3,296 research outputs found
Uniting the Quiescent Emission and Burst Spectra of Magnetar Candidates
Spectral studies of quiescent emission and bursts of magnetar candidates
using XMM-Newton, Chandra and Swift data are presented. Spectra of both the
quiescent emission and the bursts for most magnetar candidates are reproduced
by a photoelectrically absorbed two blackbody function (2BB). There is a strong
correlation between lower and higher temperatures of 2BB (kT_LT and kT_HT) for
the magnetar candidates of which the spectra are well reproduced by 2BB. In
addition, a square of radius for kT_T (R_LT^2) is well correlated with a square
of radius for kT_HT (R_HT^2). A ratio kT_LT/kT_HT ~ 0.4 is nearly constant
irrespective of objects and/or emission types (i.e., the quiescent emission and
the bursts). This would imply a common emission mechanism among the magnetar
candidates. The relation between the quiescent emission and the bursts might be
analogous to a relation between microflares and solar flares of the sun. Three
AXPs (4U 0142+614, 1RXS J170849.0-400910 and 1E 2259+586) seem to have an
excess above ~7 keV which well agrees with a non-thermal hard component
discovered by INTEGRAL.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, 12 tables, Accepted for publication in PAS
How to Support Decision Making of Local Government in Prioritising Policy Menu Responding to Citizens’ Views: An Exploratory Study of Text Mining Approach to Attain Cognitive Map Based on Citizen Survey Data
It has been on the political agenda for the local governments how to satisfy their citizens to enhance their commitment and contribution to the communities. Especially in this ageing population era with tight fiscal conditions, it is essential for the government to know the prioritised policy menu in realising citizen satisfaction. This study aims to explore an applicable system based on citizen survey result. In our study, following literature review, we conducted focus group discussions to explore citizens’ willingness to participate in local policy design, which leads us to be convinced that some activated citizens are supportive to the local governmental policy decision. Based on this qualitative result, we tried to make a cognitive map which indicated which policy fields are prioritised by citizens. Throughout this procedure, we validate the feasible practice to support local governmental decision making based on the result of citizen survey
Time-evolution of Peak Energy and Luminosity Relation within Pulses for GRB 061007: Probing Fireball Dynamics
We perform a time-resolved spectral analysis of bright, long Gamma-ray burst
GRB 061007 using Suzaku/WAM and Swift/BAT. Thanks to the large effective area
of the WAM, we can investigate the time evolution of the spectral peak energy,
Et_peak and the luminosity Lt_iso with 1-sec time resolution, and we find that
luminosity Lt_iso with 1-sec time resolution, and we find that the
time-resolved pulses also satisfy the Epeak-Liso relation, which was found for
the time-averaged spectra of other bursts, suggesting the same physical
conditions in each pulse. Furthermore, the initial rising phase of each pulse
could be an outlier of this relation with higher Et_peak value by about factor
2. This difference could suggest that the fireball radius expands by a factor
of 2-4 and/or bulk Lorentz factor of the fireball is decelerated by a factor of
4 during the initial phase, providing a new probe of the fireball dynamics in
real time.Comment: 21 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in PAS
Studies of the Relativistic Binary Pulsar PSR B1534+12. II. Origin and Evolution
We have recently measured the angle between the spin and orbital angular
momenta of PSR B1534+12 to be either 25+/-4 deg or 155+/-4 deg. This
misalignment was almost certainly caused by an asymmetry in the supernova
explosion that formed its companion neutron star. Here we combine the
misalignment measurement with measurements of the pulsar and companion masses,
the orbital elements, proper motion, and interstellar scintillation. We show
that the orbit of the binary in the Galaxy is inconsistent with a velocity kick
large enough to produce a nearly antialigned spin axis, so the true
misalignment must be ~25 deg. Similar arguments lead to bounds on the mass of
the companion star immediately before its supernova: 3+/-1 Msun. The result is
a coherent scenario for the formation of the observed binary. After the first
supernova explosion, the neutron star that would eventually become the observed
pulsar was in a Be/X-ray type binary system with a companion of at least 10--12
Msun. During hydrogen (or possibly helium) shell burning, mass transfer
occurred in a common envelope phase, leaving the neutron star in a roughly
half-day orbit with a helium star with mass above ~3.3 Msun. A second phase of
mass transfer was then initiated by Roche lobe overflow during shell helium
burning, further reducing both the helium star mass and orbital period before
the second supernova. Scenarios that avoid Roche lobe overflow by the helium
star require larger helium star masses and predict space velocities
inconsistent with our measurements. The companion neutron star experienced a
velocity kick of 230+/-60 km/s at birth, leading to a systemic kick to the
binary of 180+/-60 km/s.Comment: 9 pages, submitted to ApJ. Abstract shortened. Version with
high-resolution figures available at
http://www.astro.ubc.ca/people/stairs/papers/tds04_orig.ps.g
Charge-Focusing Readout of Time Projection Chambers
Time projection chambers (TPCs) have found a wide range of applications in
particle physics, nuclear physics, and homeland security. For TPCs with
high-resolution readout, the readout electronics often dominate the price of
the final detector. We have developed a novel method which could be used to
build large-scale detectors while limiting the necessary readout area. By
focusing the drift charge with static electric fields, we would allow a small
area of electronics to be sensitive to particle detection for a much larger
detector volume. The resulting cost reduction could be important in areas of
research which demand large-scale detectors, including dark matter searches and
detection of special nuclear material. We present simulations made using the
software package Garfield of a focusing structure to be used with a prototype
TPC with pixel readout. This design should enable significant focusing while
retaining directional sensitivity to incoming particles. We also present first
experimental results and compare them with simulation.Comment: 5 pages, 17 figures, Presented at IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium 201
Suzaku Discovery of a Hard X-Ray Tail in the Persistent Spectra from the Magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408 during its 2009 Activity
The fastest-rotating magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408 was observed in broad-band
X-rays with Suzaku for 33 ks on 2009 January 28-29, 7 days after the onset of
its latest bursting activity. After removing burst events, the
absorption-uncorrected 2-10 keV flux of the persistent emission was measured
with the XIS as 5.7e-11 ergs cm-2 s-1, which is 1-2 orders of magnitude higher
than was measured in 2006 and 2007 when the source was less active. The
persistent emission was also detected significantly with the HXD in >10 keV up
to at least ~110 keV, with an even higher flux of 1.3e-10 ergs cm-2 s-1 in
20-100 keV. The pulsation was detected at least up to 70 keV at a period of
2.072135+/-0.00005 s, with a deeper modulation than was measured in a fainter
state. The phase-averaged 0.7-114 keV spectrum was reproduced by an absorbed
blackbody emission with a temperature of 0.65+/-0.02 keV, plus a hard power-law
with a photon index of ~1.5. At a distance of 9 kpc, the bolometric luminosity
of the blackbody and the 2-100 keV luminosity of the hard power-law are
estimated as (6.2+/-1.2)e+35 ergs s-1 and 1.9e+36 ergs s-1, respectively, while
the blackbody radius becomes ~5 km. Although the source had not been detected
significantly in hard X-rays during the past fainter states, a comparison of
the present and past spectra in energies below 10 keV suggests that the hard
component is more enhanced than the soft X-ray component during the persistent
activity.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, PASJ Vol.62 No.2 accepte
Association between Helicobacter pylori cagA-related genes and clinical outcomes in Colombia and Japan
Characterization of rhizobacteria from Citrus rhizosphere to control Phytophthora nicotinae var.parasitica and P.citrophthora.
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