10,771 research outputs found
A Dust-Penetrated Classification Scheme for Bars as Inferred from their Gravitational Force Fields
The division of galaxies into ``barred'' (SB) and ``normal'' (S) spirals is a
fundamental aspect of the Hubble galaxy classification system. This ``tuning
fork'' view was revised by de Vaucouleurs, whose classification volume
recognized apparent ``bar strength'' (SA, SAB, SB) as a continuous property of
galaxies called the ``family''. However, the SA, SAB, and SB families are
purely visual judgments that can have little bearing on the actual bar strength
in a given galaxy. Until very recently, published bar judgments were based
exclusively on blue light images, where internal extinction or star formation
can either mask a bar completely or give the false impression of a bar in a
nonbarred galaxy. Near-infrared camera arrays, which principally trace the old
stellar populations in both normal and barred galaxies, now facilitate a
quantification of bar strength in terms of their gravitational potentials and
force fields. In this paper, we show that the maximum value, Qb, of the ratio
of the tangential force to the mean radial force is a quantitative measure of
the strength of a bar. Qb does not measure bar ellipticity or bar shape, but
rather depends on the actual forcing due to the bar embedded in its disk. We
show that a wide range of true bar strengths characterizes the category ``SB'',
while de Vaucouleurs category ``SAB'' corresponds to a much narrower range of
bar strengths. We present Qb values for 36 galaxies, and we incorporate our bar
classes into a dust-penetrated classification system for spiral galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (LaTex, 30
pages + 3 figures); Figs. 1 and 3 are in color and are also available at
http://bama.ua.edu/~rbuta/bars
New physics, the cosmic ray spectrum knee, and cross section measurements
We explore the possibility that a new physics interaction can provide an
explanation for the knee just above GeV in the cosmic ray spectrum. We
model the new physics modifications to the total proton-proton cross section
with an incoherent term that allows for missing energy above the scale of new
physics. We add the constraint that the new physics must also be consistent
with published cross section measurements, using cosmic ray observations,
an order of magnitude and more above the knee. We find that the rise in cross
section required at energies above the knee is radical. The increase in cross
section suggests that it may be more appropriate to treat the scattering
process in the black disc limit at such high energies. In this case there may
be no clean separation between the standard model and new physics contributions
to the total cross section. We model the missing energy in this limit and find
a good fit to the Tibet III cosmic ray flux data. We comment on testing the new
physics proposal for the cosmic ray knee at the Large Hadron Collider.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure
Analytic models and forward scattering from accelerator to cosmic-ray energies
Analytic models for hadron-hadron scattering are characterized by analytical
parametrizations for the forward amplitudes and the use of dispersion relation
techniques to study the total cross section and the
parameter. In this paper we investigate four aspects related to the application
of the model to and scattering, from accelerator to cosmic-ray
energies: 1) the effect of different estimations for from
cosmic-ray experiments; 2) the differences between individual and global
(simultaneous) fits to and ; 3) the role of the
subtraction constant in the dispersion relations; 4) the effect of distinct
asymptotic inputs from different analytic models. This is done by using as a
framework the single Pomeron and the maximal Odderon parametrizations for the
total cross section. Our main conclusions are the following: 1) Despite the
small influence from different cosmic-ray estimations, the results allow us to
extract an upper bound for the soft pomeron intercept: ;
2) although global fits present good statistical results, in general, this
procedure constrains the rise of ; 3) the subtraction constant as
a free parameter affects the fit results at both low and high energies; 4)
independently of the cosmic-ray information used and the subtraction constant,
global fits with the odderon parametrization predict that, above GeV, becomes greater than , and
this result is in complete agreement with all the data presently available. In
particular, we infer at GeV and
at 500 GeV (BNL RHIC energies).Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, aps-revtex, wording changes, corrected typos, to
appear in Physical Review
Analytic Expression for the Joint x and Q^2 Dependences of the Structure Functions of Deep Inelastic Scattering
We obtain a good analytic fit to the joint Bjorken-x and Q^2 dependences of
ZEUS data on the deep inelastic structure function F_2(x, Q^2). At fixed
virtuality Q^2, as we showed previously, our expression is an expansion in
powers of log (1/x) that satisfies the Froissart bound. Here we show that for
each x, the Q^2 dependence of the data is well described by an expansion in
powers of log Q^2. The resulting analytic expression allows us to predict the
logarithmic derivatives {({\partial}^n F_2^p/{{(\partial\ln Q^2}})^n)}_x for n
= 1,2 and to compare the results successfully with other data. We extrapolate
the proton structure function F_2^p(x,Q^2) to the very large Q^2 and the very
small x regions that are inaccessible to present day experiments and contrast
our expectations with those of conventional global fits of parton distribution
functions.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, a few changes in the text. Version to be
published in Physical Review Letter
New limits on "odderon" amplitudes from analyticity constraints
In studies of high energy and scattering, the odd (under
crossing) forward scattering amplitude accounts for the difference between the
and cross sections. Typically, it is taken as
(),
which has as , where is the
ratio of the real to the imaginary portion of the forward scattering amplitude.
However, the odd-signatured amplitude can have in principle a strikingly
different behavior, ranging from having non-zero constant to
having as , the maximal behavior
allowed by analyticity and the Froissart bound. We reanalyze high energy
and scattering data, using new analyticity constraints, in order to
put new and precise limits on the magnitude of ``odderon'' amplitudes.Comment: 13 pages LaTex, 6 figure
Uncovering Spiral Structure in Flocculent Galaxies
We present K'(2.1 micron) observations of four nearby flocculent spirals,
which clearly show low-level spiral structure and suggest that kiloparsec-scale
spiral structure is more prevalent in flocculent spirals than previously
supposed. In particular, the prototypical flocculent spiral NGC 5055 is shown
to have regular, two-arm spiral structure to a radius of 4 kpc in the near
infrared, with an arm-interarm contrast of 1.3. The spiral structure in all
four galaxies is weaker than that in grand design galaxies. Taken in unbarred
galaxies with no large, nearby companions, these data are consistent with the
modal theory of spiral density waves, which maintains that density waves are
intrinsic to the disk. As an alternative, mechanisms for driving spiral
structure with non-axisymmetric perturbers are also discussed. These
observations highlight the importance of near infrared imaging for exploring
the range of physical environments in which large-scale dynamical processes,
such as density waves, are important.Comment: 12 pages AASTeX; 3 compressed PS figures can be retrieved from
ftp://ftp.astro.umd.edu/pub/michele as file thornley.tar (1.6Mbytes).
Accepted to Ap.J. Letters.(Figures now also available here, and from
ftp://ftp.astro.umd.edu/pub/michele , in GIF format.
Small x Behavior of Parton Distributions from the Observed Froissart Energy Dependence of the Deep Inelastic Scattering Cross Section
We fit the reduced cross section for deep-inelastic electron scattering data
to a three parameter ln^2 s fit, A + beta ln^2 (s/s_0), where s= [Q^2/x] (1-x)
+ m^2, and Q^2 is the virtuality of the exchanged photon. Over a wide range in
Q^2 (0.11 < Q^2 < 1200 GeV^2) all of the fits satisfy the logarithmic energy
dependence of the Froissart bound. We can use these results to extrapolate to
very large energies and hence to very small values of Bjorken x -- well beyond
the range accessible experimentally. As Q^2 --> infinity, the structure
function F_2^p(x, Q^2) exhibits Bjorken scaling, within experimental errors. We
obtain new constraints on the behavior of quark and antiquark distribution
functions at small x.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure
- …