arXiv subjects

Jack Burns

Publications and source records attributed to Jack Burns.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Design and Development of the Telescope-deployment High-vacuum teleOperated Rover (THOR) in an Airless Body Environment

The harsh environment on the lunar surface presents unique technological challenges for space exploration. This paper presents research on the design and development of the Tele- scope-deployment High-vacuum teleOperated Rover (THOR), currently being built and tested in the Lunar and Airless Bodies Simulator (LABS) facility at the University of Colorado Boulder. This rover is fabricated entirely out of cost-effective commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and materials. THOR can potentially survive for more than one simulated year in conditions similar to that of the lunar environment, demonstrating the successful initial results of a first phase research study on material and electronic survivability in an extreme environment such as the Moon.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2014

X-ray Observations of Complex Temperature Structure in the Cool-core cluster Abell 85

X-ray observations were used to examine the complex temperature structure of Abell 85, a cool-core galaxy cluster. Temperature features can provide evidence of merging events which shock heat the intracluster gas. Temperature maps were made from both \textit{Chandra} and \textit{XMM-Newton} obervations. The combination of a new, long-exposure \textit{XMM} observation and an improved temperature map binning technique produced the highest fidelity temperature maps of A85 to date. Hot regions were detected near the subclusters to the South and Southwest in both the \textit{Chandra} and \textit{XMM} temperature maps. The presence of these structures implies A85 is not relaxed. The hot regions may indicate the presence of shocks. The Mach numbers were estimated to be $\sim$1.9 at the locations of the hot spots. Observational effects will tend to systematically reduce temperature jumps, so the measured Mach numbers are likely underestimated. Neither temperature map showed evidence for a shock in the vicinity of the presumed radio relic near the Southwest subcluster. However, the presence of a weak shock cannot be ruled out. There was tension between the temperatures measured by the two instruments.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

Year 3 LUNAR Annual Report to the NASA Lunar Science Institute

The Lunar University Network for Astrophysics Research (LUNAR) is a team of researchers and students at leading universities, NASA centers, and federal research laboratories undertaking investigations aimed at using the Moon as a platform for space science. LUNAR research includes Lunar Interior Physics & Gravitation using Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR), Low Frequency Cosmology and Astrophysics (LFCA), Planetary Science and the Lunar Ionosphere, Radio Heliophysics, and Exploration Science. The LUNAR team is exploring technologies that are likely to have a dual purpose, serving both exploration and science. There is a certain degree of commonality in much of LUNAR's research. Specifically, the technology development for a lunar radio telescope involves elements from LFCA, Heliophysics, Exploration Science, and Planetary Science; similarly the drilling technology developed for LLR applies broadly to both Exploration and Lunar Science.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2011

Planetary Science by the NLSI LUNAR Team: The Lunar Core, Ionized Atmosphere, & Nanodust Weathering

The Lunar University Network for Astrophysics Research (LUNAR) undertakes investigations across the full spectrum of science within the mission of the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI), namely science of, on, and from the Moon. The LUNAR team's work on science of and on the Moon, which is the subject of this white paper, is conducted in the broader context of ascertaining the content, origin, and evolution of the solar system.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2009

Cosmology from the Highly-Redshifted 21 cm Line

One of the next decade's most exciting prospects is to explore the cosmic "dark ages," during which the first stars in the Universe formed, with the 21 cm line of neutral hydrogen. At z>6, this light redshifts into the low-frequency radio regime and can be observed with new generations of wide-field arrays. These experiments have the potential to observe enormous volumes and to improve both cosmological and astrophysical constraints dramatically. In this white paper, we describe how the next decade will see the first steps toward unlocking this potential, allowing us to answer two key questions about the fundamental physics of our Universe and the intergalactic medium: Does the standard cosmological model describe the Universe during the "dark ages?" How did the intergalactic medium evolve during this important time, ending with the reionization of hydrogen?

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Astrophysics from the Highly-Redshifted 21 cm Line

The cosmic dark ages and the epoch of reionization, during which the first generations of stars and galaxies formed, are among the most compelling frontiers of extragalactic astrophysics and cosmology. Here we describe an exciting new probe of these eras: the 21 cm line of neutral hydrogen, which will allow us to map the neutral intergalactic medium throughout the era of first galaxy formation. In this white paper, we describe how these studies can answer two key questions about galaxy formation: What were the properties of high-redshift galaxies? How did they affect the Universe around them?

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2000

Simulated Cluster Archive: A Computational Catalog of X-Ray Clusters in a Lambda-CDM Universe

We have simulated the evolution of a large sample of X-ray clusters in a Lambda-CDM universe at high spatial resolution using adaptive mesh refinement and placed the results in an online archive for public access. The Simulated Cluster Archive website http://sca.ncsa.uiuc.edu provides tools for interactive 2D and 3D analysis of gas and dark matter fields, X-ray and SZ imaging, and data export. We encourage community use and solicit their feedback.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

Cluster Winds Blow along Supercluster Axes

Within Abell galaxy clusters containing wide-angle tailed radio sources, there is evidence of a ``prevailing wind'' which directs the WAT jets. We study the alignment of WAT jets and nearby clusters to test the idea that this wind may be a fossil of drainage along large-scale supercluster axes. We also test this idea with a study of the alignment of WAT jets and supercluster axes. Statistical test neighbours indicate no alignment of WAT jets towards nearest clusters, but do indicate approximately 98% confidence in alignment with the long axis of the supercluster in which the cluster lies. We find a preferred scale for such superclusters of order 25 Mpc $h^{-1}$.

astro-ph↗