535 research outputs found
Emulating Simulations of Cosmic Dawn for 21cm Power Spectrum Constraints on Cosmology, Reionization, and X-ray Heating
Current and upcoming radio interferometric experiments are aiming to make a
statistical characterization of the high-redshift 21cm fluctuation signal
spanning the hydrogen reionization and X-ray heating epochs of the universe.
However, connecting 21cm statistics to underlying physical parameters is
complicated by the theoretical challenge of modeling the relevant physics at
computational speeds quick enough to enable exploration of the high dimensional
and weakly constrained parameter space. In this work, we use machine learning
algorithms to build a fast emulator that mimics expensive simulations of the
21cm signal across a wide parameter space to high precision. We embed our
emulator within a Markov-Chain Monte Carlo framework, enabling it to explore
the posterior distribution over a large number of model parameters, including
those that govern the Epoch of Reionization, the Epoch of X-ray Heating, and
cosmology. As a worked example, we use our emulator to present an updated
parameter constraint forecast for the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array
experiment, showing that its characterization of a fiducial 21cm power spectrum
will considerably narrow the allowed parameter space of reionization and
heating parameters, and could help strengthen Planck's constraints on
. We provide both our generalized emulator code and its
implementation specifically for 21cm parameter constraints as publicly
available software.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures; accepted to Ap
Shuttle flight pressure instrumentation: Experience and lessons for the future
Flight data obtained from the Space Transportation System orbiter entries are processed and analyzed to assess the accuracy and performance of the Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) pressure measurement system. Selected pressure measurements are compared with available wind tunnel and computational data and are further used to perform air data analyses using the Shuttle Entry Air Data System (SEADS) computation technique. The results are compared to air data from other sources. These comparisons isolate and demonstrate the effects of the various limitations of the DFI pressure measurement system. The effects of these limitations on orbiter performance analyses are addressed, and instrumentation modifications are recommended to improve the accuracy of similar fight data systems in the future
Results from EDGES High-Band: II. Constraints on Parameters of Early Galaxies
We use the sky-average spectrum measured by EDGES High-Band ( MHz) to
constrain parameters of early galaxies independent of the absorption feature at
~MHz reported by Bowman et al. (2018). These parameters represent
traditional models of cosmic dawn and the epoch of reionization produced with
the 21cmFAST simulation code (Mesinger & Furlanetto 2007, Mesinger et al.
2011). The parameters considered are: (1) the UV ionizing efficiency (),
(2) minimum halo virial temperature hosting efficient star-forming galaxies
(), (3) integrated soft-band X-ray luminosity (), and (4) minimum X-ray energy escaping the first
galaxies (), corresponding to a typical H column
density for attenuation through the interstellar medium. The High-Band spectrum
disfavors high values of and , which correspond
to signals with late absorption troughs and sharp reionization transitions. It
also disfavors intermediate values of , which
produce relatively deep and narrow troughs within the band. Specifically, we
rule out
( C.L.). We then combine the EDGES High-Band data with constraints on the
electron scattering optical depth from Planck and the hydrogen neutral fraction
from high- quasars. This produces a lower degeneracy between and
than that reported in Greig & Mesinger (2017a) using
the Planck and quasar constraints alone. Our main result in this combined
analysis is the estimate ~~ ( C.L.). We leave for future work the evaluation of
~cm models using simultaneously data from EDGES Low- and High-Band.Comment: Accepted in Ap
Nectarine promotes longevity in Drosophila melanogaster.
Fruits containing high antioxidant capacities and other bioactivities are ideal for promoting longevity and health span. However, few fruits are known to improve the survival and health span in animals, let alone the underlying mechanisms. Here we investigate the effects of nectarine, a globally consumed fruit, on life span and health span in Drosophila melanogaster. Wild-type flies were fed standard, dietary restriction (DR), or high-fat diet supplemented with 0-4% nectarine extract. We measured life span, food intake, locomotor activity, fecundity, gene expression changes, and oxidative damage indicated by the level of 4-hydroxynonenal-protein adduct in these flies. We also measured life span, locomotor activity, and oxidative damage in sod1 mutant flies on the standard diet supplemented with 0-4% nectarine. Supplementation with 4% nectarine extended life span, increased fecundity, and decreased expression of some metabolic genes, including a key gluconeogenesis gene, PEPCK, and oxidative stress-response genes, including peroxiredoxins, in female wild-type flies fed the standard, DR, or high-fat diet. Nectarine reduced oxidative damage in wild-type females fed the high-fat diet. Moreover, nectarine improved the survival of and reduced oxidative damage in female sod1 mutant flies. Together, these findings suggest that nectarine promotes longevity and health span partly by modulating glucose metabolism and reducing oxidative damage
The Diverse Solar Phase Curves of Distant Icy Bodies. II. The Cause of the Opposition Surges and Their Correlations
We collect well-measured opposition surge properties for many icy bodies
orbiting the Sun (mostly from our own observations) plus for many icy moons,
resulting in a data base of surface and orbital properties for 52 icy bodies.
(1) We put forward four criteria for determining whether the surge is being
dominated by shadow hiding (SH) or coherent backscattering (CB) based on
readily measured quantities. The CB surge mechanism dominates if the surge is
color dependent, the phase curve is steeper than 0.04 mag/deg, the phase curve
shape matches the CB model of Hapke, or if the albedo is higher than roughly
40%. (2) We find that virtually all of our sample have their phase curves
dominated by CB at low phase angles. (3) We present a graphical method to
determine the Hapke surge parameters B_C0 and h_C. (4) The Kuiper Belt Objects
(KBOs) and Centaurs have relatively high surge amplitudes, B_C0 > ~0.5 and
widths with h_C ~ 3 deg. (5) We find highly significant but loose correlations
between surge properties and the colors, albedos, and inclinations. We
interpret this as young surfaces tending to have low surge slopes, high albedo,
and gray colors. (6) Nereid has its surface properties similar to other icy
moons and greatly different from KBOs and Centaurs, so we conclude that Nereid
is likely a nearly-ejected inner Neptunian moon rather than a captured KBO.Comment: Astronomical Journal, in press, 41 pages, 5 figure
First principles studies of a Xe atom adsorbed on Nb(110) surface
We study adsorption sites of a single Xe adatom on Nb(110) surface using a
density functional theory approach: The on-top site is the most favorable
position for the adsorption. We compare the binding features of the present
study to earlier studies of a Xe adatom on close-packed (111) surface of
face-centered cubic metals. The different features are attributed through a
microscopic picture to the less than half filled d-states in Nb.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figure
Emotional intelligence buffers the effect of physiological arousal on dishonesty
We studied the emotional processes that allow people to balance two competing desires: benefitting from dishonesty and keeping a positive self-image. We recorded physiological arousal (skin conductance and heart rate) during a computer card game in which participants could cheat and fail to report a certain card when presented on the screen to avoid losing their money. We found that higher skin conductance corresponded to lower cheating rates. Importantly, emotional intelligence regulated this effect; participants with high emotional intelligence were less affected by their physiological reactions than those with low emotional intelligence. As a result, they were more likely to profit from dishonesty. However, no interaction emerged between heart rate and emotional intelligence. We suggest that the ability to manage and control emotions can allow people to overcome the tension between doing right or wrong and license them to bend the rules
The prevalence and incidence of mental ill-health in adults with autism and intellectual disabilities
The prevalence, and incidence, of mental ill-health in adults with intellectual disabilities and autism were compared with the whole population with intellectual disabilities, and with controls, matched individually for age, gender, ability-level, and Down syndrome. Although the adults with autism had a higher point prevalence of problem behaviours compared with the whole adult population with intellectual disabilities, compared with individually matched controls there was no difference in prevalence, or incidence of either problem behaviours or other mental ill-health. Adults with autism who had problem behaviours were less likely to recover over a two-year period than were their matched controls. Apparent differences in rates of mental ill-health are accounted for by factors other than autism, including Down syndrome and ability level
Unforgettable film music: The role of emotion in episodic long-term memory for music
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Specific pieces of music can elicit strong emotions in listeners and, possibly in connection with these emotions, can be remembered even years later. However, episodic memory for emotional music compared with less emotional music has not yet been examined. We investigated whether emotional music is remembered better than less emotional music. Also, we examined the influence of musical structure on memory performance.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Recognition of 40 musical excerpts was investigated as a function of arousal, valence, and emotional intensity ratings of the music. In the first session the participants judged valence and arousal of the musical pieces. One week later, participants listened to the 40 old and 40 new musical excerpts randomly interspersed and were asked to make an old/new decision as well as to indicate arousal and valence of the pieces. Musical pieces that were rated as very positive were recognized significantly better.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Musical excerpts rated as very positive are remembered better. Valence seems to be an important modulator of episodic long-term memory for music. Evidently, strong emotions related to the musical experience facilitate memory formation and retrieval.</p
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