4,854 research outputs found
The Central Region in M100: Observations and Modeling
We present new high-resolution observations of the center of the late-type
spiral M100 (NGC 4321) supplemented by 3D numerical modeling of stellar and gas
dynamics, including star formation (SF). NIR imaging has revealed a stellar
bar, previously inferred from optical and 21 cm observations, and an
ovally-shaped ring-like structure in the plane of the disk. The K isophotes
become progressively elongated and skewed to the position angle of the bar
(outside and inside the `ring') forming an inner bar-like region. The galaxy
exhibits a circumnuclear starburst in the inner part of the K `ring'. Two
maxima of the K emission have been observed to lie symmetrically with respect
to the nucleus and equidistant from it slightly leading the stellar bar. We
interpret the twists in the K isophotes as being indicative of the presence of
a double inner Lindblad resonance (ILR) and test this hypothesis by modeling
the gas flow in a self-consistent gas + stars disk embedded in a halo, with an
overall NGC4321-like mass distribution. We have reproduced the basic morphology
of the region (the bar, the large scale trailing shocks, two symmetric K peaks
corresponding to gas compression maxima which lie at the caustic formed by the
interaction of a pair of trailing and leading shocks in the vicinity of the
inner ILR, both peaks being sites of SF, and two additional zones of SF
corresponding to the gas compression maxima, referred usually as `twin peaks').Comment: 31 pages, postscript, compressed, uuencoded. 21 figures available in
postscript, compressed form by anonymous ftp from
ftp://asta.pa.uky.edu/shlosman/main100 , mget *.ps.Z. To appear in Ap.
Inequalities that test locality in quantum mechanics
Quantum theory violates Bell's inequality, but not to the maximum extent that
is logically possible. We derive inequalities (generalizations of Cirel'son's
inequality) that quantify the upper bound of the violation, both for the
standard formalism and the formalism of generalized observables (POVMs). These
inequalities are quantum analogues of Bell inequalities, and they can be used
to test the quantum version of locality. We discuss the nature of this kind of
locality. We also go into the relation of our results to an argument by Popescu
and Rohrlich (Found. Phys. 24, 379 (1994)) that there is no general connection
between the existence of Cirel'son's bound and locality.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure; the argument has been made clearer in the revised
version; 1 reference adde
An Empirical Relation Between The Large-Scale Magnetic Field And The Dynamical Mass In Galaxies
The origin and evolution of cosmic magnetic fields as well as the influence
of the magnetic fields on the evolution of galaxies are unknown. Though not
without challenges, the dynamo theory can explain the large-scale coherent
magnetic fields which govern galaxies, but observational evidence for the
theory is so far very scarce. Putting together the available data of
non-interacting, non-cluster galaxies with known large-scale magnetic fields,
we find a tight correlation between the integrated polarized flux density,
S(PI), and the rotation speed, v(rot), of galaxies. This leads to an almost
linear correlation between the large-scale magnetic field B and v(rot),
assuming that the number of cosmic ray electrons is proportional to the star
formation rate, and a super-linear correlation assuming equipartition between
magnetic fields and cosmic rays. This correlation cannot be attributed to an
active linear alpha-Omega dynamo, as no correlation holds with global shear or
angular speed. It indicates instead a coupling between the large-scale magnetic
field and the dynamical mass of the galaxies, B ~ M^(0.25-0.4). Hence, faster
rotating and/or more massive galaxies have stronger large-scale magnetic
fields. The observed B-v(rot) correlation shows that the anisotropic turbulent
magnetic field dominates B in fast rotating galaxies as the turbulent magnetic
field, coupled with gas, is enhanced and ordered due to the strong gas
compression and/or local shear in these systems. This study supports an
stationary condition for the large-scale magnetic field as long as the
dynamical mass of galaxies is constant.Comment: 23 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal Letter
Nitric oxide and peroxynitrite in health and disease
The discovery that mammalian cells have the ability to synthesize the free radical nitric oxide (NO) has stimulated an extraordinary impetus for scientific research in all the fields of biology and medicine. Since its early description as an endothelial-derived relaxing factor, NO has emerged as a fundamental signaling device regulating virtually every critical cellular function, as well as a potent mediator of cellular damage in a wide range of conditions. Recent evidence indicates that most of the cytotoxicity attributed to NO is rather due to peroxynitrite, produced from the diffusion-controlled reaction between NO and another free radical, the superoxide anion. Peroxynitrite interacts with lipids, DNA, and proteins via direct oxidative reactions or via indirect, radical-mediated mechanisms. These reactions trigger cellular responses ranging from subtle modulations of cell signaling to overwhelming oxidative injury, committing cells to necrosis or apoptosis. In vivo, peroxynitrite generation represents a crucial pathogenic mechanism in conditions such as stroke, myocardial infarction, chronic heart failure, diabetes, circulatory shock, chronic inflammatory diseases, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders. Hence, novel pharmacological strategies aimed at removing peroxynitrite might represent powerful therapeutic tools in the future. Evidence supporting these novel roles of NO and peroxynitrite is presented in detail in this review
Mixed Early and Late-Type Properties in the Bar of NGC 6221: Evidence for Evolution along the Hubble Sequence?
Rotation curves and velocity dispersion profiles are presented for both the
stellar and gaseous components along five different position angles (P.A.=5,
50, 95, 125 and 155 degrees) of the nearby barred spiral NGC 6221. The observed
kinematics extends out to about 80" from the nucleus. Narrow and broad-band
imaging is also presented. The radial profiles of the fluxes ratio [NII]/Halpha
reveal the presence of a ring-like structure of ionized gas, with a radius of
about 9" and a deprojected circular velocity of about 280 km/s. The analysis of
the dynamics of the bar indicates this ring is related to the presence of an
inner Lindblad resonance (ILR) at 1.3 kpc. NGC6221 is found to exhibit
intermediate properties between those of the early-type barred galaxies: the
presence of a gaseous ring at an ILR, the bar edge located between the ILR's
and the corotation radius beyond the steep rising portion of the rotation
curve, the dust-lane pattern, and those of the late-type galaxies: an almost
exponential surface brightness profile, the presence of Halpha regions along
all the bar, the spiral-arm pattern. It is consistent with scenarios of
bar-induced evolution from later to earlier-type galaxies.Comment: 1 File ds7406.tar.gz which contains: one latex file (ds7406.tex), and
10 encsulated postscript figures (ds7406f**.eps). To be compiled with aa-l
latex2e macro style. To be published in A&A Sup. Serie
The origin of the ionization of the diffuse interstellar medium in spiral galaxies. II. Modelling the distribution of ionizing radiation in NGC 157
In this paper we make a quantitative study of the hypothesis that the diffuse
H-alpha emitted from the discs of spiral galaxies owes its origin to the
ionizing photons escaping from HII regions. We use the H-alpha measurements of
the complete set of HII regions in the spiral NGC 157, for which an HI density
map was available, to derive a family of models which predict the ionizing
photon distribution in the disc of this galaxy. The predicted diffuse H-alpha
surface brightness distributions from our models were compared with the
observed distributions showing that, in general terms, the hypothesis of
density bounding for the HII regions allows us to predict well the spatial
distribution of the diffuse ionized gas. In the model yielding the best fit to
the data, the regions of lower luminosity lose a constant fraction of their
ionizing flux to their surroundings, while for HII region luminosities above a
specific transition value the ionizing escape fraction is a rising function of
the Ha luminosity.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures (Postscript level 2), accepted for publication
in A&
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