668 research outputs found
High Spatial Resolution of the Mid-Infrared Emission of Compton-Thick Seyfert 2 Galaxy Mrk3
Mid-infrared (MIR) spectra observed with Gemini/Michelle were used to study
the nuclear region of the Compton-thick Seyfert 2 (Sy 2) galaxy Mrk 3 at a
spatial resolution of 200 pc. No polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
emission bands were detected in the N-band spectrum of Mrk 3. However, intense
[Ar III] 8.99 m, [S IV] 10.5 m and [Ne II] 12.8 m ionic
emission-lines, as well as silicate absorption feature at 9.7m have been
found in the nuclear extraction (200 pc). We also present
subarcsecond-resolution Michelle N-band image of Mrk 3 which resolves its
circumnuclear region. This diffuse MIR emission shows up as a wings towards
East-West direction closely aligned with the S-shaped of the Narrow Line Region
(NLR) observed at optical [O III]5007\AA image with Hubble/FOC. The
nuclear continuum spectrum can be well represented by a theoretical torus
spectral energy distribution (SED), suggesting that the nucleus of Mrk 3 may
host a dusty toroidal structure predicted by the unified model of active
galactic nucleus (AGN). In addition, the hydrogen column density
(N cm) estimated with a torus
model for Mrk 3 is consistent with the value derived from X-ray spectroscopy.
The torus model geometry of Mrk 3 is similar to that of NGC 3281, both
Compton-thick galaxies, confirmed through fitting the 9.7m silicate band
profile. This results might provide further evidence that the silicate-rich
dust can be associated with the AGN torus and may also be responsible for the
absorption observed at X-ray wavelengths in those galaxies.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
Interaction effects on galaxy pairs with Gemini/GMOS- II: Oxygen abundance gradients
In this paper we derived oxygen abundance gradients from HII regions located
in eleven galaxies in eight systems of close pairs. Long-slit spectra in the
range 4400-7300A were obtained with the Gemini Multi-Object Spec- trograph at
Gemini South (GMOS). Spatial profiles of oxygen abundance in the gaseous phase
along galaxy disks were obtained using calibrations based on strong
emission-lines (N2 and O3N2). We found oxygen gradients signifi- cantly flatter
for all the studied galaxies than those in typical isolated spiral galaxies.
Four objects in our sample, AM1219A, AM1256B, AM 2030A and AM2030B, show a
clear break in the oxygen abundance at galactocentric radius R/R25 between 0.2
and 0.5. For AM1219A and AM1256B we found negative slopes for the inner
gradients, and for AM2030B we found a positive one. In all these three cases
they show a flatter behaviour to the outskirts of the galaxies. For AM2030A, we
found a positive-slope outer gradient while the inner one is almost compatible
with a flat behaviour. A decrease of star forma- tion efficiency in the zone
that corresponds to the oxygen abundance gradient break for AM1219A and AM2030B
was found. For the former, a minimum in the estimated metallicities was found
very close to the break zone that could be associated with a corotation radius.
On the other hand, AM1256B and AM2030A, present a SFR maximum but not an
extreme oxygen abundance value. All the four interacting systems that show
oxygen gradient breakes the extreme SFR values are located very close to break
zones. Hii regions lo- cated in close pairs of galaxies follow the same
relation between the ionization parameter and the oxygen abundance as those
regions in isolated galaxies.Comment: 30 pages, 14 figures, accepted MNRAS, (Figs. 1 and 2 are in low
resolution
Theory and measurements of harmonic generation in semiconductor superlattices with applications in the 100 GHz to 1 THz range
This manuscript describes harmonic generation in semiconductor superlattices, starting from a
Nonequilibrium Green's functions input to relaxation rate-type analytical approximations for the
Boltzmann Equation in which imperfections in the structure lead to asymmetric current flow and
scattering processes under forward and reverse bias. The resulting current-voltage curves and the
predicted consequences on harmonic generation, notably the development of even harmonics are in
good agreement with experiments. Significant output for frequencies close to 1 THz (7th harmonic)
at room temperature, after excitation by a 141 GHz input signal, demonstrate the potential of
superlattice devices for GHz-THz applications
Streaming Motions Towards the Supermassive Black Hole in NGC 1097
We have used GMOS-IFU and high resolution HST-ACS observations to map, in
unprecedented detail, the gas velocity field and structure within the 0.7 kpc
circumnuclear ring of the SBb LINER/Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 1097. We find clear
evidence of radial streaming motions associated with spiral structures leading
to the unresolved (<3.5 parsecs) nucleus, which we interpret as part of the
fueling chain by which gas is transported to the nuclear starburst and
supermassive black hole.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures using emulateapj. Accepted for publication in
Astrophysical Journal Letters. Download high-resolution version from
http://www.astro.uu.se/~kambiz/DOC/paper-N1097.pd
Reverberation Mapping and the Physics of Active Galactic Nuclei
Reverberation-mapping campaigns have revolutionized our understanding of AGN.
They have allowed the direct determination of the broad-line region size,
enabled mapping of the gas distribution around the central black hole, and are
starting to resolve the continuum source structure. This review describes the
recent and successful campaigns of the International AGN Watch consortium,
outlines the theoretical background of reverberation mapping and the
calculation of transfer functions, and addresses the fundamental difficulties
of such experiments. It shows that such large-scale experiments have resulted
in a ``new BLR'' which is considerably different from the one we knew just ten
years ago. We discuss in some detail the more important new results, including
the luminosity-size-mass relationship for AGN, and suggest ways to proceed in
the near future.Comment: Review article to appear in Astronomical Time Series, Proceedings of
the Wise Observatory 25th Ann. Symposium. 24 pages including 7 figure
The origin of the Narrow Line Region of Mrk 3: an overpressured jet cocoon
We have obtained HST FOC long-slit optical spectroscopy of the Narrow Line
Region of the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 3. In the region cospatial with the
radio-jet the velocity field is highly perturbed and shows two velocity systems
separated by as much as 1700 km/s. We interpret this to be the consequence of
the rapid expansion of a cocoon of hot gas, shocked and heated by the
radio-emitting outflow, which compresses and accelerates the ambient gas. The
NLR itself is essentially a cylindrical shell expanding supersonically. From
the size and velocity of the expanding region, we derive an upper limit to the
radio-source age, ~ 2
E42 erg/s required to inflate the cocoon and estimate that the jet minimum
advance speed is 3 E-3 pc per year. The total kinetic energy of the high
velocity NLR gas can be estimated as ~6 E54 erg, comparable to the total energy
carried by the jet over its lifetime and this quantitatively supports the idea
that the NLR gas is accelerated by the jet. If the advance speed of Mrk 3 is
representative of the Seyfert population then these sources must also be short
lived and probably recurrent. The jet kinetic luminosity of Mrk 3 is between 2
and 3 orders of magnitude smaller than that derived for radio-loud AGNs with
similar emission-line luminosity. On the other hand, the fraction of jet power
dissipated in radio-emission is similar. We speculate that the main distinction
between radio-quiet and radio-loud AGN is ascribed to a difference in jet power
rather than to a different efficiency in synchrotron emission production.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, Astrophysical Journal in pres
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