129,404 research outputs found
Line Emission in the Brightest Cluster Galaxies of the NOAO Fundamental Plane and Sloan Digital Sky Surveys
We examine the optical emission line properties of Brightest Cluster Galaxies
(BCGs) selected from two large, homogeneous datasets. The first is the X-ray
selected National Optical Astronomy Observatory Fundamental Plane Survey
(NFPS), and the second is the C4 catalogue of optically selected clusters built
from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release ~3 (SDSS DR3). Our goal is to
better understand the optical line emission in BCGs with respect to properties
of the galaxy and the host cluster. Throughout the analysis we compare the line
emission of the BCGs to that of a control sample made of the other bright
galaxies near the cluster centre. Overall, both the NFPS and SDSS show a modest
fraction of BCGs with emission lines (~15%). No trend in the fraction of
emitting BCGs as a function of galaxy mass or cluster velocity dispersion is
found. However we find that, for those BCGs found in cooling flow clusters,
71^{+9}_{-14}% have optical emission. Furthermore, if we consider only BCGs
within 50kpc of the X-ray centre of a cooling flow cluster, the emission-line
fraction rises further to 100^{+0}_{-15}%. Excluding the cooling flow clusters,
only ~10% of BCGs are line emitting, comparable to the control sample of
galaxies. We show that the physical origin of the emission line activity
varies: in some cases it has LINER-like line ratios, whereas in others it is a
composite of star-formation and LINER-like activity. We conclude that the
presence of emission lines in BCGs is directly related to the cooling of X-ray
gas at the cluster centre.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 13 pages mn2e style with 7 figures
and 2 table
Modified Friedman scenario from the Wheeler-DeWitt equation
We consider the possible modification of the Friedman equation due to
operator ordering parameter entering the Wheeler-DeWitt equation.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figur
On the Complexity of Random Quantum Computations and the Jones Polynomial
There is a natural relationship between Jones polynomials and quantum
computation. We use this relationship to show that the complexity of evaluating
relative-error approximations of Jones polynomials can be used to bound the
classical complexity of approximately simulating random quantum computations.
We prove that random quantum computations cannot be classically simulated up to
a constant total variation distance, under the assumption that (1) the
Polynomial Hierarchy does not collapse and (2) the average-case complexity of
relative-error approximations of the Jones polynomial matches the worst-case
complexity over a constant fraction of random links. Our results provide a
straightforward relationship between the approximation of Jones polynomials and
the complexity of random quantum computations.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
Metaspin and dirishonic dark matter
The antisymmetry requirement of rishon bound state wave functions suggests a
new rishon quantum number called M spin. From M spin conservation and the
Nussinov-Weingarten-Witten theorem we predict the existence of a stable
pseudoscalar dirishonic meson, called zeta, that is lighter than the lightest
neutrino. Its mass is estimated as m(zeta) = 10^{-9} eV. This particle could
make up the major part of cold dark matter in the Universe.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur
Nuclear powered Mars cargo transport mission utilizing advanced ion propulsion
Nuclear-powered ion propulsion technology was combined with detailed trajectory analysis to determine propulsion system and trajectory options for an unmanned cargo mission to Mars in support of manned Mars missions. A total of 96 mission scenarios were identified by combining two power levels, two propellants, four values of specific impulse per propellant, three starting altitudes, and two starting velocities. Sixty of these scenarios were selected for a detailed trajectory analysis; a complete propulsion system study was then conducted for 20 of these trajectories. Trip times ranged from 344 days for a xenon propulsion system operating at 300 kW total power and starting from lunar orbit with escape velocity, to 770 days for an argon propulsion system operating at 300 kW total power and starting from nuclear start orbit with circular velocity. Trip times for the 3 MW cases studied ranged from 356 to 413 days. Payload masses ranged from 5700 to 12,300 kg for the 300 kW power level, and from 72,200 to 81,500 kg for the 3 MW power level
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