An H alpha Survey of 8 Abell Clusters: the dependence of tidally-induced star formation on cluster density

We have undertaken a survey of H alpha emission in a substantially complete sample of CGCG galaxies of types Sa and later within 1.5 Abell radii of the centres of 8 low-redshift Abell clusters. Some 320 galaxies were surveyed, of which 116 were detected in emission (39% of spirals, 75% of peculiars). Detected emission was classified as `compact' or `diffuse'. From an analysis of the full survey sample, we reconfirm our previous identification of compact and diffuse emission with circumnuclear starburst and disk emission respectively. The circumnuclear emission is associated either with the presence of a bar, or with a disturbed galaxy morphology indicative of on-going tidal interactions. The frequency of such tidally-induced (circumnuclear) starburst emission in spirals increases from regions of lower to higher local galaxy surface density, and from clusters with lower to higher central galaxy space density. We conclude that tidal interactions are likely to be the main mechanism for the transformation of spirals to S0s in clusters. Finally, for regions of comparable local density, the frequency of tidally-induced starburst emission is greater in clusters with higher central galaxy density. This implies that, for a given local density, morphological transformation of disk galaxies proceeds more rapidly in clusters of higher central galaxy density. This effect is considered to be due to subcluster merging and could account for the previously considered anomalous absence of a significant type - local surface density relation for irregular clusters at intermediate redshift.Comment: 22 pages including 4 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Between social policy and Union citizenship: the Framework Directive on equal treatment in employment

In December 2000, the Council adopted the Framework Directive forbidding discrimination on grounds of religion or belief, disability, age and sexual orientation in the field of employment. The Directive adopted Article 13 EC as its legal basis. However, there are strong arguments suggesting that this was not the correct choice of legal basis; in particular, the Social Chapter of the EC Treaty (Title XI) provided an alternative legal foundation, including different legislative processes (co-decision and the social dialogue). This article first examines the legal grounds requiring a different legal basis for the Directive and then explores the wider political imperatives that may explain the preference of the EU institutions for relying instead on Article 13 EC.</p

The Locus of Highly Accreting AGNs on the M_BH--sigma Plane: Selections, Limitations, and Implications

We re-examine the locus of narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies on the M_BH--sigma (black hole mass--bulge velocity dispersion) plane in the light of the results from large new optically selected samples. We find that (1) soft X-ray selected NLS1s have a lower ratio of BH mass to \sigma^{4}_{[OIII]} than broad line Seyfert 1 galaxies; this remains a robust statistical result contrary to recent claims otherwise; (2) optically selected NLS1s have systematically lower Eddington luminosity ratio compared to X-ray selected NLS1s; and (3) as a result, the locus of NLS1s on the M_BH--sigma plane is affected by selection effects. We argue that there is no single explanation for the origin of the M_BH--sigma relation; instead tracks of galaxies on the M_BH--sigma plane differ with redshift, consistent with the downsizing of AGN activity. If these results at face value are incorrect, then the data imply that AGNs with high Eddington accretion reside preferentially in relatively late type galaxies at the present epoch, perhaps a more interesting result and a challenge to theoretical models.Comment: To appear in Ap

HST Observations of the Double-Peaked Emission Lines in the Seyfert Galaxy Markarian 78: Mass Outflows from a Single AGN

Previous ground based observations of the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 78 revealed a double set of emission lines, similar to those seen in several AGN from recent surveys. Are the double lines due to two AGN with different radial velocities in the same galaxy, or are they due to mass outflows from a single AGN?We present a study of the outflowing ionized gas in the resolved narrow-line region (NLR) of Mrk 78 using observations from Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and Faint Object Camera (FOC) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope(HST) as part of an ongoing project to determine the kinematics and geometries of active galactic nuclei (AGN) outflows. From the spectroscopic information, we deter- mined the fundamental geometry of the outflow via our kinematics modeling program by recreating radial velocities to fit those seen in four different STIS slit positions. We determined that the double emission lines seen in ground-based spectra are due to an asymmetric distribution of outflowing gas in the NLR. By successfully fitting a model for a single AGN to Mrk 78, we show that it is possible to explain double emission lines with radial velocity offsets seen in AGN similar to Mrk 78 without requiring dual supermassive black holes.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures (2 color), accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Recoiling Black Holes in Quasars

Recent simulations of merging black holes with spin give recoil velocities from gravitational radiation up to several thousand km/s. A recoiling supermassive black hole can retain the inner part of its accretion disk, providing fuel for a continuing QSO phase lasting millions of years as the hole moves away from the galactic nucleus. One possible observational manifestation of a recoiling accretion disk is in QSO emission lines shifted in velocity from the host galaxy. We have examined QSOs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with broad emission lines substantially shifted relative to the narrow lines. We find no convincing evidence for recoiling black holes carrying accretion disks. We place an upper limit on the incidence of recoiling black holes in QSOs of 4% for kicks greater than 500 km/s and 0.35% for kicks greater than 1000 km/s line-of-sight velocity.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, uses emulateapj, Submitted to ApJ Letter

Minimal energy control of a nanoelectromechanical memory element

The Pontryagin minimal energy control approach has been applied to minimise the switching energy in a nanoelectromechanical memory system and to characterise global stability of the oscillatory states of the bistable memory element. A comparison of two previously experimentally determined pulse-type control signals with Pontryagin control function has been performed, and the superiority of the Pontryagin approach with regard to power consumption has been demonstrated. An analysis of global stability shows how values of minimal energy can be utilized in order to specify equally stable states

A Note on the Viability of Gaseous Ionization in Active Galaxies by Fast Shocks

Observational evidence suggest that shocks may affect the spatial and velocity distributions of gas in the NLR/ENLR of some active galaxies. It thus seemed plausible that shocks may also energize the NLR. The observed emission line ratios strongly favor photoionization as the heating source, but it is not clear whether the ionizing radiation is generated in the NLR by "photoionizing shocks" or whether it originates at the central continuum source. Here I point out that shocks are highly inefficient in producing line emission. Shocks in the NLR can convert at most 10^{-6} of the rest mass to ionizing radiation, compared with a maximum conversion efficiency of ~0.1 for the central continuum source. The required mass flow rate through shocks in the NLR is thus a few orders of magnitude higher than the mass accretion rate required to power the NLR by the central continuum source. Since gravity appears to dominate the NLR cloud dynamics, shocks must lead to an inflow, and the implied high inflow rates can be ruled out in most active galaxies. NLR dynamics driven by a thermal wind or by some jet configurations may produce the mass flux through shocks required for photoionizing shocks to be viable, but the mass flux inward from the NLR must be kept ~100-1000 times smaller. Photoionizing shocks are a viable mechanism in very low luminosity active galaxies if they are highly sub-Eddington (<~10^{-4}) and if they convert mass to radiation with a very low efficiency (<~10^{-4}).Comment: 6 pages, aas2pp4.sty, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

An obstacle to a decomposition theorem for near-regular matroids

Seymour's Decomposition Theorem for regular matroids states that any matroid representable over both GF(2) and GF(3) can be obtained from matroids that are graphic, cographic, or isomorphic to R10 by 1-, 2-, and 3-sums. It is hoped that similar characterizations hold for other classes of matroids, notably for the class of near-regular matroids. Suppose that all near-regular matroids can be obtained from matroids that belong to a few basic classes through k-sums. Also suppose that these basic classes are such that, whenever a class contains all graphic matroids, it does not contain all cographic matroids. We show that in that case 3-sums will not suffice.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figur