89,197 research outputs found
Gravitational-Wave Implications for the Parity Symmetry of Gravity at GeV Scale
Gravitational waves generated by the coalescence of compact binary open a new window to test the fundamental properties of gravity in the strong-field and dynamical regime. In this work, we focus on the parity symmetry of gravity which, if broken, can leave imprints on the waveform of gravitational wave. We construct generalized waveforms with amplitude and velocity birefringence due to parity violation in the effect field theory formalism, then analyze the open data of the ten binary black-hole merger events and the two binary neutron-star merger events detected by LIGO and Virgo collaboration. We do not find any signatures of violation of gravitational parity conservation, thereby setting the lower bound of the parity-violating energy scale to be GeV. This presents the first observational evidence of the parity conservation of gravity at high energy scale, about 17 orders of magnitude tighter than the constraints from the Solar system tests and binary pulsar observation. The third-generation gravitational-wave detector is capable of probing the parity-violating energy scale at GeV
A Nonthermal Radio Filament Connected to the Galactic Black Hole?
Using the Very Large Array, we have investigated a non-thermal radio filament
(NTF) recently found very near the Galactic black hole and its radio
counterpart, SgrA*. While this NTF -- the Sgr A West Filament (SgrAWF) --
shares many characteristics with the population of NTFs occupying the central
few hundred parsecs of the Galaxy, the SgrAWF has the distinction of having an
orientation and sky location that suggest an intimate physical connection to
SgrA*. We present 3.3 and 5.5 cm images constructed using an innovative
methodology that yields a very high dynamic range, providing an unprecedentedly
clear picture of the SgrAWF. While the physical association of the SgrAWF with
SgrA* is not unambiguous, the images decidedly evoke this interesting
possibility. Assuming that the SgrAWF bears a physical relationship to SgrA*,
we examine the potential implications. One is that SgrA* is a source of
relativistic particles constrained to diffuse along ordered local field lines.
The relativistic particles could also be fed into the local field by a
collimated outflow from SgrA*, perhaps driven by the Poynting flux accompanying
the black hole spin in the presence of a magnetic field threading the event
horizon. Second, we consider the possibility that the SgrAWF is the
manifestation of a low-mass-density cosmic string that has become anchored to
the black hole. The simplest form of these hypotheses would predict that the
filament be bi-directional, whereas the SgrAWF is only seen on one side of
SgrA*, perhaps because of the dynamics of the local medium.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, accepted for ApJ Letter
A New Perspective of the Radio Bright Zone at The Galactic Center: Feedback from Nuclear Activities
New observations of Sgr A have been carried out with the VLA using the
broadband (2 GHz) continuum mode at 5.5 GHz, covering the central 30 pc region
of the RBZ at the Galactic center. Using the MS-MFS algorithms in CASA, we have
imaged Sgr A with a resolution of 1", achieving an rms 8 Jy/beam, and a
dynamic range 100,000:1.The radio image is compared with X-ray, CN
emission-line and Paschen- images obtained using Chandra, SMA and
HST/NICMOS, respectively. We discuss several prominent radio features. The "Sgr
A West Wings" extend 5 pc from the NW and SE tips of the ionized "Mini-spiral"
in Sgr A West to positions located 2.9 and 2.4 arc min to the NW and SE of Sgr
A*, respectively. The NW wing, along with several other prominent features,
including the "NW Streamers", form an elongated radio lobe (NW lobe), oriented
nearly perpendicular to the Galactic plane. This radio lobe, with a size of
14.4 pc x 7.3 pc, has a known X-ray counterpart. A row of three thermally
emitting rings is observed in the NW lobe. A field containing numerous
amorphous radio blobs extends for a distance of ~2 arc min beyond the tip of
the SE wing; these features coincide with the SE X-ray lobe. Most of the
amorphous radio blobs in the NW and SE lobes have Paschen-
counterparts, suggesting that a shock interaction of ambient gas concentrations
with a collimated nuclear wind (outflow) that may be driven by radiation force
from the central star cluster within the CND. Finally, we remark on a prominent
radio feature located within the shell of the Sgr A East SNR. Because this
feature -- the "Sigma Front" -- correlates well in shape and orientation with
the nearby edge of the CND, we propose that it is a reflected shock wave
resulting from the impact of the Sgr A East blast wave on the CND.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures, ApJ accepte
Spatial oscillations in the spontaneous emission rate of an atom inside a metallic wedge
A method of images is applied to study the spontaneous emission of an atom
inside a metallic wedge with an opening angle of , where N is an
arbitrary positive integer. We show the method of images gives a rate formula
consistent with that from Quantum Electrodynamics. Using the method of images,
we show the correspondence between the oscillations in the spontaneous emission
rate and the closed-orbits of emitted photon going away and returning to the
atom inside the wedge. The closed-orbits can be readily constructed using the
method of images and they are also extracted from the spontaneous emission
rate.Comment: 8 figure
Can an observer really catch up with light
Given a null geodesic with a point in
conjugate to along , there will be a variation of
which will give a time-like curve from to . This is
a well-known theory proved in the famous book\cite{2}. In the paper we prove
that the time-like curves coming from the above-mentioned variation have a
proper acceleration which approaches infinity as the time-like curve approaches
the null geodesic. This means no observer can be infinitesimally near the light
and begin at the same point with the light and finally catch the light. Only
separated from the light path finitely, does the observer can begin at the same
point with the light and finally catch the light.Comment: 6 pages, no figures, submited to Physical Review
Adaptive control of CO bending vibration: deciphering field-system dynamics
We combined adaptive closed-loop optimization, phase-shaping with a
restricted search space and imaging to control dynamics and decipher the
optimal pulse. The approach was applied to controlling the amplitude of CO
bending vibration during strong-field Coulomb explosion. The search space was
constrained by expressing the spectral phase as a Taylor series, which
generated pulses with characteristics commensurate with the natural physical
features of this problem. Optimal pulses were obtained that enhanced bending by
up to 56% relative to what is observed with comparably intense, transform
limited pulses. We show that (1) this judicious choice of a reduced parameter
set made unwrapping the dynamics more transparent and (2) the enhancement is
consistent with field-induced structural changes to a bent excited state of
CO, which theoretical simulations have identified as the state from
which the explosion originates.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, added reference
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