11,799 research outputs found
Spatial clusters of gonorrhoea in England with particular reference to the outcome of partner notification: 2012 and 2013
Background: This study explored spatial-temporal variation in diagnoses of gonorrhoea to identify and quantify endemic areas and clusters in relation to patient characteristics and outcomes of partner notification (PN) across England, UK. Methods: Endemic areas and clusters were identified using a two-stage analysis with Kulldorff’s scan statistics (SaTScan). Results Of 2,571,838 tests, 53,547 diagnoses were gonorrhoea positive (positivity = 2.08%). The proportion of diagnoses in heterosexual males was 1.5 times that in heterosexual females. Among index cases, men who have sex with men (MSM) were 8 times more likely to be diagnosed with gonorrhoea than heterosexual males (p<0.0001). After controlling for age, gender, ethnicity and deprivation rank, 4 endemic areas were identified including 11,047 diagnoses, 86% of which occurred in London. 33 clusters included 17,629 diagnoses (34% of total diagnoses in 2012 and 2013) and spanned 21 locations, some of which were dominated by heterosexually acquired infection, whilst others were MSM focused. Of the 53,547 diagnoses, 14.5% (7,775) were the result of PN. The proportion of patients who attended services as a result of PN varied from 0% to 61% within different age, gender and sexual orientation cohorts. A third of tests resulting from PN were positive for gonorrhoea. 25% of Local Authorities (n = 81, 95% CI: 20.2, 29.5) had a higher than expected proportion for female PN diagnoses as compared to 16% for males (n = 52, 95% CI: 12.0, 19.9). Conclusions: The English gonorrhoea epidemic is characterised by spatial-temporal variation. PN success varied between endemic areas and clusters. Greater emphasis should be placed on the role of PN in the control of gonorrhoea to reduce the risk of onward transmission, re-infection, and complications of infection
It's a wonderful tail: the mass loss history of Mira
Recent observations of the Mira AB binary system have revealed a surrounding
arc-like structure and a stream of material stretching 2 degrees away in
opposition to the arc. The alignment of the proper motion vector and the
arc-like structure shows the structures to be a bow shock and accompanying
tail. We have successfully hydrodynamically modelled the bow shock and tail as
the interaction between the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) wind launched from
Mira A and the surrounding interstellar medium. Our simulations show that the
wake behind the bow shock is turbulent: this forms periodic density variations
in the tail similar to those observed. We investigate the possiblity of
mass-loss variations, but find that these have limited effect on the tail
structure. The tail is estimated to be approximately 450,000 years old, and is
moving with a velocity close to that of Mira itself. We suggest that the
duration of the high mass-loss phase on the AGB may have been underestimated.
Finally, both the tail curvature and the rebrightening at large distance can be
qualitatively understood if Mira recently entered the Local Bubble. This is
estimated to have occured 17 pc downstream from its current location.Comment: 12 pages, 3 colour figures, accepted by ApJ Part II (Letters
Complete Characterization of Quantum-Optical Processes
The technologies of quantum information and quantum control are rapidly
improving, but full exploitation of their capabilities requires complete
characterization and assessment of processes that occur within quantum devices.
We present a method for characterizing, with arbitrarily high accuracy, any
quantum optical process. Our protocol recovers complete knowledge of the
process by studying, via homodyne tomography, its effect on a set of coherent
states, i.e. classical fields produced by common laser sources. We demonstrate
the capability of our protocol by evaluating and experimentally verifying the
effect of a test process on squeezed vacuum.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Swift observations of the 2006 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi: II. 1D hydrodynamical models of wind driven shocks
Following the early Swift X-ray observations of the latest outburst of the
recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi in February 2006 (Paper I), we present new 1D
hydrodynamical models of the system which take into account all three phases of
the remnant evolution. The models suggest a novel way of modelling the system
by treating the outburst as a sudden increase then decrease in wind mass-loss
rate and velocity. The differences between this wind model and previous
Primakoff-type simulations are described. A more complex structure, even in 1D,
is revealed through the presence of both forward and reverse shocks, with a
separating contact discontinuity. The effects of radiative cooling are
investigated and key outburst parameters such as mass-loss rate, ejecta
velocity and mass are varied. The shock velocities as a function of time are
compared to the ones derived in Paper I. We show how the manner in which the
matter is ejected controls the evolution of the shock and that for a
well-cooled remnant, the shock deceleration rate depends on the amount of
energy that is radiated away.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
An Atlas of Computed Equivalent Widths of Quasar Broad Emission Lines
We present graphically the results of several thousand photoionization
calculations of broad emission line clouds in quasars, spanning seven orders of
magnitude in hydrogen ionizing flux and particle density. The equivalent widths
of 42 quasar emission lines are presented as contours in the particle density -
ionizing flux plane for a typical incident continuum shape, solar chemical
abundances, and cloud column density of . Results are
similarly given for a small subset of emission lines for two other column
densities ( and ), five other incident
continuum shapes, and a gas metallicity of 5 \Zsun. These graphs should prove
useful in the analysis of quasar emission line data and in the detailed
modeling of quasar broad emission line regions. The digital results of these
emission line grids and many more are available over the Internet.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX (AASTeX aaspp4.sty); to appear in the 1997 ApJS: full
contents of the 9 photoionization grids presented in this paper may be found
at http://www.pa.uky.edu/~korista/grids/grids.htm
Sh2-188: a model for a speedy PN
Sh2-188 is thought to be an ancient planetary nebula in the galactic disk. It
appears to be one-sided with recent observations revealing structure behind the
filamentary limb. We postulate that Sh2-188 is interacting with the ISM and
simulate it in terms of a ``triple-wind'' model comprising of the usual
``fast'' and ``slow'' interacting stellar winds plus the wind due to motion
through the ISM. We have run simulations at various velocities of the central
star relative to the ISM and find that a high velocity of 125 km/s best
approximates the observed structure. We also suggest that Sh2-188 is younger
than previously thought and that much of the mass lost on the AGB has been
swept downstream.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of the "Stellar end products"
workshop, 13-15 April 2005, Granada, Spain, ed. M.A. Perez-Torres. To appear
in Vol. 77 (Jan 2006) of MmSAI. Reference corrected, start of 2nd paragraph
in discussion corrected, image scaling correcte
Early multi-wavelength emission from Gamma-ray Bursts: from Gamma-ray to X-ray
The study of the early high-energy emission from both long and short
Gamma-ray bursts has been revolutionized by the Swift mission. The rapid
response of Swift shows that the non-thermal X-ray emission transitions
smoothly from the prompt phase into a decaying phase whatever the details of
the light curve. The decay is often categorized by a steep-to-shallow
transition suggesting that the prompt emission and the afterglow are two
distinct emission components. In those GRBs with an initially steeply-decaying
X-ray light curve we are probably seeing off-axis emission due to termination
of intense central engine activity. This phase is usually followed, within the
first hour, by a shallow decay, giving the appearance of a late emission hump.
The late emission hump can last for up to a day, and hence, although faint, is
energetically very significant. The energy emitted during the late emission
hump is very likely due to the forward shock being constantly refreshed by
either late central engine activity or less relativistic material emitted
during the prompt phase. In other GRBs the early X-ray emission decays
gradually following the prompt emission with no evidence for early temporal
breaks, and in these bursts the emission may be dominated by classical
afterglow emission from the external shock as the relativistic jet is slowed by
interaction with the surrounding circum-burst medium. At least half of the GRBs
observed by Swift also show erratic X-ray flaring behaviour, usually within the
first few hours. The properties of the X-ray flares suggest that they are due
to central engine activity. Overall, the observed wide variety of early
high-energy phenomena pose a major challenge to GRB models.Comment: Accepted for publication in the New Journal of Physics focus issue on
Gamma Ray Burst
Incoherent transient radio emission from stellar-mass compact objects in the SKA era
The universal link between the processes of accretion and ejection leads to
the formation of jets and outflows around accreting compact objects. Incoherent
synchrotron emission from these outflows can be observed from a wide range of
accreting binaries, including black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs.
Monitoring the evolution of the radio emission during their sporadic outbursts
provides important insights into the launching of jets, and, when coupled with
the behaviour of the source at shorter wavelengths, probes the underlying
connection with the accretion process. Radio observations can also probe the
impact of jets/outflows (including other explosive events such as magnetar
giant flares) on the ambient medium, quantifying their kinetic feedback.
The high sensitivity of the SKA will open up new parameter space, enabling
the monitoring of accreting stellar-mass compact objects from their bright,
Eddington-limited outburst states down to the lowest-luminosity quiescent
levels, whose intrinsic faintness has to date precluded detailed studies. A
census of quiescently accreting black holes will also constrain binary
evolution processes. By enabling us to extend our existing investigations of
black hole jets to the fainter jets from neutron star and white dwarf systems,
the SKA will permit comparative studies to determine the role of the compact
object in jet formation. The high sensitivity, wide field of view and
multi-beaming capability of the SKA will enable the detection and monitoring of
all bright flaring transients in the observable local Universe, including the
ULXs, ...
[Abridged]
This chapter reviews the science goals outlined above, demonstrating the
progress that will be made by the SKA. We also discuss the potential of the
astrometric and imaging observations that would be possible should a
significant VLBI component be included in the SKA.Comment: To be published in: "Advancing Astrophysics with the Square Kilometre
Array", Proceedings of Science, PoS(AASKA14
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