Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--York University, 1997. Graduate Programme in Physics and Astronomy. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-141). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ27373.

Not available / text

by Lai Chi Wai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [104]-107). / Text in English; abstract also in Chinese. / by Lai Chi Wai. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgment --- p.iv / List of Figures --- p.xi / List of Tables --- p.xii / Chapter 1 --- Introduction to Numerical Relativity --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- The need for numerical approach --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- A brief history of numerical relativity --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- What this thesis concern --- p.4 / Chapter 2 --- Mathematical Formulation --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- The initial value problem --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- The space-plus-time (3+1) formalism --- p.8 / Chapter 3 --- Methods in Numerical Relativity --- p.17 / Chapter 3.1 --- General numerical methods --- p.17 / Chapter 3.2 --- Consistency and stability --- p.18 / Chapter 3.3 --- Difficulties and limitations --- p.20 / Chapter 3.4 --- Strategies specific to numerical relativity --- p.21 / Chapter 3.5 --- Boundary conditions --- p.27 / Chapter 4 --- Detweiler's Scheme --- p.29 / Chapter 4.1 --- Constrainted evolution in numerical relativity --- p.29 / Chapter 4.2 --- Detweiler's Scheme --- p.31 / Chapter 5 --- Constraint Enforcement in Plane Waves --- p.36 / Chapter 5.1 --- General solution for a linearized plane wave --- p.36 / Chapter 5.2 --- Code test --- p.40 / Chapter 5.3 --- Comparison of results with and without Detweiler's scheme --- p.41 / Chapter 5.4 --- Stability of evolution --- p.46 / Chapter 5.5 --- Comparison of Detweiler's scheme and simple diffusion method --- p.50 / Chapter 5.6 --- Two parameter extension of Detweiler's scheme --- p.55 / Chapter 5.7 --- Long time behavior --- p.59 / Chapter 5.8 --- Comparison of Hamiltonian and momentum constraint --- p.63 / Chapter 5.9 --- Indicator of Detweiler's scheme --- p.67 / Chapter 5.10 --- The maximal slicing condition --- p.70 / Chapter 5.11 --- The leaking problem --- p.73 / Chapter 5.12 --- The near-linear plane waves --- p.75 / Chapter 6 --- Constraint Enforcement in MTW Waves --- p.83 / Chapter 6.1 --- MTW waves --- p.83 / Chapter 6.2 --- Linear regime --- p.85 / Chapter 6.3 --- Comparison of results with and without Detweiler's scheme --- p.85 / Chapter 6.4 --- The indicator --- p.90 / Chapter 6.5 --- A comparison of simple diffusion method and Detweiler's scheme with a large amplitude wave --- p.92 / Chapter 7 --- Summary and Conclusion --- p.97 / Chapter A --- The Numerical Scheme of the Code --- p.98 / Chapter B --- Convergence Test --- p.100 / Chapter B.1 --- Plane wave --- p.100 / Chapter B.2 --- MTW wave --- p.102 / Bibliography --- p.104

In this thesis, I present 4 new, high-resolution observations of the Galactic microquasar SS 433, obtained from the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). I show that we can resolve the same ejecta in successive observations separated by ~ 35 d. I will demonstrate a method to uniquely determine launch vectors of the jet bolides, and I use this unprecedented baseline in time to show that the expansion rate of these bolides may reach 0.03c. I also present the first scientific results from the study of the radio jets in a unique set of historic observations of SS 433: the 39 images that comprise the 2003 VLBA movie of Mioduszewski et al. (2004). This unmatched time sampling allows us to see daily changes in the dynamics of SS 433's jets. I present evidence that these observations caught SS 433 as it transitioned from quiescence into a flare, and I show that this manifests itself as an increase in both the jet launch speed and the brightness of the jet bolides. Using these data, I examine the evolution of the particle energies, densities and magnetic fields within the bolides. We see that the estimates of the mass-loss rates via the jets cannot be reconciled with the those inferred from X-ray or optical data, if we posit equipartition of energy in synchrotron emitting plasma. The time resolution of the 2003 data allows us to observe the flux evolution of the jet bolides, and I show that the bolides undergo a power law decay as t^−2.8. Lastly, I examine X-ray monitoring data from the Swift/BAT satellite and the MAXI All-Sky- Monitor. From these lightcurves, I examine the geometry of the X-ray emission from close to the compact object itself, and I discuss SS 433's place within the current paradigm of accretion in microquasars. Throughout, we will see that it is the accessible time scales of the SS 433 phenomenon that allow us to learn about its exciting, complex physics.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xx, 198 p.; also includes graphics (some col.). Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-198). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

Hard X-ray spectra of accreting black holes in active galactic nuclei and X- ray binaries are characterized by a power-law shape with an exponential cut-off energy at several tens up to few hundreds of keV. The value of the cut-off energy is related to the temperature of a hot corona that reprocesses and inversely Comptonizes thermal emission from the accretion disc. The exact geometry of the corona is still unknown. Several observations suggest it to be very compact and in a close proximity to the black hole. This implies strong relativistic effects such as gravitational redshift, Doppler shift, light bending and beaming to shape the resulting spectra. However, the relativistic effects on primary X-ray emission are often neglected in the data spectral fitting. In this work, we investigate how large uncertainty is introduced by neglecting these relativistic effects. To this purpose, we performed simulations of X-ray spectra for different coronal geometries, and compared the intrinsic and observed values of the cutoff energy. We re-analyzed NuSTAR observations of an active galactic nucleus 1H0419-577 and X-ray binary GRS 1915+105. We found that the extremely low coronal temperatures observed in these sources may be explained by the gravitational redshift due to the proximity of the compact corona to the black hole....

[Truncated abstract] As gravitational wave detectors approach sensitivities that will allow observations to become routine, astrophysics lies on the cusp of an exciting new era. Potential sources will include transients such as merging neutron stars and black holes, supernova explosions or the engines that power gamma-ray bursts. This thesis will be devoted to the astrophysical gravitational wave background signal produced by cosmological populations of such transient signals. Particular attention will be devoted to the observation-time dependence imposed on the individual sources that accumulate to produce a gravitational wave background signal. The ultimate aim is to determine what information is encoded in the temporal evolution of such a signal. To lay the foundations for further investigation, the stochastic gravitational wave background signal from neutron star birth throughout the Universe has been calculated. In view of the uncertainties in both the single-source emissions and source rate histories, several models of each are employed. The results show that that the resulting signals are only weakly dependent on the source-rate evolution model and that prominent features in the single-source spectra can be related to the background spectra. In comparison with previous studies, the use of relativistic single-source gravitational wave waveforms rather than Newtonian models and a more slowly evolving source-rate density results in a 1 { 2 order of magnitude reduction in signal. ... A comparison with the more commonly used brightness distribution of events shows that when applying both methods to a data stream containing a background of Gaussian distributed false alarms, the brightness distribution yielded lower standard errors, but was biased by the false alarms. In comparison, a fitting procedure based on the time evolution of events was less prone to errors resulting from false alarms, but as fewer events contributed to the data, had a lower resolution. In further support of the time dependent signature of transient events, an alternative technique is fiapplied to the same source population. In this case, the local rate density is probed by measuring the statistical compatibility of the filtered data against synthetic time dependent data. Although this method is not as compact as the fitting procedure, the rate estimates are compatible. To further investigate how the observation time dependence of transient populations can be used to constrain global parameters, the method is applied to Swift long gamma-ray burst data. By considering a distribution in peak °ux rather than a gravitational wave amplitude, gamma-ray bursts can be considered as a surrogate for resolved gravitational wave transients. For this application a peak °ux{observation time relation is described that takes the form of a power law that is invariant to the luminosity distribution of the sources. Additionally, the method is enhanced by invoking time reversal invariance and the temporal cosmological principle. Results are presented to show that the peak °ux{observation time relation is in good agreement with recent estimates of source parameters. Additionally, to show that the intrinsic time dependence allows the method to be used as a predictive tool, projections are made to determine the upper limits in peak °ux of future gamma-ray burst detections for Swift.

Orientador: Samuel Rocha de Oliveira / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Matemática Estatística e Computação Científica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T16:31:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Garcia_RaphaeldeOliveira_D.pdf: 5512062 bytes, checksum: a2805b263757b93de5fb67b8cc3aba15 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Neste trabalho foi desenvolvido um novo programa computacional em Fortran 90, com o objetivo de obter soluções numéricas de um sistema de equações diferenciais parciais de Magnetohidrodinâmica Relativística, com gravitação pré-determinada (GRMHD), capaz de simular a formação de jatos relativísticos desde a acreção de disco de matéria até sua ejeção. De início fez-se um estudo sobre métodos numéricos de Volumes Finitos Unidimensionais, a saber método Lax-Friedrichs, Lax-Wendroff, Nessyahu-Tadmor e métodos de Godunov dependentes de problemas de Riemann, aplicados nas equações de Euler com o intuito de verificar as suas principais características e de efetuar comparações entre aqueles métodos. Em seguida implementou-se os métodos de Volumes Finitos Centrados Lax-Friedrichs e Nessyahu-Tadmor, que são esquemas numéricos que possuem uma formulação sem separação dimensional e livres de resolvedores de problemas de Riemann, mesmo em duas ou mais dimensões espaciais; neste ponto, já aplicados nas equações de GRMHD. Um método Lax-Wendroff com Runge-Kutta de ordem 3, com a propriedade de ser Valor Total Decrescente (TVD) no tempo e com separação dimensional, também foi aplicado no mesmo problema. Por fim, com o método Nessyahu-Tadmor foi possível obter soluções numéricas estáveis - sem oscilações espúrias nem dissipação excessiva - desde o processo de acreção do disco magnetizado, em rotação com relação a um buraco negro central (BH) de Schwarzschild e imerso a uma magnetosfera, até a ejeção de matéria em forma de jato ao longo de uma distância de quatorze vezes o raio do BH, um recorde em termos de simulação astrofísica / Abstract: We have developed a new computer program in Fortran 90, in order to obtain numerical solutions of a system of partial differential equations of Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamics with predetermined gravitation (GRMHD), capable of simulate the formation of relativistic jets from the accretion disk of matter up to his ejection. Initially we carried out a study on numerical methods of Unidimensional Finite Volume, namely Lax-Friedrichs, Lax-Wendroff, Nessyahu-Tadmor method and Godunov methods dependent on Riemann problems, applied to equations Euler in order to verify their main features and make comparisons among those methods. It was then implemented the methods of Finite Volume Centered Lax-Friedrichs and Nessyahu-Tadmor, which are numerical schemes that have a formulation free and without dimensional separation Riemann problem solvers, even in two or more spatial dimensions, at this point, already applied in equations GRMHD. A Lax-Wendrof Runge-Kutta method of order 3, with the property of Total Value Descending (TVD) in time and size separation, was also applied to the same problem. Finally, with Nessyahu - Tadmor method was possible to obtain solutions stable numerical - without spurious oscillations or excessive dissipation - from the process of magnetized accretion disk, in rotation with respect to a central black hole (BH) Schwarzschild and immersed in a magnetosphere, to the ejection of matter in the form of jet over a distance of fourteen times the radius of the BH, a record in terms of astrophysical simulation / Doutorado / Matematica / Doutor em Matemática Aplicada

The presented thesis deals with theoretical modeling of the X-ray emission from active galactic nuclei. It studies spectral and polarisation properties of local radiation reflected from the surrounding accretion disc, which is being illuminated by a hot corona above, as well as global observational perspectives at infinity for unobscured radio-quiet sources. Modeling of this kind could then serve for observational fitting of spin of the central supermassive black hole, constraining the accretion disc's or coronal properties, or de- termining observer's inclination towards the systems. A radiative transfer Monte Carlo simulation code STOKES [Goosmann and Gaskell, 2007, Marin et al., 2012, 2015, Marin, 2018] is used for local computations. Its performance is compared to results of other attempts already existing in literature and analytical approximations. The local scheme is discussed mostly in terms of emergent polarisation that has been for the first time simulated for these types of objects with high accuracy. Integration over the accretion disc and superposition with the primary radiation in the so-called lamp-post or extended coronal model, including all general relativistic effects in the vicinity of the central super- massive black hole, is then performed on the basis of already existing routine...