1,120 research outputs found
The observed chemical structure of L1544
Prior to star formation, pre-stellar cores accumulate matter towards the
centre. As a consequence, their central density increases while the temperature
decreases. Understanding the evolution of the chemistry and physics in this
early phase is crucial to study the processes governing the formation of a
star. We aim at studying the chemical differentiation of a prototypical
pre-stellar core, L1544, by detailed molecular maps. In contrast with single
pointing observations, we performed a deep study on the dependencies of
chemistry on physical and external conditions. We present the emission maps of
39 different molecular transitions belonging to 22 different molecules in the
central 6.25 arcmin of L1544. We classified our sample in five families,
depending on the location of their emission peaks within the core. Furthermore,
to systematically study the correlations among different molecules, we have
performed the principal component analysis (PCA) on the integrated emission
maps. The PCA allows us to reduce the amount of variables in our dataset.
Finally, we compare the maps of the first three principal components with the
H column density map, and the T map of the core. The results of
our qualitative analysis is the classification of the molecules in our dataset
in the following groups: (i) the -CH family (carbon chain
molecules), (ii) the dust peak family (nitrogen-bearing species), (iii) the
methanol peak family (oxygen-bearing molecules), (iv) the HNCO peak family
(HNCO, propyne and its deuterated isotopologues). Only HCO and
CS do not belong to any of the above mentioned groups. The principal
component maps allow us to confirm the (anti-)correlations among different
families that were described in a first qualitative analysis, but also points
out the correlation that could not be inferred before.Comment: 29 pages, 19 figures, 2 appendices, accepted for publication in A&A,
arXiv abstract has been slightly modifie
Rotational spectroscopy of the HCCO and DCCO radicals in the millimeter and submillimeter range
The ketenyl radical, HCCO, has recently been detected in the ISM for the
first time. Further astronomical detections of HCCO will help us understand its
gas-grain chemistry, and subsequently revise the oxygen-bearing chemistry
towards dark clouds. Moreover, its deuterated counterpart, DCCO, has never been
observed in the ISM. HCCO and DCCO still lack a broad spectroscopic
investigation, although they exhibit a significant astrophysical relevance. In
this work we aim to measure the pure rotational spectra of the ground state of
HCCO and DCCO in the millimeter and submillimeter region, considerably
extending the frequency range covered by previous studies. The spectral
acquisition was performed using a frequency-modulation absorption spectrometer
between 170 and 650 GHz. The radicals were produced in a low-density plasma
generated from a select mixture of gaseous precursors. For each isotopologue we
were able to detect and assign more than 100 rotational lines. The new lines
have significantly enhanced the previous data set allowing the determination of
highly precise rotational and centrifugal distortion parameters. In our
analysis we have taken into account the interaction between the ground
electronic state and a low-lying excited state (Renner-Teller pair) which
enables the prediction and assignment of rotational transitions with up
to 4. The present set of spectroscopic parameters provides highly accurate,
millimeter and submillimeter rest-frequencies of HCCO and DCCO for future
astronomical observations. We also show that towards the pre-stellar core
L1544, ketenyl peaks in the region where - peaks,
suggesting that HCCO follows a predominant hydrocarbon chemistry, as already
proposed by recent gas-grain chemical models
Joint constraints on the lepton asymmetry of the Universe and neutrino mass from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
We use the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) data on the spectrum
of cosmic microwave background anisotropies to put constraints on the present
amount of lepton asymmetry L, parameterized by the dimensionless chemical
potential (also called degeneracy parameter) xi and on the effective number of
relativistic particle species. We assume a flat cosmological model with three
thermally distributed neutrino species having all the same mass and chemical
potential, plus an additional amount of effectively massless exotic particle
species. The extra energy density associated to these species is parameterized
through an effective number of additional species DeltaN_oth$. We find that
0<|xi|<1.1 and correspondingly 0<|L|<0.9 at 2sigma, so that WMAP data alone
cannot firmly rule out scenarios with a large lepton number; moreover, a small
preference for this kind of scenarios is actually found. We also discuss the
effect of the asymmetry on the estimation of other parameters and in particular
of the neutrino mass. In the case of perfect lepton symmetry, we obtain the
standard results. When the amount of asymmetry is left free, we find \sum m_nu
< 3.6 eV at 2sigma. Finally we study how the determination of |L| is affected
by the assumptions on DeltaN_oth. We find that lower values of the extra energy
density allow for larger values of the lepton asymmetry, effectively ruling
out, at 2sigma level, lepton symmetric models with DeltaN_oth=0.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures. Uses RevTex4. Minor changes made to match
published versio
Mapping deuterated methanol toward L1544: I. Deuterium fraction and comparison with modeling
The study of deuteration in pre-stellar cores is important to understand the
physical and chemical initial conditions in the process of star formation. In
particular, observations toward pre-stellar cores of methanol and deuterated
methanol, solely formed on the surface of dust grains, may provide useful
insights on surface processes at low temperatures. Here we analyze maps of CO,
methanol, formaldehyde and their deuterated isotopologues toward a well-known
pre-stellar core. This study allows us to test current gas-dust chemical
models. Single-dish observations of CHOH, CHDOH, HCO,
H_2\,^{13}CO, HDCO, DCO and CO toward the prototypical pre-stellar
core L1544 were performed at the IRAM 30 m telescope. We analyze their column
densities, distributions, and compare these observations with gas-grain
chemical models. The maximum deuterium fraction derived for methanol is
[CHDOH]/[CHOH] 0.080.02, while the measured deuterium
fractions of formaldehyde at the dust peak are [HDCO]/[HCO]
0.030.02, [DCO]/[HCO] 0.040.03 and [DCO]/[HDCO]
1.20.3. Observations differ significantly from the predictions of
models, finding discrepancies between a factor of 10 and a factor of 100 in
most cases. It is clear though that to efficiently produce methanol on the
surface of dust grains, quantum tunneling diffusion of H atoms must be switched
on. It also appears that the currently adopted reactive desorption efficiency
of methanol is overestimated and/or that abstraction reactions play an
important role. More laboratory work is needed to shed light on the chemistry
of methanol, an important precursor of complex organic molecules in space.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
Abnormal Pain Sensation in Mice Lacking the Prokineticin Receptor PKR2: Interaction of PKR2 with Transient Receptor Potential TRPV1 and TRPA1
The amphibian Bv8 and the mammalian prokineticin 1 (PROK1) and 2 (PROK2) are new chemokine-like protein ligands acting on two G protein-coupled receptors, prokineticin receptor 1 (PKR1) and 2 (PKR2), participating to the mediation of diverse physiological and pathological processes. Prokineticins (PKs), specifically activating the prokineticin receptors (PKRs) located in several areas of the central and peripheral nervous system associated with pain, play a fundamental role in nociception. In this paper, to improve the understanding of the prokineticin system in the neurobiology of pain, we investigated the role of PKR2 in pain perception using pkr2 gene-deficient mice. We observed that, compared to wildtype, pkr2-null mice were more resistant to nociceptive sensitization to temperatures ranging from 46 to 48 \ub0C, to capsaicin and to protons, highlighting a positive interaction between PKR2 and the non-selective cation channels TRPV1. Moreover, PKR2 knock-out mice showed reduced nociceptive response to cold temperature (4 \ub0C) and to mustard oil-induced inflammatory hyperalgesia, suggesting a functional interaction between PKR2 and transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 ion (TRPA1) channels. This notion was supported by experiments in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) cultures from pkr1 and\u2013pkr2-null mice, demonstrating that the percentage of Bv8-responsive DRG neurons which were also responsive to mustard oil was much higher in PKR1 12/ 12 than in PKR2 12/ 12 mice. Taken together, these findings suggest a functional interaction between PKR2 and TRP channels in the development of hyperalgesia. Drugs able to directly or indirectly block these targets and/or their interactions may represent potential analgesics
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in children with cystic fibrosis: An update on the newest diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches
Cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common autosomal-recessive genetic disease in the Caucasian population, is characterized by frequent respiratory infections and progressive lung disease. Fungal species are commonly found in patients with CF, and among them, Aspergillus fumigatus is the most frequently isolated. While bacteria, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa, have a well-established negative effect on CF lung disease, the impact of fungal infections remains unclear. In patients with CF, inhalation of Aspergillus conidia can cause allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), a Th2-mediated lung disease that can contribute to disease progression. Clinical features, diagnostic criteria and treatment of ABPA are still a matter of debate. Given the consequences of a late ABPA diagnosis or the risk of ABPA overdiagnosis, it is imperative that the diagnostic criteria guidelines are reviewed and standardized. Along with traditional criteria, radiological features are emerging as tools for further classification as well as novel immunological tests. Corticosteroids, itraconazole and voriconazole continue to be the bedrock of ABPA therapy, but other molecules, such as posaconazole, vitamin D, recombinant INF-γ and Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) modulators, have been showing positive results. However, few studies have been conducted recruiting CF patients, and more research is needed to improve the prevention and the classification of clinical manifestations as well as to personalize treatment. Early recognition and early treatment of fungal infections may be fundamental to prevent progression of CF disease. The aim of this narrative review is to give an update on ABPA in children with CF
First Laboratory Detection of N13CO-and Semiexperimental Equilibrium Structure of the NCO-Anion
The cyanate anion (NCO-) is a species of considerable astrophysical relevance. It is widely believed to be embedded in interstellar ices present in young stellar objects but has not yet been detected in the dense gas of the interstellar medium. Here we report highly accurate laboratory measurements of the rotational spectrum of the N13CO-isotopologue at submillimeter wavelengths along with the detection of three additional lines of the parent isotopologue up to 437.4 GHz. With this new data, the rotational spectrum of both isotopologues can be predicted to better 0.25 km s-1in equivalent radial velocity up to 1 THz, more than adequate for an astronomical search in any source. Moreover, a semiexperimental equilibrium structure of the anion is derived by combining the experimental ground-state rotational constants of the two isotopologues with theoretical vibrational corrections, obtained by using the coupled-cluster method with inclusion of single and double excitations and perturbative inclusion of triple excitations (CCSD(T)). The estimated accuracy of the two bond distances is on the order of 5 × 10-4Å: a comparison to the values obtained by geometry optimization with the CCSD(T) method and the use of a composite scheme, including additivity and basis-set extrapolation techniques, reveals that this theoretical procedure is very accurate
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