Compact X-ray Sources in Nearby Galaxy Nuclei

We have found compact, near-nuclear X-ray sources in 21 (54\%) of a complete sample of 39 nearby face-on spiral and elliptical galaxies with available ROSAT HRI data. ROSAT X-ray luminosities (0.2 $-$ 2.4 keV) of these compact X-ray sources are $\sim$10$^{37}$$-$10$^{40}$ erg~s$^{-1}$. The mean displacement between the location of the compact X-ray source and the optical photometric center of the galaxy is $\sim$390 pc. ASCA spectra of six of the 21 galaxies show the presence of a hard component with relatively steep ($\Gamma \approx$ 2.5) spectral slope. A multicolor disk blackbody plus power-law model fits the data from the spiral galaxies well, suggesting that the X-ray objects in these galaxies may be similar to a black hole candidate (BHC) in its soft (high) state. ASCA data from the elliptical galaxies indicate that hot (kT $\approx$ 0.7 keV) gas dominates the emission. The fact that the spectral slope of the spiral galaxy sources is steeper than in normal type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and that relatively low absorbing columns (N$_H \approx$ 10$^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$) were found to the power-law component indicates that these objects are somehow geometrically and/or physically different from AGNs in normal active galaxies. The X-ray sources in the spiral galaxies may be BHCs, low-luminosity AGNs, or possibly X-ray luminous supernovae. We estimate the black hole masses of the X-ray sources in the spiral galaxies (if they are BHCs or AGNs) to be $\sim$10$^2$$-$10$^3$ M$_\odot$. The X-ray sources in the elliptical galaxies may be BHCs, AGNs or young X-ray supernova also.Comment: 4 pages, TeX, two postscript figures, to be published in proceedings of 32nd COSPAR Session E1.2 (1998 July 15-17 Nagoya) "The AGN-Normal Galaxy Connection

Old and Young X-ray Point Source Populations in Nearby Galaxies

We analyzed 1441 Chandra X-ray point sources in 32 nearby galaxies. The total point-source X-ray luminosity L_XP is well correlated with B, K, and FIR+UV luminosities of spiral host galaxies, and with the B and K luminosities for ellipticals. This suggests an intimate connection between L_XP and both the old and young stellar populations, for which K and FIR+UV luminosities are proxies for the galaxy mass M and star-formation rate SFR. We derive proportionality constants 1.3E29 erg/s/Msol and 0.7E39 erg/s/(Msol/yr), which can be used to estimate the old and young components from M and SFR, respectively. The cumulative X-ray luminosity functions for the point sources have quite different slopes for the spirals (gamma ~= 0.5-0.8) and ellipticals (gamma ~= 1.4), implying *the most luminous point sources dominate L_XP* for the spirals. Most of the point sources have X-ray colors that are consistent with either LMXBs or Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs a.k.a. IXOs) and we rule out classical HMXBs (e.g. neutron-star X-ray pulsars) as contributing much to L_XP. Thus, for spirals, the ULXs dominate L_XP. We estimate that >~20% of all ULXs found in spirals originate from the older (pop II) stellar populations, indicating that many of the ULXs that have been found in spiral galaxies are in fact pop II ULXs, like those in elliptical galaxies. The linear dependence of L_XP on the SFR argues for either a steepening in the X-ray luminosity function of the young (pop I) X-ray source population at L_X >~10^(38.5-39) erg/s, or a decreasing efficiency for producing all types of young X-ray point sources as the galaxy SFR increases.Comment: 33 pages AASTEX, ApJ accepted. Please download full version with figures from http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~colbert/chps_accepted.p

Spitzer Observations of the z=2.73 Lensed Lyman Break Galaxy, MS1512-cB58

We present Spitzer infrared (IR) photometry and spectroscopy of the lensed Lyman break galaxy (LBG), MS1512-cB58 at z=2.73. The large (factor ~30) magnification allows for the most detailed infrared study of an L*_UV(z=3) LBG to date. Broadband photometry with IRAC (3-10 micron), IRS (16 micron), and MIPS (24, 70 & 160 micron) was obtained as well as IRS spectroscopy spanning 5.5-35 microns. A fit of stellar population models to the optical/near-IR/IRAC photometry gives a young age (~9 Myr), forming stars at ~98 M_sun/yr, with a total stellar mass of ~10^9 M_sun formed thus far. The existence of an old stellar population with twice the stellar mass can not be ruled out. IR spectral energy distribution fits to the 24 and 70 micron photometry, as well as previously obtained submm/mm, data give an intrinsic IR luminosity L_IR = 1-2 x10^11 L_sun and a star formation rate, SFR ~20-40 M_sun/yr. The UV derived star formation rate (SFR) is ~3-5 times higher than the SFR determined using L_IR or L_Halpha because the red UV spectral slope is significantly over predicting the level of dust extinction. This suggests that the assumed Calzetti starburst obscuration law may not be valid for young LBGs. We detect strong line emission from Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) at 6.2, 7.7, and 8.6 microns. The line ratios are consistent with ratios observed in both local and high redshift starbursts. Both the PAH and rest-frame 8 micron luminosities predict the total L_IR based on previously measured relations in starbursts. Finally, we do not detect the 3.3 micron PAH feature. This is marginally inconsistent with some PAH emission models, but still consistent with PAH ratios measured in many local star-forming galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. aastex format, 18 pages, 7 figure

A Deep ROSAT HRI Observation of NGC 1313

We describe a series of observations of NGC 1313 using the ROSAT HRI with a combined exposure time of 183.5 ksec. The observations span an interval between 1992 and 1998; the purpose of observations since 1994 was to monitor the X-ray flux of SN1978K, one of several luminous sources in the galaxy. No diffuse emission is detected in the galaxy to a level of ~1-2x10^37 ergs/s/arcmin^-2. A total of eight sources are detected in the summed image within the D_25 diameter of the galaxy. The luminosities of five of the eight range from \~6x10^37 to ~6x10^38 erg/s; these sources are most likely accreting X-ray binaries, similar to sources obseved in M31 and M33. The remaining three sources all emit above 10^39 erg/s. We present light curves of the five brightest sources. Variability is detected at the 99.9% level from four of these. We identify one of the sources as an NGC 1313 counterpart of a Galactic X-ray source. The light curve, though crudely sampled, most closely resembles that of a Galactic black hole candidate such as GX339-4, but with considerably higher peak X-ray luminosity. An additional seven sources lie outside of the D_25 diameter and are either foreground stars or background AGN.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures; accepted AJ, scheduled for November 200

Far-ultraviolet imaging of the Hubble Deep Field-North: Star formation in normal galaxies at z < 1

We present far-ultraviolet (FUV) imaging of the Hubble Deep Field-North (HDF-N) taken with the Solar Blind Channel of the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS SBC) and the FUV MAMA detector of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope. The full WFPC2 deep field has been observed at 1600 Å. We detect 134 galaxies and one star down to a limit of FUV_(AB) ~ 29. All sources have counterparts in the WFPC2 image. Redshifts (spectroscopic or photometric) for the detected sources are in the range 0 < z < 1. We find that the FUV galaxy number counts are higher than those reported by GALEX, which we attribute at least in part to cosmic variance in the small HDF-N field of view. Six of the 13 Chandra sources at z < 0.85 in the HDF-N are detected in the FUV, and those are consistent with starbursts rather than active galactic nuclei. Cross-correlating with Spitzer sources in the field, we find that the FUV detections show general agreement with the expected L_(IR)/L_(UV) versus β relationship. We infer star formation rates (SFRs), corrected for extinction using the UV slope, and find a median value of 0.3 M_☉ yr^(-1) for FUV-detected galaxies, with 75% of detected sources having SFR < 1 M_☉ yr^(-1). Examining the morphological distribution of sources, we find that about half of all FUV-detected sources are identified as spiral galaxies. Half of morphologically selected spheroid galaxies at z < 0.85 are detected in the FUV, suggesting that such sources have had significant ongoing star formation in the epoch since z ~ 1

New Constraints on the Lyman Continuum Escape Fraction at z~1.3

We examine deep far-ultraviolet (1600 Angstrom) imaging of the Hubble Deep Field-North (HDFN) and the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) to search for leaking Lyman continuum radiation from starburst galaxies at z~1.3. There are 21 (primarily sub-L*) galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts between 1.1<z<1.5 and none are detected in the far-UV. We fit stellar population templates to the galaxies' optical/near-infrared SEDs to determine the starburst age and level of dust attenuation, giving an accurate estimate of the intrinsic Lyman continuum ratio, f_1500/f_700, and allowing a conversion from f_700 limits to relative escape fractions. We show that previous high-redshift studies may have underestimated the amplitude of the Lyman Break, and thus the relative escape fraction, by a factor of ~2. Once the starburst age and intergalactic HI absorption are accounted for, 18 galaxies in our sample have limits to the relative escape fraction, f_esc,rel < 1.0 with some limits as low as f_esc,rel < 0.10 and a stacked limit of f_esc,rel < 0.08. This demonstrates, for the first time, that most sub-L* galaxies at high redshift do not have large escape fractions. When combined with a similar study of more luminous galaxies at the same redshift we show that, if all star-forming galaxies at z~1 have similar relative escape fractions, the value must be less than 0.14 (3 sigma). We also show that less than 20% (3 sigma) of star-forming galaxies at z~1 have relative escape fractions near unity. These limits contrast with the large escape fractions found at z~3 and suggest that the average escape fraction has decreased between z~3 and z~1. (Abridged)Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. aastex format. 39 pages, 11 figure

A First Estimate Of The X-Ray Binary Frequency As A Function Of Star Cluster Mass In A Single Galactic System

We use the previously-identified 15 infrared star-cluster counterparts to X-ray point sources in the interacting galaxies NGC 4038/4039 (the Antennae) to study the relationship between total cluster mass and X-ray binary number. This significant population of X-Ray/IR associations allows us to perform, for the first time, a statistical study of X-ray point sources and their environments. We define a quantity, \eta, relating the fraction of X-ray sources per unit mass as a function of cluster mass in the Antennae. We compute cluster mass by fitting spectral evolutionary models to K_s luminosity. Considering that this method depends on cluster age, we use four different age distributions to explore the effects of cluster age on the value of \eta and find it varies by less than a factor of four. We find a mean value of \eta for these different distributions of \eta = 1.7 x 10^-8 M_\sun^-1 with \sigma_\eta = 1.2 x 10^-8 M_\sun^-1. Performing a \chi^2 test, we demonstrate \eta could exhibit a positive slope, but that it depends on the assumed distribution in cluster ages. While the estimated uncertainties in \eta are factors of a few, we believe this is the first estimate made of this quantity to ``order of magnitude'' accuracy. We also compare our findings to theoretical models of open and globular cluster evolution, incorporating the X-ray binary fraction per cluster.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, accepted by Ap

La diffusion de senteurs d’ambiance au sein d’un lieu commercial: les premiers résultats d’une étude menée au sein d’un magasin de prêt-à-porter

The author present the first results from a study examining the effects of ambient scent in a cloth shop. The results indicate that the presence of a lavender scent have an impact on affectives, cognitives responses and behavior. Results are commented and some guidelines for managers are discussed