2,255 research outputs found
Discovery of a Magnetic DZ White Dwarf with Zeeman-Split Lines of Heavy Elements
A spectroscopic survey of previously-unstudied Luyten Half Second proper
motion stars has resulted in the discoveries of two new cool magnetic white
dwarfs. One (LHS 2273) is a routine DA star, T= 6,500K, with Zeeman-split H
alpha and H beta, for which a simple model suggests a polar field strength of
18.5 MG viewed close to equator-on. However, the white dwarf LHS 2534 proves to
be the first magnetic DZ showing Zeeman-split Na I and Mg I components, as well
as Ca I and Ca II lines for which Zeeman components are blended. The Na I
splittings result in a mean surface field strength estimate of 1.92 MG. Apart
from the magnetic field, LHS 2534 is one of the most heavily-blanketed and
coolest DZ white dwarfs at T ~ 6,000K.Comment: 7 pages, Astrophysical Journal (Letters), in pres
Contributions to the Science of Environmental Impact Assessment: Three Papers on the Arctic Cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) of Northern Alaska
Editor's Introduction -- D. W. Norton; An Assessment of the Colville River Delta Stock of Arctic Cisco--Migrants from Canada? -- B. J. Gallaway, W. B. Griffiths, P. C. Craig, W. J. Gazey, and J. W. Helmericks; Temperature Preference of Juvenile Arctic Cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) From the Alaskan Beaufort Sea -- R. G. Fechhelm, W. H. Neill, and B. J. Gallaway; Modeling Movements and Distribution of Arctic Cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) Relative to Temperature-Salinity Regimes of the Beaufort Sea Near the Waterflood Causeway, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. -- W. H. Neill, R. G. Fechhelm, B. J. Gallaway, J. D. Bryan, and S. W. Anderson; Notice to Author
Precision measurements of large scale structure with future type Ia supernova surveys
Type Ia supernovae are currently the best known standard candles at
cosmological distances. In addition to providing a powerful probe of dark
energy they are an ideal source of information about the peculiar velocity
field of the local universe. Even with the very small number of supernovae
presently available it has been possible to measure the dipole and quadrupole
of the local velocity field out to z~0.025. With future continuous all-sky
surveys like the LSST project the luminosity distances of tens of thousands of
nearby supernovae will be measured accurately. This will allow for a
determination of the local velocity structure of the universe as a function of
redshift with unprecedented accuracy, provided the redshifts of the host
galaxies are known. Using catalogues of mock surveys we estimate that future
low redshift supernova surveys will be able to probe sigma-8 to a precision of
roughly 5% at 95% C.L. This is comparable to the precision in future galaxy and
weak lensing surveys and with a relatively modest observational effort it will
provide a crucial cross-check on future measurements of the matter power
spectrum.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures, submitted to JCA
Andromeda's Parachute: A Bright Quadruply Lensed Quasar at z=2.377
We present Keck Cosmic Web Imager spectroscopy of the four putative images of
the lensed quasar candidate J014709+463037 recently discovered by Berghea et
al. (2017). The data verify the source as a quadruply lensed, broad
absorption-line quasar having z_S = 2.377 +/- 0.007. We detect intervening
absorption in the FeII 2586, 2600, MgII 2796, 2803, and/or CIV 1548, 1550
transitions in eight foreground systems, three of which have redshifts
consistent with the photometric-redshift estimate reported for the lensing
galaxy (z_L ~ 0.57). By virtue of their positions on the sky, the source images
probe these absorbers over transverse physical scales of ~0.3-21 kpc,
permitting assessment of the variation in metal-line equivalent width W_r as a
function of sight-line separation. We measure differences in W_r,2796 of <40%
across all sight-line pairs subtending 7-21 kpc, suggestive of a high degree of
spatial coherence for MgII-absorbing material. W_r,2600 is observed to vary by
>50% over the same scales across the majority of sight-line pairs, while CIV
absorption exhibits a wide range in W_r,1548 differences of ~5-80% within
transverse distances less than ~3 kpc. J014709+463037 is one of only a handful
of z > 2 quadruply lensed systems for which all four source images are very
bright (r = 15.4-17.7 mag) and are easily separated in ground-based seeing
conditions. As such, it is an ideal candidate for higher-resolution
spectroscopy probing the spatial variation in the kinematic structure and
physical state of intervening absorbers.Comment: Submitted to ApJL. 9 pages, 3 figures. Uses aastex61 forma
Hidden in plain sight: The importance of cryptic interactions in marine plankton
Here, we present a range of interactions, which we term “cryptic interactions.” These are interactions that occur throughout the marine planktonic foodweb but are currently largely overlooked by established methods, which mean large‐scale data collection for these interactions is limited. Despite this, current evidence suggests some of these interactions may have perceptible impacts on foodweb dynamics and model results. Incorporation of cryptic interactions into models is especially important for those interactions involving the transport of nutrients or energy. Our aim is to highlight a range of cryptic interactions across the plankton foodweb, where they exist, and models that have taken steps to incorporate these interactions. Additionally, it is discussed where additional research and effort is required to continue advancing our understanding of these cryptic interactions. We call for more collaboration between ecologists and modelers in order to incorporate cryptic interactions into biogeochemical and foodweb models
Metagenetic analysis of patterns of distribution and diversity of marine meiobenthic eukaryotes
AimMeiofaunal communities that inhabit the marine benthos offer unique opportunities to simultaneously study the macroecology of numerous phyla that exhibit different life-history strategies. Here, we ask: (1) if the macroecology of meiobenthic communities is explained mainly by dispersal constraints or by environmental conditions; and (2) if levels of meiofaunal diversity surpass existing estimates based on morphological taxonomy. LocationUK and mainland European coast. MethodsNext-generation sequencing techniques (NGS; Roche 454 FLX platform) using 18S nuclear small subunit ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene. Pyrosequences were analysed using AmpliconNoise followed by chimera removal using Perseus. ResultsRarefaction curves revealed that sampling saturation was only reached at 15% of sites, highlighting that the bulk of meiofaunal diversity is yet to be discovered. Overall, 1353 OTUs were recovered and assigned to 23 different phyla. The majority of sampled sites had c. 60-70 unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) per site, indicating high levels of beta diversity. The environmental parameters that best explained community structure were seawater temperature, geographical distance and sediment size, but most of the variability (R-2=70%-80%) remains unexplained. Main conclusionsHigh percentages of endemic OTUs suggest that meiobenthic community composition is partly niche-driven, as observed in larger organisms, but also shares macroecological features of microorganisms by showing high levels of cosmopolitanism (albeit on a much smaller scale). Meiobenthic communities exhibited patterns of isolation by distance as well as associations between niche, latitude and temperature, indicating that meiobenthic communities result from a combination of niche assembly and dispersal processes. Conversely, isolation-by-distance patterns were not identified in the featured protists, suggesting that animals and protists adhere to radically different macroecological processes, linked to life-history strategies.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) [NE/E001505/1, NE/F001266/1, MGF-167]; Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) [SFRH/BD/27413/2006, SFRH/BPD/80447/2014]; EPSRC [EP/H003851/1]; BBSRC CASE studentship; Unilever; Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council [987347]; Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [EP/H003851/1]; Natural Environment Research Council [NE/F001290/1, NE/F001266/1, NE/E001505/1, NBAF010002]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Meeting the Cool Neighbours, II: Photometry of southern NLTT stars
We present BVRI photometry of 180 bright, southern nearby-star candidates.
The stars were selected from the New Luyten Two-Tenths proper motion catalogue
based on optical/infrared colours, constructed by combining Luytens's m(r)
estimates with near-infrared photometry from the 2-Micron All Sky Survey.
Photometric parallaxes derived from (V-K), (V-I) and (I-J) colours, combined
with the limited available astrometry, show that as many as 108 stars may lie
within 20 parsecs of the Sun. Of these, 53 are new to nearby star catalogues,
including three within 10 parsecs of the Sun.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures, to be published in The Astronomical Journal.
More information can be found at http://www.stsci.edu/~inr/nstars.htm
The Beta Problem: A Study of Abell 262
We present an investigation of the dynamical state of the cluster A262.
Existing optical line of sight velocities for select cluster galaxies have been
augmented by new data obtained with the Automated Multi-Object Spectrograph at
Lick Observatory. We find evidence for a virialized early-type population
distinct from a late-type population infalling from the Pisces-Perseus
supercluster ridge. We also report on a tertiary population of low luminosity
galaxies whose velocity dispersion distinguishes them from both the early and
late-type galaxies. We supplement our investigation with an analysis of
archival X-ray data. A temperature is determined using ASCA GIS data and a gas
profile is derived from ROSAT HRI data. The increased statistics of our sample
results in a picture of A262 with significant differences from earlier work. A
previously proposed solution to the "beta-problem" in A262 in which the gas
temperature is significantly higher than the galaxy temperature is shown to
result from using too low a velocity dispersion for the early-type galaxies.
Our data present a consistent picture of A262 in which there is no
"beta-problem", and the gas and galaxy temperature are roughly comparable.
There is no longer any requirement for extensive galaxy-gas feedback to
drastically overheat the gas with respect to the galaxies. We also demonstrate
that entropy-floor models can explain the recent discovery that the beta values
determined by cluster gas and the cluster core radii are correlated.Comment: 31 pages, 14 figures, AAS LaTeX v5.0, Encapsulated Postscript
figures, to be published in The Astrophysical Journa
A search for L dwarf binary systems
We present analysis of HST Planetary Camera images of twenty L dwarfs
identified in the course of the Two Micron All-Sky Survey. Four of the targets
have faint, red companions at separations between 0.07 and 0.29 arcseconds (1.6
to 7.6 AU). In three cases, the bolometric magnitudes of the components differ
by less than 0.3 magnitudes. Since the cooling rate for brown dwarfs is a
strong function of mass, similarity in luminosities implies comparable masses.
The faint component in the 2M0850 system, however, is over 1.3 magnitudes
fainter than the primary in the I-band, and ~0.8 magnitudes fainter in M(bol).
Indeed, 2M0850B is ~0.8 magnitudes fainter in I than the lowest luminosity L
dwarf currently known, while the absolute magnitude we deduce at J is almost
identical with M_J for Gl 229B. Theoretical models indicate a mass ratio of
\~0.75. The mean separation of the L dwarf binaries in the current sample is
smaller by a factor of two than amongst M dwarfs. We discuss the implications
of these results for the temperature scale in the L/T transition region and for
the binary frequency amongst L dwarfs.Comment: 38 pages, 11 figures; accepted for A
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