Search results for "GRAVITATION"

GLITP optical monitoring of QSO 0957+561: VR light curves and variability

2003

The GLITP collaboration observed the first gravitational lens system (QSO 0957+561) from 2000 February 3 to 2000 March 31. The daily VR observations were made with the 2.56-m Nordic Optical Telescope at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma (Spain). We have derived detailed and robust VR light curves of the two components Q0957+561A and Q0957+561B. In spite of the excellent sampling rate, we have not found evidence in favor of true daily variability. With respect to variability on time-scales of several weeks, we measure VR gradients of about -0.8 mmag/day in Q0957+561A and + 0.3 mmag/day in Q0957+561B. The gradients are very probably originated in the far source, thus adopting this …

Conformally stationary cosmological models

2008

Shock capturing methods in 1D numerical relativity

2008

A numerical code is presented which uses modern shock capturing methods to evolve spherically symmetric perfect fluid space-times. Harmonic slicing is used to ensure singularity avoidance, which is crucial in strong field situations. Some tests are presented, including an application to the stellar collapse problem.

AMR simulations of the low bar-mode instability of neutron stars

2007

It has been recently argued through numerical work that rotating stars with a high degree of differential rotation are dynamically unstable against bar-mode deformation, even for values of the ratio of rotational kinetic energy to gravitational potential energy as low as O(0.01). This may have implications for gravitational wave astronomy in high-frequency sources such as core collapse supernovae. In this paper we present high-resolution simulations, performed with an adaptive mesh refinement hydrodynamics code, of such low T/|W| bar-mode instability. The complex morphological features involved in the nonlinear dynamics of the instability are revealed in our simulations, which show that the…

Quasi-periodic accretion and gravitational waves from oscillating "toroidal neutron stars" around a Schwarzschild black hole

2002

We present general relativistic hydrodynamics simulations of constant specific angular momentum tori orbiting a Schwarzschild black hole. These tori are expected to form as a result of stellar gravitational collapse, binary neutron star merger or disruption, can reach very high rest-mass densities and behave effectively as neutron stars but with a toroidal topology (i.e. ``toroidal neutron stars''). Our attention is here focussed on the dynamical response of these objects to axisymmetric perturbations. We show that, upon the introduction of perturbations, these systems either become unstable to the runaway instability or exhibit a regular oscillatory behaviour resulting in a quasi-periodic …

"Gravitational waves from newly born, hot neutron stars"

2003

We study the gravitational radiation associated to the non--radial oscillations of newly born, hot neutron stars. The frequencies and damping times of the relevant quasi--normal modes are computed for two different models of proto--neutron stars, at different times of evolution, from its birth until it settles down as a cold neutron star. We find that the oscillation properties of proto--neutron stars are remarkably different from those of their cold, old descendants and that this affects the characteristic features of the gravitational signal emitted during the post-collapse evolution. The consequences on the observability of these signals by resonant--mass and interferometric detectors ar…

Gravitational radiation from the magnetic field of a strongly magnetized star

2003

We consider the electromagnetic (e.m.) field of a compact strongly magnetized star. The star is idealized as a perfect conducting sphere, rigidly rotating in a vacuum, with a magnetic moment not aligned with its rotation axis. Then we use the exterior e.m. solution, obtained by Deutsch (1955) in his classic paper, to calculate the gravitational waves emitted by the e.m. field when its wavelength is much longer than the radius of the star. In some astrophysical situations, this gravitational radiation can overcome the quadrupole one emitted by the matter of the star, and, for some magnetars, would be detectable in the near future, once the present detectors, planned or under construction, be…

Denoising of gravitational wave signals via dictionary learning algorithms

2016

Gravitational wave astronomy has become a reality after the historical detections accomplished during the first observing run of the two advanced LIGO detectors. In the following years, the number of detections is expected to increase significantly with the full commissioning of the advanced LIGO, advanced Virgo and KAGRA detectors. The development of sophisticated data analysis techniques to improve the opportunities of detection for low signal-to-noise-ratio events is, hence, a most crucial effort. In this paper, we present one such technique, dictionary-learning algorithms, which have been extensively developed in the last few years and successfully applied mostly in the context of image…

General Relativistic Simulations of Binary Neutron Star Mergers

2011

Binary neutron star mergers are one of the possible candidates for the central engine of short gamma‐ray bursts (GRBs) and they are also powerful sources of gravitational waves. We have used our fully general relativistic hydrodynamical code Whisky to investigate the merger of binary neutron star systems and we have in particular studied the properties of the tori that can be formed by these systems, their possible connection with the engine of short GRBs and the gravitational wave signals that detectors such as advanced LIGO will be able to detect. We have also shown how the mass of the torus varies as a function of the total mass of the neutron stars composing the binary and of their mass…

Influence of gravity vector on eye movement elicited by linear acceleration.

1991

When the body/head motion is sensed by otolith organs, they respond not only to the resultant acceleration of the motion but also to the gravitational force. We investigated the influence of the gravity vector on the otolithic-ocular reflex caused by motion in normal subjects. The sled type linear accelerator, moving back and forth with a frequency of 0.25 Hz and an amplitude of 2 m, generated right-left linear acceleration with a maximum magnitude of 0.5 g. We tested every subject under seven different postures: 1) 135 degrees forward tilted (F.T.), 2) 90 degrees F.T., 3) 45 degrees F.T., 4) upright sitting, 5) 45 degrees backward tilted (B.T.), 6) 90 degrees B.T., and 7) 135 degrees B.T. …