arXiv subjects

N. Dalal

Publications and source records attributed to N. Dalal.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Magnetic field simulations and measurements on the mini-ICAL detector

The ICAL (Iron Calorimeter) is a 51 kTon magnetized detector proposed by the INO collaboration. It is designed to detect muons with energies in the 1-20 GeV range. A magnetic field of about 1.5 T in the ICAL detector will be generated by passing a DC current through suitable copper coils. This will enable it to distinguish between muons and anti-muons that will be generated from the interaction of atmospheric muon neutrinos and anti-neutrinos with iron. This will help in resolving the open question of mass ordering in the neutrino sector. Apart from charge identification, the magnetic field will be used to reconstruct the muon momentum (direction and magnitude). Therefore it is important to know the magnetic field in the detector as accurately as possible. We present here an (indirect) measurement of the magnetic field in the 85 ton prototype mini-ICAL detector working in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, for different coil currents. A detailed 3-D finite element simulation was done for the mini-ICAL geometry using Infolytica MagNet software and the magnetic field was computed for different coil currents. This paper presents, for the first time, a comparison of the magnetic field measured in the air gaps with the simulated magnetic field, to validate the simulation using real time data. Using the simulations the magnetic field inside the iron is estimated.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2022

Magnetic field measurements on the mini-ICAL detector using Hall probes

The magnetised 51 kton Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector proposed to be built at INO is designed with a focus on detecting 1-20 GeV muons. The magnetic field will enable the measurement of the momentum of the $μ^-$ and $μ^+$ generated from the charge current interactions of $ν_μ$ and $\barν_μ$ separately within iron in the detector, thus permitting the determination of the neutrino mass ordering/hierarchy, among other important goals of ICAL. Hence it is important to determine the magnetic field as accurately as possible. The mini-ICAL detector is an 85-ton prototype of ICAL, which is operational at Madurai in South India. We describe here the first measurement of the magnetic field in mini-ICAL using Hall sensor PCBs. A set-up developed to calibrate the Hall probe sensors using an electromagnet. The readout system has been designed using an Arduino Nano board for selection of channels of Hall probes mounted on the PCB and to convert the analog voltage to a digital output. The magnetic field has been measured in the small gaps (provided for the purpose) between iron plates in the top layer of mini-ICAL as well as in the air just outside the detector. A precision of better than 3% was obtained, with a sensitivity down to about 0.03 kGauss when measuring the small fringe fields outside the detector.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

Quantum dynamics of Mn$^{2+}$ in dimethylammonium magnesium formate

Dimethylammonium magnesium formate, [(CH$_3$)$_2$NH$_2$][Mg(HCOO)$_3$] or DMAMgF, is a model to study high temperature hybrid perovskite-like dielectrics. This compound displays a phase transition from para to ferroelectric at about 260~K. Using multifrequency electron spin resonance in continuous wave and pulsed modes, we herein present the quantum dynamic of Mn$^{2+}$ ion probe in DMAMgF. In the high temperature paraelectric phase, we observe a large distribution of the zero field splitting that is attributed to high local disorder and further supported by DFT computations. In the low temperature ferroelectric phase, a single structure phase is detected and shown to contain two magnetic structures. The complex EPR signals were identifed by the means of Rabi oscillation method combined to crystal fields kernel density estimation.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Distance Probes of Dark Energy

This document presents the results from the Distances subgroup of the Cosmic Frontier Community Planning Study (Snowmass 2013). We summarize the current state of the field as well as future prospects and challenges. In addition to the established probes using Type IA supernovae and baryon acoustic oscillations, we also consider prospective methods based on clusters, active galactic nuclei, gravitational wave sirens and strong lensing time delays.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Non-Gaussianity as a Probe of the Physics of the Primordial Universe and the Astrophysics of the Low Redshift Universe

A new and powerful probe of the origin and evolution of structures in the Universe has emerged and been actively developed over the last decade. In the coming decade, non-Gaussianity, i.e., the study of non-Gaussian contributions to the correlations of cosmological fluctuations, will become an important probe of both the early and the late Universe. Specifically, it will play a leading role in furthering our understanding of two fundamental aspects of cosmology and astrophysics: (i) the physics of the very early universe that created the primordial seeds for large-scale structures, and (ii) the subsequent growth of structures via gravitational instability and gas physics at later times. To date, observations of fluctuations in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe (LSS) have focused largely on the Gaussian contribution as measured by the two-point correlations (or the power spectrum) of density fluctuations. However, an even greater amount of information is contained in non-Gaussianity and a large discovery space therefore still remains to be explored. Many observational probes can be used to measure non-Gaussianity, including CMB, LSS, gravitational lensing, Lyman-alpha forest, 21-cm fluctuations, and the abundance of rare objects such as clusters of galaxies and high-redshift galaxies. Not only does the study of non-Gaussianity maximize the science return from a plethora of present and future cosmological experiments and observations, but it also carries great potential for important discoveries in the coming decade.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Dark Matter Structures in the Universe: Prospects for Optical Astronomy in the Next Decade

The Cold Dark Matter theory of gravitationally-driven hierarchical structure formation has earned its status as a paradigm by explaining the distribution of matter over large spans of cosmic distance and time. However, its central tenet, that most of the matter in the universe is dark and exotic, is still unproven; the dark matter hypothesis is sufficiently audacious as to continue to warrant a diverse battery of tests. While local searches for dark matter particles or their annihilation signals could prove the existence of the substance itself, studies of cosmological dark matter in situ are vital to fully understand its role in structure formation and evolution. We argue that gravitational lensing provides the cleanest and farthest-reaching probe of dark matter in the universe, which can be combined with other observational techniques to answer the most challenging and exciting questions that will drive the subject in the next decade: What is the distribution of mass on sub-galactic scales? How do galaxy disks form and bulges grow in dark matter halos? How accurate are CDM predictions of halo structure? Can we distinguish between a need for a new substance (dark matter) and a need for new physics (departures from General Relativity)? What is the dark matter made of anyway? We propose that the central tool in this program should be a wide-field optical imaging survey, whose true value is realized with support in the form of high-resolution, cadenced optical/infra-red imaging, and massive-throughput optical spectroscopy.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

The MACHO Project HST Follow-Up: The Large Magellanic Cloud Microlensing Source Stars

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFPC2 photometry of 13 microlensed source stars from the 5.7 year Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) survey conducted by the MACHO Project. The microlensing source stars are identified by deriving accurate centroids in the ground-based MACHO images using difference image analysis (DIA) and then transforming the DIA coordinates to the HST frame. None of these sources is coincident with a background galaxy, which rules out the possibility that the MACHO LMC microlensing sample is contaminated with misidentified supernovae or AGN in galaxies behind the LMC. This supports the conclusion that the MACHO LMC microlensing sample has only a small amount of contamination due to non-microlensing forms of variability. We compare the WFPC2 source star magnitudes with the lensed flux predictions derived from microlensing fits to the light curve data. In most cases the source star brightness is accurately predicted. Finally, we develop a statistic which constrains the location of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) microlensing source stars with respect to the distributions of stars and dust in the LMC and compare this to the predictions of various models of LMC microlensing. This test excludes at > 90% confidence level models where more than 80% of the source stars lie behind the LMC. Exotic models that attempt to explain the excess LMC microlensing optical depth seen by MACHO with a population of background sources are disfavored or excluded by this test. Models in which most of the lenses reside in a halo or spheroid distribution associated with either the Milky Way or the LMC are consistent which these data, but LMC halo or spheroid models are favored by the combined MACHO and EROS microlensing results.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2003

Tests for Substructure in Gravitational Lenses

The flux anomalies in four-image gravitational lenses can be interpreted as evidence for the dark matter substructure predicted by cold dark matter (CDM) halo models. In principle, these flux anomalies could arise from alternate sources such as absorption, scattering or scintillation by the interstellar medium (ISM) of the lens galaxy, problems in the ellipsoidal macro models used to fit lens systems, or stellar microlensing. We apply several tests to the data that appear to rule out these alternate explanations. First, the radio flux anomalies show no significant dependence on wavelength, as would be expected for almost any propagation effect in the ISM or microlensing by the stars. Second, the flux anomaly distributions show the characteristic demagnifications of the brightest saddle point relative to the other images expected for low optical depth substructure, which cannot be mimicked by either the ISM or problems in the macro models. Microlensing by stars also cannot reproduce the suppression of the bright saddle points if the radio source sizes are consistent with the Compton limit for their angular sizes. Third, while it is possible to change the smooth lens models to fit the flux anomalies in some systems, we can rule out the necessary changes in all systems where we have additional lens constraints to check the models. Moreover, the parameters of these models are inconsistent with our present observations and expectations for the structure of galaxies. We conclude that low-mass halos remain the best explanation of the phenomenon.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

CDM Substructure in Gravitational Lenses: Tests and Results

We use a simple statistical test to show that the anomalous flux ratios observed in gravitational lenses are created by gravitational perturbations from substructure rather than propagation effects in the interstellar medium or incomplete models for the gravitational potential of the lens galaxy. We review current estimates that the substructure represents between 0.6% and 7% (90% confidence) of the lens galaxy mass, and outline future observational programs which can improve the results.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Direct Detection of CDM Substructure

We devise a method to measure the abundance of satellite halos in gravitational lens galaxies, and apply our method to a sample of 7 lens systems. After using Monte Carlo simulations to verify the method, we find that substructure comprises fraction f=0.02 (median, 0.006<f<0.07 at 90% confidence) of the mass of typical lens galaxies, in excellent agreement with predictions of CDM simulations. We estimate a characteristic critical radius for the satellites of 0.0001<b/arcsec<0.006 (90% confidence). For a satellite mass function of dn/dM M^x with x=-1.8 and M_l<M<M_h, the critical radius provides an estimate that the upper mass limit is 10^6Msun < M_h < 10^9Msun. Our measurement confirms a generic prediction of CDM models, and may obviate the need to invoke alternatives to CDM like warm dark matter or self-interacting dark matter.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Detection of CDM Substructure

The properties of multiple image gravitational lenses require a fractional surface mass density in satellites of f=0.02 (0.006 < f < 0.07 at 90% confidence) that is consistent with the expectations for CDM. The characteristic satellite mass scale, 10^6-10^9 Msun, is also consistent with the expectations for CDM. The agreement between the observed and expected density of CDM substructure shows that most low mass galactic satellites fail to form stars, and this absence of star formation explains the discrepancy between the number of observed Galactic satellites and CDM predictions rather than any modification to the CDM theory such as self-interacting dark matter or a warm dark matter component.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Quadratic transverse anisotropy term due to dislocations in Mn12-Ac directly obtained by EPR spectroscopy

High-Sensitivity Electron Paramagnetic Resonance experiments have been carried out in fresh and stressed Mn12-Acetate single crystals for frequencies ranging from 40 GHz up to 110 GHz. The high number of crystal dislocations formed in the stressing process introduces a E(S_x^2-S_y^2) transverse anisotropy term in the spin hamiltonian. From the behaviour of the resonant absorptions on the applied transverse magnetic field we have obtained an average value for E = 22 mK, corresponding to a concentration of dislocations per unit cell of c = 10^-3.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2001

The MACHO Project LMC Variable Star Inventory: X. The R Coronae Borealis Stars

We report the discovery of eight new R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using the MACHO project photometry database. The discovery of these new stars increases the number of known RCB stars in the LMC to thirteen. We have also discovered four stars similar to the Galactic variable DY Per. These stars decline much more slowly and are cooler than the RCB stars. The absolute luminosities of the Galactic RCB stars are unknown since there is no direct measurement of the distance to any Galactic RCB star. Hence, the importance of the LMC RCB stars. We find a much larger range of absolute magnitudes (M(V) = -2.5 to -5 mag) than inferred from the small pre-MACHO sample of LMC RCB stars. It is likely that there is a temperature - M(V)relationship with the cooler stars being intrinsically fainter. Cool (~5000 K) RCB stars are much more common than previously thought based on the Galactic RCB star sample. Using the fairly complete sample of RCB stars discovered in the MACHO fields, we have estimated the likely number of RCB stars in the Galaxy to be ~3,200. The SMC MACHO fields were also searched for RCB stars but none were found.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

The MACHO Project Hubble Space Telescope Follow-Up: Preliminary Results on the Location of the Large Magellanic Cloud Microlensing Source Stars

We attempt to determine whether the MACHO microlensing source stars are drawn from the average population of the LMC or from a population behind the LMC by examining the HST color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of microlensing source stars. We present WFPC2 HST photometry of eight MACHO microlensing source stars and the surrounding fields in the LMC. The microlensing source stars are identified by deriving accurate centroids in the ground-based MACHO images using difference image analysis (DIA) and then transforming the DIA coordinates to the HST frame. We consider in detail a model for the background population of source stars based on that presented by Zhao, Graff & Guhathakurta. In this model, the source stars have an additional reddening = 0.13 mag and a slightly larger distance modulus ~ 0.3 mag than the average LMC population. We also investigate a series of source star models, varying the relative fraction of source stars drawn from the average and background populations and the displacement of the background population from the LMC. Due to the small number of analyzed events the distribution of probabilities of different models is rather flat. A shallow maximum occurs at a fraction s_LMC ~ 0.8 of the source stars in the LMC. This is consistent with the interpretation that a significant fraction of observed microlensing events are due to lenses in the Milky Way halo, but does not definitively exclude other models.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

MACHO Project Limits on Black Hole Dark Matter in the 1-30 Solar Mass Range

We report on a search for long duration microlensing events towards the Large Magellanic Cloud. We find none, and therefore put limits on the contribution of high mass objects to the Galactic dark matter. At 95% confidence level we exclude objects in the mass range 0.3 solar masses to 30.0 solar masses from contributing more than 4 times 10^11 solar masses to the Galactic halo. Combined with earlier results, this means that objects with masses under 30 solar masses cannot make up the entire dark matter halo if the halo is of typical size. For a typical dark halo, objects with masses under 10 solar masses contribute less than 40% of the dark matter.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

High frequency resonant experiments in Fe$_8$ molecular clusters

Precise resonant experiments on Fe$_{8}$ magnetic clusters have been conducted down to 1.2 K at various tranverse magnetic fields, using a cylindrical resonator cavity with 40 different frequencies between 37 GHz and 110 GHz. All the observed resonances for both single crystal and oriented powder, have been fitted by the eigenstates of the hamiltonian ${\cal H}=-DS_z^2+ES_x^2-gμ_B{\bf H}\cdot {\bf S}$. We have identified the resonances corresponding to the coherent quantum oscillations for different orientations of spin S = 10.

cond-mat↗

arXiv2000

The MACHO Project: Microlensing Results from 5.7 Years of LMC Observations

We report on our search for microlensing towards the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Analysis of 5.7 years of photometry on 11.9 million stars in the LMC reveals 13 - 17 microlensing events. This is significantly more than the $\sim$ 2 to 4 events expected from lensing by known stellar populations. The timescales ($\that$) of the events range from 34 to 230 days. We estimate the microlensing optical depth towards the LMC from events with $2 < \that < 400$ days to be 1.2 ^{+0.4}_ {-0.3} \ten{-7}$, with an additional 20% to 30% of systematic error. The spatial distribution of events is mildly inconsistent with LMC/LMC disk self-lensing, but is consistent with an extended lens distribution such as a Milky Way or LMC halo. Interpreted in the context of a Galactic dark matter halo, consisting partially of compact objects, a maximum likelihood analysis gives a MACHO halo fraction of 20% for a typical halo model with a 95% confidence interval of 8% to 50%. A 100% MACHO halo is ruled out at the 95% C.L. for all except our most extreme halo model. Interpreted as a Galactic halo population, the most likely MACHO mass is between $ 0.15 \msun$ and $ 0.9 \msun$, depending on the halo model, and the total mass in MACHOs out to 50 kpc is found to be 9+4-3 10^{10} msun, independent of the halo model. These results are marginally consistent with our previous results, but are lower by about a factor of two. Besides a larger data set, this work also includes an improved efficiency determination, improved likelihood analysis, and more thorough testing of systematic errors, especially with respect to the treatment of potential backgrounds to microlensing, such as supernovae in galaxies behind the LMC. [Abridged]

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

Self-Lensing Models of the LMC

All of the proposed explanations for the microlensing events observed towards the LMC have difficulties. One of these proposed explanations, LMC self-lensing, which invokes ordinary LMC stars as the long sought-after lenses, has recently gained considerable popularity as a possible solution to the microlensing conundrum. In this paper, we carefully examine the set of LMC self-lensing models. In particular, we review the pertinent observations made of the LMC, and show how these observations place limits on such self-lensing models. We find that, given current observational constraints, no purely LMC disk models are capable of producing optical depths as large as that reported in the MACHO collaboration 2-year analysis. Besides pure disk, we also consider alternate geometries, and present a framework which encompasses the previous studies of LMC self-lensing. We discuss which model parameters need to be pushed in order for such models to succeed. For example, like previous workers, we find that an LMC halo geometry may be able to explain the observed events. However, since all known LMC tracer stellar populations exhibit disk-like kinematics, such models will have difficulty being reconciled with observations. For SMC self-lensing, we find predicted optical depths differing from previous results, but more than sufficient to explain all observed SMC microlensing. In contrast, for the LMC we find a self-lensing optical depth contribution between 0.47e-8 and 7.84e-8, with 2.44e-8 being the value for the set of LMC parameters most consistent with current observations.

astro-ph↗