7,153 research outputs found
Circumnuclear starbursts in Seyfert galaxies
Observational diagnostics for the recognition of circumnuclear star formation in Seyfert galaxies are described and illustrated. These methods include: (1) spatially resolved optical spectroscopy, which allows the emission lines for HII regions to be separated from those originating in gas ionized by the Seyfert nucleus; (2) radio continuum mapping, where the linear radio sources characteristic of the nuclear activity may be distinguished from the diffuse morphology of multiple supernova remnants generated in a starburst; (3) infrared spectroscopic searches for emission features of dust, which are seen in starbursts but not in Seyfert nuclei; (4) the shape of the IRAS spectrum. These various diagnostics agree well as to the presence or absence of ongoing star formation. The IRAS spectra of a significant fraction of Seyferts are dominated by emission from dust heated by stars, not the Seyfert nucleus itself. In these cases, the spectrum is curved, being steep between 25 and 60 microns and flatter between 60 and 100 microns. When the Seyfert nucleus dominates, the 25 to 100 micron spectrum is much flatter. It is suggested that the location of a Seyfert galaxy in the IRAS color-color diagram reflects primarily the relative contributions of the active nucleus and dust heated by stars to the infrared fluxes
X-ray Emission from the Type Ic Supernova 1994I Observed with Chandra
We present two high-resolution Chandra X-ray observations of supernova (SN)
1994I which show, for the first time, that the interaction of the blast wave
from a Type Ic SN with its surrounding circumstellar material (CSM) can give
rise to soft X-ray emission. Given a 0.3-2 keV band X-ray luminosity of L_x ~ 1
x 10^{37} ergs/s between six and seven years after the outburst of SN 1994I,
and assuming the X-ray emission arises from the shock-heated CSM, we derive a
pre-SN mass-loss rate of \dot{M} ~ 1 x 10^{-5} M_sun/yr (v_w/10 km/s).
Combining the results with earlier ROSAT observations, we construct the X-ray
lightcurve of SN 1994I. A best-fit X-ray rate of decline of L_x \propto t^{-s}
with index s~1 and a CSM density profile of rho_csm \propto r^{-1.9\pm0.1} are
inferred, consistent with what is expected for a constant mass-loss rate and
constant wind velocity profile for the SN progenitor (rho_csm \propto r^{-2}).Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal Letter
The Radio Emission from the Ultra-Luminous Far-Infrared Galaxy NGC 6240
We present new radio observations of the ``prototypical'' ultra-luminous far-
infrared galaxy NGC~6240, obtained using the VLA at 20~cm in `B' configuration
and at 3.6~cm in `A' configuration. These data, along with those from four
previous VLA observations, are used to perform a comprehensive study of the
radio emission from NGC~6240. Approximately 70\% (~3 x 10 W~Hz)
of the total radio power at 20 cm originates from the nuclear region ( <~ 1.5
kpc), of which half is emitted by two unresolved (\alphaS_{\nu} \propto \nu^{-\alpha}). The
supernova rate required to power the diffuse component is consistent with that
predicted by the stellar evolution models of Rieke \etal (1985). If the radio
emission from the two compact cores is powered by supernova remnants, then
either the remnants overlap and form hot bubbles in the cores, or they are very
young ( <~ 100 yr). Nearly all of the other 30\% of the total radio power comes
from an ``arm-like'' region extending westward from the nuclear region. The
western arm emission has a steep spectrum (\alpha^{-14}$ erg/s/cm2 in the 2-10 keV band. No significant radio
emission is detected from or near the possible ultra-massive ``dark core''
hypothesized by Bland-Hawthorn, Wilson \& Tully (1991).Comment: 36 pages (text and tables) as an uuencoded compressed postscript file
(figures available upon request), accepted for the ApJ (20 Nov issue), STScI
preprint no. ?? -- May 199
Extended Gas in Seyfert Galaxies: Near-Infrared Observations of 15 Active Nuclei
Results from an analysis of low resolution (R~250) near-IR long-slit spectra
covering simultaneously the I, J, H, and K bands, for a sample of 15 Seyfert
galaxies and the N5253 starburst nucleus, are presented. The Seyfert galaxies
were selected as presenting `linear' or cone-like high excitation emission line
in the optical, most probably due to the collimation of the central source's
radiation by a dusty molecular torus. Our goal was to look for signatures of
this torus, and to investigate the gaseous distribution, excitation and
reddening. The IR emission lines are spatially extended in most cases, and we
have used the [FeII]/Pa(beta) ratio as a measure of the gaseous excitation in
Mrk573, N1386, and N7582. Values for this ratio between 1.5 and 6 are found,
suggesting excitation of [FeII] by X-rays or shock waves in some regions.
Nuclear Pa(beta) in N1365, and possibly nuclear Br(gama) in Mrk573, are broad.
From analysis of the spatial distribution of the continuum (J-H) and (H-K)
colours derived from our spectra, we find redder colours for the nucleus than
the nearby bulge in most of the Seyfert 2s observed. Comparison with models
including emission from dust and stars shows that hot (T~1000 K) dust emission
dominates the nuclear continuum in N1365, N2110, N3281, N7582, and ESO362-G18.
In N1386, N5643, and N5728 the main contributor is the underlying stellar
population, combined with some foreground reddening and/or cool dust emission.
In a few cases, the (J-H) colours on opposite sides of the nucleus differ by
0.3-0.8 mag, an effect that we interpret as partly due to differences in the
local stellar population, and possibly extinction gradients.Comment: 19 pages (LaTeX, mn.sty), 27 Postscript figures embedded. Accepted
for publication in the Monthly Notices of the R.A.
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