Displaying Composite and Archived Soundings in the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System

In a previous task, the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) developed spatial and temporal climatologies of lightning occurrence based on eight atmospheric flow regimes. The AMU created climatological, or composite, soundings of wind speed and direction, temperature, and dew point temperature at four rawinsonde observation stations at Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami, and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, for each of the eight flow regimes. The composite soundings were delivered to the National Weather Service (NWS) Melbourne (MLB) office for display using the National version of the Skew-T Hodograph analysis and Research Program (NSHARP) software program. The NWS MLB requested the AMU make the composite soundings available for display in the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), so they could be overlaid on current observed soundings. This will allow the forecasters to compare the current state of the atmosphere with climatology. This presentation describes how the AMU converted the composite soundings from NSHARP Archive format to Network Common Data Form (NetCDF) format, so that the soundings could be displayed in AWl PS. The NetCDF is a set of data formats, programming interfaces, and software libraries used to read and write scientific data files. In AWIPS, each meteorological data type, such as soundings or surface observations, has a unique NetCDF format. Each format is described by a NetCDF template file. Although NetCDF files are in binary format, they can be converted to a text format called network Common data form Description Language (CDL). A software utility called ncgen is used to create a NetCDF file from a CDL file, while the ncdump utility is used to create a CDL file from a NetCDF file. An AWIPS receives soundings in Binary Universal Form for the Representation of Meteorological data (BUFR) format (http://dss.ucar.edu/docs/formats/bufr/), and then decodes them into NetCDF format. Only two sounding files are generated in AWIPS per day. One file contains all of the soundings received worldwide between 0000 UTC and 1200 UTC, and the other includes all soundings between 1200 UTC and 0000 UTC. In order to add the composite soundings into AWIPS, a procedure was created to configure, or localize, AWIPS. This involved modifying and creating several configuration text files. A unique fourcharacter site identifier was created for each of the 32 soundings so each could be viewed separately. The first three characters were based on the site identifier of the observed sounding, while the last character was based on the flow regime. While researching the localization process for soundings, the AMU discovered a method of archiving soundings so old soundings would not get purged automatically by AWl PS. This method could provide an alternative way of localizing AWl PS for composite soundings. In addition, this would allow forecasters to use archived soundings in AWIPS for case studies. A test sounding file in NetCDF format was written in order to verify the correct format for soundings in AWIPS. After the file was viewed successfully in AWIPS, the AMU wrote a software program in the Tool Command Language/Tool Kit (Tcl/Tk) language to convert the 32 composite soundings from NSHARP Archive to CDL format. The ncgen utility was then used to convert the CDL file to a NetCDF file. The NetCDF file could then be read and displayed in AWIPS

The WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey: Star-formation in UV-luminous galaxies from their luminosity functions

We present the ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function of galaxies from the GALEX Medium Imaging Survey with measured spectroscopic redshifts from the first data release of the WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey. This sample selects galaxies with high star formation rates: at 0.6 < z < 0.9 the median star formation rate is at the upper 95th percentile of optically-selected (r<22.5) galaxies and the sample contains about 50 per cent of all NUV < 22.8, 0.6 < z < 0.9 starburst galaxies within the volume sampled. The most luminous galaxies in our sample (-21.0>M_NUV>-22.5) evolve very rapidly with a number density declining as (1+z)^{5\pm 1} from redshift z = 0.9 to z = 0.6. These starburst galaxies (M_NUV<-21 is approximately a star formation rate of 30 \msuny) contribute about 1 per cent of cosmic star formation over the redshift range z=0.6 to z=0.9. The star formation rate density of these very luminous galaxies evolves rapidly, as (1+z)^{4\pm 1}. Such a rapid evolution implies the majority of star formation in these large galaxies must have occurred before z = 0.9. We measure the UV luminosity function in 0.05 redshift intervals spanning 0.1<z<0.9, and provide analytic fits to the results. At all redshifts greater than z=0.55 we find that the bright end of the luminosity function is not well described by a pure Schechter function due to an excess of very luminous (M_NUV<-22) galaxies. These luminosity functions can be used to create a radial selection function for the WiggleZ survey or test models of galaxy formation and evolution. Here we test the AGN feedback model in Scannapieco et al. (2005), and find that this AGN feedback model requires AGN feedback efficiency to vary with one or more of the following: stellar mass, star formation rate and redshift.Comment: 27 pages; 13 pages without appendices. 22 figures; 11 figures in the main tex

Instrumentation progress at the Giant Magellan Telescope project

Instrument development for the 24m Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) is described: current activities, progress, status, and schedule. One instrument team has completed its preliminary design and is currently beginning its final design (GCLEF, an optical 350-950 nm, high-resolution and precision radial velocity echelle spectrograph). A second instrument team is in its conceptual design phase (GMACS, an optical 350-950 nm, medium resolution, 6-10 arcmin field, multiobject spectrograph). A third instrument team is midway through its preliminary design phase (GMTIFS, a near-IR YJHK diffraction-limited imager/integral-field-spectrograph), focused on risk reduction prototyping and design optimization. A fourth instrument team is currently fabricating the 5 silicon immersion gratings needed to begin its preliminary design phase (GMTNIRS, a simultaneous JHKLM high-resolution, AO-fed, echelle spectrograph). And, another instrument team is focusing on technical development and prototyping (MANIFEST, a facility robotic, multifiber-feed, with a 20 arcmin field of view). In addition, a medium-field (6 arcmin, 0.06 arcsec/pix) optical imager will support telescope and AO commissioning activities, and will excel at narrow-band imaging. In the spirit of advancing synergies with other groups, the challenges of running an ELT instrument program and opportunities for cross-ELT collaborations are discussed

The WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey: improved distance measurements to z = 1 with reconstruction of the baryonic acoustic feature

We present significant improvements in cosmic distance measurements from the WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey, achieved by applying the reconstruction of the baryonic acoustic feature technique. We show using both data and simulations that the reconstruction technique can often be effective despite patchiness of the survey, significant edge effects and shot-noise. We investigate three redshift bins in the redshift range 0.2 < z < 1, and in all three find improvement after reconstruction in the detection of the baryonic acoustic feature and its usage as a standard ruler. We measure model-independent distance measures DV(rsfid/rs) of 1716 ± 83, 2221 ± 101, 2516 ± 86 Mpc (68 per cent CL) at effective redshifts z = 0.44, 0.6, 0.73, respectively, where DV is the volume-averaged distance, and rs is the sound horizon at the end of the baryon drag epoch. These significantly improved 4.8, 4.5 and 3.4 per cent accuracy measurements are equivalent to those expected from surveys with up to 2.5 times the volume of WiggleZ without reconstruction applied. These measurements are fully consistent with cosmologies allowed by the analyses of the Planck Collaboration and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We provide the DV(rsfid/rs) posterior probability distributions and their covariances. When combining these measurements with temperature fluctuations measurements of Planck, the polarization of Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 9, and the 6dF Galaxy Survey baryonic acoustic feature, we do not detect deviations from a flat Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) model. Assuming this model, we constrain the current expansion rate to H₀ = 67.15 ± 0.98 km s⁻¹Mpc⁻¹. Allowing the equation of state of dark energy to vary, we obtain wDE = −1.080 ± 0.135. When assuming a curved ΛCDM model we obtain a curvature value of ΩK = −0.0043 ± 0.0047

<em>N</em>³-Alkylation during formation of quinazolin-4-ones from condensation of anthranilamides and orthoamides

Dimethylformamide dimethylacetal (DMFDMA) is widely used as a source of electrophilic one-carbon units at the formate oxidation level; however, electrophilic methylation with this reagent is previously unreported. Reaction of anthranilamide with DMFDMA at 150 °C for short periods gives mainly quinazolin-4-one. However, prolonged reaction with dimethylformamide di(primary-alkyl)acetals leads to subsequent alkylation at N3. 3-Substituted anthranilamides give 8-substituted 3-alkylquinazolin-4-ones. Condensation of anthranilamides with dimethylacetamide dimethylacetal provides 2,3-dimethylquinazolin-4-ones. In these reactions, the source of the N3-alkyl group is the O-alkyl group of the orthoamides. By contrast, reaction with the more sterically crowded dimethylformamide di(isopropyl)acetal diverts the alkylation to the oxygen, giving 4-isopropoxyquinazolines, along with N3-methylquinazolin-4-ones where the methyl is derived from N-Me of the orthoamides. Reaction of anthranilamide with the highly sterically demanding dimethylformamide di(t-butyl)acetal gives largely quinazolin-4-one, whereas dimethylformamide di(neopentyl)acetal forms a mixture of quinazolin-4-one and N3-methylquinazolin-4-one. The observations are rationalised in terms of formation of intermediate cationic electrophiles (alkoxymethylidene-N,N-dimethylammonium) by thermal elimination of the corresponding alkoxide from the orthoamides. These are the first observations of orthoamides as direct alkylating agents

BLAST: the Redshift Survey

The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) has recently surveyed ~8.7 deg^2 centered on GOODS-South at 250, 350, and 500 microns. In Dye et al. (2009) we presented the catalogue of sources detected at 5-sigma in at least one band in this field and the probable counterparts to these sources in other wavebands. In this paper, we present the results of a redshift survey in which we succeeded in measuring redshifts for 82 of these counterparts. The spectra show that the BLAST counterparts are mostly star-forming galaxies but not extreme ones when compared to those found in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Roughly one quarter of the BLAST counterparts contain an active nucleus. We have used the spectroscopic redshifts to carry out a test of the ability of photometric redshift methods to estimate the redshifts of dusty galaxies, showing that the standard methods work well even when a galaxy contains a large amount of dust. We have also investigated the cases where there are two possible counterparts to the BLAST source, finding that in at least half of these there is evidence that the two galaxies are physically associated, either because they are interacting or because they are in the same large-scale structure. Finally, we have made the first direct measurements of the luminosity function in the three BLAST bands. We find strong evolution out to z=1, in the sense that there is a large increase in the space-density of the most luminous galaxies. We have also investigated the evolution of the dust-mass function, finding similar strong evolution in the space-density of the galaxies with the largest dust masses, showing that the luminosity evolution seen in many wavebands is associated with an increase in the reservoir of interstellar matter in galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. Maps and associated results are available at http://blastexperiment.info

High-sensitivity transition-edge-sensed bolometers: improved speed and characterization with AC and DC bias

We report on efforts to improve the speed of low-G far-infrared transition-edged-sensed bolometers. We use a fabrication process that does not require any dry etch steps to reduce heat capacity on the suspended device and measure a reduction in the detector time constant. However, we also measure an increase in the temperature-normalized thermal conductance (G), and a corresponding increase in the noise-equivalent power (NEP). We employ a new near-IR photon-noise technique using a near-IR laser to calibrate the frequency-domain multiplexed AC system and compare the results to a well-understood DC circuit. We measure an NEP white noise level of 0.8 aW/rtHz with a 1/f knee below 0.1 Hz and a time constant of 3.2 ms.Comment: 27 pages, 16 figures. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in J. Appl. Phys. 134 (9) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.015720

The WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey: the growth rate of cosmic structure since redshift z=0.9

We present precise measurements of the growth rate of cosmic structure for the redshift range 0.1 < z < 0.9, using redshift-space distortions in the galaxy power spectrum of the WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey. Our results, which have a precision of around 10% in four independent redshift bins, are well-fit by a flat LCDM cosmological model with matter density parameter Omega_m = 0.27. Our analysis hence indicates that this model provides a self-consistent description of the growth of cosmic structure through large-scale perturbations and the homogeneous cosmic expansion mapped by supernovae and baryon acoustic oscillations. We achieve robust results by systematically comparing our data with several different models of the quasi-linear growth of structure including empirical models, fitting formulae calibrated to N-body simulations, and perturbation theory techniques. We extract the first measurements of the power spectrum of the velocity divergence field, P_vv(k), as a function of redshift (under the assumption that P_gv(k) = -sqrt[P_gg(k) P_vv(k)] where g is the galaxy overdensity field), and demonstrate that the WiggleZ galaxy-mass cross-correlation is consistent with a deterministic (rather than stochastic) scale-independent bias model for WiggleZ galaxies for scales k < 0.3 h/Mpc. Measurements of the cosmic growth rate from the WiggleZ Survey and other current and future observations offer a powerful test of the physical nature of dark energy that is complementary to distance-redshift measures such as supernovae and baryon acoustic oscillations.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication by MNRA

High star formation rates as the origin of turbulence in early and modern disk galaxies

High spatial and spectral resolution observations of star formation and kinematics in early galaxies have shown that two-thirds are massive rotating disk galaxies with the remainder being less massive non-rotating objects. The line of sight averaged velocity dispersions are typically five times higher than in today's disk galaxies. This has suggested that gravitationally-unstable, gas-rich disks in the early Universe are fuelled by cold, dense accreting gas flowing along cosmic filaments and penetrating hot galactic gas halos. However these accreting flows have not been observed, and cosmic accretion cannot power the observed level of turbulence. Here we report on a new sample of rare high-velocity-dispersion disk galaxies we have discovered in the nearby Universe where cold accretion is unlikely to drive their high star-formation rates. We find that the velocity dispersion is most fundamentally correlated with their star-formation rates, and not their mass nor gas fraction, which leads to a new picture where star formation itself is the energetic driver of galaxy disk turbulence at all cosmic epochs.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, Supplimentary Info available at: http://pulsar.swin.edu.au/~agreen/nature/sigma_mean_arXiv.pdf. Accepted for publication in Natur