Early Science with the Large Millimetre Telescope: Molecules in the Extreme Outflow of a proto-Planetary Nebula

Extremely high velocity emission likely related to jets is known to occur in some proto-Planetary Nebulae. However, the molecular complexity of this kinematic component is largely unknown. We observed the known extreme outflow from the proto-Planetary Nebula IRAS 16342-3814, a prototype water fountain, in the full frequency range from 73 to 111 GHz with the RSR receiver on the Large Millimetre Telescope. We detected the molecules SiO, HCN, SO, and $^{13}$CO. All molecular transitions, with the exception of the latter are detected for the first time in this source, and all present emission with velocities up to a few hundred km s$^{-1}$. IRAS 16342-3814 is therefore the only source of this kind presenting extreme outflow activity simultaneously in all these molecules, with SO and SiO emission showing the highest velocities found of these species in proto-Planetary Nebulae. To be confirmed is a tentative weak SO component with a FWHM $\sim$ 700 km s$^{-1}$. The extreme outflow gas consists of dense gas (n$_{\rm H_2} >$ 10$^{4.8}$--10$^{5.7}$ cm$^{-3}$), with a mass larger than $\sim$ 0.02--0.15 M$_{\odot}$. The relatively high abundances of SiO and SO may be an indication of an oxygen-rich extreme high velocity gas.Comment: Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letter

Host Galaxies of Gamma-Ray Bursts and their Cosmological Evolution

We use numerical simulations of large scale structure formation to explore the cosmological properties of Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) host galaxies. Among the different sub-populations found in the simulations, we identify the host galaxies as the most efficient star-forming objects, i.e. galaxies with high specific star formation rates. We find that the host candidates are low-mass, young galaxies with low to moderate star formation rate. These properties are consistent with those observed in GRB hosts, most of which are sub-luminous, blue galaxies. Assuming that host candidates are galaxies with high star formation rates would have given conclusions inconsistent with the observations. The specific star formation rate, given a galaxy mass, is shown to increase as the redshift increases. The low mass of the putative hosts makes them difficult to detect with present day telescopes and the probability density function of the specific star formation rate is predicted to change depending on whether or not these galaxies are observed.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

High-Throughput Canopy and Belowground Phenotyping of a Set of Peanut CSSLs Detects Lines with Increased Pod Weight and Foliar Disease Tolerance

We deployed field-based high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) techniques to acquire trait data for a subset of a peanut chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL) population. Sensors mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) were used to derive various vegetative indices as well as canopy temperatures. A combination of aerial imaging and manual scoring showed that CSSL 100, CSSL 84, CSSL 111, and CSSL 15 had remarkably low tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) incidence, a devastating disease in South Georgia, USA. The four lines also performed well under leaf spot pressure. The vegetative indices showed strong correlations of up to 0.94 with visual disease scores, indicating that aerial phenotyping is a reliable way of selecting under disease pressure. Since the yield components of peanut are below the soil surface, we deployed ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology to detect pods non-destructively. Moderate correlations of up to 0.5 between pod weight and data acquired from GPR signals were observed. Both the manually acquired pod data and GPR variables highlighted the three lines, CSSL 84, CSSL 100, and CSSL 111, as the best-performing lines, with pod weights comparable to the cultivated check Tifguard. Through the combined application of manual and HTP techniques, this study reinforces the premise that chromosome segments from peanut wild relatives may be a potential source of valuable agronomic trait

In Vivo Tracking of Human Neural Stem Cells with 19F Magnetic Resonance Imaging

(c)The Author

The Pierre Auger Observatory III: Other Astrophysical Observations

Astrophysical observations of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with the Pierre Auger ObservatoryComment: Contributions to the 32nd International Cosmic Ray Conference, Beijing, China, August 201

Precision Top-Quark Mass Measurements at CDF

We present a precision measurement of the top-quark mass using the full sample of Tevatron $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV proton-antiproton collisions collected by the CDF II detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.7 $fb^{-1}$. Using a sample of $t\bar{t}$ candidate events decaying into the lepton+jets channel, we obtain distributions of the top-quark masses and the invariant mass of two jets from the $W$ boson decays from data. We then compare these distributions to templates derived from signal and background samples to extract the top-quark mass and the energy scale of the calorimeter jets with {\it in situ} calibration. The likelihood fit of the templates from signal and background events to the data yields the single most-precise measurement of the top-quark mass, \mtop = 172.85 \pm$0.71 (stat)$\pm$0.85 (syst) GeV/c^{2}.$Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Measurements of branching fraction ratios and CP-asymmetries in suppressed B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- and B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^- decays

We report the first reconstruction in hadron collisions of the suppressed decays B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- and B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^-, sensitive to the CKM phase gamma, using data from 7 fb^-1 of integrated luminosity collected by the CDF II detector at the Tevatron collider. We reconstruct a signal for the B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- suppressed mode with a significance of 3.2 standard deviations, and measure the ratios of the suppressed to favored branching fractions R(K) = [22.0 \pm 8.6(stat)\pm 2.6(syst)]\times 10^-3, R^+(K) = [42.6\pm 13.7(stat)\pm 2.8(syst)]\times 10^-3, R^-(K)= [3.8\pm 10.3(stat)\pm 2.7(syst]\times 10^-3, as well as the direct CP-violating asymmetry A(K) = -0.82\pm 0.44(stat)\pm 0.09(syst) of this mode. Corresponding quantities for B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^- decay are also reported.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, accepted by Phys.Rev.D Rapid Communications for Publicatio

Measurement of branching ratio and Bs0 lifetime in the decay Bs0 -> J/psi f0(980) at CDF

We present a study of Bs0 decays to the CP-odd final state J/psi f0(980) with J/psi -> mu+ mu- and f0(980) -> pi+ pi-. Using ppbar collision data with an integrated luminosity of 3.8/fb collected by the CDF II detector at the Tevatron we measure a Bs0 lifetime of tau(Bs0 -> J/psi f0(980)) = 1.70 -0.11+0.12(stat) +-0.03(syst) ps. This is the first measurement of the Bs0 lifetime in a decay to a CP eigenstate and corresponds in the standard model to the lifetime of the heavy Bs0 eigenstate. We also measure the product of branching fractions of Bs0 -> J/psi f0(980) and f0(980) -> pi+ pi- relative to the product of branching fractions of Bs0 -> J/psi phi and phi -> K+ K- to be R_f0/phi = 0.257 +_0.020(stat) +-0.014(syst), which is the most precise determination of this quantity to date.Comment: accepted by Phys. Rev.

Search for a Higgs Boson Produced in Association with a W Boson in pbar-p Collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV

We present a search for a standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a W boson using 2.7 1/fb of integrated luminosity of pbar-p collision data taken at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV. Limits on the Higgs boson production rate are obtained for masses between 100 GeV and 150 GeV. Through the use of multivariate techniques, the analysis achieves an observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper limit of 5.6 (4.8) times the theoretically expected production cross section for a standard model Higgs boson with a mass of 115 GeV.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Observation of the Baryonic Flavor-Changing Neutral Current Decay Lambda_b -> Lambda mu+ mu-

We report the first observation of the baryonic flavor-changing neutral current decay Lambda_b -> Lambda mu+ mu- with 24 signal events and a statistical significance of 5.8 Gaussian standard deviations. This measurement uses ppbar collisions data sample corresponding to 6.8fb-1 at sqrt{s}=1.96TeV collected by the CDF II detector at the Tevatron collider. The total and differential branching ratios for Lambda_b -> Lambda mu+ mu- are measured. We find B(Lambda_b -> Lambda mu+ mu-) = [1.73+-0.42(stat)+-0.55(syst)] x 10^{-6}. We also report the first measurement of the differential branching ratio of B_s -> phi mu+ mu- using 49 signal events. In addition, we report branching ratios for B+ -> K+ mu+ mu-, B0 -> K0 mu+ mu-, and B -> K*(892) mu+ mu- decays.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, 4 tables. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let