445 research outputs found
The Metabolism of Gibberellin A20 to Gibberellin A1 by Tall and Dwarf Mutants of Oryza sativa and Arabidopsis thaliana
Science with a wide-field UV transient explorer
The time-variable electromagnetic sky has been well-explored at a wide range
of wavelengths. Numerous high-energy space missions take advantage of the dark
Gamma-ray and X-ray sky and utilize very wide field detectors to provide almost
continuous monitoring of the entire celestial sphere. In visible light, new
wide-field ground-based surveys cover wide patches of sky with ever decreasing
cadence, progressing from monthly-weekly time scale surveys to sub-night
sampling. In the radio, new powerful instrumentation offers unprecedented
sensitivity over wide fields of view, with pathfinder experiments for even more
ambitious programs underway. In contrast, the ultra-violet (UV) variable sky is
relatively poorly explored, even though it offers exciting scientific
prospects. Here, we review the potential scientific impact of a wide-field UV
survey on the study of explosive and other transient events, as well as known
classes of variable objects, such as active galactic nuclei and variable stars.
We quantify our predictions using a fiducial set of observational parameters
which are similar to those envisaged for the proposed ULTRASAT mission. We show
that such a mission would be able to revolutionize our knowledge about massive
star explosions by measuring the early UV emission from hundreds of events,
revealing key physical parameters of the exploding progenitor stars. Such a
mission would also detect the UV emission from many tens of tidal-disruption
events of stars by super massive black holes at galactic nuclei and enable a
measurement of the rate of such events. The overlap of such a wide-field UV
mission with existing and planned gravitational-wave and high-energy neutrino
telescopes makes it especially timely
Chandra Study of a Complete Sample of Millisecond Pulsars in 47Tuc and NGC6397
We report Chandra observations of the complete sample of millisecond pulsars
(MSPs) with precise radio positions in the globular clusters 47Tuc (NGC104) and
NGC6397. The 47Tuc MSPs are predominantly soft sources suggestive of thermal
emission from small (r_x < 0.6km) polar caps on the neutron star rather than
magnetospheric emission and are a relatively homogeneous sample, with most
x-ray luminosities in a surprisingly narrow range (Lx ~1-4 X 10^30 erg/s). We
use previously derived intrinsic Pdot values and find a new relation between Lx
and spindown luminosity, Edot: Lx ~ Edot^beta, with beta ~0.5 vs. ~1.0 for both
pulsars and MSPs in the field. This Lx-Edot relation and also the Lx/Edot vs.
spindown age are each similar to that found by Harding & Muslimov (2002) for
thermal emission from polar cap heating although the cluster MSPs are
relatively longer-lived (in thermal x-rays) than either the models or field
MSPs. We suggest the cluster MSPs may have altered surface magnetic field
topology (e.g.multipole) or their neutron stars are more massive from repeated
accretion episodes due to encounters and repeated exchange interactions. MSP
binary companions on or just off the main sequence are likely to have been
re-exchanged and might show anomalous Pdot and Edot values due to relaxation of
misaligned core-crust spins. The radial distribution of 40 soft Chandra sources
in 47Tuc is consistent with a 1.4Msun component. The implied total MSP
population in 47Tuc with Lx >10^30 erg/s is ~35-90, and can constrain the
relative beaming in radio vs. soft x-rays. NGC6397 is relatively deficient in
MSPs; its single detected example may have been re-exchanged out of the cluster
core. (abridged)Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for Ap
Metabolism and Biological Activity of Gibberellin A4 in Vegetative Shoots of Zea mays, Oryza sativa, and Arabidopsis thaliana
Stability Considerations for Final Focus Systems of Future Linear Colliders
The final focus systems for the future linear colliders need to focus beams to nm-range spot sizes at the collision point. The design spot size varies from several nm for 500 GeV to the one nm range for 3 TeV. In order to keep the beams in collision and to maintain the luminosity stringent stability optimization must be applied. We discuss different sources of beam perturbations and estimate the expected beamline stability based on previous experimental observations. Possible measures for beam stabilization are discussed and plans of further collaborative efforts are outlined
Spider Optimization: Probing the Systematics of a Large Scale B-Mode Experiment
Spider is a long-duration, balloon-borne polarimeter designed to measure
large scale Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarization with very high
sensitivity and control of systematics. The instrument will map over half the
sky with degree angular resolution in I, Q and U Stokes parameters, in four
frequency bands from 96 to 275 GHz. Spider's ultimate goal is to detect the
primordial gravity wave signal imprinted on the CMB B-mode polarization. One of
the challenges in achieving this goal is the minimization of the contamination
of B-modes by systematic effects. This paper explores a number of instrument
systematics and observing strategies in order to optimize B-mode sensitivity.
This is done by injecting realistic-amplitude, time-varying systematics in a
set of simulated time-streams. Tests of the impact of detector noise
characteristics, pointing jitter, payload pendulations, polarization angle
offsets, beam systematics and receiver gain drifts are shown. Spider's default
observing strategy is to spin continuously in azimuth, with polarization
modulation achieved by either a rapidly spinning half-wave plate or a rapidly
spinning gondola and a slowly stepped half-wave plate. Although the latter is
more susceptible to systematics, results shown here indicate that either mode
of operation can be used by Spider.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figs, version with full resolution figs available here
http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~lgg/spider_front.ht
Tidally-induced thermonuclear Supernovae
We discuss the results of 3D simulations of tidal disruptions of white dwarfs
by moderate-mass black holes as they may exist in the cores of globular
clusters or dwarf galaxies. Our simulations follow self-consistently the
hydrodynamic and nuclear evolution from the initial parabolic orbit over the
disruption to the build-up of an accretion disk around the black hole. For
strong enough encounters (pericentre distances smaller than about 1/3 of the
tidal radius) the tidal compression is reversed by a shock and finally results
in a thermonuclear explosion. These explosions are not restricted to progenitor
masses close to the Chandrasekhar limit, we find exploding examples throughout
the whole white dwarf mass range. There is, however, a restriction on the
masses of the involved black holes: black holes more massive than M swallow a typical 0.6 M dwarf before their tidal forces
can overwhelm the star's self-gravity. Therefore, this mechanism is
characteristic for black holes of moderate masses. The material that remains
bound to the black hole settles into an accretion disk and produces an X-ray
flare close to the Eddington limit of _\odot$), typically lasting for a few months. The combination
of a peculiar thermonuclear supernova together with an X-ray flare thus
whistle-blows the existence of such moderate-mass black holes. The next
generation of wide field space-based instruments should be able to detect such
events.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, EuroWD0
Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) Expansion: Measuring Racial, Religious, and National Aspects of Sense of Ethnic Identity Within the United Kingdom
These studies examined the degree to which racial, religious, and national aspects of individuals' sense of ethnic identity stand as interrelated, yet distinct, constructs. Results of exploratory factor analyses in Study 1 (n = 272) revealed that a three-factor model specifying racial, religious, and national identities yielded optimal fit to correlational data from an expanded, 36-item version of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM; Roberts et al., 1999), although results left room for improvement in model fit. Subsequently, results of confirmatory factor analyses in Study 2 (n = 291) revealed that, after taking covariance among the items into account, a six-factor model specifying exploration and commitment dimensions within each of the racial, religious, and national identity constructs provided optimal fit. Implications for the utility of Goffman's (1963b) interactionist role theory and Erikson's (1968) ego psychology for understanding the full complexity of felt ethnic identity are discussed
Properties and Evolution of the Redback Millisecond Pulsar Binary PSR J2129-0429
PSR J2129â0429 is a "redback" eclipsing millisecond pulsar binary with an unusually long 15.2 hr orbit. It was discovered by the Green Bank Telescope in a targeted search of unidentified Fermi gamma-ray sources. The pulsar companion is optically bright (mean m_R = 16.6 mag), allowing us to construct the longest baseline photometric data set available for such a system. We present 10 years of archival and new photometry of the companion from the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research Survey, the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey, the Palomar Transient Factory, the Palomar 60 inch, and the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope. Radial velocity spectroscopy using the Double-Beam Spectrograph on the Palomar 200 inch indicates that the pulsar is massive: 1.74 ± 0.18 M_â. The G-type pulsar companion has mass 0.44 ± 0.04 M_â, one of the heaviest known redback companions. It is currently 95 ± 1% Roche-lobe filling and only mildly irradiated by the pulsar. We identify a clear 13.1 mmag yr^(â1) secular decline in the mean magnitude of the companion as well as smaller-scale variations in the optical light curve shape. This behavior may indicate that the companion is cooling. Binary evolution calculations indicate that PSR J2129â0429 has an orbital period almost exactly at the bifurcation period between systems that converge into tighter orbits as black widows and redbacks and those that diverge into wider pulsarâwhite dwarf binaries. Its eventual fate may depend on whether it undergoes future episodes of mass transfer and increased irradiation
Analysis of LIGO data for gravitational waves from binary neutron stars
We report on a search for gravitational waves from coalescing compact binary
systems in the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds. The analysis uses data
taken by two of the three LIGO interferometers during the first LIGO science
run and illustrates a method of setting upper limits on inspiral event rates
using interferometer data. The analysis pipeline is described with particular
attention to data selection and coincidence between the two interferometers. We
establish an observational upper limit of 1.7 \times 10^{2}M_\odot$.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figure
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