16
August
2010
|
18:00 PM
America/New_York

U.S. News: Ohio State again the state’s top public university

The panel illustrates the complexity of dynamical evolution in a typical collision between two equal-mass disk galaxies. The simulation follows dark matter, stars, gas, and supermassive black holes, but only the gas component is visualized. Brighter colors indicate regions of higher gas density and the time corresponding to each snapshot is given by the labels. The first 10 panel images measure 100 kpc on a side, roughly five times the diameter of the visible part of the Milky Way galaxy. The next five panels represent successive zooms on the central region. The final frame shows the inner 300 pc of the nuclear region at the end of the simulation. On two accompanying videos -- here and here -- during the interaction, violent tidal forces tear the galactic disks apart, generating spectacular tidal tails, plumes and prominent bridges of material connecting the two galaxies. The ultimate outcome of a series of increasingly close encounters is the inevitable merger of the disk galaxies into a single structure and the formation of a nuclear disk as shown in the last panel. The simulated nuclear disks have masses of approximately a billion solar masses and exhibit prominent non-axisymmetric features known to produce strong gas inflows. The gas inflows are likely responsible for fueling the central black hole, but even higher resolution will be needed to study this process in detail. Nevertheless, the simulations carried out by Kazantzidis and his collaborators provide the first direct evidence that gas originally in galaxies separated by hundreds of kiloparsecs is collected to sub-parsec scales simply as a result of the dynamics and hydrodynamics involved in the merger process.
The panel illustrates the complexity of dynamical evolution in a typical collision between two equal-mass disk galaxies. The simulation follows dark matter, stars, gas, and supermassive black holes, but only the gas component is visualized. Brighter colors indicate regions of higher gas density and the time corresponding to each snapshot is given by the labels. The first 10 panel images measure 100 kpc on a side, roughly five times the diameter of the visible part of the Milky Way galaxy. The next five panels represent successive zooms on the central region. The final frame shows the inner 300 pc of the nuclear region at the end of the simulation. On two accompanying videos -- here and here -- during the interaction, violent tidal forces tear the galactic disks apart, generating spectacular tidal tails, plumes and prominent bridges of material connecting the two galaxies. The ultimate outcome of a series of increasingly close encounters is the inevitable merger of the disk galaxies into a single structure and the formation of a nuclear disk as shown in the last panel. The simulated nuclear disks have masses of approximately a billion solar masses and exhibit prominent non-axisymmetric features known to produce strong gas inflows. The gas inflows are likely responsible for fueling the central black hole, but even higher resolution will be needed to study this process in detail. Nevertheless, the simulations carried out by Kazantzidis and his collaborators provide the first direct evidence that gas originally in galaxies separated by hundreds of kiloparsecs is collected to sub-parsec scales simply as a result of the dynamics and hydrodynamics involved in the merger process.
The panel illustrates the complexity of dynamical evolution in a typical collision between two equal-mass disk galaxies. The simulation follows dark matter, stars, gas, and supermassive black holes, but only the gas component is visualized. Brighter colors indicate regions of higher gas density and the time corresponding to each snapshot is given by the labels. The first 10 panel images measure 100 kpc on a side, roughly five times the diameter of the visible part of the Milky Way galaxy. The next five panels represent successive zooms on the central region. The final frame shows the inner 300 pc of the nuclear region at the end of the simulation. On two accompanying videos -- here and here -- during the interaction, violent tidal forces tear the galactic disks apart, generating spectacular tidal tails, plumes and prominent bridges of material connecting the two galaxies. The ultimate outcome of a series of increasingly close encounters is the inevitable merger of the disk galaxies into a single structure and the formation of a nuclear disk as shown in the last panel. The simulated nuclear disks have masses of approximately a billion solar masses and exhibit prominent non-axisymmetric features known to produce strong gas inflows. The gas inflows are likely responsible for fueling the central black hole, but even higher resolution will be needed to study this process in detail. Nevertheless, the simulations carried out by Kazantzidis and his collaborators provide the first direct evidence that gas originally in galaxies separated by hundreds of kiloparsecs is collected to sub-parsec scales simply as a result of the dynamics and hydrodynamics involved in the merger process.

COLUMBUS – According to the U.S. News & World Report 2011 edition of America’s Best Colleges released today, The Ohio State University is ranked 18th among the nation’s public universities and the best in Ohio.

The publication also recognizes three Ohio State initiatives as outstanding examples of programs linked to student success. The university’s First Year Experience program is recognized for helping connect first-year students to the university and the larger community. It also cites Ohio State’s Learning Communities, residential programs that allow students to take courses as a group. In addition, Ohio State’s Service Learning program is noted among programs that feature community service as an instructional strategy.

“Ohio State’s strong position among the nation’s best public universities is testament to our gifted faculty and staff, well-prepared students, caring alumni, and engaged community partners,” said President E. Gordon Gee. “The rankings are all the more meaningful because the editors have singled out unique and highly effective programs that enhance the student experience, reinforce learning, and directly benefit the people of Ohio.”

Among all 262 national institutions rated, both public and private, Ohio State ranked 56th overall. Among public institutions, Ohio State shares its 18th - place ranking with Purdue, the University of Georgia, and the University of Maryland.

U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on peer and high school counselor assessment, retention, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rate performance, and alumni contributions.

The rankings, which use 2009 statistics, note improvement in several categories. The freshman retention improved from 92 to 93%, and the graduation rate increased from 73 to 75%.

In addition to the overall institutional rankings, the magazine also annually ranks undergraduate programs in business and engineering. Among both private and public universities, Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business was rated 14th in the nation (up from 16 last year), and seventh among public universities.

Among Ph.D.-granting private and public colleges, Ohio State’s College of Engineering is rated 26th overall and 17th among publics in the category.

Last month, the magazine named The Ohio State University Medical Center one of “America’s Best Hospitals” for the 18th consecutive year. The OSU Medical Center leads the region with 11 specialties named as among the best in America. The medical center’s heart program jumped 17 places – from 37 to 20 – to earn a spot as one of the nation’s best. The magazine also recognized Ohio State programs in cancer, diabetes & endocrinology, gynecology, kidney disorders, neurology & neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, rehabilitation, urology, and ear, nose and throat as being among the best in the country.

Founded in 1870, The Ohio State University is a world-class public research university and the leading comprehensive teaching and research institution in the state of Ohio. With more than 55,000 students enrolled at its main Columbus campus, 14 colleges and 175 majors, the university offers its students exceptional breadth and depth of opportunity in the liberal arts, the sciences and the professions. A national research powerhouse, the university ranks tenth among all universities in research expenditures and a remarkable second place when it comes to industry-sponsored research.