166 research outputs found
Discovery of optical candidate supernova remnants in Sagittarius
During an [O III] survey for planetary nebulae, we identified a region in
Sagittarius containing several candidate Supernova Remnants and obtained deep
optical narrow-band images and spectra to explore their nature. The images of
the unstudied area have been obtained in the light of Halpha+[N II], [S II] and
[O III]. The resulting mosaic covers an area of 1.4x1.0 deg^2 where filamentary
and diffuse emission was discovered, suggesting the existence of more than one
supernova remnants (SNRs) in the area. Deep long slit spectra were also taken
of eight different regions. Both the flux calibrated images and the spectra
show that the emission from the filamentary structures originates from
shock-heated gas, while the photo-ionization mechanism is responsible for the
diffuse emission. Part of the optical emission is found to be correlated with
the radio at 4850 MHz suggesting their association, while the WISE infrared
emission found in the area at 12 and 22 micron marginally correlates with the
optical. The presence of the [O III] emission line in one of the candidate SNRs
suggests shock velocities into the interstellar "clouds" between 120 and 200
km/s, while the absence in the other indicates slower shock velocities. For all
candidate remnants the [S II] 6716/6731 ratio indicates electron densities
below 240 cm^{-3}, while the Halpha emission has been measured to be between
0.6 to 41x10^{-17} erg/s/cm^2/arcsec^2. The existence of eight pulsars within
1.5deg away from the center of the candidate SNRs also supports the scenario of
many SNRs in the area as well as that the detected optical emission could be
part of a number of supernovae explosions.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Deep Halpha imagery of the Eridanus shells
A deep \ha image of interlocking filamentary arcs of nebulosity has been
obtained with a wide-field ( 30\degree diameter) narrow-band filter
camera combined with a CCD as a detector. The resultant mosaic of images,
extending to a galactic latitude of 65, has been corrected for field
distortions and had galactic coordinates superimposed on it to permit accurate
correlations with the most recent H{\sc i} (21 cm), X-ray (0.75 kev) and FIR
(IRAS 100 m) maps.
Furthermore, an upper limit of 0.13 arcsec/yr to the expansion proper motion
of the primary 25\degree long nebulous arc has been obtained by comparing a
recent \ha image obtained with the San Pedro Martir telescope of its
filamentary edge with that on a POSS E plate obtained in 1951.
It is concluded that these filamentary arcs are the superimposed images of
separate shells (driven by supernova explosions and/or stellar winds) rather
than the edges of a single `superbubble' stretching from Barnard's Arc (and the
Orion Nebula) to these high galactic latitudes. The proper motion measurement
argues against the primary \ha emitting arc being associated with the giant
radio loop (Loop 2) except in extraordinary circumstances.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for MNRAS publicatio
Spectroscopic Properties of QSOs Selected from Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy Samples
We performed spectroscopic observations for a large infrared QSO sample with
a total of 25 objects. The sample was compiled from the QDOT redshift survey,
the 1 Jy ULIRGs survey and a sample obtained by a cross-correlation study of
the IRAS Point Source Catalogue with the ROSAT All Sky Survey Catalogue.
Statistical analyses of the optical spectra show that the vast majority of
infrared QSOs have narrow permitted emission lines (with FWHM of Hbeta less
than 4000 km/s) and more than 60% of them are luminous narrow line Seyfert 1
galaxies. Two of the infrared QSOs are also classified as low ionization BAL
QSOs. More than 70% of infrared QSOs are moderately or extremely strong Fe II
emitters. This is the highest percentage of strong Fe II emitters in all
subclasses of QSO/Seyfert 1 samples. We found that the Fe II to Hbeta, line
ratio is significantly correlated with the [OIII]5007 peak and Hbeta blueshift.
Soft X-ray weak infrared QSOs tend to have large blueshifts in permitted
emission lines and significant Fe II48,49 (5100--5400 A) residuals relative to
the Boroson & Green Fe II template. If the blueshifts in permitted lines are
caused by outflows, then they appear to be common in infrared QSOs. As the
infrared-selected QSO sample includes both luminous narrow line Seyfert 1
galaxies and low ionization BAL QSOs, it could be a useful laboratory to
investigate the evolutionary connection among these objects.Comment: 35 pages,14 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in A
Evidence for an outflow from the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4051
New observations using narrow band imaging, long-slit spectroscopy and MERLIN
observations of the nuclear region of the Seyfert galaxy NGC~4051 have been
made. An edge brightened, triangular region of ionized gas extending 420 pc
from the centre of the galaxy has been detected. Long-slit spectra of this
ionised gas, taken at 1.5\arcsec\ from the core, show the \oiii\ emission line
to consist of two velocity components, both blue-shifted from the systemic
radial velocity, with velocity widths of 140\kms\ and separated by 120\kms.
This region is co-spatial with weak extended radio emission and is suggestive
of a centrally driven outflow. The \oiii\ line spectrum and image of this
region have been modelled as an outflowing conical structure at 50\degr\ to the
line of sight with a half opening angle of 23\degr .
In addition to the extended structure, high resolution MERLIN observations of
the 18-cm nuclear radio emission reveal a compact (1\arcsec) radio triple
source in PA 73. This source is coincident with the HST-imaged
emission line structure. These high resolution observations are consistent with
a more compact origin of activity (i.e. a Seyfert nucleus) than a starburst
region.Comment: latex, epsf.sty, 8 pages, 8 figures. Also available at
http://axp2.ast.man.ac.uk:8000/Preprints.htm
Discovery of multiple Lorentzian components in the X-ray timing properties of the Narrow Line Seyfert 1 Ark 564
We present a power spectral analysis of a 100 ksec XMM-Newton observation of
the narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxy Ark~564. When combined with earlier RXTE and
ASCA observations, these data produce a power spectrum covering seven decades
of frequency which is well described by a power law with two very clear breaks.
This shape is unlike the power spectra of almost all other AGN observed so far,
which have only one detected break, and resemble Galactic binary systems in a
soft state. The power spectrum can also be well described by the sum of two
Lorentzian-shaped components, the one at higher frequencies having a hard
spectrum, similar to those seen in Galactic binary systems. Previously we have
demonstrated that the lag of the hard band variations relative to the soft band
in Ark 564 is dependent on variability time-scale, as seen in Galactic binary
sources. Here we show that the time-scale dependence of the lags can be
described well using the same two-Lorentzian model which describes the power
spectrum, assuming that each Lorentzian component has a distinct time lag. Thus
all X-ray timing evidence points strongly to two discrete, localised, regions
as the origin of most of the variability. Similar behaviour is seen in Galactic
X-ray binary systems in most states other than the soft state, i.e. in the
low-hard and intermediate/very high states. Given the very high accretion rate
of Ark 564 the closest analogy is with the very high (intermediate) state
rather than the low-hard state. We therefore strengthen the comparison between
AGN and Galactic binary sources beyond previous studies by extending it to the
previously poorly studied very high accretion rate regime.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
First optical detection from the supernova remnant G 15.1-1.6
Deep optical CCD images of the supernova remnant G 15.1-1.6 were obtained and
filamentary and diffuse emission has been discovered. The images, taken in the
emission lines of Halpha+[N II], [S II] and [O III], reveal filamentary and
diffuse structures all around the remnant. The radio emission at 4850 MHz in
the same area is found to be well correlated with the brightest optical
filaments. The IRAS 60 micron emission may also be correlated with the optical
emission but to a lesser extent. The flux calibrated images suggest that the
optical emission originates from shock-heated gas ([S II]/Halpha > 0.4), while
there is a possible HII region ([S II]/Halpha ~0.3) contaminating the supernova
remnant's emission to the east. Furthermore, deep long-slit spectra were taken
at two bright filaments and also show that the emission originates from shock
heated gas. An [O III] filamentary structure has also been detected further to
the west but it lies outside the remnant's boundaries and possibly is not
associated to it. The [O III] flux suggests shock velocities into the
interstellar "clouds" ~100 km/s, while the [S II] 6716/6731 ratio indicates
electron densities up to ~250 cm^{-3}. Finally, the Halpha emission has been
measured to be between 2 to 7 x 10^{-16} erg/s/cm^2/arcsec^2, while the lower
limit to the distance is estimated at 2.2 kpc.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for pubication in A&
Non-linear numerical simulations of magneto-acoustic wave propagation in small-scale flux tubes
We present results of non-linear, 2D, numerical simulations of
magneto-acoustic wave propagation in the photosphere and chromosphere of
small-scale flux tubes with internal structure. Waves with realistic periods of
three to five minutes are studied, after applying horizontal and vertical
oscillatory perturbations to the equilibrium model. Spurious reflections of
shock waves from the upper boundary are minimized thanks to a special boundary
condition. This has allowed us to increase the duration of the simulations and
to make it long enough to perform a statistical analysis of oscillations. The
simulations show that deep horizontal motions of the flux tube generate a slow
(magnetic) mode and a surface mode. These modes are efficiently transformed
into a slow (acoustic) mode in the vA < cS atmosphere. The slow (acoustic) mode
propagates vertically along the field lines, forms shocks and remains always
within the flux tube. It might deposit effectively the energy of the driver
into the chromosphere. When the driver oscillates with a high frequency, above
the cut-off, non-linear wave propagation occurs with the same dominant driver
period at all heights. At low frequencies, below the cut-off, the dominant
period of oscillations changes with height from that of the driver in the
photosphere to its first harmonic (half period) in the chromosphere. Depending
on the period and on the type of the driver, different shock patterns are
observed.Comment: 22 pages 6 color figures, submitted to Solar Physics, proceeding of
SOHO 19/ GONG 2007 meeting, Melbourne, Australi
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