Context. The Gaia project will determine positions, proper motions, and
parallaxes for more than one billion stars in our Galaxy. It is known that
Gaia's two telescopes are affected by a small but significant variation of the
basic angle between them. Unless this variation is taken into account during
data processing, e.g. using on-board metrology, it causes systematic errors in
the astrometric parameters, in particular a shift of the parallax zero-point.
Previously, we suggested an early reduction of Gaia data for the subset of
Tycho-2 stars (Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution; TGAS).
Aims. We aim to investigate whether quasars can be used to independently
verify the parallax zero-point already in early data reductions. This is not
trivially possible as the observation interval is too short to disentangle
parallax and proper motion for the quasar subset.
Methods. We repeat TGAS simulations but additionally include simulated Gaia
observations of quasars from ground-based surveys. All observations are
simulated with basic angle variations. To obtain a full astrometric solution
for the quasars in TGAS we explore the use of prior information for their
proper motions.
Results. It is possible to determine the parallax zero-point for the quasars
with a few {\mu}as uncertainty, and it agrees to a similar precision with the
zero-point for the Tycho-2 stars. The proposed strategy is robust even for
quasars exhibiting significant fictitious proper motion due to a variable
source structure, or when the quasar subset is contaminated with stars
misidentified as quasars.
Conclusions. Using prior information about quasar proper motions we could
provide an independent verification of the parallax zero-point in early
solutions based on less than one year of Gaia data.
Radio relics are synchrotron emission found on the periphery of galaxy clusters. From the position and the morphology, it is often believed that the relics are generated by cosmic ray (CR) electrons accelerated at shocks through diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) mechanism. However, some radio relics have harder spectra than the prediction of the standard DSA model. One example is observed in the cluster 1RXS J0603.3+4214, which is often called the ``toothbrush cluster''. Interestingly, the position of the relic is shifted from that of a possible shock. In this study, we show that these discrepancies in the spectrum and the position can be solved if turbulent (re)acceleration is very effective behind the shock. This means that for some relics turbulent reacceleration may be the main mechanism to produce high energy electrons, contrary to the common belief that it is the DSA. Moreover, we show that for efficient reacceleration, the effective mean free path of the electrons has to be much smaller than their Coulomb mean free path. We also study the merging cluster 1E 0657-56 or the ``bullet cluster'', in which a radio relic has not been found at the position of the prominent shock ahead of the bullet. We indicate that a possible relic at the shock is obscured by the observed large radio halo that is generated by strong turbulence behind the shock. We propose a simple explanation on the morphological differences of radio emission among the toothbrush, the bullet, and the sausage (CIZA J2242.8+5301) clusters.
We study the physical properties of a homogeneous sample of 157 optically-thick absorption line systems at redshifts ~1.8-4.4, selected from a high-dispersion spectroscopic survey of Lyman limit systems (LLSs). By means of multiple ionisation models and Bayesian techniques, we derive the posterior probability distribution functions for the density, metallicity, temperature, and dust content of the absorbing gas. We find that z>2 LLSs are highly ionised with ionisation parameters between -3<log U<-2, depending on the HI column density. LLSs are characterised by low temperatures (T<5x10^4 K) and reside in dust-poor environments. Between z~2.5-3.5, ~80% of the LLSs have physical densities between n(H)~10^-3.5-10^-2 cm^-3 for the assumed UV background, but we caution that a degeneracy between the ionisation parameter and the intensity of the radiation field prevents robust inference on the density and sizes of LLSs. Conversely, metallicity estimates are less sensitive to the assumptions behind ionisation corrections. LLSs at z>2 are characterised by a broad unimodal distribution over >4 orders of magnitude, with a peak at log Z/Zsun~-2. LLSs are metal poor, significantly less enriched than DLAs, with ~70% of the metallicity PDF below log Z/Zsun<-1.5. The median metallicity of super LLSs with log N(HI)>19 rapidly evolves with redshift, with a ten-fold increase between z~2.1-3.6 (~1.5 Gyr). Based on this sample, we find that LLSs at z=2.5-3.5 account for ~15% of all the metals produced by UV-selected galaxies. The implications for theories of cold gas accretion and metal ejection from galaxies are also discussed.
Using data from four deep fields (COSMOS, AEGIS, ECDFS, and CDFN), we study the correlation between the position of galaxies in the star formation rate (SFR) versus stellar mass plane and local environment at $z<1.1$. To accurately estimate the galaxy SFR, we use the deepest available Spitzer/MIPS 24 and Herschel/PACS datasets. We distinguish group environments ( $M_{halo}\sim$10$^{12.5-14.2}$$M_{\odot}$) based on the available deep X-ray data and lower halo mass environments based on the local galaxy density. We confirm that the Main Sequence (MS) of star forming galaxies is not a linear relation and there is a flattening towards higher stellar masses ( $M_*>10^{10.4-10.6}$ $M_{\odot}$), across all environments. At high redshift ( $0.5<z<1.1$ ), the MS varies little with environment. At low redshift ( $0.15<z<0.5$ ), group galaxies tend to deviate from the mean MS towards the region of quiescence with respect to isolated galaxies and less-dense environments. We find that the flattening of the MS toward low SFR is due to an increased fraction of bulge dominated galaxies at high masses. Instead, the deviation of group galaxies from the MS at low redshift is caused by a large fraction of red disk dominated galaxies which are not present in the lower density environments. Our results suggest that above a mass threshold ( $\sim10^{10.4}-10^{10.6}$$M_{\odot}$ ) stellar mass, morphology and environment act together in driving the evolution of the SF activity towards lower level. The presence of a dominating bulge and the associated quenching processes are already in place beyond $z\sim$1. The environmental effects appear, instead, at lower redshifts and have a long time-scale.
Several planet-search groups have acquired a great deal of data in the form of time-series spectra of several hundred nearby stars with time baselines of over a decade. While binary star detections are generally not the goal of these long-term monitoring efforts, the binary stars hiding in existing planet search data are precisely the type that are too close to the primary star to detect with imaging or interferometry techniques. We use a cross-correlation analysis to detect the spectral lines of a new low-mass companion to $\psi^1$ Draconis A, which has a known roughly equal-mass companion at ${\sim}680$ AU. We measure the mass of $\psi^1$ Draconis C as $M_2 = 0.70 \pm 0.07 M_{\odot}$, with an orbital period of ${\sim}20$ years. This technique could be used to characterize binary companions to many stars that show large-amplitude modulation or linear trends in radial velocity data.
We present optical observations of supernova SN 2014C, which underwent an unprecedented slow metamorphosis from H-poor type Ib to H-rich type IIn over the course of one year. The observed spectroscopic evolution is consistent with the supernova having exploded in a cavity before encountering a massive shell of the progenitor star's stripped hydrogen envelope. Possible origins for the circumstellar shell include a brief Wolf-Rayet fast wind phase that overtook a slower red supergiant wind, eruptive ejection, or confinement of circumstellar material by external influences of neighboring stars. An extended high velocity Halpha absorption feature seen in near-maximum light spectra implies that the progenitor star was not completely stripped of hydrogen at the time of core collapse. Archival pre-explosion Subaru Telescope Suprime-Cam and Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 images of the region obtained in 2009 show a coincident source that is most likely a compact massive star cluster in NGC 7331 that hosted the progenitor system. By comparing the emission properties of the source with stellar population models that incorporate interacting binary stars we estimate the age of the host cluster to be 30 - 300 Myr, and favor ages closer to 30 Myr in light of relatively strong Halpha emission. SN 2014C is the best-observed member of a class of core-collapse supernovae that fill the gap between events that interact strongly with dense, nearby environments immediately after explosion and those that never show signs of interaction. Better understanding of the frequency and nature of this intermediate population can contribute valuable information about the poorly understood final stages of stellar evolution.
The window function for the Lagrangian halos is often assumed to be a top hat function. We measure the profile of the Lagrangian halo directly and find that it is more extended than a top hat but less diffuse than a Gaussian. We find that the Lagrangian profile can be described well by an effective window composed of a product of a top hat and a Gaussian window in Fourier space. We also check that the same effective window function together with the scale-dependent excursion set bias parameters fits the Lagrangian cross bias parameter in Fourier space well up to $ k R_{Lag} \sim 10 $, where $R_{Lag}$ is the Lagrangian size of the halo. The effective window is simple in Fourier space, and there is also an analytic form in real space, thus there is little work in converting from the usual top hat window to the effective window. With the effective window function, all the spectral moments of the power spectrum are finite, thus we have a unified treatment for computing the spectral moments in peak and excursion set peak theories. When the effective window function is used, the resultant excursion set peak mass function is significantly lower compared to that obtained from the mixed window function approach, and hence this causes the excursion set peak mass function to be appreciably lower than the simulation results for halos of mass $\lesssim 10^{14} M_{\odot}/h $. We can interpret this deficit as that only part of the low to medium mass halos can arise from peaks.
We present the results of a study which uses spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to investigate the evolution of the equivalent width (EW) of the Halpha emission line in star-forming galaxies over the redshift interval 1<z<5. After first demonstrating the ability of our SED-fitting technique to recover EW(Ha) using a sample of galaxies at z~1.3 with EW(Ha) measurements from 3D-HST grism spectroscopy, we proceed to apply our technique to samples of spectroscopically confirmed and photometric-redshift selected star-forming galaxies at z>=1 in the CANDELS UDS and GOODS-S fields. Confining our analysis to a constant stellar mass range (9.5<log(M/Msun)<10.5), we find that the median EW(Ha) evolves only modestly with redshift, reaching a rest-frame value of EW(Ha)=301+/-30 Angs by redshift z~4.5. Furthermore, using estimates of star-formation rate (SFR) based on both UV luminosity and Ha line flux, we use our galaxy samples to compare the evolution of EW(Ha) and specific star-formation rate (sSFR). Our results indicate that over the redshift range 1<z<5, the evolution displayed by EW(Ha) and sSFR is consistent, and can be adequately parameterized as: propto (1+z)^(1.0+/-0.2). As a consequence, over this redshift range we find that the sSFR and rest-frame EW(Ha) of star-forming galaxies with stellar masses M~10^(10) Msun are related by: EW(Ha)/Ang=(63+/-7)sSFR/Gyr^(-1). Given the current uncertainties in measuring the SFRs of high-redshift galaxies, we conclude that EW(Ha) provides a useful independent tracer of sSFR for star-forming galaxies out to redshifts of z=5.
Our knowledge of main-belt comets (MBCs), which exhibit comet-like activity likely due to the sublimation of volatile ices, yet orbit in the main asteroid belt, has increased greatly since the discovery of the first known MBC, 133P/Elst-Pizarro, in 1996, and their recognition as a new class of solar system objects after the discovery of two more MBCs in 2005. I review work that has been done over the last 10 years to improve our understanding of these enigmatic objects, including the development of systematic discovery methods and diagnostics for distinguishing MBCs from disrupted asteroids (which exhibit comet-like activity due to physical disruptions such as impacts or rotational destabilization). I also discuss efforts to understand the dynamical and thermal properties of these objects.
A nebular analysis of the central Orion Nebula and its main structures is presented. We exploit MUSE integral field observations in the wavelength range 4595-9366 \r{A} to produce the first O, S and N ionic and total abundance maps of a region spanning 6' x 5' with a spatial resolution of 0.2". We use the S$_{23}$ ( = ([SII]$\lambda$6717,31+[SIII]$\lambda$9068)/H$\beta$) parameter, together with [OII]/[OIII] as an indicator of the degree of ionisation, to distinguish between the various small-scale structures. The only Orion Bullet covered by MUSE is HH 201, which shows a double component in the [FeII]$\lambda$8617 line throughout indicating an expansion, and we discuss a scenario in which this object is undergoing a disruptive event. We separate the proplyds located south of the Bright Bar into four categories depending on their S$_{23}$ values, propose the utility of the S$_{23}$ parameter as an indicator of the shock-contribution to the excitation of line-emitting atoms, and show that the MUSE data is able to identify the proplyds associated with disks and microjets. We compute the second order structure function for the H$\alpha$, [OIII]$\lambda$5007, [SII]$\lambda$6731 and [OI]$\lambda$6300 emission lines to analyse the turbulent velocity field of the region covered with MUSE. We find that the spectral and spatial resolution of MUSE is not able to faithfully reproduce the structure functions of previous works.
We present simultaneous XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations spanning 3-78 keV of the nearest radio galaxy, Centaurus A (Cen A), performed during a very high flux state. The accretion geometry around the central engine in Cen A is still debated, and we investigate possible configurations using detailed X-ray spectral modeling. NuSTAR imaged the central region of Cen A with subarcminute resolution at X-ray energies above 10 keV for the first time, but finds no evidence for an extended source or other off-nuclear point-sources. The XMM-Newton and NuSTAR spectra agree well and can be described with an absorbed power-law with a photon index {\Gamma} = 1.815 +/- 0.005 and a fluorescent Fe K{\alpha} line in good agreement with literature values. The spectrum does not require a high-energy exponential rollover, with a constraint of E_fold > 1MeV. A thermal Comptonization continuum describes the data well, with parameters that agree with values measured by INTEGRAL, in particular an electron temperature of kT_e ~ 220 keV, assuming a 10 eV seed photon input temperature. We do not find evidence for reflection or a broad iron line and put stringent upper limits of R < 0.01 on the reflection fraction and accretion disk illumination. We use archival Chandra data to estimate the contribution from diffuse emission, extra-nuclear point-sources, and the X-ray jet to the observed NuSTAR and XMM-Newton X-ray spectra and find the contribution to be negligible. We discuss different scenarios for the physical origin of the observed X-ray spectrum, and conclude that the inner disk is replaced by an advection-dominated accretion flow or that the hard X-rays are dominated by synchrotron self-Compton emission from the inner regions of the radio jet or a combination thereof.
The study of active asteroids has attracted a great deal of interest in recent years since the recognition of main-belt comets (which orbit in the main asteroid belt, but exhibit comet-like activity due to the sublimation of volatile ices) as a new class of comets in 2006, and the discovery of the first disrupted asteroids (which, unlike MBCs, exhibit comet-like activity due to a physical disruption such as an impact or rotational destabilization, not sublimation) in 2010. In this paper, I will briefly discuss key areas of interest in the study of active asteroids.
We test the assumption of hydrostatic equilibrium in an X-ray luminosity selected sample of 50 galaxy clusters at $0.15<z<0.3$ from the Local Cluster Substructure Survey (LoCuSS). Our weak-lensing measurements of $M_{500}$ control systematic biases to sub-4 per cent, and our hydrostatic measurements of the same achieve excellent agreement between XMM-Newton and Chandra. The mean ratio of X-ray to lensing mass for these 50 clusters is $\beta_{\rm X}=0.95\pm0.05$, and for the 44 clusters also detected by Planck, the mean ratio of Planck mass estimate to LoCuSS lensing mass is $\beta_{\rm P}=0.95\pm0.04$. Based on a careful like-for-like analysis, we find that LoCuSS, the Canadian Cluster Comparison Project (CCCP), and Weighing the Giants (WtG) agree on $\beta_{\rm P}\simeq0.9-0.95$ at $0.15<z<0.3$. This small level of hydrostatic bias disagrees at $\sim5\sigma$ with the level required to reconcile Planck cosmology results from the cosmic microwave background and galaxy cluster counts.
We present analysis of time-variable, shifted absorption features in far-UV spectra of the unusual 49 Ceti debris disk. This nearly edge-on disk is one of the brightest known, and is one of the very few containing detectable amounts of circumstellar gas as well as dust. In our two visits of Hubble Space Telescope STIS spectra, variable absorption features are seen on the wings of lines arising from C II and C IV, but not for any of the other circumstellar absorption lines. Similar variable features have long been seen in spectra of the well-studied $\beta$ Pictoris debris disk and attributed to the transits of star-grazing comets. We calculate the velocity ranges and apparent column densities of the 49 Cet variable gas, which appears to be moving at velocities of tens to hundreds of km s$^{-1}$ relative to the central star. The velocities of the gas in the redshifted variable event in Visit 2 show that the maximum distances of the infalling gas at the time of transit are about 0.05 to 0.2 AU from the central star. A preliminary attempt at a composition analysis of the redshifted event suggests that the C/O ratio in the infalling gas may be super-solar, as it is in the bulk of the stable disk gas.
Obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are thought to be very common in the Universe. Observations and surveys have shown that the number of sources increases for near galaxies and at the low-luminosity regime (the so-called LLAGNs). Furthermore, many AGNs show changes in their obscuration properties at X-rays that may suggest a configuration of clouds very close to the accretion disk. However, these variations could also be due to changes in the intrinsic continuum of the source. It is therefore important to study nearby AGN to better understand the locus and distribution of clouds in the neighbourhood of the nucleus. We aim to study the nuclear obscuration of LLAGN NGC835 and its extended emission using mid-infrared observations. We present mid-infrared 11.5 microns imaging of the LLAGN galaxy NGC835 obtained with the instrument CanariCam in the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC), archival Spitzer/IRS spectroscopy, and archival Chandra data observed in 2000, 2008, and 2013. The GTC/CanariCam 11.5 microns image reveals faint extended emission out to ~6 arcsec. We obtained a nuclear flux of F(11.5 microns) ~18 mJy, whereas the extended emission accounts for 90% of the total flux within the 6 arcsec. This means that the low angular resolution (~4 arcsec) IRS spectrum is dominated by this extended emission and not by the AGN, clearly seen in the Spitzer/IRS spectrum. Although the extended soft X-ray emission shows some resemblance with that of the mid-infrared, the knots seen at X-rays are mostly located in the inner side of this mid-infrared emission. The nuclear X-ray spectrum of the source has undergone a spectral change between 2000/2008 and 2013. We argue that this is most probably due to changes in the hydrogen column density from ~ 8x10E+23 cm-2 to ~ 3x10E+23 cm-2. NGC835 therefore is one of the few LLAGN, together with NGC1052, in which changes in the absorber can be claimed.
The new frontier in the quest for the highest contrast levels in the focal plane of a coronagraph is now the correction of the large diffractive artifacts effects introduced at the science camera by apertures of increasing complexity. The coronagraph for the WFIRST/AFTA mission will be the first of such instruments in space with a two Deformable Mirrors wavefront control system. Regardless of the control algorithm for these multi Deformable Mirrors, they will have to rely on quick and accurate simulation of the propagation effects introduced by the out-of-pupil surface. In the first part of this paper, we present the analytical description of the different approximations to simulate these propagation effects. In Annex A, we prove analytically that, in the special case of surfaces inducing a converging beam, the Fresnel method yields high fidelity for simulations of these effects. We provide numerical simulations showing this effect. In the second part, we use these tools in the framework of the Active Compensation of Aperture Discontinuities technique (ACAD) applied to pupil geometries similar to WFIRST-AFTA. We present these simulations in the context of the optical layout of the High-contrast imager for Complex Aperture Telescopes, which will test ACAD on a optical bench. The results of this analysis show that using the ACAD method, an apodized pupil lyot coronagraph and the performance of our current deformable mirrors, we are able to obtain, in numerically simulations, a dark hole with an AFTA-like pupil. Our numerical simulation shows that we can obtain contrast better than $2.10^{-9}$ in monochromatic light and better than 3.e-8 with 10% bandwidth between 5 and 14 lambda/D.
We have mapped the Orion-A Giant Molecular Cloud in the CO (J=4-3) line with the Tsukuba 30-cm submillimeter telescope.The map covered a 7.125 deg^2 area with a 9' resolution, including main components of the cloud such as Orion Nebula, OMC-2/3, and L1641-N. The most intense emission was detected toward the Orion KL region. The integrated intensity ratio between CO (J=4-3) and CO (J=1-0) was derived using data from the Columbia-Univ. de Chile CO survey, which was carried out with a comparable angular resolution. The ratio was r_{4-3/1-0} ~ 0.2 in the southern region of the cloud and 0.4-0.8 at star forming regions. We found a trend that the ratio shows higher value at edges of the cloud. In particular the ratio at the north-eastern edge of the cloud at (l, b) = (208.375 deg, -19.0 deg) shows the specific highest value of 1.1. The physical condition of the molecular gas in the cloud was estimated by non-LTE calculation. The result indicates that the kinetic temperature has a gradient from north (Tkin=80 K) to south (20 K). The estimation shows that the gas associated with the edge of the cloud is warm (Tkin~60 K), dense (n_{H_2}~10^4 cm^{-3}), and optically thin, which may be explained by heating and sweeping of interstellar materials from OB clusters.
We study the prediction of solar flare size and time-to-flare using 38 features describing magnetic complexity of the photospheric magnetic field. This work uses support vector regression to formulate a mapping from the 38-dimensional feature space to a continuous-valued label vector representing flare size or time-to-flare. When we consider flaring regions only, we find an average error in estimating flare size of approximately half a \emph{geostationary operational environmental satellite} (\emph{GOES}) class. When we additionally consider non-flaring regions, we find an increased average error of approximately 3/4 a \emph{GOES} class. We also consider thresholding the regressed flare size for the experiment containing both flaring and non-flaring regions and find a true positive rate of 0.69 and a true negative rate of 0.86 for flare prediction. The results for both of these size regression experiments are consistent across a wide range of predictive time windows, indicating that the magnetic complexity features may be persistent in appearance long before flare activity. This is supported by our larger error rates of some 40 hr in the time-to-flare regression problem. The 38 magnetic complexity features considered here appear to have discriminative potential for flare size, but their persistence in time makes them less discriminative for the time-to-flare problem.
The complex X-ray system IGR J11014-6103 (a.k.a. the Lighthouse nebula) is composed of a bow-shock pulsar wind nebula (PWN) as well as large-scale jet-like features, all launched by IGR J11014-6103 which is moving supersonically in the interstellar medium. Previous observations suggested that the jet features stem from a ballistic jet of relativistic particles. In order to confirm the nature of the jet and the marginally detected counter-jet, we obtained a new deep 250 ks Chandra observation of the Lighthouse nebula. We performed detailed spatial and spectral analysis of all X-ray components of the system. The X-ray PWN is now better resolved and shows a clear bi-modal morphology. The overall helical pattern of the main jet is confirmed. However, there are large deviations from a simple helical model at small and large scales. Significant extended emission is now detected, encompassing the main jet all along its length. The brightness dip of the main jet at ~50" distance from the pulsar is confirmed, the extended emission however prevents conclusions about the coherence at this position of the jet. The counter-jet is now detected at high statistical significance. In addition, we found two small-scale "arcs" departing from the pulsar towards the jets. We also looked for possible bow-shock emission in front of the pulsar, with a short VLT/FORS2 H-alpha observation. No clear emission is found, most likely because of contamination from a diffuse surrounding nebulosity. The results of our X-ray analysis show that current expectations from a ballistic nature of the jets can explain satisfactorily some of the observational evidences but cannot fully reproduce the observations. The alternative scenario (diffusion of particles along preexisting magnetic field lines in the surrounding medium) however also continues to suffer from conflicts with the observations.
We examine the effects of higher-order multipole contributions of rotating neutron star (NS) spacetimes on the propagation of corrugation (c-)modes within a thin accretion disk. We find that the Lense-Thirring precession frequency, which determines the propagation region of the low-frequency fundamental corrugation modes, can experience a turnover allowing for c-modes to become self-trapped for sufficiently high dimensionless spin $j$ and quadrupole rotational deformability $\alpha$. If such self-trapping c-modes can be detected, e.g. through phase-resolved spectroscopy of the iron line for a high-spin low-mass accreting neutron star, this could potentially constrain the spin-induced NS quadrupole and the NS equation of state.
NGC 7582 is a well-studied X-ray bright Seyfert 2 with moderately heavy ($N_{\text{H}}\sim10^{23}-10^{24}$~cm$^{-2}$), highly variable absorption and strong reflection spectral features. The spectral shape changed around the year 2000, dropping in observed flux and becoming much more highly absorbed. Two scenarios have been put forth to explain this spectral change: 1) the central X-ray source partially ``shut off'' around this time, decreasing in intrinsic luminosity, with a delayed decrease in reflection features due to the light-crossing time of the Compton-thick material or 2) the source became more heavily obscured, with only a portion of the power law continuum leaking through. NuSTAR observed NGC~7582 twice in 2012, two weeks apart, in order to quantify the reflection using high-quality data above 10 keV. We find that the most plausible scenario is that NGC 7582 has recently become more heavily absorbed by a patchy torus with a covering fraction of $\sim\,80-90\%$ and an equatorial column density of $\sim 3 \times10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$. We find the need for an additional highly variable full-covering absorber with $N_{\text{H}}= 4-6 \times10^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$ in the line of sight, possibly associated with a hidden broad line region.
We report the discovery of 652 star clusters, stellar groups and candidates in the Milky Way with WISE. Most of the objects are projected close to Galactic Plane and are embedded clusters. The present sample complements a similar study (Paper I) which provided 437 star clusters and alike. We find evidence that star formation processes span a wide range of sizes, from populous dense clusters to small compact embedded ones, sparse stellar groups or in relative isolation. The present list indicates multiple stellar generations during the embedded phase, with giant molecular clouds collapsing into several clumps composing an embedded cluster aggregate. We investigate the field star decontaminated Colour Magnitude Diagrams and Radial Density Profiles of 9 cluster candidates in the list, and derive their parameters, confirming them as embedded clusters.
We investigate the clustering of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at z ~ 4. Using the hierarchical galaxy formation model GALFORM, we predict the angular correlation function (ACF) of LBGs and compare this with the measured ACF from survey fields including the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field (XDF) and CANDELS field. We find that the predicted ACFs are in good agreement with the measured ones. However, the predicted ACFs show a weaker dependence on luminosity than is inferred from observations. We show that the fraction of satellite LBGs is important for determining the amplitude of the ACF on small scales. We find that central LBGs at z ~ 4 predominantly reside in haloes of mass ~ 10e11 - 10e12 M_{sun}/h and that satellites reside in larger haloes of mass ~ 10e12 - 10e13 M_{sun}/h. The model predicts fewer bright satellite LBGs at z ~ 4 than are inferred from clustering measurements. We investigate the effect of the photometric scatter in the observations on the ACF predictions. We find that the observational uncertainty in the galaxy luminosity reduces the clustering amplitude, and that this effect increases toward faint galaxies, particularly on small scales. To compare properties of model LBGs with those of observations, this uncertainty must be considered. By analysing the halo occupation distribution (HOD), we find evidence that AGN feedback affects the HOD of central LBGs in massive haloes.
In order to reproduce the high-mass end of the galaxy mass-distribution, some process must be responsible for the suppression of star-formation in the most massive of galaxies. Commonly Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are invoked to fulfil this role, but the exact means by which they do so is still the topic of much debate, with studies finding evidence for both the suppression and enhancement of star-formation in AGN hosts. Using the ZFOURGE and NMBS galaxy surveys, we investigate the host galaxy properties of a mass-limited (M$_{\odot}$ $\ge$ 10$^{10.5}$ M$_{\odot}$), high-luminosity (L$_{1.4}$ $>$ 10$^{24}$ W Hz$^{-1}$) sample of radio-loud Active Galactic Nuclei to a redshift of z = 2.25. In contrast to low redshift studies, which associate radio-AGN activity with quiescent hosts, we find that the majority of z $>$ 1.5 radio-AGN are hosted by star-forming galaxies. Indeed, the stellar populations of radio-AGN are found to evolve with redshift in a manner that is consistent with the non-AGN mass-similar galaxy population. Interestingly, we find the radio-AGN fraction is constant across a redshift range of 0.25 $\le$ z $<$ 2.25, perhaps indicating that the radio-AGN duty cycle has little dependence on redshift or galaxy type. We do however see a strong relation between the radio-AGN fraction and stellar mass, with radio-AGN becoming rare below $\sim$ 10$^{10.5}$ M$_{\odot}$ or a halo-mass of 10$^{12}$ M$_{\odot}$. This halo-mass threshold is in good agreement with simulations that initiate radio-AGN feedback at this mass limit. Despite this we find that radio-AGN host star-formation rates are consistent with the non-AGN mass-similar galaxy sample, suggesting that while radio-AGN are in the right place to suppress star-formation in massive galaxies they are not necessarily responsible for doing so.
To date no direct detection of Lyman continuum emission has been measured for intermediate--redshift z~1 star-forming galaxies . We combine HST grism spectroscopy with GALEX UV and ground--based optical imaging to extend the search for escaping Lyman continuum to a large (~600) sample of z~1 low-mass, moderately star-forming galaxies selected initially on H$\alpha$ emission. The characteristic escape fraction of LyC from SFGs that populate this parameter space remains weakly constrained by previous surveys, but these faint SFGs are assumed to play a significant role in the reionization of neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium (IGM) at high redshift (z>6). We do not make an unambiguous detection of escaping LyC radiation from this $z\sim1$ sample, individual non--detections to constrain the absolute Lyman continuum escape fraction, $f_{esc}$<2.1% (3$\sigma$). We measure upper limits of $f_{esc}$<9.6% from a sample of SFGs selected on high H$\alpha$ equivalent width (EW>200\AA), which are thought to be close analogs of high redshift sources of reionization. For reference, we also present an emissivity--weighted escape fraction which is useful as a measurement of the general contribution of the SFGs to the z~1 ionizing UV background. In the discussion, we consider the implications of these intermediate redshift constraints for the re--ionization of hydrogen in the intergalactic medium at high (z>6) redshift. If the escape fraction of SFGs increases with redshift or an unobserved population of faint (M$_{UV}$<-13 AB) SFGs with $f_{esc}$>3% contributes significantly, reionization by SFGs is marginally consistent with independent observations from Planck.
The diffuse extended outer regions of galaxies are hard to study because they are faint, with typical surface brightness of 1% of the dark night sky. We can tackle this problem by using resolved star tracers which remain visible at large distances from the galaxy centres. This article describes the use of Planetary Nebulae as tracers and the calibration of their properties as indicators of the star formation history, mean age and metallicity of the parent stars in the Milky Way and Local Group galaxies . We then report on the results from a deep, extended, planetary nebulae survey in a 0.5 sqdeg region centred on the brightest cluster galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) in the Virgo cluster core, carried out with SuprimeCam@Subaru and FLAMES-GIRAFFE@VLT. Two PN populations are identified out to 150 kpc distance from the centre of M87. One population is associated with the M87 halo and the second one with the intracluster light in the Virgo cluster core. They have different line-of-sight velocity and spatial distributions, as well as different planetary nebulae specific frequencies and luminosity functions. The intracluster planetary nebulae in the surveyed region correspond to a luminosity of four times the luminosity of the Large Magellanic Cloud. The M87 halo planetary nebulae trace an older, more metal-rich, parent stellar population. A substructure detected in the projected phase-space of the line-of-sight velocity vs. major axis distance for the M87 halo planetary nebulae provides evidence for the recent accretion event of a satellite galaxy with luminosity twice that of M33. The satellite stars were tidally stripped about 1 Gyr ago, and reached apocenter at a major axis distance of 60-90 kpc from the centre of M87. The M87 halo is still growing significantly at the distances where the substructure is detected.
The progenitor systems for type Ia supernovae are still controversial. One of the methods to test the proposed scenario for the progenitor systems is to identify companions that are supposed to survive according to the so-called single degenerate scenario. These companions might be affected by supernova ejecta. We present several numerical simulations of surviving red-giant companions whose envelopes were stripped and heated. We find that red-giants with less-massive helium cores ($\lesssim0.30\,M_{\odot}$) can be so faint after the supernovae that we cannot detect them. In addition, we apply the results to the case of SNR 0509-67.5, and put constraints on the helium core mass, envelope stripping, and energy injection under the single degenerate scenario for type Ia supernovae.
Sets of systematic laboratory experiments are presented -- combining Ultra High Vacuum cryogenic and plasma-line deposition techniques -- that allow us to compare H/D isotopic effects in the reaction of H2O (D2O) ice with the hydroxyl radical OD (OH). The latter is known to play a key role as intermediate species in the solid-state formation of water on icy grains in space. The main finding of our work is that the reaction H2O + OD --> OH + HDO occurs and that this may affect the HDO/H2O abundances in space. The opposite reaction D2O + OH --> OD + HDO is much less effective, and also given the lower D2O abundances in space not expected to be of astronomical relevance. The experimental results are extended to the other four possible reactions between hydroxyl and water isotopes and are subsequently used as input for Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. This way we interpret our findings in an astronomical context, qualitatively testing the influence of the reaction rates.
Compact Steep Spectrum, Gigahertz Peaked Spectrum and High Frequency Peak (CSS, GPS, HFP) sources are considered to be young radio sources but the details of their duty cycle are not well understood. In some cases they are thought to develop in large radio galaxies, while in other cases their jets may experience intermittent activity or die prematurely and remain confined within the host galaxy. By studying in a systematic way the presence and the properties of any extended emission surrounding these compact sources we can provide firmer constraints on their evolutionary history and on the timescales of activity of the radio source. Remnant emission from previous outbursts is supposed to have very low surface brightness and to be brighter at low frequency. Taking advantage of the unprecedented sensitivity and resolution provided by the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) we have started a systematic search of new CSS, GPS and HFP sources with extended emission, as well as a more detailed study of some well-known of these sources. Here we present the key points of our search in the LOFAR fields and a more in-depth analysis on the source B2 0258+35, a CSS source surrounded by a pair of large, diffuse radio lobes.
We study the matter bispectrum of large-scale structure by comparing the predictions of different perturbative and phenomenological models with the full three-dimensional bispectrum from $N$-body simulations estimated using modal methods. We show that among the perturbative approaches, effective field theory succeeds in extending the range of validity furthest on intermediate scales, at the cost of free additional parameters. By studying the halo model, we show that although it is satisfactory in the deeply non-linear regime, it predicts a deficit of power on intermediate scales, worsening at redshifts $z>0$. By comparison with the $N$-body bispectrum on those scales, we show that there is a significant squeezed component underestimated in the halo model. On the basis of these results, we propose a new `three-shape' model, based on the tree-level, squeezed and constant bispectrum shapes we identified in the halo model; after calibration this fits the simulations on all scales and redshifts of interest. This method provides a prototype bispectrum \textsc{Halofit}-like methodology that could be used to describe and test parameter dependencies and should be relevant for the bispectrum of weak gravitational lensing and wider applications.
We present grids of limb-darkening coefficients computed from non-LTE, line-blanketed TLUSTY model atmospheres, covering effective-temperature and surface-gravity ranges of 15--55kK and 4.75 dex (cgs) down to the effective Eddington limit, at 1x, 1x, 0.5x (LMC), 0.2x (SMC), and 0.1x solar. Results are given for the Bessell UBVRIJKHL, Sloan ugriz, Stromgren ubvy, WFCAM ZYJHK, Hipparcos, Kepler, and Tycho passbands, in each case characterized by several different limb-darkening `laws'. We examine the sensitivity of limb darkening to temperature, gravity, metallicity, microturbulent velocity, and wavelength, and make a comparison with LTE models. The dependence on metallicity is very weak, but limb darkening is a moderately strong function of log(g) in this temperature regime.
This article summarizes the status of Indirect and Direct searches for Dark Matter, with a special focus and a critical look on the former. It is the write-up of a rapporteur talk given at the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2015) in The Hague, The Netherlands.
The Gaussianization transform has been proposed as a method to remove the issues of scale-dependent galaxy bias and nonlinearity from galaxy clustering statistics, but these benefits have yet to be thoroughly tested for realistic galaxy samples. In this paper, we test the effectiveness of the Gaussianization transform for different galaxy types by applying it to realistic simulated blue and red galaxy samples. We show that in real space, the shapes of the Gaussianized power spectra of both red and blue galaxies agree with that of the underlying dark matter, with the initial power spectrum, and with each other to smaller scales than do the statistics of the usual (untransformed) density field. However, we find that the agreement in the Gaussianized statistics breaks down in redshift space. We attribute this to the fact that red and blue galaxies exhibit very different fingers of god in redshift space. After applying a finger-of-god compression, the agreement on small scales between the Gaussianized power spectra is restored. We also compare the Gaussianization transform to the clipped galaxy density field and find that while both methods are effective in real space, they have more complicated behaviour in redshift space. Overall, we find that Gaussianization can be useful in recovering the shape of the underlying dark matter power spectrum to k ~ 0.5 h/Mpc and of the initial power spectrum to k ~ 0.4 h/Mpc in certain cases at z = 0.
We use Herschel 70 to 160um images to study the size of the far-infrared emitting region in 400 local galaxies and QSO hosts. The sample includes normal `main sequence' star forming galaxies, as well as infrared luminous galaxies and Palomar-Green QSOs, with different level and structure of star formation. Assuming gaussian spatial distribution of the far-infrared emission, the excellent stability of the Herschel point spread function allows us to measure sizes well below the PSF width, by subtracting widths in quadrature. We derive scalings of FIR size and surface brightness of local galaxies with FIR luminosity, with distance from the star forming `main sequence', and with FIR color. Luminosities LFIR~10^11Lsun can be reached with a variety of structures spanning 2 dex in size. Ultraluminous LFIR>~10^12Lsun galaxies far above the main sequence inevitably have small Re,70~0.5kpc FIR emitting regions with large surface brightness, and can be close to optically thick in the FIR on average over these regions. Compared to these local relations, first ALMA sizes for the dust emission regions in high redshift galaxies, measured at somewhat longer restwavelengths, suggest larger size at same IR luminosity. We report a remarkably tight relation with <0.2dex scatter between FIR surface brightness and the ratio of [CII] 158um emission and FIR emission - the `[CII]-deficit' is more tightly linked to surface brightness than to FIR luminosity or FIR color. Among 33 z<0.1 PG QSOs with typical LFIR/LBOL(AGN)~0.1, 19 have a measured 70um half light radius, with median Re,70=1.1kpc. This is consistent with the FIR size for galaxies with similar LFIR but lacking a QSO, in accordance with a scenario where the rest far-infrared emission of such QSOs is in most cases due to host star formation.
Collisionless shocks are efficient particle accelerators. At Earth, ions with energies exceeding 100 keV are seen upstream of the bow shock when the magnetic geometry is quasi-parallel, and large-scale supernova remnant shocks can accelerate ions into cosmic rays energies. This energization is attributed to diffusive shock acceleration, however, for this process to become active the ions must first be sufficiently energized. How and where this initial acceleration takes place has been one of the key unresolved issues in shock acceleration theory. Using Cluster spacecraft observations, we study the signatures of ion reflection events in the turbulent transition layer upstream of the shock, and with the support of a hybrid simulation of the shock, we show that these reflection signatures are characteristic of the first step in the ion injection process. These reflection events develop in particular in the region where the trailing edge of large-amplitude upstream waves intercept the local shock ramp and the upstream magnetic field changes from quasi-perpendicular to quasi-parallel. The dispersed ion velocity signature observed can be attributed to a rapid succession of ion reflections at this wave boundary. After the ions' initial interaction with the shock, they flow upstream along the quasi-parallel magnetic field. Each subsequent wave front in the upstream region will then sweep the ions back toward the shock, where they gain energy with each transition between the upstream and the shock wave frames. Within three to five gyroperiods, some ions have gained enough parallel velocity to escape upstream, thus completing the injection process.
To understand massive star formation requires study of its initial
conditions. Two massive starless core candidates, C1-N & C1-S, have been
detected in IRDC G028.37+00.07 in $\rm N_2D^+$(3-2) with $ALMA$. From their
line widths, either the cores are subvirial and are thus young structures on
the verge of near free-fall collapse, or they are threaded by $\sim1$ mG
$B$-fields that help support them in near virial equilibrium and potentially
have older ages. We modeled the deuteration rate of $\rm N_2H^+$ to constrain
collapse rates of the cores. First, to measure their current deuterium
fraction, $D_{\rm
frac}^{\rm N_2H^+}$ $\equiv [\rm N_2D^+]/[N_2H^+]$, we observed multiple
transitions of $\rm N_2H^+$ and $\rm N_2D^+$ with $CARMA$, $SMA$, $JCMT$,
$NRO~45m$ and $IRAM~30m$, to complement the $ALMA$ data. For both cores we
derived $D_{\rm
frac}^{\rm N_2H^+}\sim0.3$, several orders of magnitude above the cosmic
[D]/[H] ratio. We then carried out chemodynamical modeling, exploring how
collapse rate relative to free-fall, $\alpha_{\rm ff}$, affects the level of
$D_{\rm frac}^{\rm N_2H^+}$ that is achieved from a given initial condition. To
reach the observed $D_{\rm frac}^{\rm
N_2H^+}$, most models require slow collapse with $\alpha_{\rm
ff}\sim0.1$, i.e., $\sim1/10$th of free-fall. This makes it more likely that
the cores have been able to reach a near virial equilibrium state and we
predict that strong $B$-fields will eventually be detected. The methods
developed here will be useful for measurement of the pre-stellar core mass
function.
Joint contributions of the Pierre Auger Collaboration and the Telescope Array Collaboration to the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference, 30 July - 6 August 2015, The Hague, The Netherlands.
\Kepler has revolutionised our understanding of both exoplanets and their host stars. Asteroseismology is a valuable tool in the characterisation of stars and \Kepler is an excellent observing facility to perform asteroseismology. Here we select a sample of 35 \Kepler solar-type stars which host transiting exoplanets (or planet candidates) with detected solar-like oscillations. Using available \Kepler short cadence data up to Quarter 16 we create power spectra optimised for asteroseismology of solar-type stars. We identify modes of oscillation and estimate mode frequencies by ``peak bagging'' using a Bayesian MCMC framework. In addition, we expand the methodology of quality assurance using a Bayesian unsupervised machine learning approach. We report the measured frequencies of the modes of oscillation for all 35 stars and frequency ratios commonly used in detailed asteroseismic modelling. Due to the high correlations associated with frequency ratios we report the covariance matrix of all frequencies measured and frequency ratios calculated. These frequencies, frequency ratios, and covariance matrices can be used to obtain tight constraint on the fundamental parameters of these planet-hosting stars.
We have conducted three searches for correlations between ultra-high energy cosmic rays detected by the Telescope Array and the Pierre Auger Observatory, and high-energy neutrino candidate events from IceCube. Two cross-correlation analyses with UHECRs are done: one with 39 cascades from the IceCube `high-energy starting events' sample and the other with 16 high-energy `track events'. The angular separation between the arrival directions of neutrinos and UHECRs is scanned over. The same events are also used in a separate search using a maximum likelihood approach, after the neutrino arrival directions are stacked. To estimate the significance we assume UHECR magnetic deflections to be inversely proportional to their energy, with values $3^\circ$, $6^\circ$ and $9^\circ$ at 100 EeV to allow for the uncertainties on the magnetic field strength and UHECR charge. A similar analysis is performed on stacked UHECR arrival directions and the IceCube sample of through-going muon track events which were optimized for neutrino point-source searches.
We study very-high rate spherically symmetric accretion flows onto a massive black hole (BH; 10^2 < M_BH < 10^6 Msun) embedded in a dense gas cloud with a low abundance of metals, performing one-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations which include multi-frequency radiation transfer and non-equilibrium primordial chemistry. We find that rapid gas supply from the Bondi radius at a hyper-Eddington rate can occur without being impeded by radiation feedback when (n/10^5 cm^-3) > (M_BH/10^4Msun)^{-1}(T/10^4 K)^{3/2}, where n and T are the density and temperature of ambient gas outside of the Bondi radius. The resulting accretion rate in this regime is steady, and larger than 3000 times the Eddington rate. At lower Bondi rates, the accretion is episodic due to radiative feedback and the average rate is limited below the Eddington rate. For the hyper-Eddington case, the steady solution consists of two parts: a radiation-dominated central core, where photon trapping due to electron scattering is important, and an accreting envelope which follows a Bondi profile with T~8000 K. When the emergent luminosity is limited below the Eddington luminosity because of photon trapping, radiation from the central region does not affect the gas dynamics at larger scales. We apply our result to the rapid formation of massive BHs in protogalaxies with a virial temperature of T_vir> 10^4 K. Once a seed BH forms at the center of the galaxy, it can grow up to a maximum ~10^5 (T_vir/10^4 K) Msun via gas accretion independent of the initial BH mass. Finally, we discuss possible observational signatures of rapidly accreting BHs with/without allowance for dust. We suggest that these systems could explain Lya emitters without X-rays and luminous infrared sources with hot dust emission, respectively.
On 13 December 2012, Chang'e-2 completed a successful flyby of the near-Earth asteroid 4179 Toutatis at a closest distance of 770 meters from the asteroid's surface. The observations show that Toutatis has an irregular surface and its shape resembles a ginger-root of a smaller lobe (head) and a larger lobe (body). Such bilobate shape is indicative of a contact binary origin for Toutatis. In addition, the high-resolution images better than 3 meters provide a number of new discoveries about this asteroid, such as an 800-meter depression at the end of the large lobe, a sharply perpendicular silhouette near the neck region, boulders, indicating that Toutatis is probably a rubble-pile asteroid. Chang'e-2 observations have significantly revealed new insights into the geological features and the formation and evolution of this asteroid. In final, we brief the future Chinese asteroid mission concept.
Context: The Mira variable LX Cyg showed a dramatic increase of its pulsation period in the recent decades and appears to undergo an important transition in its evolution. Aims: We aim at investigating the spectral type evolution of this star over the recent decades as well as during one pulsation cycle in more detail and discuss it in connection with the period evolution. Methods: We present optical, near- and mid-IR low-resolution as well as optical high-resolution spectra to determine the current spectral type. The optical spectrum of LX Cyg has been followed for more than one pulsation cycle. Recent spectra are compared to archival spectra to trace the spectral type evolution and a Spitzer mid-IR spectrum is analysed for the presence of molecular and dust features. Furthermore, the current period is derived from AAVSO data. Results: It is found that the spectral type of LX Cyg changed from S to C sometime between 1975 and 2008. Currently, the spectral type C is stable during a pulsation cycle. It is shown that spectral features typical of C-type stars are present in its spectrum from ~0.5 to 14 $\mu{\rm{m}}$. An emission feature at 10.7 $\mu{\rm{m}}$ is attributed to SiC grains. The period of LX Cyg has increased from ~460 d to ~580 d within only 20 years, and is stable now. Conclusions: We conclude that the change in spectral type and the increase in pulsation period happened simultaneously and are causally connected. Both a recent thermal pulse (TP) and a simple surface temperature decrease appear unlikely to explain the observations. We therefore suggest that the underlying mechanism is related to a recent third dredge-up mixing event that brought up carbon from the interior of the star, i.e. that a genuine abundance change happened. We propose that LX Cyg is a rare transition type object that is uniquely suited to study the transformation from O- to C-rich stars in detail.
We show that, contrary to simple predictions, most AGNs show at best only a small increase of lags in the J, H, K, and L bands with increasing wavelength. We suggest that a possible cause of this near simultaneity of the variability from the near-IR to the mid-IR is that the hot dust is in a hollow bi-conical outflow of which we only see the near side. Although most AGNs show near simultaneity of IR variability, there was at least one epoch when NGC 4151 showed the sharply increasing IR lag with the increase of the wavelength. This behaviour might also be present in GQ Comae. We discuss these results briefly. The relative wavelength independence of IR lags simplifies the use of IR lags for estimating cosmological parameters.
The morphological, spectroscopic and kinematical properties of the warm interstellar medium (wim) in early-type galaxies (ETGs) hold key observational constraints to nuclear activity and the buildup history of these massive, quiescent systems. High-quality integral field spectroscopy (IFS) data with a wide spectral and spatial coverage, such as those from the CALIFA survey, offer an unprecedented opportunity for advancing our understanding of the wim in ETGs. This article centers on a 2D investigation of the wim component in 32 nearby (<~150Mpc) ETGs from CALIFA, complementing a previous 1D analysis of the same sample (Papaderos et al. 2013; P13). We include here H\alpha\ intensity and equivalent width (EW) maps and radial profiles, diagnostic emission-line ratios, besides ionized-gas and stellar kinematics. This study is supplemented by \tau-ratio maps as an efficient means to quantify the role of photoionization by pAGB stars, as compared to other mechanisms (e.g., AGN, low-level star formation). Additionally, we extend the tentative classification proposed in P13 by the type i+, which is assigned to a subset of type i ETGs exhibiting ongoing low-level star-formation (SF) in their periphery. This finding along with faint traces of localized SF in the extranuclear component of several of our sample ETGs points to a non-negligible contribution by OB stars to the total ionizing budget. We also demonstrate that, at the typical emission-line detection threshold of ~2\AA in previous studies, most of the extranuclear wim emission in an ETG may evade detection, which could in turn prompt its classification as an entirely gas-devoid system. This study adds further observational evidence for a considerable heterogeneity among ETGs with regard to the physical properties and 2D kinematics of the wim component, and underscores the importance of IFS studies over their entire optical extent.
We carry out a multiwavelength study to characterize the HI supershell designated GS 118+01-44, and to analyse its possible origin. A multiwavlength study has been carried out to study the supershell and its environs. We performed an analysis of the HI, CO, radio continuum, and infrared emission distributions. The Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS) HI data reveals that GS 118+01-44 is centred at (l, b) = (117.7, 1.4) with a systemic velocity of -44.3 km/s. According to Galactic rotation models this structure is located at 3.0 +- 0.6 kpc from the Sun. There are several HII regions and three supernova remnants (SNRs) catalogued in the region. On the other hand, the analysis of the temperature spectral index distribution shows that in the region there is a predominance of non-thermal emission. Infrared emission shows that cool temperatures dominate the area of the supershell. Concerning the origin of the structure, we found that even though several OB stars belonging to Cas OB5 are located in the interior of GS 118+01-44, an analysis of the energy injected by these stars through their stellar winds indicates that they do not have sufficient energy to create GS 118+01-44. Therefore, an additional energy source is needed to explain the genesis of GS 118+01-44. On the other hand, the presence of several HII regions and young stellar object candidates in the edges of GS 118+01-44 shows that the region is still active in forming new stars.
We study conservation laws for gravity theories invariant under general coordinate transformations. The class of models under consideration includes Einstein's general relativity theory as a special case as well as its generalizations to non-Riemannian spacetime geometry and nonminimal coupling. We demonstrate that an arbitrary vector field on the spacetime manifold generates a current density that is conserved under certain conditions, and find the expression of the corresponding superpotential. For a family of models including nonminimal coupling between geometry and matter, we discuss in detail the differential conservation laws and the conserved quantities defined in terms of covariant multipole moments. We show that the equations of motion for the multipole moments of extended microstructured test bodies lead to conserved quantities that are closely related to the conserved currents derived in the field-theoretic framework.
Context. A porous and/or fractal description can generally be applied where particles have undergone coagulation into aggregates. Aims. To characterise finite-sized, porous and fractal particles and to understand the possible limitations of these descriptions. Methods. We use simple structure, lattice and network considerations to determine the structural properties of irregular particles. Results. We find that, for finite-sized aggregates, the terms porosity and fractal dimension may be of limited usefulness and show with some critical and limiting assumptions, that highly-porous aggregates (porosity > 80%) may not be constructable. We also investigate their effective cross-sections using a simple cubic model. Conclusions. In place of the terms porosity and fractal dimension, for finite-sized aggregates, we propose the readily-determinable quantities of inflation, I (a measure of the solid filling factor and size), and dimensionality, D (a measure of the shape). These terms can be applied to characterise any form of particle, be it an irregular, homogeneous solid or a highly-extended aggregate.
One avenue for testing the no-hair theorem is obtained through timing a pulsar orbiting close to a black hole and fitting for quadrupolar effects on the time-of-arrival of pulses. If deviations from the Kerr quadrupole are measured, then the no-hair theorem is invalidated. To this end, we derive an expression for the light travel time delay for a pulsar orbiting in a black-hole spacetime described by the Butterworth-Ipser metric, which has an arbitrary spin and quadrupole moment. We consider terms up to the quadrupole order in the black-hole metric and derive the time-delay expression in a closed analytic form. This allows for fast computations that are useful in fitting time-of-arrival observations of pulsars orbiting close to astrophysical black holes.
We formulate a generic Newtonian like analogous potential for static spherically symmetric general relativistic (GR) spacetime, and subsequently derived proper Newtonian like analogous potential corresponding to Janis-Newman-Winicour (JNW) and Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m (RN) spacetimes, both exhibiting naked singularities. The derived potentials found to reproduce the entire GR features including the orbital dynamics of the test particle motion and the orbital trajectories, with precise accuracy. The nature of the particle orbital dynamics including their trajectory profiles in JNW and RN geometries show altogether different behavior with distinctive traits as compared to the nature of particle dynamics in Schwarzschild geometry. Exploiting the Newtonian like analogous potentials, we found that the radiative efficiency of a geometrically thin and optically thick Keplerian accretion disk around naked singularities corresponding to both JNW and RN geometries, in general, is always higher than that for Schwarzschild geometry. The derived potentials would thus be useful to study astrophysical processes, especially to investigate more complex accretion phenomena in AGNs or in XRBs in the presence of naked singularities and thereby exploring any noticeable differences in their observational features from those in the presence of BHs to ascertain outstanding debatable issues relating to gravity - whether the end state of gravitational collapse in our physical Universe renders black hole (BH) or naked singularity.
The PLANCK collaboration has determined values for the spectral parameters of
the CMB radiation, namely the spectral index $n_s$, its running $\alpha_s$, the
running of the running $\beta_s$, using a growing body of measurements of CMB
anisotropies by the Planck satellite and other missions. These values do not
follow the hierarchy of sizes predicted by single field, slow roll inflationary
theory, and are thus difficult to fit for such inflation models.
In this work we present first a study of 49 single field, slow roll
inflationary potentials in which we assess the likelyhood of these models
fitting the spectral parameters to their currently most accurate determination
given by the PLANCK collaboration. We check numerically with a MATLAB program
the spectral parameters that each model can yield for a very broad,
comprehensive list of possible parameter and field values. The comparison of
spectral parameter values supported by the models with their determinations by
the PLANCK collaboration leads to the conclusion that the data provided by
PLANCK2015 TT+lowP and PLANCK2015 TT,TE,EE+lowP taking into account the running
of the running disfavours 40 of the 49 models with confidence level at least
92.8\%.
Next, we discuss the reliability of the current computations of these
spectral parameters. We identify a bias in the method of determination of the
spectral parameters by least residue parameter fitting (using MCMC or any other
scheme) currently used to reconstruct the power spectrum of scalar
perturbations. This bias can explain the observed contradiction between theory
and observations. Its removal is computationally costly, but necessary in order
to compare the forecasts of single field, slow roll theories with observations.
We present the results of searches for point-like sources of neutrinos based on the first combined analysis of data from both the ANTARES and IceCube neutrino telescopes. The combination of both detectors which differ in size and location forms a window in the Southern sky where the sensitivity to point sources improves by up to a factor of two compared to individual analyses. Using data recorded by ANTARES from 2007 to 2012, and by IceCube from 2008 to 2011, we search for sources of neutrino emission both across the Southern sky and from a pre-selected list of candidate objects. No significant excess over background has been found in these searches, and flux upper limits for the candidate sources are presented for $E^{-2.5}$ and $E^{-2}$ power-law spectra with different energy cut-offs.
Numerical values of some important electron-positron and electron-electron expectation values are reported for the ground (bound) $1^1S-$state of the negatively charged Ps$^{-}$ and H$^{-}$ ions. Convergence of these values upon the total number of basis functions $N$ used is briefly discussed.
For a large class of mass-varying massive gravity models, the graviton mass cannot provide the late-time cosmic expansion of the universe due to its vanishing at late time. In this work, we propose a new class of mass-varying massive gravity in which the graviton mass varies according to a kinetic term of a k-essence field. By using a more general form of the fiducial metric, we found a solution such that a non-vanishing graviton mass can drive the accelerated expansion of the universe at late time. We also perform dynamical analyses of such model and found that without introducing the k-essence Lagrangian, the graviton mass can be responsible for both dark contents of the universe, namely dark energy that drives the accelerated expansion of the universe and non-relativistic matter that plays the role of dark matter. Moreover, by including the k-essence Lagrangian, we found that it is possible to alleviate the so-called cosmic coincidence problem.
The minimal requirement for cosmography - a nondynamical description of the universe - is a prescription for calculating null geodesics, and timelike geodesics as a function of their proper time. In this paper, we consider the most general linear connection compatible with homogeneity and isotropy, but not necessarily with a metric. A light-cone structure is assigned by choosing a set of geodesics representing light rays. This defines a "scale factor" and a local notion of distance, as that travelled by light in a given proper time interval. We find that the velocities and relativistic energies of free-falling bodies decrease in time as a consequence of cosmic expansion, but at a rate that can be different than that dictated by the usual metric framework. By extrapolating this behavior to photons redshift, we find that the latter is in principle independent of the "scale factor". Interestingly, redshift-distance relations and other standard geometric observables are modified in this extended framework, in a way that could be experimentally tested. An extremely tight constraint on the model, however, is represented by the blackbody-ness of the Cosmic Microwave Background. Finally, as a check, we also consider the effects of a non-metric connection in a different set-up, namely, that of a static, spherically symmetric spacetime.
We use gauge-invariant cosmological perturbation theory to calculate the displacement field that sets the initial conditions for $N$-body simulations. Using first and second-order fully relativistic perturbation theory in the synchronous-comoving gauge, allows us to go beyond the Newtonian predictions and to calculate relativistic corrections to it. We use an Einstein-de Sitter model, including both growing and decaying modes in our solutions. The impact of our results should be assessed through the implementation of the featured displacement in cosmological $N$-body simulations.
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Debris discs which orbit white dwarfs are signatures of remnant planetary systems. We present twelve years of optical spectroscopy of the metal-polluted white dwarf SDSS J1228+1040, which shows a steady variation in the morphology of the 8600 {\AA} Ca II triplet line profiles from the gaseous component of its debris disc. We identify additional emission lines of O I, Mg I, Mg II, Fe II and Ca II in the deep co-added spectra. These emission features (including Ca H & K) exhibit a wide range in strength and morphology with respect to each other and to the Ca II triplet, indicating different intensity distributions of these ionic species within the disc. Using Doppler tomography we show that the evolution of the Ca II triplet profile can be interpreted as the precession of a fixed emission pattern with a period in the range 24-30 years. The Ca II line profiles vary on time-scales that are broadly consistent with general relativistic precession of the debris disc.
The halo model is a theoretically and empirically well-motivated framework for predicting the statistics of the nonlinear matter distribution in the Universe. However, current incarnations of the halo model suffer from two major deficiencies: $(i)$ they do not enforce the stress-energy conservation of matter; $(ii)$ they are not guaranteed to recover exact perturbation theory results on large scales. Here, we provide a formulation of the halo model ("EHM") that remedies both drawbacks in a consistent way, while attempting to maintain the predictivity of the approach. In the formulation presented here, mass and momentum conservation are guaranteed, and results of perturbation theory and the effective field theory can in principle be matched to any desired order on large scales. We find that a key ingredient in the halo model power spectrum is the halo stochasticity covariance, which has been studied to a much lesser extent than other ingredients such as mass function, bias, and profiles of halos. As written here, this approach still does not describe the transition regime between perturbation theory and halo scales realistically, which is left as an open problem. We also show explicitly that, when implemented consistently, halo model predictions do not depend on any properties of low-mass halos that are smaller than the scales of interest.
We explore the physics and observational consequences of tidal compression events (TCEs) of dark-matter clumps (DMCs) by supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Our analytic calculations show that a DMC approaching a SMBH much closer than the tidal radius undergoes significant compression along the axis perpendicular to the orbital plane, shortly after pericenter passage. For DMCs composed of self-annihilating dark-matter particles, we find that the boosted DMC density and velocity dispersion lead to a flaring of the annihilation rate, most pronounced for a velocity- dependent annihilation cross section. If the end products of the annihilation are photons, this results in a gamma-ray flare, detectable (and possibly already detected) by the Fermi telescope for a range of model parameters. If the end products of dark-matter annihilation are relativistic electrons and positrons and the local magnetic field is large enough, TCEs of DMCs can lead to flares of synchrotron radiation. Finally, TCEs of DMCs lead to a burst of gravitational waves, in addition to the ones radiated by the orbital motion alone, and with a different frequency spectrum. These transient phenomena provide interesting new avenues to explore the properties of dark matter.
We present a study of the spatial distribution of the stellar cluster populations in the star forming galaxy NGC 628. Using Hubble Space Telescope broad band WFC3/UVIS UV and optical images from the Treasury Program LEGUS (Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey), we have identified 1392 potential young (<100 Myr) stellar clusters within the galaxy, identified from a combination of visual inspection and automatic selection. We investigate the clustering of these young stellar clusters and quantify the strength and change of clustering strength with scale using the two-point correlation function. We also investigate how image boundary conditions and dust lanes affect the observed clustering. The distribution of the clusters is well fit by a broken power law with negative exponent $\alpha$. We recover a weighted mean index of $\alpha$ ~ -0.8 for all spatial scales below the break at 3".3 (158 pc at a distance of 9.9 Mpc) and an index of $\alpha$ ~ -0.18 above 158 pc for the accumulation of all cluster types. The strength of the clustering increases with decreasing age and clusters older than 40 Myr lose their clustered structure very rapidly and tend to be randomly distributed in this galaxy whereas the mass of the star cluster has little effect on the clustering strength. This is consistent with results from other studies that the morphological hierarchy in stellar clustering resembles the same hierarchy as the turbulent interstellar medium.
Even though it was discovered more than a decade ago, LSR1610-0040 remains an enigma. This object has a peculiar spectrum that exhibits some features typically found in L subdwarfs, and others common in the spectra of more massive M dwarf stars. It is also a binary system with a known astrometric orbital solution. Given the available data, it remains a challenge to reconcile the observed properties of the combined light of LSR1610-0040AB with current theoretical models of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. We present the results of a joint fit to both astrometric and radial velocity measurements of this unresolved, low-mass binary. We find that the photocentric orbit has a period $P = 633.0 \pm 1.7$ days, somewhat longer than previous results, with eccentricity of $e = 0.42 \pm 0.03$, and we estimate that the semi-major axis of the orbit of the primary is $a_1 \approx 0.32$ AU, consistent with previous results. While a complete characterization of the system is limited by our small number of radial velocity measurements, we establish a likely primary mass range of $0.09 - 0.10 M_\odot$ from photometric and color-magnitude data. For a primary mass in this range, the secondary is constrained to be $0.06 - 0.075 M_\odot$, making a negligible contribution to the total I-band luminosity. This effectively rules out the possibility of the secondary being a compact object such as an old, low-mass white dwarf. Based on our analysis, we predict a likely angular separation at apoapsis comparable to the resolution limits of current high-resolution imaging systems. Measuring the angular separation of the A & B components would finally enable a full, unambiguous solution for the masses of the components of this system.
We explore the long-term evolution of the anisotropy in the velocity space of star clusters starting with different structural and kinematical properties. We show that the evolution of the radial anisotropy strength and its radial variation within a cluster contain distinct imprints of the cluster initial structural properties, dynamical history, and of the external tidal field of its host galaxy. Initially isotropic and compact clusters with small initial values of the ratio of the half-mass to Jacobi radius, $r_h/r_J$, develop a strong radial anisotropy during their long-term dynamical evolution. Many clusters, if formed with small values of $r_h/r_J$, should now be characterized by a significant radial anisotropy increasing with the distance from the cluster centre, reaching its maximum at a distance between 0.2 $r_J$ and 0.4 $r_J$, and then becoming more isotropic or mildly tangentially anisotropic in the outermost regions. A similar radial variation of the anisotropy can also result from an early violent relaxation phase. In both cases, as a cluster continues its evolution and loses mass, the anisotropy eventually starts to decrease and the system evolves toward an isotropic velocity distribution. However, in order to completely erase the strong anisotropy developed by these compact systems during their evolution, they must be in the advanced stages of their evolution and lose a large fraction of their initial mass. Clusters that are initially isotropic and characterized by larger initial values of $r_h/r_J$, on the other hand, never develop a significant radial anisotropy.
We perform for the first time high-resolution zoom-in re-simulations of individual halos in the context of the Multi-coupeld Dark Energy (McDE) scenario, which is characterised by the existence of two distinct dark matter particle species with opposite couplings to a Dark Energy scalar field. We compare the structural properties of the simulated halos to the standard Lambda-CDM results. The zoomed-in initial conditions are set up using a specifically designed code called ZInCo that we publicly release along with the present paper. Our numerical results allow to investigate in detail and with unprecedented resolution the halo segregation process that characterises McDE cosmologies from its very early stages. In particular, we find that in contrast to what could be inferred from previous numerical analysis at lower resolution, the segregation process is already in place at redshifts as high as z ~ 7. Most remarkably, we find that the subsequent evolution of the segregation leads to the formation of cored total matter density profiles with a core size that progressively increases in time. The shape of the cored profiles can be accurately predicted as the superposition of two NFW profiles with an increasing offset, thereby confirming the interpretation of the simulations results in terms of the segregation of the two dark matter components of the halo as a consequence of their different coupling to the Dark Energy field.
Both theoretical predictions and observations of the very nearby Universe suggest that low-mass galaxies (log$_{10}$[M$_{*}$/M$_{\odot}$]<9.5) are likely to remain star-forming unless they are affected by their local environment. To test this premise, we compare and contrast the local environment of both passive and star-forming galaxies as a function of stellar mass, using the Galaxy and Mass Assembly survey. We find that passive fractions are higher in both interacting pair and group galaxies than the field at all stellar masses, and that this effect is most apparent in the lowest mass galaxies. We also find that essentially all passive log$_{10}$[M$_{*}$/M$_{\odot}$]<8.5 galaxies are found in pair/group environments, suggesting that local interactions with a more massive neighbour cause them to cease forming new stars. We find that the effects of immediate environment (local galaxy-galaxy interactions) in forming passive systems increases with decreasing stellar mass, and highlight that this is potentially due to increasing interaction timescales giving sufficient time for the galaxy to become passive via starvation. We then present a simplistic model to test this premise, and show that given our speculative assumptions, it is consistent with our observed results.
Radial velocity perturbations induced by stellar surface inhomogeneities including spots, plages and granules currently limit the detection of Earth-twins using Doppler spectroscopy. Such stellar noise is poorly understood for stars other than the Sun because their surface is unresolved. In particular, the effects of stellar surface inhomogeneities on observed stellar radial velocities are extremely difficult to characterize, and thus developing optimal correction techniques to extract true stellar radial velocities is extremely challenging. In this paper, we present preliminary results of a solar telescope built to feed full-disk sunlight into the HARPS-N spectrograph, which is in turn calibrated with an astro-comb. This setup enables long-term observation of the Sun as a star with state-of-the-art sensitivity to radial velocity changes. Over seven days of observing in 2014, we show an average 50\cms radial velocity rms over a few hours of observation. After correcting observed radial velocities for spot and plage perturbations using full-disk photometry of the Sun, we lower by a factor of two the weekly radial velocity rms to 60\cms. The solar telescope is now entering routine operation, and will observe the Sun every clear day for several hours. We will use these radial velocities combined with data from solar satellites to improve our understanding of stellar noise and develop optimal correction methods. If successful, these new methods should enable the detection of Venus over the next two to three years, thus demonstrating the possibility of detecting Earth-twins around other solar-like stars using the radial velocity technique.
A prominent outburst of the flat spectrum radio quasar 3C~454.3 was observed in June 2014 with the Fermi Large Area Telescope. This outburst was characterized by a three-stage light-curve pattern---plateau, flare and post-flare---that occurred from 2014 May to July, in a similar pattern as observed during the exceptional outburst in 2010 November. The highest flux of the outburst reported in this paper occurred during 2014 June 7--29, showing a multiple-peak structure in the light-curves. The average flux in these 22 days was found to be $F[E > 100~\mathrm{MeV}] = (7.2 \pm 0.2) \times 10^{-6}~\mathrm{ph}~\mathrm{cm}^{-2}~\mathrm{s}^{-1}$, with a spectral index, for a simple power law, of $\Gamma = 2.05 \pm 0.01$. That made this outburst the first $\gamma$-ray high state of 3C~454.3 to be ever detected by {\em Fermi} with such a hard spectrum over several days. The highest flux was recorded on 2014 June 15, in a 3-hr bin, at MJD 56823.5625, at a level of $F[E > 100~\mathrm{MeV}] = (21.6 \pm 2.6) \times 10^{-6}~\mathrm{ph}~\mathrm{cm}^{-2}~\mathrm{s}^{-1}$. The rise time of one of the short subflares was found to be $T_r= 1000 \pm 500~$s at MJD=56827, when the flux increased from 4 to 12 $\times 10^{-6}~\mathrm{ph}~\mathrm{cm}^{-2}~\mathrm{s}^{-1}$. Several photons above 20 GeV were collected during this outburst, including one at 43 GeV on MJD 56827, constraining the $\gamma$-ray emission region to be located close to the outer boundary of the broad-line region (BLR), leading to fast flux variability.
Superfluids under an intense gravitational field are typically found in neutron star and quark star cores. Most treatments of these superfluids, however, are done in a flat spacetime background. In this paper, the effect of spacetime curvature on superfluidity is investigated. An effective four-fermion interaction is derived by integrating out the mediating scalar field. The fermions interacting via the mediating gauge vector bosons is also discussed. Two possible cases are considered in the mean-field treatment: antifermion-fermion and fermion-fermion pairings. An effective action, quadratic in fermion field, and a self-consistent equation are derived for both cases. The effective Euclidean action and the matrix elements of the heat kernel operator, which are very useful in curved-spacetime QFT calculations, are derived for the fermion-fermion pairing. Finally, explicit numerical calculation of the gravitational correction to the pairing order parameter is performed for the scalar superfluid case. It is found that, to first order correction, gravity enhances the superfluidity.
Not all stars exhibiting the optical spectral characteristics of B[e] stars share the same evolutionary stage. The Galactic B[e] star MWC 137 is a prime example of an object with uncertain classification, with previous work suggesting pre- and post-main sequence classification. Our goal is to settle this debate and provide reliable evolutionary classification. Integral field spectrograph observations with VLT MUSE of the cluster SH 2-266 are used to analyze the nature of MWC 137. A collimated outflow is discovered that is geometrically centered on MWC 137. The central position of MWC 137 in the cluster SH 2-266 within the larger nebula suggests strongly that it is a member of this cluster and that it is both at the origin of the nebula and the newly discovered jet. Comparison of the color-magnitude diagram of the brightest cluster stars with stellar evolutionary models results in a distance of about 5.2$\pm$1.4 kpc. We estimate that the cluster is at least 3 Myr old. The jet extends over 66" (1.7 pc) projected on the plane of the sky, shows several knots, and projected velocities of up to $\pm$450 km s$^{-1}$. From the Balmer emission line decrement of the diffuse intracluster nebulosity we determine E(B-V)=1.4 mag for the inner 1' cluster region. The spectral energy distribution of the brightest cluster stars yield a slightly lower extinction of E(B-V)~1.2 mag. The extinction towards MWC 137 is estimated to be E(B-V)~1.8 mag (A$_V$~5.6 mag). Our analysis of the optical and near-infrared color-magnitude and color-color diagrams suggests a post-main sequence stage of MWC 137. The existence of a jet in this object implies the presence of an accretion disk.
Spectral line widths are often observed to be larger than can be accounted for by thermal and instrumental broadening alone. This excess broadening is a key observational constraint for both nanoflare and wave dissipation models of coronal heating. Here we present a survey of non-thermal velocities measured in the high temperature loops (1--5MK) often found in the cores of solar active regions. This survey of $\textit{Hinode}$ Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) observations covers 15 non-flaring active regions that span a wide range of solar conditions. We find relatively small non-thermal velocities, with a mean value of 17km s$^{-1}$, and no significant trend with temperature or active region magnetic flux. These measurements appear to be inconsistent with those expected from reconnection jets in the corona, chromospheric evaporation induced by coronal nanoflares, and Alfv\'en wave turbulence models. Furthermore, because the observed non-thermal widths are generally small their measurements are difficult and susceptible to systematic effects.
We present a model of the non-stationary $\alpha$-disk with account for the irradiation and the vertical convection in the outer accretion disk where hydrogen is partially ionized. We include the viscous energy generation in the mix-length convection equations in accretion disks. The optical and X-ray light curves of X-ray nova A0620-00 are investigated in terms of this model. The turbulent viscosity parameter of the accretion disk is estimated, $\alpha = 0.5 \div 0.6$, which is necessary to explain the luminosity decay rate on the descending branch of the X-ray light curve for the A0620-00 1975 outburst. The secondary luminosity maximum on the light curves is explained by assuming an additional injection of matter into the accretion disk from the optical companion.
Analogues of the frequentist chi-square and $F$ tests are proposed for testing goodness-of-fit and consistency for Bayesian models. Simple examples exhibit these tests' detection of inconsistency between consecutive experiments with identical parameters, when the first experiment provides the prior for the second. In a related analysis, a quantitative measure is derived for judging the degree of tension between two different experiments with partially overlapping parameter vectors.
Convection plays a central role in the dynamics of any stellar interior, and yet its operation remains largely-hidden from direct observation. As a result, much of our understanding concerning stellar convection necessarily derives from theoretical and computational models. The Sun is, however, exceptional in that regard. The wealth of observational data afforded by its proximity provides a unique testbed for comparing convection models against observations. When such comparisons are carried out, surprising inconsistencies between those models and observations become apparent. Both photospheric and helioseismic measurements suggest that convection simulations may overestimate convective flow speeds on large spatial scales. Moreover, many solar convection simulations have difficulty reproducing the observed solar differential rotation due to this apparent overestimation. We present a series of 3-dimensional (3-D) stellar convection simulations designed to examine how the amplitude and spectral distribution of convective flows are established within a star's interior. While these simulations are non-magnetic and non-rotating in nature, they demonstrate two robust phenomena. When run with sufficiently high Rayleigh number, the integrated kinetic energy of the convection becomes effectively independent of thermal diffusion, but the spectral distribution of that kinetic energy remains sensitive to both of these quantities. A simulation that has converged to a diffusion-independent value of kinetic energy will divide that energy between spatial scales such that low-wavenumber power is overestimated, and high-wavenumber power is underestimated relative to a comparable system possessing higher Rayleigh number. We discuss the implications of these results in light of the current inconsistencies between models and observations.
Theoretical models of high mass star formation lie between two extreme scenarios. At one extreme, all the mass comes from an initially gravitationally-bound core. At the other extreme, the majority of the mass comes from cluster scale gas, which lies far outside the initial core boundary. One way to unambiguously show high mass stars can assemble their gas through the former route would be to find a high mass star forming in isolation. Making use of recently available CORNISH and ATLASGAL Galactic plane survey data, we develop sample selection criteria to try and find such an object. From an initial list of approximately 200 sources, we identify the high mass star forming region G13.384+0.064 as the most promising candidate. The region contains a strong radio continuum source, that is powered by an early B-type star. The bolometric luminosity, derived from infrared measurements, is consistent with this. However, sub-millimetre continuum emission, measured in ATLASGAL, as well as dense gas tracers, such as HCO+(3-2) and N2H+(3-2) indicate that there is less than 100 M$_{\odot}$ of material surrounding this star. We conclude that this region is indeed a promising candidate for a high mass star forming in isolation, but that deeper near-IR observations are required to put a stronger constraint on the upper mass limit of young, lower mass stars in the region. Finally, we discuss the challenges facing future studies in proving a given high mass star is forming in isolation.
We solve the two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations of black hole accretion with the presence of magnetic field. The field includes a turbulent component, whose role is represented by the viscosity, and a large-scale ordered component. The latter is further assumed to be evenly symmetric with the equatorial plane. The equations are solved in the $r-\theta$ plane of a spherical coordinate by assuming time-steady and radially self-similar. An inflow-wind solution is found. Around the equatorial plane, the gas is inflowing; while above and below the equatorial plane at a certain critical $\theta$ angle, $\theta\sim 47^{\circ}$, the inflow changes its direction of radial motion and becomes wind. The driving forces are analyzed and found to be the centrifugal force and the gradient of gas and magnetic pressure. The properties of wind are also calculated. The specific angular momentum of wind is found to be significantly larger than that of inflow, thus wind can transfer angular momentum outward. These analytical results are compared to those obtained by the trajectory analysis based on MHD numerical simulation data and good agreements are found.
Context. Interstellar dust particles, which represent 1% of the total mass, are recognized to be very powerful interstellar catalysts in star-forming regions. The presence of dust can have a strong impact on the chemical composition of molecular clouds. While observations show that many species that formed onto dust grains populate the gas phase, the process that transforms solid state into gas phase remains unclear. Aims. The aim of this paper is to consider the chemical desorption process, i.e. the process that releases solid species into the gas phase, in astrochemical models. These models allow determining the chemical composition of star-forming environments with an accurate treatment of the solid-phase chemistry. Methods. In paper I we derived a formula based on experimental studies with which we quantified the efficiencies of the chemical desorption process. Here we extend these results to astrophysical conditions. Results. The simulations of astrophysical environments show that the abundances of gas-phase methanol and H2O2 increase by four orders of magnitude, whereas gas-phase H2CO and HO2 increase by one order of magnitude when the chemical desorption process is taken into account. The composition of the ices strongly varies when the chemical desorption is considered or neglected. Conclusions. We show that the chemical desorption process, which directly transforms solid species into gas-phase species, is very efficient for many reactions. Applied to astrophysical environments such as Rho Oph A, we show that the chemical desorption efficiencies derived in this study reproduce the abundances of observed gas-phase methanol, HO2, and H2O2, and that the presence of these molecules in the gas shows the last signs of the evolution of a cloud before the frost.
Separating meteor showers from the sporadic meteor background is critical for the study of both showers and the sporadic complex. The linkage of meteors to meteor showers, to parent bodies, and to other meteors is done using measures of orbital similarity. These measures often take the form of so-called D-parameters and are generally paired with some cutoff value within which two orbits are considered related. The appropriate cutoff value can depend on the size of the data-set (Southworth & Hawkins 1963), the sporadic contribution within the observed size range (Jopek 1995), or the inclination of the shower (Galligan 2001). If the goal is to minimize sporadic contamination of the extracted shower, the cutoff value should also reflect the strength of the shower compared to the local sporadic background. In this paper, we present a method for determining, on a per-shower basis, the orbital similarity cutoff value that corresponds to a chosen acceptable false-positive rate. This method also assists us in distinguishing which showers are significant within a set of data. We apply these methods to optical meteor observations from the NASA All-Sky and Southern Ontario Meteor Networks.
The continued observations of Sw J1644+57 in X-ray and radio bands accumulated a rich data set to study the relativistic jet launched in this tidal disruption event. We find that the re-brightening feature in the radio light curve can be naturally explained by the two-component jet model. The possible origin of this structured jet are the Blandford-Znajek and Blandford-Payne mechanisms. We also show that this two-component jet model can interpret the two kinds of quasi-periodic variations in the X-ray light curve: a 200 second quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) and a 2.7-day quasi-periodic variation. The latter is interpreted by a precessing outer jet launched near the Bardeen-Petterson radius of a warped disk. The $\sim$ 200s QPO could be associated with a second, narrower jet sweeping the observer line-of-sight periodically, which is launched from a spinning black hole in the misaligned direction with respect to the black hole's angular momentum.
We present high-resolution observations of a quiescent solar prominence which was consisted of a vertical and a horizontal foot encircled by an overlying spine, and counter-streaming mass flows were ubiquitous in the prominence. While the horizontal foot and the spine were connecting to the solar surface, the vertical foot was suspended above the solar surface and supported by a semicircular bubble structure. The bubble first collapsed and then reformed at a similar height, finally, it started to oscillate for a long time. We find that the collapsing and oscillation of the bubble boundary were tightly associated with a flare-like feature located at the bottom of the bubble. Based on the observational results, we propose that the prominence should be composed of an overlying horizontal spine encircling a low-lying horizontal and a vertical foot, in which the horizontal foot was consisted of shorter field lines running partially along the spine and with the both ends connecting to the solar surface, while the vertical foot was consisted of piling-up dips due to the sagging of the spine fields and supported by a bipolar magnetic system formed by parasitic polarities (i.e., the bubble). The upflows in the vertical foot were possibly caused by the magnetic reconnection at the separator between the bubble and the overlying dips, which intruded into the persistent downflow field and formed the picture of counter-streaming mass flows. In addition, the counter-streaming flows in the horizontal foot were possibly caused by the imbalanced pressure at the both ends.
We present the measurement of the size and surface brightness of the expanding light echoes from supernova (SN) 2014J in the nearby starburst galaxy M82. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ACS/WFC images were taken ~277 and ~416 days (after the time of B-band maximum light) in the filters F475W, F606W, and F775W, each combined with the three polarizing filters: POL0V, POL60V, and POL120V. The two epochs' imaging reveals the time evolution of at least two major echoes. Three concentric bright regions between position angles (PA, 0^{\circ} from North, counterclockwise). 80^{\circ} ~ 170^{\circ} have projected radius of 0.60" on the sky on ~277 days and expanding to 0.75" on ~416 days, corresponding to scattering materials at a foreground distance of 222\pm37 pc. Another fainter but evident light echo extending over a wide range of PA has radii of 0.75" and 0.96" on ~277 and ~416 days. This corresponds to scattering material at a foreground distance of 367\pm61 pc. Multiple light echoes with S/N > 2.5 reside at smaller radii on ~277 days but become less significant on ~416 days indicating a complex structure of foreground interstellar medium (ISM). The light echo shows bluer color than predicted under a Rayleigh scattering case. We also found the light echo brightened from V_{echo}=21.68\pm0.07 on 2014 September 5, to V_{echo}=21.05\pm0.08 on 2014 November 6, suggesting an enhancement of echoing materials at different distances projected on to the plane of the sky.
We present here evidence for the existence of a citation advantage within astrophysics for papers that link to data. Using simple measures based on publication data from NASA Astrophysics Data System we find a citation advantage for papers with links to data receiving on the average significantly more citations per paper than papers without links to data. Furthermore, using INSPEC and Web of Science databases we investigate whether either papers of an experimental or theoretical nature display different citation behavior.
We present VIMOS-VLT spectroscopy of the Frontier Fields cluster MACS~J0416.1-2403. Taken as part of the CLASH-VLT survey, the large spectroscopic campaign provided more than 4000 reliable redshifts, including ~800 cluster member galaxies. The unprecedented sample of cluster members at this redshift allows us to perform a highly detailed dynamical and structural analysis of the cluster out to ~3$r_{200}$ (~5Mpc). Our analysis of substructures reveals a complex system composed of a main massive cluster ($M_{200}$~0.9$\times 10^{15} M_{\odot}$) presenting two major features: i) a bimodal velocity distribution, showing two central peaks separated by $\Delta V_{rf}$~1100 km s$^{-1}$ with comparable galaxy content and velocity dispersion, ii) a projected elongation of the main substructures along the NE-SW direction, with a prominent subclump ~600 kpc SW of the center and an isolated BCG approximately halfway between the center and the SW clump. We also detect a low mass structure at z~0.390, ~10' S of the cluster center, projected at ~3Mpc, with a relative line-of-sight velocity of $\Delta V_{rf}$~-1700 km s$^{-1}$. The cluster mass profile that we obtain through our dynamical analysis deviates significantly from the "universal" NFW, being best fit by a Softened Isothermal Sphere model instead. The mass profile measured from the galaxy dynamics is found to be in relatively good agreement with those obtained from strong and weak lensing, as well as with that from the X-rays, despite the clearly unrelaxed nature of the cluster. Our results reveal overall a complex dynamical state of this massive cluster and support the hypothesis that the two main subclusters are being observed in a pre-collisional phase, in line with recent findings from radio and deep X-ray data. With this article we also release the entire redshift catalog of 4386 sources in the field of this cluster.
We report Gemini Planet Imager H band high-contrast imaging/integral field spectroscopy and polarimetry of the HD 100546, a 10 $Myr$-old early-type star recently confirmed to host a thermal infrared bright (super)jovian protoplanet at wide separation, HD 100546 b. We resolve the inner disk cavity in polarized light, recover the thermal-infrared (IR) bright arm, and identify one additional spiral arm. We easily recover HD 100546 b and show that much of its emission originates an unresolved, point source. HD 100546 b likely has extremely red infrared colors compared to field brown dwarfs, qualitatively similar to young cloudy superjovian planets, however, these colors may instead indicate that HD 100546 b is still accreting material from a circumplanetary disk. Additionally, we identify a second point source-like peak at $r_{proj}$ $\sim$ 13 AU, located just interior to or at inner disk wall consistent with being a 10--20 $M_{J}$ candidate second protoplanet-- "HD 100546 c" -- and lying within a weakly polarized region of the disk but along an extension of the thermal IR bright spiral arm. Alternatively, it is equally plausible that this feature is a weakly polarized but locally bright region of the inner disk wall. Astrometric monitoring of this feature over the next 2 years and emission line measurements could confirm its status as a protoplanet, rotating disk hot spot that is possibly a signpost of a protoplanet, or a stationary emission source from within the disk.
The progenitor system(s) and the explosion mechanism(s) of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are still under debate. Non-electromagnetic observables, in particular gravitational waves and neutrino emission, of thermoclear supernovae are a complementary window to light curves and spectra for studying these enigmatic objects. A leading model for SNe Ia is the thermonuclear incineration of a near-Chandrasekhar mass carbon-oxygen white dwarf star in a "delayed-detonation". We calculate a three-dimensional hydrodynamic explosion for the N100 delayed-detonation model extensively discussed in the literature, taking the dynamical effects of neutrino emission from all important contributing source terms into account. Although neutrinos carry away $2 \times 10^{49}$ erg of energy, we confirm the common view that neutrino energy losses are dynamically not very important, resulting in only a modest reduction of the final kinetic energy by two per cent. We then calculate the gravitational wave signal from the time evolution of the quadrupole moment. Our model radiates $7 \times 10^{39}$ erg in gravitational waves and the spectrum has a pronounced peak around 0.4 Hz. Depending on viewing angle and polarization, we find that the future space-based gravitational wave missions DECIGO and BBO would be able to detect our source to a distance of 1.3 Mpc. We predict a clear signature of the deflagration-to-detonation transition in the neutrino and the gravitational wave signals. If observed, such a feature would be a strong indicator of the realization of delayed-detonations in near-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarfs.
A simple, heuristic formula with parallels to the Drake Equation is introduced to help focus discussion on open questions for the origins of life in a planetary context. This approach indicates a number of areas where quantitative progress can be made on parameter estimation for determining origins of life probabilities. We also suggest that the probability of origin of life events can be dramatically increased on planets with parallel chemistries that can undergo the development of complexity, and in solar systems where more than one planet is available for chemical evolution, and where efficient impact ejecta exchange occurs, increasing the effective chemical search space and available time.
The Lockman Hole Project is a wide international collaboration aimed at exploiting the multi-band extensive and deep information available for the Lockman Hole region, with the aim of better characterizing the physical and evolutionary properties of the various source populations detected in deep radio fields. Recent observations with the LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) extends the multi-frequency radio information currently available for the Lockman Hole (from 350 MHz up to 15 GHz) down to 150 MHz, allowing us to explore a new radio spectral window for the faint radio source population. These LOFAR observations allow us to study the population of sources with spectral peaks at lower radio frequencies, providing insight into the evolution of GPS and CSS sources. In this general framework, I present preliminary results from 150 MHz LOFAR observations of the Lockman Hole field.
The observational features of the massive galaxy cluster "El Gordo" (ACT-CL J0102-4915), such as the X-ray emission, the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect, and the surface mass density distribution, indicate that they are caused by an exceptional ongoing high-speed collision of two galaxy clusters, similar to the well-known Bullet Cluster. We perform a series of hydrodynamical simulations to investigate the merging scenario and identify the initial conditions for the collision in ACT-CL J0102-4915. By surveying the parameter space of the various physical quantities that describe the two colliding clusters, including their total mass (M), mass ratio (\xi), gas fractions (f_b), initial relative velocity (V), and impact parameter (P), we find out an off-axis merger with P~800h_{70}^{-1}kpc, V~2500km/s, M~3x10^{15}Msun, and \xi=3.6 that can lead to most of the main observational features of ACT-CL J0102-4915. Those features include the morphology of the X-ray emission with a remarkable wake-like substructure trailing after the secondary cluster, the X-ray luminosity and the temperature distributions, and also the SZ temperature decrement. The initial relative velocity required for the merger is extremely high and rare compared to that inferred from currently available Lambda cold dark matter (LCDM) cosmological simulations, which raises a potential challenge to the LCDM model, in addition to the case of the Bullet Cluster.
Massive black holes (MBHs) are nowadays recognized as integral parts of galaxy evolution. Both the approximate proportionality between MBH and galaxy mass, and the expected importance of feedback from active MBHs in regulating star formation in their host galaxies point to a strong interplay between MBHs and galaxies. MBHs must form in the first galaxies and be fed by gas in these galaxies, with continuous or intermittent inflows that, at times, can be larger than the Eddington rate. Feedback from supernovae and from the MBHs themselves modulates the growth of the first MBHs. While current observational data only probe the most massive and luminous MBHs, the tip of the iceberg, we will soon be able to test theoretical models of MBH evolution on more "normal" MBHs: the MBHs that are indeed relevant in building the population that we observe in local galaxies, including our own Milky Way.
The Planck-ATCA Co-eval Observations (PACO) project has yielded observations of 464 sources with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) between 4.5 and 40 GHz. The main purpose of the project was to investigate the spectral properties of mm-selected radio sources at frequencies below and overlapping with the ESA's Planck satellite frequency bands, minimizing the variability effects by observing almost simultaneously with the first two Planck all-sky surveys. In this paper we present the whole catalogue of observations in total intensity. By comparing PACO with the various measures of Planck Catalog of Compact Sources (PCCS) flux densities we found the best consistency with the PCCS "detection pipeline" photometry (DETFLUX) that we used to investigate the spectral properties of sources from 5 to 217 GHz. Of our sources, 91% have remarkably smooth spectrum, well described by a double power law over the full range. This suggests a single emitting region, at variance with the notion that "flat" spectra result from the superposition of the emissions from different compact regions, self absorbed up to different frequencies. Most of the objects show a spectral steepening above 30 GHz, consistent with synchrotron emission becoming optically thin. Thus, the classical dichotomy between flat-spectrum/compact and steep-spectrum/extended radio sources, well established at cm wavelengths, breaks down at mm wavelengths. The mm-wave spectra do not show indications of the spectral break expected as the effect of "electron ageing", suggesting young source ages.
Previous searches for the $\gamma$-ray signatures of annihilating galactic dark matter used predefined spatial templates to describe the background of $\gamma$-ray emission from astrophysical processes like cosmic ray interactions. In this work, we aim to establish an alternative approach, in which the astrophysical components are identified solely by their spectral and morphological properties. To this end, we adopt the recent reconstruction of the diffuse $\gamma$-ray sky from Fermi data by the D$^{3}$PO algorithm and the fact that more than 90\% of its flux can be represented by only two spectral components, resulting form the dense and dilute interstellar medium. Under these presumptions, we confirm the reported DM annihilation-like signal in the inner Galaxy and derive upper limits for dark matter annihilation cross sections. We investigate whether the DM signal could be a residual of the simplified modeling of astrophysical emission by inspecting the morphology of the regions, which favor a dark matter component. The central galactic region favors strongest for such a component with the expected spherically symmetric and radially declining profile. However, clearly astrophysical structures, in particular sky regions which seem to host most of the dilute interstellar medium, also would benefit from a DM annihilation-like component. Although these regions do not drive the fit, they warn that a more detailed understanding of astrophysical $\gamma$-ray emitting processes in the galactic center region are necessary before definite claims about a DM annihilation signal can be made.
Gamma-ray detected radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 (g-NLS1) galaxies constitute a small but interesting sample of the gamma-ray loud AGN. The radio-loudest g-NLS1 known, PKS 2004-447, is located in the southern hemisphere and is monitored in the radio regime by the multiwavelength monitoring program TANAMI. We aim for the first detailed study of the radio morphology and long-term radio spectral evolution of PKS 2004-447, which are essential to understand the diversity of the radio properties of g-NLS1s. The TANAMI VLBI monitoring program uses the Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA) and telescopes in Antarctica, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa to monitor the jets of radio-loud active galaxies in the southern hemisphere. Lower resolution radio flux density measurements at multiple radio frequencies over four years of observations were obtained with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). The TANAMI VLBI image at 8.4 GHz shows an extended one-sided jet with a dominant compact VLBI core. Its brightness temperature is consistent with equipartition, but it is an order of magnitude below other g-NLS1s with the sample value varying over two orders of magnitude. We find a compact morphology with a projected large-scale size <11 kpc and a persistent steep radio spectrum with moderate flux-density variability. PKS 2004-447 appears to be a unique member of the g-NLS1 sample. It exhibits blazar-like features, such as a flat featureless X-ray spectrum and a core dominated, one-sided parsec-scale jet with indications for relativistic beaming. However, the data also reveal properties atypical for blazars, such as a radio spectrum and large-scale size consistent with Compact-Steep-Spectrum (CSS) objects, which are usually associated with young radio sources. These characteristics are unique among all g-NLS1s and extremely rare among gamma-ray loud AGN.
We report early optical linear polarization observations of two gamma-ray bursts made with the MASTER robotic telescope network. We found the minimum polar- ization for GRB150301B to be 8% at the beginning of the initial stage, whereas we detected no polarization for GRB150413A either at the rising branch or after the burst reached the power-law afterglow stage. This is the earliest measurement of the polarization (in cosmological rest frame) of gamma-ray bursts. The primary intent of the paper is to discover optical emission and publish extremely rare (unique) high- quality light curves of the prompt optical emission of gamma-ray bursts during the non-monotonic stage of their evolution. We report that our team has discovered the optical counterpart of one of the bursts, GRB150413A.
Observations of the intracluster medium (ICM) in galaxy clusters suggest for the presence of turbulence and the magnetic fields existence has been proved through observations of Faraday Rotation and synchrotron emission. The ICM is also known to be filled by a rarefied weakly collisional plasma. In this work we study the possible signatures left on Faraday Rotation maps by collisionless instabilities. For this purpose we use a numerical approach to investigate the dynamics of the turbulence in collisionless plasmas based on an magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) formalism taking into account different levels of pressure anisotropy. We consider models covering the sub/super-Alfv\'enic and trans/supersonic regimes, one of them representing the fiducial conditions corresponding to the ICM. From the simulated models we compute Faraday Rotation maps and analyze several statistical indicators in order to characterize the magnetic field structure and compare the results obtained with the collisionless model to those obtained using standard collisional MHD framework. We find that important imprints of the pressure anisotropy prevails in the magnetic field and also manifest in the associated Faraday Rotation maps which evidence smaller correlation lengths in the collisionless MHD case. These points are remarkably noticeable for the case mimicking the conditions prevailing in ICM. Nevertheless, in this study we have neglected the decrease of pressure anisotropy due to the feedback of the instabilities that naturally arise in collisionless plasmas at small scales. This decrease may not affect the statistical imprint differences described above, but should be examined elsewhere.
We investigate how dark energy properties impact the cosmological limits on the total mass of active neutrinos. We consider two typical, simple dark energy models (that have only one more additional parameter than $\Lambda$CDM), i.e., the $w$CDM model and the holographic dark energy (HDE) model, as examples, to make an analysis. In the cosmological fits, we use the Planck 2015 temperature and polarization data, in combination with other low-redshift observations, including the baryon acoustic oscillations, type Ia supernovae, and Hubble constant measurement, as well as the Planck lensing measurements. We find that, once dynamical dark energy is considered, the degeneracy between $\sum m_\nu$ and $H_0$ will be changed, i.e., in the $\Lambda$CDM model, $\sum m_\nu$ is anti-correlated with $H_0$, but in the $w$CDM and HDE models, $\sum m_\nu$ becomes positively correlated with $H_0$. Compared to $\Lambda$CDM, in the $w$CDM model the limit on $\sum m_\nu$ becomes much looser, but in the HDE model the limit becomes much tighter. In the HDE model, we obtain $\sum m_\nu<0.113$ eV with the combined data sets, which is perhaps the most stringent upper limit by far on neutrino mass. Thus, our result in the HDE model is nearly ready to diagnose the neutrino mass hierarchy with the current cosmological observations.
This work intends to give the state-of-the-art of our knowledge of the performance of LEKIDs at millimetre wavelengths (from 80 to 180~GHz). We evaluate their optical sensitivity under typical background conditions and their interaction with ionising particles. Two LEKID arrays, originally designed for ground-based applications and composed of a few hundred pixels each, operate at a central frequency of 100, and 150~GHz ($\Delta \nu / \nu$ about 0.3). Their sensitivities have been characterised in the laboratory using a dedicated closed-circle 100~mK dilution cryostat and a sky simulator, allowing for the reproduction of realistic, space-like observation conditions. The impact of cosmic rays has been evaluated by exposing the LEKID arrays to alpha particles ($^{241}$Am) and X sources ($^{109}$Cd) with a readout sampling frequency similar to the ones used for Planck HFI (about 200~Hz), and also with a high resolution sampling level (up to 2~MHz) in order to better characterise and interpret the observed glitches. In parallel, we have developed an analytical model to rescale the results to what would be observed by such a LEKID array at the second Lagrangian point.
In an attempt to constrain and understand the emission mechanism of gamma rays, we perform a cross-correlation analysis of 15 blazars using light curves in millimetre, optical and gamma rays. We use discrete correlation function and consider only correlations significant at 99 per cent level. A strong correlation was found between 37 and 95 GHz with a near-zero time delay in most of the sources, and ~1 month or longer in the rest. A similar result was obtained between the optical and gamma-ray bands. Of the 15 sources, less than 50 per cent showed a strong correlation between the millimetre and gamma-ray or millimetre and optical bands. The primary reason for the lack of statistically significant correlation is the absence of a major outburst in the millimetre bands of most of the sources during the 2.5 yr time period investigated in our study. This may indicate that only the long-term variations or large flares are correlated between these bands. The variability of the sources at every waveband was also inspected using fractional rms variability. The fractional rms variability displays an increase with frequency reaching its maximum in the gamma rays.
Multi-wavelength monitoring of Sgr A* flaring activity confirms the presence of embedded structures within the disk on size scales commensurate with the innermost accretion region, matching size scales that are derived from observed light curves within a broad range of wavelengths. We explore here a few of the observational signatures for an orbiting spot in non-keplerian motion near the event horizon of Sgr A* and model light curves from plunging emitting material near the marginally stable orbit of Sgr A*. All special and general relativistic effects (relativistic beaming, redshifts and blue-shifts, lensing effect, photon time delays) for unpolarized synchrotron emission near a Schwarzschild and Kerr black hole are all taken into consideration.
The recent discovery of high-energy cosmic neutrinos by the IceCube neutrino observatory opens up a new field in physics, the field of neutrino astronomy. Using the IceCube neutrino detector we plan to search for high-energy neutrinos emitted from Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), since AGN are believed to be one of the most promising sources of the most energetic cosmic rays and hence of high-energy neutrinos. We discuss a specific type of AGN which we plan to investigate in more detail with data obtained by the IceCube observatory. The main properties of the AGN category in which we are interested are given by a high-energy jet which is pointing in our line of sight defining a class of AGN, called Blazars, and in particular the ones that are obscured by surrounding dust. The jet-matter interaction is expected to give an increased high-energy neutrino production. The properties of this specific type of AGN are expected to give very distinct features in the electromagnetic spectrum, which are discussed in detail.
We performed axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations of perturbed tori orbiting a black hole. The tori in equilibrium were constructed with a constant distribution of angular momentum in a pseudo-Newtonian potential (Klu{\'z}niak-Lee). Epicyclic motions were triggered by adding sub-sonic velocity fields: radial, vertical and diagonal to the tori in equilibrium. As the perturbed tori evolved in time, we measured $L_{2}$ norm of density and obtained the power spectrum of $L_{2}$ norm which manifested eigenfrequencies of tori modes. We observe a pair of modes which occur in an approximate 3:2 ratio. Results from our simulations are relevant in the context of high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (HF QPOs) observed in stellar-mass black hole binaries.
The advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors scheduled to come online in the next
two years will open up the much anticipated era of gravitational wave
astronomy. Among the strongest contenders for the first detection are merging
binary neutron stars, a fraction of which are also expected to produce
observable electromagnetic signals in coincidence with the gravitational wave
events. In this paper we investigate the strategy of using gravitational wave
sky-localizations that we can expect to see in the first two years of the
advanced detector era, to look for electromagnetic counterparts using wide
field of view optical telescopes. The key to efficient observation of the
gravitational wave sky-localizations is to obtain the optimal discretized
approximation of the sky-localizations, where the coarseness of the
discretization will depend on the field of view of the telescope. We examine
various strategies of scanning these sky-localizations and propose the
ranked-tiling strategy that we found to be the most effective and that requires
the least amount of fine-tuning.
We discuss the concept of distributed field-of-view arrays, which use
multiple telescopes in a synchronous fashion with an effective FOV equal to the
sum of all the individual telescopes in the context of covering the
sky-localizations. We show that such arrays will be more efficient than
monolithic large FOV telescopes in scanning the sky-localizations in the first
two years of operation of the LIGO and Virgo interferometers. This result
underscores the importance of using multiple non-local telescopes in a joint
fashion to target the gravitational wave sky-localizations.
ARGO-YBJ, located at the YangBaJing Cosmic Ray Observatory (4300 m a.s.l., Tibet, China), is a full coverage air shower array, with an energy threshold of 300 GeV for gamma-ray astronomy. Most of the recorded events are single front showers, satisfying the trigger requirement of at least 20 particles detected in a given time window. However, in 13% of the events, two randomly arriving showers may be recorded in the same time window, and the second one, in generally smaller, does not need to satisfy the trigger condition. These events are called double front shower events. By using these small showers, well under the trigger threshold, the detector primary energy threshold can be lowered to a few tens of GeV. In this paper, the angular resolution that can be achieved with these events is evaluated by a full Monte Carlo simulation. The ARGO-YBJ sensitivity in detecting gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) by using double front shower events is also studied for various cutoff energies, time durations, and zenith angles of GRBs in the field view of ARGO.
Emission line at the energy ~3.55 keV detected in different galaxies and galaxy clusters has caused a lot of discussion in high-energy astrophysics and particle physics communities. To reveal the origin of the line, we analyzed publicly available observations of MOS cameras from XMM-Newton cosmic observatory - the instrument with the largest sensitivity for narrow faint X-ray lines - previously combined in X-ray sky maps. Because of extremely large timescale needed for detailed analysis, we used the wavelet method instead. Extensive simulations of the central part of Andromeda galaxy are used to check the validity of this method. The resulting list of wavelet detections now contains 235 sky regions. This list will be used in future works for more detailed spectral analysis.
As part of the HI Arecibo Galaxy Environments Survey (AGES) we have observed 5$\times$4 degrees of sky centred on M33, reaching a limiting column density of $\sim 1.5 \times 10^{17}$ cm$^{-2}$ (line width of 10 km s$^{-1}$ and resolution 3.5\arcmin). We particularly investigate the absence of optically detected dwarf galaxies around M33, something that is contrary to galaxy formation models. We identify 22 discrete HI clouds, 11 of which are new detections. The number of objects detected and their internal velocity dispersion distribution is consistent with expectations from standard galaxy formation models. However, the issue remains open as to whether the observed velocity dispersions can be used as a measure of the HI clouds total mass i.e. are the velocities indicative of virialised structures or have they been influenced by tidal interactions with other structures in the Local Group? We identify one particularly interesting HI cloud, AGESM33-31, that has many of the characteristics of HI distributed in the disc of a galaxy, yet there is no known optical counterpart associated with it. This object has a total HI mass of $1.22 \times 10^{7}$ M$_{\odot}$ and a diameter of 18 kpc if at the distance of M33 ($D_{M33}=840$ kpc). However, we also find that there are numerous other HI clouds in this region of sky that have very similar velocities and so it is plausible that all these clouds are actually associated with debris from the Magellanic stream.
In this work, we investigate the thermophysical properties, including thermal inertia, roughness fraction and surface grain size of OSIRIS-REx target asteroid (101955) Bennu by using a thermophysical model with the recently updated 3D radar-derived shape model (\cite[Nolan et al., 2013]{Nolan2013}) and mid-infrared observations (\cite[M$\ddot{u}$ller et al, 2012]{Muller2012}, \cite[Emery et al., 2014]{Emery2014}). We find that the asteroid bears an effective diameter of $510^{+6}_{-40}$ m, a geometric albedo of $0.047^{+0.0083}_{-0.0011}$, a roughness fraction of $0.04^{+0.26}_{-0.04}$, and thermal inertia of $240^{+440}_{-60}\rm~Jm^{-2}s^{-0.5}K^{-1}$ for our best-fit solution. The best-estimate thermal inertia suggests that fine-grained regolith may cover a large portion of Bennu's surface, where a grain size may vary from $1.3$ to $31$~mm. Our outcome suggests that Bennu is suitable for the OSIRIS-REx mission to return samples to Earth.
The phenomenology of the emission of pulsars and magnetars depends dramatically on the structure and properties of their magnetic field. In particular it is believed that the outbursting and flaring activity observed in AXPs and SRGs is strongly related to their internal magnetic field. Recent observations have moreover shown that charges are present in their magnetospheres supporting the idea that their magnetic field is tightly twisted in the vicinity of the star. In principle these objects offer a unique opportunity to investigate physics in a regime beyond what can be obtained in the laboratory. We will discuss the properties of equilibrium models of magnetized neutron stars, and we will show how internal and external currents can be related. These magnetic field configurations will be discussed considering also their stability, relevant for their origin and possibly connected to events like SNe and GRBs. We will also show what kind of deformations they induce in the star, that could lead to emission of gravitational waves. In the case of a twisted magnetosphere we will show how the amount of twist regulates their general topology. A general formalism based on the simultaneous numerical solution of the general relativistic Grad-Shafranov equation and Einstein equations will be presented.
We have measured the linear polarisation of hard X-ray emission from the Crab in a previously unexplored energy interval, 20-120 keV. The introduction of two new observational parameters, the polarisation fraction and angle stands to disentangle geometrical and physical effects, thereby providing information on the pulsar wind geometry and magnetic field environment. Measurements are conducted using the PoGOLite Pathfinder - a balloon-borne polarimeter. Polarisation is determined by measuring the azimuthal Compton scattering angle of incident X-rays in an array of plastic scintillators housed in an anticoincidence well. The polarimetric response has been characterised prior to flight using both polarised and unpolarised calibration sources. We address possible systematic effects through observations of a background field. The measured polarisation fraction for the integrated Crab light-curve is ($18.4^{+9.8}_{-10.6}$)%, corresponding to an upper limit (99% credibility) of 42.4%, for a polarisation angle of ($142.2\pm16.0)^\circ$.
We investigate a method to assess the validity of gravitational-wave detector calibration through the use of gamma-ray bursts as standard sirens. Such signals, as measured via gravitational-wave observations, provide an estimated luminosity distance that is subject to uncertainties in the calibration of the data. If a host galaxy is identified for a given source then its redshift can be combined with current knowledge of the cosmological parameters yielding the true luminosity distance. This will then allow a direct comparison with the estimated value and can validate the accuracy of the original calibration. We use simulations of individual detectable gravitational-wave signals from binary neutron star (BNS) or neutron star-black hole (NSBH) systems, which we assume to be found in coincidence with short gamma-ray bursts, to estimate any discrepancy in the overall scaling of the calibration for detectors in the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo network. We find that the amplitude scaling of the calibration for the LIGO instruments could on average be confirmed to within $\sim 10\%$ for a BNS source within 100 Mpc. This result is largely independent of the current detector calibration method and gives an uncertainty that is competitive with that expected in the current calibration procedure. Confirmation of the calibration accuracy to within $\sim 20\%$ can be found with BNS sources out to $\sim 500$ Mpc.
We present deep spectroscopy of planetary nebulae (PNe) that are associated with the substructures of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). The spectra were obtained with the OSIRIS spectrograph on the 10.4 m GTC. Seven targets were selected for the observations, three in the Northern Spur and four associated with the Giant Stream. The most distant target in our sample, with a rectified galactocentric distance >100 kpc, was the first PN discovered in the outer streams of M31. The [O III] 4363 auroral line was well detected in the spectra of all targets, enabling electron temperature determination. Ionic abundances are derived based on the [O III] temperatures, and elemental abundances of helium, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, sulfur, and argon are estimated. The relatively low N/O and He/H ratios as well as abundance ratios of alpha-elements indicate that our target PNe might belong to populations as old as ~2 Gyr. Our PN sample, including the current seven and the previous three observed by Fang et al., have rather homogeneous oxygen abundances. The study of abundances and the spatial and kinematical properties of our sample leads to the tempting conclusion that their progenitors might belong to the same stellar population, which hints at a possibility that the Northern Spur and the Giant Stream have the same origin. This may be explained by the stellar orbit proposed by Merrett et al. Judging from the position and kinematics, we emphasize that M32 might be responsible for the two substructures. Deep spectroscopy of PNe in M32 will help to assess this hypothesis.
Black holes (BHs) hide themselves behind various astronomical phenomena, and their properties, i.e., mass and spin, are usually difficult to constrain. One leading candidate for the central engine model of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) invokes a stellar mass BH and a neutrino-dominated accretion flow (NDAF), with the relativistic jet launched due to neutrino-anti-neutrino ($\nu \bar\nu$) annihilations. Such a model gives rise to a matter-dominated fireball, and is suitable to interpret GRBs with a dominant thermal component with a photospheric origin. We propose a method to constrain BH mass and spin within the framework of this model, and apply the method to a thermally-dominant GRB 101219B whose initial jet launching radius $r_0$ is constrained from the data. Using our numerical model of NDAF jets, we obtain the following constraints on the central BH: mass $M_{\rm BH} \sim 5-9~M_\odot$, spin parameter $a_* \gtrsim 0.6$, and disk mass $3~M_\odot \lesssim M_{\rm disk} \lesssim 4~M_\odot$.
We consider observational effects of a running effective Planck mass in the scalar-tensor gravity theory. At the background level, an increasing effective Planck mass allows a larger Hubble constant $H_0$, which is more compatible with the local direct measurements. At the perturbative level, for cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies, an increasing effective Planck mass {\it i}) suppresses the unlensed CMB power at $\ell \lesssim 30$ via the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect; and {\it ii}) enhances CMB lensing power. Both effects slightly relax the tension between the current CMB data from Planck satellite and the standard $\Lambda$CDM model predictions. However, those impacts on the CMB secondary anisotropies are subdominant and the overall constraints are driven by the background measurements. Combining CMB data from Planck satellite and an $H_0$ prior from Riess {\it et al}, we find a $\sim 2\sigma$ hint of a positive running of effective Planck mass. However, the hint goes away when we add other low-redshift observational data including type Ia supernovae, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and an Universe age estimation using the oldest stars.
Layered accretion is one of the inevitable ingredients in protoplanetary disks when disk turbulence is excited by magnetorotational instabilities (MRIs). In the accretion, disk surfaces where MRIs fully operate have a high value of disk accretion rate ($\dot{M}$), while the disk midplane where MRIs are generally quenched ends up with a low value of $\dot{M}$. Significant progress on understanding MRIs has recently been made by a number of dedicated MHD simulations, which requires improvement of the classical treatment of $\alpha$ in 1D disk models. To this end, we obtain a new expression of $\alpha$ by utilizing an empirical formula that is derived from recent MHD simulations of stratified disks with Ohmic diffusion. It is interesting that this new formulation can be regarded as a general extension of the classical $\alpha$. Armed with the new $\alpha$, we perform a linear stability analysis of protoplanetary disks that undergo layered accretion, and find that a viscous instability can occur around the outer edge of dead zones. Disks become stable in using the classical $\alpha$. We identify that the difference arises from $\Sigma-$dependence of $\dot{M}$; whereas $\Sigma$ is uniquely determined for a given value of $\dot{M}$ in the classical approach, the new approach leads to $\dot{M}$ that is a multi-valued function of $\Sigma$. We confirm our finding both by exploring a parameter space as well as by performing the 1D, viscous evolution of disks. We finally discuss other non-ideal MHD effects that are not included in our analysis, but may affect our results.
We present a new calculation of neutrino emissivities and energy spectra from a presupernova, a massive star going through the advanced stages of nuclear burning in the months before becoming a supernova. The contributions from beta decay and electron capture, pair annihilation, plasmon decay, and the photoneutrino process are modeled in detail, using updated tabulated nuclear rates. We also use realistic conditions of temperature, density, electron fraction and nuclear isotopic composition of the star from the state of the art stellar evolution code MESA. It is found that beta processes contribute substantially to the neutrino flux above realistic detection thresholds of few MeV, at selected positions and times in the evolution of the star.
We present a detailed study of the classical Cepheid in the double-lined, highly eccentric eclipsing binary system OGLE-LMC562.05.9009. The Cepheid is a fundamental mode pulsator with a period of 2.988 days. The orbital period of the system is 1550 days. Using spectroscopic data from three 4-8-m telescopes and photometry spanning 22 years, we were able to derive the dynamical masses and radii of both stars with exquisite accuracy. Both stars in the system are very similar in mass, radius and color, but the companion is a stable, non-pulsating star. The Cepheid is slightly more massive and bigger (M_1 = 3.70 +/- 0.03M_sun, R_1 = 28.6 +/- 0.2R_sun) than its companion (M_2 = 3.60 +/- 0.03M_sun, R_2 = 26.6 +/- 0.2R_sun). Within the observational uncertainties both stars have the same effective temperature of 6030 +/- 150K. Evolutionary tracks place both stars inside the classical Cepheid instability strip, but it is likely that future improved temperature estimates will move the stable giant companion just beyond the red edge of the instability strip. Within current observational and theoretical uncertainties, both stars fit on a 205 Myr isochrone arguing for their common age. From our model, we determine a value of the projection factor of p = 1.37 +/- 0.07 for the Cepheid in the OGLE-LMC562.05.9009 system. This is the second Cepheid for which we could measure its p-factor with high precision directly from the analysis of an eclipsing binary system, which represents an important contribution towards a better calibration of Baade-Wesselink methods of distance determination for Cepheids.
The next galactic core-collapse supernova (CCSN) has already exploded, and its electromagnetic (EM) waves, neutrinos, and gravitational waves (GWs) may arrive at any moment. We present an extensive study on the potential sensitivity of prospective detection scenarios for GWs from CCSNe within 5Mpc, using realistic noise at the predicted sensitivity of the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors for 2015, 2017, and 2019. We quantify the detectability of GWs from CCSNe within the Milky Way and Large Magellanic Cloud, for which there will be an observed neutrino burst. We also consider extreme GW emission scenarios for more distant CCSNe with an associated EM signature. We find that a three detector network at design sensitivity will be able to detect neutrino-driven CCSN explosions out to ~5.5 kpc, while rapidly rotating core collapse will be detectable out to the Large Magellanic Cloud at 50kpc. Of the phenomenological models for extreme GW emission scenarios considered in this study, such as long-lived bar-mode instabilities and disk fragmentation instabilities, all models considered will be detectable out to M31 at 0.77 Mpc, while the most extreme models will be detectable out to M82 at 3.52 Mpc and beyond.
Magnetic interactions between a star and a close-in planet are postulated to be a source of enhanced emissions and to play a role in the secular evolution of the orbital system. Close-in planets generally orbit in the sub-alfv\'enic region of the stellar wind, which leads to efficient transfers of energy and angular momentum between the star and the planet. We model the magnetic interactions occurring in close-in star-planet systems with three-dimensional, global, compressible magneto-hydrodynamic numerical simulations of a planet orbiting in a self-consistent stellar wind. We focus on the cases of magnetized planets and explore three representative magnetic configurations. The Poynting flux originating from the magnetic interactions is an energy source for enhanced emissions in star-planet systems. Our results suggest a simple geometrical explanation for ubiquitous on/off enhanced emissions associated with close-in planets, and confirm that the Poynting fluxes can reach powers of the order of $10^{19}$ W. Close-in planets are also showed to migrate due to magnetic torques for sufficiently strong stellar wind magnetic fields. The topology of the interaction significantly modifies the shape of the magnetic obstacle that leads to magnetic torques. As a consequence, the torques can vary by at least an order of magnitude as the magnetic topology of the interaction varies.
The pairwise kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (kSZ) signal from galaxy clusters is a probe of their line-of-sight momenta, and thus a potentially valuable source of cosmological information. In addition to the momenta, the amplitude of the measured signal depends on the properties of the intra-cluster gas and observational limitations such as errors in determining cluster centers and redshifts. In this work we simulate the pairwise kSZ signal of clusters at z<1, using the output from a cosmological N-body simulation and including the properties of the intra-cluster gas via a model that can be varied in post-processing. We find that modifications to the gas profile due to star formation and feedback reduce the pairwise kSZ amplitude of clusters by ~50%, relative to the naive `gas traces mass' assumption. We further demonstrate that offsets between the true and observer-selected centers of clusters can reduce the overall amplitude of the pairwise kSZ signal by up to 10%, while errors in the redshifts can lead to an almost complete suppression of the signal at small separations. Using realistic parameters in the model for the intra-cluster gas, we confirm that a high-significance detection of the pairwise kSZ signal is expected from the combination of data from current-generation, high-resolution CMB experiments and cluster samples from optical photometric surveys such as those conducted by the South Pole Telescope and Dark Energy Survey, respectively. Furthermore, we forecast that future experiments such as Advanced ACTPol in conjunction with data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument will yield detection significances of at least $20\sigma$, and up to $57\sigma$ in an optimistic scenario. To aid in future explorations of the kSZ signal, we are releasing our simulated maps and halo catalog with this work; the datasets are publicly available at this http URL
The kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (kSZ) effect results from Thomson scattering by coherent flows the reionized intergalactic medium. The new results presented here follow from ray-tracing a 10 Gpc scale simulations at 2-3 Mpc scale resolution to create a full sky kSZ map that self-consistently includes the effects of reionization on scales corresponding to multipoles $10\lesssim\ell\lesssim{5000}$. We separate the kSZ map into Doppler ($\mathbf{v}$), Ostriker-Vishniac ($\delta\mathbf{v}$), patchy ($x\mathbf{v}$), and third-order ($x\delta\mathbf{v}$) components, and compute explicitly all the auto and cross correlations (e.g., $\langle\mathbf{v}\mathbf{v}\rangle$, $\langle\delta\mathbf{v}{x}\mathbf{v}\rangle$, etc.) that contribute to the total power. We find a complex and non-monotonic dependence on the duration of reionization at $\ell\sim{300}$ and evidence for a non-negligible (10-30 per cent) contribution from connected four point ionization-velocity correlations, $\langle{x}\mathbf{v}x\mathbf{v}\rangle_c$, that are usually neglected in analytical models. We also investigate the Doppler-large scale structure (LSS) correlation, focusing on two different probes: (1) cross power spectra with linearly biased tracers of LSS and (2) cold spots from infall onto large, rare \ion{H}{2} regions centered on peaks in the matter distribution at redshifts $z>10$ that are a generic non-Gaussian feature induced by patchy reionization. Finally, we use our simulations to show that the reionization history can be reconstructed at 5-10$\sigma$ significance by correlating full-sky 21-cm maps stacked in bins with $\Delta\nu\!=\!10$ MHz with existing CMB temperature maps at $\ell<500$.This raises the prospects of using more sophisticated velocity reconstruction methods to probe the distribution of electrons in the IGM by using combined CMB and LSS measurements well into the epoch of reionization.
Oscillons are spatially localized and relatively stable field fluctuations which can form after inflation under suitable conditions. In order to reheat the universe, the fields which dominate the energy density after inflation have to couple to other degrees of freedom and finally produce the matter particles present in the universe today. In this study, we use lattice simulations to investigate how such couplings can affect the formation and stability of oscillons. We focus on models of hilltop inflation, where we have recently shown that hill crossing oscillons generically form, and consider the coupling to an additional scalar field which, depending on the value of the coupling parameter, can get resonantly enhanced from the inhomogeneous inflaton field. We find that three cases are realized: without a parametric resonance, the additional scalar field has no effects on the oscillons. For a fast and strong parametric resonance of the other scalar field, oscillons are strongly suppressed. For a delayed parametric resonance, on the other hand, the oscillons get imprinted on the other scalar field and their stability is even enhanced compared to the single-field oscillons.
We study neutral dark matter candidates with a nonzero magnetic dipole moment. We assume that they are composite states of new fermions related to the strong phase of a new gauge interaction. In particular, invoking a dark flavor symmetry, we analyze the composition structure of viable candidates depending on the assignations of hypercharge and the multiplets associated to the fundamental constituents of the extended sector. We determine the magnetic dipole moments for the neutral composite states in terms of their constituents masses.
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Fossil groups are expected to be the final product of galaxy merging within galaxy groups. In simulations, they are predicted to assemble their mass at high redshift. This early formation allows for the innermost $M^\ast$ galaxies to merge into a massive central galaxy. Then, they are expected to maintain their fossil status because of the few interactions with the large-scale structure. In this context, the magnitude gap between the two brightest galaxies of the system is considered a good indicator of its dynamical status. As a consequence, the systems with the largest gaps should be dynamically relaxed. In order to examine the dynamical status of these systems, we systematically analyze, for the first time, the presence of galaxy substructures in a sample of 12 spectroscopically-confirmed fossil systems with redshift $z \le 0.25$. We apply a number of tests in order to investigate the substructure in fossil systems in the two-dimensional space of projected positions out to $R_{200}$. Moreover, for a subsample of 5 systems with at least 30 spectroscopically-confirmed members we also analyze the substructure in the velocity and in the three-dimensional velocity-position spaces. Additionally, we look for signs of recent mergers in the regions around the central galaxies. We find that an important fraction of fossil systems show substructure. The fraction depends critically on the adopted test, since each test is more sensible to a particular type of substructure. Our interpretation of the results is that fossil systems are not, in general, as relaxed as expected from simulations. Our sample of 12 spectroscopically-confirmed fossil systems need to be extended in order to compute an accurate fraction, but our conclusion is that it is similar to the fraction of substructure detected in non-fossil clusters. THIS ABSTRACT IS TRUNCATED.
The orbital period evolution of X-ray binaries provides fundamental clues to understanding mechanisms of angular momentum loss from these systems. We present an X-ray eclipse timing analysis of the transient low mass X-ray binary AX J1745.6-2901. This system shows full eclipses and thus is one of the few objects for which accurate orbital evolution studies using this method can be carried out. We report on XMM-Newton and ASCA observations covering 30 complete X-ray eclipses spanning an interval of more than 20 years. We improve the determination of the orbital period to a relative precision of $2\times10^{-8}$, two orders of magnitudes better than previous estimates. We determine, for the first time, a highly significant rate of decrease of the orbital period $\dot{P}_{orb}=-4.03\pm0.32\times10^{-11}$~s/s. This is at least one order of magnitude larger than expected from conservative mass transfer and angular momentum losses due to gravitational waves and magnetic breaking, and might result from non-conservative mass transfer. Imprinted on the long term evolution of the orbit, we observe highly significant eclipse leads-delays of ~10-20 s, characterised by a clear state dependence in which, on average, eclipses occur earlier during the hard state.
Exploring the use of single-mode fibers (SMFs) in high precision Doppler spectrometers has become increasingly attractive since the advent of diffraction-limited adaptive optics systems on large-aperture telescopes. Spectrometers fed with these fibers can be made significantly smaller than typical 'seeing-limited' instruments, greatly reducing cost and overall complexity. Importantly, classical mode interference and speckle issues associated with multi-mode fibers, also known as 'modal noise', are mitigated when using SMFs, which also provide perfect radial and azimuthal image scrambling. However, these fibers do support multiple polarization modes, an issue that is generally ignored for larger-core fibers given the large number of propagation modes. Since diffraction gratings used in most high resolution astronomical instruments have dispersive properties that are sensitive to incident polarization changes, any birefringence variations in the fiber can cause variations in the efficiency profile, degrading illumination stability. Here we present a cautionary note outlining how the polarization properties of SMFs can affect the radial velocity measurement precision of high resolution spectrographs. This work is immediately relevant to the rapidly expanding field of diffraction-limited, extreme precision RV spectrographs that are currently being designed and built by a number of groups.
We present an updated status of the EDGE project, which is a survey of 125 local galaxies in the $^{12}$CO($1-0$) and $^{13}$CO($1-0$) lines. We combine the molecular data of the EDGE survey with the stellar and ionized gas maps of the CALIFA survey to give a comprehensive view of the dependence of the star formation efficiency, or equivalently, the molecular gas depletion time, on various local environments, such as the stellar surface density, metallicity, and radius from the galaxy center. This study will provide insight into the parameters that drive the star formation efficiency in galaxies at $z \sim 0$.
We characterize the eccentricity distribution of a sample of ~50 short-period planet candidates using transit and occultation measurements from NASA's Kepler Mission. First, we evaluate the sensitivity of our hierarchical Bayesian modeling and test its robustness to model misspecification using simulated data. When analyzing actual data assuming a Rayleigh distribution for eccentricity, we find that the posterior mode for the dispersion parameter is $\sigma=0.081 \pm^{0.014}_{0.003}$. We find that a two-component Gaussian mixture model for $e \cos \omega$ and $e \sin \omega$ provides a better model than either a Rayleigh or Beta distribution. Based on our favored model, we find that $\sim90\%$ of planet candidates in our sample come from a population with an eccentricity distribution characterized by a small dispersion ($\sim0.01$), and $\sim10\%$ come from a population with a larger dispersion ($\sim0.22$). Finally, we investigate how the eccentricity distribution correlates with selected planet and host star parameters. We find evidence that suggests systems around higher metallicity stars and planet candidates with smaller radii come from a more complex eccentricity distribution.
We measure the evolution of the quiescent fraction and quenching efficiency of satellites around star-forming and quiescent central galaxies with stellar mass $\log(M_{\mathrm{cen}}/M_{\odot})>10.5$ at $0.3<z<2.5$. We combine imaging from three deep near-infrared-selected surveys (ZFOURGE/CANDELS, UDS, and UltraVISTA), which allows us to select a stellar-mass complete sample of satellites with $\log(M_{\mathrm{sat}}/M_{\odot})>9.3$. Satellites for both star-forming and quiescent central galaxies have higher quiescent fractions compared to field galaxies matched in stellar mass at all redshifts. We also observe "galactic conformity": satellites around quiescent centrals are more likely to be quenched compared to the satellites around star-forming centrals. In our sample, this conformity signal is significant at $\gtrsim3\sigma$ for $0.6<z<1.6$, whereas it is only weakly significant at $0.3<z<0.6$ and $1.6<z<2.5$. Therefore, conformity (and therefore satellite quenching) has been present for a significant fraction of the age of the universe. The satellite quenching efficiency increases with increasing stellar mass of the central, but does not appear to depend on the stellar mass of the satellite to the mass limit of our sample. When we compare the satellite quenching efficiency of star-forming centrals with stellar masses 0.2 dex higher than quiescent centrals (which should account for any difference in halo mass), the conformity signal decreases, but remains statistically significant at $0.6<z<0.9$. This is evidence that satellite quenching is connected to the star-formation properties of the central as well as to the mass of the halo. We discuss physical effects that may contribute to galactic conformity, and emphasize that they must allow for continued star-formation in the central galaxy even as the satellites are quenched.
We carried out a magnetohydrodynamics simulation where a subsurface twisted kink-unstable flux tube emerges from the solar interior to the corona. Unlike the previous expectations based on the bodily emergence of a knotted tube, we found that the kinked tube can spontaneously form a complex quadrupole structure at the photosphere. Due to the development of the kink instability before the emergence, the magnetic twist at the kinked apex of the tube is greatly reduced, although the other parts of the tube is still strongly twisted. This leads to the formation of a complex quadrupole structure: a pair of the coherent, strongly twisted spots and a narrow complex bipolar pair between it. The quadrupole is formed by the submergence of a portion of emerged magnetic fields. This result is relevant for understanding of the origin of the complex multipolar $\delta$-spot regions that have a strong magnetic shear and emerge with polarity orientations not following Hale-Nicholson and Joy Laws.
We apply the Sternberg et al. (2014) theoretical model to analyze HI and H2 observations in the Perseus molecular cloud. We constrain the physical properties of the HI shielding envelopes and the nature of the HI-to-H2 transitions. Our analysis (Bialy et al. 2015) implies that in addition to cold neutral gas (CNM), less dense thermally-unstable gas (UNM) significantly contributes to the shielding of the H2 cores in Perseus.
We present and discuss the design details of an extensible, modular, open source software framework called EXOSIMS, which creates end-to-end simulations of space-based exoplanet imaging missions. We motivate the development and baseline implementation of the component parts of this software with models of the WFIRST-AFTA coronagraph, and present initial results of mission simulations for various iterations of the WFIRST-AFTA coronagraph design. We present and discuss two sets of simulations: The first compares the science yield of completely different instruments in the form of early competing coronagraph designs for WFIRST-AFTA. The second set of simulations evaluates the effects of different operating assumptions, specifically the assumed post-processing capabilities and telescope vibration levels. We discuss how these results can guide further instrument development and the expected evolution of science yields.
Most black holes (BHs) will absorb a neutron star (NS) companion fully intact, without tidal disruption, suggesting the pair will remain dark to telescopes. Even without tidal disruption, electromagnetic luminosity is generated from the battery phase of the binary when the BH interacts with the NS magnetic field. Originally the luminosity was expected in high-energy X-rays or gamma-rays, however we conjecture that some of the battery power is emitted in the radio bandwidth. While the luminosity and timescale are suggestive of fast radio bursts (FRBs; millisecond-scale radio transients) NS--BH coalescence rates are too low to make these a primary FRB source. Instead, we propose the transients form a FRB sub-population, distinguishable by a double peak with a precursor. The rapid ramp-up in luminosity manifests as a precursor to the burst which is $20\%-80\%$ as luminous, given 0.5~ms timing resolution. The main burst is from the peak luminosity before merger. The post-merger burst follows from the NS magnetic field migration to the BH, causing a shock. NS--BH pairs are especially desirable for ground-based gravitational wave (GW) observatories since the pair might not otherwise be detected, with electromagnetic counterparts greatly augmenting the scientific leverage beyond the GW signal. Valuably, the electromagnetic signal can break degeneracies in the parameters encoded in the GW as well as probe the NS magnetic field strength, yielding insights into open problems in NS magnetic field decay.
Supermassive black hole accretion and feedback play central role in the evolution of galaxies, groups, and clusters. I review how AGN feedback is tightly coupled with the formation of multiphase gas and the newly probed chaotic cold accretion (CCA). In a turbulent and heated atmosphere, cold clouds and kpc-scale filaments condense out of the plasma via thermal instability and rain toward the black hole. In the nucleus, the recurrent chaotic collisions between the cold clouds, filaments, and central torus promote angular momentum cancellation or mixing, boosting the accretion rate up to 100 times the Bondi rate. The rapid variability triggers powerful AGN outflows, which quench the cooling flow and star formation without destroying the cool core. The AGN heating stifles the formation of multiphase gas and accretion, the feedback subsides and the hot halo is allowed to cool again, restarting a new cycle. Ultimately, CCA creates a symbiotic link between the black hole and the whole host via a tight self-regulated feedback which preserves the gaseous halo in global thermal equilibrium throughout cosmic time.
We present the first Doppler images of the active eclipsing binary system SZ Psc, based on the high-resolution spectral data sets obtained in 2004 November and 2006 September--December. The least-squares deconvolution technique was applied to derive high signal-to-noise profiles from the observed spectra of SZ Psc. Absorption features contributed by a third component of the system were detected in the LSD profiles at all observed phases. We estimated the mass and period of the third component to be about $0.9 M_{\odot}$ and $1283 \pm 10$ d, respectively. After removing the contribution of the third body from the LSD profiles, we derived the surface maps of SZ Psc. The resulting Doppler images indicate significant starspot activities on the surface of the K subgiant component. The distributions of starspots are more complex than that revealed by previous photometric studies. The cooler K component exhibited pronounced high-latitude spots as well as numerous low- and intermediate-latitude spot groups during the entire observing seasons, but did not show any large, stable polar cap, different from many other active RS CVn-type binaries.
A key component of characterizing multi-planet exosystems is testing the orbital stability based on the observed properties. Such characterization not only tests the validity of how observations are interpreted but can also place additional constraints upon the properties of the detected planets. The Kepler mission has identified hundreds of multi-planet systems but there are a few that have additional non-transiting planets and also have well characterized host stars. Kepler-68 is one such system for which we are able to provide a detailed study of the orbital dynamics. We use the stellar parameters to calculate the extent of the Habitable Zone for this system, showing that the outer planet lies within that region. We use N-body integrations to study the orbital stability of the system, in particular placing an orbital inclination constraint on the outer planet of i > 5 degrees. Finally, we present the results of an exhaustive stability simulation that investigates possible locations of stable orbits for an Earth-mass planet. We show that there are several islands of stability within the Habitable Zone that could harbor such a planet, most particularly at the 2:3 mean motion resonance with the outer planet.
Capitalizing on the all-sky coverage of {\it WISE}, and the 35\% and 50\% sky coverage from SDSS and Pan-STARRS, respectively, we explore the efficacy of $m_{R}$ (optical) - $m_{3.4 \mu m}$ (mid-infrared), hereafter $R-W1$, as a color diagnostic to identify obscured supermassive black hole accretion in wide-area X-ray surveys. We use the $\sim$16.5 deg$^2$ Stripe 82 X-ray survey data as a test-bed to compare $R-W1$ with $R-K$, an oft-used obscured AGN selection criterion, and examine where different classes of objects lie in this parameter space. Most stars follow a well-defined path in $R-K$ vs. $R-W1$ space. We demonstrate that optically normal galaxies hosting X-ray AGN at redshifts $0.5<z<1$ can be recovered with an $R-W1>4$ color-cut, while they typically are not selected as AGN based on their $W1-W2$ colors. Additionally, different observed X-ray luminosity bins favor different regions in $R-W1$ parameter space: moderate luminosity AGN ($10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1} < L_{\rm 0.5-10 keV} < 10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$) tend to have red colors while the highest luminosity AGN ($L_{\rm 0.5-10 keV} > 10^{45}$ erg s$^{-1}$) have bluer colors; higher spectroscopic completeness of the Stripe 82X sample is needed to determine whether this is a selection effect or an intrinsic property. Finally, we parameterize X-ray obscuration of Stripe 82X AGN by calculating their hardness ratios (HRs) and find no clear trends between HR and optical reddening. Our results will help inform best-effort practices in following-up obscured AGN candidates in current and future wide-area, shallow X-ray surveys, including the all-sky {\it eROSITA} mission.
Three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations, covering the spatial domain from hundreds of Schwarzschild radii to $2\ \mathrm{pc}$ around the central supermassive black hole of mass $10^8 M_\odot$, with detailed radiative cooling processes, are performed. Generically found is the existence of a significant amount of shock heated, high temperature ($\geq 10^8\ \mathrm{K}$) coronal gas in the inner ($\leq 10^4 r_\mathrm{sch}$) region. It is shown that the composite bremsstrahlung emission spectrum due to coronal gas of various temperatures are in reasonable agreement with the overall ensemble spectrum of AGNs and hard X-ray background. Taking into account inverse Compton processes, in the context of the simulation-produced coronal gas, our model can readily account for the wide variety of AGN spectral shape, which can now be understood physically. The distinguishing feature of our model is that X-ray coronal gas is, for the first time, an integral part of the inflow gas and its observable characteristics are physically coupled to the concomitant inflow gas. One natural prediction of our model is the anti-correlation between accretion disk luminosity and spectral hardness: as the luminosity of SMBH accretion disk decreases, the hard X-ray luminosity increases relative to the UV/optical luminosity.
Strong gravitational lensing is a powerful tool for resolving the high energy universe. We combine the temporal resolution of Fermi-LAT, the angular resolution of radio telescopes, and the independently and precisely known Hubble constant from Planck, to resolve the spatial origin of gamma-ray flares in the strongly lensed source B2 0218+35. The lensing model achieves 1 milliarcsecond spatial resolution of the source at gamma-ray energies. The data imply that the gamma-ray flaring sites are separate from the radio core: the bright gamma-ray flare (MJD: 56160 - 56280) occurred $51\pm8$ pc from the 15 GHz radio core, toward the central engine. This displacement is significant at the $\sim3\sigma$ level, and is limited primarily by the precision of the Hubble constant. B2 0218+35 is the first source where the position of the gamma-ray emitting region relative to the radio core can be resolved. We discuss the potential of an ensemble of strongly lensed high energy sources for elucidating the physics of distant variable sources based on data from Chandra and SKA.
Young giant exoplanets are a unique laboratory for understanding cool, low-gravity atmospheres. A quintessential example is the massive extrasolar planet $\beta$ Pic b, which is 9 AU from and embedded in the debris disk of the young nearby A6V star $\beta$ Pictoris. We observed the system with first light of the Magellan Adaptive Optics (MagAO) system. In Paper I we presented the first CCD detection of this planet with MagAO+VisAO. Here we present four MagAO+Clio images of $\beta$ Pic b at 3.1 $\mu$m, 3.3 $\mu$m, $L^\prime$, and $M^\prime$, including the first observation in the fundamental CH$_4$ band. To remove systematic errors from the spectral energy distribution (SED), we re-calibrate the literature photometry and combine it with our own data, for a total of 22 independent measurements at 16 passbands from 0.99--4.8 $\mu$m. Atmosphere models demonstrate the planet is cloudy but are degenerate in effective temperature and radius. The measured SED now covers $>$80\% of the planet's energy, so we approach the bolometric luminosity empirically. We calculate the luminosity by extending the measured SED with a blackbody and integrating to find log($L_{bol}$/$L_{Sun}$) $= -3.78\pm0.03$. From our bolometric luminosity and an age of 23$\pm$3 Myr, hot-start evolutionary tracks give a mass of 12.7$\pm$0.3 $M_{Jup}$, radius of 1.45$\pm$0.02 $R_{Jup}$, and $T_{eff}$ of 1708$\pm$23 K (model-dependent errors not included). Our empirically-determined luminosity is in agreement with values from atmospheric models (typically $-3.8$ dex), but brighter than values from the field-dwarf bolometric correction (typically $-3.9$ dex), illustrating the limitations in comparing young exoplanets to old brown dwarfs.
We report 85 trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) from the first 42 deg$^{2}$ of the Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS), an ongoing $r$-band survey with the 0.9 deg$^{2}$ field-of-view MegaPrime camera on the 3.6 m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. A dense observing cadence and our innovative astrometric technique produced survey-measured orbital elements for these TNOs precise to a fractional semi-major axis uncertainty $<0.1\%$ in two sequential years, instead of the 3-5 years needed with sparser observing strategies. These discoveries are free of ephemeris bias, a first for large Kuiper belt surveys. The survey's simulator provides full characterization, including calibrated detection efficiency functions, for debiasing the discovery sample. We confirm the existence of a cold "kernel" of objects within the main cold classical Kuiper belt, and imply the existence of an extension of the "stirred" cold classical Kuiper belt to at least several AU beyond the 2:1 mean motion resonance with Neptune. The population model of Petit et al. (2011) remains a plausible interpretation of the Kuiper belt. The full survey will provide an exquisitely characterized sample of important resonant TNO populations, ideal for testing models of giant planet migration during the early history of the Solar System.
We measure the absolute magnitude, $H$, distribution, $dN(H) \propto 10^{\alpha H}$ of the scattering Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) as a proxy for their size-frequency distribution. We show that the H-distribution of the scattering TNOs is not consistent with a single-slope distribution, but must transition around $H_g \sim 9$ to either a knee with a shallow slope or to a divot, which is a differential drop followed by second exponential distribution. Our analysis is based on a sample of 22 scattering TNOs drawn from three different TNO surveys, the Canada-France Ecliptic Plane Survey (CFEPS, Petit et al. 2011), Alexandersen et al. (2014), and the Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS, Bannister et al. 2016), all of which provide well characterized detection thresholds, combined with a cosmogonic model for the formation of the scattering TNO population. Our measured absolute magnitude distribution result is independent of the choice of cosmogonic model. Based on our analysis, we estimate that number of scattering TNOs is (2.4-8.3)$\times 10^5$ for $H_r < 12$. A divot $H$-distribution is seen in a variety of formation scenarios and may explain several puzzles in Kuiper Belt science. We find that a divot $H$-distribution simultaneously explains the observed scattering TNO, Neptune Trojan, Plutino, and Centaur $H$-distributions while simultaneously predicting a large enough scattering TNO population to act as the sole supply of the Jupiter-Family Comets.
Our arguments deal with the early evolution of Galactic globular clusters and show why only a few of the supernovae products were retained within globular clusters and only in the most massive cases ($M \ge 10^6$ Msol), while less massive clusters were not contaminated at all by supernovae. Here we show that supernova blast waves evolving in a steep density gradient undergo blowout and end up discharging their energy and metals into the medium surrounding the clusters. This inhibits the dispersal and the contamination of the gas left over from a first stellar generation. Only the ejecta from well centered supernovae, that evolve into a high density medium available for a second stellar generation in the most massive clusters would be retained. These are likely to mix their products with the remaining gas, leading in these cases eventually to an Fe contaminated second stellar generation.
The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) has provided the most detailed view to date of the emission towards the Galactic centre (GC) in high-energy gamma-rays. This paper describes the analysis of data taken during the first 62 months of the mission in the energy range 1-100 GeV from a $15^\circ \times 15^\circ$ region about the direction of the GC, and implications for the interstellar emissions produced by cosmic ray (CR) particles interacting with the gas and radiation fields in the inner Galaxy and for the point sources detected. Specialised interstellar emission models (IEMs) are constructed that enable separation of the gamma-ray emission from the inner $\sim 1$ kpc about the GC from the fore- and background emission from the Galaxy. Based on these models, the interstellar emission from CR electrons interacting with the interstellar radiation field via the inverse Compton (IC) process and CR nuclei inelastically scattering off the gas producing gamma-rays via $\pi^0$ decays from the inner $\sim 1$ kpc is determined. The IC contribution is found to be dominant in the region and strongly enhanced compared to previous studies. A catalog of point sources for the $15^\circ \times 15^\circ$ region is self-consistently constructed using these IEMs: the First Fermi-LAT Inner Galaxy point source Catalog (1FIG). After subtracting the interstellar emission and point-source contributions from the data a residual is found that is a sub-dominant fraction of the total flux. If spatial templates that peak toward the GC are used to model the positive residual and included in the total model for the $15^\circ \times 15^\circ$ region, the agreement with the data improves, but none of the additional templates account for all of the residual structure. The spectrum of the positive residual modelled with these templates has a strong dependence on the choice of IEM. [Abridged]
Exoplanets have sparked interest in extremely high signal-to-noise ratio spectroscopic observations of very bright stars, in a regime where flux calibrators, in particular DA white dwarfs, are not available. We argue that A-type stars offer a useful alternative and reliable space-based spectrophotometry is now available for a number of bright ones in the range 3<V<8 mag. By means of comparing observed spectrophotometry and model fluxes, we identify 18 new very-bright trustworthy A-type flux standards for the optical range (400-800 nm), and provide scaled model fluxes for them. Our tests suggest that the absolute fluxes for these stars in the optical are reliable to within 3%. We limit the spectral range to 400-800 nm, since our models have difficulties to reproduce the observed fluxes in the near-infrared and, especially, in the near-UV, where the discrepancies rise up to ~ 10%. Based on our model fits, we derive angular diameters with an estimated accuracy of about 1%.
We present the results of SiO (2-1) and SO2 (12-13) line observations of Sgr B2(N) made with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at an angular resolution of ~2arcsec. Our analysis of the SiO and SO2 line emission reveals a bipolar molecular outflow in an east-west direction whose driving source is located at K2. In addition, SO2 line core shows a north-south velocity gradient most probably indicating a hot core of molecular gas rotating around K2. Fractional abundances of SO2 and SiO (X(SO2) and X(SiO), respectively) in the outflowing molecular gas are derived from comparisons with the C18O emission. Assuming an excitation temperature of 100+-50 K, we calculate X(SO2) = 2.3X10^-8 and X(SiO) = 1.2X10^-9. The outflow from SgrB2(N) K2 is characterized as a young (5X10^3yr) and massive (~2000Msun), but moderately collimated (~60deg) outflow. We also report a possible detection of the SiO (v=2, J=2-1) maser emission from the position of K2. If confirmed, it would make Sgr B2(N) the 4th star forming region associated with SiO masers.
The first observations by a worldwide network of advanced interferometric gravitational wave detectors offer a unique opportunity for the astronomical community. At design sensitivity, these facilities will be able to detect coalescing binary neutron stars to distances approaching 400 Mpc, and neutron star-black hole systems to 1 Gpc. Both of these sources are associated with gamma ray bursts which are known to emit across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Gravitational wave detections provide the opportunity for "multi-messenger" observations, combining gravitational wave with electromagnetic, cosmic ray or neutrino observations. This review provides an overview of how Australian astronomical facilities and collaborations with the gravitational wave community can contribute to this new era of discovery, via contemporaneous follow-up observations from the radio to the optical and high energy. We discuss some of the frontier discoveries that will be made possible when this new window to the Universe is opened.
We present the results of a pilot study search for Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) at low frequencies (139 - 170 MHz). We utilised MWA data obtained in a routine imaging mode from observations where the primary target was a field being studied for Epoch of Reionisation detection. We formed images with 2 second time resolution and 1.28~MHz frequency resolution for 10.5 hours of observations, over 400 square degrees of the sky. We de-dispersed the dynamic spectrum in each of 372,100 resolution elements of 2$\times$2 arcmin$^{2}$, between dispersion measures of 170 and 675~pc~cm$^{-3}$. Based on the event rate calculations in Trott, Tingay & Wayth (2013), which assumes a standard candle luminosity of $8\times10^{37}$ Js$^{-1}$, we predict that with this choice of observational parameters, the MWA should detect ($\sim10$,$\sim2$,$\sim0$) FRBs with spectral indices corresponding to ($-$2, $-$1, 0), based on a 7$\sigma$ detection threshold. We find no FRB candidates above this threshold from our search, placing an event rate limit of $<700$ above 700 Jy.ms per day per sky and providing evidence against spectral indices $\alpha<-1.2$ ($S\propto\nu^{\alpha}$). We compare our event rate and spectral index limits with others from the literature. We briefly discuss these limits in light of recent suggestions that supergiant pulses from young neutron stars could explain FRBs. We find that such supergiant pulses would have to have much flatter spectra between 150 and 1400 MHz than have been observed from Crab giant pulses to be consistent with the FRB spectral index limit we derive.
Recent high-resolution, near-infrared images of protoplanetary disks have shown that these disks often present spiral features. Spiral arms are among the structures predicted decades ago by numerical simulations of disk-planet interaction and thus it is tempting to suspect that planetary perturbers are responsible for the observed signatures. However, such interpretation is not free of problems. The spirals are found to have large pitch angles, and in at least one case the spiral feature appears effectively unpolarized, which implies thermal emission at roughly 1000 K. We have recently shown in two-dimensional models that shock dissipation in the supersonic wake of high-mass planets can lead to significant heating if the disk is sufficiently adiabatic. In this paper we extend this analysis to three dimensions in thermodynamically evolving disks. We use the Pencil Code in spherical coordinates for our models, with a prescription for thermal cooling based on the optical depth of the local vertical gas column. We use a 5$M_J$ planet, and show that shocks in the region around the planet where the Lindblad resonances occur heat the gas to substantially higher temperatures than the ambient disk gas at that radius. The gas is accelerated vertically away from the midplane by the shocks to form shock bores, and the gas falling back toward the midplane breaks up into a turbulent surf near the Lindblad resonances. This turbulence, although localized, has high $\alpha$ values, reaching 0.05 in the inner Lindblad resonance, and 0.1 in the outer one. We also find evidence that the disk regions heated up by the planetary shocks eventually becomes superadiabatic, generating convection far from the planet's orbit.
In this paper, we investigate the effects of helical PMFs in the CMB reduced bispectrum. At first, we derive and calculate numerically the bispectrum sourced by helical PMFs using the collinear configuration and taking into account an IR cutoff for causal fields. We found that anisotropic stress of the PMFs has a negative contribution for values less than upper cutoff, besides the helical contribution becomes small and even less for a nearly scale invariant spectra. We also compute numerically the CMB reduced bispectrum induced by passive and compensated PMFs modes on large angular scales. As result we have found a negative signal on the bispectrum due to helical terms of the fields and we observed that the biggest contribution of the bispectrum comes from passive mode with an IR cutoff near to $\alpha \sim 0.5$ instead of the absence of it how it was reported for the two point-correlation case. Since $k_m$ is dependent on PMF generation model we can get limits of the minimum wavenumber and constrain PMF generation models indirectly from the CMB observations.
We use near-infrared observations obtained as part of the {\sl Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy} (VISTA) Survey of the Magellanic Clouds (VMC), as well as two complementary {\sl Hubble Space Telescope} ({\sl HST}) data sets, to study the luminosity and mass functions as a function of clustercentric radius of the main-sequence stars in the Galactic globular cluster 47 Tucanae. The {\sl HST} observations indicate a relative deficit in the numbers of faint stars in the central region of the cluster compared with its periphery, for $18.75\leq m_{\rm F606W}\leq 20.9$ mag (corresponding to a stellar mass range of $0.55<m_\ast/{M_\odot}<0.73$). The stellar number counts at $6.7'$ from the cluster core show a deficit for $17.62\leq m_{\rm F606W}\leq 19.7$ mag (i.e., $0.65<m_\ast/{M_\odot}<0.82$), which is consistent with expectations from mass segregation. The VMC-based stellar mass functions exhibit power-law shapes for masses in the range $0.55<m_\ast/{M_\odot}< 0.82$. These power laws are characterized by an almost constant slope, $\alpha$. The radial distribution of the power-law slopes $\alpha$ thus shows evidence of the importance of both mass segregation and tidal stripping, for both the first- and second-generation stars in 47 Tuc.
The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) is a broad band X-ray astronomical satellite from 1 to 250 keV. Understanding the X-ray background in detail will help to achieve a good performance of the instrument. In this work, we make use of the mass modelling technique to estimate the background of High Energy Telescope (HE) aboard HXMT. It consists of three steps. First, we built a complete geometric model of HXMT. Then based on the investigation about the space environment concerning HXMT low-earth orbit, in our simulation we considered cosmic rays, cosmic X-ray background (CXB), South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) trapped particles, the albedo gamma and neutrons from interaction of cosmic rays with the Earth's atmosphere. Finally, the Shielding Physics List supplied by Geant4 collaborations was adopted. According to our simulation, (1) the total background of HXMT/HE is about 540 count/s on average over 20-250 keV energy band after 100 days in orbit; (2) the delayed component caused by cosmic rays and SAA trapped particles dominates the full energy band of HXMT/HE; (3) some emission lines are prominent in the background continuum spectrum and will be used for in-orbit calibration; (4) the estimated sensitivity is approximately 0.1 mCrab at 50 keV with an exposure of $10^{6}$ s.
We discuss the detectability of large-scale HI intensity fluctuations using the FAST telescope. We present forecasts for the accuracy of measuring the Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations and constraining the properties of dark energy. The FAST $19$-beam L-band receivers ($1.05$--$1.45$ GHz) can provide constraints on the matter power spectrum and dark energy equation of state parameters ($w_{0},w_{a}$) that are comparable to the BINGO and CHIME experiments. For one year of integration time we find that the optimal survey area is $6000\,{\rm deg}^2$. However, observing with larger frequency coverage at higher redshift ($0.95$--$1.35$ GHz) improves the projected errorbars on the HI power spectrum by more than $2~\sigma$ confidence level. The combined constraints from FAST, CHIME, BINGO and Planck CMB observations can provide reliable, stringent constraints on the dark energy equation of state.
We present a new solar flux atlas with the aim to understand wavelength precision and accuracy in solar benchmark data. The atlas covers the wavelength range 405--2300 nm and was observed at the Institut f\"ur Astrophysik, G\"ottingen (IAG) with a Fourier Transform Spectrograph. In contrast to other FTS atlases, the entire visible wavelength range was observed simultaneously using only one spectrograph setting. We compare the wavelength solution of the new atlas to the Kitt Peak solar flux atlases and to the HARPS frequency-comb calibrated solar atlas. Comparison reveals systematics in the two Kitt Peak FTS atlases resulting from their wavelength scale construction, and shows consistency between the IAG and the HARPS atlas. We conclude that the IAG atlas is precise and accurate on the order of $\pm 10$ m s$^{-1}$ in the wavelength range 405--1065 nm while the Kitt Peak atlases show deviations as large as several ten to 100 m s$^{-1}$. We determine absolute convective blueshift across the spectrum from the IAG atlas and report slight differences relative to results from the Kitt Peak atlas that we attribute to the differences between wavelength scales. We conclude that benchmark solar data with accurate wavelength solution are crucial to better understand the effect of convection on stellar RV measurements, which is one of the main limitations of Doppler spectroscopy at m s$^{-1}$ precision.
In order to investigate the FIR properties of radio-active AGN, we have considered three different fields where both radio and FIR observations are the deepest to-date: GOODS-South, GOODS-North and the Lockman Hole. Out of a total of 92 radio-selected AGN, ~64% are found to have a counterpart in Herschel maps. The percentage is maximum in the GOODS-North (72%) and minimum (~50%) in the Lockman Hole, where FIR observations are shallower. Our study shows that in all cases FIR emission is associated to star-forming activity within the host galaxy. Such an activity can even be extremely intense, with star-forming rates as high as ~10^3-10^4 Msun/yr. AGN activity does not inhibit star formation in the host galaxy, just as on-site star-formation does not seem to affect AGN properties, at least those detected at radio wavelengths and for z>~1. Furthermore, physical properties such as the mass and age distributions of the galaxies hosting a radio-active AGN do not seem to be affected by the presence of an ongoing star-forming event. Given the very high rate of FIR detections, we stress that this refers to the majority of the sample: most radio-active AGN are associated with intense episodes of star-formation. However, the two processes proceed independently within the same galaxy, at all redshifts but in the local universe, where powerful enough radio activity reaches the necessary strength to switch off the on-site star formation. Our data also show that for z>~1 the hosts of radio-selected star-forming galaxies and AGN are indistinguishable from each other both in terms of mass and IR luminosity distributions. The two populations only differentiate in the very local universe, whereby the few AGN which are still FIR-active are found in galaxies with much higher masses and luminosities.
Energetics of nuclear reaction is fundamentally important to understand the mechanism of pair instability supernovae (PISNe). Based on the hydrodynamic equations and thermodynamic relations, we derive exact expressions for energy conservation suitable to be solved in simulation. We also show that some formulae commonly used in the literature are obtained as approximations of the exact expressions. We simulate the evolution of very massive stars of ~100-320 Msun with zero- and 1/10 Zsun, and calculate further explosions as PISNe, applying each of the exact and approximate formulae. The calculations demonstrate that the explosion properties of PISN, such as the mass range, the 56Ni yield, and the explosion energy, are significantly affected by applying the different energy generation rates. We discuss how these results affect the estimate of the PISN detection rate, which depends on the theoretical predictions of such explosion properties.
We perform an empirical consistency test of General Relativity/dark energy by disentangling expansion history and growth of structure constraints. We replace each late-universe parameter that describes the behavior of dark energy with two meta-parameters: one describing geometrical information in cosmological probes, and the other controlling the growth of structure. If the underlying model (a standard wCDM cosmology with General Relativity) is correct, that is under the null hypothesis, the two meta-parameters coincide. If they do not, it could indicate a failure of the model or systematics in the data. We present a global analysis using state-of-the-art cosmological data sets which points in the direction that cosmic structures prefer a weaker growth than that inferred by background probes. This result could signify inconsistencies of the model, the necessity of extensions to it or the presence of systematic errors in the data. We examine all these possibilities. The fact that the result is mostly driven by a specific sub-set of galaxy clusters abundance data, points to the need of a better understanding of this probe.
Redshifted 21cm measurements of the structure of ionised regions that grow during reionization promise to provide a new probe of early galaxy and structure formation. One of the challenges of modelling reionization is to account both for the sub-halo scale physics of galaxy formation and the regions of ionization on scales that are many orders of magnitude larger. To bridge this gap we first calculate the statistical relationship between ionizing luminosity and Mpc-scale overdensity using detailed models of galaxy formation computed using relatively small volume - ($\sim$100Mpc/$h$)$^{3}$, high resolution dark matter simulations. We then use a Monte-Carlo technique to apply this relationship to reionization of the intergalactic medium within large volume dark matter simulations - ($>$1Gpc/$h$)$^{3}$. The resulting simulations can be used to address the contribution of very large scale clustering of galaxies to the structure of reionization, and show that volumes larger than 500Mpc/$h$ are required to probe the largest reionization features mid-way through reionization. As an example application of our technique, we demonstrate that the predicted 21cm power spectrum amplitude and gradient could be used to determine the importance of supernovae feedback for early galaxy formation.
It has been argued in previous papers that an ion-proton plasma is formed at the polar caps of neutron stars with positive polar-cap corotational charge density. The present paper does not offer a theory of the development of turbulence from the unstable Langmuir modes that grow in the outward accelerated plasma, but attempts to describe in qualitative terms the factors relevant to the emission of polarized radiation at frequencies below 1 - 10 GHz. The work of Karastergiou and Johnston is of particular importance in this respect because it demonstrates in high-resolution measurements of the profiles of 17 pulsars that the relative phase retardation between the O- and E-modes of the plasma is no greater than of the order of pi. Provided the source of the radiation is at low altitudes, as favoured by recent observations, this order of retardation is possible only for a plasma of baryonic-mass particles.
We assess the multi-wavelength observable properties of the bow shock around a runaway early type star using a combination of hydrodynamical modelling, radiative transfer calculations and synthetic imaging. Instabilities associated with the forward shock produce dense knots of material which are warm, ionised and contain dust. These knots of material are responsible for the majority of emission at far infra-red, H alpha and radio wavelengths. The large scale bow shock morphology is very similar and differences are primarily due to variations in the assumed spatial resolution. However infra-red intensity slices (at 22 microns and 12 microns) show that the effects of a temperature gradient can be resolved at a realistic spatial resolution for an object at a distance of 1 kpc.
We show that the use of red colour as the basis for selecting candidate high redshift dusty galaxies from surveys made with Herschel has proved highly successful. The highest redshift such object, HFLS3, lies at z=6.34 and numerous other sources have been found. Spectroscopic followup confirms that most of these lie at z>4. These sources are found in such numbers that they represent a challenge to current models of galaxy evolution. We also examine the prospects for finding dusty galaxies at still higher redshifts. These would not appear in the SPIRE surveys from Herschel but would be detected in longer wavelength, submm, surveys. Several such `SPIRE-dropouts' have been found and are now subject to followup observations.
Observations have revealed that a significant number of hot Jupiters have anomalously large radii. Layered convection induced by compositional inhomogeneity has been proposed to account for the radius anomaly of hot Jupiters. To reexamine the impact of the compositional inhomogeneity, we perform an evolutionary calculation by determining convection regime at each evolutionary time step according to the criteria from linear analyses. It is shown that the impact is limited in the case of the monotonic gradient of heavy element abundance. The layered convection is absent for the first 1 Gyr from the formation of hot Jupiters and instead overturning convection develops. The super-adiabaticity of the temperature gradient is limited by the neutrally stable state for the Ledoux stability criterion. The effect of the increased mass of heavy elements essentially compensates the effect of the delayed contraction on the planetary radius caused by compositional inhomogeneity. In addition, even in the case where the layered convection is artificially imposed, this mechanism requires extremely thin layers (~ 10^1-10^3 cm) to account for the observed radius anomaly. The long-term stability of such thin layers remains to be studied. Therefore, if the criteria adopted in this paper are adequate, it might be difficult to explain the inflated radii of hot Jupiters by monotonic gradient of heavy element abundance alone.
Remote sensing data from orbiter missions have proposed that ground ice may currently exist on Mars, although the volume is still uncertain. Recent analyses of Martian meteorites have suggested that the water reservoirs have at least three distinct hydrogen isotope compositions (D/H ratios): primordial and high D/H ratios, which are approximately the same and six times that of ocean water on Earth, respectively, and a newly identified intermediate D/H ratio, which is approximately two to three times higher than that in ocean water on Earth. We calculate the evolution of the D/H ratios and the volumes of the water reservoirs on Mars by modeling the exchange of hydrogen isotopes between multiple water reservoirs and the atmospheric escape. The D/H ratio is slightly higher in the topmost thin surface-ice layer than that in the atmosphere because of isotopic fractionation by sublimation, whereas the water-ice reservoir just below the exchangeable topmost surface layer retains the intermediate D/H signature found in Martian meteorites. We propose two possible models for constraining the volume of the ground ice considering the observed D/H ratios and geomorphological estimates of Paleo-oceans. The first assumes that the atmospheric loss is dominated by the Jeans escape. In this case, the volume of ground ice should be larger than the total volume of the observable surface ice that mainly occurs as polar layered ice deposits. The other model assumes diffusion-limited atmospheric loss in which the interactive evolution of the multiple water reservoirs naturally accounts for the observed D/H ratios. In this scenario, a large volume of ground ice does not necessarily exist currently on Mars as opposed to the perspective view proposed on the basis of recent orbiter missions.
At present neutral atomic hydrogen (HI) gas in galaxies at redshifts above $z \sim 0.3$ (the extent of 21-cm emission surveys in individual galaxies) and below $z \sim 1.7$ (where the Lyman-$\alpha$ line is not observable with ground-based telescopes) has remained largely unexplored. The advent of precursor telescopes to the Square Kilometre Array will allow us to conduct the first systematic radio-selected 21-cm absorption surveys for HI over these redshifts. While HI absorption is a tracer of the reservoir of cold neutral gas in galaxies available for star formation, it can also be used to reveal the extreme kinematics associated with jet-driven neutral outflows in radio-loud active galactic nuclei. Using the six-antenna Boolardy Engineering Test Array of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, we have demonstrated that in a single frequency tuning we can detect HI absorption over a broad range of redshifts between $z = 0.4$ and $1.0$. As part of our early science and commissioning program, we are now carrying out a search for absorption towards a sample of the brightest GPS and CSS sources in the southern sky. These intrinsically compact sources present us with an opportunity to study the circumunuclear region of recently re-started radio galaxies, in some cases showing direct evidence of mechanical feedback through jet-driven outflows. With the sensitivity of the full ASKAP array we will be able to study the kinematics of atomic gas in a few thousand radio galaxies, testing models of radio jet feedback well beyond the nearby Universe
We use the phase plane analysis technique of Madsen and Ellis to consider a universe with a true cosmological constant as well as a cosmological "constant" that is decaying. Time symmetric dynamics for the inflationary era allows eternally bouncing models to occur. Allowing for scalar field dynamic evolution, we find that if dark energy decays in the future, chaotic cyclic universes exist provided the spatial curvature is positive. This is particularly interesting in light of current observations which do not yet rule out either closed universes or possible evolution of the cosmological constant. We present only a proof of principle, with no definite claim on the physical mechanism required for the present dark energy to decay.
We aim at constraining evolutionary models at low mass and young ages by
identifying interesting transiting system members of the nearest OB association
to the Sun, Upper Scorpius, targeted by the Kepler mission.
We produced light curves for M dwarf members of the USco region surveyed
during the second campaign of the Kepler K2 mission. We identified 'by eye' a
transiting system, UScoJ161630.68-251220.1 (=EPIC203710387) with a combined
spectral type of M5.25 whose photometric, astrometric, and spectroscopic
properties makes it a member of USco. We conducted an extensive photometric and
spectroscopic follow-up of this transiting system with a suite of telescopes
and instruments to characterise the properties of each component of the system.
We calculated a transit duration of about 2.42 hours occuring every 2.88 days
with a slight difference in transit depth and phase between the two components.
We estimated a mass ratio of 0.922+/-0.015 from the semi-amplitudes of the
radial velocity curves for each component. We derived masses of 0.091+/-0.005
Msun and 0.084+/-0.004 Msun,radii of 0.388+/-0.008 Rsun and 0.380+/-0.008 Rsun,
luminosities of log(L/Lsun)=-2.020 (-0.121+0.099) dex and -2.032 (-0.121+0.099)
dex, and effective temperatures of 2901 (-172+199) K and 2908 (-172+199) K for
the primary and secondary, respectively.
We present a complete photometric and radial velocity characterisation of the
least massive double-line eclipsing binary system in the young USco association
with two components close to the stellar/substellar limit. This system fills in
a gap between the least massive eclipsing binaries in the low-mass and
substellar regimes at young ages and represents an important addition to
constrain evolutionary models at young ages.
Using high resolution Cluster satellite observations, we show that the turbulent solar wind is populated by magnetic discontinuities at different scales, going from proton down to electron scales. The structure of these layers resembles the Harris equilibrium profile in plasmas. Using a multi-dimensional intermittency technique, we show that these structures are connected through the scales. Supported by numerical simulations of magnetic reconnection, we show that observations are consistent with a scenario where many current layers develop in turbulence, and where the outflow of these reconnection events are characterized by complex sub-proton networks of secondary islands, in a self-similar way. The present work establishes that the picture of "reconnection in turbulence" and "turbulent reconnection", separately invoked as ubiquitous, coexist in space plasmas.
We investigate the dust-obscured star formation properties of the massive, X-ray selected galaxy cluster MACS J1931.8-2634 at $z$=0.352. Using far-infrared (FIR) imaging in the range 100-500$\mu$m obtained with the \textit{Herschel} telescope, we extract 31 sources (2$\sigma$) within $r\sim$1 Mpc from the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG). Among these sources we identify six cluster members for which we perform an analysis of their spectral energy distributions (SEDs). We measure total infrared luminosity (L$_{IR}$), star formation rate (SFR) and dust temperature. The BCG, with L$_{IR}$=1.4$\times$10$^{12}$L$_\odot$ is an Ultra Luminous Infrared Galaxy and hosts a type II AGN. We decompose its FIR SED into AGN and starburst components and find equal contributions from AGN and starburst. We also recompute the SFR of the BCG finding SFR=150$\pm$15 M$_\odot$yr$^{-1}$. We search for an isobaric cooling flow in the cool core using {\sl Chandra} X-ray data, and find no evidence for gas colder than 1.8 keV in the inner 30 kpc, for an upper limit to the istantaneous mass-deposition rate of 58 M$_\odot$yr$^{-1}$ at 95 % c.l. This value is $3\times$ lower than the SFR in the BCG, suggesting that the on-going SF episode lasts longer than the ICM cooling events.
We investigate shell emission associated with dying radio loud AGNs. First, based on our recent work by Ito et al. (2015), we describe the dynamical and spectral evolutions of shells after stopping the jet energy injection. We find that the shell emission overwhelms that of the radio lobes soon after stopping the jet energy injection because fresh electrons are continuously supplied into the shell via the forward shock while the radio lobes rapidly fade out without jet energy injection. We find that such fossil shells can be a new class of target sources for SKA telescope. Next, we apply the model to the nearby radio source 3C84. Then, we find that the fossil shell emission in 3C84 is less luminous in radio band while it is bright in TeV gamma-ray band and it can be detectable by CTA.
Recent timing observation reported that the radio pulsar PSR J1734 - 3333 with a rotating period $P=1.17~\rm s$ is slowing down with a period derivative $\dot{P}=2.28\times 10^{-12}\rm s\,s^{-1}$. Its derived braking index $n=0.9 \pm 0.2$ is the lowest value among young radio pulsars with the measured braking indices. In this Letter, we attempt to investigate the influence of the braking torque caused by the interaction between the fall-back disk and the strong magnetic field of the pulsar on the spin evolution of PSR J1734 - 3333. Analytical result show that this braking torque is obviously far more than that by magnetic dipole radiation for pulsars with spin period of $> 0.1$ s, and play an important role during the spin-down of the pulsars. Our simulated results indicate that, for some typical neutron star parameters, the braking index and the period derivative approximately in agreement with the measured value of PSR J1734 - 3333 if the material inflow rate in the fallback disk is $2 \times 10^{17} \rm g\,s^{-1}$. In addition, our scenario can account for the measured braking indices of four young pulsars. However, our predicted X-ray luminosity are 1 -2 order of magnitude higher than the observation. We proposed that this discrepancy may originate from the instability of fall-back disk.
During solar flares a large amount of electrons with energies greater than 20 keV is generated with a production rate of typically $10^{36}$ s$^{-1}$. A part of them is able to propagate along open magnetic field lines through the corona into interplanetary space. During their travel they emit radio radiation which is observed as type III radio bursts in the frequency range from 100 MHz down to 10 kHz by the WAVES radio spectrometer aboard the spacecraft WIND, for instance. From the drift rates of these bursts in dynamic radio spectra the radial propagation velocity $V_r$ of the type III burst exciting electrons is derived by employing a newly developed density model of the heliosphere. Calculations show that the radio radiation is emitted by electrons with different $V_r$ and therefore by different electrons of the initially produced electron distribution.
If the primordial bispectrum is sufficiently large then the CMB hemispherical asymmetry may be explained by a large-scale mode of exceptional amplitude which perturbs the zeta two-point function. We extend previous calculations, which were restricted to one- or two-source scenarios, by providing a method to compute the response of the two-point function in any model yielding a 'local-like' bispectrum. In general, this shows that it is not the reduced bispectrum fNL which sources the amplitude and scale-dependence of the mode coupling but rather a combination of 'response functions'. We discuss why it is difficult to construct successful scenarios and enumerate the fine-tunings which seem to be required. Finally, we exhibit a concrete model which can be contrived to match the observational constraints and show that to a Planck-like experiment it would appear to have |fNL-local| ~ |fNL-equi| ~ |fNL-ortho| ~ 1. Therefore, contrary to previous analyses, we conclude that it is possible to generate the asymmetry while respecting observational constraints on the bispectrum and low-ell multipoles even without tuning our location on the long-wavelength mode.
We investigate the compact, early-type galaxy NGC 1281 with integral field unit observations to map the stellar LOSVD out to 5 effective radii and construct orbit-based dynamical models to constrain its dark and luminous matter content. Under the assumption of mass-follows-light, the H-band stellar mass-to-light ratio (M/L) is {\Upsilon} = 2.7(+-0.1) {\Upsilon}_{sun}, higher than expected from our stellar population synthesis fits with either a canonical Kroupa ({\Upsilon} = 1.3 {\Upsilon}_{sun}) or Salpeter ({\Upsilon} = 1.7 {\Upsilon}_{sun}) stellar initial mass function. Such models also cannot reproduce the details of the LOSVD. Models with a dark halo recover the kinematics well and indicate that NGC 1281 is dark matter dominated, making up ~ 90 per cent of the total enclosed mass within the kinematic bounds. Parameterised as a spherical NFW profile, the dark halo mass is 11.5 < log(M_{DM}/M_{sun}) < 11.8 and the stellar M/L is 0.6 < {\Upsilon} < 1.1. However, this stellar M/L is lower than predicted by its old stellar population. Moreover, the halo mass within the kinematic extent is ten times larger than expected based on {\Lambda}CDM predictions, and an extrapolation yields cluster sized dark halo masses. Adopting {\Upsilon} = 1.7 {\Upsilon}_{sun} yields more moderate dark halo virial masses, but these models fit the kinematics worse. A non-NFW model might solve the discrepancy between the unphysical consequences of the best-fitting dynamical models and models based on more reasonable assumptions for the dark halo and stellar mass-to-light ratio, which are disfavoured according to our parameter estimation.
Context. The classification of young stellar objects (YSOs) is typically done using the infrared spectral slope or bolometric temperature, but either can result in contamination of samples. More accurate methods to determine the evolutionary stage of YSOs will improve the reliability of statistics for the embedded YSO population and provide more robust stage lifetimes. Aims. We aim to separate the truly embedded YSOs from more evolved sources. Methods. Maps of HCO+ J=4-3 and C18O J=3-2 were observed with HARP on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) for a sample of 56 candidate YSOs in Perseus and Taurus in order to characterize emission from high (column) density gas. These are supplemented with archival dust continuum maps observed with SCUBA on the JCMT and Herschel PACS to compare the morphology of the gas and dust in the protostellar envelopes. The spatial concentration of HCO+ J=4-3 and 850 micron dust emission are used to classify the embedded nature of YSOs. Results. Approximately 30% of Class 0+I sources in Perseus and Taurus are not Stage I, but are likely to be more evolved Stage II pre-main sequence (PMS) stars with disks. An additional 16% are confused sources with an uncertain evolutionary stage. Conclusions. Separating classifications by cloud reveals that a high percentage of the Class 0+I sources in the Perseus star forming region are truly embedded Stage I sources (71%), while the Taurus cloud hosts a majority of evolved PMS stars with disks (68%). The concentration factor method is useful to correct misidentified embedded YSOs, yielding higher accuracy for YSO population statistics and Stage timescales. Current estimates (0.54 Myr) may overpredict the Stage I lifetime on the order of 30%, resulting in timescales of 0.38 Myr for the embedded phase.
The morphological, spectroscopic and kinematical properties of the warm interstellar medium (wim) in early-type galaxies (ETGs) hold key observational constraints to nuclear activity and the buildup history of these massive quiescent systems. High-quality integral field spectroscopy (IFS) data with a wide spectral and spatial coverage, such as those from the CALIFA survey, offer a precious opportunity for advancing our understanding in this respect. We use deep IFS data from CALIFA (califa.caha.es) to study the wim over the entire extent and optical spectral range of 32 nearby ETGs. We find that all ETGs in our sample show faint (H\alpha\ equivalent width EW~0.5...2 {\AA}) extranuclear nebular emission extending out to >= 2 Petrosian_50 radii. Confirming and strengthening our conclusions in Papaderos et al. (2013) we argue that ETGs span a broad continuous sequence with regard to the properties of their wim, and they can be roughly subdivided into two characteristic classes. The first one (type i) comprises ETGs with a nearly constant EW~1-3 {\AA} in their extranuclear component, in quantitative agreement with (even though, no proof for) the hypothesis of photoionization by pAGB stars. The second class (type ii) consists of virtually wim-evacuated ETGs with a large Lyman continuum (Lyc) photon escape fraction and a very low (<= 0.5 {\AA}) EW in their nuclear zone. These two classes appear indistinguishable from one another by their LINER-specific emission-line ratios. Additionally, here we extend the classification by the class i+ which stands for a subset of type i ETGs with low-level star-fomation in contiguous spiral-arm like features in their outermost periphery. These faint features, together with traces of localized star formation in several type i&i+ systems point to a non-negligible contribution from young massive stars to the global ionizing photon budget in ETGs.
Integral-field spectroscopy in the near-infrared (NIR) is a powerful tool to analyze the gaseous and stellar distributions and kinematics, as well as the excitation mechanisms in the centers of galaxies. The unique combination of NIR and sub-mm data at comparable high angular resolution, which has just been possible with SINFONI and ALMA, allows to trace warm and cold gas reservoirs. Only the NIR gives an unobscured view to the center and allows to study the conditions and impact of star formation in the centers of galaxies in a spatially resolved way. Here, we present recent studies of nearby Seyferts and low-luminosity QSOs performed by our group.
We present a detailed analysis of xmm X-ray observations of the Narrow line Seyfert-1 (NLS1) galaxy Ark 564 taken between 2000 and 2011. High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy is carried out on the resultant high signal-to-noise stacked spectrum. We find three separate photoionised warm absorbers outflowing at velocities unusually lower than typical NLS1s. Using recombination timescale estimates, improved constraints on the location of these clouds show they could be located beyond 4 pc from the central source. Our estimates of the outflow kinetics suggest that the AGN in Ark 564 is unlikely to affect the host galaxy in its current state but over typical lifetime of 10^7 years the ISM could be affected. The individual observations used here suggest the luminosity varies over weekly timescales and in addition we find evidence of gas response to changes in the ionising radiation.
Aims: To propose a method for the polarimetric calibration of large
astronomical mirrors that does not require use of special optical devices nor
knowledge of the exact polarization properties of the calibration target.
Methods: We study the symmetries of the Mueller matrix of mirrors to exploit
them for polarimetric calibration under the assumptions that only the
orientation of the linear polarization plane of the calibration target is known
with certainty.
Results: A method is proposed to calibrate the polarization effects of single
astronomical mirrors by the observation of calibration targets with known
orientation of the linear polarization. We study the uncertainties of the
method and the signal-to-noise ratios required for an acceptable calibration.
We list astronomical targets ready for the method. We finally extend the method
to the calibration of two or more mirrors, in particular to the case when they
share the same incidence plane.
The origin of the near-infrared (NIR) HI emission lines in young stellar objects are not yet understood. To probe it, we present multi-epoch LBT-LUCIFER spectroscopic observations of the Pa{\delta}, Pa{\beta}, and Br{\gamma} lines observed in the Herbig star VVSer, along with VLTI-AMBER Br{\gamma} spectro-interferometric observations at medium resolution. Our spectroscopic observations show line profile variability in all the HI lines. The strongest variability is observed in the redshifted part of the line profiles. The Br{\gamma} spectro-interferometric observations indicate that the Br{\gamma} line emitting region is smaller than the continuum emitting region. To interpret our results, we employed radiative transfer models with three different flow configurations: magnetospheric accretion, a magneto-centrifugally driven disc wind, and a schematic bipolar outflow. Our models suggest that the HI line emission in VVSer is dominated by the contribution of an extended wind, perhaps a bipolar outflow. Although the exact physical process for producing such outflow is not known, this model is capable of reproducing the averaged single-peaked line profiles of the HI lines. Additionally, the observed visibilities, differential and closure phases are best reproduced when a wind is considered. Nevertheless, the complex line profiles and variability could be explained by changes in the relative contribution of the magnetosphere and/or winds to the line emission. This might indicate that the NIR HI lines are formed in a complex inner disc region where inflow and outflow components might coexist. Furthermore, the contribution of each of these mechanisms to the line appears time variable, suggesting a non-steady accretion/ejection flow.
Multi-color photometry of the stellar populations in five fields in the third Galactic quadrant centred on the clusters NGC 2215, NGC 2354, Haffner 22, Ruprecht 11, and ESO489SC01 is interpreted in terms of a warped and flared Galactic disk, without resort to an external entity such as the popular Monoceros or Canis Major overdensities. Except for NGC 2215, the clusters are poorly or unstudied previously. The data generate basic parameters for each cluster, including the distribution of stars along the line of sight. We use star counts and photometric analysis, without recourse to Galactic-model-based predictions or interpretations, and confirms earlier results for NGC 2215 and NGC 2354. ESO489SC01 is not a real cluster, while Haffner~22 is an overlooked cluster aged about 2.5 Gyr. Conclusions for Ruprecht~11 are preliminary, evidence for a cluster being marginal. Fields surrounding the clusters show signatures of young and intermediate-age stellar populations. The young population background to NGC~2354 and Ruprecht~11 lies 8-9 kpc from the Sun and $\sim$1 kpc below the formal Galactic plane, tracing a portion of the Norma-Cygnus arm, challenging Galactic models that adopt a sharp cut-off of the disk 12-14 kpc from the Galactic center. The old population is metal poor with an age of 2-3 Gyr, resembling star clusters like Tombaugh 2 or NGC 2158. It has a large color spread and is difficult to locate precisely. Young and old populations follow a pattern that depends critically on the vertical location of the thin and/or thick disk, and whether or not a particular line of sight intersects one, both, or none.
We present new mid-infrared interferometric observations of the massive young stellar object IRAS 13481-6124, using VLTI/MIDI for spectrally-resolved, long-baseline measurements (projected baselines up to $\sim120$ m) and GSO/T-ReCS for aperture-masking interferometry in five narrow-band filters (projected baselines of $\sim1.8-6.4$ m) in the wavelength range of $7.5-13$ $\mu$m. We combine these measurements with previously-published interferometric observations in the $K$ and $N$ bands in order to assemble the largest collection of infrared interferometric observations for a massive YSO to date. Using a combination of geometric and radiative-transfer models, we confirm the detection at mid-infrared wavelengths of the disk previously inferred from near-infrared observations. We show that the outflow cavity is also detected at both near- and mid-infrared wavelengths, and in fact dominates the mid-infrared emission in terms of total flux. For the disk, we derive the inner radius ($\sim1.8$ mas or $\sim6.5$ AU at 3.6 kpc), temperature at the inner rim ($\sim1760$ K), inclination ($\sim48$ deg) and position angle ($\sim107$ deg). We determine that the mass of the disk cannot be constrained without high-resolution observations in the (sub-)millimeter regime or observations of the disk kinematics, and could be anywhere from $\sim10^{-3}$ to $20$ M$_\odot$. Finally, we discuss the prospects of interpreting the spectral energy distributions of deeply-embedded massive YSOs, and warn against attempting to infer disk properties from the SED.
Accurate stellar parameters are needed in numerous domains of astrophysics. The position of stars on the H-R diagram is an important indication of their structure and evolution, and it helps improve stellar models. Furthermore, the age and mass of stars hosting planets are required elements for studying exoplanetary systems. We aim at determining accurate parameters of a set of 18 bright exoplanet host and potential host stars from interferometric measurements, photometry, and stellar models. Using the VEGA/CHARA interferometer, we measured the angular diameters of 18 stars, ten of which host exoplanets. We combined them with their distances to estimate their radii. We used photometry to derive their bolometric flux and, then, their effective temperature and luminosity to place them on the H-R diagram. We then used the PARSEC models to derive their best fit ages and masses, with error bars derived from MC calculations. Our interferometric measurements lead to an average of 1.9% uncertainty on angular diameters and 3% on stellar radii. There is good agreement between measured and indirect estimations of angular diameters (from SED fitting or SB relations) for MS stars, but not as good for more evolved stars. For each star, we provide a likelihood map in the mass-age plane; typically, two distinct sets of solutions appear (an old and a young age). The errors on the ages and masses that we provide account for the metallicity uncertainties, which are often neglected by other works. From measurements of its radius and density, we also provide the mass of 55 Cnc independently of models. From the stellar masses, we provide new estimates of semi-major axes and minimum masses of exoplanets with reliable uncertainties. We also derive the radius, density, and mass of 55 Cnc e, a super-Earth that transits its stellar host. Our exoplanetary parameters reflect the known population of exoplanets.
The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will be a ground-based, optical,
all-sky, rapid cadence survey project with tremendous potential for discovering
and characterizing asteroids. With LSST's large 6.5m diameter primary mirror, a
wide 9.6 square degree field of view 3.2 Gigapixel camera, and rapid
observational cadence, LSST will discover more than 5 million asteroids over
its ten year survey lifetime. With a single visit limiting magnitude of 24.5 in
r-band, LSST will be able to detect asteroids in the Main Belt down to
sub-kilometer sizes. The current strawman for the LSST survey strategy is to
obtain two visits (each visit being a pair of back-to-back 15s exposures) per
field, separated by about 30 minutes, covering the entire visible sky every 3-4
days throughout the observing season, for ten years.
The catalogs generated by LSST will increase the known number of small bodies
in the Solar System by a factor of 10-100 times, among all populations. The
median number of observations for Main Belt asteroids will be on the order of
200-300, with Near Earth Objects receiving a median of 90 observations. These
observations will be spread among ugrizy bandpasses, providing photometric
colors and allowing sparse lightcurve inversion to determine rotation periods,
spin axes, and shape information.
These catalogs will be created using automated detection software, the LSST
Moving Object Processing System (MOPS), that will take advantage of the
carefully characterized LSST optical system, cosmetically clean camera, and
recent improvements in difference imaging. Tests with the prototype MOPS
software indicate that linking detections (and thus discovery) will be possible
at LSST depths with our working model for the survey strategy, but evaluation
of MOPS and improvements in the survey strategy will continue. All data
products and software created by LSST will be publicly available.
Continuous high-cadence and high-spatial resolution Dopplergrams allow us to study sub-surface dynamics that may be further extended to explore precursors of visible solar activity on the surface. Since the p-mode power is absorbed in the regions of high magnetic field, the inferences in these regions are often presumed to have large uncertainties. In this paper, using the Dopplergrams from space-borne Helioseismic Magnetic Imager (HMI), we compare horizontal flows in a shear layer below the surface and the photospheric layer in and around active regions. The photospheric flows are calculated using local correlation tracking (LCT) method while the ring-diagram (RD) technique of helioseismology is used to infer flows in the sub-photospheric shear layer. We find a strong positive correlation between flows from both methods near the surface. This implies that despite the absorption of acoustic power in the regions of strong magnetic field, the flows inferred from the helioseismology are comparable to those from the surface measurements. However, the magnitudes are significantly different; the flows from the LCT method are smaller by a factor of 2 than the helioseismic measurements. Also, the median difference between direction of corresponding vectors is 49 degree.
In this work we present the effective field theory of primordial statistical anisotropies generated during anisotropic inflation involving a background $U(1)$ gauge field. Besides the usual Goldstone boson associated with the breaking of time diffeomorphism we have two additional Goldstone bosons associated with the breaking of spatial diffeomorphisms. We further identify these two new Goldstone bosons with the expected two transverse degrees of the $U(1)$ gauge field fluctuations. Upon defining the appropriate unitary gauge, we present the most general quadratic action which respects the remnant symmetry in the unitary gauge. The interactions between various Goldstone bosons leads to statistical anisotropy in curvature perturbation power spectrum. Calculating the general results for power spectrum anisotropy, we recover the previously known results in specific models of anisotropic inflation. In addition, we present novel results for statistical anisotropy in models with non-trivial sound speed for inflaton fluctuations. Also we identify the interaction which leads to birefringence-like effects in anisotropic power spectrum in which the speed of gauge field fluctuations depends on the direction of the mode propagation and the two polarization of gauge field fluctuations contribute differently in statistical anisotropy. As another interesting application, our EFT approach naturally captures interactions generating parity violating statistical anisotropies.
The semi-regular variable star RU Vulpeculae (RU Vul) is being observed visually since 1935. Its pulsation period and amplitude are declining since $\sim1954$. A leading hypothesis to explain the period decrease in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars such as RU Vul is an ongoing flash of the He-burning shell, also called a thermal pulse (TP), inside the star. In this paper, we present a CCD photometric light curve of RU Vul, derive its fundamental parameters, and test if the TP hypothesis can describe the observed period decline. We use CCD photometry to determine the present-day pulsation period and amplitude in three photometric bands, and high-resolution optical spectroscopy to derive the fundamental parameters. The period evolution of RU Vul is compared to predictions by evolutionary models of the AGB phase. We find that RU Vul is a metal-poor star with a metallicity $[{\rm M}/{\rm H}]=-1.59\pm0.05$ and an effective surface temperature of $T_{\rm eff}=3634\pm20$ K. The low metallicity of RU Vul and its kinematics indicate that it is an old, low-mass member of the thick disc or the halo population. The present day pulsation period determined from our photometry is $\sim108$ d, the semi-amplitude in the V-band is $0.39\pm0.03$ mag. The observed period decline is found to be well matched by an evolutionary AGB model with stellar parameters comparable to those of RU Vul. We conclude that the TP hypothesis is in good agreement with the observed period evolution of RU Vul.
(Abridged) Radio relics in galaxy clusters are believed to be associated with powerful shock fronts that originate during cluster mergers, and are a testbed for the acceleration of relativistic particles in the intracluster medium. Recently, radio relic observations have pushed into the cm-wavelength domain (1-30 GHz) where a break from the standard synchrotron power-law spectrum has been found, most noticeably in the famous 'Sausage' relic. In this paper, we point to an important effect that has been ignored or considered insignificant while interpreting these new high-frequency radio data, namely the contamination due to the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect that changes the observed radio flux. Even though the radio relics reside in the cluster outskirts, the shock-driven pressure boost increases the SZ signal locally by roughly an order of magnitude. The resulting flux contamination for some well-known relics are non-negligible already at 10 GHz, and at 30 GHz the observed radio fluxes can be diminished by a factor of several from their true values. Interferometric observations are not immune to this contamination, since the change in the SZ signal occurs roughly at the same length scale as the radio emission, although there the flux loss is less severe than single-dish observations. We present simple analytical approximation for the radio-to-SZ flux ratio, based on a theoretical radio relic model that connects the non-thermal emission to the thermal gas properties, and show that from measuring this ratio one can potentially estimate the relic magnetic fields or the particle acceleration efficiency.
In this paper we investigate the primordial nucleosynthesis in $\mathscr{L}=\varepsilon^{2-2\beta}R^\beta+{16\pi}m_P^{-2}\mathscr{L}_m$ gravity, where $\varepsilon$ is a constant balancing the dimension of the field equation, and $1<\beta<(4+\sqrt{6})/5$ for the positivity of energy density and temperature. From the semianalytical approach, the influences of $\beta$ to the decoupling of neutrinos, the freeze-out temperature and concentration of nucleons, the opening of deuterium bottleneck, and the $^4$He abundance are all extensively analyzed; then $\beta$ is constrained to $1<\beta<1.05$ for $\varepsilon=1$ [1/s] and $1<\beta<1.001$ for $\varepsilon=m_P$ (Planck mass). Supplementarily from the empirical approach, abundances of the lightest elements (D, $^4$He, $^7$Li) are computed by the model-independent best-fit formulae for nonstandard primordial nucleosynthesis, and we find the constraint $1< \beta \leq 1.0505$ which corresponds to the extra number of neutrino species $0< \Delta N_\nu^{\text{eff}} \leq 0.6365$; also, the $^7$Li abundance problem cannot be solved by $\mathscr{L}=\varepsilon^{2-2\beta}R^\beta+{16\pi}m_P^{-2}\mathscr{L}_m$ gravity for this domains of $\beta$. Finally, the consistency with the mechanism of gravitational baryogenesis is estimated.
By assuming that the Kehagias-Sfetsos black hole is an exact solution of the standard Einstein equations, we investigate the properties of its source that generates the curvature. The anisotropic fluid has $p_{r} = - \rho$ as equation of state and fulfills the WEC and NEC. The gravitational field is repulsive inside the horizon and attractive outside, becoming of Schwarzschild type at large distances. The Misner-Sharp energy equals the black hole mass asymptotically.
Path equations of different orbiting objects in the presence of very strong
gravitational fields are essential to examine the impact of its gravitational
effect on the stability of each system. Implementing an analogous method, used
to examine the stability of planetary systems by solving the geodesic deviation
equations to obtain a finite value of the magnitude of its corresponding
deviation vectors. Thus, in order to know whether a system is stable or not,
the solution of corresponding deviation equations may give an indication about
the status of the stability for orbiting systems.Accordingly, two questions
must be addressed based on the status of stability of stellar objects orbiting
super-massive black holes in the galactic center.
1. Would the deviation equations play the same relevant role of orbiting
planetary systems for massive spinning objects such as neutron stars or black
holes? 2. What type of field theory which describes such a strong gravitational
field ?
We propose a realization of mass varying neutrino dark energy in two extensions of the Standard Model (SM) with a dynamical neutrino mass related to the acceleron field while satisfying the naturalness. In the first scenario the SM is extended to include a TeV scale scalar Higgs triplet ($\xi$) and a TeV scale second Higgs doublet ($\eta$), while in the second scenario an extension of the SM with fermion triplet $(\Sigma)$ is considered. We also point out the possible leptogenesis mechanisms for simultaneously generating the observed baryon asymmetry of the universe in both the scenarios and discuss the collider signatures for the TeV scale new fields which make these models testable in the current run of LHC.
In this paper we consider how the strong-coupling scale, or perturbative cutoff, in a multi-gravity theory depends upon the presence and structure of interactions between the different fields. This can elegantly be rephrased in terms of the size and structure of the `theory graph' which depicts the interactions in a given theory. We show that the question can be answered in terms of the properties of various graph-theoretical matrices, affording an efficient way to estimate and place bounds on the strong-coupling scale of a given theory. In light of this we also consider the problem of relating a given theory graph to a discretised higher dimensional theory, a la dimensional deconstruction.
A well-established phenomenon in general relativity is the dragging of inertial frames by a spinning object. In particular, due to the dragging of inertial frames by a ring orbiting a central black hole, the angular-velocity of the black-hole horizon in the composed black-hole-ring system is no longer related to the black-hole angular-momentum by the simple Kerr-like (vacuum) relation $\Omega^{\text{Kerr}}_{\text{H}}(J_{\text{H}})=J_{\text{H}}/2M^2R_{\text{H}}$. Will has performed a perturbative treatment of the composed black-hole-ring system in the regime of slowly rotating black holes and found the explicit relation $\Omega^{\text{BH-ring}}_{\text{H}}(J_{\text{H}}=0,J_{\text{R}},R)=2J_{\text{R}}/R^3$ for the angular-velocity of a central black hole with zero angular-momentum. Analyzing a sequence of black-hole-ring configurations with adiabatically varying (decreasing) circumferential radii, we show that the expression found by Will implies a smooth transition of the central black-hole angular-velocity from its asymptotic near-horizon value $\Omega^{\text{BH-ring}}_{\text{H}}(J_{\text{H}}=0,J_{\text{R}},R\to R^{+}_{\text{H}})$ to its final Kerr (vacuum) value $\Omega^{\text{Kerr}}_{\text{H}}(J^{\text{new}}_{\text{H}})$. We use this important observation in order to generalize the result of Will to the regime of black-hole-ring configurations in which the central black holes possess non-zero angular momenta. Remarkably, we find the simple universal relation $\Delta\Omega_{\text{H}}\equiv\Omega^{\text{BH-ring}}_{\text{H}}(J_{\text{H}},J_{\text{R}},R\to R^{+}_{\text{H}})-\Omega^{\text{Kerr}}_{\text{H}}(J_{\text{H}})={{J_{\text{R}}}/{4M^3}}$ for the asymptotic deviation of the black-hole angular-velocity in the composed black-hole-ring system from the corresponding angular-velocity of the unperturbed (vacuum) Kerr black hole with the same angular-momentum.
We present a two-field inflationary scenario where inflaton field is accompanied by a dilaton field and has a non-canonical kinetic term due to the presence of the dilaton field. We show that novelty of such an inflationary scenario is that the quartic and quadratic inflaton potentials, which in standard single-field inflation models are ruled out by the present Planck data, yield scalar spectral index and tensor-to-scalar ratio in accordance with the present data. Such a model yield tensor-to-scalar ratio of the order of $10^{-2}$ which can be probed by future $B-$mode experiments like Keck/BICEP3, CMBPol, COrE, LiteBIRD and thus can be put to test in future. In a multifield scenario the curvature perturbations are not constant on superhorizon scales and isocurvature perturbations are expected to be generated. We show that in the considered two-field scenario, upto slow-roll approximation, the isocurvature perturbations vanish. To motivate such a two-field model, we show that it can be derived from no-scale supergravity with appropriate choice of superpotential and string motivated K\"ahler potential.
We investigate the interior dynamics of accreting black holes in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity using the homogeneous approximation and taking charge as a surrogate for angular momentum, showing that accretion can have an enormous impact on their inner structure. We find that, unlike in general relativity, there is a minimum accretion rate bellow which the mass inflation instability, which drives the centre-of-mass streaming density to exponentially high values in an extremely short interval of time, does not occur. We further show that, above this threshold, mass inflation takes place inside black holes very much in the same way as in general relativity, but is brought to a halt at a maximum energy density which is, in general, much smaller than the fundamental energy density of the theory. We conjecture that some of these results may be a common feature of modified gravity theories in which significant deviations from general relativity manifest themselves at very high densities.
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We present an X-ray spectroscopic study of optically selected (SDSS) Seyfert 2 (Sy2) galaxies. The goal is to study the obscuration of Sy2 galaxies beyond the local universe, using good quality X-ray spectra in combination with high S/N optical spectra for their robust classification. We analyze all available XMM-Newton archival observations of narrow emission line galaxies that meet the above criteria in the redshift range 0.05<z<0.35. We initially select narrow line AGN using the SDSS optical spectra and the BPT classification diagram. We further model and remove the stellar continuum, and we analyze the residual emission line spectrum to exclude any possible intermediate-type Seyferts. Our final catalog comprises 31 Sy2 galaxies with median redshift z~0.1. X-ray spectroscopy is performed using the available X-ray spectra from the 3XMM and the XMMFITCAT catalogs. Implementing various indicators of obscuration, we find seven (~23%) Compton-thick AGN. The X-ray spectroscopic Compton-thick classification is in agreement with other commonly used diagnostics such as the X-ray to mid-IR luminosity ratio and the X-ray to [OIII] luminosity ratio. Most importantly, we find four (~13%) unobscured Sy2 galaxies, at odds with the simplest unification model. Their accretion rates are significantly lower compared to the rest of our Sy2 sample, in agreement with previous studies that predict the absence of the broad line region below a certain Eddington ratio threshold.
In recent years, a growing zoo of compact stellar systems (CSSs) have been found whose physical properties (mass, size, velocity dispersion) place them between classical globular clusters (GCs) and true galaxies, leading to debates about their nature. Here we present results using a so far underutilised discriminant, their stellar population properties. Based on new spectroscopy from 8-10m telescopes, we derive ages, metallicities, and [\alpha/Fe] of 29 CSSs. These range from GCs with sizes of merely a few parsec to compact ellipticals larger than M32. Together with a literature compilation, this provides a panoramic view of the stellar population characteristics of early-type systems. We find that the CSSs are predominantly more metal rich than typical galaxies at the same stellar mass. At high mass, the compact ellipticals (cEs) depart from the mass-metallicity relation of massive early-type galaxies, which forms a continuous sequence with dwarf galaxies. At lower mass, the metallicity distribution of ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs) changes at a few times $10^7$ M$_{\odot}$, which roughly coincides with the mass where luminosity function arguments previously suggested the GC population ends. The highest metallicities in CSSs are paralleled only by those of dwarf galaxy nuclei and the central parts of massive early types. These findings can be interpreted as CSSs previously being more massive and undergoing tidal interactions to obtain their current mass and compact size. Such an interpretation is supported by CSSs with direct evidence for tidal stripping, and by an examination of the CSS internal escape velocities.
We explore the possibility of detecting hydrogen radio recombination lines from 0 < z < 10 quasars. We compute the expected Hnalpha flux densities as a function of absolute magnitude and redshift by considering (i) the range of observed AGN spectral indices from UV to X-ray bands, (ii) secondary ionizations from X-ray photons, and (iii) stimulated emission due to nonthermal radiation. All these effects are important to determine the line fluxes. We find that the combination of slopes: alpha_X,hard = -1.11, alpha_X,soft = -0.7, alpha_EUV = -1.3, alpha_UV = -1.7, maximizes the expected flux, f_Hnalpha = 10 microJy for z = 7 quasars with M_AB = -27 in the n = 50 lines; allowed SED variations produce variations by a factor of 3 around this value. Secondaries boost the line intensity by a factor of 2 to 4, while stimulated emission in high-z quasars with M_AB = -26 provides an extra boost to RRL flux observed at nu = 1 GHz if recombinations arise in HII regions with T_e = 10^3-5 K, n_e = 10^3-5 cm^-3. We compute the sensitivity required for a 5sigma detection of Hnalpha lines using the SKA, finding that the SKA-MID could detect sources with M_AB < -27 (M_AB < -26) at z < 8 (z < 3) in less than 100 hrs of observing time. These observations could open new paths to searches for obscured SMBH progenitors, complementing X-ray, optical/IR and sub-mm surveys.
The relationship between stellar populations and the ionizing flux with which they irradiate their surroundings has profound implications for the evolution of the intergalactic medium. We quantify the ionizing flux arising from synthetic stellar populations which incorporate the evolution of interacting binary stars. We determine that these show ionizing flux boosted by 60 per cent at 0.05 < Z < 0.3 Z_sun and a more modest 10-20 per cent at near-Solar metallicities relative to star-forming populations in which stars evolve in isolation. The relation of ionizing flux to observables such as 1500A continuum and ultraviolet spectral slope is sensitive to attributes of the stellar population including age, star formation history and initial mass function. For a galaxy forming 1 M_sun yr^{-1}, observed at > 100 Myr after the onset of star formation, we predict a production rate of photons capable of ionizing hydrogen, N_ion = 1.4 x 10^{53} s^{-1} at Z = Z_sun and 3.5 x 10^{53} s^{-1} at 0.1 Z_sun, assuming a Salpeter-like initial mass function. We evaluate the impact of these issues on the ionization of the intergalactic medium, finding that the known galaxy populations can maintain the ionization state of the Universe back to z ~ 9, assuming that their luminosity functions continue to M_UV = -10, and that constraints on the intergalactic medium at z ~ 2 - 5 can be satisfied with modest Lyman continuum photon escape fractions of 4 - 24 per cent depending on assumed metallicity.
During star cluster formation, ongoing mass accretion is resisted by stellar feedback in the form of protostellar outflows from the low-mass stars and photo-ionization and radiation pressure feedback from the massive stars. We model the evolution of cluster-forming regions during a phase in which both accretion and feedback are present, and use these models to investigate how star cluster formation might terminate. Protostellar outflows are the strongest form of feedback in low-mass regions, but these cannot stop cluster formation if matter continues to flow in. In more massive clusters, radiation pressure and photo-ionization rapidly clear the cluster-forming gas when its column density is too small. We assess the rates of dynamical mass ejection and of evaporation, while accounting for the important effect of dust opacity on photo-ionization. Our models are consistent with the census of protostellar outflows in NGC 1333 and Serpens South, and with the dust temperatures observed in regions of massive star formation. Comparing observations of massive cluster-forming regions against our model parameter space, and against our expectations for accretion-driven evolution, we infer that massive-star feedback is a likely cause of gas disruption in regions with velocity dispersions less than a few kilometers per second, but that more massive and more turbulent regions are too strongly bound for stellar feedback to be disruptive.
Central jetted active galactic nuclei (AGN) appear to heat the core regions of the intracluster medium (ICM) in cooling-core galaxy clusters and groups, thereby preventing a cooling catastrophe. However, the physical mechanism(s) by which the directed flow of kinetic energy is thermalized throughout the ICM core remains unclear. We examine one widely discussed mechanism whereby the AGN induces subsonic turbulence in the ambient medium, the dissipation of which provides the ICM heat source. Through controlled inviscid 3-d hydrodynamic simulations, we verify that explosive AGN-like events can launch gravity waves (g-modes) into the ambient ICM which in turn decay to volume-filling turbulence. In our model, however, this process is found to be inefficient, with less than 1% of the energy injected by the AGN activity actually ending up in the turbulence of the ambient ICM. This efficiency is an order of magnitude or more too small to explain the observations of AGN-feedback in galaxy clusters and groups with short central cooling times. Atmospheres in which the g-modes are strongly trapped/confined have an even lower efficiency since, in these models, excitation of turbulence relies on the g-modes' ability to escape from the center of the cluster into the bulk ICM. Our results suggest that, if AGN-induced turbulence is indeed the mechanism by which the AGN heats the ICM core, its driving may rely on physics beyond that captured in our ideal hydrodynamic model.
We present a study of the H$\alpha$ gas kinematics for 179 star-forming galaxies at $z\sim2$ from the MOSFIRE Deep Evolution Field survey. We have developed models to interpret the kinematic measurements from fixed-angle multi-object spectroscopy, using structural parameters derived from CANDELS HST/F160W imaging. For 35 galaxies we measure resolved rotation with a median $(V/\sigma_{v,0})_{R_E}=2.11$. We derive dynamical masses from the kinematics and sizes and compare them to baryonic masses, with gas masses estimated from Balmer decrement corrected H$\alpha$ star formation rates (SFRs) and the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation. When assuming that galaxies with and without observed rotation have the same median $(V/\sigma_{v,0})_{R_E}$, we find good agreement between the dynamical and baryonic masses, with a scatter of $\sigma_{RMS}=0.338$ dex and a median offset of $\Delta\log_{10}M=0.04$ dex. This comparison implies a low dark matter fraction (8% within an effective radius) for a Chabrier initial mass function (IMF), and disfavors a Salpeter IMF. Moreover, the requirement that $M_{dyn}/M_{baryon}$ for galaxies without observed rotation should be independent of inclination yields a median value of $(V/\sigma_{v,0})_{R_E}= 2.1$. If instead we assume that galaxies without resolved rotation are ellipticals, the masses are also in reasonable agreement ($\Delta\log_{10}M=-0.06$ dex, $\sigma_{RMS}=0.364$ dex). The inclusion of gas masses is critical in this comparison; if gas masses are excluded there is an increasing trend of $M_{dyn}/M_{*}$ with higher specific SFR (SSFR). Furthermore, we find indications that $V/\sigma$ decreases with increasing H$\alpha$ SSFR for our full sample, which may reflect disk settling. The active galactic nuclei in our sample have a similar distribution in $M_{dyn}-M_{baryon}$ as the primary sample, which suggests the kinematics describe the host galaxies.
We measure the effect of the environment on the intrinsic shapes of spiral
and elliptical galaxies by finding the 3D shape distribution and dust
extinction that fits better the projected shape of galaxies in different
environment. We find that spiral galaxies in groups are very similar to field
spirals with similar intrinsic properties (magnitudes, sizes and colours). But
for spirals in groups, those in denser environments or closer to the centre of
the group tend to have a more circular disc than similar galaxies in less dense
environments or far from the group centres. Also we find that central spiral
galaxies in their groups tend to be thinner than other similar spirals.
For ellipticals, we do not find any important dependence of their shape on
their position in a group or on the local density. However, we find that
elliptical galaxies in groups tend to be more spherical than field ellipticals
with similar intrinsic properties.
We find that, once in groups, the shape of member galaxies do not depend on
group mass, regardless of their morphological type.
Circumbinary planets whose orbits become unstable may be ejected, accreted, or even captured by one of the stars. We quantify the relative rates of these channels, for a binary of secondary star's mass fraction 0.1 with an orbit of 1AU. The most common outcome is ejection, which happens ~80% of the time. If binary systems form circumbinary planets readily and sloppily, this process may fill the Milky Way with free-floating planets. A significant fraction of the time, ~20%, the unstable planet strikes the primary or secondary. We tracked whether a Jupiter-like planet would undergo tidal stripping events during close passages, and find that these events are not strong enough to change the trajectory of the planet, though this may be observable from a changed structured for free-floating planets that are produced by this process.
We report a bimodality in the azimuthal angle ($\Phi$) distribution of gas around galaxies traced by OVI absorption. We present the mean $\Phi$ probability distribution function of 29 HST-imaged OVI absorbing (EW>0.1A) and 24~non-absorbing (EW<0.1A) isolated galaxies (0.08<z<0.67) within 200kpc of background quasars. We show that EW is anti-correlated with impact parameter and OVI covering fraction decreases from 80% within 50kpc to 33% at 200kpc. The presence of OVI absorption is azimuthally dependent and occurs between $\pm10-20^{\circ}$ of the galaxy projected major axis and within $\pm30^{\circ}$ of the projected minor axis. We find higher EWs along the projected minor axis with weaker EWs along the project major axis. Highly inclined galaxies have the lowest covering fractions due to minimized outflow/inflow cross-section geometry. Absorbing galaxies also have bluer colors while non-absorbers have redder colors, suggesting that star-formation is a key driver in the OVI detection rate. OVI surrounding blue galaxies exists primarily along the projected minor axis with wide opening angles while OVI surrounding red galaxies exists primarily along the projected major axis with smaller opening angles, which may explain why absorption around red galaxies is less frequently detected. Our results are consistent with CGM originating from major axis-fed inflows/recycled gas and from minor axis-driven outflows. Non-detected OVI occurs between $\Phi=20-60^{\circ}$, suggesting that OVI is not mixed throughout the CGM and remains confined within the outflows and the disk-plane. We find low OVI covering fractions within $\pm10^{\circ}$ of the projected major axis, suggesting that cool dense gas resides in a narrow planer geometry surrounded by diffuse OVI gas.
Globular clusters are considerably more complex structures than previously thought, harbouring at least two stellar generations which present clearly distinct chemical abundances. Scenarios explaining the abundance patterns in globular clusters mostly assume that originally the clusters had to be much more massive than today, and that the second generation of stars originates from the gas shed by stars of the first generation (FG). The lack of metallicity spread in most globular clusters further requires that the supernova-enriched gas ejected by the FG is completely lost within ~30 Myr, a hypothesis never tested by means of three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. In this paper, we use 3D hydrodynamic simulations including stellar feedback from winds and supernovae, radiative cooling and self-gravity to study whether a realistic distribution of OB associations in a massive proto-GC of initial mass M_tot ~ 10^7 M_sun is sufficient to expel its entire gas content. Our numerical experiment shows that the coherence of different associations plays a fundamental role: as the bubbles interact, distort and merge, they carve narrow tunnels which reach deeper and deeper towards the innermost cluster regions, and through which the gas is able to escape. Our results indicate that after 3 Myr, the feedback from stellar winds is responsible for the removal of ~40% of the pristine gas, and that after 14 Myr, ~ 99% of the initial gas mass has been removed.
In inflationary cosmology, cosmic reheating after inflation sets the initial conditions for the hot big bang. It has recently been proposed to use the imprint of reheating in the CMB to constrain models of inflation or the reheating phase itself. We critically assess this proposal in view of the complexity of the reheating process in realistic models. We illustrate in simple examples that the effect of reheating on the CMB in general cannot be quantified by fixing the inflaton's effective potential and its couplings to matter and radiation, but depends on the details of the particle physics model it is embedded into. However, in models without parametric resonance, this dependency is rather weak, and one can in principle obtain constraints on the inflaton couplings from the CMB.
Representing simultaneous black hole accretion during a merger, binary active galactic nuclei (AGNs) could provide valuable observational constraints to models of galaxy mergers and AGN triggering. High-resolution radio interferometer imaging offers a promising method to identify a large and uniform sample of binary AGNs, because it probes a generic feature of nuclear activity and is free from dust obscuration. Our previous search yielded 52 strong candidates of kpc-scale binaries over the 92 deg^2 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Stripe 82 area with 2"-resolution Very Large Array (VLA) images. Here we present 0.3"-resolution VLA 6 GHz observations for six candidates that have complete optical spectroscopy. The new data confirm the binary nature of four candidates and identify the other two as line-of-sight projections of radio structures from single AGNs. The four binary AGNs at z ~ 0.1 reside in major mergers with projected separations of 4.2-12 kpc. Optical spectral modeling shows that their hosts have stellar masses between 10.3 < log(M_star/M_sun) < 11.5 and velocity dispersions between 120 < sigma_star < 320 km/s. The radio emission is compact (<0.4") and show steep spectrum (-1.8 < alpha < -0.5) at 6 GHz. The host galaxy properties and the Eddington-scaled accretion rates broadly correlate with the excitation state, similar to the general radio-AGN population at low redshifts. Our estimated binary AGN fraction indicates that simultaneous accretion occurs >23^{+15}_{-8}% of the time when a kpc-scale galaxy pair is detectable as a radio-AGN. The high duty cycle of the binary phase strongly suggests that major mergers can trigger and synchronize black hole accretion.
In the local Universe, massive early-type galaxies exhibit enhanced [Mg/Fe] ratios, which has been traditionally interpreted as the result of a rapid ($\tau \lesssim 1$ Gyr) collapse. However, recent claims of a non-universal, steep initial mass function call for a revision of this standard interpretation. In the present work we show how the simultaneous consideration of a high [Mg/Fe] and a steep IMF slope would imply unreasonably short ($\tau \sim 7$ Myr) and intense (SFR $\sim 10^{5}$ Msun yr$^{-1}$) formation events for massive early-type galaxies. We discuss possible caveats and explanations to this apparent inconsistency, and we suggest that further IMF determinations, both in the local Universe and at high redshift, are necessary to better understand the problem.
New deep optical and near-infrared imaging is combined with archival ultraviolet and infrared data for fifteen nearby galaxies mapped in the Spitzer Extended Disk Galaxy Exploration Science survey. These images are particularly deep and thus excellent for studying the low surface brightness outskirts of these disk-dominated galaxies with stellar masses ranging between 10^8 and 10^11 Msun. The spectral energy distributions derived from this dataset are modeled to investigate the radial variations in the galaxy colors and star formation histories. Taken as a whole, the sample shows bluer and younger stars for larger radii until reversing near the optical radius, whereafter the trend is for redder and older stars for larger galacto-centric distances. These results are consistent with an inside-out disk formation scenario coupled with an old stellar outer disk population formed through radial migration and/or the cumulative history of minor mergers and accretions of satellite dwarf galaxies. However, these trends are quite modest and the variation from galaxy to galaxy is substantial. Additional data for a larger sample of galaxies are needed to confirm or dismiss these modest sample-wide trends.
Stars generally form in aggregates, some of which are bound ('clusters') while others are unbound and disperse on short ($\sim10$ Myr) timescales ('associations'). The fraction of stars forming in bound clusters ($\Gamma$) is a fundamental outcome of the star formation process. Recent observational and theoretical work has suggested that $\Gamma$ increases with the gas surface density ($\Sigma$) or star formation rate (SFR) surface density ($\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$), both within galaxies and between different ones. However, a recent paper by Chandar et al. has challenged these results, showing that the $total$ number of stellar aggregates per unit SFR does not vary systematically with the host galaxy's absolute SFR. In this Letter, we show that no variations are expected when no distinction is made between bound and unbound aggregates, because the sum of these two fractions should be close to unity. We also demonstrate that any scaling of $\Gamma$ with the absolute SFR is much weaker than with $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$, due to the mass-radius-SFR relation of star-forming 'main sequence' galaxies. The environmental variation of $\Gamma$ should therefore be probed as a function of area-normalised quantities, such as $\Sigma$ or $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$. We present a set of guidelines for meaningful observational tests of cluster formation theories and show that these resolve the reported discrepancy.
Gray models, which replace spectrally-resolved opacities with a wavelength independent mean opacity, are currently seeing wide and diverse application. In this brief review, we discuss both the history of gray techniques as well as recent applications of gray models, with an emphasis on planetary atmospheres. Methods and results for generating mean opacities are summarized. We present examples where gray radiative transfer tools are incorporated into three-dimensional atmospheric circulation models. Gray techniques are also useful for problems in comparative climatology, and we inter-compare results from several generalized gray models as applied to the computation of convective fluxes in planetary atmospheres. Finally, we provide examples where future progress can be made in the development of gray models.
The optical UBVRI photometric analysis has been established using SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY (SDSS database) in order to estimate the astrophysical parameters of poorly studied open star cluster IC 2156. The results of the present study are compared with a previous one of ours, which relied on the 2MASS JHK infrared photometry. The stellar density distributions and color-magnitude diagrams of the cluster are used to determine the geometrical structure; limited radius, core and tidal radii, the distances from the Sun, from the Galactic plane and from the Galactic center. Also, the main photometric parameters; age, distance modulus, color excesses, membership, total mass, luminosity, mass functions and relaxation time; have been estimated.
About half of the S0 galaxies in the nearby Universe show signatures of recent or ongoing star formation. Whether these S0 galaxies were rejuvenated by the accretion of fresh gas is still controversial. We study minor mergers of a gas-rich dwarf galaxy with an S0 galaxy, by means of N-body smoothed-particle hydrodynamics simulations. We find that minor mergers trigger episodes of star formation in the S0 galaxy, lasting for ~10 Gyr. One of the most important fingerprints of the merger is the formation of a gas ring in the S0 galaxy. The ring is reminiscent of the orbit of the satellite galaxy, and its lifetime depends on the merger properties: polar and counter-rotating satellite galaxies induce the formation of long-lived smooth gas rings.
HCN is a commonly observed molecule in Solar System bodies and in interstellar environments. Its abundance with respect to CN is a proposed tracer of UV exposure. HCN is also frequently used to probe the thermal history of objects, by measuring its degree of nitrogen fractionation. To address the utility of HCN as a probe of disks, we present ALMA observations of CN, HCN, H13CN and HC15N toward the protoplanetary disk around Herbig Ae star MWC480, and of CN and HCN toward the disk around T Tauri star DM Tau. Emission from all molecules is clearly detected and spatially resolved, including the first detection of HC15N in a disk. Toward MWC 480, CN emission extends radially more than 1" exterior to the observed cut-off of HCN emission. Quantitative modeling further reveals very different radial abundance profiles for CN and HCN, with best-fit outer cut-off radii of >300 AU and 110+-10 AU, respectively. This result is in agreement with model predictions of efficient HCN photodissociation into CN in the outer-part of the disk where the vertical gas and dust column densities are low. No such difference in CN and HCN emission profiles are observed toward DM Tau, suggestive of different photochemical structures in Herbig Ae and T Tauri disks. We use the HCN isotopologue data toward the MWC 480 disk to provide the first measurement of the 14N/15N ratio in a disk. We find a low disk averaged 14N/15N ratio of 200+-100, comparable to what is observed in cloud cores and comets, demonstrating interstellar inheritance and/or efficient nitrogen fractionation in this disk.
We present molecular spectroscopy toward 50 Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) taken at millimeter wavelengths in 12CO and 13CO J=2-1 with the Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope as part of a systematic survey for broad molecular line (BML) regions indicative of interactions with molecular clouds (MCs). These observations reveal BML regions toward nineteen SNRs, including nine newly identified BML regions associated with SNRs (G08.3-0.0, G09.9-0.8, G11.2-0.3, G12.2+0.3, G18.6-0.2, G23.6+0.3, 4C-04.71, G29.6+0.1, G32.4+0.1). The remaining ten SNRs with BML regions confirm previous evidence for MC interaction in most cases (G16.7+0.1, Kes 75, 3C 391, Kes 79, 3C 396, 3C 397, W49B, Cas A, IC 443), although we confirm that the BML region toward HB 3 is associated with the W3(OH) HII region, not the SNR. Based on the systemic velocity of each MC, molecular line diagnostics, and cloud morphology, we test whether these detections represent SNR-MC interactions. One of the targets (G54.1+0.3) had previous indications of a BML region, but we did not detect broadened emission toward it. Although broadened 12CO J=2-1 line emission should be detectable toward virtually all SNR-MC interactions we find relatively few examples; therefore, the number of interactions is low. This result favors mechanisms other than SN feedback as the basic trigger for star formation. In addition, we find no significant association between TeV gamma-ray sources and MC interactions, contrary to predictions that SNR-MC interfaces are the primary venues for cosmic ray acceleration.
Chondrules are one of the most primitive elements that can serve as a fundamental clue as to the origin of our Solar system. We investigate a formation scenario of chondrules that involves planetesimal collisions and the resultant impact jetting. Planetesimal collisions are the main agent to regulate planetary accretion that corresponds to the formation of terrestrial planets and cores of gas giants. The key component of this scenario is that ejected materials can melt when the impact velocity between colliding planetesimals exceeds about 2.5 km s$^{-1}$. The previous simulations show that the process is efficient enough to reproduce the primordial abundance of chondrules. We examine this scenario carefully by performing semi-analytical calculations that are developed based on the results of direct $N$-body simulations. As found by the previous work, we confirm that planetesimal collisions that occur during planetary accretion can play an important role in forming chondrules. This arises because protoplanet-planetesimal collisions can achieve the impact velocity of about 2.5 km s$^{-1}$ or higher, as protoplanets approach the isolation mass ($M_{p,iso}$). Assuming that the ejected mass is a fraction ($F_{ch}$) of colliding planetesimals' mass, we show that the resultant abundance of chondrules is formulated well by $F_{ch}M_{p,iso}$, as long as the formation of protoplanets is completed within a given disk lifetime. We perform a parameter study and examine how the abundance of chondrules and their formation timing change. We find that the impact jetting scenario generally works reasonably well for a certain range of parameters, while more dedicated work would be needed to include other physical processes that are neglected in this work and to examine their effects on chondrule formation.
This proceeding overviews our current understanding of the orbital history and mass of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Specifically I will argue that the Clouds are on their first infall about our Milky Way and that their total masses are necessarily ~10 times larger than traditionally estimated. This conclusion is based on the recently revised HST proper motions of the Clouds and arguments concerning the binary status of the LMC-SMC pair and their baryon fractions
Oscillations between photons and axion-like particles (ALP) travelling in intergalactic magnetic fields have been invoked to explain a number of astrophysical phenomena, or used to constrain ALP properties using observations. One example is the anomalous transparency of the universe to TeV gamma-rays. The intergalactic magnetic field is usually modeled as patches of coherent domains, each with a uniform magnetic field, but the field orientation changes randomly from one domain to the next ("discrete-$\varphi$ model"). We show in this paper that in more realistic situations, when the magnetic field direction varies continuously along the propagation path, the photon-to-ALP conversion probability $P$ can be significantly different from the discrete-$\varphi$ model. In particular, $P$ has a distinct dependence on the photon energy and ALP mass, and can be as large as 100 percent. This result may affect previous constraints on ALP properties based on ALP-photon propagation in intergalactic magnetic fields.
The growing evidence pointing at core-collapse supernovae as large dust producers makes young massive stellar clusters ideal laboratories to study the evolution of dust immersed into a hot plasma. Here we address the stochastic injection of dust by supernovae and follow its evolution due to thermal sputtering within the hot and dense plasma generated by young stellar clusters. Under these considerations, dust grains are heated by means of random collisions with gas particles which results on the appearance of infrared spectral signatures. We present time-dependent infrared spectral energy distributions which are to be expected from young stellar clusters. Our results are based on hydrodynamic calculations that account for the stochastic injection of dust by supernovae. These also consider gas and dust radiative cooling, stochastic dust temperature fluctuations, the exit of dust grains out of the cluster volume due to the cluster wind and a time-dependent grain size distribution.
We have developed a crowdsourcing web application for image quality control employed by the Dark Energy Survey. Dubbed the "DES exposure checker", it renders science-grade images directly to a web browser and allows users to mark problematic features from a set of predefined classes. Users can also generate custom labels and thus help identify previously unknown problem classes. User reports are fed back to hardware and software experts to help mitigate and eliminate recognized issues. We report on the implementation of the application and our experience with its over 100 users, the majority of which are professional or prospective astronomers but not data management experts. We discuss aspects of user training and engagement, and demonstrate how problem reports have been pivotal to rapidly correct artifacts which would likely have been too subtle or infrequent to be recognized otherwise. We conclude with a number of important lessons learned, suggest possible improvements, and recommend this collective exploratory approach for future astronomical surveys or other extensive data sets with a sufficiently large user base. We also release open-source code of the web application and host an online demo version at this http URL
We present a model for a global axisymmetric turbulent dynamo operating in a galaxy with a corona which treats the supernovae (SNe) and magneto-rotational instability (MRI) driven turbulence parameters under a common formalism. The nonlinear quenching of the dynamo is alleviated by inclusion of small-scale advective and diffusive magnetic helicity fluxes, which allow the gauge invariant magnetic helicity to be transferred outside the disk and consequently build up a corona during the course of dynamo action. The time-dependent dynamo equations are expressed in a separable form and solved through an eigenvector expansion constructed using the steady-state solutions of the dynamo equation. The parametric evolution of the dynamo solution allows us to estimate the final structure of the global magnetic field and the saturated value of the turbulence parameter $\alpha_m$, even before solving the dynamical equations for evolution of magnetic fields in the disk and the corona, along with $\alpha$-quenching. We then solve these equations simultaneously to study the saturation of large-scale magnetic field, its dependence on the small-scale magnetic helicity fluxes and corresponding evolution of the force-free field in the corona. The quadrupolar large-scale magnetic field in the disk is found to reach equipartition strength within a timescale of 1 Gyr. The large-scale magnetic field in the corona obtained is much weaker in strength compared to the field inside the disk and has only a weak impact on the dynamo operation.
We present the discovery of Balmer line absorption from H$\alpha$ to H$\gamma$ in an iron low-ionization broad absorption line (FeLoBAL) quasar SDSS J152350.42+391405.2 (hereafter J1523), by the quasi-simultaneous optical and near-infrared spectroscopy. The Balmer line absorption is at $z_{absor}$ = 0.6039 +/-0.0021 and blueshifted by v=10,353 km/s with respect to the Balmer emission lines. All Balmer BALs have uniform absorption profile with the widths of $\Delta$ v ~12,000 km/s. We also found the absorption trough in He 1* $\lambda$10830 with the same velocity and width in the H-band TripleSpec spectrum of J1523. This object is only the tenth active galactic nucleus known to exhibit non-stellar Balmer absorption, and also the case with the highest velocity and broadest Balmer absorption lines which have ever been found. A CLOUDY analysis shows that the absorbers require an gas density of $log_{10} n_ e (cm^{-3})=9$ and an ionization parameter of $log_{10} U=-1.0$. They locate at a distance of ~0.2 pc from the central ionizing source which is slightly farther than that of BELRs. Furthermore, J1523 is one of the brightest Balmer-BAL quasar ever reported, with unique iron absorption variations, making it as the most promising candidate for follow up high-resolution spectroscopy, multi-band observations, and long-term monitoring.
The chemically peculiar (CP) stars of the upper main sequence are well suited for investigating the impact of magnetic fields and diffusion on the surface layers of slowly rotating stars. They can even be traced in the Magellanic Clouds and are important to the understanding of the stellar formation and evolution. A systematic investigation of the near-infrared (NIR), 2MASS JHKs, photometry for the group of CP stars has never been performed. Nowadays, there is a great deal of data available in the NIR that reach very large distances. It is therefore very important for CP stars to be unambiguously detected in the NIR region and for these detections to be used to derive astrophysical parameters (age and mass) by applying isochrone fitting. Furthermore, we investigated whether the CP stars behave in a different way to normal-type stars in the various photometric diagrams. For our analysis, we carefully compiled a sample of CP and apparently normal (non-peculiar) type stars. Only stars for which high-quality (i.e. with low error levels), astrometric, and photometric data are available were chosen. In total, 639 normal and 622 CP stars were selected and further analysed. All stars were dereddened and calibrated in terms of the effective temperature and absolute magnitude (luminosity). Finally, isochrone fitting was applied. No differences in the astrophysical parameters derived from 2MASS and Johnson UBV photometry were found. Furthermore, no statistical significant deviations from the normal type stars within several colour-colour and colour-magnitude diagrams were discovered. Therefore, it is not possible to detect new CP stars with the help of the photometric 2MASS colours only. A new effective temperature calibration, valid for all CP stars, using the (V-Ks)0 colour was derived.
Extremely metal-poor stars are uniquely informative on the nature of massive Population III stars. Modulo a few elements that vary with stellar evolution, the present-day photospheric abundances observed in extremely metal-poor stars are representative of their natal gas cloud composition. For this reason, the detailed chemistry of extremely metal-poor stars closely reflects the nucleosynthetic yields of supernovae from massive Population III stars. Here we collate detailed chemical abundances of 53 extremely metal-poor stars from the literature and infer the masses of their Population III progenitors. We fit a simple initial mass function to the ensemble of inferred Population III star masses, and find that the mass distribution is well-represented by a powerlaw IMF with an exponent of \$\alpha=2.35^{+0.29}_{-0.24}\$. The inferred maximum progenitor mass for supernovae from massive Population III stars is \$M=87^{+13}_{-33}M_\odot\$, and we find no evidence for a contribution from stars with masses above \$\sim120M_\odot\$. The minimum mass is strongly consistent with the theoretical lower mass limit for Population III Supernovae. We conclude that the IMF for massive Population III stars is consistent with the initial mass function of present-day massive stars and there may well have formed stars much below the supernova mass limit that could have survived to the present day.
We propose a set of standard assumptions for the modelling of Class II and III protoplanetary disks, which includes detailed continuum radiative transfer, thermo-chemical modelling of gas and ice, and line radiative transfer from optical to cm wavelengths. We propose new standard dust opacities for disk models, we present a simplified treatment of PAHs sufficient to reproduce the PAH emission features, and we suggest using a simple treatment of dust settling. We roughly adjust parameters to obtain a model that predicts typical Class II T Tauri star continuum and line observations. We systematically study the impact of each model parameter (disk mass, disk extension and shape, dust settling, dust size and opacity, gas/dust ratio, etc.) on all continuum and line observables, in particular on the SED, mm-slope, continuum visibilities, and emission lines including [OI] 63um, high-J CO lines, (sub-)mm CO isotopologue lines, and CO fundamental ro-vibrational lines. We find that evolved dust properties (large grains) often needed to fit the SED, have important consequences for disk chemistry and heating/cooling balance, leading to stronger emission lines in general. Strong dust settling and missing disk flaring have similar effects on continuum observations, but opposite effects on far-IR gas emission lines. PAH molecules can shield the gas from stellar UV radiation because of their strong absorption and negligible scattering opacities. The observable millimetre-slope of the SED can become significantly more gentle in the case of cold disk midplanes, which we find regularly in our T Tauri models. We propose to use line observations of robust chemical tracers of the gas, such as O, CO, and H2, as additional constraints to determine some key properties of the disks, such as disk shape and mass, opacities, and the dust/gas ratio, by simultaneously fitting continuum and line observations.
We explore the photospheric emission from a relativistic jet breaking out from a massive stellar envelope based on relativistic hydrodynamical simulations and post-process radiation transfer calculations in three dimensions (3D). To investigate the impact of 3D dynamics on the emission, two models of injection conditions are considered for the jet at the center of the progenitor star: one with periodic precession and another without precession. We show that structures developed within the jet due to the interaction with the stellar envelope, as well as due to the precession, have a significant imprint on the resulting emission. Particularly, we find that the signature of precession activity by the central engine is not smeared out and can be directly observed in the light curve as a periodic signal. We also show non-thermal features that can account for observations of gamma-ray bursts are produced in the resulting spectra, even though only thermal photons are injected initially and the effect of non-thermal particles is not considered.
We propose a novel technique to separate the late-time, post-reionization component of the kinetic Sunyaev-Zeldovich (kSZ) effect from the contribution to it from a (poorly understood and probably patchy) reionization history. The kSZ effect is one of the most promising probe of the {\em missing baryons} in the Universe. We study the possibility of reconstructing it in three dimensions (3D), using future spectroscopic surveys such as the Euclid survey. By reconstructing a 3D template from galaxy density and peculiar velocity fields from spectroscopic surveys we cross-correlate the estimator against CMB maps. The resulting cross-correlation can help us to map out the kSZ contribution to CMB in 3D as a function of redshift thereby extending previous results which use tomographic reconstruction. This allows the separation of the late time effect from the contribution owing to reionization. By construction, it avoids contamination from foregrounds, primary CMB, tSZ effect as well as from star forming galaxies. Due to a high number density of galaxies the signal-to-noise (S/N) for such cross-correlational studies are higher, compared to the studies involving CMB power spectrum analysis. Using a spherical Bessel-Fourier (sFB) transform we introduce a pair of 3D power-spectra: ${\cal C}^{\parallel}_\ell(k)$ and ${\cal C}^{\perp}_\ell(k)$ that can be used for this purpose. We find that in a future spectroscopic survey with near all-sky coverage and a survey depth of $z\approx 1$, reconstruction of ${\cal C}^{\perp}_\ell(k)$ can be achieved in a few radial wave bands $k\approx(0.01-0.5 h^{-1}\rm Mpc)$ with a S/N of upto ${\cal O}(10)$ for angular harmonics in the range $\ell=(200-2000)$ (abrdiged).
A time series of high-resolution spectra was observed in the optical wavelength region for the bright proto-planetary nebula IRAS22272+5435 (HD235858), along with a simultaneous monitoring of its radial velocity and $BVR_C$ magnitudes. The object is known to vary in light, color, and velocity due to pulsation with a period of 132 days. The light and color variations are accompanied by significant changes in spectral features, most of which are identified as lines of carbon-bearing molecules. According to the observations, the $C_2$ Swan system and CN Red system lines are stronger near the light minimum. A photospheric spectrum of the central star was calculated using new self-consistent atmospheric models. The observed intensity variations in the $C_2$ Swan system and CN Red system lines were found to be much larger than expected if due solely to the temperature variation in the atmosphere of the pulsating star. In addition, the molecular lines are blueshifted relative to the photospheric velocity. The site of formation of the strong molecular features appears to be a cool outflow triggered by the pulsation. The variability in atomic lines seems to be mostly due variations of the effective temperature during the pulsation cycle. The profiles of strong atomic lines are split, and some of them are variable in a time scale of a week or so, probably because of shock waves in the outer atmosphere.
We present the Signal Detection using Random-Forest Algorithm (SIDRA). SIDRA is a detection and classification algorithm based on the Machine Learning technique (Random Forest). The goal of this paper is to show the power of SIDRA for quick and accurate signal detection and classification. We first diagnose the power of the method with simulated light curves and try it on a subset of the Kepler space mission catalogue. We use five classes of simulated light curves (CONSTANT, TRANSIT, VARIABLE, MLENS and EB for constant light curves, transiting exoplanet, variable, microlensing events and eclipsing binaries, respectively) to analyse the power of the method. The algorithm uses four features in order to classify the light curves. The training sample contains 5000 light curves (1000 from each class) and 50000 random light curves for testing. The total SIDRA success ratio is $\geq 90\%$. Furthermore, the success ratio reaches 95 - 100$\%$ for the CONSTANT, VARIABLE, EB, and MLENS classes and 92$\%$ for the TRANSIT class with a decision probability of 60$\%$. Because the TRANSIT class is the one which fails the most, we run a simultaneous fit using SIDRA and a Box Least Square (BLS) based algorithm for searching for transiting exoplanets. As a result, our algorithm detects 7.5$\%$ more planets than a classic BLS algorithm, with better results for lower signal-to-noise light curves. SIDRA succeeds to catch 98$\%$ of the planet candidates in the Kepler sample and fails for 7$\%$ of the false alarms subset. SIDRA promises to be useful for developing a detection algorithm and/or classifier for large photometric surveys such as TESS and PLATO exoplanet future space missions.
This book provides an introduction to the field of star formation at a level suitable for graduate students or advanced undergraduates in astronomy or physics. The structure of the book is as follows. The first two chapters begin with a discussion of observational techniques, and the basic phenomenology they reveal. The goal is to familiarize students with the basic techniques that will be used throughout, and to provide a common vocabulary for the rest of the book. The next five chapters provide a similar review of the basic physical processes that are important for star formation. Again, the goal is to provide a basis for what follows. The remaining chapters discuss star formation over a variety of scales, starting with the galactic scale and working down to the scales of individual stars and their disks. The book concludes with a brief discussion of the clearing of disks and the transition to planet formation. The book includes five problem sets, complete with solutions.
We study the O-type star HD 161853, which has been noted as a probable double-lined spectroscopic binary system. We secured high-resolution spectra of HD 161853 during the past nine years. We separated the two components in the system and measured their respective radial velocities for the first time. We confirm that HD 161853 is an $\sim$1 Ma old binary system consisting of an O8 V star ($M_{\rm A,RV} \geq 22$ M$_\odot$) and a B1--3 V star ($M_{\rm B,RV} \geq 7.2$ M$_\odot$) at about 1.3 kpc. From the radial velocity curve, we measure an orbital period $P$ = 2.66765$\pm$0.00001 d and an eccentricity $e$ = 0.121$\pm$0.007. Its $V$-band light curve is constant within 0.014 mag and does not display eclipses, from which we impose a maximum orbital inclination $i=54$ deg. HD 161853 is probably associated with an H II region and a poorly investigated very young open cluster. In addition, we detect a compact emission region at 50 arcsec to HD 161853 in 22$\mu$m-WISE and 24$\mu$m-Spitzer images, which may be identified as a dust wave piled up by the radiation pressure of the massive binary system.
Solar activity is controlled by the magnetic field, which also causes the variability of the solar irradiance that in turn is thought to influence the climate on Earth. The magnetic field manifests itself in the form of structures of different sizes, starting with sunspots (10-50 Mm) down to the smallest known magnetic features that often have spatial extents of 100 km or less. The study of the fine scale structure of the Sun's magnetic field has been hampered by the limited spatial resolution of the available observations. This has recently changed thanks to new space and ground-based telescopes. A significant step forward has been taken by the Sunrise observatory, built around the largest solar telescope to leave the ground, and containing two science instruments. Sunrise had two successful long-duration science flights on a stratospheric balloon in June 2009 (solar activity minimum) and in June 2013 (at a high activity level) and a number of scientific results have been obtained that have greatly advanced our understanding of solar magnetism, with data analysis still ongoing. After a brief introduction to the Sunrise mission, an overview of a selection of these results will be given.
Motivated by lopsided structures observed in some massive transition discs, we have carried out 2D numerical simulations to study vortex structure in massive discs, including the effects of disc self-gravity and the indirect force which is due to the displacement of the central star from the barycenter of the system by the lopsided structure. When only the indirect force is included, we confirm the finding by Mittal & Chiang (2015) that the vortex becomes stronger and can be more than two pressure scale heights wide, as long as the disc-to-star mass ratio is >1%. Such wide vortices can excite strong density waves in the disc and therefore migrate inwards rapidly. However, when disc self-gravity is also considered in simulations, self-gravity plays a more prominent role on the vortex structure. We confirm that when the disc Toomre Q parameter is smaller than pi/(2h), where h is the disc's aspect ratio, the vortices are significantly weakened and their inward migration slows down dramatically. Most importantly, when the disc is massive enough (e.g. Q~3), we find that the lopsided gas structure orbits around the star at a speed significantly slower than the local Keplerian speed. This sub-Keplerian pattern speed can lead to the concentration of dust particles at a radius beyond the lopsided gas structure (as shown in Paper II). Overall, disc self-gravity regulates the vortex structure in massive discs and the radial shift between the gas and dust distributions in vortices within massive discs may be probed by future observations.
We investigate the dynamics of large dust grains in massive lopsided transition discs via 2D hydrodynamical simulations including both gas and dust. Our simulations adopt a ring-like gas density profile that becomes unstable against the Rossby-wave instability and forms a large crescent-shaped vortex. When gas self-gravity is discarded, but the indirect force from the displacement of the star by the vortex is included, we confirm that dust grains with stopping times of order the orbital time, which should be typically a few centimetres in size, are trapped ahead of the vortex in the azimuthal direction, while the smallest and largest grains concentrate towards the vortex centre. We obtain maximum shift angles of about 25 degrees. Gas self-gravity accentuates the concentration differences between small and large grains. At low to moderate disc masses, the larger the grains, the farther they are trapped ahead of the vortex. Shift angles up to 90 degrees are reached for 10 cm-sized grains, and we show that such large offsets can produce a double-peaked continuum emission observable at mm/cm wavelengths. This behaviour comes about because the large grains undergo horseshoe U-turns relative to the vortex due to the vortex's gravity. At large disc masses, since the vortex's pattern frequency becomes increasingly slower than Keplerian, small grains concentrate slightly beyond the vortex and large grains form generally non-axisymmetric ring-like structures around the vortex's radial location. Gas self-gravity therefore imparts distinct trapping locations for small and large dust grains which may be probed by current and future observations, and which suggest that the formation of planetesimals in vortices might be more difficult than previously thought.
We study the stellar properties of 44 face-on spiral galaxies from the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area survey via full spectrum fitting techniques. We compare the age profiles with the surface brightness distribution in order to highlight differences between profile types (type I, exponential profile; and II, down-bending profile). We observe an upturn ("U-shape") in the age profiles for 17 out of these 44 galaxies with reliable stellar information up to their outer parts. This "U-shape" is not a unique feature for type II galaxies but can be observed in type I as well. These findings suggest that the mechanisms shaping the surface brightness and stellar population distributions are not directly coupled. This upturn in age is only observable in the light-weighted profiles while it flattens out in the mass-weighted profiles. Given recent results on the outer parts of nearby systems and the results presented in this Letter, one of the most plausible explanations for the age upturn is an early formation of the entire disc ($\sim$~10~Gyr ago) followed by an inside-out quenching of the star formation.
There should be not doubt by now that neutrino telescopes are competitive instruments when it comes to searches for dark matter. Their large detector volumes collect hundreds of neutrinos per day. They scrutinize the whole sky continuously, being sensitive to neutrino signals of all flavours from dark matter annihilations in nearby objects (Sun, Earth, Milky Way Center and Halo) as well as from far away galaxies or galaxy clusters, and over a wide energy range. In this review we summarize the analysis techniques and recent results on dark matter searches from the neutrino telescopes currently in operation.
We present a NuSTAR and XMM-Newton monitoring campaign in 2014/2015 of the Compton-thick Seyfert 2 galaxy, NGC 1068. During the August 2014 observation, we detect with NuSTAR a flux excess above 20 keV ($32\pm6 \%$) with respect to the December 2012 observation and to a later observation performed in February 2015. We do not detect any spectral variation below 10 keV in the XMM-Newton data. The transient excess can be explained by a temporary decrease of the column density of the obscuring material along the line of sight (from N$_{\rm H}\simeq10^{25}$ cm$^{-2}$ to N$_{\rm H}=6.7\pm1.0\times10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$), which allows us for the first time to unveil the direct nuclear radiation of the buried AGN in NGC 1068 and to infer an intrinsic 2-10 keV luminosity L$_{\rm X}=7^{+7}_{-4} \times 10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$.
M-dwarf stars -- hydrogen-burning stars that are smaller than 60 per cent of the size of the Sun -- are the most common class of star in our Galaxy and outnumber Sun-like stars by a ratio of 12:1. Recent results have shown that M dwarfs host Earth-sized planets in great numbers: the average number of M-dwarf planets that are between 0.5 to 1.5 times the size of Earth is at least 1.4 per star. The nearest such planets known to transit their star are 39 parsecs away, too distant for detailed follow-up observations to measure the planetary masses or to study their atmospheres. Here we report observations of GJ 1132b, a planet with a size of 1.2 Earth radii that is transiting a small star 12 parsecs away. Our Doppler mass measurement of GJ 1132b yields a density consistent with an Earth-like bulk composition, similar to the compositions of the six known exoplanets with masses less than six times that of the Earth and precisely measured densities. Receiving 19 times more stellar radiation than the Earth, the planet is too hot to be habitable but is cool enough to support a substantial atmosphere, one that has probably been considerably depleted of hydrogen. Because the host star is nearby and only 21 per cent the radius of the Sun, existing and upcoming telescopes will be able to observe the composition and dynamics of the planetary atmosphere.
Despite intensive studies of kink oscillations of coronal loops in the last
decade, a large scale statistically significant investigation of the
oscillation parameters has not been made using data from the Solar Dynamics
Observatory (SDO).
We carry out a statistical study of kink oscillations using Extreme
Ultra-Violet (EUV) imaging data from a previously compiled catalogue.
We analysed 58 kink oscillation events observed by the Atmospheric Imaging
Assembly (AIA) onboard SDO during its first four years of operation
(2010-2014). Parameters of the oscillations, including the initial apparent
amplitude, period, length of the oscillating loop, and damping are studied for
120 individual loop oscillations.
Analysis of the initial loop displacement and oscillation amplitude leads to
the conclusion that the initial loop displacement prescribes the initial
amplitude of oscillation in general. The period is found to scale with the loop
length, and a linear fit of the data cloud gives a kink speed of Ck
=(1330+/-50) km s-1 . The main body of the data corresponds to kink speeds in
the range Ck =(800-3300) km s-1. Measurements of 52 exponential damping times
were made, and it was noted that at least 22 of the damping profiles may be
better approximated by a combination of non-exponential and exponential
profiles, rather than a purely exponential damping envelope. There are an
additional 10 cases where the profile appears to be purely non-exponential, and
no damping time was measured. A scaling of the exponential damping time with
the period is found, following the previously established linear scaling
between these two parameters.
The emission of microwave radiation by extended air showers produced by high energy cosmic rays has been investigated for more than half a century. We discuss the expected emitted power as a function of the cosmic ray energy and of the microwave frequency, for both coherent and incoherent emission mechanisms. We show that the available experimental data are not sufficient to clearly identify the emission mechanisms and quantify the emission yield. We infer that the bremsstralhung radiation emission could be exploited for the detection of astronomical $\gamma$-rays with energy above 10 GeV in the 1-10 GHz frequency range, and propose an experimental scheme to verify such idea.
We provide a detailed derivation of the analytical expansion of the lunar and
solar disturbing functions. We start with Kaula's expansion of the disturbing
function in terms of the equatorial elements of both the perturbed and
perturbing bodies. Then we provide a detailed proof of Lane's expansion, in
which the elements of the Moon are referred to the ecliptic plane. Using this
approach the inclination of the Moon becomes nearly constant, while the
argument of perihelion, the longitude of the ascending node, and the mean
anomaly vary linearly with time.
We make a comparison between the different expansions and we profit from such
discussion to point out some mistakes in the existing literature, which might
compromise the correctness of the results. As an application, we analyze the
long-term motion of the highly elliptical and critically inclined Molniya
orbits subject to quadrupolar gravitational interactions. The analytical
expansions presented herein are very powerful with respect to dynamical studies
based on Cartesian equations, because they quickly allow for a more holistic
and intuitively understandable picture of the dynamics.
We present the results of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations using the phase reference technique to detect weak Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) cores in the Virgo cluster. Our observations were carried out using the Korean VLBI Network (KVN). We have selected eight representative radio galaxies, seven Virgo cluster members and one galaxy (NGC 4261) that is likely to be in the background. The selected galaxies are located in a range of density regions showing various morphology in 1.4 GHz continuum. Since half of our targets are too weak to be detected at K-band we applied a phase referencing technique to extend the source integration time by calibrating atmospheric phase fluctuations. We discuss the results of the phase referencing method at high frequency observations and we compare them with self-calibration on the relatively bright AGNs, such as M87, M84 and NGC 4261. In this manuscript we present the radio intensity maps at 22 GHz of the Virgo cluster sample while we demonstrate for first time the capability of KVN phase referencing technique.
One of the key open questions in the study of relativistic jets is their interaction with the environment. Here, we study the initial evolution of both electron-proton and electron-positron relativistic jets, focusing on their lateral interaction with the ambient plasma. We trace the generation and evolution of the toroidal magnetic field generated by both kinetic Kelvin-Helmholtz (kKH) and Mushroom instabilities (MI). This magnetic field collimates the jet. We show that in electron-proton jet, electrons are perpendicularly accelerated with jet collimation. The magnetic polarity switches from the clockwise to anti-clockwise in the middle of jet, as the instabilities weaken. For the electron-positron jet, we find strong mixture of electron-positron with the ambient plasma, that results in the creation of a bow shock. Merger of magnetic field current filaments generate density bumps which initiate a forward shock. The strong mixing between jet and ambient particles prevents full development of the jet on the studied scale. Our results therefore provide a direct evidence for both jet collimation and particle acceleration in the created bow shock. Differences in the magnetic field structures generated by electron-proton and electron-positron jets may contribute to observable differences in the polarized properties of emission by electrons.
The sample of cosmological strong lensing systems has been steadily growing in recent years and with the advent of the next generation of space-based survey telescopes, the sample will reach into the thousands. The accuracy of strong lens models relies on robust identification of multiple image families of lensed galaxies. For the most massive lenses, often more than one background galaxy is magnified and multiply-imaged, and even in the cases of only a single lensed source, identification of counter images is not always robust. Recently, we have shown that the Gini coefficient in space-telescope-quality imaging is a measurement of galaxy morphology that is relatively well-preserved by strong gravitational lensing. Here, we investigate its usefulness as a diagnostic for the purposes of image family identification and show that it can remove some of the degeneracies encountered when using color as the sole diagnostic, and can do so without the need for additional observations since whenever a color is available, two Gini coefficients are as well.
In this article we discuss our implementation of a polyphase filter for real-time data processing in radio astronomy. We describe in detail our implementation of the polyphase filter algorithm and its behaviour on three generations of NVIDIA GPU cards, on dual Intel Xeon CPUs and the Intel Xeon Phi (Knights Corner) platforms. All of our implementations aim to exploit the potential for data reuse that the algorithm offers. Our GPU implementations explore two different methods for achieving this, the first makes use of L1/Texture cache, the second uses shared memory. We discuss the usability of each of our implementations along with their behaviours. We measure performance in execution time, which is a critical factor for real-time systems, we also present results in terms of bandwidth (GB/s), compute (GFlop/s) and type conversions (GTc/s). We include a presentation of our results in terms of the sample rate which can be processed in real-time by a chosen platform, which more intuitively describes the expected performance in a signal processing setting. Our findings show that, for the GPUs considered, the performance of our polyphase filter when using lower precision input data is limited by type conversions rather than device bandwidth. We compare these results to an implementation on the Xeon Phi. We show that our Xeon Phi implementation has a performance that is 1.47x to 1.95x greater than our CPU implementation, however is not insufficient to compete with the performance of GPUs. We conclude with a comparison of our best performing code to two other implementations of the polyphase filter, showing that our implementation is faster in nearly all cases. This work forms part of the Astro-Accelerate project, a many-core accelerated real-time data processing library for digital signal processing of time-domain radio astronomy data.
We present griz observations for the clusters M92, M13 and NGC 6791 and gr photometry for M71, Be 29 and NGC 7789. In addition we present new membership identifications for all these clusters, which have been observed spectroscopically as calibrators for the SDSS/SEGUE survey; this paper focuses in particular on the red giant branch stars in the clusters. In a number of cases, these giants were too bright to be observed in the normal SDSS survey operations, and we describe the procedure used to obtain spectra for these stars. For M71, also present a new variable reddening map and a new fiducial for the gr giant branch. For NGC 7789, we derived a transformation from Teff to g-r for giants of near solar abundance, using IRFM Teff measures of stars with good ugriz and 2MASS photometry and SEGUE spectra. The result of our analysis is a robust list of known cluster members with correctly dereddened and (if needed) transformed gr photometry for crucial calibration efforts for SDSS and SEGUE.
The main objective of this paper is to introduce the STABLE (Surface flux Transport And Babcock-LEighton) solar dynamo model. STABLE is a 3D Babcock-Leighton/Flux Transport dynamo model in which the source of poloidal field is the explicit emergence, distortion, and dispersal of bipolar magnetic regions (BMRs). Here we describe the STABLE model in more detail than we have previously and we verify it by reproducing a 2D mean-field benchmark. We also present some representative dynamo simulations, focusing on the special case of kinematic magnetic induction and axisymmetric flow fields. Not all solutions are supercritical; it can be a challenge for the BL mechanism to sustain the dynamo when the turbulent diffusion near the surface is $\geq 10^{12}$ cm$^2$ s$^{-1}$. However, if BMRs are sufficiently large, deep, and numerous, then sustained, cyclic, dynamo solutions can be found that exhibit solar-like features. Furthermore, we find that the shearing of radial magnetic flux by the surface differential rotation can account for most of the net toroidal flux generation in each hemisphere, as has been recently argued for the Sun by Cameron & Schussler (2015).
The distances of Fast Radio Burst (FRB) sources are currently unknown. We show that the 21-cm absorption line of hydrogen can be used to infer the redshifts of FRB sources, and determine whether they are Galactic or extragalactic. We calculate a probability of $\sim 10\%$ for detecting a 21-cm equivalent width $\gtrsim 4 ~\mathrm{km}~\mathrm{s}^{-1}$. The forthcoming SKA observatory provides ideal prospects for detecting our predicted signal.
Characterization of the morphology of strongly lensed galaxies is challenging because images of such galaxies are typically highly distorted. Lens modeling and source plane reconstruction is one approach that can provide reasonably undistorted images on which morphological measurements can be made, although at the expense of a highly spatially variable telescope PSF when mapped back to the source plane. Unfortunately, modeling the lensing mass is a time and resource intensive process, and in many cases there are too few constraints to precisely model the lensing mass. If, however, useful morphological measurements could be made in the image plane rather than the source plane, it would bypass this issue and obviate the need for a source reconstruction process. We examine the use of the Gini coefficient as one such measurement. Because it depends on the cumulative distribution of the light of a galaxy, but not the relative spatial positions, the fact that surface brightness is conserved by lensing means that the Gini coefficient may be well-preserved by strong gravitational lensing. Through simulations, we test the extent to which the Gini coefficient is conserved, including by effects due to PSF convolution and pixelization, to determine whether it is invariant enough under lensing to be used as a measurement of galaxy morphology that can be made in the image plane.
We describe a method for forecasting errors in interferometric measurements of polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, based on the use of the Fisher matrix calculated from the visibility covariance and relation matrices. In addition to noise and sample variance, the method can account for many kinds of systematic error by calculating an augmented Fisher matrix, including parameters that characterize the instrument along with the cosmological parameters to be estimated. The method is illustrated with examples of gain errors and errors in polarizer orientation. The augmented Fisher matrix approach is applicable to a much wider range of problems beyond CMB interferometry.
Terrestrial planets formed within gaseous protoplanetary disks can accumulate significant hydrogen envelopes. The evolution of such an atmosphere due to XUV driven evaporation depends on the activity evolution of the host star, which itself depends sensitively on its rotational evolution, and therefore on its initial rotation rate. In this letter, we derive an easily applicable method for calculating planetary atmosphere evaporation that combines models for a hydrostatic lower atmosphere and a hydrodynamic upper atmosphere. We show that the initial rotation rate of the central star is of critical importance for the evolution of planetary atmospheres and can determine if a planet keeps or loses its primordial hydrogen envelope. Our results highlight the need for a detailed treatment of stellar activity evolution when studying the evolution of planetary atmospheres.
The Standard Model could be self-consistent up to the Planck scale according to the present measurements of the Higgs mass and top quark Yukawa coupling. It is therefore possible that new physics is only coupled to the Standard Model through Planck suppressed higher dimensional operators. In this case the WIMP miracle is a mirage, and instead minimality as dictated by Occam's razor would indicate that dark matter is related to the Planck scale, where quantum gravity is anyway expected to manifest itself. Assuming within this framework that dark matter is a Planckian Interacting Massive Particle, we show that the most natural mass larger than $0.01\,\textrm{M}_p$ is already ruled out by the absence of tensor modes in the CMB. This also indicates that we expect tensor modes in the CMB to be observed soon for this type of minimal dark matter model. Finally, we touch upon the KK graviton mode as a possible realization of this scenario within UV complete models, as well as further potential signatures and peculiar properties of this type of dark matter candidate. This paradigm therefore leads to a subtle connection between quantum gravity, the physics of primordial inflation, and the nature of dark matter.
Nitrate ion spikes in polar ice cores are contentiously used to estimate the intensity, frequency, and probability of historical solar proton events, quantities that are needed to prepare for potentially society-crippling space weather events. We use the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model to calculate how large an event would have to be to produce enough odd nitrogen throughout the atmosphere to be discernible as nitrate peaks at the Earth's surface. These hypothetically large events are compared with probability of occurrence estimates derived from measured events, sunspot records, and cosmogenic radionuclides archives. We conclude that the fluence and spectrum of solar proton events necessary to produce odd nitrogen enhancements equivalent to the spikes of nitrate ions in Greenland ice cores are unlikely to have occurred throughout the Holocene, confirming that nitrate ions in ice cores are not suitable proxies for historical individual solar proton events.
We review the effects of heavy scalar fields during inflation in the framework of $\mathcal N = 1$ supergravity. Such heavy scalars can be geometric moduli from string compactifications or stabilizer fields from a different sector of the theory. Even when these fields are heavier than the Hubble scale during inflation, they generically cause backreactions which alter the dynamics of the system. Severe problems may arise when the heavy fields break supersymmetry, which is quite generic for K\"ahler moduli. We illustrate these effects in two examples, chaotic inflation and Starobinsky-like inflation. In chaotic inflation the backreaction of heavy K\"ahler moduli causes a flattening of the quadratic potential. In many setups of Starobinsky-like inflation, however, backreactions spoil the flatness of the plateau.
The observation of primordial cosmic fluctuations does not need a geometric horizon $H^{-1}$, which is exceeded temporarily by the wavelength of fluctuations. The primordial information can be protected against later thermal washout even if all relevant wavelengths remain smaller than $H^{-1}$. This is demonstrated by formulating the equations governing the cosmic fluctuations in a form that is manifestly invariant under conformal field transformations of the metric. Beyond the field equations this holds for the defining equation for the correlation function, as expressed by the inverse of the second functional derivative of the quantum effective action. An almost scale invariant spectrum does not need an expanding geometry. For a variable Planck mass it can even arise in flat Minkowski space.
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We present the effect of a hydrodynamical wind on the structure and the surface temperature of a vertically self-gravitating magnetized ADAFs using self-similar solutions. Also a model for an axisymmetric, steady-state, vertically self-gravitating hot accretion flow threaded by a toroidal magnetic field has been formulated. The model is based on $\alpha-$prescription for turbulence viscosity. It is found that the thickness and radial velocity of the disc are reduced significantly as wind gets stronger. In particular, the solutions indicated that the wind and advection have the same effects on the structure of the disc. We also find that in the optically thin ADAF becomes hotter by including the wind parameter and the self-gravity parameter.
We present a search for prompt radio emission associated with the short-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) 150424A using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) at frequencies from 80-133 MHz. Our observations span delays of 23 s-30 min after the GRB, corresponding to dispersion measures of 100-7700 pc/cm^3. We see no excess flux in images with timescales of 4 s, 2 min, or 30 min, and set a 3 sigma flux density limit of 3.0 Jy at 132 MHz on the shortest timescales: some of the most stringent limits to date on prompt radio emission from any type of GRB. We use these limits to constrain a number of proposed models for coherent emission from short-duration GRBs, although we show that our limits are not particularly constraining for fast radio bursts because of reduced sensitivity for this pointing. Finally, we discuss the prospects for using the MWA to search for prompt radio emission from gravitational wave transients and find that while the flux density and luminosity limits are likely to be very constraining, the latency of the gravitational wave alert may limit the robustness of any conclusions.
The lifetime of quasars is fundamental for understanding the growth of supermassive black holes, and is an important ingredient in models of the reionization of the intergalactic medium. However, despite various attempts to determine quasar lifetimes, current estimates from a variety of methods are uncertain by orders of magnitude. This work combines cosmological hydrodynamical simulations and 1D radiative transfer to investigate the structure and evolution of the He II Ly$\alpha$ proximity zones around quasars at $z \simeq 3-4$. We show that the time evolution in the proximity zone can be described by a simple analytical model for the approach of the He II fraction $x_{\rm HeII}\left( t \right)$ to ionization equilibrium, and use this picture to illustrate how the transmission profile depends on the quasar lifetime, quasar UV luminosity, and the ionization state of helium in the ambient IGM (i.e. the average He II fraction, or equivalently the metagalactic He II ionizing background). A significant degeneracy exists between the lifetime and the average He II fraction, however the latter can be determined from measurements of the He II Ly$\alpha$ optical depth far from quasars, allowing the lifetime to be measured. We advocate stacking existing He II quasar spectra at $z\sim 3$, and show that the shape of this average proximity zone profile is sensitive to lifetimes as long as $\sim 30$ Myr. At higher redshift $z\sim 4$ where the He II fraction is poorly constrained, degeneracies will make it challenging to determine these parameters independently. Our analytical model for He II proximity zones should also provide a useful description of the properties of H I proximity zones around quasars at $z \simeq 6-7$.
Studies of MHD turbulence often investigate the Fourier power spectrum to provide information on the nature of the turbulence cascade. However, the Fourier power spectrum only contains the Fourier amplitudes and rejects all information regarding the Fourier phases. Here we investigate the utility of two statistical diagnostics for recovering information on Fourier phases in ISM density data: the averaged amplitudes of the bispectrum and the phase coherence index (PCI), a new phase technique for the ISM. We create 3D density and 2D column density maps using a set of simulations of isothermal ideal MHD turbulence with a wide range of sonic and Alfv\'enic Mach numbers. We find that the bispectrum averaged along different angles with respect to either the $k_1$ or $k_2$ axis is primarily sensitive to the sonic Mach number while averaging the bispectral amplitudes over different annuli is sensitive to both the sonic and Alfv\'enic Mach numbers. The PCI of density suggests that the most correlated phases occur in supersonic sub-Alfv\'enic turbulence and also near the numerical dissipation regime. This suggests that non-linear interactions with correlated phases are strongest in shock dominated regions, in agreement with findings from the solar wind. Additionally, our results are particularly encouraging as they suggests the phase information contained in the bispectrum and PCI can be used to find parameters of turbulence in column density maps.
We have observed 6 late-L and T dwarfs with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to investigate the presence of highly circularly polarized radio emission, associated with large-scale auroral currents. Previous surveys encompassing ~60 L6 or later targets in this spectral range have yielded only one detection. Our sample includes the previously detected T6.5 dwarf 2MASS 10475385+2124234 as well as 5 new targets selected for the presence of H-alpha emission or optical/infrared photometric variability, which are possible manifestations of auroral activity. We detect 2MASS 10475385+2124234, as well as 4 of the 5 targets in our biased sample, including the strong IR variable SIMP J01365662+0933473 and bright H-alpha emitter 2MASS 12373919+6526148, reinforcing the possibility that activity at these disparate wavelengths is related. The radio emission frequency corresponds to a precise determination of the lower-bound magnetic field strength near the surface of each dwarf and this new sample provides robust constraints on dynamo theory in the low mass brown dwarf regime. Magnetic fields >2.5 kG are confirmed for 5/6 targets. Our results provide tentative evidence that the dynamo operating in this mass regime may be inconsistent with predicted values from a recently proposed model. Further observations at higher radio frequencies are essential for verifying this assertion.
We present extended modeling of the strong lens system RXJ1131-1231 with archival data in two HST bands in combination with existing line-of-sight contribution and velocity dispersion estimates. We focus on the accuracy and reliability of the source reconstruction scale and lens model assumptions and its implication on time-delay cosmography. We map out the mass-sheet degeneracy and especially the degeneracy pointed out by Schneider and Sluse (2013) using the source reconstruction scale. In a second step, we fold in velocity dispersion and external convergence measurements. We then infer angular diameter distance relations for the time-delays without cosmological priors. For a flat $\Lambda$CDM cosmology, these constraints lead to constraints of the Hubble constant $H_0$ as a function of the matter density $\Omega_m$ in the form of $H_0 = H_0^*/[1 + 0.5(\Omega_m-\Omega_m^*)] \pm 5\%$ with $H_0^*= 71.7^{+3.6}_{-3.6}$ km s$^{-1}$Mpc$^{-1}$ being the value for $H_0$ at $\Omega_m^*=0.3$. This is a significant improvement in the uncertainty of the lens modeling and is consistent with recent CMB measurements. We describe the full cosmological information of the lens system RXJ1131-1231 data in an analytic form such that this information can be combined with other cosmological probes.
The late stages of terrestrial planet formation are dominated by giant impacts that collectively influence the growth, dynamical stability, composition and habitability of any planets that form. Hitherto, numerical models designed to explore these late stage collisions have been limited in two major ways. First, nearly all N-body models have assumed that two-body collisions lead to perfect accretion. Second, many of these studies lack the large number of realizations needed to account for the chaotic nature of these N-body systems. In this article we perform hundreds of simulations of late stage terrestrial planet formation using an N-body algorithm that includes fragmentation and hit-and-run collisions. We performed 140 simulations of planet accretion around a Sun-like star with Jupiter and Saturn analogs with and without this new collision model. We find that when fragmentation is included, the final planets formed are similar to those formed in the perfect-accretion model in terms of mass and number, however the paths towards building these planets are significantly different. Over 90% of the fragmentation simulations produced an Earth-analog and we parameterized the impacts onto these planets in terms of their specific impact energies. Only 15 of our 164 Earth-analogs experienced an impact that was energetic enough to strip an entire atmosphere. To strip about half of an atmosphere requires energies comparable to the Moon-forming giant impact, and almost all Earth-analogs received at least one impact that met this criteria and received on average 3.0 of these giant impacts during the 2 Gyr simulations. The median time of the final giant impact was 43 Myr after the start of the simulations, leading us to conclude that the time-frame of the Moon-forming impact is typical amongst planetary systems around Sun-like stars.
We report initial performance results emerging from 600 hours of observations with the Automated Planet Finder (APF) telescope and Levy Spectrometer located at UCO/Lick Observatory. We have obtained multiple spectra of 80 G, K and M-type stars, which comprise 4,954 individual Doppler radial velocity (RV) measurements with a median internal uncertainty of 1.35 ms$^{-1}$. We find a strong, expected correlation between the number of photons accumulated in the 5000-6200$\AA$ iodine region of the spectrum, and the resulting internal uncertainty estimates. Additionally, we find an offset between the population of G and K stars and the M stars within the data set when comparing these parameters. As a consequence of their increased spectral line densities, M-type stars permit the same level of internal uncertainty with 2x fewer photons than G-type and K-type stars. When observing M stars, we show that the APF/Levy has essentially the same speed-on-sky as Keck/HIRES for precision RVs. In the interest of using the APF for long-duration RV surveys, we have designed and implemented a dynamic scheduling algorithm. We discuss the operation of the scheduler, which monitors ambient conditions and combines on-sky information with a database of survey targets to make intelligent, real-time targeting decisions.
Using Blue Horizontal Branch stars identified in the Dark Energy Survey Year 1 data, we report the detection of an extended and lumpy stellar debris distribution around the Magellanic Clouds. At the heliocentric distance of the Clouds, overdensities of BHBs are seen to reach at least to ~30 degrees, and perhaps as far as ~50 degrees from the LMC. In 3D, the stellar halo is traceable to between 25 and 50 kpc from the LMC. We catalogue the most significant of the stellar sub-structures revealed, and announce the discovery of a number of narrow streams and diffuse debris clouds. Two narrow streams appear approximately aligned with the Magellanic Clouds' proper motion. Moreover, one of these overlaps with the gaseous Magellanic Stream on the sky. Curiously, two diffuse BHB agglomerations seem coincident with several of the recently discovered DES satellites. Given the enormous size and the conspicuous lumpiness of the LMC's stellar halo, we speculate that the dwarf could easily have been more massive than previously had been assumed.
The origin of non-thermal motions in massive star forming regions can be ascribed to turbulence acting against the gravitational collapse, or to the self-gravity itself driving the rapid global collapse. The dependence between velocity dispersion, radius and clouds surface density found by Heyer et al. (2009), $\sigma/R^{1/2}\propto \Sigma^{1/2}$, has been interpreted in terms of global collapse of clouds. In this work we demonstrate that this relation is an expression of a more general relation between accelerations. We introduce the gravo-turbulent acceleration, a$_k$, which describe the non-thermal motions in each region, and the acceleration generated by the gravitational field a$_G$, which is proportional to $\Sigma$. We also introduce a new coefficient, the force partition coefficient $\alpha_{for}$ which is equivalent to the virial parameter but does not distinguish between collapsing and non-collapsing regions. In this work we use the a$_k$ - a$_G$ formalism in the analysis of a new sample of 16 massive starless clumps (MSCls) combined with data from the literature. We show that a$_k$ and a$_G$ are not independent. The non-thermal motions in each region can originate from both local turbulence and self-gravity but overall the data in the a$_k$ vs. a$_G$ diagram demonstrate that the majority of the non-thermal motions originate from self-gravity. We further show that all the MSCls with $\Sigma\geq 0.1$ g cm$^{-2}$ show signs of infall motions, a strong indication that the denser regions are the first to collapse. Finally, we include in the formalism the contribution of an external pressure and the magnetic fields.
Mild, unavoidable deviations from circular-symmetry of instrumental beams along with scan strategy can give rise to measurable Statistical Isotropy (SI) violation in Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) experiments. If not accounted properly, this spurious signal can complicate the extraction of other SI violation signals (if any) in the data. However, estimation of this effect through exact numerical simulation is computationally intensive and time consuming. A generalized analytical formalism not only provides a quick way of estimating this signal, but also gives a detailed understanding connecting the leading beam anisotropy components to a measurable BipoSH characterisation of SI violation. In this paper, we provide an approximate generic analytical method for estimating the SI violation generated due to a non-circular (NC) beam and arbitrary scan strategy, in terms of the Bipolar Spherical Harmonic (BipoSH) spectra. Our analytical method can predict almost all the features introduced by a NC beam in a complex scan and thus reduces the need for extensive numerical simulation worth tens of thousands of CPU hours into minutes long calculations. As an illustrative example, we use WMAP beams and scanning strategy to demonstrate the easability, usability and efficiency of our method. We test all our analytical results against that from exact numerical simulations.
Gravitational lensing has become one of the most powerful tools available for investigating the 'dark side' of the universe. Cosmological strong gravitational lensing, in particular, probes the properties of the dense cores of dark matter halos over decades in mass and offers the opportunity to study the distant universe at flux levels and spatial resolutions otherwise unavailable. Studies of strongly-lensed variable sources offer yet further scientific opportunities. One of the challenges in realizing the potential of strong lensing is to understand the statistical context of both the individual systems that receive extensive follow-up study, as well as that of the larger samples of strong lenses that are now emerging from survey efforts. Motivated by these challenges, we have developed an image-simulation pipeline, PICS (Pipeline for Images of Cosmological Strong lensing) to generate realistic strong gravitational lensing signals from group and cluster scale lenses. PICS uses a low-noise and unbiased density estimator based on (resampled) Delaunay Tessellations to calculate the density field; lensed images are produced by ray-tracing images of actual galaxies from deep Hubble Space Telescope observations. Other galaxies, similarly sampled, are added to fill in the light cone. The pipeline further adds cluster-member galaxies and foreground stars into the lensed images. The entire image ensemble is then observed using a realistic point spread function which includes appropriate detector artifacts for bright stars. Noise is further added, including such non-Gaussian elements as noise window-paning from mosaiced observations, residual bad pixels, and cosmic rays. The aim is to produced simulated images that appear identical - to the eye (expert or otherwise) - to real observations in various imaging surveys.
We measure wind velocities on opposite sides of the hot Jupiter HD$\,$189733b by modeling sodium absorption in high-resolution HARPS transmission spectra. Our model implicitly accounts for the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect, which we show can explain the high wind velocities suggested by previous studies. Our results reveal a strong eastward motion of the atmosphere of HD$\,$189733b, with a redshift of $2.3^{+1.3}_{-1.5}\,$km$\,$s$^{-1}$ on the leading limb of the planet and a blueshift of $5.3^{+1.0}_{-1.4}\,$km$\,$s$^{-1}$ on the trailing limb. These velocities can be understood as a combination of tidally locked planetary rotation and an eastward equatorial jet; closely matching the predictions of atmospheric circulation models. Our results show that the sodium absorption of HD$\,$189733b is intrinsically velocity broadened and so previous studies of the average transmission spectrum are likely to have overestimated the role of pressure broadening.
Magnetic dipole emission (MDE) from interstellar magnetic nanoparticles is an important Galactic foreground in the microwave frequencies, and its polarization level may pose great challenges for achieving reliable measurements of cosmic microwave background (CMB) B-mode signal. To obtain theoretical constraints on the polarization of MDE, we first compute the degree of alignment of big silicate grains incorporated with magnetic inclusions. We find that, in realistic conditions of the interstellar medium, thermally rotating big grains with magnetic inclusions are weakly aligned and achieve {\it alignment saturation} when the magnetic alignment rate becomes much faster than the rotational damping rate. We then compute the degree of alignment for free-flying magnetic nanoparticles, taking into account various interaction processes of grains with the ambient gas and radiation field, including neutral collisions, ion collisions, and infrared emission. We find that the rotational damping by infrared emission can significantly decrease the degree of alignment of small particles from the saturation level, whereas the excitation by ion collisions can enhance the alignment of ultrasmall particles. Using the computed degrees of alignment, we predict the polarization level of MDE from free-flying magnetic nanoparticles to be rather low. Such a polarization level is within the upper limits measured for anomalous microwave emission (AME), which indicates that MDE from free-flying iron particles may not be ruled out as a source of AME. We also quantify spinning dust emission from free-flying iron nanoparticles with permanent magnetic moments and find that its emissivity is one order of magnitude lower than that from spinning polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Finally, we compute the polarization spectra of spinning dust emission from PAHs for the different interstellar magnetic fields.
Isolated Swift gamma-ray burst (GRB) pulses, like their higher-energy BATSE counterparts, emit the bulk of their pulsed emission as a hard-to-soft component that can be fitted by the Norris et al. (2005) empirical pulse model. This signal is overlaid by a fainter, three-peaked signal that can be modeled by an empirical wave-like function (Hakkila and Preece, 2014): the two fits combine to reproduce GRB pulses with distinctive three-peaked shapes. The precursor peak appears on or before the pulse rise and is often the hardest component, the central peak is the brightest, and the decay peak converts exponentially decaying emission into a long, soft, power-law tail. Accounting for systematic instrumental differences, the general characteristics of the fitted pulses are remarkably similar. Isolated GRB pulses are dominated by hard-to-soft evolution; this is more pronounced for asymmetric pulses than for symmetric ones. Isolated GRB pulses can also exhibit intensity tracking behaviors that, when observed, are tied to the timing of the three peaks: pulses with the largest maximum hardnesses are hardest during the precursor, those with smaller maximum hardnesses are hardest during the central peak, and all pulses can re-harden during the central peak and/or during the decay peak. Since these behaviors are essentially seen in all isolated pulses, the distinction between "hard-to-soft" and "intensity-tracking" pulses really no longer applies. Additionally, the triple-peaked nature of isolated GRB pulses seems to indicate that energy is injected on three separate occasions during the pulse duration: theoretical pulse models need to account for this.
Polarization arising from aligned dust grains presents a unique opportunity to study magnetic fields in the diffuse interstellar medium and molecular clouds. Polarization from circumstellar regions, accretion disks and comet atmospheres can also be related to aligned dust.To reliably trace magnetic fields quantitative theory of grain alignment is required. Formulating the theory that would correspond to observations was one of the longstanding problems in astrophysics. Lately this problem has been successfully addressed and in this review we summarize some of the most important theoretical advances in the theory of grain alignment by radiative torques (RATs) that act on realistic irregular dust grains. We discuss an analytical model of RATs and the ways to make RAT alignment more efficient, e.g. through paramagnetic relaxation when grains have inclusions with strong magnetic response. For very small grains for which RAT alignment is inefficient, we also discuss paramagnetic relaxation and a process termed resonance relaxation. We provide an extensive analysis of the observational tests of grain alignment theory.
We present optical spectra and images of the X-ray binary Circinus X-1. The optical light curve of Cir X-1 is strongly variable, changing in brightness by 1.2 magnitudes in the space of four days. The shape of the light curve is consistent with that seen in the 1980s, when the X-ray and radio counterparts of the source were at least ten times as bright as they are currently. We detect strong, variable H-alpha emission lines, consisting of multiple components which vary with orbital phase. We estimate the extinction to the source from the strength of the diffuse interstellar bands and the Balmer decrement; the two methods give A_V = 7.6 +/- 0.6 mag and A_V > 9.1 mag respectively. The optical light curve can be modelled as arising from irradiation of the companion star by the central X-ray source, where a low-temperature star fills its Roche lobe in an orbit of moderate eccentricity (e ~ 0.4). We suggest that the companion star is over-luminous and under-dense, due to the impact of the supernova which occurred less than 5000 yr ago.
The next fundamental steps forward in understanding our place in the universe could be a result of advances in extreme contrast ratio (ECR) imaging and point spread function (PSF) suppression. For example, blinded by quasar light we have yet to fully understand the processes of galaxy formation and evolution, and there is an ongoing race to obtain a direct image of an exoearth lost in the glare of its host star. To fully explore the features of these systems we must perform observations in which contrast ratios of at least one billion can be regularly achieved with sub 0.1" inner working angles. Here we present the details of a latest generation 32-bit charge injection device (CID) that could conceivably achieve contrast ratios on the order of one billion. We also demonstrate some of its ECR imaging abilities for astronomical imaging. At a separation of two arc minutes, we report a direct contrast ratio of Delta(m_v)=18.3, log(CR)=7.3, or 1 part in 20 million, from observations of the Sirius field. The atmospheric conditions present during the collection of this data prevented less modest results, and we expect to be able to achieve higher contrast ratios, with improved inner working angles, simply by operating a CID at a world-class observing site. However, CIDs do not directly provide any PSF suppression. Therefore, combining CID imaging with a simple PSF suppression technique like angular differential imaging, could provide a cheap and easy alternative to the complex ECR techniques currently being employed.
(abridged) Context: The mechanisms that cause the formation of sunspots are still unclear. Aims: We study the self-organisation of initially uniform sub-equipartition magnetic fields by highly stratified turbulent convection. Methods: We perform simulations of magnetoconvection in Cartesian domains that are $8.5$-$24$ Mm deep and $34$-$96$ Mm wide. We impose either a vertical or a horizontal uniform magnetic field in a convection-driven turbulent flow. Results: We find that super-equipartition magnetic flux concentrations are formed near the surface with domain depths of $12.5$ and $24$ Mm. The size of the concentrations increases as the box size increases and the largest structures ($20$ Mm horizontally) are obtained in the 24 Mm deep models. The field strength in the concentrations is in the range of $3$-$5$ kG. The concentrations grow approximately linearly in time. The effective magnetic pressure measured in the simulations is positive near the surface and negative in the bulk of the convection zone. Its derivative with respect to the mean magnetic field, however, is positive in the majority of the domain, which is unfavourable for the negative effective magnetic pressure instability (NEMPI). Furthermore, we find that magnetic flux is concentrated in regions of converging flow corresponding to large-scale supergranulation convection pattern. Conclusions: The linear growth of large-scale flux concentrations implies that their dominant formation process is tangling of the large-scale field rather than an instability. One plausible mechanism explaining both the linear growth and the concentrate on of the flux in the regions of converging flow pattern is flux expulsion. Possible reasons for the absence of NEMPI are that the derivative of the effective magnetic pressure with respect to the mean magnetic field has an unfavourable sign and that there may not be sufficient scale separation.
We have simulated the formation of a massive galaxy cluster (M$_{200}^{\rm crit}$ = 1.1$\times$10$^{15}h^{-1}M_{\odot}$) in a $\Lambda$CDM universe using 10 different codes (RAMSES, 2 incarnations of AREPO and 7 of GADGET), modeling hydrodynamics with full radiative subgrid physics. These codes include Smoothed-Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), spanning traditional and advanced SPH schemes, adaptive mesh and moving mesh codes. Our goal is to study the consistency between simulated clusters modeled with different radiative physical implementations - such as cooling, star formation and AGN feedback. We compare images of the cluster at $z=0$, global properties such as mass, and radial profiles of various dynamical and thermodynamical quantities. We find that, with respect to non-radiative simulations, dark matter is more centrally concentrated, the extent not simply depending on the presence/absence of AGN feedback. The scatter in global quantities is substantially higher than for non-radiative runs. Intriguingly, adding radiative physics seems to have washed away the marked code-based differences present in the entropy profile seen for non-radiative simulations in Sembolini et al. (2015): radiative physics + classic SPH can produce entropy cores. Furthermore, the inclusion/absence of AGN feedback is not the dividing line -as in the case of describing the stellar content- for whether a code produces an unrealistic temperature inversion and a falling central entropy profile. However, AGN feedback does strongly affect the overall stellar distribution, limiting the effect of overcooling and reducing sensibly the stellar fraction.
We use the stellar mass-selected catalog from the Spitzer Large Area Survey with Hyper-Suprime-Cam (SPLASH) in the COSMOS field to study the environments of galaxies via galaxy density and clustering analyses up to $z \sim 2.5$. The clustering strength of quiescent galaxies exceeds that of star-forming galaxies, implying that quiescent galaxies are preferentially located in more massive halos. When using local density measurement, we find a clear positive quiescent fraction -- density relation at $z < 1$, consistent with earlier results. However, the quiescent fraction -- density relation reverses its trend at intermediate redshifts ($1 < z < 1.5$) with marginal significance (<1.8$\sigma$), and is found to be scale dependent (1.6$\sigma$). The lower fraction of quiescent galaxies seen in large-scale dense environments, if confirmed to be true, may be associated with the fact that the star formation can be more easily sustained via cold stream accretion in `large-scale' high-density regions, preventing galaxies from permanent quenching. Finally at $z > 1.5$, the quiescent fraction depends little on the local density, even though clustering shows that quiescent galaxies are in more massive halos. We argue that at high redshift the typical halo size falls below $10^{13}$ solar mass, where intrinsically the local density measurements are so varied that they do not trace the halo mass. Our results thus suggest that in the high-redshift Universe, halo mass may be the key in quenching the star formation in galaxies, rather than the conventionally measured galaxy density.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will allow observations with a unique combination of spectral, spatial, and temporal resolution for the study of outer planet satellites within our Solar System. We highlight the infrared spectroscopy of icy moons and temporal changes on geologically active satellites as two particularly valuable avenues of scientific inquiry. While some care must be taken to avoid saturation issues, JWST has observation modes that should provide excellent infrared data for such studies.
The discovery of double-peaked light curves in some superluminous supernovae offers an important new clue to their origins. We examine the published photometry of all Type Ic SLSNe, finding 14 objects with constraining data or limits around the time of explosion. Of these, 8 (including the already identified SN 2006oz and LSQ14bdq) show evidence of a flux excess at the earliest epochs, which deviate significantly (2-9$\sigma$) from polynomial fits to the rising light curves. Simple scaling of the LSQ14bdq data show that they are all consistent with a similar double-peaked structure. PS1-10pm provides multicolour UV data indicating a temperature of $T_{\rm bb}=25000\pm5000\,$K during the early `bump' phase. We find that a double-peak cannot be excluded in any of the other 6 objects, and that this behaviour may be ubiquitous. The homogeneity of the observed bumps is unexpected for interaction-powered models. Engine-powered models can explain the observations if all progenitors have extended radii or the central engine drives shock breakout emission several days after the supernova explosion.
The {\it Kepler} light curve of KIC 4739791 exhibits partial eclipses, inverse O'Connell effect, and multiperiodic pulsations. Including a starspot on either of the binary components, the light-curve synthesis indicates that KIC 4739791 is in detached or semi-detached configurations with both a short orbital period and a low mass ratio. Multiple frequency analyses were performed in the light residuals after subtracting the binarity effects from the original {\it Kepler} data. We detected 14 frequencies: six in the low-frequency region (0.1$-$2.3 d$^{-1}$) and eight in the high-frequency region (18.2$-$22.0 d$^{-1}$). Among these, six high frequencies with amplitudes of 0.62$-$1.97 mmag were almost constant over time for 200 d. Their pulsation periods and pulsation constants are in the ranges of 0.048$-$0.054 d and 0.025$-$0.031 d, respectively. In contrast, the other frequencies may arise from the alias effects caused by the orbital frequency or combination frequencies. We propose that KIC 4739791 is a short-period R CMa binary with the lowest mass ratio in the known classical Algols and that its primary component is a $\delta$ Sct pulsating star. Only four R CMa stars have been identified, three of which exhibit $\delta$ Sct-type oscillations. These findings make KIC 4739791 an attractive target for studies of stellar interior structure and evolution.
The field of exoplanets has rapidly expanded from the exclusivity of exoplanet detection to include exoplanet characterization. A key step towards this characterization will be retrieval of planetary albedos and rotation rates from highly undersampled imaging data. The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) provides a unique opportunity to test such retrieval methods using high cadence data of the sunlit surface of the Earth. There are two NASA instruments on board DSCOVR that can be used to achieve this task: the NASA instruments Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Advanced Radiometer (NISTAR). Here we briefly describe the properties of these instruments and the exoplanetary science that can be explored with their data products. These are described within the context of future NASA direct imaging missions for exoplanets.
One important ingredient of flux transport dynamo models is the rise of the toroidal magnetic field through the convection zone due to magnetic buoyancy to produce bipolar sunspots and then the generation of the poloidal magnetic field from these bipolar sunspots due to the Babcock-Leighton mechanism. Over the years, two methods of treating magnetic buoyancy, a local method and a non-local method have been used widely by different groups in constructing 2D kinematic models of the flux transport dynamo. We review both these methods and conclude that neither of them is fully satisfactory, presumably because magnetic buoyancy is an inherently 3D process. We also point out so far we do not have proper understanding of why sunspot emergence is restricted to rather low latitudes.
In order to examine their relation to the host galaxy, the extraplanar dust of six nearby galaxies are modeled, employing a three dimensional Monte Carlo radiative transfer code. The targets are from the highly-inclined galaxies that show dust-scattered ultraviolet halos, and the archival Galaxy Evolution Explorer FUV band images were fitted with the model. The observed images are in general well reproduced by two dust layers and one light-source layer, whose vertical and radial distributions have exponential profiles. We obtained several important physical parameters, such as star formation rate (SFR_UV), face-on optical depth, and scale-heights. Three galaxies (NGC 891, NGC 3628, and UGC 11794) show clear evidence for the existence of extraplanar dust layer. However, it is found that the rest three targets (IC 5249, NGC 24, and NGC 4173) do not necessarily need a thick dust disk to model the ultraviolet (UV) halo, because its contribution is too small and the UV halo may be caused by the wing part of the GALEX point spread function. This indicates that the galaxy samples reported to have UV halos may be contaminated by galaxies with negligible extraplanar (halo) dust. The galaxies showing evidence of the extraplanar dust layer fall within a narrow range on the scatter plots between physical parameters such as SFR_UV and extraplanar dust mass. Several mechanisms possible to produce the extraplanar dust are discussed. We also found a hint that the extraplanar dust scale-height might not be much different from the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission characteristic height.
To date, asteroseismology has provided core to surface differential rotation measurements in eight main-sequence stars. These stars, ranging in mass from $\sim$1.5-9$M_\odot$, show rotation profiles ranging from uniform to counter-rotation. Although they have a variety of masses, these stars all have convective cores and overlying radiative regions, conducive to angular momentum transport by internal gravity waves (IGW). Using two-dimensional (2D) numerical simulations we show that angular momentum transport by IGW can explain all of these rotation profiles. We further predict that should high mass, faster rotating stars be observed, the core to envelope differential rotation will be positive, but less than one.
The nearest neighbor distribution (Chandrasekhar 1943) is generalized to fractal stellar systems.For such systems an asymptotic distribution of the magnitude of large random forces and a formula for the effective mean interparticle spacing are derived. It is shown that in the case of a power-law distribution of conditional density the derived asymptotic fully agrees with the results obtained in terms of a general approach. It is concluded that large random forces in a fractal stellar medium are due entirely to the nearest neighbors (clumps) located inside the sphere of the effective radius determined from the generalized Holtsmark distribution.
This report is the write-up of a rapporteur talk on neutrino astronomy given at the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference in The Hague, Netherlands, in 2015. Here, selected contributions on the neutrino astronomy from the total of 40 talks and 90 posters presented in NU sessions at the 34th ICRC are summarized in the attempt of providing a status report on this rapidly glowing new field. The field of neutrino astronomy has recently experienced a "phase transition" since the first observation of high energy cosmic neutrinos. Extensive efforts have been made to identify the origin of the neutrino flux observed in the 100 TeV to PeV region, from both theoretical and experimental perspectives. In addition, the search for neutrino fluxes beyond the observed level has become increasingly important for further understanding the origin of the observed cosmic-ray up to $10^{20}$ eV. Although the IceCube Neutrino Observatory is the only experiment currently measuring this neutrino flux, its initial measurements have been confirmed via analysis using several independent detection channels. Further, there have been a number of developments in the search for neutrino point sources, while no successful observations have yet been reported. Following the IceCube observations, a large number of studies of next-generation neutrino detectors, including up-scaled underground Cherenkov neutrino detectors and Cherenkov radio neutrino detectors, have been reported.
The observation of several neutron stars in the center of supernova remnants and with significantly lower values of the dipolar magnetic field than the average radio-pulsar population has motivated a lively debate about their formation and origin, with controversial interpretations. A possible explanation requires the slow rotation of the proto-neutron star at birth, which is unable to amplify its magnetic field to typical pulsar levels. An alternative possibility, the hidden magnetic field scenario, considers the accretion of the fallback of the supernova debris onto the neutron star as responsible for the submergence (or screening) of the field and its apparently low value. In this paper we study under which conditions the magnetic field of a neutron star can be buried into the crust due to an accreting, conducting fluid. For this purpose, we consider a spherically symmetric calculation in general relativity to estimate the balance between the incoming accretion flow and the magnetosphere. Our study analyses several models with different specific entropy, composition, and neutron star masses. The main conclusion of our work is that typical magnetic fields of a few times 1e12 G can be buried by accreting only 1e-3 - 1e-2 solar mass, a relatively modest amount of mass. In view of this result, the Central Compact Object scenario should not be considered unusual, and we predict that anomalously week magnetic fields should be common in very young (< few kyr) neutron stars.
The observation of a pair of simultaneous twin kHz QPOs in the power density spectrum of a neutron star or a black hole allows its mass-angular-momentum relation to be constrained. Situations in which the observed simultaneous pairs are more than one allow the different models of the kHz QPOs to be falsified. Discrepancy between the estimates coming from the different pairs would call the used model into question. In the current paper the relativistic precession model is applied to the twin kHz QPOs that appear in the light curves of three groups of observations of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar IGR J17511-3057. It was found that the predictions of one of the groups are practically in conflict with the other two. Another interesting result is that the region in which the kHz QPOs have been born is rather broad and extends quite far from the ISCO.
Primordial or big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) is one of the three historical strong evidences for the big bang model. Standard BBN is now a parameter free theory, since the baryonic density of the Universe has been deduced with an unprecedented precision from observations of the anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. There is a good agreement between the primordial abundances of 4He, D, 3He and 7Li deduced from observations and from primordial nucleosynthesis calculations. However, the 7Li calculated abundance is significantly higher than the one deduced from spectroscopic observations and remains an open problem. In addition, recent deuterium observations have drastically reduced the uncertainty on D/H, to reach a value of 1.6%. It needs to be matched by BBN predictions whose precision is now limited by thermonuclear reaction rate uncertainties. This is especially important as many attempts to reconcile Li observations with models lead to an increased D prediction. Here, we re-evaluates the D(p,g)3He, D(d,n)3He and D(d,p)3H reaction rates that govern deuterium destruction, incorporating new experimental data and carefully accounting for systematic uncertainties. Contrary to previous evaluations, we use theoretical ab initio models for the energy dependence of the S-factors. As a result, these rates increase at BBN temperatures, leading to a reduced value of D/H = (2.45$\pm0.10)\times10^{-5}$ (2$\sigma$), in agreement with observations.
PSR B0656+14 is a middle-aged pulsar with a characteristic age $\tau_c=110$ kyr and spin-down power $\dot{E}= 3.8\times 10^{34}$ erg s$^{-1}$. Using Chandra data, we searched for a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) and found evidence of extended emission in a 3.5-15 arcsec annulus around the pulsar, with a luminosity $L_{\rm 0.5-8\,keV}^{\rm ext} \sim 8\times 10^{28}$ erg s$^{-1}$ (at the distance of 288 pc), which is a fraction of $\sim 0.05$ of the non-thermal pulsar luminosity. If the extended emission is mostly due to a PWN, its X-ray efficiency, $\eta_{\rm pwn} = L_{\rm 0.5-8\,keV}^{\rm ext}/\dot{E} \sim 2\times 10^{-6}$, is lower than those of most other known PWNe but similar to that of the middle-aged Geminga pulsar. The small radial extent and nearly round shape of the putative PWN can be explained if the pulsar is receding (or approaching) in the direction close to the line of sight. The very soft spectrum of the extended emission ($\Gamma\sim 8$), much softer than those of typical PWNe, could be explained by a contribution from a faint dust scattering halo, which may dominate in the outer part of the extended emission.
We have performed an experimental and modeling study of the partial melting behavior of the HED parent body and of the fractional crystallization of liquids derived from its mantle. We estimated the mantle composition by assuming chondritic ratios of refractory lithophile elements, adjusting the Mg# and core size to match the density and moment of inertia of Vesta, and the compositions of Mg-rich olivines found in diogenites. The liquidus of a mantle with Mg# (=100*(Mg/(Mg+Fe))) 80 is ~1625oC and, under equilibrium conditions the melt crystallises olivine alone until it is joined by orthopyroxene at 1350oC. We synthesized melt from our 1350oC experiment and simulated its fractional crystallization path. Orthopyroxene crystallizes until it is replaced by pigeonite at 1200oC. Liquids become eucritic and crystal assemblages resemble diogenites below 1250oC. MELTS correctly predicts the olivine liquidus but overestimates the orthopyroxene liquidus by ~70oC. Predicted melt compositions are in reasonable agreement with those generated experimentally. We used MELTS to determine that the range of mantle compositions that can produce eucritic liquids and diogenitic solids in a magma ocean model is Mg# 75-80 (with chondritic ratios of refractory elements). A mantle with Mg# ~ 70 can produce eucrites and diogenites through sequential partial melting.
We describe the recent modifications to the data reduction technique for observations acquired with the scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) mounted on the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory that allow the wavelength scale to be correctly computed in the case of large mutual offsets of studied objects in interferograms. Also the parameters of the scanning FPIs used in the SCORPIO-2 multimode focal reducer are considered.
Pebble accretion is a new mechanism to quickly grow the cores of planets. In pebble accretion, gravity and gas drag conspire to yield large collisional cross sections for small particles in protoplanetary disks. However, before pebble accretion commences, aerodynamical deflection may act to prevent planetesimals from becoming large, because particles tend to follow gas streamlines. We derive the planetesimal radius where pebble accretion is initiated and determine the growth timescales of planetesimals by sweepup of small particles. We obtain the collision efficiency factor as the ratio of the numerically-obtained collisional cross section to the planetesimal surface area, from which we obtain the growth timescales. Integrations are conducted in the potential flow limit (steady, inviscid) and in the Stokes flow regime (steady, viscid). Only particles of stopping time $t_s \ll t_X$ where $t_X\approx10^3$ s experience aerodynamic deflection. Even in that case, the planetesimal's gravity always ensures positive collision factors. The maximum growth timescale occurs typically at around $R\approx100 \ \mathrm{km}$, but is less for colder disks, corresponding to interactions shifting to the Safronov focusing regime. For particles $t_s \gg t_X$ pebble accretion commences only after this phase and is characterized by a steep drop in growth timescales. Consequently, at distances beyond ~10 AU sweepup growth timescales are always longer than $10$ Myr, while in the inner disk (~<3 AU) the viability of the sweepup scenario is determined by the outcome of pebble-planetesimal collisions in the geometric regime. We present analytical fits for the collision efficiency factors and the minimum planetesimal size needed for pebble accretion. (Abridged)
Aims. The aim of this work is the study of abundances of the heavy elements Ba, La, Ce, Nd, and Eu in 56 bulge giants (red giant branch and red clump) with metallicities ranging from -1.3 dex to 0.5 dex. Methods. We obtained high-resolution spectra of our giant stars using the FLAMES-UVES spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope. We inspected four bulge fields along the minor axis. Results. We measure the chemical evolution of heavy elements, as a function of metallicity, in the Galactic bulge. Conclusions. The [Ba, La, Ce, Nd/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] ratios decrease with increasing metallicity, in which aspect they differ from disc stars. In our metal-poor bulge stars, La and Ba are enhanced relative to their thick disc counterpart, while in our metal-rich bulge stars La and Ba are underabundant relative to their disc counterpart. Therefore, this contrast between bulge and discs trends indicates that bulge and (solar neighbourhood) thick disc stars could behave differently. An increase in [La, Nd/Eu] with increasing metallicity, for metal-rich stars with [Fe/H] > 0 dex, may indicate that the s-process from AGB stars starts to operate at a metallicity around solar. Finally, [Eu/Fe] follows the [{\alpha}/Fe] behaviour, as expected, since these elements are produced by SNe type II.
The first stars are predicted to have formed within 200 million years after the Big Bang, initiating the cosmic dawn. A true first star has not yet been discovered, although stars with tiny amounts of elements heavier than helium ('metals') have been found in the outer regions ('halo') of the Milky Way. The first stars and their immediate successors should, however, preferentially be found today in the central regions ('bulges') of galaxies, because they formed in the largest over-densities that grew gravitationally with time. The Milky Way bulge underwent a rapid chemical enrichment during the first 1-2 billion years, leading to a dearth of early, metal-poor stars. Here we report observations of extremely metal-poor stars in the Milky Way bulge, including one star with an iron abundance about 10,000 times lower than the solar value without noticeable carbon enhancement. We confirm that the most metal-poor bulge stars are on tight orbits around the Galactic Centre, rather than being halo stars passing through the bulge, as expected for stars formed at redshifts greater than 15. Their chemical compositions are in general similar to typical halo stars of the same metallicity although intriguing differences exist, including lower abundances of carbon.
Context. The presence of a small-mass planet (M$_p<$0.1\,M$_{Jup}$) seems, to date, not to depend on metallicity, however, theoretical simulations have shown that stars with subsolar metallicities may be favoured for harbouring smaller planets. A large, dedicated survey of metal-poor stars with the HARPS spectrograph has thus been carried out to search for Neptunes and super-Earths. Aims. In this paper, we present the analysis of \object{HD175607}, an old G6 star with metallicity [Fe/H] = -0.62. We gathered 119 radial velocity measurements in 110 nights over a time span of more than nine years. Methods. The radial velocities were analysed using Lomb-Scargle periodograms, a genetic algorithm, a Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis, and a Gaussian processes analysis. The spectra were also used to derive stellar properties. Several activity indicators were analysed to study the effect of stellar activity on the radial velocities. Results. We find evidence for the presence of a small Neptune-mass planet (M$_{p}\sin i = 8.98\pm1.10$\,M$_{\oplus}$) orbiting this star with an orbital period $P = 29.01\pm0.02$\, days in a slightly eccentric orbit ($e=0.11\pm0.08$). The period of this Neptune is close to the estimated rotational period of the star. However, from a detailed analysis of the radial velocities together with the stellar activity, we conclude that the best explanation of the signal is indeed the presence of a planetary companion rather than stellar related. An additional longer period signal ($P\sim 1400$\,d) is present in the data, for which more measurements are needed to constrain its nature and its properties. Conclusions. HD\,175607 is the most metal-poor FGK dwarf with a detected low-mass planet amongst the currently known planet hosts. This discovery may thus have important consequences for planet formation and evolution theories.
The Chandra Cygnus OB2 Legacy Survey is a wide and deep X-ray survey of the nearby and massive Cygnus OB2 association. The survey has detected ~8,000 X-ray sources, the majority of which are pre-main sequence X-ray emitting young stars in the association itself. To facilitate quantitative scientific studies of these sources as well as the underlying OB association it is important to understand the sensitivity of the observations and the level of completeness the observations have obtained. Here we describe the use of a hierarchical Monte Carlo simulation to achieve this goal by combining the empirical properties of the observations, analytic estimates of the source verification process, and an extensive set of source detection simulations. We find that our survey reaches a 90% completeness level for a pre-main-sequence population at the distance of Cyg OB2 at an X-ray luminosity of 4 x 10^30 ergs/s and a stellar mass of 1.3 Msun for a randomly distributed population. For a spatially clustered population such as Cyg~OB2 the 90% completeness level is reached at 1.1 Msun instead, as the sources are more concentrated in areas of our survey with a high exposure. These simulations can easily be adapted for use with other X-ray observations and surveys, and we provide X-ray detection efficiency curves for a very wide array of source and background properties to allow these simulations to be easily exploited by other users.
We investigate whether the broad wings of H2O emission identified with Herschel towards low-mass Class 0 and Class 1 protostars may be consistent with an origin in a dusty MHD disk wind, and the constraints it would set on the underlying disk properties. We present synthetic H2O line profiles predictions for a typical MHD disk wind solution with various values of disk accretion rate, stellar mass, extension of the launching area, and view angle. We compare them in terms of line shapes and intensities with the HIFI profiles observed by the WISH Key Program. We find that a dusty MHD disk wind launched from 0.2--0.6 AU AU to 3--25 AU can reproduce to a remarkable degree the observed shapes and intensities of the broad H2O component, both in the fundamental 557 GHz line and in more excited lines. Such a model also readily reproduces the observed correlation of 557 GHz line luminosity with envelope density, if the infall rate at 1000 AU is 1--3 times the disk accretion rate in the wind ejection region. It is also compatible with the typical disk size and bolometric luminosity in the observed targets. However, the narrower line profiles in Class 1 sources suggest that MHD disk winds in these sources, if present, would have to be slower and/or less water rich than in Class 0 sources. In conclusion, MHD disk winds appear as a valid (though not unique) option to consider for the origin of the broad H2O component in low-mass protostars. ALMA appears ideally suited to further test this model by searching for resolved signatures of the warm and slow wide-angle molecular wind that would be predicted.
Water is an important molecule in the chemical and thermal balance of dense molecular gas, but knowing its history through-out the various stages of the star formation is a fundamental problem. Its molecular deuteration provides us with a crucial clue to its formation history. H$_2$O has recently been detected for the first time towards the prestellar core L1544 with the Herschel Space Observatory with a high spectral resolution (HIFI instrument). Prestellar cores provide the original reservoir of material from which future planetary systems are built, but few observational constraints exist on the formation of water and none on its deuteration before the collapse starts and a protostar forms at the centre. We report on new APEX observations of the ground state 1$_{0,1}$-0$_{0,0}$ HDO transition at 464 GHz towards the prestellar core L1544. The line is undetected, and we present an extensive study of the conditions for its detectability in cold and dense cloud cores. The water and deuterated water abundances have been estimated using an advanced chemical model simplified for the limited number of reactions or processes that are active in cold regions (< 15 K). We use the LIME radiative transfer code to compute the expected intensity and profile of both H$_2$O and HDO lines and compare them with the observations. We present several ad hoc profiles that best-fit the observations and compare the profiles with results from an astrochemical modelling, coupling gas phase and grain surface chemistry. Our comparison between observations, radiative transfer, and chemical modelling shows the limits of detectability for singly deuterated water, through the ground-state transitions 1$_{0,1}$-0$_{0,0}$ and 1$_{1,1}$-0$_{0,0}$ at 464.9 and 893.6 GHz, respectively, with both single-dish telescope and interferometric observations.
The coronal magnetic field directly or indirectly affects a majority of the phenomena studied in space physics. It provides energy for coronal heating, controls the release of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and drives heliospheric and magnetospheric activity, yet the coronal magnetic field itself has proven difficult to measure. This difficulty has prompted a decades-long effort to develop accurate, timely, models of the field - an effort that continues today. We have developed a method for improving global coronal magnetic field models by incorporating the type of morphological constraints which could be derived from coronal images. Here we report promising initial tests of this approach on two theoretical problems, and discuss opportunities for application.
We developed an algorithm to find and characterize gravitationally lensed galaxies (arcs) to perform a comparison of the observed and simulated arc abundance. Observations are from the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH). Simulated CLASH images are created using the MOKA package and also clusters selected from the high resolution, hydrodynamical simulations, MUSIC, over the same mass and redshift range as the CLASH sample. The algorithm' s arc elongation accuracy, completeness and false positive rate are determined and used to compute an estimate of the true arc abundance. We derive a lensing efficiency of $4 \pm 1$ arcs (with length $\ge 6"$ and length-to-width ratio $\ge 7$) per cluster for the X-ray selected CLASH sample, $4 \pm 1$ arcs per cluster for the MOKA simulated sample and $3 \pm 1$ arcs per cluster for the MUSIC simulated sample. The observed and simulated arc statistics are in full agreement. We measure the photometric redshifts of all detected arcs and find a median redshift $z_s = 1.9$ with 33% of the detected arcs having $z_s > 3$. We find that the arc abundance does not depend strongly on the source redshift distribution but is sensitive to the mass distribution of the dark matter halos (e.g. the $c-M$ relation). Our results show that consistency between the observed and simulated distributions of lensed arc sizes and axial ratios can be achieved by using cluster-lensing simulations that are carefully matched to the selection criteria used in the observations.
With multiple vantage points around the Sun, STEREO and SDO imaging observations provide a unique opportunity to view the solar surface continuously. We use He II 304 A data from these observatories to isolate and track ten active regions and study their long-term evolution. We find that active regions typically follow a standard pattern of emergence over several days followed by a slower decay that is proportional in time to the peak intensity in the region. Since STEREO does not make direct observations of the magnetic field, we employ a flux-luminosity relationship to infer the total unsigned magnetic flux evolution. To investigate this magnetic flux decay over several rotations we use a surface flux transport model, the Advective Flux Transport (AFT) model, that simulates convective flows using a time-varying velocity field and find that the model provides realistic predictions when information about the active region's magnetic field strength and distribution at peak flux is available. Finally, we illustrate how 304 \AA\ images can be used as a proxy for magnetic flux measurements when magnetic field data is not accessible.
We observe Saturn and its ring system at wavelengths of 1.3 mm (220 GHz) using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) interferometric array. We study the intensity and polarisation structure of the planet and present the best polarisation data of Saturn at these frequencies. Observations using CARMA E-array configuration exhibited some anomalous polarisation pattern in the rings. We provide details of our analysis and discuss the possibility of self gravity wakes in Saturn's ring system resulting in this anomaly. We observe Venus in intensity and polarisation to cross-check the levels of polarisation signal detectable by CARMA. We also discuss how limitations in CARMA instrumental accuracy for observing weakly polarised sources, project this signature as an upper bound of polarisation measurements of Saturn using CARMA.
[Abridged] Context. The young systems PZ Tel and HD 1160, hosting known low-mass companions, were observed during the commissioning of the new planet finder SPHERE with several imaging and spectroscopic modes. Aims. We aim to refine the physical properties and architecture of both systems. Methods. We use SPHERE commissioning data and REM observations, as well as literature and unpublished data from VLT/SINFONI, VLT/NaCo, Gemini/NICI, and Keck/NIRC2. Results. We derive new photometry and confirm the nearly daily photometric variability of PZ Tel A. Using literature data spanning 38 yr, we show that the star also exhibits a long-term variability trend. The 0.63-3.8 mic SED of PZ Tel B allows us to revise its properties: spectral type M7+/-1, Teff=2700+/-100 K, log(g)<4.5 dex, log(L/L_Sun)=-2.51+/-0.10 dex, and mass 38-72 MJ. The 1-3.8 mic SED of HD 1160 B suggests a massive brown dwarf or a low-mass star with spectral type M5.5-7.0, Teff=3000+/-100 K, [M/H]=-0.5-0.0 dex, log(L/L_Sun)=-2.81+/-0.10 dex, and mass 39-168 MJ. We confirm the deceleration and high eccentricity (e>0.66) of PZ Tel B. For e<0.9, the inclination, longitude of the ascending node, and time of periastron passage are well constrained. The system is seen close to an edge-on geometry. We reject other brown dwarf candidates outside 0.25" for both systems, and massive giant planets (>4 MJ) outside 0.5" for the PZ Tel system. We also show that K1-K2 color can be used with YJH low-resolution spectra to identify young L-type companions, provided high photometric accuracy (<0.05 mag) is achieved. Conclusions. SPHERE opens new horizons in the study of young brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets thanks to high-contrast imaging capabilities at optical and near-infrared wavelengths, as well as high signal-to-noise spectroscopy in the near-infrared from low (R~30-50) to medium resolutions (R~350).
Bekenstein's generalized second law (GSL) of thermodynamics asserts that the sum of black-hole entropy, $S_{\text{BH}}=Ac^3/4\hbar G$ (here $A$ is the black-hole surface area), and the ordinary entropy of matter and radiation fields in the black-hole exterior region never decreases. We here re-analyze an intriguing gedanken experiment which was designed by Bekenstein to challenge the GSL. In this historical gedanken experiment an entropy-bearing box is lowered into a charged Reissner-Nordstr\"om black hole. For the GSL to work, the resulting increase in the black-hole surface area (entropy) must compensate for the loss of the box's entropy. We show that if the box can be lowered adiabatically all the way down to the black-hole horizon, as previously assumed in the literature, then for near-extremal black holes the resulting increase in black-hole surface-area (due to the assimilation of the box by the black hole) may become too small to compensate for the loss of the box's entropy. In order to resolve this apparent violation of the GSL, we here suggest to use a generalized version of the hoop conjecture. In particular, assuming that a physical system of mass $M$ and electric charge $Q$ forms a black hole if its circumference radius $r_{\text{c}}$ is equal to (or smaller than) the corresponding Reissner-Nordstr\"om black-hole radius $r_{\text{RN}}=M+\sqrt{M^2-Q^2}$, we prove that a new (and larger) horizon is already formed before the entropy-bearing box reaches the horizon of the original near-extremal black hole. This result, which seems to have been overlooked in previous analyzes of the composed black-hole-box system, ensures the validity of Bekenstein's GSL in this famous gedanken experiment.
In this article we wish to provide a common set of best practice approaches
that should be considered for all effective research grant proposal reviews.
The federal government performs a critical role in American competitiveness and
security by supporting basic research funded with taxpayer dollars. Effectively
managing their allocation to scientists and researchers is a noble and crucial
mission for advancing fundamental knowledge and deserves a heightened
attention. Ensuring that proposals submitted are treated fairly and
transparently is essential to both the health of any research program and also
a duty to the public who ultimately funds the research.
The paper describes the general requirements of a review process and at each
step underlines the issues and suggests potential improvements and some
fundamental requirements that should be included in any scientific review. We
also included a series of tips geared to the scientific community. Our goals in
this paper are 1) to demystify the process for everyone including policy makers
who are sometimes flummoxed by the results of some scientific reviews, 2) to
trigger some discussions about reviews and review process in the scientific
community, 3) to inform scientists whose careers are directly impacted by
review results about their own role in this process and 4) to suggest a road to
more efficient, fairer and overall more transparent process. For experts in
proposal reviews or for busy or impatient readers, the entire list of our
recommendations is presented at the beginning. We describe in each section the
context and rational of each recommendation.
The standard model of cosmology is based on the hypothesis that the Universe is spatially homogeneous and isotropic. When interpreting most observations, this cosmological principle is applied stricto sensu: the light emitted by distant sources is assumed to propagate through a Friedmann-Lema\^itre spacetime. The main goal of the present thesis was to evaluate how reliable this assumption is, especially when small scales are at stake. After having reviewed the laws of geometric optics in curved spacetime, and the standard interpretation of cosmological observables, the dissertation reports a comprehensive analysis of light propagation in Swiss-cheese models, designed to capture the clumpy character of the Universe. The resulting impact on the interpretation of the Hubble diagram is quantified, and shown to be relatively small, thanks to the cosmological constant. When applied to current supernova data, the associated corrections tend however to improve the agreement between the cosmological parameters inferred from the Hubble diagram and from the cosmic microwave background. This is a hint that the effect of small-scale structures on light propagation may become non-negligible in the era of precision cosmology. This motivated the development of a new theoretical framework, based on stochastic processes, which aims at describing small-scale gravitational lensing with a better accuracy. Regarding the isotropy side of the cosmological principle, this dissertation addresses, on the one hand, the potential effect of a large-scale anisotropy on light propagation, by solving all the equations of geometric optics in the Bianchi I spacetime. On the other hand, possible sources of such an anisotropy, namely scalar-vector models for inflation or dark energy, are analysed. Most of them turn out to be excluded as physically viable theories.
We investigate constraints on the interactions of light dark matter with Standard Model quarks in a framework with effective contact operators mediating the decay of heavy flavor bound state quarkonium to dark matter and a photon. When considered in combination with decays to purely invisible final states, constraints from heavy quarkonium decays at high intensity electron-positron colliders can complement missing energy searches at high energy colliders and provide sensitivity to dark matter masses difficult to probe at direct and indirect detection experiments. We calculate the approximate limits on the branching fraction for $\Upsilon (1 S)$ decays to dark matter and a photon. Given the approximate limits on the branching fractions for all dimension 6 or lower contact operators, we present the corresponding limits on the interaction strength for each operator and the inferred limits on dark matter-nucleon scattering. Complementary constraints on dark matter annihilation from gamma-ray searches from dwarf spheroidal galaxies are also considered.
We study flat Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker cosmological models for a scalar field coupled nonminimally to teleparallel gravity with generic coupling and potential functions. The goal in this paper is to determine the conditions under which the cosmological evolution tends to the limit where the variation of the gravitational "constant" ceases and the system evolves close to general relativity. These conditions can be read off from the approximate analytical solutions describing the process in matter and potential domination eras. Only those models where the GR limit exists and is an attractor can be considered viable. We expect the results to hold in the original "pure tetrad" formulation as well as in the recently suggested covariant formulation of the teleparallel theory. In the former case the GR attractor simultaneously provides a mechanism how cosmological evolution suppresses the problematic degrees of freedom stemming from the lack of local Lorentz invariance.
We investigate axial quasi-normal modes of realistic neutron stars in Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet-dilaton gravity. We consider 8 realistic equations of state containing nuclear, hyperonic, and hybrid matter. We focus on the fundamental curvature mode and compare the results with those of pure Einstein theory. We observe that the frequency of the modes is increased by the presence of the Gauss-Bonnet-dilaton, while the impact on the damping time is typically smaller. Interestingly, we obtain that universal relations valid in pure Einstein theory still hold for Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet-dilaton gravity, and we propose a method to use these phenomenological relations to constrain the value of the Gauss-Bonnet coupling.
We calculate the mean free path in a hot and dense nuclear environment for a fermionic dark matter particle candidate interacting with nucleons via scalar and vector couplings. We determine the effects of density and temperature in the medium by using nuclear distribution functions to size the importance of the final state blocking. Our results show that stellar nuclear scenarios, where dark matter may be accreted, provide opacities several orders of magnitude larger than those for Standard Model neutrinos in the context of cooling of proto-neutron stars. We also show that in a diffusive approximation with couplings of Fermi's constant strength the obtained dark matter-nucleon crosss sections display the same sensitivity that upper limits constrained with collider searches in the mass region $m_\chi \lesssim$ 5 GeV.
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