The central dusty torus in the active nucleus of NGC 1068

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) display many energetic phenomena--broad emission lines, X-rays, relativistic jets, radio lobes--originating from matter falling onto a supermassive black hole. It is widely accepted that orientation effects play a major role in explaining the observational appearance of AGNs. Seen from certain directions, circum-nuclear dust clouds would block our view of the central powerhouse. Indirect evidence suggests that the dust clouds form a parsec-sized torus-shaped distribution. This explanation, however, remains unproved, as even the largest telescopes have not been able to resolve the dust structures. Here we report interferometric mid-infrared observations that spatially resolve these structures in the galaxy NGC 1068. The observations reveal warm (320 K) dust in a structure 2.1 parsec thick and 3.4 parsec in diameter, surrounding a smaller hot structure. As such a configuration of dust clouds would collapse in a time much shorter than the active phase of the AGN, this observation requires a continual input of kinetic energy to the cloud system from a source coexistent with the AGN.     

Physiology: hibernation in a tropical primate

The Madagascan fat-tailed dwarf lemur, Cheirogaleus medius, hibernates in tree holes for seven months of the year, even though winter temperatures rise to over 30 degrees C. Here we show that this tropical primate relies on a flexible thermal response that depends on the properties of its tree hole: if the hole is poorly insulated, body temperature fluctuates widely, passively following the ambient temperature; if well insulated, body temperature stays fairly constant and the animal undergoes regular spells of arousal. Our findings indicate that arousals are determined by maximum body temperatures and that hypometabolism in hibernating animals is not necessarily coupled to a low body temperature.     

Embryonalentwicklung der TermiteKalotermes flavicollis

Resumé Le développement embryonnaire du termiteKalotermes flavicollis dure 54 jours à une température de 26°C. Le germe appartient au «type court» (Kurzkeimtyp) selon la classification deKrause ², mais se distingue de celui-ci par le fait qu'avant la blastocinèse il ne s'enfonce pas dans le vitellus, mais reste en position superficielle. A partir du 31^e jour, il effectue d'importants déplacements (voir Fig. 2) qui mènent vers le 35^e jour à son orientation définitive dans l'uf.     

Variation of the fine structure in granulocytes of great apes

Zusammenfassung Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen der Granulocyten anthropoider Affen ergaben Unterschiede in der Struktur der eosinophilen Granula und eine bisher unbekannte fibrilläre Granulationsform in Orangutan Neutrophilen.

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These studies were supported by U.S. Public Health Service Grant No. FR 00165 from the National Institutes of Health and Atomic Energy Commission grant No. AT (30-1) 3808.