3,226 research outputs found
How Stochastic is the Relative Bias Between Galaxy Types?
Examining the nature of the relative clustering of different galaxy types can
help tell us how galaxies formed. To measure this relative clustering, I
perform a joint counts-in-cells analysis of galaxies of different spectral
types in the Las Campanas Redshift Survey (LCRS). I develop a
maximum-likelihood technique to fit for the relationship between the density
fields of early- and late-type galaxies. This technique can directly measure
nonlinearity and stochasticity in the biasing relation. At high significance, a
small amount of stochasticity is measured, corresponding to a correlation
coefficient of about 0.87 on scales corresponding to 15 Mpc/h spheres. A large
proportion of this signal appears to derive from errors in the selection
function, and a more realistic estimate finds a correlation coefficient of
about 0.95. These selection function errors probably account for the large
stochasticity measured by Tegmark & Bromley (1999), and may have affected
measurements of very large-scale structure in the LCRS. Analysis of the data
and of mock catalogs shows that the peculiar geometry, variable flux limits,
and central surface-brightness selection effects of the LCRS do not seem to
cause the effect.Comment: 38 pages, 14 figures. Submitted to Apj. Modified from a chapter of my
Ph.D. Thesis at Princeton University, available at
http://www-astro-theory.fnal.gov/Personal/blanton/thesis/index.htm
Fractional bidromy in the vibrational spectrum of HOCl
We introduce the notion of fractional bidromy which is the combination of
fractional monodromy and bidromy, two recent generalizations of Hamiltonian
monodromy. We consider the vibrational spectrum of the HOCl molecule which is
used as an illustrative example to show the presence of nontrivial fractional
bidromy. To our knowledge, this is the first example of a molecular system
where such a generalized monodromy is exhibited.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figue
Orbits in the H2O molecule
We study the forms of the orbits in a symmetric configuration of a realistic
model of the H2O molecule with particular emphasis on the periodic orbits. We
use an appropriate Poincar\'e surface of section (PSS) and study the
distribution of the orbits on this PSS for various energies. We find both
ordered and chaotic orbits. The proportion of ordered orbits is almost 100% for
small energies, but decreases abruptly beyond a critical energy. When the
energy exceeds the escape energy there are still non-escaping orbits around
stable periodic orbits. We study in detail the forms of the various periodic
orbits, and their connections, by providing appropriate stability and
bifurcation diagrams.Comment: 21 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in CHAO
First Structure Formation: A Simulation of Small Scale Structure at High Redshift
We describe the results of a simulation of collisionless cold dark matter in
a LambdaCDM universe to examine the properties of objects collapsing at high
redshift (z=10). We analyze the halos that form at these early times in this
simulation and find that the results are similar to those of simulations of
large scale structure formation at low redshift. In particular, we consider
halo properties such as the mass function, density profile, halo shape, spin
parameter, and angular momentum alignment with the minor axis. By understanding
the properties of small scale structure formation at high redshift, we can
better understand the nature of the first structures in the universe, such as
Population III stars.Comment: 31 pages, 14 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ. Figure 1 can
also be viewed at http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/~hjang/research
Retaining Black Holes with Very Large Recoil Velocities
Recent numerical simulations of binary black hole mergers show the
possibility of producing very large recoil velocities (> 3000 km/s). Kicks of
this magnitude should be sufficient to eject the final black hole from
virtually any galactic potential. This result has been seen as a potential
contradiction with observations of supermassive black holes residing in the
centers of most galaxies in the local universe. Using an extremely simplified
merger tree model, we show that, even in the limit of very large ejection
probability, after a small number of merger generations there should still be
an appreciable fraction (>50%) of galaxies with supermassive black holes today.
We go on to argue that the inclusion of more realistic physics ingredients in
the merger model should systematically increase this retention fraction,
helping to resolve a potential conflict between theory and observation. Lastly,
we develop a more realistic Monte Carlo model to confirm the qualitative
arguments and estimate occupation fractions as a function of the central
galactic velocity dispersion.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures; Comments welcom
Starburst and AGN activity in ultraluminous infrared galaxies
(Abridged) We examine the power source of 41 local Ultraluminous Infrared
Galaxies using archival infrared and optical photometry. We fit the observed
Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) with starburst and AGN components; each
component being drawn from a family of templates. We find all of the sample
require a starburst, whereas only half require an AGN. In 90% of the sample the
starburst provides over half the IR emission, with a mean fractional luminosity
of 82%. When combined with other galaxy samples we find that starburst and AGN
luminosities correlate over 6 decades in IR luminosity suggesting that a common
factor governs both luminosities, plausibly the gas masses in the nuclear
regions. We find that the mid-IR 7.7 micron line-continuum ratio is no
indication of the starburst luminosity, or the fractional AGN luminosity, and
therefore that this ratio is not a reliable diagnostic of the power source in
ULIRGs. We propose that the scatter in the radio-IR correlation in ULIRGs is
due to a skewed starburst IMF and/or relic relativistic electrons from a
previous starburst, rather than contamination from an obscured AGN. We show
that most ULIRGs undergo multiple starbursts during their lifetime, and by
inference that mergers between more than two galaxies may be common amongst
ULIRGs. Our results support the evolutionary model for ULIRGs proposed by
Farrah et al 2001, where they can follow many different evolutionary paths of
starburst and AGN activity in transforming merging spiral galaxies into
elliptical galaxies, but that most do not go through an optical QSO phase. The
lower level of AGN activity in our local sample than in z~1 HLIRGs implies that
the two samples are distinct populations. We postulate that different galaxy
formation processes at high-z are responsible for this difference.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Sub-millimetre observations of hyperluminous infrared galaxies
We present sub-mm photometry for 11 Hyperluminous Infrared Galaxies (HLIRGs)
and use radiative transfer models for starbursts and AGN to investigate the IR
emission. In all sources both a starburst and AGN are required to explain the
IR emission. The mean starburst fraction is 35%, with a range spanning 80%
starburst dominated to 80% AGN dominated. In all cases the starburst dominates
at rest-frame wavelengths >50 microns, with star formation rates >500 solar
masses per year. The trend of increasing AGN fraction with increasing IR
luminosity seen in IRAS galaxies peaks in HLIRGs, and is not higher than the
fraction seen in bright ULIRGs. The AGN and starburst luminosities correlate,
suggesting that a common physical factor, plausibly the dust masses, governs
their luminosities. Our results suggest that the HLIRG population is comprised
both of ULIRG-like galaxy mergers, and of young galaxies going through their
maximal star formation periods whilst harbouring an AGN. The coeval AGN and
starburst activity in our sources implies that starburst and AGN activity, and
the peak starburst and AGN luminosities, can be coeval in active galaxies
generally. When extrapolated to high-z our sources have comparable sub-mm
fluxes to sub-mm survey sources. At least some sub-mm survey sources are
therefore likely to be comprised of similar galaxy populations to those found
in the HLIRG population. It is also plausible from these results that high-z
sub-mm sources harbour heavily obscured AGN. The differences in X-ray and
sub-mm properties between HLIRGs at z~1 and sub-mm sources at z~3 implies
evolution between the two epochs. Either the mean AGN obscuration level is
greater at z~3 than at z~1, or the fraction of IR-luminous sources at z~3 that
contain AGN is smaller than that at z~1.Comment: 15 pages. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Can Cosmic Shear Shed Light on Low Cosmic Microwave Background Multipoles?
The lowest multipole moments of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) are
smaller than expected for a scale-invariant power spectrum. One possible
explanation is a cutoff in the primordial power spectrum below a comoving scale
of Mpc. This would affect not only the
CMB but also the cosmic-shear (CS) distortion of the CMB. Such a cutoff
increases significantly the cross-correlation between the large-angle CMB and
cosmic-shear patterns. The cross-correlation may be detectable at
which, when combined with the low CMB moments, may tilt the balance between a
result and a firm detection of a large-scale power-spectrum cutoff.
As an aside, we also note that the cutoff increases the large-angle
cross-correlation between the CMB and low-redshift tracers of the mass
distribution.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, revised statistical analysis, submitted to PR
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