193 research outputs found
Discovery of optical candidate supernova remnants in Sagittarius
During an [O III] survey for planetary nebulae, we identified a region in
Sagittarius containing several candidate Supernova Remnants and obtained deep
optical narrow-band images and spectra to explore their nature. The images of
the unstudied area have been obtained in the light of Halpha+[N II], [S II] and
[O III]. The resulting mosaic covers an area of 1.4x1.0 deg^2 where filamentary
and diffuse emission was discovered, suggesting the existence of more than one
supernova remnants (SNRs) in the area. Deep long slit spectra were also taken
of eight different regions. Both the flux calibrated images and the spectra
show that the emission from the filamentary structures originates from
shock-heated gas, while the photo-ionization mechanism is responsible for the
diffuse emission. Part of the optical emission is found to be correlated with
the radio at 4850 MHz suggesting their association, while the WISE infrared
emission found in the area at 12 and 22 micron marginally correlates with the
optical. The presence of the [O III] emission line in one of the candidate SNRs
suggests shock velocities into the interstellar "clouds" between 120 and 200
km/s, while the absence in the other indicates slower shock velocities. For all
candidate remnants the [S II] 6716/6731 ratio indicates electron densities
below 240 cm^{-3}, while the Halpha emission has been measured to be between
0.6 to 41x10^{-17} erg/s/cm^2/arcsec^2. The existence of eight pulsars within
1.5deg away from the center of the candidate SNRs also supports the scenario of
many SNRs in the area as well as that the detected optical emission could be
part of a number of supernovae explosions.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Deep Halpha imagery of the Eridanus shells
A deep \ha image of interlocking filamentary arcs of nebulosity has been
obtained with a wide-field ( 30\degree diameter) narrow-band filter
camera combined with a CCD as a detector. The resultant mosaic of images,
extending to a galactic latitude of 65, has been corrected for field
distortions and had galactic coordinates superimposed on it to permit accurate
correlations with the most recent H{\sc i} (21 cm), X-ray (0.75 kev) and FIR
(IRAS 100 m) maps.
Furthermore, an upper limit of 0.13 arcsec/yr to the expansion proper motion
of the primary 25\degree long nebulous arc has been obtained by comparing a
recent \ha image obtained with the San Pedro Martir telescope of its
filamentary edge with that on a POSS E plate obtained in 1951.
It is concluded that these filamentary arcs are the superimposed images of
separate shells (driven by supernova explosions and/or stellar winds) rather
than the edges of a single `superbubble' stretching from Barnard's Arc (and the
Orion Nebula) to these high galactic latitudes. The proper motion measurement
argues against the primary \ha emitting arc being associated with the giant
radio loop (Loop 2) except in extraordinary circumstances.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for MNRAS publicatio
An Updated Catalog of 4680 Northern Eclipsing Binaries with Algol-Type light curve morphology in the Catalina Sky Surveys
We present an updated catalog of 4680 northern eclipsing binaries (EBs) with
Algol-type light curve morphology (i.e., with well-defined beginning and end of
primary and secondary eclipses), using data from the Catalina Sky Surveys. Our
work includes revised period determinations, phenomenological parameters of the
light curves, and system morphology classification based on machine learning
techniques. While most of the new periods are in excellent agreement with those
provided in the original Catalina catalogs, improved values are now available
for ~10% of the stars. A total of 3456 EBs were classified as detached and 449
as semi-detached, while 145 cannot be classified unambiguously into either
subtype. The majority of the SD systems seems to be comprised of short-period
Algols. By applying color criteria, we searched for K- and M-type dwarfs in
these data, and present a subsample of 609 EB candidates for further
investigation. We report 119 EBs (2.5% of the total sample) that show maximum
quadrature light variations over long timescales, with periods bracketing the
range 4.5-18 yrs and fractional luminosity variance of 0.04-0.13. We discuss
possible causes for this, making use of models of variable starspot activity in
our interpretation of the results
Spectroscopic Properties of QSOs Selected from Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy Samples
We performed spectroscopic observations for a large infrared QSO sample with
a total of 25 objects. The sample was compiled from the QDOT redshift survey,
the 1 Jy ULIRGs survey and a sample obtained by a cross-correlation study of
the IRAS Point Source Catalogue with the ROSAT All Sky Survey Catalogue.
Statistical analyses of the optical spectra show that the vast majority of
infrared QSOs have narrow permitted emission lines (with FWHM of Hbeta less
than 4000 km/s) and more than 60% of them are luminous narrow line Seyfert 1
galaxies. Two of the infrared QSOs are also classified as low ionization BAL
QSOs. More than 70% of infrared QSOs are moderately or extremely strong Fe II
emitters. This is the highest percentage of strong Fe II emitters in all
subclasses of QSO/Seyfert 1 samples. We found that the Fe II to Hbeta, line
ratio is significantly correlated with the [OIII]5007 peak and Hbeta blueshift.
Soft X-ray weak infrared QSOs tend to have large blueshifts in permitted
emission lines and significant Fe II48,49 (5100--5400 A) residuals relative to
the Boroson & Green Fe II template. If the blueshifts in permitted lines are
caused by outflows, then they appear to be common in infrared QSOs. As the
infrared-selected QSO sample includes both luminous narrow line Seyfert 1
galaxies and low ionization BAL QSOs, it could be a useful laboratory to
investigate the evolutionary connection among these objects.Comment: 35 pages,14 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in A
Evidence for an outflow from the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4051
New observations using narrow band imaging, long-slit spectroscopy and MERLIN
observations of the nuclear region of the Seyfert galaxy NGC~4051 have been
made. An edge brightened, triangular region of ionized gas extending 420 pc
from the centre of the galaxy has been detected. Long-slit spectra of this
ionised gas, taken at 1.5\arcsec\ from the core, show the \oiii\ emission line
to consist of two velocity components, both blue-shifted from the systemic
radial velocity, with velocity widths of 140\kms\ and separated by 120\kms.
This region is co-spatial with weak extended radio emission and is suggestive
of a centrally driven outflow. The \oiii\ line spectrum and image of this
region have been modelled as an outflowing conical structure at 50\degr\ to the
line of sight with a half opening angle of 23\degr .
In addition to the extended structure, high resolution MERLIN observations of
the 18-cm nuclear radio emission reveal a compact (1\arcsec) radio triple
source in PA 73. This source is coincident with the HST-imaged
emission line structure. These high resolution observations are consistent with
a more compact origin of activity (i.e. a Seyfert nucleus) than a starburst
region.Comment: latex, epsf.sty, 8 pages, 8 figures. Also available at
http://axp2.ast.man.ac.uk:8000/Preprints.htm
Discovery of multiple Lorentzian components in the X-ray timing properties of the Narrow Line Seyfert 1 Ark 564
We present a power spectral analysis of a 100 ksec XMM-Newton observation of
the narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxy Ark~564. When combined with earlier RXTE and
ASCA observations, these data produce a power spectrum covering seven decades
of frequency which is well described by a power law with two very clear breaks.
This shape is unlike the power spectra of almost all other AGN observed so far,
which have only one detected break, and resemble Galactic binary systems in a
soft state. The power spectrum can also be well described by the sum of two
Lorentzian-shaped components, the one at higher frequencies having a hard
spectrum, similar to those seen in Galactic binary systems. Previously we have
demonstrated that the lag of the hard band variations relative to the soft band
in Ark 564 is dependent on variability time-scale, as seen in Galactic binary
sources. Here we show that the time-scale dependence of the lags can be
described well using the same two-Lorentzian model which describes the power
spectrum, assuming that each Lorentzian component has a distinct time lag. Thus
all X-ray timing evidence points strongly to two discrete, localised, regions
as the origin of most of the variability. Similar behaviour is seen in Galactic
X-ray binary systems in most states other than the soft state, i.e. in the
low-hard and intermediate/very high states. Given the very high accretion rate
of Ark 564 the closest analogy is with the very high (intermediate) state
rather than the low-hard state. We therefore strengthen the comparison between
AGN and Galactic binary sources beyond previous studies by extending it to the
previously poorly studied very high accretion rate regime.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
The Asymmetric Wind in M82
We have obtained detailed imaging Fabry-Perot observations of the nearby
galaxy M82, in order to understand the physical association between the
high-velocity outflow and the starburst nucleus. The observed velocities of the
emitting gas in M82 reveal a bipolar outflow of material, originating from the
bright starburst regions in the galaxy's inner disk, but misaligned with
respect to the galaxy spin axis. The deprojected outflow velocity increases
with radius from 525 to 655 km/s. Spectral lines show double components in the
centers of the outflowing lobes, with the H-alpha line split by ~300 km/s over
a region almost a kiloparsec in size. The filaments are not simple surfaces of
revolution, nor is the emission distributed evenly over the surfaces. We model
these lobes as a composite of cylindrical and conical structures, collimated in
the inner ~500 pc but expanding at a larger opening angle of ~25 degrees beyond
that radius. We compare our kinematic model with simulations of
starburst-driven winds in which disk material surrounding the source is
entrained by the wind. The data also reveal a remarkably low [NII]/H-alpha
ratio in the region of the outflow, indicating that photoionization by the
nuclear starburst may play a significant role in the excitation of the optical
filament gas, particularly near the nucleus.Comment: 42 pages AASTeX with 16 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ;
figures reformatted for better printin
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