Infrared Optical Properties of Ferropericlase (Mg1-xFexO): Experiment and Theory

The temperature dependence of the reflectance spectra of magnesium oxide (MgO) and ferropericlase (Mg1-xFexO, for x=0.06 and x=0.27) have been measured over a wide frequency range (~50 to 32000 cm-1) at 295 and 6 K. The complex dielectric function has been determined from a Kramers-Kronig analysis of the reflectance. The spectra of the doped materials resembles pure MgO in the infrared region, but with much broader resonances. We use a shell model to calculate the dielectric function of ferropericlase, including both anharmonic phonon-phonon interactions and disorder scattering. These data are relevant to understanding the heat conductivity of ferropericlase in the earth's lower mantle.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figure

The Millennium Galaxy Catalogue: The connection between close pairs and asymmetry; implications for the galaxy merger rate

We compare the use of galaxy asymmetry and pair proximity for measuring galaxy merger fractions and rates for a volume limited sample of 3184 galaxies with -21 < M(B) -5 log h < -18 mag. and 0.010 < z < 0.123 drawn from the Millennium Galaxy Catalogue. Our findings are that: (i) Galaxies in close pairs are generally more asymmetric than isolated galaxies and the degree of asymmetry increases for closer pairs. At least 35% of close pairs (with projected separation of less than 20 h^{-1} kpc and velocity difference of less than 500 km s^{-1}) show significant asymmetry and are therefore likely to be physically bound. (ii) Among asymmetric galaxies, we find that at least 80% are either interacting systems or merger remnants. However, a significant fraction of galaxies initially identified as asymmetric are contaminated by nearby stars or are fragmented by the source extraction algorithm. Merger rates calculated via asymmetry indices need careful attention in order to remove the above sources of contamination, but are very reliable once this is carried out. (iii) Close pairs and asymmetries represent two complementary methods of measuring the merger rate. Galaxies in close pairs identify future mergers, occurring within the dynamical friction timescale, while asymmetries are sensitive to the immediate pre-merger phase and identify remnants. (iv) The merger fraction derived via the close pair fraction and asymmetries is about 2% for a merger rate of (5.2 +- 1.0) 10^{-4} h^3 Mpc^{-3} Gyr^{-1}. These results are marginally consistent with theoretical simulations (depending on the merger time-scale), but imply a flat evolution of the merger rate with redshift up to z ~1.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, emulateapj format. ApJ, accepte

The DDO IVC Distance Project: Survey Description and the Distance to G139.6+47.6

We present a detailed analysis of the distance determination for one intermediate Velocity Cloud (IVC G139.6+47.6) from the ongoing DDO IVC Distance Project. Stars along the line of sight to G139.6+47.6 are examined for the presence of sodium absorption attributable to the cloud, and the distance bracket is established by astrometric and spectroscopic parallax measurements of demonstrated foreground and background stars. We detail our strategy regarding target selection, observational setup, and analysis of the data, including a discussion of wavelength calibration and sky subtraction uncertainties. We find a distance estimate of 129 (+/- 10) pc for the lower limit and 257 (+211-33) pc for the upper limit. Given the high number of stars showing absorption due to this IVC, we also discuss the small-scale covering factor of the cloud and the likely significance of non-detections for subsequent observations of this and other similar IVC's. Distance measurements of the remaining targets in the DDO IVC project will be detailed in a companion paper.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, LaTe

Constraints on UV Absorption in the Intracluster Medium of Abell 1030

We present results from an extensive HST spectroscopic search for UV absorption lines in the spectrum of the quasar B2~1028+313, which is associated with the central dominant galaxy in the cluster Abell~1030 ($z=0.178$). This is one of the brightest known UV continuum sources located in a cluster, and therefore provides an ideal opportunity to obtain stringent constraints on the column densities of any cool absorbing gas that may be associated with the intracluster medium (ICM). Our HST spectra were obtained with the FOS and GHRS, and provide continuous coverage at rest-frame wavelengths from $\sim 975$ to 4060~\AA, thereby allowing the investigation of many different elements and ionization levels. We utilize a new technique that involves simultaneous fitting of large numbers of different transitions for each species, thereby yielding more robust constraints on column densities than can be obtained from a single transition. This method yields upper limits of $\lesssim 10^{11} - 10^{13}$ cm$^{-2}$ on the column densities of a wide range of molecular, atomic and ionized species that may be associated with the ICM. We also discuss a possible \Lya and C IV absorption system associated with the quasar. We discuss the implications of the upper limits on cool intracluster gas in the context of the physical properties of the ICM and its relationship to the quasar.Comment: Astrophysical Journal, in press, 19 pages, includes 5 PostScript figures. Latex format, uses aas2pp4.sty and epsfig.sty file

Spitzer observations of the Massive star forming complex S254-S258: structure and evolution

We present Spitzer-IRAC, NOAO 2.1meter-Flamingos, Keck-NIRC, and FCRAO-SEQUOIA observations of the massive star forming complex S254-S258, covering an area of 25x20 arc-minutes. Using a combination of the IRAC and NIR data, we identify and classify the young stellar objects (YSO) in the complex. We detect 510 sources with near or mid IR-excess, and we classify 87 Class I, and 165 Class II sources. The YSO are found in clusters surrounded by isolated YSO in a low-density distributed population. The ratio of clustered to total YSO is 0.8. We identify six new clusters in the complex. One of them, G192.63-00, is located around the ionizing star of the HII region S255. We hypothesize that the ionizing star of S255 was formed in this cluster. We also detect a southern component of the cluster in HII region S256. The cluster G192.54-0.15, located inside HII region S254 has a VLSR of 17 km/s with respect to the main cloud, and we conclude that it is located in the background of the complex. The structure of the molecular cloud is examined using 12CO and 13CO, as well as a near-IR extinction map. The main body of the molecular cloud has VLSR between 5 and 9 km/s. The arc-shaped structure of the molecular cloud, following the border of the HII regions, and the high column density in the border of the HII regions support the idea that the material has been swept up by the expansion of the HII regions.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

ROR-γ drives androgen receptor expression and represents a therapeutic target in castration-resistant prostate cancer.

The androgen receptor (AR) is overexpressed and hyperactivated in human castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, the determinants of AR overexpression in CRPC are poorly defined. Here we show that retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γ (ROR-γ) is overexpressed and amplified in metastatic CRPC tumors, and that ROR-γ drives AR expression in the tumors. ROR-γ recruits nuclear receptor coactivator 1 and 3 (NCOA1 and NCOA3, also known as SRC-1 and SRC-3) to an AR-ROR response element (RORE) to stimulate AR gene transcription. ROR-γ antagonists suppress the expression of both AR and its variant AR-V7 in prostate cancer (PCa) cell lines and tumors. ROR-γ antagonists also markedly diminish genome-wide AR binding, H3K27ac abundance and expression of the AR target gene network. Finally, ROR-γ antagonists suppressed tumor growth in multiple AR-expressing, but not AR-negative, xenograft PCa models, and they effectively sensitized CRPC tumors to enzalutamide, without overt toxicity, in mice. Taken together, these results establish ROR-γ as a key player in CRPC by acting upstream of AR and as a potential therapeutic target for advanced PCa

HST/STIS Spectroscopy of the Lyman-Alpha Emission Line in the Central Dominant Galaxies in A426, A1795, and A2597: Constraints on Clouds in the Intracluster Medium

We report on HST/STIS spectra of the Lyman-alpha emission in the central dominant galaxies in three rich clusters of galaxies. We find evidence for a population of clouds in the intracluster medium.We detect 10 Ly-alpha absorption systems towards the nucleus of NGC1275 with columns of N(HI) 1E12-1E14 cm-2. The detected absorption features are most consistent with associated nuclear absorption systems. There is very little nuclear absorption at the systemic velocity in NGC1275. This implies that the large columns detected in the 21 cm line towards the parsec scale radio source avoid the line of sight to the nucleus. This gas may be located in a circumnuclear disk or torus. We detect at least one and possibly two absorption features towards the extended Ly-alpha in A426. We do not detect absorption towards the extended Ly-alpha emission in A1795, and A2597 with upper limits N(HI) 1E13 cm-2 for optically thin absorbers. Our data constrain the covering factor of any high column density gas in the ICM to be less than 25%. Our results suggest that the lack of observed intermediate temperature gas is not explained by obscuration. In addition, the low columns of gas on the 100 kpc scales in the ICM suggests that (1) the rate at which cold gas accumulates in the ICM on these scales is very low, and (2) the dense nebulae in the central 10 kpc must have cooled or been deposited in situ.Comment: 6 figure

The Probable Detection of SN 1923A: The Oldest Radio Supernova?

Based upon the results of VLA observations, we report the detection of two unresolved radio sources that are coincident with the reported optical position of SN 1923A in M83. For the source closest to the SN position, the flux density was determined to be 0.30 +/- 0.05 mJy at 20 cm and 0.093 +/- 0.028 mJy at 6 cm. The flux density of the second nearby source was determined to be 0.29 +/- 0.05 at 20 cm and 0.13 +/- 0.028 at 6 cm. Both sources are non-thermal with spectral indices of alpha = -1.0 +/- 0.30 and -0.69 +/- 0.24, respectively. SN 1923A has been designated as a Type II-P. No Type II-P (other than SN 1987A) has been detected previously in the radio. The radio emission from both sources appears to be fading with time. At an age of approximately 68 years when we observed it, this would be the oldest radio supernova (of known age) yet detected

An infrared survey of brightest cluster galaxies: Paper I

We report on an imaging survey with the Spitzer Space Telescope of 62 brightest cluster galaxies with optical line emission. These galaxies are located in the cores of X-ray luminous clusters selected from the ROSAT All-Sky Survey. We find that about half of these sources have a sign of excess infrared emission; 22 objects out of 62 are detected at 70 microns, 18 have 8 to 5.8 micron flux ratios above 1.0 and 28 have 24 to 8 micron flux ratios above 1.0. Altogether 35 of 62 objects in our survey exhibit at least one of these signs of infrared excess. Four galaxies with infrared excesses have a 4.5/3.6 micron flux ratio indicating the presence of hot dust, and/or an unresolved nucleus at 8 microns. Three of these have high measured [OIII](5007A)/Hbeta flux ratios suggesting that these four, Abell 1068, Abell 2146, and Zwicky 2089, and R0821+07, host dusty active galactic nuclei (AGNs). 9 objects (including the four hosting dusty AGNs) have infrared luminosities greater than 10^11 L_sol and so can be classified as luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs). Excluding the four systems hosting dusty AGNs, the excess mid-infrared emission in the remaining brightest cluster galaxies is likely related to star formation.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ