We present results of optical broad-band and narrow-band Halpha observations of a sample of forty nearby early-type galaxies. The majority of sample galaxies are known to have dust in various forms viz. dust lanes, nuclear dust and patchy/filamentary
dust. A detailed study of dust was performed for 12 galaxies with prominent dust features. The extinction curves for these galaxies run parallel to the Galactic extinction curve, implying that the properties of dust in these galaxies are similar to those of the Milky-Way. The ratio of total to selective extinction (Rv) varies between 2.1 and 3.8, with an average of 2.9 +/- 0.2, fairly close to its canonical value of 3.1 for our Galaxy. The average relative grain size <a>/a_Gal of dust particles in these galaxies turns out to be 1.01 +/- 0.2, while dust mass estimated using optical extinction lies in the range 10^2 to 10^4 M(sun) . The Halpha emission was detected in 23 out of 29 galaxies imaged through narrow- band filters with the Halpha luminosities in the range 10^38 - 10^41 erg s^-1. The mass of the ionized gas is in the range 10^3-10^5 M(sun). The morphology and extent of ionized gas is found similar to those of dust, indicating possible coexistence of dust and ionized gas in these galaxies. The absence of any apparent correlation between blue luminosity and normalized IRAS dust mass is suggestive of merger related origin of dust and gas in these galaxies.
Absorption-line spectroscopy is a powerful tool used to estimate element abundances in the nearby as well as distant universe. The accuracy of the abundances thus derived is, naturally, limited by the accuracy of the atomic data assumed for the spect
ral lines. We have recently started a project to perform the new extensive atomic data calculations used for optical/UV spectral lines in the plasma modeling code Cloudy using state-of-the-art quantal calculations. Here we demonstrate our approach by focussing on S II, an ion used to estimate metallicities for Milky Way interstellar clouds as well as distant damped Lyman-alpha (DLA) and sub-DLA absorber galaxies detected in the spectra of quasars and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We report new extensive calculations of a large number of energy levels of S II, and the line strengths of the resulting radiative transitions. Our calculations are based on the configuration interaction approach within a numerical Hartree-Fock framework, and utilize both non-ralativistic and quasirelativistic one-electron radial orbitals. The results of these new atomic calculations are then incorporated into Cloudy and applied to a lab plasma, and a typical DLA, for illustrative purposes. The new results imply relatively modest changes (~0.04 dex) to the metallicities estimated from S II in past studies. These results will be readily applicable to other studies of S II in the Milky Way and other galaxies.
We extend our recent work on the quasilocal formulation of conserved charges to a theory of gravity containing a gravitational Chern-Simons term. As an application of our formulation, we compute the off-shell potential and quasilocal conserved charge
s of some black holes in three-dimensional topologically massive gravity. Our formulation for conserved charges reproduces very effectively the well-known expressions on conserved charges and the entropy expression of black holes in the topologically massive gravity.
In any generally covariant theory of gravity, we show the relationship between the linearized asymptotically conserved current and its non-linear completion through the identically conserved current. Our formulation for conserved charges is based on
the Lagrangian description, and so completely covariant. By using this result, we give a prescription to define quasi-local conserved charges in any higher derivative gravity. As applications of our approach, we demonstrate the angular momentum invariance along the radial direction of black holes and reproduce more efficiently the linearized potential on the asymptotic AdS space.
Using the {it off-shell} Noether current and potential we compute the entropy for the AdS black holes in new massive gravity. For the non-extremal BTZ black holes by implementing the so-called stretched horizon approach we reproduce the correct expre
ssion for the horizon entropy. For the extremal case, we adopt standard formalism in the AdS/CFT correspondence and reproduce the corresponding entropy by computing the central extension term on the asymptotic boundary of the near horizon geometry. We explicitly show the invariance of the angular momentum along the radial direction for extremal as well as non-extremal BTZ black holes in our model. Furthermore, we extend this invariance for the black holes in new massive gravity coupled with a scalar field, which correspond to the holographic renormalization group flow trajectory of the dual field theory. This provides another realization for the holographic c-theorem.
We calculate the statistical entropy of a quantum field with an arbitrary spin propagating on the spherical symmetric black hole background by using the brick wall formalism at higher orders in the WKB approximation. For general spins, we find that t
he correction to the standard Bekenstein-Hawking entropy depends logarithmically on the area of the horizon. Furthermore, we apply this analysis to the Schwarzschild and Schwarzschild-AdS black holes and discuss our results.
In the Einestein-dilaton theory with a Liouville potential parameterized by $eta$, we find a Schwarzschild-type black hole solution. This black hole solution, whose asymptotic geometry is described by the warped metric, is thermodynamically stable on
ly for $0 le eta < 2$. Applying the gauge/gravity duality, we find that the dual gauge theory represents a non-conformal thermal system with the equation of state depending on $eta$. After turning on the bulk vector fluctuations with and without a dilaton coupling, we calculate the charge diffusion constant, which indicates that the life time of the quasi normal mode decreases with $eta$. Interestingly, the vector fluctuation with the dilaton coupling shows that the DC conductivity increases with temperature, a feature commonly found in electrolytes.
We prove relati
We report the discovery of a super-damped Lyman-alpha absorber at $z_{abs}=2.2068$ toward QSO Q1135-0010 in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and follow-up VLT UVES spectroscopy. Voigt profile fit to the DLA line indicates log $N_{rm H I} = 22.05 pm 0.1$
. This is the second QSO DLA discovered to date with such high $N_{rm H I}$. We derive element abundances [Si/H] = $-1.10 pm 0.10$, [Zn/H] = $-1.06 pm 0.10$, [Cr/H] = $-1.55 pm 0.10$, [Ni/H] = $-1.60 pm 0.10$, [Fe/H] = $-1.76 pm 0.10$, [Ti/H] = $-1.69 pm 0.11$, [P/H] = $-0.93 pm 0.23$, and [Cu/H] = $-0.75 pm 0.14$. Our data indicate detection of Ly-$alpha$ emission in the DLA trough, implying a star formation rate of $sim$10 $M_{odot}$ yr$^{-1}$ in the absence of dust attenuation. C II$^{*} , lambda 1336$ absorption is also detected, suggesting SFR surface density $-2 < {rm log} , dot{psi_{*}} < 0$ $M_{odot}$ yr$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-2}$. We estimate electron density in the range $3.5 times 10^{-4}$ to 24.7 cm$^{-3}$ from C II$^{*}$/C II, and $sim$0.5-0.9 cm$^{-3}$ from Si II$^{*}$/Si II. Overall, this is a robustly star-forming, moderately enriched absorber, but with relatively low dust depletion. Fitting of the SDSS spectrum yields low reddening for Milky Way, LMC, or SMC extinction curves. No CO absorption is detected, and C I absorption is weak. The low dust and molecular content, reminiscent of some SMC sight-lines, may result from the lower metallicity, and a stronger radiation field (due to higher SFR). Finally, we compare this absorber with other QSO and GRB DLAs.
Copper ferrite thin films were rf sputtered at a power of 50W. The as deposited films were annealed in air at 800{deg}C and slow cooled. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies were carried out on as deposited as well as on slow cooled fil
m. Significantly larger defect concentration, including stacking faults, was observed in 50W as deposited films than the films deposited at a higher rf power of 200W. The film annealed at 800{deg}C and then slow cooled showed an unusual grain growth upto 180nm for a film thickness of ~240nm. These grains showed Kikuchi pattern.
