140 research outputs found
Constraining the Variation in Fine-Structure Constant Using SDSS DR8 QSO Spectra
We report a robust constrain on the possible variation of fine-structure
constant, alpha = e^2/(hbar*c), obtained using O III 4959,5007, nebular
emission lines from QSOs. We find Delta-alpha/alpha=-(2.1 +/- 1.6) x 10^(-5)
based on a well selected sample of 2347 QSOs from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data
Release 8 with 0.02 < z < 0.74. Our result is consistent with a non-varying
alpha at a level of 2 x 10^(-5) over approximately 7 Gyr. This is the largest
sample of extragalactic objects yet used to constrain the variation of alpha.
While this constraint is not as stringent as those determined using
many-multiplet method it is free from various systematic effects. A factor of ~
4 improvement in Delta-alpha/alpha achieved here compared to the previous study
(Bahcall et al. 2004) is just consistent with what is expected based on a
factor of 14 times bigger sample used here. This suggests that errors are
mainly dominated by the statistical uncertainty. We also find the ratio of
transition probabilities corresponding to the O III 5007 A and 4959 A lines to
be 2.933+/-0.002, in good agreement with the National Institute of Standards
and Technology measurements.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; Accepted for publication in MNRAS Lette
An investigation of the line of sight towards QSO PKS 0237-233
We present a detailed analysis of absorption systems along the line of sight
towards QSO PKS 0237-233 using a high resolution spectrum of signal-to-noise
ratio (SNR) ~ 60-80 obtained with the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle
Spectrograph mounted on the Very Large Telescope. This line of sight is known
to show a remarkable overdensity of CIV systems that has been interpreted as
revealing the presence of a supercluster of galaxies. A detailed analysis of
each of these absorption systems is presented. In particular, for the z_abs =
1.6359 (with two components of logN(HI) = 18.45, 19.05) and z_abs = 1.6720
(logN(H I) = 19.78) sub-Damped Ly-alpha systems (sub-DLAs), we measure accurate
abundances (resp. [O/H] = -1.63(0.07) and [Zn/H] = - 0.57(0.05) relative to
solar). While the depletion of refractory elements onto dust grains in both
sub-DLAs is not noteworthy, photoionization models show that ionization effects
are important in a part of the absorbing gas of the sub-DLA at z_abs = 1.6359
(HI is 95 percent ionized) and in part of the gas of the sub-DLA at z_abs =
1.6359. The CIV clustering properties along the line of sight is studied in
order to investigate the nature of the observed overdensity. We conclude that
despite the unusually high number of CIV systems detected along the line of
sight, there is no compelling evidence for the presence of a single unusual
overdensity and that the situation is consistent with chance coincidence.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 23 pages, 16 figures, 12 table
Parsec-scale structures and diffuse bands in a translucent interstellar medium at z 0.079
We present a detailed study of the QSO-galaxy pair [SDSS J163956.35+112758.7
(zq = 0.993) and SDSS J163956.38+112802.1 (zg = 0.079)] based on observations
carried out using the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT), the Very Large
Baseline Array (VLBA), the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the ESO New
Technology Telescope (NTT). We show that the interstellar medium of the galaxy
probed by the QSO line of sight has near-solar metallicity (12+log(O/H) =
8.47+/-0.25) and dust extinction (E(B-V) 0.83+/-0.11) typical of what is
usually seen in translucent clouds. We report the detection of absorption in
the \lambda 6284 diffuse interstellar band (DIB) with a rest equivalent width
of 1.45+/-0.20\AA. Our GMRT spectrum shows a strong 21-cm absorption at the
redshift of the galaxy with an integrated optical depth of 15.70+/-0.13 km/s.
Follow-up VLBA observations show that the background radio source is resolved
into three components with a maximum projected separation of 89 pc at the
redshift of the galaxy. One of these components is too weak to provide useful
HI 21-cm absorption information. The integrated HI optical depth towards the
other two components are higher than that measured in our GMRT spectrum and
differ by a factor 2. By comparing the GMRT and VLBA spectra we show the
presence of structures in the 21-cm optical depth on parsec scales. We discuss
the implications of such structures for the spin-temperature measurements in
high-z damped Lyman-alpha systems. The analysis presented here suggests that
this QSO-galaxy pair is an ideal target for studying the DIBs and molecular
species using future observations in optical and radio wavebands.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA
Multi-epoch intra-night optical monitoring of 8 radio-quiet BL Lac candidates
For a new sample of 8 weak-line-quasars (WLQs) we report a sensitive search
in 20 intranight monitoring sessions, for blazar-like optical flux variations
on hour-like and longer time scale (day/month/yearlike). The sample consists
exclusively of the WLQs that are not radioloud and have either been
classified as `radio-weak probable BL Lac candidates' and/or are known to have
exhibited at least one episode of large, blazarlike optical variability.
Whereas only a hint of intranight variability is seen for two of these WLQs,
J104833.5620305.0(z = 0.219) and J133219.6622715.9 (z = 3.15),
statistically significant internight variability at a few per cent level is
detected for three of the sources, including the radio-intermediate WLQ
J133219.6622715.9 (z = 3.15) and the well known bonafide radioquiet
WLQs J121221.5534128.0 (z = 3.10) and WLQ J153259.9003944.1 (z = 4.62).
In the restframe, this variability is intra-day and in the farUV band. On
the time scale of a decade, we find for three of the WLQs large brightness
changes, amounting to 1.6550.009, 0.1630.010 and 0.1440.018 mag,
for J104833.5620305.0, J123743.1630144.9 and J232428.4144324.4,
respectively. Whereas the latter two are confirmed radio-quiet WLQs, the
extragalactic nature of J104833.5620305.0 remains to be well established,
thanks to the absence of any feature(s) in its available optical spectra. The
present study forms a part of our ongoing campaign of intranight optical
monitoring of radio quiet weak-line quasars, in order to improve the
understanding of this enigmatic class of Active Galactic Nuclei and to look
among them for a possible tiny, elusive population of radio-quiet BL Lacs.Comment: Accepted to MNRAS. 12 pages, 1 figure, 4 Tabl
Probing the variation of the fine-structure constant using QSO absorption lines
Search for the time variation of the fundamental constants is motivated by various unification theories. Here we present constraints on the variation of the fine-structure constant α≡2/ ħc) obtained using UVES/VLT samples of QSO absorption systems. We find < Δα/α >w = (-0.06 ± 0.06) × 10-5 using 23 Mg II systems and the many-multiplet (MM) method. Well selected 15 Si IV systems provide < Δα/α >w = (0.15 ± 0.43) ×10-5. Absence of detectable variation in α is also confirmed by our new very high resolution (R ~ 100,000) observation of zabs = 1.1508 toward HE 0515-4414 using HARPS on the ESO 3.6m telescope
Constraining the variation of fundamental constants at z ~ 1.3 using 21-cm absorbers
We present high resolution optical spectra obtained with the Ultraviolet and
Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and 21-cm
absorption spectra obtained with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) and
the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) of five quasars along the line of sight of which
21-cm absorption systems at 1.17 < z < 1.56 have been detected previously. We
also present milliarcsec scale radio images of these quasars obtained with the
Very Large Baseline Array (VLBA). We use the data on four of these systems to
constrain the time variation of x = g_p*alpha^2/mu where g_p is the proton
gyromagnetic factor, alpha is the fine structure constant, and mu is the
proton-to-electron mass ratio. We carefully evaluate the systematic
uncertainties in redshift measurements using cross-correlation analysis and
repeated Voigt profile fitting. In two cases we also confirm our results by
analysing optical spectra obtained with the Keck telescope. We find the
weighted and the simple means of Delta_x / x to be respectively -(0.1 +/-
1.3)x10^-6 and (0.0 +/- 1.5)x10^-6 at the mean redshift of = 1.36
corresponding to a look back time of ~ 9 Gyr. This is the most stringent
constraint ever obtained on Delta_x / x. If we only use the two systems towards
quasars unresolved at milliarcsec scales, we get the simple mean of Delta_x / x
= + (0.2 +/- 1.6)x10^-6. Assuming constancy of other constants we get
Delta_alpha / alpha = (0.0 +/- 0.8)x10^-6 which is a factor of two better than
the best constraints obtained so far using the Many Multiplet Method. On the
other hand assuming alpha and g_p have not varied we derive Delta_mmu / mu =
(0.0 +/- 1.5)x10^-6 which is again the best limit ever obtained on the
variation of mu over this redshift range. [Abridged]Comment: 22 pages, 15 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRA
Limits on the time variation of the electromagnetic fine-structure constant in the low energy limit from absorption lines in the spectra of distant quasars
Most of the successful physical theories rely on the constancy of few
fundamental quantities (such as the speed of light, , the fine-structure
constant, \alpha, the proton to electron mass ratio, \mu, etc), and
constraining the possible time variations of these fundamental quantities is an
important step toward a complete physical theory. Time variation of \alpha can
be accurately probed using absorption lines seen in the spectra of distant
quasars. Here, we present the results of a detailed many-multiplet analysis
performed on a new sample of Mg II systems observed in high quality quasar
spectra obtained using the Very Large Telescope. The weighted mean value of the
variation in \alpha derived from our analysis over the redshift range 0.4<z<2.3
is \Delta\alpha/\alpha = (-0.06+/-0.06) x 10^{-5}. The median redshift of our
sample (z=1.55) corresponds to a look-back time of 9.7 Gyr in the most favored
cosmological model today. This gives a 3\sigma limit, -2.5 x 10^{-16} yr^-1
<(\Delta\alpha/\alpha\Delta t) <+1.2x10^{-16} yr^-1, for the time variation of
\alpha, that forms the strongest constraint obtained based on high redshift
quasar absorption line systems.Comment: uses revtex, 4 pages 3 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical
Review Letter
Probing the BLR in AGNs using time variability of associated absorption line
It is know that most of the clouds producing associated absorption in the
spectra of AGNs and quasars do not completely cover the background source
(continuum + broad emission line region, BLR). We note that the covering factor
derived for the absorption is the fraction of photons occulted by the absorbing
clouds, and is not necessarily the same as the fractional area covered. We show
that the variability in absorption lines can be produced by the changes in the
covering factor caused by the variation in the continuum and the finite light
travel time across the BLR. We discuss how such a variability can be
distinguished from the variability caused by other effects and how one can use
the variability in the covering factor to probe the BLR.Comment: 12 pages, latex(aaspp4.sty), 2 figures, (To appear in ApJ
Probing the cosmological variation of the fine-structure constant: Results based on VLT-UVES sample
Development of fundamental physics relies on the constancy of various
fundamental quantities such as the fine structure constant. Detecting or
constraining the possible time variations of these fundamental physical
quantities is an important step toward a complete understanding of basic
physics. Here we present the results from a detailed many-multiplet analysis
performed using high signal-to-noise ratio, high spectral resolution
observations of 23 Mg II systems detected toward 18 QSOs in the redshift range
0.4<z<2.3 obtained using UVES at the VLT. We validate our procedure and define
the selection criteria that will avoid possible systematics using detail
analysis of simulated data set. We show our Voigt profile fitting code recovers
the variation in \alpha very accurately when we use single component systems
and multiple component systems that are not heavily blended. Spurious
detections are frequently seen when we use heavily blended systems or the
systems with very weak lines. Thus we avoided heavily blended systems and the
systems with Fe II column density < 2x10^12 cm^-2 in the analysis. All steps
involved in the analysis are presented in detail. The weighted mean value of
the variation in \alpha obtained from our analysis over the redshift range
0.4<z<2.3 is {\Delta\alpha/\alpha} = (-0.06+/-0.06)x10^-5. The median redshift
of our sample is 1.55 the 3\sigma upper limit on the time variation of
is -2.5x10^-16 yr^-1< (\Delta\alpha/\alpha\Delta t) <+1.2x10^-16 yr^-1. To our
knowledge this is the strongest constraint from quasar absorption line studies
till date.Comment: 23 pages; A&A style, 15 figures, accepte
Probing the variation of fundamental constants using QSO absorption lines
Absorption lines seen in the spectra of distant QSOs allow us to probe the space and time evolution of various fundamental constants. Here, we summarize results on the variation of α obtained by our group and others using UVES/VLT. Most upper limits reside in the range 0.5-1.5×10-5 at the 3σ level over a redshift range of approximately 0:5 ≤ z ≤ 2:5. In addition, we also briefly report on preliminary results based on the analysis of 21-cm absorbers detected with Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope(GMRT) that lead to Δx=x = (0:0 ± 1:5) × 10-6 at z=1.3. Discussions on future improvement are also presented
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