arXiv subjects

S. Chatterjee

Publications and source records attributed to S. Chatterjee.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Persistent Plasma Waves in Interstellar Space Detected by Voyager 1

In 2012, Voyager 1 became the first in situ probe of the very local interstellar medium. The Voyager 1 Plasma Wave System has given point estimates of the plasma density spanning about 30 astronomical units (au) of interstellar space, revealing a large-scale density gradient and compressive turbulence outside the heliopause. Previous studies of the plasma density relied exclusively on the detection of discrete plasma oscillation events that are triggered ahead of shocks propagating outwards from the Sun, which were used to infer the plasma frequency and hence density. We present the detection of a class of very weak, narrowband plasma wave emission in the Voyager 1 Plasma Wave System data that persists from 2017 onwards and enables a steadily sampled measurement of the interstellar plasma density over about 10 au with an average sampling time of 3 days, or 0.03 au. We find au-scale density fluctuations that trace turbulence in the interstellar medium between episodes of previously detected plasma oscillations. Possible mechanisms for the narrowband emission include thermally excited plasma oscillations and quasi-thermal noise, and could be clarified by new findings from Voyager or a future interstellar mission. The persistence of the emission suggests that Voyager 1 may be able to continue tracking the interstellar plasma density in the absence of shock-generated plasma oscillation events.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

VLA proper motion constraints on the origin, age, and potential magnetar future of PSR J1734$-$3333

The characteristic age of PSR J1734$-$3333 estimated from its current spin down rate implies that it is a young pulsar ($τ_c<10$ kyr). But the time derivative of its spin down rate differs markedly from that assumed for normal radio pulsars, meaning its actual age is uncertain. G354.8$-$0.8 is a supernova remnant (SNR) whose centre is located 21 arcmin away of the pulsar, and with a morphology that suggests an association with the pulsar. We want to assess the likelihood of the association between PSR J1734$-$3333 and G354.8$-$0.8 or other nearby supernova remnants quantitatively, with the objective of shedding light on the real age of this pulsar. Observations with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array were carried out in 2015 and 2019 that allow precise astrometric measurements and consequently a proper motion estimate for the pulsar. The proper motion was found to be $μ_α=10\pm10$ mas yr$^{-1}$ and $μ_δ=-29\pm11$ mas yr$^{-1}$ (error bars are $1$-$σ$). Though marginal, this detection rules out the association with G354.8$-$0.8 because it means the pulsar is not moving away from the centre of the SNR. No SNR consistent with the measured proper motion and an age $\simτ_c$ could be found. We also present the first measurement of the spectral index for this pulsar, $α=-1.1\pm0.3$, measured between $1.5$ and $3.0$ GHz. The SNR produced by the birth supernova of PSR J1734$-$3333 could have already faded to undetectable brightness, for which estimates suggest timescales of $10$-$100$ kyr. This and other considerations lead us to conclude that the pulsar is possibly older than $45$-$100$ kyr. PSR J1734$-$3333 is a pulsar with rotational properties that place it between standard radio pulsars and magnetars, and we interpret our result in the context of a possible future life as a magnetar for this pulsar.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Study of 72 pulsars discovered in the PALFA survey: Timing analysis, glitch activity, emission variability, and a pulsar in an eccentric binary

We present new discoveries and results from long-term timing of 72 pulsars discovered in the Arecibo PALFA survey, including precise determination of astrometric and spin parameters, and flux density and scatter broadening measurements at 1.4 GHz. Notable discoveries include two young pulsars (characteristic ages $\sim$30 kyr) with no apparent supernova remnant associations, three mode changing, 12 nulling and two intermittent pulsars. We detected eight glitches in five pulsars. Among them is PSR J1939+2609, an apparently old pulsar (characteristic age $\sim$1 Gy), and PSR J1954+2529, which likely belongs to a newly-emerging class of binary pulsars. The latter is the only pulsar among the 72 that is clearly not isolated: a non-recycled neutron star with a 931-ms spin period in an eccentric ($e\,=\,0.114$) wide ($P_b\,=\,82.7\,$d) orbit with a companion of undetermined nature having a minimum mass of $\sim0.6\,M_{\odot}$. Since operations at Arecibo ceased in 2020 August, we give a final tally of PALFA sky coverage, and compare its 207 pulsar discoveries to the known population. On average, they are 50% more distant than other Galactic plane radio pulsars; PALFA millisecond pulsars (MSP) have twice the dispersion measure per unit spin period than the known population of MSP in the Plane. The four intermittent pulsars discovered by PALFA more than double the population of such objects, which should help to improve our understanding of pulsar magnetosphere physics. The statistics for these, RRATS, and nulling pulsars suggest that there are many more of these objects in the Galaxy than was previously thought.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

A bimodal burst energy distribution of a repeating fast radio burst source

The event rate, energy distribution, and time-domain behaviour of repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs) contains essential information regarding their physical nature and central engine, which are as yet unknown. As the first precisely-localized source, FRB 121102 has been extensively observed and shows non-Poisson clustering of bursts over time and a power-law energy distribution. However, the extent of the energy distribution towards the fainter end was not known. Here we report the detection of 1652 independent bursts with a peak burst rate of 122~hr^{-1}, in 59.5 hours spanning 47 days. A peak in the isotropic equivalent energy distribution is found to be ~4.8 x 10^{37} erg at 1.25~GHz, below which the detection of bursts is suppressed. The burst energy distribution is bimodal, and well characterized by a combination of a log-normal function and a generalized Cauchy function. The large number of bursts in hour-long spans allow sensitive periodicity searches between 1 ms and 1000 s. The non-detection of any periodicity or quasi-periodicity poses challenges for models involving a single rotating compact object. The high burst rate also implies that FRBs must be generated with a high radiative efficiency, disfavoring emission mechanisms with large energy requirements or contrived triggering conditions.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

An In Situ Study of Turbulence Near Stellar Bow Shocks

Stellar bow shocks are observed in a variety of interstellar environments and are shaped by the conditions of gas in the interstellar medium (ISM). In situ measurements of turbulent density fluctuations near stellar bow shocks are only achievable with a few observational probes, including H$α$ emitting bow shocks and the Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM). In this paper, we examine density variations around the Guitar Nebula, an H$α$ bow shock associated with PSR B2224$+$65, in tandem with density variations probed by VIM near the boundary of the solar wind and ISM. High-resolution Hubble Space Telescope observations of the Guitar Nebula taken between 1994 and 2006 trace density variations over scales from 100s to 1000s of au, while VIM density measurements made with the Voyager 1 Plasma Wave System constrain variations from 1000s of meters to 10s of au. The power spectrum of density fluctuations constrains the amplitude of the turbulence wavenumber spectrum near the Guitar Nebula to ${\rm log}_{10}C_{\rm n}^2 = -0.8\pm0.2$ m$^{-20/3}$ and for the very local ISM probed by Voyager ${\rm log}_{10}C_{\rm n}^2 = -1.57\pm0.02$ m$^{-20/3}$. Spectral amplitudes obtained from multi-epoch observations of four other H$α$ bow shocks also show significant enhancements in $C_{\rm n}^2$ from values that are considered typical for the diffuse, warm ionized medium, suggesting that density fluctuations near these bow shocks may be amplified by shock interactions with the surrounding medium, or by selection effects that favor H$α$ emission from bow shocks embedded in denser media.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

A new technique of linseed oil coating in bakelite RPC and the first test results

Single gap Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) is one of the very popular gaseous detectors used in high-energy physics experiments nowadays. It is a very fast detector having low cost of fabrication. The RPCs are usually built using glass or bakelite plates having high resistivity $\sim~10^{10}-10^{11}$ $Ω$~cm. Bakelite RPCs are generally fabricated with a linseed oil coating inside to make the inner electrode surface smoother which helps to reduce the micro discharge probability. Linseed oil coating also reduces the surface UV sensitivity dramatically and effectively protect the bakelite surfaces from the Hydrofluoric Acid (HF), produced by the interaction of fluorine with the water vapour. There is a conventional way to do this linseed oil coating after making the gas gap as done in experiments $e.g.$ ALICE, CMS etc. A new technique is introduced here to do the linseed oil coating on the bakelite plate before making the gas gap. 100\% Tetrafluoroethane (C$_2$H$_2$F$_4$) gas is used to test the RPC module in the avalanche mode with cosmic rays. Conventional NIM electronics is used for this study. The efficiency and noise rate are measured. In this article, the detailed method of fabrication and the first test results are presented.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

Commissioning and testing of pre-series triple GEM prototypes for CBM-MuCh in the mCBM experiment at the SIS18 facility of GSI

Large area triple GEM chambers will be employed in the first two stations of the MuCh system of the CBM experiment at the upcoming Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research FAIR in Darmstadt/Germany. The GEM detectors have been designed to take data at an unprecedented interaction rate (up to 10 MHz) in nucleus-nucleus collisions in CBM at FAIR. Real-size trapezoidal modules have been installed in the mCBM experiment and tested in nucleus-nucleus collisions at the SIS18 beamline of GSI as a part of the FAIR Phase-0 program. In this report, we discuss the design, installation, commissioning, and response of these GEM modules in detail. The response has been studied using the free-streaming readout electronics designed for the CBM-MuCh and CBM-STS detector system. In free-streaming data, the first attempt on an event building based on the timestamps of hits has been carried out, resulting in the observation of clear spatial correlations between the GEM modules in the mCBM setup for the first time. Accordingly, a time resolution of $\sim$15\,ns have been obtained for the GEM detectors.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

Sb concentration dependent Structural and Transport properties of Polycrystalline (Bi1-xSbx)2Te3 Mixed crystal

(Bi1-xSbx)2Te3 (x=0.60, 0.65, 0.68, 0.70, 0.75 and 0.80) mixed crystals have been synthesized by solid state reaction. In depth structural, thermal, transport and electronic properties are reported. Defect and disorder play a crucial role in structural and transport behaviour. Disorder induced iso-structural phase transition is observed at x=0.70, which is supported by the structural and transport properties data. Debye temperature has been estimated from the powder diffraction data. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data confirms the glass transition in the material. Low temperature resistivity data shows Variable range hopping mechanism whereas high temperature data follows activated behaviour. Activation energy is calculated from the semiconducting region of resistivity data. Both Hall measurement and temperature dependent thermopower data (S(T)) confirms that samples are p-type in nature. Density of state effective mass has been estimated from Pisarenko relation and corroborated with resistivity data. Thermal conductivity (k) is estimated using experimentally obtained data. Figure of Merit (ZT) of the synthesized samples are calculated using resistivity, S(T) and k. Structural and transport properties are correlated, confirms the transition from disorder to order state. Defect and disorder are corroborated with structural and Thermoelectric properties of the synthesized samples.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2021

Accelerating Universe in Higher Dimensional Space Time : an alternative approach

We have discussed here a higher dimensional cosmological model and explained the recent acceleration with a Chaplygin type of gas. Dimensional reduction of extra space is possible in this case. Our solutions are general in nature because all the well known results of 4D Chaplygin driven cosmology are recovered when $d = 0$. We have drawn the best fit graph using the data obtained by the differential age method (CC) and it is seen that the graph favours only one extra dimension. That means the Chaplygin gas is apparently dominated by a 5D world. Relevant to point out that the final equation in this case are highly nonlinear in nature. Naturally it is not possible to obtain explicit solution of the 4D scale factor with time. To circumvent this difficulty, we consider a first order approximation of the key equation which has made it possible to get time explicit solution of 4D scale factor in exact form as well as the expression of extra dimensions. It may be pointed out that for large four dimensional scale factor this solution mimics $Λ$CDM model. An analysis of flip time is also studied both analytically and graphically in some detail. It clearly shows that early \emph{flip} occurs for higher dimensions. It is also seen that the rate of dimensional reduction is faster for higher dimensions. So we may conclude that the effect of compactification of extra dimension helps the acceleration.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Spark probability measurement of a single mask triple GEM detector

Triple Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors will be used as a tracking device in the first two stations of CBM MUon CHamber (MUCH), where the maximum particle rate is expected to reach ~1 MHz/cm2 for central Au-Au collisions at 8 AGeV. Therefore, the stable operation of the detector is very important. Discharge probability has been measured of a single mask triple GEM detector at the CERN SPS/H4 beam-line facility with a pion beam of ~150 GeV/c and also in an environment of highly ionizing shower particles. The spark probability as a function of gain has been studied for different particle rates. The details of the experimental setup, method of spark identification and results are presented in this paper.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

Study of charging-up effect for a single mask triple GEM detector

With the advancement of the accelerator systems and the requirements of high luminosity particle beams to reach different physics goals, detectors with good position resolution and high rate handling capability have become essential for designing any High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments. The Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors are widely used in many HEP experiments as a tracking device because of their good spatial resolution and rate handling capability. The presence of the dielectric medium inside the active volume of the GEM detector changes its behaviour when exposed to external radiation. This mechanism is commonly referred as the charging-up effect. In this article, the effect of the charging-up phenomenon and the initial polarisation effect of the dielectric on the gain of the chamber are reported for a single mask triple GEM chamber with Ar/CO2 gas mixture.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

Development and implementation of a time-based signal generation scheme for the Muon Chamber simulation of the CBM experiment at FAIR

The Compressed Baryonic Matter~(CBM) experiment in the upcoming Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research~(FAIR), designed to take data in nuclear collisions at very high interaction rates of up to 10 MHz, will employ a free-streaming data acquisition with self-triggered readout electronics, without any hardware trigger. A simulation framework with a realistic digitization of the detectors in the muon chamber (MuCh) subsystem in CBM has been developed to provide a realistic simulation of the time-stamped data stream. In this article, we describe the implementation of the free-streaming detector simulation and the basic data related effects on the detector with respect to the interaction rate.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

Terahertz Electrodynamics of Mixed-Valent YbAl$_3$ and LuAl$_3$ Thin Films

We present THz measurements of thin films of mixed-valent YbAl$_3$ and its structural analogue LuAl$_3$. Combined with traditional Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, the extended Drude formalism is utilized to study the low-frequency transport of these materials. We find that LuAl$_3$ demonstrates conventional Drude transport whereas at low temperatures YbAl$_3$ demonstrates a sharply renormalized Drude peak and a mid-infrared (MIR) peak in the conductivity, indicative of the formation of a heavy Fermi liquid. In YbAl$_3$ the extended Drude framework shows a consistency of the scattering rate with Fermi-liquid behavior below $T < 40$ K and a moderate mass enhancement. While a $ω^2$ Fermi liquid-like frequency dependence is not clearly exhibited, the temperature dependence of the Drude scattering rate and effective mass is consistent with the formation of a low-temperature moderately heavy Fermi liquid, albeit one with a smaller mass than observed in single crystals. The extended Drude analysis also supports a slow crossover between the Fermi liquid state and the normal state in YbAl$_3$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

A Radio Source Coincident with the Superluminous Supernova PTF10hgi: Evidence for a Central Engine and an Analogue of the Repeating FRB121102?

We present the detection of an unresolved radio source coincident with the position of the Type I superluminous supernova (SLSN) PTF10hgi ($z=0.098$) about 7.5 years post-explosion, with a flux density of $F_ν(6\,\,{\rm GHz)}\approx 47.3\ μJy$ and a luminosity of $L_ν(6\,\,{\rm GHz})\approx 1.1\times 10^{28}$ erg s$^{-1}$ Hz$^{-1}$. This represents the first detection of radio emission coincident with a SLSN on any timescale. We investigate various scenarios for the origin of the radio emission: star formation activity, an active galactic nucleus, and a non-relativistic supernova blastwave. While any of these would be quite novel if confirmed, none appear likely when taken in context of the other properties of the host galaxy, previous radio observations of SLSNe, and the general population of hydrogen-poor SNe. Instead, the radio emission is reminiscent of the quiescent radio source associated with the repeating FRB 121102, which has been argued to be powered by a magnetar born in a SLSN or LGRB explosion several decades ago. We show that the properties of the radio source are consistent with a magnetar wind nebula or an off-axis jet, indicating the presence of a central engine. Our directed search for FRBs from the location of PTF10hgi using 40 min of VLA phased-array data reveals no detections to a limit of $22$ mJy ($10σ$; 10 ms duration). We outline several follow-up observations that can conclusively establish the origin of the radio emission.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Cosmic ray flux and lockdown due to COVID19 in Kolkata -- any correlation?

Cosmic ray muon flux is measured by the coincidence technique using plastic scintillation detectors in the High Energy Physics detector laboratory at Bose Institute, Kolkata. Due to the COVID19 outbreak and nationwide complete lockdown, the laboratory was closed from the end of March 2020 till the end of May 2020. After lockdown, although the city is not in its normal state, we still were able to take data on some days. The lockdown imposed a strict restriction on the transport service other than the emergency ones and also most of the industries were shut down in and around the city. This lockdown has significant effect on the atmospheric conditions in terms of change in the concentration of air pollutants. We have measured the cosmic ray flux before and after the lockdown to observe the apparent change if any due to change in the atmospheric conditions. In this article, we report the measured cosmic ray flux at Kolkata (22.58$^{\circ}$N 88.42$^{\circ}$E and 11~m Above Sea Level) along with the major air pollutants present in the atmosphere before and after the lockdown.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2020

The Chandra Deep Wide-Field Survey: A New Chandra Legacy Survey in the Boötes Field I. X-ray Point Source Catalog, Number Counts and Multi-Wavelength Counterparts

We present a new, ambitious survey performed with the Chandra X-ray Observatory of the 9.3 deg$^2$ Boötes field of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey. The wide field probes a statistically representative volume of the Universe at high redshift. The Chandra Deep Wide-Field Survey exploits the excellent sensitivity and angular resolution of Chandra over a wide area, combining 281 observations spanning 15 years, for a total exposure time of 3.4 Ms, and detects 6891 X-ray point sources down to limiting fluxes of $4.7\times10^{-16}$, $1.5\times10^{-16}$, and $9\times10^{-16}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, in the $0.5-7$ keV, $0.5-2$ keV, and $2-7$ keV bands, respectively. The robustness and reliability of the detection strategy is validated through extensive, state-of-the-art simulations of the whole field. Accurate number counts, in good agreement with previous X-ray surveys, are derived thanks to the uniquely large number of point sources detected, which resolve $65.0 \pm 12.8\%$ of the cosmic X-ray background between $0.5-2$ keV and $81.0 \pm 11.5\%$ between $2-7$ keV. Exploiting the wealth of multi-wavelength data available on the field, we assign redshifts to $\sim 94\%$ of the X-ray sources, estimate their obscuration and derive absorption-corrected luminosities. We provide an electronic catalog containing all the relevant quantities needed for future investigations.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

First Observation of Multiple Transverse Wobbling Bands of Different Kinds in $^{183}$Au

We report the first observation of two wobbling bands in $^{183}$Au, both of which were interpreted as the transverse wobbling (TW) band but with different behavior of their wobbling energies as a function of spin. It increases (decreases) with spin for the positive (negative) parity configuration. The crucial evidence for the wobbling nature of the bands, dominance of the $E2$ component in the $ΔI = 1$ transitions between the partner bands, is provided by the simultaneous measurements of directional correlation from the oriented states (DCO) ratio and the linear polarization of the $γ$ rays. Particle rotor model calculations with triaxial deformation reproduce the experimental data well. A value of spin, $I_m$, has been determined for the observed TW bands below which the wobbling energy increases and above which it decreases with spin. The nucleus $^{183}$Au is, so far, the only nucleus in which both the increasing and the decreasing parts are observed and thus gives the experimental evidence of the complete transverse wobbling phenomenon.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2020

A magnetar parallax

XTE J1810-197 (J1810) was the first magnetar identified to emit radio pulses, and has been extensively studied during a radio-bright phase in 2003$-$2008. It is estimated to be relatively nearby compared to other Galactic magnetars, and provides a useful prototype for the physics of high magnetic fields, magnetar velocities, and the plausible connection to extragalactic fast radio bursts. Upon the re-brightening of the magnetar at radio wavelengths in late 2018, we resumed an astrometric campaign on J1810 with the Very Long Baseline Array, and sampled 14 new positions of J1810 over 1.3 years. The phase calibration for the new observations was performed with two phase calibrators that are quasi-colinear on the sky with J1810, enabling substantial improvement of the resultant astrometric precision. Combining our new observations with two archival observations from 2006, we have refined the proper motion and reference position of the magnetar and have measured its annual geometric parallax, the first such measurement for a magnetar. The parallax of $0.40\pm0.05\,$mas corresponds to a most probable distance $2.5^{+0.4}_{-0.3}\,$kpc for J1810. Our new astrometric results confirm an unremarkable transverse peculiar velocity of $\approx200\,\mathrm{km~s^{-1}}$ for J1810, which is only at the average level among the pulsar population. The magnetar proper motion vector points back to the central region of a supernova remnant (SNR) at a compatible distance at $\approx70\,$kyr ago, but a direct association is disfavored by the estimated SNR age of ~3 kyr.

astro-ph.IM↗