A dynamical model of the Galaxy

A series of dynamical models of the Galaxy is constructed assuming that the entire disk is near the gravitational-stability limit. This imposes constraints on the dynamical and kinematic parameters of the main subsystems (the disk, bulge, and halo). The disk surface density in the solar neighborhood should not exceed 58 M_⊙/pc². Further, we find that the observed local decrease in the rotational velocity at 6 kpc ? r ? 10 kpc is not associated with details of the radial distribution of matter in the Galaxy and instead results from dynamical processes or some other factors responsible for noncircular motions. It follows from the presence of a long-lived bar and the observed distribution of the stellar-velocity dispersion that the central maximum in the rotation curve at radius r ? 300 pc cannot be associated with a very concentrated bulge core. The best agreement between the observational data and the parameters of the dynamical models is achieved for a radial disk scale length of L ? 3 kpc. The relative contribution of the disk to the circular rotational velocity at r = 2.2L is 73%.     

Properties of galactic disks at optical and near-IR wavelengths

We have analyzed the radial scales, central surface brightnesses, and colors of 400 disks of various types of galaxies. For nine galaxies, the brightness decrease and the central disk brightness were obtained via a two-dimensional decomposition of the U BV RI J H K photometric images into bulge and disk components. We used published disk parameters for 392 of the galaxies. The central surface brightness μ _0,i ⁰ and linear (disk) scale length h vary smoothly along the Hubble sequence of galaxies within a rather narrow interval. The disks of relatively early-type galaxies display higher central K surface brightnesses, higher central surface densities, higher central mass-to-luminosity ratios M/L(B), smaller sizes (relative to the diameter of the galaxy D ₂₅), redder integrated colors, and redder central colors. The color gradient normalized to the radius of the galaxy and the “blue” central surface brightness of the disk, μ _0,i/0(B), are both independent of the galaxy type. The radial disk scales in different photometric bands differ less in early-type than in late-type galaxies. A correlation between the central disk surface brightness and the total luminosity of the galaxy is observed. We also consider the influence of dust on the photometric parameters of the disks.     

The gas density and “volume” Schmidt law for spiral galaxies

The equilibrium thickness of the isothermal layers of interstellar gas and volume gas densities ρ _gas in the plane of the disk as a function of galactocentric distance R are computed for seven spiral galaxies (including the Milky Way) using an axisymmetrical model. In this model, the thickness of the stellar disk varies with R and remains approximately equal to the minimum thickness of a stable equilibrium disk. We found the disk thickness to increase toward the periphery in at least five of the seven galaxies. The density of the stellar disk decreases with R faster than ρ _gas , so that gas dominates at the disk peripheries in terms of density. A comparison of the azimuthally averaged star formation rate SFR and the gas density shows the absence of a universal Schmidt law SFR ～ρ _gas ⁿ for galaxies. However, the SFRs in various galaxies are better correlated with the volume than the gas surface density. The parameter n in the Schmidt law formally calculated using the least-squares method lies in the interval 0.8–2.4, being, on average, close to 1.5. The values of n calculated separately for the molecular gas display substantial scatter, but are, on average, close to unity. The value of n appears to increase with decreasing ρ _gas , so that the fraction of gas that actively participates in star formation decreases with n.     

New dwarf galaxy candidates in the Leo-I Group

We have carried out a search for low-surface-brightness dwarf galaxies in the region of the Leo-I Group (M96) in images of the second Palomar Sky Survey. We found a total of 36 likely dwarf members of the group with typical magnitudes B _t ～18^m–19^m in an area of sky covering 120 square degrees. Half of these galaxies are absent from known catalogs and lists of galaxies. The radial-velocity dispersion calculated for 19 galaxies is 130 km/s. The Leo-I Group has a mean distance from the Sun of 10.4 Mpc, a mean projected radius of 352 kpc, an integrated luminosity of 6.7 × 10¹⁰L_⊙, a virial mass-to-luminosity ratio of 107 M_⊙/L_⊙, and a mean crossing time of 2.7 Gyr. The group shows evidence for a radial segregation of the galaxies according to morphological type and luminosity, suggesting that the group is in a state of dynamical relaxation. The subsystem of bright galaxies in the Leo-I Group is smaller in size (250 kpc) and has a lower velocity dispersion (92 km/s), resulting in a lower virial mass-to-luminosity ratio (34 M_⊙/L_⊙), as is typical of the Local Group and other nearby groups of galaxies.     

Supermassive black holes: Relation to dark halos

Estimates of the masses of supermassive black holes (M _bh ) in the nuclei of disk galaxies with known rotation curves are compared with estimates of the rotational velocities V _m and the “indicative” masses of the galaxies M _i . Although there is a correlation between M _bh and V _m or M _i , it is appreciably weaker than the correlation with the central velocity dispersion. The values of M _bh for early-type galaxies (S0-Sab), which have more massive bulges, are, on average, higher than the values for late-type galaxies with the same rotational velocities. We conclude that the black-hole masses are determined primarily by the properties of the bulge and not the rotational velocity or the mass of the galaxy.     

Evolutionary status of the spectral variable BD + 48°1220 = IRAS 05040+4820

Based on high-resolution observations (R = 60 000 and 75 000), we have studied the optical spectral variability of the star BD + 48°1220, identified with the IR source IRAS 05040+4820. We have measured the equivalent widths of numerous absorption lines of neutral atoms and ions at wavelengths from 4500 Å to 6760 Å, as well as the corresponding radial velocities. We use model atmospheres to determine the effective temperature T _eff = 7900 K, surface gravity log g = 0.0, microturbulence velocity ξ _t = 6.0, and the abundances for 16 elements. The star’s metallicity differs little from the solar value: [Fe/H] = ?0.10 dex. The main peculiarity of the chemical composition of the star is a large helium excess, derived from the Hel λ 5876 Å absorption, [He/H] = +1.04, and the equally large oxygen excess, [O/Fe] = +0.72 dex. The carbon excess is small, [C/Fe] = +0.09 dex, and the ratio [C/O] < 1. We obtained an altered relation for the light-metal abundances: [Na/Fe] = +0.87 dex with [Mg/Fe] = ?0.31 dex. The barium abundance is low, [Ba/Fe] = ?0.84 dex. It is concluded that the selective separation of elements onto dust grains of the envelope is probably efficient. The radial velocity of the star measured from photospheric absorption lines over three years of observations varies in the interval V _⊙ = ?(7–15) km/s. Time-variable differential line shifts have been revealed. The entire set of available data (the luminosity M _v ≈ ?5 ^m , velocity V _lsr ≈ ?20 km/s, metallicity [Fe/H] = ?0.10, and peculiarities of the optical spectrum and chemical composition) confirms the status of BD + 48°1220 as a post-AGB star with He and O excesses belonging to the Galactic disk.     

Analytical approximation for the Fe <Emphasis Type="Italic">K</Emphasis><Subscript>α</Subscript> emission line in quasar spectra

The spectra of many Seyfert galaxies display broad Fe K _α emission. The line profile has two maxima, suggesting that the line emerges in the innermost regions of an accretion disk around a black hole, making it necessary to take into account general relativistic (GR) effects. Identifying GR processes occuring in active galactic nuclei (AGN) requires reconstructing the parameters of the accreting system from the line profile using some reasonably quick algorithm. We present here a numerical approximation for the Fe K _α emission line using analytical functions. The approximation encompasses a range of the disk radial coordinate r and the angle θ between the line of sight and the disk normal, and makes it possible to decrease the computing time by six orders of magnitude in certain astrophysical problems, while taking into account all GR effects. Results of the approximation are available at http://www.iki.rssi.ru/people/repin/approx.     

On the Dark Matter Column Density in Haloes

We study the correlation between the central surface density and the halo core radius of the dark matter haloes of galaxies and clusters of galaxies. We find that the surface density within the halo characteristic radius r_* is not an universal quantity as claimed by some authors (e.g., [1]), but it correlates with several physical quantities (e.g., the halo mass M₂₀₀ and the magnitude M _B ). The slope of the surface density—mass relation is 0.18 ± 0.05, leaving small room to the possibility of a constant surface density. Finally, we compare the results with the MOND prediction.     

Neutron-capture elements in halo,thick-disk,and thin-disk stars: Neodymium

We have derived the LTE neodymium abundances in 60 cool stars with metallicities [Fe/H] from 0.25 to ?1.71 by applying a synthetic-spectrum analysis to spectroscopic observations of NdII lines with a resolution of λ/Δλ?60 000 and signal-to-noise ratios of 100–200. We have improved the atomic parameters of NdII and blending lines by analyzing the corresponding line pro files in the solar spectrum. Neodymium is overabundant with respect to iron in halo stars, [Nd/Fe]=0.33±0.09, with the [Nd/Fe] ratio decreasing systematically with metallicity when [Fe/H]>?1. This reflects an onset of efficient iron production in type I supernovae during the formation of the thick disk. The [Nd/Ba] and [Nd/Eu] abundance ratios behave differently in halo, thick-disk, and thin-disk stars. The observed abundance ratios in halo stars, [Nd/Ba]=0.34±0.08 and [Nd/Eu]=?0.27±0.05, agree within the errors with the ratios of the elemental yields for the r-process. These results support the conclusion of other authors based on analyses of other elements that the r-process played the dominant role in the synthesis of heavy elements during the formation of the halo. The [Nd/Ba] and [Nd/Eu] ratios for thick-disk stars are almost independent of metallicity ([Nd/Ba]=0.28(±0.03)?0.01(±0.04) [Fe/H] and [Nd/Eu]=?0.13(±0.03)+0.05(±0.04) [Fe/H]) but are smaller in absolute value than the corresponding ratios for halo stars, suggesting that the synthesis of s-process nuclei started during the formation of the thick disk. The s-process is estimated to have contributed ?30% of the neodymium produced during this stage of the evolution of the Galaxy. The [Nd/Ba] ratio decreases abruptly by 0.17 dex in the transition from the thick to the thin disk. The systematic decrease of [Nd/Ba] and increase of [Nd/Eu] with increasing metallicity of thin-disk stars point toward a dominant role of the s-process in the synthesis of heavy elements during this epoch.     

The galactic constants and rotation curve from molecular-gas observations

We obtained the photometric distances and radial velocities for the molecular gas for 270 star-forming regions and estimated the distance to the Galactic center from ten tangent points to be R₀ = 8.01 ± 0.44 kpc. Estimates of R₀ derived over the last decade are summarized and discussed; the average value is R₀ = 7.80 ± 0.33 kpc. We analyze deviations from axial symmetry of the gas motion around the Galactic center in the solar neighborhood. Assuming a flat rotation curve, we obtain Θ₀ ～ 200 km/s for the circular velocity of the Sun from regions beyond the Perseus arm. We used these Galactic constants to construct the Galactic rotation curve. This rotation curve is flat along virtually its total extent from the central bar to the periphery. The velocity jump in the corotation region of the central bar in the first quadrant is 20 km/s. We present analytical formulas for the rotation curves of the Northern and Southern hemispheres of the Galaxy for R₀ = 8.0 kpc and Θ₀ = 200 km/s.     

Figures of equilibrium inside a gravitating ring and the limiting oblateness of elliptical galaxies

A new class of figures of equilibrium for a rotating gravitating fluid located inside a gravitating ring or torus is studied. These figures form a family of sequences of generalized oblate spheroids, in which there is for any value of the tidal parameter α in the interval 0 ≤ \(0 \leqslant \frac{\alpha }{{\pi G\rho }} \leqslant 0.1867\) ≤ 0.1867 a sequence of spheroids with oblatenesses emin (α) ≤ e ≤ e_max (α). A series of classicalMaclaurin spheroids from a sphere to a flat disk is obtained for α = 0. At intermediate values 0 < α ≤ α_max, there are two limiting non-rotating spheroids in each sequence. When α = α_max, the sequence degenerates into a single non-rotating spheroid with e_cr ≈ 0.9600, corresponding to the maximum oblateness of E7 elliptical galaxies. The second part of the paper considers the influence of rings of dark matter on the dynamics of elliptical galaxies. It is proposed that the equilibrium of an oblate isolated non-rotating galaxy is unstable, and it cannot be supported purely by anisotropy of the stellar velocity dispersion. A ring of dark matter can stabilize a weakly rotating galaxy, supplementing standard dynamical models for such stellar systems. In order for a galaxy to acquire appreciable oblateness, the mass of the ring must be an order of magnitude higher than the mass of the galaxy itself, consistent with the ratios of the masses of dark and baryonic matter in the Universe. The influence of massive external rings could shed light on the existence of galaxies with the critical oblateness E7.     

Spectroscopy of RC sources

The results of spectroscopic observations of the host galaxies of objects in the RC catalog (the “Big Trio” program) obtained using the new SCORPIO spectrograph of the Special Astrophysical Observatory are presented. The spectroscopic redshifts of the objects are compared with their photometric color redshifts, and the errors in the latter are estimated. Based on BV RI observations obtained on the 6-m telescope of the SAO, the errors for the population of powerful radio galaxies are close to those found previously for radio quiet galaxies (about 10–20%). The detection of Ly α in the B filter in RC 1626+0448 is confirmed. This object is the second spectrally studied FR II radio source from the RC catalog to have a redshift z>2.5. Star formation in its host galaxy began at a redshift z>3.3. This first use of the new SCORPIO spectrograph demonstrates its promise for studies of very distant steep-spectrum radio galaxies brighter than 23^m–24^m in V.     

Distribution of interstellar plasma in the direction of PSR B0525+21 from data obtained on a ground–space interferometer

Observations on the RadioAstron ground–space interferometer with the participation of the Green Bank and Arecibo ground telescopes at 1668 MHz have enabled studies of the characteristics of the interstellar plasma in the direction of the pulsar PSR B0525+21. The maximum projected baseline for the ground–space interferometer was 233 600 km. The scintillations in these observations were strong, and the spectrum of inhomogeneties in the interstellar plasma was a power law with index n = 3.74, corresponding to a Kolmogorov spectrum. A new method for estimating the size of the scattering disk was applied to estimate the scattering angle (scattering disk radius) in the direction toward PSR B0525+21, θ _scat = 0.028 ± 0.002 milliarcsecond. The scattering in this direction occurs in a plasma layer located at a distance of 0.1Z from the pulsar, where Z is the distance from the pulsar to the observer. For the adopted distance Z = 1.6 kpc, the screen is located at a distance of 1.44 kpc from the observer.     

Is NGC 7006 a globular cluster with a primarily red horizontal branch?

A CCD BV R photometric study of the central region (15″ ≤ r ≤ 100″) of the globular cluster NGC 7006 based on color-magnitude diagrams is presented. We find for the main parameters of the cluster [Fe/H] = ?1.62, Y = 0.21, E _B?V = 0.15 ^m , V _HB = 18.84 ^m , M _V ^HB =+0.56 ^m , R _⊙ = 37.1 kpc). Two previously unknown RR Lyr variables were discovered in the central region of the cluster. The morphological index of the horizontal branch for the entire region studied indicates that the red stellar population dominates, consistent with previous studies: HB _mi = ?0.13. Such anomalously negative morphological indices are possessed by a whole group of Ool clusters with intermediate metallicities, which also display a characteristic distribution of stars along the horizontal branch. There is a radial dependence for the horizontal-branch morphology, with the color becoming primarily blue with approach toward the cluster center. One possible origin for this behavior could be the effect of inner dynamical processes on the spatial distribution of hot stars.     

Sodium abundances in stellar atmospheres with differing metallicities

The non-LTE sodium abundances of 100 stars with metallicities ?3<[Fe/H]<0.3 are determined using high-dispersion spectra with high signal-to-noise ratios. The sodium abundances [Na/Fe] obtained are close to the solar abundance and display a smaller scatter than values published previously. Giants (logg<3.8) with [Fe/H]g>3.8) with metallicities ?2<[Fe/H]相似文献   

The thickness of accretion α-disks: Theory and observations

Observations of X-ray binaries indicate substantial half-thicknesses for the accretion disks in these systems (up to h/R ≈ 0.25, where h is the disk half-thickness and R its radius), while standard α accretion disks predict appreciably smaller half-thicknesses. We study the theoretical vertical structure of such disks using two independent numerical methods, and show that their maximum half-thicknesses in the subcritical regime cannot exceed h/R ≈ 0.1. We consider various reasons for the apparent increase in the disk thickness, the most probable of which is the presence of matter above the disk in the form of a hot corona that scatters hard radiation from the central source and inner parts of the disk. As a result, the observed thickness of the disk and the illumination of its outer parts effectively increase. This mechanism can also explain both the optical-to-X-ray flux ratio in these systems and the observed parameters of eclipsing X-ray binaries.     

Distribution of inhomogeneities in the interstellar plasma in the directions of three distant pulsars from observations with the RadioAstron ground–space interferometer

The RadioAstron ground–space interferometer has been used to measure the angular sizes of the scattering disks of the three distant pulsars B1641–45, B1749–28, and B1933+16. The observations were carried out with the participation of the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope; two 32-m telescopes at Torun, Poland and Svetloe, Russia (the latter being one antenna of the KVAZAR network); the Saint Croix VLBA antenna; the Arecibo radio telescope; the Parkes, Narrabri (ATCA), Mopra, Hobart, and Ceduna Australian radio telescopes; and the Hartebeesthoek radio telescope in South Africa. The full widths at half maximum of the scattering disks were 27 mas at 1668 MHz for B1641–45, 0.5 mas at 1668 MHz for B1749–28, and 12.3 at 316 MHz and 0.84 mas at 1668 MHz for B1933+16. The characteristic time scales for scatter-broadening of the pulses on inhomogeneities in the interstellar plasma τ_sc were also measured for these pulsars using various methods. Joint knowledge of the size of the scattering disk and the scatter-broadening time scale enables estimation of the distance to the effective scattering screen d. For B1641–45, d = 3.0 kpc for a distance to the pulsar D = 4.9 kpc, and for B1749–28, d = 0.95 kpc for D = 1.3 kpc. Observations of B1933+16 were carried out simultaneously at 316 and 1668 MHz. The positions of the screen derived using the measurements at the two frequencies agree: d ₁ = 2.6 and d ₂ = 2.7 kpc, for a distance to the pulsar of 3.7 kpc. Two screens were detected for this pulsar from an analysis of parabolic arcs in the secondary dynamic spectrum at 1668 MHz, at 1.3 and 3.1 kpc. The scattering screens for two of the pulsars are identified with real physical objects located along the lines of sight toward the pulsars: G339.1–04 (B1641–45) and G0.55–0.85 (B1749–28).     

Galactic orbits of selected companions of the Milky Way

High-accuracy absolute proper motions, radial velocities, and distances have now been measured for a number of dwarf-galaxy companions of the Milky Way, making it possible to study their 3D dynamics. Galactic orbits for 11 such galaxies (Fornax, Sagittarius, Ursa Minor, LMC, SMC, Sculptor, Sextans, Carina, Draco, Leo I, Leo II) have been derived using two previously refined models for the Galactic potential with the Navarro–Frenk–White and Allen–Santillán expressions for the potential of the dark-matter halo, and two different masses for the Galaxy within 200 kpc—0.75 × 10¹² M _⊙ and 1.45 × 10¹² M _⊙. The character of the orbits of most of these galaxies indicates that they are tightly gravitationally bound to the Milky Way, even with the lower-mass model for the gravitational potential. One exception is the most distant galaxy in the list, Leo I, whose orbit demonstrates that it is only weakly gravitationally bound, even using the higher-mass model of the gravitational potential.     

Timescales for mechanisms for the dynamical evolution of open star clusters

We have obtained the stellar velocity dispersion in three mutually perpendicular directions in the halos and cores of clusters as a function of time for several non-stationary open-cluster models. During the dynamical evolution of the open-cluster models, the velocity dispersions undergo oscillations that do not decay during 5–10 violent-relaxation timescales, τ _vr . We estimated the time for synchronization of the rotation of the open-cluster models and their motion around the center of the Galaxy, t _s , which, depending on the model parameters, is t _s ? (5–27)τ _vr . Synchronization mechanisms for the models are discussed. The disruption of the systems in the force field of the Galaxy is strongly affected by tidal friction. We have also estimated the time for the formation of a spherical stellar-velocity distribution in the cluster models, t _σ ? (6 ? 25)τ _vr . The impact of instability in the stellar motions in a cluster on the formation of a spherical velocity distribution in the open-cluster models is discussed. We have noted a tendency for a weakening of the dependence of the coarse phase density of the cluster on small initial perturbations of the stellar phase coordinates in the model cluster cores for times about five times longer than the violent-relaxation time.