Discrepancies between the [O III] and [S III] temperatures in H II regions

Context. Analysis of published [O iii] and [S iii] temperatures measurements of emission line objects consisting of Hii galaxies, giant extragalactic Hii regions, Galactic Hii regions, and Hii regions from the Magellanic Clouds reveal that the [O iii] temperatures are higher than the corresponding values from [S iii] in most objects with gas metallicities in excess of 0.2 solar. For the coolest nebulae (the highest metallicities), the [O iii] temperature excess can reach ∼3000 K. Aims. We look for an explanation for these temperature differences and explore the parameter space of models with the aim of reproducing the observed trend of T O iii > T S iii in Hii regions with temperatures below 14 000 K. Methods. Using standard photoionization models, we varied the ionization parameter, the hardness of the ionizing continuum, and the gas metallicities in order to characterize how models behave with respect to the observations. We introduced temperature inhomogeneities and varied their mean squared amplitude t 2. We explored the possibility of inhomogeneities in abundances by combining two models of widely different metallicity. We calculated models that consider the possibility of a non-Maxwell-Boltzmann energy distribution (a κ-distribution) for the electron energies. We also considered shock heating within the photoionized nebula. Results. Simple photoionization calculations yield nearly equal [O iii] and [S iii] temperatures in the domain of interest. Hence these models fail to reproduce the [O iii] temperature excess. Models that consider temperature inhomogeneities, as measured by the mean squared amplitude t 2, also fail in the regime where T O iii < 14 000 K. Three options remain that can reproduce the observed excess in T O iii temperatures: (1) large metallicity inhomogeneities in the nebula; a (2) κ-distribution for the electron energies; and (3) shock waves that propagate in the photoionized plasma at velocities ∼60 km s -1. Conclusions. The observed nebular temperatures are not reproduced by varying the input parameters in the pure photoionization case nor by assuming local temperature inhomogeneities. We find that (1) metallicity inhomogeneities of the nebular gas; (2) shock waves of velocities 60 km s -1 propagating in a photoionized plasma; and (3) an electron energy distribution given by a κ-distribution are successful in reproducing the observed excess in the [O iii] temperatures. However, shock models require proper 3D hydrodynamical simulations to become a fully developed alternative while models with metallicity inhomogeneities appear to fail in metal-poor nebulae, since they result in T rec O++ T O iii T rec O++ ≳ TO iii.Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísica

Galaxy properties from J-PAS narrow-band photometry

We study the consistency of the physical properties of galaxies retrieved from SED-fitting as a function of spectral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Using a selection of physically motivated star formation histories, we set up a control sample of mock galaxy spectra representing observations of the local universe in high-resolution spectroscopy, and in 56 narrow-band and 5 broad-band photometry. We fit the SEDs at these spectral resolutions and compute their corresponding the stellar mass, the mass- and luminosity-weighted age and metallicity, and the dust extinction. We study the biases, correlations, and degeneracies affecting the retrieved parameters and explore the r\^ole of the spectral resolution and the SNR in regulating these degeneracies. We find that narrow-band photometry and spectroscopy yield similar trends in the physical properties derived, the former being considerably more precise. Using a galaxy sample from the SDSS, we compare more realistically the results obtained from high-resolution and narrow-band SEDs (synthesized from the same SDSS spectra) following the same spectral fitting procedures. We use results from the literature as a benchmark to our spectroscopic estimates and show that the prior PDFs, commonly adopted in parametric methods, may introduce biases not accounted for in a Bayesian framework. We conclude that narrow-band photometry yields the same trend in the age-metallicity relation in the literature, provided it is affected by the same biases as spectroscopy; albeit the precision achieved with the latter is generally twice as large as with the narrow-band, at SNR values typical of the different kinds of data.Comment: 26 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

In silico analysis of gene expression in V3a and the superior occipital gyrus. Relevance for migraine

Introduction: Visual manifestations are the most prominent non-painful features of migraine. During the last decades, visual area V3a has gathered attention of headache scientists because of its apparent implication on aura initiation, photophobia and cortical hyper-responsiveness related to visual motion perception. In this hypothesis-generating study, we performed an in silico analysis of gene expression in left V3a and the cerebral gyrus that harbours it (left superior occipital gyrus (lSOG)) searching for transcriptomic patterns that could be linked with migraine’s pathophysiology. Materials and methods: Neurotransmitter receptor gene expression levels in left V3a were extracted from validated brain mRNA expression models using a probabilistic volumetric mask of this region. The primary visual cortex and other sensory cortices (auditory, olfactory and somatosensory) were used as comparators. Genome-wide transcriptomic differences between the gyrus harbouring left V3a (lSOG) and the rest of the cerebral cortex were assessed using the Allen Brain Institute Human RNA micro array atlas/database. Results: Adrenergic receptor β1, dopaminergic receptor D3 and serotoninergic receptors 1B, 1F and 2A, which have been previously implicated in migraine’s pathophysiology and/or treatment, showed significantly higher expression levels on left V3a. Transcriptomic differences between the lSOG harbouring V3a and the rest of the cortex comprise genes whose products are involved in neuronal excitability (SLC17A6, KCNS1, KCNG1 and GABRQ), activation of multiple signal transduction pathways (MET) and cell metabolism (SPHKAP via its interaction with cAMP-dependent protein kinase). Conclusions: Focal gene expression analysis of V3a suggests some clues about its implication in migraine. Further studies are warranted

The QUEST RR Lyrae Survey: Confirmation of the Clump at 50 kpc and Other Over-Densities in the Outer Halo

We have measured the periods and light curves of 148 RR Lyrae variables from V=13.5 to 19.7 from the first 100 sq. degrees of the QUEST RR Lyrae survey. Approximately 55% of these stars belong to the clump of stars detected earlier by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. According to our measurements, this feature has ~10 times the background density of halo stars, spans at least 37.5 deg by 3.5 deg in right ascension and declination (>=30 by >=3 kpc), lies ~50 kpc from the Sun, and has a depth along the line of sight of ~5 kpc (1 sigma). These properties are consistent with the recent models that suggest it is a tidal stream from the Sgr dSph galaxy. The mean period of the type ab variables, 0.58 d, is also consistent. In addition, we have found two smaller over-densities in the halo, one of which may be related to the globular cluster Pal 5.Comment: 12 pages (including 4 figures). Accepted for publication in the ApJ Letter

The CIDA-UCM-Yale Shallow Survey for Emission Line Galaxies

We present the CIDA-UCM-Yale (Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Yale University) survey for Halpha+[NII]6549,6584 emission-line galaxies using objective-prism spectra. The most important properties of a catalogue with 427 entries and significant subsets are analysed. The complete sample contains 183 statistically confirmed ELGs in a sky area of 151 sq.deg. and redshift up to 0.14. We determine the parameters of the Halpha luminosity function using the Halpha+[NII] flux directly measured on the ELGs spectra in this sample and the star formation rate density derived is in agreement with the values reported in the literature. Finally, we study the clustering properties of local star-forming galaxies relative to quiescent ones from different perspectives. We find that emission-line galaxies avoid dense regions of quiescent galaxies and we propose a power-law expression to parametrise the relation between star formation rate density and environment volume density of emission-line galaxies.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures, accepted by MNRA

Discovery of the Optical Transient of the Gamma Ray Burst 990308

The optical transient of the faint Gamma Ray Burst 990308 was detected by the QUEST camera on the Venezuelan 1-m Schmidt telescope starting 3.28 hours after the burst. Our photometry gives $V = 18.32 \pm 0.07$, $R = 18.14 \pm 0.06$, $B = 18.65 \pm 0.23$, and $R = 18.22 \pm 0.05$ for times ranging from 3.28 to 3.47 hours after the burst. The colors correspond to a spectral slope of close to $f_{\nu} \propto \nu^{1/3}$. Within the standard synchrotron fireball model, this requires that the external medium be less dense than $10^{4} cm^{-3}$, the electrons contain $> 20$ of the shock energy, and the magnetic field energy must be less than 24% of the energy in the electrons for normal interstellar or circumstellar densities. We also report upper limits of $V > 12.0$ at 132 s (with LOTIS), $V > 13.4$ from 132-1029s (with LOTIS), $V > 15.3$ at 28.2 min (with Super-LOTIS), and a 8.5 GHz flux of $< 114 \mu Jy$ at 110 days (with the Very Large Array). WIYN 3.5-m and Keck 10-m telescopes reveal this location to be empty of any host galaxy to $R > 25.7$ and $K > 23.3$. The lack of a host galaxy likely implies that it is either substantially subluminous or more distant than a red shift of $\sim 1.2$.Comment: ApJ Lett submitted, 5 pages, 2 figures, no space for 12 coauthor

Discrepancies between the [O III] and [S III] temperatures in H II regions

Context. Analysis of published [O iii] and [S iii] temperatures measurements of emission line objects consisting of Hii galaxies, giant extragalactic Hii regions, Galactic Hii regions, and Hii regions from the Magellanic Clouds reveal that the [O iii] temperatures are higher than the corresponding values from [S iii] in most objects with gas metallicities in excess of 0.2 solar. For the coolest nebulae (the highest metallicities), the [O iii] temperature excess can reach ∼3000 K. Aims. We look for an explanation for these temperature differences and explore the parameter space of models with the aim of reproducing the observed trend of T O iii > T S iii in Hii regions with temperatures below 14 000 K. Methods. Using standard photoionization models, we varied the ionization parameter, the hardness of the ionizing continuum, and the gas metallicities in order to characterize how models behave with respect to the observations. We introduced temperature inhomogeneities and varied their mean squared amplitude t 2. We explored the possibility of inhomogeneities in abundances by combining two models of widely different metallicity. We calculated models that consider the possibility of a non-Maxwell-Boltzmann energy distribution (a κ-distribution) for the electron energies. We also considered shock heating within the photoionized nebula. Results. Simple photoionization calculations yield nearly equal [O iii] and [S iii] temperatures in the domain of interest. Hence these models fail to reproduce the [O iii] temperature excess. Models that consider temperature inhomogeneities, as measured by the mean squared amplitude t 2, also fail in the regime where T O iii < 14 000 K. Three options remain that can reproduce the observed excess in T O iii temperatures: (1) large metallicity inhomogeneities in the nebula; a (2) κ-distribution for the electron energies; and (3) shock waves that propagate in the photoionized plasma at velocities ∼60 km s -1. Conclusions. The observed nebular temperatures are not reproduced by varying the input parameters in the pure photoionization case nor by assuming local temperature inhomogeneities. We find that (1) metallicity inhomogeneities of the nebular gas; (2) shock waves of velocities 60 km s -1 propagating in a photoionized plasma; and (3) an electron energy distribution given by a κ-distribution are successful in reproducing the observed excess in the [O iii] temperatures. However, shock models require proper 3D hydrodynamical simulations to become a fully developed alternative while models with metallicity inhomogeneities appear to fail in metal-poor nebulae, since they result in T rec O++ T O iii T rec O++ ≳ TO iii.Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísica

A chromosome-scale assembly reveals chromosomal aberrations and exchanges generating genetic diversity in Coffea arabica germplasm

In order to better understand the mechanisms generating genetic diversity in the recent allotetraploid species Coffea arabica, here we present a chromosome-level assembly obtained with long read technology. Two genomic compartments with different structural and functional properties are identified in the two homoeologous genomes. The resequencing data from a large set of accessions reveals low intraspecific diversity in the center of origin of the species. Across a limited number of genomic regions, diversity increases in some cultivated genotypes to levels similar to those observed within one of the progenitor species, Coffea canephora, presumably as a consequence of introgressions deriving from the so-called Timor hybrid. It also reveals that, in addition to few, early-occurring exchanges between homoeologous chromosomes, there are numerous recent chromosomal aberrations including aneuploidies, deletions, duplications and exchanges. These events are still polymorphic in the germplasm and could represent a fundamental source of genetic variation in such a lowly variable species

Migration outflows and optimal migration policy: rules versus discretion

We study the effects of more open borders on return migration and show that migrants are more likely to return to the origin country when migration rules are softened, because this implies that they could more easily re-migrate if return migration is unsuccessful. As a result, softening migration rules leads to lower net inflows than is generally acknowledged. We show that if government follows rules to shape the optimal migration policy, it will choose more open “borders” than were its behaviour to be discretionary. However, this requires an appropriate commitment technology. We show that electoral accountability may be a solution to the commitment problem. As a matter of fact, observed softer immigration rules in western countries suggest the effectiveness of such a mechanism.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio