The influence of halo assembly on galaxies and galaxy groups

In this paper, we study the variations of groups (galaxy properties according to the assembly history in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 6 (SDSS-DR6) selected groups. Using mock SDSS group catalogues, we find two suitable indicators of group formation time: (i) the isolation of the group, defined as the distance to the nearest neighbour ill terms of its virial radius and 00 the concentration. measured as the groups inner density calculated using the fifth nearest bright galaxy to the groups centre. Groups Within narrow ranges of Mass ill the mock catalO-Lie show increasing Ifl-OLIP alle With isolation and concentration. However, in the observational data the stellar age, as indicated by the spectral type, only shows a correlation with concentration. We study groups of similar mass and different assembly history. finding important differences ill their galaxy population. Particularly, ill high-mass SDSS groups. the number of members. mass-to-light ratios, red galaxy fractions and the magnitude difference between the brightest and second-brightest group galaxies, show different trends as a function of isolation and concentration, even when it is expected that the latter two quantities correlate with group age. Conversely. low-mass SDSS groups appear to be less sensitive to their assembly history. The correlations detected in the SDSS are not consistent with the trends measured in the mock catalogues. However, discrepancies can he explained in terms of the disagreement found in the a-e-isolation trends, suggesting that the model might be overestimating the effects of, environment, We discuss how the modelling of the cold gas ill satellite galaxies could be responsible for this problem. These results call be Used to improve our Understanding of the evolution of galaxies ill high-density environments.

Discovery of two distinct red clumps in NGC 419: a rare snapshot of a cluster at the onset of degeneracy

Colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) star cluster NGC 419, derived from Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) data, reveal a well-delineated secondary clump located below the classical compact red clump typical of intermediate-age populations. We demonstrate that this feature belongs to the cluster itself, rather than to the underlying SMC field. Then, we use synthetic CMDs to show that it corresponds very well to the secondary clump predicted to appear as a result of He-ignition in stars just massive enough to avoid e(-)-degeneracy settling in their H-exhausted cores. The main red clump instead is made of the slightly less massive stars which passed through e(-) degeneracy and ignited He at the tip of the red giant branch. In other words, NGC 419 is the rare snapshot of a cluster while undergoing the fast transition from classical to degenerate H-exhausted cores. At this particular moment of a cluster`s life, the colour distance between the main-sequence turn-off and the red clump(s) depends sensitively on the amount of convective core overshooting, Lambda(c). By coupling measurements of this colour separation with fits to the red clump morphology, we are able to estimate simultaneously the cluster mean age (1.35(-0.04)(+0.11) Gyr) and overshooting efficiency (Lambda(c) = 0.47(-0.04)(+0.14)). Therefore, clusters like NGC 419 may constitute important marks in the age scale of intermediate-age populations. After eye inspection of other CMDs derived from HST/ACS data, we suggest that the same secondary clump may also be present in the Large Magellanic Cloud clusters NGC 1751, 1783, 1806, 1846, 1852 and 1917.

Contributions to the theory of magnetorotational instability and waves in a rotating plasma

The one-fluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theory of magnetorotational instability (MRI) in an ideal plasma is presented. The theory predicts the possibility of MRI for arbitrary 0, where 0 is the ratio of the plasma pressure to the magnetic field pressure. The kinetic theory of MRI in a collisionless plasma is developed. It is demonstrated that as in the ideal MHD, MRI can occur in such a plasma for arbitrary P. The mechanism of MRI is discussed; it is shown that the instability appears because of a perturbed parallel electric field. The electrodynamic description of MRI is formulated under the assumption that the dispersion relation is expressed in terms of the permittivity tensor; general properties of this tensor are analyzed. It is shown to be separated into the nonrotational and rotational parts. With this in mind, the first step for incorporation of MRI into the general theory of plasma instabilities is taken. The rotation effects on Alfven waves are considered.

Radiative capture of nucleons at astrophysical energies with single-particle states

Radiative capture of nucleons at energies of astrophysical interest is one of the most important processes for nucleosynthesis. The nucleon capture can occur either by a compound nucleus reaction or by a direct process. The compound reaction cross sections are usually very small, especially for light nuclei. The direct capture proceeds either via the formation of a single-particle resonance or a non-resonant capture process. In this work we calculate radiative capture cross sections and astrophysical S-factors for nuclei in the mass region A < 20 using single-particle states. We carefully discuss the parameter fitting procedure adopted in the simplified two-body treatment of the capture process. Then we produce a detailed list of cases for which the model works well. Useful quantities, such as spectroscopic factors and asymptotic normalization coefficients, are obtained and compared to published data. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Astrophysical S factors for fusion reactions involving C, O, Ne, and Mg isotopes

Using the Sao Paulo potential and the barrier penetration formalism we have calculated the astrophysical factor S(E) for 946 fusion reactions involving stable and neutron-rich isotopes of C, O, Ne, and Mg for center-of-mass energies E varying from 2 to approximate to 18-30 MeV (covering the range below and above the Coulomb barrier). We have parameterized the energy dependence, S(E), by an accurate universal 9-parameter analytic expression and present tables of fit parameters for all the reactions. We also discuss the reduced 3-parameter version of our fit which is highly accurate at energies below the Coulomb barrier, and outline the procedure for calculating the reaction rates. The results can be easily converted to thermonuclear or pycnonuclear reaction rates to simulate various nuclear burning phenomena, in particular, stellar burning at high temperatures and nucleosynthesis in high density environments. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Trojan Horse Method: a useful tool for electron screening effect investigation

Direct measurements in the last decades have highlighted a new problem related to the lowering of the Coulomb barrier between the interacting nuclei due to the presence of the ""electron screening"" in the laboratory measurements. It was systematically observed that the presence of the electronic cloud around the interacting ions in measurements of nuclear reactions cross sections at astrophysical energies gives rise to an enhancement of the astrophysical S(E)-factor as lower and lower energies are explored [1]. Moreover, at present Such an effect is not well understood as the value of the potential for screening extracted from these measurements is higher than the tipper limit of theoretical predictions (adiabatic limit). On the other hand, the electron screening potential in laboratory measurement is different from that occurring in stellar plasmas thus the quantity of interest in astrophysics is the so-called ""bare nucleus cross section"". This quantity can only be extrapolated in direct measurements. These are the reasons that led to a considerable growth on interest in indirect measurement techniques and in particular the Trojan Horse Method (THM) [2,3]. Results concerning the bare nucleus cross sections measurements will be shown in several cases of astrophysical interest. In those cases the screening potential evaluated by means of the THM will be compared with the adiabatic limit and results arising from extrapolation in direct measurements.

Chemical abundance analysis of the Be star HD 171054

In this work the results of a spectroscopic study of the southern field narrow-line Be star HD 171054 are presented. High dispersion and signal-to-noise ratio spectra allowed the estimation of the fundamental photospheric parameters such as the projected rotational velocity, effective temperature and superficial gravity from non-LTE stellar atmosphere models. From these parameters and microturbulence, the abundances of He, C, N, O, Mg, Al and Si for this object are estimated. Results show that C is depleted whereas N is overabundant compared with the sun and OB stars in the solar vicinity. Oxygen and helium are close to the solar value. Magnesium is down by 0.43 dex and aluminium and silicon are overabundant. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low-energy d plus d fusion reactions via the Trojan Horse Method

The bare nucleus S(E) factors for the (2)H(d, p)(3)H and (2)H(d.n)(3)He reactions have been measured for the first time via the Trojan Horse Method off the proton in (3)He from 1.5 MeV down to 2 key. This range overlaps with the relevant region for Standard Big Bang Nucleosynthesis as well as with the thermal energies of future fusion reactors and deuterium burning in the Pre-Main-Sequence phase of stellar evolution. This is the first pioneering experiment in quasi free regime where the charged spectator is detected. Both the energy dependence and the absolute value of the S(E) factors deviate by more than 15% from available direct data with new S(0) values of 57.4 +/- 1.8 MeVb for (3)H + p and 60.1 +/- 1.9 MeV b for (3)He + n. None of the existing fitting curves is able to provide the correct slope of the new data in the full range, thus calling for a revision of the theoretical description. This has consequences in the calculation of the reaction rates with more than a 25% increase at the temperatures of future fusion reactors. (C) 2011 Elsevier By. All rights reserved.