1,577 research outputs found
The Optical Polarization Properties of X-ray Selected BL Lacertae Objects
We discuss the optical polarization properties of X-ray selected BL Lacertae
objects (XSBLs) as determined from three years of monitoring 37 BL Lac objects
and candidates. The observed objects include a complete X-ray flux limited
sample drawn from the EMS Survey. The majority of the XSBLs classi- fied solely
on the appearance of their spectra are members of the class of BL~Lacs since
they possess intrinsically polarized and variable continua. The duty cycle of
polarized emission from XSBLs is 40\%. The majority of XSBLs (\%)
have preferred polarization position angles on time scales as long as three
years. This reflects stability in the geometry of the region emitting the
polarized optical emission. We discuss the observed spectral dependence of the
degree of polarization and some of the possible mechanisms for producing the
observed characteristics. While dilution of the polarized emission by the host
galaxy starlight is present in some objects, we demon- strate that the average
polarization properties derived from our observations are not drastically
affected by this effect. The objects in our monitored sample did not display
the larger than one magnitude variations generally used to characterize the
optical variability of blazars in general.Comment: LaTex file, 21 pages, with tables appended as a poscript file.
Contact [email protected] for postscript figure files. Institute for Advanced
Study number AST 93/4
``Superfast'' Reaction in Turbulent Flow with Potential Disorder
We explore the regime of ``superfast'' reactivity that has been predicted to
occur in turbulent flow in the presence of potential disorder. Computer
simulation studies confirm qualitative features of the previous renormalization
group predictions, which were based on a static model of turbulence. New
renormalization group calculations for a more realistic, dynamic model of
turbulence show that the superfast regime persists. This regime, with
concentration decay exponents greater than that for a well-mixed reaction,
appears to be a general result of the interplay among non-linear reaction
kinetics, turbulent transport, and local trapping by potential disorder.Comment: 14 pages. 4 figures. Uses IOP styles. To appear in J. Phys. A: Math.
Ge
The Unusual Infrared Object HDF-N J123656.3+621322
We describe an object in the Hubble Deep Field North with very unusual
near-infrared properties. It is readily visible in Hubble Space Telescope
NICMOS images at 1.6um and from the ground at 2.2um, but is undetected (with
signal-to-noise <~ 2) in very deep WFPC2 and NICMOS data from 0.3 to 1.1um. The
f_nu flux density drops by a factor >~ 8.3 (97.7% confidence) from 1.6 to
1.1um. The object is compact but may be slightly resolved in the NICMOS 1.6um
image. In a low-resolution, near-infrared spectrogram, we find a possible
emission line at 1.643um, but a reobservation at higher spectral resolution
failed to confirm the line, leaving its reality in doubt. We consider various
hypotheses for the nature of this object. Its colors are unlike those of known
galactic stars, except perhaps the most extreme carbon stars or Mira variables
with thick circumstellar dust shells. It does not appear to be possible to
explain its spectral energy distribution as that of a normal galaxy at any
redshift without additional opacity from either dust or intergalactic neutral
hydrogen. The colors can be matched by those of a dusty galaxy at z >~ 2, by a
maximally old elliptical galaxy at z >~ 3 (perhaps with some additional
reddening), or by an object at z >~ 10 whose optical and 1.1um light have been
suppressed by the intergalactic medium. Under the latter hypothesis, if the
luminosity results from stars and not an AGN, the object would resemble a
classical, unobscured protogalaxy, with a star formation rate >~ 100 M_sun/yr.
Such UV-bright objects are evidently rare at 2 < z < 12.5, however, with a
space density several hundred times lower than that of present-day L* galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 27 pages,
LaTeX, with 7 figures (8 files); citations & references updated + minor
format change
Surface Flaw Detection with Ferromagnetic Resonance Probes
Small ferromagnetic resonators have been shown to provide effective electromagnetic detectors for surface flaws in magnetic and nonmagnetic metals. As such a resonator is moved along \u27the surface of a test piece it experiences a frequency shift when it passes over a flaw. lwo detection mechanisms are present: (1) an eddy current effect (2) a perturbation of the dc magnetic bias field used to tune the resonator. Results are given for experiments performed on machined slots in aluminum, titanium and steel and on tightly closed fatigue cracks in titanium. Results are also presented for some measurements on titanium aircraft fasteners
Gemini-South + FLAMINGOS Demonstration Science: Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of the z=5.77 Quasar SDSS J083643.85+005453.3
We report an infrared 1-1.8 micron (J+H-bands), low-resolution (R=450)
spectrogram of the highest-redshift radio-loud quasar currently known, SDSS
J083643.85+005453.3, obtained during the spectroscopic commissioning run of the
FLAMINGOS multi-object, near-infrared spectrograph at the 8m Gemini-South
Observatory. These data show broad emission from both CIV 1549 and CIII] 1909,
with strengths comparable to lower-redshift quasar composite spectra. The
implication is that there is substantial enrichment of the quasar environment,
even at times less than a billion years after the Big Bang. The redshift
derived from these features is z = 5.774 +/- 0.003, more accurate and slightly
lower than the z = 5.82 reported in the discovery paper based on the
partially-absorbed Lyman-alpha emission line. The infrared continuum is
significantly redder than lower-redshift quasar composites. Fitting the
spectrum from 1.0 to 1.7 microns with a power law f(nu) ~ nu^(-alpha), the
derived power law index is alpha = 1.55 compared to the average continuum
spectral index = 0.44 derived from the first SDSS composite quasar.
Assuming an SMC-like extinction curve, we infer a color excess of E(B-V) = 0.09
+/- 0.01 at the quasar redshift. Only approximately 6% of quasars in the
optically-selected Sloan Digital Sky Survey show comparable levels of dust
reddening.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure; to appear in the Astrophysical Journal Letter
Directed motion emerging from two coupled random processes: Translocation of a chain through a membrane nanopore driven by binding proteins
We investigate the translocation of a stiff polymer consisting of M monomers
through a nanopore in a membrane, in the presence of binding particles
(chaperones) that bind onto the polymer, and partially prevent backsliding of
the polymer through the pore. The process is characterized by the rates: k for
the polymer to make a diffusive jump through the pore, q for unbinding of a
chaperone, and the rate q kappa for binding (with a binding strength kappa);
except for the case of no binding kappa=0 the presence of the chaperones give
rise to an effective force that drives the translocation process. Based on a
(2+1) variate master equation, we study in detail the coupled dynamics of
diffusive translocation and (partial) rectification by the binding proteins. In
particular, we calculate the mean translocation time as a function of the
various physical parameters.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures, IOP styl
Counterrotating aircraft propulsor blades
A propulsor blade for an aircraft engine includes an airfoil section formed in the shape of a scimitar. A metallic blade spar is interposed between opposed surfaces of the blade and is bonded to the surfaces to establish structural integrity of the blade. The metallic blade spar includes a root end allowing attachment of the blade to the engine
Genome-wide linkage scan for genes affecting longitudinal trends in systolic blood pressure
Only one genome scan to date has attempted to make use of the longitudinal data available in the Framingham Heart Study, and this attempt yielded evidence of linkage to a gene for mean systolic blood pressure. We show how the additional information available in these longitudinal data can be utilized to examine linkages for not only mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), but also for its trend with age and its variability. Prior to linkage analysis, individuals treated for hypertension were adjusted to account for right-censoring of SBP. Regressions on age were fitted to obtain orthogonal measures of slope, curvature, and residual variance of SBP that were then used as dependent variables in the model-free linkage program SIBPAL. We included mean age, gender, and cohort as covariates in the analysis. To improve power, sibling pairs were weighted for informativity using weights derived from both the marker and trait. The most significant results from our analyses were found on chromosomes 12, 15, and 17 for mean SBP, and chromosome 20 for both SBP slope and curvature
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