bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The National Recovery Administration Reconsidered,orWhy the Corrugated and Solid Fiber Shipping Container Code Succeeded
Authors: Berk Gerald
Published: March 2011

The Corrugated and Solid Fiber Shipping Container Industry Code was one of the only successful codes in the National Recovery Administration (NRA). Compliance was high. It increased production, wages, employment, and product diversity. NRA administrators marveled at its success. Why? And why have historical and rational-choice institutionalists, studying the NRA, overlooked the container code? This paper provides two answers: one microbehavioral, the other macrohistorical. At a micro level, it is impossible to understand the container code with rational-choice theory. It was successful not because it coordinated and enforced collective action, but because it organized “collaborative learning.” The code showed manufacturers how to compete over productivity and product diversity instead of volume. At a macro level, historical institutionalists miss the movement that spawned the container code, because they search in vain for liberal corporatism and state autonomy. Instead, this paper shows how the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) led a movement of cost accountants, trade associations, and peak business associations in an effort to channel competition from predation into improvement in products and production processes through “developmental trade associations.” The container code drew its personnel and practices from this project. In order to make sense of the container code, I introduce a novel theory of institutions, called “creative syncretism.”
Monitoring service utilization of persons with mental disorders – a case for mapping pathways of care
Authors: Katschnig H.
Published: March 2011

Routinely collected and reported indicators for health service utilization have traditionally been event/episode related and hospital centered. This is also the case for service utilization by persons with mental disorders, for whom national and international databases usually report rates of hospital discharges, mean length of stay for hospital episode and the like. Such event/episode-related indicators are of limited use for planning and improving services for persons with mental disorders. It is argued that new reporting systems are needed that allow the monitoring of the pathways of persons with mental disorders through the service system. It is shown how – owing to recent developments in techniques of ‘pseudonymization’ and the ever-increasing computer power for dealing with large volumes of patient data – such a system can be established and how it can contribute to analyzing empirically such mental health-care issues as ‘heavy utilizers’, ‘revolving door psychiatry’, ‘continuity of care’, ‘de-institutionalization’ and the like. Results of a record linkage study for the total population of a federal state of Austria monitoring both psychiatric and non-psychiatric health service utilization are reported. Some unexpected findings include the high utilization of non-psychiatric services by patients discharged from a psychiatric hospital bed, results which could not have been found by psychiatric case registers which usually only monitor utilization of psychiatric services.
European comparisons between mental health services
Authors: Wahlbeck K.
Published: March 2011

When developing accessible, affordable and effective mental health systems, exchange of data between countries is an important moving force towards better mental health care. Unfortunately, health information systems in most countries are weak in the field of mental health, and comparability of data is low.

Special international data collection exercises, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) Atlas Project and the WHO Baseline Project have provided valuable insights in the state of mental health systems in countries, but such single-standing data collections are not sustainable solutions. Improvements in routine data collection are urgently needed. The European Commission has initiated major improvements to ensure harmonized and comprehensive health data collection, by introducing the European Community Health Indicators set and the European Health Interview Survey. However, both of these initiatives lack strength in the field of mental health. The neglect of the need for relevant and valid comparable data on mental health systems is in conflict with the importance of mental health for European countries and the objectives of the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy.

The need for valid and comparable mental health services data is today addressed only by single initiatives, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development work to establish quality indicators for mental health care. Real leadership in developing harmonized mental health data across Europe is lacking. A European Mental Health Observatory is urgently needed to lead development and implementation of monitoring of mental health and mental health service provision in Europe.
Effectiveness of Continuity-of-Care Programs to reduce time in hospital in persons with schizophrenia
Authors: Suárez M. Alonso , Bravo-Ortiz M.F. , Fernández-Liria A. , González-Juárez C.
Published: March 2011

Aims.

To assess the impact of the Continuity-of-Care Program (CCP; a clinical case management model) on hospital use of persons with schizophrenia in three Community Mental Health Services in Madrid (Spain).

Methods.

Using data provided by the Psychiatric Case Register, we analyzed the use of hospitalization in 250 individuals before and after the date of inclusion in this program.

Results.

During the first year after launching the program, there was a 40–69% reduction in the number of admissions, length of each hospital stay, proportion of admitted patients, total number of days in-hospital, proportion of patients visiting the emergency room, and emergency room visits. This drop was maintained over the subsequent 3 years of program functioning.

Conclusions.

These results encourage the development and implementation of such programs, even though more studies evaluating the effectiveness of these programs for other endpoints are needed.
Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Yogic Meditative Practitioners
Authors: Gootjes Liselotte , Franken Ingmar H. A. , Van Strien Jan W.
Published: March 2011

Recently, there is a growing interest in meditation as an attentional and emotional regulatory strategy. To examine whether meditative practice is associated with successful emotion regulation, we examined the neurophysiological correlates of cognitive reappraisal in practitioners of a yogic meditative technique and controls. Participants were presented aversive pictures and were asked to cognitively change their appraisal of the affective meaning of the pictures by coming up with an alternative more positive interpretation of each picture. We found reduced magnitude of Event-Related Potentials (P300 and early time intervals of the late positive potential, LPP) following cognitive reappraisal of aversive pictures in both groups. However, in the yogic group, reduced magnitude was sustained during the later intervals of the LPP, while it subsided in the control group. Moreover, reduced amplitude of the late LPP correlated positively with experience of the technique. Results suggest a relation between yogic meditative practice and sustained attenuation of emotional response following emotion regulation. Increased positive affect and familiarity with cognitive emotion regulation in the yogic group may explain this effect. Whether this is a direct causal effect of the practice or can be attributed to characteristics of the participants that preexisted the training needs further examination in a randomized longitudinal study.
Solution and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry measurements of Br, I, Pb, Mn, Cd, Zn, and B in the organic skeleton of soft corals and black corals
Authors: Williams B. , Grottoli A. G.
Published: March 2011

Proxy records can be derived from soft corals and black corals using minor and trace element measurements of the organic skeleton of these corals. Here, concentrations of Br, I, Pb, Mn, Cd, Zn, and B in the organic skeleton were determined using solution inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) in one black coral from 5 m depth and two soft corals from 85 and 105 m depth collected from a reef offshore of Palau in the western tropical Pacific. Solution ICP‐MS results indicate that concentrations of some elements vary as expected with depth (Cd and Mn) while others are taxa specific (I) or colony specific (Br, Pb, Zn, and B). The intensities of the same elements normalized to 13C were also measured at high resolution using laser ablation (LA) ICP‐MS along radial transects covering the lifespan of the colonies. The results here indicate that high‐resolution LA ICP‐MS elemental records in black corals could be more fully developed for paleoceanographic reconstructions. In contrast, results of the laser transects from the two soft corals were not reproducible for any of the elements, and no discernible patterns were detected that could be developed into reliable proxy records using the current LA ICP‐MS method.
Efficacy and mechanisms of action of vitamin D in experimental polyarthritis
Authors: Moghaddami Mahin , Mayrhofer Graham , Anderson Paul H , Morris Howard A , van der Hoek Mark , Cleland Leslie G
Published: March 2011

Vitamin D (vit D) status has been linked to the occurrence and severity of auto‐immune and inflammatory diseases. This study evaluates the effects of vit D status on adoptive transfer of adjuvant‐induced arthritis (ATA). Rats maintained on diets replete or deficient in vit D3 received arthritogenic thoracic duct cells and were monitored for severity of arthritis. CD45+ cells obtained by collagenase digestion of hind‐paw synovium‐rich tissues (SRTs) were analysed to observe the effects of dietary vit D3 on the inflammatory process. Arthritis was more severe in vitamin D‐deficient (vit‐D−) rats compared with vitamin D‐replete (vit‐D+) rats. Resolution was delayed in vit‐D− rats compared with vit‐D+ rats, or rats fed standard chow. During the acute phase of ATA, numbers of CD45+ cells were significantly increased in the SRTs of vit‐D− rats compared with vit‐D+ rats. This increase involved T‐cells, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs) and MHC IIhi cells that resemble activated monocytes. A major difference between the dietary groups was that most DCs at the peak of inflammation in vit‐D− rats were CD4–, whereas in convalescent vit‐D+ rats most expressed CD4. Multiple categories of genes expressed by DCs differed between deficient and replete rats, with deficiency being associated with relative upregulation of certain pro‐inflammatory genes and replete status being associated with upregulation of genes associated with resolution of inflammation. The findings indicate that ATA is more severe and prolonged in vit‐D deficiency, that vit‐D deficiency promotes accumulation of CD4− DCs in synovium during ATA and that a gene‐expression profile is likely to contribute to the observed increased severity and duration of arthritis.
Principles for the post-GWAS functional characterisation of risk loci
Authors: Casey Graham , Liu Pengyuan , De Biasi Mariella , Tichelaar Jay , Carlson Chris , Vikis Haris , Duggan Dave , You Ming , Mills Ian , Freedman Matthew , Monteiro Alvaro , Gayther Simon , Coetzee Gerhard , Risch Angela , James Michael , Plass Christoph
Published: March 2011

Several challenges lie ahead in assigning functionality to susceptibility SNPs. For example, most effect sizes are small relative to effects seen in monogenic diseases, with per allele odds ratios usually ranging from 1.15 to 1.3. It is unclear whether current molecular biology methods have enough resolution to differentiate such small effects. Our objective here is therefore to provide a set of recommendations to optimize the allocation of effort and resources in order to maximize the chances of elucidating the functional contribution of specific loci to the disease phenotype. It has been estimated that 88% of currently identified disease-associated SNPs are intronic or intergenic. Thus, in this paper we will focus our attention on the analysis of non-coding variants and outline a hierarchical approach for post-GWAS functional studies.
Tunnel magnetoresistance properties and annealing stability in perpendicular anisotropy MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions with different stack structures
Authors: Mizunuma K. , Ikeda S. , Sato H. , Yamanouchi M. , Gan H.D. , Miura K. , Yamamoto H. , Hayakawa J. , Matsukura F. , Ohno H.
Published: March 2011

We have investigated the effect of stack structures on tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) properties in perpendicular anisotropy MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions (p-MTJs) with CoFe/Pd multilayer and CoFeB insertion. By adopting Ta and Ru cap-layers, the TMR ratios of 113 and 106% are obtained at annealing temperature (Ta) of 325 °C, respectively. Particularly, the Ru cap-layer is effective in realizing a TMR ratio of 100% at Ta = 350 °C. By replacing (Co25Fe75)80B20 with (Co25Fe75)85B15, the TMR ratio increased quickly at low Ta, reaching a maximum of 120% at Ta = 300 °C.
Mixed outer synchronization of coupled complex networks with time-varying coupling delay
Authors: Wang Jun-Wei , Ma Qinghua , Zeng Li , Abd-Elouahab Mohammed Salah
Published: March 2011

In this paper, the problem of outer synchronization between two complex networks with the same topological structure and time-varying coupling delay is investigated. In particular, we introduce a new type of outer synchronization behavior, i.e., mixed outer synchronization (MOS), in which different state variables of the corresponding nodes can evolve into complete synchronization, antisynchronization, and even amplitude death simultaneously for an appropriate choice of the scaling matrix. A novel nonfragile linear state feedback controller is designed to realize the MOS between two networks and proved analytically by using Lyapunov–Krasovskii stability theory. Finally, numerical simulations are provided to demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of our proposed control approach.
Variable Red Giants in the LMC: Pulsating Stars and Binaries?
Authors: Wood P. R.
Published: March 2011

Infrared J and K photometry has been obtained of all red giants in the half square degree region of the LMC bar searched for variables using the MACHO database byWood et al. (1999). The K–log P diagram shows the five distinct period–luminositysequences which are also evident in the MACHO photometry. The K–log P plot allowsidentification of the Mira sequence from among the five observed sequences. As shown in Wood et al. (1999), comparison of observed periods, luminosities and period ratios with theoretical models identifies Miras unambiguously as radial fundamental mode pulsators, while semi-regular variables can be pulsating in the first, second or third overtone, or even the fundamental mode. All these variables lie on just three of the five distinct sequences, and they all appear to be on the AGB. The nature of the variability of stars on the other two sequences is currently unknown. Possibilities include contact and semi-detached binaries, rotating stars with giant star spots, episodic dust formation, rotationally stabilised non-radial g− modes and strange pulsation modes caused by convection–pulsation interaction. These possibilities are discussed.
Compact Stellar Systems in the Fornax Cluster: Super-massive Star Clusters or Extremely Compact Dwarf Galaxies?
Authors: Drinkwater M. J. , Jones J. B. , Gregg M. D. , Phillipps S.
Published: March 2011

We describe a population of compact objects in the centre of the Fornax Cluster which were discovered as part of our 2dF Fornax Spectroscopic Survey. These objects have spectra typical of old stellar systems, but are unresolved on photographic sky survey plates. They have absolute magnitudes −13 < MB < −11, so they are 10 times more luminous than any Galactic globular clusters, but fainter than any known compact dwarf galaxies. These objects are all within 30 arcminutes of the central galaxy of the cluster, NGC 1399, but are distributed over larger radii than the globular cluster system of that galaxy. We suggest that these objects are either super-massive star clusters (intra-cluster globular clusters or tidally stripped nuclei of dwarf galaxies) or a new type of low-luminosity, compact elliptical dwarf (‘M32-type”) galaxy. The best way to test these hypotheses will be to obtain high-resolution imaging and high-dispersion spectroscopy to determine their structures and mass-to-light ratios. This will allow us to compare them to known compact objects and establish whether they represent a new class of hitherto unknown stellar system.
The Variable Ca II Absorption in β Pictoris during 1998
Authors: Barnes S. I. , Tobin William , Pollard K. R.
Published: March 2011

Variable absorption features were observed in the visible and ultraviolet spectrum of β Pictoris soon after this star gained attention in the early 1980s due to its large IRAS infrared excess and the discovery, from optical imaging, of an edge-on dust disk. The absorption has been attributed to the evaporation of infalling planetesimals or comet-like bodies (the falling evaporating bodies, or FEB, hypothesis). With a view to confronting this hypothesis with fuller observations, we monitored the Ca II H and K lines in β Pictoris simultaneously during 1998, obtaining sequences of spectra on 50 nights. Variable absorption was usually present. The different oscillator strengths of the H and K lines permit the determination of covering factors, but detailed modelling is required to test whether all features can be explained by the FEB hypothesis. The blend of Ca II H with Balmer H ε means that the H and K photospheric profiles are different, and that the variable absorption features do not evolve in parallel. The behaviour of the variable absorption on November 27 is evocative of a body passing in front of the stellar disk in a prograde equatorial orbit.
Two-point Angular Autocorrelation Function and the Origin of the Highest-energy Cosmic Rays
Authors: Clay R. W. , Dawson B. R. , Kewley L. , Johnston-Hollitt M.
Published: March 2011

Construction of the Pierre Auger Observatory for the study of the highest-energy cosmic rays is about to begin. Prior to the availability of data from that experiment, decisions should be made on techniques for the analysis of the directional properties of those data. We examine here one possible analysis tool, the two-point angular autocorrelation function. As a concrete example, data from the SUGAR array are examined in this way. Possible clustering of the data is observed, and the identification of such clustering with candidate astronomical objects in a purpose-developed catalogue is investigated.
Infrared Astronomy: In the Heat of the Night The 1999 Ellery Lecture
Authors: Storey John W. V.
Published: March 2011

Infrared astronomy has made remarkable progress over the past quarter century. This paper, which is a brief summary of the 1999 Ellery Lecture, outlines the importance of the infrared, traces some of the key Australian developments in the field, and looks ahead to the challenges facing infrared astronomers in the immediate future.
Comptonisation and Time-lags in Multi-temperature Plasmas Surrounding Compact Objects
Authors: Cullen Jason
Published: March 2011

This paper investigates a recent model proposed by Moskalenko, Collmar & Schönfelder (1998) for the plasma surrounding galactic black hole candidates. Using a linear Monte Carlo code, the spectral and temporal behaviour of the model is found for the case where the plasma geometry consists of a hot shell surrounding a cooler spherical core. The spectrum produced by this model at X-ray and gamma-ray energies is obtained numerically. Also found for the first time in this geometry are the photon time-lags between two energy bands due to rapid aperiodic variability. It is argued that the time-lag information may be able to determine whether this particular geometry is a realistic model for the material surrounding galactic black hole candidates.
The Optical/Near-IR Colours of Red Quasars
Authors: Francis Paul J. , Whiting Matthew T. , Webster Rachel L.
Published: March 2011

We present quasi-simultaneous multi-colour optical/near-IR photometry for 157 radio selected quasars, forming an unbiassed sub-sample of the Parkes Flat-Spectrum Sample. Data are also presented for 12 optically selected QSOs, drawn from the Large Bright QSO Survey. The spectral energy distributions of the radio- and optically-selected sources are quite different. The optically selected QSOs are all very similar: they have blue spectral energy distributions curving downwards at shorter wavelengths. Roughly 90% of the radio-selected quasars have roughly power-law spectral energy distributions, with slopes ranging from Fv∝v0 to Fv∝v−2. The remaining 10% have spectral energy distributions showing sharp peaks: these are radio galaxies and highly reddened quasars. Four radio sources were not detected down to magnitude limits of H ∼ 19·6. These are probably high redshift (z > 3) galaxies or quasars. We show that the colours of our red quasars lie close to the stellar locus in the optical: they will be hard to identify in surveys such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. If near-IR photometry is added, however, the red power-law sources can be clearly separated from the stellar locus: IR surveys such as 2MASS should be capable of finding these sources on the basis of their excess flux in the K-band.
Supernova Remnants, Pulsars and the Interstellar Medium
Authors: Dwarkadas Vikram , Ball Lewis , Caswell James , Green Anne , Johnston Simon , Schmidt Brian , Wardle Mark
Published: March 2011

We summarise the proceedings of a workshop on ‘Supernova Remnants, Pulsars and the Interstellar Medium’ which was held at the Special Research Centre for Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Sydney on 18 and 19 March 1999.
Catalogue of J = 1−0 CO Emission towards Southern Dark Clouds
Authors: Otrupcek R. E. , Hartley M. , Wang J.-S.
Published: March 2011

Using the 22-m ‘Mopra’ antenna (near Coonabarabran, NSW) of the Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF), we have observed emission from the 115-GHz J = 1−0 transition of CO towards the centre of each of the 1101 clouds listed in the Catalogue of Southern Dark Clouds (SDC) of Hartley et al. (1986). The velocity range covered was −96 to +70 km s−1, with a velocity resolution of 0· 120 km s−1. CO was detected at 1049 of the positions, with 367 spectra showing emission at more than one radial velocity. Here we present the most comprehensive general survey of the SDC catalogue, with the intensity, velocity and half-width of the CO detection and a code describing the profile shape. The presence of blue- or red-shifted wings in many observations can provide a starting point in searches for star-forming regions.
The Future of Robotic Telescopes for Education
Authors: Baruch J. E. F.
Published: March 2011

The development of robotic telescopes for education is reviewed. The problems associated with providing a service for students at different levels of education are discussed. Consideration is made of the hardware requirements in the students' institution and the compromises that are made to allow the maximum number of students to use facilities. The demands on teachers are considered along with the available methods of delivering educational projects related to curricular demands at the various stages. The likely developments in the technology are considered and estimates made of the probable timescales. Proposals are made to optimise student access to observing facilities that would involve the development of a linux-like collaboration around astronomy software and the development of low cost telescope systems. Proposals are made to realise such systems with the objective of providing universal access for students with Internet access.
The Universe on a Desktop: Observational Astronomy Simulations in the Instructional Laboratory
Authors: Marschall Laurence A.
Published: March 2011

Though the value of hands-on learning has long been recognised by educators, it is difficult to design laboratories in astronomy classes that present realistic astrophysical techniques to undergraduate students. Unlike most other sciences, astronomy is largely observational, not experimental, and making useful observations involves expensive equipment over time scales inconvenient for pedagogy. In recent years, however, astronomy has gone almost completely digital, and the advent of large on-line databases and fast personal computers has made it possible to realistically simulate the experience of research astrophysics in the laboratory. Since 1992, Project CLEA (Contemporary Laboratory Experiences in Astronomy) has been developing computer-based exercises aimed primarily at the introductory astronomy laboratory. These exercises simulate important techniques of astronomical research using digital data and Windows-based software. Each of the nine exercises developed to date consists of software, technical guides for teachers, and student manuals for the exercises. CLEA software is used at many institutions in all the United States and over 60 countries worldwide, in a variety of settings from middle school to upper-class astronomy classes. The current design philosophy and goals of Project CLEA are discussed along with plans for future development.
Cosmology on the Internet: Distance Education for the Gifted and Talented
Authors: McKinnon David H. , Nolan C. J. Patrick
Published: March 2011

In 1994, the New South Wales Board of Studies, Australia, introduced three high level Distinction Courses for gifted and talented students: Comparative Literature, Cosmology, and Philosophy. All are offered by distance education but the cosmology course employs an interactive design model and an extensive communication system that differentiates it from the other two. This paper explains the model and the way it is used in practice to organise, sequence and deliver the course. A discussion addresses ways in which the model might be used to design a wider range of courses in science for gifted and talented students.
The Student as Scientist: Secondary Student Research Projects in Astronomy
Authors: Hollow R. P.
Published: March 2011

Student research projects are becoming either integral or optional components of Science curricula in several countries. They provide a valuable opportunity for high school students to experience many of the joys and frustrations that make up the intellectual challenge of Science. Astronomy is one branch of Science that lends itself to student projects. Student Research Projects (SRPs) can be individual, group or collaborative between groups in other schools or countries and may involve professional mentors. Use of the Internet and remote access telescopes allow students to undertake challenging research and make worthwhile contributions to professional programs. This paper presents case studies of student projects in optical and radio astronomy from Australian and overseas schools and details both the benefits and problems faced in conducting such projects. Student responses to involvement in projects are discussed. Potential areas for future collaboration and development are highlighted together with the need for more research as to the most effective ways to implement projects and develop student skills.
Campbelltown Rotary Observatory
Authors: Bhathal R.
Published: March 2011

Donations (in cash and kind) amounting to $200,000 from companies in the south-western Sydney region have allowed the construction of a teaching, research and public access Observatory at the University of Western Sydney in Campbelltown. The Observatory will also serve as the home of the Australian Optical SETI Project (OZ OSETI for short). Two fibre-glass domes will be installed at the site. The main 4.5 m fibre-glass dome will house a 0.4 m telescope while the smaller 2.9 m dome will house a 0.3 m telescope. Both telescopes are fork-mounted Schmidt-Cassegrains working at f/10. An outside observation area will be used for tripod-mounted telescopes for public use and teaching purposes. The expected completion date for the project is July 2000.
Dark Matter and Galaxy Formation
Authors: Freeman K. C.
Published: March 2011

In addition to large numbers of normal galaxies, the multibeam HI Parkes all-sky survey will probably discover intergalactic HI clouds, very low-surface-brightness, gas-rich galaxies, and small HI clouds in nearby groups of galaxies. I will briefly discuss some aspects of why these classes of objects are interesting in the context of dark matter and galaxy formation.
The Galactic Halo Ionising Field
Authors: Bland-Hawthorn J. , Maloney P. R.
Published: March 2011

There has been much debate in recent decades as to what fraction of ionising photons from star-forming regions in the Galactic disk escape into the halo. The recent detection of the Magellanic Stream in optical line emission at the CTIO 4 m and the AAT 3·9 m telescopes may now provide the strongest evidence that at least some of the radiation escapes the disk completely. We present a simple model to demonstrate that, while the distance to the Magellanic Stream is uncertain, the observed emission measures (εm ≈ 0·5 – 1 cm−6 pc) are most plausibly explained by photoionisation due to hot, young stars. This model requires that the mean Lyman-limit opacity perpendicular to the disk is τLL ≈ 3, and the covering fraction of the resolved clouds is close to unity. Alternative sources (e.g. shock, halo, LMC or metagalactic radiation) contribute negligible ionising flux.
Ionised Hydrogen at Large Galactocentric Distances
Authors: Bland-Hawthorn J.
Published: March 2011

We summarise recent attempts to detect warm ionised gas at large galactocentric distances. This includes searches for gas at the edges of spirals, in between cluster galaxies, towards extragalactic HI clouds, and towards high-velocity clouds and the Magellanic Stream in the Galaxy. With the exception of extragalactic HI clouds, all of these experiments have proved successful. Within each class, we have only observed a handful of objects. It is premature to assess what fraction of the missing baryonic mass fraction might be in the form of ionised gas. But, in most cases, the detections provide a useful constraint on the ambient ionising flux, and, in the case of spiral edges, can even trace dark matter haloes out to radii beyond the reach of radio telescopes.
NGC 7421: Surfing the Intracluster Medium?
Authors: Ryder Stuart D. , Purcell G. , Davis D. , Andersen V.
Published: March 2011

NGC 7421 is a barred spiral that is displaced from the centre of its optical envelope, and has a ‘bow-shock’-like western boundary, both suggestive of interaction with an intracluster medium. We have used five configurations of the ATCA to map the distribution and kinematics of HI in NGC 7421, and find supportive evidence for this scenario in the form of an HI ‘wake’. When compared with ROSAT PSPC observations of the diffuse hot gas in the surrounding group of galaxies, these new ATCA results will allow us to place new constraints on the density and dynamics of the intracluster medium.
The Declining Rotation Curve of NGC 157
Authors: Ryder Stuart D. , Zasov A. , McIntyre V. , Walsh W.
Published: March 2011

We have found strong evidence for an abrupt decline in the HI rotation curve of the isolated spiral galaxy NGC 157. Various mass models to account for this, and the implications for the dark matter content of NGC 157, are discussed.
New HI Observations of the prototype Polar Ring Galaxy NGC 4650A
Authors: Arnaboldi Magda
Published: March 2011

New, high-resolution observations of the HI emission line and 20 cm continuum at the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) for the prototype polar ring galaxy NGC 4650A are presented. They show the presence of a far more extended HI distribution than previously observed with the VLA, and a very regular velocity field out to a distance of ∼50 kpc. The combined analysis of the HI data with optical and near-infrared (NIR) images argues against previous warp models used to describe the dynamics of this object. Further analysis of the new B-band image obtained at the European Southern Observatories New Technology Telescope (NTT) indicates clearly that the polar structure extends continuously to within about 200 pc of the nucleus of the central host galaxy, ruling out the presence of a ‘hole’ in the central region of this component. The presence of two spiral arms stretching out in the polar disk seems to represent the most likely explanation for the observed morphology and kinematics.
Hazards and Future Improvements to HI Surveys
Authors: Fisher J. Richard
Published: March 2011

Most radio astronomical observations are affected to some degree by man-made and natural interference. There are a few avoidance techniques that can reduce the impact of interference on the survey, but we must make quite significant advances in the understanding of our antennas and receivers and the interference itself before a substantial improvement can be expected. A major increase in the efficiency of future surveys will likely come from phased-array feeds, which have the potential for much closer beam spacings, greater antenna efficiency, and wider fields of view than current independent-feed arrays.
Grasping the Wispy Tendrils
Authors: Gooch Richard E.
Published: March 2011

The vast quantities of data produced by modern radio telescopes require advanced visualisation tools to explore them. The quantitative nature of astronomy requires more than just representing data visually. This paper discusses research in displaying, and using, a three-dimensional ‘cursor’ in amorphous, noisy data which often resemble wispy tendrils.
Blind HI Survey in the Centaurus and Fornax Clusters
Authors: Barnes David
Published: March 2011

The results of 21 cm HI survey observations are presented for two fields, centred on the Centaurus and Fornax southern galaxy clusters. One previously uncatalogued dwarf galaxy was detected near the southern edge of the Fornax cluster, and is visible on UKST survey plates. Implications for the Parkes Multibeam All Sky Survey are discussed.
An HI Selected Sample of Galaxies: The HI Mass Function and the Surface Brightness Distribution
Authors: Zwaan Martin , Briggs Frank , Sprayberry David
Published: March 2011

Results from the Arecibo HI Strip Survey, an unbiased extragalactic HI survey, combined with optical and 21 cm follow-up observations, determine the HI mass function and the cosmological mass density of HI at the present epoch. Both are consistent with earlier estimates, computed for the population of optically selected galaxies. This consistency occurs because, although the distribution of optical central surface brightnesses among galaxies is flat, we fail to find a population of galaxies with central surface brightnesses fainter than 24 B-mag arcsec−2, even though there is no observational selection against them.
A Search for Radio-loud Supernovae
Authors: Sadler Elaine M. , Campbell-Wilson Duncan
Published: March 2011

Some extragalactic supernovae, such as SN 1986J in NGC 891 (Rupen et al. 1987), are unusually strong radio sources. Their radio emission typically peaks a few years after the supernova explodes, and appears to arise from the interaction of the supernova shock with a dense stellar wind shed by the progenitor star. Since two radio-loud and possibly optically faint supernovae have recently been found serendipitously in nearby spiral galaxies, it is possible that such objects are common. If so, this would have important consequences for our understanding of both the chemical enrichment history of galaxies and the radio emission from starburst galaxies. Preliminary results from a survey of nearby spiral galaxies with the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST) allow us to make a first estimate of the radio supernova rate. A larger study now in progress will provide a much more sensitive measurement.
Alfvén Waves in Dusty Interstellar Clouds
Authors: Cramer N. F. , Vladimirov S. V.
Published: March 2011

Dust particles in a plasma can be higWy charged, and can carry a proportion of the negative charge of the plasma. Even if this proportion is quite small, as in interstellar dusty clouds, it can have a large effect on hydromagnetic Alfvén waves propagating at frequencies well below the ion–cyclotron frequency. In particular, the right-hand circularly polarised mode experiences a cutoff due to the presence of the dust. We generalise previous work on Alfvén waves in dusty interstellar plasmas by considering the general dispersion relation for waves propagating at an arbitrary angle with respect to the magnetic field. Wave energy propagating at oblique angles to the magnetic field in an increasing density gradient can be very efficiently damped by the Alfvén resonance absorption process in a dusty plasma, and we consider this damping mechanism for waves in interstellar clouds.
NIMPOL: An Imaging Polarimeter for the Mid-infrared
Authors: Smith Craig H. , Moore Toby J. T. , Aitken David K. , Fujiyoshi Takuya
Published: March 2011

We have built an imaging polarimeter for use at mid-infrared wavelengths (i.e. N band or 8–13 μm). The detecting element is a 128 × 128 element Si:Ga Focal Plane Array, supplied by Amber Engineering, USA. The polarimeter itself provides diffraction limited images on a 4-m class telescope and has a field of view of about 32 arcsec of sky with 0·25 arcsec pixels. We describe the optical design, control electronics, observing modes and detector sensitivities. Also presented are some observational results to demonstrate the power of this new imaging polarimetric system.
Towards a Truly Unified Model of AGN: Aspect, Accretion and Evolution
Authors: Dopita Michael A.
Published: March 2011

The Unified Model holds that the aspect-dependent effects primarily determine the nature of the active galactic nucleus that we observe. In this paper, I argue that three parameters; aspect, accretion rate into the nuclear regions, and the evolutionary status of the central black hole hold the key to unification. The mystery of why the epoch of quasar formation occurred so early in the evolution of the Universe, why radio-loud QSOs represent only a small fraction of the general population of QSOs, and why ellipticals are invariably the hosts of radio-loud active galaxies could be explained if (a) the most rapid growth of black holes occurred in galactic merger events, and if (b) an excess in the rate of nuclear feeding was able to choke off the radio jets, producing radio quiet QSOs. In this paper, I develop the idea that rate of nuclear feeding plays a dominant role and that feeding at super-Eddington rates into the broad-line region (BLR) during merger events is the means whereby massive black holes are grown. In particular, I develop a toy model for the radio-loud, radio-quiet dichotomy based on the rate of nuclear feeding, suggest an electron scattering model for the ‘big blue bump’ and its relation to the BLR, and emphasise the important diagnostic capabilities offered by analyses of the narrow line regions based on shock excitation models.
A Search for NH3 in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Authors: Osterberg Jürgen , Staveley-Smith Lister , Weisberg Joel M. , Dickey John M. , Mebold Ulrich
Published: March 2011

We report a search for the NH3 (J,K) = (1,1) inversion line in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using the Parkes 64–m telescope. Candidate positions were chosen with the help of recent H i data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array and published 12CO data from the Swedish–ESO Submillimetre Telescope. No detections of NH3 in emission were found at the positions surveyed. Upper limits are approximately 25 to 74 mK.
Limits on Source Distances for the Most Energetic Cosmic Rays
Authors: Lampard R. , Clay R. W. , Dawson B. R.
Published: March 2011

The propagation of the highest energy cosmic rays through the 2·7 K microwave background is considered. Photo-pion production interactions cause energy losses for primary cosmic ray protons which result in significant energy degradation over intergalactic distances. The process of energy loss is discussed and an estimate is made of the average distances travelled for observed cosmic rays with a range of energies, assuming a power law source spectrum. At energies over 1020 eV, the average distances travelled are a few tens of megaparsecs, limiting possible sources to the volume dominated by the supergalactic plane.
The Monash Spectrograph Simulation Program
Authors: Marsden S. C. , Coates D. W.
Published: March 2011

The Monash University Physics Department is constructing a spectrograph, to be attached to a 0·46-m Cassegrainian telescope. To help future users of the spectrograph determine the operational capabilities of the spectrograph a PC-based software package was created. This program allows the user to simulate the response of the spectrograph to various stellar types under differing observational constraints. We have estimated the precision of measurements of stellar radial velocities with the spectrograph. The estimates are reasonable but are yet to be compared with real data.
Special School Holiday Programs at the Carter Observatory
Authors: Leather Kay , Andrews Frank , Buckley Dawn , Carter Brian , Hall Lesley , Hall Richard , Hall Sacha , Leather Katrina , Leather Nyree , Matla Philippa , Orchiston Wayne , Sule Caroline
Published: March 2011

As an experiment, special holiday programs for primary school children were offered by the Carter Observatory during two different school holidays in 1995. One program focussed on Mars and the other on the Sun. This paper describes the two programs, expands on their strengths and weaknesses from different viewpoints, and (despite their overwhelming popularity) outlines the reasons why the Observatory has decided not to offer further holiday programs of this type in the foreseeable future.
Probing ISM Models with Hα Observations
Authors: Ferrara Andrea
Published: March 2011

I review the capabilities of Hα observations to constrain some aspects of the current models of the interstellar medium. In particular, it is shown that turbulence is a necessary ingredient of any viable model, since most of the energy produced by supernova explosions and ionising radiation is stored in kinetic form in the ISM. Various forms of turbulent energy dissipation, including cloud collisions, are analysed. Two additional aspects, concerning the existence of galactic fountains and their relation with high-velocity Clouds, and the extended ionised layer of spiral galaxies are discussed; some crucial experiments are suggested.
The MSSSO Wide Field CCD HαImaging Survey
Authors: Buxton Michelle , Bessell Michael , Watson Bob
Published: March 2011

A wide-field Hαsurvey of the Galactic Plane has been initiated by Mount Stromlo & Siding Spring Observatories in collaboration with the University of Sydney. The primary aim of the survey is to obtain images of the Galactic Plane in Hαand red continuum filters which will be compared with radio continuum images at 843 MHz from the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST). The secondary aim is to obtain images in [OIII] and [SII] to provide additional information on the nature of excitation in HII regions. Thirdly, additional images will be taken in B, V and I of interesting areas suitable for general publications as coloured reproductions. The images are taken with a 400 mm f/4·5 Nikkor-Q lens in conjunction with a 2K×2K SITe thinned CCD. The resolution is 12″ per pixel and the pixel size is 24 μm giving a 7°×7° field of view. Hαand red continuum observations are expected to be completed by the end of 1997. It is planned to make the results from the survey available on CD ROM and possibly video.
Background and First Results from the New AAO/UKST Hα Survey
Authors: Parker Quentin A. , Phillipps Steven
Published: March 2011

The UK Schmidt Telescope (UKST) of the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) has just embarked on a new Hα survey of the Southern Galactic Plane, Magellanic Clouds and selected regions using a specially designed, high-specification, monolithic, interference filter. It is probably the largest of its kind for astronomy. It is being used in combination with Kodak Tech Pan film-based emulsion. This emulsion not only has a useful sensitivity peak at Hα but also possesses extremely fine grain and an exceptionally high DQE for the hypersensitised product (∼10%). This leads to excellent imaging, sensitivity and low noise. It is clear that CCDs cannot yet match the wide-area coverage, uniformity and resolution of the UKST/Tech Pan combination for undertaking such a survey. The survey will initially include about 233 Galactic Plane and 40 Magellanic Cloud fields on 4-degree centres and will take about 3 years to complete. Some preliminary images from the new survey are presented and compared with the best previously available from the UKST. Examples of the first survey discoveries, new resolved Galactic planetary nebulae, are also given. This survey will have an unprecedented combination of area coverage, depth and resolution, superior to those of any previous optical survey of ionised gas in the Galaxy. Many new discoveries and research avenues are expected.
Photographic Enhancement of Hα Films
Authors: Malin David
Published: March 2011

The appearance of Tech Pan film in sizes that were useful in large Schmidt telescopes immediately offered new opportunities and advantages to users of Schmidt telescopes. Among the advantages were a spatial resolution that was well matched to the image quality produced by the optics of the telescope under the best conditions. For the first time such images were well sampled on Schmidt telescopes. Tech Pan was initially formulated by Eastman Kodak as a 35 mm solar patrol film designed to have enhanced sensitivity around the 656·2 nm Hα line. It is this feature, combined with the excellent imaging characteristics, that we seek to exploit with the new UK Schmidt Telescope (UKST) Hα survey. This paper briefly reports some preliminary comparative tests of Tech Pan with the new Hα filter at UKST and suggests ways in which data from the new survey can be quickly exploited using advanced photographic techniques such as photographic amplification. This simple contact copying process rapidly reveals extended low surface brightness features that simple inspection cannot.
Digitisation, Archiving and Dissemination of the 275 Gbytes of the AAO/UKST Hα Survey Data
Authors: MacGillivray Harvey T.
Published: March 2011

We plan to digitise the AAO/UKST Hα survey of the Southern sky using the SuperCOSMOS facility at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh. The digitisation will be performed at 10 microns resolution (0·67 arcsec), and will result in a database of 275 Gbyte of pixel data for the 200 fields of the survey. These data will be processed to produce also a point source catalogue. As the Hα survey is an official AAO sky survey, both the pixel data and the point source catalogue will be made available to the community as a service facility. We give details of the digitisation process, archiving of the resulting data and the plans for dissemination of the database.
Diffuse Hα in a Fractal Interstellar Medium
Authors: Elmegreen Bruce G.
Published: March 2011

Observations of cloud structure over the last 10 years have led to the conclusion that it is fractal in nature, with a fractal dimension characteristic of turbulence, as found in the laboratory. Such structure has an open texture, with a volume filling factor of nearly 90% for gas that is at low density. Turbulence makes such cavities by clearing away material during convective motions. We propose that most of the low-density intercloud medium is the result of turbulence and not overlapping supernova remnants. This model has important implications for diffuse Hα and ionisation of the halo. Fractal clouds have a gradually decreasing average density with increasing distance, so ionisation zones around these clouds can be very extensive. Fractal clouds are also highly clustered, making the mean free path for ionising photons at least twice as large as in the ‘standard cloud’ model. This long mean free path allows stray ionising photons from midplane H II regions to reach and ionise the halo.