1,128 research outputs found

    Development of 2 underseat energy absorbers for application to crashworthy passenger seats for general aviation aircraft

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    This report presents the methodology and results of a program conducted to develop two underseat energy absorber (E/A) concepts for application to nonadjustable crashworthy passenger seats for general aviation aircraft. One concept utilizes an inflated air bag, and the other, a convoluted sheet metal bellows. Prototypes of both were designed, built, and tested. Both concepts demonstrated the necessary features of an energy absorber (load-limiter); however, the air bag concept is particularly encouraging because of its light weight. Several seat frame concepts also were investigated as a means of resisting longitudinal and lateral loads and of guiding the primary vertical stroke of the underseat energy absorber. Further development of a seat system design using the underseat energy absorbers is recommended because they provide greatly enhanced crash survivability as compared with existing general aviation aircraft seats

    Luminosity Distributions within Rich Clusters - III: A comparative study of seven Abell/ACO clusters

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    We recover the luminosity distributions over a wide range of absolute magnitude (-24.5 < M_{R} < -16.5) for a sample of seven rich southern galaxy clusters. We find a large variation in the ratio of dwarf to giant galaxies, DGR: 0.8\le DGR DGR \le 3.1. This variation is shown to be inconsistent with a ubiquitous cluster luminosity function. The DGR shows a smaller variation from cluster to cluster in the inner regions (r \ls 0.56 Mpc). Outside these regions we find the DGR to be strongly anti-correlated with the mean local projected galaxy density with the DGR increasing towards lower densities. In addition the DGR in the outer regions shows some correlation with Bautz-Morgan type. Radial analysis of the clusters indicate that the dwarf galaxies are less centrally clustered than the giants and form a significant halo around clusters. We conclude that measurements of the total cluster luminosity distribution based on the inner core alone are likely to be severe underestimates of the dwarf component, the integrated cluster luminosity and the contribution of galaxy masses to the cluster's total mass. Further work is required to quantify this. The observational evidence that the unrelaxed, lower density outer regions of clusters are dwarf-rich, adds credence to the recent evidence and conjecture that the field is a predominantly dwarf rich environment and that the dwarf galaxies are under-represented in measures of the local field luminosity function.Comment: 31 pages including 11 figures. Also available from http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~spd3/bib.htm

    Model-independent measurement of internal stellar structure in 16 Cygni A and B

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    We present a method for measuring internal stellar structure based on asteroseismology that we call "inversions for agreement." The method accounts for imprecise estimates of stellar mass and radius as well as the relatively limited oscillation mode sets that are available for distant stars. By construction, the results of the method are independent of stellar models. We apply this method to measure the isothermal sound speeds in the cores of the solar-type stars 16 Cyg A and B using asteroseismic data obtained from Kepler observations. We compare the asteroseismic structure that we deduce against best-fitting evolutionary models and find that the sound speeds in the cores of these stars exceed those of the models.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

    Luminosity Distributions within Rich Clusters - II: Demonstration and Verification via Simulation

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    We present detailed simulations of long exposure CCD images. The simulations are used to explore the validity of the statistical method for reconstructing the luminosity distribution of galaxies within a rich cluster i.e. by the subtraction of field number-counts from those of a sight-line through the cluster. In particular we use the simulations to establish the reliability of our observational data presented in Paper 3. Based on our intended CCD field-of-view (6.5 by 6.5 arcmins) and a 1-sigma detection limit of 26 mags per sq arcsecond, we conclude that the luminosity distribution can be robustly determined over a wide range of absolute magnitude (-23 < M_{R} < -16) provided: (a) the cluster has an Abell richness 1.5 or greater, (b) the cluster's redshift lies in the range 0.1 < z < 0.3, (c) the seeing is better than FWHM 1.25'' and (d) the photometric zero points are accurate to within Delta m = \pm 0.12. If these conditions are not met then the recovered luminosity distribution is unreliable and potentially grossly miss-leading. Finally although the method clearly has limitations, within these limitations the technique represents an extremely promising probe of galaxy evolution and environmental dependencies.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures accepted for publication in MNRAS also available from http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~spd3/bib.htm

    On the Stellar Kinematics and Mass of the Virgo Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy VCC 1287

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    Here, we present a kinematical analysis of the Virgo cluster ultra-diffuse galaxy (UDG) VCC 1287 based on data taken with the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI). We confirm VCC 1287's association both with the Virgo cluster and its globular cluster (GC) system, measuring a recessional velocity of $1116 \pm 2\ \mathrm{km\ s^{-1}}.Wemeasureastellarvelocitydispersion(. We measure a stellar velocity dispersion (19 \pm 6\ \mathrm{km\ s^{-1}})andinferbothadynamicalmass() and infer both a dynamical mass (1.11^{+0.81}_{-0.81} \times 10^{9} \ \mathrm{M_{\odot}})andmasstolightratio() and mass to light ratio (13^{+11}_{-11}$) within the half light radius (4.4 kpc). This places VCC 1287 slightly above the well established relation for normal galaxies, with a higher mass to light ratio for its dynamical mass than normal galaxies. We use our dynamical mass, and an estimate of GC system richness, to place VCC 1287 on the GC number -- dynamical mass relation, finding good agreement with a sample of normal galaxies. Based on a total halo mass derived from GC counts, we then infer that VCC 1287 likely resides in a cored or low concentration dark matter halo. Based on the comparison of our measurements to predictions from simulations, we find that strong stellar feedback and/or tidal effects are plausibly the dominant mechanisms in the formation of VCC 1287. Finally, we compare our measurement of the dynamical mass with those for other UDGs. These dynamical mass estimates suggest relatively massive halos and a failed galaxy origin for at least some UDGs.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures with an additional 5 pages and 5 figures in appendices. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. v2: with small updates from publication formatting and a minor plotting fix for Fig. 1

    Asymmetrical Force Production in the Maneuvering Flight of Pigeons

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    Downstroke force produced by Rock Doves (Columba livia) as they negotiated an obstacle course was measured using in vivo recordings of delto-pectoral crest strain. During this slow (3˘c6 m s−1)(\u3c6\ {\rm m}\ {\rm s}^{-1}) , maneuvering flight, pigeons produced a series of four to six successive wingbeats in which the wing on the outside of the turn produced greater peak force than the wing on the inside of the turn, suggesting that the birds maneuvered in a saltatory manner during slow flight. This asymmetrical downstroke force may be used to increase or reestablish bank lost during upstroke, or it may be directed as thrust to compensate for adverse yaw or create excess yaw to alter the bird\u27s direction of flight. Continuous production of asymmetrical downstroke force through a turn differs from the traditional model of maneuvering flight, in which asymmetrical force is used only to initiate a bank, the forces are briefly reversed to arrest the momentum of the roll and then equalized to maintain the established bank, and the redirected lift of the wings then effects a turn. Although this traditional model probably describes most turns initiated during fast and gliding flight in birds, it underestimates the complexity of maneuvering during slow, flapping flight, where sophisticated kinematics and neuromuscular control are needed to change direction effectively

    The assembly history of the nearest S0 galaxy NGC 3115 from its kinematics out to six half-light radii

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    Using new and archival data, we study the kinematic properties of the nearest field S0 galaxy, NGC 3115, out to ∼6.5\sim6.5 half-light radii (ReR_\mathrm{e}) from its stars (integrated starlight), globular clusters (GCs) and planetary nebulae (PNe). We find evidence of three kinematic regions with an inner transition at ∼0.2 Re\sim0.2\ R_\mathrm{e} from a dispersion-dominated bulge (Vrot/σ<1V_\mathrm{rot}/\sigma <1) to a fast-rotating disk (Vrot/σ>1V_\mathrm{rot}/\sigma >1), and then an additional transition from the disk to a slowly rotating spheroid at ∼2−2.5 Re\sim2-2.5\, R_\mathrm{e}, as traced by the red GCs and PNe (and possibly by the blue GCs beyond ∼5 Re\sim5\, R_\mathrm{e}). From comparison with simulations, we propose an assembly history in which the original progenitor spiral galaxy undergoes a gas-rich minor merger that results in the embedded kinematically cold disk that we see today in NGC 3115. At a later stage, dwarf galaxies, in mini mergers (mass-ratio << 1:10), were accreted building-up the outer slowly rotating spheroid, with the central disk kinematics largely unaltered. Additionally, we report new spectroscopic observations of a sample of ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs) around NGC 3115 with the Keck/KCWI instrument. We find that five UCDs are inconsistent with the general rotation field of the GCs, suggesting an \textit{ex-situ} origin for these objects, i.e. perhaps the remnants of tidally stripped dwarfs. A further seven UCDs follow the GC rotation pattern, suggesting an \textit{in-situ} origin and, possibly a GC-like nature.Comment: 22 pages (including 3 pages of Appendix material), 14 figures, published in MNRA

    Spectroscopic evolution of dusty starburst galaxies

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    By using a one-zone chemical and spectrophotometric evolution model of a disk galaxy undergoing a dusty starburst, we investigate, numerically, the optical spectroscopic properties in order to explore galaxy evolution in distant clusters. We adopt an assumption that the degree of dust extinction (represented by AVA_V) depends on the ages of starburst populations in such a way that younger stars have larger AVA_V (originally referred to as selective dust extinction by Poggianti & Wu 2000). In particular, we investigate how the time evolution of the equivalent widths of [OII]λ\lambda3727 and Hδ\delta is controlled by the adopted age dependence. This leads to three main results: (1) If a young stellar population (with the age of ∼\sim 10610^6 yr) is more heavily obscured by dust than an old one (>> 10810^8 yr), the galaxy can show an ``e(a)'' spectrum characterized by strong Hδ\delta absorption and relatively modest [OII] emission. (2) A dusty starburst galaxy with an e(a) spectrum can evolve into a poststarburst galaxy with an a+k (or k+a) spectrum 0.2 Gyr after the starburst and then into a passive one with a k-type spectrum 1 Gyr after the starburst. This result clearly demonstrates an evolutionary link between galaxies with different spectral classes (i.e., e(b), e(a), a+k, k+a, and k). (3) A dusty starburst galaxy can show an a+k or k+a spectrum even in the dusty starburst phase if the age-dependence of dust extinction is rather weak, i.e., if young starburst populations with different ages (≤\le 10710^7 yr) are uniformly obscured by dust.Comment: 27 pages 12 figures,2001,ApJ,in pres
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