81 research outputs found
A Census of the High-Density Molecular Gas in M82
We present a three-pointing study of the molecular gas in the starburst
nucleus of M82 based on 190 - 307 GHz spectra obtained with Z-Spec at the
Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. We present intensity measurements,
detections and upper limits, for 20 transitions, including several new
detections of CS, HNC, C2H, H2CO, and CH3CCH lines. We combine our measurements
with previously-published measurements at other frequencies for HCN, HNC, CS,
C34S, and HCO+ in a multi-species likelihood analysis constraining gas mass,
density and temperature, and the species' relative abundances. We find some 1.7
- 2.7 x 10^8 M_sun of gas with n_H2 between 1 - 6 x 10^4 cm^-3 and T > 50 K.
While the mass and temperature are comparable to values inferred from mid-J CO
transitions, the thermal pressure is a factor of 10 - 20 greater. The molecular
interstellar medium is largely fragmented and is subject to ultraviolet
irradiation from the star clusters. It is also likely subject to cosmic rays
and mechanical energy input from the supernovae, and is warmer on average than
the molecular gas in the massive star formation regions in the Milky Way. The
typical conditions in the dense gas in M82's central kpc appear unfavorable for
further star formation; if any appreciable stellar populations are currently
forming, they are likely biased against low mass stars, producing a top-heavy
initial mass function.Comment: 15 pages (using emulateapj.cls), 6 figures, Astrophysical Journal, in
pres
Gas and dust in a submillimeter galaxy at z = 4.24 from the Herschel ATLAS
We report ground-based follow-up observations of the exceptional source,
ID141, one the brightest sources detected so far in the H-ATLAS cosmological
survey. ID141 was observed using the IRAM 30-meter telescope and Plateau de
Bure interferometer (PdBI), the Submillimeter Array (SMA) and the Atacama
Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) submillimeter telescope to measure the dust
continuum and emission lines of the main isotope of carbon monoxide and carbon
([C I] and [C II]). The detection of strong CO emission lines with the PdBI
confirms that ID141 is at high redshift (z=4.243 +/- 0.001). The strength of
the continuum and emission lines suggests that ID141 is gravitationally lensed.
The width (Delta V (FWHM) ~ 800 km/s}) and asymmetric profiles of the CO and
carbon lines indicate orbital motion in a disc or a merger. The properties
derived for ID141 are compatible with a ultraluminous (L_FIR ~ 8.5 +/- 0.3 x
10^13/mu_L Lsun, where mu_L is the amplification factor, dense (n ~ 10^4 cm^-3)
and warm (T_kin ~ 40K) starburst galaxy, with an estimated star-formation rate
of (0.7 to 1.7) x 10^4/mu_L Msun/yr. The carbon emission lines indicate a dense
(n ~ 10^4 cm^-3) Photo-Dominated Region, illuminated by a far-UV radiation
field a few thousand times more intense than that in our Galaxy. In conclusion,
the physical properties of the high-z galaxy, ID141, are remarkably similar to
those of local ultraluminous infrared galaxies.Comment: To appear in Ap
Six Years of Chandra Observations of Supernova Remnants
We present a review of the first six years of Chandra X-ray Observatory
observations of supernova remnants. From the official "first-light" observation
of Cassiopeia A that revealed for the first time the compact remnant of the
explosion, to the recent million-second spectrally-resolved observation that
revealed new details of the stellar composition and dynamics of the original
explosion, Chandra observations have provided new insights into the supernova
phenomenon. We present an admittedly biased overview of six years of these
observations, highlighting new discoveries made possible by Chandra's unique
capabilities.Comment: 82 pages, 28 figures, for the book Astrophysics Update
The molecular gas in Luminous Infrared Galaxies I: CO lines, extreme physical conditions, and their drivers
We report results from a large molecular line survey of Luminous Infrared
Galaxies (L_{IR} >= 10^{11} L_sol) in the local Universe (z<=0.1), conducted
during the last decade with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) and the
IRAM 30-m telescope. This work presents the CO and {13}CO line data for 36
galaxies, further augmented by multi-J total CO luminosities available for
other IR-bright galaxies from the literature. This yields a sample of N=70
galaxies with the star-formation (SF) powered fraction of their IR luminosities
spanning L_{IR} (10^{10}-2x10^{12}) L_sol and a wide range of morphologies.
Simple comparisons of their available CO Spectral Line Energy Distributions
(SLEDs) with local ones, as well as radiative transfer models discern a
surprisingly wide range of average ISM conditions, with most of the surprises
found in the high-excitation regime. These take the form of global CO SLEDs
dominated by a very warm (T_{kin}>=100 K) and dense (n>=10^4 cm^{-3}) gas
phase, involving galaxy-sized (~(few)x10^9 M_sol) gas mass reservoirs under
conditions that would otherwise amount only ~1% of mass per typical SF
molecular cloud in the Galaxy. Some of the highest excitation CO SLEDs are
found in the so-called Ultra Luminous Infrared Galaxies and seem irreducible to
ensembles of ordinary SF-powered regions. Highly supersonic turbulence and high
cosmic ray (CR) energy densities rather than far-UV/optical photons or
SNR-induced shocks from individual SF sites can globally warm the large amounts
of dense gas found in these merger-driven starbursts and easily power their
extraordinary CO line excitation.....Comment: 29 pages, 12 Figures, 8 Tables, originally submitted and now accepted
for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
(only minor modifications with respect to the first version
The Relation Between the Surface Brightness and the Diameter for Galactic Supernova Remnants
In this work, we have constructed a relation between the surface brightness
() and diameter (D) of Galactic C- and S-type supernova remnants
(SNRs). In order to calibrate the -D dependence, we have carefully
examined some intrinsic (e.g. explosion energy) and extrinsic (e.g. density of
the ambient medium) properties of the remnants and, taking into account also
the distance values given in the literature, we have adopted distances for some
of the SNRs which have relatively more reliable distance values. These
calibrator SNRs are all C- and S-type SNRs, i.e. F-type SNRs (and S-type SNR
Cas A which has an exceptionally high surface brightness) are excluded. The
Sigma-D relation has 2 slopes with a turning point at D=36.5 pc: (at 1
GHz)=8.4 D
WmHzster (for
WmHzster and D36.5 pc) and (at 1
GHz)=2.7 10 D
WmHzster (for
WmHzster and D36.5 pc). We discussed the theoretical
basis for the -D dependence and particularly the reasons for the change
in slope of the relation were stated. Added to this, we have shown the
dependence between the radio luminosity and the diameter which seems to have a
slope close to zero up to about D=36.5 pc. We have also adopted distance and
diameter values for all of the observed Galactic SNRs by examining all the
available distance values presented in the literature together with the
distances found from our -D relation.Comment: 45 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomical and
Astrophysical Transaction
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Endophytes vs tree pathogens and pests: can they be used as biological control agents to improve tree health?
Like all other plants, trees are vulnerable to attack by a multitude of pests and pathogens. Current control measures for many of these diseases are limited and relatively ineffective. Several methods, including the use of conventional synthetic agro-chemicals, are employed to reduce the impact of pests and diseases. However, because of mounting concerns about adverse effects on the environment and a variety of economic reasons, this limited management of tree diseases by chemical methods is losing ground. The use of biological control, as a more environmentally friendly alternative, is becoming increasingly popular in plant protection. This can include the deployment of soil inoculants and foliar sprays, but the increased knowledge of microbial ecology in the phytosphere, in particular phylloplane microbes and endophytes, has stimulated new thinking for biocontrol approaches. Endophytes are microbes that live within plant tissues. As such, they hold potential as biocontrol agents against plant diseases because they are able to colonize the same ecological niche favoured by many invading pathogens. However, the development and exploitation of endophytes as biocontrol agents will have to overcome numerous challenges. The optimization and improvement of strategies employed in endophyte research can contribute towards discovering effective and competent biocontrol agents. The impact of environment and plant genotype on selecting potentially beneficial and exploitable endophytes for biocontrol is poorly understood. How endophytes synergise or antagonise one another is also an important factor. This review focusses on recent research addressing the biocontrol of plant diseases and pests using endophytic fungi and bacteria, alongside the challenges and limitations encountered and how these can be overcome. We frame this review in the context of tree pests and diseases, since trees are arguably the most difficult plant species to study, work on and manage, yet they represent one of the most important organisms on Earth
Endophytes vs tree pathogens and pests: can they be used as biological control agents to improve tree health?
Like all other plants, trees are vulnerable to attack by a multitude of pests and pathogens. Current control measures for many of these diseases are limited and relatively ineffective. Several methods, including the use of conventional synthetic agro-chemicals, are employed to reduce the impact of pests and diseases. However, because of mounting concerns about adverse effects on the environment and a variety of economic reasons, this limited management of tree diseases by chemical methods is losing ground. The use of biological control, as a more environmentally friendly alternative, is becoming increasingly popular in plant protection. This can include the deployment of soil inoculants and foliar sprays, but the increased knowledge of microbial ecology in the phytosphere, in particular phylloplane microbes and endophytes, has stimulated new thinking for biocontrol approaches. Endophytes are microbes that live within plant tissues. As such, they hold potential as biocontrol agents against plant diseases because they are able to colonize the same ecological niche favoured by many invading pathogens. However, the development and exploitation of endophytes as biocontrol agents will have to overcome numerous challenges. The optimization and improvement of strategies employed in endophyte research can contribute towards discovering effective and competent biocontrol agents. The impact of environment and plant genotype on selecting potentially beneficial and exploitable endophytes for biocontrol is poorly understood. How endophytes synergise or antagonise one another is also an important factor. This review focusses on recent research addressing the biocontrol of plant diseases and pests using endophytic fungi and bacteria, alongside the challenges and limitations encountered and how these can be overcome. We frame this review in the context of tree pests and diseases, since trees are arguably the most difficult plant species to study, work on and manage, yet they represent one of the most important organisms on Earth
SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 is associated with greater disease severity among hospitalised women but not men: multicentre cohort study.
BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 has been associated with an increased rate of transmission and disease severity among subjects testing positive in the community. Its impact on hospitalised patients is less well documented. METHODS: We collected viral sequences and clinical data of patients admitted with SARS-CoV-2 and hospital-onset COVID-19 infections (HOCIs), sampled 16 November 2020 to 10 January 2021, from eight hospitals participating in the COG-UK-HOCI study. Associations between the variant and the outcomes of all-cause mortality and intensive therapy unit (ITU) admission were evaluated using mixed effects Cox models adjusted by age, sex, comorbidities, care home residence, pregnancy and ethnicity. FINDINGS: Sequences were obtained from 2341 inpatients (HOCI cases=786) and analysis of clinical outcomes was carried out in 2147 inpatients with all data available. The HR for mortality of B.1.1.7 compared with other lineages was 1.01 (95% CI 0.79 to 1.28, p=0.94) and for ITU admission was 1.01 (95% CI 0.75 to 1.37, p=0.96). Analysis of sex-specific effects of B.1.1.7 identified increased risk of mortality (HR 1.30, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.78, p=0.096) and ITU admission (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.90, p=0.011) in females infected with the variant but not males (mortality HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.10, p=0.177; ITU HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.04, p=0.086). INTERPRETATION: In common with smaller studies of patients hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2, we did not find an overall increase in mortality or ITU admission associated with B.1.1.7 compared with other lineages. However, women with B.1.1.7 may be at an increased risk of admission to intensive care and at modestly increased risk of mortality.This report was produced by members of the COG-UK-HOCI Variant
substudy consortium. COG-UK-HOCI is part of COG-UK. COG-UK is supported by funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and Genome Research Limited, operating as the Wellcome Sanger Institute
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