4,942 research outputs found
Superwind-driven Intense H Emission in NGC 6240 II: Detailed Comparison of Kinematical and Morphological Structures of the Warm and Cold Molecular Gas
We report on our new analysis of the spatial and kinematical distribution of
warm and cold molecular gas in NGC 6240, which was undertaken to explore the
origin of its unusually luminous H emission. By comparing three-dimensional
emission-line data (in space and velocity) of CO (J=2-1) in the radio and H
in the near infrared, we are able to study the H emitting efficiency,
defined in terms of the intensity ratio of H to CO [(H)/(CO)], as
a function of velocity. The integrated H emitting efficiency is calculated
by integrating the velocity profile of H emitting efficiency in blue, red,
and total (blue + red) velocity regions of the profile. We find that (1) both
the total H emitting efficiency and the blue-to-red ratio of the efficiency
are larger in regions surrounding the CO and H intensity peaks, and (2) the
H emitting efficiency and the kinematical conditions in the warm molecular
gas are closely related to each other. A collision between the molecular gas
concentration and the external superwind outflow from the southern nucleus
seems plausible to explain these characteristics, since it can reproduce the
enhanced emitting efficiency of blueshifted H around the molecular gas
concentration, if we assume that the superwind blows from the southern nucleus
toward us, hitting the entire gas concentration from behind. In this model,
internal cloud-cloud collisions within the molecular gas concentration are
enhanced by the interaction with the superwind outflow, and efficient and
intense shock-excited H emission is expected as a result of the
cloud-crushing mechanism.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A
About the morphology of dwarf spheroidal galaxies and their dark matter content
The morphological properties of the Carina, Sculptor and Fornax dwarfs are
investigated using new wide field data with a total area of 29 square degrees.
The stellar density maps are derived, hinting that Sculptor possesses tidal
tails indicating interaction with the Milky Way. Contrary to previous studies
we cannot find any sign of breaks in the density profiles for the Carina and
Fornax dwarfs. The possible existence of tidal tails in Sculptor and of King
limiting radii in Fornax and Carina are used to derive global M/L ratios,
without using kinematic data. By matching those M/L ratios to kinematically
derived values we are able to constrain the orbital parameters of the three
dwarfs. Fornax cannot have M/L smaller than 3 and must be close to its
perigalacticon now. The other extreme is Sculptor that needs to be on an orbit
with an eccentricity bigger than 0.5 to be able to form tidal tails despite its
kinematic M/L.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted by A&
Determination of complex dielectric functions of ion implanted and implanted‐annealed amorphous silicon by spectroscopic ellipsometry
Measuring with a spectroscopic ellipsometer (SE) in the 1.8–4.5 eV photon energy region we determined the complex dielectric function (ϵ = ϵ1 + iϵ2) of different kinds of amorphous silicon prepared by self‐implantation and thermal relaxation (500 °C, 3 h). These measurements show that the complex dielectric function (and thus the complex refractive index) of implanted a‐Si (i‐a‐Si) differs from that of relaxed (annealed) a‐Si (r‐a‐Si). Moreover, its ϵ differs from the ϵ of evaporated a‐Si (e‐a‐Si) found in the handbooks as ϵ for a‐Si. If we use this ϵ to evaluate SE measurements of ion implanted silicon then the fit is very poor. We deduced the optical band gap of these materials using the Davis–Mott plot based on the relation: (ϵ2E2)1/3 ∼ (E− Eg). The results are: 0.85 eV (i‐a‐Si), 1.12 eV (e‐a‐Si), 1.30 eV (r‐a‐Si). We attribute the optical change to annihilation of point defects
Kinetic Enhancement of Raman Backscatter, and Electron Acoustic Thomson Scatter
1-D Eulerian Vlasov-Maxwell simulations are presented which show kinetic
enhancement of stimulated Raman backscatter (SRBS) due to electron trapping in
regimes of heavy linear Landau damping. The conventional Raman Langmuir wave is
transformed into a set of beam acoustic modes [L. Yin et al., Phys. Rev. E 73,
025401 (2006)]. For the first time, a low phase velocity electron acoustic wave
(EAW) is seen developing from the self-consistent Raman physics. Backscatter of
the pump laser off the EAW fluctuations is reported and referred to as electron
acoustic Thomson scatter. This light is similar in wavelength to, although much
lower in amplitude than, the reflected light between the pump and SRBS
wavelengths observed in single hot spot experiments, and previously interpreted
as stimulated electron acoustic scatter [D. S. Montgomery et al., Phys. Rev.
Lett. 87, 155001 (2001)]. The EAW is strongest well below the phase-matched
frequency for electron acoustic scatter, and therefore the EAW is not produced
by it. The beating of different beam acoustic modes is proposed as the EAW
excitation mechanism, and is called beam acoustic decay. Supporting evidence
for this process, including bispectral analysis, is presented. The linear
electrostatic modes, found by projecting the numerical distribution function
onto a Gauss-Hermite basis, include beam acoustic modes (some of which are
unstable even without parametric coupling to light waves) and a strongly-damped
EAW similar to the observed one. This linear EAW results from non-Maxwellian
features in the electron distribution, rather than nonlinearity due to electron
trapping.Comment: 15 pages, 16 figures, accepted in Physics of Plasmas (2006
Stellar Dynamics and the implications on the merger evolution in NGC6240
We report near-infrared integral field spectroscopy of the luminous merging
galaxy NGC 6240. Stellar velocities show that the two K-band peaks separated by
1.6arcsec are the central parts of inclined, rotating disk galaxies with equal
mass bulges. The dynamical masses of the nuclei are much larger than the
stellar mass derived from the K-band light, implying that the progenitor
galaxies were galaxies with massive bulges. The K-band light is dominated by
red supergiants formed in the two nuclei in starbursts, triggered ~2x10^7 years
ago, possibly by the most recent perigalactic approach. Strong feedback effects
of a superwind and supernovae are responsible for a short duration burst
(~5x10^6 years) which is already decaying. The two galaxies form a
prograde-retrograde rotating system and from the stellar velocity field it
seems that one of the two interacting galaxies is subject to a prograde
encounter. Between the stellar nuclei is a prominent peak of molecular gas
(H_2, CO). The stellar velocity dispersion peaks there indicating that the gas
has formed a local, self-gravitating concentration decoupled from the stellar
gravitational potential. NGC 6240 has previously been reported to fit the
paradigm of an elliptical galaxy formed through the merger of two galaxies.
This was based on the near-infrared light distribution which follows a
r^1/4-law. Our data cast strong doubt on this conclusion: the system is by far
not relaxed, rotation plays an important role, as does self-gravitating gas,
and the near-infrared light is dominated by young stars.Comment: 34 pages, 11 figures, using AASTEX 5.0rc3.1, paper submitted to the
Astrophysical Journal, revised versio
The Structure of Active Merger Remnant NGC 6240 from IRAC Observations
NGC 6240 is a rare object in the local universe: an active merger remnant
viewed at the point of merging where two active galactic nuclei are visible. We
present IRAC data of this object, providing high sensitivity maps of the
stellar and PAH distribution in this complicated system. We use photometry to
analyze the variation in these distributions with radius and provide an SED in
the four IRAC bands: 3.6 microns, 4.5 microns, 5.8 microns and 8.0 microns. We
fit the radial profiles of the 3.6 micron band to r^.25 and exponential
profiles to evaluate the structure of the remnant. Finally, we compare the IRAC
images with multi-wavelength data and examine how outflows in the X-ray, Halpha
and CO correlate with 8 micron emission. The results support the general
picture of NGC 6240 as a system experiencing a major merger and transitioning
from a disk galaxy to a spheroid. The sensitivity of IRAC to low surface
brightness mid-infrared features provides detailed information on the extended
distributions of stars and dust in this rare system.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
Nonlocal spectral properties of disordered alloys
A general method is proposed for calculating a fully k-dependent, continuous,
and causal spectral function A(k,E) within the recently introduced nonlocal
version of the coherent-potential approximation (NLCPA). The method involves
the combination of both periodic and anti-periodic solutions to the associated
cluster problem and also leads to correct bulk quantities for small cluster
sizes. We illustrate the method by investigating the Fermi surface of a
two-dimensional alloy. Dramatically, we find a smeared electronic topological
transition not predicted by the conventional CPA.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, Submitted to: J. Phys.: Condens. Matter
Editorial receipt 25 May 200
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