Bulletin of the American Physical Society
Fall 2015 Joint Meeting of the Texas Section of the AAPT, Texas Section of the APS and Zone 13 of the Society of Physics Students
Volume 60, Number 15
Thursday–Saturday, October 29–31, 2015; Waco, Texas
Session F3: Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Science I |
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Chair: Bao-An Li, Texas A&M University-Commerce Room: C.206 |
Friday, October 30, 2015 1:30PM - 1:42PM |
F3.00001: High momentum nucleons and the direct Urca process in neutron stars Henry Fleming, William Newton, Isaac Vidana, Bao-An Li A neutron star, the post supernova remnant of a star which starts its life, between 8 and 25 solar masses, is a very exotic neutron-rich environment with densities on the order of the nuclei of atoms. This is not an environment that we can duplicate here in laboratories here on earth but by studying the phenomena observed in these massive objects that are thousands of lightyears away, we can gather data that complements and extends that which we get from terrestrial nuclear experiment. Conversely, experimental data informs our understanding of the structure and evolution of neutron stars. Recent experimental results suggest that the momentum distribution of nucleons in nuclei and nuclear matter has a significant high-momentum component, which could impact the dynamics of neutron star cores. We present an exploration of the effect of this high momentum tail on the most efficient neutron star cooling process, the emission of neutrinos via the direct Urca reactions in the neutron star core. We find that the presence of high momentum nucleons allows the direct Urca process to occur at much lower core proton fractions than in the standard picture, and demonstrate that it could have a significant effect on the cooling of neutron stars during the first million years of their lives. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 30, 2015 1:42PM - 1:54PM |
F3.00002: Gravitational microlensing by binary black holes Daniel Eilbott, Jonathan Cohn, Alexander Riley, Michael Kesden, Lindsay King When a massive object passes in front of a distant light source, the light follows curved space-time, resulting in magnification of the source light and production of multiple images in a process known as gravitational lensing. Small-scale gravitational lensing where the lens is an effective point mass (e.g. a star or black hole) is referred to as microlensing. Though yet undetected, we expect stellar-mass binary black holes (BBHs) to exist and to have a microlensing signature that is, due to their larger masses and smaller separations, distinct from normal lensing objects. We calculate the light curves and image centroid shifts from lensing events that BBHs would produce and evaluate whether such events are observationally detectable by current technological means. To this end, we use Bayesian statistical techniques to compare statistical support for a BBH model vs. a single object model of the same total mass, taking into account the modern telescope’s ability to detect perturbations in the light curve due to a candidate BBH. We show that, with current technology, only BBHs with separations that are a significant fraction of their Einstein radius would be detectable. We additionally explore the parameter space of BBHs to analyze detectability with near-future telescopes. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 30, 2015 1:54PM - 2:06PM |
F3.00003: Gravitomagnetic Dynamical Friction Benjamin Cashen, Michael Kesden, Juan Servin As a black hole moves through a field of stars (e.g. a galaxy) with some nonzero velocity, relative to the dispersion of the field, a gravitational wake can build up behind it, acting to slow it down. This gravitational drag force is commonly referred to as dynamical friction, and plays an important role in many galactic processes, such as mergers and cluster formations. We extend the current research by examining its effects on the motion of spinning supermassive black holes. In the weak field, low velocity limit we use a post-Newtonian (PN) expansion of the geodesic equations of motion, up to order $O({v^{3}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{v^{3}} {c^{3}}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {c^{3}})$, to calculate the coefficients of dynamical friction for a Kerr SBH. We find that the cumulative effect of both scattering and capture by the SBH is a ``gravitomagnetic'' force, similar in form to the Lorentz force, wich acts perpenduicular to the plane spanned by the black holes' spin and velocity vectors. This acceleration causes the black hole to travel along a helical path, similar in fashion to the movement of a charged particle in a magnetic field. I will discuss the meaning of these results, as well as further steps to be taken to improve our understanding of this new dynamical friction force. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 30, 2015 2:06PM - 2:18PM |
F3.00004: A Quantum Mechanical Resolution of Cosmological Phenomenon Rafael Sierra To the disparate theories of the various phenomenon of dark matter, dark energy, gravity, light and quantum mechanics, we add our voice. With a young theory that is simple and streamlined, we attempt to find connections between the phenomenon stated above. We theorize that dark matter and dark energy are typical results of the formalism of quantum mechanics. We get that dark matter is not a true particle, and that dark matter and dark energy are inseparable phenomenon. We continue on to conjecture a new physical principle (Principle of Least Probability), and use it to explain the reason that gravity exists. By doing this, gravity and dark matter become highly interrelated. Finally, we conclude by analyzing the mechanics of zero mass particles in dark matter, and conjecture a relationship between the density of dark matter and the speed of light. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 30, 2015 2:18PM - 2:30PM |
F3.00005: Complex Matter Space with an Introduction to Hilbert Space Erik Harwell Hilbert Space Methods are powerful ways to deal with problems in Quantum and Relativistic Mechanics. We will introduce the mathematical background for Hilbert Space, discuss Hilbert Space and how it is used in Quantum Mechanics, and then introduce a new concept we call Complex Matter Space (CMS), and its postulates. Complex Matter particles and CMS are new fundamental views of matter that we will present here and the paradigm will be shifted from pure real or pure imaginary particles to Complex Matter particles. Initially, we will assume that matter has two intrinsic components: mass and charge and will be denoted by M$=$m$+$iq, where i $=$ $\surd $(-1). We will look at momentum and energy in CMS, the Quantum Mechanical view of CMS, the Relativistic view of CMS, and the derivation of the Einstein Equation in CMS. Finally, we will discuss possible directions for future research. [Preview Abstract] |
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