Models for the 3-D axisymmetric gravitational potential of the Milky Way Galaxy - A detailed modelling of the Galactic disk

Aims. Galaxy mass models based on simple and analytical functions for the density and potential pairs have been widely proposed in the literature. Disk models constrained by kinematic data alone give information on the global disk structure only very near the Galactic plane. We attempt to circumvent this issue by constructing disk mass models whose three-dimensional structures are constrained by a recent Galactic star counts model in the near-infrared and also by observations of the hydrogen distribution in the disk. Our main aim is to provide models for the gravitational potential of the Galaxy that are fully analytical but also with a more realistic description of the density distribution in the disk component. Methods. From the disk model directly based on the observations (here divided into the thin and thick stellar disks and the HI and H$_2$ disks subcomponents), we produce fitted mass models by combining three Miyamoto-Nagai disk profiles of any "model order" (1, 2, or 3) for each disk subcomponent. The Miyamoto-Nagai disks are combined with models for the bulge and "dark halo" components and the total set of parameters is adjusted by observational kinematic constraints. A model which includes a ring density structure in the disk, beyond the solar Galactic radius, is also investigated. Results. The Galactic mass models return very good matches to the imposed observational constraints. In particular, the model with the ring density structure provides a greater contribution of the disk to the rotational support inside the solar circle. The gravitational potential models and their associated force-fields are described in analytically closed forms, and in addition, they are also compatible with our best knowledge of the stellar and gas distributions in the disk component. The gravitational potential models are suited for investigations of orbits in the Galactic disk.Comment: 22 pages, 13 figures, 11 tables, accepted for publication in A&

A new model for gravitational potential perturbations in disks of spiral galaxies. An application to our Galaxy

We propose a new, more realistic, description of the perturbed gravitational potential of spiral galaxies, with spiral arms having Gaussian-shaped groove profiles. We investigate the stable stellar orbits in galactic disks, using the new perturbed potential. The influence of the bulge mass on the stellar orbits in the inner regions of a disk is also investigated. The new description offers the advantage of easy control of the parameters of the Gaussian profile of its potential. We find a range of values for the perturbation amplitude from 400 to 800 km^2 s^{-2} kpc^{-1} which implies a maximum ratio of the tangential force to the axisymmetric force between 3% and 6%, approximately. Good self-consistency of arm shapes is obtained between the Inner Lindblad resonance (ILR) and the 4:1 resonance. Near the 4:1 resonance the response density starts to deviate from the imposed logarithmic spiral form. This creates bifurcations that appear as short arms. Therefore the deviation from a perfect logarithmic spiral in galaxies can be understood as a natural effect of the 4:1 resonance. Beyond the 4:1 resonance we find closed orbits which have similarities with the arms observed in our Galaxy. In regions near the center, in the presence of a massive bulge, elongated stellar orbits appear naturally, without imposing any bar-shaped potential, but only extending the spiral perturbation a little inward of the ILR. This suggests that a bar is formed with a half-size around 3 kpc by a mechanism similar to that of the spiral arms. The potential energy perturbation that we adopted represents an important step in the direction of self-consistency, compared to previous sine function descriptions of the potential. Our model produces a realistic description of the spiral structure, able to explain several details that were not yet understood.Comment: 12 pag., 11 fig. Accepted for publication in A&A, 2012 December 1

Global aspects of gravitomagnetism

We consider global properties of gravitomagnetism by investigating the gravitomagnetic field of a rotating cosmic string. We show that although the gravitomagnetic field produced by such a configuration of matter vanishes locally, it can be detected globally. In this context we discuss the gravitational analogue of the Aharonov-Bohm effect.Comment: 10 pages - Typeset using REVTE

Gaussian superpositions in scalar-tensor quantum cosmological models

A free scalar field minimally coupled to gravity model is quantized and the Wheeler-DeWitt equation in minisuperspace is solved analytically, exhibiting positive and negative frequency modes. The analysis is performed for positive, negative and zero values of the curvature of the spatial section. Gaussian superpositions of the modes are constructed, and the quantum bohmian trajectories are determined in the framework of the Bohm-de Broglie interpretation of quantum cosmology. Oscillating universes appear in all cases, but with a characteristic scale of the order of the Planck scale. Bouncing regular solutions emerge for the flat curvature case. They contract classically from infinity until a minimum size, where quantum effects become important acting as repulsive forces avoiding the singularity and creating an inflationary phase, expanding afterwards to an infinite size, approaching the classical expansion as long as the scale factor increases. These are non-singular solutions which are viable models to describe the early Universe.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX, 3 Postscript figures, uses graficx.st

Intense CIII] 1907,1909 emission from a strong Lyman continuum emitting galaxy

We have obtained the first complete ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of a strong Lyman continuum(LyC) emitter at low redshift -- the compact, low-metallicity, star-forming galaxy J1154+2443 -- with a Lyman continuum escape fraction of 46% discovered recently. The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph spectrum shows strong Lya and CIII] 1909 emission, as well as OIII] 1666. Our observations show that strong LyC emitters can have UV emission lines with a high equivalent width (e.g. EW(CIII])$=11.7 \pm 2.9 \AA$ rest-frame), although their equivalent widths should be reduced due to the loss of ionizing photons. The intrinsic ionizing photon production efficiency of J1154+2443 is high, $\log(\xi_{\rm ion}^0)=25.56$ erg$^{-1}$ Hz, comparable to that of other recently discovered $z \sim 0.3-0.4$ LyC emitters. Combining our measurements and earlier determinations from the literature, we find a trend of increasing $\xi_{\rm ion}^0$ with increasing CIII] 1909 equivalent width, which can be understood by a combination of decreasing stellar population age and metallicity. Simple ionization and density-bounded photoionization models can explain the main observational features including the UV spectrum of J1154+2443.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A Letter

Entropy, diffusivity and the energy landscape of a water-like fluid

Molecular dynamics simulations and instantaneous normal mode (INM) analysis of a fluid with core-softened pair interactions and water-like liquid-state anomalies are performed to obtain an understanding of the relationship between thermodynamics, transport properties and the poten- tial energy landscape. Rosenfeld-scaling of diffusivities with the thermodynamic excess and pair correlation entropy is demonstrated for this model. The INM spectra are shown to carry infor- mation about the dynamical consequences of the interplay between length scales characteristic of anomalous fluids, such as bimodality of the real and imaginary branches of the frequency distribu- tion. The INM spectral information is used to partition the liquid entropy into two contributions associated with the real and imaginary frequency modes; only the entropy contribution from the imaginary branch captures the non-monotonic behaviour of the excess entropy and diffusivity in the anomalous regime of the fluid

Three novel mutations in the CFTR gene identified in Galician patients

AbstractWe report three novel CFTR missense mutations detected in Spanish patients from Galicia (North West of Spain). In the first case, a patient homozygous for a novel S1045Y mutation died due to pulmonary problems. In the other two cases, both heterozygous for novel mutations combined with the F508del mutation, clinical symptoms were different depending on the mutation, detected as M595I and A107V

The GREATS Hβ\beta+[OIII] Luminosity Function and Galaxy Properties at z∼8\mathbf{z\sim8}: Walking the Way of JWST

The James Webb Space Telescope will allow to spectroscopically study an unprecedented number of galaxies deep into the reionization era, notably by detecting [OIII] and H$\beta$ nebular emission lines. To efficiently prepare such observations, we photometrically select a large sample of galaxies at $z\sim8$ and study their rest-frame optical emission lines. Combining data from the GOODS Re-ionization Era wide-Area Treasury from Spitzer (GREATS) survey and from HST, we perform spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting, using synthetic SEDs from a large grid of photoionization models. The deep Spitzer/IRAC data combined with our models exploring a large parameter space enables to constrain the [OIII]+H$\beta$ fluxes and equivalent widths for our sample, as well as the average physical properties of $z\sim8$ galaxies, such as the ionizing photon production efficiency with $\log(\xi_\mathrm{ion}/\mathrm{erg}^{-1}\hspace{1mm}\mathrm{Hz})\geq25.77$. We find a relatively tight correlation between the [OIII]+H$\beta$ and UV luminosity, which we use to derive for the first time the [OIII]+H$\beta$ luminosity function (LF) at $z\sim8$. The $z\sim8$ [OIII]+H$\beta$ LF is higher at all luminosities compared to lower redshift, as opposed to the UV LF, due to an increase of the [OIII]+H$\beta$ luminosity at a given UV luminosity from $z\sim3$ to $z\sim8$. Finally, using the [OIII]+H$\beta$ LF, we make predictions for JWST/NIRSpec number counts of $z\sim8$ galaxies. We find that the current wide-area extragalactic legacy fields are too shallow to use JWST at maximal efficiency for $z\sim8$ spectroscopy even at 1hr depth and JWST pre-imaging to $\gtrsim30$ mag will be required.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

A review on power electronic converters for modular BMS with active balancing

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular due to their low emissions, energy efficiency, and reduced reliance on fossil fuels. One of the most critical components in an EV is the energy storage and management system, which requires compactness, lightweight, high efficiency, and superior build quality. Active cell equalization circuits such as those used in battery management systems (BMS) have been developed to balance the voltage and state of charge (SoC) of individual cells, ensuring the safety and reliability of the energy storage system. The use of these types of equalization circuits offers several benefits including improved battery performance, extended battery life, and enhanced safety, which are essential for the successful adoption of EVs. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the research works related to active cell equalization circuits. This review highlights the important aspects, advantages and disadvantages, and specifications.This work was supported by FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, within the R&D Units Project Scope UIDB/00319/2020. Luis A. M. Barros is supported by the doctoral scholarship PD/BD/143006/2018, granted by the Portuguese FCT foundation