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At least 127 records · Page 7

Statistical association of QSO's with foreground galaxy clusters

We report a statistically significant overdensity of high redshift quasi-stellar objects (QSO's) in the directions of foreground galaxy clusters. QSO's are taken from the Large Bright QSO Survey (LBQS) between 1.4 less than or equal z less than or equal 2.2 with a limiting magnitude of m(sub B) = 18.5. Foreground clusters are regions within 6 Zwicky radii of small Zwicky clusters at a characteristic redshift of about z approximately = 0.2, covering about 40% of the total area surveyed (304 sq. deg). The overdensity, defined as the ratio of the number density of QSO's in the directions of clusters ('association QSO's) to that in the remainder of the fields ('background QSO's), is equal to 1.7, and formally differs from unity at 4.7 sigma significance. The observed overdensity probably is not due to statistical variation in QSO density, intrinsic QSO-QSO and/or cluster-cluster autocorrelations, or patchy Galactic obscuration. We thus interpret this observation as being due to statistical gravitational lensing of background QSO's by galaxy clusters. However, this amplitude of overdensity behind clusters cannot be accounted for in any cluster lensing model if the background QSO number-magnitude counts are similar to the intrinsic (unlensed) counts, and is implausible in any conventional model of cosmic mass distribution.

Rodrigues-Williams, Liliya L.↗

Leveraging Topological Events in Tracking Graphs for Understanding Particle Diffusion

Abstract Single particle tracking (SPT) of fluorescent molecules provides significant insights into the diffusion and relative motion of tagged proteins and other structures of interest in biology. However, despite the latest advances in high‐resolution microscopy, individual particles are typically not distinguished from clusters of particles. This lack of resolution obscures potential evidence for how merging and splitting of particles affect their diffusion and any implications on the biological environment. The particle tracks are typically decomposed into individual segments at observed merge and split events, and analysis is performed without knowing the true count of particles in the resulting segments. Here, we address the challenges in analyzing particle tracks in the context of cancer biology. In particular, we study the tracks of KRAS protein, which is implicated in nearly 20% of all human cancers, and whose clustering and aggregation have been linked to the signaling pathway leading to uncontrolled cell growth. We present a new analysis approach for particle tracks by representing them as tracking graphs and using topological events – merging and splitting, to disambiguate the tracks. Using this analysis, we infer a lower bound on the count of particles as they cluster and create conditional distributions of diffusion speeds before and after merge and split events. Using thousands of time‐steps of simulated and in‐vitro SPT data, we demonstrate the efficacy of our method, as it offers the biologists a new, detailed look into the relationship between KRAS clustering and diffusion speeds.

McDonald, T.↗

Electronic Structure Theory Calculations Using Modern Architectures: KNL vs Haswell

The time to solution and parallel efficiency of several commonly used electronic structure methods (Hartree–Fock, density functional theory, second order perturbation theory, resolution of the identity second order perturbation theory, coupled cluster) are evaluated on both the Intel Xeon Haswell and the Intel Xeon Phi Knights Landing (KNL) architectures. The Haswell completes the benchmark calculations with a faster time to solution than the KNL for all molecules and methods tested. While the Haswell exhibits an average speedup of at least 3.5 relative to the KNL for all nonthreaded computations, the KNL has a better parallel efficiency than the Haswell with increasing core counts. The architectures are further tested using a more computationally costly coupled cluster method on a transition state reaction. The Haswell appears to be the best choice to minimize the time to solution, though for very large systems and high levels of theory that require memory intensive processes the superior memory hierarchy and larger on node memory of the KNL can make it a better choice. These results are used to showcase aspects of novel architectures that will increase efficiency for quantum chemistry applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Deep ROSAT HRI observations of the Orion nebula region

We present results from three deep ROSAT high-resolution imager observations of the Orion Nebula star-forming region. The X-ray images contain over 1500 cataloged stars in a roughly 0.8 sq deg region centered on the Trapezium. In all, 389 distinct X-ray sources have been detected, at least two-thirds of which are associated with a single proper-motion cluster member. X-ray emission is detected from stars of all spectral types, from massive O- and B-type components of the Trapezium to the coolest, low-mass pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars. In this paper we focus primarily on X-ray emission from the late-type PMS stars. Of the approximately 100 late-type cluster members with measured spectral types, approximately three-fourths have been detected; we have derived X-ray luminosity upper limits for the remaining stars. We found coronal X-ray emission turns on around spectral type F6, with the upper envelope of activity increasing with deceasing effective temperature. When plotted in an X-ray luminosity versus bolometric luminosity diagram, late-type PMS stars lie below a 'saturation' line corresponding to L(sub x)/L(sub bol) approximately 10(exp -3). For approximately solar-mass PMS stars, we find a median X-ray luminosity approximately 1 x 10(exp 30) ergs/s. The late G, K, and M stars exhibit nearly a two order of magnitude spread in X-ray luminosity and in L(sub x)/L(sub bol) at a given effective temperature. Plots of X-ray activity versus v sin i rotational velocity and rotational period appear to show no clear dependence of activity on rotation. However, because only a small fraction of late-type PMS stars in the Orion Nebula have measured v sin i or P(sub rot) and because of uncertainties in L(sub x) and L(sub x)/L(sub bol), we believe the data are not conclusive on this point. Light curves of the detected X-ray sources have revealed at least 10 strong X-ray flares with characteristic rise times greater than or approximately equal to 1 hr and decay times ranging from approximately 2 to 12 hr. All the flares have X-ray energies in excess of 3 x 10(exp 35) ergs. Many of the X-ray sources associated with late-type cluster members have been observed in more than one ROSAT HRI exposure, allowing us to look for variability on the approximately 1 yr timescale between HRI observations. A statistical analysis of the resulting count rate ratios suggests that at least one-fourth of the late-type cluster stars are significantly variable on this timescale.

Gagne, Marc↗

Measures of large-scale structure in the CfA redshift survey slices

Variations of the counts-in-cells with cell size are used here to define two statistical measures of large-scale clustering in three 6 deg slices of the CfA redshift survey. A percolation criterion is used to estimate the filling factor which measures the fraction of the total volume in the survey occupied by the large-scale structures. For the full 18 deg slice of the CfA redshift survey, f is about 0.25 + or - 0.05. After removing groups with more than five members from two of the slices, variations of the counts in occupied cells with cell size have a power-law behavior with a slope beta about 2.2 on scales from 1-10/h Mpc. Application of both this statistic and the percolation analysis to simulations suggests that a network of two-dimensional structures is a better description of the geometry of the clustering in the CfA slices than a network of one-dimensional structures. Counts-in-cells are also used to estimate at 0.3 galaxy h-squared/Mpc the average galaxy surface density in sheets like the Great Wall.

De Lapparent, Valerie↗

Viking Observations of Phobos and Deimos: Preliminary Results

The improved resolution of the Viking images has led to the discovery of a number of unusual surface features on Phobos. The features include elongated rill-like depressions associated with the crater Stickney, chains and clusters of irregular elongated craters, and linear striations or grooves. Crater counts are also considered. A total of 27 craters ranging in size from 0.3 to 1.4 km are visible on the best Deimos frame available. Craters ranging from 50 m to 4.9 km in diameter can be observed on the best of the Phobos images.

Veverka, J.↗

Superclustering in the explosion scenario

A simple toy model is used to study the spatial distribution of rich clusters in a generic type of explosion scenario. The model, parameterized by the distribution of shell radii and the filling factor, places spherical shells at random and identifies each 'knot' as a cluster. The resulting cluster correlation function is close to a power law extending to the diameter of the largest spheres. Richer clusters form at the intersections of bigger shells and so have stronger correlations. Typical shell radii and filling factors are required to produce the observed number density of clusters. Models with a power-law radius distribution also reproduce the richness distribution of clusters in the Abell catalog. Supercluster multiplicity functions, void probabilities, number counts, topology statistics, and velocity correlations confirm the presence of strong superclustering and quantify the non-Gaussian nature of the model.

Weinberg, David H.↗

Periodic X-Ray Emission from the O7 V Star Theta(sup 1) Orionis C

We report the discovery of large-amplitude, periodic X-ray emission from the O7 V star Theta(sup 1) Orionis C, the central star of the Orion Nebula. Ten ROSAT HRI snapshots of the Trapezium cluster taken over the course of 21 days show that the count rate of Theta(sup 1) Ori C varies from 0.26 to 0.41 counts/ s with a clear 15 day period. The soft X-ray variations have the same phase and period as H(alpha) and He II (lambda)4686 variations reported by Stahl et al. and are in antiphase with the C(sub iv) and Si(sub iv) ultraviolet absorption features. We consider five mechanisms which might explain the amplitude, phase, and periodicity of the X-ray variations: (1) colliding-wind emission with an unseen binary companion, (2) coronal emission from an unseen late-type pre-main-sequence star, (3) periodic density fluctuations, (4) absorption of magnetospheric X-rays in a corotating wind, and (5) magnetosphere eclipses. The ROSAT data rule out the first three scenarios but cannot rule out either of the latter two which require the presence of an extended magnetosphere, consistent with the suggestion of Stahl et al. that Theta(sup 1) Ori C is an oblique magnetic rotator. As such, Theta(sup 1) Ori C may be the best example of a high-mass analog to the chemically peculiar, magnetic Bp stars.

Gagne, Marc↗

Platelet cloaking of circulating tumour cells in patients with metastatic prostate cancer: Results from ExPeCT, a randomised controlled trial

Background: Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) represent a morphologically distinct subset of cancer cells, which aid the metastatic spread. The ExPeCT trial aimed to examine the effectiveness of a structured exercise programme in modulating levels of CTCs and platelet cloaking in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Methods: Participants (n = 61) were randomised into either standard care (control) or exercise arms. Whole blood was collected for all participants at baseline (T0), three months (T3) and six months (T6), and analysed for the presence of CTCs, CTC clusters and platelet cloaking. CTC data was correlated with clinico-pathological information. Results: Changes in CTC number were observed within group over time, however no significant difference in CTC number was observed between groups over time. Platelet cloaking was identified in 29.5% of participants. A positive correlation between CTC number and white cell count (WCC) was observed (p = 0.0001), in addition to a positive relationship between CTC clusters and PSA levels (p = 0.0393). Conclusion: The presence of platelet cloaking has been observed in this patient population for the first time, in addition to a significant correlation between CTC number and WCC. Trial registration: ClincalTrials.gov identifier NCT02453139 .

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Descriptors of water aggregation

For this work, we rely on a total of 23 (cluster size, 8 structural, and 14 connectivity) descriptors to investigate structural patterns and connectivity motifs associated with water cluster aggregation. In addition to the cluster size n (number of molecules), the 8 structural descriptors can be further categorized into (i) one-body (intramolecular): covalent OH bond length (r OH ) and HOH bond angle (θ HOH ), (ii) two-body: OO distance (r OO ), OHO angle (θ OHO ), and HOOX dihedral angle ($\phi$ HOOX ), where X lies on the bisector of the HOH angle, (iii) three-body: OOO angle (θ OOO ), and (iv) many-body: modified tetrahedral order parameter (q) to account for two-, three-, four-, five-coordinated molecules (q m , m = 2, 3, 4, 5) and radius of gyration (R g ). The 14 connectivity descriptors are all many-body in nature and consist of the AD, AAD, ADD, AADD, AAAD, AAADD adjacencies [number of hydrogen bonds accepted (A) and donated (D) by each water molecule], Wiener index, Average Shortest Path Length, hydrogen bond saturation (% HB), and number of non-short-circuited three-membered cycles, four-membered cycles, five-membered cycles, six-membered cycles, and seven-membered cycles. We mined a previously reported database of 4 948 959 water cluster minima for (H 2 O) n , n = 3–25 to analyze the evolution and correlation of these descriptors for the clusters within 5 kcal/mol of the putative minima. It was found that r OH and % HB correlated strongly with cluster size n, which was identified as the strongest predictor of energetic stability. Marked changes in the adjacencies and cycle count were observed, lending insight into changes in the hydrogen bond network upon aggregation. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to identify descriptor dependencies and group clusters into specific structural patterns across different cluster sizes. The results of this study inform our understanding of how water clusters evolve in size and what appropriate descriptors of their structural and connectivity patterns are with respect to system size, stability, and similarity. The approach described in this study is general and can be easily extended to other hydrogen-bonded systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Computer Supported Indexing: A History and Evaluation of NASA's MAI System

Computer supported indexing systems may be categorized in several ways. One classification scheme refers to them as statistical, syntactic, semantic or knowledge-based. While a system may emphasize one of these aspects, most systems actually combine two or more of these mechanisms to maximize system efficiency. Statistical systems can be based on counts of words or word stems, statistical association, and correlation techniques that assign weights to word locations or provide lexical disambiguation, calculations regarding the likelihood of word co-occurrences, clustering of word stems and transformations, or any other computational method used to identify pertinent terms. If words are counted, the ones of median frequency become candidate index terms. Syntactical systems stress grammar and identify parts of speech. Concepts found in designated grammatical combinations, such as noun phrases, generate the suggested terms. Semantic systems are concerned with the context sensitivity of words in text. The primary goal of this type of indexing is to identify without regard to syntax the subject matter and the context-bearing words in the text being indexed. Knowledge-based systems provide a conceptual network that goes past thesaurus or equivalent relationships to knowing (e.g., in the National Library of Medicine (NLM) system) that because the tibia is part of the leg, a document relating to injuries to the tibia should he indexed to LEG INJURIES, not the broader MeSH term INJURIES, or knowing that the term FEMALE should automatically be added when the term PREGNANCY is assigned, and also that the indexer should be prompted to add either HUMAN or ANIMAL. Another way of categorizing indexing systems is to identify them as producing either assigned- or derived-term indexes.

Silvester, June P.↗

Two-fluid simulations of galaxy formation

We investigate the formation of galaxies and larger structure with a simulation modeling two gravitationally coupled fluids representing dark matter and baryons. The baryon gas dynamics are calculated with a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method, and the physics modeled includes thermal pressure, shock heating, and radiative cooling. We simulate a 16 Mpc periodic cube with 64(exp 3) particles in each fluid and 10% baryon mass fraction. We confirm, for the first time experimentally, disk formation as a natural consequence of hierarchical clustering in a large-scale cosmological environment. The majority of isolated galaxies exhibit centrifugally supported disks. A power-law relation between cold baryonic mass and maximum rotation velocity is found, M varies as nu(sub rot)(exp alpha) with alpha = 2.5 after correcting for differential numerical resolution. Both the spatial and velocity distributions of the simulated galaxies are biased with respect to the dark matter. A counts-in-cells analysis indicates that an unphysical degree of merging in the central cluster is likely responsible for the antibias signal in the correlation function. A robust, scale-dependent velocity bias is measured. The ratio of galaxy to dark matter pairwise velocity dispersions on a scale of 1 Mpc is 0.7. The amplitude is only mildly dependent on redshift or mass cutoff and scales with separation as r(exp 0.2). The degree to which these results depend on numerical parameters is discussed. Mass resolution plays a key role in controlling the resulting fraction of cold, dense baryons. The mass fraction associated with galaxies decreases by a factor of approximately greater than 3 when the mass per particle is increased by a factor 8. Photoionization and energy input from supernova will have to be included to determine more carefully the fraction of highly dissipated material and the characteristics of the stellar component of galaxies.

Evrard, August E.↗

The Hubble Space Telescope Snapshot Survey. IV - A summary of the search for gravitationally lensed quasars

We report the concluding results of the HST Snapshot Survey for gravitationally lensed quasars. New observations of 153 high-luminosity z above 1 quasars are presented, bringing to 498 the total number of quasars observed in the survey. The new observations do not reveal new candidates for gravitational lensing. We present tables summarizing all of the snapshot observations, with measured V-magnitudes, accurate to 0.1 mag, for each of the quasars successfully observed. The observed frequency of lensing of quasars into multiple images is 3-6 out of 502, depending on whether one counts candidates that are not yet securely confirmed and cases in which clusters play a role. This frequency is in the range predicted by calculations with a vanishing cosmological constant, assuming galaxies can be modeled by unevolving isothermal spheres dominated in their centers by dark matter. The observed frequency is an order of magnitude lower than expected in such models when the universe is strongly dominated by a cosmological constant. This conclusion is, however, sensitive to the model assumptions and to the precise number of actual lensed quasars.

Maoz, D.↗

An analysis of the structure of gamma ray burst time histories

If gamma-ray bursts (GRB) arise from a small number of distinctly different physical phenomena, then this might be revealed by a clustering of time profile characteristics into a small number of groups. A 'spike' counting algorithm was applied to 107 GRB profiles. Graphs of spike frequency and spike amplitude versus burst intensity and duration are presented. So far, no evidence of grouping is seen.

Lestrade, John Patrick↗

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Extragalactic Sources at 148 GHz in the 2008 Survey

We report on extragalactic sources detected in a 455 square-degree map of the southern sky made with data at a frequency of 148 GHz from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope 2008 observing season. We provide a catalog of 157 sources with flux densities spanning two orders of magnitude: from 15 mJy to 1500 mJy. Comparison to other catalogs shows that 98% of the ACT detections correspond to sources detected at lower radio frequencies. Three of the sources appear to be associated with the brightest cluster galaxies of low redshift X-ray selected galaxy clusters. Estimates of the radio to mm-wave spectral indices and differential counts of the sources further bolster the hypothesis that they are nearly all radio sources, and that their emission is not dominated by re-emission from warm dust. In a bright (> 50 mJy) 148 GHz-selected sample with complete cross-identifications from the Australia Telescope 20 GHz survey, we observe an average steepening of the spectra between .5, 20, and 148 GHz with median spectral indices of alp[ha (sub 5-20) = -0.07 +/- 0.06, alpha (sub 20-148) -0.39 +/- 0.04, and alpha (sub 5-148) = -0.20 +/- 0.03. When the measured spectral indices are taken into account, the 148 GHz differential source counts are consistent with previous measurements at 30 GHz in the context of a source count model dominated by radio sources. Extrapolating with an appropriately rescaled model for the radio source counts, the Poisson contribution to the spatial power spectrum from synchrotron-dominated sources with flux density less than 20 mJy is C(sup Sync) = (2.8 +/- 0.3) x 1O (exp-6) micro K(exp 2).

Marriage, T. A.↗

Self-calibrating optical galaxy cluster selection bias using cluster, galaxy, and shear cross-correlations

ABSTRACT The clustering signals of galaxy clusters are powerful tools for self-calibrating the mass–observable relation and are complementary to cluster abundance and lensing. In this work, we explore the possibility of combining three correlation functions – cluster lensing, the cluster–galaxy cross-correlation function, and the galaxy autocorrelation function – to self-calibrate optical cluster selection bias, the boosted clustering and lensing signals in a richness-selected sample mainly caused by projection effects. We develop mock catalogues of redMaGiC-like galaxies and redMaPPer-like clusters by applying halo occupation distribution models to N-body simulations and using counts-in-cylinders around massive haloes as a richness proxy. In addition to the previously known small-scale boost in projected correlation functions, we find that the projection effects also significantly boost three-dimensional correlation functions to scales of 100 $h^{-1} \, \rm Mpc$. We perform a likelihood analysis assuming survey conditions similar to the Dark Energy Survey and show that the selection bias can be self-consistently constrained at the 10 per cent level. We discuss strategies for applying this approach to real data. We expect that expanding the analysis to smaller scales and using deeper lensing data would further improve the constraints on cluster selection bias.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Ensembles of Metastable States Govern Heterogeneous Catalysis on Dynamic Interfaces

Heterogeneous catalysis is at the heart of chemical industry. Being able to tune and design efficient catalysts for processes of interest is of an utmost importance, and for this, the molecular-level understanding of heterogeneous catalysts is the first step, and indeed a prime focus of the modern catalysis research. For a long time, a single most thermodynamically stable structure of the catalytic interface attained in reaction conditions had been envisioned as the reactive phase. However, some catalytic interfaces continue to undergo structural dynamics in the steady state, triggered by high temperatures, pressures, and binding and changing reagents. Among particularly dynamic interfaces are such widely-used catalysts as crystalline and amorphous surfaced supporting (sub-)nano metallic clusters. Recently, it became clear that this dynamic fluxionality causes the supported clusters to populate many distinct structural and stoichiometric states in catalytic conditions. Hence, the catalytic interface should be viewed as an evolving statistical ensemble of many (not one) structures. As such, every member in the ensemble contributes to the properties of the catalyst differently, and in proportion to its probability to be populated. This new notion flips the established paradigm and calls for new theory, modeling approaches, operando measurements, and updated design strategies. The statistical ensemble nature of surface-supported sub-nano cluster catalysts can be exemplified by oxide-supported and adsorbate-covered Pt, Pd, Cu, CuPd clusters, catalytic toward oxidative and non-oxidative dehydrogenation. They have access to a variety of 3D and quasi-2D shapes. The compositions of their thermal ensembles are dependent on the cluster size, leading to size-specific catalytic activities and the famous “every atom counts” phenomenon. The support and adsorbates affect catalyst structures, and state of the reacting species causes the ensemble to change in every reaction intermediate. The most stable member of the ensemble dominates the thermodynamic properties of the corresponding intermediate, whereas the kinetics can be determined by more active but less populated metastable catalyst states, and that suggests that many earlier studies might have overlooked the actual active sites. Both effects depend on the relative time-scales of catalyst restructuring and reaction dynamics. The catalyst may routinely operate off-equilibrium. Ensemble phenomena lead to surprising exceptions from established rules of catalysis, such as scaling relations, and Arrhenius behavior. Catalyst deactivation is also an ensemble property, and its extent of mitigation can be predicted through the new paradigm. These findings were enabled by advances in theory, such as global optimization and subsequent utilization of multiple local minima, and pathways sampling, as well as operando catalyst characterization. The fact that the per-site and per-species resolution is needed for the description and predicting of catalyst properties gives theory the central role in catalysis research, as most experiments provide ensemble-average information and cannot detect the crucial minority species that may be responsible for the catalytic activity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Ultra diffuse galaxies in the MATLAS low-to-moderate density fields

Recent advances in deep dedicated imaging surveys over the past decade have uncovered a surprisingly large number of extremely faint low surface brightness galaxies with large physical sizes called ultra diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in clusters and, more recently, in lower density environments. As part of the Mass Assembly of early-Type GaLAxies with their fine Structures (MATLAS) survey, a deep imaging large program at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), our team has identified 2210 dwarf galaxies, 59 (~3%) of which qualify as UDGs. Averaging over the survey area, we find ~0.4 UDG per square degree. They are found in a range of low to moderate density environments, although 61% of the sample fall within the virial radii of groups. Based on a detailed analysis of their photometric and structural properties, we find that the MATLAS UDGs do not show significant differences from the traditional dwarfs, except from the predefined size and surface brightness cut. Their median color is as red as the one measured in galaxy clusters, albeit with a narrower color range. The majority of the UDGs are visually classified as dwarf ellipticals with log stellar masses of ~6.5 – 8.7. The fraction of nucleated UDGs (~34%) is roughly the same as the nucleated fraction of the traditional dwarfs. Only five (~8%) UDGs show signs of tidal disruption and only two are tidal dwarf galaxy candidates. A study of globular cluster (GC) candidates selected in the CFHT images finds no evidence of a higher GC specific frequency S N for UDGs than for classical dwarfs, contrary to what is found in most clusters. The UDG halo-to-stellar mass ratio distribution, as estimated from the GC counts, peaks at roughly the same value as for the traditional dwarfs, but spans the smaller range of ~10 – 2000. Finally, we interpret these results to mean that the large majority of the field-to-group UDGs do not have a different formation scenario than traditional dwarfs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗