741 research outputs found
Plasma Physics
Contains research objectives and reports on three research projects.United States Atomic Energy Commission AT(30-1)-1842
Galaxy Properties from the Ultra-violet to the Far-Infrared: Lambda-CDM models confront observations
We combine a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation with simple analytic
recipes describing the absorption and re-emission of starlight by dust in the
interstellar medium of galaxies. We use the resulting models to predict galaxy
counts and luminosity functions from the far-ultraviolet to the sub-mm, from
redshift five to the present, and compare with an extensive compilation of
observations. We find that in order to reproduce the rest-UV and optical
luminosity functions at high redshift, we must assume an evolving normalization
in the dust-to-metal ratio, implying that galaxies of a given bolometric
luminosity (or metal column density) must be less extinguished than their local
counterparts. In our best-fit model, we find remarkably good agreement with
observations from rest-frame 1500 Angstroms to 250 microns. At longer
wavelengths, most dramatically in the sub-mm, our models underpredict the
number of bright galaxies by a large factor. The models reproduce the observed
total IR luminosity function fairly well. We show the results of varying
several ingredients of the models, including various aspects of the dust
attenuation recipe, the dust emission templates, and the cosmology. We use our
models to predict the integrated Extragalactic Background Light (EBL), and
compare with an observationally-motivated EBL model and with other available
observational constraints.Comment: 27 pages, 17 figures, 1 table, accepted to MNRAS, this version
matches accepted manuscrip
On the origin of M81 group extended dust emission
Galactic cirrus emission at far-infrared wavelengths affects many extragalactic observations. Separating this emission from that associated with extragalactic objects is both important and difficult. In this paper we discuss a particular case, the M81 group, and the identification of diffuse structures prominent in the infrared, but also detected at optical wavelengths. The origin of these structures has previously been controversial, ranging from them being the result of a past interaction between M81 and M82 or due to more local Galactic emission. We show that over an order of a few arcmin scales, the far-infrared (Herschel 250 mu m) emission correlates spatially very well with a particular narrow-velocity (2-3 km s(-1)) component of the Galactic HI. We find no evidence that any of the far-infrared emission associated with these features actually originates in the M81 group. Thus we infer that the associated diffuse optical emission must be due to galactic light-back scattered off dust in our galaxy. Ultraviolet observations pick out young stellar associations around M81, but no detectable far-infrared emission. We consider in detail one of the Galactic cirrus features, finding that the far-infrared HI relation breaks down below arcmin scales and that at smaller scales there can be quite large dust-temperature variation
EXIT-chart aided hybrid multiuser detector design for frequency-domain-spread chip-interleaved MC-CDMA
With the advent of EXtrinsic Information Transfer (EXIT) charts, we are capable of analyzing, predicting and visually comparing the convergence behaviours of different turbo Multi-User Detectector (MUD)s. The different MUDs have diverse EXIT characteristics and hence their superposition allows us to create a combined EXIT curve, which closely matches that of the channel decoder. Hence a near-capacity operation is facilitated by combining the benifits of different MUDs and therefore to create a superior MUD. Thus in this contribution, we propose a novel hybrid MUD combining scheme, which combines the advantages of a high performance and low complexity in form of an advanced hybrid MUD solution. The transmitted bits are unknown at the receiver, hence it is not feasible to directly evaluate the mutual information gain of the iterative MUD in consecutive iterations, hence we propose a realistic algorithm for estimating this mutual information gain, which is then used for activating the most appropriate constituent MUD as and when it is necessary. The constituent MUDs are the Matched Filter (MF) based Soft Interference Cancellation (SoIC) and the optimum Bayesian MUDs, which are invoked in the scenario of Frequency-Domain-Spread Chip-Interleaved (FDSCI) Multiple Carrier Code Division Multiple Access (MC-CDMA). The resultant hybrid MUD is capable of outperforming both the MF-SoIC and Bayesian turbo MUDs in the terms of the attainable complexity and Bit-Error-Rate (BER) performance
SPIRE imaging of M82: cool dust in the wind and tidal streams
M82 is a unique representative of a whole class of galaxies, starbursts with
superwinds, in the Very Nearby Galaxy Survey with Herschel. In addition, its
interaction with the M81 group has stripped a significant portion of its
interstellar medium from its disk. SPIRE maps now afford better
characterization of the far-infrared emission from cool dust outside the disk,
and sketch a far more complete picture of its mass distribution and energetics
than previously possible. They show emission coincident in projection with the
starburst wind and in a large halo, much more extended than the PAH band
emission seen with Spitzer. Some complex substructures coincide with the
brightest PAH filaments, and others with tidal streams seen in atomic hydrogen.
We subtract the far-infrared emission of the starburst and underlying disk from
the maps, and derive spatially-resolved far-infrared colors for the wind and
halo. We interpret the results in terms of dust mass, dust temperature, and
global physical conditions. In particular, we examine variations in the dust
physical properties as a function of distance from the center and the wind
polar axis, and conclude that more than two thirds of the extraplanar dust has
been removed by tidal interaction, and not entrained by the starburst wind.Comment: accepted in A&A Herschel special issu
Clinical Outcomes by Race and Ethnicity in the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT): A Randomized Clinical Trial
BACKGROUND:
The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) showed that targeting a systolic blood pressure (SBP) of ≤ 120 mm Hg (intensive treatment) reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) events compared to SBP of ≤ 140 mm Hg (standard treatment); however, it is unclear if this effect is similar in all racial/ethnic groups.
METHODS:
We analyzed SPRINT data within non-Hispanic White (NHW), non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and Hispanic subgroups to address this question. High-risk nondiabetic hypertensive patients (N = 9,361; 30% NHB; 11% Hispanic) 50 years and older were randomly assigned to intensive or standard treatment. Primary outcome was a composite of the first occurrence of a myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, stroke, decompensated heart failure, or CVD death.
RESULTS:
Average postbaseline SBP was similar among NHW, NHB, and Hispanics in both treatment arms. Hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence interval) (intensive vs. standard treatment groups) for primary outcome were 0.70 (0.57–0.86), 0.71 (0.51–0.98), 0.62 (0.33–1.15) (interaction P value = 0.85) in NHW, NHB, and Hispanics. CVD mortality HRs were 0.49 (0.29–0.81), 0.77 (0.37–1.57), and 0.17 (0.01–1.08). All-cause mortality HRs were 0.61 (0.47–0.80), 0.92 (0.63–1.35), and 1.58 (0.73–3.62), respectively. A test for differences among racial/ethnic groups in the effect of treatment assignment on all-cause mortality was not significant (Hommel-adjusted P value = 0.062) after adjustment for multiple comparisons.
CONCLUSION:
Targeting a SBP goal of ≤ 120 mm Hg compared to ≤ 140 mm Hg led to similar SBP control and was associated with similar benefits and risks among all racial ethnic groups, though NHBs required an average of ~0.3 more medications
The Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey: HerMES
The Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey, HerMES, is a legacy program
designed to map a set of nested fields totalling ~380 deg^2. Fields range in
size from 0.01 to ~20 deg^2, using Herschel-SPIRE (at 250, 350 and 500 \mu m),
and Herschel-PACS (at 100 and 160 \mu m), with an additional wider component of
270 deg^2 with SPIRE alone. These bands cover the peak of the redshifted
thermal spectral energy distribution from interstellar dust and thus capture
the re-processed optical and ultra-violet radiation from star formation that
has been absorbed by dust, and are critical for forming a complete
multi-wavelength understanding of galaxy formation and evolution.
The survey will detect of order 100,000 galaxies at 5\sigma in some of the
best studied fields in the sky. Additionally, HerMES is closely coordinated
with the PACS Evolutionary Probe survey. Making maximum use of the full
spectrum of ancillary data, from radio to X-ray wavelengths, it is designed to:
facilitate redshift determination; rapidly identify unusual objects; and
understand the relationships between thermal emission from dust and other
processes. Scientific questions HerMES will be used to answer include: the
total infrared emission of galaxies; the evolution of the luminosity function;
the clustering properties of dusty galaxies; and the properties of populations
of galaxies which lie below the confusion limit through lensing and statistical
techniques.
This paper defines the survey observations and data products, outlines the
primary scientific goals of the HerMES team, and reviews some of the early
results.Comment: 23 pages, 17 figures, 9 Tables, MNRAS accepte
Status of CMB Polarization Measurements from DASI and Other Experiments
We review the current status and future plans for polarization measurements
of the cosmic microwave background radiation, as well as the cosmology these
measurements will address. After a long period of increasingly sensitive upper
limits, the DASI experiment has detected the E-mode polarization and both the
DASI and WMAP experiments have detected the TE correlation. These detections
provide confirmation of the standard model of adiabatic primordial density
fluctuations consistent with inflationary models. The WMAP TE correlation on
large angular scales provides direct evidence of significant reionization at
higher redshifts than had previously been supposed. These detections mark the
beginning of a new era in CMB measurements and the rich cosmology that can be
gleaned from them.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures; To be published in the proceedings of "The
Cosmic Microwave Background and its Polarization", New Astronomy Reviews,
(eds. S. Hanany and K.A. Olive
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