158 research outputs found
Tests of the Las Campanas Distant Cluster Survey from Confirmation Observations for the ESO Distant Cluster Survey
The ESO Distant Cluster Survey (EDisCS) is a photometric and spectroscopic
study of the galaxy cluster population at two epochs, z~0.5 and z~0.8, drawn
from the Las Campanas Distant Cluster Survey (LCDCS). We report results from
the initial candidate confirmation stage of the program and use these results
to probe the properties of the LCDCS. Of the 30 candidates targeted, we find
statistically significant overdensities of red galaxies near 28. Of the ten
additional candidates serendipitously observed within the fields of the
targeted 30, we detect red galaxy overdensities near six. We test the
robustness of the published LCDCS estimated redshifts to misidentification of
the brighest cluster galaxy (BCG) in the survey data, and measure the spatial
alignment of the published cluster coordinates, the peak red galaxy
overdensity, and the brightest cluster galaxy. We conclude that for LCDCS
clusters out to z~0.8, 1) the LCDCS coordinates agree with the centroid of the
red galaxy overdensity to within 25'' (~150 h^{-1} kpc) for 34 out of 37
candidates with 3\sigma galaxy overdensities, 2) BCGs are typically coincident
with the centroid of the red galaxy population to within a projected separation
of 200 h^{-1} kpc (32 out of 34 confirmed candidates), 3) the red galaxy
population is strongly concentrated, and 4) the misidentification of the BCG in
the LCDCS causes a redshift error >0.1 in 15-20% of the LCDCS candidates. These
findings together help explain the success of the surface brightness
fluctuations detection method.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in the November 10
issue of Ap
Wide-Field Survey of Globular Clusters in M31. II. Kinematics of the Globular Cluster System
We present a kinematic analysis of the globular cluster(GC) system in M31.
Using the photometric and spectroscopic database of 504 GCs, we have
investigated the kinematics of the M31 GC system. We find that the all GC
system shows strong rotation, with rotation amplitude of v_rot~190km/s, and
that a weak rotation persists even for the outermost samples at |Y|>5kpc. The
rotation-corrected velocity dispersion for the GC system is estimated to be
sigma_{p,r}~130km/s, and it increases from sigma_{p,r}~120km/s at |Y|<1kpc to
sigma_{p,r}~150km/s at |Y|>5kpc. These results are very similar to those for
the metal-poor GCs. This shows that there is a dynamically hot halo in M31 that
is rotating but primarily pressure-supported. We have identified 50
"friendless" GCs, and they appear to rotate around the major axis of M31. For
the subsamples of metal-poor and metal-rich GCs, we have found that the
metal-rich GCs are more centrally concentrated than the metal-poor GCs, and
both subsamples show strong rotation. For the subsamples of bright and faint
GCs, it is found that the rotation for the faint GCs is stronger than that for
the bright GCs. We have identified 56 GCs and GC candidates with X-ray
detection. It is found that the majority of X-ray emitting GCs follow the disk
rotation, and that the redder, more metal-rich, and brighter GCs are more
likely to be detected as X-ray emitting GCs. We have derived a rotation curve
of M31 using the GCs at |Y|<0.6kpc. We have estimated the dynamical mass of M31
using `Projected Mass Estimator(PME)' and `Tracer Mass Estimator(TME)'. We
finally discuss the implication of these results and compare the kinematics of
GCs with that of planetary nebulae in M31.Comment: 62 pages, 26 figues, Accepted by Ap
The History of Flow Chemistry at Eli Lilly and Company
Flow chemistry was initially used for speed to early phase material delivery in the development laboratories, scaling up chemical transformations that we would not or could not scale up batch for safety reasons. Some early examples included a Newman Kwart Rearrangement, Claisen rearrangement, hydroformylation, and thermal imidazole cyclization. Next, flow chemistry was used to enable safe scale up of hazardous chemistries to manufacturing plants. Examples included high pressure hydrogenation, aerobic oxidation, and Grignard formation reactions. More recently, flow chemistry was used in Small Volume Continuous (SVC) processes, where highly potent oncolytic molecules were produced by fully continuous processes at about 10 kg/day including reaction, extraction, distillation, and crystallization, using disposable equipment contained in fume hoods
An Unbiased Survey of 500 Nearby Stars for Debris Disks: A JCMT Legacy Program
We present the scientific motivation and observing plan for an upcoming
detection survey for debris disks using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. The
SCUBA-2 Unbiased Nearby Stars (SUNS) Survey will observe 500 nearby main
sequence and sub-giant stars (100 of each of the A, F, G, K and M spectral
classes) to the 850 micron extragalactic confusion limit to search for evidence
of submillimeter excess, an indication of circumstellar material. The survey
distance boundaries are 8.6, 16.5, 22, 25 and 45 pc for M, K, G, F and A stars,
respectively, and all targets lie between the declinations of -40 deg to 80
deg. In this survey, no star will be rejected based on its inherent properties:
binarity, presence of planetary companions, spectral type or age. This will be
the first unbiased survey for debris disks since IRAS. We expect to detect ~125
debris disks, including ~50 cold disks not detectable in current shorter
wavelength surveys. A substantial amount of complementary data will be required
to constrain the temperatures and masses of discovered disks. High resolution
studies will likely be required to resolve many of the disks. Therefore, these
systems will be the focus of future observational studies using a variety of
observatories to characterize their physical properties. For non-detected
systems, this survey will set constraints (upper limits) on the amount of
circumstellar dust, of typically 200 times the Kuiper Belt mass, but as low as
10 times the Kuiper Belt mass for the nearest stars in the sample
(approximately 2 pc).Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures (3 color), accepted by the Publications of the
Astronomical Society of the Pacifi
First Results from HaloSat – A CubeSat to Study the Hot Galactic Halo
HaloSat is the first CubeSat for astrophysics funded by NASA\u27s Science Mission Directorate and is designed to map soft X-ray oxygen line emission across the sky in order to constrain the mass and spatial distribution of hot gas in the Milky Way. HaloSat will help determine if hot halos with temperatures near a million degrees bound to galaxies make a significant contribution to the cosmological budget of the normal matter (baryons). HaloSat was deployed from the International Space Station in July 2018 and began routine science operations in October 2018. We describe the on-orbit performance including calibration of the X-ray detectors and initial scientific results including an observation of a halo field and an observation of solar wind charge exchange emission from the helium-focusing cone
Unraveling the effects of management and climate on carbon fluxes of U.S. croplands using the USDA Long-Term Agroecosystem (LTAR) network
Understanding the carbon fluxes and dynamics from a broad range of agricultural systems has the potential to improve our ability to increase carbon sequestration while maintaining crop yields. Short-term, single-location studies have limited applicability, but long-term data from a network of many locations can provide a broader understanding across gradients of climate and management choices. Here we examine eddy covariance measured carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes from cropland sites across the United States Department of Agriculture’s Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network. The dataset was collected between 2001 and 2020, spanning 13 sites for a total of 182 site-years. Average seasonal patterns of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), gross primary productivity (GPP), and ecosystem respiration (Reco) were determined, and subsequent regression analysis on these “flux climatologies” was used to identify relationships to mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP), cropping systems, and management practices. At rainfed sites, carbon fluxes were better correlated with MAP (r2 ≤ 0.5) than MAT (r2 ≤ 0.22). Net carbon balance was different among cropping systems (p \u3c 0.001), with the greatest net carbon uptake occurring in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) and the least in soybean (Glycine max) fields. Crop type had a greater effect on carbon balance than irrigation management at a Nebraska site. Across cropping systems, grain crops often had higher GPP and were more likely to have net uptake when compared to legume crops. This multi-site analysis highlights the potential of the LTAR network to further carbon flux research using eddy covariance measurements
The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries of the Universe
The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the
dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for
life and whether protons eventually decay --- these mysteries at the forefront
of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early
evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The
Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed
plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions. LBNE
is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, high-intensity
neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi
National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a near neutrino detector just downstream
of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed
as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research
Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in
Lead, South Dakota, is approximately 1,300 km from the neutrino source at
Fermilab -- a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino
charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet
cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can
accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions. With its exceptional
combination of experimental configuration, technical capabilities, and
potential for transformative discoveries, LBNE promises to be a vital facility
for the field of particle physics worldwide, providing physicists from around
the globe with opportunities to collaborate in a twenty to thirty year program
of exciting science. In this document we provide a comprehensive overview of
LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics
worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will
possess.Comment: Major update of previous version. This is the reference document for
LBNE science program and current status. Chapters 1, 3, and 9 provide a
comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the
landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate
and the capabilities it will possess. 288 pages, 116 figure
Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Causes Hyperphosphorylation of Tau
Age-related neurodegenerative disease has been mechanistically linked with mitochondrial dysfunction via damage from reactive oxygen species produced within the cell. We determined whether increased mitochondrial oxidative stress could modulate or regulate two of the key neurochemical hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD): tau phosphorylation, and ß-amyloid deposition. Mice lacking superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) die within the first week of life, and develop a complex heterogeneous phenotype arising from mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Treatment of these mice with catalytic antioxidants increases their lifespan and rescues the peripheral phenotypes, while uncovering central nervous system pathology. We examined sod2 null mice differentially treated with high and low doses of a catalytic antioxidant and observed striking elevations in the levels of tau phosphorylation (at Ser-396 and other phospho-epitopes of tau) in the low-dose antioxidant treated mice at AD-associated residues. This hyperphosphorylation of tau was prevented with an increased dose of the antioxidant, previously reported to be sufficient to prevent neuropathology. We then genetically combined a well-characterized mouse model of AD (Tg2576) with heterozygous sod2 knockout mice to study the interactions between mitochondrial oxidative stress and cerebral Aß load. We found that mitochondrial SOD2 deficiency exacerbates amyloid burden and significantly reduces metal levels in the brain, while increasing levels of Ser-396 phosphorylated tau. These findings mechanistically link mitochondrial oxidative stress with the pathological features of AD
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