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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 163 records · Page 9
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NASA NTRS1992

The compactness of far-infrared bright galaxies

The linear size distribution of 218 galaxies in the IRAS infrared bright galaxy sample is studied by examining new measurements of the 1.49 Hz radio continuum emitting regions. We find that the radio surface brightness varies over a wide range at a given luminosity, but its median scales approximately as luminosity to the power of 6/5. Consequently, the median effective radio size of galaxies in a given luminosity range actually decreases with increasing luminosity, especially among galaxies with LFIR greater than 10 exp 11 solar luminosities. The close correlation between FIR and radio fluxes of these star-forming galaxies then leads to a picture contrary to earlier theoretical predictions that the sizes of FIR emitting regions should increase with luminosity. We propose that such a steep increase of surface brightness in luminous galaxies is a direct result of a high interstellar medium density and an enhanced radiation density of the heating photons driven by more active star formation.

Wang, Zhong↗
NASA NTRS1995

Detection of compact ultraviolet nuclear emission in liner galaxies

Low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions (LINERs), which exist in a large fraction of galaxies, may be the least luminous manifestation of quasar activity. As such, they may make possible the study of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) phenomenon in the nearest galaxies. The nature of LINERs has, however, remained controversial because an AGN-like nonstellar continuum source has not been directly observed in them. We report the detection of bright (greater than or approximately = 2 x 10(exp -16) ergs/s/sq cm/A), unresolved (full width at half maximum (FWHM) less than or approximately = 0.1 sec) point sources of UV (approximately 2300 A) emission in the nuclei of nine nearby galaxies. The galaxies were imaged using the Faint Object Camera (FOC) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and seven of them are from a complete sample of 110 nearby galaxies that was observed with HST. Ground-based optical spectroscopy reveals that five of the nuclei are LINERs, three are starburst nuclei, and one is a Seyfert nucleus. The observed UV flux in each of the five LINERs implies an ionizing flux that is sufficient to account to the observed emission lines through photoionization. The detection of a strong UV continuum in the LINERs argues against shock excitation as the source of the observed emission lines, and supports the idea that photoionization excites the lines in at least some objects of this class. We have analyzed ground-based spectra for most of the northern-hemisphere galaxies in the HST sample and find that 26 of them are LINERs, among which only the above five LINERs have a detected nuclear UV source.

Maoz, Dan↗
NASA NTRS1987

Compact molecular gas structure in the interacting galaxy pair Arp 299 (IC 694-NGC 3690)

High-resolution (about 5-arcsec) CO observations of the interacting galaxy pair Arp 299 (IC 694-NGC 3690) show that about 40 percent of the total molecular gas content is concentrated in two compact regions each of mass 1.4 x 10 to the 9th solar mass. One component lies at the nucleus of IC 694, while the other spans the region of overlap between the two galaxies. The properties of the latter component are consistent with its being a region of greatly enhanced star formation. However, the unusually high L(FIR)/M(H2) ration for IC 694, together with the presence of a flat-spectrum radio source, suggest that its remarkable luminosity may be largely produced by nonthermal processes.

Sargent, A. I.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Tidal Disruption Event Hosts Are Green and Centrally Concentrated: Signatures of a Post-merger System

We study the properties of the galaxies hosting the first 19 tidal disruption events(TDEs)detected with the Zwicky Transient Facility(ZTF)within the context of a carefully constructed, representative host galaxy sample. We find that the ZTF sample of TDE hosts is dominated by compact “green valley” galaxies. After we restrict the comparison sample to galaxies with a similar concentration, as measured by the Sérsic index, we find this green valley overrepresentation is even larger. That is, concentrated red sequence galaxies are not producing TDEs at elevated levels. We present host galaxy spectra that show that E+A galaxies are overrepresented in the ZTF sample by a factor of≈22, which is lower than previous TDE host galaxy studies have found. We find that this overrepresentation can be fully accounted for when taking into account the masses, colors, and Sérsic indices of the ZTF TDE hosts. The combination of both green colors and high Sérsic index of the typical TDE host galaxy could be explained if the TDE rate is temporarily enhanced following a merger that leads to a higher central concentration of stars.

Erica Hammerstein↗
NASA NTRS1993

Galaxy tracers in N-body simulations

Using the method of smoothed particle hydrodynamics, we have modeled the formation of a compact group of galaxies with sufficient resolution to trace galaxies. Radiative cooling allows the baryons to dissipate their thermal energy and collapse to overdensities characteristic of real galaxies. With their cross section greatly reduced, these galaxy tracers remain distinct during cluster formation while their dark matter halos merge. In addition, the number density, the mass distribution function, and even the morphology of these objects are similar to those of observed galaxies. A viable population of galaxy tracers can be unambiguously defined.

Summers, F. J.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Emission-Line Galaxies from the PEARS Hubble Ultra Deep Field: A 2-D Detection Method and First Results

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) grism PEARS (Probing Evolution And Reionization Spectroscopically) survey provides a large dataset of low-resolution spectra from thousands of galaxies in the GOODS North and South fields. One important subset of objects in these data are emission-line galaxies (ELGs), and we have investigated several different methods aimed at systematically selecting these galaxies. Here we present a new methodology and results of a search for these ELGs in the PEARS observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) using a 2D detection method that utilizes the observation that many emission lines originate from clumpy knots within galaxies. This 2D line-finding method proves to be useful in detecting emission lines from compact knots within galaxies that might not otherwise be detected using more traditional 1D line-finding techniques. We find in total 96 emission lines in the HUDF, originating from 81 distinct "knots" within 63 individual galaxies. We find in general that [0 1111 emitters are the most common, comprising 44% of the sample, and on average have high equivalent widths (70% of [0 1111 emitters having rest-frame EW> 100A). There are 12 galaxies with multiple emitting knots; several show evidence of variations in H-alpha flux in the knots, suggesting that the differing star formation properties across a single galaxy can in general be probed at redshifts approximately greater than 0.2 - 0.4. The most prevalent morphologies are large face-on spirals and clumpy interacting systems, many being unique detections owing to the 2D method described here, thus highlighting the strength of this technique.

Gardner, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Investigation relative to the Roentgen Satellite (ROSAT)

Reports include: High Resolution Observations of the Central Region of M31; The X-ray Emission of Low-X-ray-Luminosity Early-Type Galaxies: Gas Versus Compact Sources; Interaction Between Cluster Gas and Radio Features of Cygnus A; Hot Gas and Dark Halos in Early-Type Galaxies; A Gravitational Lens in X-rays - 0957+461; How Massive are Early-Type Galaxies?; Three Crab-Like SNR in the Large Magellanic Cloud; and Soft X-ray Emission from Boundary Layers in Cataclysmic Variables. Papers submitted to the Astrophysical Journal are attached.

Elvis, Martin S.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The Starburst-AGN Connection: A Sensitive VLBI Survey of Luminous IRAS Galaxies

Results of an 18 cm VLBI survey of 31 luminous (L_(fir) greater than 10^(11.25)L dot circle),radio-compact (theta less than approximately 0."25) infrared galaxies are presented. Over half thesample galaxies show high-brightness temperature emission, with T_b greater than 10^5K andstructure on scales of 5 - 150 mas. The median VLBI core power for detected sources is log P_(core)= 22.0(WHz^(-1)0, and the ratio of core to total 1.6 GHz flux density less than S_(core)/S_(total)greater than = 0.12. The limits for non- detected sources are similar, consistent with a picture inwhich all the galaxies have compact cores at a level of a few percent of the total radio flux density. Characteristics of the extended radio structure, infrared properties and optical excitation are not goodindicators of the detectability of VLBI-scale emission. Structural information and energeticconsiderations rule out a single supernova interpretation of the compact emission in these galaxies,though we cannot exclude the possibility of several simultaneous extraordinarily luminous radiosupernovae within the central few hundred pc^3. Our results instead favor the presence of an AGNobscured by starburst-related dust.

Lonsdale, Carol J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Radio and infrared observations of (almost) one hundred non-Seyfert Markarian galaxies

The 13 cm flux densities of 96 non-Seyfert Markarian galaxies were measured at Arecibo Observatory. Far infrared flux densities have been published for 78 of these galaxies in the IRAS catalog. The radio, infrared, and optical fluxes of these galaxies and of a magnitude limited sample of normal galaxies were compared to clarify the nature of the radio emission in Markarian galaxies. It was found that Markarian galaxies of a given apparent magnitude and Hubble type generally have radio fluxes several times higher that the fluxes typical of normal galaxies of the same magnitude and type. Remarkably, the ratio of radio flux to far infrared flux is nearly the same for most of these starburst galaxies and for normal spiral disks. However, the compact and peculiar Markarian galaxies consistently have about 60% more radio flux per unit infrared flux than the other Markarian galaxies and the normal spirals. It is not clear whether this difference reflects a difference in the evolution of the starbursts in these galaxies or whether there is excess radio emission of nonstellar origin.

Dressel, Linda L.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Optical spectra of compact objects.

On the basis of their optical spectra, compact objects are divided into three classes: (1) nonthermal objects including Seyfert nuclei, most N-type radio galaxies, and luminous Zwicky objects; (2) hot massive stars, and (3) stellar objects including some compact galaxies having only absorption line spectra. A variety of morphological forms exist among class (1) and (2) objects. Emission line spectra of quasars are reviewed and related to the physical conditions in the emitting regions.

Burbidge, E. M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

A CANDELS WFC3 Grism Study of Emission-Line Galaxies at Z approximates 2: A mix of Nuclear Activity and Low-Metallicity Star Formation

We present Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 slitless grism spectroscopy of 28 emission-line galaxies at z approximates 2, in the GOODS-S region of the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS). The high sensitivity of these grism observations, with > 5-sigma detections of emission lines to f > 2.5 X 10(exp -18( erg/s/ square cm, means that the galaxies in the sample are typically approximately 7 times less massive (median M(star). = 10(exp 9.5)M(solar)) than previously studied z approximates 2 emission-line galaxies. Despite their lower mass, the galaxies have [O-III]/H-Beta ratios which are very similar to previously studied z approximates 2 galaxies and much higher than the typical emission-line ratios of local galaxies. The WFC3 grism allows for unique studies of spatial gradients in emission lines, and we stack the two-dimensional spectra of the galaxies for this purpose. In the stacked data the [O-III] emission line is more spatially concentrated than the H-Beta emission line with 98.1% confidence. We additionally stack the X-ray data (all sources are individually undetected), and find that the average L(sub [O-III])/L(sub 0.5.10keV) ratio is intermediate between typical z approximates 0 obscured active galaxies and star-forming galaxies. Together the compactness of the stacked [O-III] spatial profile and the stacked X-ray data suggest that at least some of these low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies harbor weak active galactic nuclei.

Trump, Jonathan R.↗
DOE OSTI2025

The z ∼ 1.03 Merging Cluster SPT-CL J0356–5337: New Strong Lensing Analysis with HST and MUSE

We present a strong lensing analysis and reconstruct the mass distribution of SPT-CL J0356−5337, a galaxy cluster at redshift z = 1.034. Our model supersedes previous models by making use of new multiband Hubble Space Telescope data and Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) spectroscopy. We identify two additional lensed galaxies to inform a more well-constrained model using 12 sets of multiple images in five separate lensed sources. The three previously known sources were spectroscopically confirmed by G. Mahler et al. at redshifts of z = 2.363, z = 2.364, and z = 3.048. We measured the spectroscopic redshifts of two of the newly discovered arcs using MUSE data, at z = 3.0205 and z = 5.3288. We increase the number of cluster member galaxies by a factor of 3 compared to previous work. We also report the detection of extended Lyα emission from several background galaxies. We measure the total projected mass density of the two major subcluster components, one dominated by the brightest cluster galaxy and the other by a compact group of luminous red galaxies. We find ${M}_{{\rm{B}}{\rm{C}}{\rm{G}}}(\lt 80\,\rm{kpc})=3.9{3}_{-0.14}^{+0.21}\times 1{0}^{13}$ M⊙ and ${M}_{{\rm{LRG}}}(\lt 80\,\rm{kpc})=2.9{2}_{-0.23}^{+0.16}\times 1{0}^{13}$ M⊙, yielding a mass ratio of $1.3{5}_{-0.08}^{+0.16}$ . The strong lensing constraints offer a robust estimate of the projected mass density regardless of modeling assumptions; allowing more substructure in this line of sight does not change the results or conclusions. Our results corroborate the conclusion that SPT-CL J0356−5337 is dominated by two mass components and is likely undergoing a major merger on the plane of the sky.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Statistical Standard Siren Measurement of the Hubble Constant from the LIGO/Virgo Gravitational Wave Compact Object Merger GW190814 and Dark Energy Survey Galaxies

We present a measurement of the Hubble constant H 0 using the gravitational wave (GW) event GW190814, which resulted from the coalescence of a 23 M ⊙ black hole with a 2.6 M ⊙ compact object, as a standard siren. No compelling electromagnetic counterpart has been identified for this event; thus our analysis accounts for thousands of potential host galaxies within a statistical framework. The redshift information is obtained from the photometric redshift (photo- z ) catalog from the Dark Energy Survey. The luminosity distance is provided by the LIGO/Virgo gravitational wave sky map. Since this GW event has the second-smallest localization volume after GW170817, GW190814 is likely to provide the best constraint on cosmology from a single standard siren without identifying an electromagnetic counterpart. Furthermore, our analysis uses photo- z probability distribution functions and corrects for photo- z biases. We also reanalyze the binary black hole GW170814 within this updated framework. We explore how our findings impact the H 0 constraints from GW170817, the only GW merger associated with a unique host galaxy. From a combination of GW190814, GW170814, and GW170817, our analysis yields H 0 =72.0$_{+12}^{–8.2}$ km s -1 Mpc -1 (68% highest-density interval, HDI) for a prior in H 0 uniform between [20 and 140] km s -1 Mpc -1 . The addition of GW190814 and GW170814 to GW170817 improves the 68% HDI from GW170817 alone by ~18%, showing how well-localized mergers without counterparts can provide a significant contribution to standard siren measurements, provided that a complete galaxy catalog is available at the location of the event.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1991

Millimeter and submillimeter observations of nearby radio galaxies

Radio galaxies are often observed to be strong long wavelength infrared sources. Twenty-six radio galaxies with strong compact cores were observed at wavelengths near 1 mm with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The detections and upper limits establish the presence of excess infrared emission for almost all of the galaxies in the sample. The exceptions are the BL Lac objects, which have smooth continuous spectra from radio to infrared wavelengths. The spectral energy distributions of the infrared emission from the radio galaxies favor a thermal origin due to emission from cool interstellar dust. The amounts of dust inferred to be present approach those observed in large spirals.

Knapp, G. R.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Lyman continuum leaker candidates among highly ionised, low-redshift dwarf galaxies selected from He II

Contemporary research suggests that the reionisation of the intergalactic medium (IGM) in the early Universe was predominantly realised by star-forming (proto-)galaxies (SFGs). Due to observational constraints, our knowledge on the origins of sufficient amounts of ionising Lyman continuum (LyC) photons and the mechanisms facilitating their transport into the IGM remains sparse. Recent efforts have thus focussed on the study of local analogues to these high-redshift objects. We aim to acquire a set of very low-redshift SFGs that exhibit signs of a hard radiation field being present. A subsequent analysis of their emission line properties is intended to shed light on how the conditions prevalent in these objects compare to those predicted to be present in early SFGs that are thought to be LyC emitters (LCEs). We used archival spectroscopic SDSS DR12 data to select a sample of low-redshift He II 4686 emitters and restricted it to a set of SFGs with an emission line diagnostic sensitive to the presence of an active galactic nucleus, which serves as our only selection criterion. We performed a population spectral synthesis with FADO to reconstruct these galaxies’ star-formation histories (SFHs). Utilising the spectroscopic information at hand, we constrained the predominant ionisation mechanisms in these galaxies and inferred information on interstellar medium (ISM) conditions relevant for the escape of LyC radiation. Our final sample consists of eighteen ionised, metal-poor galaxies (IMPs). These low-mass (6.2 ≤ log(M * /M ⊙ ) ≤ 8.8), low-metallicity (7.54 ≤log(O/H) + 12 ≤ 8.13) dwarf galaxies appear to be predominantly ionised by stellar sources. We find large [OIII] 5007/[OII] 3727 ratios and [SII] 6717,6731/Hα deficiencies, which provide strong indications for these galaxies to be LCEs. At least 40% of these objects are candidates for featuring cosmologically significant LyC escape fractions ≳10%. The IMPs’ SFHs exhibit strong similarities and almost all galaxies appear to contain an old (> 1 Gyr) stellar component, while also harbouring a young, two-stage (~10 Myr and < 1 Myr) starburst, which we speculate might be related to LyC escape. The properties of the compact emission line galaxies presented here align well with those observed in many local LCEs. In fact, our sample may prove as an extension to the rather small catalogue of local LCEs, as the extreme ISM conditions we find are assumed to facilitate LyC leakage. Notably, all of our eighteen candidates are significantly closer (z < 0.1) than most established LCEs. If the inferred LyC photon loss is genuine, this demonstrates that selecting SFGs from He II 4686 is a powerful selection criterion in the search for LCEs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1986

New X-ray and optical observations of the X-ray discovered QSO-galaxy pair 1E 0104.2 + 3153

New X-ray and optical observations are presented of the QSO-galaxy pair 1E 0104.2 + 3153, originally discovered as a serendipitous source in the Einstein Observatory Medium Sensitivity Survey (Gioia et al., 1984). Results from an extremely deep Exosat observation are used to suggest that the QSO rather than the compact group of galaxies is the optical counterpart of the IPC source. High-resolution (1-A) spectroscopy of the broad-absorption-line QSO, which fails to confirm the Ca II H and K absorption features reported by Stocke et al., (1984), is presented and discussed. The presence of broad absorption lines in the QSO spectrum may indicate that intrinsic absorption is the cause of the nondetection of this source in the soft Exosat energy band. Optical monitoring of the QSO over a 2-yr period indicates variability. Possible interpretations of this phenomenon are intrinsic luminosity variation or a cessation of a gravitational lensing effect acting at the time of the Einstein observation.

Gioia, I. M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Active galaxies and the diffuse Gamma-Ray background

A model for the origin of relativistic particles and gamma rays in active galactic nuclei and quasars, together with recent HEAO-1 observations of the spectra of active galaxies from 2 to 165 keV, provide the basis for a reexamination of the nature of the extragalactic gamma ray background. Active galaxies account for the observed background if their X-ray spectra steepen to E.021 above 100 keV, as observed in Cen-A, together with a further steepening to E.021 as a result of absorption of gamma rays by photon-photon pair production interactions with X-ray photons. The compactness of active galaxies required to give this steepening is consistent with estimates of their typical luminosity and radius.

Kazanas, D.↗