33,732 research outputs found
Gravitational collapse of the OMC-1 region
We have investigated the global dynamical state of the Integral Shaped
Filament in the Orion A cloud using new NH (1-0) large-scale, IRAM30m
observations. Our analysis of its internal gas dynamics reveals the presence of
accelerated motions towards the Orion Nebula Cluster, showing a characteristic
blue-shifted profile centred at the position of the OMC-1 South region. The
properties of these observed gas motions (profile, extension, and magnitude)
are consistent with the expected accelerations for the gravitational collapse
of the OMC-1 region and explain both the physical and kinematic structure of
this cloud.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures; Accepted by A&
Fibers in the NGC1333 proto-cluster
Are the initial conditions for clustered star formation the same as for
non-clustered star formation? To investigate the initial gas properties in
young proto-clusters we carried out a comprehensive and high-sensitivity study
of the internal structure, density, temperature, and kinematics of the dense
gas content of the NGC1333 region in Perseus, one of the nearest and best
studied embedded clusters. The analysis of the gas velocities in the
Position-Position-Velocity space reveals an intricate underlying gas
organization both in space and velocity. We identified a total of 14
velocity-coherent, (tran-)sonic structures within NGC1333, with similar
physical and kinematic properties than those quiescent, star-forming (aka
fertile) fibers previously identified in low-mass star-forming clouds. These
fibers are arranged in a complex spatial network, build-up the observed total
column density, and contain the dense cores and protostars in this cloud. Our
results demonstrate that the presence of fibers is not restricted to low-mass
clouds but can be extended to regions of increasing mass and complexity. We
propose that the observational dichotomy between clustered and non-clustered
star-forming regions might be naturally explained by the distinct spatial
density of fertile fibers in these environments.Comment: 25 pages, 17 figures; Accepted for publication in A&
The Musca cloud: A 6 pc-long velocity-coherent, sonic filament
Filaments play a central role in the molecular clouds' evolution, but their
internal dynamical properties remain poorly characterized. To further explore
the physical state of these structures, we have investigated the kinematic
properties of the Musca cloud. We have sampled the main axis of this
filamentary cloud in CO and CO (2--1) lines using APEX
observations. The different line profiles in Musca shows that this cloud
presents a continuous and quiescent velocity field along its 6.5 pc of
length. With an internal gas kinematics dominated by thermal motions (i.e.,
) and large-scale velocity gradients, these results
reveal Musca as the longest velocity-coherent, sonic-like object identified so
far in the ISM. The transonic properties of Musca present a clear departure
from the predicted supersonic velocity dispersions expected in the Larson's
velocity dispersion-size relationship, and constitute the first observational
evidence of a filament fully decoupled from the turbulent regime over
multi-parsec scales.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures; Accepted for publication in A&
An ALMA study of the Orion Integral Filament : I. Evidence for narrow fibers in a massive cloud
© 2018 ESO. Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics. Content in the UH Research Archive is made available for personal research, educational, and non-commercial purposes only. Unless otherwise stated, all content is protected by copyright, and in the absence of an open license, permissions for further re-use should be sought from the publisher, the author, or other copyright holder.Aim. We have investigated the gas organization within the paradigmatic Integral Shape Filament (ISF) in Orion in order to decipher whether or not all filaments are bundles of fibers. Methods. We combined two new ALMA Cycle 3 mosaics with previous IRAM 30m observations to produce a high-dynamic range N 2H + (1-0) emission map of the ISF tracing its high-density material and velocity structure down to scales of 0.009 pc (or ~2000 AU). Results. From the analysis of the gas kinematics, we identify a total of 55 dense fibers in the central region of the ISF. Independently of their location in the cloud, these fibers are characterized by transonic internal motions, lengths of ~0.15 pc, and masses per unit length close to those expected in hydrostatic equilibrium. The ISF fibers are spatially organized forming a dense bundle with multiple hub-like associations likely shaped by the local gravitational potential. Within this complex network, the ISF fibers show a compact radial emission profile with a median FWHM of 0.035 pc systematically narrower than the previously proposed universal 0.1 pc filament width. Conclusions. Our ALMA observations reveal complex bundles of fibers in the ISF, suggesting strong similarities between the internal substructure of this massive filament and previously studied lower-mass objects. The fibers show identical dynamic properties in both low- and high-mass regions, and their widespread detection in nearby clouds suggests a preferred organizational mechanism of gas in which the physical fiber dimensions (width and length) are self-regulated depending on their intrinsic gas density. Combining these results with previous works in Musca, Taurus, and Perseus, we identify a systematic increase of the surface density of fibers as a function of the total mass per-unit-length in filamentary clouds. Based on this empirical correlation, we propose a unified star-formation scenario where the observed differences between low- and high-mass clouds, and the origin of clusters, emerge naturally from the initial concentration of fibers.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio
Unparticle inspired corrections to the Gravitational Quantum Well
We consider unparticle inspired corrections of the type
to the Newtonian potential in the context of the
gravitational quantum well. The new energy spectrum is computed and bounds on
the parameters of these corrections are obtained from the knowledge of the
energy eigenvalues of the gravitational quantum well as measured by the GRANIT
experiment.Comment: Revtex4 file, 4 pages, 2 figures and 1 table. Version to match the
one published at Physical Review
Discontinuous operation promotes efficient continuous anaerobic treatment of effluents with high lipid content
A mixture of skim milk and sodium oleate was fed to an upflow sludge bed reactor
operated in cycles. Each cycle had a feeding phase under continuous operation and a reaction phase in
batch. Five cycles were performed with organic loading rates applied during feeding phases varying
between 4.4 and 8 kg COD.mˉ³.dˉ¹ and a constant hydraulic retention time of 1.6 days. In the first two
cycles, 70% of the methane-COD was produced in the reaction batch phase, whereas from the third to
the fifth cycles, biogas production in the reaction phase was less than 3% of total production. Overall
methane yields increased steadily, from 0.67 to 0.91 kg COD-CH4.kg COD removedˉ¹. LCFA
accumulated into the sludge in the first two cycles, being palmitate and stearate the dominant
intermediates quantified. In the subsequent cycles no LCFA were detected in the solid or liquid
phases. The specific methanogenic activity in the presence of acetate and H2/CO2 increased
significantly along the operation, particularly between time zero and the end of the third cycle. These
results show that a discontinuous operation promoted the development of an active anaerobic
community able to efficiently convert a continuous organic load of 8.2 kg COD.mˉ³.dˉ¹, from which
50% was oleate.European Commission - LIFE03 ENV/P/000501.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - POCTI/CTA/46328/2002
Why is timing of bird migration advancing when individuals are not?
Recent advances in spring arrival dates have been reported in many migratory species but the mechanism driving these advances is unknown. As population declines are most widely reported in species that are not advancing migration, there is an urgent need to identify the mechanisms facilitating and constraining these advances. Individual plasticity in timing of migration in response to changing climatic conditions is commonly proposed to drive these advances but plasticity in individual migratory timings is rarely observed. For a shorebird population that has significantly advanced migration in recent decades, we show that individual arrival dates are highly consistent between years, but that the arrival dates of new recruits to the population are significantly earlier now than in previous years. Several mechanisms could drive advances in recruit arrival, none of which require individual plasticity or rapid evolution of migration timings. In particular, advances in nest-laying dates could result in advanced recruit arrival, if benefits of early hatching facilitate early subsequent spring migration. This mechanism could also explain why arrival dates of short-distance migrants, which generally return to breeding sites earlier and have greater scope for advance laying, are advancing more rapidly than long-distance migrants
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