Signatures of reionization on Lyman alpha emitters

We use a semi-analytic model of Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs) to constrain the reionization history. By considering two physically motivated scenarios in which reionization ends either early (ERM, z_i ~ 7) or late (LRM, z_i ~ 6), we fix the global value of the IGM neutral fraction (e.g. chi_{HI}=3 times 10^{-4}, 0.15 at z=6.56 for the ERM and LRM, respectively) leaving only the star formation efficiency and the effective escape fraction of Lya photons as free parameters. The ERM fits the observed LAE luminosity function (LF) at z=5.7 and 6.56 requiring no redshift evolution or mass dependence of the star formation efficiency, and LAE star formation rates (SFR) of 3-103 solar masses/year, contributing approximately 8% of the cosmic SFR density at z=5.7. The LRM requires a physically uncomfortable drop of approximately 4.5 times in the SFR of the emitters from z=6.5 to 5.7. Thus, the data seem to imply that the Universe was already highly ionized at z=6.56. The mass-dependent Lya transmissivity is between 0.36-0.51 (ERM) and less than 0.26 (LRM) at z=6.56. The LF data at z=4.5 imply an extra Lya line damping factor of approximately 0.25 possibly due to dust; the presence of a (clumpy) dust component with E(B-V) ~ 0.28 is also required to reproduce the observed large Lya equivalent widths at the same redshift. Additional useful information can be extracted from the line profile (weighted) skewness, found to be S_W=10-17 Angstrom for the two reionization models, which shows an interesting L_alpha-chi_{HI} anti-correlation, holding under the model assumptions. The shortcomings of the model and strategies to overcome them are discussed.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, Accepted to MNRA

The Asiago-ESO/RASS QSO Survey. III. Clustering analysis and its theoretical interpretation

This is the third paper of a series describing the Asiago-ESO/RASS QSO survey (AERQS), a project aimed at the construction of an all-sky statistically well-defined sample of relatively bright QSOs (B<15) at z<0.3. We present here the clustering analysis of the full spectroscopically identified database (392 AGN). The clustering signal at 0.02<z<0.22 is detected at a 3-4 sigma level and its amplitude is measured to be r_0=8.6\pm 2.0 h^{-1} Mpc (in a LambdaCDM model). The comparison with other classes of objects shows that low-redshift QSOs are clustered in a similar way to Radio Galaxies, EROs and early-type galaxies in general, although with a marginally smaller amplitude. The comparison with recent results from the 2QZ shows that the correlation function of QSOs is constant in redshift or marginally increasing toward low redshift. We discuss this behavior with physically motivated models, deriving interesting constraints on the typical mass of the dark matter halos hosting QSOs, M_DMH= 10^{12.7} h^{-1} M_sun (10^{12.0}-10^{13.5}h^{-1} M_sun at 1 sigma confidence level). Finally, we use the clustering data to infer the physical properties of local AGN, obtaining M_BH=2 10^8 h^{-1} M_sun (10^7-3 10^9 h^{-1} M_sun) for the mass of the active black holes, tau_{AGN}= 8 10^6 yr (2 10^{6}-5 10^{7} yr) for their life-time and eta = 0.14 for their efficiency (always for a LambdaCDM model).Comment: 37 pages, Astronomical Journal in press. Changes to match the referee comment

Towards a concordant model of halo occupation statistics

We use the conditional luminosity function (CLF) and data from the 2-degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) to constrain the average relation between light and mass in a Lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmology with Ωm= 0.23 and σ8= 0.74 (hereafter WMAP3 cosmology). Reproducing the observed luminosity dependence of the galaxy two-point correlation function results in average mass-to-light ratios that are ∼35 per cent lower than those in a ΛCDM cosmology with Ωm= 0.3 and σ8= 0.9 (hereafter WMAP1 cosmology). This removes an important problem with previous halo occupation models which had a tendency to predict cluster mass-to-light ratios that were too high. For the WMAP3 cosmology, our model yields average mass-to-light ratios, central galaxy luminosities, halo occupation numbers, satellite fractions and luminosity-gap statistics, that are all in excellent agreement with those obtained from a 2dFGRS group catalogue and from other independent studies. We also use our CLF model to compute the probability distribution P(M | Lcen), that a central galaxy of luminosity Lcen resides in a halo of mass M. We find this distribution to be much broader than what is typically assumed in halo occupation distribution models, which has important implications for the interpretation of satellite kinematics and galaxy-galaxy lensing data. Finally, reproducing the luminosity dependence of the pairwise peculiar velocity dispersions in the 2dFGRS requires relatively low mass-to-light ratios for clusters and a satellite fraction that decreases strongly with increasing luminosity. This is only marginally consistent with the constraints obtained from the luminosity dependence of the galaxy two-point correlation function. We argue that a cosmology with parameters between those of the WMAP1 and WMAP3 cosmologies is likely to yield results with a higher level of consistenc

A mass-dependent density profile for dark matter haloes including the influence of galaxy formation

We introduce a mass-dependent density profile to describe the distribution of dark matter within galaxies, which takes into account the stellar-to-halo mass dependence of the response of dark matter to baryonic processes. The study is based on the analysis of hydrodynamically simulated galaxies from dwarf to Milky Way mass, drawn from the Making Galaxies In a Cosmological Context project, which have been shown to match a wide range of disc scaling relationships. We find that the best-fitting parameters of a generic double power-law density profile vary in a systematic manner that depends on the stellar-to-halo mass ratio of each galaxy. Thus, the quantity M⋆/Mhalo constrains the inner (γ) and outer (β) slopes of dark matter density, and the sharpness of transition between the slopes (α), reducing the number of free parameters of the model to two. Due to the tight relation between stellar mass and halo mass, either of these quantities is sufficient to describe the dark matter halo profile including the effects of baryons. The concentration of the haloes in the hydrodynamical simulations is consistent with N-body expectations up to Milky Way-mass galaxies, at which mass the haloes become twice as concentrated as compared with pure dark matter runs. This mass-dependent density profile can be directly applied to rotation curve data of observed galaxies and to semi-analytic galaxy formation models as a significant improvement over the commonly used NFW profile

Limits on Dust and Metallicity Evolution of Lya Forest Clouds from COBE

We consider possible observational consequences of dust and metals in \lya forest clouds. We relate the dust content, $\Omega_d^{Lya}$, to the metal evolution of the absorbers and assume that dust is heated by the ultraviolet background radiation and by the CMB. We find that the dust temperature deviates from $T_{CMB}$ by at most 10% at redshift $z=0$. The \lya cloud dust opacity to redshift $\sim 5$ sources around the observed wavelength $\lambda_0 \sim 1 \mu$m is $\sim 0.13$, and could affect observations of the distant universe in that band. The expected CMB spectral distortions due to high-$z$ dust in \lya clouds is $\sim 1.25-10$ smaller than the current COBE upper limit, depending on the metallicity evolution of the clouds. If \lya clouds are clustered, the corresponding CMB anisotropy due to dust is $\sim 10^{-1}$ on angular scales \theta \simlt 10'' at frequencies probed by various future/ongoing FIR missions, which makes these fluctuations potentially detectable in the near future. Emission from CII fine-structure transitions could considerably contribute to submm range of the FIR background radiation. Depending on the ionization of carbon and on the density of metal enriched regions, this contribution can be comparable with the observed residual flux at $\lambda\approx 0.15$ mm, after CMB subtraction. We argue that constraints on metal evolution versus redshift can be obtained from the observed flux in that range.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, MNRAS, in pres

Randomly dilute spin models with cubic symmetry

We study the combined effect of cubic anisotropy and quenched uncorrelated impurities on multicomponent spin models. For this purpose, we consider the field-theoretical approach based on the Ginzburg-Landau-Wilson $\phi^4$ Hamiltonian with cubic-symmetric quartic interactions and quenched randomness coupled to the local energy density. We compute the renormalization-group functions to six loops in the fixed-dimension (d=3) perturbative scheme. The analysis of such high-order series provides an accurate description of the renormalization-group flow. The results are also used to determine the critical behavior of three-dimensional antiferromagnetic three- and four-state Potts models in the presence of quenched impurities.Comment: 23 pages, 1 figure

Nonlinear Evolution of Cosmological Structures in Warm Dark Matter Models

The dark energy dominated warm dark matter (WDM) model is a promising alternative cosmological scenario. We explore large-scale structure formation in this paradigm. We do this in two different ways: with the halo model approach and with the help of an ensemble of high resolution N-body simulations. Combining these quasi-independent approaches, leads to a physical understanding of the important processes which shape the formation of structures. We take a detailed look at the halo mass function, the concentrations and the linear halo bias of WDM. In all cases we find interesting deviations with respect to CDM. In particular, the concentration-mass relation displays a turnover for group scale dark matter haloes, for the case of WDM particles with masses of the order ~0.25 keV. This may be interpreted as a hint for top-down structure formation on small scales. We implement our results into the halo model and find much better agreement with simulations. On small scales the WDM halo model now performs as well as its CDM counterpart.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRA

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

The dependence of dark matter profiles on the stellar-to-halo mass ratio: a prediction for cusps versus cores

We use a suite of 31 simulated galaxies drawn from the MaGICC project to investigate the effects of baryonic feedback on the density profiles of dark matter haloes. The sample covers a wide mass range: 9.4×109 <Mhalo/M� <7.8×1011, hosting galaxies with stellarmasses in the range 5.0×105 <M∗/M� < 8.3×1010, i.e. from dwarf to L∗. The galaxies are simulated with blastwave supernova feedback and, for some of them, an additional source of energy from massive stars is included. Within this feedback scheme we vary several parameters, such as the initial mass function, the density threshold for star formation, and energy from supernovae and massive stars. The main result is a clear dependence of the inner slope of the dark matter density profile, α in ρ ∝ rα, on the stellar-to-halo mass ratio, M∗/Mhalo. This relation is independent of the particular choice of parameters within our stellar feedback scheme, allowing a prediction for cusp versus core formation. When M∗/Mhalo is low, �0.01 per cent, energy from stellar feedback is insufficient to significantly alter the inner dark matter density, and the galaxy retains a cuspy profile. At higher stellar-to-halo mass ratios, feedback drives the expansion of the dark matter and generates cored profiles. The flattest profiles form where M∗/Mhalo ∼ 0.5 per cent. Above this ratio, stars formed in the central regions deepen the gravitational potential enough to oppose the supernova-driven expansion process, resulting in cuspier profiles. Combining the dependence of α on M∗/Mhalo with the empirical abundance matching relation between M∗ and Mhalo provides a prediction for how α varies as a function of stellar mass. Further, using the Tully–Fisher relation allows a prediction for the dependence of the dark matter inner slope on the observed rotation velocity of galaxies. The most cored galaxies are expected to have Vrot ∼ 50 km s−1, with α decreasing for more massive disc galaxies: spirals with Vrot ∼ 150 km s−1 have central slopes α ≤−0.8, approaching again the Navarro–Frenk–White profile. This novel prediction for the dependence of α on disc galaxy mass can be tested using observational data sets and can be applied to theoretical modelling of mass profiles and populations of disc galaxies

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Grunnskulelærarutdanning 5-10 PE379 Avdeling for lærarutdanning og idrett, institutt for grunnskulelærarutdanningTemaet i denne oppgåva er heim-skule samarbeid. I ynskje om å få ei breiare og djupare forståing av kva erfarne lærarar vektlegg i eit godt foreldresamarbeid, valte eg å nytte ein kvalitativ metode i form av å intervjue tre lærarar. Eg har sett på kva som kjenneteiknar eit godt foreldresamarbeid, formålet med samarbeidet, ulike samarbeidsformer og potensielle utfordringar. Lovverk og tidlegare forsking utgjer teorigrunnlaget i oppgåva. Forskinga visar at informantane vektlegg å få til ein god relasjon der samarbeidet kjenneteiknas av ein gjensidig og positiv kontakt. Undersøkinga mi viser også kor verdifull rolle alle partane i samarbeidet har. På trass av dette kunne det sjå ut som at mangel på tid kan utfordra samarbeidsforholdet