7,437 research outputs found
Stellar Photometric Structures of the Host Galaxies of Nearby Type 1 Active Galactic Nuclei
We present detailed image analysis of rest-frame optical images of 235
low-redshift ( 0.35) type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) observed with
the Hubble Space Telescope. The high-resolution images enable us to perform
rigorous two-dimensional image modeling to decouple the luminous central point
source from the host galaxy, which, when warranted, is further decomposed into
its principal structural components (bulge, bar, and disk). In many cases, care
must be taken to account for structural complexities such as spiral arms, tidal
features, and overlapping or interacting companion galaxies. We employ Fourier
modes to characterize the degree of asymmetry of the light distribution of the
stars, as a quantitative measure of morphological distortion due to
interactions or mergers. We examine the dependence of the physical parameters
of the host galaxies on the properties of the AGNs, namely radio-loudness and
the width of the broad emission lines. In accordance with previous studies,
narrow-line (H FWHM km~s) type 1 AGNs, in contrast to
their broad-line (H FWHM km~s) counterparts, are
preferentially hosted in later type, lower luminosity galaxies, which have a
higher incidence of pseudo-bulges, are more frequently barred, and are less
morphologically disturbed. This suggests narrow-line type 1 AGNs experienced a
more quiescent evolutionary history driven primarily by internal secular
evolution instead of external dynamical perturbations. The fraction of AGN
hosts showing merger signatures is larger for more luminous sources. Radio-loud
AGNs generally preferentially live in earlier type (bulge-dominated), more
massive hosts, although a minority of them appears to contain a significant
disk component. We do not find convincing evidence for enhanced merger
signatures in the radio-loud population.Comment: Published in ApJ
Supernova Environments in Hubble Space Telescope Images
The locations of supernovae in the local stellar and gaseous environment in galaxies contain important clues to their progenitor stars. Access to this information, however, has been hampered by the limited resolution achieved by ground-based observations. High spatial resolution Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of galaxy fields in which supernovae had been observed can improve the situation considerably. We have examined the immediate environments of a few dozen supernovae using archival post-refurbishment HST images. Although our analysis is limited due to signal-to-noise ratio and filter bandpass considerations, the images allow us for the first time to resolve individual stars in, and to derive detailed color-magnitude diagrams for, several environments. We are able to place more rigorous constraints on the masses of these supernovae. A search was made for late-time emission from supernovae in the archival images, and for the progenitor stars in presupernova images of the host galaxies. In particular, we highlight the results for the Type II SN 1979C in M100. In addition, we have identified the progenitor of the Type IIn SN 1997bs in NGC 3627. We also add to the statistical inferences that can be made from studying the association of SNe with recent star-forming regions
The Carnegie-Irvine Galaxy Survey. III. The Three-Component Structure of Nearby Elliptical Galaxies
Motivated by recent developments in our understanding of the formation and
evolution of massive galaxies, we explore the detailed photometric structure of
a representative sample of 94 bright, nearby elliptical galaxies, using
high-quality optical images from the Carnegie-Irvine Galaxy Survey. The sample
spans a range of environments and stellar masses, from M* = 10^{10.2} to
10^{12.0} solar mass. We exploit the unique capabilities of two-dimensional
image decomposition to explore the possibility that local elliptical galaxies
may contain photometrically distinct substructure that can shed light on their
evolutionary history. Compared with the traditional one-dimensional approach,
these two-dimensional models are capable of consistently recovering the surface
brightness distribution and the systematic radial variation of geometric
information at the same time. Contrary to conventional perception, we find that
the global light distribution of the majority (>75%) of elliptical galaxies is
not well described by a single Sersic function. Instead, we propose that local
elliptical galaxies generically contain three subcomponents: a compact (R_e < 1
kpc) inner component with luminosity fraction f ~ 0.1-0.15; an
intermediate-scale (R_e ~ 2.5 kpc) middle component with f ~ 0.2-0.25; and a
dominant (f = 0.6), extended (R_e ~ 10 kpc) outer envelope. All subcomponents
have average Sersic indices n ~ 1-2, significantly lower than the values
typically obtained from single-component fits. The individual subcomponents
follow well-defined photometric scaling relations and the stellar mass-size
relation. We discuss the physical nature of the substructures and their
implications for the formation of massive elliptical galaxies.Comment: To appear in The Astrophysical Journal; 36 pages, 2 tables, 38
figures; For the full resolution version, see:
http://users.obs.carnegiescience.edu/shuang/PaperIII.pdf ; For the atlas of
all selected models, see
http://users.obs.carnegiescience.edu/shuang/AppendixE.pd
The Carnegie-Irvine Galaxy Survey. IV. A Method to Determine the Average Mass Ratio of Mergers That Built Massive Elliptical Galaxies
Many recent observations and numerical simulations suggest that nearby
massive, early-type galaxies were formed through a "two-phase" process. In the
proposed second phase, the extended stellar envelope was accumulated through
many dry mergers. However, details of the past merger history of present-day
ellipticals, such as the typical merger mass ratio, are difficult to constrain
observationally. Within the context and assumptions of the two-phase formation
scenario, we propose a straightforward method, using photometric data alone, to
estimate the average mass ratio of mergers that contributed to the build-up of
massive elliptical galaxies. We study a sample of nearby massive elliptical
galaxies selected from the Carnegie-Irvine Galaxy Survey, using two-dimensional
analysis to decompose their light distribution into an inner, denser component
plus an extended, outer envelope, each having a different optical color. The
combination of these two substructures accurately recovers the negative color
gradient exhibited by the galaxy as whole. The color difference between the two
components ( ~ 0.10 mag; ~ 0.14 mag), based on the
slope of the M_stellar-color relation for nearby early-type galaxies, can be
translated into an estimate of the average mass ratio of the mergers. The rough
estimate, 1:5 to 1:10, is consistent with the expectation of the two-phase
formation scenario, suggesting that minor mergers were largely responsible for
building up to the outer stellar envelope of present-day massive ellipticals.
With the help of accurate photometry, large sample size, and more choices of
colors promised by ongoing and future surveys, the approach proposed here can
reveal more insights into the growth of massive galaxies during the last few
Gyr.Comment: Accepted by ApJ; 20 pages, 11 figures, 1 table; The high resolution
figures and the full table can be downloaded from here:
https://github.com/dr-guangtou/cgs_colorgra
Assessing the Formation Scenarios for the Double Nucleus of M31 Using Two-Dimensional Image Decomposition
The double nucleus geometry of M31 is currently best explained by the
eccentric disk hypothesis of Tremaine, but whether the eccentric disk resulted
from the tidal disruption of an inbounding star cluster by a nuclear black
hole, or by an m=1 perturbation of a native nuclear disk, remains debatable. I
perform detailed 2-D decomposition of the M31 double nucleus in the Hubble
Space Telescope V-band to study the bulge structure and to address competing
formation scenarios of the eccentric disk. I deblend the double nucleus (P1 and
P2) and the bulge simultaneously using five Sersic and one Nuker components. P1
and P2 appear to be embedded inside an intermediate component (r_e=3.2") that
is nearly spherical (q=0.97+/-m0.02), while the main galaxy bulge is more
elliptical (q=0.81+/-0.01). The spherical bulge mass of 2.8x10^7 M_sol is
comparable to the supermassive black hole mass (3x10^7 M_sol). In the 2-D
decomposition, the bulge is consistent with being centered near the UV peak of
P2, but the exact position is difficult to pinpoint because of dust in the
bulge. P1 and P2 are comparable in mass. Within a radius r=1\arcsec of P2, the
relative mass fraction of the nuclear components is M_BH:M_bulge:P1: P2 =
4.3:1.2:1:0.7, assuming the luminous components have a common mass-to-light
ratio of 5.7. The eccentric disk as a whole (P1+P2) is massive, M ~ 2.1x10^7
M_sol, comparable to the black hole and the local bulge mass. As such, the
eccentric disk could not have been formed entirely out of stars that were
stripped from an inbounding star cluster. Hence, the more favored scenario is
that of a disk formed in situ by an m=1 perturbation, caused possibly by the
passing of a giant molecular cloud, or the passing/accretion of a small
globular cluster.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures. AJ accepted. For the version of this paper with
high resolution figures, go to:
http://zwicky.as.arizona.edu/~cyp/work/m31.ps.g
Zn-doping effect on the magnetotransport properties of Bi_{2}Sr_{2-x}La_{x}CuO_{6+\delta} single crystals
We report the magnetotransport properties of
Bi_{2}Sr_{2-x}La_{x}Cu_{1-z}Zn_{z}O_{6+\delta} (Zn-doped BSLCO) single crystals
with z of up to 2.2%. Besides the typical Zn-doping effects on the in-plane
resistivity and the Hall angle, we demonstrate that the nature of the
low-temperature normal state in the Zn-doped samples is significantly altered
from that in the pristine samples under high magnetic fields. In particular, we
observe nearly-isotropic negative magnetoresistance as well as an increase in
the Hall coefficient at very low temperatures in non-superconducting Zn-doped
samples, which we propose to be caused by the Kondo scattering from the local
moments induced by Zn impurities.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, final version (one reference added), published in
Phys. Rev.
Current-induced spin-wave excitations in a single ferromagnetic layer
A new current induced spin-torque transfer effect has been observed in a
single ferromagnetic layer without resorting to multilayers. At a specific
current density of one polarity injected from a point contact, abrupt
resistance changes due to current-induced spin wave excitations have been
observed. The critical current at the onset of spin-wave excitations depends
linearly on the external field applied perpendicular to the layer. The observed
effect is due to current-driven heterogeneity in an otherwise uniform
ferromagnetic layer.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure
Dynamical mean-field equations for strongly interacting fermionic atoms in a potential trap
We derive a set of dynamical mean-field equations for strongly interacting
fermionic atoms in a potential trap across a Feshbach resonance. Our derivation
is based on a variational ansatz, which generalizes the crossover wavefunction
to the inhomogeneous case, and the assumption that the order parameter is
slowly varying over the size of the Cooper pairs. The equations reduce to a
generalized time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation on the BEC side of the
resonance. We discuss an iterative method to solve these mean-field equations,
and present the solution for a harmonic trap as an illustrating example to
self-consistently verify the approximations made in our derivation.Comment: replaced with the published versio
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