84 research outputs found
The Peculiar Balmer Line Profiles of OQ 208
We present spectrophotometric observations of the Broad Line Radio Galaxy OQ
208 (Mrk 668, 1404+286) obtained between 1985 and 1991. We show that the Balmer
line fluxes and profile shapes undergo remarkable changes. The ratio of
intensities between the broad and narrow components of Hbeta increased
monotonically from 15 in 1985 to 40 in 1991. The peak of the broad components
of Hbeta and Halpha were known to be strongly displaced to the red. We have
discovered a correlation between the amplitude of the broad peak displacement
and the luminosity of Hbeta, in the sense that the displacement is larger when
the line luminosity is higher. We suggest that the observations are not
compatible with either a binary Broad Line Region model or one involving
ballistic acceleration of the line emitting gas. Radiative acceleration of a
system of outflowing clouds readily explains the correlation between line shift
and luminosity as well as the peculiar line profiles. Furthermore, it seems
that most or all of the Balmer emission originates from the inward face of the
clouds. Theoretical line profiles suggest that the observed Hbeta profile is
best fit assuming the contribution of an ensemble which might be spherical or
confined in a thick disk in addition to a component emitted in a thin shell
contained in a cone of half opening angle 12 degrees seen along its axis.Comment: 28 pages + tables and figures available upon request, Latex, No
preprint numbe
Small-scale systems of galaxies. IV. Searching for the faint galaxy population associated with X-ray detected isolated E+S pairs
In hierarchical evolutionary scenarios, isolated, physical pairs may
represent an intermediate phase, or "way station", between collapsing groups
and isolated elliptical (E) galaxies (or fossil groups). We started a
comprehensive study of a sample of galaxy pairs composed of a giant E and a
spiral (S) with the aim of investigating their formation/evolutionary history
from observed optical and X-ray properties. Here we present VLT-VIMOS
observations designed to identify faint galaxies associated with the E+S
systems from candidate lists generated using photometric criteria on WFI images
covering an area of ~ 0.2 h^{-1} Mpc radius around the pairs.
The results are discussed in the context of the evolution of poor galaxy
group associations. A comparison between the Optical Luminosity Functions
(OLFs) of our E+S systems and a sample of X-ray bright poor groups suggest that
the OLF of X-ray detected poor galaxy systems is not universal. The OLF of our
X-ray bright systems suggests that they are more dynamically evolved than our
X-ray faint sample and some X-ray bright groups in the literature. However, we
suggest that the X-ray faint E+S pairs represent a phase in the dynamical
evolution of some X-ray bright poor galaxy groups. The recent or ongoing
interaction in which the E member of the X-ray faint pairs is involved could
have decreased the luminosity of any surrounding X-ray emitting gas.Comment: accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
The First Spectroscopically Resolved Sub-parsec Orbit of a Supermassive Binary Black Hole
One of the most intriguing scenarios proposed to explain how active galactic
nuclei are triggered involves the existence of a supermassive binary black hole
system in their cores. Here we present an observational evidence for the first
spectroscopically resolved sub-parsec orbit of a such system in the core of
Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151. Using a method similar to those typically applied for
spectroscopic binary stars we obtained radial velocity curves of the
supermassive binary system, from which we calculated orbital elements and made
estimates about the masses of components. Our analysis shows that periodic
variations in the light and radial velocity curves can be accounted for an
eccentric, sub-parsec Keplerian orbit of a 15.9-year period. The flux maximum
in the lightcurve correspond to the approaching phase of a secondary component
towards the observer. According to the obtained results we speculate that the
periodic variations in the observed H{\alpha} line shape and flux are due to
shock waves generated by the supersonic motion of the components through the
surrounding medium. Given the large observational effort needed to reveal this
spectroscopically resolved binary orbital motion we suggest that many such
systems may exist in similar objects even if they are hard to find. Detecting
more of them will provide us with insight into black hole mass growth process.Comment: 29 pages, 10 figures, published in ApJ, 759, 11
Shakhbazian compact galaxy groups. II. Photometric and spectroscopic study of ShCG 376
The results of the redshift measurements and of the detailed surface
photometry in BVR of the compact group ShCG 376 are presented. The radial
velocity dispersion, the virial mass, the total luminosity, the M/L ratio, and
the crossing time of the group are estimated. The group consists of eight
accordant redshift spiral galaxies. Four (or possibly five) of the group
members have emission-line spectra. Such morphological content and the number
of emission-line galaxies are very atypical for compact galaxy groups. There
are signs of interaction between some members of the group. It is suggested
that the irregular shape of the brightest galaxy No. 4 is probably due to
interaction with other members of the group, particularly, the emission line
galaxy No. 6 with a discordant redshift (Delta v = 2600 km/s). It is speculated
that the latter galaxy may be a infalling intruder to the group.Comment: accepted A&A, 7 pages, 6 figures are in separate file
The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies - II. Morphological refinement
We present a complete POSS II-based refinement of the optical morphologies
for galaxies in the Karatchenseva's Catalog of Isolated Galaxies that forms the
basis of the AMIGA project. Comparison with independent classifications made
for an SDSS overlap sample of more than 200 galaxies confirms the reliability
of the early vs. late-type discrimination and the accuracy of spiral subtypes
within DeltaT = 1-2. CCD images taken at the OSN were also used to solve
ambiguities. 193 galaxies are flagged for the presence of nearby companions or
signs of distortion likely due to interaction. This most isolated sample of
galaxies in the local Universe is dominated by 2 populations: 1) 82% spirals
(Sa-Sd) with the bulk being luminous systems with small bulges (63% between
types Sb-Sc) and 2) a significant population of early-type E-S0 galaxies (14%).
Most of the types later than Sd are low luminosity galaxies concentrated in the
local supercluster where isolation is difficult to evaluate. The late-type
spiral majority of the sample spans a luminosity range M_B-corr = -18 to -22
mag. Few of the E/S0 population are more luminous than -21.0 marking an absence
of, an often sought, super L* merger (eg fossil elliptical) population. The
rarity of high luminosity systems results in a fainter derived M* for this
population compared to the spiral optical luminosity function (OLF). The E-S0
population is from 0.2 to 0.6 mag fainter depending how the sample is defined.
This marks the AMIGA sample as almost unique among samples that compare early
and late-type OLFs separately. In other samples, which always involve galaxies
in higher density environments, M*(E/S0) is almost always 0.3-0.5 mag brighter
than M*(S), presumably reflecting a stronger correlation between M* and
environmental density for early-type galaxies.Comment: A&A accepted, 13 pages, 9 figures, 8 tables. Higher resolution Fig. 1
and full tables are available on the AMIGA (Analysis of the interstellar
Medium of Isolated GAlaxies) website at http://www.iaa.es/AMIGA.htm
Average UV Quasar Spectra in the Context of Eigenvector 1: A Baldwin Effect Governed by Eddington Ratio?
We present composite UV spectra for low redshift Type 1 AGN binned to exploit
the information content of the Eigenvector 1 (E1) parameter space. Composite
spectra allow a decomposition of the CIV1549 line profile - one of the
strongest high-ionization lines. The simplest CIV decomposition into narrow
(NLR), broad (BLR) and very broad (VBLR) components suggests that different
components have an analog in Hb with two major exceptions. VBLR emission is
seen only in population B (FWHM(Hb)>4000 km/s) sources. A blue
shifted/asymmetric BLR component is seen only in pop. A (FWHM(Hb)<4000 km/s)
HIL such as CIV. The blueshifted component is thought to arise in a wind or
outflow. Our analysis suggests that such a wind can only be produced in pop. A
(almost all radio-quiet) sources where the accretion rate is relatively high.
Comparison between broad UV lines in radio-loud (RL) and radio-quiet (RQ)
sources shows few significant differences. Clear evidence is found for a narrow
CIV component in most radio-loud sources. We find also some indirect
indications that the black hole (BH) spin, rather than BH mass or accretion
rate is a key trigger in determining whether an object will be RL or RQ. We
find a ten-fold decrease in EW CIV with Eddington ratio (decreasing from ~1 to
\~0.01) while NV shows no change. These trends suggest a luminosity-independent
"Baldwin effect" where the physical driver may be the Eddington ratio.Comment: 39 pages, 6 figures. To appear in Ap
UGC 3995: A Close Pair of Spiral Galaxies
UGC 3995 is a close pair of spiral galaxies whose eastern component hosts a
Seyfert 2 nucleus. We present a detailed analysis of this system using long
slit spectroscopy and narrow (\ha + \nii) as well as broad band (B, R) imaging
and an archive WFPC2 image. The component galaxies reveal surprisingly small
signs of interaction considering their spatial proximity and almost identical
recession velocities, as the bright filament is probably an optical illusion
due to the superposition of the bar of the Seyfert galaxy and of the spiral
arms of the companion. The broad band morphology, a B--R color map, and a
continuum-subtracted \ha + \nii image demonstrate that the western component
UGC 3995B is in front of the Seyfert-hosting component UGC 3995A, partly
obscuring its western side. The small radial velocity difference leaves the
relative motion of the two galaxies largely unconstrained. The observed lack of
major tidal deformations, along with some morphological peculiarities, suggests
that the galaxies are proximate in space but may have recently approached each
other on the plane of the sky. The geometry of the system and the radial
velocity curve at P. A. = 106 suggest that the encounter may be retrograde or,
alternatively, prograde before perigalacticon. The partial overlap of the two
galaxies allows us to estimate the optical thickness of the disk of component
B. We derive an extinction = 0.18 visual magnitudes in the infra-arms parts of
the foreground galaxy disk, and >= 1-1.5 visual magnitudes in correspondence of
the spiral arms.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal (June 1999
issue
VLT/ISAAC Spectra of the H-beta Region in Intermediate Redshift Quasars
We present high S/N spectra of the H-beta region in 17 intermediate redshift
(0.85 le z le 2.5) quasars. The spectra represent first results of our campaign
to test the redshift/luminosity robustness of the so-called Eigenvector 1 (E1)
parameter space as developed for low redshift AGN in Sulentic et al. (2000).
The new quasars span the luminosity range -26 ge M_B ge -29 while most of our
low redshift sample (n=215) involve sources in the range -19 ge M_B ge -26. The
high redshift sources show E1 parameter values and domain occupation that are
similar to our low redshift sample supporting earlier findings that E1
parameters are uncorrelated with source luminosity. Elementary accretion theory
can account for a systematic increase of the minimum observed H-beta profile
width with source luminosity. Narrow line Seyfert 1 sources with M_B = -28 show
FWHM(H-beta) as much as 2000 km/s broader than those with M_B = -22. A possible
change in the higher redshift/luminosity sources involves systematically weaker
[OIII]4959,5007 narrow line emission.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures, accepted by A&A; added references and minor
correction
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