31 research outputs found
Identification of Outflows and Candidate Dual Active Galactic Nuclei in SDSS Quasars at z=0.8-1.6
We present a sample of 131 quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey at
redshifts 0.8<z<1.6 with double peaks in either of the high-ionization narrow
emission lines [NeV]3426 or [NeIII]3869. These sources were selected with the
intention of identifying high-redshift analogs of the z<0.8 active galactic
nuclei (AGN) with double-peaked [OIII]5007 lines, which might represent AGN
outflows or dual AGN. Lines of high-ionization potential are believed to
originate in the inner, highly photoionized portion of the narrow line region
(NLR), and we exploit this assumption to investigate the possible kinematic
origins of the double-peaked lines. For comparison, we measure the [NeV]3426
and [NeIII]3869 double peaks in low-redshift (z<0.8) [OIII]-selected sources.
We find that [NeV]3426 and [NeIII]3869 show a correlation between
line-splitting and line-width similar to that of [OIII]5007 in other studies;
and the velocity-splittings are correlated with the quasar Eddington ratio.
These results suggest an outflow origin for at least a subset of the
double-peaks, allowing us to study the high-ionization gas kinematics around
quasars. However, we find that a non-neligible fraction of our sample show no
evidence for an ionization stratification. For these sources, the outflow
scenario is less compelling, leaving the dual AGN scenario as a viable
possibility. Finally, we find that our sample shows an anti-correlation between
the velocity-offset ratio and luminosity ratio of the components, which is a
potential dynamical argument for the presence of dual AGN. Therefore, this
study serves as a first attempt at extending the selection of candidate dual
AGN to higher redshifts.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical
Journa
Spirality: A Novel Way to Measure Spiral Arm Pitch Angle
We present the MATLAB code Spirality, a novel method for measuring spiral arm
pitch angles by fitting galaxy images to spiral templates of known pitch.
Computation time is typically on the order of 2 minutes per galaxy, assuming at
least 8 GB of working memory. We tested the code using 117 synthetic spiral
images with known pitches, varying both the spiral properties and the input
parameters. The code yielded correct results for all synthetic spirals with
galaxy-like properties. We also compared the code's results to two-dimensional
Fast Fourier Transform (2DFFT) measurements for the sample of nearby galaxies
defined by DMS PPak. Spirality's error bars overlapped 2DFFT's error bars for
26 of the 30 galaxies. The two methods' agreement correlates strongly with
galaxy radius in pixels and also with i-band magnitude, but not with redshift,
a result that is consistent with at least some galaxies' spiral structure being
fully formed by z=1.2, beyond which there are few galaxies in our sample. The
Spirality code package also includes GenSpiral, which produces FITS images of
synthetic spirals, and SpiralArmCount, which uses a one-dimensional Fast
Fourier Transform to count the spiral arms of a galaxy after its pitch is
determined. The code package is freely available online; see Comments for URL.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables. The code package is available at
http://dafix.uark.edu/~doug/SpiralityCode
Physical Characteristics and Classification of the Large Amplitude Variable Star V1719 Cygni
Pulsating stars are used as standard candles which are helpful in determining distances to stellar objects along with the relationship between their period and apparent luminosity. The focus of this study was the variable star, V1719 Cygni, which is often classified as a Delta (δ) Scuti star, but there exists debate that it should be classified as a RR Lyrae star due to its abnormal light curve and similar characteristics between the two variable star categories. Observational data was taken in 2019 using the Las Cumbres Observatory international telescope network. The resulting data were calibrated using comparison stars in the field of known magnitude. We performed aperture photometry in the V-, B-, i- and z- photometric bands. The period was then found using the string method which determines the most probable period. The average period was found to be 0.269 days with an error of 0.0005. The distance was calculated using the previously established period-luminosity relation for both δ Scuti and RR Lyrae stars to determine which classification fits our data best. The distance calculation was more closely aligned with previous results when using the δ Scuti relationship as compared to the RR Lyrae relationship. Based on these results, we conclude that V1719 Cygni should be classified as a high-amplitude δ Scuti variable star. It is important to note that period-luminosity relationships have not been established in all photometric bands, but the period measurements obtained in the B-, i-, and z- bands will help to establish that relationship
The BTC40 Survey for Quasars at 4.8 < z < 6
The BTC40 Survey for high-redshift quasars is a multicolor search using
images obtained with the Big Throughput Camera (BTC) on the CTIO 4-m telescope
in V, I, and z filters to search for quasars at redshifts of 4.8 < z < 6. The
survey covers 40 sq. deg. in B, V, & I and 36 sq. deg. in z. Limiting
magnitudes (3 sigma) reach to V = 24.6, I = 22.9 and z = 22.9. We used the
(V-I) vs. (I-z) two-color diagram to select high-redshift quasar candidates
from the objects classified as point sources in the imaging data. Follow-up
spectroscopy with the AAT and CTIO 4-m telescopes of candidates having I < 21.5
has yielded two quasars with redshifts of z = 4.6 and z = 4.8 as well as four
emission line galaxies with z = 0.6. Fainter candidates have been identified
down to I = 22 for future spectroscopy on 8-m class telescopes.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figures; Accepted for publication in the Astronomical
Journa