123575242
Introduction to the SalSA, a saltdome shower array as a GZK neutrino observatory
The observed spectrum of ultra-high energy cosmic rays virtually guarantees the presence of ultra-high energy neutrinos due to their interaction with the cosmic microwave background. Every one of these neutrinos will point back to its source and, unlike cosmic rays, will arrive at the Earth unattenuated, from sources perhaps as distant as z=20. The neutrino telescopes currently under construction, should discover a handful of these events, probably too few for detailed study. In this talk I will describe how an array of VHF and UHF antennas embedded in a large salt dome, SalSA (Saltdome Shower Array) promises to yield a teraton detector (> 500 km3-sr) for contained neutrino events with energies above 1017 eV. Our simulations show that such a detector may observe several hundreds of these neutrinos over its lifetime. Our simulations also show how such interactions will provide high energy physicists with an energy frontier for weak interactions an order-of-magnitude larger than that of the LHC. The flavor ID capalities of SALSA, combined with the extreme L/E of these neutrinos, will provide a window on neutrino oscillations and decay times eight orders of magnitude higher than laboratory experiments. In addition to the latest simulation results, we describe progress on detectors and site selection.
122312631
Design and initial performance of the Askaryan Radio Array prototype EeV neutrino detector at the South Pole
Abstract We report on studies of the viability and sensitivity of the Askaryan Radio Array (ARA), a new initiative to develop a Teraton-scale ultra-high energy neutrino detector in deep, radio-transparent ice near Amundsen-Scott station at the South Pole. An initial prototype ARA detector system was installed in January 2011, and has been operating continuously since then. We describe measurements of the background radio noise levels, the radio clarity of the ice, and the estimated sensitivity of the planned ARA array given these results, based on the first five months of operation. Anthropogenic radio interference in the vicinity of the South Pole currently leads to a few-percent loss of data, but no overall effect on the background noise levels, which are dominated by the thermal noise floor of the cold polar ice, and galactic noise at lower frequencies. We have also successfully detected signals originating from a 2.5 km deep impulse generator at a distance of over 3 km from our prototype detector, confirming prior estimates of kilometer-scale attenuation lengths for cold polar ice. These are also the first such measurements for propagation over such large slant distances in ice. Based on these data, ARA-37, the ∼200 km 2 array now in its initial construction phase, will achieve the highest sensitivity of any planned or existing neutrino detector in the 10 16 –10 19  eV energy range.
126012638
Studies of hadron-electron separators for the ZEUS barrel calorimeter
Abstract Two possible upgrades, a shower maximum detector and a presampler, designed to improve the low energy electron/hadron separation capabilities of the ZEUS barrel calorimeter are described and test-beam results are reported. The presampler can also be used to correct for energy loss of particles traversing the dead material in front of the calorimeter.
120257634
Review of underground salt attenuation measurements for SalSA
Abstract We report on the status of the Salt Sensor Array (SalSA), a proposed experiment for detecting ultra-high energy neutrinos through the radio Cherenkov technique with an array of radio-microwave antennas embedded in a large, naturally occurring salt formation. We review the measurements to date aimed at assessing SalSA's feasibility, including a return visit of the Hockley Salt Mine in Hockley, Texas, and discuss the current status of the project.
119205836
Status of SalSA
We report on the status of the Salt Sensor Array (SalSA), a proposed experiment for detecting ultra-high energy neutrinos through the radio \v{C}erenkov technique with an array of radio-microwave antennas embedded in a large, naturally occurring salt formation. We review the measurements to date aimed at assessing SalSA's feasibility, including a return visit of the Hockley Salt Mine in Hockley, Texas, and discuss the current status of the project.
19032720
Search for MSSM Higgses at the Tevatron
We present an overview of searches for MSSM Higgs at the Tevatron, concentrating on searches probing the high tan {beta} region. We discuss the search for A/H {yields} {tau}{tau} which is soon to be completed in the Run I data and review the new tau triggers implemented by CDF and D0 in Run II, which will greatly impact this analysis. We also present the results of a Run I search for A/Hbb {yields} bbbb performed by CDF and highlight expected improvements in this channel by both experiments in Run II.
11979776
High redshift detection of the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect
We present evidence of a large angle correlation between the cosmic microwave background measured by WMAP and a catalog of photometrically detected quasars from the SDSS. The observed cross correlation is 0.30{+-}0.14 {mu}K at zero lag, with a shape consistent with that expected for correlations arising from the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect. The photometric redshifts of the quasars are centered at z{approx}1.5, making this the deepest survey in which such a correlation has been observed. Assuming this correlation is due to the ISW effect, this constitutes the earliest evidence yet for dark energy and it can be used to constrain exotic dark energy models.
16051199
The Application of Photometric Redshifts to the SDSS Early Data Release
The Early Data Release (EDR) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey provides one of the largest multicolor photometric catalogs currently available to the astronomical community. In this paper we present the first application of photometric redshifts to the ~6 million extended sources in these data (with 1.8 million sources having r' < 21). Utilizing a range of photometric redshift techniques, from empirical to template and hybrid techniques, we investigate the statistical and systematic uncertainties present in the redshift estimates for the EDR data. For r' < 21, we find that the redshift estimates provide realistic redshift histograms with an rms uncertainty in the photometric redshift relation of 0.035 at r' < 18 and rising to 0.1 at r' < 21. We conclude by describing how these photometric redshifts and derived quantities, such as spectral type, rest-frame colors, and absolute magnitudes, are stored in the SDSS database. We provide sample queries for searching on photometric redshifts and list the current caveats and issues that should be understood before using these photometric redshifts in statistical analyses of the SDSS galaxies.
118464168
Morphological classification of galaxies and its relation to physical properties
We extend a recently developed galaxy morphology classification method, Quantitative Multiwavelength Morphology (QMM), to connect galaxy morphologies to their underlying physical properties. The traditional classification of galaxies approaches the problem separately through either morphological classification or, in more recent times, analysis of physical properties. A combined approach has significant potential in producing a consistent and accurate classification scheme as well as shedding light on the origin and evolution of galaxy morphology. Here, we present an analysis of a volume-limited sample of 31 703 galaxies from the fourth data release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We use an image analysis method called Pixel-z to extract the underlying physical properties of the galaxies, which is then quantified using the concentration, asymmetry and clumpiness parameters. The galaxies also have their multiwavelength morphologies quantified using QMM, and these results are then related to the distributed physical properties through a regression analysis. We show that this method can be used to relate the spatial distribution of physical properties with the morphological properties of galaxies.
118722960
CROSS IDENTIFICATION OF STARS WITH UNKNOWN PROPER MOTIONS
The cross identification of sources in separate catalogs is one of the most basic tasks in observational astronomy. It is, however, surprisingly difficult and generally ill defined. Recently, Budavari & Szalay formulated the problem in the realm of probability theory and laid down the statistical foundations of an extensible methodology. In this paper, we apply their Bayesian approach to stars with detectable proper motion and show how to associate their observations. We study models on a sample of stars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which allow for an unknown proper motion per object, and demonstrate the improvements over the analytic static model. Our models and conclusions are directly applicable to upcoming surveys such as PanSTARRS, the Dark Energy Survey, Sky Mapper, and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, whose data sets will contain hundreds of millions of stars observed multiple times over several years.
7956880
The Revolution in Astronomy Education: Data Science for the Masses
As our capacity to study ever-expanding domains of our science has increased (including the time domain, non-electromagnetic phenomena, magnetized plasmas, and numerous sky surveys in multiple wavebands with broad spatial coverage and unprecedented depths), so have the horizons of our understanding of the Universe been similarly expanding. This expansion is coupled to the exponential data deluge from multiple sky surveys, which have grown from gigabytes into terabytes during the past decade, and will grow from terabytes into Petabytes (even hundreds of Petabytes) in the next decade. With this increased vastness of information, there is a growing gap between our awareness of that information and our understanding of it. Training the next generation in the fine art of deriving intelligent understanding from data is needed for the success of sciences, communities, projects, agencies, businesses, and economies. This is true for both specialists (scientists) and non-specialists (everyone else: the public, educators and students, workforce). Specialists must learn and apply new data science research techniques in order to advance our understanding of the Universe. Non-specialists require information literacy skills as productive members of the 21st century workforce, integrating foundational skills for lifelong learning in a world increasingly dominated by data. We address the impact of the emerging discipline of data science on astronomy education within two contexts: formal education and lifelong learners.