arXiv subjects

Roger Smith

Publications and source records attributed to Roger Smith.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

Initial results from a laboratory emulation of weak gravitational lensing measurements

Weak gravitational lensing observations are a key science driver for the NASA Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST). To validate the performance of the WFIRST infrared detectors, we have performed a laboratory emulation of weak gravitational lensing measurements. Our experiments used a custom precision projector system to image a target mask composed of a grid of pinholes, emulating stellar point sources, onto a 1.7 micron cut-off Teledyne HgCdTe/H2RG detector. We used a 880nm LED illumination source and f/22 pupil stop to produce undersampled point spread functions similar to those expected from WFIRST. We also emulated the WFIRST image reconstruction strategy, using the IMage COMbination (IMCOM) algorithm to derive oversampled images from dithered, undersampled input images. We created shear maps for this data and computed shear correlation functions to mimic a real weak lensing analysis. After removing only 2nd order polynomial fits to the shear maps, we found that the correlation functions could be reduced to O(10^-6). This places a conservative upper limit on the detector-induced bias to the correlation function (under our test conditions). This bias is two orders of magnitude lower than the expected weak lensing signal. Restricted to scales relevant to dark energy analyses (sky separations > 0.5 arcmin), the bias is O(10^-7): comparable to the requirement for future weak lensing missions to avoid biasing cosmological parameter estimates. Our experiment will need to be upgraded and repeated under different configurations to fully characterize the shape measurement performance of WFIRST IR detectors.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2012

Space-quality data from balloon-borne telescopes: the High Altitude Lensing Observatory (HALO)

We present a method for attaining sub-arcsecond pointing stability during sub- orbital balloon flights, as designed for in the High Altitude Lensing Observatory (HALO) concept. The pointing method presented here has the potential to perform near-space quality optical astronomical imaging at 1-2% of the cost of space-based missions. We also discuss an architecture that can achieve sufficient thermomechanical stability to match the pointing stability. This concept is motivated by advances in the development and testing of Ultra Long Duration Balloon (ULDB) flights which promise to allow observation campaigns lasting more than three months. The design incorporates a multi-stage pointing architecture comprising: a gondola coarse azimuth control system, a multi-axis nested gimbal frame structure with arcsecond stability, a telescope de-rotator to eliminate field rotation, and a fine guidance stage consisting of both a telescope mounted angular rate sensor and guide CCDs in the focal plane to drive a fast-steering mirror. We discuss the results of pointing tests together with a preliminary thermo-mechanical analysis required for sub-arcsecond pointing at high altitude. Possible future applications in the areas of wide-field surveys and exoplanet searches are also discussed.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2011

The carpenter and Schur--Horn problems for masas in finite factors

Two classical theorems in matrix theory, due to Schur and Horn, relate the eigenvalues of a self-adjoint matrix to the diagonal entries. These have recently been given a formulation in the setting of operator algebras as the Schur-Horn problem, where matrix algebras and diagonals are replaced respectively by finite factors and maximal abelian self-adjoint subalgebras (masas). There is a special case of the problem, called the carpenter problem, which can be stated as follows: for a masa A in a finite factor M with conditional expectation E_A, can each x in A with 0 <= x <= 1 be expressed as E_A(p) for a projection p in M? In this paper, we investigate these problems for various masas. We give positive solutions for the generator and radial masas in free group factors, and we also solve affirmatively a weaker form of the Schur-Horm problem for the Cartan masa in the hyperfinite factor.

math.OA↗

arXiv2011

PTF10fqs: A Luminous Red Nova in the Spiral Galaxy Messier 99

The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is systematically charting the optical transient and variable sky. A primary science driver of PTF is building a complete inventory of transients in the local Universe (distance less than 200 Mpc). Here, we report the discovery of PTF10fqs, a transient in the luminosity "gap" between novae and supernovae. Located on a spiral arm of Messier 99, PTF 10fqs has a peak luminosity of Mr = -12.3, red color (g-r = 1.0) and is slowly evolving (decayed by 1 mag in 68 days). It has a spectrum dominated by intermediate-width H (930 km/s) and narrow calcium emission lines. The explosion signature (the light curve and spectra) is overall similar to thatof M85OT2006-1, SN2008S, and NGC300OT. The origin of these events is shrouded in mystery and controversy (and in some cases, in dust). PTF10fqs shows some evidence of a broad feature (around 8600A) that may suggest very large velocities (10,000 km/s) in this explosion. Ongoing surveys can be expected to find a few such events per year. Sensitive spectroscopy, infrared monitoring and statistics (e.g. disk versus bulge) will eventually make it possible for astronomers to unravel the nature of these mysterious explosions.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2011

Evidence for an FU Orionis-like Outburst from a Classical T Tauri Star

We present pre- and post-outburst observations of the new FU Orionis-like young stellar object PTF 10qpf (also known as LkHa 188-G4 and HBC 722). Prior to this outburst, LkHa 188-G4 was classified as a classical T Tauri star on the basis of its optical emission-line spectrum superposed on a K8-type photosphere, and its photometric variability. The mid-infrared spectral index of LkHa 188-G4 indicates a Class II-type object. LkHa 188-G4 exhibited a steady rise by ~1 mag over ~11 months starting in Aug. 2009, before a subsequent more abrupt rise of > 3 mag on a time scale of ~2 months. Observations taken during the eruption exhibit the defining characteristics of FU Orionis variables: (i) an increase in brightness by > 4 mag, (ii) a bright optical/near-infrared reflection nebula appeared, (iii) optical spectra are consistent with a G supergiant and dominated by absorption lines, the only exception being Halpha which is characterized by a P Cygni profile, (iv) near-infrared spectra resemble those of late K--M giants/supergiants with enhanced absorption seen in the molecular bands of CO and H_2O, and (v) outflow signatures in H and He are seen in the form of blueshifted absorption profiles. LkHa 188-G4 is the first member of the FU Orionis-like class with a well-sampled optical to mid-infrared spectral energy distribution in the pre-outburst phase. The association of the PTF 10qpf outburst with the previously identified classical T Tauri star LkHa 188-G4 (HBC 722) provides strong evidence that FU Orionis-like eruptions represent periods of enhanced disk accretion and outflow, likely triggered by instabilities in the disk. The early identification of PTF 10qpf as an FU Orionis-like variable will enable detailed photometric and spectroscopic observations during its post-outburst evolution for comparison with other known outbursting objects.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2010

Rapidly Decaying Supernova 2010X: A Candidate ".Ia" Explosion

We present the discovery, photometric and spectroscopic follow-up observations of SN 2010X (PTF 10bhp). This supernova decays exponentially with tau_d=5 days, and rivals the current recordholder in speed, SN 2002bj. SN 2010X peaks at M_r=-17mag and has mean velocities of 10,000 km/s. Our light curve modeling suggests a radioactivity powered event and an ejecta mass of 0.16 Msun. If powered by Nickel, we show that the Nickel mass must be very small (0.02 Msun) and that the supernova quickly becomes optically thin to gamma-rays. Our spectral modeling suggests that SN 2010X and SN 2002bj have similar chemical compositions and that one of Aluminum or Helium is present. If Aluminum is present, we speculate that this may be an accretion induced collapse of an O-Ne-Mg white dwarf. If Helium is present, all observables of SN 2010X are consistent with being a thermonuclear Helium shell detonation on a white dwarf, a ".Ia" explosion. With the 1-day dynamic-cadence experiment on the Palomar Transient Factory, we expect to annually discover a few such events.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

PTF10nvg: An Outbursting Class I Protostar in the Pelican/North American Nebula

During a synoptic survey of the North American Nebula region, the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) detected an optical outburst (dubbed PTF10nvg) associated with the previously unstudied flat or rising spectrum infrared source IRAS 20496+4354. The PTF R-band light curve reveals that PTF10nvg brightened by more than 5 mag during the current outburst, rising to a peak magnitude of R~13.5 in 2010 Sep. Follow-up observations indicate PTF10nvg has undergone a similar ~5 mag brightening in the K band, and possesses a rich emission-line spectrum, including numerous lines commonly assumed to trace mass accretion and outflows. Many of these lines are blueshifted by ~175 km/s from the North American Nebula's rest velocity, suggesting that PTF10nvg is driving an outflow. Optical spectra of PTF10nvg show several TiO/VO bandheads fully in emission, indicating the presence of an unusual amount of dense (> 10^10 cm^-3), warm (1500-4000 K) circumstellar material. Near-infrared spectra of PTF10nvg appear quite similar to a spectrum of McNeil's Nebula/V1647 Ori, a young star which has undergone several brightenings in recent decades, and 06297+1021W, a Class I protostar with a similarly rich near--infrared emission line spectrum. While further monitoring is required to fully understand this event, we conclude that the brightening of PTF10nvg is indicative of enhanced accretion and outflow in this Class-I-type protostellar object, similar to the behavior of V1647 Ori in 2004-2005.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2010

Core-Collapse Supernovae from the Palomar Transient Factory: Indications for a Different Population in Dwarf Galaxies

We use the first compilation of 72 core-collapse supernovae (SNe) from the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) to study their observed subtype distribution in dwarf galaxies compared to giant galaxies. Our sample is the largest single-survey, untargeted, spectroscopically classified, homogeneous collection of core-collapse events ever assembled, spanning a wide host-galaxy luminosity range (down to M_r ~ -14 mag) and including a substantial fraction (>20%) of dwarf (M_r >= -18 mag) hosts. We find more core-collapse SNe in dwarf galaxies than expected and several interesting trends emerge. We use detailed subclassifications of stripped-envelope core-collapse SNe and find that all Type I core-collapse events occurring in dwarf galaxies are either SNe Ib or broad-lined SNe Ic (SNe Ic-BL), while "normal" SNe Ic dominate in giant galaxies. We also see a significant excess of SNe IIb in dwarf hosts. We hypothesize that in lower metallicity hosts, metallicity-driven mass loss is reduced, allowing massive stars that would have appeared as "normal" SNe Ic in metal-rich galaxies to retain some He and H, exploding as Ib/IIb events. At the same time, another mechanism allows some stars to undergo extensive stripping and explode as SNe Ic-BL (and presumably also as long-duration gamma-ray bursts). Our results are still limited by small-number statistics, and our measurements of the observed N(Ib/c)/N(II) number ratio in dwarf and giant hosts (0.25_{-0.15}^{+0.3} and 0.23_{-0.08}^{+0.11}, respectively; 1 sigma uncertainties) are consistent with previous studies and theoretical predictions. As additional PTF data accumulate, more robust statistical analyses will be possible, allowing the evolution of massive stars to be probed via the dwarf-galaxy SN population.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

The Infrared Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) for TMT: Instrument Overview

We present an overview of the design of IRIS, an infrared (0.85 - 2.5 micron) integral field spectrograph and imaging camera for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). With extremely low wavefront error (<30 nm) and on-board wavefront sensors, IRIS will take advantage of the high angular resolution of the narrow field infrared adaptive optics system (NFIRAOS) to dissect the sky at the diffraction limit of the 30-meter aperture. With a primary spectral resolution of 4000 and spatial sampling starting at 4 milliarcseconds, the instrument will create an unparalleled ability to explore high redshift galaxies, the Galactic center, star forming regions and virtually any astrophysical object. This paper summarizes the entire design and basic capabilities. Among the design innovations is the combination of lenslet and slicer integral field units, new 4Kx4k detectors, extremely precise atmospheric dispersion correction, infrared wavefront sensors, and a very large vacuum cryogenic system.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2010

The infrared imaging spectrograph (IRIS) for TMT: on-instrument wavefront sensors and NFIRAOS interface

The InfraRed Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) is a first light client science instrument for the TMT observatory that operates as a client of the NFIRAOS facility multi-conjugate adaptive optics system. This paper reports on the concept study and baseline concept design of the On-Instrument WaveFront Sensors (OIWFS) and NFIRAOS interface subsystems of the IRIS science instrument, a collaborative effort by NRC-HIA, Caltech, and TMT AO and Instrument teams. This includes work on system engineering, structural and thermal design, sky coverage modeling, patrol geometry, probe optics and mechanics design, camera design, and controls design.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2009

Perturbations of nuclear C*-algebras

Kadison and Kastler introduced a natural metric on the collection of all C*-subalgebras of the bounded operators on a separable Hilbert space. They conjectured that sufficiently close algebras are unitarily conjugate. We establish this conjecture when one algebra is separable and nuclear. We also consider one-sided versions of these notions, and we obtain embeddings from certain near inclusions involving separable nuclear C*-algebras. At the end of the paper we demonstrate how our methods lead to improved characterisations of some of the types of algebras that are of current interest in the classification programme.

math.OA↗

arXiv2007

Generators of II_1 Factors

In 2005, Shen introduced a new invariant, $\mathcal G(N)$, of a diffuse von Neumann algebra $N$ with a fixed faithful trace, and he used this invariant to give a unified approach to showing that large classes of ${\mathrm{II}}_1$ factors $M$ are singly generated. This paper focuses on properties of this invariant. We relate $\mathcal G(M)$ to the number of self-adjoint generators of a ${\mathrm{II}}_1$ factor $M$: if $\mathcal G(M) 0$. In particular, if $\mathcal G(\mathcal L\mathbb F_r)>0$ for any particular $r>1$, then the free group factors are pairwise non-isomorphic and are not singly generated for sufficiently large values of $r$. Estimates are given for forming free products and passing to finite index subfactors and the basic construction. We also examine a version of the invariant $\mathcal G_{\text{sa}}(M)$ defined only using self-adjoint operators; this is proved to satisfy $\mathcal G_{\text{sa}}(M)=2\mathcal G(M)$. Finally we give inequalities relating a quantity involved in the calculation of $\mathcal G(M)$ to the free-entropy dimension $δ_0$ of a collection of generators for $M$.

math.OA↗

arXiv2007

The QUEST Large Area CCD Camera

We have designed, constructed and put into operation a very large area CCD camera that covers the field of view of the 1.2 m Samuel Oschin Schmidt Telescope at the Palomar Observatory. The camera consists of 112 CCDs arranged in a mosaic of four rows with 28 CCDs each. The CCDs are 600 x 2400 pixel Sarnoff thinned, back illuminated devices with 13 um x 13 um pixels. The camera covers an area of 4.6 deg x 3.6 deg on the sky with an active area of 9.6 square degrees. This camera has been installed at the prime focus of the telescope, commissioned, and scientific quality observations on the Palomar-QUEST Variability Sky Survey were started in September of 2003. The design considerations, construction features, and performance parameters of this camera are described in this paper.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Strong Singularity of Singular Masas in II_1 Factors

A singular masa $A$ in a $\rm{II}_{1}$ factor $N$ is defined by the property that any unitary $w\in N$ for which $A=wAw^*$ must lie in $A$. A strongly singular masa $A$ is one that satisfies the inequality $$\| E_A- E_{wAw^*}\|_{\infty,2}\geq\|w- E_A(w)\|_2$$ for all unitaries $w\in N$, where $E_A$ is the conditional expectation of $N$ onto $A$, and $\|\cdot\|_{\infty,2}$ is defined for bounded maps $ϕ:N\to N$ by $\sup\{\|ϕ(x)\|_2:x\in N, \|x\|\leq 1\}$. Strong singularity easily implies singularity, and the main result of this paper shows the reverse implication.

math.OA↗

arXiv2005

Values of the Pukanszky invariant in free group factors and the hyperfinite factor

Let A be a maximal abelian self-adjoint subalgebra (masa) in a type II_1 factor M acting via standard representation on L^2(M). The abelian von Neumann algebra A generated by A and JAJ has a type I commutant which contains the projection e_A from L^2(M) onto L^2(A). Then A'(1-e_A) decomposes into a direct sum of type I_n algebras for n in {1,2,...,\infty}, and those n's which occur in the direct sum form a set called the Pukanszky invariant, Puk(A), also denoted Puk_M(A) when the containing factor is ambiguous. In this paper we show that this invariant can take on the values S\cup {\infty} when M is both a free group factor and the hyperfinite factor, and where S is an arbitrary subset of the natural numbers. The only previously known values for masas in free group factors were {\infty} and {1,\infty}, and some values of the form S\cup {\infty} are new also for the hyperfinite factor. We also consider a more refined invariant (that we will call the measure-multiplicity invariant), which was considered recently by Neshveyev and Stormer and has been known to experts for a long time. We use the measure-multiplicity invariant to distinguish two masas in a free group factor, both having Pukanszky invariant {n,\infty}, for an arbitrary natural number n.

math.OA↗

arXiv2005

Perturbations of Subalgebras of Type ${\rm {II}}_1$ Factors

We consider two von Neumann subalgebras $\cl B_0$ and $\cl B$ of a type ${\rm{II}}_1$ factor $\cl N$. For a map $ϕ$ on $\cl N$, we define \[\|ϕ\|_{\infty,2}=\sup\{\|ϕ(x)\|_2\colon \|x\| \leq 1\},\] and we measure the distance between $\cl B_0$ and $\cl B$ by the quantity $\|{\bb E}_{\cl B_0}-{\bb E}_{\cl B}\|_{\infty,2}$. Under the hypothesis that the relative commutant in $\cl N$ of each algebra is equal to its center, we prove that close subalgebras have large compressions which are spatially isomorphic by a partial isometry close to 1 in the $\|\cdot \|_2$--norm. This hypothesis is satisfied, in particular, by masas and subfactors of trivial relative commutant. A general version with a slightly weaker conclusion is also proved. As a consequence, we show that if $\cl A$ is a masa and $u\in\cl N$ is a unitary such that $\cl A$ and $u\cl Au^*$ are close, then $u$ must be close to a unitary which normalizes $\cl A$. These qualitative statements are given quantitative formulations in the paper.

math.OA↗

arXiv2004

Hochschild Cohomology of Factors with Property $Γ$

The main result of this paper is that the k^{\rm th} continuous Hochschild cohomology groups H^k(\cl M,\cl M) and H^k(\cl M,B(H)) of a von Neumann factor ${\cl M}\subseteq B(H) of type {\rm II}_1 with property Gamma are zero for all positive integers k. The method of proof involves the construction of hyperfinite subfactors with special properties and a new inequality of Grothendieck type for multilinear maps. We prove joint continuity in the $\|\cdot\|_2$-norm of separately ultraweakly continuous multilinear maps, and combine these results to reduce to the case of completely bounded cohomology which is already solved.

math.OA↗

arXiv2001

Approximation Properties for Crossed Products by Actions and Coactions

We investigate approximation properties for $C^*$-algebras and their crossed products by actions and coactions by locally compact groups. We show that Haagerup's approximation constant is preserved for crossed products by arbitrary amenable groups, and we show why this is not always true in the non-amenable case. We also examine similar questions for other forms of the approximation property.

math.OA↗