Search Publications
Discovery of massive star formation quenching by non-thermal effects in the centre of NGC 1097
Prieto, M. A.; Tabatabaei, F. S.; Fernández-Ontiveros, J. A. +1 more
Observations show that massive star formation quenches first at the centres of galaxies. To understand quenching mechanisms, we investigate the thermal and non-thermal energy balance in the central kpc of NGC 1097—a prototypical galaxy undergoing quenching—and present a systematic study of the nuclear star formation efficiency and its dependencies…
The split in the ancient cold front in the Perseus cluster
Fabian, Andy; Sanders, Jeremy; ZuHone, John +1 more
Sloshing cold fronts in clusters, produced as the dense cluster core moves around in the cluster potential in response to in-falling subgroups, provide a powerful probe of the physics of the intracluster medium and the magnetic fields permeating it1,2. These sharp discontinuities in density and temperature rise gradually outwards with a…
Confined pseudo-shocks as an energy source for the active solar corona
Stangalini, Marco; Kayshap, Pradeep; Dwivedi, Bhola N. +7 more
The Sun's active corona requires an energy flux of 103 W m-2 to compensate for radiative losses and to maintain its high temperature1. Plasma moves in the corona through magnetic loops2,3, which may be connected with the flows in and around sunspots4-6. Global energizing processes (for example…
The quasi-linear nearby Universe
Tully, R. Brent; Courtois, Hélène M.; Pomarède, Daniel +6 more
The local Universe provides a unique opportunity for testing cosmology and theories of structure formation. As the velocities of galaxies respond to the distribution of matter—both visible and dark—the velocity field provides structural information. Here, we present an original method for the reconstruction of the quasi-linear matter density and v…
Coma morphology of comet 67P controlled by insolation over irregular nucleus
Jorda, L.; Lamy, P. L.; Lara, L. M. +42 more
While the structural complexity of cometary comae is already recognizable from telescopic observations1, the innermost region, within a few radii of the nucleus, was not resolved until spacecraft exploration became a reality2,3. The dust coma displays jet-like features of enhanced brightness superposed on a diffuse background…
Anomalous microwave emission from spinning nanodiamonds around stars
Frayer, D. T.; Smith, A. M. S.; Greaves, J. S. +3 more
Several interstellar environments produce anomalous microwave emission (AME), with brightness peaks at tens-of-gigahertz frequencies1. The emission's origins are uncertain; rapidly spinning nanoparticles could emit electric-dipole radiation2, but the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that have been proposed as the carrier are …
Gravitational lensing detection of an extremely dense environment around a galaxy cluster
Streblyanska, Alina; Izzo, Luca; Sereno, Mauro +8 more
Galaxy clusters form at the highest-density nodes of the cosmic web1,2. The clustering of dark matter halos hosting these galaxy clusters is enhanced relative to the general mass distribution, with the matter density beyond the virial region being strongly correlated to the halo mass (halo bias)3. Halo properties other than m…
Identification of the central compact object in the young supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219
Ruiter, Ashley J.; Dopita, Michael A.; Ghavamian, Parviz +4 more
Oxygen-rich young supernova remnants1 are valuable objects for probing the outcome of nucleosynthetic processes in massive stars, as well as the physics of supernova explosions. Observed within a few thousand years after the supernova explosion2, these systems contain fast-moving oxygen-rich and hydrogen-poor filaments visibl…
On the blind use of statistical tools in the analysis of globular cluster stars
D'Antona, Francesca; Tailo, Marco; Caloi, Vittoria
As with most data analysis methods, the Bayesian method must be handled with care. We show that its application to determine stellar evolution parameters within globular clusters can lead to paradoxical results if used without the necessary precautions. This is a cautionary tale on the use of statistical tools for big data analysis.
Einstein rules at a precision of 2 × 10-14
Bergé, Joel; Rodrigues, Manuel; Touboul, Pierre
The MICROSCOPE experiment has set the best upper bound to date on the weak equivalence principle, proving Einstein's postulate with an unprecedented precision, as explained by Principal Investigator Pierre Touboul and team members Manuel Rodrigues and Joel Bergé.