35 research outputs found
Validation Through Simulations of a Cn2 Profiler for the ESO/VLT Adaptive Optics Facility
The Adaptive Optics Facility (AOF) project envisages transforming one of the
VLT units into an adaptive telescope and providing its ESO (European Southern
Observatory) second generation instruments with turbulence corrected
wavefronts. For MUSE and HAWK-I this correction will be achieved through the
GALACSI and GRAAL AO modules working in conjunction with a 1170 actuators
Deformable Secondary Mirror (DSM) and the new Laser Guide Star Facility
(4LGSF). Multiple wavefront sensors will enable GLAO and LTAO capabilities,
whose performance can greatly benefit from a knowledge about the stratification
of the turbulence in the atmosphere. This work, totally based on end-to-end
simulations, describes the validation tests conducted on a Cn2 profiler adapted
for the AOF specifications. Because an absolute profile calibration is strongly
dependent on a reliable knowledge of turbulence parameters r0 and L0, the tests
presented here refer only to normalized output profiles. Uncertainties in the
input parameters inherent to the code are tested as well as the profiler
response to different turbulence distributions. It adopts a correction for the
unseen turbulence, critical for the GRAAL mode, and highlights the effects of
masking out parts of the corrected wavefront on the results. Simulations of
data with typical turbulence profiles from Paranal were input to the profiler,
showing that it is possible to identify reliably the input features for all the
AOF modes.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in the MNRAS Accepted
2015 January 22. Received 2015 January 21; in original form 2014 December
The AGN properties of the starburst galaxy NGC 7582
NGC 7582 was identified as a Starburst galaxy in the optical \cite[(Veron et
al. 1981)]{Veron et al.(1981)} but its X-Ray emission is typical of a Seyfert 1
galaxy \cite[(Ward et al. 1978)]{Ward et al.(1978)}. We analyzed a datacube of
this object obtained with the GMOS-IFU on the Gemini-South telescope. After a
subtraction of the stellar component using the {\sc starlight} code \cite[(Cid
Fernandes et al. 2005)]{Cid Fernandes et al. (2005)}, we looked for optical
signatures of the AGN. We detected a broad component (figure
\ref{fig1}) in the source where \cite[Bianchi et al.(2007)]{Bianchi et
al.(2007)} identified the AGN in an HST optical image. We also found a broad
feature (figure \ref{fig2}), but its emission reveals a extended
source. We suggest that it is the light of the AGN scattered in the ionization
cone. We propose that NGC 7582 is a Seyfert 1 galaxy. A number of other
"hot-spots" and Wolf-Rayet features were also identified.Comment: 1 page, 2 figures, to be published in the Proceedings of the IAU
Symposium no. 26
An atlas of Calcium triplet spectra of active galaxies
We present a spectroscopic atlas of active galactic nuclei covering the
region around the 8498, 8542, 8662 Calcium triplet (CaT) lines. The sample
comprises 78 objects, divided into 43 Seyfert 2s, 26 Seyfert 1s, 3 Starburst
and 6 normal galaxies. The spectra pertain to the inner ~300 pc in radius, and
thus sample the central kinematics and stellar populations of active galaxies.
The data are used to measure stellar velocity dispersions (sigma_star) both
with cross-correlation and direct fitting methods. These measurements are found
to be in good agreement with each-other and with those in previous studies for
objects in common. The CaT equivalent width is also measured. We find average
values and sample dispersions of W_CaT of 4.6+/-2.0, 7.0 and 7.7+/-1.0
angstrons for Seyfert 1s, Seyfert 2s and normal galaxies, respectively. We
further present an atlas of [SIII]\lambda 9069 emission line profiles for a
subset of 40 galaxies. These data are analyzed in a companion paper which
addresses the connection between stellar and Narrow Line Region kinematics, the
behaviour of the CaT equivalent width as a function of sigma_star, activity
type and stellar population properties.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
A Near-Infrared Template Derived from I Zw 1 for the FeII Emission in Active Galaxies
In AGN spectra, a series of FeII multiplets form a pseudo-continuum that
extends from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared (NIR). This emission is
believed to originate in the Broad Line Region (BLR), and it has been known for
a long time that pure photoionization fails to reproduce it in the most extreme
cases, as does the collisional-excitation alone. The most recent models by
Sigut & Pradhan (2003) include details of the FeII ion microphysics and cover a
wide range in ionization parameter log U_ion= (-3.0 -> -1.3) and density log
n_H = (9.6 -> 12.6). With the aid of such models and a spectral synthesis
approach, we study for the first time in detail the NIR emission of I Zw 1. The
main goals are to confirm the role played by Ly\alpha-fluorescence mechanisms
in the production of the FeII spectrum and to construct the first
semi-empirical NIR FeII template that best represents this emission and can be
used to subtract it in other sources. A good overall match between the observed
FeII+MgII features with those predicted by the best fitted model is obtained,
corroborating the Ly\alpha-fluorescence as a key process to understand the FeII
spectrum. The best model is then adjusted by applying a deconvolution method on
the observed FeII+MgII spectrum. The derived semi-empirical template is then
fitted to the spectrum of Ark 564, suitably reproducing its observed FeII+MgII
emission. Our approach extends the current set of available FeII templates into
the NIR region.Comment: 47 pages, 5 tables, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in The
Astrophysical Journa
The CaT strength in Seyfert nuclei revisited: analyzing young stars and non-stellar light contributions to the spectra
In a former paper (Garcia-Rissmann et al. 2005; hereafter Paper I), we have
presented spectra of 64 active, 9 normal and 5 Starburst galaxies in the region
around the near-IR Calcium triplet absorption lines and the [SIII]9069 line. In
the present paper we analyze the CaT strength (WCaT), and kinematical products
derived in that study, namely stellar and ionized gas velocity dispersions. Our
main results may be summarized as follows: (1) Seyfert 2s show no sign of
dilution in WCaT with respect to the values spanned by normal galaxies, even
when optical absorption lines such as the CaII K band at 3933 A are much weaker
than in old, bulge-like stellar populations. (2) The location of Seyfert 2s in
the WCaT-WCaK plane is consistent with evolutionary synthesis models. The
implication is that the source responsible for the dilution of optical lines in
these AGN is a young stellar population, rather than an AGN featureless
continuum, confirming the conclusion of the pioneer study of Terlevich, Diaz &
Terlevich. (3) In Seyfert 1s, both W[SIII] and WCaT tend to be diluted due to
the presence of a non-stellar component, in agreement with the unification
paradigm. (4) A comparison of stellar and gas velocity dispersions confirms the
existence of a correlation between the typical velocities of stars and clouds
of the Narrow Line Region. The strength and scatter around this correlation are
similar to those previously obtained from the [OIII]5007 line width.Comment: 14 pages, 15 figures. Paper accepted for publication in MNRA
Probing the near infrared stellar population of Seyfert galaxies
We employ IRTF SpeX NIR (0.8-2.4 microns) spectra to investigate the stellar
population (SP), active galactic nuclei (AGN) featureless continuum (FC) and
hot dust properties in 9 Sy 1 and 15 Sy 2 galaxies. Both the starlight code and
the hot dust as an additional base element were used for the first time in this
spectral range. We found evidence of correlation among the equivalent widths
(W) Si I 1.59 microns x Mg I 1.58 microns, equally for both kinds of activity.
Part of the W{Na I 2.21 microns} and W {CO 2.3 microns} strengths may be
related to galaxy inclination. Our synthesis shows significant differences
between Sy 1 and Sy 2 galaxies: the hot dust component is required to fit the
K-band spectra of ~90% of the Sy 1 galaxies, and only of ~25% of the Sy 2;
about 50 % of the Sy 2 galaxies require a component contribution >20%,
while this fraction increases to 60% in the Sy 1; also, in about 50 % of the
Sy2, the combined FC and young components contribute with more than 20%, while
this occurs in 90% of the Sy1, suggesting recent star formation in the central
region. The central few hundred parsecs of our galaxy sample contain a
substantial fraction of intermediate-age SPs with a mean metallicity near
solar. Our SP synthesis confirms that the 1.1 micron CN band can be used as a
tracer of intermediate-age SPs. The simultaneous fitting of SP, FC and hot dust
components increased in ~150% the number of AGNs with hot dust detected and the
mass estimated. The NIR emerges as an excellent window to study the stellar
population of Sy 1 galaxies, as opposed to the usually heavily attenuated
optical range. Our approach opens a new way to investigate and quantify the
individual contribution of the three most important NIR continuum components
observed in AGNs.Comment: The paper contains 14 figures and 5 tables. Accepted for publication
in MNRA
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Hospital Length of Stay and Surgery among European Children with Rare Structural Congenital Anomalies—A Population-Based Data Linkage Study
Little is known about morbidity for children with rare structural congenital anomalies. This European, population-based data-linkage cohort study analysed data on hospitalisations and surgical procedures for 5948 children born 1995–2014 with 18 rare structural congenital anomalies from nine EUROCAT registries in five countries. In the first year of life, the median length of stay (LOS) ranged from 3.5 days (anotia) to 53.8 days (atresia of bile ducts). Generally, children with gastrointestinal anomalies, bladder anomalies and Prune-Belly had the longest LOS. At ages 1–4, the median LOS per year was ≤3 days for most anomalies. The proportion of children having surgery before age 5 years ranged from 40% to 100%. The median number of surgical procedures for those under 5 years was two or more for 14 of the 18 anomalies and the highest for children with Prune-Belly at 7.4 (95% CI 2.5–12.3). The median age at first surgery for children with atresia of bile ducts was 8.4 weeks (95% CI 7.6–9.2) which is older than international recommendations. Results from the subset of registries with data up to 10 years of age showed that the need for hospitalisations and surgery continued. The burden of disease in early childhood is high for children with rare structural congenital anomalies