5,069 research outputs found
Extending emission line Doppler tomography ; mapping modulated line flux
Emission line Doppler tomography is a powerful tool that resolves the
accretion flow in binaries on micro-arcsecond scales using time-resolved
spectroscopy. I present an extension to Doppler tomography that relaxes one of
its fundamental axioms and permits the mapping of time-dependent emission
sources. Significant variability on the orbital period is a common
characteristic of the emission sources that are observed in the accretion flows
of cataclysmic variables and X-ray binaries. Modulation Doppler tomography maps
sources varying harmonically as a function of the orbital period through the
simultaneous reconstruction of three Doppler tomograms. One image describes the
average flux distribution like in standard tomography, while the two additional
images describe the variable component in terms of its sine and cosine
amplitudes. I describe the implementation of such an extension in the form of
the maximum entropy based fitting code MODMAP. Test reconstructions of
synthetic data illustrate that the technique is robust and well constrained.
Artifact free reconstructions of complex emission distributions can be achieved
under a wide range of signal to noise levels. An application of the technique
is illustrated by mapping the orbital modulations of the asymmetric accretion
disc emission in the dwarf nova IP Pegasi.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication in MNRA
HST/FOS Eclipse mapping of IP Pegasi in outburst
We report the results of a time-resolved eclipse mapping of the dwarf nova IP
Pegasi during the decline of its May 1993 outburst from HST/FOS fast
spectroscopy covering 3 eclipses in the ultraviolet spectral range.Comment: 1 page 0 figure
Navigation mechanisms of herring during feeding migration: the role of ecological gradients on an oceanic scale
The feeding migration of Norwegian spring-spawning herring was studied in relation to prey abundance and environmental factors that may affect their feeding migration. Temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a, nitrate concentration, abundance of Calanus finmarchicus, zooplankton biomass, acoustic data on herring and trawl samples were collected during four basin-scale surveys in the Norwegian Sea from April to August 1995. Herring abundance was positively associated with the overwintering population of C. finmarchicus. We suggest that spatial gradients and temporal dynamics of the seasonal ascent of the C. finmarchicus overwintering generation provide stimuli for and affect the feeding migration of herring. The clockwise migration pattern of herring, observed during the 1990s, can be explained by delayed ascent and development of C. finmarchicus toward the west and north in the Norwegian Sea. We further suggest that herring leave a specific area before their zooplankton prey is depleted. The first generation of C. finmarchicus likely has a minor influence in directing the herring feeding migration due to the low abundance of older stages available as prey. The feeding migration was constantly directed toward colder water, and temperature probably has a secondary effect on herring distribution
HST/FOS Time-resolved spectral mapping of IP Pegasi at the end of an outburst
We report an eclipse mapping analysis of time-resolved ultraviolet
spectroscopy covering three eclipses of the dwarf nova IP Pegasi on the late
decline of the 1993 May outburst. The eclipse maps of the first run show
evidence of one spiral arm, suggesting that spiral structures may still be
present in the accretion disc 9 days after the onset of the outburst. In the
spatially resolved spectra the most prominent lines appear in emission at any
radius, being stronger in the inner disc regions. The spectrum of the gas
stream is clearly distinct from the disc spectrum in the intermediate and outer
disc regions, suggesting the occurrence of gas stream overflow. The full width
half maximum of C IV is approximately constant with radius, in contrast to the
expected law for a gas in Keplerian orbits. This line
probably originates in a vertically extended region (chromosphere + disc wind).
The uneclipsed component contributes % of the flux in C IV in the
first run, and becomes negligible in the remaining runs. We fit stellar
atmosphere models to the spatially resolved spectra. The radial run of the disc
color temperature for the three runs is flatter than the expected
law for steady-state optically thick discs models, with
K in the inner regions and K in the outer disc
regions. The solid angles that result from the fits are smaller than expected
from the parameters of the system. The radial run of the solid angle suggests
that the disc is flared in outburst, and decreases in thickness toward the end
of the outburst.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, in press in Astronomy & Astrophysic
Infusing Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Into Science Methods Courses Across Virginia
This article outlines the results of a collaborative study of the effects of infusing problem-based learning (PBL) into K-12 science methods courses across four universities in Virginia. Changes in pre-service teachers\u27 attitudes surrounding science teaching were measured before and after completing a science methods course in which they experienced PBL first-hand as participants, and then practiced designing their own PBL units for use in their future classrooms. The results indicate that exposure to PBL enhances pre-service teachers\u27 knowledge of inquiry methods and self-efficacy in teaching science
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