6,965 research outputs found
GINS: a new tool for VLBI Geodesy and Astrometry
In the framework of the "Groupe de Recherches de G\'eod\'esie Spatiale"
(GRGS), a rigorous combination of the data from five space geodetic techniques
(VLBI, GPS, SLR, LLR and DORIS) is routinely applied to simultaneously
determine a Terrestrial Reference Frame (TRF) and Earth Orientation Parameters
(EOP). This analysis is conducted with the software package GINS which has the
capability to process data from all five techniques together. Such a
combination at the observation level should ultimately facilitate fine
geophysical studies of the global Earth system. In this project, Bordeaux
Observatory is in charge of the VLBI data analysis, while satellite geodetic
data are processed by other groups. In this paper, we present (i) details about
the VLBI analysis undertaken with GINS, and (ii) the results obtained for the
EOP during the period 2005-2006. We also compare this EOP solution with the IVS
(International VLBI Service for geodesy and astrometry) analysis coordinator
combined results. The agreement is at the 0.2 mas level, comparable to that of
the other IVS analysis centers, which demonstrates the capability of the GINS
software for VLBI analysis
VLBI analyses with the GINS software for multi-technique combination at the observation level
A rigorous approach to simultaneously determine a Terrestrial Reference Frame
(TRF) and Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP) is now currently applied on a
routine basis in a coordinated project within the Groupe de Recherches de
G\'eod\'esie Spatiale (GRGS) in France. Observations of the various space
geodetic techniques (VLBI, SLR, LLR, DORIS and GPS) are separately processed by
different analysis centers with the software package GINS-DYNAMO, developed and
maintained at the GRGS/CNES (Toulouse). This project is aimed at facilitating
fine geophysical analyses of the global Earth system (GGOS project). In this
framework, Bordeaux Observatory is in charge of the VLBI (Very Long Baseline
Interferometry) analyses with GINS for combination with the data of the other
space geodetic techniques at the observation level. In this paper, we present
(i) the analyses undertaken with this new VLBI software, and (ii) the results
obtained for the EOP from beginning 2005 until 2007. Finally, we compare this
EOP solution with the IVS (International VLBI Service) Analysis Coordinator
combined results. The agreement is at the 0.2 mas level, comparable to that of
the other IVS Analysis Centers, which demonstrates the VLBI capability of the
GINS software
Multi-step VLBI observations of weak extragalactic radio sources to align the ICRF and the future GAIA frame
The space astrometry mission GAIA will construct a dense optical QSO-based
celestial reference frame. For consistency between optical and radio positions,
it will be important to align the GAIA frame and the International Celestial
Reference Frame (ICRF) with the highest accuracy. Currently, it is found that
only 10% of the ICRF sources are suitable to establish this link, either
because they are not bright enough at optical wavelengths or because they have
significant extended radio emission which precludes reaching the highest
astrometric accuracy. In order to improve the situation, we have initiated a
VLBI survey dedicated to finding additional suitable radio sources for aligning
the two frames. The sample consists of about 450 sources, typically 20 times
weaker than the current ICRF sources (down to the 20 mJy flux level), which
have been selected by cross-correlating optical and radio catalogues. This
paper presents the observing strategy to detect, image, and measure accurate
positions for these sources. It will also provide results about the VLBI
detectability of the sources, as derived from initial observations with the
European VLBI Network in June and October 2007. Based on these observations, an
excellent detection rate of 89% is found, which is very promising for the
continuation of this project
The [OIII]H Equivalent Width Distribution at z7: Implications for the Contribution of Galaxies to Reionization
We quantify the distribution of [OIII]+H line strengths at z7
using a sample of 20 bright (M 21) galaxies. We
select these systems over wide-area fields (2.3 deg total) using a new
colour-selection which precisely selects galaxies at z6.636.83, a
redshift range where blue Spitzer/IRAC [3.6][4.5] colours unambiguously
indicate strong [OIII]H emission. These 20 galaxies suggest a
log-normal [OIII]H EW distribution with median EW =
759 and standard deviation =
0.26 dex. We find no evidence for strong variation in this EW
distribution with UV luminosity. The typical [OIII]+H EW at z7
implied by our sample is considerably larger than that in massive star forming
galaxies at z2, consistent with a shift toward larger average sSFR (4.4
Gyr) and lower metallicities (0.16 Z). We also find evidence for
the emergence of a population with yet more extreme nebular emission
([OIII]+H EW1200 ) that is rarely seen at
lower redshifts. These objects have extremely large sSFR (30 Gyr), as
would be expected for systems undergoing a burst or upturn in star formation.
While this may be a short-lived phase, our results suggest that 20% of the
z7 population has such extreme nebular emission, implying that galaxies
likely undergo intense star formation episodes regularly at z6. We argue
that this population may be among the most effective ionizing agents in the
reionization era, both in terms of photon production efficiency and escape
fraction. We furthermore suggest that galaxies passing through this large sSFR
phase are likely to be very efficient in forming bound star clusters.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures. Accepted in MNRAS with minor revision
VLBI observations of weak extragalactic radio sources for the alignment of the future GAIA frame with the ICRF
The space astrometry mission GAIA will construct a dense optical QSO-based
celestial reference frame. For consistency between the optical and radio
positions, it will be important to align the GAIA frame and the International
Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF) with the highest accuracy. Currently, it is
found that only 10% of the ICRF sources are suitable to establish this link,
either because they are not bright enough at optical wavelengths or because
they have significant extended radio emission which precludes reaching the
highest astrometric accuracy. In order to improve the situation, we have
initiated a VLBI survey dedicated to finding additional high-quality radio
sources for aligning the two frames. The sample consists of about 450 sources,
typically 20 times weaker than the current ICRF sources, which have been
selected by cross-correlating optical and radio catalogues. This paper presents
the observing strategy and includes preliminary results of observation of 224
of these sources with the European VLBI Network in June 2007
Variations of the stellar initial mass function in the progenitors of massive early-type galaxies and in extreme starburst environments
This is the final version of the article. Available from IOP Publishing via the DOI in this record.We examine variations of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) in extreme environments within the formalism derived by Hennebelle & Chabrier. We focus on conditions encountered in progenitors of massive early-type galaxies and starburst regions. We show that, when applying the concept of turbulent Jeans mass as the characteristic mass for fragmentation in a turbulent medium, the peak of the IMF in such environments is shifted toward smaller masses, leading to a bottom-heavy IMF, as suggested by various observations. In very dense and turbulent environments, we predict that the high-mass tail of the IMF can become even steeper than the standard Salpeter IMF, with a limit for the power-law exponent α sime –2.7, in agreement with recent observational determinations. This steepening is a direct consequence of the high densities and Mach values in such regions but also of the time dependence of the fragmentation process, as incorporated in the Hennebelle-Chabrier theory. We provide analytical parameterizations of these IMFs in such environments to be used in galaxy evolution calculations. We also calculate the star-formation rates and the mass-to-light ratios expected under such extreme conditions and show that they agree well with the values inferred in starburst environments and massive high-redshift galaxies. This reinforces the paradigm of star formation as being a universal process, i.e., the direct outcome of gravitationally unstable fluctuations in a density field initially generated by large-scale, shock-dominated turbulence. This globally enables us to infer the variations of the stellar IMF and related properties for atypical galactic conditions.The authors are grateful to C. Federrath for providing the data used in Figures 3 and 4. This research has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013 grant agreements No. 247060, No. 306483, and No. 321323NEOGAL)
The Celestial Reference Frame at 24 and 43 GHz. II. Imaging
We have measured the sub-milli-arcsecond structure of 274 extragalactic
sources at 24 and 43 GHz in order to assess their astrometric suitability for
use in a high frequency celestial reference frame (CRF). Ten sessions of
observations with the Very Long Baseline Array have been conducted over the
course of 5 years, with a total of 1339 images produced for the 274
sources. There are several quantities that can be used to characterize the
impact of intrinsic source structure on astrometric observations including the
source flux density, the flux density variability, the source structure index,
the source compactness, and the compactness variability. A detailed analysis of
these imaging quantities shows that (1) our selection of compact sources from
8.4 GHz catalogs yielded sources with flux densities, averaged over the
sessions in which each source was observed, of about 1 Jy at both 24 and 43
GHz, (2) on average the source flux densities at 24 GHz varied by 20%-25%
relative to their mean values, with variations in the session-to-session flux
density scale being less than 10%, (3) sources were found to be more compact
with less intrinsic structure at higher frequencies, and (4) variations of the
core radio emission relative to the total flux density of the source are less
than 8% on average at 24 GHz. We conclude that the reduction in the effects due
to source structure gained by observing at higher frequencies will result in an
improved CRF and a pool of high-quality fiducial reference points for use in
spacecraft navigation over the next decade.Comment: 63 pages, 18 figures, 6 tables, accepted by the Astronomical Journa
Un procedimiento y una herramienta de ayuda a la decisión para desarrollar estrategias de rehabilitación energética sostenibles para la Directiva Europea (EPBD) 2010
The 2010 EPBD asks for an economic and social analysis in order to preserve social equity and to promote innovation and building productivity. This is possible with a life cycle energy cost (LCEC) analysis, such as with the SEC (Sustainable Energy Cost) model whose bottom up approach begins with a building typology including inhabitants. Then the analysis of some representative buildings includes the identification of a technico-economical optimum and energy retrofitting scenarios for each retrofitting programme and the extrapolation for the whole building stock. An extrapolation for the whole building stock allows to set up the strategy and to identify the needed means for reaching the objectives.
SEC is a decision aid tool for optimising sustainable energy retrofitting strategies for buildings at territorial and patrimonial scales inside a sustainable development approach towards the factor 4. Various versions of the SEC model are now available for housing and for tertiary buildings.La directiva europea de 2010 sobre eficiencia energética en los edificios exige un análisis económico y social con el objetivo de preservar la equidad social, promover la innovación y reforzar la productividad en la construcción.
Esto es posible con el análisis del coste global ampliado y especialmente con el modelo SEC. El análisis “bottom up” realizado con la SEC se basa en una tipología de edificio/usuario y en el análisis de edificios representativos: la identificación del óptimo técnico-económico y elaboración de escenarios antes de hacer una extrapolación al conjunto del parque.
SEC es una herramienta de ayuda a la decisión para desarrollar estrategias territoriales o patrimoniales de rehabilitación energética. Existen diversas versiones del modelo: para edificios residenciales (unifamiliares y plurifamiliares, públicos y privados) y para edificios terciarios
Abundance patterns in early-type galaxies: is there a 'knee' in the [Fe/H] vs. [alpha/Fe] relation?
Early-type galaxies (ETGs) are known to be enhanced in alpha elements, in
accordance with their old ages and short formation timescales. In this
contribution we aim to resolve the enrichment histories of ETGs. This means we
study the abundance of Fe ([Fe/H]) and the alpha-element groups ([alpha/Fe])
separately for stars older than 9.5 Gyr ([Fe/H]o, [alpha/Fe]o) and for stars
between 1.5 and 9.5 Gyr ([Fe/H]i, [alpha/Fe]i). Through extensive simulation we
show that we can indeed recover the enrichment history per galaxy. We then
analyze a spectroscopic sample of 2286 early-type galaxies from the SDSS
selected to be ETGs. We separate out those galaxies for which the abundance of
iron in stars grows throughout the lifetime of the galaxy, i.e. in which
[Fe/H]o < [Fe/H]i. We confirm earlier work where the [Fe/H] and [alpha/Fe]
parameters are correlated with the mass and velocity dispersion of ETGs. We
emphasize that the strongest relation is between [alpha/Fe] and age. This
relation falls into two regimes, one with a steep slope for old galaxies and
one with a shallow slope for younger ETGs. The vast majority of ETGs in our
sample do not show the 'knee' in the plot of [Fe/H] vs. [alpha/Fe] commonly
observed in local group galaxies. This implies that for the vast majority of
ETGs, the stars younger than 9.5 Gyrs are likely to have been accreted or
formed from accreted gas. The properties of the intermediate-age stars in
accretion-dominated ETGs indicate that mass growth through late (minor) mergers
in ETGs is dominated by galaxies with low [Fe/H] and low [alpha/Fe]. The method
of reconstructing the stellar enrichment histories of ETGs introduced in this
paper promises to constrain the star formation and mass assembly histories of
large samples of galaxies in a unique way.Comment: 22 pages, 25 figures, accepted for publication by A&
Near-Infrared Microlensing of Stars by the Super-Massive Black Hole in the Galactic Center
We investigate microlensing amplification of faint stars in the dense stellar
cluster in the Galactic Center (GC) by the super-massive black hole (BH). Such
events would appear very close to the position of the radio source SgrA*, which
is thought to coincide with the BH, and could be observed during the monitoring
of stellar motions in the GC. We use the observed K-band (2.2 um) luminosity
function (KLF) in the GC and in Baade's Window, as well as stellar population
synthesis computations, to construct KLF models for the inner 300 pc of the
Galaxy. These, and the observed dynamical properties of this region, are used
to compute the rates of microlensing events, which amplify stars above
specified detection thresholds. We present computations of the lensing rates
and amplifications as functions of the event durations (weeks to years), for a
range of detection thresholds. We find that short events dominate the total
rate and that long events tend to have large amplifications. For the current
detection limit of K=17 mag, the total microlensing rate is 0.003 1/yr, and the
rate of events with durations >1 yr is 0.001 1/yr. Recent GC proper motion
studies have revealed the possible presence of one or two variable K-band
sources very close to SgrA* (Genzel et al 97; Ghez et al 98). These sources may
have attained peak brightnesses of K~15 mag, about 1.5-2 mag above the
observational detection limits, and appear to have varied on a timescale of ~1
yr. This behavior is consistent with long-duration microlensing of faint stars
by the BH. However, we estimate that the probability that such an event could
have been detected during the course of the recent proper motion studies is
\~0.5%. A ten-fold improvement in the detection limit and 10 yr of monthly
monitoring would increase the total detection probability to ~20%. (Abridged)Comment: 29 p. with 5 figs. To appear in ApJ. Changed to reflect published
version. Short discussions of solar metallicity luminosity function and
star-star microlensing adde
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