467 research outputs found
Alien Registration- Minier, Marie C. (Fort Kent, Aroostook County)
https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/36312/thumbnail.jp
NG7538 IRS1 N: modeling a circumstellar maser disk
We present an edge-on Keplerian disk model to explain the main component of
the 12.2 and 6.7 GHz methanol maser emission detected toward NGC7538-IRS1 N.
The brightness distribution and spectrum of the line of bright masers are
successfully modeled with high amplification of background radio continuum
emission along velocity coherent paths through a maser disk. The bend seen in
the position-velocity diagram is a characteristic signature of differentially
rotating disks. For a central mass of 30 solar masses, suggested by other
observations, our model fixes the masing disk to have inner and outer radii of
about 270 AU and 750 AU.Comment: To appear in The Proceedings of the 2004 European Workshop: "Dense
Molecular Gas around Protostars and in Galatic Nuclei", Eds. Y. Hagiwara,
W.A. Baan, H.J. van Langevelde, 2004, a special issue of ApSS, Kluwe
Introduction: Performing Narrative across Media
The Introduction aims to illustrate the ongoing interdisciplinary debate on the relational, affective and performative aspects of narrative in contemporary culture that have been lately brought centre stage with a distinctive and tense prominence within the field of cultural studies. It also provides a brief survey of the articles collected in the issue showing their contribution to the peculiar ‘processual’, convergent character of new textualities, literacies, and subjectivities as they have emerged in the age of digital culture
Physical characterisation of southern massive star-forming regions using Parkes NH observations
We have undertaken a Parkes ammonia spectral line study, in the lowest two
inversion transitions, of southern massive star formation regions, including
young massive candidate protostars, with the aim of characterising the earliest
stages of massive star formation. 138 sources from the submillimetre continuum
emission studies of Hill et al., were found to have robust (1,1) detections,
including two sources with two velocity components, and 102 in the (2,2)
transition.
We determine the ammonia line properties of the sources: linewidth, flux
density, kinetic temperature, NH column density and opacity, and revisit
our SED modelling procedure to derive the mass for 52 of the sources. By
combining the continuum emission information with ammonia observations we
substantially constrain the physical properties of the high-mass clumps. There
is clear complementarity between ammonia and continuum observations for
derivations of physical parameters.
The MM-only class, identified in the continuum studies of Hill et al.,
display smaller sizes, mass and velocity dispersion and/or turbulence than
star-forming clumps, suggesting a quiescent prestellar stage and/or the
formation of less massive stars.Comment: 20 pages, 9 Figures, 1 appendix (to appear in full online only, a
sample appendix in the paper); 7 tables. Accepted by MNRA
The Extended Methanol Maser Emission in W51
The European VLBI Network (EVN) has been used to make phase referenced,
wide-field (several arcminute) spectral line observations of the 6.7-GHz
methanol maser emission towards W51. In the W51main region, the bulk of the
methanol is offset from an UCHII region. This probably indicates the methanol
emission arises at the interface of the expanding UCHII region and not from an
edge-on circumstellar disc, as previously suggested. Near the W51 IRS2 region,
the methanol emission is associated with a very compact, extremely embedded
source supporting the hypothesis that methanol masers trace the earliest stages
of massive star formation. As well as these two previously well studied sites
of star formation, many previously unknown regions star formation are detected,
demonstrating that methanol masers are powerful means of detection young
massive stars.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
How do methanol masers manage to appear in the youngest star vicinities and isolated molecular clumps?
General characteristics of methanol (CH3OH) maser emission are summarized. It
is shown that methanol maser sources are concentrated in the spiral arms. Most
of the methanol maser sources from the Perseus arm are associated with embedded
stellar clusters and a considerable portion is situated close to compact HII
regions. Almost 1/3 of the Perseus Arm sources lie at the edges of optically
identified HII regions which means that massive star formation in the Perseus
Arm is to a great extent triggered by local phenomena. A multiline analysis of
the methanol masers allows us to determine the physical parameters in the
regions of maser formation. Maser modelling shows that class II methanol masers
can be pumped by the radiation of the warm dust as well as by free-free
emission of a hypercompact region hcHII with a turnover frequency exceeding 100
GHz. Methanol masers of both classes can reside in the vicinity of hcHIIs.
Modelling shows that periodic changes of maser fluxes can be reproduced by
variations of the dust temperature by a few percent which may be caused by
variations in the brightness of the central young stellar object reflecting the
character of the accretion process. Sensitive observations have shown that the
masers with low flux densities can still have considerable amplification
factors. The analysis of class I maser surveys allows us to identify four
distinct regimes that differ by the series of their brightest lines.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, invited presentation at IAU242 "Astrophysical
Masers and their environments
Associations of water and methanol masers at milli-arcsec angular resolution in two high-mass young stellar objects
Most previous high-angular (<0.1 arcsec) resolution studies of molecular
masers in high-mass star forming regions (SFRs) have concentrated mainly on
either water or methanol masers. While high-angular resolution observations
have clarified that water masers originate from shocks associated with
protostellar jets, different environments have been proposed in several sources
to explain the origin of methanol masers. Tha aim of the paper is to
investigate the nature of the methanol maser birthplace in SFRs and the
association between the water and methanol maser emission in the same young
stellar object. We have conducted phase-reference Very Long Baseline
Interferometry (VLBI) observations of water and methanol masers toward two
high-mass SFRs, Sh 2-255 IR and AFGL 5142. In Sh 2-255 IR water masers are
aligned along a direction close to the orientation of the molecular outflow
observed on angular scales of 1-10 arcsec, tracing possibly the disk-wind
emerging from the disk atmosphere. In AFGL 5142 water masers trace expansion at
the base of a protostellar jet, whilst methanol masers are more probably
tracing infalling than outflowing gas. The results for AFGL 5142 suggest that
water and methanol masers trace different kinematic structures in the
circumstellar gas.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Submm/FIR astronomy in Antarctica: Potential for a large telescope facility
20International audiencePreliminary site testing datasets suggest that Dome C in Antarctica is one of the best sites on Earth for astronomical observations in the 200 to 500 micron regime, i.e. for far-infrared (FIR) and submillimetre (submm) astronomy. We present an overview of potential science cases that could be addressed with a large telescope facility at Dome C. This paper also includes a presentation of the current knowledge about the site characterics in terms of atmospheric transmission, stability, sky noise and polar constraints on telescopes. Current and future site testing campaigns are finally described
DIESE Final Report
The DIESE program (Determination of relevant Indicators for Environmental monitoring: A Strategy for Europe) brought together seven French and British research teams, a private company and the agencies responsible for the management of water bodies of the two countries (ONEMA and the Environmental Agency) in a joint effort to document the ecotoxicological effects related to the presence of chemicals in the environment. To contribute to a better understanding and management of the environment, the program has expanded its efforts to (1) use existing knowledge, or new information acquired during the research program, to identify important biological problems affecting
wildlife, (2) increase our understanding of toxicological mechanisms involved and thus be able to identify the causes of the identified dysfunctions and (3) to hone our expertise and vigilance systems in order to better monitor changes in the environment and make appropriate diagnoses.
The first part of the program identified clear biological effects, and using biological tests representative of the mechanisms of action of compounds, identified the responsible compounds present in the environment. In connection with the feminization observed in many fish species in European streams, a search for estrogenic and anti-androgenic compounds was conducted. A new test
identifying estrogenic compounds has been developed in roach and the ER-Calux test for anti-androgenic effects has been implemented. The results showed that, in addition to biocides such as triclosan and chlorophène, many aromatic hydrocarbon compounds are likely to disturb the physiology
of living organisms by interacting with the androgen receptor. Six of these were identified in sediment extracts: benzanthrone, fluoranthene, 1,2- benzodiphenylene sulfide, benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a] anthracene, and 9-phenylcarbazole.
The second part of the program aimed at documenting and understanding the mechanisms of action of chemicals leading to physiological changes. This work represents a particular challenge when dealing with molluscs, as knowledge about their physiology and endocrinology is still fragmentary. Thus, new technologies including metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses have been implemented in order to obtain a comprehensive picture of the effects on molluscs. Metabolomic research demonstrated that estrogenic compounds are able to alter the metabolism of eicosanoids and amines, while transcriptomic strategies identified genes whose expression is altered in intersex clams. Because these genes mainly appear as “male” genes, the results suggest that these profound physiological changes result from demasculinisation of male clams. Proteomic studies have also been carried out to elucidate the mechanisms of action of pollutants on fish physiology. These studies generally included a set of molecular marker measurements in an integrative and ecological perspective. The results showed that not only male fish physiology is altered but also female reproductive status is impaired. Moreover, it appeared that other alterations of the fish endocrine system, such as androgenic effects, are at work and that the immune system is also subject to chemical pressure including effects from environmental estrogens. Notably, the immune system, like the endocrine system, seems to show periods of particular sensitivity during development. Measurements on growth and on the general metabolism emphasize the importance of environmental conditions in the physiology of aquatic organisms and in particular the inter-site variability due to temperature,hypoxic conditions, and fish development strategies. They thus provide a unique perspective that allow us to better understand the context and consequences of natural conditions on the population.
In a third part of the program, the research conducted had the objective of developing and testing a biomarker strategy to support the environmental management methodologies. Two lanes of specific studies have been followed. The first was to implement, over all or part of the study area, robust biomarkers to establish maps that highlight the water bodies at risk and provide information on sources of compounds and associated disturbances. The second part of the work aimed at exploring methodologies to take advantage of biomarker measurements and to integrate them in a very simple and clear index. Partial or comprehensive maps of the Channel area were produced to report the presence of mutagenic or anti-androgenic compounds in the sediments, intersex fish and clams, and imposex. These maps may remain to be completed and work will be necessary to confront this information in order to learn relevant lessons for management of the environment, a goal that the DIESE program has contributed to by providing some necessary and original information
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