1,363 research outputs found
A time lens for high resolution neutron time of flight spectrometers
We examine in analytic and numeric ways the imaging effects of temporal
neutron lenses created by traveling magnetic fields. For fields of parabolic
shape we derive the imaging equations, investigate the time-magnification, the
evolution of the phase space element, the gain factor and the effect of finite
beam size. The main aberration effects are calculated numerically. The system
is technologically feasible and should convert neutron time of flight
instruments from pinhole- to imaging configuration in time, thus enhancing
intensity and/or time resolution. New fields of application for high resolution
spectrometry may be opened.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figure
Noise characterization for LISA
We consider the general problem of estimating the inflight LISA noise power
spectra and cross-spectra, which are needed for detecting and estimating the
gravitational wave signals present in the LISA data. For the LISA baseline
design and in the long wavelength limit, we bound the error on all spectrum
estimators that rely on the use of the fully symmetric Sagnac combination
(). This procedure avoids biases in the estimation that would otherwise
be introduced by the presence of a strong galactic background in the LISA data.
We specialize our discussion to the detection and study of the galactic white
dwarf-white dwarf binary stochastic signal.Comment: 9 figure
Estimating the detectable rate of capture of stellar mass black holes by massive central black holes in normal galaxies
The capture and subsequent inspiral of stellar mass black holes on eccentric
orbits by central massive black holes, is one of the more interesting likely
sources of gravitational radiation detectable by LISA. We estimate the rate of
observable events and the associated uncertainties. A moderately favourable
mass function could provide many detectable bursts each year, and a detection
of at least one burst per year is very likely given our current understanding
of the populations in cores of normal spiral galaxies.Comment: 3 pages 2-column revtex Latex macro. No figures. Classical and
Quantum Gravity, accepte
Delay time and tunneling transient phenomena
Analytic solutions to the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation for cutoff
wave initial conditions are used to investigate the time evolution of the
transmitted probability density for tunneling. For a broad range of values of
the potential barrier opacity , we find that the probability density
exhibits two evolving structures. One refers to the propagation of a {\it
forerunner} related to a {\it time domain resonance} [Phys. Rev. A {\bf 64},
0121907 (2001)], while the other consists of a semiclassical propagating
wavefront. We find a regime where the {\it forerunners} are absent,
corresponding to positive {\it time delays}, and show that this regime is
characterized by opacities . The critical opacity
is derived from the analytical expression for the {\it delay time}, that
reflects a link between transient effects in tunneling and the {\it delay time}Comment: To be published in Physical Review
Transient tunneling effects of resonance doublets in triple barrier systems
Transient tunneling effects in triple barrier systems are investigated by
considering a time-dependent solution to the Schr\"{o}dinger equation with a
cutoff wave initial condition. We derive a two-level formula for incidence
energies near the first resonance doublet of the system. Based on that
expression we find that the probability density along the internal region of
the potential, is governed by three oscillation frequencies: one of them refers
to the well known Bohr frequency, given in terms of the first and second
resonance energies of the doublet, and the two others, represent a coupling
with the incidence energy . This allows to manipulate the above frequencies
to control the tunneling transient behavior of the probability density in the
short-time regim
Angular Resolution of the LISA Gravitational Wave Detector
We calculate the angular resolution of the planned LISA detector, a
space-based laser interferometer for measuring low-frequency gravitational
waves from galactic and extragalactic sources. LISA is not a pointed
instrument; it is an all-sky monitor with a quadrupolar beam pattern. LISA will
measure simultaneously both polarization components of incoming gravitational
waves, so the data will consist of two time series. All physical properties of
the source, including its position, must be extracted from these time series.
LISA's angular resolution is therefore not a fixed quantity, but rather depends
on the type of signal and on how much other information must be extracted.
Information about the source position will be encoded in the measured signal in
three ways: 1) through the relative amplitudes and phases of the two
polarization components, 2) through the periodic Doppler shift imposed on the
signal by the detector's motion around the Sun, and 3) through the further
modulation of the signal caused by the detector's time-varying orientation. We
derive the basic formulae required to calculate the LISA's angular resolution
for a given source. We then evaluate for
two sources of particular interest: monchromatic sources and mergers of
supermassive black holes. For these two types of sources, we calculate (in the
high signal-to-noise approximation) the full variance-covariance matrix, which
gives the accuracy to which all source parameters can be measured. Since our
results on LISA's angular resolution depend mainly on gross features of the
detector geometry, orbit, and noise curve, we expect these results to be fairly
insensitive to modest changes in detector design that may occur between now and
launch. We also expect that our calculations could be easily modified to apply
to a modified design.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, RevTex 3.0 fil
Using binary stars to bound the mass of the graviton
Interacting white dwarf binary star systems, including helium cataclysmic
variable (HeCV) systems, are expected to be strong sources of gravitational
radiation, and should be detectable by proposed space-based laser
interferometer gravitational wave observatories such as LISA. Several HeCV star
systems are presently known and can be studied optically, which will allow
electromagnetic and gravitational wave observations to be correlated.
Comparisons of the phases of a gravitational wave signal and the orbital light
curve from an interacting binary white dwarf star system can be used to bound
the mass of the graviton. Observations of typical HeCV systems by LISA could
potentially yield an upper bound on the inverse mass of the graviton as strong
as km (
eV), more than two orders of magnitude better than present solar system derived
bounds.Comment: 21 pages plus 4 figures; ReVTe
White dwarfs stripped by massive black holes: sources of coincident gravitational and electromagnetic radiation
White dwarfs inspiraling into black holes of mass \MBH\simgt 10^5M_\odot
are detectable sources of gravitational waves in the LISA band. In many of
these events, the white dwarf begins to lose mass during the main observational
phase of the inspiral. The mass loss starts gently and can last for thousands
of orbits. The white dwarf matter overflows the Roche lobe through the
point at each pericenter passage and the mass loss repeats periodically. The
process occurs very close to the black hole and the released gas can accrete,
creating a bright source of radiation with luminosity close to the Eddington
limit, ~erg~s. This class of inspirals offers a promising
scenario for dual detections of gravitational waves and electromagnetic
radiation.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Minor changes. Accepted in MNRAS Letters on
August 6 201
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