The properties of Low Surface Brightness galaxies

A description is given of the samples of Low Surface Brightness galaxies (LSBs) used for comparison with models of their chemical and spectro-photometric evolution (Boissier et al., this Volume). These samples show the large variation and scatter in observed global properties of LSBs, some of which cannot be modeled without adding starbursts or truncations to their star formation history.Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of the Euroconference on The Evolution of Galaxies: III. From simple approaches to self-consistent models (Kluwer). 4 page

Radio Detection of Cosmic Ray Air Showers with Codalema

Studies of the radio detection of Extensive Air Showers is the goal of the demonstrative experiment CODALEMA. Previous analysis have demonstrated that detection around $5.10^{16}$ eV was achieved with this set-up. New results allow for the first time to study the topology of the electric field associated to EAS events on a event by event basis.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures Proceedings of the Rencontres de Moriond, Very High Energy Phenomena in the Universe, La Thuile, Italy (March 12-19, 2005

Radio Detection of Extensive Air Showers with CODALEMA

The principle and performances of the CODALEMA experimental device, set up to study the possibility of high energy cosmic rays radio detection, are presented. Radio transient signals associated to cosmic rays have been identified, for which arrival directions and shower's electric field topologies have been extracted from the antenna signals. The measured rate, about 1 event per day, corresponds to an energy threshold around 5.10^16 eV. These results allow to determine the perspectives offered by the present experimental design for radiodetection of UHECR at a larger scale.Comment: 4 pages and 3 figures. To appear in the Proceedings of the 29th ICRC, Pune (2005

A large sample of low surface brightness disc galaxies from the SDSS- II. Metallicities in surface brightness bins

We study the spectroscopic properties of a large sample of Low Surface Brightness galaxies (LSBGs) (with B-band central surface brightness mu0(B)>22 mag arcsec^(-2)) selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4 (SDSS-DR4) main galaxy sample. A large sample of disk-dominated High Surface Brightness galaxies (HSBGs, with mu0(B)<22 mag arcsec^(-2)) are also selected for comparison simultaneously. To study them in more details, these sample galaxies are further divided into four subgroups according to mu0(B) (in units of mag arcsec^(-2)): vLSBGs (24.5-22.75),iLSBGs (22.75-22.0), iHSBGs (22.0-21.25), and vHSBGs (<21.25). The diagnostic diagram from spectral emission-line ratios shows that the AGN fractions of all the four subgroups are small (<9%). The 21,032 star-forming galaxies with good quality spectroscopic observations are further selected for studying their dust extinction, strong-line ratios, metallicities and stellar mass-metallicities relations. The vLSBGs have lower extinction values and have less metal-rich and massive galaxies than the other subgroups. The oxygen abundances of our LSBGs are not as low as those of the HII regions in LSBGs studied in literature, which could be because our samples are more luminous, and because of the different metallicity calibrations used. We find a correlation between 12+log(O/H) and mu0(B) for vLSBGs, iLSBGs and iHSBGs but show that this could be a result of correlation between mu0(B) and stellar mass and the well-known mass-metallicity relation. This large sample shows that LSBGs span a wide range in metallicity and stellar mass, and they lie nearly on the stellar mass vs. metallicity and N/O vs. O/H relations of normal galaxies. This suggests that LSBGs and HSBGs have not had dramatically different star formation and chemical enrichment histories.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Absolute Fluorescence Spectrum and Yield Measurements for a wide range of experimental conditions

For the JEM-EUSO CollaborationThe fluorescence yield is a key ingredient in cosmic ray energy determination. It is sensitive to pressure, temperature and humidity. Up to now the fluorescence yield of the brightest line at 337 nm has been measured in an absolute way in one set of conditions, whereas fluorescence yields at the other wavelengths have been relatively measured for different conditions. Thus, absolute calibration for all the lines is unclear. We will do all measurements at once using the same apparatus: all the lines will be measured absolutely and not relatively for all conditions. For that we will use the 3-5 MeV electron beam of the PHIL accelerator (Photon Injector at LAL), shooting in a box filled with air at varying pressures, temperatures and humidity. Delta rays resulting from the beam collisions with Nitrogen are responsible for the light yield. The light detection probability should be independent of its emission point especially at the delta ray stopping point. The idea is to use an integrating sphere, encapsulated in a vessel where pressure, temperature and humidity can be varied. This sphere will have two ports for the beam (in and out), one more port dedicated to a NIST photodiode for calibration and another port feeding optical fibers going to: A) a grating spectrometer equipped with cooled CCD. B) a photomultiplier with BG3 filters to measure directly the integrated yield. Calibrations at the percent level, will give each line spectrum yields with a precision between 2 to 5%. A special issue will be to estimate the leakage due to "high energy" delta rays. Thus, we the air density will be increased, the beam energy will be lowered until the beam stops inside the sphere. Then, the energy loss will be precisely derived from the Bethe-Bloch formula. We will present the set-up

Radioelectric Field Features of Extensive Air Showers Observed with CODALEMA

Based on a new approach to the detection of radio transients associated with extensive air showers induced by ultra high energy cosmic rays, the experimental apparatus CODALEMA is in operation, measuring about 1 event per day corresponding to an energy threshold ~ 5. 10^16 eV. Its performance makes possible for the first time the study of radio-signal features on an event-by-event basis. The sampling of the magnitude of the electric field along a 600 meters axis is analyzed. It shows that the electric field lateral spread is around 250 m (FWHM). The possibility to determine with radio both arrival directions and shower core positions is discussed.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic

CODALEMA: a cosmic ray air shower radio detection experiment

International audienceThe CODALEMA experimental device currently detects and characterizes the radio contribution of cosmic ray air showers : arrival directions and electric field topologies of radio transient signals associated to cosmic rays are extracted from the antenna signals. The measured rate, about 1 event per day, corresponds to an energy threshold around 5.10$^{16}$eV. These results allow to determine the perspectives offered by the present experimental design for radiodetection of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays at a larger scale

ESAF-Simulation of the EUSO-Balloon

For the JEM-EUSO CollaborationThe EUSO-Balloon is a balloon borne ultraviolet (UV) telescope, which is being developed as a pathfinder of the JEM-EUSO mission (Extreme Universe Space Observatory onboard the Japanese Experiment Module on the International Space Station (ISS), see this conference proceedings). Designed as a scaled version of JEM-EUSO, the EUSO-Balloon will serve as a technology demonstrator. From 2014 on, it is planned to conduct a number of missions, between a few and several tens of hours at an altitude of approx. 40 km. Besides proving the robustness of the JEM-EUSO technology it will perform UV background studies under many different ground conditions and potentially observe extended air showers (EAS) induced by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECR) of the order of 10^18 eV. The detector design consists of a system of Fresnel lenses focussing the incoming 300 - 400 nm UV fluorescence photons onto an array of multi-anode photomultipliers. Generated photoelectrons are then readout by the front end electronics, converted into digital data and saved to disc if a trigger is issued. The ESAF (EUSO Simulation and Analysis Framework) software package is designed to simulate space based observation of EAS, taking into account every physical process from EAS generation, progagation of light in atmosphere, detector response and eventually reconstruction. EUSO-Balloon specifications such as the optics and dedicated electronics components have been implemented in the code to study the expected instrument behavior and its ability to resolve the UHECR arrival direction. In this poster we describe ESAF simuations of the EUSO-Balloon. Furthermore, we present results concerning the expected performance in terms of spatial resolution and background studies

Galaxy transmutations: The double ringed galaxy ESO 474-G26

Surface photometry and a 21cm HI line spectrum of the giant double-ringed galaxy ESO 474-G26 are presented. The morphology of this system is unique among the 30,000 galaxies with >B15. Two almost orthogonal optical rings with diameters of 60 and 40 kpc surround the central body (assuming H0=70 km/s/Mpc). The outer one is an equatorial ring, while the inner ring lies in a nearly polar plane. The rings have blue optical colors typical of late-type spirals. Both appear to be rotating around the central galaxy, so that this system can be considered as a kinematically confirmed polar ring galaxy. Its observational characteristics are typical of galaxy merger remnants. Although the central object has a surface brightness distribution typical of elliptical galaxies, it has a higher surface brightness for its effective radius than ordinary ellipticals. Possible origins of this galaxy are discussed and numerical simulations are presented that illustrate the formation of the two rings in the merging process of two spiral galaxies, in which the observed appearance of ESO 474-G26 appears to be a transient stage.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&