1,161 research outputs found
High-Resolution Spectroscopic Study of Extremely Metal-Poor Star Candidates from the SkyMapper Survey
The SkyMapper Southern Sky Survey is carrying out a search for the most
metal-poor stars in the Galaxy. It identifies candidates by way of its unique
filter set that allows for estimation of stellar atmospheric parameters. The
set includes a narrow filter centered on the Ca II K 3933A line, enabling a
robust estimate of stellar metallicity. Promising candidates are then confirmed
with spectroscopy. We present the analysis of Magellan-MIKE high-resolution
spectroscopy of 122 metal-poor stars found by SkyMapper in the first two years
of commissioning observations. 41 stars have [Fe/H] <= -3.0. Nine have [Fe/H]
<= -3.5, with three at [Fe/H] ~ -4. A 1D LTE abundance analysis of the elements
Li, C, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, Sr, Ba and Eu shows
these stars have [X/Fe] ratios typical of other halo stars. One star with low
[X/Fe]
[X/Fe values appears to be "Fe-enhanced," while another star has an extremely
large [Sr/Ba] ratio: >2. Only one other star is known to have a comparable
value. Seven stars are "CEMP-no" stars ([C/Fe] > 0.7, [Ba/Fe] < 0). 21 stars
exhibit mild r-process element enhancements (0.3 <=[Eu/Fe] < 1.0), while four
stars have [Eu/Fe] >= 1.0. These results demonstrate the ability to identify
extremely metal-poor stars from SkyMapper photometry, pointing to increased
sample sizes and a better characterization of the metal-poor tail of the halo
metallicity distribution function in the future.Comment: Minor corrections to text, missing data added to Tables 3 and 4;
updated to match published version. Complete tables included in sourc
Combining Monte Carlo generators with next-to-next-to-leading order calculations: event reweighting for Higgs boson production at the LHC
We study a phenomenological ansatz for merging next-to-next-to-leading order
(NNLO) calculations with Monte Carlo event generators. We reweight them to
match bin-integrated NNLO differential distributions. To test this procedure,
we study the Higgs boson production cross-section at the LHC, for which a fully
differential partonic NNLO calculation is available. We normalize PYTHIA and
MC@NLO Monte Carlo events for Higgs production in the gluon fusion channel to
reproduce the bin integrated NNLO double differential distribution in the
transverse momentum and rapidity of the Higgs boson. These events are used to
compute differential distributions for the photons in the pp \to H \to \gamma
\gamma decay channel, and are compared to predictions from fixed-order
perturbation theory at NNLO. We find agreement between the reweighted
generators and the NNLO result in kinematic regions where we expect a good
description using fixed-order perturbation theory. Kinematic boundaries where
resummation is required are also modeled correctly using this procedure. We
then use these events to compute distributions in the pp \to H \to W^+W^- \to
l^+l^- \nu\bar{\nu} channel, for which an accurate description is needed for
measurements at the LHC. We find that the final state lepton distributions
obtained from PYTHIA are not significantly changed by the reweighting
procedure.Comment: 18 pages, 14 fig
SkyMapper Southern Survey: First Data Release (DR1)
We present the first data release (DR1) of the SkyMapper Southern Survey, a
hemispheric survey carried out with the SkyMapper Telescope at Siding Spring
Observatory in Australia. Here, we present the survey strategy, data
processing, catalogue construction and database schema. The DR1 dataset
includes over 66,000 images from the Shallow Survey component, covering an area
of 17,200 deg in all six SkyMapper passbands , while the full area
covered by any passband exceeds 20,000 deg. The catalogues contain over 285
million unique astrophysical objects, complete to roughly 18 mag in all bands.
We compare our point-source photometry with PanSTARRS1 DR1 and note an
RMS scatter of 2%. The internal reproducibility of SkyMapper photometry is on
the order of 1%. Astrometric precision is better than 0.2 arcsec based on
comparison with Gaia DR1. We describe the end-user database, through which data
are presented to the world community, and provide some illustrative science
queries.Comment: 31 pages, 19 figures, 10 tables, PASA, accepte
SkyMapper Filter Set: Design and Fabrication of Large Scale Optical Filters
The SkyMapper Southern Sky Survey will be conducted from Siding Spring
Observatory with u, v, g, r, i and z filters that comprise glued glass
combination filters of dimension 309x309x15 mm. In this paper we discuss the
rationale for our bandpasses and physical characteristics of the filter set.
The u, v, g and z filters are entirely glass filters which provide highly
uniform band passes across the complete filter aperture. The i filter uses
glass with a short-wave pass coating, and the r filter is a complete dielectric
filter. We describe the process by which the filters were constructed,
including the processes used to obtain uniform dielectric coatings and
optimized narrow band anti-reflection coatings, as well as the technique of
gluing the large glass pieces together after coating using UV transparent epoxy
cement. The measured passbands including extinction and CCD QE are presented.Comment: 9 pages, 2 tables, 7 figure
Ultra-luminous quasars at redshift from SkyMapper
The most luminous quasars at high redshift harbour the fastest-growing and
most massive black holes in the early Universe. They are exceedingly rare and
hard to find. Here, we present our search for the most luminous quasars in the
redshift range from to using data from SkyMapper, Gaia and WISE. We
use colours to select likely high-redshift quasars and reduce the stellar
contamination of the candidate set with parallax and proper motion data. In
12,500~deg of Southern sky, we find 92 candidates brighter than
. Spectroscopic follow-up has revealed 21 quasars at (16 of
which are within ), as well as several red quasars, BAL quasars and
objects with unusual spectra, which we tentatively label OFeLoBALQSOs at
redshifts of to . This work lifts the number of known bright
quasars in the Southern hemisphere from 10 to 26 and brings the
total number of quasars known at and to 42.Comment: Submitted to MNRAS, 10 page
The Extragalactic Distance Scale without Cepheids IV
The Cepheid period-luminosity relation is the primary distance indicator used
in most determinations of the Hubble constant. The tip of the red giant branch
(TRGB) is an alternative basis. Using the new ANU SkyMapper Telescope, we
calibrate the Tully Fisher relation in the I band. We find that the TRGB and
Cepheid distance scales are consistent.Comment: ApJ in press 201
The theory of canonical perturbations applied to attitude dynamics and to the Earth rotation. Osculating and nonosculating Andoyer variables
The Hamiltonian theory of Earth rotation, known as the Kinoshita-Souchay
theory, operates with nonosculating Andoyer elements. This situation parallels
a similar phenomenon that often happens (but seldom gets noticed) in orbital
dynamics, when the standard Lagrange-type or Delaunay-type planetary equations
unexpectedly render nonosculating orbital elements. In orbital mechanics,
osculation loss happens when a velocity-dependent perturbation is plugged into
the standard planetary equations. In attitude mechanics, osculation is lost
when an angular-velocity-dependent disturbance is plugged in the standard
dynamical equations for the Andoyer elements. We encounter exactly this
situation in the theory of Earth rotation, because this theory contains an
angular-velocity-dependent perturbation (the switch from an inertial frame to
that associated with the precessing ecliptic of date).
While the osculation loss does not influence the predictions for the figure
axis of the planet, it considerably alters the predictions for the
instantaneous spin-axis' orientation. We explore this issue in great detail
Nucleosynthesis in a Primordial Supernova: Carbon and Oxygen Abundances in SMSS J031300.36-670839.31
SMSS J031300.36-670839.3 (hereafter SM0313-6708) is a sub-giant halo star,
with no detectable Fe lines and large overabundances of C and Mg relative to
Ca. We obtained VLT-UVES spectra extending to 3060 Angstroms showing strong OH
A-X band lines enabling an oxygen abundance to be derived. The OH A-X band
lines in SM0313-6708 are much stronger than the CH C-X band lines. Spectrum
synthesis fits indicate an [O/C] ratio of 0.02 +- 0.175. Our high S/N UVES data
also enabled us to lower the Fe abundance limit to [Fe/H]{3D},NLTE < -7.52 (3
sigma). These data support our previous suggestion that the star formed from
the iron-poor ejecta of a single massive star Population III supernova.Comment: 23 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl
Photon and Graviton Mass Limits
Efforts to place limits on deviations from canonical formulations of
electromagnetism and gravity have probed length scales increasing dramatically
over time.Historically, these studies have passed through three stages: (1)
Testing the power in the inverse-square laws of Newton and Coulomb, (2) Seeking
a nonzero value for the rest mass of photon or graviton, (3) Considering more
degrees of freedom, allowing mass while preserving explicit gauge or
general-coordinate invariance. Since our previous review the lower limit on the
photon Compton wavelength has improved by four orders of magnitude, to about
one astronomical unit, and rapid current progress in astronomy makes further
advance likely. For gravity there have been vigorous debates about even the
concept of graviton rest mass. Meanwhile there are striking observations of
astronomical motions that do not fit Einstein gravity with visible sources.
"Cold dark matter" (slow, invisible classical particles) fits well at large
scales. "Modified Newtonian dynamics" provides the best phenomenology at
galactic scales. Satisfying this phenomenology is a requirement if dark matter,
perhaps as invisible classical fields, could be correct here too. "Dark energy"
{\it might} be explained by a graviton-mass-like effect, with associated
Compton wavelength comparable to the radius of the visible universe. We
summarize significant mass limits in a table.Comment: 42 pages Revtex4. This version contains corrections and changes
contained in the published version, Rev. Mod. Phys. 82, 939-979 (2010), with
a few addition
Light meson spectroscopy from Dalitz plot analyses of ηc decays to η0 K+K− , η0 π + π − , and ηπ + π − produced in two-photon interactions
We study the processes γγ→ηc→η′K+K−, η′π+π−, and ηπ+π− using a data sample of 519 fb−1 recorded with the BABAR detector operating at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e+e− collider at center-of-mass energies at and near the Υ(nS) (n=2, 3, 4) resonances. This is the first observation of the decay ηc→η′K+K− and we measure the branching fraction Γ(ηc→η′K+K−)/(Γ(ηc→η′π+π−)=0.644±0.039stat±0.032sys. Significant interference is observed between γγ→ηc→ηπ+π− and the nonresonant two-photon process γγ→ηπ+π−. A Dalitz plot analysis is performed of ηc decays to η′K+K−, η′π+π−, and ηπ+π−. Combined with our previous analysis of ηc→K¯Kπ, we measure the K∗0(1430) parameters and the ratio between its η′K and πK couplings. The decay ηc→η′π+π− is dominated by the f0(2100) resonance, also observed in J/ψ radiative decays. A new a0(1700)→ηπ resonance is observed in the ηc→ηπ+π− channel. We also compare ηc decays to η and η′ final states in association with scalar mesons as they relate to the identification of the scalar glueball.publishedVersio
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