16,114 research outputs found
The tidally disturbed luminous compact blue galaxy Mkn 1087 and its surroundings
We present new broad-band optical and near-infrared CCD imaging together with
deep optical intermediate-resolution spectroscopy of Mkn 1087 and its
surrounding objects. We analyze the morphology and colors of the stellar
populations of the brightest objects, some of them star-formation areas, as
well as the kinematics, physical conditions and chemical composition of the
ionized gas associated with them. Mkn 1087 does not host an Active Galactic
Nucleus, but it could be a Luminous Compact Blue Galaxy. Although it was
classified as a suspected Wolf-Rayet galaxy, we do not detect the spectral
features of these sort of massive stars. Mkn 1087 shows morphological and
kinematical features that can be explained assuming that it is in interaction
with two nearby galaxies: the bright KPG 103a and a dwarf ()
star-forming companion. We argue that this dwarf companion is not a tidal
object but an external galaxy because of its low metallicity [12+log(O/H) =
8.24] with respect to the one derived for Mkn 1087 [12+log(O/H) = 8.57] and its
kinematics. Some of the non-stellar objects surrounding Mkn 1087 are connected
by bridges of matter with the main body, host star-formation events and show
similar abundances despite their different angular distances. These facts,
together their kinematics, suggest that they are tidal dwarf galaxies formed
from material stripped from Mkn 1087. A bright star-forming region at the south
of Mkn 1087 (knot #7) does not show indications of being a tidal galaxy or the
product of a merging process as suggested in previous works. We argue that Mkn
1087 and its surroundings should be considered a group of galaxies.Comment: Accepted by A&A, 21 pages, 13 figures, 8 table
Evaluation of a Local Fault Detection Algorithm for HVDC Systems
A great increase in the amount of energy generated from clean and renewable sources integrated in the electric power system is expected worldwide in the coming years. High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) systems are seen as a promising alternative to the traditional Alternating Current (AC) systems for the expansion of the electric power system. However, to achieve this vision, there are some remaining challenges regarding HVDC systems which need to be solved. One of the main challenges is related to fault detection and location in HVDC grids. This paper reviews the main protection algorithms available and presents the evaluation of a local fault detection algorithm for DC faults in a multi-terminal Voltage Source Conversion (VSC) based HVDC grid. The paper analyses the influence of the DC voltage sampling frequency and the cable length in the performance of the algorithm. © 2019, European Association for the Development of Renewable Energy, Environment and Power Quality (EA4EPQ).The authors thank the support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (project ENE2016-79145-R AEI/FEDER, UE) and GISEL research group IT1083-16), as well as from the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (research group funding PPG17/23)
High spatial resolution and high contrast optical speckle imaging with FASTCAM at the ORM
In this paper, we present an original observational approach, which combines,
for the first time, traditional speckle imaging with image post-processing to
obtain in the optical domain diffraction-limited images with high contrast
(1e-5) within 0.5 to 2 arcseconds around a bright star. The post-processing
step is based on wavelet filtering an has analogy with edge enhancement and
high-pass filtering. Our I-band on-sky results with the 2.5-m Nordic Telescope
(NOT) and the lucky imaging instrument FASTCAM show that we are able to detect
L-type brown dwarf companions around a solar-type star with a contrast DI~12 at
2" and with no use of any coronographic capability, which greatly simplifies
the instrumental and hardware approach. This object has been detected from the
ground in J and H bands so far only with AO-assisted 8-10 m class telescopes
(Gemini, Keck), although more recently detected with small-class telescopes in
the K band. Discussing the advantage and disadvantage of the optical regime for
the detection of faint intrinsic fluxes close to bright stars, we develop some
perspectives for other fields, including the study of dense cores in globular
clusters. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time that high
contrast considerations are included in optical speckle imaging approach.Comment: Proceedings of SPIE conference - Ground-based and Airborne
Instrumentation for Astronomy III (Conference 7735), San Diego 201
Effect of Motility Factors D-Penicillamine, Hypotaurine and Epinephrine on the Performance of Spermatozoa from Five Hamster Species
Assessments of sperm performance are valuable tools for the analysis of sperm fertilizing potential and to understand determinants of male fertility. Hamster species constitute important animal models because they produce sperm cells in high quantities and of high quality. Sexual selection over evolutionary time in these species seems to have resulted in the largest mammalian spermatozoa, and high swimming and bioenergetic performances. Earlier studies showed that golden hamster sperm requires motility factors such as D-penicillamine, hypotaurine and epinephrine (PHE) to sustain survival over time, but it is unknown how they affect swimming kinetics or ATP levels and if other hamster species also require them. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of PHE on spermatozoa of five hamster species (Mesocricetus auratus, Cricetulus griseus, Phodopus campbelli, P. sungorus, P. roborovskii). In sperm incubated for up to 4 h without or with PHE, we assessed motility, viability, acrosome integrity, sperm velocity and trajectory, and ATP content. The results showed differences in the effect of PHE among species. They had a significant positive effect on the maintenance of sperm quality in M. auratus and C. griseus, whereas there was no consistent effect on spermatozoa of the Phodopus species. Differences between species may be the result of varying underlying regulatory mechanisms of sperm performance and may be important to understand how they relate to successful fertilization.Fil: Tourmente, Maximiliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; EspañaFil: Sanchez Rodriguez, Ana. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; EspañaFil: Roldan, Eduardo R. S.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; Españ
THE EFQM EXCELLENCE MODEL AS ENABLER OF E-PROCUREMENT ADOPTION AND THE EFFECT ON PERFORMANCE
The objective of this paper is to examine the EFQM Excellence Model as an enabler of E-procurement adoption and the effect on purchasing performance. The study utilized a cross-sectional telephone survey of a sample of Spanish manufacturing companies using multiple informants. A total of 200 firms responded making a total of 800 responses. Data was analyzed using structural equations modelling. The results indicate that the Business Excellence Enablers (Leadership, Strategy, People, Resources, and Processes) act as enablers of E-procurement and help to realize gains in purchasing performance
Preliminary optical design of PANIC, a wide-field infrared camera for CAHA
In this paper, we present the preliminary optical design of PANIC (PAnoramic
Near Infrared camera for Calar Alto), a wide-field infrared imager for the
Calar Alto 2.2 m telescope. The camera optical design is a folded single
optical train that images the sky onto the focal plane with a plate scale of
0.45 arcsec per 18 micron pixel. A mosaic of four Hawaii 2RG of 2k x 2k made by
Teledyne is used as detector and will give a field of view of 31.9 arcmin x
31.9 arcmin. This cryogenic instrument has been optimized for the Y, J, H and K
bands. Special care has been taken in the selection of the standard IR
materials used for the optics in order to maximize the instrument throughput
and to include the z band. The main challenges of this design are: to produce a
well defined internal pupil which allows reducing the thermal background by a
cryogenic pupil stop; the correction of off-axis aberrations due to the large
field available; the correction of chromatic aberration because of the wide
spectral coverage; and the capability of introduction of narrow band filters
(~1%) in the system minimizing the degradation in the filter passband without a
collimated stage in the camera. We show the optomechanical error budget and
compensation strategy that allows our as built design to met the performances
from an optical point of view. Finally, we demonstrate the flexibility of the
design showing the performances of PANIC at the CAHA 3.5m telescope.Comment: This paper has been presented in the SPIE of Astronomical Telescopes
and Instrumentation 2008 in Marseille (France
Study of process parameters on aluminium foam formation in the Al-6Si-3Mg alloy
The aim of this research was to study the process parameters that promote foam formation by injecting N2 into Al-6Si-3Mg wt % molten alloy with silicon carbide particles additions (SiC). An experimental design was proposed, in which the contents of SiC particles were 0, 10, 30 and 50 wt %, and the overheating was defined as ΔT= TF - TL , where TL is the liquidus temperature and was determined by the cooling curve method and the foaming temperatures were selected as TF at 630, 610, 580 and 570 °C. Flow and pressure of air blow were constant, 2,0 lt/min and 4,0 atm, respectively. The foam formation was possible only under two experimental conditions, 10 wt % SiC at ΔT > 12 °C and 30 wt % SiC at ΔT > 10 °C. The foams obtained under these conditions were stable, while with other conditions of experiments, bubble coallesence occurred. Finally, it was concluded that the foam formation occurred by SiC contents lower than 30 wt % SiC and temperatures slightly above the liquidus
Consumption of Acorns by Finishing Iberian Pigs and Their Function in the Conservation of the Dehesa Agroecosystem
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