Post-Band Merge Utilities Applied to Spitzer Pleiades Data

Band merging extracted point sources observed in multiple wavelength bands is generally done purely on the basis of positional information in order to avoid photometric biases. Automated merge decisions can be more optimal with better position estimation and more realistic modeling of positional estimation errors. Unfortunately, extraction software often does not provide the most accurate positional information possible, and so post-band merge utilities have been developed and implemented to refine both the source positions and the error modeling. Subsequent band merging of the refined detections improves the completeness and reliability of the multi-band source catalog. Application to Spitzer Space Telescope mapping observations of the Pleiades star cluster demonstrates some aspects of the improved band merging

World Food Day: 16 October 2008

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Optimal merging of point sources extracted from Spitzer Space Telescope data in multiple infrared passbands versus simple general source association

For collating point-source flux measurements derived from multiple infrared passbands of Spitzer-Space-Telescope data – e.g., channels 1-4 of the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) and channels 1-3 of the Multiband Imaging Pho- tometer for Spitzer (MIPS) – it is best to use the ‘bandmerge’ software developed at the Spitzer Science Center rather than the relatively simple method of general source association (GSA). The former method uses both source positions and positional uncertainties to form a chi-squared statistic that can be thresholded for optimal matching, while the latter method finds nearest neighbors across bands that fall within a user-specified radius of the primary source. Our assertion is supported by our study of completeness (C) vs. reliability (R) for the two methods, which involved MIPS-24/IRAC-1 matches in the SWIRE Chandra Deep Field South. Both methods can achieve C = 98%, but with R = 92.7% for GSA vs. R = 97.4% for bandmerge. With almost a factor of three lower in unreliability (1 − R), bandmerge is the clear winner of this comparison

Franck-Condon factors and observed band strength distribution in the vibrational structure of the Ag_2 D-X band system

Potential curves for the X_1Σ_g^+ and D_1Σ_u^+ states of three diatomic silver isotopomers, ^(107)Ag_2, ^(107)Ag^(109)Ag and ^(109)Ag_2, were determined from the best available molecular constants by the Rydberg-Klein-Rees method. From these potentials, Franck-Condon factors and band-origin wave numbers were computed, and the reliability of the obtained values was verified by comparison with the observed band strength distribution and the measured band origin positions in a previously recorded D-X spectrum. The ratios of the Franck-Condon factors to those of corresponding isotopic bands were found to be very close to unity, revealing only a very small isotopic effect on the Franck Condon factors of Ag_2 D-X bands. The isotopic shifts of the calculated band origins agree well with previously measured displacements of band heads

Stimulant use among prehospital emergency care personnel in Gauteng Province, South Africa

Background. Emergency medical service (EMS) personnel are exposed to high levels of psychological, physical and emotional stressors. There has been an increase in stimulant use among healthcare professionals worldwide. There is a paucity of data pertaining to the use of stimulant products among EMS personnel in South Africa (SA).Objectives. To determine the prevalence of and other aspects pertaining to use of stimulant products among EMS personnel in Gauteng Province, SA.Methods. A prospective cross-sectional study using a questionnaire-based model was used to survey EMS personnel in Gauteng.Results. Of the 315 respondents who completed the questionnaire, 310 (98.4%) reported use of stimulant products, 295 (93.7%) consumed tea/coffee, 187 (59.4%) consumed commercial energy drinks, 60 (19.0%) used caffeinated energy-enhancing tablets, 14 (4.4%) used non-caffeinated prescription stimulant medications, 50 (15.9%) used illicit drugs, 134 (42.5%) exceeded the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of caffeine, 201 (63.8%) exceeded the RDA of sugar, 231 (73.3%) experienced difficulty remaining awake during a shift, 148 (47.8%) used stimulants off shift, and 71 (22.5%) experienced insomnia. Common reasons for use of stimulants were enjoyment (n=218; 69.2%), to stay awake (n=125; 39.7%) and improvement of physical and mental performance (n=94; 29.8%).Conclusions. The high prevalence of stimulant use among respondents is a cause for concern. Strategies to address it should be aimed at promoting awareness and education, improving working conditions, enhancing support structures, and regulating the stimulant content of commercial products.

The Outer Halo of the Milky Way as Probed by RR Lyr Variables from the Palomar Transient Facility

RR Lyr stars are ideal massless tracers that can be used to study the total mass and dark matter content of the outer halo of the Milky Way. This is because they are easy to find in the light curve databases of large stellar surveys and their distances can be determined with only knowledge of the light curve. We present here a sample of 112 RR Lyr beyond 50 kpc in the outer halo of the Milky Way, excluding the Sgr streams, for which we have obtained moderate resolution spectra with Deimos on the Keck 2 Telescope. Four of these have distances exceeding 100 kpc. These were selected from a much larger set of 447 candidate RR Lyr which were datamined using machine learning techniques applied to the light curves of variable stars in the Palomar Transient Facility database. The observed radial velocities taken at the phase of the variable corresponding to the time of observation were converted to systemic radial velocities in the Galactic standard of rest. From our sample of 112 RR Lyr we determine the radial velocity dispersion in the outer halo of the Milky Way to be ~90 km/s at 50 kpc falling to about 65 km/s near 100 kpc once a small number of major outliers are removed. With reasonable estimates of the completeness of our sample of 447 candidates and assuming a spherical halo, we find that the stellar density in the outer halo declines as the -4 power of r.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Ap

A Population of Short-Period Variable Quasars from PTF as Supermassive Black Hole Binary Candidates

Supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) at sub-parsec separations should be common in galactic nuclei, as a result of frequent galaxy mergers. Hydrodynamical simulations of circumbinary discs predict strong periodic modulation of the mass accretion rate on time-scales comparable to the orbital period of the binary. As a result, SMBHBs may be recognized by the periodic modulation of their brightness. We conducted a statistical search for periodic variability in a sample of 35,383 spectroscopically confirmed quasars in the photometric database of the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). We analysed Lomb-Scargle periodograms and assessed the significance of our findings by modeling each individual quasar's variability as a damped random walk (DRW). We identified 50 quasars with significant periodicity beyond the DRW model, typically with short periods of a few hundred days. We find 33 of these to remain significant after a re-analysis of their periodograms including additional optical data from the intermediate-PTF and the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey (CRTS). Assuming that the observed periods correspond to the redshifted orbital periods of SMBHBs, we conclude that our findings are consistent with a population of unequal-mass SMBHBs, with a typical mass ratio as low as q = M2/M1 ~ 0.01.Comment: MNRAS (accepted), new section 4.

Electron-impact excitation of X 1Sigma_g⁺(v[double-prime]=0) to the a[double-prime] 1Sigma_g⁺, b 1Piu, c3 1Piu, o3 1Piu, b[prime] 1Sigma_u⁺, c₄^[prime] 1Sigma_u⁺, G 3Piu, and F 3Piu states of molecular nitrogen

Measurements of differential cross sections (DCSs) for electron-impact excitation of the a[double-prime] 1Sigmag+, b 1Piu, c3 1Piu, o3 1Piu, b[prime] 1Sigmau+, c4[prime] 1Sigmau+, G 3Piu, and F 3Piu states in N2 from the X 1Sigmag+(v[double-prime]=0) ground level are presented. The DCSs were obtained from energy-loss spectra in the region of 12 to 13.82 eV measured at incident energies of 17.5, 20, 30, 50, and 100 eV and for scattering angles ranging from 2° to 130°. The analysis of the spectra follows a different algorithm from that employed in a previous study of N2 for the valence states [Khakoo et al. Phys. Rev. A 71, 062703 (2005)], since the 1Piu and 1Sigmau+ states form strongly interacting Rydberg-valence series. The results are compared with existing data

New Young Star Candidates in BRC 27 and BRC 34

We used archival Spitzer Space Telescope mid-infrared data to search for young stellar objects (YSOs) in the immediate vicinity of two bright-rimmed clouds, BRC 27 (part of CMa R1) and BRC 34 (part of the IC 1396 complex). These regions both appear to be actively forming young stars, perhaps triggered by the proximate OB stars. In BRC 27, we find clear infrared excesses around 22 of the 26 YSOs or YSO candidates identified in the literature, and identify 16 new YSO candidates that appear to have IR excesses. In BRC 34, the one literature-identified YSO has an IR excess, and we suggest 13 new YSO candidates in this region, including a new Class I object. Considering the entire ensemble, both BRCs are likely of comparable ages, within the uncertainties of small number statistics and without spectroscopy to confirm or refute the YSO candidates. Similarly, no clear conclusions can yet be drawn about any possible age gradients that may be present across the BRCs