140 research outputs found
Equilibration of Concentrated Hard Sphere Fluids
We report a systematic molecular dynamics study of the isochoric
equilibration of hard-sphere fluids in their metastable regime close to the
glass transition. The thermalization process starts with the system prepared in
a non-equilibrium state with the desired final volume fraction {\phi} but with
a prescribed non-equilibrium static structure factor S_0(k; {\phi}). The
evolution of the {\alpha}- relaxation time {\tau}{\alpha} (k) and long-time
self-diffusion coefficient DL as a function of the evolution time tw is then
monitored for an array of volume fractions. For a given waiting time the plot
of {\tau}{\alpha} (k; {\phi}, tw) as a function of {\phi} exhibits two regimes
corresponding to samples that have fully equilibrated within this waiting time
({\phi} \leq {\phi}(c) (tw)), and to samples for which equilibration is not yet
complete ({\phi} \geq {\phi}(c) (tw)). The crossover volume fraction {\phi}(c)
(tw) increases with tw but seems to saturate to a value {\phi}(a) \equiv
{\phi}(c) (tw \rightarrow \infty) \approx 0.582. We also find that the waiting
time t^(eq)_w({\phi}) required to equilibrate a system grows faster than the
corresponding equilibrium relaxation time, t^(eq)({\phi}) \approx 0.27 \times
[{\tau}{\alpha} (k; {\phi})]^1.43, and that both characteristic times increase
strongly as {\phi} approaches {\phi}^(a), thus suggesting that the measurement
of equilibrium properties at and above {\phi}(a) is experimentally impossible
General Non-equilibrium Theory of Colloid Dynamics
A non-equilibrium extension of Onsager's canonical theory of thermal
fluctuations is employed to derive a self-consistent theory for the description
of the statistical properties of the instantaneous local concentration profile
n(r,t) of a colloidal liquid in terms of the coupled time evolution equations
of its mean value n(r,t) and of the covariance {\sigma}(r,r';t) \equiv
of its fluctuations {\delta}n(r, t) = n(r, t) -
n(r, t). These two coarse-grained equations involve a local mobility function
b(r, t) which, in its turn, is written in terms of the memory function of the
two-time correlation function C(r, r' ; t, t') \equiv <{\delta}n(r,
t){\delta}n(r',t')>. For given effective interactions between colloidal
particles and applied external fields, the resulting self-consistent theory is
aimed at describing the evolution of a strongly correlated colloidal liquid
from an initial state with arbitrary mean and covariance n^0(r) and
{\sigma}^0(r,r') towards its equilibrium state characterized by the equilibrium
local concentration profile n^(eq)(r) and equilibrium covariance
{\sigma}^(eq)(r,r').
This theory also provides a general theoretical framework to describe
irreversible processes associated with dynamic arrest transitions, such as
aging, and the effects of spatial heterogeneities
Prospects for CDM sub-halo detection using high angular resolution observations
In the CDM scenario, dark matter halos are assembled hierarchically from
smaller subunits. A long-standing problem with this picture is that the number
of sub-halos predicted by CDM simulations is orders of magnitudes higher than
the known number of satellite galaxies in the vicinity of the Milky Way. A
plausible way out of this problem could be that the majority of these sub-halos
somehow have so far evaded detection. If such "dark galaxies" do indeed exist,
gravitational lensing may offer one of the most promising ways to detect them.
Dark matter sub-halos in the 1e6 - 1e10 solar mass range should cause strong
gravitational lensing on (sub)milliarcsecond scales. We study the feasibility
of a strong lensing detection of dark sub-halos by deriving the image
separations expected for density profiles favoured by recent simulations and
comparing these to the angular resolution of both existing and upcoming
observational facilities. We find that there is a reasonable probability to
detect sub-halo lensing effects in high resolution observations at radio
wavelengths, such as produced by the upcoming VSOP-2 satellite, and thereby
test the existence of dark galaxies.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, Proceedings for "The Universe under the
Microscope" (AHAR 2008), held in Bad Honnef (Germany) in April 2008, to be
published in Journal of Physics: Conference Series by Institute of Physics
Publishing, R. Schoedel, A. Eckart, S. Pfalzner, and E. Ros (eds.
Effects of cytomegalovirus infection in human neural precursor cells depend on their differentiation state
© 2015, Journal of NeuroVirology, Inc. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital infection in developed countries and a major cause of neurological disability in children. Although CMV can affect multiple organs, the most important sequelae of intrauterine infection are related to lesions of the central nervous system. However, little is known about the pathogenesis and the cellular events responsible for neuronal damage in infants with congenital infection. Some studies have demonstrated that neural precursor cells (NPCs) show the greatest susceptibility to CMV infection in the developing brain. We sought to establish an in vitro model of CMV infection of the developing brain in order to analyze the cellular events associated with invasion by this virus. To this end, we employed two cell lines as a permanent source of NPC, avoiding the continuous use of human fetal tissue, the human SK-N-MC neuroblastoma cell line, and an immortalized cell line of human fetal neural origin, hNS-1. We also investigated the effect of the differentiation stage in relation to the susceptibility of these cell lines by comparing the neuroblastoma cell line with the multipotent cell line hNS-1. We found that the effects of the virus were more severe in the neuroblastoma cell line. Additionally, we induced hNS-1 to differentiate and evaluated the effect of CMV in these differentiated cells. Like SK-N-MC cells, hNS-1-differentiated cells were also susceptible to infection. Viability of differentiated hNS-1 cells decreased after CMV infection in contrast to undifferentiated cells. In addition, differentiated hNS-1 cells showed an extensive cytopathic effect whereas the effect was scarce in undifferentiated cells. We describe some of the effects of CMV in neural stem cells, and our observations suggest that the degree of differentiation is important in the acquisition of susceptibility.CONACYT (CB16782 and #120452), PROMEP (103.5/10/7697), and FAI-UASLP (C12-FAI-03-62.62).Peer Reviewe
Internal properties of ultracompact dwarf galaxies in the Virgo cluster
We present new imaging and spectroscopic observations of six ultracompact dwarf (UCD) galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, along with reanalyzed data for five Fornax Cluster UCDs. These are the most luminous UCDs: -14 mag < M-V < -12 mag. Our Hubble Space Telescope imaging shows that most of the UCDs have shallow or steep cusps in their cores; only one UCD has a flat "King'' core. None of the UCDs show tidal cutoffs down to our limiting surface brightness. Spectroscopic analysis shows that Virgo UCDs are old ( older than 8 Gyr) and have metallicities in the range from [Z/H] = -1.35 to +0.35 dex. Five Virgo UCDs have supersolar [alpha/Fe] abundance ratios, and one Virgo UCD has a solar abundance ratio. The supersolar [alpha/Fe] abundances are typical of old stellar populations found in globular clusters and elliptical galaxies. We find that Virgo UCDs have structural and dynamical properties similar to Fornax UCDs. The Virgo and Fornax UCDs all have masses approximate to(2-9) x 10(7) M-circle dot and mass-to-light ratios approximate to(3-5) M-circle dot/L-circle dot,(V). The dynamical mass-to-light ratios for Virgo UCDs are consistent with simple stellar population model predictions: the Virgo UCDs do not require dark matter to explain their mass-to-light ratios. We conclude that the internal properties of Virgo UCDs are consistent with them being the high-mass/high-luminosity extreme of known globular cluster populations. We refrain from any firm conclusions on Fornax UCD origins until accurate age, metallicity, and alpha-abundance estimates are obtained for them. Some of our results, notably the fundamental plane projections, are consistent with the formation of UCDs by the simple removal of the halo from the nuclei of nucleated dwarf galaxies. However, the ages, metallicities, and abundances for Virgo UCDs are not consistent with this simple stripping model. It might be consistent with more sophisticated models of the stripping process that include the effects of gas removal on the chemical evolution of the nuclei
Gravitational Dynamics of Large Stellar Systems
Internal dynamical evolution can drive stellar systems into states of high
central density. For many star clusters and galactic nuclei, the time scale on
which this occurs is significantly less than the age of the universe. As a
result, such systems are expected to be sites of frequent interactions among
stars, binary systems, and stellar remnants, making them efficient factories
for the production of compact binaries, intermediate-mass black holes, and
other interesting and eminently observable astrophysical exotica. We describe
some elements of the competition among stellar dynamics, stellar evolution, and
other mechanisms to control the dynamics of stellar systems, and discuss
briefly the techniques by which these systems are modeled and studied.
Particular emphasis is placed on pathways leading to massive black holes in
present-day globular clusters and other potentially detectable sources of
gravitational radiation.Comment: 21 pages, invited talk presented at the 18th International Conference
on General Relativity and Gravitation (GRG18), Sydney, July 2007. To appear
in Classical and Quantum Gravit
Dynamic equivalence between atomic and colloidal liquids
We show that the kinetic-theoretical self-diffusion coefficient of an atomic
fluid plays the same role as the short-time self-diffusion coefficient D_S in a
colloidal liquid, in the sense that the dynamic properties of the former, at
times much longer than the mean free time, and properly scaled with D_S, will
indistinguishable from those of a colloidal liquid with the same interaction
potential. One important consequence of such dynamic equivalence is that the
ratio D_L/ D_S of the long-time to the short-time self-diffusion coefficients
must then be the same for both, an atomic and a colloidal system characterized
by the same inter-particle interactions. This naturally extends to atomic
fluids a well-known dynamic criterion for freezing of colloidal liquids[Phys.
Rev. Lett. 70, 1557 (1993)]. We corroborate these predictions by comparing
molecular and Brownian dynamics simulations on (soft- and hard-sphere) model
systems, representative of what we may refer to as the "hard-sphere" dynamic
universality class
Tidally-induced thermonuclear Supernovae
We discuss the results of 3D simulations of tidal disruptions of white dwarfs
by moderate-mass black holes as they may exist in the cores of globular
clusters or dwarf galaxies. Our simulations follow self-consistently the
hydrodynamic and nuclear evolution from the initial parabolic orbit over the
disruption to the build-up of an accretion disk around the black hole. For
strong enough encounters (pericentre distances smaller than about 1/3 of the
tidal radius) the tidal compression is reversed by a shock and finally results
in a thermonuclear explosion. These explosions are not restricted to progenitor
masses close to the Chandrasekhar limit, we find exploding examples throughout
the whole white dwarf mass range. There is, however, a restriction on the
masses of the involved black holes: black holes more massive than M swallow a typical 0.6 M dwarf before their tidal forces
can overwhelm the star's self-gravity. Therefore, this mechanism is
characteristic for black holes of moderate masses. The material that remains
bound to the black hole settles into an accretion disk and produces an X-ray
flare close to the Eddington limit of _\odot$), typically lasting for a few months. The combination
of a peculiar thermonuclear supernova together with an X-ray flare thus
whistle-blows the existence of such moderate-mass black holes. The next
generation of wide field space-based instruments should be able to detect such
events.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, EuroWD0
The nucleus of the Sagittarius dSph galaxy and M54: a window on the process of galaxy nucleation
We present the results of a thorough study of the nucleus of the Sgr dwarf
spheroidal galaxy and of the bright globular cluster M54 that resides within
the same nucleus (Sgr,N). We have obtained accurate radial velocities and
metallicity estimates for 1152 candidate Red Giant Branch stars of Sgr and M54
lying within ~ 9 arcmin from the center of the galaxy, from Keck/DEIMOS and
VLT/FLAMES spectra of the infrared Calcium II triplet. Using both velocity and
metallicity information we selected two samples of 425 and 321 very-likely
members of M54 and of Sgr,N, respectively. The two considered systems display
significantly different velocity dispersion profiles: M54 has a steeply
decreasing profile from r=0, where sigma= 14.2 km/s, to r=3.5 arcmin where it
reaches sigma=5.3 km/s, then it appears to rise again to sigma= 10 km/s at r=7
arcmin. In contrast Sgr,N has a uniformly flat profile at sigma=9.6 km/s over
the whole 0 < r < 9 arcmin range. Using data from the literature we show that
the velocity dispersion of Sgr remains constant at least out to r ~ 100 arcmin
and there is no sign of the transition between the outer
flat-luminosity-profile core and the inner nucleus in the velocity profile.
These results - together with a re-analysis of the surface brightness profile
of Sgr,N and a suite of dedicated N-body simulations - provide very strong
support for the hypothesis that the nucleus of Sgr formed independently of M54,
which probably plunged to its present position, coincident with Sgr,N, because
of significant decay of the original orbit due to dynamical friction.Comment: Accepted for publication by the Astronomical Journal. emulateapj.cls,
26 pag., 21 low resolution figures. A full-resolution color version of the
paper can be retrieved from http://www.bo.astro.it/SGR/Sgr_nucleus.ps.g
Mechanism for the Suppression of Intermediate-Mass Black Holes
A model for the formation of supermassive primordial black holes in galactic
nuclei with the simultaneous suppression of the formation of intermediate-mass
black holes is presented. A bimodal mass function for black holes formed
through phase transitions in a model with a "Mexican hat" potential has been
found. The classical motion of the phase of a complex scalar field during
inflation has been taken into account. Possible observational manifestations of
primordial black holes in galaxies and constraints on their number are
discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure
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