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At least 1,477 records · Page 82

STRONG EVOLUTION OF X-RAY ABSORPTION IN THE TYPE IIn SUPERNOVA SN 2010jl

We report two epochs of Chandra-ACIS X-ray imaging spectroscopy of the nearby bright Type IIn supernova SN 2010jl, taken around two months and then a year after the explosion. The majority of the X-ray emission in both spectra is characterized by a high temperature ({approx}> 10 keV) and is likely to be from the forward shocked region resulting from circumstellar interaction. The absorption column density in the first spectrum is high ({approx}10{sup 24} cm{sup -2}), more than three orders of magnitude higher than the Galactic absorption column, and we attribute it to absorption by circumstellar matter. In the second epoch observation, the column density has decreased by a factor of three, as expected for shock propagation in the circumstellar medium. The unabsorbed 0.2-10 keV luminosity at both epochs is {approx}7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 41} erg s{sup -1}. The 6.4 keV Fe line clearly present in the first spectrum is not detected in the second spectrum. The strength of the fluorescent line is roughly that expected for the column density of circumstellar gas, provided the Fe is not highly ionized. There is also evidence for an absorbed power-law component in both spectra, which we attribute to a background ultraluminous X-ray source.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Prediction of condition-specific regulatory genes using machine learning

Recent advances in genomic technologies have generated data on large-scale protein–DNA interactions and open chromatin regions for many eukaryotic species. How to identify condition-specific functions of transcription factors using these data has become a major challenge in genomic research. To solve this problem, we have developed a method called ConSReg, which provides a novel approach to integrate regulatory genomic data into predictive machine learning models of key regulatory genes. Using Arabidopsis as a model system, we tested our approach to identify regulatory genes in data sets from single cell gene expression and from abiotic stress treatments. Our results showed that ConSReg accurately predicted transcription factors that regulate differentially expressed genes with an average auROC of 0.84, which is 23.5–25% better than enrichment-based approaches. To further validate the performance of ConSReg, we analyzed an independent data set related to plant nitrogen responses. ConSReg provided better rankings of the correct transcription factors in 61.7% of cases, which is three times better than other plant tools. We applied ConSReg to Arabidopsis single cell RNA-seq data, successfully identifying candidate regulatory genes that control cell wall formation. Our methods provide a new approach to define candidate regulatory genes using integrated genomic data in plants.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Disentangling spin-orbit coupling and local magnetism in a quasi-two-dimensional electron system

Quantum interference between time-reversed electron paths in two dimensions (2D) leads to the well-known weak localization correction to resistance. If spin-orbit coupling is present, the resistance correction is negative, termed weak antilocalization (WAL). Here, we report the observation of WAL coexisting with exchange coupling between itinerant electrons and localized magnetic moments. We use low-temperature magnetotransport measurements to investigate the quasi-two-dimensional, high-electron-density interface formed between SrTiO 3 and the antiferromagnetic Mott insulator NdTiO 3 . As the magnetic field angle is gradually tilted away from the sample normal, the data reveal the interplay between strong k-cubic Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling and a substantial magnetic exchange interaction from local magnetic regions. The resulting quantum corrections to the conduction are in excellent agreement with existing models and allow sensitive determination of the small magnetic moments (22 μ B on average), their magnetic anisotropy, and mutual coupling strength. Furthermore, this effect is expected to arise in other 2D magnetic materials systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

IceCube high-energy starting event sample: Description and flux characterization with 7.5 years of data

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory has established the existence of a high-energy all-sky neutrino flux of astrophysical origin. This discovery was made using events interacting within a fiducial region of the detector surrounded by an active veto and with reconstructed energy above 60 TeV, commonly known as the high-energy starting event sample (HESE). Here, we revisit the analysis of the HESE sample with an additional 4.5 years of data, newer glacial ice models, and improved systematics treatment. This paper describes the sample in detail, reports on the latest astrophysical neutrino flux measurements, and presents a source search for astrophysical neutrinos. We give the compatibility of these observations with specific isotropic flux models proposed in the literature as well as generic power-law-like scenarios. Assuming ν e :ν μ :ν τ =1:1:1, and an equal flux of neutrinos and antineutrinos, we find that the astrophysical neutrino spectrum is compatible with an unbroken power law, with a preferred spectral index of $2.87_{-0.19}^{+0.20}$ for the 68% confidence interval.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

MoS 2 -supported Au 31 for CO hydrogenation: A first-principle study

While the basal plane of single-layer molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2 ) is inert, attempts have been made to functionalize it chemically through the creation of defects and/or addition of dopants. With nanoparticles as dopants, the authors present density functional theory-based calculations of the hydrogenation of CO on a 31-atom, bilayer Au cluster supported on single-layer MoS 2 (Au31/MoS 2 ). Not surprisingly, the adsorption and reaction of all species involved in the hydrogenation occur at the edges of the cluster—the regions at which the interaction between MoS 2 and the Au cluster is tracked to be the strongest. The authors find two possible mechanisms that lead to the formation of methanol: (1) CO* → CHO* → CH 2 O* → CH 3 O* → CH 3 OH* and (2) CO* → CHO* → HCOH* → CH2OH* → CH3OH*, where * indicates the adsorbed species. Detailed analysis of the reaction pathways, however, does not result in favoring one mechanism over the other. Rather, both mechanisms are facile. In addition, the rate-limiting step in each mechanism is found to be the formation of the formyl radical group (CO* + H* → CHO*).

2D materials↗

Engineered chirality of one-dimensional nanowires

The origin and function of chirality in DNA, proteins, and other building blocks of life represent a central question in biology. Observations of spin polarization and magnetization associated with electron transport through chiral molecules, known collectively as the chiral induced spin selectivity effect, suggest that chirality improves electron transfer. Using reconfigurable nanoscale control over conductivity at the LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 interface, we create chiral electron potentials that explicitly lack mirror symmetry. Quantum transport measurements on these chiral nanowires reveal enhanced electron pairing persisting to high magnetic fields (up to 18 tesla) and oscillatory transmission resonances as functions of both magnetic field and chemical potential. We interpret these resonances as arising from an engineered axial spin-orbit interaction within the chiral region. The ability to create one-dimensional electron waveguides with this specificity creates opportunities to test, via analog quantum simulation, theories about chirality and spin-polarized electron transport in one-dimensional geometries.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Measurement of electroweak production of two jets in association with a Z boson in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=8\,\text {TeV}$

The purely electroweak (EW) cross section for the production of two jets in association with a Z boson, in proton–proton collisions at √s=8TeV, is measured using data recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7fb -1 . We also defined the electroweak cross section for the ℓℓjj final state (with ℓ=e or μ and j representing the quarks produced in the hard interaction) in the kinematic region by M ℓℓ >50 GeV, M jj >120GeV, transverse momentum p Tj >25 GeV, and pseudorapidity |η j |<5, is found to be σ EW (ℓℓjj)=174±15(stat)±40(syst)\,fb, in agreement with the standard model prediction. Finallly, the associated jet activity of the selected events is studied, in particular in a signal-enriched region of phase space, and the measurements are found to be in agreement with QCD predictions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

MicroRNAs form triplexes with double stranded DNA at sequence-specific binding sites; a eukaryotic mechanism via which microRNAs could directly alter gene expression

MicroRNAs are important regulators of gene expression, acting primarily by binding to sequence-specific locations on already transcribed messenger RNAs (mRNA). Recent studies indicate that microRNAs may also play a role in up-regulating mRNA transcription levels, although a definitive mechanism has not been established. Double-helical DNA is capable of forming triple-helical structures through Hoogsteen and reverse Hoogsteen interactions in the major groove of the duplex, and we show physical evidence that microRNAs form triple-helical structures with duplex DNA, and identify microRNA sequences that favor triplex formation. We developed an algorithm (Trident) to search genome-wide for potential triplex-forming sites and show that several mammalian and non-mammalian genomes are enriched for strong microRNA triplex binding sites. We show that those genes containing sequences favoring microRNA triplex formation are markedly enriched (3.3 fold, p<2.2 x 10 -16 ) for genes whose expression is positively correlated with expression of microRNAs targeting triplex binding sequences. As a result, this work has thus revealed a new mechanism by which microRNAs can interact with gene promoter regions to modify gene transcription.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

The structure of fly Teneurin-m reveals an asymmetric self-assembly that allows expansion into zippers

Teneurins are conserved cell adhesion molecules essential for embryogenesis and neural development in animals. Key to teneurin function is the ability of its extracellular region to form homophilic interactions in cis and/or in trans. However, our molecular understanding of teneurin homophilic interaction remains largely incomplete. Here, we showed that an extracellular fragment of Teneurin-m, the major teneurin homolog in flies, behaves as a homodimer in solution. The structure of Teneurin-m revealed that the transthyretin-related domain from one protomer and the β-propeller domain from the other mediates Teneurin-m self-association, which is abolished by point mutation of conserved residues. Strikingly, this architecture generates an asymmetric oligomerization interface that enables expansion of Teneurin-m into long zipper arrays reminiscent of protocadherins. An alternatively spliced site that exists only in vertebrates and regulates homophilic interaction in mammalian teneurins overlaps with the fly Teneurin-m self-association interface. Our work provides a molecular understanding of teneurin homophilic interaction and sheds light on its role in teneurin function throughout evolution.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Dynamical crossover between the infinite-volume and empty-lattice limits of ultra-cold fermions in 1D optical lattices

Unlike typical condensed-matter systems, ultra-cold atoms loaded into optical lattices allow separate control of both the particle number and system size. As a consequence, there are two distinct "thermodynamic” limits that can be defined for these systems: i) ’’infinite-volume limit” at constant finite density, and ii) "empty-lattice limit” at constant particle number. To probe the difference between these two limits and their crossover, we consider a partially occupied lattice and study the transport into the unoccupied region of non-interacting fermions and fermions interacting at the mean-field level. In the infinite-volume limit, a finite steady-state current emerges. On the other hand, in the empty-lattice limit there is no finite steady-state current. By changing the initial filling, we find a smooth crossover between the two limits. Our predictions may be verified using available experimental tools and demonstrate a fundamental difference between isolated small systems such as ultra-cold atoms and conventional condensed-matter systems.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Plug-In Electric Vehicle Showcases: Consumer Experience and Acceptance

In 2016 the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) announced three awardees to hold plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) showcases to demonstrate available technologies and provide a hands-on consumer experience at conveniently located, brand-neutral settings. The events varied in style from long term stationary storefront settings to weekend events at a variety of regional venues. Attendees could interact with the technology through ride-and-drives and longer-term test drives. The events began in the spring of 2017 and continued through 2019.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Structural Diversity of Ultralong CDRH3s in Seven Bovine Antibody Heavy Chains

Antigen recognition by mammalian antibodies represents the most diverse setting for protein-protein interactions, because antibody variable regions contain exceptionally diverse variable gene repertoires of DNA sequences containing combinatorial, non-templated junctional mutational diversity. Some animals use additional strategies to achieve structural complexity in the antibody combining site, and one of the most interesting of these is the formation of ultralong heavy chain complementarity determining region 3 loops in cattle. Repertoire sequencing studies of bovine antibody heavy chain variable sequences revealed that bovine antibodies can contain heavy chain complementarity determining region 3 (CDRH3) loops with 60 or more amino acids, with complex structures stabilized by multiple disulfide bonds. It is clear that bovine antibodies can achieve long, peculiarly structured CDR3s, but the range of diversity and complexity of those structures is poorly understood. We determined the atomic resolution structure of seven ultralong bovine CDRH3 loops. The studies, combined with five previous structures, reveal a large diversity of cysteine pairing variations, and highly diverse globular domains.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

An Analysis Framework for Understanding the Origin of Nuclear Activity in Low-power Radio Galaxies

Using large samples containing nearly 2300 active galaxies of low radio luminosity (1.4 GHz luminosity between 2 × 10{sup 23} and 3 × 10{sup 25} W Hz{sup −1}, essentially low-excitation radio galaxies) at z ≲ 0.3, we present a self-contained analysis of the dependence of the nuclear radio activity on both intrinsic and extrinsic properties of galaxies, with the goal of identifying the best predictors of the nuclear radio activity. While confirming the established result that stellar mass must play a key role on the triggering of radio activities, we point out that for the central, most massive galaxies, the radio activity also shows a strong dependence on halo mass, which is not likely due to enhanced interaction rates in denser regions in massive, cluster-scale halos. We thus further investigate the effects of various properties of the intracluster medium (ICM) in massive clusters on the radio activities, employing two standard statistical tools, principle component analysis and logistic regression. It is found that ICM entropy, local cooling time, and pressure are the most effective in predicting the radio activity, pointing to the accretion of gas cooling out of a hot atmosphere to be the likely origin in triggering such activities in galaxies residing in massive dark matter halos. Our analysis framework enables us to logically discern the mechanisms responsible for the radio activity separately for central and satellite galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Force-free Wave Interaction in Magnetar Magnetospheres: Computational Modeling in Axisymmetry

Abstract Crustal quakes of highly magnetized neutron stars can disrupt their magnetospheres, triggering energetic phenomena like X-ray and fast radio bursts. Understanding plasma wave dynamics in these extreme environments is vital for predicting energy transport across scales to the radiation length. This study models relativistic plasma wave interaction in magnetar magnetospheres with force-free electrodynamics simulations. For propagation along curved magnetic field lines, we observe the continuous conversion of Alfvén waves to fast magnetosonic (FMS) waves. The conversion efficiency can be up to three times higher when counter-propagating Alfvén waves interact in the equatorial region. Alfvén waves generate FMS waves of twice their frequency during their first crossing of the magnetosphere. After the initial transient burst of FMS waves, Alfvén waves convert to FMS waves periodically, generating variations on timescales of the magnetospheric Alfvén wave crossing time. This decaying FMS wave tail carries a significant portion (half) of the total energy emitted. Plastic damping of “bouncing” Alfvén waves by the magnetar crust has minimal impact on the FMS efficiency. We discuss the implications of the identified wave phenomena for magnetar observations. Outgoing FMS waves can develop electric zones, potential sources of coherent radiation. Long wavelength FMS waves could generate FRBs through reconnection beyond the light cylinder.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Representing winter wheat in the Community Land Model (version 4.5)

Winter wheat is a staple crop for global food security, and is the dominant vegetation cover for a significant fraction of Earth's croplands. As such, it plays an important role in carbon cycling and land–atmosphere interactions in these key regions. Accurate simulation of winter wheat growth is not only crucial for future yield prediction under a changing climate, but also for accurately predicting the energy and water cycles for winter wheat dominated regions. We modified the winter wheat model in the Community Land Model (CLM) to better simulate winter wheat leaf area index, latent heat flux, net ecosystem exchange of CO 2 , and grain yield. These included schemes to represent vernalization as well as frost tolerance and damage. We calibrated three key parameters (minimum planting temperature, maximum crop growth days, and initial value of leaf carbon allocation coefficient) and modified the grain carbon allocation algorithm for simulations at the US Southern Great Plains ARM site (US-ARM), and validated the model performance at eight additional sites across North America. We found that the new winter wheat model improved the prediction of monthly variation in leaf area index, reduced latent heat flux, and net ecosystem exchange root mean square error (RMSE) by 41 and 35 % during the spring growing season. The model accurately simulated the interannual variation in yield at the US-ARM site, but underestimated yield at sites and in regions (northwestern and southeastern US) with historically greater yields by 35 %.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

SAIL-Net Raw and Post Corrected POPS Data Fall 2021 - Summer 2023

SAIL-Net is a DOE funded project in the East River Watershed near Crested Butte, Colorado with the goal of advancing our understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions in complex, mountainous regions. Through the deployment of a network of six low cost microphysics nodes in Fall 2021 in the same domain at the SAIL campaign, SAIL-Net provides data on aerosol size distributions, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), and ice nucleation particles (INP). This network enables the investigation of small-scale variations in complex terrain. Two datasets are provided - one containing raw data and the other containing post-corrected data. The raw dataset provides the raw data recorded from the POPS which were deployed at each of the six sites. These data are organized by site and broken down into daily data files. The six site names used here are: “gothic”, “irwin”, “cbtop”, “cbmid”, “pumphouse”, and “snodgrass”. These data are not cleaned or post-corrected, but some flags have been added. The data are reported at 1 second time resolution. The post-corrected dataset provides the post-corrected and cleaned data recorded from the POPS which were deployed at each of the six sites. This data are also organized by site (same as those found in the raw data) and broken down into daily data files. Unlike the raw POPS data, these data have already been cleaned to remove what we believe are bad values. These data should be ready to use with no cleaning. For a full description of the cleaning and post-correction process, see the readme.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

SAIL-Net CloudPuck CCN Data

SAIL-Net is a DOE funded project in the East River Watershed near Crested Butte, Colorado with the goal of advancing our understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions in complex, mountainous regions. Through the deployment of a network of six low cost microphysics nodes in Fall 2021 in the same domain at the SAIL campaign, SAIL-Net provides data on aerosol size distributions, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), and ice nucleations particles (INP). This network enables the investigation of small-scale variations in complex terrain. This specific dataset provides the cleaned data recorded from the CloudPuck, an in house instrument made by Handix Scientific that counts CCN concentrations. The CloudPuck was deployed at the sites for the summer/fall of 2022 before winter conditions were too harsh to maintain the instrument. For more information on the the CloudPuck or how the raw data are processed, see the read me.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗