Data Analysis of the Cosmic Microwave Background

The early universe consisted of a dense, hot and ionised gas of electrons, protons, neutrons, some light atomic nuclei and photons. The universe at that time was optically thick as the photons could not travel very far before being scattered on electrons in the dense gas. The temperature was too hot for the electrons to combine with the nuclei and form atoms. But as the universe expanded it cooled. About 300 000 years after the Big Bang, the temperature of the dense gas filling the universe was about 3000 degree Kelvin. This temperature allowed the formation of the first atoms in the universe. The electrons combined with the protons to form atoms. The probability for a photon to scatter on a neutral atom is much less than the probability to scatter on free electrons and protons. For this reason it is said that the universe got transparent when the electrons were bound to the protons. The photons continued travelling in a straight line without being scattered. About 12 billion years later some of these photons hit a detector on the planet called 'the earth'. And it provided scientists with valuable information about the origin of the universe. This radiation which has travelled more or less unchanged from the earliest times until today is called the cosmic microwave background radiation, and is the topic of this Ph.D. thesis

Planck intermediate results: XVI. Profile likelihoods for cosmological parameters

We explore the 2013 Planck likelihood function with a high-precision multi-dimensional minimizer (Minuit). This allows a refinement of the ΛCDM best-fit solution with respect to previously-released results, and the construction of frequentist confidence intervals using profile likelihoods. The agreement with the cosmological results from the Bayesian framework is excellent, demonstrating the robustness of the Planck results to the statistical methodology. We investigate the inclusion of neutrino masses, where more significant differences may appear due to the non-Gaussian nature of the posterior mass distribution. By applying the Feldman-Cousins prescription, we again obtain results very similar to those of the Bayesian methodology. However, the profile-likelihood analysis of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) combination (Planck+WP+highL) reveals a minimum well within the unphysical negative-mass region. We show that inclusion of the Planck CMB-lensing information regularizes this issue, and provide a robust frequentist upper limit ∑ mν ≤ 0.26 eV (95% confidence) from the CMB+lensing+BAO data combination. Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics, © ESO 201

Planck intermediate results. XIX. An overview of the polarized thermal emission from Galactic dust

This paper presents an overview of the polarized sky as seen by Planck HFI at 353 GHz, which is the most sensitive Planck channel for dust polarization. We construct and analyse maps of dust polarization fraction and polarization angle at 1° resolution, taking into account noise bias and possible systematic effects. The sensitivity of the Planck HFI polarization measurements allows for the first time a mapping of Galactic dust polarized emission on large scales, including low column density regions. We find that the maximum observed dust polarization fraction is high (pmax = 19.8%), in particular in some regions of moderate hydrogen column density (NH < 2 × 1021 cm-2). The polarization fraction displays a large scatter at NH below a few 1021 cm-2. There is a general decrease in the dust polarization fraction with increasing column density above NH ≃ 1 × 1021 cm-2 and in particular a sharp drop above NH ≃ 1.5 × 1022 cm-2. We characterize the spatial structure of the polarization angle using the angle dispersion function. We find that the polarization angle is ordered over extended areas of several square degrees, separated by filamentary structures of high angle dispersion function. These appear as interfaces where the sky projection of the magnetic field changes abruptly without variations in the column density. The polarization fraction is found to be anti-correlated with the dispersion of polarization angles. These results suggest that, at the resolution of 1°, depolarization is due mainly to fluctuations in the magnetic field orientation along the line of sight, rather than to the loss of grain alignment in shielded regions. We also compare the polarization of thermal dust emission with that of synchrotron measured with Planck, low-frequency radio data, and Faraday rotation measurements toward extragalactic sources. These components bear resemblance along the Galactic plane and in some regions such as the Fan and North Polar Spur regions. The poor match observed in other regions shows, however, that dust, cosmic-ray electrons, and thermal electrons generally sample different parts of the line of sight. Reproduced with permission, © ESO, 201

Planck intermediate results. XV. A study of anomalous microwave emission in Galactic clouds

Anomalous microwave emission (AME) is believed to be due to electric dipole radiation from small spinning dust grains. The aim of this paper is a statistical study of the basic properties of AME regions and the environment in which they emit. We used WMAP and Planck maps, combined with ancillary radio and IR data, to construct a sample of 98 candidate AME sources, assembling SEDs for each source using aperture photometry on 1°-smoothed maps from 0.408 GHz up to 3000 GHz. Each spectrum is fitted with a simple model of free-free, synchrotron (where necessary), cosmic microwave background (CMB), thermal dust, and spinning dust components. We find that 42 of the 98 sources have significant (>5σ) excess emission at frequencies between 20 and 60 GHz. An analysis of the potential contribution of optically thick free-free emission from ultra-compact H ii regions, using IR colour criteria, reduces the significant AME sample to 27 regions. The spectrum of the AME is consistent with model spectra of spinning dust. Peak frequencies are in the range 20−35 GHz except for the California nebula (NGC 1499), which appears to have a high spinning dust peak frequency of (50 ± 17) GHz. The AME regions tend to be more spatially extended than regions with little or no AME. The AME intensity is strongly correlated with the sub-millimetre/IR flux densities and comparable to previous AME detections in the literature. AME emissivity, defined as the ratio of AME to dust optical depth, varies by an order of magnitude for the AME regions. The AME regions tend to be associated with cooler dust in the range 14−20 K and an average emissivity index, βd, of +1.8, while the non-AME regions are typically warmer, at 20−27 K. In agreement with previous studies, the AME emissivity appears to decrease with increasing column density. This supports the idea of AME originating from small grains that are known to be depleted in dense regions, probably due to coagulation onto larger grains. We also find a correlation between the AME emissivity (and to a lesser degree the spinning dust peak frequency) and the intensity of the interstellar radiation field, G0. Modelling of this trend suggests that both radiative and collisional excitation are important for the spinning dust emission. The most significant AME regions tend to have relatively less ionized gas (free-free emission), although this could be a selection effect. The infrared excess, a measure of the heating of dust associated with H ii regions, is typically >4 for AME sources, indicating that the dust is not primarily heated by hot OB stars. The AME regions are associated with known dark nebulae and have higher 12 μm/25 μm ratios. The emerging picture is that the bulk of the AME is coming from the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and small dust grains from the colder neutral interstellar medium phase. Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics, © ESO 201

Diagnóstico de alergia a baratas no ambiente clínico: estudo comparativo entre o teste cutâneo e IgE específica Use of the skin prick test and specific immunoglobulin E for the diagnosis of cockroach allergy

OBJETIVOS: Comparar a prevalência da sensibilização a baratas (Blattella germanica e Periplaneta americana) em crianças com e sem asma, verificando a concordância entre testes cutâneos e IgE específica bem como determinar a relação entre a sensibilização a baratas e níveis séricos de IgE total. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um estudo caso-controle, envolvendo 76 crianças asmáticas e 42 não asmáticas, entre 6 e 14 anos de idade, em Recife, Brasil. Todas as crianças submeteram-se ao teste cutâneo e dosagem sérica de IgE específica para B. germanica e P. americana e determinação sérica da IgE total. RESULTADOS: As crianças asmáticas apresentaram maior positividade aos testes cutâneos para B. germanica (27,6 versus 4,8%) e P. americana (27,6 versus 2,4%) que aquelas do grupo controle. A concordância entre o teste cutâneo e a IgE específica foi razoável para B. germanica (Kappa = 0,25) e fraca para P. americana (Kappa = 0,17). A média geométrica da IgE total foi 591,70 kU/L entre pacientes asmáticos e 345,85 kU/L entre os controles, não havendo diferença estatisticamente significante. Em pacientes com testes positivos para baratas, a média geométrica da IgE total foi significativamente maior em comparação aos pacientes cujos exames foram negativos. CONCLUSÃO: A sensibilização a baratas foi associada à asma. O teste cutâneo pode refletir mais apropriadamente uma sensibilização a baratas clinicamente relevante que a IgE específica.<br>OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of allergy to cockroaches (Blattella germanica and Periplaneta americana) in asthmatic and non-asthmatic children and to determine the degree of agreement between the skin prick test and serum specific IgE levels, as well as to establish the relationship between cockroach allergy and total IgE levels. METHODS: A case-control study involving 76 asthmatic and 42 non-asthmatic children aged between 6 and 14 years was conducted in Recife, Brazil. All individuals were submitted to the skin prick test and to the measurement of specific IgE for B. germanica and P. americana, as well as to the determination of total IgE concentration. RESULTS: Asthmatic children showed a higher frequency of positive skin reactions to B. germanica (27.6 vs. 4.8%) and P. americana (27.6 vs. 2.4%) than non-asthmatic ones. The agreement between the skin prick test and the specific IgE results was reasonable for B. germanica (kappa = 0.25 ) and weak for P. americana (kappa = 0.17). Those patients who tested positive for cockroaches had a significantly higher geometric mean for total IgE than those who tested negative. The agreement between specific IgE and the skin prick test increased as total IgE levels rose, although some skin tests were negative even when total IgE levels were as high as 5000 kU/l. All determinations of cockroach-specific IgE were positive for total IgE levels greater than 2500 kU/l, even among asymptomatic patients. CONCLUSION: Allergic sensitivity to cockroaches was a predictive factor for asthma severity. The skin prick test is more appropriate for the detection of clinically relevant sensitivity to cockroaches than specific IgE determination

Testing for foreground residuals in the Planck foreground cleaned maps: A new method for designing confidence masks

We test for foreground residuals in the foreground-cleaned Planck cosmic microwave background (CMB) maps outside and inside the U73 mask commonly used for cosmological analysis. The aim of this paper is to introduce a new method of validating masks by looking at the differences in cleaned maps obtained by different component-separation methods. By analyzing the power spectrum, as well as the mean, rms, and skewness of needlet coefficients on separate equatorial bands running from the poles to the equator outside and inside the U73 mask, we first confirm that the pixels already masked by U73 are highly contaminated and cannot be used for cosmological analysis. We further find that the U73 mask needs extension in order to reduce large-scale foreground residuals to a level of less than 20% of the standard deviation of CMB fluctuations within the bands closest to the galactic equator. We also find 276 point-like residuals in the cleaned foreground maps that are currently not masked by the U73 mask. About 80 of these are identified as sz clusters that have not been properly subtracted by the component separation methods, and the rest are strongly correlated with the Planck dust map, indicating point-like dust residuals. Our final publicly available extended mask leaves 65.9% of the sky for cosmological analysis. This extended mask may be important for analyses on local sky patches; for the full sky power spectrum, we have shown that the unmasked residuals have very little impact. Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics, © ES

POWER ASYMMETRY IN WMAP AND PLANCK TEMPERATURE SKY MAPS AS MEASURED BY A LOCAL VARIANCE ESTIMATOR

We revisit the question of hemispherical power asymmetry in the WMAP and Planck temperature sky maps by measuring the local variance over the sky and on disks of various sizes. For the 2013 Planck sky map we find that none of the 1000 available isotropic Planck "Full Focal Plane" simulations have a larger variance asymmetry than that estimated from the data, suggesting the presence of an anisotropic signature formally significant at least at the 3.3σ level. For the WMAP 9 year data we find that 5 out of 1000 simulations have a larger asymmetry. The preferred direction for the asymmetry from the Planck data is (l, b) = (212°, –13°), in good agreement with previous reports of the same hemispherical power asymmetry. © American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved

Alien plants, animals, fungi and algae in Norway: an inventory of neobiota

We present the results of an inventory and status assessment of alien species in Norway. The inventory covered all known multicellular neobiota, 2496 in total, 1039 of which were classified as naturalised. The latter constitute c. 3% of all species known to be stably reproducing in Norway. These figures are higher than expected from Norway’s latitude, which may be due a combination of climatic and historical factors, as well as sampling effort. Most of the naturalised neobiota were plants (71%),followed by animals (21%) and fungi (8%). The main habitat types colonised were open lowlands (79%), urban environments (52%) and woodlands (42%). The main areas of origin were Europe (67%), North America (15%) and Asia (13%). For most taxa, the rate of novel introductions seems to have been increasing during recent decades. Within Norway, the number of alien species recorded per county was negatively correlated with latitude and positively correlated with human population density. In the high-Arctic territories under Norwegian sovereignty, i.e. Svalbard and Jan Mayen, 104 alien species were recorded, of which 5 were naturalised

A családi szerepek és a szocializáció változásának bemutatása

Célom a dolgozattal és a kutatással, hogy rávilágítsak településünk gyermekinek szocializációjának buktatóihoz vezető problémákra, utat találjak az esetleges megoldáshoz, a problémák kiküszöböléséhez, és ezzel tudatosabban tudjak részt vállalni a problémás gyermekek szocializálásában, közösségformálásában. Munkám során abból indultam ki, hogy az ember szükségszerűen kapcsolatba kerül a közösségi életformával, mindenekelőtt családja van és óvodai, majd iskolai keretek között tanul. Dolgozatomban azt elemeztem, hogy milyen formában lehet létjogosultsága a közösségeknek a szocializáció során, hogyan valósul meg a közösségi nevelés a családban és az óvodai csoportban. A téma feldolgozása során kutattam, megfigyeltem, milyen a szülők nevelési attitűdje, hogyan viszonyulnak a szocializációhoz (óvodai szokásrendszerhez). Milyen a gyermekek viszonya egymáshoz (más-más családi háttérből érkező gyermekek szocializációja). Milyen módon befolyásolja a média hatása a szocializációt.BSc/BAÓvodapedagógu