The ``Great Debate': The case for AGNs

We summarize the evidence from multiwavelength observations that the dominant power source in the majority of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIGs) may be an active galactic nucleus (AGN). In the broader context of the debate, we also show that –- 1. ULIGs are indeed a key stage in the transformation of merging gas-rich disks into ellipticals,2. ULIGs are plausibly the precursors of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs), and 3. ULIGs do appear to be local templates of the high luminosity tail of major gas-rich mergers at z 1–4.     

A Search for Tev Emission From X-ray Selected Agn with Milagro

A TeV emission component has been detected from several active galactic nuclei (AGN). The majority of TeV detections of AGN are for nearby (z < 0.13) X-ray selected BL Lacs in flaring states. The variability of these sources makes continuous monitoring necessary to detect flaring activity. The Milagro gamma-ray observatory is a wide-field (∼2 sr) instrument that operates continuously allowing daily observations of the Northern hemisphere. No significant detections of unidentified sources have been made to date. The observations are used to set limits on the time-integrated behavior of a set of X-ray selected BL Lacs. Costamante and Ghisellini [A&A 384 (2002) 56] present a selection of BL Lacs with X-ray and radio flux levels favorable for TeV emission and make predictions for the TeV flux levels. Twenty-seven objects selected from this sample are the subjects of a search for TeV emission on time scales from 8 days to 2.8 years in data taken between December 15, 2000, and September 8, 2003. None of the selected BL Lacs are detected on any of the time scales. Flux limits will be presented for each galaxy and time scale and comparisons will be made with the predicted emission. For the Milagro Collaboration.     

Programs for laser-AO assisted integral-field spectrometers on ionized flows

An AO-assisted integral-field spectrograph is becoming the most efficient tool with which to explore ionized gas outflows. It maps faint spectral lines that diagnose cloud dust content, gas pressure, excitation mechanism, and chemical abundances. Coupled with recent improvements in photoionization models, the total mass hence flow energetics can be estimated. Establishing a consistent dynamical framework requires linking multi-frequency datasets to track the energy flow through its optimal-contrast emission in the various ISM phases. I show HST results on AGN, starburst nuclei, and Galactic Herbig-Haro Objects that need complementary 3D spectra at comparable spatial resolution to come soon from laser-guided AO + integral-field spectrographs at the William-Herschel and SOAR telescopes.     

Correlations between environment and other properties of galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey at fixed color

From the volume-limited Main galaxy sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 6 (SDSS DR6), we construct three samples with g–r color bins , labeled S1–S3, to investigate how other properties of galaxies depend on environment at fixed color. For each sample, we measure the local three-dimensional galaxy density in a comoving sphere with radius equal to the distance to the 5th nearest galaxy for each galaxy, select about 5% galaxies and construct the two subsamples at both extremes of density. Our study suggests that the environmental dependence of luminosity is mainly due to the environmental dependence of galaxy color and the correlation between color and luminosity. In addition, we preferentially conclude that concentration index and morphologies are not strongly correlated with local density at fixed color, and that galaxy color is a galaxy property very predictive of the local environment. Because SDSS spectroscopy is incomplete for bright galaxies at very low redshifts, we also use a volume-limited Main galaxy sample with a lower redshift limit z = 0.05, which contains 94,954 galaxies at 0.05 < z < 0.089 with −22.40 < M_r < −20.16, and reach the same conclusions.Due to the bimodality of the u–r color distribution, we classify galaxies as ‘red’ and ‘blue’, respectively, and further subdivide the samples into star-forming galaxies and passive ones using Hα equivalent width, W₀(Hα). Results show that color and star formation activity of galaxies are galaxy properties very predictive of the local environment.     

X-ray variability in a deep, flux-limited sample of QSOs

We present an analysis of X-ray variability in a flux-limited sample of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs). Selected from our deep ROSAT survey, these QSOs span a wide range in redshift (0.1< z <3.2) and are typically very faint, so we have developed a method to constrain the amplitude of variability in ensembles of low signal-to-noise ratio light curves. We find evidence for trends in this variability amplitude with both redshift and luminosity. The mean variability amplitude declines sharply with luminosity, as seen in local active galactic nuclei (AGN), but with some suggestion of an upturn for the most powerful sources. We find tentative evidence that this is caused by redshift evolution, since the high-redshift QSOs ( z >0.5) do not show the anticorrelation with luminosity seen in local AGN. We speculate on the implications of these results for physical models of AGN and their evolution. Finally, we find evidence for X-ray variability in an object classified as a narrow-emission-line galaxy, suggesting the presence of an AGN.     

Spectroscopic surveys of cosmic evolution

ALMA will be the premier instrument for the study of galaxy evolution in the early universe—enabling studies of the gas content, dynamics and dynamical masses, and star formation with unparalleled resolution and sensitivity. Galaxy evolution and AGN growth in the early universe are believed to be strongly driven by merging and dynamical interactions. Thus, a full exploration of the environmental influence is absolutely essential. The Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) is specifically designed to probe the correlated coevolution of galaxies, star formation, active galactic nuclei (AGN) and dark matter (DM) large-scale structure (LSS) over the redshift range z>0.5 to 3. In this contribution I review the characteristics of the COSMOS survey and very exciting initial results on mapping large scale structure in galaxies and dark matter. The survey includes multi-wavelength imaging and spectroscopy from X-ray to radio wavelengths covering a 2 square degree equatorial field. Given the very high sensitivity and resolution of these datasets, COSMOS will provide unprecedented samples of objects at z>3 for followup studies wit ALMA.     

HESS observations of extragalactic objects

The HESS experiment (High Energy Stereoscopic System), consisting of four imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) in Namibia, has observed many extragalactic objects in the search for very high energy (VHE) γ-ray emission. These objects include active galactic nuclei (AGN), notably Blazars, Seyferts, radio galaxies, starburst galaxies and others. Beyond the established sources, γ-ray emission has been detected for the first time from several of these objects by HESS, and their energy spectra and variability characteristics have been measured. Multi-wavelength campaigns, including X-ray satellites, radio telescopes, and optical observations, have been carried out for AGNs, in particular for PKS 2155-304, H 2356-309 and 1ES 1101-232, for which the implications concerning emission models are presented. Also results from the investigations of VHE flux variability from the giant radio galaxy M 87 are shown. For the HESS Collaboration.     

Integral field observations of damped Lyman‐α galaxies

We report preliminary results from a targeted investigation on quasars containing damped Lyman‐α absorption (DLA) lines as well strong metal absorption lines, carried out with the Potsdam Multi Aperture Spectrophotometer (PMAS). We search for line‐emitting objects at the same redshift as the absorption lines and close to the line of sight of the QSOs. We have observed and detected the already confirmed absorbing galaxies in Q2233+131 (z_abs = 3.15) and Q0151+045 (z_abs=0.168), while failing to find spectral signatures for the z = 0.091 absorber in Q0738+313. From the Q2233+131 DLA galaxy, we have detected extended Lyα emission from an area of 3″ ×5″. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Studying the first galaxies with ALMA

We discuss observations of the first galaxies, within cosmic reionization, at centimeter and millimeter wavelengths. We present a summary of current observations of the host galaxies of the most distant QSOs (z∼6). These observations reveal the gas, dust, and star formation in the host galaxies on kpc-scales. These data imply an enriched ISM in the QSO host galaxies within 1 Gyr of the big bang, and are consistent with models of coeval supermassive black hole and spheroidal galaxy formation in major mergers at high redshift. Current instruments are limited to studying truly pathologic objects at these redshifts, meaning hyper-luminous infrared galaxies (L _FIR ∼10¹³ L _⊙). ALMA will provide the one to two orders of magnitude improvement in millimeter astronomy required to study normal star forming galaxies (i.e. Ly-α emitters) at z∼6. ALMA will reveal, at sub-kpc spatial resolution, the thermal gas and dust—the fundamental fuel for star formation—in galaxies into cosmic reionization.     

QSO pairsacross active galaxies: Evidence of blueshifts?

Several QSO pairs have been reported and their redshifts determined, where the two objects in each pair are locatedacross an active galaxy. The usually accepted explanation of such occurrences is that the pair is ejected from the parent galaxy. Currently interpreted redshifted spectra for both the QSOs imply that both the objects are receding from the observer. However, ejection can occur towards and away from the observer with equal probability. We argue that for a system with two QSOs lyingacross the parent galaxy, ejection should have occurred in opposite directions, whereby one object will be approaching us and the other will be receding from us. The former would exhibit a blueshifted spectrum. We analyse here a sample of four such pairs and show that the observed spectrum of one QSO in each pair can be interpreted as blueshifted. The other exhibits the usual redshifted spectrum. A scenario based on the ‘sling-shot’ mechanism of ejection is presented to explain the occurrences of the pairs in opposite sides of the active galaxies moving in opposite directions.     

The accretion history of the universe with the SKA

In this paper, we investigate how the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) can aid in determining the evolutionary history of active galactic nuclei (AGN) from redshifts z = 0 → 6. Given the vast collecting area of the SKA, it will be sensitive to both ‘radio-loud’ AGN and the much more abundant ‘radio-quiet’ AGN, namely the radio-quiet quasars and their ‘Type-II’ counterparts, out to the highest redshifts. Not only will the SKA detect these sources but it will also often be able to measure their redshifts via the Hydrogen 21-cm line in emission and/or absorption. We construct a complete radio luminosity function (RLF) for AGN, combining the most recent determinations for powerful radio sources with an estimate of the RLF for radio-quiet objects using the hard X-ray luminosity function of [ApJ 598 (2003) 886], including both Type-I and Type-II AGN. We use this complete RLF to determine the optimal design of the SKA for investigating the accretion history of the Universe for which it is likely to be a uniquely powerful instrument.     

The pair of X-ray sources across NGC 4258: Its relation to intrinsic redshifts,ejection and quantization

The chance that the pair of X-ray sources observed across NGC 4258 is accidental can be calculated as 5×10^–6. The recent confirmation as quasars, and determination of the redshifts of the pair, atz=0.40 and 0.65 by E.M. Burbidge enables the final accidental probability of the configuration to be calculated as <4×10^–7. In addition there are a number of observations which indicate the central Seyfert galaxy is ejecting material from its active nucleus.The NGC 4258 association is compared to four other examples of close association of pairs of X-ray quasars with low redshift galaxies. It is concluded that in each of these five cases the chance of accidental association is less than one in a million. The ejection speed calculated from the redshift differences of the X-ray quasars is 0.12c. This agrees with the ejection velocity of 0.1c calculated in 1968 from radio quasars associated with low redshift peaks become narrower—simultaneously strengthening the ejection origin for quasars and the quantization property of their redshift     

Variability of extragalactic objects in relation to redshift, color, radio spectral index and absorption lines

Optical variability of extragalactic objects, viz., QSOs, BL Lacs and Seyfert galaxies has been monitored systematically over an appreciable period of time and a large amount of data have accumulated. The present work reports results of investigations involving statistical analysis of updated data on relationships between variability and various observed properties of the objects, viz., redshift, color indices, radio spectral index and absorption lines. It is found that at high frequencies (rest frame) radio spectral index does not change significantly with the degree of variability. However, the degree of variability depends on redshifts. On the other hand, presence or absence of absorption lines is significantly associated with variability for QSOs with larger redshifts (z > 1.0), while no such relationship exists for QSOs at smaller redshifts (z < 1.0) or other objects. Correlation between color indices and redshifts depends on the degree of variability and the sample chosen for the color index.     

NAOMI/OASIS on-sky performance

NAOMI is the AO system of the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope on La Palma. It delivers an AO-corrected image to a lenslet array at the focal plane of the optical integral-field spectrograph OASIS. The resulting 1100 spectra are imaged onto a high-QE, low-fringing MITLL3 CCD. A range of spectroscopic and spatial (0.09–0.42 arcsec/lenslet) configurations is available. At wavelength  0.7 μm, the NAOMI-corrected FWHM is typically half that of the natural seeing. Scheduled OASIS observing began in semester 2004B, with 9 programmes awarded a total of 26 nights during the first year of operation. A Rayleigh laser guide star is under development, with first light expected summer 2006. In conjunction with NAOMI/OASIS, this will provide a unique facility: AO-corrected optical integral-field spectroscopy anywhere on the northern sky.     

An X-ray hubble diagram for quasi-stellar objects

To form the Hubble diagram for quasi-stellar objects (QSOs),we have made use of the recently published data on X-ray fluxes of 159 QSOs observed from the Einstein Observatory. The scatter in the Hubble diagram and the lack of an obvious redshift-flux density correlation for these QSOs have been attributed to the observational selection effect that the intrinsically less luminous QSOs can be detected only in the nearby region of space. When the optical, radio and X-ray selection effects are removed, keeping only the intrinsically brighter sources, we obtain a sample of 16 QSOs having a small dispersion in X-ray luminosities (〈 logL _x〉) = 46.12 ± 0.28), a statistically significant linear correlation between (logf _x, logcz) pairs and a slopeA =-1.906 ± 0.061 of the linear regression oflog f _x on logcz. This slope is consistent, at a confidence level of 95 per cent or greater, with the slope of-2.0 expected theoretically based on the assumption that the redshifts of QSOs are cosmological in nature.     

The environment of QSOs (invited review)

The evidence for the association of QSOs with groups of galaxies and the available data on the global properties of such groups are reviewed. At least for redshifts less than 0.5, QSOs tend to occur in richer-than-average environments. There is some evidence that groups around steep-radio-spectrum QSOs are systematically richer than those around radio-quiet and flat-radiospectrum QSOs. The groups associated with the former may sometimes reach central galaxy number densities similar to those of moderately rich clusters, but are significantly more compact, and there is no evidence that any such groups have velocity dispersions above a few hundred km s^–1.A possible explanation for this environmental preference can be found in the recent evidence, from a variety of directions, that galaxy interactions play an important role in triggering nuclear activity. A significant fraction of low-redshift QSOs either have close companions at the same redshift, or show some indication of recent interaction. The results of a recent search for resolvable extended emission around a large sample of luminous low-redshift QSOs are described. There are now substantial reasons for believing that the presence of these extended emission-line regions, which are found around approximately 25% of all low-redshift OSOs, is often a signature of a recent interaction.Observed correlations between radio properties, optical spectra, and environment are mentioned briefly. The present evidence tends to support suggestions that there are two classes of QSOs, one being the extension of the Seyfert population to higher luminosities and having spiral host galaxies, the other being closely related to the broad-line radio galaxies. The host galaxies of this latter class appear often to be morphologically ellipticals, but may in fact be products of recent mergers.Paper presented at the Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

Morphologies of AGN host galaxies using HST/ACS in the CDFS-GOODS field

Using HST/ACS images in four bands F435W, F606W, F775W and F850LP, we identify optical counterparts to the X-ray sources in the Chandra Deep Field South in the GOODS South field. A detailed study has been made of these sources to study their morphological types. We use methods like decomposition of galaxy luminosity profiles, color maps and visual inspection of 192 galaxies which are identified as possible optical counterparts of Chandra X-ray sources in the CDFS-GOODS field. We find that most moderate luminosity AGN hosts are bulge dominated in the redshift range (z≈0.4–1.3), but not merging/interacting galaxies. This implies probable fueling of the moderate luminosity AGN by mechanisms other than those merger driven.     

XMM–Newton observations of bright ROSAT selected active galactic nuclei with low intrinsic absorption

We present a sample of 21 ROSAT bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs), representing a range of spectral classes, and selected for follow-up snapshot observations with XMM–Newton . The typical exposure was between 5 and 10 ks. The objects were primarily selected on the bases of X-ray brightness and not on hardness ratio; thus the sample cannot be strictly defined as a 'soft'sample. One of the main outcomes from the XMM–Newton observations was that all of the AGN, including 11 type 1.8–2 objects, required low levels of intrinsic absorption  ( N _H≲ 10²¹ cm⁻²)  . The low absorption in type 2 systems is a challenge to account for in the standard orientation-based unification model, and we discuss possible physical and geometrical models which could elucidate the problem. Moreover, there does not appear to be any relation between the strength and shape of the soft excess, and the spectral classification of the AGN in this sample. We further identify a number of AGN which deserve deeper observations or further analysis: for example, the low-ionization nuclear emission regions (LINERs) NGC 5005 and NGC 7331, where optically thin thermal and extended emission is detected, and the narrow-line Seyfert 1 II Zw 177, which shows a broad emission feature at ∼ 5.8 keV.     

The Hubble relation for a comprehensive sample of QSOs

A correlation between redshifts (z) and apparent magnitudes (V) (Hubble relation) of Quasi Stellar Objects (QSOs) has long been sought. Such a correlation exists for galaxies whose redshifts are of cosmological origin. However, a plot of the two quantities representing the Hubble diagram for QSOs exhibits, in general, a wild scatter. This raises the question whether redshifts of QSOs are cosmological. On the other hand, most luminous QSOs in groups, and subsamples with particular properties, have been reported to show the Hubble relation. In the present paper, we analyse all optically non-variable QSOs in a comprehensive sample. In our analysis we grouped the objects into certain intervals of apparent magnitudes. Correlations obtained between redshifts and magnitudes are all statistically robust. Also, the Hubble relation in the usual formV = 5 logz +C is obeyed very convincingly for QSOs withV < 19.5.     

The host galaxies of nearby Seyfert 1 nuclei

We use optical and infrared imaging data of a complete hard X-ray selected sample of AGN to investigate the host galaxies of nearby Seyfert 1 nuclei. We disentangle the emission due to the unresolved point source and the resolved host galaxy by means of luminosity profile fitting. The stellar colours in the nucleus are redder inB — V andV — K than in normal spiral bulges or current stellar evolutionary models, probably due to dust obscuration.J — H colour is quite normal butH — K usually very red, probably indicating a large contribution from reradiating hot dust to the IR colours. No significant difference in IR colours oi the stellar component is found with respect to a comparison sample of Liners and starbursts, except that the reradiating dust in Seyferts tends to be hotter and lie closer to the nucleus.B — V colour gets slightly bluer towards the nucleus, whereasV — K andJ — K have red gradients.B — V andJ — K gradients are not correlated and are likely to be caused by different mechanisms. There is a clear correlation between the AGN and host luminosity. Finally, we present optical colour ratio maps of two Seyfert nuclei, NGC 3227 and NGC 7469. The blue, ringlike or elongated structure in the maps and its correspondence with molecular CO geometry is interpreted as evidence for circumnuclear star formation in these AGN.