Causal Nature and Dynamics of Trapping Horizons in Black Hole Collapse

In calculations of gravitational collapse to form black holes, trapping horizons (foliated by marginally trapped surfaces) make their first appearance either within the collapsing matter or where it joins on to a vacuum exterior. Those which then move outwards with respect to the matter have been proposed for use in defining black holes, replacing the global concept of an "event horizon" which has some serious drawbacks for practical applications. We here present results from a study of the properties of both outgoing and ingoing trapping horizons, assuming strict spherical symmetry throughout. We have investigated their causal nature (i.e. whether they are spacelike, timelike or null), making contact with the Misner-Sharp- Hernandez formalism, which has often been used for numerical calculations of spherical collapse. We follow two different approaches, one using a geometrical quantity related to expansions of null geodesic congruences, and the other using the horizon velocity measured with respect to the collapsing matter. After an introduction to these concepts, we then implement them within numerical simulations of stellar collapse, revisiting pioneering calculations from the 1960s where some features of the emergence and subsequent behaviour of trapping horizons could already be seen. Our presentation here is aimed firmly at "real world" applications of interest to astrophysicists and includes the effects of pressure, which may be important for the asymptotic behaviour of the ingoing horizon.Comment: 33 pages, 11 figure

High resolution IRAS maps and IR emission of M31; 2, diffuse component and interstellar dust

Large-scale dust heating and cooling in the diffuse medium of M31 is studied using the HiRes IRAS maps in conjunction with UV, optical (UBV) and the HI maps. A dust heating/cooling model is developed based on a radiative transfer model which assumes a `Sandwich' configuration of dust and stars and takes fully into account the effect of scattering of dust grains. The model is applied to a complete sample of 'cells' (small areas of size 2'\times 2'), generated from the above maps. The sample covers the M31 disk in the galactocentric radius range 2 --- 14 kpc, and includes only the cells for which the contribution of the discrete sources to the 60\mu m surface brightness is negligible (< 20\%). This effectively excludes most of the bright arm regions from our analysis. We find that: (1) The mean optical depth (viewed from the inclination angle of 77^\circ) increases with radius from \tau_V\sim 0.7 at r=2kpc outwards, reaches a peak of ~1.6 near 10kpc, and stays quite flat out to 14kpc, where the signal falls below the 5sigma level. (2) A correlation between \tau_V and HI surface density is suggested by the similarity between their radial profiles. Significant differences are found between the radial profiles of the H_2 gas (estimated from CO) and of the dust (from \tau_V), which are most probably due to the large uncertainty in the CO-to-H_2 conversion factor, and to the under-representation of H_2-rich regions in the sample of cells of diffuse regions. (3) The \tau_V / N(HI) ratio decreases with increasing radius in the disk of M31, with an exponential law fit yielding an e-folding scale length of 9.6\pm 0.4 kpc. (4) The optical depth adjusted for this gradient, \tau_{V,c}, is strongly and linearly correlated with N(HI) over one and a half order of magnitude of column density, indicating that at a give

High resolution IRAS maps and IR emission of M31; 1, morphology and sources

The morphology of the IR emission and the properties of discrete FIR sources in M31 disk are studied using the HiRes maps from IRAS. Very thin and bright FIR arm segments are shown in these maps, which have similar structure as the HI gas but with much enhanced arm/inter-arm contrast, typically a factor of 5 on the 60\mum image. We identify 39 unconfused sources (excluding the nucleus) and 14 confused sources (7 pairs) at 60 \mum by direct Gaussian fittings to the image. IRAS colors of 10 bright isolated sources are studied, which are presumably representative of the discrete sources in general. The colors follow the well known anticorrelation between the 60micron/100micron flux ratio and the 12micron/25micron flux ratio. All sources coincide with optical HII regions. A comparison with H\alpha observations shows that the total luminosity (in the wavelength range 8 --- 1000\mum) associated with HII regions is 7.2\pm 2.9 \; 10^8L_sun, namely 30\pm 14\% of the total IR emission of M31. This luminosity translates into a present-day star formation rate of 0.36\pm 0.14 M_sun/yr, about an order of magnitude lower than that of the Milky Way Galaxy

Hubble Space Telescope images of submillimeter sources: large, irregular galaxies at high redshift

We present new Hubble Space Telescope STIS, high-resolution optical imaging of a sample of 13 submillimeter (submm) luminous galaxies, for which the optical emission has been pinpointed either through radio-1.4 GHz or millimeter interferometry. We find a predominance of irregular and complex morphologies in the sample, suggesting that mergers are likely common for submm galaxies. The component separation in these objects are on average a factor two larger than local galaxies with similarly high bolometric luminosities. The sizes and star formation rates of the submm galaxies are consistent with the maximal star formation rate densities of 20 Msun kpc^{-2} in local starburst galaxies (Lehnert & Heckman 1996). We derive quantitative morphological information for the optical galaxies hosting the submm emission; total and isophotal magnitudes, Petrosian radius, effective radius, concentration, aspect ratio, surface brightness, and asymmetry. We compare these morphological indices with those of other galaxies lying within the same STIS images. Most strikingly, we find ~70% of the submm galaxies to be extraordinarily large and elongated relative to the field population, regardless of optical magnitude. Comparison of the submm galaxy morphologies with those of optically selected galaxies at z~2-3 reveal the submm galaxies to be a morphologically distinct population, with generally larger sizes, higher concentrations and more prevalent major-merger configurations.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, scheduled for ApJ, v599, Dec10, 2003. Minor edits. For version with higher resolution figures, see http://www.submm.caltech.edu/~schapman/ms_v3.ps.g

Modeling the evolution of infrared luminous galaxies: the influence of the Luminosity-Temperature distribution

The evolution of the luminous infrared galaxy population is explored using a pure luminosity evolution model which incorporates the locally observed luminosity-temperature distribution for IRAS galaxies. Pure luminosity evolution models in a fixed $\Lambda$CDM cosmology are fitted to submillimeter (submm) and infrared counts, and backgrounds. It is found that the differences between the locally determined bivariate model and the single variable luminosity function (LF) do not manifest themselves in the observed counts, but rather are primarily apparent in the dust temperatures of sources in flux limited surveys. Statistically significant differences in the redshift distributions are also observed. The bivariate model is used to predict the counts, redshifts and temperature distributions of galaxies detectable by {\it Spitzer}. The best fitting model is compared to the high-redshift submm galaxy population, revealing a median redshift for the total submm population of $z=1.8^{+0.9}_{-0.4}$, in good agreement with recent spectroscopic studies of submillimeter galaxies. The temperature distribution for the submm galaxies is modeled to predict the radio/submm indices of the submm galaxies, revealing that submm galaxies exhibit a broader spread in spectral energy distributions than seen in the local IRAS galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Quality of several figures reduced due to size restriction

Spatially Resolved PAH Emission Features in Nearby, Low Metallicity, Star-Forming Galaxies

Low-resolution, mid-infrared Spitzer/IRS spectral maps are presented for three nearby, low-metallicity dwarf galaxies (NGC 55, NGC 3109 and IC 5152) for the purpose of examining the spatial distribution and variation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission. The sample straddles a metallicity of 12+log(O/H)~8.0, a transition point below which PAH intensity empirically drops and the character of the interstellar medium changes. We derive quantitative radiances of PAH features and atomic lines on both global and spatially-resolved scales. The Spitzer spectra, combined with extensive ancillary data from the UV through the mid-infrared, allow us to examine changes in the physical environments and in PAH feature radiances down to a physical scale of 50 pc. We discuss correlations between various PAH emission feature and atomic line radiances. The (6.2 micron)/(11.3 micron), (7.7 micron)/(11.3 micron), (8.6 micron)/(11.3 micron), (7.7 micron)/(6.2 micron), and (8.6 micron)/(6.2 micron) PAH radiance ratios are found to be independent of position across all three galaxies, although the ratios do vary from galaxy to galaxy. As seen in other galaxies, we find no variation in the grain size distribution as a function of local radiation field strength. Absolute PAH feature intensities as measured by a ratio of PAH/(24 micron) radiances are seen to vary both positionally within a given galaxy, and from one galaxy to another when integrated over the full observed extent of each system. We examine direct comparisons of CC mode PAH ratios (7.7 micron)/(6.2 micron) and (8.6 micron)/(6.2 micron) to the mixed (CC/CH) mode PAH ratio (7.7 micron)/(11.3 micron). We find little variation in either mode, and no difference in trends between modes. While the local conditions change markedly over the observed regions of these galaxies, the properties of PAH emission show a remarkable degree of uniformity.Comment: Astrophysical Journal, in pres

High-ionization mid-infrared lines as black hole mass and bolometric luminosity indicators in active galactic nuclei

We present relations of the black hole mass and the optical luminosity with the velocity dispersion and the luminosity of the [Ne V] and the [O IV] high-ionization lines in the mid-infrared (MIR) for 28 reverberation-mapped active galactic nuclei. We used high-resolution Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph and Infrared Space Observatory Short Wavelength Spectrometer data to fit the profiles of these MIR emission lines that originate from the narrow-line region of the nucleus. We find that the lines are often resolved and that the velocity dispersion of [Ne V] and [O IV] follows a relation similar to that between the black hole mass and the bulge stellar velocity dispersion found for local galaxies. The luminosity of the [Ne V] and the [O IV] lines in these sources is correlated with that of the optical 5100A continuum and with the black hole mass. Our results provide a means to derive black hole properties in various types of active galactic nuclei, including highly obscured systems.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ

AKARI-CAS --- Online Service for AKARI All-Sky Catalogues

The AKARI All-Sky Catalogues are an important infrared astronomical database for next-generation astronomy that take over the IRAS catalog. We have developed an online service, AKARI Catalogue Archive Server (AKARI-CAS), for astronomers. The service includes useful and attractive search tools and visual tools. One of the new features of AKARI-CAS is cached SIMBAD/NED entries, which can match AKARI catalogs with other catalogs stored in SIMBAD or NED. To allow advanced queries to the databases, direct input of SQL is also supported. In those queries, fast dynamic cross-identification between registered catalogs is a remarkable feature. In addition, multiwavelength quick-look images are displayed in the visualization tools, which will increase the value of the service. In the construction of our service, we considered a wide variety of astronomers' requirements. As a result of our discussion, we concluded that supporting users' SQL submissions is the best solution for the requirements. Therefore, we implemented an RDBMS layer so that it covered important facilities including the whole processing of tables. We found that PostgreSQL is the best open-source RDBMS products for such purpose, and we wrote codes for both simple and advanced searches into the SQL stored functions. To implement such stored functions for fast radial search and cross-identification with minimum cost, we applied a simple technique that is not based on dividing celestial sphere such as HTM or HEALPix. In contrast, the Web application layer became compact, and was written in simple procedural PHP codes. In total, our system realizes cost-effective maintenance and enhancements.Comment: Yamauchi, C. et al. 2011, PASP..123..852