170 research outputs found
The Concordance Cosmic Star Formation Rate: Implications from and for the Supernova Neutrino and Gamma Ray Backgrounds
We constrain the Cosmic Star Formation Rate (CSFR) by requiring that massive
stars produce the observed UV, optical, and IR light while at the same time not
overproduce the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background as bounded by
Super-Kamiokande. With the massive star component so constrained we then show
that a reasonable choice of stellar Initial Mass Function and other parameters
results in SNIa rates and iron yields in good agreement with data. In this way
we define a `concordance' CSFR that predicts the optical SNII rate and the SNIa
contribution to the MeV Cosmic Gamma-Ray Background. The CSFR constrained to
reproduce these and other proxies of intermediate and massive star formation is
more clearly delineated than if it were measured by any one technique and has
the following testable consequences: (1) SNIa contribute only a small fraction
of the MeV Cosmic Gamma-Ray Background, (2) massive star core-collapse is
nearly always accompanied by a successful optical SNII, and (3) the Diffuse
Supernova Neutrino Background is tantalizingly close to detectability.Comment: Improved discussion. Version accepted for publication in JCA
Universal subgap optical conductivity in quasi-one-dimensional Peierls systems
Quasi-one-dimensional Peierls systems with quantum and thermal lattice
fluctuations can be modeled by a Dirac-type equation with a Gaussian-correlated
off-diagonal disorder. A powerful new method gives the exact disorder-averaged
Green function used to compute the optical conductivity. The strong subgap tail
of the conductivity has a universal scaling form. The frequency and temperature
dependence of the calculated spectrum agrees with experiments on KCP(Br) and
trans-polyacetylene.Comment: 11 pages (+ 3 figures), LATEX (REVTEX 3.0
Recommended from our members
State of the California current 2013-14: El niño looming
In 2013, the California current was dominated by strong coastal upwelling and high productivity. Indices of total cumulative upwelling for particular coastal locations reached some of the highest values on record. Chlorophyll a levels were high throughout spring and summer. Catches of upwelling-related fish species were also high. After a moderate drop in upwelling during fall 2013, the California current system underwent a major change in phase. Three major basin-scale indicators, the PDO, the NPGO, and the ENSO-MEI, all changed phase at some point during the winter of 2013/14. The PDO changed to positive values, indicative of warmer waters in the North Pacific; the NPGO to negative values, indicative of lower productivity along the coast; and the MEI to positive values, indicative of an oncoming El Niño. Whereas the majority of the California Current system appears to have transitioned to an El Niño state by August 2014, based on decreases in upwelling and chlorophyll a concentration, and increases in SST, there still remained pockets of moderate upwelling, cold water, and high chlorophyll a biomass at various central coast locations, unlike patterns seen during the more major El Niños (e.g., the 97-98 event). Catches of rockfish, market squid, euphausiids, and juvenile sanddab remained high along the central coast, whereas catches of sardine and anchovy were low throughout the CCS. 2014 appears to be heading towards a moderate El Niño state, with some remaining patchy regions of upwellingdriven productivity along the coast. Superimposed on this pattern, three major regions have experienced possibly non-El Niño-related warming since winter: the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, and offshore of southern California. It is unclear how this warming may interact with the predicted El Niño, but the result will likely be reduced growth or reproduction for many key fisheries species
Nuclear uncertainties in the NeNa-MgAl cycles and production of 22Na and 26Al during nova outbursts
Classical novae eject significant amounts of nuclear processed material into
the interstellar medium. Among the isotopes synthesized during such explosions,
two radioactive nuclei deserve a particular attention: 22Na and 26Al. In this
paper, we investigate the nuclear paths leading to 22Na and 26Al production
during nova outbursts by means of an implicit, hydrodynamic code that follows
the course of the thermonuclear runaway from the onset of accretion up to the
ejection stage. New evolutionary sequences of ONe novae have been computed,
using updated nuclear reaction rates relevant to 22Na and 26Al production.
Special attention is focused on the role played by nuclear uncertainties within
the NeNa and MgAl cycles in the synthesis of such radioactive species. From the
series of hydrodynamic models, which assume upper, recommended or lower
estimates of the reaction rates, we derive limits on the production of both
22Na and 26Al. We outline a list of nuclear reactions which deserve new
experimental investigations in order to reduce the wide dispersion introduced
by nuclear uncertainties in the 22Na and 26Al yields.Comment: 46 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical
Journa
Late Light Curves of Type Ia Supernovae
We extend earlier efforts to determine whether the late (t60d) light-curves of type Ia SNe are better explained by the escape of positrons from the ejecta or by the complete deposition of positron kinetic energy in a trapping magnetic field We find that applying a filter efficiency correction, derived from measured spectra, to B, V, R, and I light-curves after day 50 can produce a consistent bolometric light-curve. The V band is an accurate indicator of total emission in the 3500 - 9700 range, with a constant fraction (25%) appearing in the V band after day 50. This suggests that the V band scales with the bolometric luminosity, and that the deposited energy is instantaneously recycled into optical emission during this epoch. Varying bolometric corrections for the other bands are derived. We see significant evolution of the colors of SNe Ia between day 50 and day 170. We suggest that this may be due to the transition from spectra dominated by emission lines from the radioactive nucleus, Co, to those from the stable daughter nucleus, Fe. We show that the B, V, R, and I band light-curves of SNe Ia after t60d can be completely explained with energy deposition from Co decay photons and positrons if substantial positron escape occurs
Optical Probing of Thermal Lattice Fluctuations in Charge-Density-Wave Condensates
Thermal lattice fluctuations in charge-density-wave (CDW) condensates have been studied by means of optical investigations on the prototype CDW compound K0.3MoO3 and its alloys. The temperature dependence of the CDW gap absorption in the mid-IR frequency range is strongly indicative of the important role played by the thermal lattice fluctuation effects. The latter remove the inverse-square-root singularity, expected for the case of the static distorted lattice. In fact, a considerable broadening (i.e., larger than k(B)T) of the subgap tail absorption is found by increasing the temperature towards T(CDW). Moreover, we find that the phase phonon modes also give an important contribution to the disorder parameter, thus being an essential ingredient for the thermal fluctuation effects
Massive stars as thermonuclear reactors and their explosions following core collapse
Nuclear reactions transform atomic nuclei inside stars. This is the process
of stellar nucleosynthesis. The basic concepts of determining nuclear reaction
rates inside stars are reviewed. How stars manage to burn their fuel so slowly
most of the time are also considered. Stellar thermonuclear reactions involving
protons in hydrostatic burning are discussed first. Then I discuss triple alpha
reactions in the helium burning stage. Carbon and oxygen survive in red giant
stars because of the nuclear structure of oxygen and neon. Further nuclear
burning of carbon, neon, oxygen and silicon in quiescent conditions are
discussed next. In the subsequent core-collapse phase, neutronization due to
electron capture from the top of the Fermi sea in a degenerate core takes
place. The expected signal of neutrinos from a nearby supernova is calculated.
The supernova often explodes inside a dense circumstellar medium, which is
established due to the progenitor star losing its outermost envelope in a
stellar wind or mass transfer in a binary system. The nature of the
circumstellar medium and the ejecta of the supernova and their dynamics are
revealed by observations in the optical, IR, radio, and X-ray bands, and I
discuss some of these observations and their interpretations.Comment: To be published in " Principles and Perspectives in Cosmochemistry"
Lecture Notes on Kodai School on Synthesis of Elements in Stars; ed. by Aruna
Goswami & Eswar Reddy, Springer Verlag, 2009. Contains 21 figure
Binary systems and their nuclear explosions
Peer ReviewedPreprin
Alexithymia may explain the relationship between autistic traits and eating disorder psychopathology
Background: Autistic people are disproportionately vulnerable to anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders (ED), and within the general population, autistic traits correlate with ED psychopathology. A putative mechanism which may underpin this heightened risk is alexithymia, a difficulty identifying and describing emotional states which is
observed in both autism and ED. In two experiments with independent non-clinical samples, we explored whether alexithymia might mediate the heightened risk of eating psychopathology in individuals high in autistic traits.
Methods: Our first experiment used the PROCESS macro for SPSS to examine relationships between alexithymia (measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)), autistic traits (autism quotient (AQ)), and eating psychopathology (Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26)) in 121 participants. Our second experiment (n = 300) replicated and furthered this analysis by examining moderating effects of sex and controlling for anxiety and depression as covariates. We also included an additional performance-based measure of alexithymia, the Levels of Emotional
Awareness Scale (LEAS).
Results: Study 1 suggested that TAS-20 scores mediated the relationship between heightened autistic traits and eating psychopathology. Replication and further scrutiny of this finding, in study 2, revealed that this mediation effect was partial and specific to the female participants in this sample. The mediation effect appeared to be carried
by the difficulty identifying feelings subscale of the TAS-20, even when depression and anxiety were controlled for. LEAS scores, however, were not significantly related to autistic traits or eating psychopathology.
Limitations: Cross-sectional data prevents any conclusions around the direction and causality of relationships between alexithymia, autistic traits, and eating psychopathology (alongside depression and anxiety), necessitating longitudinal research. Our non-clinical sample was predominantly Caucasian undergraduate students, so it remains
to be seen if these results would extrapolate to clinical and/or autistic samples. Divergence between the TAS-20 and LEAS raises crucial questions regarding the construct validity of these measures.
Conclusions: Our findings with respect to autistic traits suggest that alexithymia could partially explain the prevalence of ED in autistic people and may as such be an important consideration in the pathogenesis and
treatment of ED in autistic and non-autistic people alike. Further research with clinical samples is critical to explore these ideas. Differences between men and women, furthermore, emphasize the importance of looking for sexspecific as well as generic risk factors in autistic and non-autistic men and women
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