2,114 research outputs found
Mountain trail formation and the active walker model
We extend the active walker model to address the formation of paths on
gradients, which have been observed to have a zigzag form. Our extension
includes a new rule which prohibits direct descent or ascent on steep inclines,
simulating aversion to falling. Further augmentation of the model stops walkers
from changing direction very rapidly as that would likely lead to a fall. The
extended model predicts paths with qualitatively similar forms to the observed
trails, but only if the terms suppressing sudden direction changes are
included. The need to include terms into the model that stop rapid direction
change when simulating mountain trails indicates that a similar rule should
also be included in the standard active walker model.Comment: Introduction improved. Analysis of discretization errors added.
Calculations from alternative scheme include
Recoiling Black Holes in Quasars
Recent simulations of merging black holes with spin give recoil velocities
from gravitational radiation up to several thousand km/s. A recoiling
supermassive black hole can retain the inner part of its accretion disk,
providing fuel for a continuing QSO phase lasting millions of years as the hole
moves away from the galactic nucleus. One possible observational manifestation
of a recoiling accretion disk is in QSO emission lines shifted in velocity from
the host galaxy. We have examined QSOs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with
broad emission lines substantially shifted relative to the narrow lines. We
find no convincing evidence for recoiling black holes carrying accretion disks.
We place an upper limit on the incidence of recoiling black holes in QSOs of 4%
for kicks greater than 500 km/s and 0.35% for kicks greater than 1000 km/s
line-of-sight velocity.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, uses emulateapj, Submitted to ApJ Letter
Computer model calibration with large non-stationary spatial outputs: application to the calibration of a climate model
Bayesian calibration of computer models tunes unknown input parameters by
comparing outputs with observations. For model outputs that are distributed
over space, this becomes computationally expensive because of the output size.
To overcome this challenge, we employ a basis representation of the model
outputs and observations: we match these decompositions to carry out the
calibration efficiently. In the second step, we incorporate the non-stationary
behaviour, in terms of spatial variations of both variance and correlations, in
the calibration. We insert two integrated nested Laplace
approximation-stochastic partial differential equation parameters into the
calibration. A synthetic example and a climate model illustration highlight the
benefits of our approach
Statistical Properties of Radio Emission from the Palomar Seyfert Galaxies
We have carried out an analysis of the radio and optical properties of a
statistical sample of 45 Seyfert galaxies from the Palomar spectroscopic survey
of nearby galaxies. We find that the space density of bright galaxies (-22 mag
<= M_{B_T} <= -18 mag) showing Seyfert activity is (1.25 +/- 0.38) X 10^{-3}
Mpc^{-3}, considerably higher than found in other Seyfert samples. Host galaxy
types, radio spectra, and radio source sizes are uncorrelated with Seyfert
type, as predicted by the unified schemes for active galaxies. Approximately
half of the detected galaxies have flat or inverted radio spectra, more than
expected based on previous samples. Surprisingly, Seyfert 1 galaxies are found
to have somewhat stronger radio sources than Seyfert 2 galaxies at 6 and 20 cm,
particularly among the galaxies with the weakest nuclear activity. We suggest
that this difference can be accommodated in the unified schemes if a minimum
level of Seyfert activity is required for a radio source to emerge from the
vicinity of the active nucleus. Below this level, Seyfert radio sources might
be suppressed by free-free absorption associated with the nuclear torus or a
compact narrow-line region, thus accounting for both the weakness of the radio
emission and the preponderance of flat spectra. Alternatively, the flat spectra
and weak radio sources might indicate that the weak active nuclei are fed by
advection-dominated accretion disks.Comment: 18 pages using emulateapj5, 13 embedded figures, accepted by Ap
Thin Animals
Lattice animals provide a discretized model for the theta transition
displayed by branched polymers in solvent. Exact graph enumeration studies have
given some indications that the phase diagram of such lattice animals may
contain two collapsed phases as well as an extended phase. This has not been
confirmed by studies using other means. We use the exact correspondence between
the q --> 1 limit of an extended Potts model and lattice animals to investigate
the phase diagram of lattice animals on phi-cubed random graphs of arbitrary
topology (``thin'' random graphs). We find that only a two phase structure
exists -- there is no sign of a second collapsed phase.
The random graph model is solved in the thermodynamic limit by saddle point
methods. We observe that the ratio of these saddle point equations give
precisely the fixed points of the recursion relations that appear in the
solution of the model on the Bethe lattice by Henkel and Seno. This explains
the equality of non-universal quantities such as the critical lines for the
Bethe lattice and random graph ensembles.Comment: Latex, 10 pages plus 6 ps/eps figure
Granger causality and transfer entropy are equivalent for Gaussian variables
Granger causality is a statistical notion of causal influence based on
prediction via vector autoregression. Developed originally in the field of
econometrics, it has since found application in a broader arena, particularly
in neuroscience. More recently transfer entropy, an information-theoretic
measure of time-directed information transfer between jointly dependent
processes, has gained traction in a similarly wide field. While it has been
recognized that the two concepts must be related, the exact relationship has
until now not been formally described. Here we show that for Gaussian
variables, Granger causality and transfer entropy are entirely equivalent, thus
bridging autoregressive and information-theoretic approaches to data-driven
causal inference.Comment: In review, Phys. Rev. Lett., Nov. 200
ISO-SWS spectroscopy of NGC 1068
We present ISO-SWS spectroscopy of NGC 1068 for the wavelength range 2.4 to
45um, detecting a total of 36 emission lines. Most of the observed transitions
are fine structure and recombination lines originating in the narrow line
region. We compare the line profiles of optical lines and reddening-insensitive
infrared lines to constrain the dynamical structure and extinction properties
of the NLR. The considerable differences found are most likely explained by two
effects. (1) The spatial structure of the NLR is a combination of a highly
ionized outflow cone and lower excitation extended emission. (2) Parts of the
NLR, mainly in the receding part at velocities above systemic, are subject to
extinction that is significantly suppressing optical emission. Line asymmetries
and net blueshifts remain, however, even for infrared fine structure lines
suffering very little obscuration. This may be either due to an intrinsic
asymmetry of the NLR, or due to a very high column density obscuring component
which is hiding part of the NLR even from infrared view. Mid-infrared emission
of molecular hydrogen in NGC 1068 arises in a dense molecular medium at
temperatures of a few hundred Kelvin that is most likely closely related to the
warm and dense components seen in the near-infrared H2 transitions, and in
millimeter wave tracers of molecular gas. Any emission of the putative pc-scale
molecular torus is likely overwhelmed by this larger scale emission.Comment: aastex (V4), 9 eps figures. Accepted by Ap
Probing the Ionizing Continuum of Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies. I.Observational Results
We present optical spectra and emission-line ratios of 12 Narrow-Line Seyfert
1 (NLS1) galaxies that we observed to study the ionizing EUV continuum. A
common feature in the EUV continuum of active galactic nuclei is the big blue
bump (BBB), generally associated with thermal accretion disk emission. While
Galactic absorption prevents direct access to the EUV range, it can be mapped
by measuring the strength of a variety of forbidden optical emission lines that
respond to different EUV continuum regions. We find that narrow emission-line
ratios involving [OII]3727, Hbeta, [OIII]5007, [OI]6300, Halpha,[NII]6583, and
[SII]6716,6731 indicate no significant difference between NLS1s and Broad-Line
Seyfert 1 (BLS1) galaxies, which suggests that the spectral energy
distributions of their ionizing EUV - soft X-ray continua are similar. The
relative strength of important forbidden high ionization lines like [NeV]3426
compared to HeII4686 and the relative strength of [FeX]6374 appear to show the
same range as in BLS1 galaxies. However, a trend of weaker
F([OI]6300)/F(Halpha) emission-line ratios is indicated for NLS1s compared to
BLS1s. To recover the broad emission-line profiles we used Gaussian components.
This approach indicates that the broad Hbeta profile can be well described with
a broad component (FWHM = 3275 +- 800 km/s) and an intermediate broad component
(FWHM = 1200 +- 300 km/s). The width of the broad component is in the typical
range of normal BLS1s. The emission-line flux that is associated with the broad
component in these NLS1s amounts to at least 60% of the total flux. Thus it
dominates the total line flux, similar to BLS1 galaxies.Comment: 34 pages, 9 figures. accepted for publication in the
Astrophys.Journa
OVI Asymmetry and an Accelerated Outflow in an Obscured Seyfert: FUSE and HST STIS Spectroscopy of Markarian533
We present far-ultraviolet spectra of the Seyfert2 galaxy Mrk533 obtained
with FUSE. These spectra show narrow asymmetrical OVI 1032,1038 emission lines
with stronger wings shortward of the peak wavelength, but the degree of
asymmetry of these wings in velocity is much lower than that of the wings of
the lines of lower ionization. In the combined OVI profile there are marginal
indications of local absorptions in the outflow. The CIII 977 line is seen
weakly with a similar profile, but with very low signal to noise. These FUV
spectra are among the first for a Seyfert of type2, i.e., a purportedly
obscured Seyfert. The HST STIS spectral image of Mrk533 allows delineation of
the various components of the outflow, and we infer that the outflow is
accelerated. We discuss the results in terms of nuclear geometry and
kinematics.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures, including 1 colour figure. Accepted in Ap
A Search for "Dwarf" Seyfert Nuclei. III. Spectroscopic Parameters and Properties of the Host Galaxies
We have completed an optical spectroscopic survey of the nuclear regions (r <
200 pc) of a large sample of nearby galaxies. Although the main objectives of
the survey are to search for low-luminosity active galactic nuclei and to
quantify their luminosity function, the database can be used for a variety of
other purposes. This paper presents measurements of the spectroscopic
parameters for the 418 emission-line nuclei, along with a compilation of the
global properties of all 486 galaxies in the survey. Stellar absorption
generally poses a serious obstacle to obtaining accurate measurement of
emission lines in nearby galactic nuclei. We describe a procedure for removing
the starlight from the observed spectra in an efficient and objective manner.
The main parameters of the emission lines (intensity ratios, fluxes, profile
widths, equivalent widths) are measured and tabulated, as are several stellar
absorption-line and continuum indices useful for studying the stellar
population. Using standard nebular diagnostics, we determine the probable
ionization mechanisms of the emission-line objects. The resulting spectral
classifications provide extensive information on the demographics of
emission-line nuclei in the local universe. This new catalog contains over 200
objects showing spectroscopic evidence for recent star formation and an equally
large number of active galactic nuclei, including 46 which show broad H-alpha
emission. These samples will serve as the basis of future studies of nuclear
activity in nearby galaxies.Comment: To appear in the Astrophysical Journal Supplements. LaTex, 31 pages,
plus an additional 23 figures and 5 tables. AASTex macro aaspp4.st
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