We discuss how astrophysical observations with the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE), a highm... more We discuss how astrophysical observations with the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE), a highmultiplexity (about 4300 fibers), wide field-of-view (1.5 square degree), large telescope aperture (11.25 m) facility, can probe the particle nature of dark matter. MSE will conduct a suite of surveys that will provide critical input for determinations of the mass function, phase-space distribution, and internal density profiles of dark matter halos across all mass scales. N-body and hydrodynamical simulations of cold, warm, fuzzy and self-interacting dark matter suggest that non-trivial dynamics in the dark sector could have left an imprint on structure formation. Analysed within these frameworks, the extensive and unprecedented datasets produced by MSE will be used to search for deviations away from cold and collisionless dark matter model. MSE will provide an improved estimate of the local density of dark matter, critical for direct detection experiments, and will improve estimates of the J-factor for indirect searches through self-annihilation or decay into Standard Model particles. MSE will determine the impact of low mass substructures on the dynamics of Milky Way stellar streams in velocity space, and will allow for estimates of the density profiles of the dark matter halos of Milky Way dwarf galaxies using more than an order of magnitude more tracers. In the low redshift Universe, MSE will provide critical redshifts to pin down the luminosity functions of vast numbers of satellite systems, and MSE will be an essential component of future strong lensing measurements to constrain the halo mass function. Across nearly all mass scales, the improvements offered by MSE, in comparison to other facilities, are such that the relevant analyses are limited by systematics rather than statistics. • Both FDM and SIDM (when it forms constant density cores) change the strength of dynamical friction and this could be a testable prediction. For example, in SIDM models, it is expected that the BCG will slosh about the center of the halo on the scale of the constant density core size.
Twenty years ago, the mismatch between the observed number of Milky Way satellite galaxies and th... more Twenty years ago, the mismatch between the observed number of Milky Way satellite galaxies and the predicted number of cold dark matter (CDM) subhalos was dubbed the "missing satellites problem". Although mostly framed since in terms of satellite counts in luminosity space, the missing satellites problem was originally posed in velocity space. Importantly, the stellar velocity dispersion function encodes information about the density profile of satellites as well as their abundance. In this work, we completeness correct the MW satellite stellar velocity dispersion function down to its ultrafaint dwarfs (340 L). Our most conservative completeness correction is in good agreement with a simple CDM model in which massive, classical satellites (M 200 5 × 10 8 M) have baryon-driven cores, while lower mass, ultrafaint satellites inhabit cuspy halos that are not strongly tidally stripped. Tidal destruction of satellites by the MW's disk must be minimal, otherwise the completeness-corrected velocity function exceeds any plausible CDM prediction-a "too many satellites" problem. We rule out non-core-collapsing self-interacting dark matter models with a constant cross section 0.1 cm 2 /g. Constraints on warm dark matter are stronger than those based on the luminosity function due to its additional sensitivity to subhalo central densities, which suppresses number counts by up to an additional 30%. A thermal relic mass 6 keV is preferred. Reducing uncertainties on stellar velocity dispersion measurements and the amount of tidal stripping experienced by the faintest dwarfs is key to determining the severity of the too many satellites problem.
Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) cosmologies admit an enormous diversity of dark matter (DM) h... more Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) cosmologies admit an enormous diversity of dark matter (DM) halo density profiles, from low-density cores to high-density core-collapsed cusps. The possibility of the growth of high central density in low-mass haloes, accelerated if haloes are subhaloes of larger systems, has intriguing consequences for small-halo searches with substructure lensing. However, following the evolution of ${\lesssim}10^8 \, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ subhaloes in lens-mass systems (${\sim}10^{13}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$) is computationally expensive with traditional N-body simulations. In this work, we develop a new hybrid semi-analytical + N-body method to study the evolution of SIDM subhaloes with high fidelity, from core formation to core-collapse, in staged simulations. Our method works best for small subhaloes (≲1/1000 host mass), for which the error caused by dynamical friction is minimal. We are able to capture the evaporation of subhalo particles by interactions with host ...
The non-linear process of cosmic structure formation produces gravitationally bound overdensities... more The non-linear process of cosmic structure formation produces gravitationally bound overdensities of dark matter known as halos. The abundances, density profiles, ellipticities, and spins of these halos can be tied to the underlying fundamental particle physics that governs dark matter at microscopic scales. Thus, macroscopic measurements of dark matter halos offer a unique opportunity to determine the underlying properties of dark matter across the vast landscape of dark matter theories. This white paper summarizes the ongoing rapid development of theoretical and experimental methods, as well as new opportunities, to use dark matter halo measurements as a pillar of dark matter physics.
A critical challenge to the cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm is that there are fewer satellites ob... more A critical challenge to the cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm is that there are fewer satellites observed around the Milky Way than found in simulations of dark matter substructure. We show that there is a match between the observed satellite counts corrected by the detection efficiency of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (for luminosities L ≳ 340 L_) and the number of luminous satellites predicted by CDM, assuming an empirical relation between stellar mass and halo mass. The "missing satellites problem", cast in terms of number counts, is thus solved. We also show that warm dark matter models with a thermal relic mass smaller than 4 keV are in tension with satellite counts, putting pressure on the sterile neutrino interpretation of recent X-ray observations. Importantly, the total number of Milky Way satellites depends sensitively on the spatial distribution of satellites, possibly leading to a "too many satellites" problem. Measurements of completely dark halos below...
arXiv: Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, 2019
This is the MSE Detailed Science Case (DSC). It is the highest level document in the MSE document... more This is the MSE Detailed Science Case (DSC). It is the highest level document in the MSE document hierarchy, and forms the foundation for the Level 0 Science Requirements Document (SRD). A snapshot of the entire MSE observatory including technical designs at the end of the Conceptual Design Phase can be found in The MSE Book 2018. The MSE DSC provides the science narrative describing the principal envisioned science goals of MSE and describes its impact on a broad range of science topics. This new version of the DSC builds upon, develops and augments the original science case that was released in 2016. It reaffirms the science capabilities of MSE that form the basis of the SRD, while updating it for recent advances and discoveries (e.g., Data Release 2 of Gaia, GW170817, ...). It includes new contributions and perspectives from the science team, whose membership has grown significantly since 2016 (> 360 members in 2019 compared to ∼ 100 members in 2016; for a full list of current science team members, please refer to the Appendix). A note on the structure of the DSC The structure of Version 2 of the DSC is notably different from the original version. The DSC begins with an Executive Summary and an Overview chapter, after which there are seven thematic chapters that describe the science cases for MSE from exoplanetary through to cosmological scales. Each chapter was developed by the relevant thematic Science Working Group (SWGs). Each chapter can be read as a stand-alone document.
Predators impact preyscapes (3-D distribution of forage species) by consuming prey according to t... more Predators impact preyscapes (3-D distribution of forage species) by consuming prey according to their abilities or by altering prey behavior as they avoid being consumed. We elucidate prey (Antarctic silverfish[Pleuragramma antarctica] and crystal krill[Euphausia chrystallorophias]) responses to predation associated with the marginal ice zone (MIZ) of the McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, polynya. Prey abundance and habitat was sampled across a 30 × 15 km area by remotely-operated vehicle, and included locations that were accessible (ice edge) or inaccessible (solid fast ice) to air-breathing predators. Prey and habitat sampling coincided with bio-logging of Adélie penguins and observations of other air-breathing predators (penguins, seals, and whales), all of which were competing for the same prey. Adélie penguins dived deeper, and more frequently, near the ice edge. Lowered abundance of krill at the ice edge indicated they were depleted or were responding to increased predation and/or hi...
We present the first results from a reverberation-mapping campaign undertaken during the first ha... more We present the first results from a reverberation-mapping campaign undertaken during the first half of 2012, with additional data on one AGN (NGC 3227) from a 2014 campaign. Our main goals are (1) to determine the black hole masses from continuum-Hβ reverberation signatures, and (2) to look for velocity-dependent time delays that might be indicators of the gross kinematics of the broad-line region. We successfully measure Hβ time delays and black hole masses for five AGNs, four of which have previous reverberation mass measurements. The values measured here are in agreement with earlier estimates, though there is some intrinsic scatter beyond the formal measurement errors. We observe velocity dependent Hβ lags in each case, and find that the patterns have changed in the intervening five years for three AGNs that were also observed in 2007.
High-latitude marine communities are dependent on sea ice patterns. Sea ice cover limits light, a... more High-latitude marine communities are dependent on sea ice patterns. Sea ice cover limits light, and hence primary production and food supply. Plankton, carried by currents from open water to areas under the sea ice, provides a transitory food resource that is spatially and temporally variable. We recorded epifaunal abundances at 17 sites in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, over 12 yr, and found differences in communities based on location and time. The differences in location support patterns observed in long-term infaunal studies, which are primarily driven by currents, food availability, and larval supply. The temporal differences, highlighting 2004 and 2009 as years of change, match the altered persistence of sea ice in the region, caused by the appearance and disappearance of mega-icebergs. The temporal changes were driven by changes in abundance of species that filter feed on large particulates. The shift in current patterns that occurred due to mega-icebergs decreased the normal food supply in the region. In addition to the decrease in food availability, we suggest that the reduced light resulting from thicker-than-normal sea ice resulted in a shift to smaller phytoplankton. A change in food quality as well as quantity may have influenced the temporal change in epifaunal communities.
A critical challenge to the cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm is that there are fewer satellites ob... more A critical challenge to the cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm is that there are fewer satellites observed around the Milky Way than found in simulations of dark matter substructure. We show that there is a match between the observed satellite counts corrected by the detection efficiency of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (for luminosities L 340 L) and the number of luminous satellites predicted by CDM, assuming an empirical relation between stellar mass and halo mass. The "missing satellites problem", cast in terms of number counts, is thus solved. We also show that warm dark matter models with a thermal relic mass smaller than 4 keV are in tension with satellite counts, putting pressure on the sterile neutrino interpretation of recent X-ray observations. Importantly, the total number of Milky Way satellites depends sensitively on the spatial distribution of satellites, possibly leading to a "too many satellites" problem. Measurements of completely dark halos below 10 8 M , achievable with substructure lensing and stellar stream perturbations, are the next frontier for tests of CDM.
Polar ecosystems are bellwether indicators of climate change and offer insights into ecological r... more Polar ecosystems are bellwether indicators of climate change and offer insights into ecological resilience. In this study, we describe contrasting responses to an apparent regime shift of two very different benthic communities in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. We compared species‐specific patterns of benthic invertebrate abundance and size between the west (low productivity) and east (higher productivity) sides of McMurdo Sound across multiple decades (1960s–2010) to depths of 60 m. We present possible factors associated with the observed changes. A massive and unprecedented shift in sponge recruitment and growth on artificial substrata observed between the 1980s and 2010 contrasts with lack of dramatic sponge settlement and growth on natural substrata, emphasizing poorly understood sponge recruitment biology. We present observations of changes in populations of sponges, bryozoans, bivalves, and deposit‐feeding invertebrates in the natural communities on both sides of the sound. Scienti...
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office, 2017
Fast/sea ice movement was quantified from visible-wavelength images from the Moderate-resolution ... more Fast/sea ice movement was quantified from visible-wavelength images from the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua and Terra satellites (250 m resolution; processing occurred for 2002/03-2014/15 seasons and Terra satellite date from 2000-2002 were not used) and sea ice concentration derived from the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer-and Special Sensor Microwave Imager-family passive microwave sensors (SSM/I; 25 km resolution; 1978/79-2014/15). MODIS data were acquired in one of two ways, from either processing of Level 1 swath data into "true color" images using SeaDAS software v. 6.4 (2002-2012), or from the Corrected Reflectance (True Color) layers of the NASA Worldview website (http://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/; 2012-2015). Fast ice areas were generated manually from clear-sky images by drawing polygons in GIS software; pack ice was excluded from analysis. The fast ice in MODIS images was sometimes obscured by clouds, so for days with missing imagery we interpolated linearly between valid data.
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2016
Sponges are the most conspicuous component of the Antarctic benthic ecosystem, a system under str... more Sponges are the most conspicuous component of the Antarctic benthic ecosystem, a system under stress both from climate change and fishing activities. Observations over four decades are compiled and reveal extremely episodic sponge recruitmentand growth.Recruitment occurred under different oceanographic conditions on both sides of McMurdo Sound. Most of the sponges appear to have recruited in the late 1990s-2000. Observations from 2000 to 2010follow thirty years of relative stasis with very little sponge recruitment or growth followed by a general pattern of recruitment by some forty species of sponges. That there was almost no recruitment observed on natural substrata emphasizes the contrast between potential and realized recruitment. This unique data set was derived from a region noted for physical stasis,but theepisodic ecological phenomena highlightthe importance of rare events. Against a background of intermittent food resources and the low metabolic costs of stasis, understanding the causes of irregular larval supply, dispersal processes, recruitment success and survivorship becomes critical to predicting ecosystem dynamics and resilience in response to increasing environmental change. Our time-series emphasizes that long-term data collection is essential for meaningful forecasts about environmental change in the unique benthic ecosystems of the Antarctic shelf.
We present the first results from an optical reverberation mapping campaign executed in 2014targ... more We present the first results from an optical reverberation mapping campaign executed in 2014targeting the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) MCG+08-11-011, NGC 2617, NGC 4051, 3C 382, and Mrk 374. Our targets have diverse and interesting observational properties, including a "changing look" AGN and a broad-line radio galaxy. Based on continuum-Hβ lags, we measure black hole masses for all five targets. We also obtain Hγ and He II λ4686 lags for all objects except 3C 382. The He II λ4686 lags indicate radial stratification of the BLR, and the masses derived from different emission lines are in general agreement. The relative responsivities of these lines are also in qualitative agreement with photoionization models. These spectra have extremely high signal-to-noise ratios (100-300 per pixel) and there are excellent prospects for obtaining velocity-resolved reverberation signatures.
Synopsis Community structure and diversity are influenced by patterns of disturbance and input of... more Synopsis Community structure and diversity are influenced by patterns of disturbance and input of food. In Antarctica, the marine ecosystem undergoes highly seasonal changes in availability of light and in primary production. Near research stations, organic input from human activities can disturb the regular productivity regime with a consistent input of sewage. McMurdo Sound has both high-productivity and low-productivity habitats, thereby providing an ideal test bed for community recovery dynamics under polar conditions. We used experimental manipulations of the subtidal communities to test the hypotheses that (1) benthic communities respond differently to disturbance from organic enrichment versus burial and (2) community response also varies in areas with different natural patterns of food supply. Both in lowand high-food habitats, the strongest community response was to organic enrichment and resulted in dominance of typical organic-enrichment specialists. In habitats with highly seasonal productivity, community response was predictable and recovery was rapid. In habitats with low productivity, community variability was high and caging treatments suggested that inconsistencies were due to patchy impacts by scavengers. In areas normally subject to regular organic enrichment, either from primary production or from further up the food web (defecation by marine mammals), recovery of benthic communities takes only years even in a polar system. However, a low-productivity regime is as common in near shore habitats around the continent; under these conditions, recovery of benthic communities from disturbance is likely to be much slower and follow a variable ecological trajectory.
On the basis of observations of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii Lesson) made in the course... more On the basis of observations of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii Lesson) made in the course of studying shallow-water benthic communities in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, we suggest that caching and/or defence of uneaten food may be a strategy practiced by this animal. Such a phenomenon is uncommon but taxonomically widespread among vertebrates. Depending on circumstances, it is termed hoarding, caching, or storage and may be short- or long-term, include defence of the resource, or have other variable expressions, with the common threads being deferred consumption and deterrence of consumption by others (Vanderwall 1990). Many vertebrate taxa exhibit hoarding behaviour, including rodents (e.g. Sciuridae), carnivores (e.g. Canidae, Felinidae) and birds (e.g. Corvidae, Picidae). No form of food caching, to our knowledge, has ever been reported in a wild pinniped.
We discuss how astrophysical observations with the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE), a highm... more We discuss how astrophysical observations with the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE), a highmultiplexity (about 4300 fibers), wide field-of-view (1.5 square degree), large telescope aperture (11.25 m) facility, can probe the particle nature of dark matter. MSE will conduct a suite of surveys that will provide critical input for determinations of the mass function, phase-space distribution, and internal density profiles of dark matter halos across all mass scales. N-body and hydrodynamical simulations of cold, warm, fuzzy and self-interacting dark matter suggest that non-trivial dynamics in the dark sector could have left an imprint on structure formation. Analysed within these frameworks, the extensive and unprecedented datasets produced by MSE will be used to search for deviations away from cold and collisionless dark matter model. MSE will provide an improved estimate of the local density of dark matter, critical for direct detection experiments, and will improve estimates of the J-factor for indirect searches through self-annihilation or decay into Standard Model particles. MSE will determine the impact of low mass substructures on the dynamics of Milky Way stellar streams in velocity space, and will allow for estimates of the density profiles of the dark matter halos of Milky Way dwarf galaxies using more than an order of magnitude more tracers. In the low redshift Universe, MSE will provide critical redshifts to pin down the luminosity functions of vast numbers of satellite systems, and MSE will be an essential component of future strong lensing measurements to constrain the halo mass function. Across nearly all mass scales, the improvements offered by MSE, in comparison to other facilities, are such that the relevant analyses are limited by systematics rather than statistics. • Both FDM and SIDM (when it forms constant density cores) change the strength of dynamical friction and this could be a testable prediction. For example, in SIDM models, it is expected that the BCG will slosh about the center of the halo on the scale of the constant density core size.
Twenty years ago, the mismatch between the observed number of Milky Way satellite galaxies and th... more Twenty years ago, the mismatch between the observed number of Milky Way satellite galaxies and the predicted number of cold dark matter (CDM) subhalos was dubbed the "missing satellites problem". Although mostly framed since in terms of satellite counts in luminosity space, the missing satellites problem was originally posed in velocity space. Importantly, the stellar velocity dispersion function encodes information about the density profile of satellites as well as their abundance. In this work, we completeness correct the MW satellite stellar velocity dispersion function down to its ultrafaint dwarfs (340 L). Our most conservative completeness correction is in good agreement with a simple CDM model in which massive, classical satellites (M 200 5 × 10 8 M) have baryon-driven cores, while lower mass, ultrafaint satellites inhabit cuspy halos that are not strongly tidally stripped. Tidal destruction of satellites by the MW's disk must be minimal, otherwise the completeness-corrected velocity function exceeds any plausible CDM prediction-a "too many satellites" problem. We rule out non-core-collapsing self-interacting dark matter models with a constant cross section 0.1 cm 2 /g. Constraints on warm dark matter are stronger than those based on the luminosity function due to its additional sensitivity to subhalo central densities, which suppresses number counts by up to an additional 30%. A thermal relic mass 6 keV is preferred. Reducing uncertainties on stellar velocity dispersion measurements and the amount of tidal stripping experienced by the faintest dwarfs is key to determining the severity of the too many satellites problem.
Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) cosmologies admit an enormous diversity of dark matter (DM) h... more Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) cosmologies admit an enormous diversity of dark matter (DM) halo density profiles, from low-density cores to high-density core-collapsed cusps. The possibility of the growth of high central density in low-mass haloes, accelerated if haloes are subhaloes of larger systems, has intriguing consequences for small-halo searches with substructure lensing. However, following the evolution of ${\lesssim}10^8 \, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ subhaloes in lens-mass systems (${\sim}10^{13}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$) is computationally expensive with traditional N-body simulations. In this work, we develop a new hybrid semi-analytical + N-body method to study the evolution of SIDM subhaloes with high fidelity, from core formation to core-collapse, in staged simulations. Our method works best for small subhaloes (≲1/1000 host mass), for which the error caused by dynamical friction is minimal. We are able to capture the evaporation of subhalo particles by interactions with host ...
The non-linear process of cosmic structure formation produces gravitationally bound overdensities... more The non-linear process of cosmic structure formation produces gravitationally bound overdensities of dark matter known as halos. The abundances, density profiles, ellipticities, and spins of these halos can be tied to the underlying fundamental particle physics that governs dark matter at microscopic scales. Thus, macroscopic measurements of dark matter halos offer a unique opportunity to determine the underlying properties of dark matter across the vast landscape of dark matter theories. This white paper summarizes the ongoing rapid development of theoretical and experimental methods, as well as new opportunities, to use dark matter halo measurements as a pillar of dark matter physics.
A critical challenge to the cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm is that there are fewer satellites ob... more A critical challenge to the cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm is that there are fewer satellites observed around the Milky Way than found in simulations of dark matter substructure. We show that there is a match between the observed satellite counts corrected by the detection efficiency of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (for luminosities L ≳ 340 L_) and the number of luminous satellites predicted by CDM, assuming an empirical relation between stellar mass and halo mass. The "missing satellites problem", cast in terms of number counts, is thus solved. We also show that warm dark matter models with a thermal relic mass smaller than 4 keV are in tension with satellite counts, putting pressure on the sterile neutrino interpretation of recent X-ray observations. Importantly, the total number of Milky Way satellites depends sensitively on the spatial distribution of satellites, possibly leading to a "too many satellites" problem. Measurements of completely dark halos below...
arXiv: Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, 2019
This is the MSE Detailed Science Case (DSC). It is the highest level document in the MSE document... more This is the MSE Detailed Science Case (DSC). It is the highest level document in the MSE document hierarchy, and forms the foundation for the Level 0 Science Requirements Document (SRD). A snapshot of the entire MSE observatory including technical designs at the end of the Conceptual Design Phase can be found in The MSE Book 2018. The MSE DSC provides the science narrative describing the principal envisioned science goals of MSE and describes its impact on a broad range of science topics. This new version of the DSC builds upon, develops and augments the original science case that was released in 2016. It reaffirms the science capabilities of MSE that form the basis of the SRD, while updating it for recent advances and discoveries (e.g., Data Release 2 of Gaia, GW170817, ...). It includes new contributions and perspectives from the science team, whose membership has grown significantly since 2016 (> 360 members in 2019 compared to ∼ 100 members in 2016; for a full list of current science team members, please refer to the Appendix). A note on the structure of the DSC The structure of Version 2 of the DSC is notably different from the original version. The DSC begins with an Executive Summary and an Overview chapter, after which there are seven thematic chapters that describe the science cases for MSE from exoplanetary through to cosmological scales. Each chapter was developed by the relevant thematic Science Working Group (SWGs). Each chapter can be read as a stand-alone document.
Predators impact preyscapes (3-D distribution of forage species) by consuming prey according to t... more Predators impact preyscapes (3-D distribution of forage species) by consuming prey according to their abilities or by altering prey behavior as they avoid being consumed. We elucidate prey (Antarctic silverfish[Pleuragramma antarctica] and crystal krill[Euphausia chrystallorophias]) responses to predation associated with the marginal ice zone (MIZ) of the McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, polynya. Prey abundance and habitat was sampled across a 30 × 15 km area by remotely-operated vehicle, and included locations that were accessible (ice edge) or inaccessible (solid fast ice) to air-breathing predators. Prey and habitat sampling coincided with bio-logging of Adélie penguins and observations of other air-breathing predators (penguins, seals, and whales), all of which were competing for the same prey. Adélie penguins dived deeper, and more frequently, near the ice edge. Lowered abundance of krill at the ice edge indicated they were depleted or were responding to increased predation and/or hi...
We present the first results from a reverberation-mapping campaign undertaken during the first ha... more We present the first results from a reverberation-mapping campaign undertaken during the first half of 2012, with additional data on one AGN (NGC 3227) from a 2014 campaign. Our main goals are (1) to determine the black hole masses from continuum-Hβ reverberation signatures, and (2) to look for velocity-dependent time delays that might be indicators of the gross kinematics of the broad-line region. We successfully measure Hβ time delays and black hole masses for five AGNs, four of which have previous reverberation mass measurements. The values measured here are in agreement with earlier estimates, though there is some intrinsic scatter beyond the formal measurement errors. We observe velocity dependent Hβ lags in each case, and find that the patterns have changed in the intervening five years for three AGNs that were also observed in 2007.
High-latitude marine communities are dependent on sea ice patterns. Sea ice cover limits light, a... more High-latitude marine communities are dependent on sea ice patterns. Sea ice cover limits light, and hence primary production and food supply. Plankton, carried by currents from open water to areas under the sea ice, provides a transitory food resource that is spatially and temporally variable. We recorded epifaunal abundances at 17 sites in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, over 12 yr, and found differences in communities based on location and time. The differences in location support patterns observed in long-term infaunal studies, which are primarily driven by currents, food availability, and larval supply. The temporal differences, highlighting 2004 and 2009 as years of change, match the altered persistence of sea ice in the region, caused by the appearance and disappearance of mega-icebergs. The temporal changes were driven by changes in abundance of species that filter feed on large particulates. The shift in current patterns that occurred due to mega-icebergs decreased the normal food supply in the region. In addition to the decrease in food availability, we suggest that the reduced light resulting from thicker-than-normal sea ice resulted in a shift to smaller phytoplankton. A change in food quality as well as quantity may have influenced the temporal change in epifaunal communities.
A critical challenge to the cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm is that there are fewer satellites ob... more A critical challenge to the cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm is that there are fewer satellites observed around the Milky Way than found in simulations of dark matter substructure. We show that there is a match between the observed satellite counts corrected by the detection efficiency of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (for luminosities L 340 L) and the number of luminous satellites predicted by CDM, assuming an empirical relation between stellar mass and halo mass. The "missing satellites problem", cast in terms of number counts, is thus solved. We also show that warm dark matter models with a thermal relic mass smaller than 4 keV are in tension with satellite counts, putting pressure on the sterile neutrino interpretation of recent X-ray observations. Importantly, the total number of Milky Way satellites depends sensitively on the spatial distribution of satellites, possibly leading to a "too many satellites" problem. Measurements of completely dark halos below 10 8 M , achievable with substructure lensing and stellar stream perturbations, are the next frontier for tests of CDM.
Polar ecosystems are bellwether indicators of climate change and offer insights into ecological r... more Polar ecosystems are bellwether indicators of climate change and offer insights into ecological resilience. In this study, we describe contrasting responses to an apparent regime shift of two very different benthic communities in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. We compared species‐specific patterns of benthic invertebrate abundance and size between the west (low productivity) and east (higher productivity) sides of McMurdo Sound across multiple decades (1960s–2010) to depths of 60 m. We present possible factors associated with the observed changes. A massive and unprecedented shift in sponge recruitment and growth on artificial substrata observed between the 1980s and 2010 contrasts with lack of dramatic sponge settlement and growth on natural substrata, emphasizing poorly understood sponge recruitment biology. We present observations of changes in populations of sponges, bryozoans, bivalves, and deposit‐feeding invertebrates in the natural communities on both sides of the sound. Scienti...
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office, 2017
Fast/sea ice movement was quantified from visible-wavelength images from the Moderate-resolution ... more Fast/sea ice movement was quantified from visible-wavelength images from the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua and Terra satellites (250 m resolution; processing occurred for 2002/03-2014/15 seasons and Terra satellite date from 2000-2002 were not used) and sea ice concentration derived from the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer-and Special Sensor Microwave Imager-family passive microwave sensors (SSM/I; 25 km resolution; 1978/79-2014/15). MODIS data were acquired in one of two ways, from either processing of Level 1 swath data into "true color" images using SeaDAS software v. 6.4 (2002-2012), or from the Corrected Reflectance (True Color) layers of the NASA Worldview website (http://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/; 2012-2015). Fast ice areas were generated manually from clear-sky images by drawing polygons in GIS software; pack ice was excluded from analysis. The fast ice in MODIS images was sometimes obscured by clouds, so for days with missing imagery we interpolated linearly between valid data.
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2016
Sponges are the most conspicuous component of the Antarctic benthic ecosystem, a system under str... more Sponges are the most conspicuous component of the Antarctic benthic ecosystem, a system under stress both from climate change and fishing activities. Observations over four decades are compiled and reveal extremely episodic sponge recruitmentand growth.Recruitment occurred under different oceanographic conditions on both sides of McMurdo Sound. Most of the sponges appear to have recruited in the late 1990s-2000. Observations from 2000 to 2010follow thirty years of relative stasis with very little sponge recruitment or growth followed by a general pattern of recruitment by some forty species of sponges. That there was almost no recruitment observed on natural substrata emphasizes the contrast between potential and realized recruitment. This unique data set was derived from a region noted for physical stasis,but theepisodic ecological phenomena highlightthe importance of rare events. Against a background of intermittent food resources and the low metabolic costs of stasis, understanding the causes of irregular larval supply, dispersal processes, recruitment success and survivorship becomes critical to predicting ecosystem dynamics and resilience in response to increasing environmental change. Our time-series emphasizes that long-term data collection is essential for meaningful forecasts about environmental change in the unique benthic ecosystems of the Antarctic shelf.
We present the first results from an optical reverberation mapping campaign executed in 2014targ... more We present the first results from an optical reverberation mapping campaign executed in 2014targeting the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) MCG+08-11-011, NGC 2617, NGC 4051, 3C 382, and Mrk 374. Our targets have diverse and interesting observational properties, including a "changing look" AGN and a broad-line radio galaxy. Based on continuum-Hβ lags, we measure black hole masses for all five targets. We also obtain Hγ and He II λ4686 lags for all objects except 3C 382. The He II λ4686 lags indicate radial stratification of the BLR, and the masses derived from different emission lines are in general agreement. The relative responsivities of these lines are also in qualitative agreement with photoionization models. These spectra have extremely high signal-to-noise ratios (100-300 per pixel) and there are excellent prospects for obtaining velocity-resolved reverberation signatures.
Synopsis Community structure and diversity are influenced by patterns of disturbance and input of... more Synopsis Community structure and diversity are influenced by patterns of disturbance and input of food. In Antarctica, the marine ecosystem undergoes highly seasonal changes in availability of light and in primary production. Near research stations, organic input from human activities can disturb the regular productivity regime with a consistent input of sewage. McMurdo Sound has both high-productivity and low-productivity habitats, thereby providing an ideal test bed for community recovery dynamics under polar conditions. We used experimental manipulations of the subtidal communities to test the hypotheses that (1) benthic communities respond differently to disturbance from organic enrichment versus burial and (2) community response also varies in areas with different natural patterns of food supply. Both in lowand high-food habitats, the strongest community response was to organic enrichment and resulted in dominance of typical organic-enrichment specialists. In habitats with highly seasonal productivity, community response was predictable and recovery was rapid. In habitats with low productivity, community variability was high and caging treatments suggested that inconsistencies were due to patchy impacts by scavengers. In areas normally subject to regular organic enrichment, either from primary production or from further up the food web (defecation by marine mammals), recovery of benthic communities takes only years even in a polar system. However, a low-productivity regime is as common in near shore habitats around the continent; under these conditions, recovery of benthic communities from disturbance is likely to be much slower and follow a variable ecological trajectory.
On the basis of observations of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii Lesson) made in the course... more On the basis of observations of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii Lesson) made in the course of studying shallow-water benthic communities in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, we suggest that caching and/or defence of uneaten food may be a strategy practiced by this animal. Such a phenomenon is uncommon but taxonomically widespread among vertebrates. Depending on circumstances, it is termed hoarding, caching, or storage and may be short- or long-term, include defence of the resource, or have other variable expressions, with the common threads being deferred consumption and deterrence of consumption by others (Vanderwall 1990). Many vertebrate taxa exhibit hoarding behaviour, including rodents (e.g. Sciuridae), carnivores (e.g. Canidae, Felinidae) and birds (e.g. Corvidae, Picidae). No form of food caching, to our knowledge, has ever been reported in a wild pinniped.
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