321 research outputs found
Carrier dynamics in 뱉Fe2O3 (0001) thin films and single crystals probed by femtosecond transient absorption and reflectivity
Femtosecond transient reflectivity and absorption are used to measure the carrier lifetimes in 뱉Fe2O3 thin films and single crystals. The results from the thin films show that initially excited hot electrons relax to the band edge within 300 fs and then recombine with holes or trap within 5 ps. The trapped electrons have a lifetime of hundreds of picoseconds. Transient reflectivity measurements from hematite (뱉Fe2O3)single crystals show similar but slightly faster dynamics leading to the conclusion that the short carrier lifetimes in these materials are due primarily to trapping to Fe d-d states in the band gap. In the hematite single crystal, the transient reflectivity displays oscillations due to the formation of longitudinal acoustic phonons generated following absorption of the ultrashort excitation pulse
Four new T dwarfs identified in PanSTARRS 1 commissioning data
A complete well-defined sample of ultracool dwarfs is one of the key science
programs of the Pan-STARRS 1 optical survey telescope (PS1). Here we combine
PS1 commissioning data with 2MASS to conduct a proper motion search
(0.1--2.0\arcsec/yr) for nearby T dwarfs, using optical+near-IR colors to
select objects for spectroscopic followup. The addition of sensitive far-red
optical imaging from PS1 enables discovery of nearby ultracool dwarfs that
cannot be identified from 2MASS data alone. We have searched 3700 sq. deg. of
PS1 y-band (0.95--1.03 um) data to y19.5 mag (AB) and J16.5
mag (Vega) and discovered four previously unknown bright T dwarfs. Three of the
objects (with spectral types T1.5, T2 and T3.5) have photometric distances
within 25 pc and were missed by previous 2MASS searches due to more restrictive
color selection criteria. The fourth object (spectral type T4.5) is more
distant than 25 pc and is only a single-band detection in 2MASS. We also
examine the potential for completing the census of nearby ultracool objects
with the PS1 3 survey.Comment: 25 pages, 8 figures, 5 table, AJ accepted, updated to comply with
Pan-STARRS1 naming conventio
A scale-dependent model to represent changing aerodynamic roughness of ablating glacier ice based on repeat topographic surveys
Turbulent fluxes make a substantial and growing contribution to the energy balance of ice surfaces globally, but are poorly constrained owing to challenges in estimating the aerodynamic roughness length (z0). Here, we used structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) surveys to make plot-scale 2-D and 3-D microtopographic estimations of z0 and upscale these to map z0 across an ablating mountain glacier. At plot scales, we found spatial variability in z0 estimates of over two orders of magnitude with unpredictable z0 trajectories, even when classified into ice surface types. TLS-derived surface roughness exhibited strong relationships with plot-scale SfM z0 estimates. At the glacier scale, a consistent increase in z0 of âŒ0.1 mm dâ1 was observed. Space-for-time substitution based on time since surface ice was exposed by snow melt confirmed this gradual increase in z0 over 60 d. These measurements permit us to propose a scale-dependent temporal z0 evolution model where unpredictable variability at the plot scale gives way to more predictable changes of z0 at the glacier scale. This model provides a critical step towards deriving spatially and temporally distributed representations of z0 that are currently lacking in the parameterisation of distributed glacier surface energy balance models
Contemporary carbon fluxes do not reflect the long-term carbon balance for an Atlantic blanket bog
Peatlands are one of the largest terrestrial stores of carbon. Carbon exchange in peatlands is often assessed solely by measurement of contemporary fluxes; however, these fluxes frequently indicate a much stronger sink strength than that measured by the rate of C accumulation in the peat profile over longer timescales. Here we compare profile-based measurements of C accumulation with the published net ecosystem C balance for the largest peatland area in Britain, the Flow Country of northern Scotland. We estimate the long-term rate of C accumulation to be 15.4 g C mâ2 yrâ1 for a site where a recent eddy covariance study has suggested contemporary C uptake more than six times greater (99.37 g C mâ2 yrâ1). Our estimate is supported by two further long-term C accumulation records from nearby sites which give comparable results. We demonstrate that a strong contemporary C sink strength may not equate to a strong long-term sink and explore reasons for this disparity. We recommend that contemporary C sequestration should be viewed in the context of the long-term ecological drivers, such as fires, ecohydrological feedbacks and the changing quality of litter inputs
HIP 38939B: A New Benchmark T Dwarf in the Galactic Plane Discovered with Pan-STARRS1
We report the discovery of a wide brown dwarf companion to the mildly
metal-poor ([Fe/H]=-0.24), low galactic latitude (b = 1.88 deg) K4V star HIP
38939. The companion was discovered by its common proper motion with the
primary and its red optical (Pan-STARRS1) and blue infrared (2MASS) colors. It
has a projected separation of 1630 AU and a near-infrared spectral type of
T4.5. As such it is one of only three known companions to a main sequence star
which have early/mid-T spectral types (the others being HN Peg B and eps Indi
B). Using chromospheric activity we estimate an age for the primary of
900{+1900,-600} Myr. This value is also in agreement with the age derived from
the star's weak ROSAT detection. Comparison with evolutionary models for this
age range indicates that HIP 38939B falls in the mass range 38+/-20 Mjup with
an effective temperature range of 1090+/-60 K. Fitting our spectrum with
atmospheric models gives a best fitting temperature of 1100 K. We include our
object in an analysis of the population of benchmark T dwarfs and find that
while older atmospheric models appeared to over-predict the temperature of the
coolest objects compared to evolutionary models, more recent atmospheric models
provide better agreement.Comment: ApJ, in press. Tiny changes incorporated into final version: added
analysis of likelihood of companionship, clarified the fitting proceedure,
and updated the benchmark analysis to highlight when the quoted evolutionary
models use the atmospheric model they are being compared to as a boundary
conditio
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Biological, clinical and population relevance of 95 loci for blood lipids.
Plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides are among the most important risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) and are targets for therapeutic intervention. We screened the genome for common variants associated with plasma lipids in >100,000 individuals of European ancestry. Here we report 95 significantly associated loci (P < 5 x 10(-8)), with 59 showing genome-wide significant association with lipid traits for the first time. The newly reported associations include single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near known lipid regulators (for example, CYP7A1, NPC1L1 and SCARB1) as well as in scores of loci not previously implicated in lipoprotein metabolism. The 95 loci contribute not only to normal variation in lipid traits but also to extreme lipid phenotypes and have an impact on lipid traits in three non-European populations (East Asians, South Asians and African Americans). Our results identify several novel loci associated with plasma lipids that are also associated with CAD. Finally, we validated three of the novel genes-GALNT2, PPP1R3B and TTC39B-with experiments in mouse models. Taken together, our findings provide the foundation to develop a broader biological understanding of lipoprotein metabolism and to identify new therapeutic opportunities for the prevention of CAD
Accretion of Planetary Material onto Host Stars
Accretion of planetary material onto host stars may occur throughout a star's
life. Especially prone to accretion, extrasolar planets in short-period orbits,
while relatively rare, constitute a significant fraction of the known
population, and these planets are subject to dynamical and atmospheric
influences that can drive significant mass loss. Theoretical models frame
expectations regarding the rates and extent of this planetary accretion. For
instance, tidal interactions between planets and stars may drive complete
orbital decay during the main sequence. Many planets that survive their stars'
main sequence lifetime will still be engulfed when the host stars become red
giant stars. There is some observational evidence supporting these predictions,
such as a dearth of close-in planets around fast stellar rotators, which is
consistent with tidal spin-up and planet accretion. There remains no clear
chemical evidence for pollution of the atmospheres of main sequence or red
giant stars by planetary materials, but a wealth of evidence points to active
accretion by white dwarfs. In this article, we review the current understanding
of accretion of planetary material, from the pre- to the post-main sequence and
beyond. The review begins with the astrophysical framework for that process and
then considers accretion during various phases of a host star's life, during
which the details of accretion vary, and the observational evidence for
accretion during these phases.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures (with some redacted), invited revie
Functional Heterogeneity of Embryonic Stem Cells Revealed through Translational Amplification of an Early Endodermal Transcript
Detection of low-level, lineage-specific transcription aids in the identification of lineage-primed populations of ES cells provides a new framework for pluripotency
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