1,270 research outputs found
The BL-Lac gamma-ray blazar PKS 0447-439 as a probable member of a group of galaxies at z=0.343
The BL-Lac blazar PKS 0447-439 is one of the brightest HE gamma-ray sources
that were first detected by Fermi-LAT. It was also detected by H.E.S.S. at VHE
gamma-rays, which allowed constraining the redshift of PKS 0447-439 by
considering the attenuation caused by gamma-ray interactions with ambient
photons in the extragalactic background light (EBL). This constraint agreed
with color-magnitude and spectroscopic redshift constraints (0.179 < z < 0.56),
Recently, however, a much higher redshift was proposed for this blazar (z >
1.2). This value was debated because if true, it would imply either that the
relevant absorption processes of gamma-rays are not well understood or that the
EBL is dramatically different from what is believed today. This high redshift
was not confirmed by three independent new spectroscopic observations at high
signal-to-noise ratios.
Given that BL-Lac are typically hosted by elliptical galaxies, which in turn
are associated with groups, we aim to find the host group of galaxies of PKS
0447-439. The ultimate goal is to estimate a redshift for this blazar.
Spectra of twenty-one objects in the field of view of PKS 0447-439 were
obtained with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph. Based on the redshifts and
coordinates of these galaxies, we searched for groups of galaxies. Using a deep
catalog of groups, we studied the probability of finding by chance a group of
galaxies in the line of sight of PKS 0447-439.
We identified a group of galaxies that was not previously cataloged at z =
0.343 with seven members, a virial radius of 0.42 Mpc, and a velocity
dispersion of 622 km s^-1. We found that the probability of the host galaxy of
PKS 0447-439 to be a member of the new group is >= 97%. Therefore, we propose
to adopt z = 0.343 +- 0.002 as the most likely redshift for PKS 0447-439.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
Gemini spectroscopy of the outer disk star cluster BH176
BH176 is an old metal-rich star cluster. It is spatially and kinematically
consistent with belonging to the Monoceros Ring. It is larger in size and more
distant from the Galactic plane than typical open clusters, and it does not
belong to the Galactic bulge. Our aim is to determine the origin of this unique
object by accurately determining its distance, metallicity, and age. The best
way to reach this goal is to combine spectroscopic and photometric methods. We
present medium-resolution observations of red clump and red giant branch stars
in BH176 obtained with the Gemini South Multi-Object Spectrograph.We derive
radial velocities, metallicities, effective temperatures, and surface gravities
of the observed stars and use these parameters to distinguish member stars from
field objects. We determine the following parameters for BH176:
km/s, , age Gyr, , distance
kpc, -element abundance dex (the
mean of [Mg/Fe], and [Ca/Fe]). BH176 is a member of old Galactic open clusters
that presumably belong to the thick disk. It may have originated as a massive
star cluster after the encounter of the forming thin disk with a high-velocity
gas cloud or as a satellite dwarf galaxy.Comment: 15 pages, 7 fufures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
CMB signal in WMAP 3yr data with FastICA
We present an application of the fast Independent Component Analysis
(FastICA) to the WMAP 3yr data with the goal of extracting the CMB signal. We
evaluate the confidence of our results by means of Monte Carlo simulations
including CMB, foreground contaminations and instrumental noise specific of
each WMAP frequency band. We perform a complete analysis involving all or a
subset of the WMAP channels in order to select the optimal combination for CMB
extraction, using the frequency scaling of the reconstructed component as a
figure of merit. We found that the combination KQVW provides the best CMB
frequency scaling, indicating that the low frequency foreground contamination
in Q, V and W bands is better traced by the emission in the K band. The CMB
angular power spectrum is recovered up to the degree scale, it is consistent
within errors for all WMAP channel combination considered, and in close
agreement with the WMAP 3yr results. We perform a statistical analysis of the
recovered CMB pattern, and confirm the sky asymmetry reported in several
previous works with independent techniques.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, submitted to MNRA
The Luminosity Profiles of Brightest Cluster Galaxies
(Abridged) We have derived detailed R band luminosity profiles and structural
parameters for a total of 430 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), down to a
limiting surface brightness of 24.5 mag/arcsec^2. Light profiles were initially
fitted with a Sersic's R^(1/n) model, but we found that 205 (~48) BCGs require
a double component model to accurately match their light profiles. The best fit
for these 205 galaxies is an inner Sersic model, with indices n~1-7, plus an
outer exponential component.
Thus, we establish the existence of two categories of the BCGs luminosity
profiles: single and double component profiles. We found that double profile
BCGs are brighter ~0.2 mag than single profile BCG. In fact, the
Kolmogorov-Smirnov test applied to these subsamples indicates that they have
different total magnitude distributions, with mean values M_R=-23.8 +/- 0.6 mag
for single profile BCGs and M_R=-24.0 +/- 0.5 mag for double profile BCGs. We
find that partial luminosities for both subsamples are indistinguishable up to
r = 15 kpc, while for r > 20 kpc the luminosities we obtain are on average 0.2
mag brighter for double profile BCGs. This result indicates that extra-light
for double profile BCGs does not come from the inner region but from the outer
regions of these galaxies.
The best fit slope of the Kormendy relation for the whole sample is a = 3.13
+/- 0.04$. However, when fitted separately, single and double profile BCGs show
different slopes: a_(single) = 3.29 +/- 0.06 and a_(double)= 2.79 +/- 0.08.
On the other hand, we did not find differences between these two BCGs
categories when we compared global cluster properties such as the BCG-projected
position relative to the cluster X-ray center emission, X-ray luminosity, or
BCG orientation with respect to the cluster position angle.Comment: August 2011 issue of ApJS, volume 195, 15
http://iopscience.iop.org/0067-0049/195/2/1
Climate change, agriculture and migration: A survey
This paper proposes a selective review of the classical economics-based literature on climate change and migration, focusing on the extent to which agriculture might be considered a key mediating channel linking climate change to migration. Overall, climate change is expected to have large and negative effects on the global economy. These effects are even more evident whenever the economic sector considered is the agricultural one, particularly in developing countries. Hence, migration can be viewed as a specific form of adaptation implemented by individuals and households, enabling them to cope, among other things, with weather-induced risk. We show that the importance of agriculture emerges from both plenty of micro-level country studies and relatively few macro-level analyses using cross-sectional data over longer time periods. Thus, policy actions targeted to sustainable agriculture and rural development can both help tackle the challenges posed by climate change and create opportunities in the face of growing migration issues. However, we also stress that much of the current evidence is based on statistical associations that have nothing to do with causal inferences. This calls for the use of a more structural approach and more sophisticated research designs, enabling the researchers to better discriminate among different mechanisms concurrently at work. In addition, further research should be addressed to the role played by food security, a complex dimension largely missing in the current debates on climate change and migration
Physical Properties, Star Formation, and Active Galactic Nucleus Activity in Balmer Break Galaxies at 0 < z < 1
We present a spectroscopic study with the derivation of the physical
properties of 37 Balmer break galaxies, which have the necessary lines to
locate them in star-forming-AGN diagnostic diagrams. These galaxies span a
redshift range from 0.045 to 0.93 and are somewhat less massive than similar
samples of previous works. The studied sample has multiwavelength photometric
data coverage from the ultraviolet to MIR Spitzer bands. We investigate the
connection between star formation and AGN activity via optical, mass-excitation
(MEx) and MIR diagnostic diagrams. Through optical diagrams, 31 (84%)
star-forming galaxies, 2 (5%) composite galaxies and 3 (8%) AGNs were
classified, whereas from the MEx diagram only one galaxy was classified as AGN.
A total of 19 galaxies have photometry available in all the IRAC/Spitzer bands.
Of these, 3 AGN candidates were not classified as AGN in the optical diagrams,
suggesting they are dusty/obscured AGNs, or that nuclear star formation has
diluted their contributions. Furthermore, the relationship between SFR surface
density (\Sigma_{SFR}) and stellar mass surface density per time unit
(\Sigma_{M_{\ast}/\tau}) as a function of redshift was investigated using the
[OII] \lambda3727, 3729, H\alpha \lambda6563 luminosities, which revealed that
both quantities are larger for higher redshift galaxies. We also studied the
SFR and SSFR versus stellar mass and color relations, with the more massive
galaxies having higher SFR values but lower SSFR values than less massive
galaxies. These results are consistent with previous ones showing that, at a
given mass, high-redshift galaxies have on average larger SFR and SSFR values
than low-redshift galaxies. Finally, bluer galaxies have larger SSFR values
than redder galaxies and for a given color the SSFR is larger for higher
redshift galaxies.Comment: preprint version, 36 pages, 17 figures, 3 tables, accepted for
publication in the Astrophysical Journa
Light and Laser Scanning Microscopy analysis of hydroxyapatite used in periodontal osseous defects in man: evidence of a different resorption pattern in bone and soft tissues
Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a highly biocompatible material that recently has been shown to undergo biodegradation. The mechanisms of this phenomenon are unclear, and humoral and cellular events have been thought to be implicated. In the present study HA particles were put into infraosseous defects on teeth that were to be extracted for prosthetic reasons and then retrieved after a 1 year period. The specimens were processed with the cutting grinding system. Results show a very sharp difference of the biodegradation processes, related to the tissues that surround the HA particles. HA in tight contact with mineralized bone showed no evidence of degradation or resorption, while on the contrary, in the areas where bone loose connective tissue was present, it was possible to observe HA crystals detached and scattered in cells cytoplasm or extracellular fluids. This dissolution and resorption phenomenon were observed also by Laser Scanning Microscope (LSM) in fluorescent mode. These differences in degrees of degradation between bone and loose connective tissue could be due to the small amount of interstitial fluid present in mineralized bone and the greater flow of fluid through connective tissue.L’hydroxyapatite (HA) est un matériel hautement biocompatible qui s’est révélé récemment capable de subir une biodégradation. Le mécanisme de ce phénomène n’est pas clair, et semble impliquer une particination humorale et cellulaire. Notre recherche a porté sur la mise en place de particules d’HA dans des défects intraosseux en rapport avec des dents qui doivent être extraites pour des raisons prothésiques, et sur leur etude suite à leur ablation un an après. Les résultats ont démontré des différences marquées dans le processus de dégradation en rapport avec les tissus qui entourent l’HA. Les particules d’HA qui sont en contact avec l’os minéralisé ne présentent pas de signes de dégradation ou de résorption, tandis que dans les régions où du tissu conjonctif était présent, il est possible d’observer des cristaux d’HA détachés et dispersés dans le cytoplasme des cellules et dans le liquide extracellulaire. Ces phénomènes de dissolution et de résorption ont été également étudiés au Microscope Electronique à Balayage au Laser en fluorescence. Ces différences dans le degré de dégradation observés dans l’os et dans le tissu conjonctif lâche pourraient être dues à la faible quantité de liquide interstitiel dans l’os minéralisé et à la quantité plus grande de flux liquidien dans le tissu conjonctif
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