The Universality of the Fundamental Plane of E and S0 Galaxies. Spectroscopic data

We present here central velocity dispersion measurements for 325 early-type galaxies in eight clusters and groups of galaxies, including new observations for 212 galaxies. The clusters and groups are the A262, A1367, Coma (A1656), A2634, Cancer and Pegasus clusters, and the NGC 383 and NGC 507 groups. The new measurements were derived from medium dispersion spectra, that cover 600 A centered on the Mg Ib triplet at lambda ~ 5175. Velocity dispersions were measured using the Tonry & Davis cross-correlation method, with a typical accuracy of 6%. A detailed comparison with other data sources is made.Comment: 12 pages, 5 tables, 3 figures, to appear in AJ. Note that tables 2 and 3 are in separate files, as they should be printed in landscape forma

Structure of the SMC - Stellar component distribution from 2MASS data

The spatial distribution of the SMC stellar component is investigated from 2MASS data. The morphology of the different age populations is presented. The center of the distribution is calculated and compared with previous estimations. The rotation of the stellar content and possible consequence of dark matter presence are discussed. The different stellar populations are identified through a CMD diagram of the 2MASS data. Isopleth contour maps are produced in every case, to reveal the spatial distribution. The derived density profiles are discussed. The older stellar population follows an exponential profile at projected diameters of about 5 kpc (~5 deg) for the major axis and ~4 kpc for the minor axis, centred at RA: 0h:51min, Dec: -73deg 7' (J2000.0). The centre coordinates are found the same for all the different age population maps and are in good accordance with the kinematical centre of the SMC. However they are found considerably different from the coordinates of the centre of the gas distribution. The fact that the older population found on an exponential disk, gives evidence that the stellar content is rotating, with a possible consequence of dark matter presence. The strong interactions between the MCs and the MilkyWay might explain the difference in the distributions of the stellar and gas components. The lack in the observed velocity element, that implies absence of rotation, and contradicts with the consequences of exponential profile of the stellar component, may also be a result of the gravitational interactions.Comment: 7 Pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Influence of Rat Strain and Arthritogen on Actions of Gold Drugs in Adjuvant-Induced Polyarthritis

The article examines the effects of aurothiomalate (ATM) and auranofin (AF) on adjuvant-induced polyarthritis and serum gold levels in three different strains of rats

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and International Business Travel: Mobility Allies?

Like forecasts about the paperless office, technological solutions to the problem of international business travel continue to be deferred. As with the increased use of office paper, international business travel is defying predictions of its decline. There is growing evidence to suggest that business sectors which seem ideally placed to substitute information and communication technology (ICT) for travel, are actually generating more physical travel than other sectors. This paper develops a case study of the Irish software industry to exemplify why international travel is not diminishing in importance how and the ICT and business travel relationship is changing in this sector. The paper presents research findings that suggest that a cycle of substitution, generation and modification relationships have occurred as mobility interdependencies have developed.Peer Reviewe

The ALFALFA "Almost Darks" Campaign: Pilot VLA HI Observations of Five High Mass-to-Light Ratio Systems

We present VLA HI spectral line imaging of 5 sources discovered by ALFALFA. These targets are drawn from a larger sample of systems that were not uniquely identified with optical counterparts during ALFALFA processing, and as such have unusually high HI mass to light ratios. These candidate "Almost Dark" objects fall into 4 categories: 1) objects with nearby HI neighbors that are likely of tidal origin; 2) objects that appear to be part of a system of multiple HI sources, but which may not be tidal in origin; 3) objects isolated from nearby ALFALFA HI detections, but located near a gas-poor early-type galaxy; 4) apparently isolated sources, with no object of coincident redshift within ~400 kpc. Roughly 75% of the 200 objects without identified counterparts in the $\alpha$.40 database (Haynes et al. 2011) fall into category 1. This pilot sample contains the first five sources observed as part of a larger effort to characterize HI sources with no readily identifiable optical counterpart at single dish resolution. These objects span a range of HI mass [7.41 < log(M$_{\rm HI}$) < 9.51] and HI mass to B-band luminosity ratios (3 < M$_{\rm HI}$/L$_{\rm B}$ < 9). We compare the HI total intensity and velocity fields to SDSS optical imaging and to archival GALEX UV imaging. Four of the sources with uncertain or no optical counterpart in the ALFALFA data are identified with low surface brightness optical counterparts in SDSS imaging when compared with VLA HI intensity maps, and appear to be galaxies with clear signs of ordered rotation. One source (AGC 208602) is likely tidal in nature. We find no "dark galaxies" in this limited sample. The present observations reveal complex sources with suppressed star formation, highlighting both the observational difficulties and the necessity of synthesis follow-up observations to understand these extreme objects. (abridged)Comment: Astronomical Journal, in pres

Explosive Particle Dispersion in Plasma Turbulence

Particle dynamics are investigated in plasma turbulence, using self-consistent kinetic simulations, in two dimensions. In steady state, the trajectories of single protons and proton-pairs are studied, at different values of plasma "beta" (ratio between kinetic and magnetic pressure). For single-particle displacements, results are consistent with fluids and magnetic field line dynamics, where particles undergo normal diffusion for very long times, with higher "beta" being more diffusive. In an intermediate time range, with separations lying in the inertial range, particles experience an explosive dispersion in time, consistent with the Richardson prediction. These results, obtained for the first time with a self-consistent kinetic model, are relevant for astrophysical and laboratory plasmas, where turbulence is crucial for heating, mixing and acceleration processes

New Observations of Extra-Disk Molecular Gas in Interacting Galaxy Systems, Including a Two-Component System in Stephan's Quintet

We present new CO (1 - 0) observations of eleven extragalactic tails and bridges in nine interacting galaxy systems, almost doubling the number of such features with sensitive CO measurements. Eight of these eleven features were undetected in CO to very low CO/HI limits, with the most extreme case being the NGC 7714/5 bridge. This bridge contains luminous H II regions and has a very high HI column density (1.6 X 10^21 cm^-2 in the 55" CO beam), yet was undetected in CO to rms T(R)* = 2.4 mK. The HI column density is higher than standard H2 and CO self-shielding limits for solar-metallicity gas, suggesting that the gas in this bridge is metal-poor and has an enhanced N(H2)/I(CO) ratio compared to the Galactic value. Only one of the eleven features in our sample was unambiguously detected in CO, a luminous HI-rich star formation region near an optical tail in the compact group Stephan's Quintet. We detect CO at two widely separated velocities in this feature, at ~6000 km/s and ~6700 km/s. Both of these components have HI and H-alpha counterparts. These velocities correspond to those of galaxies in the group, suggesting that this gas is material that has been removed from two galaxies in the group. The CO/HI/H-alpha ratios for both components are similar to global values for spiral galaxies.Comment: 39 pages, Latex, 15 figures, Astronomical Journal, in pres