563 research outputs found
Towards the absolute planes: a new calibration of the Bolometric Corrections and Temperature scales for Population II Giants
We present new determinations of bolometric corrections and effective
temperature scales as a function of infrared and optical colors, using a large
database of photometric observations of about 6500 Population II giants in
Galactic Globular Clusters (GGCs), covering a wide range in metallicity
(-2.0<[Fe/H]<0.0). New relations for BC_K vs (V-K), (J-K) and BC_V vs (B-V),
(V-I), (V-J), and new calibrations for T_eff, using both an empirical relation
and model atmospheres, are provided. Moreover, an empirical relation to derive
the R parameter of the Infrared Flux Method as a function of the stellar
temperature is also presented.Comment: 10 pages, 12 .ps figures, MN Latex, accepted by MNRA
HST - WFPC2 photometry of the globular cluster ngc 288: binary systems, blue stragglers and very blue stars
We report on new WFPC2 observations of the globular cluster NGC 288, focusing
our attention on peculiar stars. A very pronounced binary sequence, paralleling
the ordinary Main Sequence (MS) is clearly observed in the Color Magnitude
Diagram (CMD) and a huge relative fraction of Blue Straggler Stars is measured.
The dataset offers the opportunity of studying the evolution of a large
population of binaries (and binary evolution by-products) in a low density
environment, where the evolution of such systems is not dominated by collisions
and encounters. Three (very) Extreme Horizontal Branch Stars have been found,
all lying outside of the cluster core.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, in press in the chemical evolution of the Milky
Way: stars versus clusters, F. Matteucci and F. Giovannelli eds, Kluwe
A Population of Massive Globular Clusters in NGC 5128
We present velocity dispersion measurements of 14 globular clusters in NGC
5128 (Centarus A) obtained with the MIKE echelle spectrograph on the 6.5m
Magellan Clay telescope. These clusters are among the most luminous globular
clusters in NGC 5128 and have velocity dispersions comparable to the most
massive clusters known in the Local Group, ranging from 10 - 30 km/s. We
describe in detail our cross-correlation measurements, as well as simulations
to quantify the uncertainties. These 14 globular clusters are the brightest NGC
5128 globular clusters with surface photometry and structural parameters
measured from the Hubble Space Telescope. We have used these measurements to
derive masses and mass-to-light ratios for all of these clusters and establish
that the fundamental plane relations for globular clusters extend to an order
of magnitude higher mass than in the Local Group. The mean mass-to-light ratio
for the NGC 5128 clusters is ~3+/-1, higher than measurements for all but the
most massive Local Group clusters. These massive clusters begin to bridge the
mass gap between the most massive star clusters and the lowest-mass galaxies.
We find that the properties of NGC 5128 globular clusters overlap quite well
with the central properties of nucleated dwarf galaxies and ultracompact dwarf
galaxies. As six of these clusters also show evidence for extratidal light, we
hypothesize that at least some of these massive clusters are the nuclei of
tidally stripped dwarfs.Comment: ApJ Accepted, 15 pages, 9 figures, uses emulateapj.st
Photometry of the Globular Cluster NGC 5466: Red Giants and Blue Stragglers
We present wide-field BVI photometry for about 11,500 stars in the
low-metallicity cluster NGC 5466. We have detected the red giant branch bump
for the first time, although it is at least 0.2 mag fainter than expected
relative to the turnoff. The number of red giants (relative to main sequence
turnoff stars) is in excellent agreement with stellar models from the
Yonsei-Yale and Teramo groups, and slightly high compared to Victoria-Regina
models. This adds to evidence that an abnormally large ratio of red giant to
main-sequence stars is not correlated with cluster metallicity. We discuss
theoretical predictions from different research groups and find that the
inclusion or exclusion of helium diffusion and strong limit Coulomb
interactions may be partly responsible.
We also examine indicators of dynamical history: the mass function exponent
and the blue straggler frequency. NGC 5466 has a very shallow mass function,
consistent with large mass loss and recently-discovered tidal tails. The blue
straggler sample is significantly more centrally concentrated than the HB or
RGB stars. We see no evidence of an upturn in the blue straggler frequency at
large distances from the center. Dynamical friction timescales indicate that
the stragglers should be more concentrated if the cluster's present density
structure has existed for most of its history. NGC 5466 also has an unusually
low central density compared to clusters of similar luminosity. In spite of
this, the specific frequency of blue stragglers that puts it right on the
frequency -- cluster M_V relation observed for other clusters.Comment: 51 pages, 21 figures, 1 electronic table, accepted to Ap
A New Version of Reimers' law of Mass Loss Based on a Physical Approach
We present a new semi-empirical relation for the mass loss of cool stellar
winds, which so far has frequently been described by "Reimers' law".
Originally, this relation was based solely on dimensional scaling arguments
without any physical interpretation. In our approach, the wind is assumed to
result from the spill-over of the extended chromosphere, possibly associated
with the action of waves, especially Alfven waves, which are used as guidance
in the derivation of the new formula. We obtain a relation akin to the original
Reimers law, but which includes two new factors. They reflect how the
chromospheric height depends on gravity and how the mechanical energy flux
depends, mainly, on effective temperature. The new relation is tested and
sensitively calibrated by modelling the blue end of the Horizontal Branch of
globular clusters. The most significant difference from mass loss rates
predicted by the Reimers relation is an increase by up to a factor of 3 for
luminous late-type (super-)giants, in good agreement with observations.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, accepted by ApJ Letter
The Cytocompatibility of Silver Diamine Fluoride on Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth : An In Vitro Study
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) has been used for many years for the treatment of caries, and minimally invasive dentistry concepts have made it popular again. The fact that its application does not require the administration of anesthesia makes its use in children more desirable. The aim of this study was to determine the cytotoxicity of two new commercial SDF products: Riva Star (SDI Dental Limited) and e-SDF (Kids-e-Dental) on mesenchymal stromal cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs). SHEDs were exposed to SDF products at different concentrations (0.1%, 0.01% and 0.005%). Then different assays were performed to evaluate their cytocompatibility on SHEDs: IC50, MTT, cell migration (wound healing), cell cytoskeleton staining, cell apoptosis, generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and ion chromatography. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test (p < 0.05). Riva Star Step 2 showed the same cell metabolic activity when compared to the control condition at any time and concentration. Meanwhile, e-SDF displayed high cytotoxicity at any time and any concentration (*** p < 0.001), whereas Riva Star Step 1 displayed high cytotoxicity at any time at 0.1% and 0.01% (*** p < 0.001). Only e-SDF showed a statistically significant decreased cell migration rate (*** p < 0.001) at all times and in all concentrations. At 0.1%, e-SDF and Riva Star Step 1 only showed 4.37% and 4.47% of viable cells, respectively. These results suggest that Riva Star has better in vitro cytocompatibility on SHEDs than does e-SDF. Riva Star Step 1 was found to be as cytotoxic as e-SDF, but it had better biological properties when mixed with Riva Star Step 2. Our findings suggest that Riva Star is more suitable when used in deciduous teeth due to its lower cytotoxicity compared to e-SDF
Influencing Factors in Autotransplantation of Teeth with Open Apex: A Review of the Literature
Dental autotransplantation is the process by which a tooth located in its natural socket is extracted and relocated to another socket in which the tooth is missing or has been extracted due to various reasons such as trauma, extensive caries or periapical pathology, among other reasons. This proposed technique offers a more conservative alternative for patients in comparison with prosthetic or implant techniques, especially in young patients where implants are contraindicated until their maxillary bone system’s growth ends. Thus, the objective of this review was to present a qualitative synthesis of the risk factors that influence the results of open apex dental autotransplantation in humans. After confirming that there are various factors that influence dental autotransplantation, it was concluded that the extra-alveolar time of the donor tooth and the periodontal damage of the root of the donor tooth are the factors of greatest interest in the literature, both closely linked to the use of 3D replication of the transplanted toot
Correlations of Globular Cluster Properties: Their Interpretations and Uses
Correlations among the independently measured physical properties of globular
clusters (GCs) can provide powerful tests for theoretical models and new
insights into their dynamics, formation, and evolution. We review briefly some
of the previous work, and present preliminary results from a comparative study
of GC correlations in the Local Group galaxies. The results so far indicate
that these diverse GC systems follow the same fundamental correlations,
suggesting a commonality of formative and evolutionary processes which produce
them.Comment: An invited review, to appear in "New Horizons in Globular Cluster
Astronomy", eds. G. Piotto, G. Meylan, S.G. Djorgovski, and M. Riello, ASPCS,
in press (2003). Latex file, 8 pages, 5 eps figures, style files include
Presence of Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and of Spiroplasma kunkelii in the temperate region of Argentina
"Corn stunt" is one of the main corn (Zea mays L.) diseases in the Americas and Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott) is the key vector of the pathogen Spiroplasma kunkelii Whitcomb. In Argentina, the corn-producing area is in the temperate region, where vector and pathogen prevalence levels are unknown. In this study, the prevalence and distribution of D. maidis and S. kunkelii in the temperate region of Argentina and D. maidis overwintering ability in this region were determined. Surveys were conducted in 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons to determine D. maidis and S. kunkelii presence, and in winter 2006 to determine the vector overwintering ability. The highest S. kunkelii prevalence and incidence levels were found in the transition area from the temperate to the subtropical region, related to the highest D. maidis prevalence and insects sampled per location. D. maidis adults were found in volunteer corn plants and spontaneous vegetation in autumn and winter months, which were inoculative for the pathogen S. kunkelii. This overwintering ability was related to detection of D. maidis insects in corn crops at early growth stages in the following growing season. This work emphasizes that corn stunt disease is present in the temperate region of Argentina, and this highlights the need to develop proper agronomic practices like monitoring insect vector populations and controlling voluntary plants. This study also indicates that further research is needed to understand the potential yield reduction caused by this pathogen on symptomless plants and population dynamics of the insect vector.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse
An HST/WFPC2 survey of bright young clusters in M31. I. VdB0, a massive star cluster seen at t ≃ 25 Myr
Aims. We introduce our imaging survey of possible young massive globular clusters in M31 performed with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We obtained shallow (to B ~ 25) photometry of individual stars in 20 candidate clusters. We present here details of the data reduction pipeline that is being applied to all the survey data and describe its application to the brightest among our targets, van den Bergh 0 (VdB0), taken as a test case.
Methods. Point spread function fitting photometry of individual stars was obtained for all the WFPC2 images of VdB0 and the completeness of the final samples was estimated using an extensive set of artificial stars experiments. The reddening, the age and the metallicity of the cluster were estimated by comparing the observed color magnitude diagram (CMD) with theoretical isochrones. Structural parameters were obtained from model-fitting to the intensity profiles measured within circular apertures on the WFPC2 images.
Results. Under the most conservative assumptions, the stellar mass of VdB0 is M> 2.4 x 10^4 M_☉ , but our best estimates lie in the range ≃4-9 x 10^4 M_☉. The CMD of VdB0 is best reproduced by models having solar metallicity and age ≃25 Myr. Ages less than ≃12 Myr and greater than ≃60 Myr are clearly ruled out by the available data. The cluster has a remarkable number of red super giants (≳18) and a CMD very similar to Large Magellanic Cloud clusters usually classified as young globulars such as NGC 1850, for example.
Conclusions. VdB0 is significantly brighter (≳1 mag) than Galactic open clusters of similar age. Its present-day mass and half-light radius ((r_h = 7.4 pc) are more typical of faint globular clusters than of open clusters. However, given its position within the disk of M31, it is expected to be destroyed by dynamical effects, in particular by encounters with giant molecular clouds, within the next ~4 Gyr
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