90 research outputs found
Effects of Noise on Galaxy Isophotes
The study of shapes of the images of objects is an important issue not only
because it reveals its dynamical state but also it helps to understand the
object's evolutionary history. We discuss a new technique in cosmological image
analysis which is based on a set of non-parametric shape descriptors known as
the Minkowski Functionals (MFs). These functionals are extremely versatile and
under some conditions give a complete description of the geometrical properties
of objects. We believe that MFs could be a useful tool to extract information
about the shapes of galaxies, clusters of galaxies and superclusters. The
information revealed by MFs can be utilized along with the knowledge obtained
from currently popular methods and thus could improve our understanding of the
true shapes of cosmological objects.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, to appear in "The IGM/Galaxy Connection - The
Distribution of Baryons at z=0" Conference Proceeding
The morphological and dynamical evolution of simulated galaxy clusters
We explore the morphological and dynamical evolution of galaxy clusters in
simulations using scalar and vector-valued Minkowski valuations and the concept
of fundamental plane relations. In this context, three questions are of
fundamental interest: 1. How does the average cluster morphology depend on the
cosmological background model? 2. Is it possible to discriminate between
different cosmological models using cluster substructure in a statistically
significant way? 3. How is the dynamical state of a cluster, especially its
distance from a virial equilibrium, correlated to its visual substructure? To
answer these questions, we quantify cluster substructure using a set of
morphological order parameters constructed on the basis of the Minkowski
valuations (MVs). The dynamical state of a cluster is described using global
cluster parameters: in certain spaces of such parameters fundamental band-like
structures are forming indicating the emergence of a virial equilibrium. We
find that the average distances from these fundamental structures are
correlated to the average amount of cluster substructure for our cluster
samples during the time evolution. Furthermore, significant differences show up
between the high- and the low-Omega models. We pay special attention to the
redshift evolution of morphological characteristics and find large differences
between the cosmological models even for higher redshifts.Comment: A and A, accepte
Extended morphometric analysis of neuronal cells with Minkowski valuations
Minkowski valuations provide a systematic framework for quantifying different
aspects of morphology. In this paper we apply vector- and tensor-valued
Minkowski valuations to neuronal cells from the cat's retina in order to
describe their morphological structure in a comprehensive way. We introduce the
framework of Minkowski valuations, discuss their implementation for neuronal
cells and show how they can discriminate between cells of different types.Comment: 14 pages, 18 postscript figure
Morphological fluctuations of large-scale structure: the PSCz survey
In a follow-up study to a previous analysis of the IRAS 1.2Jy catalogue, we quantify the morphological fluctuations in the PSCz survey. We use a variety of measures, among them the family of scalar Minkowski functionals. We confirm the existence of significant fluctuations that are discernible in volume-limited samples out to 200Mpc/h. In contrast to earlier findings, comparisons with cosmological N-body simulations reveal that the observed fluctuations roughly agree with the cosmic variance found in corresponding mock samples. While two-point measures, e.g. the variance of count-in-cells, fluctuate only mildly, the fluctuations in the morphology on large scales indicate the presence of coherent structures that are at least as large as the sample
Revealing components of the galaxy population through nonparametric techniques
The distributions of galaxy properties vary with environment, and are often
multimodal, suggesting that the galaxy population may be a combination of
multiple components. The behaviour of these components versus environment holds
details about the processes of galaxy development. To release this information
we apply a novel, nonparametric statistical technique, identifying four
components present in the distribution of galaxy H emission-line
equivalent-widths. We interpret these components as passive, star-forming, and
two varieties of active galactic nuclei. Independent of this interpretation,
the properties of each component are remarkably constant as a function of
environment. Only their relative proportions display substantial variation. The
galaxy population thus appears to comprise distinct components which are
individually independent of environment, with galaxies rapidly transitioning
between components as they move into denser environments.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Mark correlations: relating physical properties to spatial distributions
Mark correlations provide a systematic approach to look at objects both
distributed in space and bearing intrinsic information, for instance on
physical properties. The interplay of the objects' properties (marks) with the
spatial clustering is of vivid interest for many applications; are, e.g.,
galaxies with high luminosities more strongly clustered than dim ones? Do
neighbored pores in a sandstone have similar sizes? How does the shape of
impact craters on a planet depend on the geological surface properties? In this
article, we give an introduction into the appropriate mathematical framework to
deal with such questions, i.e. the theory of marked point processes. After
having clarified the notion of segregation effects, we define universal test
quantities applicable to realizations of a marked point processes. We show
their power using concrete data sets in analyzing the luminosity-dependence of
the galaxy clustering, the alignment of dark matter halos in gravitational
-body simulations, the morphology- and diameter-dependence of the Martian
crater distribution and the size correlations of pores in sandstone. In order
to understand our data in more detail, we discuss the Boolean depletion model,
the random field model and the Cox random field model. The first model
describes depletion effects in the distribution of Martian craters and pores in
sandstone, whereas the last one accounts at least qualitatively for the
observed luminosity-dependence of the galaxy clustering.Comment: 35 pages, 12 figures. to be published in Lecture Notes of Physics,
second Wuppertal conference "Spatial statistics and statistical physics
Partial clustering prevents global crystallization in a binary 2D colloidal glass former
A mixture of two types of super-paramagnetic colloidal particles with long
range dipolar interaction is confined by gravity to a flat interface of a
hanging water droplet. The particles are observed by video microscopy and the
dipolar interaction strength is controlled via an external magnetic field. The
system is a model system to study the glass transition in 2D, and it exhibits
partial clustering of the small particles. This clustering is strongly
dependent on the relative concentration of big and small particles.
However, changing the interaction strength reveals that the clustering
does not depend on the interaction strength. The partial clustering scenario is
quantified using Minkowski functionals and partial structure factors. Evidence
that partial clustering prevents global crystallization is discussed
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