2,551 research outputs found
On the global structure of distant galactic disks
Radial and vertical profiles are determined for a sample of 34 edge-on disk
galaxies in the HDFs, selected for their apparent diameter larger than 1.3
arcsec and their unperturbed morphology. The thickness and flatness of their
galactic disks are determined and discussed with regard to evolution with
redshift. We find that sub-L* spiral galaxies with z \sim 1 have a relative
thickness or flatness (characterized by h_z/h the scaleheight to scalelength
ratio) globally similar to those in the local Universe. A slight trend is
however apparent, with the h_z/h flatness ratio larger by a factor of \sim 1.5
in distant galaxies if compared to local samples. In absolute value, the disks
are smaller than in present-day galaxies. About half of the z \sim 1 spiral
disks show a non-exponential surface brightness distribution.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, accepted in A and
The overmassive black hole in NGC 1277: new constraints from molecular gas kinematics
We report the detection of CO(1-0) emission from NGC 1277, a lenticular
galaxy in the Perseus Cluster. NGC 1277 has previously been proposed to host an
overmassive black hole (BH) compared to the galaxy bulge luminosity (mass),
based on stellar-kinematic measurements. The CO(1-0) emission, observed with
the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) using both, a more compact
(2.9-arcsec resolution) and a more extended (1-arcsec resolution)
configuration, is likely to originate from the dust lane encompassing the
galaxy nucleus at a distance of 0.9 arcsec (~320 pc). The double-horned CO(1-0)
profile found at 2.9-arcsec resolution traces of
molecular gas, likely orbiting in the dust lane at $\sim 550\ \mathrm{km\
s^{-1}}\sim 2\times 10^{10}\
M_\odot\sim
1.7\times 10^{10}\ M_\odotM/L_V=6.3\sim 5\times 10^{9}\ M_\odotM/L_V=10$. While the molecular gas reservoir
may be associated with a low level of star formation activity, the extended
2.6-mm continuum emission is likely to originate from a weak AGN, possibly
characterized by an inverted radio-to-millimetre spectral energy distribution.
Literature radio and X-ray data indicate that the BH in NGC 1277 is also
overmassive with respect to the Fundamental Plane of BH activity.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures; accepted for publication in MNRAS on 20 January
2016; updated version including minor changes and note added in proo
Search for cold and hot gas in the ram pressure stripped Virgo dwarf galaxy IC3418
We present IRAM 30m sensitive upper limits on CO emission in the ram pressure
stripped dwarf Virgo galaxy IC3418 and in a few positions covering HII regions
in its prominent 17 kpc UV/Ha gas-stripped tail. In the central few arcseconds
of the galaxy, we report a possible marginal detection of about 1x10^6 M_sun of
molecular gas (assuming a Galactic CO-to-H_2 conversion factor) that could
correspond to a surviving nuclear gas reservoir. We estimate that there is less
molecular gas in the main body of IC3418, by at least a factor of 20, than
would be expected from the pre-quenching UV-based star formation rate assuming
the typical gas depletion timescale of 2 Gyr. Given the lack of star formation
in the main body, we think the H_2-deficiency is real, although some of it may
also arise from a higher CO-to-H_2 factor typical in low-metallicity, low-mass
galaxies. The presence of HII regions in the tail of IC3418 suggests that there
must be some dense gas; however, only upper limits of < 1x10^6 M_sun were found
in the three observed points in the outer tail. This yields an upper limit on
the molecular gas content of the whole tail < 1x10^7 M_sun, which is an amount
similar to the estimates from the observed star formation rate over the tail.
We also present strong upper limits on the X-ray emission of the stripped gas
in IC3418 from a new Chandra observation. The measured X-ray luminosity of the
IC3418 tail is about 280 times lower than that of ESO 137-001, a spiral galaxy
in a more distant cluster with a prominent ram pressure stripped tail.
Non-detection of any diffuse X-ray emission in the IC3418 tail may be due to a
low gas content in the tail associated with its advanced evolutionary state
and/or due to a rather low thermal pressure of the surrounding intra-cluster
medium.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, A&A accepte
Dynamics of a classical Hall system driven by a time-dependent Aharonov--Bohm flux
We study the dynamics of a classical particle moving in a punctured plane
under the influence of a strong homogeneous magnetic field, an electrical
background, and driven by a time-dependent singular flux tube through the hole.
We exhibit a striking classical (de)localization effect: in the far past the
trajectories are spirals around a bound center; the particle moves inward
towards the flux tube loosing kinetic energy. After hitting the puncture it
becomes ``conducting'': the motion is a cycloid around a center whose drift is
outgoing, orthogonal to the electric field, diffusive, and without energy loss
NUGA: the IRAM survey of AGN spiral hosts
The NUclei of GAlaxies (NUGA) project is a combined effort to carry out a
high-resolution (<1'') interferometer CO survey of a sample of 12 nearby AGN
spiral hosts, using the IRAM array. We map the distribution and dynamics of
molecular gas in the inner 1 kpc of the nuclei with resolutions of 10-50 pc,
and study the mechanisms for gas fueling of the different low-luminosity AGN.
First results show evidence for the occurrence of strong m=1 gas instabilities
in Seyferts. NUGA maps allow us to address the origin/nature of m=1 modes and
their link with m=2 modes and acoustic instabilities, present in other targets.Comment: 1 gzipped tar file containing 1 Latex file + 3 eps figures.
Proceedings of ''Active Galactic Nuclei: from Central Engine to Host
Galaxy'', meeting held in Meudon, France, July 23-27, 2002, Eds.: S. Collin,
F. Combes and I. Shlosman. To be published in ASP Conference Serie
Dynamical Friction and the Distribution of Dark Matter in Barred Galaxies
We use fully self-consistent N-body simulations of barred galaxies to show
that dynamical friction from a dense dark matter halo dramatically slows the
rotation rate of bars. Our result supports previous theoretical predictions for
a bar rotating within a massive halo. On the other hand, low density halos,
such as those required for maximum disks, allow the bar to continue to rotate
at a high rate. There is somewhat meager observational evidence indicating that
bars in real galaxies do rotate rapidly and we use our result to argue that
dark matter halos must have a low central density in all high surface
brightness disk galaxies, including the Milky Way. Bars in galaxies that have
larger fractions of dark matter should rotate slowly, and we suggest that a
promising place to look for such candidate objects is among galaxies of
intermediate surface brightness.Comment: 6 pages, Latex, 3 figures, Accepted by Ap.J.L., revised copy,
includes an added paragrap
Bar Diagnostics in Edge-On Spiral Galaxies. II. Hydrodynamical Simulations
We develop diagnostics based on gas kinematics to identify the presence of a
bar in an edge-on spiral galaxy and determine its orientation. We use
position-velocity diagrams (PVDs) obtained by projecting edge-on
two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of the gas flow in a barred galaxy
potential. We show that when a nuclear spiral is formed, the presence of a gap
in the PVDs, between the signature of the nuclear spiral and that of the outer
parts of the disk, reliably indicates the presence of a bar. This gap is due to
the presence of shocks and inflows in the simulations, leading to a depletion
of the gas in the outer bar region. If no nuclear spiral signature is present
in a PVD, only indirect arguments can be used to argue for the presence of a
bar. The shape of the signature of the nuclear spiral, and to a lesser extent
that of the outer bar region, allows to determine the orientation of the bar
with respect to the line-of-sight. The presence of dust can also help to
discriminate between viewing angles on either side of the bar. Simulations
covering a large fraction of parameter space constrain the bar properties and
mass distribution of observed galaxies. The strongest constraint comes from the
presence or absence of the signature of a nuclear spiral in the PVD.Comment: 25 pages (AASTeX, aaspp4.sty), 11 jpg figures. Accepted for
publication in The Astrophysical Journal. Online manuscript with PostScript
figures available at: http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~bureau/pub_list.htm
Galaxy size trends as a consequence of cosmology
We show that recently documented trends in galaxy sizes with mass and
redshift can be understood in terms of the influence of underlying cosmic
evolution; a holistic view which is complimentary to interpretations involving
the accumulation of discreet evolutionary processes acting on individual
objects. Using standard cosmology theory, supported with results from the
Millennium simulations, we derive expected size trends for collapsed cosmic
structures, emphasising the important distinction between these trends and the
assembly paths of individual regions. We then argue that the observed variation
in the stellar mass content of these structures can be understood to first
order in terms of natural limitations of cooling and feedback. But whilst these
relative masses vary by orders of magnitude, galaxy and host radii have been
found to correlate linearly. We explain how these two aspects will lead to
galaxy sizes that closely follow observed trends and their evolution, comparing
directly with the COSMOS and SDSS surveys. Thus we conclude that the observed
minimum radius for galaxies, the evolving trend in size as a function of mass
for intermediate systems, and the observed increase in the sizes of massive
galaxies, may all be considered an emergent consequence of the cosmic
expansion.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures. Accepted by MNRA
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