510 research outputs found
Integral-field spectroscopy of the quadruple QSO HE 0435-1223: Evidence for microlensing
We present the first spatially resolved spectroscopic observations of the
recently discovered quadruple QSO and gravitational lens HE0435-1223. Using the
Potsdam Multi-Aperture Spectrophotometer (PMAS), we show that all four QSO
components have very similar but not identical spectra. In particular, the
spectral slopes of components A, B, and D are indistinguishable, implying that
extinction due to dust plays no major role in the lensing galaxy. While also
the emission line profiles are identical within the error bars, as expected
from lensing, the equivalent widths show significant differences between
components. Most likely, microlensing is responsible for this phenomenon. This
is also consistent with the fact that component D, which shows the highest
relative continuum level, has brightened by 0.07 mag since Dec 2001. We find
that the emission line flux ratios between the components are in better
agreement with simple lens models than broad band or continuum measurements,
but that the discrepancies between model and data are still unacceptably large.
Finally, we present a detection of the lensing galaxy, although this is close
to the limits of the data. Comparing with a model galaxy spectrum, we obtain a
redshift estimate of z_lens=0.44+-0.02.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Carbon-Enhanced Hyper-metal-poor Stars and the Stellar IMF at Low Metallicity
The two known ``hyper-metal-poor'' (HMP) stars, HE0107-5240 and HE1327-2326,
have extremely high enhancements of the light elements C, N, and O relative to
Fe and appear to represent a statistically significant excess population
relative to the halo metallicity distribution extrapolated from [Fe/H] > -3.
This study weighs the available evidence for and against three hypothetical
origins for these stars: (1) that they formed from gas enriched by a primordial
``faint supernova'', (2) that they formed from gas enriched by core-collapse
supernovae and C-rich gas ejected in rotation-driven winds from massive stars,
and (3) that they formed as the low-mass secondaries in binary systems at Z ~
10^{-5.5} Zsun and acquired their light-element enhancements from an
intermediate-mass companion as it passed through an AGB phase. The observations
interpreted here, especially the depletion of lithium seen in HE1327-2326,
favor the binary mass-transfer hypothesis. If HE0107-5240 and HE1327-2326
formed in binary systems, the statistically significant absence of isolated
and/or C-normal stars at similar [Fe/H] implies that low-mass stars could form
at that metallicity, but that masses M ~< 1.4 Msun were disfavored in the IMF.
This result is also explained if the abundance-derived top-heavy IMF for
primordial stars persists to [Fe/H] ~ -5.5. This finding indicates that
low-mass star formation was possible at extremely low metallicity, and that the
typical stellar mass may have had a complex dependence on metallicity rather
than a sharp transition driven solely by gas cooling.Comment: 11 pages emulateapj text including three figures, accepted for
publication in ApJ v666 (Sept 2007). A companion paper to 0706.290
Is AGN feedback necessary to form red elliptical galaxies?
We have used GADGET2 to simulate the formation of an elliptical galaxy in a
cosmological dark matter halo with mass 3x10^12M_Sun/h. Using a stellar
population synthesis model has allowed us to compute magnitudes, colours and
surface brightness profiles. We have included a model to follow the growth of a
central black hole and we have compared the results of simulations with and
without feedback from AGNs. We have studied the interplay between cold gas
accretion and merging in the development of galactic morphologies, the link
between colour and morphology evolution, the effect of AGN feedback on the
photometry of early type galaxies, the redshift evolution in the properties of
quasar hosts, and the impact of AGN winds on the chemical enrichment of the
intergalactic medium (IGM). We have found that the early phases of galaxy
formation are driven by the accretion of cold filamentary flows, which form a
disc at the centre of the dark matter halo. When the dark matter halo is
sufficiently massive to support the propagation of a stable shock, cold
accretion is shut down, and the star formation rate begins to decline. Mergers
transform the disc into an elliptical galaxy, but also bring gas into the
galaxy. Without a mechanism that removes gas from the merger remnants, the
galaxy ends up with blue colours, atypical for its elliptical morphology. AGN
feedback can solve this problem even with a fairly low heating efficiency. We
have also demonstrated that AGN winds are potentially important for the metal
enrichment of the IGM a high redshift.(abridged)Comment: 19 pages and 17 figures, accepted to MNRAS ID: MN-07-1954-MJ.R1 . For
high resolution images please check following link:
http://www.aip.de/People/AKhalatyan/COSMOLOGY/BHCOSMO
Probing The Dust-To-Gas Ratio of z > 0 Galaxies Through Gravitational Lenses
We report the detection of differential gas column densities in three
gravitational lenses, MG0414+0534, HE1104-1805, and PKS1830-211. Combined with
the previous differential column density measurements in B1600+434 and
Q2237+0305 and the differential extinction measurements of these lenses, we
probe the dust-to-gas ratio of a small sample of cosmologically distant normal
galaxies. We obtain an average dust-to-gas ratio of E(B-V)/NH =(1.4\pm0.5) e-22
mag cm^2/atoms with an estimated intrinsic dispersion in the ratio of ~40%.
This average dust-to-gas ratio is consistent with the average Galactic value of
1.7e-22 mag cm^2/atoms and the estimated intrinsic dispersion is also
consistent with the 30% observed in the Galaxy.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, Accepted by Ap
Strange magnification pattern in the large separation lens SDSS J1004+4112 from optical to X-rays
We present simultaneous XMM-Newton UV and X-ray observations of the quadruply
lensed quasar SDSS J1004+4112 (RBS 825). Simultaneously with the XMM-Newton
observations we also performed integral field spectroscopy on the two closest
lens images A and B using the Calar Alto PMAS spectrograph. In X-rays the
widely spaced components C and D are clearly resolved, while the closer pair of
images A and B is marginally resolved in the XMM-EPIC images. The integrated
X-ray flux of the system has decreased by a factor of 6 since it was observed
in the ROSAT All Sky Survey in 1990, while the X-ray spectrum became much
harder with the power law index evolving from Gamma=-2.3 to -1.86. By
deblending the X-ray images of the lensed QSO we find that the X-ray flux
ratios between the lens images A and B are significantly different from the
simultaneously obtained UV ratios and previously measured optical flux ratios.
Our optical spectrum of lens image A shows an enhancement in the blue emission
line wings, which has been observed in previous epochs as a transient feature.
We propose a scenario where intrinsic UV and X-ray variability gives rise to
line variations which are selectively magnified in image A by microlensing. The
extended emission of the lensing cluster of galaxies is clearly detected in the
EPIC images, we measure a 0.5-2.0 keV luminosity of 1.4 E44 erg/s. Based on the
cluster X-ray properties, we estimate a mass of 2-6 E14 solar masses.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
The evolution of faint AGN between z~1 and z~5 from the COMBO-17 survey
We present a determination of the optical/UV AGN luminosity function and its
evolution, based on a large sample of faint (R<24) QSOs identified in the
COMBO-17 survey. Using multi-band photometry in 17 filters within 350nm <
lambda_obs < 930nm, we could simultaneously determine photometric redshifts
with an accuracy of sigma_z<0.03 and obtain spectral energy distributions. The
redshift range covered by the sample is 1.2<z<4.8, which implies that even at
z~3, the sample reaches below luminosities corresponding to M_B = -23,
conventionally employed to distinguish between Seyfert galaxies and quasars. We
clearly detect a broad plateau-like maximum of quasar activity around z~2 and
map out the smooth turnover between z~1 and z~4. The shape of the LF is
characterised by some mild curvature, but no sharp `break' is present within
the range of luminosities covered. Using only the COMBO-17 data, the evolving
LF can be adequately described by either a pure density evolution (PDE) or a
pure luminosity evolution (PLE) model. However, the absence of a strong L*-like
feature in the shape of the LF inhibits a robust distinction between these
modes. We present a robust estimate for the integrated UV luminosity generation
by AGN as a function of redshift. We find that the LF continues to rise even at
the lowest luminosities probed by our survey, but that the slope is
sufficiently shallow that the contribution of low-luminosity AGN to the UV
luminosity density is negligible. Although our sample reaches much fainter flux
levels than previous data sets, our results on space densities and LF slopes
are completely consistent with extrapolations from recent major surveys such as
SDSS and 2QZ.Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, Astronomy & Astrophysics, in print, revised
versio
Small Scale Structure at High Redshift: II. Physical Properties of the CIV Absorbing Clouds
Keck HIRES spectra were obtained of the separate images of three
gravitationally lensed QSOs (UM 673, Q1104-1804, and Q1422+2309). We studied
the velocity and column density differences in CIV doublets in each QSO. Unlike
the low ionization gas clouds typical of the interstellar gas in the Galaxy or
damped Ly alpha galaxies, the spatial density distribution of CIV absorbing gas
clouds turns out to be mostly featureless on scales up to a few hundred
parsecs, with column density differences rising to 50 percent or more over
separations beyond a few kpc. Similarly, velocity shear becomes detectable only
over distances larger than a few hundred pc, rising to 70 km/s at a few kpc.
The energy transmitted to the gas is substantially less than in present day
star-forming regions, and the gas is less turbulent on a given spatial scale
than, e.g., local HII regions. The quiescence of CIV clouds, taken with their
probable low density, imply that these objects are not internal to galaxies.
The CIV absorbers could be gas expelled recently to large radii and raining
back onto its parent galaxy, or pre-enriched gas from an earlier (population
III) episode of star formation, falling into the nearest mass concentration.
However, while the metals in the gas may have been formed at higher redshifts,
the residual turbulence in the clouds and the minimum coherence length measured
here imply that the gas was stirred more recently, possibly by star formation
events recurring on a timescale on the order of 10-100 Million years (abstract
abbreviated).Comment: latex file plus 15 postscript figures (45 pages in total); to be
published in the ApJ, June 20, 2001 issu
Integral field spectroscopy of QSO host galaxies
We describe a project to study the state of the ISM in ~20 low redshift
(z<0.3) QSO host galaxies observed with the PMAS integral field spectrograph.
We describe method developement to access the stellar and gas component of the
spectrum without the strong nuclear emission to access the host galaxy
properties also in the central region. It shows that integral field
spectroscopy promises to be very efficient to study the gas distribution and
its velocity field, and also spatially resolved stellar population in the host
galaxies also of luminous AGN.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, Euro3D Science Workshop, Cambridge, May 2003, AN,
accepte
A Catalogue of Field Horizontal Branch Stars Aligned with High Velocity Clouds
We present a catalogue of 430 Field Horizontal Branch (FHB) stars, selected
from the Hamburg/ESO Survey (HES), which fortuitously align with high column
density neutral hydrogen (HI) High-Velocity Cloud (HVC) gas. These stars are
ideal candidates for absorption-line studies of HVCs, attempts at which have
been made for almost 40 years with little success. A parent sample of 8321 HES
FHB stars was used to extract HI spectra along each line-of-sight, using the HI
Parkes All-Sky Survey. All lines-of-sight aligned with high velocity HI
emission with peak brightness temperatures greater than 120mK were examined.
The HI spectra of these 430 probes were visually screened and cross-referenced
with several HVC catalogues. In a forthcoming paper, we report on the results
of high-resolution spectroscopic observations of a sample of stars drawn from
this catalogue.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. ApJS accepted. Full catalogue and all online-only
images available at
http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/cthom/catalogue/index.htm
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