The Tail of the HI Mass Function

The contribution of extragalactic objects with HI masses below $10^8 M_\odot$ to the HI mass function remains uncertain. Several aspects of the detection of low-mass sources in HI surveys are not always considered, and as a result different analysis techniques yield widely different estimates for their number density. It is suggested at one extreme that the number density of galaxies follows a shallow Schechter power-law slope, and at the other extreme that it follows a steep faint-end rise like that found for field optical sources. Here we examine a variety of selection effects, issues of completeness, and consequences of LSS. We derive results for the large Arecibo Dual Beam Survey which indicate that the field mass function does rise steeply, while within the Virgo Cluster environs, the slope appears to be much shallower. Dependence on the local density of galaxies may partially explain differences between surveys.Comment: 8 pages, presented at Mapping the Hidden Universe: The Universe in HI. eds Kraan-Korteweg, Henning, Andernac

The Doppler Spectra of Medium Grazing Angle Sea Clutter; Part 1: Characterisation

This paper is concerned with the characterisation of Doppler spectra from high range resolution X-band radar sea clutter observed from an airborne platform over the range of grazing angles, 15° to 45°. It is observed that when looking up or down wind there is a strong correlation between mean Doppler shift and local spectrum intensity. When combined with random fluctuations of spectrum width, these characteristics give the spectra a temporal and spatial variability. This behaviour has previously been observed in low grazing angle data and these results confirm the wider applicability of the models developed using that data. The modelling method is also extended here to capture the bimodal behaviour observed with high intensity returns from breaking waves looking up or down-wind

A comparative assessment of solar thermal electric power plants in the 1-10 MWe range

The candidate power system technologies were ranked in terms of the cost of electric energy each system produces. In all cases, it was assumed that development programs would result in mature power plant systems that could be commercially manufactured. The results of the study, a brief description of the systems examined, and the methodologies used are presented

Gas and Stars in an HI-Selected Galaxy Sample

We present the results of a J-band study of the HI-selected Arecibo Dual-Beam Survey and Arecibo Slice Survey galaxy samples using the 2 Micron All-Sky Survey data. We find that these galaxies span a wide range of stellar and gas properties. However, despite the diversity within the samples, we find a very tight correlation between luminosity and size in the J-band, similar to that we previously found (Rosenberg & Schneider 2003) between the HI mass and size. We also find that the correlation between the baryonic mass and the J-band diameter is even tighter than between the baryonic mass and the rotational velocity.Comment: AJ in press, 17 pages (including tables and figures) + 6 additional jpg figure

Image Ellipticity from Atmospheric Aberrations

We investigate the ellipticity of the point-spread function (PSF) produced by imaging an unresolved source with a telescope, subject to the effects of atmospheric turbulence. It is important to quantify these effects in order to understand the errors in shape measurements of astronomical objects, such as those used to study weak gravitational lensing of field galaxies. The PSF modeling involves either a Fourier transform of the phase information in the pupil plane or a ray-tracing approach, which has the advantage of requiring fewer computations than the Fourier transform. Using a standard method, involving the Gaussian weighted second moments of intensity, we then calculate the ellipticity of the PSF patterns. We find significant ellipticity for the instantaneous patterns (up to more than 10%). Longer exposures, which we approximate by combining multiple (N) images from uncorrelated atmospheric realizations, yield progressively lower ellipticity (as 1 / sqrt(N)). We also verify that the measured ellipticity does not depend on the sampling interval in the pupil plane using the Fourier method. However, we find that the results using the ray-tracing technique do depend on the pupil sampling interval, representing a gradual breakdown of the geometric approximation at high spatial frequencies. Therefore, ray tracing is generally not an accurate method of modeling PSF ellipticity induced by atmospheric turbulence unless some additional procedure is implemented to correctly account for the effects of high spatial frequency aberrations. The Fourier method, however, can be used directly to accurately model PSF ellipticity, which can give insights into errors in the statistics of field galaxy shapes used in studies of weak gravitational lensing.Comment: 9 pages, 5 color figures (some reduced in size). Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Identification and evaluation of linear damping models in beam vibrations

Sensitive method, identifying effective damping mechanisms, involves comparing experimentally determined ratio of first to second mode magnification factors related to common point on beam. Cluster size has little effect on frequencies of elements, magnification factor decreases with cluster size, and viscous and stress damping are dominant damping mechanisms

Advanced cogeneration research study: Executive summary

This study provides a broad based overview of selected areas relevant to the development of a comprehensive Southern California Edison (SCE) advanced cogeneration project. The areas studied are: (1) Cogeneration potential in the SCE service territory; (2) Advanced cogeneration technologies; and (3) Existing cogeneration computer models. An estimated 3700 MW sub E could potentially be generated from existing industries in the Southern California Edison service territory using cogeneration technology. Of this total, current technology could provide 2600 MW sub E and advanced technology could provide 1100 MW sub E. The manufacturing sector (SIC Codes 20-39) was found to have the highest average potential for current cogeneration technology. The mining sector (SIC Codes 10-14) was found to have the highest potential for advanced technology

Unravelling the Mysteries of the Leo Ring: An Absorption Line Study of an Unusual Gas Cloud

Since the 1980's discovery of the large (2x10^9 Msun) intergalactic cloud known as the Leo Ring, this object has been the center of a lively debate about its origin. Determining the origin of this object is still important as we develop a deeper understanding of the accretion and feedback processes that shape galaxy evolution. We present HST/COS observations of three sightlines near the Ring, two of which penetrate the high column density neutral hydrogen gas visible in 21 cm observations of the object. These observations provide the first direct measurement of the metallicity of the gas in the Ring, an important clue to its origins. Our best estimate of the metallicity of the ring is ~10% Zsun, higher than expected for primordial gas but lower than expected from an interaction. We discuss possible modifications to the interaction and primordial gas scenarios that would be consistent with this metallicity measurement.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted Ap

Incidence and evaluation of incidental abnormal bone marrow signal on magnetic resonance imaging.

PurposeThe increased use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has resulted in reports of incidental abnormal bone marrow (BM) signal. Our goal was to determine the evaluation of an incidental abnormal BM signal on MRI and the prevalence of a subsequent oncologic diagnosis.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients over age 18 undergoing MRI between May 2005 and October 2010 at Tufts Medical Center (TMC) with follow-up through November 2013. The electronic medical record was queried to determine imaging site, reason for scan, evaluation following radiology report, and final diagnosis.Results49,678 MRIs were done with 110 patients meeting inclusion criteria. Twenty two percent underwent some evaluation, most commonly a complete blood count, serum protein electrophoresis, or bone scan. With median follow-up of 41 months, 6% of patients were diagnosed with malignancies including multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, and metastatic adenocarcinoma. One patient who had not undergone evaluation developed breast cancer 24 months after the MRI.ConclusionsIncidentally noted abnormal or heterogeneous bone marrow signal on MRI was not inconsequential and should prompt further evaluation