The II Zw 40 Supernebula: 30 Doradus on Steroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leitherer, Claus

2015-10-01

We propose COS G140L spectroscopy of the enigmatic nearby blue compact dwarf galaxy II Zw 40. The galaxy hosts a nuclear super star cluster with a luminosity 10 times that of 30 Doradus, the most powerful giant HII region in the Local Group. The super star cluster has been suggested to be the ionizing source of a supernebula detected via its free-free radiation in the radio. The physical conditions, however, are much more complex, as demonstrated by the detection of the nebular He II and the mid-infrared line of [O IV] 25.9. These lines are unlikely to be related to hot stars and require a different powering source. II Zw 40 shares many similarities with the related blue compact dwarfs NGC 5253 and Henize 2-10, both of which have been studied extensively with HST, yet no ultraviolet spectroscopy has ever been obtained for II Zw 40. This small 4-orbit proposal will provide the necessary UV data to study the massive-star content directly. We will determine reddening, age, and the stellar initial mass function and perform a comparison with the local benchmark 30 Doradus. In particular we will investigate whether the hot stars are able to power the supernebula and the nebular high-excitation lines. Our modeling will utilize the latest generation of stellar evolutionary tracks with and without stellar rotation. If the stars fall short in terms of spectral hardness and luminosity, II Zw 40 may become the second candidate for a central black hole in a young starburst after Henize 2-10.

Luminosity and Stellar Mass Functions from the 6dF Galaxy Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colless, M.; Jones, D. H.; Peterson, B. A.; Campbell, L.; Saunders, W.; Lah, P.

2007-12-01

The completed 6dF Galaxy Survey includes redshifts for over 124,000 galaxies. We present luminosity functions in optical and near-infrared passbands that span a range of 10^4 in luminosity. These luminosity functions show systematic deviations from the Schechter form. The corresponding luminosity densities in the optical and near-infrared are consistent with an old stellar population and a moderately declining star formation rate. Stellar mass functions, derived from the K band luminosities and simple stellar population models selected by b_J-r_F colour, lead to an estimate of the present-day stellar mass density of ρ_* = (5.00 ± 0.11) × 10^8 h M_⊙ Mpc^{-3}, corresponding to Ω_* h = (1.80 ± 0.04) × 10^{-3}.

Galaxy triplets in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 - II. A connection with compact groups?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duplancic, Fernanda; O'Mill, Ana Laura; Lambas, Diego G.; Sodré, Laerte; Alonso, Sol

2013-08-01

We analyse a sample of 71 triplets of luminous galaxies derived from the work of O'Mill et al. We compare the properties of triplets and their members with those of control samples of compact groups, the 10 brightest members of rich clusters and galaxies in pairs. The triplets are restricted to have members with spectroscopic redshifts in the range 0.01 ≤ z ≤ 0.14 and absolute r-band luminosities brighter than Mr = -20.5. For these member galaxies, we analyse the stellar mass content, the star formation rates, the Dn(4000) parameter and (Mg - Mr) colour index. Since galaxies in triplets may finally merge in a single system, we analyse different global properties of these systems. We calculate the probability that the properties of galaxies in triplets are strongly correlated. We also study total star formation activity and global colours, and define the triplet compactness as a measure of the percentage of the system total area that is filled by the light of member galaxies. We concentrate in the comparison of our results with those of compact groups to assess how the triplets are a natural extension of these compact systems. Our analysis suggests that triplet galaxy members behave similarly to compact group members and galaxies in rich clusters. We also find that systems comprising three blue, star-forming, young stellar population galaxies (blue triplets) are most probably real systems and not a chance configuration of interloping galaxies. The same holds for triplets composed of three red, non-star-forming galaxies, showing the correlation of galaxy properties in these systems. From the analysis of the triplet as a whole, we conclude that, at a given total stellar mass content, triplets show a total star formation activity and global colours similar to compact groups. However, blue triplets show a high total star formation activity with a lower stellar mass content. From an analysis of the compactness parameter of the systems we find that light is even more concentrated in triplets than in compact groups. We propose that triplets composed of three luminous galaxies, should not be considered as an analogous of galaxy pairs with a third extra member, but rather they are a natural extension of compact groups.

Understanding the Milky Way Halo through Large Surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koposov, Sergey

This thesis presents an extensive study of stellar substructure in the outskirts of the Milky Way(MW), combining data mining of SDSS with theoretical modeling. Such substructure, either bound star clusters and satellite galaxies, or tidally disrupted objects forming stellar streams are powerful diagnostics of the Milky Way's dynamics and formation history. I have developed an algorithmic technique of searching for stellar overdensities in the MW halo, based on SDSS catalogs. This led to the discovery of unusual ultra-faint ~ (1000Lsun) globular clusters with very compact sizes and relaxation times << t_Hubble. The detailed analysis of a known stellar stream (GD-1), allowed me to make the first 6-D phase space map for such an object along 60 degrees on the sky. By modeling the stream's orbit I could place strong constraints on the Galactic potential, e.g. Vcirc(R0)= 224+/-13 km/s. The application of the algorithmic search for stellar overdensities to the SDSS dataset and to mock datasets allowed me to quantify SDSS's severe radial incompleteness in its search for ultra-faint dwarf galaxies and to determine the luminosity function of MW satellites down to luminosities of M_V ~ -3. I used the semi-analytical model in order to compare the CDM model predictions for the MW satellite population with the observations; this comparison has shown that the recently increased census of MW satellites, better understanding of the radial incompleteness and the suppression of star formation after the reionization can fully solve the "Missing satellite problem".

Digging deeper into the Southern skies: a compact Milky Way companion discovered in first-year Dark Energy Survey data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luque, E.; Queiroz, A.; Santiago, B.; Pieres, A.; Balbinot, E.; Bechtol, K.; Drlica-Wagner, A.; Neto, A. Fausti; da Costa, L. N.; Maia, M. A. G.; Yanny, B.; Abbott, T.; Allam, S.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Bertin, E.; Brooks, D.; Buckley-Geer, E.; Burke, D. L.; Rosell, A. Carnero; Kind, M. Carrasco; Carretero, J.; Cunha, C. E.; Desai, S.; Diehl, H. T.; Dietrich, J. P.; Eifler, T. F.; Finley, D. A.; Flaugher, B.; Fosalba, P.; Frieman, J.; Gerdes, D. W.; Gruen, D.; Gutierrez, G.; Honscheid, K.; James, D. J.; Kuehn, K.; Kuropatkin, N.; Lahav, O.; Li, T. S.; March, M.; Marshall, J. L.; Martini, P.; Miquel, R.; Neilsen, E.; Nichol, R. C.; Nord, B.; Ogando, R.; Plazas, A. A.; Romer, A. K.; Roodman, A.; Sanchez, E.; Scarpine, V.; Schubnell, M.; Sevilla-Noarbe, I.; Smith, R. C.; Soares-Santos, M.; Sobreira, F.; Suchyta, E.; Swanson, M. E. C.; Tarle, G.; Thaler, J.; Tucker, D.; Walker, A. R.; Zhang, Y.

2016-05-01

We use the first-year Dark Energy Survey (DES) data down to previously unprobed photometric depths to search for stellar systems in the Galactic halo, therefore complementing the previous analysis of the same data carried out by our group earlier this year. Our search is based on a matched filter algorithm that produces stellar density maps consistent with stellar population models of various ages, metallicities, and distances over the survey area. The most conspicuous density peaks in these maps have been identified automatically and ranked according to their significance and recurrence for different input models. We report the discovery of one additional stellar system besides those previously found by several authors using the same first-year DES data. The object is compact, and consistent with being dominated by an old and metal-poor population. DES 1 is found at high significance and appears in the DES images as a compact concentration of faint blue point sources. Assuming different spatial profile parameterizations, the best-fitting heliocentric distance and total absolute magnitude in the range of 77.6-87.1 kpc and -3.00 ≲ MV ≲ -2.21, respectively. The half-light radius of this object, rh ˜ 10 pc and total luminosity are consistent with it being a low-mass halo cluster. It is also found to have a very elongated shape (ɛ ˜ 0.57). In addition, our deeper probe of DES first-year data confirms the recently reported satellite galaxy candidate Horologium II as a significant stellar overdensity. We also infer its structural properties and compare them to those reported in the literature.

HD 63021: An Ae Star with X-Ray Flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whelan, David G.; Labadie-Bartz, Jon; Chojnowski, S. Drew; Daglen, James; Hudson, Ken

2018-05-01

Balmer and Fe II (42) multiplet emission were discovered in a spectrum of HD 63021 on 10 April (UTC), 2018. Subsequent observations revealed variability in both photospheric absorption lines and Balmer line emission. In addition, it is an X-ray source, with a luminosity that is consistent with either a very strong stellar wind, or else the presence of a compact binary companion. Spectroscopic and photometric followup are planned to determine the nature of this source.

AN OFF-CENTERED ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS IN NGC 3115

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Menezes, R. B.; Steiner, J. E.; Ricci, T. V., E-mail: robertobm@astro.iag.usp.br

2014-11-20

NGC 3115 is an S0 galaxy that has always been considered to have a pure absorption-line spectrum. Some recent studies have detected a compact radio-emitting nucleus in this object, coinciding with the photometric center and with a candidate for the X-ray nucleus. This is evidence of the existence of a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (AGN) in the galaxy, although no emission line has ever been observed. We report the detection of an emission-line spectrum of a type 1 AGN in NGC 3115, with an Hα luminosity of L {sub Hα} = (4.2 ± 0.4) × 10{sup 37} erg s{sup –1}. Our analysismore » revealed that this AGN is located at a projected distance of ∼0.''29 ± 0.''05 (corresponding to ∼14.3 ± 2.5 pc) from the stellar bulge center, which is coincident with the kinematic center of this object's stellar velocity map. The black hole corresponding to the observed off-centered AGN may form a binary system with a black hole located at the stellar bulge center. However, it is also possible that the displaced black hole is the merged remnant of the binary system coalescence, after the ''kick'' caused by the asymmetric emission of gravitational waves. We propose that certain features in the stellar velocity dispersion map are the result of perturbations caused by the off-centered AGN.« less

Large Binocular Telescope/LUCIFER spectroscopy: kinematics of a compact early-type galaxy at z ≃ 1.4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longhetti, M.; Saracco, P.; Gargiulo, A.; Tamburri, S.; Lonoce, I.

2014-04-01

We present a high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N > 10) medium-resolution (R = 2000) Large Binocular Telescope/LUCIFER spectrum of the early-type galaxy (ETG) S2F1-142 at z ≃ 1.4. By means of the CaT line at 8662 Å, we measured its redshift z = 1.386 ± 0.001 and we estimated its velocity dispersion σ v=340^{-60}_{+120} km s-1. Its corresponding virial mass is 3.9 × 1011 M⊙, compatible with the stellar mass estimates obtained assuming initial mass functions (IMFs) less dwarf rich than the Salpeter one. S2F1-142 is a compact galaxy with Re = 3.1 ± 0.2 kpc, i.e. an effective radius more than three times smaller than the average Re of ETGs with the same mass in the local Universe. At the same time, we found local and high-redshift galaxies with a similar mass content and similar effective radius confirming that it is fully consistent with the already available measures of Re and σv both in the local and in the distant Universe. Considering the distribution of Re and σv as a function of the stellar mass content of ETGs, both in the local and in the distant Universe, we noticed that the measured velocity dispersions of the more compact galaxies are on average slightly lower than expected on the basis of their compactness and the virial theorem, suggesting that (i) their dark matter content is lower than in the more diffuse galaxies and/or (ii) their luminosity profiles are steeper than in the more diffuse galaxies and/or (iii) their larger compactness is an apparent effect caused by the overestimate of their stellar mass content (due to bottom lighter IMF and/or systematic affecting the stellar mass estimates).

Formation of Compact Ellipticals in the merging star cluster scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urrutia Zapata, Fernanda Cecilia; Theory and star formation group

2018-01-01

In the last years, extended old stellar clusters have been observed. They are like globular clusters (GCs) but with larger sizes(a limit of Re=10 pc is currently seen as reasonable). These extended objects (EOs) cover a huge range of mass. Objects at the low mass end with masses comparable to normal globular clusters are called extended clusters or faint fuzzies Larsen & Brodie (2000) and objects at the high-mass end are called ultra compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs). Ultra compact dwarf galaxies are compact object with luminositys above the brigtest known GCs. UCDs are more compact than typical dwarf galaxies but with comparable luminosities. Usually, a lower mass limit of 2 × 10^6 Solar masses is applied.Fellhauer & Kroupa (2002a,b) demostrated that object like ECs, FFs and UCDs can be the remnants of the merger of star clusters complexes, this scenario is called the Merging Star Cluster Scenario. Amore concise study was performed by Bruens et al. (2009, 2011).Our work tries to explain the formation of compact elliptical(cE). These objects are a comparatively rare class of spheroidal galaxies, possessing very small Re and high central surface brightnesses (Faber 1973). cEs have the same parameters as extended objects but they are slightly larger than 100 pc and the luminosities are in the range of -11 to -12 Mag.The standard formation sceanrio of these systems proposes a galaxy origin. CEs are the result of tidal stripping and truncation of nucleated larger systems. Or they could be a natural extension of the class of elliptical galaxies to lower luminosities and smaller sizes.We want to propose a completely new formation scenario for cEs. In our project we try to model cEs in a similar way that UCDs using the merging star cluster scenario extended to much higher masses and sizes. We think that in the early Universe we might have produced sufficiently strong star bursts to form cluster complexes which merge into cEs. So far it is observationally unknown if cEs are dark matter dominated objects. If our scenario is true, then they would be dark matter free very extended and massive "star clusters".

First confirmed ultra-compact dwarf galaxy in the NGC 5044 group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faifer, Favio R.; Escudero, Carlos G.; Scalia, María C.; Smith Castelli, Analía V.; Norris, Mark; De Rossi, María E.; Forte, Juan C.; Cellone, Sergio A.

2017-03-01

Context. Ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs) are stellar systems displaying colours and metallicities between those of globular clusters (GCs) and early-type dwarf galaxies, as well as sizes of Reff ≲ 100 pc and luminosities in the range -13.5

Digging for red nuggets: discovery of hot halos surrounding massive, compact, relic galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, N.; Lakhchaura, K.; Canning, R. E. A.; Gaspari, M.; Simionescu, A.

2018-04-01

We present the results of Chandra X-ray observations of the isolated, massive, compact, relic galaxies MRK 1216 and PGC 032873. Compact massive galaxies observed at z > 2, also called red nuggets, formed in quick dissipative events and later grew by dry mergers into the local giant ellipticals. Due to the stochastic nature of mergers, a few of the primordial massive galaxies avoided the mergers and remained untouched over cosmic time. We find that the hot atmosphere surrounding MRK 1216 extends far beyond the stellar population and has an 0.5-7 keV X-ray luminosity of LX = (7.0 ± 0.2) × 1041 erg s-1, which is similar to the nearby X-ray bright giant ellipticals. The hot gas has a short central cooling time of ˜50 Myr and the galaxy has a ˜13 Gyr old stellar population. The presence of an X-ray atmosphere with a short nominal cooling time and the lack of young stars indicate the presence of a sustained heating source, which prevented star formation since the dissipative origin of the galaxy 13 Gyrs ago. The central temperature peak and the presence of radio emission in the core of the galaxy indicate that the heating source is radio-mechanical AGN feedback. Given that both MRK 1216 and PGC 032873 appear to have evolved in isolation, the order of magnitude difference in their current X-ray luminosity could be traced back to a difference in the ferocity of the AGN outbursts in these systems. Finally, we discuss the potential connection between the presence of hot halos around such massive galaxies and the growth of super/over-massive black holes via chaotic cold accretion.

Digging for red nuggets: discovery of hot haloes surrounding massive, compact, relic galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, N.; Lakhchaura, K.; Canning, R. E. A.; Gaspari, M.; Simionescu, A.

2018-07-01

We present the results of Chandra X-ray observations of the isolated, massive, compact, relic galaxies MRK 1216 and PGC 032873. Compact massive galaxies observed at z > 2, also called red nuggets, formed in quick dissipative events and later grew by dry mergers into the local giant ellipticals. Due to the stochastic nature of mergers, a few of the primordial massive galaxies avoided the mergers and remained untouched over cosmic time. We find that the hot atmosphere surrounding MRK 1216 extends far beyond the stellar population and has a 0.5-7 keV X-ray luminosity of LX = (7.0 ± 0.2) × 1041 erg s-1, which is similar to the nearby X-ray bright giant ellipticals. The hot gas has a short central cooling time of ˜50 Myr and the galaxy has an ˜13-Gyr-old stellar population. The presence of an X-ray atmosphere with a short nominal cooling time and the lack of young stars indicate the presence of a sustained heating source, which prevented star formation since the dissipative origin of the galaxy 13 Gyr ago. The central temperature peak and the presence of radio emission in the core of the galaxy indicate that the heating source is radio-mechanical active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. Given that both MRK 1216 and PGC 032873 appear to have evolved in isolation, the order of magnitude difference in their current X-ray luminosity could be traced back to a difference in the ferocity of the AGN outbursts in these systems. Finally, we discuss the potential connection between the presence of hot haloes around such massive galaxies and the growth of super-/overmassive black holes via chaotic cold accretion.

Simulating galaxies in the reionization era with FIRE-2: morphologies and sizes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xiangcheng; Hopkins, Philip F.; Boylan-Kolchin, Michael; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Quataert, Eliot; Feldmann, Robert; Garrison-Kimmel, Shea; Hayward, Christopher C.; Kereš, Dušan; Wetzel, Andrew

2018-06-01

We study the morphologies and sizes of galaxies at z ≥ 5 using high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations from the Feedback In Realistic Environments project. The galaxies show a variety of morphologies, from compact to clumpy to irregular. The simulated galaxies have more extended morphologies and larger sizes when measured using rest-frame optical B-band light than rest-frame UV light; sizes measured from stellar mass surface density are even larger. The UV morphologies are usually dominated by several small, bright young stellar clumps that are not always associated with significant stellar mass. The B-band light traces stellar mass better than the UV, but it can also be biased by the bright clumps. At all redshifts, galaxy size correlates with stellar mass/luminosity with large scatter. The half-light radii range from 0.01 to 0.2 arcsec (0.05-1 kpc physical) at fixed magnitude. At z ≥ 5, the size of galaxies at fixed stellar mass/luminosity evolves as (1 + z)-m, with m ˜ 1-2. For galaxies less massive than M* ˜ 108 M⊙, the ratio of the half-mass radius to the halo virial radius is ˜ 10 per cent and does not evolve significantly at z = 5-10; this ratio is typically 1-5 per cent for more massive galaxies. A galaxy's `observed' size decreases dramatically at shallower surface brightness limits. This effect may account for the extremely small sizes of z ≥ 5 galaxies measured in the Hubble Frontier Fields. We provide predictions for the cumulative light distribution as a function of surface brightness for typical galaxies at z = 6.

Very high-resolution observations of compact radio sources in the directions of supernova remnants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geldzahler, B. J.; Shaffer, D. B.

1981-01-01

Compact radio sources whose positions lie within the outlines of supernova remnants may be the stellar remnants of supernova explosions and, if they are related to the supernova remnants, may be used to explore the nature of any morphological connection between the Galactic and extragalactic radio sources. Three such compact sources, G 127.11+0.54, CL 4, and 2051+433, have been observed at 10.65 GHz with an array of very long baseline interferometers having elements in the USA and West Germany. The radio source 2051+433 was also observed briefly at 5.01 GHz. The measured size of CL 4 at 10.65 GHz is about 0.0005 arcsec and seems to be dominated by the effects of interstellar scattering. No fringes were seen in 2051+433, and results indicate there is no compact component of 2051+433 smaller than 0.001 arcsec radiating at 10.65 GHz above a level of about 50 mJy. The possibility is presented that G 127.11+0.54 is a Galactic object. It is found to consist of two components separated by about 0.002 arcsec and oriented perpendicular to both the radio bridge of the supernova remnant G 127.1+0.5 and the underlying optical image. G 127.11+0.54, if Galactic, lies at the extreme low-luminosity end of an apparent continuum of Galactic and extragalactic compact radio source luminosities.

AGES OF STAR CLUSTERS IN THE TIDAL TAILS OF MERGING GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mulia, A. J.; Chandar, R.; Whitmore, B. C.

We study the stellar content in the tidal tails of three nearby merging galaxies, NGC 520, NGC 2623, and NGC 3256, using BVI imaging taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on board the Hubble Space Telescope. The tidal tails in all three systems contain compact and fairly massive young star clusters, embedded in a sea of diffuse, unresolved stellar light. We compare the measured colors and luminosities with predictions from population synthesis models to estimate cluster ages and find that clusters began forming in tidal tails during or shortly after the formation of the tails themselves. We find amore » lack of very young clusters (≤10 Myr old), implying that eventually star formation shuts off in the tails as the gas is used up or dispersed. There are a few clusters in each tail with estimated ages that are older than the modeled tails themselves, suggesting that these may have been stripped out from the original galaxy disks. The luminosity function of the tail clusters can be described by a single power-law, dN/dL ∝ L{sup α}, with −2.6 < α < −2.0. We find a stellar age gradient across some of the tidal tails, which we interpret as a superposition of (1) newly formed stars and clusters along the dense center of the tail and (2) a sea of broadly distributed, older stellar material ejected from the progenitor galaxies.« less

Bright radio emission from an ultraluminous stellar-mass microquasar in M 31.

PubMed

Middleton, Matthew J; Miller-Jones, James C A; Markoff, Sera; Fender, Rob; Henze, Martin; Hurley-Walker, Natasha; Scaife, Anna M M; Roberts, Timothy P; Walton, Dominic; Carpenter, John; Macquart, Jean-Pierre; Bower, Geoffrey C; Gurwell, Mark; Pietsch, Wolfgang; Haberl, Frank; Harris, Jonathan; Daniel, Michael; Miah, Junayd; Done, Chris; Morgan, John S; Dickinson, Hugh; Charles, Phil; Burwitz, Vadim; Della Valle, Massimo; Freyberg, Michael; Greiner, Jochen; Hernanz, Margarita; Hartmann, Dieter H; Hatzidimitriou, Despina; Riffeser, Arno; Sala, Gloria; Seitz, Stella; Reig, Pablo; Rau, Arne; Orio, Marina; Titterington, David; Grainge, Keith

2013-01-10

A subset of ultraluminous X-ray sources (those with luminosities of less than 10(40) erg s(-1); ref. 1) are thought to be powered by the accretion of gas onto black holes with masses of ∼5-20M cicled dot, probably by means of an accretion disk. The X-ray and radio emission are coupled in such Galactic sources; the radio emission originates in a relativistic jet thought to be launched from the innermost regions near the black hole, with the most powerful emission occurring when the rate of infalling matter approaches a theoretical maximum (the Eddington limit). Only four such maximal sources are known in the Milky Way, and the absorption of soft X-rays in the interstellar medium hinders the determination of the causal sequence of events that leads to the ejection of the jet. Here we report radio and X-ray observations of a bright new X-ray source in the nearby galaxy M 31, whose peak luminosity exceeded 10(39) erg s(-1). The radio luminosity is extremely high and shows variability on a timescale of tens of minutes, arguing that the source is highly compact and powered by accretion close to the Eddington limit onto a black hole of stellar mass. Continued radio and X-ray monitoring of such sources should reveal the causal relationship between the accretion flow and the powerful jet emission.

Deep SOAR follow-up photometry of two Milky Way outer-halo companions discovered with Dark Energy Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luque, E.; Santiago, B.; Pieres, A.; Marshall, J. L.; Pace, A. B.; Kron, R.; Drlica-Wagner, A.; Queiroz, A.; Balbinot, E.; Ponte, M. dal; Neto, A. Fausti; da Costa, L. N.; Maia, M. A. G.; Walker, A. R.; Abdalla, F. B.; Allam, S.; Annis, J.; Bechtol, K.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Bertin, E.; Brooks, D.; Rosell, A. Carnero; Kind, M. Carrasco; Carretero, J.; Crocce, M.; Davis, C.; Doel, P.; Eifler, T. F.; Flaugher, B.; García-Bellido, J.; Gerdes, D. W.; Gruen, D.; Gruendl, R. A.; Gutierrez, G.; Honscheid, K.; James, D. J.; Kuehn, K.; Kuropatkin, N.; Miquel, R.; Nichol, R. C.; Plazas, A. A.; Sanchez, E.; Scarpine, V.; Schindler, R.; Sevilla-Noarbe, I.; Smith, M.; Soares-Santos, M.; Sobreira, F.; Suchyta, E.; Tarle, G.; Thomas, D.

2018-04-01

We report the discovery of a new star cluster, DES 3, in the constellation of Indus, and deeper observations of the previously identified satellite DES J0222.7-5217 (Eridanus III). DES 3 was detected as a stellar overdensity in first-year Dark Energy Survey data, and confirmed with deeper photometry from the 4.1 metre Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope. The new system was detected with a relatively high significance and appears in the DES images as a compact concentration of faint blue point sources. We determine that DES 3 is located at a heliocentric distance of ≃ 76.2 kpc and it is dominated by an old (≃ 9.8 Gyr) and metal-poor ([Fe/H] ≃ -1.84) population. While the age and metallicity values of DES 3 are comparable to typical globular clusters (objects with a high stellar density, stellar mass of ˜105M⊙ and luminosity MV ˜ -7.3), its half-light radius (rh ˜ 6.87 pc) and luminosity (MV ˜ -1.7) are more indicative of faint star cluster. Based on the angular size, DES 3, with a value of rh ˜ 0{^'.}31, is among the smallest faint star clusters known to date. Furthermore, using deeper imaging of DES J0222.7-5217 taken with the SOAR telescope, we update structural parameters and perform the first isochrone modeling. Our analysis yields the first age (≃ 12.6 Gyr) and metallicity ([Fe/H] ≃ -2.01) estimates for this object. The half-light radius (rh ≃ 11.24 pc) and luminosity (MV ≃ -2.4) of DES J0222.7-5217 suggest that it is likely a faint star cluster. The discovery of DES 3 indicates that the census of stellar systems in the Milky Way is still far from complete, and demonstrates the power of modern wide-field imaging surveys to improve our knowledge of the Galaxy's satellite population.

Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of the Ultra-compact High Velocity Cloud AGC 226067: A Stripped Remnant in the Virgo Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sand, D. J.; Seth, A. C.; Crnojević, D.; Spekkens, K.; Strader, J.; Adams, E. A. K.; Caldwell, N.; Guhathakurta, P.; Kenney, J.; Randall, S.; Simon, J. D.; Toloba, E.; Willman, B.

2017-07-01

We analyze the optical counterpart to the ultra-compact high velocity cloud AGC 226067, utilizing imaging taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope. The color-magnitude diagram of the main body of AGC 226067 reveals an exclusively young stellar population, with an age of ˜7-50 Myr, and is consistent with a metallicity of [Fe/H] ˜ -0.3 as previous work has measured via H II region spectroscopy. Additionally, the color-magnitude diagram is consistent with a distance of D ≈ 17 Mpc, suggesting an association with the Virgo cluster. A secondary stellar system located ˜1.‧6 (˜8 kpc) away in projection has a similar stellar population. The lack of an old red giant branch (≳5 Gyr) is contrasted with a serendipitously discovered Virgo dwarf in the ACS field of view (Dw J122147+132853), and the total diffuse light from AGC 226067 is consistent with the luminosity function of the resolved ˜7-50 Myr stellar population. The main body of AGC 226067 has a M V = -11.3 ± 0.3, or M stars = 5.4 ± 1.3 × 104 M ⊙ given the stellar population. We searched 20 deg2 of imaging data adjacent to AGC 226067 in the Virgo Cluster, and found two similar stellar systems dominated by a blue stellar population, far from any massive galaxy counterpart—if this population has star-formation properties that are similar to those of AGC 226067, it implies ˜0.1 M ⊙ yr-1 in Virgo intracluster star formation. Given its unusual stellar population, AGC 226067 is likely a stripped remnant and is plausibly the result of compressed gas from the ram pressure stripped M86 subgroup (˜350 kpc away in projection) as it falls into the Virgo Cluster.

Deep CO(1-0) Observations of z = 1.62 Cluster Galaxies with Substantial Molecular Gas Reservoirs and Normal Star Formation Efficiencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudnick, Gregory; Hodge, Jacqueline; Walter, Fabian; Momcheva, Ivelina; Tran, Kim-Vy; Papovich, Casey; da Cunha, Elisabete; Decarli, Roberto; Saintonge, Amelie; Willmer, Christopher; Lotz, Jennifer; Lentati, Lindley

2017-11-01

We present an extremely deep CO(1-0) observation of a confirmed z = 1.62 galaxy cluster. We detect two spectroscopically confirmed cluster members in CO(1-0) with signal-to-noise ratio > 5. Both galaxies have log({{ M }}\\star /{{ M }}⊙ ) > 11 and are gas rich, with {{ M }}{mol}/({{ M }}\\star +{{ M }}{mol}) ˜ 0.17-0.45. One of these galaxies lies on the star formation rate (SFR)-{{ M }}\\star sequence, while the other lies an order of magnitude below. We compare the cluster galaxies to other SFR-selected galaxies with CO measurements and find that they have CO luminosities consistent with expectations given their infrared luminosities. We also find that they have gas fractions and star formation efficiencies (SFE) comparable to what is expected from published field galaxy scaling relations. The galaxies are compact in their stellar light distribution, at the extreme end for all high-redshift star-forming galaxies. However, their SFE is consistent with other field galaxies at comparable compactness. This is similar to two other sources selected in a blind CO survey of the HDF-N. Despite living in a highly quenched protocluster core, the molecular gas properties of these two galaxies, one of which may be in the process of quenching, appear entirely consistent with field scaling relations between the molecular gas content, stellar mass, star formation rate, and redshift. We speculate that these cluster galaxies cannot have any further substantive gas accretion if they are to become members of the dominant passive population in z< 1 clusters.

A Refined Sample of Lyman Excess H II Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Brandon; Kerton, C. R.

2018-05-01

A large number (67) of the compact/ultra-compact H II regions identified in the CORNISH catalogue were determined to be powered by a Lyman continuum flux in excess of what was expected given their corresponding luminosity. In this study we attempt to reasonably explain away this Lyman excess phenomenon in as many of the 67 H II regions as possible through a variety of observational and astrophysical means including new luminosity estimates, new Herschel photometry, new distance determinations, the use of different models for dust and ionized gas covering factors, and the use of different stellar calibrations. This phenomenon has been observed before; however, the objects shown to exhibit this behavior in the literature have decidedly different physical properties than the regions in our sample, and thus the origin of the excess is not the same. We find that the excess can be reproduced using OB stellar atmosphere models that have been slightly modified in the extreme ultraviolet. Though the exact mechanism producing the excess is still uncertain, we do find that a scaled up magnetospheric accretion model, often used to explain similar emission from T Tauri stars, is unable to match our observations. Our results suggest that the Lyman excess may be associated with younger H II regions, and that it is more commonly found in early B-type stars. Our refined sample of 24 Lyman excess H II regions provides an ideal sample for comparative studies with regular H II regions, and can act as the basis for the further detailed study of individual regions.

The StEllar Counterparts of COmpact high velocity clouds (SECCO) survey. II. Sensitivity of the survey and the atlas of synthetic dwarf galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beccari, G.; Bellazzini, M.; Battaglia, G.; Ibata, R.; Martin, N.; Testa, V.; Cignoni, M.; Correnti, M.

2016-06-01

The searching for StEllar Counterparts of COmpact high velocity clouds (SECCO) survey is devoted to the search for stellar counterparts within ultra compact high velocity clouds that are candidate low-mass, low-luminosity galaxies. We present the results of a set of simulations aimed at the quantitative estimate of the sensitivity of the survey as a function of the total luminosity, size, and distance of the stellar systems we are looking for. For all of our synthetic galaxies we assumed an exponential surface brightness profile and an old and metal-poor population. The synthetic galaxies are simulated both on the images and on the photometric catalogues, taking all the observational effects into account. In the fields where the available observational material is of top quality (≃36% of the SECCO fields), we detect synthetic galaxies as ≥5σ over-densities of resolved stars down to μV,h ≃ 30.0 mag/arcsec2, for D ≤ 1.5 Mpc, and down to μV,h ≃ 29.5 mag/arcsec2, for D ≤ 2.5 Mpc. In the field with the worst observational material of the whole survey, we detect synthetic galaxies with μV,h ≤ 28.8 mag/arcsec2 out to D ≤ 1.0 Mpc, and those with μV,h ≤ 27.5 mag/arcsec2 out to D ≤ 2.5 Mpc. Dwarf galaxies with MV = -10.0, with sizes in the range spanned by known dwarfs, are detected by visual inspection of the images up to D = 5 Mpc independent of the image quality. In the best quality images, dwarfs are partially resolved into stars up to D = 3.0 Mpc and completely unresolved at D = 5 Mpc. As an independent test of the sensitivity of our images to low surface brightness galaxies, we report on the detection of several dwarf spheroidal galaxies probably located in the Virgo cluster with MV ≲ -8.0 and μV,h ≲ 26.8 mag/arcsec2. The nature of the previously discovered SECCO 1 stellar system, also likely located in the Virgo cluster, is rediscussed in comparison with these dwarfs. While specific for the SECCO survey, our study may also provide general guidelines for the detection of faint stellar systems with 8 m class telescopes. Based on data acquired using the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). The LBT is an international collaboration among institutions in the United States, Italy, and Germany. The LBT Corporation partners are The University of Arizona on behalf of the Arizona university system; Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Italy; LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Germany, representing the Max-Planck Society, the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, and Heidelberg University; The Ohio State University; and The Research Corporation, on behalf of The University of Notre Dame, University of Minnesota, and University of Virginia.

A Renewed Look at the Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function: Circumstellar Extinction and Contamination From Compact Supernova Remnants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Brian; Ciardullo, Robin; Feldmeier, John; Jacoby, George H.; McCarron, Adam; Herrmann, Kimberly

2018-01-01

The planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF) has been used as an extragalactic distance indicator since 1988, but there are still unsolved problems associated with its use. The two most serious involve PNLF distances beyond ~ 10 Mpc, which tend to be slightly smaller than those of other methods, and the lack of a theoretical explanation for the technique. We investigate these questions using a combination of narrow-band imaging data from the KPNO 4-m telescope, and recent LRS2 spectroscopy from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope.For the first project, we consider the implications of spectroscopic investigations by Kreckel et al. (2017), who found that in M74, several of the brightest planetary nebula (PN) candidates found by Herrmann et al. (2008) are actually compact supernova remnants (SNRs). First, we measure the [O III] and H-alpha fluxes of all the known SNRs in M31 and M33, and test whether those objects could be misidentified as bright PNe at distances beyond ~ 8 Mpc. We also obtain spectroscopy of bright PN candidates in the Fireworks Galaxy, NGC 6946, to test for PN/SNR confusion via the strengths of the [N II] and [S II] emission lines. Both experiments suggest that compact supernova remnants are not an important source of contamination in photometric surveys for extragalactic PNe.For the second project, we, for the first time, determine the de-reddened PNLF of an old stellar population. By performing spectroscopy of the brightest PN in M31’s bulge and measuring the objects’ Balmer decrements, we remove the effects of circumstellar extinction and derive the true location of the PNLF’s bright-end cutoff. In future studies, these data can be used to directly test the latest PNLF models, which combine modern post-AGB stellar evolutionary tracks with the physics of expanding nebulae.

HerMES: dust attenuation and star formation activity in ultraviolet-selected samples from z˜ 4 to ˜ 1.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinis, S.; Buat, V.; Béthermin, M.; Bock, J.; Burgarella, D.; Conley, A.; Cooray, A.; Farrah, D.; Ilbert, O.; Magdis, G.; Marsden, G.; Oliver, S. J.; Rigopoulou, D.; Roehlly, Y.; Schulz, B.; Symeonidis, M.; Viero, M.; Xu, C. K.; Zemcov, M.

2014-01-01

We study the link between observed ultraviolet (UV) luminosity, stellar mass and dust attenuation within rest-frame UV-selected samples at z ˜ 4, ˜ 3 and ˜1.5. We measure by stacking at 250, 350 and 500 μm in the Herschel/Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver images from the Herschel Multi-Tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES) program the average infrared luminosity as a function of stellar mass and UV luminosity. We find that dust attenuation is mostly correlated with stellar mass. There is also a secondary dependence with UV luminosity: at a given UV luminosity, dust attenuation increases with stellar mass, while at a given stellar mass it decreases with UV luminosity. We provide new empirical recipes to correct for dust attenuation given the observed UV luminosity and the stellar mass. Our results also enable us to put new constraints on the average relation between star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass at z ˜ 4, ˜3 and ˜1.5. The SFR-stellar mass relations are well described by power laws (SFR∝ M_*^{0.7}), with the amplitudes being similar at z ˜ 4 and ˜3, and decreasing by a factor of 4 at z ˜ 1.5 at a given stellar mass. We further investigate the evolution with redshift of the specific SFR. Our results are in the upper range of previous measurements, in particular at z ˜ 3, and are consistent with a plateau at 3 < z < 4. Current model predictions (either analytic, semi-analytic or hydrodynamic) are inconsistent with these values, as they yield lower predictions than the observations in the redshift range we explore. We use these results to discuss the star formation histories of galaxies in the framework of the main sequence of star-forming galaxies. Our results suggest that galaxies at high redshift (2.5 < z < 4) stay around 1 Gyr on the main sequence. With decreasing redshift, this time increases such that z = 1 main-sequence galaxies with 108

X-Ray Properties of K-Selected Galaxies at 0.5 Less than z Less than 2.0: Investigating Trends with Stellar Mass, Redshift and Spectral Type

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Therese M.; Kriek, Mariska; vanDokkum, Peter G.; Brammer, Gabriel; Franx, Marijn; Greene, Jenny E.; Labbe, Ivo; Whitaker, Katherine E.

2014-01-01

We examine how the total X-ray luminosity correlates with stellar mass, stellar population, and redshift for a K-band limited sample of approximately 3500 galaxies at 0.5 < z < 2.0 from the NEWFIRM Medium Band Survey in the COSMOS field. The galaxy sample is divided into 32 different galaxy types, based on similarities between the spectral energy distributions. For each galaxy type, we further divide the sample into bins of redshift and stellar mass, and perform an X-ray stacking analysis using the Chandra COSMOS data. We find that full band X-ray luminosity is primarily increasing with stellar mass, and at similar mass and spectral type is higher at larger redshifts. When comparing at the same stellar mass, we find that the X-ray luminosity is slightly higher for younger galaxies (i.e., weaker 4000 angstrom breaks), but the scatter in this relation is large. We compare the observed X-ray luminosities to those expected from low- and high-mass X-ray binaries (XRBs). For blue galaxies, XRBs can almost fully account for the observed emission, while for older galaxies with larger 4000 angstrom breaks, active galactic nuclei (AGN) or hot gas dominate the measured X-ray flux. After correcting for XRBs, the X-ray luminosity is still slightly higher in younger galaxies, although this correlation is not significant. AGN appear to be a larger component of galaxy X-ray luminosity at earlier times, as the hardness ratio increases with redshift. Together with the slight increase in X-ray luminosity this may indicate more obscured AGNs or higher accretion rates at earlier times.

ROSAT observations of compact groups of galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pildis, Rachel A.; Bregman, Joel N.; Evrard, August E.

1995-01-01

We have systematically analyzed a sample of 13 new and archival ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) observations of compact groups of galaxies: 12 Hickson compact groups plus the NCG 2300 group. We find that approximately two-thirds of the groups have extended X-ray emission and, in four of these, the emission is resolved into diffuse emission from gas at a temperature of kT approximately 1 keV in the group potential. All but one of the groups with extended emission have a spiral fraction of less than 50%. The baryon fraction of groups with diffuse emission is 5%-19%, similar to the values in clusters of galaxies. However, with a single exception (HCG 62), the gas-to-stellar mass ratio in our groups has a median value near 5%, somewhat greater than the values for individual early-type galaxies and two orders of magnitude than in clusters of galaxies. The X-ray luminosities of individual group galaxies are comparable to those of similar field galaxies, although the L(sub X)-L(sub B) relation for early-type galaxies may be flatter in compact groups than in the field.

The II Zw 40 Supernebula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leitherer, C.; Byler, N.; Lee, J. C.; Levesque, E. M.

2017-11-01

We obtained HST COS G140L spectroscopy of the enigmatic nearby blue compact dwarf galaxy II Zw 40. The galaxy hosts a nuclear super star cluster with a luminosity 10 times that of 30 Doradus, the most powerful giant HII region in the Local Group. The super star cluster has been suggested to be the ionizing source of a ”supernebula” detected via its free-free radiation in the radio. The physical conditions, however, are much more complex, as demonstrated by the detection of the nebular He II and the mid-infrared line of [O IV] 25.9. These lines are unlikely to be related to hot stars and require a different powering source. II Zw 40 shares many similarities with the related blue compact dwarfs NGC 5253 and Henize 2-10. However, II Zw 40’s UV spectrum is unique in terms of the exceptional strength of He II 1640, O III 1663 and CIII 1909. We determined reddening, age, and the stellar initial mass function and perform a comparison with the local benchmark 30 Doradus. Photoionization modeling is used to determine the origin of the nebular lines as due to stellar ionization, shocks, or powering by a black hole.

Mapping luminous blue compact galaxies with VIRUS-P. Morphology, line ratios, and kinematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cairós, L. M.; Caon, N.; García Lorenzo, B.; Kelz, A.; Roth, M.; Papaderos, P.; Streicher, O.

2012-11-01

Context. Blue compact galaxies (BCG) are narrow emission-line systems that undergo a violent burst of star formation. They are compact, low-luminosity galaxies, with blue colors and low chemical abundances, which offer us a unique opportunity to investigate collective star formation and its effects on galaxy evolution in a relatively simple, dynamically unperturbed environment. Spatially resolved spectrophotometric studies of BCGs are essential for a better understanding of the role of starburst-driven feedback processes on the kinematical and chemical evolution of low-mass galaxies near and far. Aims: We carry out an integral field spectroscopy (IFS) study of a sample of luminous BCGs, with the aim to probe the morphology, kinematics, dust extinction, and excitation mechanisms of their warm interstellar medium (ISM). Methods: We obtained IFS data for five luminous BCGs with VIRUS-P, the prototype instrument for the Visible Integral Field Replicable Unit Spectrograph, attached to the 2.7 m Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the McDonald Observatory. VIRUS-P consists of a square array of 247 optical fibers, which covers a 109″ × 109″ field of view, with a spatial sampling of 4farcs2 and a 0.3 filling factor. We observed in the 3550-5850 Å spectral range, with a resolution of 5 Å FWHM. From these data we built two-dimensional maps of the continuum and the most prominent emission-lines ([O ii] λ3727, Hγ, Hβ and [O iii] λ5007), and investigated the morphology of diagnostic emission-line ratios and the extinction patterns in the ISM as well as stellar and gas kinematics. Additionally, from integrated spectra we inferred total line fluxes and luminosity-weighted extinction coefficients and gas-phase metallicities. Results: All galaxies exhibit an overall regular morphology in the stellar continuum, while their warm ISM morphology is more complex: in II Zw 33 and Mrk 314, the star-forming regions are aligned along a chain-structure; Haro 1, NGC 4670 and III Zw 102 display several salient features, such as extended gaseous filaments and bubbles. A significant intrinsic absorption by dust is present in all galaxies, the most extreme case being III Zw 102. Our data reveal a plethora of kinematical patterns, from overall regular gas and stellar rotation to complex velocity fields produced by structurally and kinematically distinct components.

The dynamics and fueling of active nuclei

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, C.; Silk, J.

1983-01-01

It is generally believed that quasars and active galactic nuclei produce their prodigious luminosities in connection with the release of gravitational energy associated with accretion and infall of matter onto a compact central object. In the present analysis, it is assumed that the central object is a massive black hole. The fact that a black hole provides the deepest possible central potential well does imply that it is the most natural candidate for the central engine. It is also assumed that the quasar is associated with the nucleus of a conventional galaxy. A number of difficulties arise in connection with finding a suitable stellar fueling model. A simple scheme is discussed for resolving these difficulties. Attention is given to fueling in a nonaxisymmetric potential, the effects of a massive accretion disk, and the variability in the disk luminosity caused by star-disk collisions assuming that the energy deposited in the disk is radiated.

The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: A First Look at SCUBA-2 Observations of the Lupus I Molecular Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mowat, C.; Hatchell, J.; Rumble, D.; Kirk, H.; Buckle, J.; Berry, D. S.; Broekhoven-Fiene, H.; Currie, M. J.; Jenness, T.; Johnstone, D.; Mottram, J. C.; Pattle, K.; Tisi, S.; Di Francesco, J.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Ward-Thompson, D.; Bastien, P.; Bresnahan, D.; Butner, H.; Chen, M.; Chrysostomou, A.; Coudé, S.; Davis, C. J.; Drabek-Maunder, E.; Duarte-Cabral, A.; Fich, M.; Fiege, J.; Friberg, P.; Friesen, R.; Fuller, G. A.; Graves, S.; Greaves, J.; Holland, W.; Joncas, G.; Kirk, J. M.; Knee, L. B. G.; Mairs, S.; Marsh, K.; Matthews, B. C.; Moriarty-Schieven, G.; Rawlings, J.; Retter, B.; Richer, J.; Robertson, D.; Rosolowsky, E.; Sadavoy, S.; Thomas, H.; Tothill, N.; Viti, S.; White, G. J.; Wouterloot, J.; Yates, J.; Zhu, M.

2017-05-01

This paper presents observations of the Lupus I molecular cloud at 450 and 850 μm with Submillimetre Common User Bolometer Array (SCUBA-2) as part of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope Gould Belt Survey (JCMT GBS). Nine compact sources, assumed to be the discs of young stellar objects (YSOs), 12 extended protostellar, pre-stellar and starless cores, and one isolated, low-luminosity protostar, are detected in the region. Spectral energy distributions, including submillimetre fluxes, are produced for 15 YSOs, and each is fitted with the models of Robitaille et al. The proportion of Class 0/I protostars is higher than that seen in other Gould Belt regions such as Ophiuchus and Serpens. Circumstellar disc masses are calculated for more evolved sources, while protostellar envelope masses are calculated for protostars. Up to four very low luminosity objects are found; a large fraction when compared to other Spitzer c2d regions. One YSO has a disc mass greater than the minimum mass solar nebula. 12 starless/protostellar cores are detected by SCUBA-2 and their masses are calculated. The stability of these cores is examined using both the thermal Jeans mass and a turbulent virial mass when possible. Two cores in Lupus I are super-Jeans and contain no known YSOs. One of these cores has a virial parameter of 1.1 ± 0.4, and could therefore be pre-stellar. The high ratio of Class 0/I to Class III YSOs (1:1), and the presence of a pre-stellar core candidate, provides support for the hypothesis that a shock recently triggered star formation in Lupus I.

The V-band Empirical Mass-luminosity Relation for Main Sequence Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Fang; Fu, Yan-Ning

2010-07-01

Stellar mass is an indispensable parameter in the studies of stellar physics and stellar dynamics. On the one hand, the most reliable way to determine the stellar dynamical mass is via orbital determinations of binaries. On the other hand, however, most stellar masses have to be estimated by using the mass luminosity relation (MLR). Therefore, it is important to obtain the empirical MLR through fitting the data of stellar dynamical mass and luminosity. The effect of metallicity can make this relation disperse in the V-band, but studies show that this is mainly limited to the case when the stellar mass is less than 0.6M⊙ Recently, many relevant data have been accumulated for main sequence stars with larger masses, which make it possible to significantly improve the corresponding MLR. Using a fitting method which can reasonably assign weights to the observational data including two quantities with different dimensions, we obtain a V-band MLR based on the dynamical masses and luminosities of 203 main sequence stars. In comparison with the previous work, the improved MLR is statistically significant, and the relative error of mass estimation reaches about 5%. Therefore, our MLR is useful not only in the studies of statistical nature, but also in the studies of concrete stellar systems, such as the long-term dynamical study and the short-term positioning study of a specific multiple star system.

The V Band Empirical Mass-Luminosity Relation for Main Sequence Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, F.; Fu, Y. N.

2010-01-01

Stellar mass is an indispensable parameter in the studies of stellar physics and stellar dynamics. On the one hand, the most reliable way to determine the stellar dynamical mass is via orbital determination of binaries. On the other hand, however, most stellar masses have to be estimated by using the mass-luminosity relation (MLR). Therefore, it is important to obtain the empirical MLR through fitting the data of stellar dynamical mass and luminosity. The effect of metallicity can make this relation disperse in the V-band, but studies show that this is mainly limited to the case when the stellar mass is less than 0.6M⊙. Recently, many relevant data have been accumulated for main sequence stars with larger mass, which make it possible to significantly improve the corresponding MLR. Using a fitting method which can reasonably assign weight to the observational data including two quantities with different dimensions, we obtain a V-band MLR based on the dynamical masses and luminosities of 203 main sequence stars. Compared with the previous work, the improved MLR is statistically significant, and the relative error of mass estimation reaches about 5%. Therefore, our MLR is useful not only in studies of statistical nature, but also in studies of concrete stellar systems, such as the long-term dynamical study and the short-term positioning study of a specific multiple star system.

THE FIRST Hi-GAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE OUTER GALAXY: A LOOK AT STAR FORMATION IN THE THIRD GALACTIC QUADRANT IN THE LONGITUDE RANGE 216. Degree-Sign 5 {approx}< l {approx}< 225. Degree-Sign 5

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elia, D.; Molinari, S.; Schisano, E.

2013-07-20

We present the first Herschel PACS and SPIRE photometric observations in a portion of the outer Galaxy (216. Degree-Sign 5 {approx}< l {approx}< 225. Degree-Sign 5 and -2 Degree-Sign {approx}< b {approx}< 0 Degree-Sign ) as a part of the Hi-GAL survey. The maps between 70 and 500 {mu}m, the derived column density and temperature maps, and the compact source catalog are presented. NANTEN CO(1-0) line observations are used to derive cloud kinematics and distances so that we can estimate distance-dependent physical parameters of the compact sources (cores and clumps) having a reliable spectral energy distribution that we separate intomore » 255 proto-stellar and 688 starless sources. Both typologies are found in association with all the distance components observed in the field, up to {approx}5.8 kpc, testifying to the presence of star formation beyond the Perseus arm at these longitudes. Selecting the starless gravitationally bound sources, we identify 590 pre-stellar candidates. Several sources of both proto- and pre-stellar nature are found to exceed the minimum requirement for being compatible with massive star formation based on the mass-radius relation. For the pre-stellar sources belonging to the Local arm (d {approx}< 1.5 kpc) we study the mass function whose high-mass end shows a power law N(log M){proportional_to}M {sup -1.0{+-}0.2}. Finally, we use a luminosity versus mass diagram to infer the evolutionary status of the sources, finding that most of the proto-stellar sources are in the early accretion phase (with some cases compatible with a Class I stage), while for pre-stellar sources, in general, accretion has not yet started.« less

A distance-limited sample of massive star-forming cores from the RMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maud, L. T.; Lumsden, S. L.; Moore, T. J. T.; Mottram, J. C.; Urquhart, J. S.; Cicchini, A.

2015-09-01

We analyse C18O (J = 3-2) data from a sample of 99 infrared (IR)-bright massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) and compact H II regions that were identified as potential molecular-outflow sources in the Red MSX Source survey. We extract a distance-limited (D < 6 kpc) sample shown to be representative of star formation covering the transition between the source types. At the spatial resolution probed, Larson-like relationships are found for these cores, though the alternative explanation, that Larson's relations arise where surface-density-limited samples are considered, is also consistent with our data. There are no significant differences found between source properties for the MYSOs and H II regions, suggesting that the core properties are established prior to the formation of massive stars, which subsequently have little impact at the later evolutionary stages investigated. There is a strong correlation between dust-continuum and C18O-gas masses, supporting the interpretation that both trace the same material in these IR-bright sources. A clear linear relationship is seen between the independently established core masses and luminosities. The position of MYSOs and compact H II regions in the mass-luminosity plane is consistent with the luminosity expected from the most massive protostar in the cluster when using an ˜40 per cent star formation efficiency and indicates that they are at a similar evolutionary stage, near the end of the accretion phase.

Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of the Ultra-compact High Velocity Cloud AGC 226067: A Stripped Remnant in the Virgo Cluster

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sand, D. J.; Crnojević, D.; Seth, A. C.

We analyze the optical counterpart to the ultra-compact high velocity cloud AGC 226067, utilizing imaging taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope . The color–magnitude diagram of the main body of AGC 226067 reveals an exclusively young stellar population, with an age of ∼7–50 Myr, and is consistent with a metallicity of [Fe/H] ∼ −0.3 as previous work has measured via H ii region spectroscopy. Additionally, the color–magnitude diagram is consistent with a distance of D ≈ 17 Mpc, suggesting an association with the Virgo cluster. A secondary stellar system located ∼1.′6 (∼8 kpc)more » away in projection has a similar stellar population. The lack of an old red giant branch (≳5 Gyr) is contrasted with a serendipitously discovered Virgo dwarf in the ACS field of view (Dw J122147+132853), and the total diffuse light from AGC 226067 is consistent with the luminosity function of the resolved ∼7–50 Myr stellar population. The main body of AGC 226067 has a M {sub V} = −11.3 ± 0.3, or M {sub stars} = 5.4 ± 1.3 × 10{sup 4} M {sub ⊙} given the stellar population. We searched 20 deg{sup 2} of imaging data adjacent to AGC 226067 in the Virgo Cluster, and found two similar stellar systems dominated by a blue stellar population, far from any massive galaxy counterpart—if this population has star-formation properties that are similar to those of AGC 226067, it implies ∼0.1 M {sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} in Virgo intracluster star formation. Given its unusual stellar population, AGC 226067 is likely a stripped remnant and is plausibly the result of compressed gas from the ram pressure stripped M86 subgroup (∼350 kpc away in projection) as it falls into the Virgo Cluster.« less

Is the Ratio of Observed X-ray Luminosity to Bolometric Luminosity in Early-type Stars Really a Constant?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waldron, W. L.

1985-01-01

The observed X-ray emission from early-type stars can be explained by the recombination stellar wind model (or base coronal model). The model predicts that the true X-ray luminosity from the base coronal zone can be 10 to 1000 times greater than the observed X-ray luminosity. From the models, scaling laws were found for the true and observed X-ray luminosities. These scaling laws predict that the ratio of the observed X-ray luminosity to the bolometric luminosity is functionally dependent on several stellar parameters. When applied to several other O and B stars, it is found that the values of the predicted ratio agree very well with the observed values.

Blue ellipticals in compact groups

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zepf, Stephen E.; Whitmore, Bradley C.

1990-01-01

By studying galaxies in compact groups, the authors examine the hypothesis that mergers of spiral galaxies make elliptical galaxies. The authors combine dynamical models of the merger-rich compact group environment with stellar evolution models and predict that roughly 15 percent of compact group ellipticals should be 0.15 mag bluer in B - R color than normal ellipticals. The published colors of these galaxies suggest the existence of this predicted blue population, but a normal distribution with large random errors can not be ruled out based on these data alone. However, the authors have new ultraviolet blue visual data which confirm the blue color of the two ellipticals with blue B - R colors for which they have their own colors. This confirmation of a population of blue ellipticals indicates that interactions are occurring in compact groups, but a blue color in one index alone does not require that these ellipticals are recent products of the merger of two spirals. The authors demonstrate how optical spectroscopy in the blue may distinguish between a true spiral + spiral merger and the swallowing of a gas-rich system by an already formed elliptical. The authors also show that the sum of the luminosity of the galaxies in each group is consistent with the hypothesis that the final stage in the evolution of compact group is an elliptical galaxy.

A possible width-luminosity correlation of the Ca II K1 and Mg II k1 features. [of stellar atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ayres, T. R.; Shine, R. A.; Linsky, J. L.

1975-01-01

Existing high resolution stellar profiles of the Ca II and Mg II resonance lines suggest a possible width-luminosity correlation of the K1 minimum features. It is shown that such a correlation can be simply understood if the continuum optical depth of the stellar temperature minimum is relatively independent of surface gravity as suggested by three stars studied in detail.

LLAMA: nuclear stellar properties of Swift-BAT AGN and matched inactive galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Ming-Yi; Davies, R. I.; Hicks, E. K. S.; Burtscher, L.; Contursi, A.; Genzel, R.; Koss, M.; Lutz, D.; Maciejewski, W.; Müller-Sánchez, F.; Orban de Xivry, G.; Ricci, C.; Riffel, R.; Riffel, R. A.; Rosario, D.; Schartmann, M.; Schnorr-Müller, A.; Shimizu, T.; Sternberg, A.; Sturm, E.; Storchi-Bergmann, T.; Tacconi, L.; Veilleux, S.

2018-02-01

In a complete sample of local 14-195 keV selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and inactive galaxies, matched by their host galaxy properties, we study the spatially resolved stellar kinematics and luminosity distributions at near-infrared wavelengths on scales of 10-150 pc, using SINFONI on the VLT. In this paper, we present the first half of the sample, which comprises 13 galaxies, eight AGNs and five inactive galaxies. The stellar velocity fields show a disc-like rotating pattern, for which the kinematic position angle is in agreement with the photometric position angle obtained from large scale images. For this set of galaxies, the stellar surface brightness of the inactive galaxy sample is generally comparable to the matched sample of AGN, but extends to lower surface brightness. After removal of the bulge contribution, we find a nuclear stellar light excess with an extended nuclear disc structure, which exhibits a size-luminosity relation. While we expect the excess luminosity to be associated with a dynamically cooler young stellar population, we do not typically see a matching drop in dispersion. This may be because these galaxies have pseudo-bulges in which the intrinsic dispersion increases towards the centre. And although the young stars may have an impact in the observed kinematics, their fraction is too small to dominate over the bulge and compensate the increase in dispersion at small radii, so no dispersion drop is seen. Finally, we find no evidence for a difference in the stellar kinematics and nuclear stellar luminosity excess between these active and inactive galaxies.

Stellar parameters for the central star of the planetary nebula PRTM 1 using the German Astrophysical Virtual Observatory service TheoSSA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rauch, T.; Demleitner, M.; Hoyer, D.; Werner, K.

2018-04-01

The German Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (GAVO) developed the registered service TheoSSA (theoretical stellar spectra access) and the supporting registered VO tool TMAW (Tübingen Model-Atmosphere WWW interface). These allow individual spectral analyses of hot, compact stars with state-of-the-art non-local thermodynamical equilibrium (NLTE) stellar-atmosphere models that presently consider opacities of the elements H, He, C, N, O, Ne, Na, and Mg, without requiring detailed knowledge about the involved background codes and procedures. Presently, TheoSSA provides easy access to about 150 000 pre-calculated stellar spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and is intended to ingest SEDs calculated by any model-atmosphere code. In the case of the exciting star of PN PRTM 1, we demonstrate the easy way to calculate individual NLTE stellar model-atmospheres to reproduce an observed optical spectrum. We measured T_eff = 98 000± 5 000 K, log (g / cm/s^2) = 5.0^{+0.3}_{-0.2}, and photospheric mass fractions of H =7.5 × 10-1 (1.02 times solar), He =2.4 × 10-1 (0.96), C =2.0 × 10-3 (0.84), N =3.2 × 10-4 (0.46), and O =8.5 × 10-3 (1.48) with uncertainties of ±0.2 dex. We determined the stellar mass and luminosity of 0.73^{+0.16}_{-0.15} M_{⊙} and log (L/L⊙) = 4.2 ± 0.4, respectively.

Multi-wavelength study of NGC 281 A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henning, TH.; Martin, K.; Reimann, H.-G.; Launhardt, R.; Leisawitz, D.; Zinnecker, H.

1994-01-01

We present a study of the molecular cloud NGC 281 A and the associated compact and young star cluster NGC 281 (AS 179). Optical photometry leads to a new distance of 3500 pc for the star cluster which is in good agreement with the kinematical distance of the adjacent molecular cloud NGC 281 A. The exciting star HD 5005 of the optical nebulosity is a Trapezium system with O6 III as photometric spectral type for the component HD 5005 AB. For the age of the star cluster we estimated a value of about 3 x 10(exp 6) yr. The (12)CO (2 to 1), (13)CO (2 to 1), and (12)CO (3 to 2) emission shows that the molecular cloud NGC 281 A consists of two cloud fragments. The western fragment is more compact and massive than the eastern fragment and contains an NH3 core. This core is associated with the IRAS source 00494+5617, an H2O maser, and 1.3 millimeter dust continuum radiation. Both cloud fragments contain altogether 22 IRAS point sources which mostly share the properties of young stellar objects. They have luminosities between 150 and 8800 solar luminosity. The maxima of the 60 and 100 micrometers HIRES maps correspond to the maxima of the (12)CO (3 to 2) emission. The NGC 281 A region shares many properties with the Orion Trapezium-BN/KL region the main differences being a larger separation between the cluster centroid and the new site of star formation as well as a lower mass and luminosity of the molecular cloud and the infrared cluster.

HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE FORMATION AND MODES OF STAR FORMATION IN HICKSON COMPACT GROUP 31

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gallagher, S. C.; Durrell, P. R.; Elmegreen, D. M.

2010-02-15

The handful of low-mass, late-type galaxies that comprise Hickson Compact Group 31 (HCG 31) is in the midst of complex, ongoing gravitational interactions, evocative of the process of hierarchical structure formation at higher redshifts. With sensitive, multicolor Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we characterize the large population of < 10 Myr old star clusters (SCs) that suffuse the system. From the colors and luminosities of the young SCs, we find that the galaxies in HCG 31 follow the same universal scaling relations as actively star-forming galaxies in the local universe despite the unusual compact group environment. Furthermore, the specific frequency ofmore » the globular cluster system is consistent with the low end of galaxies of comparable masses locally. This, combined with the large mass of neutral hydrogen and tight constraints on the amount of intragroup light, indicate that the group is undergoing its first epoch of interaction-induced star formation. In both the main galaxies and the tidal-dwarf candidate, F, stellar complexes, which are sensitive to the magnitude of disk turbulence, have both sizes and masses more characteristic of z = 1-2 galaxies. After subtracting the light from compact sources, we find no evidence for an underlying old stellar population in F-it appears to be a truly new structure. The low-velocity dispersion of the system components, available reservoir of H I, and current star formation rate of {approx}10 M {sub sun} yr{sup -1} indicate that HCG 31 is likely to both exhaust its cold gas supply and merge within {approx}1 Gyr. We conclude that the end product will be an isolated, X-ray-faint, low-mass elliptical.« less

The Merger History, AGN and Dwarf Galaxies of Hickson Compact Group 59

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Gallagher, S. C.; Fedotov, K.; Durrell, P. R.; Tzanavaris, P.; Hill, A. R.; Zabludoff, A. I.; Maier, M. L.; Elmegreen, D. M.; Charlton, J. C.;

Multiwavelength analysis of the Lyman-α emitting galaxy Haro 2: relation between the diffuse Lyman-α and soft X-ray emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otí-Floranes, H.; Mas-Hesse, J. M.; Jiménez-Bailón, E.; Schaerer, D.; Hayes, M.; Östlin, G.; Atek, H.; Kunth, D.

2012-10-01

Context. Lyman-α emission is commonly used as star formation tracer in cosmological studies. Nevertheless, resonant scattering strongly affects the resulting luminosity, leading to variable and unpredictable escape fractions in different objects. Aims: To understand how the Lyα escape fraction depends on the properties of the star-forming regions, we need high spatial resolution multiwavelength studies of nearby Lyα emitters, like Haro 2. Methods: We study the Lyα emission of Haro 2 in connection with the properties of the young stellar population, the characteristics of the interstellar medium, the distribution and intensity of the Balmer emission lines and the properties of the X-ray emission. We have used HST-STIS spectral images along the major and minor axes of Haro 2 to characterize the Lyα emission, as well as FOC UV, WFPC-2 optical and NICMOS near infrared broadband-filter images to analyze the properties of the stellar population. WFPC-2 Hα image and ground-based spectroscopy allow us to study the Balmer emission lines. Finally, Chandra/ACIS X-ray images provide resolved distribution of the X-ray emission at various energy bands. The observational data are analyzed by comparison with the predictions from evolutionary synthesis models to constrain the properties of the star formation episode. Results: The UV, Hα and far infrared luminosities of the Haro 2 nuclear starburst are well reproduced assuming a young stellar population with ages ~3.5-5.0 Myr, affected by differential intestellar extinctions. A significant fraction of the stars are completely obscured in the UV, being identifiable only indirectly by their contribution to the ionization of the gas and to the far infrared emission. The diffuse soft X-ray emission extending over the whole source is attributed to gas heated by the mechanical energy released by the starburst. A compact hard X-ray emission (likely an UltraLuminous X-ray source) has been identified in a star-forming condensation to the southeast. Both compact and diffuse Lyα emission components are observed along the major and minor axes in STIS spectral images. Lyα is spatially decoupled from Balmer lines emission, Balmer decrement and UV continuum. However, the diffuse Lyα component is spatially correlated with the diffuse soft X-ray emission. Moreover, unlike the compact Lyα emission, diffuse Lyα shows luminosities larger than predicted from Hα, assuming case B recombination and considering the dust extinction as derived from Hα/Hβ. Conclusions: The Lyα emission closely associated to the massive stellar clusters is strongly affected by the properties of the surrounding neutral gas (presence of outflows, dust abundance), leading to even a range of escape fractions at different locations within the same starburst. On the other hand, we propose that the diffuse Lyα emission originates in gas ionized by the hot plasma responsible for the soft X-ray radiation, as suggested by their spatial correlation and by the measured L(Hα)/L0.4-2.4 keV ratios. Calibration of Lyα as star formation rate tracer should therefore include both effects (destruction vs. enhancement) to avoid biases in the study of galaxies at cosmological distances.

A very dark stellar system lost in Virgo: kinematics and metallicity of SECCO 1 with MUSE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beccari, G.; Bellazzini, M.; Magrini, L.; Coccato, L.; Cresci, G.; Fraternali, F.; de Zeeuw, P. T.; Husemann, B.; Ibata, R.; Battaglia, G.; Martin, N.; Testa, V.; Perina, S.; Correnti, M.

2017-02-01

We present the results of VLT-MUSE (Very Large Telescope-Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer) integral field spectroscopy of SECCO 1, a faint, star-forming stellar system recently discovered as the stellar counterpart of an ultracompact high-velocity cloud (HVC 274.68+74.0), very likely residing within a substructure of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. We have obtained the radial velocity of a total of 38 individual compact sources identified as H II regions in the main and secondary bodies of the system, and derived the metallicity for 18 of them. We provide the first direct demonstration that the two stellar bodies of SECCO 1 are physically associated and that their velocities match the H I velocities. The metallicity is quite uniform over the whole system, with a dispersion lower than the uncertainty on individual metallicity estimates. The mean abundance, <12 + log(O/H)> = 8.44, is much higher than the typical values for local dwarf galaxies of similar stellar mass. This strongly suggests that the SECCO 1 stars were born from a pre-enriched gas cloud, possibly stripped from a larger galaxy. Using archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images, we derive a total stellar mass of ≃1.6 × 105 M⊙ for SECCO 1, confirming that it has a very high H I-to-stellar mass ratio for a dwarf galaxy, M_{H I}/M* ˜ 100. The star formation rate, derived from the Hα flux, is a factor of more than 10 higher than in typical dwarf galaxies of similar luminosity.

The massive end of the luminosity and stellar mass functions and clustering from CMASS to SDSS: evidence for and against passive evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernardi, M.; Meert, A.; Sheth, R. K.; Huertas-Company, M.; Maraston, C.; Shankar, F.; Vikram, V.

2016-02-01

We describe the luminosity function, based on Sérsic fits to the light profiles, of CMASS galaxies at z ˜ 0.55. Compared to previous estimates, our Sérsic-based reductions imply more luminous, massive galaxies, consistent with the effects of Sérsic- rather than Petrosian or de Vaucouleur-based photometry on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) main galaxy sample at z ˜ 0.1. This implies a significant revision of the high-mass end of the correlation between stellar and halo mass. Inferences about the evolution of the luminosity and stellar mass functions depend strongly on the assumed, and uncertain, k + e corrections. In turn, these depend on the assumed age of the population. Applying k + e corrections taken from fitting the models of Maraston et al. to the colours of both SDSS and CMASS galaxies, the evolution of the luminosity and stellar mass functions appears impressively passive, provided that the fits are required to return old ages. However, when matched in comoving number- or luminosity-density, the SDSS galaxies are less strongly clustered compared to their counterparts in CMASS. This rules out the passive evolution scenario, and, indeed, any minor merger scenarios which preserve the rank ordering in stellar mass of the population. Potential incompletenesses in the CMASS sample would further enhance this mismatch. Our analysis highlights the virtue of combining clustering measurements with number counts.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: X-ray observations of HCG galaxies (Tzanavaris+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tzanavaris, P.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Gallagher, S. C.; Lenkic, L.; Desjardins, T. D.; Walker, L. M.; Johnson, K. E.; Mulchaey, J. S.

2016-04-01

In this paper we study a sample of 15 compact groups (CGs) observed with Chandra/ACIS, Swift/UVOT and Spitzer/IRAC-MIPS for which archival data exist, allowing us to obtain SFRs, stellar masses, sSFRs and X-ray fluxes and luminosities. Table 1 shows the group sample, including redshifts, luminosity distances and group evolutionary types. Allowing for the fact that some galaxies do not fall in the field of view of all three instruments, the total number of CG galaxies analyzed is 47. Details on the Swift and Spitzer observations and data for systems in this sample can be found in Tzanavaris et al. (2010ApJ...716..556T) and (L. Lenkic et al. 2015, in preparation). For Chandra/ACIS observations we refer the reader to Tzanavaris et al. (2014, J/ApJS/212/9) and Desjardins et al. (2013ApJ...763..121D; 2014ApJ...790..132D). (2 data files).

AGN POPULATION IN HICKSON COMPACT GROUPS. I. DATA AND NUCLEAR ACTIVITY CLASSIFICATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MartInez, M. A.; Del Olmo, A.; Perea, J.

2010-03-15

We have conducted a new spectroscopic survey to characterize the nature of nuclear activity in Hickson compact group (HCG) galaxies and establish its frequency. We have obtained new intermediate-resolution optical spectroscopy for 200 member galaxies and corrected for underlying stellar population contamination using galaxy templates. Spectra for 11 additional galaxies have been acquired from the ESO and 6dF public archives, and emission-line ratios have been taken from the literature for 59 more galaxies. Here we present the results of our classification of the nuclear activity for 270 member galaxies, which belong to a well-defined sample of 64 HCGs. We foundmore » a large fraction of galaxies, 63%, with emission lines. Using standard diagnostic diagrams, 45% of the emission-line galaxies were classified as pure active galactic nuclei (AGNs), 23% as Transition Objects (TOs), and 32% as star-forming nuclei (SFNs). In the HCGs, the AGN activity appears as the most frequent activity type. Adopting the interpretation that in TOs a low-luminosity AGN coexists with circumnuclear star formation, the fraction of galaxies with an AGN could rise to 42% of the whole sample. The low frequency (20%) of SFNs confirms that there is no star formation enhancement in HCGs. After extinction correction, we found a median AGN H{alpha} luminosity of 7.1 x 10{sup 39} erg s{sup -1}, which implies that AGNs in HCG have a characteristically low luminosity. This result added to the fact that there is an almost complete absence of broad-line AGNs in compact groups (CGs) as found by MartInez et al. and corroborated in this study for HCGs, is consistent with very few gas left in these galaxies. In general, therefore, what may characterize the level of activity in CGs is a severe deficiency of gas.« less

X-raying a galactic gravitational lense

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garmire, Gordon

2016-09-01

It can be very difficult to detect compact objects that are not accreting in binary systems. Therefore we know very little about such objects and likely would not notice them even if they are very nearby. Two most obvious examples are very old isolated neutron stars (those that may be beyond the death line and hence are lacking pulsed radio or gamma-ray emission) and isolated stellar-mass black holes (none have been identified so far). OGLE3-ULENSPAR-05 is one of the few massive objects identified in microlensing searches for dark massive objects by the OGLE collaboration. We propose to detect the source or set stringent limit on its X-ray luminosity.

Social stars: Modeling the interactive lives of stars in dense clusters and binary systems in the era of time domain astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacLeod, Morgan Elowe

This thesis uses computational modeling to study of phases of dramatic interaction that intersperse stellar lifetimes. In galactic centers stars trace dangerously wandering orbits dictated by the combined gravitational force of a central, supermassive black hole and all of the surrounding stars. In binary systems, stars' evolution -- which causes their radii to increase substantially -- can bring initially non-interacting systems into contact. Moments of strong stellar interaction transform stars, their subsequent evolution, and the stellar environments they inhabit. In tidal disruption events, a star is partially or completely destroyed as tidal forces from a supermassive black hole overwhelm the star's self gravity. A portion of the stellar debris falls back to the black hole powering a luminous flare as it accretes. This thesis studies the relative event rates and properties of tidal disruption events for stars across the stellar evolutionary spectrum. Tidal disruptions of giant stars occur with high specific frequency; these objects' extended envelopes make them vulnerable to disruption. More-compact white dwarf stars are tidally disrupted relatively rarely. Their transients are also of very different duration and luminosity. Giant star disruptions power accretion flares with timescales of tens to hundreds of years; white dwarf disruption flares take hours to days. White dwarf tidal interactions can additionally trigger thermonuclear burning and lead to transients with signatures similar to type I supernovae. In binary star systems, a phase of hydrodynamic interaction called a common envelope episode occurs when one star evolves to swallow its companion. Dragged by the surrounding gas, the companion star spirals through the envelope to tighter orbits. This thesis studies accretion and flow morphologies during this phase. Density gradients across the gravitationally-focussed material lead to a strong angular momentum barrier to accretion during common envelope. Typical accretion efficiencies are in the range of 1 percent the Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion rate. This implies that compact objects embedded in common envelopes do not grow significantly during this phase, increasing their mass by at most a few percent. This thesis models the properties of a recent stellar-merger powered transient to derive constraints on this long-uncertain phase of binary star evolution.

A 3.5-million Solar Masses Black Hole in the Centre of the Ultracompact Dwarf Galaxy Fornax UCD3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afanasiev, Anton V.; Chilingarian, Igor V.; Mieske, Steffen; Voggel, Karina T.; Picotti, Arianna; Hilker, Michael; Seth, Anil; Neumayer, Nadine; Frank, Matthias; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Hau, George; Baumgardt, Holger; Ahn, Christopher; Strader, Jay; den Brok, Mark; McDermid, Richard; Spitler, Lee; Brodie, Jean; Walsh, Jonelle L.

2018-04-01

The origin of ultracompact dwarfs (UCDs), a class of compact stellar systems discovered two decades ago, still remains a matter of debate. Recent discoveries of central supermassive black holes in UCDs likely inherited from their massive progenitor galaxies provide support for the tidal stripping hypothesis. At the same time, on statistical grounds, some massive UCDs might be representatives of the high luminosity tail of the globular cluster luminosity function. Here we present a detection of a 3.3^{+1.4}_{-1.2}× 10^6 M_{⊙} black hole (1σ uncertainty) in the centre of the UCD3 galaxy in the Fornax cluster, that corresponds to 4 per cent of its stellar mass. We performed isotropic Jeans dynamical modelling of UCD3 using internal kinematics derived from adaptive optics assisted observations with the SINFONI spectrograph and seeing limited data collected with the FLAMES spectrograph at the ESO VLT. We rule out the zero black hole mass at the 3σ confidence level when adopting a mass-to-light ratio inferred from stellar populations. This is the fourth supermassive black hole found in a UCD and the first one in the Fornax cluster. Similarly to other known UCDs that harbour black holes, UCD3 hosts metal rich stars enhanced in α-elements that supports the tidal stripping of a massive progenitor as its likely formation scenario. We estimate that up to 80 per cent of luminous UCDs in galaxy clusters host central black holes. This fraction should be lower for UCDs in groups, because their progenitors are more likely to be dwarf galaxies, which do not tend to host central black holes.

Confronting Standard Models of Proto-planetary Disks with New Mid-infrared Sizes from the Keck Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millan-Gabet, Rafael; Che, Xiao; Monnier, John D.; Sitko, Michael L.; Russell, Ray W.; Grady, Carol A.; Day, Amanda N.; Perry, R. B.; Harries, Tim J.; Aarnio, Alicia N.; Colavita, Mark M.; Wizinowich, Peter L.; Ragland, Sam; Woillez, Julien

2016-08-01

We present near- and mid-infrared (MIR) interferometric observations made with the Keck Interferometer Nuller and near-contemporaneous spectro-photometry from the infrared telescope facilities (IRTFs) of 11 well-known young stellar objects, several of which were observed for the first time in these spectral and spatial resolution regimes. With au-level spatial resolution, we first establish characteristic sizes of the infrared emission using a simple geometrical model consisting of a hot inner rim and MIR disk emission. We find a high degree of correlation between the stellar luminosity and the MIR disk sizes after using near-infrared data to remove the contribution from the inner rim. We then use a semi-analytical physical model to also find that the very widely used “star + inner dust rim + flared disk” class of models strongly fails to reproduce the spectral energy distribution (SED) and spatially resolved MIR data simultaneously; specifically a more compact source of MIR emission is required than results from the standard flared disk model. We explore the viability of a modification to the model whereby a second dust rim containing smaller dust grains is added, and find that the 2-rim model leads to significantly improved fits in most cases. This complexity is largely missed when carrying out SED modeling alone, although detailed silicate feature fitting by McClure et al. recently came to a similar conclusion. As has been suggested recently by Menu et al., the difficulty in predicting MIR sizes from the SED alone might hint at “transition disk”-like gaps in the inner au; however, the relatively high correlation found in our MIR disk size versus stellar luminosity relation favors layered disk morphologies and points to missing disk model ingredients instead.

A 3.5 million Solar masses black hole in the centre of the ultracompact dwarf galaxy fornax UCD3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afanasiev, Anton V.; Chilingarian, Igor V.; Mieske, Steffen; Voggel, Karina T.; Picotti, Arianna; Hilker, Michael; Seth, Anil; Neumayer, Nadine; Frank, Matthias; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Hau, George; Baumgardt, Holger; Ahn, Christopher; Strader, Jay; den Brok, Mark; McDermid, Richard; Spitler, Lee; Brodie, Jean; Walsh, Jonelle L.

2018-07-01

The origin of ultracompact dwarfs (UCDs), a class of compact stellar systems discovered two decades ago, still remains a matter of debate. Recent discoveries of central supermassive black holes in UCDs likely inherited from their massive progenitor galaxies provide support for the tidal stripping hypothesis. At the same time, on statistical grounds, some massive UCDs might be representatives of the high luminosity tail of the globular cluster luminosity function. Here we present a detection of a 3.3^{+1.4}_{-1.2}× 10^6 M_{⊙} black hole (1σ uncertainty) in the centre of the UCD3 galaxy in the Fornax cluster, which corresponds to 4 per cent of its stellar mass. We performed isotropic Jeans dynamical modelling of UCD3 using internal kinematics derived from adaptive optics-assisted observations with the SINFONI spectrograph and seeing limited data collected with the FLAMES spectrograph at the ESO VLT. We rule out the zero black hole mass at the 3σ confidence level when adopting a mass-to-light ratio inferred from stellar populations. This is the fourth supermassive black hole found in a UCD and the first one in the Fornax cluster. Similarly to other known UCDs that harbour black holes, UCD3 hosts metal rich stars enhanced in α-elements that support the tidal stripping of a massive progenitor as its likely formation scenario. We estimate that up to 80 per cent of luminous UCDs in galaxy clusters host central black holes. This fraction should be lower for UCDs in groups, because their progenitors are more likely to be dwarf galaxies, which do not usually host black holes massive enough to be detected.

CONFRONTING STANDARD MODELS OF PROTO-PLANETARY DISKS WITH NEW MID-INFRARED SIZES FROM THE KECK INTERFEROMETER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Millan-Gabet, Rafael; Che, Xiao; Monnier, John D.

We present near- and mid-infrared (MIR) interferometric observations made with the Keck Interferometer Nuller and near-contemporaneous spectro-photometry from the infrared telescope facilities (IRTFs) of 11 well-known young stellar objects, several of which were observed for the first time in these spectral and spatial resolution regimes. With au-level spatial resolution, we first establish characteristic sizes of the infrared emission using a simple geometrical model consisting of a hot inner rim and MIR disk emission. We find a high degree of correlation between the stellar luminosity and the MIR disk sizes after using near-infrared data to remove the contribution from the innermore » rim. We then use a semi-analytical physical model to also find that the very widely used “star + inner dust rim + flared disk” class of models strongly fails to reproduce the spectral energy distribution (SED) and spatially resolved MIR data simultaneously; specifically a more compact source of MIR emission is required than results from the standard flared disk model. We explore the viability of a modification to the model whereby a second dust rim containing smaller dust grains is added, and find that the 2-rim model leads to significantly improved fits in most cases. This complexity is largely missed when carrying out SED modeling alone, although detailed silicate feature fitting by McClure et al. recently came to a similar conclusion. As has been suggested recently by Menu et al., the difficulty in predicting MIR sizes from the SED alone might hint at “transition disk”-like gaps in the inner au; however, the relatively high correlation found in our MIR disk size versus stellar luminosity relation favors layered disk morphologies and points to missing disk model ingredients instead.« less

The Contribution of Stellar Winds to Cosmic Ray Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Jeongbhin; Kang, Hyesung; Ryu, Dongsu

2018-04-01

Massive stars blow powerful stellar winds throughout their evolutionary stages from the main sequence to Wolf-Rayet phases. The wind mechanical energy of a massive star deposited to the interstellar medium can be comparable to the explosion energy of a core-collapse supernova that detonates at the end of its life In this study, we estimate the kinetic energy deposition by massive stars in our Galaxy by considering the integrated Galactic initial mass function and modeling the stellar wind luminosity. The mass loss rate and terminal velocity of stellar winds during the main sequence, red supergiant, and Wolf-Rayet stages are estimated by adopting theoretical calculations and observational data published in the literature. We find that the total stellar wind luminosity by all massive stars in the Galaxy is about Lw ≈ 1.1×1041 ergs, which is about 1/4 of the power of supernova explosions, LSN ≈ 4.8×1041 ergs. If we assume that ˜1-1% of the wind luminosity could be converted to Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) through collisonless shocks such as termination shocks in stellar bubbles and superbubbles, colliding-wind shocks in binaries, and bow-shocks of massive runaway stars, stellar winds are expected to make a significant contribution to GCR production, though lower than that of supernova remnants.

Exploring X-Ray Binary Populations in Compact Group Galaxies With Chandra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tzanavaris, P.; Hornschemeier, A. E..; Gallagher, S. C.; Lenkic, L.; Desjardins, T. D.; Walker, L. M.; Johnson, K. E.; Mulchaey, J. S.

2016-01-01

We obtain total galaxy X-ray luminosities, LX, originating from individually detected point sources in a sample of 47 galaxies in 15 compact groups of galaxies (CGs). For the great majority of our galaxies, we find that the detected point sources most likely are local to their associated galaxy, and are thus extragalactic X-ray binaries (XRBs) or nuclear active galactic nuclei (AGNs). For spiral and irregular galaxies, we find that, after accounting for AGNs and nuclear sources, most CG galaxies are either within the +/-1s scatter of the Mineo et al. LX-star formation rate (SFR) correlation or have higher LX than predicted by this correlation for their SFR. We discuss how these "excesses" may be due to low metallicities and high interaction levels. For elliptical and S0 galaxies, after accounting for AGNs and nuclear sources, most CG galaxies are consistent with the Boroson et al. LX-stellar mass correlation for low-mass XRBs, with larger scatter, likely due to residual effects such as AGN activity or hot gas. Assuming non-nuclear sources are low- or high-mass XRBs, we use appropriate XRB luminosity functions to estimate the probability that stochastic effects can lead to such extreme LX values. We find that, although stochastic effects do not in general appear to be important, for some galaxies there is a significant probability that high LX values can be observed due to strong XRB variability.

Habitable Moons and Planets Around Post-Main Sequence Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenz, R.

2014-04-01

Habitability is ephemeral, and arises against the backdrop of stellar evolution. Atmospheric modulation of incoming and outgoing radiative fluxes can restrict or extend the insolation domain in which habitable conditions can persist, and feedbacks (notably, silicate weathering of CO2) may fortuitously adapt that modulation to counteract evolving luminosity. But eventually the star will win. What happens then depends on the histories of stellar luminosity, and of stellar mass loss. While the enhancement of luminosity may render the outer solar system habitable in a classic radiative/convective equilibrium sense, a scenario studied in most detail in connection with Saturn's moon Titan, the enhanced solar wind associated with the latter may strip atmospheres unprotected by magnetic fields. The question of post-main sequence habitability is therefore not a simple one.

Einstein Observations of X-ray emission from A stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golub, L.; Harnden, F. R., Jr.; Maxson, C. W.; Rosner, R.; Vaiana, G. S.; Cash, W., Jr.; Snow, T. P., Jr.

1983-08-01

Results are reported from the combined CfA Stellar Survey of selected bright A stars and an Einstein Guest Observer program for Ap and Am stars. In an initial report of results from the CfA Stellar Surveys by Vaiana et al. (1981) it was noted that the spread in observed X-ray luminosities among the few A stars observed was quite large. The reasons for this large spread was studied by Pallavicini et al. (1981). It was found that the X-ray emission from normal stars is related very strongly to bolometric luminosity for early-type stars and to rotation rate for late-type stars. However, an exception to this rule has been the apparently anomalous behavior of A star X-ray emission, for which the large spread in luminosity showed no apparent correlation with either bolometric luminosity or stellar rotation rate. In the present study, it is shown that the level of emission from normal A stars agrees with the correlation observed for O and B stars.

Can a Bright and Energetic X-Ray Pulsar Be Hiding Amid the Debris of SN 1987A?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esposito, Paolo; Rea, Nanda; Lazzati, Davide; Matsuura, Mikako; Perna, Rosalba; Pons, José A.

2018-04-01

The mass of the stellar precursor of supernova (SN) 1987A and the burst of neutrinos observed at the moment of the explosion are consistent with the core-collapse formation of a neutron star. However, no compelling evidence for the presence of a compact object of any kind in SN 1987A has been found yet in any band of the electromagnetic spectrum, prompting questions on whether the neutron star survived and, if it did, on its properties. Beginning with an analysis of recent Chandra observations, here we appraise the current observational situation. We derived limits on the X-ray luminosity of a compact object with a nonthermal, Crab-pulsar-like spectrum of the order of ≈(1–5) × 1035 erg s‑1, corresponding to limits on the rotational energy loss of a possible X-ray pulsar in SN 1987A of ≈(0.5–1.5) × 1038 erg s‑1. However, a much brighter X-ray source cannot be excluded if, as is likely, it is enshrouded in a cloud of absorbing matter with a metallicity similar to that expected in the outer layers of a massive star toward the end of its life. We found that other limits obtained from various arguments and observations in other energy ranges either are unbinding or allow a similar maximum luminosity of the order of ≈1035 erg s‑1. We conclude that while a pulsar alike the one in the Crab Nebula in both luminosity and spectrum is hardly compatible with the observations, there is ample space for an “ordinary” X-ray-emitting young neutron star, born with normal initial spin period, temperature, and magnetic field, to be hiding inside the evolving remnant of SN 1987A.

The Keck/OSIRIS Nearby AGN Survey (KONA). I. The Nuclear K-band Properties of Nearby AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller-Sánchez, F.; Hicks, E. K. S.; Malkan, M.; Davies, R.; Yu, P. C.; Shaver, S.; Davis, B.

2018-05-01

We introduce the Keck OSIRIS Nearby AGN survey (KONA), a new adaptive optics-assisted integral-field spectroscopic survey of Seyfert galaxies. KONA permits at ∼0.″1 resolution a detailed study of the nuclear kinematic structure of gas and stars in a representative sample of 40 local bona fide active galactic nucleus (AGN). KONA seeks to characterize the physical processes responsible for the coevolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies, principally inflows and outflows. With these IFU data of the nuclear regions of 40 Seyfert galaxies, the KONA survey will be able to study, for the first time, a number of key topics with meaningful statistics. In this paper we study the nuclear K-band properties of nearby AGN. We find that the K-band (2.1 μm) luminosities of the compact Seyfert 1 nuclei are correlated with the hard X-ray luminosities, implying a non-stellar origin for the majority of the continuum emission. The best-fit correlation is log L K = 0.9log L 2–10 keV + 4 over three orders of magnitude in both K-band and X-ray luminosities. We find no strong correlation between 2.1 μm luminosity and hard X-ray luminosity for the Seyfert 2 galaxies. The spatial extent and spectral slope of the Seyfert 2 galaxies indicate the presence of nuclear star formation and attenuating material (gas and dust), which in some cases is compact and in some galaxies extended. We detect coronal-line emission in 36 galaxies and for the first time in 5 galaxies. Finally, we find 4/20 galaxies that are usually classified as Seyfert 2 based on their optical spectra exhibit a broad component of Brγ emission, and one galaxy (NGC 7465) shows evidence of a double nucleus. Based on observations at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Evolution of Galaxy Luminosity and Stellar-Mass Functions since $z=1$ with the Dark Energy Survey Science Verification Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Capozzi, D.; et al.

We present the first study of the evolution of the galaxy luminosity and stellar-mass functions (GLF and GSMF) carried out by the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We describe the COMMODORE galaxy catalogue selected from Science Verification images. This catalogue is made ofmore » $$\\sim 4\\times 10^{6}$$ galaxies at $$0« less

On the nature of the deeply embedded protostar OMC-2 FIR 4

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Furlan, E.; Megeath, S. T.; Fischer, W. J.

We use mid-infrared to submillimeter data from the Spitzer, Herschel, and Atacama Pathfinder Experiment telescopes to study the bright submillimeter source OMC-2 FIR 4. We find a point source at 8, 24, and 70 μm, and a compact, but extended source at 160, 350, and 870 μm. The peak of the emission from 8 to 70 μm, attributed to the protostar associated with FIR 4, is displaced relative to the peak of the extended emission; the latter represents the large molecular core the protostar is embedded within. We determine that the protostar has a bolometric luminosity of 37 L {submore » ☉}, although including more extended emission surrounding the point source raises this value to 86 L {sub ☉}. Radiative transfer models of the protostellar system fit the observed spectral energy distribution well and yield a total luminosity of most likely less than 100 L {sub ☉}. Our models suggest that the bolometric luminosity of the protostar could be as low as 12-14 L {sub ☉}, while the luminosity of the colder (∼20 K) extended core could be around 100 L {sub ☉}, with a mass of about 27 M {sub ☉}. Our derived luminosities for the protostar OMC-2 FIR 4 are in direct contradiction with previous claims of a total luminosity of 1000 L {sub ☉}. Furthermore, we find evidence from far-infrared molecular spectra and 3.6 cm emission that FIR 4 drives an outflow. The final stellar mass the protostar will ultimately achieve is uncertain due to its association with the large reservoir of mass found in the cold core.« less

The Lyman-Continuum Fluxes and Stellar Parameters of O and Early B-Type Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vacca, William D.; Garmany, Catherine D.; Shull, J. Michael

1996-01-01

Using the results of the most recent stellar atmosphere models applied to a sample of hot stars, we construct calibrations of effective temperature (T(sub eff)), and gravity (log(sub g)) with a spectral type and luminosity class for Galactic 0-type and early B-type stars. From the model results we also derive an empirical relation between the bolometric correction and T(sub eff) and log g. Using a sample of stars with known distances located in OB associations in the Galaxy and the Large Magellanic Cloud, we derive a new calibration of M(sub v) with spectral class. With these new calibrations and the stellar atmosphere models of Kurucz, we calculate the physical parameters and ionizing photon luminosities in the H(0) and He(0) continua for O and early B-type stars. We find substantial differences between our values of the Lyman- continuum luminosity and those reported in the literature. We also discuss the systematic discrepancy between O-type stellar masses derived from spectroscopic models and those derived from evolutionary tracks. Most likely, the cause of this 'mass discrepancy' lies primarily in the atmospheric models, which are plane parallel and hydrostatic and therefore do not account for an extended atmosphere and the velocity fields in a stellar wind. Finally, we present a new computation of the Lyman-continuum luminosity from 429 known O stars located within 2.5 kpc of the Sun. We find the total ionizing luminosity from this population ((Q(sub 0)(sup T(sub ot))) = 7.0 x 10(exp 51) photons/s) to be 47% larger than that determined using the Lyman continuum values tabulated by Panagia.

The Ultraviolet and Infrared Star Formation Rates of Compact Group Galaxies: An Expanded Sample

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lenkic, Laura; Tzanavaris, Panayiotis; Gallagher, Sarah C.; Desjardins, Tyler D.; Walker, Lisa May; Johnson, Kelsey E.; Fedotov, Konstantin; Charlton, Jane; Cardiff, Ann H.; Durell, Pat R.

2016-01-01

Compact groups of galaxies provide insight into the role of low-mass, dense environments in galaxy evolution because the low velocity dispersions and close proximity of galaxy members result in frequent interactions that take place over extended time-scales. We expand the census of star formation in compact group galaxies by Tzanavaris et al. (2010) and collaborators with Swift UVOT, Spitzer IRAC and MIPS 24 m photometry of a sample of 183 galaxies in 46 compact groups. After correcting luminosities for the contribution from old stellar populations, we estimate the dust-unobscured star formation rate (SFRUV) using the UVOT uvw2 photometry. Similarly, we use the MIPS 24 m photometry to estimate the component of the SFR that is obscured by dust (SFRIR). We find that galaxies which are MIR-active (MIR-red), also have bluer UV colours, higher specific SFRs, and tend to lie in Hi-rich groups, while galaxies that are MIR-inactive (MIR-blue) have redder UV colours, lower specific SFRs, and tend to lie in Hi-poor groups. We find the SFRs to be continuously distributed with a peak at about 1 M yr1, indicating this might be the most common value in compact groups. In contrast, the specific SFR distribution is bimodal, and there is a clear distinction between star-forming and quiescent galaxies. Overall, our results suggest that the specific SFR is the best tracer of gas depletion and galaxy evolution in compact groups.

A Blind Search for Magnetospheric Emissions from Planetary Companions to Nearby Solar-type Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazio, T. Joseph W.; Carmichael, S.; Clark, J.; Elkins, E.; Gudmundsen, P.; Mott, Z.; Szwajkowski, M.; Hennig, L. A.

2010-01-01

This paper reports a blind search for planetary magnetospheric emissions from planets around nearby stars. Young stars are likely to have much stronger stellar winds than the Sun, and because planetary magnetospheric emissions are powered by stellar winds, stronger stellar winds may enhance the radio luminosity of any orbiting planets. Using various stellar catalogs, we selected nearby stars (< 30 pc) with relatively young age estimates (< 3 Gyr), finding between 100 and several hundred stars. We stacked images from the 74-MHz (4-m wavelength) VLA Low-frequency Sky Survey, obtaining 3\\sigma limits on planetary emission of between 10 and 33 mJy. These flux density limits correspond to average planetary luminosities less than 5--10 x 1023erg/s. Using models for the scaling of stellar wind velocity, density, and magnetic field with stellar age, we estimate scaling factors for the strength of stellar winds, relative to the Sun, in our samples. The typical kinetic (magnetic) energy carried by the stellar winds in our samples is 15--50 (5--10) times larger than that of the solar wind. If we assume that every star is orbited by a Jupiter-like planet with a luminosity larger than that of the Jovian decametric radiation by the above factors, our limits on planetary luminosities from the stacking analysis are likely to be a factor of 300 above what would be required to detect the planets in a statistical sense. Similar statistical analyses with observations by future instruments, such as the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) and the Long Wavelength Array (LWA), offer the promise of improvements by factors of 10--100. Basic research in radio astronomy at NRL is supported by 6.1 Base funding. The LUNAR consortium, is funded by the NASA Lunar Science Institute (Cooperative Agreement NNA09DB30A) to investigate concepts for astrophysical observatories on the Moon.

Gamma-ray bursts at high and very high energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piron, Frédéric

2016-06-01

Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are extra-galactic and extremely energetic transient emissions of gamma rays, which are thought to be associated with the death of massive stars or the merger of compact objects in binary systems. Their huge luminosities involve the presence of a newborn stellar-mass black hole emitting a relativistic collimated outflow, which accelerates particles and produces non-thermal emissions from the radio domain to the highest energies. In this article, I review recent progresses in the understanding of GRB jet physics above 100 MeV, based on Fermi observations of bright GRBs. I discuss the physical implications of these observations and their impact on GRB modeling, and I present some prospects for GRB observation at very high energies in the near future.

Structure and chemistry in the northwestern condensation of the Serpens molecular cloud core

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcmullin, Joseph P.; Mundy, Lee G.; Wilking, Bruce A.; Hezel, T.; Blake, Geoff A.

1994-01-01

We present single-dish and interferometric observations of gas and dust in the core of the Serpens molecular cloud, focusing on the northwestern condensation. Single-dish molecular line observations are used to probe the structure and chemistry of the condensation while high-resolution images of CS and CH30H are combined with continuum observations from lambda = 1.3 mm to lambda = 3.5 cm to study the subcondensations and overall distribution of dust. For the northwestern condensation, we derive a characteristic density of 3 x 10(exp 5)/ cu cm and an estimated total mass of approximately 70 solar mass. We find compact molecular emission associated with the far-infrared source S68 FIRS 1, and with a newly detected subcondensation named S68 N. Comparison of the large-and small-scale emission reveals that most of the material in the northwest condensation is not directly associated with these compact sources, suggesting a youthful age for this region. CO J = 1 approaches 0 observations indicate widespread outflow activity. However, no unique association of embedded objects with outflows is possible with our observations. The SiO emission is found to be extended with the overall emission centered about S68 FIRS 1; the offset of the peak emission from all of the known continuum sources and the coincidence between the blueshifted SiO emission and blueshifted high-velocity gas traced by CO and CS is consistent with formation of SiO in shocks. Derived abundances of CO and HCO(+) are consistent with quiescent and other star-forming regions while CS, HCN, and H2CO abundances indicate mild depletions within the condensation. Spectral energy distribution fits to S68 FIRS 1 indicate a modest luminosity (50-60 solar luminosity), implying that it is a low-mass (0.5-3 solar mass) young stellar object. Radio continuum observations of the triple source toward S68 FIRS 1 indicate that the lobe emission is varying on timescales less than or equal to 1 yr while the central component is relatively constant over approximately 14 yr. The nature of a newly detected compact emission region, S68 N, is less certain due to the absence of firm continuum detections; based on its low luminosity (less than 5 solar luminosity) and strong molecular emission, S68 N may be prestellar subcondensation of gas and dust.

STAR-FORMING ACTIVITY IN THE H ii REGIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE IRAS 17160–3707 COMPLEX

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nandakumar, G.; Veena, V. S.; Vig, S.

2016-11-01

We present a multiwavelength investigation of star formation activity toward the southern H ii regions associated with IRAS 17160–3707, located at a distance of 6.2 kpc with a bolometric luminosity of 8.3 × 10{sup 5} L {sub ⊙}. The ionized gas distribution and dust clumps in the parental molecular cloud are examined in detail using measurements at infrared, submillimeter and radio wavelengths. The radio continuum images at 1280 and 610 MHz obtained using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope reveal the presence of multiple compact sources as well as nebulous emission. At submillimeter wavelengths, we identify seven dust clumps and estimate their physical properties suchmore » as temperature: 24–30 K, mass: 300–4800 M {sub ⊙} and luminosity: 9–317 × 10{sup 2} L {sub ⊙} using modified blackbody fits to the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) between 70 and 870 μ m. We find 24 young stellar objects (YSOs) in the mid-infrared, with a few of them coincident with the compact radio sources. The SEDs of the YSOs have been fitted by the Robitaille models and the results indicate that those having radio compact sources as counterparts host massive objects in early evolutionary stages with best fit age ≤0.2 Myr. We compare the relative evolutionary stages of clumps using various signposts such as masers, ionized gas, presence of YSOs and infrared nebulosity, and find six massive star-forming clumps and one quiescent clump. Of the former, five are in a relatively advanced stage and one in an earlier stage.« less

Stationary hydrodynamic models of Wolf-Rayet stars with optically thick winds.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heger, A.; Langer, N.

1996-11-01

We investigate the influence of a grey, optically thick wind on the surface and internal structure of Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars. We calculate hydrodynamic models of chemically homogeneous helium stars with stationary outflows, solving the full set of stellar structure equations from the stellar center up to well beyond the sonic point of the wind, including the line force originating from absorption lines in a parameterized way. For specific assumptions about mass loss rate and wind opacity above our outer boundary, we find that the iron opacity peak may lead to local super-Eddington luminosities at the sonic point. By varying the stellar wind parameters over the whole physically plausible range, we show that the radius of the sonic point of the wind flow is always very close to the hydrostatic stellar radius obtained in WR star models which ignore the wind. However, our models confirm the possibility of large values for observable WR radii and correspondingly small effective temperatures found in earlier models. We show further that the energy which is contained in a typical WR wind can not be neglected. The stellar luminosity may be reduced by several 10%, which has a pronounced effect on the mass-luminosity relation, i. e., the WR masses derived for a given luminosity may be considerably larger. Thereby, also the momentum problem of WR winds is considerably reduced, as well as the scatter in the ˙(M) vs. M diagram for observed hydrogen-free WN stars.

Preface (for CUP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pap, Judit

1993-01-01

Study of changes in solar and stellar irradiances has been of high interest for a long time. Determining the absolute value of the luminosity of stars with different ages is a crucial question for the theory of stellar evolution and energy production in stellar interiors.

A Search for Water Maser Emission from Brown Dwarfs and Low-luminosity Young Stellar Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez, José F.; Palau, Aina; Uscanga, Lucero; Manjarrez, Guillermo; Barrado, David

2017-05-01

We present a survey for water maser emission toward a sample of 44 low-luminosity young objects, comprising (proto-)brown dwarfs, first hydrostatic cores (FHCs), and other young stellar objects (YSOs) with bolometric luminosities lower than 0.4 L ⊙. Water maser emission is a good tracer of energetic processes, such as mass-loss and/or accretion, and is a useful tool to study these processes with very high angular resolution. This type of emission has been confirmed in objects with L bol ≳ 1 L ⊙. Objects with lower luminosities also undergo mass-loss and accretion, and thus, are prospective sites of maser emission. Our sensitive single-dish observations provided a single detection when pointing toward the FHC L1448 IRS 2E. However, follow-up interferometric observations showed water maser emission associated with the nearby YSO L1448 IRS 2 (a Class 0 protostar of L bol ≃ 3.6-5.3 L ⊙) and did not find any emission toward L1448 IRS 2E. The upper limits for water maser emission determined by our observations are one order of magnitude lower than expected from the correlation between water maser luminosities and bolometric luminosities found for YSOs. This suggests that this correlation does not hold at the lower end of the (sub)stellar mass spectrum. Possible reasons are that the slope of this correlation is steeper at L bol ≤ 1 L ⊙ or that there is an absolute luminosity threshold below which water maser emission cannot be produced. Alternatively, if the correlation still stands at low luminosity, the detection rates of masers would be significantly lower than the values obtained in higher-luminosity Class 0 protostars.

Discovery of Coherent Pulsations from the Ultraluminous X-Ray Source NGC 7793 P13

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Furst, F.; Walton, D. J.; Harrison, F. A.; Stern, D.; Barret, D.; Brightman, M.; Fabian, A. C.; Grefenstette, B.; Madsen, K. K.; Middleton, M. J.;

The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. XII. Stellar Populations and Kinematics of Compact, Low-mass Early-type Galaxies from Gemini GMOS-IFU Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guérou, Adrien; Emsellem, Eric; McDermid, Richard M.; Côté, Patrick; Ferrarese, Laura; Blakeslee, John P.; Durrell, Patrick R.; MacArthur, Lauren A.; Peng, Eric W.; Cuillandre, Jean-Charles; Gwyn, Stephen

2015-05-01

We present Gemini Multi Object Spectrograph integral-field unit (GMOS-IFU) data of eight compact, low-mass early-type galaxies (ETGs) in the Virgo cluster. We analyze their stellar kinematics and stellar population and present two-dimensional maps of these properties covering the central 5″ × 7″ region. We find a large variety of kinematics, from nonrotating to highly rotating objects, often associated with underlying disky isophotes revealed by deep images from the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. In half of our objects, we find a centrally concentrated younger and more metal-rich stellar population. We analyze the specific stellar angular momentum through the λR parameter and find six fast rotators and two slow rotators, one having a thin counterrotating disk. We compare the local galaxy density and stellar populations of our objects with those of 39 more extended low-mass Virgo ETGs from the SMAKCED survey and 260 massive (M > 1010 {{M}⊙ }) ETGs from the ATLAS3D sample. The compact low-mass ETGs in our sample are located in high-density regions, often close to a massive galaxy, and have, on average, older and more metal-rich stellar populations than less compact low-mass galaxies. We find that the stellar population parameters follow lines of constant velocity dispersion in the mass-size plane, smoothly extending the comparable trends found for massive ETGs. Our study supports a scenario where low-mass compact ETGs have experienced long-lived interactions with their environment, including ram-pressure stripping and gravitational tidal forces, that may be responsible for their compact nature.

Stellar mass buildup in galaxies in the first 1.5 Gyr of the universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, Valentino

In this thesis we have made extensive use of the deepest optical and infrared images currently available from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the Spitzer Space Telescope to study the properties of the stellar populations and the stellar mass buildup in galaxies in the first 1.5 Gyr after the Big Bang. The star formation Rates (SFRs) estimated for LBGs at z ≳ 4 are generally in the range 1 -- 100 M⊙ yr--1. The stellar mass estimates are most robust for sources with good Spitzer/IRAC detections, corresponding to galaxies with stellar masses ≳ 108.5 M⊙ at z ˜ 4 ( ≳ 109.5 M⊙ at z ˜ 7). For sources with lower rest-frame optical luminosities, that, as a result, are individually undetected in IRAC, their average stellar masses have been studied in a stacking analysis of a large number of sources. This enables us to reach stellar masses ˜ 10 7.8 M⊙ at z ˜ 4. The stellar masses show a fairly tight correlation with UV luminosity or SFR, and the zeropoint of the relation does not seem to evolve strongly with redshift. We have taken advantage of the UV luminosity vs. stellar mass relation observed in LBGs at z ≳ 4 -- 7 to derive the stellar mass function (SMF) of galaxies at these redshifts. The method uses a combination of the UV LF and the mean UV vs. stellar mass relation (including the scatter, estimated to be ˜ 0.5 dex at bright luminosities at z ˜ 4). This method allows an analytic estimate of the low mass slope of the SMF. This slope (the power-law exponent of the SMF at low masses), is estimated to be in the --1.44 -- --1.55, range which is flatter than the UV LF faint end slope at these redshifts ( ≲ --1.74). This means that low mass systems contribute less to the total stellar mass density (SMD) of the Universe than would have been estimated assuming a constant mass-to-UV-light ratio. We show that this is also much flatter than the theoretical predictions from simulations, which generally over-predict the number density of low mass systems at these redshifts. The UV luminosity vs. stellar mass relation indicates only a small variation of the mass-to-light ratio as a function of UV luminosity. This is confirmed in a stacking analysis of a large number of sources from the HUDF and the Early Release Science fields (˜ 400 z ˜ 4, ˜ 120 z ˜ 5, ˜ 60 z ˜ 6, 36 at z ˜ 7). Interestingly, the stacked SEDs at z ≳ 5 in the rest-frame optical shows a color [3.6] -- [4.5] ˜ 0.3 mag. This color is hard to reproduce by synthetic stellar population models that only include stellar continua, and it probably indicates the presence of moderately strong emission lines (Halpha EWrest ˜ 300 A). The contribution from such emission lines in the IRAC fluxes indicates that the stellar masses and ages could both be over-estimated by a factor ˜ 2. One of the most interesting results presented in this thesis is the apparent plateau of the specific SFR (sSFR = SFR / stellar mass). In early results, the similarity in the SEDs of galaxies at a given UV luminosity in the z ˜ 4 -- 7 redshift range resulted in very similar estimates of the SFR and stellar masses of these galaxies. Furthermore, we find that the reported sSFR estimates at z ˜ 2 are also very similar to the ones in the z ˜ 4 -- 7 redshift range (˜ 2 Gyr--1 for ˜ 5 x 109 M⊙ galaxies). A puzzle arises from the fact that the dark matter accretion rate onto halos is predicted to decrease monotonically and rather fast as a function of cosmic time (approximately ∝ (1 + z) 2.5). If gas and star formation follow the inflow of dark matter, the sSFR at a constant mass should also decrease monotonically with time, which is contrary to the indication from these observations. When we include the possible effects of emission lines, the stellar masses decrease by a factor ˜ 2x at z ≳ 5. The revised stellar masses may favor a slowly rising sSFR at z ≳ 2, but the rise as a function of redshift is still much slower (sSFR(z) ∝ (1 + z)0.7) than that of specific dark matter accretion rate. This suggests that the stellar mass buildup is somehow decoupled from the dark matter buildup at early times. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The nature of ULX source M101 X-1: optically thick outflow from a stellar mass black hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Rong-Feng; Barniol Duran, Rodolfo; Nakar, Ehud; Piran, Tsvi

2015-02-01

The nature of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) has long been plagued by an ambiguity about whether the central compact objects are intermediate-mass (IMBH, ≳103 M⊙) or stellar-mass (a few tens M⊙) black holes (BHs). The high-luminosity (≃1039 erg s-1) and supersoft spectrum (T ≃ 0.1 keV) during the high state of the ULX source X-1 in the galaxy M101 suggest a large emission radius (≳109 cm), consistent with being an IMBH accreting at a sub-Eddington rate. However, recent kinematic measurement of the binary orbit of this source and identification of the secondary as a Wolf-Rayet star suggest a stellar-mass BH primary with a super-Eddington accretion. If that is the case, a hot, optically thick outflow from the BH can account for the large emission radius and the soft spectrum. By considering the interplay of photons' absorption and scattering opacities, we determine the radius and mass density of the emission region of the outflow and constrain the outflow mass-loss rate. The analysis presented here can be potentially applied to other ULXs with thermally dominated spectra, and to other super-Eddington accreting sources.

Demonstration of a Novel Method for Measuring Mass-loss Rates for Massive Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobulnicky, Henry A.; Chick, William T.; Povich, Matthew S.

2018-03-01

The rate at which massive stars eject mass in stellar winds significantly influences their evolutionary path. Cosmic rates of nucleosynthesis, explosive stellar phenomena, and compact object genesis depend on this poorly known facet of stellar evolution. We employ an unexploited observational technique for measuring the mass-loss rates of O and early-B stars. Our approach, which has no adjustable parameters, uses the principle of pressure equilibrium between the stellar wind and the ambient interstellar medium for a high-velocity star generating an infrared bow shock nebula. Results for 20 bow-shock-generating stars show good agreement with two sets of theoretical predictions for O5–O9.5 main-sequence stars, yielding \\dot{M} = 1.3 × 10‑6 to 2 × 10‑9 {M}ȯ {yr}}-1. Although \\dot{M} values derived for this sample are smaller than theoretical expectations by a factor of about two, this discrepancy is greatly reduced compared to canonical mass-loss methods. Bow-shock-derived mass-loss rates are factors of 10 smaller than Hα-based measurements (uncorrected for clumping) for similar stellar types and are nearly an order of magnitude larger than P4+ and some other diagnostics based on UV absorption lines. Ambient interstellar densities of at least several cm‑3 appear to be required for formation of a prominent infrared bow shock nebula. Measurements of \\dot{M} for early-B stars are not yet compelling owing to the small number in our sample and the lack of clear theoretical predictions in the regime of lower stellar luminosities. These results may constitute a partial resolution of the extant “weak-wind problem” for late-O stars. The technique shows promise for determining mass-loss rates in the weak-wind regime.

The stellar content of LH 9 and 10 (N11) in the LMC - A case for sequential star formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Joel WM.; Garmany, Catharine D.; Massey, Philip; Walborn, Nolan R.

1992-01-01

The young OB associations Lucke-Hodge 9 and 10 are studied with UBV photometry that is independent of reddening to determine the IMF directly from star counts. The temperature and reddening of the stars are determined which, in conjunction with the spectroscopic classification of the earliest stars, is employed to place the stellar groups on the theoretical H-R diagram. Observations are also presented of the highly compact H II region/knot N11A and the multiple system HD 32228, and LH 9 and 10 are compared. The Lyman ionizing flux calculated at 4.9-7.2 x 10 exp 50/s agrees well with flux required to generate the H-alpha luminosity of the H II region. LH 10 has a much flatter slope, a higher ratio of higher-mass to lower-mass stars, and greater reddening than LH 9, and LH 10 contains all of the O stars earlier than O6. It is concluded that LH 9 is older than LH 10 and probably contributed to the initiation of star formation in LH 10.

The VIMOS Ultra Deep Survey. Luminosity and stellar mass dependence of galaxy clustering at z 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durkalec, A.; Le Fèvre, O.; Pollo, A.; Zamorani, G.; Lemaux, B. C.; Garilli, B.; Bardelli, S.; Hathi, N.; Koekemoer, A.; Pforr, J.; Zucca, E.

2018-04-01

We present a study of the dependence of galaxy clustering on luminosity and stellar mass in the redshift range 2 < z < 3.5 using 3236 galaxies with robust spectroscopic redshifts from the VIMOS Ultra Deep Survey (VUDS), covering a total area of 0.92 deg2. We measured the two-point real-space correlation function wp(rp) for four volume-limited subsamples selected by stellar mass and four volume-limited subsamples selected by MUV absolute magnitude. We find that the scale-dependent clustering amplitude r0 significantly increases with increasing luminosity and stellar mass. For the least luminous galaxies (MUV < -19.0), we measured a correlation length r0 = 2.87 ± 0.22 h-1 Mpc and slope γ = 1.59 ± 0.07, while for the most luminous (MUV < -20.2) r0 = 5.35 ± 0.50 h-1 Mpc and γ = 1.92 ± 0.25. These measurements correspond to a strong relative bias between these two subsamples of Δb/b* = 0.43. Fitting a five-parameter halo occupation distribution (HOD) model, we find that the most luminous (MUV < -20.2) and massive (M⋆ > 1010 h-1 M⊙) galaxies occupy the most massive dark matter haloes with ⟨Mh⟩ = 1012.30 h-1 M⊙. Similar to the trends observed at lower redshift, the minimum halo mass Mmin depends on the luminosity and stellar mass of galaxies and grows from Mmin = 109.73 h-1 M⊙ to Mmin = 1011.58 h-1 M⊙ from the faintest to the brightest among our galaxy sample, respectively. We find the difference between these halo masses to be much more pronounced than is observed for local galaxies of similar properties. Moreover, at z 3, we observe that the masses at which a halo hosts, on average, one satellite and one central galaxy is M1 ≈ 4Mmin over all luminosity ranges, which is significantly lower than observed at z 0; this indicates that the halo satellite occupation increases with redshift. The luminosity and stellar mass dependence is also reflected in the measurements of the large-scale galaxy bias, which we model as bg,HOD (>L) = 1.92 + 25.36(L/L*)7.01. We conclude our study with measurements of the stellar-to-halo mass ratio (SHMR). We observe a significant model-observation discrepancy for low-mass galaxies, suggesting a higher than expected star formation efficiency of these galaxies. Based on data obtained with the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope, Paranal, Chile, under Large Programme 185.A-0791.

Compact Starburst Galaxies with Fast Outflows: Spatially Resolved Stellar Mass Profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gottlieb, Sophia; Diamond-Stanic, Aleksandar; Lipscomb, Charles; Ohene, Senyo; Rines, Josh; Moustakas, John; Sell, Paul; Tremonti, Christy; Coil, Alison; Rudnick, Gregory; Hickox, Ryan C.; Geach, James; Kepley, Amanda

2018-01-01

Powerful galactic winds driven by stellar feedback and black hole accretion are thought to play an important role in regulating star formation in galaxies. In particular, strong stellar feedback from supernovae, stellar winds, radiation pressure, and cosmic rays is required by simulations of star-forming galaxies to prevent the vast majority of baryons from cooling and collapsing to form stars. However, it remains unclear whether these stellar processes play a significant role in expelling gas and shutting down star formation in massive progenitors of quiescent galaxies. What are the limits of stellar feedback? We present multi-band photometry with HST/WFC3 (F475W, F814W, F160W) for a dozen compact starburst galaxies at z~0.6 with half-light radii that suggest incredibly large central escape velocities. These massive galaxies are driving fast (>1000 km/s) outflows that have been previously attributed to stellar feedback associated with the compact (r~100 pc) starburst. But how compact is the stellar mass? In the context of the stellar feedback hypothesis, it is unclear whether these fast outflows are being driven at velocities comparable to the escape velocity of an incredibly dense stellar system (as predicted by some models of radiation-pressure winds) or at velocities that exceed the central escape velocity by large factor. Our spatially resolved measurements with HST show that the stellar mass is more extended than the light, and this requires that the physical mechanism responsible for driving the winds must be able to launch gas at velocities that are factors of 5-10 beyond the central escape velocity.

Galaxy evolution. Isolated compact elliptical galaxies: stellar systems that ran away.

PubMed

Chilingarian, Igor; Zolotukhin, Ivan

2015-04-24

Compact elliptical galaxies form a rare class of stellar system (~30 presently known) characterized by high stellar densities and small sizes and often harboring metal-rich stars. They were thought to form through tidal stripping of massive progenitors, until two isolated objects were discovered where massive galaxies performing the stripping could not be identified. By mining astronomical survey data, we have now found 195 compact elliptical galaxies in all types of environment. They all share similar dynamical and stellar population properties. Dynamical analysis for nonisolated galaxies demonstrates the feasibility of their ejection from host clusters and groups by three-body encounters, which is in agreement with numerical simulations. Hence, isolated compact elliptical and isolated quiescent dwarf galaxies are tidally stripped systems that ran away from their hosts. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Habitable Zone Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waltham, D.; Lota, J.

2012-12-01

The location of the habitable zone around a star depends upon stellar luminosity and upon the properties of a potentially habitable planet such as its mass and near-surface volatile inventory. Stellar luminosity generally increases as a star ages whilst planetary properties change through time as a consequence of biological and geological evolution. Hence, the location of the habitable zone changes through time as a result of both stellar evolution and planetary evolution. Using the Earth's Phanerozoic temperature history as a constraint, it is shown that changes in our own habitable zone over the last 540 My have been dominated by planetary evolution rather than solar evolution. Furthermore, sparse data from earlier times suggests that planetary evolution may have dominated habitable zone development throughout our biosphere's history. Hence, the existence of a continuously habitable zone depends upon accidents of complex bio-geochemical evolution more than it does upon relatively simple stellar-evolution. Evolution of the inner margin of the habitable zone through time using three different estimates for climate sensitivity. The dashed line shows a typical predicted evolution assuming this was driven simply by a steady increase in solar luminosity. Solar evolution does not account for the observations. Evolution of the outer margin of the habitable zone through time using three different estimates for climate sensitivity. The dashed line shows a typical predicted evolution assuming this was driven simply by a steady increase in solar luminosity. Solar evolution does not account for the observations.

Evolution of the X-ray luminosity in young HII galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosa González, D.; Terlevich, E.; Jiménez Bailón, E.; Terlevich, R.; Ranalli, P.; Comastri, A.; Laird, E.; Nandra, K.

2009-10-01

In an effort to understand the correlation between X-ray emission and present star formation rate, we obtained XMM-Newton data to estimate the X-ray luminosities of a sample of actively star-forming HII galaxies. The obtained X-ray luminosities are compared to other well-known tracers of star formation activity such as the far-infrared and the ultraviolet luminosities. We also compare the obtained results with empirical laws from the literature and with recently published analysis applying synthesis models. We use the time delay between the formation of the stellar cluster and that of the first X-ray binaries, in order to put limits on the age of a given stellar burst. We conclude that the generation of soft X-rays, as well as the Hα or infrared luminosities is instantaneous. The relation between the observed radio and hard X-ray luminosities, on the other hand, points to the existence of a time delay between the formation of the stellar cluster and the explosion of the first massive stars and the consequent formation of supernova (SN) remnants and high-mass X-ray binaries, which originate the radio and hard X-ray fluxes, respectively. When comparing hard X-rays with a star formation indicator that traces the first million years of evolution (e.g. Hα luminosities), we found a deficit in the expected X-ray luminosity. This deficit is not found when the X-ray luminosities are compared with infrared luminosities, a star formation tracer that represents an average over the last 108yr. The results support the hypothesis that hard X-rays are originated in X-ray binaries which, as SN remnants, have a formation time delay of a few mega years after the star-forming burst. Partially based on observations obtained with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and NASA. E-mail: danrosa@inaoep.mx ‡ Visiting Fellow, IoA, Cambridge, UK.

Resolved atomic lines reveal outflows in two ultraluminous X-ray sources.

PubMed

Pinto, Ciro; Middleton, Matthew J; Fabian, Andrew C

2016-05-05

Ultraluminous X-ray sources are extragalactic, off-nucleus, point sources in galaxies, and have X-ray luminosities in excess of 3 × 10(39) ergs per second. They are thought to be powered by accretion onto a compact object. Possible explanations include accretion onto neutron stars with strong magnetic fields, onto stellar-mass black holes (of up to 20 solar masses) at or in excess of the classical Eddington limit, or onto intermediate-mass black holes (10(3)-10(5) solar masses). The lack of sufficient energy resolution in previous analyses has prevented an unambiguous identification of any emission or absorption lines in the X-ray band, thereby precluding a detailed analysis of the accretion flow. Here we report the presence of X-ray emission lines arising from highly ionized iron, oxygen and neon with a cumulative significance in excess of five standard deviations, together with blueshifted (about 0.2 times light velocity) absorption lines of similar significance, in the high-resolution X-ray spectra of the ultraluminous X-ray sources NGC 1313 X-1 and NGC 5408 X-1. The blueshifted absorption lines must occur in a fast-outflowing gas, whereas the emission lines originate in slow-moving gas around the source. We conclude that the compact object in each source is surrounded by powerful winds with an outflow velocity of about 0.2 times that of light, as predicted by models of accreting supermassive black holes and hyper-accreting stellar-mass black holes.

Estimation of distances to stars with stellar parameters from LAMOST

DOE PAGES

Carlin, Jeffrey L.; Liu, Chao; Newberg, Heidi Jo; ...

2015-06-05

Here, we present a method to estimate distances to stars with spectroscopically derived stellar parameters. The technique is a Bayesian approach with likelihood estimated via comparison of measured parameters to a grid of stellar isochrones, and returns a posterior probability density function for each star's absolute magnitude. We tailor this technique specifically to data from the Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) survey. Because LAMOST obtains roughly 3000 stellar spectra simultaneously within each ~5-degree diameter "plate" that is observed, we can use the stellar parameters of the observed stars to account for the stellar luminosity function and targetmore » selection effects. This removes biasing assumptions about the underlying populations, both due to predictions of the luminosity function from stellar evolution modeling, and from Galactic models of stellar populations along each line of sight. Using calibration data of stars with known distances and stellar parameters, we show that our method recovers distances for most stars within ~20%, but with some systematic overestimation of distances to halo giants. We apply our code to the LAMOST database, and show that the current precision of LAMOST stellar parameters permits measurements of distances with ~40% error bars. This precision should improve as the LAMOST data pipelines continue to be refined.« less

Estimation of distances to stars with stellar parameters from LAMOST

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carlin, Jeffrey L.; Liu, Chao; Newberg, Heidi Jo

Here, we present a method to estimate distances to stars with spectroscopically derived stellar parameters. The technique is a Bayesian approach with likelihood estimated via comparison of measured parameters to a grid of stellar isochrones, and returns a posterior probability density function for each star's absolute magnitude. We tailor this technique specifically to data from the Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) survey. Because LAMOST obtains roughly 3000 stellar spectra simultaneously within each ~5-degree diameter "plate" that is observed, we can use the stellar parameters of the observed stars to account for the stellar luminosity function and targetmore » selection effects. This removes biasing assumptions about the underlying populations, both due to predictions of the luminosity function from stellar evolution modeling, and from Galactic models of stellar populations along each line of sight. Using calibration data of stars with known distances and stellar parameters, we show that our method recovers distances for most stars within ~20%, but with some systematic overestimation of distances to halo giants. We apply our code to the LAMOST database, and show that the current precision of LAMOST stellar parameters permits measurements of distances with ~40% error bars. This precision should improve as the LAMOST data pipelines continue to be refined.« less

Galactic star formation rates gauged by stellar end-products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persic, M.; Rephaeli, Y.

2007-02-01

Young galactic X-ray point sources (XPs) closely trace the ongoing star formation in galaxies. From measured XP number counts we extract the collective 2-10 keV luminosity of young XPs, L_x^yXP, which we use to gauge the current star formation rate (SFR) in galaxies. We find that, for a sample of local star-forming galaxies (i.e., normal spirals and mild starbursts), L_x^yXP correlates linearly with the SFR over three decades in luminosity. A separate, high-SFR sample of starburst ULIRGs can be used to check the calibration of the relation. Using their (presumably SF-related) total 2-10 keV luminosities we find that these sources satisfy the SFR-L_x^yXP relation, as defined by the weaker sample, and extend it to span ˜5 decades in luminosity. The SFR-L_x^yXP relation is also likely to hold for distant (z ˜ 1) Hubble Deep Field North galaxies, especially so if these high-SFR objects are similar to the (more nearby) ULIRGs. It is argued that the SFR-L_x^yXP relation provides the most adequate X-ray estimator of instantaneous SFR by the phenomena characterizing massive stars from their birth (FIR emission from placental dust clouds) through their death as compact remnants (emitting X-rays by accreting from a close donor). For local, low/intermediate-SFR galaxies, the simultaneous existence of a correlation of the instantaneous SFR with the total 2-10 keV luminosity, L_x, which traces the SFR integrated over the last ˜109 yr, suggests that during such epoch the SF in these galaxies has been proceeding at a relatively constant rate.

A simple physical model for X-ray burst sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joss, P. C.; Rappaport, S.

1977-01-01

In connection with information considered by Illarianov and Sunyaev (1975) and van den Heuvel (1975), a simple physical model for an X-ray burst source in the galactic disk is proposed. The model includes an unevolved OB star with a relatively weak stellar wind and a compact object in a close binary system. For some reason, the stellar wind from the OB star is unable to accrete steadily on to the compact object. When the stellar wind is sufficiently weak, the compact object accretes irregularly, leading to X-ray bursts.

Extrasolar comets: The origin of dust in exozodiacal disks?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marboeuf, U.; Bonsor, A.; Augereau, J.-C.

2016-11-01

Comets have been invoked in numerous studies as a potentially important source of dust and gas around stars, but none has studied the thermo-physical evolution, out-gassing rate, and dust ejection of these objects in such stellar systems. In this paper we investigate the thermo-physical evolution of comets in exo-planetary systems in order to provide valuable theoretical data required to interpret observations of gas and dust. We use a quasi-3D model of cometary nucleus to study the thermo-physical evolution of comets evolving around a single star from 0.1 to 50 AU, whose homogeneous luminosity varies from 0.1 to 70L⊙. This paper provides thermal evolution, physical alteration, mass ejection, lifetimes, and the rate of dust and water gas mass productions for comets as a function of the distance to the star and stellar luminosity. Results show significant physical changes to comets at high stellar luminosities. The mass loss per revolution and the lifetime of comets depend on their initial size, orbital parameters and follow a power law with stellar luminosity. The models are presented in such a manner that they can be readily applied to any planetary system. By considering the examples of the Solar System, Vega and HD 69830, we show that dust grains released from sublimating comets have the potential to create the observed (exo)zodiacal emission. We show that observations can be reproduced by 1 to 2 massive comets or by a large number of comets whose orbits approach close to the star. Our conclusions depend on the stellar luminosity and the uncertain lifetime of the dust grains. We find, as in previous studies, that exozodiacal dust disks can only survive if replenished by a population of typically sized comets renewed from a large and cold reservoir of cometary bodies beyond the water ice line. These comets could reach the inner regions of the planetary system following scattering by a (giant) planet.

The calculation and publication of a grid of line-blanketed model stellar atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Avrett, E. H.

1972-01-01

The luminosity, mass, and elemental abundances, as well as other properties of each star are studied in order to locate them in an evolutionary pattern. A method for determining the flux, gravity, and abundances at the stellar surface is the construction of theoretical stellar atmospheric models that predict the observed energy distribution and detailed stellar spectrum.

The Soft X-Ray/Microwave Ratio of Solar and Stellar Flares and Coronae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benz, A. O.; Guedel, M.

1994-01-01

We have carried out plasma diagnostics of solar flares using soft X-ray (SXR) and simultaneous microwave observations and have compared the ratio of X-ray to microwave luminosities of solar flares with various active late-type stars available in the published literature. Both the SXR low-level ('quiescent') emission from stellar coronae and the flaring emission from the Sun and stars are generally interpreted as thermal radiations of coronal plasmas. On the other hand, the microwave emission of stars and solar flares is generally attributed to an extremely hot or nonthermal population of electrons. Solar flare SXR are conventionally measured in a narrower and harder passband than the stellar sources. Observations of the GOES-2 satellite in two energy channels have been used to estimate the luminosity of solar flares as it would appear in the ROSAT satellite passband. The solar and stellar flare luminosities fit well at the lower end of the active stellar coronae. The flare SXR/microwave ratio is similar to the ratio for stellar coronae. The average ratio follows a power-law relation L(sub X) varies as L(sub R)(sup 0.73 +/- 0.03) over 10 orders of magnitude from solar microflares to RS CVn and FK Com-type coronae. Dwarf Me and Ke stars, and RS CVn stars are also compatible with a linear SXR/microwave relation, but the ratio is slightly different for each type of star. Considering the differences between solar flares, stellar flares and the various active stellar coronae, the similarity of the SXR/microwave ratios is surprising. It suggests that the energetic electrons in low-level stellar coronae observed in microwaves are related in a similar way to the coronal thermal plasma as flare electrons to the flare thermal plasma, and, consequently, that the heating mechanism of active stellar coronae is a flare-like process.

Metallicities of Emission-Line Galaxies from HST ACS PEARS and HST WFC3 ERS Grism Spectroscopy at 0.6 is less than z is less than 2.4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xia, Lifang; Malhotra, Sangetta; Rhoads, James; Pirzkal, Nor; Straughn, Amber; Finkelstein, Steven; Cohen, Seth; Kuntschner, Harald; Walsh, Jeremy; Windhorst, Rogier A.;

Measurements of mass accretion rates in Herbig Ae/Be stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donehew, Brian

Herbig Ae/Be stars(HAeBes) are young stellar objects of spectral class F2 through B0, with the central star often surrounded by a circumstellar disk of gas and dust. They are the higher mass analogs to T Tauri stars. The interaction between the star and the disk is not well understood, nor is the disk structure. The central star will often accrete mass from the disk, and the mass accretion rate is an important parameter for modeling the disk structure and evolution. The methods for measuring mass accretion rates of T Tauri stars are generally not applicable to HAeBe stars. As such, reliable measurements of mass accretion rates for HAeBes are rare. Garrison(1978) saw that the Balmer Discontinuity of HAeBes was veiled, and attributed this veiling to accretion luminosity. Building on Garrison(1978) and the work of Muzerolle et al. (2004), I determine the mass accretion rates and accretion luminosities of a large sample of HAeBe stars by measuring the veiling of the Balmer Discontinuity due to the accretion luminosity. Muzerolle et al. (1998) established a strong correlation between the accretion luminosity of T Tauri stars and the luminosity of Br gamma, and this correlation seems to extend to the evolutionary precursors to HAeBes, intermediate T Tauri stars, as well Calvet et al. (2004). I test this correlation for HAeBes and discover that it is valid for HAe stars but not for HBe stars. From examining the HAeBes of my sample from spectral range A3 to B7, there does not seem to be a particular spectral type at which the correlation fails. A few of the late HBe stars are consistent with the correlation, but most of the HBe stars have Br gamma luminosities much larger than what one would expect from the correlation. This suggests that there might be a significant stellar wind component to the Br gamma luminosity for many of the HBe stars. T Tauri stars accrete mass from their disks magnetospherically, in which the strong stellar field of the star truncates the disk at some distance from the star and the disk material than falls to the stellar surface along the magnetic field lines. HAeBe stars are not expected to have strong stellar magnetic fields, and observations have failed to find any such fields for most HAeBes (Alecian 2007). However, circumstantial evidence suggests that some HAeBe stars are accreting magnetospherically (Muzerolle et al. 2004, Brittain et al. 2009). Since the correlation between accretion luminosity and Br γ luminosity is valid for both T Tauri stars and HAe stars, this suggests that the same basic accretion process is occuring for both.

Scale covariant gravitation. V - Kinetic theory. VI - Stellar structure and evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsieh, S.-H.; Canuto, V. M.

1981-01-01

A scale covariant kinetic theory for particles and photons is developed. The mathematical framework of the theory is given by the tangent bundle of a Weyl manifold. The Liouville equation is derived, and solutions to corresponding equilibrium distributions are presented and shown to yield thermodynamic results identical to the ones obtained previously. The scale covariant theory is then used to derive results of interest to stellar structure and evolution. A radiative transfer equation is derived that can be used to study stellar evolution with a variable gravitational constant. In addition, it is shown that the sun's absolute luminosity scales as L approximately equal to GM/kappa, where kappa is the stellar opacity. Finally, a formula is derived for the age of globular clusters as a function of the gravitational constant using a previously derived expression for the absolute luminosity.

YOUNG STELLAR CLUSTERS WITH A SCHUSTER MASS DISTRIBUTION. I. STATIONARY WINDS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palous, Jan; Wuensch, Richard; Hueyotl-Zahuantitla, Filiberto

2013-08-01

Hydrodynamic models for spherically symmetric winds driven by young stellar clusters with a generalized Schuster stellar density profile are explored. For this we use both semi-analytic models and one-dimensional numerical simulations. We determine the properties of quasi-adiabatic and radiative stationary winds and define the radius at which the flow turns from subsonic to supersonic for all stellar density distributions. Strongly radiative winds significantly diminish their terminal speed and thus their mechanical luminosity is strongly reduced. This also reduces their potential negative feedback into their host galaxy interstellar medium. The critical luminosity above which radiative cooling becomes dominant within the clusters,more » leading to thermal instabilities which make the winds non-stationary, is determined, and its dependence on the star cluster density profile, core radius, and half-mass radius is discussed.« less

A Continued Census of Mid-IR Variability from ULXs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, Ryan; Kasliwal, Mansi; Heida, Marianne; Walton, Dom

2017-04-01

The nature of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) that radiate at luminosities >10^39 erg/s is still a mystery. ULXs are believed to be binaries with an accreting compact object and stellar mass-donor companion, but such high luminosities require accretion rates that are factors of 100 greater than the Eddington limit for accretion onto a neutron star or stellar mass black hole. The difficulties in interpreting ULXs are largely attributed to current observational challenges in determining their orbital properties as well as the properties of the mass-donor companion. Recently, near- and mid-infrared (IR) observations have been demonstrated as powerful diagnostics of the mass-donor companion and the circumstellar environment of ULXs. For example, serendipitous Spitzer/IRAC observations of the ULX Holmberg II X-1 in our Spitzer Infrared Intensive Transients Survey (SPIRITS) revealed the first detection of mid-IR variability from a ULX, where we claimed that the mid-IR emission arises from a dusty circumbinary torus in the winds of a supergiant B[e] mass-donor companion. We identified 5 additional mid-IR ULX counterparts detected by Spitzer/IRAC, one of which shows significant variability like Holmberg II X-1. Although we are finding a growing sample of ULXs exhibiting mid-IR variability, it is unclear what causes it. Notably, the week - year cadence baselines of the SPIRITS observations are inadequate for resolving variability timescales consistent with several observed ULX orbital periods. In this proposal, we request time-series observations of 6 ULXs with cadence baselines ranging from 0.5 days to 1 week in order to identify the timescales associated mid-IR variability.

SPECTRAL PROPERTIES OF X-RAY BINARIES IN CENTAURUS A

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burke, Mark J.; Raychaudhury, Somak; Kraft, Ralph P.

2013-04-01

We present a spectral investigation of X-ray binaries (XBs) in NGC 5128 (Cen A), using six 100 ks Chandra observations taken over two months in 2007. We divide our sample into thermally and non-thermally dominated states based on the behavior of the fitted absorption column N{sub H}, and present the spectral parameters of sources with L{sub x} {approx}> 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 37} erg s{sup -1}. The majority of sources are consistent with being neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (NS LMXBs) and we identify three transient black hole (BH) LMXB candidates coincident with the dust lane, which is the remnant ofmore » a small late-type galaxy. Our results also provide tentative support for the apparent 'gap' in the mass distribution of compact objects between {approx}2-5 M{sub Sun }. We propose that BH LMXBs are preferentially found in the dust lane, and suggest this is because of the younger stellar population. The majority ({approx}70%-80%) of potential Roche lobe filling donors in the Cen A halo are {approx}> 12 Gyr old, while BH LMXBs require donors {approx}> 1 M{sub Sun} to produce the observed peak luminosities. This requirement for more massive donors may also explain recent results that claim a steepening of the X-ray luminosity function with age at L{sub x} {>=} 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 38} erg s{sup -1} for the XB population of early-type galaxies; for older stellar populations, there are fewer stars {approx}> 1 M{sub Sun }, which are required to form the more luminous sources.« less

The mysterious age invariance of the planetary nebula luminosity function bright cut-off

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gesicki, K.; Zijlstra, A. A.; Miller Bertolami, M. M.

2018-05-01

Planetary nebulae mark the end of the active life of 90% of all stars. They trace the transition from a red giant to a degenerate white dwarf. Stellar models1,2 predicted that only stars above approximately twice the solar mass could form a bright nebula. But the ubiquitous presence of bright planetary nebulae in old stellar populations, such as elliptical galaxies, contradicts this: such high-mass stars are not present in old systems. The planetary nebula luminosity function, and especially its bright cut-off, is almost invariant between young spiral galaxies, with high-mass stars, and old elliptical galaxies, with only low-mass stars. Here, we show that new evolutionary tracks of low-mass stars are capable of explaining in a simple manner this decades-old mystery. The agreement between the observed luminosity function and computed stellar evolution validates the latest theoretical modelling. With these models, the planetary nebula luminosity function provides a powerful diagnostic to derive star formation histories of intermediate-age stars. The new models predict that the Sun at the end of its life will also form a planetary nebula, but it will be faint.

Validation: Codes to compare simulation data to various observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohn, J. D.

2017-02-01

Validation provides codes to compare several observations to simulated data with stellar mass and star formation rate, simulated data stellar mass function with observed stellar mass function from PRIMUS or SDSS-GALEX in several redshift bins from 0.01-1.0, and simulated data B band luminosity function with observed stellar mass function, and to create plots for various attributes, including stellar mass functions, and stellar mass to halo mass. These codes can model predictions (in some cases alongside observational data) to test other mock catalogs.

A Search for Water Maser Emission from Brown Dwarfs and Low-luminosity Young Stellar Objects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gómez, José F.; Manjarrez, Guillermo; Palau, Aina

We present a survey for water maser emission toward a sample of 44 low-luminosity young objects, comprising (proto-)brown dwarfs, first hydrostatic cores (FHCs), and other young stellar objects (YSOs) with bolometric luminosities lower than 0.4 L {sub ⊙}. Water maser emission is a good tracer of energetic processes, such as mass-loss and/or accretion, and is a useful tool to study these processes with very high angular resolution. This type of emission has been confirmed in objects with L {sub bol} ≳ 1 L {sub ⊙}. Objects with lower luminosities also undergo mass-loss and accretion, and thus, are prospective sites of maser emission.more » Our sensitive single-dish observations provided a single detection when pointing toward the FHC L1448 IRS 2E. However, follow-up interferometric observations showed water maser emission associated with the nearby YSO L1448 IRS 2 (a Class 0 protostar of L {sub bol} ≃ 3.6–5.3 L {sub ⊙}) and did not find any emission toward L1448 IRS 2E. The upper limits for water maser emission determined by our observations are one order of magnitude lower than expected from the correlation between water maser luminosities and bolometric luminosities found for YSOs. This suggests that this correlation does not hold at the lower end of the (sub)stellar mass spectrum. Possible reasons are that the slope of this correlation is steeper at L {sub bol} ≤ 1 L {sub ⊙} or that there is an absolute luminosity threshold below which water maser emission cannot be produced. Alternatively, if the correlation still stands at low luminosity, the detection rates of masers would be significantly lower than the values obtained in higher-luminosity Class 0 protostars.« less

Masses and luminosities for 342 stars from the PennState-Toruń Centre for Astronomy Planet Search

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamczyk, M.; Deka-Szymankiewicz, B.; Niedzielski, A.

2016-03-01

Aims: We present revised basic astrophysical stellar parameters: the masses, luminosities, ages, and radii for 342 stars from the PennState-Toruń Centre for Astronomy Planet Search. For 327 stars the atmospheric parameters were already available in the literature. For the other 15 objects we also present spectroscopic atmospheric parameters: the effective temperatures, surface gravities, and iron abundances. Methods: Spectroscopic atmospheric parameters were obtained with a standard spectroscopic analysis procedure, using ARES and MOOG, or TGVIT codes. To refine the stellar masses, ages, and luminosities, we applied a Bayesian method. Results: The revised stellar masses for 342 stars and their uncertainties are generally lower than previous estimates. Atmospheric parameters for 13 objects are determined here for the first time. Table 3 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/587/A119

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jennings, Jeff; Levesque, Emily M., E-mail: emsque@uw.edu

We have identified the H α absorption feature as a new spectroscopic diagnostic of luminosity class in K- and M-type stars. From high-resolution spectra of 19 stars with well-determined physical properties (including effective temperatures and stellar radii), we measured equivalent widths for H α and the Ca ii triplet and examined their dependence on both luminosity class and stellar radius. H α shows a strong relation with both luminosity class and radius that extends down to late M spectral types. This behavior in H α has been predicted as a result of the density-dependent overpopulation of the metastable 2s levelmore » in hydrogen, an effect that should become dominant for Balmer line formation in non-LTE conditions. We conclude that this new metallicity-insensitive diagnostic of luminosity class in cool stars could serve as an effective means of discerning between populations such as Milky Way giants and supergiant members of background galaxies.« less

I-Love-Q Anisotropically

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yagi, Kent; Yunes, Nicolas

2015-04-01

Recent work shows that rotating incompressible stars with anisotropic matter in the weak-field limit become prolate, which is rather counter-intuitive. We construct slowly-rotating, incompressible and anisotropic stellar solutions in full General Relativity valid to quadratic order in spin and show that the stellar shape shifts from prolate to oblate as one increases the relativistic effect. Anisotropic stars are also interesting because they can be more compact than isotropic stars, and can even be as compact as black holes. We present how stellar multipole moments approach the black hole limit as one increases the compactness, suggesting that they reach the black hole limit continuously.

The Class of Jsolated Stars and Luminous Planetary Nebulae in old stellar populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabach, Efrat; Soker, Noam

2018-06-01

We suggest that stars whose angular momentum (J) does not increase by a companion, star or planet, along their post-main sequence evolution have much lower mass loss rates along their giant branches. Their classification to a separate group can bring insight on their late evolution stages. We here term these Jsolated stars. We argue that the mass loss rate of Jsolated stars is poorly determined because the mass loss rate expressions on the giant branches are empirically based on samples containing stars that experience strong binary interaction, with stellar or sub-stellar companions, e.g., planetary nebula (PN) progenitors. We use our earlier claim for a low mass loss rate of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars that are not spun-up by a stellar or substellar companion to show that we can account for the enigmatic finding that the brightest PNe in old stellar populations reach the same luminosity as the brightest PNe in young populations. It is quite likely that the best solution to the existence of bright PNe in old stellar populations is the combination of higher AGB luminosities, as obtained in some new stellar models, and the lower mass loss rates invoked here.

The Dearth of UV-bright Stars in M32: Implications for Stellar Evolution Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sweigart, Allen V.; Kimble, Randy A.; Bowers, Charles W.

2008-01-01

Using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope, we have obtained deep far ultraviolet images of the compact elliptical galaxy M32. When combined with earlier near-ultraviolet images of the same field, these data enable the construction of an ultraviolet color-magnitude diagram of the hot horizontal branch (HB) population and other hot stars in late phases of stellar evolution. We find few post-asymptotic giant branch (PAGB) stars in the galaxy, implying that these stars either cross the HR diagram more rapidly than expected, and/or that they spend a significant fraction of their time enshrouded in circumstellar material. The predicted luminosity gap between the hot HB and its AGB-Manque (AGBM) progeny is less pronounced than expected, especially when compared to evolutionary tracks with enhanced helium abundances, implying that the presence of hot HB stars in this metal-rich population is not due to (Delta)Y/(Delta)Z greater than or approx. 4. Only a small fraction (approx. 2%) of the HB population is hot enough to produce significant UV emission, yet most of the W emission in this galaxy comes from the hot HB and AGBM stars, implying that PAGB stars are not a significant source of W emission even in those elliptical galaxies with a weak W excess. Subject headings: galaxies: evolution - galaxies: stellar content - galaxies: individual (M32) - stars: evolution - stars: horizontal branch

A numerical investigation of wind accretion in persistent supergiant X-ray binaries - I. Structure of the flow at the orbital scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Mellah, I.; Casse, F.

2017-05-01

Classical supergiant X-ray binaries host a neutron star orbiting a supergiant OB star and display persistent X-ray luminosities of 1035-1037 erg s-1. The stellar wind from the massive companion is believed to be the main source of matter accreted by the compact object. With this first paper, we introduce a ballistic model to evaluate the influence of the orbital effects on the structure of the accelerating winds that participate to the accretion process. Thanks to the parametrization we retained the numerical pipeline we designed, we can investigate the supersonic flow and the subsequent observables as a function of a reduced set of characteristic numbers and scales. We show that the shape of the permanent flow is entirely determined by the mass ratio, the filling factor, the Eddington factor and the α-force multiplier that drives the stellar wind acceleration. Provided scales such as the orbital period are known, we can trace back the observables to evaluate the mass accretion rates, the accretion mechanism, the shearing of the inflow and the stellar parameters. We discuss the likelihood of wind-formed accretion discs around the accretors in each case and confront our model to three persistent supergiant X-ray binaries (Vela X-1, IGR J18027-2016, XTE J1855-026).

Global dust attenuation in disc galaxies: strong variation with specific star formation and stellar mass, and the importance of sample selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devour, Brian M.; Bell, Eric F.

2016-06-01

We study the relative dust attenuation-inclination relation in 78 721 nearby galaxies using the axis ratio dependence of optical-near-IR colour, as measured by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the Two Micron All Sky Survey, and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. In order to avoid to the greatest extent possible attenuation-driven biases, we carefully select galaxies using dust attenuation-independent near- and mid-IR luminosities and colours. Relative u-band attenuation between face-on and edge-on disc galaxies along the star-forming main sequence varies from ˜0.55 mag up to ˜1.55 mag. The strength of the relative attenuation varies strongly with both specific star formation rate and galaxy luminosity (or stellar mass). The dependence of relative attenuation on luminosity is not monotonic, but rather peaks at M3.4 μm ≈ -21.5, corresponding to M* ≈ 3 × 1010 M⊙. This behaviour stands seemingly in contrast to some older studies; we show that older works failed to reliably probe to higher luminosities, and were insensitive to the decrease in attenuation with increasing luminosity for the brightest star-forming discs. Back-of-the-envelope scaling relations predict the strong variation of dust optical depth with specific star formation rate and stellar mass. More in-depth comparisons using the scaling relations to model the relative attenuation require the inclusion of star-dust geometry to reproduce the details of these variations (especially at high luminosities), highlighting the importance of these geometrical effects.

Observational constraints on the inter-binary stellar flare hypothesis for the gamma-ray bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, A. R.; Vahia, M. N.

1994-01-01

The Gamma Ray Observatory/Burst and Transient Source Experiment (GRO/BATSE) results on the Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) have given an internally consistent set of observations of about 260 GRBs which have been released for analysis by the BATSE team. Using this database we investigate our earlier suggestion (Vahia and Rao, 1988) that GRBs are inter-binary stellar flares from a group of objects classified as Magnetically Active Stellar Systems (MASS) which includes flare stars, RS CVn binaries and cataclysmic variables. We show that there exists an observationally consistent parameter space for the number density, scale height and flare luminosity of MASS which explains the complete log(N) - log(P) distribution of GRBs as also the observed isotropic distribution. We further use this model to predict anisotropy in the GRB distribution at intermediate luminosities. We make definite predictions under the stellar flare hypothesis that can be tested in the near future.

An ultraluminous X-ray source powered by an accreting neutron star.

PubMed

Bachetti, M; Harrison, F A; Walton, D J; Grefenstette, B W; Chakrabarty, D; Fürst, F; Barret, D; Beloborodov, A; Boggs, S E; Christensen, F E; Craig, W W; Fabian, A C; Hailey, C J; Hornschemeier, A; Kaspi, V; Kulkarni, S R; Maccarone, T; Miller, J M; Rana, V; Stern, D; Tendulkar, S P; Tomsick, J; Webb, N A; Zhang, W W

2014-10-09

The majority of ultraluminous X-ray sources are point sources that are spatially offset from the nuclei of nearby galaxies and whose X-ray luminosities exceed the theoretical maximum for spherical infall (the Eddington limit) onto stellar-mass black holes. Their X-ray luminosities in the 0.5-10 kiloelectronvolt energy band range from 10(39) to 10(41) ergs per second. Because higher masses imply less extreme ratios of the luminosity to the isotropic Eddington limit, theoretical models have focused on black hole rather than neutron star systems. The most challenging sources to explain are those at the luminous end of the range (more than 10(40) ergs per second), which require black hole masses of 50-100 times the solar value or significant departures from the standard thin disk accretion that powers bright Galactic X-ray binaries, or both. Here we report broadband X-ray observations of the nuclear region of the galaxy M82 that reveal pulsations with an average period of 1.37 seconds and a 2.5-day sinusoidal modulation. The pulsations result from the rotation of a magnetized neutron star, and the modulation arises from its binary orbit. The pulsed flux alone corresponds to an X-ray luminosity in the 3-30 kiloelectronvolt range of 4.9 × 10(39) ergs per second. The pulsating source is spatially coincident with a variable source that can reach an X-ray luminosity in the 0.3-10 kiloelectronvolt range of 1.8 × 10(40) ergs per second. This association implies a luminosity of about 100 times the Eddington limit for a 1.4-solar-mass object, or more than ten times brighter than any known accreting pulsar. This implies that neutron stars may not be rare in the ultraluminous X-ray population, and it challenges physical models for the accretion of matter onto magnetized compact objects.

The formation of bulges and black holes: lessons from a census of active galaxies in the SDSS.

PubMed

Kauffmann, Guinevere; Heckman, Timothy M

2005-03-15

We examine the relationship between galaxies, supermassive black holes and AGN using a sample of 23,000 narrow-emission-line ('type 2') active galactic nuclei (AGN) drawn from a sample of 123,000 galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We have studied how AGN host properties compare with those of normal galaxies and how they depend on the luminosity of the active nucleus. We find that AGN reside in massive galaxies and have distributions of sizes and concentrations that are similar to those of the early-type galaxies in our sample. The host galaxies of low-luminosity AGN have stellar populations similar to normal early types. The hosts of high- luminosity AGN have much younger mean stellar ages, and a significant fraction have experienced recent starbursts. High-luminosity AGN are also found in lower-density environments. We then use the stellar velocity dispersions of the AGN hosts to estimate black hole masses and their [OIII]lambda5007 emission-line luminosities to estimate black hole accretion rates. We find that the volume averaged ratio of star formation to black hole accretion is approximately 1000 for the bulge-dominated galaxies in our sample. This is remarkably similar to the observed ratio of stellar mass to black hole mass in nearby bulges. Most of the present-day black hole growth is occurring in black holes with masses less than 3 x 10(7)M(3). Our estimated accretion rates imply that low-mass black holes are growing on a time-scale that is comparable with the age of the Universe. Around 50% this growth takes place in AGN that are radiating within a factor of five of the Eddington luminosity. Such systems are rare, making up only 0.2% of the low-mass black hole population at the present day. The remaining growth occurs in lower luminosity AGN. The growth time-scale increases by more than an order of magnitude for the most massive black holes in our sample. We conclude that the evolution of the AGN luminosity function documented in recent optical and X-ray surveys is driven by a decrease in the characteristic mass scale of actively accreting black holes.

Review of methodology and technology available for the detection of extrasolar planetary systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarter, J. C.; Black, D. C.; Billingham, J.

1985-01-01

Four approaches exist for the detection of extrasolar planets. According to the only direct method, the planet is imaged at some wavelength in a manner which makes it possible to differentiate its own feeble luminosity (internal energy source plus reflected starlight) from that of the nearby host star. The three indirect methods involve the detection of a planetary mass companion on the basis of the observable effects it has on the host star. A search is conducted regarding the occurrence of regular, periodic changes in the stellar spatial motion (astrometric method) or the velocity of stellar emission line spectra (spectroscopic method) or in the apparent total stellar luminosity (photometric method). Details regarding the approaches employed for implementing the considered methods are discussed.

Far-infrared observations of a star-forming region in the Corona Australis dark cloud

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruz-Gonzalez, I.; Mcbreen, B.; Fazio, G. G.

1984-01-01

A high-resolution far-IR (40-250-micron) survey of a 0.9-sq-deg section of the core region of the Corona Australis dark cloud (containing very young stellar objects such as T Tauri stars, Herbig Ae and Be stars, Herbig-Haro objects, and compact H II regions) is presented. Two extended far-IR sources were found, one associated with the Herbig emission-line star R CrA and the other with the irregular emission-line variable star TY CrA. The two sources have substantially more far-IR radiation than could be expected from a blackbody extrapolation of their near-IR fluxes. The total luminosities of these sources are 145 and 58 solar luminosity, respectively, implying that the embedded objects are of intermediate or low mass. The infrared observations of the sources associated with R CrA and TY CrA are consistent with models of the evolution of protostellar envelopes of intermediate mass. However, the TY CrA source appears to have passed the evolutionary stage of expelling most of the hot dust near the central source, yielding an age of about 1 Myr.

MAD Adaptive Optics Imaging of High-luminosity Quasars: A Pilot Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liuzzo, E.; Falomo, R.; Paiano, S.; Treves, A.; Uslenghi, M.; Arcidiacono, C.; Baruffolo, A.; Diolaiti, E.; Farinato, J.; Lombini, M.; Moretti, A.; Ragazzoni, R.; Brast, R.; Donaldson, R.; Kolb, J.; Marchetti, E.; Tordo, S.

2016-08-01

We present near-IR images of five luminous quasars at z ˜ 2 and one at z ˜ 4 obtained with an experimental adaptive optics (AO) instrument at the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope. The observations are part of a program aimed at demonstrating the capabilities of multi-conjugated adaptive optics imaging combined with the use of natural guide stars for high spatial resolution studies on large telescopes. The observations were mostly obtained under poor seeing conditions but in two cases. In spite of these nonoptimal conditions, the resulting images of point sources have cores of FWHM ˜ 0.2 arcsec. We are able to characterize the host galaxy properties for two sources and set stringent upper limits to the galaxy luminosity for the others. We also report on the expected capabilities for investigating the host galaxies of distant quasars with AO systems coupled with future Extremely Large Telescopes. Detailed simulations show that it will be possible to characterize compact (2-3 kpc) quasar host galaxies for quasi-stellar objects at z = 2 with nucleus K-magnitude spanning from 15 to 20 (corresponding to absolute magnitude -31 to -26) and host galaxies that are 4 mag fainter than their nuclei.

Perspectives on Ultraluminous X-ray sources after the discovery of Ultraluminous Pulsars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zampieri, L.; Ambrosi, E.; Fiore, A.; Pintore, F.; Turolla, R.; Israel, GL.; Stella, L.; Casella, P.; Papitto, A.; Rodriguez Castillo, G. A.; De Luca, A.; Tiengo, A.; Belfiore, A.; Esposito, P.; Marelli, M.; Novara, G.; Salvaterra, R.; Salvetti, D.; Mereghetti, S.; Wolter, A.

2017-10-01

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are observationally defined as non-nuclear extragalactic X-ray point sources with inferred (isotropic) luminosity exceeding the Eddington limit for a ˜ 10 M_{⊙} compact object. While in the past few years a certain evidence (and a general consensus) has been gathered in favour of the existence of black hole (BH) remnants in ULXs, the recent discovery of three Ultraluminous X-ray Pulsars has unexpectedly revealed what is likely to be a significant population of neutron star (NS) ULXs. These findings challenge more than ever our present understanding of these sources, their accretion mechanism/history, and their formation pathways. After reviewing some of these intriguing observational facts, we will summarize some perspective studies that we are carrying out to model the multiwavelength variability and broadband spectra of ULXs, including the contribution of an accretion column for NS systems. We derive the luminosity emitted by the latter assuming that a multipolar component dominates the magnetic field close to the NS. The focus is on comparing the simulated multiwavelength emission properties of stellar-mass/massive BHs to those of NS systems, and on confronting the model predictions with the available observations of Pulsar ULXs.

The physical properties of galaxies with unusually red mid-infrared colours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kauffmann, Guinevere

2018-02-01

The goal of this paper is to investigate the physical nature of galaxies in the redshift range 0.02 < z < 0.15 that have strong excess emission at mid-infrared wavelengths and to determine whether they host a population of accreting black holes that cannot be identified using optical emission lines. We show that at fixed stellar mass M* and Dn(4000), the distribution of [3.4]-[4.6] μm (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, W1 - W2 band) colours is sharply peaked, with a long tail to much redder W1 - W2 colours. We introduce a procedure to pull out the red outlier population based on a combination of three stellar population diagnostics. When compared with optically selected active galactic nucleus (AGN), red outliers are more likely to be found in massive galaxies, and they tend to have lower stellar mass densities, younger stellar ages and higher dust content than optically selected AGN hosts. They are twice as likely to be detected at radio wavelengths. We examine W1 - W2 colour profiles for a subset of the nearest, reddest outliers and find that most are not centrally peaked, indicating that the hot dust emission is spread throughout the galaxy. We find that radio luminosity is the quantity that is most predictive of a redder central W1 - W2 colour. Radio-loud galaxies with centrally concentrated hot dust emission are almost always morphologically disturbed, with compact, unresolved emission at 1.4 GHz. The 80 per cent of such systems are identifiable as AGN using optical emission line diagnostics.

Line profile studies of hydrodynamical models of cometary compact H II regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Feng-Yao; Zhu, Qing-Feng

2015-06-01

We simulate the evolution of cometary H II regions based on several champagne flow models and bow shock models, and calculate the profiles of the [Ne II] fine-structure line at 12.81 μm, the H30α recombination line and the [Ne III] fine-structure line at 15.55 μm for these models at different inclinations of 0°, 30° and 60°. We find that the profiles in the bow shock models are generally different from those in the champagne flow models, but the profiles in the bow shock models with lower stellar velocity (≤ 5 km s-1) are similar to those in the champagne flow models. In champagne flow models, both the velocity of peak flux and the flux weighted central velocities of all three lines point outward from molecular clouds. In bow shock models, the directions of these velocities depend on the speed of stars. The central velocities of these lines are consistent with the stellar motion in the high stellar speed cases, but they are opposite directions from the stellar motion in the low speed cases. We notice that the line profiles from the slit along the symmetrical axis of the projected 2D image of these models are useful for distinguishing bow shock models from champagne flow models. It is also confirmed by the calculation that the flux weighted central velocity and the line luminosity of the [Ne III] line can be estimated from the [Ne II] line and the H30α line.

Spectroscopic Detection of a Stellar-like Photosphere in an Accreting Protostar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, Thomas P.; Lada, Charles J.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

We present high-resolution (R is approximately equal to 18,000), high signal-to-noise 2 micron spectra of two luminous, X-ray flaring Class I protostars in the rho Ophiuchi cloud acquired with the NIRSPEC (near infrared spectrograph) of the Keck II telescope. We present the first spectrum of a highly veiled, strongly accreting protostar which shows photospheric absorption features and demonstrates the stellar nature of its central core. We find the spectrum of the luminous (L (sub bol) = 10 solar luminosity) protostellar source, YLW 15, to be stellar-like with numerous atomic and molecular absorption features, indicative of a K5 IV/V spectral type and a continuum veiling r(sub k) = 3.0. Its derived stellar luminosity (3 stellar luminosity) and stellar radius (3.1 solar radius) are consistent with those of a 0.5 solar mass pre-main-sequence star. However, 70% of its bolometric luminosity is due to mass accretion, whose rate we estimate to be 1.7 x 10(exp -6) solar masses yr(exp -1). We determine that excess infrared emission produced by the circumstellar accretion disk, the inner infalling envelope, and accretion shocks at the surface of the stellar core of YLW 15 all contribute significantly to its near-IR (infrared) continuum veiling. Its rotational velocity v sin i = 50 km s(exp -1) is comparable to those of flat-spectrum protostars but considerably higher than those of classical T Tauri stars in the rho Oph cloud. The protostar may be magnetically coupled to its circumstellar disk at a radius of 2 - 3 R(sub *). It is also plausible that this protostar can shed over half its angular momentum and evolve into a more slowly rotating classical T Tauri star by remaining coupled to its circumstellar disk (at increasing radius) as its accretion rate drops by an order of magnitude during the rapid transition between the Class I and Class II phases of evolution. The spectrum of WL 6 does not show any photospheric absorption features, and we estimate that its continuum veiling is r(sub k) is greater than or equal to 4.6. Its low luminosity (2 solar masses) and high veiling dictate that its central protostar is very low mass, M is approx. 0.1 solar masses. We also evaluate multi-epoch X ray data along with these spectra and conclude that the X ray variabilities of these sources are not directly related to their protostellar rotation velocities.

Einstein X-ray observations of Herbig Ae/Be stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Damiani, F.; Micela, G.; Sciortino, S.; Harnden, F. R., Jr.

1994-01-01

We have investigated the X-ray emission from Herbig Ae/Be stars, using the full set of Einstein Imaging Proportional Counter (IPC) observations. Of a total of 31 observed Herbig stars, 11 are confidently identified with X-ray sources, with four additonal dubious identifications. We have used maximum likelihood luminosity functions to study the distribution of X-ray luminosity, and we find that Be stars are significantly brighter in X-rays than Ae stars and that their X-ray luminosity is independent of projected rotational velocity v sin i. The X-ray emission is instead correlated with stellar bolometric luminosity and with effective temperature, and also with the kinetic luminosity of the stellar wind. These results seem to exclude a solar-like origin for the X-ray emission, a possibility suggested by the most recent models of Herbig stars' structure, and suggest an analogy with the X-ray emission of O (and early B) stars. We also observe correlations between X-ray luminosity and the emission at 2.2 microns (K band) and 25 microns, which strengthen the case for X-ray emission of Herbig stars originating in their circumstellar envelopes.

Studies of hydrodynamic events in stellar evolution. 3: Ejection of planetary nebulae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sparks, W. M.; Kutter, G. S.

1973-01-01

The dynamic behavior of the H-rich envelope (0.101 solar mass) of an evolved star (1.1 solar mass) as the luminosity rises to 19000 solar luminosity during the second ascent of the red giant branch. For luminosities in the range 3100 L 19000 solar luminosity the H-rich envelope pulsates like a long-period variable (LPV) with periods of the order of a year. As L reaches 19000 solar luminosity, the entire H-rich envelope is ejected as a shell with speeds of a few 10 km/s. The ejection occurs on a timescale of a few LPV pulsation periods. This ejection is associated with the formation of a planetary nebula. The computations are based on an implicit hydrodynamic computer code. T- and RHO-dependent opacities and excitation and ionization energies are included. As the H-rich envelope is accelerated off the stellar core, the gap between envelope and core is approximated by a vacuum, filled with radiation. Across the vacuum, the luminosity is conserved and the anisotropy of the radiation is considered as well as the solid angle subtended by the remnant star at the inner surface of the H-rich envelope. Spherical symmetry and the diffusion approximation are assumed.

Stellar winds in binary X-ray systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macgregor, K. B.; Vitello, P. A. J.

1982-01-01

It is thought that accretion from a strong stellar wind by a compact object may be responsible for the X-ray emission from binary systems containing a massive early-type primary. To investigate the effect of X-ray heating and ionization on the mass transfer process in systems of this type, an idealized model is constructed for the flow of a radiation-driven wind in the presence of an X-ray source of specified luminosity, L sub x. It is noted that for low values of L sub x, X-ray photoionization gives rise to additional ions having spectral lines with wavelengths situated near the peak of the primary continuum flux distribution. As a consequence, the radiation force acting on the gas increases in relation to its value in the absence of X-rays, and the wind is accelerated to higher velocities. As L sub x is increased, the degree of ionization of the wind increases, and the magnitude of the radiation force is diminished in comparison with the case in which L sub x = 0. This reduction leads at first to a decrease in the wind velocity and ultimately (for L sub x sufficiently large) to the termination of radiatively driven mass loss.

Constraining the number of compact remnants near Sgr A*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deegan, Patrick; Nayakshin, Sergei

2007-05-01

Due to dynamical friction stellar mass black holes and neutron stars are expected to form high-density cusps in the inner parsec of our Galaxy. These compact remnants, expected to number around 20000, may be accreting cold dense gas present there, and give rise to potentially observable X-ray emission. Here we build a simple but detailed time-dependent model of such emission. The possibility that these accretion flows are radiatively inefficient is taken into account and brings in some uncertainty in the conclusions. Despite this uncertainty, we find that at least several X-ray sources of this nature should be detectable with Chandra at any one time. Turning this issue around, we also ask a question of what current observational constraints might be telling us about the total number of compact remnants. In our `best guess' model, a cusp of ~40000 remnants overpredicts the number of discrete sources and the total X-ray luminosity of the inner parsec, and is hence ruled out. In the most radiatively inefficient scenario that we consider, the radiative efficiency is set to be as small as ɛ = 10-5. In this rather unlikely scenario, a cusp of ~40000 black holes would be allowed by the data, but several individual sources should still be visible. Future observations of the distribution and orbits of the cold ionized gas in the inner parsec of our Galaxy will put tighter constraints on the cusp of compact remnants.

THE STELLAR MASS FUNDAMENTAL PLANE AND COMPACT QUIESCENT GALAXIES AT z < 0.6

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zahid, H. Jabran; Damjanov, Ivana; Geller, Margaret J.

2016-04-20

We examine the evolution of the relation between stellar mass surface density, velocity dispersion, and half-light radius—the stellar mass fundamental plane (MFP)—for quiescent galaxies at z < 0.6. We measure the local relation from galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the intermediate redshift relation from ∼500 quiescent galaxies with stellar masses 10 ≲ log( M {sub *}/ M {sub ⊙}) ≲ 11.5. Nearly half of the quiescent galaxies in our intermediate redshift sample are compact. After accounting for important selection and systematic effects, the velocity dispersion distribution of galaxies at intermediate redshifts is similar to that of galaxiesmore » in the local universe. Galaxies at z < 0.6 appear to be smaller (≲0.1 dex) than galaxies in the local sample. The orientation of the stellar MFP is independent of redshift for massive quiescent galaxies at z < 0.6 and the zero-point evolves by ∼0.04 dex. Compact quiescent galaxies fall on the same relation as the extended objects. We confirm that compact quiescent galaxies are the tail of the size and mass distribution of the normal quiescent galaxy population.« less

The VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS) . Luminosity and stellar mass dependence of galaxy clustering at 0.5 < z < 1.1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marulli, F.; Bolzonella, M.; Branchini, E.; Davidzon, I.; de la Torre, S.; Granett, B. R.; Guzzo, L.; Iovino, A.; Moscardini, L.; Pollo, A.; Abbas, U.; Adami, C.; Arnouts, S.; Bel, J.; Bottini, D.; Cappi, A.; Coupon, J.; Cucciati, O.; De Lucia, G.; Fritz, A.; Franzetti, P.; Fumana, M.; Garilli, B.; Ilbert, O.; Krywult, J.; Le Brun, V.; Le Fèvre, O.; Maccagni, D.; Małek, K.; McCracken, H. J.; Paioro, L.; Polletta, M.; Schlagenhaufer, H.; Scodeggio, M.; Tasca, L. A. M.; Tojeiro, R.; Vergani, D.; Zanichelli, A.; Burden, A.; Di Porto, C.; Marchetti, A.; Marinoni, C.; Mellier, Y.; Nichol, R. C.; Peacock, J. A.; Percival, W. J.; Phleps, S.; Wolk, M.; Zamorani, G.

2013-09-01

Aims: We investigate the dependence of galaxy clustering on luminosity and stellar mass in the redshift range 0.5 < z < 1.1, using the first ~ 55 000 redshifts from the VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). Methods: We measured the redshift-space two-point correlation functions (2PCF), ξ(s) and ξ(rp,π) , and the projected correlation function, wp(rp), in samples covering different ranges of B-band absolute magnitudes and stellar masses. We considered both threshold and binned galaxy samples, with median B-band absolute magnitudes - 21.6 ≲ MB - 5log (h) ≲ - 19.5 and median stellar masses 9.8 ≲ log (M⋆ [h-2 M⊙]) ≲ 10.7. We assessed the real-space clustering in the data from the projected correlation function, which we model as a power law in the range 0.2 < rp [h-1 Mpc ] < 20. Finally, we estimated the galaxy bias as a function of luminosity, stellar mass, and redshift, assuming a flat Λ cold dark matter model to derive the dark matter 2PCF. Results: We provide the best-fit parameters of the power-law model assumed for the real-space 2PCF - the correlation length, r0, and the slope, γ - as well as the linear bias parameter, as a function of the B-band absolute magnitude, stellar mass, and redshift. We confirm and provide the tightest constraints on the dependence of clustering on luminosity at 0.5 < z < 1.1. We prove the complexity of comparing the clustering dependence on stellar mass from samples that are originally flux-limited and discuss the possible origin of the observed discrepancies. Overall, our measurements provide stronger constraints on galaxy formation models, which are now required to match, in addition to local observations, the clustering evolution measured by VIPERS galaxies between z = 0.5 and z = 1.1 for a broad range of luminosities and stellar masses. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Paranal, Chile, under programmes 182.A-0886 (LP) at the Very Large Telescope, and also based on observations obtained with MegaPrime/MegaCam, a joint project of CFHT and CEA/DAPNIA, at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), which is operated by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, the Institut National des Science de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) of France, and the University of Hawaii. This work is based in part on data products produced at TERAPIX and the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre as part of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey, a collaborative project of NRC and CNRS. The VIPERS web site is http://vipers.inaf.it/

X-RAY EMISSION FROM MAGNETIC MASSIVE STARS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nazé, Yaël; Petit, Véronique; Rinbrand, Melanie

2014-11-01

Magnetically confined winds of early-type stars are expected to be sources of bright and hard X-rays. To clarify the systematics of the observed X-ray properties, we have analyzed a large series of Chandra and XMM-Newton observations, corresponding to all available exposures of known massive magnetic stars (over 100 exposures covering ∼60% of stars compiled in the catalog of Petit et al.). We show that the X-ray luminosity is strongly correlated with the stellar wind mass-loss rate, with a power-law form that is slightly steeper than linear for the majority of the less luminous, lower- M-dot B stars and flattens formore » the more luminous, higher- M-dot O stars. As the winds are radiatively driven, these scalings can be equivalently written as relations with the bolometric luminosity. The observed X-ray luminosities, and their trend with mass-loss rates, are well reproduced by new MHD models, although a few overluminous stars (mostly rapidly rotating objects) exist. No relation is found between other X-ray properties (plasma temperature, absorption) and stellar or magnetic parameters, contrary to expectations (e.g., higher temperature for stronger mass-loss rate). This suggests that the main driver for the plasma properties is different from the main determinant of the X-ray luminosity. Finally, variations of the X-ray hardnesses and luminosities, in phase with the stellar rotation period, are detected for some objects and they suggest that some temperature stratification exists in massive stars' magnetospheres.« less

Planetary nebulae as standard candles. IV - A test in the Leo I group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ciardullo, Robin; Jacoby, George H.; Ford, Holland C.

1989-01-01

In this paper, PN are used to determine accurate distances to three galaxies in the Leo I group - The E0 giant elliptical NGC 3379, its optical companion, the SB0 spiral NGC 3384, and the smaller E6 elliptical NGC 3377. In all three galaxies, the luminosity-specific PN number densities are roughly the same, and the derived stellar death rates are in remarkable agreement with the predictions of stellar evolution theory. It is shown that the shape of the forbidden O III 5007 A PN luminosity function is the same in each galaxy and indistinguishable from that observed in M31 and M81. It is concluded that the PN luminosity function is an excellent standard candle for early-type galaxies.

Examining an AGN Luminosity – SFR relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stemo, Aaron; Comerford, Julia M.; Barrows, Robert Scott

2018-06-01

The relation between the star formation rate (SFR) of a galaxy and the accretion rate of its supermassive black hole is not well understood. Some observations show that active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity and SFR are correlated while other observations show no relation between the two. In this work we present a large, uniformly-selected catalog of HST galaxies that host AGN. Using available multiwavelength photometric data, we are able to determine AGN bolometric luminosity, host galaxy SFR, host galaxy stellar mass, and redshift for our sample. Using this catalog, we are able to compare AGN bolometric luminosity and SFR, while controlling for redshift and stellar mass. These comparisons will be used to make a statistically significant statement on the correlation between AGN activity and a host galaxy’s SFR.

Super-Eddington stellar winds: unifying radiative-enthalpy versus flux-driven models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owocki, Stanley P.; Townsend, Richard H. D.; Quataert, Eliot

2017-12-01

We derive semi-analytic solutions for optically thick, super-Eddington stellar winds, induced by an assumed steady energy addition Δ {\\dot{E}} concentrated around a near-surface heating radius R in a massive star of central luminosity L*. We show that obtaining steady wind solutions requires both that the resulting total luminosity L_o = L_\\ast + Δ {\\dot{E}} exceed the Eddington luminosity, Γo ≡ Lo/LEdd > 1, and that the induced mass-loss rate be such that the 'photon-tiring' parameter, m ≡ {\\dot{M}} GM/R L_o ≤ 1-1/Γ _o, ensuring the luminosity is sufficient to overcome the gravitational potential GM/R. Our analysis unifies previous super-Eddington wind models that either: (1) assumed a direct radiative flux-driving without accounting for the advection of radiative enthalpy that can become important in such an optically thick flow; or (2) assumed that such super-Eddington outflows are adiabatic, neglecting the effects of the diffusive radiative flux. We show that these distinct models become applicable in the asymptotic limits of small versus large values of mΓo, respectively. By solving the coupled differential equations for radiative diffusion and wind momentum, we obtain general solutions that effectively bridge the behaviours of these limiting models. Two key scaling results are for the terminal wind speed to escape speed, which is found to vary as v_∞^2/v_esc^2 = Γ _o/(1+m Γ _o) -1, and for the final observed luminosity Lobs, which for all allowed steady-solutions with m < 1 - 1/Γo exceeds the Eddington luminosity, Lobs > LEdd. Our super-Eddington wind solutions have potential applicability for modelling phases of eruptive mass-loss from massive stars, classical novae, and the remnants of stellar mergers.

The mean star formation rates of unobscured QSOs: searching for evidence of suppressed or enhanced star formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, F.; Alexander, D. M.; Harrison, C. M.; Rosario, D. J.; Wang, L.; Aird, J. A.; Bourne, N.; Dunne, L.; Dye, S.; Eales, S.; Knudsen, K. K.; Michałowski, M. J.; Valiante, E.; De Zotti, G.; Furlanetto, C.; Ivison, R.; Maddox, S.; Smith, M. W. L.

2017-12-01

We investigate the mean star formation rates (SFRs) in the host galaxies of ∼3000 optically selected quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey within the Herschel-ATLAS fields, and a radio-luminous subsample covering the redshift range of z = 0.2-2.5. Using Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and Herschel photometry (12-500 μm) we construct composite spectral energy distributions (SEDs) in bins of redshift and active galactic nucleus (AGN) luminosity. We perform SED fitting to measure the mean infrared luminosity due to star formation, removing the contamination from AGN emission. We find that the mean SFRs show a weak positive trend with increasing AGN luminosity. However, we demonstrate that the observed trend could be due to an increase in black hole (BH) mass (and a consequent increase of inferred stellar mass) with increasing AGN luminosity. We compare to a sample of X-ray selected AGN and find that the two populations have consistent mean SFRs when matched in AGN luminosity and redshift. On the basis of the available virial BH masses, and the evolving BH mass to stellar mass relationship, we find that the mean SFRs of our QSO sample are consistent with those of main sequence star-forming galaxies. Similarly the radio-luminous QSOs have mean SFRs that are consistent with both the overall QSO sample and with star-forming galaxies on the main sequence. In conclusion, on average QSOs reside on the main sequence of star-forming galaxies, and the observed positive trend between the mean SFRs and AGN luminosity can be attributed to BH mass and redshift dependencies.

The Evolution of the Type Ia Supernova Luminosity Function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Ken J.; Toonen, Silvia; Graur, Or

2017-12-01

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) exhibit a wide diversity of peak luminosities and light curve shapes: the faintest SNe Ia are 10 times less luminous and evolve more rapidly than the brightest SNe Ia. Their differing characteristics also extend to their stellar age distributions, with fainter SNe Ia preferentially occurring in old stellar populations and vice versa. In this Letter, we quantify this SN Ia luminosity–stellar age connection using data from the Lick Observatory Supernova Search (LOSS). Our binary population synthesis calculations agree qualitatively with the observed trend in the > 1 {Gyr} old populations probed by LOSS if the majority of SNe Ia arise from prompt detonations of sub-Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarfs (WDs) in double WD systems. Under appropriate assumptions, we show that double WD systems with less massive primaries, which yield fainter SNe Ia, interact and explode at older ages than those with more massive primaries. We find that prompt detonations in double WD systems are capable of reproducing the observed evolution of the SN Ia luminosity function, a constraint that any SN Ia progenitor scenario must confront.

COMPACT E+A GALAXIES AS A PROGENITOR OF MASSIVE COMPACT QUIESCENT GALAXIES AT 0.2 < z < 0.8

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zahid, H. Jabran; Hochmuth, Nicholas Baeza; Geller, Margaret J.

We search the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Baryon Oscillation Sky Survey to identify ∼5500 massive compact quiescent galaxy candidates at 0.2 < z < 0.8. We robustly classify a subsample of 438 E+A galaxies based on their spectral properties and make this catalog publicly available. We examine sizes, stellar population ages, and kinematics of galaxies in the sample and show that the physical properties of compact E+A galaxies suggest that they are a progenitor of massive compact quiescent galaxies. Thus, two classes of objects—compact E+A and compact quiescent galaxies—may be linked by a common formation scenario. The typicalmore » stellar population age of compact E+A galaxies is <1 Gyr. The existence of compact E+A galaxies with young stellar populations at 0.2 < z < 0.8 means that some compact quiescent galaxies first appear at intermediate redshifts. We derive a lower limit for the number density of compact E+A galaxies. Assuming passive evolution, we convert this number density into an appearance rate of new compact quiescent galaxies at 0.2 < z < 0.8. The lower limit number density of compact quiescent galaxies that may appear at z < 0.8 is comparable to the lower limit of the total number density of compact quiescent galaxies at these intermediate redshifts. Thus, a substantial fraction of the z < 0.8 massive compact quiescent galaxy population may descend from compact E+A galaxies at intermediate redshifts.« less

Optical Multi-Channel Intensity Interferometry - Or: How to Resolve O-Stars in the Magellanic Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trippe, Sascha; Kim, Jae-Young; Lee, Bangwon; Choi, Changsu; Oh, Junghwan; Lee, Taeseok; Yoon, Sung-Chul; Im, Myungshin; Park, Yong-Sun

2014-12-01

Intensity interferometry, based on the Hanbury Brown--Twiss effect, is a simple and inexpensive method for optical interferometry at microarcsecond angular resolutions; its use in astronomy was abandoned in the 1970s because of low sensitivity. Motivated by recent technical developments, we argue that the sensitivity of large modern intensity interferometers can be improved by factors up to approximately 25,000, corresponding to 11 photometric magnitudes, compared to the pioneering Narrabri Stellar Interferometer. This is made possible by (i) using avalanche photodiodes (APD) as light detectors, (ii) distributing the light received from the source over multiple independent spectral channels, and (iii) use of arrays composed of multiple large light collectors. Our approach permits the construction of large (with baselines ranging from few kilometers to intercontinental distances) optical interferometers at the cost of (very) long-baseline radio interferometers. Realistic intensity interferometer designs are able to achieve limiting R-band magnitudes as good as m_R≈14, sufficient for spatially resolved observations of main-sequence O-type stars in the Magellanic Clouds. Multi-channel intensity interferometers can address a wide variety of science cases: (i) linear radii, effective temperatures, and luminosities of stars, via direct measurements of stellar angular sizes; (ii) mass--radius relationships of compact stellar remnants, via direct measurements of the angular sizes of white dwarfs; (iii) stellar rotation, via observations of rotation flattening and surface gravity darkening; (iv) stellar convection and the interaction of stellar photospheres and magnetic fields, via observations of dark and bright starspots; (v) the structure and evolution of multiple stars, via mapping of the companion stars and of accretion flows in interacting binaries; (vi) direct measurements of interstellar distances, derived from angular diameters of stars or via the interferometric Baade--Wesselink method; (vii) the physics of gas accretion onto supermassive black holes, via resolved observations of the central engines of luminous active galactic nuclei; and (viii) calibration of amplitude interferometers by providing a sample of calibrator stars.

Accounting for the dispersion in the x ray properties of early-type galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Raymond E., III; Sarazin, Craig L.

1990-01-01

The x ray luminosities of early-type galaxies are correlated with their optical (e.g., blue) luminosities (L sub X approx. L sub B exp 1.6), but the x ray luminosities exhibit considerable scatter for a given optical luminosity L sub B. This dispersion in x ray luminosity is much greater than the dispersion of other properties of early-type galaxies (for a given L sub B), such as luminosity scale-length, velocity dispersion, color, and metallicity. Here, researchers consider several possible sources for the dispersion in x ray luminosity. Some of the scatter in x ray luminosity may result from stellar population variations between galaxies with similar L sub B. Since the x ray emitting gas is from accumulated stellar mass loss, the L sub X dispersion may be due to variations in integrated stellar mass loss rates. Another possible cause of the L sub X dispersion may be variations in the amount of cool material in the galaxies; cool gas may act as an energy sink for the hot gas. Infrared emission may be used to trace such cool material, so researchers look for a correlation between the infrared emission and the x ray emission of early-type galaxies at fixed L sub B. Velocity dispersion variations between galaxies of similar L sub B may also contribute to the L sub X dispersion. The most likely a priori source of the dispersion in L sub X is probably the varying amount of ram-pressure stripping in a range of galaxy environments. The hot gaseous halos of early-type galaxies can be stripped in encounters with other galaxies or with ambient cluster gas if the intracluster gas is sufficiently dense. Researchers find that the most likely cause of dispersion in the x ray properties of early type galaxies is probably the ram-pressure stripping of gaseous halos from galaxies. For a sample of 81 early-type galaxies with x ray luminosities or upper limits derived from Einstein Observatory observations (CFT) researchers calculated the cumulative distribution of angular distances between the x ray sample members and bright galaxies from the Revised Shapley - Ames catalog. Collectively, galaxies with low x ray luminosities (for a given L sub B) tend to be in denser environments than galaxies with higher x ray luminosities.

THE OFF-CENTERED SEYFERT-LIKE COMPACT EMISSION IN THE NUCLEAR REGION OF NGC 3621

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Menezes, R. B.; Steiner, J. E.; Silva, Patricia da, E-mail: robertobm@astro.iag.usp.br

2016-02-01

We analyze an optical data cube of the nuclear region of NGC 3621, taken with the integral field unit of the Gemini Multi-object Spectrograph. We found that the previously detected central line emission in this galaxy actually comes from a blob, located at a projected distance of 2.″14 ± 0.″08 (70.1 ± 2.6 pc) from the stellar nucleus. Only diffuse emission was detected in the rest of the field of view, with a deficit of emission at the position of the stellar nucleus. Diagnostic diagram analysis reveals that the off-centered emitting blob has a Seyfert 2 spectrum. We propose that the line-emitting blob maymore » be a “fossil” emission-line region or a light “echo” from an active galactic nucleus (AGN), which was significantly brighter in the past. Our estimates indicate that the bolometric luminosity of the AGN must have decreased by a factor of ∼13–500 during the past ∼230 yr. A second scenario to explain the morphology of the line-emitting areas in the nuclear region of NGC 3621 involves no decrease of the AGN bolometric luminosity and establishes that the AGN is highly obscured toward the observer but not toward the line-emitting blob. The third scenario proposed here assumes that the off-centered line-emitting blob is a recoiling supermassive black hole, after the coalescence of two black holes. Finally, an additional hypothesis is that the central X-ray source is not an AGN, but an X-ray binary. This idea is consistent with all the scenarios we proposed.« less

Masses of the Planetary Nebula Central Stars in the Galactic Globular Cluster System from HST Imaging and Spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacoby, George H.; Marco, Orsola De; Davies, James

The globular cluster (GC) system of our Galaxy contains four planetary nebulae (PNe): K 648 (or Ps 1) in M15, IRAS 18333-2357 in M22, JaFu 1 in Pal 6, and JaFu 2 in NGC 6441. Because single-star evolution at the low stellar mass of present-epoch GCs was considered incapable of producing visible PNe, their origin presented a puzzle. We imaged the PN JaFu 1 with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to obtain photometry of its central star (CS) and high-resolution morphological information. We imaged IRAS 18333-2357 with better depth and resolution, and we analyzed its archival HST spectra to constrainmore » its CS temperature and luminosity. All PNe in Galactic GCs now have quality HST data, allowing us to improve CS mass estimates. We find reasonably consistent masses between 0.53 and 0.58 M {sub ⊙} for all four objects, though estimates vary when adopting different stellar evolutionary calculations. The CS mass of IRAS 18333-2357, though, depends strongly on its temperature, which remains elusive due to reddening uncertainties. For all four objects, we consider their CS and nebula masses, their morphologies, and other incongruities to assess the likelihood that these objects formed from binary stars. Although generally limited by uncertainties (∼0.02 M {sub ⊙}) in post-AGB tracks and core mass versus luminosity relations, the high-mass CS in K 648 indicates a binary origin. The CS of JaFu 1 exhibits compact, bright [O iii] and H α emission, like EGB 6, suggesting a binary companion or disk. Evidence is weaker for a binary origin of JaFu 2.« less

Measuring the X-ray luminosities of SDSS DR7 clusters from ROSAT All Sky Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lei; Yang, Xiaohu; Shen, Shiyin; Mo, H. J.; van den Bosch, Frank C.; Luo, Wentao; Wang, Yu; Lau, Erwin T.; Wang, Q. D.; Kang, Xi; Li, Ran

2014-03-01

We use ROSAT All Sky Survey broad-band X-ray images and the optical clusters identified from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 to estimate the X-ray luminosities around ˜65 000 candidate clusters with masses ≳ 1013 h- 1 M⊙ based on an optical to X-ray (OTX) code we develop. We obtain a catalogue with X-ray luminosity for each cluster. This catalogue contains 817 clusters (473 at redshift z ≤ 0.12) with signal-to-noise ratio >3 in X-ray detection. We find about 65 per cent of these X-ray clusters have their most massive member located near the X-ray flux peak; for the rest 35 per cent, the most massive galaxy is separated from the X-ray peak, with the separation following a distribution expected from a Navarro-Frenk-White profile. We investigate a number of correlations between the optical and X-ray properties of these X-ray clusters, and find that the cluster X-ray luminosity is correlated with the stellar mass (luminosity) of the clusters, as well as with the stellar mass (luminosity) of the central galaxy and the mass of the halo, but the scatter in these correlations is large. Comparing the properties of X-ray clusters of similar halo masses but having different X-ray luminosities, we find that massive haloes with masses ≳ 1014 h- 1 M⊙ contain a larger fraction of red satellite galaxies when they are brighter in X-ray. An opposite trend is found in central galaxies in relative low-mass haloes with masses ≲ 1014 h- 1 M⊙ where X-ray brighter clusters have smaller fraction of red central galaxies. Clusters with masses ≳ 1014 h- 1 M⊙ that are strong X-ray emitters contain many more low-mass satellite galaxies than weak X-ray emitters. These results are also confirmed by checking X-ray clusters of similar X-ray luminosities but having different characteristic stellar masses. A cluster catalogue containing the optical properties of member galaxies and the X-ray luminosity is available at http://gax.shao.ac.cn/data/Group.html.

Cluster galaxy population evolution from the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam survey: brightest cluster galaxies, stellar mass distribution, and active galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yen-Ting; Hsieh, Bau-Ching; Lin, Sheng-Chieh; Oguri, Masamune; Chen, Kai-Feng; Tanaka, Masayuki; Chiu, I.-non; Huang, Song; Kodama, Tadayuki; Leauthaud, Alexie; More, Surhud; Nishizawa, Atsushi J.; Bundy, Kevin; Lin, Lihwai; Miyazaki, Satoshi; HSC Collaboration

2018-01-01

The unprecedented depth and area surveyed by the Subaru Strategic Program with the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC-SSP) have enabled us to construct and publish the largest distant cluster sample out to z~1 to date. In this exploratory study of cluster galaxy evolution from z=1 to z=0.3, we investigate the stellar mass assembly history of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), and evolution of stellar mass and luminosity distributions, stellar mass surface density profile, as well as the population of radio galaxies. Our analysis is the first high redshift application of the top N richest cluster selection, which is shown to allow us to trace the cluster galaxy evolution faithfully. Our stellar mass is derived from a machine-learning algorithm, which we show to be unbiased and accurate with respect to the COSMOS data. We find very mild stellar mass growth in BCGs, and no evidence for evolution in both the total stellar mass-cluster mass correlation and the shape of the stellar mass surface density profile. The clusters are found to contain more red galaxies compared to the expectations from the field, even after the differences in density between the two environments have been taken into account. We also present the first measurement of the radio luminosity distribution in clusters out to z~1.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pawellek, Nicole; Krivov, Alexander V.; Marshall, Jonathan P.

The radii of debris disks and the sizes of their dust grains are important tracers of the planetesimal formation mechanisms and physical processes operating in these systems. Here we use a representative sample of 34 debris disks resolved in various Herschel Space Observatory (Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA) programs to constrain the disk radii and the size distribution of their dust. While we modeled disks with both warm and cold components, and identified warm inner disks around about two-thirds of the stars, we focusmore » our analysis only on the cold outer disks, i.e., Kuiper-belt analogs. We derive the disk radii from the resolved images and find a large dispersion for host stars of any spectral class, but no significant trend with the stellar luminosity. This argues against ice lines as a dominant player in setting the debris disk sizes, since the ice line location varies with the luminosity of the central star. Fixing the disk radii to those inferred from the resolved images, we model the spectral energy distribution to determine the dust temperature and the grain size distribution for each target. While the dust temperature systematically increases toward earlier spectral types, the ratio of the dust temperature to the blackbody temperature at the disk radius decreases with the stellar luminosity. This is explained by a clear trend of typical sizes increasing toward more luminous stars. The typical grain sizes are compared to the radiation pressure blowout limit s {sub blow} that is proportional to the stellar luminosity-to-mass ratio and thus also increases toward earlier spectral classes. The grain sizes in the disks of G- to A-stars are inferred to be several times s {sub blow} at all stellar luminosities, in agreement with collisional models of debris disks. The sizes, measured in the units of s {sub blow}, appear to decrease with the luminosity, which may be suggestive of the disk's stirring level increasing toward earlier-type stars. The dust opacity index β ranges between zero and two, and the size distribution index q varies between three and five for all the disks in the sample.« less

Simulating the X-ray luminosity of Be X-ray binaries: the case for black holes versus neutron stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, R. O.; Ho, W. C. G.; Coe, M. J.; Okazaki, A. T.

2018-04-01

There are over 100 Be stars that are known to have neutron star companions but only one such system with a black hole. Previous theoretical work suggests this is not due to their formation but due to differences in X-ray luminosity. It has also been proposed that the truncation of the Be star's circumstellar disc is dependent on the mass of the compact object. Hence, Be star discs in black hole binaries are smaller. Since accretion onto the compact object from the Be star's disc is what powers the X-ray luminosity, a smaller disc in black hole systems leads to a lower luminosity. In this paper, simulations are performed with a range of eccentricities and compact object mass. The disc's size and density are shown to be dependent on both quantities. Mass capture and, in turn, X-ray luminosity are heavily dependent on the size and density of the disc. Be/black hole binaries are expected to be up to ˜10 times fainter than Be/neutron star binaries when both systems have the same eccentricity and can be 100 times fainter when comparing systems with different eccentricity.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gutiérrez, Carlos M.; Moon, Dae-Sik, E-mail: cgc@iac.es

We present the identification and characterization of the optical counterpart to 2XMM J011942.7+032421, one of the most luminous and distant ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs). The counterpart is located near a star-forming region in a spiral arm of the galaxy NGC 470 with u, g, and r magnitudes of 21.53, 21.69, and 21.71 mag, respectively. The luminosity of the counterpart is much larger than that of a single O-type star, indicating that it may be a stellar cluster. Our optical spectroscopic observations confirm the association of the X-ray source and the optical counterpart with its host galaxy NGC 470, which validates the high,more » ≳10{sup 41} erg s{sup -1}, X-ray luminosity of the source. Its optical spectrum is embedded with numerous emission lines, including H recombination lines, metallic forbidden lines, and more notably the high-ionization He II (λ4686) line. That line shows a large velocity dispersion of ≅410 km s{sup -1}, consistent with the existence of a compact (<5 AU) highly ionized accretion disk rotating around the central X-ray source. The ∼1.4 × 10{sup 37} erg s{sup -1} luminosity of the He II line emission makes the source one of the most luminous ULXs in that emission. This, together with the high X-ray luminosity and the large velocity dispersion of the He II emission, suggests that the source is an ideal candidate for more extensive follow-up observations for understanding the nature of hyper-luminous X-ray sources, a more luminous subgroup of ULXs, and more likely candidates for intermediate-mass black holes.« less

The relative impact of photoionizing radiation and stellar winds on different environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haid, S.; Walch, S.; Seifried, D.; Wünsch, R.; Dinnbier, F.; Naab, T.

2018-05-01

Photoionizing radiation and stellar winds from massive stars deposit energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM). They might disperse the local ISM, change its turbulent multi-phase structure, and even regulate star formation. Ionizing radiation dominates the massive stars' energy output, but the relative effect of winds might change with stellar mass and the properties of the ambient ISM. We present simulations of the interaction of stellar winds and ionizing radiation of 12, 23, and 60 M⊙ stars within a cold neutral (CNM, n0 = 100 cm-3), warm neutral (WNM, n0 = 1, 10 cm-3) or warm ionized (WIM, n0 = 0.1 cm-3) medium. The FLASH simulations adopt the novel tree-based radiation transfer algorithm TREERAY. With the On-the-Spot approximation and a temperature-dependent recombination coefficient, it is coupled to a chemical network with radiative heating and cooling. In the homogeneous CNM, the total momentum injection ranges from 1.6× 104 to 4× 105 M⊙ km s-1 and is always dominated by the expansion of the ionized HII region. In the WIM, stellar winds dominate (2× 102 to 5× 103 M⊙ km s-1), while the input from radiation is small (˜ 102 M⊙ km s-1). The WNM (n0 = 1 cm-3) is a transition regime. Energetically, stellar winds couple more efficiently to the ISM (˜ 0.1 percent of wind luminosity) than radiation (< 0.001 percent of ionizing luminosity). For estimating the impact of massive stars, the strongly mass-dependent ratios of wind to ionizing luminosity and the properties of the ambient medium have to be considered.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Be star rotational velocities distribution (Zorec+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zorec, J.; Fremat, Y.; Domiciano de Souza, A.; Royer, F.; Cidale, L.; Hubert, A.-M.; Semaan, T.; Martayan, C.; Cochetti, Y. R.; Arias, M. L.; Aidelman, Y.; Stee, P.

2016-06-01

Table 1 contains apparent fundamental parameters of the 233 Galactic Be stars. For each Be star is given the HD number, the effective temperature, effective surface gravity and bolometric luminosity. They correspond to the parameters of a plan parallel model of stellar atmosphere that fits the energy distribution of the stellar apparent hemisphere rotationally deformed. In Table 1 are also given the color excess E(B-V) and the vsini rotation parameter determined with model atmospheres of rigidly rotating stars. For each parameter is given the 1sigma uncertainty. In the notes are given the authors that produced some reported the data or the methods used to obtain the data. Table 4 contains parent-non-rotating-counterpart fundamental parameters of 233 Be stars: effective temperature, effective surface gravity, bolometric luminosity in solar units, stellar mass in solar units, fractional main-sequence stellar age, pnrc-apparent rotational velocity, critical velocity, ratio of centrifugal-force to gravity in the equator, inclination angle of the rotational axis. (2 data files).

X-shooter study of accretion in Chamaeleon I. II. A steeper increase of accretion with stellar mass for very low-mass stars?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manara, C. F.; Testi, L.; Herczeg, G. J.; Pascucci, I.; Alcalá, J. M.; Natta, A.; Antoniucci, S.; Fedele, D.; Mulders, G. D.; Henning, T.; Mohanty, S.; Prusti, T.; Rigliaco, E.

2017-08-01

The dependence of the mass accretion rate on the stellar properties is a key constraint for star formation and disk evolution studies. Here we present a study of a sample of stars in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region carried out using spectra taken with the ESO VLT/X-shooter spectrograph. The sample is nearly complete down to stellar masses (M⋆) 0.1 M⊙ for the young stars still harboring a disk in this region. We derive the stellar and accretion parameters using a self-consistent method to fit the broadband flux-calibrated medium resolution spectrum. The correlation between accretion luminosity to stellar luminosity, and of mass accretion rate to stellar mass in the logarithmic plane yields slopes of 1.9 ± 0.1 and 2.3 ± 0.3, respectively. These slopes and the accretion rates are consistent with previous results in various star-forming regions and with different theoretical frameworks. However, we find that a broken power-law fit, with a steeper slope for stellar luminosity lower than 0.45 L⊙ and for stellar masses lower than 0.3 M⊙ is slightly preferred according to different statistical tests, but the single power-law model is not excluded. The steeper relation for lower mass stars can be interpreted as a faster evolution in the past for accretion in disks around these objects, or as different accretion regimes in different stellar mass ranges. Finally, we find two regions on the mass accretion versus stellar mass plane that are empty of objects: one region at high mass accretion rates and low stellar masses, which is related to the steeper dependence of the two parameters we derived. The second region is located just above the observational limits imposed by chromospheric emission, at M⋆ 0.3 - 0.4 M⊙. These are typical masses where photoevaporation is known to be effective. The mass accretion rates of this region are 10-10M⊙/yr, which is compatible with the value expected for photoevaporation to rapidly dissipate the inner disk. This work is based on observations made with ESO Telescopes at the Paranal Observatory under programme ID 090.C-0253 and 095.C-0378.

Relations Between FUV Excess and Coronal Soft X-Ray Emission Among Dwarf Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Graeme H.; Hargrave, Mason; Eckholm, Elliot

2017-11-01

The far-ultraviolet magnitudes of late-F, G and early-K dwarfs with (B - V) ⩾ 0.50 as measured by the GALEX satellite are shown to correlate with soft X-ray luminosity. This result indicates that line and continuum emission from stellar active regions make significant contributions to the flux in the GALEX FUV band for late-F, G and K dwarfs. By contrast, detection of a correlation between FUV brightness and soft X-ray luminosity among early-F dwarfs requires subtraction of the photospheric component from the FUV flux. The range in (B - V) among F and G dwarfs over which a correlation between uncorrected FUV magnitude and X-ray luminosity is detected coincides with the range in colour over which coronal and chromospheric emission correlates with stellar rotation.

Anatomy of a cosmic-ray neutrino source and the Cygnus X-3 system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.; Harding, A. K.; Barnard, J. J.

1985-01-01

The effects of an intense beam of ultra-high energy cosmic rays from a compact object in the Cygnus X-3 binary system hitting the companion star, and of the subsequent production of secondary neutrinos, are examined. A maximum allowable beam luminosity of about 10 to the 42nd erg/s is found for a system containing a 1-10 solar mass main sequence target star. The proton beam must heat a relatively small area of the target star to satisfy observational constraints on the resulting stellar wind. With such a model, the neutrino to gamma-ray flux ratio of about 1000 can result from a combination of gamma-ray absorption and a large neutrino to gamma-ray duty cycle ratio. It is found that the high density of the atmosphere resulting from compression by the beam leads to pion cascading and a neutrino spectrum peaking at 1-10 GeV energies.

Characterization of Omega-WINGS galaxy clusters. I. Stellar light and mass profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cariddi, S.; D'Onofrio, M.; Fasano, G.; Poggianti, B. M.; Moretti, A.; Gullieuszik, M.; Bettoni, D.; Sciarratta, M.

2018-02-01

Context. Galaxy clusters are the largest virialized structures in the observable Universe. Knowledge of their properties provides many useful astrophysical and cosmological information. Aims: Our aim is to derive the luminosity and stellar mass profiles of the nearby galaxy clusters of the Omega-WINGS survey and to study the main scaling relations valid for such systems. Methods: We merged data from the WINGS and Omega-WINGS databases, sorted the sources according to the distance from the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG), and calculated the integrated luminosity profiles in the B and V bands, taking into account extinction, photometric and spatial completeness, K correction, and background contribution. Then, by exploiting the spectroscopic sample we derived the stellar mass profiles of the clusters. Results: We obtained the luminosity profiles of 46 galaxy clusters, reaching r200 in 30 cases, and the stellar mass profiles of 42 of our objects. We successfully fitted all the integrated luminosity growth profiles with one or two embedded Sérsic components, deriving the main clusters parameters. Finally, we checked the main scaling relation among the clusters parameters in comparison with those obtained for a selected sample of early-type galaxies (ETGs) of the same clusters. Conclusions: We found that the nearby galaxy clusters are non-homologous structures such as ETGs and exhibit a color-magnitude (CM) red-sequence relation very similar to that observed for galaxies in clusters. These properties are not expected in the current cluster formation scenarios. In particular the existence of a CM relation for clusters, shown here for the first time, suggests that the baryonic structures grow and evolve in a similar way at all scales.

Galaxy–Galaxy Weak-lensing Measurements from SDSS. I. Image Processing and Lensing Signals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luo, Wentao; Yang, Xiaohu; Zhang, Jun

We present our image processing pipeline that corrects the systematics introduced by the point-spread function (PSF). Using this pipeline, we processed Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7 imaging data in r band and generated a galaxy catalog containing the shape information. Based on our shape measurements of the galaxy images from SDSS DR7, we extract the galaxy–galaxy (GG) lensing signals around foreground spectroscopic galaxies binned in different luminosities and stellar masses. We estimated the systematics, e.g., selection bias, PSF reconstruction bias, PSF dilution bias, shear responsivity bias, and noise rectification bias, which in total is between −9.1% and 20.8% atmore » 2 σ levels. The overall GG lensing signals we measured are in good agreement with Mandelbaum et al. The reduced χ {sup 2} between the two measurements in different luminosity bins are from 0.43 to 0.83. Larger reduced χ {sup 2} from 0.60 to 1.87 are seen for different stellar mass bins, which is mainly caused by the different stellar mass estimator. The results in this paper with higher signal-to-noise ratio are due to the larger survey area than SDSS DR4, confirming that more luminous/massive galaxies bear stronger GG lensing signals. We divide the foreground galaxies into red/blue and star-forming/quenched subsamples and measure their GG lensing signals. We find that, at a specific stellar mass/luminosity, the red/quenched galaxies have stronger GG lensing signals than their counterparts, especially at large radii. These GG lensing signals can be used to probe the galaxy–halo mass relations and their environmental dependences in the halo occupation or conditional luminosity function framework.« less

COLA. III. Radio Detection of Active Galactic Nucleus in Compact Moderate Luminosity Infrared Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parra, R.; Conway, J. E.; Aalto, S.; Appleton, P. N.; Norris, R. P.; Pihlström, Y. M.; Kewley, L. J.

2010-09-01

We present results from 4.8 GHz Very Large Array (VLA) and global very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of the northern half of the moderate FIR luminosity (median L IR = 1011.01 L sun) COLA sample of star-forming galaxies. VLBI sources are detected in a high fraction (20/90) of the galaxies observed. The radio luminosities of these cores (~1021 W Hz-1) are too large to be explained by radio supernovae or supernova remnants and we argue that they are instead powered by active galactic nuclei (AGNs). These sub-parsec scale radio cores are preferentially detected toward galaxies whose VLA maps show bright 100-500 parsec scale nuclear radio components. Since these latter structures tightly follow the FIR to radio-continuum correlation for star formation, we conclude that the AGN-powered VLBI sources are associated with compact nuclear starburst environments. The implications for possible starburst-AGN connections are discussed. The detected VLBI sources have a relatively narrow range of radio luminosity consistent with models in which intense compact Eddington-limited starbursts regulate the gas supply onto a central supermassive black hole. The high incidence of AGN radio cores in compact starbursts suggests little or no delay between the starburst phase and the onset of AGN activity.

The nature of very low luminosity objects (VeLLOs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vorobyov, Eduard I.; Elbakyan, Vardan; Dunham, Michael M.; Guedel, Manuel

2017-04-01

Aims: The nature of very low luminosity objects (VeLLOs) with the internal luminosity Lobj ≤ 0.1 L⊙ is investigated by means of numerical modeling coupling the core collapse simulations with the stellar evolution calculations. Methods: The gravitational collapse of a large sample of model cores in the mass range 0.1-2.0 M⊙ is investigated. Numerical simulations were started at the pre-stellar phase and terminated at the end of the embedded phase when 90% of the initial core mass had been accreted onto the forming protostar plus disk system. The disk formation and evolution was studied using numerical hydrodynamics simulations, while the formation and evolution of the central star was calculated using a stellar evolution code. Three scenarios for mass accretion from the disk onto the star were considered: hybrid accretion in which a fraction of accreted energy absorbed by the protostar depends on the accretion rate, hot accretion wherein a fraction of accreted energy is constant, and cold accretion wherein all accretion energy is radiated away. Results: Our conclusions on the nature of VeLLOs depend crucially on the character of protostellar accretion. In the hybrid accretion scenario, most VeLLOs (90.6%) are expected to be the first hydrostatic cores (FHSCs) and only a small fraction (9.4%) are true protostars. In the hot accretion scenario, all VeLLOs are FHSCs due to overly high photospheric luminosity of protostars. In the cold accretion scenario, on the contrary, the majority of VeLLOs belong to the Class I phase of stellar evolution. The reason is that the stellar photospheric luminosity, which sets the floor for the total internal luminosity of a young star, is lower in cold accretion, thus enabling more VeLLOs in the protostellar stage. VeLLOs are relatively rare objects occupying 7%-11% of the total duration of the embedded phase and their masses do not exceed 0.3 M⊙. When compared with published observations inferring a fraction of VeLLOs in the protostellar stage of 6.25%, we find that cold accretion provides a much better fit to observations than hybrid accretion (5.7% for cold accretion vs. 0.7% for hybrid accretion). Both accretion scenarios predict more VeLLOs in the Class I phase than in the Class 0 phase, in contrast to observations. Finally, when accretion variability with episodic bursts is artificially filtered out from our numerically derived accretion rates, the fraction of VeLLOs in the protostellar stage drops significantly, suggesting a causal link between the two phenomena.

Does the Milky Way Obey Spiral Galaxy Scaling Relations?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Licquia, Timothy C.; Newman, Jeffrey A.; Bershady, Matthew A.

2016-12-01

It is crucial to understand how the Milky Way (MW), the galaxy we can study in the most intimate detail, fits in among other galaxies. Key considerations include the Tully-Fisher relation (TFR)—I.e., the tight correlation between luminosity (L) and rotational velocity (V rot)—and the three-dimensional luminosity-velocity-radius (LVR) scaling relation. Several past studies have characterized the MW as a 1-1.5σ outlier to the TFR. This study re-examines such comparisons using new estimates of MW properties that are robust to many of the systematic uncertainties that have been a problem in the past and are based on assumptions consistent with those used for other spiral galaxies. Comparing to scaling relations derived from modern extragalactic data, we find that our Galaxy’s properties are in excellent agreement with TFRs defined using any Sloan Digital Sky Survey-filter absolute magnitude, stellar mass, or baryonic mass as the L proxy. We next utilize disk scale length (R d) measurements to extend this investigation to the LVR relation. Here we find that our Galaxy lies farther from the relation than ˜90% of other spiral galaxies, yielding ˜9.5σ evidence that it is unusually compact for its L and V rot (based on MW errors alone), a result that holds for all of the L proxies considered. The expected R d for the MW from the LVR relation is ˜5 kpc, nearly twice as large as the observed value, with error estimates placing the two in tension at the ˜1.4σ level. The compact scale length of the Galactic disk could be related to other ways in which the MW has been found to be anomalous.

The Ionization Source in the Nucleus of M84

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bower, G. A.; Green, R. F.; Quillen, A. C.; Danks, A.; Malumuth, E. M.; Gull, T.; Woodgate, B.; Hutchings, J.; Joseph, C.; Kaiser, M. E.

2000-01-01

We have obtained new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of M84, a nearby massive elliptical galaxy whose nucleus contains a approximately 1.5 X 10(exp 9) solar mass dark compact object, which presumably is a supermassive black hole. Our Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) spectrum provides the first clear detection of emission lines in the blue (e.g., [0 II] lambda 3727, HBeta and [0 III] lambda lambda4959,5007), which arise from a compact region approximately 0".28 across centered on the nucleus. Our Near Infrared Camera and MultiObject Spectrometer (NICMOS) images exhibit the best view through the prominent dust lanes evident at optical wavelengths and provide a more accurate correction for the internal extinction. The relative fluxes of the emission lines we have detected in the blue together with those detected in the wavelength range 6295 - 6867 A by Bower et al. indicate that the gas at the nucleus is photoionized by a nonstellar process, instead of hot stars. Stellar absorption features from cool stars at the nucleus are very weak. We update the spectral energy distribution of the nuclear point source and find that although it is roughly flat in most bands, the optical to UV continuum is very red, similar to the spectral energy distribution of BL Lac. Thus, the nuclear point source seen in high-resolution optical images is not a star cluster but is instead a nonstellar source. Assuming isotropic emission from this source, we estimate that the ratio of bolometric luminosity to Eddington luminosity is about 5 x 10(exp -7). However, this could be underestimated if this source is a misaligned BL Lac object, which is a possibility suggested by the spectral energy distribution and the evidence of optical variability we describe.

Clumpy wind accretion in supergiant neutron star high mass X-ray binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozzo, E.; Oskinova, L.; Feldmeier, A.; Falanga, M.

2016-05-01

The accretion of the stellar wind material by a compact object represents the main mechanism powering the X-ray emission in classical supergiant high mass X-ray binaries and supergiant fast X-ray transients. In this work we present the first attempt to simulate the accretion process of a fast and dense massive star wind onto a neutron star, taking into account the effects of the centrifugal and magnetic inhibition of accretion ("gating") due to the spin and magnetic field of the compact object. We made use of a radiative hydrodynamical code to model the nonstationary radiatively driven wind of an O-B supergiant star and then place a neutron star characterized by a fixed magnetic field and spin period at a certain distance from the massive companion. Our calculations follow, as a function of time (on a total timescale of several hours), the transitions of the system through all different accretion regimes that are triggered by the intrinsic variations in the density and velocity of the nonstationary wind. The X-ray luminosity released by the system is computed at each time step by taking into account the relevant physical processes occurring in the different accretion regimes. Synthetic lightcurves are derived and qualitatively compared with those observed from classical supergiant high mass X-ray binaries and supergiant fast X-ray transients. Although a number of simplifications are assumed in these calculations, we show that taking into account the effects of the centrifugal and magnetic inhibition of accretion significantly reduces the average X-ray luminosity expected for any neutron star wind-fed binary. The present model calculations suggest that long spin periods and stronger magnetic fields are favored in order to reproduce the peculiar behavior of supergiant fast X-ray transients in the X-ray domain.

Stellar systems in the direction of the Hickson Compact Group 44. I. Low surface brightness galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith Castelli, A. V.; Faifer, F. R.; Escudero, C. G.

2016-11-01

Context. In spite of the numerous studies of low-luminosity galaxies in different environments, there is still no consensus about their formation scenario. In particular, a large number of galaxies displaying extremely low-surface brightnesses have been detected in the last year, and the nature of these objects is under discussion. Aims: In this paper we report the detection of two extended low-surface brightness (LSB) objects (μeffg' ≃ 27 mag) found, in projection, next to NGC 3193 and in the zone of the Hickson Compact Group (HCG) 44, respectively. Methods: We analyzed deep, high-quality, GEMINI-GMOS images with ELLIPSE within IRAF in order to obtain their brightness profiles and structural parameters. We also searched for the presence of globular clusters (GC) in these fields. Results: We have found that, if these LSB galaxies were at the distances of NGC 3193 and HCG 44, they would show sizes and luminosities similar to those of the ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) found in the Coma cluster and other associations. In that case, their sizes would be rather larger than those displayed by the Local Group dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies. We have detected a few unresolved sources in the sky zone occupied by these galaxies showing colors and brightnesses typical of blue globular clusters. Conclusions: From the comparison of the properties of the galaxies presented in this work with those of similar objects reported in the literature, we have found that LSB galaxies display sizes covering a quite extended continous range (reff 0.3-4.5 kpc), in contrast to "normal" early-type galaxies, which show reff 1.0 kpc with a low dispersion. This fact might point to different formation processes for both types of galaxies.

On the Nature of the Enigmatic Object IRAS 19312+1950: A Rare Phase of Massive Star Formation?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cordiner, M. A.; Boogert, A. C. A.; Charnley, S. B.; Justtanont, K.; Cox, N. L. J.; Smith, R. G.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Wirstrom, E. S.; Milam, S. N.; Keane, J. V.

2016-01-01

IRAS?19312+1950 is a peculiar object that has eluded firm characterization since its discovery, with combined maser properties similar to an evolved star and a young stellar object (YSO). To help determine its true nature, we obtained infrared spectra of IRAS?19312+1950 in the range 5-550 microns using the Herschel and Spitzer space observatories. The Herschel PACS maps exhibit a compact, slightly asymmetric continuum source at 170 microns, indicative of a large, dusty circumstellar envelope. The far-IR CO emission line spectrum reveals two gas temperature components: approx. = 0.22 Stellar Mass of material at 280+/-18 K, and ˜1.6 Me of material at 157+/-3 K. The OI 63 micron line is detected on-source but no significant emission from atomic ions was found. The HIFI observations display shocked, high-velocity gas with outflow speeds up to 90 km/s along the line of sight. From Spitzer spectroscopy, we identify ice absorption bands due to H2O at 5.8 microns and CO2 at 15 microns. The spectral energy distribution is consistent with a massive, luminous (approx. 2 × 10(exp 4) Stellar Luminosity) central source surrounded by a dense, warm circumstellar disk and envelope of total mass approx. 500-700 Stellar Mass with large bipolar outflow cavities. The combination of distinctive far-IR spectral features suggest that IRAS19312+1950 should be classified as an accreting, high-mass YSO rather than an evolved star. In light of this reclassification, IRAS19312+1950 becomes only the fifth high-mass protostar known to exhibit SiO maser activity, and demonstrates that 18 cm OH maser line ratios may not be reliable observational discriminators between evolved stars and YSOs.

The formation efficiency of different generations of HMXBs in the low metallicity environment of the SMC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antoniou, Vallia; Zezas, Andreas; Drake, Jeremy J.; Badenes, Carles; Hong, Jaesub; SMC XVP Collaboration

2018-01-01

Nearby star-forming galaxies offer a unique environment to study the populations of young (<100 Myr) X-ray binaries, which consist of a compact object - typically a neutron star or a black hole - powered by accretion from a companion star. These systems are tracers of past populations of massive stars that heavily affect their immediate environment and parent galaxies. The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is the ideal environment for population studies of young X-ray binaries by providing us with what the Milky Way cannot: A complete sample of X-ray sources within a galaxy. Using a Chandra X-ray Visionary program, we investigate the young neutron-star binary population in this low-metallicity, nearby, star-forming galaxy by reaching quiescent X-ray luminosity levels (~few times 1032 erg/s). In this talk, I will present the first measurement of the formation efficiency of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) as a function of the age of their parent stellar populations. We use three indicators of the formation efficiency of young accreting binaries in the low SMC metallicity: the number ratio of the HMXBs, N(HMXBs), to the number of OB stars, to the star-formation rate (SFR), and to the stellar mass produced during the specific star-formation burst they are associated with, all as a function of the age of their parent stellar populations. In all cases, we find that the HMXB formation efficiency increases as a function of time up to ~40—60 Myr, and then gradually decreases. The peak formation efficiency N(HMXB)/SFR is in good agreement with previous estimates of the average formation efficiency in the broad ~20—60 Myr age range, and a factor of at least ~8 and ~4 higher than the formation efficiency in earlier (~10 Myr) and later (~260 Myr) epochs. I will also present the deepest luminosity function ever recorded for a galaxy, and discuss the X-ray properties of the largest sample of extragalactic accreting pulsars as well.

MAD ADAPTIVE OPTICS IMAGING OF HIGH-LUMINOSITY QUASARS: A PILOT PROJECT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liuzzo, E.; Falomo, R.; Paiano, S.

2016-08-01

We present near-IR images of five luminous quasars at z ∼ 2 and one at z ∼ 4 obtained with an experimental adaptive optics (AO) instrument at the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope. The observations are part of a program aimed at demonstrating the capabilities of multi-conjugated adaptive optics imaging combined with the use of natural guide stars for high spatial resolution studies on large telescopes. The observations were mostly obtained under poor seeing conditions but in two cases. In spite of these nonoptimal conditions, the resulting images of point sources have cores of FWHM ∼ 0.2 arcsec. Wemore » are able to characterize the host galaxy properties for two sources and set stringent upper limits to the galaxy luminosity for the others. We also report on the expected capabilities for investigating the host galaxies of distant quasars with AO systems coupled with future Extremely Large Telescopes. Detailed simulations show that it will be possible to characterize compact (2–3 kpc) quasar host galaxies for quasi-stellar objects at z = 2 with nucleus K -magnitude spanning from 15 to 20 (corresponding to absolute magnitude −31 to −26) and host galaxies that are 4 mag fainter than their nuclei.« less

IUE observations of blue halo high luminosity stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hack, M.; Franco, M. L.; Stalio, R.

1981-01-01

Two high luminosity population II blue stars of high galactic latitude, BD+33 deg 2642 and HD 137569 were observed at high resolution. The stellar spectra show the effect of mass loss in BD+33 deg 2642 and abnormally weak metallic lines in HD 137569. The interstellar lines in the direction of BD+33 deg 2642, which lies at a height z greater than or equal to 6.2 kpc from the galactic plane, are split into two components. No high ionization stages are found at the low velocity component; nor can they be detected in the higher velocity clouds because of mixing with the corresponding stellar/circumstellar lines.

A Mid-Infrared Search for Kardashev Civilizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sigurdsson, Steinn; Wright, J.; Griffith, R.; Povich, M. S.

2014-01-01

We are using the WISE all-sky Source Catalog to search for and put upper limits on the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations with large energy supplies. Any galaxy-spanning (Type III) civilization with an energy supply of more than about one percent of its stellar luminosity will have detectable mid-infrared excess, and nearby (extended) galaxies with civilizations with supplies more than about 80% of their stellar luminosity will be well-distinguished from nearly all natural sources in WISE color-color space. Mid-infrared spectra, far-infrared photometry, and radio emission from CO can all be used to distinguish extraterrestrial mid-infrared radiation from dust.

STELLAR VELOCITY DISPERSION MEASUREMENTS IN HIGH-LUMINOSITY QUASAR HOSTS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE AGN BLACK HOLE MASS SCALE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grier, C. J.; Martini, P.; Peterson, B. M.

We present new stellar velocity dispersion measurements for four luminous quasars with the Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrometer instrument and the ALTAIR laser guide star adaptive optics system on the Gemini North 8 m telescope. Stellar velocity dispersion measurements and measurements of the supermassive black hole (BH) masses in luminous quasars are necessary to investigate the coevolution of BHs and galaxies, trace the details of accretion, and probe the nature of feedback. We find that higher-luminosity quasars with higher-mass BHs are not offset with respect to the M{sub BH}-{sigma}{sub *} relation exhibited by lower-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with lower-mass BHs,more » nor do we see correlations with galaxy morphology. As part of this analysis, we have recalculated the virial products for the entire sample of reverberation-mapped AGNs and used these data to redetermine the mean virial factor (f) that places the reverberation data on the quiescent M{sub BH}-{sigma}{sub *} relation. With our updated measurements and new additions to the AGN sample, we obtain (f) = 4.31 {+-} 1.05, which is slightly lower than, but consistent with, most previous determinations.« less

The contribution of dissolving star clusters to the population of ultra faint objects in the outer halo of the Milky Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Contenta, Filippo; Gieles, Mark; Balbinot, Eduardo; Collins, Michelle L. M.

2017-04-01

In the last decade, several ultra faint objects (UFOs, MV ≳ -3.5) have been discovered in the outer halo of the Milky Way. For some of these objects, it is not clear whether they are star clusters or (ultra faint) dwarf galaxies. In this work, we quantify the contribution of star clusters to the population of UFOs. We extrapolated the mass and Galactocentric radius distribution of the globular clusters using a population model, finding that the Milky Way contains about 3.3^{+7.3}_{-1.6} star clusters with MV ≳ -3.5 and Galactocentric radius ≥20 kpc. To understand whether dissolving clusters can appear as UFOs, we run a suite of direct N-body models, varying the orbit, the Galactic potential, the binary fraction and the black hole (BH) natal kick velocities. In the analyses, we consider observational biases such as luminosity limit, field stars and line-of-sight projection. We find that star clusters contribute to both the compact and the extended population of UFOs: clusters without BHs appear compact with radii ˜5 pc, while clusters that retain their BHs after formation have radii ≳ 20 pc. The properties of the extended clusters are remarkably similar to those of dwarf galaxies: high-inferred mass-to-light ratios due to binaries, binary properties mildly affected by dynamical evolution, no observable mass segregation and flattened stellar mass function. We conclude that the slope of the stellar mass function as a function of Galactocentric radius and the presence/absence of cold streams can discriminate between dark matter-free and dark matter-dominated UFOs.

LUMINOSITY FUNCTIONS OF SPITZER-IDENTIFIED PROTOSTARS IN NINE NEARBY MOLECULAR CLOUDS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kryukova, E.; Megeath, S. T.; Allen, T. S.

2012-08-15

We identify protostars in Spitzer surveys of nine star-forming (SF) molecular clouds within 1 kpc: Serpens, Perseus, Ophiuchus, Chamaeleon, Lupus, Taurus, Orion, Cep OB3, and Mon R2, which combined host over 700 protostar candidates. These clouds encompass a variety of SF environments, including both low-mass and high-mass SF regions, as well as dense clusters and regions of sparsely distributed star formation. Our diverse cloud sample allows us to compare protostar luminosity functions in these varied environments. We combine near- and mid-infrared photometry from the Two Micron All Sky Survey and Spitzer to create 1-24 {mu}m spectral energy distributions (SEDs). Usingmore » protostars from the c2d survey with well-determined bolometric luminosities, we derive a relationship between bolometric luminosity, mid-IR luminosity (integrated from 1-24 {mu}m), and SED slope. Estimations of the bolometric luminosities for protostar candidates are combined to create luminosity functions for each cloud. Contamination due to edge-on disks, reddened Class II sources, and galaxies is estimated and removed from the luminosity functions. We find that luminosity functions for high-mass SF clouds (Orion, Mon R2, and Cep OB3) peak near 1 L{sub Sun} and show a tail extending toward luminosities above 100 L{sub Sun }. The luminosity functions of the low-mass SF clouds (Serpens, Perseus, Ophiuchus, Taurus, Lupus, and Chamaeleon) do not exhibit a common peak, however the combined luminosity function of these regions peaks below 1 L{sub Sun }. Finally, we examine the luminosity functions as a function of the local surface density of young stellar objects. In the Orion molecular clouds, we find a significant difference between the luminosity functions of protostars in regions of high and low stellar density, the former of which is biased toward more luminous sources. This may be the result of primordial mass segregation, although this interpretation is not unique. We compare our luminosity functions to those predicted by models and find that our observed luminosity functions are best matched by models that invoke competitive accretion, although we do not find strong agreement between the high-mass SF clouds and any of the models.« less

Einstein X-ray survey of the Pleiades - The dependence of X-ray emission on stellar age

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Micela, G.; Sciortino, S.; Serio, S.; Vaiana, G. S.; Bookbinder, J.; Golub, L.; Harnden, F. R., Jr.; Rosner, R.

1985-01-01

The data obtained with two pointed observations of 1 deg by 1 deg fields of the Pleiades region have been analyzed, and the results are presented. The maximum-likelihood X-ray luminosity functions for the Pleiades G and K stars in the cluster are derived, and it is shown that, for the G stars, the Pleiades X-ray luminosity function is significantly brighter than the corresponding function for Hyades G dwarf stars. This finding indicates a dependence of X-ray luminosity on stellar age, which is confirmed by comparison of the same data with median X-ray luminosities of pre-main sequence and local disk population dwarf G stars. It is suggested that the significantly larger number of bright X-ray sources associated with G stars than with K stars, the lack of detection of M stars, and the relatively rapid rotation of the Pleiades K stars can be explained in terms of the onset of internal differential rotation near the convective envelope-radidative core interface after the spin-up phase during evolution to the main sequence.

Einstein Observatory survey of X-ray emission from solar-type stars - The late F and G dwarf stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maggio, A.; Sciortino, S.; Vaiana, G. S.; Majer, P.; Bookbinder, J.

1987-01-01

Results of a volume-limited X-ray survey of stars of luminosity classes IV and V in the spectral range F7-G9 observed with the Einstein Observatory are presented. Using survival analysis techniques, the stellar X-ray luminosity function in the 0.15-4.0 keV energy band for both single and multiple sources. It is shown that the difference in X-ray luminosity between these two classes of sources is consistent with the superposition of individual components in multiple-component systems, whose X-ray properties are similar to those of the single-component sources. The X-ray emission of the stars in our sample is well correlated with their chromospheric CA II H-K line emission and with their projected equatorial rotational velocity. Comparison of the X-ray luminosity function constructed for the sample of the dG stars of the local population with the corresponding functions derived elsewhere for the Hyades, the Pleiades, and the Orion Ic open cluster confirms that the level of X-ray emission decreases with stellar age.

Axions and the luminosity function of white dwarfs. The thin and thick disks, and the halo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isern, J.; García-Berro, E.; Torres, S.; Cojocaru, R.; Catalán, S.

2018-05-01

The evolution of white dwarfs is a simple gravothermal process of cooling. Since the shape of their luminosity function is sensitive to the characteristic cooling time, it is possible to use its slope to test the existence of additional sources or sinks of energy, such as those predicted by alternative physical theories. The aim of this paper is to study if the changes in the slope of the white dwarf luminosity function around bolometric magnitudes ranging from 8 to 10 and previously attributed to axion emission are, effectively, a consequence of the existence of axions and not an artifact introduced by the star formation rate. We compute theoretical luminosity functions of the thin and thick disk, and of the stellar halo including axion emission and we compare them with the existing observed luminosity functions. Since these stellar populations have different star formation histories, the slope change should be present in all of them at the same place if it is due to axions or any other intrinsic cooling mechanism. The signature of an unexpected cooling seems to be present in the luminosity functions of the thin and thick disks, as well as in the halo luminosity function. This additional cooling is compatible with axion emission, thus supporting to the idea that DFSZ axions, with a mass in the range of 4 to 10 meV, could exist. If this were the case, these axions could be detected by the future solar axioscope IAXO.

On the fundamental properties of dynamically hot galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kritsuk, Alexei G.

1997-01-01

A two-component isothermal equilibrium model is applied to reproduce basic structural properties of dynamically hot stellar systems immersed in their massive dark haloes. The origin of the fundamental plane relation for giant ellipticals is naturally explained as a consequence of dynamical equilibrium in the context of the model. The existence of two galactic families displaying different behaviour in the luminosity-surface-brightness diagram is shown to be a result of a smooth transition from dwarfs, dominated by dark matter near the centre, to giants dominated by the luminous stellar component. The comparison of empirical scaling relations with model predictions suggests that probably a unique dissipative process was operating during the violent stage of development of stellar systems in the dark haloes, and the depth of the potential well controlled the observed luminosity of the resulting galaxies. The interpretation also provides some restrictions on the properties of dark haloes implied by the fundamental scaling laws.

THE YOUNG STELLAR OBJECT POPULATION IN THE VELA-D MOLECULAR CLOUD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strafella, F.; Maruccia, Y.; Maiolo, B.

2015-01-10

We investigate the young stellar population in the Vela Molecular Ridge, Cloud-D, a star-forming region observed by both the Spitzer/NASA and Herschel/ESA space telescopes. The point-source, band-merged, Spitzer-IRAC catalog complemented with MIPS photometry previously obtained is used to search for candidate young stellar objects (YSOs), also including sources detected in less than four IRAC bands. Bona fide YSOs are selected by using appropriate color-color and color-magnitude criteria aimed at excluding both Galactic and extragalactic contaminants. The derived star formation rate and efficiency are compared with the same quantities characterizing other star-forming clouds. Additional photometric data, spanning from the near-IR tomore » the submillimeter, are used to evaluate both bolometric luminosity and temperature for 33 YSOs located in a region of the cloud observed by both Spitzer and Herschel. The luminosity-temperature diagram suggests that some of these sources are representative of Class 0 objects with bolometric temperatures below 70 K and luminosities of the order of the solar luminosity. Far-IR observations from the Herschel/Hi-GAL key project for a survey of the Galactic plane are also used to obtain a band-merged photometric catalog of Herschel sources intended to independently search for protostars. We find 122 Herschel cores located on the molecular cloud, 30 of which are protostellar and 92 of which are starless. The global protostellar luminosity function is obtained by merging the Spitzer and Herschel protostars. Considering that 10 protostars are found in both the Spitzer and Herschel lists, it follows that in the investigated region we find 53 protostars and that the Spitzer-selected protostars account for approximately two-thirds of the total.« less

Hidden Active Galactic Nuclei in Early-type Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paggi, Alessandro; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Civano, Francesca; Pellegrini, Silvia; Elvis, Martin; Kim, Dong-Woo

2016-06-01

We present a stacking analysis of the complete sample of early-type galaxies (ETGs) in the Chandra COSMOS (C-COSMOS) survey, to explore the nature of the X-ray luminosity in the redshift and stellar luminosity ranges 0\\lt z\\lt 1.5 and {10}9\\lt {L}K/{L}⊙ \\lt {10}13. Using established scaling relations, we subtract the contribution of X-ray binary populations to estimate the combined emission of hot ISM and active galactic nuclei (AGNs). To discriminate between the relative importance of these two components, we (1) compare our results with the relation observed in the local universe {L}X,{gas}\\propto {L}K4.5 for hot gaseous halos emission in ETGs, and (2) evaluate the spectral signature of each stacked bin. We find two regimes where the non-stellar X-ray emission is hard, consistent with AGN emission. First, there is evidence of hard, absorbed X-ray emission in stacked bins including relatively high z (˜1.2) ETGs with average high X-ray luminosity ({L}X {- {LMXB}}≳ 6× {10}42 {{erg}} {{{s}}}-1). These luminosities are consistent with the presence of highly absorbed “hidden” AGNs in these ETGs, which are not visible in their optical-IR spectra and spectral energy distributions. Second, confirming the early indication from our C-COSMOS study of X-ray detected ETGs, we find significantly enhanced X-ray luminosity in lower stellar mass ETGs ({L}K≲ {10}11{L}⊙ ), relative to the local {L}X,{gas}\\propto {L}K4.5 relation. The stacked spectra of these ETGs also suggest X-ray emission harder than expected from gaseous hot halos. This emission is consistent with inefficient accretion {10}-5-{10}-4{\\dot{M}}{Edd} onto {M}{BH}˜ {10}6-{10}8 {M}⊙ .

Clustering Properties of Emission Line Selected Galaxies over the past 12.5 Gyrs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khostovan, Ali Ahmad; Sobral, David; Mobasher, Bahram; Best, Philip N.; Smail, Ian; Matthee, Jorryt; Darvish, Behnam; Nayyeri, Hooshang; Hemmati, Shoubaneh; Stott, John P.

2018-01-01

In this talk, I will present my latest results on the clustering and dark matter halo (DMH) mass properties of ~7000 narrowband-selected [OIII] and [OII] emitters. I will briefly describe the past work that has been done with our samples (e.g., luminosity functions, evolution of equivalent widths) as motivation of using [OIII] and [OII] emitters to study clustering/halo properties. My talk will focus on our findings regarding the line luminosity and stellar mass dependencies with DMH mass. We find strongly increasing and redshift-independent trends between line luminosity and DMH mass with evidence for a shallower slope at the bright end consistent with halo masses of ~ 1012.5-13 M⊙. Similar, but weaker, trends between stellar mass and halo mass have also been found. We investigate the inter-dependencies of these trends on halo mass and find that the correlation with line luminosity is stronger than with stellar mass. This suggest that active galaxies may be connected with their host DMHs simply based on their emission line luminosity. If time permits, I will briefly present our most recent results using our sample of ~4000 Lyα emitters, where we find similar trends to that seen with the [OIII] and [OII] samples, as well as previous Hα measurements, which suggests galaxies selected based on emission lines may be tracing the same subpopulation of star forming galaxies. I will conclude my talk with an interpretation of this connection and suggest that the shallower slope seen for the brightest emitters is evidence for a transitional halo mass as suggested in models where quenching mechanisms truncate star formation activity and reduce the fraction of star forming galaxies with increasing halo mass.

Spin Evolution of Stellar Progenitors in Compact Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinle, Nathan; Kesden, Michael

2018-01-01

Understanding the effects of various processes on the spins of stellar progenitors in compact binary systems is important for modeling the binary’s evolution and thus for interpreting the gravitational radiation emitted during inspiral and merger. Tides, winds, and natal kicks can drastically modify the binary parameters: tidal interactions increase the spin magnitudes, align the spins with the orbital angular momentum, and circularize the orbit; stellar winds decrease the spin magnitudes and cause mass loss; and natal kicks can misalign the spins and orbital angular momentum or even disrupt the binary. Also, during Roche lobe overflow, the binary may experience either stable mass transfer or common envelope evolution. The former can lead to a mass ratio reversal and alter the component spins, while the latter can dramatically shrink the binary separation. For a wide range of physically reasonable stellar-evolution scenarios, we compare the timescales of these processes to assess their relative contributions in determining the initial spins of compact binary systems.

Classifying and Finding Nearby Compact Stellar Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colebaugh, Alexander; Cunningham, Devin; Dixon, Christopher; Romanowsky, Aaron; Striegel, Stephanie

2018-01-01

Compact stellar systems (CSSs) such as compact ellipticals (cEs) and ultracompact dwarfs (UCDs) are relatively rare and poorly understood types of galaxies. To build a more complete picture of these objects, we create search queries using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, to inventory CSSs in the nearby universe and to explore their properties. We develop an objective set of criteria for classifying cEs, and use these to construct a large, novel catalog of cEs both during and after formation. We also investigate the numbers of cEs and UCDs around nearby giant galaxies.

A high stellar velocity dispersion for a compact massive galaxy at redshift z = 2.186.

PubMed

van Dokkum, Pieter G; Kriek, Mariska; Franx, Marijn

2009-08-06

Recent studies have found that the oldest and most luminous galaxies in the early Universe are surprisingly compact, having stellar masses similar to present-day elliptical galaxies but much smaller sizes. This finding has attracted considerable attention, as it suggests that massive galaxies have grown in size by a factor of about five over the past ten billion years (10 Gyr). A key test of these results is a determination of the stellar kinematics of one of the compact galaxies: if the sizes of these objects are as extreme as has been claimed, their stars are expected to have much higher velocities than those in present-day galaxies of the same mass. Here we report a measurement of the stellar velocity dispersion of a massive compact galaxy at redshift z = 2.186, corresponding to a look-back time of 10.7 Gyr. The velocity dispersion is very high at km s(-1), consistent with the mass and compactness of the galaxy inferred from photometric data. This would indicate significant recent structural and dynamical evolution of massive galaxies over the past 10 Gyr. The uncertainty in the dispersion was determined from simulations that include the effects of noise and template mismatch. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that some subtle systematic effect may have influenced the analysis, given the low signal-to-noise ratio of our spectrum.

Hypercompact Stellar Systems Around Recoiling Supermassive Black Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merritt, David; Schnittman, Jeremy D.; Komossa, S.

2009-07-01

A supermassive black hole ejected from the center of a galaxy by gravitational-wave recoil carries a retinue of bound stars—a "hypercompact stellar system" (HCSS). The numbers and properties of HCSSs contain information about the merger histories of galaxies, the late evolution of binary black holes, and the distribution of gravitational-wave kicks. We relate the structural properties (size, mass, density profile) of HCSSs to the properties of their host galaxies and to the size of the kick in two regimes: collisional (M BH lsim 107 M sun), i.e., short nuclear relaxation times, and collisionless (M BH gsim 107 M sun), i.e., long nuclear relaxation times. HCSSs are expected to be similar in size and luminosity to globular clusters, but in extreme cases (large galaxies, kicks just above escape velocity) their stellar mass can approach that of ultracompact dwarf galaxies. However, they differ from all other classes of compact stellar system in having very high internal velocities. We show that the kick velocity is encoded in the velocity dispersion of the bound stars. Given a large enough sample of HCSSs, the distribution of gravitational-wave kicks can therefore be empirically determined. We combine a hierarchical merger algorithm with stellar population models to compute the rate of production of HCSSs over time and the probability of observing HCSSs in the local universe as a function of their apparent magnitude, color, size, and velocity dispersion, under two different assumptions about the star formation history prior to the kick. We predict that ~102 HCSSs should be detectable within 2 Mpc of the center of the Virgo cluster, and that many of these should be bright enough that their kick velocities (i.e., velocity dispersions) could be measured with reasonable exposure times. We discuss other strategies for detecting HCSSs and speculate on some exotic manifestations.

Stellar Populations in BL Lac type Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serote Roos, Margarida

The relationship between an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) and its host galaxy is a crucial question in the study of galaxy evolution. We present an estimate of the stellar contribution in a sample of low luminosity BL Lac type objects. We have performed stellar population synthesis for a sample of 19 objects selected from Marchã et al. (1996, MNRAS 281, 425). The stellar content is quantified using the equivalent widths of all absorption features available throughout the spectrum. The synthesis is done by a variant of the GPG method (Pelat: 1997, MNRAS 284, 365).

COLA. III. RADIO DETECTION OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS IN COMPACT MODERATE LUMINOSITY INFRARED GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parra, R.; Conway, J. E.; Aalto, S.

2010-09-01

We present results from 4.8 GHz Very Large Array (VLA) and global very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of the northern half of the moderate FIR luminosity (median L{sub IR} = 10{sup 11.01} L{sub sun}) COLA sample of star-forming galaxies. VLBI sources are detected in a high fraction (20/90) of the galaxies observed. The radio luminosities of these cores ({approx}10{sup 21} W Hz{sup -1}) are too large to be explained by radio supernovae or supernova remnants and we argue that they are instead powered by active galactic nuclei (AGNs). These sub-parsec scale radio cores are preferentially detected toward galaxies whosemore » VLA maps show bright 100-500 parsec scale nuclear radio components. Since these latter structures tightly follow the FIR to radio-continuum correlation for star formation, we conclude that the AGN-powered VLBI sources are associated with compact nuclear starburst environments. The implications for possible starburst-AGN connections are discussed. The detected VLBI sources have a relatively narrow range of radio luminosity consistent with models in which intense compact Eddington-limited starbursts regulate the gas supply onto a central supermassive black hole. The high incidence of AGN radio cores in compact starbursts suggests little or no delay between the starburst phase and the onset of AGN activity.« less

The Dark Energy Survey view of the Sagittarius stream: Discovery of two faint stellar system candidates

DOE PAGES

Luque, E.; Pieres, A.; Santiago, B.; ...

2017-02-17

We report the discovery of two new candidate stellar systems in the constellation of Cetus using the data from the first two years of the Dark Energy Survey (DES). The objects, DES J0111–1341 and DES J0225+0304, are located at a heliocentric distance of ~25 kpc and appear to have old and metal-poor populations. Their distances to the Sagittarius orbital plane, ~1.73 kpc (DES J0111–1341) and ~0.50 kpc (DES J0225+0304), indicate that they are possibly associated with the Sagittarius dwarf stream. The half-light radius (rh ≃ 4.55 pc) and luminosity (MV ≃ +0.3) of DES J0111–1341 are consistent with it beingmore » an ultrafaint stellar cluster, while the half-light radius (rh ≃ 18.55 pc) and luminosity (MV ≃ –1.1) of DES J0225+0304 place it in an ambiguous region of size–luminosity space between stellar clusters and dwarf galaxies. Determinations of the characteristic parameters of the Sagittarius stream, metallicity spread (–2.18 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲ –0.95) and distance gradient (23 kpc ≲ D⊙ ≲ 29 kpc), within the DES footprint in the Southern hemisphere, using the same DES data, also indicate a possible association between these systems. If these objects are confirmed through spectroscopic follow-up to be gravitationally bound systems and to share a Galactic trajectory with the Sagittarius stream, DES J0111–1341 and DES J0225+0304 would be the first ultrafaint stellar systems associated with the Sagittarius stream. Moreover, DES J0225+0304 would also be the first confirmed case of an ultrafaint satellite of a satellite.« less

Modelling accretion disc and stellar wind interactions: the case of Sgr A.

PubMed

Christie, I M; Petropoulou, M; Mimica, P; Giannios, D

2016-07-01

Sgr A* is an ideal target to study low-luminosity accreting systems. It has been recently proposed that properties of the accretion flow around Sgr A* can be probed through its interactions with the stellar wind of nearby massive stars belonging to the S-cluster. When a star intercepts the accretion disc, the ram and thermal pressures of the disc terminate the stellar wind leading to the formation of a bow shock structure. Here, a semi-analytical model is constructed which describes the geometry of the termination shock formed in the wind. With the employment of numerical hydrodynamic simulations, this model is both verified and extended to a region prone to Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities. Because the characteristic wind and stellar velocities are in ∼10 8  cm s -1 range, the shocked wind may produce detectable X-rays via thermal bremsstrahlung emission. The application of this model to the pericentre passage of S2, the brightest member of the S-cluster, shows that the shocked wind produces roughly a month long X-ray flare with a peak luminosity of L ≈ 4 × 10 33  erg s -1 for a stellar mass-loss rate, disc number density, and thermal pressure strength of [Formula: see text], n d  = 10 5  cm -3 , and α = 0.1, respectively. This peak luminosity is comparable to the quiescent X-ray emission detected from Sgr A* and is within the detection capabilities of current X-ray observatories. Its detection could constrain the density and thickness of the disc at a distance of ∼3000 gravitational radii from the supermassive black hole.

The Dark Energy Survey view of the Sagittarius stream: discovery of two faint stellar system candidates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luque, E.; Pieres, A.; Santiago, B.; Yanny, B.; Vivas, A. K.; Queiroz, A.; Drlica-Wagner, A.; Morganson, E.; Balbinot, E.; Marshall, J. L.; Li, T. S.; Neto, A. Fausti; da Costa, L. N.; Maia, M. A. G.; Bechtol, K.; Kim, A. G.; Bernstein, G. M.; Dodelson, S.; Whiteway, L.; Diehl, H. T.; Finley, D. A.; Abbott, T.; Abdalla, F. B.; Allam, S.; Annis, J.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Bertin, E.; Brooks, D.; Burke, D. L.; Rosell, A. Carnero; Kind, M. Carrasco; Carretero, J.; Cunha, C. E.; D'Andrea, C. B.; Desai, S.; Doel, P.; Evrard, A. E.; Flaugher, B.; Fosalba, P.; Gerdes, D. W.; Goldstein, D. A.; Gruen, D.; Gruendl, R. A.; Gutierrez, G.; James, D. J.; Kuehn, K.; Kuropatkin, N.; Lahav, O.; Martini, P.; Miquel, R.; Nord, B.; Ogando, R.; Plazas, A. A.; Romer, A. K.; Sanchez, E.; Scarpine, V.; Schubnell, M.; Sevilla-Noarbe, I.; Smith, R. C.; Soares-Santos, M.; Sobreira, F.; Suchyta, E.; Swanson, M. E. C.; Tarle, G.; Thomas, D.; Walker, A. R.

2017-06-01

We report the discovery of two new candidate stellar systems in the constellation of Cetus using the data from the first two years of the Dark Energy Survey (DES). The objects, DES J0111-1341 and DES J0225+0304, are located at a heliocentric distance of ˜25 kpc and appear to have old and metal-poor populations. Their distances to the Sagittarius orbital plane, ˜1.73 kpc (DES J0111-1341) and ˜0.50 kpc (DES J0225+0304), indicate that they are possibly associated with the Sagittarius dwarf stream. The half-light radius (rh ≃ 4.55 pc) and luminosity (MV ≃ +0.3) of DES J0111-1341 are consistent with it being an ultrafaint stellar cluster, while the half-light radius (rh ≃ 18.55 pc) and luminosity (MV ≃ -1.1) of DES J0225+0304 place it in an ambiguous region of size-luminosity space between stellar clusters and dwarf galaxies. Determinations of the characteristic parameters of the Sagittarius stream, metallicity spread (-2.18 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲ -0.95) and distance gradient (23 kpc ≲ D⊙ ≲ 29 kpc), within the DES footprint in the Southern hemisphere, using the same DES data, also indicate a possible association between these systems. If these objects are confirmed through spectroscopic follow-up to be gravitationally bound systems and to share a Galactic trajectory with the Sagittarius stream, DES J0111-1341 and DES J0225+0304 would be the first ultrafaint stellar systems associated with the Sagittarius stream. Furthermore, DES J0225+0304 would also be the first confirmed case of an ultrafaint satellite of a satellite.

The Dark Energy Survey view of the Sagittarius stream: Discovery of two faint stellar system candidates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luque, E.; Pieres, A.; Santiago, B.

We report the discovery of two new candidate stellar systems in the constellation of Cetus using the data from the first two years of the Dark Energy Survey (DES). The objects, DES J0111–1341 and DES J0225+0304, are located at a heliocentric distance of ~25 kpc and appear to have old and metal-poor populations. Their distances to the Sagittarius orbital plane, ~1.73 kpc (DES J0111–1341) and ~0.50 kpc (DES J0225+0304), indicate that they are possibly associated with the Sagittarius dwarf stream. The half-light radius (rh ≃ 4.55 pc) and luminosity (MV ≃ +0.3) of DES J0111–1341 are consistent with it beingmore » an ultrafaint stellar cluster, while the half-light radius (rh ≃ 18.55 pc) and luminosity (MV ≃ –1.1) of DES J0225+0304 place it in an ambiguous region of size–luminosity space between stellar clusters and dwarf galaxies. Determinations of the characteristic parameters of the Sagittarius stream, metallicity spread (–2.18 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲ –0.95) and distance gradient (23 kpc ≲ D⊙ ≲ 29 kpc), within the DES footprint in the Southern hemisphere, using the same DES data, also indicate a possible association between these systems. If these objects are confirmed through spectroscopic follow-up to be gravitationally bound systems and to share a Galactic trajectory with the Sagittarius stream, DES J0111–1341 and DES J0225+0304 would be the first ultrafaint stellar systems associated with the Sagittarius stream. Moreover, DES J0225+0304 would also be the first confirmed case of an ultrafaint satellite of a satellite.« less

Metallicity gradients in local field star-forming galaxies: insights on inflows, outflows, and the coevolution of gas, stars and metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, I.-Ting; Kudritzki, Rolf-Peter; Kewley, Lisa J.; Zahid, H. Jabran; Dopita, Michael A.; Bresolin, Fabio; Rupke, David S. N.

2015-04-01

We present metallicity gradients in 49 local field star-forming galaxies. We derive gas-phase oxygen abundances using two widely adopted metallicity calibrations based on the [O III]/Hβ, [N II]/Hα, and [N II]/[O II] line ratios. The two derived metallicity gradients are usually in good agreement within ± 0.14 dex R_{25}^{-1} (R25 is the B-band iso-photoal radius), but the metallicity gradients can differ significantly when the ionization parameters change systematically with radius. We investigate the metallicity gradients as a function of stellar mass (8 < log (M*/M⊙) < 11) and absolute B-band luminosity (-16 > MB > -22). When the metallicity gradients are expressed in dex kpc-1, we show that galaxies with lower mass and luminosity, on average, have steeper metallicity gradients. When the metallicity gradients are expressed in dex R_{25}^{-1}, we find no correlation between the metallicity gradients, and stellar mass and luminosity. We provide a local benchmark metallicity gradient of field star-forming galaxies useful for comparison with studies at high redshifts. We investigate the origin of the local benchmark gradient using simple chemical evolution models and observed gas and stellar surface density profiles in nearby field spiral galaxies. Our models suggest that the local benchmark gradient is a direct result of the coevolution of gas and stellar disc under virtually closed-box chemical evolution when the stellar-to-gas mass ratio becomes high (≫0.3). These models imply low current mass accretion rates ( ≲ 0.3 × SFR), and low-mass outflow rates ( ≲ 3 × SFR) in local field star-forming galaxies.

Planetary nebulae populations as tracers of the stellar kinematics and light in the outer halos of galaxies and the intracluster regions in the nearby clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnaboldi, Magda

2015-08-01

Planetary nebulae have been used sucessfully to trace the kinematics of stars and the spatial distribution of the parent stellar populations in regions where the continuum of the integrated light is only 1% of the night sky. The observed wavelength of the PN strong emission in the [OIII] line at 5007 A measures the line-of-sight velocity of that single star and can be used to derive the two-dimensional velocity fields in these extreme outer regions of galaxies and their angular momentum content out to 10 effective radii. The specific frequency or the PN luminosity number and the morphology of the PN luminosity function are probes of the properties of the parent stellar population, like the star formation history and metallicity. I will present the latest results from the survey of PN population in external galaxies and in the Virgo cluster, and the implications on the coexistence of galaxy halos and intracluster light, and the constraints of their stellar motions and physical parameters.

A mass of less than 15 solar masses for the black hole in an ultraluminous X-ray source.

PubMed

Motch, C; Pakull, M W; Soria, R; Grisé, F; Pietrzyński, G

2014-10-09

Most ultraluminous X-ray sources have a typical set of properties not seen in Galactic stellar-mass black holes. They have luminosities of more than 3 × 10(39) ergs per second, unusually soft X-ray components (with a typical temperature of less than about 0.3 kiloelectronvolts) and a characteristic downturn in their spectra above about 5 kiloelectronvolts. Such puzzling properties have been interpreted either as evidence of intermediate-mass black holes or as emission from stellar-mass black holes accreting above their Eddington limit, analogous to some Galactic black holes at peak luminosity. Recently, a very soft X-ray spectrum was observed in a rare and transient stellar-mass black hole. Here we report that the X-ray source P13 in the galaxy NGC 7793 is in a binary system with a period of about 64 days and exhibits all three canonical properties of ultraluminous sources. By modelling the strong optical and ultraviolet modulations arising from X-ray heating of the B9Ia donor star, we constrain the black hole mass to be less than 15 solar masses. Our results demonstrate that in P13, soft thermal emission and spectral curvature are indeed signatures of supercritical accretion. By analogy, ultraluminous X-ray sources with similar X-ray spectra and luminosities of up to a few times 10(40) ergs per second can be explained by supercritical accretion onto massive stellar-mass black holes.

Mapping out the origins of compact stellar systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Brodie, Jean P.; SAGES Collaboration

2017-03-01

We present a suite of extragalactic explorations of the origins and nature of globular clusters (GCs) and ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs), and the connections between them. An example of GC metallicity bimodality is shown to reflect underlying, distinct metal-poor and metal-rich stellar halo populations. Metallicity-matching methods are used to trace the birth sites and epochs of GCs in giant E/S0s, pointing to clumpy disk galaxies at z ~ 3 for the metal-rich GCs, and to a combination of accreted and in-situ formation modes at z ~ 5-6 for the metal-poor GCs. An increasingly diverse zoo of compact stellar systems is being discovered, including objects that bridge the gaps between UCDs and faint fuzzies, and between UCDs and compact ellipticals. Many of these have properties pointing to origins as the stripped nuclei of larger galaxies, and a smoking-gun example is presented of an ω Cen-like star cluster embedded in a tidal stream.

AN EMPIRICAL CALIBRATION TO ESTIMATE COOL DWARF FUNDAMENTAL PARAMETERS FROM H-BAND SPECTRA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Newton, Elisabeth R.; Charbonneau, David; Irwin, Jonathan

Interferometric radius measurements provide a direct probe of the fundamental parameters of M dwarfs. However, interferometry is within reach for only a limited sample of nearby, bright stars. We use interferometrically measured radii, bolometric luminosities, and effective temperatures to develop new empirical calibrations based on low-resolution, near-infrared spectra. We find that H-band Mg and Al spectral features are good tracers of stellar properties, and derive functions that relate effective temperature, radius, and log luminosity to these features. The standard deviations in the residuals of our best fits are, respectively, 73 K, 0.027 R {sub ☉}, and 0.049 dex (an 11% error on luminosity).more » Our calibrations are valid from mid K to mid M dwarf stars, roughly corresponding to temperatures between 3100 and 4800 K. We apply our H-band relationships to M dwarfs targeted by the MEarth transiting planet survey and to the cool Kepler Objects of Interest (KOIs). We present spectral measurements and estimated stellar parameters for these stars. Parallaxes are also available for many of the MEarth targets, allowing us to independently validate our calibrations by demonstrating a clear relationship between our inferred parameters and the stars' absolute K magnitudes. We identify objects with magnitudes that are too bright for their inferred luminosities as candidate multiple systems. We also use our estimated luminosities to address the applicability of near-infrared metallicity calibrations to mid and late M dwarfs. The temperatures we infer for the KOIs agree remarkably well with those from the literature; however, our stellar radii are systematically larger than those presented in previous works that derive radii from model isochrones. This results in a mean planet radius that is 15% larger than one would infer using the stellar properties from recent catalogs. Our results confirm the derived parameters from previous in-depth studies of KOIs 961 (Kepler-42), 254 (Kepler-45), and 571 (Kepler-186), the latter of which hosts a rocky planet orbiting in its star's habitable zone.« less

Star and Dust Formation Activities in AzTEC-3, a Starburst Galaxy at z = 5.3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dwek, Eli; Staguhn, Johannes G.; Arendt, Richard G.; Capak, Peter L.; Kovacs, Attila; Benford, Dominic J.; Fixsen, Dale; Karim, Alexander; Leclercq, Samuel; Maher, Stephen F.; Moseley, Samuel H.; Schinnerer, Eva; Sharp, Elmer H.

2011-09-01

Analyses of high-redshift ultraluminous infrared (IR) galaxies traditionally use the observed optical to submillimeter spectral energy distribution (SED) and estimates of the dynamical mass as observational constraints to derive the star formation rate (SFR), the stellar mass, and age of these objects. An important observational constraint neglected in the analysis is the mass of dust giving rise to the IR emission. In this paper we add this constraint to the analysis of AzTEC-3. Adopting an upper limit to the mass of stars and a bolometric luminosity for this object, we construct different stellar and chemical evolutionary scenarios, constrained to produce the inferred dust mass and observed luminosity before the associated stellar mass exceeds the observational limit. We use the PÉGASE population synthesis code and a chemical evolution model to follow the evolution of the galaxy's SED and its stellar and dust masses as a function of galactic age for seven different stellar initial mass functions (IMFs). We find that the model with a Top Heavy IMF provided the most plausible scenario consistent with the observational constraints. In this scenario the dust formed over a period of ~200 Myr, with an SFR of ~500 M sun yr-1. These values for the age and SFR in AzTEC-3 are significantly higher and lower, respectively, from those derived without the dust mass constraint. However, this scenario is not unique, and others cannot be completely ruled out because of the prevailing uncertainties in the age of the galaxy, its bolometric luminosity, and its stellar and dust masses. A robust result of our models is that all scenarios require most of the radiating dust mass to have been accreted in molecular clouds. Our new procedure highlights the importance of a multiwavelength approach, and of the use of dust evolution models in constraining the age and the star formation activity and history in galaxies.

STAR AND DUST FORMATION ACTIVITIES IN AzTEC-3, A STARBURST GALAXY AT z = 5.3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dwek, Eli; Staguhn, Johannes G.; Arendt, Richard G.

2011-09-01

Analyses of high-redshift ultraluminous infrared (IR) galaxies traditionally use the observed optical to submillimeter spectral energy distribution (SED) and estimates of the dynamical mass as observational constraints to derive the star formation rate (SFR), the stellar mass, and age of these objects. An important observational constraint neglected in the analysis is the mass of dust giving rise to the IR emission. In this paper we add this constraint to the analysis of AzTEC-3. Adopting an upper limit to the mass of stars and a bolometric luminosity for this object, we construct different stellar and chemical evolutionary scenarios, constrained to producemore » the inferred dust mass and observed luminosity before the associated stellar mass exceeds the observational limit. We use the PEGASE population synthesis code and a chemical evolution model to follow the evolution of the galaxy's SED and its stellar and dust masses as a function of galactic age for seven different stellar initial mass functions (IMFs). We find that the model with a Top Heavy IMF provided the most plausible scenario consistent with the observational constraints. In this scenario the dust formed over a period of {approx}200 Myr, with an SFR of {approx}500 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}. These values for the age and SFR in AzTEC-3 are significantly higher and lower, respectively, from those derived without the dust mass constraint. However, this scenario is not unique, and others cannot be completely ruled out because of the prevailing uncertainties in the age of the galaxy, its bolometric luminosity, and its stellar and dust masses. A robust result of our models is that all scenarios require most of the radiating dust mass to have been accreted in molecular clouds. Our new procedure highlights the importance of a multiwavelength approach, and of the use of dust evolution models in constraining the age and the star formation activity and history in galaxies.« less

The X-Ray Luminosity Functions of Field Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries in Early-Type Galaxies: Evidence for a Stellar Age Dependence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lehmer, B. D.; Berkeley, M.; Zezas, A.; Alexander, D. M.; Basu-Zych, A.; Bauer, F. E.; Brandt, W. N.; Fragos, T.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Kalogera, V.;

Probing stellar mass build-up in galaxies at z=4-7 with CANDELS and S-CANDELS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Mimi; Finkelstein, Steven L.; Ashby, Matthew; Merlin, Emiliano

2015-01-01

Over the last few years the advent of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 has enabled us to build statistically significant samples of galaxies out to z=8. We have subsequently witnessed remarkable progress in our understanding of galaxy evolution in the early universe. However, our understanding of the galaxy stellar mass growth in this era has been limited due to the lack of rest-frame optical data at a comparable depth as the HST data. Here we present results on the galaxy stellar mass function at z=4-7 from a sample of ~7500 galaxies over an area of ~280 square arcmin in the CANDELS GOODS-South and North fields, as well as the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. Utilizing deep IRAC data from the S-CANDELS and IUDF10 programs to robustly constrain the stellar masses of galaxies in our sample, we measure the stellar-mass to rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) luminosity trends in each of our redshift bins. We convolve these trends with recent measurements of the rest-frame ultraviolet luminosity function to derive the stellar mass functions. Contrary to initial studies at these redshifts, we find steeper low-mass-end slopes (-1.6 at z=4, and -2.0 at z=7), similar to recent simulations. Our results provide the most accurate estimates to date of the cosmic stellar mass density over the first two billion years after the Big Bang.

Millimetre-wave emission from an intermediate-mass black hole candidate in the Milky Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oka, Tomoharu; Tsujimoto, Shiho; Iwata, Yuhei; Nomura, Mariko; Takekawa, Shunya

2017-10-01

It is widely accepted that black holes with masses greater than a million solar masses (M⊙) lurk at the centres of massive galaxies. The origins of such `supermassive' black holes (SMBHs) remain unknown1, although those of stellar-mass black holes are well understood. One possible scenario is that intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs), which are formed by the runaway coalescence of stars in young compact star clusters2, merge at the centre of a galaxy to form a SMBH3. Although many candidates for IMBHs have been proposed, none is accepted as definitive. Recently, we discovered a peculiar molecular cloud, CO-0.40-0.22, with an extremely broad velocity width, near the centre of our Milky Way galaxy. Based on the careful analysis of gas kinematics, we concluded that a compact object with a mass of about 105M⊙ is lurking in this cloud4. Here we report the detection of a point-like continuum source as well as a compact gas clump near the centre of CO-0.40-0.22. This point-like continuum source (CO-0.40-0.22*) has a wide-band spectrum consistent with 1/500 of the Galactic SMBH (Sgr A*) in luminosity. Numerical simulations around a point-like massive object reproduce the kinematics of dense molecular gas well, which suggests that CO-0.40-0.22* is one of the most promising candidates for an intermediate-mass black hole.

Dark Matter under the Microscope: Constraining Compact Dark Matter with Caustic Crossing Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diego, Jose M.; Kaiser, Nick; Broadhurst, Tom; Kelly, Patrick L.; Rodney, Steve; Morishita, Takahiro; Oguri, Masamune; Ross, Timothy W.; Zitrin, Adi; Jauzac, Mathilde; Richard, Johan; Williams, Liliya; Vega-Ferrero, Jesus; Frye, Brenda; Filippenko, Alexei V.

2018-04-01

A galaxy cluster acts as a cosmic telescope over background galaxies but also as a cosmic microscope magnifying the imperfections of the lens. The diverging magnification of lensing caustics enhances the microlensing effect of substructure present within the lensing mass. Fine-scale structure can be accessed as a moving background source brightens and disappears when crossing these caustics. The recent discovery of a distant lensed star near the Einstein radius of the galaxy cluster MACSJ1149.5+2223 allows a rare opportunity to reach subsolar-mass microlensing through a supercritical column of cluster matter. Here we compare these observations with high-resolution ray-tracing simulations that include stellar microlensing set by the observed intracluster starlight and also primordial black holes that may be responsible for the recently observed LIGO events. We explore different scenarios with microlenses from the intracluster medium and black holes, including primordial ones, and examine strategies to exploit these unique alignments. We find that the best constraints on the fraction of compact dark matter (DM) in the small-mass regime can be obtained in regions of the cluster where the intracluster medium plays a negligible role. This new lensing phenomenon should be widespread and can be detected within modest-redshift lensed galaxies so that the luminosity distance is not prohibitive for detecting individual magnified stars. High-cadence Hubble Space Telescope monitoring of several such optimal arcs will be rewarded by an unprecedented mass spectrum of compact objects that can contribute to uncovering the nature of DM.

Dry minor mergers and size evolution of high-z compact massive early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oogi, Taira; Habe, Asao

2012-09-01

Recent observations show evidence that high-z (z ~ 2 - 3) early-type galaxies (ETGs) are quite compact than that with comparable mass at z ~ 0. Dry merger scenario is one of the most probable one that can explain such size evolution. However, previous studies based on this scenario do not succeed to explain both properties of high-z compact massive ETGs and local ETGs, consistently. We investigate effects of sequential, multiple dry minor (stellar mass ratio M2/M1<1/4) mergers on the size evolution of compact massive ETGs. We perform N-body simulations of the sequential minor mergers with parabolic and head-on orbits, including a dark matter component and a stellar component. We show that the sequential minor mergers of compact satellite galaxies are the most efficient in the size growth and in decrease of the velocity dispersion of the compact massive ETGs. The change of stellar size and density of the merger remnant is consistent with the recent observations. Furthermore, we construct the merger histories of candidates of high-z compact massive ETGs using the Millennium Simulation Database, and estimate the size growth of the galaxies by dry minor mergers. We can reproduce the mean size growth factor between z = 2 and z = 0, assuming the most efficient size growth obtained in the case of the sequential minor mergers in our simulations.

Observing Stellar Clusters in the Computer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borch, A.; Spurzem, R.; Hurley, J.

2006-08-01

We present a new approach to combine direct N-body simulations to stellar population synthesis modeling in order to model the dynamical evolution and color evolution of globular clusters at the same time. This allows us to model the spectrum, colors and luminosities of each star in the simulated cluster. For this purpose the NBODY6++ code (Spurzem 1999) is used, which is a parallel version of the NBODY code. J. Hurley implemented simple recipes to follow the changes of stellar masses, radii, and luminosities due to stellar evolution into the NBODY6++ code (Hurley et al. 2001), in the sense that each simulation particle represents one star. These prescriptions cover all evolutionary phases and solar to globular cluster metallicities. We used the stellar parameters obtained by this stellar evolution routine and coupled them to the stellar library BaSeL 2.0 (Lejeune et al. 1997). As a first application we investigated the integrated broad band colors of simulated clusters. We modeled tidally disrupted globular clusters and compared the results with isolated globular clusters. Due to energy equipartition we expected a relative blueing of tidally disrupted clusters, because of the higher escape probability of red, low-mass stars. This behaviour we actually observe for concentrated globular clusters. The mass-to-light ratio of isolated clusters follows exactly a color-M/L correlation, similar as described in Bell and de Jong (2001) in the case of spiral galaxies. At variance to this correlation, in tidally disrupted clusters the M/L ratio becomes significantly lower at the time of cluster dissolution. Hence, for isolated clusters the behavior of the stellar population is not influenced by dynamical evolution, whereas the stellar population of tidally disrupted clusters is strongly influenced by dynamical effects.

Testing the Universality of the Stellar IMF with Chandra and HST

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coulter, D. A.; Lehmer, B. D.; Eufrasio, R. T.; Kundu, A.; Maccarone, T.; Peacock, M.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Basu-Zych, A.; Gonzalez, A. H.; Maraston, C.;

Relativistic model for anisotropic strange stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deb, Debabrata; Chowdhury, Sourav Roy; Ray, Saibal; Rahaman, Farook; Guha, B. K.

2017-12-01

In this article, we attempt to find a singularity free solution of Einstein's field equations for compact stellar objects, precisely strange (quark) stars, considering Schwarzschild metric as the exterior spacetime. To this end, we consider that the stellar object is spherically symmetric, static and anisotropic in nature and follows the density profile given by Mak and Harko (2002) , which satisfies all the physical conditions. To investigate different properties of the ultra-dense strange stars we have employed the MIT bag model for the quark matter. Our investigation displays an interesting feature that the anisotropy of compact stars increases with the radial coordinate and attains its maximum value at the surface which seems an inherent property for the singularity free anisotropic compact stellar objects. In this connection we also perform several tests for physical features of the proposed model and show that these are reasonably acceptable within certain range. Further, we find that the model is consistent with the energy conditions and the compact stellar structure is stable with the validity of the TOV equation and Herrera cracking concept. For the masses below the maximum mass point in mass vs radius curve the typical behavior achieved within the framework of general relativity. We have calculated the maximum mass and radius of the strange stars for the three finite values of bag constant Bg.

Grain formation around carbon stars. 1: Stationary outflow models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Egan, Michael P.; Leung, Chun Ming

1995-01-01

Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are known to be sites of dust formation and undergo significant mass loss. The outflow is believed to be driven by radiation pressure on grains and momentum coupling between the grains and gas. While the physics of shell dynamics and grain formation are closely coupled, most previous models of circumstellar shells have treated the problem separately. Studies of shell dynamics typically assume the existence of grains needed to drive the outflow, while most grain formation models assume a constant veolcity wind in which grains form. Furthermore, models of grain formation have relied primarily on classical nucleation theory instead of using a more realistic approach based on chemical kinetics. To model grain formation in carbon-rich AGB stars, we have coupled the kinetic equations governing small cluster growth to moment equations which determine the growth of large particles. Phenomenological models assuming stationary outflow are presented to demonstrate the differences between the classical nucleation approach and the kinetic equation method. It is found that classical nucleation theory predicts nucleation at a lower supersaturation ratio than is predicted by the kinetic equations, resulting in significant differences in grain properties. Coagulation of clusters larger than monomers is unimportant for grain formation in high mass-loss models but becomes more important to grain growth in low mass-loss situations. The properties of the dust grains are altered considerably if differential drift velocities are ignored in modeling grain formation. The effect of stellar temperature, stellar luminosity, and different outflow velocities are investigated. The models indicate that changing the stellar temperature while keeping the stellar luminosity constant has little effect on the physical parameters of the dust shell formed. Increasing the stellar luminosity while keeping the stellar temperature constant results in large differences in grain properties. For small outflow velocities, grains form at lower supersaturation ratios and close to the stellar photosphere, resulting in larger but fewer grains. The reverse is true when grains form under high outflow velocities, i.e., they form at higher supersaturation ratios, farther from the star, and are much smaller but at larger quantities.

Herschel-ATLAS: the surprising diversity of dust-selected galaxies in the local submillimetre Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, C. J. R.; Dunne, L.; Gomez, H. L.; Maddox, S.; De Vis, P.; Smith, M. W. L.; Eales, S. A.; Baes, M.; Bendo, G. J.; Bourne, N.; Driver, S. P.; Dye, S.; Furlanetto, C.; Grootes, M. W.; Ivison, R. J.; Schofield, S. P.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Rowlands, K.; Valiante, E.; Vlahakis, C.; van der Werf, P.; Wright, A. H.; de Zotti, G.

2015-09-01

We present the properties of the first 250 μm blind sample of nearby galaxies (15 < D < 46 Mpc) containing 42 objects from the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey. Herschel's sensitivity probes the faint end of the dust luminosity function for the first time, spanning a range of stellar mass (7.4 < M⋆ < 11.3 log10 M⊙), star formation activity (-11.8 < SSFR < -8.9 log10 yr-1), gas fraction (3-96 per cent), and colour (0.6 < FUV-KS < 7.0 mag). The median cold dust temperature is 14.6 K, colder than in the Herschel Reference Survey (18.5 K) and Planck Early Release Compact Source Catalogue (17.7 K). The mean dust-to-stellar mass ratio in our sample is higher than these surveys by factors of 3.7 and 1.8, with a dust mass volume density of (3.7 ± 0.7) × 105 M⊙ Mpc-3. Counter-intuitively, we find that the more dust rich a galaxy, the lower its UV attenuation. Over half of our dust-selected sample are very blue in FUV-KS colour, with irregular and/or highly flocculent morphology; these galaxies account for only 6 per cent of the sample's stellar mass but contain over 35 per cent of the dust mass. They are the most actively star-forming galaxies in the sample, with the highest gas fractions and lowest UV attenuation. They also appear to be in an early stage of converting their gas into stars, providing valuable insights into the chemical evolution of young galaxies.

First light: exploring the spectra of high-redshift galaxies in the Renaissance Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrow, Kirk S. S.; Wise, John H.; Norman, Michael L.; O'Shea, Brian W.; Xu, Hao

2017-08-01

We present synthetic observations for the first generations of galaxies in the Universe and make predictions for future deep field observations for redshifts greater than 6. Due to the strong impact of nebular emission lines and the relatively compact scale of H II regions, high-resolution cosmological simulations and a robust suite of analysis tools are required to properly simulate spectra. We created a software pipeline consisting of fsps, hyperion, cloudy and our own tools to generate synthetic IR observations from a fully three-dimensional arrangement of gas, dust, and stars. Our prescription allows us to include emission lines for a complete chemical network and tackle the effect of dust extinction and scattering in the various lines of sight. We provide spectra, 2D binned photon imagery for both HST and JWST IR filters, luminosity relationships, and emission-line strengths for a large sample of high-redshift galaxies in the Renaissance Simulations. Our resulting synthetic spectra show high variability between galactic haloes with a strong dependence on stellar mass, metallicity, gas mass fraction, and formation history. Haloes with the lowest stellar mass have the greatest variability in [O III]/Hβ, [O III], and C III], while haloes with higher masses are seen to show consistency in their spectra and [O III] equivalent widths between 1 and 10 Å. Viewing angle accounted for threefold difference in flux due to the presence of ionized gas channels in a halo. Furthermore, JWST colour plots show a discernible relationship between redshift, colour, and mean stellar age.

Optical spectroscopy of the blue supergiant Sk-69° 279 and its circumstellar shell with SALT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvaramadze, V. V.; Kniazev, A. Y.; Maryeva, O. V.; Berdnikov, L. N.

2018-02-01

We report the results of optical spectroscopy of the blue supergiant Sk-69° 279 and its circular shell in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) with the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). We classify Sk-69° 279 as an O9.2 Iaf star and analyse its spectrum by using the stellar atmosphere code CMFGEN, obtaining a stellar temperature of ≈30 kK, a luminosity of log (L*/ L⊙) = 5.54, a mass-loss rate of log (\\dot{M}/ M_{⊙} yr^{-1}) = -5.26, and a wind velocity of 800km s-1. We found also that Sk-69° 279 possesses an extended atmosphere with an effective temperature of ≈24 kK and that its surface helium and nitrogen abundances are enhanced, respectively, by factors of ≈2 and 20-30. This suggests that either Sk-69° 279 was initially a (single) fast-rotating ( ≳ 400 km s- 1) star, which only recently evolved off the main sequence, or that it is a product of close binary evolution. The long-slit spectroscopy of the shell around Sk-69° 279 revealed that its nitrogen abundance is enhanced by the same factor as the stellar atmosphere, which implies that the shell is composed mostly of the CNO processed material lost by the star. Our findings support previous propositions that some massive stars can produce compact circumstellar shells and, presumably, appear as luminous blue variables while they are still on the main sequence or have only recently left it.

Characterization of the Wolf 1061 Planetary System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kane, Stephen R.; Waters, Miranda A.; Von Braun, Kaspar

A critical component of exoplanetary studies is an exhaustive characterization of the host star, from which the planetary properties are frequently derived. Of particular value are the radius, temperature, and luminosity, which are key stellar parameters for studies of transit and habitability science. Here we present the results of new observations of Wolf 1061, known to host three super-Earths. Our observations from the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy interferometric array provide a direct stellar radius measurement of 0.3207±0.0088 R{sub ⊙}, from which we calculate the effective temperature and luminosity using spectral energy distribution models. We obtained 7 yr ofmore » precise, automated photometry that reveals the correct stellar rotation period of 89.3±1.8 days, finds no evidence of photometric transits, and confirms that the radial velocity signals are not due to stellar activity. Finally, our stellar properties are used to calculate the extent of the Habitable Zone (HZ) for the Wolf 1061 system, for which the optimistic boundaries are 0.09–0.23 au. Our simulations of the planetary orbital dynamics show that the eccentricity of the HZ planet oscillates to values as high as ∼0.15 as it exchanges angular momentum with the other planets in the system.« less

The Low-Mass Stellar Initial Mass Function: Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxies Revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Platais, Imants

2017-08-01

The stellar Initial Mass Function plays a critical role in the evolution of the baryonic content of the Universe. The form of the low-mass IMF - stars of mass less than the solar mass - determines the fraction of baryons locked up for a Hubble time, and thus indicates how gas and metals are cycled through galaxies. Inferences from resolved stellar populations, where the low-mass luminosity function and associated IMF can be derived from direct star counts, generally favor an invariant and universal IMF. However, a recent study of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies Hercules and Leo IV indicates a bottom-lite IMF, over a narrow range of stellar mass (only 0.55-0.75 M_sun), correlated with the internal velocity dispersion and/or metallicity. We propose to obtain ultra-deep imaging for a significantly closer ultra-faint dwarf, Bootes I, which will allow us to construct the luminosity function down to M_v=+10 (equivalent to 0.35 solar mass). We will also re-analyze the HST archival observations for the Hercules and Leo IV dwarfs using the same updated techniques as for Bootes I. The combined datasets should provide a reliable answer to the question of how variable is the low-mass stellar IMF.

Stellar wind measurements for Colliding Wind Binaries using X-ray observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugawara, Yasuharu; Maeda, Yoshitomo; Tsuboi, Yohko

2017-11-01

We report the results of the stellar wind measurement for two colliding wind binaries. The X-ray spectrum is the best measurement tool for the hot postshock gas. By monitoring the changing of the the X-ray luminosity and column density along with the orbital phases, we derive the mass-loss rates of these stars.

Black Hole Masses for Type I Active Galactic Nuclei in the Chandra Cosmos Legacy Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagaraj, Gautam; Fornasini, Francesca; Civano, Francesca Maria

2018-01-01

Tight local relations between SMBH masses and galaxy properties have established the fundamental connection between SMBHs and their host galaxies. However, in order to better understand the coevolution of SMBHs and their host galaxies over cosmic time, we need measurements of black hole masses, AGN luminosities, and galaxy stellar masses from sizable samples of AGN covering lower luminosities than the brightest quasars spanning a wide redshift range. In this study, we report masses of the SMBHs of 224 Type I AGNs from the Chandra COSMOS Legacy Survey as determined by the line widths of Mg II 2798, Hb 4862, and Ha 6564 via scaling relations derived from reverberation mapping. Preliminary comparison with host galaxy luminosities and stellar masses suggests an increase in Eddington ratio with redshift, consistent with previous studies. In addition, our derived SMBH masses fall above the local AGN MBH--M* (galactic stellar mass) relation from Reines & Volonteri (2015), but it is still not clear whether this results from redshift evolution of the MBH--M* relation or from the incompleteness of the spectroscopic surveys available. The SAO REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant AST-1659473, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): galaxies at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brough, S.; Hopkins, A. M.; Sharp, R. G.; Gunawardhana, M.; Wijesinghe, D.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Driver, S. P.; Baldry, I. K.; Bamford, S. P.; Liske, J.; Loveday, J.; Norberg, P.; Peacock, J. A.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Brown, M. J. I.; Cameron, E.; Croom, S. M.; Frenk, C. S.; Foster, C.; Hill, D. T.; Jones, D. H.; Kelvin, L. S.; Kuijken, K.; Nichol, R. C.; Parkinson, H. R.; Pimbblet, K.; Popescu, C. C.; Prescott, M.; Sutherland, W. J.; Taylor, E.; Thomas, D.; Tuffs, R. J.; van Kampen, E.

2011-05-01

We present an analysis of the properties of the lowest Hα-luminosity galaxies (LHα≤ 4 × 1032 W; SFR < 0.02 M⊙ yr-1, with SFR denoting the star formation rate) in the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey. These galaxies make up the rise above a Schechter function in the number density of systems seen at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function. Above our flux limit, we find that these galaxies are principally composed of intrinsically low stellar mass systems (median stellar mass = 2.5 × 108 M⊙) with only 5/90 having stellar masses M > 1010 M⊙. The low-SFR systems are found to exist predominantly in the lowest-density environments (median density ˜0.02 galaxy Mpc-2) with none in environments more dense than ˜1.5 galaxy Mpc-2. Their current specific SFRs (SSFRs; -8.5 < log [SSFR (yr -1)] < -12) are consistent with their having had a variety of star formation histories. The low-density environments of these galaxies demonstrate that such low-mass, star-forming systems can only remain as low mass and form stars if they reside sufficiently far from other galaxies to avoid being accreted, dispersed through tidal effects or having their gas reservoirs rendered ineffective through external processes.

Evidence for a mass-dependent AGN Eddington ratio distribution via the flat relationship between SFR and AGN luminosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernhard, E.; Mullaney, J. R.; Aird, J.; Hickox, R. C.; Jones, M. L.; Stanley, F.; Grimmett, L. P.; Daddi, E.

2018-05-01

The lack of a strong correlation between AGN X-ray luminosity (LX; a proxy for AGN power) and the star formation rate (SFR) of their host galaxies has recently been attributed to stochastic AGN variability. Studies using population synthesis models have incorporated this by assuming a broad, universal (i.e. does not depend on the host galaxy properties) probability distribution for AGN specific X-ray luminosities (i.e. the ratio of LX to host stellar mass; a common proxy for Eddington ratio). However, recent studies have demonstrated that this universal Eddington ratio distribution fails to reproduce the observed X-ray luminosity functions beyond z ˜ 1.2. Furthermore, empirical studies have recently shown that the Eddington ratio distribution may instead depend upon host galaxy properties, such as SFR and/or stellar mass. To investigate this further, we develop a population synthesis model in which the Eddington ratio distribution is different for star-forming and quiescent host galaxies. We show that, although this model is able to reproduce the observed X-ray luminosity functions out to z ˜ 2, it fails to simultaneously reproduce the observed flat relationship between SFR and X-ray luminosity. We can solve this, however, by incorporating a mass dependency in the AGN Eddington ratio distribution for star-forming host galaxies. Overall, our models indicate that a relative suppression of low Eddington ratios (λEdd ≲ 0.1) in lower mass galaxies (M* ≲ 1010 - 11 M⊙) is required to reproduce both the observed X-ray luminosity functions and the observed flat SFR/X-ray relationship.

Design, prototyping, and testing of a compact superconducting double quarter wave crab cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Binping; Alberty, Luis; Belomestnykh, Sergey; Ben-Zvi, Ilan; Calaga, Rama; Cullen, Chris; Capatina, Ofelia; Hammons, Lee; Li, Zenghai; Marques, Carlos; Skaritka, John; Verdu-Andres, Silvia; Wu, Qiong

2015-04-01

We proposed a novel design for a compact superconducting crab cavity with a double quarter wave (DQWCC) shape. After fabrication and surface treatments, this niobium proof-of-principle cavity was tested cryogenically in a vertical cryostat. The cavity is extremely compact yet has a low frequency of 400 MHz, an essential property for service in the Large Hadron Collider luminosity upgrade. The cavity's electromagnetic properties are well suited for this demanding task. The demonstrated deflecting voltage of 4.6 MV is well above the required 3.34 MV for a crab cavity in the future High Luminosity LHC. In this paper, we present the design, prototyping, and results from testing the DQWCC.

Massive Star Formation of the SGR a East H (sub II) Regions Near the Galactic Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yusef-Zadeh, F.; Lacy, J. H.; Wardle, M.; Whitney, B.; Bushouse, H.; Roberts, D. A.; Arendt, R. G.

2010-01-01

A group of four compact H II regions associated with the well-known 50 km/s molecular cloud is the closest site of on-going star formation to the dynamical center of the Galaxy, at a projected distance of approximately 6 pc. We present a study of ionized gas based on the [Ne II] (12.8 micron) line, as well as multi-frequency radio continuum, Hubble Space Telescope Pa alpha, and Spitzer Infrared Array Camera observations of the most compact member of the H II group, Sgr A East H II D. The radio continuum image at 6 cm shows that this source breaks up into two equally bright ionized features, D1 and D2. The spectral energy distribution of the D source is consistent with it being due to a 25 =/- 3 solar mass star with a luminosity of 8 +/- 3 x 10(exp 4) Solar luminosity . The inferred mass, effective temperature of the UV source, and the ionization rate are compatible with a young O9-B0 star. The ionized features D1 and D2 are considered to be ionized by UV radiation collimated by an accretion disk. We consider that the central massive star photoevaporates its circumstellar disk on a timescale of 3x (exp 4) years giving a mass flux approximately 3 x 10(exp -5) Solar Mass / year and producing the ionized material in D1 and D2 expanding in an inhomogeneous medium. The ionized gas kinematics, as traced by the [Ne II] emission, is difficult to interpret, but it could be explained by the interaction of a bipolar jet with surrounding gas along with what appears to be a conical wall of lower velocity gas. The other H II regions, Sgr A East A-C, have morphologies and kinematics that more closely resemble cometary flows seen in other compact H II regions, where gas moves along a paraboloidal surface formed by the interaction of a stellar wind with a molecular cloud.

Extended VHE γ-ray emission towards SGR1806-20, LBV 1806-20, and stellar cluster Cl* 1806-20

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

H.E.S.S. Collaboration; Abdalla, H.; Abramowski, A.; Aharonian, F.; Ait Benkhali, F.; Akhperjanian, A. G.; Angüner, E. O.; Arrieta, M.; Aubert, P.; Backes, M.; Balzer, A.; Barnard, M.; Becherini, Y.; Becker Tjus, J.; Berge, D.; Bernhard, S.; Bernlöhr, K.; Birsin, E.; Blackwell, R.; Böttcher, M.; Boisson, C.; Bolmont, J.; Bordas, P.; Bregeon, J.; Brun, F.; Brun, P.; Bryan, M.; Bulik, T.; Capasso, M.; Carr, J.; Casanova, S.; Chakraborty, N.; Chalme-Calvet, R.; Chaves, R. C. G.; Chen, A.; Chevalier, J.; Chrétien, M.; Colafrancesco, S.; Cologna, G.; Condon, B.; Conrad, J.; Couturier, C.; Cui, Y.; Davids, I. D.; Degrange, B.; Deil, C.; deWilt, P.; Djannati-Ataï, A.; Domainko, W.; Donath, A.; Drury, L. O.'C.; Dubus, G.; Dutson, K.; Dyks, J.; Dyrda, M.; Edwards, T.; Egberts, K.; Eger, P.; Ernenwein, J.-P.; Eschbach, S.; Farnier, C.; Fegan, S.; Fernandes, M. V.; Fiasson, A.; Fontaine, G.; Förster, A.; Funk, S.; Füßling, M.; Gabici, S.; Gajdus, M.; Gallant, Y. A.; Garrigoux, T.; Giavitto, G.; Giebels, B.; Glicenstein, J. F.; Gottschall, D.; Goyal, A.; Grondin, M.-H.; Grudzińska, M.; Hadasch, D.; Hahn, J.; Hawkes, J.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hervet, O.; Hillert, A.; Hinton, J. A.; Hofmann, W.; Hoischen, C.; Holler, M.; Horns, D.; Ivascenko, A.; Jacholkowska, A.; Jamrozy, M.; Janiak, M.; Jankowsky, D.; Jankowsky, F.; Jingo, M.; Jogler, T.; Jouvin, L.; Jung-Richardt, I.; Kastendieck, M. A.; Katarzyński, K.; Katz, U.; Kerszberg, D.; Khélifi, B.; Kieffer, M.; King, J.; Klepser, S.; Klochkov, D.; Kluźniak, W.; Kolitzus, D.; Komin, Nu.; Kosack, K.; Krakau, S.; Kraus, M.; Krayzel, F.; Krüger, P. P.; Laffon, H.; Lamanna, G.; Lau, J.; Lees, J.-P.; Lefaucheur, J.; Lefranc, V.; Lemière, A.; Lemoine-Goumard, M.; Lenain, J.-P.; Leser, E.; Lohse, T.; Lorentz, M.; Liu, R.; Lypova, I.; Marandon, V.; Marcowith, A.; Mariaud, C.; Marx, R.; Maurin, G.; Maxted, N.; Mayer, M.; Meintjes, P. J.; Menzler, U.; Meyer, M.; Mitchell, A. M. W.; Moderski, R.; Mohamed, M.; Morå, K.; Moulin, E.; Murach, T.; de Naurois, M.; Niederwanger, F.; Niemiec, J.; Oakes, L.; Odaka, H.; Öttl, S.; Ohm, S.; Ostrowski, M.; Oya, I.; Padovani, M.; Panter, M.; Parsons, R. D.; Paz Arribas, M.; Pekeur, N. W.; Pelletier, G.; Petrucci, P.-O.; Peyaud, B.; Pita, S.; Poon, H.; Prokhorov, D.; Prokoph, H.; Pühlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Quirrenbach, A.; Raab, S.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Renaud, M.; de Reyes, R.; Rieger, F.; Romoli, C.; Rosier-Lees, S.; Rowell, G.; Rudak, B.; Rulten, C. B.; Sahakian, V.; Salek, D.; Sanchez, D. A.; Santangelo, A.; Sasaki, M.; Schlickeiser, R.; Schüssler, F.; Schulz, A.; Schwanke, U.; Schwemmer, S.; Seyffert, A. S.; Shafi, N.; Shilon, I.; Simoni, R.; Sol, H.; Spanier, F.; Spengler, G.; Spies, F.; Stawarz, Ł.; Steenkamp, R.; Stegmann, C.; Stinzing, F.; Stycz, K.; Sushch, I.; Tavernet, J.-P.; Tavernier, T.; Taylor, A. M.; Terrier, R.; Tluczykont, M.; Trichard, C.; Tuffs, R.; van der Walt, J.; van Eldik, C.; van Soelen, B.; Vasileiadis, G.; Veh, J.; Venter, C.; Viana, A.; Vincent, P.; Vink, J.; Voisin, F.; Völk, H. J.; Vuillaume, T.; Wadiasingh, Z.; Wagner, S. J.; Wagner, P.; Wagner, R. M.; White, R.; Wierzcholska, A.; Willmann, P.; Wörnlein, A.; Wouters, D.; Yang, R.; Zabalza, V.; Zaborov, D.; Zacharias, M.; Zdziarski, A. A.; Zech, A.; Zefi, F.; Ziegler, A.; Żywucka, N.

2018-04-01

Using the High Energy Spectroscopic System (H.E.S.S.) telescopes we have discovered a steady and extended very high-energy (VHE) γ-ray source towards the luminous blue variable candidate LBV 1806-20, massive stellar cluster Cl* 1806-20, and magnetar SGR 1806-20. The new VHE source, HESS J1808-204, was detected at a statistical significance of >6σ (post-trial) with a photon flux normalisation (2.9 ± 0.4stat ± 0.5sys) × 10-13 ph cm-2 s-1 TeV-1 at 1 TeV and a power-law photon index of 2.3 ± 0.2stat ± 0.3sys. The luminosity of this source (0.2 to 10 TeV; scaled to distance d = 8.7 kpc) is LVHE 1.6 × 1034(d/8.7 kpc)2 erg s-1. The VHE γ-ray emission is extended and is well fit by a single Gaussian with statistical standard deviation of 0.095° ± 0.015°. This extension is similar to that of the synchrotron radio nebula G10.0-0.3, which is thought to be powered by LBV 1806-20. The VHE γ-ray luminosity could be provided by the stellar wind luminosity of LBV 1806-20 by itself and/or the massive star members of Cl* 1806-20. Alternatively, magnetic dissipation (e.g. via reconnection) from SGR 1806-20 can potentially account for the VHE luminosity. The origin and hadronic and/or leptonic nature of the accelerated particles responsible for HESS J1808-204 is not yet clear. If associated with SGR 1806-20, the potentially young age of the magnetar (650 yr) can be used to infer the transport limits of these particles to match the VHE source size. This discovery provides new interest in the potential for high-energy particle acceleration from magnetars, massive stars, and/or stellar clusters.

The clustering of Hβ +[OIII] and [OII] emitters since z ˜ 5: dependencies with line luminosity and stellar mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khostovan, A. A.; Sobral, D.; Mobasher, B.; Best, P. N.; Smail, I.; Matthee, J.; Darvish, B.; Nayyeri, H.; Hemmati, S.; Stott, J. P.

2018-04-01

We investigate the clustering properties of ˜7000 Hβ +[OIII] and [OII] narrowband-selected emitters at z ˜ 0.8 - 4.7 from the High-z Emission Line Survey. We find clustering lengths, r0, of 1.5 - 4.0 h-1 Mpc and minimum dark matter halo masses of 1010.7 - 12.1 M⊙ for our z = 0.8 - 3.2 Hβ +[OIII] emitters and r0˜2.0 - 8.3 h-1 Mpc and halo masses of 1011.5 - 12.6 M⊙ for our z = 1.5 - 4.7 [OII] emitters. We find r0 to strongly increase both with increasing line luminosity and redshift. By taking into account the evolution of the characteristic line luminosity, L⋆(z), and using our model predictions of halo mass given r0, we find a strong, redshift-independent increasing trend between L/L⋆(z) and minimum halo mass. The faintest Hβ +[OIII] emitters are found to reside in 109.5 M⊙ halos and the brightest emitters in 1013.0 M⊙ halos. For [OII] emitters, the faintest emitters are found in 1010.5 M⊙ halos and the brightest emitters in 1012.6 M⊙ halos. A redshift-independent stellar mass dependency is also observed where the halo mass increases from 1011 M⊙ to 1012.5 M⊙ for stellar masses of 108.5 M⊙ to 1011.5 M⊙, respectively. We investigate the interdependencies of these trends by repeating our analysis in a Lline - Mstar grid space for our most populated samples (Hβ +[OIII] z = 0.84 and [OII] z = 1.47) and find that the line luminosity dependency is stronger than the stellar mass dependency on halo mass. For L > L⋆ emitters at all epochs, we find a relatively flat trend with halo masses of 1012.5 - 13 M⊙ which may be due to quenching mechanisms in massive halos which is consistent with a transitional halo mass predicted by models.

X-rays across the galaxy population - I. Tracing the main sequence of star formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aird, J.; Coil, A. L.; Georgakakis, A.

2017-03-01

We use deep Chandra imaging to measure the distribution of X-ray luminosities (LX) for samples of star-forming galaxies as a function of stellar mass and redshift, using a Bayesian method to push below the nominal X-ray detection limits. Our luminosity distributions all show narrow peaks at LX ≲ 1042 erg s-1 that we associate with star formation, as opposed to AGN that are traced by a broad tail to higher LX. Tracking the luminosity of these peaks as a function of stellar mass reveals an 'X-ray main sequence' with a constant slope ≈0.63 ± 0.03 over 8.5 ≲ log {M}_{ast }/M_{⊙} ≲ 11.5 and 0.1 ≲ z ≲ 4, with a normalization that increases with redshift as (1 + z)3.79 ± 0.12. We also compare the peak X-ray luminosities with UV-to-IR tracers of star formation rates (SFRs) to calibrate the scaling between LX and SFR. We find that LX ∝ SFR0.83 × (1 + z)1.3, where the redshift evolution and non-linearity likely reflect changes in high-mass X-ray binary populations of star-forming galaxies. Using galaxies with a broader range of SFR, we also constrain a stellar-mass-dependent contribution to LX, likely related to low-mass X-ray binaries. Using this calibration, we convert our X-ray main sequence to SFRs and measure a star-forming main sequence with a constant slope ≈0.76 ± 0.06 and a normalization that evolves with redshift as (1 + z)2.95 ± 0.33. Based on the X-ray emission, there is no evidence for a break in the main sequence at high stellar masses, although we cannot rule out a turnover given the uncertainties in the scaling of LX to SFR.

AGN host galaxy mass function in COSMOS. Is AGN feedback responsible for the mass-quenching of galaxies?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bongiorno, A.; Schulze, A.; Merloni, A.; Zamorani, G.; Ilbert, O.; La Franca, F.; Peng, Y.; Piconcelli, E.; Mainieri, V.; Silverman, J. D.; Brusa, M.; Fiore, F.; Salvato, M.; Scoville, N.

2016-04-01

We investigate the role of supermassive black holes in the global context of galaxy evolution by measuring the host galaxy stellar mass function (HGMF) and the specific accretion rate, that is, λSAR, the distribution function (SARDF), up to z ~ 2.5 with ~1000 X-ray selected AGN from XMM-COSMOS. Using a maximum likelihood approach, we jointly fit the stellar mass function and specific accretion rate distribution function, with the X-ray luminosity function as an additional constraint. Our best-fit model characterizes the SARDF as a double power-law with mass-dependent but redshift-independent break, whose low λSAR slope flattens with increasing redshift while the normalization increases. This implies that for a given stellar mass, higher λSAR objects have a peak in their space density at earlier epoch than the lower λSAR objects, following and mimicking the well-known AGN cosmic downsizing as observed in the AGN luminosity function. The mass function of active galaxies is described by a Schechter function with an almost constant M∗⋆ and a low-mass slope α that flattens with redshift. Compared to the stellar mass function, we find that the HGMF has a similar shape and that up to log (M⋆/M⊙) ~ 11.5, the ratio of AGN host galaxies to star-forming galaxies is basically constant (~10%). Finally, the comparison of the AGN HGMF for different luminosity and specific accretion rate subclasses with a previously published phenomenological model prediction for the "transient" population, which are galaxies in the process of being mass-quenched, reveals that low-luminosity AGN do not appear to be able to contribute significantly to the quenching and that at least at high masses, that is, M⋆ > 1010.7 M⊙, feedback from luminous AGN (log Lbol ≳ 46 [erg/s]) may be responsible for the quenching of star formation in the host galaxy.

THE MERGER HISTORY, ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS, AND DWARF GALAXIES OF HICKSON COMPACT GROUP 59

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Charlton, J. C.; Brandt, W. N.

2012-01-20

Compact group galaxies often appear unaffected by their unusually dense environment. Closer examination can, however, reveal the subtle, cumulative effects of multiple galaxy interactions. Hickson Compact Group (HCG) 59 is an excellent example of this situation. We present a photometric study of this group in the optical (Hubble Space Telescope), infrared (Spitzer), and X-ray (Chandra) regimes aimed at characterizing the star formation and nuclear activity in its constituent galaxies and intra-group medium. We associate five dwarf galaxies with the group and update the velocity dispersion, leading to an increase in the dynamical mass of the group of up to amore » factor of 10 (to 2.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 13} M{sub Sun }), and a subsequent revision of its evolutionary stage. Star formation is proceeding at a level consistent with the morphological types of the four main galaxies, of which two are star-forming and the other are two quiescent. Unlike in some other compact groups, star-forming complexes across HCG 59 closely follow mass-radius scaling relations typical of nearby galaxies. In contrast, the ancient globular cluster populations in galaxies HCG 59A and B show intriguing irregularities, and two extragalactic H II regions are found just west of B. We age-date a faint stellar stream in the intra-group medium at {approx}1 Gyr to examine recent interactions. We detect a likely low-luminosity active galactic nucleus in HCG 59A by its {approx}10{sup 40} erg s{sup -1} X-ray emission; the active nucleus rather than star formation can account for the UV+IR spectral energy distribution. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of galaxy evolution in dense environments.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neilson, G. H.; Heitzenroeder, P.; Lyon, J.

Stellarators use 3D plasma and magnetic field shaping to produce a steady-state disruption-free magnetic confinement configuration. Compact stellarators have additional attractive properties — quasi-symmetric magnetic fields and low aspect ratio. The National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) is being constructed at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) in partnership with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to test the physics of a high-beta compact stellarator with a lowripple, tokamak-like magnetic configuration. The engineering challenges of NCSX stem from its complex geometry requirements. These issues are addressed in the construction project through manufacturing R&D and system engineering. As a result, the fabricationmore » of the coil winding forms and vacuum vessel are proceeding in industry without significant technical issues, and preparations for winding the coils at PPPL are in place. Design integration, analysis, and dimensional control are functions provided by system engineering to ensure that the finished product will satisfy the physics requirements, especially accurate realization of the specified coil geometries. After completion of construction in 2009, a research program to test the expected physics benefits will start.« less

A Chandra Study of the Stellar X-Ray Emissivity of Globular Clusters in the M31 Bulge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xiao-jie; Li, Zhiyuan

2018-03-01

The X-ray emissivity (i.e., luminosity per unit stellar mass) of globular clusters (GCs) is an important indicator of their dynamical evolution history. Based on deep archival Chandra observations, we report a stacking analysis of 44 GCs with 0.5–8 keV luminosities L X ≲ 1035 erg s‑1 in the M31 bulge, which are supposed to be dominated by cataclysmic variables (CVs) and coronally active binaries (ABs). We obtain a significant detection at the 5σ level in 0.5–8 keV band. The average X-ray luminosity per GC and the average X-ray emissivity are determined to be 5.3 ± 1.6 × 1033 erg s‑1 and 13.2 ± 4.3 × 1027 erg s‑1 {M}ȯ -1, respectively. Both of these values are consistent with those of Milky Way GCs. Moreover, the measured emissivity of M31 GCs is also consistent with that of the Milky Way field stars. Massive GCs have X-ray luminosities that are marginally higher than those of less massive ones. Massive GCs also show a lower emissivity (5.0+/- 2.5× {10}27 {erg} {{{s}}}-1 {M}ȯ -1) than less massive ones (26.5+/- 14.3× {10}27 {erg} {{{s}}}-1 {M}ȯ -1), which is consistent with the scenario that the (progenitors of) CVs and ABs were more efficiently destroyed via stellar encounters in the more massive GCs. No dependence of the X-ray emissivity on GC color or on the projected galactocentric distance of GCs is found.

Can binary stars test solar models?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Popper, D. M.; Ulrich, R. K.

1986-01-01

The position in the H-R diagram of the approximately solar-mass component of the Hyades eclipsing binary, HD 27130, is compared with the predictions of stellar structure theory. The stellar models are calibrated by matching a model with the solar heavy element composition and age to the solar radius and luminosity. The comparison to the Hyades binary then is a test of the prediction that the initial solar luminosity was only about 0.7 times the present solar luminosity. The agreement is satisfactory, lending a measure of confidence to the solar model employed, provided that the initial helium abundance of the Hyades stars is not greater than that of the sun and is not less by more than about 0.03 in Y. Unless the model is grossly incorrect, the inference of Stromgren, Olsen, and Gustafsson (1982) from the 'Hyades anomaly' in intermediate-band photometry that Y(Hyades) is less than Y(solar) by 0.1 or 0.15 is rejected by the observed properties of HD 27130.

A MASSIF Effort To Determine The Mass-Luminosity Relation for Stars of Various Ages, Metallicities, and Evolution States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henry, Todd J.; Beedict, G. Fritz; Gies, Douglas R.; Golimowski, David A.; Ianna, Philip A.; Mason, Brian; McArthur, Barbara; Nelan, Edmund; Torres, Guillermo

2004-01-01

The MASSIF (Masses and Stellar Systems with Interferometry) Team will use SIM to investigate the mass content of the Galaxy - from huge stars to barely glimmering brown dwarfs, and from hot white dwarfs to exotic black holes. We will target various samples of the Galactic population to determine and relate the fundamental characteristics of mass, luminosity, age, composition, and multiplicity - attributes that together yield an extensive understanding of the stars. Our samples will include distant clusters that span a factor of 5000 in age, and commonplace stars and substellar objects that lurk near the Sun. The principal goals of the MASSIF Key Project are to (1) define the mass-luminosity relation for main sequence stars in five fundamental clusters so that effects of age and metallicity can be mapped (Trapezium, TW Hydrae, Pleiades, Hyades, and M67), and (2) determine accurate masses for representative examples of nearly every type of star, stellar descendant or brown dwarf in the Galaxy.

ULTRAVIOLET+INFRARED STAR FORMATION RATES: HICKSON COMPACT GROUPS WITH SWIFT AND SPITZER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tzanavaris, P.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Immler, S.

2010-06-10

We present Swift UVOT ultraviolet (UV; 1600-3000 A) data with complete three-band UV photometry for a sample of 41 galaxies in 11 nearby (<4500 km s{sup -1}) Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs) of galaxies. We use UVOT uvw2-band (2000 A) photometry to estimate the dust-unobscured component, SFR{sub UV}, of the total star formation rate, SFR{sub TOTAL}. We use Spitzer MIPS 24 {mu}m photometry to estimate SFR{sub IR}, the component of SFR{sub TOTAL} that suffers dust extinction in the UV and is re-emitted in the IR. By combining the two components, we obtain SFR{sub TOTAL} estimates for all HCG galaxies. We obtainmore » total stellar mass, M {sub *}, estimates by means of Two Micron All Sky Survey K{sub s} -band luminosities, and use them to calculate specific star formation rates, SSFR {identical_to} SFR{sub TOTAL}/M {sub *}. SSFR values show a clear and significant bimodality, with a gap between low ({approx}<3.2 x 10{sup -11} yr{sup -1}) and high-SSFR ({approx_gt}1.2 x 10{sup -10} yr{sup -1}) systems. We compare this bimodality to the previously discovered bimodality in {alpha}{sub IRAC}, the MIR activity index from a power-law fit to the Spitzer IRAC 4.5-8 {mu}m data for these galaxies. We find that all galaxies with {alpha}{sub IRAC} {<=} 0 ( >0) are in the high- (low-) SSFR locus, as expected if high levels of star-forming activity power MIR emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules and a hot dust continuum. Consistent with this finding, all elliptical/S0 galaxies are in the low-SSFR locus, while 22 out of 24 spirals/irregulars are in the high-SSFR locus, with two borderline cases. We further divide our sample into three subsamples (I, II, and III) according to decreasing H I richness of the parent galaxy group to which a galaxy belongs. Consistent with the SSFR and {alpha}{sub IRAC} bimodality, 12 out of 15 type I (11 out of 12 type III) galaxies are in the high- (low-) SSFR locus, while type II galaxies span almost the full range of SSFR values. We use the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey (SINGS) to construct a comparison subsample of galaxies that (1) match HCG galaxies in J-band total galaxy luminosity and (2) are not strongly interacting and largely isolated. This selection eliminates mostly low-luminosity dwarfs and galaxies with some degree of peculiarity, providing a substantially improved, quiescent control sample. Unlike HCG galaxies, galaxies in the comparison SINGS subsample are continuously distributed both in SSFR and {alpha}{sub IRAC}, although they show ranges in SFR{sub TOTAL} values, morphologies and stellar masses similar to those for HCG systems. We test the SSFR bimodality against a number of uncertainties, and find that these can only lead to its further enhancement. Excluding galaxies belonging to HCGs with three giant galaxies (triplets) leaves both the SSFR and the {alpha}{sub IRAC} bimodality completely unaffected. We interpret these results as further evidence that an environment characterized by high galaxy number densities and low galaxy velocity dispersions, such as the one found in compact groups, plays a key role in accelerating galaxy evolution by enhancing star formation processes in galaxies and favoring a fast transition to quiescence.« less

Ultraviolet+Infrared Star Formation Rates: Hickson Compact Groups with Swift and SPitzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tzanavaris, P.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Gallagher, S. C.; Johnson, K. E.; Gronwall, C.; Immler, S.; Reines, A. E.; Hoversten, E.; Charlton, J. C.

2010-01-01

We present Swift UVOT ultraviolet (UV; 1600-3000 A) data with complete three-band UV photometry for a sample of 41 galaxies in 11 nearby (<4500 km/s) Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs) of galaxies. We use UVOT uvw2-band (2000A) photometry to estimate the dust-unobscured component, SFR(sub uv), of the total star formation rate, SFR(sub TOTAL). We use Spitzer MIPS 24 micron photometry to estimate SFR(sub IR), the component of SFR(sub TOTAL) that suffers dust extinction in the UV and is re-emitted in the IR. By combining the two components, we obtain SFR(sub TOTAL) estimates for all HCG galaxies. We obtain total stellar mass, M(sub *) estimates by means of Two Micron All Sky Survey K(sub s)-band luminosities, and use them to calculate specific star formation rates, SSFR is identical with SFR(sub TOTAL)/ M (sub *). SSFR values show a clear and significant bimodality, with a gap between low (approximately <3.2 x 10(exp -11) / yr) and high-SSFR (approximately > 1.2 x lO)exp -10)/yr) systems. We compare this bimodality to the previously discovered bimodality in alpha-IRAC, the MIR activity index from a power-law fit to the Spitzer IRAC 4.5-8 micron data for these galaxies. We find that all galaxies with alpha-IRAC <= 0 (> 0) are in the high- (low-) SSFR locus, as expected if high levels of star-forming activity power MIR emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules and a hot dust continuum. Consistent with this finding, all elliptical/SO galaxies are in the low-SSFR locus, while 22 out of 24 spirals / irregulars are in the high-SSFR locus, with two borderline cases. We further divide our sample into three subsamples (I, II, and III) according to decreasing H I richness of the parent galaxy group to which a galaxy belongs. Consistent with the SSFR and alpha-IRAC bimodality, 12 out of 15 type I (11 out of 12 type III) galaxies are in the high- (low-) SSFR locus, while type II galaxies span almost the full range of SSFR values. We use the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey (SINGS) to construct a comparison subsample of galaxies that (1) match HCG galaxies in J-band total galaxy luminosity and (2) are not strongly interacting and largely isolated. This selection eliminates mostly low-luminosity dwarfs and galaxies with some degree of peculiarity, providing a substantially improved, quiescent control sample. Unlike HCG galaxies, galaxies in the comparison SINGS subsample are continuously distributed both in SSFR and alpha-IRAC, although they show ranges in SFR(sub TOTAL) values, morphologies and stellar masses similar to those for HCG systems. We test the SSFR bimodality against a number of uncertainties, and find that these can only lead to its further enhancement. Excluding galaxies belonging to HCGs with three giant galaxies (triplets) leaves both the SSFR and the alpha-IRAC bimodality completely unaffected. We interpret these results as further evidence that an environment characterized by high galaxy number densities and low galaxy velocity dispersions, such as the one found in compact groups, plays a key role in accelerating galaxy evolution by enhancing star formation processes in galaxies and favoring a fast transition to quiescence.

Dark-ages reionization and galaxy formation simulation - X. The small contribution of quasars to reionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Yuxiang; Mutch, Simon J.; Poole, Gregory B.; Liu, Chuanwu; Angel, Paul W.; Duffy, Alan R.; Geil, Paul M.; Mesinger, Andrei; Wyithe, J. Stuart B.

2017-12-01

Motivated by recent measurements of the number density of faint AGN at high redshift, we investigate the contribution of quasars to reionization by tracking the growth of central supermassive black holes in an update of the MERAXES semi-analytic model. The model is calibrated against the observed stellar mass function at z ∼ 0.6-7, the black hole mass function at z ≲ 0.5, the global ionizing emissivity at z ∼ 2-5 and the Thomson scattering optical depth. The model reproduces a Magorrian relation in agreement with observations at z < 0.5 and predicts a decreasing black hole mass towards higher redshifts at fixed total stellar mass. With the implementation of an opening angle of 80 deg for quasar radiation, corresponding to an observable fraction of ∼23.4 per cent due to obscuration by dust, the model is able to reproduce the observed quasar luminosity function at z ∼ 0.6-6. The stellar light from galaxies hosting faint active galactic nucleus (AGN) contributes a significant or dominant fraction of the UV flux. At high redshift, the model is consistent with the bright end quasar luminosity function and suggests that the recent faint z ∼ 4 AGN sample compiled by Giallongo et al. (2015) includes a significant fraction of stellar light. Direct application of this luminosity function to the calculation of AGN ionizing emissivity consequently overestimates the number of ionizing photons produced by quasars by a factor of 3 at z ∼ 6. We conclude that quasars are unlikely to make a significant contribution to reionization.

Herschel observations of Hickson compact groups of galaxies: Unveiling the properties of cold dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitsakis, T.; Charmandaris, V.; Appleton, P. N.; Díaz-Santos, T.; Le Floc'h, E.; da Cunha, E.; Alatalo, K.; Cluver, M.

2014-05-01

We present a Herschel far-infrared and sub-millimetre (sub-mm) study of a sample of 120 galaxies in 28 Hickson compact groups (HCGs). Fitting their UV to sub-mm spectral energy distributions with the model of da Cunha et al. (2008), we accurately estimate the dust masses, luminosities, and temperatures of the individual galaxies. We find that nearly half of the late-type galaxies in dynamically "old" groups, those with more than 25% of early-type members and redder UV-optical colours, also have significantly lower dust-to-stellar mass ratios compared to those of actively star-forming galaxies of the same mass found both in HCGs and in the field. Examining their dust-to-gas mass ratios, we conclude that dust was stripped out of these systems as a result of the gravitational and hydrodynamic interactions, experienced owing to previous encounters with other group members. About 40% of the early-type galaxies (mostly lenticulars), in dynamically "old" groups, display dust properties similar to those of the UV-optical red late-type galaxies. Given their stellar masses, star formation rates, and UV-optical colours, we suggest that red late-type and dusty lenticular galaxies represent transition populations between blue star-forming disk galaxies and quiescent early-type ellipticals. On the other hand, both the complete absence of any correlation between the dust and stellar masses of the dusty ellipticals and their enhanced star formation activity, suggest the increase in their gas and dust content due to accretion and merging. Our deep Herschel observations also allow us to detect the presence of diffuse cold intragroup dust in 4 HCGs. We also find that the fraction of 250 μm emission that is located outside of the main bodies of both the red late-type galaxies and the dusty lenticulars is 15-20% of their integrated emission at this band. All these findings are consistent with an evolutionary scenario in which gas dissipation, shocks, and turbulence, in addition to tidal interactions, shape the evolution of galaxies in compact groups. Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgFull Table 2 and reduced spectra as FITS files are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/565/A25

Digging deeper into the Southern skies: A compact Milky Way companion discovered in first-year Dark Energy Survey data

DOE PAGES

Luque, E.

2016-02-09

Here, the Dark Energy Survey (DES) is a 5000 sq. degree survey in the southern hemisphere, which is rapidly reducing the existing north-south asymmetry in the census of MW satellites and other stellar substructure. We use the first-year DES data down to previously unprobed photometric depths to search for stellar systems in the Galactic halo, therefore complementing the previous analysis of the same data carried out by our group earlier this year. Our search is based on a matched filter algorithm that produces stellar density maps consistent with stellar population models of various ages, metallicities, and distances over the surveymore » area. The most conspicuous density peaks in these maps have been identified automatically and ranked according to their significance and recurrence for different input models. We report the discovery of one additional stellar system besides those previously found by several authors using the same first-year DES data. The object is compact, and consistent with being dominated by an old and metal-poor population. DES J0034-4902 is found at high significance and appears in the DES images as a compact concentration of faint blue point sources at ~ 87 {kpc}.« less

Digging deeper into the Southern skies: A compact Milky Way companion discovered in first-year Dark Energy Survey data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luque, E.

Here, the Dark Energy Survey (DES) is a 5000 sq. degree survey in the southern hemisphere, which is rapidly reducing the existing north-south asymmetry in the census of MW satellites and other stellar substructure. We use the first-year DES data down to previously unprobed photometric depths to search for stellar systems in the Galactic halo, therefore complementing the previous analysis of the same data carried out by our group earlier this year. Our search is based on a matched filter algorithm that produces stellar density maps consistent with stellar population models of various ages, metallicities, and distances over the surveymore » area. The most conspicuous density peaks in these maps have been identified automatically and ranked according to their significance and recurrence for different input models. We report the discovery of one additional stellar system besides those previously found by several authors using the same first-year DES data. The object is compact, and consistent with being dominated by an old and metal-poor population. DES J0034-4902 is found at high significance and appears in the DES images as a compact concentration of faint blue point sources at ~ 87 {kpc}.« less

VLA observations of unidentified Leiden-Berkeley Deep-Survey sources - Luminosity and redshift dependence of spectral properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kapahi, Vijay K.; Kulkarni, Vasant K.

1990-01-01

VLA observations of a complete subset of the Leiden-Berkeley Deep Survey sources that have S(1.4 GHz) greater than 10 mJy and are not optically identified down to F=22 mag are reported. By comparing the spectral and structural properties of the sources with samples from the literature, an attempt was made to disentangle the luminosity and redshift dependence of the spectral indices of extended emission in radio galaxies and of the incidence of compact steep-spectrum sources. It is found that the fraction of compact sources among those with a steep spectrum is related primarily to redshift, being much larger at high redshifts for sources of similar radio luminosity. Only a weak and marginally significant dependence of spectral indices of the extended sources on luminosity and redshift is found in samples selected at 1.4 and 2.7 GHz. It is pointed out that the much stronger correlation of spectral indices with luminosity may be arising partly from spectral curvature, and partly due to the preferential inclusion of very steep-spectrum sources from high redshift in low-frequency surveys.

First Results on the Cluster Galaxy Population from the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam Survey. III. Brightest Cluster Galaxies, Stellar Mass Distribution, and Active Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yen-Ting; Hsieh, Bau-Ching; Lin, Sheng-Chieh; Oguri, Masamune; Chen, Kai-Feng; Tanaka, Masayuki; Chiu, I.-Non; Huang, Song; Kodama, Tadayuki; Leauthaud, Alexie; More, Surhud; Nishizawa, Atsushi J.; Bundy, Kevin; Lin, Lihwai; Miyazaki, Satoshi

2017-12-01

The unprecedented depth and area surveyed by the Subaru Strategic Program with the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC-SSP) have enabled us to construct and publish the largest distant cluster sample out to z∼ 1 to date. In this exploratory study of cluster galaxy evolution from z = 1 to z = 0.3, we investigate the stellar mass assembly history of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), the evolution of stellar mass and luminosity distributions, the stellar mass surface density profile, as well as the population of radio galaxies. Our analysis is the first high-redshift application of the top N richest cluster selection, which is shown to allow us to trace the cluster galaxy evolution faithfully. Over the 230 deg2 area of the current HSC-SSP footprint, selecting the top 100 clusters in each of the four redshift bins allows us to observe the buildup of galaxy population in descendants of clusters whose z≈ 1 mass is about 2× {10}14 {M}ȯ . Our stellar mass is derived from a machine-learning algorithm, which is found to be unbiased and accurate with respect to the COSMOS data. We find very mild stellar mass growth in BCGs (about 35% between z = 1 and 0.3), and no evidence for evolution in both the total stellar mass–cluster mass correlation and the shape of the stellar mass surface density profile. We also present the first measurement of the radio luminosity distribution in clusters out to z∼ 1, and show hints of changes in the dominant accretion mode powering the cluster radio galaxies at z∼ 0.8.

The structure of galaxies : the division of stellar mass by morphological type and structural component

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelvin, Lee Steven

This thesis explores the relation between galaxy structure, morphology and stellar mass. In the first part I present single-Sersic two-dimensional model fits to 167,600 galaxies modelled independently in the ugrizYJHK bandpasses using reprocessed Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release Seven (SDSS DR7) and UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey Large Area Survey (UKIDSS LAS) imaging data available via the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) data base. In order to facilitate this study, we developed Structural Investigation of Galaxies via Model Analysis (SIGMA): an automated wrapper around several contemporary astronomy software packages. We confirm that variations in global structural measurements with wavelength arise due to the effects of dust attenuation and stellar population/metallicity gradients within galaxies. In the second part of this thesis we establish a volume-limited sample of 3,845 galaxies in the local Universe and visually classify these galaxies according to their morphological Hubble type. We find that single-Sersic photometry accurately reproduces the morphology luminosity functions predicted in the literature. We employ multi-component Sersic profiling to provide bulge-disk decompositions for this sample, allowing for the luminosity and stellar mass to be divided between the key structural components: spheroids and disks. Grouping the stellar mass in these structures by the evolutionary mechanisms that formed them, we find that hot-mode collapse, merger or otherwise turbulent mechanisms account for ~46% of the total stellar mass budget, cold-mode gas accretion and splashback mechanisms account for ~48% of the total stellar mass budget and secular evolutionary processes for ~6.5% of the total stellar mass budget in the local (z<0.06) Universe.

Nuclear Star Formation in the Hot-Spot Galaxy NGC 2903

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alonso-Herrero, A.; Ryder, S. D.; Knapen, J. H.

1994-01-01

We present high-resolution near-infrared imaging obtained using adaptive optics and HST/NICMOS and ground-based spectroscopy of the hot-spot galaxy NGC 2903. Our near-infrared resolution imaging enables us to resolve the infrared hot spots into individual young stellar clusters or groups of these. The spatial distribution of the stellar clusters is not coincident with that of the bright H II regions, as revealed by the HST/NICMOS Pace image. Overall, the circumnuclear star formation in NGC 2903 shows a ring-like morphology with an approximate diameter of 625 pc. The SF properties of the stellar clusters and H II regions have been studied using the photometric and spectroscopic information in conjunction with evolutionary synthesis models. The population of bright stellar clusters shows a very narrow range of ages, 4 to 7 x 10(exp 6) yr after the peak of star formation, or absolute ages 6.5 to 9.5 x 10(exp 6) yr (for the assumed short-duration Gaussian bursts), and luminosities similar to the clusters found in the Antennae interacting galaxy. This population of young stellar clusters accounts for some 7 - 12% of the total stellar mass in the central 625 pc of NGC 2903. The H II regions in the ring of star formation have luminosities close to that of the super-giant H II region 30 Doradus, they are younger than the stellar clusters, and will probably evolve into bright infrared stellar clusters similar to those observed today. We find that the star formation efficiency in the central regions of NGC 2903 is higher than in normal galaxies, approaching the lower end of infrared luminous galaxies.

Photospheres of hot stars. III - Luminosity effects at spectral type 09.5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voels, Stephen A.; Bohannan, Bruce; Abbott, David C.; Hummer, D. G.

1989-01-01

Hydrogen and helium line profiles with high signal-to-noise ratios were obtained for four stars of spectral type 09.5 (Alpha Cam, Xi Ori A, Delta Ori A,AE Aur) that form a sequence in luminosity: Ia, Ib, II, V. The basic stellar parameters of these stars are determined by fitting the observed line profiles of weak photospheric absorption lines with profiles from models which include the effect of radiation scattered back onto the photosphere from their stellar winds, an effect referred to as wind blanketing. For these stars, the inclusion of wind blanketing is significant only for the most luminous star, Alpha Cam, for which the effective temperature was shifted about -2000 K relative to an unblanketed model.

Soft X-ray observations of pre-main sequence stars in the chamaeleon dark cloud

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feigelson, Eric D.; Kriss, Gerard A.

1987-01-01

Einstein IPC observations of the nearby Chamaeleon I star forming cloud show 22 well-resolved soft X-ray sources in a 1x2 deg region. Twelve are associated with H-alpha emission line pre-main sequence (PMS) stars, and four with optically selected PMS stars. Several X-ray sources have two or more PMS stars in their error circles. Optical spectra were obtained at CTIO of possible stellar counterparts of the remaining X-ray sources. They reveal 5 probable new cloud members, K7-MO stars with weak or absent emission lines. These naked X-ray selected PMS stars are similar to those found in the Taurus-Auriga cloud. The spatial distributions and H-R diagrams of the X-ray and optically selected PMS stars in the cloud are very similar. Luminosity functions indicate the Chamaeleon stars are on average approximately 5 times more X-ray luminous than Pleiad dwarfs. A significant correlation between L sub x and optical magnitude suggests this trend may continue within the PMS phase of stellar evolution. The relation of increasing X-ray luminosity with decreasing stellar ages is thus extended to stellar ages as young as 1 million years.

Call to Adopt a Nominal Set of Astrophysical Parameters and Constants to Improve the Accuracy of Fundamental Physical Properties of Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmanec, Petr; Prša, Andrej

2011-08-01

The increasing precision of astronomical observations of stars and stellar systems is gradually getting to a level where the use of slightly different values of the solar mass, radius, and luminosity, as well as different values of fundamental physical constants, can lead to measurable systematic differences in the determination of basic physical properties. An equivalent issue with an inconsistent value of the speed of light was resolved by adopting a nominal value that is constant and has no error associated with it. Analogously, we suggest that the systematic error in stellar parameters may be eliminated by (1) replacing the solar radius R⊙ and luminosity L⊙ by the nominal values that are by definition exact and expressed in SI units: and ; (2) computing stellar masses in terms of M⊙ by noting that the measurement error of the product GM⊙ is 5 orders of magnitude smaller than the error in G; (3) computing stellar masses and temperatures in SI units by using the derived values and ; and (4) clearly stating the reference for the values of the fundamental physical constants used. We discuss the need and demonstrate the advantages of such a paradigm shift.

Ultraviolet to Infrared SED (Spectral Energy Distribution) Analysis of Nearby Late-Stage Mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiner, Aaron S.; Smith, Howard A.; Ashby, Matthew; Martínez-Galarza, Juan Rafael; Ramos Padilla, Andres; Hung, Chao-Ling; Dietrich, Jeremy; Lanz, Lauranne; Hayward, Christopher; Rosenthal, Lee; Willner, Steven; Zezas, Andreas

2018-01-01

We present an analysis of the fundamental properties of nearby merging galaxies based on an in-depth analysis of their spectral energy distributions. The Late-Stage Interacting Galaxy Sample (LSIGS) cross-correlates the Revised IRAS-FSC Redshift Catalogue (Wang et al. 2014) with Galaxy Zoo (Lintott et al. 2008, 2011). LSIGS builds on and extends SIGS (Spitzer Interacting Galaxy Sample; Lanz et al. 2013, Brassington et al. 2015) in two ways. First it enlarges the sample considerably to 453 systems, increasing the statistical power of the analysis significantly. Second, it includes galaxies in the most advanced merger stage, during coalescence, filling a gap in the SIGS sample. We present full ultraviolet (UV) to far-infrared (FIR) aperture photometry for 50 galaxies in this sample, 40 of which are late-stage mergers, selecting based on availability of both UV and SPIRE observations. These have subsequently been fit and analyzed by CIGALE (Code Investigating Galaxy Emission; Burgarella 2005) in order to retrieve key physical properties of the galaxies including star-formation rate (SFR), AGN fraction, dust luminosity, bolometric luminosity, and stellar and gas mass. We use this same analysis on hydrodynamical simulations created with GADGET-3 and using SUNRISE for the radiative transfer. Using the observations in conjunction with the simulations, CIGALE fits the simulated values accurately for fAGN>0.3. Additionally galaxies in the midst of coalescence have significantly increased sSFR compared to both early and late-stage mergers, while finding that the gas mass and alpha significantly increase from early stage mergers to those in coalescence. Furthermore, we find a linear anti-correlation between alpha and both the log(60/100μm) flux, and, more interestingly, the compactness. Lastly we bring forth the idea of using the best fit age of the oldest stars and the folding time of the stellar population, τmain, in conjunction to predict the likelihood of a galaxy being in a late-stage merger or in the midst of coalescence.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: FIR data of IR-bright dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) (Toba+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toba, Y.; Nagao, T.; Wang, W.-H.; Matsuhara, H.; Akiyama, M.; Goto, T.; Koyama, Y.; Ohyama, Y.; Yamamura, I.

2017-11-01

We investigate the star-forming activity of a sample of infrared (IR)-bright dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) that show an extreme red color in the optical and IR regime, (i-[22])AB>7.0. Combining an IR-bright DOG sample with the flux at 22μm>3.8mJy discovered by Toba & Nagao (2016ApJ...820...46T) with the IRAS faint source catalog version 2 and AKARI far-IR (FIR) all-sky survey bright source catalog version 2, we selected 109 DOGs with FIR data. For a subsample of seven IR-bright DOGs with spectroscopic redshifts (0.07

Far-infrared Properties of Infrared-bright Dust-obscured Galaxies Selected with IRAS and AKARI Far-infrared All-sky Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toba, Yoshiki; Nagao, Tohru; Wang, Wei-Hao; Matsuhara, Hideo; Akiyama, Masayuki; Goto, Tomotsugu; Koyama, Yusei; Ohyama, Youich; Yamamura, Issei

2017-05-01

We investigate the star-forming activity of a sample of infrared (IR)-bright dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) that show an extreme red color in the optical and IR regime, {(I-[22])}{AB}> 7.0. Combining an IR-bright DOG sample with the flux at 22 μm > 3.8 mJy discovered by Toba & Nagao with the IRAS faint source catalog version 2 and AKARI far-IR (FIR) all-sky survey bright source catalog version 2, we selected 109 DOGs with FIR data. For a subsample of seven IR-bright DOGs with spectroscopic redshifts (0.07< z< 1.0) that were obtained from the literature, we estimated their IR luminosity, star formation rate (SFR), and stellar mass based on the spectral energy distribution fitting. We found that (1) the WISE 22 μm luminosity at the observed frame is a good indicator of IR luminosity for IR-bright DOGs and (2) the contribution of the active galactic nucleus to IR luminosity increases with IR luminosity. By comparing the stellar mass and SFR relation for our DOG sample and the literature, we found that most of the IR-bright DOGs lie significantly above the main sequence of star-forming galaxies at similar redshift, indicating that the majority of IRAS- or AKARI-detected IR-bright DOGs are starburst galaxies.

Astrophysical applications of the post-Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff formalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glampedakis, Kostas; Pappas, George; Silva, Hector O.; Berti, Emanuele

2016-08-01

The bulk properties of spherically symmetric stars in general relativity can be obtained by integrating the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) equations. In previous work [K. Glampedakis, G. Pappas, H. O. Silva, and E. Berti, Phys. Rev. D 92, 024056 (2015)], we developed a "post-TOV" formalism—inspired by parametrized post-Newtonian theory—which allows us to classify in a parametrized, phenomenological form all possible perturbative deviations from the structure of compact stars in general relativity that may be induced by modified gravity at second post-Newtonian order. In this paper we extend the formalism to deal with the stellar exterior, and we compute several potential astrophysical observables within the post-TOV formalism: the surface redshift zs, the apparent radius Rapp, the Eddington luminosity at infinity LE∞ and the orbital frequencies. We show that, at leading order, all of these quantities depend on just two post-TOV parameters μ1 and χ , and we discuss the possibility to measure (or set upper bounds on) these parameters.

THE VARIABLE NEAR-INFRARED COUNTERPART OF THE MICROQUASAR GRS 1758–258

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luque-Escamilla, Pedro L.; Martí, Josep; Muñoz-Arjonilla, Álvaro J., E-mail: peter@ujaen.es, E-mail: jmarti@ujaen.es, E-mail: ajmunoz@ujaen.es

2014-12-10

We present a new study of the microquasar system GRS 1758–258 in the near-infrared domain based on archival observations with the Hubble Space Telescope and the NICMOS camera. In addition to confirming the near-infrared counterpart pointed out by Muñoz-Arjonilla et al., we show that this object displays significant photometric variability. From its average magnitudes, we also find that GRS 1758–258 fits well within the correlation between the optical/near-infrared and X-ray luminosity known to exist for low-mass, black-hole candidate X-ray binaries in a hard state. Moreover, the spectral energy distribution built using all radio, near-infrared, and X-ray data available closest inmore » time to the NICMOS observations can be reasonably interpreted in terms of a self-absorbed radio jet and an irradiated accretion disk model around a stellar-mass black hole. All these facts match the expected behavior of a compact binary system and strengthen our confidence in the counterpart identification.« less

Wide-field Imaging of the Environments of LITTLE THINGS Dwarf Irregular Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunter, Deidre A.; Melton, Casey; Leshin, Stephen; Wong, Alson; Clark, Maurice; Kamienski, Jerald; Moriya, Netzer; Packwood, Burley; Birket, Bob; Edwards, William; Millward, Mervyn; Wheelband, Ian

2018-01-01

We have obtained wide-field images of 36 of the 41 LITTLE THINGS (Local Irregulars That Trace Luminosity Extremes, The H I Nearby Galaxy Survey) nearby (<10.3 Mpc) dwarf irregular and blue compact dwarf galaxies. Although the LITTLE THINGS galaxies were chosen to be non-interacting and no companions were found in H I imaging, the purpose of this imaging was to search for optical companion galaxies that had been missed in imaging with smaller fields of view and that might indicate an external factor in ongoing star formation. The limiting magnitudes of the images range from 19.7 to 28.3 mag arcsec‑2, with a median value of 25.9 mag arcsec‑2. We did not find any unknown companions. Two of the LITTLE THINGS galaxies, NGC 4163 and NGC 4214, and the fainter dwarf, UGCA 276, lie potentially within 100 kpc of each other, but our imaging does not reveal any stellar bridge between the galaxies. This project was part of the Lowell Amateur Research Initiative.

Eight luminous early-type galaxies in nearby pairs and sparse groups. I. Stellar populations spatially analysed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosa, D. A.; Milone, A. C.; Krabbe, A. C.; Rodrigues, I.

2018-06-01

We present a detailed spatial analysis of stellar populations based on long-slit optical spectra in a sample of eight luminous early-type galaxies selected from nearby sparse groups and pairs, three of them may have interaction with another galaxy of similar mass. We have spatially measured luminosity-weighted averages of age, [M/H], [Fe/H], and [α /Fe] in the sample galaxies to add empirical data relative to the influence of galaxy mass, environment, interaction, and AGN feedback in their formation and evolution. The stellar population of the individual galaxies were determined through the well-established stellar population synthesis code starlight using semi-empirical simple stellar population models. Radial variations of luminosity- weighted means of age, [M/H], [Fe/H], and [α /Fe] were quantified up to half of the effective radius of each galaxy. We found trends between representative values of age, [M/H], [α /Fe], and the nuclear stellar velocity dispersion. There are also relations between the metallicity/age gradients and the velocity dispersion. Contributions of 1-4 Gyr old stellar populations were quantified in IC 5328 and NGC 6758 as well as 4-8 Gyr old ones in NGC 5812. Extended gas is present in IC 5328, NGC 1052, NGC 1209, and NGC 6758, and the presence of a LINER is identified in all these galaxies. The regions up to one effective radius of all galaxies are basically dominated by α -enhanced metal-rich old stellar populations likely due to rapid star formation episodes that induced efficient chemical enrichment. On average, the age and [α /Fe] gradients are null and the [M/H] gradients are negative, although discordant cases were found. We found no correlation between the stellar population properties and the LINER presence as well as between the stellar properties and environment or gravitational interaction, suggesting that the influence of progenitor mass cannot be discarded in the formation and evolution of early-type galaxies.

Design, prototyping, and testing of a compact superconducting double quarter wave crab cavity

DOE PAGES

Xiao, Binping; Alberty, Luis; Belomestnykh, Sergey; ...

2015-04-01

We proposed a novel design for a compact superconducting crab cavity with a double quarter wave (DQWCC) shape. After fabrication and surface treatments, this niobium proof-of-principle cavity was tested cryogenically in a vertical cryostat. The cavity is extremely compact yet has a low frequency of 400 MHz, an essential property for service in the Large Hadron Collider luminosity upgrade. The cavity’s electromagnetic properties are well suited for this demanding task. The demonstrated deflecting voltage of 4.6 MV is well above the required 3.34 MV for a crab cavity in the future High Luminosity LHC. In this paper, we present themore » design, prototyping, and results from testing the DQWCC.« less

Emergence of a stellar cusp by a dark matter cusp in a low-mass compact ultrafaint dwarf galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Shigeki

2017-06-01

Recent observations have been discovering new ultrafaint dwarf galaxies as small as ˜20 pc in half-light radius and ˜3 km s-1 in line-of-sight velocity dispersion. In these galaxies, dynamical friction on a star against dark matter can be significant and alter their stellar density distribution. The effect can strongly depend on a central density profile of dark matter, I.e. cusp or core. In this study, I perform computations using a classical and a modern analytic formula and N-body simulations to study how dynamical friction changes a stellar density profile and how different it is between a cuspy and a cored dark matter halo. This study shows that, if a dark matter halo has a cusp, dynamical friction can cause shrivelling instability that results in emergence of a stellar cusp in the central region ≲2 pc. On the other hand, if it has a constant-density core, dynamical friction is significantly weaker and does not generate a stellar cusp even if the galaxy has the same line-of-sight velocity dispersion. In such a compact and low-mass galaxy, since the shrivelling instability by dynamical friction is inevitable if it has a dark matter cusp, absence of a stellar cusp implies that the galaxy has a dark matter core. I expect that this could be used to diagnose a dark matter density profile in these compact ultrafaint dwarf galaxies.

A population of compact elliptical galaxies detected with the Virtual Observatory.

PubMed

Chilingarian, Igor; Cayatte, Véronique; Revaz, Yves; Dodonov, Serguei; Durand, Daniel; Durret, Florence; Micol, Alberto; Slezak, Eric

2009-12-04

Compact elliptical galaxies are characterized by small sizes and high stellar densities. They are thought to form through tidal stripping of massive progenitors. However, only a handful of them were known, preventing us from understanding the role played by this mechanism in galaxy evolution. We present a population of 21 compact elliptical galaxies gathered with the Virtual Observatory. Follow-up spectroscopy and data mining, using high-resolution images and large databases, show that all the galaxies exhibit old metal-rich stellar populations different from those of dwarf elliptical galaxies of similar masses but similar to those of more massive early-type galaxies, supporting the tidal stripping scenario. Their internal properties are reproduced by numerical simulations, which result in compact, dynamically hot remnants resembling the galaxies in our sample.

VARIATIONS OF MID- AND FAR-INFRARED LUMINOSITIES AMONG EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES: RELATION TO STELLAR METALLICITY AND COLD DUST

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mathews, William G.; Brighenti, Fabrizio; Temi, Pasquale

The Hubble morphological sequence from early to late galaxies corresponds to an increasing rate of specific star formation. The Hubble sequence also follows a banana-shaped correlation between 24 and 70 {mu}m luminosities, both normalized with the K-band luminosity. We show that this correlation is significantly tightened if galaxies with central active galactic nucleus (AGN) emission are removed, but the cosmic scatter of elliptical galaxies in both 24 and 70 {mu}m luminosities remains significant along the correlation. We find that the 24 {mu}m variation among ellipticals correlates with stellar metallicity, reflecting emission from hot dust in winds from asymptotic giant branchmore » stars of varying metallicity. Infrared surface brightness variations in elliptical galaxies indicate that the K - 24 color profile is U-shaped for reasons that are unclear. In some elliptical galaxies, cold interstellar dust emitting at 70 and 160 {mu}m may arise from recent gas-rich mergers. However, we argue that most of the large range of 70 {mu}m luminosity in elliptical galaxies is due to dust transported from galactic cores by feedback events in (currently IR-quiet) AGNs. Cooler dusty gas naturally accumulates in the cores of elliptical galaxies due to dust-cooled local stellar mass loss and may accrete onto the central black hole, releasing energy. AGN-heated gas can transport dust in cores 5-10 kpc out into the hot gas atmospheres where it radiates extended 70 {mu}m emission but is eventually destroyed by sputtering. This, and some modest star formation, defines a cycle of dust creation and destruction. Elliptical galaxies evidently undergo large transient excursions in the banana plot in times comparable to the sputtering time or AGN duty cycle, 10 Myr. Normally regarded as passive, elliptical galaxies are the most active galaxies in the IR color-color correlation.« less

THE XMM CLUSTER SURVEY: THE STELLAR MASS ASSEMBLY OF FOSSIL GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harrison, Craig D.; Miller, Christopher J.; Richards, Joseph W.

This paper presents both the result of a search for fossil systems (FSs) within the XMM Cluster Survey and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the results of a study of the stellar mass assembly and stellar populations of their fossil galaxies. In total, 17 groups and clusters are identified at z < 0.25 with large magnitude gaps between the first and fourth brightest galaxies. All the information necessary to classify these systems as fossils is provided. For both groups and clusters, the total and fractional luminosity of the brightest galaxy is positively correlated with the magnitude gap. The brightestmore » galaxies in FSs (called fossil galaxies) have stellar populations and star formation histories which are similar to normal brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). However, at fixed group/cluster mass, the stellar masses of the fossil galaxies are larger compared to normal BCGs, a fact that holds true over a wide range of group/cluster masses. Moreover, the fossil galaxies are found to contain a significant fraction of the total optical luminosity of the group/cluster within 0.5 R{sub 200}, as much as 85%, compared to the non-fossils, which can have as little as 10%. Our results suggest that FSs formed early and in the highest density regions of the universe and that fossil galaxies represent the end products of galaxy mergers in groups and clusters.« less

STELLAR X-RAY SOURCES IN THE CHANDRA COSMOS SURVEY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wright, N. J.; Drake, J. J.; Civano, F., E-mail: nwright@cfa.harvard.ed

2010-12-10

We present an analysis of the X-ray properties of a sample of solar- and late-type field stars identified in the Chandra Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS), a deep (160 ks) and wide ({approx}0.9 deg{sup 2}) extragalactic survey. The sample of 60 sources was identified using both morphological and photometric star/galaxy separation methods. We determine X-ray count rates, extract spectra and light curves, and perform spectral fits to determine fluxes and plasma temperatures. Complementary optical and near-IR photometry is also presented and combined with spectroscopy for 48 of the sources to determine spectral types and distances for the sample. We find distancesmore » ranging from 30 pc to {approx}12 kpc, including a number of the most distant and highly active stellar X-ray sources ever detected. This stellar sample extends the known coverage of the L{sub X}-distance plane to greater distances and higher luminosities, but we do not detect as many intrinsically faint X-ray sources compared to previous surveys. Overall the sample is typically more luminous than the active Sun, representing the high-luminosity end of the disk and halo X-ray luminosity functions. The halo population appears to include both low-activity spectrally hard sources that may be emitting through thermal bremsstrahlung, as well as a number of highly active sources in close binaries.« less

SPARC: MASS MODELS FOR 175 DISK GALAXIES WITH SPITZER PHOTOMETRY AND ACCURATE ROTATION CURVES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lelli, Federico; McGaugh, Stacy S.; Schombert, James M., E-mail: federico.lelli@case.edu

2016-12-01

We introduce SPARC ( Spitzer Photometry and Accurate Rotation Curves): a sample of 175 nearby galaxies with new surface photometry at 3.6  μ m and high-quality rotation curves from previous H i/H α studies. SPARC spans a broad range of morphologies (S0 to Irr), luminosities (∼5 dex), and surface brightnesses (∼4 dex). We derive [3.6] surface photometry and study structural relations of stellar and gas disks. We find that both the stellar mass–H i mass relation and the stellar radius–H i radius relation have significant intrinsic scatter, while the H i   mass–radius relation is extremely tight. We build detailedmore » mass models and quantify the ratio of baryonic to observed velocity ( V {sub bar}/ V {sub obs}) for different characteristic radii and values of the stellar mass-to-light ratio (ϒ{sub ⋆}) at [3.6]. Assuming ϒ{sub ⋆} ≃ 0.5 M {sub ⊙}/ L {sub ⊙} (as suggested by stellar population models), we find that (i) the gas fraction linearly correlates with total luminosity; (ii) the transition from star-dominated to gas-dominated galaxies roughly corresponds to the transition from spiral galaxies to dwarf irregulars, in line with density wave theory; and (iii)  V {sub bar}/ V {sub obs} varies with luminosity and surface brightness: high-mass, high-surface-brightness galaxies are nearly maximal, while low-mass, low-surface-brightness galaxies are submaximal. These basic properties are lost for low values of ϒ{sub ⋆} ≃ 0.2 M {sub ⊙}/ L {sub ⊙} as suggested by the DiskMass survey. The mean maximum-disk limit in bright galaxies is ϒ{sub ⋆} ≃ 0.7 M {sub ⊙}/ L {sub ⊙} at [3.6]. The SPARC data are publicly available and represent an ideal test bed for models of galaxy formation.« less

The Evolution and Stability of Massive Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiode, Joshua Hajime

Massive stars are the ultimate source for nearly all the elements necessary for life. The first stars forge these elements from the sparse set of ingredients supplied by the Big Bang, and distribute enriched ashes throughout their galactic homes via their winds and explosive deaths. Subsequent generations follow suit, assembling from the enriched ashes of their predecessors. Over the last several decades, the astrophysics community has developed a sophisticated theoretical picture of the evolution of these stars, but it remains an incomplete accounting of the rich set of observations. Using state of the art models of massive stars, I have investigated the internal processes taking place throughout the life-cycles of stars spanning those from the first generation ("Population III") to the present-day ("Population I"). I will argue that early-generation stars were not highly unstable to perturbations, contrary to a host of past investigations, if a correct accounting is made for the viscous effect of convection. For later generations, those with near solar metallicity, I find that this very same convection may excite gravity-mode oscillations that produce observable brightness variations at the stellar surface when the stars are near the main sequence. If confirmed with modern high-precision monitoring experiments, like Kepler and CoRoT, the properties of observed gravity modes in massive stars could provide a direct probe of the poorly constrained physics of gravity mode excitation by convection. Finally, jumping forward in stellar evolutionary time, I propose and explore an entirely new mechanism to explain the giant eruptions observed and inferred to occur during the final phases of massive stellar evolution. This mechanism taps into the vast nuclear fusion luminosity, and accompanying convective luminosity, in the stellar core to excite waves capable of carrying a super-Eddington luminosity out to the stellar envelope. This energy transfer from the core to the envelope has the potential to unbind a significant amount of mass in close proximity to a star's eventual explosion as a core collapse supernova.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Stellar models. 0.85

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charbonnel, C.; Decressin, T.; Lagarde, N.; Gallet, F.; Palacios, A.; Auriere, M.; Konstantinova-Antova, R.; Mathis, S.; Anderson, R. I.; Dintrans, B.

2018-02-01

Grid of stellar models and convective turnover timescale for four metallicities (Z= 0.0001, 0.002, 0.004, and 0.014) in the mass range from 0.85 to 6.0Mȯ. The models are computed either with standard prescriptions or including both thermohaline convection and rotation-induced mixing. For the whole grid, we provide the usual stellar parameters (luminosity, effective temperature, lifetimes, ...), together with the turnover timescale estimated a different heights in the convective envelope and their corresponding Rossby number. (4 data files).

Relaxational effects in radiating stellar collapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Govender, Megan; Maartens, Roy; Maharaj, Sunil D.

1999-12-01

Relaxational effects in stellar heat transport can in many cases be significant. Relativistic Fourier-Eckart theory is inherently quasi-stationary, and cannot incorporate these effects. The effects are naturally accounted for in causal relativistic thermodynamics, which provides an improved approximation to kinetic theory. Recent results, based on perturbations of a static star, show that relaxation effects can produce a significant increase in the central temperature and temperature gradient for a given luminosity. We use a simple stellar model that allows for non-perturbative deviations from staticity, and confirms qualitatively the predictions of the perturbative models.

The Next Generation Fornax Survey (NGFS). II. The Central Dwarf Galaxy Population

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eigenthaler, Paul; Puzia, Thomas H.; Taylor, Matthew A.; Ordenes-Briceño, Yasna; Muñoz, Roberto P.; Ribbeck, Karen X.; Alamo-Martínez, Karla A.; Zhang, Hongxin; Ángel, Simón; Capaccioli, Massimo; Côté, Patrick; Ferrarese, Laura; Galaz, Gaspar; Grebel, Eva K.; Hempel, Maren; Hilker, Michael; Lançon, Ariane; Mieske, Steffen; Miller, Bryan; Paolillo, Maurizio; Powalka, Mathieu; Richtler, Tom; Roediger, Joel; Rong, Yu; Sánchez-Janssen, Ruben; Spengler, Chelsea

2018-03-01

We present a photometric study of the dwarf galaxy population in the core region (≲r vir/4) of the Fornax galaxy cluster based on deep u‧g‧i‧ photometry from the Next Generation Fornax Cluster Survey. All imaging data were obtained with the Dark Energy Camera mounted on the 4 m Blanco telescope at the Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory. We identify 258 dwarf galaxy candidates with luminosities ‑17 ≲ M g‧ ≲ ‑8 mag, corresponding to typical stellar masses of 9.5≳ {log}{{ \\mathcal M }}\\star /{M}ȯ ≳ 5.5, reaching ∼3 mag deeper in point-source luminosity and ∼4 mag deeper in surface brightness sensitivity compared to the classic Fornax Cluster Catalog. Morphological analysis shows that the dwarf galaxy surface-brightness profiles are well represented by single-component Sérsic models with average Sérsic indices of < n{> }u\\prime ,g\\prime ,i\\prime =(0.78{--}0.83)+/- 0.02 and average effective radii of < {r}e{> }u\\prime ,g\\prime ,i\\prime =(0.67{--}0.70)+/- 0.02 {kpc}. Color–magnitude relations indicate a flattening of the galaxy red sequence at faint galaxy luminosities, similar to the one recently discovered in the Virgo cluster. A comparison with population synthesis models and the galaxy mass–metallicity relation reveals that the average faint dwarf galaxy is likely older than ∼5 Gyr. We study galaxy scaling relations between stellar mass, effective radius, and stellar mass surface density over a stellar mass range covering six orders of magnitude. We find that over the sampled stellar mass range several distinct mechanisms of galaxy mass assembly can be identified: (1) dwarf galaxies assemble mass inside the half-mass radius up to {log}{{ \\mathcal M }}\\star ≈ 8.0, (2) isometric mass assembly occurs in the range 8.0 ≲ {log}{{ \\mathcal M }}\\star /{M}ȯ ≲ 10.5, and (3) massive galaxies assemble stellar mass predominantly in their halos at {log}{{ \\mathcal M }}\\star ≈ 10.5 and above.

Explaining the luminosity spread in young clusters: proto and pre-main sequence stellar evolution in a molecular cloud environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, Sigurd S.; Haugbølle, Troels

2018-02-01

Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams of star-forming regions show a large luminosity spread. This is incompatible with well-defined isochrones based on classic non-accreting protostellar evolution models. Protostars do not evolve in isolation of their environment, but grow through accretion of gas. In addition, while an age can be defined for a star-forming region, the ages of individual stars in the region will vary. We show how the combined effect of a protostellar age spread, a consequence of sustained star formation in the molecular cloud, and time-varying protostellar accretion for individual protostars can explain the observed luminosity spread. We use a global magnetohydrodynamic simulation including a sub-scale sink particle model of a star-forming region to follow the accretion process of each star. The accretion profiles are used to compute stellar evolution models for each star, incorporating a model of how the accretion energy is distributed to the disc, radiated away at the accretion shock, or incorporated into the outer layers of the protostar. Using a modelled cluster age of 5 Myr, we naturally reproduce the luminosity spread and find good agreement with observations of the Collinder 69 cluster, and the Orion Nebular Cluster. It is shown how stars in binary and multiple systems can be externally forced creating recurrent episodic accretion events. We find that in a realistic global molecular cloud model massive stars build up mass over relatively long time-scales. This leads to an important conceptual change compared to the classic picture of non-accreting stellar evolution segmented into low-mass Hayashi tracks and high-mass Henyey tracks.

Exploring the Overabundance of ULXs in Metal- and Dust-Poor Local Lyman Break Analogs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basu-Zych, Antara R.; Lehmer, Bret; Fragos, Tassos; Hornschemeier, Ann; Yukita, Mihoko; Zezas, Andreas; Ptak, Andy

2016-01-01

We have studied high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) populations within two low-metallicity, starburst galaxies, Haro 11 and VV 114. These galaxies serve as analogs to high-redshift (z greater than 2) Lyman break galaxies and, within the larger sample of Lyman break analogs (LBAs), they are sufficiently nearby (less than 87 Mpc) to be spatially resolved by Chandra. Previous studies of the X-ray emission in LBAs have found that the 2-10 keV luminosity per star formation rate (SFR) in these galaxies is elevated, potentially because of their low metallicities (12 + log[O/H] = 8.3-8.4). Theoretically, the progenitors of XRBs forming in lower metallicity environments lose less mass from stellar winds over their lifetimes, producing more massive compact objects (i.e., neutron stars and black holes), and thus resulting in more numerous and luminous HMXBs per SFR. In this paper, we have performed an in-depth study of the only two LBAs that have spatially resolved 2-10 keV emission with Chandra to present the bright end of the X-ray luminosity distribution of HMXBs (L(sub X) approximately greater than 10(exp 39) erg s(exp -1); ultraluminous X-ray sources, ULXs) in these low-metallicity galaxies, based on eight detected ULXs. Compared with the star-forming galaxy X-ray luminosity function (XLF) presented by Mineo et al., Haro 11 and VV 114 host approximately equal to 4 times more L(sub X) greater than 10(exp 40) erg s(exp -1) sources than expected given their SFRs. We simulate the effects of source blending from crowded lower-luminosity HMXBs using the star-forming galaxy XLF and then vary the XLF normalizations and bright-end slopes until we reproduce the observed point source luminosity distributions. We find that these LBAs have a shallower bright-end slope (gamma(sub 2) = 1.90) than the standard XLF (gamma(sub 2) 2.73). If we conservatively assume that the brightest X-ray source from each galaxy is powered by an accreting supermassive black hole rather than an HMXB and eliminate these sources from consideration, the luminosity distribution becomes poorly constrained but does appear to be consistent with a standard XLF.

Paving the way for the JWST: witnessing globular cluster formation at z > 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanzella, E.; Calura, F.; Meneghetti, M.; Mercurio, A.; Castellano, M.; Caminha, G. B.; Balestra, I.; Rosati, P.; Tozzi, P.; De Barros, S.; Grazian, A.; D'Ercole, A.; Ciotti, L.; Caputi, K.; Grillo, C.; Merlin, E.; Pentericci, L.; Fontana, A.; Cristiani, S.; Coe, D.

2017-06-01

We report on five compact, extremely young (<10 Myr) and blue (βUV < -2.5, Fλ = λβ) objects observed with VLT/Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer at redshifts 3.1169 and 3.235, in addition to three objects at z = 6.145. These sources are strongly magnified (3-40 times) by the Hubble Frontier Field galaxy clusters MACS J0416 and AS1063. Their delensed half-light radii (Re) are between 16 and 140 pc, the stellar masses are ≃1-20 × 106 M⊙, the magnitudes are mUV = 28.8-31.4 (-17 < MUV < -15) and specific star formation rates can be as large as ˜800 Gyr-1. Remarkably, the inferred physical properties of two objects are similar to those expected in some globular cluster formation scenarios, representing the best candidate proto-GCs discovered so far. Rest-frame optical high-dispersion spectroscopy of one of them at z = 3.1169 yields a velocity dispersion σv ≃ 20 km s-1, implying a dynamical mass dominated by the stellar mass. Another object at z = 6.145, with delensed MUV ≃ -15.3 (mUV ≃ 31.4), shows a stellar mass and a star formation rate surface density consistent with the values expected from popular GC formation scenarios. An additional star-forming region at z = 6.145, with delensed mUV ≃ 32, a stellar mass of 0.5 × 106 M⊙ and a star formation rate of 0.06 M⊙ yr-1 is also identified. These objects currently represent the faintest spectroscopically confirmed star-forming systems at z > 3, elusive even in the deepest blank fields. We discuss how proto-GCs might contribute to the ionization budget of the Universe and augment Lyα visibility during reionization. This work underlines the crucial role of JWST in characterizing the rest-frame optical and near-infrared properties of such low-luminosity high-z objects.

Star-forming galaxies in intermediate-redshift clusters: stellar versus dynamical masses of luminous compact blue galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randriamampandry, S. M.; Crawford, S. M.; Bershady, M. A.; Wirth, G. D.; Cress, C. M.

2017-10-01

We investigate the stellar masses of the class of star-forming objects known as luminous compact blue galaxies (LCBGs) by studying a sample of galaxies in the distant cluster MS 0451.6-0305 at z ≈ 0.54 with ground-based multicolour imaging and spectroscopy. For a sample of 16 spectroscopically confirmed cluster LCBGs (colour B - V < 0.5, surface brightness μB < 21 mag arcsec-2 and magnitude MB < -18.5), we measure stellar masses by fitting spectral energy distribution (SED) models to multiband photometry, and compare with dynamical masses [determined from velocity dispersion in the range 10 < σv(km s- 1) < 80] we previously obtained from their emission-line spectra. We compare two different stellar population models that measure stellar mass in star-bursting galaxies, indicating correlations between the stellar age, extinction and stellar mass derived from the two different SED models. The stellar masses of cluster LCBGs are distributed similarly to those of field LCBGs, but the cluster LCBGs show lower dynamical-to-stellar mass ratios (Mdyn/M⋆ = 2.6) than their field LCBG counterparts (Mdyn/M⋆ = 4.8), echoing trends noted previously in low-redshift dwarf elliptical galaxies. Within this limited sample, the specific star formation rate declines steeply with increasing mass, suggesting that these cluster LCBGs have undergone vigorous star formation.

Identifying the subtle signatures of feedback from distant AGN using ALMA observations and the EAGLE hydrodynamical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholtz, J.; Alexander, D. M.; Harrison, C. M.; Rosario, D. J.; McAlpine, S.; Mullaney, J. R.; Stanley, F.; Simpson, J.; Theuns, T.; Bower, R. G.; Hickox, R. C.; Santini, P.; Swinbank, A. M.

2018-03-01

We present sensitive 870 μm continuum measurements from our ALMA programmes of 114 X-ray selected active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the Chandra Deep Field-South and Cosmic Evolution Survey fields. We use these observations in combination with data from Spitzer and Herschel to construct a sample of 86 X-ray selected AGN, 63 with ALMA constraints at z = 1.5-3.2 with stellar mass >2 × 1010 M⊙. We constructed broad-band spectral energy distributions in the infrared band (8-1000 μm) and constrain star-formation rates (SFRs) uncontaminated by the AGN. Using a hierarchical Bayesian method that takes into account the information from upper limits, we fit SFR and specific SFR (sSFR) distributions. We explore these distributions as a function of both X-ray luminosity and stellar mass. We compare our measurements to two versions of the Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments (EAGLE) hydrodynamical simulations: the reference model with AGN feedback and the model without AGN. We find good agreement between the observations and that predicted by the EAGLE reference model for the modes and widths of the sSFR distributions as a function of both X-ray luminosity and stellar mass; however, we found that the EAGLE model without AGN feedback predicts a significantly narrower width when compared to the data. Overall, from the combination of the observations with the model predictions, we conclude that (1) even with AGN feedback, we expect no strong relationship between the sSFR distribution parameters and instantaneous AGN luminosity and (2) a signature of AGN feedback is a broad distribution of sSFRs for all galaxies (not just those hosting an AGN) with stellar masses above ≈1010 M⊙.

Detection of an Optical Counterpart to the ALFALFA Ultra-compact High-velocity Cloud AGC 249525

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janesh, William; Rhode, Katherine L.; Salzer, John J.; Janowiecki, Steven; Adams, Elizabeth A. K.; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Cannon, John M.

2017-03-01

We report on the detection at >98% confidence of an optical counterpart to AGC 249525, an ultra-compact high-velocity cloud (UCHVC) discovered by the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA survey blind neutral hydrogen survey. UCHVCs are compact, isolated H I clouds with properties consistent with their being nearby low-mass galaxies, but without identified counterparts in extant optical surveys. Analysis of the resolved stellar sources in deep g- and I-band imaging from the WIYN pODI camera reveals a clustering of possible red giant branch stars associated with AGC 249525 at a distance of 1.64 ± 0.45 Mpc. Matching our optical detection with the H I synthesis map of AGC 249525 from Adams et al. shows that the stellar overdensity is exactly coincident with the highest-density H I contour from that study. Combining our optical photometry and the H I properties of this object yields an absolute magnitude of -7.1≤slant {M}V≤slant -4.5, a stellar mass between 2.2+/- 0.6× {10}4 {M}⊙ and 3.6+/- 1.0× {10}5 {M}⊙ , and an H I to stellar mass ratio between 9 and 144. This object has stellar properties within the observed range of gas-poor ultra-faint dwarfs in the Local Group, but is gas-dominated.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Protoplanetary Disks around Herbig Ae/Be and T Tauri Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seok, Ji Yeon; Li, Aigen

2017-02-01

A distinct set of broad emission features at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, 11.3, and 12.7 μm, is often detected in protoplanetary disks (PPDs). These features are commonly attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We model these emission features in the infrared spectra of 69 PPDs around 14 T Tauri and 55 Herbig Ae/Be stars in terms of astronomical PAHs. For each PPD, we derive the size distribution and the charge state of the PAHs. We then examine the correlations of the PAH properties (I.e., sizes and ionization fractions) with the stellar properties (e.g., stellar effective temperature, luminosity, and mass). We find that the characteristic size of the PAHs tends to correlate with the stellar effective temperature ({T}{eff}) and interpret this as the preferential photodissociation of small PAHs in systems with higher {T}{eff} of which the stellar photons are more energetic. In addition, the PAH size shows a moderate correlation with the red-ward wavelength shift of the 7.7 μm PAH feature that is commonly observed in disks around cool stars. The ionization fraction of PAHs does not seem to correlate with any stellar parameters. This is because the charging of PAHs depends on not only the stellar properties (e.g., {T}{eff}, luminosity) but also their spatial distribution in the disks. The marginally negative correlation between PAH size and stellar age suggests that continuous replenishment of PAHs via the outgassing of cometary bodies and/or the collisional grinding of planetesimals and asteroids is required to maintain the abundance of small PAHs against complete destruction by photodissociation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dewangan, L. K.; Janardhan, P.; Baug, T.

In order to investigate star-formation (SF) processes in extreme environments, we have carried out a multi-wavelength analysis of the mid-infrared bubble N46, which hosts a WN7 Wolf–Rayet (W–R) star. We have used {sup 13}CO line data to trace an expanding shell surrounding the W–R star containing about five condensations within the molecular cloud associated with the bubble. The W–R star is associated with a powerful stellar wind having a mechanical luminosity of ∼4 × 10{sup 37} erg s{sup 1}. A deviation of the H -band starlight mean polarization angles around the bubble has also been traced, indicating the impact ofmore » stellar wind on the surroundings. The Herschel temperature map shows a temperature range of ∼18–24 K toward the five molecular condensations. The photometric analysis reveals that these condensations are associated with the identified clusters of young stellar objects, revealing ongoing SF process. The densest among these five condensations (peak N(H{sub 2}) ∼9.2 × 10{sup 22} cm{sup 2} and A{sub V} ∼ 98 mag) is associated with a 6.7 GHz methanol maser, an infrared dark cloud, and the CO outflow, tracing active massive SF within it. At least five compact radio sources (CRSs) are physically linked with the edges of the bubble, and each of them is consistent with the radio spectral class of a B0V–B0.5V-type star. The ages of the individual infrared counterparts of three CRSs (∼1–2 Myr) and a typical age of WN7 W–R star (∼4 Myr) indicate that the SF activities around the bubble are influenced by the feedback of the W–R star.« less

After the Fall: The Dust and Gas in E+A Post-starburst Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smercina, A.; Smith, J. D. T.; Dale, D. A.; French, K. D.; Croxall, K. V.; Zhukovska, S.; Togi, A.; Bell, E. F.; Crocker, A. F.; Draine, B. T.; Jarrett, T. H.; Tremonti, C.; Yang, Yujin; Zabludoff, A. I.

2018-03-01

The traditional picture of post-starburst galaxies as dust- and gas-poor merger remnants, rapidly transitioning to quiescence, has been recently challenged. Unexpected detections of a significant interstellar medium (ISM) in many post-starburst galaxies raise important questions. Are they truly quiescent, and if so, what mechanisms inhibit further star formation? What processes dominate their ISM energetics? We present an infrared spectroscopic and photometric survey of 33 E+A post-starbursts selected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, aimed at resolving these questions. We find compact, warm dust reservoirs with high PAH abundances and total gas and dust masses significantly higher than expected from stellar recycling alone. Both polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)/total infrared (TIR) and dust-to-burst stellar mass ratios are seen to decrease with post-burst age, indicative of the accumulating effects of dust destruction and an incipient transition to hot, early-type ISM properties. Their infrared spectral properties are unique, with dominant PAH emission, very weak nebular lines, unusually strong H2 rotational emission, and deep [C II] deficits. There is substantial scatter among star formation rate (SFR) indicators, and both PAH and TIR luminosities provide overestimates. Even as potential upper limits, all tracers show that the SFR has typically experienced a decline of more than two orders of magnitude since the starburst and that the SFR is considerably lower than expected given both their stellar masses and molecular gas densities. These results paint a coherent picture of systems in which star formation was, indeed, rapidly truncated, but in which the ISM was not completely expelled, and is instead supported against collapse by latent or continued injection of turbulent or mechanical heating. The resulting aging burst populations provide a “high-soft” radiation field that seemingly dominates the E+A galaxies’ unusual ISM energetics.

Packing extra mass in compact stellar structures: an interplay between Kalb-Ramond field and extra dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Sumanta; SenGupta, Soumitra

2018-05-01

We have derived the Buchdahl's limit for a relativistic star in presence of the Kalb-Ramond field in four as well as in higher dimensions. It turns out that the Buchdahl's limit gets severely affected by the inclusion of the Kalb-Ramond field. In particular, the Kalb-Ramond field in four spacetime dimensions enables one to pack extra mass in any compact stellar structure of a given radius. On the other hand, a completely opposite picture emerges if the Kalb-Ramond field exists in higher dimensions, where the mass content of a compact star is smaller compared to that in general relativity. Implications are discussed.

Assisted stellar suicide: the wind-driven evolution of the recurrent nova T Pyxidis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knigge, Ch.; King, A. R.; Patterson, J.

2000-12-01

We show that the extremely high luminosity of the short-period recurrent nova T Pyx in quiescence can be understood if this system is a wind-driven supersoft x-ray source (SSS). In this scenario, a strong, radiation-induced wind is excited from the secondary star and accelerates the binary evolution. The accretion rate is therefore much higher than in an ordinary cataclysmic binary at the same orbital period, as is the luminosity of the white dwarf primary. In the steady state, the enhanced luminosity is just sufficient to maintain the wind from the secondary. The accretion rate and luminosity predicted by the wind-driven model for T Pyx are in good agreement with the observational evidence. X-ray observations with Chandra or XMM may be able to confirm T Pyx's status as a SSS. T Pyx's lifetime in the wind-driven state is on the order of a million years. Its ultimate fate is not certain, but the system may very well end up destroying itself, either via the complete evaporation of the secondary star, or in a Type Ia supernova if the white dwarf reaches the Chandrasekhar limit. Thus either the primary, the secondary, or both may currently be committing assisted stellar suicide.

Transition of an X-ray binary to the hard ultraluminous state in the blue compact dwarf galaxy VII Zw 403

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brorby, M.; Kaaret, P.; Feng, H.

2015-04-01

We examine the X-ray spectra of VII Zw 403, a nearby low-metallicity blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxy. The galaxy has been observed to contain an X-ray source, likely a high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB), with a luminosity of 1.3-23 × 1038 erg s-1 in the 0.3-8 keV energy range. A new Suzaku observation shows a transition to a luminosity of 1.7 × 1040 erg s-1 [0.3-8 keV], higher by a factor of 7-130. The spectra from the high-flux state are hard, best described by a disc plus Comptonization model, and exhibit curvature at energies above 5 keV. This is consistent with many high-quality ultraluminous X-ray source spectra which have been interpreted as stellar mass black holes accreting at super-Eddington rates. However, this lies in contrast to another HMXB in a low-metallicity BCD, I Zw 18, that exhibits a soft spectrum at high flux, similar to Galactic black hole binaries and has been interpreted as a possible intermediate-mass black hole. Determining the spectral properties of HMXBs in BCDs has important implications for models of the Epoch of Reionization. It is thought that the main component of X-ray heating in the early Universe was dominated by HMXBs within the first galaxies. Early galaxies were small, metal-deficient, star-forming galaxies with large H I mass fractions - properties shared by local BCDs we see today. Understanding the spectral evolution of HMXBs in early Universe analogue galaxies, such as BCDs, is an important step in estimating their contribution to the heating of the intergalactic medium during the Epoch of Reionization. The strong contrast between the properties of the only two spectroscopically studied HMXBs within BCDs motivates further study on larger samples of HMXBs in low-metallicity environments in order to properly estimate the X-ray heating in the early Universe.

A STUDY OF RO-VIBRATIONAL OH EMISSION FROM HERBIG Ae/Be STARS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brittain, Sean D.; Reynolds, Nickalas; Najita, Joan R.

2016-10-20

We present a study of ro-vibrational OH and CO emission from 21 disks around Herbig Ae/Be stars. We find that the OH and CO luminosities are proportional over a wide range of stellar ultraviolet luminosities. The OH and CO line profiles are also similar, indicating that they arise from roughly the same radial region of the disk. The CO and OH emission are both correlated with the far-ultraviolet luminosity of the stars, while the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) luminosity is correlated with the longer wavelength ultraviolet luminosity of the stars. Although disk flaring affects the PAH luminosity, it is notmore » a factor in the luminosity of the OH and CO emission. These properties are consistent with models of UV-irradiated disk atmospheres. We also find that the transition disks in our sample, which have large optically thin inner regions, have lower OH and CO luminosities than non-transition disk sources with similar ultraviolet luminosities. This result, while tentative given the small sample size, is consistent with the interpretation that transition disks lack a gaseous disk close to the star.« less

An atlas of H-alpha-emitting regions in M33: A systematic search for SS433 star candidates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calzetti, Daniela; Kinney, Anne L.; Ford, Holland; Doggett, Jesse; Long, Knox S.

1995-01-01

We report finding charts and accurate positions for 432 compact H-alpha emitting regions in the Local Group galaxy M 33 (NGC 598), in an effort to isolate candidates for an SS433-like stellar system. The objects were extracted from narrow band images, centered in the rest-frame H-alpha (lambda 6563 A) and in the red continuum at 6100 A. The atlas is complete down to V approximately equal to 20 and includes 279 compact HII regions and 153 line emitting point-like sources. The point-like sources undoubtedly include a variety of objects: very small HII regions, early type stars with intense stellar winds, and Wolf-Rayet stars, but should also contain objects with the characteristics of SS433. This extensive survey of compact H-alpha regions in M 33 is a first step towards the identification of peculiar stellar systems like SS433 in external galaxies.

VLA observations of unidentified Leiden-Berkeley Deep-Survey sources - Luminosity and redshift dependence of spectral properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kapahi, V.K.; Kulkarni, V.K.

1990-05-01

VLA observations of a complete subset of the Leiden-Berkeley Deep Survey sources that have S(1.4 GHz) greater than 10 mJy and are not optically identified down to F=22 mag are reported. By comparing the spectral and structural properties of the sources with samples from the literature, an attempt was made to disentangle the luminosity and redshift dependence of the spectral indices of extended emission in radio galaxies and of the incidence of compact steep-spectrum sources. It is found that the fraction of compact sources among those with a steep spectrum is related primarily to redshift, being much larger at highmore » redshifts for sources of similar radio luminosity. Only a weak and marginally significant dependence of spectral indices of the extended sources on luminosity and redshift is found in samples selected at 1.4 and 2.7 GHz. It is pointed out that the much stronger correlation of spectral indices with luminosity may be arising partly from spectral curvature, and partly due to the preferential inclusion of very steep-spectrum sources from high redshift in low-frequency surveys. 54 refs.« less

Magnifying the Early Episodes of Star Formation: Super Star Clusters at Cosmological Distances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanzella, E.; Castellano, M.; Meneghetti, M.; Mercurio, A.; Caminha, G. B.; Cupani, G.; Calura, F.; Christensen, L.; Merlin, E.; Rosati, P.; Gronke, M.; Dijkstra, M.; Mignoli, M.; Gilli, R.; De Barros, S.; Caputi, K.; Grillo, C.; Balestra, I.; Cristiani, S.; Nonino, M.; Giallongo, E.; Grazian, A.; Pentericci, L.; Fontana, A.; Comastri, A.; Vignali, C.; Zamorani, G.; Brusa, M.; Bergamini, P.; Tozzi, P.

2017-06-01

We study the spectrophotometric properties of a highly magnified (μ ≃ 40{--}70) pair of stellar systems identified at z = 3.2222 behind the Hubble Frontier Field galaxy cluster MACS J0416. Five multiple images (out of six) have been spectroscopically confirmed by means of VLT/MUSE and VLT/X-Shooter observations. Each image includes two faint ({m}{UV}≃ 30.6), young (≲ 100 Myr), low-mass (< {10}7 {M}⊙ ), low-metallicity (12 + Log(O/H) ≃ 7.7, or 1/10 solar), and compact (30 pc effective radius) stellar systems separated by ≃ 300 pc after correcting for lensing amplification. We measured several rest-frame ultraviolet and optical narrow ({σ }v≲ 25 km s-1) high-ionization lines. These features may be the signature of very hot (T> {{50,000}} K) stars within dense stellar clusters, whose dynamical mass is likely dominated by the stellar component. Remarkably, the ultraviolet metal lines are not accompanied by Lyα emission (e.g., C IV/Lyα > 15), despite the fact that the Lyα line flux is expected to be 150 times brighter (inferred from the Hβ flux). A spatially offset, strongly magnified (μ > 50) Lyα emission with a spatial extent ≲ 7.6 kpc2 is instead identified 2 kpc away from the system. The origin of such a faint emission could be the result of fluorescent Lyα induced by a transverse leakage of ionizing radiation emerging from the stellar systems and/or may be associated with an underlying and barely detected object (with {m}{UV}> 34 de-lensed). This is the first confirmed metal-line emitter at such low-luminosity and redshift without Lyα emission—suggesting that, at least in some cases, a non-uniform covering factor of the neutral gas might hamper the Lyα detection. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory for Astronomical research in the southern hemisphere, under ESO programmes P095.A-0840, P095.A-0653, and P186.A-0798.

PULSATION-TRIGGERED MASS LOSS FROM AGB STARS: THE 60 DAY CRITICAL PERIOD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McDonald, I.; Zijlstra, A. A., E-mail: iain.mcdonald-2@jb.man.ac.uk, E-mail: albert.zijlstra@manchester.ac.uk

2016-06-01

Low- and intermediate-mass stars eject much of their mass during the late, red giant branch (RGB) phase of evolution. The physics of their strong stellar winds is still poorly understood. In the standard model, stellar pulsations extend the atmosphere, allowing a wind to be driven through radiation pressure on condensing dust particles. Here, we investigate the onset of the wind, using nearby RGB stars drawn from the Hipparcos catalog. We find a sharp onset of dust production when the star first reaches a pulsation period of 60 days. This approximately coincides with the point where the star transitions to themore » first overtone pulsation mode. Models of the spectral energy distributions show stellar mass-loss rate suddenly increasing at this point, by a factor of ∼10 over the existing (chromospherically driven) wind. The dust emission is strongly correlated with both pulsation period and amplitude, indicating stellar pulsation is the main trigger for the strong mass loss, and determines the mass-loss rate. Dust emission does not strongly correlate with stellar luminosity, indicating radiation pressure on dust has little effect on the mass-loss rate. RGB stars do not normally appear to produce dust, whereas dust production by asymptotic giant branch stars appears commonplace, and is probably ubiquitous above the RGB-tip luminosity. We conclude that the strong wind begins with a step change in mass-loss rate and is triggered by stellar pulsations. A second rapid mass-loss-rate enhancement is suggested when the star transitions to the fundamental pulsation mode at a period of ∼300 days.« less

FITspec: A New Algorithm for the Automated Fit of Synthetic Stellar Spectra for OB Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fierro-Santillán, Celia R.; Zsargó, Janos; Klapp, Jaime; Díaz-Azuara, Santiago A.; Arrieta, Anabel; Arias, Lorena; Sigalotti, Leonardo Di G.

2018-06-01

In this paper we describe the FITspec code, a data mining tool for the automatic fitting of synthetic stellar spectra. The program uses a database of 27,000 CMFGEN models of stellar atmospheres arranged in a six-dimensional (6D) space, where each dimension corresponds to one model parameter. From these models a library of 2,835,000 synthetic spectra were generated covering the ultraviolet, optical, and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Using FITspec we adjust the effective temperature and the surface gravity. From the 6D array we also get the luminosity, the metallicity, and three parameters for the stellar wind: the terminal velocity ({v}∞ ), the β exponent of the velocity law, and the clumping filling factor (F cl). Finally, the projected rotational velocity (v\\cdot \\sin i) can be obtained from the library of stellar spectra. Validation of the algorithm was performed by analyzing the spectra of a sample of eight O-type stars taken from the IACOB spectroscopic survey of Northern Galactic OB stars. The spectral lines used for the adjustment of the analyzed stars are reproduced with good accuracy. In particular, the effective temperatures calculated with the FITspec are in good agreement with those derived from spectral type and other calibrations for the same stars. The stellar luminosities and projected rotational velocities are also in good agreement with previous quantitative spectroscopic analyses in the literature. An important advantage of FITspec over traditional codes is that the time required for spectral analyses is reduced from months to a few hours.

A catalogue of faint local radio AGN and the properties of their host galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lofthouse, E. K.; Kaviraj, S.; Smith, D. JB; Hardcastle, M. J.

2018-05-01

We present a catalogue of local (z < 0.1) galaxies that contain faint AGN. We select these objects by identifying galaxies that exhibit a significant excess in their radio luminosities, compared to what is expected from the observed levels of star-formation activity in these systems. This is achieved by comparing the optical (spectroscopic) star formation rate (SFR) to the 1.4 GHz luminosity measured from the FIRST survey. The majority of the AGN identified in this study are fainter than those in previous work, such as in the Best and Heckman (2012) catalogue. We show that these faint AGN make a non-negligible contribution to the radio luminosity function at low luminosities (below 1022.5 W Hz-1), and host ˜13 per cent of the local radio luminosity budget. Their host galaxies are predominantly high stellar-mass systems (with a median stellar mass of 1011M⊙), are found across a range of environments (but typically in denser environments than star-forming galaxies) and have early-type morphologies. This study demonstrates a general technique to identify AGN in galaxy populations where reliable optical SFRs can be extracted using spectro-photometry and where radio data are also available so that a radio excess can be measured. Our results also demonstrate that it is unsafe to infer SFRs from radio emission alone, even if bright AGN have been excluded from a sample, since there is a significant population of faint radio AGN which may contaminate the radio-derived SFRs.

QSO Narrow [OIII] Line Width and Host Galaxy Luminosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonning, E. W.; Shields, G. A.; Salviander, S.

2004-05-01

Established correlations between galaxy bulge luminosity L, black hole mass MBH, and stellar velocity dispersion sigma in galaxies suggest a close relationship between the growth of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. Measurements of the MBH - sigma relationship as a function of cosmic time may shed light on the origin of this relationship. One approach is to derive MBH and sigma from the widths of QSO broad and narrow lines, respectively (Shields et al. 2003, ApJ, 583, 124; Nelson 2000, ApJ, 544, L91). We investigate the utility of using the velocity of the narrow line emitting gas as a surrogate for stellar velocity dispersion in QSOs by examining host magnitudes and [OIII] line widths for low redshift QSOs. For our limited range of L, the increase in sigma with L predicted by the Faber-Jackson relation is substantially obscured by scatter. However, sigma([O III]) is consistent in the mean with host galaxy luminosity. EWB is a NASA GSRP fellow. GAS and SS are supported under Texas Advanced Research Program grant 003658-0177-2001 and NSF grant AST-0098594.

Metallicity of Young and Old Stars in Irregular Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tikhonov, N. A.

2018-01-01

Based on archived images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope, stellar photometry for 105 irregular galaxies has been conducted. We have shown the red supergiant and giant branches in the obtained Hertzsprung-Russel diagrams. Using the TRGB method, distances to galaxies and metallicity of red giants have been determined. The color index ( V - I) of the supergiant branch at the luminosity level M I = -7 was chosen as the metallicity index of red supergiants. For the galaxies under study, the diagrams have been built, in which the correlation can be seen between the luminosity of galaxies ( M B ) and metallicity of red giants and supergiants. The main source of variance of the results in the obtained diagrams is, in our opinion, uncertainty inmeasurements of galaxy luminosities and star-forming outburst. The relation between metallicity of young and old stars shows that main enrichment of galaxies with metals has taken place in the remote past. Deviations of some galaxies in the obtained relation can possibly be explained with the fall of the intergalactic gas on them, although, this inconsiderably affects metallicities of the stellar content.

Submillimeter Galaxies as Progenitors of Compact Quiescent Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toft, S.; Smolcic, V.; Magnelli, B.; Karim, A.; Zirm, A.; Michalowski, M.; Capak, P.; Sheth, K.; Schawinski, K.; Krogager, J.-K.;

Submillimeter Galaxies as Progenitors of Compact Quiescent Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toft, S.; Smolčić, V.; Magnelli, B.; Karim, A.; Zirm, A.; Michalowski, M.; Capak, P.; Sheth, K.; Schawinski, K.; Krogager, J.-K.; Wuyts, S.; Sanders, D.; Man, A. W. S.; Lutz, D.; Staguhn, J.; Berta, S.; Mccracken, H.; Krpan, J.; Riechers, D.

2014-02-01

Three billion years after the big bang (at redshift z = 2), half of the most massive galaxies were already old, quiescent systems with little to no residual star formation and extremely compact with stellar mass densities at least an order of magnitude larger than in low-redshift ellipticals, their descendants. Little is known about how they formed, but their evolved, dense stellar populations suggest formation within intense, compact starbursts 1-2 Gyr earlier (at 3 < z < 6). Simulations show that gas-rich major mergers can give rise to such starbursts, which produce dense remnants. Submillimeter-selected galaxies (SMGs) are prime examples of intense, gas-rich starbursts. With a new, representative spectroscopic sample of compact, quiescent galaxies at z = 2 and a statistically well-understood sample of SMGs, we show that z = 3-6 SMGs are consistent with being the progenitors of z = 2 quiescent galaxies, matching their formation redshifts and their distributions of sizes, stellar masses, and internal velocities. Assuming an evolutionary connection, their space densities also match if the mean duty cycle of SMG starbursts is 42^{+40}_{-29} Myr (consistent with independent estimates), which indicates that the bulk of stars in these massive galaxies were formed in a major, early surge of star formation. These results suggest a coherent picture of the formation history of the most massive galaxies in the universe, from their initial burst of violent star formation through their appearance as high stellar-density galaxy cores and to their ultimate fate as giant ellipticals.

OUTWARD MOTION OF POROUS DUST AGGREGATES BY STELLAR RADIATION PRESSURE IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tazaki, Ryo; Nomura, Hideko, E-mail: rtazaki@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp

2015-02-01

We study the dust motion at the surface layer of protoplanetary disks. Dust grains in the surface layer migrate outward owing to angular momentum transport via gas-drag force induced by the stellar radiation pressure. In this study we calculate the mass flux of the outward motion of compact grains and porous dust aggregates by the radiation pressure. The radiation pressure force for porous dust aggregates is calculated using the T-Matrix Method for the Clusters of Spheres. First, we confirm that porous dust aggregates are forced by strong radiation pressure even if they grow to be larger aggregates, in contrast tomore » homogeneous and spherical compact grains, for which radiation pressure efficiency becomes lower when their sizes increase. In addition, we find that the outward mass flux of porous dust aggregates with monomer size of 0.1 μm is larger than that of compact grains by an order of magnitude at the disk radius of 1 AU, when their sizes are several microns. This implies that large compact grains like calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions are hardly transported to the outer region by stellar radiation pressure, whereas porous dust aggregates like chondritic-porous interplanetary dust particles are efficiently transported to the comet formation region. Crystalline silicates are possibly transported in porous dust aggregates by stellar radiation pressure from the inner hot region to the outer cold cometary region in the protosolar nebula.« less

Chromospheric and Transition Region Emission Properties of G, K, and M dwarf Exoplanet Host Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

France, Kevin; Arulanantham, Nicole; Fossati, Luca; Lanza, A. F.; Linsky, Jeffrey L.; Redfield, Seth; Loyd, Robert; Schneider, Christian

2018-01-01

Exoplanet magnetic fields have proven notoriously hard to detect, despite theoretical predictions of substantial magnetic field strengths on close-in extrasolar giant planets. It has been suggested that stellar and planetary magnetic field interactions can manifest as enhanced stellar activity relative to nominal age-rotation-activity relationships for main sequence stars or enhanced activity on stars hosting short-period massive planets. In a recent study of M and K dwarf exoplanet host stars, we demonstrated a significant correlation between the relative luminosity in high-temperature stellar emission lines (L(ion)/L_Bol) and the “star-planet interaction strength”, M_plan/a_plan. Here, we expand on that work with a survey of G, K, and M dwarf exoplanet host stars obtained in two recent far-ultraviolet spectroscopic programs with the Hubble Space Telescope. We have measured the relative luminosities of stellar lines C II, Si III, Si IV, and N V (formation temperatures from 30,000 – 150,000 K) in a sample of ~60 exoplanet host stars and an additional ~40 dwarf stars without known planets. We present results on star-planet interaction signals as a function of spectral type and line formation temperature, as well as a statistical comparison of stars with and without planets.

Galaxy kinematics in the XMMU J2235-2557 cluster field at z 1.4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez-Martínez, J. M.; Ziegler, B.; Verdugo, M.; Böhm, A.; Tanaka, M.

2017-09-01

Aims: The relationship between baryonic and dark components in galaxies varies with the environment and cosmic time. Galaxy scaling relations describe strong trends between important physical properties. A very important quantitative tool in case of spiral galaxies is the Tully-Fisher relation (TFR), which combines the luminosity of the stellar population with the characteristic rotational velocity (Vmax) taken as proxy for the total mass. In order to constrain galaxy evolution in clusters, we need measurements of the kinematic status of cluster galaxies at the starting point of the hierarchical assembly of clusters and the epoch when cosmic star formation peaks. Methods: We took spatially resolved slit FORS2 spectra of 19 cluster galaxies at z 1.4, and 8 additional field galaxies at 1 < z < 1.2 using the ESO Very Large Telescope. The targets were selected from previous spectroscopic and photometric campaigns as [OII] and Hα emitters. Our spectroscopy was complemented with HST/ACS imaging in the F775W and F850LP filters, which is mandatory to derive the galaxy structural parameters accurately. We analyzed the ionized gas kinematics by extracting rotation curves from the two-dimensional spectra. Taking into account all geometrical, observational, and instrumental effects, we used these rotation curves to derive the intrinsic maximum rotation velocity. Results: Vmax was robustly determined for six cluster galaxies and three field galaxies. Galaxies with sky contamination or insufficient spatial rotation curve extent were not included in our analysis. We compared our sample to the local B-band TFR and the local velocity-size relation (VSR), finding that cluster galaxies are on average 1.6 mag brighter and a factor 2-3 smaller. We tentatively divided our cluster galaxies by total mass (I.e., Vmax) to investigate a possible mass dependency in the environmental evolution of galaxies. The averaged deviation from the local TFR is ⟨ ΔMB ⟩ = -0.7 for the high-mass subsample (Vmax > 200 km s-1). This mild evolution may be driven by younger stellar populations (SP) of distant galaxies with respect to their local counterparts, and thus, an increasing luminosity is expected toward higher redshifts. However, the low-mass subsample (Vmax < 200 km s-1) is made of highly overluminous galaxies that show ⟨ ΔMB ⟩ = -2.4 mag. When we repeated a similar analysis with the stellar mass TFR, we did not find significant offsets in our subsamples with respect to recent results at similar redshift. While the B-band TFR is sensitive to recent episodes of star formation, the stellar mass TFR tracks the overall evolution of the underlying stellar population. In order to understand the discrepancies between these two incarnations of the TFR, the reported B-band offsets can no longer be explained only by the gradual evolution of stellar populations with lookback time. We suspect that we instead see compact galaxies whose star formation was enhanced during their infall toward the dense regions of the cluster through interactions with the intracluster medium. Based on observations with the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope (ESO-VLT), observing run ID 091.B-0778(B).

Surface Compositions of Red Giant Stars in Globular Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Eric; Lau, Marie; Smith, Graeme; Chen, Brian

2018-01-01

Globular clusters (GCs) are excellent “laboratories” to study the formation and evolution of our galaxy. In order to understand, more specifically, the chemical compositions and stellar evolution of the stars in GCs, we ask whether or not deep internal mixing occurs in red giants or if in fact the compositions come from the primordial interstellar medium or previous generations of stars. It has been discovered that as a star evolves up the red giant branch, the surface carbon abundance decreases, which is evidence of deep internal mixing. We questioned whether these processes also affect O or Na abundance as a star evolves. We collected measurement data of red giants from GCs out of academic journals and sorted the data into catalogs. Then, we plotted the catalogs into figures, comparing surface O and Na each with stellar luminosity. Statistical tests were ran to quantify the amount of correlation between the variables. Out of 27 GCs, we concluded that eight show a positive correlation between Na and luminosity, and two show a negative correlation between O and luminosity. Properties of GCs were compared to determine if chemical distribution in stars depends on GCs as the self-enrichment scenario suggests. We created histograms of sodium distribution to test for bimodality to examine if there are separate trends in each GC. In six GCs, two different sequences of red giants appear for Na versus luminosity, suggesting evidence that the depth of mixing may differ among each red giant in a GC. This study has provided new evidence that the changing chemical abundances on the surfaces of red giants can be due to stellar evolutionary effects and deep internal mixing, which may not necessarily depend on the GC and may differ in depth among each red giant. Through this study, we learn more about stellar evolution which will eventually help us understand the origins of our universe. Most of this work was carried out by high school students working under the auspices of the Science Internship Program (SIP) at UC Santa Cruz.

The Luminous X-Ray Halos of Two Compact Elliptical Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buote, David A.; Barth, Aaron J.

2018-02-01

There is mounting evidence that compact elliptical galaxies (CEGs) are local analogs of the high-redshift “red nuggets” that are thought to represent progenitors of today’s early-type galaxies (ETGs). We report the discovery of extended X-ray emission from a hot interstellar/intragroup medium in two CEGs, Mrk 1216 and PGC 032873, using shallow Chandra observations. We find that PGC 032873 has an average gas temperature of k B T = 0.67 ± 0.06 keV within a radius of 15 kpc and a luminosity L x = (1.8 ± 0.2) × 1041 erg s‑1 within a radius of 100 kpc. For Mrk 1216, which is closer and more luminous (L x(<100 kpc) = (12.1 ± 1.9) × 1041 erg s‑1), we used an entropy-based hydrostatic equilibrium (HE) procedure and obtained a good constraint on the H-band stellar mass-to-light ratio, M stars/L H = 1.33 ± 0.21 solar, that is in good agreement with stellar dynamical (SD) studies, which supports the HE approximation. We obtain a density slope of 2.22 ± 0.08 within R e that is consistent with other CEGs and normal local ETGs, while the dark matter fraction within R e , f DM = 0.20 ± 0.07 is similar to local ETGs. We constrain the supermasssive black hole mass, M BH = (5 ± 4) × 109 M ⊙, with M BH > 1.4 × 1010 M ⊙ (90% confidence), which is consistent with a recent SD measurement. We obtain a halo concentration (c 200 = 17.5 ± 6.7) and mass (M 200 = (9.6 ± 3.7) × 1012 M ⊙), where c 200 exceeds the mean ΛCDM value (≈7), which is consistent with a system that formed earlier than the general halo population. We suggest that these galaxies should be classified as fossil groups.

Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey with The Hubble Space Telescope: Stellar Cluster Catalogs and First Insights Into Cluster Formation and Evolution in NGC 628

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamo, A.; Ryon, J. E.; Messa, M.; Kim, H.; Grasha, K.; Cook, D. O.; Calzetti, D.; Lee, J. C.; Whitmore, B. C.; Elmegreen, B. G.; Ubeda, L.; Smith, L. J.; Bright, S. N.; Runnholm, A.; Andrews, J. E.; Fumagalli, M.; Gouliermis, D. A.; Kahre, L.; Nair, P.; Thilker, D.; Walterbos, R.; Wofford, A.; Aloisi, A.; Ashworth, G.; Brown, T. M.; Chandar, R.; Christian, C.; Cignoni, M.; Clayton, G. C.; Dale, D. A.; de Mink, S. E.; Dobbs, C.; Elmegreen, D. M.; Evans, A. S.; Gallagher, J. S., III; Grebel, E. K.; Herrero, A.; Hunter, D. A.; Johnson, K. E.; Kennicutt, R. C.; Krumholz, M. R.; Lennon, D.; Levay, K.; Martin, C.; Nota, A.; Östlin, G.; Pellerin, A.; Prieto, J.; Regan, M. W.; Sabbi, E.; Sacchi, E.; Schaerer, D.; Schiminovich, D.; Shabani, F.; Tosi, M.; Van Dyk, S. D.; Zackrisson, E.

2017-06-01

We report the large effort that is producing comprehensive high-level young star cluster (YSC) catalogs for a significant fraction of galaxies observed with the Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey (LEGUS) Hubble treasury program. We present the methodology developed to extract cluster positions, verify their genuine nature, produce multiband photometry (from NUV to NIR), and derive their physical properties via spectral energy distribution fitting analyses. We use the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 628 as a test case for demonstrating the impact that LEGUS will have on our understanding of the formation and evolution of YSCs and compact stellar associations within their host galaxy. Our analysis of the cluster luminosity function from the UV to the NIR finds a steepening at the bright end and at all wavelengths suggesting a dearth of luminous clusters. The cluster mass function of NGC 628 is consistent with a power-law distribution of slopes ˜ -2 and a truncation of a few times 105 {M}⊙ . After their formation, YSCs and compact associations follow different evolutionary paths. YSCs survive for a longer time frame, confirming their being potentially bound systems. Associations disappear on timescales comparable to hierarchically organized star-forming regions, suggesting that they are expanding systems. We find mass-independent cluster disruption in the inner region of NGC 628, while in the outer part of the galaxy there is little or no disruption. We observe faster disruption rates for low mass (≤104 {M}⊙ ) clusters, suggesting that a mass-dependent component is necessary to fully describe the YSC disruption process in NGC 628. Based on observations obtained with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

THE MAGNETOSPHERE OF THE ULTRACOOL DWARF DENIS 1048-3956

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ravi, V.; Hallinan, G.; Hobbs, G.

2011-07-01

Ultracool dwarfs, the least-massive contributors to the stellar mass function, exhibit striking magnetic properties that are inconsistent with trends for more massive stars. Here, we present the widest-band radio observations to date of an ultracool dwarf, DENIS-P J104814.9-395604, in four 2 GHz bandwidths between wavelengths of 1 cm and 10 cm. These data were obtained with the Australia Telescope Compact Array using the new Compact Array Broadband Backend instrument. We detected a stable negatively sloped power-law spectrum in total intensity, with spectral index {alpha} = 1.71 {+-} 0.09. Circular polarization fractions between 0.25 and 0.4 were found at the low-frequencymore » end of our detection band. We interpret these results as indicative of gyrosynchrotron emission. We suggest that the radio emission originates from beyond the corotation radius, R{sub C} , of the star. Adopting this model, we find R{sub C} between 1.2 R{sub *} and 2.9 R{sub *}, and a non-thermal electron density and magnetic field strength between 10{sup 5} and 10{sup 7.2} cm{sup -3} and between 70 and 260 G, respectively, at R{sub C} . The model accounts for the violation of the Guedel-Benz relation between X-ray and radio luminosities of low-mass stars by DENIS-P J104814.9-395604.« less

Infrared surface photometry of 3C 65: Stellar evolution and the Tolman signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigler, M. A.; Lilly, S. J.

1994-06-01

We present an analysis of the infrared surface brightness profile of the high-redshift radio galaxy 3C 65 (z = 1.176), which is well fitted by a de Vaucouleurs r1/4 law. A model surface fitting routine yields characteristic photometric parameters comparable to those of low-redshift radio galaxies and brightest cluster members (BCMs) in standard cosmologies. The small displacement of this galaxy from the locus of low-redshift systems on the mur - log(re) plane suggests that little or no luminosity evolution is required in a cosmological model with (Omega0, lambda0 = (1,0), while a modest degree of luminosity evolution, accountable by passive evolution of the stellar population, is implied in models with (0, 0) or (0.1, 0.9). A nonexpanding cosmology is unlikely because it would require 3C 65 to lie at the extreme end of the distribution of properties of local gE galaxies, and the effects of plausible stellar and/or dynamic evolution would make 3C 65 even more extreme by the present epoch.

Simulating Electron Cyclotron Maser Emission for Low Mass Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Llama, Joe; Jardine, Moira

2018-01-01

Zeeman-Doppler Imaging (ZDI) is a powerful technique that enables us to map the large-scale magnetic fields of stars spanning the pre- and main-sequence. Coupling these magnetic maps with field extrapolation methods allow us to investigate the topology of the closed, X-ray bright corona, and the cooler, open stellar wind.Using ZDI maps of young M dwarfs with simultaneous radio light curves obtained from the VLA, we present the results of modeling the Electron-Cyclotron Maser (ECM) emission from these systems. We determine the X-ray luminosity and ECM emission that is produced using the ZDI maps and our field extrapolation model. We compare these findings with the observed radio light curves of these stars. This allows us to predict the relative phasing and amplitude of the stellar X-ray and radio light curves.This benchmarking of our model using these systems allows us to predict the ECM emission for all stars that have a ZDI map and an observed X-ray luminosity. Our model allows us to understand the origin of transient radio emission observations and is crucial for disentangling stellar and exoplanetary radio signals.

A black hole in a globular cluster.

PubMed

Maccarone, Thomas J; Kundu, Arunav; Zepf, Stephen E; Rhode, Katherine L

2007-01-11

Globular star clusters contain thousands to millions of old stars packed within a region only tens of light years across. Their high stellar densities make it very probable that their member stars will interact or collide. There has accordingly been considerable debate about whether black holes should exist in these star clusters. Some theoretical work suggests that dynamical processes in the densest inner regions of globular clusters may lead to the formation of black holes of approximately 1,000 solar masses. Other numerical simulations instead predict that stellar interactions will eject most or all of the black holes that form in globular clusters. Here we report the X-ray signature of an accreting black hole in a globular cluster associated with the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4472 (in the Virgo cluster). This object has an X-ray luminosity of about 4 x 10(39) erg s(-1), which rules out any object other than a black hole in such an old stellar population. The X-ray luminosity varies by a factor of seven in a few hours, which excludes the possibility that the object is several neutron stars superposed.

LFlGRB: Luminosity function of long gamma-ray bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, Debdutta

2018-04-01

LFlGRB models the luminosity function (LF) of long Gamma Ray Bursts (lGRBs) by using a sample of Swift and Fermi lGRBs to re-derive the parameters of the Yonetoku correlation and self-consistently estimate pseudo-redshifts of all the bursts with unknown redshifts. The GRB formation rate is modeled as the product of the cosmic star formation rate and a GRB formation efficiency for a given stellar mass.

The stellar masses of ˜ 40 000 UV selected Galaxies from the WiggleZ survey at 0.3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerji, Manda; Glazebrook, Karl; Blake, Chris; Brough, Sarah; Colless, Matthew; Contreras, Carlos; Couch, Warrick; Croton, Darren J.; Croom, Scott; Davis, Tamara M.; Drinkwater, Michael J.; Forster, Karl; Gilbank, David; Gladders, Mike; Jelliffe, Ben; Jurek, Russell J.; Li, I.-hui; Madore, Barry; Martin, D. Christopher; Pimbblet, Kevin; Poole, Gregory B.; Pracy, Michael; Sharp, Rob; Wisnioski, Emily; Woods, David; Wyder, Ted K.; Yee, H. K. C.

2013-05-01

We characterize the stellar masses and star formation rates in a sample of ˜40 000 spectroscopically confirmed UV-luminous galaxies at 0.3 < z < 1.0 selected from within the WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey. In particular, we match this UV bright population to wide-field infrared surveys such as the near-infrared (NIR) UKIDSS Large Area Survey (LAS) and the mid-infrared Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) All-Sky Survey. We find that ˜30 per cent of the UV-luminous WiggleZ galaxies, corresponding to the brightest and reddest subset, are detected at >5σ in the UKIDSS-LAS at all redshifts. An even more luminous subset of 15 per cent are also detected in the WISE 3.4 and 4.6 μm bands. In addition, 22 of the WiggleZ galaxies are extremely luminous at 12 and 22 μm and have colours consistent with being star formation dominated. We compute stellar masses for this very large sample of extremely blue galaxies and quantify the sensitivity of the stellar mass estimates to various assumptions made during the spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. The median stellar masses are log10(M*/M⊙) = 9.6 ± 0.7, 10.2 ± 0.5 and 10.4 ± 0.4 for the IR undetected, UKIDSS detected and UKIDSS+WISE detected galaxies, respectively. We demonstrate that the inclusion of NIR photometry can lead to tighter constraints on the stellar masses by bringing down the upper bound on the stellar mass estimate. The mass estimates are found to be most sensitive to the inclusion of secondary bursts of star formation as well as changes in the stellar population synthesis models, both of which can lead to median discrepancies of the order of 0.3 dex in the stellar masses. We conclude that even for these extremely blue galaxies, different SED fitting codes therefore produce extremely robust stellar mass estimates. We find, however, that the best-fitting M/LK is significantly lower than that predicted by simple optical colour-based estimators for many of the WiggleZ galaxies. The simple colour-based estimator overpredicts M/LK by ˜0.4 dex on average. The effect is more pronounced for bluer galaxies with younger best-fitting ages. The WiggleZ galaxies have star formation rates of 3-10 M⊙ yr-1 and mostly lie at the upper end of the main sequence of star-forming galaxies at these redshifts. Their rest-frame UV luminosities and stellar masses are comparable to both local compact UV-luminous galaxies as well as Lyman break galaxies at z ˜ 2-3. The stellar masses from this paper will be made publicly available with the next WiggleZ data release.

The Little Engines That Could? Globular Clusters Contribute Significantly to Reionization-era Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boylan-Kolchin, Michael

2018-06-01

Metal-poor globular clusters (GCs) are both numerous and ancient, which indicates that they may be important contributors to ionizing radiation in the reionization era. Starting from the observed number density and stellar mass function of old GCs at z = 0, I compute the contribution of GCs to ultraviolet luminosity functions (UVLFs) in the high-redshift Universe (10 ≳ z ≳ 4). Even under absolutely minimal assumptions - no disruption of GCs and no reduction in GC stellar mass from early times to the present - GC star formation contributes non-negligibly to the UVLF at luminosities that are accessible to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST; M1500 ≈ -17). If the stellar masses of GCs were significantly higher in the past, as is predicted by most models explaining GC chemical anomalies, then GCs dominate the UV emission from many galaxies in existing deep-field observations. On the other hand, it is difficult to reconcile observed UVLFs with models requiring stellar masses at birth that exceed present-day stellar masses by more than a factor of 5. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be able to directly detect individual GCs at z ˜ 6 in essentially all bright galaxies, and many galaxies below the knee of the UVLF, for most of the scenarios considered here. The properties of a subset of high-redshift sources with -19 ≲ M_{1500} ≲ -14 in HST lensing fields indicate that they may actually be GCs in formation.

DUST EXTINCTION FROM BALMER DECREMENTS OF STAR-FORMING GALAXIES AT 0.75 {<=} z {<=} 1.5 WITH HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE/WIDE-FIELD-CAMERA 3 SPECTROSCOPY FROM THE WFC3 INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC PARALLEL SURVEY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dominguez, A.; Siana, B.; Masters, D.

Spectroscopic observations of H{alpha} and H{beta} emission lines of 128 star-forming galaxies in the redshift range 0.75 {<=} z {<=} 1.5 are presented. These data were taken with slitless spectroscopy using the G102 and G141 grisms of the Wide-Field-Camera 3 (WFC3) on board the Hubble Space Telescope as part of the WFC3 Infrared Spectroscopic Parallel survey. Interstellar dust extinction is measured from stacked spectra that cover the Balmer decrement (H{alpha}/H{beta}). We present dust extinction as a function of H{alpha} luminosity (down to 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 41} erg s{sup -1}), galaxy stellar mass (reaching 4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 8} M {sub Sunmore » }), and rest-frame H{alpha} equivalent width. The faintest galaxies are two times fainter in H{alpha} luminosity than galaxies previously studied at z {approx} 1.5. An evolution is observed where galaxies of the same H{alpha} luminosity have lower extinction at higher redshifts, whereas no evolution is found within our error bars with stellar mass. The lower H{alpha} luminosity galaxies in our sample are found to be consistent with no dust extinction. We find an anti-correlation of the [O III] {lambda}5007/H{alpha} flux ratio as a function of luminosity where galaxies with L {sub H{alpha}} < 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 41} erg s{sup -1} are brighter in [O III] {lambda}5007 than H{alpha}. This trend is evident even after extinction correction, suggesting that the increased [O III] {lambda}5007/H{alpha} ratio in low-luminosity galaxies is likely due to lower metallicity and/or higher ionization parameters.« less

Dust Attenuation and H(alpha) Star Formation Rates of Z Approx. 0.5 Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ly, Chun; Malkan, Matthew A.; Kashikawa, Nobunari; Ota, Kazuaki; Shimasaku, Kazuhiro; Iye, Masanori; Currie, Thayne

2012-01-01

Using deep narrow-band and broad-band imaging, we identify 401 z approximately 0.40 and 249 z approximately 0.49 H-alpha line-emitting galaxies in the Subaru Deep Field. Compared to other H-alpha surveys at similar redshifts, our samples are unique since they probe lower H-alpha luminosities, are augmented with multi-wavelength (rest-frame 1000AA--1.5 microns) coverage, and a large fraction (20%) of our samples has already been spectroscopically confirmed. Our spectra allow us to measure the Balmer decrement for nearly 60 galaxies with H-beta detected above 5-sigma. The Balmer decrements indicate an average extinction of A(H-alpha)=0.7(uparrow){+1.4}_{-0.7} mag. We find that the Balmer decrement systematically increases with higher H-alpha luminosities and with larger stellar masses, in agreement with previous studies with sparser samples. We find that the SFRs estimated from modeling the spectral energy distribution (SED) is reliable---we derived an "intrinsic" H-alpha luminosity which is then reddened assuming the color excess from SED modeling. The SED-predicted H-alpha luminosity agrees with H-alpha narrow-band measurements over 3 dex (rms of 0.25 dex). We then use the SED SFRs to test different statistically-based dust corrections for H-alpha and find that adopting one magnitude of extinction is inappropriate: galaxies with lower luminosities are less reddened. We find that the luminosity-dependent dust correction of Hopkins et al. yields consistent results over 3 dex (rms of 0.3 dex). Our comparisons are only possible by assuming that stellar reddening is roughly half of nebular reddening. The strong correspondence argue that with SED modeling, we can derive reliable intrinsic SFRs even in the absence of H-alpha measurements at z approximately 0.5.

Morphology and Structures of Nearby Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Mira; Ann, H. B.

2016-08-01

We applied GALFIT and STARLIGHT to the r-band images and spectra, respectively, of ~1,100 dwarf galaxies to analyze the structural properties and stellar populations. In most cases, single component with n = 1 ~ 1.5 well describes the luminosity distribution of dwarf galaxies. However, a large fraction of dS0, dE bc , and dE blue galaxies show sub-structures such as spiral arms and rings. There is a bimodal distributions of stellar ages in dS0 galaxies. But other sub-types of dwarf galaxies show a single peak in the stellar distributions.

Star Formation in Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Topics addressed include: star formation; galactic infrared emission; molecular clouds; OB star luminosity; dust grains; IRAS observations; galactic disks; stellar formation in Magellanic clouds; irregular galaxies; spiral galaxies; starbursts; morphology of galactic centers; and far-infrared observations.

Radial oscillations and stability of compact stars in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sham, Y.-H.; Lin, L.-M.; Leung, P. T.

2012-09-01

We study the hydrostatic equilibrium structure of compact stars in the Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity recently proposed by Bañados and Ferreira [Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 011101 (2010)]. We also develop a framework to study the radial perturbations and stability of compact stars in this theory. We find that the standard results of stellar stability still hold in this theory. The frequency square of the fundamental oscillation mode vanishes for the maximum-mass stellar configuration. The dependence of the oscillation mode frequencies on the coupling parameter κ of the theory is also investigated. We find that the fundamental mode is insensitive to the value of κ, while higher-order modes depend more strongly on κ.

Progress Toward Attractive Stellarators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neilson, G H; Brown, T G; Gates, D A

The quasi-axisymmetric stellarator (QAS) concept offers a promising path to a more compact stellarator reactor, closer in linear dimensions to tokamak reactors than previous stellarator designs. Concept improvements are needed, however, to make it more maintainable and more compatible with high plant availability. Using the ARIES-CS design as a starting point, compact stellarator designs with improved maintenance characteristics have been developed. While the ARIES-CS features a through-the-port maintenance scheme, we have investigated configuration changes to enable a sector-maintenance approach, as envisioned for example in ARIES AT. Three approaches are reported. The first is to make tradeoffs within the QAS designmore » space, giving greater emphasis to maintainability criteria. The second approach is to improve the optimization tools to more accurately and efficiently target the physics properties of importance. The third is to employ a hybrid coil topology, so that the plasma shaping functions of the main coils are shared more optimally, either with passive conductors made of high-temperature superconductor or with local compensation coils, allowing the main coils to become simpler. Optimization tools are being improved to test these approaches.« less

Multi-wavelength Observations of Accreting Compact Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez Santisteban, Juan Venancio

2016-11-01

The study of compact binaries invokes core astrophysical concepts ranging from stellar and sub-stellar atmospheres and interiors, stellar and binary evolution to physics of accretion. All of these systems are hosts to a compact object a white dwarf, neutron star or black hole ???? which produces a wide variety of exotic and energetic phenomena across the full electromagnetic spectrum. In this thesis, I will make use of multi-wavelength observations ranging from far-ultraviolet to nearinfrared in order to investigate two main topics: a) the late evolution of cataclysmic variables, and b) the accreting state of transitional millisecond pulsars. Firstly, I analyse the Very Large Telescope X-Shooter time-resolved spectroscopy of the short orbital period cataclysmic variable, SDSS J1433+1011, in Chapter 2. The wide wavelength coverage allowed me to perform a detailed characterisation of the system, as well as a direct mass measurement of the brown dwarf companion. I show that the donor in SDSS J1433+1011 successfully transitioned from the stellar to sub-stellar regime, as predicted by evolutionary models. Further light-curve modelling allowed me to show that a low albedo as well as a low heat circulation efficiency is present in the atmosphere of the sub-stellar donor. In Chapter 3, I analyse data from large synoptic surveys, such as SDSS and PTF, to search for the predicted population of dead cataclysmic variables. Following the non-detection of dead CVs, I was able to estimate the space density (?0 < 2?10????5 pc????3) of this hidden population via a Monte Carlo simulation of the Galactic CV population. In Chapter 4, I present Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038, during its latest accretion state. In combination with optical and near-infrared data, I show that a standard accretion disc does not reach the magnetosphere of the neutron star. Instead, the overall spectrum is consistent with a truncated disc at ? 2:3 ? 109 cm away from the compact object. Furthermore, the ultraviolet data shares remarkable similarities with the only accreting white dwarf in a propeller regime, AE Aqr. Finally, I summarise my results in Chapter 5 and provide future lines of research in accreting compact binaries based on this work.

Environmental influences on galaxy evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zepf, Stephen E.; Whitmore, Bradley C.

1993-01-01

We investigate the role of mergers and interactions in the evolution of galaxies by studying galaxies in compact groups. Compact groups of galaxies have high spatial densities and low velocity dispersions making these regions ideal laboratories in which to study the effect of interactions and mergers. Based on a detailed spectroscopic and multi-color imaging study, we find that both the isophotal shapes and the stellar kinematics indicate that many of the elliptical galaxies in compact groups have been affected by tidal interactions. At the same time, however, we find that only a few elliptical galaxies in compact groups have evidence for the young stellar populations that would be expected if they are the result of recent merger of two spiral galaxies. Therefore, we conclude that tidal interactions affect galaxy properties at the current epoch, but the bulk of basic galaxy formation and transformation must have occurred at much higher redshift.

POX 186: the ultracompact blue compact dwarf galaxy reveals its nature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doublier, V.; Kunth, D.; Courbin, F.; Magain, P.

2000-01-01

High resolution, ground based R and I band observations of the ultra compact dwarf galaxy POX 186 are presented. The data, obtained with the ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT), are analyzed using a new deconvolution algorithm which allows one to resolve the innermost regions of this stellar-like object into three Super-Star Clusters (SSC). Upper limits to both masses (M ~ 105 Msun) and physical sizes (<=60pc) of the SSCs are set. In addition, and maybe most importantly, extended light emission underlying the compact star-forming region is clearly detected in both bands. The R-I color rules out nebular Hα contamination and is consistent with an old stellar population. This casts doubt on the hypothesis that Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies (BCDG) are young galaxies. based on observations carried out at NTT in La Silla, operated by the European Southern Observatory, during Director's Discretionary Time.

EXors and the stellar birthline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moody, Mackenzie S. L.; Stahler, Steven W.

2017-04-01

We assess the evolutionary status of EXors. These low-mass, pre-main-sequence stars repeatedly undergo sharp luminosity increases, each a year or so in duration. We place into the HR diagram all EXors that have documented quiescent luminosities and effective temperatures, and thus determine their masses and ages. Two alternate sets of pre-main-sequence tracks are used, and yield similar results. Roughly half of EXors are embedded objects, I.e., they appear observationally as Class I or flat-spectrum infrared sources. We find that these are relatively young and are located close to the stellar birthline in the HR diagram. Optically visible EXors, on the other hand, are situated well below the birthline. They have ages of several Myr, typical of classical T Tauri stars. Judging from the limited data at hand, we find no evidence that binarity companions trigger EXor eruptions; this issue merits further investigation. We draw several general conclusions. First, repetitive luminosity outbursts do not occur in all pre-main-sequence stars, and are not in themselves a sign of extreme youth. They persist, along with other signs of activity, in a relatively small subset of these objects. Second, the very existence of embedded EXors demonstrates that at least some Class I infrared sources are not true protostars, but very young pre-main-sequence objects still enshrouded in dusty gas. Finally, we believe that the embedded pre-main-sequence phase is of observational and theoretical significance, and should be included in a more complete account of early stellar evolution.

Super Star Clusters and H II Regions in Nuclear Rings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippenko, Alex

1996-07-01

We propose to obtain WFPC2 optical broad-band {F547M and F814W} and narrow-band Halpha+ionN2 {F658N} images of nuclear starburst rings in four nearby galaxies for which we already have ultraviolet {F220W} FOC data. Nuclear rings {or ``hot- spot'' regions} in barred spirals are some of the nearest and least obscured starburst regions, and HST images of nuclear rings in several galaxies show that the rings contain large populations of super star clusters similar to those recently discovered in other types of starburst systems. These compact clusters, many having luminosities exceeding that of the R136 cluster in 30 Doradus, represent a violent mode of star formation distinct from that seen in ordinary disk ionH2 regions, and the nuclear rings present us with an opportunity to study large numbers of these extreme clusters in relatively unobscured starburst environments. It has been suggested that super star clusters are present-day versions of young globular clusters. To evaluate this hypothesis, it is important to understand the physical properties and stellar contents of the clusters, but previous HST studies of nuclear ring galaxies have only used single-filter observations. Together with our UV data, new WFPC2 images will enable us to determine the H II region and cluster luminosity functions within nuclear rings, measure cluster radii, derive age and mass estimates for the clusters by comparison with evolutionary synthesis models, and study the structure and evolution of nuclear rings.

Magnetic field strength of a neutron-star-powered ultraluminous X-ray source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brightman, M.; Harrison, F. A.; Fürst, F.; Middleton, M. J.; Walton, D. J.; Stern, D.; Fabian, A. C.; Heida, M.; Barret, D.; Bachetti, M.

2018-04-01

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are bright X-ray sources in nearby galaxies not associated with the central supermassive black hole. Their luminosities imply they are powered by either an extreme accretion rate onto a compact stellar remnant, or an intermediate mass ( 100-105M⊙) black hole1. Recently detected coherent pulsations coming from three bright ULXs2-5 demonstrate that some of these sources are powered by accretion onto a neutron star, implying accretion rates significantly in excess of the Eddington limit, a high degree of geometric beaming, or both. The physical challenges associated with the high implied accretion rates can be mitigated if the neutron star surface field is very high (1014 G)6, since this suppresses the electron scattering cross-section, reducing the radiation pressure that chokes off accretion for high luminosities. Surface magnetic field strengths can be determined through cyclotron resonance scattering features7,8 produced by the transition of charged particles between quantized Landau levels. Here, we present the detection at a significance of 3.8σ of an absorption line at 4.5 keV in the Chandra spectrum of a ULX in M51. This feature is likely to be a cyclotron resonance scattering feature produced by the strong magnetic field of a neutron star. Assuming scattering off electrons, the magnetic field strength is implied to be 1011 G, while protons would imply a magnetic field of B 1015 G.

THE CHANDRA PLANETARY NEBULA SURVEY (ChanPlaNS). III. X-RAY EMISSION FROM THE CENTRAL STARS OF PLANETARY NEBULAE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montez, R. Jr.; Kastner, J. H.; Freeman, M.

2015-02-10

We present X-ray spectral analysis of 20 point-like X-ray sources detected in Chandra Planetary Nebula Survey observations of 59 planetary nebulae (PNe) in the solar neighborhood. Most of these 20 detections are associated with luminous central stars within relatively young, compact nebulae. The vast majority of these point-like X-ray-emitting sources at PN cores display relatively ''hard'' (≥0.5 keV) X-ray emission components that are unlikely to be due to photospheric emission from the hot central stars (CSPN). Instead, we demonstrate that these sources are well modeled by optically thin thermal plasmas. From the plasma properties, we identify two classes of CSPN X-raymore » emission: (1) high-temperature plasmas with X-ray luminosities, L {sub X}, that appear uncorrelated with the CSPN bolometric luminosity, L {sub bol} and (2) lower-temperature plasmas with L {sub X}/L {sub bol} ∼ 10{sup –7}. We suggest these two classes correspond to the physical processes of magnetically active binary companions and self-shocking stellar winds, respectively. In many cases this conclusion is supported by corroborative multiwavelength evidence for the wind and binary properties of the PN central stars. By thus honing in on the origins of X-ray emission from PN central stars, we enhance the ability of CSPN X-ray sources to constrain models of PN shaping that invoke wind interactions and binarity.« less

The Spectral Energy Distribution of the Hyperluminous, Hot Dust-obscured Galaxy W2246–0526

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Lulu; Gao, Ying; Knudsen, Kirsten K.; Shu, Xinwen

2018-02-01

Hot dust-obscured galaxies (Hot DOGs) are a luminous, dust-obscured population recently discovered in the WISE All-Sky survey. Multiwavelength follow-up observations suggest that they are mainly powered by accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs), lying in dense environments, and being in the transition phase between extreme starburst and UV-bright quasars. Therefore, they are good candidates for studying the interplay between SMBHs, star formation, and environment. W2246‑0526 (hereafter, W2246), a Hot DOG at z ∼ 4.6, has been taken as the most luminous galaxy known in the universe. Revealed by the multiwavelength images, the previous Herschel SPIRE photometry of W2246 is contaminated by a foreground galaxy (W2246f), resulting in an overestimation of its total IR luminosity by a factor of about two. We perform the rest-frame UV/optical-to-far-IR spectral energy distribution (SED) analysis with SED3FIT and re-estimate its physical properties. The derived stellar mass {M}\\star =4.3× {10}11 {M}ȯ makes it among the most massive galaxies with spectroscopic redshift z > 4.5. Its structure is extremely compact and requires an effective mechanism to puff-up. Most of (>95%) its IR luminosity is from AGN torus emission, revealing the rapid growth of the central SMBH. We also predict that W2246 may have a significant molecular gas reservoir based on the dust mass estimation.

MODELING MULTI-WAVELENGTH STELLAR ASTROMETRY. I. SIM LITE OBSERVATIONS OF INTERACTING BINARIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coughlin, Jeffrey L.; Harrison, Thomas E.; Gelino, Dawn M.

Interacting binaries (IBs) consist of a secondary star that fills or is very close to filling its Roche lobe, resulting in accretion onto the primary star, which is often, but not always, a compact object. In many cases, the primary star, secondary star, and the accretion disk can all be significant sources of luminosity. SIM Lite will only measure the photocenter of an astrometric target, and thus determining the true astrometric orbits of such systems will be difficult. We have modified the Eclipsing Light Curve code to allow us to model the flux-weighted reflex motions of IBs, in a codemore » we call REFLUX. This code gives us sufficient flexibility to investigate nearly every configuration of IB. We find that SIM Lite will be able to determine astrometric orbits for all sufficiently bright IBs where the primary or secondary star dominates the luminosity. For systems where there are multiple components that comprise the spectrum in the optical bandpass accessible to SIM Lite, we find it is possible to obtain absolute masses for both components, although multi-wavelength photometry will be required to disentangle the multiple components. In all cases, SIM Lite will at least yield accurate inclinations and provide valuable information that will allow us to begin to understand the complex evolution of mass-transferring binaries. It is critical that SIM Lite maintains a multi-wavelength capability to allow for the proper deconvolution of the astrometric orbits in multi-component systems.« less

Frontiers of stellar evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambert, David L. (Editor)

1991-01-01

The present conference discusses theoretical and observational views of star formation, spectroscopic constraints on the evolution of massive stars, very low mass stars and brown dwarfs, asteroseismology, globular clusters as tests of stellar evolution, observational tests of stellar evolution, and mass loss from cool evolved giant stars. Also discussed are white dwarfs and hot subdwarfs, neutron stars and black holes, supernovae from single stars, close binaries with evolved components, accretion disks in interacting binaries, supernovae in binary systems, stellar evolution and galactic chemical evolution, and interacting binaries containing compact components.

The stellar population and luminosity function in M31 bulge and Inner Disk Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rich, R. Michael; Mould, J. R.; Graham, James R.

1993-01-01

We report infrared photometry and stellar identifications for stars in five fields in the M31 bulge located from 2 to 11 arcmin from the nucleus. These fields have been chosen such that the bulge/disk star ratio predicted from Kent's (1989) small bulge model varies from 7:1 to 1:5, allowing a study of near pure disk and near pure bulge stellar populations. We reject the hypothesis of Davies et al. (1991) that luminous stars found within 500 pc of the nucleus are due to a contaminating disk population. We find that the bulge contains stars in excess of M(sub bol) = -5 mag and that the bulge luminosity function has a distinct shape different from the disk fields. We find many stars redder than (J-K) = 2 mag, and suggest that these stars may be the counterparts of the IRAS-selected Galactic bulge Miras studied by Whitelock et at. (1991). The number of bright stars (M(sub bol) is less than -5 mag) falls off more rapidly than the r band surface brightness. By building model fields out of a bulge luminosity function and artificial stars, we are able to show that the change in the luminosity function toward the center cannot be explained simply by the mismeasurement of overcrowded star images. However, these tests also raise the possibility that the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) tip may be approximately equal to 1 mag fainter than actually measured in our most crowded field, reaching only M(sub bol) = -5. We compare observed counts of AGB stars with those predicted from theoretical lifetimes using a technique of general interest for this problem, the Fuel Consumption Theorem of Renzini & Buzzoni (1986) Spectral Evolution of Galaxies (Reidel, Dordrecht). Our methodology is generally applicable to the study of other resolved extragalactic stellar populations. The number of observed stars per magnitude up to a luminosity of M(bol) = -5.5 mag is consistent with AGB evolution of the whole population of the innermost bulge field with the standard lifetime on the AGB of 1.3 Myr/mag. We advance the possibility that the bulge of M31 may be younger than the oldest Galactic globular clusters. We note that M33 has recently been found to have an r(exp 1/4)-law spheroid consisting of intermediate-age stars; bulges can form later than the old halo population.

IRAS observations of chromospherically active dwarf stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsikoudi, Vassiliki

1989-01-01

Far-infrared observations of chromospherically active, spotted, and plage stars in the dF7-dk7 spectral range are examined. Most (75 percent) of the stars have detectable 12-micron fluxes, and 50 percent of them have 25-micron emission. The 12-micron luminosity, L(12), is found to be in the range of 1.5-13 x 10 to the 30th ergs/s and to comprise only 0.2-0.5 percent of the star's total luminosity, L(bol). The present work extends to earlier spectral types and higher stellar luminosities the L(12) vs L(bol) relationship noted previously for late-type active dwarfs (K5-M5).

Age gradients in the stellar populations of massive star forming regions based on a new stellar chronometer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Getman, Konstantin V.; Feigelson, Eric D.; Kuhn, Michael A.

2014-06-01

A major impediment to understanding star formation in massive star-forming regions (MSFRs) is the absence of a reliable stellar chronometer to unravel their complex star formation histories. We present a new estimation of stellar ages using a new method that employs near-infrared (NIR) and X-ray photometry, Age {sub JX} . Stellar masses are derived from X-ray luminosities using the L{sub X} -M relation from the Taurus cloud. J-band luminosities are compared to mass-dependent pre-main-sequence (PMS) evolutionary models to estimate ages. Age {sub JX} is sensitive to a wide range of evolutionary stages, from disk-bearing stars embedded in a cloud tomore » widely dispersed older PMS stars. The Massive Young Star-Forming Complex Study in Infrared and X-ray (MYStIX) project characterizes 20 OB-dominated MSFRs using X-ray, mid-infrared, and NIR catalogs. The Age {sub JX} method has been applied to 5525 out of 31,784 MYStIX Probable Complex Members. We provide a homogeneous set of median ages for over 100 subclusters in 15 MSFRs; median subcluster ages range between 0.5 Myr and 5 Myr. The important science result is the discovery of age gradients across MYStIX regions. The wide MSFR age distribution appears as spatially segregated structures with different ages. The Age {sub JX} ages are youngest in obscured locations in molecular clouds, intermediate in revealed stellar clusters, and oldest in distributed populations. The NIR color index J – H, a surrogate measure of extinction, can serve as an approximate age predictor for young embedded clusters.« less

Stellar Parameters for Trappist-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Grootel, Valérie; Fernandes, Catarina S.; Gillon, Michael; Jehin, Emmanuel; Manfroid, Jean; Scuflaire, Richard; Burgasser, Adam J.; Barkaoui, Khalid; Benkhaldoun, Zouhair; Burdanov, Artem; Delrez, Laetitia; Demory, Brice-Olivier; de Wit, Julien; Queloz, Didier; Triaud, Amaury H. M. J.

2018-01-01

TRAPPIST-1 is an ultracool dwarf star transited by seven Earth-sized planets, for which thorough characterization of atmospheric properties, surface conditions encompassing habitability, and internal compositions is possible with current and next-generation telescopes. Accurate modeling of the star is essential to achieve this goal. We aim to obtain updated stellar parameters for TRAPPIST-1 based on new measurements and evolutionary models, compared to those used in discovery studies. We present a new measurement for the parallax of TRAPPIST-1, 82.4 ± 0.8 mas, based on 188 epochs of observations with the TRAPPIST and Liverpool Telescopes from 2013 to 2016. This revised parallax yields an updated luminosity of {L}* =(5.22+/- 0.19)× {10}-4 {L}ȯ , which is very close to the previous estimate but almost two times more precise. We next present an updated estimate for TRAPPIST-1 stellar mass, based on two approaches: mass from stellar evolution modeling, and empirical mass derived from dynamical masses of equivalently classified ultracool dwarfs in astrometric binaries. We combine them using a Monte-Carlo approach to derive a semi-empirical estimate for the mass of TRAPPIST-1. We also derive estimate for the radius by combining this mass with stellar density inferred from transits, as well as an estimate for the effective temperature from our revised luminosity and radius. Our final results are {M}* =0.089+/- 0.006 {M}ȯ , {R}* =0.121+/- 0.003 {R}ȯ , and {T}{eff} = 2516 ± 41 K. Considering the degree to which the TRAPPIST-1 system will be scrutinized in coming years, these revised and more precise stellar parameters should be considered when assessing the properties of TRAPPIST-1 planets.

Deriving Physical Properties from Broadband Photometry with Prospector: Description of the Model and a Demonstration of its Accuracy Using 129 Galaxies in the Local Universe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leja, Joel; Johnson, Benjamin D.; Conroy, Charlie

2017-03-10

Broadband photometry of galaxies measures an unresolved mix of complex stellar populations, gas, and dust. Interpreting these data is a challenge for models: many studies have shown that properties derived from modeling galaxy photometry are uncertain by a factor of two or more, and yet answering key questions in the field now requires higher accuracy than this. Here, we present a new model framework specifically designed for these complexities. Our model, Prospector- α , includes dust attenuation and re-radiation, a flexible attenuation curve, nebular emission, stellar metallicity, and a six-component nonparametric star formation history. The flexibility and range of themore » parameter space, coupled with Monte Carlo Markov chain sampling within the Prospector inference framework, is designed to provide unbiased parameters and realistic error bars. We assess the accuracy of the model with aperture-matched optical spectroscopy, which was excluded from the fits. We compare spectral features predicted solely from fits to the broadband photometry to the observed spectral features. Our model predicts H α luminosities with a scatter of ∼0.18 dex and an offset of ∼0.1 dex across a wide range of morphological types and stellar masses. This agreement is remarkable, as the H α luminosity is dependent on accurate star formation rates, dust attenuation, and stellar metallicities. The model also accurately predicts dust-sensitive Balmer decrements, spectroscopic stellar metallicities, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mass fractions, and the age- and metallicity-sensitive features D{sub n}4000 and H δ . Although the model passes all these tests, we caution that we have not yet assessed its performance at higher redshift or the accuracy of recovered stellar masses.« less

Gravitational lensing by a massive black hole at the Galactic center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wardle, Mark; Yusef-Zadeh, Farhad

1992-01-01

The manifestations of gravitational lensing by a massive black hole at the Galactic center, with particular attention given to lensing of stars in the stellar cluster that lie behind Sgr A*, and of Sgr A east, a nonthermal extended radio source which is known with certainty to lie behind the Galactic center. Lensing of the stellar cluster produces a deficit of stellar images within 10 mas of the center, and a surplus between 30 and 300 mas. The results suggest that the proper motion of the stars will produce brightness variations of stellar images on a time scale of a few years or less. Both images of such a source should be visible, and will rise and fall in luminosity together.

Exoplanets in the M2K Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyajian, Tabetha; Fischer, Debra; Gaidos, Eric; Giguere, Matt

2013-07-01

Late type stars are ideal targets for the detection of low-mass planets residing in habitable zones. In such systems, not only is the stellar noise a minimum, but the lower stellar mass affords larger reflex velocities and the lower stellar luminosity moves the habitable zone inward. The M2K program is a high precision Doppler survey monitoring a couple hundred late-type stars over the past few years in search for such important exoplanetary systems. We present updated orbits of known exoplanet systems and newly detected exoplanet systems that have resulted from this program. We also advertise the Planethunters.org "Guest Scientist" program as well as our survey to measure stellar diameters and temperatures with long baseline optical interferometry.

Galaxies in the Illustris simulation as seen by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey - II. Size-luminosity relations and the deficit of bulge-dominated galaxies in Illustris at low mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bottrell, Connor; Torrey, Paul; Simard, Luc; Ellison, Sara L.

2017-05-01

The interpretive power of the newest generation of large-volume hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation rests upon their ability to reproduce the observed properties of galaxies. In this second paper in a series, we employ bulge+disc decompositions of realistic dust-free galaxy images from the Illustris simulation in a consistent comparison with galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Examining the size-luminosity relations of each sample, we find that galaxies in Illustris are roughly twice as large and 0.7 mag brighter on average than galaxies in the SDSS. The trend of increasing slope and decreasing normalization of size-luminosity as a function of bulge fraction is qualitatively similar to observations. However, the size-luminosity relations of Illustris galaxies are quantitatively distinguished by higher normalizations and smaller slopes than for real galaxies. We show that this result is linked to a significant deficit of bulge-dominated galaxies in Illustris relative to the SDSS at stellar masses log M_{\\star }/M_{⊙}≲ 11. We investigate this deficit by comparing bulge fraction estimates derived from photometry and internal kinematics. We show that photometric bulge fractions are systematically lower than the kinematic fractions at low masses, but with increasingly good agreement as the stellar mass increases.

Upper limits on the mass and luminosity of Population III-dominated galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yajima, Hidenobu; Khochfar, Sadegh

2017-05-01

We here derive upper limits on the mass and luminosity of Population III (POPIII) dominated proto-galaxies based on the collapse of primordial gas under the effect of angular momentum loss via Lyα radiation drag and the gas accretion on to a galactic centre. Our model predicts that POPIII-dominated galaxies at z ˜ 7 are hosted by haloes with Mh ˜ 1.5 × 108-1.1 × 109 M⊙, that they have Lyα luminosities of LLyα ˜ 3.0 × 1042-2.1 × 1043 erg s- 1, stellar mass of Mstar ˜ 0.8 × 105-2.5 × 106 M⊙ and outflowing gas with velocities Vout ˜ 40 km s- 1 due to Lyα radiation pressure. We show that the POPIII galaxy candidate CR7 violates the derived limits on stellar mass and Lyα luminosity and thus is unlikely to be a POPIII galaxy. POPIII-dominated galaxies at z ˜ 7 have He II line emission that is ˜1-3 orders of magnitude lower than that of Lyα, they have high Lyα equivalent width of ≳ 300 Å and should be found close to bright star-forming galaxies. The He II 1640 Å line is in comfortable reach of next generation telescopes, like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) or Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).

Galaxy luminosity function and Tully-Fisher relation: reconciled through rotation-curve studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cattaneo, Andrea; Salucci, Paolo; Papastergis, Emmanouil, E-mail: andrea.cattaneo@oamp.fr, E-mail: salucci@sissa.it, E-mail: papastergis@astro.cornell.edu

2014-03-10

The relation between galaxy luminosity L and halo virial velocity v {sub vir} required to fit the galaxy luminosity function differs from the observed Tully-Fisher relation between L and disk speed v {sub rot}. Because of this, the problem of reproducing the galaxy luminosity function and the Tully-Fisher relation simultaneously has plagued semianalytic models since their inception. Here we study the relation between v {sub rot} and v {sub vir} by fitting observational average rotation curves of disk galaxies binned in luminosity. We show that the v {sub rot}-v {sub vir} relation that we obtain in this way can fullymore » account for this seeming inconsistency. Therefore, the reconciliation of the luminosity function with the Tully-Fisher relation rests on the complex dependence of v {sub rot} on v {sub vir}, which arises because the ratio of stellar mass to dark matter mass is a strong function of halo mass.« less

Theoretical models for stellar X-ray polarization in compact objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meszaros, P.

1991-01-01

Degenerate stellar objects are expected to be strong sources of polarized X-ray emission. This is particularly true for strongly magnetized neutron stars, e.g. accretion or rotation powered pulsars, and gamma ray bursters. In these, linear polarization degrees well in excess of 30 percent are expected. Weaker magnetic field stellar sources, such as old neutron stars in low mass binary systems, white dwarfs and black holes are expected to have polarization degrees in the range 1-3 percent. A great interest attaches to the detection of polarization in these objects, since this would provide invaluable information concerning the geometry, radiation mechanism and magnetic field strength, necessary for testing and proving models of the structure and evolution of stars in their late stages. In this paper we review the theoretical models of the production of polarized radiation in compact stellar X-ray sources, and discuss the possibility of detecting these properties using currently planned detectors to be flown in space.

Constraining Accreting Binary Populations in Normal Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmer, Bret; Hornschemeier, A.; Basu-Zych, A.; Fragos, T.; Jenkins, L.; Kalogera, V.; Ptak, A.; Tzanavaris, P.; Zezas, A.

2011-01-01

X-ray emission from accreting binary systems (X-ray binaries) uniquely probe the binary phase of stellar evolution and the formation of compact objects such as neutron stars and black holes. A detailed understanding of X-ray binary systems is needed to provide physical insight into the formation and evolution of the stars involved, as well as the demographics of interesting binary remnants, such as millisecond pulsars and gravitational wave sources. Our program makes wide use of Chandra observations and complementary multiwavelength data sets (through, e.g., the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey [SINGS] and the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey [GOODS]), as well as super-computing facilities, to provide: (1) improved calibrations for correlations between X-ray binary emission and physical properties (e.g., star-formation rate and stellar mass) for galaxies in the local Universe; (2) new physical constraints on accreting binary processes (e.g., common-envelope phase and mass transfer) through the fitting of X-ray binary synthesis models to observed local galaxy X-ray binary luminosity functions; (3) observational and model constraints on the X-ray evolution of normal galaxies over the last 90% of cosmic history (since z 4) from the Chandra Deep Field surveys and accreting binary synthesis models; and (4) predictions for deeper observations from forthcoming generations of X-ray telesopes (e.g., IXO, WFXT, and Gen-X) to provide a science driver for these missions. In this talk, we highlight the details of our program and discuss recent results.

AN ULTRA-LOW-MASS AND SMALL-RADIUS COMPACT OBJECT IN 4U 1746-37?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Zhaosheng; Qu, Zhijie; Guo, Yanjun

Photospheric radius expansion (PRE) bursts have already been used to constrain the masses and radii of neutron stars. RXTE observed three PRE bursts in 4U 1746-37, all with low touchdown fluxes. We discuss here the possibility of a low-mass neutron star in 4U 1746-37 because the Eddington luminosity depends on stellar mass. With typical values of hydrogen mass fraction and color correction factor, a Monte Carlo simulation was applied to constrain the mass and radius of a neutron star in 4U 1746-37. 4U 1746-37 has a high inclination angle. Two geometric effects, the reflection of the far-side accretion disk andmore » the obscuration of the near-side accretion disk, have also been included in the mass and radius constraints of 4U 1746-37. If the reflection of the far-side accretion disk is accounted for, a low-mass compact object (mass of 0.41 ± 0.14 M {sub ☉} and radius of 8.73 ± 1.54 km at 68% confidence) exists in 4U 1746-37. If another effect operated, 4U 1746-37 may contain an ultra-low-mass and small-radius object (M = 0.21 ± 0.06 M {sub ☉}, R = 6.26 ± 0.99 km at 68% confidence). Combining all possibilities, the mass of 4U 1746-37 is 0.41{sub −0.30}{sup +0.70} M{sub ⊙} at 99.7% confidence. For such low-mass neutron stars, it could be reproduced by a self-bound compact star, i.e., a quark star or quark-cluster star.« less

The Evolutionary History of Lyman Break Galaxies Between Redshift 4 and 6: Observing Successive Generations of Massive Galaxies in Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stark, Daniel P.; Ellis, Richard S.; Bunker, Andrew; Bundy, Kevin; Targett, Tom; Benson, Andrew; Lacy, Mark

2009-06-01

We present new measurements of the evolution in the Lyman break galaxy (LBG) population between z sime 4 and z sime 6. By utilizing the extensive multiwavelength data sets available in the GOODS fields, we identify 2443 B, 506 V, and 137 i'-band dropout galaxies likely to be at z ≈ 4, 5, and 6. For the subset of dropouts for which reliable Spitzer IRAC photometry is feasible (roughly 35% of the sample), we estimate luminosity-weighted ages and stellar masses. With the goal of understanding the duration of typical star formation episodes in galaxies at z gsim 4, we examine the distribution of stellar masses and ages as a function of cosmic time. We find that at a fixed rest-UV luminosity, the average stellar masses and ages of galaxies do not increase significantly between z sime 6 and 4. In order to maintain this near equilibrium in the average properties of high-redshift LBGs, we argue that there must be a steady flux of young, newly luminous objects at each successive redshift. When considered along with the short duty cycles inferred from clustering measurements, these results may suggest that galaxies are undergoing star formation episodes lasting only several hundred million years. In contrast to the unchanging relationship between the average stellar mass and rest-UV luminosity, we find that the number density of massive galaxies increases considerably with time over 4 lsim z lsim 6. Given this rapid increase of UV luminous massive galaxies, we explore the possibility that a significant fraction of massive (1011 M sun) z sime 2-3 distant red galaxies (DRGs) were in part assembled in an LBG phase at earlier times. Integrating the growth in the stellar mass function of actively forming LBGs over 4 lsim z lsim 6 down to z sime 2, we find that z gsim 3 LBGs could have contributed significantly to the quiescent DRG population, indicating that the intense star-forming systems probed by submillimeter observations are not the only route toward the assembly of DRGs at z sime 2.

The Non-Stellar Infrared Continuum of Seyfert Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alonso-Herrero, Almudena; Quillen, Alice C.; Simpson, Chris; Efstathiou, Andreas; Ward, Martin J.

2000-01-01

JHKL'M (1 - 5 micrometers) imaging of a sample of Seyfert 2 galaxies is presented. We have performed an accurate estimate of the near-infrared non-stellar nuclear fluxes. We confirm that the near-infrared nuclear continuum between 1 and 2.2microns of some Seyfert 2s is dominated by stellar emission, whereas the continuum emission at longer wavelengths (lambda = 3 - 5 micrometers) is almost entirely non-stellar in origin. The non-stellar spectral energy distributions (SED) in the infrared (up to 15 micrometers) of Seyfert galaxies show a variety of shapes, and they are well reproduced with the tapered disk models of Efstathiou & Rowan-Robinson (1995). We have used two models, one including an optically thin cone component found to fit the SED of NGC 1068, and a coneless model. Although our modelling of the SEDs does not allow us to favor either model to account for all the observed SEDs, we find that the viewing angle towards the central source is well constrained by both models. The galaxies in our sample have fitted values of the viewing angle in the range Theta(sub V) = 0 deg - 64 deg, for the assumed model parameters. We have also investigated non-stellar color-color diagrams (L' - M vs. H - M and L' - M vs. H - L'). The colors of the Seyfert galaxies with viewing angles Theta(sub v) less than 30 deg are better reproduced with the cone model. These diagrams provide a good means to separate Seyfert 2s with moderate obscuration (A(sub V) approx. less than 20 mag from hard X-ray observations) from those with high obscuration. The ground-based 4.8 microns and ISO 9.6 microns luminosities are well correlated with the hard X-ray luminosities of Seyfert ls and 2s. These continuum emissions appear as a good indicator of the AGN luminosity, at least in the cases of hard X-ray Compton-thin Seyfert galaxies (N(sub H) less than or = 10(exp 24)/sq cm). We finally stress the finding that some Compton thick galaxies show bright non-stellar emission at 5 microns This suggests that the near-infrared emission in Seyfert galaxies is produced in an extended component illuminated by the central source, that is more visible from all viewing angles, providing a good explanation for the differing N(sub H)/A(sub V) ratios found in some Seyfert 2s. We discuss possible implications of mid-infrared surveys for the search of counterparts of highly obscured hard X-ray sources.

A Hero's Little Horse: Discovery of a Dissolving Star Cluster in Pegasus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Dongwon; Jerjen, Helmut

2015-01-01

We report the discovery of an ultra-faint stellar system in the constellation of Pegasus. This concentration of stars was detected by applying our overdensity detection algorithm to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 10 and confirmed with deeper photometry from the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) at the 4 m Blanco telescope. The best-fitting model isochrone indicates that this stellar system, Kim 1, features an old (12 Gyr) and metal-poor ([Fe/H] ~ -1.7) stellar population at a heliocentric distance of 19.8 ± 0.9 kpc. We measure a half-light radius of 6.9 ± 0.6 pc using a Plummer profile. The small physical size and the extremely low luminosity are comparable to the faintest known star clusters Segue 3, Koposov 1 and 2, and Muñoz 1. However, Kim 1 exhibits a lower star concentration and is lacking a well-defined center. It also has an unusually high ellipticity and irregular outer isophotes, which suggests that we are seeing an intermediate mass star cluster being stripped by the Galactic tidal field. An extended search for evidence of an associated stellar stream within the 3 \\deg 2 DECam field remains inconclusive. The finding of Kim 1 is consistent with current overdensity detection limits and supports the hypothesis that there are still a substantial number of extreme low-luminosity star clusters undetected in the wider Milky Way halo.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Dongwon; Jerjen, Helmut, E-mail: dongwon.kim@anu.edu.au, E-mail: helmut.jerjen@anu.edu.au

We report the discovery of an ultra-faint stellar system in the constellation of Pegasus. This concentration of stars was detected by applying our overdensity detection algorithm to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 10 and confirmed with deeper photometry from the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) at the 4 m Blanco telescope. The best-fitting model isochrone indicates that this stellar system, Kim 1, features an old (12 Gyr) and metal-poor ([Fe/H] ∼ -1.7) stellar population at a heliocentric distance of 19.8 ± 0.9 kpc. We measure a half-light radius of 6.9 ± 0.6 pc using a Plummer profile. The small physicalmore » size and the extremely low luminosity are comparable to the faintest known star clusters Segue 3, Koposov 1 and 2, and Muñoz 1. However, Kim 1 exhibits a lower star concentration and is lacking a well-defined center. It also has an unusually high ellipticity and irregular outer isophotes, which suggests that we are seeing an intermediate mass star cluster being stripped by the Galactic tidal field. An extended search for evidence of an associated stellar stream within the 3 deg{sup 2} DECam field remains inconclusive. The finding of Kim 1 is consistent with current overdensity detection limits and supports the hypothesis that there are still a substantial number of extreme low-luminosity star clusters undetected in the wider Milky Way halo.« less

On the Nature of Ultra-faint Dwarf Galaxy Candidates. II. The Case of Cetus II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conn, Blair C.; Jerjen, Helmut; Kim, Dongwon; Schirmer, Mischa

2018-04-01

We obtained deep Gemini GMOS-S g, r photometry of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy candidate Cetus II with the aim of providing stronger constraints on its size, luminosity, and stellar population. Cetus II is an important object in the size–luminosity plane, as it occupies the transition zone between dwarf galaxies and star clusters. All known objects smaller than Cetus II (r h ∼ 20 pc) are reported to be star clusters, while most larger objects are likely dwarf galaxies. We found a prominent excess of main-sequence stars in the color–magnitude diagram of Cetus II, best described by a single stellar population with an age of 11.2 Gyr, metallicity of [Fe/H] = ‑1.28 dex, an [α/Fe] = 0.0 dex at a heliocentric distance of 26.3 ± 1.2 kpc. As well as being spatially located within the Sagittarius dwarf tidal stream, these properties are well matched to the Sagittarius galaxy’s Population B stars. Interestingly, like our recent findings on the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy candidate Tucana V, the stellar field in the direction of Cetus II shows no evidence of a concentrated overdensity despite tracing the main sequence for over six magnitudes. These results strongly support the picture that Cetus II is not an ultra-faint stellar system in the Milky Way halo, but made up of stars from the Sagittarius tidal stream.

HUNTING FOR YOUNG DISPERSING STAR CLUSTERS IN IC 2574

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pellerin, Anne; Meyer, Martin M.; Calzetti, Daniella

2012-12-01

Dissolving stellar groups are very difficult to detect using traditional surface photometry techniques. We have developed a method to find and characterize non-compact stellar systems in galaxies where the young stellar population can be spatially resolved. By carrying out photometry on individual stars, we are able to separate the luminous blue stellar population from the star field background. The locations of these stars are used to identify groups by applying the HOP algorithm, which are then characterized using color-magnitude and stellar density radial profiles to estimate age, size, density, and shape. We test the method on Hubble Space Telescope Advancedmore » Camera for Surveys archival images of IC 2574 and find 75 dispersed stellar groups. Of these, 20 highly dispersed groups are good candidates for dissolving systems. We find few compact systems with evidence of dissolution, potentially indicating that star formation in this galaxy occurs mostly in unbound clusters or groups. These systems indicate that the dispersion rate of groups and clusters in IC 2574 is at most 0.45 pc Myr{sup -1}. The location of the groups found with HOP correlate well with H I contour map features. However, they do not coincide with H I holes, suggesting that those holes were not created by star-forming regions.« less

Radio emission from RS CVn binaries. II - Polarization and spectral properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mutel, R. L.; Morris, D. H.; Doiron, D. J.; Lestrade, J. F.

1987-01-01

Multiepoch radio observations of circular polarization and spectral characteristics of several close, late-type stellar binaries are reported. The median luminosity of four well-studied systems ranged from 16.2 to 17.1 ergs/s/Hz. For individual systems, the fractional circular polarization decreases with increasing luminosity, particularly at frequencies above 5 GHz. Eclipsing binaries have significantly lower average circular polarization compared with noneclipsing systems. Helicity reversal is almost always observed between 1.4 and 4.9 GHz for systems with high orbital inclination. Comparison with ten years of previously published polarization observations for two RS CVn stellar systems show that the same helicity occurs at a given frequency for a given source, indicating a very stable, large-scale magnetic field geometry. These spectral and polarization characteristics strongly support a model of inhomogeneous gyrosynchrotron emission arising from electrons with power law energy spectra interacting with inhomogeneous magnetic fields.

An intermediate luminosity optical transient (ILOTs) model for the young stellar object ASASSN-15qi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashi, Amit; Soker, Noam

2017-07-01

We construct a scenario where the outburst of the young stellar object ASASSN-15qi is an intermediate luminosity optical transient (ILOT). In this scenario, a sub-Jupiter young planet was tidally destructed on to a young main-sequence (MS) star. The system is young, and therefore the radius of the planet is larger than its final value; consequently, its density is smaller. The lower density allows the tidal destruction of the young Saturn-like planet on to the MS star of mass ≈2.4 M⊙, resulting in the formation of a disc and a gravitationally powered ILOT. Unlike the case of the more energetic ILOT V838 Mon, the mass of the destructed planet is too low to inflate a giant envelope, and hence the merger remnant remains hot. If our suggested model holds, this ILOT possesses two interesting properties: (I) its luminosity and total energy are below those of novae; (II) it is not as red as other ILOTs. The unusual outburst of ASASSN-15qi - if indeed is an ILOT - further increases the diversity of the already heterogeneous group of ILOTs. We mark the region on the energy-time diagram occupied by such young ILOTs.

A CANDIDATE PLANETARY-MASS OBJECT WITH A PHOTOEVAPORATING DISK IN ORION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fang, Min; Kim, Jinyoung Serena; Apai, Dániel

2016-12-20

In this work, we report the discovery of a candidate planetary-mass object with a photoevaporating protoplanetary disk, Proplyd 133-353, which is near the massive star θ {sup 1} Ori C at the center of the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC). The object was known to have extended emission pointing away from θ {sup 1} Ori C, indicating ongoing external photoevaporation. Our near-infrared spectroscopic data and the location on the H–R diagram suggest that the central source of Proplyd 133-353 is substellar (∼M9.5) and has a mass probably less than 13 Jupiter mass and an age younger than 0.5 Myr. Proplyd 133-353more » shows a similar ratio of X-ray luminosity to stellar luminosity to other young stars in the ONC with a similar stellar luminosity and has a similar proper motion to the mean one of confirmed ONC members. We propose that Proplyd 133-353 formed in a very low-mass dusty cloud or an evaporating gas globule near θ {sup 1} Ori C as a second generation of star formation, which can explain both its young age and the presence of its disk.« less

Archival Investigation of Outburst Sites and Progenitors of Extragalactic Intermediate-Luminosity Mid-IR Transients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bond, Howard

2017-08-01

Our team is using Spitzer in a long-term search for extragalactic mid-infrared (MIR) variable stars and transients-the SPIRITS project (SPitzer InfraRed Intensive Transients Survey). In this first exploration of luminous astrophysical transients in the infrared, we have discovered a puzzling new class. We call them SPRITEs: eSPecially Red Intermediate-luminosity Transient Events. They have maximum MIR luminosities between supernovae and classical novae, but are not detected in the optical to deep limits. To date, we have discovered more than 50 SPRITEs in galaxies out to 17 Mpc. In this Archival Research proposal, we request support in order to investigate the pre-eruption sites in HST images of some 3 dozen SPRITEs discovered to date, and an additional 2 dozen that we are likely to find until the end of Spitzer observing in late 2018. Our aims are (1) characterize the pre-outburst environments at HST resolution in the visible and near-IR, to understand the stellar populations, stellar ages and masses, and interstellar medium at the outburst sites; (2) search for progenitors; (3) help prepare the way for a better understanding of the nature of extragalactic IR transients that will be investigated by JWST.

Radiative acceleration in Schwarzschild space-times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keane, A. J.; Barrett, R. K.; Simmons, J. F. L.

2001-03-01

We examine the radial motion of a material particle in the intense radiation field of a static spherically symmetric compact object with spherical emitting surface outside the Schwarzschild radius. This paper generalizes previous work which dealt with radial motion in the Thomson limit, where the radiation force is simply proportional to the radiative flux. In the general case the average time component of the 4-momentum transferred to the particle is not negligible compared with its rest mass. Consequently, we find that the frequency dependence of the radiation force owing to Compton scattering for highly energetic photons gives rise to an increase in the effective mass of the test particle. In this work we outline the effects of this frequency dependence and compare these with the results in the Thomson limit. We present the frequency dependent saturation velocity curves for a range of stellar luminosities and radiation frequencies and present the resulting phase-space diagrams corresponding to the radial test particle trajectories. In particular, the stable equilibrium points which exist in the Thomson limit are found to be absent in the general case.

Variance in binary stellar population synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breivik, Katelyn; Larson, Shane L.

2016-03-01

In the years preceding LISA, Milky Way compact binary population simulations can be used to inform the science capabilities of the mission. Galactic population simulation efforts generally focus on high fidelity models that require extensive computational power to produce a single simulated population for each model. Each simulated population represents an incomplete sample of the functions governing compact binary evolution, thus introducing variance from one simulation to another. We present a rapid Monte Carlo population simulation technique that can simulate thousands of populations in less than a week, thus allowing a full exploration of the variance associated with a binary stellar evolution model.

Inferences about binary stellar populations using gravitational wave observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wysocki, Daniel; Gerosa, Davide; O'Shaughnessy, Richard; Belczynski, Krzysztof; Gladysz, Wojciech; Berti, Emanuele; Kesden, Michael; Holz, Daniel

2018-01-01

With the dawn of gravitational wave astronomy, enabled by the LIGO and Virgo interferometers, we now have a new window into the Universe. In the short time these detectors have been in use, multiple confirmed detections of gravitational waves from compact binary coalescences have been made. Stellar binary systems are one of the likely progenitors of the observed compact binary sources. If this is indeed the case, then we can use measured properties of these binary systems to learn about their progenitors. We will discuss the Bayesian framework in which we make these inferences, and results which include mass and spin distributions.

Star Classification for the Kepler Input Catalog: From Images to Stellar Parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, T. M.; Everett, M.; Latham, D. W.; Monet, D. G.

2005-12-01

The Stellar Classification Project is a ground-based effort to screen stars within the Kepler field of view, to allow removal of stars with large radii (and small potential transit signals) from the target list. Important components of this process are: (1) An automated photometry pipeline estimates observed magnitudes both for target stars and for stars in several calibration fields. (2) Data from calibration fields yield extinction-corrected AB magnitudes (with g, r, i, z magnitudes transformed to the SDSS system). We merge these with 2MASS J, H, K magnitudes. (3) The Basel grid of stellar atmosphere models yields synthetic colors, which are transformed to our photometric system by calibration against observations of stars in M67. (4) We combine the r magnitude and stellar galactic latitude with a simple model of interstellar extinction to derive a relation connecting {Teff, luminosity} to distance and reddening. For models satisfying this relation, we compute a chi-squared statistic describing the match between each model and the observed colors. (5) We create a merit function based on the chi-squared statistic, and on a Bayesian prior probability distribution which gives probability as a function of Teff, luminosity, log(Z), and height above the galactic plane. The stellar parameters ascribed to a star are those of the model that maximizes this merit function. (6) Parameter estimates are merged with positional and other information from extant catalogs to yield the Kepler Input Catalog, from which targets will be chosen. Testing and validation of this procedure are underway, with encouraging initial results.

On the Spatially Resolved Star Formation History in M51. II. X-Ray Binary Population Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmer, B. D.; Eufrasio, R. T.; Markwardt, L.; Zezas, A.; Basu-Zych, A.; Fragos, T.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Ptak, A.; Tzanavaris, P.; Yukita, M.

2017-12-01

We present a new technique for empirically calibrating how the X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of X-ray binary (XRB) populations evolves following a star formation event. We first utilize detailed stellar population synthesis modeling of far-UV-to-far-IR photometry of the nearby face-on spiral galaxy M51 to construct maps of the star formation histories (SFHs) on subgalactic (≈400 pc) scales. Next, we use the ≈850 ks cumulative Chandra exposure of M51 to identify and isolate 2-7 keV detected point sources within the galaxy, and we use our SFH maps to recover the local properties of the stellar populations in which each X-ray source is located. We then divide the galaxy into various subregions based on their SFH properties (e.g., star formation rate (SFR) per stellar mass ({M}\\star ) and mass-weighted stellar age) and group the X-ray point sources according to the characteristics of the regions in which they are found. Finally, we construct and fit a parameterized XLF model that quantifies how the XLF shape and normalization evolves as a function of the XRB population age Our best-fit model indicates that the XRB XLF per unit stellar mass declines in normalization, by ˜3-3.5 dex, and steepens in slope from ≈10 Myr to ≈10 Gyr. We find that our technique recovers results from past studies of how XRB XLFs and XRB luminosity scaling relations vary with age and provides a self-consistent picture for how XRB XLFs evolve with age.

Formation of stellar clusters in magnetized, filamentary infrared dark clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Pak Shing; Klein, Richard I.; McKee, Christopher F.

2018-01-01

Star formation in a filamentary infrared dark cloud (IRDC) is simulated over the dynamic range of 4.2 pc to 28 au for a period of 3.5 × 105 yr, including magnetic fields and both radiative and outflow feedback from the protostars. At the end of the simulation, the star formation efficiency is 4.3 per cent and the star formation rate per free-fall time is εff ≃ 0.04, within the range of observed values. The total stellar mass increases as ∼t2, whereas the number of protostars increases as ∼t1.5. We find that the density profile around most of the simulated protostars is ∼ρ ∝ r-1.5. At the end of the simulation, the protostellar mass function approaches the Chabrier stellar initial mass function. We infer that the time to form a star of median mass 0.2 M⊙ is about 1.4 × 105 yr from the median mass accretion rate. We find good agreement among the protostellar luminosities observed in the large sample of Dunham et al., our simulation and a theoretical estimate, and we conclude that the classical protostellar luminosity problem is resolved. The multiplicity of the stellar systems in the simulation agrees, to within a factor of 2, with observations of Class I young stellar objects; most of the simulated multiple systems are unbound. Bipolar protostellar outflows are launched using a subgrid model, and extend up to 1 pc from their host star. The mass-velocity relation of the simulated outflows is consistent with both observation and theory.

Starspot variability as an X-ray radiation proxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arkhypov, Oleksiy V.; Khodachenko, Maxim L.; Lammer, Helmut; Güdel, Manuel; Lüftinger, Teresa; Johnstone, Colin P.

2018-05-01

Stellar X-ray emission plays an important role in the study of exoplanets as a proxy for stellar winds and as a basis for the prediction of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) flux, unavailable for direct measurements, which in their turn are important factors for the mass-loss of planetary atmospheres. Unfortunately, the detection thresholds limit the number of stars with the directly measured X-ray fluxes. At the same time, the known connection between the sunspots and X-ray sources allows using of the starspot variability as an accessible proxy for the stellar X-ray emission. To realize this approach, we analysed the light curves of 1729 main-sequence stars with rotation periods 0.5 < P < 30 d and effective temperatures 3236 < Teff < 7166 K observed by the Kepler mission. It was found that the squared amplitude of the first rotational harmonic of a stellar light curve may be used as a kind of activity index. This averaged index revealed practically the same relation with the Rossby number as that in the case of the X-ray to bolometric luminosity ratio Rx. As a result, the regressions for stellar X-ray luminosity Lx(P, Teff) and its related EUV analogue LEUV were obtained for the main-sequence stars. It was shown that these regressions allow prediction of average (over the considered stars) values of log (Lx) and log (LEUV) with typical errors of 0.26 and 0.22 dex, respectively. This, however, does not include the activity variations in particular stars related to their individual magnetic activity cycles.

Stellar Populations of Lyman Break Galaxies at z approx. to 1-3 in the HST/WFC3 Early Release Science Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hathi, N. P.; Cohen, S. H.; Ryan, R. E., Jr.; Finkelstein, S. L.; McCarthy, P. J.; Windhorst, R. A.; Yan, H.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Rutkowski, M. J.; OConnell, R. W.;

Comparing Low-Redshift Compact Dwarf Starbursts in the RESOLVE Survey with High-Redshift Blue Nuggets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palumbo, Michael Louis; Kannappan, Sheila; Snyder, Elaine; Eckert, Kathleen; Norman, Dara; Fraga, Luciano; Quint, Bruno; Amram, Philippe; Mendes de Oliveira, Claudia; RESOLVE Team

2018-01-01

We identify and characterize a population of compact dwarf starburst galaxies in the RESOLVE survey, a volume-limited census of galaxies in the local universe, to probe the possibility that these galaxies are related to “blue nuggets,” a class of intensely star-forming and compact galaxies previously identified at high redshift. Blue nuggets are thought to form as the result of intense compaction events that drive fresh gas to their centers. They are expected to display prolate morphology and rotation along their minor axes. We report IFU observations of three of our compact dwarf starburst galaxies, from which we construct high-resolution velocity fields, examining the evidence for minor axis or otherwise misaligned rotation. We find multiple cases of double nuclei in our sample, which may be indicative of a merger origin as in some blue nugget formation scenarios. We compare the masses, radii, gas-to-stellar mass ratios, star formation rates, stellar surface mass densities, and environmental contexts of our sample to expectations for blue nuggets.

Mass and size growth of early-type galaxies by dry mergers in cluster environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oogi, Taira; Habe, Asao; Ishiyama, Tomoaki

2016-02-01

We perform dry merger simulations to investigate the role of dry mergers in the size growth of early-type galaxies in high-density environments. We replace the virialized dark matter haloes obtained by a large cosmological N-body simulation with N-body galaxy models consisting of two components, a stellar bulge and a dark matter halo, which have higher mass resolution than the cosmological simulation. We then resimulate nine cluster-forming regions, whose masses range from 1 × 1014 to 5 × 1014 M⊙. Masses and sizes of stellar bulges are also assumed to satisfy the stellar mass-size relation of high-z compact massive early-type galaxies. We find that dry major mergers considerably contribute to the mass and size growth of central massive galaxies. One or two dry major mergers double the average stellar mass and quadruple the average size between z = 2 and 0. These growths favourably agree with observations. Moreover, the density distributions of our simulated central massive galaxies grow from the inside-out, which is consistent with recent observations. The mass-size evolution is approximated as R∝ M_{{ast }}^{α }, with α ˜ 2.24. Most of our simulated galaxies are efficiently grown by dry mergers, and their stellar mass-size relations match the ones observed in the local Universe. Our results show that the central galaxies in the cluster haloes are potential descendants of high-z (z ˜ 2-3) compact massive early-type galaxies. This conclusion is consistent with previous numerical studies which investigate the formation and evolution of compact massive early-type galaxies.

Observations and Light Curve Solutions of Ultrashort-Period Eclipsing Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kjurkchieva, Diana P.; Dimitrov, Dinko P.; Ibryamov, Sunay I.; Vasileva, Doroteya L.

2018-02-01

Photometric observations in V and I bands and low-dispersion spectra of 10 ultrashort-period binaries (NSVS 2175434, NSVS 2607629, NSVS 5038135, NSVS 8040227, NSVS 9747584, NSVS 4876238, ASAS 071829-0336.7, SWASP 074658.62+224448.5, NSVS 2729229, NSVS 10632802) are presented. One of them, NSVS 2729229, is newly discovered target. The results from modelling and analysis of our observations revealed that (i) eight targets have overcontact configurations with considerable fill-out factor (up to 0.5), while NSVS 4876238 and ASAS 0718-03 have almost contact configurations; (ii) NSVS 4876238 is rare ultrashort-period binary of detached type; (iii) all stellar components are late dwarfs; (iv) the temperature difference of the components of each target does not exceed 400 K; (v) NSVS 2175434 and SWASP 074658.62 + 224448.5 exhibit total eclipses and their parameters could be assumed as well determined; (v) NSVS 2729229 shows emission in the Hα line. Masses, radii, and luminosities of the stellar components were estimated by the empirical relation `period, orbital axis' for short- and ultrashort-period binaries. We found linear relations mass-luminosity and mass-radius for the stellar components of our targets.

The Ca II V/R ratio and mass loss. [stellar spectral emission lines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stencel, R. E.

1978-01-01

High-dispersion coude spectrograms of 181 MK standards of types early F through late M, including luminosity classes Ia, Ib, II, and III, are analyzed. It is shown that the brightness ratio of the V and R self-reversed emission peaks (denoted V/R) in the center of the Ca II K line is correlated with spectral type as well as with certain other spectral-type and luminosity-sensitive parameters, including indicators of mass loss and the H-K wing emission lines. The observations indicate that V/R varies smoothly from less than unity in late K and M giants to greater than unity for G giants. This trend appears to be true for bright giants as well but not necessarily for supergiants and seems to hold for the average V/R for a given star, although short-term variations in V/R occur. It is suggested that the V/R values, which can be interpreted in terms of atmospheric motions, may indirectly relate to effects of evolutionary changes in stellar structure and that V/R among late-type stars could be useful as an indicator of both chromospheric activity and the state of stellar evolution.

Fundamental Properties of O-Type Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heap, Sara R.; Lanz, Thierry; Hubeny, Ivan

2006-01-01

We present a comprehensive analysis of high-resolution, far-ultraviolet HST STIS, FUSE, and optical spectra of 18 O stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Our analysis is based on the OSTAR2002 grid of NLTE metal-line-blanketed model atmospheres calculated with our code TLUSTY. We systematically explore and present the sensitivity of various UV and optical lines to different stellar parameters. We have obtained consistent fits of the UV and the optical spectrum to derive the effective temperature, surface gravity, surface composition, and microturbulent velocity of each star. Stellar radii, masses, and luminosities follow directly. For stars of the same spectral subtype, we find a general good agreement between effective temperature determinations obtained with TLUSTY, CMFGEN, and FASTWIND models, which are all lower than the standard T(sub eff) calibration of O stars. We propose a new calibration between the spectral type and effective temperature based on our results from UV metal lines, as well as optical hydrogen and helium lines. The lower effective temperatures translate into ionizing luminosities that are smaller by a factor of 3 compared to luminosities inferred from previous standard calibrations. The chemical composition analysis reveals that the surface of about 80% of the program stars is moderately to strongly enriched in nitrogen, while showing the original helium, carbon, and oxygen abundances. Our results support the new stellar evolution models that predict that the surface of fast rotating stars becomes nitrogen-rich during the main-sequence phase because of rotationally induced mixing. Enrichment factors are, however, larger than predicted by stellar evolution models. Most stars exhibit the "mass discrepancy" problem, which we interpret as a result of fast rotation that lowers the measured effective gravity. Nitrogen enrichment and low spectroscopic masses are therefore two manifestations of fast rotation. Our study thus emphasizes the importance of rotation in our understanding of the properties of massive stars and provides a framework for investigating populations of low-metallicity massive stars at low and high redshifts.

Global Infrared–Radio Spectral Energy Distributions of Galactic Massive Star-Forming Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Povich, Matthew Samuel; Binder, Breanna Arlene

2018-01-01

We present a multiwavelength study of 30 Galactic massive star-forming regions. We fit multicomponent dust, blackbody, and power-law continuum models to 3.6 µm through 10 mm spectral energy distributions obtained from Spitzer, MSX, IRAS, Herschel, and Planck archival survey data. Averaged across our sample, ~20% of Lyman continuum photons emitted by massive stars are absorbed by dust before contributing to the ionization of H II regions, while ~50% of the stellar bolometric luminosity is absorbed and reprocessed by dust in the H II regions and surrounding photodissociation regions. The most luminous, infrared-bright regions that fully sample the upper stellar initial mass function (ionizing photon rates NC ≥ 1050 s–1 and total infrared luminosity LTIR ≥ 106.8 L⊙) have higher percentages of absorbed Lyman continuum photons (~40%) and dust-reprocessed starlight (~80%). The monochromatic 70-µm luminosity L70 is linearly correlated with LTIR, and on average L70/LTIR = 50%, in good agreement with extragalactic studies. Calibrated against the known massive stellar content in our sampled H II regions, we find that star formation rates based on L70 are in reasonably good agreement with extragalactic calibrations, when corrected for the smaller physical sizes of the Galactic regions. We caution that absorption of Lyman continuum photons prior to contributing to the observed ionizing photon rate may reduce the attenuation-corrected Hα emission, systematically biasing extragalactic calibrations toward lower star formation rates when applied to spatially-resolved studies of obscured star formation.This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under award CAREER-1454333.

Evolution of X-ray activity of 1-3 Msun late-type stars in early post-main-sequence phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pizzolato, N.; Maggio, A.; Sciortino, S.

2000-09-01

We have investigated the variation of coronal X-ray emission during early post-main-sequence phases for a sample of 120 late-type stars within 100 pc, and with estimated masses in the range 1-3 Msun, based on Hipparcos parallaxes and recent evolutionary models. These stars were observed with the ROSAT/PSPC, and the data processed with the Palermo-CfA pipeline, including detection and evaluation of X-ray fluxes (or upper limits) by means of a wavelet transform algorithm. We have studied the evolutionary history of X-ray luminosity and surface flux for stars in selected mass ranges, including stars with inactive A-type progenitors on the main sequence and lower mass solar-type stars. Our stellar sample suggests a trend of increasing X-ray emission level with age for stars with masses M > 1.5 Msun, and a decline for lower-mass stars. A similar behavior holds for the average coronal temperature, which follows a power-law correlation with the X-ray luminosity, independently of their mass and evolutionary state. We have also studied the relationship between X-ray luminosity and surface rotation rate for stars in the same mass ranges, and how this relationships departs from the Lx ~ vrot2 law followed by main-sequence stars. Our results are interpreted in terms of a magnetic dynamo whose efficiency depends on the stellar evolutionary state through the mass-dependent changes of the stellar internal structure, including the properties of envelope convection and the internal rotation profile.

The Observed Evolution of the Black-Hole-Host Mass Relation to z~3.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trakhtenbrot, Benny; Urry, C. Megan; Civano, Francesca M.; Rosario, David J.; Elvis, Martin; Schawinski, Kevin; Suh, Hyewon; Bongiorno, Angela; Simmons, Brooke; Marchesi, Stefano

2016-01-01

We present our Keck/MOSFIRE project to probe basic black hole and host galaxy properties in a sample of faint Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) at z~2.1-3.7, selected through the extensive X-ray Chandra coverage of the COSMOS field. Compared with previous studies of unobscured AGN at these high redshifts, our sources have lower AGN luminosities, corresponding to significantly higher number densities, of order ˜10-6-10-5 Mpc-3. The new K-band data covers the spectral region surrounding the broad Hbeta or Halpha emission lines, and enables the estimation of black hole masses (MBH) and accretion rates (in terms of L/LEdd). The lower AGN luminosities also allow for robust determinations of the host galaxies stellar masses, therefore enabling us to trace the evolution of the BH-to-stellar mass ratio (MBH/M*) to z~3.5. Compared with the rarer, higher-luminosity quasars targeted in previous studies, we find that the 12 AGN in our sample have lower MBH (~5x108 Msun), but similar accretion rates (L/LEdd~0.1-0.5). The BH-to-stellar mass ratio, MBH/M*, has a large scatter, with several sources reaching extremely high ratios of MBH/M* ~ 10% - higher by at least an order of magnitude than what is observed in the local Universe. The typical mass ratio for our sample is consistent with a trend of MBH/M* ~ (1+z)2. I will highlight some intriguing sources in the sample, and will briefly discuss the implications of our findings to the co-evolution of SMBHs and their host galaxies.

Innovations in compact stellarator coil design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pomphrey, N.; Berry, L.; Boozer, A.; Brooks, A.; Hatcher, R. E.; Hirshman, S. P.; Ku, L.-P.; Miner, W. H.; Mynick, H. E.; Reiersen, W.; Strickler, D. J.; Valanju, P. M.

2001-03-01

Experimental devices for the study of the physics of high beta (β gtrsim 4%), low aspect ratio (A lesssim 4.5) stellarator plasmas require coils that will produce plasmas satisfying a set of physics goals, provide experimental flexibility and be practical to construct. In the course of designing a flexible coil set for the National Compact Stellarator Experiment, several innovations have been made that may be useful in future stellarator design efforts. These include: the use of singular value decomposition methods for obtaining families of smooth current potentials on distant coil winding surfaces from which low current density solutions may be identified; the use of a control matrix method for identifying which few of the many detailed elements of a stellarator boundary must be targeted if a coil set is to provide fields to control the essential physics of the plasma; the use of a genetic algorithm for choosing an optimal set of discrete coils from a continuum of potential contours; the evaluation of alternate coil topologies for balancing the trade-off between physics objectives and engineering constraints; the development of a new coil optimization code for designing modular coils and the identification of a `natural' basis for describing current sheet distributions.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bekki, Kenji

We propose that there is an evolutionary link between ultra-compact blue dwarf galaxies (UCBDs) with active star formation and nucleated dwarfs based on the results of numerical simulations of dwarf–dwarf merging. We consider the observational fact that low-mass dwarfs can be very gas-rich, and thereby investigate the dynamical and chemical evolution of very gas-rich, dissipative dwarf–dwarf mergers. We find that the remnants of dwarf–dwarf mergers can be dominated by new stellar populations formed from the triggered starbursts and consequently can have blue colors and higher metallicities (Z ∼ [0.2–1]Z{sub ⊙}). We also find that the remnants of these mergers canmore » have rather high mass densities (10{sup 4} M{sub ⊙} pc{sup −3}) within the central 10 pc and small half-light radii (40−100 pc). The radial stellar structures of some merger remnants are similar to those of nucleated dwarfs. Star formation can continue in nuclear gas disks (R < 100 pc) surrounding stellar galactic nuclei (SGNs) so that the SGNs can finally have multiple stellar populations with different ages and metallicities. These very compact blue remnants can be identified as UCBDs soon after merging and as nucleated dwarfs after the young stars fade. We discuss these results in the context of the origins of metal-rich ultra-compact dwarfs and SGNs.« less

The shape of dark matter haloes - IV. The structure of stellar discs in edge-on galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, S. P. C.; de Geyter, G.; van der Kruit, P. C.; Freeman, K. C.

2017-01-01

We present optical and near-infrared archival observations of eight edge-on galaxies. These observations are used to model the stellar content of each galaxy using the FITSKIRT software package. Using FITSKIRT, we can self-consistently model a galaxy in each band simultaneously while treating for dust. This allows us to measure accurately both the scalelength and scaleheight of the stellar disc, plus the shape parameters of the bulge. By combining these data with the previously reported integrated magnitudes of each galaxy, we can infer their true luminosities. We have successfully modelled seven out of the eight galaxies in our sample. We find that stellar discs can be modelled correctly, but we have not been able to model the stellar bulge reliably. Our sample consists for the most part of slowly rotating galaxies and we find that the average dust layer is much thicker than is reported for faster rotating galaxies.

SHARDS Frontier Fields: Physical Properties of a Low-mass Lyα Emitter at z = 5.75

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernán-Caballero, Antonio; Pérez-González, Pablo G.; Diego, Jose M.; Lagattuta, David; Richard, Johan; Schaerer, Daniel; Alonso-Herrero, Almudena; Marino, Raffaella Anna; Sklias, Panos; Alcalde Pampliega, Belén; Cava, Antonio; Conselice, Christopher J.; Dannerbauer, Helmut; Domínguez-Sánchez, Helena; Eliche-Moral, Carmen; Esquej, Pilar; Huertas-Company, Marc; Marques-Chaves, Rui; Pérez-Fournon, Ismael; Rawle, Tim; Rodríguez Espinosa, José Miguel; Rosa González, Daniel; Rujopakarn, Wiphu

2017-11-01

We analyze the properties of a multiply imaged Lyα (Lyα) emitter at z = 5.75 identified through SHARDS Frontier Fields intermediate-band imaging of the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) cluster Abell 370. The source, A370-L57, has low intrinsic luminosity (M UV ˜ -16.5), steep UV spectral index (β = -2.4 ± 0.1), and extreme rest-frame equivalent width of Lyα ({{EW}}0({Ly}α )={420}-120+180 Å). Two different gravitational lens models predict high magnification (μ ˜ 10-16) for the two detected counterimages, separated by 7″, while a predicted third counterimage (μ ˜ 3-4) is undetected. We find differences of ˜50% in magnification between the two lens models, quantifying our current systematic uncertainties. Integral field spectroscopy of A370-L57 with MUSE shows a narrow (FWHM = 204 ± 10 km s-1) and asymmetric Lyα profile with an integrated luminosity L(Lyα) ˜ 1042 erg s-1. The morphology in the Hubble Space Telescope bands comprises a compact clump (r e < 100 pc) that dominates the Lyα and continuum emission and several fainter clumps at projected distances ≲1 kpc that coincide with an extension of the Lyα emission in the SHARDS F823W17 and MUSE observations. The latter could be part of the same galaxy or an interacting companion. We find no evidence of a contribution from active galactic nuclei to the Lyα emission. Fitting of the spectral energy distribution with stellar population models favors a very young (t < 10 Myr), low-mass ({M}* ˜ {10}6.5 {M}⊙ ), and metal-poor (Z ≲ 4 × 10-3) stellar population. Its modest star formation rate (SFR ˜ 1.0 {M}⊙ yr-1) implies high specific SFR (sSFR ˜ 2.5 × 10-7 yr-1) and SFR density ({{{Σ }}}{SFR}˜ 7{--}35 {M}⊙ yr-1 kpc-2). The properties of A370-L57 make it a good representative of the population of galaxies responsible for cosmic reionization.

Demonstrating a New Census of Infrared Galaxies with ALMA (DANCING-ALMA). I. FIR Size and Luminosity Relation at z = 0-6 Revealed with 1034 ALMA Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujimoto, Seiji; Ouchi, Masami; Shibuya, Takatoshi; Nagai, Hiroshi

2017-11-01

We present the large statistics of the galaxy effective radius R e in the rest-frame far-infrared (FIR) wavelength {R}{{e}({FIR})} obtained from 1627 Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 1 mm band maps that become public by 2017 July. Our ALMA sample consists of 1034 sources with the star formation rate ˜ 100{--}1000 {M}⊙ {{yr}}-1 and the stellar mass ˜ {10}10{--}{10}11.5 {M}⊙ at z = 0-6. We homogeneously derive {R}{{e}({FIR})} and FIR luminosity L FIR of our ALMA sources via the uv-visibility method with the exponential disk model, carefully evaluating selection and measurement incompletenesses by realistic Monte-Carlo simulations. We find that there is a positive correlation between {R}{{e}({FIR})} and L FIR at the >99% significance level. The best-fit power-law function, {R}{{e}({FIR})}\\propto {L}{FIR}α , provides α =0.28+/- 0.07, and shows that {R}{{e}({FIR})} at a fixed L FIR decreases toward high redshifts. The best-fit α and the redshift evolution of {R}{{e}({FIR})} are similar to those of R e in the rest-frame UV (optical) wavelength {R}{{e}({UV})} ({R}{{e}({Opt}.)}) revealed by Hubble Space Telescope (HST) studies. We identify that our ALMA sources have significant trends of {R}{{e}({FIR})}≲ {R}{{e}({UV})} and {R}{{e}({Opt}.)}, which suggests that the dusty starbursts take place in compact regions. Moreover, {R}{{e}({FIR})} of our ALMA sources is comparable to {R}{{e}({Opt}.)} of quiescent galaxies at z ˜ 1-3 as a function of stellar mass, supporting the evolutionary connection between these two galaxy populations. We also investigate rest-frame UV and optical morphologies of our ALMA sources with deep HST images, and find that ˜30%-40% of our ALMA sources are classified as major mergers. This indicates that dusty starbursts are triggered by not only the major mergers but also the other mechanism(s).

The VLT-FLAMES survey of massive stars: mass loss and rotation of early-type stars in the SMC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mokiem, M. R.; de Koter, A.; Evans, C. J.; Puls, J.; Smartt, S. J.; Crowther, P. A.; Herrero, A.; Langer, N.; Lennon, D. J.; Najarro, F.; Villamariz, M. R.; Yoon, S.-C.

2006-09-01

We have studied the optical spectra of a sample of 31 O-and early B-type stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud, 21 of which are associated with the young massive cluster NGC 346. Stellar parameters are determined using an automated fitting method (Mokiem et al. 2005, A&A, 441, 711), which combines the stellar atmosphere code FASTWIND (Puls et al. 2005, A&A, 435, 669) with the genetic algorithm based optimisation routine PIKAIA (Charbonneau 1995, ApJS, 101, 309). Comparison with predictions of stellar evolution that account for stellar rotation does not result in a unique age, though most stars are best represented by an age of 1-3 Myr. The automated method allows for a detailed determination of the projected rotational velocities. The present day v_r sin i distribution of the 21 dwarf stars in our sample is consistent with an underlying rotational velocity (v_r) distribution that can be characterised by a mean velocity of about 160 - 190 km s-1 and an effective half width of 100 - 150 km s-1. The vr distribution must include a small percentage of slowly rotating stars. If predictions of the time evolution of the equatorial velocity for massive stars within the environment of the SMC are correct (Maeder & Meynet 2001, A&A, 373, 555), the young age of the cluster implies that this underlying distribution is representative for the initial rotational velocity distribution. The location in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram of the stars showing helium enrichment is in qualitative agreement with evolutionary tracks accounting for rotation, but not for those ignoring v_r. The mass loss rates of the SMC objects having luminosities of log L*/L⊙ ≳ 5.4 are in excellent agreement with predictions by Vink et al. (2001, A&A, 369, 574). However, for lower luminosity stars the winds are too weak to determine dot{M} accurately from the optical spectrum. Three targets were classifiedas Vz stars, two of which are located close to the theoretical zero-age main sequence. Three lower luminosity targets that were not classified as Vz stars are also found to lie near the ZAMS. We argue that this is related to a temperature effect inhibiting cooler from displaying the spectral features required for the Vz luminosity class.

The Nature of VeLLOs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huard, Tracy L.; Pound, Marc W.; Mundy, Lee; Dunham, Michael

2018-01-01

Very Low Luminosity Objects (VeLLOs) are young stellar sources that are defined by luminosities less than 0.1 solar luminosity and rising mid-infrared spectral energy distributions. But, what exactly are they? Brown dwarfs or low-mass stars in formation? Systems exhibiting low accretion rates? Extremely young objects? We have completed an ALMA survey of 33 candidates in the nearby Serpens, Ophiuchus, and Lupus star-forming molecular clouds. Continuum emission at 1.3 mm, consistent with the presence of an inner envelope and/or disk, was detected toward 17 candidates, with at least 6 of these candidates exhibiting CO outflow emission, suggesting ongoing formation. We will present these observations and results, and discuss their implications concerning the nature of VeLLOs.

The structure and appearance of winds from supercritical accretion disks. II - Dynamical theory of supercritical winds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meier, D. L.

1982-01-01

A general analytic theory is presented of winds driven by super-Eddington luminosities. The relevant parameters are the mass of the central object, the radius at which the luminosity and matter are injected, the ratio of the free-fall time to the heating time at this radius, and the total luminosity injected at the radius. Several different regimes of dynamical wind structure are identified, and the analytic expressions are shown to agree with the numerical results in Meier (1979) in the appropriate case. It is noted that, in its general form, the theory is the optically thick (to electron scattering) counterpart to optically thin radiation pressure-driven stellar winds.

The Planetary Nebulae Luminosity Function (PNLF): current perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Méndez, Roberto H.

2017-10-01

This paper starts with a brief historical review about the PNLF and its use as a distance indicator. Then the PNLF distances are compared with Surface Brightness Fluctuations (SBF) distances and Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) distances. A Monte Carlo method to generate simulated PNLFs is described, leading to the last subject: recent progress in reproducing the expected maximum final mass in old stellar populations, a stellar astrophysics enigma that has been challenging us for quite some time.

Scaling Stellar Mass Estimates of Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Brandon Michael; McQuinn, Kristen B.; Cannon, John M.; Dalcanton, Julianne; Dolphin, Andrew E.; Skillman, Evan D.; Williams, Benjamin F.; van Zee, Liese

2017-01-01

Hubble Space Telescope (HST) optical imaging of resolved stellar populations has been used to constrain the star formation history (SFH) and chemical evolution of many nearby dwarf galaxies. However, even for dwarf galaxies, the angle subtended by nearby systems can be greater than the HST field of view. Thus, estimates of stellar mass from the HST footprint do not accurately represent the total mass of the system, impacting how SFH results can be used in holistic comparisons of galaxy properties. Here, we use the SFHs of dwarfs combined with stellar population synthesis models to determine mass-to-light ratios for individual galaxies, and compare these values with measured infrared luminosities from Spitzer IRAC data. In this way, we determine what fraction of mass is not included in the HST field of view. To test our methodology, we focus on dwarfs whose stellar disks are contained within the HST observations. Then, we also apply this method to galaxies with larger angular sizes to scale the stellar masses accordingly.

Star-formation rate in compact star-forming galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izotova, I. Y.; Izotov, Y. I.

2018-03-01

We use the data for the Hβ emission-line, far-ultraviolet (FUV) and mid-infrared 22 μm continuum luminosities to estimate star formation rates < SFR > averaged over the galaxy lifetime for a sample of about 14000 bursting compact star-forming galaxies (CSFGs) selected from the Data Release 12 (DR12) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The average coefficient linking < SFR > and the star formation rate SFR0 derived from the Hβ luminosity at zero starburst age is found to be 0.04. We compare < SFR > s with some commonly used SFRs which are derived adopting a continuous star formation during a period of {˜} 100 Myr, and find that the latter ones are 2-3 times higher. It is shown that the relations between SFRs derived using a geometric mean of two star-formation indicators in the UV and IR ranges and reduced to zero starburst age have considerably lower dispersion compared to those with single star-formation indicators. We suggest that our relations for < SFR > determination are more appropriate for CSFGs because they take into account a proper temporal evolution of their luminosities. On the other hand, we show that commonly used SFR relations can be applied for approximate estimation within a factor of {˜} 2 of the < SFR > averaged over the lifetime of the bursting compact galaxy.

Compact stars in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity: Anomalies associated with phase transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sham, Y.-H.; Leung, P. T.; Lin, L.-M.

2013-03-01

We study how generic phase transitions taking place in compact stars constructed in the framework of the Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld (EiBI) gravity can lead to anomalous behavior of these stars. For the case with first-order phase transitions, compact stars in EiBI gravity with a positive coupling parameter κ exhibit a finite region with constant pressure, which is absent in general relativity. However, for the case with a negative κ, an equilibrium stellar configuration cannot be constructed. Hence EiBI gravity seems to impose stricter constraints on the microphysics of stellar matter. Besides, in the presence of spatial discontinuities in the sound speed cs due to phase transitions, the Ricci scalar is spatially discontinuous and contains δ-function singularities proportional to the jump in cs2 acquired in the associated phase transition.

Deep Learning Identifies High-z Galaxies in a Central Blue Nugget Phase in a Characteristic Mass Range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huertas-Company, M.; Primack, J. R.; Dekel, A.; Koo, D. C.; Lapiner, S.; Ceverino, D.; Simons, R. C.; Snyder, G. F.; Bernardi, M.; Chen, Z.; Domínguez-Sánchez, H.; Lee, C. T.; Margalef-Bentabol, B.; Tuccillo, D.

2018-05-01

We use machine learning to identify in color images of high-redshift galaxies an astrophysical phenomenon predicted by cosmological simulations. This phenomenon, called the blue nugget (BN) phase, is the compact star-forming phase in the central regions of many growing galaxies that follows an earlier phase of gas compaction and is followed by a central quenching phase. We train a convolutional neural network (CNN) with mock “observed” images of simulated galaxies at three phases of evolution— pre-BN, BN, and post-BN—and demonstrate that the CNN successfully retrieves the three phases in other simulated galaxies. We show that BNs are identified by the CNN within a time window of ∼0.15 Hubble times. When the trained CNN is applied to observed galaxies from the CANDELS survey at z = 1–3, it successfully identifies galaxies at the three phases. We find that the observed BNs are preferentially found in galaxies at a characteristic stellar mass range, 109.2–10.3 M ⊙ at all redshifts. This is consistent with the characteristic galaxy mass for BNs as detected in the simulations and is meaningful because it is revealed in the observations when the direct information concerning the total galaxy luminosity has been eliminated from the training set. This technique can be applied to the classification of other astrophysical phenomena for improved comparison of theory and observations in the era of large imaging surveys and cosmological simulations.

Active galactic nuclei and galaxy interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alonso, M. Sol; Lambas, Diego G.; Tissera, Patricia; Coldwell, Georgina

2007-03-01

We perform a statistical analysis of active galactic nucleus (AGN) host characteristics and nuclear activity for AGNs in pairs and without companions. Our study concerns a sample of AGNs derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4 data by Kauffmann et al. and pair galaxies obtained from the same data set by Alonso et al. An eye-ball classification of images of 1607 close pairs (rp < 25 kpc h-1,ΔV < 350 km s-1) according to the evidence of interaction through distorted morphologies and tidal features provides us with a more confident assessment of galaxy interactions from this sample. We notice that, at a given luminosity or stellar mass content, the fraction of AGNs is larger for pair galaxies exhibiting evidence for strong interaction and tidal features which also show signs of strong star formation activity. Nevertheless, this process accounts only for a ~10per cent increase of the fraction of AGNs. As in previous works, we find AGN hosts to be redder and with a larger concentration morphological index than non-AGN galaxies. This effect does not depend on whether AGN hosts are in pairs or in isolation. The OIII luminosity of AGNs with strong interaction features is found to be significantly larger than that of other AGNs, either in pairs or in isolation. Estimations of the accretion rate, L[OIII]/MBH, show that AGNs in merging pairs are actively feeding their black holes, regardless of their stellar masses. We also find that the luminosity of the companion galaxy seems to be a key parameter in the determination of the black hole activity. At a given host luminosity, both the OIII luminosity and the L[ OIII]/MBH are significantly larger in AGNs with a bright companion (Mr < -20) than otherwise.

Continuum radiation from active galactic nuclei: A statistical study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Isobe, T.; Feigelson, E. D.; Singh, K. P.; Kembhavi, A.

1986-01-01

The physics of the continuum spectrum of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) was examined using a large data set and rigorous statistical methods. A data base was constructed for 469 objects which include radio selected quasars, optically selected quasars, X-ray selected AGNs, BL Lac objects, and optically unidentified compact radio sources. Each object has measurements of its radio, optical, X-ray core continuum luminosity, though many of them are upper limits. Since many radio sources have extended components, the core component were carefully selected out from the total radio luminosity. With survival analysis statistical methods, which can treat upper limits correctly, these data can yield better statistical results than those previously obtained. A variety of statistical tests are performed, such as the comparison of the luminosity functions in different subsamples, and linear regressions of luminosities in different bands. Interpretation of the results leads to the following tentative conclusions: the main emission mechanism of optically selected quasars and X-ray selected AGNs is thermal, while that of BL Lac objects is synchrotron; radio selected quasars may have two different emission mechanisms in the X-ray band; BL Lac objects appear to be special cases of the radio selected quasars; some compact radio sources show the possibility of synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) in the optical band; and the spectral index between the optical and the X-ray bands depends on the optical luminosity.

X-ray study of a sample of FR0 radio galaxies: unveiling the nature of the central engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torresi, E.; Grandi, P.; Capetti, A.; Baldi, R. D.; Giovannini, G.

2018-06-01

Fanaroff-Riley type 0 radio galaxies (FR0s) are compact radio sources that represent the bulk of the radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) population, but they are still poorly understood. Pilot studies on these sources have been already performed at radio and optical wavelengths: here we present the first X-ray study of a sample of 19 FR0 radio galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey/NRAO VLA Sky Survey/Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-cm sample of Best & Heckman, with redshift ≤0.15, radio size ≤10 kpc, and optically classified as low-excitation galaxies. The X-ray spectra are modelled with a power-law component absorbed by Galactic column density with, in some cases, a contribution from thermal extended gas. The X-ray photons are likely produced by the jet as attested by the observed correlation between X-ray (2-10 keV) and radio (5 GHz) luminosities, similar to Fanaroff-Riley type I radio galaxies (FRIs). The estimated Eddington-scaled luminosities indicate a low accretion rate. Overall, we find that the X-ray properties of FR0s are indistinguishable from those of FRIs, thus adding another similarity between AGN associated with compact and extended radio sources. A comparison between FR0s and low-luminosity BL Lacs rules out important beaming effects in the X-ray emission of the compact radio galaxies. FR0s have different X-ray properties with respect to young radio sources (e.g. gigahertz-peaked spectrum/compact steep spectrum sources), generally characterized by higher X-ray luminosities and more complex spectra. In conclusion, the paucity of extended radio emission in FR0s is probably related to the intrinsic properties of their jets that prevent the formation of extended structures, and/or to intermittent activity of their engines.

The gamma-ray pulsar population of globular clusters: implications for the GeV excess

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooper, Dan; Linden, Tim

2016-08-01

It has been suggested that the GeV excess, observed from the region surrounding the Galactic Center, might originate from a population of millisecond pulsars that formed in globular clusters. With this in mind, we employ the publicly available Fermi data to study the gamma-ray emission from 157 globular clusters, identifying a statistically significant signal from 25 of these sources (ten of which are not found in existing gamma-ray catalogs). We combine these observations with the predicted pulsar formation rate based on the stellar encounter rate of each globular cluster to constrain the gamma-ray luminosity function of millisecond pulsars in the Milky Way's globular cluster system. We find that this pulsar population exhibits a luminosity function that is quite similar to those millisecond pulsars observed in the field of the Milky Way (i.e. the thick disk). After pulsars are expelled from a globular cluster, however, they continue to lose rotational kinetic energy and become less luminous, causing their luminosity function to depart from the steady-state distribution. Using this luminosity function and a model for the globular cluster disruption rate, we show that millisecond pulsars born in globular clusters can account for only a few percent or less of the observed GeV excess. Among other challenges, scenarios in which the entire GeV excess is generated from such pulsars are in conflict with the observed mass of the Milky Way's Central Stellar Cluster.

The gamma-ray pulsar population of globular clusters: implications for the GeV excess

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hooper, Dan; Linden, Tim, E-mail: dhooper@fnal.gov, E-mail: linden.70@osu.edu

It has been suggested that the GeV excess, observed from the region surrounding the Galactic Center, might originate from a population of millisecond pulsars that formed in globular clusters. With this in mind, we employ the publicly available Fermi data to study the gamma-ray emission from 157 globular clusters, identifying a statistically significant signal from 25 of these sources (ten of which are not found in existing gamma-ray catalogs). We combine these observations with the predicted pulsar formation rate based on the stellar encounter rate of each globular cluster to constrain the gamma-ray luminosity function of millisecond pulsars in themore » Milky Way's globular cluster system. We find that this pulsar population exhibits a luminosity function that is quite similar to those millisecond pulsars observed in the field of the Milky Way (i.e. the thick disk). After pulsars are expelled from a globular cluster, however, they continue to lose rotational kinetic energy and become less luminous, causing their luminosity function to depart from the steady-state distribution. Using this luminosity function and a model for the globular cluster disruption rate, we show that millisecond pulsars born in globular clusters can account for only a few percent or less of the observed GeV excess. Among other challenges, scenarios in which the entire GeV excess is generated from such pulsars are in conflict with the observed mass of the Milky Way's Central Stellar Cluster.« less

The gamma-ray pulsar population of globular clusters: Implications for the GeV excess

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hooper, Dan; Linden, Tim

In this study, it has been suggested that the GeV excess, observed from the region surrounding the Galactic Center, might originate from a population of millisecond pulsars that formed in globular clusters. With this in mind, we employ the publicly available Fermi data to study the gamma-ray emission from 157 globular clusters, identifying a statistically significant signal from 25 of these sources (ten of which are not found in existing gamma-ray catalogs). We combine these observations with the predicted pulsar formation rate based on the stellar encounter rate of each globular cluster to constrain the gamma-ray luminosity function of millisecondmore » pulsars in the Milky Way's globular cluster system. We find that this pulsar population exhibits a luminosity function that is quite similar to those millisecond pulsars observed in the field of the Milky Way (i.e. the thick disk). After pulsars are expelled from a globular cluster, however, they continue to lose rotational kinetic energy and become less luminous, causing their luminosity function to depart from the steady-state distribution. Using this luminosity function and a model for the globular cluster disruption rate, we show that millisecond pulsars born in globular clusters can account for only a few percent or less of the observed GeV excess. Among other challenges, scenarios in which the entire GeV excess is generated from such pulsars are in conflict with the observed mass of the Milky Way's Central Stellar Cluster.« less

The gamma-ray pulsar population of globular clusters: Implications for the GeV excess

DOE PAGES

Hooper, Dan; Linden, Tim

2016-08-09

In this study, it has been suggested that the GeV excess, observed from the region surrounding the Galactic Center, might originate from a population of millisecond pulsars that formed in globular clusters. With this in mind, we employ the publicly available Fermi data to study the gamma-ray emission from 157 globular clusters, identifying a statistically significant signal from 25 of these sources (ten of which are not found in existing gamma-ray catalogs). We combine these observations with the predicted pulsar formation rate based on the stellar encounter rate of each globular cluster to constrain the gamma-ray luminosity function of millisecondmore » pulsars in the Milky Way's globular cluster system. We find that this pulsar population exhibits a luminosity function that is quite similar to those millisecond pulsars observed in the field of the Milky Way (i.e. the thick disk). After pulsars are expelled from a globular cluster, however, they continue to lose rotational kinetic energy and become less luminous, causing their luminosity function to depart from the steady-state distribution. Using this luminosity function and a model for the globular cluster disruption rate, we show that millisecond pulsars born in globular clusters can account for only a few percent or less of the observed GeV excess. Among other challenges, scenarios in which the entire GeV excess is generated from such pulsars are in conflict with the observed mass of the Milky Way's Central Stellar Cluster.« less

Theoretical constraints on the properties of low-mass neutron stars from the equation of state of nuclear matter in the inner crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Yong-Mei; Wen, De-Hua

2017-06-01

By employing four typical equation of states (EOSs) of nuclear matter in the inner crust, the properties of low-mass neutron stars are investigated theoretically. Based on the well-known fact that there is a big gap between the neutron stars and white dwarfs in the mass-radius sequence of compact stars, according to the mass-radius relations of the four adopted EOSs, we conclude that there is a rough forbidden region for the central density and stellar radius to form a compact star; that is, there is no compact star in nature having central density in the region from about 1012kgm-3 to 1017kgm-3 , and there is also no compact star having a radius in the region from about 400 km to 2000 km. Moreover, the properties of the low-mass neutron stars are also explored. It is shown that for a stable neutron star near the minimum mass point, the stellar size (with radius >200 km) is much larger than that of normal neutron stars, and there is a compact "core" concentrated at about 95% of the stellar mass in the inner core with a radius of about 13 km and density higher than the neutron-drip point (4.3 ×1014kgm-3) . This property totally differs from that of normal neutron stars and white dwarfs. Furthermore, the Keplerian period, the moment of inertia, and the surface gravitational redshift of the star near the minimum-mass point are also investigated.

MHD Stability in Compact Stellarators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Guoyong

1999-11-01

A key issue for current carrying compact stellarators(S.P. Hirshman et al., "Physics of compact stellarators", Phys. Plasmas 6, 1858 (1999).) is the stability of ideal MHD modes. We present recent stability results of external kink modes, ballooning mode, and vertical modes in Quasi-axisymmetric Stellarators (QAS)( A. Reiman et al, "Physics issue in the design of a high beta Quasi-Axisymmetric Stellarator" the 17th IAEA Fusion Energy conference, (Yokohama, Japan, October 1998), Paper ICP/06.) as well as Quasi-Omnigeneous Stellarators (QOS)^2. The 3D stability code Terpsichore(W. A. Cooper et al., Phys. Plasmas 3, 275 (1996)) is used in this study. The vertical stability in a current carrying stellarator is studied for the first time. The vertical mode is found to be stabilized by externally generated poloidal flux(G.Y. Fu et al., "Stability of vertical mode in a current carrying stellarator"., to be submitted). Physically, this is because the external poloidal flux enhances the field line bending energy relative to the current drive term in the MHD energy principle, δ W. A simple stability criteria is derived in the limit of large aspect ratio and constant current density. For wall at infinite distance from the plasma, the amount of external flux needed for stabilization is given by f=(κ^2-κ)/(κ^2+1) where κ is the axisymmetric elongation and f is the fraction of the external rotational transform at the plasma edge. A systematic parameter study shows that the external kink in QAS can be stabilized at high beta ( ~ 5%) without a conducting wall by combination of edge magnetic shear and 3D shaping(G. Y. Fu et al., "MHD stability calculations of high-beta Quasi-Axisymmetric Stellarators", the 17th IAEA Fusion Energy conference, (Yokohama, Japan, October 1998), paper THP1/07.). The optimal shaping is obtained by using an optimizer with kink stability included in its objective function. The physics mechanism for the kink modes is studied by examining relative contributions of individual terms in δ W. It is found the external kinks are mainly driven by the parallel current. The pressure contributes significantly to the overall drive through the curvature term and the Pfirsch-Schluter current. These results demonstrate potential of QAS and QOS for disruption-free operations at high-beta without a close-fitting conducting wall and feedback stabilization.

Dry minor mergers and size evolution of high-z compact massive early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oogi, Taira; Habe, Asao

2013-01-01

Recent observations show evidence that high-z (z ˜ 2-3) early-type galaxies (ETGs) are more compact than those with comparable mass at z ˜ 0. Such size evolution is most likely explained by the `dry merger sceanario'. However, previous studies based on this scenario cannot consistently explain the properties of both high-z compact massive ETGs and local ETGs. We investigate the effect of multiple sequential dry minor mergers on the size evolution of compact massive ETGs. From an analysis of the Millennium Simulation Data Base, we show that such minor (stellar mass ratio M2/M1 < 1/4) mergers are extremely common during hierarchical structure formation. We perform N-body simulations of sequential minor mergers with parabolic and head-on orbits, including a dark matter component and a stellar component. Typical mass ratios of these minor mergers are 1/20 < M2/M1 ≤q 1/10. We show that sequential minor mergers of compact satellite galaxies are the most efficient at promoting size growth and decreasing the velocity dispersion of compact massive ETGs in our simulations. The change of stellar size and density of the merger remnants is consistent with recent observations. Furthermore, we construct the merger histories of candidates for high-z compact massive ETGs using the Millennium Simulation Data Base and estimate the size growth of the galaxies through the dry minor merger scenario. We can reproduce the mean size growth factor between z = 2 and z = 0, assuming the most efficient size growth obtained during sequential minor mergers in our simulations. However, we note that our numerical result is only valid for merger histories with typical mass ratios between 1/20 and 1/10 with parabolic and head-on orbits and that our most efficient size-growth efficiency is likely an upper limit.

Gas expulsion vs gas retention in young stellar clusters II: effects of cooling and mass segregation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silich, Sergiy; Tenorio-Tagle, Guillermo

2018-05-01

Gas expulsion or gas retention is a central issue in most of the models for multiple stellar populations and light element anti-correlations in globular clusters. The success of the residual matter expulsion or its retention within young stellar clusters has also a fundamental importance in order to understand how star formation proceeds in present-day and ancient star-forming galaxies and if proto-globular clusters with multiple stellar populations are formed in the present epoch. It is usually suggested that either the residual gas is rapidly ejected from star-forming clouds by stellar winds and supernova explosions, or that the enrichment of the residual gas and the formation of the second stellar generation occur so rapidly, that the negative stellar feedback is not significant. Here we continue our study of the early development of star clusters in the extreme environments and discuss the restrictions that strong radiative cooling and stellar mass segregation provide on the gas expulsion from dense star-forming clouds. A large range of physical initial conditions in star-forming clouds which include the star-forming cloud mass, compactness, gas metallicity, star formation efficiency and effects of massive stars segregation are discussed. It is shown that in sufficiently massive and compact clusters hot shocked winds around individual massive stars may cool before merging with their neighbors. This dramatically reduces the negative stellar feedback, prevents the development of the global star cluster wind and expulsion of the residual and the processed matter into the ambient interstellar medium. The critical lines which separate the gas expulsion and the gas retention regimes are obtained.

Discovery of a Metal-Poor Little Cub

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-09-01

The discovery of an extremely metal-poor star-forming galaxy in our local universe, dubbed Little Cub, is providing astronomers with front-row seats to the quenching of a near-pristine galaxy.SDSS image of NGC 3359 (left) and Little Cub (right), with overlying contours displaying the location of hydrogen gas. Little Cubs (also shown in the inset) stellar mass lies in the blue contour of the right-hand side. The outer white contours show the extended gas of the galaxy, likely dragged out as a tidal tail by Little Cubs interaction with NGC 3359. [Hsyu et al. 2017]The Hunt for Metal-Poor GalaxiesLow-metallicity, star-forming galaxies can show us the conditions under which the first stars formed. The galaxies with the lowest metallicities, however, also tend to be those with the lowest luminosities making them difficult to detect. Though we know that there should be many low-mass, low-luminosity, low-metallicity galaxies in the universe, weve detected very few of them nearby.In an effort to track down more of these metal-poor galaxies, a team of scientists led by Tiffany Hsyu (University of California Santa Cruz) searched through Sloan Digital Sky Survey data, looking for small galaxies with the correct photometric color to qualify a candidate blue compact dwarfs, a type of small, low-luminosity, star-forming galaxy that is often low-metallicity.Hsyu and collaborators identified more than 2,500 candidate blue compact dwarfs, and next set about obtaining follow-up spectroscopy for many of the candidates from the Keck and Lick Observatories. Though this project is still underway, around 100 new blue compact dwarfs have already been identified via the spectroscopy, including one of particular interest: the Little Cub.Little CubThis tiny star-forming galaxy gained its nickname from its location in the constellation Ursa Major. Little Cub is perhaps 50 or 60 million light-years away, and Hsyu and collaborators find it to be one of the lowest-metallicity star-forming galaxies in our local universe. The galaxy contains 100,000 solar masses of stars and it is notably gas-rich with nearly 100 times the stellar mass in neutral gas.The environment of Little Cub is also interesting: it appears to be just a couple hundred thousand light-years away from the grand design spiral galaxy NGC 3359. The galaxies proximity and kinematics suggest that Little Cub may be a companion of NGC 3359, and Little Cubs morphology indicates that the larger galaxy may be tidally stripping gas from it.Emission-line spectra of Little Cub from Keck Observatory. [Hsyu et al. 2017]A First Passage?If Little Cub is indeed being tidally stripped by NGC 3359, then its surprising that the small galaxy still contains so much hot, star-forming gas; timescales for tidal stripping of this sort are thought to be very short. Hsyu and collaborators therefore speculate that we may have caught Little Cub in the early stages of its first passage around NGC 3359, allowing us to witness the quenching of a near-pristine satellite by a Milky-Way-like galaxy.This quenching process is thought to commonly happen around other massive host galaxies in the universe including around our own Milky Way, where nearly all satellite galaxies within roughly a million light-years are already quiescent and contain little neutral gas. Little Cub provides us with a rare opportunity to watch this process in action in our nearby universe, and it will be an intriguing laboratory for testing our understanding of dwarf satellite galaxy evolution.CitationTiffany Hsyu et al 2017 ApJL 845 L22. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa821f

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dudek, L.; Chrzanowski, J.; Heitzenroeder, P.

The National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) has been under construction at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) in partnership with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The stellarator core is designed to produce a compact 3D plasma that combines stellarator and tokamak physics advantages. The complex geometry and tight fabrication tolerances of NCSX create some unique engineering and assembly challenges. The NCSX project was cancelled in May 2008; construction activities are presently being phased out in an orderly fashion. This paper will describe the progress of the fabrication and assembly activities of NCSX. Completion of the coil fabrication is onmore » track for the summer of 2008. All three of the vacuum vessel 120 degrees sections have been delivered. Assembly of vacuum vessel services began in May 2006 and is now complete. Assembly of the modular coils into 3-packs for safe storage is presently underway. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Batchelor, D.B.; Carreras, B.A.; Hirshman, S.P.

Significant progress has been made in the development of new modest-size compact stellarator devices that could test optimization principles for the design of a more attractive reactor. These are 3 and 4 field period low-aspect-ratio quasi-omnigenous (QO) stellarators based on an optimization method that targets improved confinement, stability, ease of coil design, low-aspect-ratio, and low bootstrap current.

Stellar Wind Retention and Expulsion in Massive Star Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naiman, J. P.; Ramirez-Ruiz, E.; Lin, D. N. C.

2018-05-01

Mass and energy injection throughout the lifetime of a star cluster contributes to the gas reservoir available for subsequent episodes of star formation and the feedback energy budget responsible for ejecting material from the cluster. In addition, mass processed in stellar interiors and ejected as winds has the potential to augment the abundance ratios of currently forming stars, or stars which form at a later time from a retained gas reservoir. Here we present hydrodynamical simulations that explore a wide range of cluster masses, compactnesses, metallicities and stellar population age combinations in order to determine the range of parameter space conducive to stellar wind retention or wind powered gas expulsion in star clusters. We discuss the effects of the stellar wind prescription on retention and expulsion effectiveness, using MESA stellar evolutionary models as a test bed for exploring how the amounts of wind retention/expulsion depend upon the amount of mixing between the winds from stars of different masses and ages. We conclude by summarizing some implications for gas retention and expulsion in a variety of compact (σv ≳ 20 kms-1) star clusters including young massive star clusters (105 ≲ M/M⊙ ≲ 107, age ≲ 500 Myrs), intermediate age clusters (105 ≲ M/M⊙ ≲ 107, age ≈ 1 - 4 Gyrs), and globular clusters (105 ≲ M/M⊙ ≲ 107, age ≳ 10 Gyrs).

Mass loss in O-type stars - Parameters which affect it

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garmany, C. D.; Conti, P. S.

1984-01-01

Newly determined mass loss rates are presented for sixteen O-type stars in three open clusters. Combining the data with that already in the literature, no evidence is found that the rates are different in clusters with differing galactocentric distances and compositions, at least near the sun. There is still appreciable dispersion in the relationship between the mass loss rate and the stellar luminosity. It may be that the mass loss depends additionally on the stellar mass and/or radius, but these data cannot unequivocally indicate which physical dependence is correct. Evidence is found that a stellar wind increases as a massive star evolves from the zero-age main sequence.

More missing stellar opacity?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stothers, Richard B.; Chin, Chao-Wen

1994-01-01

Observational data for Population I stars have shown that blue loops on the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram form for stellar masses as low as approximately 4 solar mass. However, current state-of-the-art stellar models, unlike the older ones that were based on smaller opacities, fail to loop out of the red-giant region during core helium burning for masses less than 7 solar mass. A possible explanation is that the currently used Livermore opacities need to be further increased, by at least 70%, at temperatures characteristic of the base of the outer convection zone, around 1 x 10(exp 6) K. Indeed, no other suggested remedy seems to yield a blue loop at the lowest observed loop luminosities.

Revived STIS. II. Properties of Stars in the Next Generation Spectral Library

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heap, Sara R.; Lindler, D.

2010-01-01

Spectroscopic surveys of galaxies at high redshift will bring the rest-frame ultraviolet into view of large, ground-based telescopes. The UV-blue spectral region is rich in diagnostics, but these diagnostics have not yet been calibrated in terms of the properties of the responsible stellar population(s). Such calibrations are now possible with Hubble's Next Generation Spectral Library (NGSL). The NGSL contains UV-optical spectra (0.2 - 1.0 microns) of 374 stars having a wide range in temperature, luminosity, and metallicity. We will describe our work to derive basic stellar parameters from NGSL spectra using modern model spectra and to use these stellar parameters to develop UV-blue spectral diagnostics.

Reconciling solar and stellar magnetic cycles with nonlinear dynamo simulations.

PubMed

Strugarek, A; Beaudoin, P; Charbonneau, P; Brun, A S; do Nascimento, J-D

2017-07-14

The magnetic fields of solar-type stars are observed to cycle over decadal periods-11 years in the case of the Sun. The fields originate in the turbulent convective layers of stars and have a complex dependency upon stellar rotation rate. We have performed a set of turbulent global simulations that exhibit magnetic cycles varying systematically with stellar rotation and luminosity. We find that the magnetic cycle period is inversely proportional to the Rossby number, which quantifies the influence of rotation on turbulent convection. The trend relies on a fundamentally nonlinear dynamo process and is compatible with the Sun's cycle and those of other solar-type stars. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

On the nature of the symbiotic binary AX Persei

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikolajewska, Joanna; Kenyon, Scott J.

1992-01-01

Photometric and spectroscopic observations of the symbiotic binary AX Persei are presented. This system contains a red giant that fills its tidal lobe and transfers material into an accretion disk surrounding a low-mass main-sequence star. The stellar masses - 1 solar mass for the red giant and about 0.4 solar mass for the companion - suggest AX Per is poised to enter a common envelope phase of evolution. The disk luminosity increases from L(disk) about 100 solar luminosity in quiescence to L(disk) about 5700 solar luminosity in outburst for a distance of d = 2.5 kpc. Except for visual maximum, high ionization permitted emission lines - such as He II - imply an EUV luminosity comparable to the disk luminosity. High-energy photons emitted by a hot boundary layer between the disk and central star ionize a surrounding nebula to produce this permitted line emission. High ionization forbidden lines form in an extended, shock-excited region well out of the binary's orbital plane and may be associated with mass loss from the disk.

Star Formation Histories of Dwarf Irregular Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skillman, Evan

1995-07-01

We propose to obtain deep WFPC2 `BVI' color-magnitude diagrams {CMDs} for the dwarf irregular {dI} Local Group galaxies GR 8, Leo A, Pegasus, and Sextans A. In addition to resolved stars, we will use star clusters, and especially any globulars, to probe the history of intense star formation. These data will allow us to map the Pop I and Pop II stellar components, and thereby construct the first detailed star formation histories for non-interacting dI galaxies. Our results will bear on a variety of astrophysical problems, including the evolution of small galaxies, distances in the Local Group, age-metallicity distributions in small galaxies, ages of dIs, and the physics of star formation. The four target galaxies are typical dI systems in terms of luminosity, gas content, and H II region abundance, and represent a range in current star forming activity. They are sufficiently near to allow us to reach to stars at M_V = 0, have 0.1 of the luminosity of the SMC and 0.25 of its oxygen abundance. Unlike the SMC, these dIs are not near giant galaxies. This project will allow the extension of our knowledge of stellar populations in star forming galaxies from the spirals in the Local Group down to its smallest members. We plan to take maximum advantage of the unique data which this project will provide. Our investigator team brings extensive and varied experience in studies of dwarf galaxies, stellar populations, imaging photometry, and stellar evolution to this project.

Dust ring formation due to sublimation of dust grains drifting radially inward by the Poynting-Robertson drag: An analytical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Sei-ichiro; Kimura, Hiroshi; Yamamoto, Tetsuo

2009-05-01

Dust particles exposed to the stellar radiation and wind drift radially inward by the Poynting-Robertson (P-R) drag and pile up at the zone where they begin to sublime substantially. The reason they pile up or form a ring is that their inward drifts due to the P-R drag are suppressed by stellar radiation pressure when the ratio of radiation pressure to stellar gravity on them increases during their sublimation phases. We present analytic solutions to the orbital and mass evolution of such subliming dust particles, and find their drift velocities at the pileup zone are almost independent of their initial semimajor axes and masses. We derive analytically an enhancement factor of the number density of the particles at the outer edge of the sublimation zone from the solutions. We show that the formula of the enhancement factor reproduces well numerical simulations in the previous studies. The enhancement factor for spherical dust particles of silicate and carbon extends from 3 to more than 20 at stellar luminosities L=0.8-500L, where L is solar luminosity. Although the enhancement factor for fluffy dust particles is smaller than that for spherical particles, sublimating particles inevitably form a dust ring as long as their masses decrease faster than their surface areas during sublimation. The formulation is applicable to dust ring formation for arbitrary shape and material of dust in dust-debris disks as well as in the Solar System.

A TRANSIENT SUB-EDDINGTON BLACK HOLE X-RAY BINARY CANDIDATE IN THE DUST LANES OF CENTAURUS A

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burke, Mark J.; Raychaudhury, Somak; Kraft, Ralph P.

2012-04-20

We report the discovery of a bright X-ray transient CXOU J132527.6-430023 in the nearby early-type galaxy NGC 5128. The source was first detected over the course of five Chandra observations in 2007, reaching an unabsorbed outburst luminosity of (1-2) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 38} erg s{sup -1} in the 0.5-7.0 keV band before returning to quiescence. Such luminosities are possible for both stellar-mass black hole and neutron star (NS) X-ray binary transients. Here, we attempt to characterize the nature of the compact object. No counterpart has been detected in the optical or radio sky, but the proximity of the source to themore » dust lanes allows for the possibility of an obscured companion. The brightness of the source after a >100-fold increase in X-ray flux makes it either the first confirmed transient non-ultraluminous X-ray black hole system in outburst to be subject to detailed spectral modeling outside the Local Group, or a bright (>10{sup 38} erg s{sup -1}) transient NS X-ray binary, which are very rare. Such a large increase in flux would appear to lend weight to the view that this is a black hole transient. X-ray spectral fitting of an absorbed power law yielded unphysical photon indices, while the parameters of the best-fit absorbed disk blackbody model are typical of an accreting {approx}10 M{sub Sun} black hole in the thermally dominant state.« less

A distance-limited sample of massive molecular outflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maud, L. T.; Moore, T. J. T.; Lumsden, S. L.; Mottram, J. C.; Urquhart, J. S.; Hoare, M. G.

2015-10-01

We have observed 99 mid-infrared-bright, massive young stellar objects and compact H II regions drawn from the Red MSX source survey in the J = 3-2 transition of 12CO and 13CO, using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. 89 targets are within 6 kpc of the Sun, covering a representative range of luminosities and core masses. These constitute a relatively unbiased sample of bipolar molecular outflows associated with massive star formation. Of these, 59, 17 and 13 sources (66, 19 and 15 per cent) are found to have outflows, show some evidence of outflow, and have no evidence of outflow, respectively. The time-dependent parameters of the high-velocity molecular flows are calculated using a spatially variable dynamic time-scale. The canonical correlations between the outflow parameters and source luminosity are recovered and shown to scale with those of low-mass sources. For coeval star formation, we find the scaling is consistent with all the protostars in an embedded cluster providing the outflow force, with massive stars up to ˜30 M⊙ generating outflows. Taken at face value, the results support the model of a scaled-up version of the accretion-related outflow-generation mechanism associated with discs and jets in low-mass objects with time-averaged accretion rates of ˜10-3 M⊙ yr-1 on to the cores. However, we also suggest an alternative model, in which the molecular outflow dynamics are dominated by the entrained mass and are unrelated to the details of the acceleration mechanism. We find no evidence that outflows contribute significantly to the turbulent kinetic energy of the surrounding dense cores.

On the radiation beaming of bright X-ray pulsars and constraints on neutron star mass-radius relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mushtukov, Alexander A.; Verhagen, Patrick A.; Tsygankov, Sergey S.; van der Klis, Michiel; Lutovinov, Alexander A.; Larchenkova, Tatiana I.

2018-03-01

The luminosity of accreting magnetized neutron stars can largely exceed the Eddington value due to appearance of accretion columns. The height of the columns can be comparable to the neutron star radius. The columns produce the X-rays detected by the observer directly and illuminate the stellar surface, which reprocesses the X-rays and causes additional component of the observed flux. The geometry of the column and the illuminated part of the surface determine the radiation beaming. Curved space-time affects the angular flux distribution. We construct a simple model of the beam patterns formed by direct and reflected flux from the column. We take into account the possibility of appearance of accretion columns, whose height is comparable to the neutron star radius. We argue that depending on the compactness of the star, the flux from the column can be either strongly amplified due to gravitational lensing, or significantly reduced due to column eclipse by the star. The eclipses of high accretion columns result in specific features in pulse profiles. Their detection can put constraints on the neutron star radius. We speculate that column eclipses are observed in X-ray pulsar V 0332+53, leading us to the conclusion of large neutron star radius in this system (˜15 km if M ˜ 1.4 M⊙). We point out that the beam pattern can be strongly affected by scattering in the accretion channel at high luminosity, which has to be taken into account in the models reproducing the pulse profiles.

Herschel observations of the Galactic H II region RCW 79

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hong-Li; Figueira, Miguel; Zavagno, Annie; Hill, Tracey; Schneider, Nicola; Men'shchikov, Alexander; Russeil, Delphine; Motte, Frédérique; Tigé, Jérémy; Deharveng, Lise; Anderson, Loren D.; Li, Jin-Zeng; Wu, Yuefang; Yuan, Jing-Hua; Huang, Maohai

2017-06-01

Context. Triggered star formation around H II regions could be an important process. The Galactic H II region RCW 79 is a prototypical object for triggered high-mass star formation. Aims: We aim to obtain a census of the young stellar population observed at the edges of the H II region and to determine the properties of the young sources in order to characterize the star formation processes that take place at the edges of this ionized region. Methods: We take advantage of Herschel data from the surveys HOBYS, "Evolution of Interstellar Dust", and Hi-Gal to extract compact sources. We use the algorithm getsources. We complement the Herschel data with archival 2MASS, Spitzer, and WISE data to determine the physical parameters of the sources (e.g., envelope mass, dust temperature, and luminosity) by fitting the spectral energy distribution. Results: We created the dust temperature and column density maps along with the column density probability distribution function (PDF) for the entire RCW 79 region. We obtained a sample of 50 compact sources in this region, 96% of which are situated in the ionization-compressed layer of cold and dense gas that is characterized by the column density PDF with a double-peaked lognormal distribution. The 50 sources have sizes of 0.1-0.4 pc with a typical value of 0.2 pc, temperatures of 11-26 K, envelope masses of 6-760 M⊙, densities of 0.1-44 × 105 cm-3, and luminosities of 19-12 712 L⊙. The sources are classified into 16 class 0, 19 intermediate, and 15 class I objects. Their distribution follows the evolutionary tracks in the diagram of bolometric luminosity versus envelope mass (Lbol-Menv) well. A mass threshold of 140 M⊙, determined from the Lbol-Menv diagram, yields 12 candidate massive dense cores that may form high-mass stars. The core formation efficiency (CFE) for the 8 massive condensations shows an increasing trend of the CFE with density. This suggests that the denser the condensation, the higher the fraction of its mass transformation into dense cores, as previously observed in other high-mass star-forming regions. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.Final reduced data and maps used in the paper (FITS format) are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/602/A95

A Magnified View of the Kinematics and Morphology of RCSGA 032727-132609: Zooming in on a Merger at z = 1.7

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wuyts, Eva; Rigby, Jane R.; Gladders, Michael D.; Sharon, Keren

2014-01-01

We present a detailed analysis of multi-wavelength Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) imaging and Keck/OSIRIS near-infrared adaptive optics-assisted integral field spectroscopy for a highly magnified lensed galaxy at z = 1.70. This young starburst is representative of ultraviolet-selected star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at z approx. 2 and contains multiple individual star-forming regions. Due to the lensing magnification, we can resolve spatial scales down to 100 pc in the source plane of the galaxy. The velocity field shows disturbed kinematics suggestive of an ongoing interaction and there is a clear signature of a tidal tail. We constrain the age, reddening, star formation rate, and stellar mass of the star-forming clumps from spectral energy distribution (SED) modeling of the WFC3 photometry and measure their H(alpha) luminosity, metallicity, and outflow properties from the OSIRIS data.With strong star-formation-driven outflows in four clumps, RCSGA0327 is the first high-redshift SFG at stellar mass <10(exp 10) Stellar Mass with spatially resolved stellar winds. We compare the H(alpha) luminosities, sizes, and dispersions of the star-forming regions with other high-z clumps as well as local giant H(II) regions and find no evidence for increased clump star formation surface densities in interacting systems, unlike in the local universe. Spatially resolved SED modeling unveils an established stellar population at the location of the largest clump and a second mass concentration near the edge of the system that is not detected in H(alpha) emission. This suggests a picture of an equal-mass mixed major merger, which has not triggered a new burst of star formation or caused a tidal tail in the gas-poor component.

Stellar Masses and Star Formation Rates of Lensed, Dusty, Star-forming Galaxies from the SPT Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Jingzhe; Gonzalez, Anthony. H.; Spilker, J. S.; Strandet, M.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Aravena, M.; Béthermin, M.; Bothwell, M. S.; de Breuck, C.; Brodwin, M.; Chapman, S. C.; Fassnacht, C. D.; Greve, T. R.; Gullberg, B.; Hezaveh, Y.; Malkan, M.; Marrone, D. P.; Saliwanchik, B. R.; Vieira, J. D.; Weiss, A.; Welikala, N.

2015-10-01

To understand cosmic mass assembly in the universe at early epochs, we primarily rely on measurements of the stellar masses and star formation rates (SFRs) of distant galaxies. In this paper, we present stellar masses and SFRs of six high-redshift (2.8 ≤ z ≤ 5.7) dusty, star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) that are strongly gravitationally lensed by foreground galaxies. These sources were first discovered by the South Pole Telescope (SPT) at millimeter wavelengths and all have spectroscopic redshifts and robust lens models derived from Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations. We have conducted follow-up observations to obtain multi-wavelength imaging data using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), Spitzer, Herschel, and the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment. We use the high-resolution HST/Wide Field Camera 3 images to disentangle the background source from the foreground lens in Spitzer/IRAC data. The detections and upper limits provide important constraints on the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for these DSFGs, yielding stellar masses, IR luminosities, and SFRs. The SED fits of six SPT sources show that the intrinsic stellar masses span a range more than one order of magnitude with a median value ˜5 ×1010 M⊙. The intrinsic IR luminosities range from 4 × 1012 L⊙ to 4 × 1013 L⊙. They all have prodigious intrinsic SFRs of 510-4800 M⊙ yr-1. Compared to the star-forming main sequence (MS), these six DSFGs have specific SFRs that all lie above the MS, including two galaxies that are a factor of 10 higher than the MS. Our results suggest that we are witnessing ongoing strong starburst events that may be driven by major mergers.

Super-Eddington stellar winds driven by near-surface energy deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quataert, Eliot; Fernández, Rodrigo; Kasen, Daniel; Klion, Hannah; Paxton, Bill

2016-05-01

We develop analytic and numerical models of the properties of super-Eddington stellar winds, motivated by phases in stellar evolution when super-Eddington energy deposition (via, e.g. unstable fusion, wave heating, or a binary companion) heats a region near the stellar surface. This appears to occur in the giant eruptions of luminous blue variables (LBVs), Type IIn supernovae progenitors, classical novae, and X-ray bursts. We show that when the wind kinetic power exceeds Eddington, the photons are trapped and behave like a fluid. Convection does not play a significant role in the wind energy transport. The wind properties depend on the ratio of a characteristic speed in the problem v_crit˜ (dot{E} G)^{1/5} (where dot{E} is the heating rate) to the stellar escape speed near the heating region vesc(rh). For vcrit ≳ vesc(rh), the wind kinetic power at large radii dot{E}_w ˜ dot{E}. For vcrit ≲ vesc(rh), most of the energy is used to unbind the wind material and thus dot{E}_w ≲ dot{E}. Multidimensional hydrodynamic simulations without radiation diffusion using FLASH and one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations with radiation diffusion using MESA are in good agreement with the analytic predictions. The photon luminosity from the wind is itself super-Eddington but in many cases the photon luminosity is likely dominated by `internal shocks' in the wind. We discuss the application of our models to eruptive mass-loss from massive stars and argue that the wind models described here can account for the broad properties of LBV outflows and the enhanced mass-loss in the years prior to Type IIn core-collapse supernovae.

Compact stars in the braneworld: A new branch of stellar configurations with arbitrarily large mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lugones, Germán; Arbañil, José D. V.

2017-03-01

We study the properties of compact stars in the Randall-Sundrum type-II braneworld (BW) model. To this end, we solve the braneworld generalization of the stellar structure equations for a static fluid distribution with spherical symmetry considering that the spacetime outside the star is described by a Schwarzschild metric. First, the stellar structure equations are integrated employing the so-called causal limit equation of state (EOS), which is constructed using a well-established EOS at densities below a fiducial density, and the causal EOS P =ρ above it. It is a standard procedure in general relativistic stellar structure calculations to use such EOSs for obtaining a limit in the mass radius diagram, known as the causal limit, above which no stellar configurations are possible if the EOS fulfills the condition that the sound velocity is smaller than the speed of light. We find that the equilibrium solutions in the braneworld model can violate the general relativistic causal limit, and for sufficiently large mass they approach asymptotically to the Schwarzschild limit M =2 R . Then, we investigate the properties of hadronic and strange quark stars using two typical EOSs: a nonlinear relativistic mean-field model for hadronic matter and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) bag model for quark matter. For masses below ˜1.5 M⊙- 2 M⊙ , the mass versus radius curves show the typical behavior found within the frame of general relativity. However, we also find a new branch of stellar configurations that can violate the general relativistic causal limit and that, in principle, may have an arbitrarily large mass. The stars belonging to this new branch are supported against collapse by the nonlocal effects of the bulk on the brane. We also show that these stars are always stable under small radial perturbations. These results support the idea that traces of extra dimensions might be found in astrophysics, specifically through the analysis of masses and radii of compact objects.

The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey. XI. A census of the hot luminous stars and their feedback in 30 Doradus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doran, E. I.; Crowther, P. A.; de Koter, A.; Evans, C. J.; McEvoy, C.; Walborn, N. R.; Bastian, N.; Bestenlehner, J. M.; Gräfener, G.; Herrero, A.; Köhler, K.; Maíz Apellániz, J.; Najarro, F.; Puls, J.; Sana, H.; Schneider, F. R. N.; Taylor, W. D.; van Loon, J. Th.; Vink, J. S.

2013-10-01

Context. The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey has an extensive view of the copious number of massive stars in the 30 Doradus (30 Dor) star forming region of the Large Magellanic Cloud. These stars play a crucial role in our understanding of the stellar feedback in more distant, unresolved star forming regions. Aims: The first comprehensive census of hot luminous stars in 30 Dor is compiled within a 10 arcmin (150 pc) radius of its central cluster, R136. We investigate the stellar content and spectroscopic completeness of the early type stars. Estimates were made for both the integrated ionising luminosity and stellar wind luminosity. These values were used to re-assess the star formation rate (SFR) of the region and determine the ionising photon escape fraction. Methods: Stars were selected photometrically and combined with the latest spectral classifications. Spectral types were estimated for stars lacking spectroscopy and corrections were made for binary systems, where possible. Stellar calibrations were applied to obtain their physical parameters and wind properties. Their integrated properties were then compared to global observations from ultraviolet (UV) to far-infrared (FIR) imaging as well as the population synthesis code, Starburst99. Results: Our census identified 1145 candidate hot luminous stars within 150 pc of R136 of which >700 were considered to be genuine early type stars and contribute to feedback. We assess the survey to be spectroscopically complete to 85% in the outer regions (>5 pc) but only 35% complete in the region of the R136 cluster, giving a total of 500 hot luminous stars in the census which had spectroscopy. Only 31 were found to be Wolf-Rayet (W-R) or Of/WN stars, but their contribution to the integrated ionising luminosity and wind luminosity was ~40% and ~50%, respectively. Similarly, stars with Minit > 100 M⊙ (mostly H-rich WN stars) also showed high contributions to the global feedback, ~25% in both cases. Such massive stars are not accounted for by the current Starburst99 code, which was found to underestimate the integrated ionising luminosity of R136 by a factor ~2 and the wind luminosity by a factor ~9. The census inferred a SFR for 30 Dor of 0.073 ± 0.04 M⊙ yr-1. This was generally higher than that obtained from some popular SFR calibrations but still showed good consistency with the far-UV luminosity tracer as well as the combined Hα and mid-infrared tracer, but only after correcting for Hα extinction. The global ionising output was also found to exceed that measured from the associated gas and dust, suggesting that ~6+55-6 % of the ionising photons escape the region. Conclusions: When studying the most luminous star forming regions, it is essential to include their most massive stars if one is to determine a reliable energy budget. Photon leakage becomes more likely after including their large contributions to the ionising output. If 30 Dor is typical of other massive star forming regions, estimates of the SFR will be underpredicted if this escape fraction is not accounted for. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory under programme ID 182.D-0222.Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgFull Tables D1 and D2 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/558/A134

X-shooter spectroscopy of young stellar objects in Lupus. Accretion properties of class II and transitional objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alcalá, J. M.; Manara, C. F.; Natta, A.; Frasca, A.; Testi, L.; Nisini, B.; Stelzer, B.; Williams, J. P.; Antoniucci, S.; Biazzo, K.; Covino, E.; Esposito, M.; Getman, F.; Rigliaco, E.

2017-04-01

The mass accretion rate, Ṁacc, is a key quantity for the understanding of the physical processes governing the evolution of accretion discs around young low-mass (M⋆ ≲ 2.0 M⊙) stars and substellar objects (YSOs). We present here the results of a study of the stellar and accretion properties of the (almost) complete sample of class II and transitional YSOs in the Lupus I, II, III and IV clouds, based on spectroscopic data acquired with the VLT/X-shooter spectrograph. Our study combines the dataset from our previous work with new observations of 55 additional objects. We have investigated 92 YSO candidates in total, 11 of which have been definitely identified with giant stars unrelated to Lupus. The stellar and accretion properties of the 81 bona fide YSOs, which represent more than 90% of the whole class II and transition disc YSO population in the aforementioned Lupus clouds, have been homogeneously and self-consistently derived, allowing for an unbiased study of accretion and its relationship with stellar parameters. The accretion luminosity, Lacc, increases with the stellar luminosity, L⋆, with an overall slope of 1.6, similar but with a smaller scatter than in previous studies. There is a significant lack of strong accretors below L⋆ ≈ 0.1 L⊙, where Lacc is always lower than 0.01 L⋆. We argue that the Lacc - L⋆ slope is not due to observational biases, but is a true property of the Lupus YSOs. The log Ṁacc - log M⋆ correlation shows a statistically significant evidence of a break, with a steeper relation for M⋆ ≲ 0.2 M⊙ and a flatter slope for higher masses. The bimodality of the Ṁacc - M⋆ relation is confirmed with four different evolutionary models used to derive the stellar mass. The bimodal behaviour of the observed relationship supports the importance of modelling self-gravity in the early evolution of the more massive discs, but other processes, such as photo-evaporation and planet formation during the YSO's lifetime, may also lead to disc dispersal on different timescales depending on the stellar mass. The sample studied here more than doubles the number of YSOs with homogeneously and simultaneously determined Lacc and luminosity, Lline, of many permitted emission lines. Hence, we also refined the empirical relationships between Lacc and Lline on a more solid statistical basis. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory at Paranal, under programs 084.C-0269(A), 085.C-0238(A), 086.C-0173(A), 087.C-0244(A), 089.C-0143(A), 095.C-0134(A), 097.C-0349(A), and archive data of programmes 085.C-0764(A) and 093.C-0506(A).

Early Science with the Large Millimeter Telescope: CO and [C II] Emission in the z = 4.3 AzTEC J095942.9+022938 (COSMOS AzTEC-1)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, Min S.; Aretxaga, I.; Gurwell, M. A.; Hughes, D. H.; Montaña, A.; Narayanan, G.; Rosa-González, D.; Sánchez-Argüelles, D.; Schloerb, F. P.; Snell, R. L.; Vega, O.; Wilson, G. W.; Zeballos, M.; Chavez, M.; Cybulski, R.; Díaz-Santos, T.; De La Luz, V.; Erickson, N.; Ferrusca, D.; Gim, H. B.; Heyer, M. H.; Iono, D.; Pope, A.; Rogstad, S. M.; Scott, K. S.; Souccar, K.; Terlevich, E.; Terlevich, R.; Wilner, D.; Zavala, J. A.

2015-12-01

Measuring redshifted CO line emission is an unambiguous method for obtaining an accurate redshift and total cold gas content of optically faint, dusty starburst systems. Here, we report the first successful spectroscopic redshift determination of AzTEC J095942.9+022938 (`COSMOS AzTEC-1'), the brightest 1.1 mm continuum source found in the AzTEC/James Clerk Maxwell Telescope survey (Scott et al.), through a clear detection of the redshifted CO (4-3) and CO (5-4) lines using the Redshift Search Receiver on the Large Millimeter Telescope. The CO redshift of z = 4.3420 ± 0.0004 is confirmed by the detection of the redshifted 158 μm [C II] line using the Submillimeter Array. The new redshift and Herschel photometry yield LFIR = (1.1 ± 0.1) × 1013 L⊙ and SFR ≈ 1300 M⊙ yr-1. Its molecular gas mass derived using the ultraluminous infrared galaxy conversion factor is 1.4 ± 0.2 × 1011M⊙ while the total interstellar medium mass derived from the 1.1 mm dust continuum is 3.7 ± 0.7 × 1011M⊙ assuming Td = 35 K. Our dynamical mass analysis suggests that the compact gas disc (r ≈ 1.1 kpc, inferred from dust continuum and spectral energy distribution analysis) has to be nearly face-on, providing a natural explanation for the uncommonly bright, compact stellar light seen by the HST. The [C II] line luminosity L_[C II]= 7.8± 1.1 × 10^9 L_{⊙} is remarkably high, but it is only 0.04 per cent of the total IR luminosity. AzTEC COSMOS-1 and other high redshift sources with a spatially resolved size extend the tight trend seen between [C II]/FIR ratio and ΣFIR among IR-bright galaxies reported by Díaz-Santos et al. by more than an order of magnitude, supporting the explanation that the higher intensity of the IR radiation field is responsible for the `[C II] deficiency' seen among luminous starburst galaxies.

The Stellar Populations of Ultra-Compact Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karick, Arna; Gregg, M. D.

2006-12-01

We have discovered an intracluster population of ultra-luminous compact stellar systems in the Fornax cluster. Originally coined "ultra-compact dwarf galaxies" (UCDs), these objects were thought to be remnant nuclei of tidally stripped dE,Ns. Subsequent searches in Fornax (2dF+VLT) have revealed many fainter UCDs; making them the most numerous galaxy type in the cluster and fueling controversy over their origin. UCDs may be the bright tail of the globular cluster (GCs) population associated with NGC1399. Alternatively they may be real intracluster GCs, resulting from hierarchical cluster formation and merging in intracluster space. Determining the stellar populations of these enigmatic objects is challenging. UCDs are unresolved from the ground but our HST/STIS+ACS imaging reveals faint halos around the brightest UCDs. Here we present deep u'g'r'i'z' images of the cluster core using the CTIO 4m Mosaic. Combined with GALEX/UV imaging and using SSP isochrones, UCDs appear to be old, red and unlike cluster dEs. In contrast, our recent IMACS and Keck/LRIS+ESI spectroscopy shows that UCDs are unlike GCs and have intermediate stellar populations with significant variations in their Mg and Hβ line strength indices. This work is supported by National Science Foundation Grant No. 0407445 and was done at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48.

A linear and nonlinear study of Mira

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox, A. N.; Ostlie, D. A.

1993-12-01

Both linear and nonlinear calculations of the 331 day, long period variable star Mira have been undertaken to see what radial pulsation mode is naturally selected. Models are similar to those considered in the linear nonadiabatic stellar pulsation study of Ostlie and Cox (1986). Models are considered with masses near one solar mass, luminosities between 4000 and 5000 solar luminosities, and effective temperatures of approximately 3000 K. These models have fundamental mode periods that closely match the pulsation period of Mira. The equation of state for the stellar material is given by the Stellingwerf (1975ab) procedure, and the opacity is obtained from a fit by Cahn that matches the low temperature molecular absorption data for the poplulation I Ross-Aller 1 mixture calculated from the Los Alamos Astrophysical Opacity Library. For the linear study, the Cox, Brownlee, and Eilers (1966) approximation is used for the linear theory variation of the convection luminosity. For the nonlinear work, the method described by Ostlie (1990) and Cox (1990) is followed. Results showing internal details of the radial fundamental and first overtone modes behavior in linear theory are presented. Preliminary radial fundamental mode nonlinear calculations are discussed. The very tentative conclusion is that neither the fundamental or first overtone mode is excluded from being the actual observed one.

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): A “No Smoking” Zone for Giant Elliptical Galaxies?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khosroshahi, Habib G.; Raouf, Mojtaba; Miraghaei, Halime

We study the radio emission of the most massive galaxies in a sample of dynamically relaxed and unrelaxed galaxy groups from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly survey. The dynamical state of the group is defined by the stellar dominance of the brightest group galaxy (BGG), e.g., the luminosity gap between the two most luminous members, and the offset between the position of the BGG and the luminosity centroid of the group. We find that the radio luminosity of the largest galaxy in the group strongly depends on its environment, such that the BGGs in dynamically young (evolving) groups are anmore » order of magnitude more luminous in the radio than those with a similar stellar mass but residing in dynamically old (relaxed) groups. This observation has been successfully reproduced by a newly developed semi-analytic model that allows us to explore the various causes of these findings. We find that the fraction of radio-loud BGGs in the observed dynamically young groups is ∼2 times that of the dynamically old groups. We discuss the implications of this observational constraint on the central galaxy properties in the context of galaxy mergers and the super massive black hole accretion rate.« less

Unbound Young Stellar Systems: Star Formation on the Loose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gouliermis, Dimitrios A.

2018-07-01

Unbound young stellar systems, the loose ensembles of physically related young bright stars, trace the typical regions of recent star formation in galaxies. Their morphologies vary from small few pc-size associations of newly formed stars to enormous few kpc-size complexes composed of stars few 100 Myr old. These stellar conglomerations are located within the disks and along the spiral arms and rings of star-forming disk galaxies, and they are the active star-forming centers of dwarf and starburst galaxies. Being associated with star-forming regions of various sizes, these stellar structures trace the regions where stars form at various length- and timescales, from compact clusters to whole galactic disks. Stellar associations, the prototypical unbound young systems, and their larger counterparts, stellar aggregates, and stellar complexes, have been the focus of several studies for quite a few decades, with special interest on their demographics, classification, and structural morphology. The compiled surveys of these loose young stellar systems demonstrate that the clear distinction of these systems into well-defined classes is not as straightforward as for stellar clusters, due to their low densities, asymmetric shapes and variety in structural parameters. These surveys also illustrate that unbound stellar structures follow a clear hierarchical pattern in the clustering of their stars across various scales. Stellar associations are characterized by significant sub-structure with bound stellar clusters being their most compact parts, while associations themselves are the brighter denser parts of larger stellar aggregates and stellar complexes, which are members of larger super-structures up to the scale of a whole star-forming galaxy. This structural pattern, which is usually characterized as self-similar or fractal, appears to be identical to that of star-forming giant molecular clouds and interstellar gas, driven mainly by turbulence cascade. In this short review, I make a concise compilation of our understanding of unbound young stellar systems across various environments in the local universe, as it is developed during the last 60 years. I present a factual assessment of the clustering behavior of star formation, as revealed from the assembling pattern of stars across loose stellar structures and its relation to the interstellar medium and the environmental conditions. I also provide a consistent account of the processes that possibly play important role in the formation of unbound stellar systems, compiled from both theoretical and observational investigations on the field.

HST images of very compact blue galaxies at z approximately 0.2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koo, David C.; Bershady, Matthew A.; Wirth, Gregory D.; Stanford, S. Adam; Majewski, Steven R.

1994-01-01

We present the results of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide-Field Camera (WFC) imaging of seven very compact, very blue galaxies with B less than or equal to 21 and redshifts z approximately 0.1 to 0.35. Based on deconvolved images, we estimate typical half-light diameters of approximately 0.65 sec, corresponding to approximately 1.4 h(exp -1) kpc at redshifts z approximately 0.2. The average rest frame surface brightness within this diameter is mu(sub v) approximately 20.5 mag arcsec(exp -2), approximately 1 mag brighter than that of typical late-type blue galaxies. Ground-based spectra show strong, narrow emission lines indicating high ionization; their very blue colors suggest recent bursts of star-formation; their typical luminosities are approximately 4 times fainter than that of field galaxies. These characteristics suggest H II galaxies as likely local counterparts of our sample, though our most luminous targets appear to be unusually compact for their luminosities.

Radio Sources Associated with Intermediate X-ray Luminosity Objects in Merging Galaxy Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neff, S. G.; Ulvestad, J. S.; Oegerle, William R. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

We present new, high-resolution 6, 3.6, and 2 cm radio images of a time-ordered sequence of merging galaxy systems. The new data have a resolution of less than 100pc and a sensitivity comparable to a few x Cas A. We detect compact radio sources in all systems, generally embedded in more diffuse radio emission at the longer wavelengths. Several of the compact radio sources are coincident with compact Intermediate-luminosity X-ray Objects (IXOs) in these systems, and many more are within the 3$/sigma$ Chandra position errors for other IXOs. The fraction of radio identifications and the nature of the radio sources changes as a function of merger stage. These data suggest that the IXOs are associated with complexes of supernova remnants, and therefore with star formation that has occurred within the last $/sim$10$circumflex7$ yr, but are not located in HII regions where copious star formation is occurring currently.

The Cool White Dwarf Luminosity Function and the Age of the Galactic Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leggett, S. K.; Ruiz, Maria Teresa; Bergeron, P.

1998-04-01

We present new optical and infrared data for the cool white dwarfs in the proper motion sample of Liebert, Dahn, & Monet. Stellar properties--surface chemical composition, effective temperature, radius, surface gravity, mass, and luminosity--are determined from these data by using the model atmospheres of Bergeron, Saumon, & Wesemael. The space density contribution is calculated for each star and the luminosity function (LF) for cool white dwarfs is determined. Comparing the LF to the most recent cooling sequences by Wood implies that the age of the local region of the Galactic disk is 8 +/- 1.5 Gyr. This result is consistent with the younger ages now being derived for the globular clusters and the universe itself.

RR Lyrae period luminosity relations with Spitzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neeley, Jillian R.; Marengo, Massimo; CRRP Team

2017-01-01

RR Lyrae variable stars have long been known to be valuable distance indicators, but only recently has a well defined period luminosity relationship been utilized at infrared wavelengths. In my thesis, I am combining Spitzer Space Telescope data of RR Lyrae stars obtained as part of the Carnegie RR Lyrae Program with ground based NIR data to characterize the period-luminosity-metallicity (PLZ) relation and provide an independent Population II calibration of the cosmic distance scale. I will discuss the ongoing efforts to calibrate this relation using objects such as M4 and NGC 6441 and how the first data release from the Gaia mission impacts our findings. I will also compare my preliminary empirical relations to theoretical PLZ relations derived from stellar pulsation models.

Very Luminous X-ray Point Sources in Starburst Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, E.; Heckman, T.; Ptak, A.; Weaver, K. A.; Strickland, D.

Extranuclear X-ray point sources in external galaxies with luminosities above 1039.0 erg/s are quite common in elliptical, disk and dwarf galaxies, with an average of ~ 0.5 and dwarf galaxies, with an average of ~0.5 sources per galaxy. These objects may be a new class of object, perhaps accreting intermediate-mass black holes, or beamed stellar mass black hole binaries. Starburst galaxies tend to have a larger number of these intermediate-luminosity X-ray objects (IXOs), as well as a large number of lower-luminosity (1037 - 1039 erg/s) point sources. These point sources dominate the total hard X-ray emission in starburst galaxies. We present a review of both types of objects and discuss possible schemes for their formation.

Mass functions for globular cluster main sequences based on CCD photometry and stellar models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McClure, Robert D.; Vandenberg, Don A.; Smith, Graeme H.; Fahlman, Gregory G.; Richer, Harvey B.; Hesser, James E.; Harris, William E.; Stetson, Peter B.; Bell, R. A.

1986-08-01

Main-sequence luminosity functions constructed from CCD observations of globular clusters reveal a strong trend in slope with metal abundance. Theoretical luminosity functions constructed from VandenBerg and Bell's (1985) isochrones have been fitted to the observations and reveal a trend between x, the power-law index of the mass function, and metal abundance. The most metal-poor clusters require an index of about x = 2.5, whereas the most metal-rich clusters exhibit an index of x of roughly -0.5. The luminosity functions for two sparse clusters, E3 and Pal 5, are distinct from those of the more massive clusters, in that they show a turndown which is possibly a result of mass loss or tidal disruption.

STELLAR PARAMETERS FOR HD 69830, A NEARBY STAR WITH THREE NEPTUNE MASS PLANETS AND AN ASTEROID BELT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tanner, Angelle; Boyajian, Tabetha S.; Brewer, John M.

We used the CHARA Array to directly measure the angular diameter of HD 69830, home to three Neptune mass planets and an asteroid belt. Our measurement of 0.674 ± 0.014 mas for the limb-darkened angular diameter of this star leads to a physical radius of R {sub *} = 0.9058 ± 0.0190 R {sub ☉} and luminosity of L {sub *} = 0.622 ± 0.014 L {sub ☉} when combined with a fit to the spectral energy distribution of the star. Placing these observed values on an Hertzsprung-Russel diagram along with stellar evolution isochrones produces an age of 10.6 ± 4 Gyr and mass of 0.863 ± 0.043 M {sub ☉}. We usemore » archival optical echelle spectra of HD 69830 along with an iterative spectral fitting technique to measure the iron abundance ([Fe/H] = –0.04 ± 0.03), effective temperature (5385 ± 44 K), and surface gravity (log g = 4.49 ± 0.06). We use these new values for the temperature and luminosity to calculate a more precise age of 7.5 ± 3 Gyr. Applying the values of stellar luminosity and radius to recent models on the optimistic location of the habitable zone produces a range of 0.61-1.44 AU; partially outside the orbit of the furthest known planet (d) around HD 69830. Finally, we estimate the snow line at a distance of 1.95 ± 0.19 AU, which is outside the orbit of all three planets and its asteroid belt.« less

The KMOS3D Survey: Rotating Compact Star-forming Galaxies and the Decomposition of Integrated Line Widths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wisnioski, E.; Mendel, J. T.; Förster Schreiber, N. M.; Genzel, R.; Wilman, D.; Wuyts, S.; Belli, S.; Beifiori, A.; Bender, R.; Brammer, G.; Chan, J.; Davies, R. I.; Davies, R. L.; Fabricius, M.; Fossati, M.; Galametz, A.; Lang, P.; Lutz, D.; Nelson, E. J.; Momcheva, I.; Rosario, D.; Saglia, R.; Tacconi, L. J.; Tadaki, K.; Übler, H.; van Dokkum, P. G.

2018-03-01

Using integral field spectroscopy, we investigate the kinematic properties of 35 massive centrally dense and compact star-forming galaxies (SFGs; {log}{\\overline{M}}* [{M}ȯ ]=11.1, {log}({{{Σ }}}1{kpc}[{M}ȯ {kpc}}-2])> 9.5, {log}({M}* /{r}e1.5[{M}ȯ {kpc}}-1.5])> 10.3) at z ∼ 0.7–3.7 within the KMOS3D survey. We spatially resolve 23 compact SFGs and find that the majority are dominated by rotational motions with velocities ranging from 95 to 500 km s‑1. The range of rotation velocities is reflected in a similar range of integrated Hα line widths, 75–400 km s‑1, consistent with the kinematic properties of mass-matched extended galaxies from the full KMOS3D sample. The fraction of compact SFGs that are classified as “rotation-dominated” or “disklike” also mirrors the fractions of the full KMOS3D sample. We show that integrated line-of-sight gas velocity dispersions from KMOS3D are best approximated by a linear combination of their rotation and turbulent velocities with a lesser but still significant contribution from galactic-scale winds. The Hα exponential disk sizes of compact SFGs are, on average, 2.5 ± 0.2 kpc, 1–2× the continuum sizes, in agreement with previous work. The compact SFGs have a 1.4× higher active galactic nucleus (AGN) incidence than the full KMOS3D sample at fixed stellar mass with an average AGN fraction of 76%. Given their high and centrally concentrated stellar masses, as well as stellar-to-dynamical mass ratios close to unity, the compact SFGs are likely to have low molecular gas fractions and to quench on a short timescale unless replenished with inflowing gas. The rotation in these compact systems suggests that their direct descendants are rotating passive galaxies. Based on observations obtained at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), Paranal, Chile (ESO program IDs 092A-0091, 093.A-0079, 094.A-0217, 095.A-0047, 096.A-0025, 097.A-0028, and 098.A-0045).

Reconstructing the Accretion History of the Galactic Stellar Halo from Chemical Abundance Ratio Distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Duane M.; Johnston, Kathryn V.; Sen, Bodhisattva; Jessop, Will

2015-03-01

Observational studies of halo stars during the past two decades have placed some limits on the quantity and nature of accreted dwarf galaxy contributions to the Milky Way (MW) stellar halo by typically utilizing stellar phase-space information to identify the most recent halo accretion events. In this study we tested the prospects of using 2D chemical abundance ratio distributions (CARDs) found in stars of the stellar halo to determine its formation history. First, we used simulated data from 11 “MW-like” halos to generate satellite template sets (STSs) of 2D CARDs of accreted dwarf satellites, which are composed of accreted dwarfs from various mass regimes and epochs of accretion. Next, we randomly drew samples of ˜103-4 mock observations of stellar chemical abundance ratios ([α/Fe], [Fe/H]) from those 11 halos to generate samples of the underlying densities for our CARDs to be compared to our templates in our analysis. Finally, we used the expectation-maximization algorithm to derive accretion histories in relation to the STS used and the sample size. For certain STSs used we typically can identify the relative mass contributions of all accreted satellites to within a factor of two. We also find that this method is particularly sensitive to older accretion events involving low-luminosity dwarfs, e.g., ultra-faint dwarfs—precisely those events that are too ancient to be seen by phase-space studies of stars and too faint to be seen by high-z studies of the early universe. Since our results only exploit two chemical dimensions and near-future surveys promise to provide ˜6-9 dimensions, we conclude that these new high-resolution spectroscopic surveys of the stellar halo will allow us to recover its accretion history—and the luminosity function of infalling dwarf galaxies—across cosmic time.

RECONSTRUCTING THE ACCRETION HISTORY OF THE GALACTIC STELLAR HALO FROM CHEMICAL ABUNDANCE RATIO DISTRIBUTIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Duane M.; Johnston, Kathryn V.; Sen, Bodhisattva

Observational studies of halo stars during the past two decades have placed some limits on the quantity and nature of accreted dwarf galaxy contributions to the Milky Way (MW) stellar halo by typically utilizing stellar phase-space information to identify the most recent halo accretion events. In this study we tested the prospects of using 2D chemical abundance ratio distributions (CARDs) found in stars of the stellar halo to determine its formation history. First, we used simulated data from 11 “MW-like” halos to generate satellite template sets (STSs) of 2D CARDs of accreted dwarf satellites, which are composed of accreted dwarfsmore » from various mass regimes and epochs of accretion. Next, we randomly drew samples of ∼10{sup 3–4} mock observations of stellar chemical abundance ratios ([α/Fe], [Fe/H]) from those 11 halos to generate samples of the underlying densities for our CARDs to be compared to our templates in our analysis. Finally, we used the expectation-maximization algorithm to derive accretion histories in relation to the STS used and the sample size. For certain STSs used we typically can identify the relative mass contributions of all accreted satellites to within a factor of two. We also find that this method is particularly sensitive to older accretion events involving low-luminosity dwarfs, e.g., ultra-faint dwarfs—precisely those events that are too ancient to be seen by phase-space studies of stars and too faint to be seen by high-z studies of the early universe. Since our results only exploit two chemical dimensions and near-future surveys promise to provide ∼6–9 dimensions, we conclude that these new high-resolution spectroscopic surveys of the stellar halo will allow us to recover its accretion history—and the luminosity function of infalling dwarf galaxies—across cosmic time.« less

Delayed Gratification Habitable Zones (DG-HZs): When Deep Outer Solar System Regions Become Balmy During Post-Main Sequence Stellar Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stern, S. A.

2002-09-01

Late in the Sun's evolution it, like all low and moderate mass stars, it will burn as a red giant, generating 1000s of solar luminosities for a few tens of millions of years. A dozen years ago this stage of stellar evolution was predicted to create observable sublimation signatures in systems where Kuiper Belts (KBs) are extant (Stern et al. 1990, Nature, 345, 305); recently, the SWAS spacecraft detected such systems (Melnick et al. 2001, 412, 160). During the red giant phase, the habitable zone of our solar system will lie in the region where Triton, Pluto-Charon, and KBOs orbit. Compared to the 1 AU habitable zone where Earth resided early in the solar system's history, this "delayed gratification habitable zone (DG-HZ)" will enjoy a far less biologically hazardous environment-- with far lower harmful UV radiation levels from the Sun, and a far quieter collisional environment. Objects like Triton, Pluto-Charon, and KBOs, which are known to be rich in both water and organics, will then become possible sites for biochemical and perhaps even biological evolution. The Sun's DG-HZ may only be of academic interest owing to its great separation from us in time. However, several 108 approximately solar-type Milky Way stars burn as luminous red giants today. Thus, if icy-organic objects are common in the 20-50 AU zones of these stars, as they are in our solar system (and as inferred in numerous main sequence stellar disk systems), then DG-HZs form a kind of niche habitable zone that is likely to be numerically common in the galaxy. I will show the calculated temporal evolution of DG-HZs around various stellar types using modern stellar evolution luminosity tracks, and then discuss various aspects of DG-HZs, including the effects of stellar pulsations and mass loss winds. This work was supported by NASA's Origins of Solar Systems Program.

From Globular Clusters to Tidal Dwarfs: Structure Formation in the Tidal Tails of Merging Pairs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knierman, K. A.; Gallagher, S. C.; Charlton, J. C.; Hunsberger, S. D.; Whitmore, B. C.; Kundu, A.; Hibbard, J. E.; Zaritsky, D. F.

2001-05-01

Using V and I images obtained with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) of the Hubble Space Telescope, we investigate compact stellar structures within tidal tails. Six regions of tidal debris in the four classic ``Toomre Sequence'' mergers: NGC 4038/9 (``Antennae''), NGC 3256, NGC 3921, and NGC 7252 (``Atoms for Peace'') have been studied in order to explore how the star formation depends upon the local and global physical conditions. These mergers sample a range of stages in the evolutionary sequence, and include HI--rich and HI--poor environments. The six tails are found to contain a variety of stellar structures, with sizes ranging from those of globular clusters up to those of dwarf galaxies. From V and I WFPC2 images, we measure the luminosities and colors of the star clusters. NGC 3256 is found to have a large population of young clusters lying along both tails, similar to those found in the inner region of the merger. In contrast, NGC 4038/9 has no clusters in the observed region of the tail, only less luminous point sources likely to be individual stars. NGC 3921 and NGC 7252 have small populations of clusters that are concentrated in certain regions of the tail, and particularly in the prominent tidal dwarfs in the eastern and western tails of NGC 7252. The two cluster--rich tails of NGC 3256 are not distinguished from the others by their ages or by their total HI masses. We acknowledge support from NASA through STScI, and from NSF for an REU supplement for Karen Knierman.

Progenitor constraints for core-collapse supernovae from Chandra X-ray observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heikkilä, T.; Tsygankov, S.; Mattila, S.; Eldridge, J. J.; Fraser, M.; Poutanen, J.

2016-03-01

The progenitors of hydrogen-poor core-collapse supernovae (SNe) of Types Ib, Ic and IIb are believed to have shed their outer hydrogen envelopes either by extremely strong stellar winds, characteristic of classical Wolf-Rayet stars, or by binary interaction with a close companion star. The exact nature of the progenitors and the relative importance of these processes are still open questions. One relatively unexplored method to constrain the progenitors is to search for high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) at SN locations in pre-explosion X-ray observations. In an HMXB, one star has already exploded as a core-collapse SN, producing a neutron star or a stellar mass black hole. It is likely that the second star in the system will also explode as an SN, which should cause a detectable long-term change in the system's X-ray luminosity. In particular, a pre-explosion detection of an HMXB coincident with an SN could be informative about the progenitor's nature. In this paper, we analyse pre-explosion ACIS observations of 18 nearby Type Ib, Ic and IIb SNe from the Chandra X-ray observatory public archive. Two sources that could potentially be associated with the SN are identified in the sample. Additionally we make similar post-explosion measurements for 46 SNe. Although our modelling indicates that progenitor systems with compact binary companions are probably quite rare, studies of this type can in the future provide more stringent constraints as the number of discovered nearby SNe and suitable pre-explosion X-ray data are both increasing.

Project Status Update and SIM Science Breadth Discussion for the Origins Subcommittee (OS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marr, James C., IV; Shao, Mike

2003-01-01

This viewgraph presentation is composed of two sections The first reviews the features and the science goals of the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM). The goals are: (1) Perform a search for other planetary systems by surveying 2000 nearby stars for astrometric signatures of planetary companion, (2) Survey a sample of 200 nearby stars for orbiting planets down to terrestrial-type masses (3) Improve best current catalog of star positions by >lOOx and extend to fainter stars to allow extension of stellar knowledge to include our entire galaxy (4) Study dynamics and evolution of stars and star clusters in our galaxy to understand how our galaxy was formed and how it will evolve. (5) Calibrate luminosities of important stars and cosmological distance indicators to improve our understanding of stellar processes and to measure precise distance in the distant universe. The presentation also reviews the accomplishments since 2002, the plans for the subsequent 6 months. The second entitled "The Breadth of SIM Science," reviews SIM science goals in a larger context. SIM will serve to complement and pave the way for the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF). SIM observations of the motions of stars will tell us about the distribution of all gravitating mass (light plus dark matter) in the Galaxy. SIM observations of the motions of dwarf galaxies around our own will determine the mass distribution (light plus dark matter in the Halo. SIM will greatly extend these observations to test the theories of accretion disks around super massive black holes. SIM has advantages for studying AGN and other very compact objects.

JUPITER WILL BECOME A HOT JUPITER: CONSEQUENCES OF POST-MAIN-SEQUENCE STELLAR EVOLUTION ON GAS GIANT PLANETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spiegel, David S.; Madhusudhan, Nikku, E-mail: dave@ias.edu, E-mail: Nikku.Madhusudhan@yale.edu

When the Sun ascends the red giant branch (RGB), its luminosity will increase and all the planets will receive much greater irradiation than they do now. Jupiter, in particular, might end up more highly irradiated than the hot Neptune GJ 436b and, hence, could appropriately be termed a 'hot Jupiter'. When their stars go through the RGB or asymptotic giant branch stages, many of the currently known Jupiter-mass planets in several-AU orbits will receive levels of irradiation comparable to the hot Jupiters, which will transiently increase their atmospheric temperatures to {approx}1000 K or more. Furthermore, massive planets around post-main-sequence starsmore » could accrete a non-negligible amount of material from the enhanced stellar winds, thereby significantly altering their atmospheric chemistry as well as causing a significant accretion luminosity during the epochs of most intense stellar mass loss. Future generations of infrared observatories might be able to probe the thermal and chemical structure of such hot Jupiters' atmospheres. Finally, we argue that, unlike their main-sequence analogs (whose zonal winds are thought to be organized in only a few broad, planetary-scale jets), red-giant hot Jupiters should have multiple, narrow jets of zonal winds and efficient day-night redistribution.« less

Mining the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to trace the M-sigma correlation below 106 solar masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barth, A. J.; Greene, J. E.; Ho, L. C.

2004-05-01

Do dwarf galaxies and late-type spirals host central black holes with masses below 106 M⊙? Stellar-dynamical detections of black holes with such low masses are only possible for the very nearest galaxies, but in more distant objects the presence of a black hole can still be inferred if its accretion luminosity can be detected. NGC 4395 and POX 52 are two examples of Seyfert galaxies with black hole masses well below 106 M⊙, but very little is known about the demographics of such objects. We have searched the Sloan DR1 archives to identify Seyfert galaxies that are likely to have black hole masses below 106 M⊙, using the luminosity-radius relation and the broad-line widths to derive virial mass estimates for the black holes (Greene & Ho 2004). To examine the host galaxy properties, we have begun a program to measure their stellar velocity dispersions using the ESI spectrograph at Keck. Here we present preliminary results from this project, including 12 newly identified Seyfert galaxies having stellar velocity dispersions below 70 km s-1. The masses and velocity dispersions of these objects are consistent with an extrapolation of the local M--σ relation to masses below 106 M⊙.

Episodic accretion: the interplay of infall and disc instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuffmeier, Michael; Frimann, Søren; Jensen, Sigurd S.; Haugbølle, Troels

2018-04-01

Using zoom-simulations carried out with the adaptive mesh-refinement code RAMSES with a dynamic range of up to 227 ≈ 1.34 × 108 we investigate the accretion profiles around six stars embedded in different environments inside a (40 pc)3 giant molecular cloud, the role of mass infall and disc instabilities on the accretion profile, and thus on the luminosity of the forming protostar. Our results show that the environment in which the protostar is embedded determines the overall accretion profile of the protostar. Infall on to the circumstellar disc may trigger gravitational disc instabilities in the disc at distances of around ˜10 to ˜50 au leading to rapid transport of angular momentum and strong accretion bursts. These bursts typically last for about ˜10 to a ˜100 yr, consistent with typical orbital times at the location of the instability, and enhance the luminosity of the protostar. Calculations with the stellar evolution code MESA show that the accretion bursts induce significant changes in the protostellar properties, such as the stellar temperature and radius. We apply the obtained protostellar properties to produce synthetic observables with RADMC3D and predict that accretion bursts lead to observable enhancements around 20 to 200 μm in the spectral energy distribution of Class 0 type young stellar objects.

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): bivariate functions of Hα star-forming galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunawardhana, M. L. P.; Hopkins, A. M.; Taylor, E. N.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Norberg, P.; Baldry, I. K.; Loveday, J.; Owers, M. S.; Wilkins, S. M.; Colless, M.; Brown, M. J. I.; Driver, S. P.; Alpaslan, M.; Brough, S.; Cluver, M.; Croom, S.; Kelvin, L.; Lara-López, M. A.; Liske, J.; López-Sánchez, A. R.; Robotham, A. S. G.

2015-02-01

We present bivariate luminosity and stellar mass functions of Hα star-forming galaxies drawn from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. While optically deep spectroscopic observations of GAMA over a wide sky area enable the detection of a large number of 0.001 < SFRHα (M⊙ yr-1) < 100 galaxies, the requirement for an Hα detection in targets selected from an r-band magnitude-limited survey leads to an incompleteness due to missing optically faint star-forming galaxies. Using z < 0.1 bivariate distributions as a reference we model the higher-z distributions, thereby approximating a correction for the missing optically faint star-forming galaxies to the local star formation rate (SFR) and M densities. Furthermore, we obtain the r-band luminosity functions (LFs) and stellar mass functions of Hα star-forming galaxies from the bivariate LFs. As our sample is selected on the basis of detected Hα emission, a direct tracer of ongoing star formation, this sample represents a true star-forming galaxy sample, and is drawn from both photometrically classified blue and red subpopulations, though mostly from the blue population. On average 20-30 per cent of red galaxies at all stellar masses are star forming, implying that these galaxies may be dusty star-forming systems.

On the Li and Be tests for brown dwarfs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, L. A.; Rappaport, S.; Chiang, E.

1993-01-01

We present the results of stellar evolution calculations which show quantitatively how the measured abundances of Li and Be in low-mass stellar objects can be used to discriminate between brown dwarfs and low-mass main-sequence stars. The evolution of B, although less useful, is also studied. We define a transition mass range, below which at least 50 percent of the light element remains at the end of nuclear burning, and above which no more than 10 percent remains. We find that the transition mass range for Li burning is 0.059-0.062 solar mass, while for Be the range is 0.075-0.077 solar mass. Using these results, we then examine the factors (e.g., age and luminosity) that affect our ability to identify low-luminosity objects as brown dwarfs. In particular, we show that the Li test would be well suited for brown dwarf candidates located in nearby open clusters with ages in the range of 2 x 10 exp 8 to 5 x 10 exp 8 yr.

Spectroscopic parallaxes of MAP region stars from UBVRI, DDO, and uvbyH-beta photometry. [Multichannel Astrometric Photometer for astronomical observation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Persinger, Tim; Castelaz, Michael W.

1990-01-01

This paper presents the results of spectral type and luminosity classification of reference stars in the Allegheny Observatory MAP parallax program, using broadband and intermediate-band photometry. In addition to the use of UBVRI and DDO photometric systems, the uvbyH-beta photometric system was included for classification of blue (B - V less than 0.6) reference stars. The stellar classifications made from the photometry are used to determine spectroscopic parallaxes. The spectroscopic parallaxes are used in turn to adjust the relative parallaxes measured with the MAP to absolute parallaxes. A new method for dereddening stars using more than one photometric system is presented. In the process of dereddening, visual extinctions, spectral types, and luminosity classes are determined, as well as a measure of the goodness of fit. The measure of goodness of fit quantifies confidence in the stellar classifications. It is found that the spectral types are reliable to within 2.5 spectral subclasses.

Does the galaxy-halo connection vary with environment?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dragomir, Radu; Rodríguez-Puebla, Aldo; Primack, Joel R.; Lee, Christoph T.

2018-05-01

(Sub)halo abundance matching (SHAM) assumes that one (sub) halo property, such as mass Mvir or peak circular velocity Vpeak, determines properties of the galaxy hosted in each (sub) halo such as its luminosity or stellar mass. This assumption implies that the dependence of galaxy luminosity functions (GLFs) and the galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) on environmental density is determined by the corresponding halo density dependence. In this paper, we test this by determining from a Sloan Digital Sky Survey sample the observed dependence with environmental density of the ugriz GLFs and GSMF for all galaxies, and for central and satellite galaxies separately. We then show that the SHAM predictions are in remarkable agreement with these observations, even when the galaxy population is divided between central and satellite galaxies. However, we show that SHAM fails to reproduce the correct dependence between environmental density and g - r colour for all galaxies and central galaxies, although it better reproduces the colour dependence on environmental density of satellite galaxies.

Planets, Planetary Nebulae, and Intermediate Luminosity Optical Transients (ILOTs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soker, Noam

2018-05-01

I review some aspects related to the influence of planets on the evolution of stars before and beyond the main sequence. Some processes include the tidal destruction of a planet on to a very young main sequence star, on to a low mass main sequence star, and on to a brown dwarf. This process releases gravitational energy that might be observed as a faint intermediate luminosity optical transient (ILOT) event. I then summarize the view that some elliptical planetary nebulae are shaped by planets. When the planet interacts with a low mass upper asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star it both enhances the mass loss rate and shapes the wind to form an elliptical planetary nebula, mainly by spinning up the envelope and by exciting waves in the envelope. If no interaction with a companion, stellar or sub-stellar, takes place beyond the main sequence, the star is termed a Jsolated star, and its mass loss rates on the giant branches are likely to be much lower than what is traditionally assumed.

Photometry of resolved galaxies. V - NGC 6822

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoessel, J. G.; Anderson, N.

1986-01-01

Three-color CCD frames of the local group irregular galaxy NGC 6822 have been reduced to GRI photometry for 3475 stars using RICHFLD point-spread function fitting techniques. The data are compared with earlier work on this galaxy, particularly with Kayser (1966) on a star-by-star basis. Color-magnitude diagrams are constructed from the data and compared with both theoretical stellar model tracks and the expected foreground star contamination. A luminosity function for the blue stars is derived; comparison of this luminosity function with those of 10 other irregular galaxies indicates that NGC 6822 has a typical young star population. The stellar birthrate and initial mass function are estimated for this galaxy. The slope at the bright end of the mass function looks similar to recent results for the Galaxy, the Magellanic Clouds, and the irregular galaxy Sextans A. NGC 6822 appears to be presently forming stars at a slower rate for its mass than Sextans A or the Magellanic Clouds.

Iron and molecular opacities and the evolution of Population I stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stothers, Richard B.; Chin, Chao-Wen

1993-01-01

Effects of recent opacity revisions on the evolution of Population I stars are explored over the range 1.5-60 solar masses. Opacity parameters considered include the angular momentum coupling scheme for iron, the relative iron abundance, the total metal abundance, and diatomic and triatomic molecular sources. Only the total metal abundance exerts an important control over the evolutionary tracks. Blue loops on the H-R diagram during core helium burning can be very sensitive to opacity, but only insofar as the simple formation or suppression of a blue loop is concerned. The blue loops are most robust for stellar masses around 10 solar masses. We confirm, from a comparison of stellar models with observational data, that the total metal abundance is close to solar and that convective core overshooting is likely to be very slight. The new models predict the existence of an iron convection zone in the envelope and a great widening of the main-sequence band in the H-R diagram at luminosities brighter than 100,000 solar luminosities.

The development of the red giant branch. II - Astrophysical properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sweigart, Allen V.; Greggio, Laura; Renzini, Alvio

1990-01-01

Evolutionary sequences developed in another paper are used here to investigate the properties of the red giant branch (RGB) phase transition. Results are found for compositions in the range Y(MS) between 0.20 and 0.30 and Z between 0.004 and 0.04. The transition mass M(HeF) increases as either Y(MS) decreases or Z increases. The stellar population transition age t(HeF) is virtually independent of composition and close to 0.6 Gyr. The RGB phase transition occurs almost abruptly over a mass range of only a few tenths of a solar mass or, equivalently, over a time interval of about 0.2 Gyr in the life of a stellar population. During the RGB phase transition the core mass Mc at helium ignition increases very rapidly by about 0.15 solar mass, while the luminosity at the tip of the RGB increases by about one order of magnitude. Absolute minima are found for the values of Mc and the RGB tip luminosity.

Physical implications of the eclipsing binary pulsar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wasserman, Ira; Cordes, James M.

1988-01-01

The observed characteristics of the msec pulsar P1957+20, discovered in an eclipsing binary by Fruchter et al. (1988), are considered theoretically. Model equations for the stellar wind and optical emission are derived and used to estimate the effective temperature and optical luminosity associated with wind excitation; then the energy levels required to generate such winds are investigated. The color temperature of the pulsar-heated stellar surface calculated under the assumption of adiabatic expansion is 1000-10,000 K, in good agreement with the observational estimate of 5500 K.

SpS1-The Spitzer atlas of stellar spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardila, David R.; Makowiecki, W.; van Dyk, S.; Song, I.; Stauffer, J.; Rho, J.; Fajardo-Acosta, S.; Hoard, D. W.; Wachter, S.

2010-11-01

We present Spitzer Space Telescope spectra of 147 stars (R~64 - 128, λλ = 5 - 35 μm, S/N~100) covering most spectral and luminosity classes within the HR diagram. The spectra are available from the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA) and from the first author's webpage (http://web.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/ardila/Atlas/). The Atlas contains spectra of ‘typical’ stars, which may serve to refine galactic synthesis models, study stellar atmospheres, and establish a legacy for future IR missions, such as JWST.

Active Galactic Nuclei with James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rigby, Jane R.

2011-01-01

I'll discuss several ways in which JWST will probe the cosmic history of accretion onto supermassive black holes, and the co-evolution of host galaxies. Key investigations include: 1) Measurements of redshift, luminosity, and AGN fraction for obscured AGN candidates identified by other missions. 2) Measurements of AGN hosts at all redshifts, including stellar masses, morphology, interactions, and star formation rates. 3) Measurements of stellar mass and black hole mass in AGN at high redshift, to chart the early history of black hole and galaxy growth.

Sub-mm galaxies as progenitors of compact quiescent galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toft, Sune

2015-08-01

Three billion years after the big bang (at redshift z=2), half of the most massive galaxies were already old, quiescent systems with little to no residual star formation and extremely compact with stellar mass densities at least an order of magnitude larger than in low redshift ellipticals, their descendants. Little is known about how they formed, but their evolved, dense stellar populations suggest formation within intense, compact starbursts 1-2 Gyr earlier (at 3 < z < 6). Simulations show that gas-rich major mergers can give rise to such starbursts which produce dense remnants. Sub-millimetre selected galaxies (SMGs) are prime examples of intense, gas-rich, starbursts. With a new, mass-complete spectroscopic sample of compact quiescent galaxies at z=2 and a statistically well-understood sample of SMGs, we show that z = 3 -6 SMGs are consistent with being the progenitors of z = 2 quiescent galaxies, matching their formation redshifts and their distributions of sizes, stellar masses and internal velocities. Assuming an evolutionary connection, their space densities also match if the mean duty cycle of SMG starbursts is 42 (+40/-29) Myr (consistent with independent estimates), indicating that the bulk of stars in these massive galaxies were formed in a major, early surge of star-formation. These results suggests a coherent picture of the formation history of the most massive galaxies in the universe, from their initial burst of violent star-formation through their appearance as high stellardensity galaxy cores and to their ultimate fate as giant ellipticals.If time permits i will show novel, spatially resolved spectroscopic observations of the inner regions (r2, allowing for strong new constraints on their formation and evolutionary path

What we learn from eclipsing binaries in the ultraviolet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guinan, Edward F.

1990-01-01

Recent results on stars and stellar physics from IUE (International Ultraviolet Explorer) observations of eclipsing binaries are discussed. Several case studies are presented, including V 444 Cyg, Aur stars, V 471 Tau and AR Lac. Topics include stellar winds and mass loss, stellar atmospheres, stellar dynamos, and surface activity. Studies of binary star dynamics and evolution are discussed. The progress made with IUE in understanding the complex dynamical and evolutionary processes taking place in W UMa-type binaries and Algol systems is highlighted. The initial results of intensive studies of the W UMa star VW Cep and three representative Algol-type binaries (in different stages of evolution) focused on gas flows and accretion, are included. The future prospects of eclipsing binary research are explored. Remaining problems are surveyed and the next challenges are presented. The roles that eclipsing binaries could play in studies of stellar evolution, cluster dynamics, galactic structure, mass luminosity relations for extra galactic systems, cosmology, and even possible detection of extra solar system planets using eclipsing binaries are discussed.

Stellar Streams in the Andromeda Halo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fardal, Mark A.; PAndAS Collaboration

2011-05-01

The PAndAS survey detects RGB and AGB stars in our neighbor galaxy M31, out to 150 kpc from the galaxy center with an extension to M33. Maps of this survey display a spectacular collection of stellar streams extending tens to hundreds of kpc in length. Many of these streams overlap with each other or with M31's central regions, making it difficult to disentangle the different streams. I discuss what is currently known about the nature, origin, significance, and eventual fate of these stellar streams. Photometric observations from the PAndAS survey and follow-up work constrain the metallicity, age, luminosity, and stellar mass of the stellar population. I discuss scenarios for how some of these streams formed, while for others their origin remains a mystery. I present observationally constrained numerical simulations for the formation of some of the streams. The streams also are probes of the mass profile and lumpiness of M31's dark matter halo. Spectroscopic samples are used to constrain M31's halo mass at large radius.

Compact objects in relativistic theories of gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okada da Silva, Hector

2017-05-01

In this dissertation we discuss several aspects of compact objects, i.e. neutron stars and black holes, in relativistic theories of gravity. We start by studying the role of nuclear physics (encoded in the so-called equation of state) in determining the properties of neutron stars in general relativity. We show that low-mass neutron stars are potentially useful astrophysical laboratories that can be used to constrain the properties of the equation of state. More specifically, we show that various bulk properties of these objects, such as their quadrupole moment and tidal deformability, are tightly correlated. Next, we develop a formalism that aims to capture how generic modifications from general relativity affect the structure of neutron stars, as predicted by a broad class of gravity theories, in the spirit of the parametrized post-Newtonian formalism (PPN). Our "post-Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff" formalism provides a toolbox to study both stellar structure and the interior/exterior geometries of static, spherically symmetric relativistic stars. We also apply the formalism to parametrize deviations from general relativity in various astrophysical observables related with neutron stars, including surface redshift, apparent radius, Eddington luminosity. We then turn our attention to what is arguably the most well-motivated and well-investigated generalization of general relativity: scalar-tensor theory. We start by considering theories where gravity is mediated by a single extra scalar degree of freedom (in addition to the metric tensor). An interesting class of scalar-tensor theories passes all experimental tests in the weak-field regime of gravity, yet considerably deviates from general relativity in the strong-field regime in the presence of matter. A common assumption in modeling neutron stars is that the pressure within these object is spatially isotropic. We relax this assumption and examine how pressure anisotropy affects the mass, radius and moment of inertia of slowly rotating neutron stars, both in general relativity and in scalar-tensor gravity. We show that a sufficient amount of pressure anisotropy results in neutron star models whose properties in scalar-tensor theory deviate significantly from their general relativistic counterparts. Moreover, the presence of anisotropy allows these deviations to be considerable even for values of the theory's coupling parameter for which neutron stars in scalar-tensor theory would be otherwise indistinguishable from those in general relativity. Within scalar-tensor theory we also investigate the effects of the scalar field on the crustal torsional oscillations of neutron stars, which have been associated to quasi-periodic oscillations in the X-ray spectra in the aftermath of giant flares. We show that the presence of the scalar field has an influence on the thickness of the stellar crust, and investigate how it affects the oscillation frequencies. Deviations from the predictions of general relativity can be large for certain values of the theory's coupling parameter. However, the influence of the scalar field is degenerate with uncertainties in the equation of state of the star's crust and microphysics effects (electron screening) for values of the coupling allowed by binary pulsar observations. We also derive the stellar structure equations for slowly-rotating neutron stars in a broader class of scalar-tensor theories in which matter and scalar field are coupled through the so-called disformal coupling. We study in great detail how the disformal coupling affects the structure of neutron stars, and we investigate the existence of universal (equation of state-independent) relations connecting the stellar compactness and moment of inertia. In particular, we find that these universal relations can deviate considerably from the predictions of general relativity. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

The Relation between Luminous AGNs and Star Formation in Their Host Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lei; Rieke, G. H.; Egami, E.; Haines, C. P.; Pereira, M. J.; Smith, G. P.

2015-08-01

We study the relation of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) to star formation in their host galaxies. Our sample includes 205 Type-1 and 85 Type-2 AGNs, 162 detected with Herschel, from fields surrounding 30 galaxy clusters in the Local Cluster Substructure Survey. The sample is identified by optical line widths and ratios after selection to be brighter than 1 mJy at 24 μm. We show that Type-2 AGN [O iii]λ5007 line fluxes at high z can be contaminated by their host galaxies with typical spectrograph entrance apertures (but our sample is not compromised in this way). We use spectral energy distribution (SED) templates to decompose the galaxy SEDs and estimate star formation rates (SFRs), AGN luminosities, and host galaxy stellar masses (described in an accompanying paper). The AGNs arise from massive black holes (˜ 3× {10}8{M}⊙ ) accreting at ˜10% of the Eddington rate and residing in galaxies with stellar mass \\gt 3× {10}10{M}⊙ ; those detected with Herschel have IR luminosity from star formation in the range of {L}{SF,{IR}}˜ {10}10-{10}12{L}⊙ . We find that (1) the specific SFRs in the host galaxies are generally consistent with those of normal star-forming (main sequence) galaxies; (2) there is a strong correlation between the luminosities from star formation and the AGN; and (3) the correlation may not result from a causal connection, but could arise because the black hole mass (and hence AGN Eddington luminosity) and star formation are both correlated with the galaxy mass.

The Diversity of Chemical Composition and the Effects on Stellar Evolution and Planetary Habitability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Truitt, Amanda R.

2017-08-01

I present a catalog of 1,794 stellar evolution models for solar-type and low-mass stars, which is intended to help characterize real host-stars of interest during the ongoing search for potentially habitable exoplanets. The main grid is composed of 904 tracks, for 0.5-1.2 M solar masses at scaled metallicity values of 0.1-1.5 Z solar masses and specific elemental abundance ratio values of 0.44-2.28 O/Fe solar masses, 0.58-1.72 C/Fe solar masses, 0.54-1.84 Mg/Fe solar masses, and 0.5-2.0 Ne/Fe solar masses. The catalog includes a small grid of late stage evolutionary tracks (25 models), as well as a grid of M-dwarf stars for 0.1-0.45 M solar masses (856 models). The time-dependent habitable zone evolution is calculated for each track, and is strongly dependent on stellar mass, effective temperature, and luminosity parameterizations. I have also developed a subroutine for the stellar evolution code TYCHO that implements a minimalist coupled model for estimating changes in the stellar X-ray luminosity, mass loss, rotational velocity, and magnetic activity over time; to test the utility of the updated code, I created a small grid (9 models) for solar-mass stars, with variations in rotational velocity and scaled metallicity. Including this kind of information in the catalog will ultimately allow for a more robust consideration of the long-term conditions that orbiting planets may experience. In order to gauge the true habitability potential of a given planetary system, it is extremely important to characterize the host-star's mass, specific chemical composition, and thus the timescale over which the star will evolve. It is also necessary to assess the likelihood that a planet found in the "instantaneous" habitable zone has actually had sufficient time to become "detectably" habitable. This catalog provides accurate stellar evolution predictions for a large collection of theoretical host-stars; the models are of particular utility in that they represent the real variation in stellar parameters that have been observed in nearby stars.

WHERE ARE THE FOSSILS OF THE FIRST GALAXIES? II. TRUE FOSSILS, GHOST HALOS, AND THE MISSING BRIGHT SATELLITES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bovill, Mia S.; Ricotti, Massimo, E-mail: msbovill@astro.umd.edu

We use a new set of cold dark matter simulations of the local universe to investigate the distribution of fossils of primordial dwarf galaxies within and around the Milky Way. Throughout, we build upon previous results showing agreement between the observed stellar properties of a subset of the ultra-faint dwarfs and our simulated fossils. Here, we show that fossils of the first galaxies have galactocentric distributions and cumulative luminosity functions consistent with observations. In our model, we predict {approx}300 luminous satellites orbiting the Milky Way, 50%-70% of which are well-preserved fossils. Within the Milky Way virial radius, the majority ofmore » these fossils have luminosities L{sub V} < 10{sup 6} L{sub sun}. Despite our multidimensional agreement with observations at low masses and luminosities, the primordial model produces an overabundance of bright dwarf satellites (L{sub V} > 10{sup 4} L{sub sun}) with respect to observations where observations are nearly complete. The 'bright satellite problem' is most evident in the outer parts of the Milky Way. We estimate that, although relatively bright, the primordial stellar populations are very diffuse, producing a population with surface brightnesses below surveys' detection limits, and are easily stripped by tidal forces. Although we cannot yet present unmistakable evidence for the existence of the fossils of first galaxies in the Local Group, the results of our studies suggest observational strategies that may demonstrate their existence: (1) the detection of 'ghost halos' of primordial stars around isolated dwarfs would prove that stars formed in minihalos (M < 10{sup 8} M{sub sun}) before reionization and strongly suggest that at least a fraction of the ultra-faint dwarfs are fossils of the first galaxies; and (2) the existence of a yet unknown population of {approx}150 Milky Way ultra-faints with half-light radii r{sub hl} {approx} 100-1000 pc and luminosities L{sub V} < 10{sup 4} L{sub sun}, detectable by future deep surveys. These undetected dwarfs would have the mass-to-light ratios, stellar velocity dispersions, and metallicities predicted in this work.« less

Host Galaxies of Luminous Type 2 Quasars at z ~ 0.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xin; Zakamska, Nadia L.; Greene, Jenny E.; Strauss, Michael A.; Krolik, Julian H.; Heckman, Timothy M.

2009-09-01

We present deep Gemini GMOS optical spectroscopy of nine luminous quasars at redshifts z ~ 0.5, drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey type 2 quasar sample. Our targets were selected to have high intrinsic luminosities (MV < -26 mag) as indicated by the [O III] λ5007 Å emission-line luminosity (L [O III]). Our sample has a median black hole mass of ~108.8 M sun inferred assuming the local M BH-σ* relation and a median Eddington ratio of ~0.7, using stellar velocity dispersions σ* measured from the G band. We estimate the contamination of the stellar continuum from scattered quasar light based on the strength of broad Hβ, and provide an empirical calibration of the contamination as a function of L [O III]; the scattered-light fraction is ~30% of L 5100 for objects with L [O III] = 109.5 L sun. Population synthesis indicates that young poststarburst populations (<0.1 Gyr) are prevalent in luminous type 2 quasars, in addition to a relatively old population (>1 Gyr) which dominates the stellar mass. Broad emission complexes around He II λ4686 Å with luminosities up to 108.3 L sun are unambiguously detected in three out of the nine targets, indicative of Wolf-Rayet (WR) populations. Population synthesis shows that ~5 Myr poststarburst populations contribute substantially to the luminosities (>50% of L 5100) of all three objects with WR detections. We find two objects with double cores and four with close companions. Our results may suggest that luminous type 2 quasars trace an early stage of galaxy interaction, perhaps responsible for both the quasar and the starburst activity. Based, in part, on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (Brazil), and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (Argentina).

Stellar and Circumstellar Properties of Low-Mass, Young, Subarcsecond Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruhns, Sara; Prato, L. A.

2014-01-01

We present a study of the stellar and circumstellar characteristics of close (< 1''), young (< 2 to 3 Myr), low-mass (<1 solar mass) binary stars in the Taurus star forming region. Low-resolution (R ~ 2000) spectra were taken in the K-band using adaptive optics to separate the observations for each component and identify the individual spectral types, extinction, and K-band excess. Combining these data with stellar luminosities allows us to estimate the stellar masses and ages. We also measured equivalent widths of the hydrogen Brackett gamma line in order to estimate the strength of gas accretion. We obtained spectra for six binary systems with separations from 1'' down to 0.3''. In the CZ Tau binary we found that the fainter secondary star spectrum appears to be of earlier spectral type than the primary; we speculate on the origin of this inversion.

A new method to unveil embedded stellar clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lombardi, Marco; Lada, Charles J.; Alves, João

2017-11-01

In this paper we present a novel method to identify and characterize stellar clusters deeply embedded in a dark molecular cloud. The method is based on measuring stellar surface density in wide-field infrared images using star counting techniques. It takes advantage of the differing H-band luminosity functions (HLFs) of field stars and young stellar populations and is able to statistically associate each star in an image as a member of either the background stellar population or a young stellar population projected on or near the cloud. Moreover, the technique corrects for the effects of differential extinction toward each individual star. We have tested this method against simulations as well as observations. In particular, we have applied the method to 2MASS point sources observed in the Orion A and B complexes, and the results obtained compare very well with those obtained from deep Spitzer and Chandra observations where presence of infrared excess or X-ray emission directly determines membership status for every star. Additionally, our method also identifies unobscured clusters and a low resolution version of the Orion stellar surface density map shows clearly the relatively unobscured and diffuse OB 1a and 1b sub-groups and provides useful insights on their spatial distribution.

Observations of Herbig Ae/Be Stars with Herschel/PACS: The Atomic and Molecular Contents of Their Protoplanetary Discs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meeus, G.; Montesinos, B.; Mendigutia, I.; Kamp, I.; Thi, W. F.; Eiroa, C.; Grady, C. A.; Mathews, G.; Sandell, G.; Martin-Zaidi, C.;

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

A. Brooks; A.H. Reiman; G.H. Neilson

High-beta, low-aspect-ratio (compact) stellarators are promising solutions to the problem of developing a magnetic plasma configuration for magnetic fusion power plants that can be sustained in steady-state without disrupting. These concepts combine features of stellarators and advanced tokamaks and have aspect ratios similar to those of tokamaks (2-4). They are based on computed plasma configurations that are shaped in three dimensions to provide desired stability and transport properties. Experiments are planned as part of a program to develop this concept. A beta = 4% quasi-axisymmetric plasma configuration has been evaluated for the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX). It has amore » substantial bootstrap current and is shaped to stabilize ballooning, external kink, vertical, and neoclassical tearing modes without feedback or close-fitting conductors. Quasi-omnigeneous plasma configurations stable to ballooning modes at beta = 4% have been evaluated for the Quasi-Omnigeneous Stellarator (QOS) experiment. These equilibria have relatively low bootstrap currents and are insensitive to changes in beta. Coil configurations have been calculated that reconstruct these plasma configurations, preserving their important physics properties. Theory- and experiment-based confinement analyses are used to evaluate the technical capabilities needed to reach target plasma conditions. The physics basis for these complementary experiments is described.« less

LOFAR-Boötes: properties of high- and low-excitation radio galaxies at 0.5 < z < 2.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, W. L.; Calistro Rivera, G.; Best, P. N.; Hardcastle, M. J.; Röttgering, H. J. A.; Duncan, K. J.; de Gasperin, F.; Jarvis, M. J.; Miley, G. K.; Mahony, E. K.; Morabito, L. K.; Nisbet, D. M.; Prandoni, I.; Smith, D. J. B.; Tasse, C.; White, G. J.

2018-04-01

This paper presents a study of the redshift evolution of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) as a function of the properties of their galaxy hosts in the Boötes field. To achieve this we match low-frequency radio sources from deep 150-MHz LOFAR (LOw Frequency ARray) observations to an I-band-selected catalogue of galaxies, for which we have derived photometric redshifts, stellar masses, and rest-frame colours. We present spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to determine the mid-infrared AGN contribution for the radio sources and use this information to classify them as high- versus low-excitation radio galaxies (HERGs and LERGs) or star-forming galaxies. Based on these classifications, we construct luminosity functions for the separate redshift ranges going out to z = 2. From the matched radio-optical catalogues, we select a sub-sample of 624 high power (P150 MHz > 1025 W Hz-1) radio sources between 0.5 ≤ z < 2. For this sample, we study the fraction of galaxies hosting HERGs and LERGs as a function of stellar mass and host galaxy colour. The fraction of HERGs increases with redshift, as does the fraction of sources in galaxies with lower stellar masses. We find that the fraction of galaxies that host LERGs is a strong function of stellar mass as it is in the local Universe. This, combined with the strong negative evolution of the LERG luminosity functions over this redshift range, is consistent with LERGs being fuelled by hot gas in quiescent galaxies.

Estimating the dust production rate of carbon stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nanni, Ambra; Marigo, Paola; Girardi, Léo; Rubele, Stefano; Bressan, Alessandro; Groenewegen, Martin A. T.; Pastorelli, Giada; Aringer, Bernhard

2018-02-01

We employ newly computed grids of spectra reprocessed by dust for estimating the total dust production rate (DPR) of carbon stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). For the first time, the grids of spectra are computed as a function of the main stellar parameters, i.e. mass-loss rate, luminosity, effective temperature, current stellar mass and element abundances at the photosphere, following a consistent, physically grounded scheme of dust growth coupled with stationary wind outflow. The model accounts for the dust growth of various dust species formed in the circumstellar envelopes of carbon stars, such as carbon dust, silicon carbide and metallic iron. In particular, we employ some selected combinations of optical constants and grain sizes for carbon dust that have been shown to reproduce simultaneously the most relevant colour-colour diagrams in the SMC. By employing our grids of models, we fit the spectral energy distributions of ≈3100 carbon stars in the SMC, consistently deriving some important dust and stellar properties, i.e. luminosities, mass-loss rates, gas-to-dust ratios, expansion velocities and dust chemistry. We discuss these properties and we compare some of them with observations in the Galaxy and Large Magellanic Cloud. We compute the DPR of carbon stars in the SMC, finding that the estimates provided by our method can be significantly different, between a factor of ≈2-5, than the ones available in the literature. Our grids of models, including the spectra and other relevant dust and stellar quantities, are publicly available at http://starkey.astro.unipd.it/web/guest/dustymodels.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hendler, Nathanial P.; Mulders, Gijs D.; Pascucci, Ilaria

The properties of disks around brown dwarfs and very low mass stars (hereafter VLMOs) provide important boundary conditions on the process of planet formation and inform us about the numbers and masses of planets than can form in this regime. We use the Herschel Space Observatory PACS spectrometer to measure the continuum and [O i] 63 μ m line emission toward 11 VLMOs with known disks in the Taurus and Chamaeleon I star-forming regions. We fit radiative transfer models to the spectral energy distributions of these sources. Additionally, we carry out a grid of radiative transfer models run in amore » regime that connects the luminosity of our sources with brighter T Tauri stars. We find that VLMO disks with sizes 1.3–78 au, smaller than typical T Tauri disks, fit well the spectral energy distributions assuming that disk geometry and dust properties are stellar mass independent. Reducing the disk size increases the disk temperature, and we show that VLMOs do not follow previously derived disk temperature–stellar luminosity relationships if the disk outer radius scales with stellar mass. Only 2 out of 11 sources are detected in [O i] despite a better sensitivity than was achieved for T Tauri stars, suggesting that VLMO disks are underluminous. Using thermochemical models, we show that smaller disks can lead to the unexpected [O i] 63 μ m nondetections in our sample. The disk outer radius is an important factor in determining the gas and dust observables. Hence, spatially resolved observations with ALMA—to establish if and how disk radii scale with stellar mass—should be pursued further.« less

The Spitzer Atlas of Stellar Spectra (SASS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardila, D. R.; van Dyk, S. D., Makowiecki, W.; Stauffer, J.; Song, I.; Ro, J.; Fajardo-Acosta, S.; Hoard, D. W.; Wachter, S.

2011-11-01

We present the Spitzer Atlas of Stellar Spectra (SASS), which includes 159 stellar spectra (5 to 32 micron; R about 100) taken with the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope. This Atlas gathers representative spectra of a broad section of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, intended to serve as a general stellar spectral reference in the mid-infrared. It includes stars from all luminosity classes, as well as Wolf-Rayet (WR) objects. Furthermore, it includes some objects of intrinsic interest, like blue stragglers and certain pulsating variables. All the spectra have been uniformly reduced, and all are available online. For dwarfs and giants, the spectra of early-type objects are relatively featureless, dominated by Hydrogen lines around A spectral types. Besides these, the most noticeable photospheric features correspond to water vapor and silicon monoxide in late-type objects and methane and ammonia features at the latest spectral types. Most supergiant spectra in the Atlas present evidence of circumstellar gas. The sample includes five M supergiant spectra, which show strong dust excesses and in some cases PAH features. Sequences of WR stars present the well-known pattern of lines of He I and He II, as well as forbidden lines of ionized metals. The characteristic flat-top shape of the [Ne III] line is evident even at these low spectral resolutions. Several Luminous Blue Variables and other transition stars are present in the Atlas and show very diverse spectra, dominated by circumstellar gas and dust features. We show that the [8]-[24] Spitzer colors (IRAC and MIPS) are poor predictors of spectral type for most luminosity classes.

From light to baryonic mass: the effect of the stellar mass-to-light ratio on the Baryonic Tully-Fisher relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponomareva, Anastasia A.; Verheijen, Marc A. W.; Papastergis, Emmanouil; Bosma, Albert; Peletier, Reynier F.

2018-03-01

In this paper, we investigate the statistical properties of the Baryonic Tully-Fisher relation (BTFr) for a sample of 32 galaxies with accurate distances based on Cepheïds and/or TRGB stars. We make use of homogeneously analysed photometry in 18 bands ranging from the far-ultraviolet to 160 μm, allowing us to investigate the effect of the inferred stellar mass-to-light ratio (ϒ⋆) on the statistical properties of the BTFr. Stellar masses of our sample galaxies are derived with four different methods based on full SED fitting, studies of stellar dynamics, near-infrared colours, and the assumption of the same Υ_{\\star }^{[3.6]} for all galaxies. In addition, we use high-quality, resolved H I kinematics to study the BTFr based on three kinematic measures: Wi_{50} from the global H I profile, and Vmax and Vflat from the rotation curve. We find the intrinsic perpendicular scatter, or tightness, of our BTFr to be σ⊥ = 0.026 ± 0.013 dex, consistent with the intrinsic tightness of the 3.6 μm luminosity-based Tully-Fisher relation (TFr). However, we find the slope of the BTFr to be 2.99 ± 0.2 instead of 3.7 ± 0.1 for the luminosity-based TFr at 3.6 μm. We use our BTFr to place important observational constraints on theoretical models of galaxy formation and evolution by making comparisons with theoretical predictions based on either the Λ cold dark matter framework or modified Newtonian dynamics.

The first 62 AGNs observed with SDSS-IV MaNGA - I. Their characterization and definition of a control sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rembold, Sandro B.; Shimoia, Jáderson S.; Storchi-Bergmann, Thaisa; Riffel, Rogério; Riffel, Rogemar A.; Mallmann, Nícolas D.; do Nascimento, Janaína C.; Moreira, Thales N.; Ilha, Gabriele S.; Machado, Alice D.; Cirolini, Rafael; da Costa, Luiz N.; Maia, Marcio A. G.; Santiago, Basílio X.; Schneider, Donald P.; Wylezalek, Dominika; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Pan, Kaike; Müller-Sánchez, Francisco

2017-12-01

We report the characterization of the first 62 Mapping Nearby Galaxies at the Apache Point Observatory active galactic nuclei (AGNs) hosts and the definition of a control sample of non-active galaxies. This control sample was selected in order to match the AGN hosts in terms of stellar mass, redshift, visual morphology and inclination. The stellar masses are in the range 9.4

The high-energy X-ray spectrum of Centaurus XR-3 observed from OSO 8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dolan, J. F.; Crannell, C. J.; Dennis, B. R.; Frost, K. J.; Orwig, L. E.

1984-01-01

Observations of the X-ray binary Cen XR-3 in the 20-120 keV energy range by means of OSO 8's high energy X-ray spectrometer, during July 16-19, 1975, and July 5-14 and 28-29, 1978, indicate that the source was in a high luminosity state during 1975 and a low luminosity one in 1978. While mean orbital light curves appear similar in shape in both years, orbit-to-orbit intensity variations are noted. Spectral, luminosity, and the 4.84 sec modulation are characterized. Cen XR-3 may be a system in which mass transfer by Roche lobe overflow, and by accretion from a stellar wind, are both effective in the production of observable X-ray radiation.

Too Cool for Stellar Rules: A Bayesian Exploration of Trends in Ultracool Magnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz, Kelle L.; Schwab, Ellianna; Williams, Peter K. G.; Hogg, David W.; Rodriguez, David R.; BDNYC

2017-01-01

Ultracool dwarfs, the lowest mass red dwarfs and brown dwarfs (spectral types M7-Y9), are fully convective objects with electrically neutral atmospheres due to their extremely cool temperatures (500-3000 K). Radio observations of ultracool dwarfs indicate the presence of magnetic field strengths on the order of ~kG, however the dynamo driving these fields is not fully understood. To better understand ultracool dwarf magnetic behavior, we analyze photometric radio detections of 196 dwarfs (spectral types M7-T8), observed in the 4.5-8.5 GHz range on the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). The measurements in our sample are mostly upper limits, along with a small percentage of confirmed detections. The detections have both large uncertainties and high intrinsic scatter. Using Bayesian analysis to fully take advantage of the information available in these inherently uncertain measurements, we search for trends in radio luminosity as a function of several fundamental parameters: spectral type, effective temperature, and rotation rate. In this poster, we present the preliminary results of our efforts to investigate the possibility of subpopulations with different magnetic characteristics using Gaussian mixture models.

IGR J16318-4848: 7 Years of INTEGRAL Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barragan, Laura; Wilms, Joern; kreykenbohm, Ingo; Hanke, manfred; Fuerst, Felix; Pottschmidt, Katja; Rothschild, Richard

2011-01-01

Since the discovery of IGR 116318-4848 in 2003 January, INTEGRAL has accumulated more than 5.8 Ms in IBIS/ISGRI. We present the first extensive analysis of the archival INTEGRAL data (IBIS/ISGRI, and JEM-X when available) for this source, together with the observations carried out by XMM-Newton (twice in 2003, and twice in 2004) and Suzaku (2006). The source is very variable in the long-term, with periods of low activity, where the source is almost not detected, and flares with a luminosity approximately 10 times greater than its average value (5.4 cts/s). IGR 116318-4848 is a HMXB containing a sgB[e] star and a compact object (most probably a neutron star) deeply embedded in the stellar wind of the mass donor. The variability of the source (also in the short-term) can be ascribed to the wind of the optical star being very clumpy. We study the variation of the spectral parameters in time scales of INTEGRAL revolutions. The photoelectric absorption is, with NH around 10(exp 24)/ square cm, unusually high. During brighter phases the strong K-alpha iron line known from XMM-Newton and Suzaku observations is also detectable with the JEM-X instrument.

Anisotropic strange star with Tolman V potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shee, Dibyendu; Deb, Debabrata; Ghosh, Shounak; Ray, Saibal; Guha, B. K.

In this paper, we present a strange stellar model using Tolman V-type metric potential employing simplest form of the MIT bag equation of state (EOS) for the quark matter. We consider that the stellar system is spherically symmetric, compact and made of an anisotropic fluid. Choosing different values of n we obtain exact solutions of the Einstein field equations and finally conclude that for a specific value of the parameter n = 1/2, we find physically acceptable features of the stellar object. Further, we conduct different physical tests, viz., the energy condition, generalized Tolman-Oppeheimer-Volkoff (TOV) equation, Herrera’s cracking concept, etc., to confirm the physical validity of the presented model. Matching conditions provide expressions for different constants whereas maximization of the anisotropy parameter provides bag constant. By using the observed data of several compact stars, we derive exact values of some of the physical parameters and exhibit their features in tabular form. It is to note that our predicted value of the bag constant satisfies the report of CERN-SPS and RHIC.

Hubble Space Telescope observations of the optical counterpart to a ultra-compact high-velocity cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sand, David J.

2017-01-01

As part of a comprehensive archival search for optical counterparts to ultra-compact high-velocity clouds (UCHVCs), our team has uncovered five Local Volume dwarf galaxies, two of which were not previously known. Among these was AGC 226067, also known as ALFALFA-Dw1, which appeared to be made up of several HI and blue optical clumps based on ground-based data, with at least one HII region. Here we present Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys data of AGC 226067. The data show that AGC 226067 is made up of a ~7-30 Myr old stellar population with a [Fe/H]~-0.6. Further, there is no evidence for an old stellar population associated with the system, down to a limit of MV>-8. Based on this and the position of AGC 226067 in the outskirts of the M86 subgroup of the Virgo cluster we present various arguments for the origin of this strange stellar system.

Scuss u-Band Emission as a Star-Formation-Rate Indicator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhimin; Zhou, Xu; Wu, Hong; Fan, Xiao-Hui; Fan, Zhou; Jiang, Zhao-Ji; Jing, Yi-Peng; Li, Cheng; Lesser, Michael; Jiang, Lin-Hua; Ma, Jun; Nie, Jun-Dan; Shen, Shi-Yin; Wang, Jia-Li; Wu, Zhen-Yu; Zhang, Tian-Meng; Zou, Hu

2017-01-01

We present and analyze the possibility of using optical u-band luminosities to estimate star-formation rates (SFRs) of galaxies based on the data from the South Galactic Cap u band Sky Survey (SCUSS), which provides a deep u-band photometric survey covering about 5000 deg2 of the South Galactic Cap. Based on two samples of normal star-forming galaxies selected by the BPT diagram, we explore the correlations between u-band, Hα, and IR luminosities by combing SCUSS data with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The attenuation-corrected u-band luminosities are tightly correlated with the Balmer decrement-corrected Hα luminosities with an rms scatter of ˜0.17 dex. The IR-corrected u luminosities are derived based on the correlations between the attenuation of u-band luminosities and WISE 12 (or 22) μm luminosities, and then calibrated with the Balmer-corrected Hα luminosities. The systematic residuals of these calibrations are tested against the physical properties over the ranges covered by our sample objects. We find that the best-fitting nonlinear relations are better than the linear ones and recommended to be applied in the measurement of SFRs. The systematic deviations mainly come from the pollution of old stellar population and the effect of dust extinction; therefore, a more detailed analysis is needed in future work.

Isolated and companion young brown dwarfs in the taurus and chamaeleon molecular clouds

PubMed

Tamura; Itoh; Oasa; Nakajima

1998-11-06

Infrared imaging observations have detected a dozen faint young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Taurus and Chamaeleon molecular clouds whose near-infrared colors are similar to those of classical T Tauri stars (TTS). They are around four magnitudes fainter than low-luminosity YSOs in Taurus detected in earlier surveys and as much as eight magnitudes fainter than typical TTS. The extreme faintness of the objects and their lower luminosity relative to previously identified brown dwarfs in the Pleiades indicate that these faint YSOs are very young brown dwarfs on the order of 1 million years old.

Hubble Space Telescope Observations of M32: The Color-Magnitude Diagram

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grillmair, C. J.; Lauer, T. R.; Worthey, G.; Faber, S. M.; Freedman, W. L.; Madore, B. F.; Ajhar, E. A.; Baum, W. A.; Holtzman, J. A.; Lynds, C. R.;

NGST: Exploring the Fossil Record of Galaxy Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rich, R. Michael

1998-01-01

During this grant period the investigator has accomplished the following: developed and researched the science case for high resolution optical imaging with NGST (Next Generation Space Telescope); presented to the ASWG (Ad-Hoc Science Working Group) on the use of NGST to image and measure the proper motions of white dwarf stars that could account for the MACHO events toward the LMC (Large Magellanic Cloud); wrote proposals for the Design Reference Mission. Three proposals have been written on the following topics: Measuring the faint end of the white dwarf luminosity function to get an independent measure of the age of the oldest stars, measurement of the stellar luminosity function over the full range of age, abundance, and population type, and deep imaging of Local Group halos to measure the relative ages of the oldest stars in the Milky Way and other galaxies; he has introduced simulations of crowded field stellar photometry on a hypothetical population in the M31 halo. Using a physically correct luminosity function and a surface brightness of 24.5 mag/sq. arcsec, NGST imaging in 10 hours easily measures the turnoff and reaches 3 mags down the main sequence in the halo of M31; and has delivered talks at the NGST workshop in Liege, and at the meeting in Paris entitled "Connecting the Distant Universe with the Local Fossil Record".

The Rest-Frame Optical Luminosity Functions of Galaxies at 2<=z<=3.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchesini, D.; van Dokkum, P.; Quadri, R.; Rudnick, G.; Franx, M.; Lira, P.; Wuyts, S.; Gawiser, E.; Christlein, D.; Toft, S.

2007-02-01

We present the rest-frame optical (B, V, and R band) luminosity functions (LFs) of galaxies at 2<=z<=3.5, measured from a K-selected sample constructed from the deep NIR MUSYC, the ultradeep FIRES, and the GOODS-CDFS. This sample is unique for its combination of area and range of luminosities. The faint-end slopes of the LFs at z>2 are consistent with those at z~0. The characteristic magnitudes are significantly brighter than the local values (e.g., ~1.2 mag in the R band), while the measured values for Φ* are typically ~5 times smaller. The B-band luminosity density at z~2.3 is similar to the local value, and in the R band it is ~2 times smaller than the local value. We present the LF of distant red galaxies (DRGs), which we compare to that of non-DRGs. While DRGs and non-DRGs are characterized by similar LFs at the bright end, the faint-end slope of the non-DRG LF is much steeper than that of DRGs. The contribution of DRGs to the global densities down to the faintest probed luminosities is 14%-25% in number and 22%-33% in luminosity. From the derived rest-frame U-V colors and stellar population synthesis models, we estimate the mass-to-light ratios (M/L) of the different subsamples. The M/L ratios of DRGs are ~5 times higher (in the R and V bands) than those of non-DRGs. The global stellar mass density at 2<=z<=3.5 appears to be dominated by DRGs, whose contribution is of order ~60%-80% of the global value. Qualitatively similar results are obtained when the population is split by rest-frame U-V color instead of observed J-K color. Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. Also based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatories on Paranal, Chile as part of the ESO program 164.O-0612.

A Survey of Stellar Populations in Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanowsky, Aaron; Laine, Seppo; Pandya, Viraj; Brodie, Jean; Glaccum, Bill; van Dokkum, Pieter; Alabi, Busola; Cohen, Yotam; Danieli, Shany; Abraham, Bob; Martinez-Delgado, David; Greco, Johnny; Greene, Jenny

2018-05-01

Ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) are a recently identified, mysterious class of galaxies with luminosities like dwarfs, but sizes like giants. Quiescent UDGs are found in all environments from cluster to isolated, and intensive study has revealed three very distinctive sub-types: low surface brightness dwarfs, 'failed galaxies', and low-dark-matter UDGs. Following up on our recent, successful Spitzer pilot work to characterize the stellar populations (ages and metallicities) of UDGs, we propose a survey of 25 UDGs with a range of optical properties and environments, in order to understand the formation histories of different the different UDG sub-types.

O stars and Wolf-Rayet stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conti, Peter S.; Underhill, Anne B.; Jordan, Stuart (Editor); Thomas, Richard (Editor)

1988-01-01

Basic information is given about O and Wolf-Rayet stars indicating how these stars are defined and what their chief observable properties are. Part 2 of the volume discussed four related themes pertaining to the hottest and most luminous stars. Presented are: an observational overview of the spectroscopic classification and extrinsic properties of O and Wolf-Rayet stars; the intrinsic parameters of luminosity, effective temperature, mass, and composition of the stars, and a discussion of their viability; stellar wind properties; and the related issues concerning the efforts of stellar radiation and wind on the immediate interstellar environment are presented.

Accretion Disk Spectra of the Ultra-luminous X-ray Sources in Nearby Spiral Galaxies and Galactic Superluminal Jet Sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor); Ebisawa, Ken; Zycki, Piotr; Kubota, Aya; Mizuno, Tsunefumi; Watarai, Ken-ya

2003-01-01

Ultra-luminous Compact X-ray Sources (ULXs) in nearby spiral galaxies and Galactic superluminal jet sources share the common spectral characteristic that they have unusually high disk temperatures which cannot be explained in the framework of the standard optically thick accretion disk in the Schwarzschild metric. On the other hand, the standard accretion disk around the Kerr black hole might explain the observed high disk temperature, as the inner radius of the Kerr disk gets smaller and the disk temperature can be consequently higher. However, we point out that the observable Kerr disk spectra becomes significantly harder than Schwarzschild disk spectra only when the disk is highly inclined. This is because the emission from the innermost part of the accretion disk is Doppler-boosted for an edge-on Kerr disk, while hardly seen for a face-on disk. The Galactic superluminal jet sources are known to be highly inclined systems, thus their energy spectra may be explained with the standard Kerr disk with known black hole masses. For ULXs, on the other hand, the standard Kerr disk model seems implausible, since it is highly unlikely that their accretion disks are preferentially inclined, and, if edge-on Kerr disk model is applied, the black hole mass becomes unreasonably large (greater than or approximately equal to 300 Solar Mass). Instead, the slim disk (advection dominated optically thick disk) model is likely to explain the observed super- Eddington luminosities, hard energy spectra, and spectral variations of ULXs. We suggest that ULXs are accreting black holes with a few tens of solar mass, which is not unexpected from the standard stellar evolution scenario, and their X-ray emission is from the slim disk shining at super-Eddington luminosities.

The initial mass function and star formation law in the outer disc of NGC 2915

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruzzese, S. M.; Meurer, G. R.; Lagos, C. D. P.; Elson, E. C.; Werk, J. K.; Blakeslee, John P.; Ford, H.

2015-02-01

Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys/Wide Field Camera data we present the photometry and spatial distribution of resolved stellar populations in the outskirts of NGC 2915, a blue compact dwarf with an extended H I disc. These observations reveal an elliptical distribution of red giant branch stars, and a clumpy distribution of main-sequence stars that correlate with the H I gas distribution. We constrain the upper-end initial mass function (IMF) and determine the star formation law (SFL) in this field, using the observed main-sequence stars and an assumed constant star formation rate. Previously published Hα observations of the field, which show one faint H II region, are used to provide further constraints on the IMF. We find that the main-sequence luminosity function analysis alone results in a best-fitting IMF with a power-law slope α = -2.85 and upper-mass limit M_u = 60 M_{⊙}. However, if we assume that all Hα emission is confined to H II regions then the upper-mass limit is restricted to M_u ≲ 20 M_{⊙}. For the luminosity function fit to be correct, we have to discount the Hα observations implying significant diffuse ionized gas or escaping ionizing photons. Combining the HST photometry with H I imaging, we find the SFL has a power-law index N = 1.53 ± 0.21. Applying these results to the entire outer H I disc indicates that it contributes 11-28 per cent of the total recent star formation in NGC 2915, depending on whether the IMF is constant within the disc or varies from the centre to the outer region.

Starbursts in blue compact dwarf galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thuan, Trinh Xuan

1987-01-01

All the arguments for a bursting mode of star formation in blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCD) are summarized. It is shown that spectral synthesis of far-ultraviolet spectra of BCDs constitutes a powerful way to study the star formation history in these galaxies. BCD luminosity functions show jumps and discontinuities. These jumps act like fossil records of the star-forming bursts, aiding in the counting and dating of the bursts.

Convective penetration in a young sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratt, Jane; Baraffe, Isabelle; Goffrey, Tom; MUSIC developers group

2018-01-01

To interpret the high-quality data produced from recent space-missions it is necessary to study convection under realistic stellar conditions. We describe the multi-dimensional, time implicit, fully compressible, hydrodynamic, implicit large eddy simulation code MUSIC. We use MUSIC to study convection during an early stage in the evolution of our sun where the convection zone covers approximately half of the solar radius. This model of the young sun possesses a realistic stratification in density, temperature, and luminosity. We approach convection in a stellar context using extreme value theory and derive a new model for convective penetration, targeted for one-dimensional stellar evolution calculations. This model provides a scenario that can explain the observed lithium abundance in the sun and in solar-like stars at a range of ages.

Colour pairs for constraining the age and metallicity of stellar populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhongmu; Han, Zhanwen

2008-04-01

Using a widely used stellar-population synthesis model, we study the possibility of using pairs of AB system colours to break the well-known stellar age-metallicity degeneracy and to give constraints on two luminosity-weighted stellar-population parameters (age and metallicity). We present the relative age and metallicity sensitivities of the AB system colours that relate to the u,B,g,V,r,R,i, I,z,J,H and K bands, and we quantify the ability of various colour pairs to break the age-metallicity degeneracy. Our results suggest that a few pairs of colours can be used to constrain the above two stellar-population parameters. This will be very useful for exploring the stellar populations of distant galaxies. In detail, colour pairs [(r-K), (u-R)] and [(r-K), (u-r)] are shown to be the best pairs for estimating the luminosity-weighted stellar ages and metallicities of galaxies. They can constrain two stellar-population parameters on average with age uncertainties less than 3.89 Gyr and metallicity uncertainties less than 0.34 dex for typical colour uncertainties. The typical age uncertainties for young populations (age < 4.6 Gyr) and metal-rich populations (Z >= 0.001) are small (about 2.26 Gyr) while those for old populations (age >= 4.6 Gyr) and metal-poor populations (Z < 0.001) are much larger (about 6.88 Gyr). However, the metallicity uncertainties for metal-poor populations (about 0.0024) are much smaller than for other populations (about 0.015). Some other colour pairs can also possibly be used for constraining the two parameters. On the whole, the estimation of stellar-population parameters is likely to be reliable only for early-type galaxies with small colour errors and globular clusters, because such objects contain less dust. In fact, no galaxy is totally dust-free and early-type galaxies are also likely have some dust [e.g. E(B- V) ~ 0.05], which can change the stellar ages by about 2.5 Gyr and metallicities (Z) by about 0.015. When we compare the photometric estimates with previous spectroscopic estimates, we find some differences, especially when comparing the stellar ages determined by two methods. The differences mainly result from the young populations of galaxies. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain the absolute values of stellar ages and metallicities, but the results are useful for obtaining some relative values. In addition, our results suggest that colours relating to both UBVRIJHK and ugriz magnitudes are much better than either UBVRIJHK or ugriz colours for breaking the well-known degeneracy. The results also show that the stellar ages and metallicities of galaxies observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey can be estimated via photometry data. The data are available at the Centre de Données astronomiques de Strabourg (CDS) or on request to the authors. E-mail: zhongmu.li@gmail.com

The radio-far infrared correlation: Spiral and blue compact dwarf galaxies opposed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, U.; Wunderlich, E.

1987-01-01

The recently established correlation between radio continuum and far infrared emission in galaxies was further investigated by comparing normal spiral and blue compact dwarf galaxies. The puzzling result is that the ratio of radio to far infrared luminosity and its dispersion is the same for both samples, although their ratios of blue to far infrared luminosity, their radio spectral indices and their dust temperatures exhibit markedly different mean values and dispersions. This suggests that the amount of energy radiated in the two regimes is enhanced in the same way although the mechanisms responsible for the two components are rather different and complex. The fact that the blue light does not increase at the same proportion shows that both the radio and the far infrared emission are connected with the recent star formation history.

Puzzling accretion onto a black hole in the ultraluminous X-ray source M 101 ULX-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ji-Feng; Bregman, Joel N.; Bai, Yu; Justham, Stephen; Crowther, Paul

2013-11-01

There are two proposed explanations for ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) with luminosities in excess of 1039 erg s-1. They could be intermediate-mass black holes (more than 100-1,000 solar masses, ) radiating at sub-maximal (sub-Eddington) rates, as in Galactic black-hole X-ray binaries but with larger, cooler accretion disks. Alternatively, they could be stellar-mass black holes radiating at Eddington or super-Eddington rates. On its discovery, M 101 ULX-1 had a luminosity of 3 × 1039 erg s-1 and a supersoft thermal disk spectrum with an exceptionally low temperature--uncomplicated by photons energized by a corona of hot electrons--more consistent with the expected appearance of an accreting intermediate-mass black hole. Here we report optical spectroscopic monitoring of M 101 ULX-1. We confirm the previous suggestion that the system contains a Wolf-Rayet star, and reveal that the orbital period is 8.2 days. The black hole has a minimum mass of 5, and more probably a mass of 20-30, but we argue that it is very unlikely to be an intermediate-mass black hole. Therefore, its exceptionally soft spectra at high Eddington ratios violate the expectations for accretion onto stellar-mass black holes. Accretion must occur from captured stellar wind, which has hitherto been thought to be so inefficient that it could not power an ultraluminous source.

Augmentation of the IUE Ultraviolet Spectral Atlas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Chi-Chao

IUE is the only and last satellite which will support a survey program to record the ultraviolet spectrum of a large number of bright normal stars. It is important to have a library of high quality low dispersion spectra of sufficient number of stars that provide good coverage in spectral type and luminosity class. Such a library is invaluable for stellar population synthesis of galaxies, studying the nature of distant galaxies, establishing a UV spectral classification system, providing comparison stars for interstellar extinction studies and for peculiar objects or binary systems, studying the effects of temperature, gravity and metallicity on stellar UV spectra, and as a teaching aid. We propose to continue observations of normal stars in order to provide (1) a stellar library as complete as practical, which will be able to support astronomical research by the scientific community long into the future, and (2) a sufficient sample of stars to guard against variability and peculiarity, and to allow a finite range of temperature, gravity, and metallicity in a given spectral type-luminosity class combination. Our primary goal is to collect the data and make them available to the community immediately (without claiming the 6-month proprietary right). The data will be published in the IUE Newsletter as soon as practical, and the data will be prepared for distribution by the IUE Observatory and the NSSDC.

The first 62 AGN observed with SDSS-IV MaNGA - II: resolved stellar populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallmann, Nícolas Dullius; Riffel, Rogério; Storchi-Bergmann, Thaisa; Barboza Rembold, Sandro; Riffel, Rogemar A.; Schimoia, Jaderson; da Costa, Luiz Nicolaci; Ávila-Reese, Vladimir; Sanchez, Sebastian F.; Machado, Alice D.; Cirolini, Rafael; Ilha, Gabriele S.; do Nascimento, Janaína C.

2018-05-01

We present spatially resolved stellar population age maps, average radial profiles and gradients for the first 62 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) observed with SDSS-IV MaNGA to study the effects of the active nuclei on the star formation history of the host galaxies. These results, derived using the STARLIGHT code, are compared with a control sample of non-active galaxies matching the properties of the AGN hosts. We find that the fraction of young stellar populations (SP) in high-luminosity AGN is higher in the inner (R≤0.5 Re) regions when compared with the control sample; low-luminosity AGN, on the other hand, present very similar fractions of young stars to the control sample hosts for the entire studied range (1 Re). The fraction of intermediate age SP of the AGN hosts increases outwards, with a clear enhancement when compared with the control sample. The inner region of the galaxies (AGN and control galaxies) presents a dominant old SP, whose fraction decreases outwards. We also compare our results (differences between AGN and control galaxies) for the early and late-type hosts and find no significant differences. In summary, our results suggest that the most luminous AGN seems to have been triggered by a recent supply of gas that has also triggered recent star formation (t ≤ 40 Myrs) in the central region.

STELLAR MEMBERSHIP AND DUSTY DEBRIS DISKS IN THE {alpha} PERSEI CLUSTER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zuckerman, B.; Melis, Carl; Rhee, Joseph H.

2012-06-10

Because of its proximity to the Galactic plane, reliable identification of members of the {alpha} Persei cluster is often problematic. Based primarily on membership evaluations contained in six published papers, we constructed a mostly complete list of high-fidelity members of spectral type G and earlier that lie within 3 arc degrees of the cluster center. {alpha} Persei was the one nearby, rich, young open cluster not surveyed with the Spitzer Space Telescope. We examined the first and final data releases of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and found 11, or perhaps 12, {alpha} Per cluster members that have excess mid-infraredmore » emission above the stellar photosphere attributable to an orbiting dusty debris disk. The most unusual of these is V488 Per, a K-type star with an excess IR luminosity 16% (or more) of the stellar luminosity; this is a larger excess fraction than that of any other known dusty main-sequence star. Much of the dust that orbits V488 Per is at a temperature of {approx}800 K; if these grains radiate like blackbodies, then they lie only {approx}0.06 AU from the star. The dust is probably the aftermath of a collision of two planetary embryos or planets with small semimajor axes; such orbital radii are similar to those of many of the transiting planets discovered by the Kepler satellite.« less

The Final Helium Flash Object Sakurai: Photometric Behavior and Physical Characteristics.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duerbeck, Hilmar W.; Benetti, Stefano; Gautschy, Alfred; van Genderen, Arnout M.; Kemper, Ciska; Liller, William; Thomas, Tom

1997-10-01

Six-color broadband photometry of Sakurai's Object, a star that underwent a final helium flash in late 1994, has been carried out since 1996 February. The light curves show that Sakurai's Object is continuously cooling while it slowly expands and slightly increases its luminosity. The distance is estimated to be 8 kpc, the interstellar extinction EB-V=0.53, and the luminosity in early 1997 is 10 000Lsun. The high luminosity indicates that the white dwarf is quite massive. With the assumption of a slightly accelerated photospheric expansion a realistic description of the outburst light curve is achieved. Superimposed on the gradual brightness changes are variations with amplitudes of up to 0.1 mag and cycle lengths of 63, 23, 14, and 8 days. In spite of the fact that no persistent periodicities could be detected, pulsational studies show that such cyclic changes can be used to constrain stellar parameters such as mass, luminosity, and chemical abundances.

Collapsar γ-ray bursts: how the luminosity function dictates the duration distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petropoulou, Maria; Barniol Duran, Rodolfo; Giannios, Dimitrios

2017-12-01

Jets in long-duration γ-ray bursts (GRBs) have to drill through the collapsing star in order to break out of it and produce the γ-ray signal while the central engine is still active. If the breakout time is shorter for more powerful engines, then the jet-collapsar interaction acts as a filter of less luminous jets. We show that the observed broken power-law GRB luminosity function is a natural outcome of this process. For a theoretically motivated breakout time that scales with jet luminosity as L-χ with χ ∼ 1/3-1/2, we show that the shape of the γ-ray duration distribution can be uniquely determined by the GRB luminosity function and matches the observed one. This analysis has also interesting implications about the supernova-central engine connection. We show that not only successful jets can deposit sufficient energy in the stellar envelope to power the GRB-associated supernovae, but also failed jets may operate in all Type Ib/c supernovae.

Molecular gas properties of a lensed star-forming galaxy at z 3.6: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dessauges-Zavadsky, M.; Zamojski, M.; Rujopakarn, W.; Richard, J.; Sklias, P.; Schaerer, D.; Combes, F.; Ebeling, H.; Rawle, T. D.; Egami, E.; Boone, F.; Clément, B.; Kneib, J.-P.; Nyland, K.; Walth, G.

2017-09-01

We report on the galaxy MACSJ0032-arc at zCO = 3.6314 discovered during the Herschel Lensing snapshot Survey of massive galaxy clusters, and strongly lensed by the cluster MACS J0032.1+1808. The successful detections of its rest-frame ultraviolet (UV), optical, far-infrared (FIR), millimeter, and radio continua, and of its CO emission enable us to characterize, for the first time at such a high redshift, the stellar, dust, and molecular gas properties of a compact star-forming galaxy with a size smaller than 2.5 kpc, a fairly low stellar mass of 4.8+ 0.5-1.0 × 109M⊙, and a moderate IR luminosity of 4.8+ 1.2-0.6 × 1011L⊙. By combining the stretching effect of the lens with the high angular resolution imaging of the CO(1-0) line emission and the radio continuum at 5 GHz, we find that the bulk of the molecular gas mass and star formation seems to be spatially decoupled from the rest-frame UV emission. About 90% of the total star formation rate is undetected at rest-frame UV wavelengths because of severe obscuration by dust, but is seen through the thermal FIR dust emission and the radio synchrotron radiation. The observed CO(4-3) and CO(6-5) lines demonstrate that high-J transitions, at least up to J = 6, remain excited in this galaxy, whose CO spectral line energy distribution resembles that of high-redshift submm galaxies, even though the IR luminosity of MACSJ0032-arc is ten times lower. This high CO excitation is possibly due to the compactness of the galaxy. We find evidence that this high CO excitation has to be considered in the balance when estimating the CO-to-H2 conversion factor. Indeed, the respective CO-to-H2 conversion factors as derived from the correlation with metallicity and the FIR dust continuum can only be reconciled if excitation is accounted for. The inferred depletion time of the molecular gas in MACSJ0032-arc supports the decrease in the gas depletion timescale of galaxies with redshift, although to a lesser degree than predicted by galaxy evolution models. Instead, the measured molecular gas fraction as high as 60-79% in MACSJ0032-arc favors the continued increase in the gas fraction of galaxies with redshift as expected, despite the plateau observed between z 1.5 and z 2.5. Based on observations carried out with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer, the IRAM 30 m telescope, and the NRAO Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. The Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) is supported by CNRS/INSU (France), the MPG (Germany), and the IGN (Spain). The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Periastron shifts of stellar orbits near the Galactic Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubilar, G. F.; Eckart, A.

2001-07-01

The presence of a 2.9+/-0.4 million solar mass object in the central stellar cluster of the Milky Way has recently been demonstrated via measurements of the stellar proper motions and radial velocities. This mass is located at the position of the compact radio source Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) at a distance of Ro=8.0 kpc and is most likely present in the form of a massive black hole (BH). Some of the stars have a projected distance to Sgr A* of <=0.005 pc and have proper motion velocities of up to 1400 km s-1. Recent measurements indicate that their orbits show significant curvatures indicating that the stars indeed orbit the central compact object. Detailed measurements of the stellar orbits close to Sgr A* will allow us to precisely determine the distribution of this mass. With an increased point source sensitivity due to the combination of large telescope apertures, adaptive optics, and - in the very near future - NIR interferometry it is likely that stars with orbital time scales of the order of one year will be detected. Theses sources, however, will most likely not be on simple Keplerian orbits. The effects of measurable prograde relativistic and retrograde Newtonian periastron shifts will result in rosetta shaped orbits. A substantial Newtonian periastron rotation can already be expected if only a few percent of the central mass are extended. We discuss the conditions under which an extended mass can (over-) compensate the relativistic periastron shift. We also demonstrate that measuring a single periastron shift is not sufficient to determine the distribution of an extended mass component. A periastron shift will allow us to determine the inclination of the stellar orbits and to derive inclination corrected shift values. These have to be acquired for three stars on orbits with different energy or angular momentum in order to unambiguously solve for the compactness, extent and shape of any extended mass contribution.

Confronting Models of Massive Star Evolution and Explosions with Remnant Mass Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raithel, Carolyn A.; Sukhbold, Tuguldur; Özel, Feryal

2018-03-01

The mass distribution of compact objects provides a fossil record that can be studied to uncover information on the late stages of massive star evolution, the supernova explosion mechanism, and the dense matter equation of state. Observations of neutron star masses indicate a bimodal Gaussian distribution, while the observed black hole mass distribution decays exponentially for stellar-mass black holes. We use these observed distributions to directly confront the predictions of stellar evolution models and the neutrino-driven supernova simulations of Sukhbold et al. We find strong agreement between the black hole and low-mass neutron star distributions created by these simulations and the observations. We show that a large fraction of the stellar envelope must be ejected, either during the formation of stellar-mass black holes or prior to the implosion through tidal stripping due to a binary companion, in order to reproduce the observed black hole mass distribution. We also determine the origins of the bimodal peaks of the neutron star mass distribution, finding that the low-mass peak (centered at ∼1.4 M ⊙) originates from progenitors with M ZAMS ≈ 9–18 M ⊙. The simulations fail to reproduce the observed peak of high-mass neutron stars (centered at ∼1.8 M ⊙) and we explore several possible explanations. We argue that the close agreement between the observed and predicted black hole and low-mass neutron star mass distributions provides new, promising evidence that these stellar evolution and explosion models capture the majority of relevant stellar, nuclear, and explosion physics involved in the formation of compact objects.

The Close Stellar Companions to Intermediate-mass Black Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacLeod, Morgan; Trenti, Michele; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico

2016-03-01

When embedded in dense cluster cores, intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) acquire close stellar or stellar-remnant companions. These companions are not only gravitationally bound, but also tend to hierarchically isolate from other cluster stars through series of multibody encounters. In this paper we study the demographics of IMBH companions in compact star clusters through direct N-body simulations. We study clusters initially composed of 105 or 2 × 105 stars with IMBHs of 75 and 150 solar masses, and we follow their evolution for 6-10 Gyr. A tight, innermost binary pair of IMBH and stellar object rapidly forms. The IMBH has a companion with an orbital semimajor axis at least three times tighter than the second-most-bound object over 90% of the time. These companionships have typical periods on the order of years and are subject to cycles of exchange and destruction. The most frequently observed, long-lived pairings persist for ˜107 years. The demographics of IMBH companions in clusters are diverse: they include both main-sequence, giant stars and stellar remnants. Companion objects may reveal the presence of an IMBH in a cluster in one of several ways. The most-bound companion stars routinely suffer grazing tidal interactions with the IMBH, offering a dynamical mechanism to produce repeated flaring episodes like those seen in the IMBH candidate HLX-1. The stellar winds of companion stars provide a minimum quiescent accretion rate for IMBHs, with implications for radio searches for IMBH accretion in globular clusters. Finally, gravitational wave inspirals of compact objects occur with promising frequency.

Simulating the assembly of galaxies at redshifts z = 6-12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dayal, Pratika; Dunlop, James S.; Maio, Umberto; Ciardi, Benedetta

2013-09-01

We use state-of-the-art simulations to explore the physical evolution of galaxies in the first billion years of cosmic time. First, we demonstrate that our model reproduces the basic statistical properties of the observed Lyman-break galaxy (LBG) population at z = 6-8, including the evolving ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function (LF), the stellar mass density (SMD) and the average specific star-formation rates (sSFRs) of LBGs with MUV < -18 (AB mag). Encouraged by this success we present predictions for the behaviour of fainter LBGs extending down to MUV ≃ -15 (as will be probed with the James Webb Space Telescope) and have interrogated our simulations to try to gain insight into the physical drivers of the observed population evolution. We find that mass growth due to star formation in the mass-dominant progenitor builds up about 90 per cent of the total z ˜ 6 LBG stellar mass, dominating over the mass contributed by merging throughout this era. Our simulation suggests that the apparent `luminosity evolution' depends on the luminosity range probed: the steady brightening of the bright end of the LF is driven primarily by genuine physical luminosity evolution and arises due to a fairly steady increase in the UV luminosity (and hence star-formation rates) in the most massive LBGs; for example the progenitors of the z ≃ 6 galaxies with MUV < -18.5 comprised ≃90 per cent of the galaxies with MUV < -18 at z ≃ 7 and ≃75 per cent at z ≃ 8. However, at fainter luminosities the situation is more complex, due in part to the more stochastic star-formation histories of lower mass objects; the progenitors of a significant fraction of z ≃ 6 LBGs with MUV > -18 were in fact brighter at z ≃ 7 (and even at z ≃ 8) despite obviously being less massive at earlier times. At this end, the evolution of the UV LF involves a mix of positive and negative luminosity evolution (as low-mass galaxies temporarily brighten and then fade) coupled with both positive and negative density evolution (as new low-mass galaxies form, and other low-mass galaxies are consumed by merging). We also predict that the average sSFR of LBGs should rise from sSFR ≃ 4.5 Gyr- 1 at z ≃ 6 to sSFR ≃ 11 Gyr- 1 by z ≃ 9.

sunstardb: A Database for the Study of Stellar Magnetism and the Solar-stellar Connection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egeland, Ricky

2018-05-01

The “solar-stellar connection” began as a relatively small field of research focused on understanding the processes that generate magnetic fields in stars and sometimes lead to a cyclic pattern of long-term variability in activity, as demonstrated by our Sun. This area of study has recently become more broadly pertinent to questions of exoplanet habitability and exo-space weather, as well as stellar evolution. In contrast to other areas of stellar research, individual stars in the solar-stellar connection often have a distinct identity and character in the literature, due primarily to the rarity of the decades-long time-series that are necessary for studying stellar activity cycles. Furthermore, the underlying stellar dynamo is not well understood theoretically, and is thought to be sensitive to several stellar properties, e.g., luminosity, differential rotation, and the depth of the convection zone, which in turn are often parameterized by other more readily available properties. Relevant observations are scattered throughout the literature and existing stellar databases, and consolidating information for new studies is a tedious and laborious exercise. To accelerate research in this area I developed sunstardb, a relational database of stellar properties and magnetic activity proxy time-series keyed by individual named stars. The organization of the data eliminates the need for the problematic catalog cross-matching operations inherent when building an analysis data set from heterogeneous sources. In this article I describe the principles behind sunstardb, the data structures and programming interfaces, as well as use cases from solar-stellar connection research.

Stellar Populations in the Central 0.5 pc of the Galaxy. I. A New Method for Constructing Luminosity Functions and Surface-density Profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Do, T.; Lu, J. R.; Ghez, A. M.; Morris, M. R.; Yelda, S.; Martinez, G. D.; Wright, S. A.; Matthews, K.

2013-02-01

We present new high angular resolution near-infrared spectroscopic observations of the nuclear star cluster surrounding the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole. Using the integral-field spectrograph OSIRIS on Keck II behind the laser-guide-star adaptive optics system, this spectroscopic survey enables us to separate early-type (young, 4-6 Myr) and late-type (old, >1 Gyr) stars with a completeness of 50% down to K' = 15.5 mag, which corresponds to ~10 M ⊙ for the early-type stars. This work increases the radial extent of reported OSIRIS/Keck measurements by more than a factor of three from 4'' to 14'' (0.16 to 0.56 pc), along the projected disk of young stars. For our analysis, we implement a new method of completeness correction using a combination of star-planting simulations and Bayesian inference. We assign probabilities for the spectral type of every source detected in deep imaging down to K' = 15.5 mag using information from spectra, simulations, number counts, and the distribution of stars. The inferred radial surface-density profiles, Σ(R)vpropR -Γ, for the young stars and late-type giants are consistent with earlier results (Γearly = 0.93 ± 0.09, Γlate = 0.16 ± 0.07). The late-type surface-density profile is approximately flat out to the edge of the survey. While the late-type stellar luminosity function is consistent with the Galactic bulge, the completeness-corrected luminosity function of the early-type stars has significantly more young stars at faint magnitudes compared with previous surveys with similar depth. This luminosity function indicates that the corresponding mass function of the young stars is likely less top-heavy than that inferred from previous surveys.

Palomar 13: An Unusual Stellar System in the Galactic Halo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Côté, Patrick; Djorgovski, S. G.; Meylan, G.; Castro, Sandra; McCarthy, J. K.

2002-08-01

We report the first results of a program to study the internal kinematics of globular clusters in the outer halo of the Milky Way. Using the Keck telescope and High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer, we have measured precise radial velocities for 30 candidate red giants in the direction of Palomar 13, an object traditionally cataloged as a compact, low-luminosity globular cluster. We have combined these radial velocities with published proper motion membership probabilities and new CCD photometry from the Keck and Canada-France-Hawaii telescopes to isolate a sample of 21 probable members. We find a systemic velocity of s=24.1+/-0.5 km s-1 and a projected, intrinsic velocity dispersion of σp=2.2+/-0.4 km s-1. Although modest, this dispersion is nevertheless several times larger than that expected for a globular cluster of this luminosity and central concentration. Taken at face value, it implies a mass-to-light ratio of ΥV=40+24-17 based on the best-fit King-Michie model. The surface density profile of Palomar 13 also appears unusual compared to most Galactic globular clusters; depending upon the details of background subtraction and model-fitting, Palomar 13 either contains a substantial population of ``extratidal'' stars, or is considerably more spatially extended than previously suspected. The full surface density profile is equally well fitted by a King-Michie model having a high concentration and large tidal radius, or by a Navarro-Frenk-White model. We examine-and tentatively reject-a number of possible origins for the observed characteristics of Palomar 13 (e.g., velocity ``jitter'' among the red giant branch stars, spectroscopic binary stars, nonstandard mass functions, modified Newtonian dynamics) and conclude that the two leading explanations are either catastrophic heating during a recent perigalacticon passage or the presence of a dark matter halo. The available evidence therefore suggests that Palomar 13 is either a globular cluster that is now in the process of dissolving into the Galactic halo or a faint, dark matter-dominated stellar system. Based on data obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and NASA, and was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Estimating precise metallicity and stellar mass evolution of galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosby, Gregory

2018-01-01

The evolution of galaxies can be conveniently broken down into the evolution of their contents. The changing dust, gas, and stellar content in addition to the changing dark matter potential and periodic feedback from a super-massive blackhole are some of the key ingredients. We focus on the stellar content that can be observed, as the stars reflect information about the galaxy when they were formed. We approximate the stellar content and star formation histories of unresolved galaxies using stellar population modeling. Though simplistic, this approach allows us to reconstruct the star formation histories of galaxies that can be used to test models of galaxy formation and evolution. These models, however, suffer from degeneracies at large lookback times (t > 1 Gyr) as red, low luminosity stars begin to dominate a galaxy’s spectrum. Additionally, degeneracies between stellar populations at different ages and metallicities often make stellar population modeling less precise. The machine learning technique diffusion k-means has been shown to increase the precision in stellar population modeling using a mono-metallicity basis set. However, as galaxies evolve, we expect the metallicity of stellar populations to vary. We use diffusion k-means to generate a multi-metallicity basis set to estimate the stellar mass and chemical evolution of unresolved galaxies. Two basis sets are formed from the Bruzual & Charlot 2003 and MILES stellar population models. We then compare the accuracy and precision of these models in recovering complete (stellar mass and metallicity) histories of mock data. Similarities in the groupings of stellar population spectra in the diffusion maps for each metallicity hint at fundamental age transitions common to both basis sets that can be used to identify stellar populations in a given age range.

Winds in hot main-sequence stars near the static limit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, Nancy D.

1995-01-01

This project began with the acquisition of short-wavelength, high-dispersion IUE spectra of selected late O- and early B-type stars that are near the main sequence in open clusters and associations. The profiles of the resonance lines of N(V), Si(IV), and C(IV) were studied, and we found that the C(IV) lines are the most sensitive indicators of mass loss (stellar winds) in stars of this type. The mass loss manifests itself as an extension of the short-wavelength absorption wing of the doublet, while there is no P Cygni-type emission on the long-wavelength side of the line profile. We investigated whether the short-wavelength extension could be caused by blended lines of other ionic species formed in the photosphere. Although blending is present and introduces uncertainty into the estimation of the precise location on the main sequence of the onset of the mass-loss signature, it is a crucial issue only in a few marginal cases. Mass loss certainly overwhelms blending in its influence on the spectrum between spectral types B0 and B1 (effective temperatures in the range 25,000-27,000 K). We defined a parameter called P(sub w), to describe the degree of asymmetry of the C(IV) resonance-line profile, and we studied the dependence of this parameter on the fundamental stellar parameters. For this purpose, we derived new estimates of the stellar T(eff) and log g from a non-LTE, line-blanketed model-atmosphere analysis of these stars (Grigsby, Morrison, and Anderson 1992). In order to estimate the stellar luminosities, we performed an exhaustive search of the literature for the most reliable available estimates of the distances of the clusters and associations to which the program stars belong. The dependence of P(sub w) on stellar temperature and luminosity is also studied.

Black Hole and Galaxy Coevolution from Continuity Equation and Abundance Matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aversa, R.; Lapi, A.; de Zotti, G.; Shankar, F.; Danese, L.

2015-09-01

We investigate the coevolution of galaxies and hosted supermassive black holes (BHs) throughout the history of the universe by a statistical approach based on the continuity equation and the abundance matching technique. Specifically, we present analytical solutions of the continuity equation without source terms to reconstruct the supermassive BH mass function from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) luminosity functions. Such an approach includes physically motivated AGN light curves tested on independent data sets, which describe the evolution of the Eddington ratio and radiative efficiency from slim- to thin-disk conditions. We nicely reproduce the local estimates of the BH mass function, the AGN duty cycle as a function of mass and redshift, along with the Eddington ratio function and the fraction of galaxies with given stellar mass hosting an AGN with given Eddington ratio. We exploit the same approach to reconstruct the observed stellar mass function at different redshift from the ultraviolet and far-IR luminosity functions associated with star formation in galaxies. These results imply that the build-up of stars and BHs in galaxies occurs via in situ processes, with dry mergers playing a marginal role at least for stellar masses ≲ 3× {10}11 {M}⊙ and BH masses ≲ {10}9 {M}⊙ , where the statistical data are more secure and less biased by systematic errors. In addition, we develop an improved abundance matching technique to link the stellar and BH content of galaxies to the gravitationally dominant dark matter (DM) component. The resulting relationships constitute a testbed for galaxy evolution models, highlighting the complementary role of stellar and AGN feedback in the star formation process. In addition, they may be operationally implemented in numerical simulations to populate DM halos or to gauge subgrid physics. Moreover, they may be exploited to investigate the galaxy/AGN clustering as a function of redshift, mass, and/or luminosity. In fact, the clustering properties of BHs and galaxies are found to be in full agreement with current observations, thus further validating our results from the continuity equation. Finally, our analysis highlights that (i) the fraction of AGNs observed in the slim-disk regime, where most of the BH mass is accreted, increases with redshift; and (ii) already at z≳ 6 a substantial amount of dust must have formed over timescales ≲ {10}8 yr in strongly star-forming galaxies, making these sources well within the reach of ALMA surveys in (sub)millimeter bands.

The Herschel Virgo Cluster Survey. XIX. Physical properties of low luminosity FIR sources at z < 0.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pappalardo, Ciro; Bizzocchi, Luca; Fritz, Jacopo; Boselli, Alessandro; Boquien, Mederic; Boissier, Samuel; Baes, Maarten; Ciesla, Laure; Bianchi, Simone; Clemens, Marcel; Viaene, Sebastien; Bendo, George J.; De Looze, Ilse; Smith, Matthew W. L.; Davies, Jonathan

2016-05-01

Context. The star formation rate is a crucial parameter for the investigation galaxy evolution. At low redshift the cosmic star formation rate density declines smoothly, and massive active galaxies become passive, reducing their star formation activity. This implies that the bulk of the star formation rate density at low redshift is mainly driven by low mass objects. Aims: We investigate the properties of a sample of low luminosity far-infrared sources selected at 250 μm. We have collected data from ultraviolet to far-infrared in order to perform a multiwavelengths analysis. The main goal is to investigate the correlation between star formation rate, stellar mass, and dust mass for a galaxy population with a wide range in dust content and stellar mass, including the low mass regime that most probably dominates the star formation rate density at low redshift. Methods: We define a main sample of ~800 sources with full spectral energy distribution coverage between 0.15 <λ< 500 μm and an extended sample with ~5000 sources in which we remove the constraints on the ultraviolet and near-infrared bands. We analyze both samples with two different spectral energy distribution fitting methods: MAGPHYS and CIGALE, which interpret a galaxy spectral energy distribution as a combination of different simple stellar population libraries and dust emission templates. Results: In the star formation rate versus stellar mass plane our samples occupy a region included between local spirals and higher redshift star forming galaxies. These galaxies represent the population that at z< 0.5 quenches their star formation activity and reduces their contribution to the cosmic star formation rate density. The subsample of galaxies with the higher masses (M∗> 3 × 1010 M⊙) do not lie on the main sequence, but show a small offset as a consequence of the decreased star formation. Low mass galaxies (M∗< 1 × 1010 M⊙) settle in the main sequence with star formation rate and stellar mass consistent with local spirals. Conclusions: Deep Herschel data allow the identification of a mixed galaxy population with galaxies still in an assembly phase or galaxies at the beginning of their passive evolution. We find that the dust luminosity is the parameter that allow us to discriminate between these two galaxy populations. The median spectral energy distribution shows that even at low star formation rate our galaxy sample has a higher mid-infrared emission than previously predicted. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by a European-led principal investigator consortia and with an important participation from NASA.

The AU Mic Debris Disk: Far-infrared and Submillimeter Resolved Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthews, Brenda C.; Kennedy, Grant; Sibthorpe, Bruce; Holland, Wayne; Booth, Mark; Kalas, Paul; MacGregor, Meredith; Wilner, David; Vandenbussche, Bart; Olofsson, Göran; Blommaert, Joris; Brandeker, Alexis; Dent, W. R. F.; de Vries, Bernard L.; Di Francesco, James; Fridlund, Malcolm; Graham, James R.; Greaves, Jane; Heras, Ana M.; Hogerheijde, Michiel; Ivison, R. J.; Pantin, Eric; Pilbratt, Göran L.

2015-10-01

We present far-infrared and submillimeter maps from the Herschel Space Observatory and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope of the debris disk host star AU Microscopii. Disk emission is detected at 70, 160, 250, 350, 450, 500, and 850 μm. The disk is resolved at 70, 160, and 450 μm. In addition to the planetesimal belt, we detect thermal emission from AU Mic’s halo for the first time. In contrast to the scattered light images, no asymmetries are evident in the disk. The fractional luminosity of the disk is 3.9× {10}-4 and its milimeter-grain dust mass is 0.01 {M}\\oplus (±20%). We create a simple spatial model that reconciles the disk spectral energy distribution as a blackbody of 53 ± 2 K (a composite of 39 and 50 K components) and the presence of small (non-blackbody) grains which populate the extended halo. The best-fit model is consistent with the “birth ring” model explored in earlier works, i.e., an edge-on dust belt extending from 8.8 to 40 AU, but with an additional halo component with an {r}-1.5 surface density profile extending to the limits of sensitivity (140 AU). We confirm that AU Mic does not exert enough radiation force to blow out grains. For stellar mass-loss rates of 10-100 times solar, compact (zero porosity) grains can only be removed if they are very small; consistently with previous work, if the porosity is 0.9, then grains approaching 0.1 μm can be removed via corpuscular forces (i.e., the stellar wind).

The H i Chronicles of LITTLE THINGS BCDs. III. Gas Clouds in and around Mrk 178, VII Zw 403, and NGC 3738

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ashley, Trisha; Simpson, Caroline E.; Pokhrel, Nau Raj

In most blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies, it remains unclear what triggers their bursts of star formation. We study the H i of three relatively isolated BCDs, Mrk 178, VII Zw 403, and NGC 3738, in detail to look for signatures of star formation triggers, such as gas cloud consumption, dwarf–dwarf mergers, and interactions with companions. High angular and velocity resolution atomic hydrogen (H i) data from the Very Large Array (VLA) dwarf galaxy H i survey, Local Irregulars That Trace Luminosity Extremes, The H i Nearby Galaxy Survey (LITTLE THINGS), allow us to study the detailed kinematics and morphologiesmore » of the BCDs in H i. We also present high-sensitivity H i maps from the NRAO Green Bank Telescope (GBT) of each BCD to search their surrounding regions for extended tenuous emission or companions. The GBT data do not show any distinct galaxies obviously interacting with the BCDs. The VLA data indicate several possible star formation triggers in these BCDs. Mrk 178 likely has a gas cloud impacting the southeast end of its disk or it is experiencing ram pressure stripping. VII Zw 403 has a large gas cloud in its foreground or background that shows evidence of accreting onto the disk. NGC 3738 has several possible explanations for its stellar morphology and H i morphology and kinematics: an advanced merger, strong stellar feedback, or ram pressure stripping. Although apparently isolated, the H i data of all three BCDs indicate that they may be interacting with their environments, which could be triggering their bursts of star formation.« less

The MUSE view of QSO PG 1307+085: an elliptical galaxy on the MBH-σ* relation interacting with its group environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husemann, B.; Bennert, V. N.; Scharwächter, J.; Woo, J.-H.; Choudhury, O. S.

2016-01-01

We report deep optical integral-field spectroscopy with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) at the Very Large Telescope of the luminous radio-quiet quasi-stellar object (QSO) PG 1307+085 obtained during commissioning. Given the high sensitivity and spatial resolution delivered by MUSE, we are able to resolve the compact (re ˜ 1.3 arcsec) elliptical host galaxy. After spectroscopic deblending of the QSO and host galaxy emission, we infer a stellar velocity dispersion of σ* = 155 ± 19 km s-1. This places PG 1307+085 on the local MBH-σ* relation within its intrinsic scatter but offset towards a higher black hole mass with respect to the mean relation. The MUSE observations reveal a large extended narrow-line region (ENLR) around PG 1307+085 reaching out to ˜30 kpc. In addition, we detect a faint ionized gas bridge towards the most massive galaxy of the galaxy group at 50 kpc distance. The ionized gas kinematics does not show any evidence for gas outflows on kpc scales despite the high QSO luminosity of Lbol > 1046 erg s-1. Based on the ionized gas distribution, kinematics and metallicity we discuss the origin of the ENLR with respect to its group environments including minor mergers, ram-pressure stripping or gas accretion as the likely scenarios. We conclude that PG 1307+085 is a normal elliptical host in terms of the scaling relations, but that the gas is likely affected by the environment through gravity or ambient pressure. It is possible that the interaction with the environment, seen in the ionized gas, might be responsible for driving sufficient gas to the black hole.

The Hi-GAL compact source catalogue - I. The physical properties of the clumps in the inner Galaxy (-71.0° < ℓ < 67.0°)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elia, Davide; Molinari, S.; Schisano, E.; Pestalozzi, M.; Pezzuto, S.; Merello, M.; Noriega-Crespo, A.; Moore, T. J. T.; Russeil, D.; Mottram, J. C.; Paladini, R.; Strafella, F.; Benedettini, M.; Bernard, J. P.; Di Giorgio, A.; Eden, D. J.; Fukui, Y.; Plume, R.; Bally, J.; Martin, P. G.; Ragan, S. E.; Jaffa, S. E.; Motte, F.; Olmi, L.; Schneider, N.; Testi, L.; Wyrowski, F.; Zavagno, A.; Calzoletti, L.; Faustini, F.; Natoli, P.; Palmeirim, P.; Piacentini, F.; Piazzo, L.; Pilbratt, G. L.; Polychroni, D.; Baldeschi, A.; Beltrán, M. T.; Billot, N.; Cambrésy, L.; Cesaroni, R.; García-Lario, P.; Hoare, M. G.; Huang, M.; Joncas, G.; Liu, S. J.; Maiolo, B. M. T.; Marsh, K. A.; Maruccia, Y.; Mège, P.; Peretto, N.; Rygl, K. L. J.; Schilke, P.; Thompson, M. A.; Traficante, A.; Umana, G.; Veneziani, M.; Ward-Thompson, D.; Whitworth, A. P.; Arab, H.; Bandieramonte, M.; Becciani, U.; Brescia, M.; Buemi, C.; Bufano, F.; Butora, R.; Cavuoti, S.; Costa, A.; Fiorellino, E.; Hajnal, A.; Hayakawa, T.; Kacsuk, P.; Leto, P.; Li Causi, G.; Marchili, N.; Martinavarro-Armengol, S.; Mercurio, A.; Molinaro, M.; Riccio, G.; Sano, H.; Sciacca, E.; Tachihara, K.; Torii, K.; Trigilio, C.; Vitello, F.; Yamamoto, H.

2017-10-01

Hi-GAL (Herschel InfraRed Galactic Plane Survey) is a large-scale survey of the Galactic plane, performed with Herschel in five infrared continuum bands between 70 and 500 μm. We present a band-merged catalogue of spatially matched sources and their properties derived from fits to the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and heliocentric distances, based on the photometric catalogues presented in Molinari et al., covering the portion of Galactic plane -71.0° < ℓ < 67.0°. The band-merged catalogue contains 100 922 sources with a regular SED, 24 584 of which show a 70-μm counterpart and are thus considered protostellar, while the remainder are considered starless. Thanks to this huge number of sources, we are able to carry out a preliminary analysis of early stages of star formation, identifying the conditions that characterize different evolutionary phases on a statistically significant basis. We calculate surface densities to investigate the gravitational stability of clumps and their potential to form massive stars. We also explore evolutionary status metrics such as the dust temperature, luminosity and bolometric temperature, finding that these are higher in protostellar sources compared to pre-stellar ones. The surface density of sources follows an increasing trend as they evolve from pre-stellar to protostellar, but then it is found to decrease again in the majority of the most evolved clumps. Finally, we study the physical parameters of sources with respect to Galactic longitude and the association with spiral arms, finding only minor or no differences between the average evolutionary status of sources in the fourth and first Galactic quadrants, or between 'on-arm' and 'interarm' positions.

The HI Chronicles of LITTLE THINGS BCDs. III. Gas Clouds in and around Mrk 178, VII Zw 403, and NGC 3738

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashley, Trisha; Simpson, Caroline E.; Elmegreen, Bruce G.; Johnson, Megan; Pokhrel, Nau Raj

2017-03-01

In most blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies, it remains unclear what triggers their bursts of star formation. We study the H I of three relatively isolated BCDs, Mrk 178, VII Zw 403, and NGC 3738, in detail to look for signatures of star formation triggers, such as gas cloud consumption, dwarf-dwarf mergers, and interactions with companions. High angular and velocity resolution atomic hydrogen (H I) data from the Very Large Array (VLA) dwarf galaxy H I survey, Local Irregulars That Trace Luminosity Extremes, The H I Nearby Galaxy Survey (LITTLE THINGS), allow us to study the detailed kinematics and morphologies of the BCDs in H I. We also present high-sensitivity H I maps from the NRAO Green Bank Telescope (GBT) of each BCD to search their surrounding regions for extended tenuous emission or companions. The GBT data do not show any distinct galaxies obviously interacting with the BCDs. The VLA data indicate several possible star formation triggers in these BCDs. Mrk 178 likely has a gas cloud impacting the southeast end of its disk or it is experiencing ram pressure stripping. VII Zw 403 has a large gas cloud in its foreground or background that shows evidence of accreting onto the disk. NGC 3738 has several possible explanations for its stellar morphology and H I morphology and kinematics: an advanced merger, strong stellar feedback, or ram pressure stripping. Although apparently isolated, the H I data of all three BCDs indicate that they may be interacting with their environments, which could be triggering their bursts of star formation.

Constraints on core collapse from the black hole mass function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochanek, C. S.

2015-01-01

We model the observed black hole mass function under the assumption that black hole formation is controlled by the compactness of the stellar core at the time of collapse. Low-compactness stars are more likely to explode as supernovae and produce neutron stars, while high-compactness stars are more likely to be failed supernovae that produce black holes with the mass of the helium core of the star. Using three sequences of stellar models and marginalizing over a model for the completeness of the black hole mass function, we find that the compactness ξ2.5 above which 50% of core collapses produce black holes is ξ _{2.5}^{50%}=0.24 (0.15 < ξ _{2.5}^{50%} < 0.37 at 90% confidence). The models also predict that f = 0.18 (0.09 < f < 0.39) of core collapses fail. We tested four other criteria for black hole formation based on ξ2.0 and ξ3.0, the compactnesses at enclosed masses of 2.0 or 3.0 rather than 2.5 M⊙, the mass of the iron core MFe, and the mass inside the oxygen burning shell MO. We found that ξ2.0 works as well as ξ2.5, while ξ3.0, MFe and MO are significantly worse. As expected from the high compactness of 20-25 M⊙ stars, black hole formation in this mass range provides a natural explanation of the red supergiant problem.

Radio and infrared properties of young stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Panagia, Nino

1987-01-01

Observing young stars, or more appropriately, pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars, in the infrared and at radio frequencies has the advantage over optical observation in that the heavy extinction associated with a star forming region is only a minor problem, so that the whole region can be studied thoroughly. Therefore, it means being able to: (1) search for stars and do statistical studies on the rate of star formation; (2) determine their luminosity, hence, to study luminosity functions and initial mass functions down to low masses; and (3) to study their spectra and, thus, to determine the prevailing conditions at and near the surface of a newly born star and its relations with the surrounding environment. The third point is of principal interest. The report limits itself to a consideration of the observations concerning the processes of outflows from, and accretion onto, PMS stars and the theory necessary to interpret them. Section 2 discusses the radiative processes relevant in stellar outflows. The main observational results are presented in Section 3. A discussion of the statistical properties of stellar winds from PMS stars are given in Section 4.

A Hero’s Dark Horse: Discovery of an Ultra-faint Milky Way Satellite in Pegasus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Dongwon; Jerjen, Helmut; Mackey, Dougal; Da Costa, Gary S.; Milone, Antonino P.

2015-05-01

We report the discovery of an ultra-faint Milky Way satellite galaxy in the constellation of Pegasus. The concentration of stars was detected by applying our overdensity detection algorithm to the SDSS-DR 10 and confirmed with deeper photometry from the Dark Energy Camera at the 4 m Blanco telescope. Fitting model isochrones indicates that this object, Pegasus III, features an old and metal-poor stellar population ([Fe/H] ˜ -2.1) at a heliocentric distance of 205 ± 20 kpc. The new stellar system has an estimated half-light radius of {{r}h}=78-24+30 pc and a total luminosity of {{M}V}˜ -4.1+/- 0.5 that places it into the domain of dwarf galaxies on the size-luminosity plane. Pegasus III is spatially close to the MW satellite Pisces II. It is possible that the two might be physically associated, similar to the Leo IV and Leo V pair. Pegasus III is also well aligned with the Vast Polar Structure, which suggests a possible physical association.

Probing massive stars around gamma-ray burst progenitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Wenbin; Kumar, Pawan; Smoot, George F.

2015-10-01

Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced by ultra-relativistic jets launched from core collapse of massive stars. Most massive stars form in binaries and/or in star clusters, which means that there may be a significant external photon field (EPF) around the GRB progenitor. We calculate the inverse-Compton scattering of EPF by the hot electrons in the GRB jet. Three possible cases of EPF are considered: the progenitor is (I) in a massive binary system, (II) surrounded by a Wolf-Rayet-star wind and (III) in a dense star cluster. Typical luminosities of 1046-1050 erg s-1 in the 1-100 GeV band are expected, depending on the stellar luminosity, binary separation (I), wind mass-loss rate (II), stellar number density (III), etc. We calculate the light curve and spectrum in each case, taking fully into account the equal-arrival time surfaces and possible pair-production absorption with the prompt γ-rays. Observations can put constraints on the existence of such EPFs (and hence on the nature of GRB progenitors) and on the radius where the jet internal dissipation process accelerates electrons.

The Very Slow Wind from the Pulsating Semiregular Red Giant, L2 Puppis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jura, M.; Chen, C.; Plavchan, P.

2002-01-01

We have obtained 1 1.7 and 17.9 micron images at the Keck I telescope of the circumstellar dust emission from L(sub 2) Pup, which is one of the nearest ( D = 61 pc) mass-losing, pulsating red giants that has a substantial infra-red excess. We propose that the star is losing mass at a rate of approx.3 x 10(exp -7) Solar Mass/yr. Given its relatively low luminosity (approx. 1500 Solar Luminosity), relatively high effective temperature (near 3400 K), relatively short period (approx. 140 days), and inferred gas outflow speed of 3.5 km/s, standard models for dust-driven mass loss do not apply. Instead, the wind may be driven by the stellar pulsations, with radiation pressure on dust being relatively unimportant. as described in some recent calculations. L(sub 2) Pup may serve as the prototype of this phase of stellar evolution, in which a star could lose approx. 15% of its initial main-sequence mass. Subject headings: circumstellar matter - stars: individual (L2 Puppis) - stars: mass loss

Eight new Milky Way companions discovered in first-year Dark Energy Survey data

DOE PAGES

Bechtol, K.

2015-06-30

We report the discovery of eight new Milky Way companions inmore » $$\\sim 1800\\;{\\mathrm{deg}}^{2}$$ of optical imaging data collected during the first year of the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Each system is identified as a statistically significant over-density of individual stars consistent with the expected isochrone and luminosity function of an old and metal-poor stellar population. The objects span a wide range of absolute magnitudes (MV from $-2.2$ to $$-7.4\\;\\mathrm{mag}$$), physical sizes ($$10-170\\;\\mathrm{pc}$$), and heliocentric distances ($$30-330\\;\\mathrm{kpc}$$). Based on the low surface brightnesses, large physical sizes, and/or large Galactocentric distances of these objects, several are likely to be new ultra-faint satellite galaxies of the Milky Way and/or Magellanic Clouds. We introduce a likelihood-based algorithm to search for and characterize stellar over-densities, as well as identify stars with high satellite membership probabilities. As a result, we also present completeness estimates for detecting ultra-faint galaxies of varying luminosities, sizes, and heliocentric distances in the first-year DES data.« less

A dark jet dominates the power output of the stellar black hole Cygnus X-1.

PubMed

Gallo, Elena; Fender, Rob; Kaiser, Christian; Russell, David; Morganti, Raffaella; Oosterloo, Tom; Heinz, Sebastian

2005-08-11

Black holes undergoing accretion are thought to emit the bulk of their power in the X-ray band by releasing the gravitational potential energy of the infalling matter. At the same time, they are capable of producing highly collimated jets of energy and particles flowing out of the system with relativistic velocities. Here we show that the 10-solar-mass (10M(o)) black hole in the X-ray binary Cygnus X-1 (refs 3-5) is surrounded by a large-scale (approximately 5 pc in diameter) ring-like structure that appears to be inflated by the inner radio jet. We estimate that in order to sustain the observed emission of the ring, the jet of Cygnus X-1 has to carry a kinetic power that can be as high as the bolometric X-ray luminosity of the binary system. This result may imply that low-luminosity stellar-mass black holes as a whole dissipate the bulk of the liberated accretion power in the form of 'dark', radiatively inefficient relativistic outflows, rather than locally in the X-ray-emitting inflow.

Turbulent Convection and Pulsation Stability of Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Da-run

2017-10-01

The controversies about the excitation mechanism for low-temperature variables are reviewed: (1) Most people believe that γ Doradus variables are excited by the so-called convective blocking mechanism. Our researches show that the excitation of γ Doradus has no substantial difference from that of δ Scuti. They are two subgroups of a broader type of δ Stuti-γ Doradus stars: δ Scuti is the p-mode subgroup, while γ Doradus is the g-mode subgroup. (2) Most people believe that the solar and stellar solar-like oscillations are damped by convection, and they are driven by the so-called turbulent random excitation mechanism. Our researches show that convection is not solely a damping mechanism for stellar oscillations, otherwise it is unable to explain the Mira and Mira-like variables. By using our non-local and time-dependent theory of convection, we can reproduce not only the pulsationally unstable strip of δ Scuti and γ Doradus variables, but also the solar-like oscillation features of low-luminosity red giants and the Mira-like oscillation features of high-luminosity red giants.

The Photometric Properties of a Vast Stellar Substructure in the Outskirts of M33

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McConnachie, Alan W.; Ferguson, Annette M. N.; Irwin, Michael J.; Dubinski, John; Widrow, Lawrence M.; Dotter, Aaron; Ibata, Rodrigo; Lewis, Geraint F.

2010-11-01

We have surveyed approximately 40 deg2 surrounding M33 with Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope MegaCam/MegaPrime in the g and i filters out to a maximum projected radius from this galaxy of 50 kpc, as part of the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS). Our observations are deep enough to resolve the top ~4 mag of the red giant branch population in this galaxy. We have previously shown that the disk of M33 is surrounded by a large, irregular, low surface brightness substructure. Here, we quantify the stellar populations and structure of this feature using the PAndAS data. We show that the stellar populations of this feature are consistent with an old population with lang[Fe/H]rang ~ -1.6 dex and an interquartile range in metallicity of ~0.5 dex. We construct a surface brightness map of M33 that traces this feature to μ V ~= 33 mag arcsec-2. At these low surface brightness levels, the structure extends to projected radii of ~40 kpc from the center of M33 in both the northwest and southeast quadrants of the galaxy. Overall, the structure has an "S-shaped" appearance that broadly aligns with the orientation of the H I disk warp. We calculate a lower limit to the integrated luminosity of the structure of -12.7 ± 0.5 mag, comparable to a bright dwarf galaxy such as Fornax or Andromeda II and slightly less than 1% of the total luminosity of M33. Further, we show that there is tentative evidence for a distortion in the distribution of young stars near the edge of the H I disk that occurs at similar azimuth to the warp in H I. The data also hint at a low-level, extended stellar component at larger radius that may be an M33 halo component. We revisit studies of M33 and its stellar populations in light of these new results and discuss possible formation scenarios for the vast stellar structure. Our favored model is that of the tidal disruption of M33 in its orbit around M31.

Can Minor Merging Account for the Size Growth of Quiescent Galaxies? New Results from the CANDELS Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newman, Andrew B.; Ellis, Richard S.; Bundy, Kevin; Treu, Tommaso

2012-02-01

The presence of extremely compact galaxies at z ~ 2 and their subsequent growth in physical size has been the cause of much puzzlement. We revisit the question using deep infrared Wide Field Camera 3 data to probe the rest-frame optical structure of 935 galaxies selected with 0.4 < z < 2.5 and stellar masses M * > 1010.7 M ⊙ in the UKIRT Ultra Deep Survey and GOODS-South fields of the CANDELS survey. At each redshift, the most compact sources are those with little or no star formation, and the mean size of these systems at fixed stellar mass grows by a factor of 3.5 ± 0.3 over this redshift interval. The data are sufficiently deep to identify companions to these hosts whose stellar masses are ten times smaller. By searching for these around 404 quiescent hosts within a physical annulus 10 h -1 kpc < R < 30 h -1 kpc, we estimate the minor merger rate over 0.4 < z < 2. We find that 13%-18% of quiescent hosts have likely physical companions with stellar mass ratios of 0.1 or greater. Mergers of these companions will typically increase the host mass by 6% ± 2% per merger timescale. We estimate the minimum growth rate necessary to explain the declining abundance of compact galaxies. Using a simple model motivated by recent numerical simulations, we then assess whether mergers of the faint companions with their hosts are sufficient to explain this minimal rate. We find that mergers may explain most of the size evolution observed at z <~ 1 if a relatively short merger timescale is assumed, but the rapid growth seen at higher redshift likely requires additional physical processes.