4,225 research outputs found
Chemical abundances and properties of the ionized gas in NGC 1705
We obtained [O III] narrow-band imaging and multi-slit MXU spectroscopy of
the blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxy NGC 1705 with FORS2@VLT to derive chemical
abundances of PNe and H II regions and, more in general, to characterize the
properties of the ionized gas. The auroral [O III]\lambda4363 line was detected
in all but one of the eleven analyzed regions, allowing for a direct estimate
of their electron temperature. The only object for which the [O III]\lambda4363
line was not detected is a possible low-ionization PN, the only one detected in
our data. For all the other regions, we derived the abundances of Nitrogen,
Oxygen, Neon, Sulfur and Argon out to ~ 1 kpc from the galaxy center. We detect
for the first time in NGC 1705 a negative radial gradient in the oxygen
metallicity of -0.24 \pm 0.08 dex kpc^{-1}. The element abundances are all
consistent with values reported in the literature for other samples of dwarf
irregular and blue compact dwarf galaxies. However, the average (central)
oxygen abundance, 12 + log(O/H)=7.96 \pm 0.04, is ~0.26 dex lower than previous
literature estimates for NGC 1705 based on the [O III]\lambda4363 line. From
classical emission-line diagnostic diagrams, we exclude a major contribution
from shock excitation. On the other hand, the radial behavior of the emission
line ratios is consistent with the progressive dilution of radiation with
increasing distance from the center of NGC 1705. This suggests that the
strongest starburst located within the central 150 pc is responsible for
the ionization of the gas out to at least 1 kpc. The gradual dilution of
the radiation with increasing distance from the center reflects the gradual and
continuous transition from the highly ionized H II regions in the proximity of
the major starburst into the diffuse ionized gas.Comment: Accepted for publication on A
Oxygen and silicon abundances in Cygnus OB2: Chemical homogeneity in a sample of OB slow rotators
Cygnus OB2 is a rich OB association in the Galaxy which has experienced
intense star formation in the last 20-25 Myr. Its stellar population shows a
correlation between age and Galactic longitude. Exploring the chemical
composition of its stellar content we will be able to check the degree of
homogeneity of the natal molecular cloud and possible effects of
self-enrichment processes. Our aim is to determine silicon and oxygen
abundances for a sample of eight early-type slow rotators in Cygnus OB2 in
order to check possible inhomogeneities across the whole association and
whether there exists a correlation of chemical composition with Galactic
longitude. We have performed a spectroscopic analysis of a sample of late O and
early B stars with low rotational velocity, which have been chosen so as to
cover the whole association area. We have carried out an analysis based on
equivalent widths of metal lines, the wings of the H Balmer lines and FASTWIND
stellar atmosphere models to determine their stellar fundamental parameters as
well as the silicon and oxygen surface abundances. We derive a rather
homogeneous distribution of silicon and oxygen abundances across the region,
with average values of 12+log(Si/H)=7.530.08 dex and
12+log(O/H)=8.650.12 dex. We find a homogeneous chemical composition in
Cygnus OB2 with no clear evidence for significant chemical self-enrichment,
despite indications of strong stellar winds and possible supernovae during the
history of the region. Comparison with different scenarios of chemical
enrichment by stellar winds and supernovae point to star forming efficiencies
not significantly above 10%. The degree of homogeneity that we find is
consistent with the observed Milky Way oxygen gradient based on HII regions. We
also find that the oxygen scatter within Cygnus OB2 is at least of the same
order than among HII regions at similar Galactocentric distance.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
PPAK Wide-field Integral Field Spectroscopy of NGC 628: I. The largest spectroscopic mosaic on a single galaxy
We present a wide-field IFS survey on the nearby face-on Sbc galaxy NGC 628,
comprising 11094 individual spectra, covering a nearly circular field-of-view
of ~6 arcmin in diameter, with a sampling of ~2.7 arcsec per spectrum in the
optical wavelength range (3700--7000 AA). This galaxy is part of the PPAK IFS
Nearby Galaxies Survey, (PINGS, Rosales-Ortega et al. 2009). To our knowledge,
this is the widest spectroscopic survey ever made in a single nearby galaxy. A
detailed flux calibration was applied, granting a spectrophotometric accuracy
of \,0.2 mag.
The age of the stellar populations shows a negative gradient from the inner
(older) to the outer (younger) regions. We found an inversion of this gradient
in the central ~1 kpc region, where a somewhat younger stellar population is
present within a ring at this radius. This structure is associated with a
circumnuclear star-forming region at ~ 500 pc, also found in similar spiral
galaxies. From the study of the integrated and spatially resolved ionized gas
we found a moderate SFR of ~ 2.4 Msun yr. The oxygen abundance shows a a
clear gradient of higher metallicity values from the inner part to the outer
part of the galaxy, with a mean value of 12~+~log(O/H) ~ 8.7. At some specific
regions of the galaxy, the spatially resolved distribution of the physical
properties show some level of structure, suggesting real point-to-point
variations within an individual \hh region. Our results are consistent with an
inside-out growth scheme, with stronger star formation at the outer regions,
and with evolved stellar populations in the inner ones.Comment: 31 pages, 22 Figuras, Accepted for Publishing in MNRAS (corrected
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Collapse of a semiflexible polymer in poor solvent
We investigate the dynamics and the pathways of the collapse of a single,
semiflexible polymer in a poor solvent via 3-D Brownian Dynamics simulations.
Earlier work indicates that the condensation of semiflexible polymers
generically proceeds via a cascade through metastable racquet-shaped,
long-lived intermediates towards the stable torus state. We investigate the
rate of decay of uncollapsed states, analyze the preferential pathways of
condensation, and describe likelihood and lifespan of the different metastable
states. The simulation are performed with a bead-stiff spring model with
excluded volume interaction and exponentially decaying attractive potential.
The semiflexible chain collapse is studied as functions of the three relevant
length scales of the phenomenon, i.e., the total chain length , the
persistence length and the condensation length , where is a measure of the attractive potential per unit
length. Two dimensionless ratios, and , suffice to describe
the decay rate of uncollapsed states, which appears to scale as . The condensation sequence is described in terms of the time series
of the well separated energy levels associated with each metastable collapsed
state. The collapsed states are described quantitatively through the spatial
correlation of tangent vectors along the chain. We also compare the results
obtained with a locally inextensible bead-rod chain and with a phantom
bead-spring model. Finally, we show preliminary results on the effects of
steady shear flow on the kinetics of collapse.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure
PNe and H II regions in the starburst irregular galaxy NGC 4449 from LBT MODS data
We present deep 350010000 spectra of H II regions and planetary
nebulae (PNe) in the starburst irregular galaxy NGC 4449, acquired with the
Multi Object Double Spectrograph at the Large Binocular Telescope. Using the
"direct" method, we derived the abundance of He, N, O, Ne, Ar, and S in six H
II regions and in four PNe in NGC 4449. This is the first case of PNe studied
in a starburst irregular outside the Local Group. Our H II region and PN sample
extends over a galacto-centric distance range of 2 kpc and spans
0.2 dex in oxygen abundance, with average values of and for H II regions and PNe, respectively. PNe and H
II regions exhibit similar oxygen abundances in the galacto-centric distance
range of overlap, while PNe appear more than 1 dex enhanced in nitrogen
with respect to H II regions. The latter result is the natural consequence of N
being mostly synthesized in intermediate-mass stars and brought to the stellar
surface during dredge-up episodes. On the other hand, the similarity in O
abundance between H II regions and PNe suggests that NGC 4449' s interstellar
medium has been poorly enriched in elements since the progenitors of
the PNe were formed. Finally, our data reveal the presence of a negative oxygen
gradient for both H II regions and PNe, whilst nitrogen does not exhibit any
significant radial trend. We ascribe the (unexpected) nitrogen behaviour as due
to local N enrichment by the conspicuous Wolf-Rayet population in NGC 4449.Comment: Accepted for publication on Ap
The Birth-Cluster of the Galactic Luminous Blue Variable WRA751
We present the results of NTT/VLT UBV imaging of a 260 square arcmin region
containing the Galactic Luminous Blue Variable WRA751, in search for its
birth-cluster, i.e. a cluster of young and massive stars spatially and
physically associated with it. On the basis of the classical reddening-free
parameter Q, we have identified a sample of 24 early-type stars with colours
typical of spectral types earlier than B3. Interestingly, these stars are
clustered within a radius of 1 arcmin from WRA751, corresponding to about 1% of
the imaged field. These stars tightly distribute around (B-V) = 1.67, which in
turn defines a mean extinction A(V) = 6.1 mag. The 5 brighter (V > 16.2) and
bluer (Q < -0.9) stars of the sample have been subsequently observed with FORS1
and classified as 3 late O- and 2 early B- stars. The absence of stars earlier
than O8 indicates an age of the cluster older than 4 Myr, although it could be
due to an incomplete sampling of the upper end of the main sequence.
Nevertheless, the detection of OB stars of class I certainly indicates an age
of a few million years. At an assumed distance of 6 kpc, we estimate a cluster
radius of 3.4 pc and a total mass of 2200 solar masses. Our discovery is only
the second known instance of a Galactic Luminous Blue Variable associated with
its birth-cluster.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, accepted by A&
IMF and [Na/Fe] abundance ratios from optical and NIR Spectral Features in Early-type Galaxies
We present a joint analysis of the four most prominent sodium-sensitive
features (NaD, NaI8190, NaI1.14, and NaI2.21), in the optical and Near-Infrared
spectral range, of two nearby, massive (sigma~300km/s), early-type galaxies
(named XSG1 and XSG2). Our analysis relies on deep VLT/X-Shooter long-slit
spectra, along with newly developed stellar population models, allowing for
[Na/Fe] variations, up to 1.2dex, over a wide range of age, total metallicity,
and IMF slope. The new models show that the response of the Na-dependent
spectral indices to [Na/Fe] is stronger when the IMF is bottom heavier. For the
first time, we are able to match all four Na features in the central regions of
massive early-type galaxies, finding an overabundance of [Na/Fe], in the range
0.5-0.7dex, and a bottom-heavy IMF. Therefore, individual abundance variations
cannot be fully responsible for the trends of gravity-sensitive indices,
strengthening the case towards a non-universal IMF. Given current limitations
of theoretical atmosphere models, our [Na/Fe] estimates should be taken as
upper limits. For XSG1, where line strengths are measured out to 0.8Re, the
radial trend of [Na/Fe] is similar to [Mg/Fe] and [C/Fe], being constant out to
0.5Re, and decreasing by 0.2-0.3dex at 0.8Re, without any clear correlation
with local metallicity. Such a result seems to be in contrast with the
predicted increase of Na nucleosynthetic yields from AGB stars and TypeII SNe.
For XSG1, the Na-inferred IMF radial profile is consistent, within the errors,
with that derived from TiO features and the Wing-Ford band, presented in a
recent paper.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure, accepted for publication in MNRAS. The new
Na-enhanced models will be available soon at http://miles.iac.es
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