Detectability of the First Cosmic Explosions

We present a fully self-consistent simulation of a synthetic survey of the furthermost cosmic explosions. The appearance of the first generation of stars (Population III) in the Universe represents a critical point during cosmic evolution, signaling the end of the dark ages, a period of absence of light sources. Despite their importance, there is no confirmed detection of Population III stars so far. A fraction of these primordial stars are expected to die as pair-instability supernovae (PISNe), and should be bright enough to be observed up to a few hundred million years after the big bang. While the quest for Population III stars continues, detailed theoretical models and computer simulations serve as a testbed for their observability. With the upcoming near-infrared missions, estimates of the feasibility of detecting PISNe are not only timely but imperative. To address this problem, we combine state-of-the-art cosmological and radiative simulations into a complete and self-consistent framework, which includes detailed features of the observational process. We show that a dedicated observational strategy using $\lesssim 8$ per cent of total allocation time of the James Webb Space Telescope mission can provide us up to $\sim 9-15$ detectable PISNe per year.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures. Minor corrections added to match published versio

Reducing the parameter space for Unparticle-inspired models using white dwarf masses

Based on astrophysical constraints derived from Chandrasekhar's mass limit for white-dwarfs, we study the effects of the model on the parameters of unparticle-inspired gravity, on scales $\Lambda_U > 1 \; TeV$ and $d_U \approx 1$.Comment: 4 pp., 4 Fig., to appear in PR

Discovery of a Boxy Peanut Shaped Bulge in the Near Infrared

We report on the discovery of a boxy/peanut shaped bulge in the highly inclined barred Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC~7582. The peanut shape is clearly evident in near infrared $JHK$ images but obscured by extinction from dust in visible $BVR$ images. This suggests that near infrared imaging surveys will discover a larger number of boxy/peanut morphologies than visible surveys, particularly in galaxies with heavy extinction such as NGC~7582. The bulge in NGC~7582 exhibits strong boxiness compared to other boxy/peanut shaped bulges. If the starburst was mediated by the bar, then it is likely that the bar formed in less than a few bar rotation periods or a few $\times 10^8$ years ago. If the bar also caused the peanut, then the peanut would have formed quickly; on a timescale of a few bar rotation periods.Comment: AAS Latex and Postcript Figures, accepted for publication in Ap

The Overlooked Potential of Generalized Linear Models in Astronomy-III: Bayesian Negative Binomial Regression and Globular Cluster Populations

In this paper, the third in a series illustrating the power of generalized linear models (GLMs) for the astronomical community, we elucidate the potential of the class of GLMs which handles count data. The size of a galaxy's globular cluster population $N_{\rm GC}$ is a prolonged puzzle in the astronomical literature. It falls in the category of count data analysis, yet it is usually modelled as if it were a continuous response variable. We have developed a Bayesian negative binomial regression model to study the connection between $N_{\rm GC}$ and the following galaxy properties: central black hole mass, dynamical bulge mass, bulge velocity dispersion, and absolute visual magnitude. The methodology introduced herein naturally accounts for heteroscedasticity, intrinsic scatter, errors in measurements in both axes (either discrete or continuous), and allows modelling the population of globular clusters on their natural scale as a non-negative integer variable. Prediction intervals of 99% around the trend for expected $N_{\rm GC}$comfortably envelope the data, notably including the Milky Way, which has hitherto been considered a problematic outlier. Finally, we demonstrate how random intercept models can incorporate information of each particular galaxy morphological type. Bayesian variable selection methodology allows for automatically identifying galaxy types with different productions of GCs, suggesting that on average S0 galaxies have a GC population 35% smaller than other types with similar brightness.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Generalized Heisenberg Algebras and Fibonacci Series

We have constructed a Heisenberg-type algebra generated by the Hamiltonian, the step operators and an auxiliar operator. This algebra describes quantum systems having eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian depending on the eigenvalues of the two previous levels. This happens, for example, for systems having the energy spectrum given by Fibonacci sequence. Moreover, the algebraic structure depends on two functions f(x) and g(x). When these two functions are linear we classify, analysing the stability of the fixed points of the functions, the possible representations for this algebra.Comment: 24 pages, 2 figures, subfigure.st