2,806 research outputs found
Quasars: from the Physics of Line Formation to Cosmology
Quasars accreting matter at very high rates (known as extreme Population A
[xA] or super-Eddington accreting massive black holes) provide a new class of
distance indicators covering cosmic epochs from the present-day Universe up to
less than 1 Gyr from the Big Bang. The very high accretion rate makes it
possible that massive black holes hosted in xA quasars radiate at a stable,
extreme luminosity-to-mass ratio. This in turns translates into stable physical
and dynamical conditions of the mildly ionized gas in the quasar low-ionization
line emitting region. In this contribution, we analyze the main optical and UV
spectral properties of extreme Population A quasars that make them easily
identifiable in large spectroscopic surveys at low-z (z < 1) and intermediate-z
(2 < z < 2.6), and the physical conditions that are derived for the formation
of their emission lines. Ultimately, the analysis supports the possibility of
identifying a virial broadening estimator from low-ionization line widths, and
the conceptual validity of the redshift-independent luminosity estimates based
on virial broadening for a known luminosity-to-mass ratio.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. Invited lecture at SPIG 2018, Belgrade. To
appear in Ato
Scandium: A key element for understanding Am stars
{\rm Context.} Atomic diffusion is believed to cause the abundance anomalies
observed in AmFm stars. However, the detailed process has still not been
well-established. For instance, two possible scenarios for the diffusion theory
are presently envisaged. They differ mainly by the depth from which the
abundance anomalies emanate. The first scenario predicts that the abundances
are modified in the superficial regions of the star, just below the hydrogen
convection zone. The second scenario predicts that a much deeper extension of
the mixing zone exists due to the convection caused by Fe accumulation in
regions below the hydrogen convection zone. {\rm Aims.} We calculate much more
accurate radiative accelerations of Sc than previously, to better understand
the observed abundance anomalies of this element. We believe that it is a key
element to use as a diagnostic tool for understanding AmFm stars.
{\rmMethods.} The method employed to obtain these radiative accelerations is
based on an interpolation from the parameters of the so-called SVP parametric
method.
{\rm Results.} The radiative accelerations, shown here in a typical Am
stellar model, are discussed in light of the observed anomalies of Ca and Sc.
Our results suggest that the deeper mixing scenario is not entirely
satisfactory: the mixing zone should be deeper than what is predicted by recent
models to account for observed Sc underabundances. Our results seem more
compatible with the scenario where the abundances anomalies are created in the
superficial regions. However, only detailed evolutionary modelling with mass
loss and diffusion of all important species, including Ca and Sc, with accurate
radiative accelerations, will be able to give more insight into where the
source of these anomalies occur in AmFm stars.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Black hole mass estimates in quasars - A comparative analysis of high- and low-ionization lines
The inter-line comparison between high- and low-ionization emission lines has
yielded a wealth of information on the quasar broad line region (BLR) structure
and dynamics, including perhaps the earliest unambiguous evidence in favor of a
disk + wind structure in radio-quiet quasars. We carried out an analysis of the
CIV 1549 and Hbeta line profiles of 28 Hamburg-ESO high luminosity quasars and
of 48 low-z, low luminosity sources in order to test whether the
high-ionization line CIV 1549 width could be correlated with Hbeta and be used
as a virial broadening estimator. We analyze intermediate- to high-S/N,
moderate resolution optical and NIR spectra covering the redshifted CIV and
H over a broad range of luminosity log L ~ 44 - 48.5 [erg/s] and
redshift (0 - 3), following an approach based on the quasar main sequence. The
present analysis indicates that the line width of CIV 1549 is not immediately
offering a virial broadening estimator equivalent to H. At the same time
a virialized part of the BLR appears to be preserved even at the highest
luminosities. We suggest a correction to FWHM(CIV) for Eddington ratio (using
the CIV blueshift as a proxy) and luminosity effects that can be applied over
more than four dex in luminosity. Great care should be used in estimating
high-L black hole masses from CIV 1549 line width. However, once corrected
FWHM(CIV) values are used, a CIV-based scaling law can yield unbiased MBH
values with respect to the ones based on H with sample standard
deviation ~ 0.3 dex.Comment: 43 pages, 15 Figures, submitted to A&
Modelling element distributions in the atmospheres of magnetic Ap stars
In recent papers convincing evidence has been presented for chemical
stratification in Ap star atmospheres, and surface abundance maps have been
shown to correlate with the magnetic field direction. Radiatively driven
diffusion in magnetic fields is among the processes responsible for these
inhomogeneities. Here we explore the hypothesis that equilibrium
stratifications can, in a number of cases, explain the observed abundance maps
and vertical distributions of the various elements. The investigation of
equilibrium stratifications in stellar atmospheres with temperatures from 8500K
to 12000K and fields up to 10 kG reveals considerable variations in the
vertical distribution of the 5 elements studied (Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, Fe), often
with zones of large over- or under-abundances and with indications of other
competing processes (such as mass loss). Horizontal magnetic fields can be very
efficient in helping the accumulation of elements in higher layers. A
comparison between our calculations and the vertical abundance profiles and
surface maps derived by magnetic Doppler imaging reveals that equilibrium
stratifications are in a number of cases consistent with the main trends
inferred from observed spectra. However, it is not clear whether such
equilibrium solutions will ever be reached during the evolution of an Ap star.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, the paper will be published in Astronomy &
Astrophysics, on November 200
Detailed Analysis of Balmer Lines in a Sloan Digital Sky Survey Sample of 90 Broad Line Active Galactic Nuclei
In order to contribute to the general effort aiming at the improvement of our
knowledge about the physical conditions within the Broad Line Region (BLR) of
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), here we present the results achieved by our
analysis of the spectral properties of a sample of 90 broad line emitting
sources, collected at the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) database. By focusing
our attention mainly onto the Balmer series of hydrogen emission lines, which
is the dominant feature in the optical wavelength range of many BLR spectra, we
extracted several flux and profile measurements, which we related to other
source properties, such as optical continuum luminosities, inferred black hole
masses, and accretion rates. Using the Boltzmann Plot method to investigate the
Balmer line flux ratios as a function of the line profiles, we found that
broader line emitting AGN typically have larger H_alpha / H_beta and smaller
H_gamma / H_beta and H_delta / H_beta line ratios. With the help of some recent
investigations, we model the structure of the BLR and we study the influence of
the accretion process on the properties of the BLR plasma.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, fixes the wrong names of 4 objects; published
on Ap
Modelling of the scandium abundance evolution in AmFm stars
Scandium is a key element of the Am star phenomenon since its surface
under-abundance is one of the criteria that characterise such stars. Thanks to
the availability of a sufficiently complete set of theoretical atomic data for
this element, reliable radiative accelerations for Sc can now be computed,
which allows its behaviour under the action of atomic diffusion to be modelled.
We explore the required conditions, in terms of mixing processes or mass loss,
for our models to reproduce the observed surface abundances of Sc in Am stars.
The models are computed with the Toulouse-Geneva evolution code, which uses the
parametric single-valued parameter method for the calculation of radiative
accelerations. Fingering mixing is included, using a prescription that comes
from 3D hydrodynamical simulations. Other parameter-dependent turbulent mixing
processes are also considered. A global mass loss is also implemented. When no
mass loss is considered, the observed abundances of Sc are rather in favour of
the models whose superficial layers are fully mixed down to the iron
accumulation zone, although other mixing prescriptions are also able to
reproduce the observations for the most massive model presented here (). The models including mass loss with rates in the range of
/yr are compatible with some of the observations,
while other observations suggest that the mass-loss rate could be lower. The
constraints brought by the modelling of Sc are consistent with those derived
using other chemical elements.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure
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