365 research outputs found
Probing non-Gaussianities on Large Scales in WMAP5 and WMAP7 Data using Surrogates
Probing Gaussianity represents one of the key questions in modern cosmology,
because it allows to discriminate between different models of inflation. We
test for large-scale non-Gaussianities in the cosmic microwave background (CMB)
in a model-independent way. To this end, so-called first and second order
surrogates are generated by first shuffling the Fourier phases belonging to the
scales not of interest and then shuffling the remaining phases for the length
scales under study. Using scaling indices as test statistics we find highly
significant signatures for both non-Gaussianities and asymmetries on large
scales for the WMAP data of the CMB. We find remarkably similar results when
analyzing different ILC-maps based on the WMAP five and seven year data. Such
features being independent from the map-making procedure would disfavor the
fundamental principle of isotropy as well as canonical single-field slow-roll
inflation - unless there is some undiscovered systematic error in the
collection or reduction of the CMB data or yet unknown foreground
contributions.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of Moriond Cosmology
201
Probing non-Gaussianities in the CMB on an incomplete sky using surrogates
We demonstrate the feasibility to generate surrogates by Fourier-based
methods for an incomplete data set. This is performed for the case of a CMB
analysis, where astrophysical foreground emission, mainly present in the
Galactic plane, is a major challenge. The shuffling of the Fourier phases for
generating surrogates is now enabled by transforming the spherical harmonics
into a new set of basis functions that are orthonormal on the cut sky. The
results show that non-Gaussianities and hemispherical asymmetries in the CMB as
identified in several former investigations, can still be detected even when
the complete Galactic plane (|b| < 30{\deg}) is removed. We conclude that the
Galactic plane cannot be the dominant source for these anomalies. The results
point towards a violation of statistical isotropy.Comment: 9 pages, 13 figures, accepted by Physical Review
A model-independent test for scale-dependent non-Gaussianities in the CMB
We present a model-independent method to test for scale-dependent
non-Gaussianities in combination with scaling indices as test statistics.
Therefore, surrogate data sets are generated, in which the power spectrum of
the original data is preserved, while the higher order correlations are partly
randomised by applying a scale-dependent shuffling procedure to the Fourier
phases. We apply this method to the WMAP data of the cosmic microwave
background (CMB) and find signatures for non-Gaussianities on large scales.
Further tests are required to elucidate the origin of the detected anomalies.Comment: accepted for publication in PRL, minor revisions, results unchanged,
l(cut)-dependency adde
Search for non-Gaussianities in the WMAP data with the Scaling Index Method
In the recent years, non-Gaussianity and statistical isotropy of the Cosmic
Microwave Background (CMB) was investigated with various statistical measures,
first and foremost by means of the measurements of the WMAP satellite. In this
Review, we focus on the analyses that were accomplished with a measure of local
type, the so-called Scaling Index Method (SIM). The SIM is able to detect
structural characteristics of a given data set, and has proven to be highly
valuable in CMB analysis. It was used for comparing the data set with
simulations as well as surrogates, which are full sky maps generated by
randomisation of previously selected features of the original map. During these
investigations, strong evidence for non-Gaussianities as well as asymmetries
and local features could be detected. In combination with the surrogates
approach, the SIM detected the highest significances for non-Gaussianity to
date.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, Review Article, Accepted for publication in
Advances in Astronom
Localization of Human RNase Z Isoforms: Dual Nuclear/Mitochondrial Targeting of the ELAC2 Gene Product by Alternative Translation Initiation
RNase Z is an endonuclease responsible for the removal of 3′ extensions from tRNA precursors, an essential step in tRNA biogenesis. Human cells contain a long form (RNase ZL) encoded by ELAC2, and a short form (RNase ZS; ELAC1). We studied their subcellular localization by expression of proteins fused to green fluorescent protein. RNase ZS was found in the cytosol, whereas RNase ZL localized to the nucleus and mitochondria. We show that alternative translation initiation is responsible for the dual targeting of RNase ZL. Due to the unfavorable context of the first AUG of ELAC2, translation apparently also starts from the second AUG, whereby the mitochondrial targeting sequence is lost and the protein is instead routed to the nucleus. Our data suggest that RNase ZL is the enzyme involved in both, nuclear and mitochondrial tRNA 3′ end maturation
Hyperbolic conservation laws on the sphere. A geometry-compatible finite volume scheme
We consider entropy solutions to the initial value problem associated with
scalar nonlinear hyperbolic conservation laws posed on the two-dimensional
sphere. We propose a finite volume scheme which relies on a web-like mesh made
of segments of longitude and latitude lines. The structure of the mesh allows
for a discrete version of a natural geometric compatibility condition, which
arose earlier in the well-posedness theory established by Ben-Artzi and
LeFloch. We study here several classes of flux vectors which define the
conservation law under consideration. They are based on prescribing a suitable
vector field in the Euclidean three-dimensional space and then suitably
projecting it on the sphere's tangent plane; even when the flux vector in the
ambient space is constant, the corresponding flux vector is a non-trivial
vector field on the sphere. In particular, we construct here "equatorial
periodic solutions", analogous to one-dimensional periodic solutions to
one-dimensional conservation laws, as well as a wide variety of stationary
(steady state) solutions. We also construct "confined solutions", which are
time-dependent solutions supported in an arbitrarily specified subdomain of the
sphere. Finally, representative numerical examples and test-cases are
presented.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figures. This is the third part of a series; see also
arXiv:math/0612846 and arXiv:math/061284
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Beam position measurement in the CEBAF recirculating linacs by use of pseudorandom pulse sequences
The recirculating linear accelerator at CEBAF presents unique problems in beam position measurement. As many as five beams with different energies may be simultaneously in the linac. Modulation of the beam intensity by pseudorandom pulse sequences offers a simple, effective method for distinguishing between the individual beamlets
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