arXiv subjects

R. Jimenez

Publications and source records attributed to R. Jimenez.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

Photo Switching of Protein Dynamical Collectivity

We examine changes in the picosecond structural dynamics with irreversible photobleaching of red fluorescent proteins mCherry, mOrange2 and TagRFP-T. Measurements of the protein dynamical transition using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy show in all cases an increase in the turn-on temperature in the bleached state. The result is surprising given that there is little change in the protein surface, and thus the solvent dynamics held responsible for the transition should not change. A spectral analysis of the measurements guided by quasiharmonic calculations of the protein absorbance reveals that indeed the solvent dynamical turn-on temperature is independent of the thermal stability and photostate however the protein dynamical turn-on temperature shifts to higher temperatures. This is the first demonstration of switching the protein dynamical turn-on temperature with protein functional state. The observed shift in protein dynamical turn-on temperature relative to the solvent indicates an increase in the required mobile waters necessary for the protein picosecond motions: that is these motions are more collective. Melting-point measurements reveal that the photobleached state is more thermally stable and structural analysis of related RFPs shows that there is an increase in internal water channels as well as a more uniform atomic root mean squared displacement. These observations are consistent with previous suggestions that water channels form with extended light excitation providing O2 access to the chromophore and subsequent fluorescence loss. We report that these same channels increase internal coupling enhancing thermal stability and collectivity of the picosecond protein motions. The terahertz spectroscopic characterization of the protein and solvent dynamical onsets can be applied generally to measure changes in collectivity of protein motions.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv2019

Geometry of central extensions of nilpotent Lie algebras

We obtain a recurrent and monotone method for constructing and classifying nilpotent Lie algebras by means of successive central extensions. It consists in calculating the second cohomology of an extendable nilpotent Lie algebra with the subsequent study of the orbit space geometry of the automorphism group action on Grassmannians defined in terms of the second cohomology of the extendable nilpotent Lie algebra. Such a geometric method allows to classify some classes of nilpotent Lie algebras. The concept of a rigid central extension is introduced.

math.RA↗

arXiv2011

A Versatile Ultra-Stable Platform for Optical Multidimensional Fourier-Transform Spectroscopy

The JILA Multidimensional Optical Nonlinear SpecTRometer (JILA-MONSTR) is a robust, ultra-stable platform consisting nested and folded Michelson interferometers that can be actively phase stabilized. This platform generates a square of identical laser pulses that can be adjusted to have arbitrary time delay between them, while maintaining phase stability. The JILA-MONSTR provides output pulses for nonlinear excitation of materials and phase-stabilized reference pulses for heterodyne detection of the induced signal. This arrangement is ideal for performing coherent optical experiments, such as multidimensional Fourier-transform spectroscopy, which records the phase of the nonlinear signal as a function of the time delay between several of the excitation pulses. The resulting multidimensional spectrum is obtained from a Fourier transform. This spectrum can resolve, separate and isolate coherent contributions to the light-matter interactions associated with electronic excitation at optical frequencies. To show the versatility of the JILA-MONSTR, several demonstrations of two-dimensional Fourier-transform spectroscopy are presented, including an example of a phase-cycling scheme that reduces noise.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2010

Reducing sample variance: halo biasing, non-linearity and stochasticity

Comparing clustering of differently biased tracers of the dark matter distribution offers the opportunity to reduce the cosmic variance error in the measurement of certain cosmological parameters. We develop a formalism that includes bias non-linearities and stochasticity. Our formalism is general enough that can be used to optimise survey design and tracers selection and optimally split (or combine) tracers to minimise the error on the cosmologically interesting quantities. Our approach generalises the one presented by McDonald & Seljak (2009) of circumventing sample variance in the measurement of $f\equiv d \ln D/d\ln a$. We analyse how the bias, the noise, the non-linearity and stochasticity affect the measurements of $Df$ and explore in which signal-to-noise regime it is significantly advantageous to split a galaxy sample in two differently-biased tracers. We use N-body simulations to find realistic values for the parameters describing the bias properties of dark matter haloes of different masses and their number density. We find that, even if dark matter haloes could be used as tracers and selected in an idealised way, for realistic haloes, the sample variance limit can be reduced only by up to a factor $σ_{2tr}/σ_{1tr}\simeq 0.6$. This would still correspond to the gain from a three times larger survey volume if the two tracers were not to be split. Before any practical application one should bear in mind that these findings apply to dark matter haloes as tracers, while realistic surveys would select galaxies: the galaxy-host halo relation is likely to introduce extra stochasticity, which may reduce the gain further.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT): Beam Profiles and First SZ Cluster Maps

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) is currently observing the cosmic microwave background with arcminute resolution at 148 GHz, 218 GHz, and 277 GHz. In this paper, we present ACT's first results. Data have been analyzed using a maximum-likelihood map-making method which uses B-splines to model and remove the atmospheric signal. It has been used to make high-precision beam maps from which we determine the experiment's window functions. This beam information directly impacts all subsequent analyses of the data. We also used the method to map a sample of galaxy clusters via the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect, and show five clusters previously detected with X-ray or SZ observations. We provide integrated Compton-y measurements for each cluster. Of particular interest is our detection of the z = 0.44 component of A3128 and our current non-detection of the low-redshift part, providing strong evidence that the further cluster is more massive as suggested by X-ray measurements. This is a compelling example of the redshift-independent mass selection of the SZ effect.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: A Measurement of the 600< ell <8000 Cosmic Microwave Background Power Spectrum at 148 GHz

We present a measurement of the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation observed at 148 GHz. The measurement uses maps with 1.4' angular resolution made with data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT). The observations cover 228 square degrees of the southern sky, in a 4.2-degree-wide strip centered on declination 53 degrees South. The CMB at arcminute angular scales is particularly sensitive to the Silk damping scale, to the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect from galaxy clusters, and to emission by radio sources and dusty galaxies. After masking the 108 brightest point sources in our maps, we estimate the power spectrum between 600 < \ell < 8000 using the adaptive multi-taper method to minimize spectral leakage and maximize use of the full data set. Our absolute calibration is based on observations of Uranus. To verify the calibration and test the fidelity of our map at large angular scales, we cross-correlate the ACT map to the WMAP map and recover the WMAP power spectrum from 250 < ell < 1150. The power beyond the Silk damping tail of the CMB is consistent with models of the emission from point sources. We quantify the contribution of SZ clusters to the power spectrum by fitting to a model normalized at sigma8 = 0.8. We constrain the model's amplitude ASZ < 1.63 (95% CL). If interpreted as a measurement of sigma8, this implies sigma8^SZ < 0.86 (95% CL) given our SZ model. A fit of ACT and WMAP five-year data jointly to a 6-parameter LCDM model plus terms for point sources and the SZ effect is consistent with these results.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Powering AGNs with super-critical black holes

We propose a novel mechanism for powering the central engines of Active Galactic Nuclei through super-critical (type II) black hole collapse. In this picture, ~$10^3 M_\odot$ of material collapsing at relativistic speeds can trigger a gravitational shock, which can eject a large percentage of the collapsing matter at relativistic speeds, leaving behind a "light" black hole. In the presence of a poloidal magnetic field, the plasma collimates along two jets, and the associated electron synchrotron radiation can easily account for the observed radio luminosities, sizes and durations of AGN jets. For Lorentz factors of order 100 and magnetic fields of a few hundred $μG$, synchrotron electrons can shine for $10^6$ yrs, producing jets of sizes of order 100 kpc. This mechanism may also be relevant for Gamma Ray Bursts and, in the absence of magnetic field, supernova explosions.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2008

Loss of star forming gas in SDSS galaxies

Using the star formation rates from the SDSS galaxy sample, extracted using the MOPED algorithm, and the empirical Kennicutt law relating star formation rate to gas density, we calculate the time evolution of the gas fraction as a function of the present stellar mass. We show how the gas-to-stars ratio varies with stellar mass, finding good agreement with previous results for smaller samples at the present epoch. For the first time we show clear evidence for progressive gas loss with cosmic epoch, especially in low-mass systems. We find that galaxies with small stellar masses have lost almost all of their cold baryons over time, whereas the most massive galaxies have lost little. Our results also show that the most massive galaxies have evolved faster and turned most of their gas into stars at an early time, thus strongly supporting a downsizing scenario for galaxy evolution.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

The Shared Reward Dilemma

One of the most direct human mechanisms of promoting cooperation is rewarding it. We study the effect of sharing a reward among cooperators in the most stringent form of social dilemma, namely the Prisoner's Dilemma. Specifically, for a group of players that collect payoffs by playing a pairwise Prisoner's Dilemma game with their partners, we consider an external entity that distributes a fixed reward equally among all cooperators. Thus, individuals confront a new dilemma: on the one hand, they may be inclined to choose the shared reward despite the possibility of being exploited by defectors; on the other hand, if too many players do that, cooperators will obtain a poor reward and defectors will outperform them. By appropriately tuning the amount to be shared a vast variety of scenarios arises, including traditional ones in the study of cooperation as well as more complex situations where unexpected behavior can occur. We provide a complete classification of the equilibria of the $n$-player game as well as of its evolutionary dynamics.

q-bio.PE↗

arXiv2006

Surgery spectral sequence and stratified manifolds

Cappell and Shaneson pointed out in 1978 interesting properties of Browder - Livesay invariants which are similar to differentials in some spectral sequence. Such spectral sequence was constructed in 1991 by Hambleton and Kharshiladze. This spectral sequence is closely related to a problem of realization of elements of Wall groups by normal maps of closed manifolds. The main step of construction of the spectral sequence is an infinite filtration of spectra in which only the first two, as is well-known, have clear geometric sense. The first one is a spectrum $\Bbb L(π_1(X))$ for surgery obstruction groups of a manifold $X$ and the second $\Bbb LP_*(F)$ is a spectrum for surgery on a Browder-Livesay manifold pair $Y\subset X$. The geometric sense of the third term of filtration was explained by Muranov, Repovš, and Spaggiari in 2002. In the present paper we give a geometric interpretation of all spectra of filtration in construction of Hambleton and Kharshiladze. We introduce groups of obstructions to surgery on a system of embeddedd manifolds and prove that spectra which realize these groups coincide with spectra in the filtration of Hambleton and Kharshiladze. We describe algebraic and geometric properties of introduced obstruction groups and their relations to the classical surgery theory. We prove isomorphism between introduced groups and Browder-Quinn $L$-groups of stratified manifolds. We give an application of our results to closed manifold surgery problem and iterated Browder-Livesay invariant.

math.GT↗

arXiv2006

Splitting along a submanifold pair

The paper introduces a group $LSP$ of obstructions for splitting a homotopy equivalence along a pair of submanifolds. We develop exact sequences relating the $LSP$-groups with various surgery obstruction groups for manifold triple and structure sets arising from triples of manifolds. The natural map from the surgery obstruction group of the ambient manifold to the $LSP$-group provides an invariant when elements of the Wall group are not realized by normal maps of closed manifolds. Some $LSP$-groups are computed precisely.

math.GT↗

arXiv2003

Photoelectric heating and [CII] cooling in translucent clouds: results for cloud models based on simulations of compressible MHD turbulence

The photoelectric heating is believed to be the main heating mechanism in cool HI clouds. The heating rate can be estimated through observations of the [CII] line emission, since this is the main coolant in regions where the photoelectric effect dominates the heating. Comparison of the [CII] emission with the far-infrared (FIR) emission allows to constrain the efficiency of the photoelectric heating, using model calculations that take into account the strength of the radiation field. Recent [CII] observations carried out with the ISO satellite have made this study possible. In this work we study the correlation between FUV absorption and FIR emission using three-dimensional models. The density distributions are obtained with numerical simulations of compressible magneto-hydrodynamic turbulence, with rms sonic Mach numbers 0.6<M<10. The FIR intensities are solved with detailed radiative transfer calculations. The [CII] line radiation is estimated assuming the [CII] line cooling equals the FUV absorption multiplied by the efficiency of the photoelectric heating, epsilon. The average ratio between the predicted [CII] and FIR emissions is found to be remarkably constant between different models, implying that the derived values of epsilon should not depend on the rms Mach number. The comparison with empirical data from translucent, high latitude clouds yields an estimate of the photoelectric heating efficiency of 2.9 10^-2. This value confirms previous theoretical predictions. Our models show that most of the scatter in the observed [CII] and FIR intensities can be understood as a result of the highly fragmented density field in turbulent HI clouds. The scatter can be reproduced with models with supersonic turbulence, while subsonic turbulence fails to generate the observed scatter.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Coupled spheroid and black-hole formation, and the multifrequency detectability of active galactic nuclei and submillimetre sources

We use a simple model of spheroid formation to explore the relationship between the creation of stars and dust in a massive proto galaxy and the growth of its central black hole. This model predicts that sub-mm luminosity peaks after only ~ 0.2 Gyr. However, without a very massive seed black hole, Eddington-limited growth means that a black hole mass of 10^9 solar masses, and hence very luminous AGN activity, cannot be produced until > 0.5 Gyr after the formation of the first massive stars in the halo. The model thus predicts a time-lag between the peak of sub-mm luminosity and AGN luminosity in a massive proto-elliptical of a few times 10^8 years. For a formation redshift z = 5, this means that powerful AGN activity is delayed until z = 3.5, by which time star formation in the host is 90% complete, and sub-mm luminosity has declined to ~ 25% of its peak value. This provides a natural explanation for why successful sub-mm detections of luminous radio galaxies are largely confined to z > 2.5. Conversely the model also predicts that while all high-redshift luminous sub-mm-selected sources should contain an active (and growing) black hole, the typical luminosity of the AGN in such objects is ~1000 times smaller than that of the most powerful AGN. This is consistent with the almost complete failure to detect sub-mm selected galaxies with existing X-ray surveys. Finally the model yields a black-hole:spheroid mass ratio which evolves rapidly in the first Gyr, but asymptotes to ~ 0.001-0.003 in agreement with results at low redshift. This ratio arises not because the AGN terminates star formation, but because fueling of the massive black hole is linked to the total mass of gas available for star formation in the host.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Old elliptical galaxies at z=1.5 and the Kormendy relation

Deep spectroscopy of the two mJy radio galaxies LBDS 53W069 and 53W091 has previously shown them to have old (>3 Gyr) stellar populations at z=1.5. Here we present the results of HST observations of these galaxies. 53W069 has an r^1/4 profile in both the F814W & F110W data with an effective radius of 0.30 arcsec (2.7 kpc). The restframe U-B colour gradient requires a stellar population of super-solar (3Z_sun) metallicity that formed on a very short timescale at high redshift (z>5). 53W091 has a regular r^1/4 profile in F110W with an effective radius of 0.32 arcsec (2.9 kpc). The F814W profile is more extended and is consistent with a blue exponential disk that contributes 20% of the flux within r_e. The restframe U-B colour gradient is significantly larger than that observed in field ellipticals at z<1, implying a stellar population of mixed metallicity (1-3Z_sun) that formed in a high-redshift rapid burst. We have compared these two LBDS radio galaxies with the Kormendy relation of ten 3CR radio galaxies at z=0.8. The LBDS galaxies follow the same relation as the more radio-luminous 3CR galaxies, assuming passive evolution of their stellar populations, although they are smaller than the 3CR galaxies whose mean effective radius is 12 kpc. Their sizes and radio luminosities are consistent with scaling relations applied to the 3CR galaxies, in which both radio power and effective radius scale with galaxy mass. Compared with a sample of z=0.4 cluster ellipticals, 53W069 & 53W091 lie well within the scatter of the Kormendy relation. We conclude that the hosts of these mJy radio sources at z=1.5 are passively-evolving elliptical galaxies that will evolve into ordinary L* ellipticals by the present day. (Abridged)

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

The ages of quasar host galaxies

We present the results of fitting deep off-nuclear optical spectroscopy of radio-quiet quasars, radio-loud quasars and radio galaxies at z ~ 0.2 with evolutionary synthesis models of galaxy evolution. Our aim was to determine the age of the dynamically dominant stellar populations in the hos t galaxies of these three classes of powerful AGN. Some of our spectra display residual nuclear contamination at the shortest wavelengths, but the detailed quality of the fits longward of the 4000A break provide unequivocal proof, if further proof were needed, that quasars lie in massive galaxies with (at least at z ~ 0.2) evolved stellar populations. By fitting a two-component model we have separated the very blue (starburst and/or AGN contamination) from the redder underlying spectral energy distribution, and find that the hosts of all three classes of AGN are dominated by old stars of age 8 - 14 Gyr. If the blue component is attributed to young stars, we find that, at most, 1% of the baryonic mass of these galaxies is involved in star-formation activity at the epoch of observation. These results strongly support the conclusion reached by McLure et al. (1999) that the host galaxies of luminous quasars are massive ellipticals which formed prior to the peak epoch of quasar activity at z ~ 2.5.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

Setting the stellar evolution clock for intermediate age populations

In this invited talk I show how the reddest and rarest galaxies at high redshift ($z \simeq 1.5$) can be used to set the stellar evolution clock. I argue that one can confidently compute the collapse redshift of these objects. This yields to a high collapse redshift ($z>6$) and therefore their age is well constrained (in all cosmologies) between 3 and 4 Gyr. I also show that this is, indeed, the age derived using a variety of synthetic stellar population models when proper statistical tools are used to analyse their observed spectral energy distribution. This allows me to conclude that all stellar population models yield to the same consistent age for these galaxies, i.e. about 3.5 Gyr and that the stellar clock is properly set. Low ages are therefore excluded with high confidence.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

The role of star formation in the Tully-Fisher law

We investigate the influence of the star formation rate on the Tully-Fisher relation. We find that a simple model which combines the empirically-determined star-formation rate with the expected properties of galaxy halos provides a remarkably good fit to the absolute magnitude-rotation speed correlation. We find that the power-law nature, its slope, normalisation and scatter, are all readily accounted for if the Universe has a low density parameter, with or without a cosmological constant and disks are assembled at $z \sim 1 - 1.5$. Moreover, this agreement is found simultaneously in 4 wavebands. An Einstein-de Sitter Universe produces disks which are too faint unless the disks are assembled at $z\sim 0.5$. The scatter in the relation is due to a combination of the expected range of spin parameters of the halos and the range of formation redshifts. The source of the scatter opens up possibilities of a better galaxy distance indicator, if spectroscopic observations of globular clusters can be used to determine the halo rotation.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

Towards an accurate determination of the age of the Universe

In the past 40 years a considerable effort has been focused in determining the age of the Universe at zero redshift using several stellar clocks. In this review I will describe the best theoretical methods to determine the age of the oldest Galactic Globular Clusters (GC). I will also argue that a more accurate age determination may come from passively evolving high-redshift ellipticals. In particular, I will review two new methods to determine the age of GC. These two methods are more accurate than the classical isochrone fitting technique. The first method is based on the morphology of the horizontal branch and is independent of the distance modulus of the globular cluster. The second method uses a careful binning of the stellar luminosity function which determines simultaneously the distance and age of the GC. It is found that the oldest GCs have an age of $13.5 \pm 2$ Gyr. The absolute minimum age for the oldest GCs is 10.5 Gyr and the maximum is 16.0 Gyr (with 99% confidence). Therefore, an Einstein-De Sitter Universe ($Ω=1$) is not totally ruled out if the Hubble constant is about $65 \pm 10$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$. On the other hand, the newly discovered red elliptical 53W069 ($z=1.43$) provides an stronger constraint since its minimun age is 3.2 Gyr, thus ruling out an Einstein-De Sitter Universe unless the Hubble constant is $\leq 45 \pm 10$ km s$^{-1}$. Using 53W069 we find an age at $z=0$ of $13 \pm 2$ Gyr, in excellent agreement with the GC determination.

astro-ph↗