1,319 research outputs found
The Discovery of Water Maser Emission from Eight Nearby Galaxies
Using the Green Bank Telescope, we conducted a ``snapshot'' survey for water
maser emission toward the nuclei of 611 galaxies and detected eight new
sources. The sample consisted of nearby (v < 5000 km/s) and luminous (M_B <
-19.5) galaxies, some with known nuclear activity but most not previously known
to host AGNs. Our detections include both megamasers associated with AGNs and
relatively low luminosity masers probably associated with star formation. The
detection in UGC 3789 is particularly intriguing because the spectrum shows
both systemic and high-velocity lines indicative of emission from an AGN
accretion disk seen edge-on. Based on six months of monitoring, we detected
accelerations among the systemic features ranging from 2 to 8 km/s/yr, the
larger values belonging to the most redshifted systemic components.
High-velocity maser lines in UGC 3789 show no detectable drift over the same
period. Although UGC 3789 was not known to be an AGN prior to this survey, the
presence of a disk maser is strong evidence for nuclear activity, and an
optical spectrum obtained later has confirmed it. With follow up observations,
it may be possible to measure a geometric distance to UGC 3789.Comment: to appear in Astrophysical Journal, 1 May 200
Outflow 20--2000 AU from a High-Mass Protostar in W51-IRS2
We present the results of the first high angular resolution observations of
SiO maser emission towards the star forming region W51-IRS2 made with the Very
Large Array (VLA) and Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). Our images of the water
maser emission in W51-IRS2 reveal two maser complexes bracketing the SiO maser
source. One of these water maser complexes appears to trace a bow shock whose
opening angle is consistent with the opening angle observed in the distribution
of SiO maser emission. A comparison of our water maser image with an image
constructed from data acquired 19 years earlier clearly shows the persistence
and motion of this bow shock. The proper motions correspond to an outflow
velocity of 80 km/s, which is consistent with the data of 19 years ago (that
spanned 2 years). We have discovered a two-armed linear structure in the SiO
maser emission on scales of ~25 AU, and we find a velocity gradient on the
order of 0.1 km/s/AU along the arms. We propose that the SiO maser source
traces the limbs of an accelerating bipolar outflow close to an obscured
protostar. We estimate that the outflow makes an angle of <20 degrees with
respect to the plane of the sky. Our measurement of the acceleration is
consistent with a reported drift in the line-of-sight velocity of the W51 SiO
maser source.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures (including 3 color). Accepted for publication in
ApJ (April 1, 2001 issue
The Social Supply Chain and the Future High Street
Purpose: The paper examines how independent social and commercial activities have developed in response to the perceived decline in the UK High Street and in response to the challenges of increasing digital retailing opportunities. This examination is undertaken through the lens of the social supply chain as a means to understanding, suggesting and expanding on current research regarding retailing and the UK High Street. We reveal some of the challenges being posed by the changing patterns of growth and consumption in cities and couple these with shifting supply chain trends. Design: A case study approach is employed to explore the rapid advances and influence of digital technologies on businesses operating on the primary business street of suburban centre, towns or cities (described in the UK collectively as the ‘high street’). The study is conducted through the analytical lens of the social supply chain. Originality: For the purpose of this paper we use two distinct strategies relating to delivery and balancing and in relation to the actions of co-creation, co-production and co-consumption to emphasise and analyse changes currently occurring in the UK high street. We take a social supply chain management perspective to undertake a systematic critical review of the various recent efforts undertaken by local governments, communities and traders groups to revitalise the high street. Findings: Theoretically extending the ‘social’ in the social supply chain we illustrate the usefulness of the nuanced concept of the ‘social supply chain’ with two related strategies concerning delivery and balance. These strategies are themselves interlinked with the actions of co-creation, co-production and co-consumption. Examples of social supply chain strategies presented include retail businesses giving away something as an incentive, where the underlying requirement from the customer is that they will bring their own specialist product, skill or social network to a specified location (real or virtual)
An ``outside-in'' outburst of Aql X--1
We present optical spectroscopy and optical and infrared photometry of the
neutron star soft X-ray transient Aql X--1 during its X-ray outburst of August
1997. By modelling the X-ray, optical, and IR light curves, we find a 3 day
delay between the IR and X-ray rise times, analogous to the UV-optical delay
seen in dwarf novae outbursts and black hole X-ray transients. We interpret
this delay as the signature of an ``outside-in'' outburst, in which a thermal
instability in the outer disc propagates inward. This outburst is the first of
this type definitively identified in a neutron star X-ray transient.Comment: 6 pages latex, 2 figures, Accepted by MNRA
21cm Absorption by Compact Hydrogen Disks Around Black Holes in Radio-Loud Nuclei of Galaxies
The clumpy maser disks observed in some galactic nuclei mark the outskirts of
the accretion disk that fuels the central black hole and provide a potential
site of nuclear star formation. Unfortunately, most of the gas in maser disks
is currently not being probed; large maser gains favor paths that are
characterized by a small velocity gradient and require rare edge-on
orientations of the disk. Here we propose a method for mapping the atomic
hydrogen distribution in nuclear disks through its 21cm absorption against the
radio continuum glow around the central black hole. In NGC 4258, the 21cm
optical depth may approach unity for high angular-resolution (VLBI) imaging of
coherent clumps which are dominated by thermal broadening and have the column
density inferred from X-ray absorption data, ~10^{23}/cm^2. Spreading the 21cm
absorption over the full rotation velocity width of the material in front of
the narrow radio jets gives a mean optical depth of ~0.1. Spectroscopic
searches for the 21cm absorption feature in other galaxies can be used to
identify the large population of inclined gaseous disks which are not masing in
our direction. Follow-up imaging of 21cm silhouettes of accelerating clumps
within these disks can in turn be used to measure cosmological distances.Comment: 4 page
First Detection of Millimeter/Submillimeter Extragalactic H2O Maser Emission
We report the first detection of an extragalactic millimeter wavelength H2O
maser at 183 GHz towards NGC 3079 using the Submillimeter Array (SMA), and a
tentative submillimeter wave detection of the 439 GHz maser towards the same
source using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT). These H2O transitions
are known to exhibit maser emission in star-forming regions and evolved stars.
NGC 3079 is a well-studied nuclear H2O maser source at 22 GHz with a
time-variable peak flux density in the range 3 -- 12 Jy. The 183 GHz H2O maser
emission, with peak flux density 0.5 Jy (7 detection), also
originates from the nuclear region of NGC 3079 and is spatially coincident with
the dust continuum peak at 193 GHz (53 mJy integrated). Peak emission at both
183 and 439 GHz occurs in the same range of velocity as that covered by the 22
GHz spectrum. We estimate the gas to dust ratio of the nucleus of NGC 3079 to
be 150, comparable to the Galactic value of 160. Discovery of maser
emission in an active galactic nucleus beyond the long-known 22 GHz transition
opens the possibility of future position-resolved radiative transfer modeling
of accretion disks and outflows pc from massive black holes.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, ApJ Letters accepte
Compassion, Dominance/Submission, and Curled Lips: A Thematic Analysis of Dacryphilic Experience
Paraphilias are often discussed in the psychological literature as pathological problems, yet relatively little research exists that looks into non-pathological paraphilias (i.e., non-normative sexual interests). Empirical evidence suggests that many individuals incorporate a range of non-normative sexual interests into their sexual lifestyles. Dacryphilia is a non-normative sexual interest that involves enjoyment or arousal from tears and crying, and to date has never been researched empirically. The present study set out to discover the different interests within dacryphilia and explore the range of dacryphilic experience. A set of online interviews was carried out with individuals with dacryphilic preferences and interests (six females and two males) from four countries. The data were analysed for semantic and latent themes using thematic analysis. The respondents' statements focused attention on three distinct areas that may be relevant to the experience of dacryphilia: (i) compassion; (ii) dominance/submission; and (iii) curled-lips. The data provided detailed descriptions of features within all three interests, which are discussed in relation to previous quantitative and qualitative research within emotional crying and tears, and the general area of non-normative sexual interests. The study suggests new directions for potential research both within dacryphilia and with regard to other non-normative sexual interests
A Survey for H2O Megamasers III. Monitoring Water Vapor Masers in Active Galaxies
We present single-dish monitoring of the spectra of 13 extragalactic water
megamasers taken over a period of 9 years and a single epoch of sensitive
spectra for 7 others. Our data include the first K-band science observations
taken with the new 100 m Green Bank Telescope (GBT). In the context of a
circumnuclear, molecular disk model, our results suggest that either (a) the
maser lines seen are systemic features subject to a much smaller acceleration
than present in NGC 4258, presumably because the gas is farther from the
nuclear black hole, or (b) we are detecting ``satellite'' lines for which the
acceleration is in the plane of the sky.
We also report a search for water vapor masers towards the nuclei of 58
highly inclined, nearby galaxies.Comment: accepted by ApJ
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