The Mid-Infrared Spectral Energy Distribution, Surface Brightness and Color Profiles in Elliptical Galaxies

We describe photometry at mid-infrared passbands (1.2 - 24 microns) for a sample of 18 elliptical galaxies. All surface brightness distributions resemble de Vaucouleurs profiles, indicating that most of the emission arises from the photospheres or circumstellar regions of red giant stars. The spectral energy distribution peaks near 1.6 microns, but the half-light or effective radius has a pronounced minimum near the K band (2.15 microns). Apart from the 24 micron passband, all sample-averaged radial color profiles have measurable slopes within about twice the (K band) effective radius. Evidently this variation arises because of an increase in stellar metallicity toward the galactic cores. For example, the sampled-averaged color profile (K - 5.8 microns) has a positive slope although no obvious absorption feature is observed in spectra of elliptical galaxies near 5.8 microns. This, and the minimum in the effective radius, suggests that the K band may be anomalously luminous in metal-rich stars in galaxy cores. Unusual radial color profiles involving the 24 micron passband may suggest that some 24 micron emission comes from interstellar not circumstellar dust grains.Comment: 18 pages. Accepted by Ap

The universal expression for the amplitude square in quantum electrodynamics

The universal expression for the amplitude square |u_f M u_i|^2 for any matrix of interaction M is derived. It has obvious covariant form. It allows the avoidance of calculation of products of the Dirac's matrices traces and allows easy calculation of cross-sections of any different processes with polarized and unpolarized particles.Comment: 4 page

Hot gaseous atmospheres in galaxy groups and clusters are both heated and cooled by X-ray cavities

Expanding X-ray cavities observed in hot gas atmospheres of many galaxy groups and clusters generate shock waves and turbulence that are primary heating mechanisms required to avoid uninhibited radiatively cooling flows which are not observed. However, we show here that the evolution of buoyant cavities also stimulates radiative cooling of observable masses of low-temperature gas. During their early evolution, radiative cooling occurs in the wakes of buoyant cavities in two locations: in thin radial filaments parallel to the buoyant velocity and more broadly in gas compressed beneath rising cavities. Radiation from these sustained compressions removes entropy from the hot gas. Gas experiencing the largest entropy loss cools first, followed by gas with progressively less entropy loss. Most cooling occurs at late times, $\sim 10^8-10^9$ yrs, long after the X-ray cavities have disrupted and are impossible to detect. During these late times, slightly denser low entropy gas sinks slowly toward the centers of the hot atmospheres where it cools intermittently, forming clouds near the cluster center. Single cavities of energy $10^{57}-10^{58}$ ergs in the atmosphere of the NGC 5044 group create $10^8 - 10^9$ $M_{\odot}$ of cooled gas, exceeding the mass of extended molecular gas currently observed in that group. The cooled gas clouds we compute share many attributes with molecular clouds recently observed in NGC 5044 with ALMA: self-gravitationally unbound, dust-free, quasi-randomly distributed within a few kpc around the group center.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figure; accepted for publication by Ap

Determination of continuous variable entanglement by purity measurements

We classify the entanglement of two--mode Gaussian states according to their degree of total and partial mixedness. We derive exact bounds that determine maximally and minimally entangled states for fixed global and marginal purities. This characterization allows for an experimentally reliable estimate of continuous variable entanglement based on measurements of purity.Comment: 4 pages, 3 EPS figures. Final versio