135 research outputs found
Comparison of the Halpha equivalent width of HII regions in a flocculent and a grand design galaxy: possible evidences for IMF variations
We present here a study of the Halpha equivalent widths of the flocculent
galaxy NGC 4395 and the grand design galaxy NGC 5457. A difference between the
mean values of the Halpha equivalent widths for the two galaxies has been
found. Several hypotheses are presented in order to explain this difference:
differences in age, metallicity, star formation rate, photon leakage and
initial mass function. Various tests and Monte Carlo models are used to find
out the most probable cause of this difference. The resultsshow that the
possible cause for the difference could be a variation in the initial mass
function. This difference is such that it seems to favor a fraction of more
massive stars in the grand design galaxy when compared with the flocculent
galaxy. This could be due to a change of the environmental conditions due to a
density wave.Comment: 29 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Periodic Pattern in the Residual-Velocity Field of OB Associations
An analysis of the residual-velocity field of OB associations within 3 kpc of
the Sun has revealed periodic variations in the radial residual velocities
along the Galactic radius vector with a typical scale length of
lambda=2.0(+/-0.2) kpc and a mean amplitude of fR=7(+/-1) km/s. The fact that
the radial residual velocities of almost all OB-associations in rich
stellar-gas complexes are directed toward the Galactic center suggests that the
solar neighborhood under consideration is within the corotation radius. The
azimuthal-velocity field exhibits a distinct periodic pattern in the region
0<l<180 degrees, where the mean azimuthal-velocity amplitude is ft=6(+/-2)
km/s. There is no periodic pattern of the azimuthal-velocity field in the
region 180<l<360 degrees. The locations of the Cygnus arm, as well as the
Perseus arm, inferred from an analysis of the radial- and azimuthal-velocity
fields coincide. The periodic patterns of the residual-velocity fields of
Cepheids and OB associations share many common features.Comment: 21 page
Analysis of the interstellar matter at the periphery of the supershell surrounding the CYG OB1 association in 2.12 micron molecular hydrogen line
We present observations of the vdB 130 cluster vicinity in a narrow-band
filter centered at a m molecular hydrogen line performed at the
Caucasus Mountain Observatory of the Lomonosov Moscow State University. The
observations reveal an H emission shell around vdB 130, coincident with a
bright infrared shell, visible in all \textit{Spitzer} bands. Also, numerous
H emission features are detected around infrared Blobs E and W and in the
vicinity of a protocluster located to the east of the shell, in a tail of a
cometary molecular cloud. H emission in the vicinity of the vdB~130 cluster
is mostly generated in well-developed \HII\ regions and is of fluorescent
nature. In the protocluster area, isolated spots are observed, where H
emission is collisionally excited and is probably related to shocks in
protostellar outflows. Obtained results are discussed in the context of
possible sequential star formation in the vicinity of the vdB 130 cluster,
triggered by the interaction of the expanding supershell surrounding the Cyg
OB1 association with the molecular cloud and an associated molecular filament.Comment: Accepted by Astrophysical Bulleti
Kinematics of the outer pseudorings and the spiral structure of the Galaxy
The kinematics of the outer rings and pseudorings is determined by two
processes: the resonance tuning and the gas outflow. The resonance kinematics
is clearly observed in the pure rings, while the kinematics of the gas outflow
is manifested itself in the pseudorings. The direction of systematical motions
in the pure rings depends on the position angle of a point with respect to the
bar major axis and on the class of the outer ring. The direction of the radial
and azimuthal components of the residual velocities of young stars in the
Perseus, Carina, and Sagittarius regions can be explained by the presence of
the outer pseudoring of class R1R2' in the Galaxy. We present models, which
reproduce the directions and values of the residual velocities of
OB-associations in the Perseus and Sagittarius regions, and also model
reproducing the directions of the residual velocities in the Perseus,
Sagittarius, and Carina regions. The kinematics of the Sagittarius region
accurately defines the solar position angle with respect to the bar elongation,
theta_b=45 (+/-5) deg.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy Letter
Leading Wave as a Component of the Spiral Pattern of the Galaxy
The spiral pattern of the Galaxy identified by analyzing the kinematics of
young stars within 3 kpc of the Sun is Fourier decomposed into spiral
harmonics. The spiral pattern of the Galaxy is shown to be representable as a
superposition of trailing and leading waves with interarm distances of
1.8(+/-0.4) kpc and 4(+/-2) kpc, respectively. Shock waves are probably present
only in the portions of the trailing spiral pattern where it crosses the crest
of the leading wave. The small interarm distance of the trailing spiral wave
(1.8 kpc) can be explained by its evolution - by the decrease in the interarm
distance as the wave is displaced toward the inner Lindblad resonance. The
Carina arm may be part of this resonance ring.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Astronomy Letters, 200
Detailed comparison of the pp -> \pi^+pn and pp -> \pi^+d reactions at 951 MeV
The positively charged pions produced in proton-proton collisions at a beam
momentum of 1640 MeV/c were measured in the forward direction with a high
resolution magnetic spectrograph. The missing mass distribution shows the bound
state (deuteron) clearly separated from the continuum. Despite the very
good resolution, there is no evidence for any significant production of the
system in the spin-singlet state. However, the cross section ratio is about twice as large as
that predicted from -wave final-state-interaction theory and it is suggested
that this is due to -state effects in the system.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure
- …