The art of fitting p-mode spectra: Part II. Leakage and noise covariance matrices

In Part I we have developed a theory for fitting p-mode Fourier spectra assuming that these spectra have a multi-normal distribution. We showed, using Monte-Carlo simulations, how one can obtain p-mode parameters using 'Maximum Likelihood Estimators'. In this article, hereafter Part II, we show how to use the theory developed in Part I for fitting real data. We introduce 4 new diagnostics in helioseismology: the $(m,\nu)$ echelle diagramme, the cross echelle diagramme, the inter echelle diagramme, and the ratio cross spectrum. These diagnostics are extremely powerful to visualize and understand the covariance matrices of the Fourier spectra, and also to find bugs in the data analysis code. These diagrammes can also be used to derive quantitative information on the mode leakage and noise covariance matrices. Numerous examples using the LOI/SOHO and GONG data are given.Comment: 17 pages with tex and ps files, submitted to A&A, [email protected]

The art of fitting p-mode spectra: Part I. Maximum Likelihood Estimation

In this article we present our state of the art of fitting helioseismic p-mode spectra. We give a step by step recipe for fitting the spectra: statistics of the spectra both for spatially unresolved and resolved data, the use of Maximum Likelihood estimates, the statistics of the p-mode parameters, the use of Monte-Carlo simulation and the significance of fitted parameters. The recipe is applied to synthetic low-resolution data, similar to those of the LOI, using Monte-Carlo simulations. For such spatially resolved data, the statistics of the Fourier spectrum is assumed to be a multi-normal distribution; the statistics of the power spectrum is \emph{not} a $\chi^{2}$ with 2 degrees of freedom. Results for $l=1$ shows that all parameters describing the p modes can be obtained without bias and with minimum variance provided that the leakage matrix is known. Systematic errors due to an imperfect knowledge of the leakage matrix are derived for all the p-mode parameters.Comment: 13 pages, ps file gzipped. Submitted to A&

NIR Luminosity Function of Galaxies in Close Major-Merger Pairs and Mass Dependence of Merger Rate

A sample of close major-merger pairs (projected separation ${\rm 5 \leq r \leq 20 h^{-1}}$ kpc, ${\rm K_s}$ band magnitude difference $\delta {\rm K_s} \leq 1$ mag) is selected from the matched 2MASS-2dFGRS catalog of Cole et al. (2001). The pair primaries are brighter than ${\rm K_s} = 12.5$ mag. After corrections for various biases, the comparison between counts in the paired galaxy sample and counts in the parent sample shows that for the local `M* galaxies' sampled by flux limited surveys, the fraction of galaxies in the close major-merger pairs is 1.70$\pm 0.32$. Using 38 paired galaxies in the sample, a ${\rm K_s}$ band luminosity function (LF) is calculated. This is the first unbiased LF for a sample of objectively defined interacting/merging galaxies in the local universe, while all previously determined LFs of paired galaxies are biased by mistreating paired galaxies as singles. A stellar mass function (MF) is translated from the LF. Compared to the LF/MF of 2MASS galaxies, a differential pair fraction function is derived. The results suggest a trend in the sense that less massive galaxies may have lower chance to be involved in close major-merger pairs than more massive galaxies. The algorithm presented in this paper can be easily applied to much larger samples of 2MASS galaxies with redshifts in near future.Comment: Accepted by ApJL, 16 pages, 2 figure

Ultra light vertical array remote data acquisition system

SiPLAB Report 03/05, FCT, University of Algarve,2005.In the framework of the ATOMS project, a project devoted to study uppwelling processes off the S. Vicente Cape, Portugal, by oceanographic and acoustic means, it was requested to adapt an existent underwater acoustic acquisition system named Ultra Light Vertical Array (ULVA) to fulfil the project requirements. The ULVA system was a vertical instrumented with up to 16 hydrophones and various non-acoustic sensors (thermistors, tiltmeters and pressure gauges). The ULVA system was used during the INTIFANTE project sea trial, where the acquired data were transmitted through a radio link to a remote PC station located in a vessel for storage, monitoring and online processing. In order to overcome data loses due to radio link fails, identified during the INTIFANTE sea trial, and improve the mobility of the vessel where the PC station is located, a must for the ATOMS project, it was decided to transform the ULVA system into an autonomous acquisition system with local storage facilities, lower power consumption, capability of on line remote quality control of the acquired data and positioning information. The first version of this new system, named Ultra Light Vertical Array/Remote Data Acquisition System (ULVA/RDAS), was described in the report. During the sea trial MREA'04 it was found that an auxiliary UHF radio link used to send some commands to the ULVA, like switch on/off the power or switch on/off the array electronics, remains a source of problems in the ULVA/RDAS. Thus, it was decided to remove the UHF link from the system, emulating its facilities by new developed hardware. In this new version (second) of the ULVA/RDAS system, it was also introduced a new monitoring software, in order to improve its robustness and share a common user interface with other SiPLAB acquisition systems. This report describes the actual ULVA/RDAS system (version 2) and is intended as a system reference and user guide.FC

The Mass-to-Light Ratio of Binary Galaxies

We report on the mass-to-light ratio determination based on a newly selected binary galaxy sample, which includes a large number of pairs whose separations exceed a few hundred kpc. The probability distributions of the projected separation and the velocity difference have been calculated considering the contamination of optical pairs, and the mass-to-light ratio has been determined based on the maximum likelihood method. The best estimate of $M/L$ in the B band for 57 pairs is found to be 28 $\sim$ 36 depending on the orbital parameters and the distribution of optical pairs (solar unit, $H_0=50$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$). The best estimate of $M/L$ for 30 pure spiral pairs is found to be 12 $\sim$ 16. These results are relatively smaller than those obtained in previous studies, but consistent with each other within the errors. Although the number of pairs with large separation is significantly increased compared to previous samples, $M/L$ does not show any tendency of increase, but found to be almost independent of the separation of pairs beyond 100 kpc. The constancy of $M/L$ beyond 100 kpc may indicate that the typical halo size of spiral galaxies is less than $\sim 100$ kpc.Comment: 18 pages + 8 figures, to appear in ApJ Vol. 516 (May 10

Genetic gain in an improvement program of irrigated rice in Minas Gerais.

An evaluation of the genetic improvement programme of irrigated rice of Minas Gerais (Brazil) estimated the genetic gain obtained in the 90s. Grain yield data of the advanced comparative trials of cultivars and lines of continuously flooded rice, conducted from 1990-91 to 2000-01, were used. The estimate of the genetic gain was obtained by the methodology of the adjusted means proposed by Breseghello (1998). The mean annual genetic gain in the 90s was 42.45+or-17.89 kg ha-1 (0.7% per year). The improvement programme proved auspicious for the development of lines that outmatched the controls. The mean of the cultivars released in the 90s did however not outstrip the mean of the elite lines, which were the genotypes with the highest means in this study and will be further evaluated in the ongoing programme

Efeito da água residuária do café em plantas de milho.

O processamento do café por via úmida gera água residuária (ARC), contendo material orgânico, com potencial de poluir o meio aquático. Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o efeito da aplicação da ARC sobre o crescimento e teores de minerais em plantas de milho, na fase vegetativa. Foram estudados oito tratamentos: 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 e 350 mL de ARC por planta, aplicada sobre as folhas, em 3 ocasiões. A aplicação da ARC não provocou injúrias visíveis nas plantas de milho e nem alterou o peso da matéria seca das plantas. O teor de K aumentou e o teor de Mg diminuiu linearmente com o aumento das doses de ARC aplicadas, enquanto os teores de Ca e Na nas folhas de milho não foram afetados

Irradiação de polpa de cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum).

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