7,252 research outputs found
A Survey of Metal Lines at High-redshift (I) : SDSS Absorption Line Studies - The Methodology and First Search Results for OVI
We report the results of a systematic search for signatures of metal lines in
quasar spectra of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 3(DR3),
focusing on finding intervening absorbers via detection of their OVI doublet.
Here we present the search algorithm, and criteria for distinguishing
candidates from spurious Lyman {} forest lines. In addition, we compare
our findings with simulations of the Lyman {} forest in order to
estimate the detectability of OVI doublets over various redshift intervals. We
have obtained a sample of 1756 OVI doublet candidates with rest-frame
equivalent width > 0.05 \AA{} in 855 AGN spectra (out of 3702 objects with
redshifts in the accessible range for OVI detection). This sample is further
subdivided into 3 groups according to the likelihood of being real and the
potential for follow-up observation of the candidate. The group with the
cleanest and most secure candidates is comprised of 145 candidates. 69 of these
reside at a velocity separation > 5000 km/s from the QSO, and can therefore be
classified tentatively as intervening absorbers. Most of these absorbers have
not been picked up by earlier, automated QSO absorption line detection
algorithms. This sample increases the number of known OVI absorbers at
redshifts beyond z$_{abs} > 2.7 substantially.Comment: 41 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, accepted by AJ. This is a
substantially altered version, including an appendix with details on the
validity of the search algorithm on one pixel rather than binning. Also note
that M. Pieri was added as autho
Action and Energy of the Gravitational Field
We present a detailed examination of the variational principle for metric
general relativity as applied to a ``quasilocal'' spacetime region \M (that
is, a region that is both spatially and temporally bounded). Our analysis
relies on the Hamiltonian formulation of general relativity, and thereby
assumes a foliation of \M into spacelike hypersurfaces . We allow for
near complete generality in the choice of foliation. Using a field--theoretic
generalization of Hamilton--Jacobi theory, we define the quasilocal
stress-energy-momentum of the gravitational field by varying the action with
respect to the metric on the boundary \partial\M. The gravitational
stress-energy-momentum is defined for a two--surface spanned by a spacelike
hypersurface in spacetime. We examine the behavior of the gravitational
stress-energy-momentum under boosts of the spanning hypersurface. The boost
relations are derived from the geometrical and invariance properties of the
gravitational action and Hamiltonian. Finally, we present several new examples
of quasilocal energy--momentum, including a novel discussion of quasilocal
energy--momentum in the large-sphere limit towards spatial infinity.Comment: To be published in Annals of Physics. This final version includes two
new sections, one giving examples of quasilocal energy and the other
containing a discussion of energy at spatial infinity. References have been
added to papers by Bose and Dadhich, Anco and Tun
Canonical Quasilocal Energy and Small Spheres
Consider the definition E of quasilocal energy stemming from the
Hamilton-Jacobi method as applied to the canonical form of the gravitational
action. We examine E in the standard "small-sphere limit," first considered by
Horowitz and Schmidt in their examination of Hawking's quasilocal mass. By the
term "small sphere" we mean a cut S(r), level in an affine radius r, of the
lightcone belonging to a generic spacetime point. As a power series in r, we
compute the energy E of the gravitational and matter fields on a spacelike
hypersurface spanning S(r). Much of our analysis concerns conceptual and
technical issues associated with assigning the zero-point of the energy. For
the small-sphere limit, we argue that the correct zero-point is obtained via a
"lightcone reference," which stems from a certain isometric embedding of S(r)
into a genuine lightcone of Minkowski spacetime. Choosing this zero-point, we
find agreement with Hawking's quasilocal mass expression, up to and including
the first non-trivial order in the affine radius. The vacuum limit relates the
quasilocal energy directly to the Bel-Robinson tensor.Comment: revtex, 22 p, uses amssymb option (can be removed
Slice Stretching Effects for Maximal Slicing of a Schwarzschild Black Hole
Slice stretching effects such as slice sucking and slice wrapping arise when
foliating the extended Schwarzschild spacetime with maximal slices. For
arbitrary spatial coordinates these effects can be quantified in the context of
boundary conditions where the lapse arises as a linear combination of odd and
even lapse. Favorable boundary conditions are then derived which make the
overall slice stretching occur late in numerical simulations. Allowing the
lapse to become negative, this requirement leads to lapse functions which
approach at late times the odd lapse corresponding to the static Schwarzschild
metric. Demanding in addition that a numerically favorable lapse remains
non-negative, as result the average of odd and even lapse is obtained. At late
times the lapse with zero gradient at the puncture arising for the puncture
evolution is precisely of this form. Finally, analytic arguments are given on
how slice stretching effects can be avoided. Here the excision technique and
the working mechanism of the shift function are studied in detail.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, revised version including a study on how slice
stretching can be avoided by using excision and/or shift
Analytical and Experimental Evaluation of the Heat Transfer Distribution over the Surfaces of Turbine Vanes
Three airfoil data sets were selected for use in evaluating currently available analytical models for predicting airfoil surface heat transfer distributions in a 2-D flow field. Two additional airfoils, representative of highly loaded, low solidity airfoils currently being designed, were selected for cascade testing at simulated engine conditions. Some 2-D analytical methods were examined and a version of the STAN5 boundary layer code was chosen for modification. The final form of the method utilized a time dependent, transonic inviscid cascade code coupled to a modified version of the STAN5 boundary layer code featuring zero order turbulence modeling. The boundary layer code is structured to accommodate a full spectrum of empirical correlations addressing the coupled influences of pressure gradient, airfoil curvature, and free-stream turbulence on airfoil surface heat transfer distribution and boundary layer transitional behavior. Comparison of pedictions made with the model to the data base indicates a significant improvement in predictive capability
UV Interstellar Absorption Lines towards the Starburst Dwarf Galaxy NGC 1705
Archival Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph low-resolution spectra of NGC
1705, with wavelength ranges 1170.3 to 1461.7 A and 1453.5 to 1740.1 A and a
velocity resolution of about 100 km\s, have been used to derive the velocity
structure and equivalent widths of the absorption lines of Si II 1190.42,
1260.42, 1304.37 and 1526.71 A, S II 1253 , Al II 1670.79 Aand Fe II 1608.45 A
in this sightline. Three relatively narrow absorption components are seen at
LSR velocities --20 km/s, 260 km/sand 540 km/s. Arguments are presented to show
these absorption features are interstellar rather than stellar in origin based
on a comparison with the C III 1175.7 A absorption feature. We identify the
--20 km/s component with Milky Way disk/halo gas and the 260 km/s component
with an isolated high-velocity cloud HVC 487. This small HVC is located about
10 degrees from the H I gas which envelops the Magellanic Clouds and the
Magellanic Stream (MS). The (Si/H) ratio for this HVC is > 0.6 (Si/H)solar
which together with velocity agreement, suggests association with the
Magellanic Cloud and MS gas. H-alpha emission line kinematics of NGC 1705 show
the presence of a kpc-scale expanding supershell of ionized gas centered on the
central nucleus with a blue-shifted emission component at 540 km/s (Meurer et
al. 1992). We identify the 540 km/s absorption component seen in the GHRS
spectra with the front side of this expanding, ionized supershell. The most
striking feature of this component is strong Si II and Al II absorption but
weak Fe II 1608 A absorption. The low Fe II column density derived is most
likely intrinsic since it cannot be accounted for by ionization corrections or
dust depletion. Due to their shallow gravitational potential wells, dwarf
galaxies have small gravitational binding energies and are vulnerable to largeComment: 15 pages, LaTEX, 1 figure. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical
Journal Letter
Thermodynamics of Reissner-Nordstrom-anti-de Sitter black holes in the grand canonical ensemble
The thermodynamical properties of the Reissner-Nordstr\"om-anti-de Sitter
black hole in the grand canonical ensemble are investigated using York's
formalism. The black hole is enclosed in a cavity with finite radius where the
temperature and electrostatic potential are fixed. The boundary conditions
allow us to compute the relevant thermodynamical quantities, e.g. thermal
energy, entropy and charge. The stability conditions imply that there are
thermodynamically stable black hole solutions, under certain conditions.
Instantons with negative heat capacity are also found.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, Revtex. Published version. Changes: figures
added to tex
Self-Renormalization of the Classical Quasilocal Energy
Pointlike objects cause many of the divergences that afflict physical
theories. For instance, the gravitational binding energy of a point particle in
Newtonian mechanics is infinite. In general relativity, the analog of a point
particle is a black hole and the notion of binding energy must be replaced by
quasilocal energy. The quasilocal energy (QLE) derived by York, and elaborated
by Brown and York, is finite outside the horizon but it was not considered how
to evaluate it inside the horizon. We present a prescription for finding the
QLE inside a horizon, and show that it is finite at the singularity for a
variety of types of black hole. The energy is typically concentrated just
inside the horizon, not at the central singularity.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Phase transitions near black hole horizons
The Reissner-Nordstrom black hole in four dimensions can be made unstable
without violating the dominant energy condition by introducing a real massive
scalar with non-renormalizable interactions with the gauge field. New stable
black hole solutions then exist with greater entropy for fixed mass and charge
than the Reissner-Nordstrom solution. In these new solutions, the scalar
condenses to a non-zero value near the horizon. Various generalizations of
these hairy black holes are discussed, and an attempt is made to characterize
when black hole hair can occur.Comment: 30 pages, 6 figures. v2: minor corrections, references adde
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