14,062 research outputs found
Microlensing of Sub-parsec Massive Binary Black Holes in Lensed QSOs: Light Curves and Size-Wavelength Relation
Sub-parsec binary massive black holes (BBHs) are long anticipated to exist in
many QSOs but remain observationally elusive. In this paper, we propose a novel
method to probe sub-parsec BBHs through microlensing of lensed QSOs. If a QSO
hosts a sub-parsec BBH in its center, it is expected that the BBH is surrounded
by a circum-binary disk, each component of the BBH is surrounded by a small
accretion disk, and a gap is opened by the secondary component in between the
circum-binary disk and the two small disks. Assuming such a BBH structure, we
generate mock microlensing light curves for some QSO systems that host BBHs
with typical physical parameters. We show that microlensing light curves of a
BBH QSO system at the infrared-optical-UV bands can be significantly different
from those of corresponding QSO system with a single massive black hole (MBH),
mainly because of the existence of the gap and the rotation of the BBH (and its
associated small disks) around the center of mass. We estimate the half-light
radii of the emission region at different wavelengths from mock light curves
and find that the obtained half-light radius vs. wavelength relations of BBH
QSO systems can be much flatter than those of single MBH QSO systems at a
wavelength range determined by the BBH parameters, such as the total mass, mass
ratio, separation, accretion rates, etc. The difference is primarily due to the
existence of the gap. Such unique features on the light curves and half-light
radius-wavelength relations of BBH QSO systems can be used to select and probe
sub-parsec BBHs in a large number of lensed QSOs to be discovered by current
and future surveys, including the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response
System (Pan-STARRS), the Large Synoptic Survey telescope (LSST) and Euclid.Comment: 18 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
Photometric properties and luminosity function of nearby massive early-type galaxies
We perform photometric analyses for a bright early-type galaxy (ETG) sample
with 2949 galaxies ( mag) in the redshift range of 0.05 to
0.15, drawn from the SDSS DR7 with morphological classification from Galaxy Zoo
1. We measure the Petrosian and isophotal magnitudes, as well as the
corresponding half-light radius for each galaxy. We find that for brightest
galaxies ( mag), our Petrosian magnitudes, and isophotal
magnitudes to 25 and 1\% of the sky brightness are on
average 0.16 mag, 0.20 mag, and 0.26 mag brighter than the SDSS Petrosian
values, respectively. In the first case the underestimations are caused by
overestimations in the sky background by the SDSS PHOTO algorithm, while the
latter two are also due to deeper photometry. Similarly, the typical half-light
radii () measured by the SDSS algorithm are smaller than our
measurements. As a result, the bright-end of the -band luminosity function
is found to decline more slowly than previous works. Our measured luminosity
densities at the bright end are more than one order of magnitude higher than
those of Blanton et al. (2003), and the stellar mass densities at and are a few tenths
and a factor of few higher than those of Bernardi et al. (2010). These results
may significantly alleviate the tension in the assembly of massive galaxies
between observations and predictions of the hierarchical structure formation
model.Comment: 43 pages, 14 figures, version accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journa
A 1.3 cm line survey toward IRC +10216
IRC +10216 is the prototypical carbon star exhibiting an extended molecular
circumstellar envelope. Its spectral properties are therefore the template for
an entire class of objects. The main goal is to systematically study the
1.3 cm spectral line characteristics of IRC +10216. We carried
out a spectral line survey with the Effelsberg-100 m telescope toward IRC
+10216. It covers the frequency range between 17.8 GHz and 26.3 GHz (K-band).
In the circumstellar shell of IRC +10216, we find 78 spectral lines, among
which 12 remain unidentified. The identified lines are assigned to 18 different
molecules and radicals. A total of 23 lines from species known to exist in this
envelope are detected for the first time outside the Solar System and there are
additional 20 lines first detected in IRC +10216. The potential orgin of "U"
lines is also discussed. Assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), we
then determine rotational temperatures and column densities of 17 detected
molecules. Molecular abundances relative to H are also estimated. A
non-LTE analysis of NH shows that the bulk of its emission arises from
the inner envelope with a kinetic temperature of 7020 K. Evidence for
NH emitting gas with higher kinetic temperature is also obtained, and
potential abundance differences between various C-bearing isotopologues
of HCN are evaluated. Overall, the isotopic C/C ratio is
estimated to be 499. Finally, a comparison of detected molecules in the
1.3 cm range with the dark cloud TMC-1 indicates that
silicate-bearing molecules are more predominant in IRC +10216.Comment: 32 pages, 9 figures, Accepted by A&
Sintering-Induced Phase Transformation of Nanoparticles: A Molecular Dynamics Study
Sintering-induced phase transformation of TiO2 nanoparticles is investigated systematically via molecular dynamics simulation. Upon defining a coordination number and bond angle distribution criteria, local phase information is identified for each individual Ti atom originating from amorphous or crystal structure as well as three TiO2 polymorphs, anatase, brookite, and rutile. Size-dependent structures of nanoparticles lead to different dynamics of the sintering-induced phase transformation. Grain boundaries that form between nanoparticles during sintering trigger the nucleation and growth of new phases. During the sintering of two equal-sized core–shell anatase nanoparticles, crystal core regions melt with the temperature increase and the surface energy decrease in the microcanonical (NVE) ensemble. The new phase that develops from the grain boundary spreads into the destroyed core regions in stages, forming a new larger spherical nanoparticle with an ordered atomic arrangement. During the sintering of two unequal-sized nanoparticles (amorphous and core–shell anatase), atoms from the amorphous nanoparticle first nucleate to form crystal anatase in the contact region, and a grain boundary is then developed between the original core region and the newly formed anatase crystal. After that, phase transformation follows much the same route as the equal-sized case from anatase to brookite
Modeling natural emissions in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model – Part 2: Modifications for simulating natural emissions
The Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model version 4.6 has been revised with regard to the representation of chlorine (HCl, ClNO<sub>2</sub>) and sulfur (dimethylsulfide, or DMS, and H<sub>2</sub>S), and evaluated against observations and earlier published models. Chemistry parameterizations were based on published reaction kinetic data and a recently developed cloud chemistry model that includes heterogeneous reactions of organic sulfur compounds. Evaluation of the revised model was conducted using a recently enhanced data base of natural emissions that includes ocean and continental sources of DMS, H<sub>2</sub>S, chlorinated gases and lightning NO<sub>x</sub> for the continental United States and surrounding regions. Results using 2002 meteorology and emissions indicated that most simulated "natural" (plus background) chemical and aerosol species exhibit the expected seasonal variations at the surface. Ozone exhibits a winter and early spring maximum consistent with ozone data and an earlier published model. Ozone distributions reflect the influences of atmospheric dynamics and pollutant background levels imposed on the CMAQ simulation by boundary conditions derived from a global model. A series of model experiments reveals that the consideration of gas-phase organic sulfur chemistry leads to sulfate aerosol increases over most of the continental United States. Cloud chemistry parameterization changes result in widespread decreases in SO<sub>2</sub> across the modeling domain and both increases and decreases in sulfate. Most cloud-mediated sulfate increases occurred mainly over the Pacific Ocean (up to about 0.1 μg m<sup>−3</sup>) but also over and downwind from the Gulf of Mexico (including parts of the eastern US). Geographic variations in simulated SO<sub>2</sub> and sulfate are due to the link between DMS/H<sub>2</sub>S and their byproduct SO<sub>2</sub>, the heterogeneity of cloud cover and precipitation (precipitating clouds act as net sinks for SO<sub>2</sub> and sulfate), and the persistence of cloud cover (the largest relative sulfate increases occurred over the persistently cloudy Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic Ocean). Overall, the addition of organic sulfur chemistry increased hourly surface sulfate levels by up to 1–2 μg m<sup>−3</sup> but reduced sulfate levels in the vicinity of high SO<sub>2</sub> emissions (e.g., wildfires). Simulated surface levels of DMS compare reasonably well with observations in the marine boundary layer where DMS oxidation product levels are lower than observed. This implies either a low bias in model oxidation rates of organic sulfur species or a low bias in the boundary conditions for DMS oxidation products. This revised version of CMAQ provides a tool for realistically simulating the influence of natural emissions on air quality
A 1.3 cm Line Survey toward Orion KL
Orion KL has served as a benchmark for spectral line searches throughout the
(sub)millimeter regime. The main goal is to systematically study spectral
characteristics of Orion KL in the 1.3 cm band. We carried out a spectral line
survey (17.9 GHz to 26.2 GHz) with the Effelsberg-100 m telescope towards Orion
KL. We find 261 spectral lines, yielding an average line density of about 32
spectral features per GHz above 3. The identified lines include 164
radio recombination lines (RRLs) and 97 molecular lines. A total of 23
molecular transitions from species known to exist in Orion KL are detected for
the first time in the interstellar medium. Non-metastable 15NH3 transitions are
detected in Orion KL for the first time. Based on the velocity information of
detected lines and the ALMA images, the spatial origins of molecular emission
are constrained and discussed. A narrow feature is found in SO2
(), possibly suggesting the presence of a maser line. Column
densities and fractional abundances relative to H2 are estimated for 12
molecules with LTE methods. Rotational diagrams of non-metastable 14NH3
transitions with J=K+1 to J=K+4 yield different results; metastable 15NH3 is
found to have a higher excitation temperature than non-metastable 15NH3,
indicating that they may trace different regions. Elemental and isotopic
abundance ratios are estimated: 12C/13C=63+-17, 14N/15N=100+-51,
D/H=0.0083+-0.0045. The dispersion of the He/H ratios derived from
H/He pairs to H/He pairs is very small, which
is consistent with theoretical predictions that the departure coefficients bn
factors for hydrogen and helium are nearly identical. Based on a non-LTE code
neglecting excitation by the infrared radiation field and a likelihood
analysis, we find that the denser regions have lower kinetic temperature, which
favors an external heating of the Hot Core.Comment: 70 pages, 26 figures, 12 tables, accepted for publication in A&A.
Figs. 1, 2, 8, 9 have been downsize
A Least Squares Collocation Method for Accuracy Improvement of Mobile LiDAR Systems
In environments that are hostile to Global Navigation Satellites Systems (GNSS), the precision achieved by a mobile light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system (MLS) can deteriorate into the sub-meter or even the meter range due to errors in the positioning and orientation system (POS). This paper proposes a novel least squares collocation (LSC)-based method to improve the accuracy of the MLS in these hostile environments. Through a thorough consideration of the characteristics of POS errors, the proposed LSC-based method effectively corrects these errors using LiDAR control points, thereby improving the accuracy of the MLS. This method is also applied to the calibration of misalignment between the laser scanner and the POS. Several datasets from different scenarios have been adopted in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results from experiments indicate that this method would represent a significant improvement in terms of the accuracy of the MLS in environments that are essentially hostile to GNSS and is also effective regarding the calibration of misalignment
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