Tracing baryons in the warm-hot intergalactic medium with broad Ly alpha absorption

We discuss physical properties and baryonic content of broad Ly alpha absorbers (BLAs) at low redshift. These absorption systems, recently discovered in high-resolution, high-signal to noise quasar absorption line spectra, possibly trace the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) in the temperature range between 10^5 and 10^6 K. To extend previous BLA measurements we have analyzed STIS data of the two quasars H 1821+643 and PG 0953+415 and have identified 13 BLA candidates along a total (unblocked) redshift path of dz=0.440. Combining our measurements with previous results for the lines of sight toward PG 1259+593 and PG 1116+215, the resulting new BLA sample consists of 20 reliably detected systems as well as 29 additional tentative cases, implying a BLA number density of dN/dz=22-53. We estimate that the contribution of BLAs to the baryon density at z=0 is Omega_b(BLA)>0.0027 h_70^-1 for absorbers with log (N/b)>11.3. This number indicates that WHIM broad Ly alpha absorbers contain a substantial fraction of the baryons in the local Universe. (Abridged abstract)Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures; Accepted for publication in A&

Computer program for stresses and buckling of heated composite-stiffened panels and other structures (BUCLASP 3)

General-purpose program is intended for thermal stress and instability analyses of structures such as axially-stiffened curved panels. Two types of instability analyses can be effected by program: (1) thermal buckling with temperature variation as specified and (2) buckling due to in-plane biaxial loading

Evidence for Correlated Titanium and Deuterium Depletion in the Galactic ISM

Current measurements indicate that the deuterium abundance in diffuse interstellar gas varies spatially by a factor of ~4 among sightlines extending beyond the Local Bubble. One plausible explanation for the scatter is the variable depletion of D onto dust grains. To test this scenario, we have obtained high signal-to-noise, high resolution profiles of the refractory ion TiII along seven Galactic sightlines with D/H ranging from 0.65 to 2.1x10^-5. These measurements, acquired with the recently upgraded Keck/HIRES spectrometer, indicate a correlation between Ti/H and D/H at the >95% c.l. Therefore, our observations support the interpretation that D/H scatter is associated with differential depletion. We note, however, that Ti/H values taken from the literature do not uniformly show the correlation. Finally, we identify significant component-to-component variations in the depletion levels among individual sightlines and discuss complications arising from this behavior.Comment: 4 pages; Accepted to Astrophysical Journal Letter

O VI and Multicomponent H I Absorption Associated with a Galaxy Group in the Direction of PG0953+415: Physical Conditions and Baryonic Content

We report the discovery of an O VI absorption system at z(abs) = 0.14232 in a high resolution FUV spectrum of PG0953+415 obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). Both lines of the O VI 1032, 1038 doublet and multicomponent H I Lya absorption are detected, but the N V doublet and the strong lines of C II and Si III are not apparent. We examine the ionization mechanism of the O VI absorber and find that while theoretical considerations favor collisional ionization, it is difficult to observationally rule out photoionization. If the absorber is collisionally ionized, it may not be in equilibrium due to the rapid cooling of gas in the appropriate temperature range. Non-equilibrium collisionally ionized models are shown to be consistent with the observations. A WIYN survey of galaxy redshifts near the sight line has revealed a galaxy at a projected distance of 395 kpc separated by ~130 km/s from this absorber, and three additional galaxies are found within 130 km/s of this redshift with projected separations ranging from 1.0 Mpc to 3.0 Mpc. Combining the STIS observations of PG0953+415 with previous high S/N GHRS observations of H1821+643, we derive a large number of O VI absorbers per unit redshift, dN/dz ~20. We use this sample to obtain a first estimate of the cosmological mass density of the O VI systems at z ~ 0. If further observations confirm the large dN/dz derived for the O VI systems, then these absorbers trace a significant reservoir of baryonic matter at low redshift.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap.J., vol. 542 (Oct. 10, 2000

Handbook for Learning-centred evaluation of Computer-facilitated learning projects in higher education

This handbook supports a project funded by the Australian Government Committee for University Teaching and Staff Development (CUTSD). The amended project title is “Staff Development in Evaluation of Technology-based Teaching Development Projects: An Action Inquiry Approach”. The project is hosted by Murdoch University on behalf of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE), as a consortium of 11 universities. The rationale of the project is to guide a group of university staff through the evaluation of a Computer-facilitated Learning (CFL1) project by a process of action inquiry and mentoring, supported by the practical and theoretical material contained in this handbook