arXiv subjects

Danail Obreschkow

Publications and source records attributed to Danail Obreschkow.

126 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

DYNAMO II: Coupled Stellar and Ionized Gas Kinematics in Two Low Redshift Clumpy Disks

We study the spatially resolved stellar kinematics of two star-forming galaxies at z = 0.1 from the larger DYnamics of Newly Assembled Massive Objects (DYNAMO) sample. These galaxies, which have been characterized by high levels of star formation and large ionized gas velocity dispersions, are considered possible analogs to high-redshift clumpy disks. They were observed using the GMOS instrument in integral field spectroscopy (IFS) mode at the Gemini Observatory with high spectral resolution (R=5400, equivalent to 24 km/s at the observed wavelengths) and 6 hour exposure times in order to measure the resolved stellar kinematics via absorption lines. We also obtain higher-quality emission line kinematics than previous observations. The spatial resolution (1.2 kpc) is sufficient to show that the ionized gas in these galaxies (as traced by H-beta emission) is morphologically irregular, forming multiple giant clumps while stellar continuum light is smooth and well described by an exponential profile. Clumpy gas morphologies observed in IFS data are confirmed by complementary narrow band H-alpha imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope. Morphological differences between the stars and ionized gas are not reflected dynamically as stellar kinematics are found the be closely coupled to the kinematics of the ionized gas: both components are smoothly rotating with large velocity dispersions (~40 km/s) suggesting that the high gas dispersions are not primarily driven by star-formation feedback. In addition, the stellar population ages of these galaxies are estimated to be quite young (60-500 Myr). The large velocity dispersions measured for these young stars suggest that we are seeing the formation of thick disks and/or stellar bulges in support of recent models which produce these from clumpy galaxies at high redshift.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Fundamental Mass-Spin-Morphology Relation of Spiral Galaxies

This work present high-precision measurements of the specific baryon angular momentum jb, contained in stars, atomic gas, and molecular gas, out to ~10 scale radii, in 16 nearby spiral galaxies of the THINGS sample. The accuracy of these measurements improves on existing studies by an order of magnitude, leading to the discovery of a strong correlation between the baryon mass Mb, jb, and the bulge mass fraction B/T, fitted by B/T=-(0.34+-0.03)*log(jb/Mb/[1e-7 kpc km/s/Msun])-(0.04+-0.01) on the full sample range of B/T=0.00-0.32 and Mb/Msun=1e9-1e11. The corresponding relation for the stellar quantities Ms and js is identical within the uncertainties. These M-j-B/T relations likely originate from the proportionality between j/M and the surface density of the disk that dictates its stability against (pseudo-)bulge formation. Using a CDM model, we can approximately explain classical scaling relations, such as the fundamental plane of spiral galaxies, the Tully-Fisher relation, and the mass-size relation, in terms of the M-j-B/T relation. These results advocate the use of mass and angular momentum as the most fundamental quantities of spiral galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Fine filaments of galaxies detected within voids

Based on data from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey, we report on the discovery of structures that we refer to as `tendrils' of galaxies: coherent, thin chains of galaxies that are rooted in filaments and terminate in neighbouring filaments or voids. On average, tendrils contain 6 galaxies and span 10 $h^{-1}$ Mpc. We use the so-called line correlation function to prove that tendrils represent real structures rather than accidental alignments. We show that voids found in the SDSS-DR7 survey that overlap with GAMA regions contain a large number of galaxies, primarily belonging to tendrils. This implies that void sizes are strongly dependent on the number density and sensitivity limits of a survey. We caution that galaxies in low density regions, that may be defined as `void galaxies,' will have local galaxy number densities that depend on such observational limits and are likely higher than can be directly measured.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

The busy function: a new analytic function for describing the integrated 21-cm spectral profile of galaxies

Accurate parametrization of galaxies detected in the 21-cm HI emission is of fundamental importance to the measurement of commonly used indicators of galaxy evolution, including the Tully-Fisher relation and the HI mass function. Here, we propose a new analytic function, named the 'busy function', that can be used to accurately describe the characteristic double-horn HI profile of many galaxies. The busy function is a continuous, differentiable function that consists of only two basic functions, the error function, erf(x), and a polynomial, |x|^n, of degree n >= 2. We present the basic properties of the busy function and illustrate its great flexibility in fitting a wide range of HI profiles from the Gaussian profiles of dwarf galaxies to the broad, asymmetric double-horn profiles of spiral galaxies. Applications of the busy function include the accurate and efficient parametrization of observed HI spectra of galaxies and the construction of spectral templates for simulations and matched filtering algorithms. We demonstrate the busy function's power by automatically fitting it to the HI spectra of 1000 galaxies from the HIPASS Bright Galaxy Catalog, using our own C/C++ implementation, and comparing the resulting parameters with the catalogued ones. We also present two methods for determining the uncertainties of observational parameters derived from the fit.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2013

Precise Tully-Fisher Relations without Galaxy Inclinations

Power-law relations between tracers of baryonic mass and rotational velocities of disk galaxies, so-called Tully-Fisher relations (TFRs), offer a wealth of applications in galaxy evolution and cosmology. However, measurements of rotational velocities require galaxy inclinations, which are difficult to measure, thus limiting the range of TFR studies. This work introduces a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method for recovering the TFR in galaxy samples with limited or no information on inclinations. The robustness and accuracy of this method is demonstrated using virtual and real galaxy samples. Intriguingly, the MLE reliably recovers the TFR of all test samples, even without using any inclination measurements - that is, assuming a sin(i)-distribution for galaxy inclinations. Explicitly, this 'inclination-free MLE' recovers the three TFR parameters (zero-point, slope, scatter) with statistical errors only about 1.5-times larger than the best estimates based on perfectly known galaxy inclinations with zero uncertainty. Thus, given realistic uncertainties, the inclination-free MLE is highly competitive. If inclination measurements have mean errors larger than 10 degrees, it is better not to use any inclinations, than to consider the inclination measurements to be exact. The inclination-free MLE opens interesting perspectives for future HI surveys by the SKA and its pathfinders.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Evolution of the Milky Way in Semi-Analytic Models: Detecting Cold Gas at z=3 with ALMA and SKA

We forecast the abilities of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) to detect CO and HI emission lines in galaxies at redshift z=3. A particular focus is set on Milky Way (MW) progenitors at z=3 for their detection within 24 h constitutes a key science goal of ALMA. The analysis relies on a semi-analytic model, which permits the construction of a MW progenitor sample by backtracking the cosmic history of all simulated present-day galaxies similar to the real MW. Results: (i) ALMA can best observe a MW at z=3 by looking at CO(3-2) emission. The probability of detecting a random model MW at 3-sigma in 24 h using 75 km/s channels is roughly 50%, and these odds can be increased by co-adding the CO(3-2) and CO(4-3) lines. These lines fall into ALMA band 3, which therefore represents the optimal choice towards MW detections at z=3. (ii) Higher CO transitions contained in the ALMA bands geq6 will be invisible, unless the considered MW progenitor coincidentally hosts a major starburst or an active black hole. (iii) The high-frequency array of SKA, fitted with 28.8 GHz receivers, would be a powerful instrument for observing CO(1-0) at z=3, able to detect nearly all simulated MWs in 24 h. (iv) HI detections in MWs at z=3 using the low-frequency array of SKA will be impossible in any reasonable observing time. (v) SKA will nonetheless be a supreme ha survey instrument through its enormous instantaneous field-of-view (FoV). A one year pointed HI survey with an assumed FoV of 410 sqdeg would reveal at least 10^5 galaxies at z=2.95-3.05. (vi) If the positions and redshifts of those galaxies are known from an optical/infrared spectroscopic survey, stacking allows the detection of HI at z=3 in less than 24 h.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Confronting Cold Dark Matter Predictions with Observed Galaxy Rotations

The rich statistics of galaxy rotations as captured by the velocity function (VF) provides invaluable constraints on galactic baryon physics and the nature of dark matter (DM). However, the comparison of observed galaxy rotations against cosmological models is prone to subtle caveats that can easily lead to misinterpretations. Our analysis reveals full statistical consistency between ~5000 galaxy rotations, observed in line-of-sight projection, and predictions based on the standard cosmological model (LCDM) at the mass-resolution of the Millennium simulation (HI line-based circular velocities above ~50 km/s). Explicitly, the HI linewidths in the HI Parkes All Sky Survey (HIPASS) are found consistent with those in S3-SAX, a post-processed semi-analytic model for the Millennium simulation. Previously found anomalies in the VF can be plausibly attributed to (1) the mass-limit of the Millennium simulation, (2) confused sources in HIPASS, (3) inaccurate inclination measurements for optically faint sources, and (4) the non-detectability of gas-poor early-type galaxies. These issues can be bypassed by comparing observations and models using linewidth source counts rather than VFs. We investigate if and how well such source counts can constrain the temperature of DM.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

The Quest for the Most Spherical Bubble

We describe a recently realized experiment producing the most spherical cavitation bubbles today. The bubbles grow inside a liquid from a point-plasma generated by a nanosecond laser pulse. Unlike in previous studies, the laser is focussed by a parabolic mirror, resulting in a plasma of unprecedented symmetry. The ensuing bubbles are sufficiently spherical that the hydrostatic pressure gradient caused by gravity becomes the dominant source of asymmetry in the collapse and rebound of the cavitation bubbles. To avoid this natural source of asymmetry, the whole experiment is therefore performed in microgravity conditions (ESA, 53rd and 56th parabolic flight campaign). Cavitation bubbles were observed in microgravity (~0g), where their collapse and rebound remain spherical, and in normal gravity (1g) to hyper-gravity (1.8g), where a gravity-driven jet appears. Here, we describe the experimental setup and technical results, and overview the science data. A selection of high-quality shadowgraphy movies and time-resolved pressure data is published online.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2012

A Robust Measure of Cosmic Structure beyond the Power-Spectrum: Cosmic Filaments and the Temperature of Dark Matter

We discover that the mass of dark matter particles mDM is imprinted in phase-correlations of the cosmic density field more significantly than in the 2-point correlation. In particular, phase-correlations trace mDM out to scales about five times larger than the 2-point correlation. This result relies on a new estimator l(r) of pure phase-information in Fourier space, which can be interpreted as a parameter-free and scale-invariant tracer of filament-like structure. Based on simulated density fields we show how mDM can, in principle, be measured using l(r), given a suitably reconstructed density field.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

Energy partition at the collapse of spherical cavitation bubbles

Spherically collapsing cavitation bubbles produce a shock wave followed by a rebound bubble. Here we present a systematic investigation of the energy partition between the rebound and the shock. Highly spherical cavitation bubbles are produced in microgravity, which suppress the buoyant pressure gradient that otherwise deteriorates the sphericity of the bubbles. We measure the radius of the rebound bubble and estimate the shock energy as a function of the initial bubble radius (2-5.6 mm) and the liquid pressure (10-80 kPa). Those measurements uncover a systematic pressure dependence of the energy partition between rebound and shock. We demonstrate that these observations agree with a physical model relying on a first-order approximation of the liquid compressibility and an adiabatic treatment of the non-condensable gas inside the bubble. Using this model we find that the energy partition between rebound and shock is dictated by a single non-dimensional parameter $ξ= Δpγ^6/[{p_{g0}}^{1/γ} (ρc^2)^{1-1/γ}]$, where $Δp=p_\infty-p_v$ is the driving pressure, $p_{\infty}$ is the static pressure in the liquid, $p_v$ is the vapor pressure, $p_{g0}$ is the pressure of the non-condensable gas at the maximal bubble radius, $γ$ is the adiabatic index of the non-condensable gas, $ρ$ is the liquid density, and $c$ is the speed of sound in the liquid.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2012

Analytical Approximations for the Collapse of an Empty Spherical Bubble

The Rayleigh equation 3/2 R'+RR"+p/rho=0 with initial conditions R(0)=Rmax, R'(0)=0 models the collapse of an empty spherical bubble of radius R(T) in an ideal, infinite liquid with far-field pressure p and density rho. The solution for r=R/Rmax as a function of time t=T/Tcollapse, where R(Tcollapse)=0, is independent of Rmax, p, and rho. While no closed-form expression for r(t) is known we find that s(t)=(1-t^2)^(2/5) approximates r(t) with an error below 1%. A systematic development in orders of t^2 further yields the 0.001%-approximation r*(t)=s(t)[1-a Li(2.21,t^2)], where a=-0.01832099 is a constant and Li is the polylogarithm. The usefulness of these approximations is demonstrated by comparison to high-precision cavitation data obtained in microgravity.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2011

"Oenodynamic": Hydrodynamic of wine swirling

A crucial step in wine tasting is the so called swirling, necessary to release the bouquet of the wine: a gentle circular movement of the glass generates a wave propagating along the glass walls, enhancing oxygenation and mixing. Although being used in a large variety of other applications (e.g. cells cultures in orbital shaken bioreactors) this motion is not yet well understood. In this fluid dynamics video we show the large variety of waves shapes generated by this simple movement, and we identify a group of dimensionless parameters governing the flow.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2011

Bubble-Jets in Gravitational Fields (APS DFD Video V060)

We show visualizations of the gravity-induced jets formed by spherical bubbles collapsing in liquids subjected to normal gravity, micro-gravity, and hyper-gravity. These observations demonstrate that gravity can have a significant effect on cavitation bubbles. An analysis of the gravity-induced jets uncovers a scaling law between the size of bubble-induced jets and the non-dimensional parameter grad(p)*R0/p, where R0 is the maximal bubble radius and p is the driving pressure. This scaling law applies to any jet formed in any uniform pressure gradient grad(p).

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2011

Confined Shocks inside Isolated Liquid Volumes -- A New Path of Erosion?

The unique confinement of shock waves inside isolated liquid volumes amplifies the density of shock-liquid interactions. We investigate this universal principle through an interdisciplinary study of shock-induced cavitation inside liquid volumes, isolated in 2 and 3 dimensions. By combining high-speed visualizations of ideal water drops realized in microgravity with smoothed particle simulations we evidence strong shock-induced cavitation at the focus of the confined shocks. We extend this analysis to ground-observations of jets and drops using an analytic model, and argue that cavitation caused by trapped shocks offers a distinct mechanism of erosion in high-speed impacts (>100 m/s).

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2011

A Universal Scaling Law for Jets of Collapsing Bubbles

Cavitation bubbles collapsing and rebounding in a pressure gradient grad(p) form a "micro-jet" enveloped by a "vapor jet". This letter presents unprecedented observations of the vapor jets formed in a uniform gravity-induced grad(p), modulated aboard parabolic flights. The data uncovers that the normalized jet volume is independent of the liquid density and viscosity and proportional to zeta=grad(p)*R0/p, where R0 is the maximal bubble radius and p is the driving pressure. A derivation inspired by "Kelvin-Blake" considerations confirms this law and reveals its negligible dependence of surface tension. We further conjecture that the jet only pierces the bubble boundary if zeta>0.0004.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2010

Techniques for Generating Centimetric Drops in Microgravity and Application to Cavitation Studies

This paper describes the techniques and physical parameters used to produce stable centimetric water drops in microgravity, and to study single cavitation bubbles inside such drops (Parabolic Flight Campaigns, European Space Agency ESA). While the main scientific results have been presented in a previous paper, we shall herein provide the necessary technical background, with potential applications to other experiments. First, we present an original method to produce and capture large stable drops in microgravity. This technique succeeded in generating quasi-spherical water drops with volumes up to 8 ml, despite the residual g-jitter. We find that the equilibrium of the drops is essentially dictated by the ratio between the drop volume and the contact surface used to capture the drop, and formulate a simple stability criterion. In a second part, we present a setup for creating and studying single cavitation bubbles inside those drops. In addition, we analyze the influence of the bubble size and position on the drop behaviour after collapse, i.e. jets and surface perturbations.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2010

A Virtual Sky with Extragalactic HI and CO Lines for the SKA and ALMA

We present a sky simulation of the atomic HI emission line and the first ten CO rotational emission lines of molecular gas in galaxies beyond the Milky Way. The simulated sky field has a comoving diameter of 500/h Mpc, hence the actual field-of-view depends on the (user-defined) maximal redshift zmax; e.g. for zmax=10, the field of view yields ~4x4 sqdeg. For all galaxies, we estimate the line fluxes, line profiles, and angular sizes of the HI and CO emission lines. The galaxy sample is complete for galaxies with cold hydrogen masses above 10^8 Msun. This sky simulation builds on a semi-analytic model of the cosmic evolution of galaxies in a Lambda-cold dark matter (LCDM) cosmology. The evolving CDM-distribution was adopted from the Millennium Simulation, an N-body CDM-simulation in a cubic box with a side length of 500/h Mpc. This side length limits the coherence scale of our sky simulation: it is long enough to allow the extraction of the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs) in the galaxy power spectrum, yet the position and amplitude of the first acoustic peak will be imperfectly defined. This sky simulation is a tangible aid to the design and operation of future telescopes, such the SKA, the LMT, and ALMA. The results presented in this paper have been restricted to a graphical representation of the simulated sky and fundamental dN/dz-analyzes for peak flux density limited and total flux limited surveys of HI and CO. A key prediction is that HI will be harder to detect at redshifts z>2 than predicted by a no-evolution model. The future verification or falsification of this prediction will allow us to qualify the semi-analytic models.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Compactness of Cold Gas in High-Redshift Galaxies

Galaxies in the early Universe were more compact and contained more molecular gas than today. In this paper, we revisit the relation between these empirical findings, and we quantitatively predict the cosmic evolution of the surface densities of atomic (HI) and molecular (H2) hydrogen in regular galaxies. Our method uses a pressure-based model for the H2/HI-ratio of the Interstellar Medium, applied to ~3*10^7 virtual galaxies in the Millennium Simulation. We predict that, on average, the HI-surface density of these galaxies saturates at Sigma_HI<10 Msun/pc^2 at all redshifts (z), while H2-surface densities evolve dramatically as Sigma_H2(1+z)^2.4. This scaling is dominated by a (1+z)^2 surface brightness scaling originating from the (1+z)^-1 size scaling of galaxies at high z. Current measurements of Sigma_H2 at high z, derived from CO-observations, tend to have even higher values, which can be quantitatively explained by a selection bias towards merging systems. However, despite the consistency between our high-z predictions and the sparse empirical data, we emphasize that the empirical data potentially suffer from serious selection biases and that the semi-analytic models remain in many regards uncertain. As a case study, we investigate the cosmic evolution of simulated galaxies, which resemble the Milky Way at z=0. We explicitly predict their HI- and H2-distribution at z=1.5, corresponding to the CO-detected galaxy BzK-21000, and at z=3, corresponding to the primary science goal of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).

astro-ph.CO↗