118188413
Disformal invariance of second order scalar-tensor theories: Framing the Horndeski action
The Horndeski action is the most general one involving a metric and a scalar field that leads to second order field equations in four dimensions. Being the natural extension of the well known Scalar-Tensor theories, its structure and properties are worth analysing along the experience accumulated in the latter context. Here we argue that disformal transformations play, for the Horndeski theory, a similar role to that of conformal transformations for Scalar-Tensor theories a l`a Brans-Dicke. We identify the most general transformation preserving second order field equations and discuss the issue of viable frames for this kind of theories, in particular the possibility to cast the action in the so called Einstein frame. Finally, we investigate the physical equivalence of such frames and their reciprocal relationship.
118368961
Non-minimally coupled dark matter: effective pressure and structure formation
We propose a phenomenological model in which a non-minimal coupling between gravity and dark matter is present in order to address some of the apparent small scales issues of ΛCDM model. When described in a frame in which gravity dynamics is given by the standard Einstein-Hilbert action, the non-minimal coupling translates into an effective pressure for the dark matter component. We consider some phenomenological examples and describe both background and linear perturbations. We show that the presence of an effective pressure may lead these scenarios to differ from ΛCDM at the scales where the non-minimal coupling (and therefore the pressure) is active. In particular two effects are present: a pressure term for the dark matter component that is able to reduce the growth of structures at galactic scales, possibly reconciling simulations and observations; an effective interaction term between dark matter and baryons that could explain observed correlations between the two components of the cosmic fluid within Tully-Fisher analysis.
120483563
Framing the dark: theory and phenomenology of a non-minimally coupled dark matter fluid
85534134
Extended LCDM: generalized non-minimal coupling for dark matter fluids
In this paper we discuss a class of models that address the issue of explaining the gravitational dynamics at the galactic scale starting from a geometric point of view. Instead of claiming the existence of some hidden coupling between dark matter and baryons, or abandoning the existence of dark matter itself, we consider the possibility that dark matter and gravity have some non trivial interaction able to modify the dynamics at astrophysical scales. This interaction is implemented assuming that dark matter gets non-minimally coupled with gravity at suitably small scales and late times. After showing the predictions of the model in the Newtonian limit we also discuss the possible origin of it non-minimal coupling. This investigation seems to suggest that phenomenological mechanisms envisaged for the dark matter dynamics, such as the Bose-Einstein condensation of dark matter halos, could be connected to this class of models.
118311491
Dark matter as a Bose-Einstein Condensate: the relativistic non-minimally coupled case
Bose-Einstein Condensates have been recently proposed as dark matter candidates. In order to characterize the phenomenology associated to such models, we extend previous investigations by studying the general case of a relativistic BEC on a curved background including a non-minimal coupling to curvature. In particular, we discuss the possibility of a two phase cosmological evolution: a cold dark matter-like phase at the large scales/early times and a condensed phase inside dark matter halos. During the first phase dark matter is described by a minimally coupled weakly self-interacting scalar field, while in the second one dark matter condensates and, we shall argue, develops as a consequence the non-minimal coupling. Finally, we discuss how such non-minimal coupling could provide a new mechanism to address cold dark matter paradigm issues at galactic scales.
119378000
The fundamental plane of radio galaxies
We collected photometrical and dynamical data for 73 low red-shift ( z< 0:2) Radio Galaxies (LzRG) in order to study their Fundamental Plane (FP). For 22 sources we also present new velocity dispersion data that complement the photometric data given in our previous study of LzRG (Govoni et al. 2000a). It is found that the FP of LzRG is similar to the one dened by non-active elliptical galaxies, with LzRG representing the brightest end of the population of early type galaxies. Since the FP mainly reflects the virial equilibrium condition, our result implies that the global properties of early{type galaxies (dening the FP) are not influenced by the presence of gas accretion in the central black hole. This is fully in agreement with the recent results in black hole demography, showing that virtually all luminous spheroidal galaxies host a massive black hole and therefore may potentially become active. We conrm and extend to giant ellipticals the systematic increase of the mass-to-light ratio with galaxy luminosity.
23729217
The evolution of early-type galaxies in clusters from z ~ 0.8 to z ~ 0: the ellipticity distribution and the morphological mix
We present the ellipticity distribution and its evolution for early-type galaxies in clusters from z~ 0.8 to the current epoch, based on the WIde-field Nearby Galaxy-cluster Survey (0.04 ≤ z ≤ 0.07) and the ESO Distant Cluster Survey (0.4 ≤ z ≤ 0.8). We first investigate a mass-limited sample and we find that above a fixed mass limit (M_(*) ≥ 10^(10.2) M_⊙), the ellipticity (e) distribution of early-type galaxies notably evolves with redshift. In the local Universe, there are proportionally more galaxies with higher ellipticity, hence flatter, than in distant clusters. This evolution is due partly to the change in 
the mass distribution and mainly to the change in the morphological mix with z among the early types, the fraction of ellipticals goes from ~70 per cent at high z to ~40 per cent at low z). Analysing separately the ellipticity distribution of the different morphological types, we find no evolution both for ellipticals and for S0s. However, for ellipticals a change with redshift in the median value of the distributions is detected. This is due to a larger population of very round (e M_(B)+ 1.208z > −21. Analysing this sample, we do not recover exactly the same results as the mass-limited sample. This indicates that the selection criteria are crucial to characterize the galactic properties: the choice of the magnitude-‘delimited’ sample implies the loss of many less-massive galaxies and so it biases the final conclusions. Moreover, although we are adopting the same selection criteria, our results in the magnitude-‘delimited’ sample are also not in agreement with those of Holden et al. This is due to the fact that our and their low-zsamples have a different magnitude distribution because the Holden et al. sample suffers from incompleteness at faint magnitudes.
11244261
Rotation curves and metallicity gradients from HII regions in spiral galaxies
In this paper we study long slit spectra in the region of H emission line of a sample of 111 spiral galaxies with recognizable and well defined spiral morphology and with a well determined environmental status, ranging from isolation to non-disruptive interaction with satellites or companions. The form and properties of the rotation curves are considered as a function of the isolation degree, morphological type and luminosity. The line ratios are used to estimate the metallicity of all the detected HII regions, thus producing a composite metallicity profile for dierent types of spirals. We have found that isolated galaxies tend to be of later types and lower luminosity than the interacting galaxies. The outer parts of the rotation curves of isolated galaxies tend to be flatter than in interacting galaxies, but they show similar relations between global parameters. The scatter of the Tully-Fisher relation defined by isolated galaxies is significantly lower than that of interacting galaxies. The (NII)/H ratios, used as a metallicity indicator, show a clear trend between Z and morphological type, t, with earlier spirals showing higher ratios; this trend is tighter when instead of t the gradient of the inner rotation curve, G, is used; no trend is found with the change in interaction status. The Z-gradient of the disks depends on the type, being almost flat for early spirals, and increasing for later types. The (NII)/H ratios measured for disk HII regions of interacting galaxies are higher than for normal/isolated objects, even if all the galaxy families present similar distributions of H Equivalent Width.
18924153
Substructures in WINGS clusters
Aims. We search for and characterize substructures in the projected distribution of galaxies observed in the wide field CCD images of the 77 nearby clusters of the Wide-field Nearby Galaxy-cluster Survey (WINGS). This sample is complete in X-ray flux in the redshift range 0.04 < z < 0.07. Methods. We search for substructures in WINGS clusters with DEDICA, an adaptive-kernel procedure. We test the procedure on Monte-Carlo simulations of the observed frames and determine the reliability for the detected structures. Results. DEDICA identifies at least one reliable structure in the field of 55 clusters. 40 of these clusters have a total of 69 substructures at the same redshift of the cluster (redshift estimates of substructures are from color-magnitude diagrams). The fraction of clusters with subelusters (73%) is higher than in most studies. The presence of subclusters affects the relative luminosities of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). Down to L ∼ 10 11 L ⊙ , our observed differential distribution of subeluster luminosities is consistent with the theoretical prediction of the differential mass function of substructures in cosmological simulations.
121146499
Prototype tests of two controlled geometry drift chambers
Abstract This report presents results on the performance of two new drift chamber geometries, which were optimized for space resolution and two-track separation. The best performance requires isochronous drift collection, low electron diffusion, and careful signal shaping. The role of the mobility of electrons and positive ions is emphasized. We tested two geometries, and at a gas pressure of 1 atm we found σ ⋍ 60–70 μ m for the single-track resolution and Δ ⋍ 600 μ m for the two-track separation.