AGN Black Hole Masses and Bolometric Luminosities

Black hole mass, along with mass accretion rate, is a fundamental property of active galactic nuclei. Black hole mass sets an approximate upper limit to AGN energetics via the Eddington limit. We collect and compare all AGN black hole mass estimates from the literature; these 177 masses are mostly based on the virial assumption for the broad emission lines, with the broad-line region size determined from either reverberation mapping or optical luminosity. We introduce 200 additional black hole mass estimates based on properties of the host galaxy bulges, using either the observed stellar velocity dispersion or using the fundamental plane relation to infer $\sigma$; these methods assume that AGN hosts are normal galaxies. We compare 36 cases for which black hole mass has been generated by different methods and find, for individual objects, a scatter as high as a couple of orders of magnitude. The less direct the method, the larger the discrepancy with other estimates, probably due to the large scatter in the underlying correlations assumed. Using published fluxes, we calculate bolometric luminosities for 234 AGNs and investigate the relation between black hole mass and luminosity. In contrast to other studies, we find no significant correlation of black hole mass with luminosity, other than those induced by circular reasoning in the estimation of black hole mass. The Eddington limit defines an approximate upper envelope to the distribution of luminosities, but the lower envelope depends entirely on the sample of AGN included. For any given black hole mass, there is a range in Eddington ratio of up to three orders of magnitude.Comment: 43 pages with 10 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap

Melhoria do apoio do estado para o uso da terra ecológica em termos de transição para o desenvolvimento sustentável do território rural

The problems of rational land use, the restoration of land resources, the provision of population with safe food and favorable living conditions for the rural population are especially urgent in modern society. At that, there is a need to change the technogenic development of agricultural production into so-called "sustainable" development. The state support for ecological land use in Belgorod region includes such activities as soil fertility support through meliorative afforestation, the liming of acidic soils, the agricultural biology development, as well as the introduction of biotechnologies. However, in terms of intensive land use, it is necessary to strengthen the financial support of domestic agricultural producers who use land resources rationally. In order to use budgetary funds more efficiently, it is necessary to expand the range and improve the mechanism of state support provision for the restoration of land resources in the following areas: the subsidies for the seeds of perennial grasses, green-manure crops and honey plants; the subsidies for the reimbursement of organic fertilizer transportation costs; the subsidies for organic matter content increase.Los problemas del uso racional de la tierra, la restauración de los recursos de la tierra, la provisión de una población con alimentos seguros y las condiciones de vida favorables para la población rural son especialmente urgentes en la sociedad moderna. En ese sentido, es necesario cambiar el desarrollo tecnogénico de la producción agrícola en el denominado desarrollo "sostenible". El apoyo estatal para el uso ecológico de la tierra en la región de Bélgorod incluye actividades tales como el apoyo a la fertilidad del suelo a través de la repoblación forestal, el encalado de suelos ácidos, el desarrollo de la biología agrícola, así como la introducción de biotecnologías. Sin embargo, en términos de uso intensivo de la tierra, es necesario fortalecer el apoyo financiero de los productores agrícolas nacionales que utilizan los recursos de la tierra de manera racional. Para utilizar los fondos presupuestarios de manera más eficiente, es necesario ampliar el alcance y mejorar el mecanismo de apoyo estatal para la restauración de los recursos de la tierra en las siguientes áreas: los subsidios para las semillas de hierbas perennes, cultivos de abono verde y plantas de miel; los subsidios para el reembolso de los costos de transporte de fertilizantes orgánicos; las subvenciones para el contenido de materia orgánica aumentan.Os problemas de uso racional da terra, a restauração dos recursos da terra, o fornecimento de alimentos seguros população-guro e condições de vida favoráveis para a população rural são urgentes especial-mente na sociedade moderna. Nesse sentido, é necessário mudar o desenvolvimento tecnogênico da produção agrícola no chamado desenvolvimento "sustentável". Apoio do Estado para o uso da terra ecológica na região de Belgorod inclui actividades como o apoio a fertilidade do solo através do reflorestamento, calagem de solos ácidos, o desenvolvimento de Biolo-gy agrícola e a introdução de biotecnologias. No entanto, em termos de uso intensivo da terra, é necessário fortalecer o apoio financeiro dos produtores agrícolas nacionais que usam os recursos da terra racionalmente. Para usar recursos do orçamento de forma mais eficiente, é ne-Cesario ampliar o alcance e melhorar o mecanismo de apoio do Estado para a res-tauración dos recursos da terra nas seguintes áreas: subsídios para sementes de gramíneas perenes, culturas de estrume verde e plantas de mel; Subsídios para o reembolso de custos de transporte de fertilizantes orgânicos; Subsídios para o aumento do conteúdo de matéria orgânica

All unitary cubic curvature gravities in D dimensions

We construct all the unitary cubic curvature gravity theories built on the contractions of the Riemann tensor in D -dimensional (anti)-de Sitter spacetimes. Our construction is based on finding the equivalent quadratic action for the general cubic curvature theory and imposing ghost and tachyon freedom, which greatly simplifies the highly complicated problem of finding the propagator of cubic curvature theories in constant curvature backgrounds. To carry out the procedure we have also classified all the unitary quadratic models. We use our general results to study the recently found cubic curvature theories using different techniques and the string generated cubic curvature gravity model. We also study the scattering in critical gravity and give its cubic curvature extensions.Comment: 24 pages, 1 figure, v2: A subsection on cubic curvature extensions of critical gravity is added, v3: The part regarding critical gravity is revised. Version to appear in Class. Quant. Gra

The Nuclear Stellar Cluster in the Seyfert~1 Galaxy NGC 3227: High Angular Resolution NIR Imaging and Spectroscopy

NIR high angular resolution speckle imaging and imaging spectroscopy of the nuclear region (10'' ~ 840pc) of the Seyfert1 galaxy NGC3227 are presented. A nuclear stellar cluster is slightly resolved in the J and H band with increasing contribution to the NIR continuum from the K to the J band. The stellar absorption lines are extended compared to the neighboring continuum suggesting a cluster size of ~ 70pc FWHM. Analysis of those lines suggests that the stars are contributing about 65% (40%) of the total continuum emission in the H (K) band in a 3.6'' aperture. Population synthesis in conjunction with NIR spectral synthesis indicates an age of 25 to 50 Myr when red supergiants contribute most to the NIR light. This is supported by published optical data on the MgIb line and the CaII triplet. Although a higher age of ~ 0.5 Gyr where AGB stars dominate the NIR light can not be excluded, the observed parameters are at the limit of those expected for a cluster dominated by AGB stars. However, in either case the resolved stellar cluster contributes only about ~ 15 % of the total dynamical mass in the inner 300pc implying another much older stellar population. Pure constant star formation over the last 10 Gyr can be excluded. Therefore, at least two star formation/starburst events took place in the nucleus of NGC3227. Since such sequences in the nuclear star formation history are also observed in the nuclei of other galaxies a link between the activity of the star formation and the AGN itself seems likely.Comment: accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal, 46 pages, 15 figure

Stationary motion of a self gravitating toroidal incompressible liquid layer

We consider an incompressible fluid contained in a toroidal stratum which is only subjected to Newtonian self-attraction. Under the assumption of infinitesimal tickness of the stratum we show the existence of stationary motions during which the stratum is approximatly a round torus (with radii r, R and R>>r) that rotates around its axis and at the same time rolls on itself. Therefore each particle of the stratum describes an helix-like trajectory around the circumference of radius R that connects the centers of the cross sections of the torus

Dynamical properties of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies. II. Traces of dynamical evolution and end products of local ultraluminous mergers

We present results from our Very Large Telescope large program to study the dynamical evolution of local Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs) and QSOs. This paper is the second in a series presenting the stellar kinematics of 54 ULIRGs, derived from high resolution, long-slit H- and K-band spectroscopy. The data presented here, including observations of 17 new targets, are mainly focused on sources that have coalesced into a single nucleus. The stellar kinematics, extracted from the CO ro-vibrational bandheads in our spectra, indicate that ULIRG remnants are dynamically heated systems with a mean dispersion of 161 km/s. The combination of kinematic, structural, and photometric properties of the remnants indicate that they mostly originate from major mergers and that they result in the formation of systems supported by random motions, therefore, elliptical galaxies. The peak of the velocity dispersion distribution and the locus of ULIRGs on the fundamental plane of early-type galaxies indicate that the end products of ultraluminous mergers are typically moderate-mass ellipticals (of stellar mass ~10^10 - 10^11 M_sun). Converting the host dispersion into black hole mass with the aid of the M_BH-sigma relation yields black hole mass estimates of the order 10^7 - 10^8 M_sun and high accretion rates with Eddington efficiencies often >0.5.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

A Second Luminous Blue Variable in the Quintuplet Cluster

H and K band moderate resolution and 4 $\mu$m high resolution spectra have been obtained for FMM#362, a bright star in the Quintuplet Cluster near the Galactic Center. The spectral features in these bands closely match those of the Pistol Star, a luminous blue variable and one of the most luminous stars known. The new spectra and previously-obtained photometry imply a very high luminosity for FMM#362, L $\geq 10^6$ \Lsun, and a temperature of 10,000 - 13,000 K. Based on its luminosity, temperature, photometric variability, and similarities to the Pistol Star, we conclude that FMM#362 is a luminous blue variable.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 4 PostScript figures, 2 table

Estudio del inicio y la finalización de la dentición permanente en un grupo de escolares de una población catalana

Este estudio pretende observar la erupción de la dentición permanente en niños y niñas residentes en una población de la provincia de Barcelona. La muestra se estudió en cuanto al sexo, la edad y los primeros y segundos molares erupcionados, encontrando que la primera pieza en aparecer es el primer molar a partir de los 5,33 años de edad, y de la misma forma, el segundo molar permanente es el que cierra todo el proceso eruptivo. Se adjuntan tablas para complementar la secuencia eruptiva

Limits to Sympathetic Evaporative Cooling of a Two-Component Fermi Gas

We find a limit cycle in a quasi-equilibrium model of evaporative cooling of a two-component fermion gas. The existence of such a limit cycle represents an obstruction to reaching the quantum ground state evaporatively. We show that evaporatively the \beta\mu ~ 1. We speculate that one may be able to cool an atomic fermi gas further by photoassociating dimers near the bottom of the fermi sea.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev