7,831 research outputs found
Absolute Calibration and Characterization of the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer. II. 70 micron Imaging
The absolute calibration and characterization of the Multiband Imaging
Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) 70 micron coarse- and fine-scale imaging modes
are presented based on over 2.5 years of observations. Accurate photometry
(especially for faint sources) requires two simple processing steps beyond the
standard data reduction to remove long-term detector transients. Point spread
function (PSF) fitting photometry is found to give more accurate flux densities
than aperture photometry. Based on the PSF fitting photometry, the calibration
factor shows no strong trend with flux density, background, spectral type,
exposure time, or time since anneals. The coarse-scale calibration sample
includes observations of stars with flux densities from 22 mJy to 17 Jy, on
backgrounds from 4 to 26 MJy sr^-1, and with spectral types from B to M. The
coarse-scale calibration is 702 +/- 35 MJy sr^-1 MIPS70^-1 (5% uncertainty) and
is based on measurements of 66 stars. The instrumental units of the MIPS 70
micron coarse- and fine-scale imaging modes are called MIPS70 and MIPS70F,
respectively. The photometric repeatability is calculated to be 4.5% from two
stars measured during every MIPS campaign and includes variations on all time
scales probed. The preliminary fine-scale calibration factor is 2894 +/- 294
MJy sr^-1 MIPS70F^-1 (10% uncertainty) based on 10 stars. The uncertainty in
the coarse- and fine-scale calibration factors are dominated by the 4.5%
photometric repeatability and the small sample size, respectively. The 5-sigma,
500 s sensitivity of the coarse-scale observations is 6-8 mJy. This work shows
that the MIPS 70 micron array produces accurate, well calibrated photometry and
validates the MIPS 70 micron operating strategy, especially the use of frequent
stimulator flashes to track the changing responsivities of the Ge:Ga detectors.Comment: 19 pages, PASP, in pres
Near and Mid-IR Photometry of the Pleiades, and a New List of Substellar Candidate Members
We make use of new near and mid-IR photometry of the Pleiades cluster in
order to help identify proposed cluster members. We also use the new photometry
with previously published photometry to define the single-star main sequence
locus at the age of the Pleiades in a variety of color-magnitude planes.
The new near and mid-IR photometry extend effectively two magnitudes deeper
than the 2MASS All-Sky Point Source catalog, and hence allow us to select a new
set of candidate very low mass and sub-stellar mass members of the Pleiades in
the central square degree of the cluster. We identify 42 new candidate members
fainter than Ks =14 (corresponding to 0.1 Mo). These candidate members should
eventually allow a better estimate of the cluster mass function to be made down
to of order 0.04 solar masses.
We also use new IRAC data, in particular the images obtained at 8 um, in
order to comment briefly on interstellar dust in and near the Pleiades. We
confirm, as expected, that -- with one exception -- a sample of low mass stars
recently identified as having 24 um excesses due to debris disks do not have
significant excesses at IRAC wavelengths. However, evidence is also presented
that several of the Pleiades high mass stars are found to be impacting with
local condensations of the molecular cloud that is passing through the Pleiades
at the current epoch.Comment: Accepted to ApJS; data tables and embedded-figure version available
at http://spider.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/stauffer/pleiades07
Local Convergence and Global Diversity: From Interpersonal to Social Influence
Axelrod (1997) showed how local convergence in cultural influence can
preserve cultural diversity. We argue that central implications of Axelrod's
model may change profoundly, if his model is integrated with the assumption of
social influence as assumed by an earlier generation of modelers. Axelrod and
all follow up studies employed instead the assumption that influence is
interpersonal (dyadic). We show how the combination of social influence with
homophily allows solving two important problems. Our integration of social
influence yields monoculture in small societies and diversity increasing in
population size, consistently with empirical evidence but contrary to earlier
models. The second problem was identified by Klemm et al.(2003a,b), an
extremely narrow window of noise levels in which diversity with local
convergence can be obtained at all. Our model with social influence generates
stable diversity with local convergence across a much broader interval of noise
levels than models based on interpersonal influence.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figures, Paper presented at American Sociological
Association 103rd Annual Meeting, August 1-4, 2008, Boston, MA. Session on
Mathematical Sociolog
X-ray Spectral Survey with XMM--Newton of a Complete Sample of Nearby Seyfert Galaxies
Results obtained from an X-ray spectral survey of nearby Seyfert galaxies
using XMM--Newton are reported. The sample was optically selected, well
defined, complete in B mag, and distance limited: it consists of the nearest
(D<22 Mpc) 27 Seyfert galaxies (9 of type 1, 18 of type 2) taken from the Ho et
al. (1997) sample. This is one of the largest atlases of hard X-ray spectra of
low-L active galaxies ever assembled. All nuclear sources except two Sey 2s are
detected between 2-10 keV, half for the first time ever, and average spectra
are obtained for all of them. Nuclear luminosities reach values down to 10**38
erg/s. The shape of the distribution of X-ray parameters is affected by the
presence of Compton-thick objects (> 30% among type 2s). The latter have been
identified either directly from their intense FeK line and flat X-ray spectra,
or indirectly with flux diagnostic diagrams which use isotropic indicators.
After taking into account these highly absorbed sources, we find that (i) the
intrinsic X-ray spectral properties (i.e., spectral shapes and luminosities
above 2 keV) are consistent between type 1 and type 2 Sey, as expected from
``unified models'', (ii) Sey galaxies as a whole are distributed fairly
continuously over the entire range of Nh, between 10**20 and 10**25 cm**-2, and
(iii) while Sey 1s tend to have lower Nh and Sey 2s tend to have the highest,
we find 30% and 10% exceptions, respectively. Overall the sample well
represents the average intrinsic X-ray spectral properties of nearby AGN,
including a proper estimate of the distribution of their absorbing columns.
Finally, we conclude that, with the exception of a few cases, the present study
agrees with predictions of unified models of Sey galaxies, and extends their
validity down to very low luminosities.Comment: 23 pages, 4 tables, 4 figures, 2 Appendices with 27 source spectra
and notes, to be published in the Astronomy & Astrophysics Journa
A boron-coated CCD camera for direct detection of Ultracold Neutrons (UCN)
A new boron-coated CCD camera is described for direct detection of ultracold
neutrons (UCN) through the capture reactions B
(n,0)Li (6%) and B(n,1)Li (94%).
The experiments, which extend earlier works using a boron-coated ZnS:Ag
scintillator, are based on direct detections of the neutron-capture byproducts
in silicon. The high position resolution, energy resolution and particle ID
performance of a scientific CCD allows for observation and identification of
all the byproducts , Li and (electron recoils). A
signal-to-noise improvement on the order of 10 over the indirect method has
been achieved. Sub-pixel position resolution of a few microns is demonstrated.
The technology can also be used to build UCN detectors with an area on the
order of 1 m. The combination of micrometer scale spatial resolution, few
electrons ionization thresholds and large area paves the way to new research
avenues including quantum physics of UCN and high-resolution neutron imaging
and spectroscopy.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure
Broad iron lines in Active Galactic Nuclei
An intrinsically narrow line emitted by an accretion disk around a black hole
appears broadened and skewed as a result of the Doppler effect and
gravitational redshift. The fluorescent iron line in the X-ray band at
6.4-6.9keV is the strongest such line and is seen in the X-ray spectrum of many
active galactic nuclei and, in particular, Seyfert galaxies. It is an important
diagnostic with which to study the geometry and other properties of the
accretion flow very close to the central black hole. The broad iron line
indicates the presence of a standard thin accretion disk in those objects,
often seen at low inclination. The broad iron line has opened up strong
gravitational effects around black holes to observational study with
wide-reaching consequences for both astrophysics and physics.Comment: 26 pages. Invited review, accepted for publication in PAS
An X-ray Spectral Survey of Radio-Loud AGN With ASCA
We present a uniform and systematic analysis of the 0.6-10 keV X-ray spectra
of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) observed by ASCA. The sample 10
BLRGs, 5 QSRs, 9 NLRGs, and 10 RGs. At soft X-rays, about half of the NLRGs and
all of the RGs exhibit a thermal plasma component, with a bimodal distribution
of temperatures and luminosities, suggesting an origin either in a surrounding
cluster or loose group or in a hot corona. At energies above 2 keV, a hard
power-law component is detected in 90% of cases. The power-law photon indices
and luminosities in BLRGs, QSRs, and NLRGs are similar, consistent with
orientation-based unification schemes. Significant excess cold absorption is
detected in most NLRGs, but also in some BLRGS and QSRs, which was somewhat
unexpected. In contrast to Seyfert galaxies, only one object showss the
signature of a warm absorber. The nuclear X-ray luminosity is correlated with
the luminosity of the [O III] emission line, the FIR emission at 12 microns,
and the lobe radio power at 5 GHz. The Fe K line is detected in 50% of BLRGs,
one QSR, and a handful of NLRGs. This sample also includes 6 Weak Line Radio
Galaxies (WLRGs). Their spectra WLRGs can be generally decomposed into a soft
thermal component with hard absrorbed power-law component, which is
significantly flatter than any other radio-loud AGNs. Their intrinsic
luminosities are two orders of magnitude lower than in other sources of the
sample. An interesting possibility is that WLRGs represent an extreme
population of radio galaxies in which the central black hole is accreting at a
rate well below the Eddington rate.Comment: To appear in the Astrophysical Journal. 72 pages, including many
tables and figures. Fig 1 is separate, in TIFF format. Postscript version of
fig 1 and postscript version of entire preprint can be obtained from
http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/mce/preprint_index.htm
A VLBI receiving system for the South Pole Telescope
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) is a very-long-baseline interferometry
(VLBI) experiment that aims to observe supermassive black holes with an angular
resolution that is comparable to the event horizon scale. The South Pole
occupies an important position in the array, greatly increasing its north-south
extent and therefore its resolution.
The South Pole Telescope (SPT) is a 10-meter diameter, millimeter-wavelength
telescope equipped for bolometric observations of the cosmic microwave
background. To enable VLBI observations with the SPT we have constructed a
coherent signal chain suitable for the South Pole environment. The
dual-frequency receiver incorporates state-of-the-art SIS mixers and is
installed in the SPT receiver cabin. The VLBI signal chain also includes a
recording system and reference frequency generator tied to a hydrogen maser.
Here we describe the SPT VLBI system design in detail and present both the lab
measurements and on-sky results.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of the SPIE (SPIE
Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2018; Millimeter, Submillimeter,
and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy IX
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