Clustering transition in a system of particles self-consistently driven by a shear flow

We introduce a simple model of active transport for an ensemble of particles driven by an external shear flow. Active refers to the fact that the flow of the particles is modified by the distribution of particles itself. The model consists in that the effective velocity of every particle is given by the average of the external flow velocities felt by the particles located at a distance less than a typical radius, $R$. Numerical analysis reveals the existence of a transition to clustering depending on the parameters of the external flow and on $R$. A continuum description in terms of the number density of particles is derived, and a linear stability analysis of the density equation is performed in order to characterize the transitions observed in the model of interacting particles.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures. To appear in PR

Macroscopic description of particle systems with non-local density-dependent diffusivity

In this paper we study macroscopic density equations in which the diffusion coefficient depends on a weighted spatial average of the density itself. We show that large differences (not present in the local density-dependence case) appear between the density equations that are derived from different representations of the Langevin equation describing a system of interacting Brownian particles. Linear stability analysis demonstrates that under some circumstances the density equation interpreted like Ito has pattern solutions, which never appear for the Hanggi-Klimontovich interpretation, which is the other one typically appearing in the context of nonlinear diffusion processes. We also introduce a discrete-time microscopic model of particles that confirms the results obtained at the macroscopic density level.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Crystallization and melting of bacteria colonies and Brownian Bugs

Motivated by the existence of remarkably ordered cluster arrays of bacteria colonies growing in Petri dishes and related problems, we study the spontaneous emergence of clustering and patterns in a simple nonequilibrium system: the individual-based interacting Brownian bug model. We map this discrete model into a continuous Langevin equation which is the starting point for our extensive numerical analyses. For the two-dimensional case we report on the spontaneous generation of localized clusters of activity as well as a melting/freezing transition from a disordered or isotropic phase to an ordered one characterized by hexagonal patterns. We study in detail the analogies and differences with the well-established Kosterlitz-Thouless-Halperin-Nelson-Young theory of equilibrium melting, as well as with another competing theory. For that, we study translational and orientational correlations and perform a careful defect analysis. We find a non standard one-stage, defect-mediated, transition whose nature is only partially elucidated.Comment: 13 Figures. 14 pages. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Las nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación en la economía social andaluza

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar las consecuencias que un determinado posicionamiento respecto a la incorporación de las NTIC tiene en los procesos de innovación e internacionalización de las empresas de la Economía Social. El trabajo parte de la identificación de grupos estratégicos en las empresas de la Economía Social a partir de sus elecciones a nivel funcional sobre las NTIC. Para ello, se ha realizado un amplio trabajo de campo mediante entrevistas personales a responsables de 515 empresas andaluzas. Los datos permiten concluir que el posicionamiento de las empresas frente a la incorporación de las NTIC está ligado a factores como el tamaño, la localización, el sector de actividad y el momento de su primer contacto con la informática. El posicionamiento respecto a las NTIC condiciona su compromiso con la innovación tanto en el momento actual como en el futuro y afecta a sus expectativas sobre los procesos de internacionalización

Galaxy alignments: An overview

The alignments between galaxies, their underlying matter structures, and the cosmic web constitute vital ingredients for a comprehensive understanding of gravity, the nature of matter, and structure formation in the Universe. We provide an overview on the state of the art in the study of these alignment processes and their observational signatures, aimed at a non-specialist audience. The development of the field over the past one hundred years is briefly reviewed. We also discuss the impact of galaxy alignments on measurements of weak gravitational lensing, and discuss avenues for making theoretical and observational progress over the coming decade.Comment: 43 pages excl. references, 16 figures; minor changes to match version published in Space Science Reviews; part of a topical volume on galaxy alignments, with companion papers at arXiv:1504.05546 and arXiv:1504.0546

Extracting Hα\alpha flux from photometric data in the J-PLUS survey

We present the main steps that will be taken to extract H$\alpha$ emission flux from Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS) photometric data. For galaxies with $z\lesssim0.015$, the H$\alpha$+[NII] emission is covered by the J-PLUS narrow-band filter $F660$. We explore three different methods to extract the H$\alpha$ + [NII] flux from J-PLUS photometric data: a combination of a broad-band and a narrow-band filter ($r'$ and $F660$), two broad-band and a narrow-band one ($r'$, $i'$ and $F660$), and a SED-fitting based method using 8 photometric points. To test these methodologies, we simulated J-PLUS data from a sample of 7511 SDSS spectra with measured H$\alpha$ flux. Based on the same sample, we derive two empirical relations to correct the derived H$\alpha$+[NII] flux from dust extinction and [NII] contamination. We find that the only unbiased method is the SED fitting based one. The combination of two filters underestimates the measurements of the H$\alpha$ + [NII] flux by a 28%, while the three filters method by a 9%. We study the error budget of the SED-fitting based method and find that, in addition to the photometric error, our measurements have a systematic uncertainty of a 4.3%. Several sources contribute to this uncertainty: differences between our measurement procedure and the one used to derive the spectroscopic values, the use of simple stellar populations as templates, and the intrinsic errors of the spectra, which were not taken into account. Apart from that, the empirical corrections for dust extinction and [NII] contamination add an extra uncertainty of 14%. Given the J-PLUS photometric system, the best methodology to extract H$\alpha$ + [NII] flux is the SED-fitting based one. Using this method, we are able to recover reliable H$\alpha$ fluxes for thousands of nearby galaxies in a robust and homogeneous way.Comment: 11 pages, 14 figures. Minor changes to match the published versio

Kinematic studies of transport across an island wake, with application to the Canary islands

Transport from nutrient-rich coastal upwellings is a key factor influencing biological activity in surrounding waters and even in the open ocean. The rich upwelling in the North-Western African coast is known to interact strongly with the wake of the Canary islands, giving rise to filaments and other mesoscale structures of increased productivity. Motivated by this scenario, we introduce a simplified two-dimensional kinematic flow describing the wake of an island in a stream, and study the conditions under which there is a net transport of substances across the wake. For small vorticity values in the wake, it acts as a barrier, but there is a transition when increasing vorticity so that for values appropriate to the Canary area, it entrains fluid and enhances cross-wake transport.Comment: 28 pages, 13 figure

The GALANTE Photometric System

This paper describes the characterization of the GALANTE photometric system, a seven intermediate- and narrow-band filter system with a wavelength coverage from 3000 $\r{A}$ to 9000 $\r{A}$ . We describe the photometric system presenting the full sensitivity curve as a product of the filter sensitivity, CCD, telescope mirror, and atmospheric transmission curves, as well as some first- and second-order moments of this sensitivity function. The GALANTE photometric system is composed of four filters from the J-PLUS photometric system, a twelve broad-to-narrow filter system, and three exclusive filters, specifically designed to measure the physical parameters of stars such as effective temperature $T_{\rm eff}$, $\log(g)$, metallicity, colour excess $E(4405-5495)$, and extinction type $R_{5495}$. Two libraries, the Next Generation Spectral Library (NGSL) and the one presented in Ma\'iz Apell\'aniz & Weiler (2018), have been used to determine the transformation equations between the Sloan Digital Sky Survey ($\textit{SDSS}$) $\textit{ugriz}$ photometry and the GALANTE photometric system. We will use this transformation to calibrate the zero points of GALANTE images. To this end, a preliminary photometric calibration of GALANTE has been made based on two different $\textit{griz}$ libraries ($\textit{SDSS}$ DR12 and ATLAS All-Sky Stellar Reference Catalog, hereinafter $\textit{RefCat2}$). A comparison between both zero points is performed leading us to the choice of $\textit{RefCat2}$ as the base catalogue for this calibration, and applied to a field in the Cyg OB2 association.Comment: Accepted in MNRA

Galaxy alignments: Observations and impact on cosmology

Galaxy shapes are not randomly oriented, rather they are statistically aligned in a way that can depend on formation environment, history and galaxy type. Studying the alignment of galaxies can therefore deliver important information about the physics of galaxy formation and evolution as well as the growth of structure in the Universe. In this review paper we summarise key measurements of galaxy alignments, divided by galaxy type, scale and environment. We also cover the statistics and formalism necessary to understand the observations in the literature. With the emergence of weak gravitational lensing as a precision probe of cosmology, galaxy alignments have taken on an added importance because they can mimic cosmic shear, the effect of gravitational lensing by large-scale structure on observed galaxy shapes. This makes galaxy alignments, commonly referred to as intrinsic alignments, an important systematic effect in weak lensing studies. We quantify the impact of intrinsic alignments on cosmic shear surveys and finish by reviewing practical mitigation techniques which attempt to remove contamination by intrinsic alignments.Comment: 52 pages excl. references, 16 figures; minor changes to match version published in Space Science Reviews; part of a topical volume on galaxy alignments, with companion papers arXiv:1504.05456 and arXiv:1504.0554