1,080 research outputs found
Negatively Charged Strangelet Search using the E864 Spectrometer at the AGS
We provide a status report on the progress of searching for negatively
charged strangelets using the E864 spectrometer at the AGS. About 200 million
recorded events representing approximately 14 billion 10% central interactions
of Au + Pt at 11.5 GeV/c taken during the 1996-1997 run of the experiment are
used in the analysis. No strangelet candidates are seen for charges Z=-1 and
Z=-2, corresponding to a 90% confidence level for upper limits of strangelet
production of ~1 x 10^{-8} and ~4 x 10^{-9} per central collision respectively.
The limits are nearly uniform over a wide range of masses and are valid only
for strangelets which are stable or have lifetimes greater than ~50 ns.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures; Talk at SQM'98, Padova, Italy (July 20-24, 1998
A Candidate Protoplanet in the Taurus Star Forming Region
HST/NICMOS images of the class I protostar TMR-1 (IRAS04361+2547) reveal a
faint companion with 10.0" = 1400 AU projected separation. The central
protostar is itself resolved as a close binary with 0.31" = 42 AU separation,
surrounded by circumstellar reflection nebulosity. A long narrow filament seems
to connect the protobinary to the faint companion TMR-1C, suggesting a physical
association. If the sources are physically related then we hypothesize that
TMR-1C has been ejected by the protobinary. If TMR-1C has the same age and
distance as the protobinary then current models indicate its flux is consistent
with a young giant planet of several Jovian masses.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figure, Accepted by Astrophysical Journal Letters,
Related information is available at http://www.extrasolar.co
E-BOSS: an Extensive stellar BOw Shock Survey. I: Methods and First Catalogue
Context: Bow shocks are produced by many astrophysical objects where shock
waves are present. Stellar bow shocks, generated by runaway stars, have been
previously detected in small numbers and well-studied. Along with progress in
model development and improvements in observing instruments, our knowledge of
the emission produced by these objects and its origin can now be more clearly
understood. Aims: We produce a stellar bow-shock catalogue by applying uniform
search criteria and a systematic search process. This catalogue is a starting
point for statistical studies, to help us address fundamental questions such
as, for instance, the conditions under wich a stellar bow shock is detectable.
Methods: By using the newest infrared data releases, we carried out a search
for bow shocks produced by early-type runaway stars. We first explored whether
a set of known IRAS bow shock candidates are visible in the most recently
available IR data, which has much higher resolution and sensitivity. We then
carried out a selection of runaway stars from the latest, large runaway
catalogue available. In this first release, we focused on OB stars and searched
for bow-shaped features in the vicinity of these stars. Results: We provide a
bow-shock candidate survey that gathers a total of 28 members which we call the
Extensive stellar BOw Shock Survey (E-BOSS). We derive the main bow-shock
parameters, and present some preliminary statistical results on the detected
objects. Conclusions: Our analysis of the initial sample and the newly detected
objects yields a bow-shock detectability around OB stars of 10 per cent.
The detections do not seem to depend particularly on either stellar mass, age
or position. The extension of the E-BOSS sample, with upcoming IR data, and by
considering, for example, other spectral types as well, will allow us to
perform a more detailed study of the findings.Comment: A&A accepted (25-NOV-2011), 15 pages, 4 tables, 11 figure
Quark coalescence in the mid rapidity region at RHIC
We utilize the ALCOR model for mid-rapidity hadron number predictions at AGS,
SPS and RHIC energies. We present simple fits for the energy dependence of
stopping and quark production.Comment: Talk given at SQM2001, Frankfurt, (LaTeX 8 pages, 5 .ps figs
High-mass X-ray binaries and OB-runaway stars
High-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) represent an important phase in the
evolution of massive binary systems. HMXBs provide unique diagnostics to test
massive-star evolution, to probe the physics of radiation-driven winds, to
study the process of mass accretion, and to measure fundamental parameters of
compact objects. As a consequence of the supernova explosion that produced the
neutron star (or black hole) in these systems, HMXBs have high space velocities
and thus are runaways. Alternatively, OB-runaway stars can be ejected from a
cluster through dynamical interactions. Observations obtained with the
Hipparcos satellite indicate that both scenarios are at work. Only for a
minority of the OB runaways (and HMXBs) a wind bow shock has been detected.
This might be explained by the varying local conditions of the interstellar
medium.Comment: 15 pages, latex (sty file included) with 5 embedded figures (one in
jpg format), to appear in Proc. "Influence of binaries on stellar population
studies", Eds. Vanbeveren, Van Rensberge
Hadron Spectra and QGP Hadronization in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC
The transverse mass spectra of Omega hyperons and phi mesons measured
recently by STAR Collaboration in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 130 GeV are
described within a hydrodynamic model of the quark gluon plasma expansion and
hadronization. The flow parameters at the plasma hadronization extracted by
fitting these data are used to predict the transverse mass spectra of J/psi and
psi' mesons.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Fig. 3 correcte
A photoionization model of the compact HII region G29.96-0.02
We present a detailed photoionization model of G29.96-0.02 (hereafter
G29.96), one of the brightest Galactic Ultra Compact HII (UCHII) regions in the
Galaxy. This source has been observed extensively at radio and infrared
wavelengths. The most recent data include a complete ISO (SWS and LWS)
spectrum, which displays a remarkable richness in atomic fine-structure lines.
The number of observables is twice as much as the number available in previous
studies. In addition, most atomic species are now observed in two ionization
stages. The radio and infrared data on G29.96 are best reproduced using a
nebular model with two density components: a diffuse (n_e~680cm-3) extended (~1
pc) component surrounding a compact (~0.1 pc) dense (n_e~57000cm-3) core. The
properties of the ionizing star were derived using state-of-the-art stellar
atmosphere models. CoStar models yield an effective temperature of
\~30^{+2}_{-1} kK whereas more recent non-LTE line blanketed atmospheres with
stellar winds indicate somewhat higher values, Teff~32--38 kK. This range in
Teff is compatible with all observational constraints, including near-infrared
photometry and bolometric luminosity. The range 33-36 kK is also compatible
with the spectral type O5-O8 determined by Watson and Hanson (97) when recent
downward revisions of the effective temperature scale of O stars are taken into
account. The age of the ionizing star of G29.96 is found to be a few 10^6 yr,
much older than the expected lifetime of UCHII regions. Accurate gas phase
abundances are derived with the most robust results being Ne/S=7.5 and N/O=0.43
(1.3 and 3.5 times the solar values, respectively).Comment: Accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysic
X Her and TX Psc: Two cases of ISM interaction with stellar winds observed by Herschel
The asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars X Her and TX Psc have been imaged at
70 and 160 microns with the PACS instrument onboard the Herschel satellite, as
part of the large MESS (Mass loss of Evolved StarS) Guaranteed Time Key
Program. The images reveal an axisymmetric extended structure with its axis
oriented along the space motion of the stars. This extended structure is very
likely to be shaped by the interaction of the wind ejected by the AGB star with
the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM). As predicted by numerical
simulations, the detailed structure of the wind-ISM interface depends upon the
relative velocity between star+wind and the ISM, which is large for these two
stars (108 and 55 km/s for X Her and TX Psc, respectively). In both cases,
there is a compact blob upstream whose origin is not fully elucidated, but that
could be the signature of some instability in the wind-ISM shock. Deconvolved
images of X Her and TX Psc reveal several discrete structures along the
outermost filaments, which could be Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices. Finally, TX Psc
is surrounded by an almost circular ring (the signature of the termination
shock?) that contrasts with the outer, more structured filaments. A similar
inner circular structure seems to be present in X Her as well, albeit less
clearly.Comment: 11 pages, Astronomy & Astrophysics, in pres
Short- and long-term glucocorticoid treatment enhances insulin signalling in human subcutaneous adipose tissue
BACKGROUND: Endogenous or exogenous glucocorticoid (GC) excess (Cushing's syndrome) is characterized by increased adiposity and insulin resistance. Although GCs cause global insulin resistance in vivo, we have previously shown that GCs are able to augment insulin action in human adipose tissue, contrasting with their action in skeletal muscle. Cushing's syndrome develops following chronic GC exposure and, in addition, is a state of hyperinsulinemia. OBJECTIVES: We have therefore compared the impact of short- (24 h) and long-term (7 days) GC administration on insulin signalling in differentiated human adipocytes in the presence of low or high concentrations of insulin. RESULTS: Both short- (24 h) and long-term (7 days) treatment of chub-s7 cells with dexamethasone (Dex) (0.5 μM) increased insulin-stimulated pTyr612IRS1 and pSer473akt/PKB, consistent with insulin sensitization. Chronic high-dose insulin treatment induced insulin resistance in chub-s7 cells. However, treatment with both high-dose insulin and Dex in combination still caused insulin sensitization. CONCLUSIONS: In this human subcutaneous adipocyte cell line, prolonged GC exposure, even in the presence of high insulin concentrations, is able to cause insulin sensitization. We suggest that this is an important mechanism driving adipogenesis and contributes to the obese phenotype of patients with Cushing's syndrome
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