1,015 research outputs found
Dynamics Inside the Radio and X-ray Cluster Cavities of Cygnus A and Similar FRII Sources
We describe approximate axisymmetric computations of the dynamical evolution
of material inside radio lobes and X-ray cluster gas cavities in Fanaroff-Riley
II sources such as Cygnus A. All energy is delivered by a jet to the
lobe/cavity via a moving hotspot where jet energy dissipates in a reverse
shock. Our calculations describe the evolution of hot plasma, cosmic rays (CRs)
and toroidal magnetic fields flowing from the hotspot into the cavity. Many
observed features are explained. Gas, CRs and field flow back along the cavity
surface in a "boundary backflow" consistent with detailed FRII observations.
Computed ages of backflowing CRs are consistent with observed radio-synchrotron
age variations only if shear instabilities in the boundary backflow are damped
and we assume this is done with viscosity of unknown origin. Magnetic fields
estimated from synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) X-radiation observed near the
hotspot evolve into radio lobe fields. Computed profiles of radio synchrotron
lobe emission perpendicular to the jet are dramatically limb-brightened in
excellent agreement with FRII observations although computed lobe fields exceed
those observed. Strong winds flowing from hotspots naturally create kpc-sized
spatial offsets between hotspot inverse Compton (IC-CMB) X-ray emission and
radio synchrotron emission that peaks 1-2 kpc ahead where the field increases
due to wind compression. In our computed version of Cygnus A, nonthermal X-ray
emission increases from the hotspot (some IC-CMB, mostly SSC) toward the offset
radio synchrotron peak (mostly SSC). A faint thermal jet along the symmetry
axis may be responsible for redirecting the Cygnus A non-thermal jet.Comment: 24 pages, 10 figures, accepted by Ap
The intracluster magnetic field power spectrum in A2199
We investigate the magnetic field power spectrum in the cool core galaxy
cluster A2199 by analyzing the polarized emission of the central radio source
3C338. The polarized radiation from the radio emitting plasma is modified by
the Faraday rotation as it passes through the magneto-ionic intracluster
medium. We use Very Large Array observations between 1665 and 8415 MHz to
produce detailed Faraday rotation measure and fractional polarization images of
the radio galaxy. We simulate Gaussian random three-dimensional magnetic field
models with different power-law power spectra and we assume that the field
strength decreases radially with the thermal gas density as n_e^{\eta}. By
comparing the synthetic and the observed images with a Bayesian approach, we
constrain the strength and structure of the magnetic field associated with the
intracluster medium. We find that the Faraday rotation toward 3C338 in A2199 is
consistent with a magnetic field power law power spectrum characterized by an
index n=(2.8 \pm 1.3) between a maximum and a minimum scale of fluctuation of
\Lambda_{max}=(35 \pm 28) kpc and \Lambda_{min}=(0.7 \pm 0.1) kpc,
respectively. By including in the modeling X-ray cavities coincident with the
radio galaxy lobes, we find a magnetic field strength of =(11.7 \pm 9.0)
\mu G at the cluster center. Further out, the field decreases with the radius
following the gas density to the power of \eta=(0.9 \pm 0.5).Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures, A&A accepte
Trauma in pregnancy at a major trauma centre in South Africa
Background. Trauma in pregnancy poses a unique challenge to clinicians. Literature on this topic is limited in South Africa (SA).Objectives. To review our institution’s experience with the management of trauma in pregnancy in a developing-world setting.Methods. This study was based at Grey’s Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, SA. All pregnant patients who were admitted to our institution following trauma between December 2012 and December 2018 were identified from the Hybrid Electronic Medical Registry (HEMR).Results. During the 6-year study period, 2 990 female patients were admitted by the Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service (PMTS), of whom 89 were pregnant. The mean age of these patients was 25.64 (range 17 - 43) years. The mechanism of injury was road traffic crash (RTC) in 39, stab wounds (SW) in 19, assault other than SW or gunshot wounds (GSW) in 19, GSW in 8, snake bite in 5, impalement in 1, dog bite in 1, hanging in 1, sexual assault in 1 and a single case of a patient being hit by a falling object. A subset of patients sustained >1 mechanism of injury. Thirty patients were managed operatively. The mean time of gestation was 19.16 (5 - 36) weeks. Three patients died, and there were 16 fetal deaths (including 3 lost after the mother’s death). Forty-five fetuses were recorded as surviving at discharge, while 25 fetal outcomes were not specifically recorded. There were 2 threatened miscarriages and/or patients with vaginal bleeding, 1 positive pregnancy test with no recorded outcome and no premature births as a result of trauma.Conclusions. Trauma in pregnancy is relatively uncommon and mostly due to a RTC or deliberately inflicted trauma. Fetal outcome is largely dependent on the severity of the maternal injury, with injuries requiring laparotomy leading to a high fetal mortality rate
Radiogalaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: spectral index-environment correlations
We analyze optical and radio properties of radiogalaxies detected in the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The sample of radio sources are selected from
the catalogue of Kimball & Ivezi\'c (2008) with flux densities at 325, 1400 and
4850 MHz, using WENSS, NVSS and GB6 radio surveys and from flux measurements at
74 MHz taken from VLA Low-frequency Sky Survey \citep{cohen}. We study
radiogalaxy spectral properties using radio colour-colour diagrams and find
that our sample follows a single power law from 74 to 4850 MHz. The spectral
index vs. spectroscopic redshift relation () is not significant for
our sample of radio sources. We analyze a subsample of radio sources associated
with clusters of galaxies identified from the maxBCG catalogue and find that
about 40% of radio sources with ultra steep spectra (USS, , where
) are associated with galaxy clusters or groups of
galaxies. We construct a Hubble diagram of USS radio sources in the optical
band up to .8 and compare our results with those for normal galaxies
selected from different optical surveys and find that USS radio sources are
around as luminous as the central galaxies in the maxBCG cluster sample and
typically more than 4 magnitudes brighter than normal galaxies at .3.
We study correlations between spectral index, richness and luminosity of
clusters associated with radio sources. We find that USS at low redshift are
rare, most of them reside in regions of unusually high ambient density, such of
those found in rich cluster of galaxies. Our results also suggest that clusters
of galaxies associated with steeper than the average spectra have higher
richness counts and are populated by luminous galaxies in comparison with those
environments associated to radio sources with flatter than the average spectra.
A plausible explanation for our results is that radio emission is more pressure
confined in higher gas density environments such as those found in rich
clusters of galaxies and as a consequence radio lobes in rich galaxy clusters
will expand adiabatically and lose energy via synchrotron and inverse Compton
losses, resulting in a steeper radio spectra.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figures; accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Society Main Journal
The wide-field infrared survey explorer properties of complete samples of radio-loud active galactic nucleus
We present an analysis of four complete samples of radio-loud active galactic nucleus (AGN; 3CRR, 2Jy, 6CE and 7CE) using near- and mid-IR data taken by theWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The combined sample consists of 79 quasars and 273 radio galaxies, and covers a redshift range 0.003<z<3.395. The dichotomy in the mid-IR properties of low- and high-excitation radio galaxies (LERGs and HERGs) is analysed for the first time using large complete samples. Our results demonstrate that a division in the accretion modes of LERGs and HERGs clearly stands out in the mid-IR-radio plane (L22μm = 5 × 1043 erg s-1). This means that WISE data can be effectively used to diagnose accretion modes in radio-loud AGN. The mid-IR properties of all objects were analysed to test the unification between quasars and radio galaxies, consistent with earlier work, and we argue that smooth torus models best reproduce the observation. Quasars are found to have higher mid-IR luminosities than radio galaxies. We also studied all the sources in the near-IR to gain insights into evolution of AGN host galaxies. A relation found between the near-IR luminosity and redshift, well known in the near-IR, is apparent in the two near-IR WISE bands, supporting the idea that radio sources are hosted by massive elliptical galaxies that formed their stars at high redshifts and evolved passively thereafter. Evaluation of the positions of the sample objects in WISE colour-colour diagrams shows that widely used WISE colour cuts are not completely reliable in selecting AGN.Peer reviewe
Residual Cx45 and its relationship to Cx43 in murine ventricular myocardium
Gap junction channels in ventricular myocardium are required for electrical and metabolic coupling between cardiac myocytes and for normal cardiac pump function. Although much is known about expression patterns and remodeling of cardiac connexin (Cx)43, little is known about the less abundant Cx45, which is required for embryonic development and viability, is downregulated in adult hearts, and is pathophysiologically upregulated in human end-stage heart failure. We applied quantitative immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation to native myocardial extracts, immunogold electron microscopy to cardiac tissue and membrane sections, electrophysiological recordings to whole hearts, and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry to Cx45 fusion protein, and developed two new tools, anti-Cx45 antisera and Cre(+);Cx45 floxed mice, to facilitate characterization of Cx45 in adult mammalian hearts. We found that Cx45 represents 0.3% of total Cx protein (predominantly 200 fmol Cx43 protein/µg ventricular protein) and colocalizes with Cx43 in native ventricular gap junctions, particularly in the apex and septum. Cre(+);Cx45 floxed mice express 85% less Cx45, but do not exhibit overt electrophysiologic abnormalities. Although the basal phosphorylation status of native Cx45 remains unknown, CaMKII phosphorylates eight Ser/Thr residues in Cx45 in vitro. Thus, although downregulation of Cx45 does not produce notable deficits in electrical conduction in adult, disease-free hearts, Cx45 is a target of the multifunctional kinase CaMKII, and the phosphorylation status of Cx45 and the role of Cx43/Cx45 heteromeric gap junction channels in both normal and diseased hearts merits further investigation
Clustering of Radio Galaxies and Quasars
We compute the cross-correlation between a sample of 14,000 radio-loud AGN
(RLAGN) with redshifts between 0.4 and 0.8 selected from the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey and a reference sample of 1.2 million luminous red galaxies in the same
redshift range. We quantify how the clustering of radio-loud AGN depends on
host galaxy mass and on radio luminosity. Radio-loud AGN are clustered more
strongly on all scales than control samples of radio-quiet galaxies with the
same stellar masses and redshifts, but the differences are largest on scales
less than 1 Mpc. In addition, the clustering amplitude of the RLAGN varies
significantly with radio luminosity on scales less than 1 Mpc. This proves that
the gaseous environment of a galaxy on the scale of its dark matter halo, plays
a key role in determining not only the probability that a galaxy is radio-loud
AGN, but also the total luminosity of the radio jet. Next, we compare the
clustering of radio galaxies with that of radio-loud quasars in the same
redshift range. Unified models predict that both types of active nuclei should
cluster in the same way. Our data show that most RLAGN are clustered more
strongly than radio-loud QSOs, even when the AGN and QSO samples are matched in
both black hole mass and radio luminosity. Only the most extreme RLAGN and
RLQSOs in our sample, with radio luminosities in excess of 10^26 W/Hz, have
similar clustering properties. The majority of the strongly evolving RLAGN
population at z~0.5 are found in different environments to the quasars, and
hence must be triggered by a different physical mechanism.Comment: 12 pages, 13 Figures, submitted to MNRA
The environments of z~1 Active Galactic Nuclei at 3.6um
We present an analysis of a large sample of AGN environments at z~1 using
stacked Spitzer data at 3.6um. The sample contains type-1 and type-2 AGN in the
form of quasars and radio galaxies, and spans a large range in both optical and
radio luminosity. We find, on average, that 2 to 3 massive galaxies containing
a substantial evolved stellar population lie within a 200-300 kpc radius of the
AGN, constituting a >8-sigma excess relative to the field. Secondly, we find
evidence for the environmental source density to increase with the radio
luminosity of AGN, but not with black-hole mass. This is shown first by
dividing the AGN into their classical AGN types, where we see more significant
over-densities in the fields of the radio-loud AGN. If instead we dispense with
the classical AGN definitions, we find that the source over-density as a
function of radio luminosity for all our AGN exhibits a positive correlation.
One interpretation of this result is that the Mpc-scale environment is in some
way influencing the radio emission that we observe from AGN. This could be
explained by the confinement of radio jets in dense environments leading to
enhanced radio emission or, alternatively, may be linked to more rapid
black-hole spin brought on by galaxy mergers.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, accepted by MNRA
Integrated photonic quantum gates for polarization qubits
Integrated photonic circuits have a strong potential to perform quantum
information processing. Indeed, the ability to manipulate quantum states of
light by integrated devices may open new perspectives both for fundamental
tests of quantum mechanics and for novel technological applications. However,
the technology for handling polarization encoded qubits, the most commonly
adopted approach, is still missing in quantum optical circuits. Here we
demonstrate the first integrated photonic Controlled-NOT (CNOT) gate for
polarization encoded qubits. This result has been enabled by the integration,
based on femtosecond laser waveguide writing, of partially polarizing beam
splitters on a glass chip. We characterize the logical truth table of the
quantum gate demonstrating its high fidelity to the expected one. In addition,
we show the ability of this gate to transform separable states into entangled
ones and vice versa. Finally, the full accessibility of our device is exploited
to carry out a complete characterization of the CNOT gate through a quantum
process tomography.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
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