We combine high-resolution HST/WFC3 images with multi-wavelength photometry to track the evolution of structure and activity of massive (log(M*) > 10) galaxies at redshifts z = 1.4 - 3 in two fields of the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS). We detect compact, star-forming galaxies (cSFGs) whose number densities, masses, sizes, and star formation rates qualify them as likely progenitors of compact, quiescent, massive galaxies (cQGs) at z = 1.5 - 3. At z > 2 most cSFGs have specific star-formation rates (sSFR = 10^-9 yr^-1) half that of typical, massive SFGs at the same epoch, and host X-ray luminous AGN 30 times (~30%) more frequently. These properties suggest that cSFGs are formed by gas-rich processes (mergers or disk-instabilities) that induce a compact starburst and feed an AGN, which, in turn, quench the star formation on dynamical timescales (few 10^8 yr). The cSFGs are continuously being formed at z = 2 - 3 and fade to cQGs by z = 1.5. After this epoch, cSFGs are rare, thereby truncating the formation of new cQGs. Meanwhile, down to z = 1, existing cQGs continue to enlarge to match local QGs in size, while less-gas-rich mergers and other secular mechanisms shepherd (larger) SFGs as later arrivals to the red sequence. In summary, we propose two evolutionary scenarios of QG formation: an early (z > 2), fast-formation path of rapidly-quenched cSFGs that evolve into cQGs that later enlarge within the quiescent phase, and a slow, late-arrival (z < 2) path for SFGs to form QGs without passing through a compact state.
The intergalactic medium was reionized before redshift z~6, most likely by starlight which escaped from early galaxies. The very first stars formed when hydrogen molecules (H2) cooled gas inside the smallest galaxies, minihalos of mass between 10^5 and 10^8 solar masses. Although the very first stars began forming inside these minihalos before redshift z~40, their contribution has, to date, been ignored in large-scale simulations of this cosmic reionization. Here we report results from the first reionization simulations to include these first stars and the radiative feedback that limited their formation, in a volume large enough to follow the crucial spatial variations that influenced the process and its observability. We show that reionization began much earlier with minihalo sources than without, and was greatly extended, which boosts the intergalactic electron-scattering optical depth and the large-angle polarization fluctuations of the cosmic microwave background significantly. Although within current WMAP uncertainties, this boost should be readily detectable by Planck. If reionization ended as late as z_ov<~7, as suggested by other observations, Planck will thereby see the signature of the first stars at high redshift, currently undetectable by any other probe.
(Abridged) In this first paper of a series, we report the creation of large and well-defined database that combines extensive new measurements and a literature search of 3876 supernovae (SNe) and their 3679 host galaxies located in the sky area covered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 8 (DR8). This database should be much larger than previous ones, and should contain a homogenous set of global parameters of SN hosts, including morphological classifications and measures of nuclear activity. The measurements of apparent magnitudes, diameters (D25), axial ratios (b/a), and position angles (PA) of SN host galaxies were made using the images extracted from the SDSS g-band. For each host galaxy, we analyzed RGB images of the SDSS to accurately measure the position of its nucleus to provide the SDSS name. With these images, we also provide the host galaxy's morphological type, and note if it has a bar, a disturbed disk, and whether it is part of an interacting or merging system. In addition, the SDSS nuclear spectra were analyzed to diagnose the central power source of the galaxies. Special attention was paid to collect accurate data on the spectroscopic classes, coordinates, offsets of SNe, and heliocentric redshifts of the host galaxies. The creation of this large database will help to better understand how the different types of SNe are correlated with the properties of the nuclei and global physical parameters of the host galaxies, and minimize possible selection effects and errors that often arise when data are selected from different sources and catalogues.
There is growing interest in testing alternative gravity theories using the subtle Gravitational Redshifts in clusters of galaxies. However, current models all neglect a Transverse Doppler redshift of similar magnitude, and some models are not self-consistent. An equilibrium model would fix the Gravitational and Transverse Doppler velocity shifts to be about 6\sigma^2/c and 3\sigma^2/2c in order to fit the observed velocity dispersion \sigma self-consistently. This result is from the Virial Theorem for a spherical isotropic cluster, and is insensitive to the theory of gravity. In any case, a gravitational redshift signal cannot directly distinguish between the Einsteinian and f(R) gravity theories, because the mass of the cluster dark halo must be treated as an unknown fitting parameter, whose value must vary according to the theory adopted, otherwise the system would be in equilibrium in one gravity theory and out of equilibrium in another.
We compare the cosmological first-order post-Newtonian (1PN) approximation with the relativistic cosmological linear perturbation theory in a zero-pressure medium with the cosmological constant. We compare equations and solutions in several different gauge conditions available in both methods. In the PN method we have perturbation equations for density, velocity and gravitational potential independently of the gauge condition to 1PN order. However, correspondences with these 1PN equations are available only in certain gauge conditions in the perturbation theory. Equations of perturbed velocity and the perturbed gravitational potential in the zero-shear gauge exactly coincide with the Newtonian equations which remain valid even to 1PN order (the same is true for perturbed velocity in the comoving gauge), and equations of perturbed density in the zero-shear gauge and the uniform-expansion gauge coincide to 1PN order. We identify other correspondences available in different gauge conditions of the perturbation theory.
We review an optimal-filter-based algorithm for detecting candidate sources of unknown and differing size embedded in a stochastic background, and its application to detecting candidate cosmic bubble collision signatures in Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) 7-year observations. The algorithm provides an enhancement in sensitivity over previous methods by a factor of approximately two. Moreover, it is optimal in the sense that no other filter-based approach can provide a superior enhancement of these signatures. Applying this algorithm to WMAP 7-year observations, eight new candidate bubble collision signatures are detected for follow-up analysis.
The fraction of compact active galactic nuclei (AGNs) that exhibit interstellar scintillation (ISS) at radio wavelengths, as well as their scintillation amplitudes, have been found to decrease significantly for sources at redshifts z > 2. This can be attributed to an increase in the angular sizes of the \muas-scale cores or a decrease in the flux densities of the compact \muas cores relative to that of the mas-scale components with increasing redshift, possibly arising from (1) the space-time curvature of an expanding Universe, (2) AGN evolution, (3) source selection biases, (4) scatter broadening in the ionized intergalactic medium (IGM) and intervening galaxies, or (5) gravitational lensing. We examine the frequency scaling of this redshift dependence of ISS to determine its origin, using data from a dual-frequency survey of ISS of 128 sources at 0 < z < 4. We present a novel method of analysis which accounts for selection effects in the source sample. We determine that the redshift dependence of ISS is partially linked to the steepening of source spectral indices ({\alpha}^8.4_4.9) with redshift, caused either by selection biases or AGN evolution, coupled with weaker ISS in the {\alpha}^8.4_4.9 < -0.4 sources. Selecting only the -0.4 < {\alpha}^8.4_4.9 < 0.4 sources, we find that the redshift dependence of ISS is still significant, but is not significantly steeper than the expected (1+z)^0.5 scaling of source angular sizes due to cosmological expansion for a brightness temperature and flux-limited sample of sources. We find no significant evidence for scatter broadening in the IGM, ruling it out as the main cause of the redshift dependence of ISS. We obtain an upper limit to IGM scatter broadening of < 110\muas at 4.9 GHz with 99% confidence for all lines of sight, and as low as < 8\muas for sight-lines to the most compact, \sim 10\muas sources.
We revisit the causal backreaction paradigm, in which the need for Dark Energy is eliminated via the generation of an apparent cosmic acceleration from the causal flow of inhomogeneity information coming in towards each observer from distant structure-forming regions. This second-generation formalism incorporates "recursive nonlinearities": the process by which already-established metric perturbations will then act to slow down all future flows of inhomogeneity information. Here, the long-range effects of causal backreaction are now damped, weakening its impact for models that were previously best-fit cosmologies. Nevertheless, we find that causal backreaction can be recovered as a replacement for Dark Energy via the adoption of larger values for the dimensionless `strength' of the clustering evolution functions being modeled -- a change justified by the hierarchical nature of clustering and virialization in the universe, occurring on multiple cosmic length scales simultaneously. With this, and with one new model parameter representing the slowdown of clustering due to astrophysical feedback processes, an alternative cosmic concordance can once again be achieved for a matter-only universe in which the apparent acceleration is generated entirely by causal backreaction effects. One drawback is a new degeneracy which broadens our predicted range for the observed jerk parameter $j_{0}^{\mathrm{Obs}}$, thus removing what had appeared to be a clear signature for distinguishing causal backreaction from Cosmological Constant $\Lambda$CDM. As for the long-term fate of the universe, incorporating recursive nonlinearities appears to make the possibility of an `eternal' acceleration due to causal backreaction far less likely; though this does not take into account gravitational nonlinearities or the large-scale breakdown of cosmological isotropy, effects not easily modeled within this formalism.
Magnetic field amplification by a fast dynamo is seen in local box simulations of SN-driven ISM turbulence, where the self-consistent emergence of large-scale fields agrees very well with its mean-field description. We accordingly derive scaling laws of the turbulent transport coef- ficients in dependence of the SN rate, density and rotation. These provide the input for global simulations of regular magnetic fields in galaxies within a mean-field MHD framework. Using a Kennicutt-Schmidt relation between the star formation (SF) rate and midplane density, we can reduce the number of free parameters in our global models. We consequently present dynamo models for different rotation curves and radial density distributions.
We analyse the possibility that our Universe could be described by the model recently proposed by Melia & Shevchuk (2012), where the Hubble scale R_h = c/H is at all times equal to the distance ct that light has travelled since the Big Bang. In such a model, the scale factor is proportional to cosmic time and there is no acceleration nor deceleration of the expansion. We first point out problems with the very foundations of the model and its consequences for the evolution of the Universe. Next, we compare predictions of the model with observational data. As probes of the expansion we use distance data of supernovae type Ia, as well as Hubble rate data obtained from cosmic chronometers and radial baryon acoustic oscillations. We analyse the redshift evolution of the Hubble parameter and its redshift derivatives, together with the so-called O_m diagnostic and the deceleration parameter. To reliably estimate smooth functions and their derivatives from discrete data, we use the recently developed Gaussian Processes in Python package (GaPP). Our general conclusion is that the discussed model is strongly disfavoured by observations, especially at low redshifts (z < 0.5). In particular, it predicts specific constant values for the deceleration parameter and for redshift derivatives of the Hubble parameter, which is ruled out by the data.
We present new spectroscopic identifications of 12 X-shaped radio galaxies and use the spectral data to derive starburst histories and masses of the nuclear supermassive black holes in these galaxies. The observations were done with the 2.1-m telescope of the Observatorio Astron\'omico Nacional at San Pedro M\'artir, M\'exico. The new spectroscopic results extend the sample of X-shaped radio galaxies studied with optical spectroscopy. We show that the combined sample of the X-shaped radio galaxies has statistically higher black holes masses and older episodes of star formation than a control sample of canonical double-lobed radio sources with similar redshifts and luminosities. The data reveal enhanced star formation activity in the X-shaped sample at timescales expected in galactic mergers. We discuss the results obtained in the framework of the merger scenario.
The dynamics of expansion and large scale structure formation of the Universe are analyzed for models with dark energy in the form of a phantom scalar field which initially mimics a $\Lambda$-term and evolves slowly to the Big Rip singularity. The discussed model of dark energy has three parameters -- the density and the equation of state parameter at the current epoch, $\Omega_{de}$ and $w_0$, and the asymptotic value of the equation of state parameter at $a\rightarrow\infty$, $c_a^2$. Their best-fit values are determined jointly with all other cosmological parameters by the MCMC method using observational data on CMB anisotropies and polarization, SNe Ia luminosity distances, BAO measurements and more. Similar computations are carried out for $\Lambda$CDM and a quintessence scalar field model of dark energy. It is shown that the current data slightly prefer the phantom model, but the differences of maximum likelihoods are not statistically significant. It is also shown that the phantom dark energy with monotonicaly increasing density in future will cause the decaying of large scale linear matter density perturbations due to the gravitational domination of dark energy perturbations long before the Big Rip singularity.
We study the effects of perturbative reheating on the evolution of the curvature perturbation \zeta, in two-field inflation models. We use numerical methods to explore the sensitivity of f_NL, n_s and r to the reheating process, and present simple qualitative arguments to explain our results. In general, if a large non-Gaussian signal exits at the start of reheating, it will remain non zero at the end of reheating. Unless all isocurvature modes have completely decayed before the start of reheating, we find that the non-linearity parameter, f_NL, can be sensitive to the reheating timescale, and that this dependence is most appreciable for `runaway' inflationary potentials that only have a minimum in one direction. For potentials with a minimum in both directions, f_NL can also be sensitive to reheating if a mild hierarchy exists between the decay rates of each field. Within the class of models studied, we find that the spectral index n_s, is fairly insensitive to large changes in the field decay rates, indicating that n_s is a more robust inflationary observable, unlike the non-linearity parameter f_NL. Our results imply that the statistics of \zeta, especially f_NL, can only be reliably used to discriminate between models of two-field inflation if the physics of reheating are properly accounted for.
(Abridged) The 30 Dor region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is the most vigorous star-forming region in the Local Group. Star formation in this region is taking place in low-metallicity molecular gas which is exposed to an extreme far--ultraviolet (FUV) radiation field powered by the massive compact star cluster R136. We used the NANTEN2 telescope to obtain high-angular resolution observations of the 12CO 4-3, 7-6, and 13CO 4-3 rotational lines and [CI] 3P1-3P0 and 3P2-3P1 fine-structure sub-millimeter transitions in 30Dor-10, the brightest CO and FIR-emitting cloud at the center of the 30Dor region. We derive the properties of the low-metallicity molecular gas using an excitation/radiative transfer code and find a self-consistent solution of the chemistry and thermal balance of the gas in the framework of a clumpy cloud PDR model. We compare the derived properties with those in the N159W region, which is exposed to a more moderate far-ultraviolet radiation field compared with 30Dor-10, but has similar metallicity. We also combine our CO detections with previously observed low-J CO transitions to derive the CO spectral-line energy distribution in 30Dor-10 and N159W. The separate excitation analysis of the submm CO lines and the neutral carbon fine structure lines shows that the mid-J CO and [CI]-emitting gas in the 30Dor-10 region has a temperature of about 160 K and a H2 density of about 10^4 cm^-3. We find that the molecular gas in 30Dor-10 is warmer and has a smaller beam filling factor compared to that of N159W, which might be a result of the effect of a strong FUV radiation field heating and disrupting the low--metallicity molecular gas. We use a clumpy PDR model (including the [CII] line intensity reported in the literature) to constrain the FUV intensity to about chi_0 ~ 3100 and an average total H density of the clump ensemble of about 10^5 cm^-3 in 30Dor-10.
There is observational evidence for inside-out growth of giant elliptical galaxies since $z \gtrsim 2-3$. Many of the $\sim 10^{11} M_{\odot}$ systems at high redshift have small sizes $\sim 1kpc$ and surface brightness profiles with low Sersic indices n. The most likely descendants at $z = 0$ have, on average, grown by a factor of two in mass and a factor of four in size. They also have surface brightness profiles with $n \gtrsim 5$. This evolution can be qualitatively explained on the basis of two assumptions: compact ellipticals predominantly grow by collisionless minor 'dry' mergers, and they are embedded in massive dark matter halos which support the stripping of merging satellite stars at large radii. We draw these conclusions from idealized collisionless mergers spheroidal galaxies - with and without dark matter - with mass ratios of 1:1, 1:5, and 1:10. For minor mergers of galaxies embedded in dark matter halos, the sizes grow significantly faster and the profile shapes change more rapidly than for major mergers. After only two 1:5 mergers the Sersic index has increased to $n > 8$, reaching a final value of $n = 9.5$ after doubling the stellar mass. This is accompanied by a significant increase ($\gtrsim 80$ per cent) of the dark matter fraction within the half-mass radius, driven by the strong size increase probing larger, dark matter dominated regions. We conclude that only a few minor mergers ($\sim 3-5$ with mass-ratios of 1:5) of galaxies embedded in massive dark matter halos can result in the observed concurrent inside-out growth and the rapid evolution in profile shapes. Apart from negative stellar metallicity gradients and, eventually, positive age gradients, such a minor merger scenario also predicts significantly lower dark matter fractions for $z \sim 2$ compact quiescent galaxies and their rare present day analogues (abbreviated).
Various formulations of smooth-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) have been proposed, intended to resolve certain difficulties in the treatment of fluid mixing instabilities. Most have involved changes to the algorithm which either introduce 'artificial' correction terms or violate what is arguably the greatest advantage of SPH over other methods: manifest conservation of energy, entropy, momentum, and angular momentum. Here, we show how a class of alternative SPH equations of motion (EOM) can be derived self-consistently from a discrete particle Lagrangian - guaranteeing manifest conservation - in a manner which tremendously improves treatment of these instabilities and contact discontinuities. Saitoh & Makino recently noted that the volume element used to discretize the EOM does not need to explicitly invoke the mass density (as in the 'standard' approach); we show how this insight can be incorporated into the rigorous Lagrangian formulation that retains ideal conservation properties and includes the 'Grad-h' terms that account for variable smoothing lengths. We derive a general EOM for any choice of volume element (particle 'weights') and method of determining smoothing lengths. We then specify this to a 'pressure-entropy formulation' which resolves problems in the traditional treatment of fluid interfaces. Implementing this in a new version of the GADGET code, we show it leads to good performance in mixing experiments (e.g. Kelvin-Helmholtz & 'blob' tests). And conservation is maintained even in strong shock/blastwave tests, where formulations without manifest conservation produce large errors. This also improves the treatment of sub-sonic turbulence, and lessens the need for large kernel particle numbers. The code changes are trivial and entail no additional numerical expense. This provides a general framework for self-consistent derivation of different 'flavors' of SPH.
We present a unified model for the structure and appearance of accretion powered sources across their entire luminosity range from galactic X-ray binaries to luminous quasars, with emphasis on AGN and their phenomenology. Central to this model is the notion of MHD winds launched from the accretion disks that power these objects. These winds provide the matter that manifests as blueshifted absorption features in the UV and X-ray spectra of a large fraction of these sources; furthermore, their density distribution in the poloidal plane determines the "appearance" (i.e. the column and velocity structure of these absorption features) as a function of the observer inclination angle. This work focuses on just the broadest characteristics of these objects; nonetheless, it provides scaling laws that allow one to reproduce within this model the properties of objects spanning a very wide luminosity range and viewed at different inclination angles, and trace them to a common underlying dynamical structure. Its general conclusion is that the AGN phenomenology can be accounted for in terms of three parameters: The wind mass flux in units of the Eddington value, $\dot m$, the observer's inclination angle $\theta$ and the logarithmic slope between the O/UV and X-ray fluxes $\alpha_{OX}$. However, because of a significant correlation between $\alpha_{OX}$ and UV luminosity, we conclude that the AGN structure depends on only two parameters. Interestingly, the correlations implied by this model appear to extend to and consistent with the characteristics of galactic X-ray sources, suggesting the presence of a truly unified underlying structure for accretion powered sources.
Collisions between cosmic bubbles of different vacua are a generic feature of false vacuum eternal inflation scenarios. While previous studies have focused on the consequences of a single collision event in an observer's past, we begin here an investigation of the more general scenario allowing for many "mild" collisions intersecting our past light cone (and one another). We discuss the general features of multiple collision scenarios and consider their impact on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature power spectrum, treating the collisions perturbatively. In a large class of models, one can approximate a multiple collision scenario as a superposition of individual collision events governed by nearly isotropic and scale-invariant distributions, most appearing to take up less than half of the sky. In this case, the shape of the expected CMB temperature spectrum maintains statistical isotropy and typically features a dramatic increase in power in the low multipoles relative to that of the best-fit $\Lambda$CDM model, which is in tension particularly with the observed quadrupole. We argue that this predicted spectrum is largely model-independent and can be used to outline features of the underlying statistical distributions of colliding bubbles consistent with CMB temperature measurements.
The main objective of this article is to derive a new set of gravitational field equations and to establish a new unified theory for dark energy and dark matter. The new gravitational field equations with scalar potential are derived using the Einstein-Hilbert functional, and the scalar potential is a natural outcome of the divergence-free constraint of the variational elements. Associated with this scalar potential is the scalar potential energy density $\Phi$, which represents a new type of energy caused by the non-uniform distribution of matter in the universe. The negative part of this potential energy density $\Phi$ represents the dark matter, which produces attraction, and the positive part represents the dark energy, which drives the acceleration of expanding galaxies. In addition, this potential energy density $\Phi$ is conserved with mean zero: $\int_M \Phi dM=0$. Furthermore, the new field equations resolve a few difficulties encountered by the classical Einstein field equations.
Through an optical campaign performed at 4 telescopes located in the northern and the southern hemispheres, plus archival data from two on-line sky surveys, we have obtained optical spectroscopy for 29 counterparts of unclassified or poorly studied hard X-ray emitting objects detected with Swift/BAT and listed in the 39 months Palermo catalogue. All these objects have also observations taken with Swift/XRT or XMM-EPIC which not only allow us to pinpoint their optical counterpart, but also to study their X-ray spectral properties (column density, power law photon index and F2-10 keV flux). We find that 28 sources in our sample are AGN; 7 are classified as type 1 while 21 are of type 2; the remaining object is a galactic cataclysmic variable. Among our type 1 AGN, we find 5 objects of intermediate Seyfert type (1.2-1.9) and one Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxy; for 4 out of 7 sources, we have been able to estimate the central black hole mass. Three of the type 2 AGN of our sample display optical features typical of the LINER class and one is a likely Compton thick AGN. All galaxies classified in this work are relatively nearby objects since their redshifts lie in the range 0.008-0.075; the only galactic object found lies at an estimated distance of 90 pc. We have also investigated the optical versus X-ray emission ratio of the galaxies of our sample to test the AGN unified model. For them, we have also compared the X-ray absorption (due to gas) with the optical reddening (due to dust): we find that for most of our sources, specifically those of type 1.9-2.0 the former is higher than the latter confirming early results by Maiolino et al. (2001); this is possibly due to the properties of dust in the circumnuclear obscuring torus of the AGN.
We present the gamma-ray, X-ray, optical and radio data for GRB100814A. At the end of the slow decline phase of the X-ray and optical afterglow, a sudden and prominent rebrightening in the optical band occurs followed by a fast decay in both bands. This optical rebrightening is accompanied by possible chromatic variations. We discuss possible interpretations, such as double component scenarios and internal dissipation mechanism, with their virtues and drawbacks. We also compare GRB100814A with other Swift bursts that show optical rebrightenings with similar properties.
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Cosmological surveys aim to use the evolution of the abundance of galaxy clusters to accurately constrain the cosmological model. In the context of LCDM, we show that it is possible to achieve the required percent level accuracy in the halo mass function with gravity-only cosmological simulations, and we provide simulation start and run parameter guidelines for doing so. Some previous works have had sufficient statistical precision, but lacked robust verification of absolute accuracy. Convergence tests of the mass function with, for example, simulation start redshift can exhibit false convergence of the mass function due to counteracting errors, potentially misleading one to infer overly optimistic estimations of simulation accuracy. Percent level accuracy is possible if initial condition particle mapping uses second order Lagrangian Perturbation Theory, and if the start epoch is between 10 and 50 expansion factors before the epoch of halo formation of interest. The mass function for halos with fewer than ~1000 particles is highly sensitive to simulation parameters and start redshift, implying a practical minimum mass resolution limit due to mass discreteness. The narrow range in converged start redshift suggests that it is not presently possible for a single simulation to capture accurately the cluster mass function while also starting early enough to model accurately the numbers of reionisation era galaxies, whose baryon feedback processes may affect later cluster properties. Ultimately, to fully exploit current and future cosmological surveys will require accurate modeling of baryon physics and observable properties, a formidable challenge for which accurate gravity-only simulations are just an initial step.
We report the spectral and temporal variability properties of 18 candidate transient and potential transient (TC and PTC) sources detected in deep multi-epoch Chandra observation of the nearby elliptical galaxies, NGC 3379, NGC 4278 and NGC 4697. Only one source can be identified with a background counterpart, leaving 17 TCs + PTCs in the galaxies. Of these, 14 are in the galaxy field, supporting the theoretical picture that the majority of field X-ray binaries (XRBs) will exhibit transient accretion for >75% of their lifetime. Three sources are coincident with globular clusters (GCs), including two high-luminosity candidate black hole (BH) XRBs, with Lx=5.4E38 erg/s, and Lx=2.8E39 erg/s, respectively. The spectra, luminosities and temporal behavior of these 17 sources suggest that the transient population is heterogeneous, including neutron star (NS) and BH XRBs in both normal and high-rate accretion modes, and super soft sources containing white dwarf binaries. Our TC and PTC detections are noticeably fewer that the number expected from the populations synthesis (PS) models of Fragos et al. (2009), tailored to our new Chandra pointings of NGC 4278. We attribute this discrepancy to the PS assumption that the transient population is composed of NS XRBs, as well as differences between the statistical analysis and error estimates used in the model and our observations.
All dark matter structures appear to follow a set of universalities, such as phase-space density or velocity anisotropy profiles, however, the origin of these universalities remains a mystery. Any equilibrated dark matter structure can be fully described by two functions, namely the radial and the tangential velocity distribution functions (VDF), and when we will understand these two then we will understand all the observed universalities. Here we demonstrate that if we know the radial VDF, then we can derive and understand the tangential VDF. This is based on simple dynamical arguments about properties of collisionless systems. We use a range of controlled numerical simulations to demonstrate the accuracy of this result. We therefore boil the question of the dark matter structural properties down to understanding the radial VDF.
We study the properties of two bars formed in fully cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of the formation of Milky Way-mass galaxies. In one case, the bar formed in a system with disc, bulge and halo components and is relatively strong and long, as could be expected for a system where the spheroid strongly influences the evolution. The second bar is less strong, shorter, and formed in a galaxy with no significant bulge component. We study the strength and length of the bars, the stellar density profiles along and across the bars and the velocity fields in the bar region. We compare them with the results of dynamical (idealised) simulations and with observations, and find, in general, a good agreement, although we detect some important differences as well. Our results show that more or less realistic bars can form naturally in a $\Lambda$CDM cosmology, and open up the possibility to study the bar formation process in a more consistent way than previously done, since the host galaxies grow, accrete matter and significantly evolve during the formation and evolution of the bar.
We use the joint measurement of geometry and growth from anisotropic galaxy clustering in the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey Data Release 9 CMASS sample reported in \citet{Reid12} to constrain dark energy properties and possible deviations from the General Relativity. Assuming GR and taking a prior on the linear matter power spectrum at high redshift from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), anisotropic clustering of the CMASS DR9 galaxies alone constrains $\Omega_{\rm m} = 0.308 \pm 0.022$ and $100\Omega_{\rm k} = 5.9 \pm 4.8$ for $w = -1$, or $w = -0.91 \pm 0.12$ for $\Omega_k = 0$. When combined with the full CMB likelihood, the addition of the anisotropic clustering measurements to the spherically-averaged BAO location increases the constraining power on dark energy by a factor of 4 in a flat CDM cosmology with constant dark energy equation of state $w$ (giving $w = -0.87 \pm 0.05$). This impressive gain depends on our measurement of both the growth of structure and Alcock-Paczynski effect, and is not realised when marginalising over the amplitude of redshift space distortions. Combining with both the CMB and Supernovae Type Ia (SNeIa), we find $\Omega_{\rm m} = 0.281 \pm 0.014$ and $1000\Omega_{\rm k}=-9.2\pm5.0$ for $w = -1$, or $w_0 = -1.13 \pm 0.12$ and $w_{\rm a}=0.65 \pm 0.36$ assuming $\Omega_k = 0$. Finally, when a $\Lambda$CDM background expansion is assumed, the combination of our estimate of the growth rate with previous growth measurements provides tight constraints on the parameters describing possible deviations from GR giving $\gamma = 0.64 \pm 0.05$. For one parameter extensions of the flat $\Lambda$CDM model, we find a $\sim 2\sigma$ preference either for $w > -1$ or slower growth than in GR. However, the data is fully consistent with the concordance model, and the evidence for these additional parameters is weaker than $2\sigma$.
Telescope Point Spread Function (PSF) quality is critical for realising the potential of cosmic weak lensing observations to constrain dark energy and test General Relativity. In this paper we use quantitative weak gravitational lensing measures to inform the precision of lens optical alignment, with specific reference to the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We compute optics spot diagrams and calculate the shear and flexion of the PSF as a function of position on the focal plane. For perfect optical alignment we verify the high quality of the DES optical design, finding a maximum PSF contribution to the weak lensing shear of 0.04 near the edge of the focal plane. However this can be increased by a factor of approximately three if the lenses are only just aligned within their maximum specified tolerances. We calculate the E and B-mode shear and flexion variance as a function of de-centre or tilt of each lens in turn. We find tilt accuracy to be a few times more important than de-centre, depending on the lens considered. Finally we consider the compound effect of de-centre and tilt of multiple lenses simultaneously, by sampling from a plausible range of values of each parameter. We find that the compound effect can be around twice as detrimental as when considering any one lens alone. Furthermore, this combined effect changes the conclusions about which lens is most important to align accurately. For DES, the tilt of the first two lenses is the most important.
The maximum likelihood method is often used for parameter estimation in gravitational wave astronomy. Recently, an interesting approach was proposed by Vallisneri to evaluate the distributions of parameter estimation errors expected for the method. This approach is to statistically analyze the local peaks of the likelihood surface, and works efficiently even for signals with low signal-to-noise ratios. Focusing special attention to geometric structure of the likelihood surface, we follow the proposed approach and derive formulae for a simplified model of data analysis where the target signal has only one intrinsic parameter, along with its overall amplitude. Then we apply our formulae to correlation analysis of stochastic gravitational wave background with a power-law spectrum. We report qualitative trends of the formulae using numerical results specifically obtained for correlation analysis with two Advanced-LIGO detectors.
A non-stochastic scale-independent multi-dimensional barrier model of ellipsoidal collapse for the excursion set halo mass function is presented. The key concept of our model is that a bound halo forms at the moment when the initial shear eigenvalues hit a multi-dimensional absorbing barrier of constant height in their random walking process. The multi-dimensional barrier height that characterizes the analytic halo mass function is empirically determined by fitting the numerical results from the high-resolution N-body simulation to our model. It is found that the best-fit value of the barrier height is independent of redshift and key cosmological parameters. Our analytic model with empirically determined barrier-height is shown to work excellently in the wide mass-range at various redshifts: The ratio of the model to the N-body results departs from unity by up to 5% over $10^{11}\le M/(h^{-1}M_{\odot})\le 5\times 10^{15}$ at $z=0,\ 0.5$ and 1 for both of the FoF-halo and SO-halo cases. It is also shown that our analytic model naturally explains the stochastic behaviors of the density threshold value and its log-normal distribution.
We investigate the dynamical response of dark matter halos against recurrent starbursts in forming less-massive galaxies to solve the core-cusp problem, which is a discrepancy between the observation and the cold dark matter model. The gas heated by supernova feedbacks after a starburst expands, and then the star formation terminates. This expanding gas loses energy by radiative cooling, and then falls back toward the galactic center. Subsequently, a starburst arises again. This cycle of expansion and contraction of the interstellar gas leads to the recursive change in the gravitational potential of the interstellar gas. The resonance between dark matter particles and the density wave excited by the oscillating potential plays a key role to understand the physical mechanism of the cusp-core transition of dark matter halos. The dark matter halos effectively gain the kinetic energy from the energy transfer driven by the resonance between particles and the density waves. We find the critical condition for the cusp-core transition that the oscillation period of the gas potential should be approximately the same as the local dynamical time of the dark matter halo. We present the resultant core radius of the dark matter halo after the cusp-core transition induced by the resonance using the conventional mass-density profile predicted by the cold dark matter models. Moreover, we verified the analytical model using $N$-body simulations and the results nicely confirm the resonance model.
Results are presented for [CII] 158 micron line fluxes observed with the Herschel PACS instrument in 112 sources with both starburst and AGN classifications, of which 102 sources have confident detections. Results are compared with mid-infrared spectra from the Spitzer Infrared Spectrometer and with L(IR) from IRAS fluxes; AGN/starburst classifications are determined from equivalent width of the 6.2 micron PAH feature. It is found that the [CII] line flux correlates closely with the flux of the 11.3 micron PAH feature independent of AGN/starburst classification, log [f([CII] 158 micron)/f(11.3 micron PAH)] = -0.22 +- 0.25. It is concluded that [CII] line flux measures the photodissociation region associated with starbursts in the same fashion as the PAH feature. A calibration of star formation rate for the starburst component in any source having [CII] is derived comparing [CII] luminosity L([CII]) to L(IR) with the result that log SFR = log L([CII)]) - 7.08 +- 0.3, for SFR in solar masses per year and L([CII]) in solar luminosities. The decreasing ratio of L([CII]) to L(IR) in more luminous sources (the "[CII] deficit") is shown to be a consequence of the dominant contribution to L(IR) arising from a luminous AGN component because the sources with largest L(IR) and smallest L([CII])/L(IR) are AGN.
We are interested in formulating a viscous model of the universe based on The Bianchi Type IV algebra. We first begin by considering a congruence of fluid lines in spacetime, upon which, analyzing their propagation behaviour, we derive the famous Raychaudhuri equation, but, in the context of viscous fluids. We will then go through in great detail the topological and algebraic structure of a Bianchi Type IV algebra, by which we will derive the corresponding structure and constraint equations. From this, we will look at The Einstein field equations in the context of orthonormal frames, and derive the resulting dynamical equations: The \emph{Raychaudhuri Equation}, \emph{generalized Friedmann equation}, \emph{shear propagation equations}, and a set of non-trivial constraint equations. We show that for cases in which the bulk viscous pressure is significantly larger than the shear viscosity, this cosmological model isotropizes asymptotically to the present-day universe. We finally conclude by discussing The Penrose-Hawking singularity theorem, and show that the viscous universe under consideration necessarily emerged from a past singularity point.
Bulges can be classified into classical and pseudobulges; the former are considered to be end products of galactic mergers and the latter to form via secular evolution of galactic disks. Observationally, bulges of disk galaxies are mostly pseudobulges, including the Milky Way's. We here show, by using self-consistent cosmological simulations of galaxy formation, that the formation of pseudobulges of Milky Way-sized disk galaxies has mostly completed before disk formation; thus the main channel of pseudobulge formation is not secular evolution of disks. Our pseudobulges form by rapid gas supply at high-redshift and their progenitors would be observed as high-redshift disks.
We present a photometric and spectroscopic study of the unique isolated nearby dSph galaxy KKR25. The galaxy was resolved into stars with HST/WFPC2 including old red giant branch and red clump. We have constructed a model of the resolved stellar populations and measured the star formation rate and metallicity as function of time. The main star formation activity period occurred about 12.6 to 13.7 Gyr ago. These stars are mostly metal-poor, with a mean metallicity [Fe/H]\sim -1 to -1.6 dex. About 60 per cent of the total stellar mass was formed during this event. There are indications of intermediate age star formation in KKR25 between 1 and 4 Gyr with no significant signs of metal enrichment for these stars. Long-slit spectroscopy was carried out using the Russian 6-m telescope of the integrated starlight and bright individual objects in the galaxy. We have discovered a planetary nebula (PN) in KKR25. This is the first known PN in a dwarf spheroidal galaxy outside the Local Group. We have measured its oxygen abundance 12+log(O/H)=7.60+-0.07 dex and a radial velocity Vh=-79 km/s. We have analysed the stellar density distribution in the galaxy body. The galaxy has an exponential surface brightness profile with a central light depression. We discuss the evolutionary status of KKR25, which belongs to a rare class of very isolated dwarf galaxies with spheroidal morphology.
A Chern-Simons coupling of a new scalar field to electromagnetism may give rise to cosmological birefringence, a rotation of the linear polarization of electromagnetic waves as they propagate over cosmological distances. Prior work has sought this rotation, assuming the rotation angle to be uniform across the sky, by looking for the parity-violating TB and EB correlations a uniform rotation produces in the CMB temperature/polarization. However, if the scalar field that gives rise to cosmological birefringence has spatial fluctuations, then the rotation angle may vary across the sky. Here we search for direction-dependent cosmological birefringence in the WMAP-7 data. We report the first CMB constraint on the rotation-angle power spectrum for multipoles between L = 0 and L = 512. We also obtain a 68% confidence-level upper limit of 0.8 degrees on the square root of the quadrupole of a scale-invariant rotation-angle power spectrum.
In the presence of cosmic chiral asymmetry, chiral-vorticity and chiral-magnetic effects can play an important role in the generation and evolution of magnetic fields in the early universe. We include these chiral effects in the magnetic field equations and find solutions under simplifying assumptions. Our numerical and analytical results show the presence of an attractor solution in which chiral effects produce a strong, narrow, Gaussian peak in the magnetic spectrum and the magnetic field becomes maximally helical. The peak in the spectrum shifts to longer length scales and becomes sharper with evolution. We also find that the dynamics may become non-linear for certain parameters, pointing to the necessity of a more complete analysis.
We present Keck/LRIS spectra of over 200 galaxies with well-determined redshifts between 0.4 and 1.4. We combine new measurements of near-ultraviolet, low-ionization absorption lines with previously measured masses, luminosities, colors, and star formation rates to describe the demographics and properties of galactic flows. Among star-forming galaxies with blue colors, we find a net blueshift of the Fe II absorption greater than 200 km/s (100 km/s) towards 2.5% (20%) of the galaxies. The fraction of spectra with blueshifts decreases significantly among galaxies with specific star formation rates less than roughly 0.8 Gyr^{-1} and does not vary significantly with stellar mass, color, or luminosity. The insensitivity of the blueshifted fraction to galaxy properties favors collimated outflows, and in this context we demonstrate how the solid angle of the outflow declines with increasing outflow velocity. We also detect enriched infall towards 3-6% of the galaxies, apparently observed at an optimal viewing angle. At least 3 (1) of the 9 infalling streams have a large cross section and velocities commensurate with an extended disk (satellite galaxy). We explain the strong dependence of the Mg II absorption equivalent width on stellar mass, B-band luminosity, and U-B color by resonance emission partially filling in the intrinsic absorption troughs; emission filling can also explain the significant differences often observed between the shape of the Mg II line profile and the absorption troughs of those Fe II transitions that decay primarily by fluorescence. This study provides a new quantitative understanding of gas flows between galaxies and the circumgalactic medium over a critical period in galaxy evolution.
It is clear that optical selection effects have distorted the "true" GRB redshift distribution to its presently observed biased distribution. We constrain a statistically optimal model that implies GRB host galaxy dust extinction could account for up to 40% of missing optical afterglows and redshifts in $z = 0-3$, but the bias is negligible at very high-$z$. The limiting sensitivity of the telescopes, and the time to acquire spectroscopic/photometric redshifts, are significant sources of bias for the very high-$z$ sample. We caution on constraining star formation rate and luminosity evolution using the GRB redshift distribution without accounting for these selection effects.
We present an observational study of the Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn) 2005ip and 2006jd. Broad-band UV, optical and near-IR photometry, and visual-wavelength spectroscopy of SN 2005ip complement and extend upon published observations to 6.5 years past discovery. Our observations of SN 2006jd extend from UV to mid-infrared wavelengths, and like SN 2005ip, are compared to reported X-ray measurements to understand the nature of the progenitor. Both objects display a number of similarities with the 1988Z-like subclass of SN IIn including: (i) remarkably similar early- and late-phase optical spectra, (ii) a variety of high ionization coronal lines, (iii) long-duration optical and near-IR emission and, (iv) evidence of cold and warm dust components. However, diversity is apparent including an unprecedented late-time r-band excess in SN 2006jd.The observed differences are attributed to differences between the mass-loss history of the progenitor stars. We conclude that the progenitor of SN 2006jd likely experienced a significant mass-loss event during its pre-SN evolution akin to the great 19th century eruption of \eta Carinae. Contrarily, as advocated by Smith et al. (2009), we find the circumstellar environment of SN 2005ip to be more consistent with a clumpy wind progenitor.
We present the H-alpha imaging data and flux measurements for 30 dwarf galaxies in the Local volume. The H-alpha fluxes are used to derive the galaxy star formation rate, SFR. The sample of observed galaxies is characterized by the following parameters: the median distance of 7.5 Mpc, the median blue absolute magnitude of -14.8 mag, and median SFR of -2.0 dex. Two dSph members of the Local Group: Cetus and Leo IV do not show signs of star formation on the rate of -5.4 dex and -7.0 dex, respectively. The BCD galaxy ESO 553-46 has one of the highest specific SFR among the Local volume galaxies.
We derive the Boltzmann equation in the synchronous gauge for massive neutrinos with a deformed dispersion relation. Combining the 7-year WMAP data with lower-redshift measurements of the expansion rate, we give constraints on the deformation parameter and find that the deformation parameter is strong degenerate with the physical dark matter density instead of the neutrino mass. Our results show that there is no evidence for Lorentz invariant violation in the neutrino sector. The ongoing Planck experiment could provide improved constraints on the deformation parameter.
By phenomenologically describing the high-redshift star formation history, i.e., $\dot{\rho}_{*}(z)\propto[(1+z)/4.5]^{-\alpha}$, and semi-analytically calculating the fractions of high-redshift Pop I/II and Pop III stars, we investigate the contributions from both high-redshfit Pop I/II and Pop III stars to the observed near-infrared ($3 \mu\rm m<\lambda<5 \mu m$) excess in the cosmic infrared background emission. In order to account for the observational level of the near-infrared excess, the power-law index $\alpha$ of the assumed star formation history is constrained to within the range of $0\lesssim\alpha\lesssim1$. Such a constraint is obtained under the condition that the viral temperature of dark matter halos belongs to the range of $500 {\rm K}\leq T_{\rm vir}\leq10^4$ K.
Scalar-tensor theories are constrained with lunar laser ranging and supernovae data at low redshift. This allows to find some constraints on the scalar field independently on the form of its potential once the gravitation function is specified. We apply these results to some well known scalar-tensor theories showing that they agreed with the LCDM model at 1 sigma.
We present deep Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) radio observations at 240, 330 and 610 MHz of the complex radio source at the center of the NGC1407 galaxy group. Previous GMRT observations at 240 MHz revealed faint, diffuse emission enclosing the central twin-jet radio galaxy. This has been interpreted as an indication of two possible radio outbursts occurring at different times. Both the inner double and diffuse component are detected in the new GMRT images at high levels of significance. Combining the GMRT observations with archival Very Large Array data at 1.4 and 4.9 GHz, we derive the total spectrum of both components. The inner double has a spectral index \alpha=0.7, typical for active, extended radio galaxies, whereas the spectrum of the large-scale emission is very steep, with \alpha=1.8 between 240 MHz and 1.4 GHz. The radiative age of the large-scale component is very long, ~300 Myr, compared to ~30 Myr estimated for the central double, confirming that the diffuse component was generated during a former cycle of activity of the central galaxy. The current activity have so far released an energy which is nearly one order of magnitude lower than that associated with the former outburst. The group X-ray emission in the Chandra and XMM-Newton images and extended radio emission show a similar swept-back morphology. We speculate that the two structures are both affected by the motion of the group core, perhaps due to the core sloshing in response to a recent encounter with the nearby elliptical galaxy NGC1400.
We present radially resolved spectroscopy of 8 early-type galaxies in Abell~262, measuring rotation, velocity dispersion, $H_3$ and $H_4$ coefficients along three axes, and line-strength index profiles of Mg, Fe and H$\beta$. Ionized-gas velocity and velocity dispersion is included for 6 galaxies. We derive dynamical mass-to-light ratios and dark matter densities from orbit-based dynamical models, complemented by the galaxies' ages, metallicities, and $\alpha$-elements abundances. Four galaxies have significant dark matter with halos about 10 times denser than in spirals of the same stellar mass. Using dark matter densities and cosmological simulations, assembly redshifts $\zdm\approx 1-3$, which we found earlier for Coma. The dynamical mass following the light is larger than expected for a Kroupa stellar IMF, especially in galaxies with high velocity dispersion $\sigeff$ inside the effective radius $\reff$. This could indicate a `massive' IMF in massive galaxies. Alternatively, some dark matter in massive galaxies could follow the light closely. Combining with our comparison sample of Coma early-types, we now have 5 of 24 galaxies where (1) mass follows light to $1-3\,\reff$, (2) the dynamical mass-to-light ratio {of all the mass that follows the light is large ($\approx\,8-10$ in the Kron-Cousins $R$ band), (3) the dark matter fraction is negligible to $1-3\,\reff$. Unless the IMF in these galaxies is particularly `massive' and somehow coupled to the dark matter content, there seems a significant degeneracy between luminous and dark matter in some early-type galaxies. The role of violent relaxation is briefly discussed.
We describe mixing scalar particles and Majorana fermions using Closed-Time-Path methods. From the Kadanoff-Baym equations, we obtain the charge asymmetry, that is generated from decays and inverse decays of the mixing particles. Within one single formalism, we thereby treat Leptogenesis from oscillations and recover as well the standard results for the asymmetry in Resonant Leptogenesis, which apply when the oscillation frequency is much larger than the decay rate. Analytic solutions for two mixing neutral particles in a constant-temperature background illustrate our results qualitatively. We also perform the modification of the kinetic equations that is necessary in order to take account of the expansion of the Universe and the washout of the asymmetry.
Leptogenesis may be induced by the mixing of extra Higgs doublets with experimentally accessible masses. This mechanism relies on diagrammatic cuts that are kinematically forbidden in the vacuum but contribute at finite temperature. A resonant enhancement of the asymmetry occurs generically provided the dimensionless Yukawa and self-interactions are suppressed compared to those of the Standard Model Higgs field. This is in contrast to typical scenarios of Resonant Leptogenesis, where the asymmetry is enhanced by imposing a degeneracy of singlet neutrino masses.
The Euclid mission is the second M-class mission of the ESA Cosmic Vision programme, with the principal science goal of studying dark energy through observations of weak lensing and baryon acoustic oscillations. Euclid is also expected to undertake additional Legacy Science programmes. One such proposal is the Exoplanet Euclid Legacy Survey (ExELS) which will be the first survey able to measure the abundance of exoplanets down to Earth mass for host separations from ~1 AU out to the free-floating (unbound) regime. The cold and free-floating exoplanet regimes represent a crucial discovery space for testing planet formation theories. ExELS will use the gravitational microlensing technique and will detect over 400 microlensing events per month over 1.6 deg^2 of the Galactic bulge. We assess how many of these events will have detectable planetary signatures using a detailed multi-wavelength microlensing simulator --- the Manchester-Besancon microLensing Simulator (MaBuLS) --- which incorporates the Besancon Galactic model with 3D extinction. MaBuLS is the first theoretical simulation of microlensing to treat the effects of point spread function (PSF) blending self-consistently with the underlying Galactic model. We use MaBuLS, together with current numerical models for the Euclid PSFs, to explore a number of designs and de-scope options for ExELS, including the two current spacecraft designs, the exoplanet yield as a function of filter choice, and the effect of systematic photometry errors. Using conservative extrapolations of current empirical exoplanet mass functions determined from ground-based microlensing and radial velocity surveys, ExELS can expect to detect a few hundred cold exoplanets around mainly G, K and M-type stellar hosts, including ~19 Earth-mass planets and ~3 Mars-mass planets for an observing programme totalling 10 months.
An unification model with the characteristic flavor structures and the TeV scale $U(1)_{B-L}$ symmetry is suggested to solve the fermion masses and flavor mixings as well as the baryon asymmetry and dark matter. The model excellently fits all the current experimental data. All of the new results and predictions are promising to be test in future experiments.
The association of Type Ic supernovae (SNe) with long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRB) is well established. GRB 120422A was a low-redshift (z=0.283) event that allowed an extensive ground-based observational campaign to monitor the light curve of the associated SN 2012bz. We obtained a series of photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2012bz associated with the long-duration GRB 120422A using the 3.6-m TNG and the 8.2-m VLT telescopes during the time interval between 4 and 36 days after the burst. We characterized the optical light curve of SN 2012bz and compared its shape with other GRB/SNe. Peak brightness was reached ~18 days after the burst, corresponding to ~14 days in the rest-frame. A general resemblance between the spectra of SN 2012bz and SN 1998bw at similar epochs is noticed, but the spectra are too noisy for detailed analysis. The shape and maximum of the bolometric light curve (M ~ -18.7) are very similar to those of other known GRB/SNe, suggesting comparable explosion conditions and parameters. GRB 120422A may lie slightly above the 2\sigma confidence region of the Epeak-Eiso relation.
For Leptogenesis based on the type-I seesaw mechanism, we present a systematic calculation of lepton-number violating and purely flavoured asymmetries within nonequilibrium Quantum Field Theory. We show that sterile neutrinos with non-degenerate masses in the GeV range can explain the baryon asymmetry of the Universe via flavoured Leptogenesis. This is possible due to the interplay of thermal and flavour effects. Our approach clarifies the relation between Leptogenesis from the oscillations of sterile neutrinos and the more commonly studied scenarios from decays and inverse decays. We explain why lower mass bounds for non-degenerate sterile neutrinos derived for Leptogenesis from out-of-equilibrium decays do not apply to flavoured Leptogenesis with GeV-scale neutrinos.
We examine the properties and evolution of a simulated polar disc galaxy. This galaxy is comprised of two orthogonal discs, one of which contains old stars (old stellar disc), and the other, containing both younger stars and the cold gas (polar disc) of the galaxy. By exploring the shape of the inner region of the dark matter halo, we are able to confirm that the halo shape is a oblate ellipsoid flattened in the direction of the polar disc. We also note that there is a twist in the shape profile, where the innermost 3 kpc of the halo flattens in the direction perpendicular to the old disc, and then aligns with the polar disc out until the virial radius. This result is then compared to the halo shape inferred from the circular velocities of the two discs. We also use the temporal information of the simulation to track the system's evolution, and identify the processes which give rise to this unusual galaxy type. We confirm the proposal that the polar disc galaxy is the result of the last major merger, where the angular moment of the interaction is orthogonal to the angle of the infalling gas. This merger is followed by the resumption of coherent gas infall. We emphasise that the disc is rapidly restored after the major merger and that after this event the galaxy begins to tilt. A significant proportion of the infalling gas comes from filaments. This infalling gas from the filament gives the gas its angular momentum, and, in the case of the polar disc galaxy, the direction of the gas filament does not change before or after the last major merger.
(Shortened) GRB080319B, with an isotropic energy E_{iso}=1.32x10^{54}erg, and GRB050904, with E_{iso}=1.04x10^{54}erg, offer the possibility of studying the spectral properties of the prompt radiation of two of the most energetic Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). This allows us to probe the validity of the fireshell model for GRBs beyond 10^{54}erg, well outside the energy range where it has been successfully tested up to now (10^{49}-10^{53}erg). We find that in the low energy region, the prompt emission spectra observed by Swift BAT reveals more power than theoretically predicted. The opportunities offered by these observations to improve the fireshell model are outlined. One of the distinguishing features of the fireshell model is that it relates the observed spectra to the spectrum in the comoving frame of the fireshell. Originally, a fully radiative condition and a comoving thermal spectrum were adopted. An additional power-law in the comoving thermal spectrum is required [...] in the fireshell model for GRBs 080319B and 050904. A new phenomenological parameter \alpha is correspondingly introduced in the model. We perform numerical simulations of the prompt emission in the Swift BAT bandpass by assuming different values of \alpha [...]. We compare them with the GRB080319B and GRB050904 observed time-resolved spectra, as well as with their time-integrated spectra and light curves. Although GRB080319B and GRB050904 are at very different redshifts (z=0.937 and z=6.29 respectively), a value of \alpha=-1.8 leads for both of them to a good agreement between the numerical simulations and the observed BAT light curves, time-resolved and time-integrated spectra. Such a modified spectrum is also consistent with the observations of previously analyzed less energetic GRBs and reasons for this additional agreement are given. Perspectives for future low energy missions are outlined.
It has recently been shown that the graviton can consistently gain a constant mass without introducing the Boulware-Deser ghost. We propose a gravity model where the graviton mass is set by a scalar field and prove that this model is free of the Boulware-Deser ghost by analyzing its constraint system and showing that two constraints arise. We also initiate the study of the model's cosmic background evolution and tentatively discuss possible cosmological implications of this model. In particular, we consider a simple scenario where the scalar field setting the graviton mass is identified with the inflaton and the graviton mass evolves from a high to a low energy scale, giving rise to the current cosmic acceleration.
Canonical methods allow the derivation of effective gravitational actions from the behavior of space-time deformations reflecting general covariance. With quantum effects, the deformations and correspondingly the effective actions change, revealing dynamical implications of quantum corrections. A new systematic way of expanding these actions is introduced showing as a first result that inverse-triad corrections of loop quantum gravity simplify the asymptotic dynamics near a spacelike collapse singularity. By generic quantum effects, the singularity is removed.
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Bayesian model selection methods provide a self-consistent probabilistic framework to test the validity of competing scenarios given a set of data. We present a case study application to strong gravitational lens parametric models. To this end we confront a lens power-law potential against the presence of external shear on a sample of double-image quasars using measurements of the image positions and time-delays. Our goal is to select a homogeneous lens subsample suitable for cosmological parameter inference. In the case of B1600+434, SBS 1520+530 and SDSS J1650+4251 the Bayes' factor analysis favors a simple power-law model description with high statistical significance. The combined likelihood data analysis of such systems gives the Hubble constant H_0 = 72^{+22}_{-40} km s^{-1}Mpc^{-1} for a flat \LambdaCDM cosmology having marginalized over the lens model parameters, the cosmic matter density and consistently propagated the observational errors on the angular position of the images. The next generation of cosmic structure surveys will provide larger lens datasets and the method described here can be particularly useful to select homogeneous lens subsamples adapt to perform unbiased cosmological parameter inference.
This paper examines star formation (SF) in relatively massive, primarily early-type galaxies (ETGs) at z~0.1. A sample is drawn from bulge-dominated GALEX/SDSS galaxies on the optical red sequence with strong UV excess and yet quiescent SDSS spectra. High-resolution far-UV imaging of 27 such ETGs using HST ACS/SBC reveals structured UV morphology in 93% of the sample, consistent with low-level ongoing SF (~0.5 Ms/yr). In 3/4 of the sample the SF is extended on galaxy scales (25-75 kpc), while the rest contains smaller (5-15 kpc) SF patches in the vicinity of an ETG - presumably gas-rich satellites being disrupted. Optical imaging reveals that all ETGs with galaxy-scale SF in our sample have old stellar disks (mostly S0 type). None is classified as a true elliptical. In our sample, galaxy-scale SF takes the form of UV rings of varying sizes and morphologies. For the majority of such objects we conclude that the gas needed to fuel current SF has been accreted from the IGM, probably in a prolonged, quasi-static manner, leading in some cases to additional disk buildup. The remaining ETGs with galaxy-scale SF have UV and optical morphologies consistent with minor merger-driven SF or with the final stages of SF in fading spirals. Our analysis excludes that all recent SF on the red sequence resulted from gas-rich mergers. We find further evidence that galaxy-scale SF is almost exclusively an S0 phenomenon (~20% S0s have SF) by examining the overall optically red SDSS ETGs. Conclusion is that significant number of field S0s maintain or resume low-level SF because the preventive feedback is not in place or is intermittent. True ellipticals, on the other hand, stay entirely quiescent even in the field.
A small fraction of the atomic-cooling halos assembling at z<15 may form out of minihalos that never experienced any prior star formation, and could in principle host small galaxies of chemically unenriched stars. Since the prospects of detecting isolated population III stars appear bleak even with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), these population III galaxies may offer one of the best probes of population III stars in the foreseeable future. By projecting the results from population III galaxy simulations through cluster magnification maps, we predict the fluxes and surface number densities of pop III galaxy galaxies as a function of their typical star formation efficiency. We argue that a small number of lensed population III galaxies in principle could turn up at z=7-10 in the ongoing Hubble Space Telescope survey CLASH, which covers a total of 25 low-redshift galaxy clusters.
The Zurich Environmental Study (ZENS) is designed to compare the dependence of z=0 galaxy structural and stellar populations diagnostics at constant stellar mass on four measures of the environment: the mass of the host group halos; the projected distance from the center of the halo; the rank of galaxies as central or satellites; and the filamentary LSS density on which the groups reside. The complete ZENS sample contains 1630 galaxies in 141~10^{12.5-14}M_sun 2PIGG groups at z~0.06. We outline the survey motivation and describe novel approaches to quantify the environments of galaxies. We introduce a set of self-consistency checks to define the group centers and to rank galaxies as centrals or satellites, and describe an Nth-nearest-neighbor approach to determine the LSS density field using groups as tracers. We publish the ZENS catalogue of galaxy and group properties, which combines the environmental diagnostics presented here with structural and SED measurements described in subsequent papers. In a suite of follow-up articles we investigate which measures of environment most strongly affect the galaxy properties. In this paper, we highlight the following: a) For ~40% of <10^13.5 M_sun groups there is no self-consistent identification of a central galaxy and ~10-20% of groups may be dynamically young systems; b) Properties of central galaxies in the relaxed and unrelaxed groups are similar indicating that central galaxies are not regulated by their environment but exclusively by their stellar mass; c) Satellites with M>10^10 M_sun in relaxed and unrelaxed groups, as well as centrals, have similar size, color and star formation rate distributions, but at lower galaxy masses satellites are ~0.1mag bluer in unrelaxed groups. This indicates that physical processes occurring in dynamically-relaxed group halos are important to quench star formation in low mass satellites.[Abridged]
Kaiser redshift-space distortion formula describes well the clustering of galaxies in redshift surveys on small scales, but there are numerous additional terms that arise on large scales. Some of these terms can be described using Newtonian dynamics and have been discussed in the literature, while the others require proper general relativistic description that was only recently developed. Accounting for these terms in galaxy clustering is the first step toward tests of general relativity on horizon scales. The effects can be classified as two terms that represent the velocity and the gravitational potential contributions. Their amplitude is determined by effects such as the volume and luminosity distance fluctuation effects and the time evolution of galaxy number density and Hubble parameter. We compare the Newtonian approximation often used in the redshift-space distortion literature to the fully general relativistic equation, and show that Newtonian approximation accounts for most of the terms contributing to velocity effect. We perform a Fisher matrix analysis of detectability of these terms and show that in a single tracer survey they are completely undetectable. To detect these terms one must resort to the recently developed methods to reduce sampling variance and shot noise. We show that in an all-sky galaxy redshift survey at low redshift the velocity term can be measured at a few sigma if one can utilize halos of mass M>10^12 Msun (this can increase to 10-sigma or more in some more optimistic scenarios), while the gravitational potential term itself can only be marginally detected. We also demonstrate that the general relativistic effect is not degenerate with the primordial non-Gaussian signature in galaxy bias, and the ability to detect primordial non-Gaussianity is little compromised.
In this paper we discuss the contribution of different astrophysical sources to the ionization of neutral hydrogen at different redshifts. We critically revise the arguments in favour/against a substantial contribution of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) and/or Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) to the reionization of the Universe at z>5. We consider extrapolations of the high-z QSO and LBG luminosity functions and their redshift evolution as well as indirect constraints on the space density of lower luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei based on the galaxy stellar mass function. Since the hypothesis of a reionization due to LBGs alone requires a significant contribution of faint dwarf galaxies and a LyC photon escape fraction (f_esc) of the order of ~20%, in tension with present observational constraints, we examine under which hypothesis AGNs and LBGs may provide a combined relevant contribution to the reionization. We show that a relatively steep faint-end of the AGN luminosity function, consistent with present constraints, provides a relevant (although sub-dominant) contribution, thus allowing us to recover the required ionizing photon rates with f_esc~5% up to z~7. At higher redshifts, we test the case for a luminosity-dependent f_esc scenario and we conclude that, if the observed LBGs are indeed characterized by very low f_esc, values of the order of f_esc~70% are needed for objects below our detection threshold, for this galaxy population to provide a substantial contribution to reionization. Clearly, the study of the properties of faint sources (both AGNs and LBGs) is crucial.
Collisional ring galaxies are the outcome of nearly axisymmetric high-speed encounters between a disc and an intruder galaxy. We investigate the properties of collisional ring galaxies as a function of the impact parameter, the initial relative velocity and the inclination angle. We employ new adaptive mesh refinement simulations to trace the evolution with time of both stars and gas, taking into account star formation and supernova feedback. Axisymmetric encounters produce circular primary rings followed by smaller secondary rings, while off-centre interactions produce asymmetric rings with displaced nuclei. We propose an analytical treatment of the disc warping induced by an inclination angle greater then zero. The star formation history of our models is mainly influenced by the impact parameter: axisymmetric collisions induce impulsive short-lived starburst episodes, whereas off-centre encounters produce long-lived star formation. We compute synthetic colour maps of our models and we find that rings have a B-V colour typically ~0.2 mag bluer than the inner and outer disc, in agreement with observations.
We present a detailed study of the infrared spectral energy distribution of the high-redshift radio galaxy MRC 1138-26 at z = 2.156, also known as the Spiderweb Galaxy. By combining photometry from Spitzer, Herschel and LABOCA we fit the rest-frame 5-300 um emission using a two component, starburst and active galactic nucleus (AGN), model. The total infrared (8 - 1000 um) luminosity of this galaxy is (1.97+/-0.28)x10^13 Lsun with (1.17+/-0.27) and (0.79+/-0.09)x10^13 Lsun due to the AGN and starburst components respectively. The high derived AGN accretion rate of \sim20% Eddington, and the measured star formation rate (SFR) of 1390pm150 Msun/yr, suggest that this massive system is in a special phase of rapid central black hole and host galaxy growth, likely caused by a gas rich merger in a dense environment. The accretion rate is sufficient to power both the jets and the previously observed large outflow. The high SFR and strong outflow suggest this galaxy could potentially exhaust its fuel for stellar growth in a few tens of Myr, although the likely merger of the radio galaxy with nearby satellites suggest bursts of star formation may recur again on time scales of several hundreds of Myr. The age of the radio lobes implies the jet started after the current burst of star formation, and therefore we are possibly witnessing the transition from a merger-induced starburst phase to a radio-loud AGN phase. We also note tentative evidence for [CII]158um emission. This paper marks the first results from the Herschel Galaxy Evolution Project (Project HeRGE), a systematic study of the evolutionary state of 71 high redshift, 1 < z < 5.2, radio galaxies.
With the first metal enrichment by Population (Pop) III supernovae (SNe), the formation of the first metal-enriched, Pop II stars becomes possible. In turn, Pop III star formation and early metal enrichment are slowed by the high energy radiation emitted by Pop II stars. Thus, through the SNe and radiation they produce, Populations II and III coevolve in the early Universe, one regulated by the other. We present large (4 Mpc)^3, high resolution cosmological simulations in which we self-consistently model early metal enrichment and the stellar radiation responsible for the destruction of the coolants (H2 and HD) required for Pop III star formation. We find that the molecule-dissociating stellar radiation produced both locally and over cosmological distances reduces the Pop III star formation rate at z > 10 by up to an order of magnitude compared to the case in which this radiation is not included. However, we find that the effect of LW feedback is to enhance the amount of Pop II star formation. We attribute this to the reduced rate at which gas is blown out of dark matter haloes by SNe in the simulation with LW feedback, which results in larger reservoirs for metal-enriched star formation. Even accounting for metal enrichment, molecule-dissociating radiation and the strong suppression of low-mass galaxy formation due to reionization at z < 10, we find that Pop III stars are still formed at a rate of ~ 10^-5 M_sun yr^-1 Mpc^-3 down to z ~ 6. This suggests that the majority of primordial pair-instability SNe that may be uncovered in future surveys will be found at z < 10. We also find that the molecule-dissociating radiation emitted from Pop II stars may destroy H2 molecules at a high enough rate to suppress gas cooling and allow for the formation of supermassive primordial stars which collapse to form ~ 100,000 solar mass black holes.
One of the most promising explanations for the origin of the billion solar mass black holes (BHs) inferred to power quasars at redshifts z > 6 is that supermassive stars (SMSs) with masses > 10,000 solar masses collapse to form the seed BHs from which they grow. Here we review recent theoretical advances which provide support for this scenario. Firstly, given sufficiently high accretion rates of gas into the cores of primordial protogalaxies, it appears that neither the high energy radiation emitted from the stellar surface nor the limited lifetime of SMSs can prevent their growth to masses of up to > 100,000 solar masses. Secondly, recent cosmological simulations suggest that the high fluxes of molecule-dissociating radiation which may be required in order to achieve such high accretion rates may be more common in the early universe than previously thought. We conclude that the majority of supermassive BHs may originate from SMSs at high redshifts.
We study a combined sample of 264 star-forming, 51 composite, and 73 active galaxies using optical spectra from SDSS and mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectra from the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph. We examine optical and mid-IR spectroscopic diagnostics that probe the amount of star formation and relative energetic contributions from star formation and an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Overall we find good agreement between optical and mid-IR diagnostics. Misclassifications of galaxies based on the SDSS spectra are rare despite the presence of dust obscuration. The luminosity of the [NeII] 12.8 \mu m emission-line is well correlated with the star formation rate (SFR) measured from the SDSS spectra, and this holds for the star forming, composite, and AGN-dominated systems. AGN show a clear excess of [NeIII] 15.6 \mu m emission relative to star forming and composite systems. We find good qualitative agreement between various parameters that probe the relative contributions of the AGN and star formation, including: the mid-IR spectral slope, the ratio of the [NeV] 14.3 \mu m to [NeII] \mu m 12.8 fluxes, the equivalent widths of the 7.7, 11.3, and 17 $\mu m$ PAH features, and the optical "D" parameter which measures the distance a source lies from the locus of star forming galaxies in the optical BPT emission-line diagnostic diagram. We also consider the behavior of the three individual PAH features by examining how their flux ratios depend upon the degree of AGN-dominance. We find that the PAH 11.3 \mu m feature is significantly suppressed in the most AGN-dominated systems.
Supermassive black holes (BH) are powerful sources of energy that are already in place at very early epochs of the Universe (by $z=6$). Using hydrodynamical simulations of the formation of a massive $M_{\rm vir}=5\times 10^{11}\, \rm M_\odot$ halo by $z=6$ (the most massive progenitor of a cluster of $M_{\rm vir}=2\times 10^{15}\, \rm M_\odot$ at $z=0$), we evaluate the impact of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) on galaxy mass content, BH self-regulation, and gas distribution inside this massive halo. We find that SN feedback has a marginal influence on the stellar structure, and no influence on the mass distribution on large scales. In contrast, AGN feedback alone is able to significantly alter the stellar-bulge mass content by quenching star formation when the BH is self-regulating, and by depleting the cold gas reservoir in the centre of the galaxy. The growth of the BH proceeds first by a rapid Eddington-limited period fed by direct cold filamentary infall. When the energy delivered by the AGN is sufficiently large to unbind the cold gas of the bulge, the accretion of gas onto the BH is maintained both by smooth gas inflow and clump migration through the galactic disc triggered by merger-induced torques. The feedback from the AGN has also a severe consequence on the baryon mass content within the halo, producing large-scale hot superwinds, able to blow away some of the cold filamentary material from the centre and reduce the baryon fraction by more than 30 per cent within the halo's virial radius. Thus in the very young universe, AGN feedback is likely to be a key process, shaping the properties of the most massive galaxies.
We explore the possibility that the density profiles of elliptical galaxies and cold dark matter (CDM) halos found in cosmological simulations can be understood in terms of the same physical process, collisionless gravitational collapse. To investigate this, we study a simplified model, the collapse of a perfectly cold Plummer sphere. First, we examine an N-body simulation of this model with particles constrained to purely radial orbits. This results in a final state characterized by a profile slightly steeper than \rho \propto r^{-2} at small radii and behaving as \rho \propto r^{-4} at large radii, which can be understood in terms of simple analytic arguments. Next, we repeat our simulation without the restriction of radial orbits. This results in a shallower inner density profile, like those found in elliptical galaxies and CDM halos. We attribute this change to the radial orbit instability (ROI) and propose a form of the distribution function (DF) motivated by a physical picture of collapse. As evidence of the link between our model and CDM halos, we find that our collapse simulation has a final state with pseudo-phase-space density which scales roughly as \rho/\sigma^3 \propto r^{-1.875}, like that observed in CDM halos from cosmological simulations (Navarro et al. 2010). The velocity anisotropy profile is also qualitatively similar to that found near the centers of these halos. We argue that the discrepancy at large radii (where CDM halos scale as \rho \propto r^{-3}) is due to the presence of the cosmological background or continued infall. This leads us to predict that the outer CDM halo density profile is not "universal," but instead depends on cosmological environment (be it an underdense void or overdense region).
Far-ultraviolet (FUV) and far-infrared (FIR) luminosity functions (LFs) of galaxies show a strong evolution from $z = 0$ to $z = 1$, but the FIR LF evolves much stronger than the FUV one. The FUV is dominantly radiated from newly formed short-lived OB stars, while the FIR is emitted by dust grains heated by the FUV radiation field. It is known that dust is always associated with star formation activity. Thus, both FUV and FIR are tightly related to the star formation in galaxies, but in a very complicated manner. In order to disentangle the relation between FUV and FIR emissions, we estimate the UV-IR bivariate LF (BLF) of galaxies with {\sl GALEX} and {\sl AKARI} All-Sky Survey datasets. Recently we invented a new mathematical method to construct the BLF with given marginals and prescribed correlation coefficient. This method makes use of a tool from mathematical statistics, so called "copula". The copula enables us to construct a bivariate distribution function from given marginal distributions with prescribed correlation and/or dependence structure. With this new formulation and FUV and FIR univariate LFs, we analyze various FUV and FIR data with {\sl GALEX}, {\sl Spitzer}, and {\sl AKARI} to estimate the UV-IR BLF. The obtained BLFs naturally explain the nonlinear complicated relation between FUV and FIR emission from star-forming galaxies. Though the faint-end of the BLF was not well constrained for high-$z$ samples, the estimated linear correlation coefficient $\rho$ was found to be very high, and is remarkably stable with redshifts (from 0.95 at $z = 0$ to 0.85 at $z = 1.0$). This implies the evolution of the UV-IR BLF is mainly due to the different evolution of the univariate LFs, and may not be controlled by the dependence structure.
Models of inhomogeneous universes constructed with exact solutions of Einstein's General Relativity have been proposed in the literature with the aim of reproducing the cosmological data without any need for a dark energy component. Besides large scale inhomogeneity models spherically symmetric around the observer, Swiss-cheese models have also been studied. Among them, Swiss-cheeses where the inhomogeneous patches are modeled by different particular Szekeres solutions have been used for reproducing the apparent dimming of the type Ia supernovae (SNIa). However, the problem of fitting such models to the SNIa data is completely degenerate and we need other constraints to fully characterize them. One of the tests which is known to be able to discriminate between different cosmological models is the redshift drift. This drift has already been calculated by different authors for Lema\^itre-Tolman-Bondi (LTB) models. We compute it here for one particular axially symmetric quasi-spherical Szekeres (QSS) Swiss-cheese which has previously been shown to reproduce to a good accuracy the SNIa data, and we compare the results to the drift in the LCDM model and in some LTB models that can be found in the literature. We show that it is a good discriminator between them. Then, we discuss our model's remaining degrees of freedom and propose a recipe to fully constrain them.
We argue that one of the basic assumptions of the Bondi accretion process, that the accreting object has zero pressure, might not hold in many galaxies because of the pressure exerted by stellar winds of star orbiting the central super massive black hole (SMBH). Hence, the Bondi accretion cannot be used in these cases, such as in the galaxy NGC 3115. The winds of these high-velocity stars are shocked to temperatures above the virial temperature of the galaxy, leading to the formation of a hot bubble of size ~0.1-10 pc near the center. This hot bubble can substantially reduce the mass accretion rate by the SMBH. If the density of the hot bubble is lower than that of the interstellar medium (ISM), a density-inversion layer is formed. Adding to other problems of the Bondi process, our results render the Bondi accretion irrelevant for AGN feedback in cooling flow in galaxies and small groups of galaxies and during galaxy formation.
We report the first Chandra detection of emission out to the virial radius in the cluster Abell 1835 at z=0.253. Our analysis of the soft X-ray surface brightness shows that emission is present out to a radial distance of 10 arcmin or 2.4 Mpc, and the temperature profile has a factor of ten drop from the peak temperature of 10 keV to the value at the virial radius. We model the Chandra data from the core to the virial radius and show that the steep temperature profile is not compatible with hydrostatic equilibrium of the hot gas, and that the gas is convectively unstable at the outskirts. A possible interpretation of the Chandra data is the presence of a second phase of warm-hot gas near the cluster's virial radius that is not in hydrostatic equilibrium with the cluster's potential.
We use the photometric redshift method of Chakrabarti & McKee (2008) to infer photometric redshifts of submillimeter galaxies with far-IR (FIR) $\it{Herschel}$ data obtained as part of the PACS Evolutionary Probe (PEP) program. For the sample with spectroscopic redshifts, we demonstrate the validity of this method over a large range of redshifts ($ 4 \ga z \ga 0.3$) and luminosities, finding an average accuracy in $(1+z_{\rm phot})/(1+z_{\rm spec})$ of 10%. Thus, this method is more accurate than other FIR photometric redshift methods. This method is different from typical FIR photometric methods in deriving redshifts from the light-to-gas mass ($L/M$) ratio of infrared-bright galaxies inferred from the FIR spectral energy distribution (SED), rather than dust temperatures. Once the redshift is derived, we can determine physical properties of infrared bright galaxies, including the temperature variation within the dust envelope, luminosity, mass, and surface density. We use data from the GOODS-S field to calculate the star formation rate density (SFRD) of sub-mm bright sources detected by AzTEC and PACS. The AzTEC-PACS sources, which have a threshold $850 \micron$ flux $\ga 5 \rm mJy$, contribute 15% of the SFRD from all ULIRGs ($L_{\rm IR} \ga 10^{12} L_{\odot}$), and 3% of the total SFRD at $z \sim 2$.
We consider a generalization of the Randall-Sundrum single brane-world scenario (RS2). More precisely, the generalization is described through curvature corrections, corresponding to a Gauss-Bonnet term in the bulk and a Hilbert-Einstein term, as well as the strength of the induced gravity term, on the brane. We are mainly interested in analyzing the early inflationary era of the brane, which we model within the extreme slow-roll limit, i.e., under a de Sitter like brane inflation, where the inflaton field is confined on the brane. We compute the scalar perturbations in this model and compare our results with those previously obtained for the RS2 scenario with and without an induced gravity term on the brane or a Gauss-Bonnet term in the bulk. The amplitude of the scalar perturbations is decreased as compared with a pure RS2 model. In addition, the effect from the Gauss-Bonnet correction in an induced gravity brane-world model is to decrease the amplitude of the scalar perturbations, and a similar result is obtained for the induced gravity effect in a Gauss-Bonnet brane-world. In general, in the high energy limit the amplitude is highly suppressed by the Gauss-Bonnet effect. Finally, we constrain the model using the latest WMAP7 data.
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We have performed 323 MHz observations with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope of the most promising candidates selected from the MACS catalog. The aim of the work is to extend our knowledge of the radio halo and relic populations to z>0.3, the epoch in which massive clusters formed. In MACSJ1149.5+2223 and MACSJ1752.1+4440, we discovered two double-relic systems with a radio halo, and in MACSJ0553.4-3342 we found a radio halo. Archival Very Large Array observations and Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope observations have been used to study the polarization and spectral index properties. The radio halo in MACSJ1149.5+2223 has the steepest spectrum ever found so far in these objects (alpha > 2). The double relics in MACSJ1149.5+2223 are peculiar in their position that is misaligned with the main merger axis. The relics are polarized up to 30% and 40% in MACSJ1149.5+2223 and MACSJ1752.040+44, respectively. In both cases, the magnetic field is roughly aligned with the relics' main axes. The spectra in the relics in MACSJ1752.040+44 steepen towards the cluster centre, in agreement with model expectations. X-ray data on MACSJ0553.4-3342 suggests that this cluster is undergoing a major merger, with the merger axis close to the plane of the sky. The cores of the disrupted clusters have just passed each other, but no radio relic is detected in this system. If turbulence is responsible for the radio emission, we argue that it must develop before the core passage. A comparison of double relic plus halo system with cosmological simulations allows a simultaneous estimate of the acceleration efficiencies at shocks (to produce relics) and of turbulence (to produce the halo).
We present structural measurements of galaxies in the z~0.06 groups of the Zurich Environmental Study (ZENS), a program aimed at establishing how galaxy properties depend on four different environmental parameters. Galaxy structure is quantified both non-parametrically and parametrically, through modeling of the two-dimensional surface brightness profiles of the galaxies. Structural parameters are also derived for subgalactic components, i.e., bulges, disks and bars. We calibrate all structural measurements on a common grid, correcting for biases due to PSF and surface brightness effects as a function of galaxy size, magnitude, light concentration and ellipticity. We use the galaxy bulge-to-total ratios (B/T), in combination with the calibrated non-parametric structural estimators, to implement a quantitative morphological classification scheme that maximizes purity in the morphological classes. We focus on how the concentration (C) of satellite galaxies depends on galaxy mass for separate Hubble types, and on halo mass, group-centric distance and large-scale structure density. At galaxy masses M>10^10 Msun, the concentration of disk satellites is found to increase, with increasing stellar mass, separately within each morphological bin, implying that the increase in C with increasing stellar mass for disk satellites is due, at least in part, to an increase in the galaxy central stellar density at constant B/T. The correlation between C and stellar mass becomes progressively steeper for later morphological types. Disk-satellite concentration shows no dependence on either large-scale structure density or projected group-centric distance. In contrast, at constant galaxy stellar mass above 10^10 Msun the mass of the group halo appears to have an impact on the concentration of disk-dominated satellites being 10% more concentrated in M>10^13.4 Msun groups than in lower mass groups. [Abridged]
Observational studies have revealed a "downsizing" trend in black hole (BH) growth: the number densities of luminous AGN peak at higher redshifts than those of faint AGN. This would seem to imply that massive black holes formed before low mass black holes, in apparent contradiction to hierarchical clustering scenarios. We investigate whether this observed "downsizing" in BH growth is reproduced in a semi-analytic model for the formation and evolution of galaxies and black holes, set within the hierarchical paradigm for structure formation (Somerville et al. 2008; S08). In this model, black holes evolve from light seeds (\sim100M\odot) and their growth is merger-driven. The original S08 model (baseline model) reproduces the number density of AGN at intermediate redshifts and luminosities, but underproduces luminous AGN at very high redshift (z > 3) and overproduces them at low redshift (z < 1). In addition, the baseline model underproduces low-luminosity AGN at low redshift (z < 1). To solve these problems we consider several modifications to the physical processes in the model: (1) a 'heavy' black hole seeding scenario (2) a sub-Eddington accretion rate ceiling that depends on the cold gas fraction, and (3) an additional black hole accretion mode due to disk instabilities. With these three modifications, the models can explain the observed downsizing, successfully reproduce the bolometric AGN luminosity function and simultaneously reproduce galaxy and black hole properties in the local Universe. We also perform a comparison with the observed soft and hard X-ray luminosity functions of AGN, including an empirical correction for torus-level obscuration, and reach similar conclusions. Our best-fit model suggests a scenario in which disk instabilities are the main driver for moderately luminous Seyfert galaxies at low redshift, while major mergers are the main trigger for luminous AGN.
We analyze the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z=1-3 selected using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) UVIS channel filters. These HST/WFC3 observations cover about 50 sq. arcmin in the GOODS-South field as a part of the WFC3 Early Release Science program. These LBGs at z=1-3 are selected using dropout selection criteria similar to high redshift LBGs. The deep multi-band photometry in this field is used to identify best-fit SED models, from which we infer the following results: (1) the photometric redshift estimate of these dropout selected LBGs is accurate to within few percent; (2) the UV spectral slope {\beta} is redder than at high redshift (z>3), where LBGs are less dusty; (3) on average, LBGs at z=1-3 are massive, dustier and more highly star-forming, compared to LBGs at higher redshifts with similar luminosities, though their median values are similar within 1{\sigma} uncertainties. This could imply that identical dropout selection technique, at all redshifts, find physically similar galaxies; and (4) stellar masses of these LBGs are directly proportional to their UV luminosities with a logarithmic slope of ~0.46, and star-formation rates are proportional to their stellar masses with a logarithmic slope of ~0.90. These relations hold true --- within luminosities probed in this study --- for LBGs from z~1.5 to 5. The star-forming galaxies selected using other color-based techniques show similar correlations at z~2, but to avoid any selection biases, and for direct comparison with LBGs at z>3, a true Lyman break selection at z~2 is essential. The future HST UV surveys, both wider and deeper, covering a large luminosity range are important to better understand LBG properties, and their evolution.
We study the possibility that particle production during inflation could source observable gravity waves on scales relevant for Cosmic Microwave Background experiments. A crucial constraint on such scenarios arises because particle production can also source inflaton perturbations, and might ruin the usual predictions for a nearly scale invariant spectrum of nearly Gaussian curvature fluctuations. To minimize this effect, we consider two models of particle production in a sector that is only gravitationally coupled to the inflaton. For a single instantaneous burst of massive particle production, we find that localized features in the scalar spectrum and bispectrum might be observable, but gravitational wave signatures are unlikely to be detectable (due to the suppressed quadrupole moment of non-relativistic quanta) without invoking some additional effects. We also consider a model with a rolling pseudoscalar that leads to a continuous production of relativistic gauge field fluctuations during inflation. Here we find that gravitational waves from particle production can actually exceed the usual inflationary vacuum fluctuations in a regime where non-Gaussianity is consistent with observational limits. In this model observable B-mode polarization can be obtained for any choice of inflaton potential, and the amplitude of the signal is not necessarily correlated with the scale of inflation.
The newly discovered galaxy cluster 1RXS J0603.3+4214 hosts a 1.9 Mpc long, bright radio relic with a peculiar linear morphology. Using hydrodynamical +N-body AMR simulations of the merger between three initially hydrostatic clusters in an idealised setup, we are able to reconstruct the morphology of the radio relic. Based on our simulation, we can constrain the merger geometry, predict lensing mass measurements and X-ray observations. Comparing such models to X-ray, redshift and lensing data will validate the geometry of this complex merger which helps to constrain the parameters for shock acceleration of electrons that produces the radio relic.
In the attempt to explain luminosity distance observations it has been proposed that we may be inside a local inhomogeneity whose effects could be equivalent to the presence of a cosmological constant in a homogeneous Universe. Using a local Taylor expansion method we study the low-redshift conditions to obtain an apparent negative deceleration parameter $q^{app}(z)$ derived from the luminosity distance $D_L(z)$ for a central observer in a LTB space. We calculate $q^{app}(z)$ with two different methods to solve the null geodesic equations, one based on a local central expansion of the solution in terms of cosmic time and the other one using the exact analytical solution in terms of generalized conformal time. The expansion of the solution in terms of cosmic time is quite useful also for other applications requiring a foliation of space-time in space-like hyper-surfaces, such as spatial averaging, which is much more difficult to study using conformal time.
We forecast combined future constraints from the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure on the models of primordial non-Gaussianity. We study the generalized local model of non-Gaussianity, where the parameter f_NL is promoted to a function of scale, and present the principal component analysis applicable to an arbitrary form of f_NL(k). We emphasize the complementarity between the CMB and LSS by using Planck, DES and BigBOSS surveys as examples, forecast constraints on the power-law f_NL(k) model, and introduce the figure of merit for measurements of scale-dependent non-Gaussianity.
The Universe has a gravitational horizon, coincident with the Hubble sphere, that plays an important role in how we interpret the cosmological data. Recently, however, its significance as a true horizon has been called into question, even for cosmologies with an equation-of-state w = p/rho > -1, where p and rho are the total pressure and energy density, respectively. The claim behind this argument is that its radius R_h does not constitute a limit to our observability when the Universe contains phantom energy, i.e., when w < -1, as if somehow that mitigates the relevance of R_h to the observations when w > -1. In this paper, we reaffirm the role of R_h as the limit to how far we can see sources in the cosmos, regardless of the Universe's equation of state, and point out that claims to the contrary are simply based on an improper interpretation of the null geodesics.
General Relativity is able to describe the dynamics of galaxies and larger cosmic structures only if most of the matter in the Universe is dark, namely it does not emit any electromagnetic radiation. Intriguingly, on the scale of galaxies, there is strong observational evidence that the presence of dark matter appears to be necessary only when the gravitational field inferred from the distribution of the luminous matter falls below an acceleration of the order of 10^(-10) m/s^2. In the standard model, which combines Newtonian gravity with dark matter, the origin of this acceleration scale is challenging and remains unsolved. On the contrary, the full set of observations can be neatly described, and were partly predicted, by a modification of Newtonian dynamics, dubbed MOND, that does not resort to the existence of dark matter. On the scale of galaxy clusters and beyond, however, MOND is not as successful as on the scale of galaxies, and the existence of some dark matter appears unavoidable. A model combining MOND with hot dark matter made of sterile neutrinos seems to be able to describe most of the astrophysical phenomenology, from the power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background anisotropies to the dynamics of dwarf galaxies. Whether there exists a yet unknown covariant theory that contains General Relativity and Newtonian gravity in the weak field limit, and MOND as the ultra-weak field limit is still an open question.
The MOJAVE survey contains 101 quasars with a total of 354 observed radio
components that are different from the radio cores, among which 95% move with
apparent projected superluminal velocities with respect to the core, and 45%
have projected velocities larger than 10c (with a maximum velocity 60c).
Doppler boosting effects are analyzed to determine the statistics of the
superluminal motions. We integrate over all possible values of the Lorentz
factor the values of the kinetic energy corresponding to each component. The
calculation of the mass in the ejection is carried out by assuming the minimum
energy state. This kinetic energy is multiplied by the frequency at which the
portions of the jet fluid identified as "blobs" are produced. Hence, we
estimate the average total power released by the quasars in the form of kinetic
energy in the long term on pc-scales.
RESULTS. A selection effect in which both the core and the blobs of the
quasar are affected by huge Doppler-boosting enhancement increases the
probability of finding a jet ejected within 10 degrees of the line of sight
>~40 times above what one would expect for a random distribution of ejection,
which explains the ratios of the very high projected velocities given above.
The average total kinetic power of each MOJAVE quasar should be very high to
obtain this distribution: ~7E47 erg/s. This amount is much higher than previous
estimates of kinetic power on kpc-scales based on the analysis of cavities in
X-ray gas or radio lobes in samples of objects of much lower radio luminosity
but similar black hole masses. The kinetic power is a significant portion of
the Eddington luminosity, on the order of the bolometric luminosity, and
proportional on average to square root of the radio luminosity, although this
correlation might be induced by Malmquist-like bias.
The analysis of Type Ia supernova data over the past decade has provided one of the most notable success stories in cosmology. Arguably the most reliable standard candles we have to date, they offer us an unparalleled opportunity of studying the cosmological expansion out to a redshift of ~1.5. The consensus today appears to be that LCDM offers the best explanation for the luminosity-distance relationship seen in these events. However, a significant incompatibility is now emerging between the standard model and other equally important observations, such as those of the cosmic microwave background. These studies indicate that LCDM does not provide an accurate representation of the cosmological expansion at high redshifts (z >> 2). It has therefore become essential to re-analyze the Type Ia supernova data in light of the cosmology (the R_h=ct Universe) that best represents the Universe's dynamical evolution at early times. In this paper, we directly compare the distance-relationship in LCDM with that predicted by the R_h=ct Universe, and each with the Union2.1 sample, and show that the two theories produce virtually indistinguishable profiles. In so doing, we directly address recent criticisms of the R_h=ct cosmology based on analysis of the Type Ia supernova observations. We suggest that fitting the data with LCDM compels it to relax to the R_h=ct Universe, which has no free parameters. However, we also highlight the fact that the data cannot be determined independently of the assumed cosmology, because the supernova luminosities must be evaluated by optimizing 4 parameters simultaneously with those in the adopted model. This renders the data compliant to the underlying theory, suggesting that one should not ignore the model-dependent data reduction in any comparative analysis between competing cosmologies.
The purpose of this work is to make available new gas-phase oxygen abundance measurements for a serendipitous sample of 27 galaxies with redshift 0.35\leqz\leq0.52. We measured the equivalent widths of the [O II]{\lambda}3727, H{\beta}, and [O III]{\lambda}{\lambda}4959, 5007 emission lines observed in the galaxy spectra obtained with the Visible Multi-Object Spectrograph mounted at the Very Large Telescope. For each galaxy, we derived the metallicity-sensitive emission lines ratio R23, ionization-sensitive emission lines ratio O32, and gas-phase oxygen abundance 12+log(O/H). The values of gas-phase oxygen abundance 12+log(O/H) we obtained for the sample galaxies are consistent with previous findings for galaxies at intermediate redshift.
Far ultraviolet emission has been detected from a knot of Halpha emission in the Horseshoe filament, far out in the NGC 1275 nebula. The flux detected relative to the brightness of the Halpha line in the same spatial region is very close to that expected from Hydrogen two-photon continuum emission in the particle heating model of Ferland et al. (2009) if reddening internal to the filaments is taken into account. We find no need to invoke other sources of far ultraviolet emission such as hot stars or emission lines from CIV in intermediate temperature gas to explain these data.
One of the greatest problems of primordial inflation is that the inflationary space-time is past-incomplete. This is mainly because Einstein's GR suffers from a space-like Big Bang singularity. It has recently been shown that ghost-free, non-local higher-derivative ultra-violet modifications of Einstein's gravity may be able to resolve the cosmological Big Bang singularity via a non-singular bounce. Within the framework of such non-local cosmological models, we are going to study both sub- and super-Hubble perturbations around an inflationary trajectory which is preceded by the Big Bounce in the past, and demonstrate that the inflationary trajectory has an ultra-violet completion and that perturbations do not suffer from any pathologies.
Dust extinction and reddening are ubiquitous in astronomical observations and are often a major source of systematic uncertainty. We present here a study of the correlation between extinction in the Milky Way and the equivalent width of the NaI D absorption doublet. Our sample includes more than 100 high resolution spectra from the KECK telescopes and nearly a million low resolution spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We measure the correlation to unprecedented precision, constrain its shape, and derive an empirical relation between these quantities with a dispersion of order 0.15 magnitude in E(B-V). From the shape of the curve of growth we further show that a typical sight line through the Galaxy crosses about three dust clouds. We provide a brief guide on how to best estimate extinction to extragalactic sources such as supernovae, using the NaI D absorption feature, under a variety of circumstances.
We derive a stationary and axisymmetric black hole solution to quadratic order in the spin angular momentum. The previously found, linear-in-spin terms modify the odd-parity sector of the metric, while the new corrections appear in the even-parity sector. These corrections modify the quadrupole moment, as well as the (coordinate-dependent) location of the event horizon and the ergoregion. Although the linear-in-spin metric is of Petrov type D, the quadratic order terms render it of type I, and thus, the metric does not possess a second-order Killing tensor or a Carter-like constant. The new metric does not possess closed timelike curves or spacetime regions that violate causality outside of the event horizon. The new, even-parity modifications to the Kerr metric decay less rapidly at spatial infinity than the leading-order in spin, odd-parity ones, and thus, the former are more important when considering black holes that are rotating moderately fast. We calculate the modifications to the Hamiltonian, binding energy and Kepler's third law. These modifications are crucial for the construction of gravitational wave templates for black hole binaries, which will enter at second post-Newtonian order, just like dissipative modifications found previously.
We present a scheme for numerical simulations of collisionless self-gravitating systems which directly integrates the Vlasov--Poisson equations in six-dimensional phase space. By the results from a suite of large-scale numerical simulations, we demonstrate that the present scheme can simulate collisionless self-gravitating systems properly. The integration scheme is based on the positive flux conservation method recently developed in plasma physics. We test the accuracy of our code by performing several test calculations including the stability of King spheres, the gravitational instability and the Landau damping. We show that the mass and the energy are accurately conserved for all the test cases we study. The results are in good agreement with linear theory predictions and/or analytic solutions. The distribution function keeps the property of positivity and remains non-oscillatory. The largest simulations are run on 64^6 grids. The computation speed scales well with the number of processors, and thus our code performs efficiently on massively parallel supercomputers.
Massive black holes have been discovered in all closely examined galaxies with high velocity dispersion. The case is not as clear for lower-dispersion systems such as low-mass galaxies and globular clusters. Here we suggest that above a critical velocity dispersion of roughly 40 km/s, massive central black holes will form in relaxed stellar systems at any cosmic epoch. This is because above this dispersion primordial binaries cannot support the system against deep core collapse. If, as previous simulations show, the black holes formed in the cluster settle to produce a dense subcluster, then given the extremely high densities reached during core collapse the holes will merge with each other. For low velocity dispersions and hence low cluster escape speeds, mergers will typically kick out all or all but one of the holes due to three-body kicks or the asymmetric emission of gravitational radiation. If one hole remains, it will tidally disrupt stars at a high rate. If none remain, one is formed after runaway collisions between stars, then it tidally disrupts stars at a high rate. The accretion rate after disruption is many orders of magnitude above Eddington. If, as several studies suggest, the hole can accept matter at that rate because the generated radiation is trapped and advected, then it will grow quickly and form a massive central black hole.
We show how Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz (HL) theory appears naturally in the Ashtekar formulation of relativity if one postulates the existence of a fermionic field playing the role of aether. The spatial currents associated with this field must be switched off for the equivalence to work. Therefore the field supplies the preferred frame associated with breaking refoliation (time diffeomorphism) invariance, but obviously the symmetry is only spontaneously broken if the field is dynamic. When Dirac fermions couple to the gravitational field via the Ashtekar variables, the low energy limit of HL gravity, recast in the language of Ashtekar variables, naturally emerges (provided the spatial fermion current identically vanishes). HL gravity can therefore be interpreted as a time-like current, or a Fermi aether, that fills space-time, with the Immirzi parameter, a chiral fermionic coupling, and the fermionic charge density fixing the value of the parameter $\lambda$ determining HL theory. This reinterpretation sheds light on some features of HL theory, namely its good convergence properties.
The pivotal point of the paper is to discuss the behavior of temperature, pressure, energy density as a function of volume along with determination of caloric EoS from following two model: $w(z)=w_{0}+w_{1}\ln(1+z)$ & $ w(z)=-1+\frac{(1+z)}{3}\frac{A_{1}+2A_{2}(1+z)}{A_{0}+2A_{1}(1+z)+A_{2}(1+z)^{2}}$. The time scale of instability for this two models is discussed. In the paper we then generalize our result and arrive at general expression for energy density irrespective of the model. The thermodynamical stability for both of the model and the general case is discussed from this viewpoint. We also arrive at a condition on the limiting behavior of thermodynamic parameter to validate the third law of thermodynamics and interpret the general mathematical expression of integration constant $U_{0}$ (what we get while integrating energy conservation equation) physically relating it to number of micro states. The constraint on the allowed values of the parameters of the models is discussed which ascertains stability of universe. The validity of thermodynamical laws within apparent and event horizon is discussed.
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We study the effect of baryons on the abundance of structures and substructures in a Lambda-CDM cosmology, using a pair of high resolution cosmological simulations from the GIMIC project. Both simulations use identical initial conditions, but while one contains only dark matter, the other also includes baryons. We find that gas pressure, reionisation, supernova feedback, stripping, and truncated accretion systematically reduce the total mass and the abundance of structures below ~10^12 solar masses compared to the pure dark matter simulation. Taking this into account and adopting an appropriate detection threshold lowers the abundance of observed galaxies with maximum circular velocities below 100 km/s, significantly reducing the reported discrepancy between Lambda-CDM and the measured HI velocity function of the ALFALFA survey. We also show that the stellar-to-total mass ratios of galaxies with stellar masses of ~10^5 - 10^7 solar masses inferred from abundance matching of the (sub)halo mass function to the observed galaxy mass function increase by a factor of ~2. In addition, we find that an important fraction of low-mass subhaloes are completely devoid of stars. Accounting for the presence of dark subhaloes below 10^10 solar masses further reduces the abundance of observable objects, and leads to an additional increase in the inferred stellar-to-total mass ratio by factors of 2 - 10 for galaxies in haloes of 10^9 - 10^10 solar masses. This largely reconciles the abundance matching results with the kinematics of individual dwarf galaxies in Lambda-CDM. We propose approximate corrections to the masses of objects derived from pure dark matter calculations to account for baryonic effects.
We present photometric measurements for the 769 z~0 galaxies in the first-epoch data of the Zurich Environmental Study (ZENS). The main thrust of ZENS is to study the dependence of galaxy properties on the mass of the host group M_GROUP, the group-centric distance R/R_200, and the large-scale structure overdensity delta_LSS. For the galaxies and, if possible, for their bulge and disk components, the photometric measurements consist of resolved (B-I) colors, color gradients, color dispersions, and color maps, as well as stellar masses and star-formation rates. We classify ZENS galaxies into quiescent, moderately star-forming, and strongly star-forming systems using a combination of spectral features and broad-band NUV-optical colors. This optimally distinguishes quiescent systems from dust-reddened star-forming galaxies, which contribute up to 50% to the (B-I) "red sequence" at ~10^10 Msun. Our photometric database is made available for public use in the global ZENS catalog. We study how (B-I) colors, color gradients and color dispersion of bulge-dominated and disk-dominated satellites depend on M_GROUP, R/R_200 and delta_LSS at fixed stellar mass. We find that delta_LSS does not have an impact on either the colors, the color gradients or the color scatter of either disk- or bulge-dominated satellites. The latter are rather insensitive to any environment. The strongest environmental effects are found for disk-dominated satellites with group-centric distance. At constant galaxy mass, these satellites are redder in the group cores compared with the outskirts; at M>~10^10 Msun, they also have shallower color gradients within 0.6R_200 than at larger group-centric distances. Our results support a picture where galaxies undergo a relatively fast quenching of their star formation in the outer disks on timescales <~2 Gyr, as they progressively move deeper inside the group potential.[Abridged]
We make a revision of the stability criteria for equatorial circular orbits, obtained from the epicyclic approximation, which is widely used in Newtonian models for axisymmetric galaxies. We find that, for the case of thin disk models, the criteria of vertical stability must be reformulated, due to the discontinuity in the gravitational field. We show that, for a model characterized by a surface mass density $\Sigma$, the necessary and sufficient condition to have vertically stable orbits is that $\Sigma>0$. On the other hand, the criteria for radial stability is the same as in thick diks, i.e. that the epicyclic frequency is positive.
We present the results from a detailed analysis of photometric and spectrophotometric data on five Seyfert 1 galaxies observed as a part of a recent reverberation mapping program. The data were collected at several observatories over a 140-day span beginning in 2010 August and ending in 2011 January. We obtained high sampling-rate light curves for Mrk 335, Mrk 1501, 3C120, Mrk 6, and PG2130+099, from which we have measured the time lag between variations in the 5100 Angstrom continuum and the H-beta broad emission line. We then used these measurements to calculate the mass of the supermassive black hole at the center of each of these galaxies. Our new measurements substantially improve previous measurements of MBH and the size of the broad line-emitting region for four sources and add a measurement for one new object. Our new measurements are consistent with photoionization physics regulating the location of the broad line region in active galactic nuclei.
The horizon problem in the standard model of cosmology (LDCM) arises from the observed uniformity of the cosmic microwave background radiation, which has the same temperature everywhere (except for tiny, stochastic fluctuations), even in regions on opposite sides of the sky, which appear to lie outside of each other's causal horizon. Since no physical process propagating at or below lightspeed could have brought them into thermal equilibrium, it appears that the universe in its infancy required highly improbable initial conditions. In this paper, we examine this well-known problem by considering photon propagation through a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) spacetime at a more fundamental level than has been attempted before, demonstrating that the horizon problem only emerges for a subset of FRW cosmologies, such as LCDM, that include an early phase of rapid deceleration. We show that the horizon problem is nonexistent for the recently introduced R_h=ct universe, obviating the principal motivation for the inclusion of inflation. We demonstrate through direct calculation that, in the R_h=ct universe, even opposite sides of the cosmos have remained causally connected to us - and to each other - from the very first moments in the universe's expansion. Therefore, within the context of the R_h=ct universe, the hypothesized inflationary epoch from t=10^{-35} seconds to 10^{-32} seconds was not needed to fix this particular "problem", though it may still provide benefits to cosmology for other reasons.
This papers explores the self similar solutions of the Vlasov-Poisson system and their relation to the gravitational collapse of dynamically cold systems. Analytic solutions are derived for power law potential in one dimension, and extensions of these solutions in three dimensions are proposed. Next the self similarity of the collapse of cold dynamical systems is investigated numerically. The fold system in phase space is consistent with analytic self similar solutions, the solutions present all the proper self-similar scalings. An additional point is the appearance of an $x^{-(1/2)}$ law at the center of the system for initial conditions with power law index larger than $-(1/2)$. It is found that the first appearance of the $x^{-(1/2)}$ law corresponds to the formation of a singularity very close to the center. Finally the general properties of self similar multi dimensional solutions near equilibrium are investigated. Smooth and continuous self similar solutions have power law behavior at equilibrium. However cold initial conditions result in discontinuous phase space solutions, and the smoothed phase space density looses its auto similar properties. This problem is easily solved by observing that the probability distribution of the phase space density $P$ is identical except for scaling parameters to the probability distribution of the smoothed phase space density $P_S$. As a consequence $P_S$ inherit the self similar properties of $P$. This particular property is at the origin of the universal power law observed in numerical simulation for ${\rho}/{\sigma^3}$. The self similar properties of $P_S$ implies that other quantities should have also an universal power law behavior with predictable exponents. This hypothesis is tested using a numerical model of the phase space density of cold dark matter halo's, an excellent agreement is obtained.
The interstellar medium (ISM) in galaxies is directly affected by the mass and energy outflows originating in regions of star formation. Magnetic fields are an essential ingredient of the ISM, but their connection to the gaseous medium and its evolution remains poorly understood. Here we present the detection of a gradient in Faraday rotation measure (RM), co-located with a hole in the neutral hydrogen (HI) distribution in the disk of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 6946. The gas kinematics in the same location show evidence for infall of cold gas. The combined characteristics of this feature point to a substantial vertical displacement of the initially plane-parallel ordered magnetic field, driven by a localized star formation event. This reveals how the large-scale magnetic field pattern in galaxy disks is directly influenced by internal energetic phenomena. Conversely, magnetic fields are observed to be an important ingredient in disk-halo interactions, as predicted in MHD simulations. Turbulent magnetic fields at smaller spatial scales than the observed RM gradient will also be carried from the disk and provide a mechanism for the dynamo process to amplify the ordered magnetic field without quenching. We discuss the observational biases, and suggest that this is a common feature of star forming galaxies with active disk-halo flows.
We propose a model in which there exists a real scalar field $q$ satisfying a condition $\dot{q} =MH$ and its energy density is given by $(1/2)\dot{q}^2+V(q)$, where $H$ is the Hubble parameter ($H=\dot{a}/a$) and $M$ is a mass scale characterizing the field. We show that the potential $V(q)$ of the field is uniquely determined by the condition. The potential depends on the energy densities of background matters. We find that the vacuum energy of the matters is cancelled by the potential of the field. As a result, the minimum of the total energy density of the matters and the field vanishes and is located at the infinite scale factor $a=\infty$. This remarkable property results without a supersymmetry. We show that the present tiny dark energy is caused by early inflation, while the energy is comparable to Planck scale before the inflation. As our model is reduced to the $\Lambda$CDM model in the limit $M\to 0$, it is a natural generalization of the $\Lambda$CDM model.
Context. The Australia Telescope Large Area Survey (ATLAS) aims to image a 7 deg2 region centred on the European Large Area ISO Survey - South 1 (ELAIS-S1) field and the Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S) at 1.4 GHz with high sensitivity (up to ~10 \muJy) to study the evolution of star-forming galaxies (SFGs) and Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) over a wide range of cosmic time. Aims. We present here ancillary radio observations at a frequency of 2.3 GHz obtained with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). The main goal of this is to study the radio spectra of an unprecedented large sample of sources (~2000 observed, ~600 detected in both frequencies). Methods. With this paper, we provide 2.3 GHz source catalogues for both ATLAS fields, with a detection limit of 300 \muJy. We compute spectral indices between 1.4 GHz and 2.3 GHz using matched resolution images and investigate various properties of our source sample in dependence of their spectral indices. Results. We find the entire source sample to have a median spectral index of 0.74, in good agreement with both the canonical value of 0.7 for optically thin synchrotron radiation and other spectral index studies conducted by various groups. Regarding the radio spectral index as indicator for source type, we find only marginal correlations so that flat or inverted spectrum sources are usually powered by AGN and hence conclude that at least for the faint population the spectral index is not a strong discriminator. We investigate relation between spectral index and redshift for our source sample and find no such correlation at all. We do find a significant correlation between redshift and radio to near-infrared flux ratio, making this a much stronger tracer of high-z radio sources. We also find no evidence for a dependence of the radio-IR correlation on spectral index.
We present the XMM-Newton temperature profiles of 12 bright clusters of galaxies at 0.4<z<0.9, with 5<kT<11 keV. The normalized temperature profiles (normalized by the mean temperature T500) are found to be generally self-similar. The sample was subdivided in 5 cool-core (CC) and 7 non cool-core (NCC) clusters, by introducing a pseudo-entropy ratio sigma=(T_IN/T_OUT)X(EM_IN/EM_OUT)^-1/3 and defining the objects with sigma<0.6 as CC clusters and those with sigma>=0.6 as NCC clusters. The profiles of CC and NCC clusters differ mainly in the central regions, with the latters exhibiting a marginally flatter central profile. A significant dependence of the temperature profiles on the pseudo-entropy ratio sigma is detected by fitting a function of both r and sigma, showing an indication that the outer part of the profiles becomes steeper for higher values of sigma (i.e. transitioning towards the NCC clusters). No significant evidence of redshift evolution could be found within the redshift range sampled by our clusters (0.4<z<0.9). A comparison of our high-z sample with intermediate clusters at 0.1<z<0.3, showed how both the CC and NCC clusters temperature profiles have experienced some sort of evolution. This can be due by the fact that higher z clusters are at less advanced stage of their formation and did not have enough time to create a relaxed structure, characterized by a central temperature dip in CC clusters and by flatter profiles in NCC clusters. This is the first time that a systematic study of the temperature profiles of galaxy clusters at z>0.4 has been attempted, as we were able to define the closest possible relation to a Universal law for the temperature profiles of galaxy clusters at 0.1<z<0.9, showing a dependence on both the state of relaxation of the clusters and the redshift.
We present compelling evidence for the complexity of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal. By disentangling three different stellar subpopulations in its red giant branch, we are able to study in detail the dependence between kinematics and metallicity. A well-defined ordering in velocity dispersion, spatial concentration, and metallicity is evident in the subpopulations. We also present evidence for a significant misalignment between the angular momentum vectors of the old and intermediate-age populations. According to the HST measurement of Fornax's proper motion, this corresponds to counter-rotation. These ingredients are used to construct a novel evolutionary history of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal, characterized as a late merger of a bound pair.
We present measurements of the angular diameter distance D_A(z) and the Hubble parameter H(z) at z=0.35 using the anisotropy of the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) signal measured in the galaxy clustering distribution of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7 (DR7) Luminous Red Galaxies (LRG) sample. Our work is the first to apply density-field reconstruction to an anisotropic analysis of the acoustic peak. Reconstruction partially removes the effects of non-linear evolution and redshift-space distortions in order to sharpen the acoustic signal. We present the theoretical framework behind the anisotropic BAO signal and give a detailed account of the fitting model we use to extract this signal from the data. Our method focuses only on the acoustic peak anisotropy, rather than the more model-dependent anisotropic information from the broadband power. We test the robustness of our analysis methods on 160 LasDamas DR7 mock catalogues and find that our models are unbiased at the ~0.2% level in measuring the BAO anisotropy. After reconstruction we measure D_A(z=0.35)=1050+/-38 Mpc and H(z=0.35)=84.4+/-7.1 km/s/Mpc assuming a sound horizon of r_s=152.76 Mpc. Note that these measurements are correlated with a correlation coefficient of 0.58. This represents a factor of 1.4 improvement in the error on D_A relative to the pre-reconstruction case; a factor of 1.3 improvement is seen for H.
Two methods are developed for solving the steady-state spherically symmetric radiative transfer equation for resonance line radiation emitted by a point source in the Intergalactic Medium. One method is based on solving the ray and moment equations using finite differences. The second uses a Monte Carlo approach incorporating methods that greatly improve the accuracy compared with previous approaches in this context. Several applications are presented serving as test problems for both a static medium and an expanding medium, including inhomogeneities in the density and velocity fields. Solutions are obtained in the coherent scattering limit and for Doppler RII redistribution with and without recoils. We find generally that the radiation intensity is linear in the cosine of the azimuthal angle with respect to radius to high accuracy over a broad frequency region across the line centre for both linear and perturbed velocity fields, yielding the Eddington factors f(nu) = 1/3 and g(nu) = 3/5. We show the radiation field produced by a point source divides into three spatial regimes for a uniformly expanding homogeneous medium: at radii r small compared with a characteristic radius r*, the mean intensity near line centre varies as 1/ r^(7/3), while at r > r* it approaches 1/ r^2; for r << r* it is modified by frequency redistribution. Before the reionization epoch, r* takes on the universal value 1.1 Mpc, independent of redshift. The mean intensity and scattering rate are found to be very sensitive to the gradient of the velocity field, growing exponentially with the amplitude of the perturbation as the limit of a vanishing velocity gradient is approached near the source. We expect the 21cm signal from the Epoch of Reionization to thus be a sensitive probe of both the density and the peculiar velocity fields.
We present a spectroscopic study of the incidence of AGN nuclear activity in two samples of isolated galaxies (Karachentseva, V.E. & Varela, J.). Our results show that the incidence of non-thermal nuclear activity is about 43% and 31% for galaxies with emission lines and for the total sample 40% and 27% respectively. For the first time we have a large number of bona-fide isolated galaxies (513 objects), with statistically significant number of all types. We find a clear relation between bulge mass and the incidence of nuclear activity in the sample with emission lines. This relation becomes flatter when we take into account the complete sample with no emission line galaxies. A large fration ($\sim$70%) of elliptical galaxies or early type spirals have an active galactic nucleus and $\sim$70% of them are LINERs. Only 3% of the AGN show the presence of broad lines (a not a single one can be classified as type 1 AGN). This is a remarkable result which is completely at odds with the unified model even if we consider warped or clumpy tori. Finally, we interpretation the large fration of AGN in isolated galaxies as the result of secular evolution of their supermasive black holes.
Physical cosmology tries to understand the Universe at large with its origin and evolution. Observational and experimental situations in cosmology do not allow us to proceed purely based on the empirical means. We examine in which sense our cosmological assumptions in fact have shaped our current cosmological worldview with consequent inevitable limits. Cosmology, as other branches of science and knowledge, is a construct of human imagination reflecting the popular belief system of the era. The question at issue deserves further philosophic discussions. In Whitehead's words, "philosophy, in one of its functions, is the critic of cosmologies". (Whitehead 1925)
The role of feedback from massive stars is believed to be a key element in the evolution of molecular clouds. We use high-resolution 3D SPH simulations to explore the dynamical effects of a single O7 star located at the centre of a molecular cloud with mass 10^4M_sun and radius 6.4pc. The initial internal structure of the cloud is characterised by its fractal dimension, D=2.0 - 2.8, and its log-normal density PDF. (i) As regards star formation, in the short term ionising feedback is positive, in the sense that star formation occurs much more quickly in gas that is compressed by the high pressure of the ionised gas. However, in the long term ionising feedback is negative, in the sense that most of the cloud is dispersed with an outflow rate of up to ~0.01M_sun/yr, on a timescale comparable with the sound-crossing time for the ionised gas (~1-2Myr), and triggered star formation is therefore limited to a few percent of the cloud's mass. (ii) As regards the morphology of the ionisation fronts (IFs) bounding the HII region and the systematics of outflowing gas, we distinguish two regimes. For low D<=2.2, the initial cloud is dominated by large-scale structures, so the neutral gas tends to be swept up into a few extended coherent shells, and the ionised gas blows out through a few large holes between these shells; we term these HII regions "shell-dominated". Conversely, for high D>=2.6, the initial cloud is dominated by small-scale structures, and these are quickly overrun by the advancing IF, thereby producing neutral pillars whilst the ionised gas blows out through a large number of small holes between the pillars; we term these HII regions "pillar-dominated". (iii) As regards the injection of bulk kinetic energy, by ~1Myr, the expansion of the HII region has delivered a rms velocity of ~6km/s; this represents less than 0.1% of the total energy radiated by the O7 star.
The ionization parameter U is potentially useful for measuring radiation
pressure feedback from massive star clusters, as it reflects the
radiation-to-gas-pressure ratio and is readily derived from mid-infrared line
ratios. We consider several effects which determine the apparent value of U in
HII regions and galaxies. An upper limit is set by the compression of gas by
radiation pressure. The pressure from stellar winds and the presence of neutral
clumps both reduce U for a given radiation intensity. The most intensely
irradiated regions are selectively dimmed by internal dust absorption of
ionizing photons, inducing observational bias on galactic scales. We explore
these effects analytically and numerically, and use them to interpret previous
observational results.
We find that radiation confinement sets the upper limit log_10 U = -1 seen in
individual regions. Unresolved starbursts display a maximum value of ~ -2.3.
While lower, this is also consistent with a large portion of their HII regions
being radiation dominated, given the different technique used to interpret
unresolved regions, and given the bias caused by dust absorption. We infer that
many individual, strongly illuminated regions cannot be dominated by stellar
winds, and that even when averaged on galactic scales, shocked wind pressures
cannot be large compared to radiation pressure. Therefore, most HII regions
cannot be adiabatic wind bubbles. Our models imply a metallicity dependence in
the physical structure and dust attenuation of radiation-dominated regions,
both of which should vary strongly across a critical metallicity of about
one-twentieth solar.
Since the Standard Model most probably cannot explain the large value of CP asymmetries recently observed in D-meson decays we propose the fourth quark-lepton generation explanation of it. As a byproduct weakly mixed leptons of the fourth generation make it possible to save the baryon number of the Universe from erasure by sphalerons. An impact of the 4th generation on BBN is briefly discussed.
One of the main motivations behind formulating the general theory of relativity was to provide a mathematical description to the Mach's principle. However, soon after its formulation, it was realized that the theory does not follow Mach's principle. As the theoretical predictions were matching with the observations, Einstein believed that the theory was correct and did not make any farther attempt to reformulate the theory to explain Mach's principle. Later on, several attempts were made by different researchers to formulate the theory of gravity based on Mach's principle. However most of these theories remain unsuccessful to explain different physical phenomena. In this report I have proposed a new theory of gravity which is completely based on the Mach's principle. The theory can explain the galactic velocity profiles up to a high degree of accuracy, without demanding the existence of any dark matter component in the universe. The theory can also explain the accelerated expansion of the universe without Dark Energy. It is a metric theory and can be derived from the action principle, which guarantees energy or momentum conservation. Modern theories like TeVeS or Modified gravity give some mathematical modification of the Einstein's equation to explain different observational phenomenon like the galactic velocity profile, accelerated expansion of the universe or CMBR power spectrum. Most of these theories don't have any underlying logic. However, the new theory explained in this paper, is a mathematical formulation of the Mach's principle. Therefore, the theory is not just a mathematical jugglery to explain some observed facts, but arises from a deep physical argument.
The Swift-XRT observations of the early X-ray afterglow of GRBs show that it usually begins with a steep decay phase. A possible origin of this early steep decay is the high latitude emission that subsists when the on-axis emission of the last dissipating regions in the relativistic outflow has been switched-off. We wish to establish which of various models of the prompt emission are compatible with this interpretation. We successively consider internal shocks, photospheric emission, and magnetic reconnection and obtain the typical decay timescale at the end of the prompt phase in each case. Only internal shocks naturally predict a decay timescale comparable to the burst duration, as required to explain XRT observations in terms of high latitude emission. The decay timescale of the high latitude emission is much too short in photospheric models and the observed decay must then correspond to an effective and generic behavior of the central engine. Reconnection models require some ad hoc assumptions to agree with the data, which will have to be validated when a better description of the reconnection process becomes available.
In U. Nucamendi et al. Phys. Rev. D63 (2001) 125016 and K. Lake, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92 (2004) 051101 it has been shown that galactic potentials can be kinematically linked to the observed red/blue shifts of the corresponding galactic rotation curves under a minimal set of assumptions: the emitted photons come from stable timelike circular geodesic orbits of stars in a static spherically symmetric gravitational field, and propagate to us along null geodesics. It is remarkable that this relation can be established without appealing at all to a concrete theory of gravitational interaction. Here we generalize this kinematical spherically symmetric approach to the galactic rotation curves problem to the stationary axisymmetric realm since this is precisely the symmetry that spiral galaxies possess. Thus, by making use of the most general stationary axisymmetric metric, we also consider stable circular orbits of stars that emit signals which travel to a distant observer along null geodesics and express the galactic red/blue shifts in terms of three arbitrary metric functions, clarifying the contribution of the rotation as well as the dragging of the gravitational field. This stationary axisymmetric approach distinguishes between red and blue shifts emitted by circularly orbiting receding and approaching stars, respectively, even when they are considered with respect to the center of a spiral galaxy, indicating the need of precise measurements in order to confront predictions with observations. We also point out the difficulties one encounters in the attempt of determining the metric functions from observations and list some possible strategies to overcome them.
Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) may constitute most of the
matter in the Universe. While there are intriguing results from DAMA/LIBRA,
CoGeNT and CRESST-II, there is not yet a compelling detection of dark matter.
The ability to detect the directionality of recoil nuclei will considerably
facilitate detection of WIMPs by means of "annual modulation effect" and
"diurnal modulation effect". Directional sensitivity requires either extremely
large gas (TPC) detectors or detectors with a few nanometer spatial resolution.
In this paper we propose a novel type of dark matter detector: detectors made
of DNA could provide nanometer resolution for tracking, an energy threshold of
0.5 keV, and can operate at room temperature. When a WIMP from the Galactic
Halo elastically scatters off of a nucleus in the detector, the recoiling
nucleus then traverses thousands of strings of single stranded DNA (ssDNA) (all
with known base sequences) and severs those ssDNA strands it hits. The location
of the break can be identified by amplifying and identifying the segments of
cut ssDNA using techniques well known to biologists. Thus the path of the
recoiling nucleus can be tracked to nanometer accuracy. In one such detector
concept, the transducers are a few nanometer-thick Au-foils of 1m times1m, and
the direction of recoiling nuclei is measured by "DNA Tracking Chamber"
consisting of ordered array of ssDNA strands. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
and ssDNA sequencing are used to read-out the detector. The detector consists
of roughly 1 kg of gold and 0.1 kg of DNA packed into (1m)^3. By leveraging
advances in molecular biology, we aim to achieve about 1,000-fold better
spatial resolution than in conventional WIMP detectors at reasonable cost.
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