1,383 research outputs found
Interpreting the Ionization Sequence in AGN Emission-Line Spectra
We investigate the physical cause of the great range in the ionization level
seen in the spectra of narrow lined active galactic nuclei (AGN). Mean field
independent component analysis identifies examples of individual SDSS galaxies
whose spectra are not dominated by emission due to star formation (SF), which
we designate as AGN. We assembled high S/N ratio composite spectra of a
sequence of these AGN defined by the ionization level of their narrow-line
regions (NLR), extending down to very low-ionization cases. We used a local
optimally emitting cloud (LOC) model to fit emission-line ratios in this AGN
sequence. These included the weak lines that can be measured only in the
co-added spectra, providing consistency checks on strong line diagnostics.
After integrating over a wide range of radii and densities our models indicate
that the radial extent of the NLR is the major parameter in determining the
position of high to moderate ionization AGN along our sequence, providing a
physical interpretation for their systematic variation. Higher ionization AGN
contain optimally emitting clouds that are more concentrated towards the
central continuum source than in lower ionization AGN. Our LOC models indicate
that for the objects that lie on our AGN sequence, the ionizing luminosity is
anticorrelated with the NLR ionization level, and hence anticorrelated with the
radial concentration and physical extent of the NLR. A possible interpretation
that deserves further exploration is that the ionization sequence might be an
age sequence where low ionization objects are older and have systematically
cleared out their central regions by radiation pressure. We consider that our
AGN sequence instead represents a mixing curve of SF and AGN spectra, but argue
that while many galaxies do have this type of composite spectra, our AGN
sequence appears to be a special set of objects with negligible SF excitation.Comment: 57 pages; 18 figures, accepted by MNRA
Locally Optimally-emitting Clouds and the Narrow Emission Lines in Seyfert Galaxies
The narrow emission line spectra of active galactic nuclei are not accurately
described by simple photoionization models of single clouds. Recent Hubble
Space Telescope images of Seyfert 2 galaxies show that these objects are rich
with ionization cones, knots, filaments, and strands of ionized gas. Here we
extend to the narrow line region the ``locally optimally emitting cloud'' (LOC)
model, in which the observed spectra are predominantly determined by powerful
selection effects. We present a large grid of photoionization models covering a
wide range of physical conditions and show the optimal conditions for producing
many of the strongest emission lines. We show that the integrated narrow line
spectrum can be predicted by an integration of an ensemble of clouds, and we
present these results in the form of diagnostic line ratio diagrams making
comparisons with observations. We also predict key diagnostic line ratios as a
function of distance from the ionizing source, and compare these to
observations. The predicted radial dependence of the [O III]/[O II] ratio may
be matched to the observed one in NGC4151, if the narrow line clouds see a more
intense continuum than we see. The LOC scenario when coupled with a simple
Keplerian gravitational velocity field will quite naturally predict the
observed line width versus critical density relationship. The influence of dust
within the ionized portion of the clouds is discussed and we show that the more
neutral gas is likely to be dusty, although a high ionization dust-free region
is most likely present too. This argues for a variety of NLR cloud origins.Comment: 29 pages plus 16 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Classification and analysis of emission-line galaxies using mean field independent component analysis
We present an analysis of the optical spectra of narrow emission-line
galaxies, based on mean field independent component analysis (MFICA). Samples
of galaxies were drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and used to
generate compact sets of `continuum' and `emission-line' component spectra.
These components can be linearly combined to reconstruct the observed spectra
of a wider sample of galaxies. Only 10 components - five continuum and five
emission line - are required to produce accurate reconstructions of essentially
all narrow emission-line galaxies; the median absolute deviations of the
reconstructed emission-line fluxes, given the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of
the observed spectra, are 1.2-1.8 sigma for the strong lines. After applying
the MFICA components to a large sample of SDSS galaxies we identify the regions
of parameter space that correspond to pure star formation and pure active
galactic nucleus (AGN) emission-line spectra, and produce high S/N
reconstructions of these spectra.
The physical properties of the pure star formation and pure AGN spectra are
investigated by means of a series of photoionization models, exploiting the
faint emission lines that can be measured in the reconstructions. We are able
to recreate the emission line strengths of the most extreme AGN case by
assuming the central engine illuminates a large number of individual clouds
with radial distance and density distributions, f(r) ~ r^gamma and g(n) ~
n^beta, respectively. The best fit is obtained with gamma = -0.75 and beta =
-1.4. From the reconstructed star formation spectra we are able to estimate the
starburst ages. These preliminary investigations serve to demonstrate the
success of the MFICA-based technique in identifying distinct emission sources,
and its potential as a tool for the detailed analysis of the physical
properties of galaxies in large-scale surveys.Comment: MNRAS accepted. 29 pages, 24 figures, 3 table
Atomic Data for Astrophysics. II. New Analytic Fits for Photoionization Cross Sections of Atoms and Ions
We present a complete set of analytic fits to the non-relativistic
photoionization cross sections for the ground states of atoms and ions of
elements from H through Si, and S, Ar, Ca, and Fe. Near the ionization
thresholds, the fits are based on the Opacity Project theoretical cross
sections interpolated and smoothed over resonances. At higher energies, the
fits reproduce calculated Hartree-Dirac-Slater photoionization cross sections.Comment: 24 pages including Postscript figures and tables, uses aaspp4.sty,
accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal. Misprint in Eq.(1) is
correcte
Intermediate-line Emission in AGNs: The Effect of Prescription of the Gas Density
The requirement of intermediate line component in the recently observed
spectra of several AGNs points to possibility of the existence of a physically
separate region between broad line region (BLR) and narrow line region (NLR).
In this paper we explore the emission from intermediate line region (ILR) by
using the photoionization simulations of the gas clouds distributed radially
from the AGN center. The gas clouds span distances typical for BLR, ILR and
NLR, and the appearance of dust at the sublimation radius is fully taken into
account in our model. Single cloud structure is calculated under the assumption
of the constant pressure. We show that the slope of the power law cloud density
radial profile does not affect the existence of ILR in major types of AGN. We
found that the low ionization iron line, Fe~II, appears to be highly sensitive
for the presence of dust and therefore becomes potential tracer of dust content
in line emitting regions. We show that the use of disk-like cloud density
profile computed at the upper part of the accretion disc atmosphere reproduces
the observed properties of the line emissivities. In particular, the distance
of H line inferred from our model agrees with that obtained from the
reverberation mapping studies in Sy1 galaxy NGC 5548.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figure
The intermediate line region in active galactic nuclei
We show that the recently observed suppression of the gap between the broad
line region (BLR) and the narrow line region (NLR) in some AGN can be fully
explained by an increase of the gas density in the emitting region. Our model
predicts the formation of the intermediate line region (ILR) that is observed
in some Seyfert galaxies by the detection of emission lines with intermediate
velocity full width half maximum (FWHM) 700 - 1200 km s. These
lines are believed to be originating from an ILR located somewhere between the
BLR and NLR. As it was previously proved, the apparent gap is assumed to be
caused by the presence of dust beyond the sublimation radius. Our computations
with the use of {\sc cloudy} photoionization code, show that the differences in
the shape of spectral energy distribution (SED) from the central region of AGN,
do not diminish the apparent gap in the line emission in those objects. A
strong discontinuity in the line emission vs radius exists for all lines at the
dust sublimation radius. However, increasing the gas density to
10 cm at the sublimation radius provides the continuous line
emission vs radius and fully explains the recently observed lack of apparent
gap in some AGN. We show that such a high density is consistent with the
density of upper layers of an accretion disk atmosphere. Therefore, the upper
layers of the disk atmosphere can give rise to the formation of observed
emission line clouds.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Interpreting the Ionization Sequence in Star-Forming Galaxy Emission-Line Spectra
High ionization star forming (SF) galaxies are easily identified with strong
emission line techniques such as the BPT diagram, and form an obvious
ionization sequence on such diagrams. We use a locally optimally emitting cloud
model to fit emission line ratios that constrain the excitation mechanism,
spectral energy distribution, abundances and physical conditions along the
star-formation ionization sequence. Our analysis takes advantage of the
identification of a sample of pure star-forming galaxies, to define the
ionization sequence, via mean field independent component analysis. Previous
work has suggested that the major parameter controlling the ionization level in
SF galaxies is the metallicity. Here we show that the observed SF- sequence
could alternatively be interpreted primarily as a sequence in the distribution
of the ionizing flux incident on gas spread throughout a galaxy. Metallicity
variations remain necessary to model the SF-sequence, however, our best models
indicate that galaxies with the highest and lowest observed ionization levels
(outside the range -0.37 < log [O III]/H\b{eta} < -0.09) require the variation
of an additional physical parameter other than metallicity, which we determine
to be the distribution of ionizing flux in the galaxy.Comment: 41 pages, 17 figures, 9 tables, accepted to MNRA
The Demise of the Classical BLR in the Luminous Quasar PG1416-129
New observations of the broad-line quasar PG1416-129 reveal a large decline
in its continuum luminosity over the past ten years. In response to the
continuum change the ``classical'' broad component of Hbeta has almost
completely disappeared (a x10 decrease in flux). In its place there remains a
redshifted/redward asymmetric very broad emission line component. The
significance of this change is multifold: (1) It confirms the existence of a
distinct redshifted Very Broad Line Region (VBLR) component that persists after
the demise of the broad component and that is frequently observed, along with
the broad component, in radio-loud sources. (2) The smaller (x2) intensity
change in the Hbeta very broad component supports the previously advanced idea
that the VBLR is physically distinct and likely to arise in an optically thin
region close to the central source. (3) The presence of a strong very broad
component in the radio-quiet quasar PG1416-129 reinforces the notion that such
``population B'' quasars share similar spectroscopic (and hence geometrical and
kinematical) properties to radio-loud sources. (4) AGN can show broad, very
broad, or both line components simultaneously, making statistical comparisons
of source profile widths difficult. (5) The interpretation, in reverberation
studies, of the presence or lack of correlated response in broad line wings
will be affected by this composite BLR/VBLR structure.Comment: accepted to Astrophys. J. Letters; 12 pages, 2 figures, 2 table
The Nature and Frequency of Outflows from Stars in the Central Orion Nebula Cluster
Recent Hubble Space Telescope images have allowed the determination with
unprecedented accuracy of motions and changes of shocks within the inner Orion
Nebula. These originate from collimated outflows from very young stars, some
within the ionized portion of the nebula and others within the host molecular
cloud. We have doubled the number of Herbig-Haro objects known within the inner
Orion Nebula. We find that the best-known Herbig-Haro shocks originate from a
relatively few stars, with the optically visible X-ray source COUP 666 driving
many of them.
While some isolated shocks are driven by single collimated outflows, many
groups of shocks are the result of a single stellar source having jets oriented
in multiple directions at similar times. This explains the feature that shocks
aligned in opposite directions in the plane of the sky are usually blue shifted
because the redshifted outflows pass into the optically thick Photon Dominated
Region behind the nebula. There are two regions from which optical outflows
originate for which there are no candidate sources in the SIMBAD data base.Comment: 152 pages, 46 figures, 7 tables. Accepted by A
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