529 research outputs found
A halo and a blow-out in NGC 253
We present the discovery of a 'synchrotron halo' in NGC 253. NGC 253 is an inclined, dusty, barred Sc galaxy in the Sculptor Group. It is also one of the prototype nuclear star burst galaxies. Very Large Array observations at 327 MHz and 1.4 GHz have revealed a synchrotron emitting 'halo' extending 9 kpc above and below the plane of NGC 253 (assuming a distance of 4 Mpc). The spectral index for the radio emission steepens from -0.7 in the disk to -1.0 in the halo. The fractional polarization at 1.4 GHz increases from less than or equal to 2 percent in the disk up to 20 percent in the halo, and the magnetic field vectors project parallel to the plane over most of the halo
Strong Limit on a Variable Proton-to-Electron Mass Ratio from Molecules in the Distant Universe
The Standard Model of particle physics assumes that the so-called fundamental
constants are universal and unchanging. Absorption lines arising in molecular
clouds along quasar sightlines offer a precise test for variations in the
proton-to-electron mass ratio, mu, over cosmological time and distance scales.
The inversion transitions of ammonia are particularly sensitive to mu compared
to molecular rotational transitions. Comparing the available ammonia spectra
observed towards the quasar B0218+357 with new, high-quality rotational
spectra, we present the first detailed measurement of mu with this technique,
limiting relative deviations from the laboratory value to |dmu/mu| <
1.8x10^{-6} (95% confidence level) at approximately half the Universe's current
age - the strongest astrophysical constraint to date. Higher-quality ammonia
observations will reduce both the statistical and systematic uncertainties in
these measurements.Comment: Science, 20th June 2008. 22 pages, 5 figures (12 EPS files), 2
tables, including Supporting Online Material; v2: Corrected reference for
laboratory mu-variation bound
The Extreme Compact Starburst in MRK 273
Images of neutral Hydrogen 21cm absorption and radio continuum emission at
1.4 GHz from Mrk 273 were made using the Very Long Baseline Array and Very
Large Array. These images reveal a gas disk associated with the northern
nuclear region with a diameter of 0.5'' (370 pc), at an inclination angle of
53deg. The radio continuum emission is composed of a diffuse component plus a
number of compact sources. This morphology resembles those of nearby, lower
luminosity starburst galaxies. These images provide strong support for the
hypothesis that the luminosity of the northern source is dominated by an
extreme compact starburst. The HI 21cm absorption shows an east-west gradient
in velocity of 450 km/s across 0.3'' (220 pc), implying an enclosed mass of 2e9
M_solar, comparable to the molecular gas mass. The brightest of the compact
sources may indicate radio emission from an active nucleus (AGN), but this
source contributes only 3.8% to the total flux density of the northern nuclear
region. The HI 21cm absorption toward the southeast radio nucleus suggests
infall at 200 km/s on scales < 40 pc, and the southwest near IR nucleus is not
detected in high resolution radio continuum images.Comment: standard AAS format, 23 pages, 5 figures, fixed figure. To appear in
ApJ Letter
Cosmology with Varying Constants
The idea of possible time or space variations of the `fundamental' constants
of nature, although not new, is only now beginning to be actively considered by
large numbers of researchers in the particle physics, cosmology and
astrophysics communities. This revival is mostly due to the claims of possible
detection of such variations, in various different contexts and by several
groups. Here, I present the current theoretical motivations and expectations
for such variations, review the current observational status, and discuss the
impact of a possible confirmation of these results in our views of cosmology
and physics as a whole.Comment: 14 pages, no figures. Essay to appear in Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond.
A Triennial Series (Christmas 2002 Issue
The HI Environment of Nearby Lyman-alpha Absorbers
We present the results of a VLA and WSRT search for HI emission from the
vicinity of seven nearby clouds, which were observed in Lya absorption with HST
toward Mrk335, Mrk501 and PKS2155-304. We searched a volume of 40' x 40' x 1000
km/s. The HI mass sensitivity (5 sigma) varies from 5x10^6 to 5x10^8 Msun. We
detected HI emission in the vicinity of four out of seven absorbers. The
closest galaxy is a small dwarf galaxy at a projected distance of 68/h kpc from
the sight line toward Mrk335. It has the same velocity (V=1970 km/s) as one of
the absorbers, and has an HI mass of only 4x10^7 Msun. We found a more luminous
galaxy at the velocity (V=5100 km/s) of one of the absorbers toward
PKS2155-304, 230/h kpc from the sight line. Two other, stronger absorbers
toward PKS2155-304 at V=17,000 km/s are associated with a loose group of three
bright spiral galaxies, at projected distances of 300 to 600/h kpc. These
results support the conclusion that most nearby Lya forest clouds trace the
large-scale structures outlined by optically luminous galaxies. We do not find
any evidence for a physical association between an absorber and its closest
galaxy.Comment: 4 Tables, 11 Figures, to be published in Astron J. (Oct 1996) Vol 11
Deep radio observations of 3C324 and 3C368: evidence for jet-cloud interactions
High resolution, deep radio images are presented for two distant radio
galaxies, 3C324 (z=1.206) and 3C368 (z=1.132), which are both prime examples of
the radio-optical alignment effect seen in powerful radio galaxies with
redshifts z > 0.6. Radio observations were made using the Very Large Array in
A-array configuration at 5 and 8 GHz, and using the MERLIN array at 1.4 and
1.65 GHz. Radio spectral index, radio polarisation, and rotation measure maps
are presented for both sources. Radio core candidates are detected in each
source, and by aligning these with the centroid of the infrared emission the
radio and the optical/infrared images can be related astrometrically with 0.1
arcsec accuracy. In each source the radio core is located at a minimum of the
optical emission, probably associated with a central dust lane. Both sources
also exhibit radio jets which lie along the directions of the bright strings of
optical knots seen in high resolution Hubble Space Telescope images. The
northern arm of 3C368 shows a close correlation between the radio and optical
emission, whilst along the jet direction of 3C324 the bright radio and optical
knots are co-linear but not co-spatial. These indicate that interactions
between the radio jet and its environment play a key role in producing the
excess ultraviolet emission of these sources, but that the detailed mechanisms
vary from source to source. 3C368 is strongly depolarised and has an average
rest-frame rotation measure of a few hundred rad/m^2, reaching about 1000
rad/m^2 close to the most depolarised regions. 3C324 has weaker depolarisation,
and an average rest-frame rotation measure of between 100 and 200 rad/m^2. Both
sources show large gradients in their rotation measure structures, with
variations of up to 1000 rad/m^2 over distances of about 10 kpc.Comment: 15 pages including 4 figures. LaTeX. Accepted for publication in
MNRA
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