22 research outputs found
The Radio - 2 mm Spectral Index of the Crab Nebula Measured with GISMO
We present results of 2 mm observations of the Crab Nebula, obtained using
the Goddard-IRAM Superconducting 2 Millimeter Observer (GISMO) bolometer camera
on the IRAM 30 m telescope. Additional 3.3 mm observations with the MUSTANG
bolometer array on the Green Bank Telescope are also presented. The integrated
2 mm flux density of the Crab Nebula provides no evidence for the emergence of
a second synchrotron component that has been proposed. It is consistent with
the radio power law spectrum, extrapolated up to a break frequency of
log(nu_{b} [GHz]) = 2.84 +/- 0.29 or nu_{b} = 695^{+651}_{-336} GHz. The Crab
Nebula is well-resolved by the ~16.7" beam (FWHM) of GISMO. Comparison to radio
data at comparable spatial resolution enables us to confirm significant spatial
variation of the spectral index between 21 cm and 2 mm. The main effect is a
spectral flattening in the inner region of the Crab Nebula, correlated with the
toroidal structure at the center of the nebula that is prominent in the near-IR
through X-ray regime.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Ap
The Relation Between the Surface Brightness and the Diameter for Galactic Supernova Remnants
In this work, we have constructed a relation between the surface brightness
() and diameter (D) of Galactic C- and S-type supernova remnants
(SNRs). In order to calibrate the -D dependence, we have carefully
examined some intrinsic (e.g. explosion energy) and extrinsic (e.g. density of
the ambient medium) properties of the remnants and, taking into account also
the distance values given in the literature, we have adopted distances for some
of the SNRs which have relatively more reliable distance values. These
calibrator SNRs are all C- and S-type SNRs, i.e. F-type SNRs (and S-type SNR
Cas A which has an exceptionally high surface brightness) are excluded. The
Sigma-D relation has 2 slopes with a turning point at D=36.5 pc: (at 1
GHz)=8.4 D
WmHzster (for
WmHzster and D36.5 pc) and (at 1
GHz)=2.7 10 D
WmHzster (for
WmHzster and D36.5 pc). We discussed the theoretical
basis for the -D dependence and particularly the reasons for the change
in slope of the relation were stated. Added to this, we have shown the
dependence between the radio luminosity and the diameter which seems to have a
slope close to zero up to about D=36.5 pc. We have also adopted distance and
diameter values for all of the observed Galactic SNRs by examining all the
available distance values presented in the literature together with the
distances found from our -D relation.Comment: 45 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomical and
Astrophysical Transaction
Human Analogue Safe Haven Effect of the Owner : Behavioural and Heart Rate Response to Stressful Social Stimuli in Dogs
The secure base and safe haven effects of the attachment figure are central features of the human attachment theory. Recently, conclusive evidence for human analogue attachment behaviours in dogs has been provided, however, the owner’s security-providing role in danger has not been directly supported. We investigated the relationship between the behavioural and cardiac response in dogs (N = 30) while being approached by a threatening stranger in separation vs. in the presence of the owner, presented in a balanced order. Non-invasive telemetric measures of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) data during the threatening approaches was compared to periods before and after the encounters. Dogs that showed distress vocalisation during separation (N = 18) and that growled or barked at the stranger during the threatening approach (N = 17) were defined as behaviourally reactive in the given situation. While characteristic stress vocalisations were emitted during separations, the absence of the owner did not have an effect on dogs’ mean HR, but significantly increased the HRV. The threatening approach increased dogs’ mean HR, with a parallel decrease in the HRV, particularly in dogs that were behaviourally reactive to the encounter. Importantly, the HR increase was significantly less pronounced when dogs faced the stranger in the presence of the owner. Moreover, the test order, whether the dog encountered the stranger first with or without its owner, also proved important: HR increase associated with the encounter in separation seemed to be attenuated in dogs that faced the stranger first in the presence of their owner. We provided evidence for human analogue safe haven effect of the owner in a potentially dangerous situation. Similarly to parents of infants, owners can provide a buffer against stress in dogs, which can even reduce the effect of a subsequent encounter with the same threatening stimuli later when the owner is not present
Six Years of Chandra Observations of Supernova Remnants
We present a review of the first six years of Chandra X-ray Observatory
observations of supernova remnants. From the official "first-light" observation
of Cassiopeia A that revealed for the first time the compact remnant of the
explosion, to the recent million-second spectrally-resolved observation that
revealed new details of the stellar composition and dynamics of the original
explosion, Chandra observations have provided new insights into the supernova
phenomenon. We present an admittedly biased overview of six years of these
observations, highlighting new discoveries made possible by Chandra's unique
capabilities.Comment: 82 pages, 28 figures, for the book Astrophysics Update
Behavioural indicators of welfare in farmed fish
Behaviour represents a reaction to the environment as fish perceive it and is therefore a key element of fish welfare. This review summarises the main findings on how behavioural changes have been used to assess welfare in farmed fish, using both functional and feeling-based approaches. Changes in foraging behaviour, ventilatory activity, aggression, individual and group swimming behaviour, stereotypic and abnormal behaviour have been linked with acute and chronic stressors in aquaculture and can therefore be regarded as likely indicators of poor welfare. On the contrary, measurements of exploratory behaviour, feed anticipatory activity and reward-related operant behaviour are beginning to be considered as indicators of positive emotions and welfare in fish. Despite the lack of scientific agreement about the existence of sentience in fish, the possibility that they are capable of both positive and negative emotions may contribute to the development of new strategies (e. g. environmental enrichment) to promote good welfare. Numerous studies that use behavioural indicators of welfare show that behavioural changes can be interpreted as either good or poor welfare depending on the fish species. It is therefore essential to understand the species-specific biology before drawing any conclusions in relation to welfare. In addition, different individuals within the same species may exhibit divergent coping strategies towards stressors, and what is tolerated by some individuals may be detrimental to others. Therefore, the assessment of welfare in a few individuals may not represent the average welfare of a group and vice versa. This underlines the need to develop on-farm, operational behavioural welfare indicators that can be easily used to assess not only the individual welfare but also the welfare of the whole group (e. g. spatial distribution). With the ongoing development of video technology and image processing, the on-farm surveillance of behaviour may in the near future represent a low-cost, noninvasive tool to assess the welfare of farmed fish.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal [SFRH/BPD/42015/2007]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Behavioural responses to unexpected changes in reward quality
Successive negative contrast (SNC) effects are changes in anticipatory or consummatory behaviour
when animals unexpectedly receive a lower value reward than they have received previously. SNC
effects are often assumed to reflect frustration and appear to be influenced by background affective
state. However, alternative explanations of SNC, such as the functional-search hypothesis, do not
necessarily imply an aversive affective state. We tested 18 dogs in a SNC paradigm using a patch
foraging task. Dogs were tested in two conditions, once with the low value reward in all of five trials
(unshifted) and once when reward value was altered between high and low (shifted). Following a
reward downshift, subjects showed a SNC effect by switching significantly more often between
patches compared to the unshifted condition. However, approach latency, foraging time and quantity
consumed did not differ between conditions, suggesting non-affective functional search behaviour
rather than frustration. There was no relationship between strength of SNC and anxiety-related
behaviours as measured in a novel object test and a personality questionnaire (C-BARQ). However,
associations with the C-BARQ scores for Trainability and Stranger directed aggression suggest a
possible link with behavioural flexibility and coping style. While reward quality clearly affects incentive
motivation, the relationship between SNC, frustration and background affective state requires further
exploration
Hourglass-shaped dendrimers on surfaces:A comparison of different scanning-tunneling-microscopy approaches
Large molecules adsorbed on surfaces can be analyzed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) under various environmental conditions: on a dry surface in air or vacuum, and at the solid-liquid interface. However, can measurements under dissimilar conditions be compared, e.g., when sample A was studied at the solid-liquid interface and sample B in a dry environment? Only rarely can the same substance be examined with more than one approach. since completely different set-up and preparations are necessary. Furthermore, few substances are suitable for several methods of sample preparation and characterization. We have chosen a large, flexible. nonplanar molecule. namely an alkoxy-substituted second-generation dendritic compound with a chiral core unit, which is peculiar for its 'hourglass' conformation, The assembly properties have been explored by STM both in solution-cast self-organized monolayers (SOMs) and multilayer films, as well as at the solid-liquid interface, The complexity and limits of the three approaches applied to our hourglass-shaped dendritic compound are discussed. Depending on the approach and environmental conditions, several quality levels of image resolution could be achieved measurements carried out at low temperatures led to highest resolution on the aromatic parts of the molecule. A comparison of equally sized images obtained under these varying conditions reveals not only different packing arrangements. but also spots of unlike shape. Therefore, when the approach, preparation, and/or environmental conditions are not the same, STM measurements of different compounds have to he compared with greatest care
High-energy particles in the wind nebula of pulsar B1509-58 as seen by INTEGRAL
4 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in ApjWe present observations with the INTEGRAL/IBIS telescope of the wind nebula powered by the young pulsar B1509-58 and we discuss the spatial and spectral properties of the unpulsed emission in the 20-200 keV energy band. The source extension and orientation along the northwest-southeast axis corresponds to the jet emission seen at keV and TeV energies. The hard X-ray spectrum is consistent with the earlier Beppo-SAX measurements. It follows a power law with a photon index alpha = -2.12 pm 0.05 up to 160 keV. A possible break at this energy is found at the 2.9 sigma confidence level. The 0.1-100 keV data are consistent with synchrotron aging of pairs in the jet and yield a magnetic field strength of 22-33 muG for a bulk velocity of 0.3-0.5c. The synchrotron cut-off energy thus corresponds to a maximum electron energy of 400-730 TeV