217 research outputs found
Optical spectroscopy of two overlapping, flux-density-limited samples of radio sources in the North Ecliptic Cap, selected at 38 MHz and 151 MHz
We present the results of optical spectroscopy of two flux-density-limited
samples of radio sources selected at frequencies of 38 and 151 MHz in the same
region around the North Ecliptic Cap, the 8C-NEC and 7C-III samples
respectively. Both samples are selected at flux density levels ~20 times
fainter than samples based on the 3C catalogue. They are amongst the first
low-frequency selected samples with no spectral or angular size selection for
which almost complete redshift information has been obtained and they will
therefore provide a valuable resource for understanding the cosmic evolution of
radio sources and their hosts and environments. The 151-MHz 7C-III sample is
selected to have S_151 >=0.5 Jy and is the more spectroscopically complete; out
of 54 radio sources fairly reliable redshifts have been obtained for 44
objects. The 8C sample has a flux limit of S_38 >=1.3 Jy and contains 58
sources of which 46 have fairly reliable redshifts. We discuss possible biases
in the observed redshift distribution, and some interesting individual objects.
Using the 8C-NEC and 7C-III samples in conjunction, we form the first sample
selected on low-frequency flux in the rest-frame of the source, rather than the
usual selection on flux density in the observed frame. This allows us to remove
the bias associated with an increasing rest-frame selection frequency with
redshift. We investigate the difference this selection makes to correlations of
radio source properties with redshift and luminosity. We show in particular
that flux-density-based selection leads to an overestimate of the steepness of
the correlation of radio source size with redshift. (abridged)Comment: 22 pages, 10 figures, accepted by MNRA
Discovery of a Color-Selected Quasar at z=5.50
We present observations of RD J030117+002025, a quasar at z=5.50 discovered
from deep, multi-color, ground-based observations covering 74 square arcmin.
This is the most distant quasar or AGN currently known. The object was targeted
as an R-band dropout, with R(AB)>26.3 (3-sigma limit in a 3 arcsec diameter
region), I(AB)=23.8, and z(AB)=23.4. The Keck/LRIS spectrum shows broad
Lyman-alpha/NV emission and sharp absorption decrements from the
highly-redshifted hydrogen forests. The fractional continuum depression due to
the Lyman-alpha forest is D(A)=0.90. RD J030117+002025 is the least luminous,
high-redshift quasar known (M(B)~-22.7).Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures; to appear in the The Astrophysical Journal
Letter
Understanding extreme quasar optical variability with CRTS: I. Major AGN flares
There is a large degree of variety in the optical variability of quasars and
it is unclear whether this is all attributable to a single (set of) physical
mechanism(s). We present the results of a systematic search for major flares in
AGN in the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey as part of a broader study into
extreme quasar variability. Such flares are defined in a quantitative manner as
being atop of the normal, stochastic variability of quasars. We have identified
51 events from over 900,000 known quasars and high probability quasar
candidates, typically lasting 900 days and with a median peak amplitude of
mag. Characterizing the flare profile with a Weibull
distribution, we find that nine of the sources are well described by a
single-point single-lens model. This supports the proposal by Lawrence et al.
(2016) that microlensing is a plausible physical mechanism for extreme
variability. However, we attribute the majority of our events to explosive
stellar-related activity in the accretion disk: superluminous supernovae, tidal
disruption events, and mergers of stellar mass black holes.Comment: 25 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication by MNRA
A systematic search for close supermassive black hole binaries in the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey
Hierarchical assembly models predict a population of supermassive black hole
(SMBH) binaries. These are not resolvable by direct imaging but may be
detectable via periodic variability (or nanohertz frequency gravitational
waves). Following our detection of a 5.2 year periodic signal in the quasar PG
1302-102 (Graham et al. 2015), we present a novel analysis of the optical
variability of 243,500 known spectroscopically confirmed quasars using data
from the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey (CRTS) to look for close (< 0.1
pc) SMBH systems. Looking for a strong Keplerian periodic signal with at least
1.5 cycles over a baseline of nine years, we find a sample of 111 candidate
objects. This is in conservative agreement with theoretical predictions from
models of binary SMBH populations. Simulated data sets, assuming stochastic
variability, also produce no equivalent candidates implying a low likelihood of
spurious detections. The periodicity seen is likely attributable to either jet
precession, warped accretion disks or periodic accretion associated with a
close SMBH binary system. We also consider how other SMBH binary candidates in
the literature appear in CRTS data and show that none of these are equivalent
to the identified objects. Finally, the distribution of objects found is
consistent with that expected from a gravitational wave-driven population. This
implies that circumbinary gas is present at small orbital radii and is being
perturbed by the black holes. None of the sources is expected to merge within
at least the next century. This study opens a new unique window to study a
population of close SMBH binaries that must exist according to our current
understanding of galaxy and SMBH evolution.Comment: 29 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS - this
version contains extended table and figur
A possible close supermassive black-hole binary in a quasar with optical periodicity
Quasars have long been known to be variable sources at all wavelengths. Their
optical variability is stochastic, can be due to a variety of physical
mechanisms, and is well-described statistically in terms of a damped random
walk model. The recent availability of large collections of astronomical time
series of flux measurements (light curves) offers new data sets for a
systematic exploration of quasar variability. Here we report on the detection
of a strong, smooth periodic signal in the optical variability of the quasar PG
1302-102 with a mean observed period of 1,884 88 days. It was identified
in a search for periodic variability in a data set of light curves for 247,000
known, spectroscopically confirmed quasars with a temporal baseline of
years. While the interpretation of this phenomenon is still uncertain, the most
plausible mechanisms involve a binary system of two supermassive black holes
with a subparsec separation. Such systems are an expected consequence of galaxy
mergers and can provide important constraints on models of galaxy formation and
evolution.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures. Published online by Nature on 7 January 201
Serendipitously Detected Galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field
We present a catalog of 74 galaxies detected serendipitously during a
campaign of spectroscopic observations of the Hubble Deep Field North (HDF) and
its environs. Among the identified objects are five candidate Ly-alpha emitters
at z > 5, a galaxy cluster at z = 0.85, and a Chandra source with a heretofore
undetermined redshift of z = 2.011. We report redshifts for 25 galaxies in the
central HDF, 13 of which had no prior published spectroscopic redshift. Of the
remaining 49 galaxies, 30 are located in the single-orbit HDF Flanking Fields.
We discuss the redshift distribution of the serendipitous sample, which
contains galaxies in the range 0.10 < z < 5.77 with a median redshift of z =
0.85, and we present strong evidence for redshift clustering. By comparing our
spectroscopic redshifts to optical/IR photometric studies of the HDF, we find
that photometric redshifts are in most cases capable of producing reasonable
predictions of galaxy redshifts. Finally, we estimate the line-of-sight
velocity dispersion and the corresponding mass and expected X-ray luminosity of
the galaxy cluster, we present strong arguments for interpreting the Chandra
source as an obscured AGN, and we discuss in detail the spectrum of one of the
candidate z > 5 Ly-alpha emitters.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in the Astronomical
Journa
Spectroscopic Confirmation of Three Redshift 5.7 Lyman-alpha Emitters from the Large Area Lyman Alpha Survey
Narrow-band searches for Lyman alpha emission are an efficient way of
identifying star-forming galaxies at high redshifts. We present Keck telescope
spectra confirming redshifts z = 5.7 for three objects discovered in the Large
Area Lyman Alpha (LALA) survey at Kitt Peak National Observatory.
All three spectra show strong, narrow emission lines with the asymmetric
profile that is characteristically produced in high redshift Lyman alpha
emitters by preferential HI absorption in the blue wing of the line. These
objects are undetected in deep Bw, V, R, and 6600A narrow-band images from the
NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey and from LALA, as expected from Lyman break and
Lyman alpha forest absorption at redshift z = 5.7. All three objects show large
equivalent widths (>= 150A in the rest-frame), suggesting at least one of the
following: a top-heavy initial mass function, very low stellar metallicity, or
the presence of an active nucleus. We consider the case for an active nucleus
to be weak in all three objects due to the limited width of the Lyman alpha
emission line (< 500 km/s) and the absence of any other indicator of quasar
activity.
The three confirmed high redshift objects were among four spectroscopically
observed targets drawn from the sample of 18 candidates presented by Rhoads and
Malhotra (2001). Thus, these spectra support the Lyman alpha emitter population
statistics from our earlier photometric study, which imply little evolution in
number density from z=5.7 to z=4.5 and provide strong evidence that the
reionization redshift is greater than 5.7.Comment: Submitted to AJ, June 2002. 15 pages, AASTe
A Galactic Wind at z = 5.190
We report the serendipitous detection in high-resolution optical spectroscopy
of a strong, asymmetric Ly-alpha emission line at z = 5.190. The detection was
made in a 2.25 hour exposure with the Echelle Spectrograph and Imager on the
Keck II telescope through a spectroscopic slit of dimensions 1" x 20". The
progenitor of the emission line, J123649.2+621539 (hereafter ES1), lies in the
Hubble Deep Field North West Flanking Field where it appears faint and compact,
subtending just 0.3" (FWHM) with I(AB) = 25.4. The ES1 Ly-alpha line flux of
3.0 x 10^(-17) ergs/cm^2/s corresponds to a luminosity of 9.0 x 10^(42) ergs/s,
and the line profile shows the sharp blue cut-off and broad red wing commonly
observed in star-forming systems and expected for radiative transfer in an
expanding envelope. We find that the Ly-alpha profile is consistent with a
galaxy-scale outflow with a velocity of v > 300 km/s. This value is consistent
with wind speeds observed in powerful local starbursts (typically 10^2 to 10^3
km/s), and compares favorably to simulations of the late-stage evolution of
Ly-alpha emission in star-forming systems. We discuss the implications of this
high-redshift galactic wind for the early history of the evolution of galaxies
and the intergalactic medium, and for the origin of the UV background at z > 3.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
Calibration of the NuSTAR High Energy Focusing X-ray Telescope
We present the calibration of the \textit{Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope
Array} (\nustar) X-ray satellite. We used the Crab as the primary effective
area calibrator and constructed a piece-wise linear spline function to modify
the vignetting response. The achieved residuals for all off-axis angles and
energies, compared to the assumed spectrum, are typically better than \%
up to 40\,keV and 5--10\,\% above due to limited counting statistics. An
empirical adjustment to the theoretical 2D point spread function (PSF) was
found using several strong point sources, and no increase of the PSF half power
diameter (HPD) has been observed since the beginning of the mission. We report
on the detector gain calibration, good to 60\,eV for all grades, and discuss
the timing capabilities of the observatory, which has an absolute timing of
3\,ms. Finally we present cross-calibration results from two campaigns
between all the major concurrent X-ray observatories (\textit{Chandra},
\textit{Swift}, \textit{Suzaku} and \textit{XMM-Newton}), conducted in 2012 and
2013 on the sources 3C\,273 and PKS\,2155-304, and show that the differences in
measured flux is within 10\% for all instruments with respect to \nustar
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