WIKISKY.ORG
 Home Getting Started To Survive in the Universe News@Sky Astro Photo The Collection Forum Blog New! FAQ Press Login

NGC 3081

Contents

Images

DSS Images   Other Images

Related articles

 The stellar dynamics of spiral arms in barred spiral galaxiesA dynamical mechanism is proposed that explains the spiral structureobserved frequently as a continuation of the bars in barred spiralgalaxies. It is argued that the part of the spirals attached to the baris due to chaotic orbits. These are chaotic orbits that exhibit for longtime intervals a 4:1-resonance orbital behaviour. They are of the sametype of orbit as is responsible for the boxiness of the outer isophotesof the bar in cases like NGC 4314, as indicated by Patsis, Athanassoula& Quillen. The spirals formed this way are faint with respect to thebar, open as they wind out, and do not extend over an angle larger thanπ/2. A possible continuation of the spiral structure towards largerangles can be due to orbits trapped around stable periodic orbits at thecorotation region. We present a family of stable, banana-like periodicorbits, precessing as EJ increases, that can play this role. On the Fraction of X-Ray-obscured Quasars in the Local UniverseRecent wide-area hard X-ray and soft gamma-ray surveys have shown thatthe fraction of X-ray-obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in thelocal universe significantly decreases with intrinsic luminosity. Inthis Letter we point out that two corrections have to be made to thesamples: (1) radio-loud AGNs have to be excluded, since their X-rayemission might be dominated by the jet component, and (2) Compton-thicksources have to be excluded too, since their hard X-ray and softgamma-ray emission are also strongly attenuated by Compton scattering.The soft gamma-ray-selected AGN samples obtained by Swift and INTEGRALprovide the best opportunity to study the fraction of obscured AGNs inthe local universe in the least biased way. We choose these samples tocheck if the corrections could alter the above result on the fraction ofobscured AGNs. We find that before the corrections both samples showsignificant anticorrelation between LX and NH,indicating an obvious decrease in the fraction of obscured AGNs withluminosity. However, after the corrections, we find only marginalevidence of anticorrelation (at the 98% confidence level) in the Swiftsample and no evidence at all in the INTEGRAL sample, which consists ofa comparable number of objects. We conclude that current samples onlyshow a marginal decrease in the fraction of obscured AGNs in the localuniverse and that much larger samples are required in order to reach amore robust conclusion. The Inner Resonance Ring of NGC 3081. II. Star Formation, Bar Strength, Disk Surface Mass Density, and Mass-to-Light RatioWe complement our Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of the innerring of the galaxy NGC 3081 using an analytical approach and n-bodysimulations. We find that a gas cloud inner (r) ring forms under arotating bar perturbation with very strong azimuthal cloud crowdingwhere the ring crosses the bar major axis. Thus, star formation resultsnear to and downstream'' of the major axis. From the dust distributionand radial velocities, the disk rotates counterclockwise (CCW) on thesky like the bar pattern speed. We explain the observed CCW colorasymmetry crossing the major axis as due to the increasing age ofstellar associations inside the r ring major axis. These move fasterthan the pattern speed. The exterior point of the r ring at the barmajor axis has an orbital rate equal to the pattern speed. We show howthe perturbation strength can be estimated from the ring shapes andrelative spacing over the inner through outer ring regions. The barstrength (maximum tangential/radial force) appears to be constant from 6to 15 kpc. We derive how the perturbation, the fractional longwavelength m=2 intensity, and the rotation curve can be used tocalculate the disk surface mass density versus radius. The disk surfacedensity at 7 kpc is 13 Msolar pc-2 rising to 19 at13 kpc. The latter is insufficient by a factor of seven to generate theobserved rotation curve, implying halo domination. The surface densitymay have been reduced at 7 kpc due to inner ring gas cloud scattering.The surface density plus the observed surface brightness gives a diskmass-to-light (M/L) ratio which increases from 7 kpc through 13 kpc,contradicting the usual assumption in bar strength calculations. Thesimulation ring lifetime of several billion years is consistent with our~400 Myr HST estimates. With a sufficiently high gas cloud surface massdensity, our simulations form gas cloud associations'' near the endsof the bar as observed. Too high a density destroys the ring. The K-band properties of Seyfert 2 galaxiesAims. It is well known that the [O iii]λ5007 emission line andhard X-ray (2-10 keV) luminosities are good indicators of AGN activitiesand that the near and mid-infrared emission of AGN originates fromre-radiation of dusty clouds heated by the UV/optical radiation from theaccretion disk. In this paper we present a study of the near-infraredK-band (2.2 μm) properties for a sample of 65 Seyfert 2 galaxies. Methods: .By using the AGN/Bulge/Disk decomposition technique, weanalyzed the 2MASS K_S-band images for Seyfert 2 galaxies in order toderive the K_S-band magnitudes for the central engine, bulge, and diskcomponents. Results: .We find that the K_S-band magnitudes of thecentral AGN component in Seyfert 2 galaxies are tightly correlated withthe [O iii]λ5007 and the hard X-ray luminosities, which suggeststhat the AGN K-band emission is also an excellent indicator of thenuclear activities at least for Seyfert 2 galaxies. We also confirm thegood relation between the central black hole masses and bulge's K-bandmagnitudes for Seyfert 2s. Morphology of the coronal-line region in active galactic nuclei*We present new images of the coronal-line region, as traced by [SiVII]2.48 μm, in some of the nearest Seyfert 2 galaxies. In each of thesegalaxies, the coronal-line emission comprises a bright, compact centralsource and extended emission showing broad alignment along a particulardirection, usually coinciding with that defined by the radio emission orthe extended narrow-line region. The full extent of the coronal-lineemission ranges from a few tens of parsecs to ~150 pc radius from thenucleus and is a factor of ~10 smaller than that seen in the extended,lower ionization gas. With a spatial resolution of 10 pc or better, thecoronal region shows diffuse and filamentary structure in all cases, andit is difficult to see whether it breaks down into discrete blobs suchas those seen in lower ionization lines or radio images of comparableresolution. The extent of the coronal-line emission is larger than wouldbe predicted by photoionization models, which argues for additional insitu gas excitation, the most plausible energy source being shockexcitation.Observations done under ESO/VLT programmes 70.B-0409 and74.B-0404.E-mail: prieto@mpia.de Secular Evolution in Disk Galaxies: The Growth of Pseudobulges and Problems for Cold Dark Matter Galaxy FormationWe review internal secular evolution in galaxy disks - the fundamentalprocess by which isolated disks evolve. We concentrate on the buildup ofdense central features that look like classical, merger-built bulges butthat were made slowly out of disk gas. We call these pseudobulges. As anexistence proof, we review how bars rearrange disk gas into outer rings,inner rings, and gas dumped into the center. In simulations, this gasreaches high densities, and in the observations, many SB and ovalgalaxies show central concentrations of gas. Associated star formationrates imply plausible pseudobulge growth times of a few billion years.If secular processes built dense centers that masquerade as bulges, canwe distinguish them from merger-built bulges? Observations show thatpseudobulges retain a memory of their disky origin. They have one ormore characteristics of disks: (1) flatter shapes than those ofclassical bulges, (2) larger ratios of ordered to random velocities, (3)smaller velocity dispersions, (4) nuclear bars or spiral structure, (5)boxy structure when seen edge-on, (6) nearly exponential brightnessprofiles, and (7) starbursts. These features occur preferentially inbarred and oval galaxies in which secular evolution should be rapid. Sothe cleanest examples of pseudobulges are recognizable. Thusobservations and theory contribute to a new picture of galaxy evolutionthat complements hierarchical clustering and merging.However, an important problem with cold dark matter galaxy formationgets more acute. How can hierarchical clustering produce so many puredisk galaxies with no evidence for merger-built bulges? An atlas of calcium triplet spectra of active galaxiesWe present a spectroscopic atlas of active galactic nuclei covering theregion around the λλ8498, 8542, 8662 calcium triplet(CaT). The sample comprises 78 objects, divided into 43 Seyfert 2s, 26Seyfert 1s, three starburst and six normal galaxies. The spectra pertainto the inner ~300 pc in radius, and thus sample the central kinematicsand stellar populations of active galaxies. The data are used to measurestellar velocity dispersions (σ*) with bothcross-correlation and direct fitting methods. These measurements arefound to be in good agreement with each other and with those in previousstudies for objects in common. The CaT equivalent width is alsomeasured. We find average values and sample dispersions ofWCaT of 4.6 +/- 2.0, 7.0 +/- 1.0 and 7.7 +/- 1.0 Å forSeyfert 1s, Seyfert 2s and normal galaxies, respectively. We furtherpresent an atlas of [SIII]λ9069 emission-line profiles for asubset of 40 galaxies. These data are analysed in a companion paperwhich addresses the connection between stellar and narrow-line regionkinematics, the behaviour of the CaT equivalent width as a function ofσ*, activity type and stellar population properties. The Classification of Galaxies: Early History and Ongoing Developments"You ask what is the use of classification, arrangement,systematization. I answer you; order and simplification are the firststeps toward the mastery of a subject the actual enemy is the unknown." The Relationship of Hard X-Ray and Optical Line Emission in Low-Redshift Active Galactic NucleiIn this paper we assess the relationship of the population of activegalactic nuclei (AGNs) selected by hard X-rays to the traditionalpopulation of AGNs with strong optical emission lines. First, we studythe emission-line properties of a new hard-X-ray-selected sample of 47local AGNs (classified optically as Type 1 and 2 AGNs). We find that thehard X-ray (3-20 keV) and [O III] λ5007 optical emission-lineluminosities are well-correlated over a range of about 4 orders ofmagnitude in luminosity (mean luminosity ratio 2.15 dex with a standarddeviation of σ=0.51 dex). Second, we study the hard X-rayproperties of a sample of 55 local AGNs selected from the literature onthe basis of the flux in the [O III] line. The correlation between thehard X-ray (2-10 keV) and [O III] luminosity for the Type 1 AGNs isconsistent with what is seen in the hard-X-ray-selected sample. However,the Type 2 AGNs have a much larger range in the luminosity ratio, andmany are very weak in hard X-rays (as expected for heavily absorbedAGNs). We then compare the hard X-ray (3-20 keV) and [O III] luminosityfunctions of AGNs in the local universe. These have similar faint-endslopes, with a luminosity ratio of 1.60 dex (0.55 dex smaller than themean value for individual hard-X-ray-selected AGNs). We conclude that atlow redshift, selection by narrow optical emission lines will recovermost AGNs selected by hard X-rays (with the exception of BL Lacobjects). However, selection by hard X-rays misses a significantfraction of the local AGN population with strong emission lines. The Swift/BAT High-Latitude Survey: First ResultsWe present preliminary results from the first 3 months of the SwiftBurst Alert Telescope (BAT) high Galactic latitude survey in the 14-195keV band. The survey reaches a flux of ~10-11 ergscm-2 s-1 and has ~2.7 arcmin (90% confidence)positional uncertainties for the faintest sources. This represents themost sensitive survey to date in this energy band. These data confirmthe conjectures that a high-energy-selected active galactic nucleus(AGN) sample would have very different properties from those selected inother bands and that it represents a true'' sample of the AGNpopulation. We have identified 86% of the 66 high-latitude sources.Twelve are Galactic-type sources, and 44 can be identified withpreviously known AGNs. All but five of the AGNs have archival X-rayspectra, enabling us to estimate the line-of-sight column densities andother spectral properties. Both of the z>0.11 objects are blazars.The median redshift of the others (excluding radio-loud objects) is0.012. We find that the column density distribution of these AGNs isbimodal, with 64% of the nonblazar sources having column densitiesNH>=1022 cm-2. None of the sourceswith logLX>43.5 (cgs units) show high column densities,and very few of the lower LX sources have low columndensities. Based on these data, we expect the final BAT catalog to have>200 AGNs and reach fluxes of less than ~10-11 ergscm-2 s-1 over the entire sky. The Connection between the Narrow-Line Region and the UV Absorbers in Seyfert GalaxiesWe present evidence that the outflowing UV absorbers in Seyfert 1galaxies arise primarily in their inner narrow- (emission-) line regions(NLRs), based on similarities in their locations, kinematics, andphysical conditions. Hubble Space Telescope observations show thatnearly all Seyfert galaxies have bright, central knots of [O III]emission in their NLRs with radii of tens of parsecs. These sizes areconsistent with most previous estimates of the distances of UV (andX-ray) absorbers from their central continuum sources and a recentlyobtained reliable distance of ~25 pc for a UV absorber in the Seyfert 1galaxy NGC 3783. The nuclear emission-line knots in a sample of 10Seyfert galaxies have velocity widths of 300-1100 km s-1(half-width at zero intensity), similar to the radial velocities of mostUV absorbers. The highest radial velocity for a Seyfert UV absorber todate is only -2100 km s-1, which is much lower than typicalbroad-line region (BLR) velocities. There is also mounting evidence thatthe NLR clouds are outflowing from the nucleus, like the UV absorbers.If our hypothesis is correct, then the NLR should have a component witha high global covering factor (Cg) of the continuum sourceand a BLR to match that found from previous surveys of UV absorbers(Cg=0.5-1.0). Using Space Telescope Imaging Spectrographspectra of NGC 4151, obtained when the continuum and BLR fluxes werelow, we find evidence for optically thin gas in its nuclearemission-line knot. We are able to match the line ratios from this gaswith photoionization models that include a component withCg~1 and an ionization parameter and hydrogen column densitythat are typical of UV absorbers.Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope,obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated bythe Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., underNASA contract NAS5-26555. Probing the Kinematics of the Narrow-Line Region in Seyfert Galaxies with Slitless Spectroscopy: Observational ResultsWe present slitless spectra of 10 Seyfert galaxies observed with theSpace Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope(HST). The spectra cover the [O III] λλ4959, 5007 emissionlines at a spectral resolving power of λ/Δλ~9000 anda spatial resolution of ~0.1". We compare the slitless spectra withprevious HST narrowband images to determine the velocity shifts anddispersions of the bright emission-line knots in the narrow-line regions(NLRs) of these Seyfert galaxies, which extend out to at least severalhundred parsecs from their nuclei. Many knots are spatially resolvedwith sizes of tenths of arcseconds, corresponding to tens of parsecs,and yet they appear to move coherently with radial velocities betweenzero and +/-1200 km s-1 with respect to the systemicvelocities of their host galaxies. The knots also show a broad range invelocity dispersion, ranging from ~30 km s-1 (the velocityresolution) to ~1000 km s-1 FWHM. Most of the Seyfertgalaxies in this sample show an organized flow pattern, with radialvelocities near zero at the nucleus (defined by the optical continuumpeak) and increasing to maximum blueshifts and redshifts within ~1" ofthe nucleus, followed by a decline to the systemic velocity. However,there are large local variations around this pattern, and in one case(NGC 7212), the radial velocities are nearly chaotic. The emission-lineknots also follow a general trend of decreasing velocity dispersion withincreasing distance from the nucleus. In the Seyfert 2 galaxies, thepresence of blueshifts and redshifts on either side of the nucleusindicates that rotation alone cannot explain the observed radialvelocities. The most straightforward interpretation is that radialoutflow plays an important role in the NLR kinematics. Each of theSeyfert galaxies in this sample (with the exception of Mrk 3) shows abright, compact (FWHM<=0.5") [O III] knot at the position of itsoptical nucleus. These nuclear emission-line knots have radial velocitycentroids near zero, but they typically have the highest velocitydispersions. Their similar properties suggest that they may be a common,distinct component of the NLR.Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope,obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which isoperated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy(AURA), Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. These observations areassociated with proposal GO-8340. Kinematics of the local universe . XII. 21-cm line measurements of 586 galaxies with the new Nançay receiverThis paper presents 586 new 21-cm neutral hydrogen line measurementscarried out with the FORT receiver of the meridian transit Nançayradiotelescope in the period July 2000-March 2003. This observationalprogramme is part of a larger project aiming at collecting an exhaustiveand magnitude-complete HI extragalactic catalogue for Tully-Fisherapplications. It is associated with the building of the MIGALEspectroscopic archive and database.Tables 2, 3 and HI-profiles and corresponding comments are onlyavailable in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/430/373, or directly atour web site http://klun.obs-nancay.fr Connecting the cosmic infrared background to the X-ray backgroundWe estimate the contribution of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and oftheir host galaxies to the infrared background. We use the luminosityfunction and evolution of AGN recently determined by the hard X-raysurveys, and new spectral energy distributions connecting the X-ray andthe infrared emission, divided in intervals of absorption. These twoingredients allow us to determine the contribution of AGN to theinfrared background by using mostly observed quantities, with only minorassumptions. We find that AGN emission contributes little to theinfrared background (<5 per cent over most of the infrared bands),implying that the latter is dominated by star formation. However, AGNhost galaxies may contribute significantly to the infrared background,and more specifically 10-20 per cent in the 1-20 μm range and ~5 percent at λ < 60μm. We also give the contribution of AGN andof their host galaxies to the source number counts in various infraredbands, focusing on those which will be observed with Spitzer. We alsoreport a significant discrepancy between the expected contribution ofAGN hosts to the submillimetre background and bright submillimetrenumber counts with the observational constraints. We discuss the causesand implications of this discrepancy and the possible effects on theSpitzer far-infrared bands. The star formation history of Seyfert 2 nucleiWe present a study of the stellar populations in the central ~200 pc ofa large and homogeneous sample comprising 79 nearby galaxies, most ofwhich are Seyfert 2s. The star formation history of these nuclei isreconstructed by means of state-of-the-art population synthesismodelling of their spectra in the 3500-5200 Åinterval. Aquasar-like featureless continuum (FC) is added to the models to accountfor possible scattered light from a hidden active galactic nucleus(AGN).We find the following. (1) The star formation history of Seyfert 2nuclei is remarkably heterogeneous: young starbursts, intermediate-ageand old stellar populations all appear in significant and widely varyingproportions. (2) A significant fraction of the nuclei show a strong FCcomponent, but this FC is not always an indication of a hidden AGN: itcan also betray the presence of a young, dusty starburst. (3) We detectweak broad Hβ emission in several Seyfert 2s after cleaning theobserved spectrum by subtracting the synthesis model. These are mostlikely the weak scattered lines from the hidden broad-line regionenvisaged in the unified model, given that in most of these casesindependent spectropolarimetry data find a hidden Seyfert 1. (4) The FCstrengths obtained by the spectral decomposition are substantiallylarger for the Seyfert 2s which present evidence of broad lines,implying that the scattered non-stellar continuum is also detected. (5)There is no correlation between the star formation in the nucleus andeither the central or overall morphology of the parent galaxies. Secular Evolution and the Formation of Pseudobulges in Disk GalaxiesThe Universe is in transition. At early times, galactic evolution wasdominated by hierarchical clustering and merging, processes that areviolent and rapid. In the far future, evolution will mostly be secularthe slow rearrangement of energy and mass that results from interactionsinvolving collective phenomena such as bars, oval disks, spiralstructure, and triaxial dark halos. Both processes are important now.This review discusses internal secular evolution, concentrating on oneimportant consequence, the buildup of dense central components in diskgalaxies that look like classical, merger-built bulges but that weremade slowly out of disk gas. We call these pseudobulges. Circumnuclear Structure and Black Hole Fueling: Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS Imaging of 250 Active and Normal GalaxiesWhy are the nuclei of some galaxies more active than others? If mostgalaxies harbor a central massive black hole, the main difference isprobably in how well it is fueled by its surroundings. We investigatethe hypothesis that such a difference can be seen in the detailedcircumnuclear morphologies of galaxies using several quantitativelydefined features, including bars, isophotal twists, boxy and diskyisophotes, and strong nonaxisymmetric features in unsharp-masked images.These diagnostics are applied to 250 high-resolution images of galaxycenters obtained in the near-infrared with NICMOS on the Hubble SpaceTelescope. To guard against the influence of possible biases andselection effects, we have carefully matched samples of Seyfert 1,Seyfert 2, LINER, starburst, and normal galaxies in their basicproperties, taking particular care to ensure that each was observed witha similar average scale (10-15 pc pixel-1). Severalmorphological differences among our five different spectroscopicclassifications emerge from the analysis. The H II/starburst galaxiesshow the strongest deviations from smooth elliptical isophotes, whilethe normal galaxies and LINERs have the least disturbed morphology. TheSeyfert 2s have significantly more twisted isophotes than any othercategory, and the early-type Seyfert 2s are significantly more disturbedthan the early-type Seyfert 1s. The morphological differences betweenSeyfert 1s and Seyfert 2s suggest that more is at work than simply theviewing angle of the central engine. They may correspond to differentevolutionary stages. Molecular Gas in Candidate Double-Barred Galaxies. III. A Lack of Molecular Gas?Most models of double-barred galaxies suggest that a molecular gascomponent is crucial for maintaining long-lived nuclear bars. We haveundertaken a CO survey in an attempt to determine the gas content ofthese systems and to locate double-barred galaxies with strong COemission that could be candidates for high-resolution mapping. Weobserved 10 galaxies in CO J=2-1 and J=3-2 and did not detect anygalaxies that had not already been detected in previous CO surveys. Wepreferentially detect emission from galaxies containing some form ofnuclear activity. Simulations of these galaxies require that theycontain 2%-10% gas by mass in order to maintain long-lived nuclear bars.The fluxes for the galaxies for which we have detections suggest thatthe gas mass fraction is in agreement with these models requirements.The lack of emission in the other galaxies suggests that they contain aslittle as 7×106 Msolar of molecularmaterial, which corresponds to <~0.1% gas by mass. This resultcombined with the wide variety of CO distributions observed indouble-barred galaxies suggests the need for models of double-barredgalaxies that do not require a large, well-ordered molecular gascomponent. A Hubble Space Telescope Study of Star Formation in the Inner Resonance Ring of NGC 3081We present Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 imagesof the inner regions of NGC 3081, an absolute magnitudeMB=-20.0 early-type barred spiral having four well-definedresonance rings: a nuclear ring, an inner ring, an outer R1ring, and an outer R'2 pseudoring. Here we focuson a photometric study of the inner ring, a feature likely associatedwith an inner 4:1 resonance near the ends of the bar. The ring isnotable for its high contrast and sharp definition, which is due to asignificant degree of active star formation. The ring is also notablefor its significant intrinsic elongation and parallel alignment with thebar. These characteristics influence the way star-forming sites aredistributed around the ring. The ring is lined by numerous blue sources,many of which appear to be slightly diffuse compared with the stellarpoint-spread function. These blue sources are strongly concentratedwithin +/-60° of the bar axis and follow the Hα distributionwell. The blue sources are much larger than typical Galactic open orglobular clusters and may represent young massive clusters like thepopulous clusters'' of the LMC and objects seen previously mainly inintermediate- to late-type spiral galaxies. We also present an analysisof the integrated light of the inner ring, to deduce information on itsstar formation history. A profile analysis is used to separate the ringfrom the background old disk starlight. High-resolution Fourier analysisis used to search for wavelength-dependent phase shifts along the ringto determine if star-forming sites stay in the ring as they age. Theresults give an intriguing picture of a galaxy in an advancedevolutionary state where periodic orbits are clearly manifested in themorphology.Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtainedat the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by theAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc.,under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. Stellar populations in Active Galactic Nuclei IIIIn this paper we apply the stellar population synthesis methodpreviously described in Boisson et al. (\cite{Boisson2000}) to five moreAGN. The analysis of these new data strengthen our previous conclusions:i) homogeneity of the stellar population within a class of nuclearactivity regardless of the morphological type of the host galaxy; ii)populations within the nuclear regions of LINERs and Seyfert 2s aredifferent: LINERs have a very old metal-rich population while in theSeyfert 2s a contribution of a weak burst of star formation is observedtogether with the old high metallicity component; iii) in thecircum-nuclar region (200 pc ≤D≤1 kpc) of all the activegalaxies in our sample, except for NGC 2992, we detect an old burst ofstar formation (0.2-1 Gyr),which is contrary to what is observed innormal galaxies. We note that the broad OIλ8446 Å emissionline detected in the spectrum of the nucleus of NGC 2992 confirms itsclassification as a Seyfert 1.Based on observations collected at the New Technology Telescope of theEuropean Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile. Minor-axis velocity gradients in disk galaxiesWe present the ionized-gas kinematics and photometry of a sample of 4spiral galaxies which are characterized by a zero-velocity plateau alongthe major axis and a velocity gradient along the minor axis,respectively. By combining these new kinematical data with thoseavailable in the literature for the ionized-gas component of the S0s andspirals listed in the Revised Shapley-Ames Catalog of Bright Galaxies werealized that about 50% of unbarred galaxies show a remarkable gasvelocity gradient along the optical minor axis. This fraction rises toabout 60% if we include unbarred galaxies with an irregular velocityprofile along the minor axis. This phenomenon is observed all along theHubble sequence of disk galaxies, and it is particularly frequent inearly-type spirals. Since minor-axis velocity gradients are unexpectedif the gas is moving onto circular orbits in a disk coplanar to thestellar one, we conclude that non-circular and off-plane gas motions arenot rare in the inner regions of disk galaxies.Based on observations carried out at the European Southern Observatoryin La Silla (Chile) (ESO 69.B-0706 and 70.B-0338), with the MultipleMirror Telescope which is a joint facility of the SmithsonianInstitution and the University of Arizona, and with the ItalianTelescopio Nazionale Galileo (AOT-5, 3-18) at the Observatorio del Roquede los Muchachos in La Palma (Spain).Table 1 is only available in electronic form athttp://www.edpsciences.org. Table 5 is only available in electronic format the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) orvia http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/416/507 Double-barred galaxies. I. A catalog of barred galaxies with stellar secondary bars and inner disksI present a catalog of 67 barred galaxies which contain distinct,elliptical stellar structures inside their bars. Fifty of these aredouble-barred galaxies: a small-scale, inner or secondary bar isembedded within a large-scale, outer or primary bar. I providehomogenized measurements of the sizes, ellipticities, and orientationsof both inner and outer bars, along with global parameters for thegalaxies. The other 17 are classified as inner-disk galaxies, where alarge-scale bar harbors an inner elliptical structure which is alignedwith the galaxy's outer disk. Four of the double-barred galaxies alsopossess inner disks, located in between the inner and outer bars. Whilethe inner-disk classification is ad-hoc - and undoubtedly includes someinner bars with chance alignments (five such probable cases areidentified) - there is good evidence that inner disks form astatistically distinct population, and that at least some are indeeddisks rather than bars. In addition, I list 36 galaxies which may bedouble-barred, but for which current observations are ambiguous orincomplete, and another 23 galaxies which have been previously suggestedas potentially being double-barred, but which are probably not. Falsedouble-bar identifications are usually due to features such as nuclearrings and spirals being misclassified as bars; I provide someillustrated examples of how this can happen.A detailed statistical analysis of the general population of double-barand inner-disk galaxies, as represented by this catalog, will bepresented in a companion paper.Tables \ref{tab:measured} and \ref{tab:deproj} are only available inelectronic form at http://www.edpsciences.org Near-infrared spectroscopy of nearby Seyfert galaxies - II. Molecular content and coronal emissionWe present subarcsec near-infrared 1.5-2.5 μm moderate resolutionlong-slit spectra of eight nearby Seyfert galaxies (z < 0.01), bothparallel to the ionization cone and perpendicular to it. These spectracomplement similar data on six Seyferts, presented in Reunanen,Kotilainen & Prieto, and are used to study the spatial extent of theline emission, the integrated masses of excited H2 and theexcitation mechanisms of interstellar gas.Large concentrations of molecular gas (H2) are present in thenucleus regardless of the Seyfert type. The spatial extent of theH2 emission is larger perpendicular to the cone than parallelto it in 6/8 (75 per cent) galaxies, in agreement with the unifiedmodels of active galactic nuclei. The full width at half maximum (FWHM)sizes of the nuclear H2 emission range from <20 to ~300pc, and are larger than the predicted sizes for molecular torus (1-100pc). Thus the emission probably arises from the material surrounding thetorus rather than directly from the torus.Broad Brγ was detected in nearly half of the optically classifiedSeyfert 2 galaxies, including two objects with no evidence for a hiddenpolarized broad line region. This high detection rate stresses theimportance of extinction effects as the main cause for the Seyfertdichotomy.Brγ and [Fe II] correlate both spatially and kinematically.Nuclear [Fe II] emission is generally blueshifted which, together withthe high Brγ/[Fe II] ratios, suggests shocks as the dominantexcitation mechanism in Seyfert galaxies.Bright coronal emission lines [SiVI] and [Si VII] are common inSeyferts, as they are detected in ~60 per cent of the galaxies. In threegalaxies the coronal lines are extended only in the direction parallelto the cone. This could be explained by a strongly collimated radiationfield or, most plausibly, by shock excitation due to the jet orsuperwind interacting with the interstellar medium. Extended gas in Seyfert 2 galaxies: implications for the nuclear sourceWe use long-slit spectroscopic optical data to derive the properties ofthe extended emitting gas and the nuclear luminosity of a sample of 18Seyfert 2 galaxies. From the emission-line luminosities and ratios wederive the density, reddening and mass of the ionized gas as a functionof distance up to 2-4 kpc from the nucleus. Taking into account thegeometric dilution of the nuclear radiation, we derive the radialdistribution of covering factors and the minimum rate of ionizingphotons emitted by the nuclear source. This number is an order ofmagnitude larger than that obtained from the rate of ionizing photonsintercepted' by the gas and measured from the Hα luminosity. Acalibration is proposed to recover this number from the observedluminosity. The HeIIλ4686/Hβ line ratio was used tocalculate the slope of the ionizing spectral energy distribution (SED),which in combination with the number of ionizing photons allows thecalculation of the hard X-ray luminosities. These luminosities areconsistent with those derived from X-ray spectra in the eight cases forwhich such data are available and recover the intrinsic X-ray emissionin Compton-thick cases. Our method can thus provide reliable estimatesof the X-ray fluxes in Seyfert 2 galaxies for the cases where it is notreadily available. We also use the ionizing SED and luminosity topredict the infrared luminosity under the assumption that it isdominated by reprocessed radiation from a dusty torus, and find a goodagreement with the observed IRAS luminosities. The Lack of Broad-Line Regions in Low Accretion Rate Active Galactic Nuclei as Evidence of Their Origin in the Accretion DiskIn this Letter, we present evidence suggesting that the absence orpresence of hidden broad-line regions (HBLRs) in Seyfert 2 galaxies isregulated by the rate at which matter accretes onto a centralsupermassive black hole, in units of the Eddington rate. Evidence isbased on data from a subsample of type 2 active galactic nucleiextracted from the Tran spectropolarimetric sample and made up of allthose sources that also have good-quality X-ray spectra available andfor which a bulge luminosity can be estimated. We use the intrinsic(i.e., unabsorbed) X-ray luminosities of these sources and their blackhole masses (estimated by using the well-known relationship betweennuclear mass and bulge luminosity in galaxies) to derive the nuclearaccretion rate in Eddington units. We find that virtually all HBLRsources have accretion rates larger than a threshold value ofmthres~=10-3 (in Eddington units), while non-HBLRsources lie at m<~mthres. These data nicely fitpredictions from a model proposed by Nicastro in which the broad-lineregions (BLRs) are formed by accretion disk instabilities occurring inproximity of the critical radius at which the disk changes from gaspressure dominated to radiation pressure dominated. This radiusdiminishes with decreasing m for low enough accretion rates (andtherefore luminosities), the critical radius becomes smaller than theinnermost stable orbit and BLRs cannot form. Molecular Gas in Candidate Double-barred Galaxies. II. Cooler, Less Dense Gas Associated with Stronger Central ConcentrationsWe have performed a multitransition CO study of the centers of sevendouble-barred galaxies that exhibit a variety of molecular gasmorphologies to determine if the molecular gas properties are correlatedwith the nuclear morphology and star-forming activity. Near-infraredgalaxy surveys have revealed the existence of nuclear stellar bars in alarge number of barred or lenticular galaxies. High-resolution CO mapsof these galaxies exhibit a wide range of morphologies. Recentsimulations of double-barred galaxies suggest that variations in the gasproperties may allow it to respond differently to similar gravitationalpotentials. We find that the 12CO J=3-2/J=2-1 line ratio islower in galaxies with centrally concentrated gas distributions andhigher in galaxies with CO emission dispersed around the galactic centerin rings and peaks. The 13CO/12CO J=2-1 lineratios are similar for all galaxies, which indicates that theJ=3-2/J=2-1 line ratio is tracing variations in gas temperature anddensity, rather than variations in optical depth. There is evidence thatthe galaxies which contain more centralized CO distributions arecomposed of molecular gas that is cooler and less dense. Observationssuggest that the star formation rates are higher in the galaxiescontaining the warmer, denser, less centrally concentrated gas. It ispossible that either the bar dynamics are responsible for the variety ofgas distributions and densities (and hence the star formation rates) orthat the star formation alone is responsible for modifying the gasproperties. High-energy sources before INTEGRAL. INTEGRAL reference catalogWe describe the INTEGRAL reference catalog which classifies previouslyknown bright X-ray and gamma-ray sources before the launch of INTEGRAL.These sources are, or have been at least once, brighter than ~ 1 mCrababove 3 keV, and are expected to be detected by INTEGRAL. This catalogis being used in the INTEGRAL Quick Look Analysis to discover newsources or significantly variable sources. We compiled several publishedX-ray and gamma-ray catalogs, and surveyed recent publications for newsources. Consequently, there are 1122 sources in our INTEGRAL referencecatalog. In addition to the source positions, we show an approximatespectral model and expected flux for each source, based on which wederive expected INTEGRAL counting rates. Assuming the default instrumentperformances and at least ~ 105 s exposure time for anypart of the sky, we expect that INTEGRAL will detect at least ~ 700sources below 10 keV and ~ 400 sources above 20 keV over the missionlife.The Catalog is available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftpto cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?/A+A/411/L59 Do bulges of early- and late-type spirals have different morphology?We study HST/NICMOS H-band images of bulges of two equal-sized samplesof early- (TRC3 <= 3) and late-type spiral (mainly Sbc-Sc)galaxies matched in outer disk axis ratio. We find that bulges oflate-type spirals are more elongated than their counterparts inearly-type spirals. Using a KS-test we find that the two distributionsare different at the 98.4% confidence level. We conclude that the twodata sets are different, i.e. late-type galaxies have a broaderellipticity distribution and contain more elongated features in theinner regions. We discuss the possibility that these would correspond tobars at a later evolutionary stage, i.e. secularly evolved bars.Consequent implications are raised, and we discuss relevant questionsregarding the formation and structure of bulges. Are bulges ofearly-type and late-type spirals different? Are their formationscenarios different? Can we talk about bulges in the same way fordifferent types of galaxies? A new catalogue of ISM content of normal galaxiesWe have compiled a catalogue of the gas content for a sample of 1916galaxies, considered to be a fair representation of normality''. Thedefinition of a normal'' galaxy adopted in this work implies that wehave purposely excluded from the catalogue galaxies having distortedmorphology (such as interaction bridges, tails or lopsidedness) and/orany signature of peculiar kinematics (such as polar rings,counterrotating disks or other decoupled components). In contrast, wehave included systems hosting active galactic nuclei (AGN) in thecatalogue. This catalogue revises previous compendia on the ISM contentof galaxies published by \citet{bregman} and \citet{casoli}, andcompiles data available in the literature from several small samples ofgalaxies. Masses for warm dust, atomic and molecular gas, as well asX-ray luminosities have been converted to a uniform distance scale takenfrom the Catalogue of Principal Galaxies (PGC). We have used twodifferent normalization factors to explore the variation of the gascontent along the Hubble sequence: the blue luminosity (LB)and the square of linear diameter (D225). Ourcatalogue significantly improves the statistics of previous referencecatalogues and can be used in future studies to define a template ISMcontent for `normal'' galaxies along the Hubble sequence. The cataloguecan be accessed on-line and is also available at the Centre desDonnées Stellaires (CDS).The catalogue is available in electronic form athttp://dipastro.pd.astro.it/galletta/ismcat and at the CDS via anonymousftp to\ cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via\http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/405/5
Submit a new article