Clustering evolution between z=1 and today

We present results of an investigation of clustering evolution of field galaxies between a redshift of z ∼ 1 and the present epoch. The current analysis relies on a sample of ∼ 14000 galaxies in two fields of the COMBO 17 survey. The redshift distribution extends to z ∼ 1. The amplitude of the three-dimensional correlation function can be estimated by means of the projected correlation function w(r _p ). The validity of the deprojection was tested on the Las Campanas Redshift Survey (LCRS). In a flat cosmology with non-zero cosmological constant for bright galaxies (M _B ≤-18) the clustering growth is proportional to (1+z) ^-2. However, the measured clustering evolution clearly depends on Hubble type. While locally the clustering strength of early type galaxies is equal to that of the bright galaxies, at high redshifts they are much stronger clustered, and thus the clustering has to evolve much more slowly. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The peaks and gaps in the redshift distributions of active galactic nuclei and quasars

The distributionsf(z) of the redshifts for active galaxies (Seyfert galaxies, radio galaxies, and quasars) have been studied. Some statistically-significant maxima and minima are observed in the distributionsf(z) for these objects. The significance of peaks and gaps increases for the brighter objects, for which the samples are more complete. The clustering of the Seyfert galaxies is significantly different from that of the nearby normal galaxies. The distributionf(z) for the radio galaxies is similar to the analogous distribution for the galaxy clusters. Three of the five peaks in the distributionf(z) for the radio quasars may be caused by the selection effects. Two peaks within the intervalsz (0.5, 0.7) and (1.0, 1.1) are probably real. The corresponding scales of the QSO clustering along the line-of-sight are about 100h ^–1 Mpc (h is the Hubble constant in the units of 75 km s^–1 Mpc^–1). The possibility of some global quasi-periodical cycles for the processes of activity is discussed. The period of a cycle for the Seyfert and radio galaxies is about 1×10⁸ years that corresponds to the distances of about 30h ^–1 Mpc between the shells.     

Neutron star models based on an improved equation of state

Using an equation of state for cold degenerate matter which takes nuclear forces and nuclear clustering into account, neutron star models are constructed. Stable models were obtained in the mass range above 0.065M and density range 10^14.08 to 10^15.4 gm/cm³. All of these models were found to be bound. The outer crystalline layer of the star was found to have a thickness of 200 m or more depending on the mass of the model.     

Sunspot nests as traced by a cluster analysis

The appearance of sunspot groups between August 1959 and December 1964 is investigated in search of sunspot nests. A sunspot nest is a relatively small space on the surface within which a succession of spot groups appears. A single-linkage clustering technique is used to trace clusters in the three dimensions longitude, latitude and time. The number of genuine sunspot nests is estimated and their properties are determined.At least one third of the sunspot appearances belong to intrinsically physical clusters. Even a substantial fraction of the clusters of two-member groups is genuine.The clustering criteria are set such that the smallest scales in the clustering are brought out. The sizes of the nests turn out very small: the typical (1-) spread about the longitude-time regression line is about 2°, and the spread about the mean latitude is about 1°. The lifetimes range from one to seven months. The nests follow the rotation rate-latitude relation of recurrent sunspots within a small but intrinsic spread of about 15 m s^–1. In the present sample the displacements in latitude are extremely small: the amplitude of any large-scale flow pattern must be less than 3 m s^–1, whereas the intrinsic proper motions in latitude are less than 5 m s^–1.The appearance of spot groups in a nest is intermittent. On one hand, in an active nest spots may be absent for nearly two complete rotations. On the other hand, in many nests more than one spot group has been recorded during one disk crossing.There is a strong tendency for the nests to cluster once again in larger nests: more than 1/3 of the compact nests are components in larger nests. Within such a large nest the components overlap in time, their mean latitudes differ by less than 2°.5, but the difference in longitude may extend up to 55°.The present and earlier results are either in harmony, or seemingly discordant results are readily explained by properties of the nests and differences in the search criteria.     

Entropy change and phase transitions in an expanding Universe

The work compiles a correlated study of a gravitational quasi equilibrium thermodynamic approach for establishing and signifying a unique behavior of the cosmological entropy and phase transitions in an expanding Universe. On the basis of prescribed boundary conditions for the cluster temperature a relation for the intra‐cluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters has been derived. A more productive and signifying approach of the correlation functions used for galaxy clustering phenomena shows a unique behavior of the entropy change where a phenomenon known as the gravitational phase transition occurs. This unique behavior occurs with a symmetry breaking from mild clustering to low clustering and from mild clustering to high clustering which differs from a normal symmetry breaking in material sciences. We also derive results for the specific latent heat associated with the phase transitions of 3.20 T_c and 0.55 T_c for the mildly clustered phase to the low clustered phase and from the mildly clustered phase to the highly clustered phase, respectively. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Structures in the large-scale distribution of galaxies with different luminosities

The large-scale structures of volume-limites subsample sorted out from the CfA catalog have been analysed by percolation method. The result shows that the features in the distribution of galaxies with different luminosities are significantly different. Especially, the most luminous galaxies are likely to exhibit hierarchical clustering on a scale about 50h ₅₀ ^–1 Mpc, and the least luminous galaxies in our subsamples show string-like or sheet-like character in their distribution. These results suggest that the large-scale distribution of galaxies consists of clusters or cluster cores of most luminous galaxies and the less luminous galaxies spread out from these cores with a string-like or sheet-like structure. This picture of the large-scale distribution consists with previous results from two-point correlation analysis and fractal analysis. The implication of these results has been discussed.     

The large-scale structure of the universe in skewed cold dark matter models

We present results from N-body simulations of the clustering properties of the universe in a cubic box of size 260h⁻¹ Mpc, within a cold dark matter (CDM) cosmology with skewed distributions for initial adiabatic density perturbations δ_M. We consider two non-Gaussian models, Chi-squared and Lognormal, where the primordial gravitational potential is obtained from a non-linear transformation on a Gaussian random field. Our procedure yields for each model two primordial density distributions with opposite skewness δ³_M. The gravitational evolution and the present statistical properties of our simulations are strongly sensitive to the sign of the initial skewness. Skew-positive simulations produce a highly lumpy distribution with little power on large scales. Skew-negative simulations, on the contrary, evolve towards a cellular structure with high power on large scales, showing, in many respects, better agreement with observations than the standard CDM model. Giving up the random-phase hypothesis for primordial perturbations seems then a viable possibility to reproduce the large-scale properties of the universe; such a possibility is further motivated by many physical models either within the inflationary dynamics or phase transitions in the early universe.     

Large-scale periodicity in the distribution of QSO absorption-line systems

The spatial-temporal distribution of absorption-line systems (ALSs) observed in QSO spectra within the cosmological redshift interval z=0.0–4.3 is investigated on the base of our updated catalog of absorption systems. We consider so-called metallic systems including basically lines of heavy elements. The sample of the data displays regular variations (with amplitudes ∼15–20%) in the z-distribution of ALSs as well as in the η-distribution, where η is a dimensionless line-of-sight comoving distance, relatively to smoother dependences. The η-distribution reveals the periodicity with period Δη=0.036±0.002, which corresponds to a spatial characteristic scale (108±6)h ⁻¹ Mpc or (alternatively) a temporal interval (350±20)h ⁻¹ Myr for the ΛCDM cosmological model. We discuss the possibility of a spatial interpretation of the results, treating the pattern obtained as a trace of an order imprinted on the galaxy clustering in the early Universe.     

Orientation of first-ranked galaxies in rich clusters

We present new evidence that first ranked galaxies are aligned with their parent cluster and with the direction of the nearest neighbour cluster (scale 15h ^–1 Mpc). The effect is stronger for cD and gE galaxies than for first-ranked galaxies of later type. The relevance of this result for different galaxy formation scenarios is discussed. In hierarchical clustering scenarios like the cold dark matter theory, galactic halos and clusters of galaxies are expected to have moderate asphericity. We present some numerical results of an on-going study of the dissipationless collapse of moderately aspherical systems. Our results indicate that the central part of the collapsed and virialized system does show the large scale elongation imposed by the initial conditions. It is pointed out that this may have important implications also for the properties of disk galaxies in dark halos.     

Multi-density models of the Broad Line Region in Active Galactic Nuclei: a comparative study with single-cloud models

Nearly ten years ago Kwan and Krolik (1979, 1981) published the firstsuccessful photoionization model of the Broad Line Region of Active Galactic Nuclei, the so-called ‘Standard Model’. Since then several efforts have been made to obtain better results using more sophisticated models. Anopen issue is that photoionization models are generally computed startingfrom the assumption that the emission line spectrum is produced by a single-slab cloud with a ‘standard’ hydrogen density n_H = 10^9.5 cm^-3, but it seems more likely that a range of densities is present in the Broad Line Region. Purpose of this paper is to review the results given by single-cloud models using the most recent photoionization code, Cloudy 84, and to investigate if the addition of one or more components with different densities does affect the line ratios. To this aim we compute the emission line ratios produced by photoionized single-slab clouds for a wide range of hydrogen densities (n_H = 10^9.5−10¹³ cm⁻³), ionization parameters (U = 10⁻⁴− 10^−0.5) and column densities (N_H = 10²³−10²⁵ cm⁻²). Two or more populations of clouds are then combined and the resulting emission line spectrum is compared with a sample of mean observed line ratios. We find that the addition to the standard component of clouds having different densities and located at different positions from the central source introduces many changes in the line ratios, and that these changes are in the direction of a better agreement with the observed emission line ratios.     

Cosmic‐ray prdocution rates of helium,neon and argon isotopes in H chondrites based on chlorine‐36/argon‐36 ages

Abstract— We present the concentrations and isotopic compositions of He, Ne, and Ar for nonmagnetic fractions and bulk samples of 17 H chondrites which were recently investigated for their ³⁶Cl‐³⁶Ar cosmic‐ray exposure ages (Graf et al., 2001). All selected meteorites are observed falls with cosmic‐ray exposure ages close to the 7 Ma peak. The rare gas data are consistent with ¹⁰Be and ³⁶C1 production rates in the metal phase. Remarkably, only 1 out of the 17 H chondrites, Bath, shows clear indications for a complex exposure history. Based on rare gas concentrations and ³⁶Cl‐³⁶Ar exposure ages, ²¹Ne production rates as a function of ²²Ne/²¹ Ne and a mean ³⁸Ar production rate are determined. The results confirm model calculations which predict that the relationship between ²¹Ne production rates and ²²Ne/²¹Ne is ambiguous for high shielding. Besides the mean ³⁸Ar production rate we also give production rate ratios P(³⁸Ar from Ca)/P(³⁸Ar from Fe). They vary between 10 and 77, showing no significant correlation with ³⁸Ar concentrations or ²²Ne/²¹Ne. By investigating the metal separates, Graf et al. (2001) found significant ³He deficits for 6 out of the 17 meteorites. For the nonmagnetic fractions and bulk samples investigated here, the data points in a ³He/²¹Ne vs. ²²Ne/²¹Ne diagram plot in the area defined by most of the H chondrites. This means that ³He deficits in the metal phase are much more pronounced than in silicate minerals and we will argue that ³H diffusive losses in meteorites should be the rule rather than the exception. The ²¹Ne exposure ages, calculated on the basis of modeled ²¹Ne production rates, confirm the assumption by Graf et al. (2001) that the H5 chondrites with low ³He/³⁸Ar in the metal formed in a separate event than those with normal ³He/³⁸Ar ratios. The data can best be interpreted by assuming that the prominent 7 Ma exposure age peak of the H chondrites is due to at least two events about 7.0 and 7.6 Ma ago.     

Stochastic simulation of fields of galaxies,III

Stochastic simulations of galaxy fields, using the cluster multiplicity function obtained for the Lick galaxy counts, reproduces satisfactorily the observed distribution of galaxies from COSMOS measures on a deep UKST and AAT plate limited atB22.0 andB23.2, respectively. The results imply that no strong evolutionary effect is present in the clustering of galaxies, at least out to redshiftsz ^*0.65.     

Interstellar electron density

We impose the requirement that the spatial distribution of pulsars deduced from their dispersion measures using a model of the galactic electron density (n _e ) should be consistent with cylindrical symmetry around the galactic centre (assumed to be 10 kpc from the Sun). Using a carefully selected subsample of the pulsars detected by the II Molonglo Survey (II MS), we test a number of simple models and conclude that (i) the effective mean 〈n_e〉) for the whole galaxy is 0.037_-0.012 ^+0.020 cm^-3, (ii) the scale height of electrons is greater than 300 pc and probably about 1 kpc or more, and (iii) there is little evidence for variation of n_e with galactic radius R_GC for R_Gc ≳ 5 kpc. Further, we make a detailed analysis of the contribution to n_e from H II regions. Combining the results of a number of relatively independent calculations, we propose a model for the galactic electron density of the formn _e (z) = 0.030 + 0.020 exp (- |z|/70) cm^-3 where z(pc) is the height above the galactic plane and the second term describes the contribution from H II regions. We believe the statistical uncertainties in the parameters of this model are quite small.     

Dark energy model in anisotropic Bianchi type-III space-time with variable EoS parameter

A new dark energy model in anisotropic Bianchi type-III space-time with variable equation of state (EoS) parameter has been investigated in the present paper. To get the deterministic model, we consider that the expansion θ in the model is proportional to the eigen value s² ₂\sigma^{2}_{~2} of the shear tensor s^j _i\sigma^{j}_{~i}. The EoS parameter ω is found to be time dependent and its existing range for this model is in good agreement with the recent observations of SNe Ia data (Knop et al. in Astrophys. J. 598:102, 2003) and SNe Ia data with CMBR anisotropy and galaxy clustering statistics (Tegmark et al. in Astrophys. J. 606:702, 2004). It has been suggested that the dark energy that explains the observed accelerating expansion of the universe may arise due to the contribution to the vacuum energy of the EoS in a time dependent background. Some physical aspects of dark energy model are also discussed.     

Monte-Carlo simulations of galaxy systems

The angular correlation function for the sample of faint galaxies described in MacGillivray and Dodd (1980), obtained from objective measures made with the COSMOS machine on a deep UKST photograph, is examined and compared with that for the model fields described in Paper V of this series (MacGillivray and Dodd, 1982b). The results support the presence of clustering of galaxies in these machine-determined samples on scales up to 7 hr^–1 Mpc and are consistent with both the hierarchical and adiabatic schemes for galaxy clustering.     

Radio loudness of high-redshift (z≥3) quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Using a homogenous sample of 1962 quasars with redshift 3.0≤z≲4.5 drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we study the relationships between radio loudness, virial black hole (BH) mass and Eddington ratio (accretion rate relative to the Eddington limit). For the radio-detected objects, we find a significant (>99.5 per cent) anticorrelation between radio loudness R parameter and BH mass, consistent with previous studies of low-redshift radio-loud quasars. The truly radio-loud quasars (R>30) are found to be confined to M _BH≲10¹⁰ M_⊙ within our sample. We also find that R is only weakly correlated with Eddington ratio L _bol/L _Edd. Combined with previous results on the low-redshift R−L _bol/L _Edd relation, this result indicates no strong L _bol/L _Edd dependence of R at L _bol/L _Edd≳10⁻². On the other hand, the large scatter in these relationships suggests that other physical properties such as BH spin and quasar clustering must also play an important role in quasar radio emission.     

A numerical test of the quasi-equilibrium approximation for stellar silicon burning

A measure of the range of the validity of the nuclear quasi-equilibrium approximation, employed byBodansky, Clayton andFowler (1968) for the treatment of stellar silicon burning, is obtained by comparison of the predicted abundances with the results of a numerical solution of the equations for the time rates of change of the nuclear abundances. The results of these calculations, performed for a temperatureT=3×10⁹K, are compared with those obtained by Bodanskyet al. for a temperatureT=5×10⁹K. The time required for the realization of the quasi-equilibrium condition at high temperatures is found to comprise a more substantial fraction of the silicon burning lifetime. This behavior is found to be attributable to the relative temperature sensitivities of the nuclear photodisintegration rates which determine the silicon burning lifetime and the charged particle reaction rates (largely Ti⁴⁴(,p) V⁴⁷) which determine the rate of buildup of iron peak nuclei.     

Clustering in the quasar distribution

We analyse the two-dimensional distribution of quasars for clustering. In an area of 40 square degrees centered at α = 1^h44^m, δ = −40°00', we found 1092 quasar candidates in a systematic search with slitless spectra. A two-dimensional power spectrum analysis gave the result that the quasars are weakly clustered, with a clustering scale of about 0.5°. This corresponds to 35 Mpc at the mean redshift of 2.     

On the properties of elliptical and spiral galaxies in a CDM scenario

This paper aims to investigate what kind of density perturbations did lead to elliptical galaxies and what kind to spiral galaxies, in the context of a CDM scenario. Previous work by HP (Heavens and Peacock, 1988) is reviewed and extended; more particularly: (i) a theoreticalJM relation is derived for virialized configurations, with a slope increasing with the mass, in the range 5/3<<2, and compared with its counterpart deduced by HP for expanding configurations; (ii) an non-dimensional angular momentum =J/(G ² M ⁵ t _ff )^1/3; witht _ff free-fall time at turnaround, is calculated explicitly and compared with the usual spin parameter =J(–E) ^1/2/(GM ^5/2), in the special case of polytropic spheres and for different peak heights; (iii) a model is built up where the ellipsoidal density perturbations described by HP are approximated as spherical density perturbations with the same mass and the same rate of acquisition of angular momentum, and the contribution of the latter to the expansion is also taken into account. The calculations are limited to the special case of Einstein-de Sitter universes (of dust only), in the whole range of HP distributions of angular momenta. If a massM=10¹² m is typical for galaxies, the results are consistent with both an inferred difference roughly in a factor of six times between angular momenta of ellipticals and spirals, and a continuous transition from the former to the latter, for each peak height. It is argued that star formation together with angular momentum, instead of peak height alone, makes the fate of a given proto-object; more specifically, if star formation is high enough and/or angular momentum is low enough, the system will be frozen as an elliptical galaxy; if, on the other hand, the rate of star formation is low enough, and/or angular momentum is high enough, the system will be frozen as a spiral galaxy. In addition, the results lead to an obvious trend: more ellipticals are associated with higher peak heights and more spirals with lower peak heights.     

Possible connection between period change and magnetic activity of the very short‐period binary VZ Piscium

New times of light minimum of the short‐period (P = 0^d.26) close binary system, VZ Psc, are presented. A period investigation of the binary star, by combining the three new eclipse times with the others collected from the literatures, shows that the variation of the period might be in an alternate way. Under the hypothesis that the variation of the orbital period is cyclic, a period of 25 years and an amplitude of 0.^d0030 for the cyclic change are determined. If this periodic variation is caused by the presence of a third body, the mass of the third body (m₃) should be no less than 0.081M_⊙. Since both components of VZ Psc are strong chromospherically active and the level of activity of the secondary component is higher than that of the primary one, the period may be more plausibly explained by cyclic magnetic activity of the less massive component. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)