13,117 research outputs found
Cosmology with moving dark energy and the CMB quadrupole
We study the consequences of a homogeneous dark energy fluid having a
non-vanishing velocity with respect to the matter and radiation large-scale
rest frames. We consider homogeneous anisotropic cosmological models with four
fluids (baryons, radiation, dark matter and dark energy) whose velocities can
differ from each other. Performing a perturbative calculation up to second
order in the velocities, we obtain the contribution of the anisotropies
generated by the fluids motion to the CMB quadrupole and compare with
observations. We also consider the exact problem for arbitrary velocities and
solve the corresponding equations numerically for different dark energy models.
We find that models whose equation of state is initially stiffer than
radiation, as for instance some tracking models, are unstable against velocity
perturbations, thus spoiling the late-time predictions for the energy
densities. In the case of scaling models, the contributions to the quadrupole
can be non-negligible for a wide range of initial conditions. We also consider
fluids moving at the speed of light (null fluids) with positive energy and show
that, without assuming any particular equation of state, they generically act
as a cosmological constant at late times. We find the parameter region for
which the models considered could be compatible with the measured (low)
quadrupole.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures. Confidence intervals calculated from WMAP data,
new references and comments included. Final version to appear in PR
Excited electronic states from a variational approach based on symmetry-projected Hartree--Fock configurations
Recent work from our research group has demonstrated that symmetry-projected
Hartree--Fock (HF) methods provide a compact representation of molecular ground
state wavefunctions based on a superposition of non-orthogonal Slater
determinants. The symmetry-projected ansatz can account for static correlations
in a computationally efficient way. Here we present a variational extension of
this methodology applicable to excited states of the same symmetry as the
ground state. Benchmark calculations on the C dimer with a modest basis
set, which allows comparison with full configuration interaction results,
indicate that this extension provides a high quality description of the
low-lying spectrum for the entire dissociation profile. We apply the same
methodology to obtain the full low-lying vertical excitation spectrum of
formaldehyde, in good agreement with available theoretical and experimental
data, as well as to a challenging model insertion pathway for BeH.
The variational excited state methodology developed in this work has two
remarkable traits: it is fully black-box and will be applicable to fairly large
systems thanks to its mean-field computational cost
The properties of the clumpy torus and BLR in the polar-scattered Seyfert 1 galaxy ESO 323-G77 through X-ray absorption variability
We report results from multi-epoch X-ray observations of the polar-scattered
Seyfert 1 galaxy ESO 323-G77. The source exhibits remarkable spectral
variability from months to years timescales. The observed spectral variability
is entirely due to variations of the column density of a neutral absorber
towards the intrinsic nuclear continuum. The column density is generally
Compton-thin ranging from a few times 10 cm to a few times
10 cm. However, one observation reveals a Compton-thick state
with column density of the order of 1.5 10 cm. The
observed variability offers a rare opportunity to study the properties of the
X-ray absorber(s) in an active galaxy. We identify variable X-ray absorption
from two different components, namely (i) a clumpy torus whose individual
clumps have a density of 1.7 10 cm and an average
column density of 4 10 cm, and (ii) the broad
line region (BLR), comprising individual clouds with density of 0.1-8
10 cm and column density of 10-10 cm. The
derived properties of the clumpy torus can also be used to estimate the torus
half-opening angle, which is of the order of 47 . We also confirm the
previously reported detection of two highly ionized warm absorbers with outflow
velocities of 1000-4000 km s. The observed outflow velocities are
consistent with the Keplerian/escape velocity at the BLR. Hence, the warm
absorbers may be tentatively identified with the warm/hot inter-cloud medium
which ensures that the BLR clouds are in pressure equilibrium with their
surroundings. The BLR line-emitting clouds may well be the cold, dense clumps
of this outflow, whose warm/hot phase is likely more homogeneous, as suggested
by the lack of strong variability of the warm absorber(s) properties during our
monitoring.Comment: 15 pages, 4 tables, and 9 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Lineamientos y su influencia en los modelados del centro de la Cuenca del Ebro
[Resumen] Mediante la combinación de las bandas 2,4 y 7 de una imagen de Landsat 5 se han
identificado 5681 lineamientos en el sector central de la cuenca del Ebro, con longitudes hecto a kilométricas. Se agrupan en dos familias principales, NW-SE y WNW-ESE, y dos secundarias, NNW-SSE y NE-SW. Corresponden en su mayoría a fallas normales. Estos lineamientos condicionan parte del modelado cuaternario de la región, influyendo especialmente en procesos kársticos, distribución de la red de drenaje y evolución de vertientes. Esto permite el empleo de estos criterios geomorfológicos como indicadores de la presencia de lineamientos[Abstract] Within the central Ebro basin, 5681 hecto to kilometric lineaments have been mapped by means a Landsat 5 image with a 2, 4, and 7 bands combination. They belong to two main sets trending NW-SE and WNW-ESE, and two secondary sets trending NNW-SSE and NE-SW. Most of them are normal faults. That lineaments determine sorne of the Quaternary Iandscapes in the area, mainly by its influence in karst, drainage network and slope processes. Actually, that control allows to use those geomorphologic criteria as lineament presence indicators
Fossil group origins - VI. Global X-ray scaling relations of fossil galaxy clusters
We present the first pointed X-ray observations of 10 candidate fossil galaxy
groups and clusters. With these Suzaku observations, we determine global
temperatures and bolometric X-ray luminosities of the intracluster medium (ICM)
out to for six systems in our sample. The remaining four systems show
signs of significant contamination from non-ICM sources. For the six objects
with successfully determined properties, we measure global
temperatures in the range ,
bolometric X-ray luminosities of , and estimate masses,
as derived from , of .
Fossil cluster scaling relations are constructed for a sample that combines our
Suzaku observed fossils with fossils in the literature. Using measurements of
global X-ray luminosity, temperature, optical luminosity, and velocity
dispersion, scaling relations for the fossil sample are then compared with a
control sample of non-fossil systems. We find the fits of our fossil cluster
scaling relations are consistent with the relations for normal groups and
clusters, indicating fossil clusters have global ICM X-ray properties similar
to those of comparable mass non-fossil systems.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, 8 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA
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