We report the discovery of a massive (Mpsini = 13.00 +/- 0.64 Mjup; total mass 13.24 +/- 0.64 Mjup), large (1.92 +/- 0.16 Rjup) planet in a transiting, eccentric orbit (e = 0.219 +/- 0.035) around a 10th magnitude F5V star in the constellation Camelopardalis. We designate the planet XO-3b, and the star XO-3, also known as GSC 03727-01064. The orbital period of XO-3b is 3.1915426 +/- 0.00014 days. XO-3 lacks a trigonometric distance; we estimate its distance to be 260 +/- 23 pc. The radius of XO-3 is 2.13 +/- 0.21 Rsun, its mass is 1.41 +/- 0.08 Msun, its vsini = 18.54 +/- 0.17 km/s, and its metallicity is [Fe/H] = -0.177 +/- 0.027. This system is unusual for a number of reasons. XO-3b is one of the most massive planets discovered around any star for which the orbital period is less than 10 days. The mass is near the deuterium burning limit of 13 Mjup, which is a proposed boundary between planets and brown dwarfs. Although Burrows et al. (2001) propose that formation in a disk or formation in the interstellar medium in a manner similar to stars is a more logical way to differentiate planets and brown dwarfs, our current observations are not adequate to address this distinction. XO-3b is also unusual in that its eccentricity is large given its relatively short orbital period. Both the planetary radius and the inclination are functions of the spectroscopically determined stellar radius. Analysis of the transit light curve of XO-3b suggests that the spectroscopically derived parameters may be over estimated. Though relatively noisy, the light curves favor a smaller radius in order to better match the steepness of the ingress and egress. The light curve fits imply a planetary radius of 1.32 +/- 0.15 Rjup, which would correspond to a mass of 11.71 +/- 0.46 Mjup.
We describe the computational techniques employed in the recently updated Fourier local correlation tracking (FLCT) method. The FLCT code is then evaluated using a series of simple, 2D, known flow patterns that test its accuracy and characterize its errors.
Since Witten's seminal 1984 paper on the subject, searches for evidence of strange quark nuggets (SQNs) have proven unsuccessful. In the absence of experimental evidence ruling out SQNs, the validity of theories introducing mechanisms that increase their stability should continue to be tested. To stimulate electromagnetic SQN searches, particularly space searches, we estimate the net charge that would develop on an SQN in space exposed to various radiation baths (and showers) capable of liberating their less strongly bound electrons, taking into account recombination with ambient electrons. We consider, in particular, the cosmic background radiation, radiation from the sun, and diffuse galactic and extragalactic $\gamma $-ray backgrounds. A possible dramatic signal of SQNs in explosive astrophysical events is noted.
The recent discovery of burst oscillation at 1122Hz in the X-ray transient XTE J1739-285 supports the suggestion that it contains a submillisecond pulsar\cite{1}. We here find for the first time the enormous dissipation effect in the transition boundary layer between quark matter core and hadron matter envelope. Just combining the estimation with previous dissipation mechanism together, we show that XTE J1739-285 can be uniquely restricted to a quark star masquerading as a neutron star (hybrid star) that contains a pure quark matter or mixed quark-hadron matter core from synthesizing both gravitational wave radiation (r-mode) instability and Keplerian motion constraints at 1122Hz lever. Such constraints allow the radii in the range $9{\rm km}\leq R\leq 12{\rm km}$ and the masses in the range $1.2M_\odot\leq M\leq 2.0M_\odot$. The normal neutron stars, hyperon stars and strange stars within the mass-radius limits are excluded.
The mean electromotive force and alpha effect are computed for a forced turbulent flow using a simple nonlinear dynamical model. The results are used to check the applicability of two basic analytic ansatze of mean-field magnetohydrodynamics - the second order correlation approximation (SOCA) and the tau approximation. In the numerical simulations the effective Reynolds number Re is 2-20, while the magnetic Prandtl number varies from 0.1 to $10^{7}$. We present evidence that the $\tau$ approximation may be appropriate in dynamical regimes where there is a small-scale dynamo. Catastrophic quenching of the $\alpha$ effect is found for high $P_{m}$. Our results indicate that for high $P_{m}$ SOCA gives a very large value of the $\alpha$ coefficient compared with the ``exact'' solution. The discrepancy depends on the properties of the random force that drives the flow, with a larger difference occuring for $\delta$-correlated force compared with that for a steady random force.
We report the results of N-body simulations of disrupting satellites aimed at exploring whether the observed features of dSphs can be accounted for with simple, mass-follows-light (MFL) models including tidal disruption. As a test case, we focus on the Carina dwarf Spheroidal (dSph), which presently has the most extensive data at large radius. We find that previous N-body, MFL simulations of dSphs did not sufficiently explore the parameter space of satellite mass, density and orbital shape to find adequate matches to Galactic dSph systems, whereas with a systematic survey of parameter space we are able to find tidally disrupting, MFL satellite models that rather faithfully reproduce Carina's velocity profile, velocity dispersion profile and projected density distribution over its entire sampled radius. The successful MFL model satellites have very eccentric orbits, currently favored by Cold Dark Matter (CDM) models, and central velocity dispersions that still yield an accurate representation of the bound mass and observed central M/L~40 of Carina, despite inflation of the velocity dispersion outside the dSph core by unbound debris. Our survey of parameter space also allows us to address a number of commonly held misperceptions of tidal disruption and its observable effects on dSph structure and dynamics. The simulations suggest that even modest tidal disruption can have a profound effect on the observed dynamics of dSph stars at large radii. Satellites that are well-described by tidally disrupting MFL models could still be fully compatible with L-CDM if for example they represent a later stage in the evolution of luminous subhalos.
We investigated the correlation between nuclear/circumnuclear starbursts around the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and the AGN activities for 43 Seyfert galaxies in the CfA and 12 micron samples. We found that circumnuclear starburst luminosity as well as nuclear starburst luminosity are positively correlated with AGN luminosity. Moreover, nuclear starburst luminosity is more strongly correlated with the AGN luminosity normalized with AGN Eddington luminosity than is circumnuclear starburst luminosity. This implies that starbursts nearer the AGN could have a greater effect on AGN mass accretion. We also discuss these results from the viewpoint of the radiation effects from starbursts and sequential starbursts.
Using the archival RXTE/ASM and SWIFT/BAT observations, the new orbital phases of Type I outbursts of EXO 2030+375 are estimated. A possible correlation between the Type II outburst and optical brightness variations is investigated. In order to estimate the phases of Type I outbursts, we fitted Gaussian profiles to the RXTE/ASM and SWIFT/BAT light curves. The time corresponding to the maximum value of the profiles is treated as the arrival time of Type I outburst. We used differential magnitudes in the time-series analysis of the optical light curve. MIDAS and its suitable packages were used to reduce and analyze the spectra. Prior to the Type II outburst, orbital phases of Type I outbursts were delayed for 6 days after the periastron passage, which is consistent with findings of Wilson et al., (2002, 2005). After the giant Type II outburst, the phase of Type I outbursts underwent a sudden shift of 13 days after the periastron passage. The amplitudes of Type I outbursts were increased between MJD 52500 and 53500. These amplitudes then decreased for 10 orbital cycles until the Type II outburst was triggered. If the change of outburst amplitudes correlated with the mass accretion, then during the decrease of these amplitudes mass should be deposited in a disk around neutron star temporarily. The release of this stored mass may ignite the Type II outburst. We report that the optical light curve became fainter by 0.4 mag during the decrease of amplitude of the Type I outbursts. The observed H$\alpha$ profiles and their equivalent widths during the decay and after the giant outburst are consistent with previous observations of the system.
We study a constraint on the primordial helium abundance $Y_p$ from current and future observations of CMB. Using the currently available data from WMAP, ACBAR, CBI and BOOMERANG, we obtained the constraint as $Y_p = 0.25 \pm 0.10$ at 1$\sigma$ level. We also provide a forecast for Planck using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach. In addition to forecasting the constraint on $Y_p$, we investigate how assumptions for $Y_p$ affect the constraints on the other cosmological parameters.
The Allan variance is a standard technique to characterise the stability of
spectroscopic instruments used in astronomical observations. The period for
switching between source and reference measurement is often derived from the
Allan minimum time.
We propose a new approach for the computation of the Allan variance of
spectrometer data combining the advantages of the two existing methods into a
unified scheme. Using the Allan variance spectrum we derive the optimum
strategy for symmetric observing schemes minimising the total uncertainty of
the data resulting from radiometric and drift noise.
The unified Allan variance computation scheme is designed to trace
total-power and spectroscopic fluctuations within the same framework. The
method includes an explicit error estimate both for the individual Allan
variance spectra and for the derived stability time. A new definition of the
instrument stability time allows to characterise the instrument even in the
case of a fluctuation spectrum shallower than 1/f, as measured for the total
power fluctuations in high-electron-mobility transistors. We find a non-linear
impact of the binning of spectrometer channels on the resulting noise and the
Allan time deviating from the description in existing theoretical treatments.
For more than a decade, the so-called shearing box model has been used to
study the fundamental local dynamics of accretion discs. This approach has
proved to be very useful because it allows high resolution and long term
studies to be carried out, studies that would not be possible for a global
disc.
Localised disc studies have largely focused on examining the rate of enhanced
transport of angular momentum, essentially a sum of the Reynolds and Maxwell
stresses. The dominant radial-azimuthal component of this stress tensor is, in
the classic Shakura-Sunayaev model, expressed as a constant alpha times the
pressure. Previous studies have estimated alpha based on a modest number of
orbital times. Here we use much longer baselines, and perform a cumulative
average for alpha. Great care must be exercised when trying to extract
numerical alpha values from simulations: dissipation scales, computational box
aspect ratio, and even numerical algorithms all affect the result. This study
suggests that estimating alpha becomes more, not less, difficult as
computational power increases.
We investigate the effect of antikaon condensed matter on bulk viscosity in
rotating neutron stars. We use relativistic field theoretical models to
construct the equation of state of neutron stars with the condensate, where the
phase transition from nucleonic to $K^-$ condensed phase is assumed to be of
first order. We calculate the coefficient of bulk viscosity due to the
non-leptonic weak interaction n --> p + K^-. The influence of antikaon bulk
viscosity on the gravitational radiation reaction driven instability in the
r-modes is investigated. We compare our results with the previously studied
non-leptonic weak interaction $n + p --> p + \Lambda$ involving hyperons on the
damping of the r-mode oscillations.
We find that the bulk viscosity coefficient due to the non-leptonic weak
process involving the condensate is suppressed by several orders of magnitude
in comparison with the non-superfluid hyperon bulk viscosity coefficient.
Consequently, the antikaon bulk viscosity may not be able to damp the r-mode
instability, while hyperon bulk viscosity can effectively suppress r-mode
oscillations at low temperatures. Hence neutron stars containing $K^-$
condensate in their core could be possible sources of gravitational waves.
This article presents a survey of publication and citation statistics for 835 UK professional astronomers: the majority of academics and contract researchers within the UK astronomical community. I provide histograms of these bibliometrics for the whole sample as well as of the median values for the individual departments. I discuss the distribution of top bibliometric performers in the sample, and make some remarks on the usage of bibliometrics in a real-world assessment exercise.
Since its original formulation the Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect has been recognized as a ``powerful laboratory'' for our comprehension of physical processes in cosmic structures and to derive crucial information on some general properties of the universe. After a discussion of the fundamental concepts and of some well established applications of the SZ effect towards galaxy clusters, I will focus on dedicated themes related to the SZ effect and other features in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) of particular interest in the view of the extremely high angular resolution observations achievable in the future with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). SKA will allow the mapping of the thermal and density structure of clusters of galaxies at radio and centimetre bands with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity and with an extremely accurate control of extragalactic radio source contamination. The signatures from SZ effects and free-free emission at galactic scales and in the intergalactic medium probe the structure evolution at various cosmic times. The detection of these sources and their imaging at the high resolution and sensitivity achievable with SKA will greatly contribute to the comprehension of crucial cosmological and astrophysical aspects, as the physical conditions of early ionized halos, quasars and proto-galactic gas. The spectacular improvement in our understanding of the properties of extragalactic radio sources at very faint fluxes achievable with SKA will allow to accurately model their contribution to the diffuse radio background, greatly contributing to the interpretation of next generation of CMB spectrum experiments devoted to probe the thermal plasma history at early times.
The Single Ion Differential alpha Measurement (SIDAM) method for measuring fine stucture variations (daa)and its figures of merit are illustrated together with the results produced by means of FeII absorption lines of QSO intervening systems. The method provides daa ~= -0.12(+/- 1.79) ppm (parts-per-million) at zabs = 1.15 towards HE 0515--4414 and daa = 5.66(+/-2.67) ppm at zabs= 1.84 towards Q 1101--264, which are so far the most accurate measurements for single systems. SIDAM analysis for 3 systems from the Chand et al. (2004) sample provides inconsistent results which we interpret as due to calibration errors of the Chand et al. data at the level of about 10 ppm. In one system evidence for photo-ionization Doppler shift between MgII and FeII lines is found. This evidence has important bearings on the Many Multiplet method where the signal for daa variability is carried mainly by systems involving MgII absorbers. Some correlations are also found in the Murphy et al. sample which suggest larger errors than previously reported. Thus, we consider unlikely that both the Chand et al. and Murphy et al. datasets could provide an estimate of daa with an accuracy at the level of 1 ppm. A new spectrograph like the ESPRESSO project will be crucial to make progress in the astronomical determination of daa.
Only astronomical observations can effectively probe in space-time the variabil ity of the physical dimensionless constants such as the fine structure constant and proton-to-electron mass ratio, \mu, which are related to fund amental forces of nature. Several theories beyond the Standard Model (SM) allow fundamental constants to vary, but they cannot make quantitative predictions so that only laboratory experiments and astronomical observations can show if th is is the case or set the allowed bounds. At the moment of writing there are c laims for a variability of both \alpha and \mu at 5 and 4\sigma of C.L., respectively, although for \alpha they are contrasted by null results. The observations are challenging and a new spectrograph such as ESPRESSO at the combined incoherent focus of 4 VLT units (a potential 16 m equivalent telescope) will allow for a significant improvement in the precision measurement clearing up the controversy. If the variations will be confirmed, the implications are far reaching, revealing new physics beyond the SM and pointing a direction for GUTs theories. A most exciting ossibility is that a variation of \alpha is induced by quintessence through its coupling with the electromagnetic field. If this is the case an accurate measurement of the variability could provide a way for reconstructing the equation of state of Dark Energy (Avelino et al 2006).
We propose a new theory to explain the formation of spiral arms and of all types of outer rings in barred galaxies. We have extended and applied the technique used in celestial mechanics to compute transfer orbits. Thus, our theory is based on the chaotic orbital motion driven by the invariant manifolds associated to the periodic orbits around the hyperbolic equilibrium points. In particular, spiral arms and outer rings are related to the presence of heteroclinic or homoclinic orbits. Thus, R1 rings are associated to the presence of heteroclinic orbits, while R1R2 rings are associated to the presence of homoclinic orbits. Spiral arms and R2 rings, however, appear when there exist neither heteroclinic nor homoclinic orbits. We examine the parameter space of three realistic, yet simple, barred galaxy models and discuss the formation of the different morphologies according to the properties of the galaxy model. The different morphologies arise from differences in the dynamical parameters of the galaxy.
IceCube is a cubic kilometer-scale neutrino telescope under construction at the South Pole since the austral summer 2004/2005. At the moment it is taking data with 22 deployed strings. The full detector is expected to be completed in 2011 with up to 80 strings each holding 60 digital optical modules. The progenitor detector AMANDA has been operating at the same site since 1997 and is still running as an integral part of IceCube. A summary of AMANDA science for its 10 years of standalone operations is presented, as well as the status and first physics results of the IceCube project.
In this paper we discuss the nonergodic behavior for a class of long-standing quasi-stationary states in a paradigmatic model of long-range interacting systems, i.e. the HMF model. We show that ensemble averages and time averages for velocities probability density functions (pdfs) do not coincide and in particular the latter exhibit a tendency to converge towards a q-Gaussian attractor instead of the usual Gaussian one predicted by the Central Limit Theorem, when ergodicity applies.
Following the unexpected theoretical discovery of a mass dimension one fermionic quantum field of spin one half, we now present first results on two _local_ versions. The Dirac and Majorana fields of the standard model of particle physics are supplemented by their natural counterparts in the dark matter sector. The possibility that a mass dimension transmuting symmetry may underlie a new standard model of particle physics is briefly suggested.
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We report the discovery of a massive (Mpsini = 13.00 +/- 0.64 Mjup; total mass 13.24 +/- 0.64 Mjup), large (1.92 +/- 0.16 Rjup) planet in a transiting, eccentric orbit (e = 0.219 +/- 0.035) around a 10th magnitude F5V star in the constellation Camelopardalis. We designate the planet XO-3b, and the star XO-3, also known as GSC 03727-01064. The orbital period of XO-3b is 3.1915426 +/- 0.00014 days. XO-3 lacks a trigonometric distance; we estimate its distance to be 260 +/- 23 pc. The radius of XO-3 is 2.13 +/- 0.21 Rsun, its mass is 1.41 +/- 0.08 Msun, its vsini = 18.54 +/- 0.17 km/s, and its metallicity is [Fe/H] = -0.177 +/- 0.027. This system is unusual for a number of reasons. XO-3b is one of the most massive planets discovered around any star for which the orbital period is less than 10 days. The mass is near the deuterium burning limit of 13 Mjup, which is a proposed boundary between planets and brown dwarfs. Although Burrows et al. (2001) propose that formation in a disk or formation in the interstellar medium in a manner similar to stars is a more logical way to differentiate planets and brown dwarfs, our current observations are not adequate to address this distinction. XO-3b is also unusual in that its eccentricity is large given its relatively short orbital period. Both the planetary radius and the inclination are functions of the spectroscopically determined stellar radius. Analysis of the transit light curve of XO-3b suggests that the spectroscopically derived parameters may be over estimated. Though relatively noisy, the light curves favor a smaller radius in order to better match the steepness of the ingress and egress. The light curve fits imply a planetary radius of 1.32 +/- 0.15 Rjup, which would correspond to a mass of 11.71 +/- 0.46 Mjup.
We describe the computational techniques employed in the recently updated Fourier local correlation tracking (FLCT) method. The FLCT code is then evaluated using a series of simple, 2D, known flow patterns that test its accuracy and characterize its errors.
Since Witten's seminal 1984 paper on the subject, searches for evidence of strange quark nuggets (SQNs) have proven unsuccessful. In the absence of experimental evidence ruling out SQNs, the validity of theories introducing mechanisms that increase their stability should continue to be tested. To stimulate electromagnetic SQN searches, particularly space searches, we estimate the net charge that would develop on an SQN in space exposed to various radiation baths (and showers) capable of liberating their less strongly bound electrons, taking into account recombination with ambient electrons. We consider, in particular, the cosmic background radiation, radiation from the sun, and diffuse galactic and extragalactic $\gamma $-ray backgrounds. A possible dramatic signal of SQNs in explosive astrophysical events is noted.
The recent discovery of burst oscillation at 1122Hz in the X-ray transient XTE J1739-285 supports the suggestion that it contains a submillisecond pulsar\cite{1}. We here find for the first time the enormous dissipation effect in the transition boundary layer between quark matter core and hadron matter envelope. Just combining the estimation with previous dissipation mechanism together, we show that XTE J1739-285 can be uniquely restricted to a quark star masquerading as a neutron star (hybrid star) that contains a pure quark matter or mixed quark-hadron matter core from synthesizing both gravitational wave radiation (r-mode) instability and Keplerian motion constraints at 1122Hz lever. Such constraints allow the radii in the range $9{\rm km}\leq R\leq 12{\rm km}$ and the masses in the range $1.2M_\odot\leq M\leq 2.0M_\odot$. The normal neutron stars, hyperon stars and strange stars within the mass-radius limits are excluded.
The mean electromotive force and alpha effect are computed for a forced turbulent flow using a simple nonlinear dynamical model. The results are used to check the applicability of two basic analytic ansatze of mean-field magnetohydrodynamics - the second order correlation approximation (SOCA) and the tau approximation. In the numerical simulations the effective Reynolds number Re is 2-20, while the magnetic Prandtl number varies from 0.1 to $10^{7}$. We present evidence that the $\tau$ approximation may be appropriate in dynamical regimes where there is a small-scale dynamo. Catastrophic quenching of the $\alpha$ effect is found for high $P_{m}$. Our results indicate that for high $P_{m}$ SOCA gives a very large value of the $\alpha$ coefficient compared with the ``exact'' solution. The discrepancy depends on the properties of the random force that drives the flow, with a larger difference occuring for $\delta$-correlated force compared with that for a steady random force.
We report the results of N-body simulations of disrupting satellites aimed at exploring whether the observed features of dSphs can be accounted for with simple, mass-follows-light (MFL) models including tidal disruption. As a test case, we focus on the Carina dwarf Spheroidal (dSph), which presently has the most extensive data at large radius. We find that previous N-body, MFL simulations of dSphs did not sufficiently explore the parameter space of satellite mass, density and orbital shape to find adequate matches to Galactic dSph systems, whereas with a systematic survey of parameter space we are able to find tidally disrupting, MFL satellite models that rather faithfully reproduce Carina's velocity profile, velocity dispersion profile and projected density distribution over its entire sampled radius. The successful MFL model satellites have very eccentric orbits, currently favored by Cold Dark Matter (CDM) models, and central velocity dispersions that still yield an accurate representation of the bound mass and observed central M/L~40 of Carina, despite inflation of the velocity dispersion outside the dSph core by unbound debris. Our survey of parameter space also allows us to address a number of commonly held misperceptions of tidal disruption and its observable effects on dSph structure and dynamics. The simulations suggest that even modest tidal disruption can have a profound effect on the observed dynamics of dSph stars at large radii. Satellites that are well-described by tidally disrupting MFL models could still be fully compatible with L-CDM if for example they represent a later stage in the evolution of luminous subhalos.
We investigated the correlation between nuclear/circumnuclear starbursts around the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and the AGN activities for 43 Seyfert galaxies in the CfA and 12 micron samples. We found that circumnuclear starburst luminosity as well as nuclear starburst luminosity are positively correlated with AGN luminosity. Moreover, nuclear starburst luminosity is more strongly correlated with the AGN luminosity normalized with AGN Eddington luminosity than is circumnuclear starburst luminosity. This implies that starbursts nearer the AGN could have a greater effect on AGN mass accretion. We also discuss these results from the viewpoint of the radiation effects from starbursts and sequential starbursts.
Using the archival RXTE/ASM and SWIFT/BAT observations, the new orbital phases of Type I outbursts of EXO 2030+375 are estimated. A possible correlation between the Type II outburst and optical brightness variations is investigated. In order to estimate the phases of Type I outbursts, we fitted Gaussian profiles to the RXTE/ASM and SWIFT/BAT light curves. The time corresponding to the maximum value of the profiles is treated as the arrival time of Type I outburst. We used differential magnitudes in the time-series analysis of the optical light curve. MIDAS and its suitable packages were used to reduce and analyze the spectra. Prior to the Type II outburst, orbital phases of Type I outbursts were delayed for 6 days after the periastron passage, which is consistent with findings of Wilson et al., (2002, 2005). After the giant Type II outburst, the phase of Type I outbursts underwent a sudden shift of 13 days after the periastron passage. The amplitudes of Type I outbursts were increased between MJD 52500 and 53500. These amplitudes then decreased for 10 orbital cycles until the Type II outburst was triggered. If the change of outburst amplitudes correlated with the mass accretion, then during the decrease of these amplitudes mass should be deposited in a disk around neutron star temporarily. The release of this stored mass may ignite the Type II outburst. We report that the optical light curve became fainter by 0.4 mag during the decrease of amplitude of the Type I outbursts. The observed H$\alpha$ profiles and their equivalent widths during the decay and after the giant outburst are consistent with previous observations of the system.
We study a constraint on the primordial helium abundance $Y_p$ from current and future observations of CMB. Using the currently available data from WMAP, ACBAR, CBI and BOOMERANG, we obtained the constraint as $Y_p = 0.25 \pm 0.10$ at 1$\sigma$ level. We also provide a forecast for Planck using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach. In addition to forecasting the constraint on $Y_p$, we investigate how assumptions for $Y_p$ affect the constraints on the other cosmological parameters.
The Allan variance is a standard technique to characterise the stability of
spectroscopic instruments used in astronomical observations. The period for
switching between source and reference measurement is often derived from the
Allan minimum time.
We propose a new approach for the computation of the Allan variance of
spectrometer data combining the advantages of the two existing methods into a
unified scheme. Using the Allan variance spectrum we derive the optimum
strategy for symmetric observing schemes minimising the total uncertainty of
the data resulting from radiometric and drift noise.
The unified Allan variance computation scheme is designed to trace
total-power and spectroscopic fluctuations within the same framework. The
method includes an explicit error estimate both for the individual Allan
variance spectra and for the derived stability time. A new definition of the
instrument stability time allows to characterise the instrument even in the
case of a fluctuation spectrum shallower than 1/f, as measured for the total
power fluctuations in high-electron-mobility transistors. We find a non-linear
impact of the binning of spectrometer channels on the resulting noise and the
Allan time deviating from the description in existing theoretical treatments.
For more than a decade, the so-called shearing box model has been used to
study the fundamental local dynamics of accretion discs. This approach has
proved to be very useful because it allows high resolution and long term
studies to be carried out, studies that would not be possible for a global
disc.
Localised disc studies have largely focused on examining the rate of enhanced
transport of angular momentum, essentially a sum of the Reynolds and Maxwell
stresses. The dominant radial-azimuthal component of this stress tensor is, in
the classic Shakura-Sunayaev model, expressed as a constant alpha times the
pressure. Previous studies have estimated alpha based on a modest number of
orbital times. Here we use much longer baselines, and perform a cumulative
average for alpha. Great care must be exercised when trying to extract
numerical alpha values from simulations: dissipation scales, computational box
aspect ratio, and even numerical algorithms all affect the result. This study
suggests that estimating alpha becomes more, not less, difficult as
computational power increases.
We investigate the effect of antikaon condensed matter on bulk viscosity in
rotating neutron stars. We use relativistic field theoretical models to
construct the equation of state of neutron stars with the condensate, where the
phase transition from nucleonic to $K^-$ condensed phase is assumed to be of
first order. We calculate the coefficient of bulk viscosity due to the
non-leptonic weak interaction n --> p + K^-. The influence of antikaon bulk
viscosity on the gravitational radiation reaction driven instability in the
r-modes is investigated. We compare our results with the previously studied
non-leptonic weak interaction $n + p --> p + \Lambda$ involving hyperons on the
damping of the r-mode oscillations.
We find that the bulk viscosity coefficient due to the non-leptonic weak
process involving the condensate is suppressed by several orders of magnitude
in comparison with the non-superfluid hyperon bulk viscosity coefficient.
Consequently, the antikaon bulk viscosity may not be able to damp the r-mode
instability, while hyperon bulk viscosity can effectively suppress r-mode
oscillations at low temperatures. Hence neutron stars containing $K^-$
condensate in their core could be possible sources of gravitational waves.
This article presents a survey of publication and citation statistics for 835 UK professional astronomers: the majority of academics and contract researchers within the UK astronomical community. I provide histograms of these bibliometrics for the whole sample as well as of the median values for the individual departments. I discuss the distribution of top bibliometric performers in the sample, and make some remarks on the usage of bibliometrics in a real-world assessment exercise.
Since its original formulation the Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect has been recognized as a ``powerful laboratory'' for our comprehension of physical processes in cosmic structures and to derive crucial information on some general properties of the universe. After a discussion of the fundamental concepts and of some well established applications of the SZ effect towards galaxy clusters, I will focus on dedicated themes related to the SZ effect and other features in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) of particular interest in the view of the extremely high angular resolution observations achievable in the future with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). SKA will allow the mapping of the thermal and density structure of clusters of galaxies at radio and centimetre bands with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity and with an extremely accurate control of extragalactic radio source contamination. The signatures from SZ effects and free-free emission at galactic scales and in the intergalactic medium probe the structure evolution at various cosmic times. The detection of these sources and their imaging at the high resolution and sensitivity achievable with SKA will greatly contribute to the comprehension of crucial cosmological and astrophysical aspects, as the physical conditions of early ionized halos, quasars and proto-galactic gas. The spectacular improvement in our understanding of the properties of extragalactic radio sources at very faint fluxes achievable with SKA will allow to accurately model their contribution to the diffuse radio background, greatly contributing to the interpretation of next generation of CMB spectrum experiments devoted to probe the thermal plasma history at early times.
The Single Ion Differential alpha Measurement (SIDAM) method for measuring fine stucture variations (daa)and its figures of merit are illustrated together with the results produced by means of FeII absorption lines of QSO intervening systems. The method provides daa ~= -0.12(+/- 1.79) ppm (parts-per-million) at zabs = 1.15 towards HE 0515--4414 and daa = 5.66(+/-2.67) ppm at zabs= 1.84 towards Q 1101--264, which are so far the most accurate measurements for single systems. SIDAM analysis for 3 systems from the Chand et al. (2004) sample provides inconsistent results which we interpret as due to calibration errors of the Chand et al. data at the level of about 10 ppm. In one system evidence for photo-ionization Doppler shift between MgII and FeII lines is found. This evidence has important bearings on the Many Multiplet method where the signal for daa variability is carried mainly by systems involving MgII absorbers. Some correlations are also found in the Murphy et al. sample which suggest larger errors than previously reported. Thus, we consider unlikely that both the Chand et al. and Murphy et al. datasets could provide an estimate of daa with an accuracy at the level of 1 ppm. A new spectrograph like the ESPRESSO project will be crucial to make progress in the astronomical determination of daa.
Only astronomical observations can effectively probe in space-time the variabil ity of the physical dimensionless constants such as the fine structure constant and proton-to-electron mass ratio, \mu, which are related to fund amental forces of nature. Several theories beyond the Standard Model (SM) allow fundamental constants to vary, but they cannot make quantitative predictions so that only laboratory experiments and astronomical observations can show if th is is the case or set the allowed bounds. At the moment of writing there are c laims for a variability of both \alpha and \mu at 5 and 4\sigma of C.L., respectively, although for \alpha they are contrasted by null results. The observations are challenging and a new spectrograph such as ESPRESSO at the combined incoherent focus of 4 VLT units (a potential 16 m equivalent telescope) will allow for a significant improvement in the precision measurement clearing up the controversy. If the variations will be confirmed, the implications are far reaching, revealing new physics beyond the SM and pointing a direction for GUTs theories. A most exciting ossibility is that a variation of \alpha is induced by quintessence through its coupling with the electromagnetic field. If this is the case an accurate measurement of the variability could provide a way for reconstructing the equation of state of Dark Energy (Avelino et al 2006).
We propose a new theory to explain the formation of spiral arms and of all types of outer rings in barred galaxies. We have extended and applied the technique used in celestial mechanics to compute transfer orbits. Thus, our theory is based on the chaotic orbital motion driven by the invariant manifolds associated to the periodic orbits around the hyperbolic equilibrium points. In particular, spiral arms and outer rings are related to the presence of heteroclinic or homoclinic orbits. Thus, R1 rings are associated to the presence of heteroclinic orbits, while R1R2 rings are associated to the presence of homoclinic orbits. Spiral arms and R2 rings, however, appear when there exist neither heteroclinic nor homoclinic orbits. We examine the parameter space of three realistic, yet simple, barred galaxy models and discuss the formation of the different morphologies according to the properties of the galaxy model. The different morphologies arise from differences in the dynamical parameters of the galaxy.
IceCube is a cubic kilometer-scale neutrino telescope under construction at the South Pole since the austral summer 2004/2005. At the moment it is taking data with 22 deployed strings. The full detector is expected to be completed in 2011 with up to 80 strings each holding 60 digital optical modules. The progenitor detector AMANDA has been operating at the same site since 1997 and is still running as an integral part of IceCube. A summary of AMANDA science for its 10 years of standalone operations is presented, as well as the status and first physics results of the IceCube project.
In this paper we discuss the nonergodic behavior for a class of long-standing quasi-stationary states in a paradigmatic model of long-range interacting systems, i.e. the HMF model. We show that ensemble averages and time averages for velocities probability density functions (pdfs) do not coincide and in particular the latter exhibit a tendency to converge towards a q-Gaussian attractor instead of the usual Gaussian one predicted by the Central Limit Theorem, when ergodicity applies.
Following the unexpected theoretical discovery of a mass dimension one fermionic quantum field of spin one half, we now present first results on two _local_ versions. The Dirac and Majorana fields of the standard model of particle physics are supplemented by their natural counterparts in the dark matter sector. The possibility that a mass dimension transmuting symmetry may underlie a new standard model of particle physics is briefly suggested.
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We report the discovery of a massive (Mpsini = 13.00 +/- 0.64 Mjup; total mass 13.24 +/- 0.64 Mjup), large (1.92 +/- 0.16 Rjup) planet in a transiting, eccentric orbit (e = 0.219 +/- 0.035) around a 10th magnitude F5V star in the constellation Camelopardalis. We designate the planet XO-3b, and the star XO-3, also known as GSC 03727-01064. The orbital period of XO-3b is 3.1915426 +/- 0.00014 days. XO-3 lacks a trigonometric distance; we estimate its distance to be 260 +/- 23 pc. The radius of XO-3 is 2.13 +/- 0.21 Rsun, its mass is 1.41 +/- 0.08 Msun, its vsini = 18.54 +/- 0.17 km/s, and its metallicity is [Fe/H] = -0.177 +/- 0.027. This system is unusual for a number of reasons. XO-3b is one of the most massive planets discovered around any star for which the orbital period is less than 10 days. The mass is near the deuterium burning limit of 13 Mjup, which is a proposed boundary between planets and brown dwarfs. Although Burrows et al. (2001) propose that formation in a disk or formation in the interstellar medium in a manner similar to stars is a more logical way to differentiate planets and brown dwarfs, our current observations are not adequate to address this distinction. XO-3b is also unusual in that its eccentricity is large given its relatively short orbital period. Both the planetary radius and the inclination are functions of the spectroscopically determined stellar radius. Analysis of the transit light curve of XO-3b suggests that the spectroscopically derived parameters may be over estimated. Though relatively noisy, the light curves favor a smaller radius in order to better match the steepness of the ingress and egress. The light curve fits imply a planetary radius of 1.32 +/- 0.15 Rjup, which would correspond to a mass of 11.71 +/- 0.46 Mjup.
We describe the computational techniques employed in the recently updated Fourier local correlation tracking (FLCT) method. The FLCT code is then evaluated using a series of simple, 2D, known flow patterns that test its accuracy and characterize its errors.
Since Witten's seminal 1984 paper on the subject, searches for evidence of strange quark nuggets (SQNs) have proven unsuccessful. In the absence of experimental evidence ruling out SQNs, the validity of theories introducing mechanisms that increase their stability should continue to be tested. To stimulate electromagnetic SQN searches, particularly space searches, we estimate the net charge that would develop on an SQN in space exposed to various radiation baths (and showers) capable of liberating their less strongly bound electrons, taking into account recombination with ambient electrons. We consider, in particular, the cosmic background radiation, radiation from the sun, and diffuse galactic and extragalactic $\gamma $-ray backgrounds. A possible dramatic signal of SQNs in explosive astrophysical events is noted.
The recent discovery of burst oscillation at 1122Hz in the X-ray transient XTE J1739-285 supports the suggestion that it contains a submillisecond pulsar\cite{1}. We here find for the first time the enormous dissipation effect in the transition boundary layer between quark matter core and hadron matter envelope. Just combining the estimation with previous dissipation mechanism together, we show that XTE J1739-285 can be uniquely restricted to a quark star masquerading as a neutron star (hybrid star) that contains a pure quark matter or mixed quark-hadron matter core from synthesizing both gravitational wave radiation (r-mode) instability and Keplerian motion constraints at 1122Hz lever. Such constraints allow the radii in the range $9{\rm km}\leq R\leq 12{\rm km}$ and the masses in the range $1.2M_\odot\leq M\leq 2.0M_\odot$. The normal neutron stars, hyperon stars and strange stars within the mass-radius limits are excluded.
The mean electromotive force and alpha effect are computed for a forced turbulent flow using a simple nonlinear dynamical model. The results are used to check the applicability of two basic analytic ansatze of mean-field magnetohydrodynamics - the second order correlation approximation (SOCA) and the tau approximation. In the numerical simulations the effective Reynolds number Re is 2-20, while the magnetic Prandtl number varies from 0.1 to $10^{7}$. We present evidence that the $\tau$ approximation may be appropriate in dynamical regimes where there is a small-scale dynamo. Catastrophic quenching of the $\alpha$ effect is found for high $P_{m}$. Our results indicate that for high $P_{m}$ SOCA gives a very large value of the $\alpha$ coefficient compared with the ``exact'' solution. The discrepancy depends on the properties of the random force that drives the flow, with a larger difference occuring for $\delta$-correlated force compared with that for a steady random force.
We report the results of N-body simulations of disrupting satellites aimed at exploring whether the observed features of dSphs can be accounted for with simple, mass-follows-light (MFL) models including tidal disruption. As a test case, we focus on the Carina dwarf Spheroidal (dSph), which presently has the most extensive data at large radius. We find that previous N-body, MFL simulations of dSphs did not sufficiently explore the parameter space of satellite mass, density and orbital shape to find adequate matches to Galactic dSph systems, whereas with a systematic survey of parameter space we are able to find tidally disrupting, MFL satellite models that rather faithfully reproduce Carina's velocity profile, velocity dispersion profile and projected density distribution over its entire sampled radius. The successful MFL model satellites have very eccentric orbits, currently favored by Cold Dark Matter (CDM) models, and central velocity dispersions that still yield an accurate representation of the bound mass and observed central M/L~40 of Carina, despite inflation of the velocity dispersion outside the dSph core by unbound debris. Our survey of parameter space also allows us to address a number of commonly held misperceptions of tidal disruption and its observable effects on dSph structure and dynamics. The simulations suggest that even modest tidal disruption can have a profound effect on the observed dynamics of dSph stars at large radii. Satellites that are well-described by tidally disrupting MFL models could still be fully compatible with L-CDM if for example they represent a later stage in the evolution of luminous subhalos.
We investigated the correlation between nuclear/circumnuclear starbursts around the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and the AGN activities for 43 Seyfert galaxies in the CfA and 12 micron samples. We found that circumnuclear starburst luminosity as well as nuclear starburst luminosity are positively correlated with AGN luminosity. Moreover, nuclear starburst luminosity is more strongly correlated with the AGN luminosity normalized with AGN Eddington luminosity than is circumnuclear starburst luminosity. This implies that starbursts nearer the AGN could have a greater effect on AGN mass accretion. We also discuss these results from the viewpoint of the radiation effects from starbursts and sequential starbursts.
Using the archival RXTE/ASM and SWIFT/BAT observations, the new orbital phases of Type I outbursts of EXO 2030+375 are estimated. A possible correlation between the Type II outburst and optical brightness variations is investigated. In order to estimate the phases of Type I outbursts, we fitted Gaussian profiles to the RXTE/ASM and SWIFT/BAT light curves. The time corresponding to the maximum value of the profiles is treated as the arrival time of Type I outburst. We used differential magnitudes in the time-series analysis of the optical light curve. MIDAS and its suitable packages were used to reduce and analyze the spectra. Prior to the Type II outburst, orbital phases of Type I outbursts were delayed for 6 days after the periastron passage, which is consistent with findings of Wilson et al., (2002, 2005). After the giant Type II outburst, the phase of Type I outbursts underwent a sudden shift of 13 days after the periastron passage. The amplitudes of Type I outbursts were increased between MJD 52500 and 53500. These amplitudes then decreased for 10 orbital cycles until the Type II outburst was triggered. If the change of outburst amplitudes correlated with the mass accretion, then during the decrease of these amplitudes mass should be deposited in a disk around neutron star temporarily. The release of this stored mass may ignite the Type II outburst. We report that the optical light curve became fainter by 0.4 mag during the decrease of amplitude of the Type I outbursts. The observed H$\alpha$ profiles and their equivalent widths during the decay and after the giant outburst are consistent with previous observations of the system.
We study a constraint on the primordial helium abundance $Y_p$ from current and future observations of CMB. Using the currently available data from WMAP, ACBAR, CBI and BOOMERANG, we obtained the constraint as $Y_p = 0.25 \pm 0.10$ at 1$\sigma$ level. We also provide a forecast for Planck using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach. In addition to forecasting the constraint on $Y_p$, we investigate how assumptions for $Y_p$ affect the constraints on the other cosmological parameters.
The Allan variance is a standard technique to characterise the stability of
spectroscopic instruments used in astronomical observations. The period for
switching between source and reference measurement is often derived from the
Allan minimum time.
We propose a new approach for the computation of the Allan variance of
spectrometer data combining the advantages of the two existing methods into a
unified scheme. Using the Allan variance spectrum we derive the optimum
strategy for symmetric observing schemes minimising the total uncertainty of
the data resulting from radiometric and drift noise.
The unified Allan variance computation scheme is designed to trace
total-power and spectroscopic fluctuations within the same framework. The
method includes an explicit error estimate both for the individual Allan
variance spectra and for the derived stability time. A new definition of the
instrument stability time allows to characterise the instrument even in the
case of a fluctuation spectrum shallower than 1/f, as measured for the total
power fluctuations in high-electron-mobility transistors. We find a non-linear
impact of the binning of spectrometer channels on the resulting noise and the
Allan time deviating from the description in existing theoretical treatments.
For more than a decade, the so-called shearing box model has been used to
study the fundamental local dynamics of accretion discs. This approach has
proved to be very useful because it allows high resolution and long term
studies to be carried out, studies that would not be possible for a global
disc.
Localised disc studies have largely focused on examining the rate of enhanced
transport of angular momentum, essentially a sum of the Reynolds and Maxwell
stresses. The dominant radial-azimuthal component of this stress tensor is, in
the classic Shakura-Sunayaev model, expressed as a constant alpha times the
pressure. Previous studies have estimated alpha based on a modest number of
orbital times. Here we use much longer baselines, and perform a cumulative
average for alpha. Great care must be exercised when trying to extract
numerical alpha values from simulations: dissipation scales, computational box
aspect ratio, and even numerical algorithms all affect the result. This study
suggests that estimating alpha becomes more, not less, difficult as
computational power increases.
We investigate the effect of antikaon condensed matter on bulk viscosity in
rotating neutron stars. We use relativistic field theoretical models to
construct the equation of state of neutron stars with the condensate, where the
phase transition from nucleonic to $K^-$ condensed phase is assumed to be of
first order. We calculate the coefficient of bulk viscosity due to the
non-leptonic weak interaction n --> p + K^-. The influence of antikaon bulk
viscosity on the gravitational radiation reaction driven instability in the
r-modes is investigated. We compare our results with the previously studied
non-leptonic weak interaction $n + p --> p + \Lambda$ involving hyperons on the
damping of the r-mode oscillations.
We find that the bulk viscosity coefficient due to the non-leptonic weak
process involving the condensate is suppressed by several orders of magnitude
in comparison with the non-superfluid hyperon bulk viscosity coefficient.
Consequently, the antikaon bulk viscosity may not be able to damp the r-mode
instability, while hyperon bulk viscosity can effectively suppress r-mode
oscillations at low temperatures. Hence neutron stars containing $K^-$
condensate in their core could be possible sources of gravitational waves.
This article presents a survey of publication and citation statistics for 835 UK professional astronomers: the majority of academics and contract researchers within the UK astronomical community. I provide histograms of these bibliometrics for the whole sample as well as of the median values for the individual departments. I discuss the distribution of top bibliometric performers in the sample, and make some remarks on the usage of bibliometrics in a real-world assessment exercise.
Since its original formulation the Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect has been recognized as a ``powerful laboratory'' for our comprehension of physical processes in cosmic structures and to derive crucial information on some general properties of the universe. After a discussion of the fundamental concepts and of some well established applications of the SZ effect towards galaxy clusters, I will focus on dedicated themes related to the SZ effect and other features in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) of particular interest in the view of the extremely high angular resolution observations achievable in the future with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). SKA will allow the mapping of the thermal and density structure of clusters of galaxies at radio and centimetre bands with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity and with an extremely accurate control of extragalactic radio source contamination. The signatures from SZ effects and free-free emission at galactic scales and in the intergalactic medium probe the structure evolution at various cosmic times. The detection of these sources and their imaging at the high resolution and sensitivity achievable with SKA will greatly contribute to the comprehension of crucial cosmological and astrophysical aspects, as the physical conditions of early ionized halos, quasars and proto-galactic gas. The spectacular improvement in our understanding of the properties of extragalactic radio sources at very faint fluxes achievable with SKA will allow to accurately model their contribution to the diffuse radio background, greatly contributing to the interpretation of next generation of CMB spectrum experiments devoted to probe the thermal plasma history at early times.
The Single Ion Differential alpha Measurement (SIDAM) method for measuring fine stucture variations (daa)and its figures of merit are illustrated together with the results produced by means of FeII absorption lines of QSO intervening systems. The method provides daa ~= -0.12(+/- 1.79) ppm (parts-per-million) at zabs = 1.15 towards HE 0515--4414 and daa = 5.66(+/-2.67) ppm at zabs= 1.84 towards Q 1101--264, which are so far the most accurate measurements for single systems. SIDAM analysis for 3 systems from the Chand et al. (2004) sample provides inconsistent results which we interpret as due to calibration errors of the Chand et al. data at the level of about 10 ppm. In one system evidence for photo-ionization Doppler shift between MgII and FeII lines is found. This evidence has important bearings on the Many Multiplet method where the signal for daa variability is carried mainly by systems involving MgII absorbers. Some correlations are also found in the Murphy et al. sample which suggest larger errors than previously reported. Thus, we consider unlikely that both the Chand et al. and Murphy et al. datasets could provide an estimate of daa with an accuracy at the level of 1 ppm. A new spectrograph like the ESPRESSO project will be crucial to make progress in the astronomical determination of daa.
Only astronomical observations can effectively probe in space-time the variabil ity of the physical dimensionless constants such as the fine structure constant and proton-to-electron mass ratio, \mu, which are related to fund amental forces of nature. Several theories beyond the Standard Model (SM) allow fundamental constants to vary, but they cannot make quantitative predictions so that only laboratory experiments and astronomical observations can show if th is is the case or set the allowed bounds. At the moment of writing there are c laims for a variability of both \alpha and \mu at 5 and 4\sigma of C.L., respectively, although for \alpha they are contrasted by null results. The observations are challenging and a new spectrograph such as ESPRESSO at the combined incoherent focus of 4 VLT units (a potential 16 m equivalent telescope) will allow for a significant improvement in the precision measurement clearing up the controversy. If the variations will be confirmed, the implications are far reaching, revealing new physics beyond the SM and pointing a direction for GUTs theories. A most exciting ossibility is that a variation of \alpha is induced by quintessence through its coupling with the electromagnetic field. If this is the case an accurate measurement of the variability could provide a way for reconstructing the equation of state of Dark Energy (Avelino et al 2006).
We propose a new theory to explain the formation of spiral arms and of all types of outer rings in barred galaxies. We have extended and applied the technique used in celestial mechanics to compute transfer orbits. Thus, our theory is based on the chaotic orbital motion driven by the invariant manifolds associated to the periodic orbits around the hyperbolic equilibrium points. In particular, spiral arms and outer rings are related to the presence of heteroclinic or homoclinic orbits. Thus, R1 rings are associated to the presence of heteroclinic orbits, while R1R2 rings are associated to the presence of homoclinic orbits. Spiral arms and R2 rings, however, appear when there exist neither heteroclinic nor homoclinic orbits. We examine the parameter space of three realistic, yet simple, barred galaxy models and discuss the formation of the different morphologies according to the properties of the galaxy model. The different morphologies arise from differences in the dynamical parameters of the galaxy.
IceCube is a cubic kilometer-scale neutrino telescope under construction at the South Pole since the austral summer 2004/2005. At the moment it is taking data with 22 deployed strings. The full detector is expected to be completed in 2011 with up to 80 strings each holding 60 digital optical modules. The progenitor detector AMANDA has been operating at the same site since 1997 and is still running as an integral part of IceCube. A summary of AMANDA science for its 10 years of standalone operations is presented, as well as the status and first physics results of the IceCube project.
In this paper we discuss the nonergodic behavior for a class of long-standing quasi-stationary states in a paradigmatic model of long-range interacting systems, i.e. the HMF model. We show that ensemble averages and time averages for velocities probability density functions (pdfs) do not coincide and in particular the latter exhibit a tendency to converge towards a q-Gaussian attractor instead of the usual Gaussian one predicted by the Central Limit Theorem, when ergodicity applies.
Following the unexpected theoretical discovery of a mass dimension one fermionic quantum field of spin one half, we now present first results on two _local_ versions. The Dirac and Majorana fields of the standard model of particle physics are supplemented by their natural counterparts in the dark matter sector. The possibility that a mass dimension transmuting symmetry may underlie a new standard model of particle physics is briefly suggested.
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We report the discovery of 40 new globular clusters (GCs) that have been found in surveys of the halo of M31 based on INT/WFC and CHFT/Megacam imagery. A subset of these these new GCs are of an extended, diffuse nature, and include those already found in Huxor et al. (2005). The search strategy is described and basic positional and V and I photometric data are presented for each cluster. For a subset of these clusters, K-band photometry is also given. The new clusters continue to be found to the limit of the survey area (~100 kpc), revealing that the GC system of M31 is much more extended than previously realised. The new clusters increase the total number of confirmed GCs in M31 by approximately 10% and the number of confirmed GCs beyond 1 degree (~14 kpc) by more than 75%. We have also used the survey imagery as well recent HST archival data to update the Revised Bologna Catalogue (RBC) of M31 globular clusters.
Several studies have proposed that the shape of the Universe may be a Poincare Dodecahedral Space (PDS) rather than an infinite, simply connected, flat space. Both models assume a close to flat FLRW metric of about 30% matter density. We study two predictions of the PDS model. (i) For the correct model, the spatial two-point cross-correlation function, $\ximc$, of temperature fluctuations in the covering space, where the two points in any pair are on different copies of the surface of last scattering (SLS), should be of a similar order of magnitude to the auto-correlation function, $\xisc$, on a single copy of the SLS. (ii) The optimal orientation and identified circle radius for a "generalised" PDS model of arbitrary twist $\phi$, found by maximising $\ximc$ relative to $\xisc$ in the WMAP maps, should yield $\phi \in \{\pm 36\deg\}$. We optimise the cross-correlation at scales < 4.0 h^-1 Gpc using a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method over orientation, circle size and $\phi$. Both predictions were satisfied: (i) an optimal "generalised" PDS solution was found, with a strong cross-correlation between points which would be distant and only weakly correlated according to the simply connected hypothesis, for two different foreground-reduced versions of the WMAP 3-year all-sky map, both with and without the kp2 Galaxy mask: the face centres are $(l,b)_{i=1,6}\approx (184d, 62d), (305d, 44d), (46d, 49d), (117d, 20d), (176d, -4d), (240d, 13d) to within ~2d, and their antipodes; (ii) this solution has twist \phi= (+39 \pm 2.5)d, in agreement with the PDS model. The chance of this occurring in the simply connected model, assuming a uniform distribution $\phi \in [0,2\pi]$, is about 6-9%.
The Vector Spectromagnetograph (VSM) instrument has been recording photospheric and chromospheric magnetograms daily since August 2003. Full-disk photospheric vector magnetograms are observed at least weekly and, since November 2006, area-scans of active regions daily. Quick-look vector magnetic images, plus X3D and FITS formated files, are now publicly available daily. In the near future, Milne-Eddington inversion parameter data will also be available and a typical observing day will include three full-disk photospheric vector magnetograms. Besides full-disk observations, the VSM is capable of high temporal cadence area-scans of both the photosphere and chromosphere. Carrington rotation and daily synoptic maps are also available from the photospheric magnetograms and coronal hole estimate images.
The collisionally pumped, ground-state 1720 MHz maser line of OH is widely recognized as a tracer for shocked regions and observed in star forming regions and supernova remnants. Whereas some lines of excited states of OH have been detected and studied in star forming regions, the subject of excited-state OH in supernova remnants -- where high collision rates are to be expected -- is only recently being addressed. Modeling of collisional excitation of OH demonstrates that 1720, 4765 and 6049 MHz masers can occur under similar conditions in regions of shocked gas. In particular, the 6049 and 4765 MHz masers become more significant at increased OH column densities where the 1720 MHz masers begin to be quenched. In supernova remnants, the detection of excited-state OH line maser emission could therefore serve as a probe of regions of higher column densities. Using the Very Large Array, we searched for excited-state OH in the 4.7, 7.8, 8.2 and 23.8 GHz lines in four well studied supernova remnants with strong 1720 MHz maser emission (SgrAEast, W28, W44 and IC443). No detections were made, at typical detection limits of around 10 mJy/beam. The search for the 6 GHz lines were done using Effelsberg since the VLA receivers did not cover those frequencies, and are reported on in an accompanying letter (Fish, Sjouwerman & Pihlstrom 2007). We also cross-correlated the positions of known supernova remnants with the positions of 1612 MHz maser emission obtained from blind surveys. No probable associations were found, perhaps except in the SgrAEast region. The lack of detections of excited-state OH indicates that the OH column densities suffice for 1720 MHz inversion but not for inversion of excited-state transitions, consistent with the expected results for C-type shocks.
We demonstrate that the cosmological birefringence can arise from CPT conserving effect, originated from the CPT-even dimension-six Chern-Simons-like term. We show that a sizable rotation polarization angle in the data of the cosmic microwave background radiation polarization can be induced.
The consideration of dark energy's quanta, required also by thermodynamics, introduces its chemical potential into the cosmological equations. Isolating its main contribution, we obtain solutions with dark energy decaying to matter or radiation. When dominant, their energy densities tend asymptotically to a constant ratio, explaining today's dark energy-dark matter coincidence, and in agreement with supernova redshift data.
We have observed the supernova remnant MSH 15-52 (G320.4-1.2), which contains the gamma-ray pulsar PSR B1509-58, using the CANGAROO-III imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope array from April to June in 2006. We detected gamma rays above 810 GeV at the 7 sigma level during a total effective exposure of 48.4 hours. We obtained a differential gamma-ray flux at 2.35 TeV of (7.9+/-1.5_{stat}+/-1.7_{sys}) \times 10^{-13} cm^{-2}s^{-1}TeV^{-1} with a photon index of 2.21+/-0.39_{stat}+/-0.40_{sys}, which is compatible with that of the H.E.S.S. observation in 2004. The morphology shows extended emission compared to our Point Spread Function. We consider the plausible origin of the high energy emission based on a multi-wavelength spectral analysis and energetics arguments.
JHKs near-infrared photometry of stars in the Phoenix dwarf galaxy is presented and discussed. Combining these data with the optical photometry of Massey et al. allows a rather clean separation of field stars from Phoenix members. The discovery of a Mira variable (P = 425 days), which is almost certainly a carbon star, leads to an estimate of the distance modulus of 23.10+/-0.18 that is consistent with other estimates and indicates the existence of a significant population of age ~2 Gyr. The two carbon stars of Da Costa have M{bol} = -3.8 and are consistent with belonging to a population of similar age; some other possible members of such a population are identified. A Da Costa non-carbon star is Delta Ks~0.3 mag brighter than these two carbon stars. It may be an AGB star of the dominant old population. The nature of other stars lying close to it in the Ks,(J-Ks) diagram needs studying.
Anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) are thought to be magnetars, which are neutron stars with ultra strong magnetic field of $10^{14}$-- $10^{15}$ G. Their energy spectra below $\sim$10 keV are modeled well by two components consisting of a blackbody (BB) ($\sim$0.4 keV) and rather steep power-law (POW) function (photon index $\sim$2-4). Kuiper et al.(2004) discovered hard X-ray component above $\sim$10 keV from some AXPs. Here, we present the Suzaku observation of the AXP 1E 1841-045 at the center of supernova remnant Kes 73. By this observation, we could analyze the spectrum from 0.4 to 50 keV at the same time. Then, we could test whether the spectral model above was valid or not in this wide energy range. We found that there were residual in the spectral fits when fit by the model of BB + POW. Fits were improved by adding another BB or POW component. But the meaning of each component became ambiguous in the phase-resolved spectroscopy. Alternatively we found that NPEX model fit well for both phase-averaged spectrum and phase-resolved spectra. In this case, the photon indices were constant during all phase, and spectral variation seemed to be very clear. This fact suggests somewhat fundamental meaning for the emission from magnetars.
Recent analysis of the WMAP three year data reveals $f_{NL}^{local}\simeq86.8$ in the WMAP convention. It is necessary to make sure whether general single field inflation can produce a large positive $f_{NL}$ before turning to other scenarios. We give some examples to generate a large positive $f_{NL}^{equil}$ in general single field inflation. Our models are different from ghost inflation. Due to the appearance of non-conventional kinetic terms, $f_{NL}^{equil}\gg1$ can be realized in single field inflation.
The Local Supercluster is an ideal laboratory to study distribution of luminous and dark matter in the nearby Universe. The 1100 small groups have been selected using algorithm based on assumption that a total energy of physical pair of galaxies must be negative. The properties of the groups have been considered.
In this talk we introduce our recent results of global 1D MHD simulations for the acceleration of solar and stellar winds. We impose transverse photospheric motions corresponding to the granulations, which generate outgoing Alfven waves. The Alfven waves effectively dissipate by 3-wave coupling and direct mode conversion to compressive waves in density-stratified atmosphere. We show that the coronal heating and the solar wind acceleration in the open magnetic field regions are natural consequence of the footpoint fluctuations of the magnetic fields at the surface (photosphere). We also discuss winds from red giant stars driven by \Alfven waves, focusing on different aspects from the solar wind. We show that red giants wind are highly structured with intermittent magnetized hot bubbles embedded in cool chromospheric material.
Shortly the vacuum component of the Universe from the geometry point of view and from the point of view of the standard model of physics of elementary particles is discussed. Some arguments are given to the calculated value of the cosmological constant (Zeldovich approximation). A new component of space vacuum (the gravitational vacuum condensate) is involved the production of which has fixed time in our Universe. Also the phenomenon of vacuum selforganization must be included in physical consideration of the Universe evolution.
The model of pulsar radio emission is discussed in which a coherent radio emis-sion is excited in a vacuum gap above polar cap of neutron star. Pulsar X and gamma radiation are considered as the result of low-frequency radio emission inverse Comp-ton scattering on ultra relativistic electrons accelerated in the gap. The influence of the pulsar magnetic field on Compton scattering is taken into account. The relation of radio and gamma radiation spectra has been found in the framework of the model.
We present results from a kinematical study of the gas in the nucleus of a sample of three LINER galaxies, obtained from archival HST/STIS long-slit spectra. We found that, while for the elliptical galaxy NGC 5077, the observed velocity curves are consistent with gas in regular rotation around the galaxy's center, this is not the case for the two remaining objects. By modeling the surface brightness distribution and rotation curve from the emission lines in NGC 5077, we found that the observed kinematics of the circumnuclear gas can be accurately reproduced by adding to the stellar mass component a black hole mass of M_bh = 6.8 (-2.8,+4.3) 10**8 M_sun (uncertainties at a 1 sigma level); the radius of its sphere of influence (R_sph ~ 0".34) is well-resolved at the HST resolution. The BH mass estimate in NGC 5077 is in fairly good agreement with both the M_bh-M_bul (with an upward scatter of ~ 0.4 dex) and M_bh-sigma correlations (with an upward scatter of 0.5 dex in the Tremaine et al. form and essentially no scatter using the Ferrarese et al. form) and provides further support for the presence of a connection between the ``residuals'' from the M_bh-sigma correlation and the bulge effective radius. This indicates the presence of a black hole's ``fundamental plane'' in the sense that a combination of at least sigma and R_e drives the correlations between M_bh and host bulge properties.
The time drift of the cosmological redshift in a general spherically symmetric spacetime is derived. It is shown that its observation would offer the possibility to construct a test of the Copernican principle. In particular, it allows to close the reconstruction problem of a Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi spacetime from background observations.
A calculation based on flat spacetime symmetries shows how there can be two quantum phases. For one, extreme phase change determines a conventional classical trajectory and four-momentum, i.e. mass times four-velocity. The other phase occurs in an effective particle state, with the effective energy and momentum being the rate of change of the phase with respect to time and distance. A cosmic ray proton moves along a classical trajectory, but exists in an effective particle state with an effective energy that depends on the local gravitational potential. Assumptions are made so that a cosmic ray proton in an ultra-high energy state detected near the Earth was in a much less energetic state in interstellar space. A 300 EeV proton incident on the Earth was a 2 PeV proton in interstellar space. The model predicts such protons are in states with even more energy near the Sun than when near the Earth.
The thermal state of the intergalactic medium (IGM) at high redshift is crucial to understand the physics of reionization, as the temperature and its evolution are closely related to reionization process. We develop a method to measure the temperature of the IGM at $5<z<6$ with \Lya absorption spectra of quasars. Using hydrodynamic simulation samples of the $\Lambda$CDM cosmology, we show that the probability distribution function (PDF) of the transmission fluxes and the profile of \Lya leaks are sensitive to the thermal state of the IGM; higher temperature yields lower peak, narrower broadening, and smoother profile. This is mainly due to the thermal broadening of \Lya absorption around low mass density voids. We found the width function $n(W,z)$, defined as the number of leaks of width $W$ at redshift $z$ per unit $W$ per unit $z$, is an effective tool to constrain the temperature of the IGM. We fit the \nW of seven high-resolution spectra of quasars at $z\simeq6$ with simulation samples of different thermal states. The main results are: 1. the temperature at the mean density, $T_0$, is most likely larger than $1.3\times10^4$ K at $5<z<6$; 2. $T_0$ shows no evolution from redshift $z=5$ to 6.
We explore the abundance of light clusters in core-collapse supernovae at post-bounce stage in a quantum statistical approach. Adopting the profile of a supernova core from detailed numerical simulations, we study the distribution of light bound clusters up to alpha particles (A=2-4) as well as heavy nuclei (A > 4) in dense matter at finite temperature. Within the frame of a cluster-mean field approach, the abundances of light clusters are evaluated accounting for self-energy, Pauli blocking and effects of continuum correlations. We find that deuterons and tritons, in addition to 3He and 4He, appear abundantly in a wide region from the surface of the proto-neutron star to the position of the shock wave. The appearance of light clusters may modify the neutrino emission in the cooling region and the neutrino absorption in the heating region, and, thereby, influence the supernova mechanism.
The magnetic Reynolds number R_M, is defined as the product of a characteristic scale and associated flow speed divided by the microphysical magnetic diffusivity. For laminar flows, R_M also approximates the ratio of advective to dissipative terms in the total magnetic energy equation. However, for turbulent flows this latter ratio depends on the energy spectra and approaches unity in a steady state. The physical implication of R_M>>1 for laminar flows (i.e. negligible magnetic dissipation of magnetic energy on dynamical times) is therefore incorrect for turbulent flows. To correctly capture the importance of dissipation for flows of arbitrary spectra we define an effective magnetic dissipation number, R_{M,e}, as the ratio of the advection to microphysical dissipation terms in the total magnetic energy equation, incorporating the full spectrum of scales, arbitrary magnetic Prandtl numbers, and distinct pairs of inner and outer scales for magnetic and kinetic spectra. For a substantial parameter range, R_{M,e} ~ O(1) << R_M. We also distinguish R_{M,e} from {\tilde R}_{M,e} where the latter is an effective magnetic Reynolds number for the mean magnetic field equation when a turbulent diffusivity is explicitly imposed as a closure. That R_{M,e} and {\tilde R}_{M,e} can approach unity even if R_M>>1 captures why energy dissipation of large scale structures in turbulent flows via a cascade can be much faster than the dissipation of large scale structures in laminar flows. The latter is more sensitively dependent on microphysical reconnection rates than the former. This highlights the importance of distinguishing the study of magnetic reconnection in laminar versus turbulent flows
Primordial black holes (PBHs) are a profound signature of primordial cosmological structures and provide a theoretical tool to study nontrivial physics of the early Universe. The mechanisms of PBH formation are discussed and observational constraints on the PBH spectrum, or effects of PBH evaporation, are shown to restrict a wide range of particle physics models, predicting an enhancement of the ultraviolet part of the spectrum of density perturbations, early dust-like stages, first order phase transitions and stages of superheavy metastable particle dominance in the early Universe. The mechanism of closed wall contraction can lead, in the inflationary Universe, to a new approach to galaxy formation, involving primordial clouds of massive BHs created around the intermediate mass or supermassive BH and playing the role of galactic seeds.
We employ UV and optical photometry, from the GALEX and SDSS surveys respectively, to study the star formation histories of 561 luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) in the nearby Universe. A small fraction (~4%) of these galaxies have spheroidal or near-spheroidal morphologies and could be progenitors of elliptical galaxies. The remaining galaxies are morphologically late-type or ongoing mergers. 61% of the LIRGs do not show signs of interactions, while the remaining objects are either interacting (~18%) or show post-merger morphologies (~19%). The (SSP-weighted) average age of the underlying stellar populations in these objects is typically 5-9 Gyrs, with a mean value of ~6.8 Gyrs. ~60% of the LIRG population began their recent star formation (RSF) episode within the last Gyr, while the remaining objects began their RSF episodes 1 to 3 Gyrs in the past. Up to 35% of the stellar mass in the remnant forms in these episodes - the mean value is ~15%. The (decay) timescales of the star formation are typically a few Gyrs, indicating that the star formation rate does not decline significantly during the course of the burst. 14% of the LIRG population host (Type 2) AGN. The AGN hosts exhibit UV and optical colours that are redder than those of the normal (non-AGN) population. However, there is no evidence for a systematically higher dust content in the AGN hosts. AGN typically appear ~0.5-0.7 Gyrs after the onset of star formation and the redder colours are a result of older RSF episodes, with no measurable evidence of negative feedback from the AGN on the star formation in their host galaxies. (abridged)
This paper reviews the rich corpus of observational evidence for tidal
effects in short-period binaries. We review the evidence for ellipsoidal
variability and for the observational manifestation of apsidal motion in
eclipsing binaries. Among the long-term effects, circularization was studied
the most, and a transition period between circular and eccentric orbits has
been derived for eight coeval samples of binaries. As binaries are supposed to
reach synchronization before circularization, one can expect finding eccentric
binaries in pseudo-synchronization state, the evidence for which is reviewed.
The paper reviews the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect and its potential to study
spin-orbit alignment. We discuss the tidal interaction in close binaries that
are orbited by a third distant companion, and review the effect of pumping the
binary eccentricity by the third star. We then discuss the idea that the tidal
interaction induced by the eccentricity modulation can shrink the binary
separation.
The paper discusses the extrasolar planets and the observational evidence for
tidal interaction with their parent stars which can induce radial drift of
short-period planets and circularization of planetary orbits. The paper reviews
the revolution of the study of binaries that is currently taking place, driven
by large-scaled photometric surveys that are detecting many thousands of new
binaries and tens of extrasolar planets. In particular, we review several
studies that have been used already thousands of lightcurves of eclipsing
binaries to study tidal circularization of early-type stars in the LMC.
There is now unequivocal evidence that the jets in FR I radio galaxies are initially relativistic, decelerating flows. On the assumption that they are axisymmetric and intrinsically symmetrical (a good approximation close to the nucleus), we can make models of their geometry, velocity, emissivity and field structure whose parameters can be determined by fitting to deep VLA observations. Mass entrainment - either from stellar mass loss within the jet volume or via a boundary layer at the jet surface - is the most likely cause for deceleration. This idea is quantitatively consistent with the velocity field and geometry inferred from kinematic modelling and the external gas density and pressure profiles derived from X-ray observations. The jets must initially be very light, perhaps with an electron-positron composition.
We describe very accurate imaging of radio spectral index for the inner jets in three FR I radio galaxies. Where the jets first brighten, there is a remarkably small dispersion around a spectral index of 0.62. This is also the region where bright X-ray emission is detected. Further from the nucleus, the spectral index flattens slightly to 0.50 - 0.55 and X-ray emission, although still detectable, is fainter relative to the radio. The brightest X-ray emission from the jets is therefore not associated with the flattest radio spectra, but rather with some particle-acceleration process whose characteristic energy index is 2.24. The change in spectral index occurs roughly where our relativistic jet models require rapid deceleration. Flatter-spectrum edges can be seen where the jets are isolated from significant surrounding diffuse emission and we suggest that these are associated with shear.
(abbreviated) We report detection with the Spitzer Space Telescope of cool dust surrounding solar type stars. The observations were performed as part of the Legacy Science Program, ``Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems'' (FEPS). From the overall FEPS sample (Meyer et al. 2006) of 328 stars having ages ~0.003-3 Gyr we have selected sources with 70 um flux densities indicating excess in their spectral energy distributions above expected photospheric emission........ .....The rising spectral energy distributions towards - and perhaps beyond - 70 um imply dust temperatures T_dust <45-85 K for debris in equilibrium with the stellar radiation field. We infer bulk properties such as characteristic temperature, location, fractional luminosity, and mass of the dust from fitted single temperature blackbody models. For >1/3 of the debris sources we find that multiple temperature components are suggested, implying a spatial distribution of dust extending over many tens of AU. Because the disks are dominated by collisional processes, the parent body (planetesimal) belts may be extended as well. Preliminary assessment of the statistics of cold debris around sun-like stars shows that ~10% of FEPS targets with masses between 0.6 and 1.8 Msun and ages between 30 Myr and 3 Gyr exhibit 70 um emission in excess of the expected photospheric flux density. We find that fractional excess amplitudes appear higher for younger stars and that there may be a trend in 70 um excess frequency with stellar mass.
We present chemical abundance measurements from medium resolution observations of 8 sub-damped Lyman-alpha absorber and 2 strong Lyman-limit systems at z < 1.5 observed with the MIKE spectrograph on the 6.5m Magellan II Clay telescope. These observations were taken as part of an ongoing project to determine abundances in z < 1.5 quasar absorption line systems (QSOALS) focusing on sub-DLA systems. These observations increase the sample of Zn measurements in z < 1.5 sub-DLAs by ~50%. Lines of Mg I, Mg II, Al II, Al III, Ca II, Mn II, Fe II, and Zn II were detected and column densities were determined. Zn II, a relatively undepleted element and tracer of the gas phase metallicity is detected in two of these systems, with [Zn/H]=-0.05\pm0.12 and [Zn/H]>+0.86. The latter system is however a weak system with N(H I)<18.8, and therefore may need significant ionisation corrections to the abundances. Fe II lines were detected in all systems, with an average Fe abundance of <[Fe/H]>=-0.68, higher than typical Fe abundances for DLA systems at these redshifts. This high mean [Fe/H] could be due to less depletion of Fe onto dust grains, or to higher abundances in these systems. We also discuss the relative abundances in these absorbers. The systems with high metallicity show high ratios of [Mn/Fe] and [Zn/Fe], as seen previously in another sub-DLA. These higher values of [Mn/Fe] could be a result of heavy depletion of Fe onto grains, unmixed gas, or an intrinsically non-solar abundance pattern. Based on Cloudy modeling, we do not expect ionisation effects to cause this phenomenon.
Particle physics candidates for cosmological dark matter are usually considered as neutral and weakly interacting. However stable charged leptons and quarks can also exist and, hidden in elusive atoms, play the role of dark matter. The necessary condition for such scenario is absence of stable particles with charge -1 and effective mechanism for suppression of free positively charged heavy species. These conditions are realized in several recently developed scenarios. In scenario based on Walking Technicolor model excess of stable particles with charge -2 and the corresponding dark matter density is naturally related with the value and sign of cosmological baryon asymmetry. The excessive charged particles are bound with primordial helium in techni-O-helium "atoms", maintaining specific nuclear-interacting form of dark matter. Some properties of techni-O-helium Universe are discussed.
A widely accepted viewpoint is to consider candidates for cosmological dark matter as neutral and weakly interacting particles, as well as to consider only light elements in the pregalactic chemical composition. It is shown that stable charged leptons and quarks can exist and, hidden in elusive atoms, play the role of dark matter. The inevitable consequence of realistic scenarios with such composite atom-like dark matter is existence of significant or even dominant fraction of "atoms", binding heavy -2 charged particles and He-4 nuclei. Being alpha-particles with shielded electric charge, such atoms catalyse a new path of nuclear transformations in the period of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, which result in primordial heavy elements. The arguments are given, why such scenario escapes immediate contradiction with observations and challenges search for heavy stable charged particles in cosmic rays and at accelerators.
We find that deviation from the virial equilibrium of the Abell Cluster A586 yields evidence of the interaction between dark matter and dark energy. We argue that this interaction might imply a violation of the Equivalence Principle. Our analysis show that evidence is found in the context of two different models of dark energy-dark matter interaction.
We are conducting a deep near-infrared (NIR) imaging survey of young embedded clusters in the extreme outer Galaxy (hereafter EOG), at the Galactic radius (R_g) of more than 18 kpc. The EOG is an excellent laboratory to study the nature of the IMF in a low-metallicity environment with a great advantage of the proximity compared to nearby dwarf galaxies, such as LMC & SMC. As a first step, we obtained deep NIR images of Digel Cloud 2 clusters at R_g ~19 kpc using the Subaru 8.2-m telescope. The observed K-band luminosity function shows that IMF in the low metallicity environment down to ~ 0.1 M_{sun} is not significantly different from the typical IMFs in the field and in the nearby star clusters as was suggested in our earlier work.
The extreme outer Galaxy (EOG) has a very different environment from that in the solar neighborhood, with low metallicity (less than -0.5 dex), much lower gas density, and small or no perturbation from spiral arms. The EOG is an excellent laboratory for the study of the star formation processes that happened during the formation period of the Galaxy. In particular, the study of the EOG may shed light on the origin and role of the thick disk, whose metallicity range matches well with that of the EOG. We show an example of a molecular cloud in the EOG (Digel's Cloud 2), which is located at R_g ~ 20 kpc beyond the Outer arm. Based on our NIR and 12CO data as well as HI, radio continuum, and IRAS data in the archives, we examined the detailed star formation processes in this unique environment, especially the supernova triggered star formation, which should have been the major star formation mode during the halo and thick disk formation.
We construct a new model of Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia), based on the single degenerate scenario, taking account of the metallicity effect of the white dwarf (WD) wind and the mass-stripping effect on the binary companion star. Our model naturally predicts that the SN Ia lifetime distribution spans a range of 0.1-20 Gyr with the double peaks at ~0.1 and 1 Gyr. While the present SN Ia rate in elliptical galaxies can be reproduced with the old population of the red-giants+WD systems, the large SN Ia rate in radio galaxies could be explained with the young population of the main-sequence+WD systems. Because of the metallicity effect, i.e., because of the lack of winds from WDs in the binary systems, the SN Ia rate in the systems with [Fe/H]<-1, e.g., high-z spiral galaxies, is supposed to be very small. Our SN Ia model can give better reproduction of the [(alpha, Mn, Zn)/Fe]-[Fe/H] relations in the solar neighborhood than other models such as the double-degenerate scenario. The presence of the young population of SNe Ia strongly favors the presence of the metallicity effect. We also succeed in reproducing the galactic supernova rates with their dependence on the morphological type of galaxies, and the cosmic SN Ia rate history with a peak at z~1. At z>1, the predicted SN Ia rate decreases toward higher redshifts and SNe Ia will be observed only in the systems that have evolved with a short timescale of chemical enrichment. This suggests that the evolution effect in the supernova cosmology can be small.
Double-peaked oxygen lines in the nebular spectra of two peculiar Type Ib/c Supernovae (SN Ib/c) have been interpeted as off-axis GRB-jet or unipolar blob ejections. Here we present late-time spectra of 10 SN IIb, Ib and Ic that show that this phenomenon is common and probably should not be linked to extraordinary events in the explosion physics. We show that this type of line profile is probably not caused by optical depth effects, but might well be due to ejecta expanding with a torus- or disk-like geometry. Double-peaked oxygen profiles are not necessarily the indicator of a mis-directed GRB jet.
Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) map at 60 EeV have been found recently by Auger group spread in an anisotropic way into sky. The result have been understood as a manifestation of AGN sources ejecting protons at GZK edges (less than 80 Mpc distances). However the result is surprising due to the lack of correlation with much nearer Virgo cluster. Moreover such a nucleon UHECR nature composition is in disagreement with earlier (Auger) claim of a heavy nuclei dominance at 40 EeV. Such a rich signal at 80 Mpc volume would imply an already detectable neutrino signal at EeV band from Cen-A. A more modest solution based on light nuclei role as UHECR curier may reconcile with the whole data.
We present the mass functions of actively accreting supermassive black holes over the redshift range 0.3 <= z <= 5 for a well-defined, homogeneous sample of 15,180 quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 3 (SDSS DR3) within an effective area of 1644 square degrees. This sample is the most uniform statistically significant subset available for the DR3 quasar sample. It was used for the DR3 quasar luminosity function, presented by Richards et al., and is the only sample suitable for the determination of the SDSS quasar black hole mass function. The sample extends from i = 15 to i = 19.1 at z less than about 3 and to i = 20.2 for z greater than about 3. The mass functions display a rise and fall in the space density distribution of active black holes at all epochs. Within the uncertainties the high-mass decline is consistent with a constant slope of beta of about -3.3 at all epochs. This slope is similar to the bright end slope of the luminosity function for epochs below z = 4. Our tests suggest that the down-turn toward lower mass values is due to incompleteness of the quasar sample with respect to black hole mass. Further details and analysis of these mass functions will be presented in forthcoming papers.
Over the last decade, considerable effort has been made to measure the proper motions of the pulsars B1757-24 and B1951+32 in order to establish or refute associations with nearby supernova remnants and to understand better the complicated geometries of their surrounding nebulae. We present proper motion measurements of both pulsars with the Very Large Array, increasing the time baselines of the measurements from 3.9 yr to 6.5 yr and from 12.0 yr to 14.5 yr, respectively, compared to previous observations. We confirm the non-detection of proper motion of PSR B1757-24, and our measurement of (mu_a, mu_d) = (-11 +/- 9, -1 +/- 15) mas yr^{-1} confirms that the association of PSR B1757-24 with SNR G5.4-1.2 is unlikely for the pulsar characteristic age of 15.5 kyr, although an association can not be excluded for a significantly larger age. For PSR B1951+32, we measure a proper motion of (mu_a, mu_d) = (-28.8 +/- 0.9, -14.7 +/- 0.9) mas yr^{-1}, reducing the uncertainty in the proper motion by a factor of two compared to previous results. After correcting to the local standard of rest, the proper motion indicates a kinetic age of ~51 kyr for the pulsar, assuming it was born near the geometric center of the supernova remnant. The radio-bright arc of emission along the pulsar proper motion vector shows time-variable structure, but moves with the pulsar at an approximately constant separation ~2.5", lending weight to its interpretation as a shock structure driven by the pulsar.
Magnetograms from the Vector SpectroMagnetograph (VSM) of the Synoptic Optical Long-term Investigations of the Sun (SOLIS) project are utilized to study the latitude distribution of magnetic flux elements as a function of latitude in the polar solar caps. We find that the density distribution of the magnetic flux normalized by the surface of the polar cap and averaged over months decreases close to the solar poles. This trend is more pronounced when considering only flux elements with relatively large size. The flux density of the latter is relatively flat from the edge of the polar cap up to latitudes of 70$^\circ$--75$^\circ$ and decreases significantly to the solar pole. The density of smaller flux features is more uniformly distributed although the decrease is still present but less pronounced. This result is important in studying meridional flows that bring the magnetic flux from lower to higher solar latitudes resulting in the solar cycle reversal. The results are also of importance in studying polar structures contributing to the fast solar wind, such as polar plumes.
Density is the turbulence statistics that is most readily available from observations. Different regimes of turbulence correspond to different density spectra. For instance, the viscosity-damped regime of MHD turbulence relevant, for instance, to partially ionized gas, can be characterized by shallow and very anisotropic spectrum of density. This spectrum can result in substantial variations of the column densities. Addressing MHD turbulence in the regime when viscosity is not important over the inertial range, we demonstrate with numerical simulations that it is possible to reproduce both the observed Kolmogorov spectrum of density fluctuations observed in ionized gas by measuring scintillations and more shallow spectra that are obtained through the emission measurements. We show that in supersonic turbulence the high density peaks dominate shallow isotropic spectrum, while the small-scale underlying turbulence that fills most of the volume has the Kolmogorov spectrum and demonstrates scale-dependent anisotropy. The limitations of the spectrum in studying turbulence induce searches of alternative statistics. We demonstrate that a measure called "bispectrum" may be a promising tool. Unlike spectrum, the bispectrum preserves the information about wave phases.
We consider grains with superparamagnetic inclusions and report two new condensed matter effects that can enhance the internal relaxation of the energy of a wobbling grain, namely, superparamagnetic Barnett relaxation, as well as, an increase of frequencies for which nuclear relaxation becomes important. This findings extends the range of grain sizes for which grains are thermally trapped, i.e. rotate thermally, in spite of the presence of uncompensated pinwheel torques. In addition, we show that the alignment of dust grains by radiative torques gets modified for superparamagnetic grains, with grains obtaining perfect alignment with respect to magnetic fields as soon as the grain gaseous randomization time gets larger than that of paramagnetic relaxation. The same conclusion is valid for the mechanical alignment of helical grains. If observations confirm that the degrees of alignment are higher than radiative torques can produce alone, this may be a proof of the presence of superparamagentic inclusions.
We study the alignment of grains by radiative torques and pinwheel torques taking into account internal relaxations and thermal flipping. We identify with radiative torques the torques arising from anisotropic radiation, while all torques that are fixed in grain body axes, including the radiative torques arising from extinction of isotropic radiative field, we identify with pinwheel torques. We discuss new type of pinwheel torques, namely, regular torques arising from grain emission, as well as, pinwheel torques arising from the interaction of grains electrons in hot plasma. We show that both types of torques are long-lived, i.e. may exist longer than the grain damping time. We also show that the torques, first introduced by E. Purcell, arising from photoelectric emission of electrons, can also be long-lived. The other two types of Purcell's torques, namely, those arising from H$_2$ formation and variations of the grain accommodation coefficient, we identify with short-lived torques, although their actual life-time is rather uncertain. For long-lived pinwheel torques, we observe that new attractor points appear. Grains at these points rotate fast mostly due to pinwheel torques and are perfectly aligned with their long axes perpendicular to magnetic field. For short-lived pinwheel torques, we find a new effect of the suppression of grain flipping by strong radiative field. The mechanisms of alignment we discuss here do not involve paramagnetic relaxation. The only effect of magnetic field on grains that we consider is Larmor precession. We discuss implications of the alignment for interstellar medium and circumstellar regions.
The steep source counts and negative K-corrections of bright submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) mean that a significant fraction of those observed at high flux densities may be gravitationally lensed, and that the lensing objects may often lie at redshifts above 1, where clusters of galaxies are difficult to detect through other means. This makes the follow-up of bright SMGs a potential way of finding dense structures along the line of sight. Here we investigate the probability for SMGs to experience strong lensing, using the latest N-body simulations and observed source flux and redshift distributions. We find that almost all high redshift sources with a flux density above 100 mJy will be lensed, if they are not relatively local galaxies. We also give estimates of the fraction of sources experiencing strong lensing as a function of observed flux density. This has implications for planning follow-up observations for bright SMGs discovered in future surveys with SCUBA-2 and other instruments. The dominant uncertainty in these calculations is the maximum allowed lensing amplification, which comes from not knowing the spatial extent of SMGs.
Polarimetry is extensively used as a tool to trace the interstellar magnetic field projected on the plane of sky. Moreover, it is also possible to estimate the magnetic field intensity from polarimetric maps based on the Chandrasekhar-Fermi method. In this work, we present results for turbulent, isothermal, 3-D simulations of sub/supersonic and sub/super-Alfvenic cases. With the cubes, assuming perfect grain alignment, we created synthetic polarimetric maps for different orientations of the mean magnetic field with respect to the line of sight (LOS). We show that the dispersion of the polarization angle depends on the angle of the mean magnetic field regarding the LOS and on the Alfvenic Mach number. However, the second order structure function of the polarization angle follows the relation $SF \propto l^{\alpha}$, $\alpha$ being dependent exclusively on the Alfvenic Mach number. The results show an anti-correlation between the polarization degree and the column density, with exponent $\gamma \sim -0.5$, in agreement with observations, which is explained by the increase in the dispersion of the polarization angle along the LOS within denser regions. However, this effect was observed exclusively on supersonic, but sub-Alfvenic, simulations. For the super-Alfvenic, and the subsonic model, the polarization degree showed to be intependent on the column density. Our major quantitative result is a generalized equation for the CF method, which allowed us to determine the magnetic field strength from the polarization maps with errors $< 20%$. We also account for the role of observational resolution on the CF method.
We reconstruct the interaction rate of the holographic dark energy model recently proposed by Zimdahl and Pav\'{o}n \cite{wd} in the redshift interval $0 < z < 1.8$ with observational data from supernovae type Ia, baryon acoustic oscillations, gas mass fraction in galaxy clusters, and the growth factor. It shows a reasonable behavior in the sense that it increases with expansion from a small or vanishing value in the long past but starts decreasing at recent times. The later feature suggests that the equation of state parameter of dark energy does not cross the phantom divide.
We observed two relic radio sources, 0917+75 and 1401-33, with the XMM-Newton X-ray observatory. We did not detect any X-ray emission, thermal or non-thermal, in excess of the local background level from either target. This imposes new upper limits on the X-ray flux due to inverse Compton scattering of photons from the cosmic microwave background by relativistic electrons in the relic sources, and new lower limits on the magnetic field strength from the relative strength of the radio and X-ray emission. The combination of radio and X-ray observations provides a measure of the magnetic field independent of equipartition or minimum energy assumptions. Due to increasing sensitivity of radio observations, the known population of cluster relics has been growing; however, studies of non-thermal X-ray emission from relics remain scarce. Our study adds to the small sample of relics studied in X-rays. In both relics, our field strength lower limits are slightly larger than estimates of the equipartition magnetic field.
We constrain the thermal evolution of the universe with a decaying cosmological term by using the method of the analysis for the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) observation data. The cosmological term is assumed to be a function of the scale factor that increases toward the early universe, and the radiation energy density is lower compared to that in the model with the standard cosmological "constant" (LCDM). The decrease in the radiation density affects the thermal history of the universe; e.g. the photon decoupling occurs at higher-z compared to the case of the standard LCDM model. As a consequence, a decaying cosmological term affects the cosmic microwave background anisotropy. Thanks to the Markov-chain Monte Carlo method, we compare the angular power spectrum in the decaying LCDM model with the CMB data, and we get severe constraints on parameters of the model.
We summarize the main highlights from ISO observations towards Sgr B2 and Orion KL in the far-IR domain (~43 to 197 um). Both Star-Forming Regions are among the best sources to construct a template for more distant and unresolved regions (e.g., extragalactic). We stress some peculiarities in the interpretation (excitation and radiative transfer) of far-IR spectral lines and dust continuum emission.
There is accumulating evidence that (fundamental) scalar fields may exist in Nature. The gravitational collapse of such a boson cloud would lead to a boson star (BS) as a new type of a compact object. Similarly as for white dwarfs and neutron stars, there exists a limiting mass, below which a BS is stable against complete gravitational collapse to a black hole. According to the form of the self-interaction of the basic constituents and the spacetime symmetry, we can distinguish mini-, axidilaton, soliton, charged, oscillating and rotating BSs. Their compactness prevents a Newtonian approximation, however, modifications of general relativity, as in the case of Jordan-Brans-Dicke theory as a low energy limit of strings, would provide them with gravitational memory. In general, a BS is a compact, completely regular configuration with structured layers due to the anisotropy of scalar matter, an exponentially decreasing 'halo', a critical mass inversely proportional to constituent mass, an effective radius, and a large particle number. Due to the Heisenberg principle, there exists a completely stable branch, and as a coherent state, it allows for rotating solutions with quantised angular momentum. In this review, we concentrate on the fascinating possibilities of detecting the various subtypes of (excited) BSs: Possible signals include gravitational redshift and (micro-)lensing, emission of gravitational waves, or, in the case of a giant BS, its dark matter contribution to the rotation curves of galactic halos.
We compare environmental effects in two analogous samples of galaxies, one from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the other from a semi-analytic model (SAM) based on the Millennium Simulation (MS), to test to what extent current SAMs of galaxy formation are reproducing environmental effects. We estimate the large-scale environment of each galaxy using a Bayesian density estimator based on distances to all ten nearest neighbors and compare broad-band photometric properties of the two samples as a function of environment. The feedbacks implemented in the semi-analytic model produce a qualitatively correct galaxy population with similar environmental dependence as that seen in SDSS galaxies. In detail, however, the colors of MS galaxies exhibit an exaggerated dependence on environment: the field contains too many blue galaxies while clusters contain too many red galaxies, compared to the SDSS sample. We also find that the MS contains a population of highly clustered, relatively faint red galaxies with velocity dispersions comparable to their Hubble flow. Such high-density galaxies, if they exist, would be overlooked in any low-redshift survey since their membership to a cluster cannot be determined due to the "Fingers of God" effect.
The discovery of pulsars in 1968 heralded an era where the temporal characteristics of detectors had to be reassessed. Up to this point detector integration times would normally be measured in minutes rather seconds and definitely not on sub-second time scales. At the start of the 21st century pulsar observations are still pushing the limits of detector telescope capabilities. Flux variations on times scales less than 1 nsec have been observed during giant radio pulses. Pulsar studies over the next 10 to 20 years will require instruments with time resolutions down to microseconds and below, high-quantum quantum efficiency, reasonable energy resolution and sensitive to circular and linear polarisation of stochastic signals. This chapter is review of temporally resolved optical observations of pulsars. It concludes with estimates of the observability of pulsars with both existing telescopes and into the ELT era.
In the general picture of high order theories of gravity, recently, the R^-1 theory has been analyzed in two different frameworks. In this letter a third context is added, considering an explicit coupling between the R^-1 function of the Ricci scalar and the matter Lagrangian. The result is a non-geodesic motion of test particles which, in principle, could be connected with Dark Matter and Pioneer anomaly problems.
We present detailed radiative transfer spectral synthesis models for the Iron Low Ionization Broad Absorption Line (FeLoBAL) active galactic nuclei (AGN) FIRST J121442.3+280329 and ISO J005645.1-273816. Detailed NLTE spectral synthesis with a spherically symmetric outflow reproduces the observed spectra very well across a large wavelength range. While exact spherical symmetry is probably not required, our model fits are of high quality and thus very large covering fractions are strongly implied by our results. We constrain the kinetic energy and mass in the ejecta and discuss their implications on the accretion rate. Our results support the idea that FeLoBALs may be an evolutionary stage in the development of more ``ordinary'' QSOs.
The influence of a possible non zero chemical potential $\mu$ on the nature of dark energy is investigated by assuming that the dark energy is a relativistic perfect simple fluid obeying the equation of state (EoS), $p=\omega \rho$ ($\omega <0, constant$). The entropy condition, $S \geq 0$, implies that the possible values of $\omega$ are heavily dependent on the magnitude, as well as on the sign of the chemical potential. For $\mu >0$, the $\omega$-parameter must be greater than -1 (vacuum is forbidden) while for $\mu < 0$ not only the vacuum but even a phantomlike behavior ($\omega <-1$) is allowed. In any case, the ratio between the chemical potential and temperature remains constant, that is, $\mu/T=\mu_0/T_0$. Assuming that the dark energy constituents have either a bosonic or fermionic nature, the general form of the spectrum is also proposed. For bosons $\mu$ is always negative and the extended Wien's law allows only a dark component with $\omega < -1/2$ which includes vacuum and the phantomlike cases. The same happens in the fermionic branch for $\mu <0$. However, fermionic particles with $\mu >0$ are permmited only if $-1 < \omega < -1/2$. The thermodynamics and statistical arguments constrain the EoS parameter to be $\omega < -1/2$, a result surprisingly close to the maximal value required to accelerate a FRW type universe dominated by matter and dark energy ($\omega \lesssim -10/21$).
We report observations of Crab giant pulses made with the Australia Telescope Compact Array and a baseband recorder system, made simultaneously at two frequencies, 1300 and 1470 MHz. These observations were sensitive to pulses with amplitudes \ga 3 kJy and widths \ga 0.5 $\mu$s. Our analysis led to the detection of more than 700 such bright giant pulses over 3 hours, and using this large sample we investigate their amplitude, width, arrival time and energy distributions. The brightest pulse detected in our data has a peak amplitude of $\sim$ 45 kJy and a width of $\sim$ 0.5 $\mu$s, and therefore an inferred brightness temperature of $\sim 10^{35}$ K. The duration of giant-pulse emission is typically $\sim$1 $\mu$s, however it can also be as long as 10 $\mu$s. The pulse shape at a high time resolution (128 ns) shows rich diversity and complexity in structure and is marked by an unusually low degree of scattering. We discuss possible implications for scattering due to the nebula, and for underlying structures and electron densities.
In recent years, there has been a proliferation of wide-field sky surveys to search for a variety of transient objects. Using relatively short focal lengths, the optics of these systems produce undersampled stellar images often marred by a variety of aberrations. As participants in such activities, we have developed a new algorithm for image subtraction that no longer requires high quality reference images for comparison. The computational efficiency is comparable with similar procedures currently in use. The general technique is cross-convolution: two convolution kernels are generated to make a test image and a reference image separately transform to match as closely as possible. In analogy to the optimization technique for generating smoothing splines, the inclusion of an RMS width penalty term constrains the diffusion of stellar images. In addition, by evaluating the convolution kernels on uniformly spaced subimages across the total area, these routines can accomodate point spread functions that vary considerably across the focal plane.
Galaxy disks evolve through angular momentum transfers between
sub-components, like gas, stars, or dark matter halos, through non
axi-symmetric instabilities. The speed of this evolution is boosted in presence
of a large fraction of cold and dissipative gas component. When the visible
matter dominates over the whole disk, angular momentum is exchanged between gas
and stars only. The gas is driven towards the center by bars, stalled
transiently in resonance rings, and driven further by embedded bars, which it
contributes to destroy. From a small-scale molecular torus, the gas can then
inflow from viscous torques, dynamical friction, or m=1 perturbations.
In the weakened bar phases, multiple-speed spiral patterns can develop and
help the galaxy to accrete external gas flowing from cosmic filaments. The
various phases of secular evolution are illustrated by numerical simulations.
Observations of two H$_2$CO ($3_{03}-2_{02}$ and $3_{21}-2_{20}$) lines and continuum emission at 1.3 mm towards Sgr B2(N) and Sgr B2(M) have been carried out with the SMA. The mosaic maps of Sgr B2(N) and Sgr B2(M) in both continuum and lines show a complex distribution of dust and molecular gas in both clumps and filaments surrounding the compact star formation cores. We have observed a decelerating outflow originated from the Sgr B2(M) core, showing that both the red-shifted and blue-shifted outflow components have a common terminal velocity. This terminal velocity is 58$\pm$2 km s$^{-1}$. It provides an excellent method in determination of the systematic velocity of the molecular cloud. The SMA observations have also shown that a large fraction of absorption against the two continuum cores is red-shifted with respect to the systematic velocities of Sgr B2(N) and Sgr B2(M), respectively, suggesting that the majority of the dense molecular gas is flowing into the two major cores where massive stars have been formed. We have solved the radiative transfer in a multi-level system with LVG approximation. The observed H$_2$CO line intensities and their ratios can be adequately fitted with this model for the most of the gas components. However, the line intensities between the higher energy level transition H$_2$CO ($3_{21}-2_{20}$) and the lower energy level transition H$_2$CO ($3_{03}-2_{02}$) is reversed in the red-shifted outflow region of Sgr B2(M), suggesting the presence of inversion in population between the ground levels in the two K ladders (K$_{-1}$= 0 and 2). The possibility of weak maser processes for the H$_2$CO emission in Sgr B2(M) is discussed.
The thermal evolution of neutron stars is coupled to their spin down and the resulting changes in structure and chemical composition. This coupling correlates stellar surface temperatures with rotational state as well as time. We report an extensive investigation of the coupling between spin down and cooling for hybrid stars which undergo a phase transition to deconfined quark matter at the high densities present in stars at low rotation frequencies. The thermal balance of neutron stars is reanalyzed to incorporate phase transitions and the related latent heat self-consistently, and numerical calculations are undertaken to simultaneously evolve the stellar structure and temperature distribution. We find that the changes in stellar structure and chemical composition with the introduction of a pure quark matter phase in the core delay the cooling and produce a period of increasing surface temperature for strongly superfluid stars of strong and intermediate magnetic field strength. The latent heat of deconfinement is found to reinforce this signature but is itself relatively less significant.
We propose a theory to explain the formation of both spirals and rings in barred galaxies using a common dynamical framework. It is based on the orbital motion driven by the unstable equilibrium points of the rotating bar potential. Thus, spirals, rings and pseudo-rings are related to the invariant manifolds associated to the periodic orbits around these equilibrium points. We examine the parameter space of three barred galaxy models and discuss the formation of the different morphological structures according to the properties of the bar model. We also study the influence of the shape of the rotation curve in the outer parts, by making families of models with rising, flat or falling rotation curves in the outer parts. The differences between spiral and ringed structures arise from differences in the dynamical parameters of the host galaxies.
If ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) originate from extragalactic sources, understanding the propagation of the charged particles through the magnetized large scale structure (LSS) of the universe is crucial in the search for astrophysical accelerators. Based on a novel model of turbulence dynamo, we estimate the intergalactic magnetic fields (IGMFs) in cosmological simulations for the formation of the LSS. Under the premises that the sources of UHECRs are strongly associated with the LSS, we consider a model in which protons of E>10^{19} eV are injected by AGN-like sources located inside clusters of galaxies. With the model IGMFs, we then follow the trajectories of protons, while taking account of the energy loss due to interactions with the cosmic background radiation. For observers located inside groups of galaxies like us, about 70 % (35 %) of UHECR events above 60 EeV arrive within ~15 degree (~5 degree) from the source position with the time delay less than ~10^7 years. This implies that the arrival direction of super-GZK protons might show a correlation with the distribution of cosmological sources in the sky. In this model, nearby sources within 10-20 Mpc should contribute significantly to the particle flux above ~10^{20} eV.
We use synchronous movies from the Dutch Open Telescope sampling the
G band, Ca II and Halpha with five-wavelength profile sampling to study the
response of the chromosphere to acoustic events in the underlying photosphere.
We first compare the visibility of the chromosphere in Ca II H and Halpha,
demonstrate that studying the chromosphere requires Halpha data, and summarize
recent developments in understanding why this is so. We construct divergence
and vorticity maps of the photospheric flow field from the G-band images and
locate specific events through the appearance of bright Ca II H grains. The
reaction of the Halpha chromosphere is diagnosed in terms of brightness and
Doppler shift. We show and discuss three particular cases in detail: a regular
acoustic grain marking shock excitation by granular dynamics, a persistent
flasher which probably marks magnetic-field concentration, and an exploding
granule. All three appear to buffet overlying fibrils, most clearly in
Dopplergrams. Although our diagnostic displays to dissect these phenomena are
unprecedentedly comprehensive, adding even more information (photospheric
Doppler tomography and magnetograms, chromospheric imaging and Doppler mapping
in the ultraviolet) is warranted.
Studies in astroparticle physics are actively developed all over the world. It is clear that the effectiveness of the work depends strongly on the information exchange rate and on the overall coordination of this activity. An international forum, be it virtual, which can join all the groups and coordinate their efforts would give a boost to this cooperation. Particularly this is important for isolated scientific groups and scientists from small countries which can contribute a lot to this work being a part of the large international collaboration. Objectives, instruments and structure of proposed Virtual Instutute of Astroparticle Physics are discussed.
We present the results of the first complete survey of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds for 6668-MHz methanol and 6035-MHz excited-state hydroxyl masers. In addition to the survey, higher-sensitivity targeted searches towards known star-formation regions were conducted. The observations yielded the discovery of a fourth 6668-MHz methanol maser in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), found towards the star-forming region N160a, and a second 6035-MHz excited-state hydroxyl maser, found towards N157a. We have also re-observed the three previously known 6668-MHz methanol masers and the single 6035-MHz hydroxyl maser. We failed to detect emission from either transition in the Small Magellanic Cloud. All observations were initially made using the Methanol Multibeam (MMB) survey receiver on the 64-m Parkes telescope as part of the MMB project and accurate positions have been measured with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). We compare the maser populations in the Magellanic Clouds with those of our Galaxy and discuss their implications for the relative rates of massive star-formation, heavy metal abundance, and the abundance of complex molecules. The LMC maser populations are demonstrated to be smaller than their Milky Way counterparts. Methanol masers are under-abundant by a factor of ~45, whilst hydroxyl and water masers are a factor of ~10 less abundant than our Galaxy.
Forty years after their discovery, and in spite of a very large body of observations, the operation of the 'engine' responsible for long-duration Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) and X-ray flashes --as well as the mechanisms generating their radiation-- are still the subject of debate and study. In this respect a recent event, XRF 060218, associated with SN 2006aj, is particularly significant. It has been argued that, for the first time, the break-out of the shock involved in the supernova explosion has been observed, thanks to the detection of a thermal component in the event's radiation; that this XRF was not a GRB seen 'off-axis', but a member of a new class of energetically feeble GRBs; and that its 'continued engine activity' may have been driven by a remnant highly-magnetized neutron star, a magnetar. I argue, on grounds based on observations and on limpid verified hypothesis, that there is a common, simpler alternative to these views, with no thermal component, no new feeble GRBs, and no steady engine activity.
We present the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) spectrum of SR20, a 5--10 AU binary T Tauri system in the rho Ophiuchi star forming region. The spectrum has features consistent with the presence of a disk; however, the continuum slope is steeper than the lambda^{-4/3} slope of an infinite geometrically thin, optically thick disk, indicating that the disk is outwardly truncated. Comparison with photometry from the literature shows large variability from 1993 to 1996. We model the spectral energy distribution and IRS spectrum with a geometrically thin, optically thick irradiated disk, yielding an outer radius of 0.15 AU, much smaller than predicted by models of binary orbits. Using a two temperature chi-squared minimization model to fit the dust composition of the IRS spectrum, we find the disk is comprised of large (5 micron) amorphous olivine grains. These results lead us to conclude that there is likely an unseen companion orbiting close to the primary.
Simbol-X is a French-Italian mission, with a participation of German laboratories, for X-ray astronomy in the wide 0.5-80 keV band. Taking advantage of emerging technology in mirror manufacturing and spacecraft formation flying, Simbol-X will push grazing incidence imaging up to ~80 keV, providing an improvement of roughly three orders of magnitude in sensitivity and angular resolution compared to all instruments that have operated so far above 10 keV. This will open a new window in X-ray astronomy, allowing breakthrough studies on black hole physics and census and particle acceleration mechanisms. We describe briefly the main scientific goals of the Simbol-X mission, giving a few examples aimed at highlighting key issues of the Simbol-X design.
This paper reports molecular observations towards the Bright Eastern Knot (BEK) in the SNR Puppis A, a feature where radio and X-ray studies suggest that the shock front is interacting with a dense molecular clump. We performed high-resolution millimetric observations towards the BEK of Puppis A using the SEST telescope in the 12CO J=1-0 and 2-1 lines (beams of 45" and 23" respectively). More extended, lower angular resolution 12CO J=1-0 observations taken from NANTEN archival data were also analyzed to obtain a complete picture. In the velocity range near 16 km/s, the Puppis A systemic velocity, our study revealed two important properties: (i) no dense molecular gas is detected immediately adjacent to the eastern border of the BEK and (ii) the molecular clump detected very close to the radiocontinuum maximum is probably located in the foreground along the line of sight and has not yet been reached by the SNR shock front. We propose two possible scenarios to explain the absence of molecular emission eastwards of the BEK border of Puppis A. Either the shock front has completely engulfed and destroyed a molecular clump or the shock front is interacting with part of a larger cloud and we do not detect CO emission immediately beyond it because the molecules have been dissociated by photodissociation and by reactions with photoionized material due to the radiative precursor.
AIMS. A recent catalogue by Flesch & Hardcastle presents two major anomalies
in the spatial distribution of QSO candidates: i/ an apparent excess of such
objects near bright galaxies, and ii/ an excess of very bright QSO candidates
compared to random background expectations in several regions of the sky.
Because anyone of these anomalies would be relevant in a cosmological context,
we carried out an extensive analysis of the probabilities quoted in that
catalogue.
METHODS. We determine the nature and redshift of a subsample of 30 sources in
that catalogue by analysing their optical spectra (another 11 candidates were
identified from existing public databases). These have allowed us to
statistically check the reliability of the probabilities QSO status quoted by
Flesch & Hardcastle for their candidates.
RESULTS. Only 12 of the 41 candidates turned out QSOs (7 of which have been
identified here for the first time).
CONCLUSIONS. The probabilities of the QSOs' being the candidates given by
Flesch & Hardcastle are overestimated for m_B<17 and for objects projected near
(<1 arcmin) bright galaxies. This is the cause of the anomalies mentioned
above.
In the local Universe, high-power radio galaxies live in lower density environments than low-luminosity radio galaxies. If this trend continues to higher redshifts, powerful radio galaxies would serve as efficient probes of moderate redshift groups and poor clusters. Photometric studies of radio galaxies at 0.3 < z < 0.5 suggest that the radio luminosity-environment correlation disappears at moderate redshifts, though this could be the result of foreground/background contamination affecting the photometric measures of environment. We have obtained multi-object spectroscopy of in the fields of 14 lower luminosity (L_1.4GHz < 4x10^24 W/Hz) and higher luminosity (L_1.4GHz > 1.2x10^25 W/Hz) radio galaxies at z ~ 0.3 to spectroscopically investigate the link between the environment and the radio luminosity of radio galaxies at moderate redshifts. Our results support the photometric analyses; there does not appear to be a correlation between the luminosity of a radio galaxy and its environment at moderate redshifts. Hence, radio galaxies are not efficient signposts for group environments at moderate redshifts.
High resolution spectra of 110 selected red giant stars in the globular cluster M15 (NGC 7078) were obtained with Hectochelle at the MMT telescope in 2005 May, 2006 May, and 2006 October. Echelle orders containing Halpha and Ca H & K are used to identify emission and line asymmetries characterizing motions in the extended atmospheres. Emission in Halpha is detected to a luminosity of log (L/L_sun)=2.36, in this very metal deficient cluster, comparable to other studies, suggesting that appearance of emission wings is independent of stellar metallicity. The faintest stars showing Halpha emission appear to lie on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) in M15. A line-bisector technique for Halpha reveals outflowing velocities in all stars brighter than log (L/L_sun)=2.5, and this outflow velocity increases with stellar luminosity, indicating the mass outflow increases smoothly with luminosity. Many stars lying low on the AGB show exceptionally high outflow velocities (up to 10-15 km s^{-1}) and more velocity variability (up to 6-8 km s^{-1}), than red giant branch (RGB) stars of similar apparent magnitude. High velocities in M15 may be related to the low cluster metallicity. Dusty stars identified from Spitzer Space Telescope infrared photometry as AGB stars are confirmed as cluster members by radial velocity measurements, yet their Halpha profiles are similar to those of RGB stars without dust. If substantial mass loss creates the circumstellar shell responsible for infrared emission, such mass loss must be episodic.
[Abridged] In order to explain the slow rotation observed in a large fraction
of accreting pre-main-sequence stars (CTTSs), we explore the role of stellar
winds in torquing down the stars. For this mechanism to be effective, the
stellar winds need to have relatively high outflow rates, and thus would likely
be powered by the accretion process itself. Here, we use numerical
magnetohydrodynamical simulations to compute detailed 2-dimensional
(axisymmetric) stellar wind solutions, in order to determine the spin down
torque on the star. We explore a range of parameters relevant for CTTSs,
including variations in the stellar mass, radius, spin rate, surface magnetic
field strength, the mass loss rate, and wind acceleration rate. We also
consider both dipole and quadrupole magnetic field geometries.
Our simulations indicate that the stellar wind torque is of sufficient
magnitude to be important for spinning down a ``typical'' CTTS, for a mass loss
rate of $\sim 10^{-9} M_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$. The winds are wide-angle,
self-collimated flows, as expected of magnetic rotator winds with moderately
fast rotation. The cases with quadrupolar field produce a much weaker torque
than for a dipole with the same surface field strength, demonstrating that
magnetic geometry plays a fundamental role in determining the torque. Cases
with varying wind acceleration rate show much smaller variations in the torque
suggesting that the details of the wind driving are less important. We use our
computed results to fit a semi-analytic formula for the effective Alfv\'en
radius in the wind, as well as the torque. This allows for considerable
predictive power, and is an improvement over existing approximations.
We present the general exact solutions for non-extremal rotating charged black holes in the Godel universe of five-dimensional minimal supergravity theory. They are uniquely characterized by four non-trivial parameters, namely the mass $m$, the charge $q$, the Kerr equal rotation parameter $a$, and the Godel parameter $j$. We calculate the conserved energy, angular momenta and charge for the solutions and show that they completely satisfy the first law of black hole thermodynamics. We also study the symmetry and separability of the Hamilton-Jacobi and the massive Klein-Gordon equations in these Einstein-Maxwell-Chern-Simons-Godel black hole backgrounds.
We investigate the efficiency of acceleration of charged dust particles by low-frequency Alfv\'en waves in nonlinear approximation. We show that the longitudinal acceleration of dust particles is proportional to the square of the soliton amplitude $O(|b_m|^2)$, while the transversal acceleration is of $O(|b_m|)$. In the conditions of the interstellar medium the resulting velocity of dust particles can reach 0.3 to 1 km s$^{-1}$.
Using a Lagrangian formalism, a three-parameter non-minimal Einstein-Maxwell theory is established. The three parameters, $q_1$, $q_2$ and $q_3$, characterize the cross-terms in the Lagrangian, between the Maxwell field and terms linear in the Ricci scalar, Ricci tensor, and Riemann tensor, respectively. Static spherically symmetric equations are set up, and the three parameters are interrelated and chosen so that effectively the system reduces to a one parameter only, $q$. Specific black hole and other type of one-parameter solutions are studied. First, as a preparation, the Reissner-Nordstr\"om solution, with $q_1=q_2=q_3=0$, is displayed. Then, we seek for solutions in which the electric field is regular everywhere as well as asymptotically Coulombian, and the metric potentials are regular at the center as well as asymptotically flat. In this context, the one-parameter model with $q_1\equiv -q$, $q_2=2q$, $q_3=-q$, called the Gauss-Bonnet model, is analyzed in detail. The study is done through the solution of the Abel equation (the key equation), and the dynamical system associated with the model. There is extra focus on an exact solution of the model and its critical properties. Finally, an exactly integrable one-parameter model, the integrable model, with $q_1\equiv -q$, $q_2=q$, $q_3=0$, is considered also in detail. A special sub-model which obeys a Fibonacci equation of this one-parameter model is shown, and the corresponding exact solution is presented. Interestingly enough, it is a soliton of the theory, the Fibonacci soliton, without horizons and with a mild conical singularity at the center.
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We study galaxies that host both nuclear star clusters and active galactic nuclei (AGN) implying the presence of a massive black hole. We select a sample of 176 galaxies with previously detected nuclear star clusters that range from ellipticals to late-type spirals. We search for AGN in this sample using optical spectroscopy and archival radio and X-ray data. We find galaxies of all Hubble types and with a wide range of masses (10^9-11 solar masses) hosting both AGN and nuclear star clusters. From the optical spectra, we classify 10% of the galaxies as AGN and an additional 15% as composite, indicating a mix of AGN and star-formation spectra. The fraction of nucleated galaxies with AGN increases strongly as a function of galaxy and nuclear star cluster mass. For galaxies with both a NC and a black hole, we find that the masses of these two objects are quite similar. However, non-detections of black holes in Local Group nuclear star clusters show that not all clusters host black holes of similar masses. We discuss the implications of our results for the formation of nuclear star clusters and massive black holes.
We compare the stellar wind torque calculated in a previous work (0801.0436) to the spin-up and spin-down torques expected to arise from the magnetic interaction between a slowly rotating ($\sim 10$% of breakup) pre-main-sequence star and its accretion disk. This analysis demonstrates that stellar winds carry off $\sim 2$ orders of magnitude more angular momentum than can be transferred to the disk, provided that the mass outflow rates are greater than the solar wind. Thus, the equilibrium spin state is simply characterized by a balance between the angular momentum deposited by accretion and that extracted by a stellar wind. We derive a semi-analytic formula for predicting the equilibrium spin rate as a function only of the ratio of $\dot M_{\rm w} / \dot M_{\rm a}$ and a dimensionless magnetization parameter, $\Psi \equiv B_*^2 R_*^2 (\dot M_{\rm a} v_{\rm esc})^{-1}$, where $\dot M_{\rm w}$ is the stellar wind mass outflow rate, $\dot M_{\rm a}$ the accretion rate, $B_*$ the stellar surface magnetic field strength, $R_*$ the stellar radius, and $v_{\rm esc}$ the surface escape speed. For parameters typical of accreting pre-main-sequence stars, this explains spin rates of $\sim 10$% of breakup speed for $\dot M_{\rm w} / \dot M_{\rm a} \sim 0.1$. Finally, the assumption that the stellar wind is driven by a fraction of the accretion power leads to an upper limit to the mass flow ratio of $\dot M_{\rm w} / \dot M_{\rm a} \la 0.6$.
The classical radiometer equation is commonly used to calculate the detectability of the 21cm emission by diffuse cosmic hydrogen at high redshifts. However, the classical description is only valid in the regime where the occupation number of the photons in phase space is much larger than unity and they collectively behave as a classical electromagnetic field. At redshifts z<20, the spin temperature of the intergalactic gas is dictated by the radiation from galaxies and the brightness temperature of the emitting gas is in the range of mK, independently from the existence of the cosmic microwave background. In regions where the observed brightness temperature of the 21cm signal is smaller than the observed photon energy, of 68/(1+z) mK, the occupation number of the signal photons is smaller than unity. Neverethless, the radiometer equation can still be used in this regime because the weak signal is accompanied by a flood of foreground photons with a high occupation number (involving the synchrotron Galactic emission and the cosmic microwave background). As the signal photons are not individually distinguishable, the combined signal+foreground population of photons has a high occupation number, thus justifying the use of the radiometer equation.
Massive stars are very rare, but their extreme luminosities make them both the only type of young star we can observe in distant galaxies and the dominant energy sources in the universe today. They form rarely because efficient radiative cooling keeps most star-forming gas clouds close to isothermal as they collapse, and this favors fragmentation into stars <~1 Msun. Heating of a cloud by accreting low-mass stars within it can prevent fragmentation and allow formation of massive stars, but what properties a cloud must have to form massive stars, and thus where massive stars form in a galaxy, has not yet been determined. Here we show that only clouds with column densities >~ 1 g cm^-2 can avoid fragmentation and form massive stars. This threshold, and the environmental variation of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) that it implies, naturally explain the characteristic column densities of massive star clusters and the difference between the radial profiles of Halpha and UV emission in galactic disks. The existence of a threshold also implies that there should be detectable variations in the IMF with environment within the Galaxy and in the characteristic column densities of massive star clusters between galaxies, and that star formation rates in some galactic environments may have been systematically underestimated.
We present equivalent width measurements and limits of six diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) in seven damped Ly-alpha absorbers (DLAs) over the redshift range 0.091<z<0.524, sampling 20.3<log[N(HI)]<21.7. DIBs were detected in only one of the seven DLAs, that which has the highest reddening and metallicity. Based upon the Galactic DIB-N(HI) relation, the 6284 DIB equivalent width upper limits in four of the seven DLAs are a factor of 4-10 times below the 6284 DIB equivalent widths observed in the Milky Way, but are not inconsistent with those present in the Magellanic Clouds. Assuming the Galactic DIB-E(B-V) relation, we determine reddening upper limits for the DLAs in our sample. Based upon the E(B-V) limits, the gas-to-dust ratios, N(HI)/E(B-V), of the four aforementioned DLAs are at least 10 times higher than that of the Milky Way ISM. The ratios of two DLAs are at least a factor of a few times higher. The best constraints on reddening derive from the upper limits for the 5780 and 6284 DIBs, which yield E(B-V)<0.08 for four of the seven DLAs. Our results suggest that, in DLAs, quantities related to dust, such as reddening and metallicity, appear to have a greater impact on DIB strengths than does HI gas abundance; the organic molecules likely responsible for DIBs in DLA selected sightlines are underabundant relative to sightlines in the Galaxy of similarly high N(HI). With regards to the study of astrobiology, this could have implications for the abundance of organic molecules in redshifted galaxies. However, since DLAs are observed to have low reddening, selection bias likely plays a role in the apparent underabundance of DIBs in DLAs.
We describe a web-based cgi calculator for constructing synthetic color-magnitude diagrams for a simple stellar population (SSP) using the Yonsei-Yale (YY) isochrone data base. This calculator is designed to be used interactively. It creates quick look CMD displays in (B-V) and (V-I) colors. Stochastic effects on the CMDs are included. Output in tabular form is also provided for special purpose displays, or for combining the CMDs of different stellar populations. This research tool has applications in studies of the stellar content of our Galaxy and external systems. It provides an easy way to interpret the CMDs in resolved stellar populations. It offers the means to explore the dependence of the integrated properties of unresolved stellar systems on stellar parameters (ages, chemical composition, binarity) and on the characteristics of their parent population (IMF slope and mass range).
We examine the infrared properties of 43 high redshift (0.1<z<1.2), infrared-luminous galaxies in the Extended Groth Strip (EGS), selected by a deep 70 micron survey with the Multiband Imaging Photometer on Spitzer (MIPS). In addition and with reference to starburst-type Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs), we derive a set of equations for estimating the total infrared luminosity (L_IR) in the range 8-1000 microns using photometry from at least one MIPS band. 42 out of 43 of our sources' optical/infrared SEDs (lambda_observed < 160 microns) are starburst-type, with only one object displaying a prominent power-law near-infrared continuum. For a quantitative analysis, models of radiation transfer in dusty media are fit onto the infrared photometry, revealing that the majority of galaxies are represented by high extinction, A_v>35 and for a large fraction (~50 per cent) the SED turns over into the Rayleigh-Jeans regime at wavelengths longward of 90 microns. For comparison, we also fit semi-empirical templates based on local galaxy data, however, these underestimate the far-infrared SED shape by a factor of at least 2 and in extreme cases up to 10 for the majority (~70 per cent) of the sources. Further investigation of SED characteristics reveals that the mid-infrared (70/24 microns) continuum slope is decoupled from various galaxy properties such as the total infrared luminosity and far-infrared peak, quantified by the L_160/L_70 ratio. In view of these results, we propose that these high-redshift galaxies have different properties to their local counterparts, in the sense that large amounts of dust cause heavy obscuration and are responsible for an additional cold emissive component, appearing as a far-infrared excess in their SEDs.
The origin of the observed variability of the gas-phase D/H ratio in the local interstellar medium is still debated, and in particular the role of deuterium depletion onto dust grains. Here we extend the study of the relationship between deuterium and titanium, a refractory species and tracer of elemental depletion, and explore other relationships. We have acquired high resolution spectra for nine early-type stars using the VLT/UVES spectrograph, and detected the absorption lines of interstellar TiII. Using a weighted orthogonal distance regression (ODR) code and a special method to treat non symmetric errors, we compare the TiII columns with the corresponding HI, DI and also OI columns. We perform in parallel the same comparisons for available FeII data. We find a significant correlation between TiII/HI and D/H in our data set, and, when combined with published results, we confirm and better constrain a previously published trend and extend it to low HI columns. We exclude uncertainties in HI and OI columns as the main contributor to the derived metals-deuterium correlations by showing that the TiII/HI ratio is positively correlated with DI/OI. We find a similar correlation between FeII/HI and DI/OI.The TiII gradients are similar or slightly smaller than for FeII, while one would expect larger variations on the basis of the higher condensation temperature of titanium. However we argue that ionisation effects introduce biases that affect iron and not titanium and may explain the gradient similarity. We find a less significant negative correlation between the TiII/DI ratio and the hydrogen column, possibly a sign of different evaporation of D and metals according to the cloud properties.
The present scenario for high-luminosity long gamma-ray bursts is strongly influenced by the paper of Fruchter et al. (2006). Whereas the main contention of this paper that these GRBs occur in low-metallicity irregular galaxies is based on a considerable collection of observational results and although the main thesis is doubtless correct, the paper does not explain the dynamics that produces such GRBs and much of the discussion not directly concerning the main thesis is wrong. We propose a dynamics and elucidate how the Fruchter et al. (2006) results may be tested, in our neighborhood in the LMC, suggesting that LMC X-3 is a relic of a high luminosity explosion, probably accompanied by a GRB and hypernova explosion. The way to test our suggestion is to measure the system velocity of the present black hole. We correct errors of the Fruchter et al. paper in stellar evolution, so that the study of GRBs is consistent with it. We show that the subluminous GRB 060218 had a low-mass black hole as central engine.
We develop an unconditionally stable numerical method for solving the coupling between two fluids (frictional forces/heatings, ionization, and recombination), and investigate the dynamical condensation process of thermally unstable gas that is provided by the shock waves in a weakly ionized and magnetized interstellar medium by using two-dimensional two-fluid magnetohydrodynamical simulations. If we neglect the effect of magnetic field, it is known that condensation driven by thermal instability can generate high density clouds whose physical condition corresponds to molecular clouds (precursor of molecular clouds). In this paper, we study the effect of magnetic field on the evolution of supersonic converging HI flows and focus on the case that the orientation of magnetic field and converging flows are orthogonal. We show that magnetic pressure gradient parallel to the flows prevents formation of high density and high column density clouds, but instead generate fragmented, filamentary HI clouds. With this restricted geometry, magnetic field drastically diminishes the opportunity of fast molecular cloud formation compared to the case without magnetic field.
There is ${}^3P_2$ neutron superfluid region in NS (neutron star) interior. For a rotating NS, the ${}^3P_2$ superfluid region is like a system of rotating magnetic dipoles. It will give out electromagnetic radiation, which may provides a new heating mechanism of NSs. This heating mechanism plus some cooling agent may give sound explanation to NS glitches.
I discuss the status of the Soft X-ray Transient model. First, I discuss and then compare with observations the assumption that the geometrically thin disc evaporates into an ADAF. Second, I address the problems created by the recent determinations of the distance to SS Cyg, according to which the Disc Instability Model does not apply to this famous dwarf-nova, thus casting doubt on the application of this model to any system at all.
During the last two decades, the focus of star formation research has shifted from understanding the collapse of a single dense core into a star to studying the formation hundreds to thousands of stars in molecular clouds. In this chapter, we overview recent observational and theoretical progress toward understanding star formation on the scale of molecular clouds and complexes, i.e the macrophysics of star formation. We begin with an overview of recent surveys of young stellar objects (YSOs) in molecular clouds and embedded clusters, and we outline an emerging picture of cluster formation. We then discuss the role of turbulence to both support clouds and create dense, gravitationally unstable structures, with an emphasis on the role of magnetic fields (in the case of distributed stars) and feedback (in the case of clusters) to slow turbulent decay and mediate the rate and density of star formation. The discussion is followed by an overview of how gravity and turbulence may produce observed scaling laws for the properties of molecular clouds, stars and star clusters, and how the observed, low star formation rate may result from self regulated star formation. We end with some concluding remarks, including a number of questions to be addressed by future observations and simulations.
Our goal is to demonstrate the potential of the interferometric AMBER instrument linked with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) fringe-tracking facility FINITO to derive high-precision stellar diameters. We use commissioning data obtained on the bright single star V3879 Sgr. Locking the interferometric fringes with FINITO allows us to record very low contrast fringes on the AMBER camera. By fitting the amplitude of these fringes, we measure the diameter of the target in three directions simultaneously with an accuracy of 25 micro-arcseconds. We showed that V3879 Sgr has a round photosphere down to a sub-percent level. We quickly reached this level of accuracy because the technique used is independent from absolute calibration (at least for baselines that fully span the visibility null). We briefly discuss the potential biases found at this level of precision. The proposed AMBER+FINITO instrumental setup opens several perspectives for the VLTI in the field of stellar astrophysics, like measuring with high accuracy the oblateness of fast rotating stars or detecting atmospheric starspots.
The chemistry of molecular clouds has been studied for decades, with an increasingly general and sophisticated treatment of the reactions involved. Yet the treatment of turbulent diffusion has remained extremely sketchy, assuming simple Fickian diffusion with a scalar diffusivity D. However, turbulent flows similar to those in the interstellar medium are known to give rise to anomalous diffusion phenomena, more specifically superdiffusion (increase of the diffusivity with the spatial scales involved). This paper considers to what extent and in what sense superdiffusion modifies molecular abundances in interstellar clouds. For this first exploration of the subject we employ a very rough treatment of the chemistry and the effect of non-unifom cloud density on the diffusion equation is also treated in a simplified way. The results nevertheless clearly demonstrate that the effect of superdiffusion is quite significant, abundance values at a given radius being modified by order of unity factors. The sense and character of this influence is highly nontrivial.
In this paper, we present a correlation between the spectral index distribution (SED) and the dimensionless accretion rate defined as $\dot{m}={L_{bol}/L_{Edd}}$ for AGN. This quantity is used as a substitute of the physical accretion rate. We select 193 AGN with both broad H$\alpha$ and broad H$\beta$, and with absorption lines near MgI$\lambda5175\AA$ from SDSS DR4. We determine the spectral index and dimensionless accretion rate after correcting for both host galaxy contribution and internal reddening effects. A correlation is found between the optical spectral index and the dimensionless accretion rate for AGN, including low luminosity AGN ($L_{H\alpha}<10^{41}{\rm erg\cdot s^{-1}}$ sometimes called "dwarf AGN" (Ho et al. 1997)). The existence of this correlation provides an independent method to estimate the central BH masses for all types of AGN. We also find that there is a different correlation between the spectral index and the BH masses for normal AGN and low luminosity AGN, which is perhaps due to the different accretion modes in these two types of nuclei. This in turn may lead to the different correlations between BH masses and optical continuum luminosity reported previously (Zhang et al. 2007a), which invalidates the application of the empirical relationship found by Kaspi et al. (2000, 2005) to low luminosity AGN in order to determine their BLR sizes.
We present Doppler imaging and Balmer line analysis of the weak-line T Tauri
star TWA 6. Using this data we have made one of the first attempts to measure
differential rotation in a T Tauri star, and the first detection of a slingshot
prominence in such a star. We also show the most direct evidence to date of the
existence of solar-type plages in a star other than the Sun.
Observations were made over six nights: 11-13th February 2006 and 18-20th
February 2006, when spectra were taken with the UCL Echelle Spectrograph on the
3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope. Using least-squares deconvolution to improve
the effective signal--to--noise ratio we produced two Doppler maps. These show
similar features to maps of other rapidly rotating T Tauri stars, i.e. a polar
spot with more spots extending out of it down to equator. Comparison of the two
maps was carried out to measure the differential rotation. Cross-correlation
and parameter fitting indicates that TWA 6 does not have detectable
differential rotation.
The Balmer emission of the star was studied. The mean H-alpha profile has a
narrow component consistent with rotational broadening and a broad component
extending out to 250km/s. The variability in H-alpha suggests that the
chromosphere has active regions that are cospatial with the spots in the
photosphere, similar to the 'plages' observed on the Sun. In addition the star
has at least one slingshot prominence 3 stellar radii above the surface - the
first such detection in a T Tauri star.
Galactic foreground emission is a limiting factor for precise cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy measurements. We perform an angular power spectrum analysis (APS) of all-sky total intensity maps at 408 MHz and 1420 MHz, which are dominated by synchrotron emission out of the Galactic plane. We subtract the brighter sources from the maps. We study the APS as a function of Galactic latitude by considering various cuts and as a function of sky position by dividing the sky into patches of about 15 deg x 15 deg in size. The APS of the Galactic radio diffuse synchrotron emission is best fitted by a power law, $C_{\ell} \sim k \ell^{\alpha}$, with $\alpha \in [-3.0,-2.6]$, where the lower values of $\alpha$ typically correspond to the higher latitudes. Nevertheless, the analysis of the patches reveals that strong local variations exist. The mean APS for $\ell \in [20,40]$ is used to determine the mean spectral index between 408 MHz and 1420 MHz, which is then adopted to extrapolate the synchrotron APS results to the microwave range. A simple extrapolation to 23 GHz of the synchrotron emission APS found at 408 and 1420 MHz does not explain all the power in the WMAP synchrotron component even at middle/high Galactic latitudes. This suggests a significant microwave contribution (of about 50% of the signal) by other components such as free-free or spinning dust emission. The comparison between the extrapolated synchrotron APS and the CMB APS shows that a mask excluding the regions with $|b_{gal}| \lesssim 5^{\circ}$ would reduce the foreground fluctuations to about half of the cosmological ones at 70 GHz even at the lowest multipoles. We discuss the main implications of our analysis for the cosmological exploitation of microwave temperature anisotropy maps.
Analytical properties of a flat universe with cold matter and vacuum energy is presented.
Microwave background temperature and polarization observations are a powerful way to constrain cosmological parameters if the likelihood function can be calculated accurately. The temperature and polarization fields are correlated, partial sky coverage correlates power spectrum estimators at different ell, and the likelihood function for a theory spectrum given a set of observed estimators is non-Gaussian. An accurate analysis must model all these properties. Most existing likelihood approximations are good enough for a temperature-only analysis, however they cannot reliably handle a temperature-polarization correlations. We give a new general approximation applicable for correlated Gaussian fields observed on part of the sky. The approximation models the non-Gaussian form exactly in the ideal full-sky limit and is fast to evaluate using a pre-computed covariance matrix and set of power spectrum estimators. We show with simulations that it is good enough to obtain correct results at ell >~ 30 where an exact calculation becomes impossible. We also show that some Gaussian approximations give reliable parameter constraints even though they do not capture the shape of the likelihood function at each ell accurately. Finally we test the approximations on simulations with realistically anisotropic noise and asymmetric foreground mask.
I discuss the relationship between mass loss and nucleosynthesis on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB). Because of thermal pulses and possibly other mixing processes, products of nucleosynthesis can be brought to the surface of AGB stars, increasingly so as the star becomes more luminous, cooler, and unstable against pulsation of its tenuous mantle. As a result, mass loss is at its most extreme when dredge-up is too. As the high rate of mass loss truncates AGB evolution, it determines the enrichment of interstellar space with the AGB nucleosynthesis products. The changing composition of the stellar atmosphere also affects the mass-loss process, most obviously in the formation of dust grains - which play an important role in driving the wind of AGB stars.
The rapidly oscillating Ap stars are of importance for studying the atmospheric structure of stars where the process of chemical element diffusion is significant. We have performed a survey for rapid oscillations in a sample of 9 luminous Ap stars, selected from their location in the colour-magnitude diagram as more evolved main-sequence Ap stars that are inside the instability strip for rapidly oscillating Ap (roAp) stars. Until recently this region was devoid of stars with observed rapid pulsations. We used the VLT UV-Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) to obtain high time resolution spectroscopy to make the first systematic spectroscopic search for rapid oscillations in this region of the roAp instability strip. We report 9 null-detections with upper limits for radial-velocity amplitudes of 20 - 65 m/s and precisions of 7 - 20 m/s for combinations of Nd and Pr lines. Cross-correlations confirm these null-results. At least six stars are magnetic and we provide magnetic field measurements for four of them, of which three are newly discovered magnetic stars. It is found that four stars have magnetic fields smaller than ~ 2 kG, which according to theoretical predictions might be insufficient for suppressing envelope convection around the magnetic poles for more evolved Ap stars. Suppression of convection is expected to be essential for the opacity mechanism acting in the hydrogen ionisation zone to drive the high-overtone roAp pulsations efficiently. Our null-results suggest that the more evolved roAp stars may require particularly strong magnetic fields to pulsate. Three of the studied stars do, however, have magnetic fields stronger than 5 kG.
The TRACER instrument (``Transition Radiation Array for Cosmic Energetic Radiation'') has been developed for direct measurements of the heavier primary cosmic-ray nuclei at high energies. The instrument had a successful long-duration balloon flight in Antarctica in 2003. The detector system and measurement process are described, details of the data analysis are discussed, and the individual energy spectra of the elements O, Ne, Mg, Si, S, Ar, Ca, and Fe (nuclear charge Z=8 to 26) are presented. The large geometric factor of TRACER and the use of a transition radiation detector make it possible to determine the spectra up to energies in excess of 10$^{14}$ eV per particle. A power-law fit to the individual energy spectra above 20 GeV per amu exhibits nearly the same spectral index ($\sim$ 2.65 $\pm$ 0.05) for all elements, without noticeable dependence on the elemental charge Z.
Exceptional sensitivity to spacetime torsion can be achieved by searching for its couplings to fermions. Recent experimental searches for Lorentz violation are exploited to extract new constraints involving 19 of the 24 independent torsion components down to levels of order 10^{-31} GeV.
We study baryon number violating nucleon decays induced by unparticle interactions with the standard model particles. We find that the lowest dimension operators which cause nucleon decays can arise at dimension 6 + (d_s-3/2) with the unparticles being a spinor of dimension d_s=d_\U +1/2. For scalar and vector unparticles of dimension d_\U, the lowest order operatoers arise at 6+d_\U and 7+d_\U dimensions,respectively. Comparing the spinor unparticle induced n \to O^s_\U and experimental bound on invisible decay of a neutron from KamLAND, we find that the scale for unparticle physics is required to be larger than 10^{10} GeV for d_\U < 2 if the couplings are set to be of order one. For scalar and vector unparticles, the dominant baryon number violating decay modes are n\to \bar \nu + O_\U (O^\mu_\U) and p \to e^+ + O_\U (O^\mu_\U). The same experimental bound puts the scales for scalar and vector unparticle to be larger than 10^{7} and 10^{5} GeV for d_\U <2 with couplings set to be of order one. Data on, p \to e^+ invisible, puts similar constraints on unparticle interactions.
We study the Friedmann equation for the warped codimension-two braneworld background which most closely resembles the Randall-Sundrum model. Extra matter on the (Planck) 4-brane, with equation of state p_\theta=(\alpha-1)\rho for the azimuthal pressure, is required to satisfy the junction conditions. For 1 < \alpha < 5, we show that there are two static solutions to the Einstein equations for given values of the brane stress-energies. Close to the static solutions, the relation between Hubble expansion rate H and brane tension reproduces the standard 4D result for small H, but exhibits unusual deviations when H is of order the AdS curvature scale. The two static branches for 1 <\alpha < 5 are shown to come together smoothly at a maximum value of H; however the radion is shown to be unstable in the branch with higher H. This remains true even with a mechanism for stabilization of the radion, i.e., the Goldberger-Wise (GW) mechanism, since large enough H overcomes the force of stabilization. Even in the unstabilized case, cosmological constraints on the time and spatial variation of Newton's constant are typically satisfied; only fifth force constraints require the stabilization. For \alpha > 5 the model is intrinsically stable, without the need for a GW field, and in this case we show that inflationary predictions can be modified by the nonstandard Friedmann equation; in particular it is possible to get an upper limit on the spectral index, large deviations from the consistency condition between the tensor spectrum and ratio r, and large running of the spectral index even though the slow roll parameters remain small.
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