3,977 research outputs found
Spectral constraints on models of gas in clusters of galaxies
The HEAO 1A2 spectra of clusters of galaxies are used to determine the temperature profile which characterizes the X-ray emitting gas. Strong evidence of nonisothermality is found for the Coma, A85, and A1795 clusters. Properties of the cluster potential which binds the gas are calculated for a range of model parameters. The typical binding mass, if the gas is adiabatic, is 2-4E14 solar masses and is quite centrally concentrated. In addition, the Fe abundance in Coma is .26 + or - .06 solar, less than the typical value (.5) found for rich clusters. The results for the gas in Coma may imply a physical description of the cluster which is quite different from what was previously believed
Possible mechanism for changes in glycogen metabolism in unloaded soleus muscle
Carbohydrate metabolism has been shown to be affected in a number of ways by different models of hypokinesia. In vivo glycogen levels in the soleus muscle are known to be increased by short-term denervation and harness suspension. In addition, exposure to 7 days of hypogravity also caused a dramatic increase in glycogen concentration in this muscle. The biochemical alterations caused by unloading that may bring about these increases in glycogen storage in the soleus were sought
RXTE and ASCA Constraints on Non-thermal Emission from the A2256 Galaxy Cluster
An 8.3 hour observation of the Abell 2256 galaxy cluster using the Rossi
X-ray Timing Explorer proportional counter array produced a high quality
spectrum in the 2 - 30 keV range. Joint fitting with the 0.7 - 11 keV spectrum
obtained with the Advanced Satellite for Astrophysics and Cosmology gas imaging
spectrometer gives an upperlimit of 2.3x10^-7 photons/cm^2/sec/keV for
non-thermal emission at 30 keV. This yields a lower limit to the mean magnetic
field of 0.36 micro Gauss (uG) and an upperlimit of 1.8x10^-13 ergs/cm^3 for
the cosmic-ray electron energy density. The resulting lower limit to the
central magnetic field is ~1 - 3 uG While a magnetic field of ~0.1 - 0.2 uG can
be created by galaxy wakes, a magnetic field of several uG is usually
associated with a cooling flow or, as in the case of the Coma cluster, a
subcluster merger. However, for A2256, the evidence for a merger is weak and
the main cluster shows no evidence of a cooling flow. Thus, there is presently
no satisfactory hypothesis for the origin of an average cluster magnetic field
as high as >0.36 uG in the A2256 cluster.Comment: 8 pages, Astrophysical Journal (in press
An X-ray survey of variable radio bright quasars
A sample consisting primarily of radio bright quasars was observed in X-rays with the Einstein Observatory for times ranging from 1500 to 5000 seconds. Detected sources had luminosities ranging from 0.2 to 41.0 x 10 to the 45th power ergs/sec in the 0.5 to 4.5 keV band. Three of the fourteen objects which were reobserved showed flux increases greater than a factor of two on a time scale greater than six months. No variability was detected during the individual observations. The optical and X-ray luminosities are correlated, which suggests a common origin. However, the relationship (L sub x is approximately L sub op to the (.89 + or - .15)) found for historic radio variables may be significantly different than that reported for other radio bright sources. Some of the observed X-ray fluxes were substantially below the predicted self-Compton flux, assuming incoherent synchrotron emission and using VLBI results to constrain the size of the emission region, which suggests relativistic expansion in these sources. Normal CIV emission in two of the sources with an overpredicted Compton component suggests that although they, like BL Lac objects, have highly relativistic material apparently moving at small angle to the line of sight, they have a smaller fraction of the continuum component in the beam
RXTE Hard X-ray Observation of A754: Constraining the Hottest Temperature Component and the Intracluster Magnetic Field
Abell 754, a cluster undergoing merging, was observed in hard X-rays with the
Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) in order to constrain its hottest
temperature component and search for evidence of nonthermal emission.
Simultaneous modeling of RXTE data and those taken with previous missions
yields an average intracluster temperature of keV in the 1-50 keV
energy band. A multi-temperature component model derived from numerical
simulations of the evolution of a cluster undergoing a merger produces similar
quality of fit, indicating that the emission measure from the very hot gas
component is sufficiently small that it renders the two models
indistinguishable. No significant nonthermal emission was detected. However,
our observations set an upper limit of
(90% confidence limit) to the nonthermal emission flux at 20 keV. Combining
this result with the radio synchrotron emission flux we find a lower limit of
0.2 G for the intracluster magnetic field. We discuss the implications of
our results for the theories of magnetic field amplifications in cluster
mergers.Comment: Accepted for Publication in the Astrophysical Journal, 22 pages, 5
figure
Black holes and Galactic density cusps -- I. Radial orbit cusps and bulges
In this paper, we study the distribution functions that arise naturally
during self-similar radial infall of collisionless matter. Such matter may be
thought of either as stars or as dark matter particles. If a rigorous steady
state is assumed, then the system is infinite and is described by a universal
distribution function given the self-similar index. The steady logarithmic
potential case is exceptional and yields the familiar Gaussian for an infinite
system with an inverse-square density profile. We show subsequently that for
time-dependent radial self-similar infall, the logarithmic case is accurately
described by the Fridmann and Polyachenko distribution function. The system in
this case is finite but growing. We are able to embed a central mass in the
universal steady distribution only by iteration, except in the case of massless
particles. The iteration yields logarithmic corrections to the massless
particle case and requires a `renormalization' of the central mass. A central
spherical mass may be accurately embedded in the Fridmann and Polyachenko
growing distribution however. Some speculation is given concerning the
importance of radial collisionless infall in actual galaxy formation.Comment: 10 pp, 3 fig
Charge separation instability in an unmagnetized disk plasma around a Kerr black hole
In almost all of plasma theories for astrophysical objects, we have assumed
the charge quasi-neutrality of unmagnetized plasmas in global scales. This
assumption has been justified because if there is a charged plasma, it induces
electric field which attracts the opposite charge, and this opposite charge
reduces the charge separation. Here, we report a newly discovered instability
which causes a charge separation in a rotating plasma inside of an innermost
stable circular orbit (ISCO) around a black hole. The growth rate of the
instability is smaller than that of the disk instability even in the unstable
disk region and is forbidden in the stable disk region outside of the ISCO.
However, this growth rate becomes comparable to that of the disk instability
when the plasma density is much lower than a critical density inside of the
ISCO. In such case, the charge separation instability would become apparent and
cause the charged accretion into the black hole, thus charge the hole up.Comment: 15pages, 1 figur
Responses of skeletal muscle to unloading, a review
Suspension models were used to study muscle response to reduced activity. During 6 days of tail casting, the soleus (SOL) atrophies while the extensor digitorum longus grows relatively normally. After discounting those changes in both muscles due primarily to increased secretion of adrenal hormones, the following conclusions regarding the specific responses of the SOL could be drawn: (1) Atrophy is probably due primarily to increased protein degradation; (2) Decreased synthesis of glutamine may result from reduced availability of ammonia due to diminished use of ATP; (3) Greater muscle glycogen seems to reflect an increased response to insulin of glucose uptake which leads to greater glucose metabolism; and (4) Faster catabolism of branched-chain amino acids can be attributed to enhanced flux through ketoacid dehydrogenase. Studies by others using tail casted suspended rats showed in the SOL: (1) a gradual switch from type 1 to type 2 fibers; (2) increased acid protease activity; and (3) altered muscle function and contractile duration. Using harness suspended rats, others showed in the SOL: (1) significant atrophy; (2) increased numbers of glucocorticoid receptors; and (3) no change in muscle fatigability
Response of rat hindlimb muscles to 12 hours recovery from tail-cast suspension
Previous work has shown a number of biochemical changes which accompany atrophy or reduced muscle growth in hindlimb of tail-casted, suspended rats. These results clearly show that altered muscle growth was due to changes in protein turnover. Accordingly, the rise in soleus tyrosine following unloading reflects the more negative protein balance. Other major changes we found included slower synthesis of glutamine as indicated by lower ratios of glutamine/glutamate and reduced levels of aspartate which coincide with slower aspartate and ammonia metabolism in vitro. In conjunction with the study of SL-3 rats, which were subjected to 12 h of post-flight gravity, a study of the effects of 12 h eight bearing on metabolism of 6-day unloaded hindlimb muscles was carried out
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