Feasibility of UV lasing without inversion in mercury vapor

We investigate the feasibility of UV lasing without inversion at a wavelength of $253.7$ nm utilizing interacting dark resonances in mercury vapor. Our theoretical analysis starts with radiation damped optical Bloch equations for all relevant 13 atomic levels. These master equations are generalized by considering technical phase noise of the driving lasers. From the Doppler broadened complex susceptibility we obtain the stationary output power from semiclassical laser theory. The finite overlap of the driving Gaussian laser beams defines an ellipsoidal inhomogeneous gain distribution. Therefore, we evaluate the intra-cavity field inside a ring laser self-consistently with Fourier optics. This analysis confirms the feasibility of UV lasing and reveals its dependence on experimental parameters.Comment: changes were made according to reviewer comments (accepted for publication in JOSA B

Evidence of strong quasar feedback in the early Universe

Most theoretical models invoke quasar driven outflows to quench star formation in massive galaxies, this feedback mechanism is required to account for the population of old and passive galaxies observed in the local universe. The discovery of massive, old and passive galaxies at z=2, implies that such quasar feedback onto the host galaxy must have been at work very early on, close to the reionization epoch. We have observed the [CII]158um transition in SDSSJ114816.64+525150.3 that, at z=6.4189, is one of the most distant quasars known. We detect broad wings of the line tracing a quasar-driven massive outflow. This is the most distant massive outflow ever detected and is likely tracing the long sought quasar feedback, already at work in the early Universe. The outflow is marginally resolved on scales of about 16 kpc, implying that the outflow can really affect the whole galaxy, as required by quasar feedback models. The inferred outflow rate, dM/dt > 3500 Msun/yr, is the highest ever found. At this rate the outflow can clean the gas in the host galaxy, and therefore quench star formation, in a few million years.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter

Detection of metastable electronic states by Penning trap mass spectrometry

State-of-the-art optical clocks achieve fractional precisions of $10^{-18}$ and below using ensembles of atoms in optical lattices or individual ions in radio-frequency traps. Promising candidates for novel clocks are highly charged ions (HCIs) and nuclear transitions, which are largely insensitive to external perturbations and reach wavelengths beyond the optical range, now becoming accessible to frequency combs. However, insufficiently accurate atomic structure calculations still hinder the identification of suitable transitions in HCIs. Here, we report on the discovery of a long-lived metastable electronic state in a HCI by measuring the mass difference of the ground and the excited state in Re, the first non-destructive, direct determination of an electronic excitation energy. This result agrees with our advanced calculations, and we confirmed them with an Os ion with the same electronic configuration. We used the high-precision Penning-trap mass spectrometer PENTATRAP, unique in its synchronous use of five individual traps for simultaneous mass measurements. The cyclotron frequency ratio $R$ of the ion in the ground state to the metastable state could be determined to a precision of $\delta R=1\cdot 10^{-11}$, unprecedented in the heavy atom regime. With a lifetime of about 130 days, the potential soft x-ray frequency reference at $\nu=4.86\cdot 10^{16}\,\text{Hz}$ has a linewidth of only $\Delta \nu\approx 5\cdot 10^{-8}\,\text{Hz}$, and one of the highest electronic quality factor ($Q=\frac{\nu}{\Delta \nu}\approx 10^{24}$) ever seen in an experiment. Our low uncertainty enables searching for more HCI soft x-ray clock transitions, needed for promising precision studies of fundamental physics in a thus far unexplored frontier

Rotating Nuclear Rings and Extreme Starbursts in Ultraluminous Galaxies

New high resolution interferometer data of 10 IR ultraluminous galaxies shows the molecular gas is in rotating nuclear rings or disks with radii 300 to 800 pc. Most of the CO flux comes from a moderate-density, warm, intercloud medium rather than self-gravitating clouds. Gas masses of ~ 5 x 10^9 Msun, 5 times lower than the standard method are derived from a model of the molecular disks. The ratio of molecular gas to dynamical mass, is M_gas/M_dyn ~ 1/6 with a maximum ratio of gas to total mass surface density of 1/3. For the galaxies VIIZw31, Arp193, and IRAS 10565+24, there is good evidence for rotating molecular rings with a central gap. In addition to the rotating rings a new class of star formation region is identified which we call an Extreme Starburst. They have a characteristic size of only 100 pc., about 10^9 Msun of gas and an IR luminosity of ~3 x 10^11 Lsun. Four extreme starbursts are identified in the 3 closest galaxies in the sample Arp220, Arp193 and Mrk273. They are the most prodigious star formation events in the local universe, each representing about 1000 times as many OB stars as 30 Doradus. In Arp220, the CO and 1.3 mm continuum maps show the two ``nuclei'' embedded in a central ring or disk and a fainter structure extending 3 kpc to the east, normal to the nuclear disk. There is no evidence that these sources really are the pre-merger nuclei. They are compact, extreme starburst regions containing 10^9 Msun of dense molecular gas and new stars, but no old stars. Most of the dust emission and HCN emission arises in the two extreme starbursts. The entire bolometric luminosity of Arp~220 comes from starbursts, not an AGN. In Mrk231, the disk geometry shows that the molecular disk cannot be heated by the AGN; the far IR luminosity of Mrk~231 is powered by a starburst, not the AGN. (Abridged)Comment: 97 pages Latex with aasms.sty, including 29 encapsulated Postscript figures. Figs 18 and 23 are GIFs. 31 figures total. Text and higher quality versions of figures available at http://sbastk.ess.sunysb.edu/www/RINGS_ESB_PREPRINT.html To be published in Ap. J., 10 Nov. 199

Genetic fingerprinting of salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) populations in the North-East Atlantic using a random forest classification approach

Caligid sea lice represent a significant threat to salmonid aquaculture worldwide. Population genetic analyses have consistently shown minimal population genetic structure in North Atlantic Lepeophtheirus salmonis, frustrating efforts to track louse populations and improve targeted control measures. The aim of this study was to test the power of reduced representation library sequencing (IIb-RAD sequencing) coupled with random forest machine learning algorithms to define markers for fine-scale discrimination of louse populations. We identified 1286 robustly supported SNPs among four L. salmonis populations from Ireland, Scotland and Northern Norway. Only weak global structure was observed based on the full SNP dataset. The application of a random forest machine-learning algorithm identified 98 discriminatory SNPs that dramatically improved population assignment, increased global genetic structure and resulted in significant genetic population differentiation. A large proportion of SNPs found to be under directional selection were also identified to be highly discriminatory. Our data suggest that it is possible to discriminate between nearby L. salmonis populations given suitable marker selection approaches, and that such differences might have an adaptive basis. We discuss these data in light of sea lice adaption to anthropogenic and environmental pressures as well as novel approaches to track and predict sea louse dispersal

The demand for sports and exercise: Results from an illustrative survey

Funding from the Department of Health policy research programme was used in this study.There is a paucity of empirical evidence on the extent to which price and perceived benefits affect the level of participation in sports and exercise. Using an illustrative sample of 60 adults at Brunel University, West London, we investigate the determinants of demand for sports and exercise. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews that covered indicators of sports and exercise behaviour; money/time price and perceived benefits of participation; and socio- economic/demographic details. Count, linear and probit regression models were fitted as appropriate. Seventy eight per cent of the sample participated in sports and exercise and spent an average of £27 per month and an average of 20 min travelling per occasion of sports and exercise. The demand for sport and exercise was negatively associated with time (travel or access time) and ‘variable’ price and positively correlated with ‘fixed’ price. Demand was price inelastic, except in the case of meeting the UK government’s recommended level of participation, which is time price elastic (elasticity = −2.2). The implications of data from a larger nationally representative sample as well as the role of economic incentives in influencing uptake of sports and exercise are discussed.This article is available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund

Mid-infrared spectral evidence for a luminous dust enshrouded source in Arp220

We have re-analyzed the 6-12 micron ISO spectrum of the ultra-luminous infrared galaxy Arp220 with the conclusion that it is not consistent with that of a scaled up version of a typical starburst. Instead, both template fitting with spectra of the galaxies NGC4418 and M83 and with dust models suggest that it is best represented by combinations of a typical starburst component, exhibiting PAH emission features, and a heavily absorbed dust continuum which contributes ~40% of the 6-12 micron flux and likely dominates the luminosity. Of particular significance relative to previous studies of Arp220 is the fact that the emission feature at 7.7 micron comprises both PAH emission and a broader component resulting from ice and silicate absorption against a heavily absorbed continuum. Extinction to the PAH emitting source, however, appears to be relatively low. We tentatively associate the PAH emitting and heavily dust/ice absorbed components with the diffuse emission region and the two compact nuclei respectively identified by Soifer et al. (2002) in their higher spatial resolution 10 micron study. Both the similarity of the absorbed continuum with that of the embedded Galactic protostars and results of the dust models imply that the embedded source(s) in Arp220 could be powered by, albeit extremely dense, starburst activity. Due to the high extinction, it is not possible with the available data to exclude that AGN(s) also contribute some or all of the observed luminosity. In this case, however, the upper limit measured for its hard X-ray emission would require Arp220 to be the most highly obscured AGN known.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A. Also available at http://www.astro.rug.nl/~spoon/publications.htm

Non-Equilibrium Dynamics in Two-Color, Few-Photon Dissociative Excitation and Ionization of D2_2

D$_2$ molecules, excited by linearly cross-polarized femtosecond extreme ultraviolet (XUV) and near-infrared (NIR) light pulses, reveal highly structured D$^+$ ion fragment momenta and angular distributions that originate from two different 4-step dissociative ionization pathways after four photon absorption (1 XUV + 3 NIR). We show that, even for very low dissociation kinetic energy release $\le$~240~meV, specific electronic excitation pathways can be identified and isolated in the final ion momentum distributions. With the aid of {\it ab initio} electronic structure and time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation calculations, angular momentum, energy, and parity conservation are used to identify the excited neutral molecular states and molecular orientations relative to the polarization vectors in these different photoexcitation and dissociation sequences of the neutral D$_2$ molecule and its D$_2^+$ cation. In one sequential photodissociation pathway, molecules aligned along either of the two light polarization vectors are excluded, while another pathway selects molecules aligned parallel to the light propagation direction. The evolution of the nuclear wave packet on the intermediate \Bstate electronic state of the neutral D$_2$ molecule is also probed in real time.Comment: 11 pages including 6 figure

Spitzer Quasar and ULIRG Evolution Study (QUEST). IV. Comparison of 1-Jy Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies with Palomar-Green Quasars

We report the results from a comprehensive study of 74 ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) and 34 Palomar-Green (PG) quasars within z ~ 0.3$ observed with the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS). The contribution of nuclear activity to the bolometric luminosity in these systems is quantified using six independent methods that span a range in wavelength and give consistent results within ~ +/-10-15% on average. The average derived AGN contribution in ULIRGs is ~35-40%, ranging from ~15-35% among "cool" (f_25/f_60 =< 0.2) optically classified HII-like and LINER ULIRGs to ~50 and ~75% among warm Seyfert 2 and Seyfert 1 ULIRGs, respectively. This number exceeds ~80% in PG QSOs. ULIRGs fall in one of three distinct AGN classes: (1) objects with small extinctions and large PAH equivalent widths are highly starburst-dominated; (2) systems with large extinctions and modest PAH equivalent widths have larger AGN contributions, but still tend to be starburst-dominated; and (3) ULIRGs with both small extinctions and small PAH equivalent widths host AGN that are at least as powerful as the starbursts. The AGN contributions in class 2 ULIRGs are more uncertain than in the other objects, and we cannot formally rule out the possibility that these objects represent a physically distinct type of ULIRGs. A morphological trend is seen along the sequence (1)-(2)-(3), in general agreement with the standard ULIRG - QSO evolution scenario and suggestive of a broad peak in extinction during the intermediate stages of merger evolution. However, the scatter in this sequence, implies that black hole accretion, in addition to depending on the merger phase, also has a strong chaotic/random component, as in local AGN. (abridged)Comment: 61 pages, 39 figures, 16 tables, accepted for publication in ApJS, June 2009 issue. Unabbreviated version can be found at http://www.astro.umd.edu/~veilleux/pubs/quest4.pd

Physical properties of Lyman-alpha emitters at z∼0.3z\sim 0.3 from UV-to-FIR measurements

The analysis of the physical properties of low-redshift Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) can provide clues in the study of their high-redshift analogues. At $z \sim 0.3$, LAEs are bright enough to be detected over almost the entire electromagnetic spectrum and it is possible to carry out a more precise and complete study than at higher redshifts. In this study, we examine the UV and IR emission, dust attenuation, SFR and morphology of a sample of 23 GALEX-discovered star-forming (SF) LAEs at $z \sim 0.3$ with direct UV (GALEX), optical (ACS) and FIR (PACS and MIPS) data. Using the same UV and IR limiting luminosities, we find that LAEs at $z\sim 0.3$ tend to be less dusty, have slightly higher total SFRs, have bluer UV continuum slopes, and are much smaller than other galaxies that do not exhibit Ly$\alpha$ emission in their spectrum (non-LAEs). These results suggest that at $z \sim 0.3$ Ly$\alpha$ photons tend to escape from small galaxies with low dust attenuation. Regarding their morphology, LAEs belong to Irr/merger classes, unlike non-LAEs. Size and morphology represent the most noticeable difference between LAEs and non-LAEs at $z \sim 0.3$. Furthermore, the comparison of our results with those obtained at higher redshifts indicates that either the Ly$\alpha$ technique picks up different kind of galaxies at different redshifts or that the physical properties of LAEs are evolving with redshift.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap