410 research outputs found
Magnetic properties of the honeycomb oxide NaCoTeO
We have studied the magnetic properties of NaCoTeO, which
features a honeycomb lattice of magnetic Co ions, through macroscopic
characterization and neutron diffraction on a powder sample. We have shown that
this material orders in a zig-zag antiferromagnetic structure. In addition to
allowing a linear magnetoelectric coupling, this magnetic arrangement displays
very peculiar spatial magnetic correlations, larger in the honeycomb planes
than between the planes, which do not evolve with the temperature. We have
investigated this behavior by Monte Carlo calculations using the
-- model on a honeycomb lattice with a small interplane
interaction. Our model reproduces the experimental neutron structure factor,
although its absence of temperature evolution must be due to additional
ingredients, such as chemical disorder or quantum fluctuations enhanced by the
proximity to a phase boundary.Comment: 9 pages, 13 figure
Abstract robust coarse spaces for systems of PDEs via generalized eigenproblems in the overlaps
Coarse spaces are instrumental in obtaining scalability for domain decomposition methods for partial differential equations (PDEs). However, it is known that most popular choices of coarse spaces perform rather weakly in the presence of heterogeneities in the PDE coefficients, especially for systems of PDEs. Here, we introduce in a variational setting a new coarse space that is robust even when there are such heterogeneities. We achieve this by solving local generalized eigenvalue problems in the overlaps of subdomains that isolate the terms responsible for slow convergence. We prove a general theoretical result that rigorously establishes the robustness of the new coarse space and give some numerical examples on two and three dimensional heterogeneous PDEs and systems of PDEs that confirm this property
Mapping the X-Shaped Milky Way Bulge
We analyzed the distribution of the RC stars throughout Galactic bulge using
2MASS data. We mapped the position of the red clump in 1 sq.deg. size fields
within the area |l|<=8.5deg and l=0 deg axis. Crude
measurements of the space densities of RC stars in the bright and faint RC
populations are consistent with the adopted RC distances, providing further
supporting evidence that the X-structure is real, and that there is approximate
front-back symmetry in our bulge fields. We conclude that the Milky Way bulge
has an X-shaped structure within $|l|<~2deg, seen almost edge on with respect
to the line of sight. Additional deep NIR photometry extending into the
innermost bulge regions combined with spectroscopic data is needed in order to
discriminate among the different possibilities that can cause the observed
X-shaped structure.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A
Two-level DDM preconditioners for positive Maxwell equations
In this paper we develop and analyse domain decomposition methods for linear systems of equations arising from conforming finite element discretisations of positive Maxwell-type equations. Convergence of domain decomposition methods rely heavily on the efficiency of the coarse space used in the second level. We design adaptive coarse spaces that complement the near-kernel space made of the gradient of scalar functions. This extends the results in [2] to the variable coefficient case and non-convex domains at the expense of a larger coarse space
Zonal shear and super-rotation in a magnetized spherical Couette flow experiment
We present measurements performed in a spherical shell filled with liquid
sodium, where a 74 mm-radius inner sphere is rotated while a 210 mm-radius
outer sphere is at rest. The inner sphere holds a dipolar magnetic field and
acts as a magnetic propeller when rotated. In this experimental set-up called
DTS, direct measurements of the velocity are performed by ultrasonic Doppler
velocimetry. Differences in electric potential and the induced magnetic field
are also measured to characterize the magnetohydrodynamic flow. Rotation
frequencies of the inner sphere are varied between -30 Hz and +30 Hz, the
magnetic Reynolds number based on measured sodium velocities and on the shell
radius reaching to about 33. We have investigated the mean axisymmetric part of
the flow, which consists of differential rotation. Strong super-rotation of the
fluid with respect to the rotating inner sphere is directly measured. It is
found that the organization of the mean flow does not change much throughout
the entire range of parameters covered by our experiment. The direct
measurements of zonal velocity give a nice illustration of Ferraro's law of
isorotation in the vicinity of the inner sphere where magnetic forces dominate
inertial ones. The transition from a Ferraro regime in the interior to a
geostrophic regime, where inertial forces predominate, in the outer regions has
been well documented. It takes place where the local Elsasser number is about
1. A quantitative agreement with non-linear numerical simulations is obtained
when keeping the same Elsasser number. The experiments also reveal a region
that violates Ferraro's law just above the inner sphere.Comment: Phys Rev E, in pres
The Magellanic Edges Survey I. Description and First Results
We present an overview of, and first science results from, the Magellanic
Edges Survey (MagES), an ongoing spectroscopic survey mapping the kinematics of
red clump and red giant branch stars in the highly substructured periphery of
the Magellanic Clouds. In conjunction with Gaia astrometry, MagES yields a
sample of ~7000 stars with individual 3D velocities that probes larger
galactocentric radii than most previous studies. We outline our target
selection, observation strategy, data reduction and analysis procedures, and
present results for two fields in the northern outskirts ( on-sky
from the centre) of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). One field, located in the
vicinity of an arm-like overdensity, displays apparent signatures of
perturbation away from an equilibrium disk model. This includes a large radial
velocity dispersion in the LMC disk plane, and an asymmetric line-of-sight
velocity distribution indicative of motions vertically out of the disk plane
for some stars. The second field reveals 3D kinematics consistent with an
equilibrium disk, and yields km s at a
radial distance of ~10.5kpc from the LMC centre. This leads to an enclosed mass
estimate for the LMC at this radius of
.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures. Accepted by MNRA
Multiple populations in Omega Centauri: a cluster analysis of spectroscopic data
Omega Cen is composed of several stellar populations. Their history might
allow us to reconstruct the evolution of this complex object. We performed a
statistical cluster analysis on the large data set provided by Johnson and
Pilachowski (2010). Stars in Omega Cen divide into three main groups. The
metal-poor group includes about a third of the total. It shows a moderate O-Na
anticorrelation, and similarly to other clusters, the O-poor second generation
stars are more centrally concentrated than the O-rich first generation ones.
This whole population is La-poor, with a pattern of abundances for n-capture
elements which is very close to a scaled r-process one. The metal-intermediate
group includes the majority of the cluster stars. This is a much more complex
population, with an internal spread in the abundances of most elements. It
shows an extreme O-Na anticorrelation, with a very numerous population of
extremely O-poor and He-rich second generation stars. This second generation is
very centrally concentrated. This whole population is La-rich, with a pattern
of the abundances of n-capture elements that shows a strong contribution by the
s-process. The spread in metallicity within this metal-intermediate population
is not very large, and we might attribute it either to non uniformities of an
originally very extended star forming region, or to some ability to retain a
fraction of the ejecta of the core collapse SNe that exploded first, or both.
As previously noticed, the metal-rich group has an Na-O correlation, rather
than anticorrelation. There is evidence for the contribution of both massive
stars ending their life as core-collapse SNe, and intermediate/low mass stars,
producing the s-capture elements. Kinematics of this population suggests that
it formed within the cluster rather than being accreted.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
3D kinematics through the X-shaped Milky Way bulge
Context. It has recently been discovered that the Galactic bulge is X-shaped, with the two southern arms of the X both crossing the lines of sight at l = 0 and | b| > 4, hence producing a double red clump in the bulge color magnitude diagram. Dynamical models predict the formation of X-shaped bulges as extreme cases of boxy-peanut bulges. However, since X-shaped bulges were known to be present only in external galaxies, models have never been compared to 3D kinematical data for individual stars.
Aims. We study the orbital motion of Galactic bulge stars in the two arms (overdensities) of the X in the southern hemisphere. The goal is to provide observational constraints to bulge formation models that predict the formation of X-shapes through bar dynamical instabilities.
Methods. Radial velocities have been obtained for a sample of 454 bulge giants, roughly equally distributed between the bright and the faint red clump, in a field at (l,b) = (0, −6). Proper motions were derived for all red clump stars in the same field by combining images from two epochs, which were obtained 11 years apart, with WFI at the 2.2 m at La Silla. The observed field contains the globular cluster NGC 6558, whose member stars were used to assess the accuracy of the proper motion measurement. At the same time, as a by-product, we provide the first proper motion measurement of NGC 6558. The proper motions for the spectroscopic subsample are analyzed for a subsample of 352 stars, taking into account the radial velocities and metallicities measured from near-infrared calcium triplet lines.
Results. The radial velocity distribution of stars in the bright red clump, which traces the closer overdensity of bulge stars, shows an excess of stars moving towards the Sun. Similarly, an excess of stars receding from the Sun is seen in the far overdensity, which is traced by faint red clump stars. This is explained by the presence of stars on elongated orbits, which are most likely streaming along the arms of the X-shaped bulge. Proper motions for these stars are consistent with qualitative predictions of dynamical models of peanut-shaped bulges. Surprisingly, stars on elongated orbits have preferentially metal-poor (subsolar) metallicities, while the metal rich ones, in both overdensities, are preferentially found in more axisymmetric orbits. The observed proper motion of NGC 6558 has been measured as (μlcos (b),μb) = (0.30 ± 0.14, −0.43 ± 0.13), with a velocity dispersion of (σlcos(b),σb) = (1.8,1.7) mas/yr. This is the first proper motion measurement for this cluster
Alpha element abundances and gradients in the Milky Way bulge from FLAMES-GIRAFFE spectra of 650 K giants
We obtained FLAMES-GIRAFFE spectra (R=22,500) at the ESO Very Large Telescope
for 650 bulge red giant branch (RGB) stars and performed spectral synthesis to
measure Mg, Ca, Ti, and Si abundances. This sample is composed of 474 giant
stars observed in 3 fields along the minor axis of the Galactic bulge and at
latitudes b=-4, b=-6, b=-12. Another 176 stars belong to a field containing the
globular cluster NGC 6553, located at b=-3 and 5 degrees away from the other
three fields along the major axis. Our results confirm, with large number
statistics, the chemical similarity between the Galactic bulge and thick disk,
which are both enhanced in alpha elements when compared to the thin disk. In
the same context, we analyze [alpha/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] trends across different
bulge regions. The most metal rich stars, showing low [alpha/Fe] ratios at b=-4
disappear at higher Galactic latitudes in agreement with the observed
metallicity gradient in the bulge. Metal-poor stars ([Fe/H]<-0.2) show a
remarkable homogeneity at different bulge locations. We have obtained further
constrains for the formation scenario of the Galactic bulge. A metal-poor
component chemically indistinguishable from the thick disk hints for a fast and
early formation for both the bulge and the thick disk. Such a component shows
no variation, neither in abundances nor kinematics, among different bulge
regions. A metal-rich component showing low [alpha/Fe] similar to those of the
thin disk disappears at larger latitudes. This allows us to trace a component
formed through fast early mergers (classical bulge) and a disk/bar component
formed on a more extended timescale.Comment: 13 pages, 17 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
The Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS) of Three Spectrometers for the ExoMars 2016 Trace Gas Orbiter
The Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS) package is an element of the Russian contribution to the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars 2016 Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) mission. ACS consists of three separate infrared spectrometers, sharing common mechanical, electrical, and thermal interfaces. This ensemble of spectrometers has been designed and developed in response to the Trace Gas Orbiter mission objectives that specifically address the requirement of high sensitivity instruments to enable the unambiguous detection of trace gases of potential geophysical or biological interest. For this reason, ACS embarks a set of instruments achieving simultaneously very high accuracy (ppt level), very high resolving power (>10,000) and large spectral coverage (0.7 to 17 μm—the visible to thermal infrared range). The near-infrared (NIR) channel is a versatile spectrometer covering the 0.7–1.6 μm spectral range with a resolving power of ∼20,000. NIR employs the combination of an echelle grating with an AOTF (Acousto-Optical Tunable Filter) as diffraction order selector. This channel will be mainly operated in solar occultation and nadir, and can also perform limb observations. The scientific goals of NIR are the measurements of water vapor, aerosols, and dayside or night side airglows. The mid-infrared (MIR) channel is a cross-dispersion echelle instrument dedicated to solar occultation measurements in the 2.2–4.4 μm range. MIR achieves a resolving power of >50,000. It has been designed to accomplish the most sensitive measurements ever of the trace gases present in the Martian atmosphere. The thermal-infrared channel (TIRVIM) is a 2-inch double pendulum Fourier-transform spectrometer encompassing the spectral range of 1.7–17 μm with apodized resolution varying from 0.2 to 1.3 cm−1. TIRVIM is primarily dedicated to profiling temperature from the surface up to ∼60 km and to monitor aerosol abundance in nadir. TIRVIM also has a limb and solar occultation capability. The technical concept of the instrument, its accommodation on the spacecraft, the optical designs as well as some of the calibrations, and the expected performances for its three channels are described
- …