566 research outputs found
Modeling and predicting the shape of the far-infrared to submillimeter emission in ultra-compact HII regions and cold clumps
Dust properties are very likely affected by the environment in which dust
grains evolve. For instance, some analyses of cold clumps (7 K- 17 K) indicate
that the aggregation process is favored in dense environments. However,
studying warm (30 K-40 K) dust emission at long wavelength (300
m) has been limited because it is difficult to combine far
infared-to-millimeter (FIR-to-mm) spectral coverage and high angular resolution
for observations of warm dust grains. Using Herschel data from 70 to 500
m, which are part of the Herschel infrared Galactic (Hi-GAL) survey
combined with 1.1 mm data from the Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey (BGPS), we
compared emission in two types of environments: ultra-compact HII (UCHII)
regions, and cold molecular clumps (denoted as cold clumps). With this
comparison we tested dust emission models in the FIR-to-mm domain that
reproduce emission in the diffuse medium, in these two environments (UCHII
regions and cold clumps). We also investigated their ability to predict the
dust emission in our Galaxy. We determined the emission spectra in twelve UCHII
regions and twelve cold clumps, and derived the dust temperature (T) using the
recent two-level system (TLS) model with three sets of parameters and the
so-called T- (temperature-dust emissvity index) phenomenological models,
with set to 1.5, 2 and 2.5. We tested the applicability of the TLS
model in warm regions for the first time. This analysis indicates distinct
trends in the dust emission between cold and warm environments that are visible
through changes in the dust emissivity index. However, with the use of standard
parameters, the TLS model is able to reproduce the spectral behavior observed
in cold and warm regions, from the change of the dust temperature alone,
whereas a T- model requires to be known.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 19 pages, 8 figures, 7 table
Non-standard grain properties, dark gas reservoir, and extended submillimeter excess, probed by Herschel in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Context. Herschel provides crucial constraints on the IR SEDs of galaxies, allowing unprecedented accuracy on the dust mass estimates. However, these estimates rely on non-linear models and poorly-known optical properties.
Aims. In this paper, we perform detailed modelling of the Spitzer and Herschel observations of the LMC, in order to: (i) systematically study the uncertainties and biases affecting dust mass estimates; and to (ii) explore the peculiar ISM properties of the LMC.
Methods. To achieve these goals, we have modelled the spatially resolved SEDs with two alternate grain compositions, to study the impact of different submillimetre opacities on the dust mass. We have rigorously propagated the observational errors (noise and calibration) through the entire fitting process, in order to derive consistent parameter uncertainties.
Results. First, we show that using the integrated SED leads to underestimating the dust mass by â50% compared to the value obtained with sufficient spatial resolution, for the region we studied. This might be the case, in general, for unresolved galaxies. Second, we show that Milky Way type grains produce higher gas-to-dust mass ratios than what seems possible according to the element abundances in the LMC. A spatial analysis shows that this dilemma is the result of an exceptional property: the grains of the LMC have on average a larger intrinsic submm opacity (emissivity index ÎČ â 1.7 and opacity Îș_(abs)(160 ÎŒm) = 1.6 m^2 â kg^(-1)) than those of the Galaxy. By studying the spatial distribution of the gas-to-dust mass ratio, we are able to constrain the fraction of unseen gas mass between â10, and â100% and show that it is not sufficient to explain the gas-to-dust mass ratio obtained with Milky Way type grains. Finally, we confirm the detection of a 500 ÎŒm extended emission excess with an average relative amplitude of â15%, varying up to 40%. This excess anticorrelates well with the dust mass surface density. Although we do not know the origin of this excess, we show that it is unlikely the result of very cold dust, or CMB fluctuations
The Spitzer Survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud: S3MC Imaging and Photometry in the Mid- and Far-Infrared Wavebands
We present the initial results from the Spitzer Survey of the Small
Magellanic Cloud (S3MC), which imaged the star-forming body of the Small
Magellanic Cloud (SMC) in all seven MIPS and IRAC wavebands. We find that the
F_8/F_24 ratio (an estimate of PAH abundance) has large spatial variations and
takes a wide range of values that are unrelated to metallicity but
anticorrelated with 24 um brightness and F_24/F_70 ratio. This suggests that
photodestruction is primarily responsible for the low abundance of PAHs
observed in star-forming low-metallicity galaxies. We use the S3MC images to
compile a photometric catalog of ~400,000 mid- and far-infrared point sources
in the SMC. The sources detected at the longest wavelengths fall into four main
categories: 1) bright 5.8 um sources with very faint optical counterparts and
very red mid-infrared colors ([5.8]-[8.0]>1.2), which we identify as YSOs. 2)
Bright mid-infrared sources with mildly red colors (0.16<[5.8]-[8.0]<0.6),
identified as carbon stars. 3) Bright mid-infrared sources with neutral colors
and bright optical counterparts, corresponding to oxygen-rich evolved stars.
And, 4) unreddened early B stars (B3 to O9) with a large 24 um excess. This
excess is reminiscent of debris disks, and is detected in only a small fraction
of these stars (<5%). The majority of the brightest infrared point sources in
the SMC fall into groups one to three. We use this photometric information to
produce a catalog of 282 bright YSOs in the SMC with a very low level of
contamination (~7%).Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. Given the
draconian figure file-size limits implemented in astro-ph, readers are
encouraged to download the manuscript with full quality images from
http://celestial.berkeley.edu/spitzer/publications/s3mcsurvey.pd
The social cognition of medical knowledge, with special reference to childhood epilepsy
This paper arose out of an engagement in medical communication courses at a Gulf university. It deploys a theoretical framework derived from a (critical) sociocognitive approach to discourse analysis in order to investigate three aspects of medical discourse relating to childhood epilepsy: the cognitive processes that are entailed in relating different types of medical knowledge to their communicative context; the types of medical knowledge that are constituted in the three different text types analysed; and the relationship between these different types of medical knowledge and the discursive features of each text type. The paper argues that there is a cognitive dimension to the human experience of understanding and talking about one specialized from of medical knowledge. It recommends that texts be studied in medical communication courses not just in terms of their discrete formal features but also critically, in terms of the knowledge which they produce, transmit and reproduce
Star formation rates from young-star counts and the structure of the ISM across the NGC 346/N66 complex in the SMC
The rate at which interstellar gas is converted into stars, and its dependence on environment, is one of the pillars on which our understanding of the visible Universe is build. We present a comparison of the surface density of young stars (Sigma(star)) and dust surface density (Sigma(dust)) across NGC 346 (N66) in 115 independent pixels of 6 x 6 pc(2). We find a correlation between Sigma(star) and Sigma(dust) with a considerable scatter. A power-law fit to the data yields a steep relation with an exponent of 2.6 +/- 0.2. We convert Sigma(dust) to gas surface density (Sigma(gas)) and Sigma(star) to star formation rate (SFR) surface densities (Sigma(SFR)), using simple assumptions for the gas-to-dust mass ratio and the duration of star formation. The derived total SFR (4 +/- 1x10(-3) M-circle dot yr(-1)) is consistent with SFR estimated from the Ha emission integrated over the Ha nebula. On small scales the Sigma(SFR) derived using H alpha systematically underestimates the count-based Sigma(SFR), by up to a factor of 10. This is due to ionizing photons escaping the area, where the stars are counted. We find that individual 36 pc(2) pixels fall systematically above integrated disc galaxies in the Schmidt-Kennicutt diagram by on average a factor of similar to 7. The NGC 346 average SFR over a larger area (90 pc radius) lies closer to the relation but remains high by a factor of similar to 3. The fraction of the total mass (gas plus young stars) locked in young stars is systematically high (similar to 10 per cent) within the central 15 pc and systematically lower outside (2 per cent), which we interpret as variations in star formation efficiency. The inner 15 pc is dominated by young stars belonging to a centrally condensed cluster, while the outer parts are dominated by a dispersed population. Therefore, the observed trend could reflect a change of star formation efficiency between clustered and non-clustered star formation
Cardiovascular risk factors: the effects of ageing and smoking on the immune system, an observational clinical study
Currently immunomodulatory compounds are under investigation for use in patients with cardiovascular disease, caused by atherosclerosis. These trials, using recurrent cardiovascular events as endpoint, require enrollment of large patient groups. We investigated the effect of key risk factors for atherosclerosis development, ageing and smoking, on the immune system, with the objective to identify biomarkers differentiating between human populations, and potentially serving as endpoints for future phase 1B trials with immunomodulatory compounds. Blood was collected from young healthy volunteers (aged 18-25 years, n=30), young smokers (18-25 years, n=20), elderly healthy volunteers (>60 years, n=20), heavy smokers (>45 years, 15 packyears, n=11) and patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) (>60 years, n=27). Circulating immune cell subsets were characterized by flow cytometry, and collected plasma was evaluated by proteomics (Olink). Clear ageing effects were observed, mostly illustrated by a lower level in CD8+ and naĂŻve CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, with an increase in CD4+ and CD8+ effector memory T cells in elderly healthy volunteers compared to young healthy volunteers. Heavy smokers showed a more inflammatory cellular phenotype, especially a shift in Th1/Th2 ratio: higher Th1 and lower Th2 percentages compared to young healthy volunteers. A significant decrease in circulating atheroprotective oxLDL-specific IgM was found in patients with CAD compared to young healthy volunteers. Elevated pro-inflammatory and chemotactic proteins TREM1 and CCL11 were observed in elderly volunteers compared to young volunteers. In addition, heavy smokers had an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and lysosomal protein LAMP3. These data show that ageing and smoking are associated with an inflammatory immunophenotype, and that heavy smokers or aged individuals may serve as potential populations for future clinical trials investigating immunomodulatory drugs targeted for cardiovascular disease.Biopharmaceutic
Detection of the Small Magellanic Cloud in gamma-rays with Fermi/LAT
The flux of gamma rays with energies >100MeV is dominated by diffuse emission
from CRs illuminating the ISM of our Galaxy through the processes of
Bremsstrahlung, pion production and decay, and inverse-Compton scattering. The
study of this diffuse emission provides insight into the origin and transport
of CRs. We searched for gamma-ray emission from the SMC in order to derive
constraints on the CR population and transport in an external system with
properties different from the Milky Way. We analysed the first 17 months of
continuous all-sky observations by the Large Area Telescope of the Fermi
mission to determine the spatial distribution, flux and spectrum of the
gamma-ray emission from the SMC. We also used past radio synchrotron
observations of the SMC to study the population of CR electrons specifically.
We obtained the first detection of the SMC in high-energy gamma rays, with an
integrated >100MeV flux of (3.7 +/-0.7) x10e-8 ph/cm2/s, with additional
systematic uncertainty of <16%. The emission is steady and from an extended
source ~3{\deg} in size. It is not clearly correlated with the distribution of
massive stars or neutral gas, nor with known pulsars or SNRs, but a certain
correlation with supergiant shells is observed. The observed flux implies an
upper limit on the average CR nuclei density in the SMC of ~15% of the value
measured locally in the Milky Way. The population of high-energy pulsars of the
SMC may account for a substantial fraction of the gamma-ray flux, which would
make the inferred CR nuclei density even lower. The average density of CR
electrons derived from radio synchrotron observations is consistent with the
same reduction factor but the uncertainties are large. From our current
knowledge of the SMC, such a low CR density does not seem to be due to a lower
rate of CR injection and rather indicates a smaller CR confinement volume
characteristic size.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Dust Masses, PAH Abundances, and Starlight Intensities in the SINGS Galaxy Sample
Physical dust models are presented for 65 galaxies in SINGS that are strongly detected in the four IRAC bands and three MIPS bands. For each galaxy we estimate (1) the total dust mass, (2) the fraction of the dust mass contributed by PAHs, and (3) the intensity of the starlight heating the dust grains. We find that spiral galaxies have dust properties resembling the dust in the local region of the Milky Way, with similar dust-to-gas ratio and similar PAH abundance. The observed SEDs, including galaxies with SCUBA photometry, can be reproduced by dust models that do not require "cold" (T ⟠10 K) dust. The dust-to-gas ratio is observed to be dependent on metallicity. In the interstellar media of galaxies with A_O ⥠12 + log_(10)(O/H) > 8.1, grains contain a substantial fraction of interstellar Mg, Si, and Fe. Galaxies with A_O 8.1 have a median q_(PAH) = 3.55%. The derived dust masses favor a value X_(CO) â 4 Ă 10^(20) cm^(-2) (K km s^(-1))^(-1) for the CO-to-H_2 conversion factor. Except for some starbursting systems (Mrk 33, Tol 89, NGC 3049), dust in the diffuse ISM dominates the IR power
Biopolymer-based structuring of liquid oil into soft solids and oleogels using water-continuous emulsions as templates
Physical trapping of a hydrophobic liquid oil in a matrix of water-soluble biopolymers was achieved using a facile two-step process by first formulating a surfactant-free oil-in-water emulsion stabilized by biopolymers (a protein and a polysaccharide) followed by complete removal of the water phase (by either high- or low-temperature drying of the emulsion) resulting in structured solid systems containing a high concentration of liquid oil (above 97 wt %). The microstructure of these systems was revealed by confocal and cryo-scanning electron microscopy, and the effect of biopolymer concentrations on the consistency of emulsions as well as the dried product was evaluated using a combination of small-amplitude oscillatory shear rheometry and large deformation fracture studies. The oleogel prepared by shearing the dried product showed a high gel strength as well as a certain degree of thixotropic recovery even at high temperatures. Moreover, the reversibility of the process was demonstrated by shearing the dried product in the presence of water to obtain reconstituted emulsions with rheological properties comparable to those of the fresh emulsion
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