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Rounding Up The Astrophysical Weeds

McMillan, James Paul
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1460398754

Abstract Details

2016, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Physics.
New instruments used for astronomy such as ALMA, Herschel, and SOFIA have greatly increased the quality of available astrophysical data. These improved data contain spectral lines and features which are not accounted for in the quantum mechanical (QM) catalogs. A class of molecules has been identified as being particularly problematic, the so-called "weeds''. These molecules have numerous transitions, of non-trivial intensity, which are difficult to model due to highly perturbed low lying vibrational states. The inability to properly describe the complete contribution of these weeds to the astrophysical data has led directly to the misidentification of other target molecules. Ohio State's Microwave Laboratory has developed an alternative approach to this problem. Rather than relying on complex QM calculations, we have developed a temperature dependent approach to laboratory based terahertz spectroscopy. We have developed a set of simple packages, in addition to traditional line list catalogs, that enable astronomers to successfully remove the weed signals from their data. This dissertation will detail my laboratory work and analysis of three keys weeds: methanol, methyl formate and methyl cyanide. Also, discussed will be the analytical technique I used to apply these laboratory results to astrophysical data.
Frank De Lucia (Advisor)
Louis DiMauro (Committee Member)
Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin (Committee Member)
Richard Furnstahl (Committee Member)
138 p.
Physics

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • McMillan, J. P. (2016). Rounding Up The Astrophysical Weeds [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1460398754

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • McMillan, James. Rounding Up The Astrophysical Weeds. 2016. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1460398754.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • McMillan, James. "Rounding Up The Astrophysical Weeds." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1460398754

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1460398754
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.