9,730 research outputs found
The Nature of the Peculiar Virgo Cluster Galaxies NGC 4064 and NGC 4424
We present a detailed study of the peculiar HI-deficient Virgo cluster spiral
galaxies NGC 4064 and NGC 4424, using CO 1-0 interferometry, optical
imaging and integral-field spectroscopic observations, in order to learn what
type of environmental interactions have afected these galaxies. Optical imaging
reveals that NGC 4424 has a strongly disturbed stellar disk, with banana-shaped
isophotes and shells. NGC 4064, which lies in the cluster outskirts, possesses
a relatively undisturbed outer stellar disk and a central bar. In both galaxies
H-alpha emission is confined to the central kiloparsec. CO observations reveal
bilobal molecular gas morphologies, with H-alpha emission peaking inside the CO
lobes, implying a time sequence in the star formation process.Gas kinematics
reveals strong bar-like non-circular motions in the molecular gas in both
galaxies, suggesting that the material is radially infalling. In NGC 4064 the
stellar kinematics reveal strong bar-like non-circular motions in the central 1
kpc. On the other hand, NGC 4424 has extremely modest stellar rotation
velocities (Vmax ~ 30 km s-1), and stars are supported by random motions as far
out as we can measure it. The observations suggest that the peculiarities of
NGC 4424 are the result of an intermediate-mass merger plus ram pressure
stripping. In the case of NGC 4064, the evidence suggests an already stripped
"truncated/normal" galaxy that recently suffered a minor merger or tidal
interaction with another galaxy. We propose that galaxies with
"truncated/compact" H-alpha morphologies such as these are the result of the
independent effects of ram pressure stripping, which removes gas from the outer
disk, and gravitational interactions such as mergers, which heat stellar disks,
drive gas to the central kpc and increase the central mass concentrations.Comment: 42 pages, 21 figure
Role of the environment in the stability of anisotropic gold particles
International audienceDespite the long-lasting interest in the synthesis control of nanoparticles (NPs) in both fundamental and applied nanosciences, the driving mechanisms responsible for their size and shape selectivity in an environment (solution) are not completely understood, and a clear assessment of the respective roles of equilibrium thermodynamics and growth kinetics is still missing. In this study, relying on an efficient atomistic computational approach, we decipher the dependence of energetics, shapes and morphologies of gold NPs on the strength and nature of the metal–environment interaction. We highlight the conditions under which the energy difference between isotropic and elongated gold NPs is reduced, thus prompting their thermodynamic coexistence. The study encompasses both monocrystalline and multi-twinned particles and extends over size ranges particularly representative of the nucleation and early growth stages. Computational results are further rationalized with arguments involving the dependence of facet and edge energies on the metal–environment interactions. We argue that by determining the abundance and diversity of particles nucleated in solution, thermodynamics may constitute an important bias influencing their final shape. The present results provide firm grounds for kinetic simulations of particle growth
Momentum dependent ultrafast electron dynamics in antiferromagnetic EuFe2As2
Employing the momentum-sensitivity of time- and angle-resolved photoemission
spectroscopy we demonstrate the analysis of ultrafast single- and many-particle
dynamics in antiferromagnetic EuFe2As2. Their separation is based on a
temperature-dependent difference of photo-excited hole and electron relaxation
times probing the single particle band and the spin density wave gap,
respectively. Reformation of the magnetic order occurs at 800 fs, which is four
times slower compared to electron-phonon equilibration due to a smaller
spin-dependent relaxation phase space
Enhancing Sensitivity Classification with Semantic Features using Word Embeddings
Government documents must be reviewed to identify any sensitive information
they may contain, before they can be released to the public. However,
traditional paper-based sensitivity review processes are not practical for reviewing
born-digital documents. Therefore, there is a timely need for automatic sensitivity
classification techniques, to assist the digital sensitivity review process.
However, sensitivity is typically a product of the relations between combinations
of terms, such as who said what about whom, therefore, automatic sensitivity
classification is a difficult task. Vector representations of terms, such as word
embeddings, have been shown to be effective at encoding latent term features
that preserve semantic relations between terms, which can also be beneficial to
sensitivity classification. In this work, we present a thorough evaluation of the
effectiveness of semantic word embedding features, along with term and grammatical
features, for sensitivity classification. On a test collection of government
documents containing real sensitivities, we show that extending text classification
with semantic features and additional term n-grams results in significant improvements
in classification effectiveness, correctly classifying 9.99% more sensitive
documents compared to the text classification baseline
Finite-size scaling and thermodynamics of model supercooled liquids: long-range concentration fluctuations and the role of attractive interactions
Oscillations in the Sun with SONG: Setting the scale for asteroseismic investigations
Context. We present the first high-cadence multi-wavelength radial-velocity
observations of the Sun-as-a-star, carried out during 57 consecutive days using
the stellar \'echelle spectrograph at the Hertzsprung SONG Telescope operating
at the Teide Observatory. Aims. The aim was to produce a high-quality data set
and reference values for the global helioseismic parameters {\nu_{max}}, and
{\Delta \nu} of the solar p-modes using the SONG instrument. The obtained data
set or the inferred values should then be used when the scaling relations are
applied to other stars showing solar-like oscillations which are observed with
SONG or similar instruments. Methods. We used different approaches to analyse
the power spectrum of the time series to determine {\nu_{max}}; simple Gaussian
fitting and heavy smoothing of the power spectrum. {\Delta\nu} was determined
using the method of autocorrelation of the power spectrum. The amplitude per
radial mode was determined using the method described in Kjeldsen et al.
(2008). Results. We found the following values for the solar oscillations using
the SONG spectrograph: {\nu_{max}} = 3141 {\pm} 12 {\mu}Hz, {\Delta\nu} =
134.98 {\pm} 0.04 {\mu}Hz and an average amplitude of the strongest radial
modes of 16.6 {\pm} 0.4 cm/s. These values are consistent with previous
measurements with other techniques.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, letter accepted for A&
Hysteresis and bi-stability by an interplay of calcium oscillations and action potential firing
Many cell types exhibit oscillatory activity, such as repetitive action
potential firing due to the Hodgkin-Huxley dynamics of ion channels in the cell
membrane or reveal intracellular inositol triphosphate (IP) mediated
calcium oscillations (CaOs) by calcium-induced calcium release channels
(IP-receptor) in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The
dynamics of the excitable membrane and that of the IP-mediated CaOs have
been the subject of many studies. However, the interaction between the
excitable cell membrane and IP-mediated CaOs, which are coupled by
cytosolic calcium which affects the dynamics of both, has not been studied.
This study for the first time applied stability analysis to investigate the
dynamic behavior of a model, which includes both an excitable membrane and an
intracellular IP-mediated calcium oscillator. Taking the IP
concentration as a control parameter, the model exhibits a novel rich spectrum
of stable and unstable states with hysteresis. The four stable states of the
model correspond in detail to previously reported growth-state dependent states
of the membrane potential of normal rat kidney fibroblasts in cell culture. The
hysteresis is most pronounced for experimentally observed parameter values of
the model, suggesting a functional importance of hysteresis. This study shows
that the four growth-dependent cell states may not reflect the behavior of
cells that have differentiated into different cell types with different
properties, but simply reflect four different states of a single cell type,
that is characterized by a single model.Comment: 29 pages, 6 figure
Unstable Dynamics, Nonequilibrium Phases and Criticality in Networked Excitable Media
Here we numerically study a model of excitable media, namely, a network with
occasionally quiet nodes and connection weights that vary with activity on a
short-time scale. Even in the absence of stimuli, this exhibits unstable
dynamics, nonequilibrium phases -including one in which the global activity
wanders irregularly among attractors- and 1/f noise while the system falls into
the most irregular behavior. A net result is resilience which results in an
efficient search in the model attractors space that can explain the origin of
certain phenomenology in neural, genetic and ill-condensed matter systems. By
extensive computer simulation we also address a relation previously conjectured
between observed power-law distributions and the occurrence of a "critical
state" during functionality of (e.g.) cortical networks, and describe the
precise nature of such criticality in the model.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figure
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