505 research outputs found
Radio Luminosities and Classificatory Criteria of BL Lacertae Objects
Using the sample of radio selected BL Lacertae objects (RBLs) and X-ray
selected BL Lacertae objects (XBLs) presented by Sambruna et al. (1996), we
calculated the luminosities of radio, optical and X-ray of each source and made
the statistical analysis among the luminosities at different wave-bands,
broad-band spectral indices from radio to X-ray () and peak
frequencies (). Our results are as follows: (i) there is a positive
correlation between radio luminosity and and a
negative correlation between and . High-energy peak BL Lacs
(HBLs) and low-energy peak BL Lacs (LBLs) can be distinguished very well, the
dividing lines are probably those of (erg/sec) and
(or )0.75 for - plot and
those of (erg/sec) and for the
- plot; (ii) there is a weak positive correlation between
optical luminosity and and a negatively weak
correlation between and ; (iii) there is no correlation
between X-ray luminosity and or between and
. From our analysis, we find that synchrotron radiation is the main
X-ray radiation mechanism for HBLs while inverse Compton scattering for LBLs.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to A&
BATSE Observations of the Piccinotti Sample of AGN
BATSE Earth occultation data have been used to search for emission in the
20-100 keV band from all sources in the Piccinotti sample, which represents to
date the only complete 2-10 keV survey of the extragalactic sky down to a
limiting flux of 3.1 x 10^(-11) erg cm^(-2)$ s^(-1). Nearly four years of
observations have been analyzed to reach a 5sigma sensitivity level of about
7.8x 10^(-11) erg cm^(-2) s^(-1) in the band considered. Of the 36 sources in
the sample, 14 have been detected above 5sigma confidence level while marginal
detection (3<sigma<5) can be claimed for 13 sources; for 9 objects 2sigma upper
limits are reported. Comparison of BATSE results with data at higher energies
is used to estimate the robustness of our data analysis: while the detection
level of each source is reliable, the flux measurement maybe overestimated in
some sources by as much as 35%, probably due to incomplete data cleaning.
Comparison of BATSE fluxes with X-ray fluxes, obtained in the 2-10 keV range
and averaged over years, indicates that a canonical power law of photon index
1.7 gives a good description of the broad band spectra of bright AGNs and that
spectral breaks preferentially occur above 100 keV.Comment: 18 pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication on Apj
Multi-wavelength study of XMMU J2235.3-2557: the most massive galaxy cluster at z > 1
[Abridged] XMMU J2235.3-2557 is one of the most distant X-ray selected
clusters, spectroscopically confirmed at z=1.39. We characterize the galaxy
populations of passive members, the thermodynamical properties of the hot gas,
its metal abundance and the total mass of the system using imaging data with
HST/ACS (i775 and z850 bands) and VLT/ISAAC (J and K_s bands), extensive
spectroscopic data obtained with VLT/FORS2, and deep Chandra observations. Out
of a total sample of 34 spectroscopically confirmed cluster members, we
selected 16 passive galaxies within the central 2' (or 1 Mpc) with ACS
coverage, and inferred star formation histories for a sub-sample of galaxies
inside and outside the core by modeling their spectro-photometric data with
spectral synthesis models, finding a strong mean age radial gradient. Chandra
data show a regular elongated morphology, closely resembling the distribution
of core galaxies, with a significant cool core. We measure a global X-ray
temperature of kT=8.6(-1.2,+1.3) keV (68% c.l.). By detecting the rest-frame
6.7 keV Iron K line, we measure a metallicty Z= 0.26(+0.20,-0.16) Zsun. In the
likely hypothesis of hydrostatic equilibrium, we obtain a total mass of Mtot(<1
Mpc)=(5.9+-1.3)10^14 Msun. Overall, our analysis implies that XMM2235 is the
hottest and most massive bona-fide cluster discovered to date at z>1, with a
baryonic content, both its galaxy population and intra-cluster gas, in a
significantly advanced evolutionary stage at 1/3 of the current age of the
Universe.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&A (v2:
typos/language style corrections, updated references
Discovery of an X-ray-Luminous Galaxy Cluster at z=1.4
We report the discovery of a massive, X-ray-luminous cluster of galaxies at
z=1.393, the most distant X-ray-selected cluster found to date. XMMU
J2235.3-2557 was serendipitously detected as an extended X-ray source in an
archival XMM-Newton observation of NGC 7314. VLT-FORS2 R and z band snapshot
imaging reveals an over-density of red galaxies in both angular and color
spaces. The galaxy enhancement is coincident in the sky with the X-ray
emission; the cluster red sequence at R-z ~ 2.1 identifies it as a
high-redshift candidate. Subsequent VLT-FORS2 multi-object spectroscopy
unambiguously confirms the presence of a massive cluster based on 12 concordant
redshifts in the interval 1.38<z<1.40. The preliminary cluster velocity
dispersion is 762+/-265 km/s. VLT-ISAAC Ks and J band images underscore the
rich distribution of red galaxies associated with the cluster. Based on a 45 ks
XMM-Newton observation, we find the cluster has an aperture-corrected,
unabsorbed X-ray flux of f_X = (3.6 +/- 0.3) x 10^{-14} erg/cm^2/s, a
rest-frame X-ray luminosity of L_X = (3.0 +/- 0.2) x 10^{44} h_70^{-2} erg/s
(0.5--2.0 keV), and a temperature of kT=6.0 (+2.5, -1.8) keV. Though XMMU
J2235.3-2557 is likely the first confirmed z>1 cluster found with XMM-Newton,
the relative ease and efficiency of discovery demonstrates that it should be
possible to build large samples of z>1 clusters through the joint use of X-ray
and large, ground-based telescopes.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters, a
high-resolution version is available at
http://www.astro.lsa.umich.edu/~cmullis/papers/Mullis_et_al_2005a.pdf,
additional information is available at
http://www.astro.lsa.umich.edu/~cmullis/research/xmmuj223
Relation between millimeter wavelengths emission and high-energy emission for active galactic nuclei
After comparing the flux densities of a sample of active galactic nuclei
detected by energetic gamma-ray experiment telescope at 90 and 230 GHz with the
-ray emissions detected by Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and x-ray
emission, a strong correlation between the emissions at the millimeter
wavelength and the -ray emission is found. The average flux density of
x-ray is almost proportional to the average flux density at the millimeter
wavelength for quasars detected by energetic gamma-ray experiment telescope,
which strongly supports the previous idea that the x-ray emissions of this kind
sources are mainly produced by Synchrotron Self-Compton process.Comment: 6 pages, Chinese Physics Letters in pres
New constraints on the cosmic mid-infrared background using TeV gamma-ray astronomy
Very high energy gamma-ray data obtained by CAT and HEGRA from active
galactic nucleus Mkn 501 are used to constrain the cosmic Mid-Infrared
background. While the entire infrared and submillimeter spectrum shape based on
models has been fixed and the density scaled as a whole in previous studies,
recent measures on the low and high energy infrared background are extensively
used in this paper. In this original approach, the infrared distribution is
only varied in the unexplored 3.5-100 microns region. With conservative
hypothesis on the intrinsic spectra of Mkn 501, an upper limit of 4.7
nW.m-2.sr-1 between 5 and 15 microns is derived, which is very close to the
lower limit inferred from deep ISOCAM cosmological surveys at 15 microns. This
result is shown to be independent of the exact density of the lambda < 3.5
microns and lambda > 100 microns infrared distribution within the uncertainties
of the measurements. Moreover, the study presented here rules out a complete
extragalactic origin for the 60 microns excess found by Finkbeiner et al.
(2000).Comment: Accepted for publication by A&
A Viewing Angle - Kinetic Luminosity Unification Scheme For BL Lacertae Objects
We propose a unified classification for BL Lac objects (BLs), focusing on the
synchrotron peak frequency of the spectral energy distribution. The unification
scheme is based on the angle Theta that describes the orientation of the
relativistic jet and on the electron kinetic luminosity Lambda of the jet. We
assume that Lambda scales with the size of the jet r in a self-similar fashion
(Lambda propto r^2), as supported by observational data. The jets are
self-similar in geometry and have the same pressure and median magnetic field
at the inlet, independent of size. The self-similarity is broken for the
highest energy electrons, which radiate mainly at high frequencies, since for
large sources they suffer more severe radiative energy losses over a given
fraction of the jet length. We calculate the optically thin synchrotron
spectrum using an accelerating inner jet model based on simple relativistic gas
dynamics and show that it can fit the observed infrared to X-ray spectrum of
PKS 2155--304. We couple the accelerating jet model to the unification scheme
and compare the results to complete samples of
BLs. The negative apparent evolution of X-ray selected BLs is explained as a
result of positive evolution of the jet electron kinetic luminosity
. We review observational arguments in favor of the existence of
scaled-down accretion disks and broad emission-line regions in BLs. The
proposed unification scheme can explain the lack of observed broad emission
lines in X-ray selected BLs, as well as the existence of those lines
preferentially in luminous radio-selected BLs. Finally, we review observational
arguments that suggest the extension of this unification scheme to all blazars.Comment: 32 pages, 8 figures, to be published in the ApJ (Oct 20, 1998
Lactococcus lactis mutants resistant to lactococcin A and garvicin Q reveal missense mutations in the sugar transport domain of the mannose phosphotransferase system
Lactococcin A is a bacteriocin from Lactococcus lactis that permeabilizes the membrane of sensitive lactococcal cells and requires the presence of the membrane-bound components IIC and IID of the mannose phosphotransferase system (man-PTS). Recently, it was reported through cryo-electron microscopy analyses of man-PTS and several bacteriocins fused to a maltose-binding protein, including lactococcin A, that these bacteriocins create pores by inserting themselves between the Core and Vmotif domains of man-PTS. In our study, we obtained a dozen spontaneous mutants of L. lactis IL1403 resistant to lactococcin A. All but one of the mutants of IL1403 have mutations located in the genes encoding the IIC or IID proteins. These mutations also resulted in resistance to garvicin Q, a bacteriocin from Lactococcus garvieae with a broad inhibition spectrum and very little sequence homology to lactococcin A. Missense mutations were found in the sugar transport domain of man-PTS of bacteriocin-resistant IL1403 mutants, which also impeded the uptake of mannose. When lactococcin A, garvicin Q, or pediocin PA-1, an anti-listerial bacteriocin, were fused to a maltose-binding protein, we observed reduced or no antibacterial activity. Taken together, the precise mechanism of action of bacteriocins using the man-PTS remains to be fully understood
Discovery of the lensed quasar eRASS1 J050129.5-073309 with eROSITA and
We report the discovery and spectroscopic identification of the bright doubly
lensed quasar eRASS1 J050129.5-073309 at redshift , selected from the
first all-sky survey of the eROSITA
telescope and the EDR3 catalog. We systematically search for
extragalactic sources with eROSITA X-ray positions having multiple
counterparts and have started spectroscopic follow-up of the most promising
candidates using long-slit spectroscopy with NTT/EFOSC2 to confirm the lens
nature. The two images are separated by and their average
-band magnitudes are 16.95 and 17.33. Legacy Survey DR10 imaging and
image modeling reveal both the lensing galaxy and tentatively the lensed image
of the quasar host galaxy. Archival optical light curves show evidence of a
variability time delay with the fainter component lagging the brighter by about
100 days. The fainter image has also decreased its brightness by about 1
magnitude since 2019. This dimming was still obvious at the time of the
spectroscopic observations and is probably caused by microlensing. The optical
spectroscopic follow-up obtained from NTT/EFOSC2 and the evidence provided by
the imaging and timing analysis allow us to confirm the lensed nature of eRASS1
J050129.5-073309.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
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