SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS OF THE MAJOR PLANETS
Spectral energy distributions of the major planets based on color photometry measurements, including scanning and data reduction procedures
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERE↗
SEARCH · Search NASA
Results for “SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION”
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Curvature of the spectral energy distributions of blazars
In this paper, spectral energy distributions (SED) of both synchrotron and inverse Compton (IC) components of a sample of Fermi bright blazars are fitted by a log-parabolic law. The second-degree term of the log parabola measures the curvature of an SED. We find a statistically significant correlation between the synchrotron peak frequency and its curvature. This result is in agreement with the theoretical prediction and confirms previous studies that dealt with a single source with observations at various epochs or a small sample. If a broken power law is employed to fit the SED, the difference between the two spectral indices (i.e., |α{sub 2} – α{sub 1}|) can be considered a 'surrogate' of the SED curvature. We collect data from the literature and find a correlation between the synchrotron peak frequency and the spectral difference. We do not find a significant correlation between the IC peak frequency and its curvature, which may be caused by a complicated seed photon field. It is also found that the synchrotron curvatures are on average larger than those of IC curvatures, and there is no correlation between these two parameters. As suggested by previous works, both the log-parabolic law of the SED and the above correlation can be explained by statistical and/or stochastic particle accelerations. Based on a comparison of the slops of the correlation, our result seems to favor stochastic acceleration mechanisms and emission processes. Additional evidence, including SED modeling, particle acceleration simulation, and comparisons between some predictions and empirical relations/correlations, also seems to support the idea that the electron energy distribution (and/or synchrotron SED) may be log-parabolic.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
SURVEY DESIGN FOR SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION FITTING: A FISHER MATRIX APPROACH
The spectral energy distribution (SED) of a galaxy contains information on the galaxy's physical properties, and multi-wavelength observations are needed in order to measure these properties via SED fitting. In planning these surveys, optimization of the resources is essential. The Fisher Matrix (FM) formalism can be used to quickly determine the best possible experimental setup to achieve the desired constraints on the SED-fitting parameters. However, because it relies on the assumption of a Gaussian likelihood function, it is in general less accurate than other slower techniques that reconstruct the probability distribution function (PDF) from the direct comparison between models and data. We compare the uncertainties on SED-fitting parameters predicted by the FM to the ones obtained using the more thorough PDF-fitting techniques. We use both simulated spectra and real data, and consider a large variety of target galaxies differing in redshift, mass, age, star formation history, dust content, and wavelength coverage. We find that the uncertainties reported by the two methods agree within a factor of two in the vast majority ({approx}90%) of cases. If the age determination is uncertain, the top-hat prior in age used in PDF fitting to prevent each galaxy from being older than the universe needs to be incorporated in the FM, at least approximately, before the two methods can be properly compared. We conclude that the FM is a useful tool for astronomical survey design.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
Redshifts and absolute spectral energy distributions of galaxies in distant clusters.
Absolute spectral energy distributions were measured in galaxies of three distant clusters. Redshifts and information on evolutionary effects are inferred by a comparison of the results with the integrated light energy distribution for nearby giant elliptical galaxies. Evidence for evolution over the last 3 to 6 billion years could not be established for these galaxies.
Oke, J. B.↗
SINGLE-STAR H II REGIONS AS A PROBE OF MASSIVE STAR SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS
The shape of OB-star ionizing spectral energy distributions (SEDs) is a critical component in many diagnostics of galaxy and interstellar medium properties. To quantitatively examine the shape of the OB-star SED, we compare long slit observations of single-star, Large Magellanic Cloud H II regions to the predictions from CLOUDY photoionization simulations that use CoStar, TLUSTY, and WM-basic stellar atmosphere models as the ionizing source. For each atmosphere model, we run grids of H II region simulations with the effective temperature (T{sub eff}) of the star as a free parameter. The best SEDs from each atmosphere code are found by matching the predicted emission-line spectra with those observed from the nebulae. By assuming a clumpy gas distribution, all atmosphere codes are able to reproduce the observed emission lines, except at the highest energy transitions {approx}> 40 eV. Taking into account both low and high energy transitions, we find that simulations using WM-basic produce the best agreement with the observed line ratios. The rates of ionizing photons from different atmosphere models vary systematically with the relative hardness of the SEDs. However, in general the rates produced by the model SEDs, for standard log(g) = 4.0 models, are consistent with the rates derived from the H{alpha} luminosities. We find that our effective temperatures inferred from the nebular ionization balance are consistent with those predicted by conventional photospheric-based calibrations from the literature. We suggest that future spectral type to T{sub eff} calibrations can be constructed from nebular data.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
Spectral Energy Distributions for 258 Local Volume Galaxies
We present model spectral energy distribution (SED) fits to ultraviolet/optical/infrared observations for the 258 nearby galaxies in the Local Volume Legacy survey, a sample dominated by lower-luminosity dwarf irregular systems. The data for each galaxy include up to 26 spatially-integrated broadband and narrowband fluxes from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Infrared Astronomical Satellite space-based platforms, and from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Two Micron All Sky Survey, and other ground-based efforts. The CIGALE SED fitting package is employed using a delayed star-formation history with an optional late burst or quenching episode to constrain 11 different free parameters that characterize the properties of each galaxy's stellar and dust emission, with the overriding constraint that the ultraviolet/optical emission absorbed by interstellar dust grains is emitted in equal energy portions at infrared wavelengths. The main results are: (i) 94% of the SED fits yield reduced χ 2 values less than 3; (ii) the modeled stellar masses agree with those derived from 3.6 μm-based measures with a scatter of 0.07 dex; (iii) for a typical galaxy in the sample the SED-derived star-formation rate averaged over the past 100 Myr is about 88% of the value derived from standard hybrid indicators on similar timescales; and (iv) there is a statistically significant inverse relation between the stellar mass fraction appearing in the late burst and the total stellar mass. These results build upon prior SED modeling efforts in the local volume and lay the groundwork for future studies of more distant low-metallicity galaxies with JWST.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
The spectral energy distributions of active galactic nuclei
ABSTRACT We present spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of 41 active galactic nuclei, derived from multiwavelength photometry and archival spectroscopy. All of the SEDs span at least 0.09 to 30 $\mu$m, but in some instances wavelength coverage extends into the X-ray, far-infrared, and radio. For some active galactic nuclei (AGNs) we have fitted the measured far-infrared photometry with greybody models, while radio flux density measurements have been approximated by power laws or polynomials. We have been able to fill some of the gaps in the spectral coverage using interpolation or extrapolation of simple models. In addition to the 41 individual AGN SEDs, we have produced 72 Seyfert SEDs by mixing SEDs of the central regions of Seyferts with galaxy SEDs. Relative to the literature, our templates have broader wavelength coverage and/or higher spectral resolution. We have tested the utility of our SEDs by using them to generate photometric redshifts for 0 < z ≤ 6.12 AGNs in the Boötes field (selected with X-ray, IR, and optical criteria) and, relative to SEDs from the literature, they produce comparable or better photometric redshifts with reduced flux density residuals.
Brown, M. J. I.↗
Shear Measurement Bias Due to Spatially Varying Spectral Energy Distributions in Galaxies
Galaxy color gradients (CGs)—i.e., spectral energy distributions that vary across the galaxy profile—will impact galaxy shape measurements when the modeled point-spread function (PSF) corresponds to that for a galaxy with spatially uniform color. This paper describes the techniques and results of a study of the expected impact of galaxy CGs on weak lensing measurements with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) when the PSF size depends on wavelength. The bias on cosmic shear measurements from CGs is computed both for parametric bulge$+$disk galaxy simulations and for more realistic chromatic galaxy surface brightness profiles based on Hubble Space Telescope V- and I-band images in the All-Wavelength Extended Groth Strip International Survey (AEGIS). For the parametric galaxies, and for the more realistic galaxies derived from AEGIS galaxies with a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio that CG bias can be isolated, the predicted multiplicative shear biases due to CGs are found to be at least a factor of two below the LSST full-depth requirement on the total systematic uncertainty in the redshift-dependent shear calibration. The analysis code and data products are publicly available (https://github.com/sowmyakth/measure_cg_bias).
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
The spectral energy distribution of NGC 1275
An analysis of absolute spectral energy distributions of interstellar gas for a galaxy (NGC 1275) is presented. Infrared spectra data shows heavy reddening. It is proposed that the interstellar gas may be ionized by shock waves or by nonthermal or stellar radiation. It is suggested, that high velocity, emission-line knots are H2 regions in a Perseus cluster galaxy or intergalactic gas cloud seen in projection against NGC 1275.
Shields, G. A.↗
The spectral energy distribution of NGC 1275
An analysis of absolute spectral energy distributions for NGC 1275 (Per A) covering the wavelength interval from 3300 A to 10,800 A is presented. The data are consistent with the heavy reddening discovered by Wampler (1971). The H-alpha intensity varied by less than 10% between the times of Wampler's earlier measurements and the two occasions of the present observations. The line-emitting region has a characteristic density of about 10 to the 4.5 power per cu cm, a mass of about 10 to the 5.5 power solar masses, and a volume filling factor of about 10 to the -6th power. The gas may be ionized by shock waves or by nonthermal or stellar radiation. It is suggested, in the vein of Minkowski's (1957) original proposal, that the high-velocity emission-line knots described by Minkowski are H II regions in a Perseus-cluster galaxy or intergalactic gas cloud seen in projection against NGC 1275.
Shields, G. A.↗
Spectral energy distributions of hot stars with circumstellar dust
Combined spectral energy distribution curves of six Ae/Be stars (BD+61 deg 154, AB Aur, V380 Ori, HD 259431, ZCMa, and BD+40 deg 4124), five peculiar shell stars (HD 31648, HD 45677, HD 50138, HD 163296, and HD 190073), and the peculiar central object in the Red Rectangle nebula (HD 44179), obtained with the IUE and a variety of ground-based optical and infrared telescope systems, are presented, covering the wavelength range of approximately 1300 A to 12.5 microns. The observations are reviewed, and include ultraviolet observations, low-resolution absolute visual spectrophotometry, moderate-resolution relative visual spectrophotometry, and infrared photometry. For most of the objects the ratio of the flux deficiency for lambda equals less than 1 micron to the flux excess for lambda equals greater than 1 micron is approximately unity. Only two of the objects (AB Aur and HD 163296) possess a strong emission feature at 9.7 microns, while one other (HD 31648) may have a weak 9.7 micron emission feature. Most of the objects have a broad, smooth, infrared emission curve resembling those seen in some WC stars. It is concluded that the dust surrounding these stars may be different from that seen in the diffuse interstellar medium.
Sitko, M. L.↗
On the spectral energy distributions of blazars
The multifrequency spectral properties of complete samples of three kinds of blazars observed with the Rosat position sensitive proportional counter (PSPC) in pointed mode are investigated: radio selected BL Lacs (RBLs); X-ray selected BL Lacs (XBLs); and flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs). Their spectral energy distributions are compared. The bolometric luminosities and peak emission frequencies of each source are estimated by fitting parabolic functions to the individual rest frame spectra of the power per decade. The shape of the optical to X-ray continua is described, and it is found that the continua of XBLs are convex while those of FSRQs are concave.
Maraschi, L.↗
The spectral energy distribution of Zeta Puppis and HD 50896
The ultraviolet spectral energy distribution of the O5f star Zeta Pup and the WN5 star HD 50896 are derived from OAO-2 observations with the calibration of Bless, Code, and Fairchild (1976). An estimate of the interstellar reddening (0.12 magnitude) of the Wolf-Rayet star is determined from the size of the characteristic interstellar extinction bump at 4.6 inverse microns. After correction for extinction, both stars show a flat energy distribution in the ultraviolet. The distribution of HD 50896 from 1100 A to 2 microns is in good agreement with results of extended model atmospheres, but some uncertainty remains because of the interstellar-extinction correction. The absolute energy distribution of Zeta Pup is fitted by a 42,000-K plane-parallel model if the model's flux is adjusted for the effects of electron scattering in the stellar wind and for UV line blanketing that was determined empirically from high-resolution Copernicus satellite observations. To achieve this fit, it is necessary to push both the spectroscopically determined temperature and the ultraviolet calibration to the limits of their probable errors.
Holm, A. V.↗
Uncovering the Spectral Energy Distribution in Active Galaxies Using High Ionization Mid-Infrared Emission Lines
The shape of the spectral energy distribution of active galaxies in the EUV soft X-ray band (13.6 eV to 1 keV) is uncertain because obscuration by dust and gas can hamper our view of the continuum. To investigate the shape of the spectral energy distribution in this energy band, we have generated a set of photoionization models which reproduce the small dispersion found in correlations between high-ionization mid-infrared emission lines in a sample of hard X-ray selected AGN. Our calculations show that a broken power-law continuum model is sufficient to reproduce the [Ne V]14.32 microns/[Ne III], [Ne V]24.32 microns/[O IV]25.89 micron and [O IV] 25.89 microns/[Ne III] ratios, and does not require the addition of a "big bump" EUV model component. We constrain the EUV-soft X-ray slope, alpha(sub i), to be between 1.5 - 2.0 and derive a best fit of alpha(sub i) approx. 1.9 for Seyfert 1 galaxies, consistent with previous studies of intermediate redshift quasars. If we assume a blue bump model, most sources in our sample have derived temperatures between T(sub BB) = 10(exp 5.18) K to 10(exp 5.7) K, suggesting that the peak of this component spans a large range of energies extending from approx. (Lambda)600 A to > (Lambda)1900 A. In this case, the best fitting peak energy that matches the mid-infrared line ratios of Seyfert 1 galaxies occurs between approx. (Lambda)700-(Lambda)1000 A. Despite the fact that our results do not rule out the presence of an EUV bump, we conclude that our power-law model produces enough photons with energies > 4 Ry to generate the observed amount of mid-infrared emission in our sample of BAT AGN.
Melendez, M.↗
Spectral energy distributions of the brightest Palomar-Green quasars at intermediate redshifts
We have combined low-dispersion International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) spectra with the optical/near-IR spectrophotometry of Neugebauer et al. (1987) in order to study the spectral energy distributions of seven of the brightest Palomar-Green (PG) quasars at intermediate redshifts (Z(sub em) greater than or equal to 0.9 and less than or equal to 1.5). Some of these PG quasars are barely detectable in long IUE exposures, so we have used the Gaussian Extraction (GEX) technique to maximize the signal-to-noise of the IUE data, and we have co-added all spectra available from the IUE archive for each QSO unless the ultraviolet spectra varied significantly from one exposure to the next. We have corrected the spectral energy distributions for Milky Way reddening using the observed neutral hydrogen column densities on each sight line and the gas-to-dust relation recently derived by Diplas & Savage. Six of the seven quasars are detected down to lambda much less than 700 A in the rest frame, and consequently continuum reddening due to dust in the immediate vicinity of the quasar can have a dramatic effect on the spectral energy distributions. In order to explore the possible importance of intrinsic continuum reddening, we have assembled a heuristic extinction curve which extends to lambda much less than 912 A. Using this heuristic extinction curve, we derive reasonable upper limits on the intrinsic E(B-V) for each quasar. We briefly discuss some of the implications of the derived intrinsic continuum reddening limits. We use geometrically thin accretion disk models to derive the black hole masses and accretion rates implied by the spectral energy distributions. Even if we neglect intrinsic reddening, we find that a large fraction of the quasars require super-Eddington accretion rates (which is not consistent with the thin disk assumption). Comparison of the data in this paper to a large body of data from the literature on the accretion disk M(sub BH) - M dot grid calculated by Wandel & Petrosian reveals that our quasars are among the brightest in the sky at 1450 A, and ostensibly suggests that the fraction of quasars which require super-Eddington accretion rates is much smaller than the fraction that we derive from our data alone. However, intrinsic continuum reddening has been ignored in this comparison, and a small amount of intrinsic reddening will push more of the quasars into the super-Eddington regime. We also plot the recent reverberation monitoring results on NGC 5548 and NGC 3783 on the Wandel & Petrosian grid, and we find that these Seyfert galaxies appear to vary along lines of constant M(sub BH). Continuum flux from two of the quasars in our main sample, PG 1338+416 and PG 1630+377, is detected at lambda(sub rest) less than 584 A. These quasars can in principle be used for the He I Gunn-Peterson test, but the S/N of IUE spectra of individual objects is usually too low to place interesting limits on the Gunn-Peterson optical depth. In order to improve the S/N, we have formed a composite spectrum from the spectra of five quasars detected with IUE at lambda(sub rest) less than 584 A, and we have used this composite spectrum to place a tighter limit on tau(sub GP, He I). We briefly discuss intermediate-redshift Lyman limit systems (Z(sub LL) greater than or equal to 0.5 and less than or equal to 1.6) detected in the IUE spectra of five quasars, including lower limits on N(H I) in each Lyman limit system.
Tripp, Todd M.↗
Planck early results. XV. Spectral energy distributions and radio continuum spectra of northern extragalactic radio sources
Spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and radio continuum spectra are presented for a northern sample of 104 extragalactic radio sources, based on the Planck Early Release Compact Source Catalogue (ERCSC) and simultaneous multifrequency data. The nine Planck frequencies, from 30 to 857GHz, are complemented by a set of simultaneous observations ranging from radio to gamma-rays. This is the first extensive frequency coverage in the radio and millimetre domains for an essentially complete sample of extragalactic radio sources, and it shows how the individual shocks, each in their own phase of development, shape the radio spectra as they move in the relativistic jet. The SEDs presented in this paper were fitted with second and third degree polynomials to estimate the frequencies of the synchrotron and inverse Compton (IC) peaks, and the spectral indices of low and high frequency radio data, including the Planck ERCSC data, were calculated. SED modelling methods are discussed, with an emphasis on proper, physical modelling of the synchrotron bump using multiple components. Planck ERCSC data also suggest that the original accelerated electron energy spectrum could be much harder than commonly thought, with power-law index around 1.5 instead of the canonical 2.5. The implications of this are discussed for the acceleration mechanisms effective in blazar shock. Furthermore in many cases the Planck data indicate that gamma-ray emission must originate in the same shocks that produce the radio emission.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
Planck Early Results. XV. Spectral Energy Distributions and Radio Continuum Spectra of Northern Extragalactic Radio Sources
Spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and radio continuum spectra are presented for a northern sample of 104 extragalactic radio sources. based on the Planck Early Release Compact Source Catalogue (ERCSC) and simultaneous multi frequency data. The nine Planck frequencies, from 30 to 857 GHz, are complemented by a set of simultaneous observations ranging from radio to gamma-rays. This is the first extensive frequency coverage in the radio and millimetre domains for an essentially complete sample of extragalactic radio sources, and it shows how the individual shocks, each in their own phase of development, shape the radio spectra as they move in the relativistic jet. The SEDs presented in this paper were fitted with second and third degree polynomials to estimate the frequencies of the synchrotron and inverse Compton (IC) peaks, and the spectral indices of low and high frequency radio data, including the Planck ERCSC data, were calculated. SED modelling methods are discussed, with an emphasis on proper. physical modelling of the synchrotron bump using multiple components. Planck ERCSC data also suggest that the original accelerated electron energy spectrum could be much harder than commonly thought, with power-law index around 1.5 instead of the canonical 2.5. The implications of this are discussed for the acceleration mechanisms effective in blazar shock. Furthermore in many cases the Planck data indicate that gamma-ray emission must originate in the same shocks that produce the radio emission.
Aatrokoski, J.↗
The TANAMI Multiwavelength Program: Dynamic spectral energy distributions of southern blazars
Simultaneous broadband spectral and temporal studies of blazars are an important tool for investigating active galactic nuclei (AGN) jet physics. Aims. Here, we study the spectral evolution between quiescent and flaring periods of 22 radio-loud AGN through multiepoch, quasi-simultaneous broadband spectra. For many of these sources these are the first broadband studies. We also use a Bayesian block analysis of Fermi/LAT light curves to determine time ranges of constant flux for constructing quasi-simultaneous spectral energy distributions (SEDs). The shapes of the resulting 81 SEDs are described by two logarithmic parabolas and a blackbody spectrum where needed. The peak frequencies and luminosities agree well with the blazar sequence for low states with higher luminosity implying lower peak frequencies. This is not true for sources in high states. The γ-ray photon index in Fermi/LAT correlates with the synchrotron peak frequency in low and intermediate states. No correlation is present in high states. The black hole mass cannot be determined from the SEDs. Surprisingly, the thermal excess often found in FSRQs at optical/UV wavelengths can be described by blackbody emission and not an accretion disk spectrum. The so-called harder-when-brighter trend, typically seen in X-ray spectra of flaring blazars, is visible in the blazar sequence. Furthermore, our results for low and intermediate states, as well as the Compton dominance, are in agreement with previous results. Black hole mass estimates using recently published parameters are in agreement with some of the more direct measurements. For two sources, estimates disagree by more than four orders of magnitude, possibly owing to boosting effects. The shapes of the thermal excess seen predominantly in flat spectrum radio quasars are inconsistent with a direct accretion disk origin.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗