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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 235 records · Page 13
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DOE OSTI2014

The radiated energy budget of chromospheric plasma in a major solar flare deduced from multi-wavelength observations

This paper presents measurements of the energy radiated by the lower solar atmosphere, at optical, UV, and EUV wavelengths, during an X-class solar flare (SOL2011-02-15T01:56) in response to an injection of energy assumed to be in the form of nonthermal electrons. Hard X-ray observations from RHESSI were used to track the evolution of the parameters of the nonthermal electron distribution to reveal the total power contained in flare accelerated electrons. By integrating over the duration of the impulsive phase, the total energy contained in the nonthermal electrons was found to be >2 × 10{sup 31} erg. The response of the lower solar atmosphere was measured in the free-bound EUV continua of H I (Lyman), He I, and He II, plus the emission lines of He II at 304 Å and H I (Lyα) at 1216 Å by SDO/EVE, the UV continua at 1600 Å and 1700 Å by SDO/AIA, and the white light continuum at 4504 Å, 5550 Å, and 6684 Å, along with the Ca II H line at 3968 Å using Hinode/SOT. The summed energy detected by these instruments amounted to ∼3 × 10{sup 30} erg; about 15% of the total nonthermal energy. The Lyα line was found to dominate the measured radiative losses. Parameters of both the driving electron distribution and the resulting chromospheric response are presented in detail to encourage the numerical modeling of flare heating for this event, to determine the depth of the solar atmosphere at which these line and continuum processes originate, and the mechanism(s) responsible for their generation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The secret lives of Cepheids: evolutionary changes and pulsation-induced shock heating in the prototype classical Cepheid δ Cep

Over the past decade, the Secret Lives of Cepheids (SLiC) program has been carried out at Villanova University to study aspects and behaviors of classical Cepheids that are still not well understood. In this, the first of several planned papers on program Cepheids, we report the current results for δ Cep, the Cepheid prototype. Ongoing photometry has been obtained to search for changes in the pulsation period, light-curve morphology, and amplitude. Combining our photometry with the times of maximum light compilation by Berdnikov et al. returns a small period change of dP/dt ≈–0.1006 ± 0.0002 s yr{sup -1}. There is also evidence for a gradual light amplitude increase of ∼0.011 mag (V band) and ∼0.012 mag (B band) per decade over the last ∼50 years. In addition, Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) UV spectrophotometry and XMM-Newton X-ray data were carried out to investigate the high-temperature plasmas present above the Cepheid photospheres. In total, from the five visits (eight exposures) with XMM-Newton, δ Cep is found to be a soft X-ray source (L {sub X} (0.3-2 keV) ≈4.5-13 × 10{sup 28} erg s{sup -1}) with peak flux at kT = 0.6-0.9 keV. The X-ray activity is found to vary, possibly in phase with the stellar pulsations. From 2010-2013, nine observations of δ Cep were carried out with HST-COS. The UV emissions are also variable and well phased with the stellar pulsations. Maximum UV line emissions occur near, or slightly before, maximum optical light, varying by as much as 20 times. This variability shows that pulsation-induced shock heating plays a significant role in Cepheid atmospheres, possibly in addition to a quiescent, magnetic heating. The results of this study show Cepheid atmospheres to be rather complex and dynamic.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The effect of surface brightness dimming in the selection of high-z galaxies

Cosmological surface brightness (SB) dimming of the form (1 + z){sup –4} affects all sources. The strong dependence of SB dimming on redshift z suggests the presence of a selection bias when searching for high-z galaxies, i.e., we tend to detect only those galaxies with a high SB. However, unresolved knots of emission are not affected by SB dimming, thus providing a way to test the clumpiness of high-z galaxies. Our strategy relies on the comparison of the total flux detected for the same source in surveys characterized by different depth. For all galaxies, deeper images permit the better investigation of low-SB features. Cosmological SB dimming makes these low-SB features hard to detect when going to higher and higher redshifts. We used the GOODS and HUDF Hubble Space Telescope legacy data sets to study the effect of SB dimming on low-SB features of high-z galaxies and compare it to the prediction for smooth sources. We selected a sample of Lyman-break galaxies at z ∼ 4 (i.e., B {sub 435}-band dropouts) detected in all of the data sets and found no significant trend when comparing the total magnitudes measured from images with different depth. Through Monte Carlo simulations we derived the expected trend for galaxies with different SB profiles. The comparison to the data hints at a compact distribution for most of the rest-frame ultraviolet light emitted from high-z galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

ALMA observations of the host galaxy of GRB 090423 at z = 8.23: deep limits on obscured star formation 630 million years after the big bang

We present rest-frame far-infrared (FIR) and optical observations of the host galaxy of GRB 090423 at z = 8.23 from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and the Spitzer Space Telescope, respectively. The host remains undetected to 3σ limits of F {sub ν}(222 GHz) ≲ 33 μJy and F {sub ν}(3.6 μm) ≲ 81 nJy. The FIR limit is about 20 times fainter than the luminosity of the local ULIRG Arp 220 and comparable to the local starburst M 82. Comparing this with model spectral energy distributions, we place a limit on the infrared (IR) luminosity of L {sub IR}(8-1000 μm) ≲ 3 × 10{sup 10} L {sub ☉}, corresponding to a limit on the obscured star formation rate of SFR{sub IR}≲5 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}. For comparison, the limit on the unobscured star formation rate from Hubble Space Telescope rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) observations is SFR{sub UV} ≲ 1 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}. We also place a limit on the host galaxy stellar mass of M {sub *} ≲ 5 × 10{sup 7} M {sub ☉} (for a stellar population age of 100 Myr and constant star formation rate). Finally, we compare our millimeter observations to those of field galaxies at z ≳ 4 (Lyman break galaxies, Lyα emitters, and submillimeter galaxies) and find that our limit on the FIR luminosity is the most constraining to date, although the field galaxies have much larger rest-frame UV/optical luminosities than the host of GRB 090423 by virtue of their selection techniques. We conclude that GRB host galaxies at z ≳ 4, especially those with measured interstellar medium metallicities from afterglow spectroscopy, are an attractive sample for future ALMA studies of high redshift obscured star formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

PROBING THE SOLAR WIND ACCELERATION REGION WITH THE SUN-GRAZING COMET C/2002 S2

Comet C/2002 S2, a member of the Kreutz family of sungrazing comets, was discovered in white-light images of the Large Angle and Spectromeric Coronagraph Experiment coronagraph on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) on 2002 September 18 and observed in H I Lyα emission by the SOHO Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) instrument at four different heights as it approached the Sun. The H I Lyα line profiles detected by UVCS are analyzed to determine the spectral parameters: line intensity, width, and Doppler shift with respect to the coronal background. Two-dimensional comet images of these parameters are reconstructed at the different heights. A novel aspect of the observations of this sungrazing comet data is that, whereas the emission from most of the tail is blueshifted, that along one edge of the tail is redshifted. We attribute these shifts to a combination of solar wind speed and interaction with the magnetic field. In order to use the comet to probe the density, temperature, and speed of the corona and solar wind through which it passes, as well as to determine the outgassing rate of the comet, we develop a Monte Carlo simulation of the H I Lyα emission of a comet moving through a coronal plasma. From the outgassing rate, we estimate a nucleus diameter of about 9 m. This rate steadily increases as the comet approaches the Sun, while the optical brightness decreases by more than a factor of 10 and suddenly recovers. This indicates that the optical brightness is determined by the lifetimes of the grains, sodium atoms, and molecules produced by the comet.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

HIGH-RESOLUTION RADIO CONTINUUM MEASUREMENTS OF THE NUCLEAR DISKS OF Arp 220

We present new Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array radio continuum images of the nuclei of Arp 220, the nearest ultra-luminous infrared galaxy. These new images have both the angular resolution to study the detailed morphologies of the two nuclei that power the galaxy merger and sensitivity to a wide range of spatial scales. At 33 GHz, we achieve a resolution of 0.''081 × 0.''063 (29.9 × 23.3 pc) and resolve the radio emission surrounding both nuclei. We conclude from the decomposition of the radio spectral energy distribution that a majority of the 33 GHz emission is synchrotron radiation. The spatial distributions of radio emission in both nuclei are well described by exponential profiles. These have deconvolved half-light radii (R {sub 50d}) of 51 and 35 pc for the eastern and western nuclei, respectively, and they match the number density profile of radio supernovae observed with very long baseline interferometry. This similarity might be due to the fast cooling of cosmic rays electrons caused by the presence of a strong (∼mG) magnetic field in this system. We estimate extremely high molecular gas surface densities of 2.2{sub −1.0}{sup +2.1}×10{sup 5} (east) and 4.5{sub −1.9}{sup +4.5}×10{sup 5} (west) M {sub ☉} pc{sup –2}, corresponding to total hydrogen column densities of N {sub H} = 2.7{sub −1.2}{sup +2.7}×10{sup 25} (east) and 5.6{sub −2.4}{sup +5.5}×10{sup 25} cm{sup –2} (west). The implied gas volume densities are similarly high, n{sub H{sub {sub 2}}}∼3.8{sub −1.6}{sup +3.8}×10{sup 4} (east) and ∼11{sub −4.5}{sup +12}×10{sup 4} cm{sup –3} (west). We also estimate very high luminosity surface densities of Σ{sub IR}∼4.2{sub −0.7}{sup +1.6}×10{sup 13} (east) and Σ{sub IR}∼9.7{sub −2.4}{sup +3.7}×10{sup 13} (west) L{sub ⊙} kpc{sup −2}, and star formation rate surface densities of Σ{sub SFR} ∼ 10{sup 3.7} {sup ±} {sup 0.1} (east) and Σ{sub SFR} ∼ 10{sup 4.1} {sup ±} {sup 0.1}(west) M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}kpc{sup –2}. These values, especially for the western nucleus are, to our knowledge, the highest luminosity surface densities and star formation rate surface densities measured for any star-forming system. Despite these high values, the nuclei appear to lie below the dusty Eddington limit in which radiation pressure is balanced only by self-gravity. The small measured sizes also imply that at wavelengths shorter than λ = 1 mm, dust absorption effects must play an important role in the observed light distribution while below 5 GHz free-free absorption contributes substantial opacity. According to these calculations, the nuclei of Arp 220 are only transparent in the frequency range ∼5-350 GHz. Our results offer no clear evidence that an active galactic nucleus dominates the emission from either nucleus at 33 GHz.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

SWIFT ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS OF SUPERNOVA 2014J IN M82: LARGE EXTINCTION FROM INTERSTELLAR DUST

We present optical and ultraviolet (UV) photometry and spectra of the very nearby and highly reddened supernova (SN) 2014J in M82 obtained with the Swift Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope (UVOT). Comparison of the UVOT grism spectra of SN 2014J with Hubble Space Telescope observations of SN2011fe or UVOT grism spectra of SN 2012fr are consistent with an extinction law with a low value of R{sub V} ∼1.4. The high reddening causes the detected photon distribution in the broadband UV filters to have a much longer effective wavelength than for an unreddened SN. The light curve evolution is consistent with this shift and does not show a flattening due to photons being scattered back into the line of sight (LOS). The light curve shapes and color evolution are inconsistent with a contribution scattered into the LOS by circumstellar dust. We conclude that most or all of the high reddening must come from interstellar dust. We show that even for a single dust composition, there is not a unique reddening law caused by circumstellar scattering. Rather, when considering scattering from a time-variable source, we confirm earlier studies that the reddening law is a function of the dust geometry, column density, and epoch. We also show how an assumed geometry of dust as a foreground sheet in mixed stellar/dust systems will lead to a higher inferred R{sub V}. Rather than assuming the dust around SNe is peculiar, SNe may be useful probes of the interstellar reddening laws in other galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

IS THE DUST CLOUD AROUND LAMBDA ORIONIS A RING OR A SHELL, OR BOTH?

The dust cloud around λ Orionis is observed to be circularly symmetric with a large angular extent (≈8°). However, whether the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the cloud is shell- or ring-like has not yet been fully resolved. We study the 3D structure using a new approach that combines a 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer model for ultraviolet (UV) scattered light and an inverse Abel transform, which gives a detailed 3D radial density profile from a two-dimensional column density map of a spherically symmetric cloud. By comparing the radiative transfer models for a spherical shell cloud and that for a ring cloud, we find that only the shell model can reproduce the radial profile of the scattered UV light, observed using the S2/68 UV observation, suggesting a dust shell structure. However, the inverse Abel transform applied to the column density data from the Pan-STARRS1 dust reddening map results in negative values at a certain radius range of the density profile, indicating the existence of additional, non-spherical clouds near the nebular boundary. The additional cloud component is assumed to be of toroidal ring shape; we subtracted from the column density to obtain a positive, radial density profile using the inverse Abel transform. The resulting density structure, composed of a toroidal ring and a spherical shell, is also found to give a good fit to the UV scattered light profile. We therefore conclude that the cloud around λ Ori is composed of both ring and shell structures.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

SN 2013ej IN M74: A LUMINOUS AND FAST-DECLINING TYPE II-P SUPERNOVA

We present extensive ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared observations of the Type IIP supernova (SN IIP) 2013ej in the nearby spiral galaxy M74. The multicolor light curves, spanning from ∼8–185 days after explosion, show that it has a higher peak luminosity (i.e., M{sub V} ∼ −17.83 mag at maximum light), a faster post-peak decline, and a shorter plateau phase (i.e., ∼50 days) compared to the normal Type IIP SN 1999em. The mass of {sup 56}Ni is estimated as 0.02 ± 0.01 M{sub ⊙} from the radioactive tail of the bolometric light curve. The spectral evolution of SN 2013ej is similar to that of SN 2004et and SN 2007od, but shows a larger expansion velocity (i.e., v{sub Fe} {sub ii} ∼ 4600 km s{sup −1} at t ∼ 50 days) and broader line profiles. In the nebular phase, the emission of the Hα line displays a double-peak structure, perhaps due to the asymmetric distribution of {sup 56}Ni produced in the explosion. With the constraints from the main observables such as bolometric light curve, expansion velocity, and photospheric temperature of SN 2013ej, we performed hydrodynamical simulations of the explosion parameters, yielding the total explosion energy as ∼0.7× 10{sup 51} erg, the radius of the progenitor as ∼600 R{sub ⊙}, and the ejected mass as ∼10.6 M{sub ⊙}. These results suggest that SN 2013ej likely arose from a red supergiant with a mass of 12–13 M{sub ⊙} immediately before the explosion.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

IMAGING AND SPECTRAL OBSERVATIONS OF QUASI-PERIODIC PULSATIONS IN A SOLAR FLARE

We explore the quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) in a solar flare observed by Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, Solar Dynamics Observatory, Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, and Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) on 2014 September 10. QPPs are identified as the regular and periodic peaks on the rapidly varying components, which are the light curves after removing the slowly varying components. The QPPs display only three peaks at the beginning on the hard X-ray emissions, but 10 peaks on the chromospheric and coronal line emissions, and more than seven peaks (each peak corresponds to a type III burst on the dynamic spectra) at the radio emissions. A uniform quasi-period of about 4 minutes is detected among them. AIA imaging observations exhibit that the 4-minute QPPs originate from the flare ribbon and tend to appear on the ribbon front. IRIS spectral observations show that each peak of the QPPs tends to a broad line width and a red Doppler velocity at C i, O iv, Si iv, and Fe xxi lines. Our findings indicate that the QPPs are produced by the non-thermal electrons that are accelerated by the induced quasi-periodic magnetic reconnections in this flare.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

THE PROGENITOR OF THE TYPE IIb SN 2008ax REVISITED

Hubble Space Telescope observations of the site of the supernova (SN) SN 2008ax obtained in 2011 and 2013 reveal that the possible progenitor object detected in pre-explosion images was in fact multiple. Four point sources are resolved in the new, higher-resolution images. We identify one of the sources with the fading SN. The other three objects are consistent with single supergiant stars. We conclude that their light contaminated the previously identified progenitor candidate. After subtraction of these stars, the progenitor appears to be significantly fainter and bluer than previously measured. Post-explosion photometry at the SN location indicates that the progenitor object has disappeared. If single, the progenitor is compatible with a supergiant star of B to mid-A spectral type, while a Wolf–Rayet (W-R) star would be too luminous in the ultraviolet to account for the observations. Moreover, our hydrodynamical modeling shows that the pre-explosion mass was 4–5 M{sub ⊙} and the radius was 30–50 R{sub ⊙}, which is incompatible with a W-R progenitor. We present a possible interacting binary progenitor computed with our evolutionary models that reproduces all the observational evidence. A companion star as luminous as an O9–B0 main-sequence star may have remained after the explosion.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

LACK OF INFLATED RADII FOR KEPLER GIANT PLANET CANDIDATES RECEIVING MODEST STELLAR IRRADIATION

The most irradiated transiting hot Jupiters are characterized by anomalously inflated radii, sometimes exceeding Jupiter's size by more than 60%. While different theoretical explanations have been applied, none of them provide a universal resolution to this observation, despite significant progress in the past years. We refine the photometric transit light curve analysis of 115 Kepler giant planet candidates based on public Q0-Q2 photometry. We find that 14% of them are likely false positives, based on their secondary eclipse depth. We report on planet radii versus stellar flux. We find an increase in planet radii with increased stellar irradiation for the Kepler giant planet candidates, in good agreement with existing hot Jupiter systems. We find that in the case of modest irradiation received from the stellar host, giant planets do not have inflated radii, and appear to have radii independent of the host star incident flux. This finding suggests that the physical mechanisms inflating hot Jupiters become ineffective below a given orbit-averaged stellar irradiation level of {approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 8} erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE PANCHROMATIC HUBBLE ANDROMEDA TREASURY

The Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury is an ongoing Hubble Space Telescope Multi-Cycle Treasury program to image {approx}1/3 of M31's star-forming disk in six filters, spanning from the ultraviolet (UV) to the near-infrared (NIR). We use the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) and Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) to resolve the galaxy into millions of individual stars with projected radii from 0 to 20 kpc. The full survey will cover a contiguous 0.5 deg{sup 2}area in 828 orbits. Imaging is being obtained in the F275W and F336W filters on the WFC3/UVIS camera, F475W and F814W on ACS/WFC, and F110W and F160W on WFC3/IR. The resulting wavelength coverage gives excellent constraints on stellar temperature, bolometric luminosity, and extinction for most spectral types. The data produce photometry with a signal-to-noise ratio of 4 at m{sub F275W} = 25.1, m{sub F336W} = 24.9, m{sub F475W} = 27.9, m{sub F814W} = 27.1, m{sub F110W} = 25.5, and m{sub F160W} = 24.6 for single pointings in the uncrowded outer disk; in the inner disk, however, the optical and NIR data are crowding limited, and the deepest reliable magnitudes are up to 5 mag brighter. Observations are carried out in two orbits per pointing, split between WFC3/UVIS and WFC3/IR cameras in primary mode, with ACS/WFC run in parallel. All pointings are dithered to produce Nyquist-sampled images in F475W, F814W, and F160W. We describe the observing strategy, photometry, astrometry, and data products available for the survey, along with extensive testing of photometric stability, crowding errors, spatially dependent photometric biases, and telescope pointing control. We also report on initial fits to the structure of M31's disk, derived from the density of red giant branch stars, in a way that is independent of assumed mass-to-light ratios and is robust to variations in dust extinction. These fits also show that the 10 kpc ring is not just a region of enhanced recent star formation, but is instead a dynamical structure containing a significant overdensity of stars with ages >1 Gyr.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A QUASAR CATALOG WITH SIMULTANEOUS UV, OPTICAL, AND X-RAY OBSERVATIONS BY SWIFT

We have compiled a catalog of optically selected quasars with simultaneous observations in UV/optical and X-ray bands by the Swift Gamma-ray Burst Explorer. Objects in this catalog are identified by matching the Swift pointings with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 5 quasar catalog. The final catalog contains 843 objects, among which 637 have both Ultraviolet Optical Telescope (UVOT) and X-Ray Telescope (XRT) observations and 354 of which are detected by both instruments. The overall X-ray detection rate is {approx}60% which rises to {approx}85% among sources with at least 10 ks of XRT exposure time. We construct the time-averaged spectral energy distribution (SED) for each of the 354 quasars using UVOT photometric measurements and XRT spectra. From model fits to these SEDs, we find that the big blue bump contributes about {approx}0.3 dex to the quasar luminosity. We re-visit the {alpha}{sub ox}-L{sub 2500A} relation by selecting a clean sample with only Type 1 radio-quiet quasars; the dispersion of this relation is reduced by at least 15% compared with studies that use non-simultaneous UV/optical and X-ray data. We only found a weak correlation between L{sub bol}/L{sub Edd} and {alpha}{sub UV}. We do not find significant correlations between {alpha}{sub x} and {alpha}{sub ox}, {alpha}{sub ox} and {alpha}{sub UV}, and {alpha}{sub x} and log L(0.3-10 keV). The correlations between {alpha}{sub UV} and {alpha}{sub x}, {alpha}{sub ox} and {alpha}{sub x}, {alpha}{sub ox} and {alpha}{sub UV}, L{sub bol}/L{sub Edd} and {alpha}{sub x}, and L{sub bol}/L{sub Edd} and {alpha}{sub ox} are stronger among low-redshift quasars, indicating that these correlations are likely driven by the changes of SED shape with accretion state.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Sterile neutrinos with eV masses in cosmology — How disfavoured exactly?

We study cosmological models that contain sterile neutrinos with eV-range masses as suggested by reactor and short-baseline oscillation data. We confront these models with both precision cosmological data (probing the CMB decoupling epoch) and light-element abundances (probing the BBN epoch). In the minimal ΛCDM model, such sterile neutrinos are strongly disfavoured by current data because they contribute too much hot dark matter. However, if the cosmological framework is extended to include also additional relativistic degrees of freedom beyond the three standard neutrinos and the putative sterile neutrinos, then the hot dark matter constraint on the sterile states is considerably relaxed. A further improvement is achieved by allowing a dark energy equation of state parameter w < −1. While BBN strongly disfavours extra radiation beyond the assumed eV-mass sterile neutrino, this constraint can be circumvented by a small ν{sub e} degeneracy. Any model containing eV-mass sterile neutrinos implies also strong modifications of other cosmological parameters. Notably, the inferred cold dark matter density can shift up by 20–75% relative to the standard ΛCDM value.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Dark radiation from modulated reheating

We show that the modulated reheating mechanism can naturally account for dark radiation, whose existence is hinted by recent observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation and the primordial Helium abundance. In this mechanism, the inflaton decay rate depends on a light modulus which acquires almost scale-invariant quantum fluctuations during inflation. We find that the light modulus is generically produced by the inflaton decay and therefore a prime candidate for the dark radiation. Interestingly, an almost scale-invariant power spectrum predicted in the modulated reheating mechanism gives a better fit to the observation in the presence of the extra radiation. We discuss the production mechanism of the light modulus in detail taking account of its associated isocurvature fluctuations. We also consider a case where the modulus becomes the dominant component of dark matter.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

General dissipation coefficient in low-temperature warm inflation

In generic particle physics models, the inflaton field is coupled to other bosonic and fermionic fields that acquire large masses during inflation and may decay into light degrees of freedom. This leads to dissipative effects that modify the inflationary dynamics and may generate a nearly-thermal radiation bath, such that inflation occurs in a warm rather than supercooled environment. In this work, we perform a numerical computation and obtain expressions for the associated dissipation coefficient in supersymmetric models, focusing on the regime where the radiation temperature is below the heavy mass threshold. The dissipation coefficient receives contributions from the decay of both on-shell and off-shell degrees of freedom, which are dominant for small and large couplings, respectively, taking into account the light field multiplicities. In particular, we find that the contribution from on-shell decays, although Boltzmann-suppressed, can be much larger than that of virtual modes, which is bounded by the validity of a perturbative analysis. This result opens up new possibilities for realizations of warm inflation in supersymmetric field theories.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Dark radiation from particle decay: cosmological constraints and opportunities

We study particle decay as the origin of dark radiation. After elaborating general properties and useful parametrisations we provide model-independent and easy-to-use constraints from nucleosynthesis, the cosmic microwave background and structure formation. Bounds on branching ratios and mass hierarchies depend in a unique way on the time of decay. We demonstrate their power to exclude well-motivated scenarios taking the example of the lightest ordinary sparticle decaying into the gravitino. We point out signatures and opportunities in cosmological observations and structure formation. For example, if there are two dark decay modes, dark radiation and the observed dark matter with adjustable free-streaming can originate from the same decaying particle, solving small-scale problems of structure formation. Hot dark matter mimicking a neutrino mass scale as deduced from cosmological observations can arise and possibly be distinguished after a discovery. Our results can be used as a guideline for model building.

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