SCUBA Observations of NGC 1275

Deep SCUBA observations of NGC 1275 at 450 micron and 850 micron along with the application of deconvolution algorithms have permitted us to separate the strong core emission in this galaxy from the fainter extended emission around it. The core has a steep spectral index and is likely due primarily to the AGN. The faint emission has a positive spectral index and is clearly due to extended dust in a patchy distribution out to a radius of $\sim$ 20 kpc from the nucleus. These observations have now revealed that a large quantity of dust, $\sim$ 6 $\times$ 10$^7$ $M_\odot$, 2 orders of magnitude larger than that inferred from previous optical absorption measurements, exists in this galaxy. We estimate the temperature of this dust to be $\sim$ 20 K (using an emissivity index of $\beta$ = 1.3) and the gas/dust ratio to be 360. These values are typical of spiral galaxies. The dust emission correlates spatially with the hot X-ray emitting gas which may be due to collisional heating of broadly distributed dust by electrons. Since the destruction timescale is short, the dust cannot be replenished by stellar mass loss and must be externally supplied, either via the infalling galaxy or the cooling flow itself.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures. Figure 4 is colou

A New Galaxy in the Local Group: the Antlia Dwarf Galaxy

We report the discovery of new member of the Local Group in the constellation of Antlia. Optically the system appears to be a typical dwarf spheroidal galaxy of type dE3.5 with no apparent young blue stars or unusual features. A color-magnitude diagram in I, V-I shows the tip of the red giant branch, giving a distance modulus of 25.3 +/- 0.2 (1.15 Mpc +/- 0.1) and a metallicity of -1.6 +/- 0.3. Although Antlia is in a relatively isolated part of the Local Group it is only 1.2 degrees away on the sky from the Local Group dwarf NGC3109, and may be an associated system.Comment: AJ in press, 15 pages, 7 figures, figure 2 in b/w for space saving, full postscript version available at http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~gkth/antlia-pp.htm

Kinematically Cold Populations at Large Radii in the Draco and Ursa Minor Dwarf Spheroidals

We present projected velocity dispersion profiles for the Draco and Ursa Minor (UMi) dwarf spheroidal galaxies based on 207 and 162 discrete stellar velocities, respectively. Both profiles show a sharp decline in the velocity dispersion outside ~30 arcmin (Draco) and ~40 arcmin (UMi). New, deep photometry of Draco reveals a break in the light profile at ~25 arcmin. These data imply the existence of a kinematically cold population in the outer parts of both galaxies. Possible explanations of both the photometric and kinematic data in terms of both equilibrium and non-equilibrium models are discussed in detail. We conclude that these data challenge the picture of dSphs as simple, isolated stellar systems.Comment: 5 pages, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

The Pseudogap in La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4): A Raman Viewpoint

We report the results of Raman scattering experiments on single crystals of La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4) [La214] as a function of temperature and doping. In underdoped compounds low-energy B1g spectral weight is depleted in association with the opening of a pseudogap on regions of the Fermi surface located near (pi, 0) and (0, pi). The magnitude of the depletion increases with decreasing doping, and in the most underdoped samples, with decreasing temperature. The spectral weight that is lost at low-energies (omega < 800 cm-1) is transferred to the higher energy region normally occupied by multi-magnon scattering. From the normal state B2g spectra we have determined the scattering rate Gamma(omega, T) of qausiparticles located near the diagonal directions in k-space, (pi/2, pi/2) regions. In underdoped compounds, Gamma(omega, T) is suppressed at low temperatures for energies less than Eg(x) ~ 800 cm-1. The observed doping dependence of the two-magnon scattering and the scattering rate suppression thus suggest that the pseudogap is characterized by an energy scale Eg ~ J, where J is the antiferromagnetic super-exchange energy. Comparison with the results from other techniques provides a consistent picture of the pseudogap in La214.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, minor revisions include correct form of the B2g Raman response function and new figures of the recalculated B2g scattering rate. Presented at the APS March99 Meeting, accepted for publication in the Canadian Journal of Physic

Fluctuation effects in the theory of microphase separation of diblock copolymers in the presence of an electric field

We generalize the Fredrickson-Helfand theory of the microphase separation in symmetric diblock copolymer melts by taking into account the influence of a time-independent homogeneous electric field on the composition fluctuations within the self-consistent Hartree approximation. We predict that electric fields suppress composition fluctuations, and consequently weaken the first-order transition. In the presence of an electric field the critical temperature of the order-disorder transition is shifted towards its mean-field value. The collective structure factor in the disordered phase becomes anisotropic in the presence of the electric field. Fluctuational modulations of the order parameter along the field direction are strongest suppressed. The latter is in accordance with the parallel orientation of the lamellae in the ordered state.Comment: 16 page

A photometric and astrometric investigation of the brown dwarfs in Blanco 1

We present the results of a photometric and astrometric study of the low mass stellar and substellar population of the young open cluster Blanco 1. We have exploited J band data, obtained recently with the Wide Field Camera (WFCAM) on the United Kingdom InfraRed Telescope (UKIRT), and 10 year old I and z band optical imaging from CFH12k and Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), to identify 44 candidate low mass stellar and substellar members, in an area of 2 sq. degrees, on the basis of their colours and proper motions. This sample includes five sources which are newly discovered. We also confirm the lowest mass candidate member of Blanco 1 unearthed so far (29MJup). We determine the cluster mass function to have a slope of alpha=+0.93, assuming it to have a power law form. This is high, but nearly consistent with previous studies of the cluster (to within the errors), and also that of its much better studied northern hemisphere analogue, the Pleiades.Comment: 8 Pages, 5 Figures, 2 Tables and 1 Appendix. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Investigation of the reactivity of organic materials in liquid oxygen

Measurements of impact-ignition sensitivity and studies of the relative reactivity of t-butoxy and t-butyl peroxy radicals toward a variety of organic compounds reveal improved methods of selection of materials for safe use in a liquid oxygen environment