Galaxy Properties and UV Escape Fractions During Epoch of Reionization: Results from the Renaissance Simulations

Cosmic reionization is thought to be primarily fueled by the first generations of galaxies. We examine their stellar and gaseous properties, focusing on the star formation rates and the escape of ionizing photons, as a function of halo mass, redshift, and environment using the full suite of the {\it Renaissance Simulations} with an eye to provide better inputs to global reionization simulations. This suite, carried out with the adaptive mesh refinement code Enzo, is unprecedented in terms of their size and physical ingredients. The simulations probe overdense, average, and underdense regions of the universe of several hundred comoving Mpc$^3$, each yielding a sample of over 3,000 halos in the mass range 10^7 - 10^{9.5}~\Ms at their final redshifts of 15, 12.5, and 8, respectively. In the process, we simulate the effects of radiative and supernova feedback from 5,000 to 10,000 metal-free (Population III) stars in each simulation. We find that halos as small as 10^7~\Ms are able to form stars due to metal-line cooling from earlier enrichment by massive Population III stars. However, we find such halos do not form stars continuously. Using our large sample, we find that the galaxy-halo occupation fraction drops from unity at virial masses above 10^{8.5}~\Ms to $\sim$50\% at 10^8 ~\Ms and $\sim$10\% at 10^7~\Ms, quite independent of redshift and region. Their average ionizing escape fraction is $\sim$5\% in the mass range 10^8 - 10^9~\Ms and increases with decreasing halo mass below this range, reaching 40--60\% at 10^7~\Ms. Interestingly, we find that the escape fraction varies between 10--20\% in halos with virial masses \sim 3 \times 10^9~\Ms. Taken together, our results confirm the importance of the smallest galaxies as sources of ionizing radiation contributing to the reionization of the universe.Comment: 19 pages, 22 figures, 2 tables, replaced with accepted ApJ versio

Heating the IGM by X-rays from Population III Binaries in High Redshift Galaxies

Due to their long mean free path, X-rays are expected to have an important impact on cosmic reionization by heating and ionizing the IGM on large scales, especially after simulations have suggested that Population III stars may form in pairs at redshifts as high as 20 - 30. We use the Pop III distribution and evolution from a self-consistent cosmological radiation hydrodynamics simulation of the formation of the first galaxies and a simple Pop III X-ray binaries model to estimate their X-ray output in a high density region larger than 100 comoving (Mpc)$^3$. We then combine three different methods --- ray tracing, a one-zone model, and X-ray background modeling --- to investigate the X-ray propagation, intensity distribution, and long term effects on the IGM thermal and ionization state. The efficiency and morphology of photo-heating and photo-ionization are dependent on the photon energies. The sub-keV X-rays only impact the IGM near the sources while the keV photons contribute significantly to the X-ray background and heat and ionize the IGM smoothly. The X-rays just below 1 keV are most efficient in heating and ionizing the IGM. We find that the IGM might be heated to over 100 K by $z=10$ and the high density source region might reach 10$^4$ K, limited by atomic hydrogen cooling. This may be important for predicting the 21-cm neutral hydrogen signals. But, on the other hand, the free electrons from X-ray ionizations are not enough to contribute significantly to the optical depth of CMB to the Thomson scattering.Comment: 19 pages, 14 figures. Replaced to match published versio

Spatially Extended 21 cm Signal from Strongly Clustered UV and X-Ray Sources in the Early Universe

We present our prediction for the local 21 cm differential brightness temperature ($\delta T_{b}$) from a set of strongly clustered sources of Population III (Pop III) and II (Pop II) objects in the early Universe, by a numerical simulation of their formation and radiative feedback. These objects are located inside a highly biased environment, which is a rare, high-density peak ("Rarepeak") extending to $\sim7$ comoving Mpc. We study the impact of ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray photons on the intergalactic medium (IGM) and the resulting $\delta T_{b}$, when Pop III stars are assumed to emit X-ray photons by forming X-ray binaries very efficiently. We parameterize the rest-frame spectral energy distribution (SED) of X-ray photons, which regulates X-ray photon-trapping, IGM-heating, secondary Lyman-alpha pumping and the resulting morphology of $\delta T_{b}$. A combination of emission ($\delta T_{b}>0$) and absorption ($\delta T_{b}<0$) regions appears in varying amplitudes and angular scales. The boost of the signal by the high-density environment ($\delta\sim0.64$) and on a relatively large scale combine to make Rarepeak a discernible, spatially-extended ($\theta\sim10'$) object for 21 cm observation at $13\lesssim z\lesssim17$, which is found to be detectable as a single object by SKA with integration time of $\sim1000$ hours. Power spectrum analysis by some of the SKA precursors (LOFAR, MWA, PAPER) of such rare peaks is found difficult due to the rarity of these peaks, and the contribution only by these rare peaks to the total power spectrum remains subdominant compared to that by all astrophysical sources.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; Major revision done on the cosmological 21-cm line transfer, allowing for generic cases with peculiar motion of gas and non-negligible optical dept

Self-consistent non-Markovian theory of a quantum state evolution for quantum information processing

It is shown that the operator sum representation for non-Markovian dynamics and the Lindblad master equation in Markovian limit can be derived from a formal solution to quantum Liouville equation for a qubit system in the presence of decoherence processes self-consistently. Our formulation is the first principle theory based on projection-operator formalism to obtain an exact reduced density operator in time-convolutionless form starting from the quantum Liouville equation for a noisy quantum computer. The advantage of our approach is that it is general enough to describe a realistic quantum computer in the presence of decoherence provided details of the Hamiltonians are known.Comment: 5page

Bone healing in an aged murine fracture model is characterized by sustained callus inflammation and decreased cell proliferation

Geriatric fractures take longer to heal and heal with more complications than those of younger patients; however, the mechanistic basis for this difference in healing is not well understood. To improve this understanding, we investigated cell and molecular differences in fracture healing between 5‐month‐old (young adult) and 25‐month‐old (geriatric) mice healing utilizing high‐throughput analysis of gene expression. Mice underwent bilateral tibial fractures and fracture calluses were harvested at 5, 10, and 20 days post‐fracture (DPF) for analysis. Global gene expression analysis was performed using Affymetrix MoGene 1.0 ST microarrays. After normalization, data were compared using ANOVA and evaluated using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), CTen, heatmap, and Incromaps analysis. PCA and cross‐sectional heatmap analysis demonstrated that DPF followed by age had pronounced effects on changes in gene expression. Both un‐fractured and 20 DPF aged mice showed increased expression of immune‐associated genes (CXCL8, CCL8, and CCL5) and at 10 DPF, aged mice showed increased expression of matrix‐associated genes, (Matn1, Ucma, Scube1, Col9a1, and Col9a3). Cten analysis suggested an enrichment of CD8+ cells and macrophages in old mice relative to young adult mice and, conversely, a greater prevalence of mast cells in young adult mice relative to old. Finally, consistent with the PCA data, the classic bone healing pathways of BMP, Indian Hedgehog, Notch and Wnt clustered according to the time post‐fracture first and age second. Clinical Significance: Greater understanding of age‐dependent molecular changes with healing will help form a mechanistic basis for therapies to improve patient outcomes. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:149–158, 2018.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142531/1/jor23652.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142531/2/jor23652_am.pd

Gauge Theories with Tensors from Branes and Orientifolds

We present brane constructions in Type IIA string theory for N=1 supersymmetric SO and Sp gauge theories with tensor representations using an orientifold 6-plane. One limit of these set-ups corresponds to N=2 theories previously constructed by Landsteiner and Lopez, while a different limit yields N=1 SO or Sp theories with a massless tensor and no superpotential. For the Sp-type orientifold projection comparison with the field theory moduli space leads us to postulate two new rules governing the stability of configurations of D-branes intersecting the orientifold. Lifting one of our configurations to M-theory by finding the corresponding curves, we re-derive the N=1 dualities for SO and Sp groups using semi-infinite D4 branes.Comment: Discussion on duality in U(N) with a symmetric or antisymmetric flavor added to Section 4. Typos fixe

Suppression of Notch Signaling in Osteoclasts Improves Bone Regeneration and Healing

Owing to the central role of osteoclasts in bone physiology and remodeling, manipulation of their maturation process provides a potential therapeutic strategy for treating bone diseases. To investigate this, we genetically inhibited the Notch signaling pathway in the myeloid lineage, which includes osteoclast precursors, using a dominant negative form of MAML (dnMAML) that inhibits the transcriptional complex required for downstream Notch signaling. Osteoclasts derived from dnMAML mice showed no significant differences in early osteoclastic gene expression compared to the wild type. Further, these demonstrated significantly lowered resorption activity using bone surfaces while retaining their osteoblast stimulating ability using ex vivo techniques. Using in vivo approaches, we detected significantly higher bone formation rates and osteoblast gene expression in dnMAML cohorts. Further, these mice exhibited increased bone/tissue mineral density compared to wild type and larger bony calluses in later stages of fracture healing. These observations suggest that therapeutic suppression of osteoclast Notch signaling could reduce, but not eliminate, osteoclastic resorption without suppression of restorative bone remodeling and, therefore, presents a balanced paradigm for increasing bone formation, regeneration, and healing. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:2089–2103, 2019Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151846/1/jor24384.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151846/2/jor24384_am.pd

Density matrix operatorial solution of the non--Markovian Master Equation for Quantum Brownian Motion

An original method to exactly solve the non-Markovian Master Equation describing the interaction of a single harmonic oscillator with a quantum environment in the weak coupling limit is reported. By using a superoperatorial approach we succeed in deriving the operatorial solution for the density matrix of the system. Our method is independent of the physical properties of the environment. We show the usefulness of our solution deriving explicit expressions for the dissipative time evolution of some observables of physical interest for the system, such as, for example, its mean energy.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figur