2,295 research outputs found
Q0906+6930: The Highest-Redshift Blazar
We report the discovery of a radio-loud flat-spectrum QSO at z=5.47 with
properties similar to those of the EGRET gamma-ray blazars. This source is the
brightest radio QSO at z>5, with a pc-scale radio jet and a black hole mass
estimate >10^{10}M_\odot. It appears to be the most distant blazar discovered
to date. High energy observations of this source can provide powerful probes of
the background radiation in the early universe.Comment: To appear in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. 5pp, 3figure
Correlation analysis of stochastic gravitational wave background around 0.1-1Hz
We discuss prospects for direct measurement of stochastic gravitational wave
background around 0.1-1Hz with future space missions. It is assumed to use
correlation analysis technique with the optimal TDI variables for two sets of
LISA-type interferometers. The signal to noise for detection of the background
and the estimation errors for its basic parameters (amplitude, spectral index)
are evaluated for proposed missions.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, revised version, to appear in PR
Tundra Relief Features near Point Barrow, Alaska
Topography of this area results from erosion and mass wasting of a permafrost terrain, low temperature processes such as thermal expansion and contraction of frozen ground, surface uplift caused by accumulation of, and subsistence resulting from thaw of ground ice. High- and low-centered polygons, ice-wedge troughs, ice-core mounds and thaw basins are features in this region; genetic relations between these are discussed.Traits de relief de la toundra près de Point Barrow, Alaska. La distribution des traits mineurs du relief de la toundra démontre que la topographie joue un rôle majeur dans leur développement. Dans de grandes zones de relief très faible, l'expression locale dépasse souvent la portée régionale. Abstraction faite du relief initial, les plus grandes déviations de la surface plane dans la région de Barrow sont liées à la croissance ou à la fonte de la glace dans le sol. Ce qui donne des traits comme les polygones à centre soulevé ou en creux, les fentes de coins de glace, les monticules à noyau de glace et des cuvettes de fonte de toutes dimensions. On a pu déterminer la genèse de la plupart de ces traits. Cependant, on a mis en doute la formation des cuvettes par la fonte. La cueillette et l'analyse de spécimens de sol gelé ont permis de déterminer leur teneur relative en glace. Ces valeurs extrapolées ont démontré que même les plus grandes cuvettes peuvent être d'origine thermokarstique
Blazar Counterparts for 3EG Sources at -40 < decl. < 0: Pushing South Through the Bulge
Supplementing existing survey data with VLA observations, we have extended
ray counterpart identifications down to decl. = -40 using our
Figure of Merit approach. We find blazar counterparts for 70% of EGRET
sources above decl. = -40 away from the Galaxy. Spectroscopic
confirmation is in progress, and spectra for two dozen sources are
presented here. We find evidence that increased exposure in the bulge region
allowed EGRET to detect relatively faint blazars; a clear excess of non-blazar
objects in this region however argues for an additional (new) source class.Comment: ApJ accepte
Potential one-forms for hyperk\"ahler structures with torsion
It is shown that an HKT-space with closed parallel potential 1-form has
-symmetry. Every locally conformally hyperk\"ahler manifold
generates this type of geometry. The HKT-spaces with closed parallel potential
1-form arising in this way are characterized by their symmetries and an
inhomogeneous cubic condition on their torsion.Comment: 16 pages, Latex, no figure
Bounds on Lorentz and CPT Violation from the Earth-Ionosphere Cavity
Electromagnetic resonant cavities form the basis of many tests of Lorentz
invariance involving photons. The effects of some forms of Lorentz violation
scale with cavity size. We investigate possible signals of violations in the
naturally occurring resonances formed in the Earth-ionosphere cavity.
Comparison with observed resonances places the first terrestrial constraints on
coefficients associated with dimension-three Lorentz-violating operators at the
level of 10^{-20} GeV.Comment: 8 pages REVTe
Optical Spectroscopy of Bright Fermi LAT Blazars
We report on HET and Palomar 5 m spectroscopy of recently identified
-ray blazars in the {\it Fermi} LAT Bright Source List. These data
provide identifications for 10 newly discovered -ray flat spectrum
radio quasars (FSRQ) and six new BL Lacs plus improved spectroscopy for six
additional BL Lacs. We substantially improve the identification completeness of
the bright LAT blazars and give new redshifts and constraints, new
estimates of the black hole masses and new measurements of the optical SED.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in Ap
Canonical quantization of a particle near a black hole
We discuss the quantization of a particle near an extreme Reissner-Nordstrom
black hole in the canonical formalism. This model appears to be described by a
Hamiltonian with no well-defined ground state. This problem can be circumvented
by a redefinition of the Hamiltonian due to de Alfaro, Fubini and Furlan (DFF).
We show that the Hamiltonian with no ground state corresponds to a gauge in
which there is an obstruction at the boundary of spacetime requiring a
modification of the quantization rules. The redefinition of the Hamiltonian a
la DFF corresponds to a different choice of gauge. The latter is a good gauge
leading to standard quantization rules. Thus, the DFF trick is a consequence of
a standard gauge-fixing procedure in the case of black hole scattering.Comment: 13 pages, ReVTeX, no figure
Forecast Constraints on Inflation from Combined CMB and Gravitational Wave Direct Detection Experiments
We study how direct detection of the inflationary gravitational wave
background constrains inflationary parameters and complements CMB polarization
measurements. The error ellipsoids calculated using the Fisher information
matrix approach with Planck and the direct detection experiment, BBO (Big Bang
Observer), show different directions of parameter degeneracy, and the
degeneracy is broken when they are combined. For a slow-roll parameterization,
we show that BBO could significantly improve the constraints on the
tensor-to-scalar ratio compared with Planck alone. We also look at a quadratic
and a natural inflation model. In both cases, if the temperature of reheating
is also treated as a free parameter, then the addition of BBO can significantly
improve the error bars. In the case of natural inflation, we find that the
addition of BBO could even partially improve the error bars of a cosmic
variance-limited CMB experiment.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures; matches version to appear in PRD; typos
correcte
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Phase II Proof-of-Concept Trial of the Orexin Receptor Antagonist Filorexant (MK-6096) in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder.
BackgroundWe evaluated the orexin receptor antagonist filorexant (MK-6096) for treatment augmentation in patients with major depressive disorder.MethodsWe conducted a 6-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, Phase II, proof-of-concept study. Patients with major depressive disorder (partial responders to ongoing antidepressant therapy) were randomized 1:1 to once-daily oral filorexant 10 mg or matching placebo.ResultsDue to enrollment challenges, the study was terminated early, resulting in insufficient statistical power to detect a prespecified treatment difference; of 326 patients planned, 129 (40%) were randomized and 128 took treatment. There was no statistically significant difference in the primary endpoint of change from baseline to week 6 in Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale total score; the estimated treatment difference for filorexant-placebo was -0.7 (with negative values favoring filorexant) (P=.679). The most common adverse events were somnolence and suicidal ideation.ConclusionsThe interpretation of the results is limited by the enrollment, which was less than originally planned, but the available data do not suggest efficacy of orexin receptor antagonism with filorexant for the treatment of depression. (Clinical Trial Registry: clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01554176)
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