1,575 research outputs found
Theoretical models for classical Cepheids. VIII. Effects of helium and heavy elements abundance on the Cepheid distance scale
Previous nonlinear fundamental pulsation models for classical Cepheids with
metal content Z <= 0.02 are implemented with new computations at super-solar
metallicity (Z=0.03, 0.04) and selected choices of the helium-to-metal
enrichment ratio DeltaY/Delta Z. On this basis, we show that the location into
the HR diagram of the Cepheid instability strip is dependent on both metal and
helium abundance, moving towards higher effective temperatures with decreasing
the metal content (at fixed Y) or with increasing the helium content (at fixed
Z). The contributions of helium and metals to the predicted Period-Luminosity
and Period-Luminosity-Color relations are discussed, as well as the
implications on the Cepheid distance scale. Based on these new results, we
finally show that the empirical metallicity correction suggested by Cepheid
observations in two fields of the galaxy M101 may be accounted for, provided
that the adopted helium-to-metal enrichment ratio is reasonably high (Delta
Y/Delta Z ~ 3.5).Comment: 23 pages, including 6 postscript figures, accepted for publication on
Ap
Chemical Properties of Star-Forming Emission Line Galaxies at z=0.1 - 0.5
We measure oxygen and nitrogen abundances for 14 star-forming emission line
galaxies (ELGs) at 0.11<z<0.5 using Keck/LRIS optical spectroscopy. The targets
exhibit a range of metallicities from slightly metal-poor like the LMC to
super-solar. Oxygen abundances of the sample correlate strongly with rest-frame
blue luminosities. The metallicity-luminosity relation based on these 14
objects is indistinguishable from the one obeyed by local galaxies, although
there is marginal evidence (1.1sigma) that the sample is slightly more
metal-deficient than local galaxies of the same luminosity. The observed
galaxies exhibit smaller emission linewidths than local galaxies of similar
metallicity, but proper corrections for inclination angle and other systematic
effects are unknown. For 8 of the 14 objects we measure nitrogen-to-oxygen
ratios. Seven of 8 systems show evidence for secondary nitrogen production,
with log(N/O)> -1.4 like local spirals. These chemical properties are
inconsistent with unevolved objects undergoing a first burst of star formation.
The majority of the ELGs are presently ~4 magnitudes brighter and ~0.5 dex more
metal-rich than the bulk of the stars in well-known metal-poor dwarf
spheroidals such as NGC 205 and NGC 185, making an evolution between some ELGs
and metal-poor dwarf spheroidals improbable. However, the data are consistent
with the hypothesis that more luminous and metal-rich spheroidal galaxies like
NGC 3605 may become the evolutionary endpoints of some ELGs. [abridged]Comment: 41 pages, w/12 figures, uses AASTeX aaspp4.sty, psfig.sty; To appear
in The Astrophysical Journa
Collision cross sections of high-mannose N-glycans in commonly observed adduct states – identification of gas-phase conformers unique to [M − H]<sup>-</sup> ions
We report collision cross sections (CCS) of high-mannose N-glycans as [M + Na]+, [M + K]+, [M + H]+, [M + Cl]-, [M + H2PO4]- and [M − H]- ions, measured by drift tube (DT) ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) in helium and nitrogen gases. Further analysis using traveling wave (TW) IM-MS reveal the existence of distinct conformers exclusive to [M − H]- ions
Strongly entangled light from planar microcavities
The emission of entangled light from planar semiconductor microcavities is
studied and the entanglement properties are analyzed and quantified.
Phase-matching of the intra-cavity scattering dynamics for multiple pump beams
or pulses, together with the coupling to external radiation, leads to the
emission of a manifold of entangled photon pairs. A decomposition of the
emitted photons into two parties leads to a strong entanglement of the
resulting bipartite system. For the quantification of the entanglement, the
Schmidt number of the system is determined by the construction of Schmidt
number witnesses. It is analyzed to which extend the resources of the
originally strongly entangled light field are diminished by dephasing in
propagation channels.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, extended versio
Cosmological Bounds on Spatial Variations of Physical Constants
We derive strong observational limits on any possible large-scale spatial
variation in the values of physical 'constants' whose space-time evolution is
driven by a scalar field. The limits are imposed by the isotropy of the
microwave background on large angular scales in theories which describe space
and time variations in the fine structure constant, the electron-proton mass
ratio, and the Newtonian gravitational constant, G. Large-scale spatial
fluctuations in the fine structure constant are bounded by 2x10^-9 and
1.2x10^-8 in the BSBM and VSL theories respectively, fluctuations in the
electron-proton mass ratio by 9x10^-5 in the BM theory and fluctuations in G by
3.6x10^-10 in Brans-Dicke theory. These derived bounds are significantly
stronger than any obtainable by direct observations of astrophysical objects at
the present time.Comment: 13 pages, 1 table, typos corrected, refs added. Published versio
Ca II Triplet Spectroscopy of Giants in SMC Star Clusters: Abundances, Velocities and the Age-Metallicity Relation
We have obtained spectra at the Ca II triplet of individual red giants in
seven SMC star clusters whose ages range from ~4 to 12 Gyr. The spectra have
been used to determine mean abundances for six of the star clusters to a
typical precision of 0.12 dex. When combined with existing data for other
objects, the resulting SMC age-metallicity relation is generally consistent
with that for a simple model of chemical evolution, scaled to the present-day
SMC mean abundance and gas mass fraction. Two of the clusters (Lindsay 113 and
NGC 339), however, have abundances that ~0.5 dex lower than that expected from
the mean age-metallicity relation. It is suggested that the formation of these
clusters, which have ages of ~5 Gyr, may have involved the infall of uneriched
gas, perhaps from the Magellanic Stream. The spectra also yield radial
velocities for the seven clusters. The resulting velocity dispersion is 16 +/-
4 km/sec, consistent with those of the SMC planetary nebula and carbon star
populations.Comment: 28 pages including 4 figure
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