1,965 research outputs found
Correspondence: No substantial long-term bias in the Cenozoic benthic foraminifera oxygen-isotope record
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On the Membership of DecisionMaking Committees
Abstract: The decision of a committee is determined jointly by the voting process it adopts and the composition of its membership. The paper analyses the process through which committee members emerge from the eligible population and traces the consequences of this for the decisions of the committee. It is shown that the equilibrium committee will be composed of representatives from the extremes of the taste distribution. These extremes balance each other and the committee reaches a moderate decision. However, this mutual negation by the extremes is a socially wasteful use of time. Data from the UK House of Lords is used to illustrate these results
Oxygen impurities in NiAl: Relaxation effects
We have used a full-potential linear muffin-tin orbital method to calculate
the effects of oxygen impurities on the electronic structure of NiAl. Using the
supercell method with a 16-atom supercell we have investigated the cases where
an oxygen atom is substitutionally placed at either a nickel or an aluminum
site. Full relaxation of the atoms within the supercell was allowed. We found
that oxygen prefers to occupy a nickel site over an aluminum site with a site
selection energy of 138 mRy (21,370 K). An oxygen atom placed at an aluminum
site is found to cause a substantial relaxation of its nickel neighbors away
from it. In contrast, this steric repulsion is hardly present when the oxygen
atom occupies the nickel site and is surrounded by aluminum neighbors. We
comment on the possible relation of this effect to the pesting degradation
phenomenon (essentially spontaneous disintegration in air) in nickel
aluminides.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. B (Aug. 15, 2001
QUBIC: The QU Bolometric Interferometer for Cosmology
One of the major challenges of modern cosmology is the detection of B-mode
polarization anisotropies in the CMB. These originate from tensor fluctuations
of the metric produced during the inflationary phase. Their detection would
therefore constitute a major step towards understanding the primordial
Universe. The expected level of these anisotropies is however so small that it
requires a new generation of instruments with high sensitivity and extremely
good control of systematic effects. We propose the QUBIC instrument based on
the novel concept of bolometric interferometry, bringing together the
sensitivity advantages of bolometric detectors with the systematics effects
advantages of interferometry. Methods: The instrument will directly observe the
sky through an array of entry horns whose signals will be combined together
using an optical combiner. The whole set-up is located inside a cryostat.
Polarization modulation will be achieved using a rotating half-wave plate and
interference fringes will be imaged on two focal planes (separated by a
polarizing grid) tiled with bolometers. We show that QUBIC can be considered as
a synthetic imager, exactly similar to a usual imager but with a synthesized
beam formed by the array of entry horns. Scanning the sky provides an
additional modulation of the signal and improve the sky coverage shape. The
usual techniques of map-making and power spectrum estimation can then be
applied. We show that the sensitivity of such an instrument is comparable with
that of an imager with the same number of horns. We anticipate a low level of
beam-related systematics thanks to the fact that the synthesized beam is
determined by the location of the primary horns. Other systematics should be
under good control thanks to an autocalibration technique, specific to our
concept, that will permit the accurate determination of most of the systematics
parameters.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysic
Outcome of ATP-based tumor chemosensitivity assay directed chemotherapy in heavily pre-treated recurrent ovarian carcinoma
BACKGROUND: We wished to evaluate the clinical response following ATP-Tumor Chemosensitivity Assay (ATP-TCA) directed salvage chemotherapy in a series of UK patients with advanced ovarian cancer. The results are compared with that of a similar assay used in a different country in terms of evaluability and clinical endpoints. METHODS: From November 1998 to November 2001, 46 patients with pre-treated, advanced ovarian cancer were given a total of 56 courses of chemotherapy based on in-vitro ATP-TCA responses obtained from fresh tumor samples or ascites. Forty-four patients were evaluable for results. Of these, 18 patients had clinically platinum resistant disease (relapse < 6 months after first course of chemotherapy). There was evidence of cisplatin resistance in 31 patients from their first ATP-TCA. Response to treatment was assessed by radiology, clinical assessment and tumor marker level (CA 125). RESULTS: The overall response rate was 59% (33/56) per course of chemotherapy, including 12 complete responses, 21 partial responses, 6 with stable disease, and 15 with progressive disease. Two patients were not evaluable for response having received just one cycle of chemotherapy: if these were excluded the response rate is 61%. Fifteen patients are still alive. Median progression free survival (PFS) was 6.6 months per course of chemotherapy; median overall survival (OAS) for each patient following the start of TCA-directed therapy was 10.4 months (95% confidence interval 7.9-12.8 months). CONCLUSION: The results show similar response rates to previous studies using ATP-TCA directed therapy in recurrent ovarian cancer. The assay shows high evaluability and this study adds weight to the reproducibility of results from different centre
Isospin Physics in Heavy-Ion Collisions at Intermediate Energies
In nuclear collisions induced by stable or radioactive neutron-rich nuclei a
transient state of nuclear matter with an appreciable isospin asymmetry as well
as thermal and compressional excitation can be created. This offers the
possibility to study the properties of nuclear matter in the region between
symmetric nuclear matter and pure neutron matter. In this review, we discuss
recent theoretical studies of the equation of state of isospin-asymmetric
nuclear matter and its relations to the properties of neutron stars and
radioactive nuclei. Chemical and mechanical instabilities as well as the
liquid-gas phase transition in asymmetric nuclear matter are investigated. The
in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections at different isospin states are
reviewed as they affect significantly the dynamics of heavy ion collisions
induced by radioactive beams. We then discuss an isospin-dependent transport
model, which includes different mean-field potentials and cross sections for
the proton and neutron, and its application to these reactions. Furthermore, we
review the comparisons between theoretical predictions and available
experimental data. In particular, we discuss the study of nuclear stopping in
terms of isospin equilibration, the dependence of nuclear collective flow and
balance energy on the isospin-dependent nuclear equation of state and cross
sections, the isospin dependence of total nuclear reaction cross sections, and
the role of isospin in preequilibrium nucleon emissions and subthreshold pion
production.Comment: 101 pages with embedded epsf figures, review article for
"International Journal of Modern Physics E: Nuclear Physics". Send request
for a hard copy to 1/author
Planck Intermediate Results II: Comparison of Sunyaev-Zeldovich measurements from Planck and from the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager for 11 galaxy clusters
A comparison is presented of Sunyaev-Zeldovich measurements for 11 galaxy
clusters as obtained by Planck and by the ground-based interferometer, the
Arcminute Microkelvin Imager. Assuming a universal spherically-symmetric
Generalised Navarro, Frenk & White (GNFW) model for the cluster gas pressure
profile, we jointly constrain the integrated Compton-Y parameter (Y_500) and
the scale radius (theta_500) of each cluster. Our resulting constraints in the
Y_500-theta_500 2D parameter space derived from the two instruments overlap
significantly for eight of the clusters, although, overall, there is a tendency
for AMI to find the Sunyaev-Zeldovich signal to be smaller in angular size and
fainter than Planck. Significant discrepancies exist for the three remaining
clusters in the sample, namely A1413, A1914, and the newly-discovered Planck
cluster PLCKESZ G139.59+24.18. The robustness of the analysis of both the
Planck and AMI data is demonstrated through the use of detailed simulations,
which also discount confusion from residual point (radio) sources and from
diffuse astrophysical foregrounds as possible explanations for the
discrepancies found. For a subset of our cluster sample, we have investigated
the dependence of our results on the assumed pressure profile by repeating the
analysis adopting the best-fitting GNFW profile shape which best matches X-ray
observations. Adopting the best-fitting profile shape from the X-ray data does
not, in general, resolve the discrepancies found in this subset of five
clusters. Though based on a small sample, our results suggest that the adopted
GNFW model may not be sufficiently flexible to describe clusters universally.Comment: update to metadata author list onl
Planck Intermediate Results. IX. Detection of the Galactic haze with Planck
Using precise full-sky observations from Planck, and applying several methods
of component separation, we identify and characterize the emission from the
Galactic "haze" at microwave wavelengths. The haze is a distinct component of
diffuse Galactic emission, roughly centered on the Galactic centre, and extends
to |b| ~35 deg in Galactic latitude and |l| ~15 deg in longitude. By combining
the Planck data with observations from the WMAP we are able to determine the
spectrum of this emission to high accuracy, unhindered by the large systematic
biases present in previous analyses. The derived spectrum is consistent with
power-law emission with a spectral index of -2.55 +/- 0.05, thus excluding
free-free emission as the source and instead favouring hard-spectrum
synchrotron radiation from an electron population with a spectrum (number
density per energy) dN/dE ~ E^-2.1. At Galactic latitudes |b|<30 deg, the
microwave haze morphology is consistent with that of the Fermi gamma-ray "haze"
or "bubbles," indicating that we have a multi-wavelength view of a distinct
component of our Galaxy. Given both the very hard spectrum and the extended
nature of the emission, it is highly unlikely that the haze electrons result
from supernova shocks in the Galactic disk. Instead, a new mechanism for
cosmic-ray acceleration in the centre of our Galaxy is implied.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysic
Planck intermediate results. III. The relation between galaxy cluster mass and Sunyaev-Zeldovich signal
We examine the relation between the galaxy cluster mass M and
Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect signal D_A^2 Y for a sample of 19 objects for
which weak lensing (WL) mass measurements obtained from Subaru Telescope data
are available in the literature. Hydrostatic X-ray masses are derived from
XMM-Newton archive data and the SZ effect signal is measured from Planck
all-sky survey data. We find an M_WL-D_A^2 Y relation that is consistent in
slope and normalisation with previous determinations using weak lensing masses;
however, there is a normalisation offset with respect to previous measures
based on hydrostatic X-ray mass-proxy relations. We verify that our SZ effect
measurements are in excellent agreement with previous determinations from
Planck data. For the present sample, the hydrostatic X-ray masses at R_500 are
on average ~ 20 per cent larger than the corresponding weak lensing masses, at
odds with expectations. We show that the mass discrepancy is driven by a
difference in mass concentration as measured by the two methods, and, for the
present sample, the mass discrepancy and difference in mass concentration is
especially large for disturbed systems. The mass discrepancy is also linked to
the offset in centres used by the X-ray and weak lensing analyses, which again
is most important in disturbed systems. We outline several approaches that are
needed to help achieve convergence in cluster mass measurement with X-ray and
weak lensing observations.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, matches accepted versio
Planck 2015 results. XXIII. The thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect--cosmic infrared background correlation
We use Planck data to detect the cross-correlation between the thermal
Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) effect and the infrared emission from the galaxies that
make up the the cosmic infrared background (CIB). We first perform a stacking
analysis towards Planck-confirmed galaxy clusters. We detect infrared emission
produced by dusty galaxies inside these clusters and demonstrate that the
infrared emission is about 50% more extended than the tSZ effect. Modelling the
emission with a Navarro--Frenk--White profile, we find that the radial profile
concentration parameter is . This indicates
that infrared galaxies in the outskirts of clusters have higher infrared flux
than cluster-core galaxies. We also study the cross-correlation between tSZ and
CIB anisotropies, following three alternative approaches based on power
spectrum analyses: (i) using a catalogue of confirmed clusters detected in
Planck data; (ii) using an all-sky tSZ map built from Planck frequency maps;
and (iii) using cross-spectra between Planck frequency maps. With the three
different methods, we detect the tSZ-CIB cross-power spectrum at significance
levels of (i) 6 , (ii) 3 , and (iii) 4 . We model the
tSZ-CIB cross-correlation signature and compare predictions with the
measurements. The amplitude of the cross-correlation relative to the fiducial
model is . This result is consistent with
predictions for the tSZ-CIB cross-correlation assuming the best-fit
cosmological model from Planck 2015 results along with the tSZ and CIB scaling
relations.Comment: 18 pages, 16 figure
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