13,307 research outputs found
Investigating the Structure of the Windy Torus in Quasars
Thermal mid-infrared emission of quasars requires an obscuring structure that
can be modeled as a magneto-hydrodynamic wind in which radiation pressure on
dust shapes the outflow. We have taken the dusty wind models presented by
Keating and collaborators that generated quasar mid-infrared spectral energy
distributions (SEDs), and explored their properties (such as geometry, opening
angle, and ionic column densities) as a function of Eddington ratio and X-ray
weakness. In addition, we present new models with a range of magnetic field
strengths and column densities of the dust-free shielding gas interior to the
dusty wind. We find this family of models -- with input parameters tuned to
accurately match the observed mid-IR power in quasar SEDs -- provides
reasonable values of the Type 1 fraction of quasars and the column densities of
warm absorber gas, though it does not explain a purely luminosity-dependent
covering fraction for either. Furthermore, we provide predictions of the
cumulative distribution of E(B-V) values of quasars from extinction by the wind
and the shape of the wind as imaged in the mid-infrared. Within the framework
of this model, we predict that the strength of the near-infrared bump from hot
dust emission will be correlated primarily with L/L_Edd rather than luminosity
alone, with scatter induced by the distribution of magnetic field strengths.
The empirical successes and shortcomings of these models warrant further
investigations into the composition and behaviour of dust and the nature of
magnetic fields in the vicinity of actively accreting supermassive black holes.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Cosmic Pathways for Compact Groups in the Milli-Millennium Simulation
We detected 10 compact galaxy groups (CGs) at in the semi-analytic
galaxy catalog of Guo et al. (2011) for the milli-Millennium Cosmological
Simulation (sCGs in mGuo2010a). We aimed to identify potential canonical
pathways for compact group evolution and thus illuminate the history of
observed nearby compact groups. By constructing merger trees for sCG
galaxies, we studied the cosmological evolution of key properties, and compared
them with Hickson CGs (HCGs). We found that, once sCG galaxies come
within 1 (0.5) Mpc of their most massive galaxy, they remain within that
distance until , suggesting sCG "birth redshifts". At stellar masses
of sCG most-massive galaxies are within . In several cases, especially in the two 4- and 5-member
systems, the amount of cold gas mass anti-correlates with stellar mass, which
in turn correlates with hot gas mass. We define the angular difference between
group members' 3D velocity vectors, , and note that
many of the groups are long-lived because their small values of
indicate a significant parallel component. For
triplets in particular, values range between
and so that galaxies are coming together along
roughly parallel paths, and pairwise separations do not show large pronounced
changes after close encounters. The best agreement between sCG and HCG physical
properties is for galaxy values, but HCG values are higher overall,
including for SFRs. Unlike HCGs, due to a tail at low SFR and , and a
lack of galaxies, only a few sCG galaxies
are on the star-forming main sequence.Comment: Style fixes to better match ApJ published version. Uses likeapj1.1
style files: 17 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables. LaTex style files available at
https://github.com/qtast/likeapj/releases/lates
Major impact from a minor merger - The extraordinary hot molecular gas flow in the Eye of the NGC 4194 Medusa galaxy
Minor mergers are important processes contributing significantly to how
galaxies evolve across the age of the Universe. Their impact on supermassive
black hole growth and star formation is profound. The detailed study of dense
molecular gas in galaxies provides an important test of the validity of the
relation between star formation rate and HCN luminosity on different galactic
scales. We use observations of HCN, HCO+1-0 and CO3-2 to study the dense gas
properties in the Medusa merger. We calculate the brightness temperature ratios
and use them in conjunction with a non-LTE radiative line transfer model. The
HCN and HCO+1-0, and CO3-2 emission do not occupy the same structures as the
less dense gas associated with the lower-J CO emission. The only emission from
dense gas is detected in a 200pc region within the "Eye of the Medusa". No HCN
or HCO+ is detected for the extended starburst. The CO3-2/2-1 brightness
temperature ratio inside "the Eye" is ~2.5 - the highest ratio found so far.
The line ratios reveal an extreme, fragmented molecular cloud population inside
"the Eye" with large temperatures (>300K) and high gas densities (>10^4 cm^-3).
"The Eye" is found at an interface between a large-scale minor axis inflow and
the Medusa central region. The extreme conditions inside "the Eye" may be the
result of the radiative and mechanical feedback from a deeply embedded, young,
massive super star cluster, formed due to the gas pile-up at the intersection.
Alternatively, shocks from the inflowing gas may be strong enough to shock and
fragment the gas. For both scenarios, however, it appears that the HCN and HCO+
dense gas tracers are not probing star formation, but instead a post-starburst
and/or shocked ISM that is too hot and fragmented to form new stars. Thus,
caution is advised in linking the detection of emission from dense gas tracers
to evidence of ongoing or imminent star formation.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in A&
Molecular tendrils feeding star formation in the Eye of the Medusa - The Medusa merger in high resolution 12CO 2-1 maps
Studying molecular gas properties in merging galaxies gives us important
clues to the onset and evolution of interaction-triggered starbursts. NGC4194
is particularly interesting to study since its FIR-to-CO luminosity ratio
rivals that of ULIRGs,despite its lower luminosity compared to ULIRGs, which
indicates a high star formation efficiency that is relative to even most
spirals and ULIRGs.We study the molecular medium at an angular resolution of
0.65"x .52" through our observations of CO2-1 emission using the SMA. We
compare our CO2-1 maps with optical HST and high angular resolution radio
continuum images to study the relationship between molecular gas and other
components of the starburst region. The molecular gas is tracing the
complicated dust lane structure of NGC4194 with the brightest emission being
located in an off-nuclear ring-like structure with ~320pc radius, the Eye of
the Medusa. The bulk CO emission of the ring is found south of the kinematical
center of NGC4194. The northern tip of the ring is associated with the galaxy
nucleus, where the radio continuum has its peak. A prominent, secondary
emission maximum in the radio continuum is located inside the molecular ring.
This suggests that the morphology of the ring is partially influenced by
massive supernova explosions. From the combined evidence, we propose that the
Eye of the Medusa contains a shell of swept up material where we identify a
number of giant molecular associations. We propose that the Eye may be the site
of an efficient starburst of 5-7M_sun/yr, but it would still constitute only a
fraction of the 30-50M_sun/yr SFR of NGC4194. Furthermore, we find that ~50% of
the molecular mass of NGC4194 is found in extended filamentary-like structures
tracing the minor and major axis dust lanes. We suggest that molecular gas is
transported along these lanes providing the central starburst region with fuel.Comment: accepted for publication in A&A, 12 pages, 9 figure
The Snapshot Hubble U-Band Cluster Survey (SHUCS) II. Star Cluster Population of NGC 2997
We study the star cluster population of NGC 2997, a giant spiral galaxy
located at 9.5 Mpc and targeted by the Snapshot Hubble U-band Cluster Survey
(SHUCS). Combining our U-band imaging from SHUCS with archival BVI imaging from
HST, we select a high confidence sample of clusters in the circumnuclear ring
and disk through a combination of automatic detection procedures and visual
inspection. The cluster luminosity functions in all four filters can be
approximated by power-laws with indices of to . Some deviations
from pure power-law shape are observed, hinting at the presence of a high-mass
truncation in the cluster mass function. However, upon inspection of the
cluster mass function, we find it is consistent with a pure power-law of index
despite a slight bend at M. No
statistically significant truncation is observed. From the cluster age
distributions, we find a low rate of disruption () in both the
disk and circumnuclear ring. Finally, we estimate the cluster formation
efficiency () over the last 100 Myr in each region, finding %
for the disk, % for the circumnuclear ring, and % for the
entire UBVI footprint. This study highlights the need for wide-field UBVI
coverage of galaxies to study cluster populations in detail, though a small
sample of clusters can provide significant insight into the characteristics of
the population.Comment: 31 pages, 9 figures, accepted to the A
Conditions for electron-cyclotron maser emission in the solar corona
Context. The Sun is an active source of radio emission ranging from long
duration radio bursts associated with solar flares and coronal mass ejections
to more complex, short duration radio bursts such as solar S bursts, radio
spikes and fibre bursts. While plasma emission is thought to be the dominant
emission mechanism for most radio bursts, the electron-cyclotron maser (ECM)
mechanism may be responsible for more complex, short-duration bursts as well as
fine structures associated with long-duration bursts. Aims. We investigate the
conditions for ECM in the solar corona by considering the ratio of the electron
plasma frequency {\omega}p to the electron-cyclotron frequency {\Omega}e. The
ECM is theoretically possible when {\omega}p/{\Omega}e < 1. Methods.
Two-dimensional electron density, magnetic field, plasma frequency, and
electron cyclotron frequency maps of the off- limb corona were created using
observations from SDO/AIA and SOHO/LASCO, together with potential field
extrapolations of the magnetic field. These maps were then used to calculate
{\omega}p/{\Omega}e and Alfven velocity maps of the off-limb corona. Results.
We found that the condition for ECM emission ({\omega}p/{\Omega}e < 1) is
possible at heights < 1.07 R_sun in an active region near the limb; that is,
where magnetic field strengths are > 40 G and electron densities are greater
than 3x10^8 cm-3. In addition, we found comparatively high Alfv\'en velocities
(> 0.02 c or > 6000 km s-1) at heights < 1.07 R_sun within the active region.
Conclusions. This demonstrates that the condition for ECM emission is satisfied
within areas of the corona containing large magnetic fields, such as the core
of a large active region. Therefore, ECM could be a possible emission mechanism
for high-frequency radio and microwave bursts.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Dopamine-D1 and δ-opioid receptors co-exist in rat striatal neurons
Cocaine’s enhancement of dopaminergic neurotransmission in the mesolimbic pathway plays a critical role in the initial reinforcing properties of this drug. However, other neurotransmitter systems are also integral to the addiction process. A large body of data indicates that opioids and dopamine together mediate emotional and reinforced behaviors. In support of this, cocaine-mediated increases in activation of dopamine D1 receptors (D1R) results in a desensitization of δ-opioid receptor (DOR) signaling through adenylyl cyclase (AC) in striatal neurons. To further define cellular mechanisms underlying this effect, the subcellular distribution of DOR and D1R was examined in the rat dorsolateral striatum. Dual immunoperoxidase/gold-silver detection combined with electron microscopy was used to identify DOR and D1R immunoreactivities in the same section of tissue. Semi-quantitative analysis revealed that a subset of dendritic cellular profiles exhibited both DOR and D1R immunoreactivities. Of 165 randomly sampled D1R immunoreactive profiles, 43% contained DOR. Similarly of 198 DOR-labeled cellular profiles, 52% contained D1R. The present data provide ultrastructural evidence for co-existence between DOR and D1R in striatal neurons, suggesting a possible mechanism whereby D1R modulation may alter DOR function
The Star Clusters in the Irregular Galaxy NGC 4449
We examine the star clusters in the irregular galaxy NGC 4449. We use a
near-infrared spectrum and broad-band images taken with the HST to place a
limit of 8--15 Myrs on the age of the bright central ojbect in NGC 4449. Its
luminosity and size suggest that it is comparable to young super star clusters.
However, there is a peculiar nucleated-bar structure at the center of this star
cluster, and we suggest that this structure is debris from the interaction that
has produced the counter-rotating gas systems and extended gas streamers in the
galaxy.
From the images we identify 60 other candidate compact star clusters in NGC
4449. Fourteen of these could be background elliptical galaxies or old globular
star clusters. Of the star clusters, three, in addition to the central object,
are potentially super star clusters, and many others are comparable to the
populous clusters found in the LMC. The star clusters span a large range in
ages with no obvious peak in cluster formation that might be attributed to the
interaction that the galaxy has experienced.Comment: To be published in PASP, Feb. 2001; also attainable from
ftp.lowell.edu, cd pub/dah/n4449pape
- …