Lens or Binary? Chandra Observations of the Wide Separation Broad Absorption Line Quasar Pair UM425

We have obtained a 110 ksec Chandra ACIS-S exposure of UM425, a pair of QSOs at z=1.47 separated by 6.5 arcsec, which show remarkably similar emission and broad absorption line (BAL) profiles in the optical/UV. Our 5000 count X-ray spectrum of UM425A (the brighter component) is well-fit with a power law (photon spectral index Gamma=2.0) partially covered by a hydrogen column of 3.8x10^22 cm^-2. The underlying power-law slope for this object and for other recent samples of BALQSOs is typical of radio-quiet quasars, lending credence to the hypothesis that BALs exist in every quasar. Assuming the same Gamma for the much fainter image of UM425B, we detect an obscuring column 5 times larger. We search for evidence of an appropriately large lensing mass in our Chandra image and find weak diffuse emission near the quasar pair, with an X-ray flux typical of a group of galaxies at redshift z ~ 0.6. From our analysis of archival HST WFPC2 and NICMOS images, we find no evidence for a luminous lensing galaxy, but note a 3-sigma excess of galaxies in the UM425 field with plausible magnitudes for a z=0.6 galaxy group. However, the associated X-ray emission does not imply sufficient mass to produce the observed image splitting. The lens scenario thus requires a dark (high M/L ratio) lens, or a fortuitous configuration of masses along the line of sight. UM425 may instead be a close binary pair of BALQSOs, which would boost arguments that interactions and mergers increase nuclear activity and outflows.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Discovery of a Jet-Like Structure at the High Redshift QSO CXOMP J084128.3+131107

The Chandra Multiwavelength Project (ChaMP) has discovered a jet-like structure associated with a newly recognized QSO at redshift z=1.866. The system was 9.4 arcmin off-axis during an observation of 3C 207. Although significantly distorted by the mirror PSF, we use both a raytrace and a nearby bright point source to show that the X-ray image must arise from some combination of point and extended sources, or else from a minimum of three distinct point sources. We favor the former situation, as three unrelated sources would have a small probability of occurring by chance in such a close alignment. We show that interpretation as a jet emitting X-rays via inverse Compton (IC) scattering on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is plausible. This would be a surprising and unique discovery of a radio-quiet QSO with an X-ray jet, since we have obtained upper limits of 100 microJy on the QSO emission at 8.46 GHz, and limits of 200 microJy for emission from the putative jet.Comment: 12 pages including 4 figures. Accepted for publication by ApJ Letter

Chandra Observation of 3C 212: a New Look at the X-ray and UV Absorbers

The red quasar 3C 212 (z=1.049) is one of the most distant and most luminous AGN which has shown evidence of an X-ray warm absorber. In order to further investigate this unusual quasar, we used Chandra/ACIS-S to observe 3C 212 for 19.5 ksec, resulting in a net detection of ~4000 counts. The Chandra data confirm the presence of an excess absorbing column N_H ~ 4 x 10^21 cm^-2 at the quasar redshift, but we find no compelling evidence for a warm absorber. Using both the Chandra and archival ROSAT PSPC data, we obtain very good fits for both a partially covered neutral absorber and a low-ionization (U = 0.03) photo-ionized absorber. In the ultraviolet, 3C 212 shows a strong associated MgII absorber. Based on a moderate resolution (80 km/s) MMT spectrum we show that the absorber is highly saturated and has a covering fraction less than 60%, implying that the absorber is truly intrinsic to the quasar. Photo-ionization modeling of the MgII absorber yields a constraint on the ionization parameter of U < 0.03, inconsistent with a warm UV/X-ray absorber. In addition to our spectral analysis, we find evidence in the ACIS image data for weak extended emission surrounding the quasar as well as emission corresponding to the radio lobes at a distance of 5 arcsec from 3C 212. The statistical significance of these features is low, but we briefly explore the implications if the detections are valid.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

The 300 kpc Long X-ray Jet in PKS 1127-145, z=1.18 Quasar: Constraining X-ray Emission Models

We present a ~100 ksec Chandra X-ray observation and new VLA radio data of the large scale, 300 kpc long X-ray jet in PKS1127-145, a radio loud quasar at redshift z=1.18. With this deep X-ray observation we now clearly discern the complex X-ray jet morphology and see substructure within the knots. The X-ray and radio jet intensity profiles are seen to be strikingly different with the radio emission peaking strongly at the two outer knots while the X-ray emission is strongest in the inner jet region. The jet X-ray surface brightness gradually decreases by an order of magnitude going out from the core. The new X-ray data contain sufficient counts to do spectral analysis of the key jet features. The X-ray energy index of the inner jet is relatively flat with alpha_X = 0.66 +/-0.15 and steep in the outer jet with alpha_X = 1.0 +/-0.2. We discuss the constraints implied by the new data on the X-ray emission models and conclude that ``one-zone'' models fail and at least a two component model is needed to explain the jet's broad-band emission. We propose that the X-ray emission originates in the jet proper while the bulk of the radio emission comes from a surrounding jet sheath. We also consider intermittent jet activity as a possible cause of the observed jet morphology

The Chandra-COSMOS survey IV: X-ray spectra of the bright sample

We present the X-ray spectral analysis of the 390 brightest extragalactic sources in the Chandra-COSMOS catalog, showing at least 70 net counts in the 0.5-7 keV band. This sample has a 100% completeness in optical-IR identification, with 75% of the sample having a spectroscopic redshift and 25% a photometric redshift. Our analysis allows us to accurately determine the intrinsic absorption, the broad band continuum shape ({\Gamma}) and intrinsic L(2-10) distributions, with an accuracy better than 30% on the spectral parameters for 95% of the sample. The sample is equally divided in type-1 (49.7%) and type-2 AGN (48.7%) plus few passive galaxies at low z. We found a significant difference in the distribution of {\Gamma} of type-1 and type-2, with small intrinsic dispersion, a weak correlation of {\Gamma} with L(2-10) and a large population (15% of the sample) of high luminosity, highly obscured (QSO2) sources. The distribution of the X ray/Optical flux ratio (Log(FX /Fi)) for type-1 is narrow (0 < X/O < 1), while type-2 are spread up to X/O = 2. The X/O correlates well with the amount of X-ray obscuration. Finally, a small sample of Compton thick candidates and peculiar sources is presented. In the appendix we discuss the comparison between Chandra and XMM-Newton spectra for 280 sources in common. We found a small systematic difference, with XMM-Newton spectra that tend to have softer power-laws and lower obscuration.Comment: 20 pages, 16 figures. Accepted for Pubblication in MNRAS, 2013 February

Chandra Multiwavelength Project: Normal Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift

(abridged) We have investigated 136 Chandra extragalactic sources without broad optical emission lines, including 93 galaxies with narrow emission lines (NELG) and 43 with only absorption lines (ALG). Based on fx/fo, Lx, X-ray spectral hardness and optical emission line diagnostics, we have conservatively classified 36 normal galaxies (20 spirals and 16 ellipticals) and 71 AGNs. We found no statistically significant evolution in Lx/LB, within the limited z range. We have built log(N)-log(S), after correcting for completeness based on a series of simulations. The best-fit slope is -1.5 for both S and B energy bands, which is considerably steeper than that of the AGN-dominated cosmic background sources, but slightly flatter than the previous estimate, indicating normal galaxies will not exceed the AGN population until fx ~ 2 x 10-18 erg s-1 cm-2 (a factor of ~5 lower than the previous estimate). A group of NELGs appear to be heavily obscured in X-rays, i.e., a typical type 2 AGN. After correcting for intrinsic absorption, their X-ray luminosities could be Lx > 10^44 erg s-1, making them type 2 quasar candidates. While most X-ray luminous ALGs (XBONG - X-ray bright, optically normal galaxy candidates) do not appear to be significantly absorbed, we found two heavily obscured objects, which could be as luminous as an unobscured broad-line quasar. Among 43 ALGs, we found two E+A galaxy candidates with strong Balmer absorption lines, but no [OII] line. The X-ray spectra of both galaxies are soft and one of them has a nearby close companion galaxy, supporting the merger/interaction scenario rather than the dusty starburst hypothesis.Comment: 31 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ (20 June 2006, v644), replaced with minor correction

Optical photometric GTC/OSIRIS observations of the young massive association Cygnus OB2

In order to fully understand the gravitational collapse of molecular clouds, the star formation process and the evolution of circumstellar disks, these phenomena must be studied in different Galactic environments with a range of stellar contents and positions in the Galaxy. The young massive association Cygnus OB2, in the Cygnus-X region, is an unique target to study how star formation and the evolution of circumstellar disks proceed in the presence of a large number of massive stars. We present a catalog obtained with recent optical observations in r,i,z filters with OSIRIS, mounted on the $10.4\,m$ GTC telescope, which is the deepest optical catalog of Cyg OB2 to date. The catalog consist of 64157 sources down to M=0.15 solar masses at the adopted distance and age of Cyg OB2. A total of 38300 sources have good photometry in all three bands. We combined the optical catalog with existing X-ray data of this region, in order to define the cluster locus in the optical diagrams. The cluster locus in the r-i vs. i-z diagram is compatible with an extinction of the optically selected cluster members in the 2.64<AV<5.57 range. We derive an extinction map of the region, finding a median value of AV=4.33 in the center of the association, decreasing toward the north-west. In the color-magnitude diagrams, the shape of the distribution of main sequence stars is compatible with the presence of an obscuring cloud in the foreground at about 850+/-25 pc from the Sun.Comment: Accepted for publication ApJS 201

A First Look at the Nuclear Region of M31 with Chandra

We report on the first observation of the nuclear region of M31 with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The nuclear source seen with the Einstein and ROSAT HRIs is resolved into five point sources. One of these sources is within 1'' of the M31 central super-massive black hole. As compared to the other point sources in M31, this nuclear source has an unusual x-ray spectrum. Based on the spatial coincidence we identify this source with the central black hole, and note that the unusual spectrum is a challenge to current theories. A bright transient is detected ~26'' to the west of the nucleus, which may be associated with a stellar mass black hole.Comment: Submitted to ApJ Letters, 4 pages, 4 figures. email: garcia,ssm,fap,wrf,jem,cjf, @head-cfa.harvard.ed