An alternative model of the magnetic cataclysmic variable V1432 Aquilae (=RX J1940.1-1025)

V1432 Aql is currently considered to be an asynchronous AM Her type system, with an orbital period of 12116.3 s and a spin period of 12150 s. I present an alternative model in which V1432 Aql is an intermediate polar with disk overflow or diskless accretion geometry, with a spin period near 4040 s. I argue that published data are insufficient to distinguish between the two models; instead, I provide a series of predictions of the two models that can be tested against future observations.Comment: 10 pages LaTeX including 3 Postscript Figures, to be published in Ap

UV observations of the galaxy cluster Abell 1795 with the optical monitor on XMM-Newton

We present the results of an analysis of broad band UV observations of the central regions of Abell 1795 observed with the optical monitor on XMM-Newton. As have been found with other UV observations of the central regions of clusters of galaxies, we find evidence for star formation. However, we also find evidence for absorption in the cD galaxy on a more extended scale than has been seen with optical imaging. We also report the first UV observation of part of the filamentary structure seen in H$\alpha$, X-rays and very deep U band imaging. The part of the filament we see is very blue with UV colours consistent with a very early (O/B) stellar population. This is the first direct evidence of a dominant population of early type stars at the centre of Abell 1795 and implies very recent star formation at the centre of this clusterComment: 6 pages, 3 figures accepted by A&A Letter

X-ray Spectroscopy of the Cluster of Galaxies Abell 1795 with XMM-Newton

The initial results from XMM-Newton observations of the rich cluster of galaxies Abell 1795 are presented. The spatially-resolved X-ray spectra taken by the European Photon Imaging Cameras (EPIC) show a temperature drop at a radius of $\sim 200$ kpc from the cluster center, indicating that the ICM is cooling. Both the EPIC and the Reflection Grating Spectrometers (RGS) spectra extracted from the cluster center can be described by an isothermal model with a temperature of $\sim 4$ keV. The volume emission measure of any cool component ($<1$ keV) is less than a few % of the hot component at the cluster center. A strong OVIII Lyman-alpha line was detected with the RGS from the cluster core. The O abundance and its ratio to Fe at the cluster center is 0.2--0.5 and 0.5--1.5 times the solar value, respectively.Comment: Accepted: A&A Letters, 2001, 6 page

Uncertainty information in climate data records from Earth observation

Climate data records (CDRs) derived from Earth observation (EO) should include rigorous uncertainty information, to support application of the data in policy, climate modelling and numerical weather prediction reanalysis. Uncertainty, error and quality are distinct concepts, and CDR products should follow international norms for presenting quantified uncertainty. Ideally, uncertainty should be quantified per datum in a CDR, and the uncertainty estimates should be able to discriminate more and less certain data with confidence. In this case, flags for data quality should not duplicate uncertainty information, but instead describe complementary information (such as the confidence held in the uncertainty estimate provided, or indicators of conditions violating retrieval assumptions). Errors have many sources and some are correlated across a wide range of time and space scales. Error effects that contribute negligibly to the total uncertainty in a single satellite measurement can be the dominant sources of uncertainty in a CDR on large space and long time scales that are highly relevant for some climate applications. For this reason, identifying and characterizing the relevant sources of uncertainty for CDRs is particularly challenging. Characterisation of uncertainty caused by a given error effect involves assessing the magnitude of the effect, the shape of the error distribution, and the propagation of the uncertainty to the geophysical variable in the CDR accounting for its error correlation properties. Uncertainty estimates can and should be validated as part of CDR validation, where possible. These principles are quite general, but the form of uncertainty information appropriate to different essential climate variables (ECVs) is highly variable, as confirmed by a quick review of the different approaches to uncertainty taken across different ECVs in the European Space Agency’s Climate Change Initiative. User requirements for uncertainty information can conflict with each other, and again a variety of solutions and compromises are possible. The concept of an ensemble CDR as a simple means of communicating rigorous uncertainty information to users is discussed. Our review concludes by providing eight recommendations for good practice in providing and communicating uncertainty in EO-based climate data records

Clustering of X-ray selected Active Galactic Nuclei

A total of 235 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) from two different soft X-ray surveys (the ROSAT Deep Survey -DRS- and the ROSAT International X-ray Optical Survey -RIXOS-) with redshifts between 0 and 3.5 are used to study the clustering of X-ray selected AGN and its evolution. A 2 sigma significant detection of clustering of such objects is found on scales <40-80/h Mpc in the RIXOS sample, while no clustering is detected on any scales in the DRS sample. Assuming a single power law model for the spatial correlation function (SCF), quantitative limits on the AGN clustering have been obtained: a comoving correlation length 1.5<~ r_0 <~ 3.3/h Mpc is implied for comoving evolution, while 1.9 <~ r_0 <~ 4.8 for stable clustering and 2.2 <~ r_0 <~ 5.5 for linear evolution. These values are consistent with the correlation lengths and evolutions obtained for galaxy samples, but imply smaller amplitude or faster evolution than recent UV and optically selected AGN samples. We also constrain the ratio of bias parameters between X-ray selected AGN and IRAS galaxies to be <~1.7 on scales <~ 10/h Mpc, a significantly smaller value than is inferred from local large-scale dynamical studies.Comment: LaTeX file, 9 pages with 7 figures. To be published in MNRA

The XMM-Newton wide-field survey in the COSMOS field. IV: X-ray spectral properties of Active Galactic Nuclei

We present a detailed spectral analysis of point-like X-ray sources in the XMM-COSMOS field. Our sample of 135 sources only includes those that have more than 100 net counts in the 0.3-10 keV energy band and have been identified through optical spectroscopy. The majority of the sources are well described by a simple power-law model with either no absorption (76%) or a significant intrinsic, absorbing column (20%).As expected, the distribution of intrinsic absorbing column densities is markedly different between AGN with or without broad optical emission lines. We find within our sample four Type-2 QSOs candidates (L_X > 10^44 erg/s, N_H > 10^22 cm^-2), with a spectral energy distribution well reproduced by a composite Seyfert-2 spectrum, that demonstrates the strength of the wide field XMM/COSMOS survey to detect these rare and underrepresented sources.Comment: 16 pages, ApJS COSMOS Special Issue, 2007 in press. The full-resolution version is available at http://www.mpe.mpg.de/XMMCosmos/PAPERS/mainieri_cosmos.ps.g

The XMM-Newton Optical/UV Monitor Telescope

The XMM-OM instrument extends the spectral coverage of the XMM-Newton observatory into the ultraviolet and optical range. It provides imaging and time-resolved data on targets simultaneously with observations in the EPIC and RGS. It also has the ability to track stars in its field of view, thus providing an improved post-facto aspect solution for the spacecraft. An overview of the XMM-OM and its operation is given, together with current information on the performance of the instrument

The First Hour of Extra-galactic Data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Spectroscopic Commissioning: The Coma Cluster

On 26 May 1999, one of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) fiber-fed spectrographs saw astronomical first light. This was followed by the first spectroscopic commissioning run during the dark period of June 1999. We present here the first hour of extra-galactic spectroscopy taken during these early commissioning stages: an observation of the Coma cluster of galaxies. Our data samples the Southern part of this cluster, out to a radius of 1.5degrees and thus fully covers the NGC 4839 group. We outline in this paper the main characteristics of the SDSS spectroscopic systems and provide redshifts and spectral classifications for 196 Coma galaxies, of which 45 redshifts are new. For the 151 galaxies in common with the literature, we find excellent agreement between our redshift determinations and the published values. As part of our analysis, we have investigated four different spectral classification algorithms: spectral line strengths, a principal component decomposition, a wavelet analysis and the fitting of spectral synthesis models to the data. We find that a significant fraction (25%) of our observed Coma galaxies show signs of recent star-formation activity and that the velocity dispersion of these active galaxies (emission-line and post-starburst galaxies) is 30% larger than the absorption-line galaxies. We also find no active galaxies within the central (projected) 200 h-1 Kpc of the cluster. The spatial distribution of our Coma active galaxies is consistent with that found at higher redshift for the CNOC1 cluster survey. Beyond the core region, the fraction of bright active galaxies appears to rise slowly out to the virial radius and are randomly distributed within the cluster with no apparent correlation with the potential merger of the NGC 4839 group. [ABRIDGED]Comment: Accepted in AJ, 65 pages, 20 figures, 5 table

Influence of different digital terrain models (DTMs)on alpine permafrost modeling

The thawing of alpine permafrost due to changes in atmospheric conditions can have a severe impact, e.g., on the stability of rock walls. The energy balance model, PERMEBAL, was developed in order to simulate the changes and distribution of ground surface temperature (GST) in complex high-mountain topography. In such environments, the occurrence of permafrost depends greatly on the topography, and thus, the digital terrain model (DTM) is an important input of PERMEBAL. This study investigates the influence of the DTM on the modeling of the GST. For this purpose, PERMEBAL was run with six different DTMs. Five of the six DTMs are based on the same base data, but were generated using different interpolators. To ensure that only the topographic effect on the GST is calculated, the snow module was turned off and uniform conditions were assumed for the whole test area. The analyses showed that the majority of the deviations between the different model outputs related to a reference DTM had only small differences of up to 1 K, and only a few pixels deviated more than 1 K. However, we also observed that the use of different interpolators for the generation of a DTM can result in large deviations of the model output. These deviations were mainly found at topographically complex locations such as ridges and foot of slopes

The XMM-Newton Optical/UV Monitor Telescope

The XMM-OM instrument extends the spectral coverage of the XMM-Newton observatory into the ultraviolet and optical range. It provides imaging and time-resolved data on targets simultaneously with observations in the EPIC and RGS. It also has the ability to track stars in its field of view, thus providing an improved post-facto aspect solution for the spacecraft. An overview of the XMM-OM and its operation is given, together with current information on the performance of the instrument.Comment: Accepted by A&A for publication in the Special Issue on 1st science with XMM Newton, 9 page