1,155 research outputs found
GIRAFFE multiple integral field units at VLT: a unique tool to recover velocity fields of distant galaxies
The GIRAFFE spectrograph is unique in providing the integral field
spectroscopy of fifteen distant galaxies at the same time. It has been
successfully implemented at the second VLT unit within the FLAMES facility. We
present GIRAFFE observations acquired during the Guaranteed Time Observation of
the Paris Observatory, using total exposure times ranging from 6 to 12 hours.
The reduced 3D cube of each galaxy has been deconvolved using our new package
DisGal3D. This software has been written using the only assumption that UV
light traces the emission line regions. The comparison between GIRAFFE spectra
and HST imagery allows us to recover details on velocity fields as small as
0.3-0.4 arcsec. It has been successfully tested using Fabry Perot observations
of nearby galaxies purposely redshifted to large distances. We present here
preliminary results for three distant galaxies at 0.45< z < 0.65, whose
velocity fields have been derived with exquisite spectral (R=10000) and spatial
resolutions. Observed velocity fields range from disturbed fields expected in
major merger events to those of regular spiral with minor perturbations. For
the latter, one could accurately derive the dynamical major axis and the
maximal rotational velocity. We conclude that dynamical properties of a large
number of distant galaxies can be routinely derived at VLT. This opens a new
avenue towards the understanding of the galaxy formation and evolution during
the last 8 Gyr.Comment: 4 pages, 3 jpeg figures. to appear in A&
Spiral inflow feeding the nuclear starburst in M83, observed in H-alpha emission with the GHAFAS Fabry-Perot interferometer
We present observations of the nearby barred starburst galaxy, M83 (NGC5236),
with the new Fabry-Perot interferometer GHAFAS mounted on the 4.2 meter William
Herschel Telescope on La Palma. The unprecedented high resolution observations,
of 16 pc/FWHM, of the H-alpha-emitting gas cover the central two kpc of the
galaxy. The velocity field displays the dominant disk rotation with signatures
of gas inflow from kpc scales down to the nuclear regions. At the inner Inner
Lindblad Resonance radius of the main bar and centerd at the dynamical center
of the main galaxy disk, a nuclear rapidly
rotating disk with scale length of pc has formed. The nuclear
starburst is found in the vicinity as well as inside this nuclear disk, and our
observations confirm that gas spirals in from the outer parts to feed the
nuclear starburst, giving rise to several star formation events at different
epochs, within the central 100 pc radius of M83.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters. High-resolution version can
be found at http://www.astro.su.se/~kambiz/DOC/paper-M83.pd
A new measurement of the properties of the rare decay K -> pi+ e+ e-
A large low-background sample of events (10300) has been collected for the
rare decay of kaons in flight K+ -> pi+ e+ e- by experiment E865 at the
Brookhaven AGS. The decay products were accepted by a broad band
high-resolution charged particle spectrometer with particle identification. The
branching ratio (2.94 +- 0.05(stat.) +- 0.13(syst.) +- 0.05(model))*10**{-7}
was determined normalizing to events from the decay chain K+ -> pi+ pi0; pi0 ->
e+ e- gamma. From the analysis of the decay distributions the vector nature of
this decay is firmly established now, and limits on scalar and tensor
contributions are deduced. From the (e+ e-) invariant mass distribution the
decay form factor f(z)=f0(1+ delta*z) (z=M(ee)**2/m(K)**2) is determined with
delta=2.14 +- 0.13 +- 0.15. Chiral QCD perturbation theory predictions for the
form factor are also tested, and terms beyond leading order O(p**4) are found
to be important.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Combined QCD and electroweak analysis of HERA data
A simultaneous fit of parton distribution functions (PDFs) and electroweak
parameters to HERA data on deep inelastic scattering is presented. The input
data are the neutral current and charged current inclusive cross sections which
were previously used in the QCD analysis leading to the HERAPDF2.0 PDFs. In
addition, the polarisation of the electron beam was taken into account for the
ZEUS data recorded between 2004 and 2007. Results on the vector and
axial-vector couplings of the Z boson to u- and d-type quarks, on the value of
the electroweak mixing angle and the mass of the W boson are presented. The
values obtained for the electroweak parameters are in agreement with Standard
Model predictions.Comment: 32 pages, 10 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev. D. Small corrections
from proofing process and small change to Fig. 12 and Table
Limits on the effective quark radius from inclusive scattering at HERA
The high-precision HERA data allows searches up to TeV scales for Beyond the
Standard Model contributions to electron-quark scattering. Combined
measurements of the inclusive deep inelastic cross sections in neutral and
charged current scattering corresponding to a luminosity of around 1
fb have been used in this analysis. A new approach to the beyond the
Standard Model analysis of the inclusive data is presented; simultaneous
fits of parton distribution functions together with contributions of "new
physics" processes were performed. Results are presented considering a finite
radius of quarks within the quark form-factor model. The resulting 95% C.L.
upper limit on the effective quark radius is cm.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Phys. Lett.
Search for a narrow baryonic state decaying to and in deep inelastic scattering at HERA
A search for a narrow baryonic state in the and
system has been performed in collisions at HERA with the ZEUS detector
using an integrated luminosity of 358 pb taken in 2003-2007. The search
was performed with deep inelastic scattering events at an centre-of-mass
energy of 318 GeV for exchanged photon virtuality, , between 20 and 100
. Contrary to evidence presented for such a state around 1.52
GeV in a previous ZEUS analysis using a sample of 121 pb taken in
1996-2000, no resonance peak was found in the invariant-mass
distribution in the range 1.45-1.7 GeV. Upper limits on the production cross
section are set.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Phys. Lett. B. Minor changes from
journal reviewing process, including a small correction to figure
Measurement of the cross-section ratio sigma_{psi(2S)}/sigma_{J/psi(1S)} in deep inelastic exclusive ep scattering at HERA
The exclusive deep inelastic electroproduction of and
at an centre-of-mass energy of 317 GeV has been studied with the ZEUS
detector at HERA in the kinematic range GeV,
GeV and GeV, where is the photon virtuality, is the
photon-proton centre-of-mass energy and is the squared four-momentum
transfer at the proton vertex. The data for GeV were taken in
the HERA I running period and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 114
pb. The data for GeV are from both HERA I and HERA II
periods and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 468 pb. The decay
modes analysed were and for the
and for the . The cross-section ratio
has been measured as a function of
and . The results are compared to predictions of QCD-inspired
models of exclusive vector-meson production.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figure
- …