20,725 research outputs found
An empirical calibration of nebular abundances based on the sulphur emission lines
We present an empirical calibration of nebular abundances based on the strong
emission lines of [SII] and [SIII] in the red part of the spectrum through the
definition of a sulphur abundance parameter S23. This calibration presents two
important advantages against the commonly used one based on the optical oxygen
lines: it remains single-valued up to abundances close to solar and is rather
independent of the degree of ionization of the nebula.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Measurement of interstage fluid-annulus dynamical properties
The work described in this paper is part of an Electric Power Research Institute sponsored effort to improve rotor vibrational performance on power plant feed water pumps. A major objective of this effort is to reduce vibration levels by devising inter-stage sealing configurations with optimized damping capacity, realizing that the typical multi-stage centrifugal pump has several ore inter-stage fluid annuli than it has journal bearings. Also, the fluid annuli are distributed between the journal bearings where vibration levels are highest and can therefore be 'exercised' more as dampers than can the bearings. Described in this paper is a test apparatus which has been built to experimentally determine fluid-annulus dynamical coefficients for various configurations of inter-stage sealing geometry
Stellar indices and kinematics in Seyfert 1 nuclei
We present spectra of 6 type 1 Seyfert galaxies, 2 Seyfert 2, a starburst
galaxy and a compact narrow line radiogalaxy, taken in two spectral ranges
centered around the near--IR CaII triplet (CaT) (at ~8600 Angstroms), and the
Mgb stellar feature at 5180 Angstroms. We measured the equivalent width (EWs)
of these features and the Fe52 and Fe53 spectral indices. We found that the
strength of the CaT in type 1 Seyfert galaxies with prominent central point
sources, is larger than what would be expected from the observed strength of
the blue indices. This could be explained by the presence of red supergiants in
the nuclei of Seyfert 1 galaxies. On the other hand, the blue indices of these
galaxies could also be diluted by the strong FeII multiplets that can be seen
in their spectra.
We have also measured the stellar and gas velocity dispersions of the
galaxies in the sample. The stellar velocity dispersions were measured using
both, the Mgb and CaT stellar features. The velocity dispersion of the gas in
the narrow line region (NLR) was measured using the strong emission lines
[OIII] 5007, 4959 and [SIII] 9069. We compare the gas and star velocity
dispersions and find that both magnitudes are correlated in Seyfert galaxies.
Most of the Seyfert 1 we observe have stellar velocity dispersion somehow
greater than that of the gas in the NLR.Comment: To appear in MNRAS, 18 pages, 9 figure
A Note on Scalar Field Theory in AdS_3/CFT_2
We consider a scalar field theory in AdS_{d+1}, and introduce a formalism on
surfaces at equal values of the radial coordinate. In particular, we define the
corresponding conjugate momentum. We compute the Noether currents for
isometries in the bulk, and perform the asymptotic limit on the corresponding
charges. We then introduce Poisson brackets at the border, and show that the
asymptotic values of the bulk scalar field and the conjugate momentum transform
as conformal fields of scaling dimensions \Delta_{-} and \Delta_{+},
respectively, where \Delta_{\pm} are the standard parameters giving the
asymptotic behavior of the scalar field in AdS. Then we consider the case d=2,
where we obtain two copies of the Virasoro algebra, with vanishing central
charge at the classical level. An AdS_3/CFT_2 prescription, giving the
commutators of the boundary CFT in terms of the Poisson brackets at the border,
arises in a natural way. We find that the boundary CFT is similar to a
generalized ghost system. We introduce two different ground states, and then
compute the normal ordering constants and quantum central charges, which depend
on the mass of the scalar field and the AdS radius. We discuss certain
implications of the results.Comment: 24 pages. v2: added minor clarification. v3: added several comments
and discussions, abstract sligthly changed. Version to be publishe
High velocity blue-shifted FeII absorption in the dwarf star-forming galaxy PHL293B: Evidence for a wind driven supershell?
X-shooter and ISIS WHT spectra of the starforming galaxy PHL 293B also known
as A2228-00 and SDSS J223036.79-000636.9 are presented in this paper.
We find broad (FWHM = 1000km/s) and very broad (FWZI = 4000km/s) components
in the Balmer lines, narrow absorption components in the Balmer series
blueshifted by 800km/s, previously undetected FeII multiplet (42) absorptions
also blueshifted by 800km/s, IR CaII triplet stellar absorptions consistent
with [Fe/H] < -2.0 and no broad components or blushifted absorptions in the HeI
lines. Based on historical records, we found no optical variability at the 5
sigma level of 0.02 mag between 2005 and 2013 and no optical variability at the
level of 0.1mag for the past 24 years.
The lack of variability rules out transient phenomena like luminous blue
variables or SN IIn as the origin of the blue shifted absorptions of HI and
FeII. The evidence points to either a young and dense expanding supershell or a
stationary cooling wind, in both cases driven by the young cluster wind.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 15 pages, 10 figure
The Globular Cluster Systems of Five Nearby Spiral Galaxies: New Insights from Hubble Space Telescope Imaging
We use available multifilter Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFPC2 imaging of
five (M81, M83, NGC 6946, M101, and M51) low inclination, nearby spiral
galaxies to study ancient star cluster populations. M81 globular clusters (GC)
have an intrinsic color distribution which is very similar to those in the
Milky Way and M31, with ~40% of the clusters having colors expected for a
metal-rich population. On the other hand, the GC system in M51 appears almost
exclusively blue and metal poor. This lack of metal-rich GCs associated with
the M51 bulge indicates that the bulge formation history of this Sbc galaxy may
have differed significantly from that of our own. Ancient clusters in M101, and
possibly in NGC 6946, appear to have luminosity distributions which continue to
rise to our detection limit (M_V ~ -6.0), well beyond the expected turnover
(M_V ~ -7.4) in the luminosity function. This is reminiscent of the situation
in M33, a Local Group galaxy of similar Hubble type. The faint ancient cluster
candidates in M101 and NGC 6946 have colors and radii similar to their more
luminous counterparts, and we suggest that these are either intermediate age
(3-9 Gyr) disk clusters or the low mass end of the original GC population. If
the faint, excess GC candidates are excluded, we find that the specific
frequency (S_N) of ancient clusters formed in later-type spirals is roughly
constant, with S_N=0.5 +- 0.2. By combining the results of this study with
literature values for other systems, we find that the total GC specific
frequencies in spirals appear to correlate best with Hubble type and
bulge/total ratio, rather than with galaxy luminosity or galaxy mass
(abridged).Comment: 31 pages, 11 tables, 10 figure
Active galactic nuclei synapses: X-ray versus optical classifications using artificial neural networks
(Abridged) Many classes of active galactic nuclei (AGN) have been defined
entirely throughout optical wavelengths while the X-ray spectra have been very
useful to investigate their inner regions. However, optical and X-ray results
show many discrepancies that have not been fully understood yet. The aim of
this paper is to study the "synapses" between the X-ray and optical
classifications.
For the first time, the new EFLUXER task allowed us to analyse broad band
X-ray spectra of emission line nuclei (ELN) without any prior spectral fitting
using artificial neural networks (ANNs). Our sample comprises 162 XMM-Newton/pn
spectra of 90 local ELN in the Palomar sample. It includes starbursts (SB),
transition objects (T2), LINERs (L1.8 and L2), and Seyferts (S1, S1.8, and S2).
The ANNs are 90% efficient at classifying the trained classes S1, S1.8, and
SB. The S1 and S1.8 classes show a wide range of S1- and S1.8-like components.
We suggest that this is related to a large degree of obscuration at X-rays. The
S1, S1.8, S2, L1.8, L2/T2/SB-AGN (SB with indications of AGN), and SB classes
have similar average X-ray spectra within each class, but these average spectra
can be distinguished from class to class. The S2 (L1.8) class is linked to the
S1.8 (S1) class with larger SB-like component than the S1.8 (S1) class. The L2,
T2, and SB-AGN classes conform a class in the X-rays similar to the S2 class
albeit with larger fractions of SB-like component. This SB-like component is
the contribution of the star-formation in the host galaxy, which is large when
the AGN is weak. An AGN-like component seems to be present in the vast majority
of the ELN, attending to the non-negligible fraction of S1-like or S1.8-like
component. This trained ANN could be used to infer optical properties from
X-ray spectra in surveys like eRosita.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&A. Appendix B only
in the full version of the paper here:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3484086/AGNSynapsis_OGM_online.pd
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