Fast and slow rotators in the densest environments: a FLAMES/GIRAFFE IFS study of galaxies in Abell 1689 at z=0.183
ArXiv 1205.5545 (2012)
Abstract:
We present FLAMES/GIRAFFE integral field spectroscopy of 30 galaxies in the massive cluster Abell 1689 at z = 0.183. Conducting an analysis similar to that of ATLAS3D, we extend the baseline of the kinematic morphology-density relation by an order of magnitude in projected density and show that it is possible to use existing instruments to identify slow and fast rotators beyond the local Universe. We find 4.5 +- 1.0 slow rotators with a distribution in magnitude similar to those in the Virgo cluster. The overall slow rotator fraction of our Abell 1689 sample is 0.15 +- 0.03, the same as in Virgo using our selection criteria. This suggests that the fraction of slow rotators in a cluster is not strongly dependent on its density. However, within Abell 1689, we find that the fraction of slow rotators increases towards the centre, as was also found in the Virgo cluster.Erratum to: "Search for first generation scalar leptoquarks in pp collisions at s=7TeV with the ATLAS detector" [Phys. Lett. B 709 (2012) 158]
Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics 711:5 (2012) 442-455
Evidence for the charmless annihilation decay mode Bs0→π +π-
Physical Review Letters 108:21 (2012)
Abstract:
We search for annihilation decay modes of neutral b mesons into pairs of charmless charged hadrons with the upgraded Collider Detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. Using a data sample corresponding to 6fb-1 of integrated luminosity, we obtain the first evidence for the Bs0→π+π - decay, with a significance of 3.7σ, and a measured branching ratio B(Bs0→π+π-)=(0.57±0.15(stat) ±0.10(syst))×10-6. A search for the B0→K +K- mode in the same sample yields a significance of 2.0σ, and a central value estimate B(B0→K+K -)=(0.23±0.10(stat)±0.10(syst))×10-6. © 2012 American Physical Society.Galaxy Zoo and ALFALFA: Atomic Gas and the Regulation of Star Formation in Barred Disc Galaxies
ArXiv 1205.5271 (2012)
Abstract:
We study the observed correlation between atomic gas content and the likelihood of hosting a large scale bar in a sample of 2090 disc galaxies. Such a test has never been done before on this scale. We use data on morphologies from the Galaxy Zoo project and information on the galaxies' HI content from the ALFALFA blind HI survey. Our main result is that the bar fraction is significantly lower among gas rich disc galaxies than gas poor ones. This is not explained by known trends for more massive (stellar) and redder disc galaxies to host more bars and have lower gas fractions: we still see at fixed stellar mass a residual correlation between gas content and bar fraction. We discuss three possible causal explanations: (1) bars in disc galaxies cause atomic gas to be used up more quickly, (2) increasing the atomic gas content in a disc galaxy inhibits bar formation, and (3) bar fraction and gas content are both driven by correlation with environmental effects (e.g. tidal triggering of bars, combined with strangulation removing gas). All three explanations are consistent with the observed correlations. In addition our observations suggest bars may reduce or halt star formation in the outer parts of discs by holding back the infall of external gas beyond bar co-rotation, reddening the global colours of barred disc galaxies. This suggests that secular evolution driven by the exchange of angular momentum between stars in the bar, and gas in the disc, acts as a feedback mechanism to regulate star formation in intermediate mass disc galaxies.Search for a heavy particle decaying to a top quark and a light quark in pp̄ collisions at √s=1.96TeV
Physical Review Letters 108:21 (2012)