45,569 research outputs found
An independent distance estimate to the AGB star R Sculptoris
For the carbon AGB star R Sculptoris, the uncertain distance significantly
affects the interpretation of observations regarding the evolution of the
stellar mass loss during and after the most recent thermal pulse. We aim to
provide a new, independent measurement of the distance to R Sculptoris,
reducing the absolute uncertainty of the distance estimate to this source. R
Scl is a semi-regular pulsating star, surrounded by a thin shell of dust and
gas created during a thermal pulse approximately 2000 years ago. The stellar
light is scattered by the dust particles in the shell at a radius of 19 arcsec.
The variation in the stellar light affects the amount of dust-scattered light
with the same period and amplitude ratio, but with a phase lag that depends on
the absolute size of the shell. We measured this phase lag by observing the
star R Scl and the dust-scattered stellar light from the shell at five epochs
between June - December 2017. By observing in polarised light, we imaged the
shell in the plane of the sky, removing any uncertainty due to geometrical
effects. The phase lag gives the absolute size of the shell, and together with
the angular size of the shell directly gives the absolute distance to R
Sculptoris. We measured a phase lag between the stellar variations and the
variation in the shell of 40.0 +/- 4.0 days. The angular size of the shell is
measured to be 19.1 arcsec +/- 0.7 arcsec. Combined, this gives an absolute
distance to R Sculptoris of 361 +/- 44 pc. We independently determined the
absolute distance to R Scl with an uncertainty of 12%. The estimated distance
is consistent with previous estimates, but is one of the most accurate
distances to the source to date. In the future, using the variations in
polarised, dust-scattered stellar light, may offer an independent possibility
to measure reliable distances to AGB stars.Comment: accepted by A&A, 8 pages, 8 figure
The KATRIN Experiment
The KArlsruhe TRitium Neutrino mass experiment, KATRIN, aims to search for
the mass of the electron neutrino with a sensitivity of 0.2 eV/c^2 (90% C.L.)
and a detection limit of 0.35 eV/c^2 (5 sigma). Both a positive or a negative
result will have far reaching implications for cosmology and the standard model
of particle physics and will give new input for astroparticle physics and
cosmology. The major components of KATRIN are being set up at the Karlsruhe
Institut of Technology in Karlsruhe, Germany, and test measurements of the
individual components have started. Data taking with tritium is scheduled to
start in 2012.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, proceedings of the TAUP 2009 International
Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics, to be
published in Journal of Physics, Conference Serie
The magnetic field of M31 from multi-wavelength radio polarization observations
The configuration of the regular magnetic field in M31 is deduced from radio
polarization observations at the wavelengths 6, 11 and 20 cm. By fitting the
observed azimuthal distribution of polarization angles, we find that the
regular magnetic field, averaged over scales 1--3 kpc, is almost perfectly
axisymmetric in the radial range 8 to 14 kpc, and follows a spiral pattern with
pitch angles of p\simeq -19\degr to p\simeq -8\degr. In the ring between 6
and 8 kpc a perturbation of the dominant axisymmetric mode may be present,
having the azimuthal wave number m=2. A systematic analysis of the observed
depolarization allows us to identify the main mechanism for wavelength
dependent depolarization -- Faraday rotation measure gradients arising in a
magneto-ionic screen above the synchrotron disk. Modelling of the
depolarization leads to constraints on the relative scale heights of the
thermal and synchrotron emitting layers in M31; the thermal layer is found to
be up to three times thicker than the synchrotron disk. The regular magnetic
field must be coherent over a vertical scale at least similar to the scale
height of the thermal layer, estimated to be h\therm\simeq 1 kpc. Faraday
effects offer a powerful method to detect thick magneto-ionic disks or halos
around spiral galaxies.Comment: 17 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Properties of dust in the detached shells around U Ant, DR Ser, and V644 Sco
Understanding the properties of dust produced during the asymptotic giant
branch phase of stellar evolution is important for understanding the evolution
of stars and galaxies. Recent observations of the carbon AGB star R Scl have
shown that observations at far-infrared and submillimetre wavelengths can
effectively constrain the grain sizes in the shell, while the total mass
depends on the structure of the grains (solid vs. hollow or fluffy). We aim to
constrain the properties of the dust observed in the submillimetre in the
detached shells around the three carbon AGB stars U Ant, DR Ser, and V644 Sco,
and to investigate the constraints on the dust masses and grain sizes provided
by far-infrared and submm observations. We observed the carbon AGB stars U Ant,
DR Ser, and V644 Sco at 870 micron using LABOCA on APEX. Combined with
observations from the optical to far-infrared, we produced dust radiative
transfer models of the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with contributions
from the stars, present-day mass-loss and detached shells. We tested the effect
of different total dust masses and grain sizes on the SED, and attempted to
consistently reproduce the SEDs from the optical to the submm. We derive dust
masses in the shells of a few 10e-5 Msun, assuming spherical, solid grains. The
best-fit grain radii are comparatively large, and indicate the presence of
grains between 0.1 micron-2 micron. The LABOCA observations suffer from
contamination from 12CO(3-2), and hence gives fluxes that are higher than the
predicted dust emission at submm wavelengths. We investigate the effect on the
best-fitting models by assuming different degrees of contamination and show
that far-infrared and submillimetre observations are important to constrain the
dust mass and grain sizes in the shells.Comment: Accepted by A&
Magneto-acoustic waves in sunspots from observations and numerical simulations
We study the propagation of waves from the photosphere to the chromosphere of
sunspots. From time series of cospatial Ca II H (including its line blends)
intensity spectra and polarimetric spectra of Si I 1082.7 nm and He I 1083.0 nm
we retrieve the line-of-sight velocity at several heights. The analysis of the
phase difference and amplification spectra shows standing waves for frequencies
below 4 mHz and propagating waves for higher frequencies, and allows us to
infer the temperature and height where the lines are formed. Using these
observational data, we have constructed a model of sunspot, and we have
introduced the velocity measured with the photospheric Si I 1082.7 nm line as a
driver. The numerically propagated wave pattern fits reasonably well with the
observed using the lines formed at higher layers, and the simulations reproduce
many of the observed features. The observed waves are slow MHD waves
propagating longitudinally along field lines.Comment: proceedings of GONG 2010/SOHO 24 meeting, June 27 - July 2, 2010,
Aix-en-Provence, Franc
Magnetic fields and spiral arms in the galaxy M51
(Abridged) We use new multi-wavelength radio observations, made with the VLA
and Effelsberg telescopes, to study the magnetic field of the nearby galaxy M51
on scales from 200\pc to several \kpc. Interferometric and single dish data
are combined to obtain new maps at \wwav{3}{6} in total and polarized emission,
and earlier \wav{20} data are re-reduced. We compare the spatial distribution
of the radio emission with observations of the neutral gas, derive radio
spectral index and Faraday depolarization maps, and model the large-scale
variation in Faraday rotation in order to deduce the structure of the regular
magnetic field. We find that the \wav{20} emission from the disc is severely
depolarized and that a dominating fraction of the observed polarized emission
at \wav{6} must be due to anisotropic small-scale magnetic fields. Taking this
into account, we derive two components for the regular magnetic field in this
galaxy: the disc is dominated by a combination of azimuthal modes, , but
in the halo only an mode is required to fit the observations. We disuss
how the observed arm-interarm contrast in radio intensities can be reconciled
with evidence for strong gas compression in the spiral shocks. The average
arm--interam contrast, representative of the radii r>2\kpc where the spiral
arms are broader, is not compatible with straightforward compression: lower
arm--interarm contrasts than expected may be due to resolution effects and
\emph{decompression} of the magnetic field as it leaves the arms. We suggest a
simple method to estimate the turbulent scale in the magneto-ionic medium from
the dependence of the standard deviation of the observed Faraday rotation
measure on resolution. We thus obtain an estimate of 50\pc for the size of
the turbulent eddies.Comment: 21 pages, 18 figures (some at lower resolution than submitted
version), accepted for publication in MNRA
Near-infrared spectropolarimetry of a delta-spot
Sunspots harboring umbrae of both magnetic polarities within a common
penumbra (delta-spots) are often but not always related to flares. We present
first near-infrared (NIR) observations (Fe I 1078.3 nm and Si I 1078.6 nm
spectra) obtained with the Tenerife Infrared Polarimeter (TIP) at the Vacuum
Tower Telescope (VTT) in Tenerife on 2012 June 17, which afford accurate and
sensitive diagnostics to scrutinize the complex fields along the magnetic
neutral line of a delta-spot within active region NOAA 11504. We examine the
vector magnetic field, line-of-sight (LOS) velocities, and horizontal proper
motions of this rather inactive delta-spot. We find a smooth transition of the
magnetic vector field from the main umbra to that of opposite polarity
(delta-umbra), but a discontinuity of the horizontal magnetic field at some
distance from the delta-umbra on the polarity inversion line. The magnetic
field decreases faster with height by a factor of two above the delta-umbra.
The latter is surrounded by its own Evershed flow. The Evershed flow coming
from the main umbra ends at a line dividing the spot into two parts. This line
is marked by the occurrence of central emission in the Ca II 854.2 nm line.
Along this line, high chromospheric LOS-velocities of both signs appear. We
detect a shear flow within the horizontal flux transport velocities parallel to
the dividing line.Comment: 4 pages, will appear as Letter in Astronomy & Astrophysic
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The economics of health
This report presents results from the Economics of Health project funded by the East Midlands Development Agency. The work was undertaken between November 2007 and February 2008. The main aim of the project was to examine the relationship between mental and physical health and employability, labour market participation and economic performance, with specific attention given to the direction of causal relationships
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