2,122 research outputs found
The Wyoming Survey for H-alpha. III. H-alpha Luminosity Functions at z ~ 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, and 0.40
The Wyoming Survey for H-alpha, or WySH, is a large-area, ground-based
imaging survey for H-alpha-emitting galaxies at redshifts of z ~ 0.16, 0.24,
0.32, and 0.40. The survey spans up to four square degrees in a set of fields
of low Galactic cirrus emission, using twin narrowband filters at each epoch
for improved stellar continuum subtraction. H-alpha luminosity functions are
presented for each Delta(z) ~ 0.02 epoch based on a total of nearly 1200
galaxies. These data clearly show an evolution with lookback time in the
volume-averaged cosmic star formation rate. Integrals of Schechter fits to the
incompleteness- and extinction-corrected H-alpha luminosity functions indicate
star formation rates per co-moving volume of 0.010, 0.013, 0.020, 0.022 h_70
M_sun yr^{-1} Mpc^{-3} at z ~ 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, and 0.40, respectively.
Statistical and systematic measurement uncertainties combined are on the order
of 25% while the effects of cosmic variance are at the 20% level. The bulk of
this evolution is driven by changes in the characteristic luminosity L_* of the
H-alpha luminosity functions, with L_* for the earlier two epochs being a
factor of two larger than L_* at the latter two epochs; it is more difficult
with this data set to decipher systematic evolutionary differences in the
luminosity function amplitude and faint-end slope. Coupling these results with
a comprehensive compilation of results from the literature on emission line
surveys, the evolution in the cosmic star formation rate density over 0 < z <
1.5 is measured to be rho_dot_SFR(z) = rho_dot_SFR(0) (1+z)^{3.4+/-0.4}.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
The Globular Cluster System of M60 (NGC 4649). I. CFHT MOS Spectroscopy and Database
We present the measurement of radial velocities for globular clusters in M60,
giant elliptical galaxy in the Virgo cluster. Target globular cluster
candidates were selected using the Washington photometry based on the deep
16\arcmin \times 16\arcmin images taken at the KPNO 4m and using the
photometry derived from the HST/WFPC2 archive images. The spectra of the target
objects were obtained using the Multi-Object Spectrograph (MOS) at the
Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). We have measured the radial velocity for
111 objects in the field of M60: 93 globular clusters (72 blue globular
clusters with and 21 red globular clusters with
), 11 foreground stars, 6 small galaxies, and the nucleus of
M60. The measured velocities of the 93 globular clusters range from
km s to km s, with a mean value of
km s, which is in good agreement with the velocity of the nucleus of M60
( km s). Combining our results with data in the
literature, we present a master catalog of radial velocities for 121 globular
clusters in M60. The velocity dispersion of the globular clusters in the master
catalog is found to be km s for the entire sample,
km s for 83 blue globular clusters, and
km s for 38 red globular clusters.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figures. To appear in Ap
Host galaxy colour gradients and accretion disc obscuration in AEGIS z~1 X-ray-selected active galactic nuclei
We describe the effect of AGN light on host galaxy optical and UV-optical
colours, as determined from X-ray-selected AGN host galaxies at z~1, and
compare the AGN host galaxy colours to those of a control sample matched to the
AGN sample in both redshift and stellar mass. We identify as X-ray-selected
AGNs 8.7 +4/-3 per cent of the red-sequence control galaxies, 9.8 +/-3 per cent
of the blue-cloud control galaxies, and 14.7 +4/-3 per cent of the green-valley
control galaxies. The nuclear colours of AGN hosts are generally bluer than
their outer colours, while the control galaxies exhibit redder nuclei. AGNs in
blue-cloud host galaxies experience less X-ray obscuration, while AGNs in
red-sequence hosts have more, which is the reverse of what is expected from
general considerations of the interstellar medium. Outer and integrated colours
of AGN hosts generally agree with the control galaxies, regardless of X-ray
obscuration, but the nuclear colours of unobscured AGNs are typically much
bluer, especially for X-ray luminous objects. Visible point sources are seen in
many of these, indicating that the nuclear colours have been contaminated by
AGN light and that obscuration of the X-ray radiation and visible light are
therefore highly correlated. Red AGN hosts are typically slightly bluer than
red-sequence control galaxies, which suggests that their stellar populations
are slightly younger. We compare these colour data to current models of AGN
formation. The unexpected trend of less X-ray obscuration in blue-cloud
galaxies and more in red-sequence galaxies is problematic for all AGN feedback
models, in which gas and dust is thought to be removed as star formation shuts
down. [See paper for full abstract.]Comment: Accepted to MNRAS. 19 pages, 14 figures, 1 table; table, four figures
(4, 6, 11, 13) revised to reflect corrected values for one of our objects;
results unchange
Phase II Trial of IL-12 Plasmid Transfection and PD-1 Blockade in Immunologically Quiescent Melanoma.
PurposeTumors with low frequencies of checkpoint positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (cpTIL) have a low likelihood of response to PD-1 blockade. We conducted a prospective multicenter phase II trial of intratumoral plasmid IL-12 (tavokinogene telseplasmid; "tavo") electroporation combined with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced melanoma with low frequencies of checkpoint positive cytotoxic lymphocytes (cpCTL).Patients and methodsTavo was administered intratumorally days 1, 5, and 8 every 6 weeks while pembrolizumab (200 mg, i.v.) was administered every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) by RECIST, secondary endpoints included duration of response, overall survival and progression-free survival. Toxicity was evaluated by the CTCAE v4. Extensive correlative analysis was done.ResultsThe combination of tavo and pembrolizumab was well tolerated with adverse events similar to those previously reported with pembrolizumab alone. Patients had a 41% ORR (n = 22, RECIST 1.1) with 36% complete responses. Correlative analysis showed that the combination enhanced immune infiltration and sustained the IL-12/IFNγ feed-forward cycle, driving intratumoral cross-presenting dendritic cell subsets with increased TILs, emerging T cell receptor clones and, ultimately, systemic cellular immune responses.ConclusionsThe combination of tavo and pembrolizumab was associated with a higher than expected response rate in this poorly immunogenic population. No new or unexpected toxicities were observed. Correlative analysis showed T cell infiltration with enhanced immunity paralleling the clinical activity in low cpCTL tumors
Ray and wave scattering in smoothly curved thin shell cylindrical ridges
We propose wave and ray approaches for modelling mid- and high- frequency structural vibrations through smoothed joints on thin shell cylindrical ridges. The models both emerge from a simplified classical shell theory setting. The ray model is analysed via an appropriate phase-plane analysis, from which the fixed points can be interpreted in terms of the reflection and transmission properties. The corresponding full wave scattering model is studied using the finite difference method to investigate the scattering properties of an incident plane wave. Through both models we uncover the scattering properties of smoothed joints in the interesting mid-frequency region close to the ring frequency, where there is a qualitative change in the dynamics from anisotropic to simple geodesic propagation
Evidence of multi-phase Cretaceous to Quaternary alkaline magmatism on Tore-Madeira Rise and neighbouring seamounts from 40Ar/39Ar ages.
The Tore-Madeira Rise is a seamount chain located 300 km off the Portugal and Morocco coastsattributed to hotspot activity. U-Pb ages of lavas from the northern and central Tore-Madeira Rise rangebetween 103 and 80.5 Ma whereas 40Ar/39Ar ages from the central and southern Tore-Madeira Rise yield ages ranging from 94.5 to 0.5 Ma. We performed new 40Ar/39Ar measurements to better understand the geodynamic history of the Tore-Madeira Rise. Plagioclase ages from the Bikini Bottom and Torillon seamounts suggest ages of .90 Ma and >60 Ma, respectively. Amphiboles from the Seine seamount yield an age of 24.0 +- 0.8 Ma. Biotites from lavas of the Ashton seamount give ages of 97.4 +- 1.1 Ma and 97.8 +- 1.1 Ma. The geochronological database available on the Tore-Madeira Rise has been filtered on statistical criteria to eliminate unreliable ages. The resulting database reveals three pulses of alkaline magmatism on the Tore-Madeira Rise at 103-80.5 Ma, at c. 68 Ma and between 30 Ma and the present. The magmatism was continuous from 103 Ma until c. 68 Ma and from c. 30 Ma until the present on the Tore-Madeira Rise, the surrounding seamounts and the Portugal coast. We suggest that the space-time distribution of this magmatism results from the interaction between a wide thermal anomaly emitting magmatic pulses and the complex motion of the Iberian plate
Dilution of seawater affects the Ca2 + transport in the outer mantle epithelium of crassostrea gigas
Varying salinities of coastal waters are likely to affect the physiology and ion transport capabilities of calcifying marine organisms such as bivalves. To investigate the physiological effect of decreased environmental salinity in bivalves, adult oysters (Crassostrea gigas) were exposed for 14 days to 50% seawater (14) and the effects on mantle ion transport, electrophysiology and the expression of Ca2+ transporters and channels relative to animals maintained in full strength sea water (28) was evaluated. Exposure of oysters to a salinity of 14 decreased the active mantle transepithelial ion transport and specifically affected Ca2+ transfer. Gene expression of the Na+/K+-ATPase and the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase was decreased whereas the expression of the T-type voltage-gated Ca channel and the Na+/Ca2+-exchanger increased compared to animals maintained in full SW. The results indicate that decreased environmental salinities will most likely affect not only osmoregulation but also bivalve biomineralization and shell formation.Funding Agency
European Union (EU)
605051
Swedish Mariculture Research Center, SWEMARC, University of Gothenburg
Herbert & Karin Jacobssons Stiftelse
15/h17
Helge Ax:son Johnsons Stiftelse
F18-0128
Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology
UID/Multi/04326/2019
Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology
UID/Multi/04326/2019
FCT, under the "Norma Transitoria"
DL57/2016/CP1361/CT0020
DL57/2016/CP1361/CT0011info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Observational constraints on the physics behind the evolution of AGN since z ~ 1
We explore the evolution with redshift of the rest-frame colours and space
densities of AGN hosts (relative to normal galaxies) to shed light on the
dominant mechanism that triggers accretion onto supermassive black holes as a
function of cosmic time. Data from serendipitous wide-area XMM surveys of the
SDSS footprint (XMM/SDSS, Needles in the Haystack survey) are combined with
Chandra deep observations in the AEGIS, GOODS-North and GOODS-South to compile
uniformly selected samples of moderate luminosity X-ray AGN [L_X(2-10keV) =
1e41-1e44erg/s] at redshifts 0.1, 0.3 and 0.8. It is found that the fraction of
AGN hosted by red versus blue galaxies does not change with redshift. Also, the
X-ray luminosity density associated with either red or blue AGN hosts remains
nearly constant since z=0.8. X-ray AGN represent a roughly fixed fraction of
the space density of galaxies of given optical luminosity at all redshifts
probed by our samples. In contrast the fraction of X-ray AGN among galaxies of
a given stellar mass decreases with decreasing redshift. These findings suggest
that the same process or combination of processes for fueling supermassive
black holes are in operation in the last 5 Gyrs of cosmic time. The data are
consistent with a picture in which the drop of the accretion power during that
period (1dex since z=0.8) is related to the decline of the space density of
available AGN hosts, as a result of the evolution of the specific
star-formation rate of the overall galaxy population. Scenarios which attribute
the evolution of moderate luminosity AGN since z \approx 1 to changes in the
suppermassive black hole accretion mode are not favored by our results.Comment: MNRAS accepted, 15 pages, 10 figure
Host galaxy morphologies of X-ray selected AGN: assessing the significance of different black hole fueling mechanisms to the accretion density of the Universe at z~1
We use morphological information of X-ray selected AGN hosts to set limits on
the fraction of the accretion density of the Universe at z~1 that is not likely
to be associated with major mergers. Deep X-ray observations are combined with
high resolution optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope in the AEGIS,
GOODS North and GOODS South fields to explore the morphological breakdown of
X-ray sources in the redshift interval 0.5<z<1.3. The sample is split into
disks, early-type bulge dominated galaxies, peculiar systems and point-sources
in which the nuclear source outshines the host galaxy. The X-ray luminosity
function and luminosity density of AGN at z~1 are then calculated as a function
of morphological type. We find that disk-dominated hosts contribute 30\pm9 per
cent to the total AGN space density and 23\pm6 per cent to the luminosity
density at z~1. We argue that AGN in disk galaxies are most likely fueled not
by major merger events but by minor interactions or internal instabilities. We
find evidence that these mechanisms may be more efficient in producing luminous
AGN (L_X>1e44 erg/s) compared to predictions for the stochastic fueling of
massive black holes in disk galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
Constraining dark matter halo properties using lensed SNLS supernovae
This paper exploits the gravitational magnification of SNe Ia to measure
properties of dark matter haloes. The magnification of individual SNe Ia can be
computed using observed properties of foreground galaxies and dark matter halo
models. We model the dark matter haloes of the galaxies as truncated singular
isothermal spheres with velocity dispersion and truncation radius obeying
luminosity dependent scaling laws. A homogeneously selected sample of 175 SNe
Ia from the first 3-years of the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS) in the redshift
range 0.2 < z < 1 is used to constrain models of the dark matter haloes
associated with foreground galaxies. The best-fitting velocity dispersion
scaling law agrees well with galaxy-galaxy lensing measurements. We further
find that the normalisation of the velocity dispersion of passive and star
forming galaxies are consistent with empirical Faber-Jackson and Tully-Fisher
relations, respectively. If we make no assumption on the normalisation of these
relations, we find that the data prefer gravitational lensing at the 92 per
cent confidence level. Using recent models of dust extinction we deduce that
the impact of this effect on our results is very small. We also investigate the
brightness scatter of SNe Ia due to gravitational lensing. The gravitational
lensing scatter is approximately proportional to the SN Ia redshift. We find
the constant of proportionality to be B = 0.055 +0.039 -0.041 mag (B < 0.12 mag
at the 95 per cent confidence level). If this model is correct, the
contribution from lensing to the intrinsic brightness scatter of SNe Ia is
small for the SNLS sample.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
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