1,747 research outputs found
Detecting gravitational lensing cosmic shear from samples of several galaxies using two-dimensional spectral imaging
Studies of weak gravitational lensing by large-scale structures require the
measurement of the distortions introduced to the shapes of distant galaxies at
the few percent level by anisotropic light deflection along the line of sight.
To detect this signal on 1-10 arcmin scales in a particular field, accurate
measurements of the correlations between the shapes of order 1000-10000
galaxies are required. This large-scale averaging is required to accommodate
the unknown intrinsic shapes of the background galaxies, even with careful
removal of systematic effects. Here an alternative is discussed. If it is
possible to measure accurately the detailed dynamical structure of the
background galaxies, in particular rotating disks, then it should be possible
to measure directly the cosmic shear distortion, as it generally leads to a
non-self-consistent rotation curve. Narrow spectral lines and excellent
two-dimensional spatial resolution are required. The ideal lines and telescope
are CO rotational transitions and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA)
respectively.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, Expected to appear in ApJ Letters Vol. 570, 10
May 2002. Replaced with final proof version correcting minor typo
Herschel-ATLAS: Dust temperature and redshift distribution of SPIRE and PACS detected sources using submillimetre colours
We present colourâcolour diagrams of detected sources in the Herschel-ATLAS science demonstration field from 100 to 500 ÎŒm using both PACS and SPIRE. We fit isothermal modified black bodies to the spectral energy distribution (SED) to extract the dust temperature of sources with counterparts in Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) or SDSS surveys with either a spectroscopic or a photometric redshift. For a subsample of 330 sources detected in at least three FIR bands with a significance greater than 3Ï, we find an average dust temperature of (28±8) K. For sources with no known redshift, we populate the colourâcolour diagram with a large number of SEDs generated with a broad range of dust temperatures and emissivity parameters, and compare to colours of observed sources to establish the redshift distribution of this sample. For another subsample of 1686 sources with fluxes above 35 mJy at 350 ÎŒm and detected at 250 and 500 ÎŒm with a significance greater than 3Ï, we find an average redshift of 2.2 ± 0.6
The Scatter in the Relationship between Redshift and the Radio-to-Submm Spectral Index
We derive the scatter in the relationship between redshift and radio-to-submm
spectral index, alpha^{350}_{1.4}, using the observed spectral energy
distributions of 17 low redshift star forming galaxies. A mean galaxy model is
derived, along with the rms scatter in alpha^{350}_{1.4}. The scatter is
roughly constant with redshift. Constant rms scatter, combined with the
flattening of the mean alpha^{350}_{1.4} -- z relationship with increasing
redshift, leads to increasing uncertainty for redshift estimates at high
redshifts. Normalizing by the dust temperature in the manner proposed by Blain
decreases the scatter in alpha^{350}_{1.4} for most of the sample, but does not
remove outliers, and free-free absorption at rest frequencies above 1.4 GHz is
not likely to be a dominant cause for scatter in the alpha^{350}_{1.4} -- z
relationship. We re-derive the cumulative redshift distribution of the 14 field
galaxies in a recent submm and radio source sample of Smail et al.. The most
likely median redshift for the distribution is 2.7, with a conservative lower
limit of z = 2, as was also found by Smail et al. based on the original
alpha^{350}_{1.4} -- z models. The normalization and shape of the redshift
distribution for the faint submm sources are consistent with those expected for
forming elliptical galaxies.Comment: Added Erratum, standard AAS LATEX forma
Millimetre/submillimetre-wave emission line searches for high-redshift galaxies
The redshifted spectral line radiation emitted from both atomic
fine-structure and molecular rotational transitions in the interstellar medium
(ISM) of high-redshift galaxies can be detected in the centimetre, millimetre
and submillimetre wavebands. Here we predict the counts of galaxies detectable
in an array of molecular and atomic lines. This calculation requires a
reasonable knowledge of both the surface density of these galaxies on the sky,
and the physical conditions in their ISM. The surface density is constrained
using the results of submillimetre-wave continuum surveys. Follow-up OVRO
Millimeter Array observations of two of the galaxies detected in the dust
continuum have provided direct measurements of CO rotational line emission at
redshifts of 2.56 and 2.81. Based on these direct high-redshift observations
and on models of the ISM that are constrained by observations of low-redshift
ultraluminous infrared galaxies, we predict the surface density of
line-emitting galaxies as a function of line flux density and observing
frequency. We incorporate the sensitivities and mapping speeds of existing and
future millimetre/submillimetre-wave telescopes and spectrographs, and so
assess the prospects for blank-field surveys to detect this line emission from
gas-rich high-redshift galaxies.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, to appear in MNRAS. Final proof versio
Pasts and pagan practices: moving beyond Stonehenge
Theorizing the past is not restricted to archaeology and interpretations of 'past' both influence and are themselves constituted within politicized understandings of self, community and in certain instances, spirituality. 'The past in the imagination of the present' is appropriated, variously, to give meaning to the present or to justify actions and interpret experiences. Summer solstice at Stonehenge, with an estimated 21,000 celebrants in 2005, is only the most publicized appropriation (by pagans and other adherents of alternative spirituality and partying) of a 'sacred site'; and conflicts and negotiations occurring throughout Britain are represented in popular and academic presentations of this 'icon of Britishness'. This paper presents work from the Sacred Sites, Contested Rites/Rights Project (http://www.sacredsites.org.uk) project, a collaboration of archaeology and anthropology informed by pagan and alternative approaches and standpoints investigating and theorizing discourse and practice of heritage management and pagan site users. Whether in negotiations around the Stonehenge solstice access or in dealing with numerous other sites, boundaries between groups or discourses are not clearly drawn - discursive communities merge and re-emerge. But clearly 'past' and 'site' are increasingly important within today's Britain, even as television archaeology increases its following, and pagan numbers continue to grow.</p
The Herschel Lensing Survey (HLS): Overview
The Herschel Lensing Survey (HLS) will conduct deep PACS and SPIRE imaging of âŒ40 massive clusters of galaxies. The strong gravitational lensing power of these clusters will enable us to penetrate through the confusion noise, which sets the ultimate limit on our ability to probe the
Universe with Herschel. Here we present an overview of our survey and a summary of the major results from our science demonstration phase (SDP) observations of the Bullet cluster (z = 0.297). The SDP data are rich and allow us to study not only the background high-redshift galaxies
(e.g., strongly lensed and distorted galaxies at z = 2.8 and 3.2) but also the properties of cluster-member galaxies. Our preliminary analysis shows a great diversity of far-infrared/submillimeter spectral energy distributions (SEDs), indicating that we have much to learn with Herschel about the properties of galaxy SEDs. We have also detected the Sunyaev-Zelâdovich (SZ) effect increment with the SPIRE data. The success of this SDP program demonstrates the great potential of the Herschel Lensing Survey to produce exciting results in a variety of science areas
The far-infrared/submillimeter properties of galaxies located behind the Bullet cluster
The Herschel Lensing Survey (HLS) takes advantage of gravitational lensing by massive galaxy clusters to sample a population of high-redshift galaxies which are too faint to be detected above the confusion limit of current far-infrared/submillimeter telescopes. Measurements from 100â500 ÎŒm bracket the peaks of the far-infrared spectral energy distributions of these galaxies, characterizing their infrared luminosities and star formation rates. We introduce initial results from our science demonstration phase observations, directed toward the Bullet cluster (1E0657-56). By combining our observations with LABOCA 870 ÎŒm and AzTEC 1.1 mm data we fully constrain the spectral energy distributions of 19 MIPS 24 ÎŒm-selected galaxies which are located behind the cluster. We find that their colors are best fit using templates based on local galaxies with systematically lower infrared luminosities. This suggests that our sources are not like local ultra-luminous infrared galaxies in which vigorous star formation is contained in a compact highly dust-obscured region. Instead, they appear to be scaled up versions of lower luminosity local galaxies with star formation occurring on larger physical scales
The very bright SCUBA galaxy count: looking for SCUBA galaxies with the Mexican Hat Wavelet
We present the results of a search for bright high-redshift galaxies in two
large SCUBA scan-maps of Galactic regions. A Mexican Hat Wavelet technique was
used to locate point sources in these maps, which suffer high foreground
contamination as well as typical scan-map noise signatures. A catalogue of
point source objects was selected and observed again in the submillimetre
continuum, and in HCO+ (3->2) at zero redshift to rule out Galactic sources. No
extragalactic sources were found. Simulations show that the survey was
sensitive to sources with fluxes > 50 mJy, depending on the local background.
These simulations result in upper limits on the 850-micron counts of SCUBA
galaxies of 53 per square degree at 50 mJy and 2.9 per square degree at 100
mJy.Comment: Accepted by MNRA
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