Spectroscopic Confirmation of the Cl 1604 Supercluster at z~0.9

We present spectroscopic confirmation of the Cl 1604 supercluster at z~0.9. Originally detected as two individual clusters, Cl 1604+4304 at z = 0.90 and Cl 1604+4321 at z = 0.92, which are closely separated in both redshift and sky position, subsequent imaging revealed a complex of red galaxies bridging the two clusters, suggesting that the region contained a large scale structure. We have carried out extensive multi-object spectroscopy, which, combined with previous measurements, provides ~600 redshifts in this area, including 230 confirmed supercluster members. We detect two additional clusters that are part of this structure, Cl 1604+4314 at z = 0.87 and Cl 1604+4316 at z = 0.94. All four have properties typical of local clusters, with line-of-sight velocity dispersions between 489 and 962 km/s. The structure is significantly extended in redshift space, which, if interpreted as a true elongation in real space, implies a depth of 93 Mpc. We examine the spatial and redshift distribution of the supercluster members.Comment: Accepted to ApJ Letters. 4 pages with 3 figure

CMB Distortions from Superconducting Cosmic Strings

We reconsider the effect of electromagnetic radiation from superconducting strings on cosmic microwave background (CMB) mu- and y-distortions and derive present (COBE-FIRAS) and future (PIXIE) constraints on the string tension, mu_s, and electric current, I. We show that absence of distortions of the CMB in PIXIE will impose strong constraints on mu_s and I, leaving the possibility of light strings (G mu_s < 10^{-18}) or relatively weak currents (I < 10 TeV).Comment: 10pages, 5 figures, Submitted to PRD, v2:References added, replaced to match the PRD versio

Cosmological Constraints on Neutrino Injection

We derive general constraints on the relic abundances of a long-lived particle which mainly decays into a neutrino (and something else) at cosmological time scales. Such an exotic particle may show up in various particle-physics models based on physics beyond the standard model. The constraints are obtained from big-bang nucleosynthesis, cosmic microwave background and diffuse neutrino and photon fluxes, depending on the lifetime and the electromagnetic and hadronic branching ratios.Comment: 33 pages, 23 figure

Childhood Maltreatment Predicts Poor Economic and Educational Outcomes in the Transition to Adulthood.

ObjectivesTo test whether childhood maltreatment was a predictor of (1) having low educational qualifications and (2) not being in education, employment, or training among young adults in the United Kingdom today.MethodsParticipants were from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative UK cohort of 2232 twins born in 1994 to 1995. Mothers reported on child maltreatment when participants were aged 5, 7, 10, and 12 years. Participants were interviewed about their vocational status at age 18 years.ResultsThe unadjusted odds of having low educational qualifications or of not being in education, employment, or training at age 18 years were more than 2 times greater for young people with a childhood history of maltreatment versus those without. These associations were reduced after adjustments for individual and family characteristics. Youths who reported having a supportive adult in their lives had better education outcomes than did youths who had less support.ConclusionsCloser collaboration between the child welfare and education systems is warranted to improve vocational outcomes for maltreated youths

Dynamical and photometric imprints of feedback processes on the early evolution of E/S0 galaxies

We show that the observed Velocity Dispersion Function of E/S0 galaxies matches strikingly well the distribution function of virial velocities of massive halos virializing at z > 1.5, as predicted by the standard hierarchical clustering scenario in a \LambdaCDM cosmology, for a constant ratio sigma/V_vir = 0.55 \pm 0.05, close to the value expected at virialization if it typically occurred at z > 3. This strongly suggests that dissipative processes and later merging events had little impact on the matter density profile. Adopting the above sigma/V_vir ratio, the observed relationships between photometric and dynamical properties which define the fundamental plane of elliptical galaxies, such as the luminosity-sigma (Faber-Jackson) and the luminosity-effective radius relations, as well as the M_BH-sigma relation, are nicely reproduced. Their shapes turn out to be determined by the mutual feedback of star-formation (and supernova explosions)and nuclear activity, along the lines discussed by Granato et al. (2004). To our knowledge, this is the first semi-analytic model for which simultaneous fits of the fundamental plane relations and of the epoch-dependent luminosity function of spheroidal galaxies have been presented.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Ap

The Dynamics of Abell 2125

We present 371 galaxy velocities in the field of the very rich cluster Abell 2125 (z~0.25). These were determined using optical spectroscopy collected over several years from both the WIYN 3.5m telescope and NOAO Mayall 4m telescope. Prior studies at a variety of wavelengths (radio, optical, and X-ray) have indicated that A2125 is a likely cluster-cluster merger, a scenario which we are able to test using our large velocity database. We identified 224 cluster galaxies, which were subjected to a broad range of statistical tests using both positional and velocity information to evaluate the cluster dynamics and substructure. The tests confirmed the presence of substructures within the Abell 2125 system at high significance, demonstrating that A2125 is a complex dynamical system. Comparison of the test results with existing simulations strengthens the merger hypothesis, and provides clues about the merger geometry and stage. The merger model for the system can reconcile A2125's low X-ray temperature and luminosity with its apparently high richness, and might also explain A2125's high fraction of active galaxies identified in prior radio and optical studies.Comment: 34 pages, including tables and 3 color figures; to appear in Ap