Research Articles (Physics)

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Promoting physics and development in Africa
(American Institute of Physics, 2004) Zingu, Edmund
To excel in physics research in Africa is to conquer Mount Everest without the aid of additional oxygen. In a continent that lacks the infrastructure of research laboratories, technical support, and so forth, relatively few physicists have managed to perform at levels competitive with the best in the world. Are the challenges of physicists in Africa any different from those facing physicists elsewhere? Physicists everywhere have to convince their governments, businesses, and the public that investment in physics is beneficial and will lead to economic development and an enhanced quality of life.
Figure rotation of dark haloes in cold dark matter simulations
(Oxford University Press, 2007) Bryan, Scott E.; Cress, Christine M
We investigate the figure rotation of dark matter haloes identified in cold dark matter (CDM) simulations.We find that when strict criteria are used to select suitable haloes for study, five of the 222 haloes identified in our z = 0 simulation output undergo coherent figure rotation over a 5 h−1 Gyr period.We discuss the effects of varying the selection criteria and find that pattern speeds for a much larger fraction of the haloes can be measured when the criteria are relaxed. Pattern speeds measured over a 1 h−1 Gyr period follow a lognormal distribution, centred at p = 0.2 h rad Gyr−1 with a maximum value of 0.94 h rad Gyr−1. Over a 5 h−1 Gyr period, the average pattern speed of a halo is about 0.1 h rad Gyr−1 and the largest pattern speed found is 0.24 h rad Gyr−1. Less than half of the selected haloes showed alignment between their figure rotation axis and minor axis, the exact fraction being somewhat dependent on how one defines a halo. While the pattern speeds observed are lower than those generally thought capable of causing spiral structure, we note that coherent figure rotation is found over very long periods and argue that further simulations would be required before strong conclusions about spiral structure in all galaxies could be drawn.
A CHANDRA STUDY OF TEMPERATURE SUBSTRUCTURES IN INTERMEDIATE-REDSHIFT GALAXY CLUSTERS
(2009) Gu, Liyi; Wang, Yu; Zhang, Zhongli
By analyzing the gas temperature maps created from the Chandra archive data, we reveal the prevailing existence of temperature substructures on ∼ 100 h −1 70 kpc scales in the central regions of nine intermediate-redshift (z ≈ 0.1) galaxy clusters, which resemble those found in the Virgo and Coma Clusters. Each substructure contains a clump of hot plasma whose temperature is about 2 − 3 keV higher than the environment, corresponding to an excess thermal energy of ∼ 1058−60 erg per clump. Since if there were no significant non-gravitational heating sources, these substructures would have perished in 108−9 yrs due to thermal conduction and turbulent flows, whose velocity is found to range from about 200 to 400 km s−1 , we conclude that the substructures cannot be created and sustained by inhomogeneous radiative cooling. We also eliminate the possibilities that the temperature substructures are caused by supernova explosions, or by the non-thermal X-ray emission due to the inverse-Comptonization of the CMB photons. By calculating the rising time of AGN-induced buoyant bubbles, we speculate that the intermittent AGN outbursts (≥ 1060 erg per burst) may have played a crucial role in the forming of the high temperature substructures. Our results are supported by recent study of McNamara & Nulsen (2007), posing a tight observational constraint on future theoretical and numerical studies
Relativistic mean field formulation of clustering in heavy nuclei
(IOP, 2010) S.M. Wyngaardt; H. W. Groenewald; T.T Ibrahim; J. Ndayishimye; S.M. Perez
Very little is known about clustering in heavy nuclei and in particular the interaction between the correlated cluster nucleons and remaining core nucleons. Currently the phenomenological Saxon-Woods plus cubic Saxon-Woods core-cluster potential successfully predicts the alpha decay half-life and energy band spectra of a number of heavy nuclei. This model, however, lacks a microscopic understanding of clustering phenomenon in these heavy nuclear systems. A fully relativistic microscopic formalism is presented, which generates the core-cluster potential by means of the McNeil, Ray and Wallace based double folding procedure. The core and cluster baryon densities are calculated by using a relativistic mean field approach. The Lorentz covariant IA1 representation of the nucleon-nucleon interaction is folded with the core and cluster densities. Theoretical predictions of the ground-state decay half-life and positive parity energy band of 212Po are obtained with the relativistic mean field formalism and which are compared to the results from the phenomenological Saxon-Woods plus cubic Saxon-Wood core-cluster potential and microscopic M3Y interaction.
The orbital periods of aa dor and ny vir
(Oxford University Press, 2011) Kilkenny, Dave
New timings of eclipses made between 2000 and 2010 are presented for two binary systems with hot subdwarf primary stars. In the case of AA Dor, an sdOB star with a very cool secondary, the period is found to be constant at a level of about 10−14 d per orbit. In the case of NY Vir, a rapidly pulsating sdBVr with a cool companion, the period is discovered to be decreasing at a rate of −11.2 × 10−13 d per orbit. Close binary stars are particularly useful for the determination of fundamental stellar parameters. Double-lined spectroscopic binaries enable the mass ratio of the binary components to be determined and, if the inclination of the binary orbit can be measured or reasonably constrained (as in the case of an eclipsing system), then the absolute masses can be found. In addition, the light curve of an eclipsing system allows relative stellar radii to be found and even the absolute radii if the system is a double-lined binary.
Clustering of HI galaxies in the HI parkes all sky survey and arecibo legacy fast alfa survey
(Oxford University Press, 2011) Passmoor, S. S.; Cress, Catherine; Faltenbacher, A
We investigate the clustering of H I-selected galaxies in the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA Survey (ALFALFA) and compare results with those obtained for the H I Parkes All Sky Survey (HIPASS). Measurements of the angular correlation function and the inferred 3D clustering are compared with results from direct spatial-correlation measurements. We are able to measure clustering on smaller angular scales and for galaxies with lower H I masses than was previously possible. We calculate the expected clustering of dark matter using the redshift distributions of the HIPASS and ALFALFA, and show that the ALFALFA sample is somewhat more antibiased with respect to dark matter than the HIPASS sample.
Reconstruction of dark energy and expansion dynamics using Gaussian processes
(IOP Publishing, 2012) Seikel, Marina; Clarkson, Chris
An important issue in cosmology is reconstructing the effective dark energy equation of state directly from observations. With few physically motivated models, future dark energy studies cannot only be based on constraining a dark energy parameter space, as the errors found depend strongly on the parametrisation considered. We present a new non-parametric approach to reconstructing the history of the expansion rate and dark energy using Gaussian Processes, which is a fully Bayesian approach for smoothing data. We present a pedagogical introduction to Gaussian Processes, and discuss how it can be used to robustly differentiate data in a suitable way. Using this method we show that the Dark Energy Survey - Supernova Survey (DES) can accurately recover a slowly evolving equation of state to w = ±0.05 (95% CL) at z = 0 and ±0.25 at z = 0.7, with a minimum error of ±0.025 at the sweet-spot at z 0.16, provided the other parameters of the model are known. Errors on the expansion history are an order of magnitude smaller, yet make no assumptions about dark energy whatsoever.
Disentangling non-gaussianity, bias, and general relativistic effects in the galaxy distribution
(American Physical Society, 2012) Bruni, Marco; Crittenden, Robert; Maartens, Roy
Local non-Gaussianity, parametrized by f NL , introduces a scale-dependent bias that is strongest at large scales, precisely where general relativistic (GR) effects also become significant. With future data, it should be possible to constrain f NL = O ( 1 ) with high redshift surveys. GR corrections to the power spectrum and ambiguities in the gauge used to define bias introduce effects similar to f NL = O ( 1 ) , so it is essential to disentangle these effects. For the first time in studies of primordial non-Gaussianity, we include the consistent GR calculation of galaxy power spectra, highlighting the importance of a proper definition of bias. We present observable power spectra with and without GR corrections, showing that an incorrect definition of bias can mimic non-Gaussianity. However, these effects can be distinguished by their different redshift and scale dependence, so as to extract the true primordial non-Gaussianity.
Mining the Herschel-Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey: submillimetre-selected blazars in equatorial fields
(Oxford University Press, 2013) Lopez-Caniego, M.; Gonzalez-Nuevo, J.; Massardi, M.; Jarvis, Matt
The Herschel-Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey (H-ATLAS) provides an unprecedented opportunity to search for blazars at sub-mm wavelengths. We cross-matched the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-cm (FIRST) radio source catalogue with the 11 655 sources brighter than 35 mJy at 500 μm in the ∼135 deg2 of the sky covered by the H-ATLAS equatorial fields at 9h and 15h, plus half of the field at 12h.We found that 379 of the H-ATLAS sources have a FIRST counterpart within 10 arcsec, including eight catalogued blazars (plus one known blazar that was found at the edge of one of the H-ATLAS maps). To search for additional blazar candidates we have devised new diagnostic diagrams and found that known blazars occupy a region of the log(S500μm/S350μm) versus log(S500μm/S1.4 GHz) plane separated from that of sub-mm sources with radio emission powered by star formation, but shared with radio galaxies and steep-spectrum radio quasars. Using this diagnostic we have selected 12 further possible candidates that turn out to be scattered in the (r − z) versus (u − r) plane or in the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer colour–colour diagram, where known blazars are concentrated in well defined strips.
Cosmology on ultralarge scales with intensity mapping of the neutral hydrogen 21 cm emission: limits on primodial non-gaussianity
(American Physical Society, 2013) Camera, Stefano; Santos, Mario G.; Ferreira, Pedro G.; Ferramacho, Luis
The large-scale structure of the Universe supplies crucial information about the physical processes at play at early times. Unresolved maps of the intensity of 21 cm emission from neutral hydrogen HI at redshifts z ~ 1 − 5 are the best hope of accessing the ultralarge-scale information, directly related to the early Universe. A purpose-built HI intensity experiment may be used to detect the large scale effects of primordial non-Gaussianity, placing stringent bounds on different models of inflation. We argue that it may be possible to place tight constraints on the non-Gaussianity parameter fNL, with an error close to σfNL
Radio-loud active calactic nucleus: is there a link between luminosity and cluster environment?
(American Physical Society, 2013) Ineson, J.; Croston, J. H.; Jarvis, Matt; Hardcastle, M.J.; Evans, D. A.; Kraft, R. P.
We present here the first results from the Chandra ERA (Environments of Radio-loud AGN) Large Project, characterizing the cluster environments of a sample of 26 radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at z ∼ 0.5 that covers three decades of radio luminosity. This is the first systematic X-ray environmental study at a single epoch, and has allowed us to examine the relationship between radio luminosity and cluster environment without the problems ofMalmquist bias.We have found a weak correlation between radio luminosity and host cluster X-ray luminosity, as well as tentative evidence that this correlation is driven by the subpopulation of low-excitation radio galaxies, with high-excitation radio galaxies showing no significant correlation. The considerable scatter in the environments may be indicative of complex relationships not currently included in feedback models.
The COS-Halos survey: Rationale, design and a census of circumgalactic neutral hydrogen
(IOP Publishing, 2013) Tumlinson, Jason; Thom, Christopher; Dave, Romeel; Werk, Jessica K.; Prochaska, J. Xavier; Tripp, Todd M.; Katz, Neal; Oppenheimer, Benjamin D.; Meiring, Joseph D.; Ford, Amanda Brady; O'Meara, John M.; Peeples, Molly S.; Sembach, Kenneth R.; Weinberg, David H.
We present the design and methods of the COS-Halos survey, a systematic investigation of the gaseous halos of 44 z = 0.15–0.35 galaxies using background QSOs observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. This survey has yielded 39 spectra of zem 0.5 QSOs with S/N ∼10–15 per resolution element. The QSO sightlines pass within 150 physical kpc of the galaxies, which span early and late types over stellar mass logM∗/M = 9.5–11.5. We find that the circumgalactic medium exhibits strong Hi, averaging 1Å in Lyα equivalent width out to 150 kpc, with 100% covering fraction for star-forming galaxies and 75% covering for passive galaxies. We find good agreement in column densities between this survey and previous studies over similar range of impact parameter. There is weak evidence for a difference between early- and late-type galaxies in the strength and distribution of Hi. Kinematics indicate that the detected material is bound to the host galaxy, such that 90% of the detected column density is confined within ±200 km s−1 of the galaxies. This material generally exists well below the halo virial temperatures at T 105 K. We evaluate a number of possible origin scenarios for the detected material, and in the end favor a simple model in which the bulk of the detected Hi arises in a bound, cool, low-density photoionized diffuse medium that is generic to all L ∗ galaxies and may harbor a total gaseous mass comparable to galactic stellar masses.
Galaxy and mass assembly: evolution of the Hα luminosity function and star formation rate density up to z < 0.35
(OUP, 2013) Gunawardhana, M.L.P.; Hopkins, A.M.; Bland–Hawthorn, J.; Prescott, M.
Measurements of the low-z Hα luminosity function, Φ, have a large dispersion in the local number density of sources (∼0.5–1 Mpc−3 dex−1), and correspondingly in the star formation rate density (SFRD). The possible causes for these discrepancies include limited volume sampling, biases arising from survey sample selection, different methods of correcting for dust obscuration and active galactic nucleus contamination. The Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) provide deep spectroscopic observations over a wide sky area enabling detection of a large sample of star-forming galaxies spanning 0.001 < SFRHα (M⊙ yr− 1) < 100 with which to robustly measure the evolution of the SFRD in the low-z Universe. The large number of high-SFR galaxies present in our sample allow an improved measurement of the bright end of the luminosity function, indicating that the decrease in Φ at bright luminosities is best described by a Saunders functional form rather than the traditional Schechter function. This result is consistent with other published luminosity functions in the far-infrared and radio. For GAMA and SDSS, we find the r-band apparent magnitude limit, combined with the subsequent requirement for Hα detection leads to an incompleteness due to missing bright Hα sources with faint r-band magnitudes.
Using a disciplinary discourse lens to explore how representations afford meaning making in a typical wave physics course
(Springer Verlag, 2013) Enghag, Margareta; Forsman, Jonas; Linder, Cedric; MacKinnon, Allan; Moons, Ellen
We carried out a case study in a wave physics course at a Swedish university in order to investigate the relations between the representations used in the lessons and the experience of meaning making in interview–discussions. The grounding of these interview–discussions also included obtaining a rich description of the lesson environment in terms of the communicative approaches used and the students’ preferences for modes of representations that best enable meaning making. The background for this grounding was the first two lessons of a 5-week course on wave physics (70 students). The data collection for both the grounding and the principal research questions consisted of video recordings from the first two lessons: a student questionnaire of student preferences for representations (given before and after the course) and video-recorded interview–discussions with students (seven pairs and one on their own). The results characterize the use of communicative approaches, what modes of representation were used in the lectures, and the trend in what representations students’ preferred for meaning making, all in order to illustrate how students engage with these representations with respect to their experienced meaning making. Interesting aspects that emerged from the study are discussed in terms of how representations do not, in themselves, necessarily enable a range of meaning making; that meaning making from representations is critically related to how the representations get situated in the learning environment; and how constellations of modes of disciplinary discourse may be necessary but not always sufficient. Finally, pedagogical comments and further research possibilities are presented.
The slow flow model of dust eflux in local star-forming galaxies
(Oxford University Press, 2013) Zahid, H.; Torrey, Paul; Dave, Romeel; Geller, Margaret; Kudritzki, Rolf; Kewley, Lisa J.
We develop a dust efflux model of radiation pressure acting on dust grains which successfully reproduces the relation between stellar mass, dust opacity and star forma- tion rate observed in local star-forming galaxies. The dust content of local star-forming galaxies is set by the competition between the physical processes of dust production and dust loss in our model. The dust loss rate is proportional to the dust opacity and star formation rate. Observations of the relation between stellar mass and star formation rate at several epochs imply that the majority of local star-forming galax- ies are best characterized as having continuous star formation histories. Dust loss is a consequence of sustained interaction of dust with the radiation field generated by continuous star formation. Dust efflux driven by radiation pressure rather than dust destruction offers a more consistent physical interpretation of the dust loss mechanism. By comparing our model results with the observed relation between stellar mass, dust extinction and star formation rate in local star-forming galaxies we are able to con- strain the timescale and magnitude of dust loss. The timescale of dust loss is long and therefore dust is effluxed in a “Slow Flow". Dust loss is modest in low mass galaxies but massive galaxies may lose up to 70 80% of their dust over their lifetime. Our Slow Flow model shows that mass loss driven by dust opacity and star formation may be an important physical process for understanding normal star-forming galaxy evolution.
The complex physics of dusty star-forming galaxies at high redshifts as revealed by Herschel and Spitzer
(IOP Publishing, 2013) Lo Faro, Barbara; Franceschini, Alberto; Vaccari, M.; Silva, L.; Rodighiero, G.; Berta, S.; Bock, J.; Burgarella, D.; Buat, V.; Cava, A.; Clements, D.L.; Cooray, Asantha; Farrah, D.; Feltre, Anna; Gonzalez-Solares, Eduardo A.; Hurley, P.; Lutz, D.; Magdis, G.; Magnelli, B.; Marchetti, L.; Oliver, S.J.; Page, Matthew J.; Popesso, P.; Pozzi, F.; Rigopoulou, D.; Rowan-Robinson, M.; Roseboom, I.G.; Scott, Douglas; Smith, A.J.; Symeonidis, Myrto; Wang, L.; Wuyts, S.
We combine far-infrared photometry from Herschel (PEP/HerMES) with deep mid-infrared spectroscopy from Spitzer to investigate the nature and the mass assembly history of a sample of 31 luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies ((U)LIRGs) at z ∼ 1 and 2 selected in GOODS-S with 24μm fluxes between 0.2 and 0.5 mJy.We model the data with a self-consistent physical model (GRASIL) which includes a state-of-the-art treatment of dust extinction and reprocessing. We find that all of our galaxies appear to require massive populations of old (>1 Gyr) stars and, at the same time, to host a moderate ongoing activity of star formation (SFR 100M yr−1). The bulk of the stars appear to have been formed a few Gyr before the observation in essentially all cases. Only five galaxies of the sample require a recent starburst superimposed on a quiescent star formation history.We also find discrepancies between our results and those based on optical-only spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting for the same objects; by fitting their observed SEDs with our physical model we find higher extinctions (by ΔAV ∼ 0.81 and 1.14) and higher stellar masses (by Δlog(M ) ∼ 0.16 and 0.36 dex) for z ∼ 1 and z ∼ 2 (U)LIRGs, respectively. The stellar mass difference is larger for the most dust-obscured objects. We also find lower SFRs than those computed from LIR using the Kennicutt relation due to the significant contribution to the dust heating by intermediate-age stellar populations through “cirrus” emission (∼73% and ∼66% of the total LIR for z ∼ 1 and z ∼ 2 (U)LIRGs, respectively).
EC 10246-2707: a new eclipsing sdB + M dwarf binary⋆
(OUP, 2013) Barlow, B.N.; Kilkenny, David; Drechsel, H.; Dunlap, B.H.
We announce the discovery of a new eclipsing hot subdwarf B + M dwarf binary, EC 10246-2707, and present multi-colour photometric and spectroscopic observations of this system. Similar to other HW Vir-type binaries, the light curve shows both primary and secondary eclipses, along with a strong reflection effect from the M dwarf; no intrinsic light contribution is detected from the cool companion. The orbital period is 0.118 507 993 6 ± 0.000 000 000 9 days, or about three hours. Analysis of our time- series spectroscopy reveals a velocity semi-amplitude of K1 = 71.6 ± 1.7 km s−1 for the sdB and best-fitting atmospheric parameters of Teff = 28900 ± 500 K, log g = 5.64 ± 0.06, and log N(He)/N(H) = -2.5 ± 0.2. Although we cannot claim a unique solution from modeling the light curve, the best–fitting model has an sdB mass of 0.45 M⊙ and a cool companion mass of 0.12 M⊙. These results are roughly consistent with a canonical–mass sdB and M dwarf separated by a ∼ 0.84 R⊙. We find no evidence of pulsations in the light curve and limit the amplitude of rapid photometric oscillations to < 0.08%. Using 15 years of eclipse timings, we construct an O-C diagram but find no statistically significant period changes; we rule out | ˙P | > 7.2×10−12. If EC 10246- 2707 evolves into a cataclysmic variable, its period should fall below the famous CV period gap.
Visible and IR photoluminescence of c-FeSi@a–Si core–shell nano-fibres produced by vapour transport
(Elsevier, 2013) Thabethe, Sibongiseni; Linganiso, Ella; Motaung, David; Mashapa, Matete G.; Nkosi, Steven; Arendse, Christopher; Mwakikung, Bonex W.
The procedures for the synthesis of amorphous ε-FeSi/Sicore–shell nanofibres by vapour transport in a CVD configuration are reported. Crystallite studies by the Williamson-Hall method show the sizes to be typically about 8.0nm which agrees with TEM value of 7.9nm fibre diameter with a compressive strain of about 0.04. Features in the photoluminescence of these FeSi core–shells in both visible and IR are at 410nm,1062nm,1414nm and 1772nm and absorption feature at 1000cm−1 from FTIR are explained from density functional theory(DFT) abinitio calculations. PL confirms the intra-band transition whereas FTIR agrees perfectly with the band-to-band transition whose band gap energy is 0.13eV for FeSi. FTIR also unveils inter-bandtransition which DFT calculation could not predict. Raman spectroscopy data confirm FeSi and nano-Sipresence.
Black hole - galaxy correlations without self-regulation
(American Astronomical Society, 2013) Angles-Alcazar, Daniel; Ozel, Feryal; Dave, Romeel
Recent models of black hole growth in a cosmological context have forwarded a paradigm in which the growth is self-regulated by feedback from the black hole itself. Here we use cosmological zoom simulations of galaxy formation down to z =2 to show that such strong self-regulation is required in the popular spherical Bondi accretion model, but that a plausible alternative model in which black hole growth is limited by galaxy-scale torques does not require self-regulation. Instead, this torque-limited accretion model yields black holes and galaxies evolving on average along the observed scaling relations by relying only on a fixed, 5% mass retention rate onto the black hole from the radius at which the accretion flow is fed. Feedback from the black hole may (and likely does) occur, but does not need to couple to galaxy-scale gas in order to regulate black hole growth. We show that this result is insensitive to variations in the initial black hole mass, stellar feedback, or other implementation details. The torque-limited model allows for high accretion rates at very early epochs (unlike the Bondi case), which if viable can help explain the rapid early growth of black holes, while by z ∼ 2 it yields Eddington factors of ∼1%–10%. This model also yields a less direct correspondence between major merger events and rapid phases of black hole growth. Instead, growth is more closely tied to cosmological disk feeding, which may help explain observational studies showing that, at least at z >~ 1, active galaxies do not preferentially show merger signatures.
Testing homegeneity with Galaxy Star formation histories
(IOP Publishing, 2013) Hoyle, Ben; Jimenez, Raul; Maartens, Roy; Heavens, Alan; Clarkson, Chris; Tojeiro, Rita
Observationally confirming spatial homogeneity on sufficiently large cosmological scales is of importance to test one of the underpinning assumptions of cosmology, and is also imperative for correctly interpreting dark energy. A challenging aspect of this is that homogeneity must be probed inside our past light cone, while observations take place on the light cone. The star formation history (SFH) in the galaxy fossil record provides a novel way to do this. We calculate the SFH of stacked luminous red galaxy (LRG) spectra obtained from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We divide the LRG sample into 12 equal-area contiguous sky patches and 10 redshift slices (0.2 < z < 0.5), which correspond to 120 blocks of volume ∼0.04 Gpc3. Using the SFH in a time period that samples the history of the universe between look-back times 11.5 and 13.4 Gyr as a proxy for homogeneity, we calculate the posterior distribution for the excess large-scale variance due to inhomogeneity, and find that the most likely solution is no extra variance at all. At 95% credibility, there is no evidence of deviations larger than 5.8%.

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