A Uniform Contribution of Core-Collapse and Type Ia Supernovae to the Chemical Enrichment Pattern in the Outskirts of the Virgo Cluster

We present the first measurements of the abundances of $\alpha$-elements (Mg, Si, and S) extending out to beyond the virial radius of a cluster of galaxies. Our results, based on Suzaku Key Project observations of the Virgo Cluster, show that the chemical composition of the intra-cluster medium is consistent with being constant on large scales, with a flat distribution of the Si/Fe, S/Fe, and Mg/Fe ratios as a function of radius and azimuth out to 1.4 Mpc (1.3 $r_{200}$). Chemical enrichment of the intergalactic medium due solely to core collapse supernovae (SNcc) is excluded with very high significance; instead, the measured metal abundance ratios are generally consistent with the Solar value. The uniform metal abundance ratios observed today are likely the result of an early phase of enrichment and mixing, with both SNcc and type Ia supernovae (SNIa) contributing to the metal budget during the period of peak star formation activity at redshifts of 2-3. We estimate the ratio between the number of SNIa and the total number of supernovae enriching the intergalactic medium to be between 12-37%, broadly consistent with the metal abundance patterns in our own Galaxy or with the SNIa contribution estimated for the cluster cores.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ

Reconstruction of modified gravity with ghost dark energy models

In this work, we reconstruct the $f(R)$ modified gravity for different ghost and generalized ghost dark energy models in FRW flat universe, which describe the accelerated expansion of the universe. The equation of state of reconstructed $f(R)$ - gravity has been calculated. We show that the corresponding $f(R)$ gravity of ghost dark energy model can behave like phantom or quintessence. We also show that the equation of state of reconstructed $f(R)$ gravity for generalized ghost model can transit from quintessence regime to the phantom regime as indicated by recent observations.Comment: 13 pages, some references and one author are added. Accepted for publication by MPL

Probing the inter-layer exciton physics in a MoS2_2/MoSe2_2/MoS2_2 van der Waals heterostructure

Stacking atomic monolayers of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) has emerged as an effective way to engineer their properties. In principle, the staggered band alignment of TMD heterostructures should result in the formation of inter-layer excitons with long lifetimes and robust valley polarization. However, these features have been observed simultaneously only in MoSe$_2$/WSe$_2$ heterostructures. Here we report on the observation of long lived inter-layer exciton emission in a MoS$_2$/MoSe$_2$/MoS$_2$ trilayer van der Waals heterostructure. The inter-layer nature of the observed transition is confirmed by photoluminescence spectroscopy, as well as by analyzing the temporal, excitation power and temperature dependence of the inter-layer emission peak. The observed complex photoluminescence dynamics suggests the presence of quasi-degenerate momentum-direct and momentum-indirect bandgaps. We show that circularly polarized optical pumping results in long lived valley polarization of inter-layer exciton. Intriguingly, the inter-layer exciton photoluminescence has helicity opposite to the excitation. Our results show that through a careful choice of the TMDs forming the van der Waals heterostructure it is possible to control the circular polarization of the inter-layer exciton emission.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures. Just accepted for publication in Nano Letters (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b03184

Blocking entry of hepatitis B and D viruses to hepatocytes as a novel immunotherapy for treating chronic infections

Background. Chronic hepatitis B and D virus (HBV/HDV) infections can cause cancer. Current HBV therapy using nucleoside analogues (NAs) is life-long and reduces but does not eliminate the risk of cancer. A hallmark of chronic hepatitis B is a dysfunctional HBV-specific T-cell response. We therefore designed an immunotherapy driven by naive healthy T cells specific for the HDV antigen (HDAg) to bypass the need for HBV-specific T cells in order to prime PreS1-specific T cells and PreS1 antibodies blocking HBV entry. Methods. Ten combinations of PreS1 and/or HDAg sequences were evaluated for induction of PreS1 antibodies and HBV- and HDV-specific T cells in vitro and in vivo. Neutralization of HBV by PreS1-specific murine and rabbit antibodies was evaluated in cell culture, and rabbit anti-PreS1 were tested for neutralization of HBV in mice repopulated with human hepatocytes. Results. The best vaccine candidate induced T cells to PreS1 and HDAg, and PreS1 antibodies blocking HBV entry in vitro. Importantly, adoptive transfer of PreS1 antibodies prevented, or modulated, HBV infection after a subsequent challenge in humanized mice. Conclusions. We here describe a novel immunotherapy for chronic HBV/HDV that targets viral entry to complement NAs and coming therapies inhibiting viral maturation

M2000 : an astrometric catalog in the Bordeaux Carte du Ciel zone +11 degrees < {delta} < +18 degrees

During four years, systematic observations have been conducted in drift scan mode with the Bordeaux automated meridian circle in the declination band [+11 ; +18]. The resulting astrometric catalog includes about 2 300 000 stars down to the magnitude limit V_M=16.3. Nearly all stars (96%) have been observed at least 6 times, the catalog being complete down to V_M=15.4. The median internal standard error in position is about 35 mas in the V_M magnitude range [11 ; 15], which degrades to about 50 mas when the faintest stars are considered. M2000 provides also one band photometry with a median internal standard error of 0.04 mag. Comparisons with the Hipparcos and bright part of Tycho-2 catalogs have enabled to estimate external errors in position to be lower than 40 mas. In this zone and at epoch 1998, the faint part of Tycho-2 is found to have an accuracy of 116 mas in alpha instead of 82 mas deduced from the model-based standard errors given in the catalog.Comment: The catalogue can be fetched directly from: ftp://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/cats/I/272 or queried from: http://vizier.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/VizieR?-source=I/272 More information at : http://www.observ.u-bordeaux.fr/~soubiran/m2000.ht

Thermodynamics of the Coma Cluster Outskirts

We present results from a large mosaic of Suzaku observations of the Coma Cluster, the nearest and X-ray brightest hot, dynamically active, non-cool core system, focusing on the thermodynamic properties of the ICM on large scales. For azimuths not aligned with an infalling subcluster towards the southwest, our measured temperature and X-ray brightness profiles exhibit broadly consistent radial trends, with the temperature decreasing from about 8.5 keV at the cluster center to about 2 keV at a radius of 2 Mpc, which is the edge of our detection limit. The SW merger significantly boosts the surface brightness, allowing us to detect X-ray emission out to ~2.2 Mpc along this direction. Apart from the southwestern infalling subcluster, the surface brightness profiles show multiple edges around radii of 30-40 arcmin. The azimuthally averaged temperature profile, as well as the deprojected density and pressure profiles, all show a sharp drop consistent with an outward propagating shock front located at 40 arcmin, corresponding to the outermost edge of the giant radio halo observed at 352 MHz with the WSRT. The shock front may be powering this radio emission. A clear entropy excess inside of r_500 reflects the violent merging events linked with these morphological features. Beyond r_500, the entropy profiles of the Coma Cluster along the relatively relaxed directions are consistent with the power-law behavior expected from simple models of gravitational large-scale structure formation. The pressure is also in agreement at these radii with the expected values measured from SZ data from the Planck satellite. However, due to the large uncertainties associated with the Coma Cluster measurements, we cannot yet exclude an entropy flattening in this system consistent with that seen in more relaxed cool core clusters.Comment: submitted to ApJ; revised after first referee repor

Large-scale Motions in the Perseus Galaxy Cluster

By combining large-scale mosaics of ROSAT PSPC, XMM-Newton, and Suzaku X-ray observations, we present evidence for large-scale motions in the intracluster medium of the nearby, X-ray bright Perseus Cluster. These motions are suggested by several alternating and interleaved X-ray bright, low-temperature, low-entropy arcs located along the east-west axis, at radii ranging from ~10 kpc to over a Mpc. Thermodynamic features qualitatively similar to these have previously been observed in the centers of cool core clusters, and were successfully modeled as a consequence of the gas sloshing/swirling motions induced by minor mergers. Our observations indicate that such sloshing/swirling can extend out to larger radii than previously thought, on scales approaching the virial radius.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Ap