57 research outputs found

    Gravitational waves from rapidly rotating neutron stars

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    Rapidly rotating neutron stars in Low Mass X-ray Binaries have been proposed as an interesting source of gravitational waves. In this chapter we present estimates of the gravitational wave emission for various scenarios, given the (electromagnetically) observed characteristics of these systems. First of all we focus on the r-mode instability and show that a 'minimal' neutron star model (which does not incorporate exotica in the core, dynamically important magnetic fields or superfluid degrees of freedom), is not consistent with observations. We then present estimates of both thermally induced and magnetically sustained mountains in the crust. In general magnetic mountains are likely to be detectable only if the buried magnetic field of the star is of the order of B≈1012B\approx 10^{12} G. In the thermal mountain case we find that gravitational wave emission from persistent systems may be detected by ground based interferometers. Finally we re-asses the idea that gravitational wave emission may be balancing the accretion torque in these systems, and show that in most cases the disc/magnetosphere interaction can account for the observed spin periods.Comment: To appear in 'Gravitational Waves Astrophysics: 3rd Session of the Sant Cugat Forum on Astrophysics, 2014', Editor: Carlos F. Sopuert

    GW190814: gravitational waves from the coalescence of a 23 solar mass black hole with a 2.6 solar mass compact object

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    We report the observation of a compact binary coalescence involving a 22.2–24.3 Me black hole and a compact object with a mass of 2.50–2.67 Me (all measurements quoted at the 90% credible level). The gravitational-wave signal, GW190814, was observed during LIGO’s and Virgo’s third observing run on 2019 August 14 at 21:10:39 UTC and has a signal-to-noise ratio of 25 in the three-detector network. The source was localized to 18.5 deg2 at a distance of - + 241 45 41 Mpc; no electromagnetic counterpart has been confirmed to date. The source has the most unequal mass ratio yet measured with gravitational waves, - + 0.112 0.009 0.008, and its secondary component is either the lightest black hole or the heaviest neutron star ever discovered in a double compact-object system. The dimensionless spin of the primary black hole is tightly constrained to �0.07. Tests of general relativity reveal no measurable deviations from the theory, and its prediction of higher-multipole emission is confirmed at high confidence. We estimate a merger rate density of 1–23 Gpc−3 yr−1 for the new class of binary coalescence sources that GW190814 represents. Astrophysical models predict that binaries with mass ratios similar to this event can form through several channels, but are unlikely to have formed in globular clusters. However, the combination of mass ratio, component masses, and the inferred merger rate for this event challenges all current models of the formation and mass distribution of compact-object binaries

    Fatigue performance assessment of recycled tire rubber modified asphalt mixtures using viscoelastic continuum damage analysis and AASHTOWare pavement ME design

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    Improving fatigue cracking resistance of asphalt mixtures is an important issue that concerns roadway agencies, public and industry. There are various, well-established methods for improving the material characteristics, such as polymer modification methods. Recycling/reusing scrap tire rubber in asphalt pavements has also been an interest of engineers. As such, many different methods of scrap tire rubber (herein called crumb rubber) modification alternatives are being developed. This study focused on a comparative evaluation of the fatigue cracking resistance of various base and recycled tire rubber modified asphalt mixtures, including the relatively new and innovative devulcanized rubber (DVR), crumb rubber terminally blend (CRTB), crumb rubber wet process (CRWET), original/base PG58-28 and softer PG58-34 binders, by using Push-Pull Viscoelastic Continuum Damage (PP-VECD) analysis and AASHTOWare Pavement Mechanistic Empirical Design (Pavement ME) software. The results of the study revealed that rubberized asphalt mixtures provided better fatigue lives than the base and softer binders did. Especially, DVR mixtures outperformed at high strain levels, implying they can be used for heavy traffic roads to enhance the fatigue life of asphalt pavements. Both PP-VECD and Pavement ME produced results that showed similar trends.Journal Articl

    Wait a second: brief delays in responding reduce focality effects in event-based prospective memory

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    Remembering to perform deferred actions when an event is encountered in the future is referred to as event-based prospective memory (PM). We examined whether the failure of individuals to allocate sufficient attentional resources to nonfocal PM tasks can be linked to the response demands inherent in PM paradigms that require the PM task to race for response selection with the speeded ongoing task. In three experiments, participants performed a lexical decision task while being required to make a separate PM response to a specific word (focal), an exemplar of a category (nonfocal), or a syllable (nonfocal). We manipulated the earliest time participants could make task responses by presenting a tone at varying onsets (0-1,600 ms) following stimulus presentation. Improvements in focal PM and nonfocal PM were observed at response delays as brief as 200 ms and 400 ms, respectively. Nonfocal PM accuracy was comparable to focal PM accuracy at delays of 600 ms and 1,600 ms for categorical targets and syllable targets, respectively. Delaying task responses freed the resource-demanding processing operations used on the ongoing task for use on the nonfocal PM task, increasing the probability that the nonfocal PM features of ongoing task stimuli were adequately assessed prior to the ongoing task response
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