Distribution Of Misalignment Angles Research Articles

Star–Gas Misalignment in Galaxies. I. The Properties of Galaxies from the Horizon-AGN Simulation and Comparisons to SAMI

Abstract Recent integral field spectroscopy observations have found that about 11% of galaxies show star–gas misalignment. The misalignment possibly results from external effects such as gas accretion, interaction with other objects, and other environmental effects, hence providing clues to these effects. We explore the properties of misaligned galaxies using Horizon-AGN, a large-volume cosmological simulation, and compare the results with those of the Sydney-AAO Multi-object integral field spectrograph (SAMI) Galaxy Survey. Horizon-AGN can match the overall misalignment fraction and reproduces the distribution of misalignment angles found by observations surprisingly closely. The misalignment fraction is found to be highly correlated with galaxy morphology both in observations and in the simulation: early-type galaxies are substantially more frequently misaligned than late-type galaxies. The gas fraction is another important factor associated with misalignment in the sense that misalignment increases with decreasing gas fraction. However, there is a significant discrepancy between the SAMI and Horizon-AGN data in the misalignment fraction for the galaxies in dense (cluster) environments. We discuss possible origins of misalignment and disagreement.

A microscale integrated approach to measure and model fibre misalignment in fibre-reinforced composites

Computational micromechanics of fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs) relies on the ability of the representative volume elements (RVEs) to take into account the different features that characterise the geometry of the material system under consideration. Fibre misalignment has been proven experimentally to have a significant effect on the mechanical properties at the macroscale, but is not currently taken into consideration in models at the individual fibre level, perhaps due to the difficulty in statistically characterising the fibre misalignment. In this work, an integrated approach is presented to measure and model fibre misalignments in FRPs. A computed tomography (CT) scan is used to identify the fibre geometry and statistically characterise the fibre misalignment angle distribution. Using a methodology recently developed by the authors, three-dimensional (3D) RVEs were generated by requiring their misalignment angle distribution to fit the empirical distribution. The methodology proposed provides a framework for the systematic numerical analysis of the influence of fibre misalignment on mechanical properties of FRPs.

SDSS-IV MaNGA: The Intrinsic Shape of Slow Rotator Early-type Galaxies

Abstract By inverting the distributions of galaxies’ apparent ellipticities and misalignment angles (measured around the projected half-light radius R e) between their photometric and kinematic axes, we study the intrinsic shape distribution of 189 slow rotator early-type galaxies with stellar masses 2 × 1011 M ⊙ < M * < 2 × 1012 M ⊙, extracted from a sample of about 2200 galaxies with integral-field stellar kinematics from the data release 14 (DR14) of the fourth-generation Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS-IV) Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) integral field unit (IFU) survey. Thanks to the large sample of slow rotators, Graham et al. showed that there is clear structure in the misalignment angle distribution, with two peaks at both 0° and 90° misalignment (characteristic of oblate and prolate rotation, respectively). Here we invert the observed distribution from Graham et al. The large sample allows us to go beyond the known fact that slow rotators are weakly triaxial and to place useful constraints on their intrinsic triaxiality distribution (around 1 R e) for the first time. The shape inversion is generally non-unique. However, we find that, for a wide set of model assumptions, the observed distribution clearly requires a dominant triaxial-oblate population. For some of our models, the data suggest a minor triaxial-prolate population, but a dominant prolate population is ruled out.

On the Kinematics, Stability and Lifetime of Kinematically Distinct Cores: A Case Study

We present a case study of a early-type galaxy (ETG) hosting a kinematically distinct core (KDC) formed in a binary high resolution 1:1 spiral galaxy merger simulation. The runtime of the simulation is pushed up to 10 Gyr to follow the complete evolution of various physical properties. To investigate the origin of the KDC, the stellar component residing within the KDC is dissected, revealing that the rotational signal is purely generated by stars that belong to the KDC for at least 0 . 5 Gyr and are newly formed during the merging process. Following the orientation of the total stellar angular momentum of the KDC, we show that it performs a motion comparable to the precession of a gyroscope in a gravitational potential. We draw the conclusion that the motion of the KDC is a superposition of an intrinsic rotation and a global precession that gets gradually damped over cosmic time. Finally, the stability of the KDC over the complete runtime of the simulation is investigated by tracing the evolution of the widely used λ R parameter and the misalignment angle distribution. We find that the KDC is stable for about 3 Gyr after the merger and subsequently disperses completely on a timescale of ≈1.5 Gyr .

IMPACT OF BARYONIC PHYSICS ON INTRINSIC ALIGNMENTS

ABSTRACT We explore the effects of specific assumptions in the subgrid models of star formation and stellar and active galactic nucleus feedback on intrinsic alignments of galaxies in cosmological simulations of the “MassiveBlack-II” family. Using smaller-volume simulations, we explore the parameter space of the subgrid star formation and feedback model and find remarkable robustness of the observable statistical measures to the details of subgrid physics. The one observational probe most sensitive to modeling details is the distribution of misalignment angles. We hypothesize that the amount of angular momentum carried away by the galactic wind is the primary physical quantity that controls the orientation of the stellar distribution. Our results are also consistent with a similar study by the EAGLE simulation team.

Fibre Misalignment Measurement of Nanomodified-Unidirectional Carbon Fibre Laminates

This paper investigates the effect of nanosilica on the fibre waviness or misalignment angle distribution of carbon fibre reinforced polymer composite unidirectional laminates. The quality of the laminates was evaluated using image analyzer technique. The polished specimens were examined using Polyvar B-met optical microscope and analysed using KSRUN ZEISS software. The effect of 3, 7 and 13 vol.% nanosilica on the fibre misalignment angle distribution was determined. The results showed that, the fabricated laminates have average fibre volume fractionVfof 42%, low fibre waviness distribution (averageφo= 2.5o) and less than 1% void content. This implies that the fabrication technique, which was employed in the current work, successfully produced good quality laminates. The presence of nanosilica results in a narrow fibre angle distribution in the HTS40/828 laminate.

PULSAR BINARY BIRTHRATES WITH SPIN-OPENING ANGLE CORRELATIONS

Empirical birthrate estimates for pulsar binaries depend on the fraction of sky subtended by the pulsar beam: the pulsar beaming fraction. This fraction depends on both the pulsar's opening angle and the misalignment angle between its spin and magnetic axes. Previous estimates use the average value for only two pulsars, i.e. PSRs B1913+16 and B1534+12. We explore how birthrate predictions depend on assumptions about opening angle and alignment, using empirically-motivated distributions to define an effective beaming correction factor, f_{b,eff}. For most known pulsars, we expect f_{b,eff} to be less than 6. We also calculate f_{b,eff} for PSRs J0737-3039A and J1141-6545, applying the currently available constraints for their beam geometry. Our median posterior birthrate predictions for tight PSR-NS binaries, wide PSR-NS binaries, and tight PSR-WD binaries are 89/Myr, 0.84/Myr, and 34/Myr, respectively. For pulsars with spin period between 10 ms and 100 ms, we marginalized our posterior birthrate distribution P(R) over a range of plausible beaming correction factors. Our predictions are robust, changing little between several alternative misalignment angle distribution models. [ABRIDGED]

Spin‐Kick Correlation in Neutron Stars: Alignment Conditions and Implications

Recent observations of pulsar wind nebulae and radio polarization profiles revealed a tendency for alignment between the spin and velocity directions in neutron stars. We study the condition for spin-kick alignment using a toy model, in which the kick consists of many off-centered, randomly oriented thrusts. Both analytical considerations and numerical simulations indicate that spin-kick alignment cannot be easily achieved if the proto-neutron star does not possess some initial angular momentum, contrary to some previous claims. To obtain the observed spin-kick misalignment angle distribution, the initial spin period of the neutron star must be smaller than the kick timescale. Typically, an initial period of 100 ms or less is required.

Three-dimensional orientational colocalization of individual donor--acceptor pairs.

We report on the determination of the three-dimensional orientation of the donor and acceptor transition dipoles in individual fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) pairs by means of scanning optical microscopy with annular illumination. Knowledge of the mutual orientation of the donor and acceptor dipole is mandatory for reliable distance determination based on FRET efficiency measurements. In our model system perylenediimide as the donor and terryelenediimide as the acceptor are coupled via a stiff p-terphenyl linker. The absorption dipoles of the donor and acceptor are selectively addressed by the 488 nm and 647 line of an Ar/Kr mixed gas laser, respectively. A clear deviation from collinearity is observed with a distribution of misalignment angles peaked around 22 degrees.

Geodetic VLBI Observations of EGRET Blazars

We present VLBI observations of the EGRET quasars 0202+149, CTA 26, and 1606+106, as well as additional analysis of VLBI observations of 1156+295 presented in Piner & Kingham (1997b). We have produced 8 and 2 GHz VLBI images at 11 epochs, 8 epochs, and 12 epochs, spanning the years 1989 to 1996, of 0202+149, CTA 26, and 1606+106 respectively. The VLBI data have been taken from the Washington VLBI correlator's geodetic database. We have measured the apparent velocities of the jet components and find that CTA 26 and 1606+106 are superluminal sources, with average apparent speeds of 8.9 and 2.9 h^{-1}c respectively (H_{0}=100h km s^{-1} Mpc^{-1}, q_{0}=0.5). The components in 0202+149 are stationary, and we identify this source as a compact F double. These sources all have apparently bent jets, and we detected non-radial motion of components in CTA 26 and 1156+295. We have not yet detected any components emerging subsequent to the gamma-ray flares in CTA 26, 1156+295, and 1606+106, and we derive lower limits on the ejection times of any such components. The misalignment angle distribution of the EGRET sources is compared to the distribution for blazars as a whole, and we find that EGRET sources belong preferentially to neither the aligned nor the misaligned population. We also compare the average values for the apparent velocities and Doppler beaming factors for the EGRET and non-EGRET blazars, and find no significant differences. We thus find no indication, within the measurement errors, that EGRET blazars are any more strongly beamed than their counterparts which have not been detected in gamma-rays.

Mathematical model of partially oriented polycrystalline hexaferrite

The properties of partially oriented polycrystalline hexaferrites are discussed using a model that allows for misalignment of the grain axes relative to an orientation axis. The remanent magnetization and the recoil magnetization curve (measured with a decreasing field, starting at a sufficiently high field) are calculated from the distribution of misalignment angles. In its simplest forms, the theory has three adjustable parameters that usually have to be determined from an analysis of experimental data: the net saturation magnetization, the anisotropy field and the maximum misalignment angle. Methods for extracting these parameters from experimental data are described.

Recoil magnetization in partially oriented hexaferrites

The magnetization was measured as a function of decreasing field on several polycrystalline hexaferrites that are potentially useful as microwave or millimeterwave materials, because of their low dielectric loss. The materials are partially oriented by compaction in a magnetic field or hot-forging. The observed magnetization vs. field dependence is shown to agree with a theoretical model, when allowance is made for the distribution of misalignment angles, crystalline anisotropy, and porosity.

Alignment of milliarcsecond with arcsecond scale structure in core-dominated radio sources

Models of compact radio sources as relativistic jets aligned nearly along the line of sight predict large magnifications of intrinsic jet bends due to projection effects. Several authors have examined the distribution of observed bend angles, for small samples of sources, to provide constraints on the relativistic beaming models. In this study, we examine the alignment of Very Long Baseline Interferometry scale structure with arcsecond scale structure for a much larger sample of core-dominated radio sources and compare the distribution of observed misalignment angles with theoretical distributions calculated from models using a range of intrinsic bend angles, ξ, and Lorentz factors, γ. The theoretical distributions produced by simple relativistic beam models are found to be consistent with the data. However, the values of ξ and γ required to fit the data are highly correlated, with equally good fits produced by γ = 5, ξ = 11° and γ = 10, ξ = 5°, for instance. Either ξ or γ must be known independently for an analysis of the misalignment angle distribution to provide a significant constraint on beam parameters.