4,409 research outputs found
Databases and Inter-Connectivity in Ground-Based Astronomy
Optical and infrared ground-based astronomy is undergoing a renaissance. Advances in material technology, system modeling, and the ability to correct atmospheric distortions in real time have produced a new generation of powerful, large telescopes. An equally profound revolution stems from the availability of large observational databases that span the electromagnetic spectrum. The increased use of such databases as well as the need to operate the new telescopes efficiently requires the development of a National or International Virtual Observatory to set standards for astronomical database formats, data quality assurance, and access protocols, and also to provide all-inclusive centers for data products
Enhanced star formation: The importance of bars in spiral galaxies
It was found that among an IR luminous subset of nearby spiral galaxies, nearly all of the systems with IRAS colors and luminosities indicative of enhanced star formation are barred. Radio continuum and IR spectroscopic results support the hypothesis that this emission originates within the central 2 kpc; possibly in a circumnuclear ring. It was also found that outer rings are over represented among these barred systems and suggest possible reasons for this phenomena
High resolution sub-millimetre mapping of starburst galaxies: Comparison with CO emission
Researchers present first results from a program of submillimeter continuum mapping of starburst galaxies, and comparison of their dust and CO emission. This project was prompted by surprising results from the first target, the nearby starburst M82, which shows in the dust continuum a morphology quite unlike that of its CO emission, in contrast to what might be expected if both CO and dust are accurately tracing the molecular hydrogen. Possible explanations for this striking difference are discussed. In the light of these results, the program has been extended to include sub-mm mapping of the nearby, vigorously star forming spirals, M83 and Maffei 2. The latter were also observed extensively in CO, in order to study excitation conditions in its central regions. The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope was used in these studies
A Global Photometric Analysis of 2MASS Calibration Data
We present results from the application of a global photometric calibration
(GPC) procedure to calibration data from the first 2 years of The Two Micron
All Sky Survey (2MASS). The GPC algorithm uses photometry of both primary
standards and moderately bright `tracer' stars in 35 2MASS calibration fields.
During the first two years of the Survey, each standard was observed on
approximately 50 nights, with about 900 individual measurements. Based on the
photometry of primary standard stars and secondary tracer stars and under the
assumption that the nightly zeropoint drift is linear, GPC ties together all
calibration fields and all survey nights simultaneously, producing a globally
optimized solution. Calibration solutions for the Northern and Southern
hemisphere observatories are found separately, and are tested for global
consistency based on common fields near the celestial equator.
Several results from the GPC are presented, including establishing candidate
secondary standards, monitoring of near-infrared atmospheric extinction
coefficients, and verification of global validity of the standards. The
solution gives long-term averages of the atmospheric extinction coefficients,
A_J=0.096, A_H=0.026, A_{K_s}=0.066 (North) and A_J=0.092, A_H=0.031,
A_{K_s}=0.065 (South), with formal error of 0.001. The residuals show small
seasonal variations, most likely due to changing atmospheric content of water
vapor. Extension of the GPC to approximately 100 field stars in each of the 35
calibration fields yields a catalog of more than two thousand photometric
standards ranging from 10th to 14th magnitude, with photometry that is globally
consistent to .Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures; Submitted to AJ. The table of secondary
standards is available from ftp://nova.astro.umass.edu/pub/nikolaev/ or
ftp://anon-ftp.ipac.caltech.edu/pub/2mass/globalcal
Discovery of a High Proper Motion L Dwarf Binary: 2MASS J15200224-4422419AB
We report the discovery of the wide L1.5+L4.5 binary 2MASS
J15200224-4422419AB, identified during spectroscopic followup of high proper
motion sources selected from the Two Micron All Sky Survey. This source was
independently identified by Kendall et al. in the SuperCOSMOS Sky Survey.
Resolved JHK photometry and low resolution near-infrared spectroscopy
demonstrate that this system is composed of two well-separated (1"174+/-0"016)
L dwarfs. Component classifications are derived using both spectral ratios and
comparison to near-infrared spectra of previously classified field L dwarfs.
Physical association for the pair is deduced from the large (mu = 0"73+/-0"03
/yr) common proper motion of the components and their similar
spectrophotometric distances (19+/-2 pc). The projected separation of the
binary, 22+/-2 AU, is consistent with maximum separation/total system mass
trends for very low mass binaries. The 2MASS J1520-4422 system exhibits both
large tangential (66+/-7 km/s) and radial velocities (-70+/-18 km/s), and its
motion in the local standard of rest suggests that it is an old member of the
Galactic disk population. This system joins a growing list of well-separated
(>0"5), very low mass binaries, and is an excellent target for resolved optical
spectroscopy to constrain its age as well as trace activity/rotation trends
near the hydrogen-burning limit.Comment: 35 pages, 8 figures; accepted for publication to ApJ; see also
Kendall et al. astro-ph/060939
JHK Magnitudes for L and T Dwarfs and Infrared Photometric Systems
L and T dwarfs emit most of their radiation in the near infrared and their
spectral energy distributions are dominated by strong molecular absorption
bands. These highly structured energy distributions lead to JHK magnitudes that
are extremely sensitive to the exact filter bandpass used. In the case of the T
dwarfs, the differences between commonly used photometric systems can be as
large as 0.4 mag at J and 0.5 mag at J-K. To address this problem, we have
synthesized J,H and K magnitudes for some of the common photometric systems and
present transformation equations. If the spectral type of the dwarf is known,
our transformations allow data to be converted between systems to 0.01 mag,
which is better than the typical measurement uncertainty. Transforming on the
basis of color alone is more difficult because of the degeneracy and intrinsic
scatter in near-infrared colors of L and T dwarfs; in this case J magnitudes
can only be transformed to < 0.05 mag and H and K to < 0.02 mag.Comment: 26 pages including 9 figures, uses aastex, to be published in PASP
Jan 200
Infrared Colors at the Stellar/Substellar Boundary
We present new infrared photometry for 61 halo and disk stars around the
stellar/substellar boundary. These data are combined with available optical
photometry and astrometric data to produce color--color and absolute
magnitude--color diagrams. The disk and halo sequences are compared to the
predictions of the latest model atmospheres and structural models.
We find good agreement between observation and theory except for known
problems in the V and H passbands probably due to incomplete molecular data for
TiO, metal hydrides and HO. The metal--poor M subdwarfs are well matched by
the models as oxide opacity sources are less important in this case. The known
extreme M subdwarfs have metallicities about one--hundredth solar, and the
coolest subdwarfs have T K with masses 0.09M/M. The grainless models are not able to reproduce the flux
distributions of disk objects with T 2500 K, however a preliminary
version of the NextGen--Dusty models which includes homogeneous formation and
extinction by dust grains {\it is} able to match the colors of these very cool
objects. The least luminous objects in this sample are GD165B, three DENIS
objects --- DBD0205, DBD1058 and DBD1228 --- and Kelu-1. These have
T 2000 K and are at or below the stellar limit with masses
0.075M/M. Photometry alone cannot constrain these parameters
further as the age is unknown, but published lithium detections for two of
these objects (Kelu-1 and DBD1228) imply that they are young (aged about 1 Gyr)
and substellar (mass 0.06M/M).Comment: ApJ, in press. 18 pages. Also available at
ftp://ftp.jach.hawaii.edu/pub/ukirt/skl/dM_preprint
The Magnetic Distortion Calibration System of the LHCb RICH1 Detector
The LHCb RICH1 detector uses hybrid photon detectors (HPDs) as its optical
sensors. A calibration system has been constructed to provide corrections for
distortions that are primarily due to external magnetic fields. We describe
here the system design, construction, operation and performance.Comment: 9 pages, 14 figure
Dynamic structure factors of a dense mixture
We compute the dynamic structure factors of a dense binary liquid mixture.
These describe dynamics on molecular length scales, where structural relaxation
is important. We find that the presence of a few large particles in a dense
fluid of small particles slows down the dynamics considerably. We also observe
a deep narrowing of the spectrum for a disordered mixture composed of a nearly
equal packing of the two species. In contrast, a few small particles diffuse
easily in the background of a dense fluid of large particles. We expect our
results to describe neutron scattering from a dense mixture
Light scattering spectra of supercooled molecular liquids
The light scattering spectra of molecular liquids are derived within a
generalized hydrodynamics. The wave vector and scattering angle dependences are
given in the most general case and the change of the spectral features from
liquid to solidlike is discussed without phenomenological model assumptions for
(general) dielectric systems without long-ranged order. Exact microscopic
expressions are derived for the frequency-dependent transport kernels,
generalized thermodynamic derivatives and the background spectra.Comment: 12 page
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