13,526 research outputs found
A 3D radiative transfer framework: X. Arbitrary Velocity Fields in the Co-moving Frame
3-D astrophysical atmospheres will have random velocity fields. We seek to
combine the methods we have developed for solving the 1-D problem with
arbitrary flows to those that we have developed for solving the fully 3-D
relativistic radiative transfer problem in the case of monotonic flows. The
methods developed in the case of 3-D atmospheres with monotonic flows, solving
the fully relativistic problem along curves defined by an affine parameter, are
very flexible and can be extended to the case of arbitrary velocity fields in
3-D. Simultaneously, the techniques we developed for treating the 1-D problem
with arbitrary velocity fields are easily adapted to the 3-D problem. The
algorithm we present allows the solution of 3-D radiative transfer problems
that include arbitrary wavelength couplings. We use a quasi-analytic formal
solution of the radiative transfer equation that significantly improves the
overall computation speed. We show that the approximate lambda operator
developed in previous work gives good convergence, even neglecting wavelength
coupling. Ng acceleration also gives good results. We present tests that are of
similar resolution to what has been presented using Monte-Carlo techniques,
thus our methods will be applicable to problems outside of our test setup.
Additional domain decomposition parallelization strategies will be explored in
future work.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, A&A, in press, new version matches copy edited
version, definition restore
Constraints on the average magnetic field strength of relic radio sources 0917+75 and 1401-33 from XMM-Newton observations
We observed two relic radio sources, 0917+75 and 1401-33, with the XMM-Newton
X-ray observatory. We did not detect any X-ray emission, thermal or
non-thermal, in excess of the local background level from either target. This
imposes new upper limits on the X-ray flux due to inverse Compton scattering of
photons from the cosmic microwave background by relativistic electrons in the
relic sources, and new lower limits on the magnetic field strength from the
relative strength of the radio and X-ray emission. The combination of radio and
X-ray observations provides a measure of the magnetic field independent of
equipartition or minimum energy assumptions. Due to increasing sensitivity of
radio observations, the known population of cluster relics has been growing;
however, studies of non-thermal X-ray emission from relics remain scarce. Our
study adds to the small sample of relics studied in X-rays. In both relics, our
field strength lower limits are slightly larger than estimates of the
equipartition magnetic field.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by MNRA
Coanalysis of GWAS with eQTLs reveals disease-tissue associations.
Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL), or genetic variants associated with changes in gene expression, have the potential to assist in interpreting results of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). eQTLs also have varying degrees of tissue specificity. By correlating the statistical significance of eQTLs mapped in various tissue types to their odds ratios reported in a large GWAS by the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC), we discovered that there is a significant association between diseases studied genetically and their relevant tissues. This suggests that eQTL data sets can be used to determine tissues that play a role in the pathogenesis of a disease, thereby highlighting these tissue types for further post-GWAS functional studies
Stereoelectronic effects on the binding of neutral Lewis bases to CdSe nanocrystals
Using P-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we monitor the competition between tri-nbutylphosphine (Bu3P) and various amine and phosphine ligands for the surface of chloride terminated CdSe nanocrystals. Distinct P-31 NMR signals for free and bound phosphine ligands allow the surface ligand coverage to be measured in phosphine solution. Ligands with a small steric profile achieve higher surface coverages (Bu3P = 0.5 nm(-2), Me2P-n-octyl = 2.0 nm(-2), NH2Bu = >3 nm(-2)) and have greater relative binding affinity for the nanocrystal (binding affinity: Me3P > Me2P -n-octyl similar to Me2P -n-octadecyl > Et3P > Bu3P). Among phosphines, only Bu 3 P and Me2P-n-octyl support a colloidal dispersion, allowing a relative surface binding affinity (K-rel) to be estimated in that case (K-rel = 3.1). The affinity of the amine ligands is measured by the extent to which they displace Bu3P from the nanocrystals (K-rel: H2NBu similar to N-n-butylimidazole > 4-ethylpyridine > Bu3P similar to HNBu2 > Me2NBu > Bu3N). The affinity for the CdSe surface is greatest among soft, basic donors and depends on the number of each ligand that bind. Sterically unencumbered ligands such as imidazole, pyridine, and n-alkylamines can therefore outcompete stronger donors such as alkylphosphines. The influence of repulsive interactions between ligands on the binding affinity is a consequence of the high atom density of binary semiconductor surfaces. The observed behavior is distinct from the self-assembly of straight-chain surfactants on gold and silver where the ligands are commensurate with the underlying lattice and attractive interactions between aliphatic chains strengthen the binding
Intrinsic Alignment in redMaPPer clusters -- II. Radial alignment of satellites toward cluster centers
We study the orientations of satellite galaxies in redMaPPer clusters
constructed from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey at to determine
whether there is any preferential tendency for satellites to point radially
toward cluster centers. We analyze the satellite alignment (SA) signal based on
three shape measurement methods (re-Gaussianization, de Vaucouleurs, and
isophotal shapes), which trace galaxy light profiles at different radii. The
measured SA signal depends on these shape measurement methods. We detect the
strongest SA signal in isophotal shapes, followed by de Vaucouleurs shapes.
While no net SA signal is detected using re-Gaussianization shapes across the
entire sample, the observed SA signal reaches a statistically significant level
when limiting to a subsample of higher luminosity satellites. We further
investigate the impact of noise, systematics, and real physical isophotal
twisting effects in the comparison between the SA signal detected via different
shape measurement methods. Unlike previous studies, which only consider the
dependence of SA on a few parameters, here we explore a total of 17 galaxy and
cluster properties, using a statistical model averaging technique to naturally
account for parameter correlations and identify significant SA predictors. We
find that the measured SA signal is strongest for satellites with the following
characteristics: higher luminosity, smaller distance to the cluster center,
rounder in shape, higher bulge fraction, and distributed preferentially along
the major axis directions of their centrals. Finally, we provide physical
explanations for the identified dependences, and discuss the connection to
theories of SA.Comment: 25 pages, 16 figures, 7 tables, accepted to MNRAS. Main statistical
analysis tool changed, with the results remain simila
3D Radiative Transfer with PHOENIX
Using the methods of general relativity Lindquist derived the radiative
transfer equation that is correct to all orders in v/c. Mihalas developed a
method of solution for the important case of monotonic velocity fields with
spherically symmetry. We have developed the generalized atmosphere code
PHOENIX, which in 1-D has used the framework of Mihalas to solve the radiative
transfer equation (RTE) in 1-D moving flows. We describe our recent work
including 3-D radiation transfer in PHOENIX and particularly including moving
flows exactly using a novel affine method. We briefly discuss quantitative
spectroscopy in supernovae.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, to appear in Recent Directions in Astrophysical
Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiation Hydrodynamics, Ed. I. Hubeny,
American Institute of Physics (2009
Scalable production of iPSC-derived human neurons to identify tau-lowering compounds by high-content screening
Lowering total tau levels is an attractive therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. High-throughput screening in neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is a powerful tool to identify tau-targeted therapeutics. However, such screens have been hampered by heterogeneous neuronal production, high cost and low yield, and multi-step differentiation procedures. We engineered an isogenic iPSC line that harbors an inducible neurogenin 2 transgene, a transcription factor that rapidly converts iPSCs to neurons, integrated at the AAVS1 locus. Using a simplified two-step protocol, we differentiated these iPSCs into cortical glutamatergic neurons with minimal well-to-well variability. We developed a robust high-content screening assay to identify tau-lowering compounds in LOPAC and identified adrenergic receptors agonists as a class of compounds that reduce endogenous human tau. These techniques enable the use of human neurons for high-throughput screening of drugs to treat neurodegenerative disease
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