A binary model for the UV-upturn of elliptical galaxies

The discovery of a flux excess in the far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectrum of elliptical galaxies was a major surprise in 1969. While it is now clear that this UV excess is caused by an old population of hot helium-burning stars without large hydrogen-rich envelopes, rather than young stars, their origin has remained a mystery. Here we show that these stars most likely lost their envelopes because of binary interactions, similar to the hot subdwarf population in our own Galaxy. We have developed an evolutionary population synthesis model for the FUV excess of elliptical galaxies based on the binary model developed by Han et al. for the formation of hot subdwarfs in our Galaxy. Despite its simplicity, it successfully reproduces most of the properties of elliptical galaxies with a UV excess: the range of observed UV excesses, both in  (1550 − V )  and  (2000 − V )  , and their evolution with redshift. We also present colour–colour diagrams for use as diagnostic tools in the study of elliptical galaxies. The model has major implications for understanding the evolution of the UV excess and of elliptical galaxies in general. In particular, it implies that the UV excess is not a sign of age, as had been postulated previously, and predicts that it should not be strongly dependent on the metallicity of the population, but exists universally from dwarf ellipticals to giant ellipticals.     

遥感与地理信息集成系统在城市活断层研究中的初步应用

遥感技术应用于地震研究中的一个重要方面是利用遥感图像的宏观性解译地震活动的构造背景。该项目主要利用遥感及GIS地理信息软件合成数字遥感图像并利用数字高程模型DEM生成三维地貌影像图,与城市房屋等数字图层叠加,建立与地理图层相连的属性数据库,实现断层与地面建筑关系的实时查询,并对用于构造背景的三维立体模型的显示、可视化飞行技术进行初步研究,以期在城市活断层研究中得到应用。     

煤层气地球物理测井技术发展综述

煤层气地球物理测井明显有别于常规的油气藏地球物理测井,本文在大量文献调研的基础上,基于国内外煤层气地球物理测井技术的发展现状,综合评述了常用的煤层气测井方法、技术系列与煤储层测井评价技术及其优缺点,总结了当前国内外煤层气地球物理测井的应用研究与发展现状,并指出其当前面临的困难和若干问题,分析了煤层气地球物理测井技术的应用前景及今后值得注意的几个发展趋势.     

Realistic triaxial density–potential–force profiles for stellar systems and dark matter haloes

Popular models for describing the luminosity–density profiles of dynamically hot stellar systems (e.g. Jaffe, Hernquist, Dehnen) were constructed to match the deprojected form of de Vaucouleurs' R ^1/4 light-profile. However, we now know that elliptical galaxies and bulges display a mass-dependent range of structural profiles. To compensate this, the model in Terzić & Graham was designed to closely match the deprojected form of Sérsic R ^{1/ n} light-profiles, including deprojected exponential light-profiles and galaxies with partially depleted cores. It is thus applicable for describing bulges in spiral galaxies, dwarf elliptical galaxies, both 'power-law' and 'core' elliptical galaxies, also dark matter haloes formed from Λ cold dark matter cosmological simulations. In this paper, we present a new family of triaxial density–potential–force triplets, which generalizes the spherical model reported in Terzić & Graham to three dimensions. If the (optional) power-law core is present, it is a five-parameter family, while in the absence of the core it reduces to three parameters. The isodensity contours in the new family are stratified on confocal ellipsoids and the potential and forces are expressed in terms of integrals which are easy to evaluate numerically. We provide the community with a suite of numerical routines for orbit integration, which feature: optimized computations of potential and forces for this family; the ability to run simulations on parallel platforms; and modular and easily editable design.     

Imaging of the protoelliptical NGC 1700 and its globular cluster system

An excellent candidate for a young elliptical, or 'protoelliptical' galaxy is NGC 1700. Here we present new B -, V - and I -band imaging using the Keck telescope, and reanalyse existing V - and I -band images from the Hubble Space Telescope . After subtracting a model of the galaxy from the Keck images, NGC 1700 reveals two symmetric tidal tail-like structures. If this interpretation is correct, it suggests a past merger event involving two spiral galaxies. These tails are largely responsible for the 'boxiness' of the galaxy isophotes observed at a radius of ∼13 kpc.
We also show that the B − I colour distribution of the globular cluster system is bimodal. The mean colour of the blue population is consistent with that of old Galactic globular clusters. Relative to this old, metal-poor population, we find that the red population is younger and more metal-rich. This young population has an age and metallicity similar to that inferred for the central stars, suggesting that both populations are associated with an episode of star formation triggered by the merger that may have formed the galaxy. We find that, although they have large errors, the majority of the age estimates of NGC 1700 are reasonably consistent and we adopt a 'best estimate' for the age of 3.0±1.0 Gyr. This relatively low age places NGC 1700 within the age range where there is a notable lack of obvious candidates for protoellipticals. The total globular cluster specific frequency is rather low for a typical elliptical, even after taking into account the fading of the galaxy over the next 10 Gyr. We speculate that NGC 1700 will eventually form a relatively 'globular cluster poor' elliptical galaxy.     

Are there sextuplet and octuplet image systems?

We study gravitational lensing by the family of scale-free galaxies with flat rotation curves. The models are defined by a shape function, which prescribes the radius of the isophote as a function of the position angle from the major axis. The critical curves are analytic, while the caustic network is reducible to a simple quadrature. The cusps are always located at the turning points of the shape function. We show that the models with exactly elliptic isophotes never admit butterfly or swallowtail cusps and so have at most four (or five) images. Higher order imaging is brought about by deviations of the isophotes from pure ellipses, such as pointedness caused by embedded discs or boxiness caused by recent merging. The criteria for the onset of sextuple and octuple imaging can be calculated analytically in terms of the ellipticity ε and the fourth-order Fourier coefficients ( a ₄ and b ₄) used by observers to parametrize the isophote shapes. The six or eight images are arranged roughly in a circle, which appears as an incomplete Einstein ring if inadequately resolved. Using data on the shapes of elliptical galaxies and merger remnants, we estimate that ∼1 per cent of all multiply imaged quasars may be sextuplet systems or higher. Forthcoming satellites such as the Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics ( GAIA ) will provide data sets of ∼4000 multiply imaged systems, and so ∼40 will show sextuple imaging or higher.