Sidereal time analysis as a toll for the study of the space distribution of sources of gravitational waves

Gravitational wave (GW) detectors operating on a long time range can be used for the study of space distribution of sources of GW bursts or to put strong upper limits on the GW signal of a wide class of source candidates. For this purpose we propose here a sidereal time analysis to analyze the output signal of GW detectors. Using the characteristics of some existing detectors, we demonstrate the capability of the sidereal time analysis to give a clear signature of different localizations of GW sources: the Galactic Center, the Galactic Plane, the Supergalactic plane, the Great Attractor. On the contrary, a homogeneous 3D-distribution of GW sources gives a signal without features. In this paper we consider tensor gravitational waves with randomly oriented polarization. We consider GW detectors at fixed positions on the Earth, and a fixed orientation of the antenna.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Luminosity density estimation from redshift surveys and the mass density of the Universe

In most direct estimates of the mass density (visible or dark) of the Universe, a central input parameter is the luminosity density of the Universe. Here we consider the measurement of this luminosity density from red-shift surveys, as a function of the yet undetermined characteristic scale R_H at which the spatial distribution of visible matter tends to a well defined homogeneity. Making the canonical assumption that the cluster mass to luminosity ratio M/L is the universal one, we can estimate the total mass density as a function \Omega_m(R_H,M/L). Taking the highest estimated cluster value M/L ~300h and a conservative lower limit R_H > 20 Mpc/h, we obtain the upper bound \Omega_m < 0.1 . We note that for values of the homogeneity scale R_H in the range R_H ~ (90 +/- 45) hMpc, the value of \Omega_m may be compatible with the nucleosynthesis inferred density in baryons.Comment: 16 pages, latex, no figures. To be published in Astrophysical Journal Letter

Anterior boundaries of Hox gene expression in mesoderm-derived structures correlate with the linear gene order along the chromosome.

The developmental expression patterns of four genes, Hox 1.1., Hox 1.2, Hox 1.3 and Hox 3.1, were examined by in situ hybridization to serial embryonic sections. The three genes of the Hox 1 cluster, used in this study, map to adjacent positions along chromosome 6, whereas the Hox 3.1 gene maps to the Hox 3 cluster on chromosome 15. The anterior expression limits in segmented mesoderm varied among the four genes examined. Interestingly, a linear correlation exists between the position of the gene along the chromosome and the extent of anterior expression. Genes that are expressed more posterior are also more restricted in their expression in other mesoderm-derived tissues. The order of expression anterior to posterior was determined as: Hox 1.3, Hox 1.2, Hox 1.1 and Hox 3.1. Similarly, genes of the Drosophila Antennapedia and Bithorax complex specifying segment identity also exhibit anterior expression boundaries that correlate with gene position. The data suggest that Hox genes may specify positional information along the anterior-posterior axis during the formation of the body plan

A wide-field spectroscopic survey of the cluster of galaxies Cl0024+1654: I. The catalogue

We present the catalogue of a wide-field CFHT/WHT spectroscopic survey of the lensing cluster Cl0024+1654 at z=0.395. This catalogue contains 618 new spectra, of which 581 have identified redshifts. Adding redshifts available from the literature, the final catalogue contains data for 687 objects with redshifts identified for 650 of them. 295 galaxies have redshifts in the range 0.37<z<0.41, i. e. are cluster members or lie in the immediate neighbourhood of the cluster. The area covered by the survey is 21x25 arcmin2 in size, corresponding to 4x4.8 h^-2 Mpc2 at the cluster redshift. The survey is 45% complete down to V=22 over the whole field covered; within 3 arcmin of the cluster centre the completeness exceeds 80% at the same magnitude. A detailed completeness analysis is presented. The catalogue gives astrometric position, redshift, V magnitude and V-I colour, as well as the equivalent widths for a number of lines. Apart from the cluster Cl0024+1654 itself, three other structures are identified in redshift space: a group of galaxies at z=0.38, just in front of Cl0024+1654 and probably interacting with it, a close pair of groups of galaxies at z~0.495 and an overdensity of galaxies at z~0.18 with no obvious centre. The spectroscopic catalogue will be used to trace the three-dimensional structure of the cluster Cl0024+1654 as well as study the physical properties of the galaxies in the cluster and in its environment.Comment: 14 pages - figures included - A&A (re)submitted versio

Time-resolved spectroscopy of the excited electronic state of reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas viridis

The spectral properties of the excited electronic state of the reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas (Rps.) viridis are studied by dichroic transient absorption spectroscopy with sub-picosecond time resolution. The theoretical analysis of the experimental results allows the assignment of the transient absorption from two dimer bands of the special pair and show its excitonic coupling to other pigments

Evolution of the Rate and Mode of Star Formation in Galaxies since z=0.7

We present the star formation rate (SFR) and starburst fraction (SBF) for a sample of field galaxies from the ICBS intermediate-redshift cluster survey. We use [O II] and Spitzer 24 micron fluxes to measure SFRs, and 24 micron fluxes and H-delta absorption to measure of SBFs, for both our sample and a present-epoch field sample from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Spitzer Wide-area Infrared Extragalactic (SWIRE) survey. We find a precipitous decline in the SFR since z=1, in agreement with other studies, as well as a corresponding rapid decline in the fraction of galaxies undergoing long-duration moderate-amplitude starbursts. We suggest that the change in both the rate and mode of star formation could result from the strong decrease since z=1 of gas available for star formation.Comment: ApJ Letters in pres

Evolution since z = 0.5 of the Morphology-Density relation for Clusters of Galaxies

Using traditional morphological classifications of galaxies in 10 intermediate-redshift (z~0.5) clusters observed with WFPC-2 on the Hubble Space Telescope, we derive relations between morphology and local galaxy density similar to that found by Dressler for low-redshift clusters. Taken collectively, the `morphology-density' relationship, M-D, for these more distant, presumably younger clusters is qualitatively similar to that found for the local sample, but a detailed comparison shows two substantial differences: (1) For the clusters in our sample, the M-D relation is strong in centrally concentrated ``regular'' clusters, those with a strong correlation of radius and surface density, but nearly absent for clusters that are less concentrated and irregular, in contrast to the situation for low redshift clusters where a strong relation has been found for both. (2) In every cluster the fraction of elliptical galaxies is as large or larger than in low-redshift clusters, but the S0 fraction is 2-3 times smaller, with a proportional increase of the spiral fraction. Straightforward, though probably not unique, interpretations of these observations are (1) morphological segregation proceeds hierarchically, affecting richer, denser groups of galaxies earlier, and (2) the formation of elliptical galaxies predates the formation of rich clusters, and occurs instead in the loose-group phase or even earlier, but S0's are generated in large numbers only after cluster virialization.Comment: 35 pages, 19 figures, uses psfig. Accepted for publication in Ap

Galaxy Harassment and the Evolution of Clusters of Galaxies

Disturbed spiral galaxies with high rates of star formation pervaded clusters of galaxies just a few billion years ago, but nearby clusters exclude spirals in favor of ellipticals. ``Galaxy harassment" (frequent high speed galaxy encounters) drives the morphological transformation of galaxies in clusters, provides fuel for quasars in subluminous hosts and leaves detectable debris arcs. Simulated images of harassed galaxies are strikingly similar to the distorted spirals in clusters at $z \sim 0.4$ observed by the Hubble Space Telescope.Comment: Submitted to Nature. Latex file, 7 pages, 10 photographs in gif and jpeg format included. 10 compressed postscript figures and text available using anonymous ftp from ftp://ftp-hpcc.astro.washington.edu/pub/hpcc/moore/ (mget *) Also available at http://www-hpcc.astro.washington.edu/papers

The Origin of [OII] in Post-Starburst and Red-Sequence Galaxies in High-Redshift Clusters

We present the first results from a near-IR spectroscopic campaign of the Cl1604 supercluster at z~0.9 and the cluster RX J1821.6+6827 at z~0.82 to investigate the nature of [OII] 3727A emission in cluster galaxies at high redshift. Of the 401 members in the two systems, 131 galaxies have detectable [OII] emission with no other signs of current star-formation, as well as strong absorption features indicative of a well-established older stellar population. The combination of these features suggests that the primary source of [OII] emission in these galaxies is not the result of star-formation, but rather due to the presence of a LINER or Seyfert component. Using the NIRSPEC spectrograph on the Keck II 10-m telescope, 19 such galaxies were targeted, as well as six additional [OII]-emitting cluster members that exhibited other signs of ongoing star-formation. Nearly half (~47%) of the 19 [OII]-emitting, absorption-line dominated galaxies exhibit [OII] to Ha equivalent width ratios higher than unity, the typical value for star-forming galaxies. A majority (~68%) of these 19 galaxies are classified as LINER/Seyfert based on the emission-line ratio of [NII] and Ha, increasing to ~85% for red [OII]-emitting, absorption-line dominated galaxies. The LINER/Seyfert galaxies exhibit L([OII])/L(Ha) ratios significantly higher than that observed in populations of star-forming galaxies, suggesting that [OII] is a poor indicator of star-formation in a large fraction of high-redshift cluster members. We estimate that at least ~20% of galaxies in high-redshift clusters contain a LINER/Seyfert component that can be revealed with line ratios. We also investigate the effect this population has on the star formation rate of cluster galaxies and the post-starburst fraction, concluding that LINER/Seyferts must be accounted for if these quantities are to be meaningful.Comment: 33 pages, 17 figures, to appear in Ap