HST emission-line images of nearby 3CR radio galaxies: two photoionization, accretion and feedback modes

We present HST/ACS narrow-band images of a low-z sample of 19 3C radio galaxies to study the H$\alpha$ and [OIII] emissions from the narrow-line region (NLR). Based on nuclear emission line ratios, we divide the sample into High and Low Excitation Galaxies (HEGs and LEGs). We observe different line morphologies, extended line emission on kpc scale, large [OIII]/H$\alpha$ scatter across the galaxies, and a radio-line alignment. In general, HEGs show more prominent emission line properties than LEGs: larger, more disturbed, more luminous, and more massive regions of ionized gas with slightly larger covering factors. We find evidence of correlations between line luminosities and (radio and X-ray) nuclear luminosities. All these results point to a main common origin, the active nucleus, which ionize the surrounding gas. However, the contribution of additional photoionization mechanism (jet shocks and star formation) are needed to account for the different line properties of the two classes. A relationship between the accretion, photoionization and feedback modes emerges from this study. For LEGs (hot-gas accretors), the synchrotron emission from the jet represents the main source of ionizing photons. The lack of cold gas and star formation in their hosts accounts for the moderate ionized-gas masses and sizes. For HEGs (cold-gas accretors), an ionizing continuum from a standard disk and shocks from the powerful jets are the main sources of photoionization, with the contribution from star formation. These components, combined with the large reservoir of cold/dust gas brought from a recent merger, account for the properties of their extended emission-line regions.Comment: accepted for publication on ApJ (22 pages, 12 figures

Spectral Energy Distributions of low-luminosity radio galaxies at z~1-3: a high-z view of the host/AGN connection

We study the Spectral Energy Distributions, SEDs, (from FUV to MIR bands) of the first sizeable sample of 34 low-luminosity radio galaxies at high redshifts, selected in the COSMOS field. To model the SEDs we use two different template-fitting techniques: i) the Hyperz code that only considers single stellar templates and ii) our own developed technique 2SPD that also includes the contribution from a young stellar population and dust emission. The resulting photometric redshifts range from z ~0.7 to 3 and are in substantial agreement with measurements from earlier work, but significantly more accurate. The SED of most objects is consistent with a dominant contribution from an old stellar population with an age ~1 - 3 10^{9} years. The inferred total stellar mass range is ~10^{10} - 10^{12} M(sun). Dust emission is needed to account for the 24micron emission in 15 objects. Estimates of the dust luminosity yield values in the range L_{dust} ~10^{43.5} -10^{45.5} erg s^{-1}. The global dust temperature, crudely estimated for the sources with a MIR excess, is ~ 300-850 K. A UV excess is often observed with a luminosity in the range ~ 10^{42}-10^{44} erg s^{-1} at 2000 A rest frame. Our results show that the hosts of these high-z low-luminosity radio sources are old massive galaxies, similarly to the local FRIs. However, the UV and MIR excesses indicate the possible significant contribution from star formation and/or nuclear activity in such bands, not seen in low-z FRIs. Our sources display a wide variety of properties: from possible quasars at the highest luminosities, to low-luminosity old galaxies.Comment: 28 pages, 15 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Lithographically and electrically controlled strain effects on anisotropic magnetoresistance in (Ga,Mn)As

It has been demonstrated that magnetocrystalline anisotropies in (Ga,Mn)As are sensitive to lattice strains as small as 10^-4 and that strain can be controlled by lattice parameter engineering during growth, through post growth lithography, and electrically by bonding the (Ga,Mn)As sample to a piezoelectric transducer. In this work we show that analogous effects are observed in crystalline components of the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR). Lithographically or electrically induced strain variations can produce crystalline AMR components which are larger than the crystalline AMR and a significant fraction of the total AMR of the unprocessed (Ga,Mn)As material. In these experiments we also observe new higher order terms in the phenomenological AMR expressions and find that strain variation effects can play important role in the micromagnetic and magnetotransport characteristics of (Ga,Mn)As lateral nanoconstrictions.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, references fixe

Soil erosion evaluation in a small watershed in Brazil through 137 Cs fallout redistribution analysis and conventional models

An investigation of rates and patterns of soil erosion on agricultural land cultivated with sugarcane was undert a ken using the 137Cs technique, USLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation) and WEPP (Water Erosion Prediction Project) model. The study was carried out on a representative catchment of a small watershed of the Piracicaba river basin, State of São Paulo, Brazil, called Ceveiro watershed, well known for its severe soil degradation caused by erosion. The results from the 137Cs technique indicate that most part of the studied area (94%) are eroded at erosion rates that go up to 59 Mg ha-1 y-1, with a weighted average rate of 23 Mg ha-1 y-1 . The weighted average rate of infield deposition and sediment retrieval that occurs in only 6% of the total area was estimated to be around 12 Mg ha-1 y-1 . These values led to very high net soil loss from the field, with rates of the order of 21 Mg ha-1 y-1 , which represents a sediment delive ry ratio of 97%. A linear correlation between soil erosion rate estimated by the 137Cs technique and the amount of available K in the top soil layer (0-20 cm) was observed. Based on this correlation the estimated amounts of net and gross K loss in the grid area due to soil erosion were of 0.2 and 1.52 kg ha-1 y-1, respectively. The erosion rate estimated by USLE was 39 Mg ha-1 y-1 and by WEPP model 16.5 Mg ha-1 y-1 with a sediment delivery of 12.4 Mg ha-1 y-1 (75%). The results are a confirmation that the soil conservation practices adopted in the area are very poor and can explain the high siltation level of water reservoirs in the watershed

Optimal low-thrust trajectories to asteroids through an algorithm based on differential dynamic programming

In this paper an optimisation algorithm based on Differential Dynamic Programming is applied to the design of rendezvous and fly-by trajectories to near Earth objects. Differential dynamic programming is a successive approximation technique that computes a feedback control law in correspondence of a fixed number of decision times. In this way the high dimensional problem characteristic of low-thrust optimisation is reduced into a series of small dimensional problems. The proposed method exploits the stage-wise approach to incorporate an adaptive refinement of the discretisation mesh within the optimisation process. A particular interpolation technique was used to preserve the feedback nature of the control law, thus improving robustness against some approximation errors introduced during the adaptation process. The algorithm implements global variations of the control law, which ensure a further increase in robustness. The results presented show how the proposed approach is capable of fully exploiting the multi-body dynamics of the problem; in fact, in one of the study cases, a fly-by of the Earth is scheduled, which was not included in the first guess solution

Laboratory evaluation of a fully automatic modal identification algorithm using automatic hierarchical clustering approach

Earth has been a traditional building material to construct structures in many different continents. In particular, adobe buildings are widely diffused in South America, and in Peru where form part of the cultural identity of the nation. Nowadays, the knowledge of existing adobe buildings is far from a complete understanding of the constructive system and a structural health monitoring (SHM) can quantify and reduce uncertainties regarding their structural performance without causing damage to the buildings. In this process, the implementation of automatic tools for feature extraction of modal parameters is desirable. In particular, the automation is important because, during a long-term monitoring, a huge amount of data is recorded and the direct check of the data of the user is not possible. The present work is focused on the development of an automated procedure for managing the results obtained from the parametric identification method, in particular from the Data-Driven Stochastic Subspace Identification method, which requires an automatic interpretation of stabilization diagrams. The work presents a fully automated modal identification methodology based on the following steps: (i) digital signal pre-processing of the recorded data; (ii) modal parameter identification using models with varying dimensions; (iii) automatic analysis of the stabilization diagram with the application of soft and hard validation criteria and the use of hierarchical clustering approach to eliminate the spurious modes; and (iv) automatic choice of the most representative values of the estimated parameters of each clustered mode: natural frequency, damping and mode shape. The developed algorithm was firstly tested with an inverted steel pendulum to check the accuracy and sensitivity, and subsequently, an earthen wall built in PUCP Structure Laboratory was analysed to determine its dynamic behaviour. The developed algorithm shows high percentages of detected frequencies and high sensitivity to the environmental and structural changes.The present work was developed thanks to the funding provided by the program Cienciactiva from CONCYTEC in the framework of the Contract N o 222-2015-FONDECYT-DE. The first author also acknowledge ELARCH program for the scholarship in support of his PhD studies (Project Reference number: 552129-EM-1-2014-1-IT-ERA MUNDUS-EMA21).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Finite dimensional corrections to mean field in a short-range p-spin glassy model

In this work we discuss a short range version of the $p$-spin model. The model is provided with a parameter that allows to control the crossover with the mean field behaviour. We detect a discrepancy between the perturbative approach and numerical simulation. We attribute it to non-perturbative effects due to the finite probability that each particular realization of the disorder allows for the formation of regions where the system is less frustrated and locally freezes at a higher temperature.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys Rev

Gas Analysis and Monitoring Systems for the RPC Detector of CMS at LHC

The Resistive Plate Chambers (RPC) detector of the CMS experiment at the LHC proton collider (CERN, Switzerland) will employ an online gas analysis and monitoring system of the freon-based gas mixture used. We give an overview of the CMS RPC gas system, describe the project parameters and first results on gas-chromatograph analysis. Finally, we report on preliminary results for a set of monitor RPC.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures. Presented by Stefano Bianco (Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati dell'INFN) at the IEEE NSS, San Diego (USA), October 200

Voltage control of magnetocrystalline anisotropy in ferromagnetic - semiconductor/piezoelectric hybrid structures

We demonstrate dynamic voltage control of the magnetic anisotropy of a (Ga,Mn)As device bonded to a piezoelectric transducer. The application of a uniaxial strain leads to a large reorientation of the magnetic easy axis which is detected by measuring longitudinal and transverse anisotropic magnetoresistance coefficients. Calculations based on the mean-field kinetic-exchange model of (Ga,Mn)As provide microscopic understanding of the measured effect. Electrically induced magnetization switching and detection of unconventional crystalline components of the anisotropic magnetoresistance are presented, illustrating the generic utility of the piezo voltage control to provide new device functionalities and in the research of micromagnetic and magnetotransport phenomena in diluted magnetic semiconductors.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review Letters. Updates version 1 to include a more detailed discussion of the effect of strain on the anisotropic magnetoresistanc

The CMS RPC gas gain monitoring system: an overview and preliminary results

The status of the CMS RPC Gas Gain Monitoring (GGM) system developed at the Frascati Laboratory of INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare) is reported on. The GGM system is a cosmic ray telescope based on small RPC detectors operated with the same gas mixture used by the CMS RPC system. The GGM gain and efficiency are continuously monitored on-line, thus providing a fast and accurate determination of any shift in working point conditions. The construction details and the first result of GGM commissioning are described.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, uses lnfprepCMS.sty, presented by L. Benussi at RPC07, Mumbai, INDIA 200