Constraints on the relative sizes of intervening Mg II-absorbing clouds and quasar emitting regions

Context: A significantly higher incidence of strong (rest equivalent width W_r > 1 {\AA}) intervening Mg II absorption is observed along gamma-ray burst (GRB) sight-lines relative to those of quasar sight-lines. A geometrical explanation for this discrepancy has been suggested: the ratio of the beam size of the source to the characteristic size of a Mg II absorption system can influence the observed Mg II equivalent width, if these two sizes are comparable. Aims: We investigate whether the differing beam sizes of the continuum source and broad-line region of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasars produce a discrepancy between the incidence of strong Mg II absorbers illuminated by the quasar continuum region and those of absorbers illuminated by both continuum and broad-line region light. Methods: We perform a semi-automated search for strong Mg II absorbers in the SDSS Data Release 7 quasar sample. The resulting strong Mg II absorber catalog is available online. We measure the sight-line number density of strong Mg II absorbers superimposed on and off the quasar C IV 1550 {\AA} and C III] 1909 {\AA} emission lines. Results: We see no difference in the sight-line number density of strong Mg II absorbers superimposed on quasar broad emission lines compared to those superimposed on continuum-dominated spectral regions. This suggests that the Mg II-absorbing clouds typically observed as intervening absorbers in quasar spectra are larger than the beam sizes of both the continuum-emitting regions and broad line-emitting regions in the centers of quasars, corresponding to a lower limit of the order of 10^17} cm for the characteristic size of a Mg II absorbing cloud.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures. Edit: fixed a missing cross-referenc

Resisting (Un)Accountability: Rhetorical Strategies of Forgetting Denmark’s IUD Campaign in Greenland

This thesis explores how colonial amnesia manifests rhetorically in media representations and public discourse about Denmark’s IUD campaign in Greenland. Beginning in the mid-1960s, this state-led initiative systematically targeted Greenlandic Inuit girls and women, fitting them with IUDs as part of a nationwide birth control campaign, some without their consent or knowledge. During the campaign’s most intensive years from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s, approximately 4,500 girls and women – half of the fertile female population – were subjected to this reproductive violence. The spiral campaign was largely forgotten by the Danish public until an investigative podcast, Spiralkampagnen, brought it to public attention in May 2022. Over five episodes, two Danish journalists narrate the campaign’s violence, drawing on archival materials and interviews with Greenlandic Inuit women. Through a rhetorical analysis of the podcast Spiralkampagnen and the public discourse that followed its release, I identify multiple rhetorical strategies of “forgetting” that sustain Denmark’s colonial amnesia by obscuring the campaign’s colonial underpinnings. This amnesia, I argue, is both enabled by and reinforces the national-sentimental narrative of Denmark as a benevolent colonial caretaker – a story that continues to shape the Danish public imagination. These rhetorical strategies, regardless of intent, downplay the colonial logics that enabled the campaign and allow the state to evade accountability for its enduring consequences. By tracing how colonial amnesia manifests in discourse, this thesis shows how contemporary framings of the spiral campaign both reflect and reinforce dominant narratives of national innocence, hindering efforts to confront colonial legacies and address their ongoing impacts

Effects of different violin playing techniques on workload in forearm and shoulder muscles

Due to their working position, violinists are more prone to musculoskeletal pain than other instrumentalists. Playing the violin may cause increased activity in the shoulder and forearm muscles due to techniques such as vibrato (pitch variation), double-fingering (thirds), and changes in speed and volume (piano and forte). This study investigated how the different violin techniques affect muscle activity while playing scales and a music piece. Surface EMG was recorded bilaterally from the upper trapezius and forearm muscles in 18 violinists. Increased playing speed followed by playing with vibrato was the most demanding task affecting the left forearm muscles. Playing forte was the most demanding factor for the right forearm muscles. The music piece and the grand mean of all techniques showed similar workload demands. These results show that specific techniques require higher workload demands and should be considered when planning rehearsals with these techniques as a part of injury prevention.</p