6,856 research outputs found
Cosmic Sculpture: A new way to visualise the Cosmic Microwave Background
3D printing presents an attractive alternative to visual representation of
physical datasets such as astronomical images that can be used for research,
outreach or teaching purposes, and is especially relevant to people with a
visual disability. We here report the use of 3D printing technology to produce
a representation of the all-sky Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) intensity
anisotropy maps produced by the Planck mission. The success of this work in
representing key features of the CMB is discussed as is the potential of this
approach for representing other astrophysical data sets. 3D printing such
datasets represents a highly complementary approach to the usual 2D projections
used in teaching and outreach work, and can also form the basis of
undergraduate projects. The CAD files used to produce the models discussed in
this paper are made available.Comment: Accepted for publication in the European Journal of Physic
Nuclear gas dynamics in Arp 220 - sub-kiloparsec scale atomic hydrogen disks
We present new, high angular resolution (~0.22") MERLIN observations of
neutral hydrogen (HI) absorption and 21-cm radio continuum emission across the
central ~900 parsecs of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy, Arp220. Spatially
resolved HI absorption is detected against the morphologically complex and
extended 21-cm radio continuum emission, consistent with two counterrotating
disks of neutral hydrogen, with a small bridge of gas connecting the two.
We propose a merger model in which the two nuclei represent the galaxy cores
which have survived the initial encounter and are now in the final stages of
merging, similar to conclusions drawn from previous CO studies (Sakamoto,
Scoville & Yun 1999). However, we suggest that instead of being coplanar with
the main CO disk (in which the eastern nucleus is embedded), the western
nucleus lies above it and, as suggested by bridge of HI connecting the two
nuclei, will soon complete its final merger with the main disk. We suggest that
the collection of radio supernovae (RSN) detected in VLBA studies in the more
compact western nucleus represent the second burst of star formation associated
with this final merger stage and that free-free absorption due to ionised gas
in the bulge-like component can account for the observed RSN distribution.
(Abridged)Comment: 26 pages including 8 figures and 1 table; accepted for publication in
Ap
Candidate High Redshift and Primeval Galaxies in Hubble Deep Field South
We present the results of colour selection of candidate high redshift
galaxies in Hubble Deep Field South (HDF-S) using the Lyman dropout scheme. The
HDF-S data we discuss were taken in a number of different filters extending
from the near--UV (F300W) to the infrared (F222M) in two different fields. This
allows us to select candidates with redshifts from z~3 to z~12. We find 15
candidate z~3 objects (F300W dropouts), 1 candidate z~4 object (F450W dropout)
and 16 candidate z5 objects (F606W dropouts) in the ~ 4.7 arcmin^2 WFPC-2
field, 4 candidate z~6 (optical dropouts) and 1 candidate z~8 (F110W dropout)
in the 0.84 arcmin^2 NICMOS-3 field. No F160W dropouts are found (z~12). We
compare our selection technique with existing data for HDF-North and discuss
alternative interpretations of the objects. We conclude that there are a number
of lower redshift interlopers in the selections, including one previously
identified object (Treu et al. 1998), and reject those objects most likely to
be foreground contaminants. Even after this we conclude that the F606W dropout
list is likely to still contain substantial foreground contamination. The lack
of candidate very high redshift UV-luminous galaxies supports earlier
conclusions by Lanzetta et al. (1998). We discuss the morphologies and
luminosity functions of the high redshift objects, and their cosmological
implications.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
Ground-based detection of a cloud of methanol from Enceladus: When is a biomarker not a biomarker?
Saturn's moon Enceladus has vents emerging from a sub-surface ocean, offering
unique probes into the liquid environment. These vents drain into the larger
neutral torus in orbit around Saturn. We present a methanol (CH3OH) detection
observed with IRAM 30-m from 2008 along the line-of-sight through Saturn's
E-ring. Additionally, we also present supporting observations from the Herschel
public archive of water (ortho-H2O; 1669.9 GHz) from 2012 at a similar
elongation and line-of-sight. The CH3OH 5(1,1)-4(1,1) transition was detected
at 5.9 sigma confidence. The line has 0.43 km/s width and is offset by +8.1
km/s in the moon's reference frame. Radiative transfer models allow for gas
cloud dimensions from 1750 km up to the telescope beam diameter ~73000 km.
Taking into account the CH3OH lifetime against solar photodissociation and the
redshifted line velocity, there are two possible explanations for the CH3OH
emission: methanol is primarily a secondary product of chemical interactions
within the neutral torus that (1) spreads outward throughout the E-ring or (2)
originates from a compact, confined gas cloud lagging Enceladus by several
km/s. We find either scenario to be consistent with significant redshifted H2O
emission (4 sigma) measured from the Herschel public archive. The measured
CH3OH:H2O abundance (> 0.5 per cent) significantly exceeds the observed
abundance in the direct vicinity of the vents (~0.01 per cent), suggesting
CH3OH is likely chemically processed within the gas cloud with methane (CH4) as
its parent species.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in the International
Journal of Astrobiology (IJA
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