168 research outputs found
Low-Ionization Emission Regions in Quasars: Gas Properties Probed with Broad O I and Ca II Lines
We have compiled the emission-line fluxes of O I 8446, O I 11287, and the
near-IR Ca II triplet (8579) observed in 11 quasars. These lines are considered
to emerge from the same gas as do the Fe II lines in the low-ionized portion of
the broad emission line region (BELR). The compiled quasars are distributed
over wide ranges of redshift (0.06 < z < 1.08) and of luminosity (-29.8 < M_B <
-22.1), thus representing a useful sample to investigate the line-emitting gas
properties in various quasar environments. The measured line strengths and
velocities, as functions of the quasar properties, are analyzed using
photoionization model calculations. We found that the flux ratio between Ca II
and O I 8446 is hardly dependent on the redshift or luminosity, indicating
similar gas density in the emission region from quasar to quasar. On the other
hand, a scatter of the O I 11287/8446 ratios appears to imply the diversity of
the ionization parameter. These facts invoke a picture of the line-emitting
gases in quasars that have similar densities and are located at regions exposed
to various ionizing radiation fluxes. The observed O I line widths are found to
be remarkably similar over more than 3 orders of magnitude in luminosity, which
indicates a kinematically determined location of the emission region and is in
clear contrast to the well-studied case of H I lines. We also argue about the
dust presence in the emission region since the region is suggested to be
located near the dust sublimation point at the outer edge of the BELR.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; minor rewordings mad
Near- to mid-infrared spectroscopy of the heavily obscured AGN LEDA 1712304 with AKARI/IRC
Context. Although heavily obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs) have been
found by many observational studies, the properties of the surrounding dust are
poorly understood. Using AKARI/IRC spectroscopy, we discover a new sample of a
heavily obscured AGN in LEDA 1712304 which shows a deep spectral absorption
feature due to silicate dust. Aims. We study the infrared (IR) spectral
properties of circumnuclear silicate dust in LEDA 1712304. Methods. We perform
IR spectral fitting, considering silicate dust properties such as composition,
porosity, size and crystallinity. Spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting is
also performed to the flux densities in the UV to sub-millimeter range to
investigate the global spectral properties. Results. The best-fit model
indicates 0.1 m-sized porous amorphous olivine (; ) with crystalline pyroxene. The optical
depth is , while the total IR luminosity and stellar
mass are estimated to be and
, respectively. In such low
and ranges, there are few galaxies which show that
large . Conclusions. The silicate dust in the AGN torus of
LEDA 1712304 has properties notably similar to those in other AGNs as a whole,
but slightly different in the wing shape of the absorption profile. The
porosity of the silicate dust suggests dust coagulation or processing in the
circumnuclear environments, while the crystallinity suggests that the silicate
dust is relatively fresh.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Optical to Near-IR Spectrum of a Massive Evolved Galaxy at z = 1.26
We present the optical to near-infrared (IR) spectrum of the galaxy TSPS
J1329-0957, a red and bright member of the class of extremely red objects
(EROs) at z = 1.26. This galaxy was found in the course of the Tokyo-Stromlo
Photometry Survey (TSPS) which we are conducting in the southern sky. The
spectroscopic observations were carried out with the Gemini Multi-Object
Spectrograph (GMOS) and the Gemini Near Infra-Red Spectrograph (GNIRS) mounted
on the Gemini-South telescope. The wide wavelength coverage of 0.6 - 2.3 um
provides useful clues as to the nature of EROs while most published spectra are
limited to a narrower spectral range which is dictated by the need for
efficient redshift determination in a large survey. We compare our spectrum
with several optical composite spectra obtained in recent large surveys, and
with stellar population synthesis models. The effectiveness of using near-IR
broad-band data, instead of the spectral data, in deriving the galaxy
properties are also investigated. We find that TSPS J1329-0957 formed when the
universe was 2 - 3 Gyr old, and subsequently evolved passively to become one of
the most massive galaxies found in the z = 1 - 2 universe. Its early type and
estimated stellar mass of M* = 10^{11.5} Msun clearly point to this galaxy
being a direct ancestor of the brightest elliptical and spheroidal galaxies in
the local universe.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
Optical identification of ISO far-infrared sources in the Lockman Hole using a deep VLA 1.4 GHz continuum survey
By exploiting the far-infrared(FIR) and radio correlation, we have performed
the Likelihood-Ratio analysis to identify optical counterparts to the
far-infrared sources in the Lockman Hole. Using the likelihood ratio analysis
and the associated reliability, 44 FIR sources have been identified with radio
sources. Redshifts have been obtained for 29 out of 44 identified sources. One
hyper-luminous infrared galaxy (HyLIRG) with and four ultraluminous infrared
galaxies (ULIRGs) are identified in our sample. The space density of the FIR
sources at z = 0.3-0.6 is 4.6\times 10^{-5}Mpc^{-3}, implying a rapid evolution
of the ULIRG population. Most of \ISO FIR sources have their FIR-radio ratios
similar to star-forming galaxies ARP 220 and M82. At least seven of our FIR
sources show evidence for the presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) in
optical emission lines, radio continuum excess, or X-ray activity. Three out of
five (60%) of the ULIRG/HyLIRGs are AGN galaxies. Five of the seven AGN
galaxies are within the ROSAT X-ray survey field, and two are within the
XMM-Newton survey fields. X-ray emission has been detected in only one source,
1EX030, which is optically classified as a quasar. The non-detection in the
XMM-Newton 2-10 keV band suggests a very thick absorption obscuring the central
source of the two AGN galaxies. Several sources have an extreme FIR luminosity
relative to the optical R-band, L(90\mu\mathrm{m})/L(R) > 500, which is rare
even among the local ULIRG population. While source confusion or blending might
offer an explanation in some cases, they may represent a new population of
galaxies with an extreme activity of star formation in an undeveloped stellar
system -- i.e., formation of bulges or young ellipticals.Comment: 55 pages, 16 figures. To appear in A
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