1,177 research outputs found
An empirical calibration of nebular abundances based on the sulphur emission lines
We present an empirical calibration of nebular abundances based on the strong
emission lines of [SII] and [SIII] in the red part of the spectrum through the
definition of a sulphur abundance parameter S23. This calibration presents two
important advantages against the commonly used one based on the optical oxygen
lines: it remains single-valued up to abundances close to solar and is rather
independent of the degree of ionization of the nebula.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Sulphur abundance determinations in star-forming regions-I: Ionization Correction Factor
In the present work we used a grid of photoionization models combined with
stellar population synthesis models to derive reliable Ionization Correction
Factors (ICFs) for the sulphur in star-forming regions. These models cover a
large range of nebular parameters and yielding ionic abundances in consonance
with those derived through optical and infrared observational data of
star-forming regions. From our theoretical ICFs, we suggested an {\alpha} value
of 3.27 in the classical Stasinska formulae. We compared the total sulphur
abundance in the gas phase of a large sample of objects by using our
Theoretical ICF and other approaches. In average, the differences between the
determinations via the use of the different ICFs considered are similar to the
uncertainties in the S/H estimations. Nevertheless, we noted that for some
objects it could reach up to about 0.3 dex for the low metallicity regime.
Despite of the large scatter of the points, we found a trend of S/O ratio to
decrease with the metallicity, independently of the ICF used to compute the
sulphur total abundance.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 21 pages, 8 figures, 5 table
1.5V fully programmable CMOS Membership Function Generator Circuit with proportional DC-voltage control
A Membership Function Generator Circuit (MFGC) with bias supply of 1.5 Volts and independent DC-voltage programmable functionalities is presented. The realization is based on a programmable differential current mirror and three compact voltage-to-current converters, allowing continuous and quasi-linear adjustment of the center position, height, width and slopes of the triangular/trapezoidal output waveforms. HSPICE simulation results of the proposed circuit using the parameters of a double-poly, three metal layers, 0.5 μm CMOS technology validate the functionality of the proposed architecture, which exhibits a maximum deviation of the linearity in the programmability of 7 %
Aperture-free star formation rate of SDSS star-forming galaxies
Large area surveys with a high number of galaxies observed have undoubtedly
marked a milestone in the understanding of several properties of galaxies, such
as star-formation history, morphology, and metallicity. However, in many cases,
these surveys provide fluxes from fixed small apertures (e.g. fibre), which
cover a scant fraction of the galaxy, compelling us to use aperture corrections
to study the global properties of galaxies. In this work, we derive the current
total star formation rate (SFR) of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) star-forming
galaxies, using an empirically based aperture correction of the measured flux for the first time, thus minimising the uncertainties associated
with reduced apertures. All the fluxes have been
extinction-corrected using the ratio free from aperture
effects. The total SFR for 210,000 SDSS star-forming galaxies has been
derived applying pure empirical and aperture
corrections based on the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) survey.
We find that, on average, the aperture-corrected SFR is 0.65dex higher
than the SDSS fibre-based SFR. The relation between the SFR and stellar mass
for SDSS star-forming galaxies (SFR--) has been obtained, together
with its dependence on extinction and equivalent width. We
compare our results with those obtained in previous works and examine the
behaviour of the derived SFR in six redshift bins, over the redshift range . The SFR-- sequence derived here is in
agreement with selected observational studies based on integral field
spectroscopy of individual galaxies as well as with the predictions of recent
theoretical models of disc galaxies
The extended HeII4686-emitting region in IZw18 unveiled: clues for peculiar ionizing sources
New integral field spectroscopy has been obtained for IZw18, the nearby
lowest-metallicity galaxy considered our best local analog of systems forming
at high-z. Here we report the spatially resolved spectral map of the nebular
HeII4686 emission in IZw18, from which we derived for the first time its total
HeII-ionizing flux. Nebular HeII emission implies the existence of a hard
radiation field. HeII-emitters are observed to be more frequent among high-z
galaxies than for local objects. So investigating the HeII-ionizing source(s)
in IZw18 may reveal the ionization processes at high-z. HeII emission in
star-forming galaxies, has been suggested to be mainly associated with
Wolf-Rayet stars (WRs), but WRs cannot satisfactorily explain the
HeII-ionization at all times, in particular at lowest metallicities. Shocks
from supernova remnants, or X-ray binaries, have been proposed as additional
potential sources of HeII-ionizing photons. Our data indicate that conventional
HeII-ionizing sources (WRs, shocks, X-ray binaries) are not sufficient to
explain the observed nebular HeII4686 emission in IZw18. We find that the
HeII-ionizing radiation expected from models for either low-metallicity
super-massive O stars or rotating metal-free stars could account for the
HeII-ionization budget measured, while only the latter models could explain the
highest values of HeII4686/Hbeta observed. The presence of such peculiar stars
in IZw18 is suggestive and further investigation in this regard is needed. This
letter highlights that some of the clues of the early Universe can be found
here in our cosmic backyard.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Organotypic cultures as tools for optimizing central nervous system cell therapies
Stem cell therapy is a promising treatment for neurological disorders such as cerebral ischemia, Parkinson\u27s disease and Huntington\u27s disease. In recent years, many clinical trials with various cell types have been performed often showing mixed results. Major problems with cell therapies are the limited cell availability and engraftment and the reduced integration of grafted cells into the host tissue. Stem cell-based therapies can provide a limitless source of cells but survival and differentiation remain a drawback. An improved understanding of the behaviour of stem cells and their interaction with the host tissue, upon implantation, is needed to maximize the therapeutic potential of stem cells in neurological disorders. Organotypic cultures made from brain slices from specific brain regions that can be kept in culture for several weeks after injecting molecules or cells represent a remarkable tool to address these issues. This model allows the researcher to monitor/assess the behaviour and responses of both the endogenous as well as the implanted cells and their interaction with the microenvironment leading to cell engraftment. Moreover, organotypic cultures could be useful to partially model the pathological state of a disease in the brain and to study graft-host interactions prior to testing such grafts for pre-clinical applications. Finally, they can be used to test the therapeutic potential of stem cells when combined with scaffolds, or other therapeutic enhancers, among other aspects, needed to develop novel successful therapeutic strategies or improve on existing ones
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