of 2. The measured density depends on the assumed albedo ratio of the two objects but is approximately 1.5+-0.3 g cm^-3$, midway between typical densities measured for larger and for smaller objects. The orbit and mass ratio is consistent with formation from a giant impact and subsequent outward tidal evolution and even consistent with the system having now achieved a double synchronous state. The system can equally well be explained, however, by initial eccentric capture, Kozai cycling which increases the eccentricity and decreases the pericenter of the orbit of Vanth, and subsequent tidal evolution inward.Comment: Submitted to A

Experimental Evidence for Simple Relations between Unpolarized and Polarized Parton Distributions

The Pauli exclusion principle is advocated for constructing the proton and neutron deep inelastic structure functions in terms of Fermi-Dirac distributions that we parametrize with very few parameters. It allows a fair description of the recent NMC data on $F^p_2(x,Q^2)$ and $F^n_2(x,Q^2)$ at $Q^2=4 GeV^2$, as well as the CCFR neutrino data at $Q^2=3$ and $5 GeV^2$. We also make some reasonable and simple assumptions to relate unpolarized and polarized quark parton distributions and we obtain, with no additional free parameters, the spin dependent structure functions $xg^p_1(x,Q^2)$ and $xg^n_1(x,Q^2)$. Using the correct $Q^2$ evolution, we have checked that they are in excellent agreement with the very recent SMC proton data at $Q^2=10 GeV^2$ and the SLAC neutron data at $Q^2=2 GeV^2$.Comment: 17 pages,CPT-94/P.3032,latex,6 fig available on cpt.univ-mrs.fr directory pub/preprints/94/fundamental-interactions /94-P.303

The QUEST large area CCD camera

We have designed, constructed, and put into operation a very large area CCD camera that covers the field of view of the 1.2 m Samuel Oschin Schmidt Telescope at the Palomar Observatory. The camera consists of 112 CCDs arranged in a mosaic of four rows with 28 CCDs each. The CCDs are 600 x 2400 pixel Sarnoff thinned, back-illuminated devices with 13 µm x 13 µm pixels. The camera covers an area of 4.6° x 3.6° on the sky with an active area of 9.6 deg_2. This camera has been installed at the prime focus of the telescope and commissioned, and scientific-quality observations on the Palomar-QUEST Variability Sky Survey were started in 2003 September. The design considerations, construction features, and performance parameters of this camera are described in this paper

Time Domain Explorations With Digital Sky Surveys

One of the new frontiers of astronomical research is the exploration of time variability on the sky at different wavelengths and flux levels. We have carried out a pilot project using DPOSS data to study strong variables and transients, and are now extending it to the new Palomar-QUEST synoptic sky survey. We report on our early findings and outline the methodology to be implemented in preparation for a real-time transient detection pipeline. In addition to large numbers of known types of highly variable sources (e.g., SNe, CVs, OVV QSOs, etc.), we expect to find numerous transients whose nature may be established by a rapid follow-up. Whereas we will make all detected variables publicly available through the web, we anticipate that email alerts would be issued in the real time for a subset of events deemed to be the most interesting. This real-time process entails many challenges, in an effort to maintain a high completeness while keeping the contamination low. We will utilize distributed Grid services developed by the GRIST project, and implement a variety of advanced statistical and machine learning techniques.Comment: 5 pages, 2 postscript figures, uses adassconf.sty. To be published in: "ADASS XIV (2004)", Eds. Patrick Shopbell, Matthew Britton and Rick Ebert, ASP Conference Serie