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At least 955 records · Page 53

CCD photometry of Abell clusters. II - Surface photometry of 249 cluster galaxies

The luminosity of the brightest cluster galaxies remains the best standard candle for observational cosmology. Studies of over 250 relatively nearby clusters show that the luminosity of these objects within an aperture of constant metric diameter has a dispersion of only 0.35 mag. The observations considered by Schneider et al. (1983) were acquired to measure the aperture luminosities of the brightest cluster galaxies. However, the data base, because of its high signal-to-noise ratio and large spatial coverage, allows several other investigations to be performed. In the present investigation, surface photometry of the brightness three galaxies within approximately 250 kpc of the cluster center is presented, taking into account the cores of 83 Abell clusters. The relevance of the photometry to cosmological studies is also discussed. It is found that dynamical friction does play an extremely important role in determining properties of brightest cluster galaxies and cluster morphology.

Schneider, D. P.↗

From Data to Models and Analytics: An Integrated Scientific Computing Platform to Accelerate Environmental Research SBIR Phase I (Final Technical Report)

Phase I research was conducted to investigate the technical feasibility of an integrated open source platform GeoLib to provide turnkey solutions for model-data integration for environmental systems science (ESS), using modern web technologies, advances in HPC and cloud computing and high-performance visualization. A key feature of our platform is that it minimizes and automates data movement between data storage and computing systems. Another critical feature of the design is that it enables users to perform high-fidelity post-processing by performing high-performance visualization server-side and in-situ on the compute cluster close to the data. The investigation, which was performed over a 12-month period ending April 2019, centered on developing prototype software to demonstrate the key enabling technologies required for this system. This included: (i) rapid access to data from multiple remote sources, via a unified data interface; (ii) software for scalable geospatial visualization of raster, vector, and point cloud data on the web; (iii) development of an easy-to-use API for creating simulation and modeling workflows; (iv) remote data visualization and processing on middle-tier servers; and (v) remote data processing on high-performance computing systems. A critical part of this work is that all of these capabilities be accessible to end users through standard desktop tools such as Project Jupyter, which is widely adopted for ESS simulation and modeling.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

The pattern of gas deficiency in cluster spirals - The correlation of H I and X-ray properties

The neutral hydrogen content of spiral galaxies is investigated as a function of their location with six nearby rich clusters. Previous findings that H I deficiency varies with projected radius from the cluster center are confirmed, but no correlation between H I depletion and velocity relative to the cluster is seen. The dependence of H I deficiency on radius is monotonic; the most H I-poor objects are located close to the cluster center. The current data, however, cannot be used to distinguish between inbred and evolutionary gas deficiency mechanisms or among different environmental processes. Indications are found that environmental effects on spirals, if present at all, only modify the imprint left at the time of cluster formation. Obstacles and possible remedies to the current limitations are discussed.

Magri, Christopher↗

Graph theory and nighttime imagery based microgrid design

Reducing the duration and frequency of blackouts in remote communities poses an engineering challenge for grid operators. Outage effects can also be mitigated locally through microgrids. This paper develops a systematic procedure to account for these challenges by creating microgrids prioritizing high value assets within vulnerable communities. Nighttime satellite imagery is used to identify vulnerable communities. Using an asset classification and rating system, multi-asset clusters within these communities are prioritized. Infrastructure data, geographic information systems, satellite imagery, and spectral clustering are used to form and rank microgrid candidates. A microgrid sizing algorithm is included to guide through the microgrid design process. Finally, an application of the methodology is presented using real event, location, and asset data.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: High-Resolution Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Array Observations of ACT SZE-Selected Clusters from the Equatorial Strip

We present follow-up observations with the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Array (SZA) of optically-confirmed galaxy clusters found in the equatorial survey region of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT): ACT-CL J0022-0036, ACT-CL J2051+0057, and ACT-CL J2337+0016. ACT-CL J0022-0036 is a newly-discovered, massive (10(exp 15) Msun), high-redshift (z=0.81) cluster revealed by ACT through the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (SZE). Deep, targeted observations with the SZA allow us to probe a broader range of cluster spatial scales, better disentangle cluster decrements from radio point source emission, and derive more robust integrated SZE flux and mass estimates than we can with ACT data alone. For the two clusters we detect with the SZA we compute integrated SZE signal and derive masses from the SZA data only. ACT-CL J2337+0016, also known as Abell 2631, has archival Chandra data that allow an additional X-ray-based mass estimate. Optical richness is also used to estimate cluster masses and shows good agreement with the SZE and X-ray-based estimates. Based on the point sources detected by the SZA in these three cluster fields and an extrapolation to ACT's frequency, we estimate that point sources could be contaminating the SZE decrement at the less than = 20% level for some fraction of clusters.

Reese, Erik D.↗

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: High-Resolution Sunyaev-Zeldovich Array Observations of ACT SZE-Selected Clusters from the Equatorial Strip

We present follow-up observations with the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Array (SZA) of optically-confirmed galaxy clusters found in the equatorial survey region of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT): ACT-CL J0022-0036, ACT-CL J2051+0057, and ACT-CL J2337+0016. ACT-CL J0022-0036 is a newly-discovered, massive ( approximately equals 10(exp 15) Solar M), high-redshift (z = 0.81) cluster revealed by ACT through the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect (SZE). Deep, targeted observations with the SZA allow us to probe a broader range of cluster spatial scales, better disentangle cluster decrements from radio point source emission, and derive more robust integrated SZE flux and mass estimates than we can with ACT data alone. For the two clusters we detect with the SZA we compute integrated SZE signal and derive masses from the SZA data only. ACT-CL J2337+0016, also known as Abell 2631, has archival Chandra data that allow an additional X-ray-based mass estimate. Optical richness is also used to estimate cluster masses and shows good agreement with the SZE and X-ray-based estimates. Based on the point sources detected by the SZA in these three cluster fields and an extrapolation to ACT's frequency, we estimate that point sources could be contaminating the SZE decrement at the approx < 20% level for some fraction of clusters.

galaxies↗

Cluster Observations for Combined X-Ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Estimates of Peculiar Velocities and Distances

Measurements of the peculiar velocities of galaxy clusters with respect to the Hubble flow allow the determination of the gravitational field from all matter in the universe, not just the visible component. The Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect (the inverse-Compton scattering of cosmic microwave background photons by the hot gas in clusters of galaxies) allows these velocities to be measured without the use of empirical distance indicators. Additionally, because the magnitude of the SZ effect is independent of redshift, the technique can be used to measure velocities out to the epoch of cluster formation. The SZ technique requires a determination of the temperature of the hot cluster gas from X-ray observations, and measurements of the SZ effect at millimeter wavelengths to separate the contribution from the thermal motions within the gas from that of the cluster peculiax velocity. We have constructed a bolometric receiver, the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Infrared Experiment, specifically to make measurements of the SZ effect at millimeter wavelengths in order to apply the SZ technique to peculiar velocity measurements. This receiver has already been used to set limits to the peculiar velocities of two galaxy clusters at z approx. 0.2. As a test of the SZ technique, the double cluster pair Abell 222 and 223 was selected for observation. Measurements of the redshifts of the two components suggest that, if the clusters are gravitationally bound, they should exhibit a relative velocity of 10OO km/ s, well above the expected precision of 200 km/ s (set by astrophysical confusion) that is expected from the SZ method. The temperature can be measured from ASCA data which we obtained for this cluster pair. However, in order to ensure that the temperature estimate from the ASCA data was not dominated by cooling flows within the cluster, we requested ROSAT HRI observations of this cluster pair. Analysis of the X-ray properties of the cluster pair is continuing by combining the ROSAT observations funded under this proposal, archival PSPC data and our own PI ASCA data. The imaging data shows that neither cluster has a strong cooling flow, although A223 is the more compact of the two components. A223 also has a sub-cluster projected 1 Mpc to the North. The observed properties of this cluster pair are strikingly similar to those of the well-studied pair of A399 and A401 which are widely believed to be interacting and are in the initial stages of merging. This strengthens our selection of this cluster pair as a test for cluster peculiar motions. Combining these X-ray observations with SUZIE measurements of the SZ effect will provide important constraints on cluster merger models. This part of the program has been heavily delayed by bad weather at Mauna Kea, however SZ observations were obtained in November 1997 as part of a separately funded effort. These data are currently being analyzed.

Lange, A. E.↗

The Clustering of High-redshift (2.9 ≤ $z$ ≤ 5.1) Quasars in SDSS Stripe 82

We present a measurement of the two-point autocorrelation function of photometrically selected high-$z$ quasars over ~100 deg 2 on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Stripe 82 field. Selection is performed using three machine-learning algorithms in a six-dimensional optical/mid-infrared color space. Optical data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey are combined with overlapping deep mid-infrared data from the $Spitzer$ IRAC Equatorial Survey and the $Spitzer$-HETDEX Exploratory Large-Area survey. Our selection algorithms are trained on the colors of known high-$z$ quasars. The selected quasar sample consists of 1378 objects and contains both spectroscopically confirmed quasars and photometrically selected quasar candidates. These objects span a redshift range of 2.9 ≤ $z$ ≤ 5.1 and are generally fainter than $i$ = 20.2, a regime that has lacked sufficient number density to perform autocorrelation function measurements of photometrically classified quasars. We compute the angular correlation function of these data, marginally detecting quasar clustering. We fit a single power law with an index of $δ$ = 1.39 ± 0.618 and amplitude of $θ_0$ = 0$^{\prime}_{.}$71 ± 0$^{\prime}_{.}$546 . A dark matter model is fit to the angular correlation function to estimate the linear bias. At the average redshift of our survey ($\langle z\rangle =3.38$), the bias is $b$ = 6.78 ± 1.79. Using this bias, we calculate a characteristic dark matter halo mass of 1.70–9.83$\times {10}^{12}{h}^{-1}\,{M}_{\odot }$. Our bias estimate suggests that quasar feedback intermittently shuts down the accretion of gas onto the central supermassive black hole at early times. If confirmed, these results hint at a level of luminosity dependence in the clustering of quasars at high-$z$.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Milky Way’s stellar streams and globular clusters do not align in a Vast Polar Structure

ABSTRACT There is increasing evidence that a substantial fraction of Milky Way satellite galaxies align in a rotationally supported plane of satellites, a rare configuration in cosmological simulations of galaxy formation. It has been suggested that other Milky Way substructures (namely young halo globular clusters and stellar/gaseous streams) similarly tend to align with this plane, accordingly dubbed the Vast Polar Structure (VPOS). Using systemic proper motions inferred from Gaia data, we find that globular cluster orbital poles are not clustered in the VPOS direction, though the population with the highest VPOS membership fraction is the young halo clusters (∼30 per cent). We additionally provide a current census of stellar streams, including new streams discovered using the Dark Energy Survey and Gaia data sets, and find that stellar stream normals are also not clustered in the direction of the VPOS normal. We also find that, based on orbit modelling, there is a likely association between NGC 3201 and the Gjöll stellar stream and that, based on its orbital pole, NGC 4147 is likely not a Sagittarius globular cluster. That the Milky Way’s accreted globular clusters and streams do not align in the same planar configuration as its satellites suggests that the plane of satellites is either a particularly stable orbital configuration or a population of recently accreted satellites. Neither of these explanations is particularly likely in light of other recent studies, leaving the plane of satellites problem as one of the more consequential open problems in galaxy formation and cosmology.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A Detailed Study of Two Optically Selected, High-Redshift Clusters of Galaxies

We are obtaining detailed X-ray spectral and structural data for two distant, optically-selected clusters of galaxies which are known X-ray emitters, CL1324+3011 at z = 0.76 and CL,1604+4304 at z = 0.90. These observations will allow us to place accurate constraints on the temperature, surface-brightness profile, and mass fraction of the intracluster medium in rich, optically-selected clusters at very high redshift. The two target clusters are the most well-studied systems at z greater than 0.7 in the optical and infrared regimes; therefore, with the addition of the XMM data, we plan to study the specifies of the relationship between the X-ray and optical properties and their implications for galaxy and cluster evolution.

Lubin, Lori M.↗

A Detailed Study of Two Optically-Selected, High-Redshift Clusters of Galaxies

We are obtaining detailed X-ray spectral and structural data for two distant, optically-selected clusters of galaxies which are known X-ray emitters, CL1324+3011 at z=0.76 and CL1604+4304 at z=0.90. These observations will allow us to place accurate constraints on the temperature, surface-brightness profile, and mass fraction of the intracluster medium in rich, optically-selected clusters at very high redshift. The two target clusters are the most well-studied systems at z greater than 0.7 in the optical and infrared regimes; therefore, with the addition of the XMM data, we plan to study the specifics of the relationship between the X-ray and optical properties and their implications for galaxy and cluster evolution.

Lubin, Lori M.↗

Search for gamma-ray lines towards galaxy clusters with the Fermi-LAT

We report on a search for monochromatic γ-ray features in the spectra of galaxy clusters observed by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Galaxy clusters are the largest structures in the Universe that are bound by dark matter (DM), making them an important testing ground for possible selfinteractions or decays of the DM particles. Monochromatic γ-ray lines provide a unique signature due to the absence of astrophysical backgrounds and are as such considered a smoking-gun signature for new physics. An unbinned joint likelihood analysis of the sixteen most promising clusters using five years of data at energies between 10 and 400 GeV revealed no significant features. For the case of self-annihilation, we set upper limits on the monochromatic velocity-averaged interaction cross section. These limits are compatible with those obtained from observations of the Galactic Center, albeit weaker due to the larger distance to the studied clusters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A quantitative model of application slow-down in multi-resource shared systems

Scheduling multiple jobs onto a platform enhances system utilization by sharing resources. The benefits from higher resource utilization include reduced cost to construct, operate, and maintain a system, which often include energy consumption. Maximizing these benefits comes at a price-resource contention among jobs increases job completion time. In this study, we analyze slow-downs of jobs due to contention for multiple resources in a system; referred to as dilation factor. We observe that multiple-resource contention creates non-linear dilation factors of jobs. From this observation, we establish a general quantitative model for dilation factors of jobs in multi-resource systems. A job is characterized by a vector-valued loading statistics and dilation factors of a job set are given by a quadratic function of their loading vectors. We demonstrate how to systematically characterize a job, maintain the data structure to calculate the dilation factor (loading matrix), and calculate the dilation factor of each job. We validate the accuracy of the model with multiple processes running on a native Linux server, virtualized servers, and with multiple MapReduce workloads co-scheduled in a cluster. Evaluation with measured data shows that the D-factor model has an error margin of less than 16%. We extended the D-factor model to capture the slow-down of applications when multiple identical resources exist such as multi-core environments and multi-disks environments. Finally, validation results of the extended D-factor model with HPC checkpoint applications on the parallel file systems show that D-factor accurately captures the slow down of concurrent applications in such environments.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Galaxy and cluster redshift surveys

The present evaluation of galaxy and cluster redshift surveys gives attention to the CfA redshift survey and a deep Abell cluster redshift survey. These data support a structure in which galaxies lie on thin sheets which nearly surround vast, low-density voids. Voids such as that in Bootes are a common feature of galaxy distribution, posing a serious challenge for models. The Huchra et al. (1988) deep-cluster survey exhibits a correlation function amplitude that is a factor of about 2 smaller than that of the earlier Bahcall and Soneira (1983) sample; the difference may not be significant, however, because the cluster samples are sufficiently small to be dominated by single systems.

Geller, Margaret J.↗

Non-Thermal Hard X-Ray Emission in Galaxy Clusters Observed with the BeppoSAX PDS

We study the X-ray emission in a Sample of galaxy clusters using the BeppoSAX PDS instrument in the 20 - 80 keV energy band. We estimate the non-thermal hard X-ray cluster emission (HXR) by modeling the thermal contribution from the cluster gas and the non-thermal contamination from the unobscured AGN in the clusters. We also evaluate the systematic uncertainties due to the background fluctuations. Assuming negligible contamination from the obscured AGN, the resulting non-thermal component is detected at a 2 sigma level in approx. 50% of the non-significantly AGN-contaminated clusters: A2142, A2199, A2256, A3376, Coma, Ophiuchus and Virgo. The data are consistent with a scenario whereby relaxed clusters have no hard X-ray component of non-thermal origin, whereas merger clusters do. The co-added spectrum of the above clusters indicates a power-law spectrum for the HXR with a photon index of 2.8+0.3-0.4 in the 12 - 115 keV band, and we find indication that it has extended distribution. These indications argue against significant contamination from obscured AGN, which have harder spectra and centrally concentrated distribution. These results are supportive of the assumption of the merger shock acceleration of electrons in clusters, which has been proposed as a possible origin of the non-thermal hard X-ray emission models. Assuming that the Cosmic Microwave Background photons experience Inverse Compton scattering from the merger-accelerated relativistic electrons, and thus produce the observed HXR, the measured hard X-ray slope corresponds to a differential momentum spectra of the relativistic electrons with a slope of mu = 3.8 - 5.0. In presence of cluster magnetic fields this relativistic electron population produces synchrotron emission with a spectral index of 1.4 - 2.1, consistent with radio halo observations of merger clusters. Thus both hard X-ray and radio observations of merger clusters are consistent with the Inverse Compton model. The observed slope of HXR is also consistent with that predicted by the non-thermal bremsstrahlung, which chus cannot be ruled by the fit to the current data, even though this model requires an extreme, untenable cluster energetics. Assuming centrally concentrated distribution of HXR, the data requires a harder slope for the HXR spectrum, which is consistent with secondary electron models, but this model yields a worse fit to the PDS data and thus seems to be disfavored over the primary electron Inverse Compton model.

Nevalainen, J.↗

A cooling flow in a high-redshift, X-ray-selected cluster of galaxies

The X-ray cluster of galaxies IE 0839.9 + 2938 was serendipitously discovered with the Einstein Observatory. CCD imaging at R and V wavelengths show that the color of the dominant elliptical galaxy of this cluster is significantly bluer than the colors of the next brightest cluster galaxies. Strong emission lines, typical of cD galaxies with cooling flows, are present in the spectrum of the dominant galaxy, from which a redshift of 0.193 is derived. The emitting line region is spatially resolved with an extension of about 13 kpc. All the collected data suggest that this cluster is one of the most distant cooling flow clusters known to date.

Nesci, Roberto↗

Diagnosing Open Cluster Stock 2: Member Candidates and Mass Distribution with Gaia DR2 and LAMOST

We identify 1325 member candidates of the open cluster (OC) Stock 2 using data from Gaia DR2. We use the algorithms Clusterix 2.0 and HDBSCAN to select cluster candidates and further refine the final cluster membership by defining neighbors in 5D phase space (X {sub cp}, Y {sub cp}, Z{sub cp},κ⋅μ{sub α}{sup ∗}/ϖ, κ · μ {sub δ}/ϖ). Among these candidates, less than half have G, G {sub BP}, and G {sub RP} extinctions from Gaia. When Gaia extinctions are unavailable, we compute extiction using empirical formulas and E(B − V) = 0.350. We analyze the spatial distribution and mass profile of Stock 2. Our results reveal Stock 2 is still a bound OC and we find evidence of mass segregation. By comparing initial mass functions, the present-day mass function indicates that Stock 2 is a massive stellar cluster with a mass of 4000 M {sub ⊙}. The core radius and tidal radius, calculated via the radial density profile and total mass, are 3.97 pc and 22.65 pc, respectively. Common stars between our selected member candidates and the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope DR7 medium-resolution catalog give a metalliclity of [Fe/H] = −0.040 ± 0.147.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Forest Classification and Inventory System using Landsat, digital terrain, and ground sample data

Accurate timber inventory data for cost-effective forest management is the primary goal of a Forest Classification and Inventory System (FOCIS) designed to provide estimates of timber volume by species aggregated by compartments, townships, or other spatial management units. FOCIS uses Landsat spectral data, including a synthesized texture channel, and Forest Service ground sample data to produce timber volume-homogeneous classes through a two-step unsupervised clustering process. Registered digital terrain data, including derived slope angle and slope aspect channels, are used to predict species proportions through a trend surface model, again using ground sample data for model calibration. In the final stage of FOCIS, volume estimates and predicted species proportions are merged and aggregated to yield timber volumes by species within management areas.

Strahler, A. H.↗