Phase Diagrams of Three-Component Attractive Ultracold Fermions in One-Dimension

We investigate trions, paired states and quantum phase transitions in one-dimensional SU(3) attractive fermions in external fields by means of the Bethe ansatz and the dressed energy formalism. Analytical results for the ground state energy, critical fields and complete phase diagrams are presented for weak and strong regimes. Numerical solutions of the dressed energy equations allow us to examine how the different phase boundaries modify by varying the inter-component coupling throughout the whole attractive regimes. The pure trionic phase reduces smoothly by decreasing this coupling until the weak limit is reached. In this weak regime, a pure BCS-paired phase can be sustained under certain nonlinear Zeeman splittings. Finally we confirm that the analytic expressions for the physical quantities and resulting phase diagrams are highly accurate in the weak and strong coupling regimes.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, revised version, accepted in New J. Phy

Ion specificity and the theory of stability of colloidal suspensions

A theory is presented which allow us to accurately calculate the critical coagulation concentration (CCC) of hydrophobic colloidal suspensions. For positively charged particles the CCC's follow the Hofmeister (lyotropic) series. For negatively charged particles the series is reversed. We find that strongly polarizable chaotropic anions are driven towards the colloidal surface by electrostatic and hydrophobic forces. Within approximately one ionic radius from the surface, the chaotropic anions loose part of their hydration sheath and become strongly adsorbed. The kosmotropic anions, on the other hand, are repelled from the hydrophobic surface. The theory is quantitatively accurate without any adjustable parameters. We speculate that the same mechanism is responsible for the Hofmeister series that governs stability of protein solutions.Comment: Phys. Rev. Lett. (in press

A simple prescription for simulating and characterizing gravitational arcs

Simple models of gravitational arcs are crucial to simulate large samples of these objects with full control of the input parameters. These models also provide crude and automated estimates of the shape and structure of the arcs, which are necessary when trying to detect and characterize these objects on massive wide area imaging surveys. We here present and explore the ArcEllipse, a simple prescription to create objects with shape similar to gravitational arcs. We also present PaintArcs, which is a code that couples this geometrical form with a brightness distribution and adds the resulting object to images. Finally, we introduce ArcFitting, which is a tool that fits ArcEllipses to images of real gravitational arcs. We validate this fitting technique using simulated arcs and apply it to CFHTLS and HST images of tangential arcs around clusters of galaxies. Our simple ArcEllipse model for the arc, associated to a S\'ersic profile for the source, recovers the total signal in real images typically within 10%-30%. The ArcEllipse+S\'ersic models also automatically recover visual estimates of length-to-width ratios of real arcs. Residual maps between data and model images reveal the incidence of arc substructure. They may thus be used as a diagnostic for arcs formed by the merging of multiple images. The incidence of these substructures is the main factor preventing ArcEllipse models from accurately describing real lensed systems.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&

A Morphological Method to Determine Co-Rotation Radii in Spiral Galaxies

Shock induced star formation in a stellar density wave scenario produces an azimuthal gradient of ages across the spiral arms which has opposite signs on either side of the corotation resonance (CR). We present a method based on the Fourier analysis of azimuthal profiles, to locate the CR and determine the arm character (trailing or leading) in spiral galaxies. Basically, we compare the behavior of the phase angle of the two-armed spiral in blue and infrared colors which pick out respectively young and older disk stellar population. We illustrate the method using theoretical leading and trailing, spirals. We have also applied the method to the spiral galaxies NGC 7479, for which we confirm the reported leading arms, and NGC 1832. In these galaxies we find two and three CRs respectively.Comment: 9 pages, accepted for publication in ApJL, figures 4 and 6 avaliables at ftp://ftp.inaoep.mx/pub/salida/puerari, full paper also avaliable at http://www.inaoep.mx/~puerar

Massive open star clusters using the VVV survey, I: presentation of the data and description of the approach

Context. The ESO Public Survey “VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea” (VVV) provides deep multi-epoch infrared observations for unprecedented 562 sq. degrees of the Galactic bulge, and adjacent regions of the disk. Aims. The VVV observations will foster the construction of a sample of Galactic star clusters with reliable and homogeneously derived physical parameters (e.g., age, distance, and mass, etc.). In this first paper in a series, the methodology employed to establish cluster parameters for the envisioned database are elaborated upon by analysing four known young open clusters: Danks 1, Danks 2, RCW 79, and DBS 132. The analysis offers a first glimpse of the information that can be gleaned from the VVV observations for clusters in the final database. Methods. Wide-field, deep JHKs VVV observations, combined with new infrared spectroscopy, are employed to constrain fundamental parameters for a subset of clusters. Results. Results are inferred from VVV near-infrared photometry and numerous low resolution spectra (typically more than 10 per cluster). The high quality of the spectra and the deep wide–field VVV photometry enables us to precisely and independently determine the characteristics of the clusters studied, which we compare to previous determinations. An anomalous reddening law in the direction of the Danks clusters is found, specifically E(J − H)/E(H − Ks) = 2.20 ± 0.06, which exceeds published values for the inner Galaxy. The G305 star forming complex, which includes the Danks clusters, lies beyond the Sagittarius-Carina spiral arm and occupies the Centaurus arm. Finally, the first deep infrared colour-magnitude diagram of RCW 79 is presented, which reveals a sizeable pre-main sequence population. A list of candidate variable stars in G305 region is reported. Conclusions. This study demonstrates the strength of the dataset and methodology employed, and constitutes the first step of a broader study which shall include reliable parameters for a sizeable number of poorly characterised and/or newly discovered clusters.Fil: Chené, A.-N.. Universidad de Valparaíso; ChileFil: Borissova, J.. Universidad de Valparaíso; ChileFil: Clarke, J. R. A.. Universidad de Valparaíso; ChileFil: Bonatto, C.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Majaess, D. J.. Saint Marys University; CanadáFil: Moni Bidin, C.. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Sale, S. E.. Universidad de Valparaíso; ChileFil: Mauro, F.. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Kurtev, R.. Universidad de Valparaíso; ChileFil: Baume, Gustavo Luis. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Feinstein Baigorri, Carlos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Ivanov, V. D.. European Southern Observatory; ChileFil: Geisler, Doug. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Catelan, M.. The Milky Way Millennium Nucleus; ChileFil: Minniti, Dante. The Milky Way Millennium Nucleus; ChileFil: Lucas, P.. University Of Hertfordshire; Reino UnidoFil: de Grijs, R.. Peking University; ChinaFil: Kumar, M. S. N.. Centro de Astrofisica da Universidade do Porto; Portuga

Exact results for the thermal and magnetic properties of strong coupling ladder compounds

We investigate the thermal and magnetic properties of the integrable su(4) ladder model by means of the quantum transfer matrix method. The magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, magnetic entropy and high field magnetization are evaluated from the free energy derived via the recently proposed method of high temperature expansion for exactly solved models. We show that the integrable model can be used to describe the physics of the strong coupling ladder compounds. Excellent agreement is seen between the theoretical results and the experimental data for the known ladder compounds (5IAP)$_2$CuBr$_4$$\cdot$2H$_2$O, Cu$_{2}$(C$_5$H$_{12}$N$_2$)$_2$Cl$_4$ etc.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

The old metal-poor open cluster ESO 92-SC05: accreted from a dwarf galaxy?

The study of old open clusters outside the solar circle can bring constraints on formation scenarios of the outer disk. In particular, accretion of dwarf galaxies has been proposed as a likely mechanism in the area. We use BVI photometry for determining fundamental parameters of the faint open cluster ESO 92-SC05. Colour-Magnitude Diagrams are compared with Padova isochrones, in order to derive age, reddening and distance. We derive a reddening E(B-V)= 0.17, and an old age of $\sim$6.0 Gyr. It is one of the rare open clusters known to be older than 5 Gyr. A metallicity of Z$\sim$0.004 or [M/H]$\sim$-0.7 is found. The rather low metallicity suggests that this cluster might be the result of an accretion episode of a dwarf galaxy.Comment: 11 figures: 1, 2a,b,c, 3a,b, 4a,b, 5, 6, 7 6 pages to compile with mn2e.cls. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, in pres

The temporal changes of the pulsational periods of the pre-white dwarf PG 1159-035

PG 1159-035, a pre-white dwarf with T=140000 K, is the prototype of the PG1159 spectroscopic class and the DOV pulsating class. Changes in the star cause variations in its oscillation periods. The measurement of temporal change in the oscillation periods, dP/dt, allows us to estimate directly rates of stellar evolutionary changes, such as the cooling rate and the envelope contraction rate, providing a way to test and refine evolutionary models for pre-white dwarf pulsating stars. We measured 27 pulsation modes period changes. The periods varied at rates of between 1 and 100 ms/yr, and several can be directly measured with a relative standard uncertainty below 10%. For the 516.0 s mode (the highest in amplitude) in particular, not only the value of dP/dt can be measured directly with a relative standard uncertainty of 2%, but the second order period change, d(dP/dt)/dt, can also be calculated reliably. By using the (O-C) method we refined the dP/dt and estimated the d(dP/dt)/dt for six other pulsation periods. As a first application, we calculated the change in the PG 1559-035 rotation period, dP_rot/dt = -2.13*10^{-6} s/s, the envelope contraction rate dR/dt = -2.2*10^{-13} solar radius/s, and the cooling rante dT/dt = -1.42*10^{-3} K/s.Comment: 8 pages; 2 figures; 2 tables; appendix with 2 table

NTT infrared imaging of star cluster candidates towards the central parts of the Galaxy

We address the issue whether the central parts of the Galaxy harbour young clusters other than Arches, Quintuplet and the Nuclear Young Cluster. A large sample of centrally projected cluster candidates has been recently identified from the 2MASS J, H and Ks Atlas. We provide a catalogue of higher angular resolution and deeper images for 57 2MASS cluster candidates, obtained with the near-IR camera SOFI at the ESO NTT telescope. We classify 10 objects as star clusters, some of them deeply embedded in gas and/or dust clouds. Three other objects are probably star clusters, although the presence of dust in the field does not exclude the possibility of their being field stars seen through low-absorption regions. Eleven objects are concentrations of stars in areas of little or no gas, and are classified as dissolving cluster candidates. Finally, 31 objects turned out to be the blend of a few bright stars, not resolved as such in the low resolution 2MASS images. By combining the above results with other known objects we provide an updated sample of 42 embedded clusters and candidates projected within 7 degrees. As a first step we study Object 11 of Dutra & Bica (2000) projected at approximately 1 degree from the nucleus. We present H and Ks photometry and study the colour-magnitude diagram and luminosity function. Object 11 appears to be a less massive cluster than Arches or Quintuplet, and it is located at a distance from the Sun d=8 kpc, with a visual absorption Av=15.Comment: accepted to A&A, 9 pages, 10 figure

Coherent photon-hadron interactions in pA collisions: Small-x physics after HERA

In this letter we study the photoproduction of heavy quarks and vector mesons in the coherent proton-nucleus (pA) interactions for RHIC and LHC energies and analyze if these processes can be used to determine the QCD dynamics at high energies. The integrated cross section and rapidity distribution are estimated using the Color Glass Condensate (CGC) formalism. A comparison with the linear dynamics predictions is also presented. Our results indicate that the nonlinear dynamics can be proven in those reactions, which are well suited for studing saturation effects.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Version to be published in Physical Review