arXiv subjects

A. Bressan

Publications and source records attributed to A. Bressan.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

A Spitzer-IRS view of early-type galaxies with cuspy/core nuclei and with fast/slow rotation

The recent literature suggests that an evolutionary dichotomy exists for early-type galaxies (Es and S0s, ETGs) whereby their central photometric structure (cuspy versus core central luminosity profiles), and figure of rotation (fast (FR) vs. slow (SR) rotators), are determined by whether they formed by "wet" or "dry" mergers. We consider whether the mid infrared (MIR) properties of ETGs, with their sensitivity to accretion processes in particular in the last few Gyr (on average z < 0.2), can put further constraints on this picture. We investigate a sample of 49 ETGs for which nuclear MIR properties and detailed photometrical and kinematical classifications are available from the recent literature. In the stellar light cuspy/core ETGs show a dichotomy that is mainly driven by their luminosity. However in the MIR, the brightest core ETGs show evidence that accretions have triggered both AGN and star formation activity in the recent past, challenging a "dry" merger scenario. In contrast, we do find, in the Virgo and Fornax clusters, that cuspy ETGs, fainter than M$_{K_s}=-24$, are predominantly passively evolving in the same epoch, while, in low density environments, they tend to be more active. A significant and statistically similar fraction of both FR (38$^{+18}_{-11}$\%) and SR (50$^{+34}_{-21}$\%) shows PAH features in their MIR spectra. Ionized and molecular gas are also frequently detected. Recent star formation episodes are then a common phenomenon in both kinematical classes, even in those dominated by AGN activity, suggesting a similar evolutionary path in the last few Gyr. MIR spectra suggest that the photometric segregation between cuspy and core nuclei and the dynamical segregation between FR and SR must have originated before z~0.2.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Measurement of radiative widths of $a_2(1320)$ and $π_2(1670)$

The COMPASS Collaboration at CERN has investigated the reaction $π^- γ\rightarrow π^-π^-π^+$ embedded in the Primakoff reaction of $190~\textrm{GeV}$ pions scattering in the Coulomb field of a lead target, $π^- \text{Pb} \rightarrow π^-π^-π^+ \text{Pb}$. Exchange of quasi-real photons is selected by isolating the sharp Coulomb peak observed at momentum transfer below $0.001~(\text{GeV}/c)^2$. Using a partial-wave analysis the amplitudes and relative phases of the $a_2(1320)$ and $π_2(1670)$ mesons have been extracted, and the Coulomb and the diffractive contributions have been disentangled. Measuring absolute production cross sections we have determined the radiative width of the $a_2(1320)$ to be $Γ_0(a_2(1320) \rightarrow πγ) = (358 \pm 6_{\textrm{stat}} \pm 42_{\textrm{syst}})~\textrm{keV}$. As the first measurement, $Γ_0(π_2(1670) \rightarrow πγ) = (181 \pm 11_{\textrm{stat}} \pm 27_{\textrm{syst}})~\textrm{keV} \cdot (\textrm{BR}^{\textrm{PDG}}_{f_2 π}/\textrm{BR}_{f_2 π})$ is obtained for the radiative width of the $π_2(1670)$, where in this analysis the branching ratio $\textrm{BR}^{\textrm{PDG}}_{f_2 π}=0.56$ has been used. We compare these values to previous measurements and theoretical predictions.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2014

The impact of metallicity and dynamics on the evolution of young star clusters

The early evolution of a dense young star cluster (YSC) depends on the intricate connection between stellar evolution and dynamical processes. Thus, N-body simulations of YSCs must account for both aspects. We discuss N-body simulations of YSCs with three different metallicities (Z=0.01, 0.1 and 1 Zsun), including metallicity-dependent stellar evolution recipes and metallicity-dependent prescriptions for stellar winds and remnant formation. We show that mass-loss by stellar winds influences the reversal of core collapse. In particular, the post-collapse expansion of the core is faster in metal-rich YSCs than in metal-poor YSCs, because the former lose more mass (through stellar winds) than the latter. As a consequence, the half-mass radius expands more in metal-poor YSCs. We also discuss how these findings depend on the total mass and on the virial radius of the YSC. These results give us a clue to understand the early evolution of YSCs with different metallicity.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

A high-statistics measurement of transverse spin effects in dihadron production from muon-proton semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering

A measurement of the azimuthal asymmetry in dihadron production in deep-inelastic scattering of muons on transversely polarised proton (NH$_{3}$) targets are presented. They provide independent access to the transversity distribution functions through the measurement of the Collins asymmetry in single hadron production. The data were taken in the year $2010$ with the COMPASS spectrometer using a $160\,\mbox{GeV}/c$ muon beam of the CERN SPS, increasing by a factor of about three the available statistics of the previously published data taken in the year $2007$. The measured sizeable asymmetry is in good agreement with the published data. An approximate equality of the Collins asymmetry and the dihadron asymmetry is observed, suggesting a common physical mechanism in the underlying fragmentation.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2014

Measurement of azimuthal hadron asymmetries in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering off unpolarised nucleons

Spin-averaged asymmetries in the azimuthal distributions of positive and negative hadrons produced in deep inelastic scattering were measured using the CERN SPS muon beam at $160$ GeV/c and a $^6$LiD target. The amplitudes of the three azimuthal modulations $\cosϕ_h$, $\cos2ϕ_h$ and $\sinϕ_h$ were obtained binning the data separately in each of the relevant kinematic variables $x$, $z$ or $p_T^{\,h}$ and binning in a three-dimensional grid of these three variables. The amplitudes of the $\cos ϕ_h$ and $\cos 2ϕ_h$ modulations show strong kinematic dependencies both for positive and negative hadrons.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2013

Exploring the early dust-obscured phase of galaxy formation with blind mid-/far-IR spectroscopic surveys

While continuum imaging data at far-infrared to sub-millimeter wavelengths have provided tight constraints on the population properties of dusty star forming galaxies up to high redshifts, future space missions like the Space Infra-Red Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA) and ground based facilities like the Cerro Chajnantor Atacama Telescope (CCAT) will allow detailed investigations of their physical properties via their mid-/far-infrared line emission. We present updated predictions for the number counts and the redshift distributions of star forming galaxies spectroscopically detectable by these future missions. These predictions exploit a recent upgrade of evolutionary models, that include the effect of strong gravitational lensing, in the light of the most recent Herschel and South Pole Telescope data. Moreover the relations between line and continuum infrared luminosity are re-assessed, considering also differences among source populations, with the support of extensive simulations that take into account dust obscuration. The derived line luminosity functions are found to be highly sensitive to the spread of the line to continuum luminosity ratios. Estimates of the expected numbers of detections per spectral line by SPICA/SAFARI and by CCAT surveys for different integration times per field of view at fixed total observing time are presented. Comparing with the earlier estimates by Spinoglio et al. (2012) we find, in the case of SPICA/SAFARI, differences within a factor of two in most cases, but occasionally much larger. More substantial differences are found for CCAT.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

Study of Σ(1385) and Ξ(1321) hyperon and antihyperon production in deep inelastic muon scattering

Large samples of Λ, Σ(1385) and Ξ(1321) hyperons produced in deep-inelastic muon scattering off a ^6LiD target were collected with the COMPASS experimental setup at CERN. The relative yields of Σ(1385)^+, Σ(1385)^-, \barΣ(1385)^-, \barΣ(1385)^+, Ξ(1321)^-, and \barΞ(1321)^+ hyperons decaying into Λ(\barΛ)πwere measured. The heavy hyperon to Λand heavy antihyperon to \barΛ yield ratios were found to be in the range 3.8% to 5.6% with a relative uncertainty of about 10%. They were used to tune the parameters relevant for strange particle production of the LEPTO Monte Carlo generator.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2013

Transverse target spin asymmetries in exclusive $ρ^0$ muoproduction

Exclusive production of $ρ^0$ mesons was studied at the COMPASS experiment by scattering 160 GeV/$c$ muons off transversely polarised protons. Five single-spin and three double-spin azimuthal asymmetries were measured as a function of $Q^2$, $x_{Bj}$, or $p_{T}^{2}$. The $\sin ϕ_S$ asymmetry is found to be $-0.019 \pm 0.008(stat.) \pm 0.003(syst.)$. All other asymmetries are also found to be of small magnitude and consistent with zero within experimental uncertainties. Very recent calculations using a GPD-based model agree well with the present results. The data is interpreted as evidence for the existence of chiral-odd, transverse generalized parton distributions.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2013

Measurement of the Cross Section for High-p_T Hadron Production in Scattering of 160 GeV/c Muons off Nucleons

The differential cross section for production of charged hadrons with high transverse momenta in scattering of 160\,GeV/$c$ muons off nucleons at low photon virtualities has been measured at the COMPASS experiment at CERN. The results, which cover transverse momenta from 1.1\,GeV/$c$ to 3.6\,GeV/$c$, are compared to a perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics (pQCD) calculation, in order to evaluate the applicability of pQCD to this process in the kinematic domain of the experiment. The shape of the calculated differential cross section as a function of transverse momentum is found to be in good agreement with the experimental data, but the absolute scale is underestimated by next-to-leading order (NLO) pQCD. The inclusion of all-order resummation of large logarithmic threshold corrections reduces the discrepancy from a factor of three to four to a factor of two. The dependence of the cross section on the pseudo-rapidity and on virtual photon energy fraction is investigated. Finally the dependence on the charge of the hadrons is discussed.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2013

On the nature of the brightest globular cluster in M81

We analyse the photometric, chemical, star formation history and structural properties of the brightest globular cluster (GC) in M81, referred as GC1 in this work, with the intention of establishing its nature and origin. We find that it is a metal-rich ([Fe/H]=-0.60+/-0.10), alpha-enhanced ([Alpha/Fe]=0.20+/0.05), core-collapsed (core radius r_c=1.2 pc, tidal radius r_t = 76r_c), old (>13 Gyr) cluster. It has an ultraviolet excess equivalent of ~2500 blue horizontal branch stars. It is detected in X-rays indicative of the presence of low-mass binaries. With a mass of 10 million solar masses, the cluster is comparable in mass to M31-G1 and is four times more massive than Omega Cen. The values of r_c, absolute magnitude and mean surface brightness of GC1 suggest that it could be, like massive GCs in other giant galaxies, the left-over nucleus of a dissolved dwarf galaxy.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Hadron Transverse Momentum Distributions in Muon Deep Inelastic Scattering at 160 GeV/$c$

Multiplicities of charged hadrons produced in deep inelastic muon scattering off a $^6$LiD target have been measured as a function of the DIS variables $x_{Bj}$, $Q^2$, $W^2$ and the final state hadron variables $p_T$ and $z$. The $p_T^2$ distributions are fitted with a single exponential function at low values of $p_T^2$ to determine the dependence of $\langle p_T^2 \rangle$ on $x_{Bj}$, $Q^2$, $W^2$ and $z$. The $z$-dependence of $\langle p_T^2 \rangle$ is shown to be a potential tool to extract the average intrinsic transverse momentum squared of partons, $\langle k_{\perp}^2 \rangle$, as a function of $x_{Bj}$ and $Q^2$ in a leading order QCD parton model.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2013

A Spitzer-IRS Spectroscopic atlas of early-type galaxies in the Revised Shapley-Ames Catalog

We produce an atlas of homogeneously reduced and calibrated low resolution IRS spectra of the nuclear regions of nearby early-type galaxies (i.e. Es and S0s, ETGs), in order to build a reference sample in the mid-infrared window. From the Spitzer Heritage Archive we extract ETGs in the "Revised Shapley-Ames Catalog of Bright Galaxies" having an IRS SL and/or LL spectrum. We recover 91 spectra out of 363 galaxies classified as ETGs in the catalog: 56 E (E0-E6), 8 mixed E/S0+S0/E, 27 S0 (both normal and barred - SB0) plus mixed types SB0/Sa+SB0/SBa. For each galaxy, we provide the fully reduced and calibrated spectrum, the intensity of nebular and molecular emission lines as well as of the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) after a template spectrum of a passively evolving ETG has been subtracted. Spectra are classified into five mid-infrared classes, ranging from AGN (class-4) and star forming nuclei (class-3), transition class-2 (with PAHs) and class-1 (no-PAHs) to passively evolving nuclei (class-0). A demographic study of mid-infrared spectra shows that Es are significantly more passive than S0s: 46^{+11}_{-10}% of Es and 20^{+11}_{-7}% of S0s have a spectrum of class-0. Emission lines are revealed in 64^{+12}_{-6}% of ETGs. The H_2-S(1) line is found with similar rate in Es (34^{+10}_{-8}%) and in S0s (51^{+15}_{-12}%). PAHs are detected in 47^{+8}_{-7}% of ETGs, but only 9^{+4}_{-3}% have PAHs ratios typical of star forming galaxies. Several indicators, such as peculiar morphologies and kinematics, dust--lane irregular shape, radio and X-ray properties, suggest that mid-infrared spectral classes are connected to phases of accretion/feedback phenomena occurring in the nuclei of ETGs.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Young star cluster evolution and metallicity

Young star clusters (SCs) are the cradle of stars and the site of important dynamical processes. We present N-body simulations of young SCs including recipes for metal-dependent stellar evolution and mass loss by stellar winds. We show that metallicity affects significantly the collapse and post-core collapse phase, provided that the core collapse timescale is of the same order of magnitude as the lifetime of massive stars. In particular, the reversal of core collapse is faster for metal-rich SCs, where stellar winds are stronger. As a consequence, the half-mass radius of metal-poor SCs expands more than that of metal-rich SCs.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

Dynamics of stellar black holes in young star clusters with different metallicities - I. Implications for X-ray binaries

We present N-body simulations of intermediate-mass (3000-4000 Msun) young star clusters (SCs) with three different metallicities (Z=0.01, 0.1 and 1 Zsun), including metal-dependent stellar evolution recipes and binary evolution. Following recent theoretical models of wind mass loss and core collapse supernovae, we assume that the mass of the stellar remnants depends on the metallicity of the progenitor stars. In particular, massive metal-poor stars (Z<=0.3 Zsun) are enabled to form massive stellar black holes (MSBHs, with mass >=25 Msun) through direct collapse. We find that three-body encounters, and especially dynamical exchanges, dominate the evolution of the MSBHs formed in our simulations. In SCs with Z=0.01 and 0.1 Zsun, about 75 per cent of simulated MSBHs form from single stars and become members of binaries through dynamical exchanges in the first 100 Myr of the SC life. This is a factor of >~3 more efficient than in the case of low-mass (<25 Msun) stellar black holes. A small but non-negligible fraction of MSBHs power wind-accreting (10-20 per cent) and Roche lobe overflow (RLO, 5-10 per cent) binary systems. The vast majority of MSBH binaries that undergo wind accretion and/or RLO were born from dynamical exchange. This result indicates that MSBHs can power X-ray binaries in low-metallicity young SCs, and is very promising to explain the association of many ultraluminous X-ray sources with low-metallicity and actively star forming environments.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Impact of metallicity on the evolution of young star clusters

We discuss the results of N-body simulations of intermediate-mass young star clusters (SCs) with three different metallicities (Z=0.01, 0.1 and 1 Zsun), including metallicity-dependent stellar evolution recipes and metallicity-dependent prescriptions for stellar winds and remnant formation. The initial half-mass relaxation time of the simulated young SCs (~10 Myr) is comparable to the lifetime of massive stars. We show that mass-loss by stellar winds influences the reversal of core collapse and the expansion of the half-mass radius. In particular, the post-collapse re-expansion of the core is weaker for metal-poor SCs than for metal-rich SCs, because the former lose less mass (through stellar winds) than the latter. As a consequence, the half-mass radius expands faster in metal-poor SCs. The difference in the half-light radius between metal-poor SCs and metal-rich SCs is (up to a factor of two) larger than the difference in the half-mass radius.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2012

Leading and Next-to-Leading Order Gluon Polarisation in the Nucleon and Longitudinal Double Spin Asymmetries from Open Charm Muoproduction

The gluon polarisation in the nucleon was measured using open charm production by scattering 160 GeV/c polarised muons off longitudinally polarised protons or deuterons. The data were taken by the COMPASS collaboration between 2002 and 2007. A detailed account is given of the analysis method that includes the application of neural networks. Several decay channels of D^0 mesons are investigated. Longitudinal spin asymmetries of the D meson production cross-sections are extracted in bins of D^0 transverse momentum and energy. At leading order QCD accuracy the average gluon polarisation is determined as (Delta g/G)^LO=-0.06 +/- 0.21 (stat.) +/- 0.08 (syst.) at the scale ~13 (GeV/c)^2 and an average gluon momentum fraction ~ 0.11. For the first time, the average gluon polarisation is also obtained at next-to-leading order QCD accuracy as (Delta g/G)^NLO = -0.13 +/- 0.15 (stat.) +/- 0.15 (syst.) at the scale ~ 13 (\GeV/c)^2 and ~ 0.20.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2012

D* and D Meson Production in Muon Nucleon Interactions at 160 GeV/c

The production of D* and D mesons in inelastic scattering of 160 GeV/c muons off a ^6LiD target has been investigated with the COMPASS spectrometer at CERN for 0.003 (GeV/c)^2 < Q^2 < 10 (GeV/c)^2 and 3x10^-5< x_Bj < 0.1. The study is based on 8100 events where a D^0 or anti D^0 is detected subsequently to a D*+ or D*- decay, and on 34000 events, where only a D^0 or anti D^0 is detected. Kinematic distributions of D*, D and K*_2 are given as a function of their energy E, transverse momentum p_T, energy fraction z, and of the virtual photon variables nu, Q^2 and x_Bj. Semi-inclusive differential D* production cross-sections are compared with theoretical predictions for D* production via photon-gluon fusion into open charm. The total observed production cross-section for D*+/- mesons with laboratory energies between 22 and 86 GeV is 1.9 nb. Significant cross-section asymmetries are observed between D*+ and D*- production for nu<40 GeV and z>0.6.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2012

Exclusive rho^0 muoproduction on transversely polarised protons and deuterons

The transverse target spin azimuthal asymmetry A_UT in hard exclusive production of rho^0 mesons was measured at COMPASS by scattering 160 GeV/c muons off transversely polarised protons and deuterons. The measured asymmetry is sensitive to the nucleon helicity-flip generalised parton distributions E^q, which are related to the orbital angular momentum of quarks in the nucleon. The Q^2, x_B and p_t^2 dependence of A_UT is presented in a wide kinematic range. Results for deuterons are obtained for the first time. The measured asymmetry is small in the whole kinematic range for both protons and deuterons, which is consistent with the theoretical interpretation that contributions from GPDs E^u and E^d approximately cancel.

hep-ex↗