13,598 research outputs found
Spatially resolved spectroscopy of Coma cluster early-type galaxies IV. Completing the dataset
The long-slit spectra obtained along the minor axis, offset major axis and
diagonal axis are presented for 12 E and S0 galaxies of the Coma cluster drawn
from a magnitude-limited sample studied before. The rotation curves, velocity
dispersion profiles and the H_3 and H_4 coefficients of the Hermite
decomposition of the line of sight velocity distribution are derived. The
radial profiles of the Hbeta, Mg, and Fe line strength indices are measured
too. In addition, the surface photometry of the central regions of a subsample
of 4 galaxies recently obtained with Hubble Space Telescope is presented. The
data will be used to construct dynamical models of the galaxies and study their
stellar populations.Comment: 40 pages, 7 figures, 6 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ
Pairing correlations beyond the mean field
We discuss dynamical pairing correlations in the context of configuration
mixing of projected self-consistent mean-field states, and the origin of a
divergence that might appear when such calculations are done using an energy
functional in the spirit of a naive generalized density functional theory.Comment: Proceedings of the XIII Nuclear Physics Workshop ``Maria and Pierre
Curie'' on ``Pairing and beyond - 50 years of the BCS model'', held at
Kazimierz Dolny, Poland, September 27 - October 1, 2006. Int. J. Mod. Phys.
E, in prin
Extending PT symmetry from Heisenberg algebra to E2 algebra
The E2 algebra has three elements, J, u, and v, which satisfy the commutation
relations [u,J]=iv, [v,J]=-iu, [u,v]=0. We can construct the Hamiltonian
H=J^2+gu, where g is a real parameter, from these elements. This Hamiltonian is
Hermitian and consequently it has real eigenvalues. However, we can also
construct the PT-symmetric and non-Hermitian Hamiltonian H=J^2+igu, where again
g is real. As in the case of PT-symmetric Hamiltonians constructed from the
elements x and p of the Heisenberg algebra, there are two regions in parameter
space for this PT-symmetric Hamiltonian, a region of unbroken PT symmetry in
which all the eigenvalues are real and a region of broken PT symmetry in which
some of the eigenvalues are complex. The two regions are separated by a
critical value of g.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure
Kinematic Structure of Merger Remnants
We use numerical simulations to study the kinematic structure of remnants
formed from mergers of equal-mass disk galaxies. In particular, we show that
remnants of dissipational mergers, which include the radiative cooling of gas,
star formation, feedback from supernovae, and the growth of supermassive black
holes, are smaller, rounder, have, on average, a larger central velocity
dispersion, and show significant rotation compared to remnants of
dissipationless mergers. The increased rotation speed of dissipational remnants
owes its origin to star formation that occurs in the central regions during the
galaxy merger. We have further quantified the anisotropy, three-dimensional
shape, minor axis rotation, and isophotal shape of each merger remnant, finding
that dissipational remnants are more isotropic, closer to oblate, have the
majority of their rotation along their major axis, and are more disky than
dissipationless remnants. Individual remnants display a wide variety of
kinematic properties. A large fraction of the dissipational remnants are oblate
isotropic rotators. Many dissipational, and all of the dissipationless, are
slowly rotating and anisotropic. The remnants of gas-rich major mergers can
well-reproduce the observed distribution of projected ellipticities, rotation
parameter (V/\sigma)*, kinematic misalignments, Psi, and isophotal shapes. The
dissipationless remnants are a poor match to this data. Our results support the
merger hypothesis for the origin of low-luminosity elliptical galaxies provided
that the progenitor disks are sufficiently gas-rich, however our remnants are a
poor match to the bright ellipticals that are slowly rotating and uniformly
boxy.Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, accepted to Ap
Stellar Orbits and the Interstellar Gas Temperature in Elliptical Galaxies
We draw attention to the close relationship between the anisotropy parameter
beta(r) for stellar orbits in elliptical galaxies and the temperature profile
T(r) of the hot interstellar gas. For nearly spherical galaxies the gas density
can be accurately determined from X-ray observations and the stellar luminosity
density can be accurately found from the optical surface brightness. The Jeans
equation and hydrostatic equilibrium establish a connection between beta(r) and
T(r) that must be consistent with the observed stellar velocity dispersion.
Purely optical observations of the bright elliptical galaxy NGC 4472 indicate
beta(r) < 0.35 within the effective radius. However, the X-ray gas temperature
profile T(r) for NGC 4472 requires significantly larger anisotropy, beta = 0.6
- 0.7, about twice the optical value. This strong preference for radial stellar
orbits must be understood in terms of the formation history of massive
elliptical galaxies. Conversely, if the smaller, optically determined
anisotropy is indeed correct, we are led to the important conclusion that the
temperature profile T(r) of the hot interstellar gas in NGC 4472 must differ
from that indicated by X-ray observations, or that the hot gas is not in
hydrostatic equilibrium.Comment: 6 pages (emulateapj5) with 4 figures; accepted by The Astrophysical
Journa
The Dynamical Fingerprint of Core Scouring in Massive Elliptical Galaxies
The most massive elliptical galaxies have low-density centers or cores that
differ dramatically from the high-density centers of less massive ellipticals
and bulges of disk galaxies. These cores have been interpreted as the result of
mergers of supermassive black hole binaries, which depopulate galaxy centers by
gravitationally slingshotting central stars toward large radii. Such binaries
naturally form in mergers of luminous galaxies. Here, we analyze the population
of central stellar orbits in 11 massive elliptical galaxies that we observed
with the integral field spectrograph SINFONI at the European Southern
Observatory Very Large Telescope. Our dynamical analysis is orbit-based and
includes the effects of a central black hole, the mass distribution of the
stars, and a dark matter halo. We show that the use of integral field
kinematics and the inclusion of dark matter is important to conclude upon the
distribution of stellar orbits in galaxy centers. Six of our galaxies are core
galaxies. In these six galaxies, but not in the galaxies without cores, we
detect a coherent lack of stars on radial orbits in the core region and a
uniform excess of radial orbits outside of it: when scaled by the core radius,
the radial profiles of the classical anisotropy parameter beta are nearly
identical in core galaxies. Moreover, they match quantitatively the predictions
of black hole binary simulations, providing the first convincing dynamical
evidence for core scouring in the most massive elliptical galaxies.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, accepted by Ap
The Isophotal Structure of Early-Type Galaxies in the SDSS: Dependence on AGN Activity and Environment
We study the dependence of the isophotal shape of early-type galaxies on
their absolute B-band magnitude, their dynamical mass, and their nuclear
activity and environment, using an unprecedented large sample of 847 early-type
galaxies identified in the SDSS by Hao et al (2006). We find that the fraction
of disky galaxies smoothly decreases with increasing luminosity. The large
sample allows us to describe these trends accurately with tight linear
relations that are statistically robust against the uncertainty in the
isophotal shape measurements. There is also a host of significant correlations
between the disky fraction and indicators of nuclear activity (both in the
optical and in the radio) and environment (soft X-rays, group mass, group
hierarchy). Our analysis shows however that these correlations can be
accurately matched by assuming that the disky fraction depends only on galaxy
luminosity or mass. We therefore conclude that neither the level of activity,
nor group mass or group hierarchy help in better predicting the isophotal shape
of early-type galaxies.Comment: 31 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
The Stellar Kinematic Fields of NGC 3379
We have measured the stellar kinematic profiles of NGC 3379 along four
position angles using the MMT. The data extend 90" from the center, at
essentially seeing-limited resolution out to 17". The mean velocities and
dispersions have total errors better than 10 km/s (frequently better than 5
km/s) out to 55". We find very weak (3 km/s) rotation on the minor axis
interior to 12", and no detectable rotation above 6 km/s from 12" to 50" or
above 16 km/s out to 90" (95% confidence). However, a Fourier reconstruction of
the mean velocity field from all 4 sampled PAs does indicate a 5 degree twist
of the kinematic major axis, opposite to the known isophotal twist. The h_3 and
h_4 parameters are small over the entire observed region. The
azimuthally-averaged dispersion profile joins smoothly at large radii with the
dispersions of planetary nebulae. Unexpectedly, we find sharp bends in the
major-axis rotation curve, also visible (though less pronounced) on the
diagonal position angles. The outermost bend coincides in position with other
sharp kinematic features: an abrupt flattening of the dispersion profile, and
local peaks in h_3 and h_4. All of these features are in a region where the
surface brightness profile departs significantly from a de Vaucouleurs law.
Features such as these are not generally known in ellipticals owing to a lack
of data at comparable resolution; however, very similar behavior is seen the
kinematics of the edge-on S0 NGC 3115. We discuss the suggestion that NGC 3379
could be a misclassified S0; preliminary results from dynamical modeling
indicate that it may be a flattened, weakly triaxial system seen in an
orientation that makes it appear round.Comment: 31 pages incl. 4 tables, Latex, AASTeX v4.0, with 17 eps figures. To
appear in The Astronomical Journal, February 199
A photometric and kinematic study of the stars and interstellar medium in the central two kpc of NGC 3379
HST images of NGC 3379 show that the V and I luminosity profiles in the inner
13 arcsec of this E1 galaxy are represented by two different components: a
stellar bulge following a Sersic Law with exponent n = 2.36, and a central core
(r < 0.7 arcsec) with a characteristic "cuspy" profile. Subtraction of the
underlying stellar component represented by the fitted Sersic profile revealed
the presence of a small (r ~ 105 pc) dust disk of about 150 solar masses,
oriented at PA = 125 degrees and inclined ~ 77 degrees with respect to the line
of sight. The same absorption structure is detected in the color-index (V-I)
image. The stellar rotation in the inner 20 arcsec is well represented by a
parametric planar disk model, inclined ~ 26 degrees relative to the plane of
the sky, and apparent major axis along PA ~ 67 degrees. The gas velocity curves
in the inner 5 arcsec show a steep gradient, indicating that the gas rotates
much faster than the stars, although in the same direction. The velocity field
of the gaseous system, however, is not consistent with the simple model of
Keplerian rotation sustained by the large (7 x 10E9 solar masses within a
radius of ~ 90 pc) central mass implied by the maximum velocity observed, but
the available data precludes a more detailed analysis.Comment: 23 pages, LaTeX(aaspp4.sty), 9 figures included. Figs. 1 and 5 are
colour plates. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal (part 1
Microlensing events from the 11-year observations of the Wendelstein Calar Alto Pixellensing Project
We present the results of the decade-long M31 observation from the
Wendelstein Calar Alto Pixellensing Project (WeCAPP). WeCAPP has monitored M31
from 1997 till 2008 in both R- and I-filters, thus provides the longest
baseline of all M31 microlensing surveys. The data are analyzed with the
difference imaging analysis, which is most suitable to study variability in
crowded stellar fields. We extracted light curves based on each pixel, and
devised selection criteria that are optimized to identify microlensing events.
This leads to 10 new events, and sums up to a total of 12 microlensing events
from WeCAPP, for which we derive their timescales, flux excesses, and colors
from their light curves. The color of the lensed stars fall between (R-I) =
0.56 to 1.36, with a median of 1.0 mag, in agreement with our expectation that
the sources are most likely bright, red stars at post main-sequence stage. The
event FWHM timescales range from 0.5 to 14 days, with a median of 3 days, in
good agreement with predictions based on the model of Riffeser et al. (2006).Comment: 44 pages, 16 figures, 5 tables. ApJ accepte
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