3,488 research outputs found
Resolving 3D Disk Orientation using High-Resolution Images: New Constraints on Circumgalactic Gas Inflows
We constrain gas inflow speeds in star-forming galaxies with color gradients
consistent with inside-out disk growth. Our method combines new measurements of
disk orientation with previously described circumgalactic absorption in
background quasar spectra. Two quantities, a position angle and an axis ratio,
describe the projected shape of each galactic disk on the sky, leaving an
ambiguity about which side of the minor axis is tipped toward the observer.
This degeneracy regarding the 3D orientation of disks has compromised previous
efforts to measure gas inflow speeds. We present HST and Keck/LGSAO imaging
that resolves the spiral structure in five galaxies at redshift .
We determine the sign of the disk inclination for four galaxies, under the
assumption that spiral arms trail the rotation. We project models for both
radial infall in the disk plane and circular orbits onto each quasar sightline.
We compare the resulting line-of-sight velocities to the observed velocity
range of Mg II absorption in spectra of background quasars, which intersect the
disk plane at radii between 69 and 115 kpc. For two sightlines, we constrain
the maximum radial inflow speeds as 30-40 km s. We also rule out a
velocity component from radial inflow in one sightline, suggesting that the
structures feeding gas to these growing disks do not have unity covering
factor. We recommend appropriate selection criteria for building larger samples
of galaxy--quasar pairs that produce orientations sensitive to constraining
inflow properties.Comment: 15 pages with 8 figures and 2 tables; accepted for publication in Ap
Geospatial modeling approach to monument construction using Michigan from A.D. 1000–1600 as a case study
Building monuments was one way that past societies reconfigured their landscapes in response to shifting social and ecological factors. Understanding the connections between those factors and monument construction is critical, especially when multiple types of monuments were constructed across the same landscape. Geospatial technologies enable past cultural activities and environmental variables to be examined together at large scales. Many geospatial modeling approaches, however, are not designed for presence-only (occurrence) data, which can be limiting given that many archaeological site records are presence only. We use maximum entropy modeling (MaxEnt), which works with presence-only data, to predict the distribution of monuments across large landscapes, and we analyze MaxEnt output to quantify the contributions of spatioenvironmental variables to predicted distributions. We apply our approach to co-occurring Late Precontact (ca. A.D. 1000–1600) monuments in Michigan: (i) mounds and (ii) earthwork enclosures. Many of these features have been destroyed by modern development, and therefore, we conducted archival research to develop our monument occurrence database. We modeled each monument type separately using the same input variables. Analyzing variable contribution to MaxEnt output, we show that mound and enclosure landscape suitability was driven by contrasting variables. Proximity to inland lakes was key to mound placement, and proximity to rivers was key to sacred enclosures. This juxtaposition suggests that mounds met local needs for resource procurement success, whereas enclosures filled broader regional needs for intergroup exchange and shared ritual. Our study shows how MaxEnt can be used to develop sophisticated models of past cultural processes, including monument building, with imperfect, limited, presence-only data
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Palm phytoliths of mid-elevation Andean forests
Palms are one of the most common tropical plant groups. They are widespread across lowland tropical forests, but many are found in higher altitudes have more constrained environmental ranges. The limited range of these species makes them particularly useful in paleoecological and paleoclimate reconstructions. Palms produce phytoliths, or silica structures, which are found in their vegetative parts (e.g., wood, leaves, etc.). Recent research has shown that several palms in the lowland tropical forests produce phytoliths that are diagnostic to the sub-family or genus-level. Here we characterize Andean palm phytoliths, and determine whether many of these species can also be identified by their silica structures. All of our sampled Andean palm species produced phytoliths, and we were able to characterize several previously unclassified morphotypes. Some species contained unique phytoliths that did not occur in other species, particularly Ceroxylon alpinium, which is indicative of specific climatic conditions. The differences in the morphologies of the Andean species indicate that palm phytolith analysis is particularly useful in paleoecological reconstructions. Future phytolith analyses will allow researchers to track how these palm species with limited environmental ranges have migrated up and down the Andean slopes as a result of past climatic change. The phytolith analyses can track local-scale vegetation dynamics, whereas pollen, which is commonly used in paleoecological reconstructions, reflects regional-scale vegetation change
Speech Communication
Contains reports on one research project.Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, Office of Aerospace Research, U. S. Air Force, under Contract AF19(628)-3325National Science Foundation (Grant GP-2495)National Institutes of Health (Grant NB-04332-02)National Institutes of Health (Grant MH-04737-05)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NsG-496
Nebraska Serious and Violent Offender Re-entry Program: An Evaluation of Participants\u27 Perception of Program Effectiveness
In response to the three-fold increase in the number of returning inmates to America\u27s communities over the last three decades, the Department of Justice\u27s Serious and Violent Offender Re-entry Initiative provides funding for development of programming to reduce recidivism rates and improve community safety. However, evaluations of these re-entry programs have not addressed the attitudes and opinions of the program participants themselves. This study examined the perceptions of the re-entry participants to help assess the effectiveness of the programming they are receiving from the Nebraska Serious and Violent Offender Re-entry Pilot Program. Data was gathered from personalized re-entry plans for offenders and through qualitative interviews of the program transition managers and program participants. The results of this research addressed the effectiveness and possible improvements of the Nebraska re-entry program, which will ultimately affect the inmates\u27 likelihood of living crime-free upon their return to the community and hence increase public safety
Kinematics of Circumgalactic Gas: Feeding Galaxies and Feedback
We present observations of 50 pairs of redshift z ~ 0.2 star-forming galaxies
and background quasars. These sightlines probe the circumgalactic medium (CGM)
out to half the virial radius, and we describe the circumgalactic gas
kinematics relative to the reference frame defined by the galactic disks. We
detect halo gas in MgII absorption, measure the equivalent-width-weighted
Doppler shifts relative to each galaxy, and find that the CGM has a component
of angular momentum that is aligned with the galactic disk. No net
counter-rotation of the CGM is detected within 45 degrees of the major axis at
any impact parameter. The velocity offset of the circumgalactic gas correlates
with the projected rotation speed in the disk plane out to disk radii of
roughly 70 kpc. We confirm previous claims that the MgII absorption becomes
stronger near the galactic minor axis and show that the equivalent width
correlates with the velocity range of the absorption. We cannot directly
measure the location of any absorber along the sightline, but we explore the
hypothesis that individual velocity components can be associated with gas
orbiting in the disk plane or flowing radially outward in a conical outflow. We
conclude that centrifugal forces partially support the low-ionization gas and
galactic outflows kinematically disturb the CGM producing excess absorption.
Our results firmly rule out schema for the inner CGM that lack rotation and
suggest that angular momentum as well as galactic winds should be included in
any viable model for the low-redshift CGM.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
Speech Communication
Contains reports on two research projects.Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, Office of Aerospace Research, U. S. Air Force, under Contract AF19(628)-3325National Science Foundation (Grant GP-2495)National Institutes of Health (Grant NB-04332-02)National Institutes of Health (Grant MH-04737-04)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NsG-496
Onciderini Thomson, 1860 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) types of the Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), with a brief history of the Coleoptera collection
The primary types of Onciderini Thomson, 1860 of the Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH) are
catalogued and illustrated. Data on the original combination, current name, gender, and type locality are verifi ed
and presented. There are 14 primary types of Onciderini including fi ve in Oncideres Lacordaire, 1830; three in
Charoides Dillon and Dillon, 1945; and two in Jamesia Jekel, 1861. Of the 14 primary types, 13 were described by
L.S. Dillon and E.S. Dillon. One lectotype is designated. A brief history of the Coleoptera collection at the FMNH
is also presented
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