The needle in the hundred square degree haystack: The hunt for binary neutron star mergers with LIGO and Palomar Transient Factory

The Advanced LIGO and Virgo experiments are poised to detect gravitational waves (GWs) directly for the first time this decade. The ultimate prize will be joint observation of a compact binary merger in both gravitational and electromagnetic channels. However, GW sky locations that are uncertain by hundreds of square degrees will pose a challenge. I describe a real-time detection pipeline and a rapid Bayesian parameter estimation code that will make it possible to search promptly for optical counterparts in Advanced LIGO. Having analyzed a comprehensive population of simulated GW sources, we describe the sky localization accuracy that the GW detector network will achieve as each detector comes online and progresses toward design sensitivity. Next, in preparation for the optical search with the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF), we have developed a unique capability to detect optical afterglows of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). Its comparable error regions offer a close parallel to the Advanced LIGO problem, but Fermi's unique access to MeV-GeV photons and its near all-sky coverage may allow us to look at optical afterglows in a relatively unexplored part of the GRB parameter space. We present the discovery and broadband follow-up observations (X-ray, UV, optical, millimeter, and radio) of eight GBM-IPTF afterglows. Two of the bursts (GRB 130702A / iPTF13bxl and GRB 140606B / iPTF14bfu) are at low redshift (z=0.145 and z = 0.384, respectively), are sub-luminous with respect to "standard" cosmological bursts, and have spectroscopically confirmed broad-line type Ic supernovae. These two bursts are possibly consistent with mildly relativistic shocks breaking out from the progenitor envelopes rather than the standard mechanism of internal shocks within an ultra-relativistic jet. On a technical level, the GBM--IPTF effort is a prototype for locating and observing optical counterparts of GW events in Advanced LIGO with the Zwicky Transient Facility.

Neutron-neutron scattering parameters from the ^3He(d,t)2p and ^3H(d,^3He)2n reactions

The energy spectra of tritons and Helium-3 nuclei from the reactions ³He(d,t)2p, ³H(d,³He)2n, ³He(d,³He)pn, and ³H(d,t)pn were measured between 6° and 20° at a bombarding energy of 10.9 MeV. An upper limit of 5 μb/sr. was obtained for producing a bound di-neutron at 6° and 7.5°. The ³He(d,t)2p and ³H(d,³He)2n data, together with previous measurements at higher energies, have been used to investigate whether one can unambiguously extract information on the two-nucleon system from these three-body final state reactions. As an aid to these theoretical investigations, Born approximation calculations were made employing realistic nucleon-nucleon potentials and an antisymmetrized final state wave function for the five-particle system. These calculations reproduce many of the features observed in the experimental data and indicate that the role of exchange processes cannot be ignored. The results show that previous attempts to obtain information on the neutron-neutron scattering length from the ³H(d,³He)2n reaction may have seriously overestimated the precision that could be attained.

Improved fluorescence from Tm3+/Er3+/Ce3+ triply doped bismuth-silicate glasses for S+C-bands amplifiers

Fluorescence of Tm3+/Er3+ codoped bismuth-silica (BS) glasses and the sensitization of Ce3+ are investigated. It shows that Ce3+ codoping with Tm3+/Er3+ in BS glasses results in a quenching of Tm3+ ion emission from F-3(4) to the H-3(6) level. Consequently, the 1.47 mu m emission occurs after the population inversion between the H-3(4) and F-3(4) levels. Furthermore, the codoped glasses show the broad emission spectra over the whole S and C bands with full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) up to about 119nm, as it combines 1.55 mu m emission band of Er3+ with 1.47 mu m emission band of Tm3+ under 800nm excitation.

I. A study of the dynamics of triplet excitons in molecular crystals. II. An investigation of delayed light emission from Chlorella pyrenoidosa

I. PREAMBLE AND SCOPE

Brief introductory remarks, together with a definition of the scope of the material discussed in the thesis, are given.

II. A STUDY OF THE DYNAMICS OF TRIPLET EXCITONS IN MOLECULAR CRYSTALS

Phosphorescence spectra of pure crystalline naphthalene at room temperature and at 77˚ K are presented. The lifetime of the lowest triplet ³B_1u state of the crystal is determined from measurements of the time-dependence of the phosphorescence decay after termination of the excitation light. The fact that this lifetime is considerably shorter in the pure crystal at room temperature than in isotopic mixed crystals at 4.2˚ K is discussed, with special importance being attached to the mobility of triplet excitons in the pure crystal.

Excitation spectra of the delayed fluorescence and phosphorescence from crystalline naphthalene and anthracene are also presented. The equation governing the time- and spatial-dependence of the triplet exciton concentration in the crystal is discussed, along with several approximate equations obtained from the general equation under certain simplifying assumptions. The influence of triplet exciton diffusion on the observed excitation spectra and the possibility of using the latter to investigate the former is also considered. Calculations of the delayed fluorescence and phosphorescence excitation spectra of crystalline naphthalene are described.

A search for absorption of additional light quanta by triplet excitons in naphthalene and anthracene crystals failed to produce any evidence for the phenomenon. This apparent absence of triplet-triplet absorption in pure crystals is attributed to a low steady-state triplet concentration, due to processes like triplet-triplet annihilation, resulting in an absorption too weak to be detected with the apparatus used in the experiments. A comparison of triplet-triplet absorption by naphthalene in a glass at 77˚ K with that by naphthalene-h₈ in naphthalene-d₈ at 4.2˚ K is given. A broad absorption in the isotopic mixed crystal triplet-triplet spectrum has been tentatively interpreted in terms of coupling between the guest ³B_1u state and the conduction band and charge-transfer states of the host crystal.

III. AN INVESTIGATION OF DELAYED LIGHT EMISSION FROM Chlorella Pyrenoidosa

An apparatus capable of measuring emission lifetimes in the range 5 X 10^-9 sec to 6 X 10^-3 sec is described in detail. A cw argon ion laser beam, interrupted periodically by means of an electro-optic shutter, serves as the excitation source. Rapid sampling techniques coupled with signal averaging and digital data acquisition comprise the sensitive detection and readout portion of the apparatus. The capabilities of the equipment are adequately demonstrated by the results of a determination of the fluorescence lifetime of 5, 6, 11, 12-tetraphenyl-naphthacene in benzene solution at room temperature. Details of numerical methods used in the final data reduction are also described.

The results of preliminary measurements of delayed light emission from Chlorella Pyrenoidosa in the range 10^-3 sec to 1 sec are presented. Effects on the emission of an inhibitor and of variations in the excitation light intensity have been investigated. Kinetic analysis of the emission decay curves obtained under these various experimental conditions indicate that in the millisecond-to-second time interval the decay is adequately described by the sum of two first-order decay processes. The values of the time constants of these processes appear to be sensitive both to added inhibitor and to excitation light intensity.

The astrophysics of strongly interacting systems

This thesis presents investigations in four areas of theoretical astrophysics: the production of sterile neutrino dark matter in the early Universe, the evolution of small-scale baryon perturbations during the epoch of cosmological recombination, the effect of primordial magnetic fields on the redshifted 21-cm emission from the pre-reionization era, and the nonlinear stability of tidally deformed neutron stars.

In the first part of the thesis, we study the asymmetry-driven resonant production of 7 keV-scale sterile neutrino dark matter in the primordial Universe at temperatures T >~ 100 MeV. We report final DM phase space densities that are robust to uncertainties in the nature of the quark-hadron transition. We give transfer functions for cosmological density fluctuations that are useful for N-body simulations. We also provide a public code for the production calculation.

In the second part of the thesis, we study the instability of small-scale baryon pressure sound waves during cosmological recombination. We show that for relevant wavenumbers, inhomogenous recombination is driven by the transport of ionizing continuum and Lyman-alpha photons. We find a maximum growth factor less than ≈ 1.2 in 10⁷ random realizations of initial conditions. The low growth factors are due to the relatively short duration of the recombination epoch.

In the third part of the thesis, we propose a method of measuring weak magnetic fields, of order 10^-19 G (or 10^-21 G if scaled to the present day), with large coherence lengths in the inter galactic medium prior to and during the epoch of cosmic reionization. The method utilizes the Larmor precession of spin-polarized neutral hydrogen in the triplet state of the hyperfine transition. We perform detailed calculations of the microphysics behind this effect, and take into account all the processes that affect the hyperfine transition, including radiative decays, collisions, and optical pumping by Lyman-alpha photons.

In the final part of the thesis, we study the non-linear effects of tidal deformations of neutron stars (NS) in a compact binary. We compute the largest three- and four-mode couplings among the tidal mode and high-order p- and g-modes of similar radial wavenumber. We demonstrate the near-exact cancellation of their effects, and resolve the question of the stability of the tidally deformed NS to leading order. This result is significant for the extraction of binary parameters from gravitational wave observations.

Pulsed neutron measurements in two adjacent finite media

The pulsed neutron technique has been used to investigate the decay of thermal neutrons in two adjacent water-borated water finite media. Experiments were performed with a 6x6x6 inches cubic assembly divided in two halves by a thin membrane and filled with pure distilled water on one side and borated water on the other side.

The fundamental decay constant was measured versus the boric acid concentration in the poisoned medium. The experimental results showed good agreement with the predictions of the time dependent diffusion model. It was assumed that the addition of boric acid increases the absorption cross section of the poisoned medium without affecting its diffusion properties: In these conditions, space-energy separability and the concept of an “effective” buckling as derived from diffusion theory were introduced. Their validity was supported by the experimental results.

Measurements were performed with the absorption cross section of the poisoned medium increasing gradually up to 16 times its initial value. Extensive use of the IBM 7090-7094 Computing facility was made to analyze properly the decay data (Frantic Code). Attention was given to the count loss correction scheme and the handling of the statistics involved. Fitting of the experimental results into the analytical form predicted by the diffusion model led to

Ʃ_av = 4721 sec^-1 (±150)

D_o = 35972 cm²sec^-1 (±800) for water at 21˚C

C (given) = 3420 cm⁴sec^-1

These values, when compared with published data, show that the diffusion model is adequate in describing the experiment.

Time-dependent monoenergetic neutron transport in two adjacent semi-infinite media

An exact solution to the monoenergetic Boltzmann equation is obtained for the case of a plane isotropic burst of neutrons introduced at the interface separating two adjacent, dissimilar, semi-infinite media. The method of solution used is to remove the time dependence by a Laplace transformation, solve the transformed equation by the normal mode expansion method, and then invert to recover the time dependence.

The general result is expressed as a sum of definite, multiple integrals, one of which contains the uncollided wave of neutrons originating at the source plane. It is possible to obtain a simplified form for the solution at the interface, and certain numerical calculations are made there.

The interface flux in two adjacent moderators is calculated and plotted as a function of time for several moderator materials. For each case it is found that the flux decay curve has an asymptotic slope given accurately by diffusion theory. Furthermore, the interface current is observed to change directions when the scattering and absorption cross sections of the two moderator materials are related in a certain manner. More specifically, the reflection process in two adjacent moderators appears to depend initially on the scattering properties and for long times on the absorption properties of the media.

This analysis contains both the single infinite and semi-infinite medium problems as special cases. The results in these two special cases provide a check on the accuracy of the general solution since they agree with solutions of these problems obtained by separate analyses.

The reduced-alpha-width of the lowest 1¯ state of ^(16)O

Cross sections for the reaction ¹²C(α,γ)¹⁶O have been measured for a range of center-of-mass alpha particle energies extending from 1.72 MeV to 2.94 MeV. Two 8"x5" NaI (Tℓ) crystals were used to detect gamma rays; time-of-flight technique was employed to suppress cosmic ray background and background due to neutrons arising mainly from the ¹³C(α,n)¹⁶O reaction. Angular distributions were measured at center-of-mass alpha energies of 2.18, 2.42, 2.56 and 2.83 MeV. Upper limits were placed on the amount of radiation cascading through the 6.92 or 7.12-MeV states in ¹⁶O. By means of theoretical fits to the measured electric dipole component of the total cross section, in which interference between the 1¯ states in ¹⁶O at 7.12 MeV and at 9.60 MeV is taken into account, it is possible to extract the dimensionless, reduced-alpha-width of the 7.12-MeV state in ¹⁶O. A three-level R-matrix parameterization of the data yields the width Θ_α,F² = 0.14^+0.10_-0.08. A "hybrid" R-matrix-optical-model parameterization yields Θ_α,F² = 0.11^+0.11_-0.07. This quantity is of crucial importance in determining the abundances of ¹²C and ¹⁶O at the end of helium burning in stars.

An experimental study of a stellar neutron source: ^(13)C(α, n)^(16)O

Described in this thesis are measurements made of the thick-target neutron yield from the reaction ¹³C(α, n)¹⁶O. The yield was determined for laboratory bombarding energies between 0.475 and 0.700 MeV, using a stilbene crystal neutron detector and pulse-shape discrimination to eliminate gamma rays. Stellar temperatures between 2.5 and 4.5 x 10^{8 o}K are involved in this energy region. From the neutron yield was extracted the astrophysical cross-section factor S(E), which was found to fit a linear function: S(E) = [(5.48 ± 1.77) + (12.05 ± 3.91)E] x 10⁵ MeV-barns, center-of-mass system. The stellar rate of the ¹³C(α, n)¹⁶O reaction if calculated, and discussed with reference to helium burning and neutron production in the core of a giant star.

Results are also presented of measurements carried out on the reaction ⁹Be(α, n)¹²C, taken with a thin Be target. The bombarding energy-range covered was from 0.340 to 0.680 MeV, with excitation curves for the ground- and first excited-state neutrons being reported. Some angular distributions were also measured. Resonances were found at bombarding energies of E_LAB = 0.520 MeV (E_CM = 0.360 MeV, Γ ~ 55 keV CM, ωγ = 3.79 eV CM) and E_LAB = 0.600 MeV (E_CM = 0.415 MeV, Γ ˂ 4 keV CM, ωγ = 0.88 eV CM). The astrophysical rate of the ⁹Be(α, n)¹²C reaction due to these resonances is calculated.

Reggeization of some unequal mass processes involving higher spins : the reactions pion-nucleon going to (V,Nucleon), pion-nucleon going to (V,delta-hyperon), and photon-proton going to (positive pion,neutron)

Recent theoretical developments in the reggeization of inelastic processes involving particles with high spin are incorporated into a model of vector meson production. A number of features of experimental differential cross sections and density matrices are interpreted in terms of this model.

The method chosen for reggeization of helicity amplitudes first separates kinematic zeros and singularities from the parity-conserving amplitudes and then applies results of Freedman and Wang on daughter trajectories to the remaining factors. Kinematic constraints on helicity amplitudes at t = 0 and t = (M – M_Δ)² are also considered.

It is found that data for reactions of types πN→VN and πN→VΔ are consistent with a model of this type in which all kinematic constraints at t = 0 are satisfied by evasion (vanishing of residue functions). As a quantitative test of the parametrization, experimental differential cross sections of vector meson production reactions dominated by pion trajectory exchange are compared with the theory. It is found that reduced residue functions are approximately constant, once the kinematic behavior near t = (M – M_Δ)² has been removed.

The alternative possibility of conspiracy between amplitudes is also discussed; and it is shown that unless conspiracy is present, some amplitudes allowed by angular momentum conservation will not contribute with full strength in the forward direction. An example, γp→π⁺n in which the data for dσ/dt indicate conspiracy, is studied in detail.

Spontaneous and stimulated light emission due to radiative recombination in forward biased lead telluride P-N junctions

Since the discovery in 1962 of laser action in semiconductor diodes made from GaAs, the study of spontaneous and stimulated light emission from semiconductors has become an exciting new field of semiconductor physics and quantum electronics combined. Included in the limited number of direct-gap semiconductor materials suitable for laser action are the members of the lead salt family, i.e . PbS, PbSe and PbTe. The material used for the experiments described herein is PbTe . The semiconductor PbTe is a narrow band- gap material (E_g = 0.19 electron volt at a temperature of 4.2°K). Therefore, the radiative recombination of electron-hole pairs between the conduction and valence bands produces photons whose wavelength is in the infrared (λ ≈ 6.5 microns in air).

The p-n junction diode is a convenient device in which the spontaneous and stimulated emission of light can be achieved via current flow in the forward-bias direction. Consequently, the experimental devices consist of a group of PbTe p-n junction diodes made from p –type single crystal bulk material. The p - n junctions were formed by an n-type vapor- phase diffusion perpendicular to the (100) plane, with a junction depth of approximately 75 microns. Opposite ends of the diode structure were cleaved to give parallel reflectors, thereby forming the Fabry-Perot cavity needed for a laser oscillator. Since the emission of light originates from the recombination of injected current carriers, the nature of the radiation depends on the injection mechanism.

The total intensity of the light emitted from the PbTe diodes was observed over a current range of three to four orders of magnitude. At the low current levels, the light intensity data were correlated with data obtained on the electrical characteristics of the diodes. In the low current region (region A), the light intensity, current-voltage and capacitance-voltage data are consistent with the model for photon-assisted tunneling. As the current is increased, the light intensity data indicate the occurrence of a change in the current injection mechanism from photon-assisted tunneling (region A) to thermionic emission (region B). With the further increase of the injection level, the photon-field due to light emission in the diode builds up to the point where stimulated emission (oscillation) occurs. The threshold current at which oscillation begins marks the beginning of a region (region C) where the total light intensity increases very rapidly with the increase in current. This rapid increase in intensity is accompanied by an increase in the number of narrow-band oscillating modes. As the photon density in the cavity continues to increase with the injection level, the intensity gradually enters a region of linear dependence on current (region D), i.e. a region of constant (differential) quantum efficiency.

Data obtained from measurements of the stimulated-mode light-intensity profile and the far-field diffraction pattern (both in the direction perpendicular to the junction-plane) indicate that the active region of high gain (i.e. the region where a population inversion exists) extends to approximately a diffusion length on both sides of the junction. The data also indicate that the confinement of the oscillating modes within the diode cavity is due to a variation in the real part of the dielectric constant, caused by the gain in the medium. A value of τ ≈ 10^-9 second for the minority- carrier recombination lifetime (at a diode temperature of 20.4°K) is obtained from the above measurements. This value for τ is consistent with other data obtained independently for PbTe crystals.

Data on the threshold current for stimulated emission (for a diode temperature of 20. 4°K) as a function of the reciprocal cavity length were obtained. These data yield a value of J’_th = (400 ± 80) amp/cm² for the threshold current in the limit of an infinitely long diode-cavity. A value of α = (30 ± 15) cm^-1 is obtained for the total (bulk) cavity loss constant, in general agreement with independent measurements of free- carrier absorption in PbTe. In addition, the data provide a value of n_s ≈ 10% for the internal spontaneous quantum efficiency. The above value for n_s yields values of t_b ≈ τ ≈ 10^-9 second and t_s ≈ 10^-8 second for the nonradiative and the spontaneous (radiative) lifetimes, respectively.

The external quantum efficiency (n_d) for stimulated emission from diode J-2 (at 20.4° K) was calculated by using the total light intensity vs. diode current data, plus accepted values for the material parameters of the mercury- doped germanium detector used for the measurements. The resulting value is n_d ≈ 10%-20% for emission from both ends of the cavity. The corresponding radiative power output (at λ = 6.5 micron) is 120-240 milliwatts for a diode current of 6 amps.

Strong visible up-conversion emission in Tb3+, Tm3+ and Tb3+-Tm3+ co-doped tellurite glasses sensitized by Yb3+

Up-conversion luminescence characteristics under 975 nm excitation have been investigated with Tb3+/Tm3+/Yb3+ triply doped tellurite glasses. Here, green (547 nm: D-5(4) --> F-7(4)) and red (660 nm: D-5(4) --> F-7(2)) up-conversion (UC) luminescence originating from Tb3+ is observed strongly, because of the quadratic dependences of emission intensities on the excitation power. Especially, the UC luminescence was intensified violently with the energy transfer from the Tm3+ ions involves in the Tb3+ excitation. To the Tb3+/Tm3+/Yb3+ triply doped glass system, a novel up-conversion mechanism is proposed as follows: the energy of (3)G(4) level (Tm3+) was transferred to D-5(4) (Tb3+) and the 477-nm UC luminescence of Tm3+ was nearly quenched. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relativistic quark models and the current algebra

In this thesis we are concerned with finding representations of the algebra of SU(3) vector and axial-vector charge densities at infinite momentum (the "current algebra") to describe the mesons, idealizing the real continua of multiparticle states as a series of discrete resonances of zero width. Such representations would describe the masses and quantum numbers of the mesons, the shapes of their Regge trajectories, their electromagnetic and weak form factors, and (approximately, through the PCAC hypothesis) pion emission or absorption amplitudes.

We assume that the mesons have internal degrees of freedom equivalent to being made of two quarks (one an antiquark) and look for models in which the mass is SU(3)-independent and the current is a sum of contributions from the individual quarks. Requiring that the current algebra, as well as conditions of relativistic invariance, be satisfied turns out to be very restrictive, and, in fact, no model has been found which satisfies all requirements and gives a reasonable mass spectrum. We show that using more general mass and current operators but keeping the same internal degrees of freedom will not make the problem any more solvable. In particular, in order for any two-quark solution to exist it must be possible to solve the "factorized SU(2) problem," in which the currents are isospin currents and are carried by only one of the component quarks (as in the K meson and its excited states).

In the free-quark model the currents at infinite momentum are found using a manifestly covariant formalism and are shown to satisfy the current algebra, but the mass spectrum is unrealistic. We then consider a pair of quarks bound by a potential, finding the current as a power series in 1/m where m is the quark mass. Here it is found impossible to satisfy the algebra and relativistic invariance with the type of potential tried, because the current contributions from the two quarks do not commute with each other to order 1/m³. However, it may be possible to solve the factorized SU(2) problem with this model.

The factorized problem can be solved exactly in the case where all mesons have the same mass, using a covariant formulation in terms of an internal Lorentz group. For a more realistic, nondegenerate mass there is difficulty in covariantly solving even the factorized problem; one model is described which almost works but appears to require particles of spacelike 4-momentum, which seem unphysical.

Although the search for a completely satisfactory model has been unsuccessful, the techniques used here might eventually reveal a working model. There is also a possibility of satisfying a weaker form of the current algebra with existing models.

Coma measurement by use of an alternating phase-shifting mask mark with a specific phase width

The correlation between the coma sensitivity of the alternating phase-shifting mask (Alt-PSM) mark and the mark's structure is studied based on the Hopkins theory of partially coherent imaging and positive resist optical lithography (PROLITH) simulation. It is found that an optimized Alt-PSM mark with its phase width being two-thirds its pitch has a higher sensitivity to coma than Alt-PSM marks with the same pitch and the different phase widths. The pitch of the Alt-PSM mark is also optimized by PROLITH simulation, and the structure of p - 1.92 lambda/NA and pw = 2p/3 proves to be with the highest sensitivity. The optimized Alt-PSM mark is used as a measurement mark to retrieve coma aberration from the projection optics in lithographic tools. In comparison with an ordinary Alt-PSM mark with its phase width being a half its pitch, the measurement accuracies of Z(7) and Z(14) apparently increase. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America