82 research outputs found
Monte-Carlo neutrino transport in neutron star merger simulations
Gravitational waves and electromagnetic signals from merging neutron star
binaries provide valuable information about the the properties of dense matter,
the formation of heavy elements, and high-energy astrophysics. To fully
leverage observations of these systems, we need numerical simulations that
provide reliable predictions for the properties of the matter unbound in these
mergers. An important limitation of current simulations is the use of
approximate methods for neutrino transport that do not converge to a solution
of the transport equations as numerical resolution increases, and thus have
errors that are impossible to quantify. Here, we report on a first simulation
of a binary neutron star merger that directly solves the transport equations
using Monte-Carlo techniques. We demonstrate that a computationally cheap
Monte-Carlo transport can be implemented without ill effects from sampling
noise. We apply Monte-Carlo transport to an unequal mass neutron star binary
merger up to 5ms past merger, and report on the properties of the matter and
neutrino outflows. Finally, we compare our results to the output of our best
approximate `M1' transport scheme, demonstrating that an M1 scheme that
carefully approximates the neutrino energy spectrum only leads to ~10%
uncertainty in the composition and velocity of the ejecta, and ~20% uncertainty
in the electron (anti)neutrino luminosities and energies. The most significant
disagreement found between M1 and Monte-Carlo results is a factor of ~2
difference in the luminosity of heavy-lepton neutrinos.Comment: 9p, 4 figures, 1 tabl
A comparison of momentum transport models for numerical relativity
The main problems of nonvacuum numerical relativity, compact binary mergers
and stellar collapse, involve hydromagnetic instabilities and turbulent flows,
so that kinetic energy at small scales have mean effects at large scale that
drive the secular evolution. Notable among these effects is momentum transport.
We investigate two models of this transport effect, a relativistic
Navier-Stokes system and a turbulent mean stress model, that are similar to all
of the prescriptions that have been attempted to date for treating subgrid
effects on binary neutron star mergers and their aftermath. Our investigation
involves both stability analysis and numerical experimentation on star and disk
systems. We also begin the investigation of the effects of particle and heat
transport on post-merger simulations. We find that correct handling of
turbulent heating can be important for avoiding unphysical instabilities. Given
such appropriate handling, the evolution of a differentially rotating star and
the accretion rate of a disk are reassuringly insensitive to the choice of
prescription. However, disk outflows can be sensitive to the choice of method,
even for the same effective viscous strength. We also consider the effects of
eddy diffusion in the evolution of an accretion disk and show that it can
interestingly affect the composition of outflows.Comment: 15 pagers, 11 figure
Late-time post-merger modeling of a compact binary: effects of relativity, r-process heating, and treatment of transport effects
Detectable electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational waves from compact
binary mergers can be produced by outflows from the black hole-accretion disk
remnant during the first ten seconds after the merger. Two-dimensional
axisymmetric simulations with effective viscosity remain an efficient and
informative way to model this late-time post-merger evolution. In addition to
the inherent approximations of axisymmetry and modeling turbulent angular
momentum transport by a viscosity, previous simulations often make other
simplifications related to the treatment of the equation of state and turbulent
transport effects.
In this paper, we test the effect of these modeling choices. By evolving with
the same viscosity the exact post-merger initial configuration previously
evolved in Newtonian viscous hydrodynamics, we find that the Newtonian
treatment provides a good estimate of the disk ejecta mass but underestimates
the outflow velocity. We find that the inclusion of heavy nuclei causes a
notable increase in ejecta mass. An approximate inclusion of r-process effects
has a comparatively smaller effect, except for its designed effect on the
composition. Diffusion of composition and entropy, modeling turbulent transport
effects, has the overall effect of reducing ejecta mass and giving it a speed
with lower average and more tightly-peaked distribution. Also, we find
significant acceleration of outflow even at distances beyond 10,000\,km, so
that thermal wind velocities only asymptote beyond this radius and at somewhat
higher values than previously reported.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravit
Comparing Remnant Properties from Horizon Data and Asymptotic Data in Numerical Relativity
We present a new study of remnant black hole properties from 13 binary black
hole systems, numerically evolved using the Spectral Einstein Code. The mass,
spin, and recoil velocity of each remnant were determined quasi-locally from
apparent horizon data and asymptotically from Bondi data computed at future null infinity using SpECTRE's Cauchy
characteristic evolution. We compare these independent measurements of the
remnant properties in the bulk and on the boundary of the spacetime, giving
insight into how well asymptotic data are able to reproduce local properties of
the remnant black hole in numerical relativity. We also discuss the theoretical
framework for connecting horizon quantities to asymptotic quantities and how it
relates to our results. This study recommends a simple improvement to the
recoil velocities reported in the Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes waveform
catalog, provides an improvement to future surrogate remnant models, and offers
new analysis techniques for evaluating the physical accuracy of numerical
simulations.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, 1 table; published Physical Review
The SXS Collaboration catalog of binary black hole simulations
Accurate models of gravitational waves from merging black holes are necessary
for detectors to observe as many events as possible while extracting the
maximum science. Near the time of merger, the gravitational waves from merging
black holes can be computed only using numerical relativity. In this paper, we
present a major update of the Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes (SXS) Collaboration
catalog of numerical simulations for merging black holes. The catalog contains
2018 distinct configurations (a factor of 11 increase compared to the 2013 SXS
catalog), including 1426 spin-precessing configurations, with mass ratios
between 1 and 10, and spin magnitudes up to 0.998. The median length of a
waveform in the catalog is 39 cycles of the dominant
gravitational-wave mode, with the shortest waveform containing 7.0 cycles and
the longest 351.3 cycles. We discuss improvements such as correcting for moving
centers of mass and extended coverage of the parameter space. We also present a
thorough analysis of numerical errors, finding typical truncation errors
corresponding to a waveform mismatch of . The simulations provide
remnant masses and spins with uncertainties of 0.03% and 0.1% (
percentile), about an order of magnitude better than analytical models for
remnant properties. The full catalog is publicly available at
https://www.black-holes.org/waveforms .Comment: 33+18 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables, 2,018 binaries. Catalog metadata
in ancillary JSON file. v2: Matches version accepted by CQG. Catalog
available at https://www.black-holes.org/waveform
Dependence as a Unifying Construct in Defining Alzheimer's Disease Severity
This article reviews measures of Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression in relation to patient dependence and offers a unifying conceptual framework for dependence in AD. Clinicians typically characterize AD by symptomatic impairments in three domains: cognition, function, and behavior. From a patient's perspective, changes in these domains, individually and in concert, ultimately lead to increased dependence and loss of autonomy. Examples of dependence in AD range from a need for reminders (early AD) to requiring safety supervision and assistance with basic functions (late AD). Published literature has focused on the clinical domains as somewhat separate constructs and has given limited attention to the concept of patient dependence as a descriptor of AD progression. This article presents the concept of dependence on others for care needs as a potential method for translating the effect of changes in cognition, function, and behavior into a more holistic, transparent description of AD progression
Determinants of Depressive Symptoms at 1 Year Following ICU Discharge in Survivors of $ 7 Days of Mechanical Ventilation : Results From the RECOVER Program, a Secondary Analysis of a Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study
Abstract : Background: Moderate to severe depressive symptoms occur in up to one-third of patients at 1 year following ICU discharge, negatively affecting patient outcomes. This study evaluated patient and caregiver factors associated with the development of these symptoms. Methods: This study used the Rehabilitation and Recovery in Patients after Critical Illness and Their Family Caregivers (RECOVER) Program (Phase 1) cohort of 391 patients from 10 medical/surgical university-affiliated ICUs across Canada. We determined the association between patient depressive symptoms (captured by using the Beck Depression Inventory II [BDI-II]), patient characteristics (age, sex, socioeconomic status, Charlson score, and ICU length of stay [LOS]), functional independence measure (FIM) motor subscale score, and caregiver characteristics (Caregiver Assistance Scale and Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale) by using linear mixed models at time points 3, 6, and 12 months. Results: BDI-II data were available for 246 patients. Median age at ICU admission was 56 years (interquartile range, 45-65 years), 143 (58%) were male, and median ICU LOS was 19 days (interquartile range, 13-32 days). During the 12-month follow-up, 67 of 246 (27.2%) patients had a BDI-II score â„ 20, indicating moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Mixed models showed worse depressive symptoms in patients with lower FIM motor subscale scores (1.1 BDI-II points per 10 FIM points), lower income status (by 3.7 BDI-II points; P = .007), and incomplete secondary education (by 3.8 BDI-II points; P = .009); a curvilinear relation with age (P = .001) was also reported, with highest BDI-II at ages 45 to 50 years. No associations were found between patient BDI-II and comorbidities (P = .92), sex (P = .25), ICU LOS (P = .51), or caregiver variables (Caregiver Assistance Scale [P = .28] and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [P = .74]). Conclusions: Increased functional dependence, lower income, and lower education are associated with increased severity of post-ICU depressive symptoms, whereas age has a curvilinear relation with symptom severity. Knowledge of risk factors may inform surveillance and targeted mental health follow-up. Early mobilization and rehabilitation aiming to improve function may serve to modify mood disorders
Transcriptome Analysis of Neisseria meningitidis in Human Whole Blood and Mutagenesis Studies Identify Virulence Factors Involved in Blood Survival
During infection Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) encounters multiple
environments within the host, which makes rapid adaptation a crucial factor for
meningococcal survival. Despite the importance of invasion into the bloodstream
in the meningococcal disease process, little is known about how Nm adapts to
permit survival and growth in blood. To address this, we performed a time-course
transcriptome analysis using an ex vivo model of human whole
blood infection. We observed that Nm alters the expression of â30% of
ORFs of the genome and major dynamic changes were observed in the expression of
transcriptional regulators, transport and binding proteins, energy metabolism,
and surface-exposed virulence factors. In particular, we found that the gene
encoding the regulator Fur, as well as all genes encoding iron uptake systems,
were significantly up-regulated. Analysis of regulated genes encoding for
surface-exposed proteins involved in Nm pathogenesis allowed us to better
understand mechanisms used to circumvent host defenses. During blood infection,
Nm activates genes encoding for the factor H binding proteins, fHbp and NspA,
genes encoding for detoxifying enzymes such as SodC, Kat and AniA, as well as
several less characterized surface-exposed proteins that might have a role in
blood survival. Through mutagenesis studies of a subset of up-regulated genes we
were able to identify new proteins important for survival in human blood and
also to identify additional roles of previously known virulence factors in
aiding survival in blood. Nm mutant strains lacking the genes encoding the
hypothetical protein NMB1483 and the surface-exposed proteins NalP, Mip and
NspA, the Fur regulator, the transferrin binding protein TbpB, and the L-lactate
permease LctP were sensitive to killing by human blood. This increased knowledge
of how Nm responds to adaptation in blood could also be helpful to develop
diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to control the devastating disease cause
by this microorganism
Global perspectives on observing ocean boundary current systems
© The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Todd, R. E., Chavez, F. P., Clayton, S., Cravatte, S., Goes, M., Greco, M., Ling, X., Sprintall, J., Zilberman, N., V., Archer, M., Aristegui, J., Balmaseda, M., Bane, J. M., Baringer, M. O., Barth, J. A., Beal, L. M., Brandt, P., Calil, P. H. R., Campos, E., Centurioni, L. R., Chidichimo, M. P., Cirano, M., Cronin, M. F., Curchitser, E. N., Davis, R. E., Dengler, M., deYoung, B., Dong, S., Escribano, R., Fassbender, A. J., Fawcett, S. E., Feng, M., Goni, G. J., Gray, A. R., Gutierrez, D., Hebert, D., Hummels, R., Ito, S., Krug, M., Lacan, F., Laurindo, L., Lazar, A., Lee, C. M., Lengaigne, M., Levine, N. M., Middleton, J., Montes, I., Muglia, M., Nagai, T., Palevsky, H., I., Palter, J. B., Phillips, H. E., Piola, A., Plueddemann, A. J., Qiu, B., Rodrigues, R. R., Roughan, M., Rudnick, D. L., Rykaczewski, R. R., Saraceno, M., Seim, H., Sen Gupta, A., Shannon, L., Sloyan, B. M., Sutton, A. J., Thompson, L., van der Plas, A. K., Volkov, D., Wilkin, J., Zhang, D., & Zhang, L. Global perspectives on observing ocean boundary current systems. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, (2010); 423, doi: 10.3389/fmars.2019.00423.Ocean boundary current systems are key components of the climate system, are home to highly productive ecosystems, and have numerous societal impacts. Establishment of a global network of boundary current observing systems is a critical part of ongoing development of the Global Ocean Observing System. The characteristics of boundary current systems are reviewed, focusing on scientific and societal motivations for sustained observing. Techniques currently used to observe boundary current systems are reviewed, followed by a census of the current state of boundary current observing systems globally. The next steps in the development of boundary current observing systems are considered, leading to several specific recommendations.RT was supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Endowed Fund for Innovative Research at WHOI. FC was supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. MGo was funded by NSF and NOAA/AOML. XL was funded by Chinaâs National Key Research and Development Projects (2016YFA0601803), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41490641, 41521091, and U1606402), and the Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (2017ASKJ01). JS was supported by NOAAâs Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program (Award NA15OAR4320071). DZ was partially funded by the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO) under NOAA Cooperative Agreement NA15OAR4320063. BS was supported by IMOS and CSIROâs Decadal Climate Forecasting Project. We gratefully acknowledge the wide range of funding sources from many nations that have enabled the observations and analyses reviewed here
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