5,400 research outputs found
The primordial deuterium abundance at z = 2.504 from a high signal-to-noise spectrum of Q1009+2956
The spectrum of the quasar Q1009+2956 has been observed
extensively on the Keck telescope. The Lyman limit absorption system was previously used to measure D/H by Burles & Tytler using a
spectrum with signal to noise approximately 60 per pixel in the continuum near
Ly {\alpha} at . The larger dataset now available combines
to form an exceptionally high signal to noise spectrum, around 147 per pixel.
Several heavy element absorption lines are detected in this LLS, providing
strong constraints on the kinematic structure. We explore a suite of absorption
system models and find that the deuterium feature is likely to be contaminated
by weak interloping Ly {\alpha} absorption from a low column density H I cloud,
reducing the expected D/H precision. We find D/H =
for this system. Combining this new
measurement with others from the literature and applying the method of Least
Trimmed Squares to a statistical sample of 15 D/H measurements results in a
"reliable" sample of 13 values. This sample yields a primordial deuterium
abundance of (D/H). The
corresponding mean baryonic density of the Universe is . The quasar absorption data is of the same precision as, and
marginally inconsistent with, the 2015 CMB Planck (TT+lowP+lensing)
measurement, . Further quasar and more
precise nuclear data are required to establish whether this is a random
fluctuation.Comment: accepted by MNRAS, 18 pages, 12 figures, 6 table
Power Allocation Games in Wireless Networks of Multi-antenna Terminals
We consider wireless networks that can be modeled by multiple access channels
in which all the terminals are equipped with multiple antennas. The propagation
model used to account for the effects of transmit and receive antenna
correlations is the unitary-invariant-unitary model, which is one of the most
general models available in the literature. In this context, we introduce and
analyze two resource allocation games. In both games, the mobile stations
selfishly choose their power allocation policies in order to maximize their
individual uplink transmission rates; in particular they can ignore some
specified centralized policies. In the first game considered, the base station
implements successive interference cancellation (SIC) and each mobile station
chooses his best space-time power allocation scheme; here, a coordination
mechanism is used to indicate to the users the order in which the receiver
applies SIC. In the second framework, the base station is assumed to implement
single-user decoding. For these two games a thorough analysis of the Nash
equilibrium is provided: the existence and uniqueness issues are addressed; the
corresponding power allocation policies are determined by exploiting random
matrix theory; the sum-rate efficiency of the equilibrium is studied
analytically in the low and high signal-to-noise ratio regimes and by
simulations in more typical scenarios. Simulations show that, in particular,
the sum-rate efficiency is high for the type of systems investigated and the
performance loss due to the use of the proposed suboptimum coordination
mechanism is very small
The End of the Lines for OX 169: No Binary Broad-Line Region
We show that unusual Balmer emission line profiles of the quasar OX 169,
frequently described as either self-absorbed or double peaked, are actually
neither. The effect is an illusion resulting from two coincidences. First, the
forbidden lines are quite strong and broad. Consequently, the [N II]6583 line
and the associated narrow-line component of H-alpha present the appearance of
twin H-alpha peaks. Second, the redshift of 0.2110 brings H-beta into
coincidence with Na I D at zero redshift, and ISM absorption in Na I D divides
the H-beta emission line. In spectra obtained over the past decade, we see no
substantial change in the character of the line profiles, and no indication of
intrinsic double-peaked structure. The H-gamma, Mg II, and Ly-alpha emission
lines are single peaked, and all of the emission-line redshifts are consistent
once they are correctly attributed to their permitted and forbidden-line
identifications. A systematic shift of up to 700 km/s between broad and narrow
lines is seen, but such differences are common, and could be due to
gravitational and transverse redshift in a low-inclination disk. Stockton &
Farnham (1991) had called attention to an apparent tidal tail in the host
galaxy of OX 169, and speculated that a recent merger had supplied the nucleus
with a coalescing pair of black holes which was now revealing its existence in
the form of two physically distinct broad-line regions. Although there is no
longer any evidence for two broad emission-line regions in OX 169, binary black
holes should form frequently in galaxy mergers, and it is still worthwhile to
monitor the radial velocities of emission lines which could supply evidence of
their existence in certain objects.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Ap.
The analysis of solar models: Neutrinos and oscillations
Tests of solar neutrino flux and solar oscillation frequencies were used to assess standard stellar structure theory. Standard and non-standard solar models are enumerated and discussed. The field of solar seismology, wherein the solar interior is studied from the measurement of solar oscillations, is introduced
Modeling Variable Emission Lines in AGNs: Method and Application to NGC 5548
We present a new scheme for modeling the broad line region in active galactic
nuclei (AGNs). It involves photoionization calculations of a large number of
clouds, in several pre-determined geometries, and a comparison of the
calculated line intensities with observed emission line light curves. Fitting
several observed light curves simultaneously provides strong constraints on
model parameters such as the run of density and column density across the
nucleus, the shape of the ionizing continuum, and the radial distribution of
the emission line clouds. When applying the model to the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC
5548, we were able to reconstruct the light curves of four ultraviolet
emission-lines, in time and in absolute flux. This has not been achieved by any
previous work. We argue that the Balmer lines light curves, and possibly also
the MgII2798 light curve, cannot be tested in this scheme because of the
limitations of present-day photoionization codes. Our fit procedure can be used
to rule out models where the particle density scales as r^{-2}, where r is the
distance from the central source. The best models are those where the density
scales as r^{-1} or r^{-1.5}. We can place a lower limit on the column density
at a distance of 1 ld, of N_{col}(r=1) >~ 10^{23} cm^{-2} and limit the
particle density to be in the range of 10^{12.5}>N(r=1)>10^{11} cm^{-3}. We
have also tested the idea that the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the
ionizing continuum is changing with continuum luminosity. None of the
variable-shape SED tried resulted in real improvement over a constant SED case
although models with harder continuum during phases of higher luminosity seem
to fit better the observed spectrum. Reddening and/or different composition
seem to play a minor role, at least to the extent tested in this work.Comment: 12 pages, including 9 embedded EPS figures, accepted for publication
in Ap
Influence of s,p-d and s-p exchange couplings on exciton splitting in (Zn,Mn)O
This work presents results of near-band gap magnetooptical studies on
(Zn,Mn)O epitaxial layers. We observe excitonic transitions in reflectivity and
photoluminescence, that shift towards higher energies when the Mn concentration
increases and split nonlinearly under the magnetic field. Excitonic shifts are
determined by the s,p-d exchange coupling to magnetic ions, by the
electron-hole s-p exchange, and the spin-orbit interactions. A quantitative
description of the magnetoreflectivity findings indicates that the free
excitons A and B are associated with the Gamma_7 and Gamma_9 valence bands,
respectively, the order reversed as compared to wurtzite GaN. Furthermore, our
results show that the magnitude of the giant exciton splittings, specific to
dilute magnetic semiconductors, is unusual: the magnetoreflectivity data is
described by an effective exchange energy N_0(beta-alpha)=+0.2+/-0.1 eV, what
points to small and positive N_0 beta. It is shown that both the increase of
the gap with x and the small positive value of the exchange energy N_0 beta
corroborate recent theory describing the exchange splitting of the valence band
in a non-perturbative way, suitable for the case of a strong p-d hybridization.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure
The Circumstellar Disk of HD 141569 Imaged with NICMOS
Coronagraphic imaging with the Near Infrared Camera and Multi Object
Spectrometer on the Hubble Space Telescope reveals a large, ~400 AU (4'')
radius, circumstellar disk around the Herbig Ae/Be star HD 141569. A reflected
light image at 1.1 micron shows the disk oriented at a position angle of 356
+/- 5 deg and inclined to our line of sight by 51 +/- 3 deg; the intrinsic
scattering function of the dust in the disk makes the side inclined toward us,
the eastern side, brighter. The disk flux density peaks 185 AU (1.''85) from
the star and falls off to both larger and smaller radii. A region of depleted
material, or a gap, in the disk is centered 250 AU from the star. The dynamical
effect of one or more planets may be necessary to explain this morphology.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX with emulateapj.sty and epsfig.sty, 4 postscript
figures, Accepted to ApJ Letter
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