15,209 research outputs found
Is the Redshift Clustering of Long-Duration Gamma-Ray Bursts Significant?
The 26 long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with known redshifts form a
distinct cosmological set, selected differently than other cosmological probes
such as quasars and galaxies. Since the progenitors are now believed to be
connected with active star-formation and since burst emission penetrates dust,
one hope is that with a uniformly-selected sample, the large-scale redshift
distribution of GRBs can help constrain the star-formation history of the
Universe. However, we show that strong observational biases in ground-based
redshift discovery hamper a clean determination of the large-scale GRB rate and
hence the connection of GRBs to the star formation history. We then focus on
the properties of the small-scale (clustering) distribution of GRB redshifts.
When corrected for heliocentric motion relative to the local Hubble flow, the
observed redshifts appear to show a propensity for clustering: 8 of 26 GRBs
occurred within a recession velocity difference of 1000 km/s of another GRB.
That is, 4 pairs of GRBs occurred within 30 h_65^-1 Myr in cosmic time, despite
being causally separated on the sky. We investigate the significance of this
clustering. Comparison of the numbers of close redshift pairs expected from the
simulation with that observed shows no significant small-scale clustering
excess in the present sample; however, the four close pairs occur only in about
twenty percent of the simulated datasets (the precise significance of the
clustering is dependent upon the modeled biases). We conclude with some
impetuses and suggestions for future precise GRB redshift measurements.Comment: Published in the Astronomical Journal, June 2003: see
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2003AJ....125.2865
The prompt energy release of gamma-ray bursts using a cosmological k-correction
The fluences of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are measured with a variety of
instruments in different detector energy ranges. A detailed comparison of the
implied energy releases of the GRB sample requires, then, an accurate
accounting of this diversity in fluence measurements which properly corrects
for the redshifting of GRB spectra. Here, we develop a methodology to
``k-correct'' the implied prompt energy release of a GRB to a fixed co-moving
bandpass. This allows us to homogenize the prompt energy release of 17
cosmological GRBs (using published redshifts, fluences, and spectra) to two
common co-moving bandpasses: 20-2000 keV and 0.1 keV-10 MeV (``bolometric'').
While the overall distribution of GRB energy releases does not change
significantly by using a k-correction, we show that uncorrected energy
estimates systematically undercounts the bolometric energy by ~5% to 600%,
depending on the particular GRB. We find that the median bolometric
isotropic-equivalent prompt energy release is 2.2 x 10^{53} erg with an r.m.s.
scatter of 0.80 dex. The typical estimated uncertainty on a given k-corrected
energy measurement is ~20%.Comment: Accepted to the Astronomical Journal. 21 pages (LaTeX) and 4 figure
Opportunistic linked data querying through approximate membership metadata
Between URI dereferencing and the SPARQL protocol lies a largely unexplored axis of possible interfaces to Linked Data, each with its own combination of trade-offs. One of these interfaces is Triple Pattern Fragments, which allows clients to execute SPARQL queries against low-cost servers, at the cost of higher bandwidth. Increasing a client's efficiency means lowering the number of requests, which can among others be achieved through additional metadata in responses. We noted that typical SPARQL query evaluations against Triple Pattern Fragments require a significant portion of membership subqueries, which check the presence of a specific triple, rather than a variable pattern. This paper studies the impact of providing approximate membership functions, i.e., Bloom filters and Golomb-coded sets, as extra metadata. In addition to reducing HTTP requests, such functions allow to achieve full result recall earlier when temporarily allowing lower precision. Half of the tested queries from a WatDiv benchmark test set could be executed with up to a third fewer HTTP requests with only marginally higher server cost. Query times, however, did not improve, likely due to slower metadata generation and transfer. This indicates that approximate membership functions can partly improve the client-side query process with minimal impact on the server and its interface
GRB Energetics and the GRB Hubble Diagram: Promises and Limitations
We present a complete sample of 29 GRBs for which it has been possible to
determine temporal breaks (or limits) from their afterglow light curves. We
interpret these breaks within the framework of the uniform conical jet model,
incorporating realistic estimates of the ambient density and propagating error
estimates on the measured quantities. In agreement with our previous analysis
of a smaller sample, the derived jet opening angles of those 16 bursts with
redshifts result in a narrow clustering of geometrically-corrected gamma-ray
energies about E_gamma = 1.33e51 erg; the burst-to-burst variance about this
value is a factor of 2.2. Despite this rather small scatter, we demonstrate in
a series of GRB Hubble diagrams, that the current sample cannot place
meaningful constraints upon the fundamental parameters of the Universe. Indeed
for GRBs to ever be useful in cosmographic measurements we argue the necessity
of two directions. First, GRB Hubble diagrams should be based upon fundamental
physical quantities such as energy, rather than empirically-derived and
physically ill-understood distance indicators. Second, a more homogeneous set
should be constructed by culling sub-classes from the larger sample. These
sub-classes, though now first recognizable by deviant energies, ultimately must
be identifiable by properties other than those directly related to energy. We
identify a new sub-class of GRBs (``f-GRBs'') which appear both underluminous
by factors of at least 10 and exhibit a rapid fading at early times. About
10-20% of observed long-duration bursts appear to be f-GRBs.Comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal (20 May 2003). 19 pages, 3
Postscript figure
Proton spin relaxation in dilute methane gas: A symmetrized theory and its experimental verification
Nuclear spin relaxation in low density methane gas is investigated theoretically and experimentally. A theory is developed in which full account is taken of the tetrahedral symmetry of the molecule. For a nuclear Larmor frequency of 30 MHz, the time evolution of the nonequilibrium magnetization is measured as a function of density between approximately 0.005 and 17 amagats at temperatures of 110, 150, and 295 K. In all cases, exponential relaxation is observed. By using the theory in conjunction with the known spin rotation constants and rotational energy levels of CH4, the measured values of the relaxation rate R1 have been fit very well at each temperature, both for the maximum value of R1 which contains no adjustable parameters and for the density dependence of R1 which contains a single parameter taken to be the collision cross section for molecular reorientation. The centrifugal distortion splittings of the rotational levels are shown to have an important influence on the observed values of R1 at 30 MHz and. more generally on the dependence of the time evolution of the nonequilibrium magnetization on density and frequency. On the basis of the theory, a new type of \u27relaxation rate spectroscopy\u27 is proposed. Non-exponential relaxation is predicted to occur at low densities when the nuclear Larmor frequency is tuned to a centrifugal distortion splitting
Virtue and austerity
Virtue ethics is often proposed as a third way in health-care ethics, that while consequentialism and deontology focus on action guidelines, virtue focuses on character; all three aim to help agents discern morally right action although virtue seems to have least to contribute to political issues, such as austerity. I claim: (1) This is a bad way to characterize virtue ethics. The 20th century renaissance of virtue ethics was first proposed as a response to the difficulty of making sense of ‘moral rightness’ outside a religious context. For Aristotle the right action is that which is practically best; that means best for the agent in order to live a flourishing life.There are no moral considerations besides this. (2) Properly characterized, virtue ethics can contribute to discussion of austerity.
A criticism of virtue ethics is that fixed characteristics seem a bad idea in ever-changing environments; perhaps we should be generous in prosperity, selfish in austerity. Furthermore, empirical evidence suggests that people indeed do change with their environment. However, I argue that
virtues concern fixed values not fixed behaviour; the values underlying virtue allow for different behaviour in different circumstances: in austerity, virtues still give the agent the best chance of flourishing. Two questions
arise. (a) In austere environments might not injustice help an individual flourish by, say, obtaining material goods? No, because unjust acts undermine the type of society the agent needs for flourishing. (b) What good is virtue to those lacking the other means to flourish? The notion of degrees of flourishing shows that most people would benefit
somewhat from virtue. However, in extreme circumstances virtue might harm rather than benefit the agent: such circumstances are to be avoided; virtue ethics thus has a political agenda to enable flourishing.
This requires justice, a fortiori when in austerity
Comment on "Nucleon elastic form factors and local duality"
We comment on the papers "Nucleon elastic form factors and local duality"
[Phys. Rev. {\bf D62}, 073008 (2000)] and "Experimental verification of
quark-hadron duality" [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 85}, 1186 (2000)]. Our main
comment is that the reconstruction of the proton magnetic form factor, claimed
to be obtained from the inelastic scaling curve thanks to parton-hadron local
duality, is affected by an artifact.Comment: to appear in Phys. Rev.
Loss of AND-34/BCAR3 Expression in Mice Results in Rupture of the Adult Lens
PURPOSE. AND-34/BCAR3 (Breast Cancer Anti-Estrogen Resistance 3) associates with the focal adhesion adaptor protein, p130CAS/BCAR1. Expression of AND-34 regulates epithelial cell growth pattern, motility, and growth factor dependence. We sought to establish the effects of the loss of AND-34 expression in a mammalian organism. METHODS. AND-34−/− mice were generated by homologous recombination. Histopathology, in situ hybridization, and western blotting were performed on murine tissues. RESULTS. Western analyses confirmed total loss of expression in AND-34−/− splenic lymphocytes. Mice lacking AND-34 are fertile and have normal longevity. While AND-34 is widely expressed in wild type mice, histologic analysis of multiple organs in AND-34−/− mice is unremarkable and analyses of lymphocyte development show no overt changes. A small percentage of AND-34−/− mice show distinctive small white eye lesions resulting from the migration of ruptured cortical lens tissue into the anterior chamber. Following initial vacuolization and liquefaction of the lens cortex first observed at postnatal day three, posterior lens rupture occurs in all AND-34−/− mice, beginning as early as three weeks and seen in all mice at three months. Western blot analysis and in situ hybridization confirmed the presence of AND-34 RNA and protein in lens epithelial cells, particularly at the lens equator. Prior data link AND-34 expression to the activation of Akt signaling. While Akt Ser 473 phosphorylation was readily detectable in AND-34+/+ lens epithelial cells, it was markedly reduced in the AND-34−/− lens epithelium. Basal levels of p130Cas phosphorylation were higher in AND-34+/+ than in AND-34−/− lens epithelium. CONCLUSIONS. These results demonstrate the loss of AND-34 dysregulates focal adhesion complex signaling in lens epithelial cells and suggest that AND-34-mediated signaling is required for maintenance of the structural integrity of the adult ocular lens.National Institutes of Health (RO1 CA114094); Logica Foundatio
Are ideas getting harder to find?
In many growth models, economic growth arises from people creating ideas, and the long-run growth rate is the product of two terms: the effective number of researchers and their research productivity. We present a wide range of evidence from various industries, products, and firms showing that research effort is rising substantially while research productivity is declining sharply. A good example is Moore’s Law. The number of researchers required today to achieve the famous doubling every two years of the density of computer chips is more than 18 times larger than the number required in the early 1970s. Across a broad range of case studies at various levels of (dis)aggregation, we find that ideas—and in particular the exponential growth they imply — are getting harder and harder to find. Exponential growth results from the large increases in research effort that offset its declining productivit
Higher twists in the pion structure function
We calculate the QCD moments of the pion structure function using Drell-Yan
data on the quark distributions in the pion and a phenomenological model for
the resonance region. The extracted higher twist corrections are found to be
larger than those for the nucleon, contributing around 50% of the lowest moment
at Q^2=1 GeV^2.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
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