261 research outputs found
Kinematics of a globular cluster with an extended profile: NGC5694
We present a study of the kinematics of the remote globular cluster NGC5694
based on GIRAFFE@VLT medium resolution spectra. A sample of 165 individual
stars selected to lie on the Red Giant Branch in the cluster Color Magnitude
Diagram was considered. Using radial velocity and metallicity from Calcium
triplet, we were able to select 83 bona-fide cluster members. The addition of
six previously known members leads to a total sample of 89 cluster giants with
typical uncertainties <1.0 km/s in their radial velocity estimates. The sample
covers a wide range of projected distances from the cluster center, from ~0.2
arcmin to 6.5 arcmin = 23 half-light radii (r_h). We find only very weak
rotation, as typical of metal-poor globular clusters. The velocity dispersion
gently declines from a central value of sigma=6.1 km/s to sigma = 2.5 km/s at
~2 arcmin = 7.1= r_h, then it remainins flat out to the next (and last)
measured point of the dispersion profile, at ~4 arcmin = 14.0 r_h, at odds with
the predictions of isotropic King models. We show that both isotropic
single-mass non-collisional models and multi-mass anisotropic models can
reproduce the observed surface brightness and velocity dispersion profiles.Comment: Accepted for publication by MNRAS. Pdflatex, 10 pages, 10 figure
NGC 5694: another foster son of the Galactic Halo
We present the results of the analysis of high-resolution spectra obtained
with UVES-FLAMES@VLT for six red giant branch stars in the outer-halo
metal-poor ([Fe/H]I=-1.98 and [Fe/H]II=-1.83) Galactic globular cluster NGC
5694, which has been suggested as a possible incomer by Lee et al. (2006) based
on the anomalous chemical composition of a single cluster giant. We obtain
accurate abundances for a large number of elements and we find that: (a) the
six target stars have the same chemical composition within the uncertainties,
except for Na and Al; (b) the average cluster abundance of \alpha\ elements
(with the only exception of Si) is nearly solar, at odds with typical halo
stars and globular clusters of similar metallicity; (c) Y, Ba, La and Eu
abundances are also significantly lower than in Galactic field stars and star
clusters of similar metallicity. Hence we confirm the Lee et al. classification
of NGC 5694 as a cluster of extra-galactic origin. We provide the first insight
on the Na-O and Mg-Al anti-correlations in this cluster: all the considered
stars have very similar abundance ratios for these elements, except one that
has significantly lower [Na/Fe] and [Al/Fe] ratios, suggesting that some degree
of early self-enrichment has occurred also in this cluster.Comment: Accepted for publication by MNRAS. 15 pages, 8 figures, 4 table
Effect of moisture content on the processing and mechanical properties of a biodegradable polyester
This work is focused on the influence of moisture content on the processing and mechanical properties of a biodegradable polyester used for applications in injection molding. The pellets of the biodegradable polyester were exposed under different relative humidity conditions at a constant temperature before being compression molded. The compression-molded specimens were again placed under the above conditions before the mechanical testing. With all these samples, it is possible to determine the effect of moisture content on the processing and mechanical properties separately, as well as the combined effect of moisture content on the mechanical properties. The results obtained showed that the amount of absorbed water—both before processing and before mechanical testing— causes an increase in elongation at break and a slight reduction of the elastic modulus and tensile strength. These changes have been associated with possible hydrolytic degradation during the compression molding process and, in particular, with the plasticizing action of the moisture absorbed by the specimens
The quality of writing tasks and students' use of academic language in Spanish
This study investigates the quality of the writing tasks assigned to native Spanish speakers in bilingual (Spanish-English) contexts, and the relationship between task quality and students' use of an academic register in their native language. Fifty-six language arts tasks were collected from 26 grade 4 and 5 teachers, and four student writing samples were collected in response to each task (N = 224). Multilevel modeling revealed that variation in students' use of key features of academic language in their writing was associated with the cognitive demand of writing tasks. Findings suggest that students' opportunities to respond to challenging tasks when writing in their native language are rare and that the rigor of writing tasks may relate to students' production and development of academic language. © 2012 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved
HII regions within a compact high velocity cloud. A nearly star-less dwarf galaxy?
Within the SECCO survey we identified a candidate stellar counterpart to the
Ultra Compact High Velocity Cloud (UCHVC) HVC274.68+74.70-123, that was
suggested by Adams et al. (2013) as a possible mini-halo within the Local Group
of galaxies. The spectroscopic follow-up of the brightest sources within the
candidate reveals the presence of two HII regions whose radial velocity is
compatible with physical association with the UVHVC. The available data does
not allow us to give a definite answer on the nature of the newly identified
system. A few alternative hypotheses are discussed. However, the most likely
possibility is that we have found a new faint dwarf galaxy residing in the
Virgo cluster of galaxies, which we name SECCO-1. Independently of its actual
distance, SECCO-1 displays a ratio of neutral hydrogen mass to V luminosity of
M_{HI}/L_V>= 20, by far the largest among local dwarfs. Hence, it appears as a
nearly star-less galaxy and it may be an example of the missing links between
normal dwarfs and the dark mini halos that are predicted to exist in large
numbers according to the currently accepted cosmological model.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters. Pdflatex, emulateapj.cls. 6
pages, 3 figures, 2 table
The Northern wraps of the Sagittarius Stream as traced by Red Clump stars: distances, intrinsic widths and stellar densities
We trace the tidal Stream of the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy (Sgr
dSph) using Red Clump stars from the catalog of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey -
Data Release 6, in the range 150{\deg} < RA < 220{\deg}, corresponding to the
range of orbital azimuth 220{\deg} < Lambda < 290{\deg}. Substructures along
the line of sight are identified as significant peaks in the differential star
count profiles (SCP) of candidate Red Clump stars. A proper modeling of the
SCPs allows us to obtain: (a) <10% accurate, purely differential distances with
respect to the main body of Sgr, (b) estimates of the FWHM along the line of
sight, and (c) estimates of the local density, for each detected substructure.
In the range 255{\deg} < Lambda < 290{\deg} we cleanly and continuously trace
various coherent structures that can be ascribed to the Stream, in particular:
the well known northern portion of the leading arm, running from d~43 kpc at
Lambda ~ 290{\deg} to d ~ 30 kpc at Lambda ~ 255{\deg}, and a more nearby
coherent series of detections lying at constant distance d ~ 25 kpc, that can
be identified with a wrap of the trailing arm. The latter structure, predicted
by several models of the disruption of Sgr dSph, was never traced before;
comparison with existing models indicates that the difference in distance
between these portions of the leading and trailing arms may provide a powerful
tool to discriminate between theoretical models assuming different shapes of
the Galactic potential. A further, more distant wrap in the same portion of the
sky is detected only along a couple of lines of sight.[abridged]Comment: 31 pages, 28 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal, a version with figures at full resolution can be downloaded at the
following URL: http://www.bo.astro.it/SGR
HST resolves stars in a tiny body falling on the dwarf galaxy DDO 68
We present new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of a stream-like system
associated with the dwarf galaxy DDO 68, located in the Lynx-Cancer Void at a
distance of D12.65 Mpc from us. The stream, previously identified in deep
Large Binocular Telescope images as a diffuse low surface brightness structure,
is resolved into individual stars in the F606W (broad V) and F814W (I)
images acquired with the Wide Field Camera 3. The resulting V, I
color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of the resolved stars is dominated by old
(age1-2 Gyr) red giant branch (RGB) stars. From the observed RGB tip,
we conclude that the stream is at the same distance as DDO 68, confirming the
physical association with it. A synthetic CMD analysis indicates that the large
majority of the star formation activity in the stream occurred at epochs
earlier than 1 Gyr ago, and that the star formation at epochs more recent
than 500 Myr ago is compatible with zero. The total stellar mass of the
stream is , about 1/100 of that of DDO~68. This is a
striking example of hierarchical merging in action at the dwarf galaxy scales.Comment: ApJ in pres
A spectroscopic survey of faint, high-galactic latitude red clump stars. II. The medium resolution sample
Aims. The goal of our survey is to provide accurate and multi-epoch radial
velocities, atmospheric parameters (Teff, log g and [M/H]), distances and space
velocities of faint Red Clump stars. Methods. We recorded high signal-to-noise
(S/N >= 200) spectra of Red Clump stars, over the 4750-5950 Ang range, at a
resolving power 5500. The target stars are distributed over the great circle of
the celestial equator. Radial velocities were obtained via cross-correlation
against IAU radial velocity standards. Atmospheric parameters were derived via
chi^2 fit to a synthetic spectral library. A large number of RC stars from
other surveys were re-observed to check the consistency of our results.
Results. A total of 245 Red Clump stars were observed (60 of them with a second
epoch observation separated in time by about three months), and the results are
presented in an output catalog. None of them is already present in other
surveys of Red Clump stars. In addition to astrometric and photometric support
data from external sources, the catalog provides radial velocities (accuracy
sigma(RV)=1.3 km/s), atmospheric parameters (sigma(Teff)=88 K, sigma(log
g)=0.38 dex and sigma([M/H])=0.17 dex), spectro-photometric distances, (X,Y,Z)
galacto-centric positions and (U,V,W) space velocities.Comment: in press in A&
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