arXiv subjects

W. Liu

Publications and source records attributed to W. Liu.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Studying the Interstellar Medium and the inner region of NPS/Loop 1 with shadow observations toward MBM36

We analyzed data from a shadow observation of the high density molecular cloud MBM36 (l~4°, b~35°) with Suzaku. MBM36 is located in a region that emits relatively weakly in the 3/4~keV band, compared to the surrounding NPS/Loop 1 structure and the Galactic Bulge. The contrast between a high and low density targets in the MBM36 area allows one to separate the local and distant contributors to the Soft Diffuse X-ray Background, providing a much better characterization of the individual components compared to single pointing observations. We identify two non-local thermal components, one at kT~0.12 keV and one at kT~0.29keV. The colder component matches well with models of emission from the higher latitude region of the Galactic Bulge. The emission of the warmer component is in agreement with models predicting that the NPS is due to a hypershell from the center of the Milky Way. Geometrical and pressure calculations rule out a nearby bubble as responsible for the emission associate with the NPS. Any Galactic Halo/CircumGalactic Halo emission, if present, is outshined by the other components. We also report an excess emission around 0.9~keV, likely due to an overabundance of NeIX.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

Mg II Lines Observed during the X-class Flare on 29 March 2014 by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph

Mg II lines represent one of the strongest emissions from the chromospheric plasma during solar flares. In this article, we studied the Mg II lines observed during the X1 flare on March 29 2014 (SOL2014-03-29T17:48) by IRIS. IRIS detected large intensity enhancements of the Mg II h and k lines, subordinate triplet lines, and several other metallic lines at the flare footpoints during this flare. We have used the advantage of the slit-scanning mode (rastering) of IRIS and performed, for the first time, a detailed analysis of spatial and temporal variations of the spectra. Moreover, we were also able to identify positions of strongest HXR emissions using RHESSI observations and to correlate them with the spatial and temporal evolution of Mg II spectra. The light curves of the Mg II lines increase and peak contemporarily with the HXR emissions but decay more gradually. There are large red asymmetries in the Mg II h and k lines after the flare peak. We see two spatially well separated groups of Mg II line profiles, non-reversed and reversed. In some cases, the Mg II footpoints with reversed profiles are correlated with HXR sources. We show the spatial and temporal behavior of several other line parameters (line metrics) and briefly discuss them. Finally, we have synthesized the Mg II k line using our non-LTE code with the MALI technique. Two kinds of models are considered, the flare model F2 of Machado et al. (1980) and the models of Ricchiazzi and Canfield (1983). Model F2 reproduces the peak intensity of the unreversed Mg II k profile at flare maximum but does not account for high wing intensities. On the other hand, the RC models show the sensitivity of Mg II line intensities to various electron-beam parameters. Our simulations also show that the microturbulence produces a broader line core, while the intense line wings are caused by an enhanced line source function.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Metallic multilayers for X-band Bragg reflector applications

We present a structural and high frequency (8.72GHz) electrical characterization of sputter deposited Ti/W, Ti/Ru and Mo/Ti metallic multilayers for potential application as acoustic Bragg reflectors. We prove that all metallic multilayers comprised of different acoustic impedance metals such as Ti, W, Mo are promising candidates for Bragg reflector/bottom electrode in full X-band thin film acoustic resonators. Values for high frequency resistivity of the order of $10^{-8} ohm.m$ are measured by use of a contact-free/non-invasive sheet resistance method.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Magneto-transport study of top- and back-gated LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterostructures

We report a detailed analysis of magneto-transport properties of top- and back-gated LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterostructures. Efficient modulation in magneto-resistance, carrier density, and mobility of the two-dimensional electron liquid present at the interface is achieved by sweeping top and back gate voltages. Analyzing those changes with respect to the carrier density tuning, we observe that the back gate strongly modifies the electron mobility while the top gate mainly varies the carrier density. The evolution of the spin-orbit interaction is also followed as a function of top and back gating.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Shedding new light on the Sun with the Fermi LAT

During its first six years of operation, the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) has detected >30 MeV gamma-ray emission from more than 40 solar flares, nearly a factor of 10 more than those detected by EGRET. These include detections of impulsive and sustained emissions, extending up to 20 hours in the case of the 2012 March 7 X-class flares. We will present an overview of solar flare detections with LAT, highlighting recent results and surprising features, including the detection of >100 MeV emission associated with flares located behind the limb. Such flares may shed new light on the relationship between the sites of particle acceleration and gamma-ray emission.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2014

Lattice swelling and modulus change in a helium-implanted tungsten alloy: X-ray micro-diffraction, surface acoustic wave measurements, and multiscale modelling

Using X-ray micro-diffraction and surface acoustic wave spectroscopy, we measure lattice swelling and elastic modulus changes in a W-1%Re alloy after implantation with 3110 appm of helium. A fraction of a percent observed lattice expansion gives rise to an order of magnitude larger reduction in the surface acoustic wave velocity. A multiscale elasticity, molecular dynamics, and density functional theory model is applied to the interpretation of observations. The measured lattice swelling is consistent with the relaxation volume of self-interstitial and helium-filled vacancy defects that dominate the helium-implanted material microstructure. Molecular dynamics simulations confirm the elasticity model for swelling. Elastic properties of the implanted surface layer also change due to defects. The reduction of surface acoustic wave velocity predicted by density functional theory calculations agrees remarkably well with experimental observations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Quantification of finite-temperature effects on adsorption geometries of $π$-conjugated molecules

The adsorption structure of the molecular switch azobenzene on Ag(111) is investigated by a combination of normal incidence x-ray standing waves and dispersion-corrected density functional theory. The inclusion of non-local collective substrate response (screening) in the dispersion correction improves the description of dense monolayers of azobenzene, which exhibit a substantial torsion of the molecule. Nevertheless, for a quantitative agreement with experiment explicit consideration of the effect of vibrational mode anharmonicity on the adsorption geometry is crucial.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Multiview Hessian regularized logistic regression for action recognition

With the rapid development of social media sharing, people often need to manage the growing volume of multimedia data such as large scale video classification and annotation, especially to organize those videos containing human activities. Recently, manifold regularized semi-supervised learning (SSL), which explores the intrinsic data probability distribution and then improves the generalization ability with only a small number of labeled data, has emerged as a promising paradigm for semiautomatic video classification. In addition, human action videos often have multi-modal content and different representations. To tackle the above problems, in this paper we propose multiview Hessian regularized logistic regression (mHLR) for human action recognition. Compared with existing work, the advantages of mHLR lie in three folds: (1) mHLR combines multiple Hessian regularization, each of which obtained from a particular representation of instance, to leverage the exploring of local geometry; (2) mHLR naturally handle multi-view instances with multiple representations; (3) mHLR employs a smooth loss function and then can be effectively optimized. We carefully conduct extensive experiments on the unstructured social activity attribute (USAA) dataset and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed multiview Hessian regularized logistic regression for human action recognition.

cs.CV↗

arXiv2013

Manifold regularized kernel logistic regression for web image annotation

With the rapid advance of Internet technology and smart devices, users often need to manage large amounts of multimedia information using smart devices, such as personal image and video accessing and browsing. These requirements heavily rely on the success of image (video) annotation, and thus large scale image annotation through innovative machine learning methods has attracted intensive attention in recent years. One representative work is support vector machine (SVM). Although it works well in binary classification, SVM has a non-smooth loss function and can not naturally cover multi-class case. In this paper, we propose manifold regularized kernel logistic regression (KLR) for web image annotation. Compared to SVM, KLR has the following advantages: (1) the KLR has a smooth loss function; (2) the KLR produces an explicit estimate of the probability instead of class label; and (3) the KLR can naturally be generalized to the multi-class case. We carefully conduct experiments on MIR FLICKR dataset and demonstrate the effectiveness of manifold regularized kernel logistic regression for image annotation.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2013

Large-Scale Paralleled Sparse Principal Component Analysis

Principal component analysis (PCA) is a statistical technique commonly used in multivariate data analysis. However, PCA can be difficult to interpret and explain since the principal components (PCs) are linear combinations of the original variables. Sparse PCA (SPCA) aims to balance statistical fidelity and interpretability by approximating sparse PCs whose projections capture the maximal variance of original data. In this paper we present an efficient and paralleled method of SPCA using graphics processing units (GPUs), which can process large blocks of data in parallel. Specifically, we construct parallel implementations of the four optimization formulations of the generalized power method of SPCA (GP-SPCA), one of the most efficient and effective SPCA approaches, on a GPU. The parallel GPU implementation of GP-SPCA (using CUBLAS) is up to eleven times faster than the corresponding CPU implementation (using CBLAS), and up to 107 times faster than a MatLab implementation. Extensive comparative experiments in several real-world datasets confirm that SPCA offers a practical advantage.

cs.MS↗

arXiv2013

Unit cell orientation of tetragonal-like BiFeO$_3$ thin films grown on highly miscut LaAlO$_3$ substrates

Synchrotron and lab-scale x-ray diffraction shows that tetragonal-like T'-BiFeO3 films on miscut LaAlO3 substrates (miscut < 5 deg) exhibit (00l)-planes tilted away from those of the substrate as predicted by the "Nagai model" (except for miscut <0.2 deg). Tilts as large as 1 deg are achieved even in 100 nm thick films, strikingly larger than those observed in other perovskites. We attribute this to the large c/a ratio and the high crystalline coherency of the T'-BiFeO3/LaAlO3 interface. This coherency is possible through an observed "diagonal-on-diagonal" alignment. Interestingly, the substrate miscut does not influence the relative population of monoclinic domains.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

An interferometric study of the Fomalhaut inner debris disk. III. Detailed models of the exozodiacal disk and its origin

[Abridged] Debris disks are extrasolar analogs to the solar system planetesimal belts. The star Fomalhaut harbors a cold debris belt at 140 AU as well as evidence of a warm dust component, which is suspected of being a bright analog to the solar system's zodiacal dust. Interferometric observations obtained with the VLTI and the KIN have identified near- and mid-infrared excesses attributed to hot and warm exozodiacal dust in the inner few AU of the star. We performed parametric modeling of the exozodiacal disk using the GRaTeR radiative transfer code to reproduce the interferometric data, complemented by mid- to far-infrared measurements. A detailed treatment of sublimation temperatures was introduced to explore the hot population at the sublimation rim. We then used an analytical approach to successively testing several source mechanisms. A good fit to the data is found by two distinct dust populations: (1) very small, hence unbound, hot dust grains confined in a narrow region at the sublimation rim of carbonaceous material; (2) bound grains at 2 AU that are protected from sublimation and have a higher mass despite their fainter flux level. We propose that the hot dust is produced by the release of small carbon grains following the disruption of aggregates that originate from the warm component. A mechanism, such as gas braking, is required to further confine the small grains for a long enough time. In situ dust production could hardly be ensured for the age of the star, so the observed amount of dust must be triggered by intense dynamical activity. Fomalhaut may be representative of exozodis that are currently being surveyed worldwide. We propose a framework for reconciling the hot exozodi phenomenon with theoretical constraints: the hot component of Fomalhaut is likely the tip of the iceberg since it could originate from a warm counterpart residing near the ice line.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2012

An interferometric study of the Fomalhaut inner debris disk II. Keck Nuller mid-infrared observations

We report on high contrast mid-infrared observations of Fomalhaut obtained with the Keck Interferometer Nuller (KIN) showing a small resolved excess over the level expected from the stellar photosphere. The measured null excess has a mean value of 0.35% +/- 0.10% between 8 and 11 microns and increases from 8 to 13 microns. Given the small field of view of the instrument, the source of this marginal excess must be contained within 2AU of Fomalhaut. This result is reminiscent of previous VLTI K-band observations, which implied the presence of a ~ 0.88% excess, and argued that thermal emission from hot dusty grains located within 6 AU from Fomalhaut was the most plausible explanation. Using a parametric 2D radiative transfer code and a Bayesian analysis, we examine different dust disk structures to reproduce both the near and mid-infrared data simultaneously. While not a definitive explanation of the hot excess of Fomalhaut, our model suggests that the most likely inner few AU disk geometry consists of a two-component structure, with two different and spatially distinct grain populations. The 2 to 11 microns data are consistent with an inner hot ring of very small (~ 10 to 300 nm) carbon-rich grains concentrating around 0.1AU. The second dust population consists of larger grains (size of a few microns to a few tens of microns) located further out in a colder region where regular astronomical silicates could survive, with an inner edge around 1AU. From a dynamical point of view, the presence of the inner concentration of sub-micron sized grains is surprising, as such grains should be expelled from the inner planetary system by radiation pressure within only a few years. This could either point to some inordinate replenishment rates (e.g. many grazing comets coming from an outer reservoir) or to the existence of some braking mechanism preventing the grains from moving out.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2012

The Hydromagnetic Interior of a Solar Quiescent Prominence. I. Coupling between Force-balance and Steady Energy-transport

This series of papers investigates the dynamic interior of a quiescent prominence revealed by recent {\it Hinode} and {\it SDO/AIA} high-resolution observations. This first paper is a study of the static equilibrium of the Kippenhahn-Schlüter diffuse plasma slab, suspended vertically in a bowed magnetic field, under the frozen-in condition and subject to a theoretical thermal balance among an optically-thin radiation, heating, and field-aligned thermal conduction. The everywhere-analytical solutions to this nonlinear problem are an extremely restricted subset of the physically admissible states of the system. For most values of the total mass frozen into a given bowed field, force-balance and steady energy-transport cannot both be met without a finite fraction of the total mass having collapsed into a cold sheet of zero thickness, within which the frozen-in condition must break down. An exact, resistive hydromagnetic extension of the Kippenhahn-Schlüter slab is also presented, resolving the mass-sheet singularity into a finite-thickness layer of steadily-falling dense fluid. Our hydromagnetic result suggests that the narrow, vertical prominence $H_α$ threads may be falling across magnetic fields, with optically-thick cores much denser and ionized to much lower degrees than conventionally considered. This implication is discussed in relation to (i) the recent {\it SDO/AIA} observations of quiescent prominences that are massive and yet draining mass everywhere in their interiors, (ii) the canonical range of $5-60 G$ determined from spectral-polarimetric observations of prominence magnetic fields over the years and (iii) the need for a more realistic multi-fluid treatment.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2012

Broadband microwave and time-domain terahertz spectroscopy of CVD grown graphene

We report a study of the complex AC impedance of CVD grown graphene. We measure the explicit frequency dependence of the complex impedance and conductance over the microwave and terahertz range of frequencies using our recently developed broadband microwave Corbino and time domain terahertz spectrometers (TDTS). We demonstrate how one may resolve a number of technical difficulties in measuring the intrinsic impedance of the graphene layer that this frequency range presents, such as distinguishing contributions to the impedance from the substrate. From our microwave measurements, the AC impedance has little dependance on temperature and frequency down to liquid helium temperatures. The small contribution to the imaginary impedance comes from either a remaining residual contribution from the substrate or a small deviation of the conductance from the Drude form.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Spectroscopic signatures of many-body interactions and delocalized states in self-assembled lateral quantum dot molecules

Lateral quantum dot molecules consist of at least two closely-spaced InGaAs quantum dots arranged such that the axis connecting the quantum dots is perpendicular to the growth direction. These quantum dot complexes are called molecules because the small spacing between the quantum dots is expected to lead to the formation of molecular-like delocalized states. We present optical spectroscopy of ensembles and individual lateral quantum dot molecules as a function of electric fields applied along the growth direction. The results allow us to characterize the energy level structure of lateral quantum dot molecules and the spectral signatures of both charging and many-body interactions. We present experimental evidence for the existence of molecular-like delocalized states for electrons in the first excited energy shell.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

THz response and colossal Kerr rotation from the surface states of the topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$

Ordered states of matter are typically categorized by their broken symmetries. With the ordering of spins in a ferromagnet or the freezing of a liquid into a solid, the loss of symmetry distinguishes the ordered state from the disordered one. In contrast, topological states are distinguished by specific \textit{topological} properties that are encoded in their quantum mechanical wavefunctions. Frequently, a consequence of these properties is that there are robust "topologically protected" states on the sample's boundaries. The edge states of the quantum Hall effect (QHE) are the classic example. In the last few years, it was realized that another class of such topological matter may exist in 3D band insulators with large spin-orbit interaction. These so-called topological insulators are predicted to host robust surface states, which exhibit a number of interesting properties including spin helicity, immunity to back-scattering, and weak \textit{anti}--localization. There are predictions of a number of unusual phenomena associated with these surface states, including a proximity-effect-induced exotic superconducting state with Majorana fermions bound to a vortex and an `axion' electromagnetic response, and proposals for applications, such as their use in terahertz devices. In this Letter we report the observation of an unprecedentedly large rotation of the polarization plane of linearly polarized light reflected from thin films of the topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$ in magnetic fields. This Kerr rotation can be as large as 65$^\circ$ and is due almost entirely to the surface states. Our results are evidence for the intrinsic response of the topologically protected surface states and provide a benchmark for the large magneto-electric effect predicted for these materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2011

New Young Star Candidates in the Taurus-Auriga Region as Selected From WISE

The Taurus Molecular Cloud subtends a large solid angle on the sky, in excess of 250 square degrees. The search for legitimate Taurus members to date has been limited by sky coverage as well as the challenge of distinguishing members from field interlopers. The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has recently observed the entire sky, and we take advantage of the opportunity to search for young stellar object (YSO) candidate Taurus members from a ~260 square degree region designed to encompass previously-identified Taurus members. We use near- and mid-infrared colors to select objects with apparent infrared excesses and incorporate other catalogs of ancillary data to present: a list of rediscovered Taurus YSOs with infrared excesses (taken to be due to circumstellar disks), a list of rejected YSO candidates (largely galaxies), and a list of 94 surviving candidate new YSO-like Taurus members. There is likely to be contamination lingering in this candidate list, and follow-up spectra are warranted.

astro-ph.SR↗