6,795 research outputs found
A Multiwavelength View at the Heart of the Superwind in NGC 253
Here we present new optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope of the NGC
253 central region, which reveal numerous discrete sources in a ring--like
structure. This is combined with data at infrared, millimeter, radio and X-ray
wavelengths to examine the nature of these discrete sources and the nucleus
itself. We find that the majority of optical/IR/mm sources are young star
clusters which trace out a ~50 pc ring, that defines the inner edge of a cold
gas torus. This reservoir of cold gas has probably been created by gas inflow
from a larger scale bar and deposited at the inner Lindblad resonance. The
family of compact radio sources lie interior to the starburst ring, and in
general do not have optical or IR counterparts. They are mostly SNRs. The radio
nucleus, which is probably an AGN, lies near the centre of the ring. The X-ray
emission from the nuclear source is extended in the ROSAT HRI detector
indicating that not all of the X-ray emission can be associated with the AGN.
The lack of X-ray variability and the flat radio spectrum of the nucleus,
argues against an ultraluminous SN as the dominant energetic source at the
galaxy core. The diffuse emission associated with the outflowing superwind is
present in the central region on a size scale consistent with the idea of
collimation by the gas torus.Comment: 26 pages, Latex, 6 figures, 4 tables, submitted to MNRA
A Lagrangian Integrator for Planetary Accretion and Dynamics (LIPAD)
We presented the first particle based, Lagrangian code that can follow the
collisional/accretional/dynamical evolution of a large number of km-sized
planetesimals through the entire growth process to become planets. We refer to
it as the 'Lagrangian Integrator for Planetary Accretion and Dynamics' or
LIPAD. LIPAD is built on top of SyMBA, which is a symplectic -body
integrator. In order to handle the very large number of planetesimals required
by planet formation simulations, we introduce the concept of a `tracer'
particle. Each tracer is intended to represent a large number of disk particles
on roughly the same orbit and size as one another, and is characterized by
three numbers: the physical radius, the bulk density, and the total mass of the
disk particles represented by the tracer. We developed statistical algorithms
that follow the dynamical and collisional evolution of the tracers due to the
presence of one another. The tracers mainly dynamically interact with the
larger objects (`planetary embryos') in the normal N-body way. LIPAD's greatest
strength is that it can accurately model the wholesale redistribution of
planetesimals due to gravitational interaction with the embryos, which has
recently been shown to significantly affect the growth rate of planetary
embryos . We verify the code via a comprehensive set of tests which compare our
results with those of Eulerian and/or direct N-body codes.Comment: Accepted to the Astronomical Journal. See
http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~hal/LIPAD.html for more detail including
animation
Modeling the Formation of Giant Planet Cores I: Evaluating Key Processes
One of the most challenging problems we face in our understanding of planet
formation is how Jupiter and Saturn could have formed before the the solar
nebula dispersed. The most popular model of giant planet formation is the
so-called 'core accretion' model. In this model a large planetary embryo formed
first, mainly by two-body accretion. This is then followed by a period of
inflow of nebular gas directly onto the growing planet. The core accretion
model has an Achilles heel, namely the very first step. We have undertaken the
most comprehensive study of this process to date. In this study we numerically
integrate the orbits of a number of planetary embryos embedded in a swarm of
planetesimals. In these experiments we have included: 1) aerodynamic gas drag,
2) collisional damping between planetesimals, 3) enhanced embryo cross-sections
due to their atmospheres, 4) planetesimal fragmentation, and 5) planetesimal
driven migration. We find that the gravitational interaction between the
embryos and the planetesimals lead to the wholesale redistribution of material
- regions are cleared of material and gaps open near the embryos. Indeed, in
90% of our simulations without fragmentation, the region near that embryos is
cleared of planetesimals before much growth can occur. The remaining 10%,
however, the embryos undergo a burst of outward migration that significantly
increases growth. On timescales of ~100,000 years, the outer embryo can migrate
~6 AU and grow to roughly 30 Earth-masses. We also find that the inclusion of
planetesimal fragmentation tends to inhibit growth.Comment: Accepted to AJ, 62 pages 11 figure
The long-term dynamical behavior of short-period comets
The orbits of the known short-period comets under the influence of the Sun and all the planets except Mercury and Pluto are numerically integrated. The calculation was undertaken in order to determine the dynamical lifetimes for these objects as well as explaining the current orbital element distribution. It is found that a comet can move between Jupiter-family and Halley-family comets several times in its dynamical lifetime. The median lifetime of the known short-period comets from the time they are first injected into a short-period comet orbit to ultimate ejection is approximately 50,000 years. The very flat inclination distribution of Jupiter-family comets is observed to become more distended as it ages. The only possible explanation for the observed flat distribution is that the comets become extinct before their inclination distribution can change significantly. It is shown that the anomalous concentration of the argument of perihelion of Jupiter-family comets near 0 and 180 deg is a direct result of their aphelion distance being close to 5.2AU and the comet being recently perturbed onto a Jupiter-family orbit. Also the concentration of their aphelion near Jupiter's orbit is a result of the conservation of the Tisserand invariant during the capture process
Secretory vesicles are preferentially targeted to areas of low molecular SNARE density
Intercellular communication is commonly mediated by the regulated fusion, or exocytosis, of vesicles with the cell surface. SNARE (soluble N-ethymaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) proteins are the catalytic core of the secretory machinery, driving vesicle and plasma membrane merger. Plasma membrane SNAREs (tSNAREs) are proposed to reside in dense clusters containing many molecules, thus providing a concentrated reservoir to promote membrane fusion. However, biophysical experiments suggest that a small number of SNAREs are sufficient to drive a single fusion event. Here we show, using molecular imaging, that the majority of tSNARE molecules are spatially separated from secretory vesicles. Furthermore, the motilities of the individual tSNAREs are constrained in membrane micro-domains, maintaining a non-random molecular distribution and limiting the maximum number of molecules encountered by secretory vesicles. Together our results provide a new model for the molecular mechanism of regulated exocytosis and demonstrate the exquisite organization of the plasma membrane at the level of individual molecular machines
The Calibration of the HST Kuiper Belt Object Search: Setting the Record Straight
The limiting magnitude of the HST data set used by Cochran et al. (1995) to
detect small objects in the Kuiper belt is reevaluated, and the methods used
are described in detail. It is shown, by implanting artificial objects in the
original HST images, and re-reducing the images using our original algorithm,
that the limiting magnitude of our images (as defined by the 50% detectability
limit) is . This value is statistically the same as the value found in
the original analysis. We find that of the moving Kuiper belt objects
with are detected when trailing losses are included. In the same data
in which these faint objects are detected, we find that the number of false
detections brighter than is less than one per WFPC2 image. We show
that, primarily due to a zero-point calibration error, but partly due to
inadequacies in modeling the HST'S data noise characteristics and Cochran et
al.'s reduction techniques, Brown et al. 1997 underestimate the SNR of objects
in the HST dataset by over a factor of 2, and their conclusions are therefore
invalid.Comment: Accepted to ApJ Letters; 10 pages plus 3 figures, LaTe
Cognitive dysfunction in patients with cerebral microbleeds on T2*-weighted gradient-echo MRI.
Gradient echo T2*-weighted MRI has high sensitivity in detecting cerebral microbleeds, which appear as small dot-like hypointense lesions. Microbleeds are strongly associated with intracerebral haemorrhage, hypertension, lacunar stroke and ischaemic small vessel disease, and have generated interest as a marker of bleeding-prone microangiopathy. Microbleeds have generally been considered to be clinically silent; however, since they are located in widespread cortical and basal ganglia regions and are histologically characterized by tissue damage, we hypothesized that they would cause cognitive dysfunction. We therefore studied patients with microbleeds (n = 25) and a non-microbleed control group (n = 30) matched for age, gender and intelligence quotient. To avoid the confounding effects of coexisting cerebrovascular disease, the groups were also matched for the extent of MRI-visible white matter changes of presumed ischaemic origin, location of cortical strokes, and for the proportion of patients with different stroke subtypes (including lacunar stroke). A battery of neuropsychological tests was used to assess current intellectual function, verbal and visual memory, naming and perceptual skills, speed and attention and executive function. Microbleeds were most common in the basal ganglia but were also found in frontal, parieto-occipital, temporal and infratentorial regions. There was a striking difference between the groups in the prevalence of executive dysfunction, which was present in 60% of microbleed patients compared with 30% of non-microbleed patients (P = 0.03). Logistic regression confirmed that microbleeds (but not white matter changes) were an independent predictor of executive impairment (adjusted odds ratio = 1.32, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.70, P = 0.04). Patients with executive dysfunction had more microbleeds in the frontal region (mean count 1.54 versus 0.03; P = 0.002) and in the basal ganglia (mean 1.17 versus 0.32; P = 0.048). There was a modest correlation between the number of microbleeds and the number of cognitive domains impaired (r = 0.44, P = 0.03). This study provides novel evidence that microbleeds are associated with cognitive dysfunction, independent of the extent of white matter changes of presumed ischaemic origin, or the presence of ischaemic stroke. The striking effect of microbleeds on executive dysfunction is likely to result from associated tissue damage in the frontal lobes and basal ganglia. These findings have implications for the diagnosis of stroke patients with cognitive impairment, and for the appropriate use of antihypertensive and antiplatelet treatments in these patients
Eccentricity Trap: Trapping of Resonantly Interacting Planets near the Disk Inner Edge
Using orbital integration and analytical arguments, we have found a new
mechanism (an "eccentricity trap") to halt type I migration of planets near the
inner edge of a protoplanetary disk. Because asymmetric eccentricity damping
due to disk-planet interaction on the innermost planet at the disk edge plays a
crucial role in the trap, this mechanism requires continuous eccentricity
excitation and hence works for a resonantly interacting convoy of planets. This
trap is so strong that the edge torque exerted on the innermost planet can
completely halt type I migrations of many outer planets through mutual resonant
perturbations. Consequently, the convoy stays outside the disk edge, as a
whole. We have derived semi-analytical formula for the condition for the
eccentricity trap and predict how many planets are likely to be trapped. We
found that several planets or more should be trapped by this mechanism in
protoplanetary disks that have cavities. It can be responsible for the
formation of non-resonant, multiple, close-in super-Earth systems extending
beyond 0.1AU. Such systems are being revealed by radial velocity observations
to be quite common around solar-type stars.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
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