385 research outputs found
The X-ray variability and the near-IR to X-ray spectral energy distribution of four low luminosity Seyfert 1 galaxies
We present the results from a study of the X-ray variability and the near-IR
to X-ray spectral energy distribution of four low-luminosity, Seyfert 1
galaxies. We compared their variability amplitude and broad band spectrum with
those of more luminous AGN in order to investigate whether accretion in
low-luminosity AGN operates as in their luminous counterparts. We used archival
XMM-Newton and, in two cases, ASCA data to estimate their X-ray variability
amplitude and determine their X-ray spectral shape and luminosity. We also used
archival HST data to measure their optical nuclear luminosity, and near-IR
measurements from the literature, in order to construct their near-IR to X-ray
spectra. The X-ray variability amplitude of the four Seyferts is what one would
expect, given their black hole masses. Their near-IR to X-ray spectrum has the
same shape as the spectrum of quasars which are 10^2-10^5 times more luminous.
The objects in our sample are optically classified as Seyfert 1-1.5. This
implies that they host a relatively unobscured AGN-like nucleus. They are also
of low luminosity and accrete at a low rate. They are therefore good candidates
to detect radiation from an inefficient accretion process. However, our results
suggest that they are similar to AGN which are 10^2-10^5 times more luminous.
The combination of a "radiative efficient accretion disc plus an X-ray
producing hot corona" may persist at low accretion rates as well.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Spacetime in String Theory
We give a brief overview of the nature of spacetime emerging from string
theory. This is radically different from the familiar spacetime of Einstein's
relativity. At a perturbative level, the spacetime metric appears as ``coupling
constants" in a two dimensional quantum field theory. Nonperturbatively (with
certain boundary conditions), spacetime is not fundamental but must be
reconstructed from a holographic, dual theory.Comment: 20 pages; references adde
RoboTAP: Target priorities for robotic microlensing observations
Context. The ability to automatically select scientifically-important transient events from an alert stream of many such events, and to conduct follow-up observations in response, will become increasingly important in astronomy. With wide-angle time domain surveys pushing to fainter limiting magnitudes, the capability to follow-up on transient alerts far exceeds our follow-up telescope resources, and effective target prioritization becomes essential. The RoboNet-II microlensing program is a pathfinder project, which has developed an automated target selection process (RoboTAP) for gravitational microlensing events, which are observed in real time using the Las Cumbres Observatory telescope network.
Aims. Follow-up telescopes typically have a much smaller field of view compared to surveys, therefore the most promising microlensing events must be automatically selected at any given time from an annual sample exceeding 2000 events. The main challenge is to select between events with a high planet detection sensitivity, with the aim of detecting many planets and characterizing planetary anomalies.
Methods. Our target selection algorithm is a hybrid system based on estimates of the planet detection zones around a microlens. It follows automatic anomaly alerts and respects the expected survey coverage of specific events.
Results. We introduce the RoboTAP algorithm, whose purpose is to select and prioritize microlensing events with high sensitivity to planetary companions. In this work, we determine the planet sensitivity of the RoboNet follow-up program and provide a working example of how a broker can be designed for a real-life transient science program conducting follow-up observations in response to alerts; we explore the issues that will confront similar programs being developed for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and other time domain surveys
Gold colloidal nanoparticle electrodeposition on a silicon surface in a uniform electric field
The electrodeposition of gold colloidal nanoparticles on a silicon wafer in a uniform electric field is investigated using scanning electron microscopy and homemade electrochemical cells. Dense and uniform distributions of particles are obtained with no aggregation. The evolution of surface particle density is analyzed in relation to several parameters: applied voltage, electric field, exchanged charge. Electrical, chemical, and electrohydrodynamical parameters are taken into account in describing the electromigration process
The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems
We review the formation and evolution of compact binary stars consisting of
white dwarfs (WDs), neutron stars (NSs), and black holes (BHs). Binary NSs and
BHs are thought to be the primary astrophysical sources of gravitational waves
(GWs) within the frequency band of ground-based detectors, while compact
binaries of WDs are important sources of GWs at lower frequencies to be covered
by space interferometers (LISA). Major uncertainties in the current
understanding of properties of NSs and BHs most relevant to the GW studies are
discussed, including the treatment of the natal kicks which compact stellar
remnants acquire during the core collapse of massive stars and the common
envelope phase of binary evolution. We discuss the coalescence rates of binary
NSs and BHs and prospects for their detections, the formation and evolution of
binary WDs and their observational manifestations. Special attention is given
to AM CVn-stars -- compact binaries in which the Roche lobe is filled by
another WD or a low-mass partially degenerate helium-star, as these stars are
thought to be the best LISA verification binary GW sources.Comment: 105 pages, 18 figure
The Impact of Metallicity on the Rate of Type Ia Supernovae
The metallicity of a star strongly affects both its evolution and the
properties of the stellar remnant that results from its demise. It is generally
accepted that stars with initial masses below ~8 M_sun leave behind white
dwarfs and that some sub-population of these lead to Type Ia supernovae.
However, it is often tacitly assumed that metallicity has no effect on the rate
of SNe Ia. We propose that a consequence of the effects of metallicity is to
significantly increase the SN Ia rate in lower-metallicity galaxies, in
contrast to previous expectations. This is because lower-metallicity stars
leave behind higher-mass white dwarfs, which should be easier to bring to
explosion. We first model SN Ia rates in relation to galaxy masses and ages
alone, finding that the elevation in the rate of SNe Ia in lower-mass galaxies
measured by LOSS is readily explained. However, we then see that models
incorporating this effect of metallicity agree just as well. Using the same
parameters to estimate the cosmic SN Ia rate, we again find good agreement with
data up to z~2. We suggest that this degeneracy warrants more detailed
examination of host galaxy metallicities. We discuss additional implications,
including for hosts of high-z SNe Ia, the SN Ia delay time distribution,
super-Chandrasekhar SNe, and cosmology.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; updated discussion and added references to agree
with published version; conclusions unchange
Supermassive Black Holes in Galactic Nuclei: Past, Present and Future Research
This review discusses the current status of supermassive black hole research,
as seen from a purely observational standpoint. Since the early '90s, rapid
technological advances, most notably the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope,
the commissioning of the VLBA and improvements in near-infrared speckle imaging
techniques, have not only given us incontrovertible proof of the existence of
supermassive black holes, but have unveiled fundamental connections between the
mass of the central singularity and the global properties of the host galaxy.
It is thanks to these observations that we are now, for the first time, in a
position to understand the origin, evolution and cosmic relevance of these
fascinating objects.Comment: Invited Review, 114 pages. Because of space requirements, this
version contains low resolution figures. The full resolution version can be
downloaded from http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~lff/publications.htm
Photocatalytic Nanolithography of Self-Assembled Monolayers and Proteins
Self-assembled monolayers of alkylthiolates on gold and alkylsilanes on silicon dioxide have been patterned photocatalytically on sub-100 nm length-scales using both apertured near-field and apertureless methods. Apertured lithography was carried out by means of an argon ion laser (364 nm) coupled to cantilever-type near-field probes with a thin film of titania deposited over the aperture. Apertureless lithography was carried out with a helium–cadmium laser (325 nm) to excite titanium-coated, contact-mode atomic force microscope (AFM) probes. This latter approach is readily implementable on any commercial AFM system. Photodegradation occurred in both cases through the localized photocatalytic degradation of the monolayer. For alkanethiols, degradation of one thiol exposed the bare substrate, enabling refunctionalization of the bare gold by a second, contrasting thiol. For alkylsilanes, degradation of the adsorbate molecule provided a facile means for protein patterning. Lines were written in a protein-resistant film formed by the adsorption of oligo(ethylene glycol)-functionalized trichlorosilanes on glass, leading to the formation of sub-100 nm adhesive, aldehyde-functionalized regions. These were derivatized with aminobutylnitrilotriacetic acid, and complexed with Ni2+, enabling the binding of histidine-labeled green fluorescent protein, which yielded bright fluorescence from 70-nm-wide lines that could be imaged clearly in a confocal microscope
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