Chandra Observation of V426 Oph: Weighing the Evidence for a Magnetic White Dwarf

We report the results of a 45 ks Chandra observation of the cataclysmic variable V426 Ophiuchus. The high resolution spectrum from the high-energy transmission grating spectrometer is most consistent with a cooling flow model, placing V426 Oph among the group of CVs including U Gem and EX Hya. An uninterrupted lightcurve was also constructed, in which we detect a significant 4.2 hr modulation together with its first harmonic at 2.1 hrs. Reanalysis of archival Ginga, and ROSAT X-ray lightcurves also reveals modulations at periods consistent with 4.2 and/or 2.1 hrs. Furthermore, optical photometry in V, simultaneous with the Chandra observation, indicates a modulation anti-correlated with the X-ray, and later more extensive R band photometry finds a signal at ~2.1 hrs. The earlier reported X-ray periods at ~0.5 and 1 hrs appear to be only transient and quasi-periodic in nature. In contrast, the 4.2 hr period or its harmonic are stable and persistent in X-ray/optical data from 1988 to 2003. This periodicity is clearly distinct from the 6.85 hr orbit, and could be due to the spin of the white dwarf. If this is the case, V426 Oph would be the first long period intermediate polar with a ratio P_spin/P_orb of 0.6. However, this interpretation requires unreasonable values of magnetic field strength and mass accretion rate.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (to appear August 2004

1937: Abilene Christian College Bible Lectures - Full Text

Delivered in the auditorium of Abilene Christian College, Abilene, Texas, February 193

Ultracompact AM CVn Binaries from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: Three Candidates Plus the First Confirmed Eclipsing System

AM CVn systems are a rare (about a dozen previously known) class of cataclysmic variables, arguably encompassing the shortest orbital periods (down to about 10 minutes) of any known binaries. Both binary components are thought to be degenerate (or partially so), likely with mass-transfer from a helium-rich donor onto a white dwarf, driven by gravitational radiation. Although rare, AM CVn systems are of high interest as possible SN Ia progenitors, and because they are predicted to be common sources of gravity waves in upcoming experiments such as LISA. We have identified four new AM CVn candidates from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectral database. All four show hallmark spectroscopic characteristics of the AM CVn class: each is devoid of hydrogen features, and instead shows a spectrum dominated by helium. All four show double-peaked emission, indicative of helium-dominated accretion disks. Limited time-series CCD photometric follow-on data have been obtained for three of the new candidates from the ARC 3.5m; most notably, a 28.3 minute binary period with sharp, deep eclipses is discovered in one case, SDSS J0926+3624. This is the first confirmed eclipsing AM CVn, and our data allow initial estimates of binary parameters for this ultracompact system. The four new SDSS objects also provide a substantial expansion of the currently critically-small sample of AM CVn systems.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, submitted to the Astronomical Journa

A Complete Sequence and Transcriptomic Analyses of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Mitochondrial Genome

Based on next-generation sequencing data, we assembled the mitochondrial (mt) genome of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) into a circular molecule of 715,001 bp in length. The mt genome of P. dactylifera encodes 38 proteins, 30 tRNAs, and 3 ribosomal RNAs, which constitute a gene content of 6.5% (46,770 bp) over the full length. The rest, 93.5% of the genome sequence, is comprised of cp (chloroplast)-derived (10.3% with respect to the whole genome length) and non-coding sequences. In the non-coding regions, there are 0.33% tandem and 2.3% long repeats. Our transcriptomic data from eight tissues (root, seed, bud, fruit, green leaf, yellow leaf, female flower, and male flower) showed higher gene expression levels in male flower, root, bud, and female flower, as compared to four other tissues. We identified 120 potential SNPs among three date palm cultivars (Khalas, Fahal, and Sukry), and successfully found seven SNPs in the coding sequences. A phylogenetic analysis, based on 22 conserved genes of 15 representative plant mitochondria, showed that P. dactylifera positions at the root of all sequenced monocot mt genomes. In addition, consistent with previous discoveries, there are three co-transcribed gene clusters–18S-5S rRNA, rps3-rpl16 and nad3-rps12–in P. dactylifera, which are highly conserved among all known mitochondrial genomes of angiosperms

Differential cross section measurements for the production of a W boson in association with jets in proton–proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV

Measurements are reported of differential cross sections for the production of a W boson, which decays into a muon and a neutrino, in association with jets, as a function of several variables, including the transverse momenta (pT) and pseudorapidities of the four leading jets, the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta (HT), and the difference in azimuthal angle between the directions of each jet and the muon. The data sample of pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV was collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb[superscript −1]. The measured cross sections are compared to predictions from Monte Carlo generators, MadGraph + pythia and sherpa, and to next-to-leading-order calculations from BlackHat + sherpa. The differential cross sections are found to be in agreement with the predictions, apart from the pT distributions of the leading jets at high pT values, the distributions of the HT at high-HT and low jet multiplicity, and the distribution of the difference in azimuthal angle between the leading jet and the muon at low values.United States. Dept. of EnergyNational Science Foundation (U.S.)Alfred P. Sloan Foundatio

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good