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NASA NTRS1973

The luminosity function of galactic X-ray sources - A cutoff and a 'standard candle'

Analysis of the 2- to 10-kev luminosity distribution of 36 X-ray sources in the Local Group having known or estimated distances, showing that there exists a luminosity cutoff of approximately 10 to the 37.7th ergs/sec in agreement with the theoretical (Eddington) limit for the luminosity of an approximately 1 solar mass star. Furthermore, among the complete sample of high-luminosity sources, there appears to be a statistically significant group of X-ray 'standard candles' at (within less than 0.8 mag) the critical luminosity. This finding (which is in agreement with the self-consistent mass flow accretion models) presents the possibility that X-ray sources may be used as extragalactic distance indicators in the next generation of X-ray astronomy experiments.

Margon, B.↗

NASA NTRS1979

A limit to the X-ray luminosity of nearby normal galaxies

The hypothesis that normal galaxies are on the average more luminous in the X-ray region than the Milky Way galaxy or M31 and therefore are possible candidates for the low-luminosity sources of the 2 to 60 keV extragalactic diffuse background is tested. Data from the A-2 detectors on the HEAO-1 spacecraft were examined for emission from positions coincident with 76 selected normal galaxies, and upper limits to the average galactic luminosity for various luminosity distributions resulting in the observed count rate distribution were determined. For uniform and exponential galactic luminosity distributions, limits of 2.7 x 10 to the 38th erg/sec and 3.4 x 10 to the 38th erg/sec, respectively, at the 90% confidence level were obtained. It is shown that the Hubble-constant-independent upper limit to galactic emissivity is less than 1% of the diffuse background emissivity, indicating that normal galaxies are not responsible for the diffuse X-ray background and have luminosities comparable to that of the Galaxy.

Worrall, D. M.↗

NASA NTRS1980

The HEAO A-2 survey of Abell clusters and the X-ray luminosity function

The HEAO A-2 all sky data base was surveyed for 2-10KeV X-rau emission from the 225 Abell clusters og galaxies listed in Abell's (1958) catalog which are of distance class four or less, and are within the fraction of the sky surveyed completely by Abell. Thirty-two identifications of clusters with X-ray sources were made, for which 2-10 KeV fluxes and 90% error boxes are presented. Twelve of these identification are new. The X-ray luminosity function was derived for this statistically complete sample and the best exponential fit was found to be f(L) = 20.2 x 10 to the minus 8 power exp (-l(44)/1.9) per cu Mpc 2-10KeV. The relationship between X-ray luminosity and richness was examined and a correlation was found for richness classes 0, 1, and 2. The relationship of X-rau luminosity, Bautz-Morgan type, and Rood-Sastry type was examined. It was found that BM type I's and RS type cD and B have the greatest average luminosity. The contribution of clusters to the X-ray background was calculated from the luminosity function and was found to be 5%, and with 90% certainty, less than 8% in the 2-10 KeV band pass.

Mckee, J. D.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Effects of changes in convective efficiency on the solar radius and luminosity

A sequence of solar models has been constructed in order to investigate the sensitivity of the solar radius and luminosity to small changes in the ratio alpha of the mixing length lambda to the pressure-scale height Hp throughout the solar convective envelope. The basic procedure for determining this sensitivity was to impose a perturbation in alpha within the convective envelope and then to follow the resulting changes in the solar radius delta R and luminosity delta L for the next 10 to the 6th power yrs. These calculations gave the following results. (1) A perturbation in alpha produces immediate changes in the solar radius and luminosity. Initially delta L and delta alpha are related by delta L/L = 0.30 delta alpha/alpha. (2) The value of the ratio w = delta log R/delta log L is strongly time dependent. Its value just after the perturbation in alpha is 6.5 x 10 to the minus 4th power. (3) The ratio H = (delta log L) d delta log R/dt is much less time dependent and is a more suitable means for relating the changes in the solar radius and luminosity. (4) Both of these ratios imply that for any reasonable change in the solar luminosity the corresponding change in the solar radius is negligible.

Sweigart, A. V.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Stellar luminosity functions in the R, I, J, and K bands obtained by transformation from the visual band

The stellar luminosity function that has been measured in the visual band into the R, I, J, and K bands, where it has not yet been obtained directly, is transformed. The transformation is effected by subdividing the total visual function, which includes all stars, into subluminosity functions for each luminosity class (supergiants through white dwarfs), applying the known (V - D) color, D = R, I, J, K for each spectral type, and then summing the resultant transformed subluminosity functions into a total luminosity function for the band D. Simple analytic forms that accurately fit the transformed luminosity functions are given. Consideration is also given to the possibility of a systematic error resulting from the existence of a very red stellar population not accounted for in the visual band luminosity function

Mamon, G. A.↗

NASA NTRS1982

A magnitude limited stellar X-ray survey and the F star X-ray luminosity function

An X-ray survey has been conducted of stars brighter than visual magnitude 8.5 that have serendipitously fallen into the fields of view of the Imaging Proportional Counter of the Einstein Observatory. The survey includes 227 separate 1 x 1 deg fields, containing 274 stars with a visual magnitude of no more than 8.5 and covering a wide range of spectral types and luminosity classes. X-ray emission was detected from 33 stars, and upper limits have been determined for the remainder of the sample. F type stars dominate the detected sample, and most of these are shown to be dwarfs. An X-ray luminosity function for dF stars has been deduced, and reveals that the average 0.2-4.0 keV luminosity of these stars is around 10 to the 29th erg/sec. Constraints have been placed on the high luminosity tails and medians of the X-ray luminosity functions for other types of stars.

Topka, K.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Very low luminosity active galaxies and the X-ray background

The properties of very low luminosity active galactic nuclei are not well studied, and, in particular, their possible contribution to the diffuse X-ray background is not known. In the present investigation, an X-ray luminosity function for the range from 10 to the 39th to 10 to the 42.5th ergs/s is constructed. The obtained X-ray luminosity function is integrated to estimate the contribution of these very low luminosity active galaxies to the diffuse X-ray background. The construction of the X-ray luminosity function is based on data obtained by Keel (1983) and some simple assumptions about optical and X-ray properties.

Elvis, M.↗

NASA NTRS1984

X-ray selected quasars and Seyfert galaxies - Cosmological evolution, luminosity function, and contribution to the X-ray background

The cosmological evolution and the X-ray luminosity function of quasars and Seyfert galaxies (active galactic nuclei /AGNs/) are derived and discussed. The sample used consists of 56 objects extracted from the expanded Einstein Observatory Medium Sensitivity Survey, and it is exclusively defined by its X-ray properties. The distribution in space of X-ray selected AGNs is confirmed to be strongly nonuniform; the amount of cosmological evolution required by the data is in agreement with a previous determination based on a smaller sample of objects. The X-ray luminosity function (XLF) is derived. The high-luminosity part of the XLF is satisfactorily described by a power law of slope gamma approximately 3.6. A significant flattening is observed at low luminosities. The simultaneous determination of the cosmological evolution and of the X-ray luminosity function of AGNs is then used to estimate the contribution to the extragalactic diffuse X-ray background. Using the best fit values for the evolution of AGNs and for their volume density, it is found that they contribute approximately 80 percent of the 2 keV diffuse X-ray background. Uncertainties in this estimate are still rather large; however, it seems difficult to reconcile the data with a contribution much less than 50 percent.

Maccacaro, T.↗

NASA NTRS1984

A possible relationship between metal abundance and luminosity for disk galaxies

Near-infrared colors have been measured for a sample of 31 late-type galaxies in the Pegasus I and Pisces clusters; system luminosities in the sample cover the range of M(H) between -19 and -23.5. The color index (J - K) correlates strongly with the absolute H magnitude; lower-luminosity systems have bluer colors. These observations are consistent with the assumption that the mean metal abundance of the old disk population decreases systematically with luminosity. The systematic variation (B - H) with absolute H magnitude reported recently by Tully et al. (1982) derives in part from this proposed systematic change of metallicity with luminosity. However, a relative increase in the number of newly formed stars and/or a systematic smaller age for lower-luminosity disks must still be posited in order to fully explain the observed (B - H), H relation.

Bothun, G. D.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Unidentified IRAS sources: Ultrahigh luminosity galaxies

Optical imaging and spectroscopy measurements were obtained for six of the high galactic latitude infrared sources reported by Houck, et al. (1984) from the IRAS survey to have no obvious optical counterparts on the POSS prints. All are identified with visually faint galaxies that have total luminosities in the range 5 x 10 to the 11th power stellar luminosity to 5 x 10 to the 12th power stellar luminosity. This luminosity emerges virtually entirely in the infrared. The origin of the luminosity, which is one to two orders of magnitude greater than that of normal galaxies, is not known at this time.

Houck, J. R.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Unidentified IRAS sources - Ultrahigh-luminosity galaxies

Houck, J. R.↗

NASA NTRS1987

The luminosity function of the brightest galaxies in the IRAS survey

Results from a study of the far infrared properties of the brightest galaxies in the IRAS survey are described. There is a correlation between the infrared luminosity and the infrared to optical luminosity ratio and between the infrared luminosity and the far infrared color temperature in these galaxies. The infrared bright galaxies represent a significant component of extragalactic objects in the local universe, being comparable in space density to the Seyferts, optically identified starburst galaxies, and more numerous than quasars at the same bolometric luminosity. The far infrared luminosity in the local universe is approximately 25% of the starlight output in the same volume.

Soifer, B. T.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Evolution of the luminosity function of extragalactic objects

A nonparametric procedure for determining the evolution of the luminosity function (LF) of extragalactic objects is described. The following steps are required: (1) selection of complete samples with known observational selection effects, (2) choice of a cosmological model, (3) statistical analysis of the sample and determination of the evolution of the luminosity function, and (4) the use of the luminosity function for the determination of the formation rate and the physical evolution of the objects. When the present technique is applied to a sample of optically selected quasars with redshifts less than two, it is shown that the LF evolves more strongly for higher luminosities, indicating a larger quasar activity at earlier epochs and a more rapid evolution of the objects during their higher luminosity phases.

Petrosian, V.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Luminosity dependence in the ratio of X-ray to infrared emission of QSOs

The correlation of X-ray and near-infrared luminosity is studied for a sample of radio-quiet QSOs. The X-ray to infrared ratio is found to decrease as the infrared luminosity increases. No preference is found between the correlations of X-ray luminosity with optical or infrared luminosity. This implies that optical and infrared emission are equally good predictors of X-ray emission. Source models which directly link infrared and X-ray emission are discussed, and a preference is found for a specific synchrotron self-Compton model. This model predicts the correct luminosity dependence of the X-ray to infrared ratio if certain conditions apply.

Worrall, D. M.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Luminosity excesses in low-mass young stellar objects - A statistical study

This paper presents a statistical study in which the observed total luminosity is compared quantitatively with an estimate of the stellar luminosity for a sample of 59 low-mass young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Taurus-Auriga complex. In 13 of the analyzed YSOs, luminosity excesses greater than 0.20 are observed together with greater than 0.6 IR excesses, which typically contribute the bulk of the observed excess luminosity and are characterized by spectral energy distributions which are flat or rise toward long wavelengths. The analysis suggests that YSOs showing the largest luminosity excesses typically power optical jets and/or molecular outflows or have strong winds, as evidenced by the presence of O I emission, indicating a possible correlation between accretion and mass-outflow properties.

Strom, Karen M.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Systematic properties of CO emission from galaxies. I - Luminosity function

A sensitive survey of normal galaxies covering a wide range of luminosities and morphological types is combined with galaxy observations in the literature to provide a sample for statistical study. The global CO emission of these galaxies is extrapolated by modeling the galaxies with an exponential radial profile. The maximum-likelihood distribution functions of CO luminosity and CO/H I flux ratio are similar in behavior. Both have long tails of bright galaxies. However, the typical galaxy has a CO luminosity of about 10 to the 6th Jy km/s Mpc-squared or less and a CO/H I ratio of the order of 10 or less. Averages of the distributions of CO luminosity and CO/H I flux ratio are higher for galaxies of Hubble type Sb-Sbc than for groups of earlier or later types. Quantitative estimates of the possible error sources in the conversion of CO luminosity to molecular mass indicates that the peaking of CO emission at intermediate types is a fairly confident result.

Verter, Frances↗

NASA NTRS1988

Models of the quasar population. I - A new luminosity function

A new functional form for the quasar luminosity function is tested using recent observational results for both bright and faint quasar count and redshift distributions. The form is of a fairly general type based on three free parameters and allows for quasars to undergo a combination of luminosity evolution and luminosity-dependent density evolution; an advantage to this approach is that it does not constrain quasars to follow a single type of evolution. Models of pure luminosity evolution or luminosity-dependent density evolution can be constructed, but the apparent magnitude distribution of observed quasars is best fitted by a combination model. The combination model also gives the correct redshift distribution for quasars with redshifts less than three and predicts that quasars brighter than B = 22 provide a 2-10 keV X-ray flux that is equal to 32 percent of the observed X-ray background. However, the model is flawed in that it predicts more high-redshift quasars than are observed.

Heisler, Julia↗

NASA NTRS1988

Star formation rates and the far-infrared luminosity of Galactic molecular clouds

The CO luminosity, far-IR luminosity, and virial mass of 55 molecular clouds are determined and related to star formation rates (SFRs) in the clouds. The SFR of OB stars per unit of available molecular mass is found to be independent of cloud mass and varies widely over a range of about 100 for clouds of mass between 30,000 and five million solar masses. The far-IR luminosity is proportional to the first power of the CO luminosity for clouds undergoing high-mass star formation. There are massive clouds without any current high-mass star formation. The average gas depletion time is about 2.5 billion yr. The far-IR luminosity-to-mass ratio for isolated or weakly interacting spiral galaxies observed by IRAS is twice that for the average Galactic molecular cloud. The star formation mechanism operating in strongly interacting galaxies is five times more efficient than that of the most active Galactic cloud and 30 times that of the average Galactic cloud.

Mooney, T. J.↗