Outflows from active galactic nuclei: The BLR-NLR metallicity correlation

The metallicity of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), which can be measured by emission line ratios in their broad and narrow line regions (BLRs and NLRs), provides invaluable information about the physical connection between the different components of AGNs. From the archival databases of the International Ultraviolet Explorer, the Hubble Space Telescope and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we have assembled the largest sample available of AGNs which have adequate spectra in both the optical and ultraviolet bands to measure the narrow line ratio [N II]/H{\alpha} and also, in the same objects, the broad-line N V/C IV ratio. These permit the measurement of the metallicities in the NLRs and BLRs in the same objects. We find that neither the BLR nor the NLR metallicity correlate with black hole masses or Eddington ratios, but there is a strong correlation between NLR and BLR metallicities. This metallicity correlation implies that outflows from BLRs carry metal-rich gas to NLRs at characteristic radial distances of ~ 1.0 kiloparsec. This chemical connection provides evidence for a kinetic feedback of the outflows to their hosts. Metals transported into the NLR enhance the cooling of the ISM in this region, leading to local star formation after the AGNs turn to narrow line LINERs. This post-AGN star formation is predicted to be observable as an excess continuum emission from the host galaxies in the near infrared and ultraviolet, which needs to be further explored.Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication at MNRA

Chandra observation of Abell 1689: New determination of mass distribution and comparison to lensing measurements

We present a new estimate of the projected X-ray mass of Abell 1689 observed with Chandra, in an attempt to clarify the issue of whether or not there exists a discrepancy between X-ray and gravitational lensing mass estimates claimed in previous investigations based on {\it Einstein}, {\it ROSAT} and {\it ASCA} observations. A particular attention is paid to examining if there is an offset between X-ray centroid and central dominant cD galaxy, which may be an indicator of the presence of local dynamical activities of intracluster gas in the central core and therefore, explain the discrepancy between X-ray and lensing mass estimates, if any. The unprecedentedly high spatial resolution achieved by Chandra allows us to precisely localize the X-ray centroid of Abell 1689, which appears to coincide perfectly with the central cD galaxy. This fact, along with the symmetry and regularity of the X-ray surface brightness and temperature distributions, suggests that Abell 1689 is a fully-relaxed cluster. We thus employ hydrostatic equilibrium hypothesis to determine the projected mass profile of Abell 1689, and compare it with the results obtained by different lensing techniques available in the literature. Our analysis confirms the existance of the discrepancy of a factor of $\sim2$ between X-ray and lensing mass estimates in the central region of $r\approx0.2$ Mpc, although the two methods yield essentially consistent result on large radii. If the perfect coincidence between the X-ray center and the cD galaxy of Abell 1689 detected by Chandra observation is not a projection effect, the central mass discrepancy between X-ray and lensing measurements may pose a challenge to our conventional understanding of dynamical evolution of the intracluster gas in the central regions of clusters.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

The Additional Line Component within the Iron K\alpha Profile in MCG-6-30-15: Evidence for Blob Ejection?

The EPIC data of MCG -6-30-15 observed by XMM-Newton were analyzed for the complexities of the iron K-alpha line. Here we report that the additional line component (ALC) at 6.9 keV undoubtedly appears within the broad iron Kalpha; line profile at the high state, whereas it disappears at the low state. These state-dependent behaviors exclude several possible origins and suggest an origin of the ALC in matter being ejected from the vicinity of the black hole. At the low state, the newborn blob ejected from the accretion disk is so Thomson-thick that hard X-rays are blocked from ionizing the old blobs, leading to the disappearance of the ALC. When the blob becomes Thomson-thin as a result of expansion, the hard X-ray will penetrate it and ionize the old ones, emitting the ALC at the high state. The blob ejection is the key to switching the ALC on or off.Comment: 6 pages, 4 Figure

ROSAT/ASCA Observations of a Serendipitous BL Lac Object PKS 2316-423: The Variable High-Energy Tail of Synchrotron Radiation

We present the analysis of archival data from ROSAT and ASCA of a serendipitous BL Lac object PKS 2316-423. Because of its featureless non-thermal radio/optical continuum, PKS 2316-423 has been called as a BL Lac candidate in the literature. PKS 2316-423 was evidently variable over the multiple X-ray observations, in particular, a variable high-energy tail of the synchrotron radiation is revealed. The X-ray spectral analysis provides further evidence of the synchrotron nature of its broad-band spectrum: a steep and downward curving spectrum between 0.1--10 keV, typical of high-energy peaked BL Lacs (HBL). The spectral energy distribution (SED) through radio-to-X-ray yields the synchrotron radiation peak at frequency Vp=7.3 10^{15} Hz, with integrated luminosity of Lsyn=2.1 10^{44} ergs s^{-1}. The averaged SED properties of PKS 2316-423 are very similar to those ``intermediate'' BL Lac objects (IBL) found recently in several deep surveys, such as Deep X-ray Radio Blazar, Radio-Emitting X-ray, and ROSAT-Green Bank surveys. We suggest that PKS 2316-423 is an IBL though it also shows some general features of a HBL. Actually, this double attribute of PKS 2316-423 provides a good test of the prediction that an IBL object can show either synchrotron or inverse-Compton characteristics in different variability states.Comment: 12 pages, including 4 figures, to appear in ApJ, 2000 July 2

Joint X-Ray and Optical Measurements of the Mass Distribution of the Distant Galaxy Cluster CLJ 0152.7-1357

We present joint X-ray and optical observations of the high redshift (z~0.83) lensing cluster CLJ0152.7-1357 made with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Keck telescope. We confirm the existence of significant substructure at both X-ray and optical wavelengths in the form of two distinct clumps, whose temperatures are 6.6(-1.5,+2.4) keV and 5.7(-1.6,+2.9) keV, respectively. The X-ray surface brightness profiles of the two clumps can be fitted by either a single beta-model or an NFW-like profile; the latter giving better fits to the central regions. We find that the X-ray derived mass of this cluster is in good agreement with independent lensing measurements. While its appearance indicates that the cluster has not reached a dynamical equilibrium state, its X-ray luminosity L_x, temperature T and dynamical mass M are consistent with the well-defined L_x-T and M-T relations for low-redshift galaxy clusters, which suggests that the dynamical properties of the clusters have remained almost unchanged since z~0.8.Comment: 32 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in A

A Systematic Analysis of Fe II Emission in Quasars: Evidence for Inflow to the Central Black Hole

Broad Fe II emission is a prominent feature of the optical and ultraviolet spectra of quasars. We report on a systematical investigation of optical Fe II emission in a large sample of 4037 z < 0.8 quasars selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We have developed and tested a detailed line-fitting technique, taking into account the complex continuum and narrow and broad emission-line spectrum. Our primary goal is to quantify the velocity broadening and velocity shift of the Fe II spectrum in order to constrain the location of the Fe II-emitting region and its relation to the broad-line region. We find that the majority of quasars show Fe II emission that is redshifted, typically by ~ 400 km/s but up to 2000 km/s, with respect to the systemic velocity of the narrow-line region or of the conventional broad-line region as traced by the Hbeta line. Moreover, the line width of Fe II is significantly narrower than that of the broad component of Hbeta. We show that the magnitude of the Fe II redshift correlates inversely with the Eddington ratio, and that there is a tendency for sources with redshifted Fe II emission to show red asymmetry in the Hbeta line. These characteristics strongly suggest that Fe II originates from a location different from, and most likely exterior to, the region that produces most of Hbeta. The Fe II-emitting zone traces a portion of the broad-line region of intermediate velocities whose dynamics may be dominated by infall.Comment: 20 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Chandra Observation of the Cluster of Galaxies MS 0839.9+2938 at z=0.194: the Central Excess Iron and SN Ia Enrichment

We present the Chandra study of the intermediately distant cluster of galaxies MS 0839.9+2938. By performing both the projected and deprojected spectral analyses, we find that the gas temperature is approximately constant at about 4 keV in 130-444h_70^-1 kpc. In the inner regions, the gas temperature descends towards the center, reaching <~ 3 keV in the central 37h_70^-1 kpc. This infers that the lower and upper limits of the mass deposit rate are 9-34 M_sun yr^-1 and 96-126 M_sun yr^-1, respectively within 74h_70^-1 kpc where the gas is significantly colder. Along with the temperature drop, we detect a significant inward iron abundance increase from about 0.4 solar in the outer regions to about 1 solar within the central 37h_70^-1 kpc. Thus MS 0839.9+2938 is the cluster showing the most significant central iron excess at z>~ 0.2. We argue that most of the excess iron should have been contributed by SNe Ia. By utilizing the observed SN Ia rate and stellar mass loss rate, we estimate that the time needed to enrich the central region with excess iron is 6.4-7.9 Gyr, which is similar to those found for the nearby clusters. Coinciding with the optical extension of the cD galaxy (up to about 30h_70^-1 kpc), the observed X-ray surface brightness profile exhibits an excess beyond the distribution expected by either the beta model or the NFW model, and can be well fitted with an empirical two-beta model that leads to a relatively flatter mass profile in the innermost region.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

First sodium laser guide star asterism launching platform in China on 1.8m telescope at Gaomeigu Observatory

The application of sodium laser guide star is the key difference between modern adaptive optics system and traditional adaptive optics system. Especially in system like multi-conjugate adaptive optics, sodium laser guide star asterism which is formed by several laser guide stars in certain pattern is required to probe more atmospheric turbulence in different directions. To achieve this, a sodium laser guide star asterism launching platform is required. In this paper, we will introduce the sodium laser guide star asterism launching platform built and tested on the 1.8m telescope of the Gaomeigu Observatory. The platform has two functions: one is to compare the performance of sodium laser guide stars generated by different lasers at the same place; the other is to generate sodium laser guide star asterism with adjustable shape. The field test results at the beginning of 2021 verify the important role of the platform, which is also the first time to realize sodium laser guide star asterism in China