The UNAM-KIAS Catalog of Isolated Galaxies

A new catalog of isolated galaxies from The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (DR5) is presented. 1520 isolated galaxies were found in 1.4 steradians of sky. The selection criteria in this so called UNAM-KIAS catalog was implemented from a variation on the criteria developed by Karachentseva 1973 including full redshift information. Through an image processing pipeline that takes advantage from the high resolution (~ 0.4 ''/pix) and high dynamic range of the SDSS images, a uniform g band morphological classification for all these galaxies is presented. We identify 80% (SaSm) spirals (50% later than Sbc types) on one hand, and a scarce population of early-type E(6.5%) and S0(8%) galaxies amounting to 14.5% on the other hand. This magnitude-limited catalog is ~ 80% complete at 16.5, 15.6, 15.0, 14.6 and 14.4 magnitudes in the ugriz bands respectively. Some representative physical properties including SDSS magnitudes and color distributions, color-color diagrams, absolute magnitude-color, and concentration-color diagrams as a function of morphological type are presented. The UNAM-KIAS Morphological Atlas is also released along with this paper. For each galaxy of type later than Sa, a mosaic is presented that includes: (1) a g-band logarithmic image, (2) a g band filtered-enhanced image where a Gaussian kernel of various sizes was applied and (3) an RGB color image from the SDSS database. For E/S0/Sa galaxies, in addition to the images in (1), (2) and (3), plots of r band surface brightness and geometric profiles (ellipticity, Position Angle PA and A4/B4 coefficients of the Fourier series expansions of deviations of a pure ellipse) are provided...Comment: 40 pages, 17 figures and 3 table

The UNAM-KIAS Catalog of Isolated Galaxies

A new catalog of isolated galaxies from The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (DR5) is presented. 1520 isolated galaxies were found in 1.4 steradians of sky. The selection criteria in this so called UNAM-KIAS catalog was implemented from a variation on the criteria developed by Karachentseva 1973 including full redshift information. Through an image processing pipeline that takes advantage from the high resolution (~ 0.4 ''/pix) and high dynamic range of the SDSS images, a uniform g band morphological classification for all these galaxies is presented. We identify 80% (SaSm) spirals (50% later than Sbc types) on one hand, and a scarce population of early-type E(6.5%) and S0(8%) galaxies amounting to 14.5% on the other hand. This magnitude-limited catalog is ~ 80% complete at 16.5, 15.6, 15.0, 14.6 and 14.4 magnitudes in the ugriz bands respectively. Some representative physical properties including SDSS magnitudes and color distributions, color-color diagrams, absolute magnitude-color, and concentration-color diagrams as a function of morphological type are presented. The UNAM-KIAS Morphological Atlas is also released along with this paper. For each galaxy of type later than Sa, a mosaic is presented that includes: (1) a g-band logarithmic image, (2) a g band filtered-enhanced image where a Gaussian kernel of various sizes was applied and (3) an RGB color image from the SDSS database. For E/S0/Sa galaxies, in addition to the images in (1), (2) and (3), plots of r band surface brightness and geometric profiles (ellipticity, Position Angle PA and A4/B4 coefficients of the Fourier series expansions of deviations of a pure ellipse) are provided...Comment: 40 pages, 17 figures and 3 table

Housing bubbles and land planning corruption: evidence from Spain’s largest municipalities

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to quantify to what extent the housing bubble in the early-to-mid 2000s in Spain exacerbated land planning corruption among Spain’s largest municipalities. Design/methodology/approach: The authors exploit plausibly exogenous variation in housing prices induced by changes in local mortgage market conditions; namely, the rapid expansion of savings banks (Cajas de Ahorros). Accounting for electoral competition in the 2003–2007 and 2007–2009 electoral cycles among Spanish municipalities larger than 25, 000 inhabitants, the authors estimate a positive relationship between housing prices and land planning corruption in municipalities with variation in savings bank establishments using instrumental variables techniques. Findings: A 1% increase in housing prices leads to a 3.9% points increase in the probability of land planning corruption. Moreover, absolute majority governments (not needing other parties’ support) are more susceptible to the incidence of corruption than non-majority ones. Two policy implications to address corruption emerge: enhance electoral competition and increase scrutiny over land planning decisions in sparsely populated. Originality/value: First empirical evidence of a formal link between the 2000s housing bubble in Spain and land planning corruption

Continuous and Localized Mn Implantation of ZnO

We present results derived from continuous and localized 35 keV (55)Mn(+) ion implantations into ZnO. Localized implantations were carried out by using self-ordered alumina membranes as masks leading to ordered arrays of implanted volumes on the substrate surfaces. Defects and vacancies in the small implantation volumes of ZnO were generated due to the implantation processes besides the creation of new phases. Rapid thermal annealing was applied in the case of continuous implantation. The samples were characterized by HRSEM, GIXRD, Raman spectroscopy and RBS/C. Magnetic characterization of the samples pointed out appreciable differences among the samples obtained by the different implantation methods. This fact was mainly attributed to the different volume/surface ratios present in the implanted zones as well as to the increase of Mn atom concentrations along the grain frontiers in the nanostructured surfaces. The samples also showed a ferromagnetic transition phase at temperature value higher than room temperature

Weak Galactic Halo--Fornax dSph Connection from RR Lyrae Stars

For the first time accurate pulsation properties of the ancient variable stars of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph) are discussed in the broad context of galaxy formation and evolution. Homogeneous multi-band $BVI$ optical photometry of spanning {\it twenty} years has allowed us to identify and characterize more than 1400 RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) in this galaxy. Roughly 70\% are new discoveries. We investigate the period-amplitude distribution and find that Fornax shows a lack of High Amplitude (A_V\gsim0.75 mag) Short Period fundamental-mode RRLs (P\lsim0.48 d, HASPs). These objects occur in stellar populations more metal-rich than [Fe/H]$\sim$-1.5 and they are common in the Galactic halo (Halo) and in globulars. This evidence suggests that old (age older than 10 Gyr) Fornax stars are relatively metal-poor. A detailed statistical analysis of the role of the present-day Fornax dSph in reproducing the Halo period distribution shows that it can account for only a few to 20\% of the Halo when combined with RRLs in massive dwarf galaxies (Sagittarius dSph, Large Magellanic Cloud). This finding indicates that Fornax-like systems played a minor role in building up the Halo when compared with massive dwarfs. We also discuss the occurrence of HASPs in connection with the luminosity and the early chemical composition of nearby dwarf galaxies. We find that, independently of their individual star formation histories, bright (M_V\lsim-13.5 mag) galaxies have HASPs, whereas faint ones (M_V\gsim-11 mag) do not. Interestingly enough, Fornax belongs to a luminosity range (--11$<$M$_V<$--13.5 mag) in which the occurrence of HASPs appears to be correlated with the early star formation and chemical enrichment of the host galaxy.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, A&A, accepte

Probing the early chemical evolution of the Sculptor dSph with purely old stellar tracers

We present the metallicity distribution of a sample of 471 RR Lyrae (RRL) stars in the Sculptor dSph, obtained from the $I$-band Period-Luminosity relation. It is the first time that the early chemical evolution of a dwarf galaxy is characterized in such a detailed and quantitative way, using photometric data alone. We find a broad metallicity distribution (FWHM=0.8 dex) that is peaked at [Fe/H]$\simeq$-1.90 dex, in excellent agreement with literature values obtained from spectroscopic data. Moreover, we are able to directly trace the metallicity gradient out to a radius of $\sim$55 arcmin. We find that in the outer regions (r$>\sim$32 arcmin) the slope of the metallicity gradient from the RRLs (-0.025 dex arcmin$^{-1}$) is comparable to the literature values based on red giant (RG) stars. However, in the central part of Sculptor we do not observe the latter gradients. This suggests that there is a more metal-rich and/or younger population in Sculptor that does not produce RRLs. This scenario is strengthened by the observation of a metal-rich peak in the metallicity distribution of RG stars by other authors, which is not present in the metallicity distribution of the RRLs within the same central area.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication on MNRAS Letter

Variable Stars in Local Group Galaxies. I: Tracing the Early Chemical Enrichment and Radial Gradients in the Sculptor dSph with RR Lyrae Stars

We identified and characterized the largest (536) RR Lyrae (RRL) sample in a Milky Way dSph satellite (Sculptor) based on optical photometry data collected over $\sim$24 years. The RRLs display a spread in V-magnitude ($\sim$0.35 mag) which appears larger than photometric errors and the horizontal branch (HB) luminosity evolution of a mono-metallic population. Using several calibrations of two different reddening free and metal independent Period-Wesenheit relations we provide a new distance estimate $\mu$=19.62 mag ($\sigma_{\mu}$=0.04 mag) that agrees well with literature estimates. We constrained the metallicity distribution of the old population, using the $M_I$ Period-Luminosity relation, and we found that it ranges from -2.3 to -1.5 dex. The current estimate is narrower than suggested by low and intermediate spectroscopy of RGBs ($\Delta$[Fe/H] $\le$ 1.5). We also investigated the HB morphology as a function of the galactocentric distance. The HB in the innermost regions is dominated by red HB stars and by RRLs, consistent with a more metal-rich population, while in the outermost regions it is dominated by blue HB stars and RRLs typical of a metal-poor population. Our results suggest that fast chemical evolution occurred in Sculptor, and that the radial gradients were in place at an early epoch.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, MNRAS accepte