The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies: VIII. The rate of asymmetric HI profiles in spiral galaxies

(abridged) Measures of the HI properties of a galaxy are among the most sensitive interaction diagnostic at our disposal. We report here on a study of HI profile asymmetries (e.g., lopsidedness) in a sample of some of the most isolated galaxies in the local Universe. This presents us with an excellent opportunity to quantify the range of intrinsic HI asymmetries and provides us with a zero-point calibration for evaluating these measurements in less isolated samples. We characterize the HI profile asymmetries and search for correlations between HI asymmetry and their environments, as well as their optical and far infrared (FIR) properties. We use high signal-to-noise global HI profiles for galaxies in the AMIGA project (http://amiga.iaa.csic.es). We restrict our study to N=166 galaxies with accurate measures of the HI shape properties. We quantify asymmetries using a flux ratio parameter. The asymmetry parameter distribution of our isolated sample is well described by a Gaussian model. The width of the distribution is sigma=0.13, and could be even smaller (sigma=0.11) if instrumental errors are reduced. Only 2% of our carefully vetted isolated galaxies sample show an asymmetry in excess of 3sigma. By using this sample we minimize environmental effects as confirmed by the lack of correlation between HI asymmetry and tidal force (one-on-one interactions) and neighbor galaxy number density. On the other hand, field galaxy samples show wider distributions and deviate from a Gaussian curve. As a result we find higher asymmetry rates (~10-20%) in such samples. We find evidence that the spiral arm strength is inversely correlated with the HI asymmetry. We also find an excess of FIR luminous galaxies with larger HI asymmetries that may be spirals associated with hidden accretion events. Our sample presents the smallest fraction of asymmetric HI profiles compared with any other yet studied.Comment: 18 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Collider production of Electroweak resonances from photon-photon states

We estimate production cross sections for 2-body resonances of the Electroweak Symmetry Breaking sector (in $W_LW_L$ and $Z_LZ_L$ rescattering) from $\gamma\gamma$ scattering. We employ unitarized Higgs Effective Field Theory amplitudes previously computed coupling the two photon channel to the EWSBS. We work in the Effective Photon Approximation and examine both $e^-e^+$ collisions at energies of order 1-2 TeV (as relevant for future lepton machines) and $pp$ collisions at LHC energies. Dynamically generating a spin-0 resonance around 1.5 TeV (by appropriately choosing the parameters of the effective theory) we find that the differential cross section per unit $s$, $p_t^2$ is of order 0.01 fbarn/TeV$^4$ at the LHC. Injecting a spin-2 resonance around 2 TeV we find an additional factor 100 suppression for $p_t$ up to 200 GeV. The very small cross sections put these $\gamma\gamma$ processes, though very clean, out of reach of immediate future searches.Comment: 36 pages, 20 plot

Comunicación corta. Exportación de los macroelementos mayoritarios por los frutos de diferentes cultivares de almendro

The amount of the major macroelements required to produce a given crop has been determined for a set of 11 almond (Prunus amygdalus Batsch) cultivars growing in the Middle Ebro Valley (NE Spain). A wide diversity of nutrient exports was found among the different cultivars. Although the production of kernels is the main objective when growing almonds, all the different fruit components: the mesocarp (hull), the endocarp (shell) and the seed (kernel), were taken into account. The different fruit components showed a great variation among cultivars, and the amount of fruit dry matter required for producing 1 kg of kernel ranged from 4.32 kg in ‘Guara’ to 10.56 kg in ‘Desmayo Largueta’. Similarly, the macroelement requirements to produce a given amount of kernels varied among the different cultivars. ‘Guara’ has proved to be the most effective cultivar in taking advantage of the mineral elements for producing a crop, showing that this efficiency is independent of the shell type. Se determinó la cantidad de macroelementos mayoritarios necesarios para producir una determinada cantidad de cosecha en un grupo de 11 cultivares de almendro (Prunus amygdalus Batsch) cultivados en el Valle Medio del Ebro (NE de España). Se encontró una gran diversidad de requerimientos entre los diferentes cultivares. Aunque la producción de pepitas es el objetivo principal en el cultivo del almendro, todos los componentes del fruto se han de tener en cuenta en este cálculo: el mesocarpo (la piel), el endocarpo (la cáscara) y la semilla (la pepita). Estos tres componentes del fruto mostraron una gran variabilidad entre los cultivares y la cantidad de materia seca necesaria para producir 1 kg de pepita osciló entre 4,32 kg en ‘Guara’ y 10,56 kg en ‘Desmayo Largueta’. Igualmente, los requisitos en macroelementos para producir una cantidad determinada de pepita varió entre los diferentes cultivares. ‘Guara’ mostró ser el cultivar más eficiente en la utilización de los elementos minerales para la producción de una cosecha, mostrando que esta eficiencia es independiente del tipo de cáscara

Teacher participation & qualifications regarding extra-curricula sport activities

En la presente investigación se aborda el estudio y análisis de la intervención docente del profesorado de las actividades físico-deportivas extraescolares en los centros educativos de Educación Secundaria de la Comunidad de Madrid en función de su formación inicial. La investigación sigue una metodología cuantitativa de corte descriptivo, a través de la encuesta. El tamaño de la muestra es de 350 personas y para su cálculo se consideraron varios aspectos: la población era finita; se recurre en la varianza poblacional al supuesto más desfavorable donde “P” y “Q” son iguales con el 50% cada uno; el intervalo de confianza es del 95,5%, con un margen de error del ± 4,75%. Los resultados revelan que existe un alto porcentaje de profesores que no realizan una programación de sus actividades ni tampoco evalúan a sus alumnos. Asimismo, los resultados sugieren que la intervención docente de las personas no tituladas es menos adecuada.In this research is done the study and analysis of teacher intervention in the extra-curricular sport activities of educational centres for secondary education in Comunidad de Madrid. The research follows a quantitative methodology with a descriptive profile which, across survey, in which a cross-sectional survey have been carried out.The size of the sample is 350 people and for its calculation, several aspects have been considered: The population was finite; the least favourable hypothesis is considered in the population variation, where “P” and “Q” are equal, with 50% each; the confidence interval is 95%, with an error margin of ± 4.75%. The results reveal that exits a high percentage of teachers who don’t programme their activities and don’t evaluate their students. Furthermore, the results suggest that the teacher intervention is less adequate to the teachers who don’t have any qualification

HI asymmetry in the isolated galaxy CIG 85 (UGC 1547)

We present the results from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) interferometric HI and 20 cm radio continuum observations of CIG 85, an isolated asymmetric galaxy from the AMIGA (Analysis of the Interstellar Medium of Isolated GAlaxies) sample. Despite being an isolated galaxy, CIG 85 showed an appreciable optical and HI spectral asymmetry and therefore was an excellent candidate for resolved HI studies to understand the reasons giving rise to asymmetries in isolated galaxies. The galaxy was imaged in HI and 20 cm radio continuum using the GMRT. For a detailed discussion of the results we also made use of multi-wavelength data from archival SDSS, GALEX and Halpha imaging. We find the HI in CIG 85 to have a clumpy, asymmetric distribution which in the NW part is correlated with optical tail like features, but the HI velocity field displays a relatively regular rotation pattern. Evaluating all the observational evidence, we come to a conclusion that CIG 85 is most likely a case of a disturbed spiral galaxy which now appears to have the morphology of an irregular galaxy. Although it is currently isolated from major companions, the observational evidence is consistent with HI asymmetries, a highly disturbed optical disk and recent increase in star formation having been caused by a minor merger, remnants of which are now projected in front of the optical disk. If this is correct, the companion will be fully accreted by CIG 85 in the near future.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, accepted in A&

Setting the normalcy level of HI properties in isolated galaxies

Studying the atomic gas (HI) properties of the most isolated galaxies is essential to quantify the effect that the environment exerts on this sensitive component of the interstellar medium. We observed and compiled HI data for a well defined sample of ~ 800 galaxies in the Catalog of Isolated Galaxies, as part of the AMIGA project (Analysis of the ISM in Isolated GAlaxies, http://amiga.iaa.es), which enlarges considerably previous samples used to quantify the HI deficiency in galaxies located in denser environments. By studying the shape of 182 HI profiles, we revisited the usually accepted result that, independently of the environment, more than half of the galaxies present a perturbed HI disk. In isolated galaxies this would certainly be a striking result if these are supposed to be the most relaxed systems, and has implications in the relaxation time scales of HI disks and the nature of the most frequent perturbing mechanisms in galaxies. Our sample likely exhibits the lowest HI asymmetry level in the local Universe. We found that other field samples present an excess of ~ 20% more asymmetric HI profiles than that in CIG. Still a small percentage of galaxies in our sample present large asymmetries. Follow-up high resolution VLA maps give insight into the origin of such asymmetries.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, Conference 'Galaxies in Isolation: Exploring Nature vs. Nurture', Granada, 12-15 May 2009. To be published in the ASP Conference Serie

A ~ 12 kpc HI extension and other HI asymmetries in the isolated galaxy CIG 340 (IC 2487)

HI kinematic asymmetries are common in late-type galaxies irrespective of environment, although the amplitudes are strikingly low in isolated galaxies. As part of our studies of the HI morphology and kinematics in isolated late-type galaxies we have chosen several very isolated galaxies from the AMIGA sample for HI mapping. Here we present GMRT 21-cm HI line mapping of CIG 340 which was selected because its integrated HI spectrum has a very symmetric profile, Aflux = 1.03. Optical images of the galaxy hinted at a warped disk in contrast to the symmetric integrated HI spectrum profile. Our aim is to determine the extent to which the optical asymmetry is reflected in the resolved HI morphology and kinematics. GMRT observations reveal significant HI morphological asymmetries in CIG 340 despite it's overall symmetric optical form and highly symmetric HI spectrum. The most notable HI features are: 1) a warp in the HI disk (with an optical counterpart), 2) the HI north/south flux ratio = 1.32 is much larger than expected from the integrated HI spectrum profile and 3) a ~ 45" (12 kpc) HI extension, containing ~ 6% of the detected HI mass on the northern side of the disk. We conclude that in isolated galaxies a highly symmetric HI spectrum can mask significant HI morphological asymmetries. The northern HI extension appears to be the result of a recent perturbation (10^8 yr), possibly by a satellite which is now disrupted or projected within the disk. This study provides an important step in our ongoing program to determine the predominant source of HI asymmetries in isolated galaxies. For CIG 340 the isolation from major companions, symmetric HI spectrum, optical morphology and interaction timescales have allowed us to narrow the possible causes the HI asymmetries and identify tests to further constrain the source of the asymmetries.Comment: 10 page

Effects of the environment on galaxies in the Catalogue of Isolated Galaxies: physical satellites and large scale structure

We aim to identify and quantify the effects of the satellite distribution around a sample of galaxies in the Catalogue of Isolated Galaxies (CIG), as well as the effects of the Large Scale Structure (LSS) using the SDSS-DR9. To recover the physically bound galaxies we focus on the satellites which are within the escape speed of each CIG galaxy. We also propose a more conservative method using the stacked Gaussian distribution of the velocity difference of the neighbours. The tidal strengths affecting the primary galaxy are estimated to quantify the effects of the local and LSS environments. We also define the projected number density parameter at the 5$^{\rm th}$ nearest neighbour to characterise the LSS around the CIG galaxies. Out of the 386 CIG galaxies considered in this study, at least 340 (88\% of the sample) have no physically linked satellite. Out of the 386 CIG galaxies, 327 (85\% of the sample) have no physical companion within a projected distance of 0.3 Mpc. The CIG galaxies are distributed following the LSS of the local Universe, although presenting a large heterogeneity in their degree of connection with it. A clear segregation appears between early-type CIG galaxies with companions and isolated late-type CIG galaxies. Isolated galaxies are in general bluer, with likely younger stellar populations and rather high star formation with respect to older, redder CIG galaxies with companions. Reciprocally, the satellites are redder and with an older stellar populations around massive early-type CIG galaxies, while they have a younger stellar content around massive late-type CIG galaxies. This suggests that the CIG is composed of a heterogeneous population of galaxies, sampling from old to more recent, dynamical systems of galaxies.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic