Stanilov-Tsankov-Videv Theory

We survey some recent results concerning Stanilov-Tsankov-Videv theory, conformal Osserman geometry, and Walker geometry which relate algebraic properties of the curvature operator to the underlying geometry of the manifold.Comment: This is a contribution to the Proceedings of the 2007 Midwest Geometry Conference in honor of Thomas P. Branson, published in SIGMA (Symmetry, Integrability and Geometry: Methods and Applications) at http://www.emis.de/journals/SIGMA

The merging/AGN connection: A case for 3D spectroscopy

We discuss an ongoing study of the connection between galaxy merging/interaction and AGN activity, based on integral field spectroscopy. We focus on the search for AGN ionization in the central regions of mergers, previously not classified as AGNs. We present here the science case, the current status of the project, and plans for future observations.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure, Euro3D Science Workshop, Cambridge, May 2003, AN, accepte

Clean optical spectrum of the radio jet of 3C 120

We present integral field spectroscopy (IFS) of the central region of 3C 120. We have modeled the nuclear and host galaxy three-dimensional spectra using techniques normally applied to imaging, decoupling both components and obtaining a residual data cube. Using this residual data cube, we detected the extended emission line region associated with the radio jet. We obtained, for the first time, a clean spectrum of this region and found compelling evidence of a jet-cloud interaction. The jet compresses and splits the gas cloud, which is ionized by the active galactic nucleus (AGN ) and/or by the strong local UV photon field generated by a shock process. We cannot confirm the detection of an extended emission line region associated with the counterjet reported by Axon and coworkers.This project is part of the Euro3D RTN on IFS, funded by the EC under contract HPRN-CT-2002-00305. The WHT is operated on the island of La Palma by the Isaac Newton Group in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the IAC. This project has used images obtained from the HST archive, using the ESO archiving facilities. We would like to thank R. C. Walker, who has kindly provided us with the radio maps of 3C 120. We would like to thank the anonymous referee, who has helped us to improve the quality of this paper with his/her remarks

Clean optical spectrum of the radio jet of 3C 120

We present integral field spectroscopy (IFS) of the central region of 3C 120. We have modeled the nuclear and host galaxy 3D spectra using techniques normally applied to imaging, decoupling both components, and obtained a residual datacube. Using this residual datacube, we detected the extended emission line region associated with the radio jet. We obtained, for the first time, a clean spectrum of this region and found compelling evidences of a jet-cloud interaction. The jet compresses and splits the gas cloud which is ionized by the AGN and/or by the strong local UV photon field generated by a shock process. We cannot confirm the detection of an extended emission line region associated with the counter-jet reported by Axon (1989).Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publishing in Ap