Astrophysics with core-collapse supernova gravitational wave signals in the next generation of gravitational wave detectors

The next generation of gravitational wave detectors will improve the detection prospects for gravitational waves from core-collapse supernovae. The complex astrophysics involved in core-collapse supernovae pose a significant challenge to modeling such phenomena. The Supernova Model Evidence Extractor (SMEE) attempts to capture the main features of gravitational wave signals from core-collapse supernovae by using numerical relativity waveforms to create approximate models. These models can then be used to perform Bayesian model selection to determine if the targeted astrophysical feature is present in the gravitational wave signal. In this paper, we extend SMEE's model selection capabilities to include features in the gravitational wave signal that are associated with g-modes and the standing accretion shock instability. For the first time, we test SMEE's performance using simulated data for planned future detectors, such as the Einstein Telescope, Cosmic Explorer, and LIGO Voyager. Further to this, we show how the performance of SMEE is improved by creating models from the spectrograms of supernova waveforms instead of their timeseries waveforms that contain stochastic features. In third generation detector configurations, we find that about 50% of neutrino-driven simulations were detectable at 100 kpc, and 10% at 275 kpc. The explosion mechanism was correctly determined for all detected signals

Heavy flavor resonances and QED radiative corrections

An application of high precision QED against experimental data is presented. When the corrections to ψ and Υ families are improved according to the method described below, the masses and widths of the resonances below open flavor threshold change by up to three standard deviations from presently accepted experimental values.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87625/2/326_1.pd

Spread of Plague Among Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs Is Associated With Colony Spatial Characteristics

Sylvatic plague (Yersinia pestis) is an exotic pathogen that is highly virulent in black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) and causes widespread colony losses and individual mortality rates \u3e95%. We investigated colony spatial characteristics that may influence inter-colony transmission of plague at 3 prairie dog colony complexes in the Great Plains. The 4 spatial characteristics we considered include: colony size, Euclidean distance to nearest neighboring colony, colony proximity index, and distance to nearest drainage (dispersal) corridor. We used multi-state mark–recapture models to determine the relationship between these colony characteristics and probability of plague transmission among prairie dog colonies. Annual mapping of colonies and mark–recapture analyses of disease dynamics in natural colonies led to 4 main results: 1) plague outbreaks exhibited high spatial and temporal variation, 2) the site of initiation of epizootic plague may have substantially influenced the subsequent inter-colony spread of plague, 3) the longterm effect of plague on individual colonies differed among sites because of how individuals and colonies were distributed, and 4) colony spatial characteristics were related to the probability of infection at all sites although the relative importance and direction of relationships varied among sites. Our findings suggest that conventional prairie dog conservation management strategies, including promoting large, highly connected colonies, may need to be altered in the presence of plague

Concert recording 2022-11-09

[Track 1]. Voyage for brass trio. I. Allegro moderato ; [Track 2]. II. Vivace ; [Track 3]. III. Andante molto ; [Track 4]. IV. Moderato ; [Track 5]. V. Adagio sostenuto ; [Track 6]. VI. Allegro ; [Track 7]. VII. Allegro non troppo / Robert Muczynski -- [Track 8]. Ad astra / Anthony O’Toole ; arr. David Slutsky -- [Track 9]. Fanfare for St. Edmundsbury / Benjamin Britten ; arr. David Slutsky – [Track 10]. Vivace from concerto no. 3 in D minor for two tubas / J.S. Bach -- [Track 11]. Concertino for trombone and woodwind. I. Soliloquy ; [Track 12]. II. Pastoral ; [Track 13]. III. Toccata / Raymond Eugene Premru -- [Track 14]. Myths and legends. I. Allegro ritmico ; [Track 15]. II. Adagio ; [Track 16]. III. [Track 17]. IV. Allegro vivace / Eric Ewazen -- [Track 18]. Yesterday / Paul McCartney

Concert recording 2022-11-09

[Track 1]. Voyage for brass trio. I. Allegro moderato ; [Track 2]. II. Vivace ; [Track 3]. III. Andante molto ; [Track 4]. IV. Moderato ; [Track 5]. V. Adagio sostenuto ; [Track 6]. VI. Allegro ; [Track 7]. VII. Allegro non troppo / Robert Muczynski -- [Track 8]. Ad astra / Anthony O’Toole ; arr. David Slutsky -- [Track 9]. Fanfare for St. Edmundsbury / Benjamin Britten ; arr. David Slutsky – [Track 10]. Vivace from concerto no. 3 in D minor for two tubas / J.S. Bach -- [Track 11]. Concertino for trombone and woodwind. I. Soliloquy ; [Track 12]. II. Pastoral ; [Track 13]. III. Toccata / Raymond Eugene Premru -- [Track 14]. Myths and legends. I. Allegro ritmico ; [Track 15]. II. Adagio ; [Track 16]. III. [Track 17]. IV. Allegro vivace / Eric Ewazen -- [Track 18]. Yesterday / Paul McCartney

Heavy flavor resonances and QED radiative corrections

We discuss QED radiative corrections applied to narrow resonances in e+e- annihilation. We establish a simple and precise prescription for extracting radiative corrections from experimental data. This prescription differs from those used in measurements of charm and bottom resonances and leads to resonance parameters which are significantly different. Using a simulation method, we calculate these differences, and conclude that the masses and widths of [psi] and [upsi] resonances change by up to three standard deviations from presently accepted values.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/27876/1/0000290.pd

Crowding of molecular motors determines microtubule depolymerization

Assembly and disassembly dynamics of microtubules (MTs) is tightly controlled by MT associated proteins. Here, we investigate how plus-end-directed depolymerases of the kinesin-8 family regulate MT depolymerization dynamics. Employing an individual-based model, we reproduce experimental findings. Moreover, crowding is identified as the key regulatory mechanism of depolymerization dynamics. Our analysis gives two qualitatively distinct regimes. For motor densities above a particular threshold, a macroscopic traffic jam emerges at the plus-end and the MT dynamics become independent of the motor concentration. Below this threshold, microscopic traffic jams at the tip arise which cancel out the effect of the depolymerization kinetics such that the depolymerization speed is solely determined by the motor density. Because this density changes over the MT length, length-dependent regulation is possible. Remarkably, motor cooperativity does not affect the depolymerization speed but only the end-residence time of depolymerases.Comment: 36 pages, 8 figure

A Scanning Hartmann Focus Test for the EUVI Telescopes aboard STEREO

The Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO), the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program, was launched in 2006 on a two year mission to study solar phenomena. STEREO consists of two nearly identical satellites, each carrying an Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) telescope as part of the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation instrument suite. EUVI is a normal incidence, 98mm diameter, Ritchey-Chretien telescope designed to obtain wide field of view images of the Sun at short wavelengths (17.1-30.4nm) using a CCD detector. The telescope entrance aperture is divided into four quadrants by a mask near the secondary mirror spider veins. A mechanism that rotates another mask allows only one of these sub-apertures to accept light over an exposure. The EUVI contains no focus mechanism. Mechanical models predict a difference in telescope focus between ambient integration conditions and on-orbit operation. We describe an independent check of the ambient, ultraviolet, absolute focus setting of the EUVI telescopes after they were integrated with their respective spacecraft. A scanning Hartmann-like test design resulted from constraints implied by the EUVI aperture select mechanism. This inexpensive test was simultaneously coordinated with other NASA integration and test activities in a high-vibration, clean room environment. The total focus test error was required to be better than +/-0.05 mm. We describe the alignment and test procedure, sources of statistical and systematic error, and then the focus determination results using various algorithms. The results are consistent with other tests of focus alignment and indicate that the EUVI telescopes meet the ambient focus offset requirements. STEREO is functioning well on-orbit and the EUVI telescopes meet their on-orbit image quality requirements

A Weak Neutralizing Antibody Response to Hepatitis C Virus Envelope Glycoprotein Enhances Virus Infection

We have completed a phase 1 safety and immunogenicity trial with hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoproteins, E1 and E2, with MF59 adjuvant as a candidate vaccine. Neutralizing activity to HCV genotype 1a was detected in approximately 25% of the vaccinee sera. In this study, we evaluated vaccinee sera from poor responders as a potential source of antibody dependent enhancement (ADE) of HCV infection. Sera with poor neutralizing activity enhanced cell culture grown HCV genotype 1a or 2a, and surrogate VSV/HCV pseudotype infection titer, in a dilution dependent manner. Surrogate pseudotypes generated from individual HCV glycoproteins suggested that antibody to the E2 glycoprotein; but not the E1 glycoprotein, was the principle target for enhancing infection. Antibody specific to FcRII expressed on the hepatic cell surface or to the Fc portion of Ig blocked enhancement of HCV infection by vaccinee sera. Together, the results from in vitro studies suggested that enhancement of viral infectivity may occur in the absence of a strong antibody response to HCV envelope glycoproteins