4,123 research outputs found
A Preliminary Discussion of the Kinematics of BHB and RR Lyrae Stars near the North Galactic Pole
The radial velocity dispersion of 67 RR Lyrae variable and blue horizontal
branch (BHB) stars that are more than 4 kpc above the galactic plane at the
North Galactic Pole is 110 km/sec and shows no trend with Z (the height above
the galactic plane). Nine stars with Z < 4 kpc show a smaller velocity
dispersion (40 +/-9 km/sec) as is to be expected if they mostly belong to a
population with a flatter distribution. Both RR Lyrae stars and BHB stars show
evidence of stream motion; the most significant is in fields RR2 and RR3 where
24 stars in the range 4.0 < Z < 11.0 kpc have a mean radial velocity of -59 +/-
16 km/sec. Three halo stars in field RR 2 appear to be part of a moving group
with a common radial velocity of -90 km/sec. The streaming phenomenon therefore
occurs over a range of spatial scales. The BHB and RR Lyrae stars in our sample
both have a similar range of metallicity (-1.2 < [Fe/H] < -2.2). Proper motions
of BHB stars in fields SA 57 (NGP) and the Anticenter field (RR 7) (both of
which lie close to the meridional plane of the Galaxy) show that the stars that
have Z 4 kpc have a Galactic V motion that is
< -200 km/sec and which is characteristic of the halo. Thus the stars that have
a flatter distribution are really halo stars and not members of the metal-weak
thick-disk.Comment: Accepted for publication in the March 1996 AJ. 15 pages, AASTeX V4.0
latex format (including figures), 2 eps figures, 2 separate AASTeX V4.0 latex
table
Stormy weather in 3C 196.1: nuclear outbursts and merger events shape the environment of the hybrid radio galaxy 3C 196.1
We present a multi-wavelength analysis based on archival radio, optical and
X-ray data of the complex radio source 3C 196.1, whose host is the brightest
cluster galaxy of a cluster. HST data show H+[N II] emission
aligned with the jet 8.4 GHz radio emission. An H+[N II] filament
coincides with the brightest X-ray emission, the northern hotspot. Analysis of
the X-ray and radio images reveals cavities located at galactic- and cluster-
scales. The galactic-scale cavity is almost devoid of 8.4 GHz radio emission
and the south-western H+[N II] emission is bounded (in projection) by
this cavity. The outer cavity is co-spatial with the peak of 147 MHz radio
emission, and hence we interpret this depression in X-ray surface brightness as
being caused by a buoyantly rising bubble originating from an AGN outburst
280 Myrs ago. A \textit{Chandra} snapshot observation allowed us to
constrain the physical parameters of the cluster, which has a cool core with a
low central temperature 2.8 keV, low central entropy index 13 keV
cm and a short cooling time of 500 Myr, which is of the age
of the Universe at this redshift. By fitting jumps in the X-ray density we
found Mach numbers between 1.4 and 1.6, consistent with a shock origin. We also
found compelling evidence of a past merger, indicated by a morphology
reminiscent of gas sloshing in the X-ray residual image. Finally, we computed
the pressures, enthalpies and jet powers associated with
the cavities: erg,
erg s for the inner cavity and erg,
erg s for the outer cavity.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, ApJ accepte
Nanopore SimulatION – a raw data simulator for Nanopore Sequencing
Nanopore DNA sequencing enables the sequence determination of single DNA molecules up to 10,000 times longer than currently permitted by second-generation sequencing platforms. Nanopore sequencing gives real-time access to sequencing data and enables the detection of epigenetic modifications. This unique feature set is poised to foster the development of novel biomedical applications previously deemed unfeasible. Nanopore sequencing is based on picoampere scale measurement of current modulated by DNA or RNA polymers traveling through a nanometer opening between two compartments. Each of the five canonical nucleobases (A, T, G, C, U) has a characteristic electrical resistance, which ultimately enables the determination of the precise base sequence. However, a substantial computational effort is required to resolve the underlying sequence from a time-warped and noisy stream of digitized current measurements. Recently, a wide range of digital signal analysis and machine learning methods have been developed for Nanopore sequencing applications. Clinically relevant questions, such as the quantification of short repetitive DNA sequences remain an unresolved challenge to current generic, state-of-the-art nanopore data analysis methods. We believe realistic simulation of the signal stream can be instrumental in the development of tailored algorithms for such novel biomedical applications. Based on our work with the Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION and PromethION platform, we have developed Nanopore SimulatION, a software package for the in silico generation of realistic, raw-signal-level data. Nanopore SimulatION starts from a reference genome in conjunction with a configuration and model file derived from real-world nanopore sequencing experiments as input. To validate our algorithm, we have sequenced custom synthetic DNA, and in so doing have generated a “ground-truth” data set potentially useful for downstream algorithm development. Additionally, we demonstrate Nanopore SimulatION` s utility for method development in typical clinical use cases
VLT Observations of Turnoff stars in the Globular Cluster NGC 6397
VLT-UVES high resolution spectra of seven turnoff stars in the metal-poor
globular cluster NGC 6397 have been obtained. Atmospheric parameters and
abundances of several elements (Li, Na, Mg, Ca, Sc, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn and Ba)
were derived for program stars. The mean iron abundance is [Fe/H] = -2.02, with
no star-to-star variation. The mean abundances of the alpha-elements (Ca, Ti)
and of the iron-peak elements (Sc, Cr, Ni) are consistent with abundances
derived for field stars of similar metallicity. Magnesium is also almost solar,
consistent with the values found by Idiart & Th\'evenin (2000) when non-LTE
effects (NLTE hereafter) are taken into account. The sodium abundance derived
for five stars is essentially solar, but one object (A447) is clearly Na
deficient. These results are compatible with the expected abundance range
estimated from the stochastic evolutionary halo model by Argast et al. (2000)
when at the epoch of [Fe/H] -2 the interstellar medium is supposed to
become well-mixed.Comment: to appear in A&
Formation of Ultracold Heteronuclear Dimers in Electric Fields
The formation of ultracold molecules via stimulated emission followed by a
radiative deexcitation cascade in the presence of a static electric field is
investigated. By analyzing the corresponding cross sections, we demonstrate the
possibility to populate the lowest rotational excitations via photoassociation.
The modification of the radiative cascade due to the electric field leads to
narrow rotational state distributions in the vibrational ground state. External
fields might therefore represent an additional valuable tool towards the
ultimate goal of quantum state preparation of molecules
The Luminosity Function of M3
We present a high precision, large sample luminosity function (LF) for the
Galactic globular cluster M3. With a combination of ground based and Hubble
Space Telescope data we cover the entire radial extent of the cluster. The
observed LF is well fit by canonical standard stellar models from the red giant
branch (RGB) tip to below the main sequence turnoff point. Specifically,
neither the RGB LF-bump nor subgiant branch LF indicate any breakdown in the
standard models. On the main sequence we find evidence for a flat initial mass
function and for mass segregation due to the dynamical evolution of the
cluster.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures. ApJ, in pres
Atom chip for BEC interferometry
We have fabricated and tested an atom chip that operates as a matter wave interferometer. In this communication we describe the fabrication of the chip by ion-beam milling of gold evaporated onto a silicon substrate. We present data on the quality of the wires, on the current density that can be reached in the wires and on the smoothness of the magnetic traps that are formed. We demonstrate the operation of the interferometer, showing that we can coherently split and recombine a Bose–Einstein condensate with good phase stability
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