Observations of the diffuse UV radiation field

Spectra are presented for the diffuse UV radiation field between 1250 to 3100 A from eight different regions of the sky, which were obtained with the Johns Hopkins UVX experiment. UVX flew aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-61C) in January 1986 as part of the Get-Away Special project. The experiment consisted of two 1/4 m Ebert-Fastie spectrometers, covering the spectral range 1250 to 1700 A at 17 A resolution and 1600 to 3100 A at 27 A resolution, respectively, with a field of view of 4 x .25 deg, sufficiently small to pick out regions of the sky with no stars in the line of sight. Values were found for the diffuse cosmic background ranging in intensity from 300 to 900 photons/sq cm/sec/sr/A. The cosmic background is spectrally flat from 1250 to 3100 A, within the uncertainties of each spectrometer. The zodiacal light begins to play a significant role in the diffuse radiation field above 2000 A, and its brightness was determined relative to the solar emission. Observed brightnesses of the zodiacal light in the UV remain almost constant with ecliptic latitude, unlike the declining visible brightnesses, possibly indicating that those (smaller) grains responsible for the UV scattering have a much more uniform distribution with distance from the ecliptic plane than do those grains responsible for the visible scattering

R-matrix calculation of electron collisions with electronically excited O2 molecules

Low-energy electron collisions with O$_2$ molecules are studied using the fixed-bond R-matrix method. In addition to the O$_2$ ${X}^3\Sigma_{g}^-$ ground state, integrated cross sections are calculated for elecron collisions with the ${a}^1\Delta_{g}$ and ${b}^1\Sigma_{g}^+$ excited states of O$_2$ molecules. 13 target electronic states of O$_2$ are included in the model within a valence configuration interaction representations of the target states. Elastic cross sections for the ${a}^1\Delta_{g}$ and ${b}^1\Sigma_{g}^+$ excited states are similar to the cross sections for the ${X}^3\Sigma_{g}^-$ ground state. As in case of excitation from the ${X}^3\Sigma_{g}^-$ state, the O$_2^-$ $\Pi_u$ resonance makes the dominant contribution to excitation cross sections from the ${a}^1\Delta_{g}$ and ${b}^1\Sigma_{g}^+$ states. The magnitude of excitation cross sections from the ${a}^1\Delta_{g}$ state to the ${b}^1\Sigma_{g}^+$ state is about 10 time larger than the corresponding cross sections from the ${X}^3\Sigma_{g}^-$ to the ${b}^1\Sigma_{g}^+$ state. For this ${a}^1\Delta_{g}$ $\to$ ${b}^1\Sigma_{g}^+$ transition, our cross section at 4.5 eV agrees well with the available experimental value. These results should be important for models of plasma discharge chemistry which often requires cross sections between the excited electronic states of O$_2$.Comment: 26 pages, 10 figure

Low and intermediate energy electron collisions with the C2−_2^- molecular anion

Calculations are presented which use the molecular R-matrix with pseudo-states (MRMPS) method to treat electron impact electron detachment and electronic excitation of the carbon dimer anion. Resonances are found above the ionisation threshold of C$_2^-$ with $^1\Sigma^+_g$, $^1\Pi_g$ and $^3\Pi_g$ symmetry. These are shape resonances trapped by the effect of an attractive polarisation potential competing with a repulsive Coulomb interaction. The $\Pi_g$ resonances are found to give structure in the detachment cross section similar to that observed experimentally. Both excitation and detachment cross sections are found to be dominated by large impact parameter collisions whose contribution is modelled using the Born approximation.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures constructed from 8 file

Soft-tissue specimens from pre-European extinct birds of New Zealand

We provide the first complete review of soft tissue remains from New Zealand birds that became extinct prior to European settlement (c. AD 1800). These rare specimens allow insights into the anatomy and appearance of the birds that are not attainable from bones. Our review includes previously unpublished records of ‘lost’ specimens, and descriptions of recently discovered specimens such as the first evidence of soft tissues from the South Island goose (Cnemiornis calcitrans). Overall, the soft tissue remains are dominated by moa (with specimens from each of the six genera), but also include specimens from Finsch's duck (Chenonetta finschi) and the New Zealand owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles novaezealandiae). All desiccated soft tissue specimens that have radiocarbon or stratigraphic dates are late Holocene in age, and most have been found in the semi-arid region of Central Otago

Blind extraction of an exoplanetary spectrum through Independent Component Analysis

Blind-source separation techniques are used to extract the transmission spectrum of the hot-Jupiter HD189733b recorded by the Hubble/NICMOS instrument. Such a 'blind' analysis of the data is based on the concept of independent component analysis. The de-trending of Hubble/NICMOS data using the sole assumption that nongaussian systematic noise is statistically independent from the desired light-curve signals is presented. By not assuming any prior, nor auxiliary information but the data themselves, it is shown that spectroscopic errors only about 10 - 30% larger than parametric methods can be obtained for 11 spectral bins with bin sizes of ~0.09 microns. This represents a reasonable trade-off between a higher degree of objectivity for the non-parametric methods and smaller standard errors for the parametric de-trending. Results are discussed in the light of previous analyses published in the literature. The fact that three very different analysis techniques yield comparable spectra is a strong indication of the stability of these results.Comment: ApJ accepte

Low temperature scattering with the R-matrix method: the Morse potential

Experiments are starting to probe collisions and chemical reactions between atoms and molecules at ultra-low temperatures. We have developed a new theoretical procedure for studying these collisions using the R-matrix method. Here this method is tested for the atom -- atom collisions described by a Morse potential. Analytic solutions for continuum states of the Morse potential are derived and compared with numerical results computed using an R-matrix method where the inner region wavefunctions are obtained using a standard nuclear motion algorithm. Results are given for eigenphases and scattering lengths. Excellent agreement is obtained in all cases. Progress in developing a general procedure for treating ultra-low energy reactive and non-reactive collisions is discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, conferenc

A bittern (Aves: Ardeidae) from the Early Miocene of New Zealand

Author version made available in accordance with Publisher copyright policy

Algebraic-matrix calculation of vibrational levels of triatomic molecules

We introduce an accurate and efficient algebraic technique for the computation of the vibrational spectra of triatomic molecules, of both linear and bent equilibrium geometry. The full three-dimensional potential energy surface (PES), which can be based on entirely {\it ab initio} data, is parameterized as a product Morse-cosine expansion, expressed in bond-angle internal coordinates, and includes explicit interactions among the local modes. We describe the stretching degrees of freedom in the framework of a Morse-type expansion on a suitable algebraic basis, which provides exact analytical expressions for the elements of a sparse Hamiltonian matrix. Likewise, we use a cosine power expansion on a spherical harmonics basis for the bending degree of freedom. The resulting matrix representation in the product space is very sparse and vibrational levels and eigenfunctions can be obtained by efficient diagonalization techniques. We apply this method to carbonyl sulfide OCS, hydrogen cyanide HCN, water H$_2$O, and nitrogen dioxide NO$_2$. When we base our calculations on high-quality PESs tuned to the experimental data, the computed spectra are in very good agreement with the observed band origins.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, containg additional supporting information in epaps.ps (results in tables, which are useful but not too important for the paper

Calibration of a two-phase xenon time projection chamber with a 37^{37}Ar source

We calibrate a two-phase xenon detector at 0.27 keV in the charge channel and at 2.8 keV in both the light and charge channels using a $^{37}$Ar source that is directly released into the detector. We map the light and charge yields as a function of electric drift field. For the 2.8 keV peak, we calculate the Thomas-Imel box parameter for recombination and determine its dependence on drift field. For the same peak, we achieve an energy resolution, $E_{\sigma}/E_{mean}$, between 9.8% and 10.8% for 0.1 kV/cm to 2 kV/cm electric drift fields.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure

Miocene fossils show that kiwi (Apteryx, Apterygidae) are probably not phyletic dwarves

Copyright 2013 © Verlag Naturhistorisches Museum. Published version of the paper reproduced here with permission from the publisher. Publisher website: http://www.nhm-wien.ac.at/Until now, kiwi (Apteryx, Apterygidae) have had no pre-Quaternary fossil record to inform on the timing of their arrival in New Zealand or on their inter-ratite relationships. Here we describe two fossils in a new genus of apterygid from Early Miocene sediments at St Bathans, Central Otago, minimally dated to 19–16 Ma. The new fossils indicate a markedly smaller and possibly volant bird, supporting a possible overwater dispersal origin to New Zealand of kiwi independent of moa. If the common ancestor of this early Miocene apterygid species and extant kiwi was similarly small and volant, then the phyletic dwarfing hypothesis to explain relatively small body size of kiwi compared with other ratites is incorrect. Apteryx includes five extant species distributed on North, South, Stewart and the nearshore islands of New Zealand. They are nocturnal, flightless and comparatively large birds, 1–3 kg, with morphological attributes that reveal an affinity with ratites, but others, such as their long bill, that differ markedly from all extant members of that clade. Although kiwi were long considered most closely related to sympatric moa (Dinornithiformes), all recent analyses of molecular data support a closer affinity to Australian ratites (Casuariidae). Usually assumed to have a vicariant origin in New Zealand (ca 80–60 Ma), a casuariid sister group relationship for kiwi, wherein the common ancestor was volant, would more easily allow a more recent arrival via overwater dispersal