6,728 research outputs found
The Roche problem: some analytics
Some exact analytical formulas are derived for the potential and mass ratio
as a function of Lagrangian points position, in the classical Roche model of
the close binary stars.Comment: aastex, 4 pp. ApJ accepte
Near-infrared and Millimeter Constraints on the Nuclear Energy Source of the Infrared Luminous Galaxy NGC 4418
We present near-infrared and millimeter investigations of the nucleus of the
infrared luminous galaxy NGC 4418, which previous observations suggest
possesses a powerful buried AGN. We found the following main results: (1) The
infrared K-band spectrum shows CO absorption features at 2.3-2.4 micron owing
to stars and very strong H2 emission lines. The luminosity ratios of H2
emission lines are suggestive of a thermal origin, and the equivalent width of
the H2 1-0 S(1) line is the second largest observed to date in an external
galaxy, after the well-studied strong H2-emitting galaxy NGC 6240. (2) The
infrared L-band spectrum shows a clear polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)
emission feature at 3.3 micron, which is usually found in star-forming
galaxies. The estimated star-formation luminosity from the observed PAH
emission can account for only a small fraction of the infrared luminosity. (3)
Millimeter interferometric observations of the nucleus reveal a high HCN (1-0)
to HCO+ (1-0) luminosity ratio of 1.8, as has been previously found in pure
AGNs. (4) The measurements of HCN (1-0) luminosity using a single-dish
millimeter telescope show that the HCN (1-0) to infrared luminosity ratio is
slightly larger than the average, but within the scattered range, for other
infrared luminous galaxies. All of these results can be explained by the
scenario in which, in addition to energetically-insignificant, weakly-obscured
star-formation at the surface of the nucleus, a powerful X-ray emitting AGN
deeply buried in dust and high density molecular gas is present.Comment: 31 pages, 9 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomical Journal
(2004 November issue
Distribution of dust clouds around the central engine of NGC 1068
We studied the distribution of dust clouds around the central engine of NGC
1068 based on shifted-and-added 8.8 - 12.3 micron (MIR) multi-filter images and
3.0 - 3.9 micron (L-band) spectra obtained with the Subaru Telescope. In a
region of 100 pc (1.4") around the central peak, we successfully constructed
maps of color temperatures and emissivities of the MIR and L-band continua as
well as the 9.7 micron and 3.4 micron dust features with spatial resolutions of
26 pc (0.37") in the MIR and 22 pc (0.3") in the L-band. Our main results are:
1) color temperature of the MIR continuum scatters around the thermal
equilibrium temperature with the central engine as the heat source while that
of the L-band continuum is higher and independent upon distance from the
central engine; 2) the peak of the 9.7 micron silicate absorption feature is
shifted to a longer wavelength at some locations; 3) the ratio of the optical
depths of the dust features is different from the Galactic values and show
complicated spatial distribution; and 4) there is a pie shaped warm dust cloud
as an enhancement in the emissivity of the MIR continuum extending about 50 pc
to the north from the central engine. We speculate that material falls into the
central engine through this cloud.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication on Ap
New Cepheid variables in the young open clusters Berkeley 51 and Berkeley 55
As part of a wider investigation of evolved massive stars in Galactic open clusters, we have spectroscopically identified three candidate classical Cepheids in the little-studied clusters Berkeley 51, Berkeley 55 and NGC 6603. Using new multi-epoch photometry, we confirm that Be 51 #162 and Be 55 #107 are bona fide Cepheids, with pulsation periods of 9.83±0.01 d and 5.850±0.005 d respectively, while NGC 6603 star W2249 does not show significant photometric variability. Using the period-luminosity relationship for Cepheid variables, we determine a distance to Be 51 of 5.3 +1.0 −0.8 kpc and an age of 44 +9 −8 Myr, placing it in a sparsely-attested region of the Perseus arm. For Be 55, we find a distance of 2.2±0.3 kpc and age of 63 +12 −11 Myr, locating the cluster in the Local arm. Taken together with our recent discovery of a long-period Cepheid in the starburst cluster VdBH222, these represent an important increase in the number of young, massive Cepheids known in Galactic open clusters. We also consider new Gaia (data release 2) parallaxes and proper motions for members of Be 51 and Be 55; the uncertainties on the parallaxes do not allow us to refine our distance estimates to these clusters, but the well-constrained proper motion measurements furnish further confirmation of cluster membership. However, future final Gaia parallaxes for such objects should provide valuable independent distance measurements, improving the calibration of the period-luminosity relationship, with implications for the distance ladder out to cosmological scales
High Resolution Imaging of the Magnetic Field in the central parsec of the Galaxy
We discuss a high resolution (FWHM~ 0.45 arcsec) image of the emissive
polarization from warm dust in the minispiral in the Galactic Centre and
discuss the implications for the magnetic field in the dusty filaments. The
image was obtained at a wavelength of 12.5 microns with the CanariCam multimode
mid-infrared imager on the Gran Telescopio Canarias. It confirms the results
obtained from previous observations but also reveals new details of the
polarization structures. In particular, we identify regions of coherent
magnetic field emission at position angles of ~45 deg to the predominantly
north--south run of field lines in the Northern Arm which may be related to
orbital motions inclined to the general flow of the Northern Arm. The luminous
stars that have been identified as bow-shock sources in the Northern Arm do not
disrupt or dilute the field but are linked by a coherent field structure,
implying that the winds from these objects may push and compress the field but
do not overwhelm it. The magnetic field in the the low surface brightness
regions in the East-West Bar to the south of SgrA* lies along the Bar, but the
brighter regions generally have different polarization position angles,
suggesting that they are distinct structures. In the region of the Northern Arm
sampled here, there is only a weak correlation between the intensity of the
emission and the degree of polarization. This is consistent with saturated
grain alignment where the degree of polarization depends on geometric effects,
including the angle of inclination of the field to the line of sight and
superposition of filaments with different field directions, rather than the
alignment efficiency.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of Cosmic Dust X, held in Mitaka,
Japan in August 201
Tuning laser-induced bandgaps in graphene
Could a laser field lead to the much sought-after tunable bandgaps in
graphene? By using Floquet theory combined with Green's functions techniques,
we predict that a laser field in the mid-infrared range can produce observable
bandgaps in the electronic structure of graphene. Furthermore, we show how they
can be tuned by using the laser polarization. Our results could serve as a
guidance to design opto-electronic nano-devices.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Applied Physics Letter
Fingerprints of Inelastic Transport at the Surface of the Topological Insulator Bi2Se3: Role of Electron-Phonon Coupling
We report on electric-field and temperature dependent transport measurements
in exfoliated thin crystals of BiSe topological insulator. At low
temperatures ( K) and when the chemical potential lies inside the bulk
gap, the crystal resistivity is strongly temperature dependent, reflecting
inelastic scattering due to the thermal activation of optical phonons. A linear
increase of the current with voltage is obtained up to a threshold value at
which current saturation takes place. We show that the activated behavior, the
voltage threshold and the saturation current can all be quantitatively
explained by considering a single optical phonon mode with energy meV. This phonon mode strongly interacts with the surface states of
the material and represents the dominant source of scattering at the surface at
high electric fields.Comment: Supplementary Material at:
http://journals.aps.org/prl/supplemental/10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.086601/TIPhonon_SM.pd
Non-perturbative laser effects on the electrical properties of graphene nanoribbons
The use of Floquet theory combined with a realistic description of the
electronic structure of illuminated graphene and graphene nanoribbons is
developed to assess the emergence of non-adiabatic and non-perturbative effects
on the electronic properties. Here, we introduce an efficient computational
scheme and illustrate its use by applying it to graphene nanoribbons in the
presence of both linear and circular polarization. The interplay between
confinement due to the finite sample size and laser-induced transitions is
shown to lead to sharp features on the average conductance and density of
states. Particular emphasis is given to the emergence of the bulk limit
response.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, to appear in J. Phys.: Condens. Matter, special
issue on "Ultrafast and nonlinear optics in carbon nanomaterials
Laser-induced effects on the electronic features of graphene nanoribbons
We study the interplay between lateral confinement and photon-induced
processes on the electronic properties of illuminated graphene nanoribbons. We
find that by tuning the device setup (edges geometries, ribbon width and
polarization direction), a laser with frequency {\Omega} may either not affect
the electronic structure, or induce bandgaps or depletions at \hbar {\Omega}/2,
and/or at other energies not commensurate with half the photon energy. Similar
features are also observed in the dc conductance, suggesting the use of the
polarization direction to switch on and off the graphene device. Our results
could guide the design of novel types of optoelectronic nano-devices.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
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