Ýçindekiler
Görüntüler
Resim Yükleyin
DSS Images Other Images
Ýlgili Makaleler
Extragalactic H_2O masers and X-ray absorbing column densities
Having conducted a search for the λ 1.3 cm (22 GHz) water vaporline towards galaxies with nuclear activity, large nuclear columndensities or high infrared luminosities, we present H2O spectra for NGC2273, UGC 5101, and NGC 3393 with isotropic luminosities of 7, 1500, and400 Lȯ. The H2O maser in UGC 5101 is by far the mostluminous yet found in an ultraluminous infrared galaxy. NGC 3393 revealsthe classic spectrum of a "disk maser", represented by three distinctgroups of Doppler components. As in all other known cases except NGC4258, the rotation velocity of the putative masing disk is well below1000 km s-1. Based on the literature and archive data, X-rayabsorbing column densities are compiled for the 64 galaxies withreported maser sources beyond the Magellanic Clouds. For NGC 2782 andNGC 5728, we present Chandra archive data that indicate the presence ofan active galactic nucleus in both galaxies. Modeling the hard nuclearX-ray emission, NGC 2782 is best fit by a high energy reflectionspectrum with NH 1024 cm-2. ForNGC 5728, partial absorption with a power law spectrum indicatesNH 8 × 1023 cm-2. Thecorrelation between absorbing column and H2O emission is analyzed. Thereis a striking difference between kilo- and megamasers with megamasersbeing associated with higher column densities. All kilomasers (L_H_2O< 10 Lȯ) except NGC 2273 and NGC 5194 areCompton-thin, i.e. their absorbing columns are <1024cm-2. Among the H{2}O megamasers, 50% arise fromCompton-thick and 85% from heavily obscured (>1023cm-2) active galactic nuclei. These values are not larger butconsistent with those from samples of Seyfert 2 galaxies not selected onthe basis of maser emission. The similarity in column densities can beexplained by small deviations in position between maser spots andnuclear X-ray source and a high degree of clumpiness in thecircumnuclear interstellar medium.
| New H2O masers in Seyfert and FIR bright galaxies
Using the Effelsberg 100-m telescope, detections of four extragalacticwater vapor masers are reported. Isotropic luminosities are ~50, 1000, 1and 230 Lȯ for Mrk 1066 (UGC 2456), Mrk 34, NGC 3556 andArp 299, respectively. Mrk 34 contains by far the most distant and oneof the most luminous water vapor megamasers so far reported in a Seyfertgalaxy. The interacting system Arp 299 appears to show two maserhotspots separated by approximately 20´´. With these newresults and even more recent data from Braatz et al. (2004, ApJ, 617,L29), the detection rate in our sample of Seyferts with known jet-NarrowLine Region interactions becomes 50% (7/14), while in star forminggalaxies with high (S100~μ m>50 Jy) far infrared fluxesthe detection rate is 22% (10/45). The jet-NLR interaction sample maynot only contain “jet-masers” but also a significant numberof accretion “disk-masers” like those seen in NGC 4258. Astatistical analysis of 53 extragalactic H2O sources (excluding theGalaxy and the Magellanic Clouds) indicates (1) that the correlationbetween IRAS Point Source and H2O luminosities, established forindividual star forming regions in the galactic disk, also holds forAGN-dominated megamaser galaxies; (2) that maser luminosities are notcorrelated with 60 μm/100 μm color temperatures; and (3) that onlya small fraction of the luminous megamasers (L_H_2O > 100Lȯ) detectable with 100-m sized telescopes have so farbeen identified. The H2O luminosity function (LF) suggests that thenumber of galaxies with 1 Lȯ < L_H_2O < 10Lȯ, the transition range between“kilomasers” (mostly star formation) and“megamasers” (active galactic nuclei), is small. The overallslope of the LF, ~-1.5, indicates that the number of detectable masersis almost independent of their luminosity. If the LF is not steepeningat very high maser luminosities and if it is possible to find suitablecandidate sources, H2O megamasers at significant redshifts should bedetectable even with present day state-of-the-art facilities.
| A Green Bank Telescope Search for Water Masers in Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei
Using the Green Bank Telescope, we have conducted a survey for 1.3 cmwater maser emission toward the nuclei of nearby active galaxies, themost sensitive large survey for H2O masers to date. Among 145galaxies observed, maser emission was newly detected in 11 sources andconfirmed in one other. Our survey targeted nearby (v<12,000 kms-1), mainly type 2 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) north ofδ=-20deg and includes a few additional sources as well.We find that more than one-third of Seyfert 2 galaxies have strong maseremission, although the detection rate declines beyond v~5000 kms-1 because of sensitivity limits. Two of the masersdiscovered during this survey are found in unexpected hosts: NGC 4151(Seyfert 1.5) and NGC 2782 (starburst). We discuss the possiblerelations between the large X-ray column to NGC 4151 and a possiblehidden AGN in NGC 2782 to the detected masers. Four of the masersdiscovered here, NGC 591, NGC 4388, NGC 5728, and NGC 6323, havehigh-velocity lines symmetrically spaced about the systemic velocity, alikely signature of molecular gas in a nuclear accretion disk. The masersource in NGC 6323, in particular, reveals the classic spectrum of a``disk maser'' represented by three distinct groups of Dopplercomponents. Future single-dish and VLBI observations of these fourgalaxies could provide a measurement of the distance to each galaxy andof the Hubble constant, independent of standard candle calibrations.
| A GBT Atlas of H2O Masers in Galactic Nuclei
Water vapor masers have been detected toward the nuclei of some 63galaxies, nearly all AGNs. We are using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT)to obtain sensitive spectra of most of the masers available in thenorthern sky. The spectra cover 380 MHz (roughly 5100 km/s) with achannel spacing of 24 kHz (0.3 km/s) at sensitivities ranging from 2 to5 mJy per 24 kHz channel. This atlas serves to advance studies of maserphenomenology, to reveal new maser features, to identify galaxies withweak, broad emission components, and to provide a base for long-termvariability studies. Several maser systems include Doppler componentswhich are symmetrically red- and blue-shifted from the systemicrecession velocity, a signature of a maser in an accretion disk. We havebeen monitoring the disk masers in the galaxies NGC 1386, IC 2560, Mrk1419, and NGC 6323 in order to track velocity drifts among individualfeatures, and thereby measure the centripetal acceleration of gas in thedisk. We use these measurements to obtain an estimate of the centralblack hole mass in each source.
| A QSO survey via optical variability and zero proper motion in the M 92 field. III. Narrow emission line galaxies
We study a sample of 23 narrow-emission line galaxies (NELGs) which wereselected by their strong variability as QSO candidates in the frameworkof a variability-and-proper motion QSO survey on digitised Schmidtplates. In previous work, we have shown that variability is an efficientmethod to find AGNs. The variability properties of the NELGs are howeversignificantly different from those of the QSOs. The main aim of thispaper is to clarify the nature of this variability and to estimate thefraction of AGN-dominated NELGs in this sample. New photometric andspectroscopic observations are presented, along with revised data fromthe photographic photometry. The originally measured high variabilityindices could not be confirmed. The diagnostic line-ratios of the NELGspectra are consistent with H Ii region-like spectra. No AGN could beproved, yet we cannot rule out the existence of faint low-luminosityAGNs masked by H Ii regions from intense star formation.
| A QSO survey via optical variability and zero proper motion in the M 92 field. I. QSO candidates and selection effects
The combination of variability and proper motion constraints (VPMsearch) is believed to provide an unconventional yet efficient searchstrategy for QSOs with selection effects quite different fromconventional optical QSO surveys. Previous studies in a field of highgalactic latitude have shown that the VPM method is indeed an efficientsearch strategy. In the present paper, we describe a furthervariability-proper motion (VPM) QSO survey on Tautenburg Schmidt plates.The survey is based on an exceptionally large number of 162 B platescentred on M 92 with a time-baseline of more than three decades. FurtherU and V plates are used to measure time-averaged colour indices, andmorphology is evaluated on a deep R plate. Proper motions with Hipparcos-like accuracies as well as variability indices are derived for about 35000 star-like objects down to B=20.5. With regard to both the number ofplates and the number of objects to be investigated, this is the largestVPM survey performed so far. The present paper is focused on thedescription of the observational material, the data reduction, thedefinition of the selection parameters, and the construction of the QSOcandidate sample. Furthermore, the selection effects of the VPM-methodare discussed a priori. For the present survey, the selection effectsare shown to be dominated by the magnitude-dependence of the photometricaccuracy. Down to the limiting magnitude of the survey B_lim=19.7, weidentify 62 high-priority QSO candidates and a further 57 candidates ofmedium priority. Spectroscopic follow-up observations have beenperformed for all these candidates as well as for additional selectedcandidates of lower priority; the confirmed QSOs will be presented anddiscussed in a forthcoming paper. Based on observations made with the2~m telescope of the Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg.
| Arcsecond Positions of UGC Galaxies
We present accurate B1950 and J2000 positions for all confirmed galaxiesin the Uppsala General Catalog (UGC). The positions were measuredvisually from Digitized Sky Survey images with rms uncertaintiesσ<=[(1.2")2+(θ/100)2]1/2,where θ is the major-axis diameter. We compared each galaxymeasured with the original UGC description to ensure high reliability.The full position list is available in the electronic version only.
| A Search for H 2O Maser Emission toward Active Galactic Nuclei: Discovery of a Nuclear Maser Source in NGC 3735
We report the results of a survey for H2O maser emission in the 616--523transition at 1.35 cm wavelength in 29 active galactic nuclei (AGNs).One new maser was detected. The detection rate among objects withrecessional velocities <7000 km s-1 is consistent with rates reportedelsewhere for similarly nearby objects (about one in 15). The new maserlies in the edge-on Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 3735 (inclination 77 deg)within 10 km s-1 of the systemic velocity. No other emission has beenidentified at velocities within +/-500 km s-1 of the systemic velocity.The maser is coincident with the radio continuum peak of the nucleus at6 and 3.6 cm wavelengths to within the estimated 1 sigma astrometricuncertainty of 0."1 (15 pc at a distance of 30 Mpc).
| Large-Scale Structure at Low Galactic Latitude
We have extended the CfA Redshift Survey to low galactic latitudes toinvestigate the relation between the Great Wall in the North GalacticCap and the Perseus-Pisces chain in the South Galactic Cap. We presentredshifts for 2020 galaxies in the Catalogue of Galaxies and of Clustersof Galaxies (Zwicky et al. 1961-68, CGCG) in the following regions: 4^h^<= α <= 8^h^, 17^h^ <= α <= 20^h^, 0^deg^ <=δ <= 45^deg^. In these regions, the redshift catalogue includes1664 galaxies with B(0) <= 15.5 (of which 820 are newly measured) andis 97% complete. We also include redshifts for an additional 356galaxies in these regions with B(O) > 15.5; of these, 148 werepreviously unmeasured. The CGCG samples the galaxy distribution down tob_II_ = 10^deg^. In this paper, we discuss the acquisition and reductionof the spectra, and we examine the qualitative features of the redshiftdistribution. The Great Wall and the Perseus-Pisces chain are not simplyconnected across the Zone of Avoidance. These structures, which at firstappear to be coherent on scales of ~100 h^-1^ Mpc or more, actually formthe boundaries of neighboring voids of considerably smaller scale,approximately 50h^-1^ Mpc. The structures delineated by ouroptically-selected sample are qualitatively similar to those detected bythe far-infrared-selected IRAS 1.2 Jansky Survey (Fisher et al. 1995).Although the IRAS survey probes more deeply into the Zone of Avoidance,our optically-selected survey provides better sampling of structures atb_II_ >= 10^deg^.
| An image database. II. Catalogue between δ=-30deg and δ=70deg.
A preliminary list of 68.040 galaxies was built from extraction of35.841 digitized images of the Palomar Sky Survey (Paper I). For eachgalaxy, the basic parameters are obtained: coordinates, diameter, axisratio, total magnitude, position angle. On this preliminary list, weapply severe selection rules to get a catalog of 28.000 galaxies, wellidentified and well documented. For each parameter, a comparison is madewith standard measurements. The accuracy of the raw photometricparameters is quite good despite of the simplicity of the method.Without any local correction, the standard error on the total magnitudeis about 0.5 magnitude up to a total magnitude of B_T_=17. Significantsecondary effects are detected concerning the magnitudes: distance toplate center effect and air-mass effect.
|
Yeni bir Makale Öner
Ýlgili Baðlantýlar
Yeni Bir Baðlantý Öner
sonraki gruplarýn üyesi:
|
Gözlemler ve gökölçümü verileri
Kataloglar ve belirtme:
|
