96,851 research outputs found
A search for debris disks in the Herschel-ATLAS
Aims. We aim to demonstrate that the Herschel-ATLAS (H-ATLAS) is suitable for a blind and unbiased survey for debris disks by identifying candidate debris disks associated with main sequence stars in the initial science demonstration field of the survey. We show that H-ATLAS reveals a population of far-infrared/sub-mm sources that are associated with stars or star-like objects on the SDSS main-sequence locus. We validate our approach by comparing the properties of the most likely candidate disks to those of the known population.
Methods. We use a photometric selection technique to identify main sequence stars in the SDSS DR7 catalogue and a Bayesian Likelihood Ratio method to identify H-ATLAS catalogue sources associated with these main sequence stars. Following this photometric selection we apply distance cuts to identify the most likely candidate debris disks and rule out the presence of contaminating galaxies using UKIDSS LAS K-band images.
Results. We identify 78 H-ATLAS sources associated with SDSS point sources on the main-sequence locus, of which two are the most likely debris disk candidates: H-ATLAS J090315.8 and H-ATLAS J090240.2. We show that they are plausible candidates by comparing their properties
to the known population of debris disks. Our initial results indicate that bright debris disks are rare, with only 2 candidates identified in a search
sample of 851 stars. We also show that H-ATLAS can derive useful upper limits for debris disks associated with Hipparcos stars in the field and outline the future prospects for our debris disk search programme
Pattern formation in large domains
Pattern formation is a phenomenon that arises in a wide variety of physical, chemical
and biological situations. A great deal of theoretical progress has been made in
understanding the universal aspects of pattern formation in terms of amplitudes of
the modes that make up the pattern. Much of the theory has sound mathematical
justification, but experiments and numerical simulations over the last decade have
revealed complex two-dimensional patterns that do not have a satisfactory theoretical
explanation. This paper focuses on quasi-patterns, where the appearance of small
divisors causes the standard theoretical method to fail, and ends with a discussion
of other outstanding problems in the theory of two-dimensional pattern formation
in large domains
Noncontact GMR measurements of synthetic spin valves using IR reflection spectroscopy
The magnetorefractive effect has been used in infrared reflection spectroscopy to study the magnetotransport properties of synthetic spin valves. This optical noncontact technique shows excellent correlation with the electrical giant magnetoresistance data
Introduction of Parasites of the Larch Sawfly in Minnesota
Olesicampe benefactor Hinz and the Bavarian strain of Mesoleius tenthredinis Morley, European ichneunionid parasites of the larch sawfly, Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig), were introduced into northern Minnesota from Manitoba in 1971 and 1972. Both species are now established. There was also natural spread of 0. benefactor into Minnesota from Manitoba releases in 1961 at a point ca. 200 miles northwest of the Minnesota plots
Two neutron decay of 16Be
Recently, the first example of two-neutron decay from the ground state of an
unbound nucleus, Be, was seen. Three-body methods are ideal for exactly
treating the degrees of freedom important for these decays. Using a basis
expansion over hyperspherical harmonics and the hyperspherical R-matrix method,
we construct a realistic model of Be in order to investigate its decay
mode and the role of the two-neutron interaction. The neutron-Be
interaction is constrained using shell model predictions. We obtain a ground
state for Be that is over-bound by approximately 1 MeV with a width of
approximately 0.23 MeV. This suggests, that for such systems, the three-body
force needs to be repulsive.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, contribution to the proceedings for the 21st
International Conference on Few Body Problems in Physics, Chicago, Illinois,
US
Transform-limited X-ray pulse generation from a high-brightness self-amplified spontaneous-emission free-electron laser
A method to achieve high-brightness self-amplified spontaneous emission (HB-SASE) in the free-electron laser (FEL) is described. The method uses repeated nonequal electron beam delays to delocalize the collective FEL interaction and break the radiation coherence length dependence on the FEL cooperation length. The method requires no external seeding or photon optics and so is applicable at any wavelength or repetition rate. It is demonstrated, using linear theory and numerical simulations, that the radiation coherence length can be increased by approximately 2 orders of magnitude over SASE with a corresponding increase in spectral brightness. Examples are shown of HB-SASE generating transform-limited FEL pulses in the soft x-ray and near transform-limited pulses in the hard x-ray. Such pulses may greatly benefit existing applications and may also open up new areas of scientific research
Cosmology with Varying Constants
The idea of possible time or space variations of the `fundamental' constants
of nature, although not new, is only now beginning to be actively considered by
large numbers of researchers in the particle physics, cosmology and
astrophysics communities. This revival is mostly due to the claims of possible
detection of such variations, in various different contexts and by several
groups. Here, I present the current theoretical motivations and expectations
for such variations, review the current observational status, and discuss the
impact of a possible confirmation of these results in our views of cosmology
and physics as a whole.Comment: 14 pages, no figures. Essay to appear in Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond.
A Triennial Series (Christmas 2002 Issue
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