5,771 research outputs found
Infrared spectroscopy of star formation in galaxies
The Brackett alpha and beta lines with 7.2 seconds angular and 350 km/s velocity resolution were observed in 11 infrared-bright galaxies. From these measurements extinctions, Lyman continuum fluxes, and luminosities due to OB stars were derived. The galaxies observed to date are NGC3690, M38, NGC 5195, Arp 220, NGC 520, NGC660, NGC1614, NGC 3079, NGC 6946, NGC 7714, and Maffei 2, all of which were suggested at some time to be starburst ogjects. The contributions of OB stars to the luminosities of these galaxies can be quantified from the measurements and range from insignificant to sufficient to account for the total energy output. The OB stellar luminosities observed are as high as 10 to the 12th solar luminosities in the galaxy NGC 1614. It is noteworthy that star formation can play very different roles in the infrared energy output of galaxies of similar luminosity, as for example Arp 220 and NGC 1614. In addition to probing the star formation process in these galaxies, the Brackett line measurements, when compared to radio and infrared continuum results, have revealed some unexpected and at present imperfectly understood phenomena: in some very luminous sources the radio continuum appears to be suppressed relative to the infrared recombination lines; in many galaxies there is a substantial excess of 10 micron flux over that predicted from simple models of Lyman alpha heating of dust if young stars are the only significant energy source
Possible ~ 1 hour quasi-periodic oscillation in narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG--06--30--15
We found a possible ~ 1 hour quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in a ~ 55 ks
X-ray observation of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG--06--30--15 made with
the XMM-Newton EPIC/pn detector in the energy range 0.3 -- 10 keV. We identify
a total modulation of ~ 16% in the light curve and find a 3670~s
quasi-period using Lomb-Scargle periodogram (LSP) and weighted wavelet
Z-transform (WWZ) techniques. Our analyses of eight light curves of
MCG--06--30--15, indicated the possible presence of an oscillation during one
of them. The LSP indicates a statistically significant ( 3) QPO
detection. A WWZ analysis shows that the signal at this possible roughly 3670s
period is present, and rather persistent, throughout the observation; however,
a signal around 8735s is more persistent. We briefly discuss models that can
produce X-ray QPOs with such periods in narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies, as both
other claimed QPO detections in this class of AGN had very similar periods.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, Published in A&A Letter
A size of ~1 AU for the radio source Sgr A* at the centre of the Milky Way
Although it is widely accepted that most galaxies have supermassive black
holes (SMBHs) at their centers^{1-3}, concrete proof has proved elusive.
Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*)^4, an extremely compact radio source at the center of
our Galaxy, is the best candidate for proof^{5-7}, because it is the closest.
Previous Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations (at 7mm) have
detected that Sgr A* is ~2 astronomical unit (AU) in size^8, but this is still
larger than the "shadow" (a remarkably dim inner region encircled by a bright
ring) arising from general relativistic effects near the event horizon^9.
Moreover, the measured size is wavelength dependent^{10}. Here we report a
radio image of Sgr A* at a wavelength of 3.5mm, demonstrating that its size is
\~1 AU. When combined with the lower limit on its mass^{11}, the lower limit on
the mass density is 6.5x10^{21} Msun pc^{-3}, which provides the most stringent
evidence to date that Sgr A* is an SMBH. The power-law relationship between
wavelength and intrinsic size (The size is proportional to wavelength^{1.09}),
explicitly rules out explanations other than those emission models with
stratified structure, which predict a smaller emitting region observed at a
shorter radio wavelength.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure
The Submillimeter Array
The Submillimeter Array (SMA), a collaborative project of the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy
and Astrophysics (ASIAA), has begun operation on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. A total
of eight 6-m telescopes comprise the array, which will cover the frequency
range of 180-900 GHz. All eight telescopes have been deployed and are
operational. First scientific results utilizing the three receiver bands at
230, 345, and 690 GHz have been obtained and are presented in the accompanying
papers.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure
Cleavage of 3′-terminal adenosine by archaeal ATP-dependent RNA ligase
Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicus RNA ligase (MthRnl) catalyzes formation of phosphodiester bonds between the 5′-phosphate and 3′-hydroxyl termini of single-stranded RNAs. It can also react with RNA with a 3′-phosphate end to generate a 2′,3′-cyclic phosphate. Here, we show that MthRnl can additionally remove adenosine from the 3′-terminus of the RNA to produce 3′-deadenylated RNA, RNA(3′-rA). This 3′-deadenylation activity is metal-dependent and requires a 2′-hydroxyl at both the terminal adenosine and the penultimate nucleoside. Residues that contact the ATP/AMP in the MthRnl crystal structures are essential for the 3′-deadenylation activity, suggesting that 3′-adenosine may occupy the ATP-binding pocket. The 3′-end of cleaved RNA(3′-rA) consists of 2′,3′-cyclic phosphate which protects RNA(3′-rA) from ligation and further deadenylation. These findings suggest that ATP-dependent RNA ligase may act on a specific set of 3′-adenylated RNAs to regulate their processing and downstream biological events
Study of Lattice Instabilities in Snx Euy-x Mo6S8 (y=1.0 and 1.2)
An anomaly in the heat capacity of Eu1.2Mo6S8 at ∼120 K (T0) has been observed and identified as a structural transformation. The heat capacity, electrical resistance, and Hall coefficient for the Eu-rich pseudoternaries have been measured under pressure to obtain the pressure dependence of T0. The depression of T0 by pressure is used to explain the pressure dependence of the superconducting transition temperature and the anomalous temperature dependence of the critical field
A Population of Massive Globular Clusters in NGC 5128
We present velocity dispersion measurements of 14 globular clusters in NGC
5128 (Centarus A) obtained with the MIKE echelle spectrograph on the 6.5m
Magellan Clay telescope. These clusters are among the most luminous globular
clusters in NGC 5128 and have velocity dispersions comparable to the most
massive clusters known in the Local Group, ranging from 10 - 30 km/s. We
describe in detail our cross-correlation measurements, as well as simulations
to quantify the uncertainties. These 14 globular clusters are the brightest NGC
5128 globular clusters with surface photometry and structural parameters
measured from the Hubble Space Telescope. We have used these measurements to
derive masses and mass-to-light ratios for all of these clusters and establish
that the fundamental plane relations for globular clusters extend to an order
of magnitude higher mass than in the Local Group. The mean mass-to-light ratio
for the NGC 5128 clusters is ~3+/-1, higher than measurements for all but the
most massive Local Group clusters. These massive clusters begin to bridge the
mass gap between the most massive star clusters and the lowest-mass galaxies.
We find that the properties of NGC 5128 globular clusters overlap quite well
with the central properties of nucleated dwarf galaxies and ultracompact dwarf
galaxies. As six of these clusters also show evidence for extratidal light, we
hypothesize that at least some of these massive clusters are the nuclei of
tidally stripped dwarfs.Comment: ApJ Accepted, 15 pages, 9 figures, uses emulateapj.st
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