Quantifying the AGN-driven outflows in ULIRGs (QUADROS) III: Measurements of the radii and kinetic powers of 8 near-nuclear outflows

As part of the Quantifying ULIRG AGN-driven Outflows (QUADROS) project to quantify the impact of active galactic nuclei (AGN)-driven outflows in rapidly evolving galaxies in the local Universe, we present observations of eight nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs, 0.04 < z < 0.2) taken with the Intermediate-dispersion Spectrograph and Imaging System on the William Herschel Telescope (WHT), and also summarize the results of the project as a whole. Consistent with Rose et al. (2018), we find that the outflow regions are compact (0.08 < R[O III] < 1.5 kpc), and the electron densities measured using the [S II], [O II] trans-auroral emission-line ratios are relatively high (2.5 < log ne (cm−3) < 4.5, median log ne (cm−3) ∼ 3.1). Many of the outflow regions are also significantly reddened (median E(B − V) ∼ 0.5). Assuming that the deprojected outflow velocities are represented by the fifth percentile velocities (v05) of the broad, blueshifted components of [O III] λ5007, we calculate relatively modest mass outflow rates (0.1 < M < ˙ 20 M yr−1, median M˙ ∼ 2 M yr−1), and find kinetic powers as a fraction of the AGN bolometric luminosity (F˙ = E/L ˙ bol) in the range 0.02 < F <˙ 3 per cent (median F˙ ∼ 0.3 per cent). The latter estimates are in line with the predictions of multi-stage outflow models, or single-stage models in which only a modest fraction of the initial kinetic power of the inner disc winds is transferred to the larger scale outflows. Considering the QUADROS sample as a whole, we find no clear evidence for correlations between the properties of the outflows and the bolometric luminosities of the AGN, albeit based on a sample that covers a relatively small range in Lbol. Overall, our results suggest that there is a significant intrinsic scatter in outflow properties of ULIRGs for a given AGN luminosit

Quantifying the AGN-driven outflows in ULIRGs (QUADROS) I: VLT/Xshooter observations of 9 nearby objects

Although now routinely incorporated into hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy evolution, the true importance of the feedback effect of the outflows driven by active galactic nuclei (AGNs) remains uncertain from an observational perspective. This is due to a lack of accurate information on the densities, radial scales and level of dust extinction of the outflow regions. Here we use the unique capabilities of VLT/Xshooter to investigate the warm outflows in a representative sample of nine local (0.06 < z < 0.15) Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs) with AGNs and, for the first time, accurately quantify the key outflow properties. We find that the outflows are compact (0.06 < R[O III] < 1.2 kpc), significantly reddened (median E(B − V) ∼ 0.5 magnitudes), and have relatively high electron densities (3.4 < log10 ne (cm−3) < 4.8). It is notable that the latter densities – obtained using trans-auroral [S II] and [O II] emission-line ratios – exceed those typically assumed for the warm, emission-line outflows in active galaxies, but are similar to those estimated for broad and narrow absorption line outflow systems detected in some type 1 AGN. Even if we make the most optimistic assumptions about the true (deprojected) outflow velocities, we find relatively modest mass outflow rates (0.07 < M < ˙ 14 M yr−1) and kinetic powers measured as a fraction of the AGN bolometric luminosities (4 × 10−4 < E/L ˙ BOL < 0.8 per cent). Therefore, although warm, AGN-driven outflows have the potential to strongly affect the star formation histories in the inner bulge regions (r ∼ 1 kpc) of nearby ULIRGs, we lack evidence that they have a significant impact on the evolution of these rapidly evolving systems on larger scales

X-ray image reconstruction from a diffraction pattern alone

A solution to the inversion problem of scattering would offer aberration-free diffraction-limited 3D images without the resolution and depth-of-field limitations of lens-based tomographic systems. Powerful algorithms are increasingly being used to act as lenses to form such images. Current image reconstruction methods, however, require the knowledge of the shape of the object and the low spatial frequencies unavoidably lost in experiments. Diffractive imaging has thus previously been used to increase the resolution of images obtained by other means. We demonstrate experimentally here a new inversion method, which reconstructs the image of the object without the need for any such prior knowledge.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, improved figures and captions, changed titl

Relativistic Calculation of the Meson Spectrum: a Fully Covariant Treatment Versus Standard Treatments

A large number of treatments of the meson spectrum have been tried that consider mesons as quark - anti quark bound states. Recently, we used relativistic quantum "constraint" mechanics to introduce a fully covariant treatment defined by two coupled Dirac equations. For field-theoretic interactions, this procedure functions as a "quantum mechanical transform of Bethe-Salpeter equation". Here, we test its spectral fits against those provided by an assortment of models: Wisconsin model, Iowa State model, Brayshaw model, and the popular semi-relativistic treatment of Godfrey and Isgur. We find that the fit provided by the two-body Dirac model for the entire meson spectrum competes with the best fits to partial spectra provided by the others and does so with the smallest number of interaction functions without additional cutoff parameters necessary to make other approaches numerically tractable. We discuss the distinguishing features of our model that may account for the relative overall success of its fits. Note especially that in our approach for QCD, the resulting pion mass and associated Goldstone behavior depend sensitively on the preservation of relativistic couplings that are crucial for its success when solved nonperturbatively for the analogous two-body bound-states of QED.Comment: 75 pages, 6 figures, revised content

Building an Assessment Use Argument for sign language: the BSL Nonsense Sign Repetition Test

In this article, we adapt a concept designed to structure language testing more effectively, the Assessment Use Argument (AUA), as a framework for the development and/or use of sign language assessments for deaf children who are taught in a sign bilingual education setting. By drawing on data from a recent investigation of deaf children's nonsense sign repetition skills in British Sign Language, we demonstrate the steps of implementing the AUA in practical test design, development and use. This approach provides us with a framework which clearly states the competing values and which stakeholders hold these values. As such, it offers a useful foundation for test-designers, as well as for practitioners in sign bilingual education, for the interpretation of test scores and the consequences of their use

Diversity of Carabidae (Insecta, Coleoptera) in Epiphytic Bromeliaceae in Central Veracruz, Mexico

This paper documents the existence of carabid assemblages associated with bromeliads on the Cofre de Perote, Veracruz, Mexico. Based on bromeliads sampled over three altitudinal ranges, the assemblages included at least 26 species with an arboreal lifestyle and another 11 species that are not strictly arboreal. Seven species are new to science, urging us to pay attention to the arboreal fauna in forest conservation studies. Composition of carabid assemblages associated with bromeliads changes with altitude. In lowlands, it is comprised almost entirely of species of Lebiini, with the Platynini dominating assemblages found in bromeliads >1,000 m above sea level. Our data suggest that carabids use bromeliads to reduce stresses associated with drought periods, the exact timing of which depends on altitude. The unexpected low diversity of the carabid fauna associated with bromeliads at middle altitude is explained in terms of anthropogenic conversion of the original forest to pastureland. Given the importance of arboreal elements, further fragmentation of subtropical and tropical mountain forest significantly threatens overall carabid diversity

Salvage logging, edge effects and carabid beetles: connections to conservation and sustainable forest management

We used pitfall traps to study the effects of fire and salvage logging on distribution of carabid beetles over a forest disturbance gradient ranging from salvaged (naturally burned and subsequently harvested) to unsalvaged (naturally burned and left standing). Significantly more carabids were caught in the salvaged forest and the overall catch decreased steadily through the edge and into the unsalvaged forest. We also noted a strong negative correlation between carabid abundance and percent vegetation cover. Beetle diversity as measured through rarefaction was significantly greater at the edge relative to both the unsalvaged and salvaged forest. This stand level study suggests that the amount of edge habitat created by salvage logging has significant implications for recovery of epigaeic, beetle assemblages in burned forests by inflating the abundance of \"open habitat\" species in the initial communities. Carabid beetle responses to salvage logging can differ from responses to harvesting in unburned boreal forest suggesting that management of postfire forests requires special consideration

The Earth: Plasma Sources, Losses, and Transport Processes

This paper reviews the state of knowledge concerning the source of magnetospheric plasma at Earth. Source of plasma, its acceleration and transport throughout the system, its consequences on system dynamics, and its loss are all discussed. Both observational and modeling advances since the last time this subject was covered in detail (Hultqvist et al., Magnetospheric Plasma Sources and Losses, 1999) are addressed

Velocity-space sensitivity of the time-of-flight neutron spectrometer at JET

The velocity-space sensitivities of fast-ion diagnostics are often described by so-called weight functions. Recently, we formulated weight functions showing the velocity-space sensitivity of the often dominant beam-target part of neutron energy spectra. These weight functions for neutron emission spectrometry (NES) are independent of the particular NES diagnostic. Here we apply these NES weight functions to the time-of-flight spectrometer TOFOR at JET. By taking the instrumental response function of TOFOR into account, we calculate time-of-flight NES weight functions that enable us to directly determine the velocity-space sensitivity of a given part of a measured time-of-flight spectrum from TOFOR