Dusty Starbursts and the Growth of Cosmic Structure

Dusty starbursts were more numerous around z~1 than today and appear to be responsible for the majority of cosmic star formation over the Hubble time. We suggest that they represent a common phase within galaxies in general which is triggered by the growth of cosmic structure. We discuss the origin of the luminosity of luminous infrared galaxies at z~1. Are these galaxies dominated by star formation or nuclear activity ? What is triggering their strong activity ? Is it triggered by external interactions or did it happen naturally within isolated galaxies ? We present HST-ACS high resolution optical images of luminous infrared galaxies at z~0.7 showing the evolution of the morphology of these galaxies as a function of infrared luminosity, or star formation rate, and discuss the effect of the environment on their activity.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Proceeding of the "Multi-Wavelength Cosmology" Conference held in Mykonos, Greece, June 2003, ed.M. Plionis (Kluwer

Can Non Gravitational Black Holes Exists?

We claim that the existence of a mechanism such that photons may be trapped in a compact domain is not an exclusive property of gravitational forces. We show the case in which a non-linear electrodynamics allows such effect. In this latter case we should call this region an Electromagnetic Black Hole (EBH).Comment: 11 pages, LaTex, no figures, revised versio

Real-Time Load Frequency Control for an Isolated Microgrid System

Microgrids are small power grids with distinct operation characteristics; they can operate either independently or connected to larger grids, and usually a significant proportion of their generation capacity is comprised from intermittent resources such as solar and wind power generations. Power grids, in general, must operate such that the power generation and power demand are balanced at all times. Such balance is attained by implementing a Load Frequency Control (LFC) mechanism. The goal of LFC in a microgrid system is to maintain the system\u27s frequency within acceptable limits around nominal value under various conditions, such as fluctuating power demand and/or contingency situation such as unexpected loss of one or more of the system\u27s generating units, in order to ensure system\u27s stable operation. In case of small and isolated microgrid systems, however, the stability of the microgrid system is an issue of much greater significance as there are no means of connecting to primary grid power. The objective of this thesis is to design a Load Frequency Control (LFC) mechanism using Battery Storage System (BSS) and Diesel Generation (DG) units for an isolated microgrid system. The microgrid system under consideration is comprised from two DG units, a BSS unit, and two solar panels. The proposed LFC mechanism is implemented in a decentralized fashion. It was tested under different operation conditions; fluctuating power demand which represents the normal operation of power systems, and emergency situations where one of the system\u27s generation units was lost in each case. Results show that the proposed control systems were robust and successful to regulate the system\u27s frequency under all conditions. The microgrid model as well as the proposed control strategy is developed within the Simulink and SimPowerSystems environments

Insights on star formation histories and physical properties of 1.2≤z≲41.2 \leq z \lesssim 4 Herschel-detected galaxies

We test the impact of using variable star forming histories (SFHs) and the use of the IR luminosity (LIR) as a constrain on the physical parameters of high redshift dusty star-forming galaxies. We explore in particular the stellar properties of galaxies in relation with their location on the SFR-M* diagram. We perform SED fitting of the UV-NIR and FIR emissions of a large sample of GOODS-Herschel galaxies, for which rich multi-wavelength observations are available. We test different SFHs and imposing energy conservation in the SED fitting process, to face issues like the age-extinction degeneracy and produce SEDs consistent with observations. Our models work well for the majority of the sample, with the notable exception of the high LIR end, for which we have indications that our simple energy conservation approach cannot hold true. We find trends in the SFHs fitting our sources depending on stellar mass M* and z. Trends also emerge in the characteristic timescales of the SED models depending on the location on the SFR-M* diagram. We show that whilst using the same available observational data, we can produce galaxies less star-forming than usually inferred, if we allow declining SFHs, while properly reproducing their observables. These sources can be post-starbursts undergoing quenching, and their SFRs are potentially overestimated if inferred from their LIR. Fitting without the IR constrain leads to a strong preference for declining SFHs, while its inclusion increases the preference of rising SFHs, more so at high z, in tentative agreement with the cosmic star formation history. Keeping in mind that the sample is biased towards high LIR, the evolution shaped by our model appears as both bursty (initially) and steady-lasting (later on). The global SFH of the sample follows the cosmic SFH with a small scatter, and is compatible with the "downsizing" scenario of galaxy evolution.Comment: 28 pages, 26 figures, one appendix, Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Physical Activity and Adiposity Markers at Older Ages: Accelerometer Vs Questionnaire Data

Physical activity is critically important for successful aging, but its effect on adiposity markers at older ages is unclear as much of the evidence comes from self-reported data on physical activity. We assessed the associations of questionnaire-assessed and accelerometer-assessed physical activity with adiposity markers in older adults