Diurnal and annual variations of meteor rates at the arctic circle

Meteors are an important source for (a) the metal atoms of the upper atmosphere metal layers and (b) for condensation nuclei, the existence of which are a prerequisite for the formation of noctilucent cloud particles in the polar mesopause region. For a better understanding of these phenomena, it would be helpful to know accurately the annual and diurnal variations of meteor rates. So far, these rates have been little studied at polar latitudes. Therefore we have used the 33 MHz meteor radar of the ALOMAR observatory at 69&deg; N to measure the meteor rates at this location for two full annual cycles. This site, being within 3&deg; of the Arctic circle, offers in addition an interesting capability: The axis of its antenna field points (almost) towards the North ecliptic pole once each day of the year. In this particular viewing direction, the radar monitors the meteoroid influx from (almost) the entire ecliptic Northern hemisphere. <P style='line-height: 20px;'> We report on the observed diurnal variations (averaged over one month) of meteor rates and their significant alterations throughout the year. The ratio of maximum over minimum meteor rates throughout one diurnal cycle is in January and February about 5, from April through December 2.3&plusmn;0.3. If compared with similar measurements at mid-latitudes, our expectation, that the amplitude of the diurnal variation is to decrease towards the North pole, is not really borne out. <P style='line-height: 20px;'> Observations with the antenna axis pointing towards the North ecliptic pole showed that the rate of deposition of meteoric dust is substantially larger during the Arctic NLC season than the annual mean deposition rate. The daylight meteor showers of the Arietids, Zeta Perseids, and Beta Taurids supposedly contribute considerably to the June maximum of meteor rates. We note, though, that with the radar antenna pointing as described above, all three meteor radiants are close to the local horizon but all three radiants were detected

The ARGUS Vertex Trigger

A fast second level trigger has been developed for the ARGUS experiment which recognizes tracks originating from the interaction region. The processor compares the hits in the ARGUS Micro Vertex Drift Chamber to 245760 masks stored in random access memories. The masks which are fully defined in three dimensions are able to reject tracks originating in the wall of the narrow beampipe of 10.5\,mm radius.Comment: gzipped Postscript, 27 page

High-Resolution Imaging of Texture and Microstructure by the Moving Detector Method

In order to describe texture and microstructure of a polycrystalline material completely, crystal orientation g={?1F?2} must be known in all points x={x1?x2?x3} of the material. This can be achieved by locationresolved diffraction of high-energy, i.e. short-wave, X-rays from synchrotron sources. Highest resolution in the orientation- as well as the location-coordinates can be achieved by three variants of a detector sweeping technique in which an area detector is continuously moved during exposure. This technique results in two-dimensionally continuous images which are sections and projections of the six-dimensional orientation location space. Further evaluation of these images depends on whether individual grains are resolved in them or not. Because of the high penetration depth of high-energy synchrotron radiation in matter, this technique is also, and particularly, suitable for the investigation of the interior of big samples.researc

Detection of [O III] at z~3: A Galaxy above the Main Sequence, Rapidly Assembling its Stellar Mass

We detect bright emission in the far infrared fine structure [O III] 88$\mu$m line from a strong lensing candidate galaxy, H-ATLAS J113526.3-014605, hereafter G12v2.43, at z=3.127, using the $\rm 2^{nd}$ generation Redshift (z) and Early Universe Spectrometer (ZEUS-2) at the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment Telescope (APEX). This is only the fifth detection of this far-IR line from a sub-millimeter galaxy at the epoch of galaxy assembly. The observed [O III] luminosity of $7.1\times10^{9}\,\rm(\frac{10}{\mu})\,\rm{L_{\odot}}\,$ likely arises from HII regions around massive stars, and the amount of Lyman continuum photons required to support the ionization indicate the presence of $(1.2-5.2)\times10^{6}\,\rm(\frac{10}{\mu})$ equivalent O5.5 or higher stars; where $\mu$ would be the lensing magnification factor. The observed line luminosity also requires a minimum mass of $\sim 2\times 10^{8}\,\rm(\frac{10}{\mu})\,\rm{M_{\odot}}\,$ in ionized gas, that is $0.33\%$ of the estimated total molecular gas mass of $6\times10^{10}\,\rm(\frac{10}{\mu})\,\rm{M_{\odot}}\,$. We compile multi-band photometry tracing rest-frame UV to millimeter continuum emission to further constrain the properties of this dusty high redshift star-forming galaxy. Via SED modeling we find G12v2.43 is forming stars at a rate of 916 $\rm(\frac{10}{\mu})\,\rm{M_{\odot}}\,\rm{yr^{-1}}$ and already has a stellar mass of $8\times 10^{10}\,\rm(\frac{10}{\mu})\,\rm{M_{\odot}}\,$. We also constrain the age of the current starburst to be $\leqslant$ 5 million years, making G12v2.43 a gas rich galaxy lying above the star-forming main sequence at z$\sim$3, undergoing a growth spurt and, could be on the main sequence within the derived gas depletion timescale of $\sim$66 million years.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

First detection of ammonia in M82

We report the detection of the (J,K) = (1,1), (2,2), and (3,3) inversion lines of ammonia (NH3) towards the south--western molecular lobe in M82. The relative intensities of the ammonia lines are characterized by a rotational temperature of T_rot=29+/-5 K which implies an average kinetic temperature of T_kin~60 K. A Gaussian decomposition of the observed spectra indicates increasing kinetic temperatures towards the nucleus of M82, consistent with recent findings based on CO observations. The observations imply a very low NH3 abundance relative to H2, X(NH3)~5x10^(-10). We present evidence for a decreasing NH3 abundance towards the central active regions in M82 and interpret this abundance gradient in terms of photodissociation of NH3 in PDRs. The low temperature derived here from NH3 also explains the apparent underabundance of complex molecules like CH_3OH and HNCO, which has previously been reported.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted by ApJ

Effectiveness of a standardized patient education program on therapy-related side effects and unplanned therapy interruptions in oral cancer therapy: a cluster-randomized controlled trial

Purpose: Oral agents for cancer treatment are increasingly prescribed due to their benefits. However, oral cancer medications are difficult to handle and have a considerable potential for side effects. This type of therapy requires a high level of self-management competence by the patient. A standardized patient education program provided by physicians and oncology nurses may positively influence the handling of oral agents. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a standardized patient education program provided by specially trained oncology nurses on therapy management regarding side effects and unplanned therapy interruptions. Methods: One hundred sixty-five patients from 28 office-based oncology practices from all over Germany participated in this cluster-randomized controlled study. Patients of both intervention (n = 111) and standard care groups (n = 54) received the usual oncologist counseling; in addition, the patients from the intervention group (k = 17 practices) received an education from specially trained oncology nurses. The time of observation was 3 months per patient. Results: The patients of the intervention group reported fewer side effects (skin rash, pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting). Patients in the standard care group interrupted the therapy more frequently without informing their oncologist, compared to the intervention group. Conclusions: Patients benefit from a standardized patient education program provided by specially trained oncology nurses. They tend to handle side effects and critical situations better