3,017 research outputs found
Dozens of compact and high velocity-dispersion early-type galaxies in Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Aims. We aim at finding candidates of potential survivors of high-redshift
compact galaxies in SDSS, as targets for more detailed follow-up observations.
Methods. From the virial theorem it is expected that for a given mass,
compact galaxies have stellar velocity dispersion higher than the mean due to
their smaller sizes. Therefore velocity dispersion coupled with size (or mass)
is an appropriate method to select relics, independent of the stellar
population properties. Based on these consideration we design a set of criteria
using distribution of early-type galaxies from SDSS on the
log(R)-log() plane to find the most extreme
objects on it.
Results. We find 76 galaxies at 0.05 < z < 0.2, which have properties similar
to the typical quiescent galaxies at high redshift. We study how well these
galaxies fit on well-known local universe relations of early-type galaxies such
as the fundamental plane, the red sequence or mass-size relations. As expected
from the selection criteria, the candidates are located in an extreme corner of
mass-size plane. However, they do not extend as deeply into the so-called zone
of exclusion as some of the high-redshift compact galaxies ('red nuggets')
found at high redshift, being a factor 2-3 less massive at a given intrinsic
scale size. Our candidates are systematically offset from scaling relations of
average early-type galaxies, while being in the mass-size range expected for
passive evolution of the red nuggets from their high redshift to the present.
Conclusions. The 76 selected candidates form a well suited set of objects for
further follow-up observations. We argue that selecting a high velocity
dispersion is the best way to find analogues of compact high redshift galaxies
in the local universe.Comment: 37 pages, 24 figures, accepted for publication in A&
The dynamical distance and intrinsic structure of the globular cluster omega Centauri
We determine the dynamical distance D, inclination i, mass-to-light ratio M/L
and the intrinsic orbital structure of the globular cluster omega Cen, by
fitting axisymmetric dynamical models to the ground-based proper motions of van
Leeuwen et al. and line-of-sight velocities from four independent data-sets. We
correct the observed velocities for perspective rotation caused by the space
motion of the cluster, and show that the residual solid-body rotation component
in the proper motions can be taken out without any modelling other than
assuming axisymmetry. This also provides a tight constraint on D tan i.
Application of our axisymmetric implementation of Schwarzschild's orbit
superposition method to omega Cen reveals no dynamical evidence for a
significant radial dependence of M/L. The best-fit dynamical model has a
stellar V-band mass-to-light ratio M/L_V = 2.5 +/- 0.1 M_sun/L_sun and an
inclination i = 50 +/- 4 degrees, which corresponds to an average intrinsic
axial ratio of 0.78 +/- 0.03. The best-fit dynamical distance D = 4.8 +/- 0.3
kpc (distance modulus 13.75 +/- 0.13 mag) is significantly larger than obtained
by means of simple spherical or constant-anisotropy axisymmetric dynamical
models, and is consistent with the canonical value 5.0 +/- 0.2 kpc obtained by
photometric methods. The total mass of the cluster is (2.5 +/- 0.3) x 10^6
M_sun. The best-fit model is close to isotropic inside a radius of about 10
arcmin and becomes increasingly tangentially anisotropic in the outer region,
which displays significant mean rotation. This phase-space structure may well
be caused by the effects of the tidal field of the Milky Way. The cluster
contains a separate disk-like component in the radial range between 1 and 3
arcmin, contributing about 4% to the total mass.Comment: 37 pages (23 figures), accepted for publication in A&A, abstract
abridged, for PS and PDF file with full resolution figures, see
http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~vdven/oc
A Stellar Dynamical Mass Measurement of the Black Hole in NGC 3998 from Keck Adaptive Optics Observations
We present a new stellar dynamical mass measurement of the black hole in the
nearby, S0 galaxy NGC 3998. By combining laser guide star adaptive optics
observations obtained with the OH-Suppressing Infrared Imaging Spectrograph on
the Keck II telescope with long-slit spectroscopy from the Hubble Space
Telescope and the Keck I telescope, we map out the stellar kinematics on both
small spatial scales, well within the black hole sphere of influence, and on
large scales. We find that the galaxy is rapidly rotating and exhibits a sharp
central peak in the velocity dispersion. Using the kinematics and the stellar
luminosity density derived from imaging observations, we construct
three-integral, orbit-based, triaxial stellar dynamical models. We find the
black hole has a mass of M_BH = (8.1_{-1.9}^{+2.0}) x 10^8 M_sun, with an
I-band stellar mass-to-light ratio of M/L = 5.0_{-0.4}^{+0.3} M_sun/L_sun
(3-sigma uncertainties), and that the intrinsic shape of the galaxy is very
round, but oblate. With the work presented here, NGC 3998 is now one of a very
small number of galaxies for which both stellar and gas dynamical modeling have
been used to measure the mass of the black hole. The stellar dynamical mass is
nearly a factor of four larger than the previous gas dynamical black hole mass
measurement. Given that this cross-check has so far only been attempted on a
few galaxies with mixed results, carrying out similar studies in other objects
is essential for quantifying the magnitude and distribution of the cosmic
scatter in the black hole mass - host galaxy relations.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Towards Precision Supermassive Black Hole Masses using Megamaser Disks
Megamaser disks provide the most precise and accurate extragalactic
supermassive black hole masses. Here we describe a search for megamasers in
nearby galaxies using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). We focus on galaxies
where we believe that we can resolve the gravitational sphere of influence of
the black hole and derive a stellar or gas dynamical measurement with optical
or NIR observations. Since there are only a handful of super massive black
holes (SMBH) that have direct black hole mass measurements from more than one
method, even a single galaxy with a megamaser disk and a stellar dynamical
black hole mass would provide necessary checks on the stellar dynamical
methods. We targeted 87 objects from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Massive Galaxy
Survey, and detected no new maser disks. Most of the targeted objects are
elliptical galaxies with typical stellar velocity dispersions of 250 km/s and
distances within 130 Mpc. We discuss the implications of our non-detections,
whether they imply a threshold X-ray luminosity required for masing, or
possibly reflect the difficulty of maintaining a masing disk around much more
massive (>10^8 Msun) black holes at low Eddington ratio. Given the power of
maser disks at probing black hole accretion and demographics, we suggest that
future maser searches should endeavour to remove remaining sample biases, in
order to sort out the importance of these covariant effects.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, Apj, updated to match the accepted versio
Estimating Black Hole Masses in Triaxial Galaxies
Most of the super massive black hole mass estimates based on stellar
kinematics use the assumption that galaxies are axisymmetric oblate spheroids
or spherical. Here we use fully general triaxial orbit-based models to explore
the effect of relaxing the axisymmetric assumption on the previously studied
galaxies M32 and NGC 3379. We find that M32 can only be modeled accurately
using an axisymmetric shape viewed nearly edge-on and our black hole mass
estimate is identical to previous studies. When the observed 5 degrees
kinematical twist is included in our model of NGC 3379, the best shape is
mildly triaxial and we find that our best-fitting black hole mass estimate
doubles with respect to the axisymmetric model. This particular black hole mass
estimate is still within the errors of that of the axisymmetric model and
consistent with the M-sigma relationship. However, this effect may have a
pronounced impact on black hole demography, since roughly a third of the most
massive galaxies are strongly triaxial.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 11 pages, 9 figures. PDFlate
Long-term Follow-up in Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease: Assessing determinants of outcome after the Fontan operation and Tetralogy of Fallot repair
In this thesis the long-term results of patients with Tetralogy of Fallot and the Fontan circulation are described
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