Hubble Space Telescope photometry of globular clusters in the Sombrero galaxy

We explore the rich globular cluster (GC) system of the nearby Sa galaxy M104, the 'Sombrero' (NGC 4594), using archive Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 data. The GC colour distribution is found to be bimodal at the >99 per cent confidence level, with peaks at     and     . The inferred metallicities are very similar to those of GCs in our Galaxy and M31. However, the Sombrero reveals a much enhanced number of red (metal-rich) GCs compared to other well-studied spirals. Because the Sombrero is dominated by a huge bulge and only has a modest disc, we associate the two subpopulations with the halo and bulge components, respectively. Thus our analysis supports the view that the metal-rich GCs in spirals are associated with the bulge rather than with the disc. The Sombrero GCs have typical effective (half-light) radii of ∼2 pc with the red ones being ∼30 per cent smaller than the blue ones. We identify many similarities between the GC system of the Sombrero and those of both late-type spirals and early-type galaxies. Thus both the GC system and the Hubble type of the Sombrero galaxy appear to be intermediate in their nature.     

Stellar Populations in Bulges of Spiral Galaxies

We present a few results of a work in progress tackling the radial spectroscopic properties of bulges of spiral galaxies. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Classical Cepheids in the Galactic outer ring R1R ′2

The kinematics and distribution of classical Cepheids within ∼3 kpc from the Sun suggest the existence of the outer ring R₁R ′₂ in the Galaxy. The optimum value of the solar position angle with respect to the major axis of the bar, θ_b, providing the best agreement between the distribution of Cepheids and model particles, is θ_b = 37° ±13°. The kinematical features obtained for Cepheids with negative galactocentric radial velocity V_R are consistent with the solar location near the descending segment of the outer ring R₂. The sharp rise of extinction toward of the Galactic center can be explained by the presence of the outer ring R₁ near the Sun. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A study of the kinematics of unusually H I‐rich galaxies

We examine the H I kinematics of the “Bluedisk” ensemble of 48 galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and observed in H I with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope. The sample consists of 25 galaxies with a high H I mass fraction and a comparatively large control sample comprising 23 galaxies of comparable stellar mass, stellar mass surface density, redshift, and inclination. By studying the H I velocity fields of these galaxies, we investigate whether there are signatures of ongoing gas accretion: i.e. global asymmetries and indications for warping and kinematical lopsidedness. We find no enhanced kinematical asymmetries between the H I‐rich sample and the control sample galaxies, indicating no significant difference in kinematical signatures such as warping and lopsidedness. Furthermore, we find no difference in position angle and systemic velocity offset with respect to the optical between both sub‐samples. We therefore do not find compelling evidence for enhanced global asymmetry of the H I‐excess galaxies ensemble properties in comparison to the control sample galaxies. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

台风螺旋雨带云结构和降水形成机制研究

应用数值模式结果,选择台风登陆后两个不同时次螺旋雨带中两个强降水中心,对台风螺旋雨带的云结构和降水形成机制进行诊断分析.结果发现螺旋雨带云结构和降水形成机制有如下特点:在9～13 km高空范围内冰晶的非均质核化非常活跃,冰晶转化率高于台风眼壁暴雨数倍,但是冰晶通过贝吉龙过程生长为雪、雪通过凝华增长生长为霰的过程相对台风眼壁很弱,螺旋雨带雨水形成微物理机制以霰粒子融化成雨水(pgmlt)为主,冰相粒子转化率大值区位于垂直上升气流大值区,8 km高度霰收集雪(dgacs)干增长是最主要的冰相粒子生长过程,与北方层状云比较,螺旋雨带暴雨冷云中的凝华过程和撞冻过程非常活跃.螺旋雨带云水凝结过程呈双峰型,位于7～8 km高度冷云区的云水凝结峰值较大,暖云区0.5～1.5 km高度云水凝结峰值次之.     

BHαBAR: big Hα kinematical sample of barred spiral galaxies – I. Fabry–Perot observations of 21 galaxies

We present the Hα gas kinematics of 21 representative barred spiral galaxies belonging to the BHαBAR sample. The galaxies were observed with FaNTOmM, a Fabry–Perot integral-field spectrometer, on three different telescopes. The three-dimensional data cubes were processed through a robust pipeline with the aim of providing the most homogeneous and accurate data set possible useful for further analysis. The data cubes were spatially binned to a constant signal-to-noise ratio, typically around 7. Maps of the monochromatic Hα emission line and of the velocity field were generated and the kinematical parameters were derived for the whole sample using tilted-ring models. The photometrical and kinematical parameters (position angle of the major axis, inclination, systemic velocity and kinematical centre) are in relative good agreement, except perhaps for the later-type spirals.