The orientation of the nuclear obscurer of the AGNs

We examine the distribution of axis ratios of a large sample of disk galaxies hosting type 2 AGNs selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and compare it with a well-defined control sample of non-active galaxies. We find them significantly different, where the type 2 AGNs show both an excess of edge-on objects and deficit of round objects. This systematical bias can not be explained by a nuclear obscurer oriented randomly with respect to the stellar disk. However, a nuclear obscurer coplanar with the stellar disk also does not fit the data very well. By assuming that the nuclear obscurer having an opening angle of ~60 degree, we find the observed axis ratio distribution can be nicely reproduced by a mean tilt angle of ~30 degree between the nuclear obscurer and the stellar disk.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, to appear in ApJ

The Role of Mergers in Early-type Galaxy Evolution and Black Hole Growth

Models of galaxy formation invoke the major merger of gas-rich progenitor galaxies as the trigger for significant phases of black hole growth and the associated feedback that suppresses star formation to create red spheroidal remnants. However, the observational evidence for the connection between mergers and active galactic nucleus (AGN) phases is not clear. We analyze a sample of low-mass early-type galaxies known to be in the process of migrating from the blue cloud to the red sequence via an AGN phase in the green valley. Using deeper imaging from SDSS Stripe 82, we show that the fraction of objects with major morphological disturbances is high during the early starburst phase, but declines rapidly to the background level seen in quiescent early-type galaxies by the time of substantial AGN radiation several hundred Myr after the starburst. This observation empirically links the AGN activity in low-redshift early-type galaxies to a significant merger event in the recent past. The large time delay between the merger-driven starburst and the peak of AGN activity allows for the merger features to decay to the background and hence may explain the weak link between merger features and AGN activity in the literature.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. ApJ Letters, in press

Difference in Narrow Emission Line Spectra of Seyfert 1 and 2 galaxies

In the unification scheme of Seyfert galaxies, a dusty torus blocks the continuum source and broad line region in Seyfert 2 galaxies. However it is not clear whether or not and to what extent the torus affects the narrow line spectra. In this paper, we show that Seyfert 1 and Seyfert 2 galaxies have different distributions on the [OIII]/H$\beta$ vs [NII]/H$\alpha$ diagram (BPT diagram) for narrow lines. Seyfert 2 galaxies display a clear left boundary on the BPT diagram and only 7.3% of them lie on the left. By contrast, Seyfert 1 galaxies do not show such a cutoff and 33.0% of them stand on the left side of the boundary. Among Seyfert 1 galaxies, the distribution varies with the extinction to broad lines. As the extinction increases, the distribution on BPT diagram moves to larger [NII]/H$\alpha$ value. We interpret this as an evidence for the obscuration of inner dense narrow line region by the dusty torus. We also demonstrate that the [OIII] and broad line luminosity correlation depends on the extinction of broad lines in the way that high extinction objects have lower uncorrected [OIII] luminosities, suggesting that [OIII] is partially obscured in these objects. Therefore, using [OIII] as an indicator for the nuclear luminosity will systematically under-estimate the nuclear luminosity of Seyfert 2 galaxies.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Lette

Stellar X-ray sources in the Chandra COSMOS survey

We present an analysis of the X-ray properties of a sample of solar- and late-type field stars identified in the Chandra Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS), a deep (160ks) and wide (0.9 deg2) extragalactic survey. The sample of 60 sources was identified using both morphological and photometric star/galaxy separation methods. We determine X-ray count rates, extract spectra and light curves and perform spectral fits to determine fluxes and plasma temperatures. Complementary optical and near-IR photometry is also presented and combined with spectroscopy for 48 of the sources to determine spectral types and distances for the sample. We find distances ranging from 30pc to ~12kpc, including a number of the most distant and highly active stellar X-ray sources ever detected. This stellar sample extends the known coverage of the L_X-distance plane to greater distances and higher luminosities, but we do not detect as many intrinsically faint X-ray sources compared to previous surveys. Overall the sample is typically more luminous than the active Sun, representing the high-luminosity end of the disk and halo X-ray luminosity functions. The halo population appears to include both low-activity spectrally hard sources that may be emitting through thermal bremsstrahlung, as well as a number of highly active sources in close binaries.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Dusty Structure Around Type-I Active Galactic Nuclei: Clumpy Torus Narrow Line Region and Near-Nucleus Hot Dust

We fitted Spitzer/IRS ~2-35 um spectra of 26 luminous QSOs in attempt to define the main emission components. Our model has three major components: a clumpy torus, dusty narrow line region (NLR) clouds and a blackbody-like dust. The models utilize the clumpy torus of Nenkova et al. (2008) and are the first to allow its consistent check in type-I AGNs. Single torus models and combined torus-NLR models fail to fit the spectra of most sources but three component models adequately fit the spectra of all sources. We present torus inclination, cloud distribution, covering factor and torus mass for all sources and compare them with bolometric luminosity, black hole mass and accretion rate. The torus covering factor and mass are found to be correlated with the bolometric luminosity of the sources. We find that a substantial amount of the ~2-7 um radiation originates from a hot dust component, which likely situated in the innermost part of the torus. The luminosity radiated by this component and its covering factor are comparable to those of the torus. We quantify the emission by the NLR clouds and estimate their distance from the center. The distances are ~700 times larger than the dust sublimation radius and the NLR covering factor is about 0.07. The total covering factor by all components is in good agreement with the known AGN type-I:type-II ratio.Comment: 14 pages, including 11 figures, submitted to ApJ and revised following the referee's repor

Exploring the disk-jet connection from the properties of narrow line regions in powerful young radio-loud AGNs

We investigate the optical emission-line flux ratios of narrow-line regions, in order to determine whether the formation of AGN jets requires specific accretion conditions. We find that bright compact radio galaxies, which are powerful radio galaxies in the early stage of the jet activity, exhibit systematically larger flux ratios of [O{\sc i}]$\lambda$6300/[O{\sc iii}]$\lambda$5007 and smaller flux ratios of [O{\sc iii}]$\lambda$5007/[O{\sc iii}]$\lambda$4363 than radio-quiet (RQ) Seyfert 2 galaxies. Comparing the observed line ratios with photoionization models, it is found that the difference in the flux ratio of low- to high-ionization lines (e.g., [O{\sc i}]$\lambda$6300/[O{\sc iii}]$\lambda$5007) can be well understood by the difference in the spectral energy distribution (SED) of ionizing sources. Powerful young radio-loud (YRL) AGNs favor SED without a strong big blue bump, i.e., a radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF), while RQ AGNs are consistent with the models adopting SED with a strong big blue bump, i.e., a geometrically thin, optically thick disk. These findings imply that the formation of powerful AGN jets requires the accretion disk with harder ionizing SED (i.e., a RIAF). We discuss the obscuring structure of YRL AGNs as a plausible origin of the difference in flux ratios of [O{\sc iii}]$\lambda$5007/[O{\sc iii}]$\lambda$4363.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

A celestial gamma-ray foreground due to the albedo of small solar system bodies and a remote probe of the interstellar cosmic ray spectrum

We calculate the gamma-ray albedo flux from cosmic-ray (CR) interactions with the solid rock and ice in Main Belt asteroids (MBAs), Jovian and Neptunian Trojan asteroids, and Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) using the Moon as a template. We show that the gamma-ray albedo for the Main Belt, Trojans, and Kuiper Belt strongly depends on the small-body size distribution of each system. Based on an analysis of the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) data we infer that the diffuse emission from the MBAs, Trojans, and KBOs has an integrated flux of less than ~6x10^{-6} cm^{-2} s^{-1} (100-500 MeV), which corresponds to ~12 times the Lunar albedo, and may be detectable by the forthcoming Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST). If detected by GLAST, it can provide unique direct information about the number of small bodies in each system that is difficult to assess by any other method. Additionally, the KBO albedo flux can be used to probe the spectrum of CR nuclei at close-to-interstellar conditions. The orbits of MBAs, Trojans, and KBOs are distributed near the ecliptic, which passes through the Galactic center and high Galactic latitudes. Therefore, the asteroid gamma-ray albedo has to be taken into account when analyzing weak gamma-ray sources close to the ecliptic, especially near the Galactic center and for signals at high Galactic latitudes, such as the extragalactic gamma-ray emission. The asteroid albedo spectrum also exhibits a 511 keV line due to secondary positrons annihilating in the rock. This may be an important and previously unrecognized celestial foreground for the INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) observations of the Galactic 511 keV line emission including the direction of the Galactic center.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, emulateapj.cls; ApJ in press. Calculations extended to include Jovian and Neptunian Trojan groups, and Centaurs, in addition to Main Belt Asteroids and Kuiper Belt Objects. Many other considerable change

Active Galactic Nucleus Pairs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. II. Evidence for Tidally Enhanced Star Formation and Black Hole Accretion

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are occasionally seen in pairs, suggesting that tidal encounters are responsible for the accretion of material by both central supermassive black holes (BHs). In Paper I of this series, we selected a sample of AGN pairs with projected separations r_p < 100 kpc and velocity offsets < 600 km/s from the SDSS DR7 and quantified their frequency. In this paper, we address the BH accretion and recent star formation properties in their host galaxies. AGN pairs experience stronger BH accretion, as measured by their [O III]5007 luminosities (corrected for contribution from star formation) and Eddington ratios, than do control samples of single AGNs matched in redshift and host stellar mass. Their host galaxies have stronger post-starburst activity and younger mean stellar ages, as indicated by stronger H-delta absorption and smaller 4000 A break in their spectra. The BH accretion and recent star formation in the host galaxies both increase with decreasing projected separation in AGN pairs, for r_p ~< 10-30 kpc. The intensity of BH accretion, the post-starburst strength, and the mean stellar ages are correlated between the two AGNs in a pair. The luminosities and Eddington ratios of AGN pairs are correlated with recent star formation in their host galaxies, with a scaling relation consistent with that observed in single AGNs. Our results suggest that galaxy tidal interactions enhance both BH accretion and star formation in AGN pairs, even though the majority of low redshift AGNs is not coincident with on-going interactions.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures; to appear in Ap

The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies. XI. Optical characterisation of nuclear activity

Context.- This paper is part of a series involving the AMIGA project (Analysis of the Interstellar Medium of Isolated GAlaxies), which identifies and studies a statistically-significant sample of the most isolated galaxies in the northern sky. Aims.- We present a catalogue of nuclear activity, traced by optical emission lines, in a well-defined sample of the most isolated galaxies in the local Universe, which will be used as a basis for studying the effect of the environment on nuclear activity. Methods.- We obtained spectral data from the 6th Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which were inspected in a semi-automatic way. We subtracted the underlying stellar populations from the spectra (using the software Starlight) and modelled the nuclear emission features. Standard emission-line diagnostics diagrams were applied, using a new classification scheme that takes into account censored data, to classify the type of nuclear emission. Results.- We provide a final catalogue of spectroscopic data, stellar populations, emission lines and classification of optical nuclear activity for AMIGA galaxies. The prevalence of optical active galactic nuclei (AGN) in AMIGA galaxies is 20.4%, or 36.7% including transition objects. The fraction of AGN increases steeply towards earlier morphological types and higher luminosities. We compare these results with a matched analysis of galaxies in isolated denser environments (Hickson Compact Groups). After correcting for the effects of the morphology and luminosity, we find that there is no evidence for a difference in the prevalence of AGN between isolated and compact group galaxies, and we discuss the implications of this result. Conclusions.- We find that a major interaction is not a necessary condition for the triggering of optical AGN.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, 12 tables, published in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Figure 5 corrected: [OI] diagram adde

The Rise and Fall of Galaxy Activity in Dark Matter Haloes

We use a SDSS galaxy group catalogue to study the dependence of galaxy activity on stellar mass, halo mass, and group hierarchy (centrals vs. satellites). We split our galaxy sample in star-forming galaxies, galaxies with optical AGN activity and radio sources. We find a smooth transition in halo mass as the activity of central galaxies changes from star formation to optical AGN activity to radio emission. Star-forming centrals preferentially reside in haloes with M<10^{12} Msun, central galaxies with optical-AGN activity typically inhabit haloes with M \sim 10^{13} Msun, and centrals emitting in the radio mainly reside in haloes more massive than 10^{14} Msun. Although this seems to suggest that the environment (halo mass) determines the type of activity of its central galaxy, we find a similar trend with stellar mass: central star formers typically have stellar masses below 10^{10} Msun, while optical-AGN hosts and central radio sources have characteristic stellar masses of 10^{10.8} Msun and 10^{11.6} Msun, respectively. Since more massive haloes typically host more massive centrals, it is unclear whether the activity of a central galaxy is causally connected to its stellar mass or to its halo mass. In general, satellite galaxies have their activity suppressed wrt central galaxies of the same stellar mass. At fixed stellar mass, we find that the activity of satellite galaxies depends only weakly on halo mass. In fact, for satellite galaxies the dependence of galaxy activity on halo mass is more than four times weaker than the dependence on stellar mass. As we discuss, all these results are consistent with a picture in which low mass haloes accrete cold gas, while massive haloes have coronae of hot gas that promote radio activity of their central galaxies. [Abridged]Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures. Submitted for publication in MNRA