3,903 research outputs found
Dynamics of the Lyman alpha and C IV emitting gas in 3C 273
In this paper we study the variability properties of the Lyman alpha and C IV
emission lines in 3C273 using archival IUE observations. Our data show for the
first time the existence of variability on time scales of several years. We
study the spatial distribution and the velocity field of the emitting gas by
performing detailed analyses on the line variability using correlations, 1D and
2D response functions, and principal component analysis. In both lines we find
evidence for two components, one which has the dynamic properties of gas in
Keplerian motion around a black hole with a mass of the order of 10^9 Mo, and
one which is characterized by high, blue-shifted velocities at large lag. There
is no indication of the presence of optically thick emission medium neither in
the Lya, nor in the Civ response functions. The component characterized by
blue-shifted velocities, which is comparatively much stronger in Civ than in
Lya, is more or less compatible with being the result of gas falling towards
the central black hole with free-fall acceleration. We propose however that the
line emission at high, blue-shifted velocities is better explained in terms of
entrainment of gas clouds by the jet. This gas is therefore probably
collisionally excited as a result of heating due to the intense infrared
radiation from the jet, which would explain the strength of this component in
Civ relative to Lya. This phenomenon might be a signature of disk-jet
interaction.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ. Uses aaste
Detection of Coronal Mass Ejections in V471 Tauri with the Hubble Space Telescope
V471 Tauri, an eclipsing system consisting of a hot DA white dwarf (WD) and a
dK2 companion in a 12.5-hour orbit, is the prototype of the pre-cataclysmic
binaries. The late-type component is magnetically active, due to its being
constrained to rotate synchronously with the short orbital period. During a
program of UV spectroscopy of V471 Tau, carried out with the Goddard High
Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope, we
serendipitously detected two episodes in which transient absorptions in the Si
III 1206 A resonance line appeared suddenly, on a timescale of <2 min. The
observations were taken in a narrow spectral region around Ly-alpha, and were
all obtained near the two quadratures of the binary orbit, i.e., at maximum
projected separation (~3.3 Rsun) of the WD and K star.
We suggest that these transient features arise when coronal mass ejections
(CME's) from the K2 dwarf pass across the line of sight to the WD. Estimates of
the velocities, densities, and masses of the events in V471 Tau are generally
consistent with the properties of solar CME's. Given our detection of 2 events
during 6.8 hr of GHRS observing, along with a consideration of the restricted
range of latitudes and longitudes on the K star's surface that can give rise to
trajectories passing in front of the WD as seen from Earth, we estimate that
the active V471 Tau dK star emits some 100-500 CME's per day, as compared to
1-3 per day for the Sun. The K dwarf's mass-loss rate associated with CME's is
at least (5-25) x 10^{-14} Msun/yr, but it may well be orders of magnitude
higher if most of the silicon is in ionization states other than Si III.Comment: 24 pages AASTeX, 4 figures. Accepted by Astrophysical Journa
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Energy and eventhood: the infrastructural set piece
‘Energy and Eventhood’ considers the relationship between infrastructure and the cinematic set piece. It proposes a working definition of the set piece as a distinctly (and perhaps excessively) effortful passage or sequence, and reflects on the tendency for narrative films to incorporate infrastructural sites and structures—such as bridges, dams and pipelines—into such set pieces. A number of writers on infrastructure, as both a cultural phenomenon and a representational object, have noted the aesthetic challenge of rendering it as visible and locatable; this article examines how that difficulty becomes manifest in the infrastructural set piece. It takes as its case studies Unstoppable (2010) and Night Moves (2013), two films noted for their distinctive rhythmic expressiveness, and each one deploying the convention of the set piece in ways which exemplify and reflect on the resistance of infrastructure to narrative containment
Split-off dimer defects on the Si(001)2x1 surface
Dimer vacancy (DV) defect complexes in the Si(001)2x1 surface were
investigated using high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and first
principles calculations. We find that under low bias filled-state tunneling
conditions, isolated 'split-off' dimers in these defect complexes are imaged as
pairs of protrusions while the surrounding Si surface dimers appear as the
usual 'bean-shaped' protrusions. We attribute this to the formation of pi-bonds
between the two atoms of the split-off dimer and second layer atoms, and
present charge density plots to support this assignment. We observe a local
brightness enhancement due to strain for different DV complexes and provide the
first experimental confirmation of an earlier prediction that the 1+2-DV
induces less surface strain than other DV complexes. Finally, we present a
previously unreported triangular shaped split-off dimer defect complex that
exists at SB-type step edges, and propose a structure for this defect involving
a bound Si monomer.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
‘Stick them to the cross’:Anti-trafficking apps and the production of ignorance
There is a long history of ignorance production around trafficking in human beings. A proliferation of anti-trafficking apps plays an important role in the reinforcement of this ignorance. Anti-trafficking apps work in different ways to other (mis)information tools, but there is a lack of academic research on the topic. This paper addresses this gap through an agnotological approach: focusing on how ignorance is produced and becomes productive, rather than seeing ignorance as just a lack of knowledge. We investigate how anti-trafficking apps are used to manipulate (mis)understandings of and responses to human trafficking by enabling new types of awareness raising, user participation and ignorance production. The networking of ignorance that this allows – and the integration of this into new aspects of everyday life – illustrates de Goede’s (2012) warning that “the network is problematic as a security technique…because, ultimately, it has no outside” (p. 228)
A Dissipative-Particle-Dynamics Model for Simulating Dynamics of Charged Colloid
A mesoscopic colloid model is developed in which a spherical colloid is
represented by many interacting sites on its surface. The hydrodynamic
interactions with thermal fluctuations are taken accounts in full using
Dissipative Particle Dynamics, and the electrostatic interactions are simulated
using Particle-Particle-Particle Mesh method. This new model is applied to
investigate the electrophoretic mobility of a charged colloid under an external
electric field, and the influence of salt concentration and colloid charge are
systematically studied. The simulation results show good agreement with
predictions from the electrokinetic theory.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, submitted to the proceedings of High Performance
Computing in Science & Engineering '1
The diversity of kilonova emission in short gamma-ray bursts
The historic first joint detection of both gravitational-wave and electromagnetic emission from a binary neutron star merger cemented the association between short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) and compact object mergers, as well as providing a well-sampled multi-wavelength light curve of a radioactive kilonova (KN) for the first time. Here, we compare the optical and near-infrared light curves of this KN, AT 2017gfo, to the counterparts of a sample of nearby (z < 0.5) SGRBs to characterize their diversity in terms of their brightness distribution. Although at similar epochs AT 2017gfo appears fainter than every SGRB-associated KN claimed so far, we find three bursts (GRBs 050509B, 061201, and 080905A) where, if the reported redshifts are correct, deep upper limits rule out the presence of a KN similar to AT 2017gfo by several magnitudes. Combined with the properties of previously claimed KNe in SGRBs this suggests considerable diversity in the properties of KN drawn from compact object mergers, despite the similar physical conditions that are expected in many NS–NS mergers. We find that observer angle alone is not able to explain this diversity, which is likely a product of the merger type (NS–NS versus NS–BH) and the detailed properties of the binary (mass ratio, spins etc.). Ultimately disentangling these properties should be possible through observations of SGRBs and gravitational-wave sources, providing direct measurements of heavy element enrichment throughout the universe
Design and testing of hydrophobic core/hydrophilic shell nano/micro particles for drug-eluting stent coating
In this study, we designed a novel drug-eluting coating for vascular implants consisting of a core coating of the anti-proliferative drug docetaxel (DTX) and a shell coating of the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor monoclonal antibody SZ-21. The core/shell structure was sprayed onto the surface of 316L stainless steel stents using a coaxial electrospray process with the aim of creating a coating that exhibited a differential release of the two drugs. The prepared stents displayed a uniform coating consisting of nano/micro particles. In vitro drug release experiments were performed, and we demonstrated that a biphasic mathematical model was capable of capturing the data, indicating that the release of the two drugs conformed to a diffusion-controlled release system. We demonstrated that our coating was capable of inhibiting the adhesion and activation of platelets, as well as the proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells (SMCs), indicating its good biocompatibility and anti-proliferation qualities. In an in vivo porcine coronary artery model, the SZ-21/DTX drug-loaded hydrophobic core/hydrophilic shell particle coating stents were observed to promote re-endothelialization and inhibit neointimal hyperplasia. This core/shell particle-coated stent may serve as part of a new strategy for the differential release of different functional drugs to sequentially target thrombosis and in-stent restenosis during the vascular repair process and ensure rapid re-endothelialization in the field of cardiovascular disease
Development and Implementation of a High Throughput Screen for the Human Sperm-Specific Isoform of Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (GAPDHS)
Glycolytic isozymes that are restricted to the male germline are potential targets for the development of reversible, non-hormonal male contraceptives. GAPDHS, the sperm-specific isoform of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, is an essential enzyme for glycolysis making it an attractive target for rational drug design. Toward this goal, we have optimized and validated a high-throughput spectrophotometric assay for GAPDHS in 384-well format. The assay was stable over time and tolerant to DMSO. Whole plate validation experiments yielded Z’ values >0.8 indicating a robust assay for HTS. Two compounds were identified and confirmed from a test screen of the Prestwick collection. This assay was used to screen a diverse chemical library and identified fourteen small molecules that modulated the activity of recombinant purified GAPDHS with confirmed IC50 values ranging from 1.8 to 42 µM. These compounds may provide useful scaffolds as molecular tools to probe the role of GAPDHS in sperm motility and long term to develop potent and selective GAPDHS inhibitors leading to novel contraceptive agents
An empirical investigation of dance addiction
Although recreational dancing is associated with increased physical and psychological well-being, little is known about the harmful effects of excessive dancing. The aim of the present study was to explore the psychopathological factors associated with dance addiction. The sample comprised 447 salsa and ballroom dancers (68% female, mean age: 32.8 years) who danced recreationally at least once a week. The Exercise Addiction Inventory (Terry, Szabo, & Griffiths, 2004) was adapted for dance (Dance Addiction Inventory, DAI). Motivation, general mental health (BSI-GSI, and Mental Health Continuum), borderline personality disorder, eating disorder symptoms, and dance motives were also assessed. Five latent classes were explored based on addiction symptoms with 11% of participants belonging to the most problematic class. DAI was positively associated with psychiatric distress, borderline personality and eating disorder symptoms. Hierarchical linear regression model indicated that Intensity (ß=0.22), borderline (ß=0.08), eating disorder (ß=0.11) symptoms, as well as Escapism (ß=0.47) and Mood Enhancement (ß=0.15) (as motivational factors) together explained 42% of DAI scores. Dance addiction as assessed with the Dance Addiction Inventory is associated with indicators of mild psychopathology and therefore warrants further research
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