We describe how a survey of the polarization of the cosmic microwave background induced by Compton scattering in galaxy clusters can be used to make a full spatial reconstruction of the primordial (z~1089) matter distribution inside our surface of last scattering. This "polarization tomography" can yield a spatial map of the initial state of the Universe just as gravitational collapse was beginning to drive structure formation. We present a transparent method and simple formulas from which one can compute the 3D primordial map in real and in Fourier space, given a 3D map of the polarization due to galaxy clusters. The advantage of the real space reconstruction is that it is free from the statistical uncertainties which are inherent in the Fourier space reconstruction. We discuss how noise, partial sky covering and depth of the survey can affect the results.
We measure the local rates of ``low-luminosity'' (LL-GRBs, i.e. L<10^{48--49}erg/sec) and ``high-luminosity'' Gamma-ray Bursts (HL-GRBs). The values are in the range n0=100--1800 Gpc^(-3)yr^(-1) and n0=100--550 Gpc^(-3) yr^(-1), respectively, and the ratios to SNe-Ibc \sim 1%-9% and 0.4% -3%. These data may suggest the existence of two physically distinct classes of GRBs in which LL-GRBs are (intrinsically) more frequent events than HL-GRBs. However, with the present data we cannot exclude the possibility of a single population of GRBs which give rise to both an isotropic low-luminous emission (LL-GRBs: detectable only in nearby GRBs) and to a highly collimated high-luminous emission (HL-GRBs: detectable preferentially at high-z). We compute also the rate of SNe-Ibc characterized by broad-lined spectra (Hypernovae) and found it to be about 1.5\times 10^(-4)HNe yr^(-1) 10^(10) L_(B\odot) (i.e less than 10% of SNe-Ibc occurring in Spirals). This result implies that the ratio HL-GRBs/HNe is smaller than 1, possibly in the range 0.04--0.3. We have used the ratio between Hypernovae and LL-GRBs to constrain their beaming factor to f_b^(-1)\sim 10 or less.
In dilute astrophysical plasmas, thermal conduction is primarily along magnetic field lines, and therefore highly anisotropic. As a result, the usual convective stability criterion is modified from a condition on entropy to a condition on temperature. For small magnetic fields or small wavenumbers, instability occurs in any atmosphere where the temperature and pressure gradients point in the same direction. We refer to the resulting convective instability as the magnetothermal instability (MTI). We present fully three-dimensional simulations of the MTI and show that saturation results in an atmosphere with different vertical structure, dependent upon the boundary conditions. When the temperature at the boundary of the unstable layer is allowed to vary, the temperature gradient relaxes until the unstable region is almost isothermal. When the temperature at the boundary of the unstable region is fixed, the magnetic field is reoriented to an almost vertical geometry as a result of buoyant motions. This case exhibits more vigorous turbulence. In both cases the resulting saturated heat flux is almost one-half of the value expected if the conduction were purely isotropic. The action of the MTI results in dynamical processes that lead to significant transport perpendicular to the initial direction of the magnetic field. The resulting magnetoconvection in both cases amplifies the magnetic field until it is almost in equipartition with sustained subsonic turbulence. These results are relevant to understanding measurements of the temperature profiles of the intracluster medium of clusters of galaxies as well as the structure of radiatively inefficient accretion flows.
The new 182 gold supernova Ia data, the baryon acoustic oscillation measurement and the shift parameter determined from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the three-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe data are combined to reconstruct the dark energy equation of state parameter $w(z)$ and the deceleration parameter $q(z)$. We find that the strongest evidence of acceleration happens around the redshift $z\sim 0.2$ and the stringent constraints on $w(z)$ lie in the redshift range $z\sim 0.2-0.5$. The transition redshift $z_t$ is derived to be $z_t=0.36^{+0.23}_{-0.08}$. The combined data is also applied to find out the geometry of the Universe, and we find that $|\Omega_k|\alt 0.05$ at the $3\sigma$ confidence level.
The role of carbon monoxide as a cooling agent for the thermal structure of the mid-photospheric to low-chromospheric layers of the solar atmosphere in internetwork regions is investigated. The treatment of radiative cooling via spectral lines of carbon monoxide (CO) has been added to the radiation chemo-hydrodynamics code CO5BOLD. [...] The CO opacity indeed causes additional cooling at the fronts of propagating shock waves in the chromosphere. There, the time-dependent approach results in a higher CO number density compared to the equilibrium case and hence in a larger net radiative cooling rate. The average gas temperature stratification of the model atmosphere, however, is only reduced by roughly 100 K. Also the temperature fluctuations and the CO number density are only affected to small extent. A numerical experiment without dynamics shows that the CO cooling process works in principle and drives the atmosphere to a cool radiative equilibrium state. At chromospheric heights the radiative relaxation of the atmosphere to a cool state takes several 1000 s. The CO cooling process thus would seem to be too slow, compared to atmospheric dynamics, to be responsible for the very cool temperature regions observed in the solar atmosphere. The hydrodynamical timescales in our solar atmosphere model are much too short to allow for the radiative relaxation to a cool state, thus suppressing the potential thermal instability due to carbon monoxide as a cooling agent. Rather, the thermal structure and dynamics of the outer model atmosphere apparently are determined primarily by shock waves.
We develop and demonstrate the methodology of testing multi-dimensional supernova models against observations by studying the properties of one example of the detonation from failed deflagration (DFD) explosion model of thermonuclear supernovae. Using time-dependent multi-dimensional radiative transfer calculations, we generate the synthetic broadband optical light curves, near-infrared light curves, color evolution curves, full spectral time-series, and spectropolarization of the model, as seen from various viewing angles. All model observables are critically evaluated against examples of well-observed, standard Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). We explore the consequences of the intrinsic model asphericity by studying the dependence of the model emission on viewing angle, and by quantifying the resulting dispersion in (and internal correlations between) various model observables. These statistical properties of the model are also evaluated against those of the available observational sample of SNe Ia. On the whole, the DFD model shows good agreement with a broad range of SN Ia observations. Certain deficiencies are also apparent, and point to further developments within the basic theoretical framework. We also identify several intriguing orientation effects in the model which suggest ways in which the asphericity of SNe Ia may contribute to their photometric and spectroscopic diversity and, conversely, how the relative homogeneity of SNe Ia constrains the degree of asymmetry allowable in the models. The comprehensive methodology adopted in this work proves an essential component of developing and validating theoretical supernova models, and helps motivate and clearly define future directions in both the modeling and the observation of SNe Ia.
We present 0.1" resolution near-infrared integral field spectroscopy of Halpha in a z=1.4781 star forming galaxy, Q2343-BM133. These observations were obtained with OSIRIS (OH Suppressing Infra-Red Imaging Spectrograph) using the W.M. Keck Observatory Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics system. Halpha emission is resolved over a 0.8" (6.8 kpc) x 0.5" (4.3 kpc) region with a 0.1" spatial resolution. We find a global flux of 4.2+/-0.6x10^{-16} ergs s^{-1} cm^{-2}, and detect a spatially resolved velocity gradient of ~134 km s^{-1} across the galaxy and a global velocity dispersion of 73+/-9 km s^{-1}. An upper limit of NII/Halpha < 0.12 is inferred, which implies that this galaxy is not dominated by an active galactic nucleus and has a metallicity at or below 1/2 solar metallicity. We derive a star formation rate (SFR) of 47+/-6 Msun yr^{-1}, and a dereddened SFR of 66+/-9 Msun yr^{-1}. Two-dimensional kinematics for Q2343-BM133 fit well with an inclined-disk model, with which we estimate an enclosed mass of 4.3x10^{9} Msun within 5.5 kpc. A possible merger scenario is also presented, and can not be fully ruled out. We derive a virial mass of 1.1x10^{10} Msun for a disk geometry, using the observed velocity dispersion. We propose that Q2343-BM133 is currently at an early stage of disk formation at a look-back time of 9.3 Gyr.
Several investigations of FGK stars in the solar neighborhood have suggested that thin-disk stars with an iron abundance similar to the Sun appear to show higher abundances of other elements, such as silicon, titanium, or nickel. Offsets could arise if the samples contain stars with ages, mean galactocentric distances, or kinematics, that differ on average from the solar values. They could also arise due to systematic errors in the abundance determinations, if the samples contain stars that are different from the Sun regarding their atmospheric parameters. We re-examine this issue by studying a sample of 80 nearby stars with solar-like colors and luminosities. Among these solar "analogs", the objects with solar iron abundances exhibit solar abundances of carbon, silicon, calcium, titanium and nickel.
The characterization of gas in the inner disks around young stars is of particular interest because of its connection to planet formation. In order to study the gas in inner disks, we have obtained high-resolution K-band and M-band spectroscopy of 14 intermediate mass young stars. In sources that have optically thick inner disks, i.e. E(K-L)>1, our detection rate of the ro-vibrational CO transitions is 100% and the gas is thermally excited. Of the five sources that do not have optically thick inner disks, we only detect the ro-vibrational CO transitions from HD 141569. In this case, we show that the gas is excited by UV fluorescence and that the inner disk is devoid of gas and dust. We discuss the plausibility of the various scenarios for forming this inner hole. Our modeling of the UV fluoresced gas suggests an additional method by which to search for and/or place stringent limits on gas in dust depleted regions in disks around Herbig Ae/Be stars.
We present K-band imaging for 15 of the Canadian Network for Observational Cosmology (CNOC1) clusters. The cluster luminosity density and number density profiles can be described by NFW models with concentration parameters of c_{l} = 4.28 \pm 0.70 and c_{g} = 4.13 \pm 0.57 respectively. Comparing these to the dynamical mass analysis of the same clusters shows that the galaxy luminosity and number density profiles are similar to the dark matter profile, and are not less concentrated like in local clusters. The luminosity functions show that the evolution of K^{*} over the redshift range 0.2 < z < 0.5 is consistent with a scenario where the majority of stars in cluster galaxies form at high-redshift (z_{f} > 1.5) and evolve passively thereafter. The best-fit for the faint-end slope of the luminosity function is alpha = -0.84 pm 0.08, which indicates that it does not evolve between z = 0 and z = 0.3. Using Principal Component Analysis of the spectra we classify cluster galaxies as either star-forming/recently-star-forming (EM+BAL) or non-starforming (ELL) and compute their respective luminosity functions. The faint-end slope of the ELL luminosity function is much shallower than for the EM+BAL galaxies at z = 0.3, and suggests the number of faint ELL galaxies in clusters decreases by a factor of ~3 from z = 0 to z = 0.3. The redshift evolution of K^{*} for both EM+BAL and ELL types is consistent with a passively evolving stellar population formed at high-redshift. Passive evolution in both classes, as well as the total cluster luminosity function, demonstrates that the bulk of the stellar population in all bright cluster galaxies is formed at high-redshift and subsequent transformations in morphology/color/spectral-type have little effect on the total stellar mass.
We present ultraviolet (UV) photometry of M31 globular clusters (GCs) found in 23 Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) images covering the entirety of M31. We detect 485 and 273 GCs (and GC candidates) in the near-ultraviolet (NUV; 2267 A) and far-ultraviolet (FUV; 1516 A), respectively. Comparing M31 data with those of Galactic GCs in the UV with the aid of population models, we find that the age ranges of old GCs in M31 and the Galactic halo are similar. Three metal-rich ([Fe/H]>-1) GCs in M31 produce significant FUV flux making their FUV-V colors unusually blue for their metallicities. These are thought to be analogs of the two peculiar Galactic GCs NGC 6388 and NGC 6441 with extended blue HB stars. Based on the models incorporating helium enriched subpopulations in addition to the majority of the population that have a normal helium abundance, we suggest that even small fraction of super-helium-rich subpopulations in GCs can reproduce the observed UV bright metal-rich GCs. Young clusters in M31 show distinct UV and optical properties from GCs in Milky Way. Population models indicate that their typical age is less than ~ 2 Gyrs. A large fraction of young GCs have the kinematics of the thin, rapidly rotating disk component. However, a subset of the old GCs also shares the thin-disk kinematics of the younger clusters. The existence of young GCs on the outskirts of M31 disk suggests the occurrence of a significant recent star formation in the thin-disk of M31. Old thin-disk GCs may set constraints on the epoch of early formation of the M31 thin-disk. We detect 12 (10) intermediate-age GC candidates in NUV (FUV). We suggest that some of spectroscopically identified intermediate-age GCs may not be truly intermediate in age, but rather older GCs that possess developed HB.
Electron injection process at high Mach number collisionless quasi-perpendicular shock waves is investigated by means of one-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulations. We find that energetic electrons are generated through the following two steps : (1) electrons are accelerated nearly perpendicular to the local magnetic field by shock surfing acceleration at the leading edge of the shock transition region. (2) the preaccelerated electrons suffer shock drift acceleration because of their large energy and pitch angle. As a result, energetic electrons are preferentially reflected back to the upstream. Shock surfing acceleration is important not only for the energization process itself, but also for triggering the second acceleration process. We also present a theoretical model based on the two-step acceleration mechanism, which predicts the injection efficiency for subsequent diffusive shock acceleration process. We show that the injection efficiency obtained by the present model roughly agrees with that obtained by Chandra X-ray observations of SN 1006.
In this paper, we will discuss the prospects of deducing the proton-air cross section from fluorescence telescope measurements of extensive air showers. As it is not possible to observe the point of first interaction $X_{\rm 1}$ directly, other observables closely linked to $X_{\rm 1}$ must be inferred from the longitudinal profiles. This introduces a dependence on the models used to describe the shower development. The most straightforward candidate for a good correlation to $X_{\rm 1}$ is the depth of shower maximum $X_{\rm max}$. We will discuss the sensitivity of an $X_{\rm max}$-based analysis on $\sigma_{\rm p-air}$ and quantify the systematic uncertainties arising from the model dependence, parameters of the reconstruction method itself and a possible non-proton contamination of the selected shower sample.
We observed five central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPN) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and three in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), in the range 905-1187 Ang. We performed a model-based analysis of these spectra in conjunction with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) spectra in the UV and optical range to determine stellar and nebular parameters. The signature of hot (T >~ 2000 K) circumstellar molecular hydrogen is found in the FUSE spectra of most objects. We also find evidence of X-rays in the wind of LMC-SMP 76.
The EDELWEISS experiment is dedicated to the WIMPs direct search using heat-and-ionization Ge cryogenic detectors. We present the final results obtained by the first stage of the experiment, EDELWEISS-I which used three 320 g bolometers, corresponding to 62 kg.d. We describe EDELWEISS-II which commissioning runs have already started. This second stage of the experiment involves 10 to 40 kg of detectors with a better shielding in the aim to improve the sensitivity by two orders of magnitude.
Analysis of cosmological solutions of GX models shows interesting features, in particular for simple models with pressureless fluid the presence of separatrix in the phase space of solutions which divides them into two classes: Friedmannian-like with initial singularity and non-Friedmannian solutions. Invariants were found that reveal intrinsic symmetry in GX models.
We apply the IC e$^\pm$ pair cascade model in order to investigate the possible $\gamma$-ray emission features from another compact massive binary of the microquasar type, Cyg X-1. We conclude that the observational constraints at lower energies (from MeV to GeV) suggest that the spectrum of electrons injected in the jet is likely steeper than in other TeV $\gamma$-ray microquasars. The cascade $\gamma$-ray spectrum produced by electrons with such spectrum in Cyg X-1 should be below the sensitivities of the MAGIC and VERITAS class Cherenkov telescopes. However, if the electron spectrum is flatter, then the highest TeV $\gamma$-ray fluxes are predicted at $\sim$7 hrs before and after the phase when the compact object is in front of the massive star. We suggest that Cherenkov telescopes should concentrate on these range of phases since the TeV flux can vary by a factor of $\sim$20 with the period of the Cyg X-1 binary system. Moreover, the model predicts clear anticorrelation of the GeV and TeV $\gamma$-ray emission. This feature can be tested by the future multiwavelength observations with the AGILE and GLAST telescopes in the GeV energy range and the MAGIC and VERITAS telescopes in the TeV energy range.
Recent observations show that the number of stars with very low metallicities in the dwarf spheroidal satellites of the Milky Way is low, despite the low average metallicities of stars in these systems. We undertake numerical simulations of star formation and metal enrichment of dwarf galaxies in order to verify whether this result can be reproduced with "standard" assumptions. The answer is likely to be negative, unless some selection bias against very low metallicity stars is present in the observations.
There is currently a clear discrepancy in the proper motions measured on different angular scales in the approaching radio jets of the black hole X-ray binary GRS1915+105. Lower velocities were measured with the Very Large Array (VLA) prior to 1996 than were subsequently found from higher-resolution observations made with the Very Long Baseline Array and the Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network. We initiated an observing campaign to use all three arrays to attempt to track the motion of the jet knots from the 2006 February outburst of the source, giving us unprecedented simultaneous coverage of all angular scales, from milliarcsecond scales out to arcsecond scales. The derived proper motion, which was dominated by the VLA measurements, was found to be 17.0 mas per day, demonstrating that there has been no significant permanent change in the properties of the jets since 1994. We find no conclusive evidence for deceleration of the jet knots, unless this occurs within 70 mas of the core. We discuss possible causes for the varying proper motions recorded in the literature.
Recently Zhang (2005) has proposed a model to account for the well established effect that the fraction of type-II AGNs is anti-correlated with the observed X-ray luminosity; the model consists of an X-ray emitting accretion disk coaligned to the dusty torus within the standard AGN unification model. In this paper the model is refined by including relativistic effects of the observed X-ray radiations from the vicinity of the supermassive black hole in an AGN. The relativistic corrections improve the combined fitting results of the observed luminosity distribution and the type-II AGN fraction, though the improvement is not significant. The type-II AGN fraction prefers non- or mildly spinning black hole cases and rules out the extremely spinning case.
We have detected a strong limb polarization for Uranus and Neptune. With spectropolarimetric observations we characterize the spectral dependence of this limb polarization and explore the diagnostic potential for investigating the distribution and properties of the scattering particles. We present disk resolved spectropolarimetry of Uranus and Neptune covering the wavelength range from 530nm to 930nm and compare the spectropolarimetric signal for different limb sections and the center of the planetary disk. As an additional benefit we obtained center-to-limb disk profiles for the intensity and polarization for various wavelengths.
We present preliminary results on the radial velocity follow-up of a planetary transit candidate (P=2.43d, V=15.4) detected during the MACHO project. The photometry is consistent with a grazing transit of an object with radius >=1.8RJ orbiting a K dwarf star, and is the brightest best candidate detected from MACHO. Results from the 2.2m MPG/ESO telescope and FEROS (R=48,000) in May 2006 display an apparent radial velocity variation with amplitude ~650m/s with the same period as the transit, and a solar-type primary. This is consistent with an orbiting companion of mass ~4MJ. However, further observations display an additional secondary long-period variation with amplitude of several km/s, indicating the presence of a third body. The system is likely a low mass eclipsing binary orbiting the solar-type primary. Further observations are planned to fully characterize the system.
We have performed a large ground-based search for transiting Hot Jupiter planets in the outer regions of the globular clusters 47 Tucanae and omega Centauri. The aim was to help understand the role that environmental effects play on Hot Jupiter formation and survivability in globular clusters. Using the ANU 1m telescope and a 52' X 52' field, a total of 54,000 solar-type stars were searched for transits in both clusters with fully tested transit-finding algorithms. Detailed Monte Carlo simulations were performed to model the datasets and calculate the expected planet yields. Seven planets were expected in 47 Tuc, and five in omega Cen. Despite a detailed search, no planet-like candidates were identified in either cluster. Combined with previous theoretical studies of planet survivability, and the HST null result in the core of 47 Tuc, the lack of detections in the uncrowded outer regions of both clusters indicates that stellar metallicity is the dominant factor inhibiting Hot Jupiter formation in the cluster environment.
Recent observations of XTE J1739-285 suggest that it contains a neutron star rotating at 1122 Hz. Such rotation imposes bounds on the structure of neutron star in XTE J1739-285. These bounds may be used to constrain poorly known equation of state of dense matter. One-parameter families of stationary configurations rotating rigidly at 1122 Hz are constructed, using a precise 2-D code solving Einstein equations. Hydrostatic equilibrium solutions are tested for stability with respect to axi-symmetric perturbations. A set of ten diverse EOSs of neutron stars is considered. Hypothetical strange stars are also studied. For each EOS, the family of possible neutron star models is limited by the mass shedding limit, corresponding to maximum allowed equatorial radius, R_max, and by the instability with respect to the axi-symmetric perturbations, reached at the minimum allowed equatorial radius, R_min. We get R_min \simeq 10-13km, and R_max \simeq 16-18km, with allowed mass 1.4-2.3 M_\odot. Allowed stars with hyperonic or exotic-phase core are supramassive and have a very narrow mass range. Quark star with accreted crust might be allowed, provided such a model is able to reproduce X-ray bursts from XTE J1739-285.
We analyse public domain time-series photometric observations of 30 known and candidate binary post-AGB stars for measuring pulsation and orbital periods. We derive periodicities for 17 stars for the first time in the literature. Besides identifying five new RV Tauri type pulsating variables (three with the RVb phenomenon, i.e. long-term changes of the mean brightness), we find multiply periodic (or possibly irregular) post-AGB stars on the two edges of the instability strip. The temperature dependence of the peak-to-peak light curve amplitudes clearly indicates the changes in excitation as post-AGB stars evolve through the strip. One object, the peculiar Type II Cepheid ST Pup, showed a period increase from 18.5 to 19.2 d, which is consistent with the known period fluctuations in the past. In HD 44179, the central star of the Red Rectangle nebula, we see very similar asymmetric light curve than was measured 10-15 years ago, suggesting a very stable circumstellar environment. In contrast to this, HD 213985 shows coherent but highly non-repetitive brightness modulation, indicating changes in the circumstellar cloud on a similar time-scale to the orbital period.
The color glass condensate approach describes successfully heavy ion collisions at RHIC. We investigate Iron-air collisions within this approach and compare results to event generators commonly used in air shower simulations. We estimate uncertainties in the extrapolation to GZK energies and discuss implications for air shower simulations.
Sterile neutrinos with the mass in the keV range are interesting warm dark matter (WDM) candidates. The restrictions on their parameters (mass and mixing angle) obtained by current X-ray missions (XMM-Newton or Chandra) can only be improved by less than an order of magnitude in the near future. Therefore the new strategy of search is needed. We compare the sensitivities of existing and planned X-ray missions for the detection of WDM particles with the mass ~1-20 keV. We show that existing technology allows an improvement in sensitivity by a factor of 100. Namely, two different designs can achieve such an improvement: [A] a spectrometer with the high spectral resolving power of 0.1%, wide (steradian) field of view, with small effective area of about cm^2 (which can be achieved without focusing optics) or [B] the same type of spectrometer with a smaller (degree) field of view but with a much larger effective area of 10^3 cm^2 (achieved with the help of focusing optics). To illustrate the use of the "type A" design we present the bounds on parameters of the sterile neutrino obtained from analysis of the data taken by an X-ray microcalorimeter. In spite of the very short exposure time (100 sec) the derived bound is comparable to the one found from long XMM-Newton observation.
A long standing and unverified prediction of binary star evolution theory is the existence of a population of white dwarfs accreting from sub-stellar donor stars. Such systems ought to be common, but the difficulty of finding them, combined with the challenge of detecting the donor against the light from accretion means that no donor star to date has a measured mass below the hydrogen burning limit. Here we apply a technique which allows us to reliably measure the mass of the unseen donor star in eclipsing systems. We are able to identify a brown dwarf donor star, with a mass of 0.052+/-0.002 Msun. The relatively high mass of the donor star for its orbital period suggests that current evolutionary models may underestimate the radii of brown dwarfs.
We present a study of radial density structure of the star forming globule, DCld303.8-14.2 (DC303), and a non-star forming globule, Thumbprint Nebula (TPN), using near-infrared data taken with the ISAAC instrument on the Very Large Telescope. We derive the extinction through the globules using the color excess technique and examine the radial density distribution using Bonnor-Ebert and power-law models. The two globules have significantly different density structures. The extinction profile of DC303 is best fitted with a single power-law with an exponent p = 2.29 \pm 0.08. An unstable Bonnor-Ebert model with a dimensionless parameter \xi_max = 23 \pm 3 provides equally good fit to data. The extinction profile of TPN flattens at small radii, making the profile significantly different from the profile of DC303. We are unable to fit the Bonnor-Ebert model for TPN in a robust manner, but derive the lower limit \xi_max > 8 for the dimensionless outer edge. The density profile derived for TPN is typical compared to recently observed pre-protostellar globules, with high \xi_max value which could be interpreted as the presence of significant additional support or very slow contraction.
Since its decovery during the late 90's, the dimming of distant SN Ia apparent luminosity has been mostly ascribed to the influence of a mysterious dark energy component. Based upon the cosmological ``principle'' hypothesis, this interpretation has given rise to the ``concordance'' model, developed in the context of a Friedmann-Lemaitre cosmology. However, a caveat of this reasoning is that the cosmological ``principle'' derives from a philosophical Copernican assumption and has never been tested. Furthermore, a weakness of its conclusion, i. e., the existence of a negative-pressure fluid or a cosmological constant, is that it would have profound implications for the current theories of physics. This is why we have proposed a more conservative explanation, ascribing the departure of the observed universe from an Einstein-de Sitter model to the influence of inhomogeneities. This idea has been independently developed by other authors and further enlarged to the reproduction of different cosmological data. We review here the main proposals which has been made along these lines of though and present some prospects for future developments.
Context: The nearby pair of solar-type stars Alpha Centauri is a favorable target for an imaging search for extrasolar planets. Indications exist that the gravitational mass of Alpha Cen B could be higher than its modeled mass, the difference being consistent with a substellar companion of a few tens of Jupiter masses. However, Alpha Centauri usually appears in star catalogues surrounded by a large void area, due to the strong diffused light. Aims: We searched for faint comoving companions to Alpha Cen located at angular distances of the order of a few tens of arcseconds, up to 2-3 arcmin. As a secondary objective, we built a catalogue of the detected background sources. Methods: In order to complement our adaptive optics search at small angular distances (Paper I), we used atmosphere limited CCD imaging from the NTT-SUSI2 instrument in the Bessel V, R, I, and Z bands. Results: We present the results of our search in the form of a catalogue of the detected objects inside a 5.5 arcmin box around this star. A total of 4313 sources down to mV~24 and mI~22 were detected from this wide-field survey. We extracted the infrared photometry of part of the detected sources from archive images of the 2MASS survey (JHK bands). We investigate briefly the nature of the detected sources, many of them presenting extremely red color indices (V-K > 14). Conclusions: We did not detect any companion to Alpha Centauri between 100 and 300 AU, down to a maximum mass of ~15 times Jupiter. We also mostly exclude the presence of a companion more massive than 30 MJup between 50 and 100 AU.
We present photometry of HD 189733 during eight transits of its close-in giant planet, and out-of-transit photometry spanning two years. Using the transit photometry, we determine the stellar and planetary radii and the photometric ephemeris. Outside of transits, there are quasiperiodic flux variations with a 13.4 day period that we attribute to stellar rotation. In combination with previous results, we derive upper limits on the orbital eccentricity, and on the true angle between the stellar rotation axis and planetary orbit (as opposed to the angle between the projections of those axes on the sky).
Magnetic fields have been frequently invoked as a likely source of
variability and confinement of the winds of massive stars. To date, the only
magnetic field detected in O-type stars are those of theta 1 Ori C (HD 37022;
Donati et al. 2002), the brightest and most massive member of the Orion Nebula
Cluster (ONC), and HD 191612 (Donati et al. 2006). Notably, theta 1 Ori C is an
intense X-ray emitter, and the source of these X-rays is thought to be strong
shocks occurring in its magnetically-confined wind (Babel & Montmerle 1997a,
Donati et al. 2002).
Recently, Stelzer et al. (2005) found significant X-ray emission from all
massive stars in the ONC. Periodic rotational modulation in X-rays and other
indicators suggested that theta 1 Ori C may be but one of many magnetic B- and
O-type stars in this star-forming region. In 2005B we carried out sensitive
ESPaDOnS observations to search for direct evidence of such fields, detecting
unambiguous Zeeman signatures in two objects.
We consider the problem of the thermal X-ray radiation from the hot polar cap
of radio pulsars showing evidence of \EB subpulse drift in radio band. In our
resent Paper I, within the partially screened gap (PSG) model of inner
acceleration region we derived a simple relationship between the drift rate of
subpulses observed in a radio-band and the thermal X-ray luminosity from polar
caps heated by the back-flow particle bombardment. This relationship can be
tested for pulsars in which the so-called carousel rotation time $P_4$,
reflecting the \EB plasma drift, and the thermal X-ray luminosity $L_x$ from
the hot polar cap are known. To test the model we used two only available
pulsars: PSRs B0943+10 and B1133+16. They both satisfied the model prediction,
although due to low photon statistics the thermal component could not be firmly
identified from the X-ray data. Nevertheless, these pulsars were at least
consistent with PSG pulsar model.
In the present paper we consider two more pulsars: PSRs B0656+14 and
B0628-28, whose data have been recently become available. In PSR B0656+14 the
thermal radiation from the hot polar cap was clearly detected, as for PSR
B0628-28, it also seems to be having such a component.
It is important to note, that in all cases for which both $P_4$ and $L_x$ are
presently known, the PSG pulsar model seems to be fully confirmed. Other
available models of inner acceleration region fail to explain the observed
relationship between radio and X-ray data. The pure vacuum gap model predicts
too high $L_x$ and too low $P_4$, while the space charge limited model predicts
too low $L_x$ and the origin of the subpulse drift has no natural explanation.
Light Pseudoscalar Bosons (LPBs) coupled to two photons are predicted by many realistic extensions of the Standard Model and give rise to birefringence and dichroism in a light beam travelling in an external magnetic field. These effects have recently been detected by the PVLAS collaboration, thereby strongly suggesting the existence of a LPB. We provide an astrophysical cross-check for such a claim. Actually, we show that in the double pulsar J0737-3039 photon-LPB conversion can give rise to a characteristic attenuation pattern of the light beam emitted by one of the pulsars when it goes through the magnetosphere of the companion. The effect under consideration shows up in the $\gamma$-ray band and can be detected by the upcoming GLAST mission.
We present an updated mass model for M31 that utilizes a deep 2MASS K-band image of the Andromeda galaxy, a revised estimate of the stellar mass-to-light ratio (M/L), and observed rotation curve data from a variety of sources. We examine cases where the dark matter follows a pure NFW profile and where an initial NFW halo contracts adiabatically in response to the formation of the galaxy. We find that the rotation curve data are most consistent with an adiabatically contracted NFW halo with an initial concentration c_vir=12.0 and virial mass 8.7x10^{11} M_sun. Models without adiabatic contraction are disfavored at high significance and specifically have difficulty reproducing the decline in rotation velocity at r>15 kpc. Our best-fit M31 virial mass is a factor of ~2 smaller than the most recent estimate from rotation curve fitting by Klypin et al. (2002). The difference is driven by our updated baryonic mass model. The best-fit mass is consistent with published estimates from Andromeda Stream kinematics, satellite galaxy radial velocities, and planetary nebulae studies. Finally, using the known linear correlation between rotation curve shear and spiral arm pitch angle, we show that the stellar spiral arm pitch angle of M31 (which cannot be deduced from imaging data due to the galaxy's inclination) is P=24.7+/-4.4 degrees.
We have analysed deep R-band images, down to a limiting surface brightness of 26.5 R-mag/arcsec^2 (equivalent to ~28 B-mag/arcsec^2), of 5 cD galaxies to determine the shape of the surface brightness profiles of their extended stellar envelopes. Both de Vaucouleurs' R^{1/4} model and Sersic's R^{1/n} model, on their own, provide a poor description of the surface brightness profiles of cD galaxies. This is due to the presence of their outer stellar envelope, thought to have accumulated over the merger history of the central cluster galaxy and also from the tidal stripping of galaxies at larger cluster radii. We therefore simultaneously fit two Sersic functions to measure the shape of the inner and outer components of the cD galaxies. We show that, for 3 out of our 5 galaxies, the surface brightness profiles are best fit by an inner Sersic model, with indices n~1-6, and an outer exponential component. Such a decomposition applies to 3 out of our 5 galaxies, for which the galaxy-to-envelope size ratio is 0.1-0.4 and the contribution of the stellar envelope to the total R-band light (i.e. galaxy + envelope) is around 60 to 80 per cent. The exceptions are NGC 6173, for which our surface brightness profile modelling is consistent with just a single component (i.e. no envelope) and NGC 4874, which has an envelope with a de Vaucouleurs, rather than exponential, profile. We therefore tentatively conclude that there is no unique surface brightness profile which fits the envelopes of cD galaxies.
Benzene (c-C6H6) formation in the inner 3 AU of a protostellar disk can be efficient, resulting in high abundances of benzene in the midplane region. The formation mechanism is different to that found in interstellar clouds and in protoplanetary nebulae, and proceeds mainly through the reaction between allene (C3H4) and its ion. This has implications for PAH formation, in that some fraction of PAHs seen in the solar system could be native rather than inherited from the interstellar medium.
The origin of the strong magnetic fields observed in chemically peculiar Ap and Bp stars stars has long been debated. The recent discovery of magnetic fields in the intermediate mass pre-main sequence Herbig Ae and Be stars links them to Ap and Bp stars, providing vital clues about Ap and Bp stars and the origin and evolution of magnetic fields in intermediate and high mass stars. A detailed study of one young magnetic B star, HD 72106A, is presented. This star appears to be in a binary system with an apparently normal Herbig Ae star. A maximum longitudinal magnetic field strength of +391 +/- 65 G is found in HD 72106A, as are strong chemical peculiarities, with photospheric abundances of some elements ranging up to 100x above solar.
Thermal X-ray radiation from neutron star soft X-ray transients in quiescence provides the strongest constraints on the cooling rates of neutron stars, and thus on the interior composition and properties of matter in the cores of neutron stars. We analyze new (2006) and archival (2001) XMM-Newton observations of the accreting millisecond pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 in quiescence, which provide the most stringent constraints to date. The X-ray spectrum of SAX J1808.4-3658 in the 2006 observation is consistent with a power-law of photon index 1.83\pm0.16, without requiring the presence of a blackbody-like component from a neutron star atmosphere. Our 2006 observation shows a slightly lower 0.5-10 keV X-ray luminosity, at a level of 68^{+15}_{-13}% that inferred from the 2001 observation. Simultaneous fitting of all available XMM data allows a constraint on the quiescent bolometric (0.01-10 keV) neutron star luminosity of L_{q,bol}<1.1*10^{31} erg/s. This limit excludes some current models of neutrino emission mediated by pion condensates, and provides evidence for additional cooling processes, such as neutrino emission via direct Urca processes involving protons or hyperons, in the cores of massive neutron stars.
We present the analysis of VLA and VLBA observations of the radio source 3C 338, associated with the cD galaxy NGC 6166, the central dominant galaxy of the cluster Abell 2199. The VLBA observations were done at 8.4 and 15.4 GHz, while the VLA observations were performed at 0.074, 0.330, and 8.4 GHz. The milliarcsecond resolution VLBA data, spanning 7 years, reveal the parsec-scale jets, whose kinematics and orientation cannot be unambiguously derived. Based on the observed morphology, jet/counter-jet length ratio, flux density ratio, and proper motions of the jet components, we consider two possible explanations: either the jets are strongly relativistic and lie within 10 - 20 degrees of the plane of the sky, or they are only mildly relativistic, and are pointing at an angle between 30 - 50 degrees from the plane of the sky. The arcsecond resolution VLA data enable us to investigate the large scale structure of the radio source. The morphology of the low frequency radio lobes clearly indicates that they are associated with the cavities present in the X-ray emission. Low frequency observations also reveal an extension to the south corresponding to an X-ray hole. The age of these bubbles, computed from the sound speed, the buoyancy time and the radiative age are all in fair agreement with each other. Estimates of the power necessary to inflate these cavities suggest that the accretion power onto the central engine has not been constant over time.
Aims: I test the ejection scenario of formation of brown dwarfs and very
low-mass stars through the detection of a very wide ultracool binary.
Methods: LEHPM 494 (M6.0 +/- 1.0 V) and DENIS-P J0021.0-4244 (M9.5 +/- 0.5 V)
are separated by 1.3 arcmin and are high proper motion co-moving ultracool
stars. I have used six astrometric epochs spaced 22 years to confirm their
common tangential velocity.
Results: The angular separation between both low-mass stars keeps constant
with an uncertainty less than 0.1 %. I have also derived their most probable
heliocentric distance (23 +/- 2 pc), age interval (2-10 Ga) and masses (0.103
+/- 0.006 and 0.079 +/- 0.004 Msol). The pair, with a projected physical
separation of 1800 +/- 170 AU, is by far the widest ultracool binary ever found
in the field.
Conclusions: This serendipitous and simple detection is inconsistent with
ultra low-mass formation ejection scenarios and complements current searches of
low-mass tight binaries.
We have identified 230 Tycho-2 Spectral Catalog stars that exhibit 8 micron mid-infrared extraphotospheric excesses in the MidCourse Space Experiment (MSX) and Spitzer Space Telescope Galactic Legacy MidPlane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE) surveys. Of these, 183 are either OB stars earlier than B8 in which the excess plausibly arises from a thermal bremsstrahlung component or evolved stars in which the excess may be explained by an atmospheric dust component. The remaining 47 stars have spectral classifications B8 or later and appear to be main sequence or late pre-main-sequence objects harboring circumstellar disks. Six of the 47 stars exhibit multiple signatures characteristic of pre-main-sequence circumstellar disks, including emission lines, near-infrared K-band excesses, and X-ray emission. Approximately one-third of the remaining 41 sources have emission lines suggesting relative youth. Of the 25 GLIMPSE stars with SST data at >24 microns, 20 also show an excess at 24 microns. Three additional objects have 24 micron upper limits consistent with possible excesses, and two objects have photospheric measurements at 24 microns. Six MSX sources had a measurement at wavelengths >8 microns. We modeled the excesses in 26 stars having two or more measurements in excess of the expected photospheres as single-component blackbodies. We determine probable disk temperatures and fractional infrared luminosities in the range 191 < T < 787 and 3.9x10^-4 < L_IR/L_* < 2.7x10^-1. We estimate a lower limit on the fraction of Tycho-2 Spectral Catalog main-sequence stars having mid-IR, but not near-IR, excesses to be 1.0+-0.3%.
After an X-ray binary experiences a transient jet ejection, it undergoes a phase in which its X-ray light curve is dominated, for some time, by thermal emission from an accretion disk surrounding the black hole. The accretion physics in the thermal-dominant state is understood better than in any other, and it is therefore the best state for comparing observations to theoretical models. Here, I present simulations that study the way a thermally-emitting disk might be expected to behave immediately after a large-scale, steady jet has been removed from the system in the form of a sudden ejection. I simulate the ejection's effect on the disk by allowing the strength of turbulence (modeled by the alpha parameter of Shakura and Sunyaev) to increase rapidly in time, and I show how this change can lead to an outburst in an otherwise-steady disk. The motivation for treating the jet removal in this way is the fact that many models for jets involve large-scale magnetic fields that should inhibit the magnetorotational instability believed to drive turbulence; this should naturally lead to a rapid increase in turbulence when the magnetic field is ejected from the system or otherwise destroyed during the ejection event. I show how the timescale and luminosity of the outburst can be controlled by the manner in which alpha is allowed to change, and I briefly discuss ways in which these simulations can be compared to observations of X-ray binaries, in particular GRS 1915+105, which shows the most complex and variable behavior of any black hole system in outburst.
We present models of the shapes of four Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) and Jovian Trojan (624) Hektor as ellipsoidal figures of equilibrium and Roche binaries. Our simulations select those figures of equilibrium whose lightcurves best match the measured rotational data. The best fit shapes, combined with the knowledge of the spin period of the objects provide estimates of the bulk densities of these objects. We find that the lightcurves of KBOs (20000) Varuna and 2003 EL61 are well matched by Jacobi triaxial ellipsoid models with bulk densities 992 (-15,+86) kg/m^3 and 2551 (-10,+115) kg/m^3, respectively. The lightcurves of (624) Hektor and KBO 2001 QG298 are well-described by Roche contact binary models with densities 2480 (-80,+292) kg/m^3 and 590 (-47,+143) kg/m^3, respectively. The nature of 2000 GN171 remains unclear: Roche binary and Jacobi ellipsoid fits to this KBO are equivalent, but predict different densities, ~2000 kg/m^3 and ~650 kg/m^3, respectively. Our density estimates suggest a trend of increasing density with size.
The absence of a supernova accompanying the nearby long GRB 060614 poses a great puzzle about the progenitor of this event and challenges the current GRB classification scheme. This burst displays a short-hard emission episode followed by extended soft emission with strong spectral evolution. Noticing that this burst has an isotropic gamma-ray energy only ~8 times that of GRB 050724, a good candidate of merger-type short GRBs, we generate a ``pseudo'' burst that is ~8 times less energetic than GRB 060614 based on the spectral properties of GRB 060614 and the Ep ~ Eiso^{1/2} (Amati) relation. We find that this pseudo-burst would have been detected by BATSE as a marginal short-duration GRB, and would have properties in the Swift BAT and XRT bands similar to GRB 050724. This suggests that GRB 060614 is likely a more intense event in the traditional short-hard GRB category as would be detected by BATSE. Events like GRB 060614 that seem to defy the traditional short vs. long classification of GRBs may require modification of our classification terminology for GRBs. By analogy with supernova classifications, we suggest that GRBs be classified into Type I (typically short and associated with old populations) and Type II (typically long and associated with young populations). We propose that GRB 060614 belongs to Type I, and predict that similar events will be detected in elliptical galaxies.
IceCube is a kilometer scale high-energy neutrino observatory, currently under construction at the South Pole. It is a photo-detector, using the deep Antarctic ice as detection medium for the Cherenkov photons induced by relativistic charged particles. These charged particles may be atmospheric muons or reaction products from neutrino interactions in the vicinity of the instrumented volume. The experiment searches for neutrinos originating in astrophysical sources, and can also detect neutrinos from WIMP interaction in the Sun or Earth. In the last two austral summers, 9 in-ice strings and 16 surface IceTop stations (out of up to 80 planned) were successfully deployed, and the detector has been taking data ever since. In this proceedings, IceCube design, present status, performance and dark matter detection sensitivities will be discussed.
We give a brief (and highly incomplete) overview of the current experimental and theoretical status of high energy cosmic rays and their secondary gamma-rays and neutrinos. We focus on the role of large scale magnetic fields and on multi-messenger aspects linking these three channels. We also recall that the flavor composition of neutrino fluxes from astrophysical sources contains information on both the source conditions and neutrino physics.
We present a technique for the accurate estimation of large-scale errors in an antenna surface using astronomical sources and detectors. The technique requires several out-of-focus images of a compact source and the signal-to-noise ratio needs to be good but not unreasonably high. For a given pattern of surface errors, the expected form of such images can be calculated directly. We show that it is possible to solve the inverse problem of finding the surface errors from the images in a stable manner using standard numerical techniques. To do this we describe the surface error as a linear combination of a suitable set of basis functions (we use Zernike polynomials). We present simulations illustrating the technique and in particular we investigate the effects of receiver noise and pointing errors. Measurements of the 15-m James Clerk Maxwell telescope made using this technique are presented as an example. The key result is that good measurements of errors on large spatial scales can be obtained if the input images have a signal-to-noise ratio of order 100 or more. The important advantage of this technique over transmitter-based holography is that it allows measurements at arbitrary elevation angles, so allowing one to characterise the large scale deformations in an antenna as a function of elevation.
Using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope Legacy Science Program ``Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems'' (FEPS), we have searched for debris disks around 9 FGK stars (2-10 Gyr), known from radial velocity (RV) studies to have one or more massive planets. Only one of the sources, HD 38529, has excess emission above the stellar photosphere; at 70 micron the signal-to-noise ratio in the excess is 4.7 while at wavelengths < 30 micron there is no evidence of excess. The remaining sources show no excesses at any Spitzer wavelengths. Applying survival tests to the FEPS sample and the results for the FGK survey published in Bryden et al. (2006), we do not find a significant correlation between the frequency and properties of debris disks and the presence of close-in planets. We discuss possible reasons for the lack of a correlation.
Dark energy in a brane world reconciles an infinitely cyclic cosmology with the second law of thermodynamics. At turnaround one causal patch with no matter and vanishing entropy is retained for the contraction.
Supernovae of type IIn possess spectral signatures that indicate an intense interaction between the supernova ejecta and surrounding dense circumstellar material cast off by the star in pre-explosion mass-loss episodes. Studying this interaction can yield clues to the nature of Type IIn progenitors and their mass loss history. In particular, polarization spectra of Type IIn's show complex line polarization and position angle features that arise from a combination of geometrical and optical effects. I have constructed a Monte Carlo code that simulates the transfer of the H alpha line through circumstellar shells with various geometrical configurations and optical characteristics. The superposition of broad and narrow line components produced in different regions of the circumstellar environment and modified by electron and line scattering, hydrogen absorption, thermal emission, and geometrical and viewing angle effects gives rise to a variety of polarized line shapes in the model spectra. Comparison of these results with recent high-quality spectropolarimetric observations of Type IIn supernovae suggests that a model "shock" region between the supernova photosphere and the circumstellar shell is necessary to produce the narrow polarized emission features at the rest wavelength of H alpha seen in some IIn's. Further model results point toward other features in the polarized line profile that can be used to constrain the characteristics of the circumstellar material in these intriguing objects. The code's usefulness will be extended by the treatment of Doppler effects due to expansion of the circumstellar scattering region, such as those that characterize the polarized H alpha profiles of the Type IIn SN 1997eg.
In this talk, I will present highlights of a recent model of dark energy and dark matter in which the present universe is ``trapped'' in a {\em false vacuum} described by the potential of an axion-like scalar field (the acceleron) which is related to a new strong interaction gauge sector, $SU(2)_Z$, characterized by a scale $\Lambda_Z \sim 3 \times 10^{-3} eV$. This false vacuum model mimicks the $\Lambda CDM$ scenario. In addition, there are several additional implications such as a new mechanism for leptogenesis coming from the decay of a ``messenger'' scalar field, as well as a new model of ``low-scale'' inflation whose inflaton is the ``radial'' partner of the acceleron.
A steep decay segment tens to hundreds of seconds after the gamma-ray burst (GRB) prompt emission is commonly observed in the {\em Swift} XRT light curves, which is regarded as the tail emission of the prompt gamma-rays. The most straightforward interpretation is the curvature effect due to delay of propagation of photons from larger angles with respect to the line of sight. Prompted by the observed strong spectral evolution in the tails of GRB 060218 and GRB 060614, we present a systematic time-resolved spectral analysis of 17 bright GRB tails observed by XRT. While 7 tails in our sample have no spectral evolution and can be explained with the curvature effect, the other 10 tails all show significant hard-to-soft spectral evolution. A toy model that combines the curvature effect with an underlying putative central engine afterglow component can roughly explain the observed light curves and spectral evolutions for 7 of them. The suggested central engine afterglow is typically soft ($\beta=2.5\sim 6.4$) and decays as normal GRB afterglows (typically $\alpha=0.8\sim 1.5$), similar to the late afterglow of GRB 060218. There are 3 cases (GRB 050724, GRB 060218, and GRB 060614) that cannot be described by this model. We suggest that these tails may be interpreted as an internal shock afterglow due to cooling of the shock-heated region. More detailed physical models are called for to understand these two possibly new types of afterglows.
We discuss as a new signature for the interaction of extragalactic ultrahigh energy protons with cosmic microwave background radiation a spectral feature located at $E=6.3\times 10^{19}$ eV in the form of a narrow and shallow dip. It is produced by the interference of $e^+e^-$-pair and pion production. We show that this dip and in particular its position are almost model-independent. Its observation by future ultrahigh energy cosmic ray detectors may give the conclusive confirmation that an observed steepening of the spectrum is caused by the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin effect.
We report the first detection at multiple radio wavelengths (13, 6 and 3.6 cm) of the compact sources within both nuclei of the Ultra Luminous Infra-Red Galaxy Arp 220. We present the radio spectra of the 18 detected sources. In just over half of the sources we find that these spectra and other properties are consistent with the standard model of powerful Type IIn supernovae interacting with their pre-explosion stellar wind. The rate of appearance of new radio sources identified with these supernova events suggests that an unusually large fraction of core collapse supernovae in Arp 220 are highly luminous; possibly implying a radically different stellar initial mass function or stellar evolution compared to galactic disks. Another possible explanation invokes very short (~3 x 10^5 year) intense (~10^3 M_Sol year^-1) star formation episodes with a duty cycle of ~10%. A second group of our detected sources, consisting of the brightest and longest monitored sources at 18 cm do not easily fit the radio supernova model. These sources show a range of spectral indexes from -0.2 to -1.9. We propose that these are young supernova remnants which have just begun interacting with a surrounding ISM with a density between 10^4 and 10^5 cm^-3. One of these sources is probably resolved at 3.6 cm wavelength with a diameter 0.9 pc. In the western nucleus we estimate that the ionized component of the ISM gives rise to foreground free-free absorption with opacity at 18 cm of <0.6 along the majority of lines of sight. Other sources may be affected by absorption with opacity in the range 1 to 2. These values are consistent with previous models as fitted to the radio recombination lines and the continuum spectrum.
We describe phase-retrieval holography measurements of the 100-m diameter
Green Bank Telescope using astronomical sources and an astronomical receiver
operating at a wavelength of 7 mm. We use the technique with parameterization
of the aperture in terms of Zernike polynomials and employing a large defocus,
as described by Nikolic, Hills & Richer (2006). Individual measurements take
around 25 minutes and from the resulting beam maps (which have peak signal to
noise ratios of 200:1) we show that it is possible to produce low-resolution
maps of the wavefront errors with accuracy around a hundredth of a wavelength.
Using such measurements over a wide range of elevations, we have calculated a
model for the wavefront-errors due to the uncompensated gravitational
deformation of the telescope. This model produces a significant improvement at
low elevations, where these errors are expected to be the largest; after
applying the model, the aperture efficiency is largely independent of
elevation. We have also demonstrated that the technique can be used to measure
and largely correct for thermal deformations of the antenna, which often exceed
the uncompensated gravitational deformations during daytime observing.
We conclude that the aberrations induced by gravity and thermal effects are
large-scale and the technique used here is particularly suitable for measuring
such deformations in large millimetre wave radio telescopes.
The first substellar companion of possibly planetary mass around a normal star, GQ Lup, has been directly imaged (Neuhaeuser et al., 2005). Besides the unknown formation history, the mass of such an object is a criterion to decide about its true nature. We aim to determine the physical properties of the GQ Lup companion - effective temperate and surface gravity, and thus its mass independently from evolutionary models. We use the adaptive optics integral-field spectrograph SINFONI at the VLT for near-infrared spectroscopy from 1.1 to 2.5 um with a resolution of R = 2500--4000. We compare these spectra with synthetic atmospheric models (GAIA v2.0 cond). From the complete set of spectra we find a consistent effective temperature of Teff = 2600 +/- 100 K and surface gravity of log{g} = 3.7 +/- 0.5. Combined with a slightly revised luminosity of log(L/L_(\sun)) = -2.25 +/- 0.24 for the companion, we determine a radius of R = 3.50 (+1.50/-1.03) Jupiterradii and thus a mass of ~ 25 Jupitermasses. Due to the large uncertainty of the surface gravity, the mass could range from 4 to 155 Jupitermasses. By comparing the paramaters of the companion of GQ Lup to the ones of 2MASS J05352184-0546085, published by Stassun et al. (2006), we conclude that the companion to GQ Lup A has a mass lower than 36 Jupitermasses.
We investigate the evolution of interacting binaries where the donor star is a low-mass giant more massive than its companion. It is usual to assume that such systems undergo common-envelope (CE) evolution, where the orbital energy is used to eject the donor envelope, thus producing a closer binary or a merger. We suggest instead that because mass transfer is super-Eddington even for non-compact companions, a wide range of systems avoid this type of CE phase. The accretion energy released in the rapid mass transfer phase unbinds a significant fraction of the giant's envelope, reducing the tendency to dynamical instability and merging. We show that our physical picture accounts for the success of empirical parametrizations of the outcomes of assumed CE phases.
The high frequency oscillations discovered in the tails of giant flares from two magnetars are thought to be the first direct detections of seismic vibrations from neutron stars. The possibility of starquakes associated with the giant flares triggering global vibrations opens up the prospect of using seismology to study the interior structure and composition of neutron stars. This is a major breakthrough in the study of the nature of matter under conditions of extreme pressure. In this paper we provide an up to date summary of the observations and the theoretical framework, including a brief discussion of gravitational wave searches for the QPOs. We summarize the status of alternative non-seismic mechanisms, and give a critique of a recent paper by Levin that argued against seismic vibrations as a viable mechanism. We conclude with an overview of current results using the seismological technique that constrain parameters such as the equation of state and crust structure.
We use the distribution, and particularly the skewness, of high redshift type Ia supernovae brightnesses relative to the low redshift sample to constrain the density of macroscopic compact objects (MCOs) in the universe. The data favors dark matter made of microscopic particles (such as the LSP) at 89% confidence. Future data will greatly improve this limit. This constraint is valid for a range in MCO mass from 10^-2 Msun to 10^10 Msun. Combined with other constraints, MCOs larger than one tenth the mass of Earth (~ 10^-7 Msun) can be eliminated as the sole constituent of dark matter.
The formation of the first galaxies is strongly affected by the radiative feedback from the first generations of stars. This feedback is manisfested by the heating and ionization of the gas which lies within the H II regions surrounding the first stars, as well as by the photodissociation of hydrogen molecules within the larger Lyman-Werner (LW) bubbles that surround these sources. Using a ray-tracing method in three-dimensional cosmological simulations, we self-consistently track the formation of, and radiative feedback from, individual stars in the course of the formation of a protogalaxy. We compute in detail the H II regions of each of these sources, as well as the regions affected by their molecule-dissociating radiation. We follow the thermal, chemical, and dynamical evolution of the primordial gas, as it becomes incorporated into the protogalaxy. While the IGM is, in general, optically thin to LW photons over ~ 100 kpc, the high molecule fraction that is built up in relic H II regions and their increasing volume-filling fraction renders the local IGM optically thick to LW photons over much smaller scales. We find that efficient accretion onto Population III relic black holes may occur after ~ 60 Myr from the time of their formation, by which time the photo-heated relic H II region gas can cool and re-collapse into the 10^6 M_solar minihalo which hosts the black hole. Also, Pop II.5 stars, postulated to have masses of the order of 10 M_solar, may form from this re-collapsing relic H II region gas, but their formation can be easily suppressed by LW feedback from neighboring star-forming regions. Overall, we find that the local radiative feedback from the first generations of stars suppresses the star formation rate by only a factor of, at most, a few.
I review some results on the galaxy/light-mass connection obtained by dissipationless simulations in combination with a simple, non-parametric model to connect halo circular velocity to the luminosity of the galaxy they would host. I focus on the galaxy-mass correlation and mass-to-light ratios obtained from galaxy up to cluster scales. The predictions of this simple scheme are shown to be in very good agreement with SDSS observations.
GRB 050904 at redshift z=6.29, discovered and observed by Swift and with spectroscopic redshift from the Subaru telescope, is the first gamma-ray burst to be identified from beyond the epoch of reionization. Since the progenitors of long gamma-ray bursts have been identified as massive stars, this event offers a unique opportunity to investigate star formation environments at this epoch. Apart from its record redshift, the burst is remarkable in two respects: first, it exhibits fast-evolving X-ray and optical flares that peak simultaneously at t~470 s in the observer frame, and may thus originate in the same emission region; and second, its afterglow exhibits an accelerated decay in the near-infrared (NIR) from t~10^4 s to t~3 10^4 s after the burst, coincident with repeated and energetic X-ray flaring activity. We make a complete analysis of available X-ray, NIR, and radio observations, utilizing afterglow models that incorporate a range of physical effects not previously considered for this or any other GRB afterglow, and quantifying our model uncertainties in detail via Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis. In the process, we explore the possibility that the early optical and X-ray flare is due to synchrotron and inverse Compton emission from the reverse shock regions of the outflow. We suggest that the period of accelerated decay in the NIR may be due to suppression of synchrotron radiation by inverse Compton interaction of X-ray flare photons with electrons in the forward shock; a subsequent interval of slow decay would then be due to a progressive decline in this suppression. The range of acceptable models demonstrates that the kinetic energy and circumburst density of GRB 050904 are well above the typical values found for low-redshift GRBs.
I present a technique to remove the residual OH airglow emission from near infrared spectra. Historically, the need to subtract out the strong and variable OH airglow emission lines from 1-2.5um spectra has imposed severe restrictions on observational strategy. For integral field spectroscopy, where the field of view is limited, the standard technique is to observe blank sky frames at regular intervals. However, even this does not usually provide sufficient compensation if individual exposure times are longer than 2-3minutes due to (1) changes in the absolute flux of the OH lines, (2) variations in flux among the individual OH lines, and (3) effects of instrumental flexure which can lead to `P-Cygni' type residuals. The data processing method presented here takes all of these effects into account and serendipitously also improves background subtraction between the OH lines. It allows one, in principle, to use sky frames taken hours or days previously so that observations can be performed in a quasi-stare mode. As a result, the observing efficiency (i.e. fraction of time spent on a source) at the telescope can be dramatically increased.
Central cluster galaxies (cDs) in cooling flows are growing rapidly through gas accretion and star formation. At the same time, AGN outbursts fueled by accretion onto supermassive black holes are generating X-ray cavity systems and driving outflows that exceed those in powerful quasars. We show that the resulting bulge and black hole growth follows a trend that is roughly consistent with the slope of the local (Magorrian) relation between bulge and black hole mass for nearby quiescent ellipticals. However, a large scatter suggests that cD bulges and black holes do not always grow in lock-step. New measurements made with XMM, Chandra, and FUSE of the condensation rates in cooling flows are now approaching or are comparable to the star formation rates, alleviating the need for an invisible sink of cold matter. We show that the remaining radiation losses can be offset by AGN outbursts in more than half of the systems in our sample, indicating that the level of cooling and star formation is regulated by AGN feedback.
We use cosmological, chemo-dynamical, smoothed particle hydrodynamical simulations of Milky-Way-analogue galaxies to find the expected present-day distributions of both metal-free stars that formed from primordial gas and the oldest star populations. We find that metal-free stars continue to form until z~4 in halos that are chemically isolated and located far away from the biggest progenitor of the final system. As a result, if the Population III initial mass function allows stars with low enough mass to survive until z=0 (< 0.8 Msol), they would be distributed throughout the Galactic halo. On the other hand, the oldest stars form in halos that collapsed close to the highest density peak of the final system, and at z=0 they are located preferentially in the central region of the Galaxy, i.e., in the bulge. According to our models, these trends are not sensitive to the merger histories of the disk galaxies or the implementation of supernova feedback. Furthermore, these full hydrodynamics results are consistent with our N-body results in Paper I, and lend further weight to the conclusion that surveys of low-metallicity stars in the Galactic halo can be used to directly constrain the properties of primordial stars. In particular, they suggest that the current lack of detections of metal-free stars implies that their lifetimes were shorter than a Hubble time, placing constraints on the metal-free initial mass function.
In an examination of the relationship between the black hole mass and stellar velocity dispersion in radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs), we studied two effects which may cause uncertainties in the black hole mass estimates of radio-loud AGNs: the relativistic beaming effect on the observed optical continuum radiation and the orientation effect on the broad emission line width. After correcting these two effects, we re-examined the relation between black hole mass and stellar velocity dispersion which derived from [OIII] line width for a sample of radio-loud and radio-quiet AGNs, and found the relation for radio-loud AGNs still deviated from that for nearby normal galaxies and radio-quiet AGNs. We also found there is no significant correlation between radio jet power and narrow [OIII] line width, indicating absence of strong interaction between radio jet and narrow line region. It may be that the deviation of the relation between black hole mass and stellar velocity dispersion of radio-loud AGNs is intrinsic, or that the [OIII] line width is not a good indicator of stellar velocity dispersion for radio-loud AGNs.
Northern auroral regions of Earth were imaged with energetic photons in the 0.1-10 keV range using the High-Resolution Camera (HRC-I) aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory at 10 epochs (each ~20 min duration) between mid-December 2003 and mid-April 2004. These observations aimed at searching for Earth's soft (<2 keV) X-ray aurora in a comparative study with Jupiter's X-ray aurora, where a pulsating X-ray "hot-spot" has been previously observed by Chandra. The first Chandra soft X-ray observations of Earth's aurora show that it is highly variable (intense arcs, multiple arcs, diffuse patches, at times absent). In at least one of the observations an isolated blob of emission is observed near the expected cusp location. A fortuitous overflight of DMSP satellite F13 provided SSJ/4 energetic particle measurements above a bright arc seen by Chandra on 24 January 2004, 20:01-20:22 UT. A model of the emissions expected strongly suggests that the observed soft X-ray signal is bremsstrahlung and characteristic K-shell line emissions of nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere produced by electrons.
We develop a model of time delays between the continuum bands in the Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 335 to explain the observed delays measured in this source. We consider two geometries: an accretion disk with fully ionized warm absorber of considerable optical depth, located close to the symmetry axis, and an accretion disk with a hot corona. Both media lead to significant disk irradiation but the disk/corona geometry gives lower values of the time delays. Only the disk/corona models give results consistent with measurements of Sergeev et al., and a low value of the disk inclination is favored. The presence of an optically thick, fully ionized outflow is ruled out at the 2-sigma level.
The Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph), with its apparent immense mass to light ratio and compact size, holds many clues to the nature of the enigmatic dark matter. Here we present deep photometric studies of this dwarf galaxy, undertaken with the MegaCam Camera at the Canada-France-hawaii Telescope, the Wide Field Camera at the Isaac Newton Telescope and the Wide-Field and Planetary Camera on board the Hubble Space Telescope. The new photometric data cover the entirety of the galaxy, and reach i=24.5 at 50% completeness, significantly deeper than previous panoramic studies, allowing searches for tidal disturbances of much lower surface brightness than has been possible before. With these improved statistics, we find no evidence for asymmetric disturbances or tidal tails that possess more than 3% of the stars found within the centre of the galaxy. We find that the central stellar density, as probed by the HST data, rises into the central 0.5'. Uncertainties in the position of the centroid of the galaxy do not allow us to determine whether the apparent flattening of the profile interior to 0.5' is reliable or not. Draco is therefore a flawless dwarf galaxy, featureless and apparently unaffected by Galactic tides.
Context: The bright star eta Carinae is the most massive and luminous star in our region of the Milky Way. Though it has been extensively studied using many different techniques, its physical nature and the mechanism that led to the creation of the Homunculus nebula are still debated. Aims: We aimed at resolving the central engine of the eta Carinae complex in the near-infrared on angular scales of a few milliarcseconds. Methods: We used the VINCI instrument of the VLTI to recombine coherently the light from two telescopes in the K band. Results: We report a total of 142 visibility measurements of eta Car, part of which were analyzed by Van Boekel et al. (2003). These observations were carried out on projected baselines ranging from 8 to 112 meters in length, using either two 0.35 m siderostats or two 8-meter Unit Telescopes. These observations cover the November 2001 - January 2004 period. Conclusions: The reported visibility data are in satisfactory agreement with the recent results obtained with AMBER/VLTI by Weigelt et al. (2006), asuming that the flux of eta Car encircled within 70 mas reaches 56% of the total flux within 1400 mas, in the K band. We also confirm that the squared visibility curve of eta Car as a function of spatial frequency follows closely an exponential model.
We study the long-term evolution of massive black hole binaries (MBHBs) at the centers of galaxies using detailed full three-body scattering experiments. Ambient stars drawn from a isotropic Maxwellian distribution unbound to the binary are ejected by the gravitational slingshot. We construct a minimal, hybrid model for the depletion of the loss cone and the orbital decay of the binary, and show that secondary slingshots - stars returning on small impact parameter orbits to have a second super-elastic scattering with the MBHB - may considerably help the shrinking of the pair in the case of large binary mass ratios. In the absence of loss-cone refilling by two-body relaxation or other processes, the mass ejected before the stalling of a MBHB is half the binary reduced mass. About 50% of the ejected stars are expelled ejected in a "burst" lasting ~1E4 yrs M_6^1/4, where M_6 is the binary mass in units of 1E6 Msun. The loss cone is completely emptied in a few bulge crossing timescales, 1E7 yrs M_6^1/4. Even in the absence of two-body relaxation or gas dynamical processes, unequal mass and/or eccentric binaries with M_6 >0.1 can shrink to the gravitational wave emission regime in less than a Hubble time, and are therefore "safe" targets for the planned Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA).
We consider a new version of the twin paradox. The twins move along the same circular free photon path around the Schwarzschild center. In this case, despite their different velocities, all twins have the same non-zero acceleration. On the circular photon path, the symmetry between the twins situations is broken not by acceleration (as it is in the case of the classic twin paradox), but by the existence of an absolute standard of rest (timelike Killing vector). The twin with the higher velocity with respect to the standard of rest is younger on reunion. This closely resembles the case of periodic motions in compact (non-trivial topology) 3-D space recently considered in the context of the twin paradox by Barrow and Levin, except that there accelerations of all twins were equal to zero, and that in the case considered here, the 3-D space has trivial topology.
We compute and analyze the evolution of primordial stars of masses at the ZAMS between 5 M_sun and 10 M_sun, with and without overshooting. Our main goals are to determine the nature of the remnants of massive intermediate-mass primordial stars and to check the influence of overshooting in their evolution. Our calculations cover stellar evolution from the main sequence phase until the formation of the degenerate cores and the thermally pulsing phase. We have obtained the values for the limiting masses of Population III progenitor stars leading to carbon-oxygen and oxygen-neon compact cores. Moreover, we have also obtained the limiting mass for which isolated primordial stars would lead to core-collapse supernovae after the end of the main central burning phases. Considering a moderate amount of overshooting the mass thresholds at the ZAMS for the formation of carbon-oxygen and oxygen-neon degenerate cores shifts to smaller values by about 2 M_sun. As a by-product of our calculations, we have also obtained the structure and composition profiles of the resulting compact remnants. Opposite to what happens with solar metallicity objects, the final fate of primordial stars is not straightforward determined from the mass of the compact cores at the end of carbon burning. Instead, the small mass-loss rates typically associated to stellar winds of low metallicity stars might allow the growth of the resulting degenerate cores up to the Chandrasekhar mass, on time scales one or two orders of magnitude shorter than the time required to loose the envelope. This would lead to the formation of supernovae for initial masses as small as about 5 M_sun.
We use the 6C** sample to investigate the co-moving space density of powerful, steep-spectrum radio sources. This sample, consisting of 68 objects, has virtually complete K-band photometry and spectroscopic redshifts for 32 per cent of the sources. In order to find its complete redshift distribution, we develop a method of redshift estimation based on the K-z diagram of the 3CRR, 6CE, 6C* and 7CRS radio galaxies. Based on this method, we derive redshift probability density functions for all the optically identified sources in the 6C** sample. Using a combination of spectroscopic and estimated redshifts, we select the most radio luminous sources in the sample. Their redshift distribution is then compared with the predictions of the radio luminosity function of Jarvis et al. (2001c). We find that, within the uncertainties associated with the estimation method, the data are consistent with a constant co-moving space density of steep-spectrum radio sources beyond z > 2.5, and rule out a steep decline.
We present the results of a 73 ks long Chandra observation of the dipping source X 1624-490. During the observation a complex dip lasting 4 hours is observed. We analyse the persistent emission detecting, for the first time in the 1st-order spectra of X 1624-490, an absorption line associated to \ion{Ca}{xx}. We confirm the presence of the \ion{Fe}{xxv} K$_\alpha$ and \ion{Fe}{xxvi} K$_\alpha$ absorption lines with a larger accuracy with respect to a previous XMM observation. Assuming that the line widths are due to a bulk motion or a turbulence associated to the coronal activity, we estimate that the lines have been produced in a photoionized absorber between the coronal radius and the outer edge of the accretion disk.
We investigate the long-term optical-infrared variability of SV Cep, and explain it in the context of an existing UX Ori (UXOR) model. A 25-month monitoring programme was completed with the Infrared Space Observatory in the 3.3-100 um wavelength range. Following a careful data reduction, the infrared light curves were correlated with the variations of SV Cep in the V-band. A remarkable correlation was found between the optical and the far-infrared light curves. In the mid-infrared regime the amplitude of variations is lower, with a hint for a weak anti-correlation with the optical changes. In order to interpret the observations, we modelled the spectral energy distribution of SV Cep assuming a self-shadowed disc with a puffed-up inner rim, using a 2-dimensional radiative transfer code. We found that modifying the height of the inner rim, the wavelength-dependence of the long-term optical-infrared variations is well reproduced, except the mid-infrared domain. The origin of variation of the rim height might be fluctuation in the accretion rate in the outer disc. In order to model the mid-infrared behaviour we tested to add an optically thin envelope to the system, but this model failed to explain the far-infrared variability. Infrared variability is a powerful tool to discriminate between models of the circumstellar environment. The proposed mechanism of variable rim height may not be restricted to UXOR stars, but might be a general characteristic of intermediate-mass young stars.
We present a self-consistent, semi-analytical LCDM model of star formation and reionization. For the cosmological parameters favored by the WMAP data, our models consistently reproduce the optical depth to reionization, redshift of reionization and the observed luminosity functions (LF) and hence the star formation rate (SFR) density at 3<z<6 for a reasonable range of model parameters. While simple photoionization feedback produces the correct shape of LF at z = 6, for $z = 3$ we need additional feedback that suppresses star formation in halos with 10<log(M/M_\odot)<11. Models with prolonged continuous star formation activities are preferred over those with short bursts as they are consistent with the existence of a Balmer break in considerable fraction of observed galaxies even at z~6. The halo number density evolution from the standard LCDM structure formation model that fits LF up to z=6 is consistent with the upper limits on z~7 LF and source counts at 8<z<12 obtained from the HUDF observations without requiring any dramatic change in the nature of star formation. However, to reproduce the observed LF at 6<z<10, obtained from the near-IR observations around strong lensing clusters, we need a strong evolution in the IMF, reddening correction and the mode of star formation at z>8. Molecular cooled halos, which may be important for reionizing the universe, are not detectable in the present deep field observations. However, their presence and contribution to reionization can be inferred indirectly from the redshift evolution of the LF at 6<z< 12.Accurately measuring the LF at high z can be used to understand the nature of star formation in the dark ages and probe the history of reionization. (Abridged)
Using Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC (3.6-8um) and MIPS (24um) imaging, as well as Hubble Space Telescope optical observations, we identify the IRAC counterparts of the luminous power sources residing within the two largest and brightest Lyman-alpha emitting nebulae (LABs) in the SA22 protocluster at z=3.09 (LAB1 and LAB2). These sources are also both submillimeter galaxies (SMGs). From their rest-frame optical/near-infrared colors, we conclude that the SMG in LAB1 is likely to be starburst dominated and heavily obscured (Av~3). In contrast, LAB2 has excess rest-frame ~2um emission (over that expected from starlight) and hosts a hard X-ray source at the proposed location of the SMG, consistent with the presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). We conclude that LAB1 and LAB2 appear to have very different energy sources despite having similar Lyman-alpha spatial extents and luminosities, although it remains unclear whether on-going star-formation or periodic AGN heating is responsible for the extended Lyman-alpha emission. We find that the mid-infrared properties of the SMGs lying in LAB1 and LAB2 are similar to those of the wider SMG population, and so it is possible that extended Lyman-alpha haloes are a common feature of SMGs in general.
A long-standing question is whether active galactic nuclei (AGN) vary like Galactic black hole systems when appropriately scaled up by mass (refs 1-3). If so, we can then determine how AGN should behave on cosmological timescales by studying the brighter and much faster varying Galactic systems. As X-ray emission is produced very close to the black holes, it provides one of the best diagnostics of their behaviour. A characteristic timescale, which potentially could tell us about the mass of the black hole, is found in the X-ray variations from both AGN and Galactic black holes (refs 1-6), but whether it is physically meaningful to compare the two has been questioned (ref 7). Here we report that, after correcting for variations in the accretion rate, the timescales can be physically linked, revealing that the accretion process is exactly the same for small and large black holes. Strong support for this linkage comes, perhaps surprisingly, from the permitted optical emission lines in AGN whose widths (in both broad-line AGN and narrow-emission-line Seyfert 1 galaxies) correlate strongly with the characteristic X-ray timescale, exactly as expected from the AGN black hole masses and accretion rates. So AGN really are just scaled-up Galactic black holes.
This paper is a brief overview of the theory and experimental data of atmospheric neutrino production at the fiftieth anniversary of the experimental discovery of neutrinos.
We present a study of the Ly\alpha forest at z<0.4 from which we conclude that at least 20% of the total baryons in the universe are located in the highly-ionized gas traced by broad Ly\alpha absorbers. The cool photoionized low-z intergalactic medium (IGM) probed by narrow Ly\alpha absorbers contains about 30% of the baryons. We further find that the ratio of broad to narrow Ly\alpha absorbers is higher at z<0.4 than at 1.5<z<3.6, implying that a larger fraction of the low redshift universe is hotter and/or more kinematically disturbed. We base these conclusions on an analysis of 7 QSOs observed with both FUSE and the HST/STIS E140M ultraviolet echelle spectrograph. Our sample has 341 HI absorbers with a total unblocked redshift path of 2.064. The observed absorber population is complete for log N_HI>13.2, with a column density distribution f(N_HI) \propto N^-\beta_HI. For narrow (b<40 km/s) absorbers \beta = 1.76+/-0.06. The distribution of the Doppler parameter b at low redshift implies two populations: narrow (b<40 km/s) and broad (b>40 km/s) Ly\alpha absorbers (referred to as NLAs and BLAs, respectively). Both the NLAs and some BLAs probe the cool (T~10^4 K) photoionized IGM. The BLAs also probe the highly-ionized gas of the warm-hot IGM (T~10^5-10^6 K). The distribution of b has a more prominent high velocity tail at z<0.4 than at 1.5<z<3.6, which results in median and mean b-values that are 15-30% higher at low z than at high z. The ratio of the number density of BLAs to NLAs at z<0.4 is a factor of \~3 higher than at 1.5<z<3.6.
Spectroscopic observations with a resolution of 4.5 Angst were performed for
a sample of eight galactic nuclei extracted from the Second Byurakan Survey,
and one companion galaxy of SBS 1204+505B. The EW and FWHM of the emission
lines were measured, and useful line ratios and diagnostic diagrams were used
for object classification and reddening estimates.
Intrinsic reddening quantities were calculated for all non QSO,i.e. seven
objects. Particularly the amount of reddening, BV color excess, extinction
coefficient and optical depths in the V band, at Halpha and Hbeta wavelengths,
and at 5100 Angst. The broad line region size was also estimated for seven
objects, as well as the central black hole masses. Three mass estimates were
usually performed for each object and compared. A peculiar line, probably He I
lambda 5048, is detected in the QSO SBS 1626+554. Evidence for a stratified
narrow line region is found for the two narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies included
in the sample. A revised classification is proposed for two objects, and the
companion galaxy of SBS 1204+505B is reported as a nuclear starburst galaxy.
We determined masses for the 7167 DA and 507 DB white dwarf stars classified as single and non-magnetic in data release four of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We obtained revised Teff and log g determinations for the most massive stars by fitting the SDSS optical spectra with a synthetic spectra grid derived from model atmospheres extending to log g=10.0. We also calculate radii from evolutionary models and create volume-corrected mass distributions for our DA and DB samples. The mean mass for the DA stars brighter than g=19 and hotter than Teff=12000K is M(DA)= 0.593+/-0.016M(Sun). For the 150 DBs brighter than g=19 and hotter than Teff=16000K, we find M(DB)=0.711+/-0.009 M(Sun). It appears the mean mass for DB white dwarf stars may be significantly larger than that for DAs. We also report the highest mass white dwarf stars ever found, up to 1.33 M(Sun).
We compute the luminosity function (LF) and the formation rate of long gamma ray bursts (GRBs) by fitting the observed differential peak flux distribution obtained by the BATSE satellite in three different scenarios: i) GRBs follow the cosmic star formation and their LF is constant in time; ii) GRBs follow the cosmic star formation but the LF varies with redshift; iii) GRBs form preferentially in low-metallicity environments. We find that the differential peak flux number counts obtained by BATSE and by Swift can be reproduced using the same LF and GRB formation rate, indicating that the two satellites are observing the same GRB population. We then check the resulting redshift distributions in the light of Swift 2-year data, focusing in particular on the relatively large sample of GRBs detected at z>2.5. We show that models in which GRBs trace the cosmic star formation and are described by a constant LF are ruled out by the number of high-z Swift detections. This conclusion does not depend on the redshift distribution of bursts that lack of optical identification, nor on the existence of a decline in star formation rate at z>2, nor on the adopted faint-end of the GRB LF. Swift observations can be explained by assuming that the LF varies with time and/or that GRB formation is limited to low-metallicity environments.
An inflationary scenario driven by a slow rolling homogeneous scalar field whose potential $V(\Phi)$ is given by a generalized exponential function is discussed. Within the {\sl slow-roll} approximation we investigate some of the main predictions of the model and compare them with current data from Cosmic Microwave Background and Large-Scale Structure observations. In particular, we show that this single scalar field model admits a wider range of solutions than do conventional exponential scenarios and predicts acceptable values of the scalar spectral index and of the tensor-to-scalar ratio for the remaining number of {\sl e-folds} lying in the interval $N = 54 \pm 7$ and energy scales of the order of Planck scale. The running of the spectral index is briefly discussed to show that both negative and positive values are predicted by the model here proposed.
We present near-IR Color-Magnitude Diagrams and physical parameters for a sample of 24 Galactic Globular Clusters toward the Bulge direction. In this paper we discuss the properties of twelve new clusters (out of 24) in addition to those previously studied and published by our group. The compilation includes measurements of the cluster reddening, distance, photometric metallicity, Horizontal Branch Red Clump, Red Giant Branch morphological (i.e. mean ridge lines) and evolutionary (i.e. bump and tip) features. The compilation is available in electronic form through the WorldWideWeb, and it will be updated regularly.
We show (in a completely analytical and exact manner) that an efficient magnetic field amplification method is operative during the bounce in a time-dependent gauge coupling model. The cosmological magnetic fields so generated have particular spectral features, and may be observed by future CMB measurements and by direct cluster measurements.
New images of the supernova remnant (SNR) G351.7+0.8 are presented based on 21cm HI-line emission and continuum emission data from the Southern Galactic Plane Survey (SGPS). SNR G351.7+0.8 has a flux density of 8.4+-0.7 Jy at 1420 MHz. Its spectral index is 0.52+-0.25 between 1420 MHz and 843 MHz, typical of adiabatically expanding shell-like remnants. HI observations show structures possibly associated with the SNR in the radial velocity range of -10 to -18 km/s, and suggest a distance of 13.2 kpc and a radius of 30.7 pc. The estimated Sedov age for G351.7+0.8 is less than 6.8x10e4 yrs. An old radio pulsar PSR J1721-3532 lies close to the SNR G351.7+0.8 on the sky. The new distance and age of G351.7+0.8 and recent proper-motion measurements of the pulsar strongly argue against a possibility of associations between SNR G351.7+0.8 and PSR J1721-3532. There is an unidentified, faint X-ray point source 1RXS J172055.3-353937 which is close to G351.7+0.8. It may be a potential neutron star to associate with G351.7+0.8.
A unifying theme of this conference was the use of different approaches to understand astrophysical sources of energetic particles in the TeV range and above. In this summary I review how gamma-ray astronomy, neutrino astronomy and (to some extent) gravitational wave astronomy provide complementary avenues to understanding the origin and role of high-energy particles in energetic astrophysical sources.
The connection between age, rotation and chemical abundance of magnetic Ap stars is poorly understood. Using open clusters, we are able to study samples of stars that are both co-eval and co-environmental. By determining rotation and chemical abundance for Ap star members of clusters with various ages, the variations of these properties as a function of age and environment can be derived. All four probable Ap star members of the open cluster NGC 6475, as well as one normal late B star, were studied using detailed spectrum synthesis of high resolution UVES-POP spectra. Probable cluster membership was confirmed for all five stars, however chemical abundance anomalies only appear to be present in spectra of three. Projected rotational velocity and chemical abundances for 21 elements ranging from C to Eu are presented for the 5 stars. In the three peculiar stars we find overabundances of Si, Cr, Mn, Fe and rare earths such as Nd, characteristic of Ap stars. The set of chemically peculiar stars show fairly homogeneous abundance tables, however notable differences exist for a few elements. There also exist appreciable differences in the v sin i and main sequence evolutionary stage of the chemically peculiar stars. This may hint at the underlying processes giving rise to the observed abundance anomalies. With this first detailed study of chemical abundances of a complete sample of magnetic Ap/Bp stars in an open cluster, we have initiated an exploration of the environmental and evolutionary influence on chemical peculiarity.
One of the few ways to measure the properties of Dark Energy is to extend the Hubble daigram (HD) to higher redshifts with Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). GRBs have at least five properties (their spectral lag, variability, spectral peak photon energy, time of the jet break, and the minimum rise time) which have correlations to the luminosity of varying quality. In this paper, I construct a GRB HD with 69 GRBs over a redshift range of 0.17 to >6, with half the bursts having a redshift larger than 1.7. This paper uses over 3.6 times as many GRBs and 12.7 times as many luminosity indicators as any previous GRB HD work. For the gravitational lensing and Malmquist biases, I find that the biases are small, with an average of 0.03 mag and an RMS scatter of 0.14 mag in the distance modulus. The GRB HD is well-behaved and nicely delineates the shape of the HD. The reduced chi-square for the fit to the concordance model is 1.05 and the RMS scatter about the concordance model is 0.65 mag. This accuracy is just a factor of 2.0 times that gotten for the same measure from all the big supernova surveys. I fit the GRB HD to a variety of models, including where the Dark Energy has its equation of state parameter varying as w(z)=w_0 + w_a z/(1+z). I find that the concordance model is consistent with the data. That is, the Dark Energy can be described well as a Cosmological Constant that does not change with time. (abridged)
The formation of three-dimensional (3D) dust clusters within a complex plasma modeled as a spatially confined Yukawa system is simulated using the box_tree code. Similar to unscreened Coulomb clusters, the occurrence of concentric shells with characteristic occupation numbers was observed. Both the occupation numbers and radii were found to depend on the Debye length. Ground and low energy meta-stable states of the shielded 3D Coulomb clusters were determined for 4<N<20. The structure and energy of the clusters in different states was analyzed for various Debye lengths. Structural phase transitions, including inter-shell structural phase transitions and intra-shell structural phase transitions, were observed for varying Debye length and the critical value for transitions calculated.
We present XMM, Chandra and VLA observations of the USGC S152 group and its central elliptical NGC 3411. Imaging of the group X-ray halo suggests it is relaxed with little apparent structure. We investigate the temperature and metal abundance structure of the group halo, and find that while the abundance distribution is fairly typical, the temperature profile is highly unusual, showing a hot inner core surrounded by a cool shell of gas with a radius of \~20-40 kpc, at the center of the larger group halo. Spectral mapping confirms an irregular ring of gas ~0.15 keV cooler than its surroundings. We estimate the total mass, entropy and cooling time profiles within ~200 kpc, and find that the cool shell contains ~9x10^9 Msun of gas. VLA observations at 1.4, 5 and 8 GHz reveal a relatively weak nuclear radio source, with a core radio luminosity L_R=2.7x10^38 erg/s, and a diffuse component extended on scales of a few arcseconds (or more). A lack of evidence for activity at optical or X-ray wavelengths supports the conclusion that the central black hole is currently in a quiescent state. We discuss possible mechanisms for the formation of temperature features observed in the halo, including a previous period of AGN activity, and settling of material stripped from the halo of one of the other group member galaxies.
In order to calculate the power spectrum generated during a stage of inflation, we have to specify the quantum state of the inflaton perturbations, which is conventionally assumed to be the Bunch-Davies vacuum. We argue that this choice is justified only if the interactions of cosmological perturbations are strong enough to drive excited states toward the vacuum. We quantify this efficiency by calculating the decay probabilities of excited states to leading order in the slow-roll expansion in canonical single-field inflationary models. These probabilities are suppressed by a slow-roll parameter and the squared Planck mass, and enhanced by ultraviolet and infrared cut-offs. For natural choices of these scales decays are unlikely, and, hence, the choice of the Bunch-Davies vacuum as the state of the primordial perturbations does not appear to be warranted.
We analyze the data obtained when the Konus-Wind gamma-ray spectrometer detected a giant flare in SGR 1806-20 on December 27, 2004. The flare is similar in appearance to the two known flares in SGR 0526-66 and SGR 1900+14 while exceeding them significantly in intensity. The enormous X-ray and gamma-ray flux in the narrow initial pulse of the flare leads to almost instantaneous deep saturation of the gamma-ray detectors, ruling out the possibility of directly measuring the intensity, time profile, and energy spectrum of the initial pulse. In this situation, the detection of an attenuated signal of Compton back-scattering of the initial pulse emission by the Moon with the Helicon gamma-ray spectrometer onboard the Coronas-F satellite was an extremely favorable circumstance. Analysis of this signal has yielded the most reliable temporal, energy, and spectral characteristics of the pulse. The temporal and spectral characteristics of the pulsating flare tail have been determined from Konus-Wind data. Its soft spectra have been found to contain also a hard power-law component extending to 10 MeV. A weak afterglow of SGR 1806-20 decaying over several hours is traceable up to 1 MeV. We also consider the overall picture of activity of SGR 1806-20 in the emission of recurrent bursts before and after the giant flare.
Diffuse hot gas can be traced effectively by its X-ray absorption and emission. We present a joint-analysis of these tracers to characterize the spatial and temperature distributions of the Galactic hot gas along the sight-line toward the nearby bright active galactic nucleus Mrk 421. We also complement this analysis with far-UV OVI absorption observations. We find that the observed absorption line strengths of OVII and OVIII are inconsistent with the diffuse background emission line ratio of the same ions, if the gas is assumed to be isothermal in a collisional ionization equilibrium state. But all these lines as well as the diffuse 3/4-keV broad-band background intensity in the field can be fitted with a plasma with a power law temperature distribution. We show that this distribution can be derived from a hot gaseous disk model with the gas temperature and density decreasing exponentially with the vertical distance from the Galactic plane. The joint fit gives the exponential scale heights as ~1.0 kpc and ~1.6 kpc and the middle plane values as 2.8E6 K and 2.4E-3 cm^{-3} for the temperature and density, respectively. These values are consistent with those inferred from X-ray observations of nearby edge-on galaxies similar to our own.
zCOSMOS is a large redshift survey that is being undertaken in the COSMOS field using 600 hours of observation with the VIMOS spectrograph on the 8-m VLT. The survey is designed to characterise the environments of COSMOS galaxies from the 100 kpc scales of galaxy groups up to the 100 Mpc scale of the cosmic web and to produce diagnostic information on galaxies and active galactic nuclei. The zCOSMOS survey consists of two parts: (a) zCOSMOS-bright, a magnitude-limited I-band IAB < 22.5 sample of about 20,000 galaxies with 0.1 < z < 1.2 covering the whole 1.7 deg2 COSMOS ACS field and designed to mimic the parameters of the 2dfGRS; and (b) zCOSMOS-deep, a survey of approximately 10,000 galaxies selected through colour-selection criteria to have 1.4 < z < 3.0, within the central 1 deg2. This paper describes the survey design and the construction of the target catalogues, and briefly outlines the observational program and the data pipeline. In the first observing season, spectra of 1303 zCOSMOS-bright targets and of 977 zCOSMOS-deep targets have been obtained. These are briefly analysed to demonstrate the characteristics that may be expected from zCOSMOS, and particularly zCOSMOS-bright, when it is finally completed between 2008-2009. The power of combining spectroscopic and photometric redshifts is demonstrated, especially in correctly identifying the emission line in single-line spectra and in determining which of the less reliable spectroscopic redshifts are correct and which are incorrect. Our zCOSMOS-deep spectra demonstrate the effectiveness of our selection techniques to isolate high redshift galaxies at 1.4 < z < 3.0 and of VIMOS to measure their redshifts using ultraviolet absorption lines.
We present empirical HII region oxygen abundances for a sample of low-luminosity starburst galaxies which are in a short lived evolutionary state. All five galaxies are characterized by centrally concentrated star formation, which is embedded in smooth stellar envelopes resembling dE-like systems. The galaxies also have small gas contents with typical M_{HI}/L_{B} ~ 0.1 resulting in gas exhaustion timescales less than 1 Gyr, even when molecular gas is considered. We find, compared to other morphologically similar systems, the galaxies of this sample have surprisingly high oxygen abundances with 12 + log(O/H) ~ 9.0. We propose that these objects are a subclass of evolved blue compact dwarfs, which have exhausted most of their gas supply while retaining their metals. We further propose that we are seeing these objects during a short phase in which they are nearing the end of their starburst activity, and could become early-type dwarfs.
This paper presents a study of the Cetus dwarf, an isolated dwarf galaxy within the Local Group. A matched-filter analysis of the INT/WFC imaging of this system reveals no evidence for significant tidal debris that could have been torn from the galaxy, bolstering the hypothesis that Cetus has never significantly interacted with either the Milky Way or M31. Additionally, Keck/Deimos spectroscopic observations identify this galaxy as a distinct kinematic population possessing a systematic velocity of $-87\pm2{\rm km\ s^{-1}}$ and with a velocity dispersion of $17\pm2{\rm km s^{-1}}$; while tentative, these data also suggest that Cetus possesses a moderate rotational velocity of $\sim8{\rm km s^{-1}}$. The population is confirmed to be relatively metal-poor, consistent with ${\rm [Fe/H]\sim-1.9}$, and, assuming virial equilibrium, implies that the Cetus dwarf galaxy possesses a $M/L\sim70$. It appears, therefore, that Cetus may represent a primordial dwarf galaxy, retaining the kinematic and structural properties lost by other members of the dwarf population of the Local Group in their interactions with the large galaxies. An analysis of Cetus's orbit through the Local Group indicates that it is at apocentre; taken in conjunction with the general dwarf population, this shows the mass of the Local Group to be $\gta2\times10^{12}M_\odot$.
We consider gravitational wave production due to parametric resonance at the end of inflation, or ``preheating''. This leads to large inhomogeneities which source a stochastic background of gravitational waves at scales similar to (or smaller than) the comoving Hubble horizon at the end of inflation. We confirm previous conjectures that the present amplitude of these gravitational waves need not depend on the inflationary energy scale. In particular, we analyze explicit models, where the inflationary energy scale is ~10^9 GeV. These yield a signal close to the sensitivity of Advanced LIGO. This signal highlights the possibility of a new observational ``window'' into inflationary physics, and provides significant motivation for searches for stochastic backgrounds of gravitational waves in the Hz to GHz range, with an amplitude on the order of Omega_{gw}h^2 ~ 10^{-10}. Finally, the strategy used in our numerical computations will be applicable to the gravitational waves generated by many inhomogeneous or turbulent processes in the early universe.
We present deep optical imaging observations of 2 square degree area, covered by the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS), made by the prime-focus Camera (Supreme-Cam) on the 8.2m Subaru Telescope. Observations were done in six broad-band [B (4459.7 AA), g' (4723.1 AA), V (5483.8 AA), r' (6213.0 AA), i' (7640.8 AA), z' (8855.0 AA)], and one narrow-band (NB816) filters. A total of 10^6 galaxies were detected to i'~26.5 mag. These data, combined with observations at u* and K-band are used to construct the photometric catalogs for the COSMOS and to measure their photometric redshifts, multi-band spectral energy distributions, stellar masses and identification of high redshift candidates. This catalog provides multi-waveband data for scientific analysis of the COSMOS survey.
The recently discovered extended TeV source HESS J1834-087 is associated with both a diffuse X-ray enhancement and a molecular cloud, projected at the center of an old radio supernova remnant G23.3-0.3 (SNR W41). New HI observations from the VLA Galactic Plane Survey (VGPS) show unambiguous structures associated with W41 in the radial velocity range of 53 to 63 km/s, so we obtain W41 distance of about 4+-0.2 kpc. A new higher sensitivity VGPS continuum image of W41 at 1420 MHz shows faint emission in its eastern part not detected by previous observations, so we give a new angular size of 36'x30' in b-l direction (average radius of 19 pc). We estimate for W41 a Sedov age of ~8x10e4 yr. New XMM-Newton observation reveals diffuse X-ray emission within the HESS source and suggests an association between the X-ray and Gamma-ray emission. The high-resolution ^{13}CO images of W41 further reveal a giant molecular cloud (GMC) located at the center of W41, likely associated with W41 in the the radial velocity range of 61 to 66 km/s. These give first observational evidence that an old SNR encounters a GMC to emit TeV Gamma-rays in the GMC.
We present the mid-infrared (MIR) spectra obtained with the Spitzer InfraRed Spectrograph (IRS) for a sample of 52 sources, selected as infrared luminous, z>1 candidates in the Extragalactic First Look Survey (XFLS). The sample selection criteria are f(24um) > 0.9mJy, nu fnu(24um)/nu fnu(8um) > 3.16 and nu fnu(24um)/nu fnu(0.7um) > 10. Of the 52 spectra, 47 (90%) produced measurable redshifts based solely on the mid-IR spectral features, with the majority (35/47=74%) at 1.5<z<3.2. Keck spectroscopy of a sub-sample (17/47) agrees with the mid-IR redshift measurements. The observed spectra fall crudely into three categories -- (1) 33% (17/52) have strong PAH emission, and are probably powered by star formation with total IR luminosity roughly a factor of 5 higher than the local starburst ULIRGs. (2) 33% (17/52) have only deep silicate absorption at 9.8um, indicative of deeply embedded dusty systems. The energetic nature of the heating sources in these systems can not be determined by these data alone. (3) The remainder 34% are mid-IR continuum dominated systems with either weak PAH emission and/or silicate absorption. This third of the sample are probably AGNs. From the silicate absorption feature, we estimate that roughly two-thirds of the sample have optical depth tau(9.8um) > 1. Their $L_{1600\AA}$ and $L_{\rm IR}$ suggest that our sample is among the most luminous and most dust enshrouded systems of its epoch . Our study has revealed a significant population of dust enshrouded galaxies at z~2, whose enormous energy output, comparable to that of quasars, is generated by AGN as well as starburst. This IR luminous population has very little overlap with sub-mm and UV-selected populations (Abridged).
We present orbit-resolved spectroscopic and photometric observations of the polar ST LMi during its recent low and high states. In the low state spectra, we report the presence of blue and red satellites to the H-alpha emission line; the velocities and visibility of the satellites vary with phase. This behavior is similar to emission line profile variations recently reported in the low state of AM Her, which were interpreted as being due to magnetically-confined gas motions in large loops near the secondary. Our low-state spectroscopy of ST LMi is discussed in terms of extreme chromospheric activity on the secondary star. Concurrent photometry indicates that occasional low-level accretion may be present, as well as cool regions on the secondary near L1. Furthermore, we report a new ``extreme low-state'' of the system at V~18.5mag. Our orbital high-state spectroscopy reveals changes in the emission line profiles with orbital phases that are similar to those reported by earlier high-state studies. The complicated emission line profiles generally consist of two main components. The first has radial velocity variations identical to that of the major emission H-alpha component seen in the low state. The second is an additional red-shifted component appearing at the phases of maximum visibility of the accreting column of the white dwarf; it is interpreted as being due to infall velocities on the accreting magnetic pole of the white dwarf. At the opposite phases, an extended blue emission wing appears on the emission line profiles. We confirm the presence of a broad absorption feature near 6275Ang which has been previously identified as Zeeman sigma(-) absorption component to H-alpha. This feature appears at just those phases when the accretion pole region is mostly directly visible and most nearly face-on to the observer.
We present CO(1-0) and CO(2-1) line emission maps of the barred spiral active galaxy HE1029-1831 (z=0.0403) obtained with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) and in part by the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association (BIMA) observatory. The CO emission is well associated with the optical bar and extended along it. The FWHM of the CO emission is estimated to be ~(6+-2)kpc. The CO emission shows a strong velocity gradient along the minor axis of the bar (PA=90degree). The molecular gas mass is estimated to be ~1.2x10^(10)Msun which indicates a very gas rich host galaxy. Most of the molecular gas appears to be subthermally excited and cold but we also find weak evidence for a warmer and/or denser gas component at the southern part of the bar emission, about \~4kpc from the galactic nucleus.
Simulations and analytic arguments suggest that the turbulence driven by magnetorotational instability (MRI) in accretion discs can amplify the toroidal (azimuthal) component of the magnetic field to a point at which magnetic pressure exceeds the combined gas + radiation pressure in the disc. Arguing from the recent analysis by Pessah and Psaltis, and other MRI results in the literature, we conjecture that the limiting field strength for a thin disc is such that the Alfven speed roughly equals the geometric mean of the Keplerian speed and the gas sound speed. We examine the properties of such magnetically-dominated discs, and show that they resolve a number of outstanding problems in accretion disc theory. The discs would be thicker than standard (Shakura-Sunyaev) discs at the same radius and accretion rate, and would tend to have higher colour temperatures. If they transport angular momentum according to an alpha-prescription, they would be stable against the thermal and viscous instabilities that are found in standard disc models. In discs fuelling active galactic nuclei, magnetic pressure support could also alleviate the restriction on accretion rate imposed by disc self-gravity.
Several dynamical processes may induce considerable electric currents in the atmospheres of magnetic chemically peculiar (CP) stars. The Lorentz force, which results from the interaction between the magnetic field and the induced currents, modifies the atmospheric structure and induces characteristic rotational variability of the hydrogen Balmer lines. To study this phenomena we have initiated a systematic spectroscopic survey of the Balmer lines variation in magnetic CP stars. In this paper we continue presentation of results of the program focusing on the high-resolution spectral observations of A0p star \aur (HD 40312). We have detected a significant variability of the H$\alpha$, H$\beta$, and H$\gamma$ spectral lines during full rotation cycle of the star. This variability is interpreted in the framework of the model atmosphere analysis, which accounts for the Lorentz force effects. Both the inward and outward directed Lorentz forces are considered under the assumption of the axisymmetric dipole or dipole+quadrupole magnetic field configurations. We demonstrate that only the model with the outward directed Lorentz force in the dipole+quadrupole configuration is able to reproduce the observed hydrogen line variation. These results present new strong evidences for the presence of non-zero global electric currents in the atmosphere of an early-type magnetic star.
A class of low-mass X-ray binary sources are known to be both X-ray burst sources and millisecond pulsars at the same time. A new source of this class was discovered by High Energy Transient Explorer 2 (HETE-2) on 14 June 2005 as a source of type-I X-ray bursts, which was named HETE J1900.1-2455. Five X-ray bursts from HETE J1900.1-2455 were observed during the summer of 2005. The time resolved spectral analysis of these bursts have revealed that their spectra are consistent with the blackbody radiation throughout the bursts. The bursts show the indication of radius expansion. The bolometric flux remains almost constant during the photospheric radius expansion while blackbody temperature dropped during the same period. Assuming that the flux reached to the Eddington limit on a standard 1.4 solar mass neutron star with a helium atmosphere, we estimate the distance to the source to be $\sim$ 4 kpc.
We present 12CO (J=2-1) observations towards the central region of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 4258 with the Submillimeter Array (SMA). Our interferometric maps show two arm-like elongated components along the major axis of the galaxy, with no strong nuclear concentration. The CO (2-1) morphology and kinematics are similar to previous CO (1-0) results. The velocity field of the components agrees with the general galactic rotation, except for the east elongated component, which shows a significant velocity gradient along the east-west direction. In order to account for the velocity field, we propose the kinematical model where the warped rotating disk is also expanding. The line ratio of CO(2-1)/CO(1-0) reveals that the eastern component with the anomalous velocity gradient appears to be warmer and denser. This is consistent with the gas in this component being closer to the center, being heated by the central activities, and possibly interacted by expanding motions from the nuclear region.
Globular clusters have been alternatively predicted to host intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) or nearly impossible to form and retain them in their centres. Over the last decade enough theoretical and observational evidence have accumulated to believe that many, if not all, galactic globular clusters host IMBHs in the centres, just like galaxies do. The well-established galactic bulge mass--black hole mass correlation suggests that GCs may lie on the same line (and, as an example, globular clusters M15 and G1 fit the $M_{\rm bh}-\sigma$ correlation well). Most of the attempts in search of the central black holes (BHs) are not direct and present enormous observational difficulties due to the crowding of stars in the GC cores. Here we propose a method of detection of the central BH that avoids these difficulties--the microlensing of the cluster stars by the central black hole. If the core of the cluster is resolved, the direct determination of the lensing curve and lensing system parameters is possible; if unresolved, the pixel lensing technique can be applied. We calculate the optical depth to central BH microlensing for a selected list of galactic globular clusters and estimate the average time duration of the events. We discuss the self-lensing in the globular cluster and some details of the observational program. IMBHs are the important issue in modern astronomy and we hope that using our proposal the unamibigous detection (or otherwise) will be possible.
The Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) is designed to probe the correlated evolution of galaxies, star formation, active galactic nuclei (AGN) and dark matter (DM) with large-scale structure (LSS) over the redshift range z $> 0.5 $ to 6. The survey includes multi-wavelength imaging and spectroscopy from X-ray to radio wavelengths covering a 2 $\sq$\deg area, including HST imaging. Given the very high sensitivity and resolution of these datasets, COSMOS also provides unprecedented samples of objects at high redshift with greatly reduced cosmic variance, compared to earlier surveys. Here we provide a brief overview of the survey strategy, the characteristics of the major COSMOS datasets, and summarize the science goals.
The Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) was initiated with an extensive
allocation
(590 orbits in Cycles 12-13) using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) for high
resolution imaging. Here we review the characteristics of the HST imaging with
the Advanced Camera for Surveys
(ACS) and parallel observations with NICMOS and WFPC2. A square field
(1.8$\sq$\deg) has been imaged with single-orbit ACS I-F814W exposures with 50%
completeness for sources 0.5\arcsec in diameter at I$_{AB} $ = 26.0 mag. The
ACS imaging is a key part of the COSMOS survey, providing very high sensitivity
and high resolution (0.09\arcsec FWHM, 0.05\arcsec pixels) imaging and
detecting a million objects. These images yield resolved morphologies for
several hundred thousand galaxies. The small HST PSF also provides greatly
enhanced sensitivity for weak lensing investigations of the dark matter
distribution.
We present a method to investigate the radial stability of a spherical anisotropic system that hosts a central supermassive black hole (SBH). Such systems have never been tested before for stability, although high anisotropies have been considered in the dynamical models that were used to estimate the masses of the central putative supermassive black holes. A family of analytical anisotropic spherical Hernquist models with and without a black hole were investigated by means of N-body simulations. A clear trend emerges that the supermassive black hole has a significant effect on the overall stability of the system, i.e. an SBH with a mass of a few percent of the total mass of the galaxy can prevent or reduce the bar instabilities in anisotropic systems. Its mass not only determines the strength of the instability reduction, but also the time in which this occurs. These effects are most significant for models with strong radial anisotropies. Furthermore, our analysis shows that unstable systems with similar SBH but with different anisotropy radii evolve differently: highly radial systems become oblate, while more isotropic models tend to form into prolate structures. In addition to this study, we also present a Monte-Carlo algorithm to generate particles in spherical anisotropic systems.
The low multipoles of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy possess some strange properties like the alignment of the quadrupole and the octopole, and the extreme planarity or the extreme sphericity of some multipoles, respectively. In this paper the CMB anisotropy of several multi-connected space forms is investigated with respect to the maximal angular momentum dispersion and the Maxwellian multipole vectors in order to settle the question whether such spaces can explain the low multipole anomalies in the CMB.
I present a broad overview of modelling of the Narrow Line Region (NLR) of active galaxies, and discuss some of the more recent models we currently have for the emission from the NLR. I show why the emission line ratios from the NLR are constrained to certain observed values, and describe what physical parameters we can derive from observations using emission line models. Also presented are some examples of this, looking at the metallicity and excitation mechanism of active galaxies. As a final point, the limitations of the current models are discussed, and how how the combination of modelling and theory can help us solve some of the questions that still remain within the NLR.
It is still a matter of debate whether the properties of galaxies hosting an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) are different from the properties of quiescent galaxies. We constructed a sample of ~50 AGN at a mean redshift of <z>~0.6 that lack a detectable optical nucleus. This characteristic allows to study the properties of the host galaxies with much higher accuracy than in the case of "normal" AGN which show a prominent central point source in optical images. A comparison sample of X-ray faint, quiescent galaxies at intermediate redshifts shows a clear bimodality in terms of both rest-frame colors and morphological concentration indicators. In contrast to this, the AGN host galaxies comprise a large fraction of objects that have early-type morphologies but relatively blue rest-frame colors, possibly due to recent or ongoing star formation. A fraction of the "optically dull" AGN in our sample show evidence for kpc-scale absorption; low Supermassive Black Hole accretion rates are more likely in other cases.
We present the first set of XMM-Newton EPIC observations in the 2 square degree COSMOS field. The strength of the COSMOS project is the unprecedented combination of a large solid angle and sensitivity over the whole multiwavelength spectrum. The XMM-Newton observations are very efficient in localizing and identifying active galactic nuclei (AGN) and clusters as well as groups of galaxies. One of the primary goals of the XMM-Newton Cosmos survey is to study the co-evolution of active galactic nuclei as a function of their environment in the Cosmic web. Here we present the log of observations, images and a summary of first research highlights for the first pass of 25 XMM-Newton pointings across the field. In the existing dataset we have detected 1416 new X-ray sources in the 0.5-2, 2-4.5 and 4.5-10 keV bands to an equivalent 0.5-2 keV flux limit of 7x10-16 erg cm-2 s-1. The number of sources is expected to grow to almost 2000 in the final coverage of the survey. From an X-ray color color analysis we identify a population of heavily obscured, partially leaky or reflecting absorbers, most of which are likely to be nearby, Compton-thick AGN.
Radial velocity studies of X-ray binaries provide the most solid evidence for the existence of stellar-mass black holes. We currently have 20 confirmed cases, with dynamical masses in excess of 3 Msun. Accurate masses have been obtained for a subset of systems which gives us a hint at the mass spectrum of the black hole population. This review summarizes the history of black hole discoveries and presents the latest results in the field.
We have investigated the dependence of galaxy clustering on their intrinsic luminosities at z ~ 1, using the data from the First Epoch VIMOS-VLT Deep Survey (VVDS). We have measured the projected two-point correlation function of galaxies, w_p(r_p), for a set of volume-limited samples at an effective redshift <z>=0.9 and median absolute magnitude -19.6< M_B < -21.3. We find that the clustering strength is rising around M_B^*, apparently with a sharper turn than observed at low redshifts. The slope of the correlation function is observed to steepen significantly from \gamma=1.6^{+0.1}_{-0.1} to \gamma=2.4^{+0.4}_{-0.2}. This is due to a significant change in the shape of w_p(r_p), increasingly deviating from a power-law for the most luminous samples, with a strong upturn at small (< 1-2 h^{-1} Mpc) scales. This trend, not observed locally, also results in a strong scale dependence of the relative bias, b/b* and possibly imply a significant change in the way luminous galaxies trace dark-matter halos at z ~ 1 with respect to z ~ 0.
The VLA-COSMOS large project is described and its scientific objective is discussed. We present a catalog of ~ 3,600 radio sources found in the 2deg^2 COSMOS field at 1.4 GHz. The observations in the VLA A and C configuration resulted in a resolution of 1.5''x1.4'' and a mean rms noise of ~ 10.5(15) uJy/beam in the central 1(2)deg^2. 80 radio sources are clearly extended consisting of multiple components, and most of them appear to be double-lobed radio galaxies. The astrometry of the catalog has been thoroughly tested and the uncertainty in the relative and absolute astrometry are 130mas and <55mas, respectively.
The analysis of hard X-ray features in XMM-Newton data of the bright Sy 1
galaxy Mrk 335 is reported here. The presence of a broad, ionised iron K alpha
emission line in the spectrum, first found by Gondoin et al.(2002), is
confirmed. The broad line can be modeled successfully by relativistic accretion
disc reflection models.
Regardless of the underlying continuum we report, for the first time in this
source, the detection of a narrow absorption feature at the rest frame energy
of ~5.9 keV. If the feature is identified with a resonance absorption line of
iron in a highly ionised medium, the redshift of the line corresponds to an
inflow velocity of ~0.11-0.15 c. Preliminary results from a longer (100ks)
exposure are also presented.
The concept of Galactic Habitable Zone (GHZ) was introduced a few years ago as an extension of the much older concept of Circumstellar Habitable Zone. However, the physical processes underlying the former concept are hard to identify and even harder to quantify. That difficulty does not allow us, at present, to draw any significant conclusions about the extent of the GHZ: it may well be that the entire Milky Way disk is suitable for complex life.
The detection of X-ray narrow spectral features in the 5-7 keV band is becoming increasingly more common in AGN observations, thanks to the capabilities of current X-ray satellites. Such lines, both in emission and in absorption, are mostly interpreted as arising from Iron atoms. When observed with some displacement from their rest frame position, these lines carry the potential to study the motion of circumnuclear gas in AGN, providing a diagnostic of the effects of the gravitational field of the central black hole. These narrow features have been often found with marginal statistical significance. We are carrying on a systematic search for narrow features using spectra of bright type 1 AGNs available in the XMM-Newton archive. The aim of this work is to characterise the occurrence of the narrow features phenomenon on a large sample of objects and to estimate the significance of the features through Monte Carlo simulations. The project and preliminary results are presented.
Microquasar (MQ) jets are sites of particle acceleration and synchrotron emission. Such synchrotron radiation has been detected coming from jet regions of different spatial scales, which for the instruments at work nowadays appear as compact radio cores, slightly resolved radio jets, or (very) extended structures. Because of the presence of relativistic particles and dense photon, magnetic and matter fields, these outflows are also the best candidates to generate the very high-energy (VHE) gamma-rays detected coming from two of these objects, LS 5039 and LS I +61 303, and may be contributing significantly to the X-rays emitted from the MQ core. In addition, beside electromagnetic radiation, jets at different scales are producing some amount of leptonic and hadronic cosmic rays (CR), and evidences of neutrino production in these objects may be eventually found. In this work, we review on the different physical processes that may be at work in or related to MQ jets. The jet regions capable to produce significant amounts of emission at different wavelengths have been reduced to the jet base, the jet at scales of the order of the size of the system orbital semi-major axis, the jet middle scales (the resolved radio jets), and the jet termination point. The surroundings of the jet could be sites of multiwavelegnth emission as well, deserving also an insight. We focus on those scenarios, either hadronic or leptonic, in which it seems more plausible to generate both photons from radio to VHE and high-energy neutrinos. We briefly comment as well on the relevance of MQ as possible contributors to the galactic CR in the GeV-PeV range.
A persistent, thin, micro-nano sr. beamed gamma jet, may be ejected from BH and Pulsars, powered by ultra-relativistic electron pairs. These jet while precessing and spinning are originated by Inverse Compton and-or Synchrotron Radiation at pulsars or micro-quasars sources. They are most powerful at Supernova birth, blazing, once on axis, to us and flashing GRB detector. The trembling of thin jets explains naturally the observed erratic multi-explosive structure of different GRBs. The jets are precessing and decaying on time scales of a few hours surviving as long as thousands of years, linking huge GRB-SN jet apparent Luminosity to more modest SGR relic Jets. Therefore long-life SGR may be repeating and if they are around our galaxy they might be observed again as the few known ones and a few rarer extragalactic XRFs. The orientation of the beam respect to the line of sight plays a key role in differentiating the wide GRB morphology. The relativistic cone is as small as the inverse of the electron progenitor Lorentz factor. The hardest and brightest gamma spectra are hidden inside the inner gamma jet axis. To observe the inner beamed GRB events one needs the widest SN sample and largest cosmic volumes. The most beamed are hardest.The nearest ones, within tens Mpc distances, are mostly observable on cone jet periphery leading to longest SN-GRB duration, with lowest fluency and the softest spectra, as in earliest GRB98425 and recent GRB 060218 signature. Conical shape of few nebulae describe in space the model signature. Recent X-ray precursor, like in GRB060124, ten minutes before the GRB event, or in SGR1806-20 two minutes before the main giant burst cannot be understood otherwise.
It is now generally accepted that long gamma-ray bursts are associated with the final evolutionary stages of massive stars. As a consequence, their jets must propagate through the stellar progenitor and break out on their surface, before they can reach the photospheric radius and produce the gamma-ray photons. We investigate the role of the progenitor star in shaping the jet properties. We show that even a jet powered by a steady engine can develop a rich phenomenology at the stellar surface. We present special-relativistic simulations and compare the results to analytic considerations. We show that the jet is complex in the time as well as in the angular domain, so that observers located along different lines of sight detect significantly different bursts.
A moderately massive early Sun has been proposed to resolve the so-called faint early Sun paradox. We calculate the time-evolution of the solar mass that would be required by this hypothesis, using a simple parametrized energy-balance model for Earth's climate. Our calculations show that the solar mass loss rate would need to have been 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than present for a time on the order of ~2 Gy. Such a mass loss history is significantly at variance (both in timescale and in the magnitude of the mass loss rates) with that inferred from astronomical observations of mass loss in younger solar analogues. While suggestive, the astronomical data cannot completely rule out the possibility that the Sun had the required mass loss history; therefore, we also examine the effects of the hypothetical historical solar mass loss on orbital dynamics in the solar system, with a view to identifying additional tests of the hypothesis. We find that ratios of planetary orbital spacings remain unchanged, relative locations of planetary mean motion and secular resonances remain unchanged, but resonance widths and the sizes of the Hill spheres of all planets increase as the Sun loses mass. The populations and dynamics of objects near resonances with the planets as well as those of distant irregular satellites of the giant planets may contain the signature of a more massive early Sun. Planetary and satellite orbits provide a few test, but these are weak or non-unique.
Leung, Chan & Chu (2004) claimed that a previously neglected reheating effect makes a small but noticeable change to the process of cosmological recombination. We revisit this effect by considering a system consisting of both radiation and ionizing gas under adiabatic expansion. In the thermal equilibrium limit, due to the huge radiation background, only a fraction about 10^-10 of the heat released from the recombination of atoms is shared by the matter. And in the standard hydrogen recombination calculation, the maximum fraction of energy lost by the distortion photons through multiple Compton scattering is certainly less than 10^-3. Thus this effect is negligible.
We present the results of a study of the photospheric abundances of the HgMn star HD 175640, conducted using archival ESO-UVES spectra. A large number of unblended (titanium, chromium, manganese and iron) lines were studied to search for the presence of chemical stratification in the atmosphere of this star. The selected lines are located in the visible region of the spectrum, longward of the Balmer jump, in orders with S/N $\geq$ 300. We derived the abundance of each element by calculating independently the abundance associated each line. We then characterized the depth of formation of each line, and examined the dependence of abundance on optical depth. Titanium, chromium, manganese and iron show no variation of their abundance with optical depth. These four elements do not appear to be strongly stratified in the atmosphere of HD 175640. This indicates that if stratification occurs, it must be in atmospheric layers which are not diagnosed by the spectral lines studied, or that it is too weak to detect using these data. We also report evidence that HD 175640 is an SB1, and furthermore report anomalous shifts of some strong Fe {\sc II} lines, the origin of which is unclear.
The analysis of the X-ray data for a sample of 51 LINER nuclei with available X-ray Chandra imaging is reported. Our aim was to investigate the physical mechanisms which power LINER nuclear activity. The use of multiwavelenght information at radio, UV, optical HST and X-ray lead us to conclude that at least 60% of the LINERs are hosting a low luminosity AGN in their nuclei. This percentage may be even higher if the Compton-thickness of some nuclei (mostly with SB-like hard X-ray morphology) is confirmed.
High-energy neutrinos are expected to be produced in a vareity of astrophysical sources as well as in optically thick hidden sources. We explore the matter-induced oscillation effects on emitted neutrino fluxes of three diffferent flavors from the latter class. We use the ratio of electron and tau induced showers to muon tracks, in upcoming neutrino telescopes, as the principal observable in our analysis. This ratio depends on the neutrino energy, density profile of the sources and on the oscillation parameters. The largely unknown flux normalization drops out of our calculation and only affects the statistics. For the current knowledge of the oscillation parameters we find that the matter-induced effects are significant and the enhancement of the ratio from its vacuum value takes place in an energy range where the neutrino telescopes are the most sensitive. Quantifying the effect would be useful to learn about the astrophysics of the sources as well as the oscillation parameters. If the neutrino telescopes mostly detect diffuse neutrinos without identifying their sources, then any deviation of the measured flux ratios from the vacuum expectation values would be most naturally explained by a large population of hidden sources for which matter-induced neutrino oscillation effects are important.
The 2dF-SDSS LRG and QSO (2SLAQ) survey is a new survey of distant Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs) and faint quasars selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) multi-color photometric data and spectroscopically observed using the 2dF instrument on the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT). In total, the 2SLAQ survey has measured over 11000 LRG redshifts, covering 180deg^2 of SDSS imaging data, from 87 allocated nights of AAT time. Over 90% of these galaxies are within the range 0.45<z<0.7 and have luminosities consistent with >=3L*. When combined with the lower redshift SDSS LRGs, the evolution in the luminosity function of these LRGs is fully consistent with that expected from a simple passive (luminosity) evolution model. This observation suggests that at least half of the LRGs seen at z~0.2 must already have more than half their stellar mass in place by z~0.6, i.e., our observations are inconsistent with a majority of LRGs experiencing a major merger in the last 6 Gyrs. However, some "frosting" (i.e., minor mergers) has taken place with ~5% of LRGs showing some evidence of recent and/or on-going star-formation, but it only contributes ~1% of their stellar mass.
We use a set of cosmological N-body simulations to investigate the structural shape of galaxy-sized cold dark matter (CDM) halos. Unlike most previous work on the subject - which dealt with shapes as measured by the inertia tensor - we focus here on the shape of the gravitational potential, a quantity more directly relevant to comparison with observational probes. A further advantage is that the potential is less sensitive to the effects of substructure and, as a consequence, the isopotential surfaces are typically smooth and well approximated by concentric ellipsoids. Our main result is that the asphericity of the potential increases rapidly towards the center of the halo. The radial trend is more pronounced than expected from constant flattening in the mass distribution, and reflects a strong tendency for dark matter halos to become increasingly aspherical inwards. Near the center the halo potential is approximately prolate ((c/a)_0=0.72 +/- 0.04, (b/a)_0=0.78 +/- 0.08), but it becomes increasingly spherical in the outer regions. The principal axes of the isopotential surfaces remain well aligned, and in most halos the angular momentum tends to be parallel to the minor axis and perpendicular to the major axis. This suggests that galactic disks may form in a plane where the potential is elliptical and where its ellipticity varies rapidly with radius. This can result in significant deviations from circular motion in systems such as low surface brightness galaxies (LSBs), even for relatively minor deviations from circular symmetry. Simulated long-slit rotation curves can appear similar to those of LSBs often cited as evidence for constant density "cores". This suggests that taking into account the 3D shape of the dark mass distribution might help to reconcile such evidence with the cuspy mass profile of CDM halos.
We investigate jet formation in black-hole systems using 3-D General Relativistic Particle-In-Cell (GRPIC) and 3-D GRMHD simulations. GRPIC simulations, which allow charge separations in a collisionless plasma, do not need to invoke the frozen condition as in GRMHD simulations. 3-D GRPIC simulations show that jets are launched from Kerr black holes as in 3-D GRMHD simulations, but jet formation in the two cases may not be identical. Comparative study of black hole systems with GRPIC and GRMHD simulations with the inclusion of radiate transfer will further clarify the mechanisms that drive the evolution of disk-jet systems.
The flux from distant type Ia supernovae (SN) is likely to be amplified or de-amplified by gravitational lensing due to matter distributions along the line-of-sight. A gravitationally lensed SN would appear brighter or fainter than the average SN at a particular redshift. We estimate the magnification of 26 SNe in the GOODS fields and search for a correlation with the residual magnitudes of the SNe. The residual magnitude, i.e. the difference between observed and average magnitude predicted by the "concordance model" of the Universe, indicates the deviation in flux from the average SN. The linear correlation coefficient for this sample is r=0.29. For a similar, but uncorrelated sample, the probability of obtaining a correlation coefficient equal to or higher than this value is ~10%, i.e. a tentative detection of lensing at ~90% confidence level. Although the evidence for a correlation is weak, our result is in accordance with what could be expected given the small size of the sample.
Tsiganis et al. (2005) have proposed that the current orbital architecture of the outer solar system could have been established if it was initially compact and Jupiter and Saturn crossed the 2:1 orbital resonance by divergent migration. The crossing led to close encounters among the giant planets, but the orbital eccentricities and inclinations were damped to their current values by interactions with planetesimals. Brunini (2006) has presented widely publicized numerical results showing that the close encounters led to the current obliquities of the giant planets. We present a simple analytic argument which shows that the change in the spin direction of a planet relative to an inertial frame during an encounter between the planets is very small and that the change in the obliquity (which is measured from the orbit normal) is due to the change in the orbital inclination. Since the inclinations are damped by planetesimal interactions on timescales much shorter than the timescales on which the spins precess due to the torques from the Sun, especially for Uranus and Neptune, the obliquities should return to small values if they are small before the encounters. We have performed simulations using the symplectic integrator SyMBA, modified to include spin evolution due to the torques from the Sun and mutual planetary interactions. Our numerical results are consistent with the analytic argument for no significant remnant obliquities.
We present the results of a Spitzer search for obscured AGN in the Chandra Deep Field-North, using both radio-excess and mid-infrared power-law selection. AGN selected via the former technique tend to lie at z ~ 1, have SEDs dominated by the 1.6 micron stellar bump, and have Seyfert-like X-ray luminosities (when detected in the X-ray). In contrast, the IRAC (3.6-8.0 micron) power-law selected AGN lie at higher redshifts of z ~ 2, and comprise a significant fraction of the most X-ray luminous AGN in the CDF-N. While there is almost no overlap in the AGN samples selected via these two methods, their X-ray detection fractions are very similar. Only 40% and 55% of the radio-excess and power-law samples are detected in the 2 Ms X-ray catalog, respectively. The majority of the AGN selected via both methods are consistent with being obscured (N_H > 10^(22) cm^-2), but not Compton-thick (N_H > 10^(24) cm^-2), although Compton-thick candidates exist in both samples. We place an upper limit of <82% (or < 4:1) on the obscured fraction of the power-law sample, consistent with predictions from the cosmic X-ray background. The sources selected via the power-law criteria comprise a subset of AGN selected via other IRAC color-color cuts. While smaller in number than the color-selected samples in the deep fields, the power-law sample suffers from less contamination by star-forming galaxies.
When an electrically charged system is subjected to the action of an electromagnetic field, it responds by generating an electrical current. In the case of a multicomponent plasma other effects, the so called cross effects, influence the flow of charge as well as the heat flow. In this paper we discuss these effects and their corresponding transport coefficients in a fully ionized plasma using Boltzmann's equation. Applications to non-confined plasmas, specially to those prevailing in astrophysical systems are highlighted. Also, a detailed comparison is given with other available results.
In this letter we have made a comparative study of degradation of solar EUV radiation and EUV-generated photoelectrons in the inner comae of comets having different gas production rates, Q, with values 1x10^28, 7x10^29, 1x10^31, and 1x10^32 s^-1. We found that in higher-Q comets the radial profile of H2O+ photo-production rate depicts a double-peak structure and that the differences in sunward and anti-sunward photoionization rates are pronounced. We show that photoelectron impact ionization is an order of magnitude larger than photoionization rate near the lower photoionization peak in comets with Q >~ 1x10^31 s^-1. The present study reveals the importance of photoelectrons relative to solar EUV as the ionization source in the inner coma of high-Q comets.
In the first part of this paper, traditional methods of studying Cepheids are summarized, mentioning Detre's contribution to this field. Then the new directions of Cepheid related research are reviewed with an emphasis on the problems concerning the period-luminosity relationship.
We discuss the evolution of clustering of galaxies in the Universe from the present epoch back to z ~ 2, using the first-epoch data from the VIMOS-VLT Deep Survey (VVDS). We present the evolution of the projected two-point correlation function of galaxies for the global galaxy population, as well as its dependence on galaxy intrinsic luminosities and spectral types. While we do not find strong variations of the correlation function parameters with redshift for the global galaxy population, the clustering of objects with different intrinsic luminosities evolved significantly during last 8-10 billion years. Our findings indicate that bright galaxies in the past traced higher density peaks than they do now and that the shape of the correlation function of most luminous galaxies is different from observed for their local counterparts, which is a supporting evidence of a non-trivial evolution of the galaxy vs. dark matter bias.
Multiwavelength analysis on large samples of AGN provides an excellent tool to understand the physics of these objects. We present the largest catalog of XMM-Newton targeted AGN, all with high SNR X-ray spectra. It includes all the radio-quiet objects observed by XMM-Newton, in targeted observations of the AGN panel. The principal X-ray properties of the catalog are complemented by multiwavelength data found in the literature (optical magnitudes, radio fluxes, Hbeta FWHM, BH masses). We present here some results on the correlation of these quantities. In particular, we find convincing evidence for an `Iwasawa effect' on the narrow component of the Fe Kalpha line and a correlation between the soft-to-hard X-ray luminosity ratio and the Hbeta FWHM.
The Galactic massive black hole (MBH), with a mass of Mbh=3.6\times10^6 Solar masses, is the closest known MBH, at a distance of only 8 kpc. The proximity of this MBH makes it possible to observe gravitational waves from stars with periapse in the observational frequency window of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). This is possible even if the orbit of the star is very eccentric, so that the orbital frequency is many orders of magnitude below the LISA frequency window, as suggested by Rubbo et al. (2006). Here we give an analytical estimate of the detection rate of such gravitational wave bursts. The burst rate is critically sensitive to the inner cut-off of the stellar density profile. Our model accounts for mass-segregation and for the physics determining the inner radius of the cusp, such as stellar collisions, energy dissipation by gravitational wave emission, and consequences of the finite number of stars. We find that stellar black holes have a burst rate of the order of 1 per year, while the rate is of order 0.1 per year for main sequence stars and white dwarfs. These analytical estimates are supported by a series of Monte Carlo samplings of the expected distribution of stars around the Galactic MBH, which yield the full probability distribution for the rates. We estimate that no burst will be observable from the Virgo cluster.
T Tau stars display different X-ray properties depending on whether they are accreting (classical T Tau stars; CTTS) or not (weak-line T Tau stars; WTTS). We use data from the XMM-Newton Extended Survey of the Taurus Molecular Cloud (XEST) to study differences in X-ray properties between CTTS and WTTS. We perform correlation and regression analysis between X-ray parameters and stellar properties. We confirm the existence of a X-ray luminosity (Lx) vs. mass (M) relation, Lx ~ M^(1.69 +/- 0.11), but this relation is a consequence of X-ray saturation and a mass vs. bolometric luminosity (L*) relation for the TTS with an average age of 2.4 Myr. X-ray saturation indicates Lx = const L*, although the constant is different for the two subsamples: const = 10^(-3.73 +/- 0.05) for CTTS and const = 10^(-3.39 +/- 0.06) for WTTS. Given a similar L* distribution of both samples, the X-ray luminosity function also reflects a real X-ray deficiency in CTTS, by a factor of ~ 2 compared to WTTS. The average electron temperatures Tav are correlated with Lx in WTTS but not in CTTS; CTTS sources are on average hotter than WTTS sources. The most fundamental properties are the two saturation laws, indicating suppressed Lx for CTTS. We speculate that some of the accreting material in CTTS is cooling active regions to temperatures that may not significantly emit in the X-ray band, and if they do, high-resolution spectroscopy may be required to identify lines formed in such plasma, while CCD cameras do not detect these components. The similarity of the Lx vs. Tav dependencies in WTTS and main-sequence stars as well as their similar X-ray saturation laws suggests similar physical processes for the hot plasma, i.e., heating and radiation of a magnetic corona.
Polarization is a useful probe to investigate the geometries and dynamics of outflow in BAL QSOs. We perform a Monte-Carlo simulation to calculate the polarization produced by resonant and electron scattering in BALR. We find: 1)A rotated and funnel-shaped outflow is preferred to explain many observed polarization features. 2)The resonant scattering can contribute a significant part of NV emission line in some QSOs.
In recent years, giant amplitude X-ray flares have been observed from a handful of non-active galaxies. The most plausible scenario of these unusual phenomena is tidal disruption of a star by a quiescent supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy. Comparing the XMM-Newton Slew Survey Source Catalogue with the ROSAT PSPC All-Sky Survey five galaxies have been detected a factor of up to 88 brighter in XMM-Newton with respect to ROSAT PSPC upper limits and presenting a soft X-ray colour. X-ray luminosities of these sources derived from slew observations have been found in the range 10^41-10^44 erg s^-1, fully consistent with the tidal disruption model. This model predicts that during the peak of the outburst, flares reach X-ray luminosities up to 10^45 erg s^-1, which is close to the Eddington luminosity of the black hole, and afterwards a decay of the flux on a time scale of months to years is expected. Multi-wavelength follow-up observations have been performed on these highly variable objects in order to disentangle their nature and to investigate their dynamical evolution. Here we present sources coming from the XMM-Newton Slew Survey that could fit in the paradigm of tidal disruption events. X-ray and optical observations revealed that two of these objects are in full agreement with that scenario and three other sources that, showing signs of optical activity, need further investigation within the transient galactic nuclei phenomena.
Transit searches provide a large number of planet candidates. Before attempting follow-up observations, the best effort should be spent in classifying the light-curves, rejecting false alarms and selecting the most likely ones for real planets. A number of analysis tools has been developed with these objectives. Here, we apply such tools to 237 simulated multi-color light-curves from CoRoT Blind Test 2, which contain simulated planet transits and several configurations of impostors. Their comparison gives indications of the various tools' classification and false-alarm rejection capabilities. In order to arrive at the candidate identifications, we used an automated scheme of weighted punctuations assigned to the individual tests, which avoids that results from a single test dominate a candidate's classification.
High energy spectra of broad-line blazars can be reproduced by both synchrotron-self-Compton (SSC) models and external-Compton (EC) models. However, as is known from numerical modeling, SSC scenarios require much weaker magnetic field than EC ones. In this paper we quantify these results analytically.
We report on a medium deep XMM-Newton survey of the Marano Field and optical follow-up observations. The mosaicked XMM-Newton pointings in this optical quasar survey field cover 0.6 square degree with a total of 120 ksec good observation time. We detected 328 X-ray sources in total. The turnover flux of our sample is f~5x10^(-15) erg/cm^2/s in the 0.2-10 keV band. With VLT FORS1 and FORS2 spectroscopy we classified 96 new X-ray counterparts. The central 0.28 square degree, where detailed optical follow-up observations were performed, contain 170 X-ray sources (detection likelihood ML>10), out of which 48 had already been detected by ROSAT. In this region we recover 23 out of 29 optically selected quasars. With a total of 110 classifications in our core sample we reach a completeness of ~65%. About one third of the XMM-Newton sources is classified as type II AGN with redshifts mostly below 1.0. Furthermore, we detect five high redshift type II AGN (2.2<z<2.8). The optical and X-ray colors of the core sample indicate that most of the still unidentified X-ray sources are likely to be type II AGN. We calculate absorbing column densities and show that the ratio of absorbed to unabsorbed objects is significantly higher for type II AGN than for type I AGN. Nevertheless, we find a few unabsorbed type II AGN. The X-ray hardness ratios of some high redshift type I AGN also give an indication of heavy absorption. However, none of these type I objects is bright enough for spectral extraction and detailed model fitting. Furthermore, we classified three X-ray bright optically normal galaxies (XBONGs) as counterparts. They show properties similar to type II AGN, probably harbouring an active nucleus.
We measure photometric redshifts and spectral types for galaxies in the
COSMOS survey. We use template fitting technique combined with luminosity
function priors and with the option to simultaneously estimate dust extinction
(i.e. E(B-V)) for each galaxy.Our estimated redshifts are accurate to i<25 and
z~1.2.
Using simulations with sampling and noise characteristics similar to those in
COSMOS, the accuracy and reliability is estimated for the photometric redshifts
as a function of the magnitude limits of the sample, S/N ratios and the number
of bands used. From the simulations we find that the ratio of derived 95%
confidence interval in the redshift probability distribution to the estimated
photometric redshift (D95) can be used to identify and exclude the catastrophic
failures in the photometric redshift estimates.
We compare the derived redshifts with high-reliability spectroscopic
redshifts for a sample of 868 normal galaxies with z < 1.2 from zCOSMOS.
Considering different scenarios, depending on using prior, no prior and/or
extinction, we compare the photometric and spectroscopic redshifts for this
sample. This corresponds to an rms scatter of 0.031, with a small number of
outliers (<2.5%). We also find good agreement (rms=0.10) between photometric
and spectroscopic redshifts for Type II AGNs.
We compare results from our photometric redshift procedure with three other
independent codes and find them in excellent agreement. We show preliminary
results, based on photometric redshifts for the entire COSMOS sample (to i < 25
mag.).
Molecular line emission from high-redshift galaxies holds great promise for the study of galaxy formation and evolution. The weak signals can only be detected with the largest mm-wave telescopes, such as the IRAM interferometer. We report the detection of the J = 5-4 line of HNC and the tentative detection of the N= 4-3 line of CN in the quasar APM08279+5255 at z=3.9. These are the 4th and 5th molecular species detected at such a high redshift. The derived HNC and CN line intensities are 0.6 and 0.4 times that of HCN J= 5-4. If HNC and HCN are co-spatial and if their J= 5-4 lines are collisionally excited, the [HNC]/[HCN] abundance ratio must be equal to 0.6 within a factor of 2, similar to its value in the cold Galactic clouds and much larger than in the hot molecular gas associated with Galactic HII regions. It is possible, however, that fluorescent infrared radiation plays an important role in the excitation of HNC and HCN.
We present observations at 1.4 and 250 GHz of the $z\sim 5.7$ Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAE) in the COSMOS field found by Murayama et al.. At 1.4 GHz there are 99 LAEs in the lower noise regions of the radio field. We do not detect any individual source down to 3$\sigma$ limits of $\sim 30\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$ at 1.4 GHz, nor do we detect a source in a stacking analysis, to a 2$\sigma$ limit of $2.5\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$. At 250 GHz we do not detect any of the 10 LAEs that are located within the central regions of the COSMOS field covered by MAMBO ($20' \times 20'$) to a typical 2$\sigma$ limit of $S_{250} < 2$mJy. The radio data imply that there are no low luminosity radio AGN with $L_{1.4} > 6\times 10^{24}$ W Hz$^{-1}$ in the LAE sample. The radio and millimeter observations also rule out any highly obscured, extreme starbursts in the sample, ie. any galaxies with massive star formation rates $> 1500$ M$_\odot$ year$^{-1}$ in the full sample (based on the radio data), or 500 M$_\odot$ year$^{-1}$ for the 10% of the LAE sample that fall in the central MAMBO field. The stacking analysis implies an upper limit to the mean massive star formation rate of $\sim 100$ M$_\odot$ year$^{-1}$.
We explore the large angular scale temperature anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) due to homogeneous local dust-filled voids in a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe with a cosmological constant. In comparison with the equivalent dust-filled void model in the Einstein-de Sitter background, we find that the anisotropy for a compensated asymptotically expanding local voids can be larger because second order effects enhance the linear integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect. However, for local voids that expand sufficiently faster than the asymptotic velocity of the wall, the second order effect can suppress the fluctuation due to the linear ISW effect. A pair of quasi-linear compensated asymptotic local voids with radius (2-3)*10^2 h^{-1} Mpc and a matter density contrast ~-0.3 can be observed as cold spots with a temperature anisotropy DT/T~O(10^{-5}) that might help explain the observed large-angle CMB anomalies. We predict that the associated anisotropy in the local Hubble constant in the direction of the voids could be as large as a few percent.
The kinematics, structure, and stellar population properties in the centers of two brightest early-type galaxies of the Leo II group, NGC 3607 and NGC 3608, are studied by means of integral-field spectroscopy. The kinematically distinct areas in the centers of these galaxies, with radii of 6" and 5" respectively, are found also to be chemically distinct. These stellar structures are characterized by enhanced magnesium-line strength in the integrated spectra. However, we have not found any mean stellar age differences between the decoupled cores and their outskirts. Analysis of the two-dimensional line-of-sight velocity fields reveals systematic turns of the kinematical major axes near the nuclei of both galaxies; in NGC 3608 the ionized gas rotates in the orthogonal plane with respect to the stellar component rotation. By taking into account some morphological features, we conclude that both NGC 3607 and NGC 3608 have large triaxial stellar spheroids. We argue that the magnesium-enhanced cores are not circumnuclear disks; instead they resemble rather compact triaxial structures which may be a cause of formation of polar disks around them - a gaseous one in NGC 3608 and a stellar-gaseous one in NGC 3607. In the latter galaxy the star formation is perhaps still proceeding over the polar disk.
We report on the stellar content of the COSMOS two degree field, as derived from a rigorous star/galaxy separation approach developed for using stellar sources to define the point spread function variation map used in a study of weak galaxy lensing. The catalog obtained in one filter from the ACS (Advanced Camera for Survey on the Hubble Space Telescope) is cross-identified with ground based multi-wavelength catalogs. The classification is reliable to magnitude $F_{814W}=24$ and the sample is complete even fainter. We construct a color-magnitude diagram and color histograms and compare them with predictions of a standard model of population synthesis. We find features corresponding to the halo subdwarf main sequence turnoff, the thick disk, and the thin disk. This data set provides constraints on the thick disk and spheroid density laws and on the IMF at low mass. We find no evidence of a sharp spheroid edge out to this distance. We identify a blue population of white dwarfs with counts that agree with model predictions. We find a hint for a possible slight stellar overdensity at about 22-34 kpc but the data are not strong enough at present to claim detection of a stream feature in the halo (abridged).
We present gas temperature, density, entropy and cooling time profiles for the cores of a sample of 15 galaxy groups observed with {\it Chandra}. We find that the entropy profiles follow a power-law profile down to very small fractions of $R_{500}$. Differences between the gas profiles of groups with radio loud and radio quiet BGGs are only marginally significant, and there is only a small difference in the $L_X:T_X$ relations, for the central regions we study with {\it Chandra}, between the radio-loud and radio-quiet objects in our sample, in contrast to the much larger difference found on scales of the whole group in earlier work. However, there is evidence, from splitting the sample based on the mass of the central black holes, that repeated outbursts of AGN activity may have a long term cumulative effect on the entropy profiles. We argue that, to first-order, energy injection from radio sources does not change the global structure of the gas in the cores of groups, although it can displace gas on a local level. In most systems, it appears that AGN energy injection serves primarily to counter the effects of radiative cooling, rather than being responsible for the similarity breaking between groups and clusters.
We report on the discovery of a new potential galaxy threshing system in the COSMOS 2 square degree field using the prime-focus camera, Suprime-Cam, on the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope. This system consists of a giant elliptical galaxy with $M_V \approx -21.6$ and a tidally disrupted satellite galaxy with $M_V \approx -17.7$ at a photometric redshift of $z \approx 0.08$. This redshift is consistent with the spectroscopic redshift of 0.079 for the giant elliptical galaxy obtained from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) archive. The luminosity masses of the two galaxies are $3.7 \times 10^{12} \cal{M}_{\odot}$ and $3.1 \times 10^{9} \cal{M}_{\odot}$, respectively. The distance between the two galaxies is greater than 100 kpc. The two tidal tails emanating from the satellite galaxy extend over 150 kpc. This system would be the second well-defined galaxy threshing system found so far.
We present broadband properties of sources in the Chandra Deep Field-North with spectroscopic redshifts. The high luminosity and redshift bins are dominated by typical quasars. The intermediate redshift (z = 0.7-1.5) and luminosity ranges (L(0.5-8.0keV) = 10^(42.5-43.5) erg/s) show a mix of different source types, with the absorbed objects in the majority. At the faint flux limit of the CDF-N, a substantial fraction of the sources are identified as star-forming galaxies. The AGN in the sample can be divided into four classes based on their rest frame SEDs: luminous, unabsorbed QSOs; objects with reddened optical spectra and X-ray absorption; X-ray absorbed AGN with no signs of reddening in the optical spectra; and optically reddened sources with X-ray spectra indicative of obscuration. We argue that the AGN of higher luminosity tend to have a lower X-ray absorbing column density, but the ratio of X-ray absorbed to unabsorbed AGN remains constant with redshift. We find that the relations between UV and X-ray luminosities derived by Strateva et al. (2005) and Steffen et al.(2006) only hold for bright sources, and break down when faint objects in the sample are included.This is only partly owing to the fact that the majority of the faint sources are absorbed; several faint sources must also have intrinsically lower X-ray luminosity. A fit to the NIR-optical-UV broadband SEDs of the AGN allows us to constrain the absorption parameters independently from the X-ray analyses. We show that the N_H values derived by the X-ray and optical methods are not correlated.This may be because the X-ray absorption and optical attenuation do not originate at the same location, and/or the dust properties responsible for the optical attenuation in AGNs are very different from the locally known dust properties. (abridged)
We calculated the median values of the following parameters for 87 groups of galaxies with three to eight components: the mean rms velocity of the galaxies in the group, S_v = 166 km/s; the harmonic mean radius, R_h = 29 kpc; and the mass-to-light ratio, M_vir/L = 33 Msun/Lsun. The M_vir/L ratio depends on the population of the system, while S_v does not depend on R_h. To ascertain the relationship between the activity of galaxies in groups and their morphological composition and the effect of the environment on the evolutionary processes in groups, we consider the fraction of galaxies with UV excess in the sample of interacting galaxies in groups (6%), single peculiar galaxies (8%), and isolated galaxies (4%) and their morphological composition. We also show that the number of active galaxies decreases with increasing population of the group of galaxies, while the frequency of occurrence of early-type (E/S0) galaxies increases.
Recently, Allen et al. measured a tight correlation between the Bondi accretion rates and jet powers of nearby X-ray luminous elliptical galaxies. We employ two models of jet powering to understand this correlation and derive constraints on the spin and accretion rate of the central black holes. In these models, the magnetic fields threading the accretion flow or the spinning black hole can extract energy electromagnetically from the disk and/or hole and drive the observed jets. The first is the Blandford-Znajek (BZ) model, in which the spin energy of the hole is extracted; the second model is an hybrid version of the Blandford-Payne and Blandford-Znajek processes, in which the outflow is generated in the inner parts of the accretion disk. We assume advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAF) and account for general relativistic effects, in particular the dependence of the radius of the marginally stable orbit R_ms on the dimensionless spin j and enhancement of the magnetic field strength by shear driven by the Kerr metric. We calculate the jet efficiencies eta_jet=P_jet/Mdot(R_ms) c^2 needed to reproduce the correlation and find that the theoretical maximum values of eta_jet for the BZ and hybrid models are approximately 20% and 50% respectively. Our modelling implies that for typical values of the disk viscosity parameter alpha ~ 0.01 - 1 the tight correlation implies the narrow range of spins j ~ 0.7 - 1 and accretion rates Mdot_ms ~ (0.01 - 1) Mdot_Bondi. Our results provide support for the "spin paradigm" scenario and suggest that the central black holes in the cores of clusters of galaxies must be rapidly rotating in order to drive radio jets powerful enough to quench the cooling flows.
We analyse 4.5, 8 and 24 um band Spitzer images of six gamma ray burst host galaxies at redshifts close to 1. We constrain their star formation rates (SFR) based on the entire available spectral energy distribution rather than the 24 um band only. Further, we estimate their stellar masses (M*) based on rest frame K band luminosities. Our sample spans a wide range of galaxy properties: derived SFRs range from less than 10 to a few hundred solar masses per year; values of M* range from 10^9 to 10^10 Mo with a median of 5.6 x 10^9 Mo. Comparing the specific star formation rate (PHI = SFR/M*) of our sample as a function of M* to other representative types of galaxies (distant red galaxies, Ly-alpha emitters, Lyman break galaxies, submillimeter galaxies and z ~ 2 galaxies from the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey-North field), we find that gamma ray burst hosts are among those with the highest PHI.
We present the first results from the "Low Energy Detector" payload of the "Solar X-ray Spectrometer (SOXS)" mission, which was launched onboard the GSAT-2 Indian spacecraft on 08 May 2003 by the GSLV-D2 rocket to study solar flares. The SOXS Low Energy Detector (SLD) payload was designed, developed, and fabricated by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in collaboration with the Space Application Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad and the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The energy ranges of the Si PIN and CZT detectors are 4 - 25 keV and 4 - 56 keV respectively. The Si PIN provides sub-keV energy resolution while the CZT reveals ~1.7 keV energy resolution throughout the energy range. The high sensitivity and sub-keV energy resolution of the Si PIN detector allows measuring the intensity, peak energy, and the equivalent width of the Fe-line complex at approximately 6.7 keV as a function of time in all ten M-class flares studied in this investigation. The peak energy (Ep) of the Fe-line feature varies between 6.4 and 6.7 keV with increasing in temperature from 9 to 58 MK. We found that the equivalent width (w) of the Fe-line feature increases exponentially with temperature up to 30 MK and then increases very slowly up to 40 Mk. It remains between 3.5 and 4 keV in the temperature range of 30 - 45 MK. We compare our measurements of w with calculations made earlier by various investigators and propose that these measurements may improve theoretical models. We interpret the variation of both Ep and w with temperature as due to the changes in the ionization and recombination conditions in the plasma during the flare interval and as a consequence the contribution from different ionic emission lines also varies.
We investigate the variation of current star formation in galaxies as a function of distance along three supercluster filaments, each joining pairs of rich clusters, in the Pisces-Cetus supercluster, which is part of the 2dFGRS. We find that even though there is a steady decline in the rate of star formation, as well as in the fraction of star forming galaxies, as one approaches the core of a cluster at an extremity of such a filament, there is an increased activity of star formation in a narrow distance range between 3-4/h_70 Mpc, which is 1.5-2 times the virial radius of the clusters involved. This peak in star formation is seen to be entirely due to the dwarf galaxies (-20<M_B<-17.5). The position of the peak does not seem to depend on the velocity dispersion of the nearest cluster, undermining the importance of the gravitational effect of the clusters involved. We find that this enhancement in star formation occurs at the same place for galaxies which belong to groups within these filaments, while group members elsewhere in the 2dFGRS do not show this effect. We conclude that the most likely mechanism for this enhanced star formation is galaxy-galaxy harassment, in the crowded infall region of rich clusters at the extremities of filaments, which induces a burst of star formation in galaxies, before they have been stripped of their gas in the denser cores of clusters. The effects of strangulation in the cores of clusters, as well as excess star formation in the infall regions along the filaments, are more pronounced in dwarfs since they more vulnerable to the effects of strangulation and harassment than giant galaxies.
[ABRIGED] We present the optical identification of a sample of 695 X-ray sources detected in the first 1.3 deg^2 of the XMM-COSMOS survey, down to a 0.5-2 keV (2-10 keV) limiting flux of ~10^-15 erg cm-2 s-1 (~5x10^-15 erg cm^-2 s-1). We were able to associate a candidate optical counterpart to ~90% (626) of the X-ray sources, while for the remaining ~10% of the sources we were not able to provide a unique optical association due to the faintness of the possible optical counterparts (I_AB>25) or to the presence of multiple optical sources within the XMM-Newton error circles. We also cross-correlated the candidate optical counterparts with the Subaru multicolor and ACS catalogs and with the Magellan/IMACS, zCOSMOS and literature spectroscopic data; the spectroscopic sample comprises 248 objects (~40% of the full sample). Our analysis reveals that for ~80% of the counterparts there is a very good agreement between the spectroscopic classification, the morphological parameters as derived from ACS data, and the optical to near infrared colors. About 20% of the sources show an apparent mismatch between the morphological and spectroscopic classifications. All the ``extended'' BL AGN lie at redshift <1.5, while the redshift distribution of the full BL AGN population peaks at z~1.5. Our analysis also suggests that the Type 2/Type 1 ratio decreases towards high luminosities, in qualitative agreement with the results from X-ray spectral analysis and the most recent modeling of the X-ray luminosity function evolution.
The recently observed correlation between HiRes stereo cosmic ray events with energies E ~ 10 EeV and BL Lacs occurs at an angle which strongly suggests that the primary particles are neutral. We analyze whether this correlation, if not a statistical fluctuation, can be explained within the Standard Model, i.e., assuming only known particles and interactions. We have not found a plausible process which can account for these correlations. The mechanism which comes closest -- the conversion of protons into neutrons in the IR background of our Galaxy -- still under-produces the required flux of neutral particles by about 2 orders of magnitude. The situation is different at E ~ 100 EeV where the flux of cosmic rays at Earth may contain up to a few percent of neutrons pointing back to the extragalactic sources.
We present the results of a search for galaxy clusters in the first 36 XMM-Newton pointings on the COSMOS field. We reach a depth for a total cluster flux in the 0.5-2 keV band of 3x10-15 ergs cm-2 s-1, having one of the widest XMM-Newton contiguous raster surveys, covering an area of 2.1 square degrees. Cluster candidates are identified through a wavelet detection of extended X-ray emission. Verification of the cluster candidates is done based on a galaxy concentration analysis in redshift slices of thickness of 0.1-0.2 in redshift, using the multi-band photometric catalog of the COSMOS field and restricting the search to z<1.3 and i_AB < 25. We identify 72 clusters and derive their properties based on the X-ray cluster scaling relations. A statistical description of the survey in terms of the cumulative log(N>S)-lg(S) distribution compares well with previous results, although yielding a somewhat higher number of clusters at similar fluxes. The X-ray luminosity function of COSMOS clusters matches well the results of nearby surveys, providing a comparably tight constraint on the faint end slope of alpha=1.93+/-0.04. For the probed luminosity range of 8x10+42 - 2x10+44 ergs s-1, our survey is in agreement with and adds significantly to the existing data on the cluster luminosity function at high redshifts and implies no substantial evolution at these luminosities to z=1.3.
We present a detailed spectral analysis of point-like X-ray sources in the XMM-COSMOS field. Our sample of 135 sources only includes those that have more than 100 net counts in the 0.3-10 keV energy band and have been identified through optical spectroscopy. The majority of the sources are well described by a simple power-law model with either no absorption (76%) or a significant intrinsic, absorbing column (20%).As expected, the distribution of intrinsic absorbing column densities is markedly different between AGN with or without broad optical emission lines. We find within our sample four Type-2 QSOs candidates (L_X > 10^44 erg/s, N_H > 10^22 cm^-2), with a spectral energy distribution well reproduced by a composite Seyfert-2 spectrum, that demonstrates the strength of the wide field XMM/COSMOS survey to detect these rare and underrepresented sources.
We examine the radius-luminosity (R-L) relation for blue galaxies in the Team Keck Redshift Survey (TKRS) of GOODS-N. We compare with a volume-limited, Sloan Digital Sky Survey sample and find that the R-L relation has evolved to lower surface brightness since z=1. Based on the detection limits of GOODS this can not be explained by incompleteness in low surface-brightness galaxies. Number density arguments rule out a pure radius evolution. It can be explained by a radius dependent decline in B-band luminosity with time. Assuming a linear shift in M_B with z, we use a maximum likelihood method to quantify the evolution. Under these assumptions, large (R_{1/2} > 5 kpc), and intermediate sized (3 < R_{1/2} < 5 kpc) galaxies, have experienced Delta M_B =1.53 (-0.10,+0.13) and 1.65 (-0.18, +0.08) magnitudes of dimming since z=1. A simple exponential decline in star formation with an e-folding time of 3 Gyr can result in this amount of dimming. Meanwhile, small galaxies, or some subset thereof, have experienced more evolution, 2.55 (+/- 0.38) magnitudes. This factor of ten decline in luminosity can be explained by sub-samples of starbursting dwarf systems that fade rapidly, coupled with a decline in burst strength or frequency. Samples of bursting, luminous, blue, compact galaxies at intermediate redshifts have been identified by various previous studies. If there has been some growth in galaxy size with time, these measurements are upper limits on luminosity fading.
We consider the pumping of the $63.2 \mu$m fine structure line of neutral OI in the high--redshift intergalactic medium (IGM), in analogy with the Wouthuysen--Field effect for the 21cm line of cosmic HI. We show that the soft UV background at $\sim 1300$\AA can affect the population levels, and if a significant fraction of the IGM volume is filled with ``fossil HII regions'' containing neutral OI, then this can produce a non--negligible spectral distortion in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). OI from redshift $z$ is seen in emission at $(1+z)63.2\mu$m, and between $7<z<10$ produces a mean spectral distortion of the CMB with a $y$--parameter of $y=(10^{-9} - 3\times10^{-8}) (Z/10^{-3}{\rm Z_{\odot}}) (I_{UV})$, where $Z$ is the mean metallicity of the IGM and $I_{UV}$ is the UV background at 1300\AA in units of $10^{-20}$ erg/s/Hz/cm$^2$/sr. Because O is in charge exchange equilibrium with H, a measurement of this signature can trace the metallicity at the end of the dark ages, prior to the completion of cosmic reionization and is complementary to cosmological 21cm studies. While future CMB experiments, such as Planck could constrain the metallicity to the $10^{-2} Z_{\odot}$ level, specifically designed experiments could potentially achieve a detection. Fluctuations of the distortion on small angular scale may also be detectable.
Results of numerical 3D simulations of propagation of acoustic waves inside the Sun are presented. A linear 3D code which utilizes realistic OPAL equation of state was developed by authors. Modified convectively stable standard solar model with smoothly joined chromosphere was used as a background model. High order dispersion relation preserving numerical scheme was used to calculate spatial derivatives. The top non-reflecting boundary condition established in the chromosphere absorbs waves with frequencies greater than the acoustic cut-off frequency which pass to the chromosphere, simulating a realistic situation. The acoustic power spectra obtained from the wave field generated by sources randomly distributed below the photosphere are in good agreement with observations. The influence of the height of the top boundary on results of simulation was studied. It was shown that the energy leakage through the acoustic potential barrier damps all modes uniformly and does not change the shape of the acoustic spectrum. So the height of the top boundary can be used for controlling a damping rate without distortion of the acoustic spectrum. The developed simulations provide an important tool for testing local helioseismology.
We present the results of a submillimeter survey of 53 low-mass dense cores with the Submillimeter High Angular Resolution Camera II (SHARC-II). The survey is a follow-up project to the Spitzer Legacy Program ``From Molecular Cores to Planet-Forming Disks'', with the purpose being to create a complete data set of nearby low-mass dense cores from the infrared to the millimeter. We present maps of 52 cores at 350 microns and three cores at 450 microns, two of which were observed at both wavelengths. Of these 52 cores, 41 were detected by SHARC-II: 32 contained one submillimeter source while 9 contained multiple sources. For each submillimeter source detected, we report various source properties including source position, fluxes in various apertures, size, aspect ratio, and position angle. For the 12 cores that were not detected we present upper limits. The sources detected by SHARC-II have, on average, smaller sizes at the 2sigma contours than those derived from longer-wavelength bolometer observations. We conclude that this is not caused by a failure to integrate long enough to detect the full extent of the core; instead it arises primarily from the fact that the observations presented in this survey are insensitive to smoothly varying extended emission. We find that SHARC-II observations of low-mass cores are much better suited to distinguishing between starless and protostellar cores than observations at longer wavelengths. Very Low Luminosity Objects, a new class of objects being discovered by the Spitzer Space Telescope in cores previously classified as starless, look very similar at 350 microns to other cores with more luminous protostars.
We discovered non-stellar Balmer absorption lines in two many-narrow-trough FeLoBALs (mntBALs) by the near-infrared spectroscopy with Subaru/CISCO. Presence of the non-stellar Balmer absorption lines is known to date only in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151, thus our discovery is the first cases for quasars. Since all known active galactic nuclei with Balmer absorption lines share characteristics, it is suggested that there is a population of BAL quasars which have unique structures at their nuclei or unique evolutionary phase.
We present the results of deep imaging of the field of GRB 050904 with Suprime-Cam on the Subaru 8.2m telescope. We have obtained a narrow-band (130 A) image centered at 9200 A (NB921) and an i'-band image with total integration times of 56700 and 24060 s, respectively. The host galaxy was not detected within 1'' of the afterglow position. An object was found at 1.5'' NE from the position of the afterglow, but clear detection of this object in the i'-band image rules out its association with the burst. We obtained a limit of > 26.4 AB magnitude (2'' diameter, 3 sigma) in the NB921 image for the host galaxy, corresponding to a flux of 6.0 x 10^{28} erg/s/Hz at rest 1500 A assuming a flat spectrum of the host galaxy. The star formation rate should be less than 7.5 (M_{solar}/yr) based on the conversion rate by Madau et al (1998). This upper limit for the host of GRB 050904 is consistent with the star formation rate of other gamma-ray burst host galaxies around redshift of 2 or less.
We have constrained the age of the globular cluster S312 in the Andromeda galaxy (M31) by comparing its multicolor photometry with theoretical stellar population synthesis models. This is both a check on the age of this globular cluster, as well a check on our methodology. Main-sequence photometry has been the most direct method for determining the age of a star cluster. S312 was observed as part of the Beijing-Arizona-Taiwan-Connecticut (BATC) Multicolor Sky Survey from 1995 February to 2003 December. The photometry of BATC images for S312 was taken with 9 intermediate-band filters covering 5000-10000\AA. Combined with photometry in the near-ultraviolet (NUV) of {\sl GALEX}, broad-band $UBVR$ and infrared $JHK_s$ of 2MASS, we obtained the accurate spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of S312 from 2267-20000\AA. A quantitative comparison to simple stellar population models yields an age of $9.5_{-0.99}^{+1.15}$ Gyr, which is in very good agreement with the previous determination by main-sequence photometry. S312 has a mass of $9.8\pm{1.85}\times 10^5 \rm M_\odot$, and is a medium-mass globular cluster in M31. By analysis of errors of ages determined based on the SED fitting method of this paper, secure age constraints are derived with errors of $< 3$ Gyr for ages younger than 9 Gyr. In fact, the theoretical SEDs are not sensitive to the variation of age for ages greater than $\sim 10$ Gyr. Therefore, for globular clusters as old as the majority of the Galactic GCs, our method do not distinguish them accurately. We emphasize that our results show that even with multiband photometry spanning NUV to $K_s$, our age constraints from SED fitting are distressingly uncertain, which has implications for age derivations in extragalactic globular cluster systems.
We present the first results of the measurements of angular auto-correlation functions (ACFs) of X-ray point sources detected in the XMM-Newton observations of the 2 deg2 COSMOS field (XMM-COSMOS). A significant positive signals have been detected in the 0.5-2 (SFT) band, in the angle range of 0.5-24 arcminutes, while the positive signals were at the 2 and 3 sigma levels in the 2-4.5 (MED) and 4.5-10 (UHD) keV bands respectively. Correctly taking integral constraints into account is a major limitation in interpreting our results. With power-law fits to the ACFs without the integral constraint term, we find correlation lengths of theta_c=1.9+-0.3, 0.8+0.5-0.4 and 6+-2 arcseconds for the SFT, MED, and UHD bands respectively for gamma=1.8. The inferred comoving correlation lengths, also taking into account the bias by the source merging due to XMM-Newton PSF, are 9.8+-0.7, 5.8+1.4-1.7 and 12+-2 h-1 Mpc at the effective redshifts of 1.1, 0.9, and 0.6 for the SFT, MED, and UHD bands respectively. If we include the integral constraint term in the fitting process,assuming that the power-law extends to the scale length of the entire XMM-COSMOSfield, the correlation lengths become larger by 20%-90%. Comparing the inferred rms fluctuations of the spatial distribution of AGNs with those of the underlying mass, the bias parameters of the X-ray source clustering at these effective redshifts are in the range b(AGN)=1.5-4. (Edited to simple ascii.)
The lecture introduces a trous wavelet transforms, explains how to estimate the spatial density for galaxy distributions, and, finally, how to describe the morphology of cosmological density fields. An example application of these methods to the 2dFGRS gives unexpected results.
Pulsar timing at the Mt Pleasant observatory has focused on Vela, which can be tracked for 18 hours of the day. These nearly continuous timing records extend over 24 years allowing a greater insight into details of timing noise, micro glitches and other more exotic effects. In particular we report the glitch parameters of the 2004 event, along with the reconfirmation that the spin up for the Vela pulsar occurs instantaneously to the accuracy of the data. This places a lower limit of about 30 seconds for the acceleration of the pulsar to the new rotational frequency. We also confirm of the low braking index for Vela, and the continued fall in the DM for this pulsar.
Highlights of recent observations of extended jets in AGN are presented. Specifically, we discuss new spectral constraints enabled by Spitzer, studies of the highest-redshift (z~4) radio/X-ray quasar jets, and a new VLBA detection of superluminal motion in the M87 jet associated with a recent dramatic X-ray outburst. Expanding on the title, inverse Compton emission from extended radio lobes is considered and a testable prediction for the gamma-ray emission in one exemplary example is presented. Prospects for future studies with ALMA and low-frequency radio interferometers are briefly described.
In February 1997 the Japanese radio astronomy satellite HALCA was launched to
provide the space-borne element for the VSOP mission. HALCA provided linear
baselines three-times greater than that of ground arrays, thus providing higher
resolution and higher AGN brightness temperature measurements and limits.
Twenty-five percent of the scientific time of the mission was devoted to the
``VSOP survey'' of bright, compact, extra-galactic radio sources at 5 GHz. A
complete list of 294 survey targets were selected from pre-launch surveys, 91%
of which were observed during the satellite's lifetime. The major goals of the
VSOP Survey are statistical in nature: to determine the brightness temperature
and approximate structure, to provide a source list for use with future space
VLBI missions, and to compare radio properties with other data throughout the
electromagnetic spectrum. All the data collected have now been analysed and is
being prepared for the final image Survey paper. In this paper we present
details of the mission, images of the sources, and some statistics of the
contributions and completeness.
Full resolution images are to be found on
this http URL
I review existing methods for determining mass-loss rates of red giants and red supergiants based on infrared data. The simplest method is based on models for the absorption and emission by dust which forms in the dense outflows from these cool stars. I discuss the parameters and assumptions upon which the method relies, review relationships between the mass-loss rate and infrared colours or far-infrared flux density, and propose a new formula for the mass-loss rate as a function of the visual extinction. I also briefly discuss the use of atomic and molecular transitions at infrared wavelengths.
We discuss the current interpretations of the {\it Swift} GRB X-ray afterglows, mainly focusing on the sharp decline at the prompt tail emission, and the shallow decay afterward, which is then followed by the conventional pre-\emph{Swift} decay behavior, and the possible X-ray flares during the latter two stages. We emphasize the role of the central engine in interpreting the GRB afterglows.
We estimate black hole masses in Narrow Line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies at the basis of their X-ray excess variance. We apply the standard approach appropriate for Broad Line Seyfert 1 (BLS1) galaxies. In general, we find that the obtained masses are by a factor \sim 20 too small to agree with values obtained from other methods (reverberation, stellar dispersion). However, a small subset of our NLS1 objects does not require that multiplication, or the correction factor is less than 4. We find that this subset have a soft X-ray photon index, \Gamma_{0.1-2.4 keV}, smaller than 2. We thus postulate that this subclass of NLS1 actually belongs to BLS1.
The results of ATIC-2 baloon experiment (2002-2003) for energy spectra of protons, He, C, O, Ne, Mg, Si, Fe, some groups of nuclei, and all-particle spectrum in primary cosmic rays are presented in energy region 50GeV--200TeV. The conclusion is that the spectra of protons and helium nuclei are essentially different (the spectrum of protons is steeper) and the spectra of protons and heavy nuclei have no-power form.
The main motivations and challenges related with the physics of large-scale magnetic fields are briefly analyzed. The interplay between large-scale magnetic fields and scalar CMB anisotropies is addressed with specific attention on recent progresses.
We calculate the constraints on the primordial curvature perturbation at the end of inflation from the present day abundance of Primordial Black Holes (PBHs), as a function of the reheat temperature T_{\rm RH}. We first extend recent work on the formation of PBHs on scales which remain within the horizon during inflation and calculate the resulting constraints on the curvature perturbation. We then evaluate the constraint from PBHs that form, more conventionally, from super-horizon perturbations. The constraints apply for T_{\rm RH} < 10^{8} GeV and the inclusion of sub-horizon PBHs leads to a limit which is roughly three times tighter than the bound from super-horizon PBHs.
We present results from CCD observations of comet 2P/Encke acquired at Steward Observatory's 2.3m Bok Telescope on Kitt Peak obtained in Oct. 2002, when the comet was near aphelion. Rotational lightcurves in B, V and R-filters were acquired over two nights of observations, and analysed to study the physical and color properties of the nucleus. The average apparent R-filter magnitude across both nights corresponds to a mean effective radius of 3.95 +/- 0.06 km. The rotational lightcurve results in a nucleus axial ratio a/b >= 1.44 +/- 0.06 and semi-axes lengths of [3.60 +/- 0.09] x [5.20 +/- 0.13] km. Our data includes the first detailed time series multi-color measurements of a cometary nucleus, and significant color variations were seen. The average color indices across both nights are: (V-R) = 0.39 +/- 0.06 and (B-V) = 0.73 +/- 0.06 (R_mean = 19.76 +/- 0.03). We linked our data with the September 2002 data from Fernandez et al. (2005) - taken just 2-3 weeks before the current data set - and we show that a rotation period of 11.083 +/- 0.003hours works extrememly well for the combined data set.
We reconstruct dark energy properties from two complementary supernova datasets -- the newly released Gold+HST sample and SNLS. The results obtained are consistent with standard $\Lambda$CDM model within $2\sigma$ error bars although the Gold+HST data favour evolving dark energy slightly more than SNLS. Using complementary data from baryon acoustic oscillations and the cosmic microwave background to constrain dark energy, we find that our results in this case are strongly dependent on the present value of the matter density $\Omega_m$. Consequently, no firm conclusions regarding constancy or variability of dark energy density can be drawn from these data alone unless the value of $\Omega_m$ is known to an accuracy of a few percent. However, possible variability is significantly restricted if this data is used in conjunction with supernova data.
In a class of spatially homogeneous cosmologies including those of Bianchi type I--VIII mathematical results are presented which show that a scalar field non-minimally coupled to the scalar curvature of spacetime can dynamically yield a positive cosmological constant without the potential being required to include one. More precisely, it is shown that in an exponential potential any positive coupling constant leads eventually to late-time de Sitter expansion and isotropization corresponding to a positive cosmological constant and that this behaviour is independent of the steepness of the potential. This is in marked contrast to the minimally coupled case where power-law inflation occurs at most, provided the potential is sufficiently shallow.
The MAGIC collaboration has observed very high energy gamma ray emission from the AGN 1ES 2344+514. A gamma-ray signal corresponding to an 11 sigma excess and an integral flux of (2.38+-0.30(stat)+-0.70(syst))*10^-11 cm^-2 s^-1 above 200 GeV has been obtained from 23.1 hours of data taking between 2005 August 3 and 2006 January 1. The data confirm the previously detected gamma-ray emission from this object during a flare seen by the Whipple collaboration in 1995 and the evidence (below 5 sigma significance level) from long-term observations conducted by the Whipple and HEGRA groups. The MAGIC observations show a relatively steep differential photon spectrum that can be described by a power law with a photon index of alpha=-2.95+-0.12(stat)+-0.2(syst) between 140 GeV and 5.4 TeV. The observations reveal a low flux state, about six times below the 1995 flare seen by Whipple and comparable with the previous Whipple and HEGRA long term measurements. During the MAGIC observations no significant time variability has been observed.
We present the first identification of large-scale structures (LSS) at z $< 1.1$ in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS). The structures are identified from adaptive smoothing of galaxy counts in the pseudo-3d space ($\alpha,\delta$,z) using the COSMOS photometric redshift catalog. The technique is tested on a simulation including galaxies distributed in model clusters and a field galaxy population -- recovering structures on all scales from 1 to 20\arcmin without {\it a priori} assumptions for the structure size or density profile. Our procedure makes {\bf no} {\it a priori} selection on galaxy spectral energy distribution (SED, for example the Red Sequence), enabling an unbiased investigation of environmental effects on galaxy evolution. The COSMOS photometric redshift catalog yields a sample of $1.5\times10^5$ galaxies with redshift accuracy, $\Delta z_{FWHM}/(1+z) \leq 0.1$ at z $< 1.1$ down to I$_{AB} \leq 25$ mag. Using this sample of galaxies, we identify 42 large-scale structures and clusters. abstract truncated for astroph 25 line limit -- see preprint
The MAGIC telescope uses a 300 MHz FADC system to sample the shaped PMT signals produced by the captured Cherenkov photons of air showers. Different algorithms to reconstruct the signal from the read-out samples (extractors) have been developed and are described and compared. Criteria based on the obtained charge and time resolution/bias are defined and used to judge the different extractors, by applying them to calibration, cosmic and pedestal signals. The achievable charge and time resolution have been derived as a function of the incident number of photo-electrons.
In the framework of the planar CR3BP for mass parameter mu=0.0121505,
corresponding to the Earth-Moon system, we identify and describe 80 families of
periodic orbits encircling both the Earth and the Moon ("transfer" orbits). All
the orbits in these families have very low energies, most of them corresponding
to values of the Jacobi constant C for which the Hill surface is closed at the
Lagrangian point L2. All of these orbits have also short period T, generally
under six months. Most of the families are composed of orbits that are
asymmetric with respect to the Earth-Moon axis.
The main results presented for each family are: (i) the characteristic curves
T(h), y(h), v_y(h), and v_x(h) on the Poincare section
Sigma_1={x=0.836915310,y,v_x>0,v_y} normal to the Earth-Moon axis at the
Lagrangian point L1, parameterized by their energy h=-C/2 in the synodic
coordinate system; (ii) the stability parameter along each family; (iii) the
intersections x_i(h) of the orbits with the Earth-Moon axis, on the Poincare
section Sigma_2={x,y=0,v_x},v_y>0}; (iv) plots of some selected orbits and
details of their circumlunar region; and (v) numerical data for the
intersection of an orbit with Sigma_1 at a reference value of h. Some possible
extensions and applications of this work are also discussed.
We study the prospects for detecting gamma-rays from point sources of Dark Matter annihilation with the space satellite GLAST. We simulate the instrument response to the gamma-ray spectrum arising from the annihilation of common Dark Matter candidates, and derive full-sky sensitivity maps for the {\it detection} of point sources and for the {\it identification} of the Dark Matter (as opposed to astrophysical) origin of the gamma-ray emission. These maps represent a powerful tool to assess the detectability of point sources, i.e. sources with angular size smaller than the angular resolution of GLAST, ~ 0.1 degrees, in {\it any} DM scenario. As an example, we apply the obtained results to the so-called 'mini-spikes' scenario, where the annihilation signal originates from large Dark Matter overdensities around Intermediate Mass Black Holes. We find that if these objects exist in the Galaxy, not only GLAST should be able to detect them over a timescale as short as 2 months, but in many cases it should be possible to determine with good accuracy the mass of the annihilating Dark Matter particles, while null searches would place stringent constraints on this scenario.
% context heading (optional)
{With the development of new polarimeters for large telescopes, the
spectro-polarimetric study of astrophysical bodies is becoming feasible and,
indeed, more frequent. In particular, this is permitting the observational
study of stellar magnetic fields} % aims heading (mandatory) {With the aim to
optimize and interpret this kind of observations, we have produced a spectral
atlas of circular polarization in a grid of stellar atmospheric models with
effective temperatures between 3500 and 10000 K, surface gravities
$\log(g)=3.5-5$, metallicities between 10$^{-2}$ and 1, and magnetic field
strengths of 100, 1000 and 5000~G} % methods heading (mandatory) {We have
computed the emergent Stokes $I$ and $V$ flux spectra in LTE of more than
10$^5$ spectral lines} % results heading (mandatory) {The atlas and several
numerical tools are available in electronic format and may be downloaded from
this http URL In this paper we review and discuss some
of its most relevant features, such as which spectral regions and individual
lines harbor the strongest signals, what are interesting lines to observe, how
to disentangle field strength from filling factor, etc.}
We report on spectropolarimetric observations of a near-IR line of Mn I located at 15262.702 A whose intensity and polarization profiles are very sensitive to the presence of hyperfine structure. A theoretical investigation of the magnetic sensitivity of this line to the magnetic field uncovers several interesting properties. The most important one is that the presence of strong Paschen-Back perturbations due to the hyperfine structure produces an intensity line profile whose shape changes according to the absolute value of the magnetic field strength. A line ratio technique is developed from the intrinsic variations of the line profile. This line ratio technique is applied to spectropolarimetric observations of the quiet solar photosphere in order to explore the probability distribution function of the magnetic field strength. Particular attention is given to the quietest area of the observed field of view, which was encircled by an enhanced network region. A detailed theoretical investigation shows that the inferred distribution yields information on the average magnetic field strength and the spatial scale at which the magnetic field is organized. A first estimation gives ~250 G for the mean field strength and a tentative value of ~0.45" for the spatial scale at which the observed magnetic field is horizontally organized.
Galactic chemical evolution models which include sodium from type II supernovae alone underestimate the abundance of sodium in the interstellar medium by a factor of two to three over about 3 dex in metallicity and predict a flat behaviour in the evolution of [Na/Fe] at super-solar metallicities. Conversely, recent observations of stars with [Fe/H]~+0.4 suggest that [Na/Fe] increases at high metallicity. We have combined stellar evolution models of asymptotic giant branch and Wolf-Rayet stars with the latest supernova yields in an attempt to resolve these problems ... and have created many more.
This paper reviews the results of studies of star forming regions, carried out at the Konkoly Observatory in the last two decades. The studies involved distance determination of star-forming dark clouds, search for candidate pre-main sequence stars, and determination of the masses and ages of the candidates by spectroscopic follow-up observations. The results expanded the list of the well-studied star forming regions in our galactic environment. Data obtained by this manner may be useful in addressing several open questions related to galactic star forming processes.
Recently, Allen et al. measured a tight correlation between the Bondi accretion rates and jet powers of the nuclei of nearby X-ray luminous elliptical galaxies. We employ two models of jet powering to understand the above correlation and derive constraints on the spin and accretion rate of the central black holes. The first is the Blandford-Znajek model, in which the spin energy of the hole is extracted as jet power; the second model is an hybrid version of the Blandford-Payne and Blandford-Znajek processes, in which the outflow is generated in the inner parts of the accretion disk. We assume advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAF) and account for general relativistic effects. Our modelling implies that for typical values of the disk viscosity parameter alpha~0.01-1 the tight correlation implies the narrow range of spins j~0.7-1 and accretion rates Mdot(R_ms)~(0.01-1) Mdot_Bondi. Our results provide support for the "spin paradigm" scenario and suggest that the central black holes in the cores of clusters of galaxies must be rapidly rotating in order to drive radio jets powerful enough to quench the cooling flows.
We present new, high resolution radio images of sources associated with cD galaxies and X-ray cavity systems located in cluster cores. The cavity properties derived from archival Chandra observations give reliable estimates of the total jet power and age independently of the radio synchrotron flux. We combine the X-ray data and VLA radio images taken at multiple frequencies to investigate several fundamental properties of cluster radio sources, including their radiative (mechanical) efficiencies, magnetic field contents, and particle contents, and we evaluate the assumption of equipartition in these systems. We show that high radio frequencies probe the current AGN output, while frequencies at or below 327 MHz trace the history of AGN activity in the cores of clusters over the past several hundred million years.
The compact non-thermal sources in M82 and other starburst galaxies are generally thought to be supernova remnants (SNRs). We consider an alternative hypothesis that most are wind driven bubbles (WDBs) associated with very young super star clusters (SSCs). In this scenario, the synchrotron emitting particles are produced at the site of the shock transition between the cluster wind and the hot bubble gas. The particles radiate in the strong magnetic field produced in the expanding shell of shocked ambient interstellar gas. One of the motivations for this hypothesis is the lack of observed time variability in most of the sources, implying ages greater than expected for SNRs, but comfortably within the range for WDBs. In addition, as SNRs, these sources are not effective in driving the starburst mass outflow associated with the nuclear region of M82, thus requiring a separate mechanism for coupling SN energy to this outflow. The WDB hypothesis is found to be feasible for underlying clusters in the mass range ~2x10^(4+/-1)Msun, and ambient gas densities in the range ~3x10^(3+/-1)cm^-3. The ages of the bubbles are between several x10^3 and several x10^4 years. Since the SNR picture cannont be ruled out, we provide suggestions for specific observational tests which could confirm or rule out the WDB hypothesis. Finally, we discuss the WDB hypothesis in the context of broader phenomena in M82, such as the rate of star formation and starburst outflows, and the possible interpretation of supershells in M82 as the products of multiple supernovae in young SSCs.
We have begun a large-scale photometric survey of nearby open clusters and star-forming regions, the Monitor project, aiming to measure time-series photometry for >10,000 cluster members over >10 sq.deg of sky, to find low-mass eclipsing binary and planet systems. We describe the software pipeline we have developed for this project, showing that we can achieve peak RMS accuracy over the entire data-set of better than 2 mmag using aperture photometry, with RMS < 1% over 4 mag, in data from 2 and 4m class telescopes with wide-field mosaic cameras. We investigate the noise properties of our data, finding correlated `red' noise at the 1 - 1.5 mmag level in bright stars, over transit-like timescales of 2.5 hours. An important source of correlated noise in aperture photometry is image blending, which produces variations correlated with the seeing. We present a simple blend index based on fitting polynomials to these variations, and find that subtracting the fit from the data provides a method to reduce their amplitude, in lieu of using techniques such as point spread function fitting photometry which tackle their cause. Finally, we use the Sysrem algorithm to search for any further systematic effects.
A new faint and large shell-type radio Supernova Remnant (SNR) G108.2$-$0.6 has been discovered in the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS). The SNR shows an elliptical shell-type structure at 1420 MHz, and has a 408-1420 MHz TT-plot spectral index of $\alpha$=-0.5$\pm$0.1 (S$_{\nu}$$\propto$$\nu$$^{\alpha}$), typical of a shell-type SNR. The remnant's flux density at 1420 MHz is 6.6$\pm$0.7 Jy, and at 408 MHz is 11.5$\pm$1.2 Jy. Both of these are corrected for compact sources. An integrated spectral index of $-0.45\pm$0.13 is determined. This new SNR has among the lowest surface brightness of any known remnant ($\Sigma$$_{1 GHz}$=2.4$\times10^{-22}$ W m$^{-2}$ Hz$^{-1}$ sr$^{-1}$). From 21 cm Stokes Q and U CGPS data, we find the SNR is 14% polarized (0.9$\pm$0.05 Jy), giving the further evidence for its classification. \ion{H}{i} observations show structures associated with G108.2$-$0.6 in the radial velocity range $-$53 to $-$58 km s$^{-1}$, and indicate it is located in the Perseus arm shock at a distance of 3.2$\pm$0.6 kpc. At this distance the diameter of G108.2$-$0.6 is 58 pc. %IRAS maps (12, 25, 60 and 100$\mu$m) of the new SNR show rich infrared emission surrounding G108.2$-$0.6.
We show that hydrodynamical and field approaches in theory of cosmological scalar perturbations are equivalent for a single medium. We also give relations between notations introduced by V. Lukash, J. Bardeen, J. Bardeen et al. and G. Chibisov and V. Mukhanov.
A small number of double-lobed radio galaxies are found with an additional pair of extended low surface brightness `wings' of emission giving them a distinctive `X'-shaped appearance. One popular explanation for the unusual morphologies posits that the central supermassive black hole (SMBH)/accretion disk system underwent a recent realignment; in a merger scenario, the active lobes mark the post-merger axis of the resultant system. However, this and other interpretations are not well tested on the few (about one dozen) known examples. In part to remedy this deficiency, a large sample of winged and X-shaped radio sources is being compiled for a systematic study. An initial sample of 100 new candidates is described as well as some of the follow-up work being pursued to test the different scenarios.
We carry out numerical simulations of the surface evolution of bipolar magnetic regions (BMRs) and magnetic spots on stars, which have radii and surface rotational shears of AB Doradus, the Sun, and the HR 1099 primary. The surface flux transport model is based on the magnetic induction equation for radial fields under the effects of surface differential rotation, meridional flow, and turbulent diffusion due to convective flow patterns. We calculate the flux evolution and the lifetimes of BMRs and unipolar starspots, varying the emergence latitude, surface shear rate, and tilt angle. For BMRs comparable to the largest observed on the Sun, we find that varying the surface flows and the tilt angle modifies the lifetimes over a range of one month. For very large BMRs (area ~10% of the stellar surface) the assumption of a tilt angle increasing with latitude leads to a significant increase of lifetime, as compared to the case without tilt. Such regions can evolve to polar spots that live more than a year. Adopting the observed weak latitudinal shear and the radius of the active subgiant component of HR 1099, we find longer BMR lifetimes as compared to the more strongly sheared AB Dor case. Random emergence of six additional tilted bipoles in an activity belt at 60 degrees latitude enhanced the lifetimes of polar caps up to 7 years. We have also compared the evolution and lifetime of monolithic starspots with those of conglomerates of smaller spots of similar total area. We find similar decay patterns and lifetimes for both configurations.
We present a clustering analysis of Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs) using nearly 9 000 objects from the final catalogue of the 2dF-SDSS LRG And QSO (2SLAQ) Survey. We measure the redshift-space two-point correlation function, xi(s), at the mean LRG redshift of z=0.55. A single power-law fits the deprojected correlation function, xi(r), with a correlation length of r_0=7.45+-0.35 Mpc and a power-law slope of gamma=1.72+-0.06 in the 0.4<r<70 Mpc range. But it is in the LRG angular correlation function that the strongest evidence for non-power-law features is found where a slope of gamma=-2.17+-0.07 is seen at 1<r<10 Mpc with a flatter gamma=-1.67+-0.03 slope apparent at r<~1 Mpc scales. We use the simple power-law fit to the galaxy xi(r) to model the redshift space distortions in the 2-D redshift-space correlation function, xi(sigma,pi). We fit for the LRG velocity dispersion, w_z, Omega_m and beta, where beta=Omega_m^0.6/b and b is the linear bias parameter. We find values of w_z=330kms^-1, Omega_m= 0.10+0.35-0.10 and beta=0.40+-0.05. These high redshift results, which incorporate the Alcock-Paczynski effect and the effects of dynamical infall, start to break the degeneracy between Omega_m and beta found in low-redshift galaxy surveys. This degeneracy is further broken by introducing an additional external constraint, the value of beta(z=0.1)=0.45 from 2dFGRS, and then considering the evolution of clustering from z~0 to z_LRG~0.55. With these combined methods we find Omega_m(z=0)=0.30+-0.15 and beta(z=0.55)=0.45+-0.05. Assuming these values, we find a value for b(z=0.55)=1.66+-0.35. We show that this is consistent with a simple ``high peaks'' bias prescription which assumes that LRGs have a constant co-moving density and their clustering evolves purely under gravity. [ABRIDGED]
We combine the QSO samples from the 2dF QSO Redshift Survey (2QZ) and the 2dF-SDSS LRG and QSO Survey (2SLAQ) in order to investigate the clustering of z~1.4 QSOs and measure the correlation function. The clustering signal in z-space, projected along the sky direction, is similar to that previously obtained from 2QZ alone. By fitting the z-space correlation function and lifting the degeneracy between beta and Omega_m_0 by using linear theory predictions, we obtain beta(z=1.4) = 0.60+-0.12 and Omega_m_0=0.25+-0.08, implying a value for the QSO bias, b(z=1.4)=1.5+-0.2. We further find that QSO clustering does not depend strongly on luminosity at fixed redshift. This result is inconsistent with the expectation of simple `high peaks' biasing models where more luminous, rare QSOs are assumed to inhabit higher mass haloes. The data are more consistent with models which predict that QSOs of different luminosities reside in haloes of similar mass. We find that halo mass does not evolve strongly with redshift nor depend on QSO luminosity. We finally investigate how black hole mass correlates with luminosity and redshift and ascertain the relation between Eddington efficiency and black hole mass. Our results suggest that QSOs of different luminosities may contain black holes of similar mass.
We present experimental results obtained from photoionization and photodissociation processes of abundant interstellar CH$_3$-X type organic molecules like methanol (CH$_3$OH), methylamine (CH$_3$NH$_2$) and acetonitrile (CH$_3$CN) as alternative route for the production of H$_3^+$ in interstellar and star forming environments. The measurements were taken at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), employing soft X-ray photons with energies between 200 and 310 eV and time of flight mass spectrometry. Mass spectra were obtained using the photoelectron-photoion coincidence techniques. Absolute averaged cross sections for H$_3^+$ production by soft X-rays were determined. We have found that, among the channels leading to molecular dissociation, the H$_3^+$ yield could reach values up to 0.7% for single photoionization process and up to 4% for process involving double photoionization. The H$_3^+$ photoproduction cross section due to the dissociation of the studied organic molecules by photons over the C1s edge (200-310 eV) were about 0.2-1.4 $\times$ 10$^{-18}$ cm$^2$. Adopting the typical X-ray luminosity $L_X \gtrsim 10^{31}$ erg s$^{-1}$ which best fit the observational data for AFGL 2591 (Stauber et al. 2005) we derive an estimative for the H$_3^+$ photoproduction rate due to methyl-compounds dissociation process. The highest value for the H$_3^+$ column density from methanol dissociation by soft X-rays, assuming a steady state scenario, was about $10^{11}$ cm$^2$, which gives the fraction of the photoproduced H$_3^+$ of about 0.05%, as in the case of dense molecular cloud AFGL 2591. Despite the extreme small value, this represent a new and alternative source of H$_3^+$ into dense molecular clouds and it is not been considered as yet in interstellar chemistry models.