Dissociating task difficulty from incongruence in face-voice emotion integration

In the everyday environment, affective information is conveyed by both the face and the voice. Studies have demonstrated that a concurrently presented voice can alter the way that an emotional face expression is perceived, and vice versa, leading to emotional conflict if the information in the two modalities is mismatched. Additionally, evidence suggests that incongruence of emotional valence activates cerebral networks involved in conflict monitoring and resolution. However, it is currently unclear whether this is due to task difficulty—that incongruent stimuli are harder to categorize—or simply to the detection of mismatching information in the two modalities. The aim of the present fMRI study was to examine the neurophysiological correlates of processing incongruent emotional information, independent of task difficulty. Subjects were scanned while judging the emotion of face-voice affective stimuli. Both the face and voice were parametrically morphed between anger and happiness and then paired in all audiovisual combinations, resulting in stimuli each defined by two separate values: the degree of incongruence between the face and voice, and the degree of clarity of the combined face-voice information. Due to the specific morphing procedure utilized, we hypothesized that the clarity value, rather than incongruence value, would better reflect task difficulty. Behavioral data revealed that participants integrated face and voice affective information, and that the clarity, as opposed to incongruence value correlated with categorization difficulty. Cerebrally, incongruence was more associated with activity in the superior temporal region, which emerged after task difficulty had been accounted for. Overall, our results suggest that activation in the superior temporal region in response to incongruent information cannot be explained simply by task difficulty, and may rather be due to detection of mismatching information between the two modalities

Beryllium in the Ultra-Lithium-Deficient,Metal-Poor Halo Dwarf, G186-26

The vast majority of low-metal halo dwarfs show a similar amount of Li; this has been attributed to the Li that was produced in the Big Bang. However, there are nine known halo stars with T $>$ 5900 K and [Fe/H] $<$ $-$1.0 that are ultra-Li-deficient. We have looked for Be in the very low metallicity star, G 186-26 at [Fe/H] = $-$2.71, which is one of the ultra-Li-deficient stars. This star is also ultra-Be deficient. Relative to Be in the Li-normal stars at [Fe/H] = $-$2.7, G 182-26 is down in Be by more than 0.8 dex. Of two potential causes for the Li-deficiency -- mass-transfer in a pre-blue straggler or extra rotationally-induced mixing in a star that was initially a very rapid rotator -- the absence of Be favors the blue-straggler hypothesis, but the rotation model cannot be ruled-out completely.Comment: Accepted for Ap.J. Letters 10 pages, 4 figure

A Constant Bar Fraction out to Redshift z~1 in the Advanced Camera for Surveys Field of the Tadpole Galaxy

Bar-like structures were investigated in a sample of 186 disk galaxies larger than 0.5 arcsec that are in the I-band image of the Tadpole galaxy taken with the HST ACS. We found 22 clear cases of barred galaxies, 21 galaxies with small bars that appear primarily as isophotal twists in a contour plot, and 11 cases of peculiar bars in clump-cluster galaxies, which are face-on versions of chain galaxies. The latter bars are probably young, as the galaxies contain only weak interclump emission. Four of the clearly barred galaxies at z~0.8-1.2 have grand design spirals. The bar fraction was determined as a function of galaxy inclination and compared with the analogous distribution in the local Universe. The bar fraction was also determined as a function of galaxy angular size. These distributions suggest that inclination and resolution effects obscure nearly half of the bars in our sample. The bar fraction was also determined as a function of redshift. We found a nearly constant bar fraction of 0.23+-0.03 from z~0 to z=1.1. When corrected for inclination and size effects, this fraction is comparable to the bar fraction in the local Universe, ~0.4, as tabulated for all bar and Hubble types in the Third Reference Catalogue of Galaxies. The average major axis of a barred galaxy in our sample is ~10 kpc after correcting for redshift with a LambdaCDM cosmology. Galaxy bars were present in normal abundance at least ~8 Gy ago (z~1); bar dissolution cannot be common during a Hubble time unless the bar formation rate is comparable to the dissolution rate.Comment: to appear in ApJ, Sept 1, 2004, Vol 612, 18 pg, 12 figure

Dynamic model and stationary shapes of fluid vesicles

A phase-field model that takes into account the bending energy of fluid vesicles is presented. The Canham-Helfrich model is derived in the sharp-interface limit. A dynamic equation for the phase-field has been solved numerically to find stationary shapes of vesicles with different topologies and the dynamic evolution towards them. The results are in agreement with those found by minimization of the Canham-Helfrich free energy. This fact shows that our phase-field model could be applied to more complex problems of instabilities.Comment: Accepted for publication in EPJE. 9 pages, 7 figure

The Advantage of Increased Resolution in the Study of Quasar Absorption Systems

We compare a new R = 120,000 spectrum of PG1634+706 (z_QSO = 1.337,m_V = 14.9) obtained with the HDS instrument on Subaru to a R = 45, 000 spectrum obtained previously with HIRES/Keck. In the strong MgII system at z = 0.9902 and the multiple cloud, weak MgII system at z = 1.0414, we find that at the higher resolution, additional components are resolved in a blended profile. We find that two single-cloud weak MgII absorbers were already resolved at R = 45,000, to have b = 2 - 4 km/s. The narrowest line that we measure in the R = 120, 000 spectrum is a component of the Galactic NaI absorption, with b = 0.90+/-0.20 km/s. We discuss expectations of similarly narrow lines in various applications, including studies of DLAs, the MgI phases of strong MgII absorbers, and high velocity clouds. By applying Voigt profile fitting to synthetic lines, we compare the consistency with which line profile parameters can be accurately recovered at R = 45,000 and R = 120,000. We estimate the improvement gained from superhigh resolution in resolving narrowly separated velocity components in absorption profiles. We also explore the influence of isotope line shifts and hyperfine splitting in measurements of line profile parameters, and the spectral resolution needed to identify these effects. Super high resolution spectra of quasars, which will be routinely possible with 20-meter class telescopes, will lead to greater sensitivity for absorption line surveys, and to determination of more accurate physical conditions for cold phases of gas in various environments.Comment: To appear in AJ. Paper with better resolution images available at http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/anand/superhigh.AJ.pd

Magnetorotational Instability in Liquid Metal Couette Flow

Despite the importance of the magnetorotational instability (MRI) as a fundamental mechanism for angular momentum transport in magnetized accretion disks, it has yet to be demonstrated in the laboratory. A liquid sodium alpha-omega dynamo experiment at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology provides an ideal environment to study the MRI in a rotating metal annulus (Couette flow). A local stability analysis is performed as a function of shear, magnetic field strength, magnetic Reynolds number, and turbulent Prandtl number. The later takes into account the minimum turbulence induced by the formation of an Ekman layer against the rigidly rotating end walls of a cylindrical vessel. Stability conditions are presented and unstable conditions for the sodium experiment are compared with another proposed MRI experiment with liquid gallium. Due to the relatively large magnetic Reynolds number achievable in the sodium experiment, it should be possible to observe the excitation of the MRI for a wide range of wavenumbers and further to observe the transition to the turbulent state.Comment: 12 pages, 22 figures, 1 table. To appear in the Astrophysical Journa

Kinematic Effects of Tidal Interaction on Galaxy Rotation Curves

We use self-consistent N-body models, in conjunction with models of test particles moving in galaxy potentials, to explore the initial effects of interactions on the rotation curves of spiral galaxies. Using nearly self-consistent disk/bulge/halo galaxy models (Kuijken & Dubinski 1995), we simulate the first pass of galaxies on nearly parabolic orbits; we vary orbit inclinations, galaxy halo masses and impact parameters. For each simulation, we mimic observed rotation curves of the model galaxies. Transient interaction-induced features of the curves include distinctly rising or falling profiles at large radii and pronounced bumps in the central regions. Remarkably similar features occur in our statistical sample of optical emission-line rotation curves of spiral galaxies in tight pairs and n-tuples.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Collapse of a semiflexible polymer in poor solvent

We investigate the dynamics and the pathways of the collapse of a single, semiflexible polymer in a poor solvent via 3-D Brownian Dynamics simulations. Earlier work indicates that the condensation of semiflexible polymers generically proceeds via a cascade through metastable racquet-shaped, long-lived intermediates towards the stable torus state. We investigate the rate of decay of uncollapsed states, analyze the preferential pathways of condensation, and describe likelihood and lifespan of the different metastable states. The simulation are performed with a bead-stiff spring model with excluded volume interaction and exponentially decaying attractive potential. The semiflexible chain collapse is studied as functions of the three relevant length scales of the phenomenon, i.e., the total chain length $L$, the persistence length $L_p$ and the condensation length $L_0 = \sqrt{k_B T L_p/u_0}$, where $u_0$ is a measure of the attractive potential per unit length. Two dimensionless ratios, $L/L_p$ and $L_0/L_p$, suffice to describe the decay rate of uncollapsed states, which appears to scale as $(L/L_p)^{1/3} (L_0/L_p)$. The condensation sequence is described in terms of the time series of the well separated energy levels associated with each metastable collapsed state. The collapsed states are described quantitatively through the spatial correlation of tangent vectors along the chain. We also compare the results obtained with a locally inextensible bead-rod chain and with a phantom bead-spring model. Finally, we show preliminary results on the effects of steady shear flow on the kinetics of collapse.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

Starburst in the Intragroup Medium of Stephan's Quintet

Based on new ISO mid-infrared observations and ground based $H_\alpha$ and near-infrared observations, we report the detection of a bright starburst in the intragroup medium (IGM) of the famous compact group of galaxies Stephan's Quintet (Source A in Fig.1). We demonstrate that this starburst is caused by a collision between a high velocity ($\delta$V$\sim$ 1000 km/sec) intruder galaxy (NGC7318b) and the IGM of the group. While this is the only starburst known today that is induced by a galaxy/cold-intergalactic-medium collision, it provides new constraints to the theory for interaction-induced starbursts, and may hint at a new mechanism for the star formation excess seen in more distant clusters.Comment: 17 pages, 2 PS figures. Accepted by Ap

Mapping IR Enhancements in Closely Interacting Spiral-Spiral Pairs. I. ISO~CAM and ISO~SWS Observations

Mid-infrared (MIR) imaging and spectroscopic observations are presented for a well defined sample of eight closely interacting (CLO) pairs of spiral galaxies that have overlapping disks and show enhanced far-infrared (FIR) emission. The goal is to study the star formation distribution in CLO pairs, with special emphasis on the role of 'overlap starbursts'. Observations were made with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) using the CAM and SWS instruments. The ISO~CAM maps, tracing the MIR emission of warm dust heated by young massive stars, are compared to new ground based H$\alpha$ and R-band images. We identify three possible subgroups in the sample, classified according to the star formation morphology: (1) advanced mergers (Arp~157, Arp~244 and Arp~299), (2) severely disturbed systems (Arp~81 and Arp~278), and (3) less disturbed systems (Arp~276, KPG 347 and KPG 426). Localized starbursts are detected in the overlap regions in all five pairs of subgroups (1) and (2), suggesting that they are a common property in colliding systems. Except for Arp~244, the 'overlap starburst' is usually fainter than the major nuclear starburst in CLO pairs. Star formation in 'less disturbed systems' is often distributed throughout the disks of both galaxies with no 'overlap starburst' detected in any of them. These systems also show less enhanced FIR emission, suggesting that they are in an earlier interaction stage than pairs of the other two subgroups where the direct disk collisions have probably not yet occurred.Comment: 27 pages text, 4 JPEG figures, 3 PS figures. To be accepted by ApJ. High quality figures (included in a PS file of the paper) can be found in http://spider.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/cxu/papers/ss_iso.ps.g