Interesting Astrophysics: Mar 30 to Apr 03

Its raining in Baltimore. Another fine day for science!

There are a variety of interesting BH/AGN-related papers this week, in particular discussing the filling factor of AGN wind (Blustin & Fabian), UV-outflows in Seyferts (Stoll) and isotropic luminosity indicators for AGN (Diamond-Stanic).

Julian Pittard has a nice new paper on 3-D modelling of colliding stellar winds, and Christensen-Dalsgaard has a nice review of the Sun as the fundamental calibrator for theories of stellar evolution.

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Galaxies and Starbursts

The mass-metallicity relation in galaxy clusters: the relative importance of cluster membership versus local environment
Sara L. Ellison, Luc Simard, Nicolas B. Cowan, Ivan K. Baldry, David R. Patton, Alan W. McConnachie, arXiv:0903.4684 [ps, pdf, other]
Comments: MNRAS, accepted

Early assembly of the most massive galaxies
Chris A. Collins, et al, arXiv:0904.0006 [ps, pdf, other]
Comments: Published in Nature 2nd April 2009. This astro ph version includes main text and supplementary material combined

The Star Formation Law in Atomic and Molecular Gas
Mark R. Krumholz, Christopher F. McKee, Jason Tumlinson, arXiv:0904.0009 [ps, pdf, other]
Comments: 7 pages, 2 figures, emulateapj format, submitted to ApJ

Dust in the Early (z>1) Universe
Fabian Walter, arXiv:0904.0152 [ps, pdf, other]
Comments: 20 pages, review to appear in "Cosmic Dust -- Near and Far", ed. Th. Henning, E. Grun, J. Steinacker (ASP Conf. Series)

Discovery, Photometry, and Kinematics of Planetary Nebulae in M 82
L. C. Johnson, R. H. Mendez, A. M. Teodorescu, arXiv:0904.0266 [ps, pdf, other]
Comments: 16 pages, 13 figures, Accepted by ApJ

Derive a distance to M82 using the PNLF of 4.2+/-0.4 Mpc, rather higher than TRGB distances of ~3.6 Mpc to both M81 and M82. Suggest that all their PNs suffer significant extinction, of order 0.4 magntitudes, which when corrected for reconciles distances. Also claim that PN-based rotation curve shows known weird falling rotation curve.

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Black Holes and AGN

Radio constraints on the volume filling factors of AGN winds
A. J. Blustin, A. C. Fabian, arXiv:0904.0209 [ps, pdf, other]
Comments: 6 pages, accepted by MNRAS

Parsec-scale dust distributions in Seyfert galaxies - Results of the MIDI AGN snapshot survey
Konrad R. W. Tristram, et al, arXiv:0903.4892 [ps, pdf, other]
Comments: 19 pages, 8 figures, submitted to A&A, recommended for publication

Scaling ultraviolet outflows in Seyferts
R. Stoll, S. Mathur, Y. Krongold, F. Nicastro, arXiv:0903.5310 [ps, pdf, other]
Comments: 7 pages, 5 figures, submitted to ApJ

A Photoionized Nebula Surrounding and Variable Optical Continuum Emission from the Ultraluminous X-Ray Source in NGC 5408
Philip Kaaret, Stephane Corbel, arXiv:0903.5329 [ps, pdf, other]
Comments: accepted by ApJ, 8 pages

Isotropic Luminosity Indicators in a Complete AGN Sample
Aleksandar M. Diamond-Stanic, George H. Rieke, Jane R. Rigby, arXiv:0904.0250 [ps, pdf, other]
Comments: 9 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

Note to self: NGC 3079 is in their sample.

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Hydrodynamics

A Hydrodynamical Analysis of the Steady-State Shock Model
A. Preite Martinez, 2009, Open Astronomy Journal , 2, 1.

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Stars, Supernovae and Planets

Gamma-Ray Bursts as a Threat to Life on Earth
Brian C. Thomas, arXiv:0903.4710 [pdf]
Comments: 8 pages; submitted as part of proceedings of the ESLAB Symposium on 'Cosmic Cataclysms and Life', November 2008; to be published in a special issue of the International Journal of Astrobiology

3D Models of Radiatively Driven Colliding Winds In Massive O+O Star Binaries: I. Hydrodynamics
J. M. Pittard, arXiv:0904.0164 [ps, pdf, other]
Comments: 21 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Very nice science from Julian, as always. Nice figures too.

The Sun as a fundamental calibrator of stellar evolution
J. Christensen-Dalsgaard, arXiv:0904.0358 [ps, pdf, other]
Comments: To appear in Proc. IAU Symposium 258, The Ages of Stars, eds E. E. Mamajek, D. R. Soderblom & R. F. G. Wyse, IAU and Cambridge University Press

Interesting wrt stellar age, stellar evolution, and also the ongoing controvsery regarding Solar abundances (see discussion at end).