Pathophysiology of Concussive Non-Penetrative Captive Bolt Stunning of Turkeys

The non-penetrative captive bolt (NPCB) has been proposed as a more humane and practical alternative to constant voltage electrical stunning for small-scale seasonal turkey producers. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the CASH® Small Animal Tool (SAT) (formerly known as the CASH® Poultry Killer, CPK) and three configurations of the Turkey Euthanasia Device (TED), assessing behavioural, cranial/spinal responses and brain pathology. Immediately after stunning all birds showed cessation of rhythmic breathing and loss of neck and beak tension. One bird shot with the TED/hen configuration showed a positive nictitating membrane reflex in one eye with no other positive reflexes. All birds had moderate/severe gross damage to the hyperpallium layer over the cerebrums. For almost all other cerebrum structures, thalamus, and hindbrain, the TED/poult configuration and SAT produced the most extensive damage. The frequency of petechial haemorrhage in the pons and medulla was less in SAT shot birds (76% and 71% respectively) compared to those shot with the different configurations of the TED (ranging from 81% to 100%), however this difference was not significant. In conclusion, both NPCB guns were effective in inducing unconsciousness in turkeys, regardless of the variations in shot position and the different configurations of the TED

First Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Implications for Inflation

We confront predictions of inflationary scenarios with the WMAP data, in combination with complementary small-scale CMB measurements and large-scale structure data. The WMAP detection of a large-angle anti-correlation in the temperature--polarization cross-power spectrum is the signature of adiabatic superhorizon fluctuations at the time of decoupling. The WMAP data are described by pure adiabatic fluctuations: we place an upper limit on a correlated CDM isocurvature component. Using WMAP constraints on the shape of the scalar power spectrum and the amplitude of gravity waves, we explore the parameter space of inflationary models that is consistent with the data. We place limits on inflationary models; for example, a minimally-coupled lambda phi^4 is disfavored at more than 3-sigma using WMAP data in combination with smaller scale CMB and large scale structure survey data. The limits on the primordial parameters using WMAP data alone are: n_s(k_0=0.002 Mpc^{-1})=1.20_{-0.11}^{+0.12}, dn/dlnk=-0.077^{+0.050}_{- 0.052}, A(k_0=0.002 Mpc}^{-1})=0.71^{+0.10}_{-0.11} (68% CL), and r(k_0=0.002 Mpc^{-1})<1.28 (95% CL).Comment: Accepted by ApJ; 49 pages, 9 figures. V2: Gives constraints from WMAP data alone. Corrected approximation which made the constraints in Table 1 to shift slightly. Corrected the Inflation Flow following the revision to Kinney, astro-ph/0206032. No conclusions have been changed. For a detailed list of changes see http://www.astro.princeton.edu/~hiranya/README.ERRATA.tx

First Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Angular Power Spectrum

We present the angular power spectrum derived from the first-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) sky maps. We study a variety of power spectrum estimation methods and data combinations and demonstrate that the results are robust. The data are modestly contaminated by diffuse Galactic foreground emission, but we show that a simple Galactic template model is sufficient to remove the signal. Point sources produce a modest contamination in the low frequency data. After masking ~700 known bright sources from the maps, we estimate residual sources contribute ~3500 uK^2 at 41 GHz, and ~130 uK^2 at 94 GHz, to the power spectrum l*(l+1)*C_l/(2*pi) at l=1000. Systematic errors are negligible compared to the (modest) level of foreground emission. Our best estimate of the power spectrum is derived from 28 cross-power spectra of statistically independent channels. The final spectrum is essentially independent of the noise properties of an individual radiometer. The resulting spectrum provides a definitive measurement of the CMB power spectrum, with uncertainties limited by cosmic variance, up to l~350. The spectrum clearly exhibits a first acoustic peak at l=220 and a second acoustic peak at l~540 and it provides strong support for adiabatic initial conditions. Kogut et al. (2003) analyze the C_l^TE power spectrum, and present evidence for a relatively high optical depth, and an early period of cosmic reionization. Among other things, this implies that the temperature power spectrum has been suppressed by \~30% on degree angular scales, due to secondary scattering.Comment: One of thirteen companion papers on first-year WMAP results submitted to ApJ; 44 pages, 14 figures; a version with higher quality figures is also available at http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/product/map/map_bibliography.htm

The MAP Satellite Feed Horns

We present the design, manufacturing methods, and characterization of 20 microwave feed horns currently in use on the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) satellite. The nature of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy requires a detailed understanding of the properties of every optical component of a microwave telescope. In particular, the properties of the feeds must be known so that the forward gain and sidelobe response of the telescope can be modeled and so that potential systematic effects may be computed. MAP requires low emissivity, azimuthally symmetric, low-sidelobe feeds in five microwave bands (K, Ka, Q, V, and W) that fit within a constrained geometry. The beam pattern of each feed is modeled and compared with measurements; the agreement is generally excellent to the -60 dB level (80 degrees from the beam peak). This agreement verifies the beam-predicting software and the manufacturing process. The feeds also affect the properties and modeling of the microwave receivers. To this end, we show that the reflection from the feeds is less than -25 dB over most of each band and that their emissivity is acceptable. The feeds meet their multiple requirements.Comment: 9 pages with 7 figures, of which 2 are in low-resolution versions; paper is available with higher quality figures at http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_mm/tp_links.htm

Seven-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Sky Maps, Systematic Errors, and Basic Results

(Abridged) New full sky temperature and polarization maps based on seven years of data from WMAP are presented. The new results are consistent with previous results, but have improved due to reduced noise from the additional integration time, improved knowledge of the instrument performance, and improved data analysis procedures. The improvements are described in detail. The seven year data set is well fit by a minimal six-parameter flat Lambda-CDM model. The parameters for this model, using the WMAP data in conjunction with baryon acoustic oscillation data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and priors on H_0 from Hubble Space Telescope observations, are: Omega_bh^2 = 0.02260 +-0.00053, Omega_ch^2 = 0.1123 +-0.0035, Omega_Lambda = 0.728 +0.015 -0.016, n_s = 0.963 +-0.012, tau = 0.087 +-0.014 and sigma_8 = 0.809 +-0.024 (68 % CL uncertainties). The temperature power spectrum signal-to-noise ratio per multipole is greater that unity for multipoles < 919, allowing a robust measurement of the third acoustic peak. This measurement results in improved constraints on the matter density, Omega_mh^2 = 0.1334 +0.0056 -0.0055, and the epoch of matter- radiation equality, z_eq = 3196 +134 -133, using WMAP data alone. The new WMAP data, when combined with smaller angular scale microwave background anisotropy data, results in a 3 sigma detection of the abundance of primordial Helium, Y_He = 0.326 +-0.075.The power-law index of the primordial power spectrum is now determined to be n_s = 0.963 +-0.012, excluding the Harrison-Zel'dovich-Peebles spectrum by >3 sigma. These new WMAP measurements provide important tests of Big Bang cosmology.Comment: 42 pages, 9 figures, Submitted to Astrophysical Journal Supplement Serie

ARCADE 2 Measurement of the Extra-Galactic Sky Temperature at 3-90 GHz

The ARCADE 2 instrument has measured the absolute temperature of the sky at frequencies 3, 8, 10, 30, and 90 GHz, using an open-aperture cryogenic instrument observing at balloon altitudes with no emissive windows between the beam-forming optics and the sky. An external blackbody calibrator provides an {\it in situ} reference. Systematic errors were greatly reduced by using differential radiometers and cooling all critical components to physical temperatures approximating the CMB temperature. A linear model is used to compare the output of each radiometer to a set of thermometers on the instrument. Small corrections are made for the residual emission from the flight train, balloon, atmosphere, and foreground Galactic emission. The ARCADE 2 data alone show an extragalactic rise of $50\pm7$ mK at 3.3 GHz in addition to a CMB temperature of $2.730\pm .004$ K. Combining the ARCADE 2 data with data from the literature shows a background power law spectrum of $T=1.26\pm 0.09$ [K] $(\nu/\nu_0)^{-2.60\pm 0.04}$ from 22 MHz to 10 GHz ($\nu_0=1$ GHz) in addition to a CMB temperature of $2.725\pm .001$ K.Comment: 11 pages 5 figures Submitted to Ap