Observation of Large Atomic-Recoil Induced Asymmetries in Cold Atom Spectroscopy

The atomic recoil effect leads to large (25 %) asymmetries in simple spectroscopic investigations of Ca atoms that have been laser-cooled to 10 microkelvin. Starting with spectra from the more familiar Doppler-broadened domain, we show how the fundamental asymmetry between absorption and stimulated emission of light manifests itself when shorter spectroscopic pulses lead to the Fourier transform regime. These effects occur on frequency scales much larger than the size of the recoil shift itself, and have not been observed before in saturation spectroscopy. These results are relevant to state-of-the-art optical atomic clocks based on freely expanding neutral atoms.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Comparison of Power Dependence of Microwave Surface Resistance of Unpatterned and Patterned YBCO Thin Film

The effect of the patterning process on the nonlinearity of the microwave surface resistance $R_S$ of YBCO thin films is investigated. With the use of a sapphire dielectric resonator and a stripline resonator, the microwave $R_S$ of YBCO thin films was measured before and after the patterning process, as a function of temperature and the rf peak magnetic field in the film. The microwave loss was also modeled, assuming a $J_{rf}^2$ dependence of $Z_S(J_{rf})$ on current density $J_{rf}$. Experimental and modeled results show that the patterning has no observable effect on the microwave residual $R_S$ or on the power dependence of $R_S$.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Trans. MT

The ultra-long GRB 111209A - II. Prompt to afterglow and afterglow properties

The "ultra-long" Gamma Ray Burst GRB 111209A at redshift z=0.677, is so far the longest GRB ever observed, with rest frame prompt emission duration of ~4 hours. In order to explain the bursts exceptional longevity, a low metallicity blue supergiant progenitor has been invoked. In this work, we further investigate this peculiar burst by performing a multi-band temporal and spectral analysis of both the prompt and the afterglow emission. We use proprietary and publicly available data from Swift, Konus Wind, XMM-Newton, TAROT as well as from other ground based optical and radio telescopes. We find some peculiar properties that are possibly connected to the exceptional nature of this burst, namely: i) an unprecedented large optical delay of 410+/-50 s is measured between the peak epochs of a marked flare observed also in gamma-rays after about 2 ks from the first Swift/BAT trigger; ii) if the optical and X-ray/gamma-ray photons during the prompt emission share a common origin, as suggested by their similar temporal behavior, a certain amount of dust in the circumburst environment should be introduced, with rest frame visual dust extinction of AV=0.3-1.5 mag; iii) at the end of the X-ray "steep decay phase" and before the start of the X-ray afterglow, we detect the presence of a hard spectral extra power law component never revealed so far. On the contrary, the optical afterglow since the end of the prompt emission shows more common properties, with a flux power law decay with index alpha=1.6+/-0.1 and a late re-brightening feature at 1.1 day. We discuss our findings in the context of several possible interpretations given so far to the complex multi-band GRB phenomenology. We also attempt to exploit our results to further constrain the progenitor nature properties of this exceptionally long GRB, suggesting a binary channel formation for the proposed blue supergiant progenitor.Comment: ApJ accepted. Revised version with substantial adjustments, the main results remain unchange

Energy Conversion Research

Contains report on one research project.U. S. Air Force (Research and Technology Division) under Contract AF33(615)-3489 with the Air Force Aero Propulsion Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohi

The optical calcium frequency standards of PTB and NIST

We describe the current status of the Ca optical frequency standards with laser-cooled neutral atoms realized in two different laboratories for the purpose of developing a possible future optical atomic clock. Frequency measurements performed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) make the frequency of the clock transition of 40Ca one of the best known optical frequencies (relative uncertainty 1.2e-14) and the measurements of this frequency in both laboratories agree to well within their respective uncertainties. Prospects for improvement by orders of magnitude in the relative uncertainty of the standard look feasible.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, to appear in Comptes Rendus Physiqu

Observation of Individual Josephson Vortices in YBCO Bicrystal Grain-boundary Junctions

The response of YBCO bicrystal grain-boundary junctions to small dc magnetic fields (0 - 10 Oe) has been probed with a low-power microwave (rf) signal of 4.4 GHz in a microwave-resonator setup. Peaks in the microwave loss at certain dc magnetic fields are observed that result from individual Josephson vortices penetrating into the grain-boundary junctions under study. The system is modeled as a long Josephson junction described by the sine-Gordon equation with the appropriate boundary conditions. Excellent quantitative agreement between the experimental data and the model has been obtained. Hysteresis effect of dc magnetic field is also studied and the results of measurement and calculation are compared.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

GRB 130427A Afterglow: A Test for GRB Models

Gamma-ray Burst 130427A had the largest fluence for almost 30 years. With an isotropic energy output of 8.5×1053 erg and redshift of 0.34, it combined a very high energy release with a relative proximity to Earth in an unprecedented fashion. Sensitive X-ray facilities such as {\it XMM-Newton} and {\it Chandra} detected the afterglow of this event for a record-breaking baseline of 90 Ms. We show the X-ray light curve of GRB 130427A of this event over such an interval. The light curve shows an unbroken power law decay with a slope of α=1.31 over more than three decades in time. In this presentation, we investigate the consequences of this result for the scenarios proposed to interpret GRB 130427A and the implications in the context of the forward shock model (jet opening angle, energetics, surrounding medium). We also remark the chance of extending GRB afterglow observations for several hundreds of Ms with {\it Athena}

The high-redshift gamma-ray burst GRB140515A

High-redshift gamma-ray bursts have several advantages for the study of the distant universe, providing unique information about the structure and properties of the galaxies in which they exploded. Spectroscopic identification with large ground-based telescopes has improved our knowledge of the class of such distant events. We present the multi-wavelength analysis of the high-$z$ Swift gamma-ray burst GRB140515A ($z = 6.327$). The best estimate of the neutral hydrogen fraction of the intergalactic medium (IGM) towards the burst is $x_{HI} \leq 0.002$. The spectral absorption lines detected for this event are the weakest lines ever observed in gamma-ray burst afterglows, suggesting that GRB140515A exploded in a very low density environment. Its circum-burst medium is characterised by an average extinction (A$_{\rm V} \sim 0.1$) that seems to be typical of $z \ge 6$ events. The observed multi-band light curves are explained either with a very flat injected spectrum ($p = 1.7$) or with a multi-component emission ($p = 2.1$). In the second case a long-lasting central engine activity is needed in order to explain the late time X-ray emission. The possible origin of GRB140515A from a Pop III (or from a Pop II stars with local environment enriched by Pop III) massive star is unlikely.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables, submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysic

Unusual features in the nonlinear microwave surface impedance of Y-Ba-Cu-O thin films

Striking features have been found in the nonlinear microwave (8 GHz) surface impedance $Z_s=R_s + jX_s$ of high-quality YBaCuO thin films with comparable low power characteristics [$R_{res}\sim 35--60 \mu\Omega$ and $\lambda_L(15 K)\sim 130--260 nm$]. The surface resistance $R_s$ is found to increase, decrease, or remain independent of the microwave field $H_{rf}$ (up to 60 mT) at different temperatures and for different samples. However, the surface reactance $X_s$ always follows the same functional form. Mechanisms which may be responsible for the observed variations in $R_s$ and $X_s$ are briefly discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure