1
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Mereghetti S, Rigoselli M, Salvaterra R, Pacholski DP, Rodi JC, Gotz D, Arrigoni E, D'Avanzo P, Adami C, Bazzano A, Bozzo E, Brivio R, Campana S, Cappellaro E, Chenevez J, De Luise F, Ducci L, Esposito P, Ferrigno C, Ferro M, Israel GL, Le Floc'h E, Martin-Carrillo A, Onori F, Rea N, Reguitti A, Savchenko V, Souami D, Tartaglia L, Thuillot W, Tiengo A, Tomasella L, Topinka M, Turpin D, Ubertini P. A magnetar giant flare in the nearby starburst galaxy M82. Nature 2024; 629:58-61. [PMID: 38658757 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07285-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Magnetar giant flares are rare explosive events releasing up to 1047 erg in gamma rays in less than 1 second from young neutron stars with magnetic fields up to 1015-16 G (refs. 1,2). Only three such flares have been seen from magnetars in our Galaxy3,4 and in the Large Magellanic Cloud5 in roughly 50 years. This small sample can be enlarged by the discovery of extragalactic events, as for a fraction of a second giant flares reach luminosities above 1046 erg s-1, which makes them visible up to a few tens of megaparsecs. However, at these distances they are difficult to distinguish from short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs); much more distant and energetic (1050-53 erg) events, originating in compact binary mergers6. A few short GRBs have been proposed7-11, with different amounts of confidence, as candidate giant magnetar flares in nearby galaxies. Here we report observations of GRB 231115A, positionally coincident with the starburst galaxy M82 (ref. 12). Its spectral properties, along with the length of the burst, the limits on its X-ray and optical counterparts obtained within a few hours, and the lack of a gravitational wave signal, unambiguously qualify this burst as a giant flare from a magnetar in M82.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandro Mereghetti
- INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Milano, Milano, Italy.
| | - Michela Rigoselli
- INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Ruben Salvaterra
- INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Dominik Patryk Pacholski
- INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Milano, Milano, Italy
- Dipartimento di Fisica G. Occhialini, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - James Craig Rodi
- INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Gotz
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Edoardo Arrigoni
- INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Milano, Milano, Italy
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Angela Bazzano
- INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Bozzo
- University of Geneva, Department of Astronomy, Versoix, Switzerland
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
| | - Riccardo Brivio
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Università dell'Insubria, Como, Italy
| | | | | | - Jerome Chenevez
- DTU Space, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Fiore De Luise
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico d'Abruzzo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Ducci
- University of Geneva, Department of Astronomy, Versoix, Switzerland
- Institut fuer Astronomie und Astrophysik Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Paolo Esposito
- INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Milano, Milano, Italy
- Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Carlo Ferrigno
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, Italy
- University of Geneva, Department of Astronomy, Versoix, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Ferro
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Università dell'Insubria, Como, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Israel
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
| | - Emeric Le Floc'h
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Antonio Martin-Carrillo
- School of Physics and Centre for Space Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Nanda Rea
- Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC), Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Reguitti
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, Italy
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Volodymyr Savchenko
- University of Geneva, Department of Astronomy, Versoix, Switzerland
- École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Damya Souami
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Meudon, France
| | | | - William Thuillot
- Institut de mecanique celeste et de calcul des ephemerides (IMCCE) UMR 8028 du CNRS - Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Andrea Tiengo
- INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Milano, Milano, Italy
- Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Lina Tomasella
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Martin Topinka
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Selargius (CA), Italy
| | - Damien Turpin
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pietro Ubertini
- INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali di Roma, Rome, Italy
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2
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Looser TJ, D'Eugenio F, Maiolino R, Witstok J, Sandles L, Curtis-Lake E, Chevallard J, Tacchella S, Johnson BD, Baker WM, Suess KA, Carniani S, Ferruit P, Arribas S, Bonaventura N, Bunker AJ, Cameron AJ, Charlot S, Curti M, de Graaff A, Maseda MV, Rawle T, Rix HW, Del Pino BR, Smit R, Übler H, Willott C, Alberts S, Egami E, Eisenstein DJ, Endsley R, Hausen R, Rieke M, Robertson B, Shivaei I, Williams CC, Boyett K, Chen Z, Ji Z, Jones GC, Kumari N, Nelson E, Perna M, Saxena A, Scholtz J. A recently quenched galaxy 700 million years after the Big Bang. Nature 2024; 629:53-57. [PMID: 38447669 PMCID: PMC11062910 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07227-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Local and low-redshift (z < 3) galaxies are known to broadly follow a bimodal distribution: actively star-forming galaxies with relatively stable star-formation rates and passive systems. These two populations are connected by galaxies in relatively slow transition. By contrast, theory predicts that star formation was stochastic at early cosmic times and in low-mass systems1-4. These galaxies transitioned rapidly between starburst episodes and phases of suppressed star formation, potentially even causing temporary quiescence-so-called mini-quenching events5,6. However, the regime of star-formation burstiness is observationally highly unconstrained. Directly observing mini-quenched galaxies in the primordial Universe is therefore of utmost importance to constrain models of galaxy formation and transformation7,8. Early quenched galaxies have been identified out to redshift z < 5 (refs. 9-12) and these are all found to be massive (M⋆ > 1010 M⊙) and relatively old. Here we report a (mini-)quenched galaxy at z = 7.3, when the Universe was only 700 Myr old. The JWST/NIRSpec spectrum is very blue (U-V = 0.16 ± 0.03 mag) but exhibits a Balmer break and no nebular emission lines. The galaxy experienced a short starburst followed by rapid quenching; its stellar mass (4-6 × 108 M⊙) falls in a range that is sensitive to various feedback mechanisms, which can result in perhaps only temporary quenching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias J Looser
- Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Cavendish Laboratory - Astrophysics Group, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Francesco D'Eugenio
- Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory - Astrophysics Group, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Roberto Maiolino
- Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory - Astrophysics Group, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London, UK
| | - Joris Witstok
- Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory - Astrophysics Group, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lester Sandles
- Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory - Astrophysics Group, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emma Curtis-Lake
- Centre for Astrophysics Research, Department of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | | | - Sandro Tacchella
- Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory - Astrophysics Group, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - William M Baker
- Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory - Astrophysics Group, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Katherine A Suess
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Pierre Ferruit
- European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), European Space Agency (ESA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Santiago Arribas
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)-National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nina Bonaventura
- Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), Copenhagen, Denmark
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | - Stephane Charlot
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7095, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Mirko Curti
- Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory - Astrophysics Group, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- European Southern Observatory, Garching bei Muenchen, Germany
| | | | - Michael V Maseda
- Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Tim Rawle
- European Space Agency (ESA) Office, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Bruno Rodríguez Del Pino
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)-National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Renske Smit
- Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Hannah Übler
- Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory - Astrophysics Group, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Stacey Alberts
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Eiichi Egami
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - Ryan Endsley
- Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Ryan Hausen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marcia Rieke
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Brant Robertson
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Irene Shivaei
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Christina C Williams
- NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab), Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Kristan Boyett
- School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Zuyi Chen
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Zhiyuan Ji
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - Nimisha Kumari
- AURA for European Space Agency, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Erica Nelson
- Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Michele Perna
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)-National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Aayush Saxena
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jan Scholtz
- Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory - Astrophysics Group, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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3
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Glazebrook K, Nanayakkara T, Schreiber C, Lagos C, Kawinwanichakij L, Jacobs C, Chittenden H, Brammer G, Kacprzak GG, Labbe I, Marchesini D, Marsan ZC, Oesch PA, Papovich C, Remus RS, Tran KVH, Esdaile J, Chandro-Gomez A. A massive galaxy that formed its stars at z ≈ 11. Nature 2024; 628:277-281. [PMID: 38354832 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07191-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The formation of galaxies by gradual hierarchical co-assembly of baryons and cold dark matter halos is a fundamental paradigm underpinning modern astrophysics1,2 and predicts a strong decline in the number of massive galaxies at early cosmic times3-5. Extremely massive quiescent galaxies (stellar masses of more than 1011 M⊙) have now been observed as early as 1-2 billion years after the Big Bang6-13. These galaxies are extremely constraining on theoretical models, as they had formed 300-500 Myr earlier, and only some models can form massive galaxies this early12,14. Here we report on the spectroscopic observations with the JWST of a massive quiescent galaxy ZF-UDS-7329 at redshift 3.205 ± 0.005. It has eluded deep ground-based spectroscopy8, it is significantly redder than is typical and its spectrum reveals features typical of much older stellar populations. Detailed modelling shows that its stellar population formed around 1.5 billion years earlier in time (z ≈ 11) at an epoch when dark matter halos of sufficient hosting mass had not yet assembled in the standard scenario4,5. This observation may indicate the presence of undetected populations of early galaxies and the possibility of significant gaps in our understanding of early stellar populations, galaxy formation and the nature of dark matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Glazebrook
- Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Themiya Nanayakkara
- Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Claudia Lagos
- Cosmic DAWN Center, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- ARC Centre for Excellence in All-Sky Astrophysics in 3D, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Lalitwadee Kawinwanichakij
- Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | - Colin Jacobs
- Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | - Harry Chittenden
- Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gabriel Brammer
- Cosmic DAWN Center, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Glenn G Kacprzak
- Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ivo Labbe
- Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | - Danilo Marchesini
- Physics and Astronomy Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Z Cemile Marsan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pascal A Oesch
- Cosmic DAWN Center, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Astronomy, University of Geneva, Versoix, Switzerland
| | - Casey Papovich
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Rhea-Silvia Remus
- Universitäts-Sternwarte, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Kim-Vy H Tran
- ARC Centre for Excellence in All-Sky Astrophysics in 3D, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - James Esdaile
- Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | - Angel Chandro-Gomez
- International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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4
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NISHIYAMA S, KARA T, THORSBRO B, SAIDA H, TAKAMORI Y, TAKAHASHI M, OHGAMI T, ICHIKAWA K, SCHÖDEL R. Origin of an orbiting star around the galactic supermassive black hole. Proc Jpn Acad Ser B Phys Biol Sci 2024; 100:86-99. [PMID: 38044129 PMCID: PMC10864168 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.100.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The tremendous tidal force that is linked to the supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the center of our galaxy is expected to strongly subdue star formation in its vicinity. Stars within 1'' from the SMBH thus likely formed further from the SMBH and migrated to their current positions. In this study, spectroscopic observations of the star S0-6/S10, one of the closest (projected distance from the SMBH of ≈0''.3) late-type stars were conducted. Using metal absorption lines in the spectra of S0-6, the radial velocity of S0-6 from 2014 to 2021 was measured, and a marginal acceleration was detected, which indicated that S0-6 is close to the SMBH. The S0-6 spectra were employed to determine its stellar parameters including temperature, chemical abundances ([M/H], [Fe/H], [α/Fe], [Ca/Fe], [Mg/Fe], [Ti/Fe]), and age. As suggested by the results of this study, S0-6 is very old (≳10 Gyr) and has an origin different from that of stars born in the central pc region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shogo NISHIYAMA
- Faculty of Education, Miyagi University of Education, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Tomohiro KARA
- Faculty of Education, Miyagi University of Education, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Brian THORSBRO
- Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS UMR 7293, BP4229, Laboratoire Lagrange, F-06304 Nice Cedex 4, France
| | - Hiromi SAIDA
- Faculty of Liberal Arts, Daido University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yohsuke TAKAMORI
- National Institute of Technology, Wakayama College, Gobo, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Masaaki TAKAHASHI
- Faculty of Education, Aichi University of Education, Kariya, Aichi, Japan
| | | | - Kohei ICHIKAWA
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences (FRIS), Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
- Global Center for Science and Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rainer SCHÖDEL
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA)-CSIC, Granada, Spain
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5
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Coil AL, Perrotta S, Rupke DSN, Lochhaas C, Tremonti CA, Diamond-Stanic A, Fielding D, Geach JE, Hickox RC, Moustakas J, Rudnick GH, Sell P, Whalen KE. Ionized gas extends over 40 kpc in an odd radio circle host galaxy. Nature 2024; 625:459-462. [PMID: 38191936 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06752-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
A new class of extragalactic astronomical sources discovered in 2021, named odd radio circles (ORCs)1, are large rings of faint, diffuse radio continuum emission spanning approximately 1 arcminute on the sky. Galaxies at the centres of several ORCs have photometric redshifts of z ≃ 0.3-0.6, implying physical scales of several 100 kpc in diameter for the radio emission, the origin of which is unknown. Here we report spectroscopic data on an ORC including strong [O II] emission tracing ionized gas in the central galaxy of ORC4 at z = 0.4512. The physical extent of the [O II] emission is approximately 40 kpc in diameter, larger than expected for a typical early-type galaxy2 but an order of magnitude smaller than the large-scale radio continuum emission. We detect an approximately 200 km s-1 velocity gradient across the [O II] nebula, as well as a high velocity dispersion of approximately 180 km s-1. The [O II] equivalent width (approximately 50 Å) is extremely high for a quiescent galaxy. The morphology, kinematics and strength of the [O II] emission are consistent with the infall of shock ionized gas near the galaxy, following a larger, outward-moving shock. Both the extended optical and radio emission, although observed on very different scales, may therefore result from the same dramatic event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L Coil
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Serena Perrotta
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Christy A Tremonti
- Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Drummond Fielding
- Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - James E Geach
- Centre for Astrophysics Research, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | - Ryan C Hickox
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - John Moustakas
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Siena College, Loudonville, NY, USA
| | - Gregory H Rudnick
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Paul Sell
- Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kelly E Whalen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
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6
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Wang K, Peng EW, Liu C, Mihos JC, Côté P, Ferrarese L, Taylor MA, Blakeslee JP, Cuillandre JC, Duc PA, Guhathakurta P, Gwyn S, Ko Y, Lançon A, Lim S, MacArthur LA, Puzia T, Roediger J, Sales LV, Sánchez-Janssen R, Spengler C, Toloba E, Zhang H, Zhu M. An evolutionary continuum from nucleated dwarf galaxies to star clusters. Nature 2023; 623:296-300. [PMID: 37938704 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06650-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Systematic studies1-4 have revealed hundreds of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs5) in the nearby Universe. With half-light radii rh of approximately 10-100 parsecs and stellar masses M* ≈ 106-108 solar masses, UCDs are among the densest known stellar systems6. Although similar in appearance to massive globular clusters7, the detection of extended stellar envelopes4,8,9, complex star formation histories10, elevated mass-to-light ratio11,12 and supermassive black holes13-16 suggest that some UCDs are remnant nuclear star clusters17 of tidally stripped dwarf galaxies18,19, or even ancient compact galaxies20. However, only a few objects have been found in the transient stage of tidal stripping21,22, and this assumed evolutionary path19 has never been fully traced by observations. Here we show that 106 galaxies in the Virgo cluster have morphologies that are intermediate between normal, nucleated dwarf galaxies and single-component UCDs, revealing a continuum that fully maps this morphological transition and fills the 'size gap' between star clusters and galaxies. Their spatial distribution and redder colour are also consistent with stripped satellite galaxies on their first few pericentric passages around massive galaxies23. The 'ultra-diffuse' tidal features around several of these galaxies directly show how UCDs are forming through tidal stripping and that this evolutionary path can include an early phase as a nucleated ultra-diffuse galaxy24,25. These UCDs represent substantial visible fossil remnants of ancient dwarf galaxies in galaxy clusters, and more low-mass remnants probably remain to be found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaixiang Wang
- Department of Astronomy, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | | | - Chengze Liu
- Department of Astronomy, School of Physics and Astronomy, and Shanghai Key Laboratory for Particle Physics and Cosmology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - J Christopher Mihos
- Department of Astronomy, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Patrick Côté
- Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laura Ferrarese
- Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Matthew A Taylor
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Jean-Charles Cuillandre
- AIM Paris Saclay, CNRS/INSU, CEA/Irfu, Université Paris Diderot, Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Pierre-Alain Duc
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg, UMR 7550, Strasbourg, France
| | - Puragra Guhathakurta
- UCO/Lick Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Stephen Gwyn
- Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Youkyung Ko
- Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, 776 Daedeok-daero, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ariane Lançon
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg, UMR 7550, Strasbourg, France
| | - Sungsoon Lim
- Department of Astronomy, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Lauren A MacArthur
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Thomas Puzia
- Institute of Astrophysics, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, 7820436 Macul, Santiago, Chile
| | - Joel Roediger
- Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laura V Sales
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Rubén Sánchez-Janssen
- UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Chelsea Spengler
- Institute of Astrophysics, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, 7820436 Macul, Santiago, Chile
| | - Elisa Toloba
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, USA
| | - Hongxin Zhang
- School of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Research in Galaxies and Cosmology, Department of Astronomy, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Mingcheng Zhu
- Department of Astronomy, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Beijing, China
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7
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Costantin L, Pérez-González PG, Guo Y, Buttitta C, Jogee S, Bagley MB, Barro G, Kartaltepe JS, Koekemoer AM, Cabello C, Corsini EM, Méndez-Abreu J, de la Vega A, Iyer KG, Bisigello L, Cheng Y, Morelli L, Arrabal Haro P, Buitrago F, Cooper MC, Dekel A, Dickinson M, Finkelstein SL, Giavalisco M, Holwerda BW, Huertas-Company M, Lucas RA, Papovich C, Pirzkal N, Seillé LM, Vega-Ferrero J, Wuyts S, Yung LYA. A Milky Way-like barred spiral galaxy at a redshift of 3. Nature 2023; 623:499-501. [PMID: 37938777 PMCID: PMC10651483 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06636-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
The majority of massive disk galaxies in the local Universe show a stellar barred structure in their central regions, including our Milky Way1,2. Bars are supposed to develop in dynamically cold stellar disks at low redshift, as the strong gas turbulence typical of disk galaxies at high redshift suppresses or delays bar formation3,4. Moreover, simulations predict bars to be almost absent beyond z = 1.5 in the progenitors of Milky Way-like galaxies5,6. Here we report observations of ceers-2112, a barred spiral galaxy at redshift zphot ≈ 3, which was already mature when the Universe was only 2 Gyr old. The stellar mass (M★ = 3.9 × 109 M⊙) and barred morphology mean that ceers-2112 can be considered a progenitor of the Milky Way7-9, in terms of both structure and mass-assembly history in the first 2 Gyr of the Universe, and was the closest in mass in the first 4 Gyr. We infer that baryons in galaxies could have already dominated over dark matter at z ≈ 3, that high-redshift bars could form in approximately 400 Myr and that dynamically cold stellar disks could have been in place by redshift z = 4-5 (more than 12 Gyrs ago)10,11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Costantin
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), INTA-CSIC, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Yuchen Guo
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Chiara Buttitta
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia "G. Galilei", Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Shardha Jogee
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Micaela B Bagley
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Guillermo Barro
- Department of Physics, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, USA
| | - Jeyhan S Kartaltepe
- Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Cristina Cabello
- Departamento de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica, Fac. CC. Físicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Física de Partículas y del Cosmos (IPARCOS), Fac. CC. Físicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enrico Maria Corsini
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia "G. Galilei", Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Jairo Méndez-Abreu
- Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Spain
| | - Alexander de la Vega
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Kartheik G Iyer
- Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laura Bisigello
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia "G. Galilei", Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Yingjie Cheng
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Lorenzo Morelli
- Instituto de Astronomía y Ciencias Planetarias, Universidad de Atacama, Copiapó, Chile
| | - Pablo Arrabal Haro
- NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Fernando Buitrago
- Departamento de Física Teórica, Atómica y Óptica, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
- Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - M C Cooper
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Avishai Dekel
- Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Mark Dickinson
- NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | | | - Benne W Holwerda
- Physics and Astronomy Department, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Marc Huertas-Company
- Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Spain
- Université Paris-Cité, LERMA - Observatoire de Paris, PSL, Paris, France
- Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ray A Lucas
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Casey Papovich
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Nor Pirzkal
- ESA/AURA Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Jesús Vega-Ferrero
- Departamento de Física Teórica, Atómica y Óptica, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Stijn Wuyts
- Department of Physics, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, UK
| | - L Y Aaron Yung
- Astrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
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8
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Fahrion K. Ultra-compact oddities are galaxies stripped of stars. Nature 2023; 623:255-256. [PMID: 37938699 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-03275-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
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9
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Geach JE, Lopez-Rodriguez E, Doherty MJ, Chen J, Ivison RJ, Bendo GJ, Dye S, Coppin KEK. Polarized thermal emission from dust in a galaxy at redshift 2.6. Nature 2023; 621:483-486. [PMID: 37674076 PMCID: PMC10511318 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06346-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic fields are fundamental to the evolution of galaxies, playing a key role in the astrophysics of the interstellar medium and star formation. Large-scale ordered magnetic fields have been mapped in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies1,2, but it is not known how early in the Universe such structures formed3. Here we report the detection of linearly polarized thermal emission from dust grains in a strongly lensed, intrinsically luminous galaxy that is forming stars at a rate more than 1,000 times that of the Milky Way at redshift 2.6, within 2.5 Gyr of the Big Bang4,5. The polarized emission arises from the alignment of dust grains with the local magnetic field6,7. The median polarization fraction is of the order of 1%, similar to nearby spiral galaxies8. Our observations support the presence of a 5-kiloparsec-scale ordered magnetic field with a strength of around 500 μG or lower, oriented parallel to the molecular gas disk. This confirms that such structures can be rapidly formed in galaxies, early in cosmic history.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Geach
- Centre for Astrophysics Research, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK.
| | - E Lopez-Rodriguez
- Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - M J Doherty
- Centre for Astrophysics Research, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | | | - R J Ivison
- European Southern Observatory, Garching, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Cosmic Physics, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Dublin, Ireland
- Institute for Astronomy, Royal Observatory, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - G J Bendo
- UK ALMA Regional Centre Node, Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - S Dye
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - K E K Coppin
- Centre for Astrophysics Research, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
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10
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Ding X, Onoue M, Silverman JD, Matsuoka Y, Izumi T, Strauss MA, Jahnke K, Phillips CL, Li J, Volonteri M, Haiman Z, Andika IT, Aoki K, Baba S, Bieri R, Bosman SEI, Bottrell C, Eilers AC, Fujimoto S, Habouzit M, Imanishi M, Inayoshi K, Iwasawa K, Kashikawa N, Kawaguchi T, Kohno K, Lee CH, Lupi A, Lyu J, Nagao T, Overzier R, Schindler JT, Schramm M, Shimasaku K, Toba Y, Trakhtenbrot B, Trebitsch M, Treu T, Umehata H, Venemans BP, Vestergaard M, Walter F, Wang F, Yang J. Detection of stellar light from quasar host galaxies at redshifts above 6. Nature 2023; 621:51-55. [PMID: 37380029 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06345-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
The detection of starlight from the host galaxies of quasars during the reionization epoch (z > 6) has been elusive, even with deep Hubble Space Telescope observations1,2. The current highest redshift quasar host detected3, at z = 4.5, required the magnifying effect of a foreground lensing galaxy. Low-luminosity quasars4-6 from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP)7 mitigate the challenge of detecting their underlying, previously undetected host galaxies. Here we report rest-frame optical images and spectroscopy of two HSC-SSP quasars at z > 6 with the JWST. Using near-infrared camera imaging at 3.6 and 1.5 μm and subtracting the light from the unresolved quasars, we find that the host galaxies are massive (stellar masses of 13 × and 3.4 × 1010 M☉, respectively), compact and disc-like. Near-infrared spectroscopy at medium resolution shows stellar absorption lines in the more massive quasar, confirming the detection of the host. Velocity-broadened gas in the vicinity of these quasars enables measurements of their black hole masses (1.4 × 109 and 2.0 × 108 M☉, respectively). Their location in the black hole mass-stellar mass plane is consistent with the distribution at low redshift, suggesting that the relation between black holes and their host galaxies was already in place less than a billion years after the Big Bang.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuheng Ding
- Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU, WPI), The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan.
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery, Kavli IPMU (WPI), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan.
| | - Masafusa Onoue
- Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU, WPI), The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan.
- Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - John D Silverman
- Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU, WPI), The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery, Kavli IPMU (WPI), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
- Department of Astronomy, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Matsuoka
- Research Center for Space and Cosmic Evolution, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Takuma Izumi
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Osawa, Mitaka, Japan
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Michael A Strauss
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Knud Jahnke
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Camryn L Phillips
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Junyao Li
- Department of Astronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Marta Volonteri
- Institute of Astrophysics of Paris, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Zoltan Haiman
- Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Irham Taufik Andika
- Physics Department, Technical University of München, Garching bei München, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Garching bei München, Germany
| | - Kentaro Aoki
- Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - Shunsuke Baba
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Rebekka Bieri
- Institute for Computational Science, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Connor Bottrell
- Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU, WPI), The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery, Kavli IPMU (WPI), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | | | - Seiji Fujimoto
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Melanie Habouzit
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
- Centre for Astronomy at the University of Heidelberg (ITA), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Masatoshi Imanishi
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Osawa, Mitaka, Japan
- Department of Astronomy, School of Science, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mitaka, Japan
| | - Kohei Inayoshi
- Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Kazushi Iwasawa
- Institute of Sciences of the Cosmos (ICCUB), University of Barcelona (IEEC-UB), Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nobunari Kashikawa
- Department of Astronomy, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
- Research Center for the Early Universe, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Kawaguchi
- Department of Economics, Management and Information Science, Onomichi City University, Onomichi, Japan
| | - Kotaro Kohno
- Research Center for the Early Universe, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
- Institute of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Alessandro Lupi
- 'G. Occhialini' Physics Department, University of Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Jianwei Lyu
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Tohru Nagao
- Research Center for Space and Cosmic Evolution, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Roderik Overzier
- Observatoryl/MCTI, Rua General José Cristino, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Kazuhiro Shimasaku
- Department of Astronomy, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
- Research Center for the Early Universe, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Toba
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Osawa, Mitaka, Japan
- Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Maxime Trebitsch
- Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tommaso Treu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hideki Umehata
- Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Bram P Venemans
- Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marianne Vestergaard
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- DARK, Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Fabian Walter
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Feige Wang
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Jinyi Yang
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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11
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McGaugh SS. Testing galaxy formation and dark matter with low surface brightness galaxies. Stud Hist Philos Sci 2021; 88:220-236. [PMID: 34224943 DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsa.2021.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Galaxies are the basic structural element of the universe; galaxy formation theory seeks to explain how these structures came to be. I trace some of the foundational ideas in galaxy formation, with emphasis on the need for non-baryonic cold dark matter. Many elements of early theory did not survive contact with observations of low surface brightness galaxies, leading to the need for auxiliary hypotheses like feedback. The failure points often trace to the surprising predictive successes of an alternative to dark matter, the Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND). While dark matter models are flexible in accommodating observations, they do not provide the predictive capacity of MOND. If the universe is made of cold dark matter, why does MOND get any predictions right?
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy S McGaugh
- Department of Astronomy, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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12
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IYE M. Subaru Telescope -History, active/adaptive optics, instruments, and scientific achievements. Proc Jpn Acad Ser B Phys Biol Sci 2021; 97:337-370. [PMID: 34380914 PMCID: PMC8403531 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.97.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The Subaru Telescopea) is an 8.2 m optical/infrared telescope constructed during 1991-1999 and has been operational since 2000 on the summit area of Maunakea, Hawaii, by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). This paper reviews the history, key engineering issues, and selected scientific achievements of the Subaru Telescope. The active optics for a thin primary mirror was the design backbone of the telescope to deliver a high-imaging performance. Adaptive optics with a laser-facility to generate an artificial guide-star improved the telescope vision to its diffraction limit by cancelling any atmospheric turbulence effect in real time. Various observational instruments, especially the wide-field camera, have enabled unique observational studies. Selected scientific topics include studies on cosmic reionization, weak/strong gravitational lensing, cosmological parameters, primordial black holes, the dynamical/chemical evolution/interactions of galaxies, neutron star mergers, supernovae, exoplanets, proto-planetary disks, and outliers of the solar system. The last described are operational statistics, plans and a note concerning the culture-and-science issues in Hawaii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori IYE
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
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13
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MATSUMOTO T. On the origin of the optical and near-infrared extragalactic background light. Proc Jpn Acad Ser B Phys Biol Sci 2020; 96:335-350. [PMID: 33041268 PMCID: PMC7581960 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.96.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In optical and near-infrared background light, excess brightness and fluctuation over the known backgrounds have been reported. To delineate their origin, a fluctuation analysis of the deepest optical images was performed, leading to the detection of a flat fluctuation down to 0.2 arcsec, which is much larger than that expected for galaxies. The sky brightness obtained from the detected fluctuation is a few-times brighter than the integrated light of the galaxies. These findings require some new objects. As a candidate, faint compact objects (FCOs) whose surface number density rapidly increases to the faint end were proposed. FCOs are very compact and show peculiar spectra with infrared excess. If FCOs cause the excess brightness and fluctuation, the surface number density reaches 2.6 × 103 arcsec-2. γ-ray observations require the redshift of FCOs to be less than 0.1 with FCOs consisting of missing baryons. A very low M/L indicates that FCOs are powered by gravitational energy associated with black holes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshio MATSUMOTO
- Department of Space Astronomy and Astrophysics, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
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14
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MARGON BRUCE. THE BERT AND PEGGY DUPONT LECTURE: SCIENCE AND CULTURE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc 2019; 130:200-211. [PMID: 31516184 PMCID: PMC6736000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The Hubble Space Telescope has been in Earth orbit for almost 30 years, returning an amazing variety of scientific discoveries. It can be pointed via ground command to the entire panoply of astronomical objects, from nearby targets in our solar system to the most distant objects in the known universe. While these wonderful scientific results were expected by the project's founders, what have been more surprising are the cultural aspects of the program. Hubble has been embraced by the general public to an extent unprecedented for complex scientific facilities. Not only are its images widely known for their beauty, but the project itself has repeatedly entered the popular lexicon as an example of a technological pinnacle. We present examples of the numerous scientific successes, as well as popular culture memes related to Hubble. Finally, it is also important to ponder the broader question of why we conduct astronomical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- BRUCE MARGON
- Correspondence and reprint requests: Bruce Margon, PhD, Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California,
Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, California 95064831-459-1596831-459-5265
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15
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Totani T, Omiya H, Sudoh T, Kobayashi MAR, Nagashima M. Lethal Radiation from Nearby Supernovae Helps Explain the Small Cosmological Constant. Astrobiology 2019; 19:126-131. [PMID: 30129784 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The observed value Λobs of the cosmological constant Λ is extremely smaller than theoretical expectations, and the anthropic argument has been proposed as a solution to this problem because galaxies do not form when Λ ≫ Λobs. However, the contemporary galaxy formation theory predicts that stars form even with a high value of Λ/Λobs ∼ 50, which makes the anthropic argument less persuasive. Here we calculate the probability distribution of Λ using a model of cosmological galaxy formation, considering extinction of observers caused by radiation from nearby supernovae. The life survival probability decreases in a large Λ universe because of higher stellar density. Using a reasonable rate of lethal supernovae, we find that the mean expectation value of Λ can be close to Λobs; hence this effect may be essential to understand the small but nonzero value of Λ. It is predicted that we are located on the edge of habitable regions about stellar density in the Galaxy, which may be tested by future exoplanet studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomonori Totani
- 1 Department of Astronomy, School of Science, The University of Tokyo , Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- 2 Research Center for the Early Universe, School of Science, The University of Tokyo , Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Omiya
- 1 Department of Astronomy, School of Science, The University of Tokyo , Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Sudoh
- 1 Department of Astronomy, School of Science, The University of Tokyo , Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masakazu A R Kobayashi
- 3 Faculty of Natural Sciences, National Institute of Technology , Kure College, Kure, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Masahiro Nagashima
- 4 Faculty of Education, Bunkyo University , Koshigaya-shi, Saitama, Japan
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16
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Abstract
We used a statistical model to investigate the detectability (defined by the requirement that causal contact has been initiated with us) of communicating civilizations within a volume of the Universe surrounding our location. If the civilizations are located in our galaxy, the detectability requirement imposes a strict constraint on their epoch of appearance and their communicating life span. This, in turn, implies that our ability to gather empirical evidence of the fraction of civilizations within range of detection strongly depends on the specific features of their temporal distribution. Our approach illuminates aspects of the problem that can escape the standard treatment based on the Drake equation. Therefore, it might provide the appropriate framework for future studies dealing with the evolutionary aspects of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Key Words: Astrobiology-Extraterrestrial life-SETI-Complex life-Life detection-Intelligence. Astrobiology 18, 54-58.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amedeo Balbi
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata," Roma, Italy
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17
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Moeller R, Raguse M, Leuko S, Berger T, Hellweg CE, Fujimori A, Okayasu R, Horneck G. STARLIFE-An International Campaign to Study the Role of Galactic Cosmic Radiation in Astrobiological Model Systems. Astrobiology 2017; 17:101-109. [PMID: 28151691 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2016.1571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In-depth knowledge regarding the biological effects of the radiation field in space is required for assessing the radiation risks in space. To obtain this knowledge, a set of different astrobiological model systems has been studied within the STARLIFE radiation campaign during six irradiation campaigns (2013-2015). The STARLIFE group is an international consortium with the aim to investigate the responses of different astrobiological model systems to the different types of ionizing radiation (X-rays, γ rays, heavy ions) representing major parts of the galactic cosmic radiation spectrum. Low- and high-energy charged particle radiation experiments have been conducted at the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) facility at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) in Chiba, Japan. X-rays or γ rays were used as reference radiation at the German Aerospace Center (DLR, Cologne, Germany) or Beta-Gamma-Service GmbH (BGS, Wiehl, Germany) to derive the biological efficiency of different radiation qualities. All samples were exposed under identical conditions to the same dose and qualities of ionizing radiation (i) allowing a direct comparison between the tested specimens and (ii) providing information on the impact of the space radiation environment on currently used astrobiological model organisms. Key Words: Space radiation environment-Sparsely ionizing radiation-Densely ionizing radiation-Heavy ions-Gamma radiation-Astrobiological model systems. Astrobiology 17, 101-109.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Moeller
- 1 Radiation Biology Department, Institute of Aerospace Medicine , German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - Marina Raguse
- 1 Radiation Biology Department, Institute of Aerospace Medicine , German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - Stefan Leuko
- 1 Radiation Biology Department, Institute of Aerospace Medicine , German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Berger
- 1 Radiation Biology Department, Institute of Aerospace Medicine , German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - Christine Elisabeth Hellweg
- 1 Radiation Biology Department, Institute of Aerospace Medicine , German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - Akira Fujimori
- 2 Department of Basic Medical Sciences for Radiation Damages, National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) , Chiba, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Okayasu
- 2 Department of Basic Medical Sciences for Radiation Damages, National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) , Chiba, Japan
| | - Gerda Horneck
- 1 Radiation Biology Department, Institute of Aerospace Medicine , German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
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18
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Abstract
UNLABELLED In this paper, percolation theory is employed to place tentative bounds on the probability p of interstellar travel and the emergence of a civilization (or panspermia) that colonizes the entire Galaxy. The ensuing ramifications with regard to the Fermi paradox are also explored. In particular, it is suggested that the correlation function of inhabited exoplanets can be used to observationally constrain p in the near future. It is shown, by using a mathematical evolution model known as the Yule process, that the probability distribution for civilizations with a given number of colonized worlds is likely to exhibit a power-law tail. Some of the dynamical aspects of this issue, including the question of timescales and generalizing percolation theory, were also studied. The limitations of these models, and other avenues for future inquiry, are also outlined. KEY WORDS Complex life-Extraterrestrial life-Panspermia-Life detection-SETI. Astrobiology 16, 418-426.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manasvi Lingam
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University , Princeton, New Jersey
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19
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Abstract
Previous studies of the galactic habitable zone have been concerned with identifying those regions of the Galaxy that may favor the emergence of complex life. A planet is deemed habitable if it meets a set of assumed criteria for supporting the emergence of such complex life. In this work, we extend the assessment of habitability to consider the potential for life to further evolve to the point of intelligence--termed the propensity for the emergence of intelligent life, φI. We assume φI is strongly influenced by the time durations available for evolutionary processes to proceed undisturbed by the sterilizing effects of nearby supernovae. The times between supernova events provide windows of opportunity for the evolution of intelligence. We developed a model that allows us to analyze these window times to generate a metric for φI, and we examine here the spatial and temporal variation of this metric. Even under the assumption that long time durations are required between sterilizations to allow for the emergence of intelligence, our model suggests that the inner Galaxy provides the greatest number of opportunities for intelligence to arise. This is due to the substantially higher number density of habitable planets in this region, which outweighs the effects of a higher supernova rate in the region. Our model also shows that φI is increasing with time. Intelligent life emerged at approximately the present time at Earth's galactocentric radius, but a similar level of evolutionary opportunity was available in the inner Galaxy more than 2 Gyr ago. Our findings suggest that the inner Galaxy should logically be a prime target region for searches for extraterrestrial intelligence and that any civilizations that may have emerged there are potentially much older than our own.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S Morrison
- 1 School of Physics and Australian Centre for Astrobiology, University of New South Wales , Kensington, Australia
- 2 Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology , Hawthorn, Australia
| | - Michael G Gowanlock
- 3 Department of Information and Computer Sciences and NASA Astrobiology Institute, University of Hawaii , Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- 4 Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Haystack Observatory, Westford, Massachusetts, USA
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20
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Meinecke J, Tzeferacos P, Bell A, Bingham R, Clarke R, Churazov E, Crowston R, Doyle H, Drake RP, Heathcote R, Koenig M, Kuramitsu Y, Kuranz C, Lee D, MacDonald M, Murphy C, Notley M, Park HS, Pelka A, Ravasio A, Reville B, Sakawa Y, Wan W, Woolsey N, Yurchak R, Miniati F, Schekochihin A, Lamb D, Gregori G. Developed turbulence and nonlinear amplification of magnetic fields in laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:8211-5. [PMID: 26100873 PMCID: PMC4500221 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1502079112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The visible matter in the universe is turbulent and magnetized. Turbulence in galaxy clusters is produced by mergers and by jets of the central galaxies and believed responsible for the amplification of magnetic fields. We report on experiments looking at the collision of two laser-produced plasma clouds, mimicking, in the laboratory, a cluster merger event. By measuring the spectrum of the density fluctuations, we infer developed, Kolmogorov-like turbulence. From spectral line broadening, we estimate a level of turbulence consistent with turbulent heating balancing radiative cooling, as it likely does in galaxy clusters. We show that the magnetic field is amplified by turbulent motions, reaching a nonlinear regime that is a precursor to turbulent dynamo. Thus, our experiment provides a promising platform for understanding the structure of turbulence and the amplification of magnetic fields in the universe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jena Meinecke
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom;
| | - Petros Tzeferacos
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Anthony Bell
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Bingham
- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom; Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Clarke
- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Eugene Churazov
- Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, D-85741 Garching, Germany; Space Research Institute, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Robert Crowston
- Department of Physics, University of York, York YO10 5D, United Kingdom
| | - Hugo Doyle
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
| | - R Paul Drake
- Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | | | - Michel Koenig
- Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation de Lasers Intenses, UMR7605, CNRS Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Université Paris VI Ecole Polytechnique, F-91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - Yasuhiro Kuramitsu
- Department of Physics, National Central University, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan; Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Carolyn Kuranz
- Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Dongwook Lee
- Applied Mathematics and Statistics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 96064
| | - Michael MacDonald
- Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | | | - Margaret Notley
- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Hye-Sook Park
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550
| | - Alexander Pelka
- Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation de Lasers Intenses, UMR7605, CNRS Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Université Paris VI Ecole Polytechnique, F-91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France; Institute of Radiation Physics, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, D-01314 Dresden, Germany
| | - Alessandra Ravasio
- Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation de Lasers Intenses, UMR7605, CNRS Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Université Paris VI Ecole Polytechnique, F-91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - Brian Reville
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - Youichi Sakawa
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Willow Wan
- Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Nigel Woolsey
- Department of Physics, University of York, York YO10 5D, United Kingdom
| | - Roman Yurchak
- Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation de Lasers Intenses, UMR7605, CNRS Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Université Paris VI Ecole Polytechnique, F-91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | | | | | - Don Lamb
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Gianluca Gregori
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom; Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637;
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21
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Abstract
Cosmic shear is the distortion of images of distant galaxies due to weak gravitational lensing by the large-scale structure in the Universe. Such images are coherently deformed by the tidal field of matter inhomogeneities along the line of sight. By measuring galaxy shape correlations, we can study the properties and evolution of structure on large scales as well as the geometry of the Universe. Thus, cosmic shear has become a powerful probe into the nature of dark matter and the origin of the current accelerated expansion of the Universe. Over the last years, cosmic shear has evolved into a reliable and robust cosmological probe, providing measurements of the expansion history of the Universe and the growth of its structure. We review here the principles of weak gravitational lensing and show how cosmic shear is interpreted in a cosmological context. Then we give an overview of weak-lensing measurements, and present the main observational cosmic-shear results since it was discovered 15 years ago, as well as the implications for cosmology. We then conclude with an outlook on the various future surveys and missions, for which cosmic shear is one of the main science drivers, and discuss promising new weak cosmological lensing techniques for future observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kilbinger
- Laboratoire AIM, CEA Saclay-CNRS-Paris 6, Irfu/SAp, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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22
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Abstract
Recent research has discovered that complex organic matter is prevalent throughout the Universe. In the Solar System, it is found in meteorites, comets, interplanetary dust particles, and planetary satellites. Spectroscopic signatures of organics with aromatic/aliphatic structures are also found in stellar ejecta, diffuse interstellar medium, and external galaxies. From space infrared spectroscopic observations, we have found that complex organics can be synthesized in the late stages of stellar evolution. Shortly after the nuclear synthesis of the element carbon, organic gas-phase molecules are formed in the stellar winds, which later condense into solid organic particles. This organic synthesis occurs over very short time scales of about a thousand years. In order to determine the chemical structures of these stellar organics, comparisons are made with particles produced in the laboratory. Using the technique of chemical vapor deposition, artificial organic particles have been created by injecting energy into gas-phase hydrocarbon molecules. These comparisons led us to believe that the stellar organics are best described as amorphous carbonaceous nanoparticles with mixed aromatic and aliphatic components. The chemical structures of the stellar organics show strong similarity to the insoluble organic matter found in meteorites. Isotopic analysis of meteorites and interplanetary dust collected in the upper atmospheres have revealed the presence of pre-solar grains similar to those formed in old stars. This provides a direct link between star dust and the Solar System and raises the possibility that the early Solar System was chemically enriched by stellar ejecta with the potential of influencing the origin of life on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Kwok
- Space Astronomy Laboratory, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China,
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23
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UEDA Y. Cosmological evolution of supermassive black holes in galactic centers unveiled by hard X-ray observations. Proc Jpn Acad Ser B Phys Biol Sci 2015; 91:175-192. [PMID: 25971656 PMCID: PMC4561239 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.91.175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We review the current understanding of the cosmological evolution of supermassive black holes in galactic centers elucidated by X-ray surveys of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Hard X-ray observations at energies above 2 keV are the most efficient and complete tools to find "obscured" AGNs, which are dominant populations among all AGNs. Combinations of surveys with various flux limits and survey area have enabled us to determine the space number density and obscuration properties of AGNs as a function of luminosity and redshift. The results have essentially solved the origin of the X-ray background in the energy band below ∼10 keV. The downsizing (or anti-hierarchical) evolution that more luminous AGNs have the space-density peak at higher redshifts has been discovered, challenging theories of galaxy and black hole formation. Finally, we summarize unresolved issues on AGN evolution and prospects for future X-ray missions.
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24
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Kirshner RP. The accelerating universe: a Nobel surprise. Proc Am Philos Soc 2013; 157:438-456. [PMID: 25916102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
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25
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Abstract
This past decade has seen tremendous advancements in the study of extrasolar planets. Observations are now made with increasing sophistication from both ground- and space-based instruments, and exoplanets are characterized with increasing precision. There is a class of particularly interesting exoplanets that reside in the habitable zone, which is defined as the area around a star where the planet is capable of supporting liquid water on its surface. Planetary systems around M dwarfs are considered to be prime candidates to search for life beyond the Solar System. Such planets are likely to be tidally locked and have close-in habitable zones. Theoretical calculations also suggest that close-in exoplanets are more likely to have weaker planetary magnetic fields, especially in the case of super-Earths. Such exoplanets are subjected to a high flux of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) due to their weak magnetic moments. GCRs are energetic particles of astrophysical origin that strike the planetary atmosphere and produce secondary particles, including muons, which are highly penetrating. Some of these particles reach the planetary surface and contribute to the radiation dose. Along with the magnetic field, another factor governing the radiation dose is the depth of the planetary atmosphere. The higher the depth of the planetary atmosphere, the lower the flux of secondary particles will be on the surface. If the secondary particles are energetic enough, and their flux is sufficiently high, the radiation from muons can also impact the subsurface regions, such as in the case of Mars. If the radiation dose is too high, the chances of sustaining a long-term biosphere on the planet are very low. We have examined the dependence of the GCR-induced radiation dose on the strength of the planetary magnetic field and its atmospheric depth, and found that the latter is the decisive factor for the protection of a planetary biosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Atri
- 1 Blue Marble Space Institute of Science , Seattle, Washington
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26
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Abstract
Many inflationary theories introduce new scalar, vector, or tensor degrees of freedom that may then affect the generation of primordial density perturbations. Here we show how to search a galaxy (or 21-cm) survey for the imprint of primordial scalar, vector, and tensor fields. These new fields induce local departures to an otherwise statistically isotropic two-point correlation function, or equivalently, nontrivial four-point correlation functions (or trispectra, in Fourier space), that can be decomposed into scalar, vector, and tensor components. We write down the optimal estimators for these various components and show how the sensitivity to these modes depends on the galaxy-survey parameters. New probes of parity-violating early-Universe physics are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghui Jeong
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21210, USA
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27
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Abstract
We present a model of the galactic habitable zone (GHZ), described in terms of the spatial and temporal dimensions of the Galaxy that may favor the development of complex life. The Milky Way galaxy was modeled using a computational approach by populating stars and their planetary systems on an individual basis by employing Monte Carlo methods. We began with well-established properties of the disk of the Milky Way, such as the stellar number density distribution, the initial mass function, the star formation history, and the metallicity gradient as a function of radial position and time. We varied some of these properties and created four models to test the sensitivity of our assumptions. To assess habitability on the galactic scale, we modeled supernova rates, planet formation, and the time required for complex life to evolve. Our study has improved on other literature on the GHZ by populating stars on an individual basis and modeling Type II supernova (SNII) and Type Ia supernova (SNIa) sterilizations by selecting their progenitors from within this preexisting stellar population. Furthermore, we considered habitability on tidally locked and non-tidally locked planets separately and studied habitability as a function of height above and below the galactic midplane. In the model that most accurately reproduces the properties of the Galaxy, the results indicate that an individual SNIa is ∼5.6× more lethal than an individual SNII on average. In addition, we predict that ∼1.2% of all stars host a planet that may have been capable of supporting complex life at some point in the history of the Galaxy. Of those stars with a habitable planet, ∼75% of planets are predicted to be in a tidally locked configuration with their host star. The majority of these planets that may support complex life are found toward the inner Galaxy, distributed within, and significantly above and below, the galactic midplane.
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Affiliation(s)
- M G Gowanlock
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
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28
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Sato T, Endo A, Sihver L, Niita K. Dose estimation for astronauts using dose conversion coefficients calculated with the PHITS code and the ICRP/ICRU adult reference computational phantoms. Radiat Environ Biophys 2011; 50:115-123. [PMID: 20835833 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-010-0330-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2010] [Accepted: 08/28/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Absorbed-dose and dose-equivalent rates for astronauts were estimated by multiplying fluence-to-dose conversion coefficients in the units of Gy.cm(2) and Sv.cm(2), respectively, and cosmic-ray fluxes around spacecrafts in the unit of cm(-2) s(-1). The dose conversion coefficients employed in the calculation were evaluated using the general-purpose particle and heavy ion transport code system PHITS coupled to the male and female adult reference computational phantoms, which were released as a common ICRP/ICRU publication. The cosmic-ray fluxes inside and near to spacecrafts were also calculated by PHITS, using simplified geometries. The accuracy of the obtained absorbed-dose and dose-equivalent rates was verified by various experimental data measured both inside and outside spacecrafts. The calculations quantitatively show that the effective doses for astronauts are significantly greater than their corresponding effective dose equivalents, because of the numerical incompatibility between the radiation quality factors and the radiation weighting factors. These results demonstrate the usefulness of dose conversion coefficients in space dosimetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuhiko Sato
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 2-4, Shirakata-Shirane, Tokai, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan.
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29
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Iye M. Subaru studies of the cosmic dawn. Proc Jpn Acad Ser B Phys Biol Sci 2011; 87:575-586. [PMID: 22075759 PMCID: PMC3309921 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.87.575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2011] [Accepted: 09/30/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
An overview on the current status of the census of the early Universe population is given. Observational surveys of high redshift objects provide direct opportunities to study the early epoch of the Universe. The target population included are Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAE), Lyman Break Galaxies (LBG), gravitationally lensed galaxies, quasars and gamma-ray bursts (GRB). The basic properties of these objects and the methods used to study them are reviewed. The present paper highlights the fact that the Subaru Telescope group made significant contributions in this field of science to elucidate the epoch of the cosmic dawn and to improve the understanding of how and when infant galaxies evolve into mature ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Iye
- Thirty Meter Telescope Project, National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan.
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30
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Benford G, Benford J, Benford D. Searching for cost-optimized interstellar beacons. Astrobiology 2010; 10:491-498. [PMID: 20624057 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2009.0394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
What would SETI beacon transmitters be like if built by civilizations that had a variety of motives but cared about cost? In a companion paper, we presented how, for fixed power density in the far field, a cost-optimum interstellar beacon system could be built. Here, we consider how we should search for a beacon if it were produced by a civilization similar to ours. High-power transmitters could be built for a wide variety of motives other than the need for two-way communication; this would include beacons built to be seen over thousands of light-years. Extraterrestrial beacon builders would likely have to contend with economic pressures just as their terrestrial counterparts do. Cost, spectral lines near 1 GHz, and interstellar scintillation favor radiating frequencies substantially above the classic "water hole." Therefore, the transmission strategy for a distant, cost-conscious beacon would be a rapid scan of the galactic plane with the intent to cover the angular space. Such pulses would be infrequent events for the receiver. Such beacons built by distant, advanced, wealthy societies would have very different characteristics from what SETI researchers seek. Future searches should pay special attention to areas along the galactic disk where SETI searches have seen coherent signals that have not recurred on the limited listening time intervals we have used. We will need to wait for recurring events that may arrive in intermittent bursts. Several new SETI search strategies have emerged from these ideas. We propose a new test for beacons that is based on the Life Plane hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Benford
- Physics and Astronomy Department, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
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31
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Benford J, Benford G, Benford D. Messaging with cost-optimized interstellar beacons. Astrobiology 2010; 10:475-490. [PMID: 20624056 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2009.0393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
On Earth, how would we build galactic-scale beacons to attract the attention of extraterrestrials, as some have suggested we should do? From the point of view of expense to a builder on Earth, experience shows an optimum trade-off. This emerges by minimizing the cost of producing a desired power density at long range, which determines the maximum range of detectability of a transmitted signal. We derive general relations for cost-optimal aperture and power. For linear dependence of capital cost on transmitter power and antenna area, minimum capital cost occurs when the cost is equally divided between antenna gain and radiated power. For nonlinear power-law dependence, a similar simple division occurs. This is validated in cost data for many systems; industry uses this cost optimum as a rule of thumb. Costs of pulsed cost-efficient transmitters are estimated from these relations by using current cost parameters ($/W, $/m(2)) as a basis. We show the scaling and give examples of such beacons. Galactic-scale beacons can be built for a few billion dollars with our present technology. Such beacons have narrow "searchlight" beams and short "dwell times" when the beacon would be seen by an alien observer in their sky. More-powerful beacons are more efficient and have economies of scale: cost scales only linearly with range R, not as R(2), so number of stars radiated to increases as the square of cost. On a cost basis, they will likely transmit at higher microwave frequencies, approximately 10 GHz. The natural corridor to broadcast is along the galactic radius or along the local spiral galactic arm we are in. A companion paper asks "If someone like us were to produce a beacon, how should we look for it?"
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Affiliation(s)
- James Benford
- Microwave Sciences, Inc. , Lafayette, California 94549, USA.
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32
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Cirković MM, Vukotić B, Dragićević I. Galactic punctuated equilibrium: how to undermine Carter's anthropic argument in astrobiology. Astrobiology 2009; 9:491-501. [PMID: 19566428 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2007.0200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
A new strategy by which to defeat Carter's "anthropic" argument against extraterrestrial life and intelligence is presented. Our approach is based on relaxing hidden uniformitarian assumptions and considering instead a dynamical succession of evolutionary regimes governed by both global (Galaxy-wide) and local (planet- or planetary system-limited) regulation mechanisms. Notably, our increased understanding of the nature of supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and strong coupling between the Solar System and the Galaxy, and the theories of "punctuated equilibria" and "macroevolutionary regimes" are in full accordance with the regulation-mechanism picture. The application of this particular strategy highlights the limits of application of Carter's argument and indicates that, in the real universe, its applicability conditions are not satisfied. We conclude that drawing far-reaching conclusions about the scarcity of extraterrestrial intelligence and the prospects of our efforts to detect it on the basis of this argument is unwarranted.
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33
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Zhu GH, Luo AL, Zhao YH. [An automated measurement of the galaxies spectra of LAMOST]. Guang Pu Xue Yu Guang Pu Fen Xi 2005; 25:1002-5. [PMID: 16201393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
To measure redshifts of the marge amount of galaxies' spectra automatically is the main goal of the data processing for the LAMOST project (Large Sky Area Multi-Object Optical Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope). A method called PCAZ can be applied to measure the very small redshifts (generally z < 0.2) due to the restriction of the wavelength range of the templates that are composed to make orthogonal templates. In the present article, the authors break the restriction by improving PCAZ method according to the characteristic of LAMOST spectra. Applying this new method to the SDSS data, more than 90% of the results are correct. The maximum limitation for redshift measurement of this new method depends on the wavelength range of the templates and the S/N of the blue parts of the spectra. According to the spectral feature of LAMOST, the authors can measure the galaxies with z < 0.8 correctly. From the experiment the authors concluded: first, this method can be used to measure the redshift of LAMOST spectra; second, the authors need to compose self-contained templates of various galaxies (UV-IR) to measure the survey redshift; finally, the S/N of the blue end of the spectra influences the measurement of the large redshift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-hua Zhu
- National Astrophysics Observatory of China, Beijing 100012, China
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34
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Xu X, Luo AL, Wu FC, Zhao YH. [Using neural networks based template matching method to obtain redshifts of normal galaxies]. Guang Pu Xue Yu Guang Pu Fen Xi 2005; 25:996-1001. [PMID: 16201392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Galaxies can be divided into two classes: normal galaxy (NG) and active galaxy (AG). In order to determine NG redshifts, an automatic effective method is proposed in this paper, which consists of the following three main steps: (1) From the template of normal galaxy, the two sets of samples are simulated, one with the redshift of 0.0-0.3, the other of 0.3-0.5, then the PCA is used to extract the main components, and train samples are projected to the main component subspace to obtain characteristic spectra. (2) The characteristic spectra are used to train a Probabilistic Neural Network to obtain a Bayes classifier. (3) An unknown real NG spectrum is first inputted to this Bayes classifier to determine the possible range of redshift, then the template matching is invoked to locate the redshift value within the estimated range. Compared with the traditional template matching technique with an unconstrained range, our proposed method not only halves the computational load, but also increases the estimation accuracy. As a result, the proposed method is particularly useful for automatic spectrum processing produced from a large-scale sky survey project.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China
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MESTLER GE. A galaxy of old Japanese medical books with miscellaneous notes on early medicine in Japan. Bull Med Libr Assoc 1954; 42:287-327. [PMID: 13172583 PMCID: PMC199727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
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