1. |
- Font, Joan, et al.
(author)
-
The ratio of pattern speeds in double-barred galaxies
- 2014
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3933 .- 1745-3925. ; 444:1, s. l85-L89
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have obtained two-dimensional velocity fields in the ionized gas of a set of eight double-barred galaxies, at high spatial and spectral resolution, using their H alpha emission fields measured with a scanning Fabry-Perot spectrometer. Using the technique by which phase reversals in the non-circular motion indicate a radius of corotation, taking advantage of the high angular and velocity resolution, we have obtained the corotation radii and the pattern speeds of both the major bar and the small central bar in each of the galaxies; there are few such measurements in the literature. Our results show that the inner bar rotates more rapidly than the outer bar by a factor between 3.3 and 3.6.
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2. |
- Huynh, M. T., et al.
(author)
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Physical conditions of the gas in an ALMA C II -identified submillimetre galaxy at z=4.44
- 2013
-
In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3933 .- 1745-3925. ; 431:1, s. L88-L92
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present (CO)-C-12(2-1) observations of the submillimetre galaxy ALESS65.1 performed with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) at 42.3 GHz. A previous Atacama Large Millimeter Array study of submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South detected [C II] 157.74 mu m emission from this galaxy at a redshift of z= 4.44. No (CO)-C-12(21) emission was detected but we derive a firm upper limit to the cold gas mass in ALESS65.1 of M-gas 4 SMGs being the likely progenitors of massive red-and-dead galaxies at z > 2. The ratio of the [CII], (CO)-C-12 and far-infrared luminosities implies a strong far-ultraviolet field of G(0) greater than or similar to 103, as seen in Galactic star-forming regions or local ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). The observed L-[C II]/L-FIR = 2.3 x 10(-3) is high compared to local ULIRGs and, combined withLL([CII])/L-CO greater than or similar to 2700, it is consistent with ALESS65.1 either having an extended (several kpc) [C II] emitting region or lower than solar metallicity.
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3. |
- Johansson, Joel, et al.
(author)
-
Herschel limits on far-infrared emission from circumstellar dust around three nearby Type Ia supernovae
- 2013
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3933 .- 1745-3925. ; 431:1, s. L43-L47
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report upper limits on dust emission at far-infrared (IR) wavelengths from three nearby Type Ia supernovae: SNe 2011by, 2011fe and 2012cg. Observations were carried out at 70 and 160 mu m with the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer onboard the Herschel Space Observatory. None of the supernovae were detected in the far-IR, allowing us to place upper limits on the amount of pre-existing dust in the circumstellar environment. Due to its proximity, SN 2011fe provides the tightest constraints, M-dust less than or similar to 7 x 10(-3)M(circle dot) at a 3 sigma level for dust temperatures T-dust similar to 500K assuming silicate or graphite dust grains of size a = 0.1 mu m. For SNe 2011by and 2012cg the corresponding upper limits are less stringent, with M-dust less than or similar to 10(-1)M(circle dot) for the same assumptions.
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4. |
- Maund, J. R., et al.
(author)
-
Supernova 2012ec : identification of the progenitor and early monitoring with PESSTO
- 2013
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3933 .- 1745-3925. ; 431:1, s. l102-L106
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present the identification of the progenitor of the Type IIP SN 2012ec in archival pre-explosion Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) and Advanced Camera for Surveys Wide Field Channel F814W images. The properties of the progenitor are further constrained by non-detections in pre-explosion WFPC2 F450W and F606W images. We report a series of early photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2012ec. The r' -band light curve shows a plateau with M-r' = -17.0. The early spectrum is similar to the Type IIP SN 1999em, with the expansion velocity measured at Ha absorption minimum of -11 700 km s(-1) (at 1 d post-discovery). The photometric and spectroscopic evolution of SN 2012ec shows it to be a Type IIP SN, discovered only a few days post-explosion (<6 d). We derive a luminosity for the progenitor, in comparison with MARCS model spectral energy distributions, of log L/L-circle dot = 5.15 +/- 0.19, from which we infer an initial mass range of 14-22M(circle dot). This is the first SN with an identified progenitor to be followed by the Public ESO Spectroscopic Survey of Transient Objects (PESSTO).
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5. |
- Perez-Sanchez, A.F., et al.
(author)
-
A synchrotron jet from a post-asymptotic giant branch star
- 2013
-
In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3933 .- 1745-3925. ; 436:1, s. L79-L83
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The evolution of low- and intermediate-initial-mass stars beyond the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) remains poorly understood. High-velocity outflows launched shortly after the AGB phase are thought to be the primary shaping mechanism of bipolar and multipolar planetary nebulae. However, little is known about the launching and driving mechanism for these jets, whose momentum and energy often far exceed the energy that can be provided by radiation pressure alone. Here, we report on the direct evidence of a magnetically collimated jet shaping the bipolar morphology of the circumstellar envelope of a post-AGB star. We present radio continuum observations of the post-AGB star IRAS 15445-5449 (OH 326.5-0.4) which has water masers tracing a fast bipolar outflow. Our observations confirm the earlier observed steep negative spectral index of the spectral energy distribution (SED) above similar to 3 GHz, and resolve, for the first time, the emission to originate from a radio jet, proving the existence of such jets around a post-AGB star. The SED is consistent with a synchrotron jet embedded in a sheath of thermal electrons. We find a close correspondence between the extent and direction of the synchrotron jet and the bipolar shape of the object observed at other wavelengths, suggesting that the jet is responsible for the source morphology. The jet is collimated by a magnetic field of the order of mG at almost 7000 au from the central star. We recover observations from the Australia Telescope Compact Array archive that indicate that the emission measure of the thermal component has increased by a factor of 3 between 1998 and 2005 after which it has remained constant. The short time-scale evolution of the radio emission suggests a short lifetime for the jet. The observations of a synchrotron jet from a post-AGB star with characteristics similar to those from protostars and young stellar objects, for instance, suggest that magnetic launching and collimation is a common feature of astrophysical jets.
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6. |
- Rosén, Lisa, et al.
(author)
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Strong variable linear polarization in the cool active star II Peg
- 2013
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3933 .- 1745-3925. ; 436:1, s. L10-L14
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Magnetic fields of cool active stars are currently studied polarimetrically using only circular polarization observations. Including linear polarization in the reconstruction of stellar magnetic fields allows more information about the magnetic field to be extracted and significantly improves the reliability of stellar magnetic field maps. The goal of this study is to initiate systematic observations of active stars in all four Stokes parameters and to identify cool stars for which linear polarization can be detected at a level sufficient for Zeeman-Doppler Imaging (ZDI). Four active RS CVn binaries, II Peg, HR 1099, IM Peg and sigma Gem, were observed with the ESPaDOnS spectropolarimeter at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope during a time period from 2012 February to 2013 January. The least-squares deconvolution procedure was applied to derive mean polarization profiles of all four Stokes parameters. Linear polarization was detected in all four stars in at least one observation. At the same time, II Peg showed an exceptionally strong and highly variable linear polarization signature throughout all observations. This establishes II Peg as the first promising target for ZDI in all four Stokes parameters and suggests the feasibility of such an analysis with existing equipment for at least a few of the most active cool stars.
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7. |
- Silva-Villa, E., et al.
(author)
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The age distribution of stellar clusters in M83
- 2014
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3933 .- 1745-3925. ; 440:1, s. L116-L120
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In order to empirically determine the time-scale and environmental dependence of stellar cluster disruption, we have undertaken an analysis of the unprecedented multipointing (seven), multiwavelength (U, B, V, H alpha, and I) Hubble Space Telescope imaging survey of the nearby, face-on spiral galaxy M83. The images are used to locate stellar clusters and stellar associations throughout the galaxy. Estimation of cluster properties (age, mass, and extinction) was done through a comparison of their spectral energy distributions with simple stellar population models. We constructed the largest catalogue of stellar clusters and associations in this galaxy to-date, with similar to 1800 sources with masses above similar to 5000 M-circle dot and ages younger than similar to 300 Myr. In this Letter, we focus on the age distribution of the resulting clusters and associations. In particular, we explicitly test whether the age distributions are related with the ambient environment. Our results are in excellent agreement with previous studies of age distributions in the centre of the galaxy, which gives us confidence to expand out to search for similarities or differences in the other fields which sample different environments. We find that the age distribution of the clusters inside M83 varies strongly as a function of position within the galaxy, indicating a strong correlation with the galactic environment. If the age distributions are approximated as a power law of the form dN/dt alpha t(zeta), we find zeta values between 0 and -0.62 (zeta similar to -0.40 for the whole galaxy), in good agreement with previous results and theoretical predictions.
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8. |
- Zackrisson, Erik, et al.
(author)
-
Observational constraints on supermassive dark stars
- 2010
-
In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1745-3925 .- 1365-2966. ; 407:1, s. L74-L78
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Some of the first stars could be cooler and more massive than standard stellar models would suggest, due to the effects of dark matter annihilation in their cores. It has recently been argued that such objects may attain masses in the 104-107Msolar range and that such supermassive dark stars should be within reach of the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope. Notwithstanding theoretical difficulties with this proposal, we argue here that some of these objects should also be readily detectable with both the Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based 8-10 m class telescopes. Existing survey data already place strong constraints on 107Msolar dark stars at z ~ 10. We show that such objects must be exceedingly rare or short lived to have avoided detection.
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9. |
- Alentiev, D., et al.
(author)
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Discovery of the longest period rapidly oscillating Ap star HD177765
- 2012
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925. ; 421:1, s. L82-L86
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present the discovery of a long-period, rapidly oscillating Ap (roAp) star, HD177765. Using high-resolution time-series observations obtained with the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph at the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope, we found radial velocity variations with amplitudes 7-150 ms(-1) and a period of 23.6 min, exceeding that of any previously known roAp star. The largest pulsation amplitudes are observed for Eu III, Ce III and for the narrow core of H alpha. We derived the atmospheric parameters and chemical composition of HD177765, showing this star to be similar to other long-period roAp stars. Comparison with theoretical pulsational models indicates an advanced evolutionary state for HD177765. Abundance analyses of this and other roAp stars suggest a systematic variation with age of the rare-earth line anomalies seen in cool Ap stars.
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10. |
- Bastian, N., et al.
(author)
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Evidence for environmentally dependent cluster disruption in M83
- 2011
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925. ; 417:1, s. l6-L10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using multiwavelength imaging from the Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope we study the stellar cluster populations of two adjacent fields in the nearby face-on spiral galaxy, M83. The observations cover the galactic centre and reach out to similar to 6 kpc, thereby spanning a large range of environmental conditions, ideal for testing empirical laws of cluster disruption. The clusters are selected by visual inspection to be centrally concentrated, symmetric and resolved on the images. We find that a large fraction of objects detected by automated algorithms (e. g. SEXTRACTOR or DAOFIND) are not clusters, but rather are associations. These are likely to disperse into the field on time-scales of tens of Myr due to their lower stellar densities and not due to gas expulsion (i.e. they were never gravitationally bound). We split the sample into two discrete fields (inner and outer regions of the galaxy) and search for evidence of environmentally dependent cluster disruption. Colour-colour diagrams of the clusters, when compared to simple stellar population models, already indicate that a much larger fraction of the clusters in the outer field are older by tens of Myr than in the inner field. This impression is quantified by estimating each cluster's properties (age, mass and extinction) and comparing the age/mass distributions between the two fields. Our results are inconsistent with 'universal' age and mass distributions of clusters, and instead show that the ambient environment strongly affects the observed populations.
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11. |
- Fathi, Kambiz, et al.
(author)
-
Disc scalelengths out to redshift 5.8
- 2012
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925. ; 423:1, s. l112-L116
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We compute the exponential disc scalelength for 686 disc galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts out to redshift 5.8 based on Hubble Space Telescope archival data. We compare the results with our previous measurements based on 30 000 nearby galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Our results confirm the presence of a dominating exponential component in galaxies out to this redshift. At the highest redshifts, the disc scalelength for the brightest galaxies with absolute magnitude between -24 and -22 is up to a factor of 8 smaller compared to that in the local Universe. This observed scalelength decrease is significantly greater than the value predicted by a cosmological picture in which baryonic disc scalelength scales with the virial radius of the dark matter halo.
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12. |
- Mattsson, Lars, et al.
(author)
-
ESO 546-G34 : the most-metal-poor, low surface brightness galaxy?
- 2011
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925. ; 415:1, s. L54-L58
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present a re-analysis of spectroscopic data for 23 H(II) regions in 12 blue, metal-poor, low surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs), taking advantage of recent developments in calibrating strong-line methods. In doing so, we have identified a galaxy (ESO 546-G34) which may be the most-metal-poor LSBG found in the local Universe. Furthermore, we find evidence that blue, metal-poor LSBGs, together with blue compact galaxies (BCGs) and many other HII galaxies, fall outside the regular luminosity-metallicity relation. This suggests that there might be an evolutionary connection between LSBGs and BCGs. In such cases, several very metal poor LSBGs should exist in the local Universe.
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13. |
- Prokhorov, Dmitry, et al.
(author)
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The first measurement of temperature standard deviation along the line of sight in galaxy clusters
- 2012
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925. ; 424:1, s. L49-L53
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Clusters of galaxies are mainly formed by merging of smaller structures, according to the standard cosmological scenario. If the mass of a substructure is greater than or similar to 10 per cent of that of a galaxy cluster, the temperature distribution of the intracluster medium (ICM) in a merging cluster becomes inhomogeneous. Various methods have been used to derive the two-dimensional projected temperature distribution of the ICM. However, methods for studying temperature distribution along the line of sight through the cluster were absent. In this Letter, we present the first measurement of the temperature standard deviation along the line of sight, using as a reference case the multifrequency Sunyaev-Zel'dovich measurements of the Bullet Cluster. We find that the value of the temperature standard deviation is high and equals to (10.6 +/- 3.8) keV in the Bullet Cluster. This result shows that the temperature distribution in the Bullet Cluster is strongly inhomogeneous along the line of sight and provides a new method for studying galaxy clusters in depth.
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14. |
- Tsagas, Christos G.
(author)
-
Dark flows and the cosmological axis
- 2012
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925. ; 426:1, s. l36-L40
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recent surveys indicate coherent large-scale peculiar motions, commonly referred to as dark flows, considerably stronger than expected. At the same time, an increasing number of reports suggest the presence of a weak dipolar anisotropy in the supernova data. The Universe seems to accelerate slightly faster in one direction and equally slower in the opposite. Also, this cosmological axis lies fairly close to the cosmic microwave background dipole. Since apparent, dipole-like, anisotropies are the trademark signature of peculiar motions, we consider the possibility that these, seemingly unconnected, observations are actually related. In the process, we find that observers living inside a dark flow could experience locally accelerated expansion in a globally decelerating Universe. Moreover, to these observers, the acceleration should appear slightly faster in one direction and equally slower in the opposite, as if there is a preferred axis in the universe. When combined, these results open, in principle at least, the theoretical possibility of addressing the supernova data and the cosmic acceleration by appealing to dark flows rather than dark energy.
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15. |
- Zackrisson, Erik, et al.
(author)
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The Hubble Space Telescope colours of high-redshift Population III galaxies with strong Lya emission
- 2011
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925. ; 418:1, s. L104-L108
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Population III (pop III) galaxies, made partly or exclusively of metal-free stars, are predicted to exist at high redshifts and may produce very strong Lya emission. A substantial fraction of these Lya photons are likely absorbed in the intergalactic medium at z > 6, but recent simulations suggest that significant Lya emission may be detectable up to z similar to 8.5, i.e. well into the reionization epoch. Here, we argue that high-redshift pop III galaxies with strong Lya emission can be identified in Hubble Space Telescope imaging data because of their unusual colours. We quantify this effect in some of the filters used in Y-band dropout searches for galaxies at z approximate to 8 and find that pop III galaxies with high Lya fluxes may exhibit much bluer J-H colours at z approximate to 8-10 than any normal type of galaxy at these redshifts. This colour signature can arise even if pop III stars account for as little as similar to 10(-3) to 10(-2) of the stellar mass in these galaxies. Some of the anomalously blue objects reported in current Y-band dropout samples do in fact meet the colour criteria for Lya-emitting pop III galaxies.
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16. |
- Tout, Christopher A., et al.
(author)
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HV2112, a Thorne-A >> ytkow object or a super asymptotic giant branch star
- 2014
-
In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1365-2966 .- 1745-3933 .- 1745-3925. ; 445:1, s. 36-40
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The very bright red star HV2112 in the Small Magellanic Cloud could be a massive Thorne-A >> ytkow object (TA >> O), a supergiant-like star with a degenerate neutron core. With a luminosity of over 10(5) L-aS (TM), it could also be a super asymptotic giant branch (SAGB) star, a star with an oxygen/neon core supported by electron degeneracy and undergoing thermal pulses with third dredge up. Both TA >> Os and SAGB stars are expected to be rare. Abundances of heavy elements in HV2112's atmosphere, as observed to date, do not allow us to distinguish between the two possibilities based on the latest models. Molybdenum and rubidium can be enhanced by both the irp-process in a TA >> O or by the s-process in SAGB stars. Lithium can be generated by hot bottom burning at the base of the convective envelope in either. HV2112's enhanced calcium could thus be the key determinant. Neither SAGB stars nor TA >> Os are known to be able to synthesize their own calcium but it may be possible to produce it in the final stages of the process that forms a TA >> O, when the degenerate electron core of a giant star is tidally disrupted by a neutron star. Hence, it is more likely, on a fine balance, that HV2112 is indeed a genuine TA >> O.
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17. |
- Adamo, Angela, et al.
(author)
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Super star clusters in Haro 11: properties of a very young starburst and evidence for a near-infrared flux excess
- 2010
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 407:2, s. 870-890
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have used multiband imaging to investigate the nature of an extreme starburst environment in the nearby Lyman break galaxy analogue Haro 11 (ESO350-IG038) by means of its stellar cluster population. The central starburst region has been observed in eight different high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope (HST) wavebands, sampling the stellar and gas components from UV to near-infrared. Photometric imaging of the galaxy was also carried out at 2.16μm by NaCo AO instrument at the ESO Very Large Telescope. We constructed integrated spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for about 200 star clusters located in the active star-forming regions and compared them with single stellar population models (suitable for physical properties of very young cluster population) in order to derive ages, masses and extinctions of the star clusters. The cluster age distribution we recover confirms that the present starburst has lasted for 40Myr, and shows a peak of cluster formation only 3.5 Myr old. With such an extremely young cluster population, Haro 11 represents a unique opportunity to investigate the youngest phase of the cluster formation process and evolution in starburst systems. We looked for possible relations between cluster ages, extinctions and masses. Extinction tends to diminish as a function of the cluster age, but the spread is large and reaches the highest dispersion for clusters in partial embedded phases (<5Myr). A fraction of low-mass (below 104 Msolar), very young (1-3Myr) clusters is missing, either because they are embedded in the parental molecular cloud and heavily extinguished, or because of blending with neighbouring clusters. The range of the cluster masses is wide; we observe that more than 30 per cent of the clusters have masses above 105 Msolar, qualifying them as super star clusters. Almost half of the cluster sample is affected by flux excesses at wavelengths >8000Å which cannot be explained by simple stellar evolutionary models. Fitting SED models over all wavebands leads to systematic overestimates of cluster ages and incorrect masses for the stellar population supplying the light in these clusters. We show that the red excess affects also the HST F814W filter, which is typically used to constrain cluster physical properties. The clusters which show the red excess are younger than 40Myr we discuss possible physical explanations for the phenomenon. Finally, we estimate that Haro 11 has produced bound clusters at a rate almost a factor of 10 higher than the massive and regular spirals, like the Milky Way. The present cluster formation efficiency is ~38 per cent of the galactic star formation rate.
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18. |
- Axelsson, Magnus, et al.
(author)
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On the origin of black hole spin in high-mass black hole binaries : Cygnus X-1
- 2011
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 412:4, s. 2260-2264
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To date, there have been several detections of high-mass black hole binaries in both the Milky Way and other galaxies. For some of these, the spin parameter of the black hole has been estimated. As many of these systems are quite tight, a suggested origin of the spin is angular momentum imparted by the synchronous rotation of the black hole progenitor with its binary companion. Using Cygnus X-1, the best studied high-mass black hole binary, we investigate this possibility. We find that such an origin of the spin is not likely, and our results point rather to the spin being the result of processes during the collapse.
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19. |
- Bautista, M. A., et al.
(author)
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The abundance of iron-peak elements and the dust composition in eta Carinae: manganese
- 2011
-
In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1365-2966 .- 0035-8711. ; 410:4, s. 2643-2652
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We study the chemical abundances of the strontium filament found in the ejecta of eta Carinae. In particular, we derive the abundances of iron-peak elements from the spectra of their singly ionized ions present in the optical/infrared (IR) spectra. In this paper we analyse the spectrum of Mn II using a new non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) model for this system. In constructing this models we carried out theoretical calculations of radiative transition rates and electron impact excitation rate coefficients. We find that relative to Ni the gas-phase abundance ratio of Mn is roughly solar, similar to the Cr abundance but in contrast to the large enhancements in the abundances of Sc and Ti. We interpret this result as an indication of non-equilibrium condensation in the ejecta of eta Carinae.
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20. |
- Biemont, E., et al.
(author)
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Lifetime measurements and calculations in Y+ and Y2+ ions
- 2011
-
In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1365-2966 .- 0035-8711. ; 414:4, s. 3350-3359
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report a new set oftheoretical transition probabilities in Y II, obtained using a multiconfiguration relativistic Hartree-Fock method including core polarization. The overall quality of the calculations is assessed by comparisons with new and previous lifetime measurements. In this paper, we report new measurements of five lifetimes in the 4d5p and 5s5p configurations, in the energy range of 32 048-44 569 cm(-1), obtained by the time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence method. A similar theoretical model, applied to Y III, leads to results in good agreement with new laser measurements of two 5p levels obtained in this work and with previous beam-foil results for 5d and 6s levels. An extensive set of oscillator strengths is also proposed for Y III.
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21. |
- Bäckström, Erik, et al.
(author)
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The FERRUM project : metastable lifetimes in Cr II
- 2012
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 420:2, s. 1636-1639
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Parity forbidden radiative transitions from metastable levels are observed in spectra of low-density astrophysical plasmas. These lines are used as probes of the physical conditions, made possible due to the long lifetime of their upper level. In a joint effort, the FERRUM project aims to obtain new and accurate atomic data for the iron-group elements, and part of this project concerns forbidden lines. The radiative lifetimes of the metastable energy levels 3 d4(a 3 D)4 s c4 D 5/2 and 3 d4(a 3 D)4 s c4 D 7/2 of singly ionized chromium have been measured. The experiment has been performed at the ion storage ring CRYRING. We employed a laser-probing technique developed for measuring long lifetimes. In this article, we present the lifetimes of these levels to be t5/2= 1.28(16) s and t7/2= 1.37(7) s, respectively. A comparison with previous theoretical work shows good agreement and the result is discussed in a theoretical context.
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22. |
- Church, Ross, et al.
(author)
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Implications for the origin of short gamma-ray bursts from their observed positions around their host galaxies
- 2011
-
In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1365-2966 .- 0035-8711. ; 413:3, s. 2004-2014
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present the observed offsets of short-duration gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) from their putative host galaxies and compare them with the expected distributions of merging compact object binaries, given the observed properties of the hosts. We find that for all but one burst in our sample the offsets are consistent with this model. For the case of bursts with massive elliptical host galaxies, the circular velocities of the hosts' haloes exceed the natal velocities of almost all our compact object binaries. Hence, the extents of the predicted offset distributions for elliptical galaxies are determined largely by their spatial extents. In contrast, for spiral hosts, the galactic rotation velocities are smaller than typical binary natal velocities and the predicted burst offset distributions are more extended than the galaxies. One SGRB, 060502B, apparently has a large radial offset that is inconsistent with an origin in a merging galactic compact binary. Although it is plausible that the host of GRB 060502B is misidentified, our results show that the large offset is compatible with a scenario where at least a few per cent of SGRBs are created by the merger of compact binaries that form dynamically in globular clusters.
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23. |
- Church, Ross, et al.
(author)
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The properties of long gamma-ray bursts in massive compact binaries
- 2012
-
In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1365-2966 .- 0035-8711. ; 425:1, s. 470-476
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We consider a popular model for long-duration gamma-ray bursts, in which the progenitor star, a stripped helium core, is spun up by tidal interactions with a black hole companion in a compact binary. We perform population synthesis calculations to produce a representative sample of such binaries, and model the effect that the companion has on material that falls back on to the newly formed black hole. Taking the results of hydrodynamic models of black hole formation by fallback as our starting point, we show that the companion has two principal effects on the fallback process. First, a break forms in the accretion curve at around 104?s. Secondly, subsequent to the break, we expect to see a flare of total energy around 1050?erg. We show that the break and flare times are set largely by the semimajor axis of the binary at the time of explosion, and that this correlates negatively with the flare energy. Although comparison with observations is non-trivial, we show that our predicted break times are comparable to those found in the X-ray light curves of canonical long-duration gamma-ray bursts. Similarly, the flare properties that we predict are consistent with the late-time flares observed in a subsample of bursts.
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24. |
- Curran, S.J., et al.
(author)
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On the absence of molecular absorption in high-redshift millimetre-band searches
- 2011
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In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 416:3, s. 2143-2153
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have undertaken a search for millimetre-waveband absorption (through the CO and HCO(+) rotational transitions) in the host galaxies of reddened radio sources (z = 0.405-1.802). Despite the colour selection (optical-near-infrared colours of V - K greater than or similar to 5 in all but one source), no absorption was found in any of the eight quasars for which the background continuum flux was detected. On the basis of the previous (mostly intervening) H(2) and OH detections, the limits reached here and in some previous surveys should be deep enough to detect molecular absorption according to their V - K colours. However, our survey makes the assumption that the reddening is associated with dust close to the emission redshift of the quasar and that the narrow millimetre component of this emission is intercepted by the compact molecular cores. By using the known millimetre absorbers to define the colour depth and comparing this with the ultraviolet luminosities of the sources, we find that, even if these assumptions are valid, only 12 of the 40 objects (mainly from this work) are potentially detectable. This is assuming an excitation temperature of T(x) = 10 K at z = 0, with the number decreasing with increasing temperatures (to zero detectable at T(x) greater than or similar to 100 K).
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25. |
- Curran, S.J., et al.
(author)
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Redshifted H I and OH absorption in radio galaxies and quasars
- 2011
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In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 413:2, s. 1165-1173
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- From a survey for the redshifted H i 21-cm and OH 18-cm absorption in the hosts of a sample of radio galaxies and quasars, we detect H i in three of the 10 and OH in none of the 14 sources for which useful data were obtained. As expected from our recent result, all of the 21-cm detections occur in sources with ultraviolet (UV) continuum luminosities of L(UV) 1023 W Hz-1. Our 21-cm detections in combination with those previously published give a total of eight (associated and intervening) H i-absorbing sources searched and undetected in OH. Using the detected 21-cm line strengths to normalize the limits, we find that only two of these eight sources may have been searched sufficiently deeply in OH, even though these are marginal.
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