6,375 research outputs found
Mineralogy and Surface Composition of Asteroids
Methods to constrain the surface mineralogy of asteroids have seen
considerable development during the last decade with advancement in laboratory
spectral calibrations and validation of our interpretive methodologies by
spacecraft rendezvous missions. This has enabled the accurate identification of
several meteorite parent bodies in the main asteroid belt and helped constrain
the mineral chemistries and abundances in ordinary chondrites and basaltic
achondrites. With better quantification of spectral effects due to temperature,
phase angle, and grain size, systematic discrepancies due to non-compositional
factors can now be virtually eliminated for mafic silicate-bearing asteroids.
Interpretation of spectrally featureless asteroids remains a challenge. This
paper presents a review of all mineralogical interpretive tools currently in
use and outlines procedures for their application.Comment: Chapter to appear in the Space Science Series Book: Asteroids IV, 51
pages, 7 figures, 2 table
Physical Characterization of Warm Spitzer-observed Near-Earth Objects
Near-infrared spectroscopy of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) connects diagnostic
spectral features to specific surface mineralogies. The combination of
spectroscopy with albedos and diameters derived from thermal infrared
observations can increase the scientific return beyond that of the individual
datasets. To that end, we have completed a spectroscopic observing campaign to
complement the ExploreNEOs Warm Spitzer program that obtained albedos and
diameters of nearly 600 NEOs (Trilling et al. 2010). Here we present the
results of observations using the low-resolution prism mode (~0.7-2.5 microns)
of the SpeX instrument on the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). We also
include near-infrared observations of ExploreNEOs targets from the MIT-UH-IRTF
Joint Campaign for Spectral Reconnaissance. Our dataset includes near-infrared
spectra of 187 ExploreNEOs targets (125 observations of 92 objects from our
survey and 213 observations of 154 objects from the MIT survey). We identify a
taxonomic class for each spectrum and use band parameter analysis to
investigate the mineralogies for the S-, Q-, and V-complex objects. Our
analysis suggests that for spectra that contain near-infrared data but lack the
visible wavelength region, the Bus-DeMeo system misidentifies some S-types as
Q-types. We find no correlation between spectral band parameters and
ExploreNEOs albedos and diameters. We find slightly negative Band Area Ratio
(BAR) correlations with phase angle for Eros and Ivar, but a positive BAR
correlation with phase angle for Ganymed. We find evidence for spectral phase
reddening for Eros, Ganymed, and Ivar. We identify the likely ordinary
chondrite type analog for a subset of our sample. Our resulting proportions of
H, L, and LL ordinary chondrites differ from those calculated for meteorite
falls and in previous studies of ordinary chondrite-like NEOs.Comment: 6 Tables, 9 Figure
Detection of Rotational Spectral Variation on the M-type asteroid (16) Psyche
The asteroid (16) Psyche is of scientific interest because it contains ~ 1%
of the total mass of the asteroid belt and is thought to be the remnant
metallic core of a protoplanet. Radar observations have indicated the
significant presence of metal on the surface with a small percentage of
silicates. Prior ground-based observations showed rotational variations in the
near-infrared (NIR) spectra and radar albedo of this asteroid. However, no
comprehensive study that combines multi-wavelength data has been conducted so
far. Here we present rotationally resolved NIR spectra (0.7-2.5 microns) of
(16) Psyche obtained with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. These data have
been combined with shape models of the asteroid for each rotation phase.
Spectral band parameters extracted from the NIR spectra show that the pyroxene
band center varies from ~ 0.92 to 0.94 microns. Band center values were used to
calculate the pyroxene chemistry of the asteroid, whose average value was found
to be Fs30En65Wo5. Variations in the band depth were also observed, with values
ranging from 1.0 to 1.5%. Using a new laboratory spectral calibration we
estimated an average orthopyroxene content of 6+/-1%. The mass-deficit region
of Psyche, which exhibits the highest radar albedo, also shows the highest
value for spectral slope and the minimum band depth. The spectral
characteristics of Psyche suggest that its parent body did not have the typical
structure expected for a differentiated body or that the sequence of events
that led to its current state was more complex than previously thought.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables, published in The Astronomical Journa
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Efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation in anxiety disorders: Subgroup analysis of the randomized, active- and placebo-controlled EAGLES trial.
BackgroundSmoking rates are high in adults with anxiety disorders (ADs), yet little is known about the safety and efficacy of smoking-cessation pharmacotherapies in this group.MethodsPost hoc analyses in 712 smokers with AD (posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], n = 192; generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], n = 243; panic disorder [PD], n = 277) and in a nonpsychiatric cohort (NPC; n = 4,028). Participants were randomly assigned to varenicline, bupropion, nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT), or placebo plus weekly smoking-cessation counseling for 12 weeks, with 12 weeks follow-up. General linear models were used to test the effects of treatment group, cohort, and their interaction on neuropsychiatric adverse events (NPSAEs), and continuous abstinence weeks 9-12 (treatment) and 9-24 (follow-up).ResultsNPSAE incidence for PTSD (6.9%), GAD (5.4%), and PD (6.2%) was higher versus NPC (2.1%), regardless of treatment. Across all treatments, smokers with PTSD (odds ratio [OR] = 0.58), GAD (OR = 0.72), and PD (OR = 0.53) had lower continuous abstinence rates weeks 9-12 (CAR9-12) versus NPC. Varenicline demonstrated superior efficacy to placebo in smokers with GAD and PD, respectively (OR = 4.53; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20-17.10; and OR = 8.49; 95% CI = 1.57-45.78); NRT was superior to placebo in smokers with PD (OR = 7.42; 95% CI = 1.37-40.35). While there was no statistically significant effect of any treatment on CAR9-12 for smokers with PTSD, varenicline improved 7-day point prevalence abstinence at end of treatment in this subcohort.ConclusionIndividuals with ADs were more likely than those without psychiatric illness to experience moderate to severe NPSAEs during smoking-cessation attempts, regardless of treatment. While the study was not powered to evaluate abstinence outcomes with these subgroups of smokers with ADs, varenicline provided significant benefit for cessation in those with GAD and PD, while NRT provided significant benefit for those with PD
Multi-objective ant colony optimization for the twin-screw configuration problem
The Twin-Screw Configuration Problem (TSCP) consists in identifying the
best location of a set of available screw elements along a screw shaft. Due to its
combinatorial nature, it can be seen as a sequencing problem. In addition,
different conflicting objectives may have to be considered when defining a
screw configuration and, thus, it is usually tackled as a multi-objective
optimization problem. In this research, a multi-objective ant colony
optimization (MOACO) algorithm was adapted to deal with the TSCP. The
influence of different parameters of the MOACO algorithm was studied and its
performance was compared with that of a previously proposed multi-objective
evolutionary algorithm and a two-phase local search algorithm. The
experimental results showed that MOACO algorithms have a significant
potential for solving the TSCP.This work has been supported by the Portuguese Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia under PhD grant SFRH/BD/21921/2005. Thomas Stutzle acknowledges support of the Belgian F.R.S-FNRS of which he is a research associate, the E-SWARM project, funded by an ERC Advanced Grant, and by the Meta-X project, funded by the Scientific Research Directorate of the French Community of Belgium
The Discovery of Cometary Activity in Near-Earth Asteroid (3552) Don Quixote
The near-Earth object (NEO) population, which mainly consists of fragments
from collisions between asteroids in the main asteroid belt, is thought to
include contributions from short-period comets as well. One of the most
promising NEO candidates for a cometary origin is near-Earth asteroid (3552)
Don Quixote, which has never been reported to show activity. Here we present
the discovery of cometary activity in Don Quixote based on thermal-infrared
observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope in its 3.6 and 4.5 {\mu}m
bands. Our observations clearly show the presence of a coma and a tail in the
4.5 {\mu}m but not in the 3.6 {\mu}m band, which is consistent with molecular
band emission from CO2. Thermal modeling of the combined photometric data on
Don Quixote reveals a diameter of 18.4 (-0.4/+0.3) km and an albedo of 0.03
(-0.01/+0.02), which confirms Don Quixote to be the third-largest known NEO. We
derive an upper limit on the dust production rate of 1.9 kg s^-1 and derive a
CO2 gas production rate of (1.1+-0.1)10^26 molecules s^-1. Spitzer IRS
spectroscopic observations indicate the presence of fine-grained silicates,
perhaps pyroxene rich, on the surface of Don Quixote. Our discovery suggests
that CO2 can be present in near-Earth space over a long time. The presence of
CO2 might also explain that Don Quixote's cometary nature remained hidden for
nearly three decades.Comment: 40 pages, 8 figures, accepted by Ap
Getting your sea legs
Sea travel mandates changes in the control of the body. The process by which we adapt bodily control to life at sea is known as getting one's sea legs. We conducted the first experimental study of bodily control as maritime novices adapted to motion of a ship at sea. We evaluated postural activity (stance width, stance angle, and the kinematics of body sway) before and during a sea voyage. In addition, we evaluated the role of the visible horizon in the control of body sway. Finally, we related data on postural activity to two subjective experiences that are associated with sea travel; seasickness, and mal de debarquement. Our results revealed rapid changes in postural activity among novices at sea. Before the beginning of the voyage, the temporal dynamics of body sway differed among participants as a function of their (subsequent) severity of seasickness. Body sway measured at sea differed among participants as a function of their (subsequent) experience of mal de debarquement. We discuss implications of these results for general theories of the perception and control of bodily orientation, for the etiology of motion sickness, and for general phenomena of perceptual-motor adaptation and learning
The Mission Accessible Near-Earth Objects Survey: Four years of photometry
Over 4.5 years, the Mission Accessible Near-Earth Object Survey (MANOS)
assembled 228 Near-Earth Object (NEO) lightcurves. We report rotational
lightcurves for 82 NEOs, constraints on amplitudes and periods for 21 NEOs,
lightcurves with no detected variability within the image signal to noise and
length of our observing block for 30 NEOs, and 10 tumblers. We uncovered 2
ultra-rapid rotators with periods below 20s; 2016MA with a potential rotational
periodicity of 18.4s, and 2017QG rotating in 11.9s, and estimate the
fraction of fast/ultra-rapid rotators undetected in our project plus the
percentage of NEOs with a moderate/long periodicity undetectable during our
typical observing blocks. We summarize the findings of a simple model of
synthetic NEOs to infer the object morphologies distribution using the measured
distribution of lightcurve amplitudes. This model suggests a uniform
distribution of axis ratio can reproduce the observed sample. This suggests
that the quantity of spherical NEOs (e.g., Bennu) is almost equivalent to the
quantity of highly elongated objects (e.g., Itokawa), a result that can be
directly tested thanks to shape models from Doppler delay radar imaging
analysis. Finally, we fully characterized 2 NEOs as appropriate targets for a
potential robotic/human mission: 2013YS and 2014FA due to their
moderate spin periods and low .Comment: Accepted for Publication, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Serie
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