Detecting the signatures of helium in type Iax supernovae

Recent studies have argued that the progenitor system of type Iax supernovae must consist of a carbon-oxygen white dwarf accreting from a helium star companion. Based on existing explosion models invoking the pure deflagration of carbon-oxygen white dwarfs, we investigate the likelihood of producing spectral features due to helium in type Iax supernovae. From this scenario, we select those explosion models producing ejecta and $^{56}$Ni masses that are broadly consistent with those estimated for type Iax supernovae (0.014 - 0.478~$M_{\odot}$ and $\sim0.003$ - 0.183~$M_{\odot}$, respectively). To this end, we present a series of models of varying luminosities ($-18.4 \lesssim M_{\rm{V}} \lesssim -14.5$~mag) with helium abundances accounting for up to $\sim$36\% of the ejecta mass, and covering a range of epochs beginning a few days before B$-$band maximum to approximately two weeks after maximum. We find that the best opportunity for detecting \ion{He}{i} features is at near-infrared wavelengths, and in the post-maximum spectra of the fainter members of this class. We show that the optical spectrum of SN~2007J is potentially consistent with a large helium content (a few 10$^{-2}~M_{\odot}$), but argue that current models of accretion and material stripping from a companion struggle to produce compatible scenarios. We also investigate the presence of helium in all objects with near-infrared spectra. We show that SNe~2005hk, 2012Z, and 2015H contain either no helium or their helium abundances are constrained to much lower values ($\lesssim$10$^{-3}~M_{\odot}$). Our results demonstrate the differences in helium content among type Iax supernovae, perhaps pointing to different progenitor channels. Either SN~2007J is an outlier in terms of its progenitor system, or it is not a true member of the type Iax supernova class.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Type Ia Supernovae and Accretion Induced Collapse

Using the population synthesis binary evolution code StarTrack, we present theoretical rates and delay times of Type Ia supernovae arising from various formation channels. These channels include binaries in which the exploding white dwarf reaches the Chandrasekhar mass limit (DDS, SDS, and helium-rich donor scenario) as well as the sub-Chandrasekhar mass scenario, in which a white dwarf accretes from a helium-rich companion and explodes as a SN Ia before reaching the Chandrasekhar mass limit. We find that using a common envelope parameterization employing energy balance with alpha=1 and lambda=1, the supernova rates per unit mass (born in stars) of sub-Chandrasekhar mass SNe Ia exceed those of all other progenitor channels at epochs t=0.7 - 4 Gyr for a burst of star formation at t=0. Additionally, the delay time distribution of the sub-Chandrasekhar model can be divided in to two distinct evolutionary channels: the `prompt' helium-star channel with delay times < 500 Myr, and the `delayed' double white dwarf channel with delay times > 800 Myr spanning up to a Hubble time. These findings are in agreement with recent observationally-derived delay time distributions which predict that a large number of SNe Ia have delay times < 1 Gyr, with a significant fraction having delay times < 500 Myr. We find that the DDS channel is also able to account for the observed rates of SNe Ia. However, detailed simulations of white dwarf mergers have shown that most of these mergers will not lead to SNe Ia but rather to the formation of a neutron star via accretion-induced collapse. If this is true, our standard population synthesis model predicts that the only progenitor channel which can account for the rates of SNe Ia is the sub-Chandrasekhar mass scenario, and none of the other progenitors considered can fully account for the observed rates.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, 1 table, to appear in proceedings for "Binary Star Evolution: Mass Loss, Accretion and Mergers

Fuzzified Single Phase Automatic Sequential Reactive Power Compensation with Minimized Switches

The current rapid growth in IoT technology facilitates the effortless implementation of bidirectional remote monitoring and control system implementation in homes and buildings. We have modeled an actual non-intrusive PnP sequential SVC prototype hardware and wireless FLC automation software design on a real single phase home appliances system as load modeling. In addition, we have also designed a novel Unidirectional MOSFET Switched Capasitor model (UniMosSC) which enables us to reduce the hardware cost and increase the life span of SVC due it uses minimum switching devices. The system we have designed is able to correct the power factor at the root of the problem at each appliance. Due to complexity of appliance clustering and overlapping clusters, we implemented fuzziness in the system for more reliability in computations. The system could be used in homes or buildings resulting in electricity bill reduction, saving dollars and cents

Construction of optimal witness for unknown two-qubit entanglement

Whether entanglement in a state can be detected, distilled, and quantified without full state reconstruction is a fundamental open problem. We demonstrate a new scheme encompassing these three tasks for arbitrary two-qubit entanglement, by constructing the optimal entanglement witness for polarization-entangled mixed-state photon pairs without full state reconstruction. With better efficiency than quantum state tomography, the entanglement is maximally distilled by newly developed tunable polarization filters, and quantified by the expectation value of the witness, which equals the concurrence. This scheme is extendible to multiqubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger entanglement.Comment: Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 230404 (2010); supplementary information (OWitness_sup.pdf) is included in source zip fil

The reverberation signatures of rotating disc winds in active galactic nuclei

The broad emission lines (BELs) in active galactic nuclei (AGN) respond to ionizing continuum variations. The time and velocity dependence of their response depends on the structure of the broad-line region: its geometry, kinematics and ionization state. Here, we predict the reverberation signatures of BELs formed in rotating accretion disc winds. We use a Monte Carlo radiative transfer and ionization code to predict velocity-delay maps for representative high- (C$~IV$) and low-ionization (H$\alpha$) emission lines in both high- and moderate-luminosity AGN. Self-shielding, multiple scattering and the ionization structure of the outflows are all self-consistently taken into account, while small-scale structure in the outflow is modelled in the micro-clumping approximation. Our main findings are: (1) The velocity-delay maps of smooth/micro-clumped outflows often contain significant negative responses. (2)~The reverberation signatures of disc wind models tend to be rotation dominated and can even resemble the classic "red-leads-blue" inflow signature. (3) Traditional "blue-leads-red" outflow signatures can usually only be observed in the long-delay limit. (4) Our models predict lag-luminosity relationships similar to those inferred from observations, but systematically underpredict the observed centroid delays. (5) The ratio between "virial product" and black hole mass predicted by our models depends on viewing angle. Our results imply that considerable care needs to be taken in interpreting data obtained by observational reverberation mapping campaigns. In particular, basic signatures such as "red-leads-blue", "blue-leads-red" and "blue and red vary jointly" are not always reliable indicators of inflow, outflow or rotation. This may help to explain the perplexing diversity of such signatures seen in observational campaigns to date.Comment: 15 pages, 17 figures, 2 tables. Accepted by MNRAS 20/7/201

SERUM CHEMISTRY, BLOOD GAS, AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES OF SANDHILL CRANES SEDATED WITH ALPHA-CHLORALOSE

Capture techniques that lessen handling stress may also lessen pathologic influences on physiologic measures, improving the validity of these measures for use in individual health assessment of freeranging wildlife. Since 1990, the International Crane Foundation (ICF) has successfully used chemical immobilization with alpha-chloralose (AC; C6H11Cl3O6), a chloral derivative of glucose, to facilitate captures of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) for ecological studies (Hayes et al. 2003). Although this chemical has been used orally for the immobilization of many species, the physiologic effects of AC are not well understood in cranes. The primary purpose of this study was to measure serum chemistry, venous blood gas, and physiological values in free-ranging sandhill cranes successfully immobilized using this technique