5,932 research outputs found
Diffuse Ionized Gas in the Dwarf Irregular Galaxy DDO 53
The spectral characteristics throughout the dwarf irregular galaxy DDO 53 are
studied. The results are very similar to those for other irregular galaxies:
high excitation and low values of the [SII]/Halpha ratio. The most likely
ionization source is photon leakage from the classical HII regions, without any
other source, although the interstellar medium of the galaxy is quite
perturbed. Moreover, the physical conditions throughout the galaxy do not
change very much because both the photon leakage percentage and the ionization
temperature are very similar. In addition, the determined metal content for two
HII regions indicates that DDO 53 is a low-metallicity galaxy.Comment: 32 pages, 9 figures, 7 tables. AJ, in pres
Dynamics of zonal flow-like structures in the edge of the TJ-II stellarator
The dynamics of fluctuating electric field structures in the edge of the
TJ-II stellarator, that display zonal flow-like traits, is studied. These
structures have been shown to be global and affect particle transport
dynamically [J.A. Alonso et al., Nucl. Fus. 52 063010 (2012)]. In this article
we discuss possible drive (Reynolds stress) and damping (Neoclassical
viscosity, geodesic transfer) mechanisms for the associated ExB velocity. We
show that: (a) while the observed turbulence-driven forces can provide the
necessary perpendicular acceleration, a causal relation could not be firmly
established, possibly because of the locality of the Reynolds stress
measurements, (b) the calculated neoclassical viscosity and damping times are
comparable to the observed zonal flow relaxation times, and (c) although an
accompanying density modulation is observed to be associated to the zonal flow,
it is not consistent with the excitation of pressure side-bands, like those
present in geodesic acoustic oscillations, caused by the compression of the ExB
flow field
DNA binding shifts the redox potential of the transcription factor SoxR
Electrochemistry measurements on DNA-modified electrodes are used to probe the effects of binding to DNA on the redox potential of SoxR, a transcription factor that contains a [2Fe-2S] cluster and is activated through oxidation. A DNA-bound potential of +200 mV versus NHE (normal hydrogen electrode) is found for SoxR isolated from Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This potential value corresponds to a dramatic shift of +490 mV versus values found in the absence of DNA. Using Redmond red as a covalently bound redox reporter affixed above the SoxR binding site, we also see, associated with SoxR binding, an attenuation in the Redmond red signal compared with that for Redmond red attached below the SoxR binding site. This observation is consistent with a SoxR-binding-induced structural distortion in the DNA base stack that inhibits DNA-mediated charge transport to the Redmond red probe. The dramatic shift in potential for DNA-bound SoxR compared with the free form is thus reconciled based on a high-energy conformational change in the SoxR–DNA complex. The substantial positive shift in potential for DNA-bound SoxR furthermore indicates that, in the reducing intracellular environment, DNA-bound SoxR is primarily in the reduced form; the activation of DNA-bound SoxR would then be limited to strong oxidants, making SoxR an effective sensor for oxidative stress. These results more generally underscore the importance of using DNA electrochemistry to determine DNA-bound potentials for redox-sensitive transcription factors because such binding can dramatically affect this key protein property
The ACS LCID project VII: the blue stragglers population in the isolated dSph galaxies Cetus and Tucana
We present the first investigation of the Blue Straggler star (BSS)
population in two isolated dwarf spheroidal galaxies of the Local Group, Cetus
and Tucana. Deep HST/ACS photometry allowed us to identify samples of 940 and
1214 candidates, respectively. The analysis of the star formation histories of
the two galaxies suggests that both host a population of BSSs. Specifically, if
the BSS candidates are interpreted as young main sequence stars, they do not
conform to their galaxy's age-metallicity relationship. The analysis of the
luminosity function and the radial distributions support this conclusion, and
suggest a non-collisional mechanism for the BSS formation, from the evolution
of primordial binaries. This scenario is also supported by the results of new
dynamical simulations presented here. Both galaxies coincide with the
relationship between the BSS frequency and the absolute visual magnitude Mv
found by Momany et al (2007). If this relationship is confirmed by larger
sample, then it could be a valuable tool to discriminate between the presence
of BSSs and galaxies hosting truly young populations.Comment: Accepted for publication on ApJ. 15 pages, 3 tables, 13 figures. A
version with high resolution figure can be downloaded from
http://rialto.ll.iac.es/proyecto/LCID/?p=publication
The ACS LCID project. IX. Imprints of the early Universe in the radial variation of the star formation history of dwarf galaxies
Based on Hubble Space Telescope observations from the Local Cosmology from
Isolated Dwarfs project, we present the star formation histories, as a function
of galactocentric radius, of four isolated Local Group dwarf galaxies: two dSph
galaxies, Cetus and Tucana, and two transition galaxies (dTrs), LGS-3 and
Phoenix. The oldest stellar populations of the dSphs and dTrs are, within the
uncertainties, coeval () at all galactocentric radii. We find that
there are no significative differences between the four galaxies in the
fundamental properties (such as the normalized star formation rate or
age-metallicity relation) of their outer regions (radii greater than four
exponential scale lengths); at large radii, these galaxies consist exclusively
of old () metal-poor stars. The duration of star formation in
the inner regions vary from galaxy to galaxy, and the extended central star
formation in the dTrs produces the dichotomy between dSph and dTr galaxy types.
The dTr galaxies show prominent radial stellar population gradients: the
centers of these galaxies host young () populations while the age
of the last formation event increases smoothly with increasing radius. This
contrasts with the two dSph galaxies. Tucana shows a similar, but milder,
gradient, but no gradient in age is detected Cetus. For the three galaxies with
significant stellar population gradients, the exponential scale length
decreases with time. These results are in agreement with outside-in scenarios
of dwarf galaxy evolution, in which a quenching of the star formation toward
the center occurs as the galaxy runs out of gas in the outskirts.Comment: Accepted to be published in Ap
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