Optical Color Gradients in Star-Forming Ring Galaxies

We compute radial color gradients produced by an outwardly propagating circular wave of star formation and compare our results with color gradients observed in the classical ring galaxy, the ``Cartwheel''. We invoke two independent models of star formation in the ring galaxies. The first one is the conventional density wave scenario, in which an intruder galaxy creates a radially propagating density wave accompanied by an enhanced star formation following the Schmidt law. The second scenario is a pure self-propagating star formation model, in which the intruder only sets off the first burst of stars at the point of impact. Both models give essentially the same results. Systematic reddening of B-V, V-K colors towards the center, such as that observed in the Cartwheel, can be obtained only if the abundance of heavy elements in the star-forming gas is a few times below solar. The B-V and V-K color gradients observed in the Cartwheel can be explained as a result of mixing of stellar populations born in a star-forming wave propagating through a low-metallicity gaseous disk, and a pre-existing stellar disk of the size of the gaseous disk with color properties typical to those observed in nearby disk galaxies.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures; accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Surface Brightness Gradients Produced by the Ring Waves of Star Formation

We compute surface brightness profiles of galactic disks for outwardly propagating waves of star formation with a view to investigate the stellar populations in ring galaxies. We consider two mechanisms which can create outwardly propagating star forming rings in a purely gaseous disk --- a self-induced wave and a density wave. We show that the surface brightness profiles produced by both scenarios of ring formation are similar and are strongly sensitive to the velocity of the wave. The results of our computations are compared with the observational quantities sensitive to the young and old stellar populations in the ring galaxies A0035-335 (the Cartwheel galaxy) and VIIZw466. The best fit to the observed radial H_alpha surface brightness distribution in the Cartwheel galaxy is obtained for a wave velocity of about 90 km/s. The red continuum brightness of the ring can be fully explained by the evolving stars present in the trailing part of the wave. However the red continuum brightness in regions internal to the ring indicates that the wave of star formation propagates in a pre-existing stellar disk in the Cartwheel. The H_alpha and K-band surface brightness profiles in VIIZw466 match the values expected from stellar populations produced by a wave of star formation propagating in a purely gaseous disk very well. We conclude that VIIZw466 is probably experiencing the first event of star formation in the disk.Comment: Uses aas2pp4.sty and epsfig.sty, 15 pages To appear in Astrophysical Journal, March 10, 199

The Multiband Photometry of GRB Host Galaxies: Comparison with the Spectral Energy Distributions of Nearby and Theoretical Modeling Galaxies

We present one of the results of $BVRI$ photometry of the hosts of GRB for the host galaxy of GRB 970508 and the theoretical modeling of its continuum spectral energy distribution (SED) to show that it is important to take into account internal extinction in the host galaxies. We compared the BVRI broad-band flux spectrum of the host to template SEDs of local starburst galaxies and found that there is a significant internal extintion in this host. Moreover, this comparison allows us to derive the absolute magnitude (M_{B_{rest}}) and rouhgly estimate reddening (A_V). Population synthesis modeling of the continuum SED for different reddening laws demostrates that the observational data of the host galaxy of GRB 970508 are best fitted by the spectral properties of a model SED with extinction of A_V\approx 2.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, poster presentation on 2nd Rome Workshop on Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Afterglow Er

Psychology features of older people in tourism

On the basis of the analysis of elderly people’s tourist activity the factors determining the organization of tourist activity have been revealed. The psychological features of elderly tourists, causing their consumer behavior, both in the process of purchasing tourist permits, and the General attitude of the consumer to tourism have been considered. It has been established that stereotypes, the environment of tourist products and the emotional sphere of the elderly tourist are the main factors, on the basis of which the decision on travel or refusal to travel is made. The model of interaction process of psychological features of elderly tourists with stages of tourist activity has been presented. The dependence between the primary experience of tourism and the subsequent recreational needs refl cts the importance of studying the psychology of elderly tourists to ensure the frequency of consumption of tourist products

Origin of TeV Galactic Cosmic Rays

We consider a possibility of identification of sources of cosmic rays (CR) of the energy above 1 TeV via observation of degree-scale extended gamma-ray emission which traces the locations of recent sources in the Galaxy. Such emission in the energy band above 100 GeV is produced by CR nuclei and electrons released by the sources and spreading into the interstellar medium. We use the data from the Fermi gamma-ray telescope to locate the degree-scale 100 GeV gamma-ray sources. We find that the number of such sources and their overall power match to those expected when CRs injection events happen every ~100 yr in portions of ~1e50 erg. We find that most of the sources are associated to pulsars with spin down age less than ~30 kyr and hence to the recent supernova explosions. This supports the hypothesis of supernova origin of Galactic CRs. We notice that the degree-scale extended emission does not surround shell-like supernova remnants without pulsars. Based on this observation, we argue that the presence of the pulsar is essential for the CR acceleration process. We expect that a significant fraction of the degree-scale sources should be detectable as extended sources with km3-scale neutrino detectors.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.

Stellar disks of Collisional Ring Galaxies I. New multiband images, Radial intensity and color profiles, and confrontation with N-body simulations

We present new multi-band imaging data in the optical (BVRI and Halpha) and near infrared bands (JHK) of 15 candidate ring galaxies from the sample of Appleton & Marston (1997). We use these data to obtain color composite images, global magnitudes and colors of both the ring galaxy and its companion(s), and radial profiles of intensity and colors. We find that only nine of the observed galaxies have multi-band morphologies expected for the classical collisional scenario of ring formation, indicating the high degree of contamination of the ring galaxy sample by galaxies without a clear ring morphology. The radial intensity profiles, obtained by masking the off-centered nucleus, peak at the position of the ring, with the profiles in the continuum bands broader than that in the Halpha line. The images as well as the radial intensity and color profiles clearly demonstrate the existence of the pre-collisional stellar disk outside the star-forming ring, which is in general bluer than the disk internal to the ring. The stellar disk seems to have retained its size, with the disk outside the ring having a shorter exponential scale length as compared to the values expected in normal spiral galaxies of comparable masses. The rings in our sample of galaxies are found to be located preferentially at around half-way through the stellar disk. The most likely reason for this preference is bias against detecting rings when they are close to the center (they would be confused with the resonant rings), and at the edge of the disk the gas surface density may be below the critical density required for star formation. Most of the observed characteristics point to relatively recent collisions (<80 Myr ago) according to the N-body simulations of Gerber et al. (1996).Comment: To appear in AJ issue of September 2008. High resolution color image of Figure 2 and other supplementary images are available at http://www.inaoep.mx/~ydm/rings

The using of quality indicators of Scots pine’s seeds for bioindication of anthropogenic pollution

The quality of Scots pine’s seeds (Pinus sylvestris L.) was analyzed in conditions of industrial emissions magnesite productionПроанализировано качество семян сосны обыкновенной (Pinus sylvestris L.) в условиях промышленных выбросов магнезитового производств