678 research outputs found
The extended structure of the remote cluster B514 in M31. Detection of extra-tidal stars
We present a study of the density profile of the remote M31 globular cluster
B514, obtained from HST/ACS observations. Coupling the analysis of the
distribution of the integrated light with star counts we can reliably follow
the profile of the cluster out to r~35", corresponding to ~130pc. The profile
is well fitted, out to ~15 core radii, by a King Model having C=1.65. With an
estimated core radius r_c=0.38", this corresponds to a tidal radius of r_t~17"
(~65pc). We find that both the light and the star counts profiles show a
departure from the best fit King model for r>~8" - as a surface brightness
excess at large radii, and the star counts profile shows a clear break in
correspondence of the estimated tidal radius. Both features are interpreted as
the signature of the presence of extratidal stars around the cluster. We also
show that B514 has a half-light radius significantly larger than ordinary
globular clusters of the same luminosity. In the M_V vs. log r_h plane, B514
lies in a region inhabited by peculiar clusters, like Omega Cen, G1, NGC2419
and others, as well as by the nuclei of dwarf elliptical galaxies.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Correlations of Globular Cluster Properties: Their Interpretations and Uses
Correlations among the independently measured physical properties of globular
clusters (GCs) can provide powerful tests for theoretical models and new
insights into their dynamics, formation, and evolution. We review briefly some
of the previous work, and present preliminary results from a comparative study
of GC correlations in the Local Group galaxies. The results so far indicate
that these diverse GC systems follow the same fundamental correlations,
suggesting a commonality of formative and evolutionary processes which produce
them.Comment: An invited review, to appear in "New Horizons in Globular Cluster
Astronomy", eds. G. Piotto, G. Meylan, S.G. Djorgovski, and M. Riello, ASPCS,
in press (2003). Latex file, 8 pages, 5 eps figures, style files include
Photometry of the Globular Cluster NGC 5466: Red Giants and Blue Stragglers
We present wide-field BVI photometry for about 11,500 stars in the
low-metallicity cluster NGC 5466. We have detected the red giant branch bump
for the first time, although it is at least 0.2 mag fainter than expected
relative to the turnoff. The number of red giants (relative to main sequence
turnoff stars) is in excellent agreement with stellar models from the
Yonsei-Yale and Teramo groups, and slightly high compared to Victoria-Regina
models. This adds to evidence that an abnormally large ratio of red giant to
main-sequence stars is not correlated with cluster metallicity. We discuss
theoretical predictions from different research groups and find that the
inclusion or exclusion of helium diffusion and strong limit Coulomb
interactions may be partly responsible.
We also examine indicators of dynamical history: the mass function exponent
and the blue straggler frequency. NGC 5466 has a very shallow mass function,
consistent with large mass loss and recently-discovered tidal tails. The blue
straggler sample is significantly more centrally concentrated than the HB or
RGB stars. We see no evidence of an upturn in the blue straggler frequency at
large distances from the center. Dynamical friction timescales indicate that
the stragglers should be more concentrated if the cluster's present density
structure has existed for most of its history. NGC 5466 also has an unusually
low central density compared to clusters of similar luminosity. In spite of
this, the specific frequency of blue stragglers that puts it right on the
frequency -- cluster M_V relation observed for other clusters.Comment: 51 pages, 21 figures, 1 electronic table, accepted to Ap
Non-monotonic current-to-rate response function in a novel integrate-and-fire model neuron
A novel integrate-and-fire model neuron is proposed to account for a non-monotonic f-I response function, as experimentally observed. As opposed to classical forms of adaptation, the present integrate- and-fire model the spike-emission process incorporates a state - dependent inactivation that makes the probability of emitting a spike decreasing as a function of the mean depolarization level instead of the mean firing rate. \ua9 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2002
A New Version of Reimers' law of Mass Loss Based on a Physical Approach
We present a new semi-empirical relation for the mass loss of cool stellar
winds, which so far has frequently been described by "Reimers' law".
Originally, this relation was based solely on dimensional scaling arguments
without any physical interpretation. In our approach, the wind is assumed to
result from the spill-over of the extended chromosphere, possibly associated
with the action of waves, especially Alfven waves, which are used as guidance
in the derivation of the new formula. We obtain a relation akin to the original
Reimers law, but which includes two new factors. They reflect how the
chromospheric height depends on gravity and how the mechanical energy flux
depends, mainly, on effective temperature. The new relation is tested and
sensitively calibrated by modelling the blue end of the Horizontal Branch of
globular clusters. The most significant difference from mass loss rates
predicted by the Reimers relation is an increase by up to a factor of 3 for
luminous late-type (super-)giants, in good agreement with observations.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, accepted by ApJ Letter
Theoretical Uncertainties in Red Giant Branch Evolution: The Red Giant Branch Bump
A Monte Carlo simulation exploring uncertainties in standard stellar
evolution theory on the red giant branch of metal-poor globular clusters has
been conducted. Confidence limits are derived on the absolute V-band magnitude
of the bump in the red giant branch luminosity function (M_v,b) and the excess
number of stars in thebump, R_b. The analysis takes into account uncertainties
in the primordial helium abundance, abundance of alpha-capture elements,
radiative and conductive opacities, nuclear reaction rates, neutrino energy
losses, the treatments of diffusion and convection, the surface boundary
conditions, and color transformations.
The uncertainty in theoretical values for the red giant bump magnitude varies
with metallicity between +0.13/-0.12 mag at [Fe/H] = -2.4 and +0.23/-0.21 mag
at [Fe/H] = -1.0 to 0.50 at [Fe/H] =
-1.0. These theoretical values for R_b are in agreement with observations.Comment: 30 pages, 6 figures. To appear in Ap
The shape of the Red Giant Branch Bump as a diagnostic of partial mixing processes in low-mass stars
We suggest to use the shape of the Red Giant Branch (RGB) Bump in metal-rich
globular clusters as a diagnostic of partial mixing processes between the base
of the convective envelope and the H-burning shell. The Bump located along the
differential luminosity function of cluster RGB stars is a key observable to
constrain the H-profile inside these structures. In fact, standard evolutionary
models that account for complete mixing in the convective unstable layers and
radiative equilibrium in the innermost regions do predict that the first
dredge-up lefts over a very sharp H-discontinuity at the bottom of the
convective region. Interestingly enough we found that both atomic diffusion and
a moderate convective overshooting at the base of the convective region
marginally affects the shape of the RGB Bump in the differential Luminosity
Function (LF). As a consequence, we performed several numerical experiments to
estimate whether plausible assumptions concerning the smoothing of the
H-discontinuity, due to the possible occurrence of extra-mixing below the
convective boundary, affects the shape of the RGB Bump. We found that the
difference between the shape of RGB Bump predicted by standard and by smoothed
models can be detected if the H-discontinuity is smoothed over an envelope
region whose thickness is equal or larger than 0.5 pressure scale heights.
Finally, we briefly discuss the comparison between theoretical predictions and
empirical data in metal-rich, reddening free Galactic Globular Clusters (GGCs)
to constrain the sharpness of the H-profile inside RGB stars.Comment: 15 pages, 8 postscript figures, ApJ in pres
Polynuclear Complexes: Two Amino-Phenol Macrocycles Spaced by Several Linear Polyamines; Synthesis, Binding Properties, and Crystal Structure
The synthesis and characterization of the new polytopic ligands 1,14-bis(3,6,9-triaza-15-hydroxybicyclo[9.3.1]pentadeca-11,13,115-trien-6-yl)-3,6,9,12-tetraazatetradecane L1, 1,15-bis(3,6,9-triaza-15-hydroxybicyclo[9.3.1]pentadeca-11,13,115-trien-6-yl)-3,6,10,13-tetraazapentadecane L2, and 1,16-bis(3,6,9-triaza-15-hydroxybicyclo[9.3.1]pentadeca-11,13,115-trien-6-yl)-3,7,10,14-tetraazahexadecane L3, containing two equal amino-phenol macrocycles spaced by several linear tetraamines, are reported. The basicity and coordination behavior toward the Cu(II) ion were potentiometrically determined in aqueous solution at 298.1 K. All the ligands show similar acid-base properties behaving as octaprotic bases in the examined pH range (pH = 2-12). The acid protons of L1-L3 cannot be removed under the experimental conditions used; thus, the main deprotonated species obtainable in aqueous solution are the neutral ligands, having amphionic character as demonstrated by UV-vis experiments. These species are able to form mono-, di-, and trinuclear Cu(II) complexes having stoichiometry [CuL]2+, [Cu2L]4+, and [Cu3L]6+, respectively, that can lose one or two protons giving rise to [CuH-1L]+, [Cu2H-2L]2+, and [Cu3H-2L]4+. Depending on the used ligand to metal molar ratio, the mono-, di-, or trinuclear species prevail over the others in solution. Both di- and trinuclear complexes are able to add secondary ligands (such as OH-), and in some cases two Cu(II) can cooperate to stabilize themby coordinating the guest in a bridged conformation. The structure of the [Cu2L3]4+ cation was resolved by X-ray analysis of the {[Cu2L3](ClO4)4 3 3H2O}2 3 H2O crystalline complex. It shows that each Cu(II) is penta-coordinated by one phenolate oxygen, two amine functions, belonging to one macrocyclic unit, and two amine functions of the spacer; in this species the distance between the two Cu(II) is about 5.3 Å
The Age Dependent Luminosities of the Red Giant Branch Bump, Asymptotic Giant Branch Bump, and Horizontal Branch Red Clump
Color-magnitude diagrams of globular clusters often exhibit a prominent
horizontal branch (HB) and may also show features such as the red giant branch
(RGB) bump and the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) bump. Stellar evolution theory
predicts that the luminosities of these features will depend on the metallicity
and age of the cluster. We calculate theoretical lines of 2 to 12 Gyr constant
age RGB-bumps and AGB-bumps in the V(HB-Bump)--[Fe/H] diagram, which shows the
brightness difference between the bump and the HB as a function of metallicity.
In order to test the predictions, we identify giant branch bumps in new Hubble
Space Telescope color-magnitude diagrams for 8 SMC clusters. First, we conclude
that the SMC cluster bumps are RGB-bumps. The data for clusters younger than ~6
Gyr are in fair agreement the relative age dependent luminosities of the HB and
RGB-bump. The V(HB-Bump)--[Fe/H] data for clusters older then ~6 Gyr
demonstrate a less satisfactory agreement with our calculations. We conclude
that ~6 Gyr is a lower bound to the age of clusters for which the Galactic
globular cluster, age independent V(HB-Bump)--[Fe/H] calibration is valid.
Application of the V(HB-bump)--[Fe/H] diagram to stellar population studies is
discussed.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal, 30 pages,
Latex aaspp4.sty, including 7 postscript figure
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