13,013 research outputs found
Fiber optic wavelength division multiplexing: Principles and applications in telecommunications and spectroscopy
Design and fabrication tradeoffs of wavelength division multiplexers are discussed and performance parameters are given. The same multiplexer construction based on prism gratings has been used in spectroscopic applications, in the wavelength region from 450 to 1600 nm. For shorter wavelengths down to 200 nm, a similar instrument based on longer fibers (500 to 1000 micrometer) has been constructed and tested with both a fiber array and a photodiode detector array at the output
Simulated three-component granular segregation in a rotating drum
Discrete particle simulations are used to model segregation in granular
mixtures of three different particle species in a horizontal rotating drum.
Axial band formation is observed, with medium-size particles tending to be
located between alternating bands of big and small particles. Partial radial
segregation also appears; it precedes the axial segregation and is
characterized by an inner core region richer in small particles. Axial bands
are seen to merge during the long simulation runs, leading to a coarsening of
the band pattern; the relocation of particles involved in one such merging
event is examined. Overall, the behavior is similar to experiment and
represents a generalization of what occurs in the simpler two-component
mixture.Comment: 7 pages, 11 figures (low resolution color figures only; originals at
author's website http://www.ph.biu.ac.il/~rapaport/research/granular.html)
[revised version contains extra figures
PCA of PCA: Principal Component Analysis of Partial Covering Absorption in NGC 1365
We analyse 400 ks of XMM-Newton data on the active galactic nucleus NGC 1365
using principal component analysis (PCA) to identify model independent spectral
components. We find two significant components and demonstrate that they are
qualitatively different from those found in MCG?6-30-15 using the same method.
As the variability in NGC 1365 is known to be due to changes in the parameters
of a partial covering neutral absorber, this shows that the same mechanism
cannot be the driver of variability in MCG-6-30-15. By examining intervals
where the spectrum shows relatively low absorption we separate the effects of
intrinsic source variability, including signatures of relativistic reflection,
from variations in the intervening absorption. We simulate the principal
components produced by different physical variations, and show that PCA
provides a clear distinction between absorption and reflection as the drivers
of variability in AGN spectra. The simulations are shown to reproduce the PCA
spectra of both NGC 1365 and MCG-6-30-15, and further demonstrate that the
dominant cause of spectral variability in these two sources requires a
qualitatively different mechanism.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Searching for the Donor Stars of ULX Pulsars
We report on our search for the optical counterparts of two ultraluminous
X-ray pulsars with known orbital periods, M82 X-2 and NGC 5907 X-1, in new and
archival HST observations, in an effort to characterize the donor stars in
these systems. We detect five near-infrared sources consistent with the
position of M82 X-2 that are too bright to be single stars. We also detect
seven sources in the WFC3/UVIS F336W image whose photometry matches that of
10-15 M stars turning off the main sequence. Such stars have densities
consistent with the properties of the donor star of M82 X-2 as inferred from
X-ray timing analysis, although it is also possible that the donor is a lower
mass star below our detection limit or that there is a significant contribution
from the accretion disc to the optical emission. We detect three candidate
counterparts to NGC 5907 X-1 in the near-infrared. All of these are too bright
to be the donor star of the ULX, which based on its orbital period is a red
giant. The high background at the location of NGC 5907 X-1 precludes us from
detecting this expected donor star. The recently discovered NGC 5907 ULX-2 also
falls within the field of view of the near-infrared imaging; we detect four
sources in the error circle, with photometry that matches AGB stars. The star
suggested to be the counterpart of NGC 5907 ULX-2 by Pintore et al. (2018)
falls outside our 2- error circle.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
BROADENING STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF CONFLICT: THE CHALLENGE OF METAPHORICAL CHANGE
This qualitative investigation examined the semester long effects of a critical transformative pedagogy on students’ metaphorical understandings of conflict interaction. The study included five university conflict management seminars taught over a four year period. Findings revealed that (a) while most students entered the course with predominantly negative and oppositional perceptions of conflict, the use of a critical transformative pedagogy did indeed (b) help support new metaphorical understandings of conflict interaction and (c) supported instances of personal empowerment and expanded self-knowledge. Implications and suggestions for future research are considered
EPR and pulsed ENDOR study of intermediates from reactions of aromatic azides with group 13 metal trichlorides
The reactions of group 13 metal trichlorides with aromatic azides were examined by CW EPR and pulsed ENDOR spectroscopies. Complex EPR spectra were obtained from reactions of aluminium, gallium and indium trichlorides with phenyl azides containing a variety of substituents. Analysis of the spectra showed that 4-methoxy-, 3-methoxy- and 2-methoxyphenyl azides all gave ‘dimer’ radical cations [ArNHC6H4NH2]+• and trimers [ArNHC6H4NHC6H4NH2]+• followed by polymers. 4-Azidobenzonitrile, with its electron-withdrawing substituent, did not react. In general the aromatic azides appeared to react most rapidly with AlCl3 but this reagent tended to generate much polymer. InCl3 was the least reactive group 13 halide. DFT computations of the radical cations provided corroborating evidence and suggested that the unpaired electrons were accommodated in extensive π-delocalised orbitals. A mechanism to account for the reductive conversion of aromatic azides to the corresponding anilines and thence to the dimers and trimers is proposedPublisher PDFPeer reviewe
Modelling the Extreme X-ray Spectrum of IRAS 13224-3809
The extreme NLS1 galaxy IRAS 13224-3809 shows significant variability,
frequency depended time lags, and strong Fe K line and Fe L features in the
long 2011 XMM-Newton observation. In this work we study the spectral properties
of IRAS 13224-3809 in detail, and carry out a series of analyses to probe the
nature of the source, focusing in particular on the spectral variability
exhibited. The RGS spectrum shows no obvious signatures of absorption by
partially ionised material (warm absorbers). We fit the 0.3-10.0 keV spectra
with a model that includes relativistic reflection from the inner accretion
disc, a standard powerlaw AGN continuum, and a low-temperature (~0.1 keV)
blackbody, which may originate in the accretion disc, either as direct or
reprocessed thermal emission. We find that the reflection model explains the
time-averaged spectrum well, and we also undertake flux-resolved and
time-resolved spectral analyses, which provide evidence of gravitational
light-bending effects. Additionally, the temperature and flux of the blackbody
component are found to follow the relation expected for simple
thermal blackbody emission from a constant emitting area, indicating a physical
origin for this component.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
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