1,459 research outputs found
1/f noise of Josephson-junction-embedded microwave resonators at single photon energies and millikelvin temperatures
We present measurements of 1/f frequency noise in both linear and
Josephson-junction-embedded superconducting aluminum resonators in the low
power, low temperature regime - typical operating conditions for
superconducting qubits. The addition of the Josephson junction does not result
in additional frequency noise, thereby placing an upper limit for fractional
critical current fluctuations of (Hz) at 1 Hz for
sub-micron, shadow evaporated junctions. These values imply a minimum dephasing
time for a superconducting qubit due to critical current noise of 40 -- 1400
s depending on qubit architecture. Occasionally, at temperatures above 50
mK, we observe the activation of individual fluctuators which increase the
level of noise significantly and exhibit Lorentzian spectra
Ultraslow light propagation in an inhomogeneously broadened rare-earth ion-doped crystal
We show that Coherent Population Oscillations effect allows to burn a narrow
spectral hole (26Hz) within the homogeneous absorption line of the optical
transition of an Erbium ion-doped crystal. The large dispersion of the index of
refraction associated with this hole permits to achieve a group velocity as low
as 2.7m/s with a ransmission of 40%. We especially benefit from the
inhomogeneous absorption broadening of the ions to tune both the transmission
coefficient, from 40% to 90%, and the light group velocity from 2.7m/s to
100m/s
The distribution of silicate strength in Spitzer spectra of AGNs and ULIRGs
A sample of 196 AGNs and ULIRGs observed by the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS)
on Spitzer is analyzed to study the distribution of the strength of the 9.7
micron silicate feature. Average spectra are derived for quasars, Seyfert 1 and
Seyfert 2 AGNs, and ULIRGs. We find that quasars are characterized by silicate
features in emission and Seyfert 1s equally by emission or weak absorption.
Seyfert 2s are dominated by weak silicate absorption, and ULIRGs are
characterized by strong silicate absorption (mean apparent optical depth about
1.5). Luminosity distributions show that luminosities at rest frame 5.5 micron
are similar for the most luminous quasars and ULIRGs and are almost 10^5 times
more luminous than the least luminous AGN in the sample. The distributions of
spectral characteristics and luminosities are compared to those of optically
faint infrared sources at z~2 being discovered by the IRS, which are also
characterized by strong silicate absorption. It is found that local ULIRGs are
a similar population, although they have lower luminosities and somewhat
stronger absorption compared to the high redshift sources.Comment: Accepted for publication on ApJ
A Comparison of Ultraviolet, Optical, and X-Ray Imagery of Selected Fields in the Cygnus Loop
During the Astro-1 and Astro-2 Space Shuttle missions in 1990 and 1995, far
ultraviolet (FUV) images of five 40' diameter fields around the rim of the
Cygnus Loop supernova remnant were observed with the Ultraviolet Imaging
Telescope (UIT). These fields sampled a broad range of conditions including
both radiative and nonradiative shocks in various geometries and physical
scales. In these shocks, the UIT B5 band samples predominantly CIV 1550 and the
hydrogen two-photon recombination continuum. Smaller contri- butions are made
by emission lines of HeII 1640 and OIII] 1665. We present these new FUV images
and compare them with optical Halpha and [OIII], and ROSAT HRI X-ray images.
Comparing the UIT images with those from the other bands provides new insights
into the spatial variations and locations of these different types of emission.
By comparing against shock model calculations and published FUV spectroscopy at
select locations, we surmise that resonance scattering in the strong FUV
permitted lines is widespread in the Cygnus Loop, especially in the bright
optical filaments typically selected for observation in most previous studies.Comment: 21 pages with 10 figures. See http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~danforth/uit/
for full-resolution figure
The influence of phase-modulation on femtosecond time-resolved coherent Raman spectroscopy
The influence of phase-modulation on femtosecond time-resolved coherent Raman scattering is investigated theoretically and experimentally. The coherent Raman signal taken as a function of the spectral position shows unexpected temporal oscillations close to time zero. A theoretical analysis of the coherent Raman scattering process indicates that the femtosecond light pulses are amplitude and phase modulated. The pulses are asymmetric in time with more slowly decaying trailing wings. The phase of the pulse amplitude contains quadratic and higher-order contributions
Deep Mid-Infrared Silicate Absorption as a Diagnostic of Obscuring Geometry Toward Galactic Nuclei
The silicate cross section peak near 10um produces emission and absorption
features in the spectra of dusty galactic nuclei observed with the Spitzer
Space Telescope. Especially in ultraluminous infrared galaxies, the observed
absorption feature can be extremely deep, as IRAS 08572+3915 illustrates. A
foreground screen of obscuration cannot reproduce this observed feature, even
at large optical depth. Instead, the deep absorption requires a nuclear source
to be deeply embedded in a smooth distribution of material that is both
geometrically and optically thick. In contrast, a clumpy medium can produce
only shallow absorption or emission, which are characteristic of
optically-identified active galactic nuclei. In general, the geometry of the
dusty region and the total optical depth, rather than the grain composition or
heating spectrum, determine the silicate feature's observable properties. The
apparent optical depth calculated from the ratio of line to continuum emission
generally fails to accurately measure the true optical depth. The obscuring
geometry, not the nature of the embedded source, also determines the far-IR
spectral shape.Comment: To appear in ApJ
Deep Mid-Infrared Silicate Absorption as a Diagnostic of Obscuring Geometry toward Galactic Nuclei
The silicate cross section peak near 10 μm produces emission and absorption features in the spectra of dusty galactic nuclei observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope. Especially in ultraluminous infrared galaxies, the observed absorption feature can be extremely deep, as IRAS 08572+3915 illustrates. A foreground screen of obscuration cannot reproduce this observed feature, even at a large optical depth. Instead, the deep absorption requires a nuclear source to be deeply embedded in a smooth distribution of material that is both geometrically and optically thick. In contrast, a clumpy medium can produce only shallow absorption or emission, which are characteristic of optically identified active galactic nuclei. In general, the geometry of the dusty region and the total optical depth, rather than the grain composition or heating spectrum, determine the silicate feature\u27s observable properties. The apparent optical depth calculated from the ratio of line to continuum emission generally fails to accurately measure the true optical depth. The obscuring geometry, not the nature of the embedded source, also determines the far-IR spectral shape
The complexity of parsec-scaled dusty tori in AGN
Warm gas and dust surround the innermost regions of active galactic nuclei
(AGN). They provide the material for accretion onto the super-massive black
hole and they are held responsible for the orientation-dependent obscuration of
the central engine. The AGN-heated dust distributions turn out to be very
compact with sizes on scales of about a parsec in the mid-infrared. Only
infrared interferometry currently provides the necessary angular resolution to
directly study the physical properties of this dust. Size estimates for the
dust distributions derived from interferometric observations can be used to
construct a size--luminosity relation for the dust distributions. The large
scatter about this relation suggests significant differences between the dust
tori in the individual galaxies, even for nuclei of the same class of objects
and with similar luminosities. This questions the simple picture of the same
dusty doughnut in all AGN. The Circinus galaxy is the closest Seyfert 2 galaxy.
Because its mid-infrared emission is well resolved interferometrically, it is a
prime target for detailed studies of its nuclear dust distribution. An
extensive new interferometric data set was obtained for this galaxy. It shows
that the dust emission comes from a very dense, disk-like structure which is
surrounded by a geometrically thick, similarly warm dust distribution as well
as significant amounts of warm dust within the ionisation cone.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the conference
"The central kiloparsec in Galactic Nuclei: Astronomy at High Angular
Resolution 2011", open access Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS),
published by IOP Publishin
The Distribution of Silicate Strength in \u3cem\u3eSpitzer\u3c/em\u3e Spectra of AGNs and ULIRGs
A sample of 196 AGNs and ULIRGs observed by the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on Spitzer is analyzed to study the distribution of the strength of the 9.7 μm silicate feature. Average spectra are derived for quasars, Seyfert 1 and Seyfert 2 AGNs, and ULIRGs. We find that quasars are characterized by silicate features in emission and Seyfert 1s equally by emission or weak absorption. Seyfert 2s are dominated by weak silicate absorption, and ULIRGs are characterized by strong silicate absorption (mean apparent optical depth about 1.5). Luminosity distributions show that luminosities at rest frame 5.5 μm are similar for the most luminous quasars and ULIRGs and are almost 105 times more luminous than the least luminous AGN in the sample. The distributions of spectral characteristics and luminosities are compared to those of optically faint infrared sources at z ~ 2 being discovered by the IRS, which are also characterized by strong silicate absorption. It is found that local ULIRGs are a similar population, although they have lower luminosities and somewhat stronger absorption compared to the high-redshift sources
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