Clustering Property of Wolf-Rayet Galaxies in the SDSS

We have analysed, for the first time, the clustering properties of Wolf-Rayet (W-R) galaxies, using a large sample of 846 W-R galaxies selected from the Data Release 4 (DR4) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We compute the cross-correlation function between W- R galaxies and a reference sample of galaxies drawn from the DR4. We compare the function to the results for control samples of non-W-R star-forming galaxies that are matched closely in redshift, luminosity, concentration, 4000-A break strength and specific star formation rate (SSFR). On scales larger than a few Mpc, W-R galaxies have almost the same clustering amplitude as the control samples, indicating that W-R galaxies and non-W-R control galax- ies populate dark matter haloes of similar masses. On scales between 0.1-1 h-1 Mpc, W-R galaxies are less clustered than the control samples, and the size of the difference depends on the SSFR. Based on both observational and theoretical considerations, we speculate that this negative bias can be interpreted by W-R galaxies residing preferentially at the centers of their dark matter haloes. We examine the distribution of W-R galaxies more closely using the SDSS galaxy group catalogue of Yang et al., and find that ～82% of our W-R galaxies are the central galaxies of groups, compared to ～74% for the corresponding control galaxies. We find that W-R galaxies are hosted, on average, by dark matter haloes of masses of 1012,3 M☉, compared to 1012,1 M? For centrally-located W-R galaxies and 1012,7 M☉ For satellite ones. We would like to point out that this finding, which provides a direct observational support to our conjecture, is really very crude due to the small number of W-R galaxies and the incom- pleteness of the group catalogue, and needs more work in future with larger samples.     

Influence of measurement errors and deviations from Tully‐Fisher relationship on multipole structure of bulk galaxy motion

The velocity field of large‐scale non‐Hubble galaxy motion recovered from peculiar velocities of spiral galaxies is distorted due to measurement errors and deviations from Tully‐Fisher relationship. To figure out how this affects the multipole structure we use the Monte‐Carlo approach and simulate errors and deviations. We use the galaxies from the Revised Flat Galaxy Catalogue subsample and the generalized Tully‐Fisher relationship in the ‘H I line width–angular diameter’ version. The analysis of the multipole structure has shown that the dipole velocity component (bulk motion) is underestimated, and the characteristic values of the quadrupole component are overestimated. The directions of the quadrupole component's eigenvectors can be determined precisely enough. Typical deviation angles of bulk motion apices lie between 17 and 40.. The main input is caused by errors in the measurement of the angular diameter. The probability of the quadrupole component being incidental can be estimated at the 4 per cent level. For the octopole component, it can be estimated at the 7–10 per cent level. This is essentially higher than the estimations less than 1 per cent due to the Fisher test. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

6种笛鲷属鱼类Cyt b基因片段序列的比较

采用聚合酶链式反应直接测序法，获得紫红笛鲷(Lutjanus argentimaculatus)、白星笛鲷(L．stellatus)、千年笛鲷(L．sebae)、勒氏笛鲷(L．russelli)、红鳍笛鲷(L．erythropterus)5种笛鲷属鱼的线粒体细胞色素b(Cyt b)425bp序列，并结合基因库中的斜带笛鲷(L．decussatus)Cytb同源序列进行比较分析，共发现88个核苷酸位点存在变异(20．7％)。用MEGA2．1软件中的Pairwise distance工具计算了6种笛鲷属鱼类的相对遗传距离，表明6种笛鲷属鱼类的序列差异在0．096-0．129之间，其中红鳍笛鲷和紫红笛鲷序列差异最大为0．129，千年笛鲷与红鳍笛鲷的序列差异最小为0．096；序列变异的转换／颠换比值较低，平均只有2．160。     

A spectroscopic study of NGC 6251 and its companion galaxies

Measurements of the velocities of galaxies thought to be associated with the giant radio galaxy NGC 6251 confirm the presence of a poor cluster with a systemic redshift of and a line-of-sight velocity dispersion of _z =283(+109,52) km s¹. This suggests a cluster atmosphere temperature of T =0.7(+0.6,0.2) keV, which is not enough to confine the radio jet by gas pressure. The core of NGC 6251 shows strong emission lines of [O  iii ] and H +[N  ii ], but there is no evidence for line emission from the jet (detected in optical continuum by Keel).     

基于红移畸变测量宇宙结构增长率的进展

星系红移巡天的一个主要目标是依据光谱红移测距,详细刻画宇宙中星系的三维空间分布。由于星系本动速度的存在,红移空间的星系分布存在着严重畸变,在大小尺度上有着不同模式的各向同性偏离。通过对红移畸变的观测研究,人们可从中获取速度场的信息,因此,红移畸变已成为暗能量探测的重要探针之一,为检验宇宙学尺度上的引力模型提供帮助。当前星系红移巡天项目已经取得了非凡成功,为人们提供了详细的星系空间分布数据。人们据此测量了星系的相关函数和功率谱,提取了精确的红移畸变信号,并通过模型拟合限制出了一批不同红移处宇宙结构增长率的估值,为探索宇宙尺度的引力模式提供了数据支持。主要介绍红移畸变模型、星系红移巡天观测和宇宙结构增长率测量等研究进展。     

Carbon-rich Mira variables: radial velocities and distances

Optical radial velocities have been measured for 38 C-type Mira variables (C-Miras). These data together with others in the literature are used to study the differences between optical and CO millimetre (mm) observations for C-Miras and the necessary corrections to the optical velocities are derived in order to obtain the true radial velocities of the variables. The difference between absorption and emission-line velocities is also examined. A particularly large difference  (+30 km s ⁻¹)  is found in the case of the Hα line. A catalogue is given of 177 C-Miras with estimated distances and radial velocities. The distances are based on bolometric magnitudes derived in Paper I using South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) observations or (for 60 of the stars) using non-SAAO photometry. In the latter case, the necessary transformations to the SAAO system are derived. These data will be used in Paper III to study the kinematics of the C-Miras.     

Error analysis of the photometric redshift technique

We present a calculation of the systematic component of the error budget in the photometric redshift technique. We make use of it to describe a simple technique that allows the assignment of confidence limits to redshift measurements obtained through photometric methods. We show that our technique, through the calculation of a redshift probability function, gives complete information on the probable redshift of an object and its associated confidence intervals. This information can and must be used in the calculation of any observable quantity that makes use of the redshift.     

A simple tool for assessing the completeness in apparent magnitude of magnitude–redshift samples

A new tool is proposed for finding out the completeness limit in apparent magnitude of a magnitude–redshift sample. The technique, closely related to the statistical test proposed by Efron & Petrosian, presents a real improvement compared to standard completeness tests. Namely, no a priori assumptions are required concerning the redshift-space distribution of the sources. It means in particular that neither the clustering nor the evolution of the mean number density of the galaxies affects the result of the search.