42,008 research outputs found
An imaging and spectroscopic study of the planetary nebulae in NGC 5128 (Centaurus A): Planetary nebulae catalogues
Imaging and spectroscopic observations of planetary nebulae (PNe) in the
nearest large elliptical galaxy NGC 5128 (Centaurus A), were obtained to find
more PNe and measure their radial velocities. NTT imaging was obtained in 15
fields in NGC 5128 over an area of about 1 square degree with EMMI using [O
III] and off-band filters. Newly detected sources, combined with literature
PNe, were used as input for VLT FLAMES multi-fibre spectroscopy in MEDUSA mode.
Spectra of the 4600-5100A region were analysed and velocities measured based on
emission lines of [O III]4959,5007A and often H-beta. The chief results are
catalogues of 1118 PN candidates and 1267 spectroscopically confirmed PNe in
NGC 5128. The catalogue of PN candidates contains 1060 PNe discovered with EMMI
imaging and 58 from literature surveys. The spectroscopic PN catalogue has
FLAMES radial velocity and emission line measurements for 1135 PNe, of which
486 are new. Another 132 PN radial velocities are available from the
literature. For 629 PNe observed with FLAMES, H-beta was measured in addition
to [O III]. Nine targets show double-lined or more complex profiles, and their
possible origin is discussed. FLAMES spectra of 48 globular clusters were also
targetted: 11 had emission lines detected (two with multiple components), but
only 3 are PNe likely to belong to the host globular. The total of 1267
confirmed PNe in NGC 5128 with radial velocity measurements (1135 with small
velocity errors) is the largest collection of individual kinematic probes in an
early-type galaxy. This PN dataset, as well as the catalogue of PN candidates,
are valuable resources for detailed investigation of the stellar population of
NGC 5128. [Abridged]Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysics. Tables 7 - 11 available in electronic form at CDS. Replaced
with a few typos fixe
Third-dredge-up oxygen in planetary nebulae
The planetary nebulae He 2-436 and Wray 16-423 in the Sagittarius dwarf
galaxy appear to result from nearly twin stars, except that third-dredge-up
carbon is more abundant in He 2-436. A thorough photoionization-model analysis
implies that ratios Ne/O, S/O and Ar/O are significantly smaller in He 2-436,
indicative of third-dredge-up oxygen enrichment. The enrichment of oxygen with
respect to carbon is (7 +/- 4)%. Excess nitrogen in Wray 16-423 suggests third
dredge-up of late CN-cycle products even in these low-mass,
intermediate-metallicity stars.Comment: To appear in Astron. Astrophys. Lett. (Latex, 5 pages, 1 postscript
figure
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&
Detection of deuterium Balmer lines in the Orion Nebula
The detection and first identification of the deuterium Balmer emission
lines, D-alpha and D-beta, in the core of the Orion Nebula is reported.
Observations were conducted at the 3.6m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, using
the Echelle spectrograph Gecko. These lines are very narrow and have identical
11 km/s velocity shifts with respect to H-alpha and H-beta. They are probably
excited by UV continuum fluorescence from the Lyman (DI) lines and arise from
the interface between the HII region and the molecular cloud.Comment: 4 pages, latex, 1 figure, 1 table, accepted for publication in
Astronomy & Astrophysics, Letter
Kinematics of a hot massive accretion disk candidate
Characterizing rotation, infall and accretion disks around high-mass
protostars is an important topic in massive star formation research. With the
Australia Telescope Compact Array and the Very Large Array we studied a massive
disk candidate at high angular resolution in ammonia (NH3(4,4) & (5,5)) tracing
the warm disk but not the envelope. The observations resolved at ~0.4''
resolution (corresponding to ~1400AU) a velocity gradient indicative of
rotation perpendicular to the molecular outflow. Assuming a Keplerian accretion
disk, the estimated protostar-disk mass would be high, similar to the
protostellar mass. Furthermore, the position-velocity diagram exhibits
additional deviation from a Keplerian rotation profile which may be caused by
infalling gas and/or a self-gravitating disk. Moreover, a large fraction of the
rotating gas is at temperatures >100K, markedly different to typical low-mass
accretion disks. In addition, we resolve a central double-lobe cm continuum
structure perpendicular to the rotation. We identify this with an ionized,
optically thick jet.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for Astrophysical Journal Letters, a
high-resolution version of the draft can be found at
http://www.mpia.de/homes/beuther/papers.htm
Effects of Microstructure Formation on the Stability of Vapor Deposited Glasses
Glasses formed by physical vapor deposition (PVD) are an interesting new
class of materials, exhibiting properties thought to be equivalent to those of
glasses aged for thousands of years. Exerting control over the structure and
properties of PVD glasses formed with different types of glass-forming
molecules is now an emerging challenge. In this work, we study coarse grained
models of organic glass formers containing fluorocarbon tails of increasing
length, corresponding to an increased tendency to form microstructures. We use
simulated PVD to examine how the presence of the microphase separated domains
in the supercooled liquid influences the ability to form stable glasses. This
model suggests that increasing molecule tail length results in decreased
thermodynamic and kinetic stability of the molecules in PVD films. The reduced
stability is further linked to the reduced ability of these molecules to
equilibrate at the free surface during PVD. We find that as the tail length is
increased, the relaxation time near the surface of the supercooled equilibrium
liquid films of these molecules are slowed and become essentially bulk-like,
due to the segregation of the fluorocarbon tails to the free surface. Surface
diffusion is also markedly reduced due to clustering of the molecules at the
surface. Based on these results, we propose a trapping mechanism where tails
are unable to move between local phase separated domains on the relevant
deposition time scales
The time resolved measurement of ultrashort THz-band electric fields without an ultrashort probe
The time-resolved detection of ultrashort pulsed THz-band electric field
temporal profiles without an ultrashort laser probe is demonstrated. A
non-linear interaction between a narrow-bandwidth optical probe and the THz
pulse transposes the THz spectral intensity and phase information to the
optical region, thereby generating an optical pulse whose temporal electric
field envelope replicates the temporal profile of the real THz electric field.
This optical envelope is characterised via an autocorrelation based FROG
measurement, hence revealing the THz temporal profile. The combination of a
narrow-bandwidth, long duration, optical probe and self-referenced FROG makes
the technique inherently immune to timing jitter between the optical probe and
THz pulse, and may find particular application where the THz field is not
initially generated via ultrashort laser methods, such as the measurement of
longitudinal electron bunch profiles in particle accelerators.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, submitted to AP
- …