1,410 research outputs found
Near-infrared spectroscopy of AGB star candidates in Fornax, Sculptor and NGC 6822
Context: The Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) phase is characterised by
substantial mass loss that is accompanied by the formation of dust. In extreme
cases this will make the star no longer visible in the optical. For a better
understanding of AGB evolution it is important to identify and characterise
these very red AGB stars.
Aims: The first aim of this article is to improve the census of red AGB stars
in three Local Group galaxies, based on near-IR spectroscopic observations of
new candidates with red 2MASS (J-K) colours. The opportunity is taken to
compare the near-IR spectra with those of Milky Way stars.
Methods: We used ISAAC on the ESO VLT to take J and H-band spectra of 36
targets in Fornax, Sculptor and NGC 6822.
Results: Twelve new C-stars are found in Fornax, and one is confirmed in
Sculptor. All C-stars have (J-K) > 1.6, and are brighter than -3.55 in
bolometric magnitude. Ten new oxygen-rich late-type giant stars are identified
in Fornax, but none is extremely red or very luminous. Five luminous O-rich AGB
stars are identified in NGC 6822, of which 3 show water absorption, indicative
of spectral type M. Again, none is as red as Milky Way OH/IR stars, but in this
galaxy the list of candidate AGB stars is biased against very red objects. In
some C-stars with (J-K)>2 an extremely strong 1.53 m absorption band is
found. These stars are probably all Mira variables and the feature is related
to the low temperature, high density chemistry that is a first step towards
dust formation and mass loss.Comment: A&A accepte
Impact of diffusion layers in strong electrolytes on the transient current
Transient currents of electrolytes in response to a voltage step can reveal a lot about the behavior of charges present in an electrolyte. In this paper, electrolytes with high ionic strength are considered. In the limit of small voltage steps, the interpretation is straightforward as the equations describing the transient can be linearized. However, when high ion concentrations and voltage steps of the order of kT/q are considered, we find higher-order effects that occur simultaneously with the diffuse double layer charging. In this case, the diffuse double layer and the transient diffusion layer are coupled because of the screening of the field, leading to a -3/2 power law for the transient current
Sympatric Dreissena species in the Meuse River : towards a dominance shift from zebra to quagga mussels
The rapid spread of the quagga mussel, Dreissena rostriformis, in Western Europe is of particular concern since the species is known to have serious ecological and economic impacts, similar to those of the well-established zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha. This study aimed (1) to provide an update on the quagga mussel distribution in several Belgian inland waterways, and (2) to check if a shift in dominance between Dreissena species is occurring. Using density measurements and artificial substrate samplers, we compared population dynamics for both species at different time-points based on size-frequency distribution. Our results show that quagga mussels are spreading rapidly throughout Belgium via a number of possible invasion fronts based around large rivers and canals. The quagga mussel became the dominant dreissenid species in both the Meuse River and a number of Belgian canals. In just three years, quagga mussel’s relative abundance increased from 2.9% (±2.9) to 52.6% (±43.1) of the total dreissenid population in the Meuse River. The most rapid increase in abundance has occurred in the Albert Canal, where quagga mussels achieved a mean relative abundance of 80% two years after the first observation. In the Meuse River, the quagga mussel displays a faster growth rate and/or earlier reproduction than the zebra mussel. We discuss different mechanisms that could explain the quagga mussel’s apparent competitive advantage over the zebra mussel
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