247 research outputs found
Probing CDM cosmology with the Evolutionary Map of the Universe survey
The Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) is an all-sky survey in
radio-continuum which uses the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP). Using galaxy
angular power spectrum and the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect, we study the
potential of EMU to constrain models beyond CDM (i.e., local
primordial non-Gaussianity, dynamical dark energy, spatial curvature and
deviations from general relativity), for different design sensitivities. We
also include a multi-tracer analysis, distinguishing between star-forming
galaxies and galaxies with an active galactic nucleus, to further improve EMU's
potential. We find that EMU could measure the dark energy equation of state
parameters around 35\% more precisely than existing constraints, and that the
constraints on and modified gravity parameters will improve up to
a factor with respect to Planck and redshift space distortions
measurements. With this work we demonstrate the promising potential of EMU to
contribute to our understanding of the Universe.Comment: 15 pages (29 with references and appendices), 6 figures and 10
tables. Matches the published version. Minimal changes from previous versio
Global Journalist: The future of Voice of America
On this program, journalists discussed what's going on with Voice of America and the future of the organization. Host: Levi Moltz-Hohmann. Guests: David Ensor, Danforth Austin, Vardha Khalil, Grayson Clary. Producers: Cam Denmark, Regan Mertz, Annie Le, Ziye Tang. Directors: Travis McMillen. Audio Engineer: Aaron Hay
Noncooperative dynamics in election interference
Foreign power interference in domestic elections is an existential threat to societies. Manifested through myriad methods from war to words, such interference is a timely example of strategic interaction between economic and political agents. We model this interaction between rational game players as a continuous-time differential game, constructing an analytical model of this competition with a variety of payoff structures. All-or-nothing attitudes by only one player regarding the outcome of the game lead to an arms race in which both countries spend increasing amounts on interference and counterinterference operations. We then confront our model with data pertaining to the Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential election contest. We introduce and estimate a Bayesian structural time-series model of election polls and social media posts by Russian Twitter troll accounts. Our analytical model, while purposefully abstract and simple, adequately captures many temporal characteristics of the election and social media activity. We close with a discussion of our model\u27s shortcomings and suggestions for future research
Character and distribution of exposed glaciodeltaic deposits off outer Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and their effects on hydrogeology and benthic habitats
Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2006. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Springer for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geo-Marine Letters 26 (2006): 51-57, doi:10.1007/s00367-005-0015-x.Sea-bed outcrops of glaciodeltaic sediments were identified in four places east of Cape
Cod, Massachusetts during seismic-reflection, multibeam bathymetric and backscatter, bottom
photographic, and sediment sampling surveys. These strata record coarser-grained ice-proximal
glaciofluvial topset to finer-grained distal glaciolacustrine bottomset deposition within deltaic
systems that prograded southwestward into glacial lakes from the South Channel lobe about 18 ka
B.P. These beds are important because they (1) influence the outer Cape's hydrogeologic
framework, and (2) provide relatively stable, locally rough habitats within an area of seafloor
dominated by mobile sand and gravelly sediment, and benefit the benthic fauna by providing
shelter and a substrate amenable to burrow construction.This work was
supported by the Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey
Continuum rich-get-richer processes: Mean field analysis with an application to firm size
Classical rich-get-richer models have found much success in being able to broadly reproduce the statistics and dynamics of diverse real complex systems. These rich-get-richer models are based on classical urn models and unfold step by step in discrete time. Here, we consider a natural variation acting on a temporal continuum in the form of a partial differential equation (PDE). We first show that the continuum version of Simon\u27s canonical preferential attachment model exhibits an identical size distribution. In relaxing Simon\u27s assumption of a linear growth mechanism, we consider the case of an arbitrary growth kernel and find the general solution to the resultant PDE. We then extend the PDE to multiple spatial dimensions, again determining the general solution. We then relax the zero-diffusion assumption and find an envelope of solutions to the general model in the presence of small fluctuations. Finally, we apply the model to size and wealth distributions of firms. We obtain power-law scaling for both to be concordant with simulations as well as observational data, providing a parsimonious theoretical explanation for these phenomena
An HST/COS Observation of Broad Ly Emission and Associated Absorption Lines of the BL Lacertae Object H 2356-309
Weak spectral features in BL Lacertae objects (BL Lac) often provide a unique
opportunity to probe the inner region of this rare type of active galactic
nucleus. We present a Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph
observation of the BL Lac H 2356-309. A weak Ly emission line was
detected. This is the fourth detection of a weak Ly emission feature in
the ultraviolet (UV) band in the so-called "high energy peaked BL Lacs", after
Stocke et al. Assuming the line-emitting gas is located in the broad line
region (BLR) and the ionizing source is the off-axis jet emission, we constrain
the Lorentz factor () of the relativistic jet to be with a
maximum viewing angle of 3.6. The derived is somewhat larger
than previous measurements of , implying a covering
factor of 3% of the line-emitting gas. Alternatively, the BLR clouds
could be optically thin, in which case we constrain the BLR warm gas to be
. We also detected two HI and one OVI absorption
lines that are within of the BL Lac object.
The OVI and one of the HI absorbers likely coexist due to their nearly
identical velocities. We discuss several ionization models and find a
photoionization model where the ionizing photon source is the BL Lac object can
fit the observed ion column densities with reasonable physical parameters. This
absorber can either be located in the interstellar medium of the host galaxy,
or in the BLR.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
The Photon Underproduction Crisis
We examine the statistics of the low-redshift Lyman-alpha forest from
smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations in light of recent improvements in
the estimated evolution of the cosmic ultraviolet background (UVB) and recent
observations from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS). We find that the value
of the metagalactic photoionization rate required by our simulations to match
the observed properties of the low-redshift Lyman-alpha forest is a factor of 5
larger than the value predicted by state-of-the art models for the evolution of
this quantity. This mismatch results in the mean flux decrement of the
Lyman-alpha forest being underpredicted by at least a factor of 2 (a 10-sigma
discrepancy with observations) and a column density distribution of Lyman-alpha
forest absorbers systematically and significantly elevated compared to
observations over nearly two decades in column density. We examine potential
resolutions to this mismatch and find that either conventional sources of
ionizing photons (galaxies and quasars) must be significantly elevated relative
to current observational estimates or our theoretical understanding of the
low-redshift universe is in need of substantial revision.Comment: Submitted to ApJ Letters; 6 pages including 3 figure
The sociospatial factors of death: Analyzing effects of geospatially-distributed variables in a Bayesian mortality model for Hong Kong
Human mortality is in part a function of multiple socioeconomic factors that
differ both spatially and temporally. Adjusting for other covariates, the human
lifespan is positively associated with household wealth. However, the extent to
which mortality in a geographical region is a function of socioeconomic factors
in both that region and its neighbors is unclear. There is also little
information on the temporal components of this relationship. Using the
districts of Hong Kong over multiple census years as a case study, we
demonstrate that there are differences in how wealth indicator variables are
associated with longevity in (a) areas that are affluent but neighbored by
socially deprived districts versus (b) wealthy areas surrounded by similarly
wealthy districts. We also show that the inclusion of spatially-distributed
variables reduces uncertainty in mortality rate predictions in each census year
when compared with a baseline model. Our results suggest that geographic
mortality models should incorporate nonlocal information (e.g., spatial
neighbors) to lower the variance of their mortality estimates, and point to a
more in-depth analysis of sociospatial spillover effects on mortality rates.Comment: 26 pages (15 main, 11 appendix), 22 figures (6 main, 11 appendix), 2
table
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