2,665 research outputs found
Multi-epoch intra-night optical monitoring of 8 radio-quiet BL Lac candidates
For a new sample of 8 weak-line-quasars (WLQs) we report a sensitive search
in 20 intranight monitoring sessions, for blazar-like optical flux variations
on hour-like and longer time scale (day/month/yearlike). The sample consists
exclusively of the WLQs that are not radioloud and have either been
classified as `radio-weak probable BL Lac candidates' and/or are known to have
exhibited at least one episode of large, blazarlike optical variability.
Whereas only a hint of intranight variability is seen for two of these WLQs,
J104833.5620305.0(z = 0.219) and J133219.6622715.9 (z = 3.15),
statistically significant internight variability at a few per cent level is
detected for three of the sources, including the radio-intermediate WLQ
J133219.6622715.9 (z = 3.15) and the well known bonafide radioquiet
WLQs J121221.5534128.0 (z = 3.10) and WLQ J153259.9003944.1 (z = 4.62).
In the restframe, this variability is intra-day and in the farUV band. On
the time scale of a decade, we find for three of the WLQs large brightness
changes, amounting to 1.6550.009, 0.1630.010 and 0.1440.018 mag,
for J104833.5620305.0, J123743.1630144.9 and J232428.4144324.4,
respectively. Whereas the latter two are confirmed radio-quiet WLQs, the
extragalactic nature of J104833.5620305.0 remains to be well established,
thanks to the absence of any feature(s) in its available optical spectra. The
present study forms a part of our ongoing campaign of intranight optical
monitoring of radio quiet weak-line quasars, in order to improve the
understanding of this enigmatic class of Active Galactic Nuclei and to look
among them for a possible tiny, elusive population of radio-quiet BL Lacs.Comment: Accepted to MNRAS. 12 pages, 1 figure, 4 Tabl
On the Onset of Double-diffusive Convection in a Couple Stress Nanofluid in a Porous Medium
Double-diffusive convection in a horizontal layer of nanofluid in a porous medium is studied. The couple-stress fluid model is considered to describe the rheological behavior of the nanofluid and for porous medium Darcy model is employed. The model applied for couple stress nanofluid incorporates the effect of Brownian motion and thermophoresis. We have assumed that the nanoparticle concentration flux is zero on the boundaries which neutralizes the possibility of oscillatory convection and only stationary convection occurs. The dispersion relation describing the effect of various parameters is derived by applying perturbation theory, normal mode analysis method and linear stability theory. The impact of various physical parameters, like the couple stress parameter, medium porosity, solutal Rayleigh Number, thermo-nanofluid Lewis number, thermo-solutal Lewis number, Soret parameter and Dufour parameter have been examined on the stationary convection. It is observed that the couple stress parameter, thermo-nanofluid Lewis number, thermo-solutal Lewis number, Soret parameter and Dufour parameter have stabilizing effects on the stationary convection whereas the solutal Rayleigh number and Dufour parameter have very small effect on the system
A new list of thorium and argon spectral lines in the visible
Aims. We present a new list of thorium and argon emission lines in the
visible obtained by analyzing high-resolution (R=110,000) spectra of a ThAr
hollow cathode lamp. The aim of this new line list is to allow significant
improvements in the quality of wavelength calibration for medium- to
high-resolution astronomical spectrographs. Methods. We use a series of ThAr
lamp exposures obtained with the HARPS instrument (High Accuracy
Radial-velocity Planet Searcher) to detect previously unknown lines, perform a
systematic search for blended lines and correct individual wavelengths by
determining the systematic offset of each line relative to the average
wavelength solution. Results. We give updated wavelengths for more than 8400
lines over the spectral range 3785-6915 A. The typical internal uncertainty on
the line positions is estimated to be ~10 m/s (3.3 parts in 10^8 or 0.18 mA),
which is a factor of 2-10 better than the widely used Los Alamos Atlas of the
Thorium Spectrum (Palmer & Engleman 1983). The absolute accuracy of the global
wavelength scale is the same as in the Los Alamos Atlas. Using this new line
list on HARPS ThAr spectra, we are able to obtain a global wavelength
calibration which is precise at the 20 cm/s level (6.7 parts in 10^10 or 0.0037
mA). Conclusions. Several research fields in astronomy requiring high-precision
wavelength calibration in the visible (e.g. radial velocity planet searches,
variability of fundamental constants) should benefit from using the new line
list.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Thermal Instability in a Horizontal Layer of Walterâs (Model B\u27) Visco-Elastic Nanofluid- A More Realistic Approach
Thermal instability in a horizontal layer of Walterâs (Model B\u27) visco-elastic nanofluid is investigated for more realistic boundary conditions. The flux of volume fraction of nanoparticles is taken to be zero on the isothermal boundaries. The model used for nanofluid incorporates the effect of Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis. Perturbation method, normal mode technique and Galerkin method are used in the solution of the eigenvalue problem. Oscillatory convection has been ruled out for the problem under consideration. The influences of the Lewis number, modified diffusivity ratio and nanoparticle Rayleigh number on the stationary convection are shown both analytically and graphically
A face - off - classical and heuristic - based path planning approaches
Robot path planning is a computational problem to find a valid sequence of configurations to move a robot from an initial to a final destination. Several classical and heuristic-based methods exist that can be used to solve the problem. This paper compares the performance of a classical method based on potential field, Lyapunov-based Control Scheme, with those of the standard and stepping ahead Firefly Algorithms. The performance comparison is based on the optimal path distance and time. The results show that the stepping ahead Firefly algorithm finds a shorter path in lesser duration when compared with the Lyapunov-based method. The LbCS also inherently faces the local minima problem when the start, target, and obstacleâs center coordinates are collinear. This problem is solved using the firefly algorithm where the diversification of the fireflies helps escape local minima
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