ALBERT

Description: We report the confirmation of X-ray substructure in two rich clusters of galaxies, A1656 (Coma) and A2256. Using data from the Einstein Observatory imaging proportional counter, we present a technique of fitting the cluster profile and searching for contributions to the X-ray emission from small regions within the cluster. Using this method we find substructure in both A1656 and A2256 while simultaneously fitting the cluster profile. We obtain the ellipticity and position angle of both clusters as a function of radius and find that both have ellipticity and position angles which vary with radius. We interpret the existence of substructure along with the variable ellipticity and position angle as evidence for a recent merger in both of these clusters.

Description: The discovery of diffuse X-ray emission from the NGC 2300 group of galaxies using the ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter is reported. The gas distributions is roughly symmetric and extends to a radius of at least 0.2/h(50) Mpc. A Raymond-Smith hot plasma model provides an excellent fit the X-ray spectrum with a best-fit value temperature of 0.9 + -/15 or - 0.14 keV and abundance 0.06 + 0/.12 or - 0.05 solar. The assumption of gravitational confinement leads to a total mass of the group of 3.0 + 0.4 or - 0.5 x 10 exp 13 solar. Baryons can reasonably account for 4 percent of this mass, and errors could push this number not higher than 10-15 percent. This is one of the strongest pieces of evidence that dark matter dominates small groups such as this one. The intragroup medium in this system has the lowest metal abundance yet found in diffuse gas in a group or cluster.

Description: It is noted, in the wake of the recent completion of a redshift survey of about 2300 IRAS galaxies with a characteristic depth of about 4000 km/sec, that the redshift distribution obtained is entirely consistent with that of the observed optical galaxies in the direction of the Great Attractor. The IRAS velocity field also qualitatively reproduces recent observations of the spiral and elliptical galaxies. Although it is not possible to rule out the existence of excess mass in the galactic plane in the direction of the Great Attractor, this is not needed to explain the observed peculiar velocities.

Description: We have constructed a model that predicts the evolution of CO2 on Mars from the end of the heavy bombardment period to the present. The model draws on published estimates of the main processes believed to affect the fate of CO2 during this period: chemical weathering, regolith uptake, polar cap formation, and atmospheric escape. Except for escape, the rate at which these processes act is controlled by surface temperatures which we calculate using a modified version of the Gierasch and Toon energy balance model. The modifications account for the change in solar luminosity with time, the greenhouse effect, and a polar and equatorial energy budget. Using published estimates for the main parameters, we find no evolutionary scenario in which CO2 is capable of producing a warm (global mean temperatures greater than 250 K) and wet (surface pressures greater than 30 mbar) early climate, and then evolves to present conditions with approximately 7 mbar in the atmosphere, less than 300 mbar in the regolith, and less than 5 mbar in the caps. Such scenarios would only exist if the early sun were brighter than standard solar models suggest, if greenhouse gases other than CO2 were present in the early atmosphere, or if the polar albedo were significantly lower than 0.75. However, these scenarios generally require the storage of large amounts of CO2 (greater than 1 bar) in the carbonate reservoir. If the warm and wet early Mars constraint is relaxed, then we find best overall agreement with present day reservoirs for initial CO2 inventories of 0.5-1.0 bar. We also find that the polar caps can have a profound effect on how the system evolves. If the initial amount of CO2 is less than some critical value, then there is not enough heating of the poles to prevent permanent caps from forming. Once formed, these caps control how the system evolves, because they set the surface pressure and, hence, the thermal environment. If the initial amount of CO2 is greater than this critical value, then caps do not form initially, but can form later on, when weathering and escape lower the surface pressure to a point at which polar heating is no longer sufficient to prevent cap formation and the collapse of the climate system. Our modeling suggests this critical initial amount of CO2 is between 1 and 2 bar, but its true value will depend on all factors affecting the polar heat budget.

Description: From observations of infrared lines, oxygen and nitrogen abundances of the prototype field horizontal-branch stars HD 109995 and HD 161817, the somewhat similar star HD 64488, and the sharp-lined Population I A stars Theta Leo and HR 6559 have been obtained, as well as carbon abundances of HD 161817 and Theta Leo. The results for HD 161817 may be in accord with the predictions of Sweigart and Mengel (1979) for dredge-up during the previous red-giant stage if the non-LTE effects for the O I lines have been properly accounted for, and those for the C I and N I lines are small. This star and HD 109995 are apparently both oxygen and nitrogen poor to the same degree although their iron abundances differ by 0.3 dex.

Description: Numerical models of variable stars are established, using a nonlinear radiative transfer coupled hydrodynamics code. The variable Eddington method of radiative transfer is used. Comparisons are for models of W Virginis, beta Doradus, and eta Aquilae. From these models it appears that shocks are formed in the atmospheres of classical Cepheids as well as W Virginis stars. In classical Cepheids, with periods from 7 to 10 days, the bumps occurring in the light and velocity curves appear as the result of a compression wave that reflects from the star's center. At the head of the outward going compression wave, shocks form in the atmosphere. Comparisons between the hydrodynamic motions in W Virginis and classical Cepheids are made. The strong shocks in W Virginis do not penetrate into the interior as do the compression waves formed in classical Cepheids. The shocks formed in W Virginis stars cause emission lines, while in classical Cepheids the shocks are weaker.

Description: Color observations of Cepheids can be interpreted by a color effective temperature relation to give different T sub e values for each kind of mean color. Here, theoretical colors from numerical integrations of Cepheid pulsations are used to determine the proper method of taking the color mean in order to get, by the color T sub e relation, the correct nonpulsating T sub e.

Description: N-body simulations of a 'cold dark matter' universe are presently used to calibrate the accuracy, and assess the limitations, of the procedure previously employed to predict the velocity field within 8000 km/sec of the Local Group through the application of linear gravitational theory to a full-sky, flux-limited sample of IRAS galaxies. The rms difference between the one-dimensional acceleration and velocity of field particles is an increasing function of local density; linear theory can in this way account for all but one-sixth of kinetic energy. A series of artificial IRAS catalogs closely matching the real sample in space density and clustering amplitude is constructed. Velocity correlation functions are used to demonstrate that the predicted velocity fields are in good agreement with the true velocity fields on large scales.

Description: The behavior of the two-point galaxy correlation function in volume-limited subsamples of three complete redshift surveys is investigated. The correlation length is shown to scale approximately as the square root of the distance limit in both the CfA and Southern Sky catalogs, but to be independent of the distance limit in the IRAS sample. This effect is found to be due to factors such as the large positive density fluctuations in the foreground of the optically selected catalogs biasing the correlation length estimate downward, and the brightest galaxies appearing to be more strongly clustered than the mean.

Description: Using the method of smoothed particle hydrodynamics, we have modeled the formation of a compact group of galaxies with sufficient resolution to trace galaxies. Radiative cooling allows the baryons to dissipate their thermal energy and collapse to overdensities characteristic of real galaxies. With their cross section greatly reduced, these galaxy tracers remain distinct during cluster formation while their dark matter halos merge. In addition, the number density, the mass distribution function, and even the morphology of these objects are similar to those of observed galaxies. A viable population of galaxy tracers can be unambiguously defined.