Audition in vampire bats, Desmodus rotundus

1. Within the tonotopic organization of the inferior colliculus two frequency ranges are well represented: a frequency range within that of the echolocation signals from 50 to 100 kHz, and a frequency band below that of the echolocation sounds, from 10 to 35 kHz. The frequency range between these two bands, from about 40 to 50 kHz is distinctly underrepresented (Fig. 3B). 2. Units with BFs in the lower frequency range (10–25 kHz) were most sensitive with thresholds of -5 to -11 dB SPL, and units with BFs within the frequency range of the echolocation signals had minimal thresholds around 0 dB SPL (Fig. 1). 3. In the medial part of the rostral inferior colliculus units were encountered which preferentially or exclusively responded to noise stimuli. — Seven neurons were found which were only excited by human breathing noises and not by pure tones, frequency modulated signals or various noise bands. These neurons were considered as a subspeciality of the larger sample of noise-sensitive neurons. — The maximal auditory sensitivity in the frequency range below that of echolocation, and the conspicuous existence of noise and breathing-noise sensitive units in the inferior colliculus are discussed in context with the foraging behavior of vampire bats

From X-ray dips to eclipse: Witnessing disk reformation in the recurrent nova USco

The 10th recorded outburst of the recurrent eclipsing nova USco was observed simultaneously in X-ray, UV, and optical by XMM-Newton on days 22.9 and 34.9 after outburst. Two full passages of the companion in front of the nova ejecta were observed, witnessing the reformation of the accretion disk. On day 22.9, we observed smooth eclipses in UV and optical but deep dips in the X-ray light curve which disappeared by day 34.9, then yielding clean eclipses in all bands. X-ray dips can be caused by clumpy absorbing material that intersects the line of sight while moving along highly elliptical trajectories. Cold material from the companion could explain the absence of dips in UV and optical light. The disappearance of X-ray dips before day 34.9 implies significant progress in the formation of the disk. The X-ray spectra contain photospheric continuum emission plus strong emission lines, but no clear absorption lines. Both continuum and emission lines in the X-ray spectra indicate a temperature increase from day 22.9 to day 34.9. We find clear evidence in the spectra and light curves for Thompson scattering of the photospheric emission from the white dwarf. Photospheric absorption lines can be smeared out during scattering in a plasma of fast electrons. We also find spectral signatures of resonant line scattering that lead to the observation of the strong emission lines. Their dominance could be a general phenomenon in high-inclination systems such as Cal87.Comment: Submitted to ApJ. 16 pages, 16 figure

ConXsense - Automated Context Classification for Context-Aware Access Control

We present ConXsense, the first framework for context-aware access control on mobile devices based on context classification. Previous context-aware access control systems often require users to laboriously specify detailed policies or they rely on pre-defined policies not adequately reflecting the true preferences of users. We present the design and implementation of a context-aware framework that uses a probabilistic approach to overcome these deficiencies. The framework utilizes context sensing and machine learning to automatically classify contexts according to their security and privacy-related properties. We apply the framework to two important smartphone-related use cases: protection against device misuse using a dynamic device lock and protection against sensory malware. We ground our analysis on a sociological survey examining the perceptions and concerns of users related to contextual smartphone security and analyze the effectiveness of our approach with real-world context data. We also demonstrate the integration of our framework with the FlaskDroid architecture for fine-grained access control enforcement on the Android platform.Comment: Recipient of the Best Paper Awar

Internal kinematics of spiral galaxies in distant clusters. Part II. Observations and data analysis

We have conducted an observing campaign with FORS at the ESO-VLT to explore the kinematical properties of spiral galaxies in distant galaxy clusters. Our main goal is to analyse transformation- and interaction processes of disk galaxies within the special environment of clusters as compared to the hierarchical evolution of galaxies in the field. Spatially resolved MOS-spectra have been obtained for seven galaxy clusters at 0.3<z<0.6 to measure rotation velocities of cluster members. For three of the clusters, Cl0303+17, Cl0413-65, and MS1008-12, for which we presented results including a TF-diagram in Ziegler et al. 2003, we describe here in detail the observations and data analysis. Each of them was observed with two setups of the standard FORS MOS-unit.With typical exposure times of >2 hours we reach an S/N>5 in the emission lines appropriate for the deduction of the galaxies' internal rotation velocities from [OII], Hbeta, or [OIII] profiles. Preselection of targets was done on the basis of available redshifts as well as from photometric and morphological information gathered from own observations, archive data, and from the literature. Emphasis was laid on the definition of suitable setups to avoid the typical restrictions of the standard MOS unit for this kind of observations. In total we assembled spectra of 116 objects of which 50 turned out to be cluster members. Position velocity diagrams, finding charts as well as tables with photometric, spectral, and structural parameters of individual galaxies are presented.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. A version with full resolution figures can be downloaded from http://www.uni-sw.gwdg.de/~vwgroup/publications.htm

In search of progenitors for supernova-less GRBs 060505 and 060614: re-examination of their afterglows

GRB060505 and GRB060614 are nearby long-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) without accompanying supernovae (SNe) down to very strict limits. They thereby challenge the conventional LGRB-SN connection and naturally give rise to the question: are there other peculiar features in their afterglows which would help shed light on their progenitors? To answer this question, we combine new observational data with published data and investigate the multi-band temporal and spectral properties of the two afterglows. We find that both afterglows can be well interpreted within the framework of the jetted standard external shock wave model, and that the afterglow parameters for both bursts fall well within the range observed for other LGRBs. Hence, from the properties of the afterglows there is nothing to suggest that these bursts should have another progenitor than other LGRBs. Recently, Swift-discovered GRB080503 also has the spike + tail structure during its prompt gamma-ray emission seemingly similar to GRB060614. We analyse the prompt emission of this burst and find that this GRB is actually a hard-spike + hard-tail burst with a spectral lag of 0.8$\pm$0.4 s during its tail emission. Thus, the properties of the prompt emission of GRB060614 and GRB080503 are clearly different, motivating further thinking of GRB classification. Finally we note that, whereas the progenitor of the two SN-less bursts remains uncertain, the core-collapse origin for the SN-less bursts would be quite certain if a wind-like environment can be observationally established, e.g, from an optical decay faster than the X-ray decay in the afterglow's slow cooling phase.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables, ApJ in press; added Fig. 7 of the lag-luminosity relatio

A search for the most massive galaxies: Double Trouble?

We describe the results of a search for galaxies with large (> 350 km/s) velocity dispersions. The largest systems we have found appear to be the extremes of the early-type galaxy population: compared to other galaxies with similar luminosities, they have the largest velocity dispersions and the smallest sizes. However, they are not distant outliers from the Fundamental Plane and mass-to-light scaling relations defined by the bulk of the early-type galaxy population. They may host the most massive black holes in the Universe, and their abundance and properties can be used to constrain galaxy formation models. Clear outliers from the scaling relations tend to be objects in superposition (angular separations smaller than 1 arcsec), evidence for which comes sometimes from the spectra, sometimes from the images, and sometimes from both. The statistical properties of the superposed pairs, e.g., the distribution of pair separations and velocity dispersions, can be used to provide useful information about the expected distribution of image multiplicities, separations and flux ratios due to gravitational lensing by multiple lenses, and may also constrain models of their interaction rates.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures. Accepted by AJ. The full set of figures in Appendix B is available at http://www.physics.upenn.edu/~bernardm/PAPERS/BIGEtypes/bernardi.FIG-B.ps.gz Figure 8 did not show the set of galaxies described in the text of the appendix. This has now been correcte

Magnetic Dipole Sum Rules for Odd-Mass Nuclei

Sum rules for the total- and scissors-mode M1 strength in odd-A nuclei are derived within the single-j interacting boson-fermion model. We discuss the physical content and geometric interpretation of these sum rules and apply them to ^{167}Er and ^{161}Dy. We find consistency with the former measurements but not with the latter.Comment: 13 pages, Revtex, 1 figure, Phys. Rev. Lett. in pres

On the Progenitor System of Nova V2491 Cygni

Nova V2491 Cyg is one of just two detected pre-outburst in X-rays. The light curve of this nova exhibited a rare "re-brightening" which has been attributed by some as the system being a polar, whilst others claim that a magnetic WD is unlikely. By virtue of the nature of X-ray and spectroscopic observations the system has been proposed as a recurrent nova, however the adoption of a 0.1 day orbital period is generally seen as incompatible with such a system. In this research note we address the nature of the progenitor system and the source of the 0.1 day periodicity. Through the combination of Liverpool Telescope observations with published data and archival 2MASS data we show that V2491 Cyg, at a distance of 10.5 - 14 kpc, is likely to be a recurrent nova of the U Sco-class; containing a sub-giant secondary and an accretion disk, rather than accretion directly onto the poles. We show that there is little evidence, at quiescence, supporting a ~ 0.1 day periodicity, the variation seen at this stage is likely caused by flickering of a re-established accretion disk. We propose that the periodicity seen shortly after outburst is more likely related to the outburst rather than the - then obscured - binary system. Finally we address the distance to the system, and show that a significantly lower distance (~ 2 kpc) would result in a severely under-luminous outburst, and as such favour the larger distance and the recurrent nova scenario.Comment: 5 pages, 3 images, accepted for publication in A&A as a research not