11,446 research outputs found
Mid-infrared luminosity as an indicator of the total infrared luminosity of galaxies
The infrared (IR) emission plays a crucial role for understanding the star
formation in galaxies hidden by dust. We first examined four estimators of the
IR luminosity of galaxies, L_fir (Helou et al. 1988), L_tir (Dale et al. 2001),
revised version of L_tir (Dale & Helou 2002) (we denote L_tir2), and L_ir
(Sanders & Mirabel 1996) by using the observed SEDs of well-known galaxies. We
found that L_ir provides excellent estimates of the total IR luminosity for a
variety of galaxy SEDs. The performance of L_tir2 was also found to be very
good. Using L_ir, we then statistically analyzed the IRAS PSCz galaxy sample
(Saunders et al. 2000) and found useful formulae relating the MIR monochromatic
luminosities [L(12um) and L(25um)], and L_ir. For this purpose we constructed a
subsample of 1420 galaxies with all IRAS four band (12, 25, 60, and 100um) flux
densities. We found linear relations between L_ir and MIR luminosities, L(12um)
and L(25um). The prediction error with 95-% confidence level is a factor of
4-5. Hence, these formulae are useful for the estimation of the total IR
luminosity only from 12um or 25um observations. We further tried to make an
`interpolation' formula for galaxies at 0<z<1. For this purpose we construct
the formula of the relation between 15-um luminosity and the total IR
luminosity. We conclude that the 15-um formula can be used as an estimator of
the total IR luminosity from 24um observation of galaxies at z \simeq 0.6.Comment: A&A in press, 8 pages, 9 figures, numerical errors correcte
Quantum filter for non-local polarization properties of photonic qubits
We present an optical filter that transmits photon pairs only if they share
the same horizontal or vertical polarization, without decreasing the quantum
coherence between these two possibilities. Various applications for
entanglement manipulations and multi-photon qubits are discussed.Comment: 7 pages, including one figure, short discussion of error sources
adde
An investigation of star formation and dust attenuation in major mergers using ultraviolet and infrared data
Merger processes play an important role in galaxy formation and evolution. To
study the influence of merger processes on the evolution of dust properties and
cosmic star formation rate, we investigate a local sample of major merger
galaxies and a control sample of isolated galaxies using GALEX ultraviolet (UV)
and Spitzer infrared (IR) images. Through a statistical study, we find that
dust attenuation in merger galaxies is enhanced with respect to isolated
galaxies. We find this enhancement is contributed mainly by spiral galaxies in
spiral-spiral (S-S) pairs, and increases with the increasing stellar mass of a
galaxy. Combining the IR and UV parts of star formation rates (SFRs), we then
calculated the total SFRs and specific star formation rates (SSFRs). We find
the SSFRs to be enhanced in merger galaxies. This enhancement depends on galaxy
stellar mass and the companion's morphology, but depends little on whether the
galaxy is a primary or secondary component or on the separation between two
components. These results are consistent with a previous study based only on IR
images. In addition, we investigate the nuclear contributions to SFRs. SFRs in
paired galaxies are more concentrated in the central part of the galaxies than
in isolate galaxies. Our studies of dust attenuation show that the nuclear
parts of pairs most resemble ULIRGs. Including UV data in the present work not
only provides reliable information on dust attenuation, but also refines
analyses of SFRs.Comment: 21 pages, 21 figure
Comparison of modern icing cloud instruments
Intercomparison tests with Particle Measuring Systems (PMS) were conducted. Cloud liquid water content (LWC) measurements were also taken with a Johnson and Williams (JW) hot-wire device and an icing rate device (Leigh IDS). Tests include varying cloud LWC (0.5 to 5 au gm), cloud median volume diameter (MVD) (15 to 26 microns), temperature (-29 to 20 C), and air speeds (50 to 285 mph). Comparisons were based upon evaluating probe estimates of cloud LWC and median volume diameter for given tunnel settings. Variations of plus or minus 10% and plus or minus 5% in LWC and MVD, respectively, were determined of spray clouds between test made at given tunnel settings (fixed LWC, MVD, and air speed) indicating cloud conditions were highly reproducible. Although LWC measurements from JW and Leigh devices were consistent with tunnel values, individual probe measurements either consistently over or underestimated tunnel values by factors ranging from about 0.2 to 2. Range amounted to a factor of 6 differences between LWC estimates of probes for given cloud conditions. For given cloud conditions, estimates of cloud MVD between probes were within plus or minus 3 microns and 93% of the test cases. Measurements overestimated tunnel values in the range between 10 to 20 microns. The need for improving currently used calibration procedures was indicated. Establishment of test facility (or facilities) such as an icing tunnel where instruments can be calibrated against known cloud standards would be a logical choice
Star formation and dust extinction properties of local galaxies from AKARI-GALEX All-Sky Surveys: First results from most secure multiband sample from FUV to FIR
The AKARI All-Sky Survey provided the first bright point source catalog
detected at 90um. Starting from this catalog, we selected galaxies by matching
AKARI sources with those in the IRAS PSCz. Next, we have measured total GALEX
FUV and NUV flux densities. Then, we have matched this sample with SDSS and
2MASS galaxies. By this procedure, we obtained the final sample which consists
of 607 galaxies. If we sort the sample with respect to 90um, their average SED
shows a coherent trend: the more luminous at 90um, the redder the global SED
becomes. The M_r--NUV-r color-magnitude relation of our sample does not show
bimodality, and the distribution is centered on the green valley between the
blue cloud and red sequence seen in optical surveys. We have established
formulae to convert FIR luminosity from AKARI bands to the total infrared (IR)
luminosity L_TIR. With these formulae, we calculated the star formation
directly visible with FUV and hidden by dust. The luminosity related to star
formation activity (L_SF) is dominated by L_TIR even if we take into account
the far-infrared (FIR) emission from dust heated by old stars. At high star
formation rate (SFR) (> 20 Msun yr^-1), the fraction of directly visible SFR,
SFR_FUV, decreases. We also estimated the FUV attenuation A_FUV from
FUV-to-total IR (TIR) luminosity ratio. We also examined the L_TIR/L_FUV-UV
slope (FUV- NUV) relation. The majority of the sample has L_TIR/L_FUV ratios 5
to 10 times lower than expected from the local starburst relation, while some
LIRGs and all the ULIRGs of this sample have higher L_TIR/L_FUV ratios. We
found that the attenuation indicator L_TIR/L_FUV is correlated to the stellar
mass of galaxies, M*, but there is no correlation with specific SFR (SSFR),
SFR/M*, and dust attenuation L_TIR/L_FUV. (abridged)Comment: 13 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Far-Ultraviolet and Far-Infrared Bivariate Luminosity Function of Galaxies: Complex Relation between Stellar and Dust Emission
Far-ultraviolet (FUV) and far-infrared (FIR) luminosity functions (LFs) of
galaxies show a strong evolution from to , but the FIR LF
evolves much stronger than the FUV one. The FUV is dominantly radiated from
newly formed short-lived OB stars, while the FIR is emitted by dust grains
heated by the FUV radiation field. It is known that dust is always associated
with star formation activity. Thus, both FUV and FIR are tightly related to the
star formation in galaxies, but in a very complicated manner. In order to
disentangle the relation between FUV and FIR emissions, we estimate the UV-IR
bivariate LF (BLF) of galaxies with {\sl GALEX} and {\sl AKARI} All-Sky Survey
datasets. Recently we invented a new mathematical method to construct the BLF
with given marginals and prescribed correlation coefficient. This method makes
use of a tool from mathematical statistics, so called "copula". The copula
enables us to construct a bivariate distribution function from given marginal
distributions with prescribed correlation and/or dependence structure. With
this new formulation and FUV and FIR univariate LFs, we analyze various FUV and
FIR data with {\sl GALEX}, {\sl Spitzer}, and {\sl AKARI} to estimate the UV-IR
BLF. The obtained BLFs naturally explain the nonlinear complicated relation
between FUV and FIR emission from star-forming galaxies. Though the faint-end
of the BLF was not well constrained for high- samples, the estimated linear
correlation coefficient was found to be very high, and is remarkably
stable with redshifts (from 0.95 at to 0.85 at ). This implies
the evolution of the UV-IR BLF is mainly due to the different evolution of the
univariate LFs, and may not be controlled by the dependence structure.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, Earth, Planets and Space, in pres
Measuring a photonic qubit without destroying it
Measuring the polarisation of a single photon typically results in its
destruction. We propose, demonstrate, and completely characterise a
\emph{quantum non-demolition} (QND) scheme for realising such a measurement
non-destructively. This scheme uses only linear optics and photo-detection of
ancillary modes to induce a strong non-linearity at the single photon level,
non-deterministically. We vary this QND measurement continuously into the weak
regime, and use it to perform a non-destructive test of complementarity in
quantum mechanics. Our scheme realises the most advanced general measurement of
a qubit: it is non-destructive, can be made in any basis, and with arbitrary
strength.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Simple Scheme for Efficient Linear Optics Quantum Gates
We describe the construction of a conditional quantum control-not (CNOT) gate
from linear optical elements following the program of Knill, Laflamme and
Milburn [Nature {\bf 409}, 46 (2001)]. We show that the basic operation of this
gate can be tested using current technology. We then simplify the scheme
significantly.Comment: Problems with PDF figures correcte
Analysis of model Titan atmospheric components using ion mobility spectrometry
The Gas Chromatograph-Ion Mobility Spectrometer (GC-IMS) was proposed as an analytical technique for the analysis of Titan's atmosphere during the Cassini Mission. The IMS is an atmospheric pressure, chemical detector that produces an identifying spectrum of each chemical species measured. When the IMS is combined with a GC as a GC-IMS, the GC is used to separate the sample into its individual components, or perhaps small groups of components. The IMS is then used to detect, quantify, and identify each sample component. Conventional IMS detection and identification of sample components depends upon a source of energetic radiation, such as beta radiation, which ionizes the atmospheric pressure host gas. This primary ionization initiates a sequence of ion-molecule reactions leading to the formation of sufficiently energetic positive or negative ions, which in turn ionize most constituents in the sample. In conventional IMS, this reaction sequence is dominated by the water cluster ion. However, many of the light hydrocarbons expected in Titan's atmosphere cannot be analyzed by IMS using this mechanism at the concentrations expected. Research at NASA Ames and PCP Inc., has demonstrated IMS analysis of expected Titan atmospheric components, including saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, using two alternate sample ionizations mechanisms. The sensitivity of the IMS to hydrocarbons such as propane and butane was increased by several orders of magnitude. Both ultra dry (waterless) IMS sample ionization and metastable ionization were successfully used to analyze a model Titan atmospheric gas mixture
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