615 research outputs found
16 x 25 Ge:Ga Detector Arrays for FIFI LS
We are developing two-dimensional 16 x 25 pixel detector arrays of both
unstressed and stressed Ge:Ga photoconductive detectors for far-infrared
astronomy from SOFIA. The arrays, based on earlier 5 x 5 detector arrays used
on the KAO, will be for our new instrument, the Far Infrared Field Imaging Line
Spectrometer (FIFI LS). The unstressed Ge:Ga detector array will cover the
wavelength range from 40 to 120 microns, and the stressed Ge:Ga detector array
from 120 to 210 microns. The detector arrays will be operated with multiplexed
integrating amplifiers with cryogenic readout electronics located close to the
detector arrays. The design of the stressed detector array and results of
current measurements on several prototype 16 pixel linear arrays are reported.
They demonstrate the feasibility of the current concept. ***This paper does not
include Figures due to astro-ph size limitations. Please download entire file
at http://fifi-ls.mpe-garching.mpg.de/spie.det.ps.gz ***Comment: 8 pages, SPIE Proceedings, Astronomical Telescopes and
Instrumentation 200
Stressed detector arrays for airborne astronomy
The development of stressed Ge:Ga detector arrays for far-infrared astronomy from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) is discussed. Researchers successfully constructed and used a three channel detector array on five flights from the KAO, and have conducted laboratory tests of a two-dimensional, 25 elements (5x5) detector array. Each element of the three element array performs as well as the researchers' best single channel detector, as do the tested elements of the 25 channel system. Some of the exciting new science possible with far-infrared detector arrays is also discussed
The 158 micron (CII) mapping of galaxies: Probing the atomic medium
Using the MPE/UCB Far-infrared Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FIFI) on the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO), we have made large scale maps of (CII) in the spiral galaxies NGC 6946, NGC 891, M83 and the peculiar elliptical Cen A, thus allowing for the first time, detailed studies of the spatial distribution of the FIR line emission in external galaxies. We find that the (CII) emission comes from a mixture of components of interstellar gas. The brightest emission is associated with the nuclear regions, a second component traces the spiral arms as seen in the nearly face on spiral galaxies NGC 6946 and M83 and the largest star forming/H2 regions contained within them, and another extended component of low brightness can be detected in all of the galaxies far from the nucleus, beyond the extent of CO emission
Star Formation in M51 Triggered by Galaxy Interaction
We have mapped the inner 360'' regions of M51 in the 158micron [CII] line at
55'' spatial resolution using the Far-infrared Imaging Fabry-Perot
Interferometer (FIFI) on the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO). The emission is
peaked at the nucleus, but is detectable over the entire region mapped, which
covers much of the optical disk of the galaxy. There are also two strong
secondary peaks at ~43% to 70% of the nuclear value located roughly 120'' to
the north-east, and south-west of the nucleus. These secondary peaks are at the
same distance from the nucleus as the corotation radius of the density wave
pattern. The density wave also terminates at this location, and the outlying
spiral structure is attributed to material clumping due to the interaction
between M51 and NGC5195. This orbit crowding results in cloud-cloud collisions,
stimulating star formation, that we see as enhanced [CII] line emission. The
[CII] emission at the peaks originates mainly from photodissociation regions
(PDRs) formed on the surfaces of molecular clouds that are exposed to OB
starlight, so that these [CII] peaks trace star formation peaks in M51. The
total mass of [CII] emitting photodissociated gas is ~2.6x10^{8} M_{sun}, or
about 2% of the molecular gas as estimated from its CO(1-0) line emission. At
the peak [CII] positions, the PDR gas mass to total gas mass fraction is
somewhat higher, 3-17%, and at the secondary peaks the mass fraction of the
[CII] emitting photodissociated gas can be as high as 72% of the molecular
mass.... (continued)Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, Accepted in ApJ (for higher resolution figures
contact the author
Effects of erythropoietin in murine-induced pluripotent cell-derived panneural progenitor cells
Induced cell fate changes by reprogramming of somatic cells offers an efficient strategy to generate autologous pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from any adult cell type. The potential of iPS cells to differentiate into various cell types is well established, however the efficiency to produce functional neurons from iPS cells remains modest. Here, we generated panneural progenitor cells (pNPCs) from mouse iPS cells and investigated the effect of the neurotrophic growth factor erythropoietin (EPO) on their survival, proliferation and neurodifferentiation. Under neural differentiation conditions, iPS-derived pNPCs gave rise to microtubule-associated protein-2 positive neuronlike cells (34% to 43%) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor positive oligodendrocytelike cells (21% to 25%) while less than 1% of the cells expressed the astrocytic marker glial fibrillary acidic protein. Neuronlike cells generated action potentials and developed active presynaptic terminals. The pNPCs expressed EPO receptor (EPOR) mRNA and displayed functional EPOR signaling. In proliferating cultures, EPO (0.1–3 U/mL) slightly improved pNPC survival but reduced cell proliferation and neurosphere formation in a concentration-dependent manner. In differentiating cultures EPO facilitated neurodifferentiation as assessed by the increased number of β-III-tubulin positive neurons. Our results show that EPO inhibits iPS pNPC self-renewal and promotes neurogenesis
Measurement of the proton electric to magnetic form factor ratio from \vec ^1H(\vec e, e'p)
We report the first precision measurement of the proton electric to magnetic
form factor ratio from spin-dependent elastic scattering of longitudinally
polarized electrons from a polarized hydrogen internal gas target. The
measurement was performed at the MIT-Bates South Hall Ring over a range of
four-momentum transfer squared from 0.15 to 0.65 (GeV/c).
Significantly improved results on the proton electric and magnetic form factors
are obtained in combination with previous cross-section data on elastic
electron-proton scattering in the same region.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, submitted to PR
The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) on the Herschel Space Observatory
The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) is one of the three
science instruments on ESA's far infrared and submillimetre observatory. It
employs two Ge:Ga photoconductor arrays (stressed and unstressed) with 16x25
pixels, each, and two filled silicon bolometer arrays with 16x32 and 32x64
pixels, respectively, to perform integral-field spectroscopy and imaging
photometry in the 60-210\mu\ m wavelength regime. In photometry mode, it
simultaneously images two bands, 60-85\mu\ m or 85-125\mu\m and 125-210\mu\ m,
over a field of view of ~1.75'x3.5', with close to Nyquist beam sampling in
each band. In spectroscopy mode, it images a field of 47"x47", resolved into
5x5 pixels, with an instantaneous spectral coverage of ~1500km/s and a spectral
resolution of ~175km/s. We summarise the design of the instrument, describe
observing modes, calibration, and data analysis methods, and present our
current assessment of the in-orbit performance of the instrument based on the
Performance Verification tests. PACS is fully operational, and the achieved
performance is close to or better than the pre-launch predictions
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