13,633 research outputs found
On the existence of dyons and dyonic black holes in Einstein-Yang-Mills theory
We study dyonic soliton and black hole solutions of the
Einstein-Yang-Mills equations in asymptotically anti-de Sitter space. We prove
the existence of non-trivial dyonic soliton and black hole solutions in a
neighbourhood of the trivial solution. For these solutions the magnetic gauge
field function has no zeros and we conjecture that at least some of these
non-trivial solutions will be stable. The global existence proof uses local
existence results and a non-linear perturbation argument based on the (Banach
space) implicit function theorem.Comment: 23 pages, 2 figures. Minor revisions; references adde
Recovering a lost baseline: missing kelp forests from a metropolitan coast
© 2008 AuthorThere is concern about historical and continuing loss of canopy-forming algae across the worldâs temperate coastline. In South Australia, the sparse cover of canopy-forming algae on the Adelaide metropolitan coast has been of public concern with continuous years of anecdotal evidence culminating in 2 competing views. One view considers that current patterns existed before the onset of urbanisation, whereas the alternate view is that they developed after urbanisation. We tested hypotheses to distinguish between these 2 models, each centred on the reconstruction of historical covers of canopies on the metropolitan coast. Historically, the metropolitan sites were indistinguishable from contemporary populations of reference sites across 70 km (i.e. Gulf St. Vincent), and could also represent a random subset of exposed coastal sites across 2100 km of the greater biogeographic province. Thus there was nothing âspecialâ about the metropolitan sites historically, but today they stand out because they have sparser covers of canopies compared to equivalent locations and times in the gulf and the greater province. This is evidence of wholesale loss of canopy-forming algae (up to 70%) on parts of the Adelaide metropolitan coast since major urbanisation. These findings not only set a research agenda based on the magnitude of loss, but they also bring into question the logic that smaller metropolitan populations of humans create impacts that are trivial relative to that of larger metropolitan centres. Instead, we highlight a need to recognise the ecological context that makes some coastal systems more vulnerable or resistant to increasing human-domination of the worldâs coastlines. We discuss challenges to this kind of research that receive little ecological discussion, particularly better leadership and administration, recognising that the systems we study out-live the life spans of individual research groups and operate on spatial scales that exceed the capacity of single research providers.Sean D. Connell, Bayden D. Russell, David J. Turner, Scoresby A. Shepherd, Timothy Kildea, David Miller, Laura Airoldi, Anthony Cheshir
Kinematic Age Estimates for 4 Compact Symmetric Objects from the Pearson-Readhead Survey
Based on multi-epoch observations at 15 and 43 GHz with the Very Long
Baseline Array (VLBA) we detect significant angular expansions between the two
hot spots of 4 Compact Symmetric Objects (CSOs). From these relative motions we
derive kinematic ages of between 300 and 1200 years for the radio emission.
These ages lend support to the idea that CSOs are produced in a recent phase of
activity. These observations also allow us to study the evolution of the hot
spots dynamically in individual sources. In all 4 sources the hot spots are
separating along the source axis, but in 1031+567 the tip of one hot spot
appears to be moving almost orthogonally to the source axis. Jet components,
seen in 3 of the 4 sources observed, are found to be moving relativistically
outward from the central engines towards the more slowly moving hot spots.Comment: in press at ApJ for v. 541 Oct. 1, 2000, 23 page LaTeX document
includes 6 postscript figure
The Starburst in the Central Kiloparsec of Markarian 231
We present VLBA observations at 0.33 and 0.61 GHz, and VLA observations
between 5 and 22 GHz, of subkiloparsec scale radio emission from Mrk 231. In
addition to jet components clearly associated with the AGN, we also find a
smooth extended component of size 100 - 1000 pc most probably related to the
purported massive star forming disk in Mrk 231. The diffuse radio emission from
the disk is found to have a steep spectrum at high frequencies, characteristic
of optically thin synchrotron emission. The required relativistic particle
density in the disk can be produced by a star formation rate of 220 Msolar/yr
in the central kiloparsec. At low frequencies the disk is absorbed, most likely
by ionized gas with an emission measure of 8 x 10^5 pc cm-6. We have also
identified 4 candidate radio supernovae that, if confirmed, represent direct
evidence for ongoing star formation in the central kiloparsec.Comment: in press at ApJ for v. 519 July 1999, 14 page LaTeX document includes
6 postscript figure
VLBI Polarimetry of 177 Sources from the Caltech-Jodrell Bank Flat-spectrum Survey
We present VLBA observations and a statistical analysis of 5 GHz VLBI
polarimetry data from 177 sources in the Caltech-Jodrell Bank flat-spectrum
(CJF) survey. The CJF survey, a complete, flux-density-limited sample of 293
extragalactic radio sources, gives us the unique opportunity to compare a broad
range of source properties for quasars, galaxies and BL Lacertae objects. We
focus primarily on jet properties, specifically the correlation between the jet
axis angle and the polarization angle in the core and jet. A strong correlation
is found for the electric vector polarization angle in the cores of quasars to
be perpendicular to the jet axis. Contrary to previous claims, no correlation
is found between the jet polarization angle and the jet axis in either quasars
or BL Lac objects. With this large, homogeneous sample we are also able to
investigate cosmological issues and AGN evolution.Comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal: 37 pages, 14 figure
The galactic magnetic field in the quasar 3C216
Multifrequency polarimetric observations made with the Very Long Baseline
Array of the quasar 3C216 reveal the presence of Faraday rotation measures
(RMs) in excess of 2000 rad/m**2 in the source rest frame, in the arc of
emission located at ~ 140 mas from the core. Rotation measures in the range
-300 - +300 rad/m**2 are detected in the inner 5 mas (~30 parsecs). while the
rotation measures near the core can be explained as due to a magnetic field in
the narrow line region, we favor the interpretation for the high RM in the arc
as due to a ``local'' Faraday screen, produced in a shock where the jet is
deflected by the interstellar medium of the host galaxy. Our results indicate
that a galacit magnetic field of the order of 50 microGauss on a scale greater
than 100 pc must be present in the galactic medium.Comment: 23 pages, 3 tables, 11 figures. To appear on The Astronomical
Journal, November 1999 Issu
A study of the usefulness of Skylab EREP data for earth resources studies in Australia
The author has identified the following significant results. In subhumid, vegetated areas, S190B photography: (1) has a potentially operational role in detecting lineaments in 1:100,000 scale geological mapping and in major civil engineering surveys; (2) is of limited value for regional lithological mapping at 1:500,000 scale; and (3) provided much useful synoptic information and some detailed information of direct value to the mapping of nonmineral natural resources such as vegetation, land soil, and water. In arid, well exposed areas, S190B photography could be used: (1) with a limited amount of field traverses, to produce reliable 1:500,000 scale geological maps of sedimentary sequences; (2) to update superficial geology on 1:250,000 scale maps; and (3) together with the necessary field studies, to prepare landform, soil, and vegetation maps at 1:1,000,000 scale. Skylab photography was found to be more useful than LANDSAT images for small scale mapping of geology and land types, and for the revision of topographic maps at 1:100,000 scale, because of superior spatial resolution and stereoscopic coverage
Interferometric Phase Calibration Sources in the Declination Range 0deg to -30deg
We present a catalog of 321 compact radio sources in the declination range
0deg > delta > -30deg. The positions of these sources have been measured with a
two-dimensional rms accuracy of 35 milliarcseconds using the NRAO Very Large
Array. Each source has a peak flux density >50 mJy at 8.4 GHz. We intend for
this catalog to be used mainly for selection of phase calibration sources for
radio interferometers, although compact radio sources have other scientific
uses.Comment: 9 pages. To appear in ApJS. Catalog (Table 3) is abbreviated in
printed version. Complete catalog available at
ftp://ftp.aoc.nrao.edu/pub/staff/jwrobel/WPW2003_ApJS.tx
In the Shadow of the Accretion Disk: Higher Resolution Imaging of the Central Parsec in NGC 4261
The physical conditions in the inner parsec of accretion disks believed to
orbit the central black holes in active galactic nuclei can be probed by
imaging the absorption (by ionized gas in the disk) of background emission from
a radio counterjet. We report high angular resolution VLBI observations of the
nearby (about 40 Mpc) radio galaxy NGC 4261 that confirm free-free absorption
of radio emission from a counterjet by a geometrically thin, nearly edge-on
disk at 1.6, 4.8, and 8.4 GHz. The angular width and depth of the absorption
appears to increase with decreasing frequency, as expected. We derive an
average electron density of ~10E4 per cc at a disk radius of about 0.2 pc,
assuming that the inner disk inclination and opening angles are the same as at
larger radii. Pressure balance between the thermal gas and the magnetic field
in the disk implies an average field strength of 0.1 milligauss at a radius of
0.2 pc. These are the closest-in free-free absorption measurements to date of
the conditions in an extragalactic accretion disk orbiting a black hole with a
well-determined mass. If a standard advection-dominated accretion flow exists
in the disk center, then the transition between thin and thick disk regions
must occur at a radius less than 0.2 pc (4000 Schwarzschild radii).Comment: 20 pages including 12 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
A Compact Supermassive Binary Black Hole System
We report on the discovery of a supermassive binary black hole system in the
radio galaxy 0402+379, with a projected separation between the two black holes
of just 7.3 pc. This is the closest black hole pair yet found by more than two
orders of magnitude. These results are based upon recent multi-frequency
observations using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) which reveal two
compact, variable, flat-spectrum, active nuclei within the elliptical host
galaxy of 0402+379. Multi-epoch observations from the VLBA also provide
constraints on the total mass and dynamics of the system. Low spectral
resolution spectroscopy using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope indicates two velocity
systems with a combined mass of the two black holes of ~1.5 x 10^8 solar
masses. The two nuclei appear stationary while the jets emanating from the
weaker of the two nuclei appear to move out and terminate in bright hot spots.
The discovery of this system has implications for the number of close binary
black holes that might be sources of gravitational radiation. Green Bank
Telescope observations at 22 GHz to search for water masers in this interesting
system are also presented.Comment: 34 pages, 7 figures, Accepted to The Astrophysical Journa
- âŠ