14,769 research outputs found
Stellar Velocity Dispersion and Black Hole Mass in the Blazar Markarian 501
The recently discovered correlation between black hole mass and stellar
velocity dispersion provides a new method to determine the masses of black
holes in active galaxies. We have obtained optical spectra of Markarian 501, a
nearby gamma-ray blazar with emission extending to TeV energies. The stellar
velocity dispersion of the host galaxy, measured from the calcium triplet lines
in a 2"x3.7" aperture, is 372 +/- 18 km/s. If Mrk 501 follows the M-sigma
correlation defined for local galaxies, then its central black hole has a mass
of (0.9-3.4)x10^9 solar masses. This is significantly larger than some previous
estimates for the central mass in Mrk 501 that have been based on models for
its nonthermal emission. The host galaxy luminosity implies a black hole of
6x10^8 solar masses, but this is not in severe conflict with the mass derived
from the M-sigma relation because the M_BH-L_bulge correlation has a large
intrinsic scatter. Using the emission-line luminosity to estimate the
bolometric luminosity of the central engine, we find that Mrk 501 radiates at
an extremely sub-Eddington level of L/L_Edd ~ 10^-4. Further applications of
the M-sigma relation to radio-loud active galactic nuclei may be useful for
interpreting unified models and understanding the relationship between radio
galaxies and BL Lac objects.Comment: To appear in ApJ Letters. 5 pages, 2 figure
Glycine-induced neurotoxicity in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures
The role of the neutral amino acid glycine in excitotoxic neuronal injury is unclear. Glycine coactivates glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors by binding to a distinct recognition site on the NR1 subunit. Purely excitatory glycine receptors composed of NR1 and NR3/NR4 NMDA receptor subunits have recently been described, raising the possibility of excitotoxic effects mediated by glycine alone. We have previously shown that exposure to high concentrations of glycine causes extensive neurotoxicity in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures by activation of NMDA receptors. In the present study, we investigated further properties of in vitro glycine-mediated toxicity. Agonists of the glycine recognition site of NMDA receptors (D-serine and D-alanine) did not have any toxic effect in hippocampal cultures, whereas competitive blockade of the glycine site by 7-chlorokynurenic acid was neuroprotective. Stimulation (taurine, β-alanine) or inhibition (strychnine) of the inhibitory strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors did not produce any neurotoxicity. The toxic effects of high-dose glycine were comparable in extent to those produced by the excitatory amino acid glutamate in our model. When combined with sublethal hypoxia/hypoglycemia, the threshold of glycine toxicity was decreased to less than 1mM, which corresponds to the range of concentrations of excitatory amino acids measured during in vivo cerebral ischemia. Taken together, these results further support the assumption of an active role of glycine in excitotoxic neuronal injur
Intermediate-mass Black Holes in Galactic Nuclei
We present the first homogeneous sample of intermediate-mass black hole
candidates in active galactic nuclei. Starting with broad-line active nuclei
from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we use the linewidth-luminosity-mass scaling
relation to select a sample of 19 galaxies in the mass range M_BH ~ 8 x 10^4 -
10^6 solar masses. In contrast to the local active galaxy population, the host
galaxies are ~1 mag fainter than M* and thus are probably late-type systems.
The active nuclei are also faint, with M_g ~ -15 to -18 mag, while the
bolometric luminosities are close to the Eddington limit. The spectral
properties of the sample are compared to the related class of objects known as
narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies. We discuss the importance of our sample as
observational analogues of primordial black holes, contributors to the
integrated signal for future gravitational wave experiments, and as a valuable
tool in the calibration of the M-sigma relation.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. To appear in "The Interplay among Black Holes,
Stars and ISM in Galactic Nuclei," Proc. IAU 222 (Gramado, Brazil), eds Th.
Storchi Bergmann, L.C. Ho, H.R. Schmit
The Bright and the Dark Side of Malin 1
Malin 1 has long been considered a prototype giant, dark matter dominated Low
Surface Brightness galaxy. Two recent studies, one based on a re-analysis of
VLA HI observations and the other on an archival Hubble I-band image, throw a
new light on this enigmatic galaxy and on its dark/luminous matter properties.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of the 41st ESLAB
Symposium "The Impact of HST on European Astronomy", 29 May to 1 June 2007,
ESTEC, Noordwijk, N
The Concepts of PISTIS and ELPIS and, AGAPEE in the Epistle to the Hebrews
We shall not attempt to solve the problem of authorship, nor, will the content and purpose of the epistle be treated beyond their relation to pistis, elpis, and agapee. Our problem is to determine: 1. what these words mean in the various passages in which they are used; 2. the role that these concepts play where they are present merely by implication. e. g., tha abiding city as part of the hope concept; 3. their relation to one another
Model for Cumulative Solar Heavy Ion Energy and Linear Energy Transfer Spectra
A probabilistic model of cumulative solar heavy ion energy and LET spectra is developed for spacecraft design applications. Spectra are given as a function of confidence level, mission time period during solar maximum and shielding thickness. It is shown that long-term solar heavy ion fluxes exceed galactic cosmic ray fluxes during solar maximum for shielding levels of interest. Cumulative solar heavy ion fluences should therefore be accounted for in single event effects rate calculations and in the planning of space missions
GW band structure of InAs and GaAs in the wurtzite phase
We report the first quasiparticle calculations of the newly observed wurtzite
polymorph of InAs and GaAs. The calculations are performed in the GW
approximation using plane waves and pseudopotentials. For comparison we also
report the study of the zinc-blende phase within the same approximations. In
the InAs compound the In 4d electrons play a very important role: whether they
are frozen in the core or not, leads either to a correct or a wrong band
ordering (negative gap) within the Local Density Appproximation (LDA). We have
calculated the GW band structure in both cases. In the first approach, we have
estimated the correction to the pd repulsion calculated within the LDA and
included this effect in the calculation of the GW corrections to the LDA
spectrum. In the second case, we circumvent the negative gap problem by first
using the screened exchange approximation and then calculating the GW
corrections starting from the so obtained eigenvalues and eigenfunctions. This
approach leads to a more realistic band-structure and was also used for GaAs.
For both InAs and GaAs in the wurtzite phase we predict an increase of the
quasiparticle gap with respect to the zinc-blende polytype.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, 3 table
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