A New Photometric Model of the Galactic Bar using Red Clump Giants

We present a study of the luminosity density distribution of the Galactic bar using number counts of red clump giants (RCGs) from the OGLE-III survey. The data were recently published by Nataf et al. (2013) for 9019 fields towards the bulge and have $2.94\times 10^6$ RC stars over a viewing area of $90.25 \,\textrm{deg}^2$. The data include the number counts, mean distance modulus ($\mu$), dispersion in $\mu$ and full error matrix, from which we fit the data with several tri-axial parametric models. We use the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method to explore the parameter space and find that the best-fit model is the $E_3$ model, with the distance to the GC is 8.13 kpc, the ratio of semi-major and semi-minor bar axis scale lengths in the Galactic plane $x_{0},y_{0}$, and vertical bar scale length $z_0$, is $x_0:y_0:z_0 \approx 1.00:0.43:0.40$ (close to being prolate). The scale length of the stellar density profile along the bar's major axis is $\sim$ 0.67 kpc and has an angle of $29.4^\circ$, slightly larger than the value obtained from a similar study based on OGLE-II data. The number of estimated RC stars within the field of view is $2.78 \times 10^6$, which is systematically lower than the observed value. We subtract the smooth parametric model from the observed counts and find that the residuals are consistent with the presence of an X-shaped structure in the Galactic centre, the excess to the estimated mass content is $\sim 5.8$. We estimate the total mass of the bar is $\sim 1.8 \times 10^{10} M_\odot$. Our results can be used as a key ingredient to construct new density models of the Milky Way and will have implications on the predictions of the optical depth to gravitational microlensing and the patterns of hydrodynamical gas flow in the Milky Way.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables. MNRAS accepte

Electronic structure and Magnetism in BaMn2_2As2_2 and BaMn2_2Sb2_2

We study the properties of ThCr$_2$Si$_2$ structure BaMn$_2$As$_2$ and BaMn$_2$Sb$_2$ using density functional calculations of the electronic and magnetic as well experimental measurements on single crystal samples of BaMn$_2$As$_2$. These materials are local moment magnets with moderate band gap antiferromagnetic semiconducting ground states. The electronic structures show substantial Mn - pnictogen hybridization, which stabilizes an intermediate spin configuration for the nominally $d^5$ Mn. The results are discussed in the context of possible thermoelectric applications and the relationship with the corresponding iron / cobalt / nickel compounds Ba(Fe,Co,Ni)$_2$As$_2$

The Formation of Galactic Disks

We study the population of galactic disks expected in current hierarchical clustering models for structure formation. A rotationally supported disk with exponential surface density profile is assumed to form with a mass and angular momentum which are fixed fractions of those of its surrounding dark halo. We assume that haloes respond adiabatically to disk formation, and that only stable disks can correspond to real systems. With these assumptions the predicted population can match both present-day disks and the damped Lyman alpha absorbers in QSO spectra. Good agreement is found provided: (i) the masses of disks are a few percent of those of their haloes; (ii) the specific angular momenta of disks are similar to those of their haloes; (iii) present-day disks were assembled recently (at z<1). In particular, the observed scatter in the size-rotation velocity plane is reproduced, as is the slope and scatter of the Tully-Fisher relation. The zero-point of the TF relation is matched for a stellar mass-to-light ratio of 1 to 2 h in the I-band, consistent with observational values derived from disk dynamics. High redshift disks are predicted to be small and dense, and could plausibly merge together to form the observed population of elliptical galaxies. In many (but not all) currently popular cosmogonies, disks with rotation velocities exceeding 200 km/s can account for a third or more of the observed damped Lyman alpha systems at z=2.5. Half of the lines-of-sight to such systems are predicted to intersect the absorber at r>3kpc/h and about 10% at r>10kpc/h. The cross-section for absorption is strongly weighted towards disks with large angular momentum and so large size for their mass. The galaxy population associated with damped absorbers should thus be biased towards low surface brightness systems.Comment: 47 pages, Latex, aaspp4.sty, 14 figs included, submitted to MNRA