1,013 research outputs found
Density fluctuations and the structure of a nonuniform hard sphere fluid
We derive an exact equation for density changes induced by a general external
field that corrects the hydrostatic approximation where the local value of the
field is adsorbed into a modified chemical potential. Using linear response
theory to relate density changes self-consistently in different regions of
space, we arrive at an integral equation for a hard sphere fluid that is exact
in the limit of a slowly varying field or at low density and reduces to the
accurate Percus-Yevick equation for a hard core field. This and related
equations give accurate results for a wide variety of fields
Infrared Spectroscopy of a Massive Obscured Star Cluster in the Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/4039) with NIRSPEC
We present infrared spectroscopy of the Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/4039)
with NIRSPEC at the W. M. Keck Observatory. We imaged the star clusters in the
vicinity of the southern nucleus (NGC 4039) in 0.39" seeing in K-band using
NIRSPEC's slit-viewing camera. The brightest star cluster revealed in the
near-IR (M_K(0) = -17.9) is insignificant optically, but coincident with the
highest surface brightness peak in the mid-IR (12-18 micron) ISO image
presented by Mirabel et al. (1998). We obtained high signal-to-noise 2.03 -
2.45 micron spectra of the nucleus and the obscured star cluster at R ~ 1900.
The cluster is very young (4 Myr old), massive (16e6 M_sun), and compact
(density ~ 115 M_sun pc^(-3) within a 32 pc half-light radius), assuming a
Salpeter IMF (0.1 - 100 M_sun). Its hot stars have a radiation field
characterized by T_eff ~ 39,000 K, and they ionize a compact H II region with
n_e ~ 1e4 cm^(-3). The stars are deeply embedded in gas and dust (A_V ~ 9-10
mag), and their strong FUV field powers a clumpy photodissociation region with
densities n_H >= 1e5 cm^(-3) on scales of up to 200 pc, radiating L[H_2 1-0
S(1)] = 9600 L_sun.Comment: 4 pages, 5 embedded figures. To appear in proceedings of 33d ESLAB
Symposium: Star Formation from the Small to the Large Scale, held in
Noordwijk, The Netherlands, Nov. 1999. Also available at
http://astro.berkeley.edu/~agilber
Mechanical response of random heteropolymers
We present an analytical theory for heteropolymer deformation, as exemplified
experimentally by stretching of single protein molecules. Using a mean-field
replica theory, we determine phase diagrams for stress-induced unfolding of
typical random sequences. This transition is sharp in the limit of infinitely
long chain molecules. But for chain lengths relevant to biological
macromolecules, partially unfolded conformations prevail over an intermediate
range of stress. These necklace-like structures, comprised of alternating
compact and extended subunits, are stabilized by quenched variations in the
composition of finite chain segments. The most stable arrangements of these
subunits are largely determined by preferential extension of segments rich in
solvophilic monomers. This predicted significance of necklace structures
explains recent observations in protein stretching experiments. We examine the
statistical features of select sequences that give rise to mechanical strength
and may thus have guided the evolution of proteins that carry out mechanical
functions in living cells.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure
Reionization Constraints on the Contribution of Primordial Compact Objects to Dark Matter
Many lines of evidence suggest that nonbaryonic dark matter constitutes
roughly 30% of the critical closure density, but the composition of this dark
matter is unknown. One class of candidates for the dark matter is compact
objects formed in the early universe, with typical masses M between 0.1 and 1
solar masses to correspond to the mass scale of objects found with microlensing
observing projects. Specific candidates of this type include black holes formed
at the epoch of the QCD phase transition, quark stars, and boson stars. Here we
show that accretion onto these objects produces substantial ionization in the
early universe, with an optical depth to Thomson scattering out to z=1100 of
approximately tau=2-4 [f_CO\epsilon_{-1}(M/Msun)]^{1/2} (H_0/65)^{-1}, where
\epsilon_{-1} is the accretion efficiency \epsilon\equiv L/{\dot M}c^2 divided
by 0.1 and f_CO is the fraction of matter in the compact objects. The current
upper limit to the scattering optical depth, based on the anisotropy of the
microwave background, is approximately 0.4. Therefore, if accretion onto these
objects is relatively efficient, they cannot be the main component of
nonbaryonic dark matter.Comment: 12 pages including one figure, uses aaspp4, submitted to Ap
First-Principles Electronic Structure of Solid Picene
To explore the electronic structure of the first aromatic superconductor,
potassium-doped solid picene which has been recently discovered by Mitsuhashi
et al with the transition temperatures K, we have obtained a
first-principles electronic structure of solid picene as a first step toward
the elucidation of the mechanism of the superconductivity. The undoped crystal
is found to have four conduction bands, which are characterized in terms of the
maximally localized Wannier orbitals. We have revealed how the band structure
reflects the stacked arrangement of molecular orbitals for both undoped and
doped (Kpicene) cases, where the bands are not rigid. The Fermi surface for
Kpicene is a curious composite of a warped two-dimensional surface and a
three-dimensional one.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
ISO SWS Observations of H II Regions in NGC 6822 and I ZW 36: Sulfur Abundances and Temperature Fluctuations
We report ISO SWS infrared spectroscopy of the H II region Hubble V in NGC
6822 and the blue compact dwarf galaxy I Zw 36. Observations of Br alpha, [S
III] at 18.7 and 33.5 microns, and [S IV] at 10.5 microns are used to determine
ionic sulfur abundances in these H II regions. There is relatively good
agreement between our observations and predictions of S^+3 abundances based on
photoionization calculations, although there is an offset in the sense that the
models overpredict the S^+3 abundances. We emphasize a need for more
observations of this type in order to place nebular sulfur abundance
determinations on firmer ground. The S/O ratios derived using the ISO
observations in combination with optical data are consistent with values of
S/O, derived from optical measurements of other metal-poor galaxies.
We present a new formalism for the simultaneous determination of the
temperature, temperature fluctuations, and abundances in a nebula, given a mix
of optical and infrared observed line ratios. The uncertainties in our ISO
measurements and the lack of observations of [S III] lambda 9532 or lambda 9069
do not allow an accurate determination of the amplitude of temperature
fluctuations for Hubble V and I Zw 36. Finally, using synthetic data, we
illustrate the diagnostic power and limitations of our new method.Comment: 32 Pages total, including 6 encapsulated postscript figures (one with
two parts). Accepted for Publication in the 20 Dec 2002 Ap
Constraints on a Universal IMF from UV to Near-IR Galaxy Luminosity Densities
We obtain constraints on the slope of a universal stellar initial mass
function (IMF) over a range of cosmic star-formation histories (SFH) using
z=0.1 luminosity densities in the range from 0.2 to 2.2 microns. The age-IMF
degeneracy of integrated spectra of stellar populations can be broken for the
Universe as a whole by using direct measurements of (relative) cosmic SFH from
high-redshift observations. These have only marginal dependence on
uncertainties in the IMF, whereas, fitting to local luminosity densities
depends strongly on both cosmic SFH and the IMF. We fit to these measurements
using population synthesis and find the best-fit IMF power-law slope to be
Gamma=1.15+-0.2 (0.5 < M/M_solar < 120). This slope is in good agreement with
the Salpeter IMF slope (Gamma=1.35). A strong upper limit of Gamma<1.7 is
obtained which effectively rules out the Scalo IMF due to its too low fraction
of high-mass stars. This upper limit is at the 99.7% confidence level if we
assume a closed-box chemical evolution scenario and 95% if we assume constant
solar metallicity. Fitting to the H-alpha line luminosity density, we obtain a
best-fit IMF slope in good agreement with that derived from broadband
measurements. Marginalizing over cosmic SFH and IMF slope, we obtain (95% conf.
ranges, h=1): omega_stars = 1.1-2.0 E-3 for the stellar mass density; rho_sfr =
0.7-4.1 E-2 M_solar/yr/Mpc^3 for the star-formation rate density, and; rho_L =
1.2-1.7 E+35 W/Mpc^3 for the bolometric, attenuated, stellar, luminosity
density (0.09-5 microns). Comparing this total stellar emission with an
estimate of the total dust emission implies a relatively modest average
attenuation in the UV (<=1 magnitude at 0.2 microns).Comment: 16 pages, accepted by Ap
K-shell dielectronic resonances in photoabsorption: differential oscillator strengths for Li-like C IV, O VI, and Fe XXIV
Recently X-ray photoabsorption in KLL resonances of O VI was predicted
[Pradhan, Astrophys.J. Lett. 545, L165 (2000)], and detected by the Chandra
X-ray Observatory [Lee et al, Astrophys. J. {\it Lett.}, submitted].
The required resonance oscillator strengths f_r, are evaluated in terms of
the differential oscillator strength df/de that relates bound and continuum
absorption. We present the f_r values from radiatively damped and undamped
photoionization cross sections for Li-like C,O, and Fe calculated using
relativistic close coupling Breit-Pauli R-matrix method. The KLL resonances of
interest here are: 1s2p (^3P^o) 2s [^4P^o_{1/2,3/2}, ^2P^o_{1/2,3/2}] and 1s2p
(^1P^o) 2s [^2P^o_{1/2,3/2}]. The KLL photoabsorption resonances in Fe XXIV are
fully resolved up to natural autoionization profiles for the first time. It is
demonstrated that the undamped f_r independently yield the resonance radiative
decay rates, and thereby provide a precise check on the resolution of
photoionization calculations in general. The predicted photoabsorption features
should be detectable by the X-ray space observatories and enable column
densities in highly ionized astrophysical plasmas to be determined from the
calculated f_r. The dielectronic satellites may appear as redward broadening of
resonances lines in emission and absorption.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figurs, Phys. Rev. A, Rapid Communication (submitted
How exactly did the Universe become neutral?
We present a refined treatment of H, He I, and He II recombination in the
early Universe. The difference from previous calculations is that we use
multi-level atoms and evolve the population of each level with redshift by
including all bound-bound and bound-free transitions. In this framework we
follow several hundred atomic energy levels for H, He I, and He II combined.
The main improvements of this method over previous recombination calculations
are: (1) allowing excited atomic level populations to depart from an
equilibrium distribution; (2) replacing the total recombination coefficient
with recombination to and photoionization from each level directly at each
redshift step; and (3) correct treatment of the He I atom, including the
triplet and singlet states. We find that the ionization fraction x_e = n_e/n_H
is approximately 10% smaller at redshifts <~800 than in previous calculations,
due to the non-equilibrium of the excited states of H, which is caused by the
strong but cool radiation field at those redshifts. In addition we find that He
I recombination is delayed compared with previous calculations, and occurs only
just before H recombination. These changes in turn can affect the predicted
power spectrum of microwave anisotropies at the few percent level. Other
improvements such as including molecular and ionic species of H, including
complete heating and cooling terms for the evolution of the matter temperature,
including collisional rates, and including feedback of the secondary spectral
distortions on the radiation field, produce negligible change to x_e. The lower
x_e at low z found in this work affects the abundances of H molecular and ionic
species by 10-25%. However this difference is probably not larger than other
uncertainties in the reaction rates.Comment: 24 pages, including 18 figures, using emulateapj.sty, to appear in
ApJ, the code recfast can be obtained at
http://www.astro.ubc.ca/people/scott/recfast.html (in FORTRAN) and
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/~sasselov/rec/ (in C
Equilibrium Sampling From Nonequilibrium Dynamics
We present some applications of an Interacting Particle System (IPS)
methodology to the field of Molecular Dynamics. This IPS method allows several
simulations of a switched random process to keep closer to equilibrium at each
time, thanks to a selection mechanism based on the relative virtual work
induced on the system. It is therefore an efficient improvement of usual
non-equilibrium simulations, which can be used to compute canonical averages,
free energy differences, and typical transitions paths
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