118343809
Cross identification between X-ray and Optical Clusters of Galaxies in the SDSS DR7 Field
We use the ROSAT all sky survey X-ray cluster catalogs and the optical SDSS DR7 galaxy and group catalogs to cross-identify X-ray clusters with their optical counterparts, resulting in a sample of 201 X-ray clusters in the sky coverage of SDSS DR7. We investigate various correlations between the optical and X-ray properties of these X-ray clusters, and find that the following optical properties are correlated with the X-ray luminosity: the central galaxy luminosity, the central galaxy mass, the characteristic group luminosity ($\propto \Lx^{0.43}$), the group stellar mass ($\propto \Lx^{0.46}$), with typical 1-$\sigma$ scatter of $\sim 0.67$ in $\log \Lx$. Using the observed number distribution of X-ray clusters, we obtain an unbiased scaling relation between the X-ray luminosity, the central galaxy stellar mass and the characteristic satellite stellar mass as ${\log L_X} = -0.26 + 2.90 [\log (M_{\ast, c} + 0.26 M_{\rm sat}) -12.0]$ (and in terms of luminosities, as ${\log L_X} = -0.15 + 2.38 [\log (L_{c} + 0.72 L_{\rm sat}) -12.0]$). We find that the systematic difference between different halo mass estimations, e.g., using the ranking of characteristic group stellar mass or using the X-ray luminosity scaling relation can be used to constrain cosmology. Comparing the properties of groups of similar stellar mass (or optical luminosities) and redshift that are X-ray luminous or under-luminous, we find that X-ray luminous groups have more faint satellite galaxies and higher red fraction in their satellites. The cross-identified X-ray clusters together with their optical properties are provided in Appendix B.
15367156
A High-Abundance Arc in the Compact Group of Galaxies HCG 62: An AGN- or Merger-Induced Metal Outflow?
We present a Chandra study of the metal distribution in the X-ray bright compact group of galaxies HCG 62. We find that the diffuse X-ray emission is peaked at the core of the central galaxy NGC 4778 and is dominated by the contribution of the hot gas. The diffuse emission is roughly symmetric within similar or equal to 0.25', which is straddled by double-sided X-ray cavities aligned in the northeast-southwest direction. By mapping the emission hardness ratio distributions and by performing a two-dimensional spectral analysis, we identify a remarkable high-abundance arc region at about 2' (33: 6 h(70)(-1) kpc) from the X-ray peak that spans over a vast region from south to northwest, a part of which roughly coincides with the outer edge of the southwest X-ray cavity. The measured average abundance in this arc is higher than that in its neighboring regions by a factor of about 2, and the abundance ratios therein are nicely consistent with the dominance of the SN Ia yields. We estimate that the mass of iron contained in the arc is > 3 x 10(6) h(70)(-2.5) M-circle dot, which accounts for > 3% of the iron synthesized in the galaxy. The high-abundance arc could have been formed by AGN activity. However, it is also possible that the arc was formed in a recent merger, as implied by the recent optical kinematic study by Spavone and colleagues, which suggests that mergers may be as important as AGN activity in metal redistributions in early-type galaxies and their associated groups or clusters.
12346298
THE NATURE OF RED DWARF GALAXIES
Using dark matter halos traced by galaxy groups selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4, we find that about 1/4 of the faint galaxies ({sup 0.1} M{sub r} - 5log h> - 17.05, hereafter dwarfs) that are the central galaxies in their own halo are not blue and star forming, as expected in standard models of galaxy formation, but are red. In contrast, this fraction is about 1/2 for dwarf satellite galaxies. Many red dwarf galaxies are physically associated with more massive halos. In total, about {approx}45% of red dwarf galaxies reside in massive halos as satellites, while another {approx}25% have a spatial distribution that is much more concentrated toward their nearest massive halos than other dwarf galaxies. We use mock catalogs to show that the reddest population of nonsatellite dwarf galaxies is distributed within about three times the virial radii of their nearest massive halos. We suggest that this population of dwarf galaxies is hosted by low-mass halos that have passed through their massive neighbors, and that the same environmental effects that cause satellite galaxies to become red are also responsible for the red colors of this population of galaxies. We do not find any significantmore » radial dependence of the population of dwarf galaxies with the highest concentrations, suggesting that the mechanisms operating on these galaxies affect color more than structure. However, over 30% of dwarf galaxies are red and isolated and their origin remains unknown.« less
12882522
THE CLUSTERING OF SDSS GALAXY GROUPS: MASS AND COLOR DEPENDENCE
We use a large sample of galaxy groups selected from the SDSS data release 4 with an adaptive halo-based group finder to probe how the clustering strength of groups depends on their masses and colors. In particular, we determine the relative biases of groups of different masses, as well as that of groups with the same mass but with different colors. In agreement with previous studies, we find that more massive groups are more strongly clustered, and the inferred mass dependence of the halo bias is in good agreement with predictions for the ΛCDM concordance cosmology. Regarding the color dependence, we find that groups with red centrals are more strongly clustered than groups of the same mass but with blue centrals. Similar results are obtained when the color of a group is defined to be the total color of its member galaxies. The color dependence is more prominent in less massive groups and becomes insignificant in groups with masses 1014 h−1 M☉. These results are consistent with those obtained by Yang et al. from an analysis of the 2dFGRS, but inconsistent with those obtained by Berlind et al., who also used an SDSS group catalog. We construct a mock galaxy redshift survey from the large Millennium N-body simulation. Applying our group finder to this mock survey, and analyzing the mock data in exactly the same way as the true data, we are able to accurately recover the intrinsic mass and color dependencies of the halo bias in the model. Interestingly, the semianalytical model reveals the same color dependence of the halo bias as we find in our group catalog. We discuss these results in light of the assembly bias of dark matter halos and the star formation histories of galaxies.
12040637
Is the energy generation rate of nuclear reactions in hot accretion flows important
The temperature of hot accretion flows around black holes is sufficiently high for the ignition of nuclear reactions. This is potentially an important nucleosynthesis mechanism in the universe. As the first step in studying this problem, we need to measure physical quantities such as density and temperature of the accretion flow. In usual studies of the hot accretion flow, viscous dissipation is considered to be the only heating mechanism, while the heating caused by nuclear reactions is not considered. In this paper, we investigate whether the energy generation rate of nuclear reaction is important compared to the viscous heating. Our calculation indicates that the former is at most one percent of the latter and thus is not important. The dynamics of accretion flow can be therefore calculated in the usual way, without the need to consider heating due to nuclear reactions.
119194670
Metal enrichment via ram pressure stripping in the IGM of the compact galaxy group RGH 80
By creating and analyzing two dimensional gas temperature and abundance maps of the RGH 80 compact galaxy group with high-quality Chandra data, we detect a high-abundance (≃0.7 Z ⊙ ) arc, where the metal abundance is significantly higher than the surrounding regions by ≃0.3 Z ⊙ . This structure shows tight spatial correlations with the member galaxy PGC 046529, as well as with the arm-like feature identified on the X-ray image in the previous work of Randall et al. (2009). Since no apparent signature of AGN activity is found to be associated with PGC 046529 in multi-band observations, and the gas temperature, metallicity, and mass of the high-abundance arc resemble those of the ISM of typical early-type galaxies, we conclude that this high-abundance structure is the remnant of the ISM of PGC 046529, which was stripped out of the galaxy by ram pressure stripping due to the motion of PGC 046529 in RGH 80. This novel case shows that ram pressure stripping can work as efficiently in the metal enrichment process in galaxy groups as it can in galaxy clusters.
119263928
Made-to-measure galaxy models – III. Modelling with Milky Way observations
We demonstrate how the Syer and Tremaine made-to-measure method of stellar dynamical modelling can be adapted to model a rotating galactic bar. We validate our made-to-measure changes using observations constructed from the existing Shen et al. N-body model of the Milky Way bar, together with kinematic observations of the Milky Way bulge and bar taken by the Bulge Radial Velocity Assay. Our results for a combined determination of the bar angle and bar pattern speed (approximate to 30 degrees and approximate to 40 km s(-1) kpc(-1)) are consistent with those determined by the N-body model. Whilst the made-to-measure techniques we have developed are applied using a particular N-body model and observational data set, they are in fact general and could be applied to other Milky Way modelling scenarios utilizing different N-body models and data sets. Additionally, we use the exercise as a vehicle for illustrating how N-body and made-to-measure methods might be combined into a more effective method.
119158957
DISTRIBUTION OF SATELLITE GALAXIES IN HIGH-REDSHIFT GROUPS
We use galaxy groups at redshifts between 0.4 and 1.0 selected from the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey to study the color-morphological properties of satellite galaxies and investigate possible alignment between the distribution of the satellites and the orientation of their central galaxy. We confirm the bimodal color and morphological-type distribution for satellite galaxies at this redshift range: the red and blue classes correspond to the early and late morphological types, respectively, and the early-type satellites are on average brighter than the late-type ones. Furthermore, there is a morphological conformity between the central and satellite galaxies: the fraction of early-type satellites in groups with an early-type central is higher than those with a late-type central galaxy. This effect is stronger at smaller separations from the central galaxy. We find a marginally significant signal of alignment between the major axis of the early-type central galaxy and its satellite system, while for the late-type centrals no significant alignment signal is found. We discuss the alignment signal in the context of shape evolution of groups.
119222090
Measurements of H(z) and DA(z) from the two-dimensional two-point correlation function of Sloan Digital Sky Survey luminous red galaxies
We present a method for measuring the Hubble parameter, H(z), and angular diameter distance, DA(z), from the two-dimensional two-point correlation function and validate it using LasDamas mock galaxy catalogues. Applying our method to the sample of luminous red galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7, we measure and Mpc without assuming a dark energy model or a flat universe. We find that the derived measurements of H(0.35) rs(zd)/c and DA(0.35)/rs(zd) [where rs(zd) is the sound horizon at the drag epoch] are nearly uncorrelated, have tighter constraints and are more robust with respect to possible systematic effects. Our galaxy clustering measurements of (with the correlation coefficient r = 0.0604) can be used to combine with cosmic microwave background and any other cosmological data sets to constrain dark energy. Our results represent the first measurements of H(z) and DA(z) (or H(z) rs(zd)/c and DA(0.35)/rs(zd)) from galaxy clustering data. Our work has significant implications for future surveys in establishing the feasibility of measuring both H(z) and DA(z) from galaxy clustering data.
115149137
CONTRACTING AND ERUPTING COMPONENTS OF SIGMOIDAL ACTIVE REGIONS
It has recently been noted that solar eruptions can be associated with the contraction of coronal loops that are not involved in magnetic reconnection processes. In this paper, we investigate five coronal eruptions originating from four sigmoidal active regions, using high-cadence, high-resolution narrowband EUV images obtained by the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO). The magnitudes of the flares associated with the eruptions range from GOES class B to class X. Owing to the high-sensitivity and broad temperature coverage of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board SDO, we are able to identify both the contracting and erupting components of the eruptions: the former is observed in cold AIA channels as the contracting coronal loops overlying the elbows of the sigmoid, and the latter is preferentially observed in warm/hot AIA channels as an expanding bubble originating from the center of the sigmoid. The initiation of eruption always precedes the contraction, and in the energetically mild events (B- and C-flares), it also precedes the increase in GOES soft X-ray fluxes. In the more energetic events, the eruption is simultaneous with the impulsive phase of the nonthermal hard X-ray emission. These observations confirm that loop contraction is an integrated process in eruptions with partially opened arcades. The consequence of contraction is a new equilibrium with reduced magnetic energy, as the contracting loops never regain their original positions. The contracting process is a direct consequence of flare energy release, as evidenced by the strong correlation of the maximal contracting speed, and strong anti-correlation of the time delay of contraction relative to expansion, with the peak soft X-ray flux. This is also implied by the relationship between contraction and expansion, i.e., their timing and speed.
118163168
Three-dimensional two-layer outer gap model: the third peak of vela pulsar
We extend the two-dimensional two-layer outer gap model to a three-dimensional geometry and use it to study the high-energy emission of the Vela pulsar. We apply this three-dimensional two-layer model to the Vela pulsar and compare the model light curves, the phase-averaged spectrum and the phase-resolved spectra with the recent Fermi observations, which also reveals the existence of the third peak between two main peaks. The phase position of the third peak moves with the photon energy, which cannot be explained by the geometry of magnetic field structure and the caustic effect of the photon propagation. We suggest that the existence of the third peak and its energy dependent movement results from the azimuthal structure of the outer gap.