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Near-Infrared Imaging of a z=6.42 Quasar Host Galaxy With the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3
We report on deep near-infrared F125W (J) and F160W (H) Hubble Space
Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 images of the z=6.42 quasar J1148+5251 to attempt
to detect rest-frame near-ultraviolet emission from the host galaxy. These
observations included contemporaneous observations of a nearby star of similar
near-infrared colors to measure temporal variations in the telescope and
instrument point spread function (PSF). We subtract the quasar point source
using both this direct PSF and a model PSF.
Using direct subtraction, we measure an upper limit for the quasar host
galaxy of m_J>22.8, m_H>23.0 AB mag (2 sigma). After subtracting our best model
PSF, we measure a limiting surface brightness from 0.3"-0.5" radius of mu_J >
23.5, mu_H > 23.7 AB magarc (2 sigma). We test the ability of the model
subtraction method to recover the host galaxy flux by simulating host galaxies
with varying integrated magnitude, effective radius, and S\'ersic index, and
conducting the same analysis. These models indicate that the surface brightness
limit (mu_J > 23.5 AB magarc) corresponds to an integrated upper limit of m_J >
22 - 23 AB mag, consistent with the direct subtraction method. Combined with
existing far-infrared observations, this gives an infrared excess log(IRX) >
1.0 and corresponding ultraviolet spectral slope beta > -1.2\pm0.2. These
values match those of most local luminous infrared galaxies, but are redder
than those of almost all local star-forming galaxies and z~6 Lyman break
galaxies.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Accepted to ApJ
Detections of Diffuse Interstellar Bands in the SDSS Low-resolution Spectra
Diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) have been discovered for almost a century,
but their nature remains one of the most challenging problems in astronomical
spectroscopy. Most recent work to identify and investigate the properties and
carriers of DIBs concentrates on high-resolution spectroscopy of selected
sight-lines. In this paper, we report detections of DIBs in the Sloan Digital
Sky Survey (SDSS) low-resolution spectra of a large sample of Galactic stars.
Using a template subtraction method, we have successfully identified the DIBs
5780, 6283 in the SDSS spectra of a sample of about 2,000
stars and measured their strengths and radial velocities. The sample is by far
the largest ever assembled. The targets span a large range of reddening, E(B-V)
~ 0.2 -- 1.0, and are distributed over a large sky area and involve a wide
range of stellar parameters (effective temperature, surface gravity and
metallicity), confirming that the carriers of DIBs are ubiquitous in the
diffuse interstellar medium (ISM). The sample is used to investigate relations
between strengths of DIBs and magnitudes of line-of-sight extinction, yielding
results (i.e., EW(5780)= 0.61 x E(B-V) and EW(6283) = 1.26 x E(B-V)) consistent
with previous studies. DIB features have also been detected in the
commissioning spectra of the Guoshoujing Telescope (LAMOST) of resolving power
similar to that of SDSS. Detections of DIBs towards hundreds of thousands of
stars are expected from the on-going and up-coming large scale spectroscopic
surveys such as RAVE, SDSS III and LAMOST, particularly from the LAMOST Digital
Sky Survey of the Galactic Anti-center (DSS-GAC). Such a huge database will
provide an unprecedented opportunity to study the demographical distribution
and nature of DIBs as well as using DIBs to probe the distribution and
properties of the ISM and the dust extinction.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Detection of diffuse interstellar bands in M31
We investigate the diffuse interstellar band (DIB) spectrum in the
interstellar medium of M31. The DEIMOS spectrograph of the W. M. Keck
observatory was used to make optical spectroscopic observations of two
supergiant stars, MAG 63885 and MAG 70817, in the vicinity of the OB78
association in M31 where the metallicity is approximately equal to solar. The
5780, 5797, 6203, 6283 and 6613 DIBs are detected in both sightlines at
velocities matching the M31 interstellar Na I absorption. The spectra are
classified and interstellar reddenings are derived for both stars. Diffuse
interstellar band (DIB) equivalent widths and radial velocities are presented.
The spectrum of DIBs observed in M31 towards MAG 63885 is found to be similar
to that observed in the Milky Way. Towards MAG 70817 the DIB equivalent widths
per unit reddening are about three times the Galactic average. Compared to
observations elsewhere in the Universe, relative to reddening the M31 ISM in
the vicinity of OB78 is apparently a highly favourable environment for the
formation of DIB carriers
Re-Assembling the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy
What is the mass of the progenitor of the Sagittarius (Sgr) dwarf galaxy?
Here, we reassemble the stellar debris using SDSS and 2MASS data to find the
total luminosity and likely mass. We find that the luminosity is in the range
9.6-13.2 x10^7 solar luminosities or M_V ~ -15.1 - 15.5, with 70% of the light
residing in the debris streams. The progenitor is somewhat fainter than the
present-day Small Magellanic Cloud, and comparable in brightness to the M31
dwarf spheroidals NGC 147 and NGC 185. Using cosmologically motivated models,
we estimate that the mass of Sgr's dark matter halo prior to tidal disruption
was ~10^10 solar masses.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables, submitted to Ap
K+A Galaxies as the Aftermath of Gas-Rich Mergers: Simulating the Evolution of Galaxies as Seen by Spectroscopic Surveys
Models of poststarburst (or "K+A") galaxies are constructed by combining
fully three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy mergers with
radiative transfer calculations of dust attenuation. Spectral line catalogs are
generated automatically from moderate-resolution optical spectra calculated as
a function of merger progress in each of a large suite of simulations. The
mass, gas fraction, orbital parameters, and mass ratio of the merging galaxies
are varied systematically, showing that the lifetime and properties of the K+A
phase are strong functions of merger scenario. K+A durations are generally less
than ~0.1-0.3 Gyr, significantly shorter than the commonly assumed 1 Gyr, which
is obtained only in rare cases, owing to a wide variation in star formation
histories resulting from different orbital and progenitor configurations.
Combined with empirical merger rates, the model lifetimes predict
rapidly-rising K+A fractions as a function of redshift that are consistent with
results of large spectroscopic surveys, resolving tension between the observed
K+A abundance and that predicted when one assumes the K+A duration is the
lifetime of A stars (~1 Gyr). The effects of dust attenuation, viewing angle,
and aperture bias on our models are analyzed. In some cases, the K+A features
are longer-lived and more pronounced when AGN feedback removes dust from the
center, uncovering the young stars formed during the burst. In this picture,
the K+A phase begins during or shortly after the bright starburst/AGN phase in
violent mergers, and thus offers a unique opportunity to study the effects of
quasar and star formation feedback on the gas reservoir and evolution of the
remnant. Analytic fitting formulae are provided for the estimates of K+A
incidence as a function of merger scenario.Comment: 26 pages, 13 figures; ApJ; minor changes to reflect accepted versio
The White Dwarf Companion of a 2 M_sun Neutron Star
We report the optical discovery of the companion to the 2 M_sun millisecond
pulsar PSR J1614-2230. The optical colors show that the 0.5 M_sun companion is
a 2.2 Gyr old He-CO white dwarf. We infer that during the accretion
phase is <10^{-2}\dot{M}_{edd}. We show that the pulsar was born with a spin
close to its current value, well below the rebirth line. The spin-down
parameters, the mass of the pulsar, and the age of the system challenge the
simple recycling model for the formation of millisecond pulsars.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 2 table
Ovariectomy results in differential shifts in gut microbiota in low versus high aerobic capacity rats
The increased risk for cardiometabolic disease with the onset of menopause is widely studied and likely precipitated by the decline in endogenous estradiol (E2), yet the precise mechanisms are unknown. The gut microbiome is involved in estrogen metabolism and has been linked to metabolic disease, suggesting its potential involvement in the postmenopausal phenotype. Furthermore, menopauseâassociated risk factors, as well as gut ecology, are altered with exercise. Therefore, we studied microbial changes in an ovariectomized (OVX vs. Sham) rat model of high (HCR) and low (LCR) intrinsic aerobic capacity (n = 8â10/group) in relation to changes in body weight/composition, glucose tolerance, and liver triglycerides (TG). Nine weeks after OVX, HCR rats were moderately protected against regional adipose tissue gain and liver TG accumulation (P < 0.05 for both). Microbial diversity and number of the Bacteroidetes phylum were significantly increased in LCR with OVX, but unchanged in HCR OVX relative to Sham. Plasma shortâchain fatty acids (SCFA), produced by bacteria in the gut and recognized as metabolic signaling molecules, were significantly greater in HCR Sham relative to LCR Sham rats (P = 0.05) and were decreased with OVX in both groups. These results suggest that increased aerobic capacity may be protective against menopauseâassociated cardiometabolic risk and that gut ecology, and production of signaling molecules such as SCFA, may contribute to the mediation.We have demonstrated modest protection from the metabolic effects of surgical menopause (ovariectomy, OVX) in rats with increased aerobic capacity (high running capacity, HCR) relative to those with low aerobic capacity (low running capacity, LCR). These results are associated with significant differences in gut microbiota and their products (short chain fatty acids) between the two groups.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113123/1/phy212488.pd
Air-sea gas transfer velocity estimates from the Jason-1 and TOPEX altimeters : prospects for a long-term global time series
Author Posting. © Elsevier B.V., 2006. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Marine Systems 66 (2007): 173-181, doi:10.1016/j.jmarsys.2006.03.020.Estimation of global and regional airâsea fluxes of climatically important gases is a key goal of current climate research programs. Gas transfer velocities needed to compute these fluxes can be estimated by combining altimeter-derived mean square slope with an empirical relation between transfer velocity and mean square slope derived from field measurements of gas fluxes and small-scale wave spectra [Frew, N.M., Bock, E.J., Schimpf, U., Hara, T., HauÎČecker, H., Edson, J.B., McGillis, W.R., Nelson, R.K., McKenna, S.P., Uz, B.M., JĂ€hne, B., 2004. Airâsea gas transfer: Its dependence on wind stress, small-scale roughness and surface films, J. Geophys. Res., 109, C08S17, doi: 10.1029/2003JC002131.]. We previously reported initial results from a dual-frequency (Ku- and C-band) altimeter algorithm [Glover, D.M., Frew, N.M., McCue, S.J., Bock, E.J., 2002. A Multi-year Time Series of Global Gas Transfer Velocity from the TOPEX Dual Frequency, Normalized Radar Backscatter Algorithm, In: Gas Transfer at Water Surfaces, editors: Donelan, M., Drennan, W., Saltzman, E., and Wanninkhof, R., Geophysical Monograph 127, American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, 325â331.] for estimating the airâsea gas transfer velocity (k) from the mean square slope of short wind waves (40â100 rad/m) and derived a 6-year time series of global transfer velocities based on TOPEX observations. Since the launch of the follow-on altimeter Jason-1 in December 2001 and commencement of the TOPEX/Jason-1 Tandem Mission, we have extended this time series to 12 years, with improvements to the model parameters used in our algorithm and using the latest corrected data releases. The prospect of deriving multi-year and interdecadal time series of gas transfer velocity from TOPEX, Jason-1 and follow-on altimeter missions depends on precise intercalibration of the normalized backscatter. During the Tandem Mission collinear phase, both satellites followed identical orbits with a mere 73-s time separation. The resulting collocated, near-coincident normalized radar backscatter (Ï°) data from both altimeters present a unique opportunity to intercalibrate the two instruments, compare derived fields of transfer velocity and estimate the precision of the algorithm. Initial results suggest that the monthly gas transfer velocity fields generated from the two altimeters are very similar. Comparison of along-track Ku-band and C-band Ï° during the collinear phase indicates that observed discrepancies are due primarily to small offsets between TOPEX and Jason-1 Ï°. The Jason-1 k values have an apparent bias of + 4% relative to TOPEX, while the precision estimated from the two observation sets is 5â7% and scales with k. The resultant long-term, global, mean k is 16 cm/h.We gratefully acknowledge funding support from NASA under grant NAGWâ2431 and JPL
contract 961425
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