1,376 research outputs found
Quantum enhancement of N-photon phase sensitivity by interferometric addition of down-converted photon pairs to weak coherent light
It is shown that the addition of down-converted photon pairs to coherent
laser light enhances the N-photon phase sensitivity due to the quantum
interference between components of the same total photon number. Since most of
the photons originate from the coherent laser light, this method of obtaining
non-classical N-photon states is much more efficient than methods based
entirely on parametrically down-converted photons. Specifically, it is possible
to achieve an optimal phase sensitivity of about delta phi^2=1/N^(3/2), equal
to the geometric mean of the standard quantum limit and the Heisenberg limit,
when the average number of down-converted photons contributing to the N-photon
state approaches (N/2)^(1/2).Comment: 21 pages, including 6 figures. Extended version gives more details on
down-conversion efficiencies and clarifies the relation between phase
sensitivity and squeezing. The title has been changed in order to avoid
misunderstandings regarding these concept
Correlations among global photometric properties of disk galaxies
Using a two-dimensional galaxy image decomposition technique, we extract
global bulge and disk parameters for a complete sample of early type disk
galaxies in the near infrared K band. We find significant correlation of the
bulge parameter n with the central bulge surface brightness and with
effective radius r_e. Using bivar iate analysis techniques, we find that , and are distributed in a plane with small scatter. We
do not find a strong correlation of n with bulge-to-disk luminosity ratio,
contrary to earlier reports. r_e and the disk scale length r_d are well
correlated for these early type disk galaxies, but with large scatter. We
examine the implications of our results to various bulge formation scenarios in
disk galaxies.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX including 14 figures. To appear in the Astrophysical
Journa
Arp 302: Non-starburst Luminous Infrared Galaxies
Arp 302, a luminous infrared source (L_{IR} = 4.2x10^{11} Lsun), consisting
of two spiral galaxies (VV340A and VV340B) with nuclear separation of 40'', has
the highest CO luminosity known. Observations with the BIMA array at 5'' X 7''
resolution reveal that the CO emission is extended over 23.0 kpc in the edge-on
spiral galaxy, VV340A, corresponding to 6.7x10^{10} Msun of H_2. In the
companion face-on galaxy, VV340B, the CO emission is extended over ~10.0 kpc,
with 1.1x10^{10} Msun of H_2. The large CO extent is in strong contrast to
starburst systems, such as Arp 220, in which the CO extent is typically 1
kpc. Furthermore, (H_2) is found to be 6.0 Lsun/Msun throughout
both galaxies. Thus the high IR luminosity of Arp 302 is apparently not due to
starbursts in the nuclear regions, but is due to its unusually large amount of
molecular gas forming stars at a rate similar to giant molecular clouds in the
Milky Way disk. Arp 302 consists of a pair of very gas-rich spiral galaxies
that may be interacting and in a phase before a likely onset of starbursts.Comment: AAS Latex plus two postscript figures. ApJ Letters (accepted
Molecular Gas in Candidate Double-Barred Galaxies II. Cooler, Less Dense Gas Associated with Stronger Central Concentrations
We have performed a multi-transition CO study of the centers of seven
double-barred galaxies that exhibit a variety of molecular gas morphologies to
determine if the molecular gas properties are correlated with the nuclear
morphology and star forming activity. Near infrared galaxy surveys have
revealed the existence of nuclear stellar bars in a large number of barred or
lenticular galaxies. High resolution CO maps of these galaxies exhibit a wide
range of morphologies. Recent simulations of double-barred galaxies suggest
that variations in the gas properties may allow it to respond differently to
similar gravitational potentials. We find that the 12CO J=3-2/J=2-1 line ratio
is lower in galaxies with centrally concentrated gas distributions and higher
in galaxies with CO emission dispersed around the galactic center in rings and
peaks. The 13CO/12CO J=2-1 line ratios are similar for all galaxies, which
indicates that the J=3-2/J=2-1 line ratio is tracing variations in gas
temperature and density, rather than variations in optical depth. There is
evidence that the galaxies which contain more centralized CO distributions are
comprised of molecular gas that is cooler and less dense. Observations suggest
that the star formation rates are higher in the galaxies containing the warmer,
denser, less centrally concentrated gas. It is possible that either the bar
dynamics are responsible for the variety of gas distributions and densities
(and hence the star formation rates) or that the star formation alone is
responsible for modifying the gas properties.Comment: 27 pages + 6 figures; to appear in the April 20, 2003 issue of Ap
Covariant Affine Integral Quantization(s)
Covariant affine integral quantization of the half-plane is studied and
applied to the motion of a particle on the half-line. We examine the
consequences of different quantizer operators built from weight functions on
the half-plane. To illustrate the procedure, we examine two particular choices
of the weight function, yielding thermal density operators and affine inversion
respectively. The former gives rise to a temperature-dependent probability
distribution on the half-plane whereas the later yields the usual canonical
quantization and a quasi-probability distribution (affine Wigner function)
which is real, marginal in both momentum p and position q.Comment: 36 pages, 10 figure
Near infrared and optical morphology of the dusty galaxy NGC972
Near infrared (NIR) and optical surface photometric analyses of the dusty
galaxy NGC972 are presented. The photometric profiles in the BVRJHK bands can
be fitted with a combination of gaussian and exponential profiles,
corresponding to a starburst nucleus and a stellar disk respectively. The
exponential scale length in the B-band is 2.8 times larger than in the K-band,
which implies a central B-band optical depth as high as 11. A bulge is absent
even in the NIR bands and hence the galaxy must be of a morphological type
later than the usually adopted Sb type. Relatively low rotational velocity and
high gas content also favor a later type, probably Sd, for the galaxy. Only one
arm can be traced in the distribution of old stars; the second arm, however,
can be traced in the distribution of dust and HII regions. Data suggest a short
NIR bar, which ends inside the nuclear ring. The slowly rising nature of the
rotation curve rules out a resonance origin of the the nuclear ring. The ring
is most likely not in the plane of the galaxy, given its circular appearance in
spite of the moderately high inclination of the galaxy. The off-planar nature
of the star forming ring, the unusually high fraction (30%) of the total mass
in molecular form, the presence of a nuclear starburst and the asymmetry of
spiral arms, are probably the result of a merger with a gas-rich companion
galaxy.Comment: Uses aas2pp4.sty and epsfig.sty, 12 pages To appear in Astronomical
Journal, October 199
Bar Diagnostics in Edge-On Spiral Galaxies. III. N-Body Simulations of Disks
Present in over 45% of local spirals, boxy and peanut-shaped bulges are
generally interpreted as edge-on bars and may represent a key phase in the
evolution of bulges. Aiming to test such claims, the kinematic properties of
self-consistent 3D N-body simulations of bar-unstable disks are studied. Using
Gauss-Hermite polynomials to describe the stellar kinematics, a number of
characteristic bar signatures are identified in edge-on disks: 1) a major-axis
light profile with a quasi-exponential central peak and a plateau at moderate
radii (Freeman Type II profile); 2) a ``double-hump'' rotation curve; 3) a
sometime flat central velocity dispersion peak with a plateau at moderate radii
and occasional local central minimum and secondary peak; 4) an h3-V correlation
over the projected bar length. All those kinematic features are spatially
correlated and can easily be understood from the orbital structure of barred
disks. They thus provide a reliable and easy-to-use tool to identify edge-on
bars. Interestingly, they are all produced without dissipation and are
increasingly realized to be common in spirals, lending support to bar-driven
evolution scenarios for bulge formation. So called ``figure-of-eight''
position-velocity diagrams are never observed, as expected for realistic
orbital configurations. Although not uniquely related to triaxiality,
line-of-sight velocity distributions with a high velocity tail (i.e. an h3-V
correlation) appear as particularly promising tracers of bars. The stellar
kinematic features identified grow in strength as the bar evolves and vary
little for small inclination variations. Many can be used to trace the bar
length. Comparisons with observations are encouraging and support the view that
boxy and peanut-shaped bulges are simply thick bars viewed edge-on.Comment: 32 pages, 4 figures, AASTeX preprint. Revised following referees'
comments. Now accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. We
strongly suggest you download the version with full resolution figures at
http://www.astro.columbia.edu/~bureau/Publications/Nbody_ApJ04.ps.g
Egg production in the euryhaline tilapia, Sarotherodon melanotheron heudelotii, experimentally maintained in fresh, sea and hypersaline waters
Through the experiments presented here we wanted to test whether egg production of the black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron heudelotii under experimental conditions varies as a function of ambient salinity (fresh waters vs. sea waters vs. hypersaline waters, 0, 35 and 70, respectively) and whether these responses differ between fish acclimated within a few weeks from fresh water to saline and hypersaline environments (experiments E1 and E2, monitoring over 10 and 18 weeks), and individuals born and raised all life long at the experimental salinities (E3, monitoring over 18 weeks). In total, 233 spawns were collected. In each of the three experiments, the reproductive investment (gram of egg per gram of female over 2 weeks) did not differ between salinities of 0 and 35, whereas it was 2-3 times lower at 70 than at 0-35, because of lower spawning frequency (E1-E3), smaller clutch size (E1) and lower spawn mass (E1-E3). Finally, fish acclimated to salinity from fresh water over a few weeks and those maintained at a particular salinity all life long showed similar reproductive traits, thereby emphasizing the remarkable physiological plasticity of this species
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