1,283 research outputs found
Spherical harmonic representation of the main geomagnetic field for world charting and investigations of some fundamental problems of physics and geophysics
The data processing of MAGSAT investigator B test tapes and data tapes, and tapes of selected data on 15 magnetically quiet days is reported. The 1980 World Chart spherical model was compared with the MAGSAT (3/80) and MAGSAT vector data were used in the models. An article on modelling the geomagnetic field using satellite data is included
Spherical harmonic representation of the main geomagnetic field for world charting and investigations of some fundamental problems of physics and geophysics
Quiet-day data from MAGSAT were examined for effects which might test the validity of Maxwell's equations. Both external and toroidal fields which might represent a violation of the equations appear to exist, well within the associated errors. The external field might be associated with the ring current, and varies of a time-scale of one day or less. Its orientation is parallel to the geomagnetic dipole. The toriodal field can be confused with an orientation in error (in yaw). It the toroidal field really exists, its can be related to either ionospheric currents, or to toroidal fields in the Earth's core in accordance with Einstein's unified field theory, or to both
Spherical harmonic representation of the main geomagnetic field for world charting and investigations of some fundamental problems of physics and geophysics
Progress in the harmonic analysis of MAGSAT data is reported. Single-day data sets were subdivided into information on the sunrise side of the Earth and information on the sunset side of the Earth. Data for the main and external fields each demonstrate a clear and consistent systematic difference between the sets of data which was determined to be, due to ionospheric currents which differ from the sunset to the sunrise terminator. A toroidal field was analyzed for and determined to be an apparent toroidal field resulting from electric currents concentrated in the two terminators. Progressive elimination of auroral zone data demonstrates that the information presented does not arise from complications due to Birkeland currents
Gravitational Lensing by Dark Matter Caustics
Dark matter caustics have specific density profiles and, therefore, precisely
calculable gravitational lensing properties. We present a formalism which
simplifies the relevant calculations, and apply it to four specific cases. In
the first three, the line of sight is tangent to a smooth caustic surface. The
curvature of the surface at the tangent point is positive, negative or zero. In
the fourth case the line of sight passes near a cusp. For each we derive the
map between the image and source planes. In some cases, a point source has
multiple images and experiences infinite magnification when the images merge.
Unfortunately, for the dark matter caustics expected in realistic galactic halo
models, the angular resolution required to resolve the multiple images is not
presently achievable. A more promising approach aims to observe the distortions
caused by dark matter caustics in the images of extended sources such as radio
jets.Comment: 36 pages, 11 figure
Integrated Results from Analysis of the Rocknest Aeolian Deposit by the Curiosity Rover
The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover spent 45 sols (from sol 56-101) at an area called Rocknest (Fig. 1), characterizing local geology and ingesting its aeolian fines into the analytical instruments CheMin and SAM for mineralogical and chemical analysis. Many abstracts at this meeting present the contextual information and detailed data on these first solid samples analyzed in detail by Curiosity at Rocknest. Here, we present an integrated view of the results from Rocknest - the general agreement from discussions among the entire MSL Science Team
HIPASS Detection of an Intergalactic Gas Cloud in the NGC 2442 Group
We report the discovery, from the HI Parkes All-Sky Survey (HIPASS), of a gas
cloud associated with the asymmetric spiral galaxy NGC 2442. This object,
designated HIPASS J0731-69, contains ~10^9 M_sun of HI, or nearly one-third as
much atomic gas as NGC 2442 itself. No optical counterpart to any part of
HIPASS J0731-69 has yet been identified, consistent with the gas being diffuse,
and with its stream-like kinematics. If the gas in HIPASS J0731-69 was once
part of NGC 2442, then it was most likely a fairly recent tidal encounter with
a moderately massive companion which tore it loose, although the possibility of
ram-pressure stripping cannot be ruled out. This discovery highlights the
potential of the HIPASS data for yielding new clues to the nature of some of
the best-known galaxies in the local universe.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, uses "emulateapj5.sty". Accepted for publication
in ApJ, Vol. 555, 1 July 2001. Figs 1 and 2 included as JPE
The disruption of nearby galaxies by the Milky Way
Interactions between galaxies are common and are an important factor in
determining their physical properties such as position along the Hubble
sequence and star-formation rate. There are many possible galaxy interaction
mechanisms, including merging, ram-pressure stripping, gas compression,
gravitational interaction and cluster tides. The relative importance of these
mechanisms is often not clear, as their strength depends on poorly known
parameters such as the density, extent and nature of the massive dark halos
that surround galaxies. A nearby example of a galaxy interaction where the
mechanism is controversial is that between our own Galaxy and two of its
neighbours -- the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Here we present the first
results of a new HI survey which provides a spectacular view of this
interaction. In addition to the previously known Magellanic Stream, which
trails 100 degrees behind the Clouds, the new data reveal a counter-stream
which lies in the opposite direction and leads the motion of the Clouds. This
result supports the gravitational model in which leading and trailing streams
are tidally torn from the body of the Magellanic Clouds.Comment: 17 pages with 5 figures in gif format, scheduled for publication in
the August 20th, 1998 issue of Natur
New Galaxies Discovered in the First Blind HI Survey of the Centaurus A Group
We have commenced a 21-cm survey of the entire southern sky (\delta < 0
degrees, -1200 km/s < v < 12700 km/s) which is ''blind'', i.e. unbiased by
previous optical information. In the present paper we report on the results of
a pilot project which is based on data from this all-sky survey. The project
was carried out on an area of 600 square degrees centred on the nearby
Centaurus A (Cen A) group of galaxies at a mean velocity of v ~ 500 km/s. This
was recently the subject of a separate and thorough optical survey.
We found 10 new group members to add to the 21 galaxies already known in the
Cen A group: five of these are previously uncatalogued galaxies, while five
were previously catalogued but not known to be associated with the group.
We found optical counterparts for all the HI detections, most of them
intrinsically very faint low surface brightness dwarfs. The new group members
add approximately 6% to the HI mass of the group and 4% to its light. The HI
mass function, derived from all the known group galaxies in the interval 10^7
\Msun of HI to 10^9 \Msun of HI, has a faint-end slope of 1.30 +/- 0.15,
allowing us to rule out a slope of 1.7 at 95% confidence. Even if the number in
the lowest mass bin is increased by 50%, the slope only increases to 1.45 +/-
0.15.Comment: 19 pages Latex, 6 figures (Fig. 2 in four parts, Fig.5 in two parts).
To appear in The Astrophysical Journal (Vol. 524, October 1999
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