Analyses of space environment effects on active fiber optic links orbited aboard the LDEF

The results of the 'Preliminary Analysis of WL Experiment no. 701, Space Environment Effects on Operating Fiber Optic Systems,' is correlated with space simulated post retrieval terrestrial studies performed on the M0004 experiment. Temperature cycling measurements were performed on the active optical data links for the purpose of assessing link signal to noise ratio and bit error rate performance some 69 months following the experiment deployment in low Earth orbit. The early results indicate a high correlation between pre-orbit, orbit, and post-orbit functionality of the first known and longest space demonstration of operating fiber optic systems

Effect of Scalar Mass in the Absorption and Emission Spectra of Schwarzschild Black Hole

Following Sanchez's approach we investigate the effect of scalar mass in the absorption and emission problems of 4d Schwarzschild black hole. The absorption cross sections for arbitrary angular momentum of the scalar field are computed numerically in the full range of energy by making use of the analytic near-horizon and asymptotic solutions and their analytic continuations. The scalar mass makes an interesting effect in the low-energy absorption cross section for S-wave. Unlike the massless case, the cross section decreases with increasing energy in the extremely low-energy regime. As a result the universality, {\it i.e.} low-energy cross section for S-wave is equal to the horizon area, is broken in the presence of mass. If the scalar mass is larger than a critical mass, the absorption cross section becomes monotonically decreasing function in the entire range of energy. The Hawking emission is also calculated numerically. It turns out that the Planck factor generally suppresses the contribution of higher partial waves except S-wave. The scalar mass in general tends to reduce the emission rate.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, V2: few comments are added. version to appear in Classical and Quantum Gravit

High-Tc bolometers with silicon-nitride spiderwebsuspension for far-infrared detection

High-Tc GdBa2Cu3O7-δ (GBCO) superconducting transition edge bolometers with operating temperatures near 90 K have been made with both closed silicon-nitride membranes and patterned silicon-nitride (SiN) spiderweb-like suspension structures. As a substrate silicon-on-nitride (SON) wafers are used which are made by fusion bonding of a silicon wafer to a silicon wafer with a silicon-nitride top layer. The resulting monocrystalline silicon top layer on the silicon-nitride membranes enables the epitaxial growth of GBCO. By patterning the silicon-nitride the thermal conductance G is reduced from about 20 to 3 μW/K. The noise of both types of bolometers is dominated by the intrinsic noise from phonon fluctuations in the thermal conductance G. The optical efficiency in the far infrared is about 75% due to a goldblack absorption layer. The noise equivalent power NEP for FIR detection is 1.8 pW/√Hz, and the detectivity D* is 5.4×1010 cm √Hz/W. Time constants are 0.1 and 0.6 s, for the closed membrane and the spiderweb like bolometers respectively. The effective time constant can be reduced with about a factor 3 by using voltage bias. Further reduction necessarily results in an increase of the NEP due to the 1/f noise of the superconductor

Influence of external magnetic fields on growth of alloy nanoclusters

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations are performed to study the influence of external magnetic fields on the growth of magnetic fcc binary alloy nanoclusters with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The underlying kinetic model is designed to describe essential structural and magnetic properties of CoPt_3-type clusters grown on a weakly interacting substrate through molecular beam epitaxy. The results suggest that perpendicular magnetic anisotropy can be enhanced when the field is applied during growth. For equilibrium bulk systems a significant shift of the onset temperature for L1_2 ordering is found, in agreement with predictions from Landau theory. Stronger field induced effects can be expected for magnetic fcc-alloys undergoing L1_0 ordering.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Non-linear Evolution of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations from Improved Perturbation Theory in Real and Redshift Spaces

We study the non-linear evolution of baryon acoustic oscillations in the matter power spectrum and correlation function from the improved perturbation theory (PT). Based on the framework of renormalized PT, we apply the {\it closure approximation} that truncates the infinite series of loop contributions at one-loop order, and obtain a closed set of integral equations for power spectrum and non-linear propagator. The resultant integral expressions keep important non-perturbative properties which can dramatically improve the prediction of non-linear power spectrum. Employing the Born approximation, we then derive the analytic expressions for non-linear power spectrum and the predictions are made for non-linear evolution of baryon acoustic oscillations in power spectrum and correlation function. A detailed comparison between improved PT results and N-body simulations shows that a percent-level agreement is achieved in a certain range in power spectrum and in a rather wider range in correlation function. Combining a model of non-linear redshift-space distortion, we also evaluate the power spectrum and correlation function in correlation function. In contrast to the results in real space, the agreement between N-body simulations and improved PT predictions tends to be worse, and a more elaborate modeling for redshift-space distortion needs to be developed. Nevertheless, with currently existing model, we find that the prediction of correlation function has a sufficient accuracy compared with the cosmic-variance errors for future galaxy surveys with volume of a few (Gpc/h)^3 at z>=0.5.Comment: 25 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.

Adaptive Optics Imaging of IRAS 18276-1431: a bipolar pre-planetary nebula with circumstellar "searchlight beams" and "arcs"

We present high-angular resolution images of the post-AGB nebula IRAS18276-1431 (also known as OH17.7-2.0) obtained with the Keck II Adaptive Optics (AO) system in its Natural Guide Star (NGS) mode in the Kp, Lp, and Ms near-infrared bands. We also present supporting optical F606W and F814W HST images as well as interferometric observations of the 12CO(J=1-0), 13CO(J=1-0), and 2.6mm continuum emission with OVRO. The envelope of IRAS18276-1431 displays a clear bipolar morphology in our optical and NIR images with two lobes separated by a dark waist and surrounded by a faint 4.5"x3.4" halo. Our Kp-band image reveals two pairs of radial ``searchlight beams'' emerging from the nebula center and several intersecting, arc-like features. From our CO data we derive a mass of M>0.38[D/3kpc]^2 Msun and an expansion velocity v_exp=17km/s for the molecular envelope. The density in the halo follows a radial power-law proportional to r^-3, which is consistent with a mass-loss rate increasing with time. Analysis of the NIR colors indicates the presence of a compact central source of ~300-500K dust illuminating the nebula in addition to the central star. Modeling of the thermal IR suggests a two-shell structure in the dust envelope: 1) an outer shell with inner and outer radius R_in~1.6E16cm and R_out>~1.25E17cm, dust temperature T_d~105-50K, and a mean mass-loss rate of Mdot~1E-3Msun/yr; and 2) an inner shell with R_in~6.3E14cm, T_dust~500-105K, and Mdot~3E-5Msun/yr. An additional population of big dust grains (radius a>~0.4mm) with T_dust=150-20K and mass M_dust=(0.16-1.6)E-3 [D/3kpc]^2 Msun can account for the observed sub-mm and mm flux excess. The mass of the envelope enclosed within R_out=1.25E17cm derived from SED modeling is ~1[D/3kpc]^2 Msun.Comment: 46 pages, 14 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ. Figures 12 & 13 in low resolution. Full resolution versions are available upon request to the first autho