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Les cascades électromagnétiques cosmologiques comme sondes du milieu intergalactique / Cosmological electromagnetic cascades as probe of the UniverseFitoussi, Thomas 13 October 2017 (has links)
Cette thèse vise à étudier le phénomène dit de " cascades électromagnétiques cosmologiques ". Ces cascades sont typiquement générées dans le milieu intergalactique par l'absorption de rayons gamma sur les photons du fond optique / UV et par la production de paires électron / positron associés. Ces leptons eux-mêmes interagissent avec les photons du fond diffus cosmologique via diffusion inverse Compton pour produire de nouveaux rayons gamma qui eux même peuvent s'annihiler, générant à partir d'un unique photon primaire toute une gerbe de photons et de particules secondaires. D'un point de vue observationnel, le développement de cette cascade introduit trois effets : une déformation du spectre à haute énergie, un retard temporel dans l'arrivée des rayons gamma et une extension de la taille apparente de la source. Les cascades électromagnétiques cosmologiques ont commencé à être étudiées dans les années soixante. Mais ce n'est qu'à partir des années 2010 avec l'arrivée du satellite Fermi (entre autres) et des observations dans la bande au GeV et au TeV que la discipline a explosé. Le phénomène est particulièrement important. D'une part il altère le spectre observé des sources rendant difficile la compréhension de la physique de ces dernières. D'autre part les cascades se développant dans le milieu extragalactique, elles sont très sensibles à la composition de ce dernier (fond diffus de photons, champ magnétique). Or ce milieu étant très ténu, il est difficile à étudier. Les cascades deviennent alors une formidable sonde pour accéder à sa compréhension et pouvoir en comprendre l'origine qui remonte au commencement de l'Univers. Pourtant les cascades cosmologiques sont un phénomène complexe faisant intervenir des interactions difficiles à modéliser (sections efficaces complexes) et le transport de particules dans un Univers en expansion (cosmologie). Face à cette complexité les expressions analytiques sont vite limitées et le passage au numérique devient inévitable. Dans le cadre de cette thèse un code de simulation Monte Carlo a donc été développé visant à reproduire aussi précisément que possible le phénomène des cascades. Ce code a été testé et validé en le confrontant aux expressions analytiques. Grâce à ce code, le rôle des différents paramètres physiques impactant le développement de la cascade a été étudié de manière systématique. Cette étude a permis de mieux comprendre la physique du phénomène. En particulier, l'impact des propriétés du milieu extragalactique (fond diffus extragalactique, champ magnétique extragalactique) sur les observables a été mis en évidence. Finalement, une seconde étude a été menée pour mesurer la contribution des cascades au fond gamma extragalactique. Des travaux récents montrent qu'une grande partie de l'émission diffuse à très haute énergie provient de sources ponctuelles non résolues (blazars en particulier). Ces sources gamma (résolues et non résolues) doivent en principe initier des cascades qui peuvent contribuer au fond diffus. En partant d'une modélisation de l'émission des blazars à différents redshifts, l'absorption et la contribution des cascades ont alors été calculées à l'aide du code Monte Carlo. Les résultats montrent que la contribution des cascades au fond gamma extragalactique pourrait violer les limites Fermi mais l'excès doit encore être confirmé. / This thesis aims at studying "cosmological electromagnetic cascades". These cascades are initiated by the absorption of very high energy gamma-rays through gamma-gamma annihilation with optical / UV background photons of the intergalactic medium. In this interaction, electron/positron pairs are produced. The newly created leptons interact with photons of the Cosmological Microwave Background producing new gamma-rays through inverse Compton scattering which can also annihilate producing a cascade of secondary particles from a single primary photon. Observationally, the development of this cascade has three effects : the observed high energy spectrum is altered, observed photons arrive with a time delay with respect to primary photons and the source appears extended. Cosmological electromagnetic cascades start to being studied in the early sixties. But it is during the 2010's with the Fermi satellite and GeV to TeV observations that the field has really started to being explored. In the fast evolving backgound of gamma-ray astronomy, understanding the cascade physics has become a crucial stake. First the observed spectrum from a distant source is altered, which directly affects the modelling of high energy sources. Secondly, the cascades develop in the extragalactic medium and are very sensitive to its composition (background light, magnetic field). This medium is hard to study because it is extremely thin. Hence the cosmological cascades are a formidable probe to access its comprehension and its origin coming from the very beginning of our Universe. Yet the cosmological cascades are a complex phenomenon which involves complicated interactions (complex cross sections) and transport of particles in an expanding Universe. Analytical expressions are rapidly limited and numerical computations are required. In this thesis a Monte Carlo simulation code has been developed aiming at reproducing the cosmological cascades. This code has been tested and validated against analytical expressions. With the simulation code, a systematic study of the parameters impacting the development of the cascade has been led. This study allows a better understanding of the cascade physics. Especially, the impact of the intergalactic medium properties (extragalactic background light, extragalactic magnetic field) on the observables has been highlighted. Finally, a second study has been done to measure the contribution of cascades to the extragalactic gamma ray background. Recent works show that a great part of the diffuse emission at very high energy is explained by unresolved sources (blazars in particular). These gamma sources (resolved and unresolved) must in principle initiate cosmological cascades which can also contribute to the extragalactic gamma ray background. Starting from a modeling of the blazars at different redshifts, absorption and contribution of the cascades have been estimated with the simulation code. The results show that the contribution of the cascades might violate the Fermi limits but the excess must be confirmed.
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Ondes de choc relativistes / Relativistic Shock Waves : Structure, turbulence generation, particle acceleration and radiation.Plotnikov, Illya 30 October 2013 (has links)
La formation et l'activité des objets compacts, tels que Trous Noirs ou étoiles à Neutrons, s'accompagne couramment d'éjection de matière ionisée sous forme de jets à la vitesse proche de celle de la lumière (vitesses relativistes). Se propageant dans le milieu environnant, par exemple Milieu Interstellaire, ces jets conduisent inéluctablement à la formation d'ondes de choc relativistes. Une forte turbulence magnétique et une population d'électrons accélérés sont requises afin de tenir compte de l'émission radiative non-thermique de ces chocs. L'approche naturelle de ce problème, décrivant de manière auto-consistante la structure du choc non-collisionnel, est celle de la physique cinétique des plasmas en régime relativiste. L'aspect essentiel de cette approche est l'étude du précurseur du choc, sous forme d'un faisceau de protons très énergétiques. Un ensemble d'instabilites plasma y prend lieu et dissipe l'energie du choc sous forme de micro-turbulence électromagnétique, électrons chauffés et particules accélérées. Ce cadre conceptuel emmène à reconsidérer le processus de transport de particules charges autour du choc. Deux études indépendantes, effectuées pendant la thèse, montrent que les lois de diffusion en aval et amont du choc se mettent sous une forme concise, en loi de puissance en fonction de l'énergie des particules et de l'intensité de la micro-turbulence magnétique. Les lois de diffusion, dérivées à l'aide des simulations Monte-Carlo et analytiquement, chiffrent l'énergie maximale des protons accélérés au choc à 10^15 eV, si le facteur de Lorentz du choc est très grand devant 1. Cette limite se situe loin de l'énergie maximale des Rayons Cosmique et rend les chocs relativistes comme accélérateurs de particules inefficaces aux énergies les plus extrêmes. Le rayonnement, issu de l'accélération des électrons, atteint plusieurs GeV et corrobore l'idée que les chocs externes des Sursauts Gamma peuvent émettre à de telles énergies. L'approche alternative de l'étude des chocs, simulations Particle-In-Cell, m'as permis d'étudier la formation, structuration et évolution des chocs modérément relativistes dans une géométrie spatiale 1D. L'auto-reformation du front d'un choc perpendiculaire, connue dans le régime non-relativiste, persiste dans le régime moyennement relativiste et exhibe un front de choc non-stationnaire. A magnétisation basse, les électrons sont préchauffés dans le pied du choc par l'instabilité de Buneman entre protons réfléchis et électrons incidents, mais leur température en aval du choc reste plus faible que celle des protons. A magnétisation croissante, l'instabilité Maser Synchrotron devient essentielle dans la structuration du front de choc, avec émission d'un fort précurseur électromagnétique a partir du front de choc. Dans ce cas les électrons se mettent en équipartition avec les protons. Ces simulations 1D ne montrent pas d'évidence d'accélération des particules et des simulations 2D (3D) sont nécessaires. / The formation and activity of compact objects such as Black Holes and Neutron Stars results in the ejection of ionized matter in the form of jets with velocities close to $c$ (relativistic). The interaction of such powerful jets with the external medium forms shocks, eventually relativistic.A strong self-g???enerated magnetic micto-turbulence and a population of accelerated electron are required to explain the observed non-thermal radiation of these shocks. A natural approach to the study of the structure of a non-collisionnal shock involves kinetic treatement of plasma processes in the relativistic limit. This approach is adopted in the present thesis.Consequently, charged particle transport laws need to be studied carefully taking to acount self-consistent magnetic micro-turbulence at the shock. Two different studies of particle transport at each side of the shock (downstream and upstream) show that the diffusion laws take a concise form as a power law in energy ($D \propto E^2$) and the micro-turbulence strength. Both Monte-Carlo simulations and analytic studies are in agreement and, if the shock Lorentz factor is much greater than 1, it is found that the maximum energy of accelerated protons is $10^{15}$eV. A physical mechanism is also provided to explain how electrons attain the equipartition with protons at the shock. Finally, the radiation from accelerated electrons at the shock can reach several GeV in a synchrotron-like spectrum.In the second part of the thesis, I used 1D3V PIC simulations to study mildly relativistic shocks structure and their time evolution. The prependicular shock front self-reformation, well-known in non-relativistic limit, persists at mildly relativistic speeds. At low magnetization ($\sigma \ll 10^{-2}$), electrons are pre-heated in the shock precursor by the Buneman instability between reflected ions and incident electrons. At higher magnetizations ions form a coherent cyclotron loop at the front and the Maser Synchrotron Instability is essential for the shock structure by emitting a strong electromagnetic precursor, responsible for electrons heating up to equipartition with protons. No particle acceleration is seen in these 1D3V simulations.
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Découverte et étude d'une population de sursauts gamma cosmiques à décroissance de faible luminosité / Discovery and study of a population of gamma-ray bursts with low-luminosity afterglowsDereli, Hüsne 16 December 2014 (has links)
Les explosions gamma (GRB) sont des évènements extrêmement violents. Ils sont sommairement classifiés en deux groupes par leur durée : les courts et les longs. Cette classification a permis de déterminer l'origine des GRBs : une collision entre deux objets compacts pour les courts ou l'explosion d'une étoile très massive pour les longs. Une meilleure classification des GRBs longs pourrait mieux contraindre leurs propriétés. Dans ma thèse, je présente des évidences de l'existence d'une sous-classification des GRBs basés sur la faible luminosité de leurs derniers reflets. Ces explosions sont appelées Low-Luminosity Afterflow (LLA). Je présente la technique de réduction des données, la méthode de sélection de ces GRBs ainsi que leurs principales propriétés. Leur lien avec les supernovæ (SN) est mis en évidence car 64 % de tous les GRBs associés à des Sns sont des LLA GRBs. Finalement, je présente d'autres propriétés comme leur fréquence, qui semble indiquer une nouvelle distincte classe, les propriétés de leurs galaxies hôte qui montrent que ces explosions ont pour origines des galaxies formant beaucoup d'étoiles. De plus, je montre qu'il est difficile de réconcilier les différences entre les GRBs normaux et les LLA GRBs en ne considérant que des effets instrumentaux et environnementaux, ou bien une géométrie différente. Donc je conclue que les deux classes de GRBs ont des propriétés différentes. En basant l'argumentation sur la fonction de masse initiale, sur la fréquence des LLA GRBs et sur le type de SNs qui les accompagnent, j'indique qu'un système binaire est favorisé pour leur origine. / Gamma-ray bursts (GRB) are extreme events. They are crudely classified into two groups based on their duration, namely the short and long bursts. Such a classification has proven to be useful to determine their progenitors: the merger of two compact objects for short bursts and the explosion of a massive star for long bursts. Further classifying the long GRBs might give tighter constraints on their progenitor and on the emission mechanism(s). In my thesis, I present evidence for the existence of a sub-class of long GRBs, based on their faint afterglow emission. These bursts were named low-luminosity afterglow (LLA) GRBs. I discuss the data analysis and the selection method, and their main properties are described. Their link to supernova is strong as 64\% of all the bursts firmly associated to SNe is LLA GRBs. Finally, I present additional properties of LLA GRBs: the study of their rate density, which seems to indicate a new distinct third class of events, the properties of their host galaxies, which show that they take place in young star-forming galaxies. Additionally, I show that it is difficult to reconcile all differences between normal long GRBs and LLA GRBs only by considering instrumental or environmental effects, different ejecta content or a different geometry for the burst. Thus, I conclude that LLA GRBs and normal long GRBs should have different properties. In a very rudimentary discussion, I indicate that a binary system is favored in the case of LLA GRB. The argument is based on the initial mass function of massive stars, on the larger rate density of LLA GRBs compared to the rate of normal long GRBs and on the type of accompanying SNe.
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Constraints on the High-Energy Gamma-Ray Spectrum of Nearby Star-Forming GalaxiesSvenborn, Oskar January 2021 (has links)
The nature of high-energy gamma-ray emission from Star-Forming Galaxies is of utmost importance for understanding both the origin of Cosmic Rays and the high-energy processes that shape galaxy formation. Observations from the gamma-ray telescope Fermi-LAT have detected gamma-ray emission from a handful of nearby Star-Forming Galaxies. Interestingly, observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud show evidence for a spectral cutoff at energies of approximately 10 GeV. This has raised the question as to whether some Star-Forming Galaxies are unable to contain their Cosmic Ray population. Using the Fermitools to analyse the gamma-ray emission from a selection of bright nearby Star-Forming Galaxies, this study intends to explore the possibility of finding further evidence for exponential cutoffs in the gamma-ray spectrum of Star-Forming Galaxies. The shape of the combined spectrum of the 49 galaxies in the sample was determined using least-square fitting of a single power law, a broken power law and a power law with an exponential cutoff. No evidence of an exponentialcutoff was found and the shape of the spectrum was best described by a broken power law with indices Γ1 = -2.48 ± 0.05 and Γ2 = -0.88 ± 0.09. This is in poor agreement with previous observations, which favour a simple power law with an index in the range -2.2 to -2.4. Interestingly, the single power law, while disfavoured over the broken power law at ~7σ, was best fit with the index Γ = -2.35 ± 0.06, which is surprisingly well in agreement with previous observations. The discrepancy between the results presented here and those found in the literature is interpreted as due to insufficient treatment of background fluctuations and the possible existence of bright sources at the unverified blank sky locations used for modelling the background.
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Integral Approach for Hybrid Manufacturing of Large Structural Titanium Space ComponentsSeidel, André 19 April 2022 (has links)
This thesis presents a newly developed manufacturing method, based on cyber-physically enhanced hybrid machining, regarding an optical bench (OB) made of Ti6Al4V alloy for the Advanced Telescope for High-ENergy Astrophysics (ATHENA). The method includes sophisticated hybrid laser metal deposition equipment and state-of-the-art cryogenic machining hardware. The derived strategy combines localized energy input, preheating, heat treatment, intermediate stress relief and machining. This results in a complex thermal history and remaining residual stresses, representing a considerable challenge for final precision machining. The method targets first time right machining based on iterative machining, process data-based tool path correction and spatially resolved root cause research based on process data modeling.:II. Table of Contents
I. Acknowledgement ............................................................ III
II. Table of Contents ................................................................. I
1. Introduction ........................................................................ 1
1.1 Foreword .................................................................................... 1
1.2 Research Subject Lot Size One ....................................................... 2
1.2.1 Historical Perspective ................................................................. 2
1.2.2 Going Full Cycle ......................................................................... 3
2. State of the Art in Titanium Processing ............................... 4
2.1 Conventional Processing................................................................ 4
2.2 Additive Manufacturing ................................................................. 5
2.2.1 Introduction .............................................................................. 5
2.2.2 Powder Bed Fusion ..................................................................... 6
2.2.3 Direct Energy Deposition ............................................................. 8
3. Derivation of a Flexible Hybrid Manufacturing System ...... 11
3.1 The ATHENA OB – a Large Structural Space Component ..................11
3.2 Material Constraints ....................................................................12
3.3 Solidification and Microstructural Content .......................................17
3.4 Residual Stresses and Intrinsic Heat Treatment ..............................22
3.4.1 Transient Temperature Gradients ................................................22
3.4.2 Residual Stresses and Degree of Fixity ........................................24
3.4.3 In-situ Stress Relief and Plastic Deformation ................................28
3.4.4 In-situ Martensite Decomposition and Thermal Trade-off ...............30
3.5 Melt Pool Considerations in Laser Metal Deposition ..........................36
3.6 Concept of Flexible Hybrid Manufacturing Cell .................................43
3.7 Process and Equipment Review by ESA ..........................................45
4. Realization of a Flexible Manufacturing Cell ...................... 45
4.1 Additive Processing with Hybrid Laser Metal Deposition ....................45
4.1.1 Principle Hardware ....................................................................45
4.2 Novel Local Shielding Solution ......................................................47
4.2.1 Melt Pool Observation towards Process Data Model ........................51
4.2.2 Energy Source Coupling .............................................................57
4.3 Subtractive Processing with Cryogenic Milling .................................57
4.3.1 General Considerations for Subtractive Processing ........................57
4.3.2 Cryogenic Machining Approach ...................................................58
4.3.3 Cryogenic Machining from the Materials Viewpoint ........................60
4.3.4 Cryogenic Machining of Additively Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V .............62
4.3.5 Principle Hardware for Cryogenic Milling with CO2..........................66
4.3.6 Intelligent Tool Spindle Future Part of the Process Data Model ........69
4.3.7 Carbon Dioxide Weighing Equipment and Switching Station ............70
4.3.8 Protective Measures for Safe Use of Cryogenic CO2 .......................72
4.4 Handling System .........................................................................74
4.4.1 Framework Considerations .........................................................74
4.4.2 Twin Robot System in the Initial State .........................................76
4.4.3 Integration of the ATHENA Turntable ...........................................79
4.4.4 Robot Calibration ......................................................................81
4.5 Lighting for Visual Inspection ........................................................84
4.6 Critical Design Review by ESA .......................................................84
5. Implementation and Validation ......................................... 85
5.1 Powdery Filler Material Selection ...................................................85
5.2 Basic Parameter Set for Additive Manufacturing ..............................87
5.2.1 Operating Point Selection ...........................................................87
5.2.2 Characterization and evaluation ..................................................89
5.2.3 Substrate to Structure Transition ................................................95
5.3 Energy Source Coupling ...............................................................99
5.3.1 Process Development ................................................................99
5.3.2 As-built Surface Treatment ...................................................... 103
5.3.3 Heat Treatment ...................................................................... 104
5.3.4 Mechanical Testing .................................................................. 106
5.3.5 Fractured Surfaces .................................................................. 108
5.3.6 Microstructure ........................................................................ 110
5.3.7 Linear Expansion Coefficient ..................................................... 113
5.4 Cryogenic Milling ....................................................................... 114
5.4.1 Strategy Approach .................................................................. 114
5.4.2 Milling Implementation ............................................................ 116
5.4.3 Technical Cleanliness ............................................................... 120
5.4.4 Accuracy and Duration ............................................................. 122
5.4.5 Surface Roughness.................................................................. 122
5.5 Process Data Model ................................................................... 123
6. Final Discussion and Conclusions..................................... 130
6.1 Summary ................................................................................. 130
6.2 Conclusions .............................................................................. 131
6.3 Outlook .................................................................................... 132
III. List of Figures ...................................................................... I
IV. List of Tables .................................................................. VIII
V. References ......................................................................... IX
VI. Symbols and Units ....................................................... XXXVI
VII. Abbreviations .............................................................. XXXIX
VIII. Annex I ............................................................................ XLI
IX. Annex II ....................................................................... XLIII
X. Annex III ....................................................................... XLIV
XI. Annex IV.......................................................................... XLV
XII. Annex V ......................................................................... XLVI
XIII. Annex VI....................................................................... XLVII
XIV. Annex VII ................................................................... XLVIII
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<strong>Relativistic Magnetospheres: Dynamics And Emission Properties</strong>Praveen Sharma (16326144) 14 July 2023 (has links)
<p> </p>
<p>This article-based dissertation provides a review of the broad subject of Neutron Star- their emission properties, plasmoids ejection events, and their proposed physical mechanisms. The primary purpose of this dissertation is to provide an extensive description of the research projects I undertook during my tenure as a Graduate Research Assistant, under the guidance of my advisor Prof. Maxim Lyutikov. </p>
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<p>Chapter 1 provides a broad overview of the Neutron stars, their classification, proposed emission models, and a summary of magnetars and associated observed phenomena. </p>
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<p>In Chapter 2, I present a version of the research article published in the <em>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</em>. The work is titled "Rotating Neutron Stars Without Light Cylinders" and discusses twisted and differentially rotating neutron star magnetospheres that do not have a light cylinder, generate no wind, and thus do not spin down. The magnetosphere of such neutron stars is composed of embedded differentially rotating flux surfaces, with the angular velocity decreasing as Ω ∼ 1/r. It was found, both analytically and using numerical simulations, that for spin parameters larger than some critical value, the light cylinder appears, the magnetosphere opens up, and the wind is generated. </p>
<p>In Chapter 3, I present a version of the research article published in <em>The Astrophysical Journal</em>. The work is titled "Relativistic Magnetic Explosions" and was undertaken under the supervision of Dr. Maxim Barkov, in collaboration with Dr. Konstantinos N. Gourgou- liatos and Dr. Lyutikov2 Barkov. It discusses the dynamics of magnetically driven explosive astrophysical events, like magnetar bursts and flares. We model a relativistic expansion of highly magnetized and highly magnetically over-pressurized clouds. We observe that the corresponding dynamics are qualitatively different from fluid explosions due to the topological constraint of the conservation of the magnetic flux. Using analytical, relativistic MHD as well as force-free calculations, we find that the creation of a relativistically expanding, causally disconnected flow obeys a threshold condition: it requires sufficiently high initial over-pressure and sufficiently quick decrease of the pressure in the external medium (the pre-explosion wind). In the subcritical case, the magnetic cloud just puffs up" and quietly expands with the pre-flare wind. We also find a compact analytical solution to the Prendergast problem - the expansion of force-free plasma into the vacuum. </p>
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<p>Chapter 4 is the extension of the work in Chapter 3 and focuses on the dynamics of relativistic Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), from launching by shearing of foot-points (either slowly or suddenly), to propagation in the preceding magnetar wind. The work has been accepted to be published in <em>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</em>. For slow shear, we find that most of the energy injected into the CME is first spent on the work done on breaking through the over-laying magnetic field. At later stages, sufficiently powerful CMEs may lead to the detonation of a CME and opening of the magnetosphere beyond some equipartition radius req, where the decreasing energy of the CME becomes larger than the decreasing external magnetospheric energy. Post-CME magnetosphere relaxes via the formation of a plasmoid-mediated current sheet, initially at req, and slowly reaching the light cylinder. Both the location of the foot-point shear and the global magnetospheric configuration affect the frequent/weak versus rare/powerful CME dichotomy - to produce powerful flares the slow shear should be limited to field lines that close in near the star. After the creation of a topologically disconnected flux tube, the tube quickly (at ∼ the light cylinder) comes into force-balance with the preceding wind and is passively advected/frozen in the wind afterward. </p>
<p>For fast shear case, the shearing of foot-points leads to the generation of Alfvén wave and the pressure of such Alfvén leads to the opening of the magnetosphere. At distances much larger than the light cylinder, the resulting shear Alfvén waves propagate through the wind non-dissipatively. </p>
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<p>In Chapter 5, I switch gears and study the optical polarization of Crab pulsar. I start by deriving a general relation for the polarization direction of the electric dipole-type radiation produced by a particle moving in an arbitrary electromagnetic field. The derived relations are then applied to reproduce optical polarization swings in Crab pulsar assuming a Michel- Bogovalov solution for the current sheet. With this, I was able to reproduce down to intricate details the spin-phase trajectory of the position angle (PA) in the Stokes parameters U-Q plane. This chapter however remains a work in progress. We still don't fully understand the physical mechanism behind the polarization characteristics of the Crab, especially the origin of the point where the inner loop connects with the bigger outer loop. I plan to fully answer these questions before sending our findings for publication. </p>
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<p>Chapter 6 summarizes the main results and conclusions of the research projects and mentions the prospects. References are compiled after the appendices so that they are first cited, followed by a CV and a list of publications. </p>
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Electromagnetic signals of neutron star mergers and multimessenger astrophysicsHao Wang (18387573) 16 April 2024 (has links)
<p dir="ltr">Neutron star mergers generate powerful gravitational waves and various types of electromagnetic signals, including gamma-ray bursts (GRB), kilonovae, and their afterglows. Observing and modeling these signals help us understand the physical processes of the merger events. Radiation from mergers can also serve as probes to study nuclear physics and cosmology. In this report, I focus on two types of signals: the GRB afterglow and the kilonova. GRB afterglows are non-thermal radiation produced by the interaction of relativistic jets and circumburst material, where the jets are launched perpendicular to the merger plane. Kilonovae are the thermal radiation emitted from the hot materials ejected during the merger. Besides the modeling of these objects, I also investigate their application in multimessenger astrophysics, especially the constraint on the expansion rate of the Universe. </p><p dir="ltr">First, I developed a GRB afterglow model to account for the off-axis observation of a structured jet. Using a jet structure derived from a three-dimensional general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulation, we performed a joint analysis of the multimessenger data of the neutron star merger event GW170817, including the gravitational wave data and GRB afterglow data in the radio band. We have tightly constrained the observing angle of GW170817 and broken the degeneracy between the inclination angle and luminosity distance measured in gravitational waves. With a better constrained distance, we improved the standard siren measurement of the Hubble constant to $H_0 = 69.5\pm 4\ \mathrm{km\ s^{-1}\ Mpc^{-1}}$. The error bar has been reduced by a factor of 2. This work demonstrates that the modeling of off-axis GRB afterglow can significantly improve the standard siren method, provided that we have a reliable jet structure.</p><p dir="ltr">Second, I upgrade the GRB afterglow model in the first work, extending it to the late time where lateral spreading of the GRB jet becomes important. In this model, the ultra-relativistic blastwave is approximated by an infinitely thin two-dimensional surface. With this approximation, the hydrodynamic equations can be analytically integrated over the radius. Further assuming axial symmetry, the three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation can be reduced to one dimension, which significantly increases the computational efficiency. We have compared our method to full numerical simulations and existing GRB afterglow modeling tools. The comparison shows good agreement and verifies our approach. Compared to these tools, our model has better flexibility and is applicable in a broader context. This method has been developed into a numerical code, \texttt{jetsimpy}, which we have provided to the community. It will serve as a powerful tool in the era of multimessenger astrophysics.</p><p dir="ltr">Finally, I investigate the possibility of long-lived massive neutron stars as neutron star merger remnants. A long-lived massive neutron star can inject a significant amount of energy into the merger ejecta, boosting the luminosity of kilonova by several orders of magnitude. However, this type of event has not yet been observed in optical sky surveys. We developed a boosted kilonova model with a detailed calculation of the photoionization process to better describe the efficiency of energy injection from spin down power to the ejecta. Our study found that boosted kilonovae, if commonly occurring, they should have already been observed given the accumulated time in sky surveys. As a result, the absence of detection implies that long-lived massive neutron stars as neutron star merger remnants are likely to be rare in the Universe.</p>
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Searches for Particle Dark Matter : Dark stars, dark galaxies, dark halos and global supersymmetric fitsScott, Pat January 2010 (has links)
The identity of dark matter is one of the key outstanding problems in both particle and astrophysics. In this thesis, I describe a number of complementary searches for particle dark matter. I discuss how the impact of dark matter on stars can constrain its interaction with nuclei, focussing on main sequence stars close to the Galactic Centre, and on the first stars as seen through the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope. The mass and annihilation cross-section of dark matter particles can be probed with searches for gamma rays produced in astronomical targets. Dwarf galaxies and ultracompact, primordially-produced dark matter minihalos turn out to be especially promising in this respect. I illustrate how the results of these searches can be combined with constraints from accelerators and cosmology to produce a single global fit to all available data. Global fits in supersymmetry turn out to be quite technically demanding, even with the simplest predictive models and the addition of complementary data from a bevy of astronomical and terrestrial experiments; I show how genetic algorithms can help in overcoming these challenges. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 5: Accepted. Paper 6: Submitted.
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Etude des objets transitoires à haute énergie dans l'univers dans l'ère des observations multi-messager / Study of the high-energy transeint objects in the Universe in the era of the multimessenger observationsTurpin, Damien 07 December 2016 (has links)
L'Univers est continûement le théâtre d'événements explosifs capables de relâcher une énorme quantité d'énergie sur des courtes échelles de temps. Ces sources transitoires comme les sursauts gamma, les supernovae ou les noyaux actifs de galaxie sont souvent associées à des objets extrêmes comme des étoiles à neutrons ou des trous noirs. De manière générale, ces sources émettent des radiations électromagnétiques dans une large bande spectrale voire sur la totalité du spectre pour les cas les plus extrêmes. Dès lors, une analyse multi-longueur d'onde est vitale pour étudier et comprendre la physique complexe de ces objets. De plus, au voisinage de ces sources, des particules (rayons cosmiques, RC) pourraient être efficacement accélérées jusqu'à des énergies très elevées dans des processus de chocs violents. L'interaction de ces RCs avec l'environnement peut conduire à la production d'un nombre significatif de neutrinos de hautes énergies. Par conséquent, l'étude des objets transitoires par le biais de l'astronomie neutrino offre la possibilité d'identifier enfin la nature des puissants accélérateurs cosmiques.Cette thèse est dédiée à l'étude de deux sources transitoires parmi les plus extrêmes dans l'Univers : les sursauts gamma (en anglais, Gamma-Ray Bursts : GRBs) détectés il y a ~ 50 ans et les sursauts radio (en anglais, Fast Radio Bursts : FRBs) fraîchement découverts il y a ~ 15 ans. Ces sources sont caractérisées par l'émission "prompte" d'un flash gamma (keV-MeV) durant de quelques ms à plusieurs secondes dans le cadre des GRBs et d'un flash intense en radio (GHz) durant quelques ms pour les FRBs. Dans le cas des GRBs une émission rémanente dite "afterglow" est observée dans une large gamme spectrale (X, visible et radio) alors que jusqu'à présent aucune autre contrepartie électromagnétique provenant d'un FRB n'a été découverte. Ces dernières années des modèles d'émission multi-longueur d'onde et multi-messager ont été développés afin d'expliquer ces 2 phénomènes. L'objectif majeur de ce travail de thèse est de tester ces modèles d'émission afin de contraindre la physique et la nature de ces deux objets. Pour cela, une analyse détaillée des propriétés physiques de l'émission afterglow des GRBs a été menée grâce à un large échantillon de données collectées ces 20 dernières années par diverses télescopes. Cette étude a permis de mettre en évidence les lacunes et les réussites du modèle GRB dit "standard" mais aussi les liens physiques subtils existant entre l'émission prompte des GRBs et leurs rémanences. Une recherche de signal neutrino en coïncidence avec les GRBs/FRBs a aussi été réalisée avec le télescope à neutrinos ANTARES. Les résultats sont décrits dans cette thèse ainsi que les contraintes apportées sur les processus d'accélération des particules durant ces phénomènes transitoires. Enfin, ce manuscrit rend compte des différents programmes d'observations innovants qui ont été engagés sur les télescopes optiques TAROT et Zadko et le télescope à neutrinos ANTARES afin de contraindre la nature des progéniteurs des GRBs/FRBs. / The Universe is continuously the scene of explosive events capable of releasing a tremendous amount of energy in short time scales. These transients like Gamma-Ray Bursts, Supernovae or Active Galactic Nuclei are often associated with extreme objects such as neutron stars or black holes. Generally, these sources emit light in a large spectral energy range and sometimes in the whole electromagnetic spectrum for the most extreme cases. Thus, a multi-wavelength analysis is crucial to study and understand the complex physical processes at work. Furthermore, in the vicinity of these sources, particles (cosmic-rays, CRs) could be efficiently accelerated up to very high energies by violent shock mecanisms. The interaction of these CRs with the surrounding environment may lead to a substantial production of high-energy neutrinos. Therefore, the study of the high-energy transient objects through neutrino astronomy offer the possibility to finally identify the nature of the powerful cosmic accelerators a hundred year after the discovery of the cosmic-rays.This thesis is dedicated to the study of two transient sources among the most extreme ones observed in the Universe: the Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) detected ~ 50 years ago and the Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) newly discovered ~ 15 years ago. These sources are characterised by the "prompt" emission of a gamma-ray flash (keV-MeV) lasting few ms up to few seconds for GRBs and an intense pulse of radio light (GHz) lasting few ms for FRBs. In the case of GRBs a late broadband afterglow emission is observed in X-rays/optical/radio domain while up to now no other electromagnetic counterpart has ever been detected in coincidence with any FRBs. These last years, many models predicting a multi-wavelength and a multi-messenger emission from these two phenomena have been developped. The main goal of this thesis work is to test these models in order to constrain the physics and the nature of the GRBs/FRBs. To do so, a detailed analysis on the physical properties of the GRB afterglow emission was made thanks to a large set of data collected these last 20 years by various facilities. The study reveals the major problems but also the successes encountered with the so-called "standard" GRB model. Subtle connections between the prompt and the afterglow emission are also discussed. In addition, a search for a neutrino signal from GRBs/FRBs was realised with the ANTARES neutrino telescope. The results are described in this thesis as well as the constraints on the particle acceleration mecanisms occuring during these transient phenomena.At last, this manuscript presents the different innovative observational programs realised in the optical domain with the TAROT and Zadko telescopes and in the astroparticle side with the ANTARES neutrino telescope in order to probe the nature of the GRBs/FRBs progenitors.
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A Novel Muon Spectrometer Using Multi-Layer Pressurized Gas Cherenkov Radiators for Muon TomographyJunghyun Bae (12481788) 30 April 2022 (has links)
<p> Nuclear waste management and nonproliferation are among the critical tasks to be addressed for the advancement of nuclear energy in the United States. In this regard, monitoring spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and special nuclear materials (SNM) is important to continue reliable stewardship of SNF management and prevent SNM proliferation. Cosmic ray muons have been used for imaging large and dense objects, e.g., SNF dry casks, the Fukushima Daiichi unit-1 reactor, and the great pyramid of Giza. Despite their potential and success, the wide application of cosmic ray muons is limited by the naturally low intensity at sea level, approximately 10<sup>4</sup> m<sup>-2</sup>min<sup>-1</sup>. For example, when imaging large objects, time consuming measurements typically in the order of several days or even weeks, are frequently needed to collect a statistically significant amount of muon samples to reconstruct images using muon tomography. However, when scanning time is of essence, e.g., treaty verification, low resolution imaging can result in potentially undetected diversion of nuclear materials.</p>
<p>To maximize the utilizability of cosmic ray muons in engineering and physics applications, two important quantities–scattering angle and momentum–must be measured. Although many studies have demonstrated that there are significant benefits when measuring momentum in muon applications, measuring both the muon scattering angle and muon momentum in the field remains a challenge. To fill this critical gap, a novel concept using multi-layer pressurized gas Cherenkov radiators that is fieldable to allow muon momentum measurement in the field is presented in this dissertation. The proposed Cherenkov muon spectrometer is: (i) accurate (~90%) in classifying muon momentum, (ii) lightweight (< 10 kg) for easy transport and deployment in the field, (iii) compact (< 1 m<sup>3</sup>), and (iv) easily coupled with existing muon tomographic systems. Although muon momentum measurement resolution of spectrometers used in high energy physics laboratories, such as CMS or ATLAS of LHC at CERN, is less than 5% for low energy muons, these spectrometers typically (i) use bulky and large solenoidal or toroidal magnets and (ii) interfere with muon trajectories to measure momentum. These characteristics make them unsuitable for field deployment.</p>
<p>In this work, the feasibility of using the proposed Cherenkov muon spectrometer coupled with current muon tomographic systems is explored and evaluated using Monte Carlo simulations and reconstruction algorithms. It is shown the use of the proposed Cherenkov muon spectrometer has the potential to improve muon tomographic imaging resolution or reduce measurement time by a factor of 10 or more when used to identify a missing fuel assembly from a SNF dry cask. In addition, a new imaging algorithm is developed that integrates muon momentum and muon scattering without significantly increasing computational cost. Advances in momentum-integrated muon tomography have the potential to improve monitoring and imaging efficiency in various nuclear engineering applications. For example, it can expand current capabilities to continue reliable stewardship in nuclear material management, i.e., Continuity of Knowledge, and prevent SNM proliferation to unauthorized states and parties. The benefit of such an approach is a compact, lightweight, and portable spectrometer that can be deployed in the field to improve existing or explore new engineering applications: muon tomography, geological studies, and cosmic radiation measurement in space.</p>
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