1,187 research outputs found
Variational analysis of self-focusing of intense ultrashort pulses in gases
By using perturbation theory we derive an expression for the electrical field
of a Gaussian laser pulse propagating in a gas medium. This expression is used
as a trial solution in a variational method to get quasianalytical solutions
for the width, intensity and self-focusing distance of ultrashort pulse. The
approximation gives an improved agreement with results of numerical simulations
for a broad range of values of the input power of the pulse than previous
analytical results available in the literature.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure
On the Nature of X-ray Surface Brightness Fluctuations in M87
X-ray images of galaxy clusters and gas-rich elliptical galaxies show a
wealth of small-scale features which reflect fluctuations in density and/or
temperature of the intra-cluster medium. In this paper we study these
fluctuations in M87/Virgo, to establish whether sound waves/shocks, bubbles or
uplifted cold gas dominate the structure. We exploit the strong dependence of
the emissivity on density and temperature in different energy bands to
distinguish between these processes. Using simulations we demonstrate that our
analysis recovers the leading type of fluctuation even in the presence of
projection effects and temperature gradients. We confirm the isobaric nature of
cool filaments of gas entrained by buoyantly rising bubbles, extending to 7' to
the east and south-west, and the adiabatic nature of the weak shocks at 40" and
3' from the center. For features of 5--10 kpc, we show that the central 4'x 4'
region is dominated by cool structures in pressure equilibrium with the ambient
hotter gas while up to 30 percent of the variance in this region can be
ascribed to adiabatic fluctuations. The remaining part of the central 14'x14'
region, excluding the arms and shocks described above, is dominated by
apparently isothermal fluctuations (bubbles) with a possible admixture (at the
level of about 30 percent) of adiabatic (sound waves) and by isobaric
structures. Larger features, of about 30 kpc, show a stronger contribution from
isobaric fluctuations. The results broadly agree with an AGN feedback model
mediated by bubbles of relativistic plasma.Comment: 16 pages, submitted to Ap
A refined analysis of the low-mass eclipsing binary system T-Cyg1-12664
The observational mass-radius relation of main sequence stars with masses
between ~0.3 and 1.0 Msun reveals deviations between the stellar radii
predicted by models and the observed radii of stars in detached binaries. We
generate an accurate physical model of the low-mass eclipsing binary
T-Cyg1-12664 in the Kepler mission field to measure the physical parameters of
its components and to compare them with the prediction of theoretical stellar
evolution models. We analyze the Kepler mission light curve of T-Cyg1-12664 to
accurately measure the times and phases of the primary and secondary eclipse.
In addition, we measure the rotational period of the primary component by
analyzing the out-of-eclipse oscillations that are due to spots. We accurately
constrain the effective temperature of the system using ground-based absolute
photometry in B, V, Rc, and Ic. We also obtain and analyze V, Rc, Ic
differential light curves to measure the eccentricity and the orbital
inclination of the system, and a precise Teff ratio. From the joint analysis of
new radial velocities and those in the literature we measure the individual
masses of the stars. Finally, we use the PHOEBE code to generate a physical
model of the system. T-Cyg1-12664 is a low eccentricity system, located
d=360+/-22 pc away from us, with an orbital period of P=4.1287955(4) days, and
an orbital inclination i=86.969+/-0.056 degrees. It is composed of two very
different stars with an active G6 primary with Teff1=5560+/-160 K,
M1=0.680+/-0.045 Msun, R1=0.799+/-0.017 Rsun, and a M3V secondary star with
Teff2=3460+/-210 K, M2=0.376+/-0.017 Msun, and R2=0.3475+/-0.0081 Rsun. The
primary star is an oversized and spotted active star, hotter than the stars in
its mass range. The secondary is a cool star near the mass boundary for fully
convective stars (M~0.35 Msun), whose parameters appear to be in agreement with
low-mass stellar model.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures, 15 table
The QUEST-La Silla AGN Variability Survey
We present the characterization and initial results from the QUEST-La Silla
AGN variability survey. This is an effort to obtain well sampled optical light
curves in extragalactic fields with unique multi-wavelength observations. We
present photometry obtained from 2010 to 2012 in the XMM-COSMOS field, which
was observed over 150 nights using the QUEST camera on the ESO-Schmidt
telescope. The survey uses a broadband filter, the -band, similar to the
union of the and the filters, achieving an intrinsic photometric
dispersion of mag, and a systematic error of mag in the
zero-point. Since some detectors of the camera show significant non-linearity,
we use a linear correlation to fit the zero-points as a function of the
instrumental magnitudes, thus obtaining a good correction to the non-linear
behavior of these detectors. We obtain good photometry to an equivalent
limiting magnitude of . Studying the optical variability of X-ray
detected sources in the XMM-COSMOS field, we find that the survey is
% complete to magnitudes , and % complete to a
magnitude . The determination and parameterization of the structure
function () of the variable sources shows
that most BL AGN are characterized by and . It is
further shown that variable NL AGN and GAL sources occupying the same parameter
space in and are very likely to correspond to obscured or low
luminosity AGN. Our samples are, however, small, and we expect to revisit these
results using larger samples with longer light curves obtained as part of our
ongoing survey.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
Bacterial Cellulose: A sustainable source to develop value-added products - A review
In recent decades, worldwide economic and environmental issues have prompted research scientists to re-direct their interests to bio-based resources, which are sustainable in nature. In this context, microbial polysaccharides, such as bacterial cellulose (BC), also known as microbial cellulose (MC), are some of the upcoming and emergent resources and have potential application in various bio- and non-bio-based sectors of the modern world. Many researchers have already established novel BC/MC production methods, and many new studies have been published on lab-scale and large-scale production aspects of BC/MC to date. To further expand the novel use of this sustainable source, significant progress toward the development of BC/MC has appeared in recent years. Specifically, there have been many publications and/or research reports on the valorization of BC/MC in the food, paper, materials, biomedical, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical industries, among others. This review will address the novel application aspects of BC/MC today, with the aim of demonstrating the importance of this sustainable and novel source in the development of value-added products
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