230 research outputs found
The Search for High-Mass X-ray Binaries in the Phoenix Dwarf Galaxy
We report on the first X-ray images of the Phoenix dwarf galaxy, taken with
\emph{XMM-Newton} in July 2009. This local group dwarf galaxy shares
similarities with the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) including a burst of star
formation 50 Myr ago. The SMC has an abundance of High Mass X-ray
Binaries (HMXBs) and so we have investigated the possibility of an HMXB
population in Phoenix with the intention of furthering the understanding of the
HMXB-star formation rate relation. The data from the combined European Photon
Imaging Cameras (EPIC) were used to distinguish between different source
classes (foreground stars, background galaxies, AGN and supernova remnants)
using EPIC hardness ratios and correlations with optical and radio catalogues.
Of the 81 X-ray sources in the field of view, six are foreground stars, four
are galaxies and one is an AGN. The remaining sources with optical counterparts
have log() consistent with AGN in the local universe.
Further investigation of five sources in the field of view suggests they are
all background AGN. Their position behind the gas cloud associated with Phoenix
makes them a possible tool for further probing the metallicity of this region.
We find no evidence for any HMXBs in Phoenix at this time. This rules out the
existence of the X-ray persistent supergiant X-ray binary systems. However the
transient nature of the Be/X-ray binaries means we cannot rule out a population
of these sources but can conclude that it is not extensive.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables, Accepted for publication in MNRA
An XMM-Newton search for X-ray sources in the Fornax dwarf galaxy
We report the results of a deep archive XMM-Newton observation of the Fornax
spheroidal galaxy that we analyzed with the aim of fully characterizing the
X-ray source population (in most of the cases likely to be background active
galactic nuclei) detected towards the target. A cross correlation with the
available databases allowed us to find a source that may be associated with a
variable star belonging to the galaxy. We also searched for X-ray sources in
the vicinity of the Fornax globular clusters GC 3 and GC 4 and found two
sources probably associated with the respective clusters. The deep X-ray
observation was also suitable for the search of the intermediate-mass black
hole (of mass M) expected to be hosted in the center
of the galaxy. In the case of Fornax, this search is extremely difficult since
the galaxy centroid of gravity is poorly constrained because of the large
asymmetry observed in the optical surface brightness. Since we cannot firmly
establish the existence of an X-ray counterpart of the putative black hole, we
put constraints only on the accretion parameters. In particular, we found that
the corresponding upper limit on the accretion efficiency, with respect to the
Eddington luminosity, is as low as a few .Comment: In press on Astronomy and Astrophysics. 12 Pages, colour figures on
the on-line version of the pape
A population of luminous accreting black holes with hidden mergers
Major galaxy mergers are thought to play an important part in fuelling the
growth of supermassive black holes. However, observational support for this
hypothesis is mixed, with some studies showing a correlation between merging
galaxies and luminous quasars and others showing no such association. Recent
observations have shown that a black hole is likely to become heavily obscured
behind merger-driven gas and dust, even in the early stages of the merger, when
the galaxies are well separated (5 to 40 kiloparsecs). Merger simulations
further suggest that such obscuration and black-hole accretion peaks in the
final merger stage, when the two galactic nuclei are closely separated (less
than 3 kiloparsecs). Resolving this final stage requires a combination of
high-spatial-resolution infrared imaging and high-sensitivity hard-X-ray
observations to detect highly obscured sources. However, large numbers of
obscured luminous accreting supermassive black holes have been recently
detected nearby (distances below 250 megaparsecs) in X-ray observations. Here
we report high-resolution infrared observations of hard-X-ray-selected black
holes and the discovery of obscured nuclear mergers, the parent populations of
supermassive-black-hole mergers. We find that obscured luminous black holes
(bolometric luminosity higher than 2x10^44 ergs per second) show a significant
(P<0.001) excess of late-stage nuclear mergers (17.6 per cent) compared to a
sample of inactive galaxies with matching stellar masses and star formation
rates (1.1 per cent), in agreement with theoretical predictions. Using
hydrodynamic simulations, we confirm that the excess of nuclear mergers is
indeed strongest for gas-rich major-merger hosts of obscured luminous black
holes in this final stage.Comment: To appear in the 8 November 2018 issue of Nature. This is the
authors' version of the wor
Recognizing Speech in a Novel Accent: The Motor Theory of Speech Perception Reframed
The motor theory of speech perception holds that we perceive the speech of
another in terms of a motor representation of that speech. However, when we
have learned to recognize a foreign accent, it seems plausible that recognition
of a word rarely involves reconstruction of the speech gestures of the speaker
rather than the listener. To better assess the motor theory and this
observation, we proceed in three stages. Part 1 places the motor theory of
speech perception in a larger framework based on our earlier models of the
adaptive formation of mirror neurons for grasping, and for viewing extensions
of that mirror system as part of a larger system for neuro-linguistic
processing, augmented by the present consideration of recognizing speech in a
novel accent. Part 2 then offers a novel computational model of how a listener
comes to understand the speech of someone speaking the listener's native
language with a foreign accent. The core tenet of the model is that the
listener uses hypotheses about the word the speaker is currently uttering to
update probabilities linking the sound produced by the speaker to phonemes in
the native language repertoire of the listener. This, on average, improves the
recognition of later words. This model is neutral regarding the nature of the
representations it uses (motor vs. auditory). It serve as a reference point for
the discussion in Part 3, which proposes a dual-stream neuro-linguistic
architecture to revisits claims for and against the motor theory of speech
perception and the relevance of mirror neurons, and extracts some implications
for the reframing of the motor theory
Activity in perceptual classification networks as a basis for human subjective time perception
Despite being a fundamental dimension of experience, how the human brain generates the perception of time remains unknown. Here, we provide a novel explanation for how human time perception might be accomplished, based on non-temporal perceptual classification processes. To demonstrate this proposal, we build an artificial neural system centred on a feed-forward image classification network, functionally similar to human visual processing. In this system, input videos of natural scenes drive changes in network activation, and accumulation of salient changes in activation are used to estimate duration. Estimates produced by this system match human reports made about the same videos, replicating key qualitative biases, including differentiating between scenes of walking around a busy city or sitting in a cafe or office. Our approach provides a working model of duration perception from stimulus to estimation and presents a new direction for examining the foundations of this central aspect of human experience
Massive binary black holes in galactic nuclei and their path to coalescence
Massive binary black holes form at the centre of galaxies that experience a
merger episode. They are expected to coalesce into a larger black hole,
following the emission of gravitational waves. Coalescing massive binary black
holes are among the loudest sources of gravitational waves in the Universe, and
the detection of these events is at the frontier of contemporary astrophysics.
Understanding the black hole binary formation path and dynamics in galaxy
mergers is therefore mandatory. A key question poses: during a merger, will the
black holes descend over time on closer orbits, form a Keplerian binary and
coalesce shortly after? Here we review progress on the fate of black holes in
both major and minor mergers of galaxies, either gas-free or gas-rich, in
smooth and clumpy circum-nuclear discs after a galactic merger, and in
circum-binary discs present on the smallest scales inside the relic nucleus.Comment: Accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews. To appear in hard
cover in the Space Sciences Series of ISSI "The Physics of Accretion onto
Black Holes" (Springer Publisher
Audiovisual Segregation in Cochlear Implant Users
It has traditionally been assumed that cochlear implant users de facto perform atypically in audiovisual tasks. However, a recent study that combined an auditory task with visual distractors suggests that only those cochlear implant users that are not proficient at recognizing speech sounds might show abnormal audiovisual interactions. The present study aims at reinforcing this notion by investigating the audiovisual segregation abilities of cochlear implant users in a visual task with auditory distractors. Speechreading was assessed in two groups of cochlear implant users (proficient and non-proficient at sound recognition), as well as in normal controls. A visual speech recognition task (i.e. speechreading) was administered either in silence or in combination with three types of auditory distractors: i) noise ii) reverse speech sound and iii) non-altered speech sound. Cochlear implant users proficient at speech recognition performed like normal controls in all conditions, whereas non-proficient users showed significantly different audiovisual segregation patterns in both speech conditions. These results confirm that normal-like audiovisual segregation is possible in highly skilled cochlear implant users and, consequently, that proficient and non-proficient CI users cannot be lumped into a single group. This important feature must be taken into account in further studies of audiovisual interactions in cochlear implant users
A lexicographical dynamic flow model for relief operations
Emergency management is a highly relevant area of interest in operations research. Currently the area is undergoing widespread development. Furthermore, recent disasters have highlighted the importance of disaster management, in order to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable people and save lives. In this context, the problem of designing plans for the distribution of humanitarian aid according to the preferences of the decision maker is crucial. In this paper, a lexicographical dynamic flow model to solve this problem is presented, extending a previously introduced static flow model. The new model is validated in a realistic case study and a computational study is performed to compare both models, showing how they can be coordinated to improve their overall performance
Logistics service provider selection for disaster preparation: a socio-technical systems perspective
Since 1990s, the world has seen a lot of advances in providing humanitarian aid through sophisticated logistics operations. The current consensus seems to be that humanitarian relief organizations (HROs) can improve their relief operations by collaborating with logistics service providers (CLSPs) in the commercial sector. The question remains: how can HROs select the most appropriate CLSP for disaster preparation? Despite its practical significance, no explicit effort has been done to identify the criteria/factors in prioritising and selecting a CLSP for disaster relief. The present study aims to address this gap by consolidating the list of criteria from a socio-technical systems (STS) perspective. Then, to handle the interdependence among the criteria derived from the STS, we develop a hybrid multi-criteria decision making model for CLSP selection in the disaster preparedness stage. The proposed model is then evaluated by a real-life case study, providing insights into the decision-makers in both HROs and CLSPs
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