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At least 73 records · Page 4

Plateau de Bure High-z Blue Sequence Survey 2 (PHIBSS2): Search for Secondary Sources, CO Luminosity Functions in the Field, and the Evolution of Molecular Gas Density through Cosmic Time

We report on the results of a search for serendipitous sources in CO emission in 110 cubes targeting CO(2 − 1), CO(3 − 2), and CO(6 − 5) at z ∼ 1–2 from the second Plateau de Bure High-z Blue Sequence Survey (PHIBSS2). The PHIBSS2 observations were part of a 4 yr legacy program at the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer aimed at studying early galaxy evolution from the perspective of molecular gas reservoirs. We present a catalog of 67 candidate secondary sources from this search, with 45 of the 110 data cubes showing sources in addition to the primary target that appear to be field detections, unrelated to the central sources. This catalog includes redshifts, line widths, and fluxes, as well as an estimation of their reliability based on their false-positive probability. We perform a search in the 3D Hubble Space Telescope/CANDELS catalogs for the secondary CO detections and tentatively find that ∼64% of these have optical counterparts, which we use to constrain their redshifts. Finally, we use our catalog of candidate CO detections to derive the CO(2 − 1), CO(3 − 2), CO(4 − 3), CO(5 − 4), and CO(6 − 5) luminosity functions over a range of redshifts, as well as the molecular gas mass density evolution. Despite the different methodology, these results are in very good agreement with previous observational constraints derived from blind searches in deep fields. They provide an example of the type of “deep-field” science that can be carried out with targeted observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

SPECTRAL LINE DE-CONFUSION IN AN INTENSITY MAPPING SURVEY

Spectral line intensity mapping (LIM) has been proposed as a promising tool to efficiently probe the cosmic reionization and the large-scale structure. Without detecting individual sources, LIM makes use of all available photons and measures the integrated light in the source confusion limit to efficiently map the three-dimensional matter distribution on large scales as traced by a given emission line. One particular challenge is the separation of desired signals from astrophysical continuum foregrounds and line interlopers. Here we present a technique to extract large-scale structure information traced by emission lines from different redshifts, embedded in a three-dimensional intensity mapping data cube. The line redshifts are distinguished by the anisotropic shape of the power spectra when projected onto a common coordinate frame. We consider the case where high-redshift [C ii] lines are confused with multiple low-redshift CO rotational lines. We present a semi-analytic model for [C ii] and CO line estimates based on the cosmic infrared background measurements, and show that with a modest instrumental noise level and survey geometry, the large-scale [C ii] and CO power spectrum amplitudes can be successfully extracted from a confusion-limited data set, without external information. We discuss the implications and limits of this technique for possible LIM experiments.

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IONIZED GAS KINEMATICS AT HIGH RESOLUTION. V. [Ne ii], MULTIPLE CLUSTERS, HIGH EFFICIENCY STAR FORMATION, AND BLUE FLOWS IN HE 2–10

We measured the 12.8 μm [Ne ii] line in the dwarf starburst galaxy He 2–10 with the high-resolution spectrometer TEXES on the NASA IRTF. The data cube has a diffraction-limited spatial resolution of ∼1″ and a total velocity resolution, including thermal broadening, of ∼5 km s{sup −1}. This makes it possible to compare the kinematics of individual star-forming clumps and molecular clouds in the three dimensions of space and velocity, and allows us to determine star formation efficiencies. The kinematics of the ionized gas confirm that the starburst contains multiple dense clusters. From the M/R of the clusters and the ≃30%–40% star formation efficiencies, the clusters are likely to be bound and long lived, like globulars. Non-gravitational features in the line profiles show how the ionized gas flows through the ambient molecular material, as well as a narrow velocity feature, which we identify with the interface of the H ii region and a cold dense clump. These data offer an unprecedented view of the interaction of embedded H ii regions with their environment.

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Erasing the variable: empirical foreground discovery for global 21 cm spectrum experiments

Spectral measurements of the 21 cm monopole background have the promise of revealing the bulk energetic properties and ionization state of our universe from z ∼ 6-30. Synchrotron foregrounds are orders of magnitude larger than the cosmological signal and are the principal challenge faced by these experiments. While synchrotron radiation is thought to be spectrally smooth and described by relatively few degrees of freedom, the instrumental response to bright foregrounds may be much more complex. To deal with such complexities, we develop an approach that discovers contaminated spectral modes using spatial fluctuations of the measured data. This approach exploits the fact that foregrounds vary across the sky while the signal does not. The discovered modes are projected out of each line of sight of a data cube. An angular weighting then optimizes the cosmological signal amplitude estimate by giving preference to lower-noise regions. Using this method, we show that it is essential for the passband to be stable to at least ∼10{sup –4}. In contrast, the constraints on the spectral smoothness of the absolute calibration are mainly aesthetic if one is able to take advantage of spatial information. To the extent it is understood, controlling polarization to intensity leakage at the ∼10{sup –2} level will also be essential to rejecting Faraday rotation of the polarized synchrotron emission.

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Structure in the 3D Galaxy Distribution. III. Fourier Transforming the Universe: Phase and Power Spectra

We demonstrate the effectiveness of a relatively straightforward analysis of the complex 3D Fourier transform of galaxy coordinates derived from redshift surveys. Numerical demonstrations of this approach are carried out on a volume-limited sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey redshift survey. The direct unbinned transform yields a complex 3D data cube quite similar to that from the Fast Fourier Transform of finely binned galaxy positions. In both cases, deconvolution of the sampling window function yields estimates of the true transform. Simple power spectrum estimates from these transforms are roughly consistent with those using more elaborate methods. The complex Fourier transform characterizes spatial distributional properties beyond the power spectrum in a manner different from (and we argue is more easily interpreted than) the conventional multipoint hierarchy. We identify some threads of modern large-scale inference methodology that will presumably yield detections in new wider and deeper surveys.

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SIGGMA: A SURVEY OF IONIZED GAS IN THE GALAXY, MADE WITH THE ARECIBO TELESCOPE

A Survey of Ionized Gas in the Galaxy, made with the Arecibo telescope (SIGGMA), uses the Arecibo L-band Feed Array (ALFA) to fully sample the Galactic plane (30 Degree-Sign {<=} l {<=} 75 Degree-Sign and -2 Degree-Sign {<=} b {<=} 2 Degree-Sign ; 175 Degree-Sign {<=} l {<=} 207 Degree-Sign and -2 Degree-Sign {<=} b {<=} 1 Degree-Sign ) observable with the telescope in radio recombination lines (RRLs). Processed data sets are being produced in the form of data cubes of 2 Degree-Sign (along l) Multiplication-Sign 4 Degree-Sign (along b) Multiplication-Sign 151 (number of channels), archived and made public. The 151 channels cover a velocity range of 600 km s{sup -1} and the velocity resolution of the survey changes from 4.2 km s{sup -1} to 5.1 km s{sup -1} from the lowest frequency channel to the highest frequency channel. RRL maps with 3.'4 resolution and a line flux density sensitivity of {approx}0.5 mJy will enable us to identify new H II regions, measure their electron temperatures, study the physics of photodissociation regions with carbon RRLs, and investigate the origin of the extended low-density medium. Twelve Hn{alpha} lines fall within the 300 MHz bandpass of ALFA; they are resampled to a common velocity resolution to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) by a factor of three or more and preserve the line width. SIGGMA will produce the most sensitive fully sampled RRL survey to date. Here, we discuss the observing and data reduction techniques in detail. A test observation toward the H II region complex S255/S257 has detected Hn{alpha} and Cn{alpha} lines with S/N > 10.

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CASPI: collaborative photon processing for active single-photon imaging

Image sensors capable of capturing individual photons have made tremendous progress in recent years. However, this technology faces a major limitation. Because they capture scene information at the individual photon level, the raw data is sparse and noisy. Here we propose CASPI: Collaborative Photon Processing for Active Single-Photon Imaging, a technology-agnostic, application-agnostic, and training-free photon processing pipeline for emerging high-resolution single-photon cameras. By collaboratively exploiting both local and non-local correlations in the spatio-temporal photon data cubes, CASPI estimates scene properties reliably even under very challenging lighting conditions. We demonstrate the versatility of CASPI with two applications: LiDAR imaging over a wide range of photon flux levels, from a sub-photon to high ambient regimes, and live-cell autofluorescence FLIM in low photon count regimes. We envision CASPI as a basic building block of general-purpose photon processing units that will be implemented on-chip in future single-photon cameras.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Optical recognition of constructs using hyperspectral imaging and detection (ORCHID)

Abstract Challenges to deep sample imaging have necessitated the development of special techniques such as spatially offset optical spectroscopy to collect signals that have travelled through several layers of tissue. However, these techniques provide only spectral information in one dimension (i.e., depth). Here, we describe a general and practical method, referred to as Optical Recognition of Constructs Using Hyperspectral Imaging and Detection (ORCHID). The sensing strategy integrates (1) the spatial offset detection concept by computationally binning 2D optical data associated with digital offsets based on selected radial pixel distances from the excitation source; (2) hyperspectral imaging using tunable filter; and (3) digital image binding and collation. ORCHID is a versatile modality that is designed to collect optical signals deep inside samples across three spatial (X, Y, Z) as well as spectral dimensions. The ORCHID method is applicable to various optical techniques that exhibit narrow-band structures, from Raman scattering to quantum dot luminescence. Samples containing surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active gold nanostar probes and quantum dots embedded in gel were used to show a proof of principle for the ORCHID concept. The resulting hyperspectral data cube is shown to spatially locate target emitting nanoparticle volumes and provide spectral information for in-depth 3D imaging.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Disturbed, diffuse, or just missing? A global study of the H I content of Hickson compact groups

Hickson compact groups (HCGs) are dense configurations of four to ten galaxies, whose H I morphology appears to follow an evolutionary sequence of three phases, with gas initially confined to galaxies, then significant amounts spread throughout the intra-group medium, and finally with almost no gas remaining in the galaxies themselves. It has also been suggested that several groups may harbour a diffuse H I component that is resolved out by interferometric observations. The H I deficiency of HCGs is expected to increase as the H I morphological phase progresses along the evolutionary sequence. If this is the case, H I deficiency would be a rough proxy for the age and evolutionary state of a HCG. We aim to test this hypothesis for the first time using a large sample of HCGs and to investigate the evidence for diffuse H I in HCGs. We performed a uniform reduction of all publicly available VLA H I observations (38 HCGs) with a purpose-built pipeline that also maximises the reproducibility of this study. The resulting H I data cubes were then analysed with the latest software tools to perform a manual separation of emission features into those belonging to galaxies and those extending into the intra-group medium. We thereby classified the H I morphological phase of each group as well as quantified their H I deficiency compared to galaxies in isolation. We find little evidence that H I deficiency can be used as a proxy for the evolutionary phase of a compact group in either of the first two phases, with the distribution of H I deficiency being consistent in both. However, for the final phase, the distribution clearly shifts to high H I deficiencies, with more than 90% of the expected H I content typically missing. Across all HCGs studied, we identify a few cases where there is strong evidence for a diffuse gas component in the intra-group medium, which might be detectable with improved observations. We also classify a new sub-phase where groups contain a lone H I -bearing galaxy, but are otherwise devoid of gas. The new morphological phase we have identified is likely the result of an evolved, gas-poor group acquiring a new, gas-rich member. The large spread of H I deficiencies in the first two morphological phases suggests that there is a broad range of initial H I content in HCGs, which is perhaps influenced by large-scale environment, and that the timescale for morphological changes is, in general, considerably shorter than the timescale for the destruction or consumption of neutral gas in these systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

GIANT MOLECULAR CLOUDS IN THE SPIRAL ARM OF IC 342

We present results of {sup 12}CO (1-0) and {sup 13}CO (1-0) observations of the northeastern spiral arm segment of IC 342 with a {approx}50 pc resolution carried out with the Nobeyama Millimeter Array. Zero-spacing components were recovered by combining with existing data taken with the Nobeyama 45 m telescope. The principal objective of this study is to investigate the variation of cloud properties across the spiral arm with a resolution comparable to the size of giant molecular clouds (GMCs). The observations cover a 1 kpc x 1.5 kpc region located {approx}2 kpc away from the galactic center, where a giant molecular association is located at the trailing side and associated star-forming regions at the leading side. The spiral arm segment was resolved into a number of clouds, whose size, temperature, and surface mass density are comparable to typical GMCs in the Galaxy. Twenty-six clouds were identified from the combined data cube, and the identified clouds followed the linewidth-size relation of Galactic GMCs. The identified GMCs were divided into two categories according to whether they are associated with star formation activity or not. Comparison between the two categories indicated that the active GMCs are more massive, have smaller line width, and are closer to virial equilibrium than the quiescent GMCs. These variations of the GMCs' properties suggest that dissipation of excess kinetic energy of GMCs is a required condition for the onset of massive star formation.

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CLUSTERED STAR FORMATION IN MAGNETIC CLOUDS: PROPERTIES OF DENSE CORES FORMED IN OUTFLOW-DRIVEN TURBULENCE

We investigate the physical properties of dense cores formed in turbulent, magnetized, parsec-scale clumps of molecular clouds, using three-dimensional numerical simulations that include protostellar outflow feedback. The dense cores are identified in the simulated density data cube through a clumpfind algorithm. We find that the core velocity dispersion does not show any clear dependence on the core size, in contrast to Larson's linewidth-size relation, but consistent with recent observations. In the absence of a magnetic field, the majority of the cores have supersonic velocity dispersions. A moderately strong magnetic field reduces the dispersion to a subsonic or at most transonic value typically. Most of the cores are out of virial equilibrium, with the external pressure dominating the self-gravity. The implication is that the core evolution is largely controlled by the outflow-driven turbulence. Even an initially weak magnetic field can retard star formation significantly, because the field is amplified by the outflow-driven turbulence to an equipartition strength, with the distorted field component dominating the uniform one. In contrast, for a moderately strong field, the uniform component remains dominant. Such a difference in the magnetic structure is evident in our simulated polarization maps of dust thermal emission; it provides a handle on the field strength. Recent polarization measurements show that the field lines in cluster-forming clumps are spatially well ordered. It is indicative of a moderately strong, dynamically important field which, in combination with outflow feedback, can keep the rate of star formation in embedded clusters at the observationally inferred, relatively slow rate of several percent per free-fall time.

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CLASSIFYING STRUCTURES IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM WITH SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINES: THE G16.05-0.57 SUPERNOVA REMNANT

We apply Support Vector Machines (SVMs)-a machine learning algorithm-to the task of classifying structures in the interstellar medium (ISM). As a case study, we present a position-position-velocity (PPV) data cube of {sup 12}CO J = 3-2 emission toward G16.05-0.57, a supernova remnant that lies behind the M17 molecular cloud. Despite the fact that these two objects partially overlap in PPV space, the two structures can easily be distinguished by eye based on their distinct morphologies. The SVM algorithm is able to infer these morphological distinctions, and associate individual pixels with each object at >90% accuracy. This case study suggests that similar techniques may be applicable to classifying other structures in the ISM-a task that has thus far proven difficult to automate.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The dynamical state of the Serpens South filamentary infrared dark cloud

We present the results of N{sub 2}H{sup +} (J = 1-0) observations toward Serpens South, the nearest cluster-forming, infrared dark cloud. The physical quantities are derived by fitting the hyperfine structure of N{sub 2}H{sup +}. The Herschel and 1.1 mm continuum maps show that a parsec-scale filament fragments into three clumps with radii of 0.1-0.2 pc and masses of 40-230 M {sub ☉}. We find that the clumps contain smaller-scale (∼0.04 pc) structures, i.e., dense cores. We identify 70 cores by applying CLUMPFIND to the N{sub 2}H{sup +} data cube. In the central cluster-forming clump, the excitation temperature and line-width tend to be large, presumably due to protostellar outflow feedback and stellar radiation. However, for all the clumps, the virial ratios are evaluated to be 0.1-0.3, indicating that the internal motions play only a minor role in the clump support. The clumps exhibit no free fall but exhibit low-velocity infall, and thus the clumps should be supported by additional forces. The most promising force is the globally ordered magnetic field observed toward this region. We propose that the Serpens South filament was close to magnetically critical and ambipolar diffusion triggered the cluster formation. We find that the northern clump, which shows no active star formation, has a mass and radius comparable to the central cluster-forming clump and is therefore a likely candidate of a pre-protocluster clump. The initial condition for cluster formation is likely to be a magnetically supported clump of cold, quiescent gas. This appears to contradict the accretion-driven turbulence scenario, for which the turbulence in the clumps is maintained by the accretion flow.

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Ionized gas kinematics at high resolution. IV. Star formation and a rotating core in the Medusa (NGC 4194)

NGC 4194 is a post-merger starburst known as The Medusa for its striking tidal features. We present here a detailed study of the structure and kinematics of ionized gas in the central 0.65 kpc of the Medusa. The data include radio continuum maps with resolution up to 0.''18 (35 pc) and a 12.8 μm [Ne II] data cube with spectral resolution ∼4 km s{sup –1}: the first high-resolution, extinction-free observations of this remarkable object. The ionized gas has the kinematic signature of a core in solid-body rotation. The starburst has formed a complex of bright compact H II regions, probably excited by deeply embedded super star clusters, but none of these sources is a convincing candidate for a Galactic nucleus. The nuclei of the merger partners that created the Medusa have not yet been identified.

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Simulated photoevaporative mass loss from hot jupiters in 3D

Ionizing stellar photons heat the upper regions of planetary atmospheres, driving atmospheric mass loss. Gas escaping from several hot, hydrogen-rich planets has been detected using UV and X-ray transmission spectroscopy. Because these planets are tidally locked, and thus asymmetrically irradiated, escaping gas is unlikely to be spherically symmetric. In this paper, we focus on the effects of asymmetric heating on local outflow structure. We use the Athena code for hydrodynamics to produce 3D simulations of hot Jupiter mass loss that jointly model wind launching and stellar heating via photoionization. Our fiducial planet is an inflated, hot Jupiter with radius R{sub p}=2.14R{sub Jup} and mass M{sub p}=0.53M{sub Jup}. We irradiate the initially neutral, atomic hydrogen atmosphere with 13.6 eV photons and compute the outflow’s ionization structure. There are clear asymmetries in the atmospheric outflow, including a neutral shadow on the planet’s nightside. Given an incident ionizing UV flux comparable to that of the Sun, we find a steady-state mass loss rate of ∼2×10{sup 10} g s{sup −1}. The total mass loss rate and the outflow substructure along the substellar ray show good agreement with earlier 1D models, for two different fluxes. Our 3D data cube can be used to generate the outflow’s extinction spectrum during transit. As a proof of concept, we find absorption of stellar Lyα at Doppler-shifted velocities of up to ±50 km s{sup −1}. Our work provides a starting point for further 3D models that can be used to predict observable signatures of hot Jupiter mass loss.

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PROBING THE PHYSICS OF NARROW LINE REGIONS IN ACTIVE GALAXIES. II. THE SIDING SPRING SOUTHERN SEYFERT SPECTROSCOPIC SNAPSHOT SURVEY (S7)

Here we describe the Siding Spring Southern Seyfert Spectroscopic Snapshot Survey (S7) and present results on 64 galaxies drawn from the first data release. The S7 uses the Wide Field Spectrograph mounted on the ANU 2.3 m telescope located at the Siding Spring Observatory to deliver an integral field of 38 × 25 arcsec at a spectral resolution of R = 7000 in the red (530–710 nm), and R = 3000 in the blue (340–560 nm). From these data cubes we have extracted the narrow-line region spectra from a 4 arcsec aperture centered on the nucleus. We also determine the Hβ and [O iii] λ5007 fluxes in the narrow lines, the nuclear reddening, the reddening-corrected relative intensities of the observed emission lines, and the Hβ and [O iii] λ5007 luminosities determined from spectra for which the stellar continuum has been removed. We present a set of images of the galaxies in [O iii] λ5007, [N ii] λ6584, and Hα, which serve to delineate the spatial extent of the extended narrow-line region and also to reveal the structure and morphology of the surrounding H ii regions. Finally, we provide a preliminary discussion of those Seyfert 1 and Seyfert 2 galaxies that display coronal emission lines in order to explore the origin of these lines.

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RECONSTRUCTING THE SUBSURFACE THREE-DIMENSIONAL MAGNETIC STRUCTURE OF A SOLAR ACTIVE REGION USING SDO/HMI OBSERVATIONS

A solar active region (AR) is a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic structure formed in the convection zone, whose property is fundamentally important for determining the coronal structure and solar activity when emerged. However, our knowledge of the detailed 3D structure prior to its emergence is rather poor, largely limited by the low cadence and sensitivity of previous instruments. Here, using the 45 s high-cadence observations from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we are able for the first time to reconstruct a 3D data cube and infer the detailed subsurface magnetic structure of NOAA AR 11158, and to characterize its magnetic connectivity and topology. This task is accomplished with the aid of the image-stacking method and advanced 3D visualization. We find that the AR consists of two major bipoles or four major polarities. Each polarity in 3D shows interesting tree-like structure, i.e., while the root of the polarity appears as a single tree-trunk-like tube, the top of the polarity has multiple branches consisting of smaller and thinner flux tubes which connect to the branches of the opposite polarity that is similarly fragmented. The roots of the four polarities align well along a straight line, while the top branches are slightly non-coplanar. Our observations suggest that an active region, even appearing highly complicated on the surface, may originate from a simple straight flux tube that undergoes both horizontal and vertical bifurcation processes during its rise through the convection zone.

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