12,918 research outputs found
Surface properties of Galilean satellites from bistatic radar experiments
The icy moons of Jupiter were the first to show unusual radar backscatter behavior in Earth-based experiments. Studies of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto revealed strong echoes and a reversed sense of circular polarization. No explanations were entirely satisfactory because of the difficult constraints imposed by the existing data. The (scalar) bidirectional coherence model predicts an opposition effect, or enhancement in the backscatter direction, resulting from coherent addition of backscatter from identical (but oppositely directed) ray paths. The mode decoupling model yields a similar, vector result in which the observed polarization properties of the backscattered wave can also be obtained. The possibilities were considered for conducting such experiments using the Galileo spacecraft. Both conventional oblique-forward bistatic experiments (to determine basic electrical and physical properties of the surface material on centimeter-meter scales) and near-backscatter experiments (to sample the enhanced backscatter lobe) were considered
Torque control system
System stabilizes aximuth of gondolas which are carried by high-altitude balloons as platforms for tracking telescopes. When telescopes must be constantly aimed at specific targets, control system stabilizes gondola to within 5 arc-seconds
Automatic analysis of Swift-XRT data
The Swift spacecraft detects and autonomously observes ~100 Gamma Ray Bursts
(GRBs) per year, ~96% of which are detected by the X-ray telescope (XRT). GRBs
are accompanied by optical transients and the field of ground-based follow-up
of GRBs has expanded significantly over the last few years, with rapid response
instruments capable of responding to Swift triggers on timescales of minutes.
To make the most efficient use of limited telescope time, follow-up astronomers
need accurate positions of GRBs as soon as possible after the trigger.
Additionally, information such as the X-ray light curve, is of interest when
considering observing strategy. The Swift team at Leicester University have
developed techniques to improve the accuracy of the GRB positions available
from the XRT, and to produce science-grade X-ray light curves of GRBs. These
techniques are fully automated, and are executed as soon as data are available.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of ADASS XVII (ASP
Conference Series
Draft Genome Sequence of Fructophilic Lactobacillus florum.
Herein we report the first genome sequence for Lactobacillus florum. L. florum 2F was isolated from Valencia orange leaves and is fructophilic, like other strains of this species. The draft genome of L. florum 2F contains 1,261,842 bp with a G+C content of 41.5% in 46 contigs (≥500 bp)
Stanford telemetry monitoring experiment on Lunar Explorer 35 Final report
Explorer 35 data analysis including occultation study and antenna pattern interpretation along with electromagnetic property experiment
Scattering properties of Venus' surface
Radar backscatter functions Sigma-(carat)(sub 0)(phi) for incidence angles between 0 less than or equal to phi less than or equal to 4-10 deg were derived from Magellan altimetry radar echoes. The procedure includes constrained solution of a system of simultaneous equations for which the echo-spectrum and echo time profile are inputs. A practical and workable set of constraints was applied; optimization and improved results are expected as the analysis matures. The scattering functions yield information on small-scale surface structures (tens of centimeters to tens of meters) but averaged over hundreds of sq km. RMS surface slopes derived from fits of analytic functions to the Sigma-(carat)(sub 0)(phi) results were converted to map form and show patterns similar to those reported using other techniques. While all three forms are found on Venus, fit residuals imply that an exponential scattering function matches data better than either the Hagfors or Gaussian form in most areas, although the Hagfors function may be a better descriptor at some sites. Limited study of image data indicates that average backscatter cross section, and possibly its slope, can be derived at oblique angles (17 deg less than or equal to phi less than or equal to 45 deg). Offsets of the echo peak in altimetry spectra are surprisingly common and are loosely correlated with Venus topography, but no cause for this phenomenon was identified
Cas Adaptor Proteins Coordinate Sensory Axon Fasciculation.
Development of complex neural circuits like the peripheral somatosensory system requires intricate mechanisms to ensure axons make proper connections. While much is known about ligand-receptor pairs required for dorsal root ganglion (DRG) axon guidance, very little is known about the cytoplasmic effectors that mediate cellular responses triggered by these guidance cues. Here we show that members of the Cas family of cytoplasmic signaling adaptors are highly phosphorylated in central projections of the DRG as they enter the spinal cord. Furthermore, we provide genetic evidence that Cas proteins regulate fasciculation of DRG sensory projections. These data establish an evolutionarily conserved requirement for Cas adaptor proteins during peripheral nervous system axon pathfinding. They also provide insight into the interplay between axonal fasciculation and adhesion to the substrate
Filamentary Accretion Flows in the Embedded Serpens South Protocluster
One puzzle in understanding how stars form in clusters is the source of mass
-- is all of the mass in place before the first stars are born, or is there an
extended period when the cluster accretes material which can continuously fuel
the star formation process? We use a multi-line spectral survey of the southern
filament associated with the Serpens South embedded cluster-forming region in
order to determine if mass is accreting from the filament onto the cluster, and
whether the accretion rate is significant. Our analysis suggests that material
is flowing along the filament's long axis at a rate of ~30Msol/Myr (inferred
from the N2H+ velocity gradient along the filament), and radially contracting
onto the filament at ~130Msol/Myr (inferred from HNC self-absorption). These
accretion rates are sufficient to supply mass to the central cluster at a
similar rate to the current star formation rate in the cluster. Filamentary
accretion flows may therefore be very important in the ongoing evolution of
this cluster.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in Ap
Ferromagnetically coupled dimers on the distorted Shastry-Sutherland lattice: Application to (CuCl)LaNb2O7
A recent study [Tassel {\it et al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 105}, 167205
(2010)] has proposed a remarkable spin model for (CuCl)LaNb2O7, in which dimers
are ferromagnetically coupled to each other on the distorted Shastry-Sutherland
lattice. In this model, the intra-dimer exchange coupling J>0 is
antiferromagnetic, while the inter-dimer exchange couplings are ferromagnetic
and take different values, J_x,J_y<0, in the two bond directions. Anticipating
that the highly frustrated character of this model may lead to a wide range of
behaviors in (CuCl)LaNb2O7 and related compounds, we theoretically investigate
the ground state phase diagram of this model in detail using the following
three approaches: a strong-coupling expansion for small J_x and J_y, exact
diagonalization for finite clusters, and a Schwinger boson mean field theory.
When |J_x|, |J_y| <~ J, the system stays in a dimer singlet phase with a finite
spin gap. This state is adiabatically connected to the decoupled-dimer limit
J_x=J_y=0. We show that the magnetization process of this phase depends
crucially on the spatial anisotropy of the inter-dimer couplings. The
magnetization shows a jump or a smooth increase for weak and strong anisotropy,
respectively, after the spin gap closes at a certain magnetic field. When |J_x|
or |J_y| >~ J, quantum phase transitions to various magnetically ordered phases
(ferromagnetic, collinear stripe, and spiral) occur. The Schwinger boson
analysis demonstrates that quantum fluctuations split the classical degeneracy
of different spiral ground states. Implications for (CuCl)LaNb2O7 and related
compounds are discussed in light of our theoretical results and existing
experimental data.Comment: 21 pages, 20 figure
Flagellar membrane association via interaction with lipid rafts
The eukaryotic flagellar membrane has a distinct composition from other domains of the plasmalemma. Our work shows that the specialized composition of the trypanosome flagellar membrane reflects increased concentrations of sterols and saturated fatty acids, correlating with direct observation of high liquid order by laurdan fluorescence microscopy. These findings indicate that the trypanosome flagellar membrane possesses high concentrations of lipid rafts: discrete regions of lateral heterogeneity in plasma membranes that serve to sequester and organize specialized protein complexes. Consistent with this, a dually acylated Ca(2+) sensor that is concentrated in the flagellum is found in detergent-resistant membranes and mislocalizes if the lipid rafts are disrupted. Detergent-extracted cells have discrete membrane patches localized on the surface of the flagellar axoneme, suggestive of intraflagellar transport particles. Together, these results provide biophysical and biochemical evidence to indicate that lipid rafts are enriched in the trypanosome flagellar membrane, providing a unique mechanism for flagellar protein localization and illustrating a novel means by which specialized cellular functions may be partitioned to discrete membrane domains
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