3,709 research outputs found
Support Vector Machine classification of strong gravitational lenses
The imminent advent of very large-scale optical sky surveys, such as Euclid
and LSST, makes it important to find efficient ways of discovering rare objects
such as strong gravitational lens systems, where a background object is
multiply gravitationally imaged by a foreground mass. As well as finding the
lens systems, it is important to reject false positives due to intrinsic
structure in galaxies, and much work is in progress with machine learning
algorithms such as neural networks in order to achieve both these aims. We
present and discuss a Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm which makes use of
a Gabor filterbank in order to provide learning criteria for separation of
lenses and non-lenses, and demonstrate using blind challenges that under
certain circumstances it is a particularly efficient algorithm for rejecting
false positives. We compare the SVM engine with a large-scale human examination
of 100000 simulated lenses in a challenge dataset, and also apply the SVM
method to survey images from the Kilo-Degree Survey.Comment: Accepted by MNRA
Quantum rainbow scattering at tunable velocities
Elastic scattering cross sections are measured for lithium atoms colliding
with rare gas atoms and SF6 molecules at tunable relative velocities down to
~50 m/s. Our scattering apparatus combines a velocity-tunable molecular beam
with a magneto-optic trap that provides an ultracold cloud of lithium atoms as
a scattering target. Comparison with theory reveals the quantum nature of the
collision dynamics in the studied regime, including both rainbows as well as
orbiting resonances
Resonant enhancement of ultracold photoassociation rate by electric field induced anisotropic interaction
We study the effects of a static electric field on the photoassociation of a
heteronuclear atom-pair into a polar molecule. The interaction of permanent
dipole moment with a static electric field largely affects the ground state
continuum wave function of the atom-pair at short separations where
photoassociation transitions occur according to Franck-Condon principle.
Electric field induced anisotropic interaction between two heteronuclear ground
state atoms leads to scattering resonances at some specific electric fields.
Near such resonances the amplitude of scattering wave function at short
separation increases by several orders of magnitude. As a result,
photoaasociation rate is enhanced by several orders of magnitude near the
resonances. We discuss in detail electric field modified atom-atom scattering
properties and resonances. We calculate photoassociation rate that shows giant
enhancement due to electric field tunable anisotropic resonances. We present
selected results among which particularly important are the excitations of
higher rotational levels in ultracold photoassociation due to electric field
tunable resonances.Comment: 14 pages,9 figure
The PCA Lens-Finder: application to CFHTLS
We present the results of a new search for galaxy-scale strong lensing
systems in CFHTLS Wide. Our lens-finding technique involves a preselection of
potential lens galaxies, applying simple cuts in size and magnitude. We then
perform a Principal Component Analysis of the galaxy images, ensuring a clean
removal of the light profile. Lensed features are searched for in the residual
images using the clustering topometric algorithm DBSCAN. We find 1098 lens
candidates that we inspect visually, leading to a cleaned sample of 109 new
lens candidates. Using realistic image simulations we estimate the completeness
of our sample and show that it is independent of source surface brightness,
Einstein ring size (image separation) or lens redshift. We compare the
properties of our sample to previous lens searches in CFHTLS. Including the
present search, the total number of lenses found in CFHTLS amounts to 678,
which corresponds to ~4 lenses per square degree down to i=24.8. This is
equivalent to ~ 60.000 lenses in total in a survey as wide as Euclid, but at
the CFHTLS resolution and depth.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication on A&
Dispersive Optical Interface Based on Nanofiber-Trapped Atoms
We dispersively interface an ensemble of one thousand atoms trapped in the
evanescent field surrounding a tapered optical nanofiber. This method relies on
the azimuthally-asymmetric coupling of the ensemble with the evanescent field
of an off-resonant probe beam, transmitted through the nanofiber. The resulting
birefringence and dispersion are significant; we observe a phase shift per atom
of \,1\,mrad at a detuning of six times the natural linewidth,
corresponding to an effective resonant optical density per atom of 0.027.
Moreover, we utilize this strong dispersion to non-destructively determine the
number of atoms.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
The Population of Dark Matter Subhaloes: Mass Functions and Average Mass Loss Rates
Using a cosmological N-Body simulation and a sample of re-simulated
cluster-like haloes, we study the mass loss rates of dark matter subhaloes, and
interpret the mass function of subhaloes at redshift zero in terms of the
evolution of the mass function of systems accreted by the main halo progenitor.
When expressed in terms of the ratio between the mass of the subhalo at the
time of accretion and the present day host mass the unevolved subhalo mass
function is found to be universal. However, the subhalo mass function at
redshift zero clearly depends on , in that more massive host haloes host
more subhaloes. To relate the unevolved and evolved subhalo mass functions, we
measure the subhalo mass loss rate as a function of host mass and redshift. We
find that the average, specific mass loss rate of dark matter subhaloes depends
mainly on redshift. These results suggest a pleasingly simple picture for the
evolution and mass dependence of the evolved subhalo mass function. Less
massive host haloes accrete their subhaloes earlier, which are thus subjected
to mass loss for a longer time. In addition, their subhaloes are typically
accreted by denser hosts, which causes an additional boost of the mass loss
rate. To test the self-consistency of this picture, we use a merger trees
constructed using the extended Press-Schechter formalism, and evolve the
subhalo populations using the average mass loss rates obtained from our
simulations, finding the subhalo mass functions to be in good agreement with
the simulations. [abridged]Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures; submitted to MNRA
Transverse laser cooling of a thermal atomic beam of dysprosium
A thermal atomic beam of dysprosium (Dy) atoms is cooled using the
transition at 421 nm. The cooling is
done via a standing light wave orthogonal to the atomic beam. Efficient
transverse cooling to the Doppler limit is demonstrated for all observable
isotopes of dysprosium. Branching ratios to metastable states are demonstrated
to be . A scheme for enhancement of the
nonzero-nuclear-spin-isotope cooling, as well as a method for direct
identification of possible trap states, is proposed.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures v2: 7 pages, 7 figure
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