3,338 research outputs found
The Trouble with Hubble Types in the Virgo Cluster
Quantitative measures of central light concentration and star formation
activity are derived from R and Halpha surface photometry of 84 bright S0-Scd
Virgo Cluster and isolated spiral galaxies. For isolated spirals, there is a
good correlation between these two parameters and assigned Hubble types. In the
Virgo Cluster, the correlation between central light concentration and star
formation activity is significantly weaker. Virgo Cluster spirals have
systematically reduced global star formation with respect to isolated spirals,
with severe reduction in the outer disk, but normal or enhanced activity in the
inner disk. Assigned Hubble types are thus inadequate to describe the range in
morphologies of bright Virgo Cluster spirals. In particular, spirals with
reduced global star formation activity are often assigned misleading early-type
classifications, irrespective of their central light concentrations. 45+-25% of
the galaxies classified as Sa in the Virgo Cluster sample have central light
concentrations more characteristic of isolated Sb-Sc galaxies. The misleading
classification of low concentration galaxies with low star formation rates as
early-type spirals may account for part of the excess of `early-type' spiral
galaxies in clusters. Thus the morphology-density relationship is not all due
to a systematic increase in the bulge-to-disk ratio with environmental density.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters. Latex aaspp4.sty, 9 pages, 2
Postscript (embedded) figures. Also available at
http://www.astro.yale.edu/koopmann/preprint.htm
Recommended from our members
A two-step method for identifying photopigment opsin and rhodopsin gene sequences underlying human color vision phenotypes.
PurposeTo present a detailed, reliable long range-PCR and sequencing (LR-PCR-Seq) procedure to identify human opsin gene sequences for variations in the long wavelength-sensitive (OPN1LW), medium wavelength-sensitive (OPN1MW), short wavelength-sensitive (OPN1SW), and rhodopsin (RHO) genes.MethodsColor vision was assessed for nine subjects using the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue test, Ishihara pseudoisochromatic plates, and the Rabin cone-contrast threshold procedure (ColorDX, Konan Medical). The color vision phenotypes were normal trichromacy (n = 3), potential tetrachromacy (n = 3), dichromacy (n = 2), and unexplained low color vision (n = 1). DNA was isolated from blood or saliva and LR-PCR amplified into individual products: OPN1LW (4,045 bp), OPN1MW (4,045 bp), OPN1SW (3,326 bp), and RHO (6,715 bp). Each product was sequenced using specific internal primer sets. Analysis was performed with Mutation Surveyor software.ResultsThe LR-PCR-Seq technique identified known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in OPN1LW and OPN1MW gene codons (180, 230, 233, 277, and 285), as well as those for lesser studied codons (174, 178, 236, 274, 279, 298 and 309) in the OPN1LW and OPN1MW genes. Additionally, six SNP variants in the OPN1MW and OPN1LW genes not previously reported in the NCBI dbSNP database were identified. An unreported poly-T region within intron 5(c.36+126) of the rhodopsin gene was also found, and analysis showed it to be highly conserved in mammalian species.ConclusionsThis LR-PCR-Seq procedure (single PCR reaction per gene followed by sequencing) can identify exonic and intronic SNP variants in OPN1LW, OPN1MW, OPN1SW, and rhodopsin genes. There is no need for restriction enzyme digestion or multiple PCR steps that can introduce errors. Future studies will combine the LR-PCR-Seq with perceptual behavior measures, allowing for accurate correlations between opsin genotypes, retinal photopigment phenotypes, and color perception behaviors
Invest to Save: Report and Recommendations of the NSF-DELOS Working Group on Digital Archiving and Preservation
Digital archiving and preservation are important areas for research and development, but there is no agreed upon set of priorities or coherent plan for research in this area. Research projects in this area tend to be small and driven by particular institutional problems or concerns. As a consequence, proposed solutions from experimental projects and prototypes tend not to scale to millions of digital objects, nor do the results from disparate projects readily build on each other. It is also unclear whether it is worthwhile to seek general solutions or whether different strategies are needed for different types of digital objects and collections. The lack of coordination in both research and development means that there are some areas where researchers are reinventing the wheel while other areas are neglected.
Digital archiving and preservation is an area that will benefit from an exercise in analysis, priority setting, and planning for future research. The WG aims to survey current research activities, identify gaps, and develop a white paper proposing future research directions in the area of digital preservation. Some of the potential areas for research include repository architectures and inter-operability among digital archives; automated tools for capture, ingest, and normalization of digital objects; and harmonization of preservation formats and metadata. There can also be opportunities for development of commercial products in the areas of mass storage systems, repositories and repository management systems, and data management software and tools.
Ram pressure stripping of the multiphase ISM in the Virgo cluster spiral galaxy NGC 4438
Ram pressure stripping of the multiphase ISM is studied in the perturbed
Virgo cluster spiral galaxy NGC 4438. This galaxy underwent a tidal interaction
~100 Myr ago and is now strongly affected by ram pressure stripping. Deep VLA
radio continuum observations at 6 and 20 cm are presented. We detect prominent
extraplanar emission to the west of the galactic center, which extends twice as
far as the other tracers of extraplanar material. The spectral index of the
extraplanar emission does not steepen with increasing distance from the galaxy.
This implies in situ re-acceleration of relativistic electrons. The comparison
with multiwavelength observations shows that the magnetic field and the warm
ionized interstellar medium traced by Halpha emission are closely linked. The
kinematics of the northern extraplanar Halpha emission, which is ascribed to
star formation, follow those of the extraplanar CO emission. In the western and
southern extraplanar regions, the Halpha measured velocities are greater than
those of the CO lines. We suggest that the ionized gas of this region is
excited by ram pressure. The spatial and velocity offsets are consistent with a
scenario where the diffuse ionized gas is more efficiently pushed by ram
pressure stripping than the neutral gas. We suggest that the recently found
radio-deficient regions compared to 24 mum emission are due to this difference
in stripping efficiency.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, A&A, accepted for publicatio
Large-scale radio continuum properties of 19 Virgo cluster galaxies The influence of tidal interactions, ram pressure stripping, and accreting gas envelopes
Deep scaled array VLA 20 and 6cm observations including polarization of 19
Virgo spirals are presented. This sample contains 6 galaxies with a global
minimum of 20cm polarized emission at the receding side of the galactic disk
and quadrupolar type large-scale magnetic fields. In the new sample no
additional case of a ram-pressure stripped spiral galaxy with an asymmetric
ridge of polarized radio continuum emission was found. In the absence of a
close companion, a truncated HI disk, together with a ridge of polarized radio
continuum emission at the outer edge of the HI disk, is a signpost of ram
pressure stripping. 6 out of the 19 observed galaxies display asymmetric 6cm
polarized emission distributions. Three galaxies belong to tidally interacting
pairs, two galaxies host huge accreting HI envelopes, and one galaxy had a
recent minor merger. Tidal interactions and accreting gas envelopes can lead to
compression and shear motions which enhance the polarized radio continuum
emission. In addition, galaxies with low average star formation rate per unit
area have a low average degree of polarization. Shear or compression motions
can enhance the degree of polarization. The average degree of polarization of
tidally interacting galaxies is generally lower than expected for a given
rotation velocity and star formation activity. This low average degree of
polarization is at least partly due to the absence of polarized emission from
the thin disk. Ram pressure stripping can decrease whereas tidal interactions
most frequently decreases the average degree of polarization of Virgo spiral
galaxies. We found that moderate active ram pressure stripping has no influence
on the spectral index, but enhances the global radio continuum emission with
respect to the FIR emission, while an accreting gas envelope can but not
necessarily enhances the radio continuum emission with respect to the FIR
emission.Comment: 37 pages, 26 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Ongoing Gas Stripping in the Virgo Cluster Spiral NGC 4522
The Virgo cluster galaxy NGC 4522 is one of the best spiral candidates for
ICM-ISM stripping in action. Optical broadband and H-alpha images from the WIYN
telescope of the highly inclined galaxy reveal a relatively undisturbed stellar
disk and a peculiar distribution of H-alpha emission. Ten percent of the
H-alpha emission arises from extraplanar HII regions which appear to lie within
filamentary structures >3 kpc long above one side of the disk. The filaments
emerge from the outer edge of a disk of bright H-alpha emission which is
abruptly truncated beyond 0.35R(25). Together the truncated H-alpha disk and
extraplanar H-alpha filaments are reminiscent of a bow shock morphology, which
strongly suggests that the interstellar medium (ISM) of NGC 4522 is being
stripped by the gas pressure of the intracluster medium (ICM). The galaxy has a
line-of-sight velocity of 1300 km/sec with respect to the mean Virgo cluster
velocity, and thus is expected to experience a strong interaction with the
intracluster gas. The existence of HII regions apparently located above the
disk plane suggests that star formation is occuring in the stripped gas, and
that newly formed stars will enter the galaxy halo and/or intracluster space.
The absence of HII regions in the disk beyond 0.35R(25), and the existence of
HII regions in the stripped gas suggest that even molecular gas has been
effectively removed from the disk of the galaxy.Comment: to appear in The Astronomical Journal, 16 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl
Static Pressure of Hot Gas: Its Effect on the Gas Disks of Galaxies
The static pressure of the hot gas that fills clusters and groups of galaxies
can affect significantly the volume density and thickness of the gas disks in
galaxies. In combination with the dynamic pressure, the static pressure allows
several observed peculiarities of spiral galaxies surrounded by a hot medium to
be explained.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures. This is a slightly modified version of the paper
published in Astronomy Letters 2008, Vol. 34, No 11, p. 73
- …