4,777 research outputs found
Modeling of nutation-precession: very long baseline interferometry results
Analysis of over 20 years of very long baseline
interferometry data (VLBI) yields estimates of the
coefficients of the nutation series with standard deviations
ranging from 5 microseconds of arc (μas) for the terms
with periods <400 days to 38 µas for the
longest-period terms. The largest deviations between the VLBI
estimates of the amplitudes of terms in the nutation series
and the theoretical values from the Mathews-Herring-Buffett
(MHB2000) nutation series are 56 ± 38 μas
(associated with two of the 18.6 year nutations). The
amplitudes of nutational terms with periods <400 days
deviate from the MHB2000 nutation series values at the level
standard deviation. The estimated correction to the IAU-1976
precession constant is -2.997 ± 0.008 mas
yr-1 when the coefficients of the MHB2000 nutation
series are held fixed and is consistent with that inferred
from the MHB2000 nutation theory. The secular change in the
obliquity of the ecliptic is estimated to be -0.252 ±
0.003 mas yr-1. When the coefficients of the
largest-amplitude terms in the nutation series are estimated,
the precession constant correction and obliquity rate are
estimated to be -2.960 ± 0.030 and -0.237 ± 0.012
mas yr-1. Significant variations in the freely
excited retrograde free core nutation mode are observed over
the 20 years. During this time the amplitude has decreased
from -300 ± 50 μas in the mid-1980s to nearly zero
by the year 2000. There is evidence that the amplitude of the
mode in now increasing again
Structural features of adenovirus 2 virus-associated RNA required for binding to the protein kinase DAI
The double-stranded RNA activated protein kinase DAI contains an RNA binding domain consisting of two copies of a double-stranded RNA binding motif. We have investigated the role of RNA structure in the interaction between DAI and the structured single-stranded RNA, adenovirus VA RNAI, which inhibits DAI activation. Mutations in the apical stem, terminal stem, and central domain of the RNA were tested to assess the contribution of these elements to DAI binding in vitro. The data demonstrate that over half a turn of intact apical stem is required for the interaction and that there is a correlation between the binding of apical stem mutants and their ability to function both in vivo and in vitro. There was also evidence of preference for GC-rich sequence in the proximal region of the apical stem. In the central domain the correlation between binding and function of mutant RNAs was poor, suggesting that at least some of this region plays no direct role in binding to DAI, despite its functional importance. Exceptionally, central domain mutations that encroached on the phylogenetically conserved stem 4 of VA RNA disrupted binding, and complementary mutations in this sequence partially restored binding. Measurement of the binding of wild-type VA RNAI to DAI and p20, a truncated form of the protein containing the RNA binding domains alone, under various ionic conditions imply that the major interactions are electrostatic and occur via the protein's RNA binding domain. However, differences between full-length DAI and p20 in their binding to mutants in the conserved stem suggest that regions outside the RNA binding domain also participate in the binding. The additional interactions are likely to be non-ionic, and may be important for preventing DAI activation during virus infection
Direct Signals for Large Extra Dimensions in the Production of Fermion Pairs at Linear Colliders
We analyze the potentiality of the new generation of linear
colliders to search for large extra dimensions via the production of fermion
pairs in association with Kaluza-Klein gravitons (G), i.e. . This process leads to a final state exhibiting a significant amount
of missing energy in addition to acoplanar lepton or jet pairs. We study in
detail this reaction using full tree level contibutions due to the graviton
emission and the standard model backgrounds. After choosing the cuts to enhance
the signal, we show that a linear collider with a center-of-mass energy of 500
GeV will be able to probe quantum gravity scales from 0.96(0.86) up to 4.1(3.3)
TeV at 2(5) level, depending on the number of extra dimensions.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures. Using RevTex, axodraw.sty. Discussion was
extended. No changes in the results. Accepted for publication by Phys. Rev.
Self-Generated Magnetic Fields in Galactic Cooling Flows
Interstellar magnetic fields in elliptical galaxies are assumed to have their
origin in stellar fields that accompany normal mass loss from an evolving
population of old stars. The seed fields are amplified by interstellar
turbulence driven by stellar mass loss and supernova events. These disordered
fields are further amplified by time-dependent compression in the inward moving
galactic cooling flow and are expected to dominate near the galactic core.
Under favorable circumstances, fields similar in strength to those observed G can be generated solely from these natural
galactic processes. In general the interstellar field throughout elliptical
galaxies is determined by the outermost regions in the interstellar gas where
the turbulent dynamo process can occur. Because of the long hydrodynamic flow
times in galactic cooling flows, currently observed magnetic fields may result
from periods of intense turbulent field amplification that occurred in the
outer galaxy in the distant past. Particularly strong fields in ellipticals may
result from ancient galactic mergers or shear turbulence introduced at the
boundary between the interstellar gas and ambient cluster gas.Comment: 21 pages in AASTEX LaTeX with 2 figures; accepted by Astrophysical
Journa
Quasar Proper Motions and Low-Frequency Gravitational Waves
We report observational upper limits on the mass-energy of the cosmological
gravitational-wave background, from limits on proper motions of quasars.
Gravitational waves with periods longer than the time span of observations
produce a simple pattern of apparent proper motions over the sky, composed
primarily of second-order transverse vector spherical harmonics. A fit of such
harmonics to measured motions yields a 95%-confidence limit on the mass-energy
of gravitational waves with frequencies <2e-9 Hz, of <0.11/h*h times the
closure density of the universe.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figure. Also available at
http://charm.physics.ucsb.edu:80/people/cgwinn/cgwinn_group/index.htm
Halo White Dwarfs and the Hot Intergalactic Medium
We present a schematic model for the formation of baryonic galactic halos and
hot gas in the Local Group and the intergalactic medium. We follow the
dynamics, chemical evolution, heat flow and gas flows of a hierarchy of scales,
including: protogalactic clouds, galactic halos, and the Local Group itself.
Within this hierarchy, the Galaxy is built via mergers of protogalactic
fragments. We find that early bursts of star formation lead to a large
population of remnants (mostly white dwarfs), which would reside presently in
the halo and contribute to the dark component observed in the microlensing
experiments. The hot, metal-rich gas from early starbursts and merging
evaporates from the clouds and is eventually incorporated into the
intergalactic medium. The model thus suggests that most microlensing objects
could be white dwarfs (m \sim 0.5 \msol), which comprise a significant
fraction of the halo mass. Furthermore, the Local Group could have a component
of metal-rich hot gas similar to, although less than, that observed in larger
clusters. We discuss the known constraints on such a scenario and show that all
local observations can be satisfied with present data in this model. The
best-fit model has a halo that is 40% baryonic, with an upper limit of 77%.Comment: 15 pages, LaTex, uses aas2pp4.sty, 7 postscript figures.
Substantially revised and enlarged to a full-length article. Somewhat
different quantitative results, but qualitative conclusions unchange
Masses and Mixings in a Grand Unified Toy Model
The generation of the fermion mass hierarchy in the standard model of
particle physics is a long-standing puzzle. The recent discoveries from
neutrino physics suggests that the mixing in the lepton sector is large
compared to the quark mixings. To understand this asymmetry between the quark
and lepton mixings is an important aim for particle physics. In this regard,
two promising approaches from the theoretical side are grand unified theories
and family symmetries. In this note we try to understand certain general
features of grand unified theories with Abelian family symmetries by taking the
simplest SU(5) grand unified theory as a prototype. We construct an SU(5) toy
model with family symmetry
that, in a natural way, duplicates the observed mass hierarchy and mixing
matrices to lowest approximation. The system for generating the mass hierarchy
is through a Froggatt-Nielsen type mechanism. One idea that we use in the model
is that the quark and charged lepton sectors are hierarchical with small mixing
angles while the light neutrino sector is democratic with larger mixing angles.
We also discuss some of the difficulties in incorporating finer details into
the model without making further assumptions or adding a large scalar sector.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures, RevTeX, v2: references updated and typos
corrected, v3: updated top quark mass, comments on MiniBooNE result, and
typos correcte
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