ASCA Observation of the Lyman-limit Quasar PKS2145+067

X-ray observation of a famous Lyman-limit quasar PKS2145+067at z_em= 0.990 was carried with ASCA. The source showed a 2-10 keV flux of 1.3 E-11 erg cm^-2 sec^-1 (L_X = 2.5 E46 erg sec^-1 for H_0=50 km s^-1 Mpc^-1) described by a power-law spectrum with a photon index Gamma=1.63 +/- 0.04 . In the ASCA energy band, no excess absorption was detected implying the absorption column density at z_ ab=0.791 was less than 1.6 E21 cm^-2 if absorbing medium had a metal abundance of 0.5 solar. Comparison with previous Einstein and ROSAT observations shows that PKS2145+067 has increased its luminosity by a factor of 2--3 between 1991 and 1998.Comment: 15 pages, 3figures, Latex(PASJadd,sty, PASJ95.sty) accepted in PAS

ASCA Measurements of Metallicity and Temperature Distributions in Three Clusters: A4059, MKW 3s and 2A 0335+096

We present ASCA results on the distributions of metallicity and temperature in 3 bright near-by clusters: A4059, MKW 3s and 2A 0335+096. A significant gradient in the metal abundance is detected in A4059, while other clusters suggest similar gradients with low significance. These features together with recent results on AWM 7 and Perseus clusters suggest that metals injected in the ICM are not effectively mixed in the cluster space. Analysis of the GIS data, without explicitly including the cooling flow model, shows no substantial temperature drop at large radii (at half the virial radii) for the 3 systems. This is contrary to the recent results for 30 clusters by Markevitch et al. (1998) who assume rather strong cooling flows. The gas mass fraction of these clusters are 10-15% within 1 Mpc, which suggests that baryonic fraction of about 20% including the stellar mass is a common level in galaxy groups and clusters.Comment: 25 pages, 21 figures; accepted by PASJ; uses PASJ95.sty, PASJ2.sty, and PASJadd.st

Exploratory ASCA Observations of Broad Absorption Line Quasi-Stellar Objects

We present the analysis and interpretation of a sample of eight ASCA observations of Broad Absorption Line Quasi-Stellar Objects (BALQSOs). This is the first moderate-sized sample of sensitive BALQSO observations above 2 keV, and the BALQSOs in our sample are among the optically brightest known (B=14.5-18.5). Despite the ability of 2-10 keV X-rays to penetrate large column densities, we find BALQSOs to be extremely weak sources above 2 keV, and we are only able to add two new 2-10 keV detections (0226-104 and IRAS 07598+6508) to those previously reported. By comparison with non-BALQSOs of similar optical continuum magnitudes, we derive the column densities needed to suppress the expected X-ray fluxes of our BALQSOs. In several cases we derive column densities > 5x10^{23} cm^{-2} for a neutral absorber with solar abundances. These are the largest X-ray column densities yet inferred for BALQSOs, and they exceed ROSAT lower limits by about an order of magnitude. Optical brightness does not appear to be a good predictor of 2-10 keV brightness for BALQSOs, but our data do suggest that the BALQSOs with high optical continuum polarizations may be the X-ray brighter members of the class. For example, the highly polarized object PHL 5200 appears to be unusually X-ray bright for a BALQSO given its optical magnitude. We discuss the implications of our results for future observations with AXAF and XMM. If the objects in our sample are representative of the BALQSO population, precision X-ray spectroscopy of most BALQSOs will unfortunately prove difficult in the near future.Comment: 19 pages, ApJ in press, also available from http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/niel/papers/papers.htm

The role of graphite layers in gravitational deformation of pelitic schist

Deep-seated landslides in pelitic schists are common in many countries, but are poorly investigated and understood. In this study we present the first detailed examination and modelling of landslide mechanisms in these materials. We found that pelitic schist commonly contains black, graphite-rich layers on a scale of millimeters to centimeters thickness that are typically weaker than neighboring layers. By examining microscopic textures in borehole samples obtained from landslide masses of pelitic schist, we find that ductile gravitational shearing commonly occurs within these weaker layers, accompanied by brittle fracture in the surrounding layers. To investigate this mechanisms, we have performed high-precision direct shear tests, using a novel back-pressured shearbox, on artificial rock samples both with and without graphite layers placed between pre-cut shear surfaces. The tests used normal stresses up to 800 kPa (equivalent to 32 m depth of burial). We found that the coefficients of friction for samples with graphite layers embedded in the artificial rock samples (0.30, representing an angle of internal friction of 16.7°) were much lower than those without graphite layers on the pre-cut surface (0.85). The shear strength of the artificial rocks with embedded layers of graphite decreased abruptly with increasing areal extent of the graphite layer along the shear surface, from which it can be inferred that the continuity of a graphite layer in natural pelitic schist has a considerable effect on shear resistance. These results suggest that even comparatively low dip angles of schistosity in pelitic schist could initiate microscopic slip along the graphite-rich layers

Gas bulk motion in the Perseus cluster measured with SUZAKU

We present the results from Suzaku observations of the Perseus galaxy cluster, which is relatively close, the brightest in the X-ray sky and a relaxed object with a cool core. A number of exposures of central regions and offset pointing with the X-ray Imaging Spectrometer cover a region within radii of 20'-30'. The central data are used to evaluate the instrumental energy-scale calibration with accuracy confirmed to within around 300 km/s, by the spatial and temporal variation of the instruments. These deep and well-calibrated data are used to measure X-ray redshifts of the intracluster medium. A hint of gas bulk motion, with radial velocity of about -(150-300) km/s, relative to the main system was found at 2-4 arcmin (45-90kpc) west of the cluster center, where an X-ray excess and a cold front were found previously. No other velocity structure was discovered. Over spatial scales of 50-100kpc and within 200kpc radii of the center, the gas-radial-velocity variation is below 300 km/s, while over scales of 400 kpc within 600 kpc radii, the variation is below 600 km/s. These X-ray redshift distributions are compared spatially with those of optical member galaxies for the first time in galaxy clusters. Based on X-ray line widths gas turbulent velocities within these regions are also constrained within 1000-3000 km/s. These results of gas dynamics in the core and larger scales in association with cluster merger activities are discussed and future potential of high-energy resolution spectroscopy with ASTRO-H is considered.Comment: Accepted to Ap

Global Disk Oscillation Modes in Cataclysmic Variables and Other Newtonian Accretors

Diskoseismology, the theoretical study of small adiabatic hydrodynamical global perturbations of geometrically thin, optically thick accretion disks around black holes (and other compact objects), is a potentially powerful probe of the gravitational field. For instance, the frequencies of the normal mode oscillations can be used to determine the elusive angular momentum parameter of the black hole. The general formalism developed by diskoseismologists for relativistic systems can be readily applied to the Newtonian case of cataclysmic variables (CVs). Some of these systems (e.g., the dwarf nova SS Cygni) show rapid oscillations in the UV with periods of tens of seconds and high coherence. In this paper, we assess the possibility that these dwarf nova oscillations (DNOs) are diskoseismic modes. Besides its importance in investigating the physical origin of DNOs, the present work could help us to answer the following question. To what extent are the similarities in the oscillation phenomenology of CVs and X-ray binaries (XRBs) indicative of a common physical mechanism?Comment: 1 figur

Integral representations of q-analogues of the Hurwitz zeta function

Two integral representations of q-analogues of the Hurwitz zeta function are established. Each integral representation allows us to obtain an analytic continuation including also a full description of poles and special values at non-positive integers of the q-analogue of the Hurwitz zeta function, and to study the classical limit of this q-analogue. All the discussion developed here is entirely different from the previous work in [4]Comment: 14 page