Explaining recently studied intermediate luminosity optical transients(ILOTs) with jet powering

We apply the jet-powered ILOT scenario to two recently studied intermediate luminosity optical transients(ILOTs),and find the relevant shell mass and jets' energy that might account for the outbursts of these ILOTs.In the jet-powered ILOT scenario,an accretion disk around one of the stars of a binary system launches jets.The interaction of the jets with a previously ejected slow shell converts kinetic energy to thermal energy,part of which is radiated away.We apply two models of the jet-powered ILOT scenario.In the spherical shell model,the jets accelerate a spherical shell,while in the cocoon toy model the jets penetrate into the shell and inflate hot bubbles,the cocoons.We find consistent results.For the ILOT(ILRT:intermediate luminosity red transient) SNhunt120 we find the shell mass and jets' energy to be Ms■0.5-1 M_☉ and E_(2 j)■5×10~(47) erg,respectively.The jets' half opening angle is α_j■30°-60°.For the second peak of the ILOT(luminous red nova) AT 2014 ej we find these quantities to be M_s1-2 M_☉ and E_(2 j)1.5×10~(48) erg,with αj■20°-30°.The models cannot tell whether these ILOTs were powered by a stellar merger that leaves one star,or by mass transfer where both stars survived.In both cases the masses of the shells and energies of the jets suggest that the binary progenitor system was massive,with a combined mass of M_1+M_210 ■M_☉.     

Operation of the jet feedback mechanism (JFM) in intermediate luminosity optical transients (ILOTs)

We follow the premise that most intermediate luminosity optical transients(ILOTs) are powered by rapid mass accretion onto a main sequence star,and study the effects of jets launched by an accretion disk.The disk is formed due to large specific angular momentum of the accreted mass.The two opposite jets might expel some of the mass from the reservoir of gas that feeds the disk,and therefore reduce and shorten the mass accretion process.We argue that by this process ILOTs limit their luminosity and might even shut themselves off in this negative jet feedback mechanism(JFM).The group of ILOTs is a new member of a large family of astrophysical objects whose activity is regulated by the operation of the JFM.     

The UVX quasar optical luminosity function and its evolution

The recently finished Edinburgh UVX quasar survey at B <18 is used together with other complete samples to estimate the shape and evolution of the optical luminosity function in the redshift range 0.3< z <2.2. There is a significantly higher space density of quasars at high luminosity and low redshift than previously found in the PG sample of Schmidt & Green, with the result that the shape of the luminosity function at low redshifts ( z <1) is seen to be consistent with a single power law. At higher redshifts the slope of the power law at high luminosities appears to steepen significantly. There does not appear to be any consistent break feature which could be used as a tracer of luminosity evolution in the population.     

The optical luminosity evolution function of quasars. I. A statistical evolution function that includes the large redshift range above redshift 2.2

We have redetermined the parameters in the Heisler-Ostriker quasar evolution formula so as to make it applicable to a larger redshift range. The form of the formula is appropriate because, physically, any variation in the mass of the central black hole and the accretion rate will cause a luminosity evolution while the birth of quasars will imply a luminosity-dependent density evolution. With our new parameters, we can 1) reproduce the quasar magnitude count down to magnitude 22.0, 2) reproduce the quasar redshift distribution in intervals of ΔZ = 0.1 and 3) substantially lessen the excess count for Z > 2 redicted by previous formulae.     

On the time evolution of quasar luminosity and redshift distribution

The possibility to predict the redshift distribution on the basis of certain assumptions about the time-dependence of quasar luminosity is discussed. It is found that for a certain general class of models that resembles the spinar model for quasars only specific combinations of parameters give rise to acceptable results. Further consequences are discussed.     

Estimates for the luminosity function of galaxies and its evolution

A new method is presented to obtain a non-parametric maximum likelihood estimate of the luminosity function and the selection function of a flux-limited redshift survey. The method parametrizes the selection function as a series of stepwise power laws and allows possible evolution of the luminosity function. We also propose a new technique to estimate the rate of evolution of the luminosity function. This is based on a minimization of the observed large-scale power with respect to the evolutionary model. We use an ensemble of mock surveys extracted from an N -body simulation to verify the power of this method. We apply our estimators to the 1.2-Jy survey of IRAS galaxies. We find a far-infrared luminosity function in good agreement with previously published results and evidence for rather strong evolution. If the comoving number density of IRAS galaxies is assumed to scale ∝ (1 +  z ) ^P , we estimate P  = 4.3 ± 1.4.     

Modelling the number counts of early-type galaxies by pure luminosity evolution

In this paper, we explore the plausible luminosity evolution of early-type galaxies in different cosmological models by constructing a set of pure luminosity evolution (PLE) models via the choices of the star-formation rate (SFR) parameters and formation redshift z _f of galaxies, with the observational constraints derived from the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST  ) morphological number counts for elliptical and S0 galaxies of the Medium Deep Survey (MDS) and the Hubble Deep Field (HDF). We find that the number counts of early-type galaxies can be explained by the pure luminosity evolution models, without invoking exotic scenarios such as merging or introducing an additional population, but the evolution should be nearly passive, with a high z _f assumed. The conclusion is valid in all of the three cosmological models we adopt in this paper. We also present the redshift distributions for three bins of observed magnitudes in the F814w passband, to show the redshift at which the objects that dominate the counts at a given magnitude may be found. The predictions of the redshift distribution of 22.5 <  b _j  < 24.0 are also presented for comparison with future data.     

Evidence linking coronal transients to the evolution of coronal holes

The positions of X-ray coronal transients outside of active regions observed during Skylab were superposed on H synoptic charts and coronal hole boundaries for seven solar rotations. We confirmed a detailed spatial association between the transients and neutral lines. We found that most of the transients were related to large-scale changes in coronal hole area and tended to occur on the borders of evolving equatorial holes.Skylab Solar Workshop Post-Doctoral Appointee, 1975–1977.     

Time variation of the X-ray spectrum and optical luminosity of SCO X-1

Results of rocket observations of SCO X-1 over the spectral range of 220 keV are presented. The observations have been performed partly in India and partly in Japan under the collaboration of the three groups. The present results are compared with results of similar observations carried out by the LRL (Lawrence Radiation Laboratory) group. Some of these X-ray observations were accompanied by simultaneous optical observations. Relationships between the hardness of the X-ray spectrum and the X-ray intensity and between the hardness and the optical luminosity are compiled. The relationships among the parameters (temperature, density and size) which characterize the postulated isothermal cloud model of SCO X-1 are given. They indicate that SCO X-1 is characterized by a temperature of about 10⁷–10⁸K, a density of about 10¹⁶–10¹⁷ cm^–3 and a radius of about 10⁸–10⁹ cm respectively. We further show that the temperature is inversely correlated with the size of the source; an increase in temperature corresponds to a decrease in the radius and an increase in density.     

Investigation of galaxy and quasar luminosity evolution in the model of standard cosmology

It is shown that the Hubble curvem(z) for galaxies and quasars averaged over a large volume of data forms in the first approximation a single continuous curve in the interval of red shifts 10^–2.5z4.5, which is satisfactorily described by the dependence .A large deviation of the observed mean dependence from the theoretical one predicted by the standard cosmology is explained by the evolution of the galaxy and especially quasar luminosity. The corresponding mid-statistical function of the absolute luminosity variation for the last 4/5 times of existence in the Universe is equal toM(z)–M(z ₀)=logz/z ₀+2z–0.4z ².The luminosity of the most far distant from the observed quasars on the average by 5–6 stellar magnitudes high than the luminosity of near galaxies and quasars. It is obtained that even the most far distant quasars atz5 are in the maximum of luminosity, or their extinction has just began, thus the quasar formation should be expected forz>(5–6). The relative rate of the luminosity decrease of galaxies and near quasars is rather accurately amounts in the recent epoch 7% per 10⁹ years. The obtained average Hubble curve of galaxies and quasars is evidently the main cause of their evolution in the Universe.     

Understanding the redshift evolution of the luminosity functions of Lyman α emitters

We present a semi-analytical model of star formation which explains simultaneously the observed ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function (LF) of high-redshift Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) and LFs of Lyman α emitters. We consider both models that use the Press–Schechter (PS) and Sheth–Tormen (ST) halo mass functions to calculate the abundances of dark matter haloes. The Lyman α LFs at   z ≲ 4  are well reproduced with only ≲10 per cent of the LBGs emitting Lyman α lines with rest equivalent width greater than the limiting equivalent width of the narrow band surveys. However, the observed LF at   z > 5  can be reproduced only when we assume that nearly all LBGs are Lyman α emitters. Thus, it appears that  4 < z < 5  marks the epoch when a clear change occurs in the physical properties of the high-redshift galaxies. As Lyman α escape depends on dust and gas kinematics of the interstellar medium (ISM), this could mean that on an average the ISM at   z > 5  could be less dusty, more clumpy and having more complex velocity field. All of these will enable easier escape of the Lyman α photons. At   z > 5  , the observed Lyman α LF are well reproduced with the evolution in the halo mass function along with very minor evolution in the physical properties of high-redshift galaxies. In particular, up to   z = 6.5  , we do not see the effect of evolving intergalactic medium opacity on the Lyman α escape from these galaxies.     

Temperature evolution of the envelope of SN 1987A

We present a theoretical derivation of the H_α line luminosity of the expanding envelope of SN 1987A from the theory of hydrogen recombination lines. A remarkable deviation of our calculated H_α light curve from the observed light curve was found when a constant temperature was assumed. From the deviation we easily derive the temperature evolution. The temperature actually rises after day 500 and this may be explained as follows: as the shell expands, the electron and ion densities rapidly fall, greatly reducing the recombination cooling rate, while heating continues.     

Nonstationary radio luminosity of the remnant of Supernova 1181 (3C 58)

We measured the flux densities of the radio source 3C 58, which was identified with the remnant of SN 1181, in April–May 2003 relative to the spectrum of the standard source 3C 295 at fourf requencies in the range 1550 to 8450 MHz using the RTF-32 radio telescope at the Svetloe Observatory of the Institute of Applied Astronomy (Russian Academy of Sciences). We found significant nonstationary frequency-dependent flux-density variations in 3C 58 and variations in its instantaneous spectrum. We established that these variations occurred between 1986 and 1998. Based on data for the instantaneous spectra, we show that the break in the spectrum of 3C 58 results from prolonged energy losses by relativistic electrons through synchrotron radiation that took place in a nebula with an age of 5400 yr, equal to the age of the pulsar PSR J0205+6449. SN 1181 is shown to have exploded without the birth of a pulsar, which is characteristic of type-I supernovae. The shock acceleration of relativistic electrons after the explosion may be responsible for the observed nonstantionarity of the flux densities. The long-term evolution of the radio spectrum for the nebula 3C 58 and the nonstationary flux-density variations due to the explosion of SN 1181 are reconciled in terms of a model of an evolved binary system.     

Circumstellar envelope manifestations in the optical spectra of evolved stars

We analyze the peculiarities of the optical spectra of luminous stars with circumstellar gas and dust envelopes: the time variability of the absorption-emission profiles of the Hα line, the presence of stationary emission and absorption molecular bands, multicomponent absorption-emission profiles of the Na I D doublet lines. We show that the peculiarities of the line profiles (the presence of an emission component in the Na I D doublet lines, the specific type of the molecular features, the asymmetry and splitting of the profiles of strong absorption features with low excitation potential of the low level) can be associated with the kinematic and chemical properties of the envelope and its morphological type.