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At least 1,711 records · Page 95

Planck 2018 results XI. Polarized dust foregrounds

The study of polarized dust emission has become entwined with the analysis of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization in the quest for the curl-like B-mode polarization from primordial gravitational waves and the low-multipole E-mode polarization associated with the reionization of the Universe. We used the new Planck PR3 maps to characterize Galactic dust emission at high latitudes as a foreground to the CMB polarization and use end-to-end simulations to compute uncertainties and assess the statistical significance of our measurements. We present Planck EE, BB, and TE power spectra of dust polarization at 353 GHz for a set of six nested high-Galactic-latitude sky regions covering from 24 to 71% of the sky. We present power-law fits to the angular power spectra, yielding evidence for statistically significant variations of the exponents over sky regions and a difference between the values for the EE and BB spectra, which for the largest sky region are α EE = -2.42 ± 0.02 and α BB = -2.54 ± 0.02, respectively. The spectra show that the TE correlation and E/B power asymmetry discovered by Planck extend to low multipoles that were not included in earlier Planck polarization papers due to residual data systematics. We also report evidence for a positive TB dust signal. Combining data from Planck and WMAP, we have determined the amplitudes and spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of polarized foregrounds, including the correlation between dust and synchrotron polarized emission, for the six sky regions as a function of multipole. This quantifies the challenge of the component-separation procedure that is required for measuring the low-ℓ reionization CMB E-mode signal and detecting the reionization and recombination peaks of primordial CMB B modes. The SED of polarized dust emission is fit well by a single-temperature modified black-body emission law from 353 GHz to below 70 GHz. For a dust temperature of 19.6 K, the mean dust spectral index for dust polarization is β d P = 1.53±0.02. The difference between indices for polarization and total intensity is β d P -β d I = 0.05±0.03. By fitting multi-frequency cross-spectra between Planck data at 100, 143, 217, and 353 GHz, we examine the correlation of the dust polarization maps across frequency. We find no evidence for a loss of correlation and provide lower limits to the correlation ratio that are tighter than values we derive from the correlation of the 217- and 353 GHz maps alone. If the Planck limit on decorrelation for the largest sky region applies to the smaller sky regions observed by sub-orbital experiments, then frequency decorrelation of dust polarization might not be a problem for CMB experiments aiming at a primordial B-mode detection limit on the tensor-to-scalar ratio r ≃ 0.01 at the recombination peak. However, the Planck sensitivity precludes identifying how difficult the component-separation problem will be for more ambitious experiments targeting lower limits on r.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Seniority number description of potential energy surfaces: Symmetric dissociation of water, N{sub 2}, C{sub 2}, and Be{sub 2}

The present study further explores the concept of the seniority number (Ω) by examining different configuration interaction (CI) truncation strategies in generating compact wave functions in a systematic way. While the role of Ω in addressing static (strong) correlation problem has been addressed in numerous previous studies, the usefulness of seniority number in describing weak (dynamic) correlation has not been investigated in a systematic way. Thus, the overall objective in the present work is to investigate the role of Ω in addressing also dynamic electron correlation in addition to the static correlation. Two systematic CI truncation strategies are compared beyond minimal basis sets and full valence active spaces. One approach is based on the seniority number (defined as the total number of singly occupied orbitals in a determinant) and another is based on an excitation-level limitation. In addition, molecular orbitals are energy-optimized using multiconfigurational-self-consistent-field procedure for all these wave functions. The test cases include the symmetric dissociation of water (6-31G), N{sub 2} (6-31G), C{sub 2} (6-31G), and Be{sub 2} (cc-pVTZ). We find that the potential energy profile for H{sub 2}O dissociation can be reasonably well described using only the Ω = 0 sector of the CI wave function. For the Be{sub 2} case, we show that the full CI potential energy curve (cc-pVTZ) is almost exactly reproduced using either Ω-based (including configurations having up to Ω = 2 in the virtual-orbital-space) or excitation-based (up to single-plus-double-substitutions) selection methods, both out of a full-valence-reference function. Finally, in dissociation cases of N{sub 2} and C{sub 2}, we shall also consider novel hybrid wave functions obtained by a union of a set of CI configurations representing the full valence space and a set of CI configurations where seniority-number restriction is imposed for a complete set (full-valence-space and virtual) of correlated molecular orbitals, simultaneously. We discuss the usefulness of the seniority number concept in addressing both static and dynamic electron correlation problems along dissociation paths.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A correlation of mixing noise from coannular jets with inverted flow profiles

Data are correlated for jet mixing noise from coannular jets with inverted flow velocity profiles. The acoustic performance of coannular jets is compared to the performance of a hypothetical single jet with the same total mass flow, thrust, and total enthalpy flow as the coannular jet. The study shows that coannular jets with velocity ratios greater than 1.2 produce less noise than their corresponding equivalent tests and that optimum noise reduction of coannular jets in the data set occurs within a range of equivalent velocities between 500 and 700 meters per second and velocity ratios between 1.6 and 2.3. The maximum sound power reduction is found to be about 4 decibels. Directivity indices and a special set of spectral curves were developed to describe the characteristic double peak spectra of coannular jet noise. The temperature ratio between the inner and outer streams was not found to be important in this acoustic correlation. However, the mean temperature effect was included in the computations of sound pressure levels.

Pao, S. P.↗

Search for a Correlation Between Very-High-Energy Gamma Rays and Giant Radio Pulses in the Crab Pulsar

We present the results of a joint observational campaign between the Green Bank radio telescope and the VERITAS gamma-ray telescope, which searched for a correlation between the emission of very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays ( E(sub Gamma) > 150 GeV) and giant radio pulses (GRPs) from the Crab pulsar at 8.9 GHz. A total of 15,366 GRPs were recorded during 11.6 hr of simultaneous observations, which were made across four nights in 2008 December and in 2009 November and December. We searched for an enhancement of the pulsed gamma-ray emission within time windows placed around the arrival time of the GRP events. In total, eight different time windows with durations ranging from 0.033 ms to 72 s were positioned at three different locations relative to the GRP to search for enhanced gamma-ray emission which lagged, led, or was concurrent with, the GRP event. Furthermore, we performed separate searches on main pulse GRPs and interpulse GRPs and on the most energetic GRPs in our data sample. No significant enhancement of pulsed VHE emission was found in any of the preformed searches. We set upper limits of 5-10 times the average VHE flux of the Crab pulsar on the flux simultaneous with interpulse GRPs on single-rotation-period timescales. On approx. 8 s timescales around interpulse GRPs, we set an upper limit of 2-3 times the average VHE flux. Within the framework of recent models for pulsed VHE emission from the Crab pulsar, the expected VHE-GRP emission correlations are below the derived limits.

RADIO↗

The Effect of Realtime Monitoring on Dose Exposure to Staff Within an Interventional Radiology Setting

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate a new device providing real-time monitoring on radiation exposure during fluoroscopy procedures intending to reduce radiation in an interventional radiology setting.Materials and MethodsIn one interventional suite, a new system providing a real-time radiation dose display and five individual wireless dosimeters were installed. The five dosimeters were worn by the attending, fellow, nurse, technician, and anesthesiologist for every procedure taking place in that suite. During the first 6-week interval the dose display was off (closed phase) and activated thereafter, for a 6-week learning phase (learning phase) and a 10-week open phase (open phase). During these phases, the staff dose and the individual dose for each procedure were recorded from the wireless dosimeter and correlated with the fluoroscopy time. Further subanalysis for dose exposure included diagnostic versus interventional as well as short (<10 min) versus long (>10 min) procedures.ResultsA total of 252 procedures were performed (n = 88 closed phase, n = 50 learning phase, n = 114 open phase). The overall mean staff dose per fluoroscopic minute was 42.79 versus 19.81 µSv/min (p < 0.05) comparing the closed and open phase. Thereby, anesthesiologists were the only individuals attaining a significant dose reduction during open phase 16.9 versus 8.86 µSv/min (p < 0.05). Furthermore, a significant reduction of total staff dose was observed for short 51 % and interventional procedures 45 % (p < 0.05, for both).ConclusionA real-time qualitative display of radiation exposure may reduce team radiation dose. The process may take a few weeks during the learning phase but appears sustained, thereafter.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Comparative estrogenicity of endogenous, environmental and dietary estrogens in pregnant women I: Serum levels, variability and the basis for urinary biomonitoring of serum estrogenicity

Biomonitoring of human exposure to estrogens most frequently focuses on environmental and dietary estrogens, and infrequently includes measures of exposure to potent endogenous estrogens present in serum. Pregnancy is a developmentally sensitive period during which “added” serum estrogenicity exceeding normal intra-individual daily variability may be of particular relevance. Here, we made repeated measurements of serum concentrations of estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), estetrol (E4), daidzein (DDZ), genistein (GEN) and bisphenol A (BPA) in thirty pregnant women using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry detection (UPLC-MS/MS) and electrospray ionization (ESI). Serum E1, E2, and E3 concentrations varied significantly (coefficients of variation 9–10%) with broad ranges across the cohort: 1.61–85.1 nM, 9.09–69.7 nM, and 1.5–36.3 nM respectively. BPA (undetected, estimated from total exposure), DDZ and GEN concentrations were 1-5 orders of magnitude lower. The 24-h urinary elimination profiles of endogenous estrogens were each strongly correlated with their corresponding serum concentrations (Pearson's Correlation Coefficients of 0.83 (E1), 0.84 (E2) and 0.94 (E3)). Lastly, a multivariate regression analysis produced equations for estimating serum concentrations of E1, E2, E3, E4, GEN and DDZ from urinary elimination rates and gestation period, an important step towards non-invasive biomonitoring for assessment of “added” estrogenicity during pregnancy.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Analysis of the functional gene structure and metabolic potential of microbial community in high arsenic groundwater

Microbial functional potential in high arsenic (As) groundwater ecosystems remains largely unknown. In this study, the microbial community functional composition of nineteen groundwater samples was investigated using a functional gene array (GeoChip 5.0). Samples were divided into low and high As groups based on the clustering analysis of geochemical parameters and microbial functional structures. The results showed that As related genes (arsC, arrA), sulfate related genes (dsrA and dsrB), nitrogen cycling related genes (ureC, amoA, and hzo) and methanogen genes (mcrA, hdrB) in groundwater samples were correlated with As, SO 4 2- , NH 4 + or CH 4 concentrations, respectively. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) results indicated that some geochemical parameters including As, total organic content, SO 4 2- , NH 4 + , oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and pH were important factors shaping the functional microbial community structures. Alkaline and reducing conditions with relatively low SO 4 2- , ORP, and high NH 4 + , as well as SO 4 2- and Fe reduction and ammonification involved in microbially-mediated geochemical processes could be associated with As enrichment in groundwater. This study provides an overall picture of functional microbial communities in high As groundwater aquifers, and also provides insights into the critical role of microorganisms in As biogeochemical cycling.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Changes in Sedimentary Phosphorus Burial Following Artificial Eutrophication of Lake 227, Experimental Lakes Area, Ontario, Canada

Lake 227 of the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) in Ontario, Canada has been fertilized with phosphorus (P) since 1969, which resulted in a rapid transition from oligotrophic to eutrophic conditions. Sediment cores collected from the oxygenated epilimnion and the mostly anoxic hypolimnion of this unique lake contain a historical record of the changes in sediment P speciation and burial rates across the trophic transition. To elucidate these changes, results of chemical extractions were combined with 210 Pb sediment dating, and with 31 P NMR, Mössbauer and XANES spectroscopies. Prior to 1969, organic P (P Org ) was the major sedimentary P sink in Lake 227. Eutrophication of the lake coincided with marked increases in the burial rate of total P (TP), as well as in the relative contribution of the NaHCO 3 -extractable P pool (humic-bound P, P Hum ). Together, P Hum and P Org account for ≥70% of total P burial in the sediments deposited since artificial fertilization started. The P Hum fraction likely comprises phosphate complexes with humic substances. The strong linear correlation between P and iron (Fe) extracted by NaHCO 3 implies a close association of the two elements in the humic fraction. Mössbauer and XANES spectra further indicate that most Fe in the post-1969 sediments remained in the Fe(III) oxidation state, which is attributed to the stabilization of reducible Fe by organic matter, in part via the formation of phosphate-Fe(III)-humic complexes. Importantly, our results show that the eutrophication experimentation of Lake 227 caused the accumulation of a large reservoir of reactive sediment P, which may continue to fuel internal P loading to the water column once artificial fertilization is terminated.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Robust spin correlations at high magnetic fields in the harmonic honeycomb iridates

Here, the complex antiferromagnetic orders observed in the honeycomb iridates are a double-edged sword in the search for a quantum spin-liquid: both attesting that the magnetic interactions provide many of the necessary ingredients, while simultaneously impeding access. Focus has naturally been drawn to the unusual magnetic orders that hint at the underlying spin correlations. However, the study of any particular broken symmetry state generally provides little clue about the possibility of other nearby ground states. Here we use magnetic fields approaching 100 Tesla to reveal the extent of the spin correlations in γ-lithium iridate. We find that a small component of field along the magnetic easy-axis melts long-range order, revealing a bistable, strongly correlated spin state. Far from the usual destruction of antiferromagnetism via spin polarization, the high-field state possesses only a small fraction of the total iridium moment, without evidence for long-range order up to the highest attainable magnetic fields.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electrostatic contribution from solvent in modulating single-walled carbon nanotube association

We perform all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to compute the potential of mean force (PMF) between two (10,10) single-walled carbon nanotubes solvated in pure nonpolarizable SPC/E and polarizable TIP4P-FQ water, at various temperatures. In general, the reversible work required to bring two nanotubes from a dissociated state (free energy reference) to contact state (free energy minimum) is more favorable and less temperature-dependent in TIP4P-FQ than in SPC/E water models. In contrast, molecular properties and behavior of water such as the spatially-resolved water number density (intertube, intratube, or outer regions), for TIP4P-FQ are more sensitive to temperature than SPC/E. Decomposition of the solvent-induced PMF into different spatial regions suggests that TIP4P-FQ has stronger temperature dependence; the opposing destabilizing/stabilizing contributions from intertube water and more distal water balance each other and suppress the temperature dependence of total association free energy. Further investigation of hydrogen bonding network in intertube water reveals that TIP4P-FQ retains fewer hydrogen bonds than SPC/E, which correlates with the lower water number density in this region. This reduction of hydrogen bonds affects the intertube water dipoles. As the intertube volume decreases, TIP4P-FQ dipole moment approaches the gas phase value; the distribution of dipole magnitude also becomes narrower due to less average polarization/perturbation from other water molecules. Our results imply that the reduction of water under confinement may seem trivial, but underlying effects to structure and free energetics are non-negligible.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

An evaluation for geometries, formation enthalpies, and dissociation energies of diatomic and triatomic (C, H, N, O), NO 3 , and HNO 3 molecules from the PAW DFT method with PBE and optB88-vdW functionals

The structural geometries, formation enthalpies, and dissociation energies of all diatomic and triatomic molecules consisting of the four basic elements C, H, N, and/or O are calculated using the projector augmented wave density functional theory (DFT) method with the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof and optB88-vdW exchange-correlation functionals. The calculations are also extended to two larger molecules NO 3 and HNO 3 , which consist of four and five atoms, respectively. In total, 82 molecules or isomers are considered in the calculations. The geometric parameters including 42 bond lengths and 15 bond angles of these molecules calculated using the planewave DFT method are highly satisfactory, relative to the available experimental data. The error analysis is also performed for 49 formation enthalpies and 138 dissociation energies (including 51 atomization energies as well as the corresponding bond dissociation energies). The results are also compared with the previous data from various atomic-orbital-based methods for molecules and from similar or different planewave DFT methods for various solids and other molecules. This provides an informative and instructive evaluation especially for calculating the large-size material systems containing these small molecules as well as for developing the DFT methods further.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

AN ASTEROID BELT INTERPRETATION FOR THE TIMING VARIATIONS OF THE MILLISECOND PULSAR B1937+21

Pulsar timing observations have revealed companions to neutron stars that include other neutron stars, white dwarfs, main-sequence stars, and planets. We demonstrate that the correlated and apparently stochastic residual times of arrival from the millisecond pulsar B1937+21 are consistent with the signature of an asteroid belt having a total mass {approx}< 0.05 M{sub Circled-Plus }. Unlike the solar system's asteroid belt, the best fit pulsar asteroid belt extends over a wide range of radii, consistent with the absence of any shepherding companions. We suggest that any pulsar that has undergone accretion-driven spin-up and subsequently evaporated its companion may harbor orbiting asteroid mass objects. The resulting timing variations may fundamentally limit the timing precision of some of the other millisecond pulsars. Observational tests of the asteroid belt model include identifying periodicities from individual asteroids, which are difficult; testing for statistical stationarity, which becomes possible when observations are conducted over a longer observing span; and searching for reflected radio emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Lattice distortions and metal-insulator transition in hexagonal FeS

Using total x-ray scattering and density functional theory calculations based on experimental data, we study the metal-insulator transition (MIT) in the strongly correlated system FeS with hexagonal symmetry. We find that it arises from the combined effect of static lattice distortions and antiferromagnetic ordering, while electron-electron correlations appear to play a minor role. The presence of local lattice distortions above the MIT explains well the evolution of transport and magnetic properties with changing temperature or pressure. Intrinsically, lattice distortions in hexagonal FeS act as lattice degrees of freedom that bridge competing electronic phases, thus facilitating transitions between them. The mechanism of MIT operating in h-FeS appears to be common to strongly correlated binary systems involving 3d transition metals, warranting further investigations on the lattice distortions-property relationship in this broad class of materials using the approach adopted here.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Prompt neutron multiplicity distributions inferred from γ -ray and fission fragment energy measurements

We propose a novel method to extract the prompt neutron multiplicity distribution, P(ν), in fission reactions based on correlations between prompt neutrons, γ rays, and fragment kinetic energy arising from energy conservation. In this approach, only event-by-event measurements of the total γ-ray energy released as a function of the total kinetic energy (TKE) of the fission fragments are performed, and no neutron detection is required. Using the cgmf fission event generator, we illustrate the method and explore the accuracy of extracting the neutron multiplicity distribution when taking into account the energy resolution and calibration of the energy measurements. In conclusion, we find that a TKE resolution of under 2 MeV produces reasonably accurate results, independent of typical γ-ray energy measurement resolution.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Spectroscopy of doubly charmed baryons from lattice QCD

This study presents the ground and excited state spectra of doubly charmed baryons from lattice QCD with dynamical quark fields. Calculations are performed on anisotropic lattices of size 16³ × 128, with inverse spacing in temporal direction a t ⁻¹=5.67(4) GeV and with a pion mass of about 390 MeV. A large set of baryonic operators that respect the symmetries of the lattice yet which retain a memory of their continuum analogues are used. These operators transform as irreducible representations of SU(3) F symmetry for flavor, SU(4) symmetry for Dirac spins of quarks and O(3) for spatial symmetry. The distillation method is utilized to generate baryon correlation functions which are analyzed using the variational fitting method to extract excited states. The lattice spectra obtained have baryonic states with well-defined total spins up to 7/2 and the pattern of low-lying states does not support the diquark picture for doubly charmed baryons. On the contrary the calculated spectra are remarkably similar to the expectations from models with an SU(6)×O(3) symmetry. Various spin-dependent energy splittings between the extracted states are also evaluated.

Padmanath, M.↗

Defining window-boundaries for genomic analyses using smoothing spline techniques

High-density genomic data is often analyzed by combining information over windows of adjacent markers. Interpretation of data grouped in windows versus at individual locations may increase statistical power, simplify computation, reduce sampling noise, and reduce the total number of tests performed. However, use of adjacent marker information can result in over- or under-smoothing, undesirable window boundary specifications, or highly correlated test statistics. We introduce a method for defining windows based on statistically guided breakpoints in the data, as a foundation for the analysis of multiple adjacent data points. This method involves first fitting a cubic smoothing spline to the data and then identifying the inflection points of the fitted spline, which serve as the boundaries of adjacent windows. This technique does not require prior knowledge of linkage disequilibrium, and therefore can be applied to data collected from individual or pooled sequencing experiments. Moreover, in contrast to existing methods, an arbitrary choice of window size is not necessary, since these are determined empirically and allowed to vary along the genome.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Microbial Community Functional Structures in Wastewater Treatment Plants as Characterized by GeoChip

Background: Biological WWTPs must be functionally stable to continuously and steadily remove contaminants which rely upon the activity of complex microbial communities. However, knowledge is still lacking in regard to microbial community functional structures and their linkages to environmental variables. Aims: To investigate microbial community functional structures of activated sludge in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and to understand the effects of environmental factors on their structure. Methods: 12 activated sludge samples were collected from four WWTPs in Beijing. A comprehensive functional gene array named GeoChip 4.2 was used to determine the microbial functional genes involved in a variety of biogeochemical processes such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur cycles, metal resistance, antibiotic resistance and organic contaminant degradation. Results: High similarities of the microbial community functional structures were found among activated sludge samples from the four WWTPs, as shown by both diversity indices and the overlapped genes. For individual gene category, such as egl, amyA, lip, nirS, nirK, nosZ, ureC, ppx, ppk, aprA, dsrA, sox and benAB, there were a number of microorganisms shared by all 12 samples. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the microbial functional patterns were highly correlated with water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonia concentrations and loading rate of chemical oxygen demand (COD). Based on the variance partitioning analyses (VPA), a total of 53% of microbial community variation from GeoChip data can be explained by wastewater characteristics (25%) and operational parameters (23%), respectively. Conclusions: This study provided an overall picture of microbial community functional structures of activated sludge in WWTPs and discerned the linkages between microbial communities and environmental variables in WWTPs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗