Flexible temperature probe for biological systems

Probe is sufficiently flexible so that it can be worn comfortably for long periods of time, but relatively rigid to permit easy insertion. Body and electrical leads of small thermistor are imbedded in flexible fluorosilicone matrix contained in vinyl plastic tubing

Preliminary Constraints on 12C(alpha,gamma)16O from White Dwarf Seismology

For many years, astronomers have promised that the study of pulsating white dwarfs would ultimately lead to useful information about the physics of matter under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure. In this paper we finally make good on that promise. Using observational data from the Whole Earth Telescope and a new analysis method employing a genetic algorithm, we empirically determine that the central oxygen abundance in the helium-atmosphere variable white dwarf GD 358 is 84+/-3 percent. We use this value to place preliminary constraints on the 12C(alpha,gamma)16O nuclear reaction cross-section. More precise constraints will be possible with additional detailed simulations. We also show that the pulsation modes of our best-fit model probe down to the inner few percent of the stellar mass. We demonstrate the feasibility of reconstructing the internal chemical profiles of white dwarfs from asteroseismological data, and find an oxygen profile for GD 358 that is qualitatively similar to recent theoretical calculations.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal, 7 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, uses emulateapj5.st

Spitzer White Dwarf Planet Limits

We present preliminary limits on the presence of planets around white dwarf stars using the IRAC photometer on the Spitzer space telescope. Planets emit strongly in the mid-infrared which allows their presence to be detected as an excess at these wavelengths. We place limits of $5 M_J$ for 8 stars assuming ages of $1 Gyr$, and $10 M_J$ for 23 stars.We describe our survey, present our results and comment on approaches to improve our methodology.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Proceedings of 15th European White Dwarf Worksho

Asteroseismology of the Kepler V777 Her variable white dwarf with fully evolutionary models

DBV stars are pulsating white dwarfs with atmospheres rich in He. Asteroseismology of DBV stars can provide valuable clues about the origin, structure and evolution of hydrogen-deficient white dwarfs, and may allow to study neutrino and axion physics. Recently, a new DBV star, KIC 8626021, has been discovered in the field of the \emph{Kepler} spacecraft. It is expected that further monitoring of this star in the next years will enable astronomers to determine its detailed asteroseismic profile. We perform an asteroseismological analysis of KIC 8626021 on the basis of fully evolutionary DB white-dwarf models. We employ a complete set of evolutionary DB white-dwarf structures covering a wide range of effective temperatures and stellar masses. They have been obtained on the basis of a complete treatment of the evolutionary history of progenitors stars. We compute g-mode adiabatic pulsation periods for this set of models and compare them with the pulsation properties exhibited by KIC 8626021. On the basis of the mean period spacing of the star, we found that the stellar mass should be substantially larger than spectroscopy indicates. From period-to-period fits we found an asteroseismological model characterized by an effective temperature much higher than the spectroscopic estimate. In agreement with a recent asteroseismological analysis of this star by other authors, we conclude that KIC 8626021 is located near the blue edge of the DBV instability strip, contrarily to spectroscopic predictions. We also conclude that the mass of KIC 8626021 should be substantially larger than thought.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables. To be published in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Fine Grid Asteroseismology Of G117-B15A And R548

We now have a good measurement of the cooling rate of G117-B15A. In the near future, we will have equally well determined cooling rates for other pulsating white dwarfs, including R548. The ability to measure their cooling rates offers us a unique way to study weakly interacting particles that would contribute to their cooling. Working toward that goal, we perform a careful asteroseismological analysis of G117-B15A and R548. We study them side by side because they have similar observed properties. We carry out a systematic, fine grid search for best-fit models to the observed period spectra of those stars. We freely vary four parameters: the effective temperature, the stellar mass, the helium layer mass, and the hydrogen layer mass. We identify and quantify a number of uncertainties associated with our models. Based on the results of that analysis and fits to the periods observed in R548 and G117-B15A, we clearly define the regions of the four-dimensional parameter space occupied by the best-fit models.NSF AST 05-07639Astronom

White dwarf envelopes: further results of a non-local model of convection

We present results of a fully non-local model of convection for white dwarf envelopes. We show that this model is able to reproduce the results of numerical simulations for convective efficiencies ranging from very inefficient to moderately efficient; this agreement is made more impressive given that no closure parameters have been adjusted in going from the previously reported case of A-stars to the present case of white dwarfs; for comparison, in order to match the peak convective flux found in numerical simulations for both the white dwarf envelopes discussed in this paper and the A-star envelopes discussed in our previous work requires changing the mixing length parameter of commonly used local models by a factor of 4. We also examine in detail the overshooting at the base of the convection zone, both in terms of the convective flux and in terms of the velocity field: we find that the flux overshoots by approximately 1.25 H_P and the velocity by approximately 2.5 H_P. Due to the large amount of overshooting found at the base of the convection zone the new model predicts the mixed region of white dwarf envelopes to contain at least 10 times more mass than local mixing length theory (MLT) models having similar photospheric temperature structures. This result is consistent with the upper limit given by numerical simulations which predict an even larger amount of mass to be mixed by convective overshooting. Finally, we attempt to parametrise some of our results in terms of local MLT-based models, insofar as is possible given the limitations of MLTComment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 11 pages, 5 figures, 3 table

Group-Level Differences of Moral Foundations

Previous research has started to map the moral domain for individual actors. In particular, Haidt and colleagues (Haidt, 2007, 2008; Haidt & Graham, 2007; Haidt & Joseph, 2004) have extended the moral domain beyond the traditional notions of justice and rights concerns. From this line of research, moral foundations theory emerged, which holds moral intuitions derive from innate psychological mechanisms that co-evolved with cultural institutions and practices. However, to date, there has not been a systematic demonstration of how these moral foundations operate within intergroup settings. Janoff-Bulman and Carnes (2013) have proposed a comprehensive model of the moral landscape that includes a group component; however, this model has received some criticism (e.g., Graham, 2013). The current study examined how moral foundations operate from a group perspective. Moreover, potential outgroup moderators of moral foundations were examined. Participants were placed into one of two conditions in which they rated the extent to which various concerns were relevant when making moral judgments about their ingroup and various outgroups. Two sets of three different outgroups conforming to the various quadrants of the stereotype content model were used. Results showed significant differences for the harm, fairness, and loyalty foundations between ingroups and outgroups. Moreover, the type of outgroup significantly influenced moral foundations scores. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the importance of considering moral foundations at the group level

USER-DEFINED CLASSIFICATION ON THE ONLINE PHOTO SHARING SITE FLICKR…OR, HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE MILLION TYPING MONKEYS

As evidenced by the growing popularity of sites which provide tagging and annotation functionality, like del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us), Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/), technorati (http://www.technorati.com/), and CiteULike (http://www.citeulike.org/), which already have combined user bases in the several millions, collaborative cataloging, or tagging, provides a workable solution for content organization, use, and exploration for many Internet users. This explosion in user-defined metadata has the potential to improve the way information is organized, navigated, and experienced on the web, and offers the Library and Information Science community the opportunity to augment and refine our existing classification methods and schemes to be more user-friendly, to allow for higher levels of precision and recall, and to enhance the human information interaction experience

Junior Faculty Engagement at iSchools: Personal Experience during the First Several Years

This roundtable discussion will explore how junior faculty at iSchools have been able to embed their research, teaching, and service activities within their schools, the larger institutions, and broader communities. The session will also focus on the ways in which junior faculty have received guidance in their roles--from the job search through the first several years in a tenure-track position. Roundtable leaders represent a variety of institutions and experiences--as faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [WJM], the University of Maryland [SP], the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill [PME], and the University of Texas at Austin [MW], and with doctoral-level preparation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill [WJM, MW], the University of Toronto [SP], and the University of Washington [PME]. While the annual junior faculty mentoring event at the iConference specifically targets junior faculty as participants, this roundtable session offers a more inclusive environment for the discussion of this topic, specifically engaging doctoral students and senior faculty as well as their junior colleagues

The Shortest Period Detached Binary White Dwarf System

We identify SDSS J010657.39-100003.3 (hereafter J0106-1000) as the shortest period detached binary white dwarf (WD) system currently known. We targeted J0106-1000 as part of our radial velocity program to search for companions around known extremely low-mass (ELM, ~ 0.2 Msol) WDs using the 6.5m MMT. We detect peak-to-peak radial velocity variations of 740 km/s with an orbital period of 39.1 min. The mass function and optical photometry rule out a main-sequence star companion. Follow-up high-speed photometric observations obtained at the McDonald 2.1m telescope reveal ellipsoidal variations from the distorted primary but no eclipses. This is the first example of a tidally distorted WD. Modeling the lightcurve, we constrain the inclination angle of the system to be 67 +- 13 deg. J0106-1000 contains a pair of WDs (0.17 Msol primary + 0.43 Msol invisible secondary) at a separation of 0.32 Rsol. The two WDs will merge in 37 Myr and most likely form a core He-burning single subdwarf star. J0106-1000 is the shortest timescale merger system currently known. The gravitational wave strain from J0106-1000 is at the detection limit of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). However, accurate ephemeris and orbital period measurements may enable LISA to detect J0106-1000 above the Galactic background noise.Comment: MNRAS Letters, in pres