5,371 research outputs found
Intergalactic Helium Absorption in Cold Dark Matter Models
Observations from the HUT and the HST have recently detected HeII absorption
along the lines of sight to two high redshift quasars. We use cosmological
simulations with gas dynamics to investigate HeII absorption in the cold dark
matter (CDM) theory of structure formation. We consider two Omega=1 CDM models
with different normalizations and one Omega_0=0.4 CDM model, all incorporating
the photoionizing UV background spectrum computed by Haardt & Madau (1996). The
simulated gas distribution, combined with the H&M spectral shape, accounts for
the relative observed values of taubar_HI and taubar_HeII, the effective mean
optical depths for HI and HeII absorption. If the background intensity is as
high as H&M predict, then matching the absolute values of taubar_HI and
taubar_HeII requires a baryon abundance larger (by factors between 1.5 and 3
for the various CDM models) than our assumed value of Omega_b h^2=0.0125. The
simulations reproduce the evolution of taubar_heII over the observed redshift
range, 2.2 < z < 3.3, if the HeII photoionization rate remains roughly
constant. HeII absorption in the CDM simulations is produced by a diffuse,
fluctuating, intergalactic medium, which also gives rise to the HI ly-alpha
forest. Much of the HeII opacity arises in underdense regions where the HI
optical depth is very low. We compute statistical properties of the HeII and HI
absorption that can be used to test the CDM models and distinguish them from an
alternative scenario in which the HeII absorption is caused by discrete,
compact clouds. The CDM scenario predicts that a substantial amount of baryonic
material resides in underdense regions at high redshift. HeII absorption is the
only sensitive probe of such extremely diffuse, intergalactic gas, so it can
provide a vital test of this fundamental prediction.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 36 pages, LaTeX (aaspp4), 12
figures. Changes include addition of more information on statistical
uncertainties and on the adopted UV background. Also available at
http://www-astronomy.mps.ohio-state.edu/~racc
Characterization of Lyman Alpha Spectra and Predictions of Structure Formation Models: A Flux Statistics Approach
In gravitational instability models, \lya absorption arises from a continuous
fluctuating medium, so that spectra provide a non-linear one-dimensional
``map'' of the underlying density field. We characterise this continuous
absorption using statistical measures applied to the distribution of absorbed
flux. We describe two simple members of a family of statistics which we apply
to simulated spectra in order to show their sensitivity as probes of
cosmological parameters (H, , the initial power spectrum of
matter fluctuations) and the physical state of the IGM. We make use of SPH
simulation results to test the flux statistics, as well as presenting a
preliminary application to Keck HIRES data.Comment: Contribution to proceedings of the 18th Texas Symposium on
Relativistic Astrophysics (eds A. Olinto, J. Frieman and D. Schramm, World
Scientific),Chicago, December 1996, 3 pages, LaTeX (sprocl), 2 figures. Also
available at http://www-astronomy.mps.ohio-state.edu/~racc
Comparing Simulations and Observations of the Lyman-Alpha Forest I. Methodology
We describe techniques for comparing spectra extracted from cosmological
simulations and observational data, using the same methodology to link
Lyman-alpha properties derived from the simulations with properties derived
from observational data. The eventual goal is to measure the coherence or
clustering properties of Lyman-alpha absorbers using observations of quasar
pairs and groups. We quantify the systematic underestimate in opacity that is
inherent in the continuum fitting process of observed spectra over a range of
resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. We present an automated process for
detecting and selecting absorption features over the range of resolution and
signal-to-noise of typical observational data on the Lyman-alpha "forest".
Using these techniques, we detect coherence over transverse scales out to 500
h^{-1}_{50} kpc in spectra extracted from a cosmological simulation at z = 2.Comment: 52 pages, includes 14 figures, to appear in ApJ v566 Feb 200
Thickness dependence of spin-orbit torques generated by WTe2
We study current-induced torques in WTe2/permalloy bilayers as a function of
WTe2 thickness. We measure the torques using both second-harmonic Hall and
spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance measurements for samples with WTe2
thicknesses that span from 16 nm down to a single monolayer. We confirm the
existence of an out-of-plane antidamping torque, and show directly that the
sign of this torque component is reversed across a monolayer step in the WTe2.
The magnitude of the out-of-plane antidamping torque depends only weakly on
WTe2 thickness, such that even a single-monolayer WTe2 device provides a strong
torque that is comparable to much thicker samples. In contrast, the
out-of-plane field-like torque has a significant dependence on the WTe2
thickness. We demonstrate that this field-like component originates
predominantly from the Oersted field, thereby correcting a previous inference
drawn by our group based on a more limited set of samples.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure
NASA advanced aeronautics design solar powered remotely piloted vehicle
Environmental problems such as the depletion of the ozone layer and air pollution demand a change in traditional means of propulsion that is sensitive to the ecology. Solar powered propulsion is a favorable alternative that is both ecologically harmless as well as cost effective. Integration of solar energy into designs ranging from futuristic vehicles to heating is beneficial to society. The design and construction of a Multi-Purpose Remotely Piloted Vehicle (MPRPV) seeks to verify the feasibility of utilizing solar propulsion as a primary fuel source. This task has been a year long effort by a group of ten students, divided into five teams, each dealing with different aspects of the design. The aircraft was designed to take-off, climb to the design altitude, fly in a sustained figure-eight flight path, and cruise for approximately one hour. This mission requires flight at Reynolds numbers between 150,000 and 200,000 and demands special considerations in the aerodynamic design in order to achieve flight in this regime. Optimal performance requires a light weight configuration with both structural integrity and maximum power availability. The structure design and choice of solar cells for the propulsion was governed by the weight, efficiency, and cost considerations. The final design is a MPRPV weighting 35 N which cruises 7 m/s at the design altitude of 50 m. The configuration includes a wing composed of balsa and foam NACA 6409 airfoil sections and carbon fiber spars, a tail of similar construction, and a truss structure fuselage. The propulsion system consists of 98 10 percent efficient solar cells donated by Mobil Solar, a NiCad battery for energy storage, and a folding propeller regulated by a lightweight and efficient control system. The airfoils and propeller chosen for the design were research and tested during the design process
Population based time trends and socioeconomic variation in use of radiotherapy and radical surgery for prostate cancer in a UK region: continuous survey
Objective To examine variation in the management of prostate cancer in patients with different socioeconomic status
Medial Temporal Lobe Damage Impairs Representation of Simple Stimuli
Medial temporal lobe (MTL) damage in humans is typically thought to produce a circumscribed impairment in the acquisition of new enduring memories, but recent reports have documented deficits even in short-term maintenance. We examined possible maintenance deficits in a population of MTL amnesics, with the goal of characterizing their impairments as either representational drift or outright loss of representation over time. Patients and healthy comparisons performed a visual search task in which the similarity of various lures to a target was varied parametrically. Stimuli were simple shapes varying along one of several visual dimensions. The task was performed in two conditions, one presenting a sample target simultaneously with the search array and the other imposing a delay between sample and array. Eye-movement data collected during search revealed that the duration of fixations to items varied with lure-target similarity for all participants, i.e., fixations were longer for items more similar to the target. In the simultaneous condition, patients and comparisons exhibited an equivalent effect of similarity on fixation durations. However, imposing a delay modulated the effect differently for the two groups: in comparisons, fixation duration to similar items was exaggerated; in patients, the original effect was diminished. These findings indicate that MTL lesions subtly impair short-term maintenance of even simple stimuli, with performance reflecting not the complete loss of the maintained representation but rather a degradation or progressive drift of the representation over time
Experimental Measurements of Electron Stopping Power at Low Energies
The electron stopping power has been measured for twelve elements and fifteen compounds, over the energy range from 1 eV to 10 keV, by the analysis of electron energy loss spectra, optical data, and photon mass absorption data. Values of the effective mean ionization potential Jeff and the effective number of participating electrons Neff have also been determined in each case. The results obtained have been compared with other experimental data, with first-principles theoretical calculations, and with a number of proposed analytical models
Comorbidity and Quality of Life in Adults with Hair Pulling Disorder
Hair pulling disorder (HPD; trichotillomania) is thought to be associated with significant psychiatric comorbidity and functional impairment. However, few methodologically rigorous studies of HPD have been conducted, rendering such conclusions tenuous. The following study examined comorbidity and psychosocial functioning in a well-characterized sample of adults with HPD (N=85) who met DSM-IV criteria, had at least moderate hair pulling severity, and participated in a clinical trial. Results revealed that 38.8% of individuals with HPD had another current psychiatric diagnosis and 78.8% had another lifetime (present and/or past) psychiatric diagnosis. Specifically, HPD showed substantial overlap with depressive, anxiety, addictive, and other body-focused repetitive behavior disorders. The relationships between certain comorbidity patterns, hair pulling severity, current mood and anxiety symptoms, and quality of life were also examined. Results showed that current depressive symptoms were the only predictor of quality of life deficits. Implications of these findings for the conceptualization and treatment of HPD are discussed
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