351 research outputs found
The nuclear to host galaxy relation of high redshift quasars
We present near-infrared imaging with ESO VLT+ISAAC of the host galaxies of
low luminosity quasars in the redshift range 1 < z < 2, aimed at investigating
the relationship between the nuclear and host galaxy luminosities at high
redshift. This work complements our previous study to trace the cosmological
evolution of the host galaxies of high luminosity quasars (Falomo et al. 2004).
The new sample includes 15 low luminosity quasars, nine radio-loud (RLQ) and
six radio-quiet (RQQ). They have similar distribution of redshift and optical
luminosity, and together with the high luminosity quasars they cover a large
range (~4 mag) of the quasar luminosity function. The host galaxies of both
types of quasars are in the range of massive inactive ellipticals between L*
and 10 L*. RLQ hosts are systematically more luminous than RQQ hosts by a
factor of ~2. This difference is similar to that found for the high luminosity
quasars. This luminosity gap appears to be independent of the rest-frame U-band
luminosity but clearly correlated with the rest-frame R-band luminosity. The
color difference between the RQQs and the RLQs is likely a combination of an
intrinsic difference in the strength of the thermal and nonthermal components
in the SEDs of RLQs and RQQs, and a selection effect due to internal dust
extinction. For the combined set of quasars, we find a reasonable correlation
between the nuclear and the host luminosities. This correlation is less
apparent for RQQs than for RLQs. If the R-band luminosity is representative of
the bolometric luminosity, and assuming that the host luminosity is
proportional to the black hole mass, as observed in nearby massive spheroids,
quasars emit with a relatively narrow range of power with respect to their
Eddington luminosity and with the same distribution for RLQs and RQQs.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 24 pages, 4 figure
The cosmic evolution of quasar host galaxies
We present near-infrared imaging of the host galaxies of 17 quasars in the
redshift range 1 < z < 2, carried out at the ESO VLT UT1 8m telescope under
excellent seeing conditions (~0.4 arcsec). The sample includes radio-loud (RLQ)
and radio-quiet (RQQ) quasars with similar distribution of redshift and optical
luminosity. For all the observed objects but one we have derived the global
properties of the surrounding nebulosity. The host galaxies of both types of
quasars follow the expected trend in luminosity of massive ellipticals
undergoing simple passive evolution, but there is a systematic difference by a
factor ~2 in the host luminosity between RLQs and RQQs (M_K(RLQ) = -27.55 +-
0.12 and M_K(RQQ) = -26.83 +- 0.25). Comparison with quasar hosts at similar
and lower redshift indicates that the difference in the host luminosity between
RLQs and RQQs remains the same from z = 2 to the present epoch. No significant
correlation is found between the nuclear and the host luminosities. Assuming
that the host luminosity is proportional to the black hole mass, as observed in
nearby massive spheroids, these quasars emit at very different levels (spread
\~1.5dex) with respect to their Eddington luminosity and with the same
distribution for RLQs and RQQs. Apart from a factor of ~2 difference in
luminosity, the hosts of RLQs and RQQs appear to follow the same cosmic
evolution as massive inactive spheroids. Our results support a view where
nuclear activity can occur in all luminous ellipticals without producing a
significant change in their global properties and evolution. Quasar hosts
appear to be already well formed at z ~2, in disagreement with models for the
joint formation and evolution of galaxies and active nuclei based on the
hierarchical structure formation scenario.Comment: Astrophysical Journal, accepted; 34 page
The host galaxies of three radio-loud quasars: 3C 48, 3C 345, and B2 1425+267
Observations with the Wide-Field/Planetary Camera-2 of the Hubble Space
Telescope (HST) are presented for three radio-loud quasars: 3C 48 (z=0.367), B2
1425+267 (z=0.366), and 3C 345 (z=0.594). All three quasars have luminous (~4
L^*) galaxies as hosts, which are either elliptical (B2 1425+267 and 3C 345) or
interacting (3C 48), and all hosts are 0.5 - 1.0 mag bluer in (V-I) than other
galaxies with the same overall morphology at similar redshifts to the quasars.
The host of 3C 48 has many H II regions and a very extended tidal tail.
All nine of the radio-loud quasars studied here and in Bahcall et al. (1997)
either have bright elliptical hosts or occur in interacting systems. There is a
robust correlation between the radio emission of the quasar and the luminosity
of host galaxy; the radio-loud quasars reside in galaxies that are on average
about 1 mag brighter than hosts of the radio-quiet quasars.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 3 postscript and 3 jpeg figures.
Original figures may be found in ftp://eku.sns.ias.edu/pub/sofia/RadioLoud
High-resolution double morphology of the most distant known radio quasar at z=6.12
Context: The highest redshift quasars at z>~6 receive considerable attention
since they provide strong constraints on the growth of the earliest
supermassive black holes. They also probe the epoch of reionisation and serve
as "lighthouses" to illuminate the space between them and the observer. The
source J1427+3312 (z=6.12) has recently been identified as the first and so far
the only known radio-loud quasar at z>6.
Aims: We investigated the compact radio structure of J1427+3312 on
milli-arcsecond (mas) angular scales, to compare it with that of the second
most distant radio-loud quasar J0836+0054 (z=5.77) and with lower-redshift
radio quasars in general. Methods: We observed J1427+3312 in phase-reference
mode with ten antennas of the European Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI)
Network (EVN) at 1.6 GHz on 11 March 2007 and at 5 GHz on 3 March 2007.
Results: The source was clearly detected at both frequencies. At 1.6 GHz, it
shows a prominent double structure. The two components are separated by 8.3
mas, corresponding to a projected linear distance of ~160 pc. Both components
with sub-mJy flux densities appear resolved. In the position of the brightest
component at 1.6 GHz, we detected mas-scale radio emission at 5 GHz as well.
The radio spectrum of this feature is steep. The double structure and the
separation of the components of J1427+3312 are similar to those of the young
(<~10^4 yr) compact symmetric objects (CSOs).Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted for Astronomy & Astrophysics as a Letter
to the Edito
The effects of halothane and isoflurane on cardiovascular function in laterally recumbent horses
Coordinated Cluster/Double Star Observations of Dayside Reconnection Signatures
The recent launch of the equatorial spacecraft of the Double Star mission, TC-1, has provided an unprecedented opportunity to monitor the southern hemisphere dayside magnetopause boundary layer in conjunction with northern hemisphere observations by the quartet of Cluster spacecraft. We present first results of one such situation where, on 6 April 2004, both Cluster and the Double Star TC-1 spacecraft were on outbound transits through the dawnside magnetosphere. The observations are consistent with ongoing reconnection on the dayside magnetopause, resulting in a series of flux transfer events (FTEs) seen both at Cluster and TC-1, which appear to lie north and south of the reconnection line, respectively. In fact, the observed polarity and motion of each FTE signature advocates the existence of an active reconnection region consistently located between the positions of Cluster and TC-1, with Cluster observing northward moving FTEs with +/â polarity, whereas TC-1 sees â/+ polarity FTEs. This assertion is further supported by the application of a model designed to track flux tube motion for the prevailing interplanetary conditions. The results from this model show, in addition, that the low-latitude FTE dynamics are sensitive to changes in convected upstream conditions. In particular, changing the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) clock angle in the model suggests that TC-1 should miss the resulting FTEs more often than Cluster and this is borne out by the observations
MESMER: MeerKAT Search for Molecules in the Epoch of Reionization
[Abridged] Observations of molecular gas at all redshifts are critical for
measuring the cosmic evolution in molecular gas density and understanding the
star-formation history of the Universe. The 12CO molecule (J=1-0 transition =
115.27 GHz) is the best proxy for extragalactic H2, which is the gas reservoir
from which star formation occurs, and has been detected out to z~6. Typically,
redshifted high-J lines are observed at mm-wavelengths, the most commonly
targeted systems exhibiting high SFRs (e.g. submm galaxies), and far-IR-bright
QSOs. While the most luminous objects are the most readily observed, detections
of more typical galaxies with modest SFRs are essential for completing the
picture. ALMA will be revolutionary in terms of increasing the detection rate
and pushing the sensitivity limit down to include such galaxies, however the
limited FoV when observing at such high frequencies makes it difficult to use
ALMA for studies of the large-scale structure traced out by molecular gas in
galaxies. This article introduces a strategy for a systematic search for
molecular gas during the EoR (z~7 and above), capitalizing on the fact that the
J=1-0 transition of 12CO enters the upper bands of cm-wave instruments at
high-z. The FoV advantage gained by observing at such frequencies, coupled with
modern broadband correlators allows significant cosmological volumes to be
probed on reasonable timescales. In this article we present an overview of our
future observing programme which has been awarded 6,500 hours as one of the
Large Survey Projects for MeerKAT, the forthcoming South African SKA pathfinder
instrument. Its large FoV and correlator bandwidth, and high-sensitivity
provide unprecedented survey speed for such work. An existing astrophysical
simulation is coupled with instrumental considerations to demonstrate the
feasibility of such observations and predict detection rates.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, to appear in the proceedings of "Astronomy with
megastructures: Joint science with the E-ELT and SKA", 10-14 May 2010, Crete,
Greece (Eds: Isobel Hook, Dimitra Rigopoulou, Steve Rawlings and Aris
Karastergiou
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Extended magnetic reconnection across the dayside magnetopause
The extent of where magnetic reconnection (MR), the dominant process responsible for energy and plasma transport into the magnetosphere, operates across Earthâs dayside magnetopause has previously been only indirectly shown by observations. We report the first direct evidence of X-line structure resulting from the operation of MR at each of two widely separated locations along the tilted, subsolar line of maximum current on Earthâs magnetopause, confirming the operation of MR at two or more sites across the extended region where MR is expected to occur. The evidence results from in-situ observations of the associated ion and electron plasma distributions, present within each magnetic X-line structure, taken by two spacecraft passing through the active MR regions simultaneously
Effects of Supplementing Zinc Magnesium Aspartate on Sleep Quality and Submaximal Weightlifting Performance, following Two Consecutive Nights of Partial Sleep Deprivation
Purpose: We examined whether supplementation of zinc magnesium aspartate (ZMA), while partially sleep deprived, was beneficial to sleep quality and subsequent morning (07:00 h) submaximal weightlifting. Methods: Using a double-blinded, randomized counterbalanced design, sixteen trained males were recruited and completed six sessions: (i) one repetition max (1 RM) for bench press and back squat; (ii) two familiarisation sessions; (iii) three conditions with 4 h sleep and either: ZMA, placebo (PLA), or NoPill control (NoPill). Submaximal exercise session consisted of three repetitions at 40, 60 and 80% of 1 RM for bench press and back squat. Average power (AP), average velocity (AV), peak velocity (PV), displacement (D) and time-to-peak velocity (tPV) were recorded using MuscleLab linear encoders. Data were analysed using a general linear model with repeated measures and linear correlation. Results: No significant main effect for condition was found for performance values or subjective ratings of fatigue. Main effect for âloadâ on the bar was found, where AP and tPV values increased with load (p < 0.05). No significant relationship between dose of zinc or magnesium ingested and change in performance for 80% 1 RM power-outputs was found. Conclusion: Supplementation of ZMA for two nights of partial sleep deprivation had no effect on sleep or subsequent morning performance
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