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At least 361 records · Page 20

Do quasar X-ray and UV flux measurements provide a useful test of cosmological models?

ABSTRACT The recent compilation of quasar (QSO) X-ray and ultraviolet (UV) flux measurements include QSOs that appear to not be standardizable via the X-ray luminosity and UV luminosity (LX–LUV) relation and so should not be used to constrain cosmological model parameters. Here, we show that the largest of seven sub-samples in this compilation, the SDSS-4XMM QSOs that contribute about 2/3 of the total QSOs, have LX–LUV relations that depend on the cosmological model assumed and also on redshift, and is the main cause of the similar problem discovered earlier for the full QSO compilation. The second and third biggest sub-samples, the SDSS-Chandra and XXL QSOs that together contribute about 30 per cent of the total QSOs, appear standardizable, but provide only weak constraints on cosmological parameters that are not inconsistent with the standard spatially flat ΛCDM model or with constraints from better-established cosmological probes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Determining the range of validity of quasar X-ray and UV flux measurements for constraining cosmological model parameters

ABSTRACT We use six different cosmological models to study the recently released compilation of X-ray and UV flux measurements of 2038 quasars (QSOs) which span the redshift range 0.009 ≤ z ≤ 7.5413. We find, for the full QSO data set, that the parameters of the X-ray and UV luminosities LX−LUV relation used to standardize these QSOs depend on the cosmological model used to determine these parameters, i.e. it appears that the full QSO data set includes QSOs that are not standardized and so cannot be used for the purpose of constraining cosmological parameters. Subsets of the QSO data, restricted to redshifts z ≲ 1.5–1.7 obey the LX−LUV relation in a cosmological-model-independent manner, and so can be used to constrain cosmological parameters. The cosmological constraints from these lower z, smaller QSO data subsets are mostly consistent with, but significantly weaker than, those that follow from baryon acoustic oscillation and Hubble parameter measurements.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Swift /UVOT discovery of Swift J221951−484240: a UV luminous ambiguous nuclear transient

We report the discovery of Swift J221951−484240 (hereafter: J221951), a luminous slow-evolving blue transient that was detected by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (Swift/UVOT) during the follow-up of gravitational wave alert S190930t, to which it is unrelated. Swift/UVOT photometry shows the UV spectral energy distribution of the transient to be well modelled by a slowly shrinking blackbody with an approximately constant temperature of T ∼ 2.5 × 10 4 K. At a redshift z = 0.5205, J221951 had a peak absolute magnitude of M u,AB = −23 mag, peak bolometric luminosity Lmax = 1.1 x 10 45 ergs -1 and a total radiated energy of E > 2.6 × 10 52 erg. The archival Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer IR photometry shows a slow rise prior to a peak near the discovery date. Spectroscopic UV observations display broad absorption lines in N V and O VI, pointing towards an outflow at coronal temperatures. The lack of emission in the higher H α lines, N I and other neutral lines is consistent with a viewing angle close to the plane of the accretion or debris disc. The origin of J221951 cannot be determined with certainty but has properties consistent with a tidal disruption event and the turn-on of an active galactic nucleus.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Simulating a numerical UV completion of quartic Galileons

The Galileon theory is a prototypical effective field theory that incorporates the Vainshtein screening mechanism—a feature that arises in some extensions of general relativity, such as massive gravity. The Vainshtein effect requires that the theory contain higher order derivative interactions, which results in Galileons, and theories like them, failing to be technically well posed. While this is not a fundamental issue when the theory is correctly treated as an effective field theory, it nevertheless poses significant practical problems when numerically simulating this model. These problems can be tamed using a number of different approaches: introducing an active low-pass filter and/or constructing a UV completion at the level of the equations of motion, which controls the high momentum modes. These methods have been tested on cubic Galileon interactions, and have been shown to reproduce the correct low-energy behavior. Here we show how the numerical UV-completion method can be applied to quartic Galileon interactions, and present the first simulations of the quartic Galileon model using this technique. We demonstrate that our approach can probe physics in the regime of the effective field theory in which the quartic term dominates, while successfully reproducing the known results for cubic interactions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Invariant Features for Accurate Predictions of Quantum Chemical UV-vis Spectra of Organic Molecules

Including invariance of global properties of a phys-ical system as an intrinsic feature in graph neural networks (GNNs) enhances the model's robustness and generalizability and reduces the amount of training data required to obtain a desired accuracy for predictions of these properties. Existing open source GNN libraries construct invariant features only for specific GNN architectures. This precludes the generalization of invariant features to arbitrary message passing neural network (MPNN) layers which, in turn, precludes the use of these libraries for new, user-specified predictive tasks. To address this limitation, we implement invariant MPNNs into the flexible and scalable HydraGNN architecture. HydraGNN enables a seamless switch between various MPNNs in a unified layer sequence and allows for a fair comparison between the predictive performance of different MPNNs. We trained this enhanced HydraGNN archi-tecture on the ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrum of GDB-9 molecules, a feature that describes the molecule's electronic exci-tation modes, computed with time-dependent density functional tight binding (TD-DFTB) and available open source through the GDB-9-Ex dataset. We assess the robustness (i.e., accuracy and generalizability) of the predictions obtained using different invariant MPNNs with respect to different values of the full width at half maximum (FWHM) for the Gaussian smearing of the theoretical peaks. Our numerical results show that incorporating invariance in the HydraGNN architecture significantly enhances both accuracy and generalizability in predicting UV-vis spectra of organic molecules.

Baker, Justin↗

Low duty cycle pulsed UV technique for spectroscopy of aluminum monochloride

We present what we believe to be a novel technique to minimize UV-induced damage in experiments that employ second-harmonic generation cavities. The principle of our approach is to reduce the duty cycle of the UV light as much as possible to prolong the lifetime of the used optics. The low duty cycle is achieved by ramping the cavity into resonance for a short time during the experimental cycle when the light is used and tuning it to an off-resonant state otherwise. The necessary fast ramp and length-stabilization control of the cavity is implemented with the FPGA-based STEMlab platform. We demonstrate the utility of this method by measuring the isotope shift of the electronic transition (X 1 Σ ← A 1 Π) in AlCl at 261.5 nm in a pulsed molecular beam experiment.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Initial testing of wave energy powered UV-C LED anti-biofouling system (CRADA 523)

3newable is requesting technical assistance for laboratory testing at the Marine and Coastal Research (MCRL) Laboratory of a UV-C LED anti-biofouling system. Ocean observing sensors provide critical data sources from deployed buoys and other platforms at sea. However, in addition to the availability of reliable power sources, biofouling of sensors and instruments is a limiting factor for operation and maintenance of deployed instruments. In collaboration with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Ocean Observatories Initiative, 3newable has developed a novel solution to overcome these challenges and extend the deployment period of buoy-mounted sensors. The 3newable system co-locates wave energy converters to supply UV-C LED anti-biofouling units on powered buoy arrays. MCRL staff will implement an experiment to evaluate the efficacy of 3newable’s device under test for inhibiting growth of organisms on test coupons in a flow through seawater tank.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Post Access Report: Initial testing of wave energy powered UV-C LED anti-biofouling system

In the experiment entitled “Initial Testing of Wave Energy Powered UV-C LED Anti-Biofouling System,” a UV-C LED was used to treat platinum-coated titanium coupons emulating CTD electrode material. An additional control set of coupons were exposed to seawater without the LED treatment. The experimental setup was deployed in seawater tanks at PNNL-Sequim’s Marine and Coastal Research Laboratory (MCRL) for the duration of six months. Tank seawater temperature data were collected for the duration of the experimental campaign. At two-month intervals triplicate sets of coupons were removed from both treatment and control test chambers and weighed to characterize biomass accumulation. After weighing, the coupons were photographed in initial condition, with a stain applied to highlight biofouling growth, and after rinsing off excess stain. These photographs were analyzed using PNNL’s Biofouling Growth Index (BGI) software and with a calculation of percentage dark pixels after conversion to grayscale. Additionally, at the final 6-month datapoint triplicate sets of control and test coupons were sent to PNNL-Richland’s Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) for scanning electron microscopy. All data organization and collection methods are described in further detail in the document “TEAMER_3newable_Data_Guide.pdf.” Biomass accumulation increased over time on both sets of coupons, and percent area biofouled demonstrated a similar trend. Analysis of the collected data resulted in the findings that treatment method has an impact on biofouling growth, though to a much less significant extent than time does. Additionally, qualitative findings included the presence of advanced life forms such as worms in the control test chamber, but not in the treated test chamber.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Tunable UV ∼ IR frequency comb generation via high-order sideband generation

Abstract We propose the generation of a widely tunable UV-to-IR frequency comb by high-order sideband generation (HSB) spectrum emitted from semiconductors. In our theoretical simulations, we demonstrate the high-order sideband signals of two series (2m Ω seed + (2n + 1) ω driver , and (2m + 1) Ω seed + 2 n ω driver ), wheremandnare integers of a seed pulse and a driver laser frequency, respectively. The simulations also reveal the intensity of HSB scale with the driver laser power, both perturbatively and non-perturbatively. We find that the harmonic position and spacing of the high-order sideband emission can be controlled by varying the seed pulse and driver photon energies. In the experiment, we applied a visible ( ℏ Ω seed = 3.1 eV, ∼400 nm) seed pulse and mid-infrared (MIR, ℏ ω driver = 0.4 eV, 3.1 μm) driver pulses to ZnSe target. Our experimental observations confirmed the UV (4.7 eV, 263 nm and 3.9 eV, 317 nm) HSB generation.

Physics↗

Beyond n-dopants for organic semiconductors: use of bibenzo[ d ]imidazoles in UV-promoted dehalogenation reactions of organic halides

2,2’-Bis(4-dimethylaminophenyl)- and 2,2'-dicyclohexyl-1,1',3,3'-tetramethyl-2,2',3,3'-tetrahydro-2,2'-bibenzo[ d ]imidazole ((N-DMBI) 2 and (Cyc-DMBI) 2 ) are quite strong reductants with effective potentials of ca. −2 V vs ferrocenium/ferrocene, yet are relatively stable to air due to the coupling of redox and bond-breaking processes. Here, we examine their use in accomplishing electron transfer-induced bond-cleavage reactions, specifically dehalogenations. The dimers reduce halides that have reduction potentials less cathodic than ca. −2 V vs ferrocenium/ferrocene, especially under UV photoexcitation (using a 365 nm LED). In the case of benzyl halides, the products are bibenzyl derivatives, whereas aryl halides are reduced to the corresponding arenes. The potentials of the halides that can be reduced in this way, quantum-chemical calculations, and steady-state and transient absorption spectroscopy suggest that UV irradiation accelerates the reactions via cleavage of the dimers to the corresponding radical monomers.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Into the UV: A Precise Transmission Spectrum of HAT-P-41b Using Hubble’s WFC3/UVIS G280 Grism

The ultraviolet–visible wavelength range holds critical spectral diagnostics for the chemistry and physics at work in planetary atmospheres. To date, time-series studies of exoplanets to characterize their atmospheres have relied on several combinations of modes on the Hubble Space Telescope’s STIS/COS instruments to access this wavelength regime. Here for the first time, we apply the Hubble WFC3/UVIS G280 grism mode to obtain exoplanet spectroscopy from 200 to 800 nm in a single observation. We test the G280 grism mode on the hot Jupiter HAT-P-41b over two consecutive transits to determine its viability for the characterization of exoplanet atmospheres. We obtain a broadband transit depth precision of 29–33 ppm and a precision of on average 200 ppm in 10 nm spectroscopic bins. Spectral information from the G280 grism can be extracted from both the positive and negative first-order spectra, resulting in a 60% increase in the measurable flux. Additionally, the first Hubble Space Telescope orbit can be fully utilized in the time-series analysis. We present detailed extraction and reduction methods for use by future investigations with this mode, testing multiple techniques. We find the results to be fully consistent with STIS measurements of HAT-P-41b from 310 to 800 nm, with the G280 results representing a more observationally efficient and precise spectrum. HAT-P-41b’s transmission spectrum is best fit with a model with T {sub eq} = 2091 K, high metallicity, and significant scattering and cloud opacity. With these first-of-their-kind observations, we demonstrate that WFC3/UVIS G280 is a powerful new tool to obtain UV–optical spectra of exoplanet atmospheres, adding to the UV legacy of Hubble and complementing future observations with the James Webb Space Telescope.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Astrometric Membership Tests for the Zinn–Newell–Gibson UV-bright Stars in Galactic Globular Clusters

In 1972, Zinn, Newell, & Gibson (ZNG) published a list of 156 candidate UV-bright stars they had found in 27 Galactic globular clusters (GCs), based on photographs in the U and V bands. UV-bright stars lie above the horizontal branch (HB) and blueward of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and red giant branch in the clusters’ color–magnitude diagrams. They are in rapid evolutionary phases—if they are members and not unrelated bright foreground stars. The ZNG list has inspired numerous follow-up studies, aimed at understanding late stages of stellar evolution. However, the ZNG candidates were presented only in finding charts, and celestial coordinates were not given. Using my own collection of CCD frames in u and V, I have identified all of the ZNG objects, and have assembled their coordinates, parallaxes, and proper motions from the recent Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3). Based on the Gaia astrometry, I have determined which objects are probable cluster members (45% of the sample). For the members, using photometry from EDR3, I have assigned the stars to various evolutionary stages, including luminous post-AGB stars, and stars above the HB. I point out several ZNG stars of special interest that have still, to my knowledge, never been studied in detail. This study is an adjunct to a forthcoming survey of the Galactic GCs in the uBVI photometric system, designed for detection of low-gravity stars with large Balmer discontinuities.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

BVR{sub c}I{sub c} Observations, Third-body Orbital Study, and Analysis of the UV Leo-type, Pre-W UMA Binary V642 Virginis

V642 Vir is a polar spotted, well-detached, UV Leo-type, low-mass, pre-WUMa (T1 ~ 4250K, ~K6V) eclipsing binary. It was observed in 2020 April, May, and June at the Dark Sky Observatory in North Carolina, USA with the 0.81 m reflector of Appalachian State University. A total of 88 timings were used in our 22-year period study which included 12 Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) timings. The O - C plots show a low-amplitude oscillation of residuals that points to the existence of an orbiting third body, a dwarf of minimum mass, 0.15 M {sub ⊙} in an eccentric orbit (e = 0.41), with an orbital period of 20.07 yr. The odd light curves of V642 Virginis indicate that it has polar spots similar to UV Leo and the recently published V1023 Per. Its present large polar spot region indicates that it must have a strong magnetic field and that it is synchronously rotating. The BVR{sub c}I{sub c} simultaneous Wilson–Devinney Program solution gives a detached binary (primary and secondary components are underfilling their respective Roche Lobes, with 76% and 78% fill outs respectively). The cool spot region models near the pole of the primary component (centered at 10° colatitude) and is angled toward the secondary component. Its large radius (68°) and T-fact (T{sub spot}/T{sub surface} = 0.69) also attest to the conclusion of the strength of the magnetic field. The small ΔT in the components (~318 K) and mass ratio near unity (0.9542 ± 0.0005) show that the stars are similar in spectral type (secondary ~K9V). The inclination is high, ~86.87 ± 0.04°, yet there is no time of constant light due to the two stars’ essentially equal radii.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

New Determinations of the UV Luminosity Functions from z ~ 9 to 2 Show a Remarkable Consistency with Halo Growth and a Constant Star Formation Efficiency

Here we provide the most comprehensive determinations of the rest-frame UV luminosity function (LF) available to date with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) at z ~ 2–9. Essentially all of the noncluster extragalactic legacy fields are utilized, including the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, the Hubble Frontier Fields parallel fields, and all five CANDELS fields, for a total survey area of 1136 arcmin{sup 2}. Our determinations include galaxies at z ~ 2–3 leveraging the deep HDUV, UVUDF, and ERS WFC3/UVIS observations available over an ~150 arcmin{sup 2} area in the GOODS-North and GOODS-South regions. All together, our collective samples include >24,000 sources, >2.3× larger than previous selections with HST. We identify 5766, 6332, 7240, 3449, 1066, 601, 246, and 33 sources at z ~ 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively. Combining our results with an earlier z ~ 10 LF determination by Oesch et al., we quantify the evolution of the UV LF. Our results indicate that there is (1) a smooth flattening of the faint-end slope α from α ~ -2.4 at z ~ 10 to α ~ -1.5 at z ~ 2, (2) minimal evolution in the characteristic luminosity M* at z ≥ 2.5, and (3) a monotonic increase in the normalization log{sub 10}ϕ* from z ~ 10 to 2, which can be well described by a simple second-order polynomial, consistent with an “accelerated” evolution scenario. We find that each of these trends (from z ~ 10 to 2.5 at least) can be readily explained on the basis of the evolution of the halo mass function and a simple constant star formation efficiency model.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

HST PanCET Program: A Complete Near-UV to Infrared Transmission Spectrum for the Hot Jupiter WASP-79b

We present a new optical transmission spectrum of the hot Jupiter WASP-79b. We observed three transits with the STIS instrument mounted on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), spanning 0.3–1.0 μm. Combining these transits with previous observations, we construct a complete 0.3–5.0 μm transmission spectrum of WASP-79b. Both HST and ground-based observations show decreasing transit depths toward blue wavelengths, contrary to expectations from Rayleigh scattering or hazes. We infer atmospheric and stellar properties from the full near-UV to infrared transmission spectrum of WASP-79b using three independent retrieval codes, all of which yield consistent results. Our retrievals confirm previous detections of H{sub 2}O (at 4.0σ confidence) while providing moderate evidence of H{sup -} bound–free opacity (3.3σ) and strong evidence of stellar contamination from unocculted faculae (4.7σ). The retrieved H{sub 2}O abundance (~1%) suggests a superstellar atmospheric metallicity, though stellar or substellar abundances remain consistent with present observations (O/H = 0.3–34× stellar). All three retrieval codes obtain a precise H{sup -} abundance constraint: log(X{sub H{sup -}}) ≈ -8.0 ± 0.7. The potential presence of H{sup -} suggests that James Webb Space Telescope observations may be sensitive to ionic chemistry in the atmosphere of WASP-79b. The inferred faculae are ~500 K hotter than the stellar photosphere, covering ~15% of the stellar surface. Our analysis underscores the importance of observing UV–optical transmission spectra in order to disentangle the influence of unocculted stellar heterogeneities from planetary transmission spectra.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

A New Member of the Fast and Furious Family: A Relativistic and Time-variable UV Outflow in a Luminous Quasar

We report the fastest quasar outflow first detected in the ultraviolet, via variable C IV and Si IV absorption at outflow velocities −77,000 km s −1 to at least −90,000 km s −1 , in the radio-quiet quasar SDSS J231854.31+243954.2 (J2318). J2318 is a weak-lined quasar in the rest-frame ultraviolet, but Gemini GNIRS spectroscopy reveals an Hα redshift of z = 2.6781 ± 0.0004. A 20 yr photometric time series shows peak-to-peak variability of 0.5 mag in the g band. The C IV outflow strengthened monotonically over three epochs spanning ∼2.2 rest-frame years. The existence of such a high-velocity outflow implies that models of quasar outflows must be able to either accelerate gas to 0.3c while still preserving C IV and Si IV ions, or enable the formation of C IV and Si IV ions in gas, which has been accelerated to 0.3c. Virial estimates reveal a black-hole mass of 1.65 × 10 9 M ⊙ , which leads to an Eddington luminosity and Eddington ratio of 2.4 × 10 47 erg s −1 and 0.45, respectively. Using very conservative assumptions, the UV-absorbing outflow alone has an estimated mass loss of >0.82 M ⊙ yr −1 and a kinetic luminosity ratio L kin /L bol ≥ 0.75%. The lower limit is just above the threshold usually cited for significant feedback on the host galaxy. Comparison to PDS 456, the only other known quasar with a UV-absorbing outflow at 0.3c, suggests that the true $\dot{M}$ and Lkin/Lbol could be up to 2 orders of magnitude larger.

Seaton, Lucas M. [York University] (ORCID:00090006↗

Observations on degradation of UV systems on Nimbus spacecraft

Broad band photometer experiments in the 1200 to 3000 A have been operating on Nimbus 3 and 4 since April 1969 for the purpose of determining the nature of variations in the UV solar irradiance. An Ebert-Fastie double monochromator has been measuring the solar irradiance and earth radiance from 2500 to 3400 A for the determination of global atmospheric ozone distributions since April 1970. From prelaunch testing and an evaluation of the flight data it is concluded that the principal source of degradation is probably the spacecraft. The degradation produces a characteristic signal loss and change in angular response of the system which might be explained by micron sized droplets becoming a permanent residue under the influence of solar UV radiation.

Heath, D. F.↗

UV stars and the interstellar medium - A statistical time-dependent model

A statistical time-dependent model for the effects on the interstellar gas of the ionizing radiation from UV stars is presented. The radiation from the stars is assumed to be emitted as monochromatic bursts at random times and locations. The thermal and ionization history of the gas is followed in a Monte Carlo simulation. Probability densities as well as mean values for the ionization fraction, temperature, and other observable quantities are derived. The fluctuations in observed quantities due to the stochastic nature of the model are estimated. Models of the interstellar medium perpendicular to the galactic plane are developed and compared with observations. The action of the UV stars can explain the bulk properties of the interstellar gas toward the galactic poles and is consistent with the Copernicus satellite observations toward lambda Scorpii.

Lyon, J.↗