785 research outputs found
Phase transitions in social sciences: two-populations mean field theory
A new mean field statistical mechanics model of two interacting groups of
spins is introduced and the phase transition studied in terms of their relative
size. A jump of the average magnetization is found for large values of the
mutual interaction when the relative percentage of the two populations crosses
a critical threshold. It is shown how the critical percentage depends on
internal interactions and on the initial magnetizations. The model is
interpreted as a prototype of resident-immigrant cultural interaction and
conclusions from the social sciences perspectives are drawn
Photometric structure of the peculiar galaxy ESO 235-G58
We present the near-infrared and optical properties of the peculiar galaxy
ESO 235-G58, which resembles a late-type ringed barred spiral seen close to
face-on. However, the apparent bar of ESO 235-G58 is in reality an edge-on disk
galaxy of relatively low luminosity. We have analyzed the light and color
distributions of ESO 235-G58 in the NIR and optical bands and compared them
with the typical properties observed for other morphological galaxy types,
including polar ring galaxies. Similar properties are observed for ESO 235-G58,
polar ring galaxies, and spiral galaxies, which leads us to conclude that this
peculiar system is a polar-ring-related galaxy, characterized by a low inclined
ring/disk structure, as pointed out by Buta & Crocker in an earlier study,
rather than a barred galaxy.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Ising model with memory: coarsening and persistence properties
We consider the coarsening properties of a kinetic Ising model with a memory
field. The probability of a spin-flip depends on the persistence time of the
spin in a state. The more a spin has been in a given state, the less the
spin-flip probability is. We numerically studied the growth and persistence
properties of such a system on a two dimensional square lattice. The memory
introduces energy barriers which freeze the system at zero temperature. At
finite temperature we can observe an apparent arrest of coarsening for low
temperature and long memory length. However, since the energy barriers
introduced by memory are due to local effects, there exists a timescale on
which coarsening takes place as for the Ising model. Moreover the two point
correlation functions of the Ising model with and without memory are the same,
indicating that they belong to the same universality class.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures; some figures and some comments adde
Cerium anomalies in lateritic profiles
L'étude minéralogique et géochimique des terres rares permet de définir le comportement du cérium dans 4 profils latéritiques du Camerou
Evidence for surface uplift of the Atlas Mountains and the surrounding peripheral plateaux: Combining apatite fission-track results and geomorphic indicators in the Western Moroccan Meseta (coastal Variscan Paleozoic basement)
This work represents an initial attempt to link the evolution of the topography in relation to the general tectonic framework of western Morocco. For this purpose, in a section of the Western Moroccan Meseta different tools are combined in order to attain the general objective. Apatite fission-track (AFT) data of granitic rocks of the Rabat–Khenifra area give ages around 200 Ma with track length distributions which are compatible with the thermal models already established for the area. An inverse correlation between AFT ages and elevation is observed which is compatible with previous models indicating northward tilting of the whole Western Moroccan Meseta which is younger than 20–25 Ma. In order to test this possibility a detailed analysis of the topography at different scales in the Western Moroccan Meseta has been performed. Results indicate that two open folds with different amplitudes are recognized and that the one with wider wavelength could correspond to a lithospheric fold as previously stated by other authors on the basis of independent geological arguments. The northward tilting proposed based on the AFT data agrees with the results obtained in the analysis of the topography which reinforces the presence of a very open fold with a wavelength of 200–300 km in the north-western limb of the Western Moroccan Meseta
Flexible n-i-p thin film silicon solar cells on polyimide foils with textured ZnO:Ga back reflector
In thin film silicon solar cells on opaque substrates in n-i-p deposition sequence where the textured transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer serves as a back reflector, one can independently optimize the morphology of the TCO layer without compromise on transparency and conductivity of this layer and further adjust the electro-optical properties of the back contact by using additional layers on top of the textured TCO. In the present work, we use this strategy to obtain textured back reflectors for solar cells in n-i-p deposition sequence on non-transparent flexible plastic foils. Gallium doped ZnO (ZnO:Ga) films were deposited on polyimide substrates by DC magnetron sputtering at a temperature of 200 °C. A wet-chemical etching step was performed by dipping the ZnO:Ga covered foil into a diluted HCl solution. The textured ZnO:Ga is then coated with a highly reflective Ag/ZnO double layer. On this back reflector, we develop thin film silicon solar cells with a microcrystalline silicon absorber layer. The current density for the cell with the textured ZnO:Ga layer is ~ 23 mA/cm2, 4 mA/cm2 higher than the one without such layer, and a maximum efficiency of 7.5% is obtained for a 1 cm2 cell.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT
Quantitative Morphology of Galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field
We measure quantitative structural parameters of galaxies in the Hubble Deep
Field (HDF) on the drizzled F814W images. Our structural parameters are based
on a two-component surface brightness made up of a S\'ersic profile and an
exponential profile. We compare our results to the visual classification of van
den Bergh et al. (1996) and the classification of Abraham et al. (1996a).
Our morphological analysis of the galaxies in the HDF indicates that the
spheroidal galaxies, defined here as galaxies with a dominant bulge profile,
make up for only a small fraction, namely 8% of the galaxy population down to
m = 26.0. We show that the larger fraction of early-type systems
in the van den Bergh sample is primarily due to the difference in
classification of 40% of small round galaxies with half-light radii <
0\arcsecpoint 31. Although these objects are visually classified as elliptical
galaxies, we find that they are disk-dominated with bulge fractions < 0.5.
Given the existing large dataset of HDF galaxies with measured spectroscopic
redshifts, we are able to determine that the majority of distant galaxies
() from this sample are disk-dominated. Our analysis reveals a subset of
HDF galaxies which have profiles flatter than a pure exponential profile.Comment: 35 pages, LaTeX, 18 Postscript Figures, Tables available at
http://astro.berkeley.edu/~marleau/. Accepted for Publication in The
Astrophysical Journa
Far-Ultraviolet Color Gradients in Early-Type Galaxies
We discuss far-UV (1500 A) surface photometry and FUV-B color profiles for 8
E/S0 galaxies from images taken with the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope,
primarily during the Astro-2 mission. In three cases, the FUV radial profiles
are more consistent with an exponential than a de Vaucouleurs function, but
there is no other evidence for the presence of a disk or of young, massive
stars. In all cases except M32 the FUV-B color becomes redder at larger radii.
There is a wide range of internal radial FUV-B color gradients. However, we
find no correlation between the FUV-B color gradients and internal metallicity
gradients based on Mg absorption features. We conclude that metallicity is not
the sole parameter controlling the "UV upturn component" in old populations.Comment: 11 pages; tar.gz file includes LaTeX text file, 3 PostScript figures.
Paper to be published in ApJ Letter
Evidence for an outer disk in the Prototype `Compact Elliptical' Galaxy M32
M32 is the prototype for the relatively rare class of galaxies referred to as
`compact ellipticals'. It has been suggested that M32 may be a tidally
disturbed r^(1/4) elliptical galaxy, or the remnant bulge of a disk-stripped
early-type spiral galaxy. This paper reveals that the surface brightness
profile, the velocity dispersion measurements, and the estimated supermassive
black hole mass in M32 are inconsistent with the galaxy having, and probably
ever having had, an r^(1/4) light profile. Instead, the radial surface
brightness distribution of M32 resembles an almost perfect (bulge + exponential
disk) profile, which is accompanied by a marked increase in the ellipticity
profile and an associated change in the position angle profile where the `disk'
starts to dominate. Compelling evidence that this bulge/disk interpretation is
accurate comes from the best-fitting r^(1/n) bulge model which has a Sersic
index n=1.5, in agreement with the recently discovered relation between a
bulge's Sersic index and the mass of its supermassive black hole. An index n>4
would also be inconsistent with the stellar velocity dispersion of M32. The
bulge-to-disk size ratio r_e /h equals 0.20, and the logarithm of the
bulge-to-disk luminosity ratio log(B/D) equals 0.22, typical of lenticular
galaxies. The effective radius of the bulge is 27" (~100 pc), while the
scale-length of the disk is less well determined: due to possible tidal-
stripping of the outer profile beyond 220-250", the scale-length may be as
large as 1.3 kpc. M32 is a relatively face-on, nucleated, dwarf galaxy with a
low surface brightness disk and a high surface brightness bulge. This finding
brings into question the existence of the compact elliptical class of galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
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