3,061 research outputs found
Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation Anisotropy Induced by Cosmic Strings
We report on a current investigation of the anisotropy pattern induced by
cosmic strings on the cosmic microwave background radiation (MBR). We have
numerically evolved a network of cosmic strings from a redshift of to
the present and calculated the anisotropies which they induce. Based on a
limited number of realizations, we have compared the results of our simulations
with the observations of the COBE-DMR experiment. We have obtained a
preliminary estimate of the string mass-per-unit-length in the cosmic
string scenario.Comment: 8 pages of TeX - [Color] Postscript available by anonymous ftp at
ftp://fnas08.fnal.gov:/pub/Publications/Conf-94-197-A, FERMILAB-Conf-94/197-
Advanced techniques for determining long term compatibility of materials with propellants
A method for the prediction of propellant-material compatibility for periods of time up to ten years is presented. Advanced sensitive measurement techniques used in the prediction method are described. These include: neutron activation analysis, radioactive tracer technique, and atomic absorption spectroscopy with a graphite tube furnace sampler. The results of laboratory tests performed to verify the prediction method are presented
Isolating Geometry in Weak Lensing Measurements
Given a foreground galaxy-density field or shear field, its cross-correlation
with the shear field from a background population of source galaxies scales
with the source redshift in a way that is specific to lensing. Such a
source-scaling can be exploited to effectively measure geometrical distances as
a function of redshift and thereby constrain dark energy properties, free of
any assumptions about the galaxy-mass/mass power spectrum (its shape, amplitude
or growth). Such a geometrical method can yield a ~ 0.03 - 0.07 f_{sky}^{-1/2}
measurement on the dark energy abundance and equation of state, for a
photometric redshift accuracy of dz ~ 0.01 - 0.05 and a survey with median
redshift of ~ 1. While these constraints are weaker than conventional weak
lensing methods, they provide an important consistency check because the
geometrical method carries less theoretical baggage: there is no need to assume
any structure formation model (e.g. CDM). The geometrical method is at the most
conservative end of a whole spectrum of methods which obtain smaller errorbars
by making more restrictive assumptions -- we discuss some examples. Our
geometrical approach differs from previous investigations along similar lines
in three respects. First, the source-scaling we propose to use is less
demanding on the photometric redshift accuracy. Second, the scaling works for
both galaxy-shear and shear-shear correlations. Third, we find that previous
studies underestimate the statistical errors associated with similar
geometrical methods, the origin of which is discussed.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Ap
Cosmic Shear of the Microwave Background: The Curl Diagnostic
Weak-lensing distortions of the cosmic-microwave-background (CMB) temperature
and polarization patterns can reveal important clues to the intervening
large-scale structure. The effect of lensing is to deflect the primary
temperature and polarization signal to slightly different locations on the sky.
Deflections due to density fluctuations, gradient-type for the gradient of the
projected gravitational potential, give a direct measure of the mass
distribution. Curl-type deflections can be induced by, for example, a
primordial background of gravitational waves from inflation or by second-order
effects related to lensing by density perturbations. Whereas gradient-type
deflections are expected to dominate, we show that curl-type deflections can
provide a useful test of systematics and serve to indicate the presence of
confusing secondary and foreground non-Gaussian signals.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; PRD submitte
Primordial Gravity Waves and Weak Lensing
Inflation produces a primordial spectrum of gravity waves in addition to the
density perturbations which seed structure formation. We compute the signature
of these gravity waves in the large scale shear field. In particular, the shear
can be divided into a gradient mode (G or E) and a curl mode (C or B). The
former is produced by both density perturbations and gravity waves, while the
latter is produced only by gravity waves, so the observations of a non-zero
curl mode could be seen as evidence for inflation. We find that the expected
signal from inflation is small, peaking on the largest scales at
at and falling rapidly there after. Even for
an all-sky deep survey, this signal would be below noise at all multipoles.
Part of the reason for the smallness of the signal is a cancellation on large
scales of the standard line-of-sight effect and the effect of ``metric shear.''Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
The construction of identities in narratives about serious leisure occupations
Engagement in occupation contributes to the shaping of identity throughout the human life. The act of telling about such engagement involves interaction based on symbolic meaning; the speaker constructing an identity by conveying how the occupation is personally meaningful. This study explored meaning in narratives told by people who engage in serious leisure occupations. A total of 78 narratives were extracted from interviews with 17 people who invest considerable time and other resources into their leisure. Analysis focused on the content, structure and performance of each narrative in order to explore meaning. The meanings were organised into a framework based around three dimensions: the located self, the active self and the changing self. Each dimension has facets that the individual might emphasise, constructing a unique identity. The framework offers a structured basis for conceptualising how occupation contributes to the shaping of the internalised self and the socially situated identity
A Test of the Copernican Principle
The blackbody nature of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation
spectrum is used in a modern test of the Copernican Principle. The reionized
universe serves as a mirror to reflect CMB photons, thereby permitting a view
of ourselves and the local gravitational potential. By comparing with
measurements of the CMB spectrum, a limit is placed on the possibility that we
occupy a privileged location, residing at the center of a large void. The
Hubble diagram inferred from lines-of-sight originating at the center of the
void may be misinterpreted to indicate cosmic acceleration. Current limits on
spectral distortions are shown to exclude the largest voids which mimic cosmic
acceleration. More sensitive measurements of the CMB spectrum could prove the
existence of such a void or confirm the validity of the Copernican Principle.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
A Demonstration of LISA Laser Communication
Over the past few years questions have been raised concerning the use of
laser communications links between sciencecraft to transmit phase information
crucial to the reduction of laser frequency noise in the LISA science
measurement. The concern is that applying medium frequency phase modulations to
the laser carrier could compromise the phase stability of the LISA fringe
signal. We have modified the table-top interferometer presented in a previous
article by applying phase modulations to the laser beams in order to evaluate
the effects of such modulations on the LISA science fringe signal. We have
demonstrated that the phase resolution of the science signal is not degraded by
the presence of medium frequency phase modulations.Comment: minor corrections found in the CQG versio
Beyond the Small-Angle Approximation For MBR Anisotropy from Seeds
In this paper we give a general expression for the energy shift of massless
particles travelling through the gravitational field of an arbitrary matter
distribution as calculated in the weak field limit in an asymptotically flat
space-time. It is {\it not} assumed that matter is non-relativistic. We
demonstrate the surprising result that if the matter is illuminated by a
uniform brightness background that the brightness pattern observed at a given
point in space-time (modulo a term dependent on the oberver's velocity) depends
only on the matter distribution on the observer's past light-cone. These
results apply directly to the cosmological MBR anisotropy pattern generated in
the immediate vicinity of of an object like a cosmic string or global texture.
We apply these results to cosmic strings, finding a correction to previously
published results for in the small-angle approximation. We also derive the
full-sky anisotropy pattern of a collapsing texture knot.Comment: 23 pages, FERMILAB-Pub-94/047-
- âŠ