396 research outputs found
Magnetic substructure in the northern Fermi Bubble revealed by polarized WMAP emission
We report a correspondence between giant, polarized microwave structures
emerging north from the Galactic plane near the Galactic center and a number of
GeV gamma-ray features, including the eastern edge of the recently-discovered
northern Fermi Bubble. The polarized microwave features also correspond to
structures seen in the all-sky 408 MHz total intensity data, including the
Galactic center spur. The magnetic field structure revealed by the polarization
data at 23 GHz suggests that neither the emission coincident with the Bubble
edge nor the Galactic center spur are likely to be features of the local ISM.
On the basis of the observed morphological correspondences, similar inferred
spectra, and the similar energetics of all sources, we suggest a direct
connection between the Galactic center spur and the northern Fermi Bubble.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters after
minor change
Radio Synchrotron Emission from Secondary Leptons in the Vicinity of Sgr A*
A point-like source of ~TeV gamma-rays has recently been seen towards the
Galactic center by HESS and other air Cerenkov telescopes. In recent work
(Ballantyne et al. 2007), we demonstrated that these gamma-rays can be
attributed to high-energy protons that (i) are accelerated close to the event
horizon of the central black hole, Sgr A*, (ii) diffuse out to ~pc scales, and
(iii) finally interact to produce gamma-rays. The same hadronic collision
processes will necessarily lead to the creation of electrons and positrons.
Here we calculate the synchrotron emissivity of these secondary leptons in the
same magnetic field configuration through which the initiating protons have
been propagated in our model. We compare this emission with the observed ~GHz
radio spectrum of the inner few pc region which we have assembled from archival
data and new measurements we have made with the Australia Telescope Compact
Array. We find that our model predicts secondary synchrotron emission with a
steep slope consistent with the observations but with an overall normalization
that is too large by a factor of ~ 2. If we further constrain our theoretical
gamma-ray curve to obey the implicit EGRET upper limit on emission from this
region we predict radio emission that is consistent with observations, i.e.,
the hadronic model of gamma ray emission can, simultaneously and without
fine-tuning, also explain essentially all the diffuse radio emission detected
from the inner few pc of the Galaxy.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures. Two references missing from published version
added and acknowledgements extende
Quantifying non-star formation associated 8um dust emission in NGC 628
Combining Ha and IRAC images of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 628, we find
that between 30-43% of its 8um dust emission is not related to recent star
formation. Contributions from dust heated by young stars are separated by
identifying HII regions in the Ha map and using these areas as a mask to
determine the 8um dust emission that must be due to heating by older stars.
Corrections are made for sub-detection-threshold HII regions, photons escaping
from HII regions and for young stars not directly associated to HII regions
(i.e. 10-100 Myr old stars). A simple model confirms this amount of 8um
emission can be expected given dust and PAH absorption cross-sections, a
realistic star-formation history, and the observed optical extinction values. A
Fourier power spectrum analysis indicates that the 8um dust emission is more
diffuse than the Ha emission (and similar to observed HI), supporting our
analysis that much of the 8um-emitting dust is heated by older stars. The 8um
dust-to-Ha emission ratio declines with galactocentric radius both within and
outside of HII regions, probably due to a radial increase in disk transparency.
In the course of this work, we have also found that intrinsic diffuse Ha
fractions may be lower than previously thought in galaxies, if the differential
extinction between HII regions and diffuse regions is taken into account.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, accepted in Ap
Down but not out: properties of the molecular gas in the stripped Virgo Cluster early-type galaxy NGC4526
We present ALMA data on the 3mm continuum emission, CO isotopologues (12CO,
13CO, C18O), and high-density molecular tracers (HCN, HCO+, HNC, HNCO, CS, CN,
and CH3OH) in NGC4526. These data enable a detailed study of the physical
properties of the molecular gas in a longtime resident of the Virgo Cluster;
comparisons to more commonly-studied spiral galaxies offer intriguing hints
into the processing of molecular gas in the cluster environment. Many molecular
line ratios in NGC4526, along with our inferred abundances and CO/H2 conversion
factors, are similar to those found in nearby spirals. One striking exception
is the very low observed 12CO/13CO(1-0) line ratio, , which is
unusually low for spirals though not for Virgo Cluster early-type galaxies. We
carry out radiative transfer modeling of the CO isotopologues with some
archival (2-1) data, and we use Bayesian analysis with Markov chain Monte Carlo
techniques to infer the physical properties of the CO-emitting gas. We find
surprisingly low [12CO/13CO] abundance ratios of and
at radii of 0.4 kpc and 1 kpc. The emission from the
high-density tracers HCN, HCO+, HNC, CS and CN is also relatively bright, and
CN is unusually optically thick in the inner parts of NGC4526. These features
hint that processing in the cluster environment may have removed much of the
galaxy's relatively diffuse, optically thinner molecular gas along with its
atomic gas. Angular momentum transfer to the surrounding intracluster medium
may also have caused contraction of the disk, magnifying radial gradients such
as we find in [13CO/C18O]. More detailed chemical evolution modeling would be
interesting in order to explore whether the unusual [12CO/13CO] abundance ratio
is entirely an environmental effect or whether it also reflects the relatively
old stellar population in this early-type galaxy.Comment: Submitted to ApJ. Comments are welcome
Hydrodynamic Coupling of Two Brownian Spheres to a Planar Surface
We describe direct imaging measurements of the collective and relative
diffusion of two colloidal spheres near a flat plate. The bounding surface
modifies the spheres' dynamics, even at separations of tens of radii. This
behavior is captured by a stokeslet analysis of fluid flow driven by the
spheres' and wall's no-slip boundary conditions. In particular, this analysis
reveals surprising asymmetry in the normal modes for pair diffusion near a flat
surface.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Impact of patient and public involvement on enrolment and retention in clinical trials: Systematic review and meta-analysis
© Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to. Objective To investigate the impact of patient and public involvement (PPI) on rates of enrolment and retention in clinical trials and explore how this varies with the context and nature of PPI. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Ten electronic databases, including Medline, INVOLVE Evidence Library, and clinical trial registries. Eligibility criteria Experimental and observational studies quantitatively evaluating the impact of a PPI intervention, compared with no intervention or non-PPI intervention(s), on participant enrolment and/or retention rates in a clinical trial or trials. PPI interventions could include additional non-PPI components inseparable from the PPI (for example, other stakeholder involvement). Data extraction and analysis Two independent reviewers extracted data on enrolment and retention rates, as well as on the context and characteristics of PPI intervention, and assessed risk of bias. Random effects meta-analyses were used to determine the average effect of PPI interventions on enrolment and retention in clinical trials: main analysis including randomised studies only, secondary analysis adding non-randomised studies, and several exploratory subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Results 26 studies were included in the review; 19 were eligible for enrolment meta-analysis and five for retention meta-analysis. Various PPI interventions were identified with different degrees of involvement, different numbers and types of people involved, and input at different stages of the trial process. On average, PPI interventions modestly but significantly increased the odds of participant enrolment in the main analysis (odds ratio 1.16, 95% confidence interval and prediction interval 1.01 to 1.34). Non-PPI components of interventions may have contributed to this effect. In exploratory subgroup analyses, the involvement of people with lived experience of the condition under study was significantly associated with improved enrolment (odds ratio 3.14 v 1.07; P=0.02). The findings for retention were inconclusive owing to the paucity of eligible studies (odds ratio 1.16, 95% confidence interval 0.33 to 4.14), for main analysis). Conclusions These findings add weight to the case for PPI in clinical trials by indicating that it is likely to improve enrolment of participants, especially if it includes people with lived experience of the health condition under study. Further research is needed to assess which types of PPI work best in particular contexts, the cost effectiveness of PPI, the impact of PPI at earlier stages of trial design, and the impact of PPI interventions specifically targeting retention. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42016043808
Light Induced Melting of Colloidal Crystals in Two Dimensions
We demonstrate that particles confined to two dimensions (2d) and subjected
to a one-dimensional (1d) periodic potential exhibit a rich phase diagram, with
both ``locked floating solids'' and smectic phases. The resulting phases and
phase transitions are studied as a function of temperature and potential
strength. We find reentrant melting as a function of the potential strength.
Our results lead to universal predictions consistent with recent experiments on
2d colloids in the presence of a laser-induced 1d periodic potential.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, also available at http://cmtw.harvard.edu/~fre
Efficacy of beta radiation in prevention of post-angioplasty restenosis
Restenosis remains a major limitation of coronary angioplasty in spite of major advances in techniques and technology. Recent studies have demonstrated that ionizing radiation may limit the degree of this problem. Gamma radiation has been shown to be effective in reducing in stent restenosis in humans, and beta radiation following encouraging results in animals has been shown to be feasible in humans. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of a 5 F non-centered catheter to deliver beta radiation emitting seeds to the lesion site post angioplasty and its effect on restenosis. Following successful angioplasty, patients were randomized to treatment with 12, 14 or 16 Gy at the angioplasty site. This was delivered with a 5 F non-centered catheter. Twelve beta radiation emitting seeds (90Sr/Y) were delivered to an area 3 cm in length to cover the angioplasty site. Angiographic follow-up was performed at 6 months. Baseline and follow-up angiograms were performed by blinded investigators at a core laboratory. This interim report comprises the first 35 patients to complete 6-month angiographic follow-up. There were no major radiation incidents. Four patients had evidence of angiographic restenosis. The MLD (mm) and percent stenosis were 0.77 +/- 0.27/72.5 +/- 8.6 pre angioplasty, 2.08 +/- 0.4/25.7 +/- 9.8 post angioplasty and radiation and 2.05 +/- 0.59/25.7 +/- 19.8 at follow-up respectively. CONCLUSION: Beta radiation can be feasibly and safely delivered post coronary angioplasty with a very encouraging reduction of restenosis
The cosmic ray distribution in Sagittarius B
Copyright © 2007. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. Submitted to Cornell University’s online archive www.arXiv.org in 2007 by Roland M. Crocker. Post-print sourced from www.arxiv.orgThe H.E.S.S. instrument has observed a diffuse flux of ∼TeV γ-rays from a large solid angle around the Galactic center (GC). This emission is correlated with the distribution of gas in the region, suggesting that the γ-rays originate in collisions between cosmic-ray hadrons (CRHs) and ambient matter. Of particular interest, H.E.S.S. has detected γ-rays from the Sagittarius (Sgr) B molecular cloud complex. Prompted by the suggestion of a hadronic origin for the γ-rays, we have examined archival 330 and 74 MHz Very Large Array radio data and 843 MHz Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey data covering Sgr B, looking for synchrotron emission from secondary electrons and positrons (expected to be created in the same interactions that supply the observed γ-rays). Intriguingly, we have uncovered nonthermal emission, but at a level exceeding expectation. Adding to the overall picture, recent observations by the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment telescope show that the cosmic-ray ionization rate is 10 times greater in the Sgr B2 region of Sgr B than the local value. Lastly, Sgr B2 is also a very bright X-ray source. We examine scenarios for the spectra of CRHs and/or primary electrons that would reconcile all these different data. We determine that (1) a hard (∼E -2.2), high-energy (≳TeV) population of CRHs is unavoidably required by the H.E.S.S. γ-ray data, and (2) the remaining broadband, nonthermal phenomenology is explained either by a rather steep (∼E -2.9) spectrum of primary electrons or a (∼E-2.7) population of CRHs. Perhaps unsurprisingly, no single power-law population of either leptons or hadrons can explain the totality of broadband, nonthermal Sgr B phenomenology. © 2007. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.Roland M. Crocker, David Jones, Raymond J. Protheroe, Jürgen Ott, Ron Ekers, Fulvio Melia, Todor Stanev, and Anne Gree
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