730 research outputs found
ALMA observations of 99 GHz free-free and H40 line emission from star formation in the centre of NGC 253
We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of 99.02
GHz free-free and H40 emission from the centre of the nearby starburst
galaxy NGC 253. We calculate electron temperatures of 3700-4500 K for the
photoionized gas, which agrees with previous measurements. We measure a
photoionizing photon production rate of s and
a star formation rate of M yr within the central
2010 arcsec, which fall within the broad range of measurements from
previous millimetre and radio observations but which are better constrained. We
also demonstrate that the dust opacities are ~3 dex higher than inferred from
previous near-infrared data, which illustrates the benefits of using millimetre
star formation tracers in very dusty sources.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter
Deep ALMA imaging of the merger NGC1614 - Is CO tracing a massive inflow of non-starforming gas?
Observations of the molecular gas over scales of 0.5 to several kpc provide
crucial information on how gas moves through galaxies, especially in mergers
and interacting systems, where it ultimately reaches the galaxy center,
accumulates, and feeds nuclear activity. Studying the processes involved in the
gas transport is an important step forward to understand galaxy evolution.
12CO, 13CO and C18O1-0 high-sensitivity ALMA observations were used to assess
properties of the large-scale molecular gas reservoir and its connection to the
circumnuclear molecular ring in NGC1614. The role of excitation and abundances
were studied in this context. Spatial distributions of the 12CO and 13CO
emission show significant differences. 12CO traces the large-scale molecular
gas reservoir, associated with a dust lane that harbors infalling gas. 13CO
emission is - for the first time - detected in the large-scale dust lane. Its
emission peaks between dust lane and circumnuclear molecular ring. A
12CO-to-13CO1-0 intensity ratio map shows high values in the ring region (~30)
typical for the centers of luminous galaxy mergers and even more extreme values
in the dust lane (>45). This drop in ratio is consistent with molecular gas in
the dust lane being in a diffuse, unbound state while being funneled towards
the nucleus. We find a high 16O-to-18O abundance ratio in the starburst region
(>900), typical of quiescent disk gas - by now, the starburst is expected to
have enriched the nuclear ISM in 18O relative to 16O. The massive inflow of gas
may be partially responsible for the low 18O/16O abundance since it will dilute
the starburst enrichment with unprocessed gas from greater radii. The
12CO-to-13CO abundance is consistent with this scenario. It suggests that the
nucleus of NGC1614 is in a transient phase of evolution where starburst and
nuclear growth are fuelled by returning gas from the minor merger event.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Two exhibitions of photographs
An exhibition of photographs held at the Fine Arts Gallery in 197
Deep Space Network information system architecture study
The purpose of this article is to describe an architecture for the Deep Space Network (DSN) information system in the years 2000-2010 and to provide guidelines for its evolution during the 1990s. The study scope is defined to be from the front-end areas at the antennas to the end users (spacecraft teams, principal investigators, archival storage systems, and non-NASA partners). The architectural vision provides guidance for major DSN implementation efforts during the next decade. A strong motivation for the study is an expected dramatic improvement in information-systems technologies, such as the following: computer processing, automation technology (including knowledge-based systems), networking and data transport, software and hardware engineering, and human-interface technology. The proposed Ground Information System has the following major features: unified architecture from the front-end area to the end user; open-systems standards to achieve interoperability; DSN production of level 0 data; delivery of level 0 data from the Deep Space Communications Complex, if desired; dedicated telemetry processors for each receiver; security against unauthorized access and errors; and highly automated monitor and control
Deep observations of the Super-CLASS super-cluster at 325 MHz with the GMRT: the low-frequency source catalogue
We present the results of 325 MHz GMRT observations of a super-cluster field,
known to contain five Abell clusters at redshift . We achieve a
nominal sensitivity of Jy beam toward the phase centre. We
compile a catalogue of 3257 sources with flux densities in the range
within the entire square degree
field of view. Subsequently, we use available survey data at other frequencies
to derive the spectral index distribution for a sub-sample of these sources,
recovering two distinct populations -- a dominant population which exhibit
spectral index trends typical of steep-spectrum synchrotron emission, and a
smaller population of sources with typically flat or rising spectra. We
identify a number of sources with ultra-steep spectra or rising spectra for
further analysis, finding two candidate high-redshift radio galaxies and three
gigahertz-peaked-spectrum radio sources. Finally, we derive the
Euclidean-normalised differential source counts using the catalogue compiled in
this work, for sources with flux densities in excess of Jy. Our
differential source counts are consistent with both previous observations at
this frequency and models of the low-frequency source population. These
represent the deepest source counts yet derived at 325 MHz. Our source counts
exhibit the well-known flattening at mJy flux densities, consistent with an
emerging population of star-forming galaxies; we also find marginal evidence of
a downturn at flux densities below Jy, a feature so far only seen
at 1.4 GHz.Comment: 25 pages, 18 figures, 10 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Tests of star formation metrics in the low metallicity galaxy NGC 5253 using ALMA observations of H30 line emission
We use Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of
H30 (231.90 GHz) emission from the low metallicity dwarf galaxy NGC
5253 to measure the star formation rate (SFR) within the galaxy and to test the
reliability of SFRs derived from other commonly-used metrics. The H30
emission, which originates mainly from the central starburst, yields a
photoionizing photon production rate of (1.90.3)10 s
and an SFR of 0.0870.013 M yr based on conversions that
account for the low metallicity of the galaxy and for stellar rotation. Among
the other star formation metrics we examined, the SFR calculated from the total
infrared flux was statistically equivalent to the values from the H30
data. The SFR based on previously-published versions of the H flux that
were extinction corrected using Pa and Pa lines were lower than
but also statistically similar to the H30 value. The mid-infrared (22
m) flux density and the composite star formation tracer based on H
and mid-infrared emission give SFRs that were significantly higher because the
dust emission appears unusually hot compared to typical spiral galaxies.
Conversely, the 70 and 160 m flux densities yielded SFR lower than the
H30 value, although the SFRs from the 70 m and H30 data
were within 1-2 of each other. While further analysis on a broader
range of galaxies are needed, these results are instructive of the best and
worst methods to use when measuring SFR in low metallicity dwarf galaxies like
NGC 5253.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Discovery of a bright radio transient in M82: a new radio supernova?
In this Letter, we report the discovery of a new bright radio transient in
M82. Using the Very Large Array, we observed the nuclear region of M82 at
several epochs at 22 GHz and detected a new bright radio source in this
galaxy's central region. We find a flux density for this flaring source that is
~300 times larger than upper limits determined in previous observations. The
flare must have started between 2007 October 29 and 2008 March 24. Over the
last year, the flux density of this new source has decreased from ~100 mJy to
~11 mJy. The lightcurve (based on only three data points) can be fitted better
with an exponential decay than with a power law. Based on the current data we
cannot identify the nature of this transient source. However, a new radio
supernova seems to be the most natural explanation. With it's flux density of
more than 100 mJy, it is at least 1.5 times brighter than SN1993J in M81 at the
peak of its lightcurve at 22 GHz.Comment: accepted Astronomy & Astrophysics, 4 pages, 3 figures, final version
& corrected abstract, also available at
http://www.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/staff/abrunthaler/pub.shtm
The nature of supernovae 2010O and 2010P in Arp 299 - II. Radio emission
We report radio observations of two stripped-envelope supernovae (SNe), 2010O
and 2010P, which exploded within a few days of each other in the luminous
infrared galaxy Arp 299. Whilst SN 2010O remains undetected at radio
frequencies, SN 2010P was detected (with an astrometric accuracy better than 1
milli arcsec in position) in its optically thin phase in epochs ranging from ~1
to ~3yr after its explosion date, indicating a very slow radio evolution and a
strong interaction of the SN ejecta with the circumstellar medium. Our
late-time radio observations toward SN 2010P probe the dense circumstellar
envelope of this SN, and imply a mass-loss rate (Msun/yr) to wind velocity (in
units of 10 km/s) ratio of (3.0-5.1)E-05, with a 5 GHz peak luminosity of
~1.2E+27 erg/s/Hz on day ~464 after explosion. This is consistent with a Type
IIb classification for SN 2010P, making it the most distant and most slowly
evolving Type IIb radio SN detected to date.Comment: 14 pages, 8 tables and 7 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
8.4GHz VLBI observations of SN2004et in NGC6946
We report on 8.4GHz Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations of
the type II-P supernova SN2004et in the spiral galaxy NGC 6946, made on 20
February 2005 (151 days after explosion). The Very Large Array (VLA) flux
density was 1.230.07 mJy, corresponding to an isotropic luminosity at
8.4GHz of (4.450.3) erg s Hz and a brightness
temperature of (1.30.3) K. We also provide an improved
source position, accurate to about 0.5 mas in each coordinate. The VLBI image
shows a clear asymmetry. From model fitting of the size of the radio emission,
we estimate a minimum expansion velocity of 15,7002,000 km s. This
velocity is more than twice the expected mean expansion velocity estimated from
a synchrotron self-absorbed emission model, thus suggesting that synchrotron
self-absorption is not relevant for this supernova. With the benefit of an
optical spectrum obtained 12 days after explosion, we favor an emission model
which consists of two hot spots on an underlying expanding shell of width
comparable to that of SN 1993J.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A (22/05/07
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