From Spitzer Galaxy Photometry to Tully-Fisher Distances

This paper involves a data release of the observational campaign: Cosmicflows with Spitzer (CFS). Surface photometry of the 1270 galaxies constituting the survey is presented. An additional ~ 400 galaxies from various other Spitzer surveys are also analyzed. CFS complements the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies, that provides photometry for an additional 2352 galaxies, by extending observations to low galactic latitudes (|b|<30 degrees). Among these galaxies are calibrators, selected in K band, of the Tully-Fisher relation. The addition of new calibrators demonstrate the robustness of the previously released calibration. Our estimate of the Hubble constant using supernova host galaxies is unchanged, H0 = 75.2 +/- 3.3 km/s/Mpc. Distance-derived radial peculiar velocities, for the 1935 galaxies with all the available parameters, will be incorporated into a new data release of the Cosmicflows project. The size of the previous catalog will be increased by 20%, including spatial regions close to the Zone of Avoidance.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 16 pages, 14 figures, 6 table

Galaxies behind the Galactic plane: First results and perspectives from the VVV Survey

Vista Variables in The Via Lactea (VVV) is an ESO variability survey that is performing observations in near infrared bands (ZYJHKs) towards the Galactic bulge and part of the disk with the completeness limits at least 3 mag deeper than 2MASS. In the present work, we searched in the VVV survey data for background galaxies near the Galactic plane using ZYJHKs photometry that covers 1.636 square degrees. We identified 204 new galaxy candidates by analyzing colors, sizes, and visual inspection of multi-band (ZYJHKs) images. The galaxy candidates colors were also compared with the predicted ones by star counts models considering a more realistic extinction model at the same completeness limits observed by VVV. A comparison of the galaxy candidates with the expected one by Milennium simulations is also presented. Our results increase the number density of known galaxies behind the Milky Way by more than one order of magnitude. A catalog with galaxy properties including ellipticity, Petrosian radii and ZYJHKs magnitudes is provided, as well as comparisons of the results with other surveys of galaxies towards Galactic plane.Comment: 27 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables; in press at The Astronomical Journa

Student perspectives on a collaborative international doctorate of pharmacy program

Objectives: To evaluate the educational experience and teaching methods of the collaborative Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD) program between the University of Malta (UM) and the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Methods: A 41-question survey was developed to identify student demographics, satisfaction with the PharmD program and the utility of the current curricular components. Students who enrolled in the program in May 2017 were invited to participate. The survey contained open-ended, 5-point Likert, and multiple-choice type questions. The primary outcomes were the overall satisfaction and student motivations for pursuing the program. Secondary outcomes included the level of difficulty of courses, evaluation of assessment methods, and confidence in an interdisciplinary team. Results: Thirty-six students completed the survey (a response rate of 83.7%). The mean age was 30.1 ± 7.9 years. The majority of the students pursued the PharmD program to improve their knowledge, skills, and opportunity for obtaining a clinical position. The mean overall satisfaction of the program was 3.81 ± 1.1 (5 = very satisfied). Among the core courses, Pharmacotherapeutics had the highest overall satisfaction (4.45 ± 0.91) and level of difficulty (3.84 ± 0.51). Students felt that the tutorials/recitation case discussion sessions were the most effective teaching method (48.4%) and ranked faculties conducting case-based lectures highest for overall performance. Most students felt somewhat confident (54.8%) for participating in a multidisciplinary team. Conclusions: The UM/UIC PharmD Program is a unique program, utilizing a hybrid model of teaching, including distance education, to expose students to a broad and challenging curriculum in clinical pharmacy practice. Students are satisfied with this collaborative, international postgraduate PharmD program.peer-reviewe

Towards a Full Census of the Obscure(d) Vela Supercluster using MeerKAT

Recent spectroscopic observations of a few thousand partially obscured galaxies in the Vela constellation revealed a massive overdensity on supercluster scales straddling the Galactic Equator (l $\sim$ 272.5deg) at $cz \sim 18000$km/s. It remained unrecognised because it is located just beyond the boundaries and volumes of systematic whole-sky redshift and peculiar velocity surveys - and is obscured by the Milky Way. The structure lies close to the apex where residual bulkflows suggest considerable mass excess. The uncovered Vela Supercluster (VSCL) conforms of a confluence of merging walls, but its core remains uncharted. At the thickest foreground dust column densities (|b| < 6 deg) galaxies are not visible and optical spectroscopy is not effective. This precludes a reliable estimate of the mass of VSCL, hence its effect on the cosmic flow field and the peculiar velocity of the Local Group. Only systematic HI-surveys can bridge that gap. We have run simulations and will present early-science observing scenarios with MeerKAT 32 (M32) to complete the census of this dynamically and cosmologically relevant supercluster. M32 has been put forward because this pilot project will also serve as precursor project for HI MeerKAT Large Survey Projects, like Fornax and Laduma. Our calculations have shown that a survey area of the fully obscured part of the supercluster, where the two walls cross and the potential core of the supercluster resides, can be achieved on reasonable time-scales (200 hrs) with M32.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication, Proceedings of Science, workshop on "MeerKAT Science: On the Pathway to the SKA", held in Stellenbosch 25-27 May 201

A GBT Survey of the HALOGAS Galaxies and Their Environments I: Revealing the full extent of HI around NGC891, NGC925, NGC4414 & NGC4565

We present initial results from a deep neutral hydrogen (HI) survey of the HALOGAS galaxy sample, which includes the spiral galaxies NGC891, NGC925, NGC4414, and NGC4565, performed with the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). The resulting observations cover at least four deg$^2$ around these galaxies with an average 5$\sigma$ detection limit of 1.2$\times$10$^{18}$ cm$^{-2}$ over a velocity range of 20 km s$^{-1}$ and angular scale of 9.1$'$. In addition to detecting the same total flux as the GBT data, the spatial distribution of the GBT and original Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) data match well at equal spatial resolutions. The HI mass fraction below HI column densities of 10$^{19}$ cm$^{-2}$ is, on average, 2\%. We discuss the possible origins of low column density HI of nearby spiral galaxies. The absence of a considerable amount of newly detected HI by the GBT indicates these galaxies do not have significant extended diffuse HI structures, and suggests future surveys planned with the SKA and its precursors must go \textit{at least} as deep as 10$^{17}$ cm$^{-2}$ in column density to significantly increase the probability of detecting HI associated with the cosmic web and/or cold mode accretion.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal; 28 pages, 15 figure

Infrared luminosities of galaxies in the Local Volume

Near-infrared properties of 451 galaxies with distances D \leq 10 Mpc are considered basing on the all-sky two micron survey (2MASS). A luminosity function of the galaxies in the K-band is derived within [-25,-11] mag. The local (D < 8 Mpc) luminosity density is estimated to be 6.8*10^8 L_sun/Mpc^3 that exceeds (1.5+-0.1) times the global cosmic density in the K-band. Virial mass-to-K-luminosity ratios are determined for nearby groups and clusters. In the luminosity range of (5*10^{10} - 2*10^{13})L_sun, the groups and clusters follow the relation \lg(M/L_K) propto (0.27+-0.03) lg(L_K) with a scatter of \~0.1 comparable to errors of the observables. The mean ratio ~= (20-25) M_sun/L_sun for the galaxy systems turns out to be significantly lower than the global ratio, (80-90)M_sun/L_sun, expected in the standard cosmological model with the matter density of Omega_m =0.27. This discrepancy can be resolved if most of dark matter in the universe is not associated with galaxies and their systems.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures. Astronomy Letters, submitte

Binary Galaxies in the Local Supercluster and Its Neighborhood

We report a catalog of 509 pairs identified among 10403 nearby galaxies with line-of-sight velocities V_LG < 3500 km/s.We selected binary systems in accordance with two criteria (bounding and temporal), which require the physical pair of galaxies to have negative total energy and its components to be located inside the zero-velocity surface. We assume that individual galaxy masses are proportional to their total K-band luminosities, M = L_K x 6M/L. The catalog gives the magnitudes and morphological types of galaxies and also the projected (orbital) masses and pair isolation indices. The component line-of-sight velocity differences and projected distances of the binary systems considered have power-law distributions with the median values of 35 km/s and 123 kpc, respectively. The median mass-to-K-band luminosity ratio is equal to 11 M/L, and its uncertainty is mostly due to the errors of measured velocities. Our sample of binary systems has a typical density contrast of d ro/ro_c ~ 500 and a median crossing time of about 3.5 Gyr. We point out the substantial fraction of binary systems consisting of late-type dwarf galaxies, where the luminosities of both components are lower than that of the Small Magellanic Cloud. The median projected distance for 41 such pairs is only 30 kpc, and the median difference of their line-of-sight velocities is equal to 14 km/s which is smaller than the typical error for radial-velocity (30 km/s). This specific population of gas-rich dwarf binary galaxies such as I Zw 18 may be at the stage immediately before merging of its components. Such objects, which are usually lost in flux-limited (and not distance-limited) samples deserve a thorough study in the HI radio line with high spatial and velocity resolution.Comment: published in Astrophysical Bulletin, 2008, Vol. 63, No. 4, pp. 299-34