Plans for the LIGO–TAMA joint search for gravitational wave bursts

We describe the plans for a joint search for unmodelled gravitational wave bursts being carried out by the LIGO and TAMA Collaborations using data collected during February–April 2003. We take a conservative approach to detection, requiring candidate gravitational wave bursts to be seen in coincidence by all four interferometers. We focus on some of the complications of performing this coincidence analysis, in particular the effects of the different alignments and noise spectra of the interferometers

Far infrared maps of the ridge between OMC-1 and OMC-2

Dust continuum emission from a 6 ft x 20 ft region surrounding OMC-1 and OMC-2 were mapped at 55 and 125 microns with 4 ft resolution. The dominant features of the maps are a strong peak at OMC-1 and a ridge of lower surface brightness between OMC-1 and OMC-2. Along the ridge the infrared flux densities and the color temperature decreases smoothly from OMC-1 to OMC-2. OMC-1 is heated primarily by several optical and infrared stars situated within or just at the boundary of the cloud. At the region of minimum column density between OMC-1 and OMC-2 the nearby B0.5 V star NU Ori may contribute significantly to the dust heating. Near OMC-2 dust column densities are large enough so that, in addition to the OMC-2 infrared cluster, the nonlocal infrared sources associated with OMC-1 and NU Ori can contribute to the heating

Arm cavity resonant sideband control for laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors

We present a new optical control scheme for a laser interferometric gravitational wave detector that has a high degree of tolerance to interferometer spatial distortions and noise on the input light. The scheme involves resonating the rf sidebands in an interferometer arm cavity

Far infrared and submillimeter brightness temperatures of the giant planets

The brightness temperatures of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune in the range 35 to 1000 micron. The effective temperatures derived from the measurements, supplemented by shorter wavelength Voyager data for Jupiter and Saturn, are 126.8 + or - 4.5 K, 93.4 + or - 3.3 K, 58.3 + or - 2.0 K, and 60.3 + or - 2.0 K, respectively. The implications of the measurements for bolometric output and for atmospheric structure and composition are discussed. The temperature spectrum of Jupiter shows a strong peak at approx. 350 microns followed by a deep valley at approx. 450 to 500 microns. Spectra derived from model atmospheres qualitatively reproduced these features but do not fit the data closely

An all-optical trap for a gram-scale mirror

We report on a stable optical trap suitable for a macroscopic mirror, wherein the dynamics of the mirror are fully dominated by radiation pressure. The technique employs two frequency-offset laser fields to simultaneously create a stiff optical restoring force and a viscous optical damping force. We show how these forces may be used to optically trap a free mass without introducing thermal noise; and we demonstrate the technique experimentally with a 1 gram mirror. The observed optical spring has an inferred Young's modulus of 1.2 TPa, 20% stiffer than diamond. The trap is intrinsically cold and reaches an effective temperature of 0.8 K, limited by technical noise in our apparatus.Comment: Major revision. Replacement is version that appears in Phy. Rev. Lett. 98, 150802 (2007

Quality of Life in Chronic Pancreatitis is Determined by Constant Pain, Disability/Unemployment, Current Smoking, and Associated Co-Morbidities

OBJECTIVES: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) has a profound independent effect on quality of life (QOL). Our aim was to identify factors that impact the QOL in CP patients. METHODS: We used data on 1,024 CP patients enrolled in the three NAPS2 studies. Information on demographics, risk factors, co-morbidities, disease phenotype, and treatments was obtained from responses to structured questionnaires. Physical and mental component summary (PCS and MCS, respectively) scores generated using responses to the Short Form-12 (SF-12) survey were used to assess QOL at enrollment. Multivariable linear regression models determined independent predictors of QOL. RESULTS: Mean PCS and MCS scores were 36.7+/-11.7 and 42.4+/-12.2, respectively. Significant (P \u3c 0.05) negative impact on PCS scores in multivariable analyses was noted owing to constant mild-moderate pain with episodes of severe pain or constant severe pain (10 points), constant mild-moderate pain (5.2), pain-related disability/unemployment (5.1), current smoking (2.9 points), and medical co-morbidities. Significant (P \u3c 0.05) negative impact on MCS scores was related to constant pain irrespective of severity (6.8-6.9 points), current smoking (3.9 points), and pain-related disability/unemployment (2.4 points). In women, disability/unemployment resulted in an additional 3.7 point reduction in MCS score. Final multivariable models explained 27% and 18% of the variance in PCS and MCS scores, respectively. Etiology, disease duration, pancreatic morphology, diabetes, exocrine insufficiency, and prior endotherapy/pancreatic surgery had no significant independent effect on QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Constant pain, pain-related disability/unemployment, current smoking, and concurrent co-morbidities significantly affect the QOL in CP. Further research is needed to identify factors impacting QOL not explained by our analyses

Observational Limit on Gravitational Waves from Binary Neutron Stars in the Galaxy

Using optimal matched filtering, we search 25 hours of data from the LIGO 40-meter prototype laser interferometric gravitational-wave detector for gravitational-wave chirps emitted by coalescing binary systems within our Galaxy. This is the first test of this filtering technique on real interferometric data. An upper limit on the rate R of neutron star binary inspirals in our Galaxy is obtained: with 90% confidence, R< 0.5/hour. Similar experiments with LIGO interferometers will provide constraints on the population of tight binary neutron star systems in the Universe.Comment: RevTeX, minor revisions, exactly as published in PRL 83 (1999) p1498, 4 pages, 2 figures include

Search for Gravitational-wave Inspiral Signals Associated with Short Gamma-ray Bursts During LIGO's Fifth and Virgo's First Science Run

Progenitor scenarios for short gamma-ray bursts (short GRBs) include coalescenses of two neutron stars or a neutron star and black hole, which would necessarily be accompanied by the emission of strong gravitational waves. We present a search for these known gravitational-wave signatures in temporal and directional coincidence with 22 GRBs that had sufficient gravitational-wave data available in multiple instruments during LIGO's fifth science run, S5, and Virgo's first science run, VSR1. We find no statistically significant gravitational-wave candidates within a [ – 5, + 1) s window around the trigger time of any GRB. Using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U-test, we find no evidence for an excess of weak gravitational-wave signals in our sample of GRBs. We exclude neutron star-black hole progenitors to a median 90% confidence exclusion distance of 6.7 Mpc

Characterisation of the magnetic field of the Herbig Be star HD 200775

After our recent discovery of four magnetic Herbig stars, we have decided to study in detail one of them, HD 200775, to determine if its magnetic topology is similar to that of the main sequence magnetic stars. With this aim, we monitored this star in Stokes I and V over more than two years, using the new spectropolarimeters ESPaDOnS at CFHT, and Narval at TBL. Using our data, we find that HD 200775 is a double-lined spectroscopic binary system, whose secondary seems similar, in temperature, to the primary. We determine the luminosity ratio of the system, and using the luminosity of the system found in literature, we derive the luminosity of both stars. From our measurements of the radial velocities of both stars we determine the ephemeris and the orbital parameters of the system. We have fitted 30 Stokes V profiles simultaneously, using a chi2 minimisation method, with a decentered-dipole model. The best-fit model provides a rotation period of 4.3281 d an inclination angle of 60 degrees, and a magnetic obliquity angle of 125 degrees. The polar strength of the magnetic dipole field is 1000 G, which is decentered by 0.05 R* from the center of the star. The derived magnetic field model is qualitatively identical to those commonly observed in the Ap/Bp stars, which bring strong argument in favour of the fossil field hypothesis, to explain the origin of the magnetic fields in the main sequence Ap/Bp stars. Our determination of the inclination of the rotation axis leads to a radius of the primary which is smaller than that derived from the HR diagram position. This can be explained by a larger intrinsic luminosity of the secondary relative to the primary, due to a larger circumstellar extinction of the secondary relative to the primary.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 14 pages, 10 figure