21,737 research outputs found
Near-infrared K-band Spectroscopic Investigation of Seyfert 2 Nuclei in the CfA and 12 Micron Samples
We present near-infrared K-band slit spectra of the nuclei of 25 Seyfert 2
galaxies in the CfA and 12 micron samples. The strength of the CO absorption
features at 2.3-2.4 micron produced by stars is measured in terms of a
spectroscopic CO index. A clear anti-correlation between the observed CO index
and the nuclear K-L color is present, suggesting that a featureless hot dust
continuum heated by an AGN contributes significantly to the observed K-band
fluxes in the nuclei of Seyfert 2 galaxies. After correction for this AGN
contribution, we estimate nuclear stellar K-band luminosities for all sources,
and CO indices for sources with modestly large observed CO indices. The
corrected CO indices for 10 (=40%) Seyfert 2 nuclei are found to be as high as
those observed in star-forming or elliptical (=spheroidal) galaxies. We combine
the K-band data with measurements of the L-band 3.3 micron polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbon (PAH) emission feature, another powerful indicator for
star-formation, and find that the 3.3 micron PAH to K-band stellar luminosity
ratios are substantially smaller than those of starburst galaxies. Our results
suggest that the 3.3 micron PAH emission originates in the putative nuclear
starbursts in the dusty tori surrounding the AGNs, because of its high surface
brightness, whereas the K-band CO absorption features detected at the nuclei
are dominated by old bulge (=spheroid) stars, and thus may not be a powerful
indicator for the nuclear starbursts. We see no clear difference in the
strength of the CO absorption and PAH emission features between the CfA and 12
micron Seyfert 2s.Comment: 28 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ (10 October
2004, v614 issue
A photometric study of the hot exoplanet WASP-19b
Context: When the planet transits its host star, it is possible to measure
the planetary radius and (with radial velocity data) the planet mass. For the
study of planetary atmospheres, it is essential to obtain transit and
occultation measurements at multiple wavelengths.
Aims: We aim to characterize the transiting hot Jupiter WASP-19b by deriving
accurate and precise planetary parameters from a dedicated observing campaign
of transits and occultations.
Methods: We have obtained a total of 14 transit lightcurves in the r'-Gunn,
IC, z'-Gunn and I+z' filters and 10 occultation lightcurves in z'-Gunn using
EulerCam on the Euler-Swiss telescope and TRAPPIST. We have also obtained one
lightcurve through the narrow-band NB1190 filter of HAWK-I on the VLT measuring
an occultation at 1.19 micron. We have performed a global MCMC analysis of all
new data together with some archive data in order to refine the planetary
parameters and measure the occultation depths in z'-band and at 1.19 micron.
Results: We measure a planetary radius of R_p = 1.376 (+/-0.046) R_j, a
planetary mass of M_p = 1.165 (+/-0.068) M_j, and find a very low eccentricity
of e = 0.0077 (+/-0.0068), compatible with a circular orbit. We have detected
the z'-band occultation at 3 sigma significance and measure it to be dF_z'= 352
(+/-116) ppm, more than a factor of 2 smaller than previously published. The
occultation at 1.19 micron is only marginally constrained at dF_1190 = 1711
(+/-745) ppm.
Conclusions: We have shown that the detection of occultations in the visible
is within reach even for 1m class telescopes if a considerable number of
individual events are observed. Our results suggest an oxygen-dominated
atmosphere of WASP-19b, making the planet an interesting test case for
oxygen-rich planets without temperature inversion.Comment: Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 11 pages, 11 figures, 4 table
Quicksort with unreliable comparisons: a probabilistic analysis
We provide a probabilistic analysis of the output of Quicksort when
comparisons can err.Comment: 29 pages, 3 figure
Kink fluctuation asymptotics and zero modes
In this paper we propose a refinement of the heat kernel/zeta function
treatment of kink quantum fluctuations in scalar field theory, further
analyzing the existence and implications of a zero energy fluctuation mode.
Improved understanding of the interplay between zero modes and the kink heat
kernel expansion delivers asymptotic estimations of one-loop kink mass shifts
with remarkably higher precision than previously obtained by means of the
standard Gilkey-DeWitt heat kernel expansion.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures, to be published in The European Physical Journal
Phase diagram for a Cubic Consistent-Q Interacting Boson Model Hamiltonian: signs of triaxiality
An extension of the Consistent-Q formalism for the Interacting Boson Model
that includes the cubic QxQxQ term is proposed. The potential energy surface
for the cubic quadrupole interaction is explicitly calculated within the
coherent state formalism using the complete chi-dependent expression for the
quadrupole operator. The Q-cubic term is found to depend on the asymmetry
deformation parameter gamma as a linear combination of cos(3gamma) and
cos^2(3\gamma) terms, thereby allowing for triaxiality. The phase diagram of
the model in the large N limit is explored, it is described the order of the
phase transition surfaces that define the phase diagram, and moreover, the
possible nuclear equilibrium shapes are established. It is found that, contrary
to expectations, there is only a very tiny region of triaxiality in the model,
and that the transition from prolate to oblate shapes is so fast that, in most
cases, the onset of triaxiality might go unnoticed.Comment: 18 pages, 19 figure
Pattern formation in a predator-prey system characterized by a spatial scale of interaction
We describe pattern formation in ecological systems using a version of the
classical Lotka-Volterra model characterized by a spatial scale which controls
the predator-prey interaction range. Analytical and simulational results show
that patterns can emerge in some regions of the parameters space where the
instability is driven by the range of the interaction. The individual-based
implementation captures realistic ecological features. In fact, spatial
structures emerge in an erratic oscillatory regime which can contemplate
predators' extinction.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Chandra observations of NGC4698: a Seyfert-2 with no absorption
We present Chandra ACIS-S observations of the enigmatic
Seyfert-2 galaxy NGC4698. This object together with several other bona-fide
Seyfert-2 galaxies show no absorption in the low spatial resolution ASCA data,
in contrast to the standard unification models. Our Chandra observations of
NGC4698 probe directly the nucleus allowing us to check whether nearby sources
contaminate the ASCA spectrum. Indeed, the Chandra observations show that the
ASCA spectrum is dominated by two nearby AGN. The X-ray flux of NGC4698 is
dominated by a nuclear source with luminosity L(0.3-8 keV) ~ 10^39, erg s-1
coincident with the radio nucleus. Its spectrum is well represented by a
power-law, ~ 2.2, obscured by a small column density of 5x10^20 cm-2 suggesting
that NGC4698 is an atypical Seyfert galaxy.
On the basis of its low luminosity we then interpret NGC4698 as a Seyfert
galaxy which lacks a broad-line region.Comment: 12 pages, to appear in Ap
Unexpected Magnetism of Small Silver Clusters
The ground-state electronic, structural, and magnetic properties of small
silver clusters, Ag (2n22), have been studied using a linear
combination of atomic Gaussian-type orbitals within the density functional
theory. The results show that the silver atoms, which are diamagnetic in bulk
environment, can be magnetic when they are grouped together in clusters. The
Ag cluster with icosahedral symmetry has the highest magnetic moment per
atom among the studied silver clusters. The cluster symmetry and the reduced
coordination number specific of small clusters reveal as a fundamental factor
for the onset of the magnetism.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
On residualizing homomorphisms preserving quasiconvexity
H is called a G-subgroup of a hyperbolic group G if for any finite subset M G there exists a homomorphism from G onto a non-elementary hyperbolic group G_1 that is surjective on H and injective on M. In his paper in 1993 A. Ol'shanskii gave a description of all G-subgroups in any given non-elementary hyperbolic group G. Here we show that for the same class of G-subgroups the finiteness assumption on M (under certain natural conditions) can be replaced by an assumption of quasiconvexity
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