1,500 research outputs found
Galaxy Cluster Scaling Relations between Bolocam Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect and Chandra X-ray Measurements
We present scaling relations between the integrated Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect
(SZE) signal, , its X-ray analogue, , and total mass, , for the 45 galaxy clusters in
the Bolocam X-ray-SZ (BOXSZ) sample. All parameters are integrated within
. values are measured using SZE data collected with
Bolocam, operating at 140 GHz at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO).
The temperature, , and mass, , of the intracluster
medium are determined using X-ray data collected with Chandra, and is derived from assuming a constant gas mass fraction. Our
analysis accounts for several potential sources of bias, including: selection
effects, contamination from radio point sources, and the loss of SZE signal due
to noise filtering and beam-smoothing effects. We measure the
-- scaling to have a power-law index of , and
a fractional intrinsic scatter in of at fixed , both of which are consistent with previous analyses. We also measure the
scaling between and , finding a power-law index of
and a fractional intrinsic scatter in at fixed mass of
. While recent SZE scaling relations using X-ray mass proxies have
found power-law indices consistent with the self-similar prediction of 5/3, our
measurement stands apart by differing from the self-similar prediction by
approximately 5. Given the good agreement between the measured
-- scalings, much of this discrepancy appears to be caused
by differences in the calibration of the X-ray mass proxies adopted for each
particular analysis.Comment: 31 pages, 15 figures, accepted by ApJ 04/11/2015. This version is
appreciably different from the original submission: it includes an entirely
new appendix, extended discussion, and much of the material has been
reorganize
Calculating the transfer function of noise removal by principal component analysis and application to AzTEC observations
Instruments using arrays of many bolometers have become increasingly common
in the past decade. The maps produced by such instruments typically include the
filtering effects of the instrument as well as those from subsequent steps
performed in the reduction of the data. Therefore interpretation of the maps is
dependent upon accurately calculating the transfer function of the chosen
reduction technique on the signal of interest. Many of these instruments use
non-linear and iterative techniques to reduce their data because such methods
can offer improved signal-to-noise over those that are purely linear,
particularly for signals at scales comparable to that subtended by the array.
We discuss a general approach for measuring the transfer function of principal
component analysis (PCA) on point sources that are small compared to the
spatial extent seen by any single bolometer within the array. The results are
applied to previously released AzTEC catalogues of the COSMOS, Lockman Hole,
Subaru XMM-Newton Deep Field, GOODS-North and GOODS-South fields. Source flux
density and noise estimates increase by roughly +10 per cent for fields
observed while AzTEC was installed at the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope
Experiment and +15-25 per cent while AzTEC was installed at the James Clerk
Maxwell Telescope. Detection significance is, on average, unaffected by the
revised technique. The revised photometry technique will be used in subsequent
AzTEC releases.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure
Accelerometers can measure total and activity-specific energy expenditures in free-ranging marine mammals only if linked to time-activity budgets
Peer reviewedPostprin
A Search for Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropies on Arcminute Scales with Bolocam
We have surveyed two science fields totaling one square degree with Bolocam
at 2.1 mm to search for secondary CMB anisotropies caused by the Sunyaev-
Zel'dovich effect (SZE). The fields are in the Lynx and Subaru/XMM SDS1 fields.
Our survey is sensitive to angular scales with an effective angular multipole
of l_eff = 5700 with FWHM_l = 2800 and has an angular resolution of 60
arcseconds FWHM. Our data provide no evidence for anisotropy. We are able to
constrain the level of total astronomical anisotropy, modeled as a flat
bandpower in C_l, with frequentist 68%, 90%, and 95% CL upper limits of 590,
760, and 830 uKCMB^2. We statistically subtract the known contribution from
primary CMB anisotropy, including cosmic variance, to obtain constraints on the
SZE anisotropy contribution. Now including flux calibration uncertainty, our
frequentist 68%, 90% and 95% CL upper limits on a flat bandpower in C_l are
690, 960, and 1000 uKCMB^2. When we instead employ the analytic spectrum
suggested by Komatsu and Seljak (2002), and account for the non-Gaussianity of
the SZE anisotropy signal, we obtain upper limits on the average amplitude of
their spectrum weighted by our transfer function of 790, 1060, and 1080
uKCMB^2. We obtain a 90% CL upper limit on sigma8, which normalizes the power
spectrum of density fluctuations, of 1.57. These are the first constraints on
anisotropy and sigma8 from survey data at these angular scales at frequencies
near 150 GHz.Comment: 68 pages, 17 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in Ap
Flat Low-Loss Silicon Gradient Index Lens for Millimeter and Submillimeter Wavelengths
We present the design, simulation, and planned fabrication process of a flat high resistivity silicon gradient index (GRIN) lens for millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths with very low absorption losses. The gradient index is created by sub wavelength holes whose size increases with the radius of the lens. The effective refractive index created by the subwavelength holes is constant over a very wide bandwidth, allowing the fabrication of achromatic lenses up to submillimeter wavelengths. The designed GRIN lens was successfully simulated and shows an expected efficiency better than that of a classic silicon plano-concave spherical lens with approximately the same thickness and focal length. Deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and wafer-bonding of several patterned wafers will be used to realize our first GRIN lens prototype
Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector (MKID) Camera Testing for Submillimeter Astronomy
Developing kilopixel focal planes for incoherent submm- and mm-wave detectors remains challenging due to either the large hardware overhead or the complexity of multiplexing standard detectors. Microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) provide a efficient means to produce fully lithographic background-limited kilopixel focal planes. We are constructing an MKID-based camera for the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory with 576 spatial pixels each simultaneously sensitive in 4 bands at 230, 300, 350, and 400 GHz. The novelty of MKIDs has required us to develop new techniques for detector characterization. We have measured quasiparticle lifetimes and resonator Qs for detector bath temperatures between 200 mK and 400 mK. Equivalent lifetime measurements were made by coupling energy into the resonators either optically or by driving the third harmonic of the resonator. To determine optical loading, we use both lifetime and internal Q measurements, which range between 15,000 and 30,000 for our resonators. Spectral bandpass measurements confirm the placement of the 230 and 350 GHz bands. Additionally, beam maps measurements conform to expectations. The same device design has been characterized on both sapphire and silicon substrates, and for different detector geometries. We also report on the incorporation of new shielding to reduce detector sensitivity to local magnetic fields
The design-by-adaptation approach to universal access: learning from videogame technology
This paper proposes an alternative approach to the design of universally accessible interfaces to that provided by formal design frameworks applied ab initio to the development of new software. This approach, design-byadaptation, involves the transfer of interface technology and/or design principles from one application domain to another, in situations where the recipient domain is similar to the host domain in terms of modelled systems, tasks and users. Using the example of interaction in 3D virtual environments, the paper explores how principles underlying the design of videogame interfaces may be applied to a broad family of visualization and analysis software which handles geographical data (virtual geographic environments, or VGEs). One of the motivations behind the current study is that VGE technology lags some way behind videogame technology in the modelling of 3D environments, and has a less-developed track record in providing the variety of interaction methods needed to undertake varied tasks in 3D virtual worlds by users with varied levels of experience. The current analysis extracted a set of interaction principles from videogames which were used to devise a set of 3D task interfaces that have been implemented in a prototype VGE for formal evaluation
Studies of Millimeter-Wave Atmospheric Noise Above Mauna Kea
We report measurements of the fluctuations in atmospheric emission
(atmospheric noise) above Mauna Kea recorded with Bolocam at 143 and 268 GHz
from the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO). The 143 GHz data were
collected during a 40 night observing run in late 2003, and the 268 GHz
observations were made in early 2004 and early 2005 over a total of 60 nights.
Below 0.5 Hz, the data time-streams are dominated by atmospheric noise in all
observing conditions. The atmospheric noise data are consistent with a
Kolmogorov-Taylor (K-T) turbulence model for a thin wind-driven screen, and the
median amplitude of the fluctuations is 280 mK^2 rad^(-5/3) at 143 GHz and 4000
mK^2 rad^(-5/3) at 268 GHz. Comparing our results with previous ACBAR data, we
find that the normalization of the power spectrum of the atmospheric noise
fluctuations is a factor of 80 larger above Mauna Kea than above the South Pole
at millimeter wavelengths. Most of this difference is due to the fact that the
atmosphere above the South Pole is much drier than the atmosphere above Mauna
Kea. However, the atmosphere above the South Pole is slightly more stable as
well: the fractional fluctuations in the column depth of precipitable water
vapor are a factor of sqrt(2) smaller at the South Pole compared to Mauna Kea.
Based on our atmospheric modeling, we developed several algorithms to remove
the atmospheric noise, and the best results were achieved when we described the
fluctuations using a low-order polynomial in detector position over the 8
arcmin field of view (FOV). However, even with these algorithms, we were not
able to reach photon-background-limited instrument photometer (BLIP)
performance at frequencies below 0.5 Hz in any observing conditions.Comment: 48 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
EJP18 peptide derived from the juxtamembrane domain of epidermal growth factor receptor represents a novel membrane-active cell-penetrating peptide
Membrane-active peptides have been extensively studied to probe protein–membrane interactions, to act as antimicrobial agents and cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) for the delivery of therapeutic agents to cells. Hundreds of membrane-active sequences acting as CPPs have now been described including bioportides that serve as single entity modifiers of cell physiology at the intracellular level. Translation of promising CPPs in pre-clinical studies have, however, been disappointing as only few identified delivery systems have progressed to clinical trials. To search for novel membrane-active peptides a sequence from the EGFR juxtamembrane region was identified (named EJP18), synthesised, and examined in its L- and D-form for its ability to mediate the delivery of a small fluorophore and whole proteins to cancer cell lines. Initial studies identified the peptide as being highly membrane-active causing extensive and rapid plasma membrane reorganisation, blebbing, and toxicity. At lower, non-toxic concentrations the peptides outperformed the well-characterised CPP octaarginine in cellular delivery capacity for a fluorophore or proteins that were associated with the peptide covalently or via ionic interactions. EJP18 thus represents a novel membrane-active peptide that may be used as a naturally derived model for biophysical protein–membrane interactions or for delivery of cargo into cells for therapeutic or diagnostic applications
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