32 research outputs found
Radio Spectra and NVSS Maps of Decametric Sources
We constructed radio spectra for ~1400 UTR-2 sources and find that 46% of
them have concave curvature. Inspection of NVSS maps of 700 UTR sources
suggests that half of all UTR sources are either blends of two or more sources
or have an ultra-steep spectrum (USS). The fraction of compact USS sources in
UTR may be near 10%. Using NVSS and the Digitized Sky Survey(s) we expect to
double the UTR optical identification rate from currently ~19%.Comment: 2 pages, no figures; to appear in Proc. "Observational Cosmology with
the New Radio Surveys", eds. M. Bremer, N. Jackson & I. Perez-Fournon, Kluwer
Acad. Pres
Interferometric Phase Calibration Sources in the Declination Range 0deg to -30deg
We present a catalog of 321 compact radio sources in the declination range
0deg > delta > -30deg. The positions of these sources have been measured with a
two-dimensional rms accuracy of 35 milliarcseconds using the NRAO Very Large
Array. Each source has a peak flux density >50 mJy at 8.4 GHz. We intend for
this catalog to be used mainly for selection of phase calibration sources for
radio interferometers, although compact radio sources have other scientific
uses.Comment: 9 pages. To appear in ApJS. Catalog (Table 3) is abbreviated in
printed version. Complete catalog available at
ftp://ftp.aoc.nrao.edu/pub/staff/jwrobel/WPW2003_ApJS.tx
Kinematics of the Young Stellar Objects associated with the Cometary Globules in the Gum Nebula
An analysis of proper motion measurements of the Young Stellar Objects (YSOs)
associated with the Cometary Globules (CGs) in the Gum Nebula is presented.
While earlier studies based on the radial velocity measurements of the CGs
suggested expansion of the system of the CGs, the observed proper motion of the
YSOs shows no evidence for expansion. In particular the kinematics of two YSOs
embedded in CGs is inconsistent with the supernova explosion of the companion
of Pup about 1.5 Myr ago as the cause of the expansion of the CG
system. YSOs associated with the CGs share the average proper motion of the
member stars of the Vela OB2 association. A few YSOs that have relatively large
proper motions are found to show relatively low infrared excesses.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables, Accepted for publication in MNRA
Detection of new sources of methanol emission at 107 and 108 GHz with the Mopra telescope
A southern hemisphere survey of methanol emission sources in two millimeter
wave transitions has been carried out using the ATNF Mopra millimetre
telescope. Sixteen emission sources have been detected in the 3(1)-4(0)A+
transition of methanol at 107 GHz, including six new sources exhibiting class
II methanol maser emission features. Combining these results with the similar
northern hemisphere survey, a total of eleven 107-GHz methanol masers have been
detected. A survey of the methanol emission in the 0(0)-1(-1)E transition at
108 GHz resulted in the detection of 16 sources; one of them showing maser
characteristics. This is the first methanol maser detected at 108 GHz,
presumably of class II. The results of LVG statistical equilibrium calculations
confirm the classification of these new sources as a class II methanol masers.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS, mn.sty
include
XMM observations of the high-redshift quasar RXJ1028.6-0844 at z=4.276: soft X-ray spectral flattening
We present results from a new XMM-Newton observation of the high-redshift
quasar RXJ1028.6-0844 at a redshift of 4.276. The soft X-ray spectral
flattening, as reported by a study with ASCA previously (Yuan et al. 2000, ApJ
545, 625), is confirmed to be present, however, with reduced column density
when modelled by absorption. The inferred column density for absorption
intrinsic to the quasar is 2.1(+0.4-0.3)x10^22 (cm^-2) for cold matter, and
higher for ionised gas. The spectral flattening shows remarkable similarity
with those of two similar objects, GB1428+4217 (Worsley et al. 2004, MNRAS 350,
L67) and PMNJ0525-3343 (Worsley et al. 2004, MNRAS 350, 207). The results
improve upon those obtained from a previous short-exposure observation for
RXJ1028.6-0844 with XMM-Newton (Grupe et al. 2004, AJ 127, 1). A comparative
study of the two XMM-Newton observations reveals a change in the power-law
photon index from Gamma ~1.3 to 1.5 on timescales of about one year. A
tentative excess emission feature in the rest-frame 5-10keV band is suggested,
which is similar to that marginally suggested for GB1428+4217.Comment: 9 pages, accepted for publication in MNRAS; minor changes (added
footnote commenting on the use of the F-test, added references
Detection of Cold Atomic Clouds in the Magellanic Bridge
We report a detection of cold atomic hydrogen in the Magellanic Bridge using
21-cm absorption spectroscopy toward the radio source B0312-770. With a column
density of N_HI=1.2E20 cm^-2, a maximum absorption optical depth of tau=0.10
and a maximum 21-cm emission brightness temperature of 1.4 K, this line of
sight yields a spin temperature, T_s, between 20 K and 40 K. H I 21-cm
absorption and emission spectroscopy toward 7 other low column density
sightlines on the periphery of the LMC and SMC reveal absorption toward one
additional background radio source behind the SMC with tau=0.03. The data have
typical sensitivities of sigma_tau=0.005 to 0.070 in absorption and
sigma_{T_B}=0.03 K in emission. These data demonstrate the presence of a cold
atomic phase which is probably accompanied by molecular condensations in the
tenuous interstellar medium of the Bridge region. Young OB stars observed in
the Magellanic Bridge could form "in situ" from these cold condensations rather
than migrate from regions of active star formation in the main body of the SMC.
The existence of cold condensations and star formation in the Magellanic Bridge
might be understood as a small scale version of the mechanism that produces
star formation in the tidal tails of interacting galaxies.Comment: 25 pages, uses AASTeX and psfig; Accepted for Publication in the
Astronomical Journa
PMN J1838-3427: A new gravitationally lensed quasar
We report the discovery of a new double-image quasar that was found during a
search for gravitational lenses in the southern sky. Radio source PMN
J1838-3427 is composed of two flat-spectrum components with separation 1", flux
density ratio 14:1 and matching spectral indices, in VLA and VLBA images.
Ground-based BRI images show the optical counterpart (total I=18.6) is also
double with the same separation and position angle as the radio components. An
HST/WFPC2 image reveals the lens galaxy. The optical flux ratio (27:1) is
higher than the radio value probably due to differential extinction of the
components by the lens galaxy. An optical spectrum of the bright component
contains quasar emission lines at z=2.78 and several absorption features,
including prominent Ly-alpha absorption. The lens galaxy redshift could not be
measured but is estimated to be z=0.36 +/- 0.08. The image configuration is
consistent with the simplest plausible models for the lens potential. The flat
radio spectrum and observed variability of PMN J1838-3427 suggest the time
delay between flux variations of the components is measurable, and could thus
provide an independent measurement of H_0.Comment: 23 pages, incl. 6 figures, to appear in A.J.; replaced with accepted
version; minor changes to text, improved figure
Evidence of thick obscuring matter revealed in the X-ray spectrum of the Z=4.28 quasar RXJ1028.6-0844
We report the discovery of an unambiguous, substantial low-energy cutoff in
the broad band X-ray spectrum of the radio quasar RXJ1028.6-0844 at a redshift
of 4.276 obtained with the ASCA satellite, which we preferably explained as
indication of excess X-ray absorption. The equivalent hydrogen column density
of the absorbing matter, depending on the redshift and metallicity, ranges from
2.5x10**21 cm**(-2) for local absorption up to 2.1x10**23 cm**(-2) (solar
metallicity) or 1.6x10**24 cm**(-2) (10% solar metallicity) for absorption at
the quasar redshift. Such a value is among the largest found for high-redshift
radio quasars. The absorption, if interpreted as being produced close to the
quasar, may indicate the presence of a remarkably large amount of obscuring
matter in the quasar environment in the early universe. Implications of the
result for the possible origins of the absorbing matter are discussed,
concerning especially galactic intervening matter, cool intracluster gas, and
ambient medium around the quasar jet. The quasar itself has an enormous
apparent luminosity of at least about 2.6x10**47 erg/s (H0=50, q0=0.5) and a
power law photon index of 1.67(+0.07,-0.04) in the 2-50keV band in the source
rest frame.Comment: Accepted by ApJ, 11 pages using emulateapj5.sty; minor changes (12
pages), subsection 3.4 added, references adde
Tracing the evolutionary stage of Bok globules: CCS and NH3
We pursue the investigation of a previously proposed correlation between
chemical properties and physical evolutionary stage of isolated low-mass
star-forming regions. In the past, the NH3/CCS abundance ratio was suggested to
be a potentially useful indicator for the evolutionary stage of cloud cores. We
aim to study its applicability for isolated Bok globules. A sample of 42 Bok
globules with and without signs of current star formation was searched for
CCS(2-1) emission, the observations were complemented with NH3 measurements
available in the literature and own observations. The abundance ratio of both
molecules is discussed with respect to the evolutionary stage of the objects
and in the context of chemical models. The NH3/CCS ratio could be assessed for
18 Bok globules and is found to be moderately high and roughly similar across
all evolutionary stages from starless and prestellar cores towards internally
heated cores harbouring protostars of Class 0, Class I or later. Bok globules
with extremely high CCS abundance analogous to carbon-chain producing regions
in dark cloud cores are not found. The observed range of NH3/CCS hints towards
a relatively evolved chemical state of all observed Bok globules.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic