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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

The Initial-Final Mass Relationship: Spectroscopy Of White Dwarfs In Ngc 2099 (M37), Jasonjot Singh Kalirai, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al. Dec 2004

The Initial-Final Mass Relationship: Spectroscopy Of White Dwarfs In Ngc 2099 (M37), Jasonjot Singh Kalirai, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al.

Publications

We present new observations of very faint white dwarfs (WDs) in the rich open star cluster NGC 2099 (M37). Following deep, wide-field imaging of the cluster using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, we have now obtained spectroscopic observations of candidate WDs using both the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph on Gemini North and the Low-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer on Keck. Of our 24 WD candidates (all fainter than V = 22.4), 21 are spectroscopically confirmed to be bona fide WDs, four or five of which are most likely field objects. Fitting 18 of the 21 WD spectra with model atmospheres, we find that most WDs …


Discovery Of The Near-Ir Afterglow And Of The Host Of Grb 030528, A. Rau, J. Greiner, S. Klose, M. Salvato, J. M. Castro Cerón, Dieter H. Hartmann, A. Fruchter, A. Levan, N. R. Tanvir, J. Gorosabel Dec 2004

Discovery Of The Near-Ir Afterglow And Of The Host Of Grb 030528, A. Rau, J. Greiner, S. Klose, M. Salvato, J. M. Castro Cerón, Dieter H. Hartmann, A. Fruchter, A. Levan, N. R. Tanvir, J. Gorosabel

Publications

The rapid dissemination of an arcmin-sized HETE-2 localization of the long-duration X-ray flash GRB 030528 led to a ground-based multi-observatory follow-up campaign. We report the discovery of the near-IR afterglow, and also describe the detection of the underlying host galaxy in the optical and near-IR bands. The afterglow is classified as “optically dark” as it was not detected in the optical band. The K-band photometry presented here suggests that the lack of optical detection was simply the result of observational limitations (lack of rapid and deep observations plus high foreground extinction). Simple power law fits to the afterglow in the …


Discovery Of Co Gas In The Inner Disk Of Tw Hydrae, Terrence W. Rettig, Joe Haywood, Theodore Simon, Sean D. Brittain, Erika Gibb Dec 2004

Discovery Of Co Gas In The Inner Disk Of Tw Hydrae, Terrence W. Rettig, Joe Haywood, Theodore Simon, Sean D. Brittain, Erika Gibb

Publications

We report the detection of rovibrationally excited CO emission from the inner disk of the classical T Tauri star (cTTS) TW Hya. We observe ~6 × 1021 g of CO gas with a rotational temperature of 430 ± 40 K. The linearity of the excitation plot suggests that the CO is optically thin. Atypical for cTTSs, hot CO was not detected, implying that TW Hya has cleared its inner disk region out to a radial distance of ~0.5 AU. We discuss implications for the structure of the disk as it relates to replenishment and planet formation.


Coordinate Conditions For A Uniformly Accelerated Or Static Plane Symmetric Metric, Preston Jones, Lucas Wanex Dec 2004

Coordinate Conditions For A Uniformly Accelerated Or Static Plane Symmetric Metric, Preston Jones, Lucas Wanex

Publications

The coordinate conditions for three exact solutions for the metric components of a coordinate system with constant acceleration or of a static plane symmetric gravitational field are presented. First, the coordinate condition that the acceleration of light is constant is applied to the field equations to derive the metric of a coordinate system of constant acceleration. Second, the coordinate conditions required to produce the metrics of Rindler and Lass are applied to the field equations to calculate the components of these two metrics and the coordinate velocities and coordinate accelerations for light of these two metrics are compared to the …


Geocoronal Hydrogen Studies Using Fabry-Perot Interferometers, S. M. Nossal, E. J. Mierkiewicz, F. L. Roesler, J. Bishop, R. J. Reynolds Nov 2004

Geocoronal Hydrogen Studies Using Fabry-Perot Interferometers, S. M. Nossal, E. J. Mierkiewicz, F. L. Roesler, J. Bishop, R. J. Reynolds

Publications

Ground based Fabry-Perot observations of solar excited geocoronal hydrogen fluorescence emissions are one of the primary means of studying the neutral upper atmosphere [Atreya et al., 1975; Meriwether et al., 1980; Yelle and Roesler, 1985; Shih et al., 1985; Kerr et al., 2001a,b; He et al., 1993; Nossal et al., 1993, 1998, 2004; Bishop et al., 2001; Mierkiewicz, 2002; and references therein]. Excellent reviews of early ground-based geocoronal Balmer α observations are found in: Krassovsky et al. [1966], Krassovsky [1971], Donahue [1964, 1966], Tinsley [1974], Fahr and Shizgal [1983] and Kerr et al. [2001a]. Instruments onboard satellites and rockets also …


Probing A Grb Progenitor At A Redshift Of Z=2: A Comprehensive Observing Campaign Of The Afterglow Of Grb 030226, S. Klose, J. Greiner, A. Rau, A. A. Henden, Dieter H. Hartmann, A. Zeh, C. Reis, N. Masetti, D. Malesani, E. Guenther Nov 2004

Probing A Grb Progenitor At A Redshift Of Z=2: A Comprehensive Observing Campaign Of The Afterglow Of Grb 030226, S. Klose, J. Greiner, A. Rau, A. A. Henden, Dieter H. Hartmann, A. Zeh, C. Reis, N. Masetti, D. Malesani, E. Guenther

Publications

We report results from a comprehensive follow-up observing campaign of the afterglow of GRB 030226, in-cluding VLTspectroscopy, VLT polarimetry, and Chandra X-ray observations. In addition, we present BOOTES-1 wide-field observations at the time of the occurrence of the burst. First observations at ESO started 0.2 days after the event when the gamma ray burst (GRB) afterglow was at a magnitude of R $19 and continued until the afterglow had faded below the detection threshold (R > 26). No underlying host galaxy was found. The optical light curve shows a break around 0.8 days after the burst, which is achromatic within the …


The White Dwarf Luminosity Function: The Shape Of Things To Come, Ted Von Hippel, M. Kilie, J. Munn, K. Williams, J. Libert, D. E. Winget, T. S. Metcalfe, Et Al. Oct 2004

The White Dwarf Luminosity Function: The Shape Of Things To Come, Ted Von Hippel, M. Kilie, J. Munn, K. Williams, J. Libert, D. E. Winget, T. S. Metcalfe, Et Al.

Publications

We describe a new survey for cool white dwarfs that supplements Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometry with USNO proper motions and followup spectroscopy. To date we have discovered and spectroscopically confirmed 80 new moderate temperature and cool white dwarfs. We have also found a handful of high-velocity white dwarfs and we expect a sizable fraction of these to be thick disk or possibly halo objects. Our survey is designed to find 104 new white dwarfs, although only 60 will be among the faintest white dwarfs (MV 16), where most of the age-sensitivity resides. We discuss an extension of our survey …


The Correlation Of Lithium And Beryllium In F And G Cluster Dwarf Stars, Ann Merchant Boesgaard, Eric Armengaud, Constantine P. Deliyannis, Alex Stephens, Jeremy R. King Oct 2004

The Correlation Of Lithium And Beryllium In F And G Cluster Dwarf Stars, Ann Merchant Boesgaard, Eric Armengaud, Constantine P. Deliyannis, Alex Stephens, Jeremy R. King

Publications

Although Li has been extensively observed in main-sequence field and cluster stars, there are relatively fewer observations of Be. We have obtained Keck HIRES spectra of 36 late F and early G dwarfs in order to study the Li-Be correlation we found previously in the temperature regime of 5900–6650 K. The sample size for this temperature range with detectable and (usually) depleted Li and Be is now 88, including Li and Be abundances in both cluster and field stars. Therefore we can now investigate the influence of other parameters such as age, temperature, and metallicity on the correlation. The Be …


Photometric Identification Of Cool White Dwarfs, M. Kilic, D. E. Winget, Ted Von Hippel, C. F. Claver Oct 2004

Photometric Identification Of Cool White Dwarfs, M. Kilic, D. E. Winget, Ted Von Hippel, C. F. Claver

Publications

We investigate the use of a narrowband DDO51 filter for photometric identification of cool white dwarfs. We report photometric observations of 30 known cool white dwarfs with temperatures ranging from 10,000 K down to very cool temperatures (3500 K). Follow-up spectroscopic observations of a sample of objects selected using this filter and our photometric observations show that DDO51 filter photometry can help select cool white dwarf candidates for follow-up multiobject spectroscopy by rejecting 65% of main-sequence stars with the same broadband colors as the cool white dwarfs. This technique is not selective enough to efficiently feed single-object spectrographs. We present …


Redefining The Empirical Zz Ceti Instability Strip, Anjum S. Mukadam, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al. Sep 2004

Redefining The Empirical Zz Ceti Instability Strip, Anjum S. Mukadam, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al.

Publications

We use the new ZZ Ceti stars (hydrogen-atmosphere white dwarf variables; DAVs) discovered within the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (Mukadam et al. 2004) to redefine the empirical ZZ Ceti instability strip. This is the first time since the discovery of white dwarf variables in 1968 that we have a homogeneous set of spectra acquired using the same instrument on the same telescope, and with consistent data reductions, for a statistically significant sample of ZZ Ceti stars. The homogeneity of the spectra reduces the scatter in the spectroscopic temperatures, and we find a narrow instability strip of width ~950 K, from …


Spin Mass Of An Electron Liquid, Zhixin Qian, Giovanni Vignale, D C. Marinescu Sep 2004

Spin Mass Of An Electron Liquid, Zhixin Qian, Giovanni Vignale, D C. Marinescu

Publications

We show that in order to calculate correctly the spin current carried by a quasiparticle in an electron liquid one must use an effective ‘‘spin mass’’ ms that is larger than both the band mass mb, which determines the charge current, and the quasiparticle effective mass m, which determines the heat capacity. We present two independent estimates of the spin mass enhancement, ms=mb, in two- and three-dimensional electron liquids, based on (i) previously calculated values of the Landau parameters and (ii) a recent theory of the dynamical local field factor in the spin channel. Both methods yield a significant spin …


Book Review: Sky Vistas: Astronomy For Binoculars And Richestfield Telescopes, T. D. Oswalt Sep 2004

Book Review: Sky Vistas: Astronomy For Binoculars And Richestfield Telescopes, T. D. Oswalt

Publications

This document is Dr. Oswalt’s review of Sky Vistas : Astronomy for Binoculars and Richestfield Telescopes by Craig Crossen and Gerald Rhemann Springer, 2004 279p, 3211008519 $69.95


The Li Overabundance Of J37: Diffusion Or Accretion?, J F. Ashwell, R D. Jeffries, C P. Deliyannis, A Steinhauer, Jeremy R. King Aug 2004

The Li Overabundance Of J37: Diffusion Or Accretion?, J F. Ashwell, R D. Jeffries, C P. Deliyannis, A Steinhauer, Jeremy R. King

Publications

In September 2002 the discovery of a super Li-rich F-dwarf (J37) in NGC 6633, an iron poor analogue of the better studied Hyades and Praecepe open clusters, was announced. This unique star was thought to be the smoking gun for the action of diffusion, models of which predict a narrow ”Li-peak” at approximately the correct temperature. However, with more detailed studies into J37s abundance pattern this star provides firm evidence for the accretion of planetesimals or other material from the circumstellar environment of new born stars. Thanks to the specific predictions made about the behaviour of Be abundances, (the most …


Lorentz-Violating Electromagnetostatics, Quentin G. Bailey Aug 2004

Lorentz-Violating Electromagnetostatics, Quentin G. Bailey

Publications

In this talk, the stationary limit of Lorentz-violating electrodynamics is discussed. As illustrated by some simple examples, the general solution includes unconventional mixing of electrostatic and magnetostatic effects. I discuss a high-sensitivity null-type measurement, exploiting Lorentz-violating electromagnetostatic effects, that could improve existing limits on parity-odd coefficients for Lorentz violation in the photon sector.


Proper Motion Objects In The Hubble Deep Field, M. Kilic, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al. Jul 2004

Proper Motion Objects In The Hubble Deep Field, M. Kilic, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al.

Publications

Using the deepest and finest resolution images of the universe acquired with the Hubble Space Telescope and a similar image taken 7 yr later for the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey, we have derived proper motions for the point sources in the Hubble Deep Field–North. Two faint blue objects, HDF 2234 and HDF 3072, are found to display significant proper motion, 10:0 ± 2:5 and 15:5 ± 3:8 mas yr¯1. Photometric distances and tangential velocities for these stars are consistent with disk white dwarfs located at ~500 pc. The faint blue objects analyzed by Ibata et al. and Mendez & …


The Near-Infared Survey Of The N49 Region Around The Soft Gamma Repeater Sgr 0526-66, S. Klose, A. A. Henden, U. Geppert, J. Greiner, H. H. Guetter, Dieter H. Hartmann, C. Kouveliotou, C. B. Luginbuhl, B. Stecklum, F. J. Vrba Jul 2004

The Near-Infared Survey Of The N49 Region Around The Soft Gamma Repeater Sgr 0526-66, S. Klose, A. A. Henden, U. Geppert, J. Greiner, H. H. Guetter, Dieter H. Hartmann, C. Kouveliotou, C. B. Luginbuhl, B. Stecklum, F. J. Vrba

Publications

We report the results of a deep near-infrared survey with the Very Large Telescope/Infrared Spectrometer and Array Camera of the environment of the supernova remnant N49 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which contains the soft gamma repeater SGR 0526-66. Two of the four confirmed SGRs are potentially associated with compact stellar clusters. We thus searched for a similar association of SGR 0526-66 and imaged a young stellar cluster at a projected distance of ∼30 pc from the SGR. This constitutes the third cluster–SGR link and lends support to scenarios in which SGR progenitors originate in young dusty clusters. If confirmed, …


The Upper Limit For Ch4 In The Protostellar Disk Toward Hl Tauri, E L. Gibb, T Rettig, Sean D. Brittain, R Haywood, Theodore Simon, C Kulesa Jul 2004

The Upper Limit For Ch4 In The Protostellar Disk Toward Hl Tauri, E L. Gibb, T Rettig, Sean D. Brittain, R Haywood, Theodore Simon, C Kulesa

Publications

We used high-resolution infrared spectra of the heavily embedded T Tauri star HL Tau to search for evidence of absorption due to the R0, R1, and R2 gas-phase CH4 ν3 lines near 3.3 μm. From this, we report a 3 σ upper limit of 1.3 × 1015 cm-2 for the CH4 gas column density toward HL Tau. Our results are compared to those found for CO gas toward this source and to the recent model for chemistry in the inner (10 AU) disks around T Tauri stars by Markwick et al. We find that the upper limit of methane ice+gas …


Cluster Observations Of Magnetic Field Fluctuations In The High-Altitude Cusp, K. Nykyri, P. J. Cargill, E. Lucek, T. Horbury, B. Lavraud, A. Balogh, M. W. Dunlop, Et Al. Jul 2004

Cluster Observations Of Magnetic Field Fluctuations In The High-Altitude Cusp, K. Nykyri, P. J. Cargill, E. Lucek, T. Horbury, B. Lavraud, A. Balogh, M. W. Dunlop, Et Al.

Publications

High-resolution (22 vector/s) magnetic field data from Cluster FGM instrument are presented for the highaltitude cusp crossing on 17 March 2001. Despite the quiet solar wind conditions, the cusp was filled with magnetic field turbulence for much of the crossing. Large-scale fluctuations show some correlation between spacecraft but the higher frequency fluctuations show no correlation, indicating that the length scales of these waves are smaller than the spacecraft separation (500 km). In many intervals, there are clear peaks in the wave power around the ion cyclotron frequency (~1 Hz), and there is some evidence for waves at the first harmonic …


Thirty-Five New Pulsating Da White Dwarf Stars, Anjum S. Mukadam, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al. Jun 2004

Thirty-Five New Pulsating Da White Dwarf Stars, Anjum S. Mukadam, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al.

Publications

We present 35 new pulsating DA (hydrogen atmosphere) white dwarf stars discovered from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Hamburg Quasar Survey (HQS). We have acquired high-speed time series photometry of preselected DA white dwarfs with a prime focus CCD photometer on the 2.1 m telescope at McDonald Observatory over 15 months. We selected these stars on the basis of prior photometric and spectroscopic observations by the SDSS and HQS. For the homogeneous SDSS sample, we achieve a success rate of 80% for finding new variables at a detection threshold of 0.1%-0.3%. With 35 newly discovered DA variable …


Book Review: The Edge Of Infinity: Supermassive Black Holes In The Universe, T. D. Oswalt Jun 2004

Book Review: The Edge Of Infinity: Supermassive Black Holes In The Universe, T. D. Oswalt

Publications

This document is Dr. Oswalt’s review of The Edge of Infinity : Supermassive Black Holes in the Universe by Fulvio Melia. Cambridge, 2003 148p, 0-521-81405-7 $30.00.


Re-Defining The Empirical Zz Ceti Instability Strip, Anjum S. Mukadam, Ted Von Hippel, D. E. Winget,, M. H. Montgomery May 2004

Re-Defining The Empirical Zz Ceti Instability Strip, Anjum S. Mukadam, Ted Von Hippel, D. E. Winget,, M. H. Montgomery

Publications

We use the new ZZ Ceti stars (hydrogen atmosphere white dwarf variables; DAVs) discovered within the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (Mukadam et al. 2004) to re-define the empirical ZZ Ceti instability strip. This is the first time since the discovery of white dwarf variables in 1968 that we have a homogeneous set of spectra acquired using the same instrument on the same telescope, and with con- sistent data reductions, for a statistically significant sample of ZZ Ceti stars. The homogeneity of the spectra reduces the scatter in the spectroscopic temperatures and we find a narrow instability strip of width ∼ …


Data-Model Comparison Search Analysis Of Coincident Pbo Balmer Α, Eurd Lyman Β Geocoronal Measurements From March 2000, J. Bishop, E. J. Mierkiewicz, F. L. Roesler, J. F. Gómez, C. Morales May 2004

Data-Model Comparison Search Analysis Of Coincident Pbo Balmer Α, Eurd Lyman Β Geocoronal Measurements From March 2000, J. Bishop, E. J. Mierkiewicz, F. L. Roesler, J. F. Gómez, C. Morales

Publications

Recent Lyman series and Balmer series airglow measurements provide a fresh opportunity to investigate the density distribution and variability of atomic hydrogen in the upper atmosphere. Dedicated nightside Balmer α Fabry-Perot spectrometer measurements at the Pine Bluff Observatory (PBO), University of Wisconsin-Madison, have been acquired since late 1999 taking advantage of several technological advances. Extreme ultraviolet spectral radiance measurements by the Espectrógrafo Ultravioleta extremo para la Radiación Difusa (EURD) instrument on the Spanish MINISAT-1 satellite from October 1997 to December 2001 provide extensive sets of geocoronal Lyman β, Lyman γ and He 584 Å emission intensities. In this paper, coincident …


Interstellar H3+ Line Absorption Toward Lkhα 101, Sean D. Brittain, Theodore Simon, Craig Kulesa, Terrence W. Rettig May 2004

Interstellar H3+ Line Absorption Toward Lkhα 101, Sean D. Brittain, Theodore Simon, Craig Kulesa, Terrence W. Rettig

Publications

We present a detection of three lines of the H+3 ion in the near-infrared spectrum of the Herbig Be star LkHalpha 101. H+3 is the principal initiator of gas-phase chemistry in interstellar clouds and can be used to constrain the ionization rate or the path length through interstellar material along the line of sight. Essentially all of the observed H+3 column of (2.2+/-0.3)×1014 cm-2 toward LkHalpha 101 originates in the same dense, dark cloud; less than 1 mag of the ~11 total magnitudes of visual extinction is attributable to diffuse material. Constraints on the density [1×104cm-3


Spectroscopic And Photometric Analysis Of Hs 1136+6646: A Hot Young Dao+K7 V Post-Common-Envelope, Pre-Cataclysmic Variable Binary, D. K. Sing, Terry D. Oswalt, J. B. Holberg, M. R. Burleigh, S. A. Good, Et Al. May 2004

Spectroscopic And Photometric Analysis Of Hs 1136+6646: A Hot Young Dao+K7 V Post-Common-Envelope, Pre-Cataclysmic Variable Binary, D. K. Sing, Terry D. Oswalt, J. B. Holberg, M. R. Burleigh, S. A. Good, Et Al.

Publications

Extensive photometric and spectroscopic observations have been obtained for HS 1136+6646. The observations reveal a newly formed post–common-envelope binary system containing a hot ~DAO.5 primary and a highly irradiated secondary. HS 1136+6646 is the most extreme example yet of a class of short-period hot H-rich white dwarfs with K–M companion systems such as V471 Tau and Feige 24. HS 1136+6646 is a double-line spectroscopic binary showing emission lines of H i, He ii, C ii, Ca ii, and Mg ii, due in part to irradiation of the K7 V secondary by the hot white dwarf. Echelle spectra reveal the hydrogen …


Beryllium Abundances In F And G Dwarfs In Praesepe And Other Young Clusters From Keck Hires Observations, Ann Merchant Boesgaard, Eric Armengaud, Jeremy R. King Apr 2004

Beryllium Abundances In F And G Dwarfs In Praesepe And Other Young Clusters From Keck Hires Observations, Ann Merchant Boesgaard, Eric Armengaud, Jeremy R. King

Publications

The study of both Be and Li gives useful clues about stellar internal structure. Of particular interest is the study of these light elements in open clusters, which have a known age and metallicity. In this paper we present a study of Be abundances in 10 F-type stars in Praesepe and a comprehensive discussion about Be abundances in other open clusters: Hyades, Pleiades, Per, Coma, and UMa. We have made observations of the doublet of Be ii around 3130 A˚ in Praesepe stars, using the Keck I telescope and the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer (HIRES). Beryllium abundances were derived from …


Cluster Encounters With The High Altitude Cusp: Boundary Structure And Magnetic Field Depletions, P. J. Cargill, M. W. Dunlop, B. Lavraud, R. C. Elphic, D. L. Holland, K. Nykyri, A. Balogh, I. Dandouras Apr 2004

Cluster Encounters With The High Altitude Cusp: Boundary Structure And Magnetic Field Depletions, P. J. Cargill, M. W. Dunlop, B. Lavraud, R. C. Elphic, D. L. Holland, K. Nykyri, A. Balogh, I. Dandouras

Publications

Data from the four spacecraft Cluster mission during a high altitude cusp crossing on 13 February 2001 are presented. The spacecraft configuration has one leading spacecraft, with the three trailing spacecraft lying in a plane that corresponds roughly to the nominal magnetopause surface. The typical spacecraft separation is approximately 600 km. The encounter occurs under conditions of strong and steady southward Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF). The cusp is identified as a seven-minute long depression in the magnetic field, associated with ion heating and a high abundance of He+. Cusp entry involves passage through a magnetopause boundary that has undergone very …


Oxygen In Open Cluster Dwarfs: Pleiades And M34, Simon C. Schuler, Jeremy R. King, L M. Hobbs, Marc H. Pinsonneault Feb 2004

Oxygen In Open Cluster Dwarfs: Pleiades And M34, Simon C. Schuler, Jeremy R. King, L M. Hobbs, Marc H. Pinsonneault

Publications

We analyze the high-excitation O I lambda7774 triplet in high-resolution, moderate signal-to-noise ratio spectra of 15 Pleiades and eight M34 open cluster dwarfs over the effective temperature range of 5048-6172 K. Relative O abundances have been derived using model atmospheres interpolated from four different sets of ATLAS9 grids. In contrast to existing non-LTE (NLTE) predictions, a dramatic increase in the O I triplet abundance with decreasing temperature is seen for both clusters, regardless of the atmospheric model. S I abundances of three Pleiades stars derived from the high-excitation lambda6053 feature mimic the O I abundance behavior. O abundances have also …


Book Review: The Big Bang: A View From The 21st Century, T. D. Oswalt Feb 2004

Book Review: The Big Bang: A View From The 21st Century, T. D. Oswalt

Publications

This document is Dr. Oswalt’s review of The Big Bang : a View from the 21st Century by David M. Harland. Springer/Praxis, 2003 262p, 1-85233-713-3 $39.95.


Influence Of The Hall Term On Kh Instability And Reconnection Inside Kh Vortices, K. Nykyri, A. Otto Feb 2004

Influence Of The Hall Term On Kh Instability And Reconnection Inside Kh Vortices, K. Nykyri, A. Otto

Publications

The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) in its nonlinear stage can develop small-scale filamentary field and current structures at the flank boundaries of the magnetosphere. It has been shown previously with MHD simulations that magnetic reconnection can occur inside these narrow current layers, resulting in plasma transport from the solar wind into the magnetosphere. During periods of northward IMF, this transport is sufficient to generate a cold, dense plasma sheet on time scales consistent with satellite observations. However, when the length scales of these narrow current layers approach the ion inertia scale, the MHD approximation is not valid anymore and the Hall …


The Host Of Grb 030323 At Z=3.372: A Very High Column Density Dla System With A Low Metallicity, P. M. Vreeswijk, S. L. Ellison, C. Ledoux, R. A. M. J. Wijers, J. P. U. Fymbo, P. Møller, A. Henden, J. Hjorth, G. Masi Jan 2004

The Host Of Grb 030323 At Z=3.372: A Very High Column Density Dla System With A Low Metallicity, P. M. Vreeswijk, S. L. Ellison, C. Ledoux, R. A. M. J. Wijers, J. P. U. Fymbo, P. Møller, A. Henden, J. Hjorth, G. Masi

Publications

We present photometry and spectroscopy of the afterglow of GRB 030323. VLT spectra of the afterglow show damped Lyα(DLA) absorption and low- and high-ionization lines at a redshift z =3.3718 ±0.0005. The inferred neutral hy-drogen column density, log N(H i) =21.90±0.07, is larger than any (GRB- or QSO-) DLA H  column density inferred directly from Lyαin absorption. From the afterglow photometry, we derive a conservative upper limit to the host-galaxy extinction: AV <0.5 mag. The iron abundance is [Fe/H] =−1.47 ±0.11, while the metallicity of the gas as measured from sulphur is [S/H] =−1.26 ±0.20. We derive an upper limit on the H2 molecular fraction of 2N(H2)/(2N(H2) +N(H i)) <∼10−6.In the Lyαtrough, a Lyαemission line is detected, which corresponds to a star-formation rate (not corrected for dust extinction) of roughly 1 Myr−1. All these results are consistent with the host galaxy of GRB 030323 consisting of a low metallicity gas with a low dust content. We detect fine-structure lines of silicon, Si*, which have never been clearly detected in QSO-DLAs; this suggests that these lines are produced in the vicinity of the GRB explosion site. Under the assumption that these fine-structure levels are populated by particle collisions, we estimate the H  volume density to be nH i =102−104 cm−3.HST/ACS imaging 4 months after the burst shows an extended AB(F606W) =28.0 ±0.3 mag object at a distance of 0.14 (1 kpc) from the early afterglow location, which presumably is the host galaxy of GRB 030323.