32 research outputs found
Blazar Flaring Rates Measured with GLAST
We derive the minimum observing time scales to detect a blazar at a given
flux level with the LAT on GLAST in the scanning and pointing modes. Based upon
Phase 1 observations with EGRET, we predict the GLAST detection rate of blazar
flares at different flux levels. With some uncertainty given the poor
statistics of bright blazars, we predict that a blazar flare with integral flux
>~ 200e-8 ph(> 100 MeV) cm^{-2} s^{-1}, which are the best candidates for
Target of Opportunity pointings and extensive temporal and spectral studies,
should occur every few days.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, in 2nd VERITAS Symposium on TeV Astrophysiscs,
ed. L. Fortson and S. Swordy, in press, New Astronomy Review
A Search for Ultra-High Energy Counterparts to Gamma-Ray Bursts
A small air shower array operating over many years has been used to search
for ultra-high energy (UHE) gamma radiation ( TeV) associated with
gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the BATSE instrument on the Compton
Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO). Upper limits for a one minute interval after each
burst are presented for seven GRBs located with zenith angles . A excess over background was observed between 10 and
20 minutes following the onset of a GRB on 11 May 1991. The confidence level
that this is due to a real effect and not a background fluctuation is 99.8\%.
If this effect is real then cosmological models are excluded for this burst
because of absorption of UHE gamma rays by the intergalactic radiation fields.Comment: 4 pages LaTeX with one postscript figure. This version does not use
kluwer.sty and will allow automatic postscript generatio
Milagrito: a TeV air-shower array
Milagrito, a large, covered water-Cherenkov detector, was the world's first
air-shower-particle detector sensitive to cosmic gamma rays below 1 TeV. It
served as a prototype for the Milagro detector and operated from February 1997
to May 1998. This paper gives a description of Milagrito, a summary of the
operating experience, and early results that demonstrate the capabilities of
this technique.Comment: 38 pages including 24 figure
Diffuse inverse Compton and synchrotron emission from dark matter annihilations in galactic satellites
Annihilating dark matter particles produce roughly as much power in electrons
and positrons as in gamma ray photons. The charged particles lose essentially
all of their energy to inverse Compton and synchrotron processes in the
galactic environment. We discuss the diffuse signature of dark matter
annihilations in satellites of the Milky Way (which may be optically dark with
few or no stars), providing a tail of emission trailing the satellite in its
orbit. Inverse Compton processes provide X-rays and gamma rays, and synchrotron
emission at radio wavelengths might be seen. We discuss the possibility of
detecting these signals with current and future observations, in particular
EGRET and GLAST for the gamma rays.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figure
A High Statistics Search for Ultra-High Energy Gamma-Ray Emission from Cygnus X-3 and Hercules X-1
We have carried out a high statistics (2 Billion events) search for
ultra-high energy gamma-ray emission from the X-ray binary sources Cygnus X-3
and Hercules X-1. Using data taken with the CASA-MIA detector over a five year
period (1990-1995), we find no evidence for steady emission from either source
at energies above 115 TeV. The derived upper limits on such emission are more
than two orders of magnitude lower than earlier claimed detections. We also
find no evidence for neutral particle or gamma-ray emission from either source
on time scales of one day and 0.5 hr. For Cygnus X-3, there is no evidence for
emission correlated with the 4.8 hr X-ray periodicity or with the occurrence of
large radio flares. Unless one postulates that these sources were very active
earlier and are now dormant, the limits presented here put into question the
earlier results, and highlight the difficulties that possible future
experiments will have in detecting gamma-ray signals at ultra-high energies.Comment: 26 LaTeX pages, 16 PostScript figures, uses psfig.sty to be published
in Physical Review
Sensitization of cervix cancer cells to Adriamycin by Pentoxifylline induces an increase in apoptosis and decrease senescence
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Chemotherapeutic drugs like Adriamycin (ADR) induces apoptosis or senescence in cancer cells but these cells often develop resistance and generate responses of short duration or complete failure. The methylxantine drug Pentoxifylline (PTX) used routinely in the clinics setting for circulatory diseases has been recently described to have antitumor properties. We evaluated whether pretreatment with PTX modifies apoptosis and senescence induced by ADR in cervix cancer cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>HeLa (HPV 18+), SiHa (HPV 16+) cervix cancer cells and non-tumorigenic immortalized HaCaT cells (control) were treated with PTX, ADR or PTX + ADR. The cellular toxicity of PTX and survival fraction were determinated by WST-1 and clonogenic assay respectively. Apoptosis, caspase activation and ADR efflux rate were measured by flow cytometry, senescence by microscopy. IκBα and DNA fragmentation were determinated by ELISA. Proapoptotic, antiapoptotic and senescence genes, as well as HPV-E6/E7 mRNA expression, were detected by time real RT-PCR. p53 protein levels were assayed by Western blot.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>PTX is toxic (WST-1), affects survival (clonogenic assay) and induces apoptosis in cervix cancer cells. Additionally, the combination of this drug with ADR diminished the survival fraction and significantly increased apoptosis of HeLa and SiHa cervix cancer cells. Treatments were less effective in HaCaT cells. We found caspase participation in the induction of apoptosis by PTX, ADR or its combination. Surprisingly, in spite of the antitumor activity displayed by PTX, our results indicate that methylxantine, <it>per se </it>does not induce senescence; however it inhibits senescence induced by ADR and at the same time increases apoptosis. PTX elevates IκBα levels. Such sensitization is achieved through the up-regulation of proapoptotic factors such as <it>caspase </it>and <it>bcl </it>family gene expression. PTX and PTX + ADR also decrease E6 and E7 expression in SiHa cells, but not in HeLa cells. p53 was detected only in SiHa cells treated with ADR.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>PTX is a good inducer of apoptosis but does not induce senescence. Furthermore, PTX reduced the ADR-induced senescence and increased apoptosis in cervix cancer cells.</p
Topical Issues for Particle Acceleration Mechanisms in Astrophysical Shocks
Particle acceleration at plasma shocks appears to be ubiquitous in the
universe, spanning systems in the heliosphere, supernova remnants, and
relativistic jets in distant active galaxies and gamma-ray bursts. This review
addresses some of the key issues for shock acceleration theory that require
resolution in order to propel our understanding of particle energization in
astrophysical environments. These include magnetic field amplification in shock
ramps, the non-linear hydrodynamic interplay between thermal ions and their
extremely energetic counterparts possessing ultrarelativistic energies, and the
ability to inject and accelerate electrons in both non-relativistic and
relativistic shocks. Recent observational developments that impact these issues
are summarized. While these topics are currently being probed by
astrophysicists using numerical simulations, they are also ripe for
investigation in laboratory experiments, which potentially can provide valuable
insights into the physics of cosmic shocks.Comment: 13 pages, no figures. Invited review, accepted for publication in
Astrophysics and Space Science, as part of the HEDLA 2006 conference
proceeding
Milagro limits and HAWC sensitivity for the rate-density of evaporating Primordial Black Holes
postprin
On the sensitivity of the HAWC observatory to gamma-ray bursts
We present the sensitivity of HAWC to Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). HAWC is a very
high-energy gamma-ray observatory currently under construction in Mexico at an
altitude of 4100 m. It will observe atmospheric air showers via the water
Cherenkov method. HAWC will consist of 300 large water tanks instrumented with
4 photomultipliers each. HAWC has two data acquisition (DAQ) systems. The main
DAQ system reads out coincident signals in the tanks and reconstructs the
direction and energy of individual atmospheric showers. The scaler DAQ counts
the hits in each photomultiplier tube (PMT) in the detector and searches for a
statistical excess over the noise of all PMTs. We show that HAWC has a
realistic opportunity to observe the high-energy power law components of GRBs
that extend at least up to 30 GeV, as it has been observed by Fermi LAT. The
two DAQ systems have an energy threshold that is low enough to observe events
similar to GRB 090510 and GRB 090902b with the characteristics observed by
Fermi LAT. HAWC will provide information about the high-energy spectra of GRBs
which in turn could help to understanding about e-pair attenuation in GRB jets,
extragalactic background light absorption, as well as establishing the highest
energy to which GRBs accelerate particles