4,833 research outputs found
Spatial Control of Photoemitted Electron Beams using a Micro-Lens-Array Transverse-Shaping Technique
A common issue encountered in photoemission electron sources used in electron
accelerators is the transverse inhomogeneity of the laser distribution
resulting from the laser-amplification process and often use of frequency up
conversion in nonlinear crystals. A inhomogeneous laser distribution on the
photocathode produces charged beams with lower beam quality. In this paper, we
explore the possible use of microlens arrays (fly-eye light condensers) to
dramatically improve the transverse uniformity of the drive laser pulse on UV
photocathodes. We also demonstrate the use of such microlens arrays to generate
transversely-modulated electron beams and present a possible application to
diagnose the properties of a magnetized beam.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1609.0166
Optical Coronagraphic Spectroscopy of AU Mic: Evidence of Time Variable Colors?
We present coronagraphic long slit spectra of AU Mic's debris disk taken with
the STIS instrument aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Our spectra are
the first spatially resolved, scattered light spectra of the system's disk,
which we detect at projected distances between approximately 10 and 45 AU. Our
spectra cover a wavelength range between 5200 and 10200 angstroms. We find that
the color of AU Mic's debris disk is bluest at small (12-35 AU) projected
separations. These results both confirm and quantify the findings qualitatively
noted by Krist et al. (2005), and are different than IR observations that
suggested a uniform blue or gray color as a function of projected separation in
this region of the disk. Unlike previous literature that reported the color of
AU Mic's disk became increasingly more blue as a function of projected
separation beyond approximately 30 AU, we find the disk's optical color between
35-45 AU to be uniformly blue on the southeast side of the disk and
decreasingly blue on the northwest side. We note that this apparent change in
disk color at larger projected separations coincides with several fast, outward
moving "features" that are passing through this region of the southeast side of
the disk. We speculate that these phenomenon might be related, and that the
fast moving features could be changing the localized distribution of sub-micron
sized grains as they pass by, thereby reducing the blue color of the disk in
the process. We encourage follow-up optical spectroscopic observations of the
AU Mic to both confirm this result, and search for further modifications of the
disk color caused by additional fast moving features propagating through the
disk.Comment: Accepted by AJ, 13 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl
A Dark Spot on a Massive White Dwarf
We present the serendipitous discovery of eclipse-like events around the
massive white dwarf SDSS J152934.98+292801.9 (hereafter J1529+2928). We
selected J1529+2928 for time-series photometry based on its spectroscopic
temperature and surface gravity, which place it near the ZZ Ceti instability
strip. Instead of pulsations, we detect photometric dips from this white dwarf
every 38 minutes. Follow-up optical spectroscopy observations with Gemini
reveal no significant radial velocity variations, ruling out stellar and brown
dwarf companions. A disintegrating planet around this white dwarf cannot
explain the observed light curves in different filters. Given the short period,
the source of the photometric dips must be a dark spot that comes into view
every 38 min due to the rotation of the white dwarf. Our optical spectroscopy
does not show any evidence of Zeeman splitting of the Balmer lines, limiting
the magnetic field strength to B<70 kG. Since up to 15% of white dwarfs display
kG magnetic fields, such eclipse-like events should be common around white
dwarfs. We discuss the potential implications of this discovery on transient
surveys targeting white dwarfs, like the K2 mission and the Large Synoptic
Survey Telescope.Comment: ApJ Letters, in pres
Characterizing the Rigidly Rotating Magnetosphere Stars HD 345439 and HD 23478
The SDSS III APOGEE survey recently identified two new Ori E type
candidates, HD 345439 and HD 23478, which are a rare subset of rapidly rotating
massive stars whose large (kGauss) magnetic fields confine circumstellar
material around these systems. Our analysis of multi-epoch photometric
observations of HD 345439 from the KELT, SuperWASP, and ASAS surveys reveals
the presence of a 0.7701 day period in each dataset, suggesting the
system is amongst the faster known Ori E analogs. We also see clear
evidence that the strength of H-alpha, H I Brackett series lines, and He I
lines also vary on a 0.7701 day period from our analysis of multi-epoch,
multi-wavelength spectroscopic monitoring of the system from the APO 3.5m
telescope. We trace the evolution of select emission line profiles in the
system, and observe coherent line profile variability in both optical and
infrared H I lines, as expected for rigidly rotating magnetosphere stars. We
also analyze the evolution of the H I Br-11 line strength and line profile in
multi-epoch observations of HD 23478 from the SDSS-III APOGEE instrument. The
observed periodic behavior is consistent with that recently reported by Sikora
and collaborators in optical spectra.Comment: Accepted in ApJ
Measurement of the Branching Fractions for D^0 → π^-e^+v_e and D^0 → + K^-e^+V_e and Determination of │V_(cd)/V_(cs)│^2
Measurements of the exclusive branching fractions B(D^0→π^-e^+ν_e) and B(D^0→K^-e^+ν_e), using data collected at the ψ(3770) with the Mark III detector at the SLAC e^+e^- storage ring SPEAR, are used to determine the ratio of the Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements │V_(cd)/V_(cs)│^2 =0.057_(-0.015)^(+0.038)±0.005
The HR 4796A Debris System: Discovery of Extensive Exo-Ring Dust Material
The optically and IR bright, and starlight-scattering, HR 4796A ring-like
debris disk is one of the most (and best) studied exoplanetary debris systems.
The presence of a yet-undetected planet has been inferred (or suggested) from
the narrow width and inner/outer truncation radii of its r = 1.05" (77 au)
debris ring. We present new, highly sensitive, Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
visible-light images of the HR 4796A circumstellar debris system and its
environment over a very wide range of stellocentric angles from 0.32" (23 au)
to ~ 15" (1100 au). These very high contrast images were obtained with the
Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) using 6-roll PSF-template
subtracted coronagraphy suppressing the primary light of HR 4796A and using
three image plane occulters and simultaneously subtracting the background light
from its close angular proximity M2.5V companion. The resulting images
unambiguously reveal the debris ring embedded within a much larger,
morphologically complex, and bi-axially asymmetric exoring scattering
structure. These images at visible wavelengths are sensitive to, and map, the
spatial distribution, brightness, and radial surface density of micron size
particles over 5 dex in surface brightness. These particles in the exo-ring
environment may be unbound from the system and interacting with the local ISM.
Herein we present a new morphological and photometric view of the larger than
prior seen HR 4796A exoplanetary debris system with sensitivity to small
particles at stellocentric distances an order of magnitude greater than has
previously been observed.Comment: 28 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in the Astronomical
Journal 21 December 201
Search for the decay D^0→K^0e^+e^-
A search for the decay of the charmed meson D^0→K^0e^+e^- is presented, based on data collected at the ψ(3770) resonance with the Mark III detector at the SLAC storage ring SPEAR. No evidence for this process is found, resulting in an upper limit on the decay branching ratio of 1.7×10^(-3) at the 90% confidence level
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