An X-ray survey of nine historical novae

The Einstein Observatory imaging proportional counter was used to search for X-ray emission from nine nearby historical novae. Six of the novae were detected with estimated X-ray intensities between .1 to 4 keV of 10 to the -13th power to 10 to the -11th power ergs/sq cm-s, comparable to the intensities of previously detected cataclysmic variables. The X-ray intensity of one of the novae, V603 Aql, varies over times of several hundred seconds. The data suggest a correlation between the decay rate of the historical outburst and the current X-ray luminosity. Alternatively, the X-ray luminosity may be related to the inclination of the binary system

Stimulation of endothelial adenosine Al receptors enhances adhesion of neutrophils in the intact guinea pig coronary system

Objective: The primary aim was to determine the action of pathophysiologically relevant adenosine concentrations (0.1-1 μM) on adhesion of neutrophils to coronary endothelium. Further aims were to evaluate the nature and localisation of the adenosine receptor involved. and to assess the effect of endogenous adenosine. Methods: Adhesion was studied in isolated perfused guinea pig hearts by determining the number of cells emerging in the coronary effluent after intracoronary bolus injections of 600 000 neutrophils prepared from guinea pig or human blood. The system was characterised by the use of the proadhesive stimulus thrombin. Results: A 5 rnin infusion of adenosine (0.1-0.3 μM) or the A1 receptor agonist N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA, 0.01 μM) significantly increased adhesion from about 20% (control) to 30%. This effect was prevented by the A1 receptor antagonist dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX. 0.1 μM). It was not diminished by cessation of adenosine infusion 90 s prior to neutrophil injection. At a higher concentration of adenosine (1 μM), adhesion did not seem to be enhanced. However, coinfusion of the A2 receptor antagonist 3,7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine (DMPX. 0.1 μM) with 1 μM adenosine unmasked the A1 action, adhesion rising to 39%. Adenosine had a quantitatively identical effect on adhesion of human neutrophils. Total ischaemia of 15 min duration raised adhesion of subsequently applied neutrophils to 35%. This effect was completely blocked by DPCPX, as well as by ischaemic preconditioning (3 X 3 min). Preconditioning raised initial postischaemic coronary effluent adenosine from about 0.8 μM to 1.5 μM. Conclusions: The findings suggest a bimodal participation of adenosine in the development of postischaemic dysfunction by an endothelium dependent modulation of neutrophil adhesion. Stimulation occurs via endothelial A1 receptors at submicromolar adenosine levels, whereas cardioprotection by adenosine may in part relate to the use of pharmacologically high concentrations of adenosine or enhanced endogenous production after preconditioning

A 2 component X-ray spectrum from SMC X-1

Both HEAO-1 A2 and Einstein SSS observations of SMC X-1 are presented. An unpulsed soft component is found with a blackbody temperature of 0.16 keV and an area for the emission region of 10 to the 15th power sq cm to 10 to the 17th power sq cm. The hard X-ray component is pulsed; the phase averaged spectrum is a power law with alpha approximately 0.5 keV up to 17 keV above which it steepens. The SSS sets an upper limit of 4 x 10 to the 21st power H cm/2 to any absorption and is consistent with that expected from the wind of SK160. Absorption dips with a timescale of several hundred seconds are seen immediately following an eclipse exit and are probably caused by inhomogeneities in the wind of SK160

A multiwavlength study of PSR B0628-28: The first overluminous rotation-powered pulsar?

The ROSAT source RX J0630.8-2834 was suggested by positional coincidence to be the X-ray counterpart of the old field pulsar PSR B0628-28. This association, however, was regarded to be unlikely based on the computed energetics of the putative X-ray counterpart. In this paper we report on multiwavelength observations of PSR B0628-28 made with the ESO/NTT observatory in La Silla, the Jodrell Bank radio observatory and XMM-Newton. Although the optical observations do not detect any counterpart of RX J0630.8-2834 down to a limiting magnitude of V=26.1 mag and B=26.3 mag, XMM-Newton observations finally confirmed it to be the pulsar's X-ray counterpart by detecting X-ray pulses with the radio pulsar's spin-period. The X-ray pulse profile is characterized by a single broad peak with a second smaller peak leading the main pulse component by ~144 degree. The fraction of pulsed photons is (38 +- 7)% with no strong energy dependence in the XMM-Newton bandpass. The pulsar's X-ray spectrum is well described by a single component power law with photon index 2.63^{+0.23}_{-0.15}, indicating that the pulsar's X radiation is dominated by non-thermal emission processes. A low level contribution of thermal emission from residual cooling or from heated polar caps, cannot be excluded. The pulsar's spin-down to X-ray energy conversion efficiency is obtained to be ~16% for the radio dispersion measure inferred pulsar distance. If confirmed, PSR B0628-28 would be the first X-ray overluminous rotation-powered pulsar identified among all ~1400 radio pulsars known today.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Find a paper copy with higher resolution images at ftp://ftp.xray.mpe.mpg.de/people/web/astro-ph-0505488_rev2.pd

Rapid X-ray variability from the Seyfert 1 Galaxy NGC 4051

Strong variable X-ray emission from the nearby low luminosity Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4051 was discovered during observations with the imaging proportional counter of the Einstein Observatory. During one 2304 second observation, the X-ray flux more than doubled in an approximately linear fashion, and a 70% increase for 150 seconds was seen during another 968 second observation. Evidence is presented which demonstrates that the X-ray spectrum of NGC 4051 is unusually soft compared to Seyfert 1 galaxies or QSOs. The emission mechanism is probably not synchrotron or synchrotron self-Compton, but the emission can be plausibly explained by various black hole accretion models

α\alpha-Particle Spectrum in the Reaction p+11^{11}B→α+8Be∗→3α\to \alpha + ^8Be^*\to 3\alpha

Using a simple phenomenological parametrization of the reaction amplitude we calculated $\alpha$-particle spectrum in the reaction p+$^{11}$B$\to \alpha + ^8Be^*\to 3\alpha$ at the resonance proton energy 675 KeV. The parametrization includes Breit-Wigner factor with an energy dependent width for intermediate $^8Be^*$ state and the Coulomb and the centrifugal factors in $\alpha$-particle emission vertexes. The shape of the spectrum consists of a well defined peak corresponding to emission of the primary $\alpha$ and a flat shoulder going down to very low energy. We found that below 1.5 MeV there are 17.5% of $\alpha$'s and below 1 MeV there are 11% of them.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Photomechanical Investigation of Structural Behavior of Gyroscope Components. Task IV - Analysis of Initial Redesign of AB5-K8 GYROSCOPE

Photomechanics of structure and materials in redesigned AB5-K8 gyroscope component

A technique for automatic real time scoring of several simultaneous sleep electroencephalograms

Automatic real-time scoring of simultaneous sleep electroencephalogram

The reaction 13C(alpha,n)16O: a background for the observation of geo-neutrinos

The absolute cross section of the $^{13}$C($\alpha$,n)$^{16}$O reaction has been measured at E$_{\alpha}$ = 0.8 to 8.0 MeV with an overall accuracy of 4%. The precision is needed to subtract reliably a background in the observation of geo-neutrinos, e.g. in the KamLAND detector.Comment: LaTex file, 13 pages including 3 ps figures. Any request to [email protected]. Phys. Rev . C, to appea