233 research outputs found
SALT Long-slit Spectroscopy of Luminous Obscured Quasars: An Upper Limit on the Size of the Narrow-Line Region?
We present spatially resolved long-slit spectroscopy from the Southern
African Large Telescope (SALT) to examine the spatial extent of the narrow-line
regions (NLRs) of a sample of 8 luminous obscured quasars at 0.10 < z < 0.43.
Our results are consistent with an observed shallow slope in the relationship
between NLR size and L_[OIII], which has been interpreted to indicate that NLR
size is limited by the density and ionization state of the NLR gas rather than
the availability of ionizing photons. We also explore how the NLR size scales
with a more direct measure of instantaneous AGN power using mid-IR photometry
from WISE, which probes warm to hot dust near the central black hole and so,
unlike [OIII], does not depend on the properties of the NLR. Using our results
as well as samples from the literature, we obtain a power-law relationship
between NLR size and L_8micron that is significantly steeper than that observed
for NLR size and L_[OIII]. We find that the size of the NLR goes approximately
as L^(1/2)_8micron, as expected from the simple scenario of constant-density
clouds illuminated by a central ionizing source. We further see tentative
evidence for a flattening of the relationship between NLR size and L_8micron at
the high luminosity end, and propose that we are seeing a limiting NLR size of
10 - 20 kpc, beyond which the availability of gas to ionize becomes too low. We
find that L_[OIII] ~ L_8micron^(1.4), consistent with a picture in which the
L_[OIII] is dependent on the volume of the NLR. These results indicate that
high-luminosity quasars have a strong effect in ionizing the available gas in a
galaxy.Comment: 9 Pages, 5 figures, accepted to Ap
Composite Spectral Energy Distributions and Infrared-Optical Colors of Type 1 and Type 2 Quasars
We present observed mid-infrared and optical colors and composite spectral
energy distributions (SEDs) of type 1 (broad-line) and 2 (narrow-line) quasars
selected from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopy. A significant
fraction of powerful quasars are obscured by dust, and are difficult to detect
in optical photometric or spectroscopic surveys. However these may be more
easily identified on the basis of mid-infrared (MIR) colors and SEDs. Using
samples of SDSS type 1 type 2 matched in redshift and [OIII] luminosity, we
produce composite rest-frame 0.2-15 micron SEDs based on SDSS, UKIDSS, and
Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) photometry and perform model fits
using simple galaxy and quasar SED templates. The SEDs of type 1 and 2 quasars
are remarkably similar, with the differences explained primarily by the
extinction of the quasar component in the type 2 systems. For both types of
quasar, the flux of the AGN relative to the host galaxy increases with AGN
luminosity (L_[OIII]) and redder observed MIR color, but we find only weak
dependencies of the composite SEDs on mechanical jet power as determined
through radio luminosity. We conclude that luminous quasars can be effectively
selected using simple MIR color criteria similar to those identified previously
(W1-W2 > 0.7 [Vega]), although these criteria miss many heavily obscured
objects. Obscured quasars can be further identified based on optical-IR colors
(for example, (u-W3 [AB]) > 1.4(W1-W2 [Vega])+3.2). These results illustrate
the power of large statistical studies of obscured quasars selected on the
basis of mid-IR and optical photometry.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; 14 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables;
composite Type 1 and Type 2 quasar SEDs available at
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~hickox/Hickox2017_QSO_SED_Table1.tx
Gemini Long-slit Observations of Luminous Obscured Quasars: Further Evidence for an Upper Limit on the Size of the Narrow-Line Region
We examine the spatial extent of the narrow-line regions (NLRs) of a sample
of 30 luminous obscured quasars at observed with spatially
resolved Gemini-N GMOS long-slit spectroscopy. Using the [OIII]
emission feature, we estimate the size of the NLR using a cosmology-independent
measurement: the radius where the surface brightness falls to 10 erg
s cm arcsec. We then explore the effects of atmospheric
seeing on NLR size measurements and conclude that direct measurements of the
NLR size from observed profiles are too large by 0.1 - 0.2 dex on average, as
compared to measurements made to best-fit S\'{e}rsic or Voigt profiles
convolved with the seeing. These data, which span a full order of magnitude in
IR luminosity () also provide strong evidence that there is a flattening of the
relationship between NLR size and AGN luminosity at a seeing-corrected size of
kpc. The objects in this sample have high luminosities which place
them in a previously under-explored portion of the size-luminosity
relationship. These results support the existence of a maximal size of the
narrow-line region around luminous quasars; beyond this size either there is
not enough gas, or the gas is over-ionized and does not produce enough
[OIII] emission.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
The debris disk - terrestrial planet connection
The eccentric orbits of the known extrasolar giant planets provide evidence
that most planet-forming environments undergo violent dynamical instabilities.
Here, we numerically simulate the impact of giant planet instabilities on
planetary systems as a whole. We find that populations of inner rocky and outer
icy bodies are both shaped by the giant planet dynamics and are naturally
correlated. Strong instabilities -- those with very eccentric surviving giant
planets -- completely clear out their inner and outer regions. In contrast,
systems with stable or low-mass giant planets form terrestrial planets in their
inner regions and outer icy bodies produce dust that is observable as debris
disks at mid-infrared wavelengths. Fifteen to twenty percent of old stars are
observed to have bright debris disks (at wavelengths of ~70 microns) and we
predict that these signpost dynamically calm environments that should contain
terrestrial planets.Comment: Contribution to proceedings of IAU 276: Astrophysics of Planetary
System
Probing the Inner Circumgalactic Medium and Quasar Illumination around the Reddest `Extremely Red Quasar' (ERQ)
Dusty quasars might be in a young stage of galaxy evolution with prominent
quasar feedback. A recently discovered population of luminous, extremely red
quasars at ~2--4 has extreme spectral properties related to
exceptionally powerful quasar-driven outflows. We present Keck/KCWI
observations of the reddest known ERQ, at \,2.3184, with extremely fast
[\ion{O}{III}]~5007 outflow at 6000~km~s. The Ly
halo spans 100~kpc. The halo is kinematically quiet, with velocity
dispersion 300~km~s and no broadening above the dark matter
circular velocity down to the spatial resolution 6~kpc from the quasar.
We detect spatially-resolved \ion{He}{II}~1640 and
\ion{C}{IV}~1549 emissions with kinematics similar to the Ly
halo and a narrow component in the [\ion{O}{III}]~5007. Quasar
reddening acts as a coronagraph allowing views of the innermost halo. A narrow
Ly spike in the quasar spectrum is inner halo emission, confirming the
broad \ion{C}{IV}~1549 in the unresolved quasar is blueshifted by
~km~s relative to the halo frame. We propose the inner halo is
dominated by moderate-speed outflow driven in the past and the outer halo
dominated by inflow. The high central concentration of the halo and the
symmetric morphology of the inner region are consistent with the ERQ being in
earlier evolutionary stage than blue quasars. The
\ion{He}{II}~1640/Ly ratio of the inner halo and the asymmetry
level of the overall halo are dissimilar to Type~II quasars, suggesting unique
physical conditions for this ERQ that are beyond orientation differences from
other quasar populations. We find no evidence of mechanical quasar feedback in
the Ly-emitting halo.Comment: 20 pages, 18 figures, published in MNRA
First results from Faint Infrared Grism Survey (FIGS): first simultaneous detection of Lyman-alpha emission and Lyman break from a galaxy at z=7.51
Galaxies at high redshifts provide a valuable tool to study cosmic dawn, and
therefore it is crucial to reliably identify these galaxies. Here, we present
an unambiguous and first simultaneous detection of both the Lyman-alpha
emission and the Lyman break from a z = 7.512+/- 0.004 galaxy, observed in the
Faint Infrared Grism Survey (FIGS). These spectra, taken with G102 grism on
Hubble Space Telescope (HST), show a significant emission line detection (6
sigma) in multiple observational position angles (PA), with total integrated
Ly{\alpha} line flux of 1.06+/- 0.12 e10-17erg s-1cm-2. The line flux is nearly
a factor of four higher than the previous MOSFIRE spectroscopic observations of
faint Ly{\alpha} emission at {\lambda} = 1.0347{\mu}m, yielding z = 7.5078+/-
0.0004. This is consistent with other recent observations implying that
ground-based near-infrared spectroscopy underestimates total emission line
fluxes, and if confirmed, can have strong implications for reionization studies
that are based on ground-based Lyman-{\alpha} measurements. A 4-{\sigma}
detection of the NV line in one PA also suggests a weak Active Galactic Nucleus
(AGN), potentially making this source the highest-redshift AGN yet found. Thus,
this observation from the Hubble Space Telescope clearly demonstrates the
sensitivity of the FIGS survey, and the capability of grism spectroscopy to
study the epoch of reionization.Comment: Published in ApJL; matches published versio
Candidate Type II Quasars at 2 < z < 4.3 in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III
At low redshifts, dust-obscured quasars often have strong yet narrow
permitted lines in the rest-frame optical and ultraviolet, excited by the
central active nucleus, earning the designation Type II quasars. We present a
sample of 145 candidate Type II quasars at redshifts between 2 and 4.3,
encompassing the epoch at which quasar activity peaked in the universe. These
objects, selected from the quasar sample of the Baryon Oscillation
Spectroscopic Survey of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III, are characterized by
weak continuum in the rest-frame ultraviolet (typical continuum magnitude of i
\approx 22) and strong lines of CIV and Ly \alpha, with Full Width at Half
Maximum less than 2000 kms-1. The continuum magnitudes correspond to an
absolute magnitude of -23 or brighter at redshift 3, too bright to be due
exclusively to the host galaxies of these objects. Roughly one third of the
objects are detected in the shorter-wavelength bands of the WISE survey; the
spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of these objects appear to be intermediate
between classic Type I and Type II quasars seen at lower redshift. Five objects
are detected at rest frame 6\mu m by Spitzer, implying bolometric luminosities
of several times 10^46 erg s-1. We have obtained polarization measurements for
two objects; they are roughly 3% polarized. We suggest that these objects are
luminous quasars, with modest dust extinction (A_V ~ 0.5 mag), whose
ultraviolet continuum also includes a substantial scattering contribution.
Alternatively, the line of sight to the central engines of these objects may be
partially obscured by optically thick material.Comment: 26 pages, 13 figures, 10 tables, 4 machine readable tables. Accepted
for publication in MNRA
A Spectroscopic Survey of Faint Quasars in the SDSS Deep Stripe: I. Preliminary Results from the Co-added Catalog
In this paper we present the first results of a deep spectroscopic survey of
faint quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Southern Survey, a deep
survey carried out by repeatedly imaging a 270 deg^2 area. Quasar candidates
were selected from the deep data with good completeness over 0<z<5, and 2 to 3
magnitudes fainter than the SDSS main survey. Spectroscopic follow-up was
carried out on the 6.5m MMT with Hectospec. The preliminary sample of this SDSS
faint quasar survey (hereafter SFQS) covers ~ 3.9 deg^2, contains 414 quasars,
and reaches g=22.5. The overall selection efficiency is ~ 66% (~ 80% at
g<21.5); the efficiency in the most difficult redshift range (2<z<3) is better
than 40%. We use the 1/V_{a} method to derive a binned estimate of the quasar
luminosity function (QLF) and model the QLF using maximum likelihood analysis.
The best model fits confirm previous results showing that the QLF has steep
slopes at the bright end and much flatter slopes (-1.25 at z<2.0 and -1.55 at
z>2.0) at the faint end, indicating a break in the QLF slope. Using a
luminosity-dependent density evolution model, we find that the quasar density
at M_{g}<-22.5 peaks at z~2, which is later in cosmic time than the peak of
z~2.5 found from surveys of more luminous objects. The SFQS QLF is consistent
with the results of the 2dF QSO Redshift Survey, the SDSS, and the 2dF-SDSS LRG
and QSO Survey, but probes fainter quasars. We plan to obtain more quasars from
future observations and establish a complete faint quasar sample with more than
1000 objects over 10 deg^2.Comment: 25 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A
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