Recombination lines and free‐free continua formed in asymptotic ionized winds: Analytic solution for the radiative transfer

In dense hot star winds, the infrared and radio continua are dominated by free‐free opacity and recombination emission line spectra. In the case of a spherically symmetric outflow that is isothermal and expanding at constant radial speed, the radiative transfer for the continuum emission from a dense wind is analytic. Even the emission profile shape for a recombination line can be derived. Key to these derivations is that the opacity scales with only the square of the density. These results are well‐known. Here an extension of the derivation is developed that also allows for line blends and the inclusion of an additional power‐law dependence beyond just the density dependence. The additional power‐law is promoted as a representation of a radius dependent clumping factor. It is shown that differences in the line widths and equivalent widths of the emission lines depend on the steepness of the clumping power‐law. Assuming relative level populations in LTE in the upper levels of He II, an illustrative application of the model to Spitzer/IRS spectral data of the carbon‐rich star WR 90 is given (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A study of the green TiO band in the sunspot spectrum

The equivalent widths of the TiO lines in the α system have been measured on a high dispersion (11 mm/Å) spectrogram of large sunspot. The lines were so weak that the measurement was made by methods giving maximum and minimum equivalent widths, depending on the adopted continuum. The rotational temperature obtained in this way was about 3000 °K. The result is unaffected by stray light because there are no TiO lines in the undisturbed spectrum. The calculation of equivalent widths using several sunspot models (all of which can satisfy the observed data) shows that the logarithmic optical depth at the effective layer of molecular line formation is about -1.6.     

The spectra of three newly discovered high-redshift quasars

Spectra of three high-redshift quasars discovered on low-dispersion objective prism plates were obtained. We present the emission line identifications and redshifts of the objects. Equivalent widths, line widths and low-resolution line profiles are given characterizing the quasar emission region. The Lyα and CIV equivalent widths indicate that the considered quasars are luminous objects at high redshift. Both these equivalent widths are too low by a factor 4, whereas the N V/Lyα ratio is 5 times larger than predicted by the photoionisation models. The line profiles are compared with logarithmic, electron-scattering and Gaussian profiles. In all the spectra rich absorption line systems are evident.     

Determination of optimum trajectory in the effective straight-line trajectory (EST) approach from the temperature-dependence of collision-induced line widths: Atom-molecule systems

In the effective straight-line trajectory (EST) approach for computation of collision-induced line widths proposed earlier, an arbitrary factorRX which has turned out to be the measure of the effectiveness of the curved trajectory for a system, was introduced. However, in the earlier paper no exact method has been suggested to determine its optimum value for a given system. In the present paper, a method has been proposed to determine its optimum value from the temperature dependence of the collision induced line widths.     

Ba II lines as luminosity indicators: s-Cepheids and non-variable supergiants

Ba II line equivalent widths appear to be well correlated with the absolute magnitudes for yellow supergiants. Two Ba II lines 5853.6 Å and 6141.7 Å were applied for investigation of the possible relation between their equivalent widths and M_v for small-amplitude Cepheids and non-variable supergiants.     

Identification of peculiar A-stars. I. Analysis of the equivalent width of the 2786–2810 Å spectral band and the MgII 4481 Å line for 137 A-stars

The dependence of the equivalent widths of the 2786–2810 Å spectral band and the MgII 4481 Å line on the basic parameters (T_eff, logg and [M/H]) for 137 bright A-stars shows that 60 of them are candidate peculiar stars. Given the similar behavior of W(2800) and W(4481), it can be assumed that 34 of the stars are chemically peculiar stars. The anomalous values of W(2800), W(4481), and [M/H] vary over wide limits for the rest of the stars, possibly because they are binary. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 51, No. 4, pp. 577–593 (November 2008).     

Observations of the phase variation of Venus CO2 equivalent widths

We present equivalent widths of Venus CO₂ scans of the P branch (P8–P32) of the 5ν₃ band at 8689 Å, the P16 line of the 5ν₃ band, and the P14 line of the ν₁ + 5ν₃ band at 7820 Å covering phase angles between 5°.1 and 170°. The equivalent widths reach a minimum at 10°, in agreement with a phase function with a backward lobe at 160° which is caused by a single internal reflection within the cloud particles. This is evidence that Venus cloud particles are composed of liquid droplets. Maximum equivalent widths are observed at ～60°, a value which is closer to the maximum of single-layer Mie scattering models than to that of two-layer models. At high phase angles we observe equivalent widths greater than those computed from homogeneous scattering models, indicating that at high altitudes the mixing ratio of scattering particles to CO₂ increases with depth. At all phase angles, particularly at large phase angles, the temporal and spatial variations in the observed equivalent widths confuse the phase variation.     

Five-minute oscillations of solar equivalent widths

Equivalent widths of weak and moderately strong Fraunhofer lines observed in an area roughly 3500 × 10000 km in extent are found to show small variations of the order of 1 mÅ, on a time scale of minutes. The dependence of amplitude on line strength and excitation closely fits that predicted for a compressional disturbance associated with temperature variations that manifest themselves in the equivalent widths. The rms amplitude is about 20K near τ₅₀₀₀ = 10^-2. These equivalent width variations frequently exhibit a 5-min periodicity and are accompanied by prominent oscillations of velocity. Power spectra of both quantities closely resemble each other and demonstrate that most of the equivalent width variations in the range 200 to 500 s are due to the thermal response of the atmosphere to 5-min oscillations. A systematic phase lag between velocity and equivalent width is observed, in the sense that temperature leads velocity by an average angle of 120°. This deviates significantly from 90° valid for standing adiabatic waves, showing that in the line-forming layers, τ₅₀₀₀ ≈ 10^-2, the 5-min oscillations are markedly affected by radiative exchange. The observed phase lag implies a radiative decay time of ≈40 s, a value which agrees with modelatmosphere predictions for the line-forming layers. Since the observed wave trains frequently show constant amplitude over a much longer time, a continuous feed-back of energy seems to occur.     

Hα photometry of Abell 2390

We present the results of a search for strong H α emission line galaxies (rest frame equivalent widths greater than 50 Å) in the z ≈0.23 cluster Abell 2390. The survey contains 1189 galaxies over 270 arcmin², and is 50 per cent complete at M _r ≈−17.5+5 log  h . The fraction of galaxies in which H α is detected at the 2 σ level rises from 0.0 in the central regions (excluding the cD galaxy) to 12.5±8 per cent at R ₂₀₀. For 165 of the galaxies in our catalogue, we compare the H α equivalent widths with their [O  ii ] λ 3727 equivalent widths, from the Canadian Network for Observational Cosmology (CNOC1) spectra. The fraction of strong H α emission line galaxies is consistent with the fraction of strong [O  ii ] emission galaxies in the CNOC1 sample: only 2±1 per cent have no detectable [O  ii ] emission and yet significant (>2 σ ) H α equivalent widths. Dust obscuration, non-thermal ionization, and aperture effects are all likely to contribute to this non-correspondence of emission lines. We identify six spectroscopically 'secure' k+a galaxies [ W ₀(O  ii )<5 Å and W ₀(H δ )≳5 Å]; at least two of these show strong signs in H α of star formation in regions that are covered by the slit from which the spectra were obtained. Thus, some fraction of galaxies classified as k+a based on spectra shortward of 6000 Å are likely to be undergoing significant star formation. These results are consistent with a 'strangulation' model for cluster galaxy evolution, in which star formation in cluster galaxies is gradually decreased, and is neither enhanced nor abruptly terminated by the cluster environment.     

Relations between the IR-UV-X-ray Continuum and Emission Lines for a Large Composite Sample of Narrow Line and Normal Seyfert 1 Galaxies

1 INTRODUCTIONThe broad emission lines, the most important characteristics of active galactic nuclei (AGN),are generally believed to be emitted by photoionized gas in the clouds that are illuminated bythe UV to X-ray continuum radiation of the celltral source (Netzer 1990). The photoionizationmodel is quite successful in explaining the average emission line properties of AGNs using anaverage ionizing continuum. To date, there are two sets of statistical relationships between thecolltin…     

Investigation of the lines H<Subscript>α</Subscript> and H<Subscript>β</Subscript> in the spectrum of the star HD 206267

The results of investigations of the H_α and H_β lines in the spectrum of the star HD 206267 are presented. Observations were carried out in 2011–2014 at the Cassegrain focus of the 2-m telescope of the Tusi Shamakhy Astrophysical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan using an echelle spectrometer. The following features have been revealed for the first time: the moving discrete absorption components in the core of the H_α line from the red side to the violet, the stable emission in the violet wing of the H_α line, the antiphase variation of the radial velocities and equivalent widths of the H_α line, and the independence of the changes of the equivalent widths of the H_β line from the phase of the orbital period. No spectral features according to which this star could be considered as a source of X-ray radiation have been found.     

High-dispersion spectroscopic observations of Venus near superior conjunction: III. The carbon dioxide band at 8689 Å

To investigate further the Venus inverse phase effect, 12 plates of the 8689 Å CO₂ band, taken in 1971, were analyzed for abundances and temperatures using the curve-of-growth method. We found an average rotational temperature of 230 ± 1°K for an average slope of the curve of growth of 0.56 ± 0.03. Day-to-day variations in the equivalent widths of the CO₂ lines can be as large as 25%, and long-term changes in the cloud-top temperature are confirmed. On the other hand, the widely accepted “inverse” phase effect of CO₂ line equivalent widths near superior conjunction receives no firm support from these results.     

Spectral Observations of the Flare Star HU Del

Results are presented from a study of 27 spectra of the flare star HU Del obtained during 2000–2002 on the 2.6 meter telescope at the Byurakan Observatory. Two flares were detected, along with a weak correlation between the equivalent widths of the Hα and Hβ emission lines. At the time of the photometric maximum of a flare the equivalent widths of both these lines are minimal and reach their maximum only significantly afterward. A strong increase in the Hβ line intensity is observed which appears to be the consequence of a photometrically undetected, short-duration flare. A possible relationship between the binary (multiple) character and the physical activity of this star is examined briefly in terms of current theoretical models.__________Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 335–348 (August 2005).     

Surface abundances of light elements for a large sample of early B-type stars – I. Spectral observations of 123 stars; measurements of hydrogen and helium lines; infrared photometry

High-resolution spectral observations of 123 B0–B5 stars in the main sequence evolutionary phase were obtained at two observatories, namely the McDonald Observatory (McDO) and the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (CrAO). Accurate equivalent widths W of two Balmer lines, H β and H γ , and ten He  i lines were obtained for all the stars, as well as of the He  ii   λ 4686 line for the hottest ones. A careful analysis of the measured equivalent widths was performed. It is shown that there is a very good agreement between the W values derived from the McDO and CrAO spectra for 14 common stars. A comparison with published data leads to the conclusion that the W values measured earlier by some authors for strong He  i lines are very likely to be underestimated. Infrared photometric observations in the J , H , and K bands were performed for 70 programme stars. All these data will be used in other papers: in particular for the T _eff and log  g determination and for the He, C, N and O abundance analyses.     

A Study of the Emission-Line Spectra and the Stellar Populations of Starburst Galaxies

Based on optical–NIR spectra, we discuss the nebular properties and stellar populations of starburst nuclei. Starbursts are found to have higher electron densities and higher excitations than HII nuclei. The emission lines have been used to estimate the nebular oxygen abundances, ionization parameter and radiation softness parameter. From a study of the H_α emission-line equivalent widths and the CaII triplet absorption line equivalent widths, we infer the ages and stellar content of the starburst regions. Most of the nuclei show evidence for a composite population – a young, ionizing population co-existing with evolved, non-ionizing stars of about 5–7 Myr, which are evolving towards the peak of RSG distribution. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Compton-thick X-ray absorption in the Seyfert galaxies Tololo 0109383 and ESO 138G1

We present analyses of the ASCA X-ray spectra of two Seyfert galaxies, Tololo 0109383 and ESO 138G1. In both cases, spectral fitting reveals two statistically acceptable continuum models: Compton reflection and partial covering. Both spectra have strong iron K lines, with equivalent widths greater than 1.5 keV. These large equivalent widths are suggestive of heavier obscuration than that directly indicated by the partial-covering models (  210²³ cm^-2),  with the actual column densities being 'Compton-thick' (i.e.   N _H1.510²⁴ cm^-2).  We use the hard X-ray/[O  iii ] flux correlation for Seyferts and data from the literature to provide additional support for this hypothesis. Since Tololo 0109383 is known to have optical type 1 characteristics such as broad Balmer line components and Fe  ii emission, this result marks it as a notable object.     

Star formation rates and chemical abundances of emission-line galaxies in intermediate-redshift clusters

We examine the evolutionary status of luminous, star-forming galaxies in intermediate-redshift clusters by considering their star formation rates (SFRs) and the chemical and ionization properties of their interstellar emitting gas. Our sample consists of 17 massive, star-forming, mostly disc galaxies with   M_B ≲−20  , in clusters with redshifts in the range  0.31 ≲ z ≲ 0.59  , with a median of  〈 z 〉= 0.42  . We compare these galaxies with the identically selected and analysed intermediate-redshift field sample of Mouhcine et al., and with local galaxies from the Nearby Field Galaxy Survey of Jansen et al.
From our optical spectra, we measure the equivalent widths of  [O  ii ]λ3727, Hβ  and [O  iii ]λ5007 emission lines to determine diagnostic line ratios, oxygen abundances and extinction-corrected SFRs. The star-forming galaxies in intermediate-redshift clusters display emission-line equivalent widths which are, on average, significantly smaller than measured for field galaxies at comparable redshifts. However, a contrasting fraction of our cluster galaxies have equivalent widths similar to the highest observed in the field. This tentatively suggests a bimodality in the SFRs per unit luminosity for galaxies in distant clusters. We find no evidence for further bimodalities, or differences between our cluster and field samples, when examining additional diagnostics and the oxygen abundances of our galaxies. This maybe because no such differences exist, perhaps because the cluster galaxies which still display signs of star formation have recently arrived from the field. In order to examine this topic with more certainty, and to further investigate the way in which any disparity varies as a function of cluster properties, larger spectroscopic samples are needed.     

Disparity of spectral behavior of RR Tel and RX Pup in the UV

The main aim of this study is to use archival low-dispersion spectra from the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) in an attempt to follow up the spectral behavior of two symbiotic Mira systems RR Tel and RX Pup of the period from 1978–1995 and 1979–1989 for two systems respectively. We concentrated on studying N IV 1486 Å intercombination line, coming from the emission nebulae (Bryan and Kwok, 1991, Muerset et al., 1991, Murset and Nussbaumer, 1994), by calculating the line fluxes and line widths of N IV 1486 Å. We found that there is a disparity of spectral variability for these physical parameters at different times for both systems. For RR Tel, both line fluxes and line widths are increasing with the phase, while for RX Pup, both line fluxes and line widths are decreasing with the phase. There is a relation between the parameters of this emission line (line flux, line width) and phase, which we attribute to the variations of temperature of the emission nebulae at different times, as a result of the activity of the hot component.     

Observation of the [O III] 1 4363 auroral line in the spectrum of kaz 163

The results of spectroscopic observations of the nucleus of the S component of the galaxy Kaz 163, carried out on the 6-m telescope of the Special Astronomical Observatory in 1982, are presented. The equivalent widths, relative intensities, and half-widths of emission lines were determined. The electron temperature, electron density, and mass of the gaseous component of the nucleus were also determined. The half-widths and equivalent widths varied almost twofold over the time of observations from October 31, 1981, to May 28, 1982. During the same time the intensity of the [O III] λ 4363 auroral line increased fairly strongly. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 183-189, April–June, 2000.     

Investigation of the spectroscopic variability of the Wolf-Rayet star HD 192163

Based on 24 high-resolution echelle spectrograms of the Wolf-Rayet star HD 192163 taken in 2005–2007 at the Cassegrain focus of the 2-m Zeiss-2000 telescope at the Shemakha Astrophysical Observatory (National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan), we have investigated the profiles of five emission lines: He II 4859, He II 5411, CIV 5808, He I 5875, (He II + Hα) 6560. We have analyzed the echelle spectrograms using the DECH20 code. Various emission line parameters have been determined: the equivalent widths, radial velocities, central intensities, and FWHMs. The violet wing of the He II + Hα emission band has been found to be variable (from 6496 Å to 6532 Å). Significant differences in the equivalent widths and radial velocities of the He II + Hα emission band in 2005 and 2007 were revealed. This can be a manifestation of long-term variations in the star HD 192163. We have confirmed that HD 192163 belongs to the WN6 spectral subtype.