5,801 research outputs found
Discovery of Enhanced Germanium Abundances in Planetary Nebulae with FUSE
We report the discovery of Ge III 1088.46 in the planetary nebulae
(PNe) SwSt 1, BD+303639, NGC 3132, and IC 4593, observed with the Far
Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer. This is the first astronomical detection of
this line and the first measurement of Ge (Z = 32) in PNe. We estimate Ge
abundances using S and Fe as reference elements, for a range of assumptions
about gas-phase depletions. The results indicate that Ge, which is synthesized
in the initial steps of the s-process and therefore can be self-enriched in
PNe, is enhanced by factors of > 3-10. The strongest evidence for enrichment is
seen for PNe with Wolf-Rayet central stars, which are likely to contain heavily
processed material.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
kHz Quasi Periodic Oscillations in Low Mass X-ray Binaries as Probes of General Relativity in the Strong Field Regime
We consider the interpretation of a pair of kHz Quasi Periodic Oscillations
(QPOs) in the Fourier spectra of two Low Mass X-Ray Binaries, Sco X-1 and
4U1608-52, hosting an old accreting neutron star. The observed frequency
difference of these QPOs decreaseas as their frequency increases, contrary to
simple beat frequency models, which predict a constant frequency difference. We
show that the behaviour of these QPOs is instead well matched in terms of the
fundamental frequencies (in the radial and azimuthal directions) for test
particle motion in the gravitational field of the neutron star, for reasonable
star masses, and nearly independent of the star spin. The radial frequency must
be much smaller than the azimuthal one, testifying that kHz QPOs are produced
close to the innermost stable orbit. These results are not reproduced through
the post--Newtonian (PN) approximation of General Relativity (GR). kHz QPOs
from X-ray binaries likely provide an accurate laboratory for strong field GR.Comment: to appear in Physical Review Letters, PRL Latex plus 2 figures in
standard PostScript forma
Intracluster stars in the Virgo cluster core
We have investigated the properties of the diffuse light in the Virgo cluster
core region, based on the detection of intracluster planetary nebulae (PNe) in
four fields. We eliminate the bias from misclassified faint continuum objects,
using improved Monte Carlo simulations, and the contaminations by high redshift
Ly galaxies, using the Ly luminosity function in blank fields.
Recent spectroscopic observations confirm that our photometric PN samples are
well-understood. We find that the diffuse stellar population in the Virgo core
region is inhomogeneous on scales of 30'-90': there exist significant
field-to-field variations in the number density of PNe and the inferred amount
of intracluster light, with some empty fields, some fields dominated by
extended Virgo galaxy halos, and some fields dominated by the true intracluster
component. There is no clear trend with distance from M87. The mean surface
luminosity density, its rms variation, and the mean surface brightness of
diffuse light in our 4 fields are L
arcmin, L arcmin, and
mag arcsec respectively. Our results indicate that
the Virgo cluster is a dynamically young environment, and that the intracluster
component is associated at least partially with local physical processes like
galaxy interactions or harassment. We also argue, based on kinematic evidence,
that the so-called 'over-luminous' PNe in the halo of M84 are dynamically
associated with this galaxy, and must thus be brighter than and part of a
different stellar population from the normal PN population in elliptical
galaxies.Comment: 31 pages, 6 figure. In press on the Astronomical Journa
Correlated Timing and Spectral Variations of the Soft X-ray Transient Aquila X-1: Evidence for an Atoll classification
Based on Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer data, we discuss the classification of
the soft X-ray transient Aquila X-1 in the Z/atoll scheme, and the relation of
its kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (kHz QPO) properties to the X-ray
colors. The color-color diagram shows one elongated ("banana") structure and
several "islands" of data points. The power spectra of the island are best
represented by a broken power-law, whereas those of the banana by a power-law
below ~ 1 Hz plus an exponentially cut-off component at intermediate
frequencies (30-60 Hz). The parameters of these two components change in
correlation with the position of the source in the color-color diagram. Based
on the pattern that the source shows in the color-color diagram and its
aperiodic variability we conclude that Aquila X-1 is an atoll source. We have
also investigated the possible correlation between the frequency of the kHz QPO
and the position of the source in the color-color diagram. The complexity seen
in the frequency versus count rate diagram is reduced to a single track when
the frequency is plotted against hard or soft color.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
Monte Carlo simulation method for Laughlin-like states in a disk geometry
We discuss an alternative accurate Monte Carlo method to calculate the
ground-state energy and related quantities for Laughlin states of the
fractional quantum Hall effect in a disk geometry. This alternative approach
allows us to obtain accurate bulk regime (thermodynamic limit) values for
various quantities from Monte Carlo simulations with a small number of
particles (much smaller than that needed with standard Monte Carlo approaches).Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, 2 table
Stars in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field
We identified 46 unresolved source candidates in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field,
down to i775 = 29.5. Unresolved objects were identified using a parameter S,
which measures the deviation from the curve-of-growth of a point source.
Extensive testing of this parameter was carried out, including the effects of
decreasing signal-to-noise and of the apparent motions of stars, which
demonstrated that stars brighter than i775 = 27.0 could be robustly identified.
Low resolution grism spectra of the 28 objects brighter than i775 = 27.0
identify 18 M and later stellar type dwarfs, 2 candidate L-dwarfs, 2 QSOs, and
4 white dwarfs. Using the observed population of dwarfs with spectral type M4
or later, we derive a Galactic disk scale height of 400 \pm 100 pc for M and L
stars. The local white dwarf density is computed to be as high as (1.1 \pm 0.3)
x10^(-2) stars/pc^3. Based on observations taken 73 days apart, we determined
that no object in the field has a proper motion larger than 0.027"/year (3
sigma detection limit). No high velocity white dwarfs were identified in the
HUDF, and all four candidates appear more likely to be part of the Galactic
thick disk. The lack of detected halo white dwarfs implies that, if the dark
matter halo is 12 Gyr old, white dwarfs account for less than 10% of the dark
matter halo mass.Comment: 35 pages, 11 figures, accepted by Ap
Guerrero Accelerograph Array: Status and Selected Results
This paper summarizes the history and rational for installation of the Guerrero accelerograph array. The array is producing unprecedented quantities of high quality digital strong motion data. Recent research using the array data has included studies on attenuation, site effects, scaling of spectra with magnitude, the ratio of vertical to horizontal accelerations, and the source of the September 19, 1985 earthquake
Effect of nonlinearity on the dynamics of a particle in dc field-induced systems
Dynamics of a particle in a perfect chain with one nonlinear impurity and in
a perfect nonlinear chain under the action of dc field is studied numerically.
The nonlinearity appears due to the coupling of the electronic motion to
optical oscillators which are treated in adiabatic approximation.
We study for both the low and high values of field strength. Three different
range of nonlinearity is obtained where the dynamics is different. In low and
intermediate range of nonlinearity, it reduces the localization. In fact in the
intermediate range subdiffusive behavior in the perfect nonlinear chain is
obtained for a long time. In all the cases a critical value of nonlinear
strength exists where self-trapping transition takes place. This critical value
depends on the system and the field strength. Beyond the self-trapping
transition nonlinearity enhances the localization.Comment: 9 pages, Revtex, 6 ps figures include
More evidence for an intracluster planetary nebulae population in the Virgo cluster
We surveyed a 50 sq arcmin region in the Virgo cluster core to search for
intergalactic planetary nebulae, and found 11 candidates in the surveyed area.
The measured fluxes of these unresolved sources are consistent with these
objects being planetary nebulae from an intracluster population of stars. We
compute the cumulative luminosity function of these 11 planetary nebula
candidates. If we assume that they belong to the Virgo cluster, their
cumulative luminosity function is in good agreement with planetary nebula
luminosity function simulations. This comparison allows us to estimate the
surface mass density of the intracluster stellar population at the surveyed
field in the cluster core.Comment: ApJ Letters, in press. A .ps file is also available at:
http://www.usm.uni-muenchen.de:8001/people/mendez/preprints/preprints.htm
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