Spitzer/MIPS Imaging of NGC 650: Probing the History of Mass Loss on the Asymptotic Giant Branch

We present the far-infrared (IR) maps of a bipolar planetary nebula (PN), NGC 650, at 24, 70, and 160 micron taken with the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) on-board the Spitzer Space Telescope. While the two-peak emission structure seen in all MIPS bands suggests the presence of a near edge-on dusty torus, the distinct emission structure between the 24 micron map and the 70/160 micron maps indicates the presence of two distinct emission components in the central torus. Based on the spatial correlation of these two far-IR emission components with respect to various optical line emission, we conclude that the 24 micron emission is largely due to the [O IV] line at 25.9 micron arising from highly ionized regions behind the ionization front, whereas the 70 and 160 micron emission is due to dust continuum arising from low-temperature dust in the remnant asymptotic giant branch (AGB) wind shell. The far-IR nebula structure also suggests that the enhancement of mass loss at the end of the AGB phase has occurred isotropically, but has ensued only in the equatorial directions while ceasing in the polar directions. The present data also show evidence for the prolate spheroidal distribution of matter in this bipolar PN. The AGB mass loss history reconstructed in this PN is thus consistent with what has been previously proposed based on the past optical and mid-IR imaging surveys of the post-AGB shells.Comment: 9 pages in the emulated ApJ format with 6 figures, to appear in Ap

The extinction and dust-to-gas structure of the planetary nebula NGC 7009 observed with MUSE

The large field and wavelength range of MUSE is well suited to mapping Galactic planetary nebulae (PN). The bright PN NGC 7009 was observed with MUSE on the VLT during the Science Verification of the instrument in seeing of 0.6". Emission line maps in hydrogen Balmer and Paschen lines were formed from analysis of the MUSE cubes. The measured electron temperature and density from the MUSE cube were employed to predict the theoretical hydrogen line ratios and map the extinction distribution across the nebula. After correction for the interstellar extinction to NGC 7009, the internal dust-to-gas ratio (A_V/N_H) has been mapped for the first time in a PN. The extinction map of NGC 7009 has considerable structure, broadly corresponding to the morphological features of the nebula. A large-scale feature in the extinction map, consisting of a crest and trough, occurs at the rim of the inner shell. The nature of this feature was investigated and instrumental and physical causes considered; no convincing mechanisms were identified to produce this feature, other than mass loss variations in the earlier asymptotic giant branch phase. The dust-to-gas ratio A_V/N_H increases from 0.7 times the interstellar value to >5 times from the centre towards the periphery of the ionized nebula. The integrated A_V/N_H is about 2 times the mean ISM value. It is demonstrated that extinction mapping with MUSE provides a powerful tool for studying the distribution of PN internal dust and the dust-to-gas ratio. (Abridged.)Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures. Accepted by A&

Westbrook's Molecular Gun: Discovery of Near-IR Micro-Structures in AFGL 618

We present high-sensitivity near-IR images of a carbon-rich proto-planetary nebula, AFGL 618, obtained with the Subaru Telescope. These images have revealed ``bullets'' and ``horns'' extending farther out from the edges of the previously known bipolar lobes. The spatial coincidence between these near-IR micro-structures and the optical collimated outflow structure, together with the detection of shock-excited, forbidden IR lines of atomic species, strongly suggests that these bullets and horns represent the locations from which [\ion{Fe}{2}] IR lines arise. We have also discovered CO clumps moving at $> 200$ km s$^{-1}$ at the positions of the near-IR bullets by re-analyzing the existing $^{12}$CO $J=1-0$ interferometry data. These findings indicate that the near-IR micro-structures represent the positions of shocked surfaces at which fast-moving molecular clumps interface with the ambient circumstellar shell.Comment: 2 figures. To appear in the ApJ Letter

Influência de matéria orgânica, pH e umidade sobre a população microbiana de solos incubados com atrazina e 2,4-D.

Foram coletadas mensalmente em 1996 amostras de solo de 0-20 e 80-90 cm de profundidade em area de cana-de-acucar na regiao de Ribeirao Preto para a avaliacao do efeito sazonal do teor de materia organica, umidade, pH e interacoes com microrganismos, 2,4-D e atrazina. Detectou-se tres diferentes tipos de solos na area. Os resultados mostraram teores mais elevados de umidade em solos argilosos que arenosos, tanto em meses de seca ou de chuva. Observou-se um pico de elevacao do teor de materia organica entre maio e agosto, (meses mais secos), com variacoes anuais de 0,8 a 1,5% para solos arenosos e 1,5 a 3,5% para argilosos. Na profundidade de 80-90 cm o teor de materia organica foi menor. Coincidindo com os meses de elevacao do teor de materia organica, maio e agosto, observou-se a acidificacao dos solos. O comportamento dos microrganismos ao tratamento com atrazina e 2,4-D mostrou correlacao com a variacao de pH e materia organica. O crescimento dos microorganismos nos solos coletados de fevereiro a maio, meses com menos materia organica e maior pH, foi inibido por 2,4-D em ate 90% em comparacao com a atrazina. Ao inves, nos meses de maior materia organica e menor pH, junho e julho, o crescimento foi inibido por atrazina. Os resultados sugerem que houve forte influencia do teor de materia organica e pH no estimulo ou inibicao do crescimento dos microorganismos pelos herbicidas. Com o aumento de materia organica e acidificacao do solo, 2,4-D estimulou o crescimento microbiano, enquanto atrazina inibiu. Nos meses que precedeu o aumento de materia organica o efeito foi oposto, com 2,4-D inibindo fortemente o crescimento microbiano

2-Dust : a Dust Radiative Transfer Code for an Axisymmetric System

We have developed a general purpose dust radiative transfer code for an axisymmetric system, 2-Dust, motivated by the recent increasing availability of high-resolution images of circumstellar dust shells at various wavelengths. This code solves the equation of radiative transfer following the principle of long characteristic in a 2-D polar grid while considering a 3-D radiation field at each grid point. A solution is sought through an iterative scheme in which self-consistency of the solution is achieved by requiring a global luminosity constancy throughout the shell. The dust opacities are calculated through Mie theory from the given size distribution and optical properties of the dust grains. The main focus of the code is to obtain insights on (1) the global energetics of dust grains in the shell (2) the 2-D projected morphologies that are strongly dependent on the mixed effects of the axisymmetric dust distribution and inclination angle of the shell. Here, test models are presented with discussion of the results. The code can be supplied with a user-defined density distribution function, and thus, is applicable to a variety of dusty astronomical objects possessing the axisymmetric geometry.Comment: To be published in ApJ, April 2003 issue; 13 pages, 4 tables, 17 figures, 5-page appendix (no figures for the main text included in this preprint). For the complete preprint and code distribution, contact the author

Caracterização sazonal do efeito de atrazina e 2,4-D sobre microrganismos de solos da microbacia do córrego do Espraiado, Ribeirão Preto-SP.

Com o objetivo de estudar o efeito sazonal de atrazina e 2,4-D sobre os microrganismos do solo e se isolar aqueles com potencial para degradar os herbicidas, foram coletadas mensalmente, durante o ano de 1996, amostras de solo de 9 pontos a profundidade de 0-20 cm em area de cana-de-acucar da microbacia do Espraiado, regiao de Ribeirao Preto. Os solos variaram de argiloso a arenoso. Suspensoes de solo, (5 g/50 ml), recem coletadas foram tratadas com atrazina (1 mg/ml) e 2,4-D (0,5 mg/ml) e incubadas a 30oC por 21 dias, juntamente com a testemunha. A populacao microbiana foi monitorada semanalmente por plaqueamento, contagem, fotografia e isolamento de colonias. Os resultados mostraram variacao sazonal significativa no comportamento quali e quantitativo da populacao microbiana. O crescimento dos microrganismos nas amostras de fevereiro a maio foi fortemente inibido por 2,4-D. No mes de junho, a atrazina inibiu o crescimento, ao passo que em agosto, 2,4-D passou a exercer forte efeito estimulante, com populacoes de ate 15 vezes maior que a testemunha. Em outubro, ambos herbicidas estimularam de maneira geral o crescimento. O tipo de solo apresentou pequena influencia. Os tratamentos promoveram crescimento diferenciado de populacoes homogeneas tipicas e caracteristicas para cada um dos herbicidas com a predominancia de bacterias para ambos, apesar de tambem serem detectados fungos e leveduras. Atrazina e 2,4-D na maioria das vezes agiram antagonicamente, sendo o 2,4-D inibidor mais potente sobre a populacao de solos arenosos, quando a inibiu. O tratamento com os herbicidas reduziu o grau de biodiversidade sendo comumente encontrado um unico tipo celular nas placas, distinto para atrazina e 2,4-D

Herschel spectral-mapping of the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293): Extended CO photodissociation and OH+ emission

The Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) is the closest planetary nebulae. Therefore, it is an ideal template for photochemical studies at small spatial scales in planetary nebulae. We aim to study the spatial distribution of the atomic and the molecular gas, and the structure of the photodissociation region along the western rims of the Helix Nebula as seen in the submillimeter range with Herschel. We use 5 SPIRE FTS pointing observations to make atomic and molecular spectral maps. We analyze the molecular gas by modeling the CO rotational lines using a non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) radiative transfer model. For the first time, we have detected extended OH+ emission in a planetary nebula. The spectra towards the Helix Nebula also show CO emission lines (from J= 4 to 8), [NII] at 1461 GHz from ionized gas, and [CI] (2-1), which together with the OH+ lines, trace extended CO photodissociation regions along the rims. The estimated OH+ column density is (1-10)x1e12 cm-2. The CH+ (1-0) line was not detected at the sensitivity of our observations. Non-LTE models of the CO excitation were used to constrain the average gas density (n(H2)=(1-5)x1e5 cm-3) and the gas temperature (Tk= 20-40 K). The SPIRE spectral-maps suggest that CO arises from dense and shielded clumps in the western rims of the Helix Nebula whereas OH+ and [CI] lines trace the diffuse gas and the UV and X-ray illuminated clumps surface where molecules reform after CO photodissociation. [NII] traces a more diffuse ionized gas component in the interclump medium.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

On the Green's Function of the almost-Mathieu Operator

The square tight-binding model in a magnetic field leads to the almost-Mathieu operator which, for rational fields, reduces to a $q\times q$ matrix depending on the components $\mu$, $\nu$ of the wave vector in the magnetic Brillouinzone. We calculate the corresponding Green's function without explicit knowledge of eigenvalues and eigenfunctions and obtain analytical expressions for the diagonal and the first off-diagonal elements; the results which are consistent with the zero magnetic field case can be used to calculate several quantities of physical interest (e. g. the density of states over the entire spectrum, impurity levels in a magnetic field).Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures corrected some minor errors and typo

Sharp lines in the absorption edge of EuTe and Pb0.1_{0.1}Eu0.9_{0.9}Te in high magnetic fields

The optical absorption spectra in the region of the \fd transition energies of epitaxial layers of of EuTe and \PbEuTe, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, were studied using circularly polarized light, in the Faraday configuration. Under \sigmam polarization a sharp symmetric absorption line (full width at half-maximum 0.041 eV) emerges at the low energy side of the band-edge absorption, for magnetic fields intensities greater than 6 T. The absorption line shows a huge red shift (35 meV/T) with increasing magnetic fields. The peak position of the absorption line as a function of magnetic field is dominated by the {\em d-f} exchange interaction of the excited electron and the \Euion spins in the lattice. The {\em d-f} exchange interaction energy was estimated to be $J_{df}S=0.15\pm 0.01$ eV. In \PbEuTe the same absorption line is detected, but it is broader, due to alloy disorder, indicating that the excitation is localized within a finite radius. From a comparison of the absorption spectra in EuTe and \PbEuTe the characteristic radius of the excitation is estimated to be $\sim 10$\AA.Comment: Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter (2004, at press