3,810 research outputs found
Evolution of the mass, size, and star formation rate in high-redshift merging galaxies MIRAGE - A new sample of simulations with detailed stellar feedback
We aim at addressing the questions related to galaxy mass assembly through
major and minor wet merging processes in the redshift range 1<z<2. A consequent
fraction of Milky Way like galaxies are thought to have undergone an unstable
clumpy phase at this early stage. Using the adaptive mesh refinement code
RAMSES, with a recent physically-motivated implementation of stellar feedback,
we build the Merging and Isolated high-Redshift Adaptive mesh refinement
Galaxies (MIRAGE) sample. It is composed of 20 mergers and 3 isolated idealized
disks simulations with global physical properties in accordance with the 1<z<2
mass complete sample MASSIV. The numerical hydrodynamical resolution reaches 7
parsecs in the smallest Eulerian cells. Our simulations include: star
formation, metal line cooling, metallicity advection, and a recent
implementation of stellar feedback which encompasses OB-type stars radiative
pressure, photo-ionization heating, and supernovae. The initial conditions are
set to match the z~2 observations, thanks to a new public code DICE. The
numerical resolution allows us to follow the formation and evolution of giant
clumps formed in-situ from Jeans instabilities triggered by high initial gas
fraction. The star formation history of isolated disks shows stochastic star
formation rate, which proceeds from the complex behavior of the giant clumps.
Our minor and major gas-rich merger simulations do not trigger starbursts,
suggesting a saturation of the star formation in a turbulent and clumpy
interstellar medium fed by substantial accretion from the circum-galactic
medium. Our simulations are close to the normal regime of the disk-like star
formation on a Schmidt-Kennicutt diagram. The mass-size relation and its rate
of evolution matches observations, suggesting that the inside-out growth
mechanisms of the stellar disk do not necessarily require to be achieved
through a cold accretion.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures. Accepted in A&
Large and small-scale structures and the dust energy balance problem in spiral galaxies
The interstellar dust content in galaxies can be traced in extinction at
optical wavelengths, or in emission in the far-infrared. Several studies have
found that radiative transfer models that successfully explain the optical
extinction in edge-on spiral galaxies generally underestimate the observed
FIR/submm fluxes by a factor of about three. In order to investigate this
so-called dust energy balance problem, we use two Milky Way-like galaxies
produced by high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations. We create mock optical
edge-on views of these simulated galaxies (using the radiative transfer code
SKIRT), and we then fit the parameters of a basic spiral galaxy model to these
images (using the fitting code FitSKIRT). The basic model includes smooth
axisymmetric distributions along a S\'ersic bulge and exponential disc for the
stars, and a second exponential disc for the dust. We find that the dust mass
recovered by the fitted models is about three times smaller than the known dust
mass of the hydrodynamical input models. This factor is in agreement with
previous energy balance studies of real edge-on spiral galaxies. On the other
hand, fitting the same basic model to less complex input models (e.g. a smooth
exponential disc with a spiral perturbation or with random clumps), does
recover the dust mass of the input model almost perfectly. Thus it seems that
the complex asymmetries and the inhomogeneous structure of real and
hydrodynamically simulated galaxies are a lot more efficient at hiding dust
than the rather contrived geometries in typical quasi-analytical models. This
effect may help explain the discrepancy between the dust emission predicted by
radiative transfer models and the observed emission in energy balance studies
for edge-on spiral galaxies.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Brief communication. Reproductive and mate choice strategies in the hermaphroditic flatworm Echinostoma caproni
Due to the important role that mating systems play in the evolution of species, we investigate the selfing rate and mate choice in the simultaneous hermaphroditic parasite Echinostoma caproni (Trematoda). The echinostomes were maintained in two situations in mice: (1) double infections where the two individuals do or do not belong to the same geographic area isolate, and (2) triple infections where two of the three individuals originate from the same isolate and the third one originates from a different isolate. This experimental design permits analysis of intra- and interisolate selfing rates. In the second experiment we expect a preferential outcrossing between individuals originating from the same isolate in order to avoid hybrid breakdown. The results obtained corroborate our predictions and emphasize the important and synergistic roles of selfing, inbreeding depression, and hybrid breakdown in the evolution of echinostome reproductive strategies. Hence further work is needed to distinguish between these hypothese
The Stabilized Poincare-Heisenberg algebra: a Clifford algebra viewpoint
The stabilized Poincare-Heisenberg algebra (SPHA) is the Lie algebra of
quantum relativistic kinematics generated by fifteen generators. It is obtained
from imposing stability conditions after attempting to combine the Lie algebras
of quantum mechanics and relativity which by themselves are stable, however not
when combined. In this paper we show how the sixteen dimensional Clifford
algebra CL(1,3) can be used to generate the SPHA. The Clifford algebra path to
the SPHA avoids the traditional stability considerations, relying instead on
the fact that CL(1,3) is a semi-simple algebra and therefore stable. It is
therefore conceptually easier and more straightforward to work with a Clifford
algebra. The Clifford algebra path suggests the next evolutionary step toward a
theory of physics at the interface of GR and QM might be to depart from working
in space-time and instead to work in space-time-momentum.Comment: 14 page
Terahertz imaging of sub-wavelength particles with Zenneck surface waves
Impact of sub-wavelength-size dielectric particles on Zenneck surface waves on planar metallic antennas is investigated at terahertz (THz) frequencies with THz near-field probe microscopy. Perturbations of the surface waves show the particle presence, despite its sub-wavelength size. The experimental configuration, which utilizes excitation of surface waves at metallic edges, is suitable for THz imaging of dielectric sub-wavelength size objects. As a proof of concept, the effects of a small strontium titanate rectangular particle and a titanium dioxide sphere on the surface field of a bow-tie antenna are experimentally detected and verified using full-wave simulations
Dynamic roughening and fluctuations of dipolar chains
Nonmagnetic particles in a carrier ferrofluid acquire an effective dipolar
moment when placed in an external magnetic field. This fact leads them to form
chains that will roughen due to Brownian motion when the magnetic field is
decreased. We study this process through experiments, theory and simulations,
three methods that agree on the scaling behavior over 5 orders of magnitude.
The RMS width goes initially as , then as before it
saturates. We show how these results complement existing results on polymer
chains, and how the chain dynamics may be described by a recent non-Markovian
formulation of anomalous diffusion.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
The signature of 44Ti in Cassiopeia A revealed by IBIS/ISGRI on INTEGRAL
We report the detection of both the 67.9 and 78.4 keV 44Sc gamma-ray lines in
Cassiopeia A with the INTEGRAL IBIS/ISGRI instrument. Besides the robustness
provided by spectro-imaging observations, the main improvements compared to
previous measurements are a clear separation of the two 44Sc lines together
with an improved significance of the detection of the hard X-ray continuum up
to 100 keV. These allow us to refine the determination of the 44Ti yield and to
constrain the nature of the nonthermal continuum emission. By combining
COMPTEL, BeppoSAX/PDS and ISGRI measurements, we find a line flux of (2.5 +/-
0.3)*10(-5) cm(-2) s(-1) leading to a synthesized 44Ti mass of 1.6
(+0.6-0.3)*10(-4) solar mass. This high value suggests that Cas A is peculiar
in comparison to other young supernova remnants, from which so far no line
emission from 44Ti decay has been unambiguously detected.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJ
Helioseismology with PICARD
PICARD is a CNES micro-satellite launched in June 2010 (Thuillier at al.
2006). Its main goal is to measure the solar shape, total and spectral
irradiance during the ascending phase of the activity cycle. The SODISM
telescope onboard PICARD also allows us to conduct a program for
helioseismology in intensity at 535.7 nm (Corbard et al. 2008). One-minute
cadence low-resolution full images are available for a so-called medium-
program, and high-resolution images of the limb recorded every 2 minutes are
used to study mode amplification near the limb in the perspective of g-mode
search. First analyses and results from these two programs are presented here.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, Eclipse on the Coral Sea: Cycle 24 Ascending,
GONG 2012 / LWS/SDO-5 / SOHO 27, November 12 - 16, 2012, Palm Cove,
Queensland. Accepted for publication in Journal of Physics Conference Series
on March 1st 201
Dispersive fields in de Sitter space and event horizon thermodynamics
When Lorentz invariance is violated at high energy, the laws of black hole
thermodynamics are apparently no longer satisfied. To shed light on this
observation, we study dispersive fields in de Sitter space. We show that the
Bunch-Davies vacuum state restricted to the static patch is no longer thermal,
and that the Tolman law is violated. However we also show that, for free fields
at least, this vacuum is the only stationary stable state, as if it were in
equilibrium. We then present a precise correspondence between dispersive
effects found in de Sitter and in black hole metrics. This indicates that the
consequences of dispersion on thermodynamical laws could also be similar.Comment: 19 pages. Black and White version on Phys.Rev.D serve
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