Task force on applied mathematics

Tomas Garza relates how the Research Center for Applied Mathematics Systems and Services in Mexico became the Research Institute for Applied Mathematics and Systems and what the type of work performed is

Extended Coronal Emission Lines in Active Galactic Nuclei

VLT and NTT spectra are used to examine the nuclear and extended coronal line emission in a sample of well-known Seyfert 1 and 2 galaxies. The excellent spatial resolution obtained with VLT allowed us to map [SiVI] 1.963 $\mu$m and [SiVII] 2.48 $\mu$m on scales of up to 20 pc. Coronal line emission, extended to distances of $\sim$100 pc, is detected in some of the lines analyzed, particularly in [FeX] 6374\AA, [FeXI] 7891\AA, and [SiVII] 2.48$\mu$m. Most coronal lines are strongly asymmetric towards the blue and broader than low-ionization lines. This result is particularly important for Circinus, where previous observations had failed at detecting larger widths for high-ionization lines. Photoionization models are used to investigate the physical conditions and continuum luminosities necessary to produced the observed coronal emission. We found that an ionization parameter U> 0.10 is necessary to reproduce the observations, although the clouds should be located at distances < 30 pc.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, to appear in proceedings of IAU Symposium No. 222, The Interplay Among Black Holes, Stars and ISM in Galacti Nucle

Near-infrared spectroscopy of nearby Seyfert galaxies - II. Molecular content and coronal emission

We present sub-arcsec near-infrared 1.5 - 2.5 micron moderate resolution long-slit spectra of eight nearby Seyfert galaxies (z<0.01), both parallel to the ionization cone and perpendicular to it. These spectra complement similar data on six Seyferts, presented in Reunanen, Kotilainen & Prieto (2002). Large concentrations of molecular gas (H2) are present in the nucleus regardless of the Seyfert type. The spatial extent of the H2 emission is larger perpendicular to the cone than parallel to it in 6/8 (75 %) galaxies, in agreement with the unified models of Active Galactic Nuclei. Broad BrGamma was detected in nearly half of the optically classified Seyfert 2 galaxies, including two objects with no evidence for hidden polarized Broad Line Region. Nuclear [FeII] emission is generally blueshifted which together with high BrGamma/[FeII] ratios suggests shocks as the dominant excitation mechanism in Seyfert galaxies. Bright coronal emission lines [SiVI] and [SiVII] are common in Seyferts, as they are detected in ~60 % of the galaxies. In three galaxies the coronal lines are extended only in the direction parallel to the cone. This could be explained by shock excitation due to the jet or superwind interacting with the interstellar medium.Comment: 19 pages, accepted for publication in MNRA

Chemical Abundances from the Continuum

The calculation of solar absolute fluxes in the near-UV is revisited, discussing in some detail recent updates in theoretical calculations of bound-free opacity from metals. Modest changes in the abundances of elements such as Mg and the iron-peak elements have a significant impact on the atmospheric structure, and therefore self-consistent calculations are necessary. With small adjustments to the solar photospheric composition, we are able to reproduce fairly well the observed solar fluxes between 200 and 270 nm, and between 300 and 420 nm, but find too much absorption in the 270-290 nm window. A comparison between our reference 1D model and a 3D time-dependent hydrodynamical simulation indicates that the continuum flux is only weakly sensitive to 3D effects, with corrections reaching <10% in the near-UV, and <2% in the optical.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the conference A Stellar Journey, a symposium in celebration of Bengt Gustafsson's 65th birthday, June 23-27, 2008, Uppsal