The Initial Helium Abundance of the Galactic Globular Cluster System

We estimate the initial He content in about 30% of the Galactic globular clusters (GGCs) from new star counts we have performed on the recently published HST snapshot database of Colour Magnitude Diagrams (Piotto et al. 2002). More in detail, we use the so-called $R$-parameter and estimate the He content from a calibration based on a recently updated set of stellar models. We performed an accurate statistical analysis in order to assess whether GGCs show a statistically significant spread in their initial He abundances, and whether there is a correlation with the metallicity. We do not find any significant dependence of the He abundance on the GC metallicity; this provides an important constraint for models of Galaxy formation and evolution. Apart from GGCs with the bluest HB morphology, the observed spread in the individual He abundances is statistically compatible with the individual errors. This means that either there is no intrinsic He spread among the GGCs, or that this is masked by the errors. In the latter case we have estimated a firm 1$\sigma$ upper limit of 0.019 to the possible intrinsic spread. In case of the GGCs with the bluest HB morphology we detect a significant spread towards higher abundances inconsistent with the individual errors. In the hypothesis that the intrinsic dispersion on the individual He abundances is zero, taking into account the errors on the individual R-parameter estimates, as well as the uncertainties on the GGC [M/H] scale and theoretical calibration, we have determined an initial He abundance Y(GGC)=0.250\pm0.006 a value in perfect agreement with current estimates based on CMB radiation analyses and cosmological nucleosynthesis computations.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, in press on Astronomy & Astrophysic

How to detect an anti-spacetime

Is it possible, in principle, to measure the sign of the Lapse? We show that fermion dynamics distinguishes spacetimes having the same metric but different tetrads, for instance a Lapse with opposite sign. This sign might be a physical quantity not captured by the metric. We discuss its possible role in quantum gravity.Comment: Article awarded with an "Honorable Mention" from the 2012 Gravity Foundation Award. 6 pages, 8 (pretty) figure

HST color-magnitude diagrams of 74 galactic globular clusters in the HST F439W and F555W bands

We present the complete photometric database and the color-magnitude diagrams for 74 Galactic globular clusters observed with the HST/WFPC2 camera in the F439W and F555W bands. A detailed discussion of the various reduction steps is also presented, and of the procedures to transform instrumental magnitudes into both the HST F439W and F555W flight system and the standard Johnson B and V systems. We also describe the artificial star experiments which have been performed to derive the star count completeness in all the relevant branches of the color magnitude diagram. The entire photometric database and the completeness function will be made available on the Web immediately after the publication of the present paper.Comment: 21 pages, 77 figures. High resolution version of this paper can be retrived at http://dipastro.pd.astro.it/globular

The Red Giant Branch Bump

We present a comparison between theoretical models and the observed magnitude difference between the horizontal branch and the red giant branch bump for a sample of 53 clusters. We find a general agreement, though some discrepancy is still present at the two extremes of the metallicity range of globular clusters.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure, A.S.P. Conf. Ser., in press in Vol. 296, 200

Explosion of a massive, He-rich star at z=0.16

We present spectroscopic and photometric data of the peculiar SN 2001gh, discovered by the 'Southern inTermediate Redshift ESO Supernova Search' (STRESS) at a redshift z=0.16. SN 2001gh has relatively high luminosity at maximum (M_B = -18.55 mag), while the light curve shows a broad peak. An early-time spectrum shows an almost featureless, blue continuum with a few weak and shallow P-Cygni lines that we attribute to HeI. HeI lines remain the only spectral features visible in a subsequent spectrum, obtained one month later. A remarkable property of SN 2001gh is the lack of significant spectral evolution over the temporal window of nearly one month separating the two spectra. In order to explain the properties of SN 2001gh, three powering mechanism are explored, including radioactive decays of a moderately large amount of 56Ni, magnetar spin-down, and interaction of SN ejecta with circumstellar medium. We favour the latter scenario, with a SN Ib wrapped in a dense, circumstellar shell. The fact that no models provide an excellent fit with observations, confirms the troublesome interpretation of the nature of SN 2001gh. A rate estimate for SN 2001gh-like event is also provided, confirming the intrinsic rarity of these objects.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Accepted by MNRA

Museums and the making of textile histories: Past, present, and future

Many different types of museums collect, document, and preserve textiles, interpreting them through temporary and semi-permanent exhibitions, publications, and web- site interventions – sometimes independently, sometimes as part of a broader histo- ry of art and design, science and technology, social history and anthropology, local history or world cultures (for example, see the range and approaches in major fash- ion capitals such as London, Paris, Milan, New York with a long tradition of textile production as well as consumption, and in manufacturing cities such as Krefeld, Lyon, Manchester). Nonetheless, textile-focused events seldom receive great public attention or crit- ical acclaim, with the possible exceptions of innovative temporary exhibitions such as Jean-Paul Leclercq, “Jouer la Lumière” (Paris, Les Arts Décoratifs, 2001); Thomas P. Campbell, “Tapestry in the Renaissance: Art and Magnificence” (New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002); Amelia Peck et al., “Interwoven Globe. The Worldwide Textile Trade, 1500-1800” (New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013-2014); John Styles, “Threads of Feeling” (London, The Foundling Hospital, 2010-2011; Colonial Williamsburg, 2014).1 The aims of this debate are to draw on the different cultural experiences and disciplinary backgrounds of participants: – To generate discussion over the role of museums in making and representing tex- tile histories. Museums are not only depositories of textile objects, but also write or make both public and academic history through displays and publications. But how does their work relate to university research and dissemination, feed such research, or react to it? How might interactions between museums and universities in different regions and cultures be developed in the future? – To consider where innovative museum work is being undertaken (locally, region- ally, nationally, internationally), wherein lies its innovation, and how it might suggest directions for the future (in collecting, interpretation, etc.). By interpreta- tion, I mean any analogue or digital explanation that contextualizes the objects on display. – To suggest that the most dynamic study of objects from 1500 to the present is no longer limited to art historians – indeed, that the focus in art history on textiles that belong within a well-established tradition of connoisseurship (in which tap- estries and high-end commissions for wall-hangings dominate) is being challenged by the adoption of a more inclusive approach among historians, design historians, and historians of material culture. [Lesley Miller] EAN: 978-2-917902-31-

Enhanced Antibacterial Activity of Vancomycin Loaded on Functionalized Polyketones

Today, polymeric drug delivery systems (DDS) appear as an interesting solution against bacterial resistance, having great advantages such as low toxicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. In this work, two polyketones (PK) have been post-functionalized with sodium taurinate (PKT) or potassium sulfanilate (PKSK) and employed as carriers for Vancomycin against bacterial infections. Modified PKs were easily prepared by the Paal-Knorr reaction and loaded with Vancomycin at a variable pH. All polymers were characterized by FT-IR, DSC, TGA, SEM, and elemental analysis. Antimicrobial activity was tested against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and correlated to the different pHs used for its loading (between 2.3 and 8.8). In particular, the minimum inhibitory concentrations achieved with PKT and PKSK loaded with Vancomycin were similar, at 0.23 mu g/mL and 0.24 mu g/mL, respectively, i.e., six times lower than that with Vancomycin alone. The use of post-functionalized aliphatic polyketones has thus been demonstrated to be a promising way to obtain very efficient polymeric DDS

Effect of the crystal structure on the optical properties and Ag sensitization of Tb3+/Yb3+ ions in silica-zirconia glasses and glass-ceramics

The role of the material structure in the energy transfer between Ag and Tb3+/Yb3+ ions is studied in silica-soda-zirconia sol-gel glasses and glass-ceramics. The preparation of Tb3+ and Yb3+ doped silica-soda-zirconia layers was carried out by sol-gel and dip-coating, followed by thermal annealing. The precipitation of zirconia nanocrystals was obtained by controlling the annealing temperature: from a full amorphous glass at 700 °C into a glass-ceramic at 1000 °C. A different crystalline structure of zirconia nanocrystals, tetragonal or cubic, was controlled by the rare-earth doping and investigated in relation to the Tb3+/Yb3+ optical properties. Moreover, Ag codoping was introduced by ion-exchange, obtaining a significant photoluminescence enhancement, both in the intensity and in the broadness of the excitation band, covering the whole UV region and part of the violet-blue region. Ag-sensitized Tb3+/Yb3+ doped silica-soda-zirconia glass-ceramics were attested to be potential candidates for energy-related applications, such as spectral conversion layers for solar cells, lasers and light-emitting devices (LEDs) in the visible and NIR spectral regions

An Intermediate Redshift Supernova Search at ESO: Reduction Tools and Efficiency Tests

We present the reduction and archiving tools developed for our search for supernovae at intermediate redshifts at ESO as well as the efficiency tests performed. The data reduction recipes developed for the SN candidates selection are described. All the variable sources detected are stored using a MySQL database which enables the identification of previously detected variable sources during past observational runs. Finally, experiments performed with artificial stars have shown that seeing plays a crucial role for the limiting magnitude of detection. Crucial is also the detection threshold used by Sextractor.Comment: Poster presented at the ESO/MPA/MPE Workshop "From Twilight to Highlight, The Physics of Supernovae", Garching, Jul 29-31, 2002, to be published in the Conference Proceeding