5,884 research outputs found
Probing the galactic and extragalactic gravitational wave backgrounds with space-based interferometers
No full textWe employ the formalism developed in [1] and [2] to study the prospect of detecting an anisotropic Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background (SGWB) with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) alone, and combined with the proposed space-based interferometer Taiji. Previous analyses have been performed in the frequency domain only. Here, we study the detectability of the individual coefficients of the expansion of the SGWB in spherical harmonics, by taking into account the specific motion of the satellites. This requires the use of time-dependent response functions, which we include in our analysis to obtain an optimal estimate of the anisotropic signal. We focus on two applications. Firstly, the reconstruction of the anisotropic galactic signal without assuming any prior knowledge of its spatial distribution. We find that both LISA and LISA with Taiji cannot put tight constraints on the harmonic coefficients for realistic models of the galactic SGWB. We then focus on the discrimination between a galactic signal of known morphology but unknown overall amplitude and an isotropic extragalactic SGWB component of astrophysical origin. In this case, we find that the two surveys can confirm, at a confidence level ≳ 3σ, the existence of both the galactic and extragalactic background if both have amplitudes as predicted in standard models. We also find that, in the LISA-only case, the analysis in the frequency domain (under the assumption of a time average of data taken homogeneously across the year) provides a nearly identical determination of the two amplitudes as compared to the optimal analysis
Ghost instabilities of cosmological models with vector fields nonminimally coupled to the curvature
No full textWe prove that many cosmological models characterized by vectors nonminimally coupled to the curvature (such as the Turner-Widrow mechanism for the production of magnetic fields during inflation, and models of vector inflation or vector curvaton) contain ghosts. The ghosts are associated with the longitudinal vector polarization present in these models and are found from studying the sign of the eigenvalues of the kinetic matrix for the physical perturbations. Ghosts introduce two main problems: (1) they make the theories ill defined at the quantum level in the high energy/subhorizon regime (and create serious problems for finding a well-behaved UV completion), and (2) they create an instability already at the linearized level. This happens because the eigenvalue corresponding to the ghost crosses zero during the cosmological evolution. At this point the linearized equations for the perturbations become singular (we show that this happens for all the models mentioned above). We explicitly solve the equations in the simplest cases of a vector without a vacuum expectation value in a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker geometry, and of a vector with a vacuum expectation value plus a cosmological constant, and we show that indeed the solutions of the linearized equations diverge when these equations become singular
Instability of the Ackerman-Carroll-Wise model, and problems with massive vectors during inflation
No full textWe prove that the anisotropic inflationary background of the Ackerman-Carroll-Wise model, characterized by a fixed-norm vector field, is unstable. We found the instability by explicitly solving the linearized equations for the most general set of perturbations around this background, and by noticing that the solutions diverge close to horizon crossing. This happens because one perturbation becomes a ghost at that moment. A simplified computation, with only the perturbations of the vector field included, shows the same instability, clarifying the origin of the problem. We then discuss several other models, with a particular emphasis on the case of a nonminimal coupling to the curvature, in which vector fields are used either to support an anisotropic expansion, or to generate cosmological perturbations on an isotropic background. In many cases, the mass squared of the vector needs to be negative; we show that, as a consequence, the longitudinal vector mode is a ghost (a field with negative kinetic term, and negative energy, and not simply a tachyon). We comment on problems that arise at the quantum level. In particular, the presence of a ghost can be a serious difficulty for the UV completion that such models require in the subhorizon regime
Prospects for detecting anisotropies and polarization of the stochastic gravitational wave background with ground-based detectors
No full textWe build an analytical framework to study the observability of anisotropies and a net chiral polarization of the Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background (SGWB) with a generic network of ground-based detectors. We apply this formalism to perform a Fisher forecast of the performance of a network consisting of the current interferometers (LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA) and planned third-generation ones, such as the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer. Our results yield limits on the observability of anisotropic modes, spanning across noise- and signal-dominated regimes. We find that if the isotropic component of the SGWB has an amplitude close to the current limit, third-generation interferometers with an observation time of 10 years can measure multipoles (in a spherical harmonic expansion) up to ℓ = 8 with Script O(10-3 – 10-2) accuracy relative to the isotropic component, and an Script O(10-3) amount of net polarization. For weaker signals, the accuracy worsens as roughly the inverse of the SGWB amplitude
Suppressing the impact of a high tensor-to-scalar ratio on the temperature anisotropies
No full textThe BICEP2 collaboration has reported a strong B mode signal in the CMB polarization, which is well fit by a tensor-to-scalar ratio of r sime 0.2. This is greater than the upper limit r < 0.11 obtained from the temperature anisotropies under the assumption of a constant scalar spectral index ns. This discrepancy can be reduced once the statistical error and the contamination from polarized dust are accounted for. If however a large value for r will be confirmed, it will need to be reconciled with the temperature anisotropies data. The most advocated explanation involves a variation of ns with scales (denoted as running) that has a magnitude significantly greater than the generic slow roll predictions. We instead study the possibility that the large scale temperature anisotropies are not enhanced because of a suppression of the scalar power at large scales. Such a situation can be achieved for instance by a sudden change of the speed of the inflaton (by about 14%), and we show that it fits the temperature anisotropies and polarization data considerably better than a constant running (its χ2 improves by ~ 7.5 over that of the constant running, at the cost of one more parameter). We also consider the possibility that the large scale temperature fluctuations are suppressed by an anti-correlation between tensor and scalar modes. Unfortunately, while such effect does affect the temperature fluctuations at large scales, it does not affect the temperature power spectrum and cannot, therefore, help in reconciling a large value of r with the limits from temperature fluctuations
Cr(VI) and Cr(III)-Based Conversion Coatings on Zinc
No full textWith the aims of understanding the protective mechanism of chromate conversion coatings and developing alternatives to chromate treatments, the physical natures and corrosion properties of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) treated zinc have been investigated in this work. The Cr(VI) treatments were carried out in dichromate and sulfuric acid solution with different dipping times. The Cr(III) treatments were carried out in two commercial solutions (A and B). The thickness of the coatings was measured using ellipsometry. The morphologies and the compositions of the treated zinc have been studied by means of SEM, AFM, AES, FTIR and XPS. The drying temperature influence on the corrosion performance of the Cr(VI)âtreated zinc has been investigated. The Volta potential in treated and untreated areas has been measured using scanning Kelvin probe (SKP) and SKPFM. The corrosion behavior of the Cr(VI) and Cr(III) treated zinc has been investigated using polarization, electrochemical impedance measurements (EIS), and salt spray tests. Both Cr(VI) and Cr(III) species were detected by XPS in the outermost layer of the Cr(VI) coatings, while no Cr(VI) species was found in the Cr(III) coatings. AES depth profile results show that chromium oxides are the main components in the Cr(VI) coatings. Zinc oxide is mainly located at the chromium oxides / zinc interface. The Cr(III) coating is a mixture of chromium oxides and zinc oxide. Both the Cr(VI) and the Cr(III) treatments can supply corrosion protection to zinc. The corrosion resistance of the Cr(III)-B coating is greater than that of the Cr(III)-A coating. However, the inhibition of the corrosion of zinc by Cr(VI) coating is more effective than by the Cr(III) coatings. The inhibition of the corrosion of zinc by the Cr(VI) and the Cr(III) treatments is discussed, and future research topics are suggested.Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin
Imaging cosmic polarization rotation
No full textWe introduce a method to isolate the contribution of parity-violating modes to the peak constrained correlation function. This method can be used as a local estimate of polarization rotation. We test this method using simulations and by applying it to Planck maps [P. A. R. Ade et al., arXiv:1502.01589 astro.ph.co]. We obtain a constraint on the monopole of the polarization rotation angle α=0.31±0.23α=0.31±0.23
Imaging parity-violating modes in the CMB
No full textCorrelations of polarization components in the coordinate frame are a natural basis for searches of parity-violating modes in the cosmic microwave background. This fact can be exploited to build estimators of parity-violating modes that are local and robust with respect to partial-sky coverage or inhomogeneous weighting. As an example application of a method based on these ideas, we develop a peak stacking tool that isolates the signature of parity-violating modes. We apply the tool to Planck maps and obtain a constraint on the monopole of the polarization rotation angle \alpha \lt 0\buildrel{\circ}\over{.} 72 at 95% We also demonstrate how the tool can be used as a local method for reconstructing maps of direction dependent rotation
Anisotropies of gravitational wave backgrounds: A line of sight approach
No full textIn the weak field regime, gravitational waves can be considered as being made up of collisionless, relativistic tensor modes that travel along null geodesics of the perturbed background metric. We work in this geometric optics picture to calculate the anisotropies in gravitational wave backgrounds resulting from astrophysical and cosmological sources. Our formalism yields expressions for the angular power spectrum of the anisotropies. We show how the anisotropies are sourced by intrinsic, Doppler, Sachs–Wolfe, and Integrated Sachs–Wolfe terms in analogy with Cosmic Microwave Background photons
Site occupation in the Cr-Ru and Cr-Os ? phases
No full textThe site occupation in the Cr-Ru and Cr-Os ? phases is computed as a function of temperature. Generally, in ? phases the larger atoms occupy the sites with larger coordinations numbers, as can be explained on the basis of atomic-size and electronic structure. However, for Cr2Ru and Cr2Os the atomic-size argument predicts that Ru and Os occupy the sites with larger coordination numbers, whereas the reasoning based on the approximate degeneracies of electronic levels predicts that Cr occupies those sites. By comparing these predictions with the theoretically computed and the experimentally measured site occupations, the atomic-size and electronic arguments can be judged on their predictive merits.Materials Science and EngineeringMechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin
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