1,765 research outputs found
Signatures of Young Star Formation Activity Within Two Parsecs of Sgr A*
We present radio and infrared observations indicating on-going star formation
activity inside the pc circumnuclear ring at the Galactic center.
Collectively these measurements suggest a continued disk-based mode of on-going
star formation has taken place near Sgr A* over the last few million years.
First, VLA observations with spatial resolution 2.17 reveal 13
water masers, several of which have multiple velocity components. The presence
of interstellar water masers suggests gas densities that are sufficient for
self-gravity to overcome the tidal shear of the 4 \msol\, black
hole. Second, SED modeling of stellar sources indicate massive YSO candidates
interior to the molecular ring, supporting in-situ star formation near Sgr A*
and appear to show a distribution similar to that of the counter-rotating disks
of 100 OB stars orbiting Sgr A*. Some YSO candidates (e.g., IRS~5) have
bow shock structures suggesting that they have have gaseous disks that are
phototoevaporated and photoionized by the strong radiation field. Third, we
detect clumps of SiO (2-1) and (5-4) line emission in the ring based on CARMA
and SMA observations. The FWHM and luminosity of the SiO emission is consistent
with shocked protostellar outflows. Fourth, two linear ionized features with an
extent of pc show blue and redshifted velocities between and
\kms, suggesting protostellar jet driven outflows with mass loss rates of
solar mass yr. Finally, we present the imprint of
radio dark clouds at 44 GHz, representing a reservoir of molecular gas that
feeds star formation activity close to Sgr A*.Comment: 38 pages, 10 figures, ApJ (in press
Anti-correlation between the mass of a supermassive black hole and the mass accretion rate in type I ultraluminous infrared galaxies and nearby QSOs
We discovered a significant anti-correlation between the mass of a
supermassive black hole (SMBH), , and the luminosity ratio of
infrared to active galactic nuclei (AGN) Eddington luminosity, , over four orders of magnitude for ultraluminous infrared
galaxies with type I Seyfert nuclei (type I ULIRGs) and nearby QSOs. This
anti-correlation ( vs. ) can be interpreted
as the anti-correlation between the mass of a SMBH and the rate of mass
accretion onto a SMBH normalized by the AGN Eddington rate, . In other words, the mass accretion rate is not proportional to that of the central BH mass. Thus, this
anti-correlation indicates that BH growth is determined by the external mass
supply process, and not the AGN Eddington-limited mechanism. Moreover, we found
an interesting tendency for type I ULIRGs to favor a super-Eddington accretion
flow, whereas QSOs tended to show a sub-Eddington flow. On the basis of our
findings, we suggest that a central SMBH grows by changing its mass accretion
rate from super-Eddington to sub-Eddington. According to a coevolution scenario
of ULIRGs and QSOs based on the radiation drag process, it has been predicted
that a self-gravitating massive torus, whose mass is larger than a central BH,
exists in the early phase of BH growth (type I ULIRG phase) but not in the
final phase of BH growth (QSO phase). At the same time, if one considers the
mass accretion rate onto a central SMBH via a turbulent viscosity, the
anti-correlation ( vs. ) is well explained
by the positive correlation between the mass accretion rate
and the mass ratio of a massive torus to a SMBH.Comment: 29 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Fungi in a Warmer World - Fungal diversity from the Peak Warming of the Miocene Climate Optimum as Recorded in the Latah Formation, Clarkia, Idaho, USA
Microfungi are a vital part of ecosystems as they help with key processes, such as carbon and nutrient cycling, especially through the actions of mycorrhizal and saprotrophic members (Nuñez Otaño et al., 2015, 2021; Willis et al., 2018). Microfungi can also be good indicators of plant biodiversity in an area because many fungal taxa are host-specific (Rutten et al., 2021; Francioli et al., 2021; Hu et al., 2021; Wijayawardene et al., 2022 ). Despite being crucial components in ecosystems, they are often overlooked. In the fossil record, microfungi have a high preservaon rate and they are often preserved close to the original substrate they were deposited in. This makes them an important proxy for understanding local past ecological and climatological conditions (Romero et al., 2021, O’Keefe et al., 2017). The Fungi in a Warmer World project seeks to use fossil fungal assemblages to study changes in biodiversity during the Miocene Climate Opmum (MCO), a period of peak warming that closely mirrors current and projected warming trends (Steinthorsdotter et al., 2021). The current atmospheric CO2 concentraon is around 420 ppm but is rapidly approaching the MCO average of 450-550 ppm (Steinthorsdotter et al., 2021).https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/celebration_posters_2022/1045/thumbnail.jp
CARMA Large Area Star Formation Survey: Observational Analysis of Filaments in the Serpens South Molecular Cloud
We present the N2H+(J=1-0) map of the Serpens South molecular cloud obtained
as part of the CARMA Large Area Star Formation Survey (CLASSy). The
observations cover 250 square arcminutes and fully sample structures from 3000
AU to 3 pc with a velocity resolution of 0.16 km/s, and they can be used to
constrain the origin and evolution of molecular cloud filaments. The spatial
distribution of the N2H+ emission is characterized by long filaments that
resemble those observed in the dust continuum emission by Herschel. However,
the gas filaments are typically narrower such that, in some cases, two or three
quasi-parallel N2H+ filaments comprise a single observed dust continuum
filament. The difference between the dust and gas filament widths casts doubt
on Herschel ability to resolve the Serpens South filaments. Some molecular
filaments show velocity gradients along their major axis, and two are
characterized by a steep velocity gradient in the direction perpendicular to
the filament axis. The observed velocity gradient along one of these filaments
was previously postulated as evidence for mass infall toward the central
cluster, but these kind of gradients can be interpreted as projection of
large-scale turbulence.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, published in ApJL (July 2014
Waves on the surface of the Orion molecular cloud
Massive stars influence their parental molecular cloud, and it has long been
suspected that the development of hydrodynamical instabilities can compress or
fragment the cloud. Identifying such instabilities has proved difficult. It has
been suggested that elongated structures (such as the `pillars of creation')
and other shapes arise because of instabilities, but alternative explanations
are available. One key signature of an instability is a wave-like structure in
the gas, which has hitherto not been seen. Here we report the presence of
`waves' at the surface of the Orion molecular cloud near where massive stars
are forming. The waves seem to be a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability that arises
during the expansion of the nebula as gas heated and ionized by massive stars
is blown over pre-existing molecular gas.Comment: Preprint of publication in Natur
Gravitational redshift of galaxies in clusters as predicted by general relativity
The theoretical framework of cosmology is mainly defined by gravity, of which
general relativity is the current model. Recent tests of general relativity
within the \Lambda Cold Dark Matter (CDM) model have found a concordance
between predictions and the observations of the growth rate and clustering of
the cosmic web. General relativity has not hitherto been tested on cosmological
scales independent of the assumptions of the \Lambda CDM model. Here we report
observation of the gravitational redshift of light coming from galaxies in
clusters at the 99 per cent confidence level, based upon archival data. The
measurement agrees with the predictions of general relativity and its
modification created to explain cosmic acceleration without the need for dark
energy (f(R) theory), but is inconsistent with alternative models designed to
avoid the presence of dark matter.Comment: Published in Nature issued on 29 September 2011. This version
includes the Letter published there as well as the Supplementary Information.
23 pages, 7 figure
Separation of quadrupolar and magnetic contributions to spin-lattice relaxation in the case of a single isotope
We present a NMR pulse double-irradiation method which allows one to separate
magnetic from quadrupolar contributions in the spin-lattice relaxation. The
pulse sequence fully saturates one transition while another is observed. In the
presence of a Delta m = 2 quadrupolar contribution, the intensity of the
observed line is altered compared to a standard spin-echo experiment. We
calculated analytically this intensity change for spins I=1, 3/2, 5/2, thus
providing a quantitative analysis of the experimental results. Since the pulse
sequence we used takes care of the absorbed radio-frequency power, no problems
due to heating arise. The method is especially suited when only one NMR
sensitive isotope is available. Different cross-checks were performed to prove
the reliability of the obtained results. The applicability of this method is
demonstrated by a study of the plane oxygen 17O (I = 5/2) in the
high-temperature superconductor YBa_2Cu_4O_8: the 17O spin-lattice relaxation
rate consists of magnetic as well as quadrupolar contributions.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure
The self-consistent gravitational self-force
I review the problem of motion for small bodies in General Relativity, with
an emphasis on developing a self-consistent treatment of the gravitational
self-force. An analysis of the various derivations extant in the literature
leads me to formulate an asymptotic expansion in which the metric is expanded
while a representative worldline is held fixed; I discuss the utility of this
expansion for both exact point particles and asymptotically small bodies,
contrasting it with a regular expansion in which both the metric and the
worldline are expanded. Based on these preliminary analyses, I present a
general method of deriving self-consistent equations of motion for arbitrarily
structured (sufficiently compact) small bodies. My method utilizes two
expansions: an inner expansion that keeps the size of the body fixed, and an
outer expansion that lets the body shrink while holding its worldline fixed. By
imposing the Lorenz gauge, I express the global solution to the Einstein
equation in the outer expansion in terms of an integral over a worldtube of
small radius surrounding the body. Appropriate boundary data on the tube are
determined from a local-in-space expansion in a buffer region where both the
inner and outer expansions are valid. This buffer-region expansion also results
in an expression for the self-force in terms of irreducible pieces of the
metric perturbation on the worldline. Based on the global solution, these
pieces of the perturbation can be written in terms of a tail integral over the
body's past history. This approach can be applied at any order to obtain a
self-consistent approximation that is valid on long timescales, both near and
far from the small body. I conclude by discussing possible extensions of my
method and comparing it to alternative approaches.Comment: 44 pages, 4 figure
Ecological equivalence: a realistic assumption for niche theory as a testable alternative to neutral theory
Hubbell's 2001 neutral theory unifies biodiversity and biogeography by modelling steady-state distributions of species richness and abundances across spatio-temporal scales. Accurate predictions have issued from its core premise that all species have identical vital rates. Yet no ecologist believes that species are identical in reality. Here I explain this paradox in terms of the ecological equivalence that species must achieve at their coexistence equilibrium, defined by zero net fitness for all regardless of intrinsic differences between them. I show that the distinction of realised from intrinsic vital rates is crucial to evaluating community resilience. An analysis of competitive interactions reveals how zero-sum patterns of abundance emerge for species with contrasting life-history traits as for identical species. I develop a stochastic model to simulate community assembly from a random drift of invasions sustaining the dynamics of recruitment following deaths and extinctions. Species are allocated identical intrinsic vital rates for neutral dynamics, or random intrinsic vital rates and competitive abilities for niche dynamics either on a continuous scale or between dominant-fugitive extremes. Resulting communities have steady-state distributions of the same type for more or less extremely differentiated species as for identical species. All produce negatively skewed log-normal distributions of species abundance, zero-sum relationships of total abundance to area, and Arrhenius relationships of species to area. Intrinsically identical species nevertheless support fewer total individuals, because their densities impact as strongly on each other as on themselves. Truly neutral communities have measurably lower abundance/area and higher species/abundance ratios. Neutral scenarios can be parameterized as null hypotheses for testing competitive release, which is a sure signal of niche dynamics. Ignoring the true strength of interactions between and within species risks a substantial misrepresentation of community resilience to habitat los
Noise reduction in gravitational wave interferometers using feedback
We show that the quantum locking scheme recently proposed by Courty {\it et
al.} [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 90}, 083601 (2003)] for the reduction of back
action noise is able to significantly improve the sensitivity of the next
generation of gravitational wave interferometers.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, in print in the Special Issue of J. Opt. B on
Fluctuations and Noise in Photonics and Quantum Optic
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