478 research outputs found
The Origin of C IV Absorption Systems at Redshifts z<1---Discovery of Extended C IV Envelopes Around Galaxies
(Abridged) We report the discovery of extended CIV gaseous envelopes around
galaxies of a wide range of luminosity and morphological type. First, we show
that CIV absorption systems are strongly clustered around galaxies on velocity
scales of v < 250 km/s and impact parameter scales of rho < 100 h^{-1} kpc but
not on larger velocity or impact parameter scales. Next, adopting measurements
of galaxy properties presented in previous papers, we examine how properties of
the CIV absorption systems depend on properties of the galaxies. On the basis
of 14 galaxy and absorber pairs and 36 galaxies that do not produce
corresponding CIV absorption lines to within sensitive upper limits, we find
that: (1) Galaxies of a range of morphological type and luminosity appear to
possess extended CIV gaseous envelopes of radius R ~ 100 h^{-1} kpc, with
abrupt boundaries between the CIV absorbing and non-absorbing regions. (2) The
extent of CIV-absorbing gas around galaxies scales with galaxy B-band
luminosity as R \propto L_B^{0.5 +/- 0.1} but does not depend strongly on
galaxy surface brightness, redshift, or morphological type. And (3) the
covering factor of CIV clouds within ~ 100 h^{-1} kpc of galaxies is nearly
unity, but there is a large scatter in the mean number of clouds encountered
along the line of sight. The most significant implication of the study is that
galaxies of a wide range of luminosity and morphological type are surrounded by
chemically enriched gas that extends for at least ~ 100 h^{-1} kpc. We consider
various scenarios that may have produced metals at large galactic distance and
conclude that accreting satellites are most likely to be responsible for
chemically enriched gas at large galactic distances to regular looking
galaxies.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures, to appear in ApJ, July 20 200
The Gaseous Extent of Galaxies and the Origin of \lya Absorption Systems. III. Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of \lya-Absorbing Galaxies at z < 1
We present initial results of a program to obtain and analyze HST WFPC2
images of galaxies identified in an imaging and spectroscopic survey of faint
galaxies in fields of HST spectroscopic target QSOs. We measure properties of
87 galaxies, of which 33 are associated with corresponding \lya absorption
systems and 24 do not produce corresponding \lya absorption lines to within
sensitive upper limits. Considering only galaxy and absorber pairs that are
likely to be physically associated and excluding galaxy and absorber pairs
within 3000 \kms of the background QSOs leaves 26 galaxy and absorber pairs and
seven galaxies that do not produce corresponding \lya absorption lines to
within sensitive upper limits. Redshifts of the galaxy and absorber pairs range
from 0.0750 to 0.8912 with a median of 0.3718, and impact parameter separations
of the galaxy and absorber pairs range from 12.4 to kpc with a
median of kpc. The primary result of the analysis is that the
amount of gas encountered along the line of sight depends on the galaxy impact
parameter and B-band luminosity but does not depend strongly on the galaxy
average surface brightness, disk-to-bulge ratio, or redshift. This result
confirms and improves upon the anti-correlation between \lya absorption
equivalent width and galaxy impact parameter found previously by Lanzetta et
al. (1995). There is no evidence that galaxy interactions play an important
role in distributing tenuous gas around galaxies in most cases. Galaxies might
account for all \lya absorption systems with \AA, but this depends on
the unknown luminosity function and gaseous cross sections of low-luminosity
galaxies as well as on the uncertainties of the observed number density of \lya
absorption systems.Comment: Minor changes. Figure 1 stays intact and is available at
ftp://ftp.ess.sunysb.edu/pub/lanzetta/wfpc
Early Observations and Analysis of the Type 1a SN 2014J in M82
We present optical and near infrared (NIR) observations of the nearby Type Ia SN 2014J. Seventeen optical and 23 NIR spectra were obtained from 10 days before (-10d) to 10 days after (+10d) the time of maximum B-band brightness. The relative strengths of absorption features and their patterns of development can be compared at one day intervals throughout most of this period. Carbon is not detected in the optical spectra, but we identify C I lambda 1.0693 in the NIR spectra. Mg II lines with high oscillator strengths have higher initial velocities than other Mg II lines. We show that the velocity differences can be explained by differences in optical depths due to oscillator strengths. The spectra of SN 2014J show that it is a normal SN Ia, but many parameters are near the boundaries between normal and high-velocity subclasses. The velocities for OI, Mg II, Si II, S Ca a, and Fell suggest that SN 2014J has a layered structure with little or no mixing. That result is consistent with the delayed detonation explosion models. We also report photometric observations, obtained from -10d to +29d, in the UBVRIJH and K-s bands. The template fitting package SNooPy is used to interpret the light curves and to derive photometric parameters. Using R-v = 1.46, which is consistent with previous studies, SNooPy finds that A(v) = 1.80 for E(B - V)(host) = 1.23 +/- 0.06 mag. The maximum B-band brightness of -19.19 +/- 0.10 mag was reached on February 1.74 UT +/- 0.13 days and the supernova has a decline parameter, Delta m(15), of 1.12 +/- 0.02 mag
An infrared integrated optic astronomical beam combiner for stellar interferometry at 3-4 microns
Integrated-optic, astronomical, two-beam and three-beam, interferometric
combiners have been designed and fabricated for operation in the L band (3 - 4
microns) for the first time. The devices have been realized in
titanium-indiffused, x-cut lithium niobate substrates, and on-chip
electro-optic fringe scanning has been demonstrated. White light fringes were
produced in the laboratory using the two-beam combiner integrated with an
on-chip Y-splitter.Comment: This paper was published in Optics Express and is made available as
an electronic reprint with the permission of OSA. The paper can be found at
the following URL on the OSA website: http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe.
Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via
electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under la
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Malaria Life Cycle Intensifies Both Natural Selection and Random Genetic Drift
Analysis of genome sequences of 159 isolates of Plasmodium falciparum from Senegal yields an extraordinarily high proportion (26.85%) of protein-coding genes with the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous polymorphism greater than one. This proportion is much greater than observed in other organisms. Also unusual is that the site-frequency spectra of synonymous and nonsynonymous polymorphisms are virtually indistinguishable. We hypothesized that the complicated life cycle of malaria parasites might lead to qualitatively different population genetics from that predicted from the classical Wright-Fisher (WF) model, which assumes a single random-mating population with a finite and constant population size in an organism with nonoverlapping generations. This paper summarizes simulation studies of random genetic drift and selection in malaria parasites that take into account their unusual life history. Our results show that random genetic drift in the malaria life cycle is more pronounced than under the WF model. Paradoxically, the efficiency of purifying selection in the malaria life cycle is also greater than under WF, and the relative efficiency of positive selection varies according to conditions. Additionally, the site-frequency spectrum under neutrality is also more skewed toward low-frequency alleles than expected with WF. These results highlight the importance of considering the malaria life cycle when applying existing population genetic tools based on the WF model. The same caveat applies to other species with similarly complex life cycles.Organismic and Evolutionary Biolog
Methods and apparatus for constructing and implementing a universal extension module for processing objects in a database
Methods and apparatus for providing a multi-tier object-relational database architecture are disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a multi-tier database architecture comprises an object-relational database engine as a top tier, one or more domain-specific extension modules as a bottom tier, and one or more universal extension modules as a middle tier. The individual extension modules of the bottom tier operationally connect with the one or more universal extension modules which, themselves, operationally connect with the database engine. The domain-specific extension modules preferably provide such functions as search, index, and retrieval services of images, video, audio, time series, web pages, text, XML, spatial data, etc. The domain-specific extension modules may include one or more IBM DB2 extenders, Oracle data cartridges and/or Informix datablades, although other domain-specific extension modules may be used
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