Comparison of the COBE FIRAS and DIRBE Calibrations

We compare the independent FIRAS and DIRBE observations from the COBE in the wavelength range 100-300 microns. This cross calibration provides checks of both data sets. The results show that the data sets are consistent within the estimated gain and offset uncertainties of the two instruments. They show the possibility of improving the gain and offset determination of DIRBE at 140 and 240 microns.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal 11 pages, plus 3 figures in separate postscript files. Figure 3 has three part

Submillimeter wavelength survey of the galactic plane from l = -5 deg to l = +62 deg: Structure and energetics of the inner disk

Results from a large scale survey of the first quadrant of the Milky Way galactic plane at wavelengths of 150, 250, and 300 microns with a 10x10 arcmin beam are presented. The emission detected in the survey arises from compact sources, most of which are identified with known peaks of 5 GHz and/or CO emission, and from an underlying diffuse background with a typical angular width of approximately 0.9 deg (FWHM) which accounts for most of the emission. A total of 80 prominent discrete sources were identified and characterized, of which about half were not previously reported at far infrared wavelengths. The total infrared luminosity within the solar circle is approximately 1 to 2x10 to the 10th power L sub 0, and is probably emitted by dust that resides in molecular clouds

The First Brown Dwarf Discovered by the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 Citizen Science Project

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is a powerful tool for finding nearby brown dwarfs and searching for new planets in the outer solar system, especially with the incorporation of NEOWISE and NEOWISE-Reactivation data. So far, searches for brown dwarfs in WISE data have yet to take advantage of the full depth of the WISE images. To efficiently search this unexplored space via visual inspection, we have launched a new citizen science project, called "Backyard Worlds: Planet 9," which asks volunteers to examine short animations composed of difference images constructed from time-resolved WISE coadds. We report the discovery of the first new substellar object found by this project, WISEA J110125.95+540052.8, a T5.5 brown dwarf located approximately 34 pc from the Sun with a total proper motion of $\sim$0.7 as yr$^{-1}$. WISEA J110125.95+540052.8 has a WISE $W2$ magnitude of $W2=15.37 \pm 0.09$, this discovery demonstrates the ability of citizen scientists to identify moving objects via visual inspection that are 0.9 magnitudes fainter than the $W2$ single-exposure sensitivity, a threshold that has limited prior motion-based brown dwarf searches with WISE.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letter

The Spectrum of Integrated Millimeter Flux of the Magellanic Clouds and 30-Doradus from TopHat and DIRBE Data

We present measurements of the integrated flux relative to the local background of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds and the region 30-Doradus (the Tarantula Nebula) in the LMC in four frequency bands centered at 245, 400, 460, and 630 GHz, based on observations made with the TopHat telescope. We combine these observations with the corresponding measurements for the DIRBE bands 8, 9, and 10 to cover the frequency range 245 - 3000 GHz (100 - 1220 micrometers) for these objects. We present spectra for all three objects and fit these spectra to a single-component greybody emission model and report best-fit dust temperatures, optical depths, and emissivity power-law indices, and we compare these results with other measurements in these regions and elsewhere. Using published dust grain opacities, we estimate the mass of the measured dust component in the three regions.Comment: 41 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa

A characteristic lengthscale causes anomalous size effects and boundary programmability in mechanical metamaterials

The architecture of mechanical metamaterialsis designed to harness geometry, non-linearity and topology to obtain advanced functionalities such as shape morphing, programmability and one-way propagation. While a purely geometric framework successfully captures the physics of small systems under idealized conditions, large systems or heterogeneous driving conditions remain essentially unexplored. Here we uncover strong anomalies in the mechanics of a broad class of metamaterials, such as auxetics, shape-changers or topological insulators: a non-monotonic variation of their stiffness with system size, and the ability of textured boundaries to completely alter their properties. These striking features stem from the competition between rotation-based deformations---relevant for small systems---and ordinary elasticity, and are controlled by a characteristic length scale which is entirely tunable by the architectural details. Our study provides new vistas for designing, controlling and programming the mechanics of metamaterials in the thermodynamic limit.Comment: Main text has 4 pages, 4 figures + Methods and Supplementary Informatio

New CMB Power Spectrum Constraints from MSAMI

We present new cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy results from the combined analysis of the three flights of the first Medium Scale Anisotropy Measurement (MSAM1). This balloon-borne bolometric instrument measured about 10 square degrees of sky at half-degree resolution in 4 frequency bands from 5.2 icm to 20 icm with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Here we present an overview of our analysis methods, compare the results from the three flights, derive new constraints on the CMB power spectrum from the combined data and reduce the data to total-power Wiener-filtered maps of the CMB. A key feature of this new analysis is a determination of the amplitude of CMB fluctuations at $\ell \sim 400$. The analysis technique is described in a companion paper by Knox.Comment: 9 pages, 6 included figure

Stable Coronal X-Ray Emission Over Twenty Years of XZ Tau

XZ Tau AB is a frequently observed binary YSO in the Taurus Molecular Cloud; XZ Tau B has been classified as an EXOr object. We present new Chandra/HETG-ACIS-S observations of XZ Tau AB, complemented with variability monitoring of the system with XMM-Newton, to constrain the variability of this system and identify high-resolution line diagnostics to better understand the underlying mechanisms that produce the X-rays. We observe two flares with XMM-Newton, but find that outside of these flares the coronal X-ray spectrum of XZ Tau AB is consistent over twenty years of observations. We compare the ensemble of XZ Tau X-ray observations over time with the scatter across stars observed in point-in-time observations of the Orion Nebula Cluster and find that both overlap in terms of plasma properties, i.e., some of the scatter observed in the X-ray properties of stellar ensembles stems from intrinsic source variability.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal. 19 pages, 11 figure

The COBE Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment Search for the Cosmic Infrared Background: IV. Cosmological Implications

In this paper we examine the cosmological constraints of the recent DIRBE and FIRAS detection of the extragalactic background light between 125-5000 microns on the metal and star formation histories of the universe.Comment: 38 pages and 9 figures. Accepted for publications in The Astrophysical Journa

Smoking Enhances Risk for New External Genital Warts in Men

Repeat episodes of HPV-related external genital warts reflect recurring or new infections. No study before has been sufficiently powered to delineate how tobacco use, prior history of EGWs and HIV infection affect the risk for new EGWs. Behavioral, laboratory and examination data for 2,835 Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study participants examined at 21,519 semi-annual visits were evaluated. Fourteen percent (391/2835) of men reported or were diagnosed with EGWs at 3% (675/21,519) of study visits. Multivariate analyses showed smoking, prior episodes of EGWs, HIV infection and CD4+ T-lymphocyte count among the infected, each differentially influenced the risk for new EGWs