10 research outputs found
Spatial and Temporal Stability of Airglow Measured in the Meinel Band Window at 1191.3 nm
We report on the temporal and spatial fluctuations in the atmospheric
brightness in the narrow band between Meinel emission lines at 1191.3 nm using
an R=320 near-infrared instrument. We present the instrument design and
implementation, followed by a detailed analysis of data taken over the course
of a night from Table Mountain Observatory. The absolute sky brightness at this
wavelength is found to be 5330 +/- 30 nW m^-2 sr^-1, consistent with previous
measurements of the inter-band airglow at these wavelengths. This amplitude is
larger than simple models of the continuum component of the airglow emission at
these wavelengths, confirming that an extra emissive or scattering component is
required to explain the observations. We perform a detailed investigation of
the noise properties of the data and find no evidence for a noise component
associated with temporal instability in the inter-line continuum. This result
demonstrates that in several hours of ~100s integrations the noise performance
of the instrument does not appear to significantly degrade from expectations,
giving a proof of concept that near-IR line intensity mapping may be feasible
from ground-based sites.Comment: 15 figures, submitted to PAS
Science Impacts of the SPHEREx All-Sky Optical to Near-Infrared Spectral Survey: Report of a Community Workshop Examining Extragalactic, Galactic, Stellar and Planetary Science
SPHEREx is a proposed SMEX mission selected for Phase A. SPHEREx will carry out the first all-sky spectral survey and provide for every 6.2" pixel a spectra between 0.75 and 4.18 ÎŒm [with RâŒ41.4] and 4.18 and 5.00 ÎŒm [with RâŒ135]. The SPHEREx team has proposed three specific science investigations to be carried out with this unique data set: cosmic inflation, interstellar and circumstellar ices, and the extra-galactic background light. It is readily apparent, however, that many other questions in astrophysics and planetary sciences could be addressed with the SPHEREx data. The SPHEREx team convened a community workshop in February 2016, with the intent of enlisting the aid of a larger group of scientists in defining these questions. This paper summarizes the rich and varied menu of investigations that was laid out. It includes studies of the composition of main belt and Trojan/Greek asteroids; mapping the zodiacal light with unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution; identifying and studying very low-metallicity stars; improving stellar parameters in order to better characterize transiting exoplanets; studying aliphatic and aromatic carbon-bearing molecules in the interstellar medium; mapping star formation rates in nearby galaxies; determining the redshift of clusters of galaxies; identifying high redshift quasars over the full sky; and providing a NIR spectrum for most eROSITA X-ray sources. All of these investigations, and others not listed here, can be carried out with the nominal all-sky spectra to be produced by SPHEREx. In addition, the workshop defined enhanced data products and user tools which would facilitate some of these scientific studies. Finally, the workshop noted the high degrees of synergy between SPHEREx and a number of other current or forthcoming programs, including JWST, WFIRST, Euclid, GAIA, K2/Kepler, TESS, eROSITA and LSST
Science Impacts of the SPHEREx All-Sky Optical to Near-Infrared Spectral Survey: Report of a Community Workshop Examining Extragalactic, Galactic, Stellar and Planetary Science
SPHEREx is a proposed SMEX mission selected for Phase A. SPHEREx will carry out the first all-sky spectral survey and provide for every 6.2" pixel a spectra between 0.75 and 4.18 ÎŒm [with RâŒ41.4] and 4.18 and 5.00 ÎŒm [with RâŒ135]. The SPHEREx team has proposed three specific science investigations to be carried out with this unique data set: cosmic inflation, interstellar and circumstellar ices, and the extra-galactic background light. It is readily apparent, however, that many other questions in astrophysics and planetary sciences could be addressed with the SPHEREx data. The SPHEREx team convened a community workshop in February 2016, with the intent of enlisting the aid of a larger group of scientists in defining these questions. This paper summarizes the rich and varied menu of investigations that was laid out. It includes studies of the composition of main belt and Trojan/Greek asteroids; mapping the zodiacal light with unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution; identifying and studying very low-metallicity stars; improving stellar parameters in order to better characterize transiting exoplanets; studying aliphatic and aromatic carbon-bearing molecules in the interstellar medium; mapping star formation rates in nearby galaxies; determining the redshift of clusters of galaxies; identifying high redshift quasars over the full sky; and providing a NIR spectrum for most eROSITA X-ray sources. All of these investigations, and others not listed here, can be carried out with the nominal all-sky spectra to be produced by SPHEREx. In addition, the workshop defined enhanced data products and user tools which would facilitate some of these scientific studies. Finally, the workshop noted the high degrees of synergy between SPHEREx and a number of other current or forthcoming programs, including JWST, WFIRST, Euclid, GAIA, K2/Kepler, TESS, eROSITA and LSST
Science Impacts of the SPHEREx All-Sky Optical to Near-Infrared Spectral Survey: Report of a Community Workshop Examining Extragalactic, Galactic, Stellar and Planetary Science
SPHEREx is a proposed SMEX mission selected for Phase A. SPHEREx will carry
out the first all-sky spectral survey and provide for every 6.2" pixel a
spectra between 0.75 and 4.18 m [with R41.4] and 4.18 and 5.00
m [with R135]. The SPHEREx team has proposed three specific science
investigations to be carried out with this unique data set: cosmic inflation,
interstellar and circumstellar ices, and the extra-galactic background light.
It is readily apparent, however, that many other questions in astrophysics and
planetary sciences could be addressed with the SPHEREx data. The SPHEREx team
convened a community workshop in February 2016, with the intent of enlisting
the aid of a larger group of scientists in defining these questions. This paper
summarizes the rich and varied menu of investigations that was laid out. It
includes studies of the composition of main belt and Trojan/Greek asteroids;
mapping the zodiacal light with unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution;
identifying and studying very low-metallicity stars; improving stellar
parameters in order to better characterize transiting exoplanets; studying
aliphatic and aromatic carbon-bearing molecules in the interstellar medium;
mapping star formation rates in nearby galaxies; determining the redshift of
clusters of galaxies; identifying high redshift quasars over the full sky; and
providing a NIR spectrum for most eROSITA X-ray sources. All of these
investigations, and others not listed here, can be carried out with the nominal
all-sky spectra to be produced by SPHEREx. In addition, the workshop defined
enhanced data products and user tools which would facilitate some of these
scientific studies. Finally, the workshop noted the high degrees of synergy
between SPHEREx and a number of other current or forthcoming programs,
including JWST, WFIRST, Euclid, GAIA, K2/Kepler, TESS, eROSITA and LSST.Comment: Report of the First SPHEREx Community Workshop,
http://spherex.caltech.edu/Workshop.html , 84 pages, 28 figure
Recommended from our members
SPHEREx: NASA's near-infrared spectrophotometric all-sky survey
SPHEREx, the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and ices Explorer, is a NASA MIDEX mission planned for launch in 2024. SPHEREx will carry out the first all-sky spectral survey at wavelengths between 0.75”m and 5”m with spectral resolving power ~40 between 0.75 and 3.8”m and ~120 between 3.8 and 5”m At the end of its two-year mission, SPHEREx will provide 0.75-to-5”m spectra of each 6.â2 x 6.â2 pixel on the sky - 14 billion spectra in all. This paper updates an earlier description of SPHEREx presenting changes made during the mission's Preliminary Design Phase, including a discussion of instrument integration and test ow and a summary of the data processing, analysis, and distribution plans
Recommended from our members
SPHEREx: NASA's near-infrared spectrophotometric all-sky survey
SPHEREx, the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and ices Explorer, is a NASA MIDEX mission planned for launch in 2024. SPHEREx will carry out the first all-sky spectral survey at wavelengths between 0.75ÎŒm and 5ÎŒm with spectral resolving power âŒ40 between 0.75 and 3.8ÎŒm and âŒ120 between 3.8 and 5ÎŒm At the end of its two-year mission, SPHEREx will provide 0.75-to-5ÎŒm spectra of each 6."2x6."2 pixel on the sky - 14 billion spectra in all. This paper updates an earlier description of SPHEREx presenting changes made during the mission's Preliminary Design Phase, including a discussion of instrument integration and test ow and a summary of the data processing, analysis, and distribution plans.This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]
Recommended from our members
Science Impacts of the SPHEREx All-Sky Optical to Near-Infrared Spectral Survey: Report of a Community Workshop Examining Extragalactic, Galactic, Stellar and Planetary Science
SPHEREx is a proposed SMEX mission selected for Phase A. SPHEREx will carry
out the first all-sky spectral survey and provide for every 6.2" pixel a
spectra between 0.75 and 4.18 m [with R41.4] and 4.18 and 5.00
m [with R135]. The SPHEREx team has proposed three specific science
investigations to be carried out with this unique data set: cosmic inflation,
interstellar and circumstellar ices, and the extra-galactic background light.
It is readily apparent, however, that many other questions in astrophysics and
planetary sciences could be addressed with the SPHEREx data. The SPHEREx team
convened a community workshop in February 2016, with the intent of enlisting
the aid of a larger group of scientists in defining these questions. This paper
summarizes the rich and varied menu of investigations that was laid out. It
includes studies of the composition of main belt and Trojan/Greek asteroids;
mapping the zodiacal light with unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution;
identifying and studying very low-metallicity stars; improving stellar
parameters in order to better characterize transiting exoplanets; studying
aliphatic and aromatic carbon-bearing molecules in the interstellar medium;
mapping star formation rates in nearby galaxies; determining the redshift of
clusters of galaxies; identifying high redshift quasars over the full sky; and
providing a NIR spectrum for most eROSITA X-ray sources. All of these
investigations, and others not listed here, can be carried out with the nominal
all-sky spectra to be produced by SPHEREx. In addition, the workshop defined
enhanced data products and user tools which would facilitate some of these
scientific studies. Finally, the workshop noted the high degrees of synergy
between SPHEREx and a number of other current or forthcoming programs,
including JWST, WFIRST, Euclid, GAIA, K2/Kepler, TESS, eROSITA and LSST
Safety and efficacy of oral levosimendan in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (the REFALS study) : a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial
Background There is an urgent unmet need for new therapies in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In a clinical study with healthy volunteers, levosimendan, a calcium sensitiser, was shown to improve neuromechanical efficiency and contractile function of the human diaphragm. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral levosimendan in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, with a focus on respiratory function.
Methods The REFALS study is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial at 99 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis specialist centres in 14 countries worldwide. People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis were eligible for participation if they were at least 18 years of age and had a sitting slow vital capacity (SVC) of 60-90% predicted. Participants were randomly assigned (2:1) by interactive web-response system to receive either levosimendan or placebo. The capsules for oral administration were identical in appearance to maintain blinding of participants and investigators. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline in supine SVC at 12 weeks, assessed as the percentage of predicted normal sitting SVC. The key secondary endpoint was the combined assessment of function and survival (CAFS) up to 48 weeks. Analyses were done in the intention-to-treat population, comprising all participants who were randomly assigned. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03505021) and has been completed. An extension study (REFALS-ES; NCT03948178) has also been completed, but will be reported separately.
Findings Between June 21, 2018, and June 28, 2019, 871 people were screened for the study, of whom 496 were randomly assigned either levosimendan (n=329) or placebo (n=167). Participants were followed up between June 27, 2018 and June 26, 2020, for a median duration of 50.1 (IQR 37.5-51.1) weeks. The median duration of treatment was 47.9 (IQR 26.4-48.1) weeks. Change from baseline in supine SVC at 12 weeks was -6.73% with levosimendan and -6.99% with placebo, with no significant difference between the treatments (estimated treatment difference 0.26%, 95% CI -2.03 to 2.55, p=0.83). Similarly, at week 48, CAFS did not differ between treatment groups (least squares mean change from baseline 10.69, 95% CI -15.74 to 37.12; nominal p value=0.43). The most frequent adverse events were increased heart rate (106 [33%] of 326 receiving levosimendan vs 12 [7%] of 166 receiving placebo), fall (85 [26%] vs 48 [29%]), headache (93 [29%] vs 36 [22%]), and dyspnoea (59 [18%] vs 32 [19%]). 33 (10%) participants allocated levosimendan and 20 (12%) assigned placebo died during the trial, mainly due to respiratory failure or progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Interpretation Levosimendan was not superior to placebo in maintaining respiratory function in a broad population with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Although levosimendan was generally well tolerated, increased heart rate and headache occurred more frequently with levosimendan than with placebo. The possibility of a clinically relevant subgroup of responsive individuals requires further evaluation