Formation Timescales for High-Mass X-ray Binaries in M33

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garofali, Kristen; Williams, Benjamin F.; Hillis, Tristan; Gilbert, Karoline M.; Dolphin, Andrew E.; Eracleous, Michael; Binder, Breanna

2018-06-01

We have identified 55 candidate high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) in M33 using available archival HST and Chandra imaging to find blue stars associated with X-ray positions. We use the HST photometric data to model the color-magnitude diagrams in the vicinity of each candidate HMXB to measure a resolved recent star formation history (SFH), and thus a formation timescale, or age for the source. Taken together, the SFHs for all candidate HMXBs in M33 yield an age distribution that suggests preferred formation timescales for HMXBs in M33 of < 5 Myr and ˜ 40 Myr after the initial star formation episode. The population at 40 Myr is seen in other Local Group galaxies, and can be attributed to a peak in formation efficiency of HMXBs with neutron stars as compact objects and B star secondary companions. This timescale is preferred as neutron stars should form in abundance from ˜ 8 M⊙ core-collapse progenitors on these timescales, and B stars are shown observationally to be most actively losing mass around this time. The young population at < 5 Myr has not be observed in other Local Group HMXB population studies, but may be attributed to a population of very massive progenitors forming black holes very early on. We discuss these results in the context of massive binary evolution, and the implications for compact object binaries and gravitational wave sources.

Low Gas Fractions Connect Compact Star-Forming Galaxies to their z~2 Quiescent Descendants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spilker, Justin; Bezanson, Rachel; Marrone, Daniel P.; Weiner, Benjamin J.; Whitaker, Katherine E.; Williams, Christina C.

2017-01-01

Early quiescent galaxies at z ~ 2 are known to be remarkably compact compared to their nearby counterparts. Possible progenitors of these systems include galaxies that are structurally similar, but are still rapidly forming stars. I will present Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) observations of the CO(1-0) line towards three such compact, star-forming galaxies at z ~ 2.3, significantly detecting one. The VLA observations indicate baryonic gas fractions 5 times lower and gas depletion times 10 times shorter than normal, extended massive star-forming galaxies at these redshifts. At their current star formation rates, all three objects will deplete their gas reservoirs within 100Myr. These objects are among the most gas-poor objects observed at z > 2 and are outliers from standard gas scaling relations, a result which remains true regardless of assumptions about the CO-H2 conversion factor. Our observations are consistent with the idea that compact, star-forming galaxies are in a rapid state of transition to quiescence in tandem with the build-up of the z ~ 2 quenched population. In the detected compact galaxy, we see no evidence of rotation or that the CO-emitting gas is spatially extended relative to the stellar light. This casts doubt on recent suggestions that the gas in these compact galaxies is rotating and significantly extended compared to the stars. Instead, we suggest that, at least for this object, the gas is centrally concentrated, and only traces a small fraction of the total galaxy dynamical mass. I will conclude by discussing my ongoing efforts to characterize the gas and star forming properties of this unusual population of galaxies.

Point and Compact Hα Sources in the Interior of M33

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moody, J. Ward; Hintz, Eric G.; Joner, Michael D.; Roming, Peter W. A.; Hintz, Maureen L.

2017-12-01

A variety of interesting objects such as Wolf-Rayet stars, tight OB associations, planetary nebulae, X-ray binaries, etc., can be discovered as point or compact sources in Hα surveys. How these objects distribute through a galaxy sheds light on the galaxy star formation rate and history, mass distribution, and dynamics. The nearby galaxy M33 is an excellent place to study the distribution of Hα-bright point sources in a flocculant spiral galaxy. We have reprocessed an archived WIYN continuum-subtracted Hα image of the inner 6.‧5 × 6.‧5 of M33 and, employing both eye and machine searches, have tabulated sources with a flux greater than approximately 10-15 erg cm-2s-1. We have effectively recovered previously mapped H II regions and have identified 152 unresolved point sources and 122 marginally resolved compact sources, of which 39 have not been previously identified in any archive. An additional 99 Hα sources were found to have sufficient archival flux values to generate a Spectral Energy Distribution. Using the SED, flux values, Hα flux value, and compactness, we classified 67 of these sources.

COSMIC probes into compact binary formation and evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breivik, Katelyn

2018-01-01

The population of compact binaries in the galaxy represents the final state of all binaries that have lived up to the present epoch. Compact binaries present a unique opportunity to probe binary evolution since many of the interactions binaries experience can be imprinted on the compact binary population. By combining binary evolution simulations with catalogs of observable compact binary systems, we can distill the dominant physical processes that govern binary star evolution, as well as predict the abundance and variety of their end products.The next decades herald a previously unseen opportunity to study compact binaries. Multi-messenger observations from telescopes across all wavelengths and gravitational-wave observatories spanning several decades of frequency will give an unprecedented view into the structure of these systems and the composition of their components. Observations will not always be coincident and in some cases may be separated by several years, providing an avenue for simulations to better constrain binary evolution models in preparation for future observations.I will present the results of three population synthesis studies of compact binary populations carried out with the Compact Object Synthesis and Monte Carlo Investigation Code (COSMIC). I will first show how binary-black-hole formation channels can be understood with LISA observations. I will then show how the population of double white dwarfs observed with LISA and Gaia could provide a detailed view of mass transfer and accretion. Finally, I will show that Gaia could discover thousands black holes in the Milky Way through astrometric observations, yielding view into black-hole astrophysics that is complementary to and independent from both X-ray and gravitational-wave astronomy.

An Overabundance of Black Hole X-Ray Binaries in the Galactic Center from Tidal Captures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Generozov, A.; Stone, N. C.; Metzger, B. D.; Ostriker, J. P.

2018-05-01

A large population of X-ray binaries (XRBs) was recently discovered within the central parsec of the Galaxy by Hailey et al. (2018). While the presence of compact objects on this scale due to radial mass segregation is, in itself, unsurprising, the fraction of binaries would naively be expected to be small because of how easily primordial binaries are dissociated in the dynamically hot environment of the nuclear star cluster (NSC). We propose that the formation of XRBs in the central parsec is dominated by the tidal capture of stars by black holes (BHs) and neutron stars (NSs). We model the time-dependent radial density profiles of stars and compact objects in the NSC with a Fokker-Planck approach, using the present-day stellar population and rate of in situ massive star (and thus compact object) formation as observational constraints. Of the ˜1 - 4 × 104 BHs that accumulate in the central parsec over the age of the Galaxy, we predict that ˜60 - 200 currently exist as BH-XRBs formed from tidal capture, consistent with the population seen by Hailey et al. (2018). A somewhat lower number of tidal capture NS-XRBs is also predicted. We also use our observationally calibrated models for the NSC to predict rates of other exotic dynamical processes, such as the tidal disruption of stars by the central supermassive black hole (˜10-4 per year at z=0).

Diverse Formation Mechanisms for Compact Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jin-Ah; Paudel, Sanjaya; Yoon, Suk-Jin

2018-01-01

Compact, quenched galaxies such as M32 are unusual ones located off the mass - size scaling relation defined by normal galaxies. Still, their formation mechanisms remain unsolved. Here we investigate the evolution of ~100 compact, quenched galaxies at z = 0 identified in the Illustris cosmological simulation. We identify three ways for a galaxy to become a compact one and, often, multiple mechanisms operate in a combined manner. First, stripping is responsible for making about a third of compact galaxies. Stripping removes stars from galaxies, usually while keeping their sizes intact. About one third are galaxies that cease their growth early on after entering into more massive, gigantic halos. Finally, about half of compact galaxies, ~ 35 % of which turn out to undergo stripping, experience the compaction due to the highly centrally concentrated star formation. We discuss the evolutionary path of compact galaxies on the mass – size plane for each mechanism in a broader context of dwarf galaxy formation and evolution.

General polytropic self-gravitating cylinder free-fall and accreting mass string with a chain of collapsed objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lou, Yu-Qing; Hu, Xu-Yao

2016-06-01

We present a theoretical model framework for general polytropic (GP) hydrodynamic cylinder under self-gravity of infinite length with axial uniformity and axisymmetry. For self-similar dynamic solutions, we derive valuable integrals, analytic asymptotic solutions, sonic critical curves, shock conditions, and global numerical solutions with or without expansion shocks. Among others, we investigate various dynamic solutions featured with central free-fall asymptotic behaviours, corresponding to a collapsed mass string with a sustained dynamic accretion from a surrounding mass reservoir. Depending on the allowed ranges of a scaling index a < -1, such cylindrical dynamic mass accretion rate could be steady, increasing with time and decreasing with time. Physically, such a collapsed mass string or filament would break up into a sequence of sub-clumps and segments as induced by gravitational Jeans instabilities. Depending on the scales involved, such sub-clumps would evolve into collapsed objects or gravitationally bound systems. In diverse astrophysical and cosmological contexts, such a scenario can be adapted on various temporal, spatial and mass scales to form a chain of collapsed clumps and/or compact objects. Examples include the formation of chains of proto-stars, brown dwarfs and gaseous planets along molecular filaments; the formation of luminous massive stars along magnetized spiral arms and circum-nuclear starburst rings in barred spiral galaxies; the formation of chains of compact stellar objects such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes along a highly condensed mass string. On cosmological scales, one can perceive the formation of chains of galaxies, chains of galaxy clusters or even chains of supermassive and hypermassive black holes in the Universe including the early Universe. All these chains referred to above include possible binaries.

On the 'flip-flop' instability of Bondi-Hoyle accretion flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Livio, Mario; Soker, Noam; Matsuda, Takuya; Anzer, Ulrich

1991-01-01

A simple physical interpretation is advanced by means of an analysis of the shock cone in the accretion flows past a compact object and with an examination of the accretion-line stability analyses. The stability of the conical shock is examined against small angular deflections with attention given to several simplifying assumptions. A line instability is identified in the Bondi-Hoyle accretion flows that leads to the formation of a large opening-angle shock. When the opening angle becomes large the instability becomes irregular oscillation. The analytical methodology is compared to previous numerical configurations that demonstrate different shock morphologies. The Bondi-Hoyle accretion onto a compact object is concluded to generate a range of nonlinear instabilities in both homogeneous and inhomogeneous cases with a quasiperiodic oscillation in the linear regime.

Simulating the X-ray luminosity of Be X-ray binaries: the case for black holes versus neutron stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, R. O.; Ho, W. C. G.; Coe, M. J.; Okazaki, A. T.

2018-04-01

There are over 100 Be stars that are known to have neutron star companions but only one such system with a black hole. Previous theoretical work suggests this is not due to their formation but due to differences in X-ray luminosity. It has also been proposed that the truncation of the Be star's circumstellar disc is dependent on the mass of the compact object. Hence, Be star discs in black hole binaries are smaller. Since accretion onto the compact object from the Be star's disc is what powers the X-ray luminosity, a smaller disc in black hole systems leads to a lower luminosity. In this paper, simulations are performed with a range of eccentricities and compact object mass. The disc's size and density are shown to be dependent on both quantities. Mass capture and, in turn, X-ray luminosity are heavily dependent on the size and density of the disc. Be/black hole binaries are expected to be up to ˜10 times fainter than Be/neutron star binaries when both systems have the same eccentricity and can be 100 times fainter when comparing systems with different eccentricity.

Properties of compact HII regions and their host clumps in the inner vs outer Galaxy - early results from SASSy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djordjevic, Julie; Thompson, Mark; Urquhart, James S.

2017-01-01

We present a catalog of compact and ultracompact HII regions for all Galactocentric radii. Previous catalogs focus on the inner Galaxy (Rgal ≤ 8 kpc) but the recent SASSy 870 µm survey allows us to identify regions out to ~20 kpc. Early samples are also filled with false classifications leading to uncertainty when deriving star formation efficiencies in Galactic models. These objects have similar mid-IR colours to HII regions. Urquhart et al. (2013) found that they could use mid-IR, submm, and radio data to identify the genuine compact HII regions, avoiding confusion. They used this method on a small portion of the Galaxy (10 < l < 60), identifying 213 HII regions embedded in 170 clumps. We use ATLASGAL and SASSy, crossmatched with RMS, to sample the remaining galactic longitudes out to Rgal = 20 kpc. We derive the properties of the identified compact HII regions and their host clumps while addressing the implications for recent massive star formation in the outer Galaxy. Observations towards nearby galaxies are biased towards massive stars, affecting simulations and overestimating models for galactic evolution and star formation rates. The Milky Way provides the ideal template for studying factors affecting massive star formation rates and efficiencies at high resolution, thus fine-tuning those models. We find that there is no significant change in the rate of massive star formation in the outer vs inner Galaxy. Despite some peaks in known complexes and possible correlation with spiral arms, the outer Galaxy appears to produce massive stars as efficiently as the inner regions. However, many of the potential star forming SASSy clumps have no available radio counterpart to confirm the presence of an HII region or other star formation tracer. Follow-up observations will be required to verify this conclusion and are currently in progress.

United States Gulf Coast geopressured-geothermal program. Annual report, 1 November 1980-31 October 1981

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dorfman, M.H.; Morton, R.A.; Dunlap, H.F.

The following are included: objectives, overview, coordination assistance, compaction measurements on Texas Gulf Coast Sandstones and Shales; US Gulf Coast Geopressured-Geothermal Aquifer simulation, Preliminary Review of Subsidence Insurance Issues, Geopressured-Geothermal Information System, and Study of Log Derived Water Resistivity Values in Geopressured Geothermal Formations. (MHR)

High-shear granulation as a manufacturing method for cocrystal granules.

PubMed

Rehder, Sönke; Christensen, Niels Peter Aae; Rantanen, Jukka; Rades, Thomas; Leopold, Claudia S

2013-11-01

Cocrystal formation allows the tailoring of physicochemical as well as of mechanical properties of an API. However, there is a lack of large-scale manufacturing methods of cocrystals. Therefore, the objective of this work was to examine the suitability of high-shear wet granulation as a manufacturing method for cocrystal granules on a batch scale. Furthermore, the cocrystal granules were characterized regarding their mechanical properties as well as their dissolution behavior. High-shear wet granulation was found to be a feasible manufacturing method for cocrystal granules. Cocrystal formation depended on the exposure time of the solids to the granulation liquid (water), the amount of liquid, the impeller speed of the granulator, and on the excipients (hydroxyl propylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, calcium hydrogenphosphate) used in the formulation. Storage stability was strongly influenced by the excipients, since in presence of calcium hydrogenphosphate, the poorly water-soluble salt calcium tartrate monohydrate was formed at high relative humidity. Interestingly, compactability was increased by cocrystal formation compared to that of the reference granules (piracetam and the respective excipients). The drug release was slightly decreased by cocrystal formation, most likely due to the lower solubility of the cocrystal. In the presence of calcium hydrogenphosphate however, no influence of cocrystal formation on either compactability or on drug release were observed, compared with the reference tablets. It was concluded that high-shear wet granulation is a valuable, however complex, manufacturing method for cocrystals. Cocrystal formation may influence compactability and drug release and thus affect drug performance and should be investigated during pre-formulation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Uncovering the identities of compact objects in high-mass X-ray binaries and gamma-ray binaries by astrometric measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, M. S.; Yano, T.; Gouda, N.

2018-03-01

We develop a method for identifying a compact object in binary systems with astrometric measurements and apply it to some binaries. Compact objects in some high-mass X-ray binaries and gamma-ray binaries are unknown, which is responsible for the fact that emission mechanisms in such systems have not yet confirmed. The accurate estimate of the mass of the compact object allows us to identify the compact object in such systems. Astrometric measurements are expected to enable us to estimate the masses of the compact objects in the binary systems via a determination of a binary orbit. We aim to evaluate the possibility of the identification of the compact objects for some binary systems. We then calculate probabilities that the compact object is correctly identified with astrometric observation (= confidence level) by taking into account a dependence of the orbital shape on orbital parameters and distributions of masses of white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. We find that the astrometric measurements with the precision of 70 μas for γ Cas allow us to identify the compact object at 99 per cent confidence level if the compact object is a white dwarf with 0.6 M⊙. In addition, we can identify the compact object with the precision of 10 μas at 97 per cent or larger confidence level for LS I +61° 303 and 99 per cent or larger for HESS J0632+057. These results imply that the astrometric measurements with the 10 μas precision level can realize the identification of compact objects for γ Cas, LS I +61° 303, and HESS J0632+057.

The Arduous Journey to Black Hole Formation in Potential Gamma-Ray Burst Progenitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dessart, Luc; O'Connor, Evan; Ott, Christian D.

2012-07-01

We present a quantitative study on the properties at death of fast-rotating massive stars evolved at low-metallicity—objects that are proposed as likely progenitors of long-duration γ-ray bursts (LGRBs). We perform one-dimensional+rotation stellar-collapse simulations on the progenitor models of Woosley and Heger, and critically assess their potential for the formation of a black hole and a Keplerian disk (namely, a collapsar) or a proto-magnetar. We note that theoretical uncertainties in the treatment of magnetic fields and the approximate handling of rotation compromise the accuracy of stellar-evolution models. We find that only the fastest rotating progenitors achieve sufficient compactness for black hole formation while the bulk of models possess a core density structure typical of garden-variety core-collapse supernova (SN) progenitors evolved without rotation and at solar metallicity. Of the models that do have sufficient compactness for black hole formation, most of them also retain a large amount of angular momentum in the core, making them prone to a magneto-rotational explosion, therefore preferentially leaving behind a proto-magnetar. A large progenitor angular-momentum budget is often the sole criterion invoked in the community today to assess the suitability for producing a collapsar. This simplification ignores equally important considerations such as the core compactness, which conditions black hole formation, the core angular momentum, which may foster a magneto-rotational explosion preventing black hole formation, or the metallicity and the residual envelope mass which must be compatible with inferences from observed LGRB/SNe. Our study suggests that black hole formation is non-trivial, that there is room for accommodating both collapsars and proto-magnetars as LGRB progenitors, although proto-magnetars seem much more easily produced by current stellar-evolutionary models.

THE ARDUOUS JOURNEY TO BLACK HOLE FORMATION IN POTENTIAL GAMMA-RAY BURST PROGENITORS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dessart, Luc; O'Connor, Evan; Ott, Christian D., E-mail: Luc.Dessart@oamp.fr, E-mail: evanoc@tapir.caltech.edu, E-mail: cott@tapir.caltech.edu

2012-07-20

We present a quantitative study on the properties at death of fast-rotating massive stars evolved at low-metallicity-objects that are proposed as likely progenitors of long-duration {gamma}-ray bursts (LGRBs). We perform one-dimensional+rotation stellar-collapse simulations on the progenitor models of Woosley and Heger, and critically assess their potential for the formation of a black hole and a Keplerian disk (namely, a collapsar) or a proto-magnetar. We note that theoretical uncertainties in the treatment of magnetic fields and the approximate handling of rotation compromise the accuracy of stellar-evolution models. We find that only the fastest rotating progenitors achieve sufficient compactness for black holemore » formation while the bulk of models possess a core density structure typical of garden-variety core-collapse supernova (SN) progenitors evolved without rotation and at solar metallicity. Of the models that do have sufficient compactness for black hole formation, most of them also retain a large amount of angular momentum in the core, making them prone to a magneto-rotational explosion, therefore preferentially leaving behind a proto-magnetar. A large progenitor angular-momentum budget is often the sole criterion invoked in the community today to assess the suitability for producing a collapsar. This simplification ignores equally important considerations such as the core compactness, which conditions black hole formation, the core angular momentum, which may foster a magneto-rotational explosion preventing black hole formation, or the metallicity and the residual envelope mass which must be compatible with inferences from observed LGRB/SNe. Our study suggests that black hole formation is non-trivial, that there is room for accommodating both collapsars and proto-magnetars as LGRB progenitors, although proto-magnetars seem much more easily produced by current stellar-evolutionary models.« less

The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: A First Look at the Auriga–California Molecular Cloud with SCUBA-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broekhoven-Fiene, H.; Matthews, B. C.; Harvey, P.; Kirk, H.; Chen, M.; Currie, M. J.; Pattle, K.; Lane, J.; Buckle, J.; Di Francesco, J.; Drabek-Maunder, E.; Johnstone, D.; Berry, D. S.; Fich, M.; Hatchell, J.; Jenness, T.; Mottram, J. C.; Nutter, D.; Pineda, J. E.; Quinn, C.; Salji, C.; Tisi, S.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Ward-Thompson, D.; Bastien, P.; Bresnahan, D.; Butner, H.; Chrysostomou, A.; Coude, S.; Davis, C. J.; Duarte-Cabral, A.; Fiege, J.; Friberg, P.; Friesen, R.; Fuller, G. A.; Graves, S.; Greaves, J.; Gregson, J.; Holland, W.; Joncas, G.; Kirk, J. M.; Knee, L. B. G.; Mairs, S.; Marsh, K.; Moriarty-Schieven, G.; Mowat, C.; Rawlings, J.; Richer, J.; Robertson, D.; Rosolowsky, E.; Rumble, D.; Sadavoy, S.; Thomas, H.; Tothill, N.; Viti, S.; White, G. J.; Wilson, C. D.; Wouterloot, J.; Yates, J.; Zhu, M.

2018-01-01

We present 850 and 450 μm observations of the dense regions within the Auriga–California molecular cloud using SCUBA-2 as part of the JCMT Gould Belt Legacy Survey to identify candidate protostellar objects, measure the masses of their circumstellar material (disk and envelope), and compare the star formation to that in the Orion A molecular cloud. We identify 59 candidate protostars based on the presence of compact submillimeter emission, complementing these observations with existing Herschel/SPIRE maps. Of our candidate protostars, 24 are associated with young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Spitzer and Herschel/PACS catalogs of 166 and 60 YSOs, respectively (177 unique), confirming their protostellar nature. The remaining 35 candidate protostars are in regions, particularly around LkHα 101, where the background cloud emission is too bright to verify or rule out the presence of the compact 70 μm emission that is expected for a protostellar source. We keep these candidate protostars in our sample but note that they may indeed be prestellar in nature. Our observations are sensitive to the high end of the mass distribution in Auriga–Cal. We find that the disparity between the richness of infrared star-forming objects in Orion A and the sparsity in Auriga–Cal extends to the submillimeter, suggesting that the relative star formation rates have not varied over the Class II lifetime and that Auriga–Cal will maintain a lower star formation efficiency.

Radiation effects in astrophysical ices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boduch, Philippe; Dartois, Emmanuel; de Barros, Ana L. F.; da Silveira, Enio F.; Domaracka, Alicja; Lv, Xue-Yang; Palumbo, Maria Elisabetta; Pilling, Sergio; Rothard, Hermann; Seperuelo Duarte, Eduardo; Strazzulla, Giovanni

2015-07-01

The interaction of heavy ions with astrophysical ices was studied at different beamlines of GANIL by infrared absorption spectroscopy. This allowed simulating in the laboratory the physico-chemical modifications induced in icy objects in space, exposed to radiation fields such as the solar wind, magnetospheric particles and interstellar cosmic rays. We briefly discuss sputtering, destruction and formation of molecules, amorphization and compaction, implantation, and finally the formation of organic molecules. This latter topic is related to the question of the initial conditions for the emergence of life.

Megamasers: Molecular Diagnostics of the Nuclear ISM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baan, Willem A.; Klöckner, Hans-R.

Molecular emissions are powerful tracers of intense heating and star-formation processes in galactic nuclei. In this paper we consider the characteristics of molecular Megamaser emission among the population of (Ultra-) Luminous Infrared Galaxies that are powered by intense star-formation or accretion onto a massive compact object. In addition, we consider the systematic behavior of the line emission of high-density tracer molecules. An evolutionary scenario is presented for ULIRGs that may explain the molecular line ratios observed in the population of FIR galaxies.

Megamasers: Molecular Diagnostics of the Nuclear Ism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baan, Willem A.; Klöckner, Hans-R.

2005-01-01

Molecular emissions are powerful tracers of intense heating and star-formation processes in galactic nuclei. In this paper we consider the characteristics of molecular Megamaser emission among the population of (Ultra-) Luminous Infrared Galaxies that are powered by intense star-formation or accretion onto a massive compact object. In addition, we consider the systematic behavior of the line emission of high-density tracer molecules. An evolutionary scenario is presented for ULIRGs that may explain the molecular line ratios observed in the population of FIR galaxies.

Jet-induced star formation in 3C 285 and Minkowski's Object

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salomé, Q.; Salomé, P.; Combes, F.

2015-02-01

How efficiently star formation proceeds in galaxies is still an open question. Recent studies suggest that active galactic nucleus (AGN) can regulate the gas accretion and thus slow down star formation (negative feedback). However, evidence of AGN positive feedback has also been observed in a few radio galaxies (e.g. Centaurus A, Minkowski's Object, 3C 285, and the higher redshift 4C 41.17). Here we present CO observations of 3C 285 and Minkowski's Object, which are examples of jet-induced star formation. A spot (named 3C 285/09.6 in the present paper) aligned with the 3C 285 radio jet at a projected distance of ~70 kpc from the galaxy centre shows star formation that is detected in optical emission. Minkowski's Object is located along the jet of NGC 541 and also shows star formation. Knowing the distribution of molecular gas along the jets is a way to study the physical processes at play in the AGN interaction with the intergalactic medium. We observed CO lines in 3C 285, NGC 541, 3C 285/09.6, and Minkowski's Object with the IRAM 30 m telescope. In the central galaxies, the spectra present a double-horn profile, typical of a rotation pattern, from which we are able to estimate the molecular gas density profile of the galaxy. The molecular gas appears to be in a compact reservoir, which could be evidence of an early phase of the gas accretion after a recent merger event in 3C 285. No kinematic signature of a molecular outflow is detected by the 30 m telescope. Interestingly, 3C 285/09.6 and Minkowski's Object are not detected in CO. The cold gas mass upper limits are consistent with a star formation induced by the compression of dense ambient material by the jet. The depletion time scales in 3C 285/09.6 and Minkowski's Object are of the order of and even shorter than what is found in 3C 285, NGC 541, and local spiral galaxies (109 yr). The upper limit of the molecular gas surface density in 3C 285/09.6 at least follows a Schmidt-Kennicutt law if the emitting region is very compact, as suggested by the Hα emission, while Minkowski's Object is found to have a much higher star formation efficiency lower limit (very short depletion time). Higher sensitivity is necessary to detect CO in the star-forming spots, and higher spatial resolution is required to map the emission in these jet-induced star-forming regions. Based on observations carried out with the IRAM 30 m telescope. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany), and IGN (Spain).

Mapping out the origins of compact stellar systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Brodie, Jean P.; SAGES Collaboration

2017-03-01

We present a suite of extragalactic explorations of the origins and nature of globular clusters (GCs) and ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs), and the connections between them. An example of GC metallicity bimodality is shown to reflect underlying, distinct metal-poor and metal-rich stellar halo populations. Metallicity-matching methods are used to trace the birth sites and epochs of GCs in giant E/S0s, pointing to clumpy disk galaxies at z ~ 3 for the metal-rich GCs, and to a combination of accreted and in-situ formation modes at z ~ 5-6 for the metal-poor GCs. An increasingly diverse zoo of compact stellar systems is being discovered, including objects that bridge the gaps between UCDs and faint fuzzies, and between UCDs and compact ellipticals. Many of these have properties pointing to origins as the stripped nuclei of larger galaxies, and a smoking-gun example is presented of an ω Cen-like star cluster embedded in a tidal stream.

The first VLBI image of an infrared-faint radio source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Middelberg, E.; Norris, R. P.; Tingay, S.; Mao, M. Y.; Phillips, C. J.; Hotan, A. W.

2008-11-01

Context: We investigate the joint evolution of active galactic nuclei and star formation in the Universe. Aims: In the 1.4 GHz survey with the Australia Telescope Compact Array of the Chandra Deep Field South and the European Large Area ISO Survey - S1 we have identified a class of objects which are strong in the radio but have no detectable infrared and optical counterparts. This class has been called Infrared-Faint Radio Sources, or IFRS. 53 sources out of 2002 have been classified as IFRS. It is not known what these objects are. Methods: To address the many possible explanations as to what the nature of these objects is we have observed four sources with the Australian Long Baseline Array. Results: We have detected and imaged one of the four sources observed. Assuming that the source is at a high redshift, we find its properties in agreement with properties of Compact Steep Spectrum sources. However, due to the lack of optical and infrared data the constraints are not particularly strong.

Star formation in H I tails: HCG 92, HCG 100 and six interacting systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Mello, D. F.; Urrutia-Viscarra, F.; Mendes de Oliveira, C.; Torres-Flores, S.; Carrasco, E. R.; Cypriano, E.

2012-11-01

We present new Gemini spectra of 14 new objects found within the H I tails of Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs) 92 and 100. Nine of them are Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) far-ultraviolet (FUV) and near-ultraviolet (NUV) sources. The spectra confirm that these objects are members of the compact groups and have metallicities close to solar, with an average value of 12+log(O/H) ˜ 8.5. They have average FUV luminosities 7 × 1040 erg s-1 and very young ages (<100 Myr), and two of them resemble tidal dwarf galaxy (TDG) candidates. We suggest that they were created within gas clouds that were ejected during galaxy-galaxy interactions into the intergalactic medium, which would explain the high metallicities of the objects, inherited from the parent galaxies from which the gas originated. We conduct a search for similar objects in six interacting systems with extended H I tails: NGC 2623, NGC 3079, NGC 3359, NGC 3627, NGC 3718 and NGC 4656. We found 35 ultraviolet (UV) sources with ages < 100 Myr; however, most of them are on average less luminous/massive than the UV sources found around HCG 92 and HCG 100. We speculate that this might be an environmental effect and that compact groups of galaxies are more favourable to TDG formation than other interacting systems. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the NSF (United States), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (Brazil) and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnologia e Innovacion Productiva (Argentina) - Observing run ID: GN-2003A-Q-53 and GN-2007B-Q-87.

Jets in black-hole and neutron-star X-ray binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kylafis, Nikolaos

2016-07-01

Jets have been observed from both neutron-star and black-hole X-ray binaries. There are many similarities between the two and a few differences. I will offer a physical explanation of the formation and destruction of jets from compact objects and I will discuss the similarities and differences in the two types. The basic concept in the physical explanation is the Cosmic Battery, the mechanism that creates the required magnetic field for the jet ejection. The Cosmic Battery operates efficiently in accretion flows consisting of an inner hot flow and an outer thin accretion disk, independently of the nature of the compact object. It is therefore natural to always expect a jet in the right part of a spectral hardness - luminosity diagram and to never expect a jet in the left part. As a consequence, most of the phenomenology of an outburst can be explained with only one parameter, the mass accretion rate.

PAH Formation in O-rich Evolved Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzman-Ramirez, L.; Lagadec, E.; Jones, D.; Zijlstra, A. A.; Gesicki, K.

2015-08-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been observed in O-rich planetary nebulae. This combination of oxygen-rich and carbon-rich material, known as dual-dust or mixed chemistry, is not expected to be seen around these objects. We recently proposed that PAHs could be formed from the photodissociation of CO in dense tori. Using VISIR/VLT, we spatially resolved the emission of the PAH bands and ionised emission from the [S IV] line, confirming the presence of dense central tori in all the observed O-rich objects. Furthermore, we show that for most of the objects, PAHs are located at the outer edge of these dense/compact tori, while the ionised material is mostly present in the inner parts, consistent with our hypothesis for the formation of PAHs in these systems. The presence of a dense torus has been strongly associated with the action of a central binary star and, as such, the rich chemistry seen in these regions may also be related to the formation of exoplanets in post-common-envelope binary systems.

Mechanical compaction directly modulates the dynamics of bile canaliculi formation.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Toh, Yi-Chin; Li, Qiushi; Nugraha, Bramasta; Zheng, Baixue; Lu, Thong Beng; Gao, Yi; Ng, Mary Mah Lee; Yu, Hanry

2013-02-01

Homeostatic pressure-driven compaction is a ubiquitous mechanical force in multicellular organisms and is proposed to be important in the maintenance of multicellular tissue integrity and function. Previous cell-free biochemical models have demonstrated that there are cross-talks between compaction forces and tissue structural functions, such as cell-cell adhesion. However, its involvement in physiological tissue function has yet to be directly demonstrated. Here, we use the bile canaliculus (BC) as a physiological example of a multicellular functional structure in the liver, and employ a novel 3D microfluidic hepatocyte culture system to provide an unprecedented opportunity to experimentally modulate the compaction states of primary hepatocyte aggregates in a 3D physiological-mimicking environment. Mechanical compaction alters the physical attributes of the hepatocyte aggregates, including cell shape, cell packing density and cell-cell contact area, but does not impair the hepatocytes' remodeling and functional capabilities. Characterization of structural and functional polarity shows that BC formation in compact hepatocyte aggregates is accelerated to as early as 12 hours post-seeding; whereas non-compact control requires 48 hours for functional BC formation. Further dynamic immunofluorescence imaging and gene expression profiling reveal that compaction accelerated BC formation is accompanied by changes in actin cytoskeleton remodeling dynamics and transcriptional levels of hepatic nuclear factor 4α and Annexin A2. Our report not only provides a novel strategy of modeling BC formation for in vitro hepatology research, but also shows a first instance that homeostatic pressure-driven compaction force is directly coupled to the higher-order multicellular functions.

Identifying Bright X-Ray Beasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-10-01

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are astronomical sources of X-rays that, while dimmer than active galactic nuclei, are nonetheless brighter than any known stellar process. What are these beasts and why do they shine so brightly?Exceeding the LimitFirst discovered in the 1980s, ULXs are rare sources that have nonetheless been found in all types of galaxies. Though the bright X-ray radiation seems likely to be coming from compact objects accreting gas, theres a problem with this theory: ULXs outshine the Eddington luminosity for stellar-mass compact objects. This means that a stellar-mass object couldnt emit this much radiation isotropically without blowing itself apart.There are two alternative explanations commonly proposed for ULXs:Rather than being accreting stellar-mass compact objects, they are accreting intermediate-mass black holes. A hypothetical black hole of 100 solar masses or more would have a much higher Eddington luminosity than a stellar-mass black hole, making the luminosities that we observe from ULXs feasible.An example of one of the common routes the authors find for a binary system to become a ULX. In this case, the binary begins as two main sequence stars. As one star evolves off the main sequence, the binary undergoes a common envelope phase and a stage of mass transfer. The star ends its life as a supernova, and the resulting neutron star then accretes matter from the main sequence star as a ULX. [Wiktorowicz et al. 2017]They are ordinary X-ray binaries (a stellar-mass compact object accreting matter from a companion star), but they are undergoing a short phase of extreme accretion. During this time, their emission is beamed into jets, making them appear brighter than the Eddington luminosity.Clues from a New DiscoveryA few years ago, a new discovery shed some light on ULXs: M82 X-2, a pulsing ULX. Two more pulsing ULXs have been discovered since then, demonstrating that at least some ULXs contain pulsars i.e., neutron stars as the accreting object. This provided strong support for the second model of ULXs as X-ray binaries with super-Eddington luminosity.But could this model in fact account for all ULXs? A team of authors led by Grzegorz Wiktorowicz (Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, UC Santa Barbara and Warsaw University, Poland) says yes.Time evolution of the number of ULXs since the beginning of star formation, for a star formation burst (left panels) and continuous star formation (right panels), and for solar-metallicity (top panels) and low-metallicity (bottom panels) environments. The heavy solid line shows ULXs with black-hole accretors, the dashed line ULXs with neutron-star accretors, and the solid line the total. [Wiktorowicz et al. 2017]No Exotic Objects NeededWiktorowicz and collaborators performed a massive suite of simulations made possible by donated computer time from the Universe@Home project to examine how 20 million binary systems evolve into X-ray binaries. They then determined the number and nature of the ones that could appear as ULXs to us. The authors results show that the vast majority of the observed population of ULXs can be accounted for with super-Eddington compact binaries, without needing to invoke intermediate-mass black holes.Wiktorowicz and collaborators demonstrate that in environments with short star-formation bursts, black-hole accretors are the most common ULX source in the early periods after the burst, but neutron-star accretors dominate the ULX population after a few 100 Myr. In the case of prolonged and continuous star formation, neutron-star accretors dominate ULXs if the environment is solar metallicity, whereas black-hole accretors dominate in low-metallicity environments.The authors results present very clear and testable relations between the companion and donor star evolutionary stage and the age of the system, which we will hopefully be able to use to test this model with future observations of ULXs.CitationGrzegorz Wiktorowicz et al 2017 ApJ 846 17. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa821d

POX 186: A Dwarf Galaxy Under Construction?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbin, M. R.; Vacca, W. D.

2000-12-01

We have obtained deep images of the ultracompact ( ~ 3'') blue compact dwarf galaxy POX 186 in the F336W, F555W, and F814W filters of the Planetary Camera of the Hubble Space Telescope. We have additionally obtained a low-resolution near ultraviolet spectrum of the object with STIS and combine this with a ground-based spectrum covering the visible continuum and emission lines. Our images confirm this object to be highly compact, with a maximum projected size of only ~ 240 pc, making it one of the smallest galaxies known. We also confirm that the outer regions of the galaxy consist of an evolved stellar population, ruling out earlier speculations that POX 186 is a protogalaxy. However, the PC images reveal the galaxy to have a highly irregular morphology, with a pronounced tidal arm on its western side. This morphology is strongly suggestive of a recent collision between two smaller components which has in turn triggered the central starburst. The F336W image also shows that the material in this tidal stream is actively star forming. Given the very small ( ~ 100 pc) sizes of the colliding components, POX 186 may be a dwarf galaxy in the early stages of formation, which would be consistent with current ``downsizing'' models of galaxy formation in which the least massive objects are the last to form. This work is supported by NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute.

ALMA Reveals a Compact Starburst Around a Hidden QSO at z˜5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilli, R.; Norman, C. A.; Vignali, C.

2015-12-01

We present ALMA 1.3mm observations of XID403, an SMG at z=4.75 in the Chandra Deep Field South hosting a heavily obscured, Compton-thick QSO. The ALMA data show that the dust heated by star formation is distributed within ˜0.9 kpc from the nucleus (effective radius). The SFR and dust temperature obtained from the Herschel+ALMA far-IR SED, reveal a warm and compact starburst with surface density of 200 M⊙ yr-1 kpc-2. Our analysis suggest that, besides the mass, SFR and gas consumption timescale, objects like XID403 have also the right size to be the progenitors of the compact quiescent massive galaxies seen at z˜3. It is finally shown that the density of the gas co-spatial with the dust provides a substantial contribution to the absorbing column density towards the QSO as measured from the X-rays.

Optical and X-ray studies of Compact X-ray Binaries in NGC 5904

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhalotia, Vanshree; Beck-Winchatz, Bernhard

2018-06-01

Due to their high stellar densities, globular cluster systems trigger various dynamical interactions, such as the formation of compact X-ray binaries. Stellar collisional frequencies have been correlated to the number of X-ray sources detected in various clusters and we hope to measure this correlation for NGC 5904. Optical fluxes of sources from archival HST images of NGC 5904 have been measured using a DOLPHOT PSF photometry in the UV, optical and near-infrared. We developed a data analysis pipeline to process the fluxes of tens of thousands of objects using awk, python and DOLPHOT. We plot color magnitude diagrams in different photometric bands in order to identify outliers that could be X-ray binaries, since they do not evolve the same way as singular stars. Aligning previously measured astrometric data for X-ray sources in NGC 5904 from Chandra with archival astrometric data from HST will filter out the outlier objects that are not X-ray producing, and provide a sample of compact binary systems that are responsible for X-ray emission in NGC 5904. Furthermore, previously measured X-ray fluxes of NGC 5904 from Chandra have also been used to measure the X-ray to optical flux ratio and identify the types of compact X-ray binaries responsible for the X-ray emissions in NGC 5904. We gratefully acknowledge the support from the Illinois Space Grant Consortium.

Testing the Binary Black Hole Nature of a Compact Binary Coalescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishnendu, N. V.; Arun, K. G.; Mishra, Chandra Kant

2017-09-01

We propose a novel method to test the binary black hole nature of compact binaries detectable by gravitational wave (GW) interferometers and, hence, constrain the parameter space of other exotic compact objects. The spirit of the test lies in the "no-hair" conjecture for black holes where all properties of a Kerr black hole are characterized by its mass and spin. The method relies on observationally measuring the quadrupole moments of the compact binary constituents induced due to their spins. If the compact object is a Kerr black hole (BH), its quadrupole moment is expressible solely in terms of its mass and spin. Otherwise, the quadrupole moment can depend on additional parameters (such as the equation of state of the object). The higher order spin effects in phase and amplitude of a gravitational waveform, which explicitly contains the spin-induced quadrupole moments of compact objects, hence, uniquely encode the nature of the compact binary. Thus, we argue that an independent measurement of the spin-induced quadrupole moment of the compact binaries from GW observations can provide a unique way to distinguish binary BH systems from binaries consisting of exotic compact objects.

Testing the Binary Black Hole Nature of a Compact Binary Coalescence.

PubMed

Krishnendu, N V; Arun, K G; Mishra, Chandra Kant

2017-09-01

We propose a novel method to test the binary black hole nature of compact binaries detectable by gravitational wave (GW) interferometers and, hence, constrain the parameter space of other exotic compact objects. The spirit of the test lies in the "no-hair" conjecture for black holes where all properties of a Kerr black hole are characterized by its mass and spin. The method relies on observationally measuring the quadrupole moments of the compact binary constituents induced due to their spins. If the compact object is a Kerr black hole (BH), its quadrupole moment is expressible solely in terms of its mass and spin. Otherwise, the quadrupole moment can depend on additional parameters (such as the equation of state of the object). The higher order spin effects in phase and amplitude of a gravitational waveform, which explicitly contains the spin-induced quadrupole moments of compact objects, hence, uniquely encode the nature of the compact binary. Thus, we argue that an independent measurement of the spin-induced quadrupole moment of the compact binaries from GW observations can provide a unique way to distinguish binary BH systems from binaries consisting of exotic compact objects.

The Metallicity Evolution of Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies from the Intermediate Redshift to the Local Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lian, Jianhui; Hu, Ning; Fang, Guanwen; Ye, Chengyun; Kong, Xu

2016-03-01

We present oxygen abundance measurements for 74 blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies in the redshift range of [0.2, 0.5] using the strong-line method. The spectra of these objects are taken using Hectospec on the Multiple Mirror Telescope. More than half of these BCDs had dust attenuation corrected using the Balmer decrement method. For comparison, we also selected a sample of 2023 local BCDs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) database. Based on the local and intermediate-z BCD samples, we investigated the cosmic evolution of the metallicity, star formation rate (SFR), and Dn(4000) index. Compared with local BCDs, the intermediate-z BCDs had a systematically higher R23 ratio but a similar O32 ratio. Interestingly, no significant deviation in the mass-metallicity (MZ) relation was found between the intermediate-z and local BCDs. Besides the metallicity, the intermediate-z BCDs also exhibited an SFR distribution that was consistent with local BCDs, suggesting a weak dependence on redshift. The intermediate-z BCDs seemed to be younger than the local BCDs with lower Dn(4000) index values. The insignificant deviation in the mass-metallicity and mass-SFR relations between intermediate-z and local BCDs indicates that the relations between the global parameters of low-mass compact galaxies may be universal. These results from low-mass compact galaxies could be used to place important observational constraints on galaxy formation and evolution models.

The Orion Bullets: New GEMS MCAO images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginsburg, Adam; Bally, John; Youngblood, Allison

2013-07-01

The Orion A molecular cloud (OMC1) is the nearest site of massive star formation at a distance of 414 pc. The BN/KL region within it contains signs of a massive explosion triggered 500 years ago by decay of a non- hierarchical multiple system of massive stars. We present observations of the OMC1 core at high spatial resolution (<0.1") in narrow-band [Fe II] 1.64um and H2 S(1) 1-0 2.12um filters. The new data reveal compact (0.1" to 0.5") knots with unique excitation and chemical properties, unveiling new details about the three-dimensional structure of the explosion. Bright H2 emission from these compact, high proper-motion knots and compact [Fe II] features are consistent with scenario proposed by Bally et al. (2011) in which they are interpreted to be high density (n > 10^8 cm^{-3}) disk fragments launched from within a few AU of a massive star by a > three-body dynamical interaction that led to the ejection of the BN objects and the formation of a compact (separation < few AU) binary, most likely radio source I. The proper motions are as high as 400 km/s, hinting at the enormous energy unleashed in the explosion. The data also unveiled a population of obscured close binary systems. This new population will allow a comparison of embedded young binary systems with the older, un-obscured, visual binary population to test models of the evolution of multiplicity statistics in the Orion Nebula Cluster.

High-mass X-ray binary populations. 1: Galactic modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dalton, William W.; Sarazin, Craig L.

1995-01-01

Modern stellar evolutionary tracks are used to calculate the evolution of a very large number of massive binary star systems (M(sub tot) greater than or = 15 solar mass) which cover a wide range of total masses, mass ratios, and starting separations. Each binary is evolved accounting for mass and angular momentum loss through the supernova of the primary to the X-ray binary phase. Using the observed rate of star formation in our Galaxy and the properties of massive binaries, we calculate the expected high-mass X-ray binary (HMXRB) population in the Galaxy. We test various massive binary evolutionary scenarios by comparing the resulting HMXRB predictions with the X-ray observations. A major goal of this study is the determination of the fraction of matter lost from the system during the Roche lobe overflow phase. Curiously, we find that the total numbers of observable HMXRBs are nearly independent of this assumed mass-loss fraction, with any of the values tested here giving acceptable agreement between predicted and observed numbers. However, comparison of the period distribution of our HMXRB models with the observed period distribution does reveal a distinction among the various models. As a result of this comparison, we conclude that approximately 70% of the overflow matter is lost from a massive binary system during mass transfer in the Roche lobe overflow phase. We compare models constructed assuming that all X-ray emission is due to accretion onto the compact object from the donor star's wind with models that incorporate a simplified disk accretion scheme. By comparing the results of these models with observations, we conclude that the formation of disks in HMXRBs must be relatively common. We also calculate the rate of formation of double degenerate binaries, high velocity detached compact objects, and Thorne-Zytkow objects.

Strange Quark Stars in Binaries: Formation Rates, Mergers, and Explosive Phenomena

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wiktorowicz, G.; Drago, A.; Pagliara, G.

2017-09-10

Recently, the possible coexistence of a first family composed of “normal” neutron stars (NSs) with a second family of strange quark stars (QSs) has been proposed as a solution of problems related to the maximum mass and to the minimal radius of these compact stellar objects. In this paper, we study the mass distribution of compact objects formed in binary systems and the relative fractions of quark and NSs in different subpopulations. We incorporate the strange QS formation model provided by the two-families scenario, and we perform a large-scale population synthesis study in order to obtain the population characteristics. Accordingmore » to our results, the main channel for strange QS formation in binary systems is accretion from a secondary companion on an NS. Therefore, a rather large number of strange QSs form by accretion in low-mass X-ray binaries and this opens the possibility of having explosive GRB-like phenomena not related to supernovae and not due to the merger of two NSs. The number of double strange QS systems is rather small, with only a tiny fraction that merge within a Hubble time. This drastically limits the flux of strangelets produced by the merger, which turns out to be compatible with all limits stemming from Earth and lunar experiments. Moreover, this value of the flux rules out at least one relevant channel for the transformation of all NSs into strange QSs by strangelets’ absorption.« less

Strange Quark Stars in Binaries: Formation Rates, Mergers, and Explosive Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiktorowicz, G.; Drago, A.; Pagliara, G.; Popov, S. B.

2017-09-01

Recently, the possible coexistence of a first family composed of “normal” neutron stars (NSs) with a second family of strange quark stars (QSs) has been proposed as a solution of problems related to the maximum mass and to the minimal radius of these compact stellar objects. In this paper, we study the mass distribution of compact objects formed in binary systems and the relative fractions of quark and NSs in different subpopulations. We incorporate the strange QS formation model provided by the two-families scenario, and we perform a large-scale population synthesis study in order to obtain the population characteristics. According to our results, the main channel for strange QS formation in binary systems is accretion from a secondary companion on an NS. Therefore, a rather large number of strange QSs form by accretion in low-mass X-ray binaries and this opens the possibility of having explosive GRB-like phenomena not related to supernovae and not due to the merger of two NSs. The number of double strange QS systems is rather small, with only a tiny fraction that merge within a Hubble time. This drastically limits the flux of strangelets produced by the merger, which turns out to be compatible with all limits stemming from Earth and lunar experiments. Moreover, this value of the flux rules out at least one relevant channel for the transformation of all NSs into strange QSs by strangelets’ absorption.

Bursts of star formation in computer simulations of dwarf galaxies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Comins, N.F.

1984-09-01

A three-dimensional Stochastic Self-Propagating Star Formation (SSPSF) model of compact galacies is presented. Two phases of gas, active and inactive, are present, and permanent depletion of gas in the form of long lived, low mass stars and remnants occurs. Similarly, global infall of gas from a galactic halo or through galactic cannibalism is permitted. We base our parameters on the observed properties of the compact blue galaxy I Zw 36. Our results are that bursts of star formation occur much more frequently in these runs than continuous nonbursting star formation, suggesting that the blue compact galaxies are probably undergoing burstsmore » rather than continuous, nonbursting low-level star formation activity.« less

Distribution of compact object mergers around galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulik, T.; Belczyński, K.; Zbijewski, W.

1999-09-01

Compact object mergers are one of the favoured models of gamma ray bursts (GRB). Using a binary population synthesis code we calculate properties of the population of compact object binaries; e.g. lifetimes and velocities. We then propagate them in galactic potentials and find their distribution in relation to the host.

Enhanced X-ray Emission from Early Universe Analog Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brorby, Matthew; Kaaret, Philip; Prestwich, Andrea H.; Mirabel, I. Felix; Feng, Hua

2016-04-01

X-rays from binaries containing compact objects may have played an important role in heating the early Universe. Here we discuss our findings from X-ray studies of blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs), Lyman break analogs (LBAs), and Green Pea galaxies (GP), all of which are considered local analogs to high redshift galaxies. We find enhanced X-ray emission per unit star-formation rate which strongly correlates with decreasing metallicity. We find evidence for the existence of a L_X-SFR-Metallicity plane for star-forming galaxies. The exact properties of X-ray emission in the early Universe affects the timing and morphology of reionization, both being observable properties of current and future radio observations of the redshifted 21cm signal from neutral hydrogen.

The formation of ultra compact dwarf galaxies and massive globular clusters. Quasar-like objects to test for a variable stellar initial mass function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeřábková, T.; Kroupa, P.; Dabringhausen, J.; Hilker, M.; Bekki, K.

2017-12-01

The stellar initial mass function (IMF) has been described as being invariant, bottom-heavy, or top-heavy in extremely dense star-burst conditions. To provide usable observable diagnostics, we calculate redshift dependent spectral energy distributions of stellar populations in extreme star-burst clusters, which are likely to have been the precursors of present day massive globular clusters (GCs) and of ultra compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs). The retention fraction of stellar remnants is taken into account to assess the mass to light ratios of the ageing star-burst. Their redshift dependent photometric properties are calculated as predictions for James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations. While the present day GCs and UCDs are largely degenerate concerning bottom-heavy or top-heavy IMFs, a metallicity- and density-dependent top-heavy IMF implies the most massive UCDs, at ages < 100 Myr, to appear as objects with quasar-like luminosities with a 0.1-10% variability on a monthly timescale due to core collapse supernovae.

In-situ formation compaction monitoring in deep reservoirs by use of fiber optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murai, Daisuke; Kunisue, Shoji; Higuchi, Tomoyuki; Kokubo, Tatsuo

2013-04-01

1. Background The Southern Kanto gas field, the largest field of natural gas dissolved in water in Japan, is located primarily under the Chiba Prefecture. In this field 8 companies produce 460*10^6m3/y of natural gas. In addition, the concentration of the iodine in the brine is almost 2000 times that in seawater and the iodine as well as natural gas is collected from the brine. Iodine is industrially useful and essential for the human body. About 30% of world production is produced in this area in recent years. On the other hand, the land subsidence has become the big problem since 1965 and more than 10cm/mm of land subsidence was observed by leveling in 1972. The natural gas and iodine producers in this area have made a land subsidence prevention agreement with the local government and made effort to prevent and control land subsidence. Although their pumping brine for the gas and the iodine production is inferred to be the main cause of land subsidence from that time, the ratio of the formation compaction caused by pumping brine in the total land subsidence hasn't been well known. Therefore, the measurement of the actual formation compaction has become an important technological issue for the companies and they jointly have developed a new monitoring system for the formation compaction. 2. Contents (1) By using fiber optics technology, we have developed a world's first monitoring system which measures each of the in-situ formation compactions continuously without running tools into the well. (2) In order to check a reliability of this system and the problems when construction, we carried out the preliminary test. We installed the prototype system in the shallow observation well with a depth of 80 m and measured the actual formation compaction. The water well was drilled at the 10m away from the observation well and the formation was artificially compacted by pumping groundwater from it. (3) We installed the monitoring system in the deep observation well with a depth of about 800m, and have been measuring the formation compaction of the natural gas reservoir now. 3. Conclusions (1) We succeeded in installing the monitoring system into the observation well and measure the each of 6 formation compactions in the gas reservoir. (2) As a result of the preliminary test we confirmed that the monitoring system run without big problems even in the field. The formation compacted/expanded with the groundwater level fallen/risen according to the pump rate. (3) We improved the monitoring system based on the knowledge acquired by the demonstration test and installed it into the deep observation well. We are carrying out the long term observation now. 4. Acknowledgements This research was carried out by the support for application of new technologies and technical studies program which Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) undertook.

Searching for gravitational waves from compact binaries with precessing spins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harry, Ian; Privitera, Stephen; Bohé, Alejandro; Buonanno, Alessandra

2016-07-01

Current searches for gravitational waves from compact-object binaries with the LIGO and Virgo observatories employ waveform models with spins aligned (or antialigned) with the orbital angular momentum. Here, we derive a new statistic to search for compact objects carrying generic (precessing) spins. Applying this statistic, we construct banks of both aligned- and generic-spin templates for binary black holes and neutron star-black hole binaries, and compare the effectualness of these banks towards simulated populations of generic-spin systems. We then use these banks in a pipeline analysis of Gaussian noise to measure the increase in background incurred by using generic- instead of aligned-spin banks. Although the generic-spin banks have roughly a factor of ten more templates than the aligned-spin banks, we find an overall improvement in signal recovery at a fixed false-alarm rate for systems with high-mass ratio and highly precessing spins. This gain in sensitivity comes at a small loss of sensitivity (≲4 %) for systems that are already well covered by aligned-spin templates. Since the observation of even a single binary merger with misaligned spins could provide unique astrophysical insights into the formation of these sources, we recommend that the method described here be developed further to mount a viable search for generic-spin binary mergers in LIGO/Virgo data.

The ATLASGAL survey: a catalog of dust condensations in the Galactic plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Csengeri, T.; Urquhart, J. S.; Schuller, F.; Motte, F.; Bontemps, S.; Wyrowski, F.; Menten, K. M.; Bronfman, L.; Beuther, H.; Henning, Th.; Testi, L.; Zavagno, A.; Walmsley, M.

2014-05-01

Context. The formation processes and the evolutionary stages of high-mass stars are poorly understood compared to low-mass stars. Large-scale surveys are needed to provide an unbiased census of high column density sites that can potentially host precursors to high-mass stars. Aims: The ATLASGAL survey covers 420 sq. degree of the Galactic plane, between -80° < ℓ < +60° at 870 μm. Here we identify the population of embedded sources throughout the inner Galaxy. With this catalog we first investigate the general statistical properties of dust condensations in terms of their observed parameters, such as flux density and angular size. Then using mid-infrared surveys we aim to investigate their star formation activity and the Galactic distribution of star-forming and quiescent clumps. Our ultimate goal is to determine the statistical properties of quiescent and star-forming clumps within the Galaxy and to constrain the star formation processes. Methods: We optimized the source extraction method, referred to as MRE-GCL, for the ATLASGAL maps in order to generate a catalog of compact sources. This technique is based on multiscale filtering to remove extended emission from clouds to better determine the parameters corresponding to the embedded compact sources. In a second step we extracted the sources by fitting 2D Gaussians with the Gaussclumps algorithm. Results: We have identified in total 10861 compact submillimeter sources with fluxes above 5σ. Completeness tests show that this catalog is 97% complete above 5σ and >99% complete above 7σ. Correlating this sample of clumps with mid-infrared point source catalogs (MSX at 21.3 μm and WISE at 22 μm), we have determined a lower limit of 33% that is associated with embedded protostellar objects. We note that the proportion of clumps associated with mid-infrared sources increases with increasing flux density, achieving a rather constant fraction of ~75% of all clumps with fluxes over 5 Jy/beam being associated with star formation. Examining the source counts as a function of Galactic longitude, we are able to identify the most prominent star-forming regions in the Galaxy. Conclusions: We present here the compact source catalog of the full ATLASGAL survey and investigate their characteristic properties. From the fraction of the likely massive quiescent clumps (~25%), we estimate a formation time scale of ~ 7.5 ± 2.5 × 104 yr for the deeply embedded phase before the emergence of luminous young stellar objects. Such a short duration for the formation of high-mass stars in massive clumps clearly proves that the earliest phases have to be dynamic with supersonic motions. Full Table 1 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/565/A75

Bone-like apatite layer formation on hydroxyapatite prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS).

PubMed

Gu, Y W; Khor, K A; Cheang, P

2004-08-01

Hydroxyapatite (HA) compacts with high density and superior mechanical properties were fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) using spray-dried HA powders as feedstock. The formation of bone-like apatite layer on SPS consolidated HA compacts were investigated by soaking the HA compacts in simulated body fluid (SBF) for various periods (maximum of 28 days). The structural changes in HA post-SBF were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that a layer consisting microcrystalline carbonate-containing hydroxyapatite was formed on the surface of HA compacts after soaking for 24h. The formation mechanism of apatite on the surface of HA compacts after soaking in SBF was attributed to the ion exchange between HA compacts and the SBF solution. The increase in ionic concentration of calcium and phosphorus as well as the increase in pH after SBF immersion resulted in an increase in ionic activity product of apatite in the solution, and provided a specific surface with a low interface energy that is conducive to the nucleation of apatite on the surface of HA compacts.

The Rapid Formation of Localized Compaction Bands Under Hydrostatic Load Leading to Pore-pressure Transients in Compacting Rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faulkner, D.; Leclere, H.; Bedford, J. D.; Behnsen, J.; Wheeler, J.

2017-12-01

Compaction of porous rocks can occur uniformly or within localized deformation bands. The formation of compaction bands and their effects on deformation behaviour are poorly understood. Porosity may be primary and compaction can occur with burial, or it can be produced by metamorphic reactions with a solid volume reduction, that can then undergo collapse. We report results from hydrostatic compaction experiments on porous bassanite (CaSO4.0.5H2O) aggregates. Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) is first dehydrated under low effective pressure, 4 MPa, to produce a bassanite aggregate with a porosity of 27%. Compaction is induced by increasing confining pressure at rates from 0.001 MPa/s to 0.02 MPa/s while the sample is maintained at a temperature of 115°C. At slow compaction rates, porosity collapse proceeds smoothly. At higher compaction rates, sudden increases in the pore-fluid pressure occur with a magnitude of 5 MPa. Microstructural investigations using X-ray microtomography and SEM observations show that randomly oriented localized compaction features occur in all samples, where the bulk porosity of 18% outside the band is reduced to 5% inside the band. Previous work on deformation bands has suggested that localized compactive features only form under an elevated differential stress and not under a hydrostatic stress state. The magnitude of the pore-pressure pulses can be explained by the formation of compaction bands. The results indicate that the compaction bands can form by rapid (unstable) propagation across the sample above a critical strain rate, or quasi-statically at low compaction rates without pore-fluid pressure bursts. The absence of pore-fluid pressure bursts at slow compaction rates can be explained by viscous deformation of the bassanite aggregate around the tip of a propagating compaction band, relaxing stress, and promoting stable propagation. Conversely, at higher compaction rates, viscous deformation cannot relax the stress sufficiently and unstable, brittle propagation occurs. In nature, this type of compaction behaviour might result in a mechanism to produce pulses of pore pressure within porous rocks which might have a significant effect on the deformation behaviour at depth.

On the origin of bursts in blue compact dwarf galaxies: clues from kinematics and stellar populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koleva, M.; De Rijcke, S.; Zeilinger, W. W.; Verbeke, R.; Schroyen, J.; Vermeylen, L.

2014-06-01

Blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs) form stars at, for their sizes, extraordinarily high rates. In this paper, we study what triggers this starburst and what is the fate of the galaxy once its gas fuel is exhausted. We select four BCDs with smooth outer regions, indicating them as possible progenitors of dwarf elliptical galaxies. We have obtained photometric and spectroscopic data with the FORS and ISAAC instruments on the VLT. We analyse their infrared spectra using a full spectrum fitting technique, which yields the kinematics of their stars and ionized gas together with their stellar population characteristics. We find that the stellar velocity to velocity dispersion ratio ((v/σ)⋆) of our BCDs is of the order of 1.5, similar to that of dwarf elliptical galaxies. Thus, those objects do not require significant (if any) loss of angular momentum to fade into early-type dwarfs. This finding is in discordance with previous studies, which however compared the stellar kinematics of dwarf elliptical galaxies with the gaseous kinematics of star-forming dwarfs. The stellar velocity fields of our objects are very disturbed and the star formation regions are often kinematically decoupled from the rest of the galaxy. These regions can be more or less metal rich with respect to the galactic body and sometimes they are long lived. These characteristics prevent us from pinpointing a unique trigger of the star formation, even within the same galaxy. Gas impacts, mergers, and in-spiraling gas clumps are all possible star formation igniters for our targets.

Note: Proton microbeam formation with continuously variable kinetic energy using a compact system for three-dimensional proton beam writing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ohkubo, T., E-mail: ohkubo.takeru@jaea.go.jp; Ishii, Y.

A compact focused gaseous ion beam system has been developed to form proton microbeams of a few hundreds of keV with a penetration depth of micrometer range in 3-dimensional proton beam writing. Proton microbeams with kinetic energies of 100-140 keV were experimentally formed on the same point at a constant ratio of the kinetic energy of the object side to that of the image side. The experimental results indicate that the beam diameters were measured to be almost constant at approximately 6 μm at the same point with the kinetic energy range. These characteristics of the system were experimentally andmore » numerically demonstrated to be maintained as long as the ratio was constant.« less

Poly-ε-caprolactone scaffold and reduced in vitro cell culture: beneficial effect on compaction and improved valvular tissue formation.

PubMed

Brugmans, Marieke M C P; Driessen-Mol, Anita; Rubbens, Mirjam P; Cox, Martijn A J; Baaijens, Frank P T

2015-12-01

Tissue-engineered heart valves (TEHVs), based on polyglycolic acid (PGA) scaffolds coated with poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB), have shown promising in vivo results in terms of tissue formation. However, a major drawback of these TEHVs is compaction and retraction of the leaflets, causing regurgitation. To overcome this problem, the aim of this study was to investigate: (a) the use of the slowly degrading poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) scaffold for prolonged mechanical integrity; and (b) the use of lower passage cells for enhanced tissue formation. Passage 3, 5 and 7 (P3, P5 and P7) human and ovine vascular-derived cells were seeded onto both PGA-P4HB and PCL scaffold strips. After 4 weeks of culture, compaction, tissue formation, mechanical properties and cell phenotypes were compared. TEHVs were cultured to observe retraction of the leaflets in the native-like geometry. After culture, tissues based on PGA-P4HB scaffold showed 50-60% compaction, while PCL-based tissues showed compaction of 0-10%. Tissue formation, stiffness and strength were increased with decreasing passage number; however, this did not influence compaction. Ovine PCL-based tissues did render less strong tissues compared to PGA-P4HB-based tissues. No differences in cell phenotype between the scaffold materials, species or cell passage numbers were observed. This study shows that PCL scaffolds may serve as alternative scaffold materials for human TEHVs with minimal compaction and without compromising tissue composition and properties, while further optimization of ovine TEHVs is needed. Reducing cell expansion time will result in faster generation of TEHVs, providing more rapid treatment for patients. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Extreme star formation in the Milky Way: luminosity distributions of young stellar objects in W49A and W51

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eden, D. J.; Moore, T. J. T.; Urquhart, J. S.; Elia, D.; Plume, R.; König, C.; Baldeschi, A.; Schisano, E.; Rigby, A. J.; Morgan, L. K.; Thompson, M. A.

2018-07-01

We have compared the star-formation properties of the W49A and W51 regions by using far-infrared data from the Herschel infrared Galactic Plane Survey (Hi-GAL) and 850-μm observations from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) to obtain luminosities and masses, respectively, of associated compact sources. The former are infrared luminosities from the catalogue of Elia et al., while the latter are from the JCMT Plane survey source catalogue as well as measurements from new data. The clump-mass distributions of the two regions are found to be consistent with each other, as are the clump-formation efficiency and star-formation efficiency analogues. However, the frequency distributions of the luminosities of the young stellar objects are significantly different. While the luminosity distribution in W51 is consistent with Galaxy-wide samples, that of W49A is top heavy. The differences are not dramatic and are concentrated in the central regions of W49A. However, they suggest that physical conditions there, which are comparable in part to those in extragalactic starbursts, are significantly affecting the star-formation properties or evolution of the dense clumps in the region.

Extreme star formation in the Milky Way: Luminosity distributions of young stellar objects in W49A and W51

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eden, D. J.; Moore, T. J. T.; Urquhart, J. S.; Elia, D.; Plume, R.; König, C.; Baldeschi, A.; Schisano, E.; Rigby, A. J.; Morgan, L. K.; Thompson, M. A.

2018-03-01

We have compared the star-formation properties of the W49A and W51 regions by using far-infrared data from the Herschel infrared Galactic Plane Survey (Hi-GAL) and 850-μm observations from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) to obtain luminosities and masses, respectively, of associated compact sources. The former are infrared luminosities from the catalogue of Elia et al. (2017), while the latter are from the JCMT Plane survey source catalogue as well as measurements from new data. The clump-mass distributions of the two regions are found to be consistent with each other, as are the clump-formation efficiency and star-formation efficiency analogues. However, the frequency distributions of the luminosities of the young stellar objects are significantly different. While the luminosity distribution in W51 is consistent with Galaxy-wide samples, that of W49A is top-heavy. The differences are not dramatic, and are concentrated in the central regions of W49A. However, they suggest that physical conditions there, which are comparable in part to those in extragalactic starbursts, are significantly affecting the star-formation properties or evolution of the dense clumps in the region.

ComVisMD - compact visualization of multidimensional data: experimenting with cricket players data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dandin, Shridhar B.; Ducassé, Mireille

2018-03-01

Database information is multidimensional and often displayed in tabular format (row/column display). Presented in aggregated form, multidimensional data can be used to analyze the records or objects. Online Analytical database Processing (OLAP) proposes mechanisms to display multidimensional data in aggregated forms. A choropleth map is a thematic map in which areas are colored in proportion to the measurement of a statistical variable being displayed, such as population density. They are used mostly for compact graphical representation of geographical information. We propose a system, ComVisMD inspired by choropleth map and the OLAP cube to visualize multidimensional data in a compact way. ComVisMD displays multidimensional data like OLAP Cube, where we are mapping an attribute a (first dimension, e.g. year started playing cricket) in vertical direction, object coloring based on b (second dimension, e.g. batting average), mapping varying-size circles based on attribute c (third dimension, e.g. highest score), mapping numbers based on attribute d (fourth dimension, e.g. matches played). We illustrate our approach on cricket players data, namely on two tables Country and Player. They have a large number of rows and columns: 246 rows and 17 columns for players of one country. ComVisMD’s visualization reduces the size of the tabular display by a factor of about 4, allowing users to grasp more information at a time than the bare table display.

A Survey of Compact Star Clusters in the South-West Field of the M 31 Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kodaira, Keiichi; Vansevičius, Vladas; Bridzius, Audrius; Komiyama, Yutaka; Miyazaki, Satoshi; Stonkute, Rima; Šablevičiutė, Ieva; Narbutis, Donatas

2004-12-01

A survey for compact clusters with a dimension of 10pc order was conducted in an area of about 500 square arc-minutes of the south-west part of the M31 disk, making use of the high-resolution capability of Suprime-Cam. Photometry in the B, V, and R broad-bands, and in the R* medium-band centered around Hα with varying apertures was carried out for about 1200 targets, which are related to about 300 compact objects detected in the survey. The results for 101 prominent compact objects are presented as photometric catalogues and morphological atlases, separately for samples with and without strong Hα emission. Many of the compact objects, which were previously suspected to be globular cluster candidates, are judged to be open clusters based upon their internal structures of sub-arc-second order. The majority of the 49 listed compact non-emission objects, which are restricted to be brighter than MV ˜ -5, have colors of 0 < B - V < 1.0, indicating their nature of massive evolved clusters. In contrast, only about 10% of the 52 listed compact emission objects are brighter than MiV ˜ -5, probably reflecting the short period of the emission phase and the substantial effects of the circum-stellar extinction. The detection of a few candidates of background galaxies is also reported.

Optical observations of NGC 2915: A nearby blue compact dwarf galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meurer, G. R.; Mackie, G.; Carignan, C.

1994-01-01

This paper presents B and R band Charge Coupled Device (CCD) images and medium resolution spectroscopy of NGC 2915, a relatively isolated BCD (blue compact dwarf) galaxy at a distance of approximately 5 Mpc. NGC 2915 contains two stellar populations: a high surface brightness blue core population and a red diffuse population. The core population contains all of the H II, and numerous embedded objects. It is the locus of current high mass star formation. The brightest embedded objects are likely to be young ionizing clusters, while many of the fainter objects are likely to be individual supergiant stars with masses up to approximately 25 solar mass, or blends of a few such stars. Curious aligned structures on the SE side of the galaxy are seen and their nature discussed. The spectrum of the core is dominated by bright narrow emission lines like that of a high excitation and low metallicity (less than half solar) H II region. The continuum is flat, with Balmer and Ca II features seen in absorption. The velocity of the Ca II features suggest contamination by galactic interstellar absorption. There is a significant velocity gradient in the spectra, probably indicative of rotation. Outside of its core, NGC 2915 resembles a dE (dwarf elliptical) galaxy, in that it has an exponential surface brightness profile, is red ((B-R)(sub 0) = 1.65), and has a low extrapolated central surface brightness (B(0)(sub c) = 22.44). NGC 2915's properties are compared with other BCDs, concentrating on two morphologically similar BCDs that are near enough to resolve into stars: NGC 1705 and NGC 5253. It is noted that the presence of winds in BCDs invalidates closed box chemical evolution models and the remaining constraints on star formation duration are relatively weak. Some BCDs, including NGC 2915, may be able to maintain their present star formation rate for Gyr time scales. This suggests that the overall evolution of these BCDs may be much slower than the approximately 10 Myr burst time scales commonly quoted. However, shortly after the formation of a massive (10(exp 6) solar mass) cluster a BCD will have all the properties of strong starburst galaxy).

Kid-mediated chromosome compaction ensures proper nuclear envelope formation.

PubMed

Ohsugi, Miho; Adachi, Kenjiro; Horai, Reiko; Kakuta, Shigeru; Sudo, Katsuko; Kotaki, Hayato; Tokai-Nishizumi, Noriko; Sagara, Hiroshi; Iwakura, Yoichiro; Yamamoto, Tadashi

2008-03-07

Toward the end of mitosis, neighboring chromosomes gather closely to form a compact cluster. This is important for reassembling the nuclear envelope around the entire chromosome mass but not individual chromosomes. By analyzing mice and cultured cells lacking the expression of chromokinesin Kid/kinesin-10, we show that Kid localizes to the boundaries of anaphase and telophase chromosomes and contributes to the shortening of the anaphase chromosome mass along the spindle axis. Loss of Kid-mediated anaphase chromosome compaction often causes the formation of multinucleated cells, specifically at oocyte meiosis II and the first couple of mitoses leading to embryonic death. In contrast, neither male meiosis nor somatic mitosis after the morula-stage is affected by Kid deficiency. These data suggest that Kid-mediated anaphase/telophase chromosome compaction prevents formation of multinucleated cells. This protection is especially important during the very early stages of development, when the embryonic cells are rich in ooplasm.

Paving the way for the JWST: witnessing globular cluster formation at z > 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanzella, E.; Calura, F.; Meneghetti, M.; Mercurio, A.; Castellano, M.; Caminha, G. B.; Balestra, I.; Rosati, P.; Tozzi, P.; De Barros, S.; Grazian, A.; D'Ercole, A.; Ciotti, L.; Caputi, K.; Grillo, C.; Merlin, E.; Pentericci, L.; Fontana, A.; Cristiani, S.; Coe, D.

2017-06-01

We report on five compact, extremely young (<10 Myr) and blue (βUV < -2.5, Fλ = λβ) objects observed with VLT/Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer at redshifts 3.1169 and 3.235, in addition to three objects at z = 6.145. These sources are strongly magnified (3-40 times) by the Hubble Frontier Field galaxy clusters MACS J0416 and AS1063. Their delensed half-light radii (Re) are between 16 and 140 pc, the stellar masses are ≃1-20 × 106 M⊙, the magnitudes are mUV = 28.8-31.4 (-17 < MUV < -15) and specific star formation rates can be as large as ˜800 Gyr-1. Remarkably, the inferred physical properties of two objects are similar to those expected in some globular cluster formation scenarios, representing the best candidate proto-GCs discovered so far. Rest-frame optical high-dispersion spectroscopy of one of them at z = 3.1169 yields a velocity dispersion σv ≃ 20 km s-1, implying a dynamical mass dominated by the stellar mass. Another object at z = 6.145, with delensed MUV ≃ -15.3 (mUV ≃ 31.4), shows a stellar mass and a star formation rate surface density consistent with the values expected from popular GC formation scenarios. An additional star-forming region at z = 6.145, with delensed mUV ≃ 32, a stellar mass of 0.5 × 106 M⊙ and a star formation rate of 0.06 M⊙ yr-1 is also identified. These objects currently represent the faintest spectroscopically confirmed star-forming systems at z > 3, elusive even in the deepest blank fields. We discuss how proto-GCs might contribute to the ionization budget of the Universe and augment Lyα visibility during reionization. This work underlines the crucial role of JWST in characterizing the rest-frame optical and near-infrared properties of such low-luminosity high-z objects.

Sub-mm galaxies as progenitors of compact quiescent galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toft, Sune

2015-08-01

Three billion years after the big bang (at redshift z=2), half of the most massive galaxies were already old, quiescent systems with little to no residual star formation and extremely compact with stellar mass densities at least an order of magnitude larger than in low redshift ellipticals, their descendants. Little is known about how they formed, but their evolved, dense stellar populations suggest formation within intense, compact starbursts 1-2 Gyr earlier (at 3 < z < 6). Simulations show that gas-rich major mergers can give rise to such starbursts which produce dense remnants. Sub-millimetre selected galaxies (SMGs) are prime examples of intense, gas-rich, starbursts. With a new, mass-complete spectroscopic sample of compact quiescent galaxies at z=2 and a statistically well-understood sample of SMGs, we show that z = 3 -6 SMGs are consistent with being the progenitors of z = 2 quiescent galaxies, matching their formation redshifts and their distributions of sizes, stellar masses and internal velocities. Assuming an evolutionary connection, their space densities also match if the mean duty cycle of SMG starbursts is 42 (+40/-29) Myr (consistent with independent estimates), indicating that the bulk of stars in these massive galaxies were formed in a major, early surge of star-formation. These results suggests a coherent picture of the formation history of the most massive galaxies in the universe, from their initial burst of violent star-formation through their appearance as high stellardensity galaxy cores and to their ultimate fate as giant ellipticals.If time permits i will show novel, spatially resolved spectroscopic observations of the inner regions (r2, allowing for strong new constraints on their formation and evolutionary path

Searching for Compact Radio Sources Associated with UCH ii Regions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Masqué, Josep M.; Trinidad, Miguel A.; Rodríguez-Rico, Carlos A.

Ultra-compact (UC)H ii regions represent a very early stage of massive star formation. The structure and evolution of these regions are not yet fully understood. Interferometric observations showed in recent years that compact sources of uncertain nature are associated with some UCH ii regions. To examine this, we carried out VLA 1.3 cm observations in the A configuration of selected UCH ii regions in order to report additional cases of compact sources embedded in UCH ii regions. With these observations, we find 13 compact sources that are associated with 9 UCH ii regions. Although we cannot establish an unambiguous naturemore » for the newly detected sources, we assess some of their observational properties. According to the results, we can distinguish between two types of compact sources. One type corresponds to sources that are probably deeply embedded in the dense ionized gas of the UCH ii region. These sources are photoevaporated by the exciting star of the region and will last for 10{sup 4}–10{sup 5} years. They may play a crucial role in the evolution of the UCH ii region as the photoevaporated material could replenish the expanding plasma and might provide a solution to the so-called lifetime problem of these regions. The second type of compact sources is not associated with the densest ionized gas of the region. A few of these sources appear resolved and may be photoevaporating objects such as those of the first type, but with significantly lower mass depletion rates. The remaining sources of this second type appear unresolved, and their properties are varied. We speculate on the similarity between the sources of the second type and those of the Orion population of radio sources.« less

25 CFR 1000.162 - What is included in a self-governance compact?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is included in a self-governance compact? 1000.162...-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ACT Negotiation Process for Annual Funding Agreements Negotiating A Self-Governance Compact § 1000.162 What is included in a self-governance compact? A model format for self-governance...

ATLASGAL - towards a complete sample of massive star forming clumps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urquhart, J. S.; Moore, T. J. T.; Csengeri, T.; Wyrowski, F.; Schuller, F.; Hoare, M. G.; Lumsden, S. L.; Mottram, J. C.; Thompson, M. A.; Menten, K. M.; Walmsley, C. M.; Bronfman, L.; Pfalzner, S.; König, C.; Wienen, M.

2014-09-01

By matching infrared-selected, massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) and compact H II regions in the Red MSX Source survey to massive clumps found in the submillimetre ATLASGAL (APEX Telescope Large Area Survey of the Galaxy) survey, we have identified ˜1000 embedded young massive stars between 280° < ℓ < 350° and 10° < ℓ < 60° with | b | < 1.5°. Combined with an existing sample of radio-selected methanol masers and compact H II regions, the result is a catalogue of ˜1700 massive stars embedded within ˜1300 clumps located across the inner Galaxy, containing three observationally distinct subsamples, methanol-maser, MYSO and H II-region associations, covering the most important tracers of massive star formation, thought to represent key stages of evolution. We find that massive star formation is strongly correlated with the regions of highest column density in spherical, centrally condensed clumps. We find no significant differences between the three samples in clump structure or the relative location of the embedded stars, which suggests that the structure of a clump is set before the onset of star formation, and changes little as the embedded object evolves towards the main sequence. There is a strong linear correlation between clump mass and bolometric luminosity, with the most massive stars forming in the most massive clumps. We find that the MYSO and H II-region subsamples are likely to cover a similar range of evolutionary stages and that the majority are near the end of their main accretion phase. We find few infrared-bright MYSOs associated with the most massive clumps, probably due to very short pre-main-sequence lifetimes in the most luminous sources.

Lower bound on the compactness of isotropic ultracompact objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hod, Shahar

2018-04-01

Horizonless spacetimes describing spatially regular ultracompact objects which, like black-hole spacetimes, possess closed null circular geodesics (light rings) have recently attracted much attention from physicists and mathematicians. In the present paper we raise the following physically intriguing question: how compact is an ultracompact object? Using analytical techniques, we prove that ultracompact isotropic matter configurations with light rings are characterized by the dimensionless lower bound maxr{2 m (r )/r }>7 /12 on their global compactness parameter.

Gravitational-wave signatures of exotic compact objects and of quantum corrections at the horizon scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardoso, Vitor; Hopper, Seth; Macedo, Caio F. B.; Palenzuela, Carlos; Pani, Paolo

2016-10-01

Gravitational waves from binary coalescences provide one of the cleanest signatures of the nature of compact objects. It has been recently argued that the postmerger ringdown waveform of exotic ultracompact objects is initially identical to that of a black hole, and that putative corrections at the horizon scale will appear as secondary pulses after the main burst of radiation. Here we extend this analysis in three important directions: (i) we show that this result applies to a large class of exotic compact objects with a photon sphere for generic orbits in the test-particle limit; (ii) we investigate the late-time ringdown in more detail, showing that it is universally characterized by a modulated and distorted train of "echoes"of the modes of vibration associated with the photon sphere; (iii) we study for the first time equal-mass, head-on collisions of two ultracompact boson stars and compare their gravitational-wave signal to that produced by a pair of black holes. If the initial objects are compact enough as to mimic a binary black-hole collision up to the merger, the final object exceeds the maximum mass for boson stars and collapses to a black hole. This suggests that—in some configurations—the coalescence of compact boson stars might be almost indistinguishable from that of black holes. On the other hand, generic configurations display peculiar signatures that can be searched for in gravitational-wave data as smoking guns of exotic compact objects.

Parameterization of Shape and Compactness in Object-based Image Classification Using Quickbird-2 Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tonbul, H.; Kavzoglu, T.

2016-12-01

In recent years, object based image analysis (OBIA) has spread out and become a widely accepted technique for the analysis of remotely sensed data. OBIA deals with grouping pixels into homogenous objects based on spectral, spatial and textural features of contiguous pixels in an image. The first stage of OBIA, named as image segmentation, is the most prominent part of object recognition. In this study, multiresolution segmentation, which is a region-based approach, was employed to construct image objects. In the application of multi-resolution, three parameters, namely shape, compactness and scale must be set by the analyst. Segmentation quality remarkably influences the fidelity of the thematic maps and accordingly the classification accuracy. Therefore, it is of great importance to search and set optimal values for the segmentation parameters. In the literature, main focus has been on the definition of scale parameter, assuming that the effect of shape and compactness parameters is limited in terms of achieved classification accuracy. The aim of this study is to deeply analyze the influence of shape/compactness parameters by varying their values while using the optimal scale parameter determined by the use of Estimation of Scale Parameter (ESP-2) approach. A pansharpened Qickbird-2 image covering Trabzon, Turkey was employed to investigate the objectives of the study. For this purpose, six different combinations of shape/compactness were utilized to make deductions on the behavior of shape and compactness parameters and optimal setting for all parameters as a whole. Objects were assigned to classes using nearest neighbor classifier in all segmentation observations and equal number of pixels was randomly selected to calculate accuracy metrics. The highest overall accuracy (92.3%) was achieved by setting the shape/compactness criteria to 0.3/0.3. The results of this study indicate that shape/compactness parameters can have significant effect on classification accuracy with 4% change in overall accuracy. Also, statistical significance of differences in accuracy was tested using the McNemar's test and found that the difference between poor and optimal setting of shape/compactness parameters was statistically significant, suggesting a search for optimal parameterization instead of default setting.

Topology-preserving quantum deformation with non-numerical parameter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aukhadiev, Marat; Grigoryan, Suren; Lipacheva, Ekaterina

2013-11-01

We introduce a class of compact quantum semigroups, that we call semigroup deformations of compact Abelian qroups. These objects arise from reduced semigroup -algebras, the generalization of the Toeplitz algebra. We study quantum subgroups, quantum projective spaces and quantum quotient groups for such objects, and show that the group is contained as a compact quantum subgroup in the deformation of itself. The connection with the weak Hopf algebra notion is described. We give a grading on the -algebra of the compact quantum semigroups constructed.

Star formation properties of Hickson Compact Groups based on deep Hα imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eigenthaler, Paul; Ploeckinger, Sylvia; Verdugo, Miguel; Ziegler, Bodo

2015-08-01

We present deep Hα imaging of seven Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs) using the 4.1-m Southern Astrophysics Research (SOAR) Telescope. The high spatial resolution of the observations allows us to study both the integrated star formation properties of the main galaxies as well as the 2D distribution of star-forming knots in the faint tidal arms that form during interactions between the individual galaxies. We derive star formation rates and stellar masses for group members and discuss their position relative to the main sequence of star-forming galaxies. Despite the existence of tidal features within the galaxy groups, we do not find any indication for enhanced star formation in the selected sample of HCGs. We study azimuthally averaged Hα profiles of the galaxy discs and compare them with the g' and r' surface brightness profiles. We do not find any truncated galaxy discs but reveal that more massive galaxies show a higher light concentration in Hα than less massive ones. We also see that galaxies that show a high light concentration in r', show a systematic higher light concentration in Hα. Tidal dwarf galaxy (TDG) candidates have been previously detected in R-band images for two groups in our sample but we find that most of them are likely background objects as they do not show any emission in Hα. We present a new TDG candidate at the tip of the tidal tail in HCG 91.

Stellar systems in the direction of the Hickson Compact Group 44. I. Low surface brightness galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith Castelli, A. V.; Faifer, F. R.; Escudero, C. G.

2016-11-01

Context. In spite of the numerous studies of low-luminosity galaxies in different environments, there is still no consensus about their formation scenario. In particular, a large number of galaxies displaying extremely low-surface brightnesses have been detected in the last year, and the nature of these objects is under discussion. Aims: In this paper we report the detection of two extended low-surface brightness (LSB) objects (μeffg' ≃ 27 mag) found, in projection, next to NGC 3193 and in the zone of the Hickson Compact Group (HCG) 44, respectively. Methods: We analyzed deep, high-quality, GEMINI-GMOS images with ELLIPSE within IRAF in order to obtain their brightness profiles and structural parameters. We also searched for the presence of globular clusters (GC) in these fields. Results: We have found that, if these LSB galaxies were at the distances of NGC 3193 and HCG 44, they would show sizes and luminosities similar to those of the ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) found in the Coma cluster and other associations. In that case, their sizes would be rather larger than those displayed by the Local Group dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies. We have detected a few unresolved sources in the sky zone occupied by these galaxies showing colors and brightnesses typical of blue globular clusters. Conclusions: From the comparison of the properties of the galaxies presented in this work with those of similar objects reported in the literature, we have found that LSB galaxies display sizes covering a quite extended continous range (reff 0.3-4.5 kpc), in contrast to "normal" early-type galaxies, which show reff 1.0 kpc with a low dispersion. This fact might point to different formation processes for both types of galaxies.

M32 analogs? A population of massive ultra-compact dwarf and compact elliptical galaxies in intermediate-redshift clusters

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Yuanyuan; Bell, Eric F.

2017-01-13

Here, we report the discovery of relatively massive, M32-like ultra compact dwarf (UCD) and compact elliptical (CE) galaxy candidates inmore » $$0.2\\lt z\\lt 0.6$$ massive galaxy clusters imaged by the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) survey. Examining the nearly unresolved objects in the survey, we identify a sample of compact objects concentrated around the cluster central galaxies with colors similar to cluster red sequence galaxies. Their colors and magnitudes suggest stellar masses around $${10}^{9}{M}_{\\odot }$$. More than half of these galaxies have half-light radii smaller than 200 pc, falling into the category of massive UCDs and CEs, with properties similar to M32. The properties are consistent with a tidal stripping origin, but we cannot rule out the possibility that they are early-formed compact objects trapped in massive dark matter halos. The 17 CLASH clusters studied in this work on average contain 2.7 of these objects in their central 0.3 Mpc and 0.6 in their central 50 kpc. Our study demonstrates the possibility of statistically characterizing UCDs/CEs with a large set of uniform imaging survey data.« less

M32 analogs? A population of massive ultra-compact dwarf and compact elliptical galaxies in intermediate-redshift clusters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Yuanyuan; Bell, Eric F.

Here, we report the discovery of relatively massive, M32-like ultra compact dwarf (UCD) and compact elliptical (CE) galaxy candidates inmore » $$0.2\\lt z\\lt 0.6$$ massive galaxy clusters imaged by the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) survey. Examining the nearly unresolved objects in the survey, we identify a sample of compact objects concentrated around the cluster central galaxies with colors similar to cluster red sequence galaxies. Their colors and magnitudes suggest stellar masses around $${10}^{9}{M}_{\\odot }$$. More than half of these galaxies have half-light radii smaller than 200 pc, falling into the category of massive UCDs and CEs, with properties similar to M32. The properties are consistent with a tidal stripping origin, but we cannot rule out the possibility that they are early-formed compact objects trapped in massive dark matter halos. The 17 CLASH clusters studied in this work on average contain 2.7 of these objects in their central 0.3 Mpc and 0.6 in their central 50 kpc. Our study demonstrates the possibility of statistically characterizing UCDs/CEs with a large set of uniform imaging survey data.« less

TGF-β-independent CTGF induction regulates cell adhesion mediated drug resistance by increasing collagen I in HCC.

PubMed

Song, Yeonhwa; Kim, Jin-Sun; Choi, Eun Kyung; Kim, Joon; Kim, Kang Mo; Seo, Haeng Ran

2017-03-28

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is resistant to conventional chemotherapeutic agents and remains an unmet medical need. Here, we demonstrate a mechanism of cell adhesion-mediated drug resistance using a variety of HCC spheroid models to overcome environment-mediated drug resistance in HCC. We classified spheroids into two groups, tightly compacted and loosely compacted aggregates, based on investigation of dynamics of spheroid formation. Our results show that compactness of HCC spheroids correlated with fibroblast-like characteristics, collagen 1A1 (COL1A1) content, and capacity for chemoresistance. We also showed that ablation of COL1A1 attenuated not only the capacity for compact-spheroid formation, but also chemoresistance. Generally, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) acts downstream of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and promotes collagen I fiber deposition in the tumor microenvironment. Importantly, we found that TGF-β-independent CTGF is upregulated and regulates cell adhesion-mediated drug resistance by inducing COL1A1 in tightly compacted HCC spheroids. Furthermore, losartan, which inhibits collagen I synthesis, impaired the compactness of spheroids via disruption of cell-cell contacts and increased the efficacy of anticancer therapeutics in HCC cell line- and HCC patient-derived tumor spheroids. These results strongly suggest functional roles for CTGF-induced collagen I expression in formation of compact spheroids and in evading anticancer therapies in HCC, and suggest that losartan, administered in combination with conventional chemotherapy, might be an effective treatment for liver cancer.

Fabrication methods and anisotropic properties of graphite matrix compacts for use in HTGR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeo, Sunghwan; Yun, Jihae; Kim, Sungok; Cho, Moon Sung; Lee, Young-Woo

2018-02-01

This study investigated the anisotropic microstructural, mechanical, and thermal properties of fabricated graphite matrix prismatic compacts for High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGR) fuel. When the observed alignment of graphite grains and the coke derived from phenolic resin is in the transverse direction, the result is severely anisotropic thermal properties. Compacts with such orientation in the transverse direction exhibited increases of thermal expansion and conductivity up to 5.8 times and 4.82 times, respectively, more than those in the axial direction. The formation of pores due to the pyrolysis of phenolic resin was observed predominantly on upper region of the fabricated compacts. This anisotropic pore formation created anisotropic Vickers hardness on the planes with different directions.

Globular clusters in high-redshift dwarf galaxies: a case study from the Local Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zick, Tom O.; Weisz, Daniel R.; Boylan-Kolchin, Michael

2018-06-01

We present the reconstructed evolution of rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) luminosities of the most massive Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxy, Fornax, and its five globular clusters (GCs) across redshift, based on analysis of the stellar fossil record and stellar population synthesis modelling. We find that (1) Fornax's (proto-)GCs can generate 10-100 times more UV flux than the field population, despite comprising <˜{5} per cent of the stellar mass at the relevant redshifts; (2) due to their respective surface brightnesses, it is more likely that faint, compact sources in the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFFs) are GCs hosted by faint galaxies, than faint galaxies themselves. This may significantly complicate the construction of a galaxy UV luminosity function at z > 3. (3) GC formation can introduce order-of-magnitude errors in abundance matching. We also find that some compact HFF objects are consistent with the reconstructed properties of Fornax's GCs at the same redshifts (e.g. surface brightness, star formation rate), suggesting we may have already detected proto-GCs in the early Universe. Finally, we discuss the prospects for improving the connections between local GCs and proto-GCs detected in the early Universe.

Multiwavelength observations of two B-star nurseries - DR 15 and DR 20

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Odenwald, S. F.; Campbell, M. F.; Shivanandan, K.; Schwartz, P.; Fazio, G. G.; Moseley, H.

1990-01-01

New observations of DR 15 and 20 are reported as part of a study of compact H II regions in the Cyg X region. The radio and FIR data for these objects, when combined with (C-12)O maps, IRAS imagery, and optical photographs, provide new insights into the structure of this complex region and the nature of the star-formation process there. The observations show that DR 15 may consist of one or two B0 ZAMS stars whose H I regions have formed a low-density cavity within a molecular cloud. DR 20 appears to be a young OB cluster. The cluster is dominated by an O5.5 ZAMS star and also contains an approximately 3500-yr-old B0 star appearing as a compact H II region, along with weak FIR sources that may be B0-star candidates.

Gravitational Wave Astronomy:The High Frequency Window

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersson, Nils; Kokkotas, Kostas D.

As several large scale interferometers are beginning to take data at sensitivities where astrophysical sources are predicted, the direct detection of gravitational waves may well be imminent. This would (finally) open the long anticipated gravitational-wave window to our Universe, and should lead to a much improved understanding of the most violent processes imaginable; the formation of black holes and neutron stars following core collapse supernovae and the merger of compact objects at the end of binary inspiral. Over the next decade we can hope to learn much about the extreme physics associated with, in particular, neutron stars. This contribution is divided in two parts. The first part provides a text-book level introduction to gravitational radiation. The key concepts required for a discussion of gravitational-wave physics are introduced. In particular, the quadrupole formula is applied to the anticipated bread-and-butter source for detectors like LIGO, GEO600, EGO and TAMA300: inspiralling compact binaries. The second part provides a brief review of high frequency gravitational waves. In the frequency range above (say) 100 Hz, gravitational collapse, rotational instabilities and oscillations of the remnant compact objects are potentially important sources of gravitational waves. Significant and unique information concerning the various stages of collapse, the evolution of protoneutron stars and the details of the supranuclear equation of state of such objects can be drawn from careful study of the gravitational-wave signal. As the amount of exciting physics one may be able to study via the detections of gravitational waves from these sources is truly inspiring, there is strong motivation for the development of future generations of ground based detectors sensitive in the range from hundreds of Hz to several kHz.

On the formation mechanisms of compact elliptical galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferré-Mateu, Anna; Forbes, Duncan A.; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Janz, Joachim; Dixon, Christopher

2018-01-01

In order to investigate the formation mechanisms of the rare compact elliptical (cE) galaxies, we have compiled a sample of 25 cEs with good SDSS spectra, covering a range of stellar masses, sizes and environments. They have been visually classified according to the interaction with their host, representing different evolutionary stages. We have included clearly disrupted galaxies, galaxies that despite not showing signs of interaction are located close to a massive neighbour (thus are good candidates for a stripping process), and cEs with no host nearby. For the latter, tidal stripping is less likely to have happened and instead they could simply represent the very low-mass, faint end of the ellipticals. We study a set of properties (structural parameters, stellar populations, star formation histories and mass ratios) that can be used to discriminate between an intrinsic or stripped origin. We find that one diagnostic tool alone is inconclusive for the majority of objects. However, if we combine all the tools a clear picture emerges. The most plausible origin, as well as the evolutionary stage and progenitor type, can be then determined. Our results favour the stripping mechanism for those galaxies in groups and clusters that have a plausible host nearby, but favours an intrinsic origin for those rare cEs without a plausible host and that are located in looser environments.

Near infrared observations of S155. evidence of induced star formation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunt, L. K.; Lisi, F.; Felli, M.; Tofani, G.

At the interface of the giant molecular cloud Cepheus OB3, S155 represents one of the most interesting examples of bright rim produced by the ionization of a nearby O-star. The interaction between the ionized HII region S155 and the hot molecular core Cepheus B may constitute the ideal site for new stars, according to the sequential star-formation theory. Past observations of molecular lines have shown the evidence of a hot spot in the cloud core, probably a compact region associated to a young stellar object. New J,H,K images recently obtained with the ARNICA array at the TIRGO telescope give evidence of stars with strong near-infrared excess, which must represent the newest generation of young stars.

Li-S batteries: Firing for compactness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yanguang; Chen, Fengjiao

2017-07-01

Conventional Li-S batteries have a non-compact cathode structure containing low areal loading of active materials. Now, a strategy of burning Li foils in a CS2 vapour is presented, which leads to the formation of highly compact Li2S nanoparticles as a lithiated sulfur cathode, offering promising battery performance.

The Stellar Populations of Ultra-Compact Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karick, Arna; Gregg, M. D.

2006-12-01

We have discovered an intracluster population of ultra-luminous compact stellar systems in the Fornax cluster. Originally coined "ultra-compact dwarf galaxies" (UCDs), these objects were thought to be remnant nuclei of tidally stripped dE,Ns. Subsequent searches in Fornax (2dF+VLT) have revealed many fainter UCDs; making them the most numerous galaxy type in the cluster and fueling controversy over their origin. UCDs may be the bright tail of the globular cluster (GCs) population associated with NGC1399. Alternatively they may be real intracluster GCs, resulting from hierarchical cluster formation and merging in intracluster space. Determining the stellar populations of these enigmatic objects is challenging. UCDs are unresolved from the ground but our HST/STIS+ACS imaging reveals faint halos around the brightest UCDs. Here we present deep u'g'r'i'z' images of the cluster core using the CTIO 4m Mosaic. Combined with GALEX/UV imaging and using SSP isochrones, UCDs appear to be old, red and unlike cluster dEs. In contrast, our recent IMACS and Keck/LRIS+ESI spectroscopy shows that UCDs are unlike GCs and have intermediate stellar populations with significant variations in their Mg and Hβ line strength indices. This work is supported by National Science Foundation Grant No. 0407445 and was done at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48.

Galaxy triplets in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 - II. A connection with compact groups?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duplancic, Fernanda; O'Mill, Ana Laura; Lambas, Diego G.; Sodré, Laerte; Alonso, Sol

2013-08-01

We analyse a sample of 71 triplets of luminous galaxies derived from the work of O'Mill et al. We compare the properties of triplets and their members with those of control samples of compact groups, the 10 brightest members of rich clusters and galaxies in pairs. The triplets are restricted to have members with spectroscopic redshifts in the range 0.01 ≤ z ≤ 0.14 and absolute r-band luminosities brighter than Mr = -20.5. For these member galaxies, we analyse the stellar mass content, the star formation rates, the Dn(4000) parameter and (Mg - Mr) colour index. Since galaxies in triplets may finally merge in a single system, we analyse different global properties of these systems. We calculate the probability that the properties of galaxies in triplets are strongly correlated. We also study total star formation activity and global colours, and define the triplet compactness as a measure of the percentage of the system total area that is filled by the light of member galaxies. We concentrate in the comparison of our results with those of compact groups to assess how the triplets are a natural extension of these compact systems. Our analysis suggests that triplet galaxy members behave similarly to compact group members and galaxies in rich clusters. We also find that systems comprising three blue, star-forming, young stellar population galaxies (blue triplets) are most probably real systems and not a chance configuration of interloping galaxies. The same holds for triplets composed of three red, non-star-forming galaxies, showing the correlation of galaxy properties in these systems. From the analysis of the triplet as a whole, we conclude that, at a given total stellar mass content, triplets show a total star formation activity and global colours similar to compact groups. However, blue triplets show a high total star formation activity with a lower stellar mass content. From an analysis of the compactness parameter of the systems we find that light is even more concentrated in triplets than in compact groups. We propose that triplets composed of three luminous galaxies, should not be considered as an analogous of galaxy pairs with a third extra member, but rather they are a natural extension of compact groups.

New Evidence for a Black Hole in the Compact Binary Cygnus X-3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shrader, Chris R.; Titarchuk, Lev; Shaposhnikov, Nikolai

2010-01-01

The bright and highly variable X-ray and radio source known as Cygnus X-3 was among the first X-ray sources discovered, yet it remains in many ways an enigma. Its known to consist of a massive. Wolf-Rayet primary in an extremely tight orbit with a compact object. Yet one of the most basic of pa.ranietern the mass of the compact object - is not known. Nor is it even clear whether its is a neutron star or a black hole. In this Paper we present our analysis of the broad-band high-energy continua covering a substantial range in luminosity and spectral morphology. We apply these results to a recently identified scaling relationship which has been demonstrated to provide reliable estimates of the compact object mass in a number of accretion powered binaries. This analysis leads us to conclude that the compact object in Cygnus X-3 has a mass greater than 4.2 solar mass thus clearly indicative of a black hole and as such resolving a longstanding issue. The full range of uncertainty in our analysis and from using a. range of recently published distance estimates constrains the compact object mass to lie between 4.2 solar mass and 14.4 solar mass. Our favored estimate, based on a 9.0 kpc distance estimate is approx. l0 solar mass, with the. error margin of 3.2 solar masses. This result may thus pose challenges to shared-envelope evolutionary models of compact binaries. as well as establishing Cygnus X-3 as the first confirmed accretion-powered galactic gamma: ray source.

A simple physical model for X-ray burst sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joss, P. C.; Rappaport, S.

1977-01-01

In connection with information considered by Illarianov and Sunyaev (1975) and van den Heuvel (1975), a simple physical model for an X-ray burst source in the galactic disk is proposed. The model includes an unevolved OB star with a relatively weak stellar wind and a compact object in a close binary system. For some reason, the stellar wind from the OB star is unable to accrete steadily on to the compact object. When the stellar wind is sufficiently weak, the compact object accretes irregularly, leading to X-ray bursts.

The Past, Present and Future of the Compact Disc, Multimedia and the Industry: An Interview with Sony's Dr. Toshi Doi.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herther, Nancy

1992-01-01

This interview with Dr. Toshi Doi, director of the Sony Corporation, covers his work at Sony, the multimedia industry, industry cooperation, Sony compact disc products and formats, multimedia standards and pricing, multimedia formats, and the future of the industry. A diagram of computer companies and corresponding multimedia platforms is…

MoonBEAM: Gamma-Ray Burst Detectors on SmallSAT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hui, C. M.; Briggs, M. S.; Goldstein, A. M.; Jenke, P. A.; Kocevski, D.; Wilson-Hodge, C. A.

2018-01-01

Moon Burst Energetics All-sky Monitor (MoonBEAM) is a CubeSat concept of deploying gamma-ray detectors in cislunar space to improve localization precision for gamma-ray bursts by utilizing the light travel time difference between a spacecraft in Earth and cislunar orbit. MoonBEAM is designed with high TRL components to be flight ready. This instrument would probe the extreme processes in cosmic collision of compact objects and facilitate multi-messenger time-domain astronomy to explore the end of stellar life cycles and black hole formations.

The spatial extent and distribution of star formation in 3D-HST mergers at z ˜ 1.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Kasper B.; Rix, Hans-Walter; da Cunha, Elisabete; Brammer, Gabriel B.; Cox, Thomas J.; van Dokkum, Pieter; Förster Schreiber, Natascha M.; Franx, Marijn; Fumagalli, Mattia; Jonsson, Patrik; Lundgren, Britt; Maseda, Michael V.; Momcheva, Ivelina; Nelson, Erica J.; Skelton, Rosalind E.; van der Wel, Arjen; Whitaker, Katherine E.

2013-06-01

We present an analysis of the spatial distribution of star formation in a sample of 60 visually identified galaxy merger candidates at z > 1. Our sample, drawn from the 3D-HST survey, is flux limited and was selected to have high star formation rates based on fits of their broad-band, low spatial resolution spectral energy distributions. It includes plausible pre-merger (close pairs) and post-merger (single objects with tidal features) systems, with total stellar masses and star formation rates derived from multiwavelength photometry. Here we use near-infrared slitless spectra from 3D-HST which produce Hα or [O III] emission line maps as proxies for star formation maps. This provides a first comprehensive high-resolution, empirical picture of where star formation occurred in galaxy mergers at the epoch of peak cosmic star formation rate. We find that detectable star formation can occur in one or both galaxy centres, or in tidal tails. The most common case (58 per cent) is that star formation is largely concentrated in a single, compact region, coincident with the centre of (one of) the merger components. No correlations between star formation morphology and redshift, total stellar mass or star formation rate are found. A restricted set of hydrodynamical merger simulations between similarly massive and gas-rich objects implies that star formation should be detectable in both merger components, when the gas fractions of the individual components are the same. This suggests that z ˜ 1.5 mergers typically occur between galaxies whose gas fractions, masses and/or star formation rates are distinctly different from one another.

The Spatial Extent and Distribution of Star Formation in 3D-HST Mergers at z is approximately 1.5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, Kasper B.; Rix, Hans-Walter; da Cunha, Elisabete; Brammer, Gabriel B.; Cox, Thomas J.; Van Dokkum, Pieter; Foerster Schreiber, Natascha M.; Franx, Marijn; Fumagalli, Mattia; Jonsson, Patrik;

Myostatin propeptide mutation of the hypermuscular Compact mice decreases the formation of myostatin and improves insulin sensitivity.

PubMed

Kocsis, Tamas; Trencsenyi, Gyorgy; Szabo, Kitti; Baan, Julia Aliz; Muller, Geza; Mendler, Luca; Garai, Ildiko; Reinauer, Hans; Deak, Ferenc; Dux, Laszlo; Keller-Pinter, Aniko

2017-03-01

The TGFβ family member myostatin (growth/differentiation factor-8) is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth. The hypermuscular Compact mice carry the 12-bp Mstn(Cmpt-dl1Abc) deletion in the sequence encoding the propeptide region of the precursor promyostatin, and additional modifier genes of the Compact genetic background contribute to determine the full expression of the phenotype. In this study, by using mice strains carrying mutant or wild-type myostatin alleles with the Compact genetic background and nonmutant myostatin with the wild-type background, we studied separately the effect of the Mstn(Cmpt-dl1Abc) mutation or the Compact genetic background on morphology, metabolism, and signaling. We show that both the Compact myostatin mutation and Compact genetic background account for determination of skeletal muscle size. Despite the increased musculature of Compact s, the absolute size of heart and kidney is not influenced by myostatin mutation; however, the Compact genetic background increases them. Both Compact myostatin and genetic background exhibit systemic metabolic effects. The Compact mutation decreases adiposity and improves whole body glucose uptake, insulin sensitivity, and 18 FDG uptake of skeletal muscle and white adipose tissue, whereas the Compact genetic background has the opposite effect. Importantly, the mutation does not prevent the formation of mature myostatin; however, a decrease in myostatin level was observed, leading to altered activation of Smad2, Smad1/5/8, and Akt, and an increased level of p-AS160, a Rab-GTPase-activating protein responsible for GLUT4 translocation. Based on our analysis, the Compact genetic background strengthens the effect of myostatin mutation on muscle mass, but those can compensate for each other when systemic metabolic effects are compared. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Opening the CHOCBOX: clumpy stellar winds in Cyg X-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grinberg, V.; Uttley, P.; Wilms, J.; Miller-Jones, J.; Pottschmidt, K.; Niu, S.; Hirsch, M.; Chocbox Collaboration

2017-10-01

Winds of O/B-stars are key drivers of enrichment and star formation and evolution. Yet, our understanding of their clumpy structure is limited. Luckily, high mass X-ray binaries, where the compact object accretes from the stellar wind of the companion, are perfect laboratories to study such winds: the X-ray radiation from the vicinity of the compact object is quasi-pointlike and effectively X-rays the clumps crossing the line of sight. We observed the high mass X-ray binary Cyg X-1 with XMM for 7 consecutive days with simultaneous coverage with NuSTAR, INTEGRAL and VLBA. One of our main aims was to probe the wind of the O-type companion in an unprecedented uninterrupted campaign, spanning more than an orbital period and including two superior conjunctions where we expect the densest wind. Here, we present first results from the CHOCBOX (Cyg X-1 Hard state Observations of a Complete Binary Orbit in X-rays) campaign and compare them to previous work, in particular multi-year studies of absorption variability and high resolution snapshots with Chandra-HETG. We argue that the clumps have a complex structure with hotter outer and colder inner layers and are not symmetrical.

Three dimensional, non-linear, finite element analysis of compactable soil interaction with a hyperelastic wheel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiroux, Robert Charles

The objective of this research was to produce a three dimensional, non-linear, dynamic simulation of the interaction between a hyperelastic wheel rolling over compactable soil. The finite element models developed to produce the simulation utilized the ABAQUS/Explicit computer code. Within the simulation two separate bodies were modeled, the hyperelastic wheel and a compactable soil-bed. Interaction between the bodies was achieved by allowing them to come in contact but not to penetrate the contact surface. The simulation included dynamic loading of a hyperelastic, rubber tire in contact with compactable soil with an applied constant angular velocity or torque, including a tow load, applied to the wheel hub. The constraints on the wheel model produced a straight and curved path. In addition the simulation included a shear limit between the tire and soil allowing for the introduction of slip. Soil properties were simulated using the Drucker-Prager, Cap Plasticity model available within the ABAQUS/Explicit program. Numerical results obtained from the three dimensional model were compared with related experimental data and showed good correlation for similar conditions. Numerical and experimental data compared well for both stress and wheel rut formation depth under a weight of 5.8 kN and a constant angular velocity applied to the wheel hub. The simulation results provided a demonstration of the benefit of three-dimensional simulation in comparison to previous two-dimensional, plane strain simulations.

Workshop on Physics of Accretion Disks Around Compact and Young Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liang, E (Editor); Stepinski, T. F. (Editor)

1995-01-01

The purpose of the two-day Workshop on Physics of Accretion Disks Around Compact and Young Stars was to bring together workers on accretion disks in the western Gulf region (Texas and Louisiana). Part 2 presents the workshop program, a list of poster presentations, and a list of workshop participants. Accretion disks are believed to surround many stars. Some of these disks form around compact stars, such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, or black holes that are members of binary systems and reveal themselves as a power source, especially in the x-ray and gamma regions of the spectrum. On the other hand, protostellar disks are believed to be accretion disks associated with young, pre-main-sequence stars and manifest themselves mostly in infrared and radio observations. These disks are considered to be a natural outcome of the star formation process. The focus of this workshop included theory and observations relevant to accretion disks around compact objects and newly forming stars, with the primary purpose of bringing the two communities together for intellectual cross-fertilization. The nature of the workshop was exploratory, to see how much interaction is possible between distinct communities and to better realize the local potential in this subject. A critical workshop activity was identification and documentation of key issues that are of mutual interest to both communities.

Submillimeter Galaxies as Progenitors of Compact Quiescent Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toft, S.; Smolcic, V.; Magnelli, B.; Karim, A.; Zirm, A.; Michalowski, M.; Capak, P.; Sheth, K.; Schawinski, K.; Krogager, J.-K.;

Submillimeter Galaxies as Progenitors of Compact Quiescent Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toft, S.; Smolčić, V.; Magnelli, B.; Karim, A.; Zirm, A.; Michalowski, M.; Capak, P.; Sheth, K.; Schawinski, K.; Krogager, J.-K.; Wuyts, S.; Sanders, D.; Man, A. W. S.; Lutz, D.; Staguhn, J.; Berta, S.; Mccracken, H.; Krpan, J.; Riechers, D.

2014-02-01

Three billion years after the big bang (at redshift z = 2), half of the most massive galaxies were already old, quiescent systems with little to no residual star formation and extremely compact with stellar mass densities at least an order of magnitude larger than in low-redshift ellipticals, their descendants. Little is known about how they formed, but their evolved, dense stellar populations suggest formation within intense, compact starbursts 1-2 Gyr earlier (at 3 < z < 6). Simulations show that gas-rich major mergers can give rise to such starbursts, which produce dense remnants. Submillimeter-selected galaxies (SMGs) are prime examples of intense, gas-rich starbursts. With a new, representative spectroscopic sample of compact, quiescent galaxies at z = 2 and a statistically well-understood sample of SMGs, we show that z = 3-6 SMGs are consistent with being the progenitors of z = 2 quiescent galaxies, matching their formation redshifts and their distributions of sizes, stellar masses, and internal velocities. Assuming an evolutionary connection, their space densities also match if the mean duty cycle of SMG starbursts is 42^{+40}_{-29} Myr (consistent with independent estimates), which indicates that the bulk of stars in these massive galaxies were formed in a major, early surge of star formation. These results suggest a coherent picture of the formation history of the most massive galaxies in the universe, from their initial burst of violent star formation through their appearance as high stellar-density galaxy cores and to their ultimate fate as giant ellipticals.

Chemical characteristics and origin of H chondrite regolith breccias

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lipschutz, M. E.; Biswas, S.; Mcsween, H. Y., Jr.

1983-01-01

Petrologic data and contents of Ag, Bi, Cd, Co, Cs, Ga, In, Rb, Se, Te, Tl and Zn-trace elements spanning the volatility/mobility range-in light and dark portions of H chondrite regolith breccias and L chondrite fragmental breccias are reported. The chemical/petrologic characteristics of H chondrite regolith breccias differ from those of nonbrecciated chondrites or fragmental breccias. Petrologic characteristics and at least some trace element contents of H chondrite regolith breccias reflect primary processes; contents of the most volatile/mobile elements may reflect either primary or secondary processing, possibly within layered H chondrite parent object(s). Chemical/petrologic differences existed in different regions of the parent(s). Regoligh formation and gardening and meteoroid compaction were not so severe as to alter compositions markedly.

Confronting Models of Massive Star Evolution and Explosions with Remnant Mass Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raithel, Carolyn A.; Sukhbold, Tuguldur; Özel, Feryal

2018-03-01

The mass distribution of compact objects provides a fossil record that can be studied to uncover information on the late stages of massive star evolution, the supernova explosion mechanism, and the dense matter equation of state. Observations of neutron star masses indicate a bimodal Gaussian distribution, while the observed black hole mass distribution decays exponentially for stellar-mass black holes. We use these observed distributions to directly confront the predictions of stellar evolution models and the neutrino-driven supernova simulations of Sukhbold et al. We find strong agreement between the black hole and low-mass neutron star distributions created by these simulations and the observations. We show that a large fraction of the stellar envelope must be ejected, either during the formation of stellar-mass black holes or prior to the implosion through tidal stripping due to a binary companion, in order to reproduce the observed black hole mass distribution. We also determine the origins of the bimodal peaks of the neutron star mass distribution, finding that the low-mass peak (centered at ∼1.4 M ⊙) originates from progenitors with M ZAMS ≈ 9–18 M ⊙. The simulations fail to reproduce the observed peak of high-mass neutron stars (centered at ∼1.8 M ⊙) and we explore several possible explanations. We argue that the close agreement between the observed and predicted black hole and low-mass neutron star mass distributions provides new, promising evidence that these stellar evolution and explosion models capture the majority of relevant stellar, nuclear, and explosion physics involved in the formation of compact objects.

CANDELS+3D-HST: Compact SFGs at z ∼ 2-3, the progenitors of the first quiescent galaxies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barro, G.; Faber, S. M.; Koo, D. C.

We analyze the star-forming and structural properties of 45 massive (log(M/M{sub ☉}) >10) compact star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at 2 < z < 3 to explore whether they are progenitors of compact quiescent galaxies at z ∼ 2. The optical/NIR and far-IR Spitzer/Herschel colors indicate that most compact SFGs are heavily obscured. Nearly half (47%) host an X-ray-bright active galactic nucleus (AGN). In contrast, only about 10% of other massive galaxies at that time host AGNs. Compact SFGs have centrally concentrated light profiles and spheroidal morphologies similar to quiescent galaxies and are thus strikingly different from other SFGs, which typically aremore » disk-like and sometimes clumpy or irregular. Most compact SFGs lie either within the star formation rate (SFR)-mass main sequence (65%) or below it (30%), on the expected evolutionary path toward quiescent galaxies. These results show conclusively that galaxies become more compact before they lose their gas and dust, quenching star formation. Using extensive HST photometry from CANDELS and grism spectroscopy from the 3D-HST survey, we model their stellar populations with either exponentially declining (τ) star formation histories (SFHs) or physically motivated SFHs drawn from semianalytic models (SAMs). SAMs predict longer formation timescales and older ages ∼2 Gyr, which are nearly twice as old as the estimates of the τ models. Both models yield good spectral energy distribution fits, indicating that the systematic uncertainty in the age due to degeneracies in the SFH is of that order of magnitude. However, SAM SFHs better match the observed slope and zero point of the SFR-mass main sequence. Contrary to expectations, some low-mass compact SFGs (log(M/M{sub ☉}) =10-10.6) have younger ages but lower specific SFRs than that of more massive galaxies, suggesting that the low-mass galaxies reach the red sequence faster. If the progenitors of compact SFGs are extended SFGs, state-of-the-art SAMs show that mergers and disk instabilities (DIs) are both able to shrink galaxies, but DIs are more frequent (60% versus 40%) and form more concentrated galaxies. We confirm this result via high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations.« less

A systematic search for dwarf counterparts to ultra compact high velocity clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennet, Paul; Sand, David J.; Crnojevic, Denija; Strader, Jay

2015-01-01

Observations of the Universe on scales smaller than typical, massive galaxies challenge the standard Lambda Cold Dark Matter paradigm for structure formation. It is thus imperative to discover and characterize the faintest dwarf galaxy systems, not just within the Local Group, but in relatively isolated environments as well in order to properly connect them with models of structure formation. Here we report on a systematic search of public ultraviolet and optical archives for dwarf galaxy counterparts to so-called Ultra Compact High Velocity Clouds (UCHVCs), which are compact, isolated HI sources recently found in the Galactic Arecibo L-band Feed Array-HI (GALFA-HI) and Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA-HI) surveys. Our search has uncovered at least three strong dwarf galaxy candidates, and we present their inferred star formation rate and structural properties here.

The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems.

PubMed

Postnov, Konstantin A; Yungelson, Lev R

2014-01-01

We review the formation and evolution of compact binary stars consisting of white dwarfs (WDs), neutron stars (NSs), and black holes (BHs). Mergings of compact-star binaries are expected to be the most important sources for forthcoming gravitational-wave (GW) astronomy. In the first part of the review, we discuss observational manifestations of close binaries with NS and/or BH components and their merger rate, crucial points in the formation and evolution of compact stars in binary systems, including the treatment of the natal kicks, which NSs and BHs acquire during the core collapse of massive stars and the common envelope phase of binary evolution, which are most relevant to the merging rates of NS-NS, NS-BH and BH-BH binaries. The second part of the review is devoted mainly to the formation and evolution of binary WDs and their observational manifestations, including their role as progenitors of cosmologically-important thermonuclear SN Ia. We also consider AM CVn-stars, which are thought to be the best verification binary GW sources for future low-frequency GW space interferometers.

Media additives to promote spheroid circularity and compactness in hanging drop platform.

PubMed

Leung, Brendan M; Lesher-Perez, Sasha Cai; Matsuoka, Toshiki; Moraes, Christopher; Takayama, Shuichi

2015-02-01

Three-dimensional spheroid cultures have become increasingly popular as drug screening platforms, especially with the advent of different high throughput spheroid forming technologies. However, comparing drug efficacy across different cell types in spheroid culture can be difficult due to variations in spheroid morphologies and transport characteristics. Improving the reproducibility of compact, circular spheroids contributes to standardizing and increasing the fidelity of the desired gradient profiles in these drug screening three-dimensional tissue cultures. In this study we discuss the role that circularity and compaction has on spheroids, and demonstrate the impact methylcellulose (MethoCel) and collagen additives in the culture media can contribute to more compact and circular spheroid morphology. We demonstrate that improved spheroid formation is not a simple function of increased viscosity of the different macromolecule additives, suggesting that other macromolecular characteristics contribute to improved spheroid formation. Of the various macromolecular additives tested for hanging drop culture, MethoCel provided the most desirable spheroid formation. Additionally, the higher viscosity of MethoCel-containing media improved the ease of imaging of cellular spheroids within hanging drop cultures by reducing motion-induced image blur.

The Ultraviolet and Infrared Star Formation Rates of Compact Group Galaxies: An Expanded Sample

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lenkic, Laura; Tzanavaris, Panayiotis; Gallagher, Sarah C.; Desjardins, Tyler D.; Walker, Lisa May; Johnson, Kelsey E.; Fedotov, Konstantin; Charlton, Jane; Cardiff, Ann H.; Durell, Pat R.

2016-01-01

Compact groups of galaxies provide insight into the role of low-mass, dense environments in galaxy evolution because the low velocity dispersions and close proximity of galaxy members result in frequent interactions that take place over extended time-scales. We expand the census of star formation in compact group galaxies by Tzanavaris et al. (2010) and collaborators with Swift UVOT, Spitzer IRAC and MIPS 24 m photometry of a sample of 183 galaxies in 46 compact groups. After correcting luminosities for the contribution from old stellar populations, we estimate the dust-unobscured star formation rate (SFRUV) using the UVOT uvw2 photometry. Similarly, we use the MIPS 24 m photometry to estimate the component of the SFR that is obscured by dust (SFRIR). We find that galaxies which are MIR-active (MIR-red), also have bluer UV colours, higher specific SFRs, and tend to lie in Hi-rich groups, while galaxies that are MIR-inactive (MIR-blue) have redder UV colours, lower specific SFRs, and tend to lie in Hi-poor groups. We find the SFRs to be continuously distributed with a peak at about 1 M yr1, indicating this might be the most common value in compact groups. In contrast, the specific SFR distribution is bimodal, and there is a clear distinction between star-forming and quiescent galaxies. Overall, our results suggest that the specific SFR is the best tracer of gas depletion and galaxy evolution in compact groups.

Constraints on core collapse from the black hole mass function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochanek, C. S.

2015-01-01

We model the observed black hole mass function under the assumption that black hole formation is controlled by the compactness of the stellar core at the time of collapse. Low-compactness stars are more likely to explode as supernovae and produce neutron stars, while high-compactness stars are more likely to be failed supernovae that produce black holes with the mass of the helium core of the star. Using three sequences of stellar models and marginalizing over a model for the completeness of the black hole mass function, we find that the compactness ξ2.5 above which 50% of core collapses produce black holes is ξ _{2.5}^{50%}=0.24 (0.15 < ξ _{2.5}^{50%} < 0.37 at 90% confidence). The models also predict that f = 0.18 (0.09 < f < 0.39) of core collapses fail. We tested four other criteria for black hole formation based on ξ2.0 and ξ3.0, the compactnesses at enclosed masses of 2.0 or 3.0 rather than 2.5 M⊙, the mass of the iron core MFe, and the mass inside the oxygen burning shell MO. We found that ξ2.0 works as well as ξ2.5, while ξ3.0, MFe and MO are significantly worse. As expected from the high compactness of 20-25 M⊙ stars, black hole formation in this mass range provides a natural explanation of the red supergiant problem.

Starbursts in blue compact dwarf galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thuan, Trinh Xuan

1987-01-01

All the arguments for a bursting mode of star formation in blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCD) are summarized. It is shown that spectral synthesis of far-ultraviolet spectra of BCDs constitutes a powerful way to study the star formation history in these galaxies. BCD luminosity functions show jumps and discontinuities. These jumps act like fossil records of the star-forming bursts, aiding in the counting and dating of the bursts.

Central Compact Objects in Kes 79 and RCW 103 as `Hidden' Magnetars with Crustal Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popov, S. B.; Kaurov, A. A.; Kaminker, A. D.

2015-05-01

We propose that observations of `hidden' magnetars in central compact objects can be used to probe crustal activity of neutron stars with large internal magnetic fields. Estimates based on calculations by Perna & Pons, Pons & Rea and Kaminker et al. suggest that central compact objects, which are proposed to be `hidden' magnetars, must demonstrate flux variations on the time scale of months-years. However, the most prominent candidate for the `hidden' magnetars - CXO J1852.6+0040 in Kes 79 - shows constant (within error bars) flux. This can be interpreted by lower variable crustal activity than in typical magnetars. Alternatively, CXO J1852.6+0040 can be in a high state of variable activity during the whole period of observations. Then we consider the source 1E161348 - 5055 in RCW103 as another candidate. Employing a simple 2D-modelling we argue that properties of the source can be explained by the crustal activity of the magnetar type. Thus, this object may be supplemented for the three known candidates for the `hidden' magnetars among central compact objects discussed in literature.

Mapping the properties of blue compact dwarf galaxies: integral field spectroscopy with PMAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cairós, L. M.; Caon, N.; Zurita, C.; Kehrig, C.; Roth, M.; Weilbacher, P.

2010-09-01

Context. Blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies are low-luminosity, low-metal content dwarf systems undergoing violent bursts of star formation. They present a unique opportunity to probe galaxy formation and evolution and to investigate the process of star formation in a relatively simple scenario. Spectrophotometric studies of BCDs are essential to disentangle and characterize their stellar populations. Aims: We perform integral field spectroscopy of a sample of BCDs with the aim of analyzing their morphology, the spatial distribution of some of their physical properties (excitation, extinction, and electron density) and their relationship with the distribution and evolutionary state of the stellar populations. Methods: Integral field spectroscopy observations of the sample galaxies were carried out with the Potsdam Multi-Aperture Spectrophotometer (PMAS) at the 3.5 m telescope at Calar Alto Observatory. An area 16 arcsec × 16 arcsec in size was mapped with a spatial sampling of 1 arcsec × 1 arcsec. We obtained data in the 3590-6996 Å spectral range, with a linear dispersion of 3.2 Å per pixel. From these data we built two-dimensional maps of the flux of the most prominent emission lines, of two continuum bands, of the most relevant line ratios, and of the gas velocity field. Integrated spectra of the most prominent star-forming regions and of whole objects within the FOV were used to derive their physical parameters and the gas metal abundances. Results: Six galaxies display the same morphology both in emission line and in continuum maps; only in two objects, Mrk 32 and Tololo 1434+032, the distributions of the ionized gas and of the stars differ considerably. In general the different excitation maps for a same object display the same pattern and trace the star-forming regions, as expected for objects ionized by hot stars; only the outer regions of Mrk 32, I Zw 123 and I Zw 159 display higher [S II]/Hα values, suggestive of shocks. Six galaxies display an inhomogeneous dust distribution. Regarding the kinematics, Mrk 750, Mrk 206 and I Zw 159 display a clear rotation pattern, while in Mrk 32, Mrk 475 and I Zw 123 the velocity fields are flat. Tables 3-6 and Figs. 3-9 are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

A distance-limited sample of massive star-forming cores from the RMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maud, L. T.; Lumsden, S. L.; Moore, T. J. T.; Mottram, J. C.; Urquhart, J. S.; Cicchini, A.

2015-09-01

We analyse C18O (J = 3-2) data from a sample of 99 infrared (IR)-bright massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) and compact H II regions that were identified as potential molecular-outflow sources in the Red MSX Source survey. We extract a distance-limited (D < 6 kpc) sample shown to be representative of star formation covering the transition between the source types. At the spatial resolution probed, Larson-like relationships are found for these cores, though the alternative explanation, that Larson's relations arise where surface-density-limited samples are considered, is also consistent with our data. There are no significant differences found between source properties for the MYSOs and H II regions, suggesting that the core properties are established prior to the formation of massive stars, which subsequently have little impact at the later evolutionary stages investigated. There is a strong correlation between dust-continuum and C18O-gas masses, supporting the interpretation that both trace the same material in these IR-bright sources. A clear linear relationship is seen between the independently established core masses and luminosities. The position of MYSOs and compact H II regions in the mass-luminosity plane is consistent with the luminosity expected from the most massive protostar in the cluster when using an ˜40 per cent star formation efficiency and indicates that they are at a similar evolutionary stage, near the end of the accretion phase.

Formation and internal structure of superdense dark matter clumps and ultracompact minihaloes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berezinsky, V. S.; Dokuchaev, V. I.; Eroshenko, Yu. N.

2013-11-01

We discuss the formation mechanisms and structure of the superdense dark matter clumps (SDMC) and ultracompact minihaloes (UCMH), outlining the differences between these types of DM objects. We define as SDMC the gravitationally bounded DM objects which have come into virial equilibrium at the radiation-dominated (RD) stage of the universe evolution. Such objects can be formed from the isocurvature (entropy) density perturbations or from the peaks in the spectrum of curvature (adiabatic) perturbation. The axion miniclusters (Kolb and Tkachev 1994) are the example of the former model. The system of central compact mass (e.g. in the form of SDMC or primordial black hole (PBH)) with the outer DM envelope formed in the process of secondary accretion we refer to as UCMH. Therefore, the SDMC can serve as the seed for the UCMH in some scenarios. Recently, the SDMC and UCMH were considered in the many works, and we try to systematize them here. We consider also the effect of asphericity of the initial density perturbation in the gravitational evolution, which decreases the SDMC amount and, as the result, suppresses the gamma-ray signal from DM annihilation.

Downscattering due to Wind Outflows in Compact X-ray Sources: Theory and Interpretation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Titarchuk, Lev; Shrader, Chris

2004-01-01

A number of recent lines of evidence point towards the presence of hot, outflowing plasma from the central regions of compact Galactic and extragalactic X-ray sources. Additionally, it has long been noted that many of these sources exhibit an "excess" continuum component, above approx. 10 keV, usually attributed to Compton Reflection from a static medium. Motivated by these facts, as well as by recent observational constraints on the Compton reflection models - specifically apparently discrepant variability timescales for line and continuum components in some cases - we consider possible of effects of out-flowing plasma on the high-energy continuum spectra of accretion powered compact objects. We present a general formulation for photon downscattering diffusion which includes recoil and Comptonization effects due to divergence of the flow. We then develop an analytical theory for the spectral formation in such systems that allows us to derive formulae for the emergent spectrum. Finally we perform the analytical model fitting on several Galactic X-ray binaries. Objects which have been modeled with high-covering-fraction Compton reflectors, such as GS1353-64 are included in our analysis. In addition, Cyg X-3, is which is widely believed to be characterized by dense circumstellar winds with temperature of order 10(exp 6) K, provides an interesting test case. Data from INTEGRAL and RXTE covering the approx. 3 - 300 keV range are used in our analysis. We further consider the possibility that the widely noted distortion of the power-law continuum above 10 keV may in some cases be explained by these spectral softening effects.

Relativistic baryonic jets from an ultraluminous supersoft X-ray source.

PubMed

Liu, Ji-Feng; Bai, Yu; Wang, Song; Justham, Stephen; Lu, You-Jun; Gu, Wei-Min; Liu, Qing-Zhong; Di Stefano, Rosanne; Guo, Jin-Cheng; Cabrera-Lavers, Antonio; Álvarez, Pedro; Cao, Yi; Kulkarni, Shri

2015-12-03

The formation of relativistic jets by an accreting compact object is one of the fundamental mysteries of astrophysics. Although the theory is poorly understood, observations of relativistic jets from systems known as microquasars (compact binary stars) have led to a well established phenomenology. Relativistic jets are not expected to be produced by sources with soft or supersoft X-ray spectra, although two such systems are known to produce relatively low-velocity bipolar outflows. Here we report the optical spectra of an ultraluminous supersoft X-ray source (ULS) in the nearby galaxy M81 (M81 ULS-1; refs 9, 10). Unexpectedly, the spectra show blueshifted, broad Hα emission lines, characteristic of baryonic jets with relativistic speeds. These time-variable emission lines have projected velocities of about 17 per cent of the speed of light, and seem to be similar to those from the prototype microquasar SS 433 (refs 11, 12). Such relativistic jets are not expected to be launched from white dwarfs, and an origin from a black hole or a neutron star is hard to reconcile with the persistence of M81 ULS-1's soft X-rays. Thus the unexpected presence of relativistic jets in a ULS challenges canonical theories of jet formation, but might be explained by a long-speculated, supercritically accreting black hole with optically thick outflows.

Pox 186: A Nearby Protogalaxy?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbin, Michael

1999-07-01

Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies {BCDGs} typically consist of clusters of early-type stars embedded in older, evolved stellar populations similar in size and shape to normal dwarf ellipticals. However, deep ground-based CCD images of one faint BCDG, Pox 186, reveal a very compact { 5" diameter} structure with no evidence of an underlying older population. Optical spectroscopy of this object also indicates that a large number of Wolf-Rayet stars are present, which implies that a burst of star formation must have occurred very recently {<=sssim 10^7 years ago}. It has thus been suggested that Pox 186 is a protogalaxy, forming its very first generation of stars. Further investigation of this possibility requires the high angular resolution and ultraviolet spectral coverage that only HST can provide. Using WFPC2, we propose to image the galaxy in the U, V, and I bands, in order to better test for the presence of an underlying evolved population and to reveal any substructure in its star-forming regions. Using STIS, we will obtain low-resolution ultraviolet spectra of the galaxy for combination with ground-based spectra covering the optical through near infrared. This will allow us to determine its spectral energy distribution, metallicity, and dust content, which will in turn constrain its age and star formation history.

Virgo Intergalactic Globulars from the Sloan Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gregg, Michael; West, Michael

2017-07-01

We have identified a new sample of Virgo intergalactic globular clusters (IGCs) and ultra compact dwarfs (UCDs) which have been serendipitously observed to date in Sloan Survey spectroscopy. There are 23 new objects with secure redshifts, all relatively red point sources with reliable velocities placing them at Virgo distances. They are spread widely across Virgo, significantly extending the spatial distribution of Virgo IGCs and UCDs to regions outside the well-studied M87 core region. The new sample are generally fainter, bluer, and probably more metal poor on average than the more centrally located, previously known objects. This systematic change carries information about the formation and continued evolution by accretion of the Virgo cluster, indicating a transition to less massive and less luminous objects being tidally disrupted in the outskirts now and in the recent past, compared to conditions in the inner cluster at early epochs.

Inverse modeling of geochemical and mechanical compaction in sedimentary basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colombo, Ivo; Porta, Giovanni Michele; Guadagnini, Alberto

2015-04-01

We study key phenomena driving the feedback between sediment compaction processes and fluid flow in stratified sedimentary basins formed through lithification of sand and clay sediments after deposition. Processes we consider are mechanic compaction of the host rock and the geochemical compaction due to quartz cementation in sandstones. Key objectives of our study include (i) the quantification of the influence of the uncertainty of the model input parameters on the model output and (ii) the application of an inverse modeling technique to field scale data. Proper accounting of the feedback between sediment compaction processes and fluid flow in the subsurface is key to quantify a wide set of environmentally and industrially relevant phenomena. These include, e.g., compaction-driven brine and/or saltwater flow at deep locations and its influence on (a) tracer concentrations observed in shallow sediments, (b) build up of fluid overpressure, (c) hydrocarbon generation and migration, (d) subsidence due to groundwater and/or hydrocarbons withdrawal, and (e) formation of ore deposits. Main processes driving the diagenesis of sediments after deposition are mechanical compaction due to overburden and precipitation/dissolution associated with reactive transport. The natural evolution of sedimentary basins is characterized by geological time scales, thus preventing direct and exhaustive measurement of the system dynamical changes. The outputs of compaction models are plagued by uncertainty because of the incomplete knowledge of the models and parameters governing diagenesis. Development of robust methodologies for inverse modeling and parameter estimation under uncertainty is therefore crucial to the quantification of natural compaction phenomena. We employ a numerical methodology based on three building blocks: (i) space-time discretization of the compaction process; (ii) representation of target output variables through a Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE); and (iii) model inversion (parameter estimation) within a maximum likelihood framework. In this context, the PCE-based surrogate model enables one to (i) minimize the computational cost associated with the (forward and inverse) modeling procedures leading to uncertainty quantification and parameter estimation, and (ii) compute the full set of Sobol indices quantifying the contribution of each uncertain parameter to the variability of target state variables. Results are illustrated through the simulation of one-dimensional test cases. The analyses focuses on the calibration of model parameters through literature field cases. The quality of parameter estimates is then analyzed as a function of number, type and location of data.

Galaxy interactions and star formation: Results of a survey of global H-alpha emission in spiral galaxies in 8 clusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moss, C.

1990-01-01

Kennicutt and Kent (1983) have shown that the global H alpha emission from a spiral galaxy is an indicator of the formation rate of massive stars. Moss, Whittle and Irwin (1988) have surveyed two clusters (Abell 347 and 1367) for galaxies with H alpha emission using a high dispersion objective prism technique. The purpose of the survey is to investigate environmental effects on star formation in spiral galaxies, and in particular to ascertain whether star formation is enhanced in cluster spirals. Approximately 20 percent of CGCG galaxies were detected in emission. Two plates of excellent quality were obtained for each of the two clusters, and galaxies were only identified to have emission if this was detected on both plates of a plate pair. In this way, plate flaws and other spurious identifications of emission could be rejected, and weak emission confirmed. The results of this survey have been discussed by Moss (1987). The detected galaxies are of types SO-a and later. The frequency with which galaxies are detected in emission increases towards later morphological type as expected (cf. Kennicutt and Kent 1983). There is no evidence of any dependence of the frequency of detected emission on the absolute magnitude of the galaxy (cf. Moss and Whittle 1990), but there is a strong correlation between a disturbed morphological appearance of the galaxy and the detection of emission. Furthermore it is found that the emission is more centrally concentrated in those galaxies which show a disturbed morphology. It may be noted that the objective prism plate gives a spectrum of a 400 A region around rest wavelength H alpha, but superposed on this is the H alpha emission from the galaxy which, because the light is essentially monochromatic, results in a true two-dimensional image of the H alpha distribution. The visual appearance of the emission on the prism plates was classified according to its diffuseness on a 5 point scale (very diffuse, diffuse, intermediate, compact, and very compact). In tabular form, the relation is shown between this classification and a morphologically disturbed appearance for the galaxy.

Relativistic compact stars with charged anisotropic matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maurya, S. K.; Banerjee, Ayan; Channuie, Phongpichit

2018-05-01

In this article, we perform a detailed theoretical analysis of new exact solutions with anisotropic fluid distribution of matter for compact objects subject to hydrostatic equilibrium. We present a family solution to the Einstein-Maxwell equations describing a spherically symmetric, static distribution of a fluid with pressure anisotropy. We implement an embedding class one condition to obtain a relation between the metric functions. We generalize the properties of a spherical star with hydrostatic equilibrium using the generalised Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) equation. We match the interior solution to an exterior Reissner-Nordström one, and study the energy conditions, speed of sound, and mass-radius relation of the star. We also show that the obtained solutions are compatible with observational data for the compact object Her X-1. Regarding our results, the physical behaviour of the present model may serve for the modeling of ultra compact objects.

Gravitationally Focused Dark Matter around Compact Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bromley, Benjamin C.

2011-12-01

If dark matter self-annihilates then it may produce an observable signal when its density is high. The details depend on the intrinsic properties of dark matter and how it clusters in space. For example, the density profile of some dark matter candidates may rise steeply enough toward the Galactic Center that self-annihilation may produce detectable γ-ray emission. Here, we discuss the possibility that an annihilation signal arises near a compact object (e.g., neutron star or black hole) even when the density of dark matter in the neighborhood of the object is uniform. Gravitational focusing produces a local enhancement of density with a profile that falls off approximately as the inverse square-root of distance from the compact star. While geometric dilution may overwhelm the annihilation signal from this local enhancement, magnetic fields tied to the compact object can increase the signal's contrast relative to the background.

On the number of light rings in curved spacetimes of ultra-compact objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hod, Shahar

2018-01-01

In a very interesting paper, Cunha, Berti, and Herdeiro have recently claimed that ultra-compact objects, self-gravitating horizonless solutions of the Einstein field equations which have a light ring, must possess at least two (and, in general, an even number of) light rings, of which the inner one is stable. In the present compact paper we explicitly prove that, while this intriguing theorem is generally true, there is an important exception in the presence of degenerate light rings which, in the spherically symmetric static case, are characterized by the simple dimensionless relation 8 πrγ2 (ρ +pT) = 1 [here rγ is the radius of the light ring and { ρ ,pT } are respectively the energy density and tangential pressure of the matter fields]. Ultra-compact objects which belong to this unique family can have an odd number of light rings. As a concrete example, we show that spherically symmetric constant density stars with dimensionless compactness M / R = 1 / 3 possess only one light ring which, interestingly, is shown to be unstable.

Star formation in Bok globules.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reipurth, B.

1981-12-01

Among the many dark clouds seen projected against the luminous band of the Milky Way are a number of small, isolated compact clouds, which often exhibit a large degree of regularity. These objects are today known as Bok globules, after the Dutch-American astronomer Bart Bok, who more than 30 years aga singled out the globules as a group of special interest among the dark clouds. Bok globules usually have angular sizes of from a few arcminutes to about 20 arcminutes, with real sizes of typically 0.15 to 0.8 parsecs. It is generally not so easy to estimate the distance, and thus the dimensions, of a given globule. Most known globules are closer than 500 pc, since they normally are found by their obscuring effects, and more distant globules become less conspicuous because of foreground stars. A nearby, compact Bok globule is indeed a spectacular sight; when William Herschel for the first time saw a globule in his telescape, he exclaimed: ' Mein Gott, da ist ein Loch im Himmel.'

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oldham, D.W.

Commercial quantities of gas have been produced from shallow sandstone reservoirs of the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene) in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. The two largest accumulations discovered to date, Oedekoven and Chan pools, were drilled on prospects which invoked differential compaction as a mechanism for gas entrapment and prospect delineation. Gas is believed to have accumulated in localized structural highs early in the burial history of lenticular sands. Structural relief is due to the compaction contrast between sand and stratigraphically-equivalent fine-grained sediments. A shallow Fort Union gas play was based on reports of shallow gas shows, the occurrencemore » of thick coals which could have served as sources for bacterial gas, and the presence of lenticular sandstones which may have promoted the development of compaction structures early in the burial process, to which bacterial gas migrated. Five geologic elements related to compactional trap development were used to rank prospects. Drilling of the Oedekoven prospect, which possessed all prospect elements, led to the discovery of the Oedekoven Fort Union gas pool at a depth of 340 ft (104 m). The uncemented, very fine grained, well-sorted {open_quotes}Canyon sand{close_quotes} pay has extremely high intergranular porosity. Low drilling and completion costs associated with shallow, high-permeability reservoirs, an abundance of subsurface control with which to delineate prospects, and existing gas-gathering systems make Fort Union sandstones attractive primary targets in shallow exploration efforts as well as secondary objectives in deeper drilling programs.« less

Albemarle County/City of Charlottesville transportation planning compact disc.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-06-01

This report describes transportation planning data, available in numerous files and formats stored on the accompanying compact disc, that were compiled from planning studies for the Charlottesville/Albemarle area done in 1967, 1979, and 1990. These d...

Star-formation rate in compact star-forming galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izotova, I. Y.; Izotov, Y. I.

2018-03-01

We use the data for the Hβ emission-line, far-ultraviolet (FUV) and mid-infrared 22 μm continuum luminosities to estimate star formation rates < SFR > averaged over the galaxy lifetime for a sample of about 14000 bursting compact star-forming galaxies (CSFGs) selected from the Data Release 12 (DR12) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The average coefficient linking < SFR > and the star formation rate SFR0 derived from the Hβ luminosity at zero starburst age is found to be 0.04. We compare < SFR > s with some commonly used SFRs which are derived adopting a continuous star formation during a period of {˜} 100 Myr, and find that the latter ones are 2-3 times higher. It is shown that the relations between SFRs derived using a geometric mean of two star-formation indicators in the UV and IR ranges and reduced to zero starburst age have considerably lower dispersion compared to those with single star-formation indicators. We suggest that our relations for < SFR > determination are more appropriate for CSFGs because they take into account a proper temporal evolution of their luminosities. On the other hand, we show that commonly used SFR relations can be applied for approximate estimation within a factor of {˜} 2 of the < SFR > averaged over the lifetime of the bursting compact galaxy.

The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems.

PubMed

Postnov, Konstantin A; Yungelson, Lev R

2006-01-01

We review the formation and evolution of compact binary stars consisting of white dwarfs (WDs), neutron stars (NSs), and black holes (BHs). Binary NSs and BHs are thought to be the primary astrophysical sources of gravitational waves (GWs) within the frequency band of ground-based detectors, while compact binaries of WDs are important sources of GWs at lower frequencies to be covered by space interferometers (LISA). Major uncertainties in the current understanding of properties of NSs and BHs most relevant to the GW studies are discussed, including the treatment of the natal kicks which compact stellar remnants acquire during the core collapse of massive stars and the common envelope phase of binary evolution. We discuss the coalescence rates of binary NSs and BHs and prospects for their detections, the formation and evolution of binary WDs and their observational manifestations. Special attention is given to AM CVn-stars - compact binaries in which the Roche lobe is filled by another WD or a low-mass partially degenerate helium-star, as these stars are thought to be the best LISA verification binary GW sources.

The closed MTIP-MyosinA-tail complex from the malaria parasite invasion machinery

PubMed Central

Bosch, Jürgen; Turley, Stewart; Roach, Claudia M.; Daly, Thomas M.; Bergman, Lawrence W.; Hol, Wim G. J.

2009-01-01

The Myosin A-tail Interacting Protein (MTIP) of the malaria parasite links the actomyosin motor of the host cell invasion machinery to its inner membrane complex. We report here that at neutral pH Plasmodium falciparum MTIP in complex with Myosin A adopts a compact conformation, with its two domains completely surrounding the Myosin A-tail helix, dramatically different from previously observed extended MTIP structures. Crystallographic and mutagenesis studies show that H810 and K813 of Myosin A are key players in the formation of the compact MTIP:Myosin A complex. Only the unprotonated state of Myosin A-H810 is compatible with the compact complex. Most surprisingly, every side chain atom of Myosin A-K813 is engaged in contacts with MTIP. While this side chain was previously considered to prevent a compact conformation of MTIP with Myosin A, it actually appears to be essential for the formation of the compact complex. The hydrophobic pockets and adaptability seen in the available series of MTIP structures bodes well for the discovery of inhibitors of cell invasion by malaria parasites. PMID:17628590

Comparing Low-Redshift Compact Dwarf Starbursts in the RESOLVE Survey with High-Redshift Blue Nuggets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palumbo, Michael Louis; Kannappan, Sheila; Snyder, Elaine; Eckert, Kathleen; Norman, Dara; Fraga, Luciano; Quint, Bruno; Amram, Philippe; Mendes de Oliveira, Claudia; RESOLVE Team

2018-01-01

We identify and characterize a population of compact dwarf starburst galaxies in the RESOLVE survey, a volume-limited census of galaxies in the local universe, to probe the possibility that these galaxies are related to “blue nuggets,” a class of intensely star-forming and compact galaxies previously identified at high redshift. Blue nuggets are thought to form as the result of intense compaction events that drive fresh gas to their centers. They are expected to display prolate morphology and rotation along their minor axes. We report IFU observations of three of our compact dwarf starburst galaxies, from which we construct high-resolution velocity fields, examining the evidence for minor axis or otherwise misaligned rotation. We find multiple cases of double nuclei in our sample, which may be indicative of a merger origin as in some blue nugget formation scenarios. We compare the masses, radii, gas-to-stellar mass ratios, star formation rates, stellar surface mass densities, and environmental contexts of our sample to expectations for blue nuggets.

Star Formation Suppression in Compact Group Galaxies: A New Path to Quenching?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alatalo, K.; Appleton, P. N.; Lisenfeld, U.; Bitsakis, T.; Lanz, L.; Lacy, M.; Charmandaris, V.; Cluver, M.; Dopita, M. A.; Guillard, P.; Jarrett, T.; Kewley, L. J.; Nyland, K.; Ogle, P. M.; Rasmussen, J.; Rich, J. A.; Verdes-Montenegro, L.; Xu, C. K.; Yun, M.

2015-10-01

We present CO(1-0) maps of 12 warm H2-selected Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs), covering 14 individually imaged warm H2 bright galaxies, with the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter Astronomy. We found a variety of molecular gas distributions within the HCGs, including regularly rotating disks, bars, rings, tidal tails, and possibly nuclear outflows, though the molecular gas morphologies are more consistent with spirals and early-type galaxies than mergers and interacting systems. Our CO-imaged HCG galaxies, when plotted on the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation, shows star formation (SF) suppression of < {S} > =10+/- 5, distributed bimodally, with five objects exhibiting suppressions of {S} ≳ 10 and depletion timescales ≳10 Gyr. This SF inefficiency is also seen in the efficiency per freefall time of Krumholz et al. We investigate the gas-to-dust ratios of these galaxies to determine if an incorrect LCO-M(H2) conversion caused the apparent suppression and find that HCGs have normal gas-to-dust ratios. It is likely that the cause of the apparent suppression in these objects is associated with shocks injecting turbulence into the molecular gas, supported by the fact that the required turbulent injection luminosity is consistent with the bright H2 luminosity reported by Cluver et al. Galaxies with high SF suppression ({S} ≳ 10) also appear to be those in the most advanced stages of transition across both optical and infrared color space. This supports the idea that at least some galaxies in HCGs are transitioning objects, where a disruption of the existing molecular gas in the system suppresses SF by inhibiting the molecular gas from collapsing and forming stars efficiently. These observations, combined with recent work on poststarburst galaxies with molecular reservoirs, indicates that galaxies do not need to expel their molecular reservoirs prior to quenching SF and transitioning from blue spirals to red early-type galaxies. This may imply that SF quenching can occur without the need to starve a galaxy of cold gas first.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Janowiecki, Steven; Salzer, John J.; Zee, Liese van

We discuss and test possible evolutionary connections between blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs) and other types of dwarf galaxies. BCDs provide ideal laboratories to study intense star formation episodes in low-mass dwarf galaxies, and have sometimes been considered a short-lived evolutionary stage between types of dwarf galaxies. To test these connections, we consider a sample of BCDs as well as a comparison sample of nearby galaxies from the Local Volume Legacy (LVL) survey for context. We fit the multi-wavelength spectral energy distributions (SED, far-ultra-violet to far-infrared) of each galaxy with a grid of theoretical models to determine their stellar massesmore » and star formation properties. We compare our results for BCDs with the LVL galaxies to put BCDs in the context of normal galaxy evolution. The SED fits demonstrate that the star formation events currently underway in BCDs are at the extreme of the continuum of normal dwarf galaxies, both in terms of the relative mass involved and in the relative increase over previous star formation rates. Today’s BCDs are distinctive objects in a state of extreme star formation that is rapidly transforming them. This study also suggests ways to identify former BCDs whose star formation episodes have since faded.« less

An energy-efficient and compact clustering scheme with temporary support nodes for cognitive radio sensor networks.

PubMed

Salim, Shelly; Moh, Sangman; Choi, Dongmin; Chung, Ilyong

2014-08-11

A cognitive radio sensor network (CRSN) is a wireless sensor network whose sensor nodes are equipped with cognitive radio capability. Clustering is one of the most challenging issues in CRSNs, as all sensor nodes, including the cluster head, have to use the same frequency band in order to form a cluster. However, due to the nature of heterogeneous channels in cognitive radio, it is difficult for sensor nodes to find a cluster head. This paper proposes a novel energy-efficient and compact clustering scheme named clustering with temporary support nodes (CENTRE). CENTRE efficiently achieves a compact cluster formation by adopting two-phase cluster formation with fixed duration. By introducing a novel concept of temporary support nodes to improve the cluster formation, the proposed scheme enables sensor nodes in a network to find a cluster head efficiently. The performance study shows that not only is the clustering process efficient and compact but it also results in remarkable energy savings that prolong the overall network lifetime. In addition, the proposed scheme decreases both the clustering overhead and the average distance between cluster heads and their members.

An Energy-Efficient and Compact Clustering Scheme with Temporary Support Nodes for Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Salim, Shelly; Moh, Sangman; Choi, Dongmin; Chung, Ilyong

2014-01-01

A cognitive radio sensor network (CRSN) is a wireless sensor network whose sensor nodes are equipped with cognitive radio capability. Clustering is one of the most challenging issues in CRSNs, as all sensor nodes, including the cluster head, have to use the same frequency band in order to form a cluster. However, due to the nature of heterogeneous channels in cognitive radio, it is difficult for sensor nodes to find a cluster head. This paper proposes a novel energy-efficient and compact clustering scheme named clustering with temporary support nodes (CENTRE). CENTRE efficiently achieves a compact cluster formation by adopting two-phase cluster formation with fixed duration. By introducing a novel concept of temporary support nodes to improve the cluster formation, the proposed scheme enables sensor nodes in a network to find a cluster head efficiently. The performance study shows that not only is the clustering process efficient and compact but it also results in remarkable energy savings that prolong the overall network lifetime. In addition, the proposed scheme decreases both the clustering overhead and the average distance between cluster heads and their members. PMID:25116905

Accretion torques in X-ray pulsars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rappaport, S.; Joss, P. C.

1977-01-01

An analysis of the accretion process in an X-ray pulsar, whereby angular momentum is transferred to the star and its rotation period is changed, is presented, and an expression for the fractional rate of change of the pulse period in terms of X-ray luminosity and other star parameters is derived. It is shown that observed characteristic spin-up time scales for seven X-ray pulsars strongly support the view that in every source (1) the pulse period reflects the rotation period of a compact object, (2) the accretion is mediated by a disk surrounding the compact object and rotating in the same sense, and (3) the compact object is a neutron star rather than a white dwarf.

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Axisymmetric stationary flows in compact astrophysical objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beskin, Vasilii S.

1997-07-01

A review is presented of the analytical results available for a large class of axisymmetric stationary flows in the vicinity of compact astrophysical objects. The determination of the two-dimensional structure of the poloidal magnetic field (hydrodynamic flow field) faces severe difficulties, due to the complexity of the trans-field equation for stationary axisymmetric flows. However, an approach exists which enables direct problems to be solved even within the balance law framework. This possibility arises when an exact solution to the equation is available and flows close to it are investigated. As a result, with the use of simple model problems, the basic features of supersonic flows past real compact objects are determined.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walker, Lisa May; Johnson, Kelsey E.; Gallagher, Sarah C.

Compact groups of galaxies provide a unique environment to study the evolution of galaxies amid frequent gravitational encounters. These nearby groups have conditions similar to those in the earlier universe when galaxies were assembled and give us the opportunity to witness hierarchical formation in progress. To understand how the compact group environment affects galaxy evolution, we examine the gas and dust in these groups. We present new single-dish GBT neutral hydrogen (H i) observations of 30 compact groups and define a new way to quantify the group H i content as the H i-to-stellar mass ratio of the group asmore » a whole. We compare the H i content with mid-IR indicators of star formation and optical [g − r] color to search for correlations between group gas content and star formation activity of individual group members. Quiescent galaxies tend to live in H i-poor groups, and galaxies with active star formation are more commonly found in H i-rich groups. Intriguingly, we also find “rogue” galaxies whose star formation does not correlate with group H i content. In particular, we identify three galaxies (NGC 2968 in RSCG 34, KUG 1131+202A in RSCG 42, and NGC 4613 in RSCG 64) whose mid-IR activity is discrepant with the H i. We speculate that this mismatch between mid-IR activity and H i content is a consequence of strong interactions in this environment that can strip H i from galaxies and abruptly affect star formation. Ultimately, characterizing how and on what timescales the gas is processed in compact groups will help us understand the interstellar medium in complex, dense environments similar to the earlier universe.« less

Compaction history of Upper Cretaceous shale (Al-Khod Formation) and its relationship to plate margin tectonics, Arabian Plate, Sultanate of Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AL-Sarmi, Musaab; Mattern, Frank; Scharf, Andreas; Pracejus, Bernhard; Al-Mamari, Amira; Al-Hinaai, Al-Shima

2017-04-01

Conglomerates of the late Cretaceous Al-Khod Formation have been intruded by older shale of the same formation along faults, which were opened/widened by extension, thus, resulting in shale dike formation. Following intrusion the shale was behaving plastically as its fissility follows the contact contours of the conglomeratic host rock and as stoped sandstone blocks are floating within the shale. Vertical calcite veins were ptygmatically folded with subhorizontal fold axial planes. All these aspects show that the shale contained a high water content in the beginning. The ptygmatically folded calcite veins display vertical shortening amounts of 40 % corresponding to 35 % to 45 % of water loss during compaction. Incalculable numbers of calcite veins of different orientations and thicknesses within the conglomerate along the shale contact indicate that the fluid was expelled from the shale into the conglomerate host rock under high pressure (overpressure?). Shale dyke formation took place after the late Cretaceous obduction of the Semail Ophiolite, before the deposition of early Tertiary carbonate rocks, and during the latest Cretaceous doming of the Saih Hatat area which was caused by deformation and slab breakoff, likely associated with gravitational collapse and elastic rebound. Shale intrusion was followed by deposition of 100 to 200 m thick sediments of the upper part of Al-Khod Formation, leading to compaction and water loss. The shale retained much of its water during the uppermost Cretaceous-late Paleocene stratigraphic hiatus as this interval is marked by erosion and a reduction of overburden, which was probably due to the elastic rebound. Folding of calcite veins together with a high amount of water loss was a consequence of compaction caused by the overburden of 1000 m thick shallow marine limestones which were deposited from the Eocene to Oligocene.

Investigating the Lyman photon escape in local starburst galaxies with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, Svea; Leitherer, Claus; Boquien, Médéric; Buat, Véronique; Burgarella, Denis; Calzetti, Daniela; Noll, Stefan

2018-07-01

We present a study of seven star-forming galaxies from the Cosmic Evolution Survey observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The galaxies are located at relatively low redshifts, z ˜ 0.3, with morphologies ranging from extended and disturbed to compact and smooth. To complement the HST observations, we also analyse observations taken with the Visible Multi-object Spectrograph (VIMOS) on the Very Large Telescope (VLT). In our galaxy sample, we identify three objects with double peak Lyman-α profiles similar to those seen in Green Pea compact galaxies and measure peak separations of 655, 374, and 275 km s-1. We measure Lyman-α escape fractions with values ranging between 5 per cent and 13 per cent. Given the low flux levels in the individual COS exposures, we apply a weighted stacking approach to obtain a single spectrum. From this COS combined spectrum, we infer upper limits for the absolute and relative Lyman continuum escape fractions of f_abs(LyC) = 0.4^{+10.1}_{-0.4} per cent and f_res(LyC) = 1.7^{+15.2}_{-1.7}per cent, respectively. Finally, we find that most of these galaxies have moderate ultraviolet and optical star formation rates (SFRs) (SFRs ≲10 M⊙ yr-1).

THE TOP 10 SPITZER YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS IN 30 DORADUS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walborn, Nolan R.; Barba, Rodolfo H.; Sewilo, Marta M., E-mail: walborn@stsci.edu, E-mail: rbarba@dfuls.cl, E-mail: mmsewilo@pha.jhu.edu

2013-04-15

The most luminous Spitzer point sources in the 30 Doradus triggered second generation are investigated coherently in the 3-8 {mu}m region. Remarkable diversity and complexity in their natures are revealed. Some are also among the brightest JHK sources, while others are not. Several of them are multiple when examined at higher angular resolutions with Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS and WFPC2/WFC3 as available, or with VISTA/VMC otherwise. One is a dusty compact H II region near the far northwestern edge of the complex, containing a half-dozen bright I-band sources. Three others appear closely associated with luminous WN stars and causal connectionsmore » are suggested. Some are in the heads of dust pillars oriented toward R136, as previously discussed from the NICMOS data. One resides in a compact cluster of much fainter sources, while another appears monolithic at the highest resolutions. Surprisingly, one is the brighter of the two extended ''mystery spots'' associated with Knot 2 of Walborn et al. Masses are derived from young stellar object models for unresolved sources and lie in the 10-30 M{sub Sun} range. Further analysis of the IR sources in this unique region will advance understanding of triggered massive star formation, perhaps in some unexpected and unprecedented ways.« less

Repository Drift Backfilling Demonstrator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Londe, I.; Dubois, J.Ph.; Bauer, C.

2008-07-01

The 'Backfilling Demonstrator' is one of the technological demonstrators developed by ANDRA in the framework of the feasibility studies for a geological repository for high-level long-lived (HL-LL waste) within a clay formation. The demonstrator concerns the standard and supporting backfills as defined in Andra's 2005 design. The standard backfill is intended to fill up almost all drifts of the underground repository in order to limit any deformation of the rock after the degradation of the drift lining. The supporting backfill only concerns a small portion of the volume to be backfilled in order to counter the swelling pressure of themore » swelling clay contained in the sealing structures. The first objective of the demonstrator was to show the possibility of manufacturing a satisfactory backfill, in spite of the exiguity of the underground structures, and of reusing as much as possible the argillite muck. For the purpose of this experiment, the argillite muck was collected on Andra's work-site for the implementation of an underground research laboratory. Still ongoing, the second objective is to follow up the long-term evolution of the backfill. Approximately 200 m{sup 3} of compacted backfill material have been gathered in a large concrete tube simulating a repository drift. The standard backfill was manufactured exclusively with argillite. The supporting backfill was made by forming a mixture of argillite and sand. Operations were carried out mostly at Richwiller, close to Mulhouse, France. The objectives of the demonstrator were met: an application method was tested and proven satisfactory. The resulting dry densities are relatively high, although the moduli of deformation do not always reach the set goal. The selected objective for the demonstrator was a dry density corresponding to a relatively high compaction level (95% of the standard Proctor optimum [SPO]), for both pure argillite and the argillite-sand mixture. The plate-percussion compaction technique was used and proved satisfactory. The measured dry densities are higher than the 95%-SPO objective. The implementation rates remain very low due to the experimental conditions involved. The metal supply mode would need to be revised before any industrial application is contemplated. The Demonstrator Program started in August 2004 and is followed up today over the long term. With that objective in mind, sensors and a water-saturation system have been installed. (author)« less

Radio Properties of the BAT AGNs: the FIR-radio Relation, the Fundamental Plane, and the Main Sequence of Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Krista Lynne; Mushotzky, Richard F.; Vogel, Stuart; Shimizu, Thomas T.; Miller, Neal

2016-12-01

We conducted 22 GHz 1″ JVLA imaging of 70 radio-quiet active galactic nuclei (AGNs) from the Swift-BAT survey. We find radio cores in all but three objects. The radio morphologies of the sample fall into three groups: compact and core-dominated, extended, and jet-like. We spatially decompose each image into core flux and extended flux, and compare the extended radio emission with that predicted from previous Herschel observations using the canonical FIR-radio relation. After removing the AGN contribution to the FIR and radio flux densities, we find that the relation holds remarkably well despite the potentially different star formation physics in the circumnuclear environment. We also compare our core radio flux densities with predictions of coronal models and scale-invariant jet models for the origin of radio emission in radio-quiet AGNs, and find general consistency with both models. However, we find that the L R/L X relation does not distinguish between star formation and non-relativistic AGN-driven outflows as the origin of radio emission in radio-quiet AGNs. Finally, we examine where objects with different radio morphologies fall in relation to the main sequence (MS) of star formation, and conclude that those AGNs that fall below the MS, as X-ray selected AGNs have been found to do, have core-dominated or jet-like 22 GHz morphologies.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murguia-Berthier, Ariadna; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico; Antoni, Andrea

During a common envelope (CE) episode in a binary system, the engulfed companion spirals to tighter orbital separations under the influence of drag from the surrounding envelope material. As this object sweeps through material with a steep radial gradient of density, net angular momentum is introduced into the flow, potentially leading to the formation of an accretion disk. The presence of a disk would have dramatic consequences for the outcome of the interaction because accretion might be accompanied by strong, polar outflows with enough energy to unbind the entire envelope. Without a detailed understanding of the necessary conditions for diskmore » formation during CE, therefore, it is difficult to accurately predict the population of merging compact binaries. This paper examines the conditions for disk formation around objects embedded within CEs using the “wind tunnel” formalism developed by MacLeod et al. We find that the formation of disks is highly dependent on the compressibility of the envelope material. Disks form only in the most compressible of stellar envelope gas, found in envelopes’ outer layers in zones of partial ionization. These zones are largest in low-mass stellar envelopes, but comprise small portions of the envelope mass and radius in all cases. We conclude that disk formation and associated accretion feedback in CE is rare, and if it occurs, transitory. The implication for LIGO black hole binary assembly is that by avoiding strong accretion feedback, CE interactions should still result in the substantial orbital tightening needed to produce merging binaries.« less

THE IMPACT OF MASS SEGREGATION AND STAR FORMATION ON THE RATES OF GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE SOURCES FROM EXTREME MASS RATIO INSPIRALS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aharon, Danor; Perets, Hagai B.

Compact stellar objects inspiraling into massive black holes (MBHs) in galactic nuclei are some of the most promising gravitational-wave (GWs) sources for next-generation GW detectors. The rates of such extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs) depend on the dynamics and distribution of compact objects (COs) around the MBH. Here, we study the impact of mass-segregation processes on EMRI rates. In particular, we provide the expected mass function (MF) of EMRIs, given an initial MF of stellar black holes (SBHs), and relate it to the mass-dependent detection rate of EMRIs. We then consider the role of star formation (SF) on the distributionmore » of COs and its implication on EMRI rates. We find that the existence of a wide spectrum of SBH masses leads to the overall increase of EMRI rates and to high rates of the EMRIs from the most massive SBHs. However, it also leads to a relative quenching of EMRI rates from lower-mass SBHs, and together produces a steep dependence of the EMRI MF on the highest-mass SBHs. SF history plays a relatively small role in determining the EMRI rates of SBHs, since most of them migrate close to the MBH through mass segregation rather than forming in situ. However, the EMRI rate of neutron stars (NSs) can be significantly increased when they form in situ close to the MBH, as they can inspiral before relaxation processes significantly segregate them outward. A reverse but weaker effect of decreasing the EMRI rates from NSs and white dwarfs occurs when SF proceeds far from the MBH.« less

DOUBLE COMPACT OBJECTS. I. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE COMMON ENVELOPE ON MERGER RATES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dominik, Michal; Belczynski, Krzysztof; Bulik, Tomasz

2012-11-01

The last decade of observational and theoretical developments in stellar and binary evolution provides an opportunity to incorporate major improvements to the predictions from population synthesis models. We compute the Galactic merger rates for NS-NS, BH-NS, and BH-BH mergers with the StarTrack code. The most important revisions include updated wind mass-loss rates (allowing for stellar-mass black holes up to 80 M {sub Sun }), a realistic treatment of the common envelope phase (a process that can affect merger rates by 2-3 orders of magnitude), and a qualitatively new neutron star/black hole mass distribution (consistent with the observed {sup m}ass gap{supmore » )}. Our findings include the following. (1) The binding energy of the envelope plays a pivotal role in determining whether a binary merges within a Hubble time. (2) Our description of natal kicks from supernovae plays an important role, especially for the formation of BH-BH systems. (3) The masses of BH-BH systems can be substantially increased in the case of low metallicities or weak winds. (4) Certain combinations of parameters underpredict the Galactic NS-NS merger rate and can be ruled out. (5) Models incorporating delayed supernovae do not agree with the observed NS/BH 'mass gap', in accordance with our previous work. This is the first in a series of three papers. The second paper will study the merger rates of double compact objects as a function of redshift, star formation rate, and metallicity. In the third paper, we will present the detection rates for gravitational-wave observatories, using up-to-date signal waveforms and sensitivity curves.« less

THE LOCATIONS OF SHORT GAMMA-RAY BURSTS AS EVIDENCE FOR COMPACT OBJECT BINARY PROGENITORS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fong, W.; Berger, E.

2013-10-10

We present a detailed investigation of Hubble Space Telescope rest-frame UV/optical observations of 22 short gamma-ray burst (GRB) host galaxies and sub-galactic environments. Utilizing the high angular resolution and depth of HST we characterize the host galaxy morphologies, measure precise projected physical and host-normalized offsets between the bursts and host centers, and calculate the locations of the bursts with respect to their host light distributions (rest-frame UV and optical). We calculate a median short GRB projected physical offset of 4.5 kpc, about 3.5 times larger than that for long GRBs, and find that ≈25% of short GRBs have offsets ofmore » ∼> 10 kpc. When compared to their host sizes, the median offset is 1.5 half-light radii (r{sub e} ), about 1.5 times larger than the values for long GRBs, core-collapse supernovae, and Type Ia supernovae. In addition, ≈20% of short GRBs having offsets of ∼> 5r{sub e} , and only ≈25% are located within 1r{sub e} . We further find that short GRBs severely under-represent their hosts' rest-frame optical and UV light, with ≈30%-45% of the bursts located in regions of their host galaxies that have no detectable stellar light, and ≈55% in the regions with no UV light. Therefore, short GRBs do not occur in regions of star formation or even stellar mass. This demonstrates that the progenitor systems of short GRBs must migrate from their birth sites to their eventual explosion sites, a signature of kicks in compact object binary systems. Utilizing the full sample of offsets, we estimate natal kick velocities of ≈20-140 km s{sup –1}. These independent lines of evidence provide the strongest support to date that short GRBs result from the merger of compact object binaries (NS-NS/NS-BH)« less

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING URANIUM-HYDRIDE COMPACTS

DOEpatents

Wellborn, W.; Armstrong, J.R.

1959-03-10

A method and apparatus are presented for making compacts of pyrophoric hydrides in a continuous operation out of contact with air. It is particularly useful for the preparation of a canned compact of uranium hydride possessing high density and purity. The metallic uranium is enclosed in a container, positioned in a die body evacuated and nvert the uranium to the hydride is admitted and the container sealed. Heat is applied to bring about the formation of the hydride, following which compression is used to form the compact sealed in a container ready for use.

Consolidation of Bimetallic Nanosized Particles and Formation of Nanocomposites Depending on Conditions of Shock Wave Compaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vorozhtsov, S. A.; Kudryashova, O. B.; Lerner, M. I.; Vorozhtsov, A. B.; Khrustalyov, A. P.; Pervikov, A. V.

2017-11-01

The authors consider and evaluate the physical parameters and regularities of the process of consolidation of Fe-Cu, Cu-Nb, Ag-Ni, Fe-Pb nanoparticles when creating composite materials by means of shock wave compaction. As a result of theoretical consideration of explosive compaction process, researchers established and discussed the physical process conditions, established a number of threshold pressure values corresponding to different target indicators of the state of the compact. The time of shock wave impact on powders for powder consolidation was estimated.

Surface antigen in early differentiation.

PubMed Central

Kemler, R; Babinet, C; Eisen, H; Jacob, F

1977-01-01

Addition of Fab fragments from rabbit antiserum to surface antigen F9 to 2-cell stage mouse embryos in culture does not alter cleavage; however, the addition prevents culture does not alter cleavage; however, the addition prevents the formation of compact morulae and blastocysts. A similar effect is observed when Fab fragments are added to already compact 8-cell stage or even older morulae, but disappears at the beginning of blastocoel formation. This effect is reversible: uncompact 30-cell embryos washed free of Fab become compact in a few hours, produce blastocysts, and upon reimplantation into pseudopregnant mothers can produce mice. Development is not altered by divalent anti-F9 antibodies, by Fab fragments from sera directed against other embryo surface antigens, or by succinyl concanavalin A. Images PMID:270688

Predicting gravitational lensing by stellar remnants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harding, Alexander J.; Stefano, R. Di; Lépine, S.; Urama, J.; Pham, D.; Baker, C.

2018-03-01

Gravitational lensing provides a means to measure mass that does not rely on detecting and analysing light from the lens itself. Compact objects are ideal gravitational lenses, because they have relatively large masses and are dim. In this paper, we describe the prospects for predicting lensing events generated by the local population of compact objects, consisting of 250 neutron stars, five black holes, and ≈35 000 white dwarfs. By focusing on a population of nearby compact objects with measured proper motions and known distances from us, we can measure their masses by studying the characteristics of any lensing event they generate. Here, we concentrate on shifts in the position of a background source due to lensing by a foreground compact object. With Hubble Space Telescope, JWST, and Gaia, measurable centroid shifts caused by lensing are relatively frequent occurrences. We find that 30-50 detectable events per decade are expected for white dwarfs. Because relatively few neutron stars and black holes have measured distances and proper motions, it is more difficult to compute realistic rates for them. However, we show that at least one isolated neutron star has likely produced detectable events during the past several decades. This work is particularly relevant to the upcoming data releases by the Gaia mission and also to data that will be collected by JWST. Monitoring predicted microlensing events will not only help to determine the masses of compact objects, but will also potentially discover dim companions to these stellar remnants, including orbiting exoplanets.

How do closed-compact multi-lamellar droplets form under shear flow? A possible mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courbin, L.; Pons, R.; Rouch, J.; Panizza, P.

2003-01-01

The formation of closed-compact multi-lamellar droplets obtained upon shearing both a lamellar phase (Lα) and a two-phase separated lamellar-sponge (Lα-L3) mixture is investigated as a function of the shear rate dot gamma, using small-angle light scattering (SALS) and cross-polarized optical microscopy. In both systems the formation of droplets occurs homogeneously in the cell at a well-defined wave vector qe propto dot gamma1/3 via a strain-controlled process. These results suggest that the formation of droplets may be monitored in both systems by a buckling instability of the lamellae as predicted from a recent theory.

Design and experimental evaluation of compact radial-inflow turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fredmonski, A. J.; Huber, F. W.; Roelke, R. J.; Simonyi, S.

1991-01-01

The application of a multistage 3D Euler solver to the aerodynamic design of two compact radial-inflow turbines is presented, along with experimental results evaluating and validating the designs. The objectives of the program were to design, fabricate, and rig test compact radial-inflow turbines with equal or better efficiency relative to conventional designs, while having 40 percent less rotor length than current traditionally-sized radial turbines. The approach to achieving these objectives was to apply a calibrated 3D multistage Euler code to accurately predict and control the high rotor flow passage velocities and high aerodynamic loadings resulting from the reduction in rotor length. A comparison of the advanced compact designs to current state-of-the-art configurations is presented.

Formation of compact HII regions possibly triggered by cloud-cloud collision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohama, Akio; Torii, Kazufumi; Hasegawa, Keisuke; Fukui, Yasuo

2015-08-01

Compact HII regions are ionized by young high-mass star(s) and ~1000 compact HII regions are cataloged in the Galaxy (Urquhart et al. MNRAS 443, 1555-1586 (2014)). Compact HII regions are one of the major populations of Galactic HII regions. The molecular environments around compact HII regions are however not well understood due to lack of extensive molecular surveys. In order to better understand formation of exciting stars and compact HII regions, we have carried out a systematic study of molecular clouds toward compact HII regions by using the 12CO datasets obtained with the JCMT and NANTEN2 telescopes for l = 10 - 56, and present here the first results.In one of the present samples, RCW166, we have discovered that the HII region is associated with two molecular clouds whose velocity separation is ~10 km s-1 the two clouds show complimentary spatial distributions, where one of the clouds have a cavity-like distribution apparently embracing the other. We present an interpretation that the two clouds collided with each other and the cavity-like distribution represents a hole created by the collision in the larger cloud as modeled by Habe and Ohta (1992). Similar molecular distributions are often found in the other compact HII regions in the present study.A recent study by Torii et al. (2015, arXiv:1503.00070) indicates that the Spitzer bubble RCW120 was formed by cloud-cloud collision where the inside of the cavity is fully ionized by the exiting stars. RCW166, on the other hand, shows that only a small part of the cavity, the compact HII region, is ionized. We thus suggest that RCW166 represents an evolutionary stage corresponding to an earlier phase of RCW120 in the collision scenario.

Morphology Dependence of Stellar Age in Quenched Galaxies at Redshift ˜1.2: Massive Compact Galaxies Are Older than More Extended Ones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Christina C.; Giavalisco, Mauro; Bezanson, Rachel; Cappelluti, Nico; Cassata, Paolo; Liu, Teng; Lee, Bomee; Tundo, Elena; Vanzella, Eros

2017-04-01

We report the detection of morphology-dependent stellar age in massive quenched galaxies (QGs) at z ˜ 1.2. The sense of the dependence is that compact QGs are 0.5-2 Gyr older than normal-sized ones. The evidence comes from three different age indicators—{D}n4000, {{{H}}}δ , and fits to spectral synthesis models—applied to their stacked optical spectra. All age indicators consistently show that the stellar populations of compact QGs are older than those of their normal-sized counterparts. We detect weak [O II] emission in a fraction of QGs, and the strength of the line, when present, is similar between the two samples; however, compact galaxies exhibit a significantly lower frequency of [O II] emission than normal ones. Fractions of both samples are individually detected in 7 Ms Chandra X-ray images (luminosities ˜1040-1041 erg s-1). The 7 Ms stacks of nondetected galaxies show similarly low luminosities in the soft band only, consistent with a hot gas origin for the X-ray emission. While both [O II] emitters and nonemitters are also X-ray sources among normal galaxies, no compact galaxy with [O II] emission is an X-ray source, arguing against an active galactic nucleus (AGN) powering the line in compact galaxies. We interpret the [O II] properties as further evidence that compact galaxies are older and further along in the process of quenching star formation and suppressing gas accretion. Finally, we argue that the older age of compact QGs is evidence of progenitor bias: compact QGs simply reflect the smaller sizes of galaxies at their earlier quenching epoch, with stellar density most likely having nothing directly to do with cessation of star formation.

A new model for the origin of Type-B and Fluffy Type-A CAIs: Analogies to remelted compound chondrules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubin, Alan E.

2012-06-01

In the scenario developed here, most types of calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) formed near the Sun where they developed Wark-Lovering rims before being transported by aerodynamic forces throughout the nebula. The amount of ambient dust in the nebula varied with heliocentric distance, peaking in the CV-CK formation location. Literature data show that accretionary rims (which occur outside the Wark-Lovering rims) around CAIs contain substantial 16O-rich forsterite, suggesting that, at this time, the ambient dust in the nebula consisted largely of 16O-rich forsterite. Individual sub-millimeter-size Compact Type-A CAIs (each surrounded by a Wark-Lovering rim) collided in the CV-CK region and stuck together (in a manner similar to that of sibling compound chondrules); the CTAs were mixed with small amounts of 16O-rich mafic dust and formed centimeter-size compound objects (large Fluffy Type-A CAIs) after experiencing minor melting. In contrast to other types of CAIs, centimeter-size Type-B CAIs formed directly in the CV-CK region after gehlenite-rich Compact Type-A CAIs collided and stuck together, incorporated significant amounts of 16O-rich forsteritic dust (on the order of 10-15%) and probably some anorthite, and experienced extensive melting and partial evaporation. (Enveloping compound chondrules formed in an analogous manner.) In those cases where appreciably higher amounts of 16O-rich forsterite (on the order of 25%) (and perhaps minor anorthite and pyroxene) were incorporated into compound Type-A objects prior to melting, centimeter-size forsterite-bearing Type-B CAIs (B3 inclusions) were produced. Type-B1 inclusions formed from B2 inclusions that collided with and stuck to melilite-rich Compact Type-A CAIs and experienced high-temperature processing.

STAR-FORMING ACTIVITY IN THE H ii REGIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE IRAS 17160–3707 COMPLEX

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nandakumar, G.; Veena, V. S.; Vig, S.

2016-11-01

We present a multiwavelength investigation of star formation activity toward the southern H ii regions associated with IRAS 17160–3707, located at a distance of 6.2 kpc with a bolometric luminosity of 8.3 × 10{sup 5} L {sub ⊙}. The ionized gas distribution and dust clumps in the parental molecular cloud are examined in detail using measurements at infrared, submillimeter and radio wavelengths. The radio continuum images at 1280 and 610 MHz obtained using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope reveal the presence of multiple compact sources as well as nebulous emission. At submillimeter wavelengths, we identify seven dust clumps and estimate their physical properties suchmore » as temperature: 24–30 K, mass: 300–4800 M {sub ⊙} and luminosity: 9–317 × 10{sup 2} L {sub ⊙} using modified blackbody fits to the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) between 70 and 870 μ m. We find 24 young stellar objects (YSOs) in the mid-infrared, with a few of them coincident with the compact radio sources. The SEDs of the YSOs have been fitted by the Robitaille models and the results indicate that those having radio compact sources as counterparts host massive objects in early evolutionary stages with best fit age ≤0.2 Myr. We compare the relative evolutionary stages of clumps using various signposts such as masers, ionized gas, presence of YSOs and infrared nebulosity, and find six massive star-forming clumps and one quiescent clump. Of the former, five are in a relatively advanced stage and one in an earlier stage.« less

Observational Implications of a Fall-back Crust around a Quark-nova Compact Remnant: Application to AXPs and SGRs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leahy, Denis A.; Ouyed, R.; Niebergal, B.

2006-12-01

Mass is ejected from a quark stars formed by the Quark-Nova process (Ouyed, Dey and Dey, 2002 A&A, 390, L39; Keranen, Ouyed and Jaikumar 2005 ApJ, 681, 485). Some fraction of this ejecta is below escape velocity and falls back toward the compact object. If the magnetic field of the compact object is high enough, the fall-back material forms a shell of iron-rich material which then evolves quasi-statically. We explore the formation and evolution of such a fall-back crust (so-called because the material originates in the crust of the neutron star progenitor to the quark-nova). We find the resulting properites have application to the observed properties of Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters (SGRs) and Anomolous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs). These observed features of SGRs and AXPs are: (i) the two types of bursts (giant and regular); (ii) the spin-up and spin-down episodes during and following the bursts with associated persistant increases in period derivative ; (iii) the energetics of the boxing day burst, SGR1806+20; (iv) the presence of an Iron line as observed in SGR1900+14; (v) the correlation between the far-Infrared and the X-ray fluxes during the bursting episode and the quiescent phase; (vi) the hard X-ray component observed in SGRs during the giant bursts, and (vii) the discrepancy between the ages of SGRs/AXPs and their supernova remnants. We also find a natural evolutionary relationship between SGRs and AXPs in our model which predicts that only the youngest SGRs/AXPs are most likely to exhibit strong bursting. We acknowledge funding for this research from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Constraining black holes with light boson hair and boson stars using epicyclic frequencies and quasiperiodic oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franchini, Nicola; Pani, Paolo; Maselli, Andrea; Gualtieri, Leonardo; Herdeiro, Carlos A. R.; Radu, Eugen; Ferrari, Valeria

2017-06-01

Light bosonic fields are ubiquitous in extensions of the Standard Model. Even when minimally coupled to gravity, these fields might evade the assumptions of the black-hole no-hair theorems and give rise to spinning black holes which can be drastically different from the Kerr metric. Furthermore, they allow for self-gravitating compact solitons, known as (scalar or Proca) boson stars. The quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) observed in the x-ray flux emitted by accreting compact objects carry information about the strong-field region, thus providing a powerful tool to constrain deviations from Kerr's geometry and to search for exotic compact objects. By using the relativistic precession model as a proxy to interpret the QPOs in terms of geodesic frequencies, we investigate how the QPO frequencies could be used to test the no-hair theorem and the existence of light bosonic fields near accreting compact objects. We show that a detection of two QPO triplets with current sensitivity can already constrain these models and that the future eXTP mission or a LOFT-like mission can set very stringent constraints on black holes with bosonic hair and on (scalar or Proca) boson stars. The peculiar geodesic structure of compact scalar/Proca boson stars implies that these objects can easily be ruled out as alternative models for x-ray source GRO J1655-40.

The effects of shock wave compaction on the transition temperatures of A15 structure superconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otto, G. H.

1974-01-01

Several superconductors with the A15 structure exhibit a positive pressure coefficient, indicating that their transition temperatures increase with applied pressure. Powders of the composition Nb3Al, Nb3Ge, Nb3(Al0.75Ge0.25), and V3Si were compacted by explosive shock waves. The superconducting properties of these materials were measured before and after compaction and it was found that regardless of the sign of the pressure coefficient, the transition temperature is always lowered. The decrease in transition temperature is associated with a decrease in the particle diameter. The shock wave passage through a 3Nb:1Ge powder mixture leads to the formation of at least one compound (probably Nb5Ge3). However, the formation of the A15 compound Nb3Ge is not observed. Elemental niobium powder can be compacted by converging shock waves close to the expected value of the bulk density. Under special circumstances a partial remelting in the center of the sample is observed.

Some topics in the magnetohydrodynamics of accreting magnetic compact objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aly, J. J.

1986-01-01

Magnetic compact objects (neutron stars or white dwarfs) are currently thought to be present in many accreting systems that are releasing large amounts of energy. The magnetic field of the compact star may interact strongly with the accretion flow and play an essential role in the physics of these systems. Some magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) problems that are likely to be relevant in building up self-consistent models of the interaction between the accreting plasma and the star's magnetosphere are addressed in this series of lectures. The basic principles of MHD are first introduced and some important MHD mechanisms (Rayleigh-Taylor and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities; reconnection) are discussed, with particular reference to their role in allowing the infalling matter to penetrate the magnetosphere and mix with the field. The structure of a force-free magnetosphere and the possibility of quasistatic momentum and energy transfer between regions linked by field-aligned currents are then studied in some detail. Finally, the structure of axisymmetric accretion flows onto magnetic compact objects is considered.

Formation of Giant Planets and Brown Dwarves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.

2003-01-01

According to the prevailing core instability model, giant planets begin their growth by the accumulation of small solid bodies, as do terrestrial planets. However, unlike terrestrial planets, the growing giant planet cores become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates. Models predict that rocky planets should form in orbit about most stars. It is uncertain whether or not gas giant planet formation is common, because most protoplanetary disks may dissipate before solid planetary cores can grow large enough to gravitationally trap substantial quantities of gas. Ongoing theoretical modeling of accretion of giant planet atmospheres, as well as observations of protoplanetary disks, will help decide this issue. Observations of extrasolar planets around main sequence stars can only provide a lower limit on giant planet formation frequency . This is because after giant planets form, gravitational interactions with material within the protoplanetary disk may cause them to migrat inwards and be lost to the central star. The core instability model can only produce planets greater than a few jovian masses within protoplanetary disks that are more viscous than most such disks are believed to be. Thus, few brown dwarves (objects massive enough to undergo substantial deuterium fusion, estimated to occur above approximately 13 jovian masses) are likely to be formed in this manner. Most brown dwarves, as well as an unknown number of free-floating objects of planetary mass, are probably formed as are stars, by the collapse of extended gas/dust clouds into more compact objects.

Spontaneous Cracking in Unfired Magnesia Compacts Upon Standing in Air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davies, Myron O.; Grimes, Hubert H.; May, Charles E.

1961-01-01

Analytical-grade magnesium oxide powder without binder was compressed hydrostatically to 50,000 lb. per sq. in. to form compacts. When exposed to moist air immediately after pressing, these compacts developed irregularly shaped cracks. Controlled tests, in which these compacts were exposed for various lengths of time to various atmospheres, indicated that in general water vapor, carbon dioxide, and residual stresses had to be present if cracking was to occur. The probable cause of the cracking was the formation of a less dense and mechanically weak basic carbonate of magnesium at crystallite surface points of high stress concentration which developed during the compacting. The adsorption of dry CO2 at such sites prevented subsequent delayed fracture.

Formation of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies from supergiant molecular clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodman, Morgan; Bekki, Kenji

2018-05-01

The origin of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) is not yet clear. One possible formation path of UCDs is the threshing of a nucleated elliptical dwarf galaxy (dE, N), however, it remains unclear how such massive nuclear stellar systems were formed in dwarf galaxies. To better establish the early history of UCDs, we investigate the formation of UCD progenitor clusters from super giant molecular clouds (SGMCs), using hydrodynamical simulations. In this study we focus on SGMCs with masses 107 - 108 M_{\\odot } that can form massive star clusters that display physical properties similar to UCDs. We find that the clusters have extended star formation histories with two phases, producing multiple distinct stellar populations, and that the star formation rate is dependent on the feedback effects of SNe and AGB stars. The later generations of stars formed in these clusters are more compact, leading to a clearly nested structure, and these stars will be more He-rich than those of the first generation, leading to a slight colour gradient. The simulated clusters demonstrate scaling relations between Reff and M and σv and M consistent with those observed in UCDs and strongly consistent with those of the original SGMC. We discuss whether SGMCs such as these can be formed through merging of self-gravitating molecular clouds in galaxies at high-z.

Development of image mappers for hyperspectral biomedical imaging applications

PubMed Central

Kester, Robert T.; Gao, Liang; Tkaczyk, Tomasz S.

2010-01-01

A new design and fabrication method is presented for creating large-format (>100 mirror facets) image mappers for a snapshot hyperspectral biomedical imaging system called an image mapping spectrometer (IMS). To verify this approach a 250 facet image mapper with 25 multiple-tilt angles is designed for a compact IMS that groups the 25 subpupils in a 5 × 5 matrix residing within a single collecting objective's pupil. The image mapper is fabricated by precision diamond raster fly cutting using surface-shaped tools. The individual mirror facets have minimal edge eating, tilt errors of <1 mrad, and an average roughness of 5.4 nm. PMID:20357875

Trust and compactness in social network groups.

PubMed

De Meo, Pasquale; Ferrara, Emilio; Rosaci, Domenico; Sarné, Giuseppe M L

2015-02-01

Understanding the dynamics behind group formation and evolution in social networks is considered an instrumental milestone to better describe how individuals gather and form communities, how they enjoy and share the platform contents, how they are driven by their preferences/tastes, and how their behaviors are influenced by peers. In this context, the notion of compactness of a social group is particularly relevant. While the literature usually refers to compactness as a measure to merely determine how much members of a group are similar among each other, we argue that the mutual trustworthiness between the members should be considered as an important factor in defining such a term. In fact, trust has profound effects on the dynamics of group formation and their evolution: individuals are more likely to join with and stay in a group if they can trust other group members. In this paper, we propose a quantitative measure of group compactness that takes into account both the similarity and the trustworthiness among users, and we present an algorithm to optimize such a measure. We provide empirical results, obtained from the real social networks EPINIONS and CIAO, that compare our notion of compactness versus the traditional notion of user similarity, clearly proving the advantages of our approach.

Spherical torus fusion reactor

DOEpatents

Martin Peng, Y.K.M.

1985-10-03

The object of this invention is to provide a compact torus fusion reactor with dramatic simplification of plasma confinement design. Another object of this invention is to provide a compact torus fusion reactor with low magnetic field and small aspect ratio stable plasma confinement. In accordance with the principles of this invention there is provided a compact toroidal-type plasma confinement fusion reactor in which only the indispensable components inboard of a tokamak type of plasma confinement region, mainly a current conducting medium which carries electrical current for producing a toroidal magnet confinement field about the toroidal plasma region, are retained.

A practical approach for the scale-up of roller compaction process.

PubMed

Shi, Weixian; Sprockel, Omar L

2016-09-01

An alternative approach for the scale-up of ribbon formation during roller compaction was investigated, which required only one batch at the commercial scale to set the operational conditions. The scale-up of ribbon formation was based on a probability method. It was sufficient in describing the mechanism of ribbon formation at both scales. In this method, a statistical relationship between roller compaction parameters and ribbon attributes (thickness and density) was first defined with DoE using a pilot Alexanderwerk WP120 roller compactor. While the milling speed was included in the design, it has no practical effect on granule properties within the study range despite its statistical significance. The statistical relationship was then adapted to a commercial Alexanderwerk WP200 roller compactor with one experimental run. The experimental run served as a calibration of the statistical model parameters. The proposed transfer method was then confirmed by conducting a mapping study on the Alexanderwerk WP200 using a factorial DoE, which showed a match between the predictions and the verification experiments. The study demonstrates the applicability of the roller compaction transfer method using the statistical model from the development scale calibrated with one experiment point at the commercial scale. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Formation Constraints Indicate a Black Hole Accretor in 47 Tuc X9

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Church, Ross P.; Strader, Jay; Davies, Melvyn B.; Bobrick, Alexey

2017-12-01

The luminous X-ray binary 47 Tuc X9 shows radio and X-ray emission consistent with a stellar-mass black hole (BH) accreting from a carbon-oxygen white dwarf. Its location, in the core of the massive globular cluster 47 Tuc, hints at a dynamical origin. We assess the stability of mass transfer from a carbon-oxygen white dwarf onto compact objects of various masses, and conclude that for mass transfer to proceed stably, the accretor must, in fact, be a BH. Such systems can form dynamically by the collision of a stellar-mass BH with a giant star. Tidal dissipation of energy in the giant’s envelope leads to a bound binary with a pericenter separation less than the radius of the giant. An episode of common-envelope evolution follows, which ejects the giant’s envelope. We find that the most likely target is a horizontal-branch star, and that a realistic quantity of subsequent dynamical hardening is required for the resulting binary to merge via gravitational wave emission. Observing one binary like 47 Tuc X9 in the Milky Way globular cluster system is consistent with the expected formation rate. The observed 6.8-day periodicity in the X-ray emission may be driven by eccentricity induced in the ultra-compact X-ray binary’s orbit by a perturbing companion.

FlaME: Flash Molecular Editor - a 2D structure input tool for the web.

PubMed

Dallakian, Pavel; Haider, Norbert

2011-02-01

So far, there have been no Flash-based web tools available for chemical structure input. The authors herein present a feasibility study, aiming at the development of a compact and easy-to-use 2D structure editor, using Adobe's Flash technology and its programming language, ActionScript. As a reference model application from the Java world, we selected the Java Molecular Editor (JME). In this feasibility study, we made an attempt to realize a subset of JME's functionality in the Flash Molecular Editor (FlaME) utility. These basic capabilities are: structure input, editing and depiction of single molecules, data import and export in molfile format. The result of molecular diagram sketching in FlaME is accessible in V2000 molfile format. By integrating the molecular editor into a web page, its communication with the HTML elements on this page is established using the two JavaScript functions, getMol() and setMol(). In addition, structures can be copied to the system clipboard. A first attempt was made to create a compact single-file application for 2D molecular structure input/editing on the web, based on Flash technology. With the application examples presented in this article, it could be demonstrated that the Flash methods are principally well-suited to provide the requisite communication between the Flash object (application) and the HTML elements on a web page, using JavaScript functions.

Star-forming galaxies in intermediate-redshift clusters: stellar versus dynamical masses of luminous compact blue galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randriamampandry, S. M.; Crawford, S. M.; Bershady, M. A.; Wirth, G. D.; Cress, C. M.

2017-10-01

We investigate the stellar masses of the class of star-forming objects known as luminous compact blue galaxies (LCBGs) by studying a sample of galaxies in the distant cluster MS 0451.6-0305 at z ≈ 0.54 with ground-based multicolour imaging and spectroscopy. For a sample of 16 spectroscopically confirmed cluster LCBGs (colour B - V < 0.5, surface brightness μB < 21 mag arcsec-2 and magnitude MB < -18.5), we measure stellar masses by fitting spectral energy distribution (SED) models to multiband photometry, and compare with dynamical masses [determined from velocity dispersion in the range 10 < σv(km s- 1) < 80] we previously obtained from their emission-line spectra. We compare two different stellar population models that measure stellar mass in star-bursting galaxies, indicating correlations between the stellar age, extinction and stellar mass derived from the two different SED models. The stellar masses of cluster LCBGs are distributed similarly to those of field LCBGs, but the cluster LCBGs show lower dynamical-to-stellar mass ratios (Mdyn/M⋆ = 2.6) than their field LCBG counterparts (Mdyn/M⋆ = 4.8), echoing trends noted previously in low-redshift dwarf elliptical galaxies. Within this limited sample, the specific star formation rate declines steeply with increasing mass, suggesting that these cluster LCBGs have undergone vigorous star formation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oldham, D.W.

Commercial quantities of gas have been produced from shallow sandstone reservoirs of the Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene) in the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin. The two largest accumulations discovered to date, Oedekoven and Chan pools, were drilled on prospects which invoked differential compaction as a mechanism for gas entrapment and prospect delineation. Coal-sourced bacterial gas may have accumulated in localized structural highs early in the burial history of lenticular sand bodies and associated sediments. Structural relief is due to the compaction contrast between sand and stratigraphically equivalent fine-grained sediments. A shallow gas playmore » targeting sandstones as potential reservoirs was initiated in the Recluse area in response as sources for bacterial gas, and the presence of lenticular sandstones that may have promoted the development of compaction structures early in the burial process, to which early-formed bacterial gas migrated. Prospects were ranked based on a number of geologic elements related to compaction-induced trap development. Drilling of the Oedekoven prospect, which possessed all prospect elements, led to the discovery and development of the Oedekoven Fort Union gas pool, which has produced nearly 2 BCF of gas from a depth of 340 ft. Production figures from the Oedekoven and Chan pools demonstrate the commercial gas potential of Fort Union sandstone reservoirs in the Powder River Basin. The shallow depths of the reservoirs, coupled with low drilling and completion costs, an abundance of subsurface control with which to delineate prospects, and an existing network of gas-gathering systems, make them attractive primary targets in shallow exploration efforts as well as secondary objectives in deeper drilling programs.« less

Evolution of the accretion structure of the compact object in the symbiotic binary BF Cygni during outburst in 2009-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomov, N. A.; Tomova, M. T.; Bisikalo, D. V.

2017-12-01

The eclipsing symbiotic binary BF Cyg has had five orbital minima during its last optical outburst after 2006. The second minimum is much shallower than the first one and after that the minimum get deeper again. We determined the parameters of the accretion structure surrounding the compact object in two minima and traced its evolution until 2014. Moreover, we analysed the continuum of the system in the region of the UBVRCIC photometric bands to derive the parameters of its components at two times orbital maximum and calculated the mass-loss rate of the compact object. The results obtained allow us to conclude about the mechanism of fading of the optical light of the system until 2014. These results show that the optical flux of the outbursted compact object decreases because of "contraction" of its observed photosphere (pseudophotosphere) which, on its side, is due to increase of the velocity of its stellar wind, and the optical flux of the circumbinary nebula decreases mainly because of reduction of its mean density, which, on its side, is due to destruction of the accretion structure.

Examining the Role of Environment in a Comprehensive Sample of Compact Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Lisa May; Johnson, Kelsey E.; Gallagher, Sarah C.; Charlton, Jane C.; Hornschemeier, Ann E.; Hibbard, John E.

2012-03-01

Compact groups, with their high number densities, small velocity dispersions, and an interstellar medium that has not been fully processed, provide a local analog to conditions of galaxy interactions in the earlier universe. The frequent and prolonged gravitational encounters that occur in compact groups affect the evolution of the constituent galaxies in a myriad of ways, for example, gas processing and star formation. Recently, a statistically significant "gap" has been discovered in the mid-infrared (MIR: 3.6-8 μm) IRAC color space of compact group galaxies. This gap is not seen in field samples and is a new example of how the compact group environment may affect the evolution of member galaxies. In order to investigate the origin and nature of this gap, we have compiled a larger sample of 37 compact groups in addition to the original 12 groups studied by Johnson et al. (yielding 174 individual galaxies with reliable MIR photometry). We find that a statistically significant deficit of galaxies in this gap region of IRAC color space is persistent in the full sample, lending support to the hypothesis that the compact group environment inhibits moderate specific star formation rates. Using this expanded sample, we have more fully characterized the distribution of galaxies in this color space and quantified the low-density region more fully with respect to MIR bluer and MIR redder colors. We note a curvature in the color-space distribution, which is fully consistent with increasing dust temperature as the activity in a galaxy increases. This full sample of 49 compact groups allows us to subdivide the data according to physical properties of the groups. An analysis of these subsamples indicates that neither projected physical diameter nor density shows a trend in color space within the values represented by this sample. We hypothesize that the apparent lack of a trend is due to the relatively small range of properties in this sample, whose groups have already been pre-selected to be compact and dense. Thus, the relative influence of stochastic effects (such as the particular distribution and amount of star formation in individual galaxies) becomes dominant. We analyze spectral energy distributions of member galaxies as a function of their location in color space and find that galaxies in different regions of MIR color space contain dust with varying temperatures and/or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission.

Examining the Role of Environment in a Comprehensive Sample of Compact Groups

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Lisa May; Johnson, Kelsey E.; Gallagher, Sarah C.; Charlton, Jane C.; Hornschemeier, Ann E.; Hibbard, John E.

2012-01-01

Compact groups, with their high number densities, small velocity dispersions, and an interstellar medium that has not been fully processed, provide a local analog to conditions of galaxy interactions in the earlier universe. The frequent and prolonged gravitational encounters that occur in compact groups affect the evolution of the constituent galaxies in a myriad of ways, for example, gas processing and star formation. Recently, a statistically significant "gap" has been discovered in the mid-infrared (MIR: 3.6-8 µm) IRAC color space of compact group galaxies. This gap is not seen in field samples and is a new example of how the compact group environment may affect the evolution of member galaxies. In order to investigate the origin and nature of this gap, we have compiled a larger sample of 37 compact groups in addition to the original 12 groups studied by Johnson et al. (yielding 174 individual galaxies with reliable MIR photometry). We find that a statistically significant deficit of galaxies in this gap region of IRAC color space is persistent in the full sample, lending support to the hypothesis that the compact group environment inhibits moderate specific star formation rates. Using this expanded sample, we have more fully characterized the distribution of galaxies in this color space and quantified the low-density region more fully with respect to MIR bluer and MIR redder colors. We note a curvature in the color-space distribution, which is fully consistent with increasing dust temperature as the activity in a galaxy increases. This full sample of 49 compact groups allows us to subdivide the data according to physical properties of the groups. An analysis of these subsamples indicates that neither projected physical diameter nor density shows a trend in color space within the values represented by this sample. We hypothesize that the apparent lack of a trend is due to the relatively small range of properties in this sample, whose groups have already been pre-selected to be compact and dense. Thus, the relative influence of stochastic effects (such as the particular distribution and amount of star formation in individual galaxies) becomes dominant. We analyze spectral energy distributions of member galaxies as a function of their location in color space and find that galaxies in different regions of MIR color space contain dust with varying temperatures and/or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission.

HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE FORMATION AND MODES OF STAR FORMATION IN HICKSON COMPACT GROUP 31

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gallagher, S. C.; Durrell, P. R.; Elmegreen, D. M.

2010-02-15

The handful of low-mass, late-type galaxies that comprise Hickson Compact Group 31 (HCG 31) is in the midst of complex, ongoing gravitational interactions, evocative of the process of hierarchical structure formation at higher redshifts. With sensitive, multicolor Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we characterize the large population of < 10 Myr old star clusters (SCs) that suffuse the system. From the colors and luminosities of the young SCs, we find that the galaxies in HCG 31 follow the same universal scaling relations as actively star-forming galaxies in the local universe despite the unusual compact group environment. Furthermore, the specific frequency ofmore » the globular cluster system is consistent with the low end of galaxies of comparable masses locally. This, combined with the large mass of neutral hydrogen and tight constraints on the amount of intragroup light, indicate that the group is undergoing its first epoch of interaction-induced star formation. In both the main galaxies and the tidal-dwarf candidate, F, stellar complexes, which are sensitive to the magnitude of disk turbulence, have both sizes and masses more characteristic of z = 1-2 galaxies. After subtracting the light from compact sources, we find no evidence for an underlying old stellar population in F-it appears to be a truly new structure. The low-velocity dispersion of the system components, available reservoir of H I, and current star formation rate of {approx}10 M {sub sun} yr{sup -1} indicate that HCG 31 is likely to both exhaust its cold gas supply and merge within {approx}1 Gyr. We conclude that the end product will be an isolated, X-ray-faint, low-mass elliptical.« less

The Mitochondrial Transcription Factor TFAM Coordinates the Assembly of Multiple DNA Molecules into Nucleoid-like Structures

PubMed Central

Kaufman, Brett A.; Durisic, Nela; Mativetsky, Jeffrey M.; Costantino, Santiago; Hancock, Mark A.; Grutter, Peter

2007-01-01

Packaging DNA into condensed structures is integral to the transmission of genomes. The mammalian mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) is a high copy, maternally inherited genome in which mutations cause a variety of multisystem disorders. In all eukaryotic cells, multiple mtDNAs are packaged with protein into spheroid bodies called nucleoids, which are the fundamental units of mtDNA segregation. The mechanism of nucleoid formation, however, remains unknown. Here, we show that the mitochondrial transcription factor TFAM, an abundant and highly conserved High Mobility Group box protein, binds DNA cooperatively with nanomolar affinity as a homodimer and that it is capable of coordinating and fully compacting several DNA molecules together to form spheroid structures. We use noncontact atomic force microscopy, which achieves near cryo-electron microscope resolution, to reveal the structural details of protein–DNA compaction intermediates. The formation of these complexes involves the bending of the DNA backbone, and DNA loop formation, followed by the filling in of proximal available DNA sites until the DNA is compacted. These results indicate that TFAM alone is sufficient to organize mitochondrial chromatin and provide a mechanism for nucleoid formation. PMID:17581862

The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. XII. Stellar Populations and Kinematics of Compact, Low-mass Early-type Galaxies from Gemini GMOS-IFU Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guérou, Adrien; Emsellem, Eric; McDermid, Richard M.; Côté, Patrick; Ferrarese, Laura; Blakeslee, John P.; Durrell, Patrick R.; MacArthur, Lauren A.; Peng, Eric W.; Cuillandre, Jean-Charles; Gwyn, Stephen

2015-05-01

We present Gemini Multi Object Spectrograph integral-field unit (GMOS-IFU) data of eight compact, low-mass early-type galaxies (ETGs) in the Virgo cluster. We analyze their stellar kinematics and stellar population and present two-dimensional maps of these properties covering the central 5″ × 7″ region. We find a large variety of kinematics, from nonrotating to highly rotating objects, often associated with underlying disky isophotes revealed by deep images from the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. In half of our objects, we find a centrally concentrated younger and more metal-rich stellar population. We analyze the specific stellar angular momentum through the λR parameter and find six fast rotators and two slow rotators, one having a thin counterrotating disk. We compare the local galaxy density and stellar populations of our objects with those of 39 more extended low-mass Virgo ETGs from the SMAKCED survey and 260 massive (M > 1010 {{M}⊙ }) ETGs from the ATLAS3D sample. The compact low-mass ETGs in our sample are located in high-density regions, often close to a massive galaxy, and have, on average, older and more metal-rich stellar populations than less compact low-mass galaxies. We find that the stellar population parameters follow lines of constant velocity dispersion in the mass-size plane, smoothly extending the comparable trends found for massive ETGs. Our study supports a scenario where low-mass compact ETGs have experienced long-lived interactions with their environment, including ram-pressure stripping and gravitational tidal forces, that may be responsible for their compact nature.

CD-ROM and Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Brower

1985-01-01

The Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) data format is explained and illustrated, noting current and potential applications. The "5-inch" compact laserdisc is described and photographs of an IBM PC/Hitachi CD-ROM system adopted by Library Corporation to support its MARC database--BiblioFile--are presented. Screen displays for…

Settling and compaction of olivine in basaltic magmas: an experimental study on the time scales of cumulate formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Max W.; Forien, Melanie; Solferino, Giulio; Bagdassarov, Nickolai

2012-12-01

A series of centrifuge-assisted settling experiments of 30 vol % olivine in 70 vol % basaltic melt was conducted to elucidate the formation mechanisms and time scales of gravitational cumulates. The settling experiments were performed in a centrifuging piston cylinder at 200-1,500 g, 1,270-1,280 °C, and 0.8-1.1 GPa on previously annealed and texturally equilibrated samples. The mechanical settling of the dense olivine suspension occurs at about 1/6 the speed of simple Stokes settling, resulting in a sedimentation exponent n = 4.1(6) in agreement with predictions from analogue systems. The porosity (φ m ) of the orthocumulate resulting from gravitational settling of crystals is about 54 % and formation times of olivine orthocumulates result to 0.1-10 m day-1 (for an initial crystal content of the melt of 1-5 % and grain sizes of 2-10 mm). After mechanical settling, olivine grains rest on each other, and further compaction occurs through pressure dissolution at grain contacts, olivine reprecipitation where olivine is in contact with melt, and concomitant expulsion of excess liquid from the cumulate layer. With centrifugation at 400 g for 50 h, porosities as low as 30.3 vol % were achieved. The olivine content at the bottom of the gravitational cumulate is 1 - φm ~ log(Δρ · h · a · t), where Δρ is the density difference between crystals and melt, h the crystal layer thickness, a the acceleration, and t the time of centrifuging. Compaction is hence proportional to effective stress integrated over time indicating that pressure dissolution is the dominant mechanism for chemical compaction. The compaction limit, that is the lowermost porosity to be reached by this mechanism, is calculated by equating the lithostatic and hydraulic pressure gradients in the cumulate and results to 3-5 % porosity for the experiments. Crystal size distribution curves and a growth exponent n of 3.1(3) indicate that diffusion-controlled Ostwald ripening is the dominant crystal growth mechanism. The above relationship, combined with a linear scaling for grain size as appropriate for reaction-controlled pressure solution creep, allows calculation of formation times of adcumulates. If chemical compaction is dissolution-reprecipitation limited, then single layers of natural olivine adcumulates of ½ m thickness with 70-75 vol % olivine at the base (as observed in the Rhum layered intrusion) would have typical formation times of 0.4-3 years for grain sizes of 2-10 mm. This time scale compares favourably with characteristic cooling times of sills. If a greater than 20-m-thick series of cumulate layers pressurizes a base layer with the porosity still filled by a melt, then compaction proceeds to the compaction limit within a few years. It can thus be expected that in layered mafic intrusions where cumulates are continuously deposited from a large magma chamber and which characteristic cooling times of more than decades, a compaction zone of several tens of metres forms with adcumulates only maintaining porosities in the order of 5 %. In conclusion, gravitational settling and gravitation-driven chemical compaction are feasible cumulate-forming processes for dense mafic minerals in basaltic magmas and in particular in large layered intrusions.

WR 148 and the not so compact companion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munoz, Melissa; Moffat, Anthony J.; Hill, Grant M.; Shenar, Tomer; Richardson, Noel D.; Pablo, Herbert; St-Louis, Nicole; Ramiaramanantsoa, Tahina

2017-11-01

The objective is to determine the nature of the unseen companion of the single-lined spectroscopic binary, WR 148 (= WN7h+?). The absence of companion lines supports a compact companion (cc) scenario. The lack of hard X-rays favours a non-compact companion scenario. Is WR 148 a commonplace WR+OB binary or a rare WR+cc binary?

Asphaltic mixture compaction and density validation : research brief.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-02-01

Research Objectives: : Evaluate HMA longitudinal joint type, method and compaction data to produce specification recommendations to ensure the highest density at longitudinal joints : Evaluate thin lift overlay HMA and provide recommendations...

RADIO PROPERTIES OF THE BAT AGNs: THE FIR–RADIO RELATION, THE FUNDAMENTAL PLANE, AND THE MAIN SEQUENCE OF STAR FORMATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, Krista Lynne; Mushotzky, Richard F.; Vogel, Stuart

We conducted 22 GHz 1″ JVLA imaging of 70 radio-quiet active galactic nuclei (AGNs) from the Swift -BAT survey. We find radio cores in all but three objects. The radio morphologies of the sample fall into three groups: compact and core-dominated, extended, and jet-like. We spatially decompose each image into core flux and extended flux, and compare the extended radio emission with that predicted from previous Herschel observations using the canonical FIR–radio relation. After removing the AGN contribution to the FIR and radio flux densities, we find that the relation holds remarkably well despite the potentially different star formation physics inmore » the circumnuclear environment. We also compare our core radio flux densities with predictions of coronal models and scale-invariant jet models for the origin of radio emission in radio-quiet AGNs, and find general consistency with both models. However, we find that the L {sub R}/ L {sub X} relation does not distinguish between star formation and non-relativistic AGN-driven outflows as the origin of radio emission in radio-quiet AGNs. Finally, we examine where objects with different radio morphologies fall in relation to the main sequence (MS) of star formation, and conclude that those AGNs that fall below the MS, as X-ray selected AGNs have been found to do, have core-dominated or jet-like 22 GHz morphologies.« less

Quasiperiodic Oscillations in X-ray Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Klis, M.; Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

The term quasiperiodic oscillation (QPO) is used in high-energy astrophysics for any type of non-periodic variability that is constrained to a relatively narrow range of variability frequencies. X-RAY BINARIES are systems in which a `compact object', either a BLACK HOLE or a NEUTRON STAR, orbits a normal star and captures matter from it. The matter spirals down to the compact object and heats up ...

Role of pressure anisotropy on relativistic compact stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maurya, S. K.; Banerjee, Ayan; Hansraj, Sudan

2018-02-01

We investigate a compact spherically symmetric relativistic body with anisotropic particle pressure profiles. The distribution possesses characteristics relevant to modeling compact stars within the framework of general relativity. For this purpose, we consider a spatial metric potential of Korkina and Orlyanskii [Ukr. Phys. J. 36, 885 (1991)] type in order to solve the Einstein field equations. An additional prescription we make is that the pressure anisotropy parameter takes the functional form proposed by Lake [Phys. Rev. D 67, 104015 (2003), 10.1103/PhysRevD.67.104015]. Specifying these two geometric quantities allows for further analysis to be carried out in determining unknown constants and obtaining a limit of the mass-radius diagram, which adequately describes compact strange star candidates like Her X-1 and SMC X-1. Using the anisotropic Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations, we explore the hydrostatic equilibrium and the stability of such compact objects. Then, we investigate other physical features of this model, such as the energy conditions, speeds of sound, and compactness of the star, in detail and show that our results satisfy all the required elementary conditions for a physically acceptable stellar model. The results obtained are useful in analyzing the stability of other anisotropic compact objects like white dwarfs, neutron stars, and gravastars.

Probing Planckian Corrections at the Horizon Scale with LISA Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maselli, Andrea; Pani, Paolo; Cardoso, Vitor; Abdelsalhin, Tiziano; Gualtieri, Leonardo; Ferrari, Valeria

2018-02-01

Several quantum-gravity models of compact objects predict microscopic or even Planckian corrections at the horizon scale. We explore the possibility of measuring two model-independent, smoking-gun effects of these corrections in the gravitational waveform of a compact binary, namely, the absence of tidal heating and the presence of tidal deformability. For events detectable by the future space-based interferometer LISA, we show that the effect of tidal heating dominates and allows one to constrain putative corrections down to the Planck scale. The measurement of the tidal Love numbers with LISA is more challenging but, in optimistic scenarios, it allows us to constrain the compactness of a supermassive exotic compact object down to the Planck scale. Our analysis suggests that highly spinning, supermassive binaries at 1-20 Gpc provide unparalleled tests of quantum-gravity effects at the horizon scale.

Probing Planckian Corrections at the Horizon Scale with LISA Binaries.

PubMed

Maselli, Andrea; Pani, Paolo; Cardoso, Vitor; Abdelsalhin, Tiziano; Gualtieri, Leonardo; Ferrari, Valeria

2018-02-23

Several quantum-gravity models of compact objects predict microscopic or even Planckian corrections at the horizon scale. We explore the possibility of measuring two model-independent, smoking-gun effects of these corrections in the gravitational waveform of a compact binary, namely, the absence of tidal heating and the presence of tidal deformability. For events detectable by the future space-based interferometer LISA, we show that the effect of tidal heating dominates and allows one to constrain putative corrections down to the Planck scale. The measurement of the tidal Love numbers with LISA is more challenging but, in optimistic scenarios, it allows us to constrain the compactness of a supermassive exotic compact object down to the Planck scale. Our analysis suggests that highly spinning, supermassive binaries at 1-20 Gpc provide unparalleled tests of quantum-gravity effects at the horizon scale.

Gamma-ray evidence for a stellar-mass black hole near the Galactic center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramaty, Reuven; Lingenfelter, Richard E.

1989-01-01

An analysis of the time variability of the observed 511-keV line emission from the direction of the Galactic center and the correlation of its variations in the continuum emission above 511 keV from the same direction suggest the existence of a compact object at or near the Galactic center. A possible mechanism of the observed positron annihilation is consistent with a compact interaction region of the order of 10 to the 8th cm. A black hole of several hundred solar masses is favored as a candidate for this compact object; arguments in support of this suggestion are presented.

Optimization and Surface Modification of Al-6351 Alloy Using SiC-Cu Green Compact Electrode by Electro Discharge Coating Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Sujoy; Kar, Siddhartha; Dey, Vidyut; Ghosh, Subrata Kumar

2017-06-01

This paper introduces the surface modification of Al-6351 alloy by green compact SiC-Cu electrode using electro-discharge coating (EDC) process. A Taguchi L-16 orthogonal array is employed to investigate the process by varying tool parameters like composition and compaction load and electro-discharge machining (EDM) parameters like pulse-on time and peak current. Material deposition rate (MDR), tool wear rate (TWR) and surface roughness (SR) are measured on the coated specimens. An optimum condition is achieved by formulating overall evaluation criteria (OEC), which combines multi-objective task into a single index. The signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio, and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) is employed to investigate the effect of relevant process parameters. A confirmation test is conducted based on optimal process parameters and experimental results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of this approach. The modified surface is characterized by optical microscope and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. XRD analysis of the deposited layer confirmed the transfer of tool materials to the work surface and formation of inter-metallic phases. The micro-hardness of the resulting composite layer is also measured which is 1.5-3 times more than work material’s one and highest layer thickness (LT) of 83.644μm has been successfully achieved.

ULTRA-COMPACT DWARFS IN THE COMA CLUSTER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chiboucas, Kristin; Tully, R. Brent; Marzke, R. O.

2011-08-20

We have undertaken a spectroscopic search for ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) in the dense core of the dynamically evolved, massive Coma cluster as part of the Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys (HST/ACS) Coma Cluster Treasury Survey. UCD candidates were initially chosen based on color, magnitude, degree of resolution within the ACS images, and the known properties of Fornax and Virgo UCDs. Follow-up spectroscopy with Keck/Low-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer confirmed 27 candidates as members of the Coma cluster, a success rate >60% for targeted objects brighter than M{sub R} = -12. Another 14 candidates may also prove to be Coma members,more » but low signal-to-noise spectra prevent definitive conclusions. An investigation of the properties and distribution of the Coma UCDs finds these objects to be very similar to UCDs discovered in other environments. The Coma UCDs tend to be clustered around giant galaxies in the cluster core and have colors/metallicity that correlate with the host galaxy. With properties and a distribution similar to that of the Coma cluster globular cluster population, we find strong support for a star cluster origin for the majority of the Coma UCDs. However, a few UCDs appear to have stellar population or structural properties which differentiate them from the old star cluster populations found in the Coma cluster, perhaps indicating that UCDs may form through multiple formation channels.« less

The Hα kinematics of interacting galaxies in 12 compact groups★

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres-Flores, S.; Amram, P.; Mendes de Oliveira, C.; Plana, H.; Balkowski, C.; Marcelin, M.; Olave-Rojas, D.

2014-08-01

We present new Fabry-Perot observations for a sample of 42 galaxies located in 12 compact groups of galaxies: HCG 1, HCG 14, HCG 25, HCG 44, HCG 53, HCG 57, HCG 61, HCG 69, HCG 93, VV 304, LGG 455 and Arp 314. From the 42 observed galaxies, a total of 26 objects are spiral galaxies, which range from Sa to Im morphological types. The remaining 16 objects are E, S0 and S0a galaxies. Using these observations, we have derived velocity maps, monochromatic and velocity dispersion maps for 24 galaxies, where 18 are spiral, three are S0a, two are S0 and one is an Im galaxy. From the 24 velocity fields obtained, we could derive rotation curves for 15 galaxies; only two of them exhibit rotation curves without any clear signature of interactions. Based on kinematic information, we have evaluated the evolutionary stage of the different groups of the current sample. We identify groups that range from having no Hα emission to displaying an extremely complex kinematics, where their members display strongly perturbed velocity fields and rotation curves. In the case of galaxies with no Hα emission, we suggest that past galaxy interactions removed their gaseous components, thereby quenching their star formation. However, we cannot discard that the lack of Hα emission is linked with the detection limit for some of our observations.

Rotational properties of hypermassive neutron stars from binary mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanauske, Matthias; Takami, Kentaro; Bovard, Luke; Rezzolla, Luciano; Font, José A.; Galeazzi, Filippo; Stöcker, Horst

2017-08-01

Determining the differential-rotation law of compact stellar objects produced in binary neutron stars mergers or core-collapse supernovae is an old problem in relativistic astrophysics. Addressing this problem is important because it impacts directly on the maximum mass these objects can attain and, hence, on the threshold to black-hole formation under realistic conditions. Using the results from a large number of numerical simulations in full general relativity of binary neutron star mergers described with various equations of state and masses, we study the rotational properties of the resulting hypermassive neutron stars. We find that the angular-velocity distribution shows only a modest dependence on the equation of state, thus exhibiting the traits of "quasiuniversality" found in other aspects of compact stars, both isolated and in binary systems. The distributions are characterized by an almost uniformly rotating core and a "disk." Such a configuration is significantly different from the j -constant differential-rotation law that is commonly adopted in equilibrium models of differentially rotating stars. Furthermore, the rest-mass contained in such a disk can be quite large, ranging from ≃0.03 M⊙ in the case of high-mass binaries with stiff equations of state, up to ≃0.2 M⊙ for low-mass binaries with soft equations of state. We comment on the astrophysical implications of our findings and on the long-term evolutionary scenarios that can be conjectured on the basis of our simulations.

The ATLAS3D Project - XXX. Star formation histories and stellar population scaling relations of early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDermid, Richard M.; Alatalo, Katherine; Blitz, Leo; Bournaud, Frédéric; Bureau, Martin; Cappellari, Michele; Crocker, Alison F.; Davies, Roger L.; Davis, Timothy A.; de Zeeuw, P. T.; Duc, Pierre-Alain; Emsellem, Eric; Khochfar, Sadegh; Krajnović, Davor; Kuntschner, Harald; Morganti, Raffaella; Naab, Thorsten; Oosterloo, Tom; Sarzi, Marc; Scott, Nicholas; Serra, Paolo; Weijmans, Anne-Marie; Young, Lisa M.

2015-04-01

We present the stellar population content of early-type galaxies from the ATLAS3D survey. Using spectra integrated within apertures covering up to one effective radius, we apply two methods: one based on measuring line-strength indices and applying single stellar population (SSP) models to derive SSP-equivalent values of stellar age, metallicity, and alpha enhancement; and one based on spectral fitting to derive non-parametric star formation histories, mass-weighted average values of age, metallicity, and half-mass formation time-scales. Using homogeneously derived effective radii and dynamically determined galaxy masses, we present the distribution of stellar population parameters on the Mass Plane (MJAM, σe, R^maj_e), showing that at fixed mass, compact early-type galaxies are on average older, more metal-rich, and more alpha-enhanced than their larger counterparts. From non-parametric star formation histories, we find that the duration of star formation is systematically more extended in lower mass objects. Assuming that our sample represents most of the stellar content of today's local Universe, approximately 50 per cent of all stars formed within the first 2 Gyr following the big bang. Most of these stars reside today in the most massive galaxies (>1010.5 M⊙), which themselves formed 90 per cent of their stars by z ˜ 2. The lower mass objects, in contrast, have formed barely half their stars in this time interval. Stellar population properties are independent of environment over two orders of magnitude in local density, varying only with galaxy mass. In the highest density regions of our volume (dominated by the Virgo cluster), galaxies are older, alpha-enhanced, and have shorter star formation histories with respect to lower density regions.

Impacts of the Detection of Cassiopeia A Point Source.

PubMed

Umeda; Nomoto; Tsuruta; Mineshige

2000-05-10

Very recently the Chandra first light observation discovered a point-like source in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant. This detection was subsequently confirmed by the analyses of the archival data from both ROSAT and Einstein observations. Here we compare the results from these observations with the scenarios involving both black holes (BHs) and neutron stars (NSs). If this point source is a BH, we offer as a promising model a disk-corona type model with a low accretion rate in which a soft photon source at approximately 0.1 keV is Comptonized by higher energy electrons in the corona. If it is an NS, the dominant radiation observed by Chandra most likely originates from smaller, hotter regions of the stellar surface, but we argue that it is still worthwhile to compare the cooler component from the rest of the surface with cooling theories. We emphasize that the detection of this point source itself should potentially provide enormous impacts on the theories of supernova explosion, progenitor scenario, compact remnant formation, accretion to compact objects, and NS thermal evolution.

Formation of polymer micro-agglomerations in ultralow-binder-content composite based on lunar soil simulant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Tzehan; Chow, Brian J.; Zhong, Ying; Wang, Meng; Kou, Rui; Qiao, Yu

2018-02-01

We report results from an experiment on high-pressure compaction of lunar soil simulant (LSS) mixed with 2-5 wt% polymer binder. The LSS grains can be strongly held together, forming an inorganic-organic monolith (IOM) with the flexural strength around 30-40 MPa. The compaction pressure, the number of loadings, the binder content, and the compaction duration are important factors. The LSS-based IOM remains strong from -200 °C to 130 °C, and is quite gas permeable.

Development of a Bulk-Format System to Harvest, Handle, Store, and Deliver High-Tonnage Low-Moisture Switchgrass Feedstock

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Womac, Alvin; Groothuis, Mitch; Westover, Tyler

2013-09-24

This project evaluates and compares comprehensive feedstock logistics systems (FLS), where a FLS is defined to comprehensively span from biomass material standing in a field to conveyance of a uniform, industrial-milled product into the throat of a biomass conversion facility (BCF). Elements of the bulk-format FLS evaluated in this project include: field-standing switchgrass dry chopped into bulk format on the farm, hauled (either loose or bulk compacted) to storage, stored with confining overburden in a protective facility, reclaimed and conveyed to bulk-format discharge, bulk compacted into an ejector trailer, and conveyed as bulk flow into the BCF. In this FLSmore » evaluation, bulk storage bins served as a controlled and sensored proxy for large commercial stacks protected from moisture with a membrane cover.« less

Small pixel pitch MCT IR-modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lutz, H.; Breiter, R.; Eich, D.; Figgemeier, H.; Fries, P.; Rutzinger, S.; Wendler, J.

2016-05-01

It is only some years ago, since VGA format detectors in 15μm pitch, manufactured with AIM's MCT n-on-p LPE standard technology, have been introduced to replace TV/4 format detector arrays as a system upgrade. In recent years a rapid increase in the demand for higher resolution, while preserving high thermal resolution, compactness and low power budget is observed. To satisfy these needs AIM has realized first prototypes of MWIR XGA format (1024x768) detector arrays in 10μm pitch. They fit in the same compact dewar as 640x512, 15μm pitch detector arrays. Therefore, they are best suited for system upgrade purposes to benefit from higher spatial resolution and keep cost on system level low. By combining pitch size reduction with recent development progress in the fields of miniature cryocoolers, short dewars and high operating temperatures the way ahead to ultra-compact high performance MWIR-modules is prepared. For cost reduction MBE grown MCT on commercially available GaAs substrates is introduced at AIM. Recently, 640x512, 15μm pitch FPAs, grown with MBE have successfully passed long-term high temperature storage tests as a crucial step towards serial production readiness level for use in future products. Pitch size reduction is not limited to arrays sensitive in the MWIR, but is of great interest for high performance LWIR or 3rd Gen solutions. Some applications such as rotorcraft pilotage require superior spatial resolution in a compact design to master severe weather conditions or degraded visual environment such as brown-out. For these applications AIM is developing both LWIR as well as dual band detector arrays in HD-format (1280x720) with 12μm pitch. This paper will present latest results in the development of detector arrays with small pitch sizes of 10μm and 12μm at AIM, together with their usage to realize compact cooled IR-modules.

Galaxies at the Extremes: Ultradiffuse Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mihos, Chris

2017-08-01

The ultradiffuse galaxies (UDGs) recently discovered in massive galaxy clusters presents both challenges and opportunities for our understanding of galaxy evolution in dense clusters. Such large, low density galaxies should be most vulnerable to gravitational destruction within the cluster environment. Thus their presence in cluster cores argues either that they must be stabilized by massive dark halos or else be short-lived objects undergoing rapid transformation, perhaps leading to the formation of ultracompact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) if their destruction leaves only a compact nucleus behind. We propose deep imaging of four Virgo Cluster UDGs to probe their local environment within Virgo via accurate tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distances. With a distance precision of 1 Mpc, we will accurately place the objects in the Virgo core, cluster outskirts, or intervening field. When coupled with our extant kinematic data, we can determine whether they are infalling objects or instead have already passed through the cluster core. We will also compare their compact nuclei to Virgo UCDs, and study their globular cluster (GC) populations in detail. Probing three magnitudes beyond the turnover in the GC luminosity function, we will construct larger and cleaner GC samples than possible with ground-based imaging, using the total mass and radial extent of the globular cluster systems to estimate the dark halo mass and tidal radius for each UDG. The new information provided by HST about the local environment and intrinsic properties of these Virgo UDGs will be used in conjunction with simulation data to study cluster-driven evolution and transformation of low density galaxies.

Introductory Overview of Intermediate-luminosity X-ray Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, E. J. M.

2001-05-01

Intermediate-luminosity X-ray Objects (IXOs) are defined as compact objects having X-ray luminosities between those of X-ray binaries and low-luminosity AGNs (i.e., 1039.0 erg s-1 < ~ LX [IXOs] < ~ 1041.0 erg s-1). It is not currently known if these objects are intermediate-mass (M ~ 102-104 Msun) black holes accreting near the Eddington limit, near-solar-mass black holes in a super-Eddington state, or are, in some cases, just supermassive black holes accreting at very low rates. However, the first idea has been popularized by recent press coverage. IXOs are quite common (present in about half of spiral galaxies) and are typically found displaced from the optical nucleus, reducing the likelihood that they are low-luminosity AGN. Nearly all of our knowledge of these objects comes from X-ray observations, as observations of optical, NIR and radio counterparts are not widely known. In this session, we will address (1) the phenomenology of the objects, (2) possible geometry and accretion mechanisms for these objects (i.e., are they more similar to black hole X-ray binaries or AGNs), (3) the central black hole masses, and (4) the formation mechanism for these black holes, if they are of intermediate mass. In this talk, I will focus primarily on giving background information of these fascinating objects.

The H I chronicles of LITTLE THINGS blue compact dwarf galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashley, Trisha Lynn

Star formation occurs when the gas (mostly atomic hydrogen; H I) in a galaxy becomes disturbed, forming regions of high density gas, which then collapses to form stars. In dwarf galaxies it is still uncertain which processes contribute to star formation and how much they contribute to star formation. Blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies are low mass, low shear, gas rich galaxies that have high star formation rates when compared to other dwarf galaxies. What triggers the dense burst of star formation in BCDs but not other dwarfs is not well understood. It is often suggested that BCDs may have their starburst triggered by gravitational interactions with other galaxies, dwarf-dwarf galaxy mergers, or consumption of intergalactic gas. However, there are BCDs that appear isolated with respect to other galaxies, making an external disturbance unlikely. Here, I study six apparently isolated BCDs from the LITTLE THINGS sample in an attempt to understand what has triggered their burst of star formation. LITTLE THINGS is an H I survey of 41 dwarf galaxies. Each galaxy has high angular and velocity resolution H I data from the Very Large Array (VLA) telescope and ancillary stellar data. I use these data to study the detailed morphology and kinematics of each galaxy, looking for signatures of starburst triggers. In addition to the VLA data, I have collected Green Bank Telescope data for the six BCDs. These high sensitivity, low resolution data are used to search the surrounding area of each galaxy for extended emission and possible nearby companion galaxies. The VLA data show evidence that each BCD has likely experienced some form of external disturbance despite their apparent isolation. These external disturbances potentially seen in the sample include: ongoing/advanced dwarf-dwarf mergers, an interaction with an unknown external object, and external gas consumption. The GBT data result in no nearby, separate H I companions at the sensitivity of the data. These data therefore suggest that even though these BCDs appear isolated, they have not been evolving in isolation. It is possible that these external disturbances may have triggered the starbursts that defines them as BCDs.

Building the Hot Intra-Group Medium in Spiral-Rich Compact Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Sullivan, Ewan

2014-11-01

Galaxy groups provide a natural laboratory for investigating the formation of the hot intergalactic medium (IGM). While galaxy clusters gain most of their hot gas through accretion and gravitational shocks, in groups the processes of galaxy evolution (stripping, collisions, star formation) play an important role in the initial build up of the hot halo. We present Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of groups still in the process of forming their IGM, including the well known compact groups HCG 16 and Stephan's Quintet (HCG 92). We show that starburst winds and shock-heating of stripped HI provide important contributions of gas and metals to the IGM, and discuss the impact of gas stripping, enhanced star formation and nuclear activity in the group member galaxies.

Dark matter influence on black objects thermodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogatko, Marek; Wojnar, Aneta

2018-05-01

Physical process version of the first law of black hole thermodynamics in Einstein-Maxwell dark matter gravity was derived. The dark matter sector is mimicked by the additional U(1)-gauge field coupled to the ordinary Maxwell one. By considering any cross section of the black hole event horizon to the future of the bifurcation surface, the equilibrium state version of the first law of black hole mechanics was achieved. The considerations were generalized to the case of Einstein-Yang-Mills dark matter gravity theory. The main conclusion is that the influence of dark matter is crucial in the formation process of black objects. This fact may constitute the explanation of the recent observations of the enormous mass of the super luminous quasars formed in a relatively short time after Big Bang. We also pay attention to the compact binaries thermodynamics, when dark matter sector enters the game.

Is the Gravitational-Wave Ringdown a Probe of the Event Horizon?

PubMed

Cardoso, Vitor; Franzin, Edgardo; Pani, Paolo

2016-04-29

It is commonly believed that the ringdown signal from a binary coalescence provides a conclusive proof for the formation of an event horizon after the merger. This expectation is based on the assumption that the ringdown waveform at intermediate times is dominated by the quasinormal modes of the final object. We point out that this assumption should be taken with great care, and that very compact objects with a light ring will display a similar ringdown stage, even when their quasinormal-mode spectrum is completely different from that of a black hole. In other words, universal ringdown waveforms indicate the presence of light rings, rather than of horizons. Only precision observations of the late-time ringdown signal, where the differences in the quasinormal-mode spectrum eventually show up, can be used to rule out exotic alternatives to black holes and to test quantum effects at the horizon scale.

Hand-held photomicroscope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zabower, H. R. (Inventor)

1973-01-01

A small, lightweight, compact, hand-held photomicroscope provides simultaneous viewing and photographing, with adjustable specimen illumination and exchangeable camera format. The novel photomicroscope comprises a main housing having a top plate, bottom plate, and side walls. The objective lens is mounted on the top plate in an inverted manner relative to the normal type of mounting. The specimen holder has an adjusting mechanism for adjustably moving the specimen vertically along an axis extending through the objective lens as well as transverse of the axis. The lens system serves to split the beam of light into two paths, one to the eyepiece and the other to a camera mounting. A light source is mounted on the top plate and directs light onto the specimen. A rheostat device is mounted on the top plate and coupled to the power supply for the light source so that the intensity of the light may be varied.

Active polarization descattering.

PubMed

Treibitz, Tali; Schechner, Yoav Y

2009-03-01

Vision in scattering media is important but challenging. Images suffer from poor visibility due to backscattering and attenuation. Most prior methods for scene recovery use active illumination scanners (structured and gated), which can be slow and cumbersome, while natural illumination is inapplicable to dark environments. The current paper addresses the need for a non-scanning recovery method, that uses active scene irradiance. We study the formation of images under widefield artificial illumination. Based on the formation model, the paper presents an approach for recovering the object signal. It also yields rough information about the 3D scene structure. The approach can work with compact, simple hardware, having active widefield, polychromatic polarized illumination. The camera is fitted with a polarization analyzer. Two frames of the scene are taken, with different states of the analyzer or polarizer. A recovery algorithm follows the acquisition. It allows both the backscatter and the object reflection to be partially polarized. It thus unifies and generalizes prior polarization-based methods, which had assumed exclusive polarization of either of these components. The approach is limited to an effective range, due to image noise and illumination falloff. Thus, the limits and noise sensitivity are analyzed. We demonstrate the approach in underwater field experiments.

Probing the nature of the pre-merging system Hickson Compact Group 31 through integral field unit data★

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfaro-Cuello, M.; Torres-Flores, S.; Carrasco, E. R.; Mendes de Oliveira, C.; de Mello, D. F.; Amram, P.

2015-10-01

We present a study of the kinematics and the physical properties of the central region of the Hickson Compact Group 31 (HCG 31), focusing on the HCG 31A+C system, using integral field spectroscopy data taken with the Gemini South Telescope. The main players in the merging event (galaxies A and C) are two dwarf galaxies, which have had one close encounter, given the observed tidal tails, and may now be in their second approach, and are possibly about to merge. We present new velocity fields and Hα emission, stellar continuum, velocity dispersion, electron density, Hα equivalent-width and age maps. Considering the high spatial resolution of the integral field unit data, we were able to measure various components and estimate their physical parameters, spatially resolving the different structures in this region. Our main findings are the following: (1) We report for the first time the presence of a super stellar cluster next to the burst associated with the HCG 31C central blob, related to the high values of velocity dispersion observed in this region as well as to the highest value of stellar continuum emission. This may suggest that this system is cleaning its environment through strong stellar winds that may then trigger a strong star formation event in its neighbourhood. (2) Among other physical parameters, we estimate L(Hα) ˜ 14 × 1041 erg s-1 and the star formation rate, SFR ˜11 M⊙ yr-1 for the central merging region of HCG 31A+C. These values indicate a high star formation density, suggesting that the system is part of a merging object, supporting previous scenarios proposed for this system.

76 FR 24556 - Intermediary Lending Pilot (ILP) Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-02

... of materials. Each application must be submitted in two different formats: (1) Hard copy with original signatures, and (2) in Word or PDF format on a standard Compact Disc. See the instructions in the...

Note: A manifold ranking based saliency detection method for camera.

PubMed

Zhang, Libo; Sun, Yihan; Luo, Tiejian; Rahman, Mohammad Muntasir

2016-09-01

Research focused on salient object region in natural scenes has attracted a lot in computer vision and has widely been used in many applications like object detection and segmentation. However, an accurate focusing on the salient region, while taking photographs of the real-world scenery, is still a challenging task. In order to deal with the problem, this paper presents a novel approach based on human visual system, which works better with the usage of both background prior and compactness prior. In the proposed method, we eliminate the unsuitable boundary with a fixed threshold to optimize the image boundary selection which can provide more precise estimations. Then, the object detection, which is optimized with compactness prior, is obtained by ranking with background queries. Salient objects are generally grouped together into connected areas that have compact spatial distributions. The experimental results on three public datasets demonstrate that the precision and robustness of the proposed algorithm have been improved obviously.

Coordination-Driven Syntheses of Compact Supramolecular Metallacycles toward Extended Metallo-organic Stacked Supramolecular Assemblies.

PubMed

Lescop, Christophe

2017-04-18

One important concept associated with supramolecular chemistry is supramolecular self-assembly, which deals with the way discrete individual components interact via intermolecular interactions in order to build, upon their spontaneous association, high order functional assemblies. The accumulation of these very simple and localized noncovalent interactions (such as H-bonding, dipole-dipole, hydrophobic/hydrophilic, van der Waals, π-π, π-CH, etc.) is ubiquitous in the complexity of natural systems (such as DNA, proteins, membranes, micelles, etc.). It can also be transposed to the directed synthesis of intricate artificial scaffolds, which have anticipated geometries and properties. Among the synthetic strategies based on this concept, coordination-driven supramolecular chemistry uses the robust, reversible, and directional metal-to-ligand coordinative bond to build discrete metallo-supramolecular architectures. Within the last two decades, coordination-driven supramolecular chemistry has proved to be one of the most powerful contemporary synthetic approaches and has provided a significant number of increasingly complex supramolecular assemblies, which have predetermined sizes and geometries. While much focus has been devoted to architectures bearing internal cavities for host-guest chemistry or to generate specific reactivity, particular attention can also be paid to compact supramolecular assemblies given that their specific structures are characterized by peculiar synthetic guiding rules as well as by alternative long-range self-assembling properties. This Account describes how a preassembled Cu I bimetallic clip bearing short intermetallic distances can be used as a U-shaped molecular clip to give general and versatile access to a large variety of original compact supramolecular metallacycles. When this Cu I precursor is reacted with various cyano-capped ditopic linkers that have increasing lengths and complexities, specific effects guiding the selective and straightforward syntheses of such compact supramolecular objects are highlighted. Whereas a subtle compromise between the length of the ditopic linkers and the steric bulk of the molecular clip appears to be a purely stereogeometric preliminary parameter to master, lateral interlinker interactions (π-π stacking interactions or aurophilic interactions depending on the nature of the internal cores of the linkers) can circumvent these constraints regardless of the length of the linkers and allow the selective formation of new compact supramolecular structures. Generally, such derivatives presented a strong tendency to self-assemble in the solid state due to inter-supramolecule interactions. This approach thus opens a new door toward molecular materials having an attractive solid state structure for potential applications related to charge carrier mobility and luminescence properties. These compact supramolecular assemblies can therefore be considered as original secondary binding units directing the predictive preparation of such extended networks. The on-purpose design of original building blocks bearing specific cores allowed the formation of new compact supramolecular metallacycles such as "U-shaped" π-stacked assemblies or "pseudodouble paracyclophanes". Similarly, the control of the secondary structure of one-dimensional coordination polymers alternating π-stacked compact supramolecular metallacycles was also conducted. The results that are discussed in this Account illustrate how the rational design of both preassembled polymetallic precursors bearing short intermetallic distances and ditopic linkers able to induce cumulative lateral weak interactions can implement the general synthetic guiding rules of coordination driven supramolecular chemistry. This opens perspectives to use such compact supramolecular assemblies as secondary building blocks for the design of long-range organized functional molecular materials that have predictable architectures and targeted properties.

A new image representation for compact and secure communication

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Prasad, Lakshman; Skourikhine, A. N.

In many areas of nuclear materials management there is a need for communication, archival, and retrieval of annotated image data between heterogeneous platforms and devices to effectively implement safety, security, and safeguards of nuclear materials. Current image formats such as JPEG are not ideally suited in such scenarios as they are not scalable to different viewing formats, and do not provide a high-level representation of images that facilitate automatic object/change detection or annotation. The new Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) open standard for representing graphical information, recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is designed to address issues of imagemore » scalability, portability, and annotation. However, until now there has been no viable technology to efficiently field images of high visual quality under this standard. Recently, LANL has developed a vectorized image representation that is compatible with the SVG standard and preserves visual quality. This is based on a new geometric framework for characterizing complex features in real-world imagery that incorporates perceptual principles of processing visual information known from cognitive psychology and vision science, to obtain a polygonal image representation of high fidelity. This representation can take advantage of all textual compression and encryption routines unavailable to other image formats. Moreover, this vectorized image representation can be exploited to facilitate automated object recognition that can reduce time required for data review. The objects/features of interest in these vectorized images can be annotated via animated graphics to facilitate quick and easy display and comprehension of processed image content.« less

Compact dewar and electronics for large-format infrared detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manissadjian, A.; Magli, S.; Mallet, E.; Cassaigne, P.

2011-06-01

Infrared systems cameras trend is to require higher performance (thanks to higher resolution) and in parallel higher compactness for easier integration in systems. The latest developments at SOFRADIR / France on HgCdTe (Mercury Cadmium Telluride / MCT) cooled IR staring detectors do show constant improvements regarding detector performances and compactness, by reducing the pixel pitch and optimizing their encapsulation. Among the latest introduced detectors, the 15μm pixel pitch JUPITER HD-TV format (1280×1024) has to deal with challenging specifications regarding dewar compactness, low power consumption and reliability. Initially introduced four years ago in a large dewar with a more than 2kg split Stirling cooler compressor, it is now available in a new versatile compact dewar that is vacuum-maintenance-free over typical 18 years mission profiles, and that can be integrated with the different available Stirling coolers: K548 microcooler for light solution (less than 0.7 kg), K549 or LSF9548 for split cooler and/or higher reliability solution. The IDDCAs are also required with simplified electrical interface enabling to shorten the system development time and to standardize the electronic boards definition with smaller volumes. Sofradir is therefore introducing MEGALINK, the new compact Command & Control Electronics compatible with most of the Sofradir IDDCAs. MEGALINK provides all necessary input biases and clocks to the FPAs, and digitizes and multiplexes the video outputs to provide a 14 bit output signal through a cameralink interface, in a surface smaller than a business card.

A Sleeping Giant Awakened: Reignition of AGN Activity, Reborn Star Formation, and a Multiphase Outflow in one of the Largest Radio Galaxies Known

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tremblay, Grant; O'Dea, Christopher; Labiano, Alvaro; Baum, Stefi; McDermid, Richard; Combes, Francoise; Garcia-Burillo, Santiago; Davis, Timothy

2014-08-01

3C 236 is the second largest known radio galaxy and one of the largest objects in the known Universe. Its central AGN has recently reignited after a 10 Myr dormancy period, giving rise to a very young and compact radio source and a 1000 km/sec outflow of warm ionized and atomic HI gas. We propose GMOS-N IFU observations to resolve this outflow, determine its driver, and estimate the relative coupling efficiencies between the warm ionized, atomic, and cold molecular gas phases. We will assemble a much-needed spatially resolved Balmer decrement (extinction map) across the dramatic double dust lanes of this source, enabling high spatial resolution star formation rate, efficiency, and gas excitation and velocity maps. These will address several mysteries related to the very high star formation efficiency and the unique nature of the multiphase outflow in this source. 3C 236 is such a remarkable galaxy that whatever the results of the proposed observations, they will have wide-ranging implications for the triggering of star formation and AGN activity, their possibly coupled co-evolution, and the feedback effects of the latter on the former.

Stochastic phase of ventral furrow formation in the Drosophila embryo: cellular constriction chains, mechanical feedback, and robustness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blawzdziewicz, Jerzy; Gao, Guo-Jie J.; Holcomb, Michael C.; Thomas, Jeffrey H.

The key process giving rise to ventral furrow formation (VFF) in Drosophila embryo is apical constriction of cells in the ventral region. The constriction produces negative spontaneous curvature of the cell layer. During the initial slower phase of VFF approximately 40% of cells constrict in a seemingly random order. We show that this initial phase of VFF does not depend on random uncorrelated events. Instead, constricted cell apices form well-defined correlated structures, i.e., cellular constriction chains (CCCs), indicative of strong spatial and directional correlations between the constriction events. We argue that this chain formation is a signature of mechanical signaling that coordinates apical constrictions through tensile stress. To gain insights into the mechanisms involved in this correlated constriction process, we propose an active granular fluid (AGF) model which considers a tissue as a collection of mechanically active, stress-responsive objects. Our AGF molecular dynamics simulations show that cell constriction sensitivity to tensile stress results in formation of CCCs whereas compressive-stress sensitivity leads to compact constricted cell clusters; the CCCs, which can penetrate less-active regions, increase the robustness of the VFF process.

A massive galaxy in its core formation phase three billion years after the Big Bang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Erica; van Dokkum, Pieter; Franx, Marijn; Brammer, Gabriel; Momcheva, Ivelina; Schreiber, Natascha Förster; da Cunha, Elisabete; Tacconi, Linda; Bezanson, Rachel; Kirkpatrick, Allison; Leja, Joel; Rix, Hans-Walter; Skelton, Rosalind; van der Wel, Arjen; Whitaker, Katherine; Wuyts, Stijn

2014-09-01

Most massive galaxies are thought to have formed their dense stellar cores in early cosmic epochs. Previous studies have found galaxies with high gas velocity dispersions or small apparent sizes, but so far no objects have been identified with both the stellar structure and the gas dynamics of a forming core. Here we report a candidate core in the process of formation 11 billion years ago, at redshift z = 2.3. This galaxy, GOODS-N-774, has a stellar mass of 100 billion solar masses, a half-light radius of 1.0 kiloparsecs and a star formation rate of solar masses per year. The star-forming gas has a velocity dispersion of 317 +/- 30 kilometres per second. This is similar to the stellar velocity dispersions of the putative descendants of GOODS-N-774, which are compact quiescent galaxies at z ~ 2 (refs 8, 9, 10, 11) and giant elliptical galaxies in the nearby Universe. Galaxies such as GOODS-N-774 seem to be rare; however, from the star formation rate and size of this galaxy we infer that many star-forming cores may be heavily obscured, and could be missed in optical and near-infrared surveys.

A massive galaxy in its core formation phase three billion years after the Big Bang.

PubMed

Nelson, Erica; van Dokkum, Pieter; Franx, Marijn; Brammer, Gabriel; Momcheva, Ivelina; Schreiber, Natascha Förster; da Cunha, Elisabete; Tacconi, Linda; Bezanson, Rachel; Kirkpatrick, Allison; Leja, Joel; Rix, Hans-Walter; Skelton, Rosalind; van der Wel, Arjen; Whitaker, Katherine; Wuyts, Stijn

2014-09-18

Most massive galaxies are thought to have formed their dense stellar cores in early cosmic epochs. Previous studies have found galaxies with high gas velocity dispersions or small apparent sizes, but so far no objects have been identified with both the stellar structure and the gas dynamics of a forming core. Here we report a candidate core in the process of formation 11 billion years ago, at redshift z = 2.3. This galaxy, GOODS-N-774, has a stellar mass of 100 billion solar masses, a half-light radius of 1.0 kiloparsecs and a star formation rate of solar masses per year. The star-forming gas has a velocity dispersion of 317 ± 30 kilometres per second. This is similar to the stellar velocity dispersions of the putative descendants of GOODS-N-774, which are compact quiescent galaxies at z ≈ 2 (refs 8-11) and giant elliptical galaxies in the nearby Universe. Galaxies such as GOODS-N-774 seem to be rare; however, from the star formation rate and size of this galaxy we infer that many star-forming cores may be heavily obscured, and could be missed in optical and near-infrared surveys.

Herschel observations of the Galactic H II region RCW 79

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hong-Li; Figueira, Miguel; Zavagno, Annie; Hill, Tracey; Schneider, Nicola; Men'shchikov, Alexander; Russeil, Delphine; Motte, Frédérique; Tigé, Jérémy; Deharveng, Lise; Anderson, Loren D.; Li, Jin-Zeng; Wu, Yuefang; Yuan, Jing-Hua; Huang, Maohai

2017-06-01

Context. Triggered star formation around H II regions could be an important process. The Galactic H II region RCW 79 is a prototypical object for triggered high-mass star formation. Aims: We aim to obtain a census of the young stellar population observed at the edges of the H II region and to determine the properties of the young sources in order to characterize the star formation processes that take place at the edges of this ionized region. Methods: We take advantage of Herschel data from the surveys HOBYS, "Evolution of Interstellar Dust", and Hi-Gal to extract compact sources. We use the algorithm getsources. We complement the Herschel data with archival 2MASS, Spitzer, and WISE data to determine the physical parameters of the sources (e.g., envelope mass, dust temperature, and luminosity) by fitting the spectral energy distribution. Results: We created the dust temperature and column density maps along with the column density probability distribution function (PDF) for the entire RCW 79 region. We obtained a sample of 50 compact sources in this region, 96% of which are situated in the ionization-compressed layer of cold and dense gas that is characterized by the column density PDF with a double-peaked lognormal distribution. The 50 sources have sizes of 0.1-0.4 pc with a typical value of 0.2 pc, temperatures of 11-26 K, envelope masses of 6-760 M⊙, densities of 0.1-44 × 105 cm-3, and luminosities of 19-12 712 L⊙. The sources are classified into 16 class 0, 19 intermediate, and 15 class I objects. Their distribution follows the evolutionary tracks in the diagram of bolometric luminosity versus envelope mass (Lbol-Menv) well. A mass threshold of 140 M⊙, determined from the Lbol-Menv diagram, yields 12 candidate massive dense cores that may form high-mass stars. The core formation efficiency (CFE) for the 8 massive condensations shows an increasing trend of the CFE with density. This suggests that the denser the condensation, the higher the fraction of its mass transformation into dense cores, as previously observed in other high-mass star-forming regions. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.Final reduced data and maps used in the paper (FITS format) are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/602/A95

The Imprint of the Extragalactic Background Light in the Gamma-Ray Spectra of Blazars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Allafort, A.; Schady, P.; Baldini, L.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G.; Bastieri, D.; Bellazzini, R; Blandford, R. D.;

MoonBEAM: A Beyond Earth-Orbit Gamma-Ray Burst Detector for Gravitational-Wave Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hui, C. M.; Briggs, M. S.; Goldstein, A. M.; Jenke, P. A.; Kocevski, D.; Wilson-Hodge, C. A.

2018-01-01

Moon Burst Energetics All-sky Monitor (MoonBEAM) is a CubeSat concept of deploying gamma-ray detectors in cislunar space to improve localization precision for gamma-ray bursts by utilizing the light travel time difference between different orbits. We present here a gamma-ray SmallSat concept in Earth-Moon L3 halo orbit that is capable of rapid response and provide a timing baseline for localization improvement when partnered with an Earth-orbit instrument. Such an instrument would probe the extreme processes in cosmic collision of compact objects and facilitate multi-messenger time-domain astronomy to explore the end of stellar life cycles and black hole formations.

Electromagnetic jets from stars and black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gralla, Samuel E.; Lupsasca, Alexandru; Rodriguez, Maria J.

2016-02-01

We present analytic force-free solutions modeling rotating stars and black holes immersed in the magnetic field of a thin disk that terminates at an inner radius. The solutions are exact in flat spacetime and approximate in Kerr spacetime. The compact object produces a conical jet whose properties carry information about its nature. For example, the jet from a star is surrounded by a current sheet, while that of a black hole is smooth. We compute an effective resistance in each case and compare to the canonical values used in circuit models of energy extraction. These solutions illustrate all of the basic features of the Blandford-Znajek process for energy extraction and jet formation in a clean setting.

Origins of structure in globular proteins.

PubMed Central

Chan, H S; Dill, K A

1990-01-01

The principal forces of protein folding--hydrophobicity and conformational entropy--are nonspecific. A long-standing puzzle has, therefore, been: What forces drive the formation of the specific internal architectures in globular proteins? We find that any self-avoiding flexible polymer molecule will develop large amounts of secondary structure, helices and parallel and antiparallel sheets, as it is driven to increasing compactness by any force of attraction among the chain monomers. Thus structure formation arises from the severity of steric constraints in compact polymers. This steric principle of organization can account for why short helices are stable in globular proteins, why there are parallel and anti-parallel sheets in proteins, and why weakly unfolded proteins have some secondary structure. On this basis, it should be possible to construct copolymers, not necessarily using amino acids, that can collapse to maximum compactness in incompatible solvents and that should then have structural organization resembling that of proteins. Images PMID:2385597

What's new in well logging and formation evaluation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prensky, S.

2011-01-01

A number of significant new developments is emerging in well logging and formation evaluation. Some of the new developments include an ultrasonic wireline imager, an electromagnetic free-point indicator, wired and fiber-optic coiled tubing systems, and extreme-temperature logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools. The continued consolidation of logging and petrophysical service providers in 2010 means that these innovations are increasingly being provided by a few large companies. Weatherford International has launched a slimhole cross-dipole tool as part of the company's line of compact logging tools. The 26-ft-long Compact Cross-Dipole Sonic (CXD) tool can be run as part of a quad-combo compact logging string. Halliburton has introduced a version of its circumferential acoustic scanning tool (CAST) that runs on monoconductor cable (CAST-M) to provide high-resolution images in open hole and in cased hole for casing and cement evaluation.

Influence of a Polymer Coating and the Compacting Pressure on the Magnetic Properties of Cobalt-Based Amorphous Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skulkina, N. A.; Ivanov, O. A.; Mazeeva, A. K.; Kuznetsov, P. A.; Stepanova, E. A.; Blinova, O. V.; Mikhalitsyna, E. A.; Denisov, N. D.; Chekis, V. I.

2017-12-01

The influence of a polymer coating applied in the manufacture of magnetic shields on magnetic properties has been studied based on the example of ribbons of a cobalt-based soft magnetic alloy (Co-Fe-Ni-Cr-Mn-Si-B) with the saturation magnetostriction close to zero. The influence of polymer coating has been separated from the effect of the compacting pressure applied upon its formation. The polymer coating was formed on the ribbon in the states with different signs of the saturation magnetostriction. It has been shown that the compacting pressure and the polymer coating have opposite effects on the properties of the ribbon and that these impacts partly level off upon the formation of the coating. The degree of the influence of the polymer coating on the magnetic properties depends on the state of the ribbon and on the sign of the saturation magnetostriction in this state.

Ambiguity-free completion of the equations of motion of compact binary systems at the fourth post-Newtonian order

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchand, Tanguy; Bernard, Laura; Blanchet, Luc; Faye, Guillaume

2018-02-01

We present the first complete (i.e., ambiguity-free) derivation of the equations of motion of two nonspinning compact objects up to the 4PN (post-Newtonian) order, based on the Fokker action of point particles in harmonic coordinates. The last ambiguity parameter is determined from first principle, by resorting to a matching between the near-zone and far-zone fields, and a consistent computation of the 4PN tail effect in d dimensions. Dimensional regularization is used throughout for treating IR divergences appearing at 4PN order, as well as UV divergences due to the modeling of the compact objects as point particles.

Host Galaxies, Obscuration, and Nuclear Structure of Three Nearby Compact Symmetric Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perlman, Eric S.; Stocke, John T.; Conway, John; Reynolds, Chris

2001-08-01

We present three-band Hubble Space Telescope imaging of three nearby (z<=0.1) compact symmetric objects: 4C 31.04, 1946+708, and 1146+596. These objects were chosen on the basis of proximity to Earth as well as H I 21 cm line absorption. The inner H-band isophotes of these galaxies are well fitted by Nuker models, typical of nearby elliptical galaxies. Each shows a significant flattening in the isophotal profile at radii ~0.5", as well as significant variations in ellipticity and P.A. However, as previous authors have noted, neither is uncommon for elliptical galaxies. All three objects show modest departures from Nuker law models at radii of 1-5 h-160 kpc. Each galaxy shows large well-distributed dust features, which are somewhat concentrated in the nuclear regions in features that resemble disks or tori. We find that the amount of dust in these galaxies is about 10 times higher than normal for elliptical galaxies and radio galaxy hosts. The major axes of the nuclear dust disks tend to be oriented roughly perpendicular to the radio axis. One galaxy, 4C 31.04, exhibits bright nuclear regions well aligned with the radio axis, while another, 1146+596, shows a significant near-IR excess resembling a stellar bar along its dust disk. The combination of outwardly normal isophotal profiles with significant variations in P.A. and ellipticity is consistent with the host galaxies being relatively recent merger remnants and the mergers having occurred >~108 yr ago. Such a merger could have ``triggered'' the onset of the current active phase seen in these objects, but our data require a significant time delay between the merger event and the onset of nuclear activity. However, these data are also consistent with the hypothesis that the onset of nuclear activity in radio galaxies is due to relatively minor ``feeding'' events and/or the formation of ``bars within bars,'' events which would disturb the internal kinematics only slightly.

COMPACT E+A GALAXIES AS A PROGENITOR OF MASSIVE COMPACT QUIESCENT GALAXIES AT 0.2 < z < 0.8

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zahid, H. Jabran; Hochmuth, Nicholas Baeza; Geller, Margaret J.

We search the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Baryon Oscillation Sky Survey to identify ∼5500 massive compact quiescent galaxy candidates at 0.2 < z < 0.8. We robustly classify a subsample of 438 E+A galaxies based on their spectral properties and make this catalog publicly available. We examine sizes, stellar population ages, and kinematics of galaxies in the sample and show that the physical properties of compact E+A galaxies suggest that they are a progenitor of massive compact quiescent galaxies. Thus, two classes of objects—compact E+A and compact quiescent galaxies—may be linked by a common formation scenario. The typicalmore » stellar population age of compact E+A galaxies is <1 Gyr. The existence of compact E+A galaxies with young stellar populations at 0.2 < z < 0.8 means that some compact quiescent galaxies first appear at intermediate redshifts. We derive a lower limit for the number density of compact E+A galaxies. Assuming passive evolution, we convert this number density into an appearance rate of new compact quiescent galaxies at 0.2 < z < 0.8. The lower limit number density of compact quiescent galaxies that may appear at z < 0.8 is comparable to the lower limit of the total number density of compact quiescent galaxies at these intermediate redshifts. Thus, a substantial fraction of the z < 0.8 massive compact quiescent galaxy population may descend from compact E+A galaxies at intermediate redshifts.« less

A Massive Galaxy in Its Core Formation Phase Three Billion Years After the Big Bang

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Erica; van Dokkum, Pieter; Franx, Marijn; Brammer, Gabriel; Momcheva, Ivelina; Schreiber, Natascha M. Forster; da Cunha, Elisabete; Tacconi, Linda; Bezanson, Rachel; Kirkpatrick, Allison;

A new direction for dark matter research: intermediate-mass compact halo objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapline, George F.; Frampton, Paul H.

2016-11-01

The failure to find evidence for elementary particles that could serve as the constituents of dark matter brings to mind suggestions that dark matter might consist of massive compact objects (MACHOs). In particular, it has recently been argued that MACHOs with masses > 15Msolar may have been prolifically produced at the onset of the big bang. Although a variety of astrophysical signatures for primordial MACHOs with masses in this range have been discussed in the literature, we favor a strategy that uses the potential for magnification of stars outside our galaxy due to gravitational microlensing of these stars by MACHOs in the halo of our galaxy. We point out that the effect of the motion of the Earth on the shape of the micro-lensing brightening curves provides a promising approach to testing over the course of next several years the hypothesis that dark matter consists of massive compact objects.

Evaluation of a compact tinnitus therapy by electrophysiological tinnitus decompensation measures.

PubMed

Low, Yin Fen; Argstatter, Heike; Bolay, Hans Volker; Strauss, Daniel J

2008-01-01

Large-scale neural correlates of the tinnitus decompensation have been identified by using wavelet phase stability criteria of single sweep sequences of auditory late responses (ALRs). Our previous work showed that the synchronization stability in ALR sequences might be used for objective quantification of the tinnitus decompensation and attention which link to Jastreboff tinnitus model. In this study, we intend to provide an objective evaluation for quantifying the effect of music therapy in tinnitus patients. We examined neural correlates of the attentional mechanism in single sweep sequences of ALRs in chronic tinnitus patients who underwent compact therapy course by using the maximum entropy auditory paradigm. Results by our measure showed that the extent of differentiation between attended and unattended conditions improved significantly after the therapy. It is concluded that the wavelet phase synchronization stability of ALRs single sweeps can be used for the objective evaluation of tinnitus therapies, in this case the compact tinnitus music therapy.

Comparison of Laboratory and Field Density of Asphalt Mixtures

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1991-01-01

The objective of this paper is to investigate the relationships between the measured density of the mixture obtained in the mix design, during quality control of the mixture (laboratory compaction of field produced mix), after initial compaction (cor...

AGN POPULATION IN HICKSON COMPACT GROUPS. I. DATA AND NUCLEAR ACTIVITY CLASSIFICATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MartInez, M. A.; Del Olmo, A.; Perea, J.

2010-03-15

We have conducted a new spectroscopic survey to characterize the nature of nuclear activity in Hickson compact group (HCG) galaxies and establish its frequency. We have obtained new intermediate-resolution optical spectroscopy for 200 member galaxies and corrected for underlying stellar population contamination using galaxy templates. Spectra for 11 additional galaxies have been acquired from the ESO and 6dF public archives, and emission-line ratios have been taken from the literature for 59 more galaxies. Here we present the results of our classification of the nuclear activity for 270 member galaxies, which belong to a well-defined sample of 64 HCGs. We foundmore » a large fraction of galaxies, 63%, with emission lines. Using standard diagnostic diagrams, 45% of the emission-line galaxies were classified as pure active galactic nuclei (AGNs), 23% as Transition Objects (TOs), and 32% as star-forming nuclei (SFNs). In the HCGs, the AGN activity appears as the most frequent activity type. Adopting the interpretation that in TOs a low-luminosity AGN coexists with circumnuclear star formation, the fraction of galaxies with an AGN could rise to 42% of the whole sample. The low frequency (20%) of SFNs confirms that there is no star formation enhancement in HCGs. After extinction correction, we found a median AGN H{alpha} luminosity of 7.1 x 10{sup 39} erg s{sup -1}, which implies that AGNs in HCG have a characteristically low luminosity. This result added to the fact that there is an almost complete absence of broad-line AGNs in compact groups (CGs) as found by MartInez et al. and corroborated in this study for HCGs, is consistent with very few gas left in these galaxies. In general, therefore, what may characterize the level of activity in CGs is a severe deficiency of gas.« less

FlaME: Flash Molecular Editor - a 2D structure input tool for the web

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background So far, there have been no Flash-based web tools available for chemical structure input. The authors herein present a feasibility study, aiming at the development of a compact and easy-to-use 2D structure editor, using Adobe's Flash technology and its programming language, ActionScript. As a reference model application from the Java world, we selected the Java Molecular Editor (JME). In this feasibility study, we made an attempt to realize a subset of JME's functionality in the Flash Molecular Editor (FlaME) utility. These basic capabilities are: structure input, editing and depiction of single molecules, data import and export in molfile format. Implementation The result of molecular diagram sketching in FlaME is accessible in V2000 molfile format. By integrating the molecular editor into a web page, its communication with the HTML elements on this page is established using the two JavaScript functions, getMol() and setMol(). In addition, structures can be copied to the system clipboard. Conclusion A first attempt was made to create a compact single-file application for 2D molecular structure input/editing on the web, based on Flash technology. With the application examples presented in this article, it could be demonstrated that the Flash methods are principally well-suited to provide the requisite communication between the Flash object (application) and the HTML elements on a web page, using JavaScript functions. PMID:21284863

Ultra Compact Optical Pickup with Integrated Optical System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakata, Hideki; Nagata, Takayuki; Tomita, Hironori

2006-08-01

Smaller and thinner optical pickups are needed for portable audio-visual (AV) products and notebook personal computers (PCs). We have newly developed an ultra compact recordable optical pickup for Mini Disc (MD) that measures less than 4 mm from the disc surface to the bottom of the optical pickup, making the optical system markedly compact. We have integrated all the optical components into an objective lens actuator moving unit, while fully satisfying recording and playback performance requirements. In this paper, we propose an ultra compact optical pickup applicable to portable MD recorders.

Context indexing of digital cardiac ultrasound records in PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lobodzinski, S. Suave; Meszaros, Georg N.

1998-07-01

Recent wide adoption of the DICOM 3.0 standard by ultrasound equipment vendors created a need for practical clinical implementations of cardiac imaging study visualization, management and archiving, DICOM 3.0 defines only a logical and physical format for exchanging image data (still images, video, patient and study demographics). All DICOM compliant imaging studies must presently be archived on a 650 Mb recordable compact disk. This is a severe limitation for ultrasound applications where studies of 3 to 10 minutes long are a common practice. In addition, DICOM digital echocardiography objects require physiological signal indexing, content segmentation and characterization. Since DICOM 3.0 is an interchange standard only, it does not define how to database composite video objects. The goal of this research was therefore to address the issues of efficient storage, retrieval and management of DICOM compliant cardiac video studies in a distributed PACS environment. Our Web based implementation has the advantage of accommodating both DICOM defined entity-relation modules (equipment data, patient data, video format, etc.) in standard relational database tables and digital indexed video with its attributes in an object relational database. Object relational data model facilitates content indexing of full motion cardiac imaging studies through bi-directional hyperlink generation that tie searchable video attributes and related objects to individual video frames in the temporal domain. Benefits realized from use of bi-directionally hyperlinked data models in an object relational database include: (1) real time video indexing during image acquisition, (2) random access and frame accurate instant playback of previously recorded full motion imaging data, and (3) time savings from faster and more accurate access to data through multiple navigation mechanisms such as multidimensional queries on an index, queries on a hyperlink attribute, free search and browsing.

The formation of compact groups of galaxies. I: Optical properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diaferio, Antonaldo; Geller, Margaret J.; Ramella, Massimo

1994-01-01

The small crossing time of compact groups of galaxies (t(sub cr)H(sub 0) approximately less than 0.02) makes it hard to understand why they are observable at all. Our dissipationless N-body simulations show that within a single rich collapsing group compact groups of galaxies continually form. The mean lifetime of a particular compact configuration if approximately 1 Gyr. On this time scale, members may merge and/or other galaxies in the loose group may join the compact configuration. In other words, compact configurations are continually replaced by new systems. The frequency of this process explains the observability of compact groups. Our model produces compact configurations (compact groups (CG's) with optical properties remarkably similar to Hickson's (1982) compact groups (HCG's): (1) CG's have a frequency distribution of members similar to that of HCG's; (2) CG's are approximately equals 10 times as dense as loose groups; (3) CG's have dynamical properties remarkably similar to those of HCG's; (4) most of the galaxy members of CG's are not merger remnants. The crucial aspect of the model is the relationship between CG's and the surrounding rich loose group. Our model predicts the frequency of occurrence of CG's. A preliminary analysis of 18 rich loose groups is consistent with the model prediction. We suggest further observational tests of the model.

Fluffy dust forms icy planetesimals by static compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kataoka, Akimasa; Tanaka, Hidekazu; Okuzumi, Satoshi; Wada, Koji

2013-09-01

Context. Several barriers have been proposed in planetesimal formation theory: bouncing, fragmentation, and radial drift problems. Understanding the structure evolution of dust aggregates is a key in planetesimal formation. Dust grains become fluffy by coagulation in protoplanetary disks. However, once they are fluffy, they are not sufficiently compressed by collisional compression to form compact planetesimals. Aims: We aim to reveal the pathway of dust structure evolution from dust grains to compact planetesimals. Methods: Using the compressive strength formula, we analytically investigate how fluffy dust aggregates are compressed by static compression due to ram pressure of the disk gas and self-gravity of the aggregates in protoplanetary disks. Results: We reveal the pathway of the porosity evolution from dust grains via fluffy aggregates to form planetesimals, circumventing the barriers in planetesimal formation. The aggregates are compressed by the disk gas to a density of 10-3 g/cm3 in coagulation, which is more compact than is the case with collisional compression. Then, they are compressed more by self-gravity to 10-1 g/cm3 when the radius is 10 km. Although the gas compression decelerates the growth, the aggregates grow rapidly enough to avoid the radial drift barrier when the orbital radius is ≲6 AU in a typical disk. Conclusions: We propose a fluffy dust growth scenario from grains to planetesimals. It enables icy planetesimal formation in a wide range beyond the snowline in protoplanetary disks. This result proposes a concrete initial condition of planetesimals for the later stages of the planet formation.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: ATLAS3D Project. XXX (McDermid+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDermid, R. M.; Alatalo, K.; Blitz, L.; Bournaud, F.; Bureau, M.; Cappellari, M.; Crocker, A. F.; Davies, R. L.; Davis, T. A.; De Zeeuw, P. T.; Duc, P.-A.; Emsellem, E.; Khochfar, S.; Krajnovic, D.; Kuntschner, H.; Morganti, R.; Naab, T.; Oosterloo, T.; Sarzi, M.; Scott, N.; Serra, P.; Weijmans, A.-M.; Young, L. M.

2015-09-01

We present the stellar population content of early-type galaxies from the ATLAS3D survey. Using spectra integrated within apertures covering up to one effective radius, we apply two methods: one based on measuring line-strength indices and applying single stellar population (SSP) models to derive SSP-equivalent values of stellar age, metallicity, and alpha enhancement; and one based on spectral fitting to derive non-parametric star formation histories, mass-weighted average values of age, metallicity, and half-mass formation time-scales. Using homogeneously derived effective radii and dynamically determined galaxy masses, we present the distribution of stellar population parameters on the Mass Plane (MJAM, σe, Rmaje), showing that at fixed mass, compact early-type galaxies are on average older, more metal-rich, and more alpha-enhanced than their larger counterparts. From non-parametric star formation histories, we find that the duration of star formation is systematically more extended in lower mass objects. Assuming that our sample represents most of the stellar content of today's local Universe, approximately 50 percent of all stars formed within the first 2Gyr following the big bang. Most of these stars reside today in the most massive galaxies (>1010.5M⊙), which themselves formed 90 percent of their stars by z~2. The lower mass objects, in contrast, have formed barely half their stars in this time interval. Stellar population properties are independent of environment over two orders of magnitude in local density, varying only with galaxy mass. In the highest density regions of our volume (dominated by the Virgo cluster), galaxies are older, alpha-enhanced, and have shorter star formation histories with respect to lower density regions. (4 data files).

DEFORMATION AND FRACTURE OF POORLY CONSOLIDATED MEDIA - Borehole Failure Mechanisms in High-Porosity Sandstone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bezalel c. Haimson

2005-06-10

We investigated failure mechanisms around boreholes and the formation of borehole breakouts in high-porosity sandstone, with particular interest to grain-scale micromechanics of failure leading to the hitherto unrecognized fracture-like borehole breakouts and apparent compaction band formation in poorly consolidated granular materials. We also looked at a variety of drilling-related factors that contribute to the type, size and shape of borehole breakouts. The objective was to assess their effect on the ability to establish correlations between breakout geometry and in situ stress magnitudes, as well as on borehole stability prediction, and hydrocarbon/water extraction in general. We identified two classes of mediummore » to high porosity (12-30%) sandstones, arkosic, consisting of 50-70% quartz and 15 to 50% feldspar, and quartz-rich sandstones, in which quartz grain contents varied from 90 to 100%. In arkose sandstones critical far-field stress magnitudes induced compressive failure around boreholes in the form of V-shaped (dog-eared) breakouts, the result of dilatant intra-and trans-granular microcracking subparallel to both the maximum horizontal far-field stress and to the borehole wall. On the other hand, boreholes in quartz-rich sandstones failed by developing fracture-like breakouts. These are long and very narrow (several grain diameters) tabular failure zones perpendicular to the maximum stress. Evidence provided mainly by SEM observations suggests a failure process initiated by localized grain-bond loosening along the least horizontal far-field stress springline, the packing of these grains into a lower porosity compaction band resembling those discovered in Navajo and Aztec sandstones, and the emptying of the loosened grains by the circulating drilling fluid starting from the borehole wall. Although the immediate several grain layers at the breakout tip often contain some cracked or even crushed grains, the failure mechanism enabled by the formation of the compaction band is largely non-dilatant, a major departure from the dilatant mechanism observed in Tablerock sandstone. The experimental results suggest that unlike our previous assertion, the strength of grain bonding and the mineral composition, rather than the porosity, are major factors in the formation of compaction bands and the ensuing fracture-like breakouts. Some breakout dimensions in all rocks were correlatable to the far-field principal stresses, and could potentially be used (in conjunction with other information) as indicators of their magnitudes. However, we found that several factors can significantly influence breakout geometry. Larger boreholes and increased drilling-fluid flow rates produce longer fracture-like breakouts, suggesting that breakouts in field-scale wellbores could reach considerable lengths. On the other hand, increased drilling-fluid weight and increased drill-bit penetration rate resulted in a decrease in breakout length. These results indicate that breakout growth can be controlled to some degree by manipulating drilling variables. Realizing how drilling variables impact borehole breakout formation is important in understanding the process by which breakouts form and their potential use as indicators of the far-field in situ stress magnitudes and as sources of sand production. As our research indicates, the final breakout size and mechanism of formation can be a function of several variables and conditions, meaning there is still much to be understood about this phenomenon.« less

Effect of antistripping additives on the compaction of bituminous concrete.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1981-01-01

The objective of this investigation was to determine the effect of antistripping additives on the compaction of bituminous concrete. To do this, the densities obtained on test sections with and without additive were compared. Comparisons of nuclear d...

WisDOT asphaltic mixture new specifications implementation : field compaction and density.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-06-01

The main research objectives of this study were to evaluate HMA Longitudinal Joint type, method and compaction data to produce specification recommendations that will ensure the highest density longitudinal joint, as well as evaluate and produce a sp...

A recipe for echoes from exotic compact objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mark, Zachary; Zimmerman, Aaron; Du, Song Ming; Chen, Yanbei

2017-10-01

Gravitational wave astronomy provides an unprecedented opportunity to test the nature of black holes and search for exotic, compact alternatives. Recent studies have shown that exotic compact objects (ECOs) can ring down in a manner similar to black holes, but can also produce a sequence of distinct pulses resembling the initial ringdown. These "echoes" would provide definite evidence for the existence of ECOs. In this work we study the generation of these echoes in a generic, parametrized model for the ECO, using Green's functions. We show how to reprocess radiation in the near-horizon region of a Schwarzschild black hole into the asymptotic radiation from the corresponding source in an ECO spacetime. Our methods allow us to understand the connection between distinct echoes and ringing at the resonant frequencies of the compact object. We find that the quasinormal mode ringing in the black hole spacetime plays a central role in determining the shape of the first few echoes. We use this observation to develop a simple template for echo waveforms. This template preforms well over a variety of ECO parameters, and with improvements may prove useful in the analysis of gravitational waves.

Initial Parameters of Neutron Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popov, S. B.; Turolla, R.

2012-12-01

A subpopulation of neutron stars (NSs), known as central compact objects (CCOs) in supernova remnants, are suspected to be low-field objects basing on P - ṗ measurements for three of them. The birth rate of low-field NSs is probably comparable with the birth rate of normal radio pulsars. However, among compact objects in High-Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs) we do not see robust candidates for low-field NSs. We propose that this contradiction can be solved if magnetic fields of CCOs was buried due to strong fall-back, and then the field emerges on the time scale 104 -105 yrs.

Modulation of Conformational Equilibria in the S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM) II Riboswitch by SAM, Mg(2+), and Trimethylamine N-Oxide.

PubMed

McPhie, Peter; Brown, Patrick; Chen, Bin; Dayie, Theodore K; Minton, Allen P

2016-09-13

The dependence of the conformation of the S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) II riboswitch on the concentration of added Mg(2+) ions and SAM, individually and in mixtures, was monitored by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and by measurement of the diffusion coefficient. The results are analyzed in the context of two complementary quantitative models, both of which are consistent with a single underlying physical model. Magnesium binding sites in the open state have an affinity on average higher than the affinity of those in the compact state, but formation of the compact state is accompanied by an increase in the number of binding sites. Consequently, at low Mg(2+) concentrations, Mg(2+) binds preferentially to the open state, favoring its formation, but at high concentrations, Mg(2+) binds preferentially to the compact state. The affinity of the riboswitch for SAM increases drastically with an increased level of binding of Mg(2+) to the compact pseudoknot conformation. The effect of increasing concentrations of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a well-studied molecular crowding agent, on the conformation of the riboswitch and its affinity for SAM were also monitored by CD spectroscopy and measurement of diffusion. In the absence of added Mg(2+), high concentrations of TMAO were found to induce a conformational change compatible with the formation of the pseudoknot form but have only a small effect on the affinity of the RNA for SAM.

A COMPACT CONCENTRATION OF LARGE GRAINS IN THE HD 142527 PROTOPLANETARY DUST TRAP

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Casassus, Simon; Marino, Sebastian; Pérez, Sebastian

2015-10-20

A pathway to the formation of planetesimals, and eventually giant planets, may occur in concentrations of dust grains trapped in pressure maxima. Dramatic crescent-shaped dust concentrations have been seen in recent radio images at submillimeter wavelengths. These disk asymmetries could represent the initial phases of planet formation in the dust trap scenario, provided that grain sizes are spatially segregated. A testable prediction of azimuthal dust trapping is that progressively larger grains should be more sharply confined and should follow a distribution that is markedly different from the gas. However, gas tracers such as {sup 12}CO and the infrared emission frommore » small grains are both very optically thick where the submillimeter continuum originates, so previous observations have been unable to test the trapping predictions or to identify compact concentrations of larger grains required for planet formation by core accretion. Here we report multifrequency observations of HD 142527, from 34 to 700 GHz, that reveal a compact concentration of grains approaching centimeter sizes, with a few Earth masses, embedded in a large-scale crescent of smaller, submillimeter-sized particles. The emission peaks at wavelengths shorter than ∼1 mm are optically thick and trace the temperature structure resulting from shadows cast by the inner regions. Given this temperature structure, we infer that the largest dust grains are concentrated in the 34 GHz clump. We conclude that dust trapping is efficient enough for grains observable at centimeter wavelengths to lead to compact concentrations.« less

The Galactic Distribution of Massive Star Formation from the Red MSX Source Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figura, Charles C.; Urquhart, J. S.

2013-01-01

Massive stars inject enormous amounts of energy into their environments in the form of UV radiation and molecular outflows, creating HII regions and enriching local chemistry. These effects provide feedback mechanisms that aid in regulating star formation in the region, and may trigger the formation of subsequent generations of stars. Understanding the mechanics of massive star formation presents an important key to understanding this process and its role in shaping the dynamics of galactic structure. The Red MSX Source (RMS) survey is a multi-wavelength investigation of ~1200 massive young stellar objects (MYSO) and ultra-compact HII (UCHII) regions identified from a sample of colour-selected sources from the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) point source catalog and Two Micron All Sky Survey. We present a study of over 900 MYSO and UCHII regions investigated by the RMS survey. We review the methods used to determine distances, and investigate the radial galactocentric distribution of these sources in context with the observed structure of the galaxy. The distribution of MYSO and UCHII regions is found to be spatially correlated with the spiral arms and galactic bar. We examine the radial distribution of MYSOs and UCHII regions and find variations in the star formation rate between the inner and outer Galaxy and discuss the implications for star formation throughout the galactic disc.

Well behaved anisotropic compact star models in general relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasim, M. K.; Maurya, S. K.; Gupta, Y. K.; Dayanandan, B.

2016-11-01

Anisotropic compact star models have been constructed by assuming a particular form of a metric function e^{λ}. We solved the Einstein field equations for determining the metric function e^{ν}. For this purpose we have assumed a physically valid expression of radial pressure (pr). The obtained anisotropic compact star model is representing the realistic compact objects such as PSR 1937 +21. We have done an extensive study about physical parameters for anisotropic models and found that these parameters are well behaved throughout inside the star. Along with these we have also determined the equation of state for compact star which gives the radial pressure is purely the function of density i.e. pr=f(ρ).

Bright Compact Bulges (BCBs) at intermediate redshifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sachdeva, Sonali; Saha, Kanak

2018-04-01

Studying bright (MB < -20), intermediate-redshift (0.4 < z < 1.0), disc dominated (nB < 2.5) galaxies from HST/ACS and WFC3 in Chandra Deep Field South, in rest-frame B and I-band, we found a new class of bulges which is brighter and more compact than ellipticals. We refer to them as "Bright, Compact Bulges" (BCBs) - they resemble neither classical nor pseudo-bulges and constitute ˜12% of the total bulge population at these redshifts. Examining free-bulge + disc decomposition sample and elliptical galaxy sample from Simard et al. (2011), we find that only ˜0.2% of the bulges can be classified as BCBs in the local Universe. Bulge to total ratio (B/T) of disc galaxies with BCBs is (at ˜0.4) a factor of ˜2 and ˜4 larger than for those with classical and pseudo bulges. BCBs are ˜2.5 and ˜6 times more massive than classical and pseudo bulges. Although disc galaxies with BCBs host the most massive and dominant bulge type, their specific star formation rate is 1.5-2 times higher than other disc galaxies. This is contrary to the expectations that a massive compact bulge would lead to lower star formation rates. We speculate that our BCB host disc galaxies are descendant of massive, compact and passive elliptical galaxies observed at higher redshifts. Those high redshift ellipticals lack local counterparts and possibly evolved by acquiring a compact disc around them. The overall properties of BCBs supports a picture of galaxy assembly in which younger discs are being accreted around massive pre-existing spheroids.

Formation of compact myelin is required for maturation of the axonal cytoskeleton

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brady, S. T.; Witt, A. S.; Kirkpatrick, L. L.; de Waegh, S. M.; Readhead, C.; Tu, P. H.; Lee, V. M.

1999-01-01

Although traditional roles ascribed to myelinating glial cells are structural and supportive, the importance of compact myelin for proper functioning of the nervous system can be inferred from mutations in myelin proteins and neuropathologies associated with loss of myelin. Myelinating Schwann cells are known to affect local properties of peripheral axons (de Waegh et al., 1992), but little is known about effects of oligodendrocytes on CNS axons. The shiverer mutant mouse has a deletion in the myelin basic protein gene that eliminates compact myelin in the CNS. In shiverer mice, both local axonal features like phosphorylation of cytoskeletal proteins and neuronal perikaryon functions like cytoskeletal gene expression are altered. This leads to changes in the organization and composition of the axonal cytoskeleton in shiverer unmyelinated axons relative to age-matched wild-type myelinated fibers, although connectivity and patterns of neuronal activity are comparable. Remarkably, transgenic shiverer mice with thin myelin sheaths display an intermediate phenotype indicating that CNS neurons are sensitive to myelin sheath thickness. These results indicate that formation of a normal compact myelin sheath is required for normal maturation of the neuronal cytoskeleton in large CNS neurons.

Cosmic string loops as the seeds of super-massive black holes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bramberger, Sebastian F.; Brandenberger, Robert H.; Jreidini, Paul

2015-06-01

Recent discoveries of super-massive black holes at high redshifts indicate a possible tension with the standard ΛCDM paradigm of early universe cosmology which has difficulties in explaining the origin of the required nonlinear compact seeds which trigger the formation of these super-massive black holes. Here we show that cosmic string loops which result from a scaling solution of strings formed during a phase transition in the very early universe lead to an additional source of compact seeds. The number density of string-induced seeds dominates at high redshifts and can help trigger the formation of the observed super-massive black holes.

The origin of interstellar asteroidal objects like 1I/2017 U1 'Oumuamua

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwart, S. Portegies; Torres, S.; Pelupessy, I.; Bédorf, J.; Cai, Maxwell X.

2018-05-01

We study the origin of the interstellar object 1I/2017 U1 'Oumuamua by juxtaposing estimates based on the observations with simulations. We speculate that objects like 'Oumuamua are formed in the debris disc as left over from the star and planet formation process, and subsequently liberated. The liberation process is mediated either by interaction with other stars in the parental star-cluster, by resonant interactions within the planetesimal disc or by the relatively sudden mass loss when the host star becomes a compact object. Integrating 'Oumuamua backward in time in the Galactic potential together with stars from the Gaia-TGAS catalogue we find that about 1.3 Myr ago 'Oumuamua passed the nearby star HIP 17288 within a mean distance of 1.3 pc. By comparing nearby observed L-dwarfs with simulations of the Galaxy we conclude that the kinematics of 'Oumuamua is consistent with relatively young objects of 1.1-1.7 Gyr. We just met 'Oumuamua by chance, and with a derived mean Galactic density of ˜3 × 105 similarly sized objects within 100 au from the Sun or ˜1014 per cubic parsec we expect about 2 to 12 such visitors per year within 1 au from the Sun.

Early and late lithification of aragonitic bivalve beds in the Purbeck Formation (upper jurassic-lower cretaceous) of Southern England

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Shahat, Adam; West, Ian

1983-05-01

Beds of euryhaline bivalves alternating with shales constitute much of the middle Purbeck Formation. They originated on "tidal" flats at the western margin of an extensive brackish lagoon. When these shell beds are thin and enclosed in shale they are often still preserved as aragonite and are associated with "beef", fibrous calcite formed during compaction. In most cases, however, the shell debris has been converted by diagenesis into calcitic biosparrudite limestones. A compacted type has been lithified at a late stage, after deep burial. In this, pyrite is abundant and most of the shell aragonite has been replaced neomorphically by ferroan pseudopleochroic calcite. A contrasting uncompacted type of biosparrudite is characterised by bivalve fragments with micrite envelopes. Shells and former pores are occupied by non-ferroan sparry calcite cement, and there is little pyrite. These limestones frequently contain dinosaur footprints and originated in "supratidal" environments where they were cemented early, mainly in meteoric water. Once lithified they were unaffected by compaction. This uncompacted type indicates phases of mild uplift or halts in subsidence. These shell-bed lithologies, and also intermediate types described here, will probably be recognised in other lagoonal formations.

Interrogating heterogeneous compaction of meteoritic material at the mesoscale using analog experiments and numerical models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Derrick, James; Rutherford, Michael; Davison, Thomas; Chapman, David; Eakins, Daniel; Collins, Gareth

2017-06-01

Chondritic meteorites were lithified during solar system formation by compaction of bimodal mixtures of mm-scale, spherical, solidified melt droplets (chondrules) surrounded by a porous matrix of much finer grained dust. A possible compaction mechanism is low-velocity planetesimal collisions, which were common in the early solar system. Mesoscale numerical simulations of such impacts indicate heterogeneous compaction, with large porosity and temperature variations over sub-mm scales in the matrix and chondrules largely unaffected. In particular, compaction and heating are enhanced in front of the chondrule and suppressed in its wake. Such observations may provide a new tool for interpreting evidence for impact in meteorites. Here we present impact experiments that replicate compaction surrounding an individual chondrule using analog materials: Soda Lime glass beads/rods and 70% porous silica powder matrix (Sipernat). Real-time, X-ray imaging of the experiments, combined with mesoscale modelling, provides experimental confirmation of anisotropic matrix compaction surrounding individual chondrules, aligned with the shock direction. JGD is supported by EPSRC studentship funding; GSC are supported by STFC Grant ST/N000803/1.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ruiter, Ashley J.; Belczynski, Krzysztof; Benacquista, Matthew

Double white dwarfs (WDs) are expected to be a source of confusion-limited noise for the future gravitational wave observatory LISA. In a specific frequency range, this 'foreground noise' is predicted to rise above the instrumental noise and hinder the detection of other types of signals, e.g., gravitational waves arising from stellar-mass objects inspiraling into massive black holes. In many previous studies, only detached populations of compact object binaries have been considered in estimating the LISA gravitational wave foreground signal. Here, we investigate the influence of compact object detached and Roche-Lobe overflow (RLOF) Galactic binaries on the shape and strength ofmore » the LISA signal. Since >99% of remnant binaries that have orbital periods within the LISA sensitivity range are WD binaries, we consider only these binaries when calculating the LISA signal. We find that the contribution of RLOF binaries to the foreground noise is negligible at low frequencies, but becomes significant at higher frequencies, pushing the frequency at which the foreground noise drops below the instrumental noise to >6 mHz. We find that it is important to consider the population of mass-transferring binaries in order to obtain an accurate assessment of the foreground noise on the LISA data stream. However, we estimate that there still exists a sizeable number ({approx}11,300) of Galactic double WD binaries that will have a signal-to-noise ratio >5, and thus will be potentially resolvable with LISA. We present the LISA gravitational wave signal from the Galactic population of WD binaries, show the most important formation channels contributing to the LISA disk and bulge populations, and discuss the implications of these new findings.« less

The contribution of dissolving star clusters to the population of ultra faint objects in the outer halo of the Milky Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Contenta, Filippo; Gieles, Mark; Balbinot, Eduardo; Collins, Michelle L. M.

2017-04-01

In the last decade, several ultra faint objects (UFOs, MV ≳ -3.5) have been discovered in the outer halo of the Milky Way. For some of these objects, it is not clear whether they are star clusters or (ultra faint) dwarf galaxies. In this work, we quantify the contribution of star clusters to the population of UFOs. We extrapolated the mass and Galactocentric radius distribution of the globular clusters using a population model, finding that the Milky Way contains about 3.3^{+7.3}_{-1.6} star clusters with MV ≳ -3.5 and Galactocentric radius ≥20 kpc. To understand whether dissolving clusters can appear as UFOs, we run a suite of direct N-body models, varying the orbit, the Galactic potential, the binary fraction and the black hole (BH) natal kick velocities. In the analyses, we consider observational biases such as luminosity limit, field stars and line-of-sight projection. We find that star clusters contribute to both the compact and the extended population of UFOs: clusters without BHs appear compact with radii ˜5 pc, while clusters that retain their BHs after formation have radii ≳ 20 pc. The properties of the extended clusters are remarkably similar to those of dwarf galaxies: high-inferred mass-to-light ratios due to binaries, binary properties mildly affected by dynamical evolution, no observable mass segregation and flattened stellar mass function. We conclude that the slope of the stellar mass function as a function of Galactocentric radius and the presence/absence of cold streams can discriminate between dark matter-free and dark matter-dominated UFOs.

Endothelial deletion of Ino80 disrupts coronary angiogenesis and causes congenital heart disease.

PubMed

Rhee, Siyeon; Chung, Jae I; King, Devin A; D'amato, Gaetano; Paik, David T; Duan, Anna; Chang, Andrew; Nagelberg, Danielle; Sharma, Bikram; Jeong, Youngtae; Diehn, Maximilian; Wu, Joseph C; Morrison, Ashby J; Red-Horse, Kristy

2018-01-25

During development, the formation of a mature, well-functioning heart requires transformation of the ventricular wall from a loose trabecular network into a dense compact myocardium at mid-gestation. Failure to compact is associated in humans with congenital diseases such as left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC). The mechanisms regulating myocardial compaction are however still poorly understood. Here, we show that deletion of the Ino80 chromatin remodeler in vascular endothelial cells prevents ventricular compaction in the developing mouse heart. This correlates with defective coronary vascularization, and specific deletion of Ino80 in the two major coronary progenitor tissues-sinus venosus and endocardium-causes intermediate phenotypes. In vitro, endothelial cells promote myocardial expansion independently of blood flow in an Ino80-dependent manner. Ino80 deletion increases the expression of E2F-activated genes and endothelial cell S-phase occupancy. Thus, Ino80 is essential for coronary angiogenesis and allows coronary vessels to support proper compaction of the heart wall.

Optical/Infrared properties of Be stars in X-ray Binary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naik, Sachindra

2018-04-01

Be/X-ray binaries, consisting of a Be star and a compact object (neutron star), form the largest subclass of High Mass X-ray Binaries. The orbit of the compact object around the Be star is wide and highly eccentric. Neutron stars in the Be/X-ray binaries are generally quiescent in X-ray emission. Transient X-ray outbursts seen in these objects are thought to be due to the interaction between the compact object and the circumstellar disk of the Be star at the periastron passage. Optical/infrared observations of the companion Be star during these outbursts show that the increase in the X-ray intensity of the neutron star is coupled with the decrease in the optical/infrared flux of the companion star. Apart from the change in optical/infrared flux, dramatic changes in the Be star emission line profiles are also seen during X-ray outbursts. Observational evidences of changes in the emission line profiles and optical/infrared continuum flux along with associated X-ray outbursts from the neutron stars in several Be/X-ray binaries are presented in this paper.

SPECTROSCOPY OF LUMINOUS COMPACT BLUE GALAXIES IN DISTANT CLUSTERS. II. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF dE PROGENITOR CANDIDATES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crawford, S. M.; Wirth, Gregory D.; Bershady, M. A.

2016-02-01

Luminous Compact Blue Galaxies (LCBGs) are an extreme star-bursting population of galaxies that were far more common at earlier epochs than today. Based on spectroscopic and photometric measurements of LCBGs in massive (M > 10{sup 15} M{sub ⊙}), intermediate redshift (0.5 < z < 0.9) galaxy clusters, we present their rest-frame properties including star formation rate, dynamical mass, size, luminosity, and metallicity. The appearance of these small, compact galaxies in clusters at intermediate redshift helps explain the observed redshift evolution in the size–luminosity relationship among cluster galaxies. In addition, we find the rest-frame properties of LCBGs appearing in galaxy clusters are indistinguishable from field LCBGs atmore » the same redshift. Up to 35% of the LCBGs show significant discrepancies between optical and infrared indicators of star formation, suggesting that star formation occurs in obscured regions. Nonetheless, the star formation for LCBGs shows a decrease toward the center of the galaxy clusters. Based on their position and velocity, we estimate that up to 10% of cluster LCBGs are likely to merge with another cluster galaxy. Finally, the observed properties and distributions of the LCBGs in these clusters lead us to conclude that we are witnessing the quenching of the progenitors of dwarf elliptical galaxies that dominate the number density of present-epoch galaxy clusters.« less

Three-dimensional simulations of nanopowder compaction processes by granular dynamics method.

PubMed

Boltachev, G Sh; Lukyashin, K E; Shitov, V A; Volkov, N B

2013-07-01

In order to describe and to study the processes of cold compaction within the discrete element method a three-dimensional model of nanosized powder is developed. The elastic forces of repulsion, the tangential forces of "friction" (Cattaneo-Mindlin), and the dispersion forces of attraction (van der Waals-Hamaker), as well as the formation and destruction of hard bonds between the individual particles are taken into account. The monosized powders with the size of particles in the range 10-40 nm are simulated. The simulation results are compared to the experimental data of the alumina nanopowders compaction. It is shown that the model allows us to reproduce experimental data reliably and, in particular, describes the size effect in the compaction processes. A number of different external loading conditions is used in order to perform the theoretical and experimental researches. The uniaxial compaction (the closed-die compaction), the biaxial (radial) compaction, and the isotropic compaction (the cold isostatic pressing) are studied. The real and computed results are in a good agreement with each other. They reveal a weak sensitivity of the oxide nanopowders to the loading condition (compaction geometry). The application of the continuum theory of the plastically hardening porous body, which is usually used for the description of powders, is discussed.

Effect of cocrystallization techniques on compressional properties of caffeine/oxalic acid 2:1 cocrystal.

PubMed

Aher, Suyog; Dhumal, Ravindra; Mahadik, Kakasaheb; Ketolainen, Jarkko; Paradkar, Anant

2013-02-01

Caffeine/oxalic acid 2:1 cocrystal exhibited superior stability to humidity over caffeine, but compressional behavior is not studied yet. To compare compressional properties of caffeine/oxalic acid 2:1 cocrystal obtained by different cocrystallization techniques. Cocrystal was obtained by solvent precipitation and ultrasound assisted solution cocrystallization (USSC) and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Compaction study was carried out at different compaction forces. Compact crushing strength, thickness and elastic recovery were determined. Compaction was in order, caffeine > solvent precipitation cocrystal > USSC cocrystal. Caffeine exhibited sticking and lamination, where solvent precipitation compacts showed advantage. Caffeine and solvent precipitation compacts showed sudden drop in compactability, higher elastic recovery with severe lamination at 20,000 N. This was due to overcompaction. Crystal habit of two cocrystal products was same, but USSC cocrystals were difficult to compact. Uniform needle shaped USSC cocrystals must be difficult to orient in different direction and fracture during compression. Elastic recovery of USSC cocrystals was also more compared to other powders indicating less fracture and poor bonding between particles resulting in poor compaction. Cocrystal formation did not improve compressional property of caffeine. Cocrystals exposed to different crystallization environments in two techniques may have resulted in generation of different surface properties presenting different compressional properties.

Three-dimensional simulations of nanopowder compaction processes by granular dynamics method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boltachev, G. Sh.; Lukyashin, K. E.; Shitov, V. A.; Volkov, N. B.

2013-07-01

In order to describe and to study the processes of cold compaction within the discrete element method a three-dimensional model of nanosized powder is developed. The elastic forces of repulsion, the tangential forces of “friction” (Cattaneo-Mindlin), and the dispersion forces of attraction (van der Waals-Hamaker), as well as the formation and destruction of hard bonds between the individual particles are taken into account. The monosized powders with the size of particles in the range 10-40 nm are simulated. The simulation results are compared to the experimental data of the alumina nanopowders compaction. It is shown that the model allows us to reproduce experimental data reliably and, in particular, describes the size effect in the compaction processes. A number of different external loading conditions is used in order to perform the theoretical and experimental researches. The uniaxial compaction (the closed-die compaction), the biaxial (radial) compaction, and the isotropic compaction (the cold isostatic pressing) are studied. The real and computed results are in a good agreement with each other. They reveal a weak sensitivity of the oxide nanopowders to the loading condition (compaction geometry). The application of the continuum theory of the plastically hardening porous body, which is usually used for the description of powders, is discussed.

Estimating gravitational radiation from super-emitting compact binary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanna, Chad; Johnson, Matthew C.; Lehner, Luis

2017-06-01

Binary black hole mergers are among the most violent events in the Universe, leading to extreme warping of spacetime and copious emission of gravitational radiation. Even though black holes are the most compact objects they are not necessarily the most efficient emitters of gravitational radiation in binary systems. The final black hole resulting from a binary black hole merger retains a significant fraction of the premerger orbital energy and angular momentum. A nonvacuum system can in principle shed more of this energy than a black hole merger of equivalent mass. We study these super-emitters through a toy model that accounts for the possibility that the merger creates a compact object that retains a long-lived time-varying quadrupole moment. This toy model may capture the merger of (low mass) neutron stars, but it may also be used to consider more exotic compact binaries. We hope that this toy model can serve as a guide to more rigorous numerical investigations into these systems.

Growing Magnetic Fields in Central Compact Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernal, C. G.; Page, D.

2011-10-01

We study the effects of growth models of magnetic fields in Central Compact Objects (CCOs). Such a field evolution is not a new idea (Blandford, Applegate, & Hernquist 1983) but the evolutionary implications not have been followed up completely (Michel 1994). We discussed the new class of neutron stars which belong to five main types that have mainly been recognized in the last ten years. The possibility that a rapid weakly magnetized pulsar might have formed in SN1987A is commented.

Massive Compact Halo Objects from the relics of the cosmic quark-hadron transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Shibaji; Bhattacharyya, Abhijit; Ghosh, Sanjay K.; Raha, Sibaji; Sinha, Bikash; Toki, Hiroshi

2003-03-01

The existence of compact gravitational lenses, with masses around 0.5 Msolar, has been reported in the halo of the Milky Way. The nature of these dark lenses is as yet obscure, particularly because these objects have masses well above the threshold for nuclear fusion. In this work, we show that they find a natural explanation as being the evolutionary product of the metastable false vacuum domains (the so-called strange quark nuggets) formed in a first order cosmic quark-hadron transition.

Porosity and grain size controls on compaction band formation in Jurassic Navajo Sandstone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schultz, Richard A.; Okubo, Chris H.; Fossen, Haakon

2010-01-01

Determining the rock properties that permit or impede the growth of compaction bands in sedimentary sequences is a critical problem of importance to studies of strain localization and characterization of subsurface geologic reservoirs. We determine the porosity and average grain size of a sequence of stratigraphic layers of Navajo Sandstone that are then used in a critical state model to infer plastic yield envelopes for the layers. Pure compaction bands are formed in layers having the largest average grain sizes (0.42–0.45 mm) and porosities (28%), and correspondingly the smallest values of critical pressure (-22 MPa) in the sequence. The results suggest that compaction bands formed in these layers after burial to -1.5 km depth in association with thrust faulting beneath the nearby East Kaibab monocline, and that hardening of the yield caps accompanied compactional deformation of the layers.

Internal zone growth method for producing metal oxide metal eutectic composites

DOEpatents

Clark, Grady W.; Holder, John D.; Pasto, Arvid E.

1980-01-01

An improved method for preparing a cermet comprises preparing a compact having about 85 to 95 percent theoretical density from a mixture of metal and metal oxide powders from a system containing a eutectic composition, and inductively heating the compact in a radiofrequency field to cause the formation of an internal molten zone. The metal oxide particles in the powder mixture are effectively sized relative to the metal particles to permit direct inductive heating of the compact by radiofrequency from room temperature. Surface melting is prevented by external cooling or by effectively sizing the particles in the powder mixture.

Direct Observation of Accretion onto a Hypernova's Newly Formed Black Hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milisavljevic, Dan

2017-09-01

Models of energetic core-collapse supernovae and long-duration gamma-ray bursts often invoke engine-driven scenarios associated with the formation of compact objects that input energy into the explosion. To date, only indirect evidence of black holes or magnetars formed in these events exists from observations obtained when the explosions are most luminous. Here we request a modest 15 ks Chandra pilot observation of the exceptionally important nearby hypernova SN2002ap to test models that predict X-ray emission associated with its remnant black hole to be detectable after 15 yr of ejecta expansion. Direct observation a newly formed "baby" black hole would be a landmark discovery capable of opening up new ways to investigate fundamental aspects of the core collapse process.

The Imprint of the Extragalactic Background Light in the Gamma-Ray Spectra of Blazars

DOE PAGES

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Allafort, A.; ...

2012-11-30

The light emitted by stars and accreting compact objects through the history of the universe is encoded in the intensity of the extragalactic background light (EBL). Knowledge of the EBL is important to understand the nature of star formation and galaxy evolution, but direct measurements of the EBL are limited by galactic and other foreground emissions. In this paper, we report an absorption feature seen in the combined spectra of a sample of gamma-ray blazars out to a redshift of z ~ 1.6. Finally, this feature is caused by attenuation of gamma rays by the EBL at optical to ultravioletmore » frequencies and allowed us to measure the EBL flux density in this frequency band.« less

Compact Stellar Groups in the 30 Doradus Nebula and their Nebular Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walborn, Nolan

1997-07-01

We propose to further knowledge of the stellar content of 30 Doradus by examining the images of all OB stars in a current, major ground-based spectral-classification study, using the archival WFPC2 {and possibly PC1} data. It is expected, and indeed already known in a few cases, that many of them will be compact multiple systems resolved by WFPC. It is essential to account for such structure in luminosity, mass, and evolutionary inferences. We shall derive the most accurate possible photometric results for the resulting components, and we shall propose spatially resolved HST spectroscopy of them in Cycle 8. It should be emphasized that we are not addressing R136, the subject of other programs, but the rich, massive population throughout the Nebula beyond the central core, especially to the north and west where there is evidence for a younger generation, whose formation was possibly triggered by the energetic activity of the core. In addition, preliminary inspection of some of the WFPC2 data has shown many intricate structures in the ambient dust and ionized gas, including possible pre-stellar objects, which we shall describe and relate to the associated stellar component and known IR sources as appropriate.

Broad Halpha Wing Formation in the Planetary Nebula IC 4997.

PubMed

Lee; Hyung

2000-02-10

The young and compact planetary nebula IC 4997 is known to exhibit very broad wings with a width exceeding 5000 km s-1 around Halpha. We propose that the broad wings are formed through Rayleigh-Raman scattering that involves atomic hydrogen, by which Lybeta photons with a velocity width of a few 102 km s-1 are converted to optical photons and fill the Halpha broad wing region. The conversion efficiency reaches 0.6 near the line center, where the scattering optical depth is much larger than 1, and rapidly decreases in the far wings. Assuming that close to the central star there exists an unresolved inner compact core of high density, nH approximately 109-1010 cm-3, we use the photoionization code "CLOUDY" to show that sufficient Lybeta photons for scattering are produced. Using a top-hat-incident profile for the Lybeta flux and a scattering region with a H i column density NHi=2x1020 cm-2 and a substantial covering factor, we perform a profile-fitting analysis in order to obtain a satisfactory fit to the observed flux. We briefly discuss the astrophysical implications of the Rayleigh-Raman processes in planetary nebulae and other emission objects.

High-Sensitivity Ionization Trace-Species Detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernius, Mark T.; Chutjian, Ara

1990-01-01

Features include high ion-extraction efficiency, compactness, and light weight. Improved version of previous ionization detector features in-line geometry that enables extraction of almost every ion from region of formation. Focusing electrodes arranged and shaped into compact system of space-charge-limited reversal electron optics and ion-extraction optics. Provides controllability of ionizing electron energies, greater efficiency of ionization, and nearly 100 percent ion-collection efficiency.

Ultracompact Blue Dwarf Galaxies: Hubble Space Telescope Imaging and Stellar Population Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbin, Michael R.; Vacca, William D.; Cid Fernandes, Roberto; Hibbard, John E.; Somerville, Rachel S.; Windhorst, Rogier A.

2006-11-01

We present deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys/High Resolution Channel U-, narrow-V-, and I-band images of nine ``ultracompact'' blue dwarf galaxies (UCBDs) selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We define UCBDs as local (z<0.01) star-forming galaxies having angular diameters less than 6" and physical diameters <1 kpc. They are also among the most metal-poor galaxies known, including objects having 12+log(O/H)<7.65, and are found to reside within voids. Both the HST images and the objects' SDSS optical spectra reveal that they are composites of young (~1-10 Myr) populations that dominate their light and older (~10 Gyr) populations that dominate their stellar masses, which we estimate to be ~107-108 Msolar. An intermediate-age (~107-109 yr) population is also indicated in most objects. The objects do not appear to be as dynamically disturbed as the prototype UCBD, POX 186, but the structure of several of them suggests that their current star formation has been triggered by the collisions/mergers of smaller clumps of stars. In one case, HS 0822+3542, the images resolve what may be two small (~100 pc) components that have recently collided, supporting this interpretation. In six of the objects much of the star formation is concentrated in young massive clusters, contributing to their compactness in ground-based images. The evidence that the galaxies consist mainly of ~10 Gyr old stars establishes that they are not protogalaxies, forming their first generation of stars. Their low metallicities are more likely to be the result of the escape of supernova ejecta, rather than youth.

Report of the workshop on intelligent compaction for soils and HMA.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-04-01

This document summarizes the discussion and findings of a workshop on intelligent compaction for soils and hot-mix asphalt held in West Des Moines, Iowa, on April 2-4, 2008. The objective of the meeting was to provide a collaborative exchange of idea...

Phase II, Compact AMS System for Biological Tracer Detection Final Report CRADA No. TSV-1533-96

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, T. A.; Hamm, R. W.

2017-11-01

The objective of this collaboration between LLNL and AccSys Technology, Inc. of Pleasanton, California was to build and demonstrate a low cost, compact tritium (3H) Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS) system matched to the requirements of biomedical research.

SOLAR SYSTEM MOONS AS ANALOGS FOR COMPACT EXOPLANETARY SYSTEMS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kane, Stephen R.; Hinkel, Natalie R.; Raymond, Sean N., E-mail: skane@ipac.caltech.edu

2013-11-01

The field of exoplanetary science has experienced a recent surge of new systems that is largely due to the precision photometry provided by the Kepler mission. The latest discoveries have included compact planetary systems in which the orbits of the planets all lie relatively close to the host star, which presents interesting challenges in terms of formation and dynamical evolution. The compact exoplanetary systems are analogous to the moons orbiting the giant planets in our solar system, in terms of their relative sizes and semimajor axes. We present a study that quantifies the scaled sizes and separations of the solarmore » system moons with respect to their hosts. We perform a similar study for a large sample of confirmed Kepler planets in multi-planet systems. We show that a comparison between the two samples leads to a similar correlation between their scaled sizes and separation distributions. The different gradients of the correlations may be indicative of differences in the formation and/or long-term dynamics of moon and planetary systems.« less

A new direction for dark matter research: intermediate-mass compact halo objects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chapline, George F.; Frampton, Paul H., E-mail: george.chapline@gmail.com, E-mail: paul.h.frampton@gmail.com

2016-11-01

The failure to find evidence for elementary particles that could serve as the constituents of dark matter brings to mind suggestions that dark matter might consist of massive compact objects (MACHOs). In particular, it has recently been argued that MACHOs with masses > 15 M {sub ⊙} may have been prolifically produced at the onset of the big bang. Although a variety of astrophysical signatures for primordial MACHOs with masses in this range have been discussed in the literature, we favor a strategy that uses the potential for magnification of stars outside our galaxy due to gravitational microlensing of thesemore » stars by MACHOs in the halo of our galaxy. We point out that the effect of the motion of the Earth on the shape of the micro-lensing brightening curves provides a promising approach to testing over the course of next several years the hypothesis that dark matter consists of massive compact objects.« less

High-energy radiation from the relativistic jet of Cygnus X-3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerutti, B.; Dubus, G.; Henri, G.

2010-12-01

Cygnus X-3 is an accreting high-mass X-ray binary composed of a Wolf-Rayet star and an unknown compact object, possibly a black hole. The gamma-ray space telescope Fermi found definitive evidence that high-energy emission is produced in this system. We propose a scenario to explain the GeV gamma-ray emission in Cygnus X-3. In this model, energetic electron-positron pairs are accelerated at a specific location in the relativistic jet, possibly related to a recollimation shock, and upscatter the stellar photons to high energies. The comparison with Fermi observations shows that the jet should be inclined close to the line of sight and pairs should not be located within the system. Energetically speaking, a massive compact object is favored. We report also on our investigations of the gamma-ray absorption of GeV photons with the radiation emitted by a standard accretion disk in Cygnus X-3. This study shows that the gamma-ray source should not lie too close to the compact object.

A compact small-beam XRF instrument for in-situ analysis of objects of historical and/or artistic value

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vittiglio, G.; Janssens, K.; Vekemans, B.; Adams, F.; Oost, A.

1999-11-01

The analytical characteristics, possibilities and limitations of a compact and easily transportable small-beam XRF instrument are described. The instrument consists of a compact, mini-focus Mo X-ray tube that is collimated to produce a sub-mm beam and a peltier-cooled PIN diode detector. Relative MDLs in highly scattering matrices are situated in the 10-100-ppm range; for metallic matrices featuring strong matrix lines, the MDLs of the instrument are approximately a factor 2 higher. Since only a small irradiation area is required, a simple micro-polishing technique that may be performed in situ in combination with the measurements is shown to be effective for the determination of the bulk composition of corroded bronze objects. As an example, a series of Egyptian bronze objects date from XXII nd Egyptian Dynasty (ca. 1090 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC to 640 AD) was analyzed in order to contribute to the very limited database on Cu-alloy compositions from this period.

An atlas of H-alpha-emitting regions in M33: A systematic search for SS433 star candidates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calzetti, Daniela; Kinney, Anne L.; Ford, Holland; Doggett, Jesse; Long, Knox S.

1995-01-01

We report finding charts and accurate positions for 432 compact H-alpha emitting regions in the Local Group galaxy M 33 (NGC 598), in an effort to isolate candidates for an SS433-like stellar system. The objects were extracted from narrow band images, centered in the rest-frame H-alpha (lambda 6563 A) and in the red continuum at 6100 A. The atlas is complete down to V approximately equal to 20 and includes 279 compact HII regions and 153 line emitting point-like sources. The point-like sources undoubtedly include a variety of objects: very small HII regions, early type stars with intense stellar winds, and Wolf-Rayet stars, but should also contain objects with the characteristics of SS433. This extensive survey of compact H-alpha regions in M 33 is a first step towards the identification of peculiar stellar systems like SS433 in external galaxies.

METHOD FOR PRODUCING CEMENTED CARBIDE ARTICLES

DOEpatents

Onstott, E.I.; Cremer, G.D.

1959-07-14

A method is described for making molded materials of intricate shape where the materials consist of mixtures of one or more hard metal carbides or oxides and matrix metals or binder metals thereof. In one embodiment of the invention 90% of finely comminuted tungsten carbide powder together with finely comminuted cobalt bonding agent is incorporated at 60 deg C into a slurry with methyl alcohol containing 1.5% paraffin, 3% camphor, 3.5% naphthalene, and 1.8% toluene. The compact is formed by the steps of placing the slurry in a mold at least one surface of which is porous to the fluid organic system, compacting the slurry, removing a portion of the mold from contact with the formed object and heating the formed object to remove the remaining organic matter and to sinter the compact.

Relativistic model for anisotropic strange stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deb, Debabrata; Chowdhury, Sourav Roy; Ray, Saibal; Rahaman, Farook; Guha, B. K.

2017-12-01

In this article, we attempt to find a singularity free solution of Einstein's field equations for compact stellar objects, precisely strange (quark) stars, considering Schwarzschild metric as the exterior spacetime. To this end, we consider that the stellar object is spherically symmetric, static and anisotropic in nature and follows the density profile given by Mak and Harko (2002) , which satisfies all the physical conditions. To investigate different properties of the ultra-dense strange stars we have employed the MIT bag model for the quark matter. Our investigation displays an interesting feature that the anisotropy of compact stars increases with the radial coordinate and attains its maximum value at the surface which seems an inherent property for the singularity free anisotropic compact stellar objects. In this connection we also perform several tests for physical features of the proposed model and show that these are reasonably acceptable within certain range. Further, we find that the model is consistent with the energy conditions and the compact stellar structure is stable with the validity of the TOV equation and Herrera cracking concept. For the masses below the maximum mass point in mass vs radius curve the typical behavior achieved within the framework of general relativity. We have calculated the maximum mass and radius of the strange stars for the three finite values of bag constant Bg.

Diagenetic effects of compaction on reservoir properties: The case of early callovian ``Dalle Nacrée'' formation (Paris basin, France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nader, Fadi H.; Champenois, France; Barbier, Mickaël; Adelinet, Mathilde; Rosenberg, Elisabeth; Houel, Pascal; Delmas, Jocelyne; Swennen, Rudy

2016-11-01

The impact of compaction diagenesis on reservoir properties is addressed by means of observations made on five boreholes with different burial histories of the Early Callovian ;Dalle Nacrée; Formation in the Paris Basin. Petrographic analyses were carried out in order to investigate the rock-texture, pore space type and volume, micro-fabrics, and cement phases. Based on the acquired data, a chronologically ordered sequence of diagenetic events (paragenesis) for each borehole was reconstructed taking the burial history into account. Point counting and a segmentation algorithm (Matlab) were used to quantify porosity, as well as the amounts of grain constituents and cement phases on scanned images of studied thin sections. In addition, four key samples were analyzed by 3D imaging using microfocus X-ray computer tomography. Basin margin grainstones display a different burial diagenesis when compared to basin centre grainstones and wackestones. The former have been affected by considerable cementation (especially by blocky calcite) prior to effective burial, in contrast to the basin centre lithologies where burial and compaction prevailed with relatively less cementation. Fracturing and bed-parallel stylolitization, observed especially in basinal wackestone facies also invoke higher levels of mechanical and chemical compaction than observed in basin marginal equivalents. Compaction fluids may have migrated at the time of burial from the basin centre towards its margins, affecting hence the reservoir properties of similar rock textures and facies and resulting in cross-basin spatial diagenetic heterogeneities.

Bright compact bulges at intermediate redshifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sachdeva, Sonali; Saha, Kanak

2018-07-01

Studying bright (MB < -20), intermediate-redshift (0.4 < z< 1.0), disc-dominated (nB < 2.5) galaxies from Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3 in Chandra Deep Field-South, in rest-frame B and I band, we found a new class of bulges that is brighter and more compact than ellipticals. We refer to them as `bright, compact bulges' (BCBs) - they resemble neither classical nor pseudo-bulges and constitute ˜12 per cent of the total bulge population at these redshifts. Examining free-bulge + disc decomposition sample and elliptical galaxy sample from Simard et al., we find that only ˜0.2 per cent of the bulges can be classified as BCBs in the local Universe. Bulge to total light ratio of disc galaxies with BCBs is (at ˜0.4) a factor of ˜2 and ˜4 larger than for those with classical and pseudo-bulges. BCBs are ˜2.5 and ˜6 times more massive than classical and pseudo-bulges. Although disc galaxies with BCBs host the most massive and dominant bulge type, their specific star formation rate is 1.5-2 times higher than other disc galaxies. This is contrary to the expectations that a massive compact bulge would lead to lower star formation rates. We speculate that our BCB host disc galaxies are descendant of massive, compact, and passive elliptical galaxies observed at higher redshifts. Those high-redshift ellipticals lack local counterparts and possibly evolved by acquiring a compact disc around them. The overall properties of BCBs support a picture of galaxy assembly in which younger discs are being accreted around massive pre-existing spheroids.

Formation and evolution of anodic TiO2 nanotube embryos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Rong; Liao, Maoying; Lin, Tong; Zhang, Shaoyu; Shen, Xiaoping; Song, Ye; Zhu, Xufei

2017-06-01

Anodic TiO2 nanotubes (ATNTs) have been widely investigated for decades due to their interesting nanostructures and various applications. However, the formation mechanism of ATNTs still remains unclear. To date, most of researches focus on the tubular structure but neglect the formation process of initial nanotube embryos. Herein, polyethylene glycol (PEG) is added into the traditional electrolyte to moderate the transformation process from compact layer to porous layer. Based on ‘oxygen bubble mould’ and ‘plastic flow model’ theory, the formation and evolution process of nanotube embryo is clarified firstly. Results validate the effect of ‘oxygen bubble mould’ on the formation of nanotube embryo, which has a great effect on regulating the morphology of ATNT arrays. Besides, nanotubes prepared in electrolytes with PEG show shorter tube length with larger diameter than that prepared in traditional electrolytes. The addition of PEG can also effectively avoid the breakdown phenomenon. Highlights Transformation from compact layer into porous layer is observed in PEG electrolyte. The effect of oxygen bubble mould is first demonstrated and observed. The formation process of TiO2 nanotube embryo is described systematically. TiO2 nanotubes prepared in PEG electrolyte show short length and large diameter.

Report of the workshop on intelligent compaction for soils and HMA : executive summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-04-01

This document summarizes the discussion and findings of a workshop on intelligent compaction for soils and hot-mix asphalt held in West Des Moines, Iowa, on April 2-4, 2008. The objective of the meeting was to provide a collaborative exchange of idea...

Influence of particle size distribution on nanopowder cold compaction processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boltachev, G.; Volkov, N.; Lukyashin, K.; Markov, V.; Chingina, E.

2017-06-01

Nanopowder uniform and uniaxial cold compaction processes are simulated by 2D granular dynamics method. The interaction of particles in addition to wide-known contact laws involves the dispersion forces of attraction and possibility of interparticle solid bridges formation, which have a large importance for nanopowders. Different model systems are investigated: monosized systems with particle diameter of 10, 20 and 30 nm; bidisperse systems with different content of small (diameter is 10 nm) and large (30 nm) particles; polydisperse systems corresponding to the log-normal size distribution law with different width. Non-monotone dependence of compact density on powder content is revealed in bidisperse systems. The deviations of compact density in polydisperse systems from the density of corresponding monosized system are found to be minor, less than 1 per cent.

The Origin of Ultra-Faint Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sand, David

2017-08-01

We request 24 orbits of HST/ACS to obtain imaging in F606W and F814W of apparent tidal features in two ultra-faint dwarf galaxies: Hercules and Leo V. This will enable us to test whether the stars in ultra- faint galaxies-as a population-have been affected by Galactic tides. Most of the new dwarfs show signs of tidal interaction in ground-based photometry, several have measured ellipticities greater than 0.5, and kinematics of a subset show velocity gradients. These ubiquitous hints for tidal effects among distant dwarfs is particularly surprising and suggestive. If most ultra-faint dwarfs are disturbed by tides, then recent tests of galaxy formation in the near field have unstable foundations.HST resolution provides an opportunity to assess whether tidal features (accompanied by tentative kinematic gradients) seen in ground-based observations of Hercules and Leo V are genuine or are instead clumps of compact background galaxies masquerading as stellar debris. In Hercules, a further test is possible: searching for a distance gradient along the stretched body of the galaxy. Parallel pointings will sample similar dwarf-centric radii away from the tidal features, assuring an unambiguous result. Whether we confirm or rule out the presence of stellar loss in these objects, the consequences are important-the origin of the ultra-faint dwarfs tells us the lower limit to both galaxy formation and the number of dark matter subhalos inhabiting the Milky Way.This program is only possible with HST: its exquisite resolution can separate compact galaxies from main sequence dwarf stars at faint magnitudes, which even the best multi-band ground-based schemes struggle with.

A blue-LED-based device for selective photocoagulation of superficial abrasions: theoretical modeling and in vivo validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossi, Francesca; Pini, Roberto; De Siena, Gaetano; Massi, Daniela; Pavone, Francesco S.; Alfieri, Domenico; Cannarozzo, Giovanni

2010-02-01

The blue light (~400 nm) emitted by high power Light Emitting Diodes (LED) is selectively absorbed by the haemoglobin content of blood and then converted into heat. This is the basic concept in setting up a compact, low-cost, and easy-to-handle photohaemostasis device for the treatment of superficial skin abrasions. Its main application is in reducing bleeding from superficial capillary vessels during laser induced aesthetic treatments, such as skin resurfacing, thus reducing the treatment time and improving aesthetic results (reduction of scar formation). In this work we firstly present the preliminary modeling study: a Finite Element Model (FEM) of the LED induced photothermal process was set up, in order to estimate the optimal wavelength and treatment time, by studying the temperature dynamics in the tissue. Then, a compact, handheld illumination device has been designed: commercially available high power LEDs emitting in the blue region were mounted in a suitable and ergonomic case. The prototype was tested in the treatment of dorsal excoriations in rats. Thermal effects were monitored by an infrared thermocamera, experimentally evidencing the modest and confined heating effects and confirming the modeling predictions. Objective observations and histopathological analysis performed in a follow-up study showed no adverse reactions and no thermal damage in the treated areas and surrounding tissues. The device was then used in human patients, in order to stop bleeding during Erbium laser skin resurfacing procedure. By inducing LED-based photocoagulation, the overall treatment time was shortened and scar formation was reduced, thus enhancing esthetic effect of the laser procedure.

MISSING BLACK HOLES UNVEIL THE SUPERNOVA EXPLOSION MECHANISM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Belczynski, Krzysztof; Wiktorowicz, Grzegorz; Fryer, Chris L.

2012-09-20

It is firmly established that the stellar mass distribution is smooth, covering the range 0.1-100 M{sub Sun }. It is to be expected that the masses of the ensuing compact remnants correlate with the masses of their progenitor stars, and thus it is generally thought that the remnant masses should be smoothly distributed from the lightest white dwarfs to the heaviest black holes (BHs). However, this intuitive prediction is not borne out by observed data. In the rapidly growing population of remnants with observationally determined masses, a striking mass gap has emerged at the boundary between neutron stars (NSs) andmore » BHs. The heaviest NSs reach a maximum of two solar masses, while the lightest BHs are at least five solar masses. Over a decade after the discovery, the gap has become a significant challenge to our understanding of compact object formation. We offer new insights into the physical processes that bifurcate the formation of remnants into lower-mass NSs and heavier BHs. Combining the results of stellar modeling with hydrodynamic simulations of supernovae, we both explain the existence of the gap and also put stringent constraints on the inner workings of the supernova explosion mechanism. In particular, we show that core-collapse supernovae are launched within 100-200 ms of the initial stellar collapse, implying that the explosions are driven by instabilities with a rapid (10-20 ms) growth time. Alternatively, if future observations fill in the gap, this will be an indication that these instabilities develop over a longer (>200 ms) timescale.« less

An Enigmatic Population of Luminous Globular Clusters in a Galaxy Lacking Dark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Dokkum, Pieter; Cohen, Yotam; Danieli, Shany; Kruijssen, J. M. Diederik; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Merritt, Allison; Abraham, Roberto; Brodie, Jean; Conroy, Charlie; Lokhorst, Deborah; Mowla, Lamiya; O’Sullivan, Ewan; Zhang, Jielai

2018-04-01

We recently found an ultra diffuse galaxy (UDG) with a half-light radius of R e = 2.2 kpc and little or no dark matter. The total mass of NGC1052–DF2 was measured from the radial velocities of bright compact objects that are associated with the galaxy. Here, we analyze these objects using a combination of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging and Keck spectroscopy. Their average size is < {r}h> =6.2+/- 0.5 pc and their average ellipticity is < ε > =0.18+/- 0.02. From a stacked Keck spectrum we derive an age of ≳9 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = ‑1.35 ± 0.12. Their properties are similar to ω Centauri, the brightest and largest globular cluster in the Milky Way, and our results demonstrate that the luminosity function of metal-poor globular clusters is not universal. The fraction of the total stellar mass that is in the globular cluster system is similar to that in other UDGs, and consistent with “failed galaxy” scenarios, where star formation terminated shortly after the clusters were formed. However, the galaxy is a factor of ∼1000 removed from the relation between globular cluster mass and total galaxy mass that has been found for other galaxies, including other UDGs. We infer that a dark matter halo is not a prerequisite for the formation of metal-poor globular cluster-like objects in high-redshift galaxies.

An unusually massive stellar black hole in the Galaxy.

PubMed

Greiner, J; Cuby, J G; McCaughrean, M J

2001-11-29

The X-ray source known as GRS1915+105 belongs to a group dubbed 'microquasars'. These objects are binary systems which sporadically eject matter at speeds that appear superluminal, as is the case for some quasars. GRS1915+105 is also one of only two known binary sources thought to contain a maximally spinning black hole. Determining the basic parameters of GRS195+105, such as the masses of the components, will help us to understand jet formation in this system, as well as providing links to other objects which exhibit jets. Using X-ray data, indirect methods have previously been used to infer a variety of masses for the accreting compact object in the range 10-30 solar masses (M middle dot in circle). Here we report a direct measurement of the orbital period and mass function of GRS1915+105, which allow us to deduce a mass of 14 +/- 4 M middle dot in circle for the black hole. Black holes with masses >5-7 M middle dot in circle challenge the conventional picture of black-hole formation in binary systems. Based on the mass estimate, we interpret the distinct X-ray variability of GRS1915+105 as arising from instabilities in an accretion disk that is dominated by radiation pressure, and radiating near the Eddington limit (the point where radiation pressure supports matter against gravity). Also, the mass estimate constrains most models which relate observable X-ray properties to the spin of black holes in microquasars.

The Formation of a Planetary Nebula.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harpaz, Amos

1991-01-01

Proposes a scenario to describe the formation of a planetary nebula, a cloud of gas surrounding a very hot compact star. Describes the nature of a planetary nebula, the number observed to date in the Milky Way Galaxy, and the results of research on a specific nebula. (MDH)

Hot super-dense compact object with particular EoS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tito, E. P.; Pavlov, V. I.

2018-03-01

We show the possibility of existence of a self-gravitating spherically-symmetric equilibrium configuration for a neutral matter with neutron-like density, small mass M ≪ M_{⊙}, and small radius R ≪ R_{⊙}. We incorporate the effects of both the special and general theories of relativity. Such object may be formed in a cosmic cataclysm, perhaps an exotic one. Since the base equations of hydrostatic equilibrium are completed by the equation of state (EoS) for the matter of the object, we offer a novel, interpolating experimental data from high-energy physics, EoS which permits the existence of such compact system of finite radius. This EoS model possesses a critical state characterized by density ρc and temperature Tc. For such an object, we derive a radial distribution for the super-dense matter in "liquid" phase using Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations for hydrostatic equilibrium. We demonstrate that a stable configuration is indeed possible (only) for temperatures smaller than the critical one. We derive the mass-radius relation (adjusted for relativistic corrections) for such small (M ≪ M_{⊙}) super-dense compact objects. The results are within the constraints established by both heavy-ion collision experiments and theoretical studies of neutron-rich matter.

Astronomical image data compression by morphological skeleton transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, L.; Bijaoui, A.

A compression method adapted for exact restoring of the detected objects and based on the morphological skeleton transformation is presented. The morphological skeleton provides a complete and compact description of an object and gives an efficient compression rate. The flexibility of choosing a structuring element adapted to different images and the simplicity of the implementation are considered to be advantages of the method. The experiment was carried out on three typical astronomical images. The first two images were obtained by digitizing a Palomar Schmidt photographic plate in a coma field with the PDS microdensitometer at Nice Observatory. The third image was obtained by CCD camera at the Pic du Midi Observatory. Each pixel was coded by 16 bits and stored at a computer system (VAX785) with STII format. Each image is characterized by 256 x 256 pixels. It is found that first image represents a stellar field, the second represents a set of galaxies in the Coma, and the third image contains an elliptical galaxy.

LOOS: an extensible platform for the structural analysis of simulations.

PubMed

Romo, Tod D; Grossfield, Alan

2009-01-01

We have developed LOOS (Lightweight Object-Oriented Structure-analysis library) as an object-oriented library designed to facilitate the rapid development of tools for the structural analysis of simulations. LOOS supports the native file formats of most common simulation packages including AMBER, CHARMM, CNS, Gromacs, NAMD, Tinker, and X-PLOR. Encapsulation and polymorphism are used to simultaneously provide a stable interface to the programmer and make LOOS easily extensible. A rich atom selection language based on the C expression syntax is included as part of the library. LOOS enables students and casual programmer-scientists to rapidly write their own analytical tools in a compact and expressive manner resembling scripting. LOOS is written in C++ and makes extensive use of the Standard Template Library and Boost, and is freely available under the GNU General Public License (version 3) LOOS has been tested on Linux and MacOS X, but is written to be portable and should work on most Unix-based platforms.

Effective data compaction algorithm for vector scan EB writing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueki, Shinichi; Ashida, Isao; Kawahira, Hiroichi

2001-01-01

We have developed a new mask data compaction algorithm dedicated to vector scan electron beam (EB) writing systems for 0.13 μm device generation. Large mask data size has become a significant problem at mask data processing for which data compaction is an important technique. In our new mask data compaction, 'array' representation and 'cell' representation are used. The mask data format for the EB writing system with vector scan supports these representations. The array representation has a pitch and a number of repetitions in both X and Y direction. The cell representation has a definition of figure group and its reference. The new data compaction method has the following three steps. (1) Search arrays of figures by selecting pitches of array so that a number of figures are included. (2) Find out same arrays that have same repetitive pitch and number of figures. (3) Search cells of figures, where the figures in each cell take identical positional relationship. By this new method for the mask data of a 4M-DRAM block gate layer with peripheral circuits, 202 Mbytes without compaction was highly compacted to 6.7 Mbytes in 20 minutes on a 500 MHz PC.

Testing strong-field gravity with tidal Love numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardoso, Vitor; Franzin, Edgardo; Maselli, Andrea; Pani, Paolo; Raposo, Guilherme

2017-04-01

The tidal Love numbers (TLNs) encode the deformability of a self-gravitating object immersed in a tidal environment and depend significantly both on the object's internal structure and on the dynamics of the gravitational field. An intriguing result in classical general relativity is the vanishing of the TLNs of black holes. We extend this result in three ways, aiming at testing the nature of compact objects: (i) we compute the TLNs of exotic compact objects, including different families of boson stars, gravastars, wormholes, and other toy models for quantum corrections at the horizon scale. In the black-hole limit, we find a universal logarithmic dependence of the TLNs on the location of the surface. (ii) We compute the TLNs of black holes beyond vacuum general relativity, including Einstein-Maxwell, Brans-Dicke, and Chern-Simons gravity. (iii) We assess the ability of present and future gravitational-wave detectors to measure the TLNs of these objects, including the first analysis of TLNs with LISA. Both LIGO, ET, and LISA can impose interesting constraints on boson stars, while LISA is able to probe even extremely compact objects. We argue that the TLNs provide a smoking gun of new physics at the horizon scale and that future gravitational-wave measurements of the TLNs in a binary inspiral provide a novel way to test black holes and general relativity in the strong-field regime.

The onset of fabric development in deep marine sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maffione, Marco; Morris, Antony

2017-09-01

Post-depositional compaction is a key stage in the formation of sedimentary rocks that results in porosity reduction, grain realignment and the production of sedimentary fabrics. The progressive time-depth evolution of the onset of fabric development in deep marine sediments is poorly constrained due to the limited quantity and resolution of existing data. Here we present high-resolution anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) results from clay-rich deep marine sediments recovered at International Ocean Discovery Program Site U1438 (Philippine Sea). AMS is a petrofabric tool sensitive to the preferred orientation of grains in rocks. Down-section variations of AMS parameters, density, porosity and the inclination of magnetic remanences demonstrate that fabrics develop in response to compaction and dewatering but also that they do not develop progressively with depth below the mudline. Instead, a horizontal foliation first forms at 83 mbsf once the sediment load reaches an effective stress threshold for the onset of compaction and is then continuously enhanced down to 113 mbsf, defining a 30 m-thick 'initial compaction window'. The magnetostratigraphic age model for IODP Site U1438 indicates a delay of 5.7 Ma in initial fabric formation following sediment deposition, with strongly defined fabrics then taking an additional 6.5 Ma to develop.

The force-sensing peptide VemP employs extreme compaction and secondary structure formation to induce ribosomal stalling.

PubMed

Su, Ting; Cheng, Jingdong; Sohmen, Daniel; Hedman, Rickard; Berninghausen, Otto; von Heijne, Gunnar; Wilson, Daniel N; Beckmann, Roland

2017-05-30

Interaction between the nascent polypeptide chain and the ribosomal exit tunnel can modulate the rate of translation and induce translational arrest to regulate expression of downstream genes. The ribosomal tunnel also provides a protected environment for initial protein folding events. Here, we present a 2.9 Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of a ribosome stalled during translation of the extremely compacted VemP nascent chain. The nascent chain forms two α-helices connected by an α-turn and a loop, enabling a total of 37 amino acids to be observed within the first 50-55 Å of the exit tunnel. The structure reveals how α-helix formation directly within the peptidyltransferase center of the ribosome interferes with aminoacyl-tRNA accommodation, suggesting that during canonical translation, a major role of the exit tunnel is to prevent excessive secondary structure formation that can interfere with the peptidyltransferase activity of the ribosome.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Myllys, Markko; Ruokolainen, Visa; Aho, Vesa

Lytic infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) induces profound modification of the cell nucleus including formation of a viral replication compartment and chromatin marginalization into the nuclear periphery. Here, we used three-dimensional soft X-ray tomography, combined with cryogenic fluorescence, confocal and electron microscopy, to analyse the transformation of peripheral chromatin during HSV-1 infection. Our data showed an increased presence of low-density gaps in the marginalized chromatin at late infection. Advanced data analysis indicated the formation of virus-nucleocapsid-sized (or wider) channels extending through the compacted chromatin of the host. Importantly, confocal and electron microscopy analysis showed that these gapsmore » frequently contained viral nucleocapsids. Our results demonstrated that HSV-1 infection induces the formation of channels penetrating the compacted layer of cellular chromatin and allowing for the passage of progeny viruses to the nuclear envelope, their site of nuclear egress.« less

Lens and dendrite formation during colloidal solidification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worster, Grae; You, Jiaxue

2017-11-01

Colloidal particles in suspension are forced into a variety of morphologies when the suspending fluid medium is frozen: soil is compacted between ice lenses during frost heave; ice templating is a recent and growing technology to produce bio-inspired, micro-porous materials; cells and tissue can be damaged during cryosurgery; and metal-matrix composites with tailored microstructure can be fabricated by controlled casting. Various instabilities that affect the microscopic morphology are controlled by fluid flow through the compacted layer of particles that accumulates ahead of the solidification front. By analysing the flow in connection with equilibrium phase relationships, we develop a theoretical framework that identifies two different mechanisms for ice-lens formation, with and without a frozen fringe, identifies the external parameters that differentiates between them and the possibility of dendritic formations, and unifies a range of apparently disparate conclusions drawn from previous experimental studies. China Scholarship Council and the British Council.

Herpes simplex virus 1 induces egress channels through marginalized host chromatin

DOE PAGES

Myllys, Markko; Ruokolainen, Visa; Aho, Vesa; ...

2016-06-28

Lytic infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) induces profound modification of the cell nucleus including formation of a viral replication compartment and chromatin marginalization into the nuclear periphery. Here, we used three-dimensional soft X-ray tomography, combined with cryogenic fluorescence, confocal and electron microscopy, to analyse the transformation of peripheral chromatin during HSV-1 infection. Our data showed an increased presence of low-density gaps in the marginalized chromatin at late infection. Advanced data analysis indicated the formation of virus-nucleocapsid-sized (or wider) channels extending through the compacted chromatin of the host. Importantly, confocal and electron microscopy analysis showed that these gapsmore » frequently contained viral nucleocapsids. Our results demonstrated that HSV-1 infection induces the formation of channels penetrating the compacted layer of cellular chromatin and allowing for the passage of progeny viruses to the nuclear envelope, their site of nuclear egress.« less

Effect of Magnesium Content and Processing Conditions on Phase Formation and Stability in Mg2+ δ Si0.3Sn0.7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goyal, Gagan K.; Dasgupta, T.

2018-03-01

Mg2+ δ Si0.3Sn0.7 compositions with nominal Mg content of δ = 0, 0.2 are synthesized using a single-step quartz tube reaction method with different heating rates and holding times. The resulting powders are sintered using a uniaxial induction hot press under similar conditions to produce near-dense compacts. The effect of Mg content and processing conditions on the phase formation and its stability are studied using x-ray diffraction measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with elemental mapping and compositional analysis using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Results indicate that with sufficient Mg content and shorter synthesis time, the powder remains single phasic; however, prolonged heat treatment during synthesis results in Mg loss and causes the system to become biphasic. Compaction results in single-phase formation in all the specimens. This is attributed to the removal of the low-melting secondary Sn-rich phases present in the system. The decomposition of the specimens depends on the Mg content after the compaction step with a δ around - 0.15 necessary to preserve the single phase. The decomposition also results in Mg enrichment of the matrix (due to formation of elemental Sn), thereby acting as a self-healing mechanism. Annealing the dense products at 773 K for 24 h in static vacuum is carried out. Progressive Mg loss is observed resulting in degradation of the specimen.

Accretion Disk Outflows from Compact Object Mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metzger, Brian

Nuclear reactions play a key role in the accretion disks and outflows associated with the merger of binary compact objects and the central engines of gamma-ray bursts and supernovae. The proposed research program will investigate the impact of nucleosynthesis on these events and their observable signatures by means of analytic calculations and numerical simulations. One focus of this research is rapid accretion following the tidal disruption of a white dwarf (WD) by a neutron star (NS) or black hole (BH) binary companion. Tidal disruption shreds the WD into a massive torus composed of C, O, and/or He, which undergoes nuclear reactions and burns to increasingly heavier elements as it flows to smaller radii towards the central compact object. The nuclear energy so released is comparable to that released gravitationally, suggesting that burning could drastically alter the structure and stability of the accretion flow. Axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations of the evolution of the torus including nuclear burning will be performed to explore issues such as the mass budget of the flow (accretion vs. outflows) and its thermal stability (steady burning and accretion vs. runaway explosion). The mass, velocity, and composition of outflows from the disk will be used in separate radiative transfer calculations to predict the lightcurves and spectra of the 56Ni-decay powered optical transients from WD-NS/WD-BH mergers. The possible connection of such events to recently discovered classes of sub-luminous Type I supernovae will be assessed. The coalescence of NS-NS/NS-BH binaries also results in the formation of a massive torus surrounding a central compact object. Three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the long-term evolution of such accretion disks will be performed, which for the first time follow the effects of weak interactions and the nuclear energy released by Helium recombination. The nucleosynthetic yield of disk outflows will be calculated using a detailed nuclear reaction network along characteristic Lagrangian trajectories. Results of these calculations will be used to (1) reassess NS-NS/NS-BH mergers as an astrophysical source of heavy r-process nuclei; and (2) calculate the light curves of the optical transients (`kilonovae') powered by the radioactive decay. Separate work will assess the effects that neutrino irradiation from a long-lived neutron star remnant has on the electron fraction of the disk outflows. The strong contrast between the opacities of proton- and neutron-rich matter imply that the presence and lifetime of such a remnant could be imprinted on the kilonova emission. Our investigation sheds light on the central engines of GRBs and other high-energy transients and hence is relevant to NASA's Swift, MAXI, and Fermi missions. Our results will also impact the interpretation of future observations of supernovae and their galactic environments with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Our results will also impact follow-up observations of kilonovae, maximizing the impact of HST to constrain the key open questions such as the progenitors of gamma-ray bursts and the origin of r-process nuclei.

Investigation of solid phase composition on tablet surfaces by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction.

PubMed

Koradia, Vishal; Tenho, Mikko; Lopez de Diego, Heidi; Ringkjøbing-Elema, Michiel; Møller-Sonnergaard, Jørn; Salonen, Jarno; Lehto, Vesa-Pekka; Rantanen, Jukka

2012-01-01

To investigate solid state transformations of drug substances during compaction using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD). The solid forms of three model drugs-theophylline (TP), nitrofurantoin (NF) and amlodipine besylate (AMB)-were compacted at different pressures (from 100 to 1000 MPa); prepared tablets were measured using GIXD. After the initial measurements of freshly compacted tablets, tablets were subjected to suitable recrystallization treatment, and analogous measurements were performed. Solid forms of TP, NF and AMB showed partial amorphization as well as crystal disordering during compaction; the extent of these effects generally increased as a function of pressure. The changes were most pronounced at the outer surface region. The different solid forms showed difference in the formation of amorphicity/crystal disordering. Dehydration due to compaction was observed for the TP monohydrate, whereas hydrates of NF and AMB were stable towards dehydration. With GIXD measurements, it was possible to probe the solid form composition at the different depths of the tablet surfaces and to obtain depth-dependent information on the compaction-induced amorphization, crystal disordering and dehydration.

Do massive compact objects without event horizon exist in infinite derivative gravity?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshelev, Alexey S.; Mazumdar, Anupam

2017-10-01

Einstein's general theory of relativity is plagued by cosmological and black-hole type singularities Recently, it has been shown that infinite derivative, ghost free, gravity can yield nonsingular cosmological and mini-black hole solutions. In particular, the theory possesses a mass-gap determined by the scale of new physics. This paper provides a plausible argument, not a no-go theorem, based on the Area-law of gravitational entropy that within infinite derivative, ghost free, gravity nonsingular compact objects in the static limit need not have horizons.

Manifestations of dynamo driven large-scale magnetic field in accretion disks of compact objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chagelishvili, G. D.; Chanishvili, R. G.; Lominadze, J. G.; Sokhadze, Z. A.

1991-01-01

A turbulent dynamo nonlinear theory of turbulence was developed that shows that in the compact objects of accretion disks, the generated large-scale magnetic field (when the generation takes place) has a practically toroidal configuration. Its energy density can be much higher than turbulent pulsations energy density, and it becomes comparable with the thermal energy density of the medium. On this basis, the manifestations to which the large-scale magnetic field can lead at the accretion onto black holes and gravimagnetic rotators, respectively, are presented.

SECULAR EVOLUTION OF BINARIES NEAR MASSIVE BLACK HOLES: FORMATION OF COMPACT BINARIES, MERGER/COLLISION PRODUCTS AND G2-LIKE OBJECTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Prodan, Snezana; Antonini, Fabio; Perets, Hagai B., E-mail: sprodan@cita.utoronto.ca, E-mail: antonini@cita.utoronto.ca

2015-02-01

Here we discuss the evolution of binaries around massive black holes (MBHs) in nuclear stellar clusters. We focus on their secular evolution due to the perturbation by the MBHs, while simplistically accounting for their collisional evolution. Binaries with highly inclined orbits with respect to their orbits around MBHs are strongly affected by secular processes, which periodically change their eccentricities and inclinations (e.g., Kozai-Lidov cycles). During periapsis approach, dissipative processes such as tidal friction may become highly efficient, and may lead to shrinkage of a binary orbit and even to its merger. Binaries in this environment can therefore significantly change theirmore » orbital evolution due to the MBH third-body perturbative effects. Such orbital evolution may impinge on their later stellar evolution. Here we follow the secular dynamics of such binaries and its coupling to tidal evolution, as well as the stellar evolution of such binaries on longer timescales. We find that stellar binaries in the central parts of nuclear stellar clusters (NSCs) are highly likely to evolve into eccentric and/or short-period binaries, and become strongly interacting binaries either on the main sequence (at which point they may even merge), or through their later binary stellar evolution. The central parts of NSCs therefore catalyze the formation and evolution of strongly interacting binaries, and lead to the enhanced formation of blue stragglers, X-ray binaries, gravitational wave sources, and possible supernova progenitors. Induced mergers/collisions may also lead to the formation of G2-like cloud-like objects such as the one recently observed in the Galactic center.« less

A stand-alone compact EUV microscope based on gas-puff target source.

PubMed

Torrisi, Alfio; Wachulak, Przemyslaw; Węgrzyński, Łukasz; Fok, Tomasz; Bartnik, Andrzej; Parkman, Tomáš; Vondrová, Šárka; Turňová, Jana; Jankiewicz, Bartłomiej J; Bartosewicz, Bartosz; Fiedorowicz, Henryk

2017-02-01

We report on a very compact desk-top transmission extreme ultraviolet (EUV) microscope based on a laser-plasma source with a double stream gas-puff target, capable of acquiring magnified images of objects with a spatial (half-pitch) resolution of sub-50 nm. A multilayer ellipsoidal condenser is used to focus and spectrally narrow the radiation from the plasma, producing a quasi-monochromatic EUV radiation (λ = 13.8 nm) illuminating the object, whereas a Fresnel zone plate objective forms the image. Design details, development, characterization and optimization of the EUV source and the microscope are described and discussed. Test object and other samples were imaged to demonstrate superior resolution compared to visible light microscopy. © 2016 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2016 Royal Microscopical Society.

Compaction bands in porous rocks: localization analysis using breakage mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Arghya; Nguyen, Giang; Einav, Itai

2010-05-01

It has been observed in fields and laboratory studies that compaction bands are formed within porous rocks and crushable granular materials (Mollema and Antonellini, 1996; Wong et al., 2001). These localization zones are oriented at high angles to the compressive maximum principal stress direction. Grain crushing and pore collapse are the integral parts of the compaction band formation; the lower porosity and increased tortuosity within such bands tend to reduce their permeability compared to the outer rock mass. Compaction bands may thereafter act as flow barriers, which can hamper the extraction or injection of fluid into the rocks. The study of compaction bands is therefore not only interesting from a geological viewpoint but has great economic importance to the extraction of oil or natural gas in the industry. In this paper, we study the formation of pure compaction bands (i.e. purely perpendicular to the principal stress direction) or shear-enhanced compaction bands (i.e. with angles close to the perpendicular) in high-porosity rocks using both numerical and analytical methods. A model based on the breakage mechanics theory (Einav, 2007a, b) is employed for the present analysis. The main aspect of this theory is that it enables to take into account the effect that changes in grain size distribution has on the constitutive stress-strain behaviour of granular materials at the microscopic level due to grain crushing. This microscopic phenomenon of grain crushing is explicitly linked with a macroscopic internal variable, called Breakage, so that the evolving grain size distribution can be continuously monitored at macro scale during the process of deformation. Through the inclusion of an appropriate parameter the model is also able to capture the effects of pore collapse on the macroscopic response. Its possession of few physically identifiable parameters is another important feature which minimises the effort of their recalibration, since those become less sensitive to the state of the matter (e.g. the initial porosity and grain size distribution). In our previous work (Nguyen and Einav, 2009) we showed that the breakage mechanics model is capable of capturing the experimentally observed stress-strain behaviour of sandstones under conventional triaxial loading, along with the associated evolving grain size distribution. Here, these predictions are further improved through the inclusion of the additional pore-collapse parameter. Furthermore, localization analysis that is based on the loss of positive definiteness of the determinant of the acoustic tensor (Issen and Rudnicki, 2000) is performed to determine the onset of compaction localization, as an indication of material failure. This analysis results in the prediction of the possible range of compaction band orientations. The behaviour and onset of compaction localization of different sandstones are numerically predicted in well accordance with published experimental observations. A parametric study is also carried out to emphasize the complementary effects of grain crushing and pore-collapse on the formation of compaction bands. References Einav, I. (2007a), Breakage mechanics-Part I: Theory, J. Mechan. Phys. Sol. 55(6), 1274-1297. Einav, I. (2007b), Breakage mechanics-Part II: Modelling granular materials, J. Mech. Phys. Sol. 55(6), 1298- 1320. Issen, K.A., Rudnicki, J.W. (2000), Conditions for compaction bands in porous rocks, J. Geophys. Res. Lett., 105, 21,529-21,536. Mollema, P.N., Antonellini, M.A. (1996), Compaction bands: a structural analog for anti-mode I cracks in aeolian sandstone, Tectonophysics 267:209-228. Nguyen, G.D., Einav, I. (2009), The energetics of cataclasis based on breakage mechanics, Pure Appl. Geophys., 166(10), 1693 - 1724. Wong, T-F, Baud, P., Klein, E. (2001), Localized failure modes in a compactant porous rock, J. Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 2521-2524.

Star formation towards the Galactic H II region RCW 120. Herschel observations of compact sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figueira, M.; Zavagno, A.; Deharveng, L.; Russeil, D.; Anderson, L. D.; Men'shchikov, A.; Schneider, N.; Hill, T.; Motte, F.; Mège, P.; LeLeu, G.; Roussel, H.; Bernard, J.-P.; Traficante, A.; Paradis, D.; Tigé, J.; André, P.; Bontemps, S.; Abergel, A.

2017-04-01

Context. The expansion of H II regions can trigger the formation of stars. An overdensity of young stellar objects is observed at the edges of H II regions but the mechanisms that give rise to this phenomenon are not clearly identified. Moreover, it is difficult to establish a causal link between H II -region expansion and the star formation observed at the edges of these regions. A clear age gradient observed in the spatial distribution of young sources in the surrounding might be a strong argument in favor of triggering. Aims: We aim to characterize the star formation observed at the edges of H II regions by studying the properties of young stars that form there. We aim to detect young sources, derive their properties and their evolution stage in order to discuss the possible causal link between the first-generation massive stars that form the H II region and the young sources observed at their edges. Methods: We have observed the Galactic H II region RCW 120 with Herschel PACS and SPIRE photometers at 70, 100, 160, 250, 350 and 500 μm. We produced temperature and H2 column density maps and use the getsources algorithm to detect compact sources and measure their fluxes at Herschel wavelengths. We have complemented these fluxes with existing infrared data. Fitting their spectral energy distributions with a modified blackbody model, we derived their envelope dust temperature and envelope mass. We computed their bolometric luminosities and discuss their evolutionary stages. Results: The overall temperatures of the region (without background subtraction) range from 15 K to 24 K. The warmest regions are observed towards the ionized gas. The coldest regions are observed outside the ionized gas and follow the emission of the cold material previously detected at 870 μm and 1.3 mm. The H2 column density map reveals the distribution of the cold medium to be organized in filaments and highly structured. Column densities range from 7 × 1021 cm-2 up to 9 × 1023 cm-2 without background subtraction. The cold regions observed outside the ionized gas are the densest and host star formation when the column density exceeds 2 × 1022 cm-2. The most reliable 35 compact sources are discussed. Using existing CO data and morphological arguments we show that these sources are likely to be associated with the RCW 120 region. These sources' volume densities range from 2 × 105 cm-3 to 108 cm-3. Five sources have envelope masses larger than 50 M⊙ and are all observed in high column density regions (>7 × 1022 cm-2). We find that the evolutionary stage of the sources primarily depends on the density of their hosting condensation and is not correlated with the distance to the ionizing star. Conclusions: The Herschel data, with their unique sampling of the far infrared domain, have allowed us to characterize the properties of compact sources observed towards RCW 120 for the first time. We have also been able to determine the envelope temperature, envelope mass and evolutionary stage of these sources. Using these properties we have shown that the density of the condensations that host star formation is a key parameter of the star-formation history, irrespective of their projected distance to the ionizing stars. Table A.1 is also available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/600/A93Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.

Planck 2015 results. XXVI. The Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Planck Collaboration; Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Argüeso, F.; Arnaud, M.; Ashdown, M.; Aumont, J.; Baccigalupi, C.; Banday, A. J.; Barreiro, R. B.; Bartolo, N.; Battaner, E.; Beichman, C.; Benabed, K.; Benoît, A.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Bernard, J.-P.; Bersanelli, M.; Bielewicz, P.; Bock, J. J.; Böhringer, H.; Bonaldi, A.; Bonavera, L.; Bond, J. R.; Borrill, J.; Bouchet, F. R.; Boulanger, F.; Bucher, M.; Burigana, C.; Butler, R. C.; Calabrese, E.; Cardoso, J.-F.; Carvalho, P.; Catalano, A.; Challinor, A.; Chamballu, A.; Chary, R.-R.; Chiang, H. C.; Christensen, P. R.; Clemens, M.; Clements, D. L.; Colombi, S.; Colombo, L. P. L.; Combet, C.; Couchot, F.; Coulais, A.; Crill, B. P.; Curto, A.; Cuttaia, F.; Danese, L.; Davies, R. D.; Davis, R. J.; de Bernardis, P.; de Rosa, A.; de Zotti, G.; Delabrouille, J.; Désert, F.-X.; Dickinson, C.; Diego, J. M.; Dole, H.; Donzelli, S.; Doré, O.; Douspis, M.; Ducout, A.; Dupac, X.; Efstathiou, G.; Elsner, F.; Enßlin, T. A.; Eriksen, H. K.; Falgarone, E.; Fergusson, J.; Finelli, F.; Forni, O.; Frailis, M.; Fraisse, A. A.; Franceschi, E.; Frejsel, A.; Galeotta, S.; Galli, S.; Ganga, K.; Giard, M.; Giraud-Héraud, Y.; Gjerløw, E.; González-Nuevo, J.; Górski, K. M.; Gratton, S.; Gregorio, A.; Gruppuso, A.; Gudmundsson, J. E.; Hansen, F. K.; Hanson, D.; Harrison, D. L.; Helou, G.; Henrot-Versillé, S.; Hernández-Monteagudo, C.; Herranz, D.; Hildebrandt, S. R.; Hivon, E.; Hobson, M.; Holmes, W. A.; Hornstrup, A.; Hovest, W.; Huffenberger, K. M.; Hurier, G.; Jaffe, A. H.; Jaffe, T. R.; Jones, W. C.; Juvela, M.; Keihänen, E.; Keskitalo, R.; Kisner, T. S.; Kneissl, R.; Knoche, J.; Kunz, M.; Kurki-Suonio, H.; Lagache, G.; Lähteenmäki, A.; Lamarre, J.-M.; Lasenby, A.; Lattanzi, M.; Lawrence, C. R.; Leahy, J. P.; Leonardi, R.; León-Tavares, J.; Lesgourgues, J.; Levrier, F.; Liguori, M.; Lilje, P. B.; Linden-Vørnle, M.; López-Caniego, M.; Lubin, P. M.; Macías-Pérez, J. F.; Maggio, G.; Maino, D.; Mandolesi, N.; Mangilli, A.; Maris, M.; Marshall, D. J.; Martin, P. G.; Martínez-González, E.; Masi, S.; Matarrese, S.; McGehee, P.; Meinhold, P. R.; Melchiorri, A.; Mendes, L.; Mennella, A.; Migliaccio, M.; Mitra, S.; Miville-Deschênes, M.-A.; Moneti, A.; Montier, L.; Morgante, G.; Mortlock, D.; Moss, A.; Munshi, D.; Murphy, J. A.; Naselsky, P.; Nati, F.; Natoli, P.; Negrello, M.; Netterfield, C. B.; Nørgaard-Nielsen, H. U.; Noviello, F.; Novikov, D.; Novikov, I.; Oxborrow, C. A.; Paci, F.; Pagano, L.; Pajot, F.; Paladini, R.; Paoletti, D.; Partridge, B.; Pasian, F.; Patanchon, G.; Pearson, T. J.; Perdereau, O.; Perotto, L.; Perrotta, F.; Pettorino, V.; Piacentini, F.; Piat, M.; Pierpaoli, E.; Pietrobon, D.; Plaszczynski, S.; Pointecouteau, E.; Polenta, G.; Pratt, G. W.; Prézeau, G.; Prunet, S.; Puget, J.-L.; Rachen, J. P.; Reach, W. T.; Rebolo, R.; Reinecke, M.; Remazeilles, M.; Renault, C.; Renzi, A.; Ristorcelli, I.; Rocha, G.; Rosset, C.; Rossetti, M.; Roudier, G.; Rowan-Robinson, M.; Rubiño-Martín, J. A.; Rusholme, B.; Sandri, M.; Sanghera, H. S.; Santos, D.; Savelainen, M.; Savini, G.; Scott, D.; Seiffert, M. D.; Shellard, E. P. S.; Spencer, L. D.; Stolyarov, V.; Sudiwala, R.; Sunyaev, R.; Sutton, D.; Suur-Uski, A.-S.; Sygnet, J.-F.; Tauber, J. A.; Terenzi, L.; Toffolatti, L.; Tomasi, M.; Tornikoski, M.; Tristram, M.; Tucci, M.; Tuovinen, J.; Türler, M.; Umana, G.; Valenziano, L.; Valiviita, J.; Van Tent, B.; Vielva, P.; Villa, F.; Wade, L. A.; Walter, B.; Wandelt, B. D.; Wehus, I. K.; Yvon, D.; Zacchei, A.; Zonca, A.

2016-09-01

The Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources is a list of discrete objects detected in single-frequency maps from the full duration of the Planck mission and supersedes previous versions. It consists of compact sources, both Galactic and extragalactic, detected over the entire sky. Compact sources detected in the lower frequency channels are assigned to the PCCS2, while at higher frequencies they are assigned to one of two subcatalogues, the PCCS2 or PCCS2E, depending on their location on the sky. The first of these (PCCS2) covers most of the sky and allows the user to produce subsamples at higher reliabilities than the target 80% integral reliability of the catalogue. The second (PCCS2E) contains sources detected in sky regions where the diffuse emission makes it difficult to quantify the reliability of the detections. Both the PCCS2 and PCCS2E include polarization measurements, in the form of polarized flux densities, or upper limits, and orientation angles for all seven polarization-sensitive Planck channels. The improved data-processing of the full-mission maps and their reduced noise levels allow us to increase the number of objects in the catalogue, improving its completeness for the target 80% reliability as compared with the previous versions, the PCCS and the Early Release Compact Source Catalogue (ERCSC).

Hydrodynamic simulations of stellar wind disruption by a compact X-ray source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blondin, John M.; Kallman, Timothy R.; Fryxell, Bruce A.; Taam, Ronald E.

1990-01-01

This paper presents two-dimensional numerical simulations of the gas flow in the orbital plane of a massive X-ray binary system, in which the mass accretion is fueled by a radiation-driven wind from an early-type companion star. These simulations are used to examine the role of the compact object (either a neutron star or a black hole) in disturbing the radiatively accelerating wind of the OB companion, with an emphasis on understanding the origin of the observed soft X-ray photoelectric absorption seen at late orbital phases in these systems. On the basis of these simulations, it is suggested that the phase-dependent photoelectric absorption seen in several of these systems can be explained by dense filaments of compressend gas formed in the nonsteady accreation bow shock and wake of the compact object.

I-Love-Q relations for gravastars and the approach to the black-hole limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pani, Paolo

2015-12-01

The multipole moments and the tidal Love numbers of neutron stars and quark stars satisfy certain relations which are almost insensitive to the star's internal structure. A natural question is whether the same relations hold for different compact objects and how they possibly approach the black-hole limit. Here we consider "gravastars," which are hypothetical compact objects sustained by their internal vacuum energy. Such solutions have been proposed as exotic alternatives to the black-hole paradigm because they can be as compact as black holes and exist in any mass range. By constructing slowly rotating, thin-shell gravastars to quadratic order in the spin, we compute the moment of inertia I , the mass quadrupole moment Q , and the tidal Love number λ in exact form. The I -λ -Q relations of a gravastar are dramatically different from those of an ordinary compact star, but the black-hole limit is continuous; i.e., these quantities approach their Kerr counterparts when the compactness is maximum. Therefore, such relations can be used to discern a gravastar from an ordinary compact star but not to break the degeneracy with the black-hole case. Based on these results, we conjecture that the full multipolar structure and the tidal deformability of a spinning, ultracompact gravastar are identical to those of a Kerr black hole. The approach to the black-hole limit is nonpolynomial, thus differing from the critical behavior recently found for strongly anisotropic neutron stars.

A Novel Porosity Model for Use in Hydrocode Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wuennemann, K.; Collins, G. S.; Melosh, H. J.

2005-01-01

Introduction: Numerical modeling of impact cratering has reached a high degree of sophistication; however, the treatment of porous materials still poses a large problem in hydrocode calculations. Porosity plays only a minor role in the formation of large craters on most planetary objects, but impacts on comets are believed to be highly affected by the presence of porosity, which may be as much as 80%. The upcoming Deep Impact Mission (launched January 2005) will provide more detailed data about the composition of a comet (Tempel 1) by shooting a approx.370 kg projectile onto the surface of its nucleus. The numerical simulations of such impact events requires an appropriate model for how pore space in the comet is crushed out during the violent initial stage of the impact event. Most hydro-codes compute the pressure explicitly using an "equation of state" (EOS) for each material, which relates changes in density and internal energy to changes in pressure. The added complication introduced by porosity is that changes in a material s density are due to both the closing of pore space (compaction) and compression of the matrix. The amount of resistance to volume change and the amount of irreversible work done during these two processes is very different; it is far easier to compact a porous material sample than to compress a non-porous sample of the same material. As an alternative to existing porosity models, like the Pdot(alpha) model [1], we present a novel approach for dealing with the compaction of porosity in hydrocode calculations.

Distance biases in the estimation of the physical properties of Hi-GAL compact sources - I. Clump properties and the identification of high-mass star-forming candidates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldeschi, Adriano; Elia, D.; Molinari, S.; Pezzuto, S.; Schisano, E.; Gatti, M.; Serra, A.; Merello, M.; Benedettini, M.; Di Giorgio, A. M.; Liu, J. S.

2017-04-01

The degradation of spatial resolution in star-forming regions, observed at large distances (d ≳ 1 kpc) with Herschel, can lead to estimates of the physical parameters of the detected compact sources (clumps), which do not necessarily mirror the properties of the original population of cores. This paper aims at quantifying the bias introduced in the estimation of these parameters by the distance effect. To do so, we consider Herschel maps of nearby star-forming regions taken from the Herschel Gould Belt survey, and simulate the effect of increased distance to understand what amount of information is lost when a distant star-forming region is observed with Herschel resolution. In the maps displaced to different distances we extract compact sources, and we derive their physical parameters as if they were original Herschel infrared Galactic Plane Survey maps of the extracted source samples. In this way, we are able to discuss how the main physical properties change with distance. In particular, we discuss the ability of clumps to form massive stars: we estimate the fraction of distant sources that are classified as high-mass stars-forming objects due to their position in the mass versus radius diagram, that are only 'false positives'. We also give a threshold for high-mass star formation M>1282 (r/ [pc])^{1.42} M_{⊙}. In conclusion, this paper provides the astronomer dealing with Herschel maps of distant star-forming regions with a set of prescriptions to partially recover the character of the core population in unresolved clumps.

Looking for Galaxies in All the Right Places: A Search for Stellar Populations in ALFALFA’s Ultra-compact High Velocity Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janesh, William; Rhode, Katherine L.; Salzer, John J.; Janowiecki, Steven; Adams, Elizabeth; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Cannon, John M.

2018-01-01

Nearby gas-rich dwarf galaxies are excellent laboratories for investigating the baryonic feedback processes that govern star formation and galaxy evolution in galaxies at the extreme end of the mass function. Detecting and studying such objects may help resolve the well-known tension between cosmological model predictions for low-mass dark matter halos and observations. The ALFALFA neutral hydrogen (Hi) survey has detected a sample of isolated ultra-compact high-velocity Hi clouds (UCHVCs) with kinematic properties that make them likely members of the Local Volume, but that have no optical counterparts in existing optical surveys. This UCHVC sample possesses Hi properties (at 1 Mpc, Hi masses of ~105-106 M⊙, Hi diameters of ~2-3 kpc, and dynamical masses of ~107-108 M⊙) similar to other known ultra-faint dwarf galaxies like Leo T. Following the discovery of Leo P, an extremely metal-poor, gas-rich star-forming dwarf galaxy associated with an ALFALFA UCHVC, we have initiated a campaign to obtain deep optical imaging of 56 UCHVCs using the wide field-of-view, high-resolution ODI camera on the WIYN 3.5-m telescope. Here we present a brief overview of our campaign to search for resolved stellar populations associated with the UCHVCs in our optical images, and initial results from our survey.After creating a stellar catalog from the pipeline-reduced and stacked ODI g- and i-band images, we apply a color-magnitude filter tuned for old, metal-poor stellar populations to select red giant branch stars at distances between 250 kpc and 2 Mpc. The spatial distribution of the stars selected by the filter is then smoothed, and overdensities in the fields are identified. Of the 22 targets analyzed to date, seven have associated stellar populations detected at a high confidence (92% to 99.9% significance). The detected objects have a range of distances (from 350 kpc to 1.6 Mpc) and have optical properties similar to those of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies. These objects have extreme Hi-to-stellar mass ratios, and given their isolation, may represent a progenitor population to the ultra-faint dwarfs. They also help constrain the conditions needed for star formation in the lowest-mass galaxies.

A Chandra-Swift View of Point Sources in Hickson Compact Groups: High AGN Fraction but a Dearth of Strong AGNs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tzanavaris, P.; Gallagher, S. C.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Fedotov, K.; Eracleous, M.; Brandt, W. N.; Desjardins, T. D.; Charlton, J. C.; Gronwall, C.

2014-01-01

We present Chandra X-ray point source catalogs for 9 Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs, 37 galaxies) at distances of 34-89 Mpc. We perform detailed X-ray point source detection and photometry and interpret the point source population by means of simulated hardness ratios. We thus estimate X-ray luminosities (L(sub x)) for all sources, most of which are too weak for reliable spectral fitting. For all sources, we provide catalogs with counts, count rates, power-law indices (gamma), hardness ratios, and L(sub X), in the full (0.5-8.0 keV), soft (0.5-2.0 keV), and hard (2.0-8.0 keV) bands. We use optical emission-line ratios from the literature to re-classify 24 galaxies as star-forming, accreting onto a supermassive black hole (AGNs), transition objects, or low-ionization nuclear emission regions. Two-thirds of our galaxies have nuclear X-ray sources with Swift/UVOT counterparts. Two nuclei have L(sub X),0.5-8.0 keV > 10(exp 42) erg s-1, are strong multi-wavelength active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and follow the known alpha OX-?L? (nearUV) correlation for strong AGNs. Otherwise, most nuclei are X-ray faint, consistent with either a low-luminosity AGN or a nuclear X-ray binary population, and fall in the 'non-AGN locus' in alpha OX-?L? (nearUV) space, which also hosts other normal galaxies. Our results suggest that HCG X-ray nuclei in high specific star formation rate spiral galaxies are likely dominated by star formation, while those with low specific star formation rates in earlier types likely harbor a weak AGN. The AGN fraction in HCG galaxies with MR (is) less than -20 and L(sub X),0.5-8.0 keV (is) greater than 10(exp 41) erg s-1 is 0.08+0.35 -0.01, somewhat higher than the 5% fraction in galaxy clusters.

Spatially Resolved Hα Maps and Sizes of 57 Strongly Star-forming Galaxies at z ~ 1 from 3D-HST: Evidence for Rapid Inside-out Assembly of Disk Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Erica June; van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Brammer, Gabriel; Förster Schreiber, Natascha; Franx, Marijn; Fumagalli, Mattia; Patel, Shannon; Rix, Hans-Walter; Skelton, Rosalind E.; Bezanson, Rachel; Da Cunha, Elisabete; Kriek, Mariska; Labbe, Ivo; Lundgren, Britt; Quadri, Ryan; Schmidt, Kasper B.

2012-03-01

We investigate the buildup of galaxies at z ~ 1 using maps of Hα and stellar continuum emission for a sample of 57 galaxies with rest-frame Hα equivalent widths >100 Å in the 3D-HST grism survey. We find that the Hα emission broadly follows the rest-frame R-band light but that it is typically somewhat more extended and clumpy. We quantify the spatial distribution with the half-light radius. The median Hα effective radius re (Hα) is 4.2 ± 0.1 kpc but the sizes span a large range, from compact objects with re (Hα) ~ 1.0 kpc to extended disks with re (Hα) ~ 15 kpc. Comparing Hα sizes to continuum sizes, we find =1.3 ± 0.1 for the full sample. That is, star formation, as traced by Hα, typically occurs out to larger radii than the rest-frame R-band stellar continuum; galaxies are growing their radii and building up from the inside out. This effect appears to be somewhat more pronounced for the largest galaxies. Using the measured Hα sizes, we derive star formation rate surface densities, ΣSFR. We find that ΣSFR ranges from ~0.05 M ⊙ yr-1 kpc-2 for the largest galaxies to ~5 M ⊙ yr-1 kpc-2 for the smallest galaxies, implying a large range in physical conditions in rapidly star-forming z ~ 1 galaxies. Finally, we infer that all galaxies in the sample have very high gas mass fractions and stellar mass doubling times <500 Myr. Although other explanations are also possible, a straightforward interpretation is that we are simultaneously witnessing the rapid formation of compact bulges and large disks at z ~ 1.

A Chandra-Swift View of Point Sources in Hickson Compact Groups: High AGN Fraction but a Dearth of Strong AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tzanavaris, P.; Gallagher, S. C.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Fedotov, K.; Eracleous, M.; Brandt, W. N.; Desjardins, T. D.; Charlton, J. C.; Gronwall, C.

2014-05-01

We present Chandra X-ray point source catalogs for 9 Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs, 37 galaxies) at distances of 34-89 Mpc. We perform detailed X-ray point source detection and photometry and interpret the point source population by means of simulated hardness ratios. We thus estimate X-ray luminosities (LX ) for all sources, most of which are too weak for reliable spectral fitting. For all sources, we provide catalogs with counts, count rates, power-law indices (Γ), hardness ratios, and LX , in the full (0.5-8.0 keV), soft (0.5-2.0 keV), and hard (2.0-8.0 keV) bands. We use optical emission-line ratios from the literature to re-classify 24 galaxies as star-forming, accreting onto a supermassive black hole (AGNs), transition objects, or low-ionization nuclear emission regions. Two-thirds of our galaxies have nuclear X-ray sources with Swift/UVOT counterparts. Two nuclei have L X, 0.5-8.0 keV >1042 erg s-1, are strong multi-wavelength active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and follow the known αOX-νL ν (nearUV) correlation for strong AGNs. Otherwise, most nuclei are X-ray faint, consistent with either a low-luminosity AGN or a nuclear X-ray binary population, and fall in the "non-AGN locus" in αOX-νL ν (nearUV) space, which also hosts other normal galaxies. Our results suggest that HCG X-ray nuclei in high specific star formation rate spiral galaxies are likely dominated by star formation, while those with low specific star formation rates in earlier types likely harbor a weak AGN. The AGN fraction in HCG galaxies with MR <= -20 and L X, 0.5-8.0 keV >=1041 erg s-1 is 0.08^{+0.35}_{-0.01}, somewhat higher than the ~5% fraction in galaxy clusters.

Four hot DOGs in the microwave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frey, Sándor; Paragi, Zsolt; Gabányi, Krisztina Éva; An, Tao

2016-01-01

Hot dust-obscured galaxies (hot DOGs) are a rare class of hyperluminous infrared galaxies identified with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) satellite. The majority of them are at high redshifts (z ˜ 2-3), at the peak epoch of star formation in the Universe. Infrared, optical, radio, and X-ray data suggest that hot DOGs contain heavily obscured, extremely luminous active galactic nuclei (AGN). This class may represent a short phase in the life of the galaxies, signifying the transition from starburst- to AGN-dominated phases. Hot DOGs are typically radio-quiet, but some of them show mJy-level emission in the radio (microwave) band. We observed four hot DOGs using the technique of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). The 1.7 GHz observations with the European VLBI Network (EVN) revealed weak radio features in all sources. The radio is free from dust obscuration and, at such high redshifts, VLBI is sensitive only to compact structures that are characteristic of AGN activity. In two cases (WISE J0757+5113, WISE J1603+2745), the flux density of the VLBI-detected components is much smaller than the total flux density, suggesting that ˜70-90 per cent of the radio emission, while still dominated by AGN, originates from angular scales larger than that probed by the EVN. The source WISE J1146+4129 appears a candidate compact symmetric object, and WISE J1814+3412 shows a 5.1 kpc double structure, reminiscent of hotspots in a medium-sized symmetric object. Our observations support that AGN residing in hot DOGs may be genuine young radio sources where starburst and AGN activities coexist.

Origin of 10{sup 15}–10{sup 16} G magnetic fields in the central engine of gamma ray bursts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Souza, Rafael S. de; Opher, Reuven, E-mail: rafael@astro.iag.usp.br, E-mail: opher@astro.iag.usp.br

2010-02-01

Various authors have suggested that the gamma-ray burst (GRB) central engine is a rapidly rotating, strongly magnetized, ( ∼ 10{sup 15}–10{sup 16} G) compact object. The strong magnetic field can accelerate and collimate the relativistic flow and the rotation of the compact object can be the energy source of the GRB. The major problem in this scenario is the difficulty of finding an astrophysical mechanism for obtaining such intense fields. Whereas, in principle, a neutron star could maintain such strong fields, it is difficult to justify a scenario for their creation. If the compact object is a black hole, themore » problem is more difficult since, according to general relativity it has ''no hair'' (i.e., no magnetic field). Schuster, Blackett, Pauli, and others have suggested that a rotating neutral body can create a magnetic field by non-minimal gravitational-electromagnetic coupling (NMGEC). The Schuster-Blackett form of NMGEC was obtained from the Mikhail and Wanas's tetrad theory of gravitation (MW). We call the general theory NMGEC-MW. We investigate here the possible origin of the intense magnetic fields ∼ 10{sup 15}–10{sup 16} G in GRBs by NMGEC-MW. Whereas these fields are difficult to explain astrophysically, we find that they are easily explained by NMGEC-MW. It not only explains the origin of the ∼ 10{sup 15}–10{sup 16} G fields when the compact object is a neutron star, but also when it is a black hole.« less

Characterization of compact-toroid injection during formation, translation, and field penetration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, T.; Roche, T.; Allfrey, I.; Sekiguchi, J.; Asai, T.; Gota, H.; Cordero, M.; Garate, E.; Kinley, J.; Valentine, T.; Waggoner, W.; Binderbauer, M.; Tajima, T.

2016-11-01

We have developed a compact toroid (CT) injector system for particle refueling of the advanced beam-driven C-2U field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma. The CT injector is a magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG), and the produced CT must cross the perpendicular magnetic field surrounding the FRC for the refueling of C-2U. To simulate this environment, an experimental test stand has been constructed. A transverse magnetic field of ˜1 kG is established, which is comparable to the C-2U axial magnetic field in the confinement section, and CTs are fired across it. On the test stand we have been characterizing and studying CT formation, ejection/translation from the MCPG, and penetration into transverse magnetic fields.

Characterization of compact-toroid injection during formation, translation, and field penetration.

PubMed

Matsumoto, T; Roche, T; Allfrey, I; Sekiguchi, J; Asai, T; Gota, H; Cordero, M; Garate, E; Kinley, J; Valentine, T; Waggoner, W; Binderbauer, M; Tajima, T

2016-11-01

We have developed a compact toroid (CT) injector system for particle refueling of the advanced beam-driven C-2U field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma. The CT injector is a magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG), and the produced CT must cross the perpendicular magnetic field surrounding the FRC for the refueling of C-2U. To simulate this environment, an experimental test stand has been constructed. A transverse magnetic field of ∼1 kG is established, which is comparable to the C-2U axial magnetic field in the confinement section, and CTs are fired across it. On the test stand we have been characterizing and studying CT formation, ejection/translation from the MCPG, and penetration into transverse magnetic fields.

Multimodal nonlinear microscope based on a compact fiber-format laser source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crisafi, Francesco; Kumar, Vikas; Perri, Antonio; Marangoni, Marco; Cerullo, Giulio; Polli, Dario

2018-01-01

We present a multimodal non-linear optical (NLO) laser-scanning microscope, based on a compact fiber-format excitation laser and integrating coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and two-photon-excitation fluorescence (TPEF) on a single platform. We demonstrate its capabilities in simultaneously acquiring CARS and SRS images of a blend of 6-μm poly(methyl methacrylate) beads and 3-μm polystyrene beads. We then apply it to visualize cell walls and chloroplast of an unprocessed fresh leaf of Elodea aquatic plant via SRS and TPEF modalities, respectively. The presented NLO microscope, developed in house using off-the-shelf components, offers full accessibility to the optical path and ensures its easy re-configurability and flexibility.

Two modes of longe-range orientation of DNA bases realized upon compaction.

PubMed Central

Yevdokimov YuM; Salyanov, V I; Berg, H

1981-01-01

Formation of compact particles from linear DNA-anthracycline complexes is accompanied by appearance of intense bands in the CD spectra in the region of absorption of DNA bases (UV-region) and in the region of absorption of anthracycline chromophores (visible region). The intense (positive or negative) bands in the region of anthracycline absorption demonstrate an ordered helical location of anthracycline molecules on the DNA template. This fact, in its turn, is related to formation of the DNA superstructure in PEG-containing water-salt solutions with a long-range orientation of nitrogen bases. Possible types of DNA superstructures and the relation between the local- and the long-range order of bases in the DNA superstructure are discussed. PMID:6938929

LISA Sources in Milky Way Globular Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kremer, Kyle; Chatterjee, Sourav; Breivik, Katelyn; Rodriguez, Carl L.; Larson, Shane L.; Rasio, Frederic A.

2018-05-01

We explore the formation of double-compact-object binaries in Milky Way (MW) globular clusters (GCs) that may be detectable by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). We use a set of 137 fully evolved GC models that, overall, effectively match the properties of the observed GCs in the MW. We estimate that, in total, the MW GCs contain ˜21 sources that will be detectable by LISA. These detectable sources contain all combinations of black hole (BH), neutron star, and white dwarf components. We predict ˜7 of these sources will be BH-BH binaries. Furthermore, we show that some of these BH-BH binaries can have signal-to-noise ratios large enough to be detectable at the distance of the Andromeda galaxy or even the Virgo cluster.

LISA Sources in Milky Way Globular Clusters.

PubMed

Kremer, Kyle; Chatterjee, Sourav; Breivik, Katelyn; Rodriguez, Carl L; Larson, Shane L; Rasio, Frederic A

2018-05-11

We explore the formation of double-compact-object binaries in Milky Way (MW) globular clusters (GCs) that may be detectable by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). We use a set of 137 fully evolved GC models that, overall, effectively match the properties of the observed GCs in the MW. We estimate that, in total, the MW GCs contain ∼21 sources that will be detectable by LISA. These detectable sources contain all combinations of black hole (BH), neutron star, and white dwarf components. We predict ∼7 of these sources will be BH-BH binaries. Furthermore, we show that some of these BH-BH binaries can have signal-to-noise ratios large enough to be detectable at the distance of the Andromeda galaxy or even the Virgo cluster.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Yunliang; International Centre for Advanced Studies in Physical Sciences and Institute for Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Ruhr University Bochum, D-44780 Bochum; Lü, Xiaoxia

A theoretical and numerical study of the modulational instability of large amplitude quantum magnetosonic waves (QMWs) in a relativistically degenerate plasma is presented. A modified nonlinear Schrödinger equation is derived by using the reductive perturbation method. The modulational instability regions of the QMWs and the corresponding growth rates are significantly affected by the relativistic degeneracy parameter, the Pauli spin magnetization effects, and the equilibrium magnetic field. The dynamics and nonlinear saturation of the modulational instability of QMWs are investigated numerically. It is found that the increase of the relativistic degeneracy parameter can increase the growth rate of the instability, andmore » the system is saturated nonlinearly by the formation of envelope solitary waves. The current investigation may have relevance to astrophysical magnetized compact objects, such as white dwarfs and pulsar magnetospheres.« less

THE MERGER HISTORY, ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS, AND DWARF GALAXIES OF HICKSON COMPACT GROUP 59

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Charlton, J. C.; Brandt, W. N.

2012-01-20

Compact group galaxies often appear unaffected by their unusually dense environment. Closer examination can, however, reveal the subtle, cumulative effects of multiple galaxy interactions. Hickson Compact Group (HCG) 59 is an excellent example of this situation. We present a photometric study of this group in the optical (Hubble Space Telescope), infrared (Spitzer), and X-ray (Chandra) regimes aimed at characterizing the star formation and nuclear activity in its constituent galaxies and intra-group medium. We associate five dwarf galaxies with the group and update the velocity dispersion, leading to an increase in the dynamical mass of the group of up to amore » factor of 10 (to 2.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 13} M{sub Sun }), and a subsequent revision of its evolutionary stage. Star formation is proceeding at a level consistent with the morphological types of the four main galaxies, of which two are star-forming and the other are two quiescent. Unlike in some other compact groups, star-forming complexes across HCG 59 closely follow mass-radius scaling relations typical of nearby galaxies. In contrast, the ancient globular cluster populations in galaxies HCG 59A and B show intriguing irregularities, and two extragalactic H II regions are found just west of B. We age-date a faint stellar stream in the intra-group medium at {approx}1 Gyr to examine recent interactions. We detect a likely low-luminosity active galactic nucleus in HCG 59A by its {approx}10{sup 40} erg s{sup -1} X-ray emission; the active nucleus rather than star formation can account for the UV+IR spectral energy distribution. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of galaxy evolution in dense environments.« less

AN ALMA IMAGING STUDY OF METHYL FORMATE (HCOOCH{sub 3}) IN TORSIONALLY EXCITED STATES TOWARD ORION KL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sakai, Yusuke; Kobayashi, Kaori; Hirota, Tomoya, E-mail: kaori@sci.u-toyama.ac.jp, E-mail: tomoya.hirota@nao.ac.jp

2015-04-20

We recently reported the first identification of rotational transitions of methyl formate (HCOOCH{sub 3}) in the second torsionally excited state toward Orion Kleinmann-Low (KL), observed with the Nobeyama 45 m telescope. In combination with the identified transitions of methyl formate in the ground state and the first torsional excited state, it was found that there is a difference in rotational temperature and vibrational temperature, where the latter is higher. In this study, high spatial resolution analysis by using Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) science verification data was carried out to verify and understand this difference. Toward the Compact Ridge, two differentmore » velocity components at 7.3 and 9.1 km s{sup −1} were confirmed, while a single component at 7.3 km s{sup −1} was identified toward the Hot Core. The intensity maps in the ground, first, and second torsional excited states have quite similar distributions. Using extensive ALMA data, we determined the rotational and vibrational temperatures for the Compact Ridge and Hot Core by the conventional rotation diagram method. The rotational temperature and vibrational temperatures agree for the Hot Core and for one component of the Compact Ridge. At the 7.3 km s{sup −1} velocity component for the Compact Ridge, the rotational temperature was found to be higher than the vibrational temperature. This is different from what we obtained from the results by using the single-dish observation. The difference might be explained by the beam dilution effect of the single-dish data and/or the smaller number of observed transitions within the limited range of energy levels (≤30 K) of E{sub u} in the previous study.« less

The Merger History, AGN and Dwarf Galaxies of Hickson Compact Group 59

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Gallagher, S. C.; Fedotov, K.; Durrell, P. R.; Tzanavaris, P.; Hill, A. R.; Zabludoff, A. I.; Maier, M. L.; Elmegreen, D. M.; Charlton, J. C.;

Accreting Compact Object at the Center of the Supernova Remnant RCW 103.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanwal, D.; Garmire, G. P.; Garmire, A.; Pavlov, G. G.; Mignani, R.

2002-05-01

We observed the radio-quiet central compact object of the supernova remnant RCW 103 with the Chandra ACIS during 13.8 hours on 2002 March 3, when the source was in high state, with a time-averaged flux of 8*E-12 erg cm-2 s-1 in the 0.5--8.0 keV band. The complex light curve of the source shows a period of about 6.4 hours and two partial eclipses or dips per period, separated by 180o in phase. The variability of the source proves that it is powered by accretion, likely from a low-mass companion in a binary system. Deep near-IR observations of the source with VLT suggest a potential counterpart of the compact object about 2'' from the nominal Chandra position. The magnitudes of the potential counterpart are J ≈ 22.3, H ≈ 19.6, and Ks ≈ 18.5, with an uncertainty of about 0.5 mag. We will discuss possible interpretations of the observational results. This work was partially supported by NASA grants NAS8-01128 and NAG5-10865.

A POSSIBLE SIGNATURE OF LENSE-THIRRING PRECESSION IN DIPPING AND ECLIPSING NEUTRON-STAR LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Homan, Jeroen, E-mail: jeroen@space.mit.edu

2012-12-01

Relativistic Lense-Thirring precession of a tilted inner accretion disk around a compact object has been proposed as a mechanism for low-frequency ({approx}0.01-70 Hz) quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the light curves of X-ray binaries. A substantial misalignment angle ({approx}15 Degree-Sign -20 Degree-Sign ) between the inner-disk rotation axis and the compact-object spin axis is required for the effects of this precession to produce observable modulations in the X-ray light curve. A consequence of this misalignment is that in high-inclination X-ray binaries the precessing inner disk will quasi-periodically intercept our line of sight to the compact object. In the case of neutron-starmore » systems, this should have a significant observational effect, since a large fraction of the accretion energy is released on or near the neutron-star surface. In this Letter, I suggest that this specific effect of Lense-Thirring precession may already have been observed as {approx}1 Hz QPOs in several dipping/eclipsing neutron-star X-ray binaries.« less

Laboratory simulation of photoionized plasma among astronomical compact objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujioka, Shinsuke; Yamamoto, Norimasa; Wang, Feilu; Salzmann, David; Li, Yutong; Rhee, Yong-Joo; Nishimura, Hiroaki; Takabe, Hideaki; Mima, Kunioki

2008-11-01

X-ray line emission with several-keV of photon energy was observed from photoionized accreting clouds, for example CYGNUS X-3 and VELA X-1, those are exposed by hard x-ray continuum from the compact objects, such as neutron stars, black holes, or white dwarfs, although accreting clouds are thermally cold. The x-ray continuum-induced line emission gives a good insight to the accreting clouds. We will present a novel laboratory simulation of the photoionized plasma under well-characterized conditions by using high-power laser facility. Blackbody radiator with 500-eV of temperature, as a miniature of a hot compact object, was created.Silicon (Si) plasma with 30-eV of electron temperature was produced in the vicinity of the 0.5-keV blackbody radiator. Line emissions of lithium- and helium-like Si ions was clearly observed around 2-keV of photon-energy from the thermally cold Si plasma, this result is hardly interpreted without consideration of the photoionization. Atomic kinetics code reveals importance of inner-shell ionization directly caused by incoming hard x-rays.

Base compaction specification feasibility analysis.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

The objective of this research is to establish the technical engineering and cost : analysis concepts that will enable WisDOT management to objectively evaluate the : feasibility of switching construction specification philosophies for aggregate base...

Compaction of quasi-one-dimensional elastoplastic materials.

PubMed

Shaebani, M Reza; Najafi, Javad; Farnudi, Ali; Bonn, Daniel; Habibi, Mehdi

2017-06-06

Insight into crumpling or compaction of one-dimensional objects is important for understanding biopolymer packaging and designing innovative technological devices. By compacting various types of wires in rigid confinements and characterizing the morphology of the resulting crumpled structures, here, we report how friction, plasticity and torsion enhance disorder, leading to a transition from coiled to folded morphologies. In the latter case, where folding dominates the crumpling process, we find that reducing the relative wire thickness counter-intuitively causes the maximum packing density to decrease. The segment size distribution gradually becomes more asymmetric during compaction, reflecting an increase of spatial correlations. We introduce a self-avoiding random walk model and verify that the cumulative injected wire length follows a universal dependence on segment size, allowing for the prediction of the efficiency of compaction as a function of material properties, container size and injection force.

The Optical Green Valley Versus Mid-infrared Canyon in Compact Groups

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Lisa May; Butterfield, Natalie; Johnson, Kelsey; Zucker, Catherine; Gallagher, Sarah; Konstantopoulos, Iraklis; Zabludoff, Ann; Hornschemeier, Ann E.; Tzanavaris, Panayiotis; Charlton, Jane C.

2013-01-01

Compact groups of galaxies provide conditions similar to those experienced by galaxies in the earlier universe. Recent work on compact groups has led to the discovery of a dearth of mid-infrared transition galaxies (MIRTGs) in Infrared Array Camera (3.6-8.0 micrometers) color space as well as at intermediate specific star formation rates. However, we find that in compact groups these MIRTGs have already transitioned to the optical ([g-r]) red sequence. We investigate the optical color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of 99 compact groups containing 348 galaxies and compare the optical CMD with mid-infrared (mid-IR) color space for compact group galaxies. Utilizing redshifts available from Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we identified new galaxy members for four groups. By combining optical and mid-IR data, we obtain information on both the dust and the stellar populations in compact group galaxies. We also compare with more isolated galaxies and galaxies in the Coma Cluster, which reveals that, similar to clusters, compact groups are dominated by optically red galaxies. While we find that compact group transition galaxies lie on the optical red sequence, LVL (Local Volume Legacy) + (plus) SINGS (Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey) mid-IR (infrared) transition galaxies span the range of optical colors. The dearth of mid-IR transition galaxies in compact groups may be due to a lack of moderately star-forming low mass galaxies; the relative lack of these galaxies could be due to their relatively small gravitational potential wells. This makes them more susceptible to this dynamic environment, thus causing them to more easily lose gas or be accreted by larger members.

Tidal deformability and I-Love-Q relations for gravastars with polytropic thin shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchikata, Nami; Yoshida, Shijun; Pani, Paolo

2016-09-01

The moment of inertia, the spin-induced quadrupole moment, and the tidal Love number of neutron-star and quark-star models are related through some relations which depend only mildly on the stellar equation of state. These "I-Love-Q" relations have important implications for astrophysics and gravitational-wave astronomy. An interesting problem is whether similar relations hold for other compact objects and how they approach the black hole limit. To answer these questions, here we investigate the deformation properties of a large class of thin-shell gravastars, which are exotic compact objects that do not possess an event horizon nor a spacetime singularity. Working in a small-spin and small-tidal field expansion, we calculate the moment of inertia, the quadrupole moment, and the (quadrupolar electric) tidal Love number of gravastars with a polytropic thin shell. The I-Love-Q relations of a thin-shell gravastar are drastically different from those of an ordinary neutron star. The Love number and quadrupole moment for less compact models have the opposite sign relative to those of ordinary neutron stars, and the I-Love-Q relations continuously approach the black hole limit. We consider a variety of polytropic equations of state for the matter shell and find no universality in the I-Love-Q relations. However, we cannot deny the possibility that, similarly to the neutron-star case, an approximate universality might emerge for a limited class of equations of state. Finally, we discuss how a measurement of the tidal deformability from the gravitational-wave detection of a compact-binary inspiral can be used to constrain exotic compact objects like gravastars.

Circular common-path point diffraction interferometer.

PubMed

Du, Yongzhao; Feng, Guoying; Li, Hongru; Vargas, J; Zhou, Shouhuan

2012-10-01

A simple and compact point-diffraction interferometer with circular common-path geometry configuration is developed. The interferometer is constructed by a beam-splitter, two reflection mirrors, and a telescope system composed by two lenses. The signal and reference waves travel along the same path. Furthermore, an opaque mask containing a reference pinhole and a test object holder or test window is positioned in the common focal plane of the telescope system. The object wave is divided into two beams that take opposite paths along the interferometer. The reference wave is filtered by the reference pinhole, while the signal wave is transmitted through the object holder. The reference and signal waves are combined again in the beam-splitter and their interference is imaged in the CCD. The new design is compact, vibration insensitive, and suitable for the measurement of moving objects or dynamic processes.

Identification of the central compact object in the young supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, Frédéric P. A.; Bartlett, Elizabeth S.; Seitenzahl, Ivo R.; Dopita, Michael A.; Ghavamian, Parviz; Ruiter, Ashley J.; Terry, Jason P.

2018-04-01

Oxygen-rich young supernova remnants1 are valuable objects for probing the outcome of nucleosynthetic processes in massive stars, as well as the physics of supernova explosions. Observed within a few thousand years after the supernova explosion2, these systems contain fast-moving oxygen-rich and hydrogen-poor filaments visible at optical wavelengths: fragments of the progenitor's interior expelled at a few thousand kilometres per second during the supernova explosion. Here we report the identification of the compact object in the supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219 in reprocessed Chandra X-ray Observatory data, enabled by the discovery of a ring-shaped structure visible primarily in optical recombination lines of Ne i and O i. The optical ring has a radius of (2.10 ± 0.35)″ ≡ (0.63 ± 0.11) pc, and is expanding at a velocity of 90 .5-30+40 km s-1. It surrounds an X-ray point source with an intrinsic X-ray luminosity Li (1.2-2.0 keV) = (1.4 ± 0.2) × 1033 erg s-1. The energy distribution of the source indicates that this object is an isolated neutron star: a central compact object akin to those present in the Cas A3-5 and Pup A6 supernova remnants, and the first of its kind to be identified outside of our Galaxy.

Identification of the central compact object in the young supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, Frédéric P. A.; Bartlett, Elizabeth S.; Seitenzahl, Ivo R.; Dopita, Michael A.; Ghavamian, Parviz; Ruiter, Ashley J.; Terry, Jason P.

2018-06-01

Oxygen-rich young supernova remnants1 are valuable objects for probing the outcome of nucleosynthetic processes in massive stars, as well as the physics of supernova explosions. Observed within a few thousand years after the supernova explosion2, these systems contain fast-moving oxygen-rich and hydrogen-poor filaments visible at optical wavelengths: fragments of the progenitor's interior expelled at a few thousand kilometres per second during the supernova explosion. Here we report the identification of the compact object in the supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219 in reprocessed Chandra X-ray Observatory data, enabled by the discovery of a ring-shaped structure visible primarily in optical recombination lines of Ne i and O i. The optical ring has a radius of (2.10 ± 0.35)″ ≡ (0.63 ± 0.11) pc, and is expanding at a velocity of 90 .5-30+40 km s-1. It surrounds an X-ray point source with an intrinsic X-ray luminosity Li (1.2-2.0 keV) = (1.4 ± 0.2) × 1033 erg s-1. The energy distribution of the source indicates that this object is an isolated neutron star: a central compact object akin to those present in the Cas A3-5 and Pup A6 supernova remnants, and the first of its kind to be identified outside of our Galaxy.

Granule fraction inhomogeneity of calcium carbonate/sorbitol in roller compacted granules.

PubMed

Bacher, C; Olsen, P M; Bertelsen, P; Sonnergaard, J M

2008-02-12

The granule fraction inhomogeneity of roller compacted granules was examined on mixtures of three different morphologic forms of calcium carbonate and three particle sizes of sorbitol. The granule fraction inhomogeneity was determined by the distribution of the calcium carbonate in each of the 10 size fractions between 0 and 2000 microm and by calculating the demixing potential. Significant inhomogeneous occurrence of calcium carbonate in the size fractions was demonstrated, depending mostly on the particles sizes of sorbitol but also on the morphological forms of calcium carbonate. The heterogeneous distribution of calcium carbonate was related to the decrease in compactibility of roller compacted granules in comparison to the ungranulated materials. This phenomenon was explained by a mechanism where fracturing of the ribbon during granulation occurred at the weakest interparticulate bonds (the calcium carbonate: calcium carbonate bonds) and consequently exposed the weakest areas of bond formation on the surface of the granules. Accordingly, the non-uniform allocation of the interparticulate attractive forces in a tablet would cause a lowering of the compactibility. Furthermore, the ability of the powder to agglomerate in the roller compactor was demonstrated to be related to the ability of the powder to be compacted into a tablet, thus the most compactable calcium carbonate and the smallest sized sorbitol improved the homogeneity by decreasing the demixing potential.

The impact of compaction and leachate recirculation on waste degradation in simulated landfills.

PubMed

Ko, Jae Hac; Yang, Fan; Xu, Qiyong

2016-07-01

This study investigated the impact of compaction and leachate recirculation on anaerobic degradation of municipal solid waste (MSW) at different methane formation phases. Two stainless steel lysimeters, C1 and C2, were constructed by equipping a hydraulic cylinder to apply pressure load (42kPs) on the MSW. When MSW started to produce methane, C1 was compacted, but C2 was compacted when the methane production rate declined from the peak generation rate. Methane production of C1was inhibited by the compaction and resulted in producing a total of 106L methane (44L/kgVS). However, the compaction in C2 promoted MSW degradation resulting in producing a total of 298L methane (125L/kgVS). The concentrations of volatile fatty acids and chemical oxygen demand showed temporary increases, when pressure load was applied. It was considered that the increased substrate accessibility within MSW by compaction could cause either the inhibition or the enhancement of methane production, depending the tolerability of methanogens on the acidic inhibition. Leachate recirculation also gave positive effects on methane generation from wet waste in the decelerated methanogenic phase by increasing mass transfer and the concentrations of volatile fatty acids. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Searching gamma-ray bursts for gravitational lensing echoes - Implications for compact dark matter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nemiroff, R. J.; Norris, J. P.; Wickramasinghe, W. A. D. T.; Horack, J. M.; Kouveliotou, C.; Fishman, G. J.; Meegan, C. A.; Wilson, R. B.; Paciesas, W. S.

1993-01-01

The first available 44 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the Burst and Transient Source Experiment on board the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory have been inspected for echo signals following shortly after the main signal. No significant echoes have been found. Echoes would have been expected were the GRBs distant enough and the universe populated with a sufficient density of compact objects composing the dark matter. Constraints on dark matter abundance and GRB redshifts from the present data are presented and discussed. Based on these preliminary results, a universe filled to critical density of compact objects between 10 exp 6.5 and 10 exp 8.1 solar masses are now marginally excluded, or the most likely cosmological distance paradigm for GRBs is not correct. We expect future constraints to be able either to test currently popular cosmological dark matter paradigms or to indicate that GRBs do not lie at cosmological distances.

Integral field spectroscopy of nearby quasi-stellar objects - II. Molecular gas content and conditions for star formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husemann, B.; Davis, T. A.; Jahnke, K.; Dannerbauer, H.; Urrutia, T.; Hodge, J.

2017-09-01

We present single-dish 12CO(1-0) and 12CO(2-1) observations for 14 low-redshift quasi-stellar objects (QSOs). In combination with optical integral field spectroscopy, we study how the cold gas content relates to the star formation rate (SFR) and black hole accretion rate. 12CO(1-0) is detected in 8 of 14 targets and 12CO(2-1) is detected in 7 out of 11 cases. The majority of disc-dominated QSOs reveal gas fractions and depletion times matching normal star-forming systems. Two gas-rich major mergers show clear starburst signatures with higher than average gas fractions and shorter depletion times. Bulge-dominated QSO hosts are mainly undetected in 12CO(1-0), which corresponds, on average, to lower gas fractions than in disc-dominated counterparts. Their SFRs, however, imply shorter than average depletion times and higher star formation efficiencies. Negative QSO feedback through removal of cold gas seems to play a negligible role in our sample. We find a trend between black hole accretion rate and total molecular gas content for disc-dominated QSOs when combined with literature samples. We interpret this as an upper envelope for the nuclear activity and it is well represented by a scaling relation between the total and circumnuclear gas reservoir accessible for accretion. Bulge-dominated QSOs significantly differ from that scaling relation and appear uncorrelated with the total molecular gas content. This could be explained either by a more compact gas reservoir, blown out of the gas envelope through outflows, or a different interstellar medium phase composition.

First spectroscopy of a short-hard GRB: the environment of a compact object merger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Ugarte Postigo, Antonio; Thöne, Christina C.; Rowllinson, Antonia; Benito, Rubén García; Levan, Andrew J.; Gorosabel, Javier; Goldoni, Paolo; Schulze, Steve

2015-03-01

Short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are an extremely elusive family of cosmic explosions. They are thought to be related to the violent merger of compact objects (such as a neutron stars or black holes). Their optical counterparts were not discovered until 2005, and since then, there had been no successful spectroscopic observations. Here we present the first spectra of a short GRB, which we use to study the environment and derive implications on the progenitors of these cosmic explosions. This poster is based on the work by de Ugarte Postigo et al. (2014).

Application of graphics processing units to search pipelines for gravitational waves from coalescing binaries of compact objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Shin Kee; Wen, Linqing; Blair, David; Cannon, Kipp; Datta, Amitava

2010-07-01

We report a novel application of a graphics processing unit (GPU) for the purpose of accelerating the search pipelines for gravitational waves from coalescing binaries of compact objects. A speed-up of 16-fold in total has been achieved with an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra GPU card compared with one core of a 2.5 GHz Intel Q9300 central processing unit (CPU). We show that substantial improvements are possible and discuss the reduction in CPU count required for the detection of inspiral sources afforded by the use of GPUs.

Loss of regularity in the {K(m, n)} equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zilburg, Alon; Rosenau, Philip

2018-06-01

Using a priori estimates we prove that initially nonnegative, smooth and compactly supported solutions of the equations must lose their smoothness within a finite time. Formation of a singularity is a prerequisite for the subsequent emergence of compactons. Numerical studies are presented that demonstrate two manifestations of the emerging singularity: either propagation of the right front downstream or the formation of an oscillatory tail upstream. Formation of one type of motion does not preclude the possible formation of the other at a later time.

A Multi-Frequency Study of the Milky Way-Like Spiral Galaxy NGC 6744

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yew, Miranda; Filipović, Miroslav D.; Roper, Quentin; Collier, Jordan D.; Crawford, Evan J.; Jarrett, Thomas H.; Tothill, Nicholas F. H.; O'Brien, Andrew N.; Pavlović, Marko Z.; Pannuti, Thomas G.; Galvin, Timothy J.; Kapińska, Anna D.; Cluver, Michelle E.; Banfield, Julie K.; Schlegel, Eric M.; Maxted, Nigel; Grieve, Kevin R.

2018-03-01

We present a multi-frequency study of the intermediate spiral SAB(r)bc type galaxy NGC 6744, using available data from the Chandra X-Ray telescope, radio continuum data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array and Murchison Widefield Array, and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer infrared observations. We identify 117 X-ray sources and 280 radio sources. Of these, we find nine sources in common between the X-ray and radio catalogues, one of which is a faint central black hole with a bolometric radio luminosity similar to the Milky Way's central black hole. We classify 5 objects as supernova remnant (SNR) candidates, 2 objects as likely SNRs, 17 as H ii regions, 1 source as an AGN; the remaining 255 radio sources are categorised as background objects and one X-ray source is classified as a foreground star. We find the star-formation rate (SFR) of NGC 6744 to be in the range 2.8-4.7 M⊙ yr - 1 signifying the galaxy is still actively forming stars. The specific SFR of NGC 6744 is greater than that of late-type spirals such as the Milky Way, but considerably less that that of a typical starburst galaxy.

Formation of Green compact structure of low-temperature ceramics with taking into account the thermal degradation of the binder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tovpinets, A. O.; Leytsin, V. N.; Dmitrieva, M. A.; Ivonin, I. V.; Ponomarev, S. V.

2017-12-01

The solution of the tasks in the field of creating and processing materials for additive technologies requires the development of a single theory of materials for various applications and processes. A separate class of materials that are promising for use in additive technologies includes materials whose consolidation is ensured by the presence of low-melting components in the initial mixture which form a matrix at a temperature not exceeding the melting point, recrystallization or destruction of any of the responsible refractory components of the initial dispersion. The study of the contribution of the binder thermal destruction to the structure and phase composition of the initial compact of the future composite is essential for the development of modern technologies for the synthesis of low-temperature ceramics. This paper investigates the effect of the thermal destruction of a binder on the formation of a green compact of low-temperature ceramics and the structural-mechanical characteristics of sintered ceramics. The approach proposed in Ref. [1] for evaluating the structure and physical characteristics of sintered low-temperature ceramics is improved to clarify the structure of green compacts obtained after thermal destruction of the polymer binder, with taking into account the pores formed and the infusible residue. The obtained results enable a more accurate prediction of thermal stresses in the matrix of sintered ceramics and serve as a basis for optimization.

The unusual gamma-ray burst GRB 101225A explained as a minor body falling onto a neutron star.

PubMed

Campana, S; Lodato, G; D'Avanzo, P; Panagia, N; Rossi, E M; Della Valle, M; Tagliaferri, G; Antonelli, L A; Covino, S; Ghirlanda, G; Ghisellini, G; Melandri, A; Pian, E; Salvaterra, R; Cusumano, G; D'Elia, V; Fugazza, D; Palazzi, E; Sbarufatti, B; Vergani, S D

2011-11-30

The tidal disruption of a solar-mass star around a supermassive black hole has been extensively studied analytically and numerically. In these events, the star develops into an elongated banana-shaped structure. After completing an eccentric orbit, the bound debris falls into the black hole, forming an accretion disk and emitting radiation. The same process may occur on planetary scales if a minor body passes too close to its star. In the Solar System, comets fall directly into our Sun or onto planets. If the star is a compact object, the minor body can become tidally disrupted. Indeed, one of the first mechanisms invoked to produce strong gamma-ray emission involved accretion of comets onto neutron stars in our Galaxy. Here we report that the peculiarities of the 'Christmas' gamma-ray burst (GRB 101225A) can be explained by a tidal disruption event of a minor body around an isolated Galactic neutron star. This would indicate either that minor bodies can be captured by compact stellar remnants more frequently than occurs in the Solar System or that minor-body formation is relatively easy around millisecond radio pulsars. A peculiar supernova associated with a gamma-ray burst provides an alternative explanation.

A central compact object in Kes 79: the hypercritical regime and neutrino expectation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernal, C. G.; Fraija, N.

2016-11-01

We present magnetohydrodynamical simulations of a strong accretion on to magnetized proto-neutron stars for the Kesteven 79 (Kes 79) scenario. The supernova remnant Kes 79, observed with the Chandra ACIS-I instrument during approximately 8.3 h, is located in the constellation Aquila at a distance of 7.1 kpc in the galactic plane. It is a galactic and a very young object with an estimate age of 6 kyr. The Chandra image has revealed, for the first time, a point-like source at the centre of the remnant. The Kes 79 compact remnant belongs to a special class of objects, the so-called central compact objects (CCOs), which exhibits no evidence for a surrounding pulsar wind nebula. In this work, we show that the submergence of the magnetic field during the hypercritical phase can explain such behaviour for Kes 79 and others CCOs. The simulations of such regime were carried out with the adaptive-mesh-refinement code FLASH in two spatial dimensions, including radiative loss by neutrinos and an adequate equation of state for such regime. From the simulations, we estimate that the number of thermal neutrinos expected on the Hyper-Kamiokande Experiment is 733 ± 364. In addition, we compute the flavour ratio on Earth for a progenitor model.

Subaru And Gemini Observations Of SS 433: New Constraint On The Mass Of The Compact Object

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubota, K.; Ueda, Y.; Fabrika, S.; Medvedev, A.; Barsukova, E. A.; Sholukhova, O.; Goranskij, V. P.

2010-02-01

We present results of optical spectroscopic observations of the mass donor star in SS 433 with Subaru and Gemini, with an aim to best constrain the mass of the compact object. Subaru/Faint Object Camera and Spectrograph observations were performed on four nights of 2007 October 6-8 and 10, covering the orbital phase of phi = 0.96 - 0.26. We first calculate the cross-correlation function (CCF) of these spectra with that of the reference star HD 9233 in the wavelength range of 4740-4840 Å. This region is selected to avoid "strong" absorption lines accompanied with contaminating emission components, which most probably originate from the surroundings of the donor star, such as the wind and gas stream. The same analysis is applied to archive data of Gemini/GMOS taken at phi = 0.84 - 0.30 by Hillwig & Gies. From the Subaru and Gemini CCF results, the amplitude of the radial velocity curve of the donor star is determined to be 58.3 ± 3.8 km s-1 with a systemic velocity of 59.2 ± 2.5 km s-1. Together with the radial velocity curve of the compact object, we derive the mass of the donor star and compact object to be M O = 12.4 ± 1.9 M sun and M X = 4.3 ± 0.6 M sun, respectively. We conclude, however, that these values should be taken as upper limits. From the analysis of the averaged absorption line profiles of strong lines (mostly ions) and weak lines (mostly neutrals) observed with Subaru, we find evidence for heating effects from the compact object. Using a simple model, we find that the true radial velocity amplitude of the donor star could be as low as 40 ± 5 km s-1 in order to produce the observed absorption-line profiles. Taking into account the heating of the donor star may lower the derived masses to M O = 10.4+2.3 -1.9 M sun and M X = 2.5+0.7 -0.6 M sun. Our final constraint, 1.9 M sun <=M X<= 4.9 M sun, indicates that the compact object in SS 433 is most likely a low mass black hole, although the possibility of a massive neutron star cannot be firmly excluded. Based on data collected at Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (USA), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (UK), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (Brazil), and SECYT (Argentina).

Environmental influences on galaxy evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zepf, Stephen E.; Whitmore, Bradley C.

1993-01-01

We investigate the role of mergers and interactions in the evolution of galaxies by studying galaxies in compact groups. Compact groups of galaxies have high spatial densities and low velocity dispersions making these regions ideal laboratories in which to study the effect of interactions and mergers. Based on a detailed spectroscopic and multi-color imaging study, we find that both the isophotal shapes and the stellar kinematics indicate that many of the elliptical galaxies in compact groups have been affected by tidal interactions. At the same time, however, we find that only a few elliptical galaxies in compact groups have evidence for the young stellar populations that would be expected if they are the result of recent merger of two spiral galaxies. Therefore, we conclude that tidal interactions affect galaxy properties at the current epoch, but the bulk of basic galaxy formation and transformation must have occurred at much higher redshift.

Sintering Behavior of Hypereutectic Aluminum-Silicon Metal Matrix Composites Powder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudianto, Haris; Sun, Yang Sang; Jin, Kim Yong; Woo, Nam Ki

Lightweight materials of Aluminum-Silicon P/M alloys offer the advantage of high-wear resistance, high strength, good temperature resistance, and a low coefficient of thermal expansion. An A359 MMC alloy was mixed together with Alumix 231 in this research. Powders were compacted with compaction pressure up to 700 MPa. Particle size and compaction pressure influenced green density. Compacted powders were sintered in a tube furnace under a flowing nitrogen gas. Sintering temperature, heating rate and sintering time were verified to determine best sintering conditions of the alloys. Chemical composition also contributed to gain higher sintered density. Precipitation strengthening method was used to improve mechanical properties of this materials.T6 heat treatment was carried out to produce fine precipitates to impede movement of dislocation. The chemical composition of this materials allow for the potential formation of several strengthening precipitates including θ (Al2Cu) and β (Mg2Si).

Correlating non-linear properties with spectral states of RXTE data: possible observational evidences for four different accretion modes around compact objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adegoke, Oluwashina; Dhang, Prasun; Mukhopadhyay, Banibrata; Ramadevi, M. C.; Bhattacharya, Debbijoy

2018-05-01

By analysing the time series of RXTE/PCA data, the non-linear variabilities of compact sources have been repeatedly established. Depending on the variation in temporal classes, compact sources exhibit different non-linear features. Sometimes they show low correlation/fractal dimension, but in other classes or intervals of time they exhibit stochastic nature. This could be because the accretion flow around a compact object is a non-linear general relativistic system involving magnetohydrodynamics. However, the more conventional way of addressing a compact source is the analysis of its spectral state. Therefore, the question arises: What is the connection of non-linearity to the underlying spectral properties of the flow when the non-linear properties are related to the associated transport mechanisms describing the geometry of the flow? This work is aimed at addressing this question. Based on the connection between observed spectral and non-linear (time series) properties of two X-ray binaries: GRS 1915+105 and Sco X-1, we attempt to diagnose the underlying accretion modes of the sources in terms of known accretion classes, namely, Keplerian disc, slim disc, advection dominated accretion flow and general advective accretion flow. We explore the possible transition of the sources from one accretion mode to others with time. We further argue that the accretion rate must play an important role in transition between these modes.

Planck 2015 results: XXVI. The Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources

DOE PAGES

Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Argüeso, F.; ...

2016-09-20

The Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources is a list of discrete objects detected in single-frequency maps from the full duration of the Planck mission and supersedes previous versions. Also, it consists of compact sources, both Galactic and extragalactic, detected over the entire sky. Compact sources detected in the lower frequency channels are assigned to the PCCS2, while at higher frequencies they are assigned to one of two subcatalogues, the PCCS2 or PCCS2E, depending on their location on the sky. The first of these (PCCS2) covers most of the sky and allows the user to produce subsamples at higher reliabilitiesmore » than the target 80% integral reliability of the catalogue. The second (PCCS2E) contains sources detected in sky regions where the diffuse emission makes it difficult to quantify the reliability of the detections. Both the PCCS2 and PCCS2E include polarization measurements, in the form of polarized flux densities, or upper limits, and orientation angles for all seven polarization-sensitive Planck channels. Finally, the improved data-processing of the full-mission maps and their reduced noise levels allow us to increase the number of objects in the catalogue, improving its completeness for the target 80% reliability as compared with the previous versions, the PCCS and the Early Release Compact Source Catalogue (ERCSC).« less

Planck 2015 results: XXVI. The Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Argüeso, F.

The Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources is a list of discrete objects detected in single-frequency maps from the full duration of the Planck mission and supersedes previous versions. Also, it consists of compact sources, both Galactic and extragalactic, detected over the entire sky. Compact sources detected in the lower frequency channels are assigned to the PCCS2, while at higher frequencies they are assigned to one of two subcatalogues, the PCCS2 or PCCS2E, depending on their location on the sky. The first of these (PCCS2) covers most of the sky and allows the user to produce subsamples at higher reliabilitiesmore » than the target 80% integral reliability of the catalogue. The second (PCCS2E) contains sources detected in sky regions where the diffuse emission makes it difficult to quantify the reliability of the detections. Both the PCCS2 and PCCS2E include polarization measurements, in the form of polarized flux densities, or upper limits, and orientation angles for all seven polarization-sensitive Planck channels. Finally, the improved data-processing of the full-mission maps and their reduced noise levels allow us to increase the number of objects in the catalogue, improving its completeness for the target 80% reliability as compared with the previous versions, the PCCS and the Early Release Compact Source Catalogue (ERCSC).« less

The Role Of Rejuvenation In Shaping The High-Mass End Of The Main Sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancini, Chiara

2017-06-01

We investigate the nature of star forming galaxies with reduced specific SFRs and high stellar masses, those that seemingly cause the so-called bending of the main sequence. The fact that such objects host large bulges recently lead some to suggest that the internal formation of the bulges, via compaction or disk instabilities, was the late event that induced sSFRs of massive galaxies to drop in a slow downfall and thus the main sequence to bend. We have studied in detail a sample of 16 galaxies at 0.5

Interactions of X-ray Binaries with Their Surrounding Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Servillat, Mathieu; Chaty, S.; Coleiro, A.; Tang, S.; Grindlay, J. E.; Los, E.

2013-04-01

We can observe the interactions of high mass X-ray binaries with their surrounding material in two complementary ways: variability over long time scales, and direct infrared observation of dust/gas. This gives unprecedented clues on the formation and evolution of those systems. Using Herschel infrared observations of high mass X-ray binaries and of ultra-luminous X-ray sources, we aim to detect and characterize the surrounding material. In the case of ultra-luminous X-ray sources, due to the enormous amount of energy radiated, strong interactions with their environment are expected, particularly if the emission is not beamed and if they host an intermediate mass black hole. This provides a unique test for the existence of such objects. The Digital Access to a Sky Century at Harvard (DASCH) is a project to digitize and analyze the scientific data contained in the 530 000 Harvard College Observatory plates taken between the 1880s and 1990s, which is a unique resource for studying temporal variations in the universe on 10-100 yr timescales. The Be star SAO 49275 shows significant slow variability of 1 magnitude on time scales 10-50 years. This variability seems connected to the formation and disappearance of the decretion disk of the Be star, maybe triggered by the presence of a compact object companion, possibly a white dwarf.

Formation and Destruction of Jets in X-ray Binaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kylafix, N. D.; Contopoulos, I.; Kazanas, D.; Christodoulou, D. M.

2011-01-01

Context. Neutron-star and black-hole X-ray binaries (XRBs) exhibit radio jets, whose properties depend on the X-ray spectral state e.nd history of the source. In particular, black-hole XRBs emit compact, 8teady radio jets when they are in the so-called hard state. These jets become eruptive as the sources move toward the soft state, disappear in the soft state, and then re-appear when the sources return to the hard state. The jets from neutron-star X-ray binaries are typically weaker radio emitters than the black-hole ones at the same X-ray luminosity and in some cases radio emission is detected in the soft state. Aims. Significant phenomenology has been developed to describe the spectral states of neutron-star and black-hole XRBs, and there is general agreement about the type of the accretion disk around the compact object in the various spectral states. We investigate whether the phenomenology describing the X-ray emission on one hand and the jet appearance and disappearance on the other can be put together in a consistent physical picture. Methods. We consider the so-called Poynting-Robertson cosmic battery (PRCB), which has been shown to explain in a natural way the formation of magnetic fields in the disks of AGNs and the ejection of jets. We investigate whether the PRCB can also explain the [ormation, destruction, and variability or jets in XRBs. Results. We find excellent agreement between the conditions under which the PRCB is efficient (i.e., the type of the accretion disk) and the emission or destruction of the r.adio jet. Conclusions. The disk-jet connection in XRBs can be explained in a natural way using the PRCB.

Optical and near-infrared IFU spectroscopy of the nuclear region of the AGN-starburst galaxy NGC 7582

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ricci, T. V.; Steiner, J. E.; May, D.; Garcia-Rissmann, A.; Menezes, R. B.

2018-02-01

NGC 7582 is an SB(s)ab galaxy which displays evidences of simultaneous nuclear activity and star formation in its centre. Previous optical observations revealed, besides the H II regions, an ionization cone and a gas disc in its central part. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images in both optical and infrared bands show the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and a few compact structures that are possibly associated with young stellar clusters. In order to study in detail both the AGN and evidence for star formation, we analyse optical (Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph) and near-infrared (Spectrograph for Integral Field Observations in the Near Infrared) archival data cubes. We detected five nebulae with strong He II λ4686 emission in the same region where an outflow is detected in the [O III] λ5007 kinematic map. We interpreted this result as clouds that are exposed to high-energy photons emerging from the AGN throughout the ionization cone. We also detected Wolf-Rayet features which are related to emission of one of the compact clusters seen in the HST image. Broad Hα and Br γ components are detected at the position of the nucleus. [Fe II] λ1.644 μm, H2λ2.122 μm and Br γ flux maps show two blobs, one north and the other south from the nucleus, that seem to be associated with five previously detected mid-infrared sources. Two of the five He II nebulae are partially ionized by photons from starbursts. However, we conclude that the main source of excitation of these blobs is the AGN jet/disc. The jet orientation indicates that the accretion disc is nearly orthogonal to the dusty torus.

Stellar Population Properties of Ultracompact Dwarfs in M87: A Mass–Metallicity Correlation Connecting Low-metallicity Globular Clusters and Compact Ellipticals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hong-Xin; Puzia, Thomas H.; Peng, Eric W.; Liu, Chengze; Côté, Patrick; Ferrarese, Laura; Duc, Pierre-Alain; Eigenthaler, Paul; Lim, Sungsoon; Lançon, Ariane; Muñoz, Roberto P.; Roediger, Joel; Sánchez-Janssen, Ruben; Taylor, Matthew A.; Yu, Jincheng

2018-05-01

We derive stellar population parameters for a representative sample of ultracompact dwarfs (UCDs) and a large sample of massive globular clusters (GCs) with stellar masses ≳ 106 M ⊙ in the central galaxy M87 of the Virgo galaxy cluster, based on model fitting to the Lick-index measurements from both the literature and new observations. After necessary spectral stacking of the relatively faint objects in our initial sample of 40 UCDs and 118 GCs, we obtain 30 sets of Lick-index measurements for UCDs and 80 for GCs. The M87 UCDs have ages ≳ 8 Gyr and [α/Fe] ≃ 0.4 dex, in agreement with previous studies based on smaller samples. The literature UCDs, located in lower-density environments than M87, extend to younger ages and smaller [α/Fe] (at given metallicities) than M87 UCDs, resembling the environmental dependence of the stellar nuclei of dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs) in the Virgo cluster. The UCDs exhibit a positive mass–metallicity relation (MZR), which flattens and connects compact ellipticals at stellar masses ≳ 108 M ⊙. The Virgo dE nuclei largely follow the average MZR of UCDs, whereas most of the M87 GCs are offset toward higher metallicities for given stellar masses. The difference between the mass–metallicity distributions of UCDs and GCs may be qualitatively understood as a result of their different physical sizes at birth in a self-enrichment scenario or of galactic nuclear cluster star formation efficiency being relatively low in a tidal stripping scenario for UCD formation. The existing observations provide the necessary but not sufficient evidence for tidally stripped dE nuclei being the dominant contributors to the M87 UCDs.

From gas to stars in energetic environments: dense gas clumps in the 30 Doradus region within the Large Magellanic Cloud

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Crystal N.; Meier, David S.; Ott, Jürgen

2014-09-20

We present parsec-scale interferometric maps of HCN(1-0) and HCO{sup +}(1-0) emission from dense gas in the star-forming region 30 Doradus, obtained using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. This extreme star-forming region, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), is characterized by a very intense ultraviolet ionizing radiation field and sub-solar metallicity, both of which are expected to impact molecular cloud structure. We detect 13 bright, dense clumps within the 30 Doradus-10 giant molecular cloud. Some of the clumps are aligned along a filamentary structure with a characteristic spacing that is consistent with formation via varicose fluid instability. Our analysis showsmore » that the filament is gravitationally unstable and collapsing to form stars. There is a good correlation between HCO{sup +} emission in the filament and signatures of recent star formation activity including H{sub 2}O masers and young stellar objects (YSOs). YSOs seem to continue along the same direction of the filament toward the massive compact star cluster R136 in the southwest. We present detailed comparisons of clump properties (masses, linewidths, and sizes) in 30Dor-10 to those in other star forming regions of the LMC (N159, N113, N105, and N44). Our analysis shows that the 30Dor-10 clumps have similar masses but wider linewidths and similar HCN/HCO{sup +} (1-0) line ratios as clumps detected in other LMC star-forming regions. Our results suggest that the dense molecular gas clumps in the interior of 30Dor-10 are well shielded against the intense ionizing field that is present in the 30 Doradus region.« less

Compaction of quasi-one-dimensional elastoplastic materials

PubMed Central

Shaebani, M. Reza; Najafi, Javad; Farnudi, Ali; Bonn, Daniel; Habibi, Mehdi

2017-01-01

Insight into crumpling or compaction of one-dimensional objects is important for understanding biopolymer packaging and designing innovative technological devices. By compacting various types of wires in rigid confinements and characterizing the morphology of the resulting crumpled structures, here, we report how friction, plasticity and torsion enhance disorder, leading to a transition from coiled to folded morphologies. In the latter case, where folding dominates the crumpling process, we find that reducing the relative wire thickness counter-intuitively causes the maximum packing density to decrease. The segment size distribution gradually becomes more asymmetric during compaction, reflecting an increase of spatial correlations. We introduce a self-avoiding random walk model and verify that the cumulative injected wire length follows a universal dependence on segment size, allowing for the prediction of the efficiency of compaction as a function of material properties, container size and injection force. PMID:28585550

Shear enhanced compaction in a porous basalt from San Miguel Island, Azores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loaiza, S.; Fortin, J.; Schubnel, A. J.; Vinciguerra, S.; Moreira, M.; Gueguen, Y.

2011-12-01

Basaltic rocks are the main component of the oceanic upper crust. This is of potential interest for water and geothermal resources, or for storage of CO2. The aim of our work is to investigate experimentally the mechanical behavior and the failure modes of porous basalt as well its permeability evolution during deformation. Cylindrical basalt samples, from the Azores, of 30 mm in diameter and 60 mm in length were deformed the triaxial cell at room temperature and at a constant axial strain rate of 10-5 s-1. The initial porosity of the sample was 18%. In our study, a set of experiments were performed at confining pressure in the range of 25-290 MPa. The samples were deformed under saturated conditions at a constant pore pressure of 5MPa. Two volumetric pumps kept the pore pressure constant, and the pore volume variations were recorded. The evolution of the porosity was calculated from the total volume variation inside the volumetric pumps. Permeability measurements were performed using the steady-state technique. Our result shows that two modes of deformation can be highlighted in this basalt. At low confining pressure (Pc < 50 MPa), the differential stress attains a peak before the sample undergoes strain softening; failure occurs by shear localization. The experiments performed at confining pressure higher than 50 MPa, show a totally different mode of deformation. In this second mode of deformation, an appreciable inelastic porosity reduction is observed. Comparing to the hydrostatic loading, the rock sample started to compact beyond a critical stress state; and from then, strain hardening, with stress drops are observed. Such a behavior is characteristic of the formation of compaction localization, due to grain crushing and pore collapse. In addition, this inelastic compaction is accompanied by a decrease of permeability, indicating that these compaction bands or zones act as barrier for fluid flow, in agreement with observations done in sandstone. Further studies, including Acoustic Emission locations and microstructural observations will be carried out in order to map the compaction bands or zones and confirm or infirm the formation of compaction localization, and the micromechanisms (pore collapse and grain crushing) taking place in this second mode of deformation.

Characterization of compact-toroid injection during formation, translation, and field penetration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matsumoto, T., E-mail: cstd14003@g.nihon-u.ac.jp; Sekiguchi, J.; Asai, T.

2016-11-15

We have developed a compact toroid (CT) injector system for particle refueling of the advanced beam-driven C-2U field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma. The CT injector is a magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG), and the produced CT must cross the perpendicular magnetic field surrounding the FRC for the refueling of C-2U. To simulate this environment, an experimental test stand has been constructed. A transverse magnetic field of ∼1 kG is established, which is comparable to the C-2U axial magnetic field in the confinement section, and CTs are fired across it. On the test stand we have been characterizing and studying CT formation,more » ejection/translation from the MCPG, and penetration into transverse magnetic fields.« less

Luminous Blue Compact Galaxies: Probes of galaxy assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newton, Cassidy Louann

The life cycles of galaxies over cosmic time is yet to be fully understood. How did galaxies evolve from their formative stages to the structures we observe today? This dissertation details the identification and analysis of a sample of Luminous Blue Compact Galaxies (LBCGs), a class of galaxy in the local (z < 0.05) universe exhibiting blue colors, high surface brightness, and high star formation rates. These systems appear to be very similar in their global properties to the early evolutionary phases of most galaxies, however their locality permits detailed investigation over a broad range of the electromagnetic spectrum in contrast to the smaller angular sizes and extreme faintness of distant galaxies. We use a combination of optical, ultraviolet, and infrared data to investigate a sample of LBCGs utilizing space and ground-based data.

The force-sensing peptide VemP employs extreme compaction and secondary structure formation to induce ribosomal stalling

PubMed Central

Su, Ting; Cheng, Jingdong; Sohmen, Daniel; Hedman, Rickard; Berninghausen, Otto; von Heijne, Gunnar; Wilson, Daniel N; Beckmann, Roland

2017-01-01

Interaction between the nascent polypeptide chain and the ribosomal exit tunnel can modulate the rate of translation and induce translational arrest to regulate expression of downstream genes. The ribosomal tunnel also provides a protected environment for initial protein folding events. Here, we present a 2.9 Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of a ribosome stalled during translation of the extremely compacted VemP nascent chain. The nascent chain forms two α-helices connected by an α-turn and a loop, enabling a total of 37 amino acids to be observed within the first 50–55 Å of the exit tunnel. The structure reveals how α-helix formation directly within the peptidyltransferase center of the ribosome interferes with aminoacyl-tRNA accommodation, suggesting that during canonical translation, a major role of the exit tunnel is to prevent excessive secondary structure formation that can interfere with the peptidyltransferase activity of the ribosome. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25642.001 PMID:28556777

Dynamics of in vivo ASC speck formation

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Activated danger or pathogen sensors trigger assembly of the inflammasome adaptor ASC into specks, large signaling platforms considered hallmarks of inflammasome activation. Because a lack of in vivo tools has prevented the study of endogenous ASC dynamics, we generated a live ASC reporter through CRISPR/Cas9 tagging of the endogenous gene in zebrafish. We see strong ASC expression in the skin and other epithelia that act as barriers to insult. A toxic stimulus triggered speck formation and rapid pyroptosis in keratinocytes in vivo. Macrophages engulfed and digested that speck-containing, pyroptotic debris. A three-dimensional, ultrastructural reconstruction, based on correlative light and electron microscopy of the in vivo assembled specks revealed a compact network of highly intercrossed filaments, whereas pyrin domain (PYD) or caspase activation and recruitment domain alone formed filamentous aggregates. The effector caspase is recruited through PYD, whose overexpression induced pyroptosis but only after substantial delay. Therefore, formation of a single, compact speck and rapid cell-death induction in vivo requires a full-length ASC. PMID:28701426

Wormhole potentials and throats from quasi-normal modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Völkel, Sebastian H.; Kokkotas, Kostas D.

2018-05-01

Exotic compact objects refer to a wide class of black hole alternatives or effective models to describe phenomenologically quantum gravitational effects on the horizon scale. In this work we show how the knowledge of the quasi-normal mode spectrum of non-rotating wormhole models can be used to reconstruct the effective potential that appears in perturbation equations. From this it is further possible to obtain the parameters that characterize the specific wormhole model, which in this paper was chosen to be the one by Damour and Solodukhin. We also address the question whether one can distinguish such type of wormholes from ultra compact stars, if only the quasi-normal mode spectrum is known. We have proven that this is not possible by using the trapped modes only, but requires additional information. The inverse method presented here is an extension of work that has previously been developed and applied to the oscillation spectra of ultra compact stars and gravastars. However, it is not limited to the study of exotic compact objects, but applicable to symmetric double barrier potentials that appear in one-dimensional wave equations. Therefore we think it can be of interest for other fields too.

The Spatial Distribution of Resolved Young Stars in Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, K.; Crone, M. M.

2002-12-01

We present the first results from a survey of the distribution of resolved young stars in Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies. In order to identify the dominant physical processes driving star formation in these puzzling galaxies, we use a multi-scale cluster-finding algorithm to quantify the characteristic scales and properties of star-forming regions, from sizes smaller than 10 pc up to the size of each entire galaxy. This project was partially funded by the Lubin Chair at Skidmore College.

Compact Layers of Hybrid Halide Perovskites Fabricated via the Aerosol Deposition Process-Uncoupling Material Synthesis and Layer Formation.

PubMed

Panzer, Fabian; Hanft, Dominik; Gujar, Tanaji P; Kahle, Frank-Julian; Thelakkat, Mukundan; Köhler, Anna; Moos, Ralf

2016-04-08

We present the successful fabrication of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ perovskite layers by the aerosol deposition method (ADM). The layers show high structural purity and compactness, thus making them suitable for application in perovskite-based optoelectronic devices. By using the aerosol deposition method we are able to decouple material synthesis from layer processing. Our results therefore allow for enhanced and easy control over the fabrication of perovskite-based devices, further paving the way for their commercialization.

Blue compact dwarfs - Extreme dwarf irregular galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thuan, Trinh X.

1987-01-01

Observational data on the most extreme members of the irregular dwarf (dI) galaxy class, the blue compact dwarfs (BCDs), are characterized, reviewing the results of recent investigations. The properties of the young stellar population, the ionized gas, the older star population, and the gas and dust of BCDs are contrasted with those of other dIs; BCD morphology is illustrated with sample images; and the value of BCDs (as nearby 'young' chemically unevolved galaxies) for studies of galaxy formation, galactic evolution, and starburst triggering mechanisms is indicated.

Formulation and process strategies to minimize coat damage for compaction of coated pellets in a rotary tablet press: A mechanistic view.

PubMed

Xu, Min; Heng, Paul Wan Sia; Liew, Celine Valeria

2016-02-29

Compaction of multiple-unit pellet system (MUPS) tablets has been extensively studied in the past few decades but with marginal success. This study aims to investigate the formulation and process strategies for minimizing pellet coat damage caused by compaction and elucidate the mechanism of damage sustained during the preparation of MUPS tablets in a rotary tablet press. Blends containing ethylcellulose-coated pellets and cushioning agent (spray dried aggregates of micronized lactose and mannitol), were compacted into MUPS tablets in a rotary tablet press. The effects of compaction pressure and dwell time on the physicomechanical properties of resultant MUPS tablets and extent of pellet coat damage were systematically examined. The coated pellets from various locations at the axial and radial peripheral surfaces and core of the MUPS tablets were excavated and assessed for their coat damage individually. Interestingly, for a MUPS tablet formulation which consolidates by plastic deformation, the tablet mechanical strength could be enhanced without exacerbating pellet coat damage by extending the dwell time in the compaction cycle during rotary tableting. However, the increase in compaction pressure led to faster drug release rate. The location of the coated pellets in the MUPS tablet also contributed to the extent of their coat damage, possibly due to uneven force distribution within the compact. To ensure viability of pellet coat integrity, the formation of a continuous percolating network of cushioning agent is critical and the applied compaction pressure should be less than the pellet crushing strength. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keck-I MOSFIRE spectroscopy of compact star-forming galaxies at z ≳ 2: high velocity dispersions in progenitors of compact quiescent galaxies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barro, Guillermo; Koo, David C.; Faber, Sandra M.

2014-11-10

We present Keck-I MOSFIRE near-infrared spectroscopy for a sample of 13 compact star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at redshift 2 ≤ z ≤ 2.5 with star formation rates of SFR ∼ 100 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} and masses of log(M/M {sub ☉}) ∼10.8. Their high integrated gas velocity dispersions of σ{sub int} =230{sub −30}{sup +40} km s{sup –1}, as measured from emission lines of Hα and [O III], and the resultant M {sub *}-σ{sub int} relation and M {sub *}-M {sub dyn} all match well to those of compact quiescent galaxies at z ∼ 2, as measured from stellar absorption lines.more » Since log(M {sub *}/M {sub dyn}) =–0.06 ± 0.2 dex, these compact SFGs appear to be dynamically relaxed and evolved, i.e., depleted in gas and dark matter (<13{sub −13}{sup +17}%), and present larger σ{sub int} than their non-compact SFG counterparts at the same epoch. Without infusion of external gas, depletion timescales are short, less than ∼300 Myr. This discovery adds another link to our new dynamical chain of evidence that compact SFGs at z ≳ 2 are already losing gas to become the immediate progenitors of compact quiescent galaxies by z ∼ 2.« less

A Deep NuSTAR Survey of M31: Compact object types in our Nearest Neighbor Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hornschemeier, Ann E.; Wik, Daniel R.; Yukita, Mihoko; Ptak, Andrew; Venters, Tonia M.; Lehmer, Bret; Maccarone, Thomas J.; Zezas, Andreas; Harrison, Fiona; Stern, Daniel; Williams, Benjamin F.; Vulic, Neven

2017-08-01

X-ray binaries (XRBs) trace young and old stellar populations in galaxies, and thus star formation rate and star formation history/stellar mass. X-ray emission from XRBs may be responsible for significant amounts of heating of the early Intergalactic Medium at Cosmic Dawn and may also play a significant role in reionization. Until recently, the E>10 keV (hard X-ray) emission from these populations could only be studied for XRBs in our own galaxy, where it is often difficult to measure accurate distances and thus luminosities. We have observed M31 in 4 NuSTAR fields for a total exposure of 1.4 Ms, covering the young stellar population in a swath of the disk (within the footprint of the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) Survey) and older populations in the bulge. We detected more than 100 sources in the 4-25 keV band, where hard band (12-25 keV) emission has allowed us to discriminate between black holes and neutron stars in different accretion states. The luminosity function of the hard band detected sources are compared to Swift/BAT and INTEGRAL-derived luminosity functions of the Milky Way population, which reveals an excess of luminous sources in M31 when correcting for star formation rate and stellar mass.

Radiography with cosmic-ray and compact accelerator muons; Exploring inner-structure of large-scale objects and landforms

PubMed Central

NAGAMINE, Kanetada

2016-01-01

Cosmic-ray muons (CRM) arriving from the sky on the surface of the earth are now known to be used as radiography purposes to explore the inner-structure of large-scale objects and landforms, ranging in thickness from meter to kilometers scale, such as volcanic mountains, blast furnaces, nuclear reactors etc. At the same time, by using muons produced by compact accelerators (CAM), advanced radiography can be realized for objects with a thickness in the sub-millimeter to meter range, with additional exploration capability such as element identification and bio-chemical analysis. In the present report, principles, methods and specific research examples of CRM transmission radiography are summarized after which, principles, methods and perspective views of the future CAM radiography are described. PMID:27725469

Radiography with cosmic-ray and compact accelerator muons; Exploring inner-structure of large-scale objects and landforms.

PubMed

Nagamine, Kanetada

2016-01-01

Cosmic-ray muons (CRM) arriving from the sky on the surface of the earth are now known to be used as radiography purposes to explore the inner-structure of large-scale objects and landforms, ranging in thickness from meter to kilometers scale, such as volcanic mountains, blast furnaces, nuclear reactors etc. At the same time, by using muons produced by compact accelerators (CAM), advanced radiography can be realized for objects with a thickness in the sub-millimeter to meter range, with additional exploration capability such as element identification and bio-chemical analysis. In the present report, principles, methods and specific research examples of CRM transmission radiography are summarized after which, principles, methods and perspective views of the future CAM radiography are described.

Globular Clusters Shine in a Galaxy Lacking Dark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2018-04-01

You may have seen recent news about NGC 1052DF2, a galaxy that was discovered to have little or no dark matter. Now, a new study explores what NGC 1052DF2 does have: an enigmatic population of unusually large and luminous globular clusters.Keck/LRIS spectra (left and right) and HST images (center) of the 11 clusters associated with NGC 1052DF2. The color images each span 1 1. [van Dokkum et al. 2018]An Unusual DwarfThe ultra-diffuse galaxy NGC 1052DF2, originally identified with the Dragonfly Telescope Array, has puzzled astronomers since the discovery that its dynamical mass determined by the motions of globular-cluster-like objects spotted within it is essentially the same as its stellar mass. This equivalence implies that the galaxy is strangely lacking dark matter; the upper limit set on its dark matter halo is 400 times smaller than what we would expect for such a dwarf galaxy.Led by Pieter van Dokkum (Yale University), the team that made this discovery has now followed up with detailed Hubble Space Telescope imaging and Keck spectroscopy. Their goal? To explore the objects that allowed them to make the dynamical-mass measurement: the oddly bright globular clusters of NGC 1052DF2.Sizes (circularized half-light radii) vs. absolute magnitudes for globular clusters in NGC1052DF2 (black) and the Milky Way (red). [Adapted from van Dokkum et al. 2018]Whats Up with the Globular Clusters?Van Dokkum and collaborators spectroscopically confirmed 11 compact objects associated with the faint galaxy. These objects are globular-cluster-like in their appearance, but the peak of their luminosity distribution is offset by a factor of four from globular clusters of other galaxies; these globular clusters are significantly brighter than is typical.Using the Hubble imaging, the authors determined that NGC 1052DF2s globular clusters are more than twice the size of the Milky Ways globular clusters in the same luminosity range. As is typical for globular clusters, they are an old ( 9.3 billion years) population and metal-poor.Rethinking Formation TheoriesThe long-standing picture of galaxies has closely connected old, metal-poor globular clusters to the galaxies dark-matter halos. Past studies have found that the ratio between the total globular-cluster mass and the overall mass of a galaxy (i.e., all dark + baryonic matter) holds remarkably constant across galaxies its typically 3 x 10-5. This has led researchers to believe that properties of the dark-matter halo may determine globular-cluster formation.The luminosity function of the compact objects in NGC 1052DF2. The red and blue curves show the luminosity functions of globular clusters in the Milky Way and in the typical ultra-diffuse galaxies of the Coma cluster, respectively. NGC 1052DF2s globular clusters peak at a significantly higher luminosity. [Adapted from van Dokkum et al. 2018]NGC 1052DF2, with a globular-cluster mass thats 3% of the mass of the galaxy ( 1000 times the expected ratio!), defies this picture. This unusual galaxy therefore demonstrates that the usual relation between globular-cluster mass and total galaxy mass probably isnt due to a fundamental connection between the dark-matter halo and globular-cluster formation. Instead, van Dokkum and collaborators suggest, globular-cluster formation may ultimately be a baryon-driven process.As with all unexpected discoveries in astronomy, we must now determine whether NGC 1052DF2 is simply a fluke, or whether it represents a new class of object we can expect to find more of. Either way, this unusual galaxy is forcing us to rethink what we know about galaxies and the star clusters they host.CitationPieter van Dokkum et al 2018 ApJL 856 L30. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aab60b

Time-Series Monitoring of Open Star Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hojaev, A. S.; Semakov, D. G.

2006-08-01

Star clusters especially a compact ones (with diameter of few to ten arcmin) are suitable targets to search of light variability for orchestera of stars by means of ordinary Casegrain telescope plus CCD system. A special patroling with short time-fixed exposures and mmag accuracy could be used also to study of stellar oscillation for group of stars simultaneously. The last can be carried out both separately from one site and within international campaigns. Detection and study of optical variability of X-ray sources including X-ray binaries with compact objects might be as a result of a long-term monitoring of such clusters as well. We present the program of open star clusters monitoring with Zeiss 1 meter RCC telescope of Maidanak observatory has been recently automated. In combination with quite good seeing at this observatory (see, e.g., Sarazin, M. 1999, URL http://www.eso.org/gen-fac/pubs/astclim/) the automatic telescope equipped with large-format (2KX2K) CCD camera AP-10 available will allow to collect homogenious time-series for analysis. We already started this program in 2001 and had a set of patrol observations with Zeiss 0.6 meter telescope and AP-10 camera in 2003. 7 compact open clusters in the Milky Way (NGC 7801, King1, King 13, King18, King20, Berkeley 55, IC 4996) have been monitored for stellar variability and some results of photometry will be presented. A few interesting variables were discovered and dozens were suspected for variability to the moment in these clusters for the first time. We have made steps to join the Whole-Earth Telescope effort in its future campaigns.

Sh2-138: physical environment around a small cluster of massive stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baug, T.; Ojha, D. K.; Dewangan, L. K.; Ninan, J. P.; Bhatt, B. C.; Ghosh, S. K.; Mallick, K. K.

2015-12-01

We present a multiwavelength study of the Sh2-138, a Galactic compact H II region. The data comprise of optical and near-infrared (NIR) photometric and spectroscopic observations from the 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope, radio observations from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), and archival data covering radio through NIR wavelengths. A total of 10 Class I and 54 Class II young stellar objects (YSOs) are identified in a 4.6 arcmin×4.6 arcmin area of the Sh2-138 region. Five compact ionized clumps, with four lacking of any optical or NIR counterparts, are identified using the 1280 MHz radio map, and correspond to sources with spectral type earlier than B0.5. Free-free emission spectral energy distribution fitting of the central compact H II region yields an electron density of ˜2250 ± 400 cm-3. With the aid of a wide range of spectra, from 0.5-15 μm, the central brightest source - previously hypothesized to be the main ionizing source - is characterized as a Herbig Be type star. At large scale (15 arcmin ×15 arcmin), the Herschel images (70-500 μm) and the nearest neighbour analysis of YSOs suggest the formation of an isolated cluster at the junction of filaments. Furthermore, using a greybody fit to the dust spectrum, the cluster is found to be associated with the highest column density (˜3 × 1022 cm-2) and high temperature (˜35 K) regime, as well as with the radio continuum emission. The mass of the central clump seen in the column density map is estimated to be ˜3770 M⊙.

Process for fabricating ZnO-based varistors

DOEpatents

Lauf, R.J.

The invention is a process for producing ZnO-based varistors incorporating a metal oxide dopant. In one form, the invention comprises providing a varistor powder mix of colloidal particles of ZnO and metal-oxide dopants including Bi/sub 2/O/sub 3/. The mix is hot-pressed to form a compact at temperatures below 850/sup 0/C and under conditions effecting reduction of the ZnO to sub-stoichiometric oxide. This promotes densification while restricting liquid formation and grain growth. The compact then is heated under conditions restoring the zinc oxide to stoichiometric composition, thus improving the varistor properties of the compact. The process produces fine-grain varistors characterized by a high actual breakdown voltage and a high average breakdown voltage per individual grain boundary.

Compact time- and space-integrating SAR processor: design and development status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haney, Michael W.; Levy, James J.; Christensen, Marc P.; Michael, Robert R., Jr.; Mock, Michael M.

1994-06-01

Progress toward a flight demonstration of the acousto-optic time- and space- integrating real-time SAR image formation processor program is reported. The concept overcomes the size and power consumption limitations of electronic approaches by using compact, rugged, and low-power analog optical signal processing techniques for the most computationally taxing portions of the SAR imaging problem. Flexibility and performance are maintained by the use of digital electronics for the critical low-complexity filter generation and output image processing functions. The results reported include tests of a laboratory version of the concept, a description of the compact optical design that will be implemented, and an overview of the electronic interface and controller modules of the flight-test system.

Process for fabricating ZnO-based varistors

DOEpatents

Lauf, Robert J.

1985-01-01

The invention is a process for producing ZnO-based varistors incorporating a metal oxide dopant. In one form, the invention comprises providing a varistor powder mix of colloidal particles of ZnO and metal-oxide dopants including Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3. The mix is hot-pressed to form a compact at temperatures below 850.degree. C. and under conditions effecting reduction of the ZnO to sub-stoichiometric oxide. This promotes densification while restricting liquid formation and grain growth. The compact then is heated under conditions restoring the zinc oxide to stoichiometric composition, thus improving the varistor properties of the compact. The process produces fine-grain varistors characterized by a high actual breakdown voltage and a high average breakdown voltage per individual grain boundary.

Binary neutron star mergers: a review of Einstein's richest laboratory.

PubMed

Baiotti, Luca; Rezzolla, Luciano

2017-09-01

In a single process, the merger of binary neutron star systems combines extreme gravity, the copious emission of gravitational waves, complex microphysics and electromagnetic processes, which can lead to astrophysical signatures observable at the largest redshifts. We review here the recent progress in understanding what could be considered Einstein's richest laboratory, highlighting in particular the numerous significant advances of the last decade. Although special attention is paid to the status of models, techniques and results for fully general-relativistic dynamical simulations, a review is also offered on the initial data and advanced simulations with approximate treatments of gravity. Finally, we review the considerable amount of work carried out on the post-merger phase, including black-hole formation, torus accretion onto the merged compact object, the connection with gamma-ray burst engines, ejected material, and its nucleosynthesis.

Binary neutron star mergers: a review of Einstein’s richest laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baiotti, Luca; Rezzolla, Luciano

2017-09-01

In a single process, the merger of binary neutron star systems combines extreme gravity, the copious emission of gravitational waves, complex microphysics and electromagnetic processes, which can lead to astrophysical signatures observable at the largest redshifts. We review here the recent progress in understanding what could be considered Einstein’s richest laboratory, highlighting in particular the numerous significant advances of the last decade. Although special attention is paid to the status of models, techniques and results for fully general-relativistic dynamical simulations, a review is also offered on the initial data and advanced simulations with approximate treatments of gravity. Finally, we review the considerable amount of work carried out on the post-merger phase, including black-hole formation, torus accretion onto the merged compact object, the connection with gamma-ray burst engines, ejected material, and its nucleosynthesis.

Compact objects in pure Lovelock theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dadhich, Naresh; Hansraj, Sudan; Chilambwe, Brian

For static fluid interiors of compact objects in pure Lovelock gravity (involving only one Nth order term in the equation), we establish similarity in solutions for the critical odd and even d = 2N + 1, 2N + 2 dimensions. It turns out that in critical odd d = 2N + 1 dimensions, there cannot exist any bound distribution with a finite radius, while in critical even d = 2N + 2 dimensions, all solutions have similar behavior. For exhibition of similarity, we would compare star solutions for N = 1, 2 in d = 4 Einstein and d = 6 in Gauss-Bonnet theory, respectively. We also obtain the pure Lovelock analogue of the Finch-Skea model.

New constraints on macroscopic compact objects as dark matter candidates from gravitational lensing of type Ia supernovae.

PubMed

Metcalf, R Benton; Silk, Joseph

2007-02-16

We use the distribution, and particularly the skewness, of high redshift type Ia supernovae brightnesses relative to the low redshift sample to constrain the density of macroscopic compact objects (MCOs) in the Universe. The supernova data favor dark matter made of microscopic particles (such as the lightest supersymmetric partner) over MCOs with masses between 10(-2)Mo and 10(10)Mo at 89% confidence. Future data will greatly improve this limit. Combined with other constraints, MCOs larger than one-tenth the mass of Earth (approximately 10(-7)Mo) can be eliminated as the sole constituent of dark matter.

Where are compact groups in the local Universe?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz-Giménez, Eugenia; Zandivarez, Ariel

2015-06-01

Aims: The purpose of this work is to perform a statistical analysis of the location of compact groups in the Universe from observational and semi-analytical points of view. Methods: We used the velocity-filtered compact group sample extracted from the Two Micron All Sky Survey for our analysis. We also used a new sample of galaxy groups identified in the 2M++ galaxy redshift catalogue as tracers of the large-scale structure. We defined a procedure to search in redshift space for compact groups that can be considered embedded in other overdense systems and applied this criterion to several possible combinations of different compact and galaxy group subsamples. We also performed similar analyses for simulated compact and galaxy groups identified in a 2M++ mock galaxy catalogue constructed from the Millennium Run Simulation I plus a semi-analytical model of galaxy formation. Results: We observed that only ~27% of the compact groups can be considered to be embedded in larger overdense systems, that is, most of the compact groups are more likely to be isolated systems. The embedded compact groups show statistically smaller sizes and brighter surface brightnesses than non-embedded systems. No evidence was found that embedded compact groups are more likely to inhabit galaxy groups with a given virial mass or with a particular dynamical state. We found very similar results when the analysis was performed using mock compact and galaxy groups. Based on the semi-analytical studies, we predict that 70% of the embedded compact groups probably are 3D physically dense systems. Finally, real space information allowed us to reveal the bimodal behaviour of the distribution of 3D minimum distances between compact and galaxy groups. Conclusions: The location of compact groups should be carefully taken into account when comparing properties of galaxies in environments that are a priori different. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgFull Tables B.1 and B.2 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/578/A61

The Allende multicompound chondrule (ACC)—Chondrule formation in a local super-dense region of the early solar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bischoff, Addi; Wurm, Gerhard; Chaussidon, Marc; Horstmann, Marian; Metzler, Knut; Weyrauch, Mona; Weinauer, Julia

2017-05-01

In Allende, a very complex compound chondrule (Allende compound chondrule; ACC) was found consisting of at least 16 subchondrules (14 siblings and 2 independents). Its overall texture can roughly be described as a barred olivine object (BO). The BO texture is similar in all siblings, but does not exist in the two independents, which appear as relatively compact olivine-rich units. Because of secondary alteration of pristine Allende components and the ACC in particular, only limited predictions can be made concerning the original compositions of the colliding melt droplets. Based on textural and mineralogical characteristics, the siblings must have been formed on a very short time scale in a dense, local environment. This is also supported by oxygen isotope systematics showing similar compositions for all 16 subchondrules. Furthermore, the ACC subchondrules are isotopically distinct from typical Allende chondrules, indicating formation in or reaction with a more 16O-poor reservoir. We modeled constraints on the particle density required at the ACC formation location, using textural, mineral-chemical, and isotopic observations on this multicompound chondrule to define melt droplet collision conditions. In this context, we discuss the possible relationship between the formation of complex chondrules and the formation of macrochondrules and cluster chondrites. While macrochondrules may have formed under similar or related conditions as complex chondrules, cluster chondrites certainly require different formation conditions. Cluster chondrites represent a mixture of viscously deformed, seemingly young chondrules of different chemical and textural types and a population of older chondrules. Concerning the formation of ACC calculations suggest the existence of very local, kilometer-sized, and super-dense chondrule-forming regions with extremely high solid-to-gas mass ratios of 1000 or more.

Ten-year results from the North American long-term soil productivity study in the Western Gulf Coastal Plain

Treesearch

D. Andrew Scott; John Novosad; Gala Golddsmith

2007-01-01

Forest management operations have the greatest potential to reduce soil productivity through altered soil fertility and air/water balance, which are most affected by organic matter removal and compaction, respectively. The objectives of this study were to assess the early growth response to compaction, organic matter removal, and weed control on the ten locations of...

Compact portable diffraction moire interferometer

DOEpatents

Deason, Vance A.; Ward, Michael B.

1989-01-01

A compact and portable moire interferometer used to determine surface deformations of an object. The improved interferometer is comprised of a laser beam, optical and fiber optics devices coupling the beam to one or more evanescent wave splitters, and collimating lenses directing the split beam at one or more specimen gratings. Observation means including film and video cameras may be used to view and record the resultant fringe patterns.

Can a Bright and Energetic X-Ray Pulsar Be Hiding Amid the Debris of SN 1987A?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esposito, Paolo; Rea, Nanda; Lazzati, Davide; Matsuura, Mikako; Perna, Rosalba; Pons, José A.

2018-04-01

The mass of the stellar precursor of supernova (SN) 1987A and the burst of neutrinos observed at the moment of the explosion are consistent with the core-collapse formation of a neutron star. However, no compelling evidence for the presence of a compact object of any kind in SN 1987A has been found yet in any band of the electromagnetic spectrum, prompting questions on whether the neutron star survived and, if it did, on its properties. Beginning with an analysis of recent Chandra observations, here we appraise the current observational situation. We derived limits on the X-ray luminosity of a compact object with a nonthermal, Crab-pulsar-like spectrum of the order of ≈(1–5) × 1035 erg s‑1, corresponding to limits on the rotational energy loss of a possible X-ray pulsar in SN 1987A of ≈(0.5–1.5) × 1038 erg s‑1. However, a much brighter X-ray source cannot be excluded if, as is likely, it is enshrouded in a cloud of absorbing matter with a metallicity similar to that expected in the outer layers of a massive star toward the end of its life. We found that other limits obtained from various arguments and observations in other energy ranges either are unbinding or allow a similar maximum luminosity of the order of ≈1035 erg s‑1. We conclude that while a pulsar alike the one in the Crab Nebula in both luminosity and spectrum is hardly compatible with the observations, there is ample space for an “ordinary” X-ray-emitting young neutron star, born with normal initial spin period, temperature, and magnetic field, to be hiding inside the evolving remnant of SN 1987A.

Universal relations with fermionic dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krut, A.; Argüelles, C. R.; Rueda, J. A.; Ruffini, R.

2018-01-01

We have recently introduced a new model for the distribution of dark matter (DM) in galaxies, the Ruffini-Argüelles-Rueda (RAR) model, based on a self-gravitating system of massive fermions at finite temperatures. The RAR model, for fermion masses above keV, successfully describes the DM halos in galaxies, and predicts the existence of a denser quantum core towards the center of each configuration. We demonstrate here, for the first time, that the introduction of a cutoff in the fermion phase-space distribution, necessary to account for galaxies finite size and mass, defines a new solution with a compact quantum core which represents an alternative to the central black hole (BH) scenario for SgrA*. For a fermion mass in the range 48keV ≤ mc2 ≤ 345keV, the DM halo distribution fulfills the most recent data of the Milky Way rotation curves while harbors a dense quantum core of 4×106M⊙ within the S2 star pericenter. In particular, for a fermion mass of mc2 ˜ 50keV the model is able to explain the DM halos from typical dwarf spheroidal to normal elliptical galaxies, while harboring dark and massive compact objects from ˜ 103M⊙ tp to 108M⊙ at their respective centers. The model is shown to be in good agreement with different observationally inferred universal relations, such as the ones connecting DM halos with supermassive dark central objects. Finally, the model provides a natural mechanism for the formation of supermassive BHs as heavy as few ˜ 108M⊙. We argue that larger BH masses (few ˜ 109-10M⊙) may be achieved by assuming subsequent accretion processes onto the above heavy seeds, depending on accretion efficiency and environment.

Local Swift-BAT active galactic nuclei prefer circumnuclear star formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lutz, D.; Shimizu, T.; Davies, R. I.; Herrera-Camus, R.; Sturm, E.; Tacconi, L. J.; Veilleux, S.

2018-01-01

We use Herschel data to analyze the size of the far-infrared 70 μm emission for z < 0.06 local samples of 277 hosts of Swift-BAT selected active galactic nuclei (AGN), and 515 comparison galaxies that are not detected by BAT. For modest far-infrared luminosities 8.5 10.5 (star formation rates ≳6 M⊙ yr-1), possibly because these are typically reached in more compact regions. Full Table A.1 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/609/A9

A hydrogeologic model of stratiform copper mineralization in the Midcontinent Rift System, Northern Michigan, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swenson, J.B.; Person, M.; Raffensperger, Jeff P.; Cannon, W.F.; Woodruff, L.G.; Berndt, M.E.

2004-01-01

This paper presents a suite of two-dimensional mathematical models of basin-scale groundwater flow and heat transfer for the middle Proterozoic Midcontinent Rift System. The models were used to assess the hydrodynamic driving mechanisms responsible for main-stage stratiform copper mineralization of the basal Nonesuch Formation during the post-volcanic/pre-compressional phase of basin evolution. Results suggest that compaction of the basal aquifer (Copper Harbor Formation), in response to mechanical loading during deposition of the overlying Freda Sandstone, generated a pulse of marginward-directed, compaction-driven discharge of cupriferous brines from within the basal aquifer. The timing of this pulse is consistent with the radiometric dates for the timing of mineralization. Thinning of the basal aquifer near White Pine, Michigan, enhanced stratiform copper mineralization. Focused upward leakage of copper-laden brines into the lowermost facies of the pyrite-rich Nonesuch Formation resulted in copper sulfide mineralization in response to a change in oxidation state. Economic-grade mineralization within the White Pine ore district is a consequence of intense focusing of compaction-driven discharge, and corresponding amplification of leakage into the basal Nonesuch Formation, where the basal aquifer thins dramatically atop the Porcupine Mountains volcanic structure. Equilibrium geochemical modeling and mass-balance calculations support this conclusion. We also assessed whether topography and density-driven flow systems could have caused ore genesis at White Pine. Topography-driven flow associated with the Ottawan orogeny was discounted because it post-dates main-stage ore genesis and because recent seismic interpretations of basin inversion indicates that basin geometry would not be conductive to ore genesis. Density-driven flow systems did not produce focused discharge in the vicinity of the White Pine ore district.

The Compaction of Ultramafic Cumulates in Layered Intrusions - Time and Length Scales (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, M. W.; Manoochehri, S.

2013-12-01

Many large mafic intrusions have thick series of mostly ultramafic cumulates composed of dense cumulus minerals (chromite, olivine, pyroxenes) precipitated from low viscosity (roughly basaltic) liquids. To understand the time and length scales involved, the crystal settling and compaction process was simulated through centrifuge-assisted experiments of olivine or chromite in basaltic melt. Experiments were performed in a centrifuging piston cylinder at 200-1500 g, 1200-1300 C, 0.5-1.1 GPa on previously annealed and texturally equilibrated samples. The mechanical settling of the dense olivine or chromite suspensions occurs at 1/6 and 1/2 the speed of simple Stokes settling. The porosity (φm ) of orthocumulates resulting from gravitational settling is 50-55 %, pile up times for natural grain sizes result to 0.1-10 m/day. Hence, gravitational deposition (including re-deposition) of crystals may take place within years, i.e. almost instantaneously with progressing crystallization. After (re-)deposition, grains rest on each other. Further (chemical) compaction occurs through pressure dissolution at grain contacts, olivine or chromite re-precipitates where in contact with melt. Concomitantly excess liquid is expulsed from the cumulate layer. Centrifugation let to porosities as low as 30.3 vol% for olivine. The crystal content at the bottom of the experimentally compacted cumulate is 1-φm ~ log(Δρ h a t), where Δρ = crystal-melt density difference, h = crystal layer thickness, a = acceleration and t = time. Compaction is hence proportional to effective stress integrated over time indicating that pressure dissolution is the dominant mechanism. Notably, chromite crystals compact only about half as fast as olivine crystals. The compaction limit, i.e. the lowermost porosity to be reached, is calculated by equating the lithostatic and hydraulic pressure gradients in the cumulate and results to 3-5 % porosity for the experiments. Crystal size distribution curves and a growth exponent n of 3.1(3) (for olivine) indicate that diffusion controlled Ostwald ripening is the dominant crystal growth mechanism. The experimentally calibrated compaction relationship, combined with a linear scaling for grain size as appropriate for reaction-controlled pressure solution creep, allows calculation of formation times of natural adcumulates. A single layer of olivine adcumulate of 1/2 m thickness with 70-75 vol% olivine at the base (as observed in Rhum), would have typical formation times of 0.4-3 yrs for grain sizes of 2-10 mm, comparing favourably with characteristic cooling times of sills. If a >20 m thick series of cumulate layers pressurizes a base layer with the porosity still filled by a melt, then compaction proceeds to the compaction limit within a few years. To understand the thickness of a simultaneously compacting (layered) crystal pile, (paleo)-porosity gradients determined from incompatible trace elements can be employed when combined with modelled characteristic cooling times. In layered mafic intrusions where cumulates are deposited from a large magma chamber, compaction zones of several tens to hundreds of meter may form adcumulates with porosities in the order of 5%. In conclusion, gravitation driven chemical compaction is feasible for dense mafic minerals in basaltic magmas, in particular in large layered intrusions. The limiting factor appears to be rather the supply of crystals then the time necessary for compaction.

How the morphology of dusts influences packing density in small solar system bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zangmeister, C.; Radney, J. G.; Zachariah, M. R.

2014-12-01

Large planetary seedlings, comets, and nanoscale soot particles are made from rigid, aggregated subunits that are compacted under low compression into larger structures spanning over 10 orders of magnitude in dimensional space. Here, we demonstrate that the packing density (Φf) of compacted rigid aggregates is independent of spatial scale for systems under weak compaction, a regime that includes small solar system bodies. The Φf of rigid aggregated structures across 6 orders of magnitude were measured using nanoscale spherical soot aerosol composed of aggregates with ≈ 17 nm monomeric subunits and aggregates made from uniform monomeric 6 mm spherical subunits at the macroscale. We find Φf = 0.36 ± 0.02 at both the nano- and macroscale. These values are remarkably similar to qf observed for comet nuclei and measured values of other rigid aggregated systems across a wide variety of spatial and formative conditions. We present a packing model that incorporates the aggregate morphology and show that Φf is independent of both monomer and aggregate size. These observations suggest thatqf of rigid aggregates is independent of spatial dimension across varied formative conditions ranging from interstellar space to pharmaceutical manufacturing.

RSEQtools: a modular framework to analyze RNA-Seq data using compact, anonymized data summaries.

PubMed

Habegger, Lukas; Sboner, Andrea; Gianoulis, Tara A; Rozowsky, Joel; Agarwal, Ashish; Snyder, Michael; Gerstein, Mark

2011-01-15

The advent of next-generation sequencing for functional genomics has given rise to quantities of sequence information that are often so large that they are difficult to handle. Moreover, sequence reads from a specific individual can contain sufficient information to potentially identify and genetically characterize that person, raising privacy concerns. In order to address these issues, we have developed the Mapped Read Format (MRF), a compact data summary format for both short and long read alignments that enables the anonymization of confidential sequence information, while allowing one to still carry out many functional genomics studies. We have developed a suite of tools (RSEQtools) that use this format for the analysis of RNA-Seq experiments. These tools consist of a set of modules that perform common tasks such as calculating gene expression values, generating signal tracks of mapped reads and segmenting that signal into actively transcribed regions. Moreover, the tools can readily be used to build customizable RNA-Seq workflows. In addition to the anonymization afforded by MRF, this format also facilitates the decoupling of the alignment of reads from downstream analyses. RSEQtools is implemented in C and the source code is available at http://rseqtools.gersteinlab.org/.

Watching AGN feedback at its birth: HST observations of nascent outflow host IC860

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alatalo, Katherine

2016-10-01

IC860 is a nearby IR-luminous early-type spiral with a unique set of properties: it is a shocked, poststarburst galaxy that hosts an AGN-driven neutral wind and a compact core of molecular gas. IC860 can serve as a rosetta stone for the early stages of triggering AGN feedback. We propose to use WFC3 on HST to obtain NUV, optical and near-IR imaging of IC860. We will create a spatially-resolved history of star formation quenching through SED-fitting of 7 requested broadband filters, and compare the spatially resolved star formation histories to in different positions within the underlying stellar features (such as spiral structure) that might define a narrative of how star formation is quenching in IC860. These observations will also resolve the super-star cluster sites to trace the most recent star formation. Finally, these observations will trace the mass of the outflow by building an absorption map of the dust. IC860 presents a unique opportunity to study a galaxy at an early stage of transitioning from blue spiral to red early-type galaxy, that also hosts an AGN-driven neutral wind and a compact, turbulent molecular gas core.

X-Ray Emission from "Uranium" Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlegel, Eric; Mushotzky, Richard (Technical Monitor)

2005-01-01

The project aims to secure XMM observations of two targets with extremely low abundances of the majority of heavy elements (e.g., log[Fe/H] $\\sim$-4), but that show absorption lines of uranium. The presence of an r-process element such as uranium requires a binary star system in which the companion underwent a supernova explosion. A binary star system raises the distinct possibility of the existence of a compact object, most likely a neutron star, in the binary, assuming it survived the supernova blast. The presence of a compact object then suggests X-ray emission if sufficient matter accretes to the compact object. The observations were completed less than one year ago following a series of reobservations to correct for significant flaring that occurred during the original observations. The ROSAT all-sky survey was used to report on the initial assessment of X-ray emission from these objects; only upper limits were reported. These upper limits were used to justify the XMM observing time, but with the expectation that upper limits would merely be pushed lower. The data analysis hinges critically on the quality and degree of precision with which the background is handled. During the past year, I have spent some time learning the ins and outs of XMM data analysis. In the coming year, I can apply that learning to the analysis of the 'uranium' stars.

Compact Torus Acceleration and Injection Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukumoto, Naoyuki; Fujiwara, Makoto; Nagata, Masayoshi; Uyama, Tadao; Oda, Yasushi; Azuma, Kingo

1996-11-01

The spheromak-type compact torus (CT) acceleration and injection experiment has been carried out using the Himeji Institute of Technology Compact Torus Injector (HIT-CTI). We explore the possibility of refueling, density control, current drive, and edge electric field control of tokamak plasma by means of CT injection. In last September the new HIT-CTI was built up to achieve higher speed (Vct>200 km/s) and higher density CT plasmoid by improving the capacitor bank system and eliminating the impurity and neutral particles. At initial formation discharge tests the gun for formation and compression successfully produced a CT plasmoid and injected it between electrodes for acceleration. (Initial velocity Vct.ini. 32 km/s, Bct 1 kG, Rct=5.5 cm). The formation capacitor bank will be upgraded to two 36 mF capacitors operating at 20 kV (14.4 kJ). The acceleration capacitor bank will be also upgraded to two 36 mF capacitors operating at 20 kV (14.4 kJ). The HIT-CTI will be optimized to obtain suitable CT parameters after acceleration (Bct>5 kG, Lct 20 cm, Vct>200 km/s). In the respect of CT parameter measurement magnetic probes and a He-Ne laser interferometer will be employed in order to measure the CT magnetic field, velocity, density, and length. CT acceleration experimental data on the HIT-CTI and the plan of CT injection experiment on the JFT-2M tokamak (JAERI) will be presented at the meeting.

A compact holographic optical tweezers instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, G. M.; Bowman, R. W.; Linnenberger, A.; Dienerowitz, M.; Phillips, D. B.; Carberry, D. M.; Miles, M. J.; Padgett, M. J.

2012-11-01

Holographic optical tweezers have found many applications including the construction of complex micron-scale 3D structures and the control of tools and probes for position, force, and viscosity measurement. We have developed a compact, stable, holographic optical tweezers instrument which can be easily transported and is compatible with a wide range of microscopy techniques, making it a valuable tool for collaborative research. The instrument measures approximately 30×30×35 cm and is designed around a custom inverted microscope, incorporating a fibre laser operating at 1070 nm. We designed the control software to be easily accessible for the non-specialist, and have further improved its ease of use with a multi-touch iPad interface. A high-speed camera allows multiple trapped objects to be tracked simultaneously. We demonstrate that the compact instrument is stable to 0.5 nm for a 10 s measurement time by plotting the Allan variance of the measured position of a trapped 2 μm silica bead. We also present a range of objects that have been successfully manipulated.

Near-infrared images of MG 1131+0456 with the W. M. Keck telescope: Another dusty gravitational lens?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larkin, J. E.; Matthews, K.; Lawrence, C. R.; Graham, J. R.; Harrison, W.; Jernigan, G.; Lin, S.; Nelson, J.; Neugebauer, G.; Smith, G.

1994-01-01

Images of the gravitational lens system MG 1131+0456 taken with the near-infrared camera on the W. M. Keck telescope in the J and K(sub s) bands show that the infrared counterparts of the compact radio structure are exceedingly red, with J - K greater than 4.2 mag. The J image reveals only the lensing galaxy, while the K(sub s) image shows both the lens and the infrared counterparts of the compact radio components. After subtracting the lensing galaxy from the K(sub s) image, the position and orientation of the compact components agree with their radio counterparts. The broad-band spectrum and observed brightness of the lens suggest a giant galaxy at a redshift of approximately 0.75, while the color of the quasar images suggests significant extinction by dust in the lens. There is a significant excess of faint objects within 20 sec of MG 1131+0456. Depending on their mass and redshifts, these objects could complicate the lensing potential considerably.

Extreme magnification of an individual star at redshift 1.5 by a galaxy-cluster lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, Patrick L.; Diego, Jose M.; Rodney, Steven; Kaiser, Nick; Broadhurst, Tom; Zitrin, Adi; Treu, Tommaso; Pérez-González, Pablo G.; Morishita, Takahiro; Jauzac, Mathilde; Selsing, Jonatan; Oguri, Masamune; Pueyo, Laurent; Ross, Timothy W.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Smith, Nathan; Hjorth, Jens; Cenko, S. Bradley; Wang, Xin; Howell, D. Andrew; Richard, Johan; Frye, Brenda L.; Jha, Saurabh W.; Foley, Ryan J.; Norman, Colin; Bradac, Marusa; Zheng, Weikang; Brammer, Gabriel; Benito, Alberto Molino; Cava, Antonio; Christensen, Lise; de Mink, Selma E.; Graur, Or; Grillo, Claudio; Kawamata, Ryota; Kneib, Jean-Paul; Matheson, Thomas; McCully, Curtis; Nonino, Mario; Pérez-Fournon, Ismael; Riess, Adam G.; Rosati, Piero; Schmidt, Kasper Borello; Sharon, Keren; Weiner, Benjamin J.

2018-04-01

Galaxy-cluster gravitational lenses can magnify background galaxies by a total factor of up to 50. Here we report an image of an individual star at redshift z = 1.49 (dubbed MACS J1149 Lensed Star 1) magnified by more than ×2,000. A separate image, detected briefly 0.26″ from Lensed Star 1, is probably a counterimage of the first star demagnified for multiple years by an object of ≳3 solar masses in the cluster. For reasonable assumptions about the lensing system, microlensing fluctuations in the stars' light curves can yield evidence about the mass function of intracluster stars and compact objects, including binary fractions and specific stellar evolution and supernova models. Dark-matter subhaloes or massive compact objects may help to account for the two images' long-term brightness ratio.

A catalog of selected compact radio sources for the construction of an extragalactic radio/optical reference frame (Argue et al. 1984): Documentation for the machine-readable version

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

This document describes the machine readable version of the Selected Compact Radio Source Catalog as it is currently being distributed from the international network of astronomical data centers. It is intended to enable users to read and process the computerized catalog. The catalog contains 233 strong, compact extragalactic radio sources having identified optical counterparts. The machine version contains the same data as the published catalog and includes source identifications, equatorial positions at J2000.0 and their mean errors, object classifications, visual magnitudes, redshift, 5-GHz flux densities, and comments.

A prototype fully polarimetric 160-GHz bistatic ISAR compact radar range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaudoin, C. J.; Horgan, T.; DeMartinis, G.; Coulombe, M. J.; Goyette, T.; Gatesman, A. J.; Nixon, William E.

2017-05-01

We present a prototype bistatic compact radar range operating at 160 GHz and capable of collecting fullypolarimetric radar cross-section and electromagnetic scattering measurements in a true far-field facility. The bistatic ISAR system incorporates two 90-inch focal length, 27-inch-diameter diamond-turned mirrors fed by 160 GHz transmit and receive horns to establish the compact range. The prototype radar range with its modest sized quiet zone serves as a precursor to a fully developed compact radar range incorporating a larger quiet zone capable of collecting X-band bistatic RCS data and 3D imagery using 1/16th scale objects. The millimeter-wave transmitter provides 20 GHz of swept bandwidth in the single linear (Horizontal/Vertical) polarization while the millimeter-wave receiver, that is sensitive to linear Horizontal and Vertical polarization, possesses a 7 dB noise figure. We present the design of the compact radar range and report on test results collected to validate the system's performance.

INTO THE LAIR: GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE SIGNATURES OF DARK MATTER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Macedo, Caio F. B.; Cardoso, Vitor; Crispino, Luis C. B.

The nature and properties of dark matter (DM) are both outstanding issues in physics. Besides clustering in halos, the universal character of gravity implies that self-gravitating compact DM configurations-predicted by various models-might be spread throughout the universe. Their astrophysical signature can be used to probe fundamental particle physics, or to test alternative descriptions of compact objects in active galactic nuclei. Here, we discuss the most promising dissection tool of such configurations: the inspiral of a compact stellar-size object and consequent gravitational-wave (GW) emission. The inward motion of this ''test probe'' encodes unique information about the nature of the supermassive configuration.more » When the probe travels through some compact region we show, within a Newtonian approximation, that the quasi-adiabatic inspiral is mainly driven by DM accretion and by dynamical friction, rather than by radiation reaction. When accretion dominates, the frequency and amplitude of the GW signal produced during the latest stages of the inspiral are nearly constant. In the exterior region we study a model in which the inspiral is driven by GW and scalar-wave emission, described at a fully relativistic level. Resonances in the energy flux appear whenever the orbital frequency matches the effective mass of the DM particle, corresponding to the excitation of the central object's quasinormal frequencies. Unexpectedly, these resonances can lead to large dephasing with respect to standard inspiral templates, to such an extent as to prevent detection with matched filtering techniques. We discuss some observational consequences of these effects for GW detection.« less

Compact portable diffraction moire interferometer

DOEpatents

Deason, V.A.; Ward, M.B.

1988-05-23

A compact and portable moire interferometer used to determine surface deformations of an object. The improved interferometer is comprised of a laser beam, optical and fiber optics devices coupling the beam to one or more evanescent wave splitters, and collimating lenses directing the split beam at one or more specimen gratings. Observations means including film and video cameras may be used to view and record the resultant fringe patterns. 7 figs.

Flow and compaction properties of hypromellose: new directly compressible versus the established grades.

PubMed

Grdešič, Peter; Vrečer, Franc; Ilić, Ilija

2016-11-01

Information about flow and compaction properties of hypromellose (HPMC) polymers is essential for the technologists who are facing challenges regarding poor flow and compaction while developing new controlled release matrix tablets. There is a profound lack of studies in this field and none of the published ones deal with the compaction of the newly introduced HPMC grades specifically designed for direct compression (DC). The objective behind this study was the evaluation of flow and compaction properties of six different grades of HPMC substitution type 2208 polymers, including two second generation directly compressible grades from Dow Chemical Company (K100LV, K15M, K4M CR, K4M DC, K100M CR and K100M DC). Flow properties were determined using flow time and Carr index. Compaction properties were quantified using "out-of-die" Heckel and modified Walker models as well as tensile strength profile and elastic recovery. We used statistical approach to analyze the results. Due to larger, rounder and smoother particles both DC grades showed distinctly better flow properties compared to their non-DC counterparts. Overall, K15M showed the best compaction properties, closely followed by K100LV. K100M grades showed superior compaction properties over K4M grades. The new, second generation DC grades had poorer compaction properties, however, they exhibited better flow properties on the other hand. Considering all compaction results, the Heckel model gave better description of compressibility compared to the Walker model, so it may be preferred in case of studying HPMC polymers and other similar materials.

Study of Diffusion Bonding of 45 Steel through the Compacted Nickel Powder Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeer, G. M.; Zelenkova, E. G.; Temnykh, V. I.; Tokmin, A. M.; Shubin, A. A.; Koroleva, Yu. P.; Mikheev, A. A.

2018-02-01

The microstructure of the transition zone and powder spacer, the concentration distribution of chemical elements over the width of the diffusion-bonded joint, and microhardness of 45 steel-compacted Ni powder spacer-45 steel layered composites formed by diffusion bonding have been investigated. It has been shown that the relative spacer thickness χ < 0.06 is optimal for obtaining a high-quality joint has been formed under a compacting pressure of 500 MPa. The solid-state diffusion bonding is accompanied by sintering the nickel powder spacer and the formation of the transition zone between the spacer and steel. The transition zone consists of solid solution of nickel in the α-Fe phase and ordered solid solution of iron in nickel (FeNi3).

Physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete containing superplasticizer and metakaolin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahidan, Shahiron; Tayeh, Bassam A.; Jamaludin, A. A.; Bahari, N. A. A. S.; Mohd, S. S.; Zuki Ali, N.; Khalid, F. S.

2017-11-01

The development of concrete technology shows a variety of admixtures in concrete to produce special concrete. This includes the production of self-compacting concrete which is able to fill up all spaces, take formwork shapes and pass through congested reinforcement bars without vibrating or needing any external energy. In this study, the main objective is to compare the physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete containing metakaolin with normal concrete. Four types of samples were produced to study the effect of metakaolin towards the physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete where 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% of metakaolin were used as cement replacement. The physical properties were investigated using slump test for normal concrete and slump flow test for self-compacting concrete. The mechanical properties were tested for compressive strength and tensile strength. The findings of this study show that the inclusion of metakaolin as cement replacement can increase both compressive and tensile strength compared to normal concrete. The highest compressive strength was found in self-compacting concrete with 15% metakaolin replacement at 53.3 MPa while self-compacting concrete with 10% metakaolin replacement showed the highest tensile strength at 3.6 MPa. On top of that, the finishing or concrete surface of both cube and cylinder samples made of self-compacting concrete produced a smooth surface with the appearance of less honeycombs compared to normal concrete.

Galaxy evolution. Isolated compact elliptical galaxies: stellar systems that ran away.

PubMed

Chilingarian, Igor; Zolotukhin, Ivan

2015-04-24

Compact elliptical galaxies form a rare class of stellar system (~30 presently known) characterized by high stellar densities and small sizes and often harboring metal-rich stars. They were thought to form through tidal stripping of massive progenitors, until two isolated objects were discovered where massive galaxies performing the stripping could not be identified. By mining astronomical survey data, we have now found 195 compact elliptical galaxies in all types of environment. They all share similar dynamical and stellar population properties. Dynamical analysis for nonisolated galaxies demonstrates the feasibility of their ejection from host clusters and groups by three-body encounters, which is in agreement with numerical simulations. Hence, isolated compact elliptical and isolated quiescent dwarf galaxies are tidally stripped systems that ran away from their hosts. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Resolution of massive compact clusters in the 30 Doradus periphery with the Hubble Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walborn, Nolan R.; Mackenty, John W.; Saha, Abhijit; White, Richard L.; Parker, Joel WM.

1995-01-01

Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field/Planetary Camera UBV images of three massive, compact multiple systems with the SNR 30 Dor B/NGC 2060 and 30 Dor C/NGC 2044 are discussed and illustrated. In two cases, WN+OB objects have been resolved into additional components to those previously known from ground-based observations, substantially reducing the luminosities of the WN stars and rendering them currently unidentified; in the third case, the components of a B+K composite-spectrum object have been clearly identified. The results are of significance for evolutionary interpretations of these massive stars and for determinations of the upper IMF in extragalactic systems.

The NT digital micro tape recorder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sasaki, Toshikazu; Alstad, John; Younker, Mike

1993-01-01

The description of an audio recorder may at first glance seem out of place in a conference which has been dedicated to the discussion of the technology and requirements of mass data storage. However, there are several advanced features of the NT system which will be of interest to the mass storage technologist. Moreover, there are a sufficient number of data storage formats in current use which have evolved from their audio counterparts to recommend a close attention to major innovative introductions of audio storage formats. While the existing analog micro-cassette recorder has been (and will continue to be) adequate for various uses, there are significant benefits to be gained through the application of digital technology. The elimination of background tape hiss and the availability of two relatively wide band channels (for stereo recording), for example, would greatly enhance listenability and speech intelligibility. And with the use of advanced high-density recording and LSI circuit technologies, a digital micro recorder can realize unprecedented compactness with excellent energy efficiency. This is what was accomplished with the NT-1 Digital Micro Recorder. Its remarkably compact size contributes to its portability. The high-density NT format enables up to two hours of low-noise digital stereo recording on a cassette the size of a postage stamp. Its highly energy-efficient mechanical and electrical design results in low power consumption; the unit can be operated up to 7 hours (for continuous recording) on a single AA alkaline battery. Advanced user conveniences include a multifunction LCD readout. The unit's compactness and energy-efficiency, in particular, are attributes that cannot be matched by existing analog and digital audio formats. The size, performance, and features of the NT format are of benefit primarily to those who desire improved portability and audio quality in a personal memo product. The NT Recorder is the result of over ten years of intensive, multi-disciplinary research and development. What follows is a discussion of the technologies that have made the NT possible: (1) NT format mechanics, (2) NT media, (3) NT circuitry and board.

HI properties and star formation history of a fly-by pair of blue compact dwarf galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jinhyub; Chung, Aeree; Wong, O. Ivy; Lee, Bumhyun; Sung, Eon-Chang; Staveley-Smith, Lister

2017-09-01

A fly-by interaction has been suggested to be one of the major explanations for enhanced star formation in blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies, yet no direct evidence for this scenario has been found to date. In the Hi Parkes all-sky survey (HIPASS), ESO 435-IG 020 and ESO 435-G 016, a BCD pair were found in a common, extended gas envelope of atomic hydrogen, providing an ideal case to test the hypothesis that the starburst in BCDs can be indeed triggered by a fly-by interaction. Using high-resolution data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), we investigated Hi properties and the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the BCD pair to study their interaction and star formation histories. The high-resolution Hi data of both BCDs reveal a number of peculiarities, which are suggestive of tidal perturbation. Meanwhile, 40% of the HIPASS flux is not accounted for in the ATCA observations with no Hi gas bridge found between the two BCDs. Intriguingly, in the residual of the HIPASS and the ATCA data, 10% of the missing flux appears to be located between the two BCDs. While the SED-based age of the most dominant young stellar population is old enough to have originated from the interaction with any neighbors (including the other of the two BCDs), the most recent star formation activity traced by strong Hα emission in ESO 435-IG 020 and the shear motion of gas in ESO 435-G 016, suggest a more recent or current tidal interaction. Based on these and the residual emission between the HIPASS and the ATCA data, we propose an interaction between the two BCDs as the origin of their recently enhanced star formation activity. The shear motion on the gas disk, potentially with re-accretion of the stripped gas, could be responsible for the active star formation in this BCD pair. The reduced datacube (FITS file) is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/605/A54

THE INFLOW SIGNATURE TOWARD DIFFERENT EVOLUTIONARY PHASES OF MASSIVE STAR FORMATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jin, Mihwa; Lee, Jeong-Eun; Kim, Kee-Tae

2016-08-01

We analyze both HCN J  = 1–0 and HNC J  = 1–0 line profiles to study the inflow motions in different evolutionary stages of massive star formation: 54 infrared dark clouds (IRDCs), 69 high-mass protostellar objects (HMPOs), and 54 ultra-compact H ii regions (UCHIIs). Inflow asymmetry in the HCN spectra seems to be prevalent throughout all the three evolutionary phases, with IRDCs showing the largest excess in the blue profile. In the case of the HNC spectra, the prevalence of blue sources does not appear, apart from for IRDCs. We suggest that this line is not appropriate to trace the inflow motionmore » in the evolved stages of massive star formation, because the abundance of HNC decreases at high temperatures. This result highlights the importance of considering chemistry in dynamics studies of massive star-forming regions. The fact that the IRDCs show the highest blue excess in both transitions indicates that the most active inflow occurs in the early phase of star formation, i.e., in the IRDC phase rather than in the later phases. However, mass is still inflowing onto some UCHIIs. We also find that the absorption dips of the HNC spectra in six out of seven blue sources are redshifted relative to their systemic velocities. These redshifted absorption dips may indicate global collapse candidates, although mapping observations with better resolution are needed to examine this feature in more detail.« less

Effect of surface energy on powder compactibility.

PubMed

Fichtner, Frauke; Mahlin, Denny; Welch, Ken; Gaisford, Simon; Alderborn, Göran

2008-12-01

The influence of surface energy on the compactibility of lactose particles has been investigated. Three powders were prepared by spray drying lactose solutions without or with low proportions of the surfactant polysorbate 80. Various powder and tablet characterisation procedures were applied. The surface energy of the powders was characterized by Inverse Gas Chromatography and the compressibility of the powders was described by the relationship between tablet porosity and compression pressure. The compactibility of the powders was analyzed by studying the evolution of tablet tensile strength with increasing compaction pressure and porosity. All powders were amorphous and similar in particle size, shape, and surface area. The compressibility of the powders and the microstructure of the formed tablets were equal. However, the compactibility and dispersive surface energy was dependent of the composition of the powders. The decrease in tablet strength correlated to the decrease in powder surface energy at constant tablet porosities. This supports the idea that tablet strength is controlled by formation of intermolecular forces over the areas of contact between the particles and that the strength of these bonding forces is controlled by surface energy which, in turn, can be altered by the presence of surfactants.

X-Ray Polarization from High Mass X-Ray Binaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kallman, T.; Dorodnitsyn, A.; Blondin, J.

2015-01-01

X-ray astronomy allows study of objects which may be associated with compact objects, i.e. neutron stars or black holes, and also may contain strong magnetic fields. Such objects are categorically non-spherical, and likely non-circular when projected on the sky. Polarization allows study of such geometric effects, and X-ray polarimetry is likely to become feasible for a significant number of sources in the future. A class of potential targets for future X-ray polarization observations is the high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs), which consist of a compact object in orbit with an early type star. In this paper we show that X-ray polarization from HMXBs has a distinct signature which depends on the source inclination and orbital phase. The presence of the X-ray source displaced from the star creates linear polarization even if the primary wind is spherically symmetric whenever the system is viewed away from conjunction. Direct X-rays dilute this polarization whenever the X-ray source is not eclipsed; at mid-eclipse the net polarization is expected to be small or zero if the wind is circularly symmetric around the line of centers. Resonance line scattering increases the scattering fraction, often by large factors, over the energy band spanned by resonance lines. Real winds are not expected to be spherically symmetric, or circularly symmetric around the line of centers, owing to the combined effects of the compact object gravity and ionization on the wind hydrodynamics. A sample calculation shows that this creates polarization fractions ranging up to tens of percent at mid-eclipse.

Mapping the Properties of Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies by Means of Integral Field Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cairós, L. M.; Caon, N.; Weilbacher, P.; Papaderos, P.; García-Lorenzo, B.

Blue Compact Dwarf (BCD) galaxies are metal-poor and gas-rich systems undergoing intense, spatially extended star-forming activity. These galaxies offer a unique opportunity to investigate dwarf galaxy formation and evolution, and probe violent star formation and its implications on the chemical, dynamical and structural properties of low-mass extragalactic systems near and far. Several fundamental questions in BCD research, such as their star formation histories and the mechanisms that control their cyclic starburst activity, are still far from well understood. In order to improve our understanding on BCD evolution, we are carrying out a comprehensive Integral Field Spectroscopic (IFS) survey of a large sample of BCDs. Integral Field Unit (IFU) spectroscopy provides simultaneously spectral and spatial information, allowing, in just one shot, to study the morphology and evolutionary status of the stellar component, and the physical properties of the warm interstellar medium (e.g., extinction, chemical abundances, kinematics). This ongoing IFS survey will supply much needed local templates that will ease the interpretation of IFS data for intermediate and high-redshift star-forming galaxies.

Development of a repetitive compact torus injector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onchi, Takumi; McColl, David; Dreval, Mykola; Rohollahi, Akbar; Xiao, Chijin; Hirose, Akira; Zushi, Hideki

2013-10-01

A system for Repetitive Compact Torus Injection (RCTI) has been developed at the University of Saskatchewan. CTI is a promising fuelling technology to directly fuel the core region of tokamak reactors. In addition to fuelling, CTI has also the potential for (a) optimization of density profile and thus bootstrap current and (b) momentum injection. For steady-state reactor operation, RCTI is necessary. The approach to RCTI is to charge a storage capacitor bank with a large capacitance and quickly charge the CT capacitor bank through a stack of integrated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). When the CT bank is fully charged, the IGBT stack will be turned off to isolate banks, and CT formation/acceleration sequence will start. After formation of each CT, the fast bank will be replenished and a new CT will be formed and accelerated. Circuits for the formation and the acceleration in University of Saskatchewan CT Injector (USCTI) have been modified. Three CT shots at 10 Hz or eight shots at 1.7 Hz have been achieved. This work has been sponsored by the CRC and NSERC, Canada.

Blue compact dwarf galaxies. II - Near-infrared studies and stellar populations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thuan, T. X.

1983-01-01

An IR photometric survey was performed of 36 blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDG) where intense bursts of star formation have been observed. The survey covered the J, H, and K lines, with all readings taken at the level of a few mJy. Although the near-IR fluxes observed in the galaxies are due to K and M giants, the bursts have calculated ages of less than 50 million yr. However, the BCDG galaxies surveyed are not young, with the least chemically evolved galaxy observed, I Zw 18, featuring 50 pct of its stars formed prior to its last burst, but with a missing mass that is not accounted for by H I interferometric observations. It is concluded that the old stars must be more spatially extended than the young stars, and a mixture of OB stars with the K and M giants is projected as capable of displaying the colors observed. The star formation processes in the BCDG galaxies is defined as dependent on the total mass of the galaxies, with low mass galaxies having a high ratio of star formation, compared to their previous rates.

Conduction Channel Formation and Dissolution Due to Oxygen Thermophoresis/Diffusion in Hafnium Oxide Memristors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumar, Suhas; Wang, Ziwen; Huang, Xiaopeng

Due to the favorable operating power, endurance, speed, and density., transition-metal-oxide memristors, or resistive random-access memory (RRAM) switches, are under intense development for storage-class memory. Their commercial deployment critically depends on predictive compact models based on understanding nanoscale physiocochemical forces, which remains elusive and controversial owing to the difficulties in directly observing atomic motions during resistive switching, Here, using scanning transmission synchrotron X-ray spectromicroscopy to study in situ switching of hafnium oxide memristors, we directly observed the formation of a localized oxygen-deficiency-derived conductive channel surrounded by a low-conductivity ring of excess oxygen. Subsequent thermal annealing homogenized the segregated oxygen, resettingmore » the cells toward their as-grown resistance state. We show that the formation and dissolution of the conduction channel are successfully modeled by radial thermophoresis and Fick diffusion of oxygen atoms driven by Joule heating. This confirmation and quantification of two opposing nanoscale radial forces that affect bipolar memristor switching are important components for any future physics-based compact model for the electronic switching of these devices.« less

Pairs of Asteroids Probably of a Common Origin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vokrouhlický, David; Nesvorný, David

2008-07-01

We report the first observational evidence for pairs of main-belt asteroids with bodies in each pair having nearly identical orbits. The existence of ~60 pairs identified here cannot be reconciled with random fluctuations of the asteroid orbit density and rather suggests a common origin of the paired objects. We propose that the identified pairs formed by (i) collisional disruptions of km-sized and larger parent asteroids, (ii) Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievski-Paddack (YORP)-induced spin-up and rotational fission of fast-rotating objects, and/or (iii) splitting of unstable asteroid binaries. In case (i), the pairs would be parts of compact collisional families with many km- and sub-km-size members that should be found by future asteroid surveys. Our dynamical analysis suggests that most identified pairs formed within the past lsim1 Myr, in several cases even much more recently. For example, paired asteroids (6070) Rheinland and (54827) 2001 NQ8 probably separated from their common ancestor only 16.5-19 kyr ago. Given their putatively very recent formation, the identified objects are prime candidates for astronomical observations. The title paraphrases that of Hirayama's 1918 paper "Groups of asteroids probably of a common origin," where the first evidence was given for groups of asteroid fragments produced by disruptive collisions.

The Constant Average Relationship Between Dust-obscured Star Formation and Stellar Mass from z=0 to z=2.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitaker, Katherine E.; Pope, Alexandra; Cybulski, Ryan; Casey, Caitlin M.; Popping, Gergo; Yun, Min; 3D-HST Collaboration

2018-01-01

The total star formation budget of galaxies consists of the sum of the unobscured star formation, as observed in the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV), together with the obscured component that is absorbed and re-radiated by dust grains in the infrared. We explore how the fraction of obscured star formation depends (SFR) and stellar mass for mass-complete samples of galaxies at 0 < z < 2.5. We combine GALEX and WISE photometry for SDSS-selected galaxies with the 3D-HST treasury program and Spitzer/MIPS 24μm photometry in the well-studied 5 extragalactic CANDELS fields. We find a strong dependence of the fraction of obscured star formation (f_obscured=SFR_IR/SFR_UV+IR) on stellar mass, with remarkably little evolution in this fraction with redshift out to z=2.5. 50% of star formation is obscured for galaxies with log(M/M⊙)=9.4 although unobscured star formation dominates the budget at lower masses, there exists a tail of low mass extremely obscured star-forming galaxies at z > 1. For log(M/M⊙)>10.5, >90% of star formation is obscured at all redshifts. We also show that at fixed total SFR, f_obscured is lower at higher redshift. At fixed mass, high-redshift galaxies are observed to have more compact sizes and much higher star formation rates, gas fractions and hence surface densities (implying higher dust obscuration), yet we observe no redshift evolution in f_obscured with stellar mass. This poses a challenge to theoretical models to reproduce, where the observed compact sizes at high redshift seem in tension with lower dust obscuration.

The Constant Average Relationship between Dust-obscured Star Formation and Stellar Mass from z = 0 to z = 2.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitaker, Katherine E.; Pope, Alexandra; Cybulski, Ryan; Casey, Caitlin M.; Popping, Gergö; Yun, Min S.

2017-12-01

The total star formation budget of galaxies consists of the sum of the unobscured star formation, as observed in the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV), together with the obscured component that is absorbed and re-radiated by dust grains in the infrared. We explore how the fraction of obscured star formation depends on stellar mass for mass-complete samples of galaxies at 0< z< 2.5. We combine GALEX and WISE photometry for SDSS-selected galaxies with the 3D-HST treasury program and Spitzer/MIPS 24 μm photometry in the well-studied five extragalactic Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) fields. We find a strong dependence of the fraction of obscured star formation (f obscured = SFRIR/SFRUV+IR) on stellar mass, with remarkably little evolution in this fraction with redshift out to z = 2.5. 50% of star formation is obscured for galaxies with log(M/M ⊙) = 9.4 although unobscured star formation dominates the budget at lower masses, there exists a tail of low-mass, extremely obscured star-forming galaxies at z> 1. For log(M/M ⊙) > 10.5, >90% of star formation is obscured at all redshifts. We also show that at fixed total SFR, {f}{obscured} is lower at higher redshift. At fixed mass, high-redshift galaxies are observed to have more compact sizes and much higher star formation rates, gas fractions, and hence surface densities (implying higher dust obscuration), yet we observe no redshift evolution in {f}{obscured} with stellar mass. This poses a challenge to theoretical models, where the observed compact sizes at high redshift seem in tension with lower dust obscuration.

Extended X-ray emission in PKS 1718-649

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beuchert, T.; Rodríguez-Ardila, A.; Moss, V. A.; Schulz, R.; Kadler, M.; Wilms, J.; Angioni, R.; Callingham, J. R.; Gräfe, C.; Krauß, F.; Kreikenbohm, A.; Langejahn, M.; Leiter, K.; Maccagni, F. M.; Müller, C.; Ojha, R.; Ros, E.; Tingay, S. J.

2018-04-01

PKS 1718-649 is one of the closest and most comprehensively studied candidates of a young active galactic nucleus (AGN) that is still embedded in its optical host galaxy. The compact radio structure, with a maximal extent of a few parsecs, makes it a member of the group of compact symmetric objects (CSO). Its environment imposes a turnover of the radio synchrotron spectrum towards lower frequencies, also classifying PKS 1718-649 as gigahertz-peaked radio spectrum (GPS) source. Its close proximity has allowed the first detection of extended X-ray emission in a GPS/CSO source with Chandra that is for the most part unrelated to nuclear feedback. However, not much is known about the nature of this emission. By co-adding all archival Chandra data and complementing these datasets with the large effective area of XMM-Newton, we are able to study the detailed physics of the environment of PKS 1718-649. Not only can we confirm that the bulk of the ≲kiloparsec-scale environment emits in the soft X-rays, but we also identify the emitting gas to form a hot, collisionally ionized medium. While the feedback of the central AGN still seems to be constrained to the inner few parsecs, we argue that supernovae are capable of producing the observed large-scale X-ray emission at a rate inferred from its estimated star formation rate.

X-ray microtomography analysis of soil structure deformation caused by centrifugation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlüter, Steffen; Leuther, Frederic; Vogler, Steffen; Vogel, Hans-Jörg

2016-04-01

Centrifugation provides a fast method to measure soil water retention curves over a wide moisture range. However, deformation of soil structure may occur at high angular velocities in the centrifuge. The objective of this study was to capture these changes in soil structure with X-ray microtomography and to measure local deformations via digital volume correlation. Two samples were investigated that differ in texture and rock content. A detailed analysis of the pore space reveals an interplay between shrinkage due to drying and soil compaction due to compression. Macroporosity increases at moderate angular velocity because of crack formation due to moisture release. At higher angular velocities, corresponding to capillary pressure of <-100kPa, macroporosity decreases again because of structure deformation due to compression. While volume changes due to swelling clay minerals are immanent to any drying process, the compaction of soil is a specific drawback of the centrifugation method. A new protocol for digital volume correlation was developed to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of deformation. In both samples the displacement of soil constituents is highest in the top part of the sample and exhibits high lateral variability explained by the spatial distribution of macropores in the sample. Centrifugation should therefore only be applied after the completion of all other hydraulic or thermal experiments, or any other analysis that depends on the integrity of soil structure.

X-ray microtomography analysis of soil structure deformation caused by centrifugation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlüter, S.; Leuther, F.; Vogler, S.; Vogel, H.-J.

2016-01-01

Centrifugation provides a fast method to measure soil water retention curves over a wide moisture range. However, deformation of soil structure may occur at high angular velocities in the centrifuge. The objective of this study was to capture these changes in soil structure with X-ray microtomography and to measure local deformations via digital volume correlation. Two samples were investigated that differ in texture and rock content. A detailed analysis of the pore space reveals an interplay between shrinkage due to drying and soil compaction due to compression. Macroporosity increases at moderate angular velocity because of crack formation due to moisture release. At higher angular velocities, corresponding to capillary pressure of ψ < -100 kPa, macroporosity decreases again because of structure deformation due to compression. While volume changes due to swelling clay minerals are immanent in any drying process, the compaction of soil is a specific drawback of the centrifugation method. A new protocol for digital volume correlation was developed to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of deformation. In both samples the displacement of soil constituents is highest in the top part of the sample and exhibits high lateral variability explained by the spatial distribution of macropores in the sample. Centrifugation should therefore only be applied after the completion of all other hydraulic or thermal experiments, or any other analysis that depends on the integrity of soil structure.

Understanding the Milky Way Halo through Large Surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koposov, Sergey

This thesis presents an extensive study of stellar substructure in the outskirts of the Milky Way(MW), combining data mining of SDSS with theoretical modeling. Such substructure, either bound star clusters and satellite galaxies, or tidally disrupted objects forming stellar streams are powerful diagnostics of the Milky Way's dynamics and formation history. I have developed an algorithmic technique of searching for stellar overdensities in the MW halo, based on SDSS catalogs. This led to the discovery of unusual ultra-faint ~ (1000Lsun) globular clusters with very compact sizes and relaxation times << t_Hubble. The detailed analysis of a known stellar stream (GD-1), allowed me to make the first 6-D phase space map for such an object along 60 degrees on the sky. By modeling the stream's orbit I could place strong constraints on the Galactic potential, e.g. Vcirc(R0)= 224+/-13 km/s. The application of the algorithmic search for stellar overdensities to the SDSS dataset and to mock datasets allowed me to quantify SDSS's severe radial incompleteness in its search for ultra-faint dwarf galaxies and to determine the luminosity function of MW satellites down to luminosities of M_V ~ -3. I used the semi-analytical model in order to compare the CDM model predictions for the MW satellite population with the observations; this comparison has shown that the recently increased census of MW satellites, better understanding of the radial incompleteness and the suppression of star formation after the reionization can fully solve the "Missing satellite problem".

The Origins of the Ultra Compact Dwarfs in the halos of the central cluster galaxies in Fornax and Virgo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voggel, Karina Theresia

2015-08-01

Ultra-Compact Dwarf Galaxies (UCDs) have filled the size gap (10-100pc) in the scaling relations of early-type stellar systems. Before their discovery, no objects were known in the parameter space between globular clusters (GCs) and dwarf galaxies. The nature of UCDs is widely debated. Two formation channels have been suggested: either UCDs are surviving nuclei of tidally stripped dwarf galaxies, or they constitute the high mass end of the GC population. In this work we establish new strategies to constrain the formation channel of UCDs, looking for the observational signatures of stripped nuclei.Before falling into a galaxy cluster dwarf galaxies initially host their own GC system. Through tidal interaction the GCs outside of the shrinking tidal radius are lost and disperse in the general GC population of the cluster, whereas GCs inside the tidal radius remain bound to the dwarf galaxy. Therefore, we expect to find some GCs close to the stripped nuclei that have not been removed yet, but dragged towards the nucleus via dynamical friction.We tested this prediction in the halo of NGC 1399, the central Fornax cluster galaxy, where we find a local overabundance of GCs on scales of 0.5 to 1 kpc around UCDs. A similar analysis of GC overdensities around UCDs in the halo of M87, the central Virgo cluster galaxy, is ongoing. Such a clustering signal of GCs around UCDs could be a hint that these UCDs formed as nuclei, and what we see is the remnant GC population of the ancestor galaxy.We also have studied the detailed structural composition of ~100 UCDs in the halo of NGC 1399 by analyzing their surface brightness profiles. We present new evidence for faint asymmetric structures and tidal tails around several UCDs, possible tracers for the assembly history of the central cluster galaxy. With new numbers on the abundance of tidal features and close GC companions within large UCD samples, the contribution of each formation channel to the GC/UCD populations in galaxy halos can be constrained.

Development of Discrete Compaction Bands in Two Porous Sandstones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tembe, S.; Baud, P.; Wong, T.

2003-12-01

Compaction band formation has been documented by recent field and laboratory studies as a localized failure mode occurring in porous sandstones. The coupling of compaction and localization may significantly alter the stress field and strain partitioning, and act as barriers within reservoirs. Two end-members of this failure mode that develop subperpendicular to the maximum principal stress have been identified: numerous discrete compaction bands with a thickness of only several grains, or a few diffuse bands that are significantly thicker. Much of what is known about discrete compaction bands derives from laboratory experiments performed on the relatively homogeneous Bentheim sandstone with 23% porosity. In this study we observe similar compaction localization behavior in the Diemelstadt sandstone, that has an initial porosity of 24.4% and a modal composition of 68% quartz, 26% feldspar, 4% oxides, and 2% micas. CT scans of the Diemelstadt sandstone indicate bedding corresponding to low porosity laminae. Saturated samples cored perpendicular to bedding were deformed at room temperature under drained conditions at a constant pore pressure of 10 MPa and a confining pressure range of 20-175 MPa. Acoustic emission activity and pore volume change were recorded continuously. Samples were deformed to axial strains of 1-4% and recovered from the triaxial cell for microstructural analysis. The mechanical data map the transition in failure mode from brittle faulting to compactive cataclastic flow. The brittle regime occurred at effective pressures up to 40 MPa, associated with failure by conjugate shear bands. At an effective pressure range of 60-175 MPa strain hardening and shear-enhanced compaction were accompanied by the development of discrete compaction bands, that was manifested by episodic surges of acoustic emission. Preliminary microstructural observations of the failed samples suggest that bedding influenced the band orientations which varies between 75-90\\deg relative to the maximum principle stress. Our study demonstrates that despite their different mineralogy, failure modes and development of the compaction localization are similar in the Diemelstadt and Benthiem sandstones.

Mutations in genes encoding condensin complex proteins cause microcephaly through decatenation failure at mitosis

PubMed Central

Martin, Carol-Anne; Murray, Jennie E.; Carroll, Paula; Leitch, Andrea; Mackenzie, Karen J.; Halachev, Mihail; Fetit, Ahmed E.; Keith, Charlotte; Bicknell, Louise S.; Fluteau, Adeline; Gautier, Philippe; Hall, Emma A.; Joss, Shelagh; Soares, Gabriela; Silva, João; Bober, Michael B.; Duker, Angela; Wise, Carol A.; Quigley, Alan J.; Phadke, Shubha R.; Wood, Andrew J.; Vagnarelli, Paola; Jackson, Andrew P.

2016-01-01

Compaction of chromosomes is essential for accurate segregation of the genome during mitosis. In vertebrates, two condensin complexes ensure timely chromosome condensation, sister chromatid disentanglement, and maintenance of mitotic chromosome structure. Here, we report that biallelic mutations in NCAPD2, NCAPH, or NCAPD3, encoding subunits of these complexes, cause microcephaly. In addition, hypomorphic Ncaph2 mice have significantly reduced brain size, with frequent anaphase chromatin bridge formation observed in apical neural progenitors during neurogenesis. Such DNA bridges also arise in condensin-deficient patient cells, where they are the consequence of failed sister chromatid disentanglement during chromosome compaction. This results in chromosome segregation errors, leading to micronucleus formation and increased aneuploidy in daughter cells. These findings establish “condensinopathies” as microcephalic disorders, with decatenation failure as an additional disease mechanism for microcephaly, implicating mitotic chromosome condensation as a key process ensuring mammalian cerebral cortex size. PMID:27737959

Chromatin organization regulates viral egress dynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aho, Vesa; Myllys, Markko; Ruokolainen, Visa

Various types of DNA viruses are known to elicit the formation of a large nuclear viral replication compartment and marginalization of the cell chromatin. We used three-dimensional soft x-ray tomography, confocal and electron microscopy, combined with numerical modelling of capsid diffusion to analyse the molecular organization of chromatin in herpes simplex virus 1 infection and its effect on the transport of progeny viral capsids to the nuclear envelope. Our data showed that the formation of the viral replication compartment at late infection resulted in the enrichment of heterochromatin in the nuclear periphery accompanied by the compaction of chromatin. Random walkmore » modelling of herpes simplex virus 1–sized particles in a three-dimensional soft x-ray tomography reconstruction of an infected cell nucleus demonstrated that the peripheral, compacted chromatin restricts viral capsid diffusion, but due to interchromatin channels capsids are able to reach the nuclear envelope, the site of their nuclear egress.« less

Silicon nitride-aluminum oxide solid solution (SiAION) formation and densification by pressure sintering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeh, H. C.; Sanders, W. A.; Fiyalko, J. L.

1975-01-01

Stirred-ball-mill-blended Si3N4 and Al2O3 powders were pressure sintered in order to investigate the mechanism of solid solution formation and densification in the Si3N4-Al2O3 system. Powder blends with Si3N4:Al2O3 mole ratios of 4:1, 3:2, and 2:3 were pressure sintered at 27.6-MN/sq m pressure at temperatures to 17000 C (3090 F). The compaction behavior of the powder blends during pressure sintering was determined by observing the density of the powder compact as a function of temperature and time starting from room temperature. This information, combined with the results of X-ray diffraction and metallographic analyses regarding solutioning and phase transformation phenomena in the Si3N4-Al2O3 system, was used to describe the densification behavior.

Chemical Reactions in the Processing of Mosi2 + Carbon Compacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, Nathan S.; Lee, Kang N.; Maloy, Stuart A.; Heuer, Arthur H.

1993-01-01

Hot-pressing of MoSi2 powders with carbon at high temperatures reduces the siliceous grain boundary phase in the resultant compact. The chemical reactions in this process were examined using the Knudsen cell technique. A 2.3 wt pct oxygen MoSi2 powder and a 0.59 wt pct oxygen MoSi2 powder, both with additions of 2 wt pct carbon, were examined. The reduction of the siliceous grain boundary phase was examined at 1350 K and the resultant P(SiO)/P(CO) ratios interpreted in terms of the SiO(g) and CO(g) isobars on the Si-C-O predominance diagram. The MoSi2 + carbon mixtures were then heated at the hot-pressing temperature of 2100 K. Large weight losses were observed and could be correlated with the formation of a low-melting eutectic and the formation and vaporization of SiC.

Sequential Notch activation regulates ventricular chamber development

PubMed Central

D'Amato, Gaetano; Luxán, Guillermo; del Monte-Nieto, Gonzalo; Martínez-Poveda, Beatriz; Torroja, Carlos; Walter, Wencke; Bochter, Matthew S.; Benedito, Rui; Cole, Susan; Martinez, Fernando; Hadjantonakis, Anna-Katerina; Uemura, Akiyoshi; Jiménez-Borreguero, Luis J.; de la Pompa, José Luis

2016-01-01

Ventricular chambers are essential for the rhythmic contraction and relaxation occurring in every heartbeat throughout life. Congenital abnormalities in ventricular chamber formation cause severe human heart defects. How the early trabecular meshwork of myocardial fibres forms and subsequently develops into mature chambers is poorly understood. We show that Notch signalling first connects chamber endocardium and myocardium to sustain trabeculation, and later coordinates ventricular patterning and compaction with coronary vessel development to generate the mature chamber, through a temporal sequence of ligand signalling determined by the glycosyltransferase manic fringe (MFng). Early endocardial expression of MFng promotes Dll4–Notch1 signalling, which induces trabeculation in the developing ventricle. Ventricular maturation and compaction require MFng and Dll4 downregulation in the endocardium, which allows myocardial Jag1 and Jag2 signalling to Notch1 in this tissue. Perturbation of this signalling equilibrium severely disrupts heart chamber formation. Our results open a new research avenue into the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathies. PMID:26641715

Chromatin organization regulates viral egress dynamics

DOE PAGES

Aho, Vesa; Myllys, Markko; Ruokolainen, Visa; ...

2017-06-16

Various types of DNA viruses are known to elicit the formation of a large nuclear viral replication compartment and marginalization of the cell chromatin. We used three-dimensional soft x-ray tomography, confocal and electron microscopy, combined with numerical modelling of capsid diffusion to analyse the molecular organization of chromatin in herpes simplex virus 1 infection and its effect on the transport of progeny viral capsids to the nuclear envelope. Our data showed that the formation of the viral replication compartment at late infection resulted in the enrichment of heterochromatin in the nuclear periphery accompanied by the compaction of chromatin. Random walkmore » modelling of herpes simplex virus 1–sized particles in a three-dimensional soft x-ray tomography reconstruction of an infected cell nucleus demonstrated that the peripheral, compacted chromatin restricts viral capsid diffusion, but due to interchromatin channels capsids are able to reach the nuclear envelope, the site of their nuclear egress.« less

A Chandra X-Ray Study of NGC 1068 IL the Luminous X-Ray Source Population

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, David A.; Wilson, Andrew S.

2003-01-01

We present an analysis of the compact X-ray source population in the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068, imaged with a approx. 50 ks Chandra observation. We find a total of 84 compact sources on the S3 chip, of which 66 are located within the 25.0 B-mag/arcsec isophote of the galactic disk of NGC 1068. Spectra have been obtained for the 21 sources with at least 50 counts and modeled with both multicolor disk blackbody and power-law models. The power-law model provides the better description of the spectrum for 18 of these sources. For fainter sources, the spectral index has been estimated from the hardness ratio. Five sources have 0.4 - 8 keV intrinsic luminosities greater than 10(exp 39)ergs/ s, assuming that their emission is isotropic and that they are associated with NGC 1068. We refer to these sources as intermediate-luminosity X-ray objects (ISOs). If these five sources are X-ray binaries accreting with luminosities that are both sub-Eddington and isotropic, then the implied source masses are approx greater than 7 solar mass, and so they are inferred to be black holes. Most of the spectrally modeled sources have spectral shapes similar to Galactic black hole candidates. However, the brightest compact source in NGC 1068 has a spectrum that is much harder than that found in Galactic black hole candidates and other ISOs. The brightest source also shows large amplitude variability on both short-term and long-term timescales, with the count rate possibly decreasing by a factor of 2 in approx. 2 ks during our Chundra observation, and the source flux decreasing by a factor of 5 between our observation and the grating observations taken just over 9 months later. The ratio of the number of sources with luminosities greater than 2.1 x 10(exp 38) ergs/s in the 0.4 - 8 keV band to the rate of massive (greater than 5 solar mass) star formation is the same, to within a factor of 2, for NGC 1068, the Antennae, NGC 5194 (the main galaxy in M51), and the Circinus galaxy. This suggests that the rate of production of X-ray binaries per massive star is approximately the same for galaxies with currently active star formation, including "starbursts."

Nucleus-acoustic Solitons in Self-gravitating Magnetized Quantum Plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saaduzzaman, Dewan Mohammad; Amina, Moriom; Mamun, Abdullah Al

2018-03-01

The basic properties of the nucleus-acoustic (NA) solitary waves (SWs) are investigated in a super-dense self-gravitating magnetized quantum plasma (SDSGMQP) system in the presence of an external magnetic field, whose constituents are the non-degenerate light as well as heavy nuclei, and non-/ultra-relativistically degenerate electrons. The Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation has been derived by employing the reductive perturbation method. The NA SWs are formed with negative (positive) electrostatic (self-gravitational) potential. It is also observed that the effects of non-/ultra-relativistically degenerate electron pressure and the obliqueness of the external magnetic field significantly change the basic properties (e.g., amplitude, width, and speed) of NA SWs. The implications of the findings of our present investigation in explaining the physics behind the formation of the NA SWs in astrophysical compact objects like neutron stars are briefly discussed.

Constraints on baryonic dark matter in the Galactic halo and Local Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richstone, Douglas; Gould, Andrew; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Flynn, Chris

1992-01-01

A four-color method and deep CCD data are used to search for very faint metal-poor stars in the direction of the south Galactic pole. The results make it possible to limit the contribution of ordinary old, metal-poor stars to the dynamical halo of the Galaxy or to the Local Group. The ratio of the mass of the halo to its ordinary starlight must be more than about 2000, unless the halo is very small. For the Local Group, this ratio is greater than about 400. If this local dark matter is baryonic, the process of compact-object formation must produce very few 'impurities' in the form of stars similar to those found in globular clusters. The expected number of unbound stars with MV not greater than 6 within 100 pc of the sun is less than 1 based on the present 90-percent upper limit to the Local Group starlight.

Ionized Gas Kinematics at High Resolution. IV. Star Formation and a Rotating Core in the Medusa (NGC 4194)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, Sara C.; Lacy, John; Neff, Susan Gale; Turner, Jean; Greathouse, Thomas; Neff, Susan

2014-01-01

NGC 4194 is a post-merger starburst known as The Medusa for its striking tidal features.We present here a detailed study of the structure and kinematics of ionized gas in the central 0.65 kpc of the Medusa. The data include radio continuum maps with resolution up to 0".18 (35 pc) and a 12.8 micron [Ne II] data cube with spectral resolution approx. 4 km/s: the first high-resolution, extinction-free observations of this remarkable object. The ionized gas has the kinematic signature of a core in solid-body rotation. The starburst has formed a complex of bright compact H II regions, probably excited by deeply embedded super star clusters, but none of these sources is a convincing candidate for a Galactic nucleus. The nuclei of the merger partners that created the Medusa have not yet been identified.

Strange quark matter fragmentation in astrophysical events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paulucci, L.; Horvath, J. E.

2014-06-01

The conjecture of Bodmer-Witten-Terazawa suggesting a form of quark matter (Strange Quark Matter) as the ground state of hadronic interactions has been studied in laboratory and astrophysical contexts by a large number of authors. If strange stars exist, some violent events involving these compact objects, such as mergers and even their formation process, might eject some strange matter into the interstellar medium that could be detected as a trace signal in the cosmic ray flux. To evaluate this possibility, it is necessary to understand how this matter in bulk would fragment in the form of strangelets (small lumps of strange quark matter in which finite effects become important). We calculate the mass distribution outcome using the statistical multifragmentation model and point out several caveats affecting it. In particular, the possibility that strangelets fragmentation will render a tiny fraction of contamination in the cosmic ray flux is discussed.

The Southern HII Region Discovery Survey: Preliminary Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shea, Jeanine; Wenger, Trey; Balser, Dana S.; Anderson, Loren D.; Armentrout, William P.; Bania, Thomas M.; Dawson, Joanne; Miller Dickey, John; Jordan, Christopher; McClure-Griffiths, Naomi M.

2017-01-01

HII regions are some of the brightest sources at radio frequencies in the Milky Way and are the sites of massive O and B-type star formation. They have relatively short (< 10 Myr) lifetimes compared to other Galactic objects and therefore reveal information about spiral structure and the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. The HII Region Discovery Surveys (HRDS) discovered about 800 new HII regions in the Galactic longitude range -20 degrees to 270 degrees using primarily the Green Bank Telescope. Candidate HII regions were selected from mid-infrared emission coincident with radio continuum emission, and confirmed as HII regions by the detection of radio recombination lines. Here we discuss the Southern HII Region Discovery Survey (SHRDS), a continuation of the HRDS using the Australia Telescope Compact Array over the Galactic longitude range 230 to 360 degrees. We have reduced and analyzed a small sub-set of the SHRDS sources and discuss preliminary results, including kinematic distances and metallicities.

The road to Earth twins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayor, M.; Lovis, C.; Pepe, F.; Ségransan, D.; Udry, S.

2011-06-01

A rich population of low-mass planets orbiting solar-type stars on tight orbits has been detected by Doppler spectroscopy. These planets have masses in the domain of super-Earths and Neptune-type objects, and periods less than 100 days. In numerous cases these planets are part of very compact multiplanetary systems. Up to seven planets have been discovered orbiting one single star. These low-mass planets have been detected by the HARPS spectrograph around 30% of solar-type stars. This very high occurrence rate has been recently confirmed by the results of the Kepler planetary transit space mission. The large number of planets of this kind allows us to attempt a first characterization of their statistical properties, which in turn represent constraints to understand the formation process of these systems. The achieved progress in the sensitivity and stability of spectrographs have already led to the discovery of planets with masses as small as 1.5 M⊕. Karl Schwarzschild Award Lecture 2010

Safety of a new compact male intermittent catheter: randomized, cross-over, single-blind study in healthy male volunteers.

PubMed

Bagi, Per; Hannibalsen, Jane; Permild, Rikke; Stilling, Sine; Looms, Dagnia K

2011-01-01

A new compact male intermittent catheter was compared with a regular intermittent male catheter in terms of safety and acceptability. In this randomized, single-blind, cross-over study, healthy male volunteers were catheterized twice with a compact catheter and twice with a regular catheter. 28 participants were enrolled. Mean ± SD discomfort (visual analogue scale; primary objective) was 2.25 ± 1.5 and 2.52 ± 1.8 for the compact and regular catheters, respectively (difference -0.27; 95% confidence interval -0.73 to 0.19); there was no significant difference in hematuria (p = 0.54) or discomfort/stinging/pain at first micturition (p = 0.56). During insertion, handling was easier (p = 0.0001) and touching the coating was necessary less often (2.2 vs. 81.3% of catheterizations; p < 0.0001) with the compact catheter; it was preferred by nurses for 20 of 23 participants. No adverse events were reported. Short-term safety of the new compact catheter was at least as good as that of the regular male intermittent catheter and handling was improved. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Time-resolved tomography using acoustic emissions in the laboratory, and application to sandstone compaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brantut, Nicolas

2018-02-01

Acoustic emission and active ultrasonic wave velocity monitoring are often performed during laboratory rock deformation experiments, but are typically processed separately to yield homogenised wave velocity measurements and approximate source locations. Here I present a numerical method and its implementation in a free software to perform a joint inversion of acoustic emission locations together with the three-dimensional, anisotropic P-wave structure of laboratory samples. The data used are the P-wave first arrivals obtained from acoustic emissions and active ultrasonic measurements. The model parameters are the source locations and the P-wave velocity and anisotropy parameter (assuming transverse isotropy) at discrete points in the material. The forward problem is solved using the fast marching method, and the inverse problem is solved by the quasi-Newton method. The algorithms are implemented within an integrated free software package called FaATSO (Fast Marching Acoustic Emission Tomography using Standard Optimisation). The code is employed to study the formation of compaction bands in a porous sandstone. During deformation, a front of acoustic emissions progresses from one end of the sample, associated with the formation of a sequence of horizontal compaction bands. Behind the active front, only sparse acoustic emissions are observed, but the tomography reveals that the P-wave velocity has dropped by up to 15%, with an increase in anisotropy of up to 20%. Compaction bands in sandstones are therefore shown to produce sharp changes in seismic properties. This result highlights the potential of the methodology to image temporal variations of elastic properties in complex geomaterials, including the dramatic, localised changes associated with microcracking and damage generation.

Factor XIII stiffens fibrin clots by causing fiber compaction.

PubMed

Kurniawan, N A; Grimbergen, J; Koopman, J; Koenderink, G H

2014-10-01

Factor XIII-induced cross-linking has long been associated with the ability of fibrin blood clots to resist mechanical deformation, but how FXIII can directly modulate clot stiffness is unknown. We hypothesized that FXIII affects the self-assembly of fibrin fibers by altering the lateral association between protofibrils. To test this hypothesis, we studied the cross-linking kinetics and the structural evolution of the fibers and clots during the formation of plasma-derived and recombinant fibrins by using light scattering, and the response of the clots to mechanical stresses by using rheology. We show that the lateral aggregation of fibrin protofibrils initially results in the formation of floppy fibril bundles, which then compact to form tight and more rigid fibers. The first stage is reflected in a fast (10 min) increase in clot stiffness, whereas the compaction phase is characterized by a slow (hours) development of clot stiffness. Inhibition of FXIII completely abrogates the slow compaction. FXIII strongly increases the linear elastic modulus of the clots, but does not affect the non-linear response at large deformations. We propose a multiscale structural model whereby FXIII-mediated cross-linking tightens the coupling between the protofibrils within a fibrin fiber, thus making the fiber stiffer and less porous. At small strains, fiber stiffening enhances clot stiffness, because the clot response is governed by the entropic elasticity of the fibers, but once the clot is sufficiently stressed, the modulus is independent of protofibril coupling, because clot stiffness is governed by individual protofibril stretching. © 2014 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

Caught in the Act: Gas and Stellar Velocity Dispersions in a Fast Quenching Compact Star-Forming Galaxy at z~1.7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barro, Guillermo; Faber, Sandra M.; Dekel, Avishai; Pacifici, Camilla; Pérez-González, Pablo G.; Toloba, Elisa; Koo, David C.; Trump, Jonathan R.; Inoue, Shigeki; Guo, Yicheng; Liu, Fengshan; Primack, Joel R.; Koekemoer, Anton M.; Brammer, Gabriel; Cava, Antonio; Cardiel, Nicolas; Ceverino, Daniel; Eliche, Carmen; Fang, Jerome J.; Finkelstein, Steven L.; Kocevski, Dale D.; Livermore, Rachael C.; McGrath, Elizabeth

2016-04-01

We present Keck I MOSFIRE spectroscopy in the Y and H bands of GDN-8231, a massive, compact, star-forming galaxy at a redshift of z ˜ 1.7. Its spectrum reveals both Hα and [N II] emission lines and strong Balmer absorption lines. The Hα and Spitzer MIPS 24 μm fluxes are both weak, thus indicating a low star-formation rate of SFR ≲ 5{--}10 {M}⊙ yr-1. This, added to a relatively young age of ˜700 Myr measured from the absorption lines, provides the first direct evidence for a distant galaxy being caught in the act of rapidly shutting down its star formation. Such quenching allows GDN-8231 to become a compact, quiescent galaxy, similar to three other galaxies in our sample, by z ˜ 1.5. Moreover, the color profile of GDN-8231 shows a bluer center, consistent with the predictions of recent simulations for an early phase of inside-out quenching. Its line-of-sight velocity dispersion for the gas, {σ }{{{LOS}}}{{gas}} = 127 ± 32 km s-1, is nearly 40% smaller than that of its stars, {σ }{{{LOS}}}\\star = 215 ± 35 km s-1. High-resolution hydro-simulations of galaxies explain such apparently colder gas kinematics of up to a factor of ˜1.5 with rotating disks being viewed at different inclinations and/or centrally concentrated star-forming regions. A clear prediction is that their compact, quiescent descendants preserve some remnant rotation from their star-forming progenitors.

Compact Starburst Galaxies with Fast Outflows: Spatially Resolved Stellar Mass Profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gottlieb, Sophia; Diamond-Stanic, Aleksandar; Lipscomb, Charles; Ohene, Senyo; Rines, Josh; Moustakas, John; Sell, Paul; Tremonti, Christy; Coil, Alison; Rudnick, Gregory; Hickox, Ryan C.; Geach, James; Kepley, Amanda

2018-01-01

Powerful galactic winds driven by stellar feedback and black hole accretion are thought to play an important role in regulating star formation in galaxies. In particular, strong stellar feedback from supernovae, stellar winds, radiation pressure, and cosmic rays is required by simulations of star-forming galaxies to prevent the vast majority of baryons from cooling and collapsing to form stars. However, it remains unclear whether these stellar processes play a significant role in expelling gas and shutting down star formation in massive progenitors of quiescent galaxies. What are the limits of stellar feedback? We present multi-band photometry with HST/WFC3 (F475W, F814W, F160W) for a dozen compact starburst galaxies at z~0.6 with half-light radii that suggest incredibly large central escape velocities. These massive galaxies are driving fast (>1000 km/s) outflows that have been previously attributed to stellar feedback associated with the compact (r~100 pc) starburst. But how compact is the stellar mass? In the context of the stellar feedback hypothesis, it is unclear whether these fast outflows are being driven at velocities comparable to the escape velocity of an incredibly dense stellar system (as predicted by some models of radiation-pressure winds) or at velocities that exceed the central escape velocity by large factor. Our spatially resolved measurements with HST show that the stellar mass is more extended than the light, and this requires that the physical mechanism responsible for driving the winds must be able to launch gas at velocities that are factors of 5-10 beyond the central escape velocity.

Physically detached 'compact groups'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hernquist, Lars; Katz, Neal; Weinberg, David H.

1995-01-01

A small fraction of galaxies appear to reside in dense compact groups, whose inferred crossing times are much shorter than a Hubble time. These short crossing times have led to considerable disagreement among researchers attempting to deduce the dynamical state of these systems. In this paper, we suggest that many of the observed groups are not physically bound but are chance projections of galaxies well separated along the line of sight. Unlike earlier similar proposals, ours does not require that the galaxies in the compact group be members of a more diffuse, but physically bound entity. The probability of physically separated galaxies projecting into an apparent compact group is nonnegligible if most galaxies are distributed in thin filaments. We illustrate this general point with a specific example: a simulation of a cold dark matter universe, in which hydrodynamic effects are included to identify galaxies. The simulated galaxy distribution is filamentary and end-on views of these filaments produce apparent galaxy associations that have sizes and velocity dispersions similar to those of observed compact groups. The frequency of such projections is sufficient, in principle, to explain the observed space density of groups in the Hickson catalog. We discuss the implications of our proposal for the formation and evolution of groups and elliptical galaxies. The proposal can be tested by using redshift-independent distance estimators to measure the line-of-sight spatial extent of nearby compact groups.

Shock-induced compaction of nanoparticle layers into nanostructured coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, Alexander E.; Ebel, Andrei A.

2017-10-01

A new process of shock wave consolidation of nanoparticles into a nanocrystalline coating is theoretically considered. In the proposed scheme, the nanoparticle layers, which are attached to the substrate surface by adhesion, are compacted by plane ultra-short shock waves coming from the substrate. The initial adhesion is self-arisen at any contact between the nanoparticles without a pre-compression. The absence of the nanoparticle ejections due to the shock wave action is connected with the strong adhesive forces, which allow nanoparticles to be attached to each other and to substrate while they are being compacted; this should be valid for small enough nanoparticles. Severe plastic deformation of the nanoparticles and the increased temperature due to collapse of voids between them facilitate their compaction into the monolithic nanocrystalline layer. We consider the examples of Cu and Ni nanoparticles on Al substrate using molecular dynamic simulations. We show the efficiency of the action of multiple shock waves with the duration in the range 2-20 ps and the amplitude in the range 4-12 GPa for sequential layerwise compaction of nanoparticles. A series of shock waves can be created by a repetitive powerful pulsed laser irradiation of the opposite surface of the substrate. The method offers the challenge for the formation of nanostructured coatings of various compositions. The thickness of the compacted nanocrystalline coating can be locally varied and controlled by the number of acting pulses.

Universal charge-radius relation for subatomic and astrophysical compact objects.

PubMed

Madsen, Jes

2008-04-18

Electron-positron pair creation in supercritical electric fields limits the net charge of any static, spherical object, such as superheavy nuclei, strangelets, and Q balls, or compact stars like neutron stars, quark stars, and black holes. For radii between 4 x 10(2) and 10(4) fm the upper bound on the net charge is given by the universal relation Z=0.71R(fm), and for larger radii (measured in femtometers or kilometers) Z=7 x 10(-5)R_(2)(fm)=7 x 10(31)R_(2)(km). For objects with nuclear density the relation corresponds to Z approximately 0.7A(1/3)( (10(8)10(12)), where A is the baryon number. For some systems this universal upper bound improves existing charge limits in the literature.

Exploring the universe through discovery science on NIF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remington, Bruce

2016-10-01

New regimes of science are being experimentally studied at high energy density facilities around the world, spanning drive energies from microjoules to megajoules, and time scales from femtoseconds to microseconds. The ability to shock and ramp compress samples to very high pressures and densities allows new states of matter relevant to planetary and stellar interiors to be studied. Shock driven hydrodynamic instabilities evolving into turbulent flows relevant to the dynamics of exploding stars (such as supernovae), accreting compact objects (such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes), and planetary formation dynamics are being probed. The dynamics of magnetized plasmas relevant to astrophysics, both in collisional and collisionless systems, are starting to be studied. High temperature, high velocity interacting flows are being probed for evidence of astrophysical collisionless shock formation, the turbulent magnetic dynamo effect, magnetic reconnection, and particle acceleration. And new results from thermonuclear reactions in hot dense plasmas relevant to stellar and big bang nucleosynthesis are starting to emerge. A selection of examples providing a compelling vision for frontier science on NIF in the coming decade will be presented. This work was performed under the auspices of U.S. DOE by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Exploring the universe through Discovery Science on NIF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remington, Bruce

2017-10-01

New regimes of science are being experimentally studied at high energy density facilities around the world, spanning drive energies from microjoules to megajoules, and time scales from femtoseconds to microseconds. The ability to shock and ramp compress samples to very high pressures and densities allows new states of matter relevant to planetary and stellar interiors to be studied. Shock driven hydrodynamic instabilities evolving into turbulent flows relevant to the dynamics of exploding stars (such as supernovae), accreting compact objects (such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes), and planetary formation dynamics (relevant to the exoplanets) are being probed. The dynamics of magnetized plasmas relevant to astrophysics, both in collisional and collisionless systems, are starting to be studied. High temperature, high velocity interacting flows are being probed for evidence of astrophysical collisionless shock formation, the turbulent magnetic dynamo effect, magnetic reconnection, and particle acceleration. And new results from thermonuclear reactions in hot dense plasmas relevant to stellar and big bang nucleosynthesis are starting to emerge. A selection of examples of frontier research through NIF Discovery Science in the coming decade will be presented. This work was performed under the auspices of U.S. DOE by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

A Pulsar Wind Nebula Model Applied to Short GRB 050724

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Wei-Li; Wang, Ling-Jun; Dai, Zi-Gao

2018-03-01

A subset of short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs) have been found to be characterized by near-infrared/optical bumps at ∼1 days, some of which exhibit almost concurrent X-ray flares. Although the near-infrared/optical bumps may be a signature of kilonovae, the X-ray flares are not consistent with kilonovae. It is widely believed that sGRBs are produced by the mergers of double compact objects, during which sub-relativistic ejecta are launched. In this paper, we propose that the above optical/X-ray features are indicative of the formation of long-lived magnetars following the mergers of double neutron stars. Observations and theoretical works imply that the spin-down power of the magnetars is injected into the ejecta as ultra-relativistic electron–positron pairs, i.e., pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe). Here, we suggest such a PWN model and find that the optical bump and X-ray flare observed in GRB 050724 can be well understood in this PWN model. We show that the optical bump and X-ray flare may have different origins. Our results strengthen the evidence for the formation of magnetars in double neutron star mergers and justify the validity of the PWN model.

Star Clusters within FIRE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, Adrianna; Moreno, Jorge; Naiman, Jill; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico; Hopkins, Philip F.

2017-01-01

In this work, we analyze the environments surrounding star clusters of simulated merging galaxies. Our framework employs Feedback In Realistic Environments (FIRE) model (Hopkins et al., 2014). The FIRE project is a high resolution cosmological simulation that resolves star forming regions and incorporates stellar feedback in a physically realistic way. The project focuses on analyzing the properties of the star clusters formed in merging galaxies. The locations of these star clusters are identified with astrodendro.py, a publicly available dendrogram algorithm. Once star cluster properties are extracted, they will be used to create a sub-grid (smaller than the resolution scale of FIRE) of gas confinement in these clusters. Then, we can examine how the star clusters interact with these available gas reservoirs (either by accreting this mass or blowing it out via feedback), which will determine many properties of the cluster (star formation history, compact object accretion, etc). These simulations will further our understanding of star formation within stellar clusters during galaxy evolution. In the future, we aim to enhance sub-grid prescriptions for feedback specific to processes within star clusters; such as, interaction with stellar winds and gas accretion onto black holes and neutron stars.

Antimatter in the universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolgov, A. D.

2011-03-01

The models leading to a high abundance of antimatter in the universe are discussed. Special attention is payed to the model of antimatter creation in the form of compact stellar-like objects. Such objects can contribute significantly to the cosmological dark matter. Observational signatures of antimatter in the Galaxy are discussed.

Antimatter in the universe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dolgov, A. D., E-mail: dolgov@itep.ru

2011-03-15

The models leading to a high abundance of antimatter in the universe are discussed. Special attention is payed to the model of antimatter creation in the form of compact stellar-like objects. Such objects can contribute significantly to the cosmological dark matter. Observational signatures of antimatter in the Galaxy are discussed.

The Coldest Discoveries of Backyard Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faherty, Jacqueline; Kuchner, Marc; Logsdon, Sarah; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella; Meisner, Aaron; Schneider, Adam; Gagne, Jonathan; Caselden, Dan

2018-05-01

Over the past five years, our view of the local solar neighborhood has changed drastically thanks to the Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Not only did WISE redefine the five closest systems to the Sun with the discovery of Luhman16AB and WISE0855, but it also revealed the Sun's closest fly by and it defined an entirely new class of extremely cold and close compact objects: the Y dwarfs. At present, all but two of the Y dwarfs were discovered through a WISE single epoch photometric identification. As a whole, these objects are of critical importance to identifying the efficiency of star formation at the lowest masses. As individuals, each of these objects represents a unique probe into the complex chemistry present in the coldest photospheres produced in the Universe. Every single Y dwarf discovered is an observational treasure. In February 2017, we launched a citizen science project called Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 with the intention of scanning the entire sky using not just photometric information but positional as well to identify the coldest, closest, and fastest moving objects near the Sun. In this Spitzer Cycle 14 proposal, we have identified 65 tantalizingly fast moving objects that appear to be extremely cold hence potentially among the Sun's nearest neighbors. We ask for 26.8 hours with Spitzer to obtain critical ch1 and ch2 photometry as well as astrometric information (to confirm motion) which will allow us to characterize these new cold brown dwarf neighbors. The coldest objects discovered through this proposal will be important follow-up targets for JWST spectroscopy.

Multiple objects tracking in fluorescence microscopy.

PubMed

Kalaidzidis, Yannis

2009-01-01

Many processes in cell biology are connected to the movement of compact entities: intracellular vesicles and even single molecules. The tracking of individual objects is important for understanding cellular dynamics. Here we describe the tracking algorithms which have been developed in the non-biological fields and successfully applied to object detection and tracking in biological applications. The characteristics features of the different algorithms are compared.

POX 186: the ultracompact blue compact dwarf galaxy reveals its nature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doublier, V.; Kunth, D.; Courbin, F.; Magain, P.

2000-01-01

High resolution, ground based R and I band observations of the ultra compact dwarf galaxy POX 186 are presented. The data, obtained with the ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT), are analyzed using a new deconvolution algorithm which allows one to resolve the innermost regions of this stellar-like object into three Super-Star Clusters (SSC). Upper limits to both masses (M ~ 105 Msun) and physical sizes (<=60pc) of the SSCs are set. In addition, and maybe most importantly, extended light emission underlying the compact star-forming region is clearly detected in both bands. The R-I color rules out nebular Hα contamination and is consistent with an old stellar population. This casts doubt on the hypothesis that Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies (BCDG) are young galaxies. based on observations carried out at NTT in La Silla, operated by the European Southern Observatory, during Director's Discretionary Time.

A new anisotropic compact star model having Matese & Whitman mass function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhar, Piyali; Ratanpal, B. S.

2016-07-01

Present paper proposed a new singularity free model of anisotropic compact star. The Einstein field equations are solved in closed form by utilizing Matese & Whitman mass function. The model parameters ρ, pr and pt all are well behaved inside the stellar interior and our model satisfies all the required conditions to be physically acceptable. The model given in the present work is compatible with observational data of compact objects like SAX J 1808.4-3658 (SS1), SAX J 1808.4-3658 (SS2) and 4U 1820-30. A particular model of 4U 1820-30 is studied in detail and found that it satisfies all the condition needed for physically acceptable model. The present work is the generalization of Sharma and Ratanpal (Int. J. Mod. Phys. D 22:1350074, 2013) model for compact stars admitting quadratic equation of state.

How to fracture formations (in Spanish)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

del Risco V.M.

1971-01-01

Government-owned Petroleos del Peru has found the limited-entry fracturing technique to be the most suitable under prevailing conditions for its NW. Peruvian oil fields. There, most formations available for stimulation are low- permeability and highly compact sands interbedded with thin and thick layers of clay. After experimenting with 8 different commercially available methods, a detailed analysis of the results showed the Shoot-Frac system to be the most effective.

Soil properties affecting wheat yields following drilling-fluid application.

PubMed

Bauder, T A; Barbarick, K A; Ippolito, J A; Shanahan, J F; Ayers, P D

2005-01-01

Oil and gas drilling operations use drilling fluids (mud) to lubricate the drill bit and stem, transport formation cuttings to the surface, and seal off porous geologic formations. Following completion of the well, waste drilling fluid is often applied to cropland. We studied potential changes in soil compaction as indicated by cone penetration resistance, pH, electrical conductivity (EC(e)), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), extractable soil and total straw and grain trace metal and nutrient concentrations, and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. 'TAM 107') grain yield following water-based, bentonitic drilling-fluid application (0-94 Mg ha(-1)) to field test plots. Three methods of application (normal, splash-plate, and spreader-bar) were used to study compaction effects. We measured increasing SAR, EC(e), and pH with drilling-fluid rates, but not to levels detrimental to crop production. Field measurements revealed significantly higher compaction within areas affected by truck travel, but also not enough to affect crop yield. In three of four site years, neither drilling-fluid rate nor application method affected grain yield. Extractions representing plant availability and plant analyses results indicated that drilling fluid did not significantly increase most trace elements or nutrient concentrations. These results support land application of water-based bentonitic drilling fluids as an acceptable practice on well-drained soils using controlled rates.

Green Peas emit X-rays: Extreme Star Formation in Early Universe Analog Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brorby, Matthew; Kaaret, Philip

2017-01-01

Luminous compact galaxies (LCGs), Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAEs), and Lyman Break Analog galaxies (LBAs) are all used as proxies for star-forming galaxies in the early Universe (z ≥ 6). The X-ray emission from such galaxies has been found to be elevated compared to other star-forming galaxies in our local Universe. It has been suggested that this may be due to the lower metallicity seen in these proxies to high-redshift galaxies and the elevated X-ray emission may affect the heating and Reionization evolution of the early Universe. Our previous studies have suggested the existence of an LX-SFR-metallicity plane for all star-forming galaxies. We present these results in the context of our newest Joint Chandra/HST study containing the first X-ray detection of the Green Pea galaxies, a population of compact starburst galaxies discovered by volunteers in the Galaxy Zoo Project (Cardamone+2009). The galaxies were given the name Green Peas due to their compact size and green appearance in the gri composite images from SDSS. The green color is caused by a strong [OIII]λ5007Å emission line, an indicator of recent star formation. We observed a few of the most promising candidates with joint Chandra/HST observation and discuss our findings here.

Effects of Alloying Elements on the Formation of Core-Shell-Structured Reinforcing Particles during Heating of Al–Ti Powder Compacts

PubMed Central

Chen, Tijun; Gao, Min; Tong, Yunqi

2018-01-01

To prepare core-shell-structured Ti@compound particle (Ti@compoundp) reinforced Al matrix composite via powder thixoforming, the effects of alloying elements, such as Si, Cu, Mg, and Zn, on the reaction between Ti powders and Al melt, and the microstructure of the resulting reinforcements were investigated during heating of powder compacts at 993 K (720 °C). Simultaneously, the situations of the reinforcing particles in the corresponding semisolid compacts were also studied. Both thermodynamic analysis and experiment results all indicate that Si participated in the reaction and promoted the formation of Al–Ti–Si ternary compounds, while Cu, Mg, and Zn did not take part in the reaction and facilitated Al3Ti phase to form to different degrees. The first-formed Al–Ti–Si ternary compound was τ1 phase, and then it gradually transformed into (Al,Si)3Ti phase. The proportion and existing time of τ1 phase all increased as the Si content increased. In contrast, Mg had the largest, Cu had the least, and Si and Zn had an equivalent middle effect on accelerating the reaction. The thicker the reaction shell was, the larger the stress generated in the shell was, and thus the looser the shell microstructure was. The stress generated in (Al,Si)3Ti phase was larger than that in τ1 phase, but smaller than that in Al3Ti phase. So, the shells in the Al–Ti–Si system were more compact than those in the other systems, and Si element was beneficial to obtain thick and compact compound shells. Most of the above results were consistent to those in the semisolid state ones except the product phase constituents in the Al–Ti–Mg system and the reaction rate in the Al–Ti–Zn system. More importantly, the desirable core-shell structured Ti@compoundp was only achieved in the semisolid Al–Ti–Si system. PMID:29342946

Effects of Alloying Elements on the Formation of Core-Shell-Structured Reinforcing Particles during Heating of Al-Ti Powder Compacts.

PubMed

Chen, Tijun; Gao, Min; Tong, Yunqi

2018-01-15

To prepare core-shell-structured Ti@compound particle (Ti@compound p ) reinforced Al matrix composite via powder thixoforming, the effects of alloying elements, such as Si, Cu, Mg, and Zn, on the reaction between Ti powders and Al melt, and the microstructure of the resulting reinforcements were investigated during heating of powder compacts at 993 K (720 °C). Simultaneously, the situations of the reinforcing particles in the corresponding semisolid compacts were also studied. Both thermodynamic analysis and experiment results all indicate that Si participated in the reaction and promoted the formation of Al-Ti-Si ternary compounds, while Cu, Mg, and Zn did not take part in the reaction and facilitated Al₃Ti phase to form to different degrees. The first-formed Al-Ti-Si ternary compound was τ1 phase, and then it gradually transformed into (Al,Si)₃Ti phase. The proportion and existing time of τ1 phase all increased as the Si content increased. In contrast, Mg had the largest, Cu had the least, and Si and Zn had an equivalent middle effect on accelerating the reaction. The thicker the reaction shell was, the larger the stress generated in the shell was, and thus the looser the shell microstructure was. The stress generated in (Al,Si)₃Ti phase was larger than that in τ1 phase, but smaller than that in Al₃Ti phase. So, the shells in the Al-Ti-Si system were more compact than those in the other systems, and Si element was beneficial to obtain thick and compact compound shells. Most of the above results were consistent to those in the semisolid state ones except the product phase constituents in the Al-Ti-Mg system and the reaction rate in the Al-Ti-Zn system. More importantly, the desirable core-shell structured Ti@compound p was only achieved in the semisolid Al-Ti-Si system.

CD Recorders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falk, Howard

1998-01-01

Discussion of CD (compact disc) recorders describes recording applications, including storing large graphic files, creating audio CDs, and storing material downloaded from the Internet; backing up files; lifespan; CD recording formats; continuous recording; recording software; recorder media; vulnerability of CDs; basic computer requirements; and…

40 CFR 63.11995 - In what form and how long must I keep my records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... years. Records may be maintained in hard copy or computer-readable format including, but not limited to, on paper, microfilm, hard disk drive, floppy disk, compact disk, magnetic tape or microfiche. ...

40 CFR 63.11995 - In what form and how long must I keep my records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... years. Records may be maintained in hard copy or computer-readable format including, but not limited to, on paper, microfilm, hard disk drive, floppy disk, compact disk, magnetic tape or microfiche. ...

40 CFR 63.11995 - In what form and how long must I keep my records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... years. Records may be maintained in hard copy or computer-readable format including, but not limited to, on paper, microfilm, hard disk drive, floppy disk, compact disk, magnetic tape or microfiche. ...

The dynamic ejecta of compact object mergers and eccentric collisions.

PubMed

Rosswog, Stephan

2013-06-13

Compact object mergers eject neutron-rich matter in a number of ways: by the dynamical ejection mediated by gravitational torques, as neutrino-driven winds, and probably also a good fraction of the resulting accretion disc finally becomes unbound by a combination of viscous and nuclear processes. If compact binary mergers indeed produce gamma-ray bursts, there should also be an interaction region where an ultra-relativistic outflow interacts with the neutrino-driven wind and produces moderately relativistic ejecta. Each type of ejecta has different physical properties, and therefore plays a different role for nucleosynthesis and for the electromagnetic (EM) transients that go along with compact object encounters. Here, we focus on the dynamic ejecta and present results for over 30 hydrodynamical simulations of both gravitational wave-driven mergers and parabolic encounters as they may occur in globular clusters. We find that mergers eject approximately 1 per cent of a Solar mass of extremely neutron-rich material. The exact amount, as well as the ejection velocity, depends on the involved masses with asymmetric systems ejecting more material at higher velocities. This material undergoes a robust r-process and both ejecta amount and abundance pattern are consistent with neutron star mergers being a major source of the 'heavy' (A>130) r-process isotopes. Parabolic collisions, especially those between neutron stars and black holes, eject substantially larger amounts of mass, and therefore cannot occur frequently without overproducing gala- ctic r-process matter. We also discuss the EM transients that are powered by radioactive decays within the ejecta ('macronovae'), and the radio flares that emerge when the ejecta dissipate their large kinetic energies in the ambient medium.

A phase-stepped point diffraction interferometer using liquid crystals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mercer, Carolyn R.; Creath, Katherine; Rashidnia, Nasser

1995-01-01

A new instrument, the liquid crystal point diffraction interferometer (LCPDI), has been developed for the measurement of phase objects. This instrument maintains the compact, robust design of Linnik's point diffraction interferometer (PDI) and adds to it phase stepping capability for quantitative interferogram analysis. The result is a compact, simple to align, environmentally insensitive interferometer capable of accurately measuring optical wavefronts with high data density and with automated data reduction. The design of the LCPDI is briefly discussed. An algorithm is presented for eliminating phase measurement error caused by object beam intensity variation from frame-to-frame. The LCPDI is demonstrated by measuring the temperature distribution across a heated chamber filled with silicone oil. The measured results are compared to independently measured results and show excellent agreement with them. It is expected that this instrument will have application in the fluid sciences as a diagnostic tool, particularly in space based applications where autonomy, robustness, and compactness are desirable qualities. It should also be useful for the testing of optical elements, provided a master is available for comparison.

Recognizing Chromospheric Objects via Markov Chain Monte Carlo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mukhtar, Saleem; Turmon, Michael J.

1997-01-01

The solar chromosphere consists of three classes which contribute differentially to ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth. We describe a data set of solar images, means of segmenting the images into the constituent classes, and a novel high-level representation for compact objects based on a triangulated spatial membership function.

ON THE CONNECTION OF THE APPARENT PROPER MOTION AND THE VLBI STRUCTURE OF COMPACT RADIO SOURCES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moor, A.; Frey, S.; Lambert, S. B.

2011-06-15

Many of the compact extragalactic radio sources that are used as fiducial points to define the celestial reference frame are known to have proper motions detectable with long-term geodetic/astrometric very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) measurements. These changes can be as high as several hundred microarcseconds per year for certain objects. When imaged with VLBI at milliarcsecond (mas) angular resolution, these sources (radio-loud active galactic nuclei) typically show structures dominated by a compact, often unresolved 'core' and a one-sided 'jet'. The positional instability of compact radio sources is believed to be connected with changes in their brightness distribution structure. For themore » first time, we test this assumption in a statistical sense on a large sample rather than on only individual objects. We investigate a sample of 62 radio sources for which reliable long-term time series of astrometric positions as well as detailed 8 GHz VLBI brightness distribution models are available. We compare the characteristic direction of their extended jet structure and the direction of their apparent proper motion. We present our data and analysis method, and conclude that there is indeed a correlation between the two characteristic directions. However, there are cases where the {approx}1-10 mas scale VLBI jet directions are significantly misaligned with respect to the apparent proper motion direction.« less

Experimentally validated computational modeling of organic binder burnout from green ceramic compacts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ewsuk, K.G.; Cochran, R.J.; Blackwell, B.F.

The properties and performance of a ceramic component is determined by a combination of the materials from which it was fabricated and how it was processed. Most ceramic components are manufactured by dry pressing a powder/binder system in which the organic binder provides formability and green compact strength. A key step in this manufacturing process is the removal of the binder from the powder compact after pressing. The organic binder is typically removed by a thermal decomposition process in which heating rate, temperature, and time are the key process parameters. Empirical approaches are generally used to design the burnout time-temperaturemore » cycle, often resulting in excessive processing times and energy usage, and higher overall manufacturing costs. Ideally, binder burnout should be completed as quickly as possible without damaging the compact, while using a minimum of energy. Process and computational modeling offer one means to achieve this end. The objective of this study is to develop an experimentally validated computer model that can be used to better understand, control, and optimize binder burnout from green ceramic compacts.« less

Spectral Classification of the 30 Doradus Stellar Populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walborn, Nolan R.; Blades, J. Chris

1997-10-01

An optical spectral classification study of 106 OB stars within the 30 Doradus Nebula has sharpened the description of the spatial and temporal structures among the associated clusters. Five distinct stellar groups are recognized: (1) the central early-O (Carina phase) concentration, which includes Radcliffe 136 (R136); (2) a younger (Orion phase) population to the north and west of R136, containing heavily embedded early-O dwarfs and IR sources, the formation of which was likely triggered by the central concentration; (3) an older population of late-O and early-B supergiants (Scorpius OB1 phase) throughout the central field, whose structural relationship, if any, to the younger groups is unclear; (4) a previously known, even older compact cluster 3' northwest of R136, containing A- and M-type supergiants (h and χ Persei phase), which has evidently affected the nebular dynamics substantially; and (5) a newly recognized Sco OB1-phase association, surrounding the recently discovered luminous blue variable (LBV) R143, in the southern part of the Nebula. The intricacy of this region and the implications for the interpretation of more distant starbursts are emphasized. The evidence indicates that the formation of the 30 Dor stellar content was neither instantaneous nor continuous, but rather that the stars formed in discrete events at different epochs. The average difference between the derived and calibration absolute visual magnitudes of the stars is 0.05, indicating that the classification, calibration, and adopted distance modulus (V0 - MV = 18.6) are accurate. For 70 of the stars, either the absolute value of that difference is <=0.6 mag, or they are subluminous dwarfs or superluminous supergiants. Many astrophysically interesting objects have been isolated for further investigation. Surprisingly, in view of the presence of several O3 supergiants, the mid-Of star R139 is identified as the most massive object in this sample; it is located well along the 120 M⊙ track, very near the Humphreys-Davidson limit, and it is probably an immediate LBV precursor. This work can and should be extended in three ways: (1) higher resolution and higher S/N observations of many of the stars with larger ground-based telescopes for quantitative analysis, (2) ground-based spectral classification of the numerous additional accessible stars in the field, and (3) spatially resolved spectral classification of compact multiple systems with the Hubble Space Telescope.

Molecular gas associated with IRAS 10361-5830

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vazzano, M. M.; Cappa, C. E.; Vasquez, J.; Rubio, M.; Romero, G. A.

2014-10-01

Aims: We analyze the distribution of the molecular gas and dust in the molecular clump linked to IRAS 10361-5830, located in the environs of the bubble-shaped Hii region Gum 31 in the Carina region, with the aim of determining the main parameters of the associated material and of investigating the evolutionary state of the young stellar objects identified there. Methods: Using the APEX telescope, we mapped the molecular emission in the J = 3-2 transition of three CO isotopologues, 12CO, 13CO and C18O, over a 1.´5 × 1.´5 region around the IRAS position. We also observed the high-density tracers CS and HCO+ toward the source. The cold- dust distribution was analyzed using submillimeter continuum data at 870 μm obtained with the APEX telescope. Complementary IR and radio data at different wavelengths were used to complete the study of the interstellar medium. Results: The molecular gas distribution reveals a cavity and a shell-like structure of ~0.32 pc in radius centered at the position of the IRAS source, with some young stellar objects projected onto the cavity. The total molecular mass in the shell and the mean H2volume density are ~40 M⊙ and ~(1-2) × 103 cm-3. The cold-dust counterpart of the molecular shell has been detected in the far-IR at 870 μm and in Herschel data at 350 μm. Weak extended emission at 24 μm from warm dust is projected onto the cavity, as well as weak radio continuum emission. Conclusions: A comparison of the distribution of cold and warm dust, and molecular and ionized gas allows us to conclude that a compact Hii region has developed in the molecular clump, indicating that this is an area of recent massive star formation. Probable exciting sources capable of creating the compact Hii region are investigated. The 2MASS source 10380461-5846233 (MSX G286.3773-00.2563) seems to be responsible for the formation of the Hii region. FITS files with datacubes corresponding to 12CO, 13CO, C180 maps are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/570/A109

The Number Density of Quiescent Compact Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damjanov, Ivana; Hwang, Ho Seong; Geller, Margaret J.; Chilingarian, Igor

2014-09-01

Massive compact systems at 0.2 < z < 0.6 are the missing link between the predominantly compact population of massive quiescent galaxies at high redshift and their analogs and relics in the local volume. The evolution in number density of these extreme objects over cosmic time is the crucial constraining factor for the models of massive galaxy assembly. We select a large sample of ~200 intermediate-redshift massive compacts from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) spectroscopy by identifying point-like Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometric sources with spectroscopic signatures of evolved redshifted galaxies. A subset of our targets have publicly available high-resolution ground-based images that we use to augment the dynamical and stellar population properties of these systems by their structural parameters. We confirm that all BOSS compact candidates are as compact as their high-redshift massive counterparts and less than half the size of similarly massive systems at z ~ 0. We use the completeness-corrected numbers of BOSS compacts to compute lower limits on their number densities in narrow redshift bins spanning the range of our sample. The abundance of extremely dense quiescent galaxies at 0.2 < z < 0.6 is in excellent agreement with the number densities of these systems at high redshift. Our lower limits support the models of massive galaxy assembly through a series of minor mergers over the redshift range 0 < z < 2.

A compact model for selectors based on metal doped electrolyte

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lu; Song, Wenhao; Yang, J. Joshua; Li, Hai; Chen, Yiran

2018-04-01

A selector device that demonstrates high nonlinearity and low switching voltages was fabricated using HfOx as a solid electrolyte doped with Ag electrodes. The electronic conductance of the volatile conductive filaments responsible for the switching was studied under both static and dynamic conditions. A compact model is developed from this study that describes the physical processes of the formation and rupture of the Ag filament(s). A dynamic capacitance model is used to fit the transient current traces under different voltage bias, which enables the extraction of parameters associated with the various parasitic components in the device.

PROVIDING STRINGENT STAR FORMATION RATE LIMITS OF z ∼ 2 QSO HOST GALAXIES AT HIGH ANGULAR RESOLUTION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vayner, Andrey; Wright, Shelley A.; Do, Tuan

2016-04-10

We present integral field spectrograph (IFS) with laser guide star adaptive optics (LGS-AO) observations of z ∼ 2 quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) designed to resolve extended nebular line emission from the host galaxy. Our data was obtained with W. M. Keck and Gemini North Observatories, using OSIRIS and NIFS coupled with the LGS-AO systems, respectively. We have conducted a pilot survey of five QSOs, three observed with NIFS+AO and two observed with OSIRIS+AO at an average redshift of z = 2.2. We demonstrate that the combination of AO and IFSs provides the necessary spatial and spectral resolutions required to separate QSO emission from its host.more » We present our technique for generating a point-spread function (PSF) from the broad-line region of the QSO and performing PSF subtraction of the QSO emission to detect the host galaxy emission at a separation of ∼0.″2 (∼1.4 kpc). We detect Hα narrow-line emission for two sources, SDSS J1029+6510 (z{sub Hα} = 2.182) and SDSS J0925+0655 (z{sub Hα} = 2.197), that have evidence for both star formation and extended narrow-line emission. Assuming that the majority of narrow-line Hα emission is from star formation, we infer a star formation rate (SFR) for SDSS J1029+6510 of 78.4 M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} originating from a compact region that is kinematically offset by 290–350 km s{sup −1}. For SDSS J0925+0655 we infer a SFR of 29 M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} distributed over three clumps that are spatially offset by ∼7 kpc. The null detections on three of the QSOs are used to infer surface brightness limits and we find that at 1.4 kpc from the QSO the un-reddened star formation limit is ≲0.3 M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} kpc{sup −2}. If we assume typical extinction values for z = 2 type-1 QSOs, the dereddened SFR for our null detections would be ≲0.6 M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} kpc{sup −2}. These IFS observations indicate that while the central black hole is accreting mass at 10%–40% of the Eddington rate, if star formation is present in the host (1.4–20 kpc) it would have to occur diffusely with significant extinction and not in compact, clumpy regions.« less

100-NR-2 Apatite Treatability Test: Fall 2010 Tracer Infiltration Test (White Paper)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vermeul, Vincent R.; Fritz, Brad G.; Fruchter, Jonathan S.

The primary objectives of the tracer infiltration test were to 1) determine whether field-scale hydraulic properties for the compacted roadbed materials and underlying Hanford fm. sediments comprising the zone of water table fluctuation beneath the site are consistent with estimates based laboratory-scale measurements on core samples and 2) characterize wetting front advancement and distribution of soil moisture achieved for the selected application rate. These primary objectives were met. The test successfully demonstrated that 1) the remaining 2 to 3 ft of compacted roadbed material below the infiltration gallery does not limit infiltration rates to levels that would be expected tomore » eliminate near surface application as a viable amendment delivery approach and 2) the combined aqueous and geophysical monitoring approaches employed at this site, with some operational adjustments based on lessons learned, provides an effective means of assessing wetting front advancement and the distribution of soil moisture achieved for a given solution application. Reasonably good agreement between predicted and observed tracer and moisture front advancement rates was observed. During the first tracer infiltration test, which used a solution application rate of 0.7 cm/hr, tracer arrivals were observed at the water table (10 to 12 ft below the bottom of the infiltration gallery) after approximately 5 days, for an advancement rate of approximately 2 ft/day. This advancement rate is generally consistent with pre-test modeling results that predicted tracer arrival at the water table after approximately 5 days (see Figure 8, bottom left panel). This agreement indicates that hydraulic property values specified in the model for the compacted roadbed materials and underlying Hanford formation sediments, which were based on laboratory-scale measurements, are reasonable estimates of actual field-scale conditions. Additional work is needed to develop a working relationship between resistivity change and the associated change in moisture content so that 4D images of moisture content change can be generated. Results from this field test will be available for any future Ca-citrate-PO4 amendment infiltration tests, which would be designed to evaluate the efficacy of using near surface application of amendments to form apatite mineral phases in the upper portion of the zone of water table fluctuation.« less

Structure and chemistry in the northwestern condensation of the Serpens molecular cloud core

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcmullin, Joseph P.; Mundy, Lee G.; Wilking, Bruce A.; Hezel, T.; Blake, Geoff A.

1994-01-01

We present single-dish and interferometric observations of gas and dust in the core of the Serpens molecular cloud, focusing on the northwestern condensation. Single-dish molecular line observations are used to probe the structure and chemistry of the condensation while high-resolution images of CS and CH30H are combined with continuum observations from lambda = 1.3 mm to lambda = 3.5 cm to study the subcondensations and overall distribution of dust. For the northwestern condensation, we derive a characteristic density of 3 x 10(exp 5)/ cu cm and an estimated total mass of approximately 70 solar mass. We find compact molecular emission associated with the far-infrared source S68 FIRS 1, and with a newly detected subcondensation named S68 N. Comparison of the large-and small-scale emission reveals that most of the material in the northwest condensation is not directly associated with these compact sources, suggesting a youthful age for this region. CO J = 1 approaches 0 observations indicate widespread outflow activity. However, no unique association of embedded objects with outflows is possible with our observations. The SiO emission is found to be extended with the overall emission centered about S68 FIRS 1; the offset of the peak emission from all of the known continuum sources and the coincidence between the blueshifted SiO emission and blueshifted high-velocity gas traced by CO and CS is consistent with formation of SiO in shocks. Derived abundances of CO and HCO(+) are consistent with quiescent and other star-forming regions while CS, HCN, and H2CO abundances indicate mild depletions within the condensation. Spectral energy distribution fits to S68 FIRS 1 indicate a modest luminosity (50-60 solar luminosity), implying that it is a low-mass (0.5-3 solar mass) young stellar object. Radio continuum observations of the triple source toward S68 FIRS 1 indicate that the lobe emission is varying on timescales less than or equal to 1 yr while the central component is relatively constant over approximately 14 yr. The nature of a newly detected compact emission region, S68 N, is less certain due to the absence of firm continuum detections; based on its low luminosity (less than 5 solar luminosity) and strong molecular emission, S68 N may be prestellar subcondensation of gas and dust.

ESA's Integral discovers hidden black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-10-01

An artist's impression of the mechanisms in an interacting binar hi-res Size hi-res: 28 kb An artist's impression of the mechanisms in an interacting binary system An artist's impression of the mechanisms in an interacting binary system. The supermassive companion star (on the right-hand side) ejects a lot of gas in the form of 'stellar wind'. The compact black hole orbits the star and, due to its strong gravitational attraction, collects a lot of the gas. Some of it is funnelled and accelerated into a hot disc. This releases a large amount of energy in all spectral bands, from gamma rays through to visible and infrared. However, the remaining gas surrounding the black hole forms a thick cloud which blocks most of the radiation. Only the very energetic gamma rays can escape and be detected by Integral. XMM-Newton spacecraft hi-res Size hi-res: 254 kb Credits: ESA. Illustration by Ducros XMM-Newton spacecraft Detecting the Universe's hot spots. These are binary systems, probably including a black hole or a neutron star, embedded in a thick cocoon of cold gas. They have remained invisible so far to all other telescopes. Integral was launched one year ago to study the most energetic phenomena in the universe. Integral detected the first of these objects, called IGRJ16318-4848, on 29 January 2003. Although astronomers did not know its distance, they were sure it was in our Galaxy. Also, after some analysis, researchers concluded that the new object could be a binary system comprising a compact object, such as a neutron star or a black hole, and a very massive companion star. When gas from the companion star is accelerated and swallowed by the more compact object, energy is released at all wavelengths, from the gamma rays through to visible and infrared light. About 300 binary systems like those are known to exist in our galactic neighbourhood and IGRJ16318-4848 could simply have been one more. But something did not fit: why this particular object had not been discovered so far? Astronomers, who have been observing the object regularly, guess that it had remained invisible because there must be a very thick shell of obscuring material surrounding it. If that was the case, only the most energetic radiation from the object could get through the shell; less-energetic radiation would be blocked. That could explain why space telescopes that are sensitive only to low-energy radiation had overlooked the object, while Integral, specialised in detecting very energetic emissions, did see it. To test their theory, astronomers turned to ESA's XMM-Newton space observatory, which observes the sky in the X-ray wavelengths. As well as being sensitive to high-energy radiation, XMM-Newton is also able to check for the presence of obscuring material. Indeed, XMM-Newton detected this object last February, as well as the existence of a dense 'cocoon' of cold gas with a diameter of similar size to that of the Earth's orbit around the Sun. This obscuring material forming the cocoon is probably 'stellar wind', namely gas ejected by the supermassive companion star. Astronomers think that this gas may be accreted by the compact black hole, forming a dense shell around it. This obscuring cloud traps most of the energy produced inside it. The main author of these results, Roland Walter of the Integral Science Data Centre, Switzerland, explained: "Only photons with the highest energies [above 10 keV] could escape from that cocoon. IGR J16318-4848 has therefore not been detected by surveys performed at lower energies, nor by previous gamma-ray missions that were much less sensitive than Integral." The question now is to find out how many of these objects lurk in the Galaxy. XMM-Newton and Integral together are the perfect tools to do the job. They have already discovered two more new sources embedded in obscuring material. Future observations are planned. Christoph Winkler, ESA Project Scientist for Integral, said: "These early examples of using two complementary ESA high-energy missions, Integral and XMM-Newton, shows the potential for future discoveries in high-energy astrophysics." Notes to Editors: The paper explaining these results will be published in November in a special issue of Astronomy and Astrophysics dedicated to Integral, on the occasion of its first anniversary. Integral The International Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (Integral) is the first space observatory that can simultaneously observe celestial objects in gamma rays, X-rays and visible light. Integral was launched on a Russian Proton rocket on 17 October 2002 into a highly elliptical orbit around Earth. Its principal targets include regions of the galaxy where chemical elements are being produced and compact objects, such as black holes. XMM-Newton XMM-Newton can detect more X-ray sources than any previous satellite and is helping to solve many cosmic mysteries of the violent Universe, from black holes to the formation of galaxies. It was launched on 10 December 1999, using an Ariane-5 rocket from French Guiana. It is expected to return data for a decade. XMM-Newton's high-tech design uses over 170 wafer-thin cylindrical mirrors spread over three telescopes. Its orbit takes it almost a third of the way to the Moon, so that astronomers can enjoy long, uninterrupted views of celestial objects.

40 CFR 63.9060 - In what form and how long must I keep my records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... may be maintained in hard copy or computer-readable format including, but not limited to, on paper, microfilm, hard disk drive, floppy disk, compact disk, magnetic tape, or microfiche. (d) You must keep each...

Modified release matrix prepared by compaction of spheres containing waxy material.

PubMed

Bado, L; Ghaly, E S

1995-09-01

In this study, chlorpheniramine maleate spheres were prepared by the extruder/marumerizer. A new waxy material, Gelucire 50/02 at three levels (10%, 30% and 50%) was added and Avicel PH-101 was used as spheronizing material. The drug was incorporated into the waxy material by two methods. The first was the direct method, in which the drug (10%), wax and Avicel PH-101 were mixed together. The second was the fusion method, in which the drug was dispersed in the melted wax and the solidified mass was milled and mixed with Avicel PH-101. The data obtained indicated that simple addition of waxy material into chlorpheniramine maleate-Avicel PH-101 spheres interrupted matrix formation and increased drug release. Also in this study, a multiparticulate delivery system was prepared successfully by compaction of spheres into tablets. Tablets compacted from spheres prepared by fusion method gave less drug release than those compacted from spheres of the same composition but prepared with direct method. As the level of wax was increased in tablet formulation, drug release was decreased.

A Narrowband Imaging Search for [O III] Emission from Galaxies at z > 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teplitz, Harry I.; Malkan, Matthew A.; McLean, Ian S.

1999-03-01

We present the results of a narrowband survey of quasi-stellar-object (QSO) fields at redshifts that place the [O III] (5007 Å) emission line in the Δλ/λ~1% 2.16 μm filter. We have observed 3 arcmin2 and detected one emission-line candidate object in the field around PC 1109+4642. We discuss the possibilities that this object is a star-forming galaxy at the QSO redshift, zem=3.313, or a Seyfert galaxy. In the former case, we infer a star formation rate of 170 Msolar yr-1 for this K'=21.3 object. The galaxy has a compact but resolved morphology, with an FWHM=0.6" or 4.2 kpc at z=3.313 (H0=50 km s-1 Mpc-1 and q0=0.5). The comoving density of such objects in QSO environments appears to be 0.0033 Mpc-3, marginally lower (<=3 σ) than the density observed for Hα-emitters in absorption-line fields at z~2.5 but similar to the density of Lyman-break galaxies at z~3. If, on the other hand, most of the line emission is [O III] from a Seyfert 2 nucleus at z=3.31, then the high inferred volume density could imply a large evolution in the Seyfert 2 luminosity function from the current epoch. We find the field containing the object to also contain many faint extended objects in the K' image but little significant excess over the expected number-magnitude relation. We discuss the implication of the emission line being a longer wavelength line at a lower redshift.

Phantom gravastar supported for the explanation of compact dark matter objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Errehymy, Abdelghani; Daoud, Mohammed; Jammari, Mohammed Kamal

2017-11-01

The understanding of dark matter objects is one of the modern mysteries. Usually one interprets them as black holes, but there is no empirical evidence only a lack of alternatives. Proposing the idea of a phantom gravastar we will give an alternative explanation to these dark matter objects without supposing them to be black holes, in particular to the SgrA* and the MACHOs.

How much land for your sand: effects of vegetation and compaction on crevasse splay formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nienhuis, J.; Tornqvist, T. E.; Esposito, C. R.

2016-12-01

Crevasse splays, failed avulsions that make up a significant portion of fluvio-deltaic overbank architecture in the Mississippi River Delta, are a natural analog for sediment diversions that are being planned to rebuild or sustain coastal wetlands. Here we use Delft3D to study the rates and mechanisms of crevasse splay growth. Because crevasse splays often form in peat-rich and vegetated environments, we have modified Delft3D to include simple formulations for the dynamic interaction between morphodynamics, vegetation, and soil compaction. Detailed stratigraphic data from prehistoric splays in the Mississippi River Delta provide useful constraints on long-term compaction rates, sedimentology, and splay volumes. We find that compaction and the absence of vegetation increase the lifespan of crevasse splays, sometimes from 900 to 4000 flood days (days during which the crevasse is geomorphically active, equivalent to model days in our simulations). Additionally, we find that in a few tested scenarios vegetation primarily acts to increase channel depths and flush out fine-grained sediment towards the flood-basin, decreasing the bulk mud capture efficiency of the splay. One model experiment with moderate vegetation heights and low susceptibility for soil compaction was a particularly "efficient" sediment diversion: every 1 m3 of imported sediment resulted in 2.55 m2 of new land.

Mitotic chromosome compaction via active loop extrusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goloborodko, Anton; Imakaev, Maxim; Marko, John; Mirny, Leonid; MIT-Northwestern Team

During cell division, two copies of each chromosome are segregated from each other and compacted more than hundred-fold into the canonical X-shaped structures. According to earlier microscopic observations and the recent Hi-C study, chromosomes are compacted into arrays of consecutive loops of ~100 kilobases. Mechanisms that lead to formation of such loop arrays are largely unknown. Here we propose that, during cell division, chromosomes can be compacted by enzymes that extrude loops on chromatin fibers. First, we use computer simulations and analytical modeling to show that a system of loop-extruding enzymes on a chromatin fiber self-organizes into an array of consecutive dynamic loops. Second, we model the process of loop extrusion in 3D and show that, coupled with the topo II strand-passing activity, it leads to robust compaction and segregation of sister chromatids. This mechanism of chromosomal condensation and segregation does not require additional proteins or specific DNA markup and is robust against variations in the number and properties of such loop extruding enzymes. Work at NU was supported by the NSF through Grants DMR-1206868 and MCB-1022117, and by the NIH through Grants GM105847 and CA193419. Work at MIT was supported by the NIH through Grants GM114190 R01HG003143.

Influence of pH control in the formation of inclusion bodies during production of recombinant sphingomyelinase-D in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Castellanos-Mendoza, Andrea; Castro-Acosta, Ricardo M; Olvera, Alejandro; Zavala, Guadalupe; Mendoza-Vera, Miguel; García-Hernández, Enrique; Alagón, Alejandro; Trujillo-Roldán, Mauricio A; Valdez-Cruz, Norma A

2014-09-12

Inclusion bodies (IBs) are aggregated proteins that form clusters when protein is overexpressed in heterologous expression systems. IBs have been considered as non-usable proteins, but recently they are being used as functional materials, catalytic particles, drug delivery agents, immunogenic structures, and as a raw material in recombinant therapeutic protein purification. However, few studies have been made to understand how culture conditions affect the protein aggregation and the physicochemical characteristics that lead them to cluster. The objective of our research was to understand how pH affects the physicochemical properties of IBs formed by the recombinant sphingomyelinase-D of tick expressed in E. coli BL21-Gold (DE3) by evaluating two pH culture strategies. Uncontrolled pH culture conditions favored recombinant sphingomyelinase-D aggregation and IB formation. The IBs of sphingomyelinase-D produced under controlled pH at 7.5 and after 24 h were smaller (<500 nm) than those produced under uncontrolled pH conditions (>500 nm). Furthermore, the composition, conformation and β-structure formation of the aggregates were different. Under controlled pH conditions in comparison to uncontrolled conditions, the produced IBs presented higher resistance to denaturants and proteinase-K degradation, presented β-structure, but apparently as time passes the IBs become compacted and less sensitive to amyloid dye binding. The manipulation of the pH has an impact on IB formation and their physicochemical characteristics. Particularly, uncontrolled pH conditions favored the protein aggregation and sphingomyelinase-D IB formation. The evidence may lead to find methodologies for bioprocesses to obtain biomaterials with particular characteristics, extending the application possibilities of the inclusion bodies.