Photometric redshifts for Quasars in multi band Surveys

MLPQNA stands for Multi Layer Perceptron with Quasi Newton Algorithm and it is a machine learning method which can be used to cope with regression and classification problems on complex and massive data sets. In this paper we give the formal description of the method and present the results of its application to the evaluation of photometric redshifts for quasars. The data set used for the experiment was obtained by merging four different surveys (SDSS, GALEX, UKIDSS and WISE), thus covering a wide range of wavelengths from the UV to the mid-infrared. The method is able i) to achieve a very high accuracy; ii) to drastically reduce the number of outliers and catastrophic objects; iii) to discriminate among parameters (or features) on the basis of their significance, so that the number of features used for training and analysis can be optimized in order to reduce both the computational demands and the effects of degeneracy. The best experiment, which makes use of a selected combination of parameters drawn from the four surveys, leads, in terms of DeltaZnorm (i.e. (zspec-zphot)/(1+zspec)), to an average of DeltaZnorm = 0.004, a standard deviation sigma = 0.069 and a Median Absolute Deviation MAD = 0.02 over the whole redshift range (i.e. zspec <= 3.6), defined by the 4-survey cross-matched spectroscopic sample. The fraction of catastrophic outliers, i.e. of objects with photo-z deviating more than 2sigma from the spectroscopic value is < 3%, leading to a sigma = 0.035 after their removal, over the same redshift range. The method is made available to the community through the DAMEWARE web application.Comment: 38 pages, Submitted to ApJ in February 2013; Accepted by ApJ in May 201

Weak Lensing Mass Reconstruction of the Galaxy Cluster Abell 209

Weak lensing applied to deep optical images of clusters of galaxies provides a powerful tool to reconstruct the distribution of the gravitating mass associated to these structures. We use the shear signal extracted by an analysis of deep exposures of a region centered around the galaxy cluster Abell 209, at redshift z=0.2, to derive both a map of the projected mass distribution and an estimate of the total mass within a characteristic radius. We use a series of deep archival R-band images from CFHT-12k, covering an area of 0.3 deg^2. We determine the shear of background galaxy images using a new implementation of the modified Kaiser-Squires-Broadhurst pipeline for shear determination, which we has been tested against the ``Shear TEsting Program 1 and 2'' simulations. We use mass aperture statistics to produce maps of the 2 dimensional density distribution, and parametric fits using both Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) and singular-isothermal-sphere profiles to constrain the total mass. The projected mass distribution shows a pronounced asymmetry, with an elongated structure extending from the SE to the NW. This is in general agreement with the optical distribution previously found by other authors. A similar elongation was previously detected in the X-ray emission map, and in the distribution of galaxy colours. The circular NFW mass profile fit gives a total mass of M_{200} = 7.7^{+4.3}_{-2.7} 10^{14} solar masses inside the virial radius r_{200} = 1.8\pm 0.3 Mpc. The weak lensing profile reinforces the evidence for an elongated structure of Abell 209, as previously suggested by studies of the galaxy distribution and velocities.Comment: accepted by A&A, 15 pages, 11 figure

Quantification of finite-temperature effects on adsorption geometries of π\pi-conjugated molecules

The adsorption structure of the molecular switch azobenzene on Ag(111) is investigated by a combination of normal incidence x-ray standing waves and dispersion-corrected density functional theory. The inclusion of non-local collective substrate response (screening) in the dispersion correction improves the description of dense monolayers of azobenzene, which exhibit a substantial torsion of the molecule. Nevertheless, for a quantitative agreement with experiment explicit consideration of the effect of vibrational mode anharmonicity on the adsorption geometry is crucial.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Numerical simulations challenged on the prediction of massive subhalo abundance in galaxy clusters: the case of Abell 2142

In this Letter we compare the abundance of member galaxies of a rich, nearby ($z=0.09$) galaxy cluster, Abell 2142, with that of halos of comparable virial mass extracted from sets of state-of-the-art numerical simulations, both collisionless at different resolutions and with the inclusion of baryonic physics in the form of cooling, star formation, and feedback by active galactic nuclei. We also use two semi-analytical models to account for the presence of orphan galaxies. The photometric and spectroscopic information, taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12 (SDSS DR12) database, allows us to estimate the stellar velocity dispersion of member galaxies of Abell 2142. This quantity is used as proxy for the total mass of secure cluster members and is properly compared with that of subhalos in simulations. We find that simulated halos have a statistically significant ($\gtrsim 7$ sigma confidence level) smaller amount of massive (circular velocity above $200\,{\rm km\, s^{-1}}$) subhalos, even before accounting for the possible incompleteness of observations. These results corroborate the findings from a recent strong lensing study of the Hubble Frontier Fields galaxy cluster MACS J0416 \citep{grillo2015} and suggest that the observed difference is already present at the level of dark matter (DM) subhalos and is not solved by introducing baryonic physics. A deeper understanding of this discrepancy between observations and simulations will provide valuable insights into the impact of the physical properties of DM particles and the effect of baryons on the formation and evolution of cosmological structures.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures. Modified to match the version published in ApJ

Nervous system characterization during the development of a basal echinoderm, the feather star Antedon mediterranea

Neural development of echinoderms has always been difficult to interpret, as larval neurons degenerate at metamorphosis and a tripartite nervous system differentiates in the adult. Despite their key phylogenetic position as basal echinoderms, crinoids have been scarcely studied in developmental research. However, since they are the only extant echinoderms retaining the ancestral body plan of the group, crinoids are extremely valuable models to clarify neural evolution in deuterostomes. Antedon mediterranea is a feather star, endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. Its development includes a swimming lecithotrophic larva, the doliolaria, with basiepithelial nerve plexus, and a sessile filter-feeding juvenile, the pentacrinoid, whose nervous system has never been described in detail. Thus, we characterized the nervous system of both these developmental stages by means of immunohistochemistry and, for the first time, in situ hybridization techniques. The results confirmed previous descriptions of doliolaria morphology and revealed that the larval apical organ contains two bilateral clusters of serotonergic cells while GABAergic neurons are localized under the adhesive pit. This suggested that different larval activities (e.g., attachment and metamorphosis) are under the control of different neural populations. In pentacrinoids, the analysis showed the presence of a cholinergic entoneural system while the ectoneural plexus appeared more composite, displaying different neural populations. The expression of three neural-related microRNAs was described for the first time, suggesting that these are evolutionarily conserved also in basal echinoderms. Overall, our results set the stage for future investigations that will reveal new information on echinoderm evo-devo neurobiology

ACCESS - V. Dissecting ram-pressure stripping through integral-field spectroscopy and multi-band imaging

We study the case of a bright (L>L*) barred spiral galaxy from the rich cluster A3558 in the Shapley supercluster core (z=0.05) undergoing ram-pressure stripping. Integral-field spectroscopy, complemented by multi-band imaging, allows us to reveal the impact of ram pressure on the interstellar medium. We study in detail the kinematics and the physical conditions of the ionized gas and the properties of the stellar populations. We observe one-sided extraplanar ionized gas along the full extent of the galaxy disc. Narrow-band Halpha imaging resolves this outflow into a complex of knots and filaments. The gas velocity field is complex with the extraplanar gas showing signature of rotation. In all parts of the galaxy, we find a significant contribution from shock excitation, as well as emission powered by star formation. Shock-ionized gas is associated with the turbulent gas outflow and highly attenuated by dust. All these findings cover the whole phenomenology of early-stage ram-pressure stripping. Intense, highly obscured star formation is taking place in the nucleus, probably related to the bar, and in a region 12 kpc South-West from the centre. In the SW region we identify a starburst characterized by a 5x increase in the star-formation rate over the last ~100 Myr, possibly related to the compression of the interstellar gas by the ram pressure. The scenario suggested by the observations is supported and refined by ad hoc N-body/hydrodynamical simulations which identify a rather narrow temporal range for the onset of ram-pressure stripping around t~60 Myr ago, and an angle between the galaxy rotation axis and the intra-cluster medium wind of ~45 deg. Taking into account that the galaxy is found ~1 Mpc from the cluster centre in a relatively low-density region, this study shows that ram-pressure stripping still acts efficiently on massive galaxies well outside the cluster cores.Comment: 46 pages, 21 figures, accepted for publication; MNRAS 201

Cosmic dance in the Shapley Concentration Core - I. A study of the radio emission of the BCGs and tailed radio galaxies

The Shapley Concentration ($z\approx0.048$) covers several degrees in the Southern Hemisphere, and includes galaxy clusters in advanced evolutionary stage, groups of clusters in the early stages of merger, fairly massive clusters with ongoing accretion activity, and smaller groups located in filaments in the regions between the main clusters. With the goal to investigate the role of cluster mergers and accretion on the radio galaxy population, we performed a multi-wavelength study of the BCGs and of the galaxies showing extended radio emission in the cluster complexes of Abell 3528 and Abell 3558. Our study is based on a sample of 12 galaxies. We observed the clusters with the GMRT at 235, 325 and 610 MHz, and with the VLA at 8.46 GHz. We complemented our study with the TGSS at 150 MHz, the SUMSS at 843 MHz and ATCA at 1380, 1400, 2380, and 4790 MHz data. Optical imaging with ESO-VST and mid-IR coverage with WISE are also available for the host galaxies. We found deep differences in the properties of the radio emission of the BCGs in the two cluster complexes. The BCGs in the A3528 complex and in A3556, which are relaxed cool-core objects, are powerful active radio galaxies. They also present hints of restarted activity. On the contrary, the BCGs in A3558 and A3562, which are well known merging systems, are very faint, or quiet, in the radio band. The optical and IR properties of the galaxies are fairly similar in the two complexes, showing all passive red galaxies. Our study shows remarkable differences in the radio properties of the BGCs, which we relate to the different dynamical state of the host cluster. On the contrary, the lack of changes between such different environments in the optical band suggests that the dynamical state of galaxy clusters does not affect the optical counterparts of the radio galaxies, at least over the life-time of the radio emission.Comment: 24 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Inside Catalogs: A Comparison of Source Extraction Software

The scope of this article is to compare the catalog extraction performances obtained using the new combination of SExtractor with PSFEx against the more traditional and diffuse application of DAOPHOT with ALLSTAR; therefore, the paper may provide a guide for the selection of the most suitable catalog extraction software. Both software packages were tested on two kinds of simulated images, having a uniform spatial distribution of sources and an overdensity in the center, respectively. In both cases, SExtractor is able to generate a deeper catalog than DAOPHOT. Moreover, the use of neural networks for object classification plus the novel SPREAD_MODEL parameter push down to the limiting magnitude the possibility of star/galaxy separation. DAOPHOT and ALLSTAR provide an optimal solution for point-source photometry in stellar fields and very accurate and reliable PSF photometry, with robust star/galaxy separation. However, they are not useful for galaxy characterization and do not generate catalogs that are very complete for faint sources. On the other hand, SExtractor, along with the new capability to derive PSF photometry, turns out to be competitive and returns accurate photometry for galaxies also. We can report that the new version of SExtractor, used in conjunction with PSFEx, represents a very powerful software package for source extraction with performances comparable to those of DAOPHOT. Finally, by comparing the results obtained in the cases of a uniform and of an overdense spatial distribution of stars, we notice for both software packages a decline for the latter case in the quality of the results produced in terms of magnitudes and centroids

Exploring miR-9 Involvement in Ciona intestinalis Neural Development Using Peptide Nucleic Acids

The microRNAs are small RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and can be involved in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. They are emerging as possible targets for antisense-based therapy, even though the in vivo stability of miRNA analogues is still questioned. We tested the ability of peptide nucleic acids, a novel class of nucleic acid mimics, to downregulate miR-9 in vivo in an invertebrate model organism, the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, by microinjection of antisense molecules in the eggs. It is known that miR-9 is a well-conserved microRNA in bilaterians and we found that it is expressed in epidermal sensory neurons of the tail in the larva of C. intestinalis. Larvae developed from injected eggs showed a reduced differentiation of tail neurons, confirming the possibility to use peptide nucleic acid PNA to downregulate miRNA in a whole organism. By identifying putative targets of miR-9, we discuss the role of this miRNA in the development of the peripheral nervous system of ascidians

The story of supernova 'Refsdal' told by MUSE

We present MUSE observations in the core of the HFF galaxy cluster MACS J1149.5+2223, where the first magnified and spatially-resolved multiple images of SN 'Refsdal' at redshift 1.489 were detected. Thanks to a DDT program with the VLT and the extraordinary efficiency of MUSE, we measure 117 secure redshifts with just 4.8 hours of total integration time on a single target pointing. We spectroscopically confirm 68 galaxy cluster members, with redshift values ranging from 0.5272 to 0.5660, and 18 multiple images belonging to 7 background, lensed sources distributed in redshifts between 1.240 and 3.703. Starting from the combination of our catalog with those obtained from extensive spectroscopic and photometric campaigns using the HST, we select a sample of 300 (164 spectroscopic and 136 photometric) cluster members, within approximately 500 kpc from the BCG, and a set of 88 reliable multiple images associated to 10 different background source galaxies and 18 distinct knots in the spiral galaxy hosting SN 'Refsdal'. We exploit this valuable information to build 6 detailed strong lensing models, the best of which reproduces the observed positions of the multiple images with a rms offset of only 0.26". We use these models to quantify the statistical and systematic errors on the predicted values of magnification and time delay of the next emerging image of SN 'Refsdal'. We find that its peak luminosity should should occur between March and June 2016, and should be approximately 20% fainter than the dimmest (S4) of the previously detected images but above the detection limit of the planned HST/WFC3 follow-up. We present our two-dimensional reconstruction of the cluster mass density distribution and of the SN 'Refsdal' host galaxy surface brightness distribution. We outline the roadmap towards even better strong lensing models with a synergetic MUSE and HST effort.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, 6 tables; accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal - extra information on data analysis added, all model predictions and results unchange