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At least 343 records · Page 19

The miniJPAS survey: AGN and host galaxy coevolution of X-ray-selected sources

Studies indicate strong evidence of a scaling relation in the local Universe between the supermassive black hole mass (MBH) and the stellar mass of their host galaxies (M * ). They even show similar histories across cosmic times of their differential terms: the star formation rate (SFR) and black hole accretion rate (BHAR). However, a clear picture of this coevolution is far from being understood. We selected an X-ray sample of active galactic nuclei (AGN) up to z = 2.5 in the miniJPAS footprint. Their X-ray to infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) have been modeled with the CIGALE code, constraining the emission to 68 bands, from which 54 are the narrow filters from the miniJPAS survey. For a final sample of 308 galaxies, we derived their physical properties, such as their M * , SFR, star formation history (SFH), and the luminosity produced by the accretion process of the central BH (L AGN ). For a subsample of 113 sources, we also fit their optical spectra to obtain the gas velocity dispersion from the broad emission lines and estimated the M BH . We calculated the BHAR in physical units depending on two radiative efficiency regimes. We find that the Eddington ratios (λ Edd ) and its popular proxy (L X /M * ) have a difference of 0.6 dex, on average, and a KS test indicates that they come from different distributions. Our sources exhibit a considerable scatter on the MBH - M * scaling relation, which can explain the difference between λ Edd and its proxy. We also modeled three evolution scenarios for each source to recover the integral properties at z = 0. Using the SFR and BHAR, we show a notable diminution in the scattering between MBH - M * . For the last scenario, we considered the SFH and a simple energy budget for the AGN accretion, and we retrieved a relation similar to the calibrations known for the local Universe. Our study covers ~1 deg 2 in the sky and is sensitive to biases in luminosity. Nevertheless, we show that, for bright sources, the link between the differential values (SFR and BHAR) and their decoupling based on an energy limit is the key that leads to the local M BH - M * scaling relation. In the future, we plan to extend this methodology to a thousand degrees of the sky using JPAS with an X-ray selection from eROSITA, to obtain an unbiased distribution of BHAR and Eddington ratios.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Impact of proton irradiation on conductivity and deep level defects in β-Ga 2 O 3

Single crystalline bulk and epitaxially grown gallium oxide (β–Ga 2 O 3 ) was irradiated by 0.6 and 1.9 MeV protons to doses ranging from 5 × 10 9 to 6 × 10 14 cm -2 in order to study the impact on charge carrier concentration and electrically active defects. Samples irradiated to doses at or above 2 × 10 13 cm -2 showed a complete removal of free charge carriers in their as-irradiated state, whereas little or no influence was observed below doses of 6 × 10 12 cm -2 . From measurements at elevated temperatures, a thermally activated recovery process is seen for the charge carriers, where the activation energy for recovery follow a second-order kinetics with an activation energy of ~1.2 eV. Combining the experimental results with hybrid functional calculations, we propose that the charge carrier removal can be explained by Fermi-level pinning far from the conduction band minimum (CBM) due to gallium interstitials (Ga i ), vacancies (V Ga ), and antisites (Ga O ), while migration and subsequent passivation of V Ga via hydrogen-derived or V O defects may be responsible for the recovery. Following the recovery, deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) reveals generation of two deep levels, with energy positions around 0.75 and 1.4 eV below the CBM. Of these two levels, the latter is observed to disappear after the initial DLTS measurements, while the concentration of the former increases. Here, we discuss candidate possibilities and suggest that the origins of these levels are more likely due to a defect complex than an isolated point defect.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Multi-omics of NET formation and correlations with CNDP1, PSPB, and L-cystine levels in severe and mild COVID-19 infections

We report that we performed a multi-omics analysis of an immunologically naïve SARS-CoV-2 clinical cohort to characterize overall changes in plasma among control (uninfected), mild, and severe infections. A comparison of healthy controls and patient samples showed activation of neutrophil degranulation pathways. Consistent with this observation, we characterized neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) complexes that were partially initiated in a subset of the mild infections (showing partially formed NETs) and fully-formed NETs in a subset of severe infections (containing multiple NET proteins in individual patient samples). As a potential mechanism to suppress NET formation, multiple redox enzymes were elevated in the mild and severe population. Analysis of metabolites from the same cohort showed a 24 and 60-fold elevation in plasma L-cystine, the oxidized form of cysteine and substrate of the powerful antioxidant glutathione in mild and severe patients, respectively. Unique to patients with mild infections, the carnosine dipeptidase modifying enzyme (CNDP1) was up-regulated. The strong protein and metabolite oxidation signatures suggest multiple compensatory pathways working to suppress both free radical and NET formation in SARS-CoV-2 infections.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

The South Pole Telescope AGN Monitoring Campaign: First Release of SPTpol Bright AGN Light Curves

The South Pole Telescope (SPT) collaboration has recently embarked upon a campaign to monitor the brightness of a sample of active galactic nuclei (AGN), both in real time and in archival SPT data. The original design of the SPT was optimized for observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at arc-minute and larger angular scales, and it has been used for this purpose for nearly twenty years, using three generations of CMB cameras. Recently it has been recognized that data from CMB experiments have the potential to be used for AGN monitoring. In this paper, we present the first public release of data from a full sample of SPT-monitored AGN, comprising 158 AGN light curves and associated data from the SPTpol camera, which was operational from 2012-2016. These light curves were created using observations from the SPTpol 500 deg$^{2}$ survey, in which the instrument was used to scan a 500 deg$^2$ patch of the sky several times per day with detectors sensitive to radiation in bands centered at 90 and 150 GHz. We provide a comprehensive description of the observations, the data processing methods, and the resulting light curve catalog. As an example of analyses that these data enable, we searched for a correlation between variability and spectral index, and we looked for ``bluer-when-brighter'' trends in the sample. Our analysis finds $> 10 σ$ correlation between fractional intrinsic variance and mean spectral index in the sample, but no significant evidence for bluer-when-brighter trends. The datasets from this study can be accessed through the SPT Treasury Record of AGN With Historical Activity and Time-Series or STRAWHAT catalog. This initial data release includes SPTpol light curves at 90 and 150 GHz, focusing on total intensity. In later updates, SPTpol polarization data and new observations from the SPT-3G instrument at 90, 150, and 220 GHz will be included.

Hood, J.C., II [Chicago U., KICP; Chicago U., Astr↗

Ice Recrystallization Inhibition Activity of Soy Protein Hydrolysates

Identifying and developing ice recrystallization inhibitors from sustainable food proteins such as soy protein isolate (SPI) can lead to practical applications in both pharmaceutical and food industries. Here, the objective of this study was to investigate the ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) activity of SPI hydrolysates, and this was achieved by using an IRI activity-guided fractionation approach and relating IRI activity to interfacial molecular activity measured by vibrational sum frequency generation (VSFG). In addition, the impact of molecular weight (MW) and enzyme specificity was analyzed using three different proteases (Alcalase, trypsin, and pancreatin) and varying hydrolysis times. Using preparative chromatography, hydrolysates from each enzyme treatment were fractionated into five different MW fractions (F1–F5), which were then characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). All SPI hydrolysates had IRI activity, resulting in a 57–29% ice crystal diameter reduction when compared to native SPI. The F1 fraction (of 4–14 kDa) was most effective among all tested hydrolysates, while the lower MW peptide fractions lacked activity. One sample (SPI-ALC 20-F1) had a 52% reduction of ice crystal size at a lower concentration of 2% compared to the typical 4% used. SFG showed a difference in H-bonding and hydrophobic interactions of the molecules on the water/air interface, which may be linked to IRI activity. This study demonstrates for the first time the ability of SPI hydrolysates to inhibit ice crystal growth and the potential application of SFG to study molecular interaction at the interface that may help illustrate the mechanism of action.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

X-ray Properties of an Unbiased Hard X-ray Detected Sample of AGN

The SWIFT gamma ray observatory's Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) has detected a sample of active galactic nuclei (AGN) based solely on their hard X-ray flux (14-195keV). In this paper, we present for the first time XMM-Newton X-ray spectra for 22 BAT AGXs with no previously analyzed X-ray spectra. If our sources are a representative sample of the BAT AGN, as we claim, our results present for the first time global X-ray properties of an unbiased towards absorption (n(sub H) < 3 x 10(exp 25)/sq cm), local (< z >= 0.03), AGN sample. We find 9/22 low absorption (n(sub H) < 10(exp 23)/sq cm), simple power law model sources, where 4 of these sources have a statistically significant soft component. Among these sources, we find the presence of a warm absorber statistically significant for only one Seyfert 1 source, contrasting with the ASCA results of Reynolds (1997) and George et al. (1998), who find signatures of warm absorption in half or more of their Seyfert 1 samples at similar redshifts. Additionally, the remaining sources (13122) have more complex spectra, well-fit by an absorbed power law at E > 2.0 keV. Five of the complex sources (NGC 612, ESO 362-G018, MRK 417, ESO 506-G027, and NGC 6860) are classified as Compton-thick candidates. Further, we find four more sources (SWIFT J0641.3+3257, SWIFT J0911.2+4533, SWIFT J1200.8+0650, and NGC 4992) with properties consistent with the hidden/buried AGN reported by Ueda et al. (2007). Finally, we include a comparison of the XMM EPIC spectra with available SWIFT X-ray Telescope (XRT) observations. From these comparisons, we find 6/16 sources with varying column densities, 6/16 sources with varying power law indices, and 13/16 sources with varying fluxes, over periods of hours to months. Flux and power law index are correlated for objects where both parameters vary.

Winter, Lisa M.↗

X-ray variability and the inner region in active galactic nuclei

We present theoretical models of X-ray variability attributable to orbital signatures from an accretion disk including emission region size, quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), and its quality factor Q, and the emergence of a break frequency in the power spectral density shape. We find a fractional variability amplitude of F{sub var}∝M{sub ∙}{sup −0.4}. We conduct a time series analysis on X-ray light curves (0.3-10 keV) of a sample of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). A statistically significant bend frequency is inferred in 9 of 58 light curves (16%) from 3 AGNs for which the break timescale is consistent with the reported BH spin but not with the reported BH mass. Upper limits of 2.85 × 10{sup 7} M {sub ☉} in NGC 4051, 8.02 × 10{sup 7} M {sub ☉} in MRK 766, and 4.68 × 10{sup 7} M {sub ☉} in MCG-6-30-15 are inferred for maximally spinning BHs. For REJ 1034+396 where a QPO at 3733 s was reported, we obtain an emission region size of (6-6.5) M and a BH spin of a ≲ 0.08. The relativistic inner region of a thin disk, dominated by radiation pressure and electron scattering, is likely to host the orbital features as the simulated Q ranges from 6.3 × 10{sup –2} to 4.25 × 10{sup 6}, containing the observed Q. The derived value of Q ∼ 32 for REJ 1034+396 therefore suggests that the AGN hosts a thin disk.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The BioSensor Instrument Beyond LEIA: a Versatile Platform for Lunar Biology

Introduction: The BioSensor is a deep-space-compatible automated microfluidic culturing instrument. While originally designed to measure the effects of deep space radiation on yeast growth for the BioSentinel mission, it has the potential to host a diverse range of life science experiments with single- and/or multi-celled organisms and can be adapted to interface with a diverse range of platforms in both crewed and uncrewed settings. It is therefore a leading candidate for hosting life sciences experimentation associated with a lunar surface habitat. BioSensor design: The function of the BioSensor is to monitor the growth and metabolic activity of samples in batch fluidic culture, without the need for crew involvement. The current configuration houses organisms in 16 wells within 16 microfluidic cards, accommodating a total of 256 samples, replicates, and controls. Each well has an optical system including three LEDs and a photodiode detector to measure absorbance at three wavelengths, enabling measurement of optical density, color change in dyes such as alamarBlue, and bioproduction of pigmented compounds. Organisms are loaded into fluidic wells and air-dried for storage during integration, launch, and transit, then activated by the introduction of culture medium from storage bags via manifolds that fill one card at a time. Temperature is controlled by individual card heaters, and timing of all activities (fluidics fills, optical measurements, temperatures) is directed by an experiment script. The self-contained BioSensor payload is roughly 4U in volume; with electrical/mechanical/thermal interface, e.g. for operation on ISS or a lunar lander, as well as a linear energy-transfer (LET) charged-particle radiation spectrometer, the entire system is closer to 6U. BioSentinel and LEIA: Flown on the ISS and in a deep-space free flyer for BioSentinel, the BioSensor has been modified for use in the LEIA mission, including improvements to reduce the sensitivity to lengthy launch delays. LEIA will monitor yeast growth in the radiation and reduced-gravity environment of the lunar surface no earlier than 2026, on a CLPS lander [4]. Changes include accommodating additional culture media and an additional LED color for a new biological assay (bioproduction of carotenoids-- dietary antioxidants), as well as modifications to the housing to allow late-load biology changeout and improved isolation between fluidics and electronics. Future prospects: Future work with the BioSensor, beyond LEIA, will include expanding the range and diversity of organisms and assays accommodated. Preliminary work has demonstrated the growth of Arabidopsis seedlings in BioSensor fluidic cards, including optical measurements of growth rate over time. Minor modifications could allow measurement of phenotypes related to photosynthetic capacity in both plants and cyanobacteria. The experimental capabilities of the BioSensor could be dramatically increased by introducing the capability for fluorescence measurements, and/or the design of novel biological assays using luminescence. The BioSensor can also be adapted for new platforms and experiment settings; in addition to free-flyer, ISS, and CLPS lander, a preliminary design concept has been developed for crewed deployment directly to the lunar surface. The instrument could be accommodated inside a lunar habitat, where its automated operation would make it an excellent candidate for experiments from fundamental investigations into the response of organisms to lunar surface conditions to applied-science purposes such as screening engineered strains of various organisms for bioproduction capability.

J A Lee↗

Robotic Mars Sample Return and Earth entry vehicle concept development

NASA has studied potential Mars Sample Return over many decades, and the most recent Planetary Science Decadal Survey recommended making significant progress on this topic one of its highest priority goals. Recent inter-agency discussions and scientific support are lending credence to current Mars Sample Return planning activities, which notionally target launch of Sample Retrieval Lander and Earth Return Orbiter flight elements in 2026, and return of Martian samples to Earth in 2031. As part of the Mars Sample Return architecture under consideration, an Earth Entry Vehicle would perform the final phase by protecting the samples through severe entry environments using a 60-deg. sphere-cone flying on a passive/ballistic trajectory. The Earth Entry Vehicle design activities in particular are considering a variety of potential challenges, including: minimizing vehicle mass due to the need to travel to Mars and back to Earth, vehicle robustness to Micrometeroid and Orbital Debris impacts, capability to withstand severe entry environments while minimizing landing ellipse size, and providing impact load attenuation during a high-speed landing to meet Martian sample tube load limits and ensure sample containment in off-nominal scenarios. The present work provides a snapshot of current study work in progress, and highlights paths being taken to address these various design challenges for the conceptual Earth Entry Vehicle.

Corliss, James↗

Study of the VOC emissions from a municipal solid waste storage pilot-scale cell: Comparison with biogases from municipal waste landfill site

Highlights: > Follow-up of the emission of VOCs in a municipal waste pilot-scale cell during the acidogenesis and acetogenesis phases. > Study from the very start of waste storage leading to a better understanding of the decomposition/degradation of waste. > Comparison of the results obtained on the pilot-scale cell with those from 3 biogases coming from the same landfill site. > A methodology of characterization for the progression of the stabilization/maturation of waste is finally proposed. - Abstract: The emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from municipal solid waste stored in a pilot-scale cell containing 6.4 tonnes of waste (storage facility which is left open during the first period (40 days) and then closed with recirculation of leachates during a second period (100 days)) was followed by dynamic sampling on activated carbon and analysed by GC-MS after solvent extraction. This was done in order to know the VOC emissions before the installation of a methanogenesis process for the entire waste mass. The results, expressed in reference to toluene, were exploited during the whole study on all the analyzable VOCs: alcohols, ketones and esters, alkanes, benzenic and cyclic compounds, chlorinated compounds, terpene, and organic sulphides. The results of this study on the pilot-scale cell are then compared with those concerning three biogases from a municipal waste landfill: biogas (1) coming from waste cells being filled or recently closed, biogas (2) from all the waste storage cells on site, and biogas (3) which is a residual gas from old storage cells without aspiration of the gas. The analysis of the results obtained revealed: (i) a high emission of VOCs, principally alcohols, ketones and esters during the acidogenesis; (ii) a decrease in the alkane content and an increase in the terpene content were observed in the VOCs emitted during the production of methane; (iii) the production of heavier alkanes and an increase in the average number of carbon atoms per molecule of alkane with the progression of the stabilisation/maturation process were also observed. Previous studies have concentrated almost on the analysis of biogases from landfills. Our research aimed at gaining a more complete understanding of the decomposition/degradation of municipal solid waste by measuring the VOCs emitted from the very start of the landfill process i.e. during the acidogenesis and acetogenesis phases.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

The SOUX AGN sample: SDSS– XMM-Newton optical, ultraviolet, and X-ray selected active galactic nuclei spanning a wide range of parameter space – sample definition

Abstract We assemble a sample of 696 type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGN) up to a redshift of z = 2.5, all of which have an SDSS spectrum containing at least one broad emission line (H α, H β, or Mg ii) and an XMM-Newton X-ray spectrum containing at least 250 counts in addition to simultaneous optical/ultraviolet photometry from the XMM Optical Monitor. Our sample includes quasars and narrow-line Seyfert 1s: thus our AGN span a wide range in luminosity, black hole mass, and accretion rate. We determine single-epoch black hole mass relations for the three emission lines and find that they provide broadly consistent mass estimates whether the continuum or emission line luminosity is used as the proxy for the broad emission line region radius. We explore variations of the UV/X-ray energy index αox with the UV continuum luminosity and with black hole mass and accretion rate, and make comparisons to the physical quasar spectral energy distribution model qsosed. The majority of the AGN in our sample lie in a region of parameter space with 0.02 < L/LEdd < 2 as defined by this model, with narrow-line type 1 AGN offset to lower masses and higher accretion rates than typical broad-line quasars. We find differences in the dependence of αox on UV luminosity between both narrow/broad-line and radio-loud/quiet subsets of AGN: αox has a slightly weaker dependence on UV luminosity for broad-line AGN and radio-loud AGN have systematically harder αox.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Thermal history effects on electrical relaxation and conductivity for potassium silicate glass with low alkali concentrations

Electrical response measurements from 10 Hz to 100 kHz between 120 and 540 C were made on potassium-silicate glasses with alkali oxide contents of 2, 3, 5 and 10 mol percent. Low alkali content glasses were chosen in order to try to reduce the Coulombic interactions between alkali ions to the point that frozen structural effects from the glass could be observed. Conductivity and electrical relaxation responses for both annealed and quenched glasses of the same composition were compared. Lower DC conductivity (sigma(sub DC)) activation energies were measured for the quenched compared to the annealed glasses. The two glasses with the lowest alkali contents exhibited a non-Arrhenius concave up curvature in the log(sigma(sub DC)) against 1/T plots, which decreased upon quenching. A sharp decrease in sigma(sub DC) was observed for glasses containing K2O concentrations of 5 mol percent or less. The log modulus loss peak (M'') maximum frequency plots against 1/T all showed Arrhenius behavior for both annealed and quenched samples. The activation energies for these plots closely agreed with the sigma(sub DC) activation energies. A sharp increase in activation energy was observed for both series as the potassium oxide concentration decreased. Changes in the electrical response are attributed to structural effects due to different alkali concentrations. Differences between the annealed and quenched response are linked to a change in the distribution of activation energies (DAE).

Angel, Paul W.↗

BATSE Observations of the Piccinotti Sample of AGN II: Variability and Spectral Analysis

The Piccinotti sample is the hard x-ray-selected sample of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) best studied at energies below approximately 10 keV. It represents the only unbiased and complete high-energy survey of the sky down to a limiting flux of 3.1 x 10(exp -11) per square erg per second. As such, it has been used to study AGN properties such as X-ray spectral characteristics, log N-log S relation, and luminosity function. The BATSE data provide, for the first time, a systematic coverage of the whole sample at high energies. BATSE data from nearly four years of observations (1993 November - 1997 September) were analyzed using standard BATSE occultation analysis software to extract a signal from sources in the Piccinotti sample. Although the BATSE sensitivity for individual source measurements is relatively poor on short time scales, the near all-sky coverage and long CGRO lifetime allows us to improve our sensitivity considerably by sumrr~ng data over many years. This significantly reduces our statistical errors at the expense of loss of temporal information. However, the systematic errors associated with the summation of data over such a long period are not negligible, and the study of systematic effects was a major part of our effort. We evaluated two types of systematic error: those affecting the overall normalization (which are important for comparison with other instruments) and those affecting the size of the fluctuations (which are relevant for estimating the confidence level of a detection). The former was studied by comparison of BATSE data with other instruments, primarily CGRO/OSSE. The results indicate that our absolute flux values maybe overestimated by as much as 35% for some sources. However, since this does not affect our estimation of the detection confidence, we made no corrections to our flux estimates.

Paciesas, William S.↗

Rare earths, other trace elements and iron in Luna 20 samples.

The results of the analysis by neutron activation of six samples from the Luna 20 mission and one sample of less than 1 mm fines from Apollo 16 are reported. The concentrations of the rare-earth elements (REE) in the samples of fines from Luna 20 and Apollo 16 are less than those found for corresponding materials from the mare areas but a negative Eu anomaly is still present. The concentrations of the REE in fines from Luna 20 are only about two-thirds as great as in the sample of Apollo 16 fines, but the concentration of Co, Sc and Cr are greater by factors ranging from 1.5 to 2.3.

Helmke, P. A.↗

Trace-element analysis of 1000 environmental samples per year using instrumental neutron activation analysis

The technology and methods developed at the Plum Brook Reactor to analyze 1000 samples per year and report data on as many as 56 elements are described. The manpower for the complete analysis of 20 to 24 samples per week required only 3 to 3.5 hours per sample. The solutions to problems encountered in sample preparation, irradiation, and counting are discussed. The automation of data reduction is described. Typical data on various sample matrices are presented.

Sheibley, D. W.↗

Integrated imaging sensor systems with CMOS active pixel sensor technology

This paper discusses common approaches to CMOS APS technology, as well as specific results on the five-wire programmable digital camera-on-a-chip developed at JPL. The paper also reports recent research in the design, operation, and performance of APS imagers for several imager applications.

double sampling↗

NATALIE: A 32 detector integrated acquisition system to characterize laser produced energetic particles with nuclear techniques

We present a stand-alone system to characterize the high-energy particles emitted in the interaction of ultrahigh intensity laser pulses with matter. According to the laser and target characteristics, electrons or protons are produced with energies higher than a few mega electron volts. Selected material samples can, therefore, be activated via nuclear reactions. A multidetector, named NATALIE, has been developed to count the {beta}{sup +} activity of these irradiated samples. The coincidence technique used, designed in an integrated system, results in very low background in the data, which is required for low activity measurements. It, therefore, allows a good precision on the nuclear activation yields of the produced radionuclides. The system allows high counting rates and online correction of the dead time. It also provides, online, a quick control of the experiment. Geant4 simulations are used at different steps of the data analysis to deduce, from the measured activities, the energy and angular distributions of the laser-induced particle beams. Two applications are presented to illustrate the characterization of electrons and protons.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗