The origin of galaxies and clusters of galaxies

Debate on how galaxies and clusters of galaxies formed has reached an interesting stage at which one can find arguments for quite different scenarios. The galaxy distribution has a complex "frothy" character that could be the fossil of a network of protoclusters or pancakes that produced galaxies. However, there are galaxies like our own that seem never to have been in a protocluster but are physically similar to the galaxies in dense clusters. Some clues to be assessed in resolving this dilemma are the possible existence of galaxy filaments, the relative ages of galaxies and clusters of galaxies, and the continuity between cluster and field galaxies and between galaxies and clusters of galaxies.     

The morphological evolution of galaxies

Many galaxies have taken on their familiar appearance relatively recently. In the distant Universe, galaxy morphology deviates significantly (and systematically) from that of nearby galaxies at redshifts (z) as low as 0.3. This corresponds to a time approximately 3.5 x 10(9) years in the past, which is only approximately 25% of the present age of the Universe. Beyond z = 0.5 (5 x 10(9) years in the past), spiral arms are less well developed and more chaotic, and barred spiral galaxies may become rarer. At z = 1, around 30% of the galaxy population is sufficiently peculiar that classification on Hubble's traditional "tuning fork" system is meaningless. On the other hand, some characteristics of galaxies have not changed much over time. The space density of luminous disk galaxies has not changed significantly since z = 1, indicating that although the general appearance of these galaxies has continuously changed over time, their overall numbers have been conserved.     

The rotation of spiral galaxies

There is accumulating evidence that as much as 90 percent of the mass of the universe is nonluminous and is clumped, halo-like, around individual galaxies. The gravitational force of this dark matter is presumed to be responsible for the high rotational velocities of stars and gas in the disks of spiral galaxie. At present, the form of the dark matter is unknown. Possible candidates span a range in mass of 10(70), from non-zero-mass neutrinos to massive black holes.     

The most luminous stars

Stars with individual luminosities more than a million times that of the sun are now being studied in a variety of contexts. Observational and theoretical ideas about the most luminous stars have changed greatly in the past few years. They can be observed spectroscopically even in nearby galaxies. They are not very stable; some have had violent outbursts in which large amounts of mass were lost. Because of their instabilities, these stars do not evolve to become red superglants as less luminous stars do. Theoretical scenarios for the evolution of these most massive stars depend on the effects of turbulence and mixing combined with high radition densities.     

Planetary science. The glitter of distant seas

It has long been known that Saturn's largest moon, Titan, has a thick nitrogen atmosphere, which obscures the underlying surface. In his Perspective, Lorenz highlights the report by Campbell et al., who have used the giant Arecibo and Green Bank radio telescopes as a radar to probe Titan's hidden surface. The surface appears to be distinct from those of the icy satellites of Jupiter, in both brightness and polarization. The new data show sharp spikes in the reflected microwave spectrum, indicating large, smooth areas of radar-dark material. These features suggest the widespread existence of lakes or seas of liquid hydrocarbons on Titan.     

嫁接在烟草远缘杂交中的应用

为了扩大种质资源的范围,利用烟草和异种属的物种资源进行远缘杂交已成为烟草育种的发展趋势,而对于克服烟草远缘杂交不育或育性较低的问题。实验利用了常规育种的方法进行先嫁接再有性杂交,并对后代进行酯酶同工酶的分析。结果表明,此方法在一定程度上不但提高了远缘杂交的结实率,而且在后代中含有父本的遗传物质,从而为烟草品种的改良,新品种的培育开辟了新的途径。     

Percolation and galaxies

A theory is presented in which much of the structure of spiral galaxies arises from a percolation phase transition that underlies the phenomenon of propagating star formation. According to this view, the appearance of spiral arms is a consequence of the differential rotation of the galaxy and the characteristic divergence of correlation lengths for continuous phase transitions. Other structural properties of spiral galaxies, such as the distribution of the gaseous components and the luminosity, arise directly from a feedback mechanism that pins the star formation rate close to the critical point of the phase transition. The approach taken in this article differs from traditional dynamical views. The argument is presented that, at least for some galaxies, morphological and other features are already fixed by general properties of phase transitions, irrespective of detailed dynamic or other considerations.     

Dynamics of elliptical galaxies

Elliptical galaxies were once thought to be similar in their structure and dynamics to rotationally flattened bodies like stars. The discovery that elliptical galaxies rotate much more slowly than a fluid body with the same shape has led to a qualitative change in our understanding of the dynamics of these systems. It is now believed that elliptical galaxies are fully triaxial in shape. Self-consistent triaxial equilibria have been constructed and appear to be long-lived; they are made possible by the existence of conserved quantities, or integrals of motion, for galactic potentials without rotational symmetry. Many self-consistent equilibria are unstable; the nonexistence of elliptical galaxies with axis ratios more extreme than 3:1 is probably the result of such an instability. There is evidence for strong central mass concentrations, perhaps massive black holes, at the centers of some nearby galaxies. Recent observations suggest that many elliptical galaxies formed through the merger of two or more spiral galaxies.