33 research outputs found
Dark energy constraints from quasar observations
Recent measurements of the parameters of the Concordance Cosmology Model
(CDM) done in the low-redshift Universe with Supernovae Ia/Cepheids,
and in the distant Universe done with Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) imply
different values for the Hubble constant (67.4 0.5 km s Mpc
from Planck vs 74.03 1.42 km s Mpc, Riess et al. 2019).
This Hubble constant tension implies that either the systematic errors are
underestimated, or the CDM does not represent well the observed
expansion of the Universe. Since quasars - active galactic nuclei - can be
observed in the nearby Universe up to redshift z 7.5, they are suitable
to estimate the cosmological properties in a large redshift range. Our group
develops two methods based on the observations of quasars in the late Universe
up to redshift z4.5, with the objective to determine the expansion rate
of the Universe. These methods do not yet provide an independent measurement of
the Hubble constant since they do not have firm absolute calibration but they
allow to test the CDM model, and so far no departures from this model
were found.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, contribution to the Proceedings of the 100 years
of the Polish Physical Society Congress, 16-18 October 2020, Warsaw, Poland.
http://info.ifpan.edu.pl/APP
Science with a small two-band UV-photometry mission III: Active Galactic Nuclei and nuclear transients
In this review (the third in the series focused on a small two-band
UV-photometry mission), we assess possibilities for a small UV two-band
photometry mission in studying accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs; mass
range -). We focus on the following
observational concepts: (i) dedicated monitoring of selected type-I Active
Galactic Nuclei (AGN) in order to measure the time delay between the far-UV,
the near-UV, and other wavebands (X-ray and optical), (ii) nuclear transients
including (partial) tidal disruption events and repetitive nuclear transients,
and (iii) the study of peculiar sources, such as changing-look AGN, hollows and
gaps in accretion disks, low-luminosity AGN, and candidates for
Intermediate-Mass Black Holes (IMBHs; mass range -)
in galactic nuclei. For tidal disruption events (TDEs), high-cadence UV
monitoring is crucial for distinguishing among different scenarios for the
origin of the UV emission. The small two-band UV space telescope will also
provide the information about the near- and far-UV continuum variability for
rare transients, such as repetitive partial TDEs and jetted TDEs. We also
discuss the possibilities to study and analyze sources with non-standard
accretion flows, such as AGN with gappy disks, low-luminosity active galactic
nuclei with intermittent accretion, and SMBH binaries potentially involving
intermediate-mass black holes.Comment: Submitted to Space Science Review
Wavelength-resolved Reverberation Mapping of quasar CTSC30.10: Dissecting MgII and FeII emission regions
We present the results of the reverberation monitoring aimed at MgII broad
line and FeII pseudocontinuum for the luminous quasar CTS C30.10 (z = 0.90052)
with the Southern African Large Telescope covering the years 2012-2021. We
aimed at disentangling the MgII and UV FeII variability and the first
measurement of UV FeII time delay for a distant quasar. We used several methods
for time-delay measurements and determined both FeII and MgII time delays as
well as performed a wavelength-resolved time delay study for a combination of
MgII and FeII in the 2700 - 2900 \AA restframe wavelength range. We obtain the
time delay for MgII of days in the rest frame, while
for FeII we have two possible solutions of days and
in the rest frame. Combining this result with the old
measurement of FeII UV time delay for NGC 5548 we discuss for the first time
the radius-luminosity relation for UV FeII with the slope consistent with
within uncertainties. Since FeII time delay has a shorter time-delay component
but lines are narrower than MgII, we propose that the line delay measurement is
biased towards the BLR part facing the observer, with the bulk of the Fe II
emission may arise from the more distant BLR region, one that is shielded from
the observer.Comment: 22 pages, 19 Figures, 6 Tables, Submitted to Astronomy and
Astrophysics, Comments are welcom
Alive but Barely Kicking: News from 3+ yr of Swift and XMM-Newton X-Ray Monitoring of Quasiperiodic Eruptions from eRO-QPE1
Quasiperiodic eruptions (QPEs) represent a novel class of extragalactic X-ray transients that are known to repeat at roughly regular intervals of a few hours to days. Their underlying physical mechanism is a topic of heated debate, with most models proposing that they originate either from instabilities within the inner accretion flow or from orbiting objects. At present, our knowledge of how QPEs evolve over an extended timescale of multiple years is limited, except for the unique QPE source GSN 069. In this study, we present results from strategically designed Swift observing programs spanning the past 3 yr, aimed at tracking eruptions from eRO-QPE1. Our main results are as follows: (1) the recurrence time of eruptions can vary from flare to flare and is in the range of 0.6â1.2 days; (2) there is no detectable secular trend in evolution of the recurrence times; (3) consistent with prior studies, their eruption profiles can have complex shapes; and (4) the peak flux of the eruptions has been declining over the past 3 yr, with the eruptions barely detected in the most recent Swift data set taken in 2023 June. This trend of weakening eruptions has been reported recently in GSN 069. However, because the background luminosity of eRO-QPE1 is below our detection limit, we cannot verify whether the weakening is correlated with the background luminosity (as is claimed to be the case for GSN 069). We discuss these findings within the context of various proposed QPE models
Wavelength-resolved reverberation mapping of intermediate redshift quasars HE 0413-4031 and HE 0435-4312: Dissecting Mg II, optical Fe II, and UV Fe II emission regions
We present the wavelength-resolved reverberation mapping (RM) of combined
MgII and UV FeII broad-line emissions for two intermediate redshifts
(z1), luminous quasars - HE 0413-4031 and HE 0435-4312, monitored by the
SALT and 1-m class telescopes between 2012-2022. Through this technique, we aim
to disentangle the Mg II and FeII emission regions and to build a
radius-luminosity relation for UV FeII emission, which has so far remained
unconstrained. Several methodologies have been applied to constrain the time
delays for total MgII and FeII emissions. In addition, this technique is
performed to quantify the inflow or outflow of broad-line region gas around the
supermassive black hole and to disentangle the emission/emitting regions from
lines produced in proximity to each other. The mean total FeII time delay is
nearly equal to the mean total Mg II time delay for HE 0435-4312 suggesting a
co-spatiality of their emissions. However, in HE 0413-4031, the mean FeII time
delay is found to be longer than the mean MgII time delay, suggesting that FeII
is produced at longer distances from the black hole. The UV Fe II R-L relation
is updated with these two quasars and compared with the optical FeII relation,
which suggests that the optical FeII region is located further than the UV FeII
by a factor of 1.7-1.9 i.e. . We
detected a weak pattern in the time delay vs. wavelength relation, suggesting
that the MgII broad-line originates a bit closer to the SMBH than the UV FeII,
however, the difference is not very significant. Comparison of MgII, UV, and
optical FeII R-L relations suggests that the difference may be larger for
lower-luminosity sources, possibly with the MgII emission originating further
from the SMBH. In the future, more RM data will be acquired to put better
constraints on these trends, in particular the UV FeII R-L relation.Comment: 24 pages, 16 figures, 5 tables, Accepted for publication in A&A, in
Pres
Quick Ultra-VIolet Kilonova surveyor (QUVIK)
We present a near-UV space telescope on a ~70kg micro-satellite with a
moderately fast repointing capability and a near real-time alert communication
system that has been proposed in response to a call for an ambitious Czech
national mission. The mission, which has recently been approved for Phase 0, A,
and B1 study shall measure the brightness evolution of kilonovae, resulting
from mergers of neutron stars in the near-UV band and thus it shall distinguish
between different explosion scenarios. Between the observations of transient
sources, the satellite shall perform observations of other targets of interest,
a large part of which will be chosen in open competition.Comment: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentatio
The JWST Galactic Center Survey -- A White Paper
The inner hundred parsecs of the Milky Way hosts the nearest supermassive
black hole, largest reservoir of dense gas, greatest stellar density, hundreds
of massive main and post main sequence stars, and the highest volume density of
supernovae in the Galaxy. As the nearest environment in which it is possible to
simultaneously observe many of the extreme processes shaping the Universe, it
is one of the most well-studied regions in astrophysics. Due to its proximity,
we can study the center of our Galaxy on scales down to a few hundred AU, a
hundred times better than in similar Local Group galaxies and thousands of
times better than in the nearest active galaxies. The Galactic Center (GC) is
therefore of outstanding astrophysical interest. However, in spite of intense
observational work over the past decades, there are still fundamental things
unknown about the GC. JWST has the unique capability to provide us with the
necessary, game-changing data. In this White Paper, we advocate for a JWST
NIRCam survey that aims at solving central questions, that we have identified
as a community: i) the 3D structure and kinematics of gas and stars; ii)
ancient star formation and its relation with the overall history of the Milky
Way, as well as recent star formation and its implications for the overall
energetics of our galaxy's nucleus; and iii) the (non-)universality of star
formation and the stellar initial mass function. We advocate for a large-area,
multi-epoch, multi-wavelength NIRCam survey of the inner 100\,pc of the Galaxy
in the form of a Treasury GO JWST Large Program that is open to the community.
We describe how this survey will derive the physical and kinematic properties
of ~10,000,000 stars, how this will solve the key unknowns and provide a
valuable resource for the community with long-lasting legacy value.Comment: This White Paper will be updated when required (e.g. new authors
joining, editing of content). Most recent update: 24 Oct 202
The JWST Galactic Center Survey -- A White Paper
The inner hundred parsecs of the Milky Way hosts the nearest supermassive black hole, largest reservoir of dense gas, greatest stellar density, hundreds of massive main and post main sequence stars, and the highest volume density of supernovae in the Galaxy. As the nearest environment in which it is possible to simultaneously observe many of the extreme processes shaping the Universe, it is one of the most well-studied regions in astrophysics. Due to its proximity, we can study the center of our Galaxy on scales down to a few hundred AU, a hundred times better than in similar Local Group galaxies and thousands of times better than in the nearest active galaxies. The Galactic Center (GC) is therefore of outstanding astrophysical interest. However, in spite of intense observational work over the past decades, there are still fundamental things unknown about the GC. JWST has the unique capability to provide us with the necessary, game-changing data. In this White Paper, we advocate for a JWST NIRCam survey that aims at solving central questions, that we have identified as a community: i) the 3D structure and kinematics of gas and stars; ii) ancient star formation and its relation with the overall history of the Milky Way, as well as recent star formation and its implications for the overall energetics of our galaxy's nucleus; and iii) the (non-)universality of star formation and the stellar initial mass function. We advocate for a large-area, multi-epoch, multi-wavelength NIRCam survey of the inner 100\,pc of the Galaxy in the form of a Treasury GO JWST Large Program that is open to the community. We describe how this survey will derive the physical and kinematic properties of ~10,000,000 stars, how this will solve the key unknowns and provide a valuable resource for the community with long-lasting legacy value
Polarization properties of bow shock sources close to the Galactic centre
Several bow shock sources were detected and resolved in the innermost parsec from the supermassive black hole in the Galactic centre. They show several distinct characteristics, including an excess towards mid-infrared wavelengths and a significant linear polarization as well as a characteristic prolonged bow-shock shape. These features give hints about the presence of a non-spherical dusty envelope generated\nby the bow shock. The Dusty S-cluster Object (also denoted as G2) shows similar characteristics and it is a candidate for the closest bow shock with a detected proper motion in the vicinity of Sgr A*, with the pericentre distance of only approx. 2000 Schwarzschild radii. However, in the continuum emission it is a point-like source and hence we use Monte Carlo radiative transfer modeling to reveal its possible three-dimensional structure. Alongside the spectral energy distribution, the detection of polarized continuum emission in the near-infrared Ks-band (2.2 micrometers) puts additional constraints on the geometry of the source
Infrared-excess Source DSO/G2 Near the Galactic Center: Theory vs. Observations
Based on the monitoring of the Dusty S-cluster Object (DSO/G2) during its closest approach to the Galactic Center supermassive black hole in 2014 and 2015 with ESO VLT/SINFONI, we further explore the model of a young, accreting star to explain observed spectral and morphological features. The stellar scenario is supported by our ndings, i.e., ionized-hydrogen emission from the DSO that remains spatially compact before and after the peribothron passage. The detection of DSO/G2 object as a compact single-peak emission-line source is not consistent with the original hypothesis of a core-less cloud that is necessarily tidally stretched, hence producing a double-peak emission line prole around the pericentre passage. This strengthens the evidence that the DSO/G2 source is a dust-enshrouded young star that appears to be in an accretion phase. The infall of material from the circumstellar disc onto the stellar surface can contribute signicantly to the emission of Br line as well as the observed large line width of the order of 10 angstrom