551 research outputs found
Detection of (15)NNH+ in L1544: non-LTE modelling of dyazenilium hyperfine line emission and accurate (14)N/(15)N values
Samples of pristine Solar System material found in meteorites and
interplanetary dust particles are highly enriched in (15)N. Conspicuous
nitrogen isotopic anomalies have also been measured in comets, and the
(14)N/(15)N abundance ratio of the Earth is itself larger than the recognised
pre-solar value by almost a factor of two. Ion--molecules, low-temperature
chemical reactions in the proto-solar nebula have been repeatedly indicated as
responsible for these (15)N-enhancements. We have searched for (15)N variants
of the N2H+ ion in L1544, a prototypical starless cloud core which is one of
the best candidate sources for detection owing to its low central core
temperature and high CO depletion. The goal is the evaluation of accurate and
reliable (14)N/(15)N ratio values for this species in the interstellar gas. A
deep integration of the (15)NNH+ (1-0) line at 90.4 GHz has been obtained with
the IRAM 30 m telescope. Non-LTE radiative transfer modelling has been
performed on the J=1-0 emissions of the parent and (15)N-containing dyazenilium
ions, using a Bonnor--Ebert sphere as a model for the source. A high-quality
fit of the N2H+ (1--0) hyperfine spectrum has allowed us to derive a revised
value of the N2H+ column density in L1544. Analysis of the observed N(15)NH+
and (15)NNH+ spectra yielded an abundance ratio N[N(15)NH+]/N[(15)NNH+] = 1.1
+/- 0.3. The obtained (14)N/(15)N ratio is ~ 1000 +/- 200, suggestive of a
sizeable (15)N depletion in this molecular ion. Such a result is not consistent
with the prediction of present nitrogen chemical models. As chemical models
predict large (15)N fractionation of N2H+, we suggest that (15)N(14)N, or (15)N
in some other molecular form, is preferentially depleted onto dust grains.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, manuscript accepted in A&
What is in a radio loud NLS1?
A fraction of Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1) are hosted by galaxies
that present a disturbed morphology, in some cases hinting for merger
processes, that are putative sources of gas replenishment. We have been
investigating the poorly studied population of radio loud NLS1 (RL-NLS1)
showing a flat radio spectrum, assumed to be the manifestation of the presence
of a radio jet. In some of the objects the infrared emission is well fitted by
a combination of an AGN component and an "active" host galaxy component like
M82, the estimate SFR being in the LIRG/ULIRG range (10-500 Msun/year). In
order to better characterize that component, we have been investigating the
sub-millimeter/millimeter emission of the sources using APEX. Here we present
the results concerning a pilot sample of 2 representative objects.Comment: 5 pages, published on Proceedings of Science - volume "Revisiting
narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies and their place in the Universe
Lucia Marcucci e la poesia visiva: pratica artistica e critica
Questa tesi ha lo scopo di analizzare la personalitĂ e lâopera di Lucia Marcucci, artista fiorentina nata nel 1933 e tuttâoggi ancora in attivitĂ . Il nome della Marcucci viene giustamente associato a quello della poesia visiva e in particolare al Gruppo 70, primo nucleo costitutivo della stessa, formatosi a Firenze nel 1963. Lâesperienza di gruppo, sommando i cinque anni di sopravvivenza del Gruppo 70 e i due del successivo Gruppo dei Nove, nato nel 1971 e di impianto internazionale, occupĂČ tuttavia meno di un decennio, per quanto ricco di avvenimenti, del lungo percorso artistico della Marcucci. In questa tesi ho dunque cercato di ricostruire lâintera attivitĂ dellâartista: le sue importanti teorizzazioni, il ruolo da lei avuto in eventi o azioni collettive e, in particolare, le sue sperimentazioni personali, condotte indipendentemente dallâesperienza di gruppo. A grandi linee, tali obiettivi corrispondono ai tre capitoli in cui ho diviso il lavoro: nel primo capitolo ho analizzato le principali caratteristiche della poesia visiva, rivolgendo particolare attenzione alle interessanti posizioni della Marcucci, in aggiunta a quelle dei suoi colleghi. Il secondo capitolo, che ricostruisce le varie fasi dellâesperienza giovanile e di gruppo dellâartista, ha invece unâimpostazione biografica e piĂč propriamente cronologica. Infine, nel terzo capitolo, ho analizzato lâevoluzione linguistica dellâartista, intendendo con questo termine i differenti mezzi e le differenti âformeâ alle quali la Marcucci ha, di volta in volta, affidato il suo messaggio contestatario, provocatorio e ironico, comunque libero da dogmi predefiniti. Per la mia ricerca ha assunto particolare importanza il materiale, in parte inedito, raccolto nellâarchivio della Marcucci, catalogato e riorganizzato dal collezionista Carlo Palli e da lui attualmente conservato
First measurements of 15N fractionation in N2H+ toward high-mass star forming cores
We report on the first measurements of the isotopic ratio 14N/15N in N2H+
toward a statistically significant sample of high-mass star forming cores. The
sources belong to the three main evolutionary categories of the high-mass star
formation process: high-mass starless cores, high-mass protostellar objects,
and ultracompact HII regions. Simultaneous measurements of 14N/15N in CN have
been made. The 14N/15N ratios derived from N2H+ show a large spread (from ~180
up to ~1300), while those derived from CN are in between the value measured in
the terrestrial atmosphere (~270) and that of the proto-Solar nebula (~440) for
the large majority of the sources within the errors. However, this different
spread might be due to the fact that the sources detected in the N2H+
isotopologues are more than those detected in the CN ones. The 14N/15N ratio
does not change significantly with the source evolutionary stage, which
indicates that time seems to be irrelevant for the fractionation of nitrogen.
We also find a possible anticorrelation between the 14N/15N (as derived from
N2H+) and the H/D isotopic ratios. This suggests that 15N enrichment could not
be linked to the parameters that cause D enrichment, in agreement with the
prediction by recent chemical models. These models, however, are not able to
reproduce the observed large spread in 14N/15N, pointing out that some
important routes of nitrogen fractionation could be still missing in the
models.Comment: 2 Figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
The observed chemical structure of L1544
Prior to star formation, pre-stellar cores accumulate matter towards the
centre. As a consequence, their central density increases while the temperature
decreases. Understanding the evolution of the chemistry and physics in this
early phase is crucial to study the processes governing the formation of a
star. We aim at studying the chemical differentiation of a prototypical
pre-stellar core, L1544, by detailed molecular maps. In contrast with single
pointing observations, we performed a deep study on the dependencies of
chemistry on physical and external conditions. We present the emission maps of
39 different molecular transitions belonging to 22 different molecules in the
central 6.25 arcmin of L1544. We classified our sample in five families,
depending on the location of their emission peaks within the core. Furthermore,
to systematically study the correlations among different molecules, we have
performed the principal component analysis (PCA) on the integrated emission
maps. The PCA allows us to reduce the amount of variables in our dataset.
Finally, we compare the maps of the first three principal components with the
H column density map, and the T map of the core. The results of
our qualitative analysis is the classification of the molecules in our dataset
in the following groups: (i) the -CH family (carbon chain
molecules), (ii) the dust peak family (nitrogen-bearing species), (iii) the
methanol peak family (oxygen-bearing molecules), (iv) the HNCO peak family
(HNCO, propyne and its deuterated isotopologues). Only HCO and
CS do not belong to any of the above mentioned groups. The principal
component maps allow us to confirm the (anti-)correlations among different
families that were described in a first qualitative analysis, but also points
out the correlation that could not be inferred before.Comment: 29 pages, 19 figures, 2 appendices, accepted for publication in A&A,
arXiv abstract has been slightly modifie
O2 signature in thin and thick O2-H2O ices
Aims. In this paper we investigate the detectability of the molecular oxygen
in icy dust grain mantles towards astronomical objects. Methods. We present a
systematic set of experiments with O2-H2O ice mixtures designed to disentangle
how the molecular ratio affects the O2 signature in the mid- and near-infrared
spectral regions. All the experiments were conducted in a closed-cycle helium
cryostat coupled to a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The ice mixtures
comprise varying thicknesses from 8 10 to 3 m. The
absorption spectra of the O2-H2O mixtures are also compared to the one of pure
water. In addition, the possibility to detect the O2 in icy bodies and in the
interstellar medium is discussed. Results. We are able to see the O2 feature at
1551 cm even for the most diluted mixture of H2O : O2 = 9 : 1,
comparable to a ratio of O2/H2O = 10 % which has already been detected in situ
in the coma of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. We provide an estimate for
the detection of O2 with the future mission of the James Webb Space Telescope
(JWST).Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, article in press, to appear in A&A 201
Close Reading Oblivion: Character Believability and Intelligent Personalization in Games
This paper investigates issues of character believability and intelligent personalization through a reading of the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. Oblivionâs opening sequence simultaneously trains players in the function of the game, and allows them to customize their character class through the choices and actions they take.
Oblivion makes an ambitious attempt at intelligent personalization in the character creation process. Its strategy is to track early gameplay decisions and âstereotypeâ players into one of 21 possible classes. This approach has two advantages over a less adaptive system. First, it supports the illusion of the game world as a real world by embedding the process of character creation within a narrativised game-play context. Second, the intelligent recommendation system responds to the playerâs desire to believe that the game âknowsâ something about her personality. This leads the players to conceptualize the system as an entity with autonomous, humanlike knowledge.
Through the analysis of multiple replayings of the opening sequence, this paper considers ways in which Oblivion both succeeds and fails at mapping player behaviour to appropriate class assignments. The paper documents places where the dialogue between player and game breaks down, and argues for alternative techniques to customize the play experience within the desires of the player
Time and Space in Digital Game Storytelling
The design and representation of time and space are important in any narrative form. Not surprisingly there is an extensive literature on specific considerations of space or time in game design. However, there is less attention to more systematic analyses that examine both of these key factorsâincluding their dynamic interrelationship within game storytelling. This paper adapts critical frameworks of narrative space and narrative time drawn from other media and demonstrates their application in the understanding of game narratives. In order to do this we incorporate fundamental concepts from the field of game studies to build a game-specific framework for analyzing the design of narrative time and narrative space. The paper applies this framework against a case analysis in order to demonstrate its operation and utility. This process grounds the understanding of game narrative space and narrative time in broader traditions of narrative discourse and analysis
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