Nonlinear Properties of the Semiregular Variable Stars

We demonstrate how, with a purely empirical analysis of the irregular lightcurve data, one can extract a great deal of information about the stellar pulsation mechanism. An application to R Sct thus shows that the irregular lightcurve is the result of the nonlinear interaction of two highly nonadiabatic pulsation modes, namely a linearly unstable, low frequency mode, and the second mode that, although linearly stable, gets entrained through a 2:1 resonance. In the parlance of nonlinear dynamics the pulsation is the result of a 4 dimensional chaotic dynamics.Comment: 8 pages to appear in "Mass-Losing Pulsating Stars and Their Circumstellar Matter", Eds. Y. Nakada & M.Honma, ASSL Ser. (in press). a version with better quality figures is available from http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~buchler

Double-Mode Stellar Pulsations

The status of the hydrodynamical modelling of nonlinear multi-mode stellar pulsations is discussed. The hydrodynamical modelling of steady double-mode (DM) pulsations has been a long-standing quest that is finally being concluded. Recent progress has been made thanks to the introduction of turbulent convection in the numerical hydrodynamical codes which provide detailed results for individual models. An overview of the modal selection problem in the HR diagram can be obtained in the form of bifurcation diagrams with the help of simple nonresonant amplitude equations that capture the DM phenomenon.Comment: 34 pages, to appear as a chapter in Nonlinear Stellar Pulsation in the Astrophysics and Space Science Library (ASSL), Editors: M. Takeuti & D. Sasselov (prints double column with pstops '2:[email protected](22.0cm,-2cm)[email protected](22.0cm,11.0cm)' in.ps out.ps

Nonlinear Analysis of Irregular Variables

The Fourier spectral techniques that are common in Astronomy for analyzing periodic or multi-periodic light-curves lose their usefulness when they are applied to unsteady light-curves. We review some of the novel techniques that have been developed for analyzing irregular stellar light or radial velocity variations, and we describe what useful physical and astronomical information can be gained from their use.Comment: 31 pages, to appear as a chapter in `Nonlinear Stellar Pulsation' in the Astrophysics and Space Science Library (ASSL), Editors: M. Takeuti & D. Sasselo

Evidence for Low-Dimensional Chaos in Semiregular Variable Stars

An analysis of the photometric observations of the light curves of the five large amplitude, irregularly pulsating stars R UMi, RS Cyg, V CVn, UX Dra and SX Her is presented. First, multi-periodicity is eliminated for these pulsations, i.e. they are not caused by the excitation of a small number of pulsation modes with constant amplitudes. Next, on the basis of energetics we also eliminate stochasticity as a cause, leaving low dimensional chaos as the only alternative. We then use a global flow reconstruction technique in an attempt to extract quantitative information from the light curves, and to uncover common physical features in this class of irregular variable stars that straddle the RV Tau to the Mira variables. Evidence is presented that the pulsational behavior of R UMi, RS Cyg, V CVn and UX Dra takes place in a 4-dimensional dynamical phase space, suggesting that two vibrational modes are involved in the pulsation. A linear stability analysis of the fixed points of the maps further indicates the existence of a two-mode resonance, similar to the one we had uncovered earlier in R Sct: The irregular pulsations are the result of a continual energy exchange between two strongly nonadiabatic modes, a lower frequency pulsation mode and an overtone that are in a close 2:1 resonance. The evidence is particularly convincing for R UMi, RS Cyg and V CVn, but much weaker for UX Dra. In contrast, the pulsations of SX Her appear to be more complex and may require a 6D space.Comment: 20 pages, 14 figures, accepted in ApJ - paper with clearer figures is available at http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~buchler/publications/u12.ps.gz (1Mb

Foraging behavior and Doppler shift compensation in echolocating hipposiderid bats, I-Iipposideros bicolor and I-Iipposideros speoris

1. Two hipposiderid bats,H. bicolor andH. speoris, were observed in their natural foraging areas in Madurai (South India). Both species hunt close together near the foliage of trees and bushes but they differ in fine structure of preferred hunting space:H. bicolor hunts within the foliage, especially whenH. speoris is active at the same time, whereasH. speoris never flies in dense vegetation but rather in the more open area (Fig. 1, Table 1). 2. Both species emit CF/FM-sounds containing only one harmonic component in almost all echolocation situations. The CF-parts of CF/FM-sounds are species specific within a band of 127–138 kHz forH. speoris and 147–159 kHz forH. bicolor (Tables 2 and 3). 3. H. speoris additionally uses a complex harmonic sound during obstacle avoidance and during laboratory tests for Doppler shift compensation.H. bicolor consistently emits CF/FM-sounds in these same situations (Fig. 2). 4. Both hipposiderid bats respond to Doppler shifts in the returning echoes by lowering the frequency of the emitted sounds (Fig. 3). However, Doppler compensations are incomplete as the emitted frequencies are decreased by only 55% and 56% (mean values) of the full frequency shifts byH. speoris andH, bicolor, respectively. 5. The differences in Doppler shift compensation, echolocating and hunting behavior suggest thatH. speoris is less specialized on echolocation with CF/FM-sounds thanH. bicolor

Type Ia Supernova Explosion Models

Because calibrated light curves of Type Ia supernovae have become a major tool to determine the local expansion rate of the Universe and also its geometrical structure, considerable attention has been given to models of these events over the past couple of years. There are good reasons to believe that perhaps most Type Ia supernovae are the explosions of white dwarfs that have approached the Chandrasekhar mass, M_ch ~ 1.39 M_sun, and are disrupted by thermonuclear fusion of carbon and oxygen. However, the mechanism whereby such accreting carbon-oxygen white dwarfs explode continues to be uncertain. Recent progress in modeling Type Ia supernovae as well as several of the still open questions are addressed in this review. Although the main emphasis will be on studies of the explosion mechanism itself and on the related physical processes, including the physics of turbulent nuclear combustion in degenerate stars, we also discuss observational constraints.Comment: 38 pages, 4 figures, Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, in pres

GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper Performance Specifications and Algorithms

The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) is a single channel, near-IR imager/optical transient event detector, used to detect, locate and measure total lightning activity over the full-disk. The next generation NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) series will carry a GLM that will provide continuous day and night observations of lightning. The mission objectives for the GLM are to: (1) Provide continuous, full-disk lightning measurements for storm warning and nowcasting, (2) Provide early warning of tornadic activity, and (2) Accumulate a long-term database to track decadal changes of lightning. The GLM owes its heritage to the NASA Lightning Imaging Sensor (1997- present) and the Optical Transient Detector (1995-2000), which were developed for the Earth Observing System and have produced a combined 13 year data record of global lightning activity. GOES-R Risk Reduction Team and Algorithm Working Group Lightning Applications Team have begun to develop the Level 2 algorithms and applications. The science data will consist of lightning "events", "groups", and "flashes". The algorithm is being designed to be an efficient user of the computational resources. This may include parallelization of the code and the concept of sub-dividing the GLM FOV into regions to be processed in parallel. Proxy total lightning data from the NASA Lightning Imaging Sensor on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite and regional test beds (e.g., Lightning Mapping Arrays in North Alabama, Oklahoma, Central Florida, and the Washington DC Metropolitan area) are being used to develop the prelaunch algorithms and applications, and also improve our knowledge of thunderstorm initiation and evolution

Randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effect of fecal microbiota transplant for initial Clostridium difficile infection in intestinal microbiome

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of fecal donor-unrelated donor mix (FMT-FURM) transplantation as first-line therapy for C. difficile infection (CDI) in intestinal microbiome. Methods We designed an open, two-arm pilot study with oral vancomycin (250mg every 6 h for 10–14 days) or FMT-FURM as treatments for the first CDI episode in hospitalized adult patients in Hospital Universitario “Dr. Jose Eleuterio Gonzalez”. Patients were randomized by a closed envelope method in a 1: 1 ratio to either oral vancomycin or FMT-FURM. CDI resolution was considered when there was a reduction on the Bristol scale of at least 2 points, a reduction of at least 50% in the number of bowel movements, absence of fever, and resolution of abdominal pain (at least two criteria). From each patient, a fecal sample was obtained at days 0, 3, and 7 after treatment. Specimens were cultured to isolate C. difficile, and isolates were characterized by PCR. Susceptibility testing of isolates was performed using the agar dilution method. Fecal samples and FMT-FURM were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Results We included 19 patients; 10 in the vancomycin arm and 9 in the FMT-FURM arm. However, one of the patients in the vancomycin arm and two patients in the FMT-FURM arm were eliminated. Symptoms resolved in 8/9 patients (88.9%) in the vancomycin group, while symptoms resolved in 4/7 patients (57.1%) after the first FMT-FURM dose (P = 0.26) and in 5/7 patients (71.4%) after the second dose (P = 0.55). During the study, no adverse effects attributable to FMT-FURM were observed in patients. Twelve isolates were recovered, most isolates carried tcdB, tcdA, cdtA, and cdtB, with an 18-bp deletion in tcdC. All isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin and moxifloxacin but susceptible to metronidazole, linezolid, fidaxomicin, and tetracycline. In the FMT-FURM group, the bacterial composition was dominated by Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria at all-time points and the microbiota were remarkably stable over time. The vancomycin group showed a very different pattern of the microbial composition when comparing to the FMT-FURM group over time. Conclusion The results of this preliminary study showed that FMT-FURM for initial CDI is associated with specific bacterial communities that do not resemble the donors’ sample.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

A robust, scanning quantum system for nanoscale sensing and imaging

Controllable atomic-scale quantum systems hold great potential as sensitive tools for nanoscale imaging and metrology. Possible applications range from nanoscale electric and magnetic field sensing to single photon microscopy, quantum information processing, and bioimaging. At the heart of such schemes is the ability to scan and accurately position a robust sensor within a few nanometers of a sample of interest, while preserving the sensor's quantum coherence and readout fidelity. These combined requirements remain a challenge for all existing approaches that rely on direct grafting of individual solid state quantum systems or single molecules onto scanning-probe tips. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication and room temperature operation of a robust and isolated atomic-scale quantum sensor for scanning probe microscopy. Specifically, we employ a high-purity, single-crystalline diamond nanopillar probe containing a single Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) color center. We illustrate the versatility and performance of our scanning NV sensor by conducting quantitative nanoscale magnetic field imaging and near-field single-photon fluorescence quenching microscopy. In both cases, we obtain imaging resolution in the range of 20 nm and sensitivity unprecedented in scanning quantum probe microscopy

The contribution of microlensing surveys to the distance scale

In the early nineties several teams started large scale systematic surveys of the Magellanic Clouds and the Galactic Bulge to search for microlensing effects. As a by product, these groups have created enormous time-series databases of photometric measurements of stars with a temporal sampling duration and accuracy which are unprecedented. They provide the opportunity to test the accuracy of primary distance indicators, such as Cepheids, RRLyrae stars, the detached eclipsing binaries, or the luminosity of the red clump. We will review the contribution of the microlensing surveys to the understanding of the physics of the primary distance indicators, recent differential studies and direct distance determinations to the Magellanic Clouds and the Galactic Bulge.Comment: Invited review article to appear in: `Post-Hipparcos Cosmic Candles', A. Heck & F. Caputo (Eds), Kluwer Academic Publ., Dordrecht, in press. 21 pages; uses Kluwer's crckapb.sty LaTeX style file, enclose