Automatic Approach To Morphological Classification Of Galaxies With Analysis Of Galaxy Populations In Clusters

The classification of galaxies based on their morphology (i.e. structural properties) is a field in astrophysics that aims to understand galaxy formation and evolution based on their physical differences. Whether structural differences are due to internal factors or a result of local environment, the dominate mechanism that determines galaxy type needs to be robustly quantified in order to have a thorough grasp of the origin of the different types of galaxies (e.g., elliptical, S0, spiral, and irregular). The main subject of this thesis is to explore the use of computers to automatically analyze and classify large numbers of galaxies based on their morphology, and to analyze sub-samples of galaxies selected by type to understand galaxy formation and evolution in various environments. I have developed computer software to classify galaxies by measuring specific parameters extracted from digital images. In particular, I have constructed computer algorithms to calculate five classification parameters for a list of galaxies in a single FITS image. This research has important implications for increasing our knowledge of galaxy formation and evolution in dense systems. A diverse range of data sets is studied, primarily focusing on: Rude (2015), Barkhouse et al. (2007), WINGS (Fasano et al. 2006), and Baillard et al. (2011). The data sets include galaxies from a wide range of redshifts, from 0.03 ⤠z ⤠0.20. The different span of redshift allows for comparison of distant clusters with those nearby in order to look for evolutionary changes in the galaxy cluster population

U-band Measurement of Star Formation in Cluster Galaxies

We propose to obtain deep U-band observations of 14 low-redshift (z ≤ 0.06) galaxy clusters using the WIYN 0.9m+HDI telescope/detector to complete our survey to probe star formation of galaxies in high-density environments. These observations, combined with previously obtained data of 11 clusters observed using the same telescope+detector, will give us a statistically significant sample for the Ph.D. dissertation of co-I Gihan Gamage. Clusters are selected from 57 clusters in which we have obtained deep B- and R-band data using the KPNO 0.9m+MOSA. U-band data will allow us to explore relative changes in the luminosity function for the U- and R-band as a function of cluster-centric radius. The large field-of-view of the telescope+detector will permit us to map out the spatial distribution of star forming galaxies from the core region to the outskirts. Comparing U-band observations with our R-band data will provide the necessary leverage to look for enhancements/quenching of star formation as galaxies fall into the cluster. These observations allow us to probe ~ 2 mag fainter than SDSS

Mapping Star Formation from the Core to the Outskirts of Galaxy Clusters

We propose for time to complete our u- and r-band imaging program of 30 low-redshift (z ≤ 0.03) galaxy clusters using the CTIO Blanco 4m+DECam telescope/detector combination. These data will allow us to probe star formation from the cluster core to the infall region, and complete the acquisition of observations for the Ph.D. dissertation of Gihan Gamage (University of North Dakota). The deep u- and r-band data will allow us to explore relative changes in the luminosity function, dwarf-to-giant ratio, blue fraction, and galaxy morphological type as a function of cluster-centric radius for a statistically significant sample of 30 clusters. The large field-of-view of the telescope+detector will permit us to not only map star formation out to the infall region, but also to probe dwarf galaxies using a reasonable exposure time due to the low redshift of our target sample. The comparison of u- and r-band observations will provide the necessary leverage to look for enhancements/quenching of star formation as galaxies fall into the cluster environment from the low density field region

Globular cluster population of the HST frontier fields galaxy J07173724+3744224

We present the first measurement of the globular cluster population surrounding the elliptical galaxy J07173724+3744224 (z=0.1546). This galaxy is located in the foreground in the field-of-view of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Frontier Fields observations of galaxy cluster MACS J0717.5+3745 (z=0.5458). Based on deep HST ACS F435W, F606W, and F814W images, we find a total globular cluster population of N_tot = 3441 +/- 1416. Applying the appropriate extinction correction and filter transformation from ACS F814W to the Johnson V-band, we determine that the host galaxy has an absolute magnitude of M_V = -22.2. The specific frequency was found to be S_N = 4.5 +/- 1.8. The radial profile of the globular cluster system was best fit using a powerlaw of the form $\sigma\sim R^{-0.6}$, with the globular cluster population found to be more extended than the halo light of the host galaxy ($\sigma_{halo}\sim R^{-1.7}$). The F435W-F814W colour distribution suggests a bimodal population, with red globular clusters 1-3x more abundant than blue clusters. These results are consistent with the host elliptical galaxy J07173724+3744224 having formed its red metal-rich GCs in situ, with the blue metal-poor globular clusters accreted from low-mass galaxies.Comment: 21 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables, revised following peer-review, accepted for publication in MNRA

Star formation in low-redshift cluster dwarf galaxies

Evolution of galaxies in dense environments can be affected by close encounters with neighbouring galaxies and interactions with the intracluster medium. Dwarf galaxies (dGs) are important as their low mass makes them more susceptible to these effects than giant systems. Combined luminosity functions (LFs) in the r and u band of 15 galaxy clusters were constructed using archival data from the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope. LFs were measured as a function of clustercentric radius from stacked cluster data. Marginal evidence was found for an increase in the faint-end slope of the u-band LF relative to the r-band with increasing clustercentric radius. The dwarf-to-giant ratio (DGR) was found to increase toward the cluster outskirts, with the u-band DGR increasing faster with clustercentric radius compared to the r-band. The dG blue fraction was found to be ∼2 times larger than the giant galaxy blue fraction over all clustercentric distance (∼5σ level). The central concentration (C) was used as a proxy to distinguish nucleated versus non-nucleated dGs. The ratio of high-C to low-C dGs was found to be ∼2 times greater in the inner cluster region compared to the outskirts (2.8σ level). The faint-end slope of the r-band LF for the cluster outskirts (0.6 ≤ r/r200 \u3c 1.0) is steeper than the Sloan Digital Sky Survey field LF, while the u-band LF is marginally steeper at the 2.5σ level. Decrease in the faint-end slope of the r- and u-band cluster LFs towards the cluster centre is consistent with quenching of star formation via ram pressure stripping and galaxy–galaxy interactions

SUPERVISED AND WEAKLY-SUPERVISED CLASSIFICATION OF HANDSHAPES IN RUSSIAN SIGN LANGUAGE

Creating automatically handshape classification inventory is a time-consuming process, in view of the fact that handshape datasets have to be carefully classified by linguists. Thus, only some of the popular languages have such handshape automatic classification inventory. This project aims to create a strong algorithm to classify a large unlabeled dataset of sign language handshapes. Previous works in image classification show significant results of more than 80% accuracy, but there are no relevant sources that echoed the same results in the classification of large weakly-labeled handshapes dataset using sem-supervised learning. As it was mentioned previously, the dataset is one of the main problems in that theme. In this work, we have a large set of unlabeled samples and about 45 classes of labeled image samples. Therefore, the selected approach should work well even when labeled data are not abundant. It is planned to test the semi-supervised learning approaches that take advantage of the small but labeled set such as Noisy-Student Training and it s expected to outperform results of the supervised Deep Hand model on the same dataset

Automatic Approach to Morphological Classification of Galaxies With Analysis of Galaxy Populations in Clusters

The classification of galaxies based on their morphology is a field in astrophysics that aims to understand galaxy formation and evolution based on their physical differences. Whether structural differences are due to internal factors or a result of local environment, the dominate mechanism that determines galaxy type needs to be robustly quantified in order to have a thorough grasp of the origin of the different types of galaxies. The main subject of my Ph.D. dissertation is to explore the use of computers to automatically classify and analyze large numbers of galaxies according to their morphology, and to analyze sub-samples of galaxies selected by type to understand galaxy formation in various environments. I have developed a computer code to classify galaxies by measuring five parameters from their images in FITS format. The code was trained and tested using visually classified SDSS galaxies from Galaxy Zoo and the EFIGI data set. I apply my morphology software to numerous galaxies from diverse data sets. Among the data analyzed are the 15 Abell galaxy clusters (0.03 \u3c z \u3c 0.184) from Rude et al. 2017 (in preparation), which were observed by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Additionally, I studied 57 galaxy clusters from Barkhouse et al. (2007), 77 clusters from the WINGS survey (Fasano et al. 2006), and the six Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Frontier Field galaxy clusters. The high resolution of HST allows me to compare distant clusters with those nearby to look for evolutionary changes in the galaxy cluster population. I use the results from the software to examine the properties (e.g. luminosity functions, radial dependencies, star formation rates) of selected galaxies. Due to the large amount of data that will be available from wide-area surveys in the future, the use of computer software to classify and analyze the morphology of galaxies will be extremely important in terms of efficiency. This research aims to contribute to the solution of this problem

The potential of non-traditional walnut shells waste for the production of antioxidant reach extracts intended for the food industry

Phenolic compounds extracted from walnut shells are potentially good natural sources of antioxidants for the food industry and have numerous health benefits. Walnuts have more antioxidant capacity than any other nut because the shell is primarily composed of lignin, a strong source of phenols. Studies demonstrated that lignin characterizes the shell strength level and is a source of antioxidants due to its chemical composition. In the current study, an extract obtained by extraction with a hydroalcoholic solvent of various concentrations from a walnut shell was investigated. The results of this study have proven that walnut shell extract contains the main sources of mineral elements and vitamins, which are of great importance. According to the biological value, this extract contains essential amino acids for the body. The high content of quercetin and catechin shows the antioxidant activity of the extract. In the present article, the authors disclose methods for obtaining an experimental batch of a prophylactic product based on walnut shells and give the product a technological characteristic. Consequently, a product was developed for prophylactic usage of 10 ml per 100 ml of water and must be taken 1-2 times a day for 21 days. The required product amount was calculated from the daily intake of vitamins, minerals, and flavonoids

Великий Шелковый путь и тенгрианство в стратегиях культурной политики современного Казахстана

In the paper, the chosen aspects of Kazakhstan’s contemporary cultural policy were examined, i.e., the new shape of the Silk Road, and the concept of Tengriism. Tengriism, being and open ideological and world-view shaping system, had an enormous influence on forming, developing and functioning of the unique and fundamental principles of peace and concord, which were recognized by the people of Kazakhstan as their political, economic, and cultural guidance. The nature of Tengriism, perceived in Central Asia, and in Kazakhstan in particular, not as a religion, but as an idiosyncratic worldview, was solidified due to tolerance principles, on which the Great Silk Road, among others factors, had a great influence throughout the years. Nowadays, the current contexts of Tengriism and the Silk Road have become essential components for the process of ethnic and cultural memory regeneration in modern Kazakhstan, thus fostering the national identity consolidation. The presented research focuses on three basic aspects: the specificity of cultural and historic landscape of the Great Steppe, conditioned by the historic presence and influence of the Silk Road; the various traces of Tengriism in modern Kazakhstan; and the potential of both Tengriism and the Silk Road evidenced in the present-day cultural policy of Kazakhstan.Статья исследует некоторые аспекты современной казахстанской культур- ной политики: обновленный формат Шелкового пути и тенгрианства. Тен- грианство как открытая мировоззренческая система во многом повлияла на формирование, развитие и бытование уникальных принципов мира и согла- сия, избранных народом Казахстана своим политическим, экономическим и культурным ориентиром. Природа тенгрианства, воспринимаемого не ре- лигией, но особой картиной мира, в Центральной Азии и, конкретно, Казах- стане в значительной степени была закреплена принципами толерантности, сформировавшимися в том числе под влиянием Великого Шелкового пути. Сейчас в современном Казахстане акутализированный контекст тенгриан- ства и Шелкового пути стал необходимой вехой регенерации этнической и культурной памяти, что, в свою очередь, способствует укреплению иден- тичности. В фокусе настоящего исследования находится три основных момента: особенности культурно-исторического ландшафта Великой Степи, обуслов- ленного воздействием Шелкового Пути; специфика проявления тенгриан- ства в современном Казахстане; потенциал тенгрианства и Шелкового Пути в современной культурной политике Казахстана