2,356 research outputs found
Photometric redshifts for Quasars in multi band Surveys
MLPQNA stands for Multi Layer Perceptron with Quasi Newton Algorithm and it
is a machine learning method which can be used to cope with regression and
classification problems on complex and massive data sets. In this paper we give
the formal description of the method and present the results of its application
to the evaluation of photometric redshifts for quasars. The data set used for
the experiment was obtained by merging four different surveys (SDSS, GALEX,
UKIDSS and WISE), thus covering a wide range of wavelengths from the UV to the
mid-infrared. The method is able i) to achieve a very high accuracy; ii) to
drastically reduce the number of outliers and catastrophic objects; iii) to
discriminate among parameters (or features) on the basis of their significance,
so that the number of features used for training and analysis can be optimized
in order to reduce both the computational demands and the effects of
degeneracy. The best experiment, which makes use of a selected combination of
parameters drawn from the four surveys, leads, in terms of DeltaZnorm (i.e.
(zspec-zphot)/(1+zspec)), to an average of DeltaZnorm = 0.004, a standard
deviation sigma = 0.069 and a Median Absolute Deviation MAD = 0.02 over the
whole redshift range (i.e. zspec <= 3.6), defined by the 4-survey cross-matched
spectroscopic sample. The fraction of catastrophic outliers, i.e. of objects
with photo-z deviating more than 2sigma from the spectroscopic value is < 3%,
leading to a sigma = 0.035 after their removal, over the same redshift range.
The method is made available to the community through the DAMEWARE web
application.Comment: 38 pages, Submitted to ApJ in February 2013; Accepted by ApJ in May
201
Weak Lensing Mass Reconstruction of the Galaxy Cluster Abell 209
Weak lensing applied to deep optical images of clusters of galaxies provides
a powerful tool to reconstruct the distribution of the gravitating mass
associated to these structures. We use the shear signal extracted by an
analysis of deep exposures of a region centered around the galaxy cluster Abell
209, at redshift z=0.2, to derive both a map of the projected mass distribution
and an estimate of the total mass within a characteristic radius. We use a
series of deep archival R-band images from CFHT-12k, covering an area of 0.3
deg^2. We determine the shear of background galaxy images using a new
implementation of the modified Kaiser-Squires-Broadhurst pipeline for shear
determination, which we has been tested against the ``Shear TEsting Program 1
and 2'' simulations. We use mass aperture statistics to produce maps of the 2
dimensional density distribution, and parametric fits using both
Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) and singular-isothermal-sphere profiles to constrain
the total mass. The projected mass distribution shows a pronounced asymmetry,
with an elongated structure extending from the SE to the NW. This is in general
agreement with the optical distribution previously found by other authors. A
similar elongation was previously detected in the X-ray emission map, and in
the distribution of galaxy colours. The circular NFW mass profile fit gives a
total mass of M_{200} = 7.7^{+4.3}_{-2.7} 10^{14} solar masses inside the
virial radius r_{200} = 1.8\pm 0.3 Mpc. The weak lensing profile reinforces the
evidence for an elongated structure of Abell 209, as previously suggested by
studies of the galaxy distribution and velocities.Comment: accepted by A&A, 15 pages, 11 figure
Quantification of finite-temperature effects on adsorption geometries of -conjugated molecules
The adsorption structure of the molecular switch azobenzene on Ag(111) is
investigated by a combination of normal incidence x-ray standing waves and
dispersion-corrected density functional theory. The inclusion of non-local
collective substrate response (screening) in the dispersion correction improves
the description of dense monolayers of azobenzene, which exhibit a substantial
torsion of the molecule. Nevertheless, for a quantitative agreement with
experiment explicit consideration of the effect of vibrational mode
anharmonicity on the adsorption geometry is crucial.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure
Numerical simulations challenged on the prediction of massive subhalo abundance in galaxy clusters: the case of Abell 2142
In this Letter we compare the abundance of member galaxies of a rich, nearby
() galaxy cluster, Abell 2142, with that of halos of comparable virial
mass extracted from sets of state-of-the-art numerical simulations, both
collisionless at different resolutions and with the inclusion of baryonic
physics in the form of cooling, star formation, and feedback by active galactic
nuclei. We also use two semi-analytical models to account for the presence of
orphan galaxies. The photometric and spectroscopic information, taken from the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12 (SDSS DR12) database, allows us to
estimate the stellar velocity dispersion of member galaxies of Abell 2142. This
quantity is used as proxy for the total mass of secure cluster members and is
properly compared with that of subhalos in simulations. We find that simulated
halos have a statistically significant ( sigma confidence level)
smaller amount of massive (circular velocity above )
subhalos, even before accounting for the possible incompleteness of
observations. These results corroborate the findings from a recent strong
lensing study of the Hubble Frontier Fields galaxy cluster MACS J0416
\citep{grillo2015} and suggest that the observed difference is already present
at the level of dark matter (DM) subhalos and is not solved by introducing
baryonic physics. A deeper understanding of this discrepancy between
observations and simulations will provide valuable insights into the impact of
the physical properties of DM particles and the effect of baryons on the
formation and evolution of cosmological structures.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures. Modified to match the version published in ApJ
Nervous system characterization during the development of a basal echinoderm, the feather star Antedon mediterranea
Neural development of echinoderms has always been difficult to interpret, as larval neurons degenerate at metamorphosis and a tripartite nervous system differentiates in the adult. Despite their key phylogenetic position as basal echinoderms, crinoids have been scarcely studied in developmental research. However, since they are the only extant echinoderms retaining the ancestral body plan of the group, crinoids are extremely valuable models to clarify neural evolution in deuterostomes. Antedon mediterranea is a feather star, endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. Its development includes a swimming lecithotrophic larva, the doliolaria, with basiepithelial nerve plexus, and a sessile filter-feeding juvenile, the pentacrinoid, whose nervous system has never been described in detail. Thus, we characterized the nervous system of both these developmental stages by means of immunohistochemistry and, for the first time, in situ hybridization techniques. The results confirmed previous descriptions of doliolaria morphology and revealed that the larval apical organ contains two bilateral clusters of serotonergic cells while GABAergic neurons are localized under the adhesive pit. This suggested that different larval activities (e.g., attachment and metamorphosis) are under the control of different neural populations. In pentacrinoids, the analysis showed the presence of a cholinergic entoneural system while the ectoneural plexus appeared more composite, displaying different neural populations. The expression of three neural-related microRNAs was described for the first time, suggesting that these are evolutionarily conserved also in basal echinoderms. Overall, our results set the stage for future investigations that will reveal new information on echinoderm evo-devo neurobiology
ACCESS - V. Dissecting ram-pressure stripping through integral-field spectroscopy and multi-band imaging
We study the case of a bright (L>L*) barred spiral galaxy from the rich
cluster A3558 in the Shapley supercluster core (z=0.05) undergoing ram-pressure
stripping. Integral-field spectroscopy, complemented by multi-band imaging,
allows us to reveal the impact of ram pressure on the interstellar medium. We
study in detail the kinematics and the physical conditions of the ionized gas
and the properties of the stellar populations. We observe one-sided extraplanar
ionized gas along the full extent of the galaxy disc. Narrow-band Halpha
imaging resolves this outflow into a complex of knots and filaments. The gas
velocity field is complex with the extraplanar gas showing signature of
rotation. In all parts of the galaxy, we find a significant contribution from
shock excitation, as well as emission powered by star formation. Shock-ionized
gas is associated with the turbulent gas outflow and highly attenuated by dust.
All these findings cover the whole phenomenology of early-stage ram-pressure
stripping. Intense, highly obscured star formation is taking place in the
nucleus, probably related to the bar, and in a region 12 kpc South-West from
the centre. In the SW region we identify a starburst characterized by a 5x
increase in the star-formation rate over the last ~100 Myr, possibly related to
the compression of the interstellar gas by the ram pressure. The scenario
suggested by the observations is supported and refined by ad hoc
N-body/hydrodynamical simulations which identify a rather narrow temporal range
for the onset of ram-pressure stripping around t~60 Myr ago, and an angle
between the galaxy rotation axis and the intra-cluster medium wind of ~45 deg.
Taking into account that the galaxy is found ~1 Mpc from the cluster centre in
a relatively low-density region, this study shows that ram-pressure stripping
still acts efficiently on massive galaxies well outside the cluster cores.Comment: 46 pages, 21 figures, accepted for publication; MNRAS 201
Cosmic dance in the Shapley Concentration Core - I. A study of the radio emission of the BCGs and tailed radio galaxies
The Shapley Concentration () covers several degrees in the
Southern Hemisphere, and includes galaxy clusters in advanced evolutionary
stage, groups of clusters in the early stages of merger, fairly massive
clusters with ongoing accretion activity, and smaller groups located in
filaments in the regions between the main clusters. With the goal to
investigate the role of cluster mergers and accretion on the radio galaxy
population, we performed a multi-wavelength study of the BCGs and of the
galaxies showing extended radio emission in the cluster complexes of Abell 3528
and Abell 3558. Our study is based on a sample of 12 galaxies. We observed the
clusters with the GMRT at 235, 325 and 610 MHz, and with the VLA at 8.46 GHz.
We complemented our study with the TGSS at 150 MHz, the SUMSS at 843 MHz and
ATCA at 1380, 1400, 2380, and 4790 MHz data. Optical imaging with ESO-VST and
mid-IR coverage with WISE are also available for the host galaxies. We found
deep differences in the properties of the radio emission of the BCGs in the two
cluster complexes. The BCGs in the A3528 complex and in A3556, which are
relaxed cool-core objects, are powerful active radio galaxies. They also
present hints of restarted activity. On the contrary, the BCGs in A3558 and
A3562, which are well known merging systems, are very faint, or quiet, in the
radio band. The optical and IR properties of the galaxies are fairly similar in
the two complexes, showing all passive red galaxies. Our study shows remarkable
differences in the radio properties of the BGCs, which we relate to the
different dynamical state of the host cluster. On the contrary, the lack of
changes between such different environments in the optical band suggests that
the dynamical state of galaxy clusters does not affect the optical counterparts
of the radio galaxies, at least over the life-time of the radio emission.Comment: 24 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Inside Catalogs: A Comparison of Source Extraction Software
The scope of this article is to compare the catalog extraction performances obtained using the new combination of SExtractor with PSFEx against the more traditional and diffuse application of DAOPHOT with ALLSTAR; therefore, the paper may provide a guide for the selection of the most suitable catalog extraction software. Both software packages were tested on two kinds of simulated images, having a uniform spatial distribution of sources and an overdensity in the center, respectively. In both cases, SExtractor is able to generate a deeper catalog than DAOPHOT. Moreover, the use of neural networks for object classification plus the novel SPREAD_MODEL parameter push down to the limiting magnitude the possibility of star/galaxy separation. DAOPHOT and ALLSTAR provide an optimal solution for point-source photometry in stellar fields and very accurate and reliable PSF photometry, with robust star/galaxy separation. However, they are not useful for galaxy characterization and do not generate catalogs that are very complete for faint sources. On the other hand, SExtractor, along with the new capability to derive PSF photometry, turns out to be competitive and returns accurate photometry for galaxies also. We can report that the new version of SExtractor, used in conjunction with PSFEx, represents a very powerful software package for source extraction with performances comparable to those of DAOPHOT. Finally, by comparing the results obtained in the cases of a uniform and of an overdense spatial distribution of stars, we notice for both software packages a decline for the latter case in the quality of the results produced in terms of magnitudes and centroids
Exploring miR-9 Involvement in Ciona intestinalis Neural Development Using Peptide Nucleic Acids
The microRNAs are small RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and can be involved in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. They are emerging as possible targets for antisense-based therapy, even though the in vivo stability of miRNA analogues is still questioned. We tested the ability of peptide nucleic acids, a novel class of nucleic acid mimics, to downregulate miR-9 in vivo in an invertebrate model organism, the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, by microinjection of antisense molecules in the eggs. It is known that miR-9 is a well-conserved microRNA in bilaterians and we found that it is expressed in epidermal sensory neurons of the tail in the larva of C. intestinalis. Larvae developed from injected eggs showed a reduced differentiation of tail neurons, confirming the possibility to use peptide nucleic acid PNA to downregulate miRNA in a whole organism. By identifying putative targets of miR-9, we discuss the role of this miRNA in the development of the peripheral nervous system of ascidians
The story of supernova 'Refsdal' told by MUSE
We present MUSE observations in the core of the HFF galaxy cluster MACS
J1149.5+2223, where the first magnified and spatially-resolved multiple images
of SN 'Refsdal' at redshift 1.489 were detected. Thanks to a DDT program with
the VLT and the extraordinary efficiency of MUSE, we measure 117 secure
redshifts with just 4.8 hours of total integration time on a single target
pointing. We spectroscopically confirm 68 galaxy cluster members, with redshift
values ranging from 0.5272 to 0.5660, and 18 multiple images belonging to 7
background, lensed sources distributed in redshifts between 1.240 and 3.703.
Starting from the combination of our catalog with those obtained from extensive
spectroscopic and photometric campaigns using the HST, we select a sample of
300 (164 spectroscopic and 136 photometric) cluster members, within
approximately 500 kpc from the BCG, and a set of 88 reliable multiple images
associated to 10 different background source galaxies and 18 distinct knots in
the spiral galaxy hosting SN 'Refsdal'. We exploit this valuable information to
build 6 detailed strong lensing models, the best of which reproduces the
observed positions of the multiple images with a rms offset of only 0.26". We
use these models to quantify the statistical and systematic errors on the
predicted values of magnification and time delay of the next emerging image of
SN 'Refsdal'. We find that its peak luminosity should should occur between
March and June 2016, and should be approximately 20% fainter than the dimmest
(S4) of the previously detected images but above the detection limit of the
planned HST/WFC3 follow-up. We present our two-dimensional reconstruction of
the cluster mass density distribution and of the SN 'Refsdal' host galaxy
surface brightness distribution. We outline the roadmap towards even better
strong lensing models with a synergetic MUSE and HST effort.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, 6 tables; accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journal - extra information on data analysis added, all model
predictions and results unchange
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