829 research outputs found
Cross-correlation of the unresolved X-ray background with faint galaxies
At the faint end of the deepest X-ray surveys, a population of X-ray luminous
galaxies is seen. In this paper, we present the results of a cross-correlation
between the residual, unresolved X-ray photons in a very deep X-ray survey and
the positions of faint galaxies, in order to examine the importance of these
objects at even fainter flux levels. We measure a significant correlation on
all angular scales up to ~1 arcmin. This signal could account for a significant
fraction of the unresolved X-ray background, approximately 35 per cent if the
clustering is similar to optically selected galaxies. However, the angular form
of the correlation is seen to be qualitatively similar to that expected for
clusters of galaxies and the X-ray emission could be associated with hot gas in
clusters or with QSOs within galaxy clusters rather than emission from
individual faint galaxies. The relative contribution from each of these
possibilities cannot be determined with the current data.Comment: 7 pages LaTeX including 9 EPS figures. Uses mn.sty. Accepted for
publication by MNRA
The discovery of very red counterparts to faint X-ray sources
We present deep K-band imaging at the positions of four very faint X-ray
sources found in the UK ROSAT Deep Survey to have no optical counterpart
brighter than R~23. Likely identifications are found within the ROSAT error
circle in all four fields with R-K colours of between 3.2 +/- 0.4 and 6.4 +/-
0.6. From a consideration of the R-K colours and X-ray to optical luminosity
ratios of the candidate identifications, we tentatively classify two of the
X-ray sources as very distant (z ~ 1) clusters of galaxies, one as a narrow
emission line galaxy and one as an obscured QSO.Comment: 7 pages, LaTeX, 7 figures (1 postscript file each). Uses mn.sty and
epsf.sty. Accepted by MNRAS. For more information see
http://www.astro.soton.ac.uk/~amn/UKdee
Neutral Hydrogen 21cm Absorption at Redshift 0.673 towards 1504+377
We detect the 21 cm line of neutral hydrogen in absorption at a redshift of
0.673 towards the 1 Jy radio source 1504+377. The 1504+377 radio source is
located toward the center of what appears to be an inclined disk galaxy at z =
0.674. The 21 cm absorption line shows multiple velocity components over a
velocity range of about 100 km sec, with a total HI column density:
N(HI) = cm. The
velocity-integrated optical depth of this system is the largest yet seen for
redshifted HI 21 cm absorption line systems (Carilli 1995). The 21 cm
absorption line is coincident in redshift with a previously detected broad
molecular absorption line system (Wiklind and Combes 1996). We do not detect HI
21 cm absorption associated with the narrow molecular absorption line system at
z = 0.67150, nor do we detect absorption at these redshifts by the 18 cm lines
of OH, nor by the 2 cm transition of HCO. There is no evidence for a bright
optical AGN in 1504+377, suggesting significant obscuration through the disk --
a hypothesis supported by the strong absorption observed. The 1504+377 system
resembles the ``red quasar'' PKS 1413+135, which has been modeled as a
optically obscured AGN with a very young radio jet in the center of a gas rich
disk galaxy (Perlman et al. 1996). The presence of very bright radio jets at
the centers of these two disk galaxies presents a challenge to unification
schemes for extragalactic radio sources and to models for the formation of
radio loud AGN.Comment: 17 pages, postscrip
X-ray reverberation in 1H0707-495 revisited
The narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy 1H0707-495 has previously been identified as
showing time lags between flux variations in the soft- (0.3-1 keV) and
medium-energy (1-4 keV) X-ray bands that oscillate between positive and
negative values as a function of the frequency of the mode of variation. Here
we measure and analyse the lags also between a harder X-ray band (4-7.5 keV)
and the soft and medium bands, using existing XMM-Newton data, and demonstrate
that the entire spectrum of lags, considering both the full energy range,
0.3-7.5 keV, and the full frequency range, 10^-5 < nu < 10^-2 Hz, are
inconsistent with previous claims of arising as reverberation associated with
the inner accretion disk. Instead we demonstrate that a simple reverberation
model, in which scattering or reflection is present in all X-ray bands,
explains the full set of lags without requiring any ad hoc explanation for the
time lag sign changes. The range of time delays required to explain the
observed lags extends up to about 1800 s in the hard band. The results are
consistent with reverberation caused by scattering of X-rays passing through an
absorbing medium whose opacity decreases with increasing energy and that
partially-covers the source. A high covering factor of absorbing and scattering
circumnuclear material is inferred.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
Heating of the Intracluster Gas in the Triangulum Australis Cluster
ASCA and ROSAT X-ray data are used to obtain two-dimensional maps of the gas
temperature, pressure and specific entropy in the Triangulum Australis cluster
of galaxies. We find that this hot (T_e=10.3+-0.8 keV) system probably has a
temperature peak (T_e>12 keV) at the cluster core, which approximately
corresponds to the adiabatic relation. An underdense gas sector, found in the
ROSAT cluster image eastward of the core, has a higher temperature than average
at that radius. At this higher temperature, the gas pressure in this region is
equal to that of the rest of the cluster at the same radius, but the specific
entropy of this gas is significantly higher (although the temperature
difference itself is only marginally significant). We speculate that the
existence of this region of underdense high-entropy gas, as well as the
adiabatic central temperature peak, indicate recent or ongoing heating of the
intergalactic medium in this cluster. The most probable source of such heating
is a subcluster merger, for which the hydrodynamic simulations predict a
qualitatively similar temperature structure. We point out that entropy maps can
provide a physically meaningful way of diagnosing merging clusters and
comparing the predictions of merger simulations to the data.Comment: Text revised to give more technical details and clarify discussion.
Accepted for ApJ Letters. Latex, 5 pages incl. figures, macros include
A 100ks XMM-Newton view of the Seyfert 1.8 ESO113-G010. I. Discovery of large X-ray variability and study of the FeKalpha line complex
(Abridged) We present here a long (100ks) XMM-Newton follow-up of the Seyfert
1.8 galaxy ESO113-G010 performed in November 2005, in order to study over a
longer time-scale its main X-ray properties. The source was found in a
higher/softer time-averaged flux state, and timing analysis of this source
reveals strong, rapid variability. The Power Spectral Density (PSD) analysis
indicates (at 95% c.l.) a break at 3.7 x 10^-4 Hz. This cut-off frequency is
comparable to those measured in some other rapidly-variable Seyferts, such as
MCG-6-30-15 and NGC4051. From the mass-luminosity-time-scale, we infer that
M_BH ranges from 4 x 10^6 - 10^7 M_odot and the source is accreting at or close
to the Eddington rate (or even higher). The existing data cannot distinguish
between spectral pivoting of the continuum and a two-component origin for the
spectral softening, primarily because the data do not span a broad enough flux
range. In the case of the two-component model, the fractional offsets measured
in the flux-flux plots increase significantly toward higher energies (similar
to what is observed in MCG-6-30-15) as expected if there exists a constant
reflection component. Contrary to May 2001, no significant highly redshifted
emission line is observed (which might be related to the source flux level),
while two narrow emission lines at about 6.5keV and 7keV are observed. The S/N
is not high enough to establish if the lines are variable or constant. As
already suggested by the 2001 observation, no significant constant narrow
6.4keV FeK line (EW~32eV) is observed, hence excluding any dominant emission
from distant cold matter such as a torus in this Seyfert type 1.8 galaxy.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 10 pages, 11 figures, 2 table
The Apparent Host Galaxy of PKS 1413+135: HST, ASCA and VLBA Observations
PKS 1413+135 (z=0.24671) is one of very few radio-loud AGN with an apparent
spiral host galaxy. Previous authors have attributed its nearly exponential
infrared cutoff to heavy absorption but have been unable to place tight limits
on the absorber or its location in the optical galaxy. In addition, doubts
remain about the relationship of the AGN to the optical galaxy given the
observed lack of re-emitted radiation. We present new HST, ASCA and VLBA
observations which throw significant new light on these issues. The HST
observations reveal an extrremely red color (V-H = 6.9 mag) for the active
nucleus of PKS 1413+135, requiring both a spectral turnover at a few microns
due to synchrotron aging and a GMC-sized absorber. We derive an intrinsic
column N_H = 4.6^{+2.1}_{-1.6} times 10^{22}cm^{-2} and covering fraction f =
0.12^{+0.07}_{-0.05}. As the GMC is likely in the disk of the optical galaxy,
our sightline is rather unlikely (P ~ 2 times 10^{-4}). The properties of the
GMC typical of GMCs in our own galaxy. The HI absorber appears centered 25
milliarcseconds away from the nucleus, while the X-ray and nearly all of the
molecular absorbers must cover the nucleus, implying a complicated geometry and
cloud structure, with a molecular core along our line of sight to the nucleus.
Interestingly, the HST/NICMOS data require the AGN to be decentered relative to
the optical galaxy by 13 +/- 4 milliarcseconds. This could be interpreted as
suggestive of an AGN location far in the background compared to the optical
galaxy, but it can also be explained by obscuration and/or nuclear structure,
which is more consistent with the observed lack of multiple images.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figures; accepted to A
Tumour antigenicity in ovarian cancer.
The blastogenic response to a crude cell extract of ovarian cancer cells has been studied in 48 patients with ovarian cancer (9, autologous, 39 allogeneic), in 26 female controls matched for age and in 18 female patients with other types of cancer in remission from disease. The responses in ovarian cancer patients in remission and relapse were considered separately. The blastogenic responses to cell extracts of foetal ovary, foetal lung, foetal liver and normal adult ovary were also assessed in a proportion of all 3 groups. The blastogenic responses to ovarian cancer and foetal ovary cell extracts were found to be significantly greater in the ovarian cancer patients in remission than in the controls, but the responses to ovarian cancer extract were not greater in the relapse group or in patients with other cancers. As a blastogenic response to normal ovarian extract was also present in some of these patients, the data so far do not support the hypothesis of a tumour specific antigen. This tumour associated response may be occurring to determinants in foetal or adult ovarian tissue to which the patient becomes sensitized in malignant disease. The response is complex and the nature of the antigen requires further analysis
Geodetic VLBI Observations of EGRET Blazars
We present VLBI observations of the EGRET quasars 0202+149, CTA 26, and
1606+106, as well as additional analysis of VLBI observations of 1156+295
presented in Piner & Kingham (1997b). We have produced 8 and 2 GHz VLBI images
at 11 epochs, 8 epochs, and 12 epochs, spanning the years 1989 to 1996, of
0202+149, CTA 26, and 1606+106 respectively. The VLBI data have been taken from
the Washington VLBI correlator's geodetic database. We have measured the
apparent velocities of the jet components and find that CTA 26 and 1606+106 are
superluminal sources, with average apparent speeds of 8.9 and 2.9 h^{-1}c
respectively (H_{0}=100h km s^{-1} Mpc^{-1}, q_{0}=0.5). The components in
0202+149 are stationary, and we identify this source as a compact F double.
These sources all have apparently bent jets, and we detected non-radial motion
of components in CTA 26 and 1156+295. We have not yet detected any components
emerging subsequent to the gamma-ray flares in CTA 26, 1156+295, and 1606+106,
and we derive lower limits on the ejection times of any such components. The
misalignment angle distribution of the EGRET sources is compared to the
distribution for blazars as a whole, and we find that EGRET sources belong
preferentially to neither the aligned nor the misaligned population. We also
compare the average values for the apparent velocities and Doppler beaming
factors for the EGRET and non-EGRET blazars, and find no significant
differences. We thus find no indication, within the measurement errors, that
EGRET blazars are any more strongly beamed than their counterparts which have
not been detected in gamma-rays.Comment: 47 pages, including 13 figures; accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journa
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