16433217
The afterglows of ultraluminous quasars
Quasars represent a brief phase in the life cycle of most massive galaxies, but the evolutionary connection between central black holes and their host galaxies remains unclear. While quasars are active and shining brighter than the Compton-limit luminosity, their radiation heats the surrounding medium to the Compton temperature, forming Compton spheres extending to the Stromgren radius of Fe26+/He2+. After the quasars shut off, their "afterglow" can be detected through three signatures: (1) an extended X-ray envelope, with a characteristic temperature of ~3 × 107 K, (2) Lyα and Lyβ lines and the K edge of Fe26+, and (3) nebulosity from hydrogen and helium recombination emission lines. We discuss the possibility of detecting these signatures using Chandra, the planned X-Ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy mission, and ground-based optical telescopes. The luminosity and size of quasar afterglows can be used to constrain the lifetime of quasars.
14133011
The Unified Model of Active Galactic Nuclei. I. Non-Hidden Broad-Line Region Seyfert 2 and Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies
The unified model of Seyfert galaxies suggests that there are hidden broad-line regions (HBLRs) in Seyfert 2 galaxies (S2s). However, there is increasing evidence for the appearance of a subclass of S2s lacking HBLRs (non-HBLR S2s). An interesting issue arises as to the relations of non-HBLR S2s with other types of Seyfert galaxies and whether or not they can be included in the unified model. We assemble two subsamples consisting of 42 non-HBLR S2s and 44 narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) with redshift z ? 0.05 from published literatures to explore this issue. We compare black hole masses in the galactic centers, accretion rates, and infrared color ratio (f60 ?m/f25 ?m) as a potential indicator of the dusty torus orientation, [O III] ?5007, radio, and far-infrared luminosities. We find that non-HBLR S2s and NLS1s have (1) similar distributions of black hole masses [ ? 107 M?] and Eddington ratios (LBol/LEdd ~ 1); (2) significantly different distributions of f60 ?m/f25 ?m ratios; and (3) similar distributions of bulge magnitudes and luminosities of [O III], radio, and far-infrared emission. The similarities and differences can be understood naturally if they are intrinsically the same, but non-HBLR S2s are viewed at larger angles of the observer's sight than NLS1s. We thus suggest that non-HBLR S2s only have narrower broad-line regions and that they are the counterparts of NLS1s viewed at high inclination angles. The absence of the polarized emission line in non-HBLR S2s is caused by the less massive black holes and high accretion rate similar to NLS1s. The implications of the unification scheme of non-HBLR S2s and NLS1s are discussed.
15715110
Suppressed star formation in circumnuclear regions in seyfert galaxies
Feedback from black hole activity is widely believed to play a key role in regulating star formation and black hole growth. A long-standing issue is the relation between star formation and the fueling of the supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We compile a sample of 57 Seyfert galaxies to tackle this issue. We estimate the surface densities of gas and star formation rates in circumnuclear regions (CNRs). Comparing them with the well-known Kennicutt-Schmidt (K-S) law, we find that the star formation rates (SFRs) in the CNRs of most Seyfert galaxies are suppressed in this sample. Feedback is suggested to explain the suppressed SFRs.
119269007
TYPE-I X-RAY BURSTS REVEAL A FAST CO-EVOLVING BEHAVIOR OF THE CORONA IN AN X-RAY BINARY
The coronae in X-ray binaries (XRBs) still remain poorly understood, although they have been believed for a long time to play a key role in modeling the characteristic outbursts of XRBs. Type-I X-ray bursts, the thermonuclear flashes happening on the surface of a neutron star (NS), can be used as a probe to the innermost region of an NS XRB, where the corona is believed to be located very close to the NS. We report the discovery of a tiny life cycle of the corona that is promptly co-evolved with the type-I bursts superimposed on the outburst of the NS XRB IGR J17473-2721. This finding may serve as the first evidence of directly seeing the rapid disappearance and formation of a corona in an XRB with a cooling/heating timescale of less than a second, which can strongly constrain the accretion models in XRBs at work.
17396076
INTEGRAL and RXTE/ASM observations on IGR J17098−3628
To probe further the possible nature of the unidentified source IGR J17098-3628, we have carried out a detailed analysis of its long-term time variability as monitored by RXTE/ASM, and of its hard X-ray properties as observed by INTEGRAL. INTEGRAL has monitored this sky region over years and significantly detected IGR J17098-3628 only when the source was in this dubbed active state. In particular, at $\ge$ 20 keV, IBIS/ISGRI caught an outburst in March 2005, lasting for $\sim$5 days with detection significance of 73$\sigma$ (20-40 keV) and with the emission at $ $20 keV) outburst by $\sim$2 days. This resembles the behavior of X-ray novae like XN 1124-683, hence it further suggests a LMXB nature for IGR J17098-3628. While the quality of the ASM data prevents us from drawing any definite conclusions, these discoveries are important clues that, coupled with future observations, will help to resolve the as yet unknown nature of IGR J17098-3628.
17406200
EVOLUTION OF GASEOUS DISK VISCOSITY DRIVEN BY SUPERNOVA EXPLOSIONS IN STAR-FORMING GALAXIES AT HIGH REDSHIFT
Motivated by Genzel et al.'s observations of high-redshift star-forming galaxies, containing clumpy and turbulent rings or disks, we build a set of equations describing the dynamical evolution of gaseous disks with inclusion of star formation and its feedback. Transport of angular momentum is due to "turbulent" viscosity induced by supernova explosions in the star formation region. Analytical solutions of the equations are found for the initial cases of a gaseous ring and the integrated form for a gaseous disk, respectively. For a ring with enough low viscosity, it evolves in a slow process of gaseous diffusion and star formation near the initial radius. For a high viscosity, the ring rapidly diffuses in the early phase. The diffusion drives the ring into a region with a low viscosity and starts the second phase undergoing pile-up of gas at a radius following the decreased viscosity torque. The third is a sharply decreasing phase because of star formation consumption of gas and efficient transportation of gas inward forming a stellar disk. We apply the model to two z similar to 2 galaxies BX 482 and BzK 6004, and find that they are undergoing a decline in their star formation activity.
119234828
CS 5-4 survey toward nearby IR bright galaxies
With the observations of the CS 5-4 line toward a sample of 24 infrared bright galaxies using HHSMT, we detected CS 5-4 emission in 14 galaxies, including 12 ULIRGs/LIRGs and 2 nearby normal galaxies. As a good dense gas tracer, which has been well used for studying star formation in the Milky Way, CS 5-4 can trace the active star forming gas in galaxies. The correlation between CS 5-4 luminosity, which is estimated with detected CS 5-4 line emission, and infrared luminosity in these 14 galaxies is fitted with correlation coefficient of 0.939 and the slope close to unity. This correlation confirmed that dense gas, which is closely linked to star formation, is very important for understanding star formation in galaxies.
13410699
Search for supersymmetry in pp collisions at $ \sqrt {s} = 7 $ TeV in events with a single lepton, jets, and missing transverse momentum
Results are reported from a search for physics beyond the standard model in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, focusing on the signature with a single, isolated, high-transverse-momentum lepton (electron or muon), energetic jets, and large missing transverse momentum. The data sample comprises an integrated luminosity of 36 pb−1, recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The search is motivated by models of new physics, including supersymmetry. The observed event yields are consistent with standard model backgrounds predicted using control samples obtained from the data. The characteristics of the event sample are consistent with those expected for the production of $ {\text{t}\bar{\text{t}}} $ and W + jets events. The results are interpreted in terms of limits on the parameter space for the constrained minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model.
16582011
Evidence for a population of beamed radio intermediate quasars
Whether radio intermediate quasars possess relativistic jets as radio-loud quasars is an important issue in the understanding of the origin of radio emission in quasars. In this letter, using the two-epoch radio data obtained during Faint Image of Radio Sky at Twenty centimeter sky (FIRST) and NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS), we identified 89 radio variable sources in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Among them, more than half are radio intermediate quasars (RL = f20cm/f 2500u < 250). For all objects with available multiple band radio observations, the radio spectra are either flat or inverted. The brightness temperature inferred from the variability is larger than the synchrotron-self Compton limit for a stationary source in 87 objects, indicating of relativistic beaming. Considering the sample selection and the viewing angle effect, we conclude that relativistic jets probably exist in a substantial fraction of radio intermediate quasars.
14138217
Polarization of Quasars: Resonant Line Scattering in the Broad Absorption Line Region
Recent works showed that the absorbing material in broad absorption line (BAL) quasars is optically thick to major resonant absorption lines. This material may contribute significantly to the polarization in the absorption lines. In this paper, we present a detailed study of the resonant line scattering process using a Monte Carlo method to constrain the optical depth, the geometry, and the kinematics of the BAL region (BALR). By comparing our results with observed polarized spectra of BAL quasars, we find the following: (1) Resonant scattering can produce polarization up to 9% at the absorption trough for doublet transitions and up to 20% for singlet transitions in radially accelerated flows. To explain the large polarization degree in the C IV and N V absorption-line troughs detected in a small fraction of BAL QSOs, a nonmonotonic velocity distribution along the line of sight or/and additional contribution from the electron-scattering region is required. (2) The rotation of the flow can lead to the rotation of the polarization position angle (PA) in the line trough. A large extending angle of BALR is required to produce the observed large PA rotation in a few BAL QSOs. (3) A large extending angle of BALR is required to explain a subtrough in the polarized flux that was observed in a number of BAL QSOs. (4) The resonant scattering can contribute a significant part of N V emission line in some QSOs, and it may give rise to anomalous strong N V lines in these quasars. (5) The polarized flux and PA rotation produced by the resonant scattering regions is uniquely asymmetric, which may be used to test the presence of BALR in non-BAL QSOs.
207917728
AN FPGA-BASED TUNE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR THE APS BOOSTER SYNCHROTRON
The Advanced Photon Source (APS) injection booster is a 7-GeV electron synchrotron with a ramping time of 226 ms and a repetition rate of 2 Hz. A real-time tune measurement system is needed in order to monitor and correct tune drift during the 226-ms energy ramp. Such a drift occurs during user beam operations, especially during continuous top-up operations, and results in shotto-shot efficiency fluctuations. We designed and developed an FPGA-based system that pings the beam at variable intervals and measures tunes. An operational system has been built and commissioned. It has achieved a time resolution of better than 2 ms and a tune resolution of better than 0.001. This report describes the system design and main parameters, and results from our preliminary commissioning. We also briefly discuss the application of such a system in ramping correction and ring diagnostics.