15,486 research outputs found
High spatial resolution and high contrast optical speckle imaging with FASTCAM at the ORM
In this paper, we present an original observational approach, which combines,
for the first time, traditional speckle imaging with image post-processing to
obtain in the optical domain diffraction-limited images with high contrast
(1e-5) within 0.5 to 2 arcseconds around a bright star. The post-processing
step is based on wavelet filtering an has analogy with edge enhancement and
high-pass filtering. Our I-band on-sky results with the 2.5-m Nordic Telescope
(NOT) and the lucky imaging instrument FASTCAM show that we are able to detect
L-type brown dwarf companions around a solar-type star with a contrast DI~12 at
2" and with no use of any coronographic capability, which greatly simplifies
the instrumental and hardware approach. This object has been detected from the
ground in J and H bands so far only with AO-assisted 8-10 m class telescopes
(Gemini, Keck), although more recently detected with small-class telescopes in
the K band. Discussing the advantage and disadvantage of the optical regime for
the detection of faint intrinsic fluxes close to bright stars, we develop some
perspectives for other fields, including the study of dense cores in globular
clusters. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time that high
contrast considerations are included in optical speckle imaging approach.Comment: Proceedings of SPIE conference - Ground-based and Airborne
Instrumentation for Astronomy III (Conference 7735), San Diego 201
Consumption of Acorns by Finishing Iberian Pigs and Their Function in the Conservation of the Dehesa Agroecosystem
Thermal impact from a thermoelectric power plant on a tropical coastal lagoon
Tropical coastal areas are sensitive ecosystems to climate change, mainly due to sea level rise and increasing water temperatures. Furthermore, they may be subject to numerous stresses, including heat releases from energy production. The Urias coastal lagoon (SE Gulf of California), a subtropical tidal estuary, receives cooling water releases from a thermoelectric power plant, urban and industrial wastes, and shrimp farm discharges. In order to evaluate the plant thermal impact, we measured synchronous temperature time series close to and far from the plant. Furthermore, in order to discriminate the thermal pollution impact from natural variability, we used a high-resolution hydrodynamic model forced by, amongst others, cooling water release as a continuous flow (7.78 m3 s?1) at 6 °C overheating temperature. Model results and field data indicated that the main thermal impact was temporally restricted to the warmest months, spatially restricted to the surface layers (above 0.6 m) and distributed along the shoreline within ?100 m of the release point. The methodology and results of this study can be extrapolated to tropical coastal lagoons that receive heat discharges.<br/
Fossil group origins V. The dependence of the luminosity function on the magnitude gap
In nature we observe galaxy aggregations that span a wide range of magnitude
gaps between the two first-ranked galaxies of a system (). There
are systems with gaps close to zero (e.g., the Coma cluster), and at the other
extreme of the distribution, the largest gaps are found among the so-called
fossil systems. Fossil and non-fossil systems could have different galaxy
populations that should be reflected in their luminosity functions. In this
work we study, for the first time, the dependence of the luminosity function
parameters on using data obtained by the fossil group origins
(FOGO) project. We constructed a hybrid luminosity function for 102 groups and
clusters at . We stacked all the individual luminosity functions,
dividing them into bins of , and studied their best-fit
Schechter parameters. We additionally computed a relative luminosity function,
expressed as a function of the central galaxy luminosity, which boosts our
capacity to detect differences, especially at the bright end. We find trends as
a function of at both the bright and faint ends of the
luminosity function. In particular, at the bright end, the larger the magnitude
gap, the fainter the characteristic magnitude . We also find
differences at the faint end. In this region, the larger the gap, the flatter
the faint-end slope . The differences found at the bright end support a
dissipationless, dynamical friction-driven merging model for the growth of the
central galaxy in group- and cluster-sized halos. The differences in the faint
end cannot be explained by this mechanism. Other processes, such as enhanced
tidal disruption due to early infall and/or prevalence of eccentric orbits, may
play a role. However, a larger sample of systems with is
needed to establish the differences at the faint end.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&
The constant-velocity highly collimated outflows of the planetary nebula He 2-90
We present high-dispersion echelle spectroscopic observations and a
narrow-band [N II] image of the remarkable jet-like features of He 2-90. They
are detected in the echelle spectra in the H-alpha and [N II] lines but not in
other nebular lines. The [N II]/H-alpha ratio is uniformly high, ~1. The
observed kinematics reveals bipolar collimated outflows in the jet-like
features and shows that the southeast (northwest) component expands towards
(away from) the observer at a remarkably constant line-of-sight velocity,
26.0+-0.5 km/s. The observed expansion velocity and the opening angle of the
jet-like features are used to estimate an inclination angle of ~5 degrees with
respect to the sky plane and a space expansion velocity of ~290 km/s. The
spectrum of the bright central nebula reveals a profusion of Fe lines and
extended wings of the H-alpha line, similar to those seen in symbiotic stars
and some young planetary nebulae that are presumed to host a mass-exchanging
binary system. If this is the case for He 2-90, the constant velocity and
direction of the jets require a very stable dynamic system against precession
and warping.Comment: 8 pages (emulate ApJ), 5 figure, 1 tabl
Moonlighting function of Phytochelatin synthase1 in extracellular defense against fungal pathogens
Fossil Groups Origins III. The relation between optical and X-ray luminosities
This study is part of the FOssil Groups Origin (FOGO) project which aims at
carrying out a systematic and multiwavelength study of a large sample of fossil
systems. Here we focus on the relation between the optical luminosity (Lopt)
and X-ray luminosity (Lx). Out of a sample of 28 candidate fossil systems, we
consider a sample of 12 systems whose fossil classification has been confirmed
by a companion study. They are compared with the complementary sample of 16
systems whose fossil nature is not confirmed and with a subsample of 102 galaxy
systems from the RASS-SDSS galaxy cluster survey. Fossil and normal systems
span the same redshift range 0<z<0.5 and have the same Lx distribution. For
each fossil system, the Lx in the 0.1-2.4 keV band is computed using data from
the ROSAT All Sky Survey. For each fossil and normal system we homogeneously
compute Lopt in the r-band within the characteristic cluster radius, using data
from the SDSS DR7. We sample the Lx-Lopt relation over two orders of magnitude
in Lx. Our analysis shows that fossil systems are not statistically
distinguishable from the normal systems both through the 2D KS test and the fit
of the Lx-Lopt relation. The optical luminosity of the galaxy system does
strongly correlate with the X-ray luminosity of the hot gas component,
independently of whether the system is fossil or not. We conclude that our
results are consistent with the classical "merging scenario" of the brightest
galaxy formed via merger/cannibalism of other group galaxies, with conservation
of the optical light. We find no evidence for a peculiar state of the hot
intracluster medium.Comment: A&A, 12 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, typos corr. and paper re-numbe
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