272 research outputs found
Flow probe of symmetry energy in relativistic heavy-ion reactions
Flow observables in heavy-ion reactions at incident energies up to about 1
GeV per nucleon have been shown to be very useful for investigating the
reaction dynamics and for determining the parameters of reaction models based
on transport theory. In particular, the elliptic flow in collisions of
neutron-rich heavy-ion systems emerges as an observable sensitive to the
strength of the symmetry energy at supra-saturation densities. The comparison
of ratios or differences of neutron and proton flows or neutron and hydrogen
flows with predictions of transport models favors an approximately linear
density dependence, consistent with ab-initio nuclear-matter theories.
Extensive parameter searches have shown that the model dependence is comparable
to the uncertainties of existing experimental data. Comprehensive new flow data
of high accuracy, partly also through providing stronger constraints on model
parameters, can thus be expected to improve our knowledge of the equation of
state of asymmetric nuclear matter.Comment: 20 pages, 24 figures, review to appear in EPJA special volume on
nuclear symmetry energ
Shadow of a Colossus: A z=2.45 Galaxy Protocluster Detected in 3D Ly-a Forest Tomographic Mapping of the COSMOS Field
Using moderate-resolution optical spectra from 58 background Lyman-break
galaxies and quasars at within a area of the
COSMOS field ( projected area density or mean transverse separation), we reconstruct a 3D
tomographic map of the foreground Ly forest absorption at
with an effective smoothing scale of
comoving. Comparing with 61
coeval galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts in the same volume, we find that
the galaxy positions are clearly biased towards regions with enhanced IGM
absorption in the tomographic map. We find an extended IGM overdensity with
deep absorption troughs at associated with a recently-discovered
galaxy protocluster at the same redshift. Based on simulations matched to our
data, we estimate the enclosed dark matter mass within this IGM overdensity to
be , and
argue based on this mass and absorption strength that it will form at least one
galaxy cluster with , although its elongated nature suggests that
it will likely collapse into two separate clusters. We also point out a compact
overdensity of six MOSDEF galaxies at within a radius and , which does not appear
to have a large associated IGM overdensity. These results demonstrate the
potential of Ly forest tomography on larger volumes to study galaxy
properties as a function of environment, as well as revealing the large-scale
IGM overdensities associated with protoclusters and other features of
large-scale structure.Comment: To be submitted to ApJ. Figure 3 can be viewed on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/KeW1UJOPMY
A Massive Cluster of Galaxies at z = 0.996
We report the identification of a cluster of galaxies around the
high-redshift radio galaxy 3CR184 at z = 0.996. The identification is supported
by an excess of galaxies observed in projection in I band images (both in
ground-based and HST data), a peak in the redshift distribution comprising 11
galaxies (out of 56 with measured redshifts) in a ~2000 km/s velocity interval,
and the observation on HST WFPC2 frames of a gravitational arc seen projected
at 42kpc away from the central radio galaxy. We thus have strong evidence for
the presence of a massive cluster at z~1.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures (one in color), LaTex file. Accepted for
publication in ApJ letter
Evidence for Evolving Spheroidals in the Hubble Deep Fields North and South
We investigate the dispersion in the internal colours of faint spheroidals in
the HDFs North and South. We find that a remarkably large fraction ~30% of the
morphologically classified spheroidals with I<24 mag show strong variations in
internal colour, which we take as evidence for recent episodes of
star-formation. In most cases these colour variations manifest themselves via
the presence of blue cores, an effect of opposite sign to that expected from
metallicity gradients. Examining similarly-selected ellipticals in five rich
clusters with 0.37<z<0.83 we find a significant lower dispersion in their
internal colours. This suggests that the colour inhomogeneities have a strong
environmental dependence being weakest in dense environments where spheroidal
formation was presumably accelerated at early times. We use the trends defined
by the cluster sample to define an empirical model based on a high-redshift of
formation and estimate that at z~1 about half the field spheroidals must be
undergoing recent episodes of star-formation. Using spectral synthesis models,
we construct the time dependence of the density of star-formation. Although the
samples are currently small, we find evidence for an increase in
between z=0 to z=1. We discuss the implications of this rise in the context of
that observed in the similar rise in the abundance of galaxies with irregular
morphology. Regardless of whether there is a connection our results provide
strong evidence for the continued formation of field spheroidals over 0<z<1.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures. To appear in MNRAS in response to referee's
Report. Figures and paper also available at
http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~fmenante/HDFs
Isotopic Dependence of the Nuclear Caloric Curve
The A/Z dependence of projectile fragmentation at relativistic energies has
been studied with the ALADIN forward spectrometer at SIS. A stable beam of
124Sn and radioactive beams of 124La and 107Sn at 600 MeV per nucleon have been
used in order to explore a wide range of isotopic compositions. Chemical
freeze-out temperatures are found to be nearly invariant with respect to the
A/Z of the produced spectator sources, consistent with predictions for expanded
systems. Small Coulomb effects (\Delta T \approx 0.6 MeV) appear for residue
production near the onset of multifragmentation.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publ. in Phys. Rev. Let
Tracing a phase transition with fluctuations of the largest fragment size: Statistical multifragmentation models and the ALADIN S254 data
A phase transition signature associated with cumulants of the largest
fragment size distribution has been identified in statistical
multifragmentation models and examined in analysis of the ALADIN S254 data on
fragmentation of neutron-poor and neutron-rich projectiles. Characteristics of
the transition point indicated by this signature are weakly dependent on the
A/Z ratio of the fragmenting spectator source. In particular, chemical
freeze-out temperatures are estimated within the range 5.9 to 6.5 MeV. The
experimental results are well reproduced by the SMM model.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of the International Workshop on
Multifragmentation and Related Topics (IWM2009), Catania, Italy, November
2009
The VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). Luminosity and stellar mass dependence of galaxy clustering at 0.5<z<1.1
We investigate the dependence of galaxy clustering on luminosity and stellar
mass in the redshift range 0.5<z<1.1, using the first ~55000 redshifts from the
VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). We measured the
redshift-space two-point correlation functions (2PCF), and the projected
correlation function, in samples covering different ranges of B-band absolute
magnitudes and stellar masses. We considered both threshold and binned galaxy
samples, with median B-band absolute magnitudes -21.6<MB-5log(h)<-19.5 and
median stellar masses 9.8<log(M*[Msun/h^2])<10.7. We assessed the real-space
clustering in the data from the projected correlation function, which we model
as a power law in the range 0.2<r_p[Mpc/h]<20. Finally, we estimated the galaxy
bias as a function of luminosity, stellar mass, and redshift, assuming a flat
LCDM model to derive the dark matter 2PCF. We provide the best-fit parameters
of the power-law model assumed for the real-space 2PCF -- the correlation
length and the slope -- as well as the linear bias parameter, as a function of
the B-band absolute magnitude, stellar mass, and redshift. We confirm and
provide the tightest constraints on the dependence of clustering on luminosity
at 0.5<z<1.1. We prove the complexity of comparing the clustering dependence on
stellar mass from samples that are originally flux-limited and discuss the
possible origin of the observed discrepancies. Overall, our measurements
provide stronger constraints on galaxy formation models, which are now required
to match, in addition to local observations, the clustering evolution measured
by VIPERS galaxies between z=0.5 and z=1.1 for a broad range of luminosities
and stellar masses.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in A&
The VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). Galaxy clustering and redshift-space distortions at z=0.8 in the first data release
We present in this paper the general real- and redshift-space clustering
properties of galaxies as measured in the first data release of the VIPERS
survey. VIPERS is a large redshift survey designed to probe the distant
Universe and its large-scale structure at 0.5 < z < 1.2. We describe in this
analysis the global properties of the sample and discuss the survey
completeness and associated corrections. This sample allows us to measure the
galaxy clustering with an unprecedented accuracy at these redshifts. From the
redshift-space distortions observed in the galaxy clustering pattern we provide
a first measurement of the growth rate of structure at z = 0.8: f\sigma_8 =
0.47 +/- 0.08. This is completely consistent with the predictions of standard
cosmological models based on Einstein gravity, although this measurement alone
does not discriminate between different gravity models.Comment: 19 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Spectral Energy Distributions of Hard X-ray selected AGNs in the XMDS Survey
We present the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of a hard X-ray selected
sample. The sample contains 136 sources with F(2-10 keV)>10^-14 erg/cm^2/s and
132 are AGNs. The sources are detected in a 1 square degree area of the
XMM-Newton-Medium Deep Survey where optical data from the VVDS, CFHTLS surveys,
and infrared data from the SWIRE survey are available. Based on a SED fitting
technique we derive photometric redshifts with sigma(1+z)=0.11 and 6% of
outliers and identify AGN signatures in 83% of the objects. This fraction is
higher than derived when a spectroscopic classification is available. The
remaining 17+9-6% of AGNs shows star-forming galaxy SEDs (SF class). The
sources with AGN signatures are divided in two classes, AGN1 (33+6-1%) and AGN2
(50+6-11). The AGN1 and AGN2 classes include sources whose SEDs are fitted by
type 1 and type 2 AGN templates, respectively. On average, AGN1s show soft
X-ray spectra, consistent with being unabsorbed, while AGN2s and SFs show hard
X-ray spectra, consistent with being absorbed. The analysis of the average SEDs
as a function of X-ray luminosity shows a reddening of the IR SEDs, consistent
with a decreasing contribution from the host galaxy at higher luminosities. The
AGNs in the SF classes are likely obscured in the mid-infrared, as suggested by
their low L(3-20micron)/Lcorr(0.5-10 keV) ratios. We confirm the previously
found correlation for AGNs between the radio luminosity and the X-ray and the
mid-infrared luminosities. The X-ray-radio correlation can be used to identify
heavily absorbed AGNs. However, the estimated radio fluxes for the missing AGN
population responsible for the bulk of the background at E>10 keV are too faint
to be detected even in the deepest current radio surveys.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
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