421 research outputs found
Dust in Hot Plasma of Nearby Dusty Elliptical Galaxies Observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope
We report on mid- and far-IR Spitzer observations of 7 nearby dusty
elliptical galaxies by using the Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS) and
Infrared Spectrograph (IRS). Our sample galaxies are known to contain an
excessive amount of interstellar dust against sputtering destruction in hot
plasma filling the interstellar space of elliptical galaxies. In order to study
the origin and the properties of the excess dust in the hot plasma, we selected
galaxies with a wide range of X-ray luminosities but similar optical luminos
ities for our Spitzer Guest Observers (GO1) program. The 7 galaxies are
detected at the MIPS 24 um, 70 um, and 160 um bands; the far- to mid-IR flux
ratios of relatively X-ray-bright elliptical galaxies are lower than those of
X-ray-faint galaxies. From the IRS spectra, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
(PAH) emission features are detected significantly from 5 of the 7 galaxies; t
he emission intensities are weaker as the X-ray luminosity of the galaxy is
larger. We have found a correlation between the far- to mid-IR flux ratio and
the equivalent width of the PAH emission feature. We have obtained apparent
spatial correspondence between mid-IR and X-ray distributions in the outer
regions for the three X-ray-brightest galaxies in our sample. Possible
interpretations for our observational results are discussed.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Publications of the
Astronomical Society of Japa
High Precision CTE-Measurement of SiC-100 for Cryogenic Space-Telescopes
We present the results of high precision measurements of the thermal
expansion of the sintered SiC, SiC-100, intended for use in cryogenic
space-telescopes, in which minimization of thermal deformation of the mirror is
critical and precise information of the thermal expansion is needed for the
telescope design. The temperature range of the measurements extends from room
temperature down to 10 K. Three samples, #1, #2, and #3 were
manufactured from blocks of SiC produced in different lots. The thermal
expansion of the samples was measured with a cryogenic dilatometer, consisting
of a laser interferometer, a cryostat, and a mechanical cooler. The typical
thermal expansion curve is presented using the 8th order polynomial of the
temperature. For the three samples, the coefficients of thermal expansion
(CTE), \bar{\alpha}_{#1}, \bar{\alpha}_{#2}, and \bar{\alpha}_{#3} were
derived for temperatures between 293 K and 10 K. The average and the dispersion
(1 rms) of these three CTEs are 0.816 and 0.002 (/K),
respectively. No significant difference was detected in the CTE of the three
samples from the different lots. Neither inhomogeneity nor anisotropy of the
CTE was observed. Based on the obtained CTE dispersion, we performed an
finite-element-method (FEM) analysis of the thermal deformation of a 3.5 m
diameter cryogenic mirror made of six SiC-100 segments. It was shown that the
present CTE measurement has a sufficient accuracy well enough for the design of
the 3.5 m cryogenic infrared telescope mission, the Space Infrared telescope
for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA).Comment: in press, PASP. 21 pages, 4 figure
Characterization and Improvement of the Image Quality of the Data Taken with the Infrared Camera (IRC) Mid-Infrared Channels onboard AKARI
Mid-infrared images frequently suffer artifacts and extended point spread
functions (PSFs). We investigate the characteristics of the artifacts and the
PSFs in images obtained with the Infrared Camera (IRC) onboard AKARI at four
mid-infrared bands of the S7 (7{\mu}m), S11 (11{\mu}m), L15 (15{\mu}m), and L24
(24 {\mu}m). Removal of the artifacts significantly improves the reliability of
the ref- erence data for flat-fielding at the L15 and L24 bands. A set of
models of the IRC PSFs is also constructed from on-orbit data. These PSFs have
extended components that come from diffraction and scattering within the
detector arrays. We estimate the aperture correction factors for point sources
and the surface brightness correction factors for diffuse sources. We conclude
that the surface brightness correction factors range from 0.95 to 0.8, taking
account of the extended component of the PSFs. To correct for the extended PSF
effects for the study of faint structures, we also develop an image
reconstruction method, which consists of the deconvolution with the PSF and the
convolution with an appropriate Gaussian. The appropriate removal of the
artifacts, improved flat-fielding, and image reconstruction with the extended
PSFs enable us to investigate de- tailed structures of extended sources in IRC
mid-infrared images.Comment: 35 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in PAS
AKARI near-infrared spectroscopy of the aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbon emission features in the galactic superwind of M 82
Aims. We investigate the properties of hydrocarbon grains in the galactic
superwind of M 82. Methods. With AKARI, we performed near-infrared (2.5 - 4.5
um) spectroscopic observations of 34 regions in M 82 including its northern and
southern halos. Results. Many of the spectra show strong emission at 3.3 um due
to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and relatively weak features at 3.4
- 3.6 um due to aliphatic hydrocarbons. In particular, we clearly detect the
PAH 3.3 um emission and the 3.4 - 3.6 um features in halo regions, which are
located at a distance of 2 kpc away from the galactic center. We find that the
ratios of the 3.4 - 3.6 um features to the 3.3 um feature intensity
significantly increase with distance from the galactic center, while the ratios
of the 3.3 um feature to the AKARI 7 um band intensity do not. Conclusions. Our
results clearly confirm the presence of small PAHs even in a harsh environment
of the halo of M 82. The results also reveal that the aliphatic hydrocarbons
emitting the 3.4 - 3.6 um features are unusually abundant in the halo,
suggesting that small carbonaceous grains are produced by shattering of larger
grains in the galactic superwind.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in A&
High-spectral resolution observations of the 3.29 micron emission feature: Comparison to QCC and PAHs
Two of the most promising explanations for the origin of the interstellar emission features observed at 3.29, 3.4, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.3 microns are: quenched carbonaceous composite (QCC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). High resolution spectra are given of the 3.29 micron emission feature which were taken with the Cooled Grating Array Spectrometer at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and previously published. These spectra show that the peak wavelength of the 3.29 micron feature is located at 3.295 + or - 0.005 micron and that it is coincident with the peak absorbance of QCC. The peak wavelength of the 3.29 micron feature appears to be the same in all of the sources observed thus far. However, the width of the feature in HD 44179 and Elias 1 is only 0.023 micron, which is smaller than the 0.043 micron width in NGC 7027, IRAS 21282+5050, the Orion nebula, and BD+30 deg 3639. Spectra of NGC 7027, QCC, and PAHs is shown. QCC matches the 3.29 micron interstellar emission feature very closely in the wavelength of the peak, and it produces a single feature. On the other hand, PAHs rarely match the peak of the interstellar emission feature, and characteristically produce multiple features
Large-scale distributions of mid- and far-infrared emission from the center to the halo of M82 revealed with AKARI
The edge-on starburst galaxy M82 exhibits complicated distributions of
gaseous materials in its halo, which include ionized superwinds driven by
nuclear starbursts, neutral materials entrained by the superwinds, and
large-scale neutral streamers probably caused by a past tidal interaction with
M81. We investigate detailed distributions of dust grains and polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) around M82 to understand their interplay with the
gaseous components. We performed mid- (MIR) and far-infrared (FIR) observations
of M82 with the Infrared Camera and Far-Infrared Surveyor on board AKARI. We
obtain new MIR and FIR images of M82, which reveal both faint extended emission
in the halo and very bright emission in the center with signal dynamic ranges
as large as five and three orders of magnitude for the MIR and FIR,
respectively. We detect MIR and FIR emission in the regions far away from the
disk of the galaxy, reflecting the presence of dust and PAHs in the halo of
M82. We find that the dust and PAHs are contained in both ionized and neutral
gas components, implying that they have been expelled into the halo of M82 by
both starbursts and galaxy interaction. In particular, we obtain a tight
correlation between the PAH and H emission, which provides evidence
that the PAHs are well mixed in the ionized superwind gas and outflowing from
the disk.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&
AKARI Near- to Mid-Infrared Imaging and Spectroscopic Observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud. I. Bright Point Source List
We carried out a near- to mid-infrared imaging and spectroscopic observations
of the patchy areas in the Small Magellanic Cloud using the Infrared Camera on
board AKARI. Two 100 arcmin2 areas were imaged in 3.2, 4.1, 7, 11, 15, and 24
um and also spectroscopically observed in the wavelength range continuously
from 2.5 to 13.4 um. The spectral resolving power (lambda/Delta lambda) is
about 20, 50, and 50 at 3.5, 6.6 and 10.6 um, respectively. Other than the two
100 arcmin2 areas, some patchy areas were imaged and/or spectroscopically
observed as well. In this paper, we overview the observations and present a
list of near- to mid-infrared photometric results, which lists ~ 12,000
near-infrared and ~ 1,800 mid-infrared bright point sources detected in the
observed areas. The 10 sigma limits are 16.50, 16.12, 13.28, 11.26, 9.62, and
8.76 in Vega magnitudes at 3.2, 4.1, 7, 11, 15, and 24 um bands, respectively.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in PASJ. Full
resolution version is available at
http://www-irc.mtk.nao.ac.jp/%7Eyita/smc20100112.pd
AKARI Detections of Hot Dust in Luminous Infrared Galaxies
We present a new sample of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) identified using the
catalog of the AKARI Mid-infrared(MIR) All-Sky Survey. Our MIR search has an
advantage in detecting AGNs that are obscured at optical wavelengths due to
extinction. We first selected AKARI 9micron excess sources with
F(9micron)/F(K_S)>2 where K_S magnitudes were taken from the Two Micron All Sky
Survey. We then obtained follow-up near-infrared spectroscopy with the
AKARI/IRC, to confirm that the excess is caused by hot dust. We also obtained
optical spectroscopy with the Kast Double Spectrograph on the Shane 3-m
telescope at Lick Observatory. On the basis of on these observations, we
detected hot dust with a characteristic temperature of ~500K in two luminous
infrared galaxies. The hot dust is suspected to be associated with AGNs that
exhibit their nonstellar activity not in the optical, but in the near- and
mid-infrared bands, i.e., they harbor buried AGNs. The host galaxy stellar
masses of 4-6 x 10^9 M_sun are small compared with the hosts in
optically-selected AGN populations. These objects were missed by previous
surveys, demonstrating the power of the AKARI MIR All-Sky Survey to widen AGN
searches to include more heavily obscured objects. The existence of multiple
dusty star clusters with massive stars cannot be completely ruled out with our
current data.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Astronomy & Astrophysic
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