3,168 research outputs found
Automated optical identification of a large complete northern hemisphere sample of flat spectrum radio sources with S_6cm > 200 mJy
This paper describes the automated optical APM identification of radio
sources from the Jodrell Bank - VLA Astrometric Survey (JVAS), as used for the
search for distant radio-loud quasars. The sample has been used to investigate
possible relations between optical and radio properties of flat spectrum radio
sources. From the 915 sources in the sample, 756 have an optical APM
identification at a red (e) and/or blue (o) plate,resulting in an
identification fraction of 83% with a completeness and reliability of 98% and
99% respectively. About 20% are optically identified with extended APM objects
on the red plates, e.g. galaxies. However the distinction between galaxies and
quasars can not be done properly near the magnitude limit of the POSS-I plates.
The identification fraction appears to decrease from >90% for sources with a 5
GHz flux density of >1 Jy, to <80% for sources at 0.2 Jy. The identification
fraction, in particular that for unresolved quasars, is found to be lower for
sources with steeper radio spectra. In agreement with previous studies, we find
that the quasars at low radio flux density levels also tend to have fainter
optical magnitudes, although there is a large spread. In addition, objects with
a steep radio-to-optical spectral index are found to be mainly highly polarised
quasars, supporting the idea that in these objects the polarised synchrotron
component is more prominent. It is shown that the large spread in
radio-to-optical spectral index is possibly caused by source to source
variations in the Doppler boosting of the synchrotron component [Abridged].Comment: LaTex, 17 pages, 5 gif figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in
MNRAS. High resolution figures can be found at http://www.roe.ac.uk/~ignas
The ASCA spectrum of the z=4.72 blazar, GB 1428+4217
The X-ray luminous quasar GB 1428+4217 at redshift 4.72 has been observed
with ASCA. The observed 0.5-10 keV flux is 3.2E-12 erg/s/cm2. We report here on
the intrinsic 4-57 keV X-ray spectrum, which is very flat (photon index of
1.29). We find no evidence for flux variability within the ASCA dataset or
between it and ROSAT data. We show that the overall spectral energy
distribution of GB 1428+4217 is similar to that of lower redshift MeV blazars
and present models which fit the available data. The Doppler beaming factor is
likely to be at least 8. We speculate on the number density of such high
redshift blazars, which must contain rapidly-formed massive black holes.Comment: 5 pages, 3 Postscript figures, to appear in MNRA
PMN J0525-3343: soft X-ray spectral flattening in a blazar at z=4.4
We report optical, radio and X-ray observations of a new distant blazar, PMN
J0525-3343, at a redshift of 4.4. The X-ray spectrum measured from ASCA and
BeppoSAX flattens below a few keV, in a manner similar to the spectra of two
other z>4 blazars, GB 1428+4217 (z=4.72) reported by Boller et al and RXJ
1028.6-0844 (z=4.28) by Yuan et al. The spectrum is well fitted by a power-law
continuum which is either absorbed or breaks at a few keV. An intrinsic column
density corresponding to 2 x 10^23 H-atoms cm-2 at solar abundance is required
by the absorption model. This is however a million times greater than the
neutral hydrogen, or dust, column density implied by the optical spectrum,
which covers the rest-frame UV emission of the blazar nucleus. We discuss the
problems raised and suggest that, unless there is intrinsic flattening in the
spectral distribution of the particles/seed photons producing X-rays via
inverse Compton scattering, the most plausible solution is a warm absorber
close to the active nucleus.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures; MNRAS, in pres
Empowering and assisting natural human mobility: The simbiosis walker
This paper presents the complete development of the Simbiosis Smart Walker. The device is equipped with a set of sensor subsystems to acquire user-machine interaction forces and the temporal evolution of user's feet during gait. The authors present an adaptive filtering technique used for the identification and separation of different components found on the human-machine interaction forces. This technique allowed isolating the components related with the navigational commands and developing a Fuzzy logic controller to guide the device. The Smart Walker was clinically validated at the Spinal Cord Injury Hospital of Toledo - Spain, presenting great acceptability by spinal chord injury patients and clinical staf
The racist bodily imaginary: the image of the body-in-pieces in (post)apartheid culture
This paper outlines a reoccurring motif within the racist imaginary of (post)apartheid culture: the black body-in-pieces. This disturbing visual idiom is approached from three conceptual perspectives. By linking ideas prevalent in Frantz Fanon’s description of colonial racism with psychoanalytic concepts such as Lacan’s notion of the corps morcelé, the paper offers, firstly, an account of the black body-in-pieces as fantasmatic preoccupation of the (post)apartheid imaginary. The role of such images is approached, secondly, through the lens of affect theory which eschews a representational ‘reading’ of such images in favour of attention to their asignifying intensities and the role they play in effectively constituting such bodies. Lastly, Judith Butler’s discussion of war photography and the conditions of grievability introduces an ethical dimension to the discussion and helps draw attention to the unsavory relations of enjoyment occasioned by such images
Discovery of Radio-loud Quasars with Redshifts above 4 from the PMN sample
We present results of a new, large survey for high-redshift radio-loud
quasars, which targets quasars with z>4. The survey is based on the PMN and
NVSS radio surveys, optically identified using digitised UKST B, R and I
plates. Six new z>4 flat-spectrum QSOs have been discovered, and one previously
known z>4 QSO rediscovered, based on their red optical colours. The QSOs
discovered in this survey are bright in both radio and optical bands; in
particular PMN J1451-1512 (z=4.763, I=17.3, R=19.1) and PMN J0324-2918
(z=4.630, R=18.7) are very luminous. PMN J1451-1512 at z=4.763 is also now the
most distant radio-selected quasar. In addition, 9 new quasars with 3.5<z<4.0
were discovered during the survey. We present spectra and finding charts for
the new quasars. We also derive a surface density of 1.0+/-0.4 x 10^-3 /sq deg
for flat-spectrum z>4 QSOs with S>= 72mJy and R< 21mag.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
A framework for the prospective analysis of super-diversity coming from high levels of immigration
Background
Pressures to keep immigration rates at relatively high levels are likely to persist in most developed countries. At the same time, immigrant cohorts are becoming more and more diverse, leading host societies to become increasingly heterogeneous across multiple dimensions. For scholars who study demographic or socio-economic behaviours, the need to account for ethnocultural “super-diversity” brings new challenges and complications.
Objective
The main objective of this paper is to present a framework for the prospective analysis of super-diversity in several high immigration countries.
Methods
We developed microsimulation models that simultaneously project several population-dimensions for Canada, the United States and countries of the European Union, with the aim of studying the consequences of alternate future population and migration trends.
Results
The paper presents the projected progression of three indicators of diversity for Canada, the USA and the EU28: percentage of foreign-born population, percentage of the population using a non-official language at home and percentage of non-Christians under the reference scenario. Results from alternative scenarios show the potential impact of modifying the composition of migrant cohorts. The paper also examines the projected changes in the labour force for each region by education level and language. Finally, the paper proposes a new longitudinal indicator that counts the number of years lived as active and inactive over the life course for foreign- and native-born cohorts.
Contribution
The microsimulation models provide much more informative results than more traditional cohort-component or multi-state models to study the future effects of ethnocultural super-diversity on high immigration countries
Radio Properties of z>4 Optically-Selected Quasars
We report on two programs to address differential evolution between the
radio-loud and radio-quiet quasar populations at high (z>4) redshift. Both
programs entail studying the radio properties of optically-selected quasars.
First, we have observed 32 optically-selected, high-redshift (z>4) quasars with
the VLA at 6 cm (5 GHz). These sources comprise a statistically complete and
well-understood sample. We detect four quasars above our 3-sigma limit of ~0.15
mJy, which is sufficiently sensitive to detect all radio-loud quasars at the
probed redshift range. Second, we have correlated 134 z>4 quasars, comprising
all such sources that we are aware of as of mid-1999, with FIRST and NVSS.
These two recent 1.4 GHz VLA sky surveys reach 3-sigma limits of approximately
0.6 mJy and 1.4 mJy respectively. We identify a total of 15 z>4 quasars, of
which six were not previously known to be radio-loud. The depth of these
surveys does not reach the radio-loud/radio-quiet demarcation luminosity
density (L(1.4 GHz) = 10^32.5 h(50)^(-2) ergs/s/Hz) at the redshift range
considered; this correlation therefore only provides a lower limit to the
radio-loud fraction of quasars at high-redshift. The two programs together
identify eight new radio-loud quasars at z>4, a significant increase over the
seven currently in the published literature. We find no evidence for radio-loud
fraction depending on optical luminosity for -25 > M_B > -28 at z~2, or for
-26>M_B>-28 at z>4. Our results also show no evolution in the radio-loud
fraction between z~2 and z>4 (-26>M_B>-28).Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures; to appear in The Astronomical Journal (April
2000
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