Compensation for Primary Reflector Wavefront Error

The object of the invention is to compensate for errors in a large telescope primary reflector by making certain compensating deviations in a smaller, auxiliary reflector of the telescope. At least one intermediate element forms an image of the primary surface onto the secondary surface, so each point on the secondary surface corresponds to a point on the primary surface. The secondary surface is formed with a deviation from an ideal secondary surface, with the piston distance of each point on the actual secondary surface equal to the piston distance of a corresponding piston on the actual primary surface from the ideal primary surface. It is found that this results in electromagnetic (e.g., light) rays which strike a deviating area of the actual primary surface being brought to the same focus as if the actual primary surface did not have a diviation from an ideal primary surface

The Small Module Fixed Mirror Distributed Focus (FMDF) Photothermal Concentrator Study

The development of a general ray trace evaluation program called ICARUS, the study of novel Fresnel concepts, and the review of a report draft on novel Fresnel concepts are covered. ICARUS is documented, reports on the novel Fresnel concepts were previously submitted

Highly accurate calculation of rotating neutron stars: Detailed description of the numerical methods

We give a detailed description of the recently developed multi-domain spectral method for constructing highly accurate general-relativistic models of rapidly rotating stars. For both "ordinary" and "critical" configurations, it is exhibited by means of representative examples, how the accuracy improves as the order of the approximation increases. Apart from homogeneous fluid bodies, we also discuss models of polytropic and strange stars.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures, 9 tables, version accepted by A&

Differentially rotating disks of dust

We present a three-parameter family of solutions to the stationary axisymmetric Einstein equations that describe differentially rotating disks of dust. They have been constructed by generalizing the Neugebauer-Meinel solution of the problem of a rigidly rotating disk of dust. The solutions correspond to disks with angular velocities depending monotonically on the radial coordinate; both decreasing and increasing behaviour is exhibited. In general, the solutions are related mathematically to Jacobi's inversion problem and can be expressed in terms of Riemann theta functions. A particularly interesting two-parameter subfamily represents Baecklund transformations to appropriate seed solutions of the Weyl class.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures. To appear in "General Relativity and Gravitation". Second version with minor correction

Bottomonium spectrum at order v^6 from domain-wall lattice QCD: precise results for hyperfine splittings

The bottomonium spectrum is computed in dynamical 2+1 flavor lattice QCD, using NRQCD for the b quarks. The main calculations in this work are based on gauge field ensembles generated by the RBC and UKQCD collaborations with the Iwasaki action for the gluons and a domain-wall action for the sea quarks. Lattice spacing values of approximately 0.08 fm and 0.11 fm are used, and simultaneous chiral extrapolations to the physical pion mass are performed. As a test for gluon discretization errors, the calculations are repeated on two ensembles generated by the MILC collaboration with the Luscher-Weisz gauge action. Gluon discretization errors are also studied in a lattice potential model using perturbation theory for four different gauge actions. The nonperturbative lattice QCD results for the radial and orbital bottomonium energy splittings obtained from the RBC/UKQCD ensembles are found to be in excellent agreement with experiment. To get accurate results for spin splittings, the spin-dependent order-v^6 terms are included in the NRQCD action, and suitable ratios are calculated such that most of the unknown radiative corrections cancel. The cancellation of radiative corrections is verified explicitly by repeating the calculations with different values of the couplings in the NRQCD action. Using the lattice ratios of the S-wave hyperfine and the 1P tensor splitting, and the experimental result for the 1P tensor splitting, the 1S hyperfine splitting is found to be 60.3+-5.5(stat)+-5.0(syst)+-2.1(exp) MeV, and the 2S hyperfine splitting is predicted to be 23.5+-4.1(stat)+-2.1(syst)+-0.8(exp) MeV.Comment: 36 pages, 14 figures. v2: added Appendix D containing detailed analysis of gluon discretization errors using a lattice potential model and comparison to results from MILC ensembles. Estimates of systematic errors in hyperfine splittings now include gluon discretization errors and b-bbar annihilation contribution. Accepted for publication in PR

On the black hole limit of rotating discs and rings

Solutions to Einstein's field equations describing rotating fluid bodies in equilibrium permit parametric (i.e. quasi-stationary) transitions to the extreme Kerr solution (outside the horizon). This has been shown analytically for discs of dust and numerically for ring solutions with various equations of state. From the exterior point of view, this transition can be interpreted as a (quasi) black hole limit. All gravitational multipole moments assume precisely the values of an extremal Kerr black hole in the limit. In the present paper, the way in which the black hole limit is approached is investigated in more detail by means of a parametric Taylor series expansion of the exact solution describing a rigidly rotating disc of dust. Combined with numerical calculations for ring solutions our results indicate an interesting universal behaviour of the multipole moments near the black hole limit.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures; Dedicated to Gernot Neugebauer on the occasion of his 70th birthda

Equilibrium Configurations of Homogeneous Fluids in General Relativity

By means of a highly accurate, multi-domain, pseudo-spectral method, we investigate the solution space of uniformly rotating, homogeneous and axisymmetric relativistic fluid bodies. It turns out that this space can be divided up into classes of solutions. In this paper, we present two new classes including relativistic core-ring and two-ring solutions. Combining our knowledge of the first four classes with post-Newtonian results and the Newtonian portion of the first ten classes, we present the qualitative behaviour of the entire relativistic solution space. The Newtonian disc limit can only be reached by going through infinitely many of the aforementioned classes. Only once this limiting process has been consummated, can one proceed again into the relativistic regime and arrive at the analytically known relativistic disc of dust.Comment: 8 pages, colour figures, v3: minor additions including one reference, accepted by MNRA

Dirichlet Boundary Value Problems of the Ernst Equation

We demonstrate how the solution to an exterior Dirichlet boundary value problem of the axisymmetric, stationary Einstein equations can be found in terms of generalized solutions of the Backlund type. The proof that this generalization procedure is valid is given, which also proves conjectures about earlier representations of the gravitational field corresponding to rotating disks of dust in terms of Backlund type solutions.Comment: 22 pages, to appear in Phys. Rev. D, Correction of a misprint in equation (4

Magnetic field reversals and galactic dynamos

We argue that global magnetic field reversals similar to those observed in the Milky Way occur quite frequently in mean-field galactic dynamo models that have relatively strong, random, seed magnetic fields that are localized in discrete regions. The number of reversals decreases to zero with reduction of the seed strength, efficiency of the galactic dynamo and size of the spots of the seed field. A systematic observational search for magnetic field reversals in a representative sample of spiral galaxies promises to give valuable information concerning seed magnetic fields and, in this way, to clarify the initial stages of galactic magnetic field evolution