The extended ROSAT-ESO Flux Limited X-ray Galaxy Cluster Survey (REFLEX II) IV. X-ray Luminosity Function and First Constraints on Cosmological Parameters

The X-ray luminosity function is an important statistic of the census of galaxy clusters and an important means to probe the cosmological model of our Universe. Based on our recently completed REFLEX II cluster sample we construct the X-ray luminosity function of galaxy clusters for several redshift slices from $z = 0$ to $z = 0.4$ and discuss its implications. We find no significant signature of redshift evolution of the luminosity function in the redshift interval. We provide the results of fits of a parameterized Schechter function and extensions of it which provide a reasonable characterization of the data. Using a model for structure formation and galaxy cluster evolution we compare the observed X-ray luminosity function with predictions for different cosmological models. For the most interesting constraints for the cosmological parameters $\Omega_m$ and $\sigma_8$ we obatain $\Omega_m \sim 0.27 \pm 0.03$ and $\sigma_8 \sim 0.80 \pm 0.03$ based on the statistical uncertainty alone. Marginalizing over the most important uncertainties, the normalisation and slope of the $L_X - M$ scaling relation, we find $\Omega_m \sim 0.29 \pm 0.04$ and $\sigma_8 \sim 0.77 \pm 0.07$ ($1\sigma$ confidence limits). We compare our results with those of the SZ-cluster survey provided by the PLANCK mission and we find very good agreement with the results using PLANCK clusters as cosmological probes, but we have some tension with PLANCK cosmological results from the microwave background anisotropies. We also make a comparison with other cluster surveys. We find good agreement with these previous results and show that the REFLEX II survey provides a significant reduction in the uncertainties compared to earlier measurements.Comment: Submitted for publication to Astronomy and Astrophysics, 15 pages, 17 figure

Renormalization-group anatomy of transverse-momentum dependent parton distribution functions in QCD

The ultraviolet and rapidity divergences of transverse-momentum dependent parton distribution functions with lightlike and transverse gauge links is studied, also incorporating a soft eikonal factor. We find that in the light-cone gauge with $q^-$-independent pole prescriptions extra divergences appear which amount, at one-loop, to a cusp-like anomalous dimension. We show that such contributions are absent when the Mandelstam-Leibbrandt prescription is used. In the first case, the soft factor cancels the anomalous-dimension defect, while in the second case its ultraviolet-divergent part reduces to unity.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures; needs ws-mpla-hep.cls (supplied). Talk presented by the first author at Workshop on "Recent Advances in Perturbative QCD and Hadronic Physics", 20--25 July 2009, ECT*, Trento, Italy, in Honor of Prof. Anatoly Efremov's 75th birthda

QCD Factorization for Semi-Inclusive Deep-Inelastic Scattering at Low Transverse Momentum

We demonstrate a factorization formula for semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering with hadrons in the current fragmentation region detected at low transverse momentum. To facilitate the factorization, we introduce the transverse-momentum dependent parton distributions and fragmentation functions with gauge links slightly off the light-cone, and with soft-gluon radiations subtracted. We verify the factorization to one-loop order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics and argue that it is valid to all orders in perturbation theory.Comment: 28 pages, figures include

Real-time extraction of growth rates from rotating substrates during molecular-beam epitaxy

We present a method for measuring molecular‐beam epitaxy growth rates in near real‐time on rotating substrates. This is done by digitizing a video image of the reflection high‐energy electron diffraction screen, automatically tracking and measuring the specular spot width, and using numerical techniques to filter the resulting signal. The digitization and image and signal processing take approximately 0.4 s to accomplish, so this technique offers the molecular‐beam epitaxy grower the ability to actively adjust growth times in order to deposit a desired layer thickness. The measurement has a demonstrated precision of approximately 2%, which is sufficient to allow active control of epilayer thickness by counting monolayers as they are deposited. When postgrowth techniques, such as frequency domain analysis, are also used, the reflection high‐energy electron diffraction measurement of layer thickness on rotating substrates improves to a precision of better than 1%. Since all of the components in the system described are commercially available, duplication is straightforward

Effects of ionizing radiation on CCD's

The effects of 1.2 MeV gamma radiation and 20 MeV electrons on the operational characteristics of CCDs are studied. The effects of ionizing radiation on the charge transfer efficiency, dark current, and input/output circuitry are described. The improved radiation hardness of buried channel CCDs is compared to surface channel results. Both ion implanted and epitaxial layer buried channel device results are included. The advantages of using a single thickness SiO2 gate dielectric are described. The threshold voltage shifts and surface state density changes of dry, steam, and HCl doped oxides are discussed. Recent results on the recovery times and total dose effects of high dose rate pulses of 20 MeV electrons are reported

Assessing consistency of fish survey data : uncertainties in the estimation of mackerel icefish (Champsocephalus gunnari) abundance at South Georgia

Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank the crews, fishermen and scientists who conducted the various surveys from which data were obtained, and Mark Belchier and Simeon Hill for their contributions. This work was supported by the Government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands. Additional logistical support provided by The South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute with thanks to Paul Brickle. Thanks to Stephen Smith of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) for help in constructing bootstrap confidence limits. Paul Fernandes receives funding from the MASTS pooling initiative (The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland), and their support is gratefully acknowledged. MASTS is funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011) and contributing institutions. We also wish to thank two anonymous referees for their helpful suggestions on earlier versions of this manuscript.Peer reviewedPostprin