293,767 research outputs found
The Nature of Optically Dull Active Galactic Nuclei in COSMOS
We present infrared, optical, and X-ray data of 48 X-ray bright, optically
dull AGNs in the COSMOS field. These objects exhibit the X-ray luminosity of an
active galactic nucleus (AGN) but lack broad and narrow emission lines in their
optical spectrum. We show that despite the lack of optical emission lines, most
of these optically dull AGNs are not well-described by a typical passive red
galaxy spectrum: instead they exhibit weak but significant blue emission like
an unobscured AGN. Photometric observations over several years additionally
show significant variability in the blue emission of four optically dull AGNs.
The nature of the blue and infrared emission suggest that the optically
inactive appearance of these AGNs cannot be caused by obscuration intrinsic to
the AGNs. Instead, up to ~70% of optically dull AGNs are diluted by their
hosts, with bright or simply edge-on hosts lying preferentially within the
spectroscopic aperture. The remaining ~30% of optically dull AGNs have
anomalously high f_x/f_o ratios and are intrinsically weak, not obscured, in
the optical. These optically dull AGNs are best described as a weakly accreting
AGN with a truncated accretion disk from a radiatively inefficient accretion
flow.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in the Ap
Monte-Carlo radiative transfer simulation of the circumstellar disk of the Herbig Ae star HD 144432
Studies of pre-transitional disks, with a gap region between the inner
infrared-emitting region and the outer disk, are important to improving our
understanding of disk evolution and planet formation. Previous infrared
interferometric observations have shown hints of a gap region in the
protoplanetary disk around the Herbig Ae star HD~144432. We study the dust
distribution around this star with two-dimensional radiative transfer modeling.
We compare the model predictions obtained via the Monte-Carlo radiative
transfer code RADMC-3D with infrared interferometric observations and the
{\SED} of HD~144432. The best-fit model that we found consists of an inner
optically thin component at 0.21\enDash0.32~\AU and an optically thick outer
disk at 1.4\enDash10~\AU. We also found an alternative model in which the
inner sub-AU region consists of an optically thin and an optically thick
component. Our modeling suggests an optically thin component exists in the
inner sub-AU region, although an optically thick component may coexist in the
same region. Our modeling also suggests a gap-like discontinuity in the disk of
HD~144432.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figure
One Solution to the Mass Budget Problem for Planet Formation: Optically Thick Disks with Dust Scattering
Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) surveys have suggested that the dust in Class II disks may not be enough to explain the averaged solid mass in exoplanets, under the assumption that the mm disk continuum emission is optically thin. This optically thin assumption seems to be supported by recent Disk Substructures at High Angular Resolution Project (DSHARP) observations where the measured optical depths are mostly less than one. However, we point out that dust scattering can considerably reduce the emission from an optically thick region. If that scattering is ignored, an optically thick disk with scattering can be misidentified as an optically thin disk. Dust scattering in more inclined disks can reduce the intensity even further, making the disk look even fainter. The measured optical depth of ~0.6 in several DSHARP disks can be naturally explained by optically thick dust with an albedo of ~0.9 at 1.25 mm. Using the DSHARP opacity, this albedo corresponds to a dust population with the maximum grain size (s max) of 0.1–1 mm. For optically thick scattering disks, the measured spectral index α can be either larger or smaller than 2 depending on whether the dust albedo increases or decreases with wavelength. We describe how this optically thick scattering scenario could explain the observed scaling between submm continuum sizes and luminosities, and might help ease the tension between the dust size constraints from polarization and dust continuum measurements. We suggest that a significant amount of disk mass can be hidden from ALMA observations and longer wavelength observations (e.g., Very Large Array or Square Kilometre Array) are desired to probe the dust mass in disks
Laser-catalyzed spin-exchange process in a Bose-Einstein condensate
We show theoretically that it is possible to optically control collective
spin-exchange processes in spinor Bose condensates through virtual
photoassociation. The interplay between optically induced spin exchange and
spin-dependent collisions provides a flexible tool for the control of atomic
spin dynamics, including enhanced or inhibited quantum spin oscillations, the
optically-induced ferromagnetic-to-antiferromagnetic transition, and coherent
matter-wave spin conversion.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
The Evolution of Circumstellar Disks Surrounding Intermediate Mass Stars: IC 1805
We report the results of a study of the intermediate and high mass stars in
the young, rich star-forming complex IC 1805, based on a combination of
optical, near-infrared, and mid-infrared photometry, and classification
spectra. These data provide the basis for characterizing the masses and ages
for stars more massive than ~2 Msun and enable a study of the frequency and
character of circumstellar disks associated with intermediate- and high-mass
stars. Optically thick accretion disks among stars with masses 2 < M/Msun <4
are rare (~2% of members) and absent among more massive stars. A larger
fraction (~10%) of stars with masses 2 < M/Msun < 4 appear to be surrounded by
disks that have evolved from the initial optically thick accretion phase. We
identify four classes of such disks. These classes are based on spectral energy
distributions (SEDs) of excess emsission above photospheric levels: disks that
are (1) optically thin based on the magnitude of the observed excess emission
from 2 to 24 um; (2) optically thin in their inner regions (r< 20 AU) and
optically thick in their outer regions; (3) exhibit empty inner regions (r < 10
AU) and optically thin emission in their outer regions; and (4) exhibit empty
inner regions and optically thick outer regions. We discuss, and assess the
merits and liabilities of, proposed explanations for disks exhibiting these SED
types and suggest additional observations that would test these proposals.Comment: Accepted to Ap
Near Infrared polarimetry of a sample of YSOs
Our goal is to study the physical properties of the circumstellar environment
of young stellar objetcs (YSOs). In particular, the determination of the
scattering mechanism can help to constrain the optical depth of the disk and/or
envelope in the near infrared. We used the IAGPOL imaging polarimeter along
with the CamIV infrared camera at the LNA observatory to obtain near infrared
polarimetry measurements at the H band of a sample of optically visible YSOs,
namely, eleven T Tauri stars and eight Herbig Ae/Be stars. An independent
determination of the disk (or jet) orientation was obtained for twelve objects
from the literature. The circumstellar optical depth could be then estimated
comparing the integrated polarization position angle (PA) with the direction of
the major axis of the disk projected in the plane of the sky. In general,
optically thin disks have polarization PA perpendicular to the disk plane. In
contrast, optically thick disks produce polarization PA parallel to the disks.
Among the T Tauri stars, three are consistent with optically thin disks (AS
353A, RY Tau and UY Aur) and five with optically thick disks (V536 Aql, DG Tau,
DO Tau, HL Tau and LkHalpha 358). Among the Herbig Ae/Be stars, two stars show
evidence of optically thin disk (Hen 3-1191 and VV Ser) and two of optically
thick disks (PDS 453 and MWC 297). Our results seem consistent with the fact
that optically thick disks at near infrared bands are associated more likely
with younger YSOs. Marginal evidence of polarization reversal is found in RY
Tau, RY Ori, WW Vul, and UY Aur. On the first three cases this feature can be
associated to the UXOR phenomenon. Correlations with the IRAS colours and the
spectral index yielded evidence of an evolutionary segregation with the disks
tend to be optically thin when they are older.Comment: 15 pages, 15 figures, accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysic
Why Optically--Faint AGN Are Faint: The Spitzer Perspective
Optically--faint X-ray sources (those with f_X/f_R > 10) constitute about 20%
of X-ray sources in deep surveys, and are potentially highly obscured and/or at
high redshift. Their faint optical fluxes are generally beyond the reach of
spectroscopy. For a sample of 20 optically--faint sources in CDFS, we compile
0.4--24 um photometry, relying heavily on Spitzer. We estimate photometric
redshifts for 17 of these 20 sources. We find that these AGN are
optically--faint both because they lie at significantly higher redshifts
(median z ~ 1.6) than most X-ray--selected AGN, and because their spectra are
much redder than standard AGN. They have 2--8 keV X-ray luminosities in the
Seyfert range, unlike the QSO--luminosities of optically--faint AGN found in
shallow, wide--field surveys. Their contribution to the X-ray Seyfert
luminosity function is comparable to that of z>1 optically--bright AGN.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
Relativistic Spectra of Hot Black-Hole Winds
We examine hybrid thermal-nonthermal synchrotron spectra from a spherically
symmetric, optically-thin wind, taking into account the relativistic effect. In
the relativistic flow from the central object, due to the relativistic beaming
effect, the observed spectra often shift towards high frequency and high
intensity directions. In the optically thin outflows, however, we find that the
intensity of the observed spectra decreases compared with that of the emitted
ones, although the peak frequency shifts towards the high frequency direction.
This is because in the optically thin outflows we can see the far side flows
that go away from the observer. We thus carefully consider optically thin
relativistic flows around a black hole such as Sgr A.Comment: 7pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in PAS
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