9,573 research outputs found
Proper Motion of Pulsar B1800-21
We report high angular resolution, multi-epoch radio observations of the
young pulsar PSR B1800-21. Using two pairs of data sets, each pair spanning
approximately a ten year period, we calculate the proper motion of the pulsar.
We obtain a proper motion of mu_alpha=11.6 +- 1.8 mas/yr, mu_delta=14.8 +- 2.3
mas/yr, which clearly indicates a birth position at the extreme edge of the W30
supernova remnant. Although this does not definitively rule out an association
of W30 and PSR B1800-21, it does not support an association.Comment: 13 pages, 1 color figure. Replaced with version accepted for
publication in Astrophysical Journa
Triggered massive-star formation on the borders of Galactic HII regions. III. Star formation at the periphery of Sh2-219
Context. Massive-star formation triggered by the expansion of HII regions.
Aims. To understand if sequential star formation is taking place at the
periphery of the HII region Sh2-219. Methods. We present 12CO(2-1) line
observations of this region, obtained at the IRAM 30-m telescope (Pico Veleta,
Spain). Results. In the optical, Sh2-219 is spherically symmetric around its
exciting star; furthermore it is surrounded along three quarters of its
periphery by a ring of atomic hydrogen. This spherical symmetry breaks down at
infrared and millimetre wavelengths. A molecular cloud of about 2000\msol lies
at the southwestern border of Sh2-219, in the HI gap. Two molecular
condensations, elongated along the ionization front, probably result from the
interaction between the expanding HII region and the molecular cloud. In this
region of interaction there lies a cluster containing many highly reddened
stars, as well as a massive star exciting an ultracompact HII region. More
surprisingly, the brightest parts of the molecular cloud form a `chimney',
perpendicular to the ionization front. This chimney is closed at its south-west
extremity by H-alpha walls, thus forming a cavity. The whole structure is 7.5
pc long. A luminous H-alpha emission-line star, lying at one end of the chimney
near the ionization front, may be responsible for this structure. Confrontation
of the observations with models of HII region evolution shows that Sh2-219 is
probably 10^5 yr old. The age and origin of the near-IR cluster observed on the
border of Sh2-219 remain unknown.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures. To be published in A&
The decay and collisions of dark solitons in superfluid Fermi gases
We study soliton collisions and the decay of solitons into sound in
superfluid Fermi gases across the Bose-Einstein condensate to
Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BEC-BCS) crossover by performing numerical
simulations of the time-dependent Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. This decay
process occurs when the solitons are accelerated to the bulk pair-breaking
speed by an external potential. A similar decay process may occur when solitons
are accelerated by an inelastic collision with another soliton. We find that
soliton collisions become increasingly inelastic as we move from the BEC to BCS
regimes, and the excess energy is converted into sound. We interpret this
effect as being due to evolution of Andreev bound states localized within the
soliton.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
Is there something of the MCT in orientationally disordered crystals ?
Molecular Dynamics simulations have been performed on the orientationally
disordered crystal chloroadamantane: a model system where dynamics are almost
completely controlled by rotations. A critical temperature T_c = 225 K as
predicted by the Mode Coupling Theory can be clearly determined both in the
alpha and beta dynamical regimes. This investigation also shows the existence
of a second remarkable dynamical crossover at the temperature T_x > T_c
consistent with a previous NMR and MD study [1]. This allows us to confirm
clearly the existence of a 'landscape-influenced' regime occurring in the
temperature range [T_c-T_x] as recently proposed [2,3].Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, REVTEX
Electromagnetically induced spatial light modulation
We theoretically report that, utilizing electromagnetically induced
transparency (EIT), the transverse spatial properties of weak probe fields can
be fast modulated by using optical patterns (e.g. images) with desired
intensity distributions in the coupling fields. Consequently, EIT systems can
function as high-speed optically addressed spatial light modulators. To
exemplify our proposal, we indicate the generation and manipulation of
Laguerre-Gaussian beams based on either phase or amplitude modulation in hot
vapor EIT systems.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure
The pre-ZAMS nature of Mol160/IRAS23385+6053 confirmed by Spitzer
Determining the timeline for the formation of massive YSOs requires the
identification and characterisation of all the phases that a massive forming
YSO undergoes. It is of particular interest to verify the observability of the
phase in which the object is rapidly accreting while not yet igniting the
fusion of hydrogen that marks the arrival on the ZAMS. One of the candidate
prototypical objects for this phase is Mol160/IRAS23385+6053, which previous
studies suggest it could be in a pre-Hot Core stage. We further investigate
this issue by means of Spitzer imaging and spectroscopy in the 5-70 micron
range. The dense core of Mol160/IRAS23385+6053, which up to now had only been
detected at submm and mm wavelenghts has been revealed for the first time at 24
and 70 micron by Spitzer. The complete 24 micron -3.4 mm continuum cannot be
fitted with a standard model of a Zero-Age Main-Sequence (ZAMS) star embedded
in an envelope. A simple greybody fit yields a mass of 220 solar masses. The
luminosity is slightly in excess of 3000 solar luminosities, which is a factor
of 5 less than previous estimates when only IRAS fluxes were available between
20 and 100 micron. The source is under-luminous by the same factor with respect
to UCHII regions or Hot-Cores of similar circumstellar mass, and simple models
show that this is compatible with an earlier evolutionary stage. Spectroscopy
between 5 and 40 microns revelas typical PDR/PIR conditions, where the required
UV illumination may be provided by other sources revealed at 24 microns in the
same region, and which can be plausibly modeled as moderately embedded
intermediate-mass ZAMS stars. Our results strengthen the suggestion that the
central core in Mol160/IRAS23385+6053 is a massive YSO actively accreting from
its circumstellar envelope and which did not yet begin hydrogen fusion.Comment: Accepted by A&
Star Formation in the Extreme Outer Galaxy: Digel Cloud 2 Clusters
As a first step for studying star formation in the extreme outer Galaxy
(EOG), we obtained deep near-infrared images of two embedded clusters at the
northern and southern CO peaks of Cloud 2, which is one of the most distant
star forming regions in the outer Galaxy (galactic radius R_g ~ 19 kpc). With
high spatial resolution (FWHM ~ 0".35) and deep imaging (K ~ 21 mag) with the
IRCS imager at the Subaru telescope, we detected cluster members with a mass
detection limit of < 0.1 M_{sun}, which is well into the substellar regime.
These high quality data enables a comparison of EOG to those in the solar
neighborhood on the same basis for the first time. Before interpreting the
photometric result, we have first constructed the NIR color-color diagram
(dwarf star track, classical T Tauri star (CTTS) locus, reddening law) in the
Mauna Kea Observatory filter system and also for the low metallicity
environment since the metallicity in EOG is much lower than those in the solar
neighborhood. The estimated stellar density suggests that an ``isolated type''
star formation is ongoing in Cloud 2-N, while a ``cluster type'' star formation
is ongoing in Cloud 2-S. Despite the difference of the star formation mode,
other characteristics of the two clusters are found to be almost identical: (1)
K-band luminosity function (KLF) of the two clusters are quite similar, as is
the estimated IMF and ages (~ 0.5--1 Myr) from the KLF fitting, (2) the
estimated star formation efficiencies (SFEs) for both clusters are typical
compared to those of embedded clusters in the solar neighborhood (~ 10 %). The
similarity of two independent clusters with a large separation (~ 25 pc)
strongly suggest that their star formation activities were triggered by the
same mechanism, probably the supernova remnant (GSH 138-01-94).Comment: 14pages, 11 figures; Accepted for publication in Ap
Ambulatory scintigraphic assessment of transient changes in left ventricular function: a new method for detection of silent myocardial ischaemia
Demonstration of ischaemic left ventricular dysfunction in the absence of chest pain should provide important confirmation of silent myocardial ischaemia in patients with asymptomatic ST segment changes. For this purpose, a new portable scintillation probe (VEST) similar to a miniaturized nuclear stethoscope combined with a Hotter ECG was evaluated. After standard equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiography with technetium-99m labelled red blood cells, the VEST was positioned under gamma-camera control and data were recorded from 1-12 h in 61 unselected patients. Ejection fraction (LVEF), relative changes in volumes, heart rate and ST segment changes were determined. Reproducibility of LVEF at rest (r = 0.91; variability 3.8 ± 3%, N = 19) and during exercise (r = 0.98; variability 3.2 ± 2%, N = 19) was good. In 15 asymptomatic exercise tests four different patterns of LVEF and ST segment responses were identified: (1) decrease in LVEF followed by significant ST depression (five times); (2) ST depression followed by decrease in LVEF (three times); (3) decrease in LVEF without significant ST changes (three times); and (4) ST depression without significant LVEF change (four times). In this still small series, patterns (1) to (3) corresponded to patients with documented coronary artery disease, which was not the case for pattern (4). For detection of silent ischaemia at rest, a decrease in LVEF of >5% lasting for >1 min was defined as ischaemic LV dysfunction. Using this definition, four spontaneous episodes of silent LV dysfunction could be demonstrated in two of three CCU patients with unstable angina during 160-680 min of data recordings without simultaneous ST changes. Based on this initial experience, we conclude that VEST is a reproducible method to detect transient global LV dysfunction and will be useful to confirm silent ischaemia in otherwise uncertain ST segment change
Physical properties of high-mass clumps in different stages of evolution
(Abridged) Aims. To investigate the first stages of the process of high-mass
star formation, we selected a sample of massive clumps previously observed with
the SEST at 1.2 mm and with the ATNF ATCA at 1.3 cm. We want to characterize
the physical conditions in such sources, and test whether their properties
depend on the evolutionary stage of the clump.
Methods. With ATCA we observed the selected sources in the NH3(1,1) and (2,2)
transitions and in the 22 GHz H2O maser line. Ammonia lines are a good
temperature probe that allow us to accurately determine the mass and the
column-, volume-, and surface densities of the clumps. We also collected all
data available to construct the spectral energy distribution of the individual
clumps and to determine if star formation is already occurring, through
observations of its most common signposts, thus putting constraints on the
evolutionary stage of the source. We fitted the spectral energy distribution
between 1.2 mm and 70 microns with a modified black body to derive the dust
temperature and independently determine the mass.
Results. The clumps are cold (T~10-30 K), massive (M~10^2-10^3 Mo), and dense
(n(H2)>~10^5 cm^-3) and they have high column densities (N(H2)~10^23 cm^-2).
All clumps appear to be potentially able to form high-mass stars. The most
massive clumps appear to be gravitationally unstable, if the only sources of
support against collapse are turbulence and thermal pressure, which possibly
indicates that the magnetic field is important in stabilizing them.
Conclusions. After investigating how the average properties depend on the
evolutionary phase of the source, we find that the temperature and central
density progressively increase with time. Sources likely hosting a ZAMS star
show a steeper radial dependence of the volume density and tend to be more
compact than starless clumps.Comment: Published in A&A, Vol. 556, A1
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