53588282
Einstein@Home Discovery of Four Young Gamma-Ray Pulsars in Fermi LAT Data
We report the discovery of four gamma-ray pulsars, detected in computing-intensive blind searches of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). The pulsars were found using a novel search approach, combining volunteer distributed computing via Einstein@Home and methods originally developed in gravitational-wave astronomy. The pulsars PSRs J0554+3107, J1422–6138, J1522–5735, and J1932+1916 are young and energetic, with characteristic ages between 35 and 56 kyr and spin-down powers in the range 6 × 1034—1036 erg s–1. They are located in the Galactic plane and have rotation rates of less than 10 Hz, among which the 2.1 Hz spin frequency of PSR J0554+3107 is the slowest of any known gamma-ray pulsar. For two of the new pulsars, we find supernova remnants coincident on the sky and discuss the plausibility of such associations. Deep radio follow-up observations found no pulsations, suggesting that all four pulsars are radio-quiet as viewed from Earth. These discoveries, the first gamma-ray pulsars found by volunteer computing, motivate continued blind pulsar searches of the many other unidentified LAT gamma-ray sources.
119876695
Gravitons in de sitter space
What has been shown in this talk is that the graviton propagator in de Sitter space is OK. If one makes a bad choice of gauge (-fixing term) then the propagator is infra-red divergent. However this is not a problem. You can either make a better choice of gauge (of which there are an infinite number), for which the propagator is completely, finite, or else you can go right ahead and use the infra-red divergent one. We demonstrated that it doesn't matter. Gauge-invariance is the over-riding principle, and it ensures that even if the propagator has an infra-red divergence, the physical scattering amplitudes are finite.
7392737
Timing of a Young Mildly Recycled Pulsar with a Massive White Dwarf Companion
We report on timing observations of the recently discovered binary pulsar PSR J1952+2630 using the Arecibo Observatory. The mildly recycled 20.7-ms pulsar is in a 9.4-hr orbit with a massive, MW D > 0.93 M⊙, white dwarf (WD) companion. We present, for the first time, a phase-coherent timing solution, with precise spin, astrometric, and Keplerian orbital parameters. This shows that the characteristic age of PSR J1952+2630 is 77 Myr, younger by one order of magnitude than any other recycled pulsar–massive WD system. We derive an upper limit on the true age of the system of 150 Myr. We investigate the formation of PSR J1952+2630 using detailed modelling of the mass-transfer process from a naked helium star on to the neutron star following a common-envelope phase (Case BB Roche-lobe overflow). From our modelling of the progenitor system, we constrain the accretion efficiency of the neutron star, which suggests a value between 100 and 300% of the Eddington accretion limit. We present numerical models of the chemical structure of a possible oxygenneon-magnesium WD companion. Furthermore, we calculate the past and the future spin evolution of PSR J1952+2630, until the system merges in about 3.4 Gyr due to gravitational wave emission. Although we detect no relativistic effects in our timing analysis we show that several such effects will become measurable with continued observations over the next 10 years; thus PSR J1952+2630 has potential as a testbed for gravitational theories.
28973038
Cosmic string loops and large-scale structure
We investigate the contribution made by small loops from a cosmic string network as seeds for large-scale structure formation. We show that cosmic string loops are highly correlated with the long-string network on large scales and therefore contribute significantly to the power spectrum of density perturbations if the average loop lifetime is comparable to or above one Hubble time. This effect further improves the large-scale bias problem previously identified in earlier studies of cosmic string models. @S0556-2821~99!01614-8# Quantitative predictions for the large-scale structure induced by cosmic strings have taken some time to crystallize as the understanding of cosmic string physics has improved @1#. In particular, the role of small loops produced by the string network has evolved from a potential one-to-one correspondence between loops and cosmological objects @2# through to a completely subsidiary role relative to the wakes swept out by long strings @3#. This dethronement of loops was a result of numerical studies which showed that the average loop size l ¯ 5at was much smaller than the horizon,
121426208
Vacuum Energy in Gauged Extended Supergravity
Abstract The one loop vacuum energy in gauged extended supergravity is calculated in anti de Sitter space using zeta function regularisation. It vanishes for N ⩾ 5. The energy zeta function has no poles for N ⩾ 3.
54002264
The SU(5) potential in desitter space
Abstract The one-loop effective potential for a minimal SU (5) theory is calculated on a curved DeSitter background spacetime. The stability of its extrema in the following subgroups is investigated: SU (4) × U (1), SU (3) × SU (2) × U (1), SU (3) × U (1) × U (1), SU (2) × SU (2) × U (1) × U (1). A combination of analytic and numerical methods is used to obtain phase diagrams for the model. In the inflationary universe, the curvature effects do not prevent a slide into the SU (4) × U (1) extremum.
121348159
Measurement of the Crab spectrum with Milagro
Through use of new algorithms for estimating γ-ray and cosmic ray primary energies of events in Milagro we determine the energy spectra of gamma rays from the Crab nebula and spectra of Milagro background triggers have been determined in the energy range 1 to 100 TeV. The measured spectra are compared with those measured by ACT techniques and direct measurements of cosmic ray spectra.
117206415
Event‐by‐Event Energy Estimation and Spectral Determination with Milagro
The observed characteristics of a TeV gamma ray shower which triggers Milagro depend on core location, zenith angle, and primary energy. An algorithm to estimate the primary energy on an event‐by‐event basis based upon observed quantities has been devised. This algorithm is applied to signals observed from sources to determine energy spectra in the energy range 1 to 100 TeV. Results for spectral determination are presented for the Crab nebula. For the Crab nebula our results are similar to atmospheric Cherenkov telescope measurements.
35408696
WITNESS BUNCH ACCELERATION IN A MULTI-BUNCH PWFA ∗
We present initial experimental results showing the excitation of plasma wakefields by a train of two drive bunches. These wakefields are experienced by a trailing witness bunch that gains energy while retaining a finite energy spread. These well controlled plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA) experiments are important to test the theory of the PWFA and serve as a testbed for techniques that will be used in high energy experiments.
122963493
Neutron-Capture Cross Sections of the Stable Lead Isotopes
Neutron-capture yields for several samples of separated lead isotopes were obtained at the Oak Ridge electron linear accelerator, in the neutron energy range above 2.5 keV. These were analyzed for resonance-capture areas and parameters. The data are included in a new evaluation of lead cross-section data.
9139935
ProtoEXIST: advanced prototype CZT coded aperture telescopes for EXIST
ProtoEXIST1 is a pathfinder for the EXIST-HET, a coded aperture hard X-ray telescope with a 4.5 m2 CZT detector plane a 90x70 degree field of view to be flown as the primary instrument on the EXIST mission and is intended to monitor the full sky every 3 h in an effort to locate GRBs and other high energy transients. ProtoEXIST1 consists of a 256 cm2 tiled CZT detector plane containing 4096 pixels composed of an 8x8 array of individual 1.95 cm x 1.95 cm x 0.5 cm CZT detector modules each with a 8 x 8 pixilated anode configured as a coded aperture telescope with a fully coded 10° x 10° field of view employing passive side shielding and an active CsI anti-coincidence rear shield, recently completed its maiden flight out of Ft. Sumner, NM on the 9th of October 2009. During the duration of its 6 hour flight on-board calibration of the detector plane was carried out utilizing a single tagged 198.8 nCi Am-241 source along with the simultaneous measurement of the background spectrum and an observation of Cygnus X-1. Here we recount the events of the flight and report on the detector performance in a near space environment. We also briefly discuss ProtoEXIST2: the next stage of detector development which employs the NuSTAR ASIC enabling finer (32×32) anode pixilation. When completed ProtoEXIST2 will consist of a 256 cm2 tiled array and be flown simultaneously with the ProtoEXIST1 telescope.