170 research outputs found
On the Anomalous Temperature Distribution of the Intergalactic Medium in the NGC 3411 Group of Galaxies
We present XMM, Chandra and VLA observations of the USGC S152 group and its
central elliptical NGC 3411. Imaging of the group X-ray halo suggests it is
relaxed with little apparent structure. We investigate the temperature and
metal abundance structure of the group halo, and find that while the abundance
distribution is fairly typical, the temperature profile is highly unusual,
showing a hot inner core surrounded by a cool shell of gas with a radius of
\~20-40 kpc, at the center of the larger group halo. Spectral mapping confirms
an irregular ring of gas ~0.15 keV cooler than its surroundings. We estimate
the total mass, entropy and cooling time profiles within ~200 kpc, and find
that the cool shell contains ~9x10^9 Msun of gas. VLA observations at 1.4, 5
and 8 GHz reveal a relatively weak nuclear radio source, with a core radio
luminosity L_R=2.7x10^38 erg/s, and a diffuse component extended on scales of a
few arcseconds (or more). A lack of evidence for activity at optical or X-ray
wavelengths supports the conclusion that the central black hole is currently in
a quiescent state. We discuss possible mechanisms for the formation of
temperature features observed in the halo, including a previous period of AGN
activity, and settling of material stripped from the halo of one of the other
group member galaxies.Comment: 15 pages, 8 postscript figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
version with high resolution figures available at
http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~ejos/files/N3411_hires.pd
Inflating Fat Bubbles in Clusters of Galaxies by Precessing Massive Slow Jets
We conduct hydrodynamical numerical simulations and find that precessing
massive slow jets can inflate fat bubbles, i.e., more or less spherical
bubbles, that are attached to the center of clusters of galaxies. To inflate a
fat bubble the jet should precess fast. The precessing angle should be
large, or change over a large range (depending also on other parameters), where is the symmetry
axis. The constraints on the velocity and mass outflow rate are similar to
those on wide jets to inflate fat bubbles. The velocity should be v_j \sim
10^4 \kms, and the mass loss rate of the two jets should be 2 \dot M_j
\simeq 1-50 \dot M_\odot \yr^{-1} . These results, and our results from a
previous paper dealing with slow wide jets, support the claim that a large
fraction of the feedback heating in cooling flow clusters and in the processes
of galaxy formation is done by slow massive jets.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
Ultraviolet Spectra of CV Accretion Disks with Non-Steady T(r) Laws
An extensive grid of synthetic mid- and far-ultraviolet spectra for accretion
disks in cataclysmic variables has been presented by Wade and Hubeny (1998). In
those models, the disk was assumed to be in steady-state, that is T_eff(r) is
specified completely by the mass M_WD and radius R_WD of the accreting white
dwarf star and the mass transfer rate M_dot which is constant throughout the
disk. In these models, T_eff(r) is proportional to r^{-3/4} except as modified
by a cutoff term near the white dwarf.
Actual disks may vary from the steady-state prescription for T_eff(r),
however, e.g. owing to outburst cycles in dwarf novae M_dot not constant with
radius) or irradiation (in which case T_eff in the outer disk is raised above
T_steady). To show how the spectra of such disks might differ from the steady
case, we present a study of the ultraviolet (UV) spectra of models in which
power-law temperature profiles T_eff(r) is proportional to r^{-gamma} with
gamma < 3/4 are specified. Otherwise, the construction of the models is the
same as in the Wade & Hubeny grid, to allow comparison. We discuss both the UV
spectral energy distributions and the appearance of the UV line spectra. We
also briefly discuss the eclipse light curves of the non-standard models.
Comparison of these models with UV observations of novalike variables suggests
that better agreement may be possible with such modified T_eff(r) profiles.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures (one reduced quality), ApJ in pres
AGN Feedback in groups and clusters of galaxies
The lack of very cool gas at the cores of groups and clusters of galaxies,
even where the cooling time is significantly shorter than the Hubble time, has
been interpreted as evidence of sources that re-heat the intergalactic medium.
Most studies of rich clusters adopt AGN feedback to be this source of heating.
From ongoing GMRT projects involving clusters and groups, we demonstrate how
low-frequency GMRT radio observations, together with Chandra/XMM-Newton X-ray
data, present a unique insight into the nature of feedback, and of the energy
transfer between the AGN and the IGM.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, To appear in ASP Conference Series, Vol. 407, The
Low-Frequency Radio Universe, Eds: D. J. Saikia, D. A. Green, Y. Gupta and T.
Venturi (Invited talk, conference held at NCRA-TIFR, Pune, INDIA, 8-12
December, 2008
The new X-ray transient SAX J1711.6-3808: decoupling between its 3-20 keV luminosity and its state transitions
We present a study of the correlated spectral and timing behavior of the new
X-ray transient SAX J1711.6-3808 during its 2001 outburst using data obtained
with the RXTE. We also investigate the correlations between those source
properties and the 3-20 keV X-ray luminosity. The behavior of the source during
the observations can be divided into two distinct state types. During the hard
state, the energy spectra are relatively hard and can be described by only a
power-law component, and the characteristic frequencies (i.e., the frequency of
the 1-7 Hz QPOs observed for the first time in this source) in the power
spectra are low. However, during the ``soft'' state, the spectra are
considerably softer (in addition to the power-law component, a soft component
is necessary to fit the spectra) and the frequencies are the highest observed.
Remarkably, this distinction into two separate states cannot be extrapolated to
also include the 3-20 keV X-ray luminosity. Except for one observation, this
luminosity steadily decreased but the hard state was observed both at the
highest and lowest observed luminosities. In contrast, the soft state occurred
only at intermediate luminosities. This clearly demonstrates that the state
behavior of SAX J1711.6-3808 is decoupled from its X-ray luminosity and that if
the X-ray luminosity traces the accretion rate in SAX J1711.6-3808, then the
state transitions are not good accretion rate indicators, or vice versa. The
data of SAX J1711.6-3808 does not allow us to conclusively determine its exact
nature. The source resembles both neutron star and black hole systems when they
have low luminosities. We discuss our results with respect to the correlated
timing and spectral behavior observed in other LMXBs and the implications of
our results on the modeling of the outburst light curves of X-ray transients.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Main Journal, 13 September 200
Deep Chandra Observations of HCG 16 - I. Active Nuclei, Star formation and Galactic Winds
We present new, deep Chandra X-ray and Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope
610~MHz observations of the spiral-galaxy-rich compact group HCG 16, which we
use to examine nuclear activity, star formation and the high luminosity X-ray
binary populations in the major galaxies. We confirm the presence of obscured
active nuclei in NGC 833 and NGC 835, and identify a previously unrecognized
nuclear source in NGC 838. All three nuclei are variable on timescales of
months to years, and for NGC 833 and NGC 835 this is most likely caused by
changes in accretion rate. The deep Chandra observations allow us to detect for
the first time an Fe-K emission line in the spectrum of the Seyfert 2
nucleus of NGC 835. We find that NGC 838 and NGC 839 are both
starburst-dominated systems, with only weak nuclear activity, in agreement with
previous optical studies. We estimate the star formation rates in the two
galaxies from their X-ray and radio emission, and compare these results with
estimates from the infra-red and ultra-violet bands to confirm that star
formation in both galaxies is probably declining after galaxy-wide starbursts
were triggered ~400-500 Myr ago. We examine the physical properties of their
galactic superwinds, and find that both have temperatures of ~0.8 keV. We also
examine the X-ray and radio properties of NGC 848, the fifth largest galaxy in
the group, and show that it is dominated by emission from its starburst.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures, 11 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ;
updated references and fixed typos identified at proof stag
Deep Chandra Observations of HCG 16 - II. The Development of the Intra-group Medium in a Spiral-Rich Group
We use a combination of deep Chandra X-ray observations and radio continuum
imaging to investigate the origin and current state of the intra-group medium
in the spiral-rich compact group HCG 16. We confirm the presence of a faint
(=1.8710 erg/s), low
temperature (0.30 keV) intra-group medium (IGM) extending
throughout the ACIS-S3 field of view, with a ridge linking the four original
group members and extending to the southeast, as suggested by previous Rosat
and XMM-Newton observations. This ridge contains
6.610 solar masses of hot gas and is at least
partly coincident with a large-scale HI tidal filament, indicating that the IGM
in the inner part of the group is highly multi-phase. We present evidence that
the group is not yet virialised, and show that gas has probably been
transported from the starburst winds of NGC 838 and NGC 839 into the
surrounding IGM. Considering the possible origin of the IGM, we argue that
material ejected by galactic winds may have played a significant role,
contributing 20-40% of the observed hot gas in the system.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in ApJ;
updated references and fixed typos identified at proof stag
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