A Hidden Broad-Line Region in the Weak Seyfert 2 Galaxy NGC 788

We have detected a broad H alpha emission line in the polarized flux spectrum of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 788, indicating that it contains an obscured Seyfert 1 nucleus. While such features have been observed in ~15 other Seyfert 2s, this example is unusual because it has a higher fraction of galaxy starlight in its spectrum, a lower average measured polarization, and a significantly lower radio luminosity than other hidden Seyfert 1s discovered to date. This demonstrates that polarized broad-line regions can be detected in relatively weak classical Seyfert 2s, and illustrates why well-defined, reasonably complete spectropolarimetric surveys at H alpha are necessary in order to assess whether or not all Seyfert 2s are obscured Seyfert 1s.Comment: 10 pages using (AASTEX) aaspp4.sty and 4 postscript figures. Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Research Notes, in pres

Seeking the Sense of Community: A Comparison of Two Elementary School\u27s Ethical Climates

School climate is created through the combined culture of the adults and students within a school – both the culture they share as an organization and the diverse cultures they bring from home. This study compared the school climate of two elementary schools, one urban and one suburban, by measuring 179 fourth and fifth grade students’ and 65 teachers’ perceptions of their schools’ ethical climates. The Elementary School Ethical Climate Index (ESECI) was utilized to factor perceptions into teacher to student, student to teacher/learning environment, and student to student interactions. For each of the ESECI subscales, two-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted with a respondent factor (student or teacher/staff) and a community type factor (urban or suburban). While both the urban and suburban schools reported positive perceptions of school culture by students and teachers, the urban teachers were significantly less positive than their suburban peers in student to teacher/learning environment and student to student interactions, and also significantly less positive than their urban students. Results emphasize the importance of evaluating the culture of the school in an intentional, thorough manner by asking all groups for perceptions of school climate and utilizing what is uncovered to strengthen the sense of community

The Development and Validation of the Elementary School Ethical Climate Index

The purposes of this study were to develop and validate an instrument that measures the ethical climate of elementary schools. To create the Elementary School Ethical Climate Index (ESECI), we adapted the ethical climate index for middle and high schools. The ESECI assesses student and teacher interactions and relationships through the application of five ethical principles: respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and fidelity (Kitchener, 1984, 1985). To provide evidence of the ESECI’s reliability and validity we distributed the ESECI to the students and teachers/staff at one urban elementary school in a Midwestern city. There was a significant difference in student perceptions of student to student interactions and relationships across grade levels. Schools could use the ESECI to pinpoint areas where changes need to be made in order to enhance a school’s sense of community

Stereotype threat-effects for Turkish-origin migrants in Germany: Taking stock of cumulative research evidence

Source at https://doi.org/10.1177/1474904118807539.Turkish-origin migrants on average show lower academic performance than Germans. This achievement gap cannot be fully explained by socio-economic differences between the groups. Negative competence stereotypes about Turkish-origin students predict the causal attributions that German preservice teachers make for migrants’ academic underperformance. Specifically, the more strongly preservice teachers endorse negative competence stereotypes, the more likely they are to attribute academic underperformance of Turkish-origin migrants to the migrants themselves and less to the educational system. Stereotype threat theory posits that the activation of stereotypes in test situations can reduce the performance of members of the negatively stereotyped group. Based on this theory, we propose that negative stereotypes provide a social-psychological explanation for the academic underperformance of Turkish-origin migrants compared to Germans. A series of six experiments conducted within a research project funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research investigated stereotype threat effects for Turkish-origin migrants. Two new moderator variables were identified: implicit theory of intelligence and vertical collectivism. A meta-analysis of the six studies showed a small, non-significant mean effect for stereotype threat main effects, but a significant medium-sized mean effect for moderated stereotype threat effects. Limitations and practical implications of stereotype threat effects in educational settings are discussed

UV Imaging Polarimetry of the peculiar Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 477

We present the results of UV imaging polarimetry of the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 477 taken by the Faint Object Camera onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). From a previous HST UV image (lambda ~ 2180A), Mrk 477 has been known to have a pointlike bright UV hotspot in the central region, peculiar among nearby Seyfert 2 galaxies. There are also claims of UV/optical variability, unusual for a Seyfert 2 galaxy. Our data show that there is an off-nuclear scattering region ~ 0."6 (~ 500 pc) NE from the hotspot. The data, after the subtraction of the instrumental effect due to this bright hotspot region, might indicate that the scattered light is also detected in the central 0."2 radius region and is extended to a very wide angle. The hotspot location is consistent with the symmetry center of the PA pattern, which represents the location of the hidden nucleus, but our data do not provide a strong upper limit to the distance between the symmetry center and the hotspot. We have obtained high spatial resolution color map of the continuum which shows that the nuclear spiral arm of 0."4 scale (~ 300pc) is significantly bluer than the off-nuclear mirror and the hotspot region. The nature of the hotspot is briefly discussed.Comment: To appear in Ap

UV Imaging Polarimetry of the Seyfert 2 Galaxy Mrk 3

We present UV imaging polarimetry data of the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 3 taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The polarized flux is found to be extended to ~1 kpc from the nucleus, and the position angles of polarization are centrosymmetric, confirming that the polarization is caused by scattering. We determine the location of the hidden nucleus as the center of this centrosymmetric pattern. From the polarization images taken in two broad bands, we have obtained the color distribution of the polarized flux. Some regions have blue polarized flux, consistent with optically-thin dust scattering, but some bright knots have a color similar to that of Seyfert 1 nucleus. Also, the recent Chandra X-ray observation suggests that the ratio of scattered UV flux to scattered X-ray flux is rather similar to the intrinsic UV/X-ray ratio in a Seyfert 1 nucleus, if the observed extended X-ray continuum is scattered light. While the scattered X-ray would be essentially from electron scattering, the UV slope and UV/X-ray ratio both being similar to Seyfert 1's would lead to two possibilities as to the nature of the UV scatterers. One is that the UV may also be scattered by electrons, in which case the scattering gas is somehow dust-free. The other is that the UV is scattered by dust grains, but the wavelength-independent UV scattering with low efficiency indicated by the UV slope and UV/X-ray ratio would suggest that the grains reside in UV-opaque clouds, or the dust might be mainly composed of large grains and lacks small-grain population.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures (plus 2 color versions of grayscale figures), To appear in ApJ; minor corrections for the proofs of the manuscrip

Spectropolarimetry of the Luminous Narrow-Line Seyfert Galaxies IRAS 20181-2244 and IRAS 13224-3809

We observed the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies IRAS 20181-2244 and IRAS 13324-3809 with a new spectropolarimeter on the RC spectrograph at the CTIO 4m telescope. Previously it had been suggested that IRAS 20181-2244 was a Type 2 QSO and thus might contain an obscured broad-line region which could be detected by the presence of broad Balmer lines in the polarized flux. We found the object to be polarized at about 2%, and constant with wavelength, (unlike most narrow-line Seyfert 1s), but with no evidence of broad Balmer lines in polarized flux. The spectropolarimetry indicates that the scattering material is inside the BLR. IRAS 13224-3809, notable for its high variability in X-ray and UV wavelengths, has a low polarization consistent with a Galactic interstellar origin.Comment: 19 pages using (AASTEX) aaspp4.sty and 5 postscript figures To be published in the Astrophysical Journa

Estimating Bighorn Sheep (\u3ci\u3eOvis Canadensis\u3c/i\u3e) Abundance Using Noninvasive Sampling at a Mineral Lick within a National Park Wilderness Area

Conservation of species requires accurate population estimates. We used genetic markers from feces to determine bighorn sheep abundance for a herd that was hypothesized to be declining and in need of population status monitoring. We sampled from a small but accessible portion of the population\u27s range where animals natural congregate at a natural mineral lick to test whether we could accurately estimate population size by sampling from an area where animals concentrate. We used mark-recapture analysis to derive population estimates, and compared estimates from this smaller spatial sampling to estimates from sampling of the entire bighorn sheep range. We found that estimates were somewhat comparable; in 2009, the mineral lick sample and entire range sample differed by 20 individuals, and in 2010 they differed by only one individual. However, we captured 13 individuals in the entire range sample that were not captured at the mineral lick, and thus violated a model assumption that all individuals had an equal opportunity of being captured. This eliminated the possibility of inferring a total population estimate from just animals visiting the mineral lick, but because estimates were relatively similar, monitoring at the mineral lick can provide a useful index for management and conservation. We compared our results to a radio-collar study conducted in 2003-2004 and confirmed that the population remained stable since 2004. Our population estimates were 78 (CI 62-114) in 2009 and 95 (CI 77-131) in 2010. Between 7 and 11 sampling dates were needed to achieve a CV of 20% for population estimates, assuming a capture probability between 0.09 and 0.13. We relied on citizen science volunteers to maximize data collection and reduce costs; 71% of all fecal samples were collected by volunteers, compared to 29% collected by paid staff. We conclude that our technique provides a useful monitoring tool for managers. The technique could be tested and applied in similar populations where animals congregate with high fidelity at a mineral lick or other area

Transient and Highly Polarized Double-Peaked H-alpha Emission in the Seyfert 2 Nucleus of NGC 2110

We have discovered an extremely broad, double-peaked H-alpha emission line in the polarized flux spectrum of NGC 2110, establishing that this well-studied Seyfert 2 galaxy contains a disk-like hidden broad-line region (BLR). Several properties of NGC 2110 suggest that it is an obscured twin of Arp 102B, the prototypical double-peaked emission-line active galactic nucleus (AGN). A comparison between our data and previous spectra of NGC 2110 indicates that the double-peaked H-alpha feature is transient. The presence of a disk-like BLR in NGC 2110 has important implications for AGNs: it expands the range of properties exhibited by Seyfert 2 galaxies, and the fact that the BLR is obscured by a torus-like structure provides the first evidence that double-peaked emitters and classical Seyfert nuclei may have the same basic parsec-scale geometry.Comment: 5 pages, including 3 postscript figures. Uses emulateapj. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

A Composite Seyfert 2 X-ray Spectrum: Implications for the Origin of the Cosmic X-ray Background

We present a composite 1-10 keV Seyfert 2 X-ray spectrum, derived from ASCA observations of a distance-limited sample of nearby galaxies. All 29 observed objects were detected. Above ~3 keV, the composite spectrum is inverted, confirming that Seyfert 2 galaxies as a class have the spectral properties necessary to explain the flat shape of the cosmic X-ray background spectrum. Integrating the composite spectrum over redshift, we find that the total emission from Seyfert 2 galaxies, combined with the expected contribution from unabsorbed type 1 objects, provides an excellent match to the spectrum and intensity of the hard X-ray background. The principal uncertainty in this procedure is the cosmic evolution of the Seyfert 2 X-ray luminosity function. Separate composite spectra for objects in our sample with and without polarized broad optical emission lines are also presented.Comment: 11 pages (AASTeX), including 3 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter