1,382 research outputs found
Magnetic domain structure and dynamics in interacting ferromagnetic stacks with perpendicular anisotropy
The time and field dependence of the magnetic domain structure at
magnetization reversal were investigated by Kerr microscopy in interacting
ferromagnetic Co/Pt multilayers with perpendicular anisotropy. Large local
inhomogeneous magnetostatic fields favor mirroring domain structures and domain
decoration by rings of opposite magnetization. The long range nature of these
magnetostatic interactions gives rise to ultra-slow dynamics even in zero
applied field, i.e. it affects the long time domain stability. Due to this
additionnal interaction field, the magnetization reversal under short magnetic
field pulses differs markedly from the well-known slow dynamic behavior.
Namely, in high field, the magnetization of the coupled harder layer has been
observed to reverse more rapidly by domain wall motion than the softer layer
alone.Comment: 42 pages including 17 figures. submitted to JA
The assembly history of the nearest S0 galaxy NGC 3115 from its kinematics out to six half-light radii
Using new and archival data, we study the kinematic properties of the nearest
field S0 galaxy, NGC 3115, out to half-light radii ()
from its stars (integrated starlight), globular clusters (GCs) and planetary
nebulae (PNe). We find evidence of three kinematic regions with an inner
transition at from a dispersion-dominated bulge
() to a fast-rotating disk (), and then an additional transition from the disk to a slowly rotating
spheroid at , as traced by the red GCs and PNe (and
possibly by the blue GCs beyond ). From comparison with
simulations, we propose an assembly history in which the original progenitor
spiral galaxy undergoes a gas-rich minor merger that results in the embedded
kinematically cold disk that we see today in NGC 3115. At a later stage, dwarf
galaxies, in mini mergers (mass-ratio 1:10), were accreted building-up the
outer slowly rotating spheroid, with the central disk kinematics largely
unaltered. Additionally, we report new spectroscopic observations of a sample
of ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs) around NGC 3115 with the Keck/KCWI instrument.
We find that five UCDs are inconsistent with the general rotation field of the
GCs, suggesting an \textit{ex-situ} origin for these objects, i.e. perhaps the
remnants of tidally stripped dwarfs. A further seven UCDs follow the GC
rotation pattern, suggesting an \textit{in-situ} origin and, possibly a GC-like
nature.Comment: 22 pages (including 3 pages of Appendix material), 14 figures,
published in MNRA
NGC 474 as viewed with KCWI: Diagnosing a shell galaxy
We present new spectra obtained using Keck/KCWI and perform kinematics and stellar population analyses of the shell galaxy NGC 474, from both the galaxy centre and a region from the outer shell. We show that both regions have similarly extended star formation histories although with different stellar population properties. The central region of NGC 474 is dominated by intermediate-Aged stars (8.3 ± 0.3 Gyr) with subsolar metallicity ([Z/H] =-0.24 ± 0.07 dex) while the observed shell region, which hosts a substantial population of younger stars, has a mean luminosity-weighted age of 4.0 ± 0.5 Gyr with solar metallicities ([Z/H] =-0.03 ± 0.09 dex). Our results are consistent with a scenario in which NGC 474 experienced a major to intermediate merger with a log mass satellite galaxy at least Gyr ago which produced its shell system. This work shows that the direct spectroscopic study of low-surface brightness stellar features, such as shells, is now feasible and opens up a new window to understanding galaxy formation and evolution
Re-framing the climate change debate in the livestock sector: mitigation and adaptation options
Livestock play a key role in the climate change debate. As with crop-based agriculture, the sector is both a net greenhouse gas emitter and vulnerable to climate change. At the same time, it is an essential food source for millions of people worldwide, with other functions apart from food security such as savings and insurance. By comparison with crop-based agriculture, the interactions of livestock and climate change have been much less studied. The debate around livestock is confusing due to the coexistence of multiple livestock farming systems with differing functions for humans, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission profiles and different characteristics and boundary issues in their measurement, which are often pooled together. Consequently, the diversity of livestock farming systems and their functions to human systems are poorly represented and the role of the livestock sector in the climate change debate has not been adequately addressed. In this article, building upon the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report (IPCC 5AR) findings, we review recent literature on livestock and climate change so as better to include this diversity in the adaptation and mitigation debate around livestock systems. For comparative purposes we use the same categories of managerial, technical, behavioral and policy-related action to organize both mitigation and adaptation options. We conclude that different livestock systems provide different functions to different human systems and require different strategies, so they cannot readily be pooled together. We also observe that, for the different livestock systems, several win-win strategies exist that effectively tackle both mitigation and adaptation options as well as food security
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