The MUSE Hubble Ultra Deep Field Survey X. Lyα\alpha Equivalent Widths at 2.9<z<6.62.9 < z < 6.6

We present rest-frame Ly$\alpha$ equivalent widths (EW) of 417 Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) detected with Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at $2.9 < z < 6.6$ in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. Based on the deep MUSE spectroscopy and ancillary Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry data, we carefully measured EW values taking into account extended Ly$\alpha$ emission and UV continuum slopes ($\beta$). Our LAEs reach unprecedented depths, both in Ly$\alpha$ luminosities and UV absolute magnitudes, from log($L_{\rm Ly\alpha}$/erg s$^{-1}$) $\sim$41.0 to 43.0 and from Muv $\sim$ -16 to -21 (0.01-1.0 $L^{*}_{\rm z=3}$). The EW values span the range of $\sim$ 5 to 240 \AA\ or larger, and their distribution can be well fitted by an exponential law $N = N_{\rm 0}$ exp($-$EW/$w_{\rm 0}$). Owing to the high dynamic range in Muv, we find that the scale factor, $w_{\rm 0}$, depends on Muv in the sense that including fainter Muv objects increases $w_{\rm 0}$, i.e., the Ando effect. The results indicate that selection functions affect the EW scale factor. Taking these effects into account, we find that our $w_{\rm 0}$ values are consistent with those in the literature within $1\sigma$ uncertainties at $2.9 < z < 6.6$ at a given threshold of Muv and $L_{\rm Ly\alpha}$. Interestingly, we find 12 objects with EW $>200$ \AA\ above $1\sigma$ uncertainties. Two of these 12 LAEs show signatures of merger or AGN activity: the weak CIV $\lambda 1549$ emission line. For the remaining 10 very large EW LAEs, we find that the EW values can be reproduced by young stellar ages ($< 100$ Myr) and low metallicities ($\lesssim 0.02$ $Z_{\rm \odot}$). Otherwise, at least part of the Ly$\alpha$ emission in these LAEs needs to arise from anisotropic radiative transfer effects, fluorescence by hidden AGN or quasi-stellar object activity, or gravitational cooling.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, 9 tables, accepted for publication in A&A (MUSE UDF Series Paper X

Ubiquitous giant Ly α\alpha nebulae around the brightest quasars at z∼3.5z\sim3.5 revealed with MUSE

Direct Ly $\alpha$ imaging of intergalactic gas at $z\sim2$ has recently revealed giant cosmological structures around quasars, e.g. the Slug Nebula (Cantalupo et al. 2014). Despite their high luminosity, the detection rate of such systems in narrow-band and spectroscopic surveys is less than 10%, possibly encoding crucial information on the distribution of gas around quasars and the quasar emission properties. In this study, we use the MUSE integral-field instrument to perform a blind survey for giant Ly $\alpha$ nebulae around 17 bright radio-quiet quasars at $3<z<4$ that does not suffer from most of the limitations of previous surveys. After data reduction and analysis performed with specifically developed tools, we found that each quasar is surrounded by giant Ly $\alpha$ nebulae with projected sizes larger than 100 physical kpc and, in some cases, extending up to 320 kpc. The circularly averaged surface brightness profiles of the nebulae appear very similar to each other despite their different morphologies and are consistent with power laws with slopes $\approx-1.8$. The similarity between the properties of all these nebulae and the Slug Nebula suggests a similar origin for all systems and that a large fraction of gas around bright quasars could be in a relatively "cold" (T$\sim$10$^4$K) and dense phase. In addition, our results imply that such gas is ubiquitous within at least 50 kpc from bright quasars at $3<z<4$ independently of the quasar emission opening angle, or extending up to 200 kpc for quasar isotropic emission.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, 3 Tables, accepted to Ap

No Brainer: The Early Modern Tragedy of Torture

Abstract Legally-sanctioned torture for the purposes of gathering evidence is extremely rare in the Anglo-American tradition. Aside from the Bush Administration, the only other period in which legally-sanctioned torture was practiced was in early modern England, 1540-1640, concentrated in the reign of Elizabeth I. This essay initially looks to, and seeks to resolve, a paradox of early modern English torture: the torturers for the most part deny that they torture; and the tortured (for the most part Catholics) do not protest torture&apos;s illegality; instead they protest its inhumanity. After resolving the paradox, I turn to the stage, the space of play, and look to the ways in which some late medieval plays and one early modern play (King Lear) uses the play to protest the torturer&apos;s &quot;playfulness.&quot; No Brainer: The Early Modern Tragedy of Torture

The Early Royal Society and Visual Culture

Recent studies have fruitfully examined the intersection between early modern science and visual culture by elucidating the functions of images in shaping and disseminating scientific knowledge. Given its rich archival sources, it is possible to extend this line of research in the case of the Royal Society to an examination of attitudes towards images as artefacts –manufactured objects worth commissioning, collecting and studying. Drawing on existing scholarship and material from the Royal Society Archives, I discuss Fellows’ interests in prints, drawings, varnishes, colorants, images made out of unusual materials, and methods of identifying the painter from a painting. Knowledge of production processes of images was important to members of the Royal Society, not only as connoisseurs and collectors, but also as those interested in a Baconian mastery of material processes, including a “history of trades”. Their antiquarian interests led to discussion of painters’ styles, and they gradually developed a visual memorial to an institution through portraits and other visual records.AH/M001938/1 (AHRC

The Science Performance of JWST as Characterized in Commissioning

This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.Comment: 5th version as accepted to PASP; 31 pages, 18 figures; https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1538-3873/acb29

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

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