arXiv subjects

George Fleming

Publications and source records attributed to George Fleming.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A survey for variable young stars with small telescopes - XI. Spot Lifetimes and Coverage Distributions

We present a homogeneous analysis of rotational variability and spot properties in young stellar objects across multiple star-forming regions observed by the Hunting Outbursting Young Stars (HOYS) project. From over 2000 candidate members, we identify 144 YSOs with robust periodic signals and well-constrained multi-band amplitudes. The sample has a median age of $\sim$1~Myr, effective temperatures of 3500--6500~K (masses $\sim$0.6--2~M$_\odot$), and is dominated by Class~2 objects, one third of which exhibit inner disc dust emission. The rotation period distribution is strongly bimodal, with 55 percent fast rotators ($P<5.5$~d) and 45 percent slow rotators. Fast rotators are predominantly inner disc-less, whereas slow rotators include both disc-bearing and disc-free systems, indicating that disc braking alone cannot explain the observed rotational states. We derive spot properties from multi-band amplitudes and find that, after correcting for observational biases, the intrinsic cold-spot coverage distribution of fast rotators is well described by an exponential function. This implies that small spot coverages are intrinsically much more common than large ones, consistent with stochastic magnetic flux emergence governing spot formation. In contrast, slow rotators show a pronounced deficit of small cold spots. After considering observational biases and alternative physical explanations, we conclude that small spots on slowly rotating YSOs have significantly shorter lifetimes. These results provide new evidence that magnetic surface structure and its evolution depend on stellar rotation, placing new empirical constraints on models of magnetic activity and angular momentum evolution in young stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

A survey for variable stars with small telescopes: IX -- Evolution of Spot Properties on YSOs in IC5070

We present spot properties on 32 periodic young stellar objects in IC 5070. Long term, $\sim$5 yr, light curves in the $V$, $R$, and $I$-bands are obtained through the HOYS (Hunting Outbursting Young Stars) citizen science project. These are dissected into six months long slices, with 3 months oversampling, to measure 234 sets of amplitudes in all filters. We fit 180 of these with reliable spot solutions. Two thirds of spot solutions are cold spots, the lowest is 2150 K below the stellar temperature. One third are warm spots that are above the stellar temperature by less than $\sim$2000 K. Cold and warm spots have maximum surface coverage values of 40 percent, although only 16 percent of warm spots are above 20 percent surface coverage as opposed to 60 percent of the cold spots. Warm spots are most likely caused by a combination of plages and low density accretion columns, most common on objects without inner disc excess emission in $K-W2$. Five small hot spot solutions have $<3$ percent coverage and are 3000 - 5000 K above the stellar temperature. These are attributed to accretion, and four of them occur on the same object. The majority of our objects are likely to be accreting. However, we observe very few accretion hot spots as either the accretion is not stable on our timescale or the photometry is dominated by other features. We do not identify cyclical spot behaviour on the targets. We additionally identify and discuss a number of objects that have interesting amplitudes, phase changes, or spot properties.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

A survey for variable young stars with small telescopes: VIII -- Properties of 1687 Gaia selected members in 21 nearby clusters

The Hunting Outbursting Young Stars (HOYS) project performs long-term, optical, multi-filter, high cadence monitoring of 25 nearby young clusters and star forming regions. Utilising Gaia DR3 data we have identified about 17000 potential young stellar members in 45 coherent astrometric groups in these fields. Twenty one of them are clear young groups or clusters of stars within one kiloparsec and they contain 9143 Gaia selected potential members. The cluster distances, proper motions and membership numbers are determined. We analyse long term (about 7yr) V, R, and I-band light curves from HOYS for 1687 of the potential cluster members. One quarter of the stars are variable in all three optical filters, and two thirds of these have light curves that are symmetric around the mean. Light curves affected by obscuration from circumstellar materials are more common than those affected by accretion bursts, by a factor of 2-4. The variability fraction in the clusters ranges from 10 to almost 100 percent, and correlates positively with the fraction of stars with detectable inner disks, indicating that a lot of variability is driven by the disk. About one in six variables shows detectable periodicity, mostly caused by magnetic spots. Two thirds of the periodic variables with disk excess emission are slow rotators, and amongst the stars without disk excess two thirds are fast rotators - in agreement with rotation being slowed down by the presence of a disk.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

A survey for variable young stars with small telescopes: VI -- Analysis of the outbursting Be stars NSW284, Gaia19eyy, and VES263

This paper is one in a series reporting results from small telescope observations of variable young stars. Here, we study the repeating outbursts of three likely Be stars based on long-term optical, near-infrared, and mid-infrared photometry for all three objects, along with follow-up spectra for two of the three. The sources are characterised as rare, truly regularly outbursting Be stars. We interpret the photometric data within a framework for modelling light curve morphology, and find that the models correctly predict the burst shapes, including their larger amplitudes and later peaks towards longer wavelengths. We are thus able to infer the start and end times of mass loading into the circumstellar disks of these stars. The disk sizes are typically 3-6 times the areas of the central star. The disk temperatures are ~40%, and the disk luminosities are ~10% of those of the central Be star, respectively. The available spectroscopy is consistent with inside-out evolution of the disk. Higher excitation lines have larger velocity widths in their double-horned shaped emission profiles. Our observations and analysis support the decretion disk model for outbursting Be stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

Critical Three-Dimensional Ising Model on Spheriods from the Conformal Bootstrap

We construct a conformal map from $\mathbb{R}^3$ to a three-dimensional spheriod, which includes $\mathbb{S}^3$, a double-cover of the 3-ball, and $\mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{S}^2$ as limiting cases. Using the data of the critical three-dimensional Ising model on $\mathbb{R}^3$ that was computed using the conformal bootstrap method, we numerically estimate the fourth-order Binder cumulant of the critical three-dimensional $ϕ^4$ theory on $\mathbb{S}^3$. We expect this estimate will enable an interesting comparison between the conformal bootstrap and future calculations of critical $ϕ^4$ theory on $\mathbb{S}^3$ using the Quantum Finite Element (QFE) method.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2021

A survey for variable young stars with small telescopes: IV -- Rotation Periods of YSOs in IC5070

Studying rotational variability of young stars is enabling us to investigate a multitude of properties of young star-disk systems. We utilise high cadence, multi-wavelength optical time series data from the Hunting Outbursting Young Stars citizen science project to identify periodic variables in the Pelican Nebula (IC5070). A double blind study using nine different period-finding algorithms was conducted and a sample of 59 periodic variables was identified. We find that a combination of four period finding algorithms can achieve a completeness of 85% and a contamination of 30% in identifying periods in inhomogeneous data sets. The best performing methods are periodograms that rely on fitting a sine curve. Utilising GaiaEDR3 data, we have identified an unbiased sample of 40 periodic YSOs, without using any colour or magnitude selections. With a 98.9% probability we can exclude a homogeneous YSO period distribution. Instead we find a bi-modal distribution with peaks at three and eight days. The sample has a disk fraction of 50%, and its statistical properties are in agreement with other similarly aged YSOs populations. In particular, we confirm that the presence of the disk is linked to predominantly slow rotation and find a probability of 4.8$\times$10$^{-3}$ that the observed relation between period and presence of a disk has occurred by chance. In our sample of periodic variables, we also find pulsating giants, an eclipsing binary, and potential YSOs in the foreground of IC5070.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

A survey for variable young stars with small telescopes: II -- Mapping a protoplanetary disk with stable structures at 0.15 AU

The HOYS citizen science project conducts long term, multifilter, high cadence monitoring of large YSO samples with a wide variety of professional and amateur telescopes. We present the analysis of the light curve of V1490Cyg in the Pelican Nebula. We show that colour terms in the diverse photometric data can be calibrated out to achieve a median photometric accuracy of 0.02mag in broadband filters, allowing detailed investigations into a variety of variability amplitudes over timescales from hours to several years. Using GaiaDR2 we estimate the distance to the Pelican Nebula to be 870$^{+70}_{-55}$pc. V1490Cyg is a quasi-periodic dipper with a period of 31.447$\pm$0.011d. The obscuring dust has homogeneous properties, and grains larger than those typical in the ISM. Larger variability on short timescales is observed in U and R$_c-$H$α$, with U-amplitudes reaching 3mag on timescales of hours, indicating the source is accreting. The H$α$ equivalent width and NIR/MIR colours place V1490Cyg between CTTS/WTTS and transition disk objects. The material responsible for the dipping is located in a warped inner disk, about 0.15AU from the star. This mass reservoir can be filled and emptied on time scales shorter than the period at a rate of up to 10$^{-10}$M$_\odot$/yr, consistent with low levels of accretion in other T Tauri stars. Most likely the warp at this separation from the star is induced by a protoplanet in the inner accretion disk. However, we cannot fully rule out the possibility of an AA Tau-like warp, or occultations by the Hill sphere around a forming planet.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

Lattice Gauge Theory for Physics Beyond the Standard Model

This document is one of a series of whitepapers from the USQCD collaboration. Here, we discuss opportunities for lattice field theory research to make an impact on models of new physics beyond the Standard Model, including composite Higgs, composite dark matter, and supersymmetric theories.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2016

Quantum Finite Elements for Lattice Field Theory

Viable non-perturbative methods for lattice quantum field theories on curved manifolds are difficult. By adapting features from the traditional finite element methods (FEM) and Regge Calculus, a new simplicial lattice Quantum Finite Element (QFE) Lagrangian is constructed for fields on a smooth Riemann manifold. To reach the continuum limit additional counter terms must be constructed to cancel the ultraviolet distortions. This is tested by the comparison of phi 4-th theory at the Wilson-Fisher fixed point with the exact Ising (c =1/2) CFT on a 2D Riemann sphere. The Dirac equation is also constructed on a simplicial lattice approximation to a Riemann manifold by introducing a lattice vierbein and spin connection on each link. Convergence of the QFE Dirac equation is tested against the exact solution for the 2D Riemann sphere. Future directions and applications to Conformal Field Theories are suggested.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2013

Lattice Gauge Theories at the Energy Frontier

This White Paper has been prepared as a planning document for the Division of High Energy Physics of the U. S. Department of Energy. Recent progress in lattice-based studies of physics beyond the standard model is summarized, and major current goals of USQCD research in this area are presented. Challenges and opportunities associated with the recently discovered 126 GeV Higgs-like particle are highlighted. Computational resources needed for reaching important goals are described. The document was finalized on February 11, 2013 with references that are not aimed to be complete, or account for an accurate historical record of the field.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2012

Lattice Radial Quantization: 3D Ising

Lattice radial quantization is introduced as a nonperturbative method intended to numerically solve Euclidean conformal field theories that can be realized as fixed points of known Lagrangians. As an example, we employ a lattice shaped as a cylinder with a 2D Icosahedral cross-section to discretize dilatations in the 3D Ising model. Using this method, we obtain the preliminary estimate eta=0.034(10).

hep-lat↗

arXiv2009

Strange quark content of the nucleon

We discuss the calculation of disconnected diagrams needed for determining the strange quark content of the nucleon on the lattice. We present results for the strange scalar form factor and the related parameter f_Ts, which enters into the cross-section for the scattering of dark matter off nuclei in supersymmetric extensions of the standard model. In addition, we present results for the strange contribution to the nucleon's axial and electromagnetic form factors. The calculations were performed with two dynamical flavors of Wilson fermions on a 24^3 x 64 anisotropic lattice with a_s = 3a_t = 0.11 fm and M_pi ~ 400 MeV.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2007

Strange quark contribution to nucleon form factors

We discuss methods for the calculation of disconnected diagrams and their application to various form factors of the nucleon. In particular, we present preliminary results for the strange contribution to the scalar and axial form factors, calculated with N_f=2 dynamical flavors of Wilson fermions on an anisotropic lattice.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2007

Results and Frontiers in Lattice Baryon Spectroscopy

The Lattice Hadron Physics Collaboration (LHPC) baryon spectroscopy effort is reviewed. To date the LHPC has performed exploratory Lattice QCD calculations of the low-lying spectrum of Nucleon and Delta baryons. These calculations demonstrate the effectiveness of our method by obtaining the masses of an unprecedented number of excited states with definite quantum numbers. Future work of the project is outlined.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2007

Hadronic Resonances from Lattice QCD

The determination of the pattern of hadronic resonances as predicted by Quantum Chromodynamics requires the use of non-perturbative techniques. Lattice QCD has emerged as the dominant tool for such calculations, and has produced many QCD predictions which can be directly compared to experiment. The concepts underlying lattice QCD are outlined, methods for calculating excited states are discussed, and results from an exploratory Nucleon and Delta baryon spectrum study are presented.

hep-lat↗