Abstracts of Interest
Selected by:
Jose Bellido
Abstract: 1809.02600
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Title: Computational astrophysics for the future: An open, modular approach with agreed standards would facilitate astrophysical discovery
(Submitted on 7 Sep 2018)
Abstract: Scientific discovery is mediated by ideas that, after being formulated in hypotheses, can be tested, validated, and quantified before they eventually lead to accepted concepts. Computer-mediated discovery in astrophysics is no exception, but antiquated code that is only intelligible to scientists who were involved in writing it is holding up scientific discovery in the field. A bold initiative is needed to modernize astrophysics code and make it transparent and useful beyond a small group of scientists. (abridged)
Abstract: 1809.02034
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Title: Optical and X-ray Observational Search for the Possible Supernova Remnant Candidates in the Nearby Galaxy NGC 1569
(Submitted on 6 Sep 2018)
Abstract: We report the results of our investigation on the possible existence of supernova remnants (SNRs) in the nearby galaxy, NGC 1569, using the CCD imaging and spectroscopic observations from the RTT150 telescope of TUG-TUBITAK in Antalya, Turkey for two different observing periods. Using [S\,{\sc ii}]/H$\alpha$ $\geq$ 0.4 standard criteria, the identification of 13 new SNR candidates for this galaxy is proposed for two different epochs. We found the [S\,{\sc ii}]/H$\alpha$ ratios ranging from 0.46--0.84 and H$\alpha$ intensities ranging from (2.2--32) $\times$ 10$^{-15}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. [S\,{\sc ii}]$\lambda\lambda$6716/6731 average flux ratio is calculated from the optical spectra for only one possible SNR candidate. By using this ratio the electron density, $N_{\rm e}$, is estimated to be 121 $\pm$ 17 cm$^{-3}$ and by using the [O\,{\sc iii}]$\lambda$5007/H$\beta$ ratio of the same spectrum, the shock wave velocity, $V_{\rm s}$, is estimated to be between 100 < Vs < 150 km s$^{-1}$. Using {\it Chandra} data, we find that out of 13 SNR candidates only 10 of them have yielded a spectrum with good statistics, confirming the existence of 10 SNR candidates with matched positions in X-ray region as well. We measure the 0.5--2 keV band flux down to 0.58 $\times$ 10$^{-15}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ for 10 X-ray sources. Our spectral analysis revealed that spectra of the SNR candidates are best modelled with the Collisional Ionisation Equilibrium plasma with a temperature range of 0.84 keV < \textit{kT$_{e}$} < 1.36 keV.
Abstract: 1809.01934
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Title: Towards online triggering for the radio detection of air showers using deep neural networks
(Submitted on 6 Sep 2018)
Abstract: The detection of air-shower events via radio signals requires to develop a trigger algorithm for a clean discrimination between signal and background events in order to reduce the data stream coming from false triggers. In this contribution we will describe an approach to trigger air-shower events on a single-antenna level as well as performing an online reconstruction of the shower parameters using neural networks.
Abstract: 1809.01757
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Title: Coronal properties of Swift/BAT-selected Seyfert 1 AGN observed with NuSTAR
(Submitted on 5 Sep 2018)
Abstract: The NuSTAR observatory, with its high sensitivity in hard X-rays, has enabled detailed broadband modeling of the X-ray spectra of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), thereby allowing constraints to be placed on the high-energy cutoff of the X-ray coronal continuum. We investigate the spectral properties of a sample of 46 NuSTAR-observed Seyfert 1 AGN selected from the Swift/BAT 70-month hard X-ray survey. Our measurements of the high-energy cutoff of the continuum from modeling the NuSTAR X-ray spectra are used to map out the temperature - compactness ($\theta-l$) plane for AGN coronae. We find that most of the coronae lie clustered near the boundary for runaway pair production, suggesting that annihilation and pair production act to regulate the temperature of the corona. We discuss the implications of coronae whose high-energy cutoff may indicate a low coronal temperature on the heating and thermalization mechanisms in the corona.
Abstract: 1809.01691
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Title: Galaxy detection and identification using deep learning and data augmentation
(Submitted on 5 Sep 2018)
Abstract: We present a method for automatic detection and classification of galaxies which includes a novel data-augmentation procedure to make trained models more robust against the data taken from different instruments and contrast-stretching functions. This method is shown as part of AstroCV, a growing open source computer vision repository for processing and analyzing big astronomical datasets, including high performance Python and C++ algorithms used in the areas of image processing and computer vision.
The underlying models were trained using convolutional neural networks and deep learning techniques, which provide better results than methods based on manual feature engineering and SVMs in most of the cases where training datasets are large. The detection and classification methods were trained end-to-end using public datasets such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), the Galaxy Zoo, and private datasets such as the Next Generation Virgo (NGVS) and Fornax (NGFS) surveys.
Training results are strongly bound to the conversion method from raw FITS data for each band into a 3-channel color image. Therefore, we propose data augmentation for the training using 5 conversion methods. This greatly improves the overall galaxy detection and classification for images produced from different instruments, bands and data reduction procedures.
The detection and classification methods were trained using the deep learning framework DARKNET and the real-time object detection system YOLO. These methods are implemented in C language and CUDA platform, and makes intensive use of graphical processing units (GPU). Using a single high-end Nvidia GPU card, it can process a SDSS image in 50 milliseconds and a DECam image in less than 3 seconds.
Abstract: 1809.01599
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Title: The study of a system of H II regions toward l = 24.8 deg, b = 0.1 deg at the Galactic bar - Norma arm interface
(Submitted on 5 Sep 2018)
Abstract: To probe the star formation (SF) process, we present a thorough multi-wavelength investigation of several H II regions located toward l = 24.8 deg, b = 0.1 deg. A system of at least five H II regions including the mid-infrared bubble N36 (hereafter "system N36"; extension ~35 pc) is observationally investigated, and is located at a distance of 6.0 kpc. With this distance, the system N36 is found to be situated at the interface of the Galactic bar and the Norma Galactic arm in our Galaxy, where one may expect the collisions of molecular clouds due to the bar potential. Each H II region (dynamical age ~0.4 - 1.3 Myr) in the system is powered by an O-type star. The system contains 27 ATLASGAL dust clumps at 870 micron. Several clumps are massive (> 10^3 M_sun), and have high bolometric luminosity (> 10^3 L_sun). Using the GRS 13CO line data, in the direction of the system N36, two velocity components are found around 109 and 113 km/s, and are linked in the velocity space. The morphological analysis of 13CO favours the presence of interacting molecular clouds in the system. Four H II regions and two 6.7 GHz masers are spatially observed at the common areas of the two clouds. The analysis of the Spitzer photometric data also traces the noticeable SF activity in the system. Considering the observational outcomes, the formation of O-type stars (including ongoing SF) in the system appears to be triggered by the collisions of molecular clouds at the bar-arm interface.
Abstract: 1809.01573
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Title: Search for correlations between arrival directions of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays detected by the Telescope Array experiment and a flux pattern from nearby starburst galaxies
(Submitted on 5 Sep 2018)
Abstract: The Pierre Auger Collaboration (Auger) recently reported a correlation between the arrival directions of cosmic rays with energies above 39 EeV and the flux pattern of 23 nearby starburst galaxies (SBGs). In this Letter, we tested the same hypothesis using cosmic rays detected by the Telescope Array experiment (TA) in the 9-year period from May 2008 to May 2017. Unlike the Auger analysis, we did not optimize the parameter values but kept them fixed to the best-fit values found by Auger, namely 9.7% for the anisotropic fraction of cosmic rays assumed to originate from the SBGs in the list and 12.9{\deg} for the angular scale of the correlations. The energy threshold we adopted is 43 EeV, corresponding to 39 EeV in Auger when taking into account the energy-scale difference between two experiments. We find that the TA data is compatible with isotropy to within 1.2{\sigma} and with the Auger result to within 1.3{\sigma}.
Abstract: 1809.01339
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Title: Dense Molecular Filaments Feeding a Starburst: ALMA Maps of CO(3-2) in Henize 2-10
(Submitted on 5 Sep 2018)
Abstract: We present ALMA CO(3-2) observations at 0.3 arcsec resolution of He2-10, a starburst dwarf galaxy and possible high-z galaxy analogue. The warm dense gas traced by CO(3--2) is found in clumpy filaments that are kinematically and spatially distinct. The filaments have no preferred orientation or direction; this may indicate that the galaxy is not evolving into a disk galaxy. Filaments appear to be feeding the active starburst; the velocity field in one filament suggests acceleration onto an embedded star cluster. The relative strengths of CO(3-2) and radio continuum vary strongly on decaparsec scales in the starburst. There is no CO(3--2) clump coincident with the non-thermal radio source that has been suggested to be an AGN, nor unusual kinematics.
The kinematics of the molecular gas show significant activity apparently unrelated to the current starburst. The longest filament, east of the starburst, has a pronounced shear of FWHM $\sim40$~\kms\ across its $\sim$50~pc width over its entire $\approx 0.5$ kpc length. The cause of the shear is not clear. This filament is close in projection to a `dynamically distinct' CO feature previously seen in CO(1--0). The most complex region and the most highly disturbed gas velocities are in a region 200~pc south of the starburst. The CO(3--2) emission there reveals a molecular outflow, of linewidth FWZI $\sim$ 120-140 \kms, requiring an energy $\gtrsim 10^{53} \rm~ erg/s$. There is at present {\it no} candidate for the driving source of this outflow.
Abstract: 1809.01173
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Title: Exploring the bulk of the BL Lac object population. II. Gamma-ray properties
(Submitted on 4 Sep 2018)
Abstract: AIMS. We are studying an unbiased sample of 42 nearby (z < 0.2) BL Lacertae objects with a multi-wavelength approach. The results of VLBI observations were presented in the first paper of this series. In this paper, we study the $\gamma$-ray properties of the sample.
METHODS. We analyse data collected by the Fermi LAT during its first 8.5 years of operation in the energy range 0.1-300 GeV.
RESULTS. We reveal 23 sources with a test statistic greater than 25 (corresponding to $\sim$ 4.6-$\sigma$) out of 42, with 3 sources not detected in the 3LAC catalogue, and fluxes between $3.5\times 10^{-10}$ and $7.4\times10^{-8}$ ph cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. The majority of the sources have hard spectra ($\Gamma \leq 2$), with only four having values in the range 2.1-2.4. The three newly detected sources have fluxes in the range between $0.54\times10^{-9}$ and $1.35\times10^{-9}$ ph cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, and photon index 1.7-1.9. Among the 23 LAT-detected sources, 19 are included in the 3FHL, with a spectrum that connects relatively smoothly from 0.1 GeV to 2 TeV. LAT-detected BL Lacs are more luminous on parsec scales with respect to non-LAT-detected sources and have larger core dominance according to the unified models.
CONCLUSIONS. The LAT-detected BL Lacs seem to be composed of a bulk of "classical" sources dominated by Doppler boosting and characterised by compact and bright radio emission as well as hard $\gamma$-ray spectra. Moreover, we have identified a possible population of low-luminosity BL Lacs not detected by LAT, lacking a VLBI core, and with a small Doppler factor. Furthermore, three LAT-detected sources show non-classical properties for $\gamma$-ray emitting BL Lacs (no evidence of relativistic jet, low Doppler factor in radio images, relatively low core dominance) and three other sources, while showing radio emission on parsec scales, are not detected in $\gamma$ rays so far.
Abstract: 1809.00965
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Full Text: [ PostScript, PDF]
Title: LOFAR discovery of a 23.5-second radio pulsar
(Submitted on 4 Sep 2018)
Abstract: We present the discovery of PSR J0250+5854, a radio pulsar with a spin period of 23.5 s. This is the slowest-spinning radio pulsar known. PSR J0250+5854 was discovered by the LOFAR Tied-Array All-Sky Survey (LOTAAS), an all-Northern-sky survey for pulsars and fast transients at a central observing frequency of 135 MHz. We subsequently detected pulsations from the pulsar in the interferometric images of the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey, allowing for sub-arcsecond localization. This, along with a pre-discovery detection 2 years prior, allowed us to measure the spin-period derivative to be $\dot{P}=2.7 \times 10^{-14}$ s s$^{-1}$. The observed spin period derivative of PSR J0250+5854 indicates a surface magnetic field strength, characteristic age and spin-down luminosity of $2.6 \times 10^{13}$G, $13.7$ Myr and $8.2 \times 10^{28}$ erg s$^{-1}$ respectively, for a dipolar magnetic field configuration. This also places the pulsar beyond the conventional pulsar death line, where radio emission is expected to cease. The spin period of PSR J0250+5854 is similar to those of the high-energy-emitting magnetars and X-ray dim isolated neutron stars (XDINSs). However, the pulsar was not detected by the Swift/XRT in the energy band of 0.3-10 keV, placing a bolometric luminosity limit of $1.5 \times 10^{32}$ erg s$^{-1}$ for an assumed $N_{\rm H}=1.35\times10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$ and a temperature of 85 eV (typical of XDINSs). We discuss the implications of the discovery for models of the pulsar death line as well as the prospect of finding more similarly long-period pulsars, including the advantages provided by LOTAAS for this.
Abstract: 1809.00703
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Title: FRIB and the GW170817 Kilonova
(Submitted on 3 Sep 2018)
Abstract: In July 2018 an FRIB Theory Alliance program was held on the implications of GW170817 and its associated kilonova for r-process nucleosynthesis. Topics of discussion included the astrophysical and nuclear physics uncertainties in the interpretation of the GW170817 kilonova, what we can learn about the astrophysical site or sites of the r process from this event, and the advances in nuclear experiment and theory most crucial to pursue in light of the new data. Here we compile a selection of scientific contributions to the workshop, broadly representative of progress in r-process studies since the GW170817 event.
Abstract: 1809.00663
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Title: Constraining very-high-energy and optical emission from FRB 121102 with the MAGIC telescopes
(Submitted on 3 Sep 2018)
Abstract: Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are bright flashes observed typically at GHz frequencies with millisecond duration, whose origin is likely extragalactic. Their nature remains mysterious, motivating searches for counterparts at other wavelengths. FRB 121102 is so far the only source known to repeatedly emit FRBs and is associated with a host galaxy at redshift $z \simeq 0.193$. We conducted simultaneous observations of FRB 121102 with the Arecibo and MAGIC telescopes during several epochs in 2016--2017. This allowed searches for millisecond-timescale burst emission in very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays as well as the optical band. While a total of five FRBs were detected during these observations, no VHE emission was detected, neither of a persistent nature nor burst-like associated with the FRBs. The average integral flux upper limits above 100 GeV at 95% confidence level are $6.6 \times 10^{-12}~\mathrm{photons\ cm^{-2}\ s^{-1}}$ (corresponding to luminosity $L_{\rm VHE} \lesssim 10^{45}~\mathrm{erg\ s^{-1}}$) over the entire observation period, and $1.2 \times 10^{-7}~ \mathrm{photons\ cm^{-2}\ s^{-1}}$ ($L_{\rm VHE} \lesssim 10^{49}~\mathrm{erg\ s^{-1}}$) over the total duration of the five FRBs. We constrain the optical U-band flux to be below 8.6 mJy at 5-$\sigma$ level for 1-ms intervals around the FRB arrival times. A bright burst with U-band flux $29~\mathrm{mJy}$ and duration $\sim 12$ ms was detected 4.3 s before the arrival of one FRB. However, the probability of spuriously detecting such a signal within the sampled time space is 1.5% (2.2 $\sigma$, post-trial), i.e. consistent with the expected background. We discuss the implications of the obtained upper limits for constraining FRB models.
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