Revisiting the relationship between 6 {\mu}m and 2-10 keV continuum luminosities of AGN

We have determined the relation between the AGN luminosities at rest-frame 6 {\mu}m associated to the dusty torus emission and at 2-10 keV energies using a complete, X-ray flux limited sample of 232 AGN drawn from the Bright Ultra-hard XMM-Newton Survey. The objects have intrinsic X-ray luminosities between 10^42 and 10^46 erg/s and redshifts from 0.05 to 2.8. The rest-frame 6 {\mu}m luminosities were computed using data from the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer and are based on a spectral energy distribution decomposition into AGN and galaxy emission. The best-fit relationship for the full sample is consistent with being linear, L_6 {\mu}m $\propto$ L_2-10 keV^0.99$\pm$0.032, with intrinsic scatter, ~0.35 dex in log L_6 {\mu}m. The L_6 {\mu}m/L_2-10 keV luminosity ratio is largely independent on the line-of-sight X-ray absorption. Assuming a constant X-ray bolometric correction, the fraction of AGN bolometric luminosity reprocessed in the mid-IR decreases weakly, if at all, with the AGN luminosity, a finding at odds with simple receding torus models. Type 2 AGN have redder mid-IR continua at rest-frame wavelengths <12 {\mu}m and are overall ~1.3-2 times fainter at 6 {\mu}m than type 1 AGN at a given X-ray luminosity. Regardless of whether type 1 and type 2 AGN have the same or different nuclear dusty toroidal structures, our results imply that the AGN emission at rest-frame 6 {\mu}m is not isotropic due to self-absorption in the dusty torus, as predicted by AGN torus models. Thus, AGN surveys at rest-frame 6 {\mu}m are subject to modest dust obscuration biases.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 24 pages, 10 figures and 5 tables. This version includes minor changes to the text and Table 2 in response to comments from the refere

Shiny White Streaks: A Sign of Malignancy at Dermoscopy of Pigmented Skin Lesions

The aim of this study was to evaluate the practical importance of the presence of shiny white streaks (SWS) (chrysalis or crystalline structures in polarized dermoscopy) for suspicion of malignancy, diagnosis of melanoma, and pre-operative estimation of Breslow thickness and its correlation with total dermoscopy score (TDS). SWS were present in 13.6% of 800 consecutive excised lesions. The presence of SWS was associated with malignancy (odds ratio (OR) 10.534, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 6.357-17.455, p < 0.0005) in the context of melanocytic lesions with invasive melanoma (OR 10.333, 95% CI 3.812-28.014) and melanomas with high TDS (OR 6.286, 95% CI 1.673-23.619), but was also a factor in the diagnosis of featureless and some thin melanomas. These results corroborate the clinical applicability of SWS in aiding the diagnosis of malignancy and helping to raise the general dermatologist's awareness in cases of doubt and featureless lesions

One Star to Tag Them All (OSTTA): I. Radial velocities and chemical abundances for 20 poorly studied open clusters

Context: Open clusters are ideal laboratories to investigate a variety of astrophysical topics, from the properties of the Galactic disc to stellar evolution models. For this purpose, we need to know their chemical composition in detail. Unfortunately, the number of systems with chemical abundances determined from high resolution spectroscopy remains small. Aims: Our aim is to increase the number of open clusters with radial velocities and chemical abundances determined from high resolution spectroscopy by sampling a few stars in clusters not studied previously. Methods: We obtained high resolution spectra with the FIES spectrograph at NOT for 41 stars belonging to 20 open clusters. These stars have high astrometric membership probabilities, determined from the Gaia second data release. Results: We derived radial velocities for all the observed stars, which were used to confirm their membership to the corresponding clusters. For Gulliver\,37 we cannot be sure the observed star is a real member. We derived atmospheric parameters for the 32 stars considered real cluster members. We discarded five stars because they have very low gravity or atmospheric parameters were not properly constrained due to low signal-to-noise ratio spectra. Therefore, detailed chemical abundances were determined for 28 stars belonging to 17 clusters. For most of them, this is the first chemical analysis available in the literature. Finally, we compared the clusters in our sample to a large population of well studied clusters. The studied systems follow the trends, both chemical and kinematical, described by the majority of open clusters. Worth noticing that the three most metal-poor studied clusters (NGC\,1027, NGC\,1750 and Trumpler 2) are enhanced in Si but not in the other alpha-elements studied (Mg, Ca and Ti).Comment: 19 pages Accepted for publication on A&

Stellar Population Astrophysics (SPA) with the TNG: α-elements, lithium, sodium and aluminum in 16 open clusters

Context. Exploring the Galactic chemical evolution and enrichment scenarios with open clusters (OCs) allows us to understand the history of the Milky Way disk. High-resolution spectra of OCs are a crucial tool, as they provide precise chemical information, to combine with precise distances and ages. Aims. The aim of the Stellar Population Astrophysics (SPA) project is to derive homogeneous and accurate comprehensive chemical characterization of a number of poorly studied OCs. Methods. Using the HARPS-N echelle spectrograph at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), we obtained high-resolution spectra of giant stars in 18 OCs, 16 of which are chemically characterized for the first time, and two of which are well studied for comparison. The OCs in this sample have ages from a few tens of Myr to 4 Gyr, with a prevalence of young clusters. We already presented the radial velocities and atmospheric parameters for them in a previous SPA paper. Here, we present results for the α-elements O, Mg, Si, Ca and Ti, and the light elements Na and Al, all determined by the equivalent width method. We also measured Li abundance through the synthesis method. Results. We discuss the behaviors of lithium, sodium and aluminum in the context of stellar evolution. For Na and Al, we compare our findings with models to investigate their behaviors as a function of mass, suggesting that Na mixing to the surface might start in masses as low as 2 M·. We study the radial, vertical, and age trends for the measured abundance ratios in a sample that combines our results and recent literature for OCs, finding significant (positive) gradients only for [Mg/Fe] and [Ca/Fe] in all cases. Finally, we compare O and Mg in the combined sample with chemo-dynamical models, finding a good agreement for intermediate-Age and old clusters. There is a sharp increase in the abundance ratios measured among very young clusters (age < 300 Myr), accompanied by a poorer fit with the models for O and Mg, likely related to the inadequacy of traditional model atmospheres and methods in the derivation of atmospheric parameters and abundance ratios for stars of such young ages

CHAPTER 5: FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF GALAXIES AND LARGE STRUCTURES

Peer reviewe

The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer, MEDA: a suite of environmental sensors for the Mars 2020 mission

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Space science reviews. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11214-021-00816-9NASA’s Mars 2020 (M2020) rover mission includes a suite of sensors to monitor current environmental conditions near the surface of Mars and to constrain bulk aerosol properties from changes in atmospheric radiation at the surface. The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) consists of a set of meteorological sensors including wind sensor, a barometer, a relative humidity sensor, a set of 5 thermocouples to measure atmospheric temperature at ~1.5 m and ~0.5 m above the surface, a set of thermopiles to characterize the thermal IR brightness temperatures of the surface and the lower atmosphere. MEDA adds a radiation and dust sensor to monitor the optical atmospheric properties that can be used to infer bulk aerosol physical properties such as particle size distribution, non-sphericity, and concentration. The MEDA package and its scientific purpose are described in this document as well as how it responded to the calibration tests and how it helps prepare for the human exploration of Mars. A comparison is also presented to previous environmental monitoring payloads landed on Mars on the Viking, Pathfinder, Phoenix, MSL, and InSight spacecraft.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Multi-phase feedback processes in the Sy2 galaxy NGC 5643

We study the multi-phase feedback processes in the central ~3 kpc of the barred Sy 2 galaxy NGC 5643. We use observations of the cold molecular gas (ALMA CO(2-1)) and ionized gas (MUSE IFU). We study different regions along the outflow zone which extends out to ~2.3 kpc in the same direction (east-west) as the radio jet, as well as nuclear/circumnuclear regions in the host galaxy disk. The deprojected outflowing velocities of the cold molecular gas (median Vcentral~189 km s^-1) are generally lower than those of the outflowing ionized gas, which reach deprojected velocities of up to 750 km s^-1 close to the AGN, and their spatial profiles follow those of the ionized phase. This suggests that the outflowing molecular gas in the galaxy disk is being entrained by the AGN wind. We derive molecular and ionized outflow masses of ~5.2x10^7 Msun and 8.5x10^4 Msun and molecular and ionized outflow mass rates of ~51 Msun yr^-1 and 0.14 Msun yr^-1. Therefore, the molecular phase dominates the outflow mass and outflow mass rate, while the outflow kinetic power and momentum are similar in both phases. However, the wind momentum load for the molecular and ionized outflow phases are ~27-5 and <1, which suggests that the molecular phase is not momentum conserving while the ionized one most certainly is. The molecular gas content (~1.5x10^7 Msun) of the eastern spiral arm is approximately 50-70% of the content of the western one. We interpret this as destruction/clearing of the molecular gas produced by the AGN wind impacting in the host galaxy. The increase of the molecular phase momentum implies that part of the kinetic energy from the AGN wind is transmitted to the molecular outflow. This suggest that in Sy-like AGN such as NGC 5643, the radiative/quasar and the kinetic/radio AGN feedback modes coexist and may shape the host galaxies even at kpc-scales via both positive and (mild) negative feedback.Comment: 26 pages, 21 figures, 5 tables. Astronomy and Astrophysics, Accepted 2020 September 11, in pres