55304030
CSIP – A Novel Photon-Counting Detector Applicable for the SPICA Far-Infrared Instrument
We describe a novel GaAs/AlGaAs double-quantumwell device for the infrared photon detection, called ChargeSensitive Infrared Phototransistor (CSIP). The principle of CSIP detector is the photo-excitation of an intersubband transition in a QW as an charge integrating gate and the signal ampliﬁcation by another QW as a channel with very high gain, which provides us with extremely high responsivity (10 4 – 10 6 A/W). It has been demonstrated that the CSIP designed for the mid-infrared wavelength (14.7 μm) has an excellent sensitivity; the noise equivalent power (NEP) of 7 × 10 -19 W/ with the quantum effciency of ~ 2%. Advantages of the CSIP against the other highly sensitive detectors are, huge dynamic range of > 10 6 , low output impedance of 10 3 – 10 4 Ohms, and relatively high operation temperature (> 2 K). We discuss possible applications of the CSIP to FIR photon detection covering 35 – 60 μm waveband, which is a gap uncovered with presently available photoconductors.
14918025
Water abundance in molecular cloud cores
We present Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) observations of the 110 → 101 transition of ortho-H2O at 557 GHz toward 12 molecular cloud cores. The water emission was detected in NGC 7538, ρ Oph A, NGC 2024, CRL 2591, W3, W3OH, Mon R2, and W33 and was not detected in TMC-1, L134N, and B335. We also present a small map of the H2O emission in S140. Observations of the H218O line were obtained toward S140 and NGC 7538, but no emission was detected. The abundance of ortho-H2O relative to H2 in the giant molecular cloud cores was found to vary between 6 × 10-10 and 1 × 10-8. Five of the cloud cores in our sample have previous H2O detections; however, in all cases the emission is thought to arise from hot cores with small angular extents. The H2O abundance estimated for the hot core gas is at least 100 times larger than in the gas probed by SWAS. The most stringent upper limit on the ortho-H2O abundance in dark clouds is provided in TMC-1, where the 3 σ upper limit on the ortho-H2O fractional abundance is 7 × 10-8.
119266949
MULTIBAND STUDIES OF THE OPTICAL PERIODIC MODULATION IN THE X-RAY BINARY SAX J1808.4–3658 DURING ITS QUIESCENCE AND 2008 OUTBURST
We report on time-resolved optical imaging of the X-ray binary SAX J1808.4-3658 during its quiescent state and 2008 outburst. The binary, containing an accretion-powered millisecond pulsar, has a large sinusoidal-like modulation in its quiescent optical emission. We employ a Markov chain Monte Carlo technique to fit our multi-band light curve data in quiescence with an irradiated star model, and derive a tight constraint of 50(-5)(+6) deg on the inclination angle i of the binary system. The pulsar and its companion are constrained to have masses of 0.97(-0.22)(+0.31) M-circle dot and 0.04(-0.01)(+0.02) M-circle dot (both 1 sigma ranges), respectively. The dependence of these results on the measurements of the companion's projected radial velocity is discussed. We also find that the accretion disk had nearly constant optical fluxes over a similar to 500 day period in the quiescent state our data covered, but started brightening 1.5 months before the 2008 outburst. Variations in modulation during the outburst were detected in our four observations made 7-12 days after the start of the outburst, and a sinusoidal-like modulation with 0.2 mag amplitude changed to have a smaller amplitude of 0.1 mag. The modulation variations are discussed. We estimate the albedo of the companion during its quiescence and the outburst, which was approximately 0 and 0.8 (for isotropic emission), respectively. This large difference probably provides additional evidence that the neutron star in the binary turns on as a radio pulsar in quiescence.
119922132
Transport beam line for ultraslow monoenergetic antiprotons
A beam line for the transportation of slow antiprotons from a multiring electrode trap to an experimental chamber is described. The beam line is equipped with a three-stage differential pumping system in order to maintain a pressure lower than 1×10−12 Torr in the trap region while simultaneously having a pressure of around 1×10−6 Torr in the chamber. Tests have shown that 105 positive ions per trapping cycle were successfully extracted at 250 eV from the trap positioned in a superconducting solenoid. The ions were then further transported through three small apertures to the target area located 3.5 m downstream of the trap. Results from the first delivery of a 250 eV antiproton beam are described.
119397253
Evidence for superdeformation in Dy-149,Dy-150: Onset of the collapse of the Z=66 deformed shell closure?
An experiment has been performed to search for superdeformed (SD) states in Dy-149,Dy-150. While no evidence for discrete superdeformed states has been observed, a superdeformed ridge with a separation of Delta E-gamma=52 keV with a total intensity of 1.8+/-0.5% that of Dy-150 has been observed. An upper limit of 0.8% (0.9%), of the intensity of Dy-150 (Dy-149), is placed for observation of the most intense discrete line states. The relative weakness in the SD population is suggested to be due to a rapid decrease in the depth of the superdeformed minimum, as one moves away from doubly magic Dy-152.
119232297
Subaru Constraint on Circular Polarization in I-Band Emission from the Magnetar 4U 0142+61
We present the first imaging circular polarimetry of the anomalous X-ray pulsar (AXP) 4U 0142+61 at optical wavelengths. The AXP is the only magnetar that has been well studied at optical and infrared wavelengths, and is known to have a complicated broad-band spectrum over the wavelength range. The optical polarimetric observation was carried out with the 8.2-m Subaru telescope at the I-band. From the observation, the degree of circular polarization, V, was measured to be V = 1.1 +/- 2.0%, or vertical bar V vertical bar <= 4.3% (90% confidence). The relatively large uncertainty was due to the faintness of the source (I = 23.4-24.0). Considering the currently suggested models for optical emission from magnetars, our result is not sufficiently conclusive to discriminate the models. We suggest that because linear polarization is expected to be strong in the models, linear polarimetry of this magnetar should be conducted.
122786546
Field equations, conservation laws in 2D quantum gravity and the Beltrami-KdV-Liouville system
Abstract We present the equations of motion and the conservation laws under various gauges of 2D induced gravity as a kind of the Beltrami-Liouville theory. We generalize the schwarzian derivative and derive its composition law. We also find the relation between the Beltrami-Liouville theory and the KdV system as well as the reccursion relations due to Gel'fand and Dikii based on the properties of the quasiconformal transformations.
16232368
A SEARCH FOR FALLBACK DISKS IN FOUR YOUNG SUPERNOVA REMNANTS
We report on our search for the optical/infrared counterparts to the central compact objects in four young supernova remnants: Pup A, PKS 1209−52, RCW 103, and Cas A. The X-ray point sources in these supernova remnants are excellent targets for probing the existence of supernova fallback disks, since irradiation of a disk by a central X-ray source should lead to an infrared excess. We used ground-based optical and near-infrared imaging and Spitzer Space Telescope mid-infrared imaging to search for optical/infrared counterparts at the X-ray point source positions measured by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. We did not detect any counterparts, and hence find no evidence for fallback disks around any of these sources. In PKS 1209−52, we are able to exclude a nearby optical/infrared candidate counterpart. In RCW 103, a blend of 3 faint stars at the X-ray source position prevents us from deriving useful limits. For the other targets, the upper limits on the infrared/X-ray flux ratio are as deep as (1.0–1.7)×10 −4 . Comparing these limits to the ratio of ≈ 6 × 10 −5 measured for 4U 0142+61 (a young pulsar recently found with an X-ray irradiated dust disk), we conclude that the non-detection of any disks around young neutron stars studied here are consistent with their relatively low X-ray luminosities, although we note that a similar dust disk around the neutron star in Pup A should be detectable by deeper infrared observations. Subject headings: ISM: individual (Puppis A, PKS 1209−52, RCW 103, Cassiopeia A) — supernova remnants — X-rays: stars — stars: neutron
26132013
Towards hard x-ray imaging at GHz frame rate.
Gigahertz (GHz) imaging using hard x-rays (> or approximately equal to 10 keV) can be useful to high-temperature plasma experiments, as well as research and applications using coherent photons from synchrotron radiation and x-ray free electron lasers. GHz framing rate can be achieved by using multiple cameras through multiplexing. The advantages and trade-offs of single-photon detection mode, when no more than one x-ray photon is detected per pixel, are given. Two possible paths towards x-ray imaging at GHz frame rates using a single camera are: (a) avalanche photodiode arrays of high-Z materials and (b) microchannel plate photomultipliers in conjunction with materials with large indices of refraction.
117748662
Beam optimization of RFQ and SFRFQ combined accelerator at Peking University
The Peking University Integral Split Ring Radio Frequency Quadrupole(ISR RFQ) accelerator was constructed in 1999 with a high duty factor 16.7% and repetition frequency 166Hz, and it was able to accelerate N+, O+,O-, C+ and He+ from 1.6kev/u to 65keV/u. It was later upgraded as an injector of the Separated Function RFQ (SFRFQ). The experiments indicated that the maximum accelerated O+ beam current could exceed 3.2mA with energy 1.03MeV and an energy spread (FWHM) 3.1%. Then the beam transports through a 1m-long magnetic triplet to the entrance of SFRFQ and is finally accelerated to 1.64MeV. The beam conditioning of RFQ were carefully optimized to satisfy the requirements of the SFRFQ. The combined accelerator eventually can deliver 0.53mA O+ beam with energy 1.65MeV, which has sufficiently demonstrated the feasibility of the SFRFQ structure.
839810
Discovery of a 692.5 s period in the X-ray Binary 4U 1820-30: an indication of a superhumper?
The X-ray source 4U 1820−30 in the globular cluster NGC 6624 is known as the most compact binary among the identified X-ray binaries. Having an orbital period of 685.0 s, the source consists of a neutron star primary and likely a 0.06–0.08 M⊙ white dwarf secondary. Here we report on far-ultraviolet (FUV) observations of this X-ray binary, made with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope. From our Fourier spectral analysis of the FUV timing data, we obtain a period of 692.5±1.1 s, which is significantly different from the orbital period. The light curve folded at this period can be described by a sinusoid, with a fractional semiamplitude of 6.3%. While the discovered FUV period may be consistent with a hierarchical triple system model considered for 4U 1820−30, we suggest that it could instead be the indication of the binary being a superhump source. The X-ray and FUV periods would be the orbital and superhump periods, respectively, indicating a 1% superhump excess and a white-dwarf/neutron-star mass ratio around 0.06. We discuss possible methods for further identification of 4U 1820−30 as a superhump source. Subject headings: binaries: close — stars: individual (4U 1820−30) — X-rays: binary — stars: lowmass — stars: neutron