431 research outputs found
Disk-Jet Connection in the Radio Galaxy 3C 120
We present the results of extensive multi-frequency monitoring of the radio
galaxy 3C 120 between 2002 and 2007 at X-ray, optical, and radio wave bands, as
well as imaging with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). Over the 5 yr of
observation, significant dips in the X-ray light curve are followed by
ejections of bright superluminal knots in the VLBA images. Consistent with
this, the X-ray flux and 37 GHz flux are anti-correlated with X-ray leading the
radio variations. This implies that, in this radio galaxy, the radiative state
of accretion disk plus corona system, where the X-rays are produced, has a
direct effect on the events in the jet, where the radio emission originates.
The X-ray power spectral density of 3C 120 shows a break, with steeper slope at
shorter timescale and the break timescale is commensurate with the mass of the
central black hole based on observations of Seyfert galaxies and black hole
X-ray binaries. These findings provide support for the paradigm that black hole
X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei are fundamentally similar systems,
with characteristic time and size scales linearly proportional to the mass of
the central black hole. The X-ray and optical variations are strongly
correlated in 3C 120, which implies that the optical emission in this object
arises from the same general region as the X-rays, i.e., in the accretion
disk-corona system. We numerically model multi-wavelength light curves of 3C
120 from such a system with the optical-UV emission produced in the disk and
the X-rays generated by scattering of thermal photons by hot electrons in the
corona. From the comparison of the temporal properties of the model light
curves to that of the observed variability, we constrain the physical size of
the corona and the distances of the emitting regions from the central BH.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 28 pages, 21
figures, 2 table
Thoracic and Lumbar Vertebral Bone Mineral Density Changes in a Natural Occurring Dog Model of Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis
Ankylosing spinal disorders can be associated with alterations in vertebral bone mineral density (BMD). There is however controversy about vertebral BMD in patients wuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). DISH in Boxer dogs has been considered a natural occurring disease model for DISH in people. The purpose of this study was to compare vertebral BMD between Boxers with and without DISH. Fifty-nine Boxers with (n=30) or without (n=29) DISH that underwent computed tomography were included. Vertebral BMD was calculated for each thoracic and lumbar vertebra by using an earlier reported and validated protocol. For each vertebral body, a region of interest was drawn on the axial computed tomographic images at three separate locations: immediately inferior to the superior end plate, in the middle of the vertebral body, and superior to the inferior end plate. Values from the three axial slices were averaged to give a mean Hounsfield Unit value for each vertebral body. Univariate statistical analysis was performed to identify factors to be included in a multivariate model. The multivariate model including all dogs demonstrated that vertebral DISH status (Coefficient 24.63; 95% CI 16.07 to 33.19; p <0.001), lumbar vertebrae (Coefficient -17.25; 95% CI -23.42 to -11.09; p < 0.01), and to a lesser extent higher age (Coefficient -0.56; 95% CI -1.07 to -0.05; p = 0.03) were significant predictors for vertebral BMD. When the multivariate model was repeated using only dogs with DISH, vertebral DISH status (Coefficient 20.67; 95% CI, 10.98 to 30.37; p < 0.001) and lumbar anatomical region (Coefficient -38.24; 95% CI, -47.75 to -28.73; p < 0.001) were again predictors for vertebral BMD but age was not. The results of this study indicate that DISH can be associated with decreased vertebral BMD. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the clinical importance and pathophysiology of this finding
Discovery of the Onset of Rapid Accretion by a Dormant Massive Black Hole
Massive black holes are believed to reside at the centres of most galaxies.
They can be- come detectable by accretion of matter, either continuously from a
large gas reservoir or impulsively from the tidal disruption of a passing star,
and conversion of the gravitational energy of the infalling matter to light.
Continuous accretion drives Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), which are known to be
variable but have never been observed to turn on or off. Tidal disruption of
stars by dormant massive black holes has been inferred indirectly but the on-
set of a tidal disruption event has never been observed. Here we report the
first discovery of the onset of a relativistic accretion-powered jet in the new
extragalactic transient, Swift J164449.3+573451. The behaviour of this new
source differs from both theoretical models of tidal disruption events and
observations of the jet-dominated AGN known as blazars. These differences may
stem from transient effects associated with the onset of a powerful jet. Such
an event in the massive black hole at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy could
strongly ionize the upper atmosphere of the Earth, if beamed towards us.Comment: Submitted to Nature. 4 pages, 3 figures (main paper). 26 pages, 13
figures (supplementary information
Direct Measurement of the Top Quark Mass at D0
We determine the top quark mass m_t using t-tbar pairs produced in the D0
detector by \sqrt{s} = 1.8 TeV p-pbar collisions in a 125 pb^-1 exposure at the
Fermilab Tevatron. We make a two constraint fit to m_t in t-tbar -> b W^+bbar
W^- final states with one W boson decaying to q-qbar and the other to e-nu or
mu-nu. Likelihood fits to the data yield m_t(l+jets) = 173.3 +- 5.6 (stat) +-
5.5 (syst) GeV/c^2. When this result is combined with an analysis of events in
which both W bosons decay into leptons, we obtain m_t = 172.1 +- 5.2 (stat) +-
4.9 (syst) GeV/c^2. An alternate analysis, using three constraint fits to fixed
top quark masses, gives m_t(l+jets) = 176.0 +- 7.9 (stat) +- 4.8 (syst)
GeV/C^2, consistent with the above result. Studies of kinematic distributions
of the top quark candidates are also presented.Comment: 43 pages, 53 figures, 33 tables. RevTeX. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Search for Charged Higgs Bosons in Decays of Top Quark Pairs
We present a search for charged Higgs bosons in decays of pair-produced top
quarks using 109.2 +- 5.8 pb^-1 of data recorded from ppbar collisions at
sqrt{s} = 1.8 TeV by the D0 detector during 1992-96 at the Fermilab Tevatron.
No evidence is found for charged Higgs production, and most parts of the
[m(H+),tan(beta)] parameter space where the decay t -> bH+ has a branching
fraction close to or larger than that for t -> bW+ are excluded at 95%
confidence level. Assuming m(t) = 175 GeV and sigma(ppbar -> ttbar) = 5.5 pb,
for m(H+) = 60 GeV, we exclude tan(beta) 40.9.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, submitted to PR
Search for Squarks and Gluinos in Events Containing Jets and a Large Imbalance in Transverse Energy
Using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 79 pb-1, D0 has
searched for events containing multiple jets and large missing transverse
energy in pbar-p collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron
collider. Observing no significant excess beyond what is expected from the
standard model, we set limits on the masses of squarks and gluinos and on the
model parameters m_0 and m_1/2, in the framework of the minimal low-energy
supergravity models of supersymmetry. For tan(beta) = 2 and A_0 = 0, with mu <
0, we exclude all models with m_squark < 250 GeV/c^2. For models with equal
squark and gluino masses, we exclude m < 260 GeV/c^2.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, Submitted to PRL, Fixed typo on page bottom of
p. 6 (QCD multijet background is 35.4 events
Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH): relation to vertebral fractures and bone density
UnlabelledRadiographs and spinal bone mineral density (BMD) were evaluated from 342 elderly men regarding possible effects of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) on vertebral fractures and densitometry measurements. Prevalent vertebral fractures were more frequent among men with DISH compared to men with no DISH even after fracture prevalence was adjusted for BMD. Paravertebral calcifications should be considered in patients with DISH when interpreting BMD measurements because both dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative CT (QCT) densitometry may not be reliable.IntroductionThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of DISH in older men and its association with vertebral fractures and with BMD determined by DXA and QCT.MethodsLateral radiographs of the spine were analyzed in a sample of 342 men aged ≥ 65 years participating in the MrOS Study concerning the presence and grade of DISH and vertebral fractures. Lumbar BMD was measured by both DXA (areal, grams per square centimeter) and QCT (volumetric, grams per cubic centimeter). The association between DISH, BMD, and presence of fractures was studied using χ ( 2 ) and t tests.ResultsDISH was present in 52% (178/342) of the men. Men with DISH were older (mean, 75.1 vs 73.3, p < 0.05) and more likely to have prevalent fractures (28% vs 20%, p < p = 0.09). BMD assessed with DXA (1.08 vs 1.00 g/cm(2), p ≤ 0.0001), but not with QCT (0.11 vs 0.11 g/cm3, p = 0.65), was significantly higher in men with DISH compared to men without DISH. Significantly lower BMD of men with both DISH and fractures compared to men with DISH but without fractures was only detected by QCT (-25%, 0.09 vs 0.12, p < 0.05). Both DXA BMD and QCT BMD were significantly higher in severe lumbar DISH (+22% and +31%, p < 0.0001), respectively.ConclusionDISH was associated with a higher prevalence of vertebral fractures in elderly men. Lumbar ossifications related to DISH should be considered when interpreting BMD measurements to predict their fracture risk
Probing BFKL Dynamics in the Dijet Cross Section at Large Rapidity Intervals in ppbar Collisions at sqrt{s}=1800 and 630 GeV
Inclusive dijet production at large pseudorapidity intervals (delta_eta)
between the two jets has been suggested as a regime for observing BFKL
dynamics. We have measured the dijet cross section for large delta_eta in ppbar
collisions at sqrt{s}=1800 and 630 GeV using the DO detector. The partonic
cross section increases strongly with the size of delta_eta. The observed
growth is even stronger than expected on the basis of BFKL resummation in the
leading logarithmic approximation. The growth of the partonic cross section can
be accommodated with an effective BFKL intercept of
a_{BFKL}(20GeV)=1.65+/-0.07.Comment: Published in Physical Review Letter
Search for bottom squarks in pbarp collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV
We report on a search for bottom squarks produced in pbarp collisions at
sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV using the D0 detector at Fermilab. Bottom squarks are assumed
to be produced in pairs and to decay to the lightest supersymmetric particle
(LSP) and a b quark with branching fraction of 100%. The LSP is assumed to be
the lightest neutralino and stable. We set limits on the production cross
section as a function of bottom squark mass and LSP mass.Comment: 5 pages, Latex. submitted 3-12-1999 to PRD - Rapid Communicatio
Limits on Anomalous WWgamma and WWZ Couplings
Limits on the anomalous WWgamma and WWZ couplings are presented from a
simultaneous fit to the data samples of three gauge boson pair final states in
pbar-p collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV: Wgamma production with the W boson
decaying to enu or munu, W boson pair production with both of the W bosons
decaying to enu or munu, and WW or WZ production with one W boson decaying to
enu and the other W boson or the Z boson decaying to two jets. Assuming
identical WWgamma and WWZ couplings, 95 % C.L. limits on the anomalous
couplings of -0.30<Delta kappa<0.43 (lambda = 0) and -0.20<lambda<0.20 (Delta
kappa = 0) are obtained using a form factor scale Lambda = 2.0 TeV. Limits
found under other assumptions on the relationship between the WWgamma and WWZ
couplings are also presented.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Physical Review
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