2,413 research outputs found
A multichannel passive microwave atmospheric temperature sounding system
The development of a small, lightweight, low-power, seven channel passive microwave radiometer system for use on the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) was described. The 50-60 GHz sensor system operates in the region of an intense atmospheric oxygen absorption band to provide atmospheric temperature profiles to 30 kilometer altitudes on a global basis
Effects of a Simulation Educational Experience on Critical Care Staff\u27s Recognition of Stressors Affecting Performance and Use of Teamwork Skills
Human limitations are sources of medical error that result in injuries, deaths and cost reaching millions. Preventing human errors from reaching patients is an imperative goal of a healthcare system that desires to reduce costs and produce quality outcomes. There is a mounting body of evidence that safety culture measurement and intervention can impact the safety and quality of healthcare
Monte Carlo Hamiltonian of lattice gauge theory
We discuss how the concept of the Monte Carlo Hamiltonian can be applied to
lattice gauge theories.Comment: "Non-Perturbative Quantum Field Theory: Lattice and Beyond",
Guangzhou, China 200
Extinction and dust/gas ratio in LMC molecular clouds
Aims. The goal of this paper is to measure the dust content and distribution in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) by comparing extinction maps produced in the near-infrared wavelengths and the spatial distribution of the neutral and molecular gas, as traced by Hi and CO observations.
Methods. In order to derive an extinction map of the LMC, we have developed a new method to measure the color excess of dark clouds, using the 2MASS all-sky survey. Classical methods to measure the color excess (including the NICE method) tend to underestimate the true color excess if the clouds are significantly contaminated by unreddened foreground stars, as is the case in the LMC. We propose a new method that uses the color of the X percentile reddest stars and which is robust against such contamination. Using this method, it is possible to infer the positions of dark clouds with respect to the star distribution by comparing the observed color excess as a function of the percentile used and that predicted by a model.
Results. On the basis of the resulting extinction map, we perform a correlation analysis for a set of dark molecular clouds. Assuming similar infrared absorption properties for the dust in the neutral and molecular phases, we derive the absorption-to-column density ratio AV/NH and the CO-to-H2 conversion factor X_(CO). We show that AV/NH increases from the outskirts of the LMC towards the 30 Dor star-forming region. This can be explained either by a systematic increase of the dust abundance, or by the presence of an additional gas component not traced by Hi or CO, but strongly correlated to the Hi distribution. If dust abundance is allowed to vary, the derived X_(CO) factors for the selected regions are several times lower than those derived from a virial analysis of the CO data. This could indicate that molecular clouds in the LMC are not gravitationally bound, or that they are bounded by substantial external pressure. However, the X_(CO) values derived from absorption can be reconciled with the virial results assuming a constant value for the dust abundance and the existence of an additional, unseen gas component. These results are in agreement with those derived for the LMC from diffuse far-infrared emission
Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution in the Tidally Stripped, Low Metallicity Small Magellanic Cloud (SAGE-SMC). I. Overview
The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) provides a unique laboratory for the study of the lifecycle of dust given its low metallicity (~1/5 solar) and relative proximity (~60 kpc). This motivated the SAGE-SMC (Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution in the Tidally Stripped, Low Metallicity Small Magellanic Cloud) Spitzer Legacy program with the specific goals of studying the amount and type of dust in the present interstellar medium, the sources of dust in the winds of evolved stars, and how much dust is consumed in star formation. This program mapped the full SMC (30 deg^2) including the body, wing, and tail in seven bands from 3.6 to 160 ÎĽm using IRAC and MIPS on the Spitzer Space Telescope. The data were reduced and mosaicked, and the point sources were measured using customized routines specific for large surveys. We have made the resulting mosaics and point-source catalogs available to the community. The infrared colors of the SMC are compared to those of other nearby galaxies and the 8 ÎĽm/24 ÎĽm ratio is somewhat lower than the average and the 70 ÎĽm/160 ÎĽm ratio is somewhat higher than the average. The global infrared spectral energy distribution (SED) shows that the SMC has approximately 1/3 the aromatic emission/polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon abundance of most nearby galaxies. Infrared color-magnitude diagrams are given illustrating the distribution of different asymptotic giant branch stars and the locations of young stellar objects. Finally, the average SED of H II/star formation regions is compared to the equivalent Large Magellanic Cloud average H II/star formation region SED. These preliminary results will be expanded in detail in subsequent papers
The molecular complex associated with the Galactic HII region Sh2-90: a possible site of triggered star formation
We investigate the star formation activity in the molecular complex
associated with the Galactic HII region Sh2-90, using radio-continuum maps
obtained at 1280 MHz and 610 MHz, Herschel Hi-GAL observations at 70 -- 500
microns, and deep near-infrared observation at JHK bands, along with Spitzer
observations. Sh2-90 presents a bubble morphology in the mid-IR (size ~ 0.9 pc
x 1.6 pc). Radio observations suggest it is an evolved HII region with an
electron density ~ 144 cm^-3, emission measure ~ 6.7 x 10^4 cm^-6 pc and a
ionized mass ~ 55 Msun. From Hi-GAL observations it is found that the HII
region is part of an elongated extended molecular cloud (size ~ 5.6 pc x 9.7
pc, H_2 column density >= 3 x 10^21 cm^-2 and dust temperature 18 -- 27 K) of
total mass >= 1 x 10^4 Msun. We identify the ionizing cluster of Sh2-90, the
main exciting star being an O8--O9 V star. Five cold dust clumps (mass ~ 8 --
95 Msun), four mid-IR blobs around B stars, and a compact HII region are found
at the edge of the bubble.The velocity information derived from CO (J=3-2) data
cubes suggests that most of them are associated with the Sh2-90 region. 129
YSOs are identified (Class I, Class II, and near-IR excess sources). The
majority of the YSOs are low mass (<= 3 Msun) sources and they are distributed
mostly in the regions of high column density. Four candidate Class 0/I MYSOs
have been found; they will possibly evolve to stars of mass >= 15 Msun. We
suggest multi-generation star formation is present in the complex. From the
evidences of interaction, the time scales involved and the evolutionary status
of stellar/protostellar sources, we argue that the star formation at the
immediate border/edges of Sh2-90 might have been triggered by the expanding HII
region. However, several young sources in this complex are probably formed by
some other processes.Comment: 22 pages, 22 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
Measure of the path integral in lattice gauge theory
We show how to construct the measure of the path integral in lattice gauge
theory. This measure contains a factor beyond the standard Haar measure. Such
factor becomes relevant for the calculation of a single transition amplitude
(in contrast to the calculation of ratios of amplitudes). Single amplitudes are
required for computation of the partition function and the free energy. For
U(1) lattice gauge theory, we present a numerical simulation of the transition
amplitude comparing the path integral with the evolution in terms of the
Hamiltonian, showing good agreement.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
A prospective randomized trial of fk506 versus cyclosporine after human pulmonary transplantation
We have conducted a unique prospective randomized study to compare the effect of PK506 and cyclosporine (CsA) as the principal immunosuppressive agents after pulmonary transplantation. Between October 1991 and March 1993, 74 lung transplants (35 single lung transplants [SLT], 39 bilateral lung transplant [BLT]) were performed on 74 recipients who were randomly assigned to receive either FK or CsA. Thirty-eight recipients (19 SLT, 19 BLT) received FK and 36 recipients (16 SLT, 20 BLT) received CsA. Recipients receiving FK or CsA were similar in age, gender, preoperative New York Heart Association functional class, and underlying disease. Acute rejection (ACR) was assessed by clinical, radiographic, and histologic criteria. ACR was treated with methylprednisolone, 1 g i.v./day, for three days or rabbit antithymocyte globulin if steroid-resistant.During the first 30 days after transplant, one patient in the FK group died of cerebral edema, while two recipients treated with CsA died of bacterial pneumonia (1) and cardiac arrest (1) (P=NS). Although one-year survival was similar between the groups, the number of recipients free from ACR in the FK group was significantly higher as compared with the CsA group (P<0.05). Bacterial and viral pneumonias were the major causes of late graft failure in both groups. The mean number of episodes of ACR/ 100 patient days was significantly fewer in the FK group (1.2) as compared with the CsA group (2.0) (P<0.05). While only one recipient (1/36=3%) in the group treated with CsA remained free from ACR within 120 days of transplantation, 13% (5/38) of the group treated with FK remained free from ACR during this interval (P<0.05). The prevalence of bacterial infection in the CsA group was 1.5 episodes/100 patient days and 0.6 episodes/100 patient days in the FK group. The prevalence of cytomegaloviral and fungal infection was similar in both groups.Although the presence of bacterial, fungal, and viral infections was similar in the two groups, ACR occurred less frequently in the FK-treated group as compared with the CsA-treated group in the early postoperative period (<90 days). Early graft survival at 30 days was similar in the two groups, but intermediate graft survival at 6 months was better in the FK group as compared with the CsA group. © 1994 by Williams and Wilkins
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
Toward a better understanding of the mid-infrared emission in the LMC
In this paper we aim to constrain for the first time the dust emission in the
mid-to-far infrared domain, in the LMC, with the use of the Spitzer IRS and
MIPS SED data, combined with Herschel data. We also consider UV extinction
predictions derived from modeling. We selected 10 regions observed as part of
the SAGE-Spec program, to probe dust properties in various environments
(diffuse, molecular and ionized regions). All data were smoothed to the
40arcsec angular resolution. The SEDs were modeled with DustEM models, using
the standard Mathis RF, as well as three additional RFs, with stellar clusters
ages ranging from 4 Myr to 600 Myr. Standard dust models used to reproduce the
Galactic diffuse medium are clearly not able to reproduce the dust emission in
the MIR wavelength domain. This analysis evidences the need of adjusting
parameters describing the dust size distribution and shows a clear distinct
behavior according to the type of environments. In addition, whereas the small
grain emission always seems to be negligible at long wavelengths in our Galaxy,
the contribution of this small dust component could be more important than
expected, in the submm-mm range, in the LMC averaged SED. Properties of the
small dust component of the LMC are clearly different from those of our Galaxy.
Its abundance, significantly enhanced, could be the result of large grains
shattering due to strong shocks or turbulence. In addition, this grain
component in the LMC systematically shows smaller grain size in the ionized
regions compared to the diffuse medium. Predictions of extinction curves show
significantly distinct behaviors depending on the dust models but also from one
region to another. Comparison of model predictions with the LMC mean extinction
curve shows that no model gives satisfactory agreement using the Mathis
radiation field while using a harder radiation field tends to improve the
agreementComment: Accepted for publication in A&
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