617 research outputs found
Anisotropic response of the moving vortex lattice in superconducting MoGe amorphous films
We have performed magnetic susceptibility measurements in MoGe
amorphous thin films biased with an electrical current using anisotropic coils.
We tested the symmetry of the vortex response changing the relative orientation
between the bias current and the susceptibility coils. We found a region in the
DC current - temperature phase diagram where the dynamical vortex structures
behave anisotropically. In this region the shielding capability of the
superconducting currents measured by the susceptibility coils is less effective
along the direction of vortex motion compared to the transverse direction. This
anisotropic response is found in the same region where the peak effect in the
critical current is developed. On rising temperature the isotropic behavior is
recovered.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure
Probing the Circumnuclear Stellar Populations of Starburst Galaxies in the Near-infrared
We employ the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility's near-infrared spectrograph
SpeX at 0.8-2.4m to investigate the spatial distribution of the stellar
populations (SPs) in four well known Starburst galaxies: NGC34, NGC1614,
NGC3310 and NGC7714. We use the STARLIGHT code updated with the synthetic
simple stellar populations models computed by Maraston (2005, M05). Our main
results are that the NIR light in the nuclear surroundings of the galaxies is
dominated by young/intermediate age SPs (yr), summing from
40\% up to 100\% of the light contribution. In the nuclear aperture of
two sources (NGC1614 and NGC3310) we detected a predominant old SP component
(yr), while for NGC34 and NGC7714 the younger component
prevails. Furthermore, we found evidence of a circumnuclear star formation
ring-like structure and a secondary nucleus in NGC1614, in agreement with
previous studies. We also suggest that the merger/interaction experienced by
three of the galaxies studied, NGC1614, NGC3310 and NGC7714 can explain the
lower metallicity values derived for the young SP component of these sources.
In this scenario the fresh unprocessed metal poorer gas from the
destroyed/interacting companion galaxy is driven to the centre of the galaxies
and mixed with the central region gas, before star formation takes place. In
order to deepen our analysis, we performed the same procedure of SP synthesis
using Maraston (2011, M11) EPS models. Our results show that the newer and
higher resolution M11 models tend to enhance the old/intermediate age SP
contribution over the younger ages
The XDSPRES CL-based package for reducing OSIRIS cross-dispersed spectra
We present a description of the CL-based package XDSPRES, which aims at being
a complete reducing facility for cross-dispersed spectra taken with the Ohio
State Infrared Imager/Spectrometer, as installed at the SOAR telescope. This
instrument provides spectra in the range between 1.2um and 2.35um in a single
exposure, with resolving power of R ~ 1200. XDSPRES consists of two tasks,
namely xdflat and doosiris. The former is a completely automated code for
preparing normalized flat field images from raw flat field exposures. Doosiris
was designed to be a complete reduction pipeline, requiring a minimum of user
interaction. General steps towards a fully reduced spectrum are explained, as
well as the approach adopted by our code. The software is available to the
community through the web site http://www.if.ufrgs.br/~ruschel/software.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figure
The first detection of near-infrared CN bands in active galactic nuclei: signature of star formation
We present the first detection of the near-infrared CN absorption band in the
nuclear spectra of active galactic nuclei (AGN). This feature is a recent star
formation tracer, being particularly strong in carbon stars. The equivalent
width of the CN line correlates with that of the CO at 2.3 microns, as expected
in stellar populations (SP) with ages between ~ 0.2 and ~ 2 Gyr. The presence
of the 1.1 microns CN band in the spectra of the sources is taken as an
unambiguous evidence of the presence of young/intermediate SP close to the
central source of the AGN. Near-infrared bands can be powerful age indicators
for star formation connected to AGN, the understanding of which is crucial in
the context of galaxy formation and AGN feedback.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 4
pages, 3 figure
Integral Field Spectroscopy of the inner kpc of the elliptical galaxy NGC 5044
We used Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) in the Integral Field Unit
mode to map the stellar population, emission line flux distributions and gas
kinematics in the inner kpc of NGC 5044. From the stellar populations synthesis
we found that the continuum emission is dominated by old high metallicity stars
(13 Gyr, 2.5Z). Also, its nuclear emission is diluted by a non
thermal emission, which we attribute to the presence of a weak active galactic
nuclei (AGN). In addition, we report for the first time a broad component
(FWHM 3000km) in the H emission line in the nuclear
region of NGC 5044. By using emission line ratio diagnostic diagrams we found
that two dominant ionization processes coexist, while the nuclear region (inner
200 pc) is ionized by a low luminosity AGN, the filamentary structures are
consistent with being excited by shocks. The H velocity field shows
evidence of a rotating disk, which has a velocity amplitude of
240kms at 136 pc from the nucleus. Assuming a Keplerian
approach we estimated that the mass inside this radius is
, which is in agreement with the value obtained through the
M- relation, . Modelling the
ionized gas velocity field by a rotating disk component plus inflows towards
the nucleus along filamentary structures, we obtain a mass inflow rate of
0.4 M. This inflow rate is enough to power the central AGN in NGC
5044.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures, accepted by MNRA
Vortex motion rectification in Josephson junction arrays with a ratchet potential
By means of electrical transport measurements we have studied the rectified
motion of vortices in ratchet potentials engineered on over-damped Josephson
junction arrays. The rectified voltage as a function of the vortex density
shows a maximum efficiency close a matching condition to the period of the
ratchet potential indicating a collective vortex motion. Vortex current
reversals where detected varying the driving force and vortex density revealing
the influence of vortex-vortex interaction in the ratchet effect.Comment: PDF only, 4 page
Effect of disorder on the vortex-lattice melting transition
We use a three dimensional stacked triangular network of Josephson junctions
as a model for the study of vortex structure in the mixed state of high Tc
superconductors. We show that the addition of disorder destroys the first order
melting transition occurring for clean samples. The melting transition splits
in two different (continuous) transitions, ocurring at temperatures Ti and Tp
(>Ti). At Ti the perpendicular-to-field superconductivity is lost, and at Tp
the parallel-to-field superconductivity is lost. These results agree well with
recent experiments in YBaCuO.Comment: 4 pages + 2 figure
New X-ray Constraints on Starburst and Seyfert Activity in the Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1672
The nearby barred spiral galaxy NGC 1672 shows dramatic starburst activity
and may also host a Seyfert 2 nucleus. We present new X-ray observations that
set constraints on starburst and Seyfert activity in NGC 1672. Two ROSAT HRI
exposures, taken in 1992 and 1997, are used to investigate long-term
variability of the known X-ray sources and to search for new sources of X-ray
emission. We find large-amplitude (about 69%) variability from X-3, one of the
off-nuclear sources located near an end of the galactic bar. X-3 has a peak
observed 0.2-2.0 keV luminosity of about 2.5 x 10^{39} erg/s, and it is
probably a luminous X-ray binary or young supernova remnant. We do not observe
variability of the nuclear source X-1 or the strong off-nuclear source X-2. Our
analyses also reveal two new off-nuclear sources, one of which is associated
with a bright region along a spiral arm, and we find evidence for large-scale
diffuse X-ray emission throughout part of the disk of NGC 1672. Furthermore, we
use ASCA data taken in 1995 to constrain the hard X-ray properties of NGC 1672.
While the nuclear source X-1 is the dominant soft X-ray source in NGC 1672, we
find that the bulk of the 2-10 keV and 5-10 keV emission is spatially
coincident with the off-nuclear source X-3, giving it an apparent 0.2-8 keV
luminosity of about 6 x 10^{39} erg/s. A power-law plus Raymond-Smith model
provides an acceptable fit to the full-band ASCA spectra. We do not find any
evidence for a luminous but absorbed nuclear X-ray source. If there is a
luminous Seyfert 2 nucleus in NGC 1672, it must be obscured by a
`Compton-thick' torus with a column density of > 2 x 10^{24} cm^{-2}.Comment: 19 pages, AJ, accepted, also available from
http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/niel/papers/papers.htm
Characteristics of First-Order Vortex Lattice Melting: Jumps in Entropy and Magnetization
We derive expressions for the jumps in entropy and magnetization
characterizing the first-order melting transition of a flux line lattice. In
our analysis we account for the temperature dependence of the Landau parameters
and make use of the proper shape of the melting line as determined by the
relative importance of electromagnetic and Josephson interactions. The results
agree well with experiments on anisotropic YBaCuO and
layered BiSrCaCuO materials and reaffirm the validity of
the London model.Comment: 4 pages. We have restructured the paper to emphasize that in the
London scaling regime (appropriate for YBCO) our results are essentially
exact. We have also emphasized that a major controversy over the relevance of
the London model to describe VL melting has been settled by this wor
- …