194 research outputs found
Extremely Anisotropic Scintillations
A small number of quasars exhibit interstellar scintillation on time-scales
less than an hour; their scintillation patterns are all known to be
anisotropic. Here we consider a totally anisotropic model in which the
scintillation pattern is effectively one-dimensional. For the persistent rapid
scintillators J1819+3845 and PKS1257-326 we show that this model offers a good
description of the two-station time-delay measurements and the annual cycle in
the scintillation time-scale. Generalising the model to finite anisotropy
yields a better match to the data but the improvement is not significant and
the two additional parameters which are required to describe this model are not
justified by the existing data. The extreme anisotropy we infer for the
scintillation patterns must be attributed to the scattering medium rather than
a highly elongated source. For J1819+3845 the totally anisotropic model
predicts that the particular radio flux variations seen between mid July and
late August should repeat between late August and mid November, and then again
between mid November and late December as the Earth twice changes its direction
of motion across the scintillation pattern. If this effect can be observed then
the minor-axis velocity component of the screen and the orientation of that
axis can both be precisely determined. In reality the axis ratio is finite,
albeit large, and spatial decorrelation of the flux pattern along the major
axis may be observable via differences in the pairwise fluxes within this
overlap region; in this case we can also constrain both the major-axis velocity
component of the screen and the magnitude of the anisotropy.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, MNRAS submitte
The microarcsecond structure of an active galactic nucleus jet via interstellar scintillation
We describe a new tool for studying the structure and physical
characteristics of ultracompact AGN jets and their surroundings with
microarcsecond precision. This tool is based on the frequency dependence of the
light curves observed for intra-day variable radio sources, where the
variability is caused by interstellar scintillation. We apply this method to
PKS1257-326 to resolve the core-shift as a function of frequency on scales well
below ~12 microarcseconds. We find that the frequency dependence of the
position of the scintillating component is r \propto \nu^{-0.1 \pm 0.24} (99%
confidence interval) and the frequency dependence of the size of the
scintillating component is d \propto \nu^{-0.64 \pm 0.006}. Together, these
results imply that the jet opening angle increases with distance along the jet:
d \propto r^{n_d}$ with n_d > 1.8. We show that the flaring of the jet, and
flat frequency dependence of the core position is broadly consistent with a
model in which the jet is hydrostatically confined and traversing a steep
pressure gradient in the confining medium with p \propto r^{-n_p} and n_p > 7.
Such steep pressure gradients have previously been suggested based on VLBI
studies of the frequency dependent core shifts in AGN.Comment: accepted for publication in Ap
Dual-Frequency Observations of 140 Compact, Flat-Spectrum Active Galactic Nuclei for Scintillation-Induced Variability
The 4.9 GHz Micro-Arcsecond Scintillation-Induced Variability (MASIV) Survey
detected a drop in Interstellar Scintillation (ISS) for sources at redshifts z
> 2, indicating an apparent increase in angular diameter or a decrease in flux
density of the most compact components of these sources, relative to their
extended emission. This can result from intrinsic source size effects or
scatter broadening in the Intergalactic Medium (IGM), in excess of the expected
(1+z)^0.5 angular diameter scaling of brightness temperature limited sources
due to cosmological expansion. We report here 4.9 GHz and 8.4 GHz observations
and data analysis for a sample of 140 compact, flat-spectrum sources which may
allow us to determine the origin of this angular diameter-redshift relation by
exploiting their different wavelength dependences. In addition to using ISS as
a cosmological probe, the observations provide additional insight into source
morphologies and the characteristics of ISS. As in the MASIV Survey, the
variability of the sources is found to be significantly correlated with
line-of-sight H-alpha intensities, confirming its link with ISS. For 25
sources, time delays of about 0.15 to 3 days are observed between the
scintillation patterns at both frequencies, interpreted as being caused by a
shift in core positions when probed at different optical depths. Significant
correlation is found between ISS amplitudes and source spectral index; in
particular, a large drop in ISS amplitudes is observed at spectral indices of <
-0.4 confirming that steep spectrum sources scintillate less. We detect a
weakened redshift dependence of ISS at 8.4 GHz over that at 4.9 GHz, with the
mean variance at 4-day timescales reduced by a factor of 1.8 in the z > 2
sources relative to the z < 2 sources, as opposed to the factor of 3 decrease
observed at 4.9 GHz. This suggests scatter broadening in the IGM.Comment: 30 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in the Astronomical
Journa
The Deep X-ray Radio Blazar Survey (DXRBS). II. New Identifications
We have searched the archived, pointed ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional
Counter data for blazars by correlating the WGACAT X-ray database with several
publicly available radio catalogs, restricting our candidate list to
serendipitous X-ray sources with a flat radio spectrum (alpha_r <= 0.70). This
makes up the Deep X-ray Radio Blazar Survey (DXRBS). Here we present new
identifications and spectra for 106 sources, including 86 radio-loud quasars,
11 BL Lacertae objects, and 9 narrow-line radio galaxies. Together with our
previously published objects and already known sources, our sample now contains
298 identified objects: 234 radio-loud quasars (181 flat-spectrum quasars: FSRQ
[alpha_r <= 0.50] and 53 steep-spectrum quasars: SSRQ), 36 BL Lacs, and 28
narrow-line radio galaxies. Redshift information is available for 96% of these.
Thus our selection technique is ~ 90% efficient at finding radio-loud quasars
and BL Lacs. Reaching 5 GHz radio fluxes ~ 50 mJy and 0.1-2.0 keV X-ray fluxes
a few x 10^-14 erg/cm^2/s, DXRBS is the faintest and largest flat-spectrum
radio sample with nearly complete (~ 85%) identification. We review the
properties of the DXRBS blazar sample, including redshift distribution and
coverage of the X-ray-radio power plane for quasars and BL Lacs. Additionally,
we touch upon the expanded multiwavelength view of blazars provided by DXRBS.
By sampling for the first time the faint end of the radio and X-ray luminosity
functions, this sample will allow us to investigate the blazar phenomenon and
the validity of unified schemes down to relatively low powers.Comment: 33 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Postscript
file also available at http://www.stsci.edu/~padovani/survey.htm
Parsec-scale radio morphology and variability of a changing-look AGN: the case of Mrk 590
We investigate the origin of the parsec-scale radio emission from the
changing-look active galactic nucleus (AGN) of Mrk 590, and examine whether the
radio power has faded concurrently with the dramatic decrease in accretion
rates observed between the 1990s and the present. We detect a compact core at
1.6 GHz and 8.4 GHz using new Very Long Baseline Array observations, finding no
significant extended, jet-like features down to 1 pc scales. The flat
spectral index () and high brightness temperature
() indicate self-absorbed synchrotron emission
from the AGN. The radio to X-ray luminosity ratio of , similar to that in coronally active stars, suggests
emission from magnetized coronal winds, although unresolved radio jets are also
consistent with the data. Comparing new Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array
measurements with archival and published radio flux densities, we find ,
, and (insignificantly) flux density decreases between the 1990s
and the year 2015 at 1.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 8.4 GHz respectively. This trend,
possibly due to the expansion and fading of internal shocks within the
radio-emitting outflow after a recent outburst, is consistent with the decline
of the optical-UV and X-ray luminosities over the same period. Such correlated
variability demonstrates the AGN accretion-outflow connection, confirming that
the changing-look behaviour in Mrk 590 originates from variable accretion rates
rather than dust obscuration. The present radio and X-ray luminosity
correlation, consistent with low/hard state accretion, suggests that the black
hole may now be accreting in a radiatively inefficient mode.Comment: 14 pages, 5 tables, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
A transistorized constant current converter
The circuit for a constant-current converter is presented. This provides a practical method for correcting the distortions of the stimulus current pulse resulting from variations in electrode impedance.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/32205/1/0000264.pd
Observations of Intrahour Variable Quasars: Scattering in our Galactic Neighbourhood
Interstellar scintillation (ISS) has been established as the cause of the
random variations seen at centimetre wavelengths in many compact radio sources
on timescales of a day or less. Observations of ISS can be used to probe
structure both in the ionized insterstellar medium of the Galaxy, and in the
extragalactic sources themselves, down to microarcsecond scales. A few quasars
have been found to show large amplitude scintillations on unusually rapid,
intrahour timescales. This has been shown to be due to weak scattering in very
local Galactic ``screens'', within a few tens of parsec of the Sun. The short
variability timescales allow detailed study of the scintillation properties in
relatively short observing periods with compact interferometric arrays. The
three best-studied ``intrahour variable'' quasars, PKS 0405-385, J1819+3845 and
PKS 1257-326, have been instrumental in establishing ISS as the principal cause
of intraday variability at centimetre wavelengths. Here we review the relevant
results from observations of these three sources.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Astronomical and Astrophysical
Transaction
EVN & MERLIN studies of a new sample of BL Lac objects
The recent Deep X-ray Radio Blazar Survey (DXRBS) has identified a sample of BL Lac objects spanning the intermediate range of spectral energy distributions between “classical” X-ray selected and radio-selected samples of BL Lacs. Detailed studies of such samples are needed to answer some of the currently open questions regarding the nature of BL Lacs and their place in a unified model of AGN. High-resolution radio imaging provides direct information on jet evolution and beaming parameters. We present some preliminary results from EVN & MERLIN observations of sources in the DXRBS BL Lac sample for which little or no high-resolution radio data were previously available
Rapid interstellar scintillation of PKS B1257-326: two-station pattern time delays and constraints on scattering and microarcsecond source structure
We report measurements of time delays of up to 8 minutes in the centimeter
wavelength variability patterns of the intra-hour scintillating quasar PKS
1257-326 as observed between the VLA and the ATCA on three separate epochs.
These time delays confirm interstellar scintillation as the mechanism
responsible for the rapid variability, at the same time effectively ruling out
the coexistence of intrinsic intra-hour variability in this source. The time
delays are combined with measurements of the annual variation in variability
timescale exhibited by this source to determine the characteristic length scale
and anisotropy of the quasar's intensity scintillation pattern, as well as
attempting to fit for the bulk velocity of the scattering plasma responsible
for the scintillation. We find evidence for anisotropic scattering and highly
elongated scintillation patterns at both 4.9 and 8.5 GHz, with an axial ratio >
10:1, extended in a northwest direction on the sky. The characteristic scale of
the scintillation pattern along its minor axis is well determined, but the high
anisotropy leads to degenerate solutions for the scintillation velocity. The
decorrelation of the pattern over the baseline gives an estimate of the major
axis length scale of the scintillation pattern. We derive an upper limit on the
distance to the scattering plasma of no more than 10 pc.Comment: 27 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
HI emission and absorption in nearby, gas-rich galaxies II. -- sample completion and detection of intervening absorption in NGC 5156
We present the results of a survey for intervening 21cm HI absorption in a
sample of 10 nearby, gas-rich galaxies selected from the HI Parkes All-Sky
Survey (HIPASS). This follows the six HIPASS galaxies searched in previous work
and completes our full sample. In this paper we searched for absorption along
17 sightlines with impact parameters between 6 and 46 kpc, making one new
detection. We also obtained simultaneous HI emission-line data, allowing us to
directly relate the absorption-line detection rate to the HI distribution. From
this we find the majority of the non-detections in the current sample are
because sightline does not intersect the HI disc of the galaxy at sufficiently
high column density, but that source structure is also an important factor.
The detected absorption-line arises in the galaxy NGC 5156 () at an
impact parameter of 19 kpc. The line is deep and narrow with an integrated
optical depth of 0.82 km s. High resolution Australia Telescope Compact
Array (ATCA) images at 5 and 8 GHz reveal that the background source is
resolved into two components with a separation of 2.6 arcsec (500 pc at the
redshift of the galaxy), with the absorption likely occurring against a single
component. We estimate that the ratio of the spin temperature and covering
factor, , is approximately 950 K in the outer disc of NGC
5156, but further observations using VLBI would allow us to accurately measure
the covering factor and spin temperature of the gas.Comment: 31 pages, 11 figure
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