14,745 research outputs found
Atomic and molecular interstellar absorption lines toward the high galactic latitude stars HD~141569 and HD~157841 at ultra-high resolution
We present ultra-high resolution (0.32 km/s) spectra obtained with the 3.9m
Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) and Ultra-High-Resolution Facility (UHRF), of
interstellar NaI D1, D2, Ca II K, K I and CH absorption toward two high
galactic latitude stars HD141569 and HD157841. We have compared our data with
21-cm observations obtained from the Leiden/Dwingeloo HI survey. We derive the
velocity structure, column densities of the clouds represented by the various
components and identify the clouds with ISM structures seen in the region at
other wavelengths. We further derive abundances, linear depletions and H2
fractional abundances for these clouds, wherever possible. Toward HD141569, we
detect two components in our UHRF spectra : a weak, broad component at - 15
km/s, seen only in CaII K absorption and another component at 0 km/s, seen in
NaI D1, D2, Ca II K, KI and CH absorption. In the case of the HD157841
sightline, a total of 6 components are seen on our UHRF spectra in NaI D1, D2
Ca II K, K I and CH absorption. 2 of these 6 components are seen only in a
single species.Comment: 16 pages, Latex, 4 figures, ps files Astrophysical Journal (in press
Existence of a Meromorphic Extension of Spectral Zeta Functions on Fractals
We investigate the existence of the meromorphic extension of the spectral
zeta function of the Laplacian on self-similar fractals using the classical
results of Kigami and Lapidus (based on the renewal theory) and new results of
Hambly and Kajino based on the heat kernel estimates and other probabilistic
techniques. We also formulate conjectures which hold true in the examples that
have been analyzed in the existing literature
Broad P V Absorption in the BALQSO, PG 1254+047: Column Densities, Ionizations and Metal Abundances in BAL Winds
This paper discusses the detection of P V 1118,1128 and other broad
absorption lines (BALs) in archival HST spectra of the low-redshift BALQSO, PG
1254+047. The P V identification is secured by excellent redshift and profile
coincidences with the other BALs, such as C IV 1548,1550 and Si IV 1393,1403,
and by photoionization calculations showing that other lines near this
wavelength, e.g. Fe III 1123, should be much weaker than P V. The observed BAL
strengths imply that either 1) there are extreme abundance ratios such as [C/H]
>~ +1.0, [Si/H] >~ +1.8 and [P/C] >~ +2.2, or 2) at least some of the lines are
much more optically thick than they appear. I argue that the significant
presence of P V absorption indicates severe line saturation, which is disguised
in the observed (moderate-strength) BALs because the absorber does not fully
cover the continuum source(s) along our line(s) of sight. Computed optical
depths for all UV resonance lines show that the observed BALs are consistent
with solar abundances if 1) the ionization parameter is at least moderately
high, log U >~ -0.6, 2) the total hydrogen column density is log N_H(cm-2) >~
22.0, and 3) the optical depths in strong lines like C IV and O VI 1032,1038
are >~25 and >~80, respectively. These optical depths and column densities are
at least an order of magnitude larger than expected from the residual
intensities in the BAL troughs, but they are consistent with the large
absorbing columns derived from X-ray observations of BALQSOs. The outflowing
BALR, at velocities from -15,000 to -27,000 km/s in PG 1254+047, is therefore a
strong candidate for the X-ray absorber in BALQSOs.Comment: 16 pages (LaTeX) plus 8 pages of figures in one file
(pg1254_figs.ps.gz), in press with Ap
A decade of ejecta dust formation in the Type IIn SN 2005ip
In order to understand the contribution of core-collapse supernovae to the
dust budget of the early universe, it is important to understand not only the
mass of dust that can form in core-collapse supernovae but also the location
and rate of dust formation. SN 2005ip is of particular interest since dust has
been inferred to have formed in both the ejecta and the post-shock region
behind the radiative reverse shock. We have collated eight optical archival
spectra that span the lifetime of SN 2005ip and we additionally present a new
X-shooter optical-near-IR spectrum of SN 2005ip at 4075d post-discovery. Using
the Monte Carlo line transfer code DAMOCLES, we have modelled the blueshifted
broad and intermediate width H, H and He I lines from 48d to
4075d post-discovery using an ejecta dust model. We find that dust in the
ejecta can account for the asymmetries observed in the broad and intermediate
width H, H and He I line profiles at all epochs and that it is
not necessary to invoke post-shock dust formation to explain the blueshifting
observed in the intermediate width post-shock lines. Using a Bayesian approach,
we have determined the evolution of the ejecta dust mass in SN 2005ip over 10
years presuming an ejecta dust model, with an increasing dust mass from
~10 M at 48d to a current dust mass of 0.1 M.Comment: Accepted by MNRAS, 17 pages, 11 figures. Author accepted manuscript.
Accepted on 04/03/19. Deposited on 07/03/1
Drivers of European bat population change: a review reveals evidence gaps
Bat populations are thought to have suffered significant declines in the past century throughout Europe. Fortunately, there are some signs of recovery; for instance, of the 11 species monitored in the UK, population trends of five are increasing. The drivers of past losses and recent trends are unclear; identifying them will enable targeted conservation strategies to support further recovery.
We review the evidence linking proposed drivers to impacts on bat populations in Europe, using the results of a previous crossâtaxa semiâquantitative assessment as a framework. Broadly, the drivers reviewed relate to landâuse practices, climate change, pollution, development and infrastructure, and human disturbance. We highlight where evidence gaps or conflicts present barriers to successful conservation and review emerging opportunities to address these gaps.
We find that the relative importance or impacts of the potential drivers of bat population change are not well understood or quantified, with conflicting evidence in many cases. To close key gaps in the evidence for responses of bat populations to environmental change, future studies should focus on the impacts of climate change, urbanisation, offshore wind turbines, and water pollution, as well as on mitigation measures and the synergistic effects of putative drivers.
To increase available evidence of drivers of bat population change, we propose utilising advances in monitoring tools and statistical methods, together with robust quantitative assessment of conservation interventions to mitigate threats and enable the effective conservation of these protected species
Thirty years of SN 1980K: Evidence for light echoes
We report optical and mid-infrared photometry of SN 1980K between 2004 and
2010, which show slow monotonic fading consistent with previous spectroscopic
and photometric observations made 8 to 17 years after outburst. The slow
rate-of-change over two decades suggests that this evolution may result from
scattered and thermal light echoes off of extended circumstellar material. We
present a semi- analytic dust radiative-transfer model that uses an empirically
corrected effective optical depth to provide a fast and robust alternative to
full Monte-Carlo radiative transfer modeling for homogenous dust at low to
intermediate optical depths. We find that unresolved echoes from a thin
circumstellar shell 14-15 lt-yr from the progenitor, and containing about 0.02
Msun of carbon-rich dust, can explain the broadband spectral and temporal
evolution. The size, mass and dust composition are in good agreement with the
contact discontinuity observed in scattered echoes around SN 1987A. The origin
of slowly-changing high-velocity [O I] and Halpha lines is also considered. We
propose an origin in shocked high-velocity metal-rich clumps of ejecta, rather
than arising in the impact of ejecta on slowly-moving circumstellar material,
as is the case with hot spots in SN 1987A.Comment: Accepted 2/14/12 to be published in ApJ. 15 pages, 10 figure
Kidney cell electrophoresis in space flight: Rationale, methods, results and flow cytometry applications
Cultures of human embryonic kidney cells consistently contain an electrophoretically separable subpopulation of cells that produce high levels of urokinase and have an electrophoretic mobility about 85 percent as high as that of the most mobile human embryonic kidney cells. This subpopulation is rich in large epithelioid cells that have relatively little internal structure. When resolution and throughput are adequate, free fluid electrophoresis can be used to isolate a broad band of low mobility cells which also produces high levels of plasminogen activators (PAs). In the course of performing this, it was discovered that all electrophoretic subpopulations of cultured human embryonic kidney cells produce some PAs and that separate subpopulations produce high quantities of different types of PA's. This information and the development of sensitive assays for this project have provided new insights into cell secretion mechanisms related to fibrinolysis. These advances would probably not have been made without the NASA program to explore fundamental questions of free fluid electrophoresis in space
Early Dust Formation and a Massive Progenitor for SN 2011ja?
SN 2011ja was a bright (I = -18.3) Type II supernova occurring in the nearby
edge on spiral galaxy NGC 4945. Flat-topped and multi-peaked H-alpha and H-beta
spectral emission lines appear between 64 - 84 days post-explosion, indicating
interaction with a disc-like circumstellar medium inclined 30-45 degrees from
edge-on. After day 84 an increase in the H- and K-band flux along with heavy
attenuation of the red wing of the emission lines are strong indications of
early dust formation, likely located in the cool dense shell created between
the forward shock of the SN ejecta and the reverse shock created as the ejecta
plows into the existing CSM. Radiative transfer modeling reveals both ~1.5 x
10^-4 Msun of pre-existing dust located ~ 10^16.7 cm away and ~ 5 x 10^-5 Msun
of newly formed dust. Spectral observations after 1.5 years reveal the
possibility that the fading SN is located within a young (3-6 Myr) massive
stellar cluster, which when combined with tentative 56Ni mass estimates of 0.2
Msun may indicate a massive (> 25 Msun) progenitor for SN 2011ja.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, submitted to MNRAS awaiting final referee repor
Transition density of diffusion on Sierpinski gasket and extension of Flory's formula
Some problems related to the transition density u(t,x) of the diffusion on
the Sierpinski gasket are considerd, based on recent rigorous results and
detailed numerical calculations. The main contents are an extension of Flory's
formula for the end-to-end distance exponent of self-avoiding walks on the
fractal spaces, and an evidence of the oscillatory behavior of u(t,x) on the
Sierpinski gasket.Comment: 11 pages, REVTEX, 2 postscript figure
The SiC problem: astronomical and meteoritic evidence
Pre-solar grains of silicon carbide found in meteorites and interpreted as
having had an origin around carbon stars from their isotopic composition, have
all been found to be of the beta-SiC polytype. Yet to date fits to the 11.3
microns SiC emission band of carbon stars had been obtained only for alpha-SiC
grains. We present thin film infrared (IR) absorption spectra measured in a
diamond anvil cell for both the alpha- and beta- polymorphs of synthetic SiC
and compare the results with previously published spectra taken using the KBr
matrix method. We find that our thin film spectra have positions nearly
identical to those obtained previously from finely ground samples in KBr.
Hence, we show that this discrepancy has arisen from inappropriate `KBr
corrections' having been made to laboratory spectra of SiC particles dispersed
in KBr matrices. We re-fit a sample of carbon star mid-IR spectra, using
laboratory data with no KBr correction applied, and show that beta-SiC grains
fit the observations, while alpha-SiC grains do not. The discrepancy between
meteoritic and astronomical identifications of the SiC-type is therefore
removed. This work shows that the diamond anvil cell thin film method can be
used to produce mineral spectra applicable to cosmic environments without
further manipulation.Comment: to be published in Astrophysical Journal Letter 4 pages, 3 figure
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