Engineering topics

Thomas, Shaun A.

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas, Shaun A..

2 records

DOE OSTI2013

A search for correlation of ultra-high energy cosmic rays with IRAS-PSCz and 2MASS-6dF galaxies

We study the arrival directions of 69 ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) observed at the Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO) with energies exceeding 55 EeV. We investigate whether the UHECRs exhibit the anisotropy signal expected if the primary particles are protons that originate in galaxies in the local universe, or in sources correlated with these galaxies. We cross-correlate the UHECR arrival directions with the positions of IRAS-PSCz and 2MASS-6dF galaxies taking into account particle energy losses during propagation. This is the first time that the 6dF survey is used in a search for the sources of UHECRs and the first time that the PSCz survey is used with the full 69 PAO events. The observed cross-correlation signal is larger for the PAO UHECRs than for 94% (98%) of realisations from an isotropic distribution when cross-correlated with the PSCz (6dF). On the other hand the observed cross-correlation signal is lower than that expected from ∼>85% of realisations, had the UHECRs originated in galaxies in either survey. The observed cross-correlation signal does exceed that expected by 50% of the realisations if the UHECRs are randomly deflected by intervening magnetic fields by 5° or more. We propose a new method of analysing the expected anisotropy signal, by dividing the predicted UHECR source distribution into equal predicted flux radial shells, which can help localise and constrain the properties of UHECR sources. We find that the 69 PAO events are consistent with isotropy in the nearest of three shells we define, whereas there is weak evidence for correlation with the predicted source distribution in the two more distant shells in which the galaxy distribution is less anisotropic.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

Modified gravity: the CMB, weak lensing and general parameterisations

We examine general physical parameterisations for viable gravitational models in the f(R) framework. This is related to the mass of an additional scalar field, called the scalaron, that is introduced by the theories. Using a simple parameterisation for the scalaron mass M(a) we show there is an exact correspondence between the model and popular parameterisations of the modified Poisson equation μ(a,k) and the ratio of the Newtonian potentials η(a,k). We argue that although f(R) models are well described by the general [μ(a,k),η(a,k)] parameterization, specific functional forms of μ,η in the literature do not accurately represent f(R) behaviour, specifically at low redshift. We subsequently construct an improved description for the scalaron mass (and therefore μ(a,k) and η(a,k)) which captures their essential features and has benefits derived from a more physical origin. We study the scalaron's observational signatures and show the modification to the background Friedmann equation and CMB power spectrum to be small. We also investigate its effects in the linear and non linear matter power spectrum-where the signatures are evident-thus giving particular importance to weak lensing as a probe of these models. Using this new form, we demonstrate how the next generation Euclid survey will constrain these theories and its complementarity to current solar system tests. In the most optimistic case Euclid, together with a Planck prior, can constrain a fiducial scalaron mass M{sub 0} = 9.4 × 10{sup −30}eV at the ∼ 20% level. However, the decay rate of the scalaron mass, with fiducial value ν = 1.5, can be constrained to ∼ 3% uncertainty.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗