arXiv subjects

Christopher Chapman

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher Chapman.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

CECILIA: The Mass-Metallicity Relation of Low-Mass Galaxies at Cosmic Noon

A galaxy's metallicity and its relation to stellar mass encode the history of gas accretion, star formation, and outflows within cosmic ecosystems. We present new constraints on the low-mass end of the mass-metallicity relation (MZR) at $z\sim2-3$ from ultra-deep JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy of seven continuum-faint galaxies in the Chemical Evolution Constrained using Ionized Lines in Interstellar Aurorae (CECILIA) Faint sample (Raptis et al. 2025). Our sample includes Ly$\alpha$-selected and other low-luminosity star-forming galaxies with stellar masses $\log(M_\star / M_\odot)\sim7.2-9.7$ and moderately faint rest-UV magnitudes ($-20.7 \lesssim M_{\rm UV} \lesssim -17.3$). Gas-phase oxygen abundances, calculated using empirical calibrations of [O III]/H$\beta$ together with [N II]/H$\alpha$ constraints, span $\sim0.04-0.5$ $Z_\odot$. We measure a steep MZR slope of $\gamma = 0.48 \pm 0.11$, suggesting a rapid increase in metal retention efficiency with mass, consistent with energy-driven outflows. Comparison with lower- and higher-redshift studies indicates an evolution in normalization from $z\sim0$ to $z\sim2$, reflecting less metal enrichment in early galaxies. We find no significant evolution in the MZR between $z\sim2$ and the Epoch of Reionization, suggesting that our galaxies may serve as useful analogs of reionization-era systems. Expanded samples and direct $T_e$-based abundance measurements will be crucial to fully trace the build-up of metals in low-mass galaxies during the peak epoch of cosmic star formation and to test the reliability of strong-line calibrations in these galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

The NANOGrav 15-year Data Set: Observations and Timing of 68 Millisecond Pulsars

We present observations and timing analyses of 68 millisecond pulsars (MSPs) comprising the 15-year data set of the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav). NANOGrav is a pulsar timing array (PTA) experiment that is sensitive to low-frequency gravitational waves. This is NANOGrav's fifth public data release, including both "narrowband" and "wideband" time-of-arrival (TOA) measurements and corresponding pulsar timing models. We have added 21 MSPs and extended our timing baselines by three years, now spanning nearly 16 years for some of our sources. The data were collected using the Arecibo Observatory, the Green Bank Telescope, and the Very Large Array between frequencies of 327 MHz and 3 GHz, with most sources observed approximately monthly. A number of notable methodological and procedural changes were made compared to our previous data sets. These improve the overall quality of the TOA data set and are part of the transition to new pulsar timing and PTA analysis software packages. For the first time, our data products are accompanied by a full suite of software to reproduce data reduction, analysis, and results. Our timing models include a variety of newly detected astrometric and binary pulsar parameters, including several significant improvements to pulsar mass constraints. We find that the time series of 23 pulsars contain detectable levels of red noise, 10 of which are new measurements. In this data set, we find evidence for a stochastic gravitational-wave background.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Model-based geometrical optimisation and in vivo validation of a spatially selective multielectrode cuff array for vagus nerve neuromodulation

Background. Neuromodulation by electrical stimulation of the human cervical vagus nerve may be limited by adverse side effects due to stimulation of off-target organs. It may be possible to overcome this by spatially selective stimulation of peripheral nerves. Preliminary studies have shown this is possible using a cylindrical multielectrode human-sized nerve cuff in vagus nerve selective neuromodulation. New method. The model-based optimisation method for multi-electrode geometric design is presented. The method was applied for vagus nerve cuff array and suggested two rings of 14 electrodes, 3 mm apart, with 0.4 mm electrode width and separation and length 0.5-3 mm, with stimulation through a pair in the same radial position on the two rings. The electrodes were fabricated using PDMS-embedded stainless steel foil and PEDOT: pTS coating. Results. In the cervical vagus nerve in anaesthetised sheep, it was possible to selectively reduce the respiratory breath rate (RBR) by 85 +/- 5% without affecting heart rate, or selectively reduce heart rate (HR) by 20 +/- 7% without affecting respiratory rate. The cardiac- and pulmonary-specific sites on the nerve cross-sectional perimeter were localised with a radial separation of 105 +/- 5 degrees (P < 0.01, N = 24 in 12 sheep). Conclusions. Results suggest organotopic or function-specific organisation of neural fibres in the cervical vagus nerve. The optimised electrode array demonstrated selective electrical neuromodulation without adverse side effects. It may be possible to translate this to improved treatment by electrical autonomic neuromodulation for currently intractable conditions.

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2016

Reconstruction of Sub-Surface Velocities from Satellite Observations Using Iterative Self-Organizing Maps

In this letter a new method based on modified self-organizing maps is presented for the reconstruction of deep ocean current velocities from surface information provided by satellites. This method takes advantage of local correlations in the data-space to improve the accuracy of the reconstructed deep velocities. Unlike previous attempts to reconstruct deep velocities from surface data, our method makes no assumptions regarding the structure of the water column, nor the underlying dynamics of the flow field. Using satellite observations of surface velocity, sea-surface height and sea-surface temperature, as well as observations of the deep current velocity from autonomous Argo floats to train the map, we are able to reconstruct realistic high--resolution velocity fields at a depth of 1000m. Validation reveals extremely promising results, with a speed root mean squared error of ~2.8cm/s, a factor more than a factor of two smaller than competing methods, and direction errors consistently smaller than 30 degrees. Finally, we discuss the merits and shortcomings of this methodology and its possible future applications.

physics.ao-ph↗