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At least 163 records · Page 9

Adaptive non-collinear autocorrelation of few-cycle pulses with an angular tunable bi-mirror

Adaptive autocorrelation with an angular tunable micro-electro-mechanical system is reported. A piezo-actuated Fresnel bi-mirror structure was applied to measure the second order autocorrelation of near-infrared few-cycle laser pulses in a non-collinear setup at tunable superposition angles. Because of enabling measurements with variable scaling and minimizing the influence of distortions by adaptive self-reconstruction, the approach extends the capability of autocorrelators. Flexible scaling and robustness against localized amplitude obscurations are demonstrated. The adaptive reconstruction of temporal frequency information by the Fourier analysis of autocorrelation data is shown. Experimental results and numerical simulations of the beam propagation and interference are compared for variable angles.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

CMFD acceleration of spatial domain-decomposed neutron transport problems

A significant limitation to parallelizing the solution of neutron transport problems is the need for sweeps across the entirety of the problem domain. Angular domain decomposition is common practice, as the equations for each direction are independent aside from their shared scattering/fission source. Accordingly, spatial domain decomposition does not naturally arise in the transport equations and is therefore less frequent in practice. In this paper, we show that a neutron transport domain can be straightforwardly divided into independent, parallelizable sweep regions, globally linked with the standard CMFD method, with an additional update equation. We verify, theoretically (via Fourier analysis) and computationally, that the convergence properties of this method are stable and nominally as rapid as standard CMFD. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

A spectroscopic analysis of the K0 III binary ϵ Cygni

Spectroscopic observations of ϵ Cyg (K0 III) taken over 12 seasons from 1999 to 2010 with a resolving power ∼100,000 are analyzed for radial velocities, granulation properties, and projected rotation rate. The new radial velocities, which are on an absolute velocity scale with convective blueshifts removed, contribute to the determination of the 55-year orbit parameters, but are insufficient to be definitive. Line-depth ratios show photospheric temperature variations amounting to ∼4 K, likely arising from a magnetic cycle. A small velocity variation, ∼100 m s{sup −1}, may mimic the temperature variations. Fourier analysis of the line broadening yields the projected rotation rate v sin i = 1.0 ± 0.2 and macroturbulence dispersion ζ{sub RT} = 4.45 ± 0.05 km s{sup −1}. A possible rotation modulation in velocity with a period of ∼1.5 years is noted. The third signature of granulation, i.e., greater blueshifts for weaker lines, is measured and indicates a photospheric velocity gradient in ϵ Cyg that is 1.1 ± 0.1 times the Sun's, which is consistent with previously measured K giants. Mapping the line bisector of the Fe i λ6253 line on to the third-signature plot results in a flux deficit with a maximum 4.9 km s{sup −1} redward of the line core and an amplitude of 16.5% ± 0.5% of the core depth, values typical of K giants. A 145 K disk-averaged temperature difference between granules and lanes is implied.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Direct optical monitoring of flow generated by bacterial flagellar rotation

We report on a highly sensitive approach to measure and quantify the time dependent changes of the flow generated by the flagella bundle rotation of single bacterial cells. This is achieved by observing the interactions between a silica particle and a bacterium, which are both trapped next to each other in a dual beam optical tweezer. In this configuration, the particle serves as a sensitive detector where the fast-Fourier analysis of the particle trajectory renders, it possible to access information about changes of bacterial activity.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Transient MOC with frequency transform and DSA on unstructured mesh

We present an implementation of the transient method of characteristics (MOC) with isotropic time derivatives, accelerated by diffusion synthetic acceleration (DSA). The fully implicit frequency transform method is used to solve the transient problem with analytic precursor integration. The code works on meshes composed of almost any of the commonly used non-curvilinear finite element types, and can handle the deformation of geometry in time-dependent transport calculations. We present results of a continuous Fourier analysis for the transient multigroup DSA problem, and representative benchmarking results are presented for the C5G7-TD benchmark in 2D showing reasonable performance and agreement compared to other codes. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Multi-period G-mode pulsations of a pre-He-WD star in the eclipsing binary KIC 9164561

We report the discovery of a new pulsating pre-He-WD in the EL CVn-type binary KIC 9164561. Light curve modeling and frequency analysis of the binary system were carried out based on short-cadence Kepler photometry. Combined with the radial-velocity solution, revised physical parameters of the binary system were determined. The component KIC 9164561B was confirmed to be a pre-He-WD star with M = 0.213±0.012M{sub ⊙}, R = 0.283±0.006R{sub ⊙}, and T{sub eff} = 10650±200 K. In addition to the light changes due to an eclipse, pulsational light variations of the pre-He-WD star were detected. The Fourier analysis reveals at least 52 frequencies, with the dominant one at 313.4 μHz. A brief mode identification indicates that the pre-He-WD star pulsates in g-modes with an average period spacing of ΔΠ{sub l=1} = 80.87 s. Moreover, a number of multiplets due to rotational splitting were identified from the frequency spectra. The rotational period of the pulsating pre-He-WD star was found to equal to the orbital period, indicating that KIC 9164561B is in synchronous rotation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Nonlinear dynamics of accretion disks with stochastic viscosity

We present a nonlinear numerical model for a geometrically thin accretion disk with the addition of stochastic nonlinear fluctuations in the viscous parameter. These numerical realizations attempt to study the stochastic effects on the disk angular momentum transport. We show that this simple model is capable of reproducing several observed phenomenologies of accretion-driven systems. The most notable of these is the observed linear rms-flux relationship in the disk luminosity. This feature is not formally captured by the linearized disk equations used in previous work. A Fourier analysis of the dissipation and mass accretion rates across disk radii show coherence for frequencies below the local viscous frequency. This is consistent with the coherence behavior observed in astrophysical sources such as Cygnus X-1.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Variable stars in large Magellanic cloud globular clusters. III. Reticulum

This is the third in a series of papers studying the variable stars in old globular clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The primary goal of this series is to look at how the characteristics and behavior of RR Lyrae stars in Oosterhoff-intermediate systems compare to those of their counterparts in Oosterhoff-I/II systems. In this paper we present the results of our new time-series BVI photometric study of the globular cluster Reticulum. We found a total of 32 variables stars (22 RRab, 4 RRc, and 6 RRd stars) in our field of view. We present photometric parameters and light curves for these stars. We also present physical properties, derived from Fourier analysis of light curves, for some of the RR Lyrae stars. We discuss the Oosterhoff classification of Reticulum and use our results to re-derive the distance modulus and age of the cluster.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Measuring the Stokes parameters of radiation of semiconductor lasers

We have developed and tested an original method for measuring the Stokes parameters for semiconductor lasers, based on the binding of the coordinate system to the test sample. The proposed method, when using an arbitrary phase plate as a compensator, allows one to measure the polarisation characteristics of lasers operating in a wide range of wavelengths - from 600 to 1000 nm. Application of the Fourier analysis to the quasi-continuous experimental data obtained with the help of automated systems of acquisition and processing of measurement results and ordinary optical elements provides accuracy that is sufficient to record the peculiarities of the polarisation characteristics of modern laser diodes.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A Full Multigrid Method for the Self-Adjoint Angular Flux Equation Based on Cellwise Block Jacobi Iteration

Previous work by Densmore et al. has demonstrated that multigrid methods for the self-adjoint angular flux (SAAF) equation with cellwise block Jacobi smoothing can be extremely effective at solving for the angular flux in one dimension. The extension of that work to two dimensions demonstrated that while the smoother works well, the use of a direct coarse-grid approximation can severely limit the rate of convergence for optically thin cells. In that paper, this convergence limit was evaded through the use of a partially Galerkin coarse-grid approximation. However, relying on a Galerkin coarse-grid approximation is not ideal as constructing the coarse-grid discretization in this approach is complicated. The motivation for this summary is to find a method that can work without the need for a Galerkin coarse-grid approximation. The Full Multigrid (FMG) method is well known as a method that can theoretically solve a problem to its discretization accuracy with optimal linear computational complexity, that is in just O(N) operations for N unknowns. Indeed, we develop an FMG method for the 2-D SAAF equation that yields discretization accuracy and does not require the use of a Galerkin coarse-grid approximation. Until recently, aside from proofs about the order of the error for FMG, little work had been done in quantifying when and how FMG can obtain discretization accuracy. However, recent work by Rodrigo et al. has introduced a Fourier analysis technique called worst-case right-hand side analysis used to calculate the FMG accuracy measure. The FMG accuracy measure is the upper bound on the constant of proportionality between the error of the FMG solution and the discretization error. In this summary, we develop and implement an FMG method for the 2-D Cartesian SAAF equations. We then perform worst-case right-hand side analysis and give numerical examples that demonstrate under what circumstances the method can solve the 2-D SAAF equations to discretization accuracy, for optically thin cells, without the need for a Galerkin coarse-grid approximation. (authors)

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

MEASUREMENTS OF ANISOTROPIC ION TEMPERATURES, NON-THERMAL VELOCITIES, AND DOPPLER SHIFTS IN A CORONAL HOLE

We present a new diagnostic allowing one to measure the anisotropy of ion temperatures and non-thermal velocities, as well as Doppler shifts with respect to the ambient magnetic field. This method provides new results, as well as an independent test for previous measurements obtained with other techniques. Our spectral data come from observations of a low-latitude, on-disk coronal hole. A potential field source surface model was used to calculate the angle between the magnetic field lines and the line of sight for each spatial bin of the observation. A fit was performed to determine the line widths and Doppler shifts parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field. For each line width component we derived ion temperatures T {sub i,} and T {sub i, Parallel-To} and non-thermal velocities v {sub nt,} and v {sub nt, Parallel-To }. T {sub i,} was cooler than off-limb polar coronal hole measurements, suggesting increasing collisional cooling with decreasing height. T {sub i, Parallel-To} is consistent with a uniform temperature of (1.8 {+-} 0.2) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} K for each ion. Since parallel ion heating is expected to be weak, this ion temperature should reflect the proton temperature. A comparison between our results and others implies a large proton temperature gradient around 1.02 R {sub Sun }. The non-thermal velocities are thought to be proportional to the amplitudes of various waves. Our results for v {sub nt,} agree with Alfven wave amplitudes inferred from off-limb polar coronal hole line width measurements. Our v {sub nt, Parallel-To} results are consistent with slow magnetosonic wave amplitudes inferred from Fourier analysis of time-varying intensity fluctuations. Doppler shift measurements yield outflows of Almost-Equal-To 5 km s{sup -1} for ions formed over a broad temperature range. This differs from other studies that found a strong Doppler shift dependence on formation temperature.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

VARIABLE STARS IN LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD GLOBULAR CLUSTERS. II. NGC 1786

This is the second in a series of papers studying the variable stars in Large Magellanic Cloud globular clusters. The primary goal of this series is to study how RR Lyrae stars in Oosterhoff-intermediate systems compare to their counterparts in Oosterhoff I/II systems. In this paper, we present the results of our new time-series B-V photometric study of the globular cluster NGC 1786. A total of 65 variable stars were identified in our field of view. These variables include 53 RR Lyraes (27 RRab, 18 RRc, and 8 RRd), 3 classical Cepheids, 1 Type II Cepheid, 1 Anomalous Cepheid, 2 eclipsing binaries, 3 Delta Scuti/SX Phoenicis variables, and 2 variables of undetermined type. Photometric parameters for these variables are presented. We present physical properties for some of the RR Lyrae stars, derived from Fourier analysis of their light curves. We discuss several different indicators of Oosterhoff type which indicate that the Oosterhoff classification of NGC 1786 is not as clear cut as what is seen in most globular clusters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Two-temperature-electron Zakharov equations for the dynamics of modulated collapse

Under the framework of the two-timescale method, we derived the two-temperature-electron Zakharov equations which can describe the wave-wave interaction among Langmuir wave, electromagnetic wave, and electron acoustic waves. Numerical results reveal that the modulation instability will lead the wave field collapse into a turbulent state. The spectrum obtained from the Fourier analysis shows a cascade of energy from large to small scales. In the collapse processes, the hot electrons are expelled by the ponderomotive force induced by the high frequency waves, and then density cavitons are formed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DISCOVERY OF A NEW AM CVn SYSTEM WITH THE KEPLER SATELLITE

We report the discovery of a new AM CVn system on the basis of broadband photometry obtained with the Kepler satellite supplemented by ground-based optical spectroscopy. Initially retained on Kepler target lists as a potential compact pulsator, the blue object SDSS J190817.07+394036.4 (KIC 004547333) has turned out to be a high-state AM CVn star showing the He-dominated spectrum of its accretion disk significantly reddened by interstellar absorption. We constructed new grids of NLTE synthetic spectra for accretion disks in order to analyze our spectroscopic observations. From this analysis, we infer preliminary estimates of the rate of mass transfer, the inclination angle of the disk, and the distance to the system. The AM CVn nature of the system is also evident in the Kepler light curve, from which we extracted 11 secure periodicities. The luminosity variations are dominated by a basic periodicity of 938.507 s, likely to correspond to a superhump modulation. The light curve folded on the period of 938.507 s exhibits a pulse shape that is very similar to the superhump wavefront seen in AM CVn itself, which is a high-state system and the prototype of the class. Our Fourier analysis also suggests the likely presence of a quasi-periodic oscillation similar to those already observed in some high-state AM CVn systems. Furthermore, some very low-frequency, low-amplitude aperiodic photometric activity is likely present, which is in line with what is expected in accreting binary systems. Inspired by previous work, we further looked for and found some intriguing numerical relationships between the 11 secure detected frequencies, in the sense that we can account for all of them in terms of only three basic clocks. This is further evidence in favor of the AM CVn nature of the system.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Single-shot X-ray phase-contrast imaging using two-dimensional gratings

We developed a two-dimensional gratings-based X-ray interferometer that requires only a single exposure for clinical radiography. The interferometer consisted of a checkerboard phase grating for {pi} phase modulation and a latticed amplitude grating. Using a synchrotron radiation source, the phase grating modulates the X-rays and generates a self-image, transformed to a moire fringe by the amplitude grating. To allow use of a conventional X-ray tube, the latticed source grating was installed downstream from the X-ray tube. Differential phase-contrast and scattering images in two orthogonal directions were obtained by Fourier analysis of the single moire fringe image and an absorption image. Results show that characteristic features of soft tissue in two orthogonal directions were clearly shown in the differential phase-contrast images.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A Spectroscopic Analysis of the Hyades Cool Giants

High-resolution spectroscopic observations of the four cool giants in the Hyades cluster, taken at the Elginfield Observatory, are analyzed. The velocity of γ Tau between 2002 and 2009 is constant to a few m s{sup −1}; small variations, compatible with the planetary orbit, are seen for ε Tau. The primary-to-secondary mass ratio of θ {sup 1} Tau is found to be 2.33 ± 0.07. Absolute radial velocities are determined for three of the giants from third-signature plots that correct for granulation blueshifts: 38,615 ± 50, 38,760 ± 100, and 38,570 ± 50 m s{sup −1} for γ Tau, δ Tau, and ε Tau respectively. Line–depth ratios show that γ Tau is 33 ± 5 K, δ Tau is 53 ± 10 K, and θ {sup 1} Tau is 30 ± 6 K hotter than ε Tau. Although the λ6253 line bisectors are similar for all four giants, there are significant differences in the line profiles. Fourier analysis of the profile shapes yields projected rotation rates of 2.1, 2.4, 2.8, and 2.8 km s{sup −1} for γ Tau, δ Tau, ε Tau, and θ {sup 1} Tau respectively, with an uncertainty of ±0.3 km s{sup −1}. The corresponding radial–tangential macroturbulence dispersions are 5.07, 5.66, 5.55, and 4.65 km s{sup −1}, with a uncertainty of ±0.10 km s{sup −1}. Scale factors for third-signature plots are close to unity, ±10%, implying that the granulation velocity gradient through their photospheres is similar to the Sun's. Bisector mapping returns flux differences between granules and lanes, with average granule-to-lane temperature differences ∼125 K.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

MO-F-CAMPUS-J-04: One-Year Analysis of Elekta CBCT Image Quality Using NPS and MTF

Purpose: To compare quantitative image quality (IQ) evaluation methods using Noise Power Spectrum (NPS) and Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) with standard IQ analyses for minimizing the observer subjectivity of the standard methods and maximizing the information content. Methods: For our routine IQ tests of Elekta XVI Cone-Beam CT, image noise was quantified by the standard deviation of CT number (CT#) (Sigma) over a small area in an IQ test phantom (CatPhan), and the high spatial resolution (HSR) was evaluated by the number of line-pairs (LP#) visually recognizable on the image. We also measured the image uniformity, the low contrast resolution ratio, and the distances of two points for geometrical accuracy. For this study, we did additional evaluation of the XVI data for 12 monthly IQ tests by using NPS for noise, MTF for HSR, and the CT#-to-density relationship. NPS was obtained by applying Fourier analysis in a small area on the uniformity test section of CatPhan. The MTF analysis was performed by applying the Droege-Morin (D-M) method to the line pairs on the phantom. The CT#-to-density was obtained for inserts in the low-contrast test section of the phantom. Results: All the quantities showed a noticeable change over the one-year period. Especially the noise level changed significantly after a repair of the imager. NPS was more sensitive to the IQ change than Sigma. MTF could provide more quantitative and objective evaluation of the HSR. The CT# was very different from the expected CT#; but, the CT#-to-density curves were constant within 5% except two months. Conclusion: Since the D-M method is easy to implement, we recommend using MTF instead of the LP# even for routine periodic QA. The month-to-month variation of IQ was not negligible; hence a routine IQ test must be performed, particularly after any modification of hardware including detector calibration.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

MODE IDENTIFICATION OF MHD WAVES IN AN ACTIVE REGION OBSERVED WITH HINODE/EIS

In order to better understand the possibility of coronal heating by MHD waves, we analyze Fe XII 195.12A data observed with the EUV Imaging Spectrometer on board Hinode. We performed a Fourier analysis of EUV intensity and Doppler velocity time series data in the active region corona. Notable intensity and Doppler velocity oscillations were found for two moss regions out of the five studied, while only small oscillations were found for five apexes of loops. The amplitudes of the oscillations were 0.4%-5.7% for intensity and 0.2-1.2 km s{sup -1} for Doppler velocity. In addition, oscillations of only the Doppler velocity were seen relatively less often in the data. We compared the amplitudes of intensity and those of Doppler velocity in order to identify MHD wave modes and calculated the phase delays between Fourier components of intensity and those of Doppler velocity. The results are interpreted in terms of MHD waves as follows: (1) few kink modes or torsional Alfven mode waves were seen in both moss regions and the apexes of loops, (2) upwardly propagating and standing slow mode waves were found in moss regions, and (3) consistent with previous studies, estimated values of energy flux of the waves were several orders of magnitude lower than that required for heating active regions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗