248 research outputs found
An Evaluation of the Excitation Class Parameter for the Central Stars of Planetary Nebulae
The three main methods currently in use for estimating the excitation class
of planetary nebulae (PNe) central stars are compared and evaluated using 586
newly discovered and previously known PNe in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC).
In order to achieve this we ran a series of evaluation tests using line ratios
derived from de-reddened, flux calibrated spectra. Pronounced differences
between the methods are exposed. Diagrams were created by comparing excitation
classes with H-beta line fluxes. The best methods are then compared to
published temperatures using the Zanstra method and assessed for their ability
to reflect central star effective temperatures and evolution. As a result we
call for a clarification of the term `excitation class' according to the
different input parameters used. The first method, which we refer to as Exneb
relies purely on the ratios of certain key emission lines. The second method,
which we refer to as Ex* includes modeling to create a continuous variable and,
for optically thick PNe in the Magellanic Clouds, is designed to relate more
closely to intrinsic stellar parameters. The third method, we refer to as Ex
[OIII]/H-beta since the [OIII]/H-beta ratio is used in isolation to other
temperature diagnostics. Each of these methods is shown to have serious
drawbacks when used as an indicator for central star temperature. Finally, we
suggest a new method (Exrho) for estimating excitation class incorporating both
the [OIII]/H-beta and the HeII4686 /H-beta ratios. Although any attempt to
provide accurate central star temperatures using the excitation class derived
from nebula lines will always be limited, we show that this new method provides
a substantial improvement over previous methods with better agreement to
temperatures derived through the Zanstra method.Comment: 14 pages, 18 figure. This peer reviewed paper has been accepted for
publication in PAS
A comprehensive classification of galaxies in the SDSS: How to tell true from fake AGN?
We use the W_Ha versus [NII]/Ha (WHAN) diagram to provide a comprehensive
emission-line classification of SDSS galaxies. This classification is able to
cope with the large population of weak line galaxies that do not appear in
traditional diagrams due to a lack of some of the diagnostic lines. A further
advantage of the WHAN diagram is to allow the differentiation between two very
distinct classes that overlap in the LINER region of traditional diagnostic
diagrams. These are galaxies hosting a weakly active nucleus (wAGN) and
"retired galaxies" (RGs), i.e. galaxies that have stopped forming stars and are
ionized by their hot evolved low-mass stars. A useful criterion to distinguish
true from fake AGN (i.e. the RGs) is the ratio (\xi) of the
extinction-corrected L_Ha with respect to the Ha luminosity expected from
photoionization by stellar populations older than 100 Myr. This ratio follows a
markedly bimodal distribution, with a \xi >> 1 population composed by systems
undergoing star-formation and/or nuclear activity, and a peak at \xi ~ 1
corresponding to the prediction of the RG model. We base our classification
scheme on the equivalent width of Ha, an excellent observational proxy for \xi.
Based on the bimodal distribution of W_Ha, we set the division between wAGN and
RGs at W_Ha = 3 A. Five classes of galaxies are identified within the WHAN
diagram: (a) Pure star forming galaxies: log [NII]/Ha 3 A.
(b) Strong AGN (i.e., Seyferts): log [NII]/Ha > -0.4 and W_Ha > 6 A. (c) Weak
AGN: log [NII]/Ha > -0.4 and W_Ha between 3 and 6 A. (d) RGs: W_Ha < 3 A. (e)
Passive galaxies (actually, line-less galaxies): W_Ha and W_[NII] < 0.5 A. A
comparative analysis of star formation histories and of other properties in
these different classes of galaxies corroborates our proposed differentiation
between RGs and weak AGN in the LINER-like family. (Abridged)Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
Semi-empirical analysis of Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies III. How to distinguish AGN hosts
We consider the techniques to distinguish normal star forming (NSF) galaxies
and active galactic nuclei (AGN) hosts using optical spectra. The observational
data base is a set of 20000 galaxies extracted from the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey, for which we have determined the emission line intensities after
subtracting the stellar continuum obtained from spectral synthesis. Our
analysis is based on photoionization models computed using the stellar ionizing
radiation predicted by Starburst 99 and, for the AGNs, a broken power-law
spectrum. We explain why, among the four classical emission line diagnostic
diagrams, the [OIII]/Hb vs [NII]/Ha one works best. We show however, that none
of these diagrams is efficient in detecting AGNs in metal poor galaxies, should
such cases exist. We propose a new divisory line between ``pure'' NSF galaxies
and AGN hosts. We also show that a classification into NSF and AGN galaxies
using only [NII]/Ha is feasible and useful. Finally, we propose a new
classification diagram, the DEW diagram, plotting D_n(4000) vs
max(EW[OII],EW[NeIII]). This diagram can be used with optical spectra for
galaxies with redshifts up to z = 1.3, meaning an important progress over
classifications proposed up to now. Since the DEW diagram requires only a small
range in wavelength, it can also be used at even larger redshifts in suitable
atmospheric windows. It also has the advantage of not requiring stellar
synthesis analysis to subtract the stars and of allowing one to see ALL the
galaxies in the same diagram, including passive galaxies.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS (replaced on
august 3, 2006, eqs 6 and 7 corrected
Ionization correction factors and dust depletion patterns in giant HII regions
We provide new ionization correction factors (ICFs) for carbon, nitrogen,
neon, sulfur, chlorine, and argon in giant H II regions. The ICFs were computed
using the most representative photoionization models from a large initial grid.
The models were selected using an observational sample of 985 giant H II
regions (GHR) in spiral galaxies and blue compact galaxies (BCG). The
observational sample was also used to assign a weight to each model describing
how well it agrees with observations in the [O III]/Hbeta versus [N II]/Halpha
diagram. In addition to the ICFs we provide, for the first time, analytical
expressions for their formal uncertainties. We use our ICFs to compute the
abundances of nitrogen, neon, sulfur, and argon in our samples. Our abundances
are robust within the adopted framework, but may require revision in the case
of important changes in atomic data or in the spectral energy distribution of
the ionizing radiation in H II regions. Considering the abundance patterns we
obtained for the BCG sample (abundances for the GHR sample are less reliable)
we find that oxygen is depleted into dust grains at a rate increasing with
metallicity and reaching 0.12 dex at solar abundances. The discussion of
possible depletion of sulfur and argon requires considering recent Type Ia
Supernova yields, which are still uncertain
The populations of planetary nebulae in the direction of the Galactic bulge
We have observed 44 planetary nebulae (PNe) in the direction of the Galactic
bulge, and merged our data with published ones. We have distinguished, in the
merged sample of 164 PNe, those PNe most likely to prtain physically to the
Galactic bulge and those most likely to belong to the Galactic disk. We have
determined the chemical composition of all the 164 objects in a coherent way.
We looked for stellar emission features and discovered 14 new [WR] stars and 15
new weak emission line central stars.
The analyzed data led us to the following conclusions: (1) The spectral type
distribution of [WR] stars is very different in the bulge and in the disk of
the Galaxy. However, the observed distributions are strongly dependent on
selection effects. (2) The proportion of [WR] PNe is significantly larger in
the bulge than in the disk. (3) The oxygen abundances in [WR] stars do no
appear to be significantly affected by nucleosynthesis and mixing in the
progenitors. (4) The O/H gradient of the Galactic disk PNe population flattens
in the most internal parts of the Galaxy. (5) The median oxygen abundance in
the bulge PN population is larger by 0.2 dex than in the disk population seen
in the direction of the bulge. (6) Bulge PNe with smaller O/H tend to have
smaller radial velocities. (7) The oxygen abundance distribution of bulge PNe
is similar in shape to that of the metallicity distribution of bulge giants,
but significantly narrower. (8) The location of SB 32 (PN G 349.7-09.1) in the
(V_lsr, l_II) diagram and its low oxygen abundance argues that it probably
belongs to the halo population.Comment: 14 pages, 16 figures. Accepted for publication in A&
The kinematics of the most oxygen-poor planetary nebula PN G135.9+55.9
PN G135.9+55.9 is a compact, high excitation nebula that has been identified
recently as the most oxygen-poor halo planetary nebula. Given its very peculiar
characteristics and potential implications in the realms of stellar and
Galactic evolution, additional data are needed to firmly establish its true
nature and evolutionary history. Here we present the first long-slit, high
spectral resolution observations of this object in the lines of H and
He II 4686. The position-velocity data are shown to be compatible with the
interpretation of PN G135.9+55.9 being a halo planetary nebula. In both
emission lines, we find the same two velocity components that characterize the
kinematics as that of an expanding elliptical envelope. The kinematics is
consistent with a prolate ellipsoidal model with axis ratio about 2:1, a
radially decreasing emissivity distribution, a velocity distribution that is
radial, and an expansion velocity of 30 km/s for the bulk of the material. To
fit the observed line profiles, this model requires an asymmetric matter
distribution, with the blue-shifted emission considerably stronger than the
red-shifted emission. We find that the widths of the two velocity components
are substantially wider than those expected due to thermal motions, but
kinematic structure in the projected area covered by the slit appears to be
sufficient to explain the line widths. The present data also rule out the
possible presence of an accretion disk in the system that could have been
responsible for a fraction of the H flux, further supporting the
planetary nebula nature of PN G135.9+55.9.Comment: accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysic
Disordered Bose Einstein Condensates with Interaction in One Dimension
We study the effects of random scatterers on the ground state of the
one-dimensional Lieb-Liniger model of interacting bosons on the unit interval
in the Gross-Pitaevskii regime. We prove that Bose Einstein condensation
survives even a strong random potential with a high density of scatterers. The
character of the wave function of the condensate, however, depends in an
essential way on the interplay between randomness and the strength of the
two-body interaction. For low density of scatterers or strong interactions the
wave function extends over the whole interval. High density of scatterers and
weak interaction, on the other hand, leads to localization of the wave function
in a fragmented subset of the interval
SBS 0335-052W: The Lowest-Metallicity Star-Forming Galaxy Known
We present 4-meter Kitt Peak telescope and 6.5-meter MMT spectrophotometry of
the extremely low-metallicity galaxy SBS 0335-052W, the western companion of
the blue compact dwarf galaxy SBS 0335-052E. These observations have been
combined with published 10-meter Keck data to derive for the brightest region
of SBS 0335-052W an oxygen abundance 12+logO/H=7.12+/-0.03. This makes SBS
0335-052W the lowest metallicity star-forming galaxy known in the local
universe. Using a Monte Carlo technique, we fit the spectral energy
distribution of SBS 0335-052W to derive the age of the oldest stars
contributing to its optical light. We find that star formation in SBS 0335-052W
began less than 500 Myr ago, making it a likely nearby young dwarf galaxy.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
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