Radio light curves during the passage of cloud G2 near Sgr A*

We calculate radio light curves produced by the bow shock that is likely to form in front of the G2 cloud when it penetrates the accretion disk of Sgr A*. The shock acceleration of the radio-emitting electrons is captured self-consistently by means of first-principles particle-in-cell simulations. We show that the radio luminosity is expected to reach maximum in early 2013, roughly a month after the bow shock crosses the orbit pericenter. We estimate the peak radio flux at 1.4 GHz to be 1.4 - 22 Jy depending on the assumed orbit orientation and parameters. We show that the most promising frequencies for radio observations are in the 0.1<nu<1 GHz range, for which the bow shock emission will be much stronger than the intrinsic radio flux for all the models considered.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Observation of Selective Plasmon-Exciton Coupling in Nonradiative Energy Transfer: Donor-Selective versus Acceptor-Selective

Cataloged from PDF version of article.We report selectively plasmon-mediated nonradiative energy transfer between quantum dot (QD) emitters interacting with each other via Forster-type resonance energy transfer (FRET) under controlled plasmon coupling either to only the donor QDs (i.e., donor-selective) or to only the acceptor QDs (i.e., acceptor-selective). Using layer-by-layer assembled colloidal QD nanocrystal solids with metal nanoparticles integrated at carefully designed spacing, we demonstrate the ability to enable/disable the coupled plasmon-exciton (plexciton) formation distinctly at the donor (exciton departing) site or at the acceptor (exciton feeding) site of our choice, while not hindering the donor exciton-acceptor exciton interaction but refraining from simultaneous coupling to both sites of the donor and the acceptor in the FRET process.. In the case of donor-selective plexciton, we observed a substantial shortening in the donor QD lifetime from 1.33 to 0.29 ns as a result of plasmon-coupling to the donors and the FRET-assisted exciton transfer from the donors to the acceptors, both of which shorten the donor lifetime. This consequently enhanced the acceptor emission by a factor of 1.93. On the other hand, in the complimentary case of acceptor-selective plexciton, we observed a 2.70-fold emission enhancement in the acceptor QDs, larger than the acceptor emission enhancement of the donor-selective plexciton, as a result of the combined effects of the acceptor plasmon coupling and the FRET-assisted exciton feeding. Here we present the comparative results of theoretical modeling of the donor- and acceptor-selective plexcitons of nonradiative energy transfer developed here for the first time, which are in excellent agreement with the systematic experimental characterization. Such an ability to modify and control energy transfer through mastering plexcitons is of fundamental importance, opening up new applications for quantum dot embedded plexciton devices along with the development of new techniques in FRET-based fluorescence microscopy

Stability window and mass-radius relation for magnetized strange quark stars

The stability of magnetized strange quark matter (MSQM) is investigated within the phenomenological MIT bag model, taking into account the variation of the relevant input parameters, namely, the strange quark mass, baryon density, magnetic field and bag parameter. We obtain that the energy per baryon decreases as the magnetic field increases, and its minimum value at vanishing pressure is lower than the value found for SQM. This implies that MSQM is more stable than non-magnetized SQM. Furthermore, the stability window of MSQM is found to be wider than the corresponding one of SQM. The mass-radius relation for magnetized strange quark stars is also derived in this framework.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 3 table

Replication and exploratory analysis of 24 candidate risk polymorphisms for neural tube defects.

BackgroundNeural tube defects (NTDs), which are among the most common congenital malformations, are influenced by environmental and genetic factors. Low maternal folate is the strongest known contributing factor, making variants in genes in the folate metabolic pathway attractive candidates for NTD risk. Multiple studies have identified nominally significant allelic associations with NTDs. We tested whether associations detected in a large Irish cohort could be replicated in an independent population.MethodsReplication tests of 24 nominally significant NTD associations were performed in racially/ethnically matched populations. Family-based tests of fifteen nominally significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were repeated in a cohort of NTD trios (530 cases and their parents) from the United Kingdom, and case-control tests of nine nominally significant SNPs were repeated in a cohort (190 cases, 941 controls) from New York State (NYS). Secondary hypotheses involved evaluating the latter set of nine SNPs for NTD association using alternate case-control models and NTD groupings in white, African American and Hispanic cohorts from NYS.ResultsOf the 24 SNPs tested for replication, ADA rs452159 and MTR rs10925260 were significantly associated with isolated NTDs. Of the secondary tests performed, ARID1A rs11247593 was associated with NTDs in whites, and ALDH1A2 rs7169289 was associated with isolated NTDs in African Americans.ConclusionsWe report a number of associations between SNP genotypes and neural tube defects. These associations were nominally significant before correction for multiple hypothesis testing. These corrections are highly conservative for association studies of untested hypotheses, and may be too conservative for replication studies. We therefore believe the true effect of these four nominally significant SNPs on NTD risk will be more definitively determined by further study in other populations, and eventual meta-analysis

A Bioinformatics Approach for Determining Sample Identity from Different Lanes of High-Throughput Sequencing Data

The ability to generate whole genome data is rapidly becoming commoditized. For example, a mammalian sized genome (∼3Gb) can now be sequenced using approximately ten lanes on an Illumina HiSeq 2000. Since lanes from different runs are often combined, verifying that each lane in a genome's build is from the same sample is an important quality control. We sought to address this issue in a post hoc bioinformatic manner, instead of using upstream sample or “barcode” modifications. We rely on the inherent small differences between any two individuals to show that genotype concordance rates can be effectively used to test if any two lanes of HiSeq 2000 data are from the same sample. As proof of principle, we use recent data from three different human samples generated on this platform. We show that the distributions of concordance rates are non-overlapping when comparing lanes from the same sample versus lanes from different samples. Our method proves to be robust even when different numbers of reads are analyzed. Finally, we provide a straightforward method for determining the gender of any given sample. Our results suggest that examining the concordance of detected genotypes from lanes purported to be from the same sample is a relatively simple approach for confirming that combined lanes of data are of the same identity and quality

Diffuse Gamma-Ray Emission from Starburst Galaxies and M31

We present a search for high energy gamma-ray emission from 9 nearby starburst galaxies and M31 with the EGRET instrument aboard CGRO. Though the diffuse gamma-ray emission from starburst galaxies was suspected to be detectable, we find no emission from NGC 253, M82 nor from the average of all 9 galaxies. The 2 sigma upper limit for the EGRET flux above 100 MeV for the averaged survey observations is 1.8 x 10-8 ph cm-2 s-1. From a model of the expected radio and gamma-ray emission, we find that the magnetic field in the nuclei of these galaxies is > 25 micro Gauss, and the ratio of proton and electron densities is < 400. The EGRET limits indicate that the rate of massive star formation in the survey galaxies is only about an order of magnitude higher than in the Milky Way. The upper limit to the gamma-ray flux above 100 MeV for M31 is 1.6 x 10-8 ph cm-2 s-1. At the distance of M31, the Milky Way flux would be over twice this value, indicating higher gamma-ray emissivities in our Galaxy. Therefore, since the supernova rate of the Milky Way is higher than in M31, our null detection of M31 supports the theory of the supernova origin of cosmic rays in galaxies.Comment: 17 pages, plus 1 Postscript figure, AAS Latex macros v4.0, accepted for publication in ApJ Main Journa

Neutron rich matter, neutron stars, and their crusts

Neutron rich matter is at the heart of many fundamental questions in Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics. What are the high density phases of QCD? Where did the chemical elements come from? What is the structure of many compact and energetic objects in the heavens, and what determines their electromagnetic, neutrino, and gravitational-wave radiations? Moreover, neutron rich matter is being studied with an extraordinary variety of new tools such as Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO). We describe the Lead Radius Experiment (PREX) that is using parity violation to measure the neutron radius in 208Pb. This has important implications for neutron stars and their crusts. Using large scale molecular dynamics, we model the formation of solids in both white dwarfs and neutron stars. We find neutron star crust to be the strongest material known, some 10 billion times stronger than steel. It can support mountains on rotating neutron stars large enough to generate detectable gravitational waves. Finally, we describe a new equation of state for supernova and neutron star merger simulations based on the Virial expansion at low densities, and large scale relativistic mean field calculations.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, Plenary talk International Nuclear Physics Conference 2010, Vancouver, C

Missing Black Holes Unveil The Supernova Explosion Mechanism

It is firmly established that the stellar mass distribution is smooth, covering the range 0.1-100 Msun. It is to be expected that the masses of the ensuing compact remnants correlate with the masses of their progenitor stars, and thus it is generally thought that the remnant masses should be smoothly distributed from the lightest white dwarfs to the heaviest black holes. However, this intuitive prediction is not borne out by observed data. In the rapidly growing population of remnants with observationally determined masses, a striking mass gap has emerged at the boundary between neutron stars and black holes. The heaviest neutron stars reach a maximum of two solar masses, while the lightest black holes are at least five solar masses. Over a decade after the discovery, the gap has become a significant challenge to our understanding of compact object formation. We offer new insights into the physical processes that bifurcate the formation of remnants into lower mass neutron stars and heavier black holes. Combining the results of stellar modeling with hydrodynamic simulations of supernovae, we both explain the existence of the gap, and also put stringent constraints on the inner workings of the supernova explosion mechanism. In particular, we show that core-collapse supernovae are launched within 100-200 milliseconds of the initial stellar collapse, implying that the explosions are driven by instabilities with a rapid (10-20 ms) growth time. Alternatively, if future observations fill in the gap, this will be an indication that these instabilities develop over a longer (>200 milliseconds) timescale.Comment: ApJ, accepted: comments added on recent Ugliano et al. and Kreidberg et al. studie

Constraints on Thermal Emission Models of Anomalous X-ray Pulsars

Thermal emission from the surface of an ultramagnetic neutron star is believed to contribute significantly to the soft X-ray flux of the Anomalous X-ray Pulsars. We compare the detailed predictions of models of the surface emission from a magnetar to the observed properties of AXPs. In particular, we focus on the combination of their luminosities and energy-dependent pulsed fractions. We use the results of recent calculations for strongly magnetized atmospheres to obtain the angle- and energy-dependence of the surface emission. We include in our calculations the effects of general relativistic photon transport and interstellar extinction. We find that the combination of the large pulsed fractions and the high luminosities of AXPs cannot be accounted for by surface emission from a magnetar with two antipodal hot regions or a temperature distribution characteristic of a magnetic dipole. This result is robust for reasonable neutron star radii, for the range of magnetic field strengths inferred from the observed spin down rates, and for surface temperatures consistent with the spectral properties of AXPs. Models with a single hot emitting region can reproduce the observations, provided that the distance to one of the sources is ~30% less than the current best estimate, and allowing for systematic uncertainties in the spectral fit of a second source. Finally, the thermal emission models with antipodal emission geometry predict a characteristic strong increase of the pulsed fraction with photon energy, which is apparently inconsistent with the current data. The energy-dependence of the pulsed fraction in the models with one hot region shows a wider range of behavior and can be consistent with the existing data. Upcoming high-resolution observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton will provide a conclusive test.Comment: 25 preprint pages, 7 color figures, ApJ, in pres