810 research outputs found
A dynamical study of Galactic globular clusters under different relaxation conditions
We perform a systematic combined photometric and kinematic analysis of a
sample of globular clusters under different relaxation conditions, based on
their core relaxation time (as listed in available catalogs), by means of two
well-known families of spherical stellar dynamical models. Systems
characterized by shorter relaxation time scales are expected to be better
described by isotropic King models, while less relaxed systems might be
interpreted by means of non-truncated, radially-biased anisotropic f^(\nu)
models, originally designed to represent stellar systems produced by a violent
relaxation formation process and applied here for the first time to the study
of globular clusters. The comparison between dynamical models and observations
is performed by fitting simultaneously surface brightness and velocity
dispersion profiles. For each globular cluster, the best-fit model in each
family is identified, along with a full error analysis on the relevant
parameters. Detailed structural properties and mass-to-light ratios are also
explicitly derived. We find that King models usually offer a good
representation of the observed photometric profiles, but often lead to less
satisfactory fits to the kinematic profiles, independently of the relaxation
condition of the systems. For some less relaxed clusters, f^(\nu) models
provide a good description of both observed profiles. Some derived structural
characteristics, such as the total mass or the half-mass radius, turn out to be
significantly model-dependent. The analysis confirms that, to answer some
important dynamical questions that bear on the formation and evolution of
globular clusters, it would be highly desirable to acquire larger numbers of
accurate kinematic data-points, well distributed over the cluster field.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Rotating Globular Clusters
Internal rotation is considered to play a major role in the dynamics of some
globular clusters. However, in only few cases it has been studied by
quantitative application of realistic and physically justified global models.
Here we present a dynamical analysis of the photometry and three-dimensional
kinematics of omega Cen, 47 Tuc, and M15, by means of a recently introduced
family of self-consistent axisymmetric rotating models. The three clusters,
characterized by different relaxation conditions, show evidence of differential
rotation and deviations from sphericity. The combination of line-of-sight
velocities and proper motions allows us to determine their internal dynamics,
predict their morphology, and estimate their dynamical distance. The
well-relaxed cluster 47 Tuc is very well interpreted by our model; internal
rotation is found to explain the observed morphology. For M15, we provide a
global model in good agreement with the data, including the central behavior of
the rotation profile and the shape of the ellipticity profile. For the
partially relaxed cluster omega Cen, the selected model reproduces the complex
three-dimensional kinematics; in particular the observed anisotropy profile,
characterized by a transition from isotropy, to weakly-radial anisotropy, and
then to tangential anisotropy in the outer parts. The discrepancy found for the
steep central gradient in the observed line-of-sight velocity dispersion
profile and for the ellipticity profile is ascribed to the condition of only
partial relaxation of this cluster and the interplay between rotation and
radial anisotropy.Comment: 19 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
Mass models of NGC 6624 without an intermediate-mass black hole
An intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) was recently reported to reside in the
centre of the Galactic globular cluster (GC) NGC 6624, based on timing
observations of a millisecond pulsar (MSP) located near the cluster centre in
projection. We present dynamical models with multiple mass components of NGC
6624 - without an IMBH - which successfully describe the surface brightness
profile and proper motion kinematics from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and
the stellar mass function at different distances from the cluster centre. The
maximum line-of-sight acceleration at the position of the MSP accommodates the
inferred acceleration of the MSP, as derived from its first period derivative.
With discrete realizations of the models we show that the higher-order period
derivatives - which were previously used to derive the IMBH mass - are due to
passing stars and stellar remnants, as previously shown analytically in
literature. We conclude that there is no need for an IMBH to explain the timing
observations of this MSP.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, MNRAS. Updated to match final journal styl
RESPONSE OF STRAWBERRY PLANTS TO SHORTENING DAY LENGTH , SHADING AND COLD STORAGE UNDER EGYPTIAN CONDITIONS
This experiment was performed in 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 seasons at El-Bosaly Protected Cultivation Experimental Site, of the Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate (CLAC), 15 Km west of Rosetta. The current study was conducted in open field to investigate the growth and productivity of strawberry plants under the shading and cold storage methods. Two strawberry cultivars were used, i.e., Camarosa (cv.) and Yael (cv.). Transplants were set up on 15 of March to 15 of September in both two seasons of 2004-2005 and 2005-2006, respectively under El-Bosaly conditions. Seven treatments were used i.e., short day, 40% shading, 73% shading, three periods cold storage at 5Co, i.e., (24h, 48h and 73h) and control. Results indicated that the application of 73% shading treatment was the most effective in reducing maximum and minimum of air temperature and radiation, followed by 40% shading, whereas, the highest value of maximum and minimum air temperature, radiation were observed in control treatment throughout the two growing seasons. In addition, 73% shading treatment produced the tallest plants and the highest number of leaves per plant and leaf area per plant. Moreover, flowering and chlorophyll in leaves were increased by application of short day treatment. Also, fruit characters such as average weight and number of fruits per plant were the highest values with 40% shading. Chemical components of fruits, i.e., T.S.S were increased with 73% shading treatment. When plants were grown under 40% shading treatment, followed by 73% shading, while cold storage for 72 h treatment gave the lowest values. Neither cultivars nor the interaction between cultivars and tested factors had any significant effects on many studied characters
Modelling Molecular Motors as Folding-Unfolding Cycles
We propose a model for motor proteins based on a hierarchical Hamiltonian
that we have previously introduced to describe protein folding. The proposed
motor model has high efficiency and is consistent with a linear load-velocity
response. The main improvement with respect to previous models is that this
description suggests a connection between folding and function of allosteric
proteins.Comment: 5 pages RevTeX, 2 Postscript figures, replaced due to LaTeX proble
On the density profile of the globular cluster M92
We present new number density and surface brightness profiles for the
globular cluster M92 (NGC 6341). These profiles are calculated from optical
images collected with the CCD mosaic camera MegaCam at the
Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope and with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the
Hubble Space Telescope. The ground-based data were supplemented with the Sloan
Digital Sky Survey photometric catalog. Special care was taken to discriminate
candidate cluster stars from field stars and to subtract the background
contamination from both profiles. By examining the contour levels of the number
density, we found that the stellar distribution becomes clumpy at radial
distances larger than about 13 arcminutes, and there is no preferred
orientation of contours in space. We performed detailed fits of King and Wilson
models to the observed profiles. The best-fit models underestimate the number
density inside the core radius. Wilson models better represent the
observations, in particular in the outermost cluster regions: the good global
agreement of these models with the observations suggests that there is no need
to introduce an extra-tidal halo to explain the radial distribution of stars at
large radial distances. The best-fit models for the number density and the
surface brightness profiles are different, even though they are based on the
same observations. Additional tests support the evidence that this fact
reflects the difference in the radial distribution of the stellar tracers that
determine the observed profiles (main sequence stars for the number density,
bright evolved stars for the surface brightness).Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, Accepted by A
Structure factor and dynamics of the helix-coil transition
Thermodynamical properties of the helix-coil transition were successfully
described in the past by the model of Lifson, Poland and Sheraga. Here we
compute the corresponding structure factor and show that it possesses a
universal scaling behavior near the transition point, even when the transition
is of first order. Moreover, we introduce a dynamical version of this model,
that we solve numerically. A Langevin equation is also proposed to describe the
dynamics of the density of hydrogen bonds. Analytical solution of this equation
shows dynamical scaling near the critical temperature and predicts a gelation
phenomenon above the critical temperature. In the case when comparison of the
two dynamical approaches is possible, the predictions of our phenomenological
theory agree with the results of the Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure
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