On the void explanation of the Cold Spot

The integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) contribution induced on the cosmic microwave background by the presence of a supervoid as the one detected by Szapudi et al. (2015) is reviewed in this letter in order to check whether it could explain the Cold Spot (CS) anomaly. Two different models, previously used for the same purpose, are considered to describe the matter density profile of the void: a top hat function and a compensated profile produced by a Gaussian potential. The analysis shows that, even enabling ellipticity changes or different values for the dark-energy equation of state parameter $\omega$, the ISW contribution due to the presence of the void does not reproduce the properties of the CS. Finally, the probability of alignment between the void and the CS is also questioned as an argument in favor of a physical connection between these two phenomena

From circular paths to elliptic orbits: A geometric approach to Kepler's motion

The hodograph, i.e. the path traced by a body in velocity space, was introduced by Hamilton in 1846 as an alternative for studying certain dynamical problems. The hodograph of the Kepler problem was then investigated and shown to be a circle, it was next used to investigate some other properties of the motion. We here propose a new method for tracing the hodograph and the corresponding configuration space orbit in Kepler's problem starting from the initial conditions given and trying to use no more than the methods of synthetic geometry in a sort of Newtonian approach. All of our geometric constructions require straight edge and compass only.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Asymptotics of polynomial solutions of a class of generalized Lamé differential equations

In this paper we study the asymptotic behavior of sequences of Heine-Stieltjes and Van Vleck polynomials for a class of generalized Lamé differential equations connected with certain equilibrium problems on the unit circle.The research of A.M.F. and P.M.G. was partially supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCYT) of Spain through the grant BFM2001-3878-C02-02, and by Junta de Andalucía through Grupo de Investigación FQM 0229. A.M.F. acknowledges also the support of the European Research Network on Constructive Complex Approximation (NeCCA), INTAS 03-51-6637, and of NATO Collaborative Linkage Grant “Orthogonal Polynomials: Theory, Applications and Generalizations,” ref. PST.CLG.979738. The research of R.O. was partially supported by grants from Spanish MCYT (Research Project BFM2001-3411) and Gobierno Autónomo de Canarias (Research Project PI2002/136)

Searching for a dipole modulation in the large-scale structure of the Universe

Several statistical anomalies in the CMB temperature anisotropies seem to defy the assumption of a homogeneous and isotropic universe. In particular, a dipole modulation has been detected both in WMAP and Planck data. We adapt the methodology proposed by Eriksen et al. (2007) on CMB data to galaxy surveys, tracing the large-scale structure. We analyse the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) data at a resolution of ~2 degrees for three different flux thresholds: 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mJy respectively. No evidence of a dipole modulation is found. This result suggests that the origin of the dipole asymmetry found in the CMB cannot be assigned to secondary anisotropies produced at redshifts around z = 1. However, it could still have been generated at redshifts higher or lower, such as the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect produced by the local structures. Other all-sky surveys, like the infrared WISE catalogue, could help to explore with a high sensitivity a redshift interval closer than the one probed with NVSS.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. Some minor changes have been done from the original manuscript. This paper is accepted by MNRA

Modeling the Aerodynamics and Performances of a Historic Airplane: the Spanish

The process of modeling the aerodynamics and performances of a historic airplane is very similar to the conceptual and preliminary design phases of a new plane, with the advantage of knowing the configuration and that the airplane was airworthy; thus it is unnecessary to outline and assess many different alternatives. However, the drag polar, the real performances, stability features, etc, are still unknown. For various reasons (in particular because of two World Wars, or the Civil War in the Spanish case) most details of many historical airplanes have been lost.In the present research work, the situation is as follows. In June 1933 the "Cuatro Vientos", a Spanish-built Bréguet XIX Super TR, flew non-stop from Seville to Cuba; a distance of 7500 km (about 4100 nautical miles) in around 40 hours. A few days later, in a far less complicated stage between Havana and Mexico, the airplane was lost with its occupants to a storm in the Yucatan peninsula.The modeling considered in this paper starts by addressing the aerodynamic modifications introduced in the airplane for the extremely long flight. Then, with the help of old and present day aerodynamic data and methods the drag polar is estimated. The available engine data is completed and extrapolated to obtain information on power and fuel consumption. Finally, all this data is integrated to provide a reliable and technically sound reproduction of the Seville-Cuba flight

Improved constraints on primordial non-Gaussianity for the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 5-yr data

We present new constraints on the non-linear coupling parameter fnl with the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) data. We use an updated method based on the spherical Mexican hat wavelet (SMHW) which provides improved constraints on the fnl parameter. This paper is a continuation of a previous work by Curto et al. where several third order statistics based on the SMHW were considered. In this paper, we use all the possible third order statistics computed from the wavelet coefficient maps evaluated at 12 angular scales. The scales are logarithmically distributed from 6.9 arcmin to 500 arcmin. Our analysis indicates that fnl is constrained to -18 < fnl < +80 at 95% confidence level (CL) for the combined V+W WMAP map. This value has been corrected by the presence of undetected point sources, which adds a positive contribution of Delta_fnl = 6 +- 5. Our result excludes at ~99% CL the best-fitting value fnl=87 reported by Yadav & Wandelt. We have also constrained fnl for the Q, V and W frequency bands separately, finding compatibility with zero at 95 % CL for the Q and V bands but not for the W band. We have performed some further tests to understand the cause of this deviation which indicate that systematics associated to the W radiometers could be responsible for this result. Finally we have performed a Galactic North-South analysis for fnl. We have not found any asymmetry, i.e. the best-fitting fnl for the northern pixels is compatible with the best-fitting fnl for the southern pixels.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in Ap

A search for magnetic fields on central stars in planetary nebulae

One of the possible mechanisms responsible for the panoply of shapes in planetary nebulae is the presence of magnetic fields that drive the ejection of ionized material during the proto-planetary nebula phase. Therefore, detecting magnetic fields in such objects is of key importance for understanding their dynamics. Still, magnetic fields have not been detected using polarimetry in the central stars of planetary nebulae. Circularly polarized light spectra have been obtained with the Focal Reducer and Low Dispersion Spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory and the Intermediate dispersion Spectrograph and Imaging System at the William Herschel Telescope. Nineteen planetary nebulae spanning very different morphology and evolutionary stages have been selected. Most of central stars have been observed at different rotation phases to point out evidence of magnetic variability. In this paper, we present the result of two observational campaigns aimed to detect and measure the magnetic field in the central stars of planetary nebulae on the basis of low resolution spectropolarimetry. In the limit of the adopted method, we can state that large scale fields of kG order are not hosted on the central star of planetary nebulae.Comment: Paper accepted to be published in Astronomy and Astrophysics on 20/01/201

Bilepton and exotic quark mass limits in 331 models from Z -> b anti-b decay

We study the effect of new physics on the Z-decay into b anti-b pairs in the framework of 331 models. The decay Z -> b anti-b is computed at one loop level and, using previous results, we evaluate this branching fraction in the framework of 331 models. A wide range of the space parameter of the model is considered and possible deviations from the standard model predictions are explored. From precision measurements at the Z-pole we find the allowed region for MJ3, MX at 95 % CL.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figure