星系形态分类的研究进展

传统的哈勃星系形态分类法可以很好地对近邻的亮星系进行分类,但对低面亮度星系、矮椭球星系、矮旋涡星系以及高红移星系等都已无能为力。德沃古勒分类系统、叶凯士分类系统和范登伯分类系统是在哈勃分类法的基础上进行了发展和细化,利用光的中心聚集度或光度级等作为星系形态分类的参数。模型化分类系统试图定量地测量星系形态参数,但需要假定星系面亮度分布满足一定的形式,如r~(1/4)律、指数律等。最近几年,又有一些学者提出了非模型化分类系统,给出了若干个可以直接测量星系形态的结构参数,如:聚集度指数C、非对称指数A、簇聚指数S、基尼系数G及矩指数M_(20)。这些参数可以反映星系的形成历史、恒星形成、与其他星系的相互作用、已经发生或正在进行的并合活动等。它们不仅可以有效地给出近邻星系的分类特性,还能用于测量高红移星系的形态。该文介绍了不同的星系形态分类方法,比较了各类方法的优点和不足。在此基础上,最后介绍了基于非模型化分类系统的星系形态分类的研究进展。     

EGS场中高红移极亮红外星系的形态与结构

通过利用CANDELS-EGS(Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey-Extended Groth Strip)场中HST WFC3(Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3)F160W高分辨率的观测图像,研究了9个光谱红极亮红外星系的形态结构特征.发现这些星系的形态表现出多样性(从椭圆到多个亮核或弥散的结构),如:双核,气体桥,双不对称体,不规则或椭圆结构.为了定量地研究这些极亮红外星系的形态,测量了它们在静止光学波段的形态参数(基尼系数G和矩指数M20).与近邻极亮红外星系相比,高红移极亮红外星系的G偏小而M20偏大,表明这些星系的星族分布聚集度小且不对称性大.基于对样本中极亮红外星系2维面亮度轮廓的拟合,得到这些星系的有效半径分布在2.4 kpc到5.8 kpc之间,其平均值是(3.9±1.1)kpc.相比较于近邻相似质量的恒星形成星系来说,高红移极亮红外星系的平均大小要小1到2倍.在类似红移和红外光度条件下,得出的这些结果也与其它文献中给出的结论相一致.     

新发现的X射线选活动星系核,白矮星和激变变星

为了研究ＲＯＳＡＴ Ｘ射线选亮近类星体巡天的选择判据，从１９９５年４月至１９９６年１０月期间，利用北京天台２．１６米望远镜进行了试验观测，发现了７３个类星体，２７个赛弗特星系，１个ＢＬ Ｌａｃ侯选体，１个白矮星和１个激变变星。     

早型星系中"黑洞/核球"质量线性关系的解析估计

在“等级式成团”（hierarchical clustering)宇宙学演化框架下,早型星系（E／SO）的形成和演化不是如经典的“整体塌缩”（monolithic collapse)演化模式所描述的是由高红移处的短时间剧烈恒星形成过程一次性完成的;相反,它们可能是在大尺度结构形成过程中由盘星系间的相互合并演化而来,特别是对于质量相当的盘星系间的剧烈合并过程。目前的数值模拟和高分辨成像观测都已证实了这种可能性,而且红移巡天的结果也更多地支持这种演化模式。在此提出一个星系合并过程中核区星暴和中心黑洞共生演化的模型,来解释由空间望远镜（HST）和地面CCD高分辨测光所得的早型星系“黑洞／核球”统计线性相关,也即中心黑洞质量约为其核球体质量的0．6％;同时,该演化模型还可以进一步合理地解释在类星体的近红外成像观测中统计得出的相似的线性相关性,即类星体中心亮度与其母星系质量成正比。并给出此模型计算的极限情况和模型的解析估计。     

每月变星

SN 2011fe（超新星） 8月24日于著名的旋涡星系、大熊座美丽的H101中发现的超新星。发现时亮度17.2等。第二天亮度上升到14等以上,之后一路飙升,9月初已达到最大亮度,略亮于10等。在这个亮度下,它能被明显地从背景星系中分开：并且由于所处位置（旋臂）并不是星系最明亮的区域,测光难度也不大。     

星系的基本面

基本面最早是在早型星系中发现的一种经验标度律,它是一个关于星系的有效半径、中心速度弥散度和有效半径内的平均面亮度之间的紧密相关关系.基本面对早型星系的形成机制、动力学演化理论等提出了很强的观测约束;不仅如此,它还可作为独立的星系距离测定方法,用于哈勃常数的定标和星系本动速度场的测量.对早型星系基本面的研究进展做了简要评...     

宇宙信息

“哈勃”关键任务遇到麻烦　　 1 990年发射的哈勃空间望远镜 (ＨＳＴ)的最重要的关键任务是观测遥远星系中的造父变星 ,测定宇宙距离。从本世纪 2 0年代起 ,造父变星就已经是测量星系距离和宇宙膨胀速率 ,称为哈勃常数 (Ｈｏ)的一根标准量天尺。但是ＨＳＴ造父变星研究测定的哈勃常数比由其他新方法测的偏高。波兰哥白尼天文中心的Ｍｏｃｈｅｊｓｋａ、哈佛一史密松天体物理中心的Ｓｔａｎｅｋ和他们的同事认为他们已经发现了其中的原因。他们说 ,天文学家经常受骗 ,把遥远星系里的造父变星看得比它们实际要亮。什么原因呢 ?造父变星与别的…     

LAMOST工程中天体测量要求的探讨

作者认为,有五种误差会影响ＬＡＭＯＳＴ工程光纤定位：（１）光纤的机械定位误差;（２）输入星表与导星星表的误差;（３）焦面坐标系与理想坐标系的转换误差;（４）较差大气折射对观测目标的影响;（５）导星的跟踪误差。并提出在ＬＡＭＯＳＴ工程中有关天体测量的三个研究课题：（１）星表系统差的研究,以提供适合ＬＡＭＯＳＴ使用的导星星表和输入星表;（２）望远镜光学系统畸变的研究以及焦面坐标与理想坐标间关系的确定,提出用国内外观测资料,建立５°×５°的几个标准天区;（３）从现有的光学图象和测光资料中给出ＬＡＭＯＳＴ输入星表中星象的类别,如双星、聚星、变星、星系等。建议ＬＡＭＯＳＴ工程中采用ＧＳＣ－Ⅱ作为导星星表,而输入星表的精度应好于０．５４”。     

NGST,GAIA和SIM：21世纪初的空间天文望远镜

“下一代大型空间天文望远镜”（ＮＧＳＴ）、“空间干涉测量飞行任务”（ＳＩＭ）和“天体物理的全天球天体测量干涉仪”（ＧＡＩＡ）是２１世纪初的大型空间天文望远镜的计划。ＮＧＳＴ和ＳＩＭ是ＮＡＳＡ“起源计划”的关键项目,可用于探索宇宙最早期形成的第一批星系,星团,ＮＧＳＴ是大孔径被动控制冷望远镜,口径４－８ｍ,是哈毂空间望远镜（ＨＳＴ）和红外空间望远镜（ＳＩＲＴＦ）的后续项目,它强大的观测能力特别体现在     

一个极高光度IRAS星系样本在20cm观测的初步结果

使用澳大利亚致密阵（ＡＴＣＡ）在１．４ＧＨｚ上观测一个极 度的ＩＲＡＳ星系样本。在这个样本所包括的３７个ＩＲＡＳ星系中,探测到１９个源的射 电发射 ,获得了它们的射电参数,如峰值位置,射电流量等。该样本的射电功率范围在２２．９〈ｌｏｇＰ１．４Ｇ（Ｗ／Ｈｚ）〈２３．８,本文给出了观测的初步结果。     

Broad-Band Radio to X-Ray Properties of Seyfert Galaxies

We report on the statistical analysis of a sample of AGNs (Seyferts and LINERs) selected from an RBSC-NVSS sample of the brightest X-ray sources. The sample is large enough and unbiased for a detailed study of multi-frequency (radio to X-ray) properties of AGN. There are no significant differences in X-ray, optical, far-infrared, and radio powers, core dominance, radio loudness, radio spectral index, and two-point radio-to-optical and optical-to-X-ray spectral indices of Seyfert types 1 and 2. These findings strongly support the unification model, and the observed differences between Sy1 and Sy2 are due to both the variable obscuration and different geometric orientation effects. The correlation between the X-ray and radio emission over many decades is primary and indicates the intrinsically similar origin of both radiations in Seyfert galaxies, powered mainly by AGN, rather than compact starbursts. For Seyfert galaxies we found that the slopes of the relations L _X - L _R and L _X - L _B are flat, which indicate the existence of components unrelated with X-ray. Perhaps only for LINERs is the observed L _X - L _R relation completely due to AGNs. The Sy1, Sy2, and LINER galaxies show different slopes in the relation L _X - L _1.4, and the relative contribution of extended radio components may be the cause of these differences. The possible effects of unresolved extended radio and X-ray components are quantitatively discussed.     

Spectroscopic Observations of New Galaxies with a UV Excess. III

The results of the spectroscopic observation of 23 galaxies with a UV excess from Kazarian's lists are presented. The spectra were obtained on the 2.6-m telescope of Byurakan Observatory with a Byu FOSC-2 camera. Two grisms, red and green, were used in the observations. Emission lines are observed in the spectra of 21 of the galaxies.     

Investigation of Galaxies of the Second Byurakan Sky Survey. V. Spectroscopic Observations in the Field of 12h22m, +55°

The results of spectroscopic observations of 28 galaxies of the Second Byurakan Sky Survey, completing the follow-up spectroscopy of galaxies in the survey field with central coordinates = 12^h22^m, = +35°, are presented. The spectra were obtained on the 2.6 m telescope of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, and the 6 m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences. The redshifts and absolute stellar magnitudes of all the galaxies have been determined. A preliminary analysis of the spatial distribution of all galaxies in this sample is given.     

Distribution of Galaxies with Respect to the Directions of the Bars of SB Galaxies

The surroundings of 75 active SB galaxies are investigated. It is shown with a fairly high degree of certainty that more galaxies are observed in the direction of the bar than in other directions. It is concluded that this may be a consequence of the galaxy-forming activity of these galaxies. It is noted that the influence of the surroundings on a galaxy is traditionally discussed, although there is much evidence that the surroundings of a galaxy are shaped due to its activity.     

E+A星系的研究进展

E+A星系的光谱具有很强的巴耳末吸收线,缺乏与恒星形成相关的发射线,将典型的椭圆星系(E)和A型恒星的光谱进行线性组合就能够拟合出这类星系的光谱.它们的颜色、形态、星族年龄等参数介于典型的早型和晚型星系之间.E+A星系近期经历了星暴活动,在星系演化进程中,它们处于晚型到早型的过渡阶段,可能在演变过程中扮演着重要角色.介...     

Flat Galaxies of the RFGC Catalog Detected in the HIPASS Survey

Data from the H I Parkes All-Sky Survey (HIPASS) of the southern sky in the neutral hydrogen line are used to determine the radial velocities and widths of the H I line for flat spiral galaxies of the Revised Flat-Galaxy Catalog (RFGC) seen edge-on. The sample of 103 flat galaxies detected in HIPASS is characterized by a median radial velocity of +2037 km/sec and a median width of the H I line at the level of 50% of maximum of 242 km/sec. For RFGC galaxies the 50% detection level in HIPASS corresponds to an apparent magnitude B _t = 14 ^m .5 or an angular diameter a = 2.9. The relative number of detected galaxies increases from 2% for the morphological types Sbc and Sc to 41% for the type Sm. The median value of the ratio of hydrogen mass to total mass for RFGC galaxies is 0.079. With allowance for the average internal extinction for edge-on galaxies, <B _t< = 0 ^m .75, the median ratio of hydrogen mass to luminosity, M _{H I}/L _B = 0.74 M /L , is typical for late-type spirals. Because of its small depth, HIPASS reveals only a few RFGC galaxies with previously unknown velocities and line widths.     

Coherence between Seyfert galaxies and their surroundings

A sample of galaxy groups is investigated for the occurence of Seyfert objects within them. The velocity dispersion in groups with Seyfert galaxies is significantly larger than in groups without Seyfert galaxies. But there was not found any correlation between the galaxy density within the groups and the content of Seyfert galaxies.     

On the relative number of Seyfert 1 and Seyfert 2 galaxies and the opening angle of dust torus

It is shown that the samples of Seyfert galaxies used to study different parameters of Seyferts are largely incomplete. The way of estimation of the number of the missed, not detected Seyferts is proposed. It is based on the assumption that distribution of inclinations of Seyferts should be similar to that of spiral galaxies. Addition of the estimated number of the missed Seyferts allows to deduce more correct value of the ratio of numbers of Sy2s to Sy1s, N2/N1. The more real value of the ratio N2/N1 is the one deduced by using the results of counts of bright, nearby Seyferts, and is equal to ∼4. The opening angle of the dust torus is ∼76°.     

The Velocity Field and Kinematics of the Galaxy NGC 784 in the Hα Line

In this paper we present the H map, the 2D velocity field and the rotation curve of the galaxy NGC 784 obtained with the ByuFOSC2 scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer, attached at the prime focus of the 2.6-m telescope of Byurakan Observatory. The H image shows several HII condensations along the major axis of the galaxy. The galaxy has an asymmetric distribution of the H emission. The rotation curve is quite symmetric with a low gradient in the central part of the galaxy.     

Galaxy activity and interaction: the optical view

The relevance of interaction to the presence of Seyfert or starburst activity in the nuclei of galaxies is examined. We focus the attention on the close environments of spectroscopically selected samples of Seyfert-1, Seyfert-2 and starburst galaxies. In particular the results of a statistical procedure aimed at finding physical pairs are tested with redshift measurements of the identified pairs. Seyfert and starburts galaxies show an excess of physical companions compared to normal galaxies. This excess tends to increase as one moves from Seyfert to starburst galaxies.