XMM-Newton observations of three short period polars: V347 Pav, GG Leo and EU UMa

We present phase-resolved XMM_Newton data of three short period polars: V347 Pav, GG Leo and EU UMa. All three systems show one dominant accretion region which is seen for approximately half of the orbital cycle. GG Leo shows a strong dip feature in its X-ray and UV light curves which is due to absorption of X-rays from the accretion site by the accretion stream. The emission in the case of EU UMa is dominated by soft X-rays: its soft/hard X-ray ratio is amongst the highest seen in these objects. In contrast, GG Leo and V347 Pav shows a ratio consistent with that predicted by the standard shock model. We infer the mass of the white dwarf and explore the affect of restricting the energy range on the derived parameters.Comment: accepted MNRA

HCU400: An Annotated Dataset for Exploring Aural Phenomenology Through Causal Uncertainty

The way we perceive a sound depends on many aspects-- its ecological frequency, acoustic features, typicality, and most notably, its identified source. In this paper, we present the HCU400: a dataset of 402 sounds ranging from easily identifiable everyday sounds to intentionally obscured artificial ones. It aims to lower the barrier for the study of aural phenomenology as the largest available audio dataset to include an analysis of causal attribution. Each sample has been annotated with crowd-sourced descriptions, as well as familiarity, imageability, arousal, and valence ratings. We extend existing calculations of causal uncertainty, automating and generalizing them with word embeddings. Upon analysis we find that individuals will provide less polarized emotion ratings as a sound's source becomes increasingly ambiguous; individual ratings of familiarity and imageability, on the other hand, diverge as uncertainty increases despite a clear negative trend on average

Phonon sidebands of color centers in hexagonal boron nitride

Low temperature photoluminescence spectra of a color center in hexagonal boron nitride are analyzed. The acoustic phonon sideband can be described by a deformation coupling proportional to strain to a phonon bath that is effectively two dimensional. The optical phonon band is described by Frohlich coupling to the LO-branches, and a deformation coupling proportional to lattice displacement for the TO-branch. The resonances expressed in the optical band vary from defect to defect, in some emitters, coupling to out-of-plane polarized phonons is reported.Comment: 7 pages, 4 fig

Reporting and dealing with missing quality of life data in RCTs : has the picture changed in the last decade?

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

XMM-Newton observations of the complex spin pulse of the intermediate polar PQ~Geminorum

The intermediate polar PQ Geminorum shows a complex pulsation, caused by a spinning white dwarf, which varies markedly with wavelength. We report XMM-Newton observations, including the soft and hard X-ray bands and the first UV lightcurves of this star. We update the ephemeris for PQ Gem allowing us to align these data with a compilation of lightcurves from the optical to the X-ray. Building on work by previous authors, we show how a model in which accretion flows along skewed field lines, viewed at the correct inclination, can explain the major features of the lightcurves in all bands. We discuss how the skew of the field lines relates to the spinning down of the white-dwarf rotation.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Nest-Site Selection by Female Black-Capped Chickadees: Settlement Based on Conspecific Attraction?

Female Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) solicit extrapair copulations (EPCs) from neighboring high-ranking males, and these EPCs result in extrapair young. Females might choose to locate their nests near the territory boundaries of attractive males to facilitate access to EPCs. Other hypotheses might also explain choice of nest site, namely (1) habitat characteristics, (2) prey abundance, and (3) previous experience. We tested these four hypotheses in 1996 and 1997. Out of 27 habitat characteristics measured, we found only one that was significantly different between nests and control sites in both years. The abundance of large trees was lower at nest sites than at control sites in each year and when years were pooled. Relative prey abundance did not differ between nests and control sites for either year of the study. We found no different in interyear nest placement based on female experience; experienced females nester farther than 60 m from their previous nest sites in both years of the study. In 1996, females whose neighboring males were higher ranked than their social partner located their nests significantly closer to territory boundaries than did females whose nearest neighbors were lower ranked than their social partner. In 1997, all pairs nested near territory boundaries. We conclude that choice of nest location in Black-capped Chickadees is influenced by conspecific attraction based on mating tactics