83 research outputs found
The origin of the hot metal-poor gas in NGC1291: Testing the hypothesis of gas dynamics as the cause of the gas heating
In this paper we test the idea that the low-metallicity hot gas in the centre
of NGC 1291 is heated via a dynamical process. In this scenario, the gas from
the outer gas-rich ring loses energy through bar-driven shocks and falls to the
centre. Heating of the gas to X-ray temperatures comes from the high velocity
that it reaches ( 700 \kms) as it falls to the bottom of the potential
well. This would explain why the stellar metallicity in the bulge region is
around solar while the hot gas metallicity is around 0.1 solar. We carried out
an observational test to check this hypothesis by measuring the metallicity of
HII regions in the outer ring to check whether they matched the hot gas
metallicity. For this purpose we obtained medium resolution long slit
spectroscopy with FORS1 on the ESO VLT at Paranal and obtained the
metallicities using emission line ratio diagnostics. The obtained metallicities
are compatible with the bulge stellar metallicities but very different from the
hot-gas metallicity. However, when comparing the different time-scales, the gas
in the ring had time enough to get enriched through stellar processes,
therefore we cannot rule out the dynamical mechanism as the heating process of
the gas. However, the blue colours of the outer ring and the dust structures in
the bar region could suggest that the origin of the X-ray hot gas is due to the
infall of material from further out.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures. A&A accepte
The time resolution of the St. Petersburg paradox
A resolution of the St. Petersburg paradox is presented. In contrast to the
standard resolution, utility is not required. Instead, the time-average
performance of the lottery is computed. The final result can be phrased
mathematically identically to Daniel Bernoulli's resolution, which uses
logarithmic utility, but is derived using a conceptually different argument.
The advantage of the time resolution is the elimination of arbitrary utility
functions.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figur
Precise solution of few-body problems with stochastic variational method on correlated Gaussian basis
Precise variational solutions are given for problems involving diverse
fermionic and bosonic -body systems. The trial wave functions are chosen
to be combinations of correlated Gaussians, which are constructed from products
of the single-particle Gaussian wave packets through an integral
transformation, thereby facilitating fully analytical calculations of the
matrix elements. The nonlinear parameters of the trial function are chosen by a
stochastic technique. The method has proved very efficient, virtually exact,
and it seems feasible for any few-body bound-state problems emerging in nuclear
or atomic physics.Comment: 39 pages (revtex) + 3 figures (appended as compressed uuencoded .ps
files
Near-infrared spectroscopy of stellar populations in nearby spiral galaxies
We present high spatial resolution, medium spectral resolution near-infrared
(NIR) H- and K-band long-slit spectroscopy for a sample of 29 nearby (z < 0.01)
inactive spiral galaxies, to study the composition of their NIR stellar
populations. These spectra contain a wealth of diagnostic stellar absorption
lines, e.g. MgI 1.575 micron, SiI 1.588 micron, CO (6-3) 1.619 micron, MgI
1.711 micron, NaI 2.207 micron, CaI 2.263 micron and the 12CO and 13CO
bandheads longward of 2.29 micron. We use NIR absorption features to study the
stellar population and star formation properties of the spiral galaxies along
the Hubble sequence, and we produce the first high spatial resolution NIR
HK-band template spectra for low redshift spiral galaxies along the Hubble
sequence. These templates will find applications in a variety of galaxy
studies. The strength of the absorption lines depends on the luminosity and/or
temperature of stars and, therefore, spectral indices can be used to trace the
stellar population of galaxies. The entire sample testifies that the evolved
red stars completely dominate the NIR spectra, and that the hot young star
contribution is virtually nonexistent.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. Accepted to MNRAS. arXiv admin note: text
overlap with arXiv:astro-ph/040313
Methane, ammonia, and their irradiation products at the surface of an intermediate-size KBO? A portrait of Plutino (90482) Orcus
Orcus is an intermediate-size 1000km-scale Kuiper Belt Object in 3:2
mean-motion resonance with Neptune, in an orbit very similar to that of Pluto.
We present visible and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy obtained with
the Keck 10m-telescope and the Gemini 8m-telescope . We confirm the unambiguous
detection of crystalline water ice as well as absorption in the 2.2\mu m
region. Both in the visible and near-infrared Orcus' spectral properties appear
to be homogeneous over time (and probably rotation) at the resolution
available. From Hapke radiative transfer models involving intimate mixtures of
various ices we find for the first time that ammonium (NH+4) and traces of
ethane (C2 H6), which are most probably solar irradiation products of ammonia
and methane, and a mixture of methane and ammonia (diluted or not) are the best
candidates to improve the description of the data with respect to a simple
water ice mixture (Haumea type surface). The possible more subtle structure of
the 2.2\mu m band(s) should be investigated thoroughly in the future for Orcus
and other intermediate size Plutinos to better understand the methane and
ammonia chemistry at work, if any. We investigated the thermal history of Orcus
with a new 3D thermal evolution model. Simulations over 4.5 x109 yrs with an
input 10% porosity, bulk composition of 23% amorphous water ice and 77% dust,
and cold accretion show that even with the action of long-lived radiogenic
elements only, Orcus should have a melted core and most probably suffered a
cryovolcanic event in its history which brought large amounts of crystalline
ice to the surface. The presence of ammonia in the interior would strengthen
the melting process. The crystalline water ice possibly brought to the surface
by a past cryovolcanic event sbe detectable after several billion years despite
the irradiation eects, as demonstrated by recent laboratory experiments.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figure
A Phenomenological Analysis of Gluon Mass Effects in Inclusive Radiative Decays of the and $\Upsilon
The shapes of the inclusive photon spectra in the processes \Jp \to \gamma
X and \Up \to \gamma X have been analysed using all available experimental
data.
Relativistic, higher order QCD and gluon mass corrections were taken into
account in the fitted functions. Only on including the gluon mass corrections,
were consistent and acceptable fits obtained. Values of
GeV and GeV were found for the
effective gluon masses (corresponding to Born level diagrams) for the \Jp and
\Up respectively. The width ratios \Gamma(V \to {\rm hadrons})/\Gamma(V \to
\gamma+ {\rm hadrons}) V=\Jp, \Up were used to determine and . Values consistent with the current world
average were obtained only when gluon mass correction factors,
calculated using the fitted values of the effective gluon mass, were applied. A
gluon mass GeV, as suggested with these results, is consistent with
previous analytical theoretical calculations and independent phenomenological
estimates, as well as with a recent, more accurate, lattice calculation of the
gluon propagator in the infra-red region.Comment: 50 pages, 11 figures, 15 table
Reciprocity as a foundation of financial economics
This paper argues that the subsistence of the fundamental theorem of contemporary financial mathematics is the ethical concept ‘reciprocity’. The argument is based on identifying an equivalence between the contemporary, and ostensibly ‘value neutral’, Fundamental Theory of Asset Pricing with theories of mathematical probability that emerged in the seventeenth century in the context of the ethical assessment of commercial contracts in a framework of Aristotelian ethics. This observation, the main claim of the paper, is justified on the basis of results from the Ultimatum Game and is analysed within a framework of Pragmatic philosophy. The analysis leads to the explanatory hypothesis that markets are centres of communicative action with reciprocity as a rule of discourse. The purpose of the paper is to reorientate financial economics to emphasise the objectives of cooperation and social cohesion and to this end, we offer specific policy advice
The Main Belt Comets and ice in the Solar System
We review the evidence for buried ice in the asteroid belt; specifically the questions around the so-called Main Belt Comets (MBCs). We summarise the evidence for water throughout the Solar System, and describe the various methods for detecting it, including remote sensing from ultraviolet to radio wavelengths. We review progress in the first decade of study of MBCs, including observations, modelling of ice survival, and discussion on their origins. We then look at which methods will likely be most effective for further progress, including the key challenge of direct detection of (escaping) water in these bodies
Exendin-4 Improves Blood Glucose Control in Both Young and Aging Normal Non-Diabetic Mice, Possible Contribution of Beta Cell Independent Effects
Type 2 diabetes is highly prevalent in the elderly population. Glucagon like Peptide-1 mimetic such as exendin-4 augments post-prandial insulin secretion. However, the potential influence of aging on the therapeutic effects of this peptide has not been well studied. In this study, we examined the glucose regulatory effects of exendin-4 in mice with different ages.We treated 3-month and 20 to 22-month old C57/DBA mice with 10 nM/kg exendin-4 for 10 days with measurements of blood glucose and body weight. We performed OGTT and ITT to evaluate the glucose response and insulin sensitivity. Islet morphology and beta cell mass were measured by immuno-staining and beta cell proliferation was evaluated by BrdU incorporation and PCNA staining. Real-time PCR and western blot were used to measure protein changes in the liver tissue after exendin-4 treatment.Exendin-4 treatment improved glycemic control in both 3-month and 20 to 22-month old mice. In both groups of mice, the blood glucose lowering effect was independent of beta cell function as indicated by unchanged beta cell proliferation, insulin secretion or beta cell mass. Moreover, we found that exendin-4 treatment increased hepatic AKT and FOXO1 phosphorylation and inhibited glucose-6-phosphotase (G6P) and Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) expression in young mice, but this effect was attenuated in aging mice while the insulin sensitivity showed no change in the young group but significantly improved in aging mice.Based on these data, we conclude that the glucose lowering effect of exendin-4 in normal non-diabetic mice was not blunted by aging. We further showed that although there was slight difference in the glucose modulating mechanism of exendin-4 therapy in young and aged mice, the improved glucose control seemed uncorrelated with increased beta cell mass or insulin secretion
High-affinity CD8 variants enhance the sensitivity of pMHCI antigen recognition via low-affinity TCRs
The recognition of cell surface presented peptide-Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I (pMHCI) molecules by CD8 T-cells involves cooperative binding of the T-cell receptor (TCR) and CD8 co-receptor. CD8 T-cell antigen specificity is conferred by the TCR, whilst CD8 acts to stabilize the TCR/pMHCI complex and enhance T-cell antigen sensitivity. Earlier work has shown that the sensitivity of antigen recognition can be regulated in vitro by altering the strength of the pMHCI/CD8 interaction. Here, we characterize two CD8 variants with an enhanced affinity for MHCI that remains below the affinity threshold at which non-specific activation is observed. In model systems, expression of these CD8 variants preferentially enhanced pMHCI antigen recognition in the context of low-affinity TCRs. When combined with MHCI-restricted TCRs in primary CD4 T-cells, high affinity CD8 variants could improve T-cell functionality, without loss of antigen specificity. In primary CD8 T-cells, the introduction of high affinity CD8 enhanced T-cell activation compared to endogenous CD8 expression only, although we observed that the introduction of transgenic wild-type CD8 into primary CD8 T-cells also resulted in a similar T-cell effector function enhancement. Collectively, these findings could provide a generically applicable and immediately translatable strategy to augment the therapeutic efficacy of clinically relevant TCRs, which are already being delivered alongside wild-type CD8
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