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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,117 records · Page 62
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

The NANOGrav nine-year data set: mass and geometric measurements of binary millisecond pulsars

We analyze 24 binary radio pulsars in the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) nine-year data set. We make 14 significant measurements of the Shapiro delay, including new detections in four pulsar-binary systems (PSRs J0613−0200, J2017+0603, J2302+4442, and J2317+1439), and derive estimates of the binary-component masses and orbital inclination for these MSP-binary systems. We find a wide range of binary pulsar masses, with values as low as m{sub p}=1.18{sub −0.09}{sup +0.10} M{sub ⊙} for PSR J1918−0642 and as high as m{sub p}=1.928{sub −0.017}{sup +0.017} M{sub ⊙} for PSR J1614−2230 (both 68.3% credibility). We make an improved measurement of the Shapiro timing delay in the PSR J1918−0642 and J2043+1711 systems, measuring the pulsar mass in the latter system to be m{sub p}=1.41{sub −0.18}{sup +0.21} M{sub ⊙} (68.3% credibility) for the first time. We measure secular variations of one or more orbital elements in many systems, and use these measurements to further constrain our estimates of the pulsar and companion masses whenever possible. In particular, we used the observed Shapiro delay and periastron advance due to relativistic gravity in the PSR J1903+0327 system to derive a pulsar mass of m{sub p}=1.65{sub −0.02}{sup +0.02} M{sub ⊙} (68.3% credibility). We discuss the implications that our mass measurements have on the overall neutron-star mass distribution, and on the “mass/orbital-period” correlation due to extended mass transfer.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

REMOVING BIASES IN RESOLVED STELLAR MASS MAPS OF GALAXY DISKS THROUGH SUCCESSIVE BAYESIAN MARGINALIZATION

Stellar masses of galaxies are frequently obtained by fitting stellar population synthesis models to galaxy photometry or spectra. The state of the art method resolves spatial structures within a galaxy to assess the total stellar mass content. In comparison to unresolved studies, resolved methods yield, on average, higher fractions of stellar mass for galaxies. In this work we improve the current method in order to mitigate a bias related to the resolved spatial distribution derived for the mass. The bias consists in an apparent filamentary mass distribution and a spatial coincidence between mass structures and dust lanes near spiral arms. The improved method is based on iterative Bayesian marginalization, through a new algorithm we have named Bayesian Successive Priors (BSP). We have applied BSP to M51 and to a pilot sample of 90 spiral galaxies from the Ohio State University Bright Spiral Galaxy Survey. By quantitatively comparing both methods, we find that the average fraction of stellar mass missed by unresolved studies is only half what previously thought. In contrast with the previous method, the output BSP mass maps bear a better resemblance to near-infrared images.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Chapter 14: Heat and Mass Transfer

Fluidized beds are used in a variety of processes due to their excellent heat and mass transfer properties. Heat transfer in fluidized beds can refer to interphase heat transfer, or more commonly to bed-to-surface heat transfer. Heat transfer between bubble phase and dense phase can be characterized by an interphase heat transfer coefficient. This chapter elaborates the derivation of the interphase heat transfer coefficient by an analogy to mass transfer. Mass transfer in fluidized beds usually refers to gas-to-particle mass transfer, or interphase mass transfer, where a component migrates from particles to fluids, or vice versa. The chapter describes the two major components of the interphase mass transfer: particle and fluid mass transfer in the dense phase; and bubble- to dense-phase mass transfer.

CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Emergent Newtonian dynamics and the geometric origin of mass

We consider a set of macroscopic (classical) degrees of freedom coupled to an arbitrary many-particle Hamiltonian system, quantum or classical. These degrees of freedom can represent positions of objects in space, their angles, shape distortions, magnetization, currents and so on. Expanding their dynamics near the adiabatic limit we find the emergent Newton’s second law (force is equal to the mass times acceleration) with an extra dissipative term. In systems with broken time reversal symmetry there is an additional Coriolis type force proportional to the Berry curvature. We give the microscopic definition of the mass tensor. The mass tensor is related to the non-equal time correlation functions in equilibrium and describes the dressing of the slow degree of freedom by virtual excitations in the system. In the classical (high-temperature) limit the mass tensor is given by the product of the inverse temperature and the Fubini–Study metric tensor determining the natural distance between the eigenstates of the Hamiltonian. For free particles this result reduces to the conventional definition of mass. This finding shows that any mass, at least in the classical limit, emerges from the distortions of the Hilbert space highlighting deep connections between any motion (not necessarily in space) and geometry. We illustrate our findings with four simple examples. -- Highlights: •Derive the macroscopic Newton’s equation from the microscopic many-particle Schrödinger’s equation. •Deep connection between geometry and dynamics. •Geometrical interpretation of the mass of macroscopic object as deformation of Hilbert space. •Microscopic expression for mass and friction tensors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Ambiguities and subtleties in fermion mass terms in practical quantum field theory

This is a review on structure of the fermion mass terms in quantum field theory, under the perspective of its practical applications in the real physics of Nature—specifically, we discuss fermion mass structure in the Standard Model of high energy physics, which successfully describes fundamental physics up to the TeV scale. The review is meant to be pedagogical, with detailed mathematics presented beyond the level one can find any easily in the textbooks. The discussions, however, bring up important subtleties and ambiguities about the subject that may be less than well appreciated. In fact, the naive perspective of the nature and masses of fermions as one would easily drawn from the presentations of fermion fields and their equations of motion from a typical textbook on quantum field theory leads to some confusing or even wrong statements which we clarify here. In particular, we illustrate clearly that a Dirac fermion mass eigenstate is mathematically equivalent to two degenerated Majorana fermion mass eigenstates at least as long as the mass terms are concerned. There are further ambiguities and subtleties in the exact description of the eigenstate(s). Especially, for the case of neutrinos, the use of the Dirac or Majorana terminology may be mostly a matter of choice. The common usage of such terminology is rather based on the broken SU(2) charges of the related Weyl spinors hence conventional and may not be unambiguously extended to cover more complicate models. - Highlights: • Structure of fermion mass terms in practical quantum field theory is reviewed. • Important subtleties and ambiguities on the subject are clarified. • A mass eigenstate Dirac fermion and two degenerated Majorana ones are equivalent. • The conventional meaning of such terminology for neutrinos is critically discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Co-registered Topographical, Band Excitation Nanomechanical, and Mass Spectral Imaging Using a Combined Atomic Force Microscopy/Mass Spectrometry Platform

The advancement of a hybrid atomic force microscopy/mass spectrometry imaging platform demonstrating for the first time co-registered topographical, band excitation nanomechanical, and mass spectral imaging of a surface using a single instrument is reported. The mass spectrometry-based chemical imaging component of the system utilized nanothermal analysis probes for pyrolytic surface sampling followed by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization of the gas phase species produced with subsequent mass analysis. We discuss the basic instrumental setup and operation and the multimodal imaging capability and utility are demonstrated using a phase separated polystyrene/poly(2-vinylpyridine) polymer blend thin film. The topography and band excitation images showed that the valley and plateau regions of the thin film surface were comprised primarily of one of the two polymers in the blend with the mass spectral chemical image used to definitively identify the polymers at the different locations. Data point pixel size for the topography (390 nm x 390 nm), band excitation (781 nm x 781 nm), mass spectrometry (690 nm x 500 nm) images was comparable and submicrometer in all three cases, but the data voxel size for each of the three images was dramatically different. The topography image was uniquely a surface measurement, whereas the band excitation image included information from an estimated 10 nm deep into the sample and the mass spectral image from 110-140 nm in depth. Moreover, because of this dramatic sampling depth variance, some differences in the band excitation and mass spectrometry chemical images were observed and were interpreted to indicate the presence of a buried interface in the sample. The spatial resolution of the mass spectral image was estimated to be between 1.5 m 2.6 m, based on the ability to distinguish surface features in that image that were also observed in the other images.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2012

Chronocoulometry for quantitative control of mass removal in micro-structures and sensors

In this work, tungsten wires have been etched in a KOH electrolyte solution. Based on the oxidation state of the electrolytic dissolution reaction's product and time integration of the Faradaic current produced during the reaction, this method is capable of providing a direct measurement of the change in mass of a structure from anodic dissolution. To assess the application of this process for controlled mass removal spanning sub-micrograms to milligrams, two experimental studies and accompanying uncertainty analyses have been undertaken. In the first of these, 5 tungsten wires of length 30 mm were used to remove mass values ranging from 50 to 350 {mu}g. Uncertainty estimates indicate relative combined standard uncertainties of less than 0.3% in the mass changes determined from the measurement of Faradaic current. Comparison of the mass change determined using the electrolytic method, and using a precision ultra-microbalance agreed within this uncertainty. The charge-based method was then applied to modify the dynamic characteristics of a quartz tuning fork oscillator. In these experiments, tungsten fiber attached to one tine of the oscillator was etched in 5 {mu}g increments up to 120 {mu}g of total removed mass. In general, frequency shifts of 2.8 Hz{center_dot}{mu}g{sup -1} were observed, indicating sub-microgram resolution for the characterization of probes based on frequency shift and charge-based mass measurement. Taken together, this study provides the basis for a precision method for determining changes in mass based on electrical measurements from an electrochemical system. The utility of this technique is demonstrated through controlled modification of the dynamic properties of a mechanical oscillator.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Play the heavy: An effective mass study for α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and corundum oxides

Iron(III) oxide (α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) is a known water splitting catalyst commonly used in photoelectrochemical cells. These cells are severely impaired by poor conductivity in α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and resolving the conductivity issue is therefore crucial. One of the most intrinsic properties of matter, which governs conductivity, is the carrier effective masses. In this work, we investigate the carrier effective masses in α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and other corundum oxides, including Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and In{sub 2}O{sub 3} with different theoretical constructs: density functional theory (DFT), DFT+U, hybrid DFT, and G{sub 0}W{sub 0}. We find DFT sufficiently describes the carrier masses and a quasi-particle theory is only required for accuracies better than 30% for the conduction band effective mass. Additionally, we compare the density of states (DOS) and band effective mass approximations and conclude the DOS effective mass provides poor results whenever the band structure is anisotropic. We find that the charge carriers in Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} “play the heavy” since they have large effective masses that reduce conductivity and device efficiency. Finally, we conclude that the less heavy electron effective masses of other corundum oxides studied relative to Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} could contribute to efficiency improvements in Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} upon Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and In{sub 2}O{sub 3} coverage.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Neutron Multiplicity Counting Moments for Fissile Mass Estimation in Scatter-Based Neutron Detection Systems

Neutron multiplicity counting (NMC) techniques are widely used for nuclear materials accountability and international safeguards applications to quantitatively evaluate characteristic properties pertaining to fissile material. Mathematical models for NMC moments have been previously derived for systems that use capture-based detectors; however, these models are not applicable when scatter-based detectors are used because of “neutron cross talk.” Neutron cross talk occurs when a single neutron scatters and deposits energy above threshold into multiple detectors causing spurious increase in multiplicity counts; this, in turn, has caused fissile mass to be overestimated when not treated. In this paper, we propose new mathematical models derived from point kinetics to correct for neutron cross-talk effects up to any arbitrary order N, where N denotes the maximum number of counts a single neutron can cause. The new models were used to estimate the fissile mass of plutonium metal and oxide samples with effective 240 Pu mass ranging from 2.5 to 250 g. The adequacy of the models was confirmed using simulations of a conceptual scatter-based neutron multiplicity counter (e.g., organic scintillators) using MCNPX v2.7e with the PoliMi fission event generating extension. The fissile mass estimates with no correction for neutron cross-talk events yielded an average relative deviation from the true 240 Pu eff mass of 55.94% and 84.56% for metal and oxide samples, respectively. When neutron cross-talk events of order N = 2 are included in the model, the fissile mass estimates yielded an average relative deviation of 11.89% for metal and 13.21% for oxide samples. Accounting for neutron cross-talk events of order N = 3 resulted in fissile mass estimates with an average relative deviation of 9.58% and 10.51% for metal and oxide samples, respectively. These mass estimates were compared to a reference case (i.e., no neutron crosstalk effects) that yielded an average relative deviation of 6.81% and 4.77% for metal and oxide samples, respectively. In conclusion, the discrepancy between the estimates from the proposed model and the reference case is attributed to the assumed value of N, which sets a finite upper bound on the order of cross-talk events the model treats (i.e., the model for N = 3 assumes that a neutron will never cause more than three counts).

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE INFLUENCE OF DARK MATTER HALOS ON DYNAMICAL ESTIMATES OF BLACK HOLE MASS: 10 NEW MEASUREMENTS FOR HIGH-{sigma} EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES

Adaptive optics assisted SINFONI observations of the central regions of 10 early-type galaxies are presented. Based primarily on the SINFONI kinematics, 10 black hole (BH) masses occupying the high-mass regime of the M{sub BH}-{sigma} relation are derived using three-integral Schwarzschild models. The effect of dark matter (DM) inclusion on the BH mass is explored. The omission of a DM halo in the model results in a higher stellar mass-to-light ratio, especially when extensive kinematic data are used in the model. However, when the diameter of the sphere of influence-computed using the BH mass derived without a dark halo-is at least 10 times the point-spread function FWHM during the observations, it is safe to exclude a DM component in the dynamical modeling, i.e., the change in BH mass is negligible. When the spatial resolution is marginal, restricting the mass-to-light ratio to the right value returns the correct M{sub BH} although a dark halo is not present in the model. Compared to the M{sub BH}-{sigma} and M{sub BH}-L relations of McConnell et al., the 10 BHs are all more massive than expected from the luminosities and 7 BH masses are higher than expected from the stellar velocity dispersions of the host bulges. Using new fitted relations, which include the 10 galaxies, we find that the space density of the most massive BHs (M{sub BH} {approx}> 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun }) estimated from the M{sub BH}-L relation is higher than the estimate based on the M{sub BH}-{sigma} relation and the latter is higher than model predictions based on quasar counts, each by about an order of magnitude.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

TWIN BINARIES: STUDIES OF STABILITY, MASS TRANSFER, AND COALESCENCE

Motivated by suggestions that binaries with almost equal-mass components ('twins') play an important role in the formation of double neutron stars and may be rather abundant among binaries, we study the stability of synchronized close and contact binaries with identical components in circular orbits. In particular, we investigate the dependency of the innermost stable circular orbit on the core mass, and we study the coalescence of the binary that occurs at smaller separations. For twin binaries composed of convective main-sequence stars, subgiants, or giants with low-mass cores (M{sub c} {approx}< 0.15M, where M is the mass of a component), a secular instability is reached during the contact phase, accompanied by a dynamical mass transfer instability at the same or at a slightly smaller orbital separation. Binaries that come inside this instability limit transfer mass gradually from one component to the other and then coalesce quickly as mass is lost through the outer Lagrangian points. For twin giant binaries with moderate to massive cores (M{sub c} {approx}> 0.15M), we find that stable contact configurations exist at all separations down to the Roche limit, when mass shedding through the outer Lagrangian points triggers a coalescence of the envelopes and leaves the cores orbiting in a central tight binary. In addition to the formation of binary neutron stars, we also discuss the implications of our results for the production of planetary nebulae with double degenerate central binaries.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

PRELUDE TO A DOUBLE DEGENERATE MERGER: THE ONSET OF MASS TRANSFER AND ITS IMPACT ON GRAVITATIONAL WAVES AND SURFACE DETONATIONS

We present the results of a systematic numerical study of the onset of mass transfer in double degenerate binary systems and its impact on the subsequent evolution. All investigated systems belong to the regime of direct impact, unstable mass transfer. In all of the investigated cases, even those considered unstable by conventional stability analysis, we find a long-lived mass transfer phase continuing for as many as several dozen orbital periods. This settles a recent debate sparked by a discrepancy between earlier smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) calculations that showed disruptions after a few orbital periods and newer grid-based studies in which mass transfer continued for tens of orbits. The number of orbits a binary survives sensitively depends on the exact initial conditions. We find that the approximate initial conditions that have been used in most previous SPH calculations have a serious impact on all stages of the evolution from the onset of mass transfer up to the final structure of the remnant. We compare 'approximate' initial conditions where spherical stars are placed at an initial separation obtained from an estimate of the Roche lobe size with 'accurate' initial conditions that were constructed by carefully driving the binary system to equilibrium by a relaxation scheme. Simulations that use the approximate initial conditions underestimate the initial separation when mass transfer sets in, which yields a binary that only survives for only a few orbits and thus a rapidly fading gravitational wave signal. Conversely, the accurate initial conditions produce a binary system in which the mass transfer phase is extended by almost two orders of magnitude in time, resulting in a gravitational wave signal with amplitude and frequency that remain essentially constant up until merger. As we show that these binaries can survive at small separation for hundreds of orbital periods, their associated gravitational wave signal should be included when calculating the gravitational wave foreground (although expected to be below Laser Interferometer Space Antenna's sensitivity at these high frequencies). We also show that the inclusion of the entropy increase associated with shock heating of the accreted material reduces the number of orbits a binary survives given the same initial conditions, although the effect is not as pronounced when using the appropriate initial conditions. The use of accurate initial conditions and a correct treatment of shock heating allows for a reliable time evolution of the temperature, density, and angular momentum, which are important when considering thermonuclear events that may occur during the mass transfer phase and/or after merger. Our treatment allows us to accurately identify when surface detonations may occur in the lead-up to the merger, as well as the properties of final merger products.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

EXPLORING THE LOW-MASS END OF THE M{sub BH}-{sigma}{sub *} RELATION WITH ACTIVE GALAXIES

We present new measurements of stellar velocity dispersions, using spectra obtained with the Keck Echellette Spectrograph and Imager (ESI) and the Magellan Echellette (MagE), for 76 Seyfert 1 galaxies from the recent catalog of Greene and Ho. These objects were selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to have estimated black hole (BH) masses below 2 x 10{sup 6} M{sub sun}. Combining our results with previous ESI observations of similar objects, we obtain an expanded sample of 93 galaxies and examine the relation between BH mass and velocity dispersion (the M{sub BH}-{sigma}{sub *} relation) for active galaxies with low BH masses. The low-mass active galaxies tend to follow the extrapolation of the M{sub BH}-{sigma}{sub *} relation of inactive galaxies. Including results for active galaxies of higher BH mass from the literature, we find a zero point {alpha} = 7.68 {+-} 0.08 and slope of {beta} = 3.32 {+-} 0.22 for the M{sub BH}-{sigma}{sub *} relation (in the form log M{sub BH} = {alpha} + {beta}log ({sigma}{sub *}/200 km s{sup -1})), with intrinsic scatter of 0.46 {+-} 0.03 dex. This result is consistent, within the uncertainties, with the slope of the M{sub BH}-{sigma}{sub *} relation for reverberation-mapped active galaxies with BH masses from 10{sup 6} to 10{sup 9} M{sub sun}. For the subset of our sample having morphological information from Hubble Space Telescope images, we examine the slope of the M{sub BH}-{sigma}{sub *} relation separately for subsamples of barred and unbarred host galaxies, and find no significant evidence for a difference in slope. We do find a mild offset between low-inclination and high-inclination disk galaxies, such that more highly inclined galaxies tend to have larger {sigma}{sub *} at a given value of BH mass, presumably due to the contribution of disk rotation within the spectroscopic aperture. We also find that the velocity dispersion of the ionized gas, measured from narrow emission lines including [N II] {lambda}6583, [S II] {lambda}{lambda}6716, 6731, and the core of [O III] {lambda}5007 (with the blueshifted wing removed), trace the stellar velocity dispersion well for this large sample of low-mass Seyfert 1 galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

ON THE ORIGIN OF STELLAR MASSES

It has been a longstanding problem to determine, as far as possible, the characteristic masses of stars in terms of fundamental constants; the almost complete invariance of this mass as a function of the star-forming environment suggests that this should be possible. Here I provide such a calculation. The typical stellar mass is set by the characteristic fragment mass in a star-forming cloud, which depends on the cloud's density and temperature structure. Except in the very early universe, the latter is determined mainly by the radiation released as matter falls onto seed protostars. The energy yield from this process is ultimately set by the properties of deuterium burning in protostellar cores, which determines the stars' radii. I show that it is possible to combine these considerations to compute a characteristic stellar mass almost entirely in terms of fundamental constants, with an extremely weak residual dependence on the interstellar pressure and metallicity. This result not only explains the invariance of stellar masses, it resolves a second mystery: why fragmentation of a cold, low-density interstellar cloud, a process with no obvious dependence on the properties of nuclear reactions, happens to select a stellar mass scale such that stellar cores can ignite hydrogen. Finally, the weak residual dependence on the interstellar pressure and metallicity may explain recent observational hints of a smaller characteristic mass in the high-pressure, high-metallicity cores of giant elliptical galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

COUNTING LOW-MASS STARS IN INTEGRATED LIGHT

Low-mass stars (M {approx}< 0.4 M{sub Sun }) are thought to comprise the bulk of the stellar mass of galaxies but they constitute only of order 1 percent of the bolometric luminosity of an old stellar population. Directly estimating the number of low-mass stars from integrated flux measurements of old stellar systems is therefore possible but very challenging, given the numerous variables that can affect the light at the percent level. Here we present a new population synthesis model created specifically for the purpose of measuring the low-mass initial mass function (IMF) down to {approx}0.1 M{sub Sun} for metal-rich stellar populations with ages in the range 3-13.5 Gyr. Our fiducial model is based on the synthesis of three separate isochrones, and a combination of optical and near-IR empirical stellar libraries in order to produce integrated light spectra over the wavelength interval 0.35 {mu}m < {lambda} < 2.4 {mu}m at a resolving power of R Almost-Equal-To 2000. New synthetic stellar atmospheres and spectra have been computed in order to model the spectral variations due to changes in individual elemental abundances including C, N, Na, Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, Fe, and generic {alpha} elements. We demonstrate the power of combining blue spectral features with surface gravity-sensitive near-IR features in order to simultaneously constrain the low-mass IMF, stellar population age, metallicity, and abundance pattern from integrated light measurements. Finally, we show that the shape of the low-mass IMF can also be directly constrained by employing a suite of surface gravity-sensitive spectral features, each of which is most sensitive to a particular mass interval.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A CONSTANT LIMITING MASS SCALE FOR FLAT EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES FROM z {approx} 1 TO z = 0: DENSITY EVOLVES BUT SHAPES DO NOT

We measure the evolution in the intrinsic shape distribution of early-type galaxies from z {approx} 1 to z {approx} 0 by analyzing their projected axis-ratio distributions. We extract a low-redshift sample (0.04 < z < 0.08) of early-type galaxies with very low star formation rates from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, based on a color-color selection scheme and verified through the absence of emission lines in the spectra. The inferred intrinsic shape distribution of these early-type galaxies is strongly mass dependent: the typical short-to-long intrinsic axis ratio of high-mass early-type galaxies (>10{sup 11} M{sub Sun }) is 2:3, whereas at masses below 10{sup 11} M{sub Sun} this ratio narrows to 1:3, or more flattened galaxies. In an entirely analogous manner, we select a high-redshift sample (0.6 < z < 0.8) from two deep-field surveys with multi-wavelength and Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging: GEMS and COSMOS. We find a seemingly universal mass of {approx}10{sup 11} M{sub Sun} for highly flattened early-type systems at all redshifts. This implies that the process that grows an early-type galaxy above this ceiling mass, irrespective of cosmic epoch, involves forming round systems. Using both parametric and non-parametric tests, we find no evolution in the projected axis-ratio distribution for galaxies with masses >3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun} with redshift. At the same time, our samples imply an increase of 2-3 Multiplication-Sign in comoving number density for early-type galaxies at masses >3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun }, in agreement with previous studies. Given the direct connection between the axis-ratio distribution and the underlying bulge-to-disk ratio distribution, our findings imply that the number density evolution of early-type galaxies is not exclusively driven by the emergence of either bulge- or disk-dominated galaxies, but rather by a balanced mix that depends only on the stellar mass of the galaxy. The challenge for galaxy formation models is to reproduce this overall non-evolving ratio of flattened to round early-type galaxies in the context of a continually growing population.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A HYBRID SCENARIO FOR THE FORMATION OF BROWN DWARFS AND VERY LOW MASS STARS

We present a calculation of protostellar disk formation and evolution in which gaseous clumps (essentially, the first Larson cores formed via disk fragmentation) are ejected from the disk during the early stage of evolution. This is a universal process related to the phenomenon of ejection in multiple systems of point masses. However, it occurs in our model entirely due to the interaction of compact, gravitationally bound gaseous clumps and is free from the smoothing-length uncertainty that is characteristic of models using sink particles. Clumps that survive ejection span a mass range of 0.08-0.35 M{sub Sun }, and have ejection velocities 0.8 {+-} 0.35 km s{sup -1}, which are several times greater than the escape speed. We suggest that, upon contraction, these clumps can form substellar or low-mass stellar objects with notable disks, or even close-separation very low mass binaries. In this hybrid scenario, allowing for ejection of clumps rather than finished protostars/proto-brown-dwarfs, disk formation and the low velocity dispersion of low-mass objects are naturally explained, while it is also consistent with the observation of isolated low-mass clumps that are ejection products. We conclude that clump ejection and the formation of isolated low-mass stellar and substellar objects is a common occurrence, with important implications for understanding the initial mass function, the brown dwarf desert, and the formation of stars in all environments and epochs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE M31 VELOCITY VECTOR. II. RADIAL ORBIT TOWARD THE MILKY WAY AND IMPLIED LOCAL GROUP MASS

We determine the velocity vector of M31 with respect to the Milky Way and use this to constrain the mass of the Local Group, based on Hubble Space Telescope proper-motion measurements of three fields presented in Paper I. We construct N-body models for M31 to correct the measurements for the contributions from stellar motions internal to M31. This yields an unbiased estimate for the M31 center-of-mass motion. We also estimate the center-of-mass motion independently, using the kinematics of satellite galaxies of M31 and the Local Group, following previous work but with an expanded satellite sample. All estimates are mutually consistent, and imply a weighted average M31 heliocentric transverse velocity of (v{sub W} , v{sub N} ) = (- 125.2 {+-} 30.8, -73.8 {+-} 28.4) km s{sup -1}. We correct for the reflex motion of the Sun using the most recent insights into the solar motion within the Milky Way, which imply a larger azimuthal velocity than previously believed. This implies a radial velocity of M31 with respect to the Milky Way of V{sub rad,M31} = -109.3 {+-} 4.4 km s{sup -1}, and a tangential velocity of V{sub tan,M31} = 17.0 km s{sup -1}, with a 1{sigma} confidence region of V{sub tan,M31} {<=} 34.3 km s{sup -1}. Hence, the velocity vector of M31 is statistically consistent with a radial (head-on collision) orbit toward the Milky Way. We revise prior estimates for the Local Group timing mass, including corrections for cosmic bias and scatter, and obtain M{sub LG} {identical_to} M{sub MW,vir} + M{sub M31,vir} = (4.93 {+-} 1.63) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 12} M{sub Sun }. Summing known estimates for the individual masses of M31 and the Milky Way obtained from other dynamical methods yields smaller uncertainties. Bayesian combination of the different estimates demonstrates that the timing argument has too much (cosmic) scatter to help much in reducing uncertainties on the Local Group mass, but its inclusion does tend to increase other estimates by {approx}10%. We derive a final estimate for the Local Group mass from literature and new considerations of M{sub LG} = (3.17 {+-} 0.57) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 12} M{sub Sun }. The velocity and mass results at 95% confidence imply that M33 is bound to M31, consistent with expectation from observed tidal deformations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗