Age and metallicity gradients in fossil ellipticals

Fossil galaxy groups are speculated to be old and highly evolved systems of galaxies that formed early in the universe and had enough time to deplete their $L^{*}$ galaxies through successive mergers of member galaxies, building up one massive central elliptical, but retaining the group X-ray halo. Considering that fossils are the remnants of mergers in ordinary groups, the merger history of the progenitor group is expected to be imprinted in the fossil central galaxy (FCG). We present for the first time radial gradients of single-stellar population (SSP) ages and metallicites in a sample of FCGs to constrain their formation scenario. Our sample comprises some of the most massive galaxies in the universe exhibiting an average central velocity dispersion of $\sigma_0=271\pm28$ km s$^{-1}$. Metallicity gradients are throughout negative with comparatively flat slopes of $\nabla_{[\rm{Fe/H}]}=- 0.19\pm0.08$ while age gradients are found to be insignificant ($\nabla_{\rm{age}}=0.00\pm0.05$). All FCGs lie on the fundamental plane, suggesting that they are virialised systems. We find that gradient strengths and central metallicities are similar to those found in cluster ellipticals of similar mass. The comparatively flat metallicity gradients with respect to those predicted by monolithic collapse ($\nabla_{Z}=-0.5$) suggest that fossils are indeed the result of multiple major mergers. Hence we conclude that fossils are not 'failed groups' that formed with a top heavy luminosity function. The low scatter of gradient slopes suggests a similar merging history for all galaxies in our sample.Comment: 14 pages, 12 Figures, accepted for publication in A&

Small-scale systems of galaxies. IV. Searching for the faint galaxy population associated with X-ray detected isolated E+S pairs

In hierarchical evolutionary scenarios, isolated, physical pairs may represent an intermediate phase, or "way station", between collapsing groups and isolated elliptical (E) galaxies (or fossil groups). We started a comprehensive study of a sample of galaxy pairs composed of a giant E and a spiral (S) with the aim of investigating their formation/evolutionary history from observed optical and X-ray properties. Here we present VLT-VIMOS observations designed to identify faint galaxies associated with the E+S systems from candidate lists generated using photometric criteria on WFI images covering an area of ~ 0.2 h^{-1} Mpc radius around the pairs. The results are discussed in the context of the evolution of poor galaxy group associations. A comparison between the Optical Luminosity Functions (OLFs) of our E+S systems and a sample of X-ray bright poor groups suggest that the OLF of X-ray detected poor galaxy systems is not universal. The OLF of our X-ray bright systems suggests that they are more dynamically evolved than our X-ray faint sample and some X-ray bright groups in the literature. However, we suggest that the X-ray faint E+S pairs represent a phase in the dynamical evolution of some X-ray bright poor galaxy groups. The recent or ongoing interaction in which the E member of the X-ray faint pairs is involved could have decreased the luminosity of any surrounding X-ray emitting gas.Comment: accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

The puzzlingly large Ca II triplet absorption in dwarf elliptical galaxies

We present central CaT, PaT, and CaT* indices for a sample of fifteen dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs). Twelve of these have CaT* ~ 7 A and extend the negative correlation between the CaT* index and central velocity dispersion sigma, which was derived for bright ellipticals (Es), down to 20 < sigma < 55 km/s. For five dEs we have independent age and metallicity estimates. Four of these have CaT* ~ 7 A, much higher than expected from their low metallicities (-1.5 < [Z/H] < -0.5). The observed anti-correlation of CaT* as a function of sigma or Z is in flagrant disagreement with theory. We discuss some of the amendments that have been proposed to bring the theoretical predictions into agreement with the observed CaT*-values of bright Es and how they can be extended to incorporate also the observed CaT*-values of dEs. Moreover, 3 dEs in our sample have CaT* ~ 5 A, as would be expected for metal-poor stellar systems. Any theory for dE evolution will have to be able to explain the co-existence of low-CaT* and high-CaT* dEs at a given mean metallicity. This could be the first direct evidence that the dE population is not homogeneous, and that different evolutionary paths led to morphologically and kinematically similar but chemically distinct objects.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Representation of SO(3) Group by a Maximally Entangled State

A representation of the SO(3) group is mapped into a maximally entangled two qubit state according to literatures. To show the evolution of the entangled state, a model is set up on an maximally entangled electron pair, two electrons of which pass independently through a rotating magnetic field. It is found that the evolution path of the entangled state in the SO(3) sphere breaks an odd or even number of times, corresponding to the double connectedness of the SO(3) group. An odd number of breaks leads to an additional $\pi$ phase to the entangled state, but an even number of breaks does not. A scheme to trace the evolution of the entangled state is proposed by means of entangled photon pairs and Kerr medium, allowing observation of the additional $\pi$ phase.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

On the origin of bursts in blue compact dwarf galaxies: clues from kinematics and stellar populations

Blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs) form stars at, for their sizes, extraordinarily high rates. In this paper, we study what triggers this starburst and what is the fate of the galaxy once its gas fuel is exhausted. We select four BCDs with smooth outer regions, indicating them as possible progenitors of dwarf elliptical galaxies. We have obtained photometric and spectroscopic data with the FORS and ISAAC instruments on the VLT. We analyse their infrared spectra using a full spectrum fitting technique, which yields the kinematics of their stars and ionized gas together with their stellar population characteristics. We find that the stellar velocity to velocity dispersion ratio ((nu/sigma)(star)) of our BCDs is of the order of 1.5, similar to that of dwarf elliptical galaxies. Thus, those objects do not require significant (if any) loss of angular momentum to fade into early-type dwarfs. This finding is in discordance with previous studies, which however compared the stellar kinematics of dwarf elliptical galaxies with the gaseous kinematics of star-forming dwarfs. The stellar velocity fields of our objects are very disturbed and the star formation regions are often kinematically decoupled from the rest of the galaxy. These regions can be more or less metal rich with respect to the galactic body and sometimes they are long lived. These characteristics prevent us from pinpointing a unique trigger of the star formation, even within the same galaxy. Gas impacts, mergers, and in-spiraling gas clumps are all possible star formation igniters for our targets

Hubble flow variations as a test for inhomogeneous cosmology

Context. Backreactions from large-scale inhomogeneities may provide an elegant explanation for the observed accelerated expansion of the universe without the need to introduce dark energy. Aims. We propose a cosmological test for a specific model of inhomogeneous cosmology, called timescape cosmology. Using large-scale galaxy surveys such as SDSS and 2MRS, we test the variation of expansion expected in the $\Lambda$-CDM model versus a more generic differential expansion using our own calibrations of bounds suggested by timescape cosmology. Method. Our test measures the systematic variations of the Hubble flow towards distant galaxies groups as a function of the matter distribution in the lines of sight to those galaxy groups. We compare the observed systematic variation of the Hubble flow to mock catalogues from the Millennium Simulation in the case of the $\Lambda$-CDM model, and a deformed version of the same simulation that exhibits more pronounced differential expansion. Results. We perform a series of statistical tests, ranging from linear regressions to Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, on the obtained data. They consistently yield results preferring $\Lambda$-CDM cosmology over our approximated model of timescape cosmology. Conclusions. Our analysis of observational data shows no evidence that the variation of expansion differs from that of the standard $\Lambda$-CDM model.Comment: 20 pages, 21 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Optical properties of the NGC 5328 group of galaxies

We present the results of a photometric and spectroscopic study of seven members of the NGC 5328 group of galaxies, a chain of galaxies spanning over 200 kpc (H_0 = 70 km/s/Mpc). We analyze the galaxy structure and study the emission line properties of the group members looking for signatures of star formation and AGN activity. We finally attempt to infer, from the modeling of line-strength indices, the stellar population ages of the early-type members. We investigate also the presence of a dwarf galaxy population associated with the bright members. The group is composed of a large fraction of early-type galaxies including NGC 5328 and NGC 5330, two bona fide ellipticals at the center of the group. In both galaxies no recent star formation episodes are detected by the H_beta vs. MgFe indices of these galaxies. 2MASX J13524838-2829584 has extremely boxy isophotes which are believed to be connected to a merging event: line strength indices suggest that this object probably had a recent star formation episode. A warped disc component emerges from the model subtracted image of 2MASX J13530016-2827061 which is interpreted as a signature of an ongoing interaction with the rest of the group. Ongoing star formation and nuclear activity is present in the projected outskirts of the group. The two early-type galaxies 2MASX J13523852-2830444 and 2MASX J13525393-2831421 show spectral signatures of star formation, while a Seyfert 2 type nuclear activity is detected in MCG -5-33-29.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Operationally Invariant Information in Quantum Measurements

A new measure of information in quantum mechanics is proposed which takes into account that for quantum systems the only feature known before an experiment is performed are the probabilities for various events to occur. The sum of the individual measures of information for mutually complementary observations is invariant under the choice of the particular set of complementary observations and conserved if there is no information exchange with an environment. That operational quantum information invariant results in N bits of information for a system consisting of N qubits.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur