Engineering topics

Stecker, F. W.

Publications and source records attributed to Stecker, F. W..

At least 55 records · Page 3

NASA NTRS1986

Gravitino decay and the cosmic gamma-ray background

It is argued that the cosmic gamma-ray background (CGB) spectrum does not exhibit evidence for the decay of light gravitinos, in contradiction to the suggestion by Olive and Silk (1985), who observed a bump near 1 MeV in the CGB radiation spectrum. It is suggested that better fits to the CGB spectrum would be provided by mechanisms generating a power-law spectrum which is flattened below about 2 MeV. Olive and Silk maintain that the decays of a long-lived particle such as the gravitino may be responsible for features in the gamma-ray spectrum near 1 MeV.

Stecker, F. W.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Axions, neutrinos and strings - The formation of structure in an SO(10) universe

In a class of grand unified theories containing SO(10), cosmologically significant axion and neutrino energy densities are obtainable naturally. To obtain large scale structure, both components of dark matter are considered to exist with comparable energy densities. To obtain large scale structure, inflationary and non-inflationary scenarios are considered, as well as scenarios with and without vacuum strings. It is shown that inflation may be compatible with recent observations of the mass density within galaxy clusters and superclusters, especially if strings are present.

Stecker, F. W.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Galactic antiprotons from photinos

Stable photinos, the photino being the supersymmetry partner of the photon, can explain both the 'missing mass' in galactic halos and the cosmic-ray antiproton spectrum up to the highest energies observed so far. This requires a photino mass around 15 GeV; significantly higher masses are cosmologically disfavored. As a consequence, the observed cosmic-ray antiproton-to-proton ratio is predicted to decrease abruptly just above the measured energy range, at E = m(x). If observed, this striking effect would strongly support the hypothesis that photinos make up the missing matter in the galaxy and also lead to a measurement of the photino mass from cosmic-ray data.

Stecker, F. W.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The galactic gamma-ray distribution and the radial cosmic ray gradient

The radial distribution is derived of gamma ray emissivity and the cosmic ray intensity in the Galaxy using the final SAS-2 results, the recently corrected COS-B results, and recent CO surveys of the Northern and Southern Galactic Hemispheres. In addition to the 5 kpc ring of enhanced emission, there is evidence for spiral features. A strong increase in the cosmic ray flux is found in the inner Galaxy, particularly in the 5 kpc region, in both halves of the plane.

Harding, A. K.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Antiparticles in the extragalactic cosmic radiation

It may be possible to account for a previously puzzling feature - a bump in the energy range 10 to the 14th power eV to 10 to the 15th power - of the cosmic ray spectrum by hypothesizing a primary extragalactic origin for the bulk of the observed cosmic ray antiprotons, although such an explanation is not unique. In this model, most of the cosmic rays above 10 to the 15th power eV are extragalactic. A method is described of testing this hypothesis experimentally.

Stecker, F. W.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Galactic cosmic ray antiprotons and supersymmetry

The physics of the annihilation of photinos is considered as a function of mass in detail, in order to obtain the energy spectra of the cosmic ray antiprotons produced under the assumption that photinos make up the missing mass in the galactic halo. The modulated spectrum is at 1 a.w. with the cosmic ray antiprotons data. A very intriguing fit is obtained to all of the present antiprotons up to 13.4 GeV data for similar to 15 GeV. A cutoff is predicted in the antiprotons spectrum at E = photino mass above which only a small flux from secondary production should remain.

Stecker, F. W.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Anatomy of a cosmic-ray neutrino source and the Cygnus X-3 system

The effects of an intense beam of ultra-high energy cosmic rays from a compact object in the Cygnus X-3 binary system hitting the companion star, and of the subsequent production of secondary neutrinos, are examined. A maximum allowable beam luminosity of about 10 to the 42nd erg/s is found for a system containing a 1-10 solar mass main sequence target star. The proton beam must heat a relatively small area of the target star to satisfy observational constraints on the resulting stellar wind. With such a model, the neutrino to gamma-ray flux ratio of about 1000 can result from a combination of gamma-ray absorption and a large neutrino to gamma-ray duty cycle ratio. It is found that the high density of the atmosphere resulting from compression by the beam leads to pion cascading and a neutrino spectrum peaking at 1-10 GeV energies.

Stecker, F. W.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The galactic gamma-ray distribution - Implications for galactic structure and the radial cosmic-ray gradient

The radial distribution of gamma ray emissivity in the Galaxy was derived from flux longitude profiles, using both the final SAS-2 results and the recently corrected COS-B results and analyzing the northern and southern galactic regions separately. The recent CO surveys of the Southern Hemisphere were used in conjunction with the Northern Hemisphere data, to derive the radial distribution of cosmic rays on both sides of the galactic plane. In addition to the 5 kpc ring, there is evidence from the radial asymmetry for spiral features which are consistent with those derived from the distribution of bright H II regions. Positive evidence was also found for a strong increase in the cosmic ray flux in the inner Galaxy, particularly in the 5 kpc region in both halves of the plane.

Harding, A. K.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The galactic gamma-ray distribution: Implications for galactic structure and the radial cosmic ray gradient

The radial distribution of gamma ray emissivity in the Galaxy was derived from flux longitude profiles, using both the final SAS-2 results and the recently corrected COS-B results and analyzing the northern and southern galactic regions separately. The recent CO surveys of the Southern Hemisphere, were used in conjunction with the Northern Hemisphere data, to derive the radial distribution of cosmic rays on both sides of the galactic plane. In addition to the 5 kpc ring, there is evidence from the radial asymmetry for spiral features which are consistent with those derived from the distribution of bright HII regions. Positive evidence was also found for a strong increase in the cosmic ray flux in the inner Galaxy, particularly in the 5 kpc region in both halves of the plane.

Harding, A. K.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Implications of a class of grand-unified theories for large-scale structure in the universe

A class of grand-unified theories in which cosmologically significant axion and neutrino energy densities arise naturally is considered. To obtain large-scale structure, attention is given to (1) an inflationary scenario, (2) inflation followed by string production, and (3) a noninflationary scenario with density fluctuations caused solely by strings. It is shown that inflation may be compatible with the recent observational indications that Omega less than 1 on the scale of superclusters, particularly if strings are present.

Shafi, Q.↗

NASA NTRS1984

On the nature of the baryon asymmetry

Whether the baryon asymmetry in the universe is a locally varying or universally fixed number is examined with focus on the existence of a possible matter antimatter domain structure in the universe arising from a GUT with spontaneous CP symmetry breaking. Theoretical considerations and observational data and astrophysical tests relating to this fundamental question are reviewed.

Stecker, F. W.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Axions, neutrinos and strings: The formation of structure in an SO(10) universe

Stecker, F. W.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The case for antiparticles in the extragalactic cosmic radiation

The presence of an excess of low-energy antiprotons in the primary cosmic radiation has given rise to several possible explanations, some of which involve exotic processes such as mini-black holes and extragalactic antiparticles. The latter possibility is considered, and it is shown that there are interesting implications for the cosmic radiation at higher energies. Indeed, it may be possible to account for a previously puzzling feature of the cosmic ray spectrum (a 'bump' in the range between 10 to the 14th and 10 to the 15th eV) by hypothesizing a primary extragalactic origin for the bulk of the observed cosmic ray antiprotons, although such an explanation is not unique. In this model, most of the cosmic rays above 10 to the 15th eV are extragalactic. A method of testing this hypothesis experimentally is described.

Stecker, F. W.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Matter antimatter domains: A possible solution to the CP domain wall problem in the early universe

An SU(5) grand unified theory model is used to show how the degeneracy between vacua with different spontaneously broken charge parity can be dynamically lifted by a condensate of heavy fermion pairs. This drives a phase transition to a unique vacuum state with definite charge parity. The transition eliminates the domain walls in a matter antimatter symmetric domain cosmology.

Mohanty, A. K.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The case for antiparticles in the extragalactic cosmic radiation

The presence of an excess of low energy antiprotons in the primary cosmic radiation has given rise to a number of possible explanations. The possibility that these are extragalactic in origin is considered and it is shown that there are interesting implications for the bulk of the cosmic radiation at higher energies. In particular, it may be possible to account for a previously puzzling feature, a bump in the cosmic ray energy spectrum in the energy range 10(14) to 10(15) eV, with this primary extragalactic origin hypothesis. A method for testing this hypothesis experimentally is also described.

Stecker, F. W.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Cosmic-ray antimatter - A primary origin hypothesis

The present investigation is concerned with the possibility that the observed cosmic-ray protons are of primary extragalactic origin, taking into account the significance of the current antiproton data. Attention is given to questions regarding primary antiprotons, antihelium fluxes, and the propagation of extragalactic cosmic rays. It is concluded that the primary origin hypothesis should be considered as a serious alternative explanation for the cosmic-ray antiproton fluxes. Such extragalactic primary origin can be considered in the context of a baryon symmetric domain cosmology. The fluxes and propagation characteristics suggested are found to be in rough agreement with the present antiproton data.

Stecker, F. W.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Axions and the evolution of structure in the universe

A cosmological scenario where axions provide the dark matter in the universe is considered. Fluctuations in the axion-field energy denisty produced by domain walls and strings cause the appearance of 'axion clumps' of masses of order 10 to the 6th solar masses which most likely collapse to black holes by or at the time that the universe becomes axion dominated at T approximately 10 eV. These objects form the building blocks for the clustering hierarchy theory of galaxy and supercluster formation on scales up to about 10 Mpc and 10 to the 15th solar masses.

Stecker, F. W.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Implications of a class of grand unified theories for large scale structure in the universe

A class of grand unified theories in which cosmologicaly significant axion and neutrino energy densities arise naturally is discussed. To obtain large scale structure three scenarios are considered: (1) an inflationary scenario; (2) inflation followed by string production; and (3) a non-inflationary scenario with density fluctuations caused solely by strings. Inflation may be compatible with the recent observational indications that mega 1 on the scale of superclusters, particularly if strings are present.

Shafi, Q.↗