591 research outputs found
Galaxy filaments as pearl necklaces
Context. Galaxies in the Universe form chains (filaments) that connect groups
and clusters of galaxies. The filamentary network includes nearly half of the
galaxies and is visually the most striking feature in cosmological maps.
Aims. We study the distribution of galaxies along the filamentary network,
trying to find specific patterns and regularities.
Methods. Galaxy filaments are defined by the Bisous model, a marked point
process with interactions. We use the two-point correlation function and the
Rayleigh Z-squared statistic to study how galaxies and galaxy groups are
distributed along the filaments.
Results. We show that galaxies and groups are not uniformly distributed along
filaments, but tend to form a regular pattern. The characteristic length of the
pattern is around 7 Mpc/h. A slightly smaller characteristic length 4 Mpc/h can
also be found, using the Z-squared statistic.
Conclusions. We find that galaxy filaments in the Universe are like pearl
necklaces, where the pearls are galaxy groups distributed more or less
regularly along the filaments. We propose that this well defined characteristic
scale could be used to test various cosmological models and to probe
environmental effects on the formation and evolution of galaxies.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in A&
Discovery of the supernova remnant G351.0-5.4
Context. While searching the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) for diffuse radio
emission, we have serendipitously discovered extended radio emission close to
the Galactic plane. The radio morphology suggests the presence of a previously
unknown Galactic supernova remnant. An unclassified {\gamma}-ray source
detected by EGRET (3EG J1744-3934) is present in the same location and may stem
from the interaction between high-speed particles escaping the remnant and the
surrounding interstellar medium.
Aims. Our aim is to confirm the presence of a previously unknown supernova
remnant and to determine a possible association with the {\gamma}-ray emission
3EG J1744-3934.
Methods. We have conducted optical and radio follow-ups of the target using
the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Blanco telescope at Cerro Tololo
Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) and the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope
(GMRT). We then combined these data with archival radio and {\gamma}-ray
observations.
Results. While we detected the extended emission in four different radio
bands (325, 1400, 2417, and 4850 MHz), no optical counterpart has been
identified. Given its morphology and brightness, it is likely that the radio
emission is caused by an old supernova remnant no longer visible in the optical
band. Although an unclassified EGRET source is co-located with the supernova
remnant, Fermi-LAT data do not show a significant {\gamma}-ray excess that is
correlated with the radio emission. However, in the radial distribution of the
{\gamma}-ray events, a spatially extended feature is related with SNR at a
confidence level {\sigma}.
Conclusions. We classify the newly discovered extended emission in the radio
band as the old remnant of a previously unknown Galactic supernova: SNR
G351.0-5.4.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, accepted A&
A methodology for value chain assessment of CCS projects
AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to describe a methodology for assessing the impact of different risks and uncertainties on the financial output of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. The Value Chain Assessment (VCA) methodology is developed by DNV as a decision making tool for project developers to assess the financial feasibility of the investment and for alternative concepts. The methodology can be applied to optimize the financial result and the performance of a CCS project for a given level of risk. In this paper the VCA methodology is described and applied on a case study with a CCS project developer selecting between different capture technologies
Ages of White Dwarf-Red Subdwarf Systems
We provide the first age estimates for two recently discovered white
dwarf-red subdwarf systems, LHS 193AB and LHS 300AB. These unusual systems
provide a new opportunity for linking the reliable age estimates for the white
dwarfs to the (measurable) metallicities of the red subdwarfs. We have obtained
precise photometry in the bands and spectroscopy covering
from 6000\AA to 9000\AA for the two new systems, as well as for a comparison
white dwarf-main sequence red dwarf system, GJ 283 AB. Using model grids
available in the literature, we estimate the cooling age as well as
temperature, surface gravity, mass, progenitor mass and {\it total} lifetimes
of the white dwarfs. The results indicate that the two new systems are probably
ancient thick disk objects with ages of at least 6-9 Gyr. We also conduct
searches of red dwarf and white dwarf compendia from SDSS data and the
L{\'e}pine Shara Proper Motion (LSPM) catalog for additional common proper
motion white dwarf-red subdwarf systems. Only seven new candidate systems are
found, which indicates the rarity of these systems.Comment: accepted for publication in Ap
Constraints on leptonically annihilating Dark Matter from reionization and extragalactic gamma background
The PAMELA, Fermi and HESS experiments (PFH) have shown anomalous excesses in
the cosmic positron and electron fluxes. A very exciting possibility is that
those excesses are due to annihilating dark matter (DM). In this paper we
calculate constraints on leptonically annihilating DM using observational data
on diffuse extragalactic gamma-ray background and measurements of the optical
depth to the last-scattering surface, and compare those with the PFH favored
region in the m_{DM} - plane. Having specified the detailed form
of the energy input with PYTHIA Monte Carlo tools we solve the radiative
transfer equation which allows us to determine the amount of energy being
absorbed by the cosmic medium and also the amount left over for the diffuse
gamma background. We find that the constraints from the optical depth
measurements are able to rule out the PFH favored region fully for the
\tau^{-}+\tau^{+} annihilation channel and almost fully for the \mu^{-}+\mu^{+}
annihilation channel. It turns out that those constraints are quite robust with
almost no dependence on low redshift clustering boost. The constraints from the
gamma-ray background are sensitive to the assumed halo concentration model and,
for the power law model, rule out the PFH favored region for all leptonic
annihilation channels. We also find that it is possible to have models that
fully ionize the Universe at low redshifts. However, those models produce too
large free electron fractions at z > ~100 and are in conflict with the optical
depth measurements. Also, the magnitude of the annihilation cross-section in
those cases is larger than suggested by the PFH data.Comment: A&A accepted, minor changes/additions, added reference
Low energy effects of neutrino masses
While all models of Majorana neutrino masses lead to the same dimension five
effective operator, which does not conserve lepton number, the dimension six
operators induced at low energies conserve lepton number and differ depending
on the high energy model of new physics. We derive the low-energy dimension six
operators which are characteristic of generic Seesaw models, in which neutrino
masses result from the exchange of heavy fields which may be either fermionic
singlets, fermionic triplets or scalar triplets. The resulting operators may
lead to effects observable in the near future, if the coefficients of the
dimension five and six operators are decoupled along a certain pattern, which
turns out to be common to all models. The phenomenological consequences are
explored as well, including their contributions to and new
bounds on the Yukawa couplings for each model.Comment: modifications: couplings in appendix B, formulas (121)-(122) on rare
leptons decays (to match with published version) and consequently bounds in
table
3-D Photoionization Structure and Distances of Planetary Nebulae II. Menzel 1
We present the results of a spatio-kinematic study of the planetary nebula
Menzel 1 using spectro-photometric mapping and a 3-D photoionization code. We
create several 2-D emission line images from our long-slit spectra, and use
these to derive the line fluxes for 15 lines, the Halpha/Hbeta extinction map,
and the [SII] line ratio density map of the nebula. We use our photoionization
code constrained by these data to derive the three-dimensional nebular
structure and ionizing star parameters of Menzel 1 by simultaneously fitting
the integrated line intensities, the density map, and the observed morphologies
in several lines, as well as the velocity structure. Using theoretical
evolutionary tracks of intermediate and low mass stars, we derive a mass for
the central star of 0.63+-0.05 Msolar. We also derive a distance of 1050+_150
pc to Menzel 1.Comment: To be published in ApJ of 10th February 2005. 12 figure
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