CFHTLenS: The Environmental Dependence of Galaxy Halo Masses from Weak Lensing

ArXiv 1301.7421 (2013)

Authors:

Bryan R Gillis, Michael J Hudson, Thomas Erben, Catherine Heymans, Hendrik Hildebrandt, Henk Hoekstra, Thomas D Kitching, Yannick Mellier, Lance Miller, Ludovic van Waerbeke, Christopher Bonnett, Jean Coupon, Liping Fu, Stefan Hilbert, Barnaby TP Rowe, Tim Schrabback, Elisabetta Semboloni, Edo van Uitert, Malin Velander

Abstract:

We use weak gravitational lensing to analyse the dark matter halos around satellite galaxies in galaxy groups in the CFHTLenS dataset. This dataset is derived from the CFHTLS-Wide survey, and encompasses 154 sq. deg of high-quality shape data. Using the photometric redshifts, we divide the sample of lens galaxies with stellar masses in the range 10^9 Msun to 10^10.5 Msun into those likely to lie in high-density environments (HDE) and those likely to lie in low-density environments (LDE). Through comparison with galaxy catalogues extracted from the Millennium Simulation, we show that the sample of HDE galaxies should primarily (~61%) consist of satellite galaxies in groups, while the sample of LDE galaxies should consist of mostly (~87%) non-satellite (field and central) galaxies. Comparing the lensing signals around samples of HDE and LDE galaxies matched in stellar mass, the lensing signal around HDE galaxies clearly shows a positive contribution from their host groups on their lensing signals at radii of ~500--1000 kpc, the typical separation between satellites and group centres. More importantly, the subhalos of HDE galaxies are less massive than those around LDE galaxies by a factor 0.65 +/- 0.12, significant at the 2.9 sigma level. A natural explanation is that the halos of satellite galaxies are stripped through tidal effects in the group environment. Our results are consistent with a typical tidal truncation radius of ~40 kpc.

The rise of a tensor instability in Eddington-inspired gravity

(2013)

Authors:

Celia Escamilla-Rivera, Maximo Banados, Pedro G Ferreira

The rise of a tensor instability in Eddington-inspired gravity

ArXiv 1301.5264 (2013)

Authors:

Celia Escamilla-Rivera, Maximo Banados, Pedro G Ferreira

Abstract:

In this work an extension to Eddington's gravitational action is analyzed. We consider the tensor perturbations of a FLRW space-time in the Eddington regime in where the tensor mode is linearly unstable deep and the resulting modifications to Einstein regime are quite strong.

THE ABUNDANCE OF STAR-FORMING GALAXIES IN THE REDSHIFT RANGE 8.5–12: NEW RESULTS FROM THE 2012 HUBBLE ULTRA DEEP FIELD CAMPAIGN

The Astrophysical Journal Letters American Astronomical Society 763:1 (2013) l7

Authors:

Richard S Ellis, Ross J McLure, James S Dunlop, Brant E Robertson, Yoshiaki Ono, Matthew A Schenker, Anton Koekemoer, Rebecca AA Bowler, Masami Ouchi, Alexander B Rogers, Emma Curtis-Lake, Evan Schneider, Stephane Charlot, Daniel P Stark, Steven R Furlanetto, Michele Cirasuolo

Unproceedings of the Fourth .Astronomy Conference (.Astronomy 4), Heidelberg, Germany, July 9-11 2012

ArXiv 1301.5193 (2013)

Authors:

Robert J Simpson, Chris Lintott, Amanda Bauer, Bruce Berriman, Edward Gomez, Sarah Kendrew, Thomas Kitching, August Muench, Demitri Muna, Thomas Robitaille, Megan E Schwamb, Brooke Simmons

Abstract:

The goal of the .Astronomy conference series is to bring together astronomers, educators, developers and others interested in using the Internet as a medium for astronomy. Attendance at the event is limited to approximately 50 participants, and days are split into mornings of scheduled talks, followed by 'unconference' afternoons, where sessions are defined by participants during the course of the event. Participants in unconference sessions are discouraged from formal presentations, with discussion, workshop-style formats or informal practical tutorials encouraged. The conference also designates one day as a 'hack day', in which attendees collaborate in groups on day-long projects for presentation the following morning. These hacks are often a way of concentrating effort, learning new skills, and exploring ideas in a practical fashion. The emphasis on informal, focused interaction makes recording proceedings more difficult than for a normal meeting. While the first .Astronomy conference is preserved formally in a book, more recent iterations are not documented. We therefore, in the spirit of .Astronomy, report 'unproceedings' from .Astronomy 4, which was held in Heidelberg in July 2012.