3,893 research outputs found
Variations of the Selective Extinction Across the Galactic Bulge - Implications for the Galactic Bar
We propose a new method to investigate the coefficient of the selective
extinction, based on two band photometry. This method uses red clump stars as a
means to construct the reddening curve. We apply this method to the OGLE
color-magnitude diagrams to investigate the variations of the selective
extinction towards various parts of the Galactic bulge. We find that
coefficient is within the errors the same for
OGLE fields. Therefore, the difference of in the extinction
adjusted apparent magnitude of the red clump stars in these fields (Stanek et
al.~1994, 1995) cannot be assigned to a large-scale gradient of the selective
extinction coefficient. This strengthens the implication of this difference as
indicator of the presence of the bar in our Galaxy. However using present data
we cannot entirely exclude the possibility of variations of
the selective extinction coefficient on the large scales across the bulge.Comment: submitted to ApJ Letters, 10 pages, gziped PostScript with figures
included; also available through WWW at
http://www.astro.princeton.edu/~library/prep.htm
Can past gamma-ray bursts explain both INTEGRAL and ATIC/PAMELA/Fermi anomalies simultaneously?
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been invoked to explain both the 511 keV
emission from the galactic bulge and the high-energy positron excess inferred
from the ATIC, PAMELA, and Fermi data. While independent explanations can be
responsible for these phenomena, we explore the possibility of their common
GRB-related origin by modeling the GRB distribution and estimating the rates.
For an expected Milky Way long GRB rate, neither of the two signals is generic;
the local excess requires a 2% coincidence, while the signal from the galactic
center requires a 20% coincidence with respect to the timing of the latest GRB.
The simultaneous explanation requires a 0.4% coincidence. Considering the large
number of statistical "trials" created by multiple searches for new physics,
the coincidences of a few per cent cannot be dismissed as unlikely.
Alternatively, both phenomena can be explained by GRBs if the galactic rate is
higher than expected. We also show that a similar result is difficult to obtain
assuming a simplified short GRB distribution.Comment: 4 pages; version accepted for publicatio
First-principles study of the energetics of charge and cation mixing in U_{1-x} Ce_x O_2
The formalism of electronic density-functional-theory, with Hubbard-U
corrections (DFT+U), is employed in a computational study of the energetics of
U_{1-x} Ce_x O_2 mixtures. The computational approach makes use of a procedure
which facilitates convergence of the calculations to multiple self-consistent
DFT+U solutions for a given cation arrangement, corresponding to different
charge states for the U and Ce ions in several prototypical cation
arrangements. Results indicate a significant dependence of the structural and
energetic properties on the nature of both charge and cation ordering. With the
effective Hubbard-U parameters that reproduce well the measured
oxidation-reduction energies for urania and ceria, we find that charge transfer
between U(IV) and Ce(IV) ions, leading to the formation of U(V) and Ce(III),
gives rise to an increase in the mixing energy in the range of 4-14 kJ/mol of
formula unit, depending on the nature of the cation ordering. The results
suggest that although charge transfer between uranium and cerium ions is
disfavored energetically, it is likely to be entropically stabilized at the
high temperatures relevant to the processing and service of urania-based solid
solutions.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure
Extinction Map of Baade's Window
Recently Wo\'zniak \& Stanek (1996) proposed a new method to investigate
interstellar extinction, based on two band photometry, which uses red clump
stars as a means to construct the reddening curve. I apply this method to the
color-magnitude diagrams obtained by the Optical Gravitational Lensing
Experiment (OGLE) to construct an extinction map of region of
Baade's Window, with resolution of . Such a map should be
useful for studies of this frequently observed region of the Galactic bulge.
The map and software useful for its applications are available via {\tt
anonymous ftp}. The total extinction varies from to
within the field of view centered on (18:03:20.9,--30:02:06), i.e. . The
ratio is determined with this new method.Comment: revised version accepted for publication in ApJ Letters, 8 pages,
uuencoded PostScript with 4 figures included; complete paper available
through WWW at http://www.astro.princeton.edu/~library/prep.html; tables and
auxiliary software available at
ftp://www.astro.princeton.edu/stanek/Extinctio
The Future is Now: the Formation of Single Low Mass White Dwarfs in the Solar Neighborhood
Low mass helium-core white dwarfs (M < 0.45 Msun) can be produced from
interacting binary systems, and traditionally all of them have been attributed
to this channel. However, a low mass white dwarf could also result from a
single star that experiences severe mass loss on the first ascent giant branch.
A large population of low mass He-core white dwarfs has been discovered in the
old metal-rich cluster NGC 6791. There is therefore a mechanism in clusters to
produce low mass white dwarfs without requiring binary star interactions, and
we search for evidence of a similar population in field white dwarfs. We argue
that there is a significant field population (of order half of the detected
systems) that arises from old metal rich stars which truncate their evolution
prior to the helium flash from severe mass loss. There is a consistent absence
of evidence for nearby companions in a large fraction of low mass white dwarfs.
The number of old metal-rich field dwarfs is also comparable with the
apparently single low mass white dwarf population, and our revised estimate for
the space density of low mass white dwarfs produced from binary interactions is
also compatible with theoretical expectations. This indicates that this channel
of stellar evolution, hitherto thought hypothetical only, has been in operation
in our own Galaxy for many billions of years. One strong implication of our
model is that single low mass white dwarfs should be good targets for planet
searches because they are likely to arise from metal-rich progenitors. We also
discuss other observational tests and implications, including the potential
impact on SN Ia rates and the frequency of planetary nebulae.Comment: ApJ published versio
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