8,781 research outputs found
Impact of positivity and complete positivity on accessibility of Markovian dynamics
We consider a two-dimensional quantum control system evolving under an
entropy-increasing irreversible dynamics in the semigroup form. Considering a
phenomenological approach to the dynamics, we show that the accessibility
property of the system depends on whether its evolution is assumed to be
positive or completely positive. In particular, we characterize the family of
maps having different accessibility and show the impact of that property on
observable quantities by means of a simple physical model.Comment: 11 pages, to appear in J. Phys.
New cosmological solutions and stability analysis in full extended thermodynamics
The Einstein's field equations of FRW universes filled with a dissipative
fluid described by full theory of causal transport equations are analyzed. New
exact solutions are found using a non-local transformations on the nonlinear
differential equation for the Hubble factor. The stability of the de Sitter and
asymptotically friedmannian solutions are analyzed using Lyapunov function
method.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX 2.09. To be published in International Journal of
Modern Physics
Progress on stochastic background search codes for LIGO
One of the types of signals for which the LIGO interferometric gravitational
wave detectors will search is a stochastic background of gravitational
radiation. We review the technique of searching for a background using the
optimally-filtered cross-correlation statistic, and describe the state of plans
to perform such cross-correlations between the two LIGO interferometers as well
as between LIGO and other gravitational-wave detectors, in particular the
preparation of software to perform such data analysis.Comment: 7 pages, 1 encapsulated PostScript figure, uses IOP class files,
submitted to the proceedings of the 4th Amaldi meeting (which will be
published in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Embedding initial data for black hole collisions
We discuss isometric embedding diagrams for the visualization of initial data
for the problem of the head-on collision of two black holes. The problem of
constructing the embedding diagrams is explicitly presented for the best
studied initial data, the Misner geometry. We present a partial solution of the
embedding diagrams and discuss issues related to completing the solution.Comment: (27pp text, 11 figures
FUSE Observations of the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy Arakelian 564
We present a 63 ks FUSE observation of the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 galaxy
Arakelian 564. The spectrum is dominated by the strong emission in the O VI
\lambda\lambda1032, 1038 resonance doublet. Strong, heavily saturated
absorption troughs due to Lyman series of Hydrogen, O VI and C III \lambda 977
at velocities near the systemic redshift of Arakelian564 are also observed. We
used the column densities of O VI and C III in conjunction with the published
column densities of species observed in the UV and X-ray bands to derive
constraints on the physical parameters of the absorber through photoionization
modeling. The available data suggest that the UV and X-ray absorbers in
Arakelian~564 are physically related, and possibly identical. The combination
of constraints indicates that the absorber is characterized by a narrow range
in total column density N_H and U, centered at log N_H ~ 21 and log U ~ -1.5,
and may be spatially extended along the line of sight.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures; accepted for publication in The Astrophysical
Journal, LaTeX emulateapj.st
Reddening, Emission-Line, and Intrinsic Absorption Properties in the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy Akn 564
We use Hubble Space Telescope UV and optical spectra of the narrow-line
Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy Akn 564 to investigate its internal reddening and
properties of its emission-line and intrinsic UV absorption gas. We find that
the extinction curve of Akn 564, derived from a comparison of its UV/optical
continuum to that of an unreddened NLS1, lacks a 2200 A bump and turns up
towards the UV at a longer wavelength (4000 A) than the standard Galactic, LMC,
and SMC curves. However, it does not show the extremely steep rise to 1200 A
that characterizes the extinction curve of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 3227. The
emission-lines and continuum experience the same amount of reddening,
indicating the presence of a dust screen that is external to the narrow-line
region (NLR). Echelle spectra from the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph
show intrinsic UV absorption lines due to Ly-alpha, N V, C IV, Si IV, and Si
III, centered at a radial velocity of -190 km/s (relative to the host galaxy).
Photoionization models of the UV absorber indicate that it has a sufficient
columnand is at a sufficient distance from the nucleus (D > 95 pc) to be the
source of the dust screen. Thus, Akn 564 contains a dusty ``lukewarm absorber''
similar to that seen in NGC 3227.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures. LaTeX with encapsulated postscript figures.
Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
The Spectral Energy Distribution and Emission-Line properties of the NLS1 Galaxy Arakelian 564
We present the intrinsic spectral energy distribution (SED) of the NLS1
Arakelian 564, constructed with contemporaneous data obtained during a
multi-wavelength, multi-satellite observing campaign in 2000 and 2001. We
compare it with that of the NLS1 Ton S180 and with those obtained for BLS1s to
infer how the relative accretion rates vary among the Sy1 population. Although
the peak of the SED is not well constrained, most of the energy is emitted in
the 10-100 eV regime, constituting roughly half of the emitted energy in the
optical/X-ray ranges. This is consistent with a primary spectral component
peaking in the extreme UV/soft X-ray band, and disk-corona models, hence high
accretion rates. Indeed, we estimate that \dot{m}~1. We examine the emission
lines in its spectrum, and we constrain the physical properties of the
line-emitting gas through photoionization modeling. The line-emitting gas is
characterized by log n~11 and log U~0, and is stratified around log U~0. Our
estimate of the radius of the H\beta-emitting region ~10 \pm 2 lt-days is
consistent with the radius-luminosity relationships found for Sy1 galaxies. We
also find evidence for super-solar metallicity in this NLS1. We show that the
emission lines are not good diagnostics for the underlying SEDs and that the
absorption line studies offer a far more powerful tool to determine the
ionizing continuum of AGNs, especially if comparing the lower- and
higher-ionization lines.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures; accepted for publication in The Astrophysical
Journal, LaTeX emulateapj.st
Irreversible Processes in Inflationary Cosmological Models
By using the thermodynamic theory of irreversible processes and Einstein
general relativity, a cosmological model is proposed where the early universe
is considered as a mixture of a scalar field with a matter field. The scalar
field refers to the inflaton while the matter field to the classical particles.
The irreversibility is related to a particle production process at the expense
of the gravitational energy and of the inflaton energy. The particle production
process is represented by a non-equilibrium pressure in the energy-momentum
tensor. The non-equilibrium pressure is proportional to the Hubble parameter
and its proportionality factor is identified with the coefficient of bulk
viscosity. The dynamic equations of the inflaton and the Einstein field
equations determine the time evolution of the cosmic scale factor, the Hubble
parameter, the acceleration and of the energy densities of the inflaton and
matter. Among other results it is shown that in some regimes the acceleration
is positive which simulates an inflation. Moreover, the acceleration decreases
and tends to zero in the instant of time where the energy density of matter
attains its maximum value.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, to appear in PR
Multiwavelength Monitoring of the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy Akn 564. I. ASCA Observations and the Variability of the X-ray Spectral Components
We present a 35 day ASCA observation of the NLS1 Akn 564, which was part of a
multiwavelength AGN Watch monitoring campaign. Akn 564 shows a photon index
varying across the range 2.45--2.72. The presence of the soft hump component
below 1 keV, previously detected in ASCA data, is confirmed. Time-resolved
spectroscopy with ~daily sampling reveals a distinction in the variability of
the soft hump and power-law components over a timescale of weeks, with the hump
varying by a factor of 6 across the 35-day observation compared to a factor 4
in the power-law. Flux variations in the power-law component are measured down
to a timescale of ~1000s and accompanying spectral variability suggests the
soft hump is not well-correlated with the power-law on such short timescales.
We detect Fe Ka and a blend of Fe Kb plus Ni Ka, indicating an origin in highly
ionized gas. Variability measurements constrain the bulk of the Fe Ka to
originate within a light week of the nucleus. The large EW of the emission
lines may be due to high metallicity in NLS1s, supporting some evolutionary
models for AGN.Comment: 41 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal (v3 has final fixes for publication
Detecting a stochastic background of gravitational radiation: Signal processing strategies and sensitivities
We analyze the signal processing required for the optimal detection of a
stochastic background of gravitational radiation using laser interferometric
detectors. Starting with basic assumptions about the statistical properties of
a stochastic gravity-wave background, we derive expressions for the optimal
filter function and signal-to-noise ratio for the cross-correlation of the
outputs of two gravity-wave detectors. Sensitivity levels required for
detection are then calculated. Issues related to: (i) calculating the
signal-to-noise ratio for arbitrarily large stochastic backgrounds, (ii)
performing the data analysis in the presence of nonstationary detector noise,
(iii) combining data from multiple detector pairs to increase the sensitivity
of a stochastic background search, (iv) correlating the outputs of 4 or more
detectors, and (v) allowing for the possibility of correlated noise in the
outputs of two detectors are discussed. We briefly describe a computer
simulation which mimics the generation and detection of a simulated stochastic
gravity-wave signal in the presence of simulated detector noise. Numerous
graphs and tables of numerical data for the five major interferometers
(LIGO-WA, LIGO-LA, VIRGO, GEO-600, and TAMA-300) are also given. The treatment
given in this paper should be accessible to both theorists involved in data
analysis and experimentalists involved in detector design and data acquisition.Comment: 81 pages, 30 postscript figures, REVTE
- âŠ