1,493 research outputs found
Common-Resolution Convolution Kernels for Space- and Ground-Based Telescopes
Multi-wavelength study of extended astronomical objects requires combining
images from instruments with differing point spread functions (PSFs). We
describe the construction of convolution kernels that allow one to generate
(multi-wavelength) images with a common PSF, thus preserving the colors of the
astronomical sources. We generate convolution kernels for the cameras of the
Spitzer Space Telescope, Herschel Space Observatory, Galaxy Evolution Explorer
(GALEX), Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), ground-based optical
telescopes (Moffat functions and sum of Gaussians), and Gaussian PSFs. These
kernels allow the study of the Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) of extended
objects, preserving the characteristic SED in each pixel. The convolution
kernels and the IDL packages used to construct and use them are made publicly
available
Quantifying non-star formation associated 8um dust emission in NGC 628
Combining Ha and IRAC images of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 628, we find
that between 30-43% of its 8um dust emission is not related to recent star
formation. Contributions from dust heated by young stars are separated by
identifying HII regions in the Ha map and using these areas as a mask to
determine the 8um dust emission that must be due to heating by older stars.
Corrections are made for sub-detection-threshold HII regions, photons escaping
from HII regions and for young stars not directly associated to HII regions
(i.e. 10-100 Myr old stars). A simple model confirms this amount of 8um
emission can be expected given dust and PAH absorption cross-sections, a
realistic star-formation history, and the observed optical extinction values. A
Fourier power spectrum analysis indicates that the 8um dust emission is more
diffuse than the Ha emission (and similar to observed HI), supporting our
analysis that much of the 8um-emitting dust is heated by older stars. The 8um
dust-to-Ha emission ratio declines with galactocentric radius both within and
outside of HII regions, probably due to a radial increase in disk transparency.
In the course of this work, we have also found that intrinsic diffuse Ha
fractions may be lower than previously thought in galaxies, if the differential
extinction between HII regions and diffuse regions is taken into account.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, accepted in Ap
Scientific Visualization Using the Flow Analysis Software Toolkit (FAST)
Over the past few years the Flow Analysis Software Toolkit (FAST) has matured into a useful tool for visualizing and analyzing scientific data on high-performance graphics workstations. Originally designed for visualizing the results of fluid dynamics research, FAST has demonstrated its flexibility by being used in several other areas of scientific research. These research areas include earth and space sciences, acid rain and ozone modelling, and automotive design, just to name a few. This paper describes the current status of FAST, including the basic concepts, architecture, existing functionality and features, and some of the known applications for which FAST is being used. A few of the applications, by both NASA and non-NASA agencies, are outlined in more detail. Described in the Outlines are the goals of each visualization project, the techniques or 'tricks' used lo produce the desired results, and custom modifications to FAST, if any, done to further enhance the analysis. Some of the future directions for FAST are also described
The Bush War to Save the Rhino: Improving Counter-poaching Through Intelligence
The rhino is going extinct due to poaching at a rate which far outstrips current law enforcement or conservation efforts to halt their decline. A critical aspect of counter-poaching failures to date is an inaccurate view of the nature of poaching as a crime. Rather than demand-side efforts, attacking elusive smuggling networks, or expensive technical solutions like drones, this article notes how a quasi-military tactical approach of ‘combat tracking’ offers the best way to protect the species. Based on wide ranging interviews and fieldwork across dozens of parks in southern Africa, it demonstrates how the current restricted range of the rhino, and the rarity of skilled poachers, makes a tactical solution the most effective to date
Heating and cooling of the neutral ISM in the NGC4736 circumnuclear ring
The manner in which gas accretes and orbits within circumnuclear rings has
direct implications for the star formation process. In particular, gas may be
compressed and shocked at the inflow points, resulting in bursts of star
formation at these locations. Afterwards the gas and young stars move together
through the ring. In addition, star formation may occur throughout the ring, if
and when the gas reaches sufficient density to collapse under gravity. These
two scenarios for star formation in rings are often referred to as the `pearls
on a string' and `popcorn' paradigms. In this paper, we use new Herschel PACS
observations, obtained as part of the KINGFISH Open Time Key Program, along
with archival Spitzer and ground-based observations from the SINGS Legacy
project, to investigate the heating and cooling of the interstellar medium in
the nearby star-forming ring galaxy, NGC4736. By comparing spatially resolved
estimates of the stellar FUV flux available for heating, with the gas and dust
cooling derived from the FIR continuum and line emission, we show that while
star formation is indeed dominant at the inflow points in NGC 4736, additional
star formation is needed to balance the gas heating and cooling throughout the
ring. This additional component most likely arises from the general increase in
gas density in the ring over its lifetime. Our data provide strong evidence,
therefore, for a combination of the two paradigms for star formation in the
ring in NGC4736.Comment: accepted for publication in A&
An Adaptive Optics Survey for Close Protostellar Binaries
In order to test the hypothesis that Class I protostellar binary stars are a
product of ejections during the dynamical decay of non-hierarchical multiple
systems, we combined the results of new adaptive optics (AO) observations of
Class I protostars with our previously published AO data to investigate whether
Class I protostars with a widely separated companion (r>200 AU) are more likely
to also have a close companion (r<200 AU). In total, we observed 47 embedded
young stellar objects (YSOs) with either the Subaru natural guide star AO
system or the Keck laser guide star AO system. We found that targets with a
widely separated companion within 5,000 AU are not more likely to have a close
companion. However, targets with another YSO within a projected separation of
25,000 AU are much more likely to have a close companion. Most importantly,
every target with a close companion has another YSO within a projected
separation of 25,000 AU. We came to the same conclusions after considering a
restricted sample of targets within 500 pc and close companions wider than 50
AU to minimize incompleteness effects. The Orion star forming region was found
to have an excess of both close binaries and YSOs within 25,000 AU compared to
other star forming regions. We interpret these observations as strong evidence
that many close Class I binary stars form via ejections and that many of the
ejected stars become unbound during the Class I phase.Comment: 22 pages, 3 figures, 2 table
A comparative analysis of the publication behaviour of MSCA fellows
MSCA applicants from South and Eastern European countries underperform researchers from North Western Europe before receiving the grant. However, the median difference disappears by the time of the grant and in the period after this. Due to a higher number of outliers (top performers) among the researchers from North Western Europe, the mean impact scores do remain significantly higher
The Origins of [CII] Emission in Local Star-forming Galaxies
The [CII] 158um fine-structure line is the brightest emission line observed
in local star-forming galaxies. As a major coolant of the gas-phase
interstellar medium, [CII] balances the heating, including that due to
far-ultraviolet photons, which heat the gas via the photoelectric effect.
However, the origin of [CII] emission remains unclear, because C+ can be found
in multiple phases of the interstellar medium. Here we measure the fractions of
[CII] emission originating in the ionized and neutral gas phases of a sample of
nearby galaxies. We use the [NII] 205um fine-structure line to trace the
ionized medium, thereby eliminating the strong density dependence that exists
in the ratio of [CII]/[NII] 122um. Using the FIR [CII] and [NII] emission
detected by the KINGFISH and Beyond the Peak Herschel programs, we show that
60-80% of [CII] emission originates from neutral gas. We find that the fraction
of [CII] originating in the neutral medium has a weak dependence on dust
temperature and the surface density of star formation, and a stronger
dependence on the gas-phase metallicity. In metal-rich environments, the
relatively cooler ionized gas makes substantially larger contributions to total
[CII] emission than at low abundance, contrary to prior expectations.
Approximate calibrations of this metallicity trend are provided.Comment: 8 pages, accepted for publication in Ap
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