1,625 research outputs found
An original interferometric study of NGC 1068 with VISIR BURST mode images
We present 12.8 microns images of the core of NGC 1068 obtained with the
BURST mode of the VLT/VISIR. We trace structures under the diffraction limit of
one UT and we investigate the link between dust in the vicinity of the central
engine of NGC 1068, recently resolved by interferometry with MIDI, and more
extended structures. This step is mandatory for a multi-scale understanding of
the sources of mid-infrared emission in AGNs. A speckle processing of VISIR
BURST mode images was performed to extract very low spatial-frequency
visibilities, first considering the full field of VISIR BURST mode images and
then limiting it to the mask used for the acquisition of MIDI data. Extracted
visibilities are reproduced with a multi-component model. We identify two major
sources of emission: one compact < 85 mas, associated with the dusty torus, and
an elliptical one, (< 140) mas x 1187 mas at P.A.=-4 degrees from N to E. This
is consistent with previous deconvolution processes. The combination with MIDI
data reveals the close environment of the dusty torus to contribute to about 83
percent of the MIR flux seen by MIDI. This strong contribution has to be
considered in modeling long baseline interferometric data. It must be related
to the NS elongated component which is thought to originate from individually
unresolved dusty clouds and is located inside the ionization cone. Low
temperatures of the dusty torus are not challenged, emphasizing the scenarios
of clumpy torus.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Gastric Trichobezoar Causing Intermittent Small Bowel Obstruction: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature
We report the unusual case of a 45-year-old woman who presented with multiple episodes of small bowel obstruction. Initial exploratory lap-roscopy did not reveal an etiology of the obstruction. Subsequent upper endoscopy identified a non-obstructing gastric trichobezoar which could not be removed endoscopically but was not thought to be responsible for the small bowel obstruction given its location. One week postoperatively, the patient experienced recurrence of small bowel obstruction. Repeat endoscopy disclosed that the trichobezoar was no longer located in the stomach and upon repeat laparotomy was extracted from the mid-jejunum. In the following 8 months, the patient had no further episodes of small bowel obstruction. Consequently, gastric bezoars should be included in the differential diagnosis of recurrent small bowel obstruction
The structure of the protoplanetary disk surrounding three young intermediate mass stars. II. Spatially resolved dust and gas distribution
[Abridged] We present the first direct comparison of the distribution of the
gas, as traced by the [OI] 6300 AA emission, and the dust, as traced by the 10
micron emission, in the protoplanetary disk around three intermediate-mass
stars: HD 101412, HD 135344 B and HD 179218. N-band visibilities were obtained
with VLTI/MIDI. Simple geometrical models are used to compare the dust emission
to high-resolution optical spectra in the 6300 AA [OI] line of the same
targets. The disks around HD 101412 and HD 135344 B appear strongly flared in
the gas, but self-shadowed in the dust beyond ~ 2 AU. In both systems, the 10
micron emission is rather compact (< 2 AU) while the [OI] brightness profile
shows a double peaked structure. The inner peak is strongest and is consistent
with the location of the dust, the outer peak is fainter and is located at 5-10
AU. Spatially extended PAH emission is found in both disks. The disk around HD
179218 is flared in the dust. The 10 micron emission emerges from a double
ring-like structure with the first ring peaking at ~ 1 AU and the second at ~
20 AU. No dust emission is detected between ~ 3 -- 15 AU. The oxygen emission
seems also to come from a flared structure, however, the bulk of this emission
is produced between ~ 1 -- 10 AU. This could indicate a lack of gas in the
outer disk or could be due to chemical effects which reduce the abundance of OH
-- the parent molecule of the observed [OI] emission -- further away from the
star. The three systems, HD 179218, HD 135344 B and HD 101412, may form an
evolutionary sequence: the disk initially flared becomes flat under the
combined action of gas-dust decoupling, grain growth and dust settling.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
The nearby eclipsing stellar system delta Velorum - I. Origin of the infrared excess from VISIR and NACO imaging
- Context: The triple stellar system delta Vel system presents a significant
infrared excess, whose origin is still being debated. A large infrared bow
shock has been discovered using Spitzer/MIPS observations. Although it appears
as a significant contributor to the measured IR excess, the possibility exists
that a circumstellar IR excess is present around the stars of the system. -
Aims: The objective of the present VISIR and NACO observations is to identify
whether one of the stars of the delta Vel system presents a circumstellar
photometric excess in the thermal IR domain and to quantify it. - Methods: We
observed delta Vel using the imaging modes of the ESO/VLT instruments VISIR (in
BURST mode) and NACO to resolve the A-B system (0.6" separation) and obtain the
photometry of each star. We also obtained one NACO photometry epoch precisely
at the primary (annular) eclipse of delta Vel Aa by Ab. - Results: Our
photometric measurements with NACO (2.17 mic), complemented by the existing
visible photometry allowed us to reconstruct the spectral energy distribution
of the three stars. We then compared the VISIR photometry (8.6-12.8 mic) to the
expected photospheric emission from the three stars at the corresponding
wavelengths. - Conclusions: We can exclude the presence of a circumstellar
thermal infrared excess around delta Vel A or B down to a few percent level.
This supports the conclusions of Gaspar et al. (2008) that the IR excess of
delta Vel has an interstellar origin, although a cold circumstellar disk could
still be present. In addition, we derive the spectral types of the three stars
Aa, Ab, and B (respectively A2IV, A4V and F8V), and we estimate the age of the
system around 400-500 Myr.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, A&A, in pres
Modelling the population size and dynamics of the British grey seal
Funding: part-funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council to SMRU (Grant no. SMRU1001).1. Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) were the first mammals to be protected by an Act of Parliament in the UK and are currently protected under UK, Scottish, and EU conservation legislation. Reporting requirements under each of these statutes requires accurate and timely population estimates. Monitoring is principally conducted by aerial surveys of the breeding colonies; these are used to produce estimates of annual pup production. Translating these data to estimates of adult population size requires information about demographic parameters such as fecundity and sex ratio. 2. An age‐structured population dynamics model is presented, which includes density dependence in pup survival, with separate carrying capacities in each of the four breeding regions considered (North Sea, Inner Hebrides, Outer Hebrides, and Orkney). This model is embedded within a Bayesian state–space modelling framework, allowing the population model to be linked to available data and the use of informative prior distributions on demographic parameters. A computer‐intensive fitting algorithm is presented based on particle filtering methods. 3. The model is fitted to region‐level pup production estimates from 1984 to 2010 and an independent estimate of adult population size, derived from aerial surveys of hauled‐out seals in 2008. The fitted model is used to estimate total population size from 1984 to 2010. 4. The population in the North Sea region has increased at a near‐constant rate; growth in the other three regions began to slow in the mid‐1990s and these populations appear to have reached carrying capacity. The total population size of seals aged 1 year or older in 2010 was estimated to be 116 100 (95% CI 98 400–138 600), an increase of <1% on the previous year. 5. The modelling and fitting methods are widely applicable to other wildlife populations where diverse sources of information are available and inference is required for the underlying population dynamics.PostprintPeer reviewe
Depth-dependent intracortical myelin organization in the living human brain determined by in vivo ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging
Background: Intracortical myelin is a key determinant of neuronal synchrony and plasticity that underpin optimal brain function. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facilitates the examination of intracortical myelin but presents with methodological challenges. Here we describe a whole-brain approach for the in vivo investigation of intracortical myelin in the human brain using ultra-high field MRI. Methods: Twenty-five healthy adults were imaged in a 7 Tesla MRI scanner using diffusion-weighted imaging and a T 1 -weighted sequence optimized for intracortical myelin contrast. Using an automated pipeline, T 1 values were extracted at 20 depth-levels from each of 148 cortical regions. In each cortical region, T 1 values were used to infer myelin concentration and to construct a non-linearity index as a measure the spatial distribution of myelin across the cortical ribbon. The relationship of myelin concentration and the non-linearity index with other neuroanatomical properties were investigated. Five patients with multiple sclerosis were also assessed using the same protocol as positive controls. Results: Intracortical T 1 values decreased between the outer brain surface and the gray-white matter boundary following a slope that showed a slight leveling between 50% and 75% of cortical depth. Higher-order regions in the prefrontal, cingulate and insular cortices, displayed higher non-linearity indices than sensorimotor regions. Across all regions, there was a positive association between T 1 values and non-linearity indices (P < 10 125 ). Both T 1 values (P < 10 125 ) and non-linearity indices (P < 10 1215 ) were associated with cortical thickness. Higher myelin concentration but only in the deepest cortical levels was associated with increased subcortical fractional anisotropy (P = 0.05). Conclusions: We demonstrate the usefulness of an automatic, whole-brain method to perform depth-dependent examination of intracortical myelin organization. The extracted metrics, T 1 values and the non-linearity index, have characteristic patterns across cortical regions, and are associated with thickness and underlying white matter microstructure
Robust Online Hamiltonian Learning
In this work we combine two distinct machine learning methodologies,
sequential Monte Carlo and Bayesian experimental design, and apply them to the
problem of inferring the dynamical parameters of a quantum system. We design
the algorithm with practicality in mind by including parameters that control
trade-offs between the requirements on computational and experimental
resources. The algorithm can be implemented online (during experimental data
collection), avoiding the need for storage and post-processing. Most
importantly, our algorithm is capable of learning Hamiltonian parameters even
when the parameters change from experiment-to-experiment, and also when
additional noise processes are present and unknown. The algorithm also
numerically estimates the Cramer-Rao lower bound, certifying its own
performance.Comment: 24 pages, 12 figures; to appear in New Journal of Physic
An Adaptive Interacting Wang-Landau Algorithm for Automatic Density Exploration
While statisticians are well-accustomed to performing exploratory analysis in
the modeling stage of an analysis, the notion of conducting preliminary
general-purpose exploratory analysis in the Monte Carlo stage (or more
generally, the model-fitting stage) of an analysis is an area which we feel
deserves much further attention. Towards this aim, this paper proposes a
general-purpose algorithm for automatic density exploration. The proposed
exploration algorithm combines and expands upon components from various
adaptive Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, with the Wang-Landau algorithm at
its heart. Additionally, the algorithm is run on interacting parallel chains --
a feature which both decreases computational cost as well as stabilizes the
algorithm, improving its ability to explore the density. Performance is studied
in several applications. Through a Bayesian variable selection example, the
authors demonstrate the convergence gains obtained with interacting chains. The
ability of the algorithm's adaptive proposal to induce mode-jumping is
illustrated through a trimodal density and a Bayesian mixture modeling
application. Lastly, through a 2D Ising model, the authors demonstrate the
ability of the algorithm to overcome the high correlations encountered in
spatial models.Comment: 33 pages, 20 figures (the supplementary materials are included as
appendices
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