| 11. |
- Georgiev, Boris, et al.
(författare)
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A Universal Power-law Prescription for Variability from Synthetic Images of Black Hole Accretion Flows
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8213 .- 2041-8205. ; 930:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present a framework for characterizing the spatiotemporal power spectrum of the variability expected from the horizon-scale emission structure around supermassive black holes, and we apply this framework to a library of general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations and associated general relativistic ray-traced images relevant for Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations of Sgr A*. We find that the variability power spectrum is generically a red-noise process in both the temporal and spatial dimensions, with the peak in power occurring on the longest timescales and largest spatial scales. When both the time-averaged source structure and the spatially integrated light-curve variability are removed, the residual power spectrum exhibits a universal broken power-law behavior. On small spatial frequencies, the residual power spectrum rises as the square of the spatial frequency and is proportional to the variance in the centroid of emission. Beyond some peak in variability power, the residual power spectrum falls as that of the time-averaged source structure, which is similar across simulations; this behavior can be naturally explained if the variability arises from a multiplicative random field that has a steeper high-frequency power-law index than that of the time-averaged source structure. We briefly explore the ability of power spectral variability studies to constrain physical parameters relevant for the GRMHD simulations, which can be scaled to provide predictions for black holes in a range of systems in the optically thin regime. We present specific expectations for the behavior of the M87* and Sgr A* accretion flows as observed by the EHT.
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| 12. |
- Roelofs, F., et al.
(författare)
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SYMBA: An end-to-end VLBI synthetic data generation pipeline: Simulating Event Horizon Telescope observations of M 87
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 636
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Realistic synthetic observations of theoretical source models are essential for our understanding of real observational data. In using synthetic data, one can verify the extent to which source parameters can be recovered and evaluate how various data corruption effects can be calibrated. These studies are the most important when proposing observations of new sources, in the characterization of the capabilities of new or upgraded instruments, and when verifying model-based theoretical predictions in a direct comparison with observational data. Aims. We present the SYnthetic Measurement creator for long Baseline Arrays (SYMBA), a novel synthetic data generation pipeline for Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations. SYMBA takes into account several realistic atmospheric, instrumental, and calibration effects. Methods. We used SYMBA to create synthetic observations for the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a millimetre VLBI array, which has recently captured the first image of a black hole shadow. After testing SYMBA with simple source and corruption models, we study the importance of including all corruption and calibration effects, compared to the addition of thermal noise only. Using synthetic data based on two example general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) model images of M 87, we performed case studies to assess the image quality that can be obtained with the current and future EHT array for different weather conditions. Results. Our synthetic observations show that the effects of atmospheric and instrumental corruptions on the measured visibilities are significant. Despite these effects, we demonstrate how the overall structure of our GRMHD source models can be recovered robustly with the EHT2017 array after performing calibration steps, which include fringe fitting, a priori amplitude and network calibration, and self-calibration. With the planned addition of new stations to the EHT array in the coming years, images could be reconstructed with higher angular resolution and dynamic range. In our case study, these improvements allowed for a distinction between a thermal and a non-thermal GRMHD model based on salient features in reconstructed images.
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| 13. |
- Broderick, Avery E., et al.
(författare)
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THEMIS: A Parameter Estimation Framework for the Event Horizon Telescope
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-4357 .- 0004-637X. ; 897:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) provides the unprecedented ability to directly resolve the structure and dynamics of black hole emission regions on scales smaller than their horizons. This has the potential to critically probe the mechanisms by which black holes accrete and launch outflows, and the structure of supermassive black hole spacetimes. However, accessing this information is a formidable analysis challenge for two reasons. First, the EHT natively produces a variety of data types that encode information about the image structure in nontrivial ways; these are subject to a variety of systematic effects associated with very long baseline interferometry and are supplemented by a wide variety of auxiliary data on the primary EHT targets from decades of other observations. Second, models of the emission regions and their interaction with the black hole are complex, highly uncertain, and computationally expensive to construct. As a result, the scientific utilization of EHT observations requires a flexible, extensible, and powerful analysis framework. We present such a framework, Themis, which defines a set of interfaces between models, data, and sampling algorithms that facilitates future development. We describe the design and currently existing components of Themis, how Themis has been validated thus far, and present additional analyses made possible by Themis that illustrate its capabilities. Importantly, we demonstrate that Themis is able to reproduce prior EHT analyses, extend these, and do so in a computationally efficient manner that can efficiently exploit modern high-performance computing facilities. Themis has already been used extensively in the scientific analysis and interpretation of the first EHT observations of M87.
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| 14. |
- Eatough, Ralph P., et al.
(författare)
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Verification of Radiative Transfer Schemes for the EHT
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-4357 .- 0004-637X. ; 897:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration has recently produced the first resolved images of the central supermassive black hole in the giant elliptical galaxy M87. Here we report on tests of the consistency and accuracy of the general relativistic radiative transfer codes used within the collaboration to model M87∗ and Sgr A∗. We compare and evaluate (1) deflection angles for equatorial null geodesics in a Kerr spacetime; (2) images calculated from a series of simple, parameterized matter distributions in the Kerr metric using simplified emissivities and absorptivities; (3) for a subset of codes, images calculated from general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations using different realistic synchrotron emissivities and absorptivities; (4) observables for the 2017 configuration of EHT, including visibility amplitudes and closure phases. The error in total flux is of order 1% when the codes are run with production numerical parameters. The dominant source of discrepancies for small camera distances is the location and detailed setup of the software "camera"that each code uses to produce synthetic images. We find that when numerical parameters are suitably chosen and the camera is sufficiently far away the images converge and that for given transfer coefficients, numerical uncertainties are unlikely to limit parameter estimation for the current generation of EHT observations. The purpose of this paper is to describe a verification and comparison of EHT radiative transfer codes. It is not to verify EHT models more generally.
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| 15. |
- Ablikim, M., et al.
(författare)
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Amplitude analysis of the pi(0)pi(0) system produced in radiative J/psi decays
- 2015
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Ingår i: Physical Review D. - 1550-7998 .- 1550-2368. ; 92:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An amplitude analysis of the pi(0)pi(0) system produced in radiative J/psi decays is presented. In particular, a piecewise function that describes the dynamics of the pi(0)pi(0) system is determined as a function of M pi(0)pi(0) from an analysis of the (1.311 +/- 0.011) x 10(9) J/psi decays collected by the BESIII detector. The goal of this analysis is to provide a description of the scalar and tensor components of the pi(0)pi(0) system while making minimal assumptions about the properties or number of poles in the amplitude. Such a model-independent description allows one to integrate these results with other related results from complementary reactions in the development of phenomenological models, which can then be used to directly fit experimental data to obtain parameters of interest. The branching fraction of J/psi -> pi(0)pi(0) is determined to be (1.15 +/- 0.05) x 10(-3), where the uncertainty is systematic only and the statistical uncertainty is negligible.
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| 16. |
- Ablikim, M., et al.
(författare)
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Evidence for e(+)e(-)->gamma chi c1,2 at center-of-mass energies from 4.009 to 4.360 GeV
- 2015
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Ingår i: Chinese Physics C. - : IOP Publishing. - 1674-1137 .- 2058-6132. ; 39:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using data samples collected at center-of-mass energies of root s=4.009, 4.230, 4.260, and 4.360 GeV with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII collider, we perform a search for the process e(+)e(-)->gamma chi(cJ) (J=0, 1, 2) and find evidence for e(+)e(-)->gamma chi(c1) and e(+)e(-)->gamma chi(c2) with statistical significances of 3.0 sigma and 3.4 sigma, respectively. The Born cross sections sigma(B)(e(+)e(-)->gamma chi(cJ)), as well as their upper limits at the 90% confidence level (C.L.) are determined at each center-of-mass energy.
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| 17. |
- Ablikim, M., et al.
(författare)
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Measurement of y(CP) in D-0-(D)over-bar(0) oscillation using quantum correlations in e(+)e(-) -> D-0(D)over-bar(0) at root s=3.773 GeV
- 2015
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Ingår i: Physics Letters B. - : Elsevier BV. - 0370-2693 .- 1873-2445. ; 744, s. 339-346
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report a measurement of the parameter y(CP) in D-0-(D) over bar (0) oscillations performed by taking advantage of quantum coherence between pairs of D-0(D) over bar (0) mesons produced in e(+)e(-) annihilations near threshold. In this work, doubly-tagged D-0(D) over bar (0) events, where one D decays to a CP eigenstate and the other D decays in a semileptonic mode, are reconstructed using a data sample of 2.92 fb(-1) collected with the BESIII detector at the center-of-mass energy of root s = 3.773 GeV. We obtain y(CP) = (-2.0 +/- 1.3 +/- 0.7)%, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. This result is compatible with the current world average.
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| 18. |
- Ablikim, M., et al.
(författare)
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Precision measurement of the D*(0) decay branching fractions
- 2015
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Ingår i: Physical Review D. - 1550-7998 .- 1550-2368 .- 2470-0010. ; 91:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using 482 pb(-1) of data taken at root s = 4.009 GeV, we measure the branching fractions of the decays of D*(0) into D-0 pi(0) and D-0 gamma to be B(D*(0) -> D-0 pi(0)) = (65.5 +/- 0.8 +/- 0.5)% and B(D*(0) -> D0 gamma) = (34.5 +/- 0.8 +/- 0.5)%, respectively, by assuming that the D*(0) decays only into these two modes. The ratio of the two branching fractions is B(D*(0) -> D-0 pi(0))/B(D*(0) -> D-0 gamma) = 1.90 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.05, which is independent of the assumption made above. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second ones systematic. The precision is improved by a factor of 3 compared to the present world average values.
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| 19. |
- Ablikim, M., et al.
(författare)
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Search for the weak decays J/psi -> D-s(()*()-) e(+)nu(e) + c.c.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Physical Review D. - 1550-7998 .- 1550-2368. ; 90:11, s. 112014-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using a sample of 2.25 x 10(8) J/psi events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider, we search for the J/psi semileptonic weak decay J/psi -> D-s(-) e(+)nu(e) +c.c. with a much higher sensitivity than previous searches. We also perform the first search for J/psi -> D-s(*-) e(+) nu(e) + c.c. No significant excess of a signal above background is observed in either channel. At the 90% confidence level, the upper limits are determined to be B(J/psi -> D-s(-) e(+) nu(e) + c.c.) < 1.3 x 10(-6) and B(J/psi -> D-s*(-) e(+) nu(e) + c.c.) < 1.8 x 10(-6), respectively. Both are consistent with Standard Model predictions.
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| 20. |
- Ablikim, M., et al.
(författare)
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Search for the Y(4140) via e(+)e(-) -> gamma phi J/psi at root s=4.23, 4.26 and 4.36 GeV
- 2015
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Ingår i: Physical Review D. - 1550-7998 .- 1550-2368. ; 91:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using data samples collected at center-of-mass energies root s = 4.23, 4.26, and 4.36 GeV with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII storage ring, we search for the production of the charmoniumlike state Y(4140) through a radiative transition followed by its decay to phi J/psi. No significant signal is observed and upper limits on sigma[e(+)e(-) -> gamma Y(4140)] . B(Y(4140) -> phi J/psi at the 90% confidence level are estimated as 0.35, 0.28, and 0.33 pb at root s = 4.23, 4.26, and 4.36 GeV, respectively.
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