1,425 research outputs found
Halo Geometry and Dark Matter Annihilation Signal
We study the impact of the halo shape and geometry on the expected weakly
interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter annihilation signal from the
galactic center. As the halo profile in the innermost region is still poorly
constrained, we consider different density behaviors like flat cores, cusps and
spikes, as well as geometrical distortions. We show that asphericity has a
strong impact on the annihilation signal when the halo profile near the
galactic center is flat, but becomes gradually less significant for cuspy
profiles, and negligible in the presence of a central spike. However, the
astrophysical factor is strongly dependent on the WIMP mass and annihilation
cross-section in the latter case.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, PR
Radial Dependence of the Pattern Speed of M51
The grand-design spiral galaxy M51 has long been a crucial target for
theories of spiral structure. Studies of this iconic spiral can address the
question of whether strong spiral structure is transient (e.g.
interaction-driven) or long-lasting. As a clue to the origin of the structure
in M51, we investigate evidence for radial variation in the spiral pattern
speed using the radial Tremaine-Weinberg (TWR) method. We implement the method
on CO observations tracing the ISM-dominant molecular component. Results from
the method's numerical implementation--combined with regularization, which
smooths intrinsically noisy solutions--indicate two distinct patterns speeds
inside 4 kpc at our derived major axis PA=170 deg., both ending at corotation
and both significantly higher than the conventionally adopted global value.
Inspection of the rotation curve suggests that the pattern speed interior to 2
kpc lacks an ILR, consistent with the leading structure seen in HST near-IR
observations. We also find tentative evidence for a lower pattern speed between
4 and 5.3 kpc measured by extending the regularized zone. As with the original
TW method, uncertainty in major axis position angle (PA) is the largest source
of error in the calculation; in this study, where \delta PA=+/-5 deg. a ~20%
error is introduced to the parameters of the speeds at PA=170 deg. Accessory to
this standard uncertainty, solutions with PA=175 deg. (also admitted by the
data) exhibit only one pattern speed inside 4 kpc, and we consider this
circumstance under the semblance of a radially varying PA.Comment: 14 pages in emulateapj format, 12 figures, accepted for publication
in Ap
The Lifetime of Grand Design
The lifetime of the structure in grand design spiral galaxies is
observationally ill-determined, but is essentially set by how accurately the
pattern's rotation can be characterized by a single angular pattern speed. This
paper derives a generalized version of the Tremaine-Weinberg method for
observationally determining pattern speeds, in which the pattern speed is
allowed to vary arbitrarily with radius. The departures of the derived pattern
speed from a constant then provides a simple metric of the lifetime of the
spiral structure. Application of this method to CO observations of NGC 1068
reveal that the pattern speed of the spiral structure in this galaxy varies
rapidly with radius, and that the lifetime of the spiral structure is
correspondingly very short. If this result turns out to be common in
grand-design spiral galaxies, then these features will have to be viewed as
highly transient phenomena.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Characterizing Bars at z~0 in the optical and NIR: Implications for the Evolution of Barred Disks with Redshift
Critical insights on galaxy evolution stem from the study of bars. With the
advent of HST surveys that trace bars in the rest-frame optical out to z~1, it
is critical to provide a reference baseline for bars at z~0 in the optical
band. We present results on bars at z~0 in the optical and NIR bands based on
180 spirals from OSUBSGS. (1) The deprojected bar fraction at z~0 is ~60% +/-6%
in the NIR H-band and ~44% +/-6% in the optical B-band. (2) The results before
and after deprojection are similar, which is encouraging for high-redshift
studies that forego deprojection. (3) Studies of bars at z~0.2-1.0 (lookback
time of 3-8 Gyr) have reported an optical bar fraction of ~30% +/-6%, after
applying cutoffs in absolute magnitude (M_V = 1.5
kpc), and bar ellipticity (e_bar >= 0.4). Applying these exact cutoffs to the
OSUBSGS data yields a comparable optical B-band bar fraction at z~0 of ~
34%+/-6%. This rules out scenarios where the optical bar fraction in bright
disks declines strongly with redshift. (4) Most (~70%) bars have moderate to
high strentgh or ellipticity (0.50 <= e_bar <= 0.75). There is no bimodality in
the distribution of e_bar. The H-band bar fraction and e_bar show no
substantial variation across RC3 Hubble types Sa to Scd. (5) RC3 bar types
should be used with caution. Many galaxies with RC3 types "AB" turn out to be
unbarred and RC3 bar classes "B" and "AB" have a significant overlap in e_bar.
(6) Most bars have sizes below 5 kpc. Bar and disk sizes correlate, and most
bars have a_bar/R_25~0.1-0.5. This suggests that the growths of bars and disks
are intimately tied.Comment: 11 pages, 17 figures, 3 tables, ApJ accepted, abridged abstract
below. Minor changes and shortened paper for ApJ limits. For high resolution
figures see http://www.as.utexas.edu/~marinova/paper1-highres.pd
The Pattern Speed of the Galactic Bar
Most late-type stars in the solar neighborhood have velocities similar to the
local standard of rest (LSR), but there is a clearly separated secondary
component corresponding to a slower rotation and a mean outward motion.
Detailed simulations of the response of a stellar disk to a central bar show
that such a bi-modality is expected from outer-Lindblad resonant scattering.
When constraining the run of the rotation curve by the proper motion of Sgr A*
and the terminal gas velocities, the value observed for the rotation velocity
separating the two components results in a value of (53+/-3)km/s/kpc for the
pattern speed of the bar, only weakly dependent on the precise values for Ro
and bar angle phi.Comment: 5 pages LaTeX, 2 Figs, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Exploring Disk Galaxy Dynamics Using IFU Data
In order to test the basic equations believed to dictate the dynamics of disk
galaxies, we present and analyze deep two-dimensional spectral data obtained
using the PPAK integral field unit for the early-type spiral systems NGC 2273,
NGC 2985, NGC 3898 and NGC 5533. We describe the care needed to obtain and
process such data to a point where reliable kinematic measurements can be
obtained from these observations, and a new more optimal method for deriving
the rotational motion and velocity dispersions in such disk systems. The data
from NGC 2273 and NGC 2985 show systematic variations in velocity dispersion
with azimuth, as one would expect if the shapes of their velocity ellipsoids
are significantly anisotropic, while the hotter disks in NGC 3898 and NGC 5533
appear to have fairly isotropic velocity dispersions. Correcting the rotational
motion for asymmetric drift using the derived velocity dispersions reproduces
the rotation curves inferred from emission lines reasonably well, implying that
this correction is quite robust, and that the use of the asymmetric drift
equation is valid. NGC 2985 is sufficiently close to face on for the data,
combined with the asymmetric drift equation, to determine all three components
of the velocity ellipsoid. The principal axes of this velocity ellipsoid are
found to be in the ratio sigma_z:sigma_phi:sigma_R ~ 0.7:0.7:1, which shows
unequivocally that this disk distribution function respects a third integral of
motion. The ratio is also consistent with the predictions of epicyclic theory,
giving some confidence in the application of this approximation to even fairly
early-type disk galaxies.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Bar Diagnostics in Edge-On Spiral Galaxies. III. N-Body Simulations of Disks
Present in over 45% of local spirals, boxy and peanut-shaped bulges are
generally interpreted as edge-on bars and may represent a key phase in the
evolution of bulges. Aiming to test such claims, the kinematic properties of
self-consistent 3D N-body simulations of bar-unstable disks are studied. Using
Gauss-Hermite polynomials to describe the stellar kinematics, a number of
characteristic bar signatures are identified in edge-on disks: 1) a major-axis
light profile with a quasi-exponential central peak and a plateau at moderate
radii (Freeman Type II profile); 2) a ``double-hump'' rotation curve; 3) a
sometime flat central velocity dispersion peak with a plateau at moderate radii
and occasional local central minimum and secondary peak; 4) an h3-V correlation
over the projected bar length. All those kinematic features are spatially
correlated and can easily be understood from the orbital structure of barred
disks. They thus provide a reliable and easy-to-use tool to identify edge-on
bars. Interestingly, they are all produced without dissipation and are
increasingly realized to be common in spirals, lending support to bar-driven
evolution scenarios for bulge formation. So called ``figure-of-eight''
position-velocity diagrams are never observed, as expected for realistic
orbital configurations. Although not uniquely related to triaxiality,
line-of-sight velocity distributions with a high velocity tail (i.e. an h3-V
correlation) appear as particularly promising tracers of bars. The stellar
kinematic features identified grow in strength as the bar evolves and vary
little for small inclination variations. Many can be used to trace the bar
length. Comparisons with observations are encouraging and support the view that
boxy and peanut-shaped bulges are simply thick bars viewed edge-on.Comment: 32 pages, 4 figures, AASTeX preprint. Revised following referees'
comments. Now accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. We
strongly suggest you download the version with full resolution figures at
http://www.astro.columbia.edu/~bureau/Publications/Nbody_ApJ04.ps.g
Study of arc-jet propulsion devices Final report, 20 Nov. 1964 - 19 Dec. 1965
Energy transfer mechanisms in radiation, water, and regeneratively cooled, and MPD arc jet propulsion device
Quantifying Resonant Structure in NGC 6946 from Two-dimensional Kinematics
We study the two-dimensional kinematics of the H-alpha-emitting gas in the
nearby barred Scd galaxy, NGC 6946, in order to determine the pattern speed of
the primary m=2 perturbation mode. The pattern speed is a crucial parameter for
constraining the internal dynamics, estimating the impact velocities of the
gravitational perturbation at the resonance radii, and to set up an
evolutionary scenario for NGC 6946. Our data allows us to derive the best
fitting kinematic position angle and the geometry of the underlying gaseous
disk, which we use to derive the pattern speed using the Tremaine-Weinberg
method. We find a main pattern speed Omega_p=22 km/s/kpc, but our data clearly
reveal the presence of an additional pattern speed Omega_p=47 km/s/kpc in a
zone within 1.25 kpc of the nucleus. Using the epicyclic approximation, we
deduce the location of the resonance radii and confirm that inside the outer
Inner Lindblad Resonance radius of the main oval, a primary bar has formed
rotating at more than twice the outer pattern speed. We further confirm that a
nuclear bar has formed inside the Inner Lindblad Resonance radius of the
primary bar, coinciding with the inner Inner Lindblad Resonance radius of the
large-scale m=2 mode oval.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
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