Faint star counts in the near-infrared

We discuss near-infrared star counts at the Galactic pole with a view to guiding the NGST and ground-based NIR cameras. Star counts from deep K-band images from the CFHT are presented, and compared with results from the 2MASS survey and some Galaxy models. With appropriate corrections for detector artifacts and galaxies, the data agree with the models down to K~18, but indicate a larger population of fainter red stars. There is also a significant population of compact galaxies that extend to the observational faint limit of K=20.5. Recent Galaxy models agree well down to K$\sim$19, but diverge at fainter magnitudes.Comment: 14 pages and 4 diagrams; to appear in PAS

Retort braze bonding of borsic/aluminum composite sheet to titanium

Braze bonding studies between Borsic/aluminum composite and titanium sheet were conducted to establish acceptable brazing techniques and to assess potential joint efficiencies. Excellent braze joints were produced which exhibited joint strengths exceeding 117 MPa (17,000 psi) and which retained up to 2/3 of this strength at 589 K (600 F). Noticeable composite strength degradation resulting from the required high temperature braze cycle was found to be a problem

Perfect countably infinite Steiner triple systems

We use a free construction to prove the existence of perfect Steiner triple systems on a countably infinite point set. We use a specific countably infinite family of partial Steiner triple systems to start the construction, thus yielding 2ℵ0 non-isomorphic perfect systems

Observations of QSO J2233-606 in the Southern Hubble Deep Field

The Hubble Deep Field South (HDF-S) HST observations are expected to begin in October 1998. We present a composite spectrum of the QSO in the HDF-S field covering UV/optical/near IR wavelengths, obtained by combining data from the ANU 2.3m Telescope with STIS on the HST. This intermediate resolution spectrum covers the range 1600-10000A and allows us to derive some basic information on the intervening absorption systems which will be important in planning future higher resolution studies of this QSO.Comment: 9 pages and 2 figures, submitted to ApJ

Postcard: Kettler Furniture & Carpet Company, Pittsburg, Kansas

This color printed postcard features an illustration of a girl in a dress and apron with a feather duster in one hand and a miniature version of a stove in the other. She is standing next to a doll house and miniature furniture is lined up to go into the front door. A doll leans on the left side of the house and a black cat sits on top. Printed text is on the left and bottom of the card. A calendar month of March 1909 is on the top right corner. Typed text is on the back of the cardhttps://scholars.fhsu.edu/tj_postcards/1763/thumbnail.jp

The connection between metallicity and metal-line kinematics in (sub-)damped Lyman-alpha systems

A correlation between the metallicity, [M/H], and rest-frame MgII equivalent width, EW, is found from 49 DLAs and strong sub-DLAs drawn from the literature over the redshift range 0.2<z_abs<2.6. The correlation is significant at 4.2 sigma and improves to 4.7 sigma when the mild evolution of [M/H] with redshift is taken into account. Even when including only the 26 DLAs (i.e. excluding sub-DLAs) which have Zn metallicities and EW>0.7A, the correlation remains at >3 sigma significance. Since the MgII2796 transition is predominantly saturated in DLAs (which always have EW greater than 0.3A), EW is far more sensitive to the kinematic spread of the metal velocity components across the absorption profile than it is to [M/H]. Thus, the observed [M/H]--EW correlation points to a strong link between the absorber metallicity and the mechanism for producing and dispersing the velocity components. We also note that approximately half of the 13 known molecular hydrogen absorbers have very high EW and very broad velocity structures which show characteristics usually associated with outflows. Follow-up ultraviolet- and blue-sensitive high-resolution spectra of high-EW systems, initially identified in low-resolution spectra, may therefore yield a large number of new H_2 discoveries.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures (3 EPS files). Accepted by MNRA

X-ray sources and their optical counterparts in the globular cluster M 22

Using XMM-Newton EPIC imaging data, we have detected 50 low-luminosity X-ray sources in the field of view of M 22, where 5 +/- 3 of these sources are likely to be related to the cluster. Using differential optical photometry, we have identified probable counterparts to those sources belonging to the cluster. Using X-ray spectroscopic and timing studies, supported by the optical colours, we propose that the most central X-ray sources in the cluster are cataclysmic variables, millisecond pulsars, active binaries and a blue straggler. We also identify a cluster of galaxies behind this globular cluster.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&