6,025 research outputs found
The Excess Far-Infrared Emission of AGN in the Local Universe
We have cross-correlated the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) second data
release spectroscopic galaxy sample with the IRAS faint-source catalogue (FSC).
Optical emission line ratios are used to classify the galaxies with reliable
IRAS 60 and 100 microns detections into AGN and normal star-forming galaxies.
We then create subsamples of normal galaxies and AGN that are very closely
matched in terms of key physical properties such as stellar mass, redshift,
size, concentration and mean stellar age (as measured by absorption line
indicators in the SDSS spectra). We then quantify whether there are systematic
differences between the IR luminosities of the galaxies and the AGN in the
matched subsamples. We find that the AGN exhibit a significant excess in far-IR
emission relative to the star-forming galaxies in our sample. The excesses at
60 and 100 microns are 0.21 +/- 0.03 dex and 0.12 +/- 0.035 dex in
log[L(60)/M*] and log[L(100)/M*], respectively. We then discuss whether the
far-IR excess is produced by radiation from the active nucleus that is absorbed
by dust or alternatively, by an extra population of young stars that is not
detectable at optical wavelengths.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures, accepted by MNRA
Nucler star formation in NGC 6240
We have made use of archival HST BVIJH photometry to constrain the nature of
the three discrete sources, A1, A2 and B1, identified in the double nucleus of
NGC 6240. STARBURST99 models have been fitted to the observed colours, under
the assumption, first, that these sources can be treated as star clusters (i.e.
single, instantaneous episodes of star formation), and subsequently as
star-forming regions (i.e. characterised by continuous star formation). For
both scenarios, we estimate ages as young as 4 million years, integrated masses
ranging between 7x10^6 Msun (B1) and 10^9 Msun (A1) and a rate of 1 supernova
per year, which, together with the stellar winds, sustains a galactic wind of
44 Msun/yr. In the case of continuous star formation, a star-formation rate has
been derived for A1 as high as 270 Msun/yr, similar to what is observed for
warm Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs) with a double nucleus. The A1
source is characterised by a mass density of about 1200 Msun/pc^3 which
resembles the CO molecular mass density measured in cold ULIRGs and the stellar
density determined in ``elliptical core'' galaxies. This, together with the
recent discovery of a supermassive binary black hole in the double nucleus of
NGC 6240, might indicate that the ongoing merger could shape the galaxy into a
core elliptical.Comment: 14 pages, 5 postscript figures, accepted by A&
Exploring the formation of spheroidal galaxies out to z ∼ 1.5 in GOODS
The formation of massive spheroidal galaxies is studied on a visually classified sample extracted from the Advanced Camera for Surveys/Hubble Space Telescope (ACS/HST) images of the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey north and south fields, covering a total area of 360 arcmin . The sample size (910 galaxies brighter than i = 24) allows us to explore in detail the evolution over a wide range of redshifts (0.4 10 M galaxies by a factor of 2 between z = 1 and 0, in contrast with a factor of ∼50 for lower mass galaxies (10 <M / M <10 ). One-quarter of the whole sample of early types are photometrically classified as blue galaxies. On a volume-limited sample out to z <0.7, the average stellar mass of the blue ellipticals is 5 × 10 M compared to 4 × 10 M for red ellipticals. On a volume-limited subsample out to z = 1.4 probing the brightest galaxies (M <-21), we find the median redshift of blue and red early types: 1.10 and 0.85, respectively. Blue early types only amount to 4 per cent of this sample (compared to 26 per cent in the full sample). The intrinsic colour distribution correlates overall bluer colours with blue cores (positive radial gradients of colour), suggesting an inside-out process of formation. The redshift evolution of the observed colour gradients is incompatible with a significant variation in stellar age within each galaxy. The slope of the Kormendy relation in the subsample of massive galaxies does not change over 0.4 <z <1.4 and is compatible with z = 0 values. The 'zero-point' of the Kormendy relation (i.e. the surface brightness at a fixed half-light radius) is 1 mag fainter (in the B band) for the subsample of low-mass (M <3.5 × 10 M ) early types.Peer reviewe
On the convergence of nonlinear simultaneous displacements
AbstractIn this work we obtain a convergence criterion for the nonlinear simultaneous displacements method. After some remarks on the iterative modified Newton-like methods, we also obtain a convergence theorem for a stationary modification of nonlinear simultaneous displacements method
A near-infrared survey for Galactic Wolf-Rayet stars
Initial results, techniques, and rationale for a near-infrared survey of
evolved emission-line stars toward the Galactic Center are presented. We use
images taken through narrow-band emission-line and continuum filters to select
candidates for spectroscopic follow-up. The filters are optimized for the
detection of Wolf-Rayet stars and other objects which exhibit emission-lines in
the 2 micron region. Approximately three square degrees along the Galactic
plane have been analyzed in seven narrow-filters (four emission-lines and three
continuum). Four new Wolf-Rayet stars have been found which are the subject of
a following paper.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Chemical abundances and properties of the ionized gas in NGC 1705
We obtained [O III] narrow-band imaging and multi-slit MXU spectroscopy of
the blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxy NGC 1705 with FORS2@VLT to derive chemical
abundances of PNe and H II regions and, more in general, to characterize the
properties of the ionized gas. The auroral [O III]\lambda4363 line was detected
in all but one of the eleven analyzed regions, allowing for a direct estimate
of their electron temperature. The only object for which the [O III]\lambda4363
line was not detected is a possible low-ionization PN, the only one detected in
our data. For all the other regions, we derived the abundances of Nitrogen,
Oxygen, Neon, Sulfur and Argon out to ~ 1 kpc from the galaxy center. We detect
for the first time in NGC 1705 a negative radial gradient in the oxygen
metallicity of -0.24 \pm 0.08 dex kpc^{-1}. The element abundances are all
consistent with values reported in the literature for other samples of dwarf
irregular and blue compact dwarf galaxies. However, the average (central)
oxygen abundance, 12 + log(O/H)=7.96 \pm 0.04, is ~0.26 dex lower than previous
literature estimates for NGC 1705 based on the [O III]\lambda4363 line. From
classical emission-line diagnostic diagrams, we exclude a major contribution
from shock excitation. On the other hand, the radial behavior of the emission
line ratios is consistent with the progressive dilution of radiation with
increasing distance from the center of NGC 1705. This suggests that the
strongest starburst located within the central 150 pc is responsible for
the ionization of the gas out to at least 1 kpc. The gradual dilution of
the radiation with increasing distance from the center reflects the gradual and
continuous transition from the highly ionized H II regions in the proximity of
the major starburst into the diffuse ionized gas.Comment: Accepted for publication on A
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