4,242 research outputs found
Description and catalog of ionospheric F-region data, Jicamarca Radar Observatory, November 1966 - April 1969
Equatorial ionospheric F-region data reduced from the Jicamarca Radar Observatory (JRO) incoherent scatter observations for particular periods is described. It lists in catalog form the times of the observations made during those periods. These F-region data include the electron concentration and the electron and ion temperatures. The data were inferred from the incoherent scatter observations of JRO
MAGMO: Coherent magnetic fields in the star forming regions of the Carina-Sagittarius spiral arm tangent
We present the pilot results of the `MAGMO' project, targeted observations of
ground-state hydroxyl masers towards sites of 6.7-GHz methanol maser emission
in the Carina-Sagittarius spiral arm tangent, Galactic longitudes 280 degrees
to 295 degrees. The `MAGMO' project aims to determine if Galactic magnetic
fields can be traced with Zeeman splitting of masers associated with star
formation. Pilot observations of 23 sites of methanol maser emission were made,
with the detection of ground-state hydroxyl masers towards 11 of these and six
additional offset sites. Of these 17 sites, nine are new detections of sites of
1665-MHz maser emission, three of them accompanied by 1667-MHz emission. More
than 70% of the maser features have significant circular polarization, whilst
only ~10% have significant linear polarization (although some features with up
to 100% linear polarization are found). We find 11 Zeeman pairs across six
sites of high-mass star formation with implied magnetic field strengths between
-1.5 mG and +3.8 mG and a median field strength of +1.6 mG. Our measurements of
Zeeman splitting imply that a coherent field orientation is experienced by the
maser sites across a distance of 5.3+/-2.0 kpc within the Carina-Sagittarius
spiral arm tangent.Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
The Supershell-Molecular Cloud Connection in the Milky Way and Beyond
The role of large-scale stellar feedback in the formation of molecular clouds
has been investigated observationally by examining the relationship between HI
and 12CO(J=1-0) in supershells. Detailed parsec-resolution case studies of two
Milky Way supershells demonstrate an enhanced level of molecularisation over
both objects, and hence provide the first quantitative observational evidence
of increased molecular cloud production in volumes of space affected by
supershell activity. Recent results on supergiant shells in the LMC suggest
that while they do indeed help to organise the ISM into over-dense structures,
their global contribution to molecular cloud formation is of the order of only
~10%.Comment: Proceedings of IAUS 292 - Molecular Gas, Dust, and Star Formation in
Galaxies, eds. T. Wong & J. Ott. 4 pages, 3 figure
A quantum mechanical approach to establishing the magnetic field orientation from a maser Zeeman profile
Recent comparisons of magnetic field directions derived from maser Zeeman
splitting with those derived from continuum source rotation measures have
prompted new analysis of the propagation of the Zeeman split components, and
the inferred field orientation. In order to do this, we first review differing
electric field polarization conventions used in past studies. With these
clearly and consistently defined, we then show that for a given Zeeman
splitting spectrum, the magnetic field direction is fully determined and
predictable on theoretical grounds: when a magnetic field is oriented away from
the observer, the left-hand circular polarization is observed at higher
frequency and the right-hand polarization at lower frequency. This is
consistent with classical Lorentzian derivations. The consequent interpretation
of recent measurements then raises the possibility of a reversal between the
large-scale field (traced by rotation measures) and the small-scale field
(traced by maser Zeeman splitting).Comment: 10 pages, 5 Figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
HI Absorption Toward HII Regions at Small Galactic Longitudes
We make a comprehensive study of HI absorption toward HII regions located
within Galactic longitudes less than 10 degrees. Structures in the extreme
inner Galaxy are traced using the longitude-velocity space distribution of this
absorption. We find significant HI absorption associated with the Near and Far
3kpc Arms, the Connecting Arm, Banias Clump 1 and the H I Tilted Disk. We also
constrain the line of sight distances to HII regions, by using HI absorption
spectra together with the HII region velocities measured by radio recombination
lines.Comment: Complete figure set available in online version of journal. Accepted
by ApJ August 8, 201
GSH23.0-0.7+117, a neutral hydrogen shell in the inner Galaxy
GSH23.0-0.7+117 is a well-defined neutral hydrogen shell discovered in the
VLA Galactic Plane Survey (VGPS). Only the blueshifted side of the shell was
detected. The expansion velocity and systemic velocity were determined through
the systematic behavior of the HI emission with velocity. The center of the
shell is at (l,b,v)=(23.05,-0.77,+117 km/s). The angular radius of the shell is
6.8', or 15 pc at a distance of 7.8 kpc. The HI mass divided by the volume of
the half-shell implies an average density n_H = 11 +/- 4 cm^{-3} for the medium
in which the shell expanded. The estimated age of GSH23.0-0.7+117 is 1 Myr,
with an upper limit of 2 Myr. The modest expansion energy of 2 * 10^{48} erg
can be provided by the stellar wind of a single O4 to O8 star over the age of
the shell. The 3 sigma upper limit to the 1.4 GHz continuum flux density
(S_{1.4} < 248 mJy) is used to derive an upper limit to the Lyman continuum
luminosity generated inside the shell. This upper limit implies a maximum of
one O9 star (O8 to O9.5 taking into account the error in the distance) inside
the HI shell, unless most of the incident ionizing flux leaks through the HI
shell. To allow this, the shell should be fragmented on scales smaller than the
beam (2.3 pc). If the stellar wind bubble is not adiabatic, or the bubble has
burst (as suggested by the HI channel maps), agreement between the energy and
ionization requirements is even less likely. The limit set by the non-detection
in the continuum provides a significant challenge for the interpretation of
GSH23.0-0.7+117 as a stellar wind bubble. A similar analysis may be applicable
to other Galactic HI shells that have not been detected in the continuum.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures. Figures 1 and 4 separately in GIF format.
Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa
Supergiant Shells and Molecular Cloud Formation in the LMC
We investigate the influence of large-scale stellar feedback on the formation
of molecular clouds in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Examining the
relationship between HI and 12CO(J=1-0) in supergiant shells (SGSs), we find
that the molecular fraction in the total volume occupied by SGSs is not
enhanced with respect to the rest of the LMC disk. However, the majority of
objects (~70% by mass) are more molecular than their local surroundings,
implying that the presence of a supergiant shell does on average have a
positive effect on the molecular gas fraction. Averaged over the full SGS
sample, our results suggest that ~12-25% of the molecular mass in supergiant
shell systems was formed as a direct result of the stellar feedback that
created the shells. This corresponds to ~4-11% of the total molecular mass of
the galaxy. These figures are an approximate lower limit to the total
contribution of stellar feedback to molecular cloud formation in the LMC, and
constitute one of the first quantitative measurements of feedback-triggered
molecular cloud formation in a galactic system.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
The VLA Galactic Plane Survey
The VLA Galactic Plane Survey (VGPS) is a survey of HI and 21-cm continuum
emission in the Galactic plane between longitude 18 degrees 67 degr. with
latitude coverage from |b| < 1.3 degr. to |b| < 2.3 degr. The survey area was
observed with the Very Large Array (VLA) in 990 pointings. Short-spacing
information for the HI line emission was obtained by additional observations
with the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). HI spectral line images are presented with
a resolution of 1 arcmin x 1 arcmin x 1.56 km/s (FWHM) and rms noise of 2 K per
0.824 km/s channel. Continuum images made from channels without HI line
emission have 1 arcmin (FWHM) resolution. VGPS images are compared with images
from the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS) and the Southern Galactic Plane
Survey (SGPS). In general, the agreement between these surveys is impressive,
considering the differences in instrumentation and image processing techniques
used for each survey. The differences between VGPS and CGPS images are small, <
6 K (rms) in channels where the mean HI brightness temperature in the field
exceeds 80 K. A similar degree of consistency is found between the VGPS and
SGPS. The agreement we find between arcminute resolution surveys of the
Galactic plane is a crucial step towards combining these surveys into a single
uniform dataset which covers 90% of the Galactic disk: the International
Galactic Plane Survey (IGPS). The VGPS data will be made available on the World
Wide Web through the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre (CADC).Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal. 41 pages, 13
figures. For information on data release, colour images etc. see
http://www.ras.ucalgary.ca/VGP
Shot Noise in Graphene
We report measurements of current noise in single- and multi-layer graphene
devices. In four single-layer devices, including a p-n junction, the Fano
factor remains constant to within +/-10% upon varying carrier type and density,
and averages between 0.35 and 0.38. The Fano factor in a multi-layer device is
found to decrease from a maximal value of 0.33 at the charge-neutrality point
to 0.25 at high carrier density. These results are compared to theoretical
predictions for shot noise in ballistic and disordered graphene.Comment: related papers available at http://marcuslab.harvard.ed
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