13,274 research outputs found
XMM Follow-Up Observations of Three Swift BAT-Selected Active Galactic Nuclei
We present XMM-Newton observations of three AGN taken as part of a hunt to
find very heavily obscured Compton-thick AGN. For obscuring columns greater
than 10^25 cm^-2, AGN are only visible at energies below 10 keV via
reflected/scattered radiation, characterized by a flat power-law. We therefore
selected three objects (ESO 417-G006, IRAS 05218-1212, and MCG -01-05-047) from
the Swift BAT hard X-ray survey catalog with Swift X-ray Telescope XRT 0.5-10
keV spectra with flat power-law indices as candidate Compton-thick sources for
follow-up observations with the more sensitive instruments on XMM-Newton. The
XMM spectra, however, rule out reflection-dominated models based on the
weakness of the observed Fe K-alpha lines. Instead, the spectra are well-fit by
a model of a power-law continuum obscured by a Compton-thin absorber, plus a
soft excess. This result is consistent with previous follow-up observations of
two other flat-spectrum BAT-detected AGN. Thus, out of the six AGN in the
22-month BAT catalog with apparently flat Swift XRT spectra, all five that have
had follow-up observations are not likely Compton-thick. We also present new
optical spectra of two of these objects, IRAS 05218-1212 and MCG -01-05-047.
Interestingly, though both these AGN have similar X-ray spectra, their optical
spectra are completely different, adding evidence against the simplest form of
the geometric unified model of AGN. IRAS 05218-1212 appears in the optical as a
Seyfert 1, despite the ~8.5x10^22 cm^-2 line-of-sight absorbing column
indicated by its X-ray spectrum. MCG -01-05-047's optical spectrum shows no
sign of AGN activity; it appears as a normal galaxy.Comment: 18 pages including 4 figures, accepted by Ap
Patients' preferences for the management of non-metastatic prostate cancer: discrete choice experiment
Objective To establish which attributes of conservative treatments for prostate cancer are most important to men. Design Discrete choice experiment. Setting Two London hospitals. Participants 129 men with non-metastatic prostate cancer, mean age 70 years; 69 of 118 (58%) with T stage 1 or 2 cancer at diagnosis. Main outcome measures Men's preferences for, and trade-offs between, the attributes of diarrhoea, hot flushes, ability to maintain an erection, breast swelling or tenderness, physical energy, sex drive, life expectancy, and out of pocket expenses. Results The men's responses to changes in attributes were all statistically significant. When asked to assume a starting life expectancy of five years, the men were willing to make trade-offs between life expectancy and side effects. On average, they were most willing to give up life expectancy to avoid limitations in physical energy (mean three months) and least willing to trade life expectancy to avoid hot flushes (mean 0.6 months to move from a moderate to mild level or from mild to none). Conclusions Men with prostate cancer are willing to participate in a relatively complex exercise that weighs up the advantages and disadvantages of various conservative treatments for their condition. They were willing to trade off some life expectancy to be relieved of the burden of troublesome side effects such as limitations in physical energy
Rearrangement of {α-P2W15} to {PW6} moieties during the assembly of transition-metal-linked polyoxometalate clusters
We report the formation of two polyoxotungstates of the general formula [M6(PW6O26)(α-P2W15O56)2(H2O)2]23− (M = CoII or MnII), which contain {PW6} fragments generated from the [P2W15O56]12− precursor, which demonstrates for the first time the transformation of a Dawson lacunae into a Keggin lacunary building block. Solution analysis of the clusters has been conducted via electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry
A spectral hole memory for light at the single photon level
We demonstrate a solid state spin-wave optical memory based on stopped light
in a spectral hole. A long lived narrow spectral hole is created by optical
pumping in the inhomogeneous absorption profile of a Pr:YSiO
crystal. Optical pulses sent through the spectral hole experience a strong
reduction of their group velocity and are spatially compressed in the crystal.
A short Raman pulse transfers the optical excitation to the spin state before
the light pulse exits the crystal, effectively stopping the light. After a
controllable delay, a second Raman pulse is sent, which leads to the emission
of the stored photons. We reach storage and retrieval efficiencies for bright
pulses of up to in a -long crystal. We also show that
our device works at the single photon level by storing and retrieving
-long weak coherent pulses with efficiencies up to ,
demonstrating the most efficient spin-wave solid state optical memory at the
single-photon level so far. We reach an unconditional noise level of
photons per pulse in a detection window of
leading to a signal-to-noise ratio of for an
average input photon number of 1, making our device promising for long-lived
storage of non-classical light.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
High power impulse magnetron sputtering discharges: Instabilities and plasma self-organization
We report on instabilities in high power impulse magnetron sputtering plasmas which are likely to be of the generalized drift wave type. They are characterized by well defined regions of high and low plasma emissivity along the racetrack of the magnetron and cause periodic shifts in floating potential. The azimuthal mode number m depends on plasma current, plasma density, and gas pressure. The structures rotate in × direction at velocities of ∼10 km s−1 and frequencies up to 200 kHz. Collisions with residual gas atoms slow down the rotating wave, whereas increasing ionization degree of the gas and plasma conductivity speeds it up
Prize papers as new sources for maritime historical research: the circulation of knowledge on the sea
Spin States Protected from Intrinsic Electron-Phonon-Coupling Reaching 100 ns Lifetime at Room Temperature in MoSe
We present time-resolved Kerr rotation measurements, showing spin lifetimes
of over 100 ns at room temperature in monolayer MoSe. These long lifetimes
are accompanied by an intriguing temperature dependence of the Kerr amplitude,
which increases with temperature up to 50 K and then abruptly switches sign.
Using ab initio simulations we explain the latter behavior in terms of the
intrinsic electron-phonon coupling and the activation of transitions to
secondary valleys. The phonon-assisted scattering of the photo-excited
electron-hole pairs prepares a valley spin polarization within the first few ps
after laser excitation. The sign of the total valley magnetization, and thus
the Kerr amplitude, switches as a function of temperature, as conduction and
valence band states exhibit different phonon-mediated inter-valley scattering
rates. However, the electron-phonon scattering on the ps time scale does not
provide an explanation for the long spin lifetimes. Hence, we deduce that the
initial spin polarization must be transferred into spin states which are
protected from the intrinsic electron-phonon coupling, and are most likely
resident charge carriers which are not part of the itinerant valence or
conduction band states.Comment: 18 pages, 17 figure
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