The optical-ultraviolet continuum of Seyfert 2 galaxies

This paper aims to understand the continuum of Seyfert 2 galaxies. By fitting the single galaxies in the sample of Heckman et al. (1995) with composite models (shock+ photoionization from the active center), we show that five main components characterize the SED of the continuum. Shocks play an important role since they produce a high temperature zone where soft X-rays are emitted. We show that in the optical-UV range, the slope of the NLR emission reproduces the observed values, and may be the main component of the featureless continuum. The presence of star forming regions cannot be excluded in the circumnuclear region of various Seyfert galaxies. An attempt is made to find their fingerprints in the observed AGN spectra. Finally, it is demonstrated that multi-cloud models are necessary to interpret the spectra of single objects, even in the global investigation of a sample of galaxies.Comment: 26 pages, LaTeX (including 5 Tables) + 17 PostScript figures. To appear in "The Astrophysical Journal

Pulse rates recorded by digital film positioner

System converts detector pulse rates to photographs of binary scale indicator lights on continuously moving film. The system then scans the film and transfers the data to computer-compatible magnetic tape

Mid-IR period-magnitude relations for AGB stars

Asymptotic Giant Branch variables are found to obey period-luminosity relations in the mid-IR similar to those seen at K_S (2.14 microns), even at 24 microns where emission from circumstellar dust is expected to be dominant. Their loci in the M, logP diagrams are essentially the same for the LMC and for NGC6522 in spite of different ages and metallicities. There is no systematic trend of slope with wavelength. The offsets of the apparent magnitude vs. logP relations imply a difference between the two fields of 3.8 in distance modulus. The colours of the variables confirm that a principal period with log P > 1.75 is a necessary condition for detectable mass-loss. At the longest observed wavelength, 24 microns, many semi-regular variables have dust shells comparable in luminosity to those around Miras. There is a clear bifurcation in LMC colour-magnitude diagrams involving 24 micron magnitudes.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Period-magnitude relations for M giants in Baade's Window NGC6522

A large and complete sample of stars with K < 9.75 in the NGC6522 Baade's Window is examined using light curves from MACHO and IJK from DENIS. All 4 of the sequences ABCD in the K vs logP diagram of the LMC are seen in the Bulge. The Bulge sequences however show some differences from the Magellanic Clouds. The sequences may be useful as distance indicators. A new diagram of the frequency of late-type variables is presented. The catalogued SR variables of the solar nbd are found to be a subset of the total of SRs, biased towards large amplitude.Comment: 11 pages 11 fig

Photometric Variability Among the Brightest Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars Near the Center of M32

Deep K' images with 0.1 arcsec angular resolution, obtained with ALTAIR+NIRI on Gemini North, are used to investigate photometric variablity among the brightest asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the central regions of M32. Based on a comparison with brightnesses obtained from the K-band data discussed by Davidge et al. (2000, ApJ, 545, L89), it is concluded that (1) at least 60% of bright AGB stars near the center of M32 are photometrically variable, and (2) the amplitudes of the light variations are similar to those of long period variables in the Galactic bulge. We do not find evidence for a population of large amplitude variables, like those detected by IRAS in the Galactic bulge. The technique discussed here may prove useful for conducting an initial reconnaisance of photometric variability among AGB stars in spheroids in the Virgo cluster and beyond, where the required long exposure times may restrict observations to only a few epochs.Comment: 8 pages of text, 3 postscript figures. ApJ (letters) in pres

Long-term IR Photometry of Seyferts

Long-term (up to 10000d) monitoring has been undertaken for 41 Seyferts in the near-IR (JHKL). All but 2 showed variability, with K ampl in the range <0.1 to > 1.1 mags. The timescale for detectable change is from about one week to a few years. A simple cross-correlation study shows evidence for delays of up to several hundred days between the variations seen at the shortest wavelengths and the longest in many galaxies. In particular, the data for F9 now extend to twice the interval covered earlier and the delay between its UV and IR outputs persists. An analysis of the fluxes shows that, for any given galaxy, the colours of the variable component are usually independent of the level of activity. The state of activity can be parameterized. Taken over the whole sample, the colours of the variable components fall within moderately narrowly defined ranges. In particular, the H-K colour is appropriate to a black body of temperature 1600K. The H-K excess for a heavily reddened nucleus can be determined and used to find E_{B-V}, which can be compared to the values found from the visible region broad line fluxes. Using flux-flux diagrams, the flux within the aperture from the underlying galaxy can often be determined without the need for model surface brightness profiles. In many galaxies it is apparent that here must be an additional constant contribution from warm dust.Comment: Better quality available from ftp://ftp.saao.ac.za/pub/isg/seyf.pd

M giants in Macho, DENIS and Isogal

A complete sample of 174 M giants classified by Blanco (1986) and later than subtype M0 in the NGC6522 Baade's Window clear field has been investigated to establish some general properties of cool Bulge stars. Photometric information has been obtained from the MACHO database to search for variability and, where possible, to determine periods. Near- and mid-IR magnitudes have been extracted from DENIS and ISOGAL. 46 semi-regular variables and 2 irregulars were found a mongst the 174. Many M5 and all stars M6 or later show variation, whereas earlier subtypes do not. The DENIS I-J and J-K_S colours and the luminosities of the M stars increase with M sub-class. K tends to increase with log P among M-type SR variables. Almost all the variables were detected at 7 microns during the ISOGAL programme. Excess radiation at 15 microns, indicative of heavy mass loss, is associated with very high luminosity and late spectral type. The limit of sensitivity of the ISOGAL survey was such that the non-variables were not detected. Four probable M stars not listed by Blanco (1986), two of which are semi-regular variables, were detected by ISOGAL. In the case of doubly-periodic SR variables, the longer periods have K mags which place them close to the D line of Wood (2000) in a K,log P diagram. The unusual MACHO light curve of one particular star, Blanco 26, shows the commencement of a long-period variation with an anomalously short and sharp event and appears to rule out a pulsational model for this phenomenon.Comment: 10 page