2,712 research outputs found
Gipsy 3D: Analysis, Visualization and Vo-Tools
The scientific goals of the AMIGA project are based on the analysis of a
significant amount of spectroscopic 3D data. In order to perform this work we
present an initiative to develop a new VO compliant package, including present
core applications and tasks offered by the Groningen Image Processing System
(GIPSY), and new ones based on use cases elaborated in collaboration with ad-
vanced users. One of the main goals is to provide local interoperability
between GIPSY (visualization and data analysis) and other VO software. The
connectivity with the Virtual Observatory environment will provide general
access to 3D data VO archives and services, maximizing the potential for
scientific discovery.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the proceedings of the
"Multi-wavelength Astronomy and Virtual Observatory" Workshop held at ESAC
1-3 Dec 200
The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies: VIII. The rate of asymmetric HI profiles in spiral galaxies
(abridged) Measures of the HI properties of a galaxy are among the most
sensitive interaction diagnostic at our disposal. We report here on a study of
HI profile asymmetries (e.g., lopsidedness) in a sample of some of the most
isolated galaxies in the local Universe. This presents us with an excellent
opportunity to quantify the range of intrinsic HI asymmetries and provides us
with a zero-point calibration for evaluating these measurements in less
isolated samples. We characterize the HI profile asymmetries and search for
correlations between HI asymmetry and their environments, as well as their
optical and far infrared (FIR) properties. We use high signal-to-noise global
HI profiles for galaxies in the AMIGA project (http://amiga.iaa.csic.es). We
restrict our study to N=166 galaxies with accurate measures of the HI shape
properties. We quantify asymmetries using a flux ratio parameter. The asymmetry
parameter distribution of our isolated sample is well described by a Gaussian
model. The width of the distribution is sigma=0.13, and could be even smaller
(sigma=0.11) if instrumental errors are reduced. Only 2% of our carefully
vetted isolated galaxies sample show an asymmetry in excess of 3sigma. By using
this sample we minimize environmental effects as confirmed by the lack of
correlation between HI asymmetry and tidal force (one-on-one interactions) and
neighbor galaxy number density. On the other hand, field galaxy samples show
wider distributions and deviate from a Gaussian curve. As a result we find
higher asymmetry rates (~10-20%) in such samples. We find evidence that the
spiral arm strength is inversely correlated with the HI asymmetry. We also find
an excess of FIR luminous galaxies with larger HI asymmetries that may be
spirals associated with hidden accretion events. Our sample presents the
smallest fraction of asymmetric HI profiles compared with any other yet
studied.Comment: 18 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Modelling the Fluid Mechanics of Cilia and Flagella in Reproduction and Development
Cilia and flagella are actively bending slender organelles, performing
functions such as motility, feeding and embryonic symmetry breaking. We review
the mechanics of viscous-dominated microscale flow, including time-reversal
symmetry, drag anisotropy of slender bodies, and wall effects. We focus on the
fundamental force singularity, higher order multipoles, and the method of
images, providing physical insight and forming a basis for computational
approaches. Two biological problems are then considered in more detail: (1)
left-right symmetry breaking flow in the node, a microscopic structure in
developing vertebrate embryos, and (2) motility of microswimmers through
non-Newtonian fluids. Our model of the embryonic node reveals how particle
transport associated with morphogenesis is modulated by the gradual emergence
of cilium posterior tilt. Our model of swimming makes use of force
distributions within a body-conforming finite element framework, allowing the
solution of nonlinear inertialess Carreau flow. We find that a three-sphere
model swimmer and a model sperm are similarly affected by shear-thinning; in
both cases swimming due to a prescribed beat is enhanced by shear-thinning,
with optimal Deborah number around 0.8. The sperm exhibits an almost perfect
linear relationship between velocity and the logarithm of the ratio of zero to
infinite shear viscosity, with shear-thickening hindering cell progress.Comment: 20 pages, 24 figure
Ordering in the dilute weakly-anisotropic antiferromagnet Mn(0.35)Zn(0.65)F2
The highly diluted antiferromagnet Mn(0.35)Zn(0.65)F2 has been investigated
by neutron scattering in zero field. The Bragg peaks observed below the Neel
temperature TN (approximately 10.9 K) indicate stable antiferromagnetic
long-range ordering at low temperature. The critical behavior is governed by
random-exchange Ising model critical exponents (nu approximately 0.69 and gamma
approximately 1.31), as reported for Mn(x)Zn(1-x)F2 with higher x and for the
isostructural compound Fe(x)Zn(1-x)F2. However, in addition to the Bragg peaks,
unusual scattering behavior appears for |q|>0 below a glassy temperature Tg
approximately 7.0 K. The glassy region T<Tg corresponds to that of noticeable
frequency dependence in earlier zero-field ac susceptibility measurements on
this sample. These results indicate that long-range order coexists with
short-range nonequilibrium clusters in this highly diluted magnet.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Efficient Implementation of Elastohydrodynamics via Integral Operators
The dynamics of geometrically non-linear flexible filaments play an important
role in a host of biological processes, from flagella-driven cell transport to
the polymeric structure of complex fluids. Such problems have historically been
computationally expensive due to numerical stiffness associated with the
inextensibility constraint, as well as the often non-trivial boundary
conditions on the governing high-order PDEs. Formulating the problem for the
evolving shape of a filament via an integral equation in the tangent angle has
recently been found to greatly alleviate this numerical stiffness. The
contribution of the present manuscript is to enable the simulation of non-local
interactions of multiple filaments in a computationally efficient manner using
the method of regularized stokeslets within this framework. The proposed method
is benchmarked against a non-local bead and link model, and recent code
utilizing a local drag velocity law. Systems of multiple filaments (1) in a
background fluid flow, (2) under a constant body force, and (3) undergoing
active self-motility are modeled efficiently. Buckling instabilities are
analyzed by examining the evolving filament curvature, as well as by
coarse-graining the body frame tangent angles using a Chebyshev approximation
for various choices of the relevant non-dimensional parameters. From these
experiments, insight is gained into how filament-filament interactions can
promote buckling, and further reveal the complex fluid dynamics resulting from
arrays of these interacting fibers. By examining active moment-driven
filaments, we investigate the speed of worm- and sperm-like swimmers for
different governing parameters. The MATLAB(R) implementation is made available
as an open-source library, enabling flexible extension for alternate
discretizations and different surrounding flows.Comment: 37 pages, 17 figure
Physics of Rheologically-Enhanced Propulsion: Different Strokes in Generalized Stokes
Shear-thinning is an important rheological property of many biological
fluids, such as mucus, whereby the apparent viscosity of the fluid decreases
with shear. Certain microscopic swimmers have been shown to progress more
rapidly through shear-thinning fluids, but is this behavior generic to all
microscopic swimmers, and what are the physics through which shear-thinning
rheology affects a swimmer's propulsion? We examine swimmers employing
prescribed stroke kinematics in two-dimensional, inertialess Carreau fluid:
shear-thinning "Generalized Stokes" flow. Swimmers are modeled, using the
method of femlets, by a set of immersed, regularized forces. The equations
governing the fluid dynamics are then discretized over a body-fitted mesh and
solved with the finite element method. We analyze the locomotion of three
distinct classes of microswimmer: (1) conceptual swimmers comprising sliding
spheres employing both one- and two-dimensional strokes, (2) slip-velocity
envelope models of ciliates commonly referred to as "squirmers" and (3)
monoflagellate pushers, such as sperm. We find that morphologically identical
swimmers with different strokes may swim either faster or slower in
shear-thinning fluids than in Newtonian fluids. We explain this kinematic
sensitivity by considering differences in the viscosity of the fluid
surrounding propulsive and payload elements of the swimmer, and using this
insight suggest two reciprocal sliding sphere swimmers which violate Purcell's
Scallop theorem in shear-thinning fluids. We also show that an increased flow
decay rate arising from shear-thinning rheology is associated with a reduction
in the swimming speed of slip-velocity squirmers. For sperm-like swimmers, a
gradient of thick to thin fluid along the flagellum alters the force it exerts
upon the fluid, flattening trajectories and increasing instantaneous swimming
speed.Comment: 22 pages, 28 figure
Effects of the environment on galaxies in the Catalogue of Isolated Galaxies: physical satellites and large scale structure
We aim to identify and quantify the effects of the satellite distribution
around a sample of galaxies in the Catalogue of Isolated Galaxies (CIG), as
well as the effects of the Large Scale Structure (LSS) using the SDSS-DR9. To
recover the physically bound galaxies we focus on the satellites which are
within the escape speed of each CIG galaxy. We also propose a more conservative
method using the stacked Gaussian distribution of the velocity difference of
the neighbours. The tidal strengths affecting the primary galaxy are estimated
to quantify the effects of the local and LSS environments. We also define the
projected number density parameter at the 5 nearest neighbour to
characterise the LSS around the CIG galaxies. Out of the 386 CIG galaxies
considered in this study, at least 340 (88\% of the sample) have no physically
linked satellite. Out of the 386 CIG galaxies, 327 (85\% of the sample) have no
physical companion within a projected distance of 0.3 Mpc. The CIG galaxies are
distributed following the LSS of the local Universe, although presenting a
large heterogeneity in their degree of connection with it. A clear segregation
appears between early-type CIG galaxies with companions and isolated late-type
CIG galaxies. Isolated galaxies are in general bluer, with likely younger
stellar populations and rather high star formation with respect to older,
redder CIG galaxies with companions. Reciprocally, the satellites are redder
and with an older stellar populations around massive early-type CIG galaxies,
while they have a younger stellar content around massive late-type CIG
galaxies. This suggests that the CIG is composed of a heterogeneous population
of galaxies, sampling from old to more recent, dynamical systems of galaxies.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in Astronomy
& Astrophysic
The HI Content of Compact Groups of Galaxies
The HI content of Hickson Compact Groups in the southern hemisphere is
measured using data from the HI Parkes All Sky Survey (HIPASS), and dedicated
observations using the narrowband filter on the Multibeam instrument on the
Parkes telescope. The expected HI mass of these groups was estimated using the
luminosity, diameter and morphological types of the member galaxies, calibrated
from published data. Taking careful account of non-detection limits, the
results show that the compact group population that has been detected by these
observations has an HI content similar to that of galaxies in the reference
field sample. The upper limits for the undetected groups lie within the normal
range; improvement of these limits will require a large increase in
sensitivity.Comment: 27 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in PAS
Setting the normalcy level of HI properties in isolated galaxies
Studying the atomic gas (HI) properties of the most isolated galaxies is
essential to quantify the effect that the environment exerts on this sensitive
component of the interstellar medium. We observed and compiled HI data for a
well defined sample of ~ 800 galaxies in the Catalog of Isolated Galaxies, as
part of the AMIGA project (Analysis of the ISM in Isolated GAlaxies,
http://amiga.iaa.es), which enlarges considerably previous samples used to
quantify the HI deficiency in galaxies located in denser environments. By
studying the shape of 182 HI profiles, we revisited the usually accepted result
that, independently of the environment, more than half of the galaxies present
a perturbed HI disk. In isolated galaxies this would certainly be a striking
result if these are supposed to be the most relaxed systems, and has
implications in the relaxation time scales of HI disks and the nature of the
most frequent perturbing mechanisms in galaxies. Our sample likely exhibits the
lowest HI asymmetry level in the local Universe. We found that other field
samples present an excess of ~ 20% more asymmetric HI profiles than that in
CIG. Still a small percentage of galaxies in our sample present large
asymmetries. Follow-up high resolution VLA maps give insight into the origin of
such asymmetries.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, Conference 'Galaxies in Isolation: Exploring
Nature vs. Nurture', Granada, 12-15 May 2009. To be published in the ASP
Conference Serie
- …