The evolutionary sequence of Fermi blazars

Using γ-ray data (α _γ , F _γ ) detected by Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and black hole mass which has been compiled from literatures for 116 Fermi blazars, we calculated intrinsic γ-ray luminosity, intrinsic bolometric luminosity, intrinsic Eddington ratio and studied the relationships between all above parameters and redshift, between α _γ and L _γ . Furthermore, we obtained the histograms of key parameters. Our results are the following: (1) The main reason for the evolutionary sequence of three subclasses (HBLs, LBLs, FSRQs) may be Eddington ratio rather than black hole mass; (2) FSRQs occupy in the earlier, high-luminosity, high Eddington ratio, violent phase of the galactic evolution sequence, while BL Lac objects occur in the low luminosity, low Eddington ratio, late phase of the galactic evolution sequence; (3) These results imply that the evolutionary track of Fermi blazars is FSRQs ? LBLs ? HBLs.     

Correlation between X-ray and γ-ray for Fermi blazars

Using γ-ray band data detected by Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and X-ray band data for 78 blazars, we find a medium correlation between X-ray flux and γ-ray flux in all states. A medium correlation is also found between X-ray (1 keV) mean spectral index α _x and γ-ray mean spectral index α _γ for BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs), and there is no correlation for Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars (FSRQs). From these results, we suggest that the most likely radiation mechanism for the high energy gamma-rays would be synchrotron self-Compton (SSC), and that the gamma-ray emission mechanism may be somewhat different for BL Lacs and FSRQs.     

Multi-Band Spectral Properties of Fermi Blazars

The multi-band data covering optical, X-ray and γ-ray energy regions of 130 Fermi blazars in the First LAT AGN Catalog (1LAC) were collected to investigate the broadband spectral properties. The composite spectral indices show that HBLs have convex optical-to-X-ray continua and concave X-ray-to-γ-ray continua, α _{γX γ} >0 and α _XOX ?<?0, while FSRQs and LBLs have α _{γX γ} ?<?0. The α _XOX distribution of FSRQs and LBLs extends from negative to positive values. We suggest α _{γX γ} ?>?0 and α _XOX ?<?0 could be considered as a criterion for HBLs. Moreover, HBLs have narrow distribution of peak interval of $\log\nu_{\rm p}^{\rm ic}-\log\nu_{\rm p}^{\rm syn}$ , and FSRQs have significant anti-correlation between $\log\nu_{\rm p}^{\rm ic}-\log\nu_{\rm p}^{\rm syn}$ and $\log\nu_{\rm p}^{\rm syn}$ . This indicates that SSC model is responsible for high energy emission of HBLs, while EC for FSRQs. Our results also indicate that FSRQs with larger break energy of electrons have smaller bulk Lorentz factor of dissipation region.     

The broad band spectral index of blazars in a low state

Using the broad band spectral index of 164 blazars in a low state, we studied the possible correlation between different broad band spectral index (α _r.ir , α _r.o , α _r.x , α _r.γ , α _ir.o , α _ir.x , α _ir.γ , α _o.x , α _o.γ , α _x.γ ). We also studied the possible correlation between different broad band spectral index of high-frequency peaked Bl Lac object (HBL), low-frequency peaked BL Lac object (LBL) and flat spectral radio quasars (FSRQs), respectively. The strong anti-correlations were found between α _r.o and α _o.γ , between α _r.o and α _x.γ in a low state for our blazar sample. For LBL and FSRQs, the strong anti-correlations were found between α _r.ir and α _ir.x , between α _r.o and α _o.x , and between α _r.o and α _o.γ in a low state. Based on these results, we suggested that the seed photons of the γ-ray drive from both the jet and the external accretion disk or the broad-line region, and that the subclasses of blazars seem to the different emission mechanism.     

Are narrow-line Seyfert 1s really strange?

Narrow-Line Seyfert 1s (NLS1s) are generally considered to be ‘strange’ Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). Surprisingly, this makes them very useful for constraining models. I discuss what happens when one attempts to qualitatively fit the NLS1 phenomenon using the stellar wind model for AGN line emission [e.g., Kazanas, ApJ (1989) 74]. The simplest way of narrowing profile bases of this model to the widths observed in NLS1s is probably to lower the mass of the supermassive black hole. In a flux-limited and redshift-limited data set, this is indeed similar to increasing L/L_Edd. Because the broad line region (BLR) of the stellar line emission model scales with the tidal radius of the stars, this model predicts maximal BLR velocities of FWZI∝(L/L_Edd)^−1/3. This implies that the black holes of NLS1s are approximately 3³=27 times less massive than those in other Seyfert 1s if the stellar line emission model is correct. Another consequence of increasing L/L_Edd in this model is that it results in an increase in the wind edge densities. NLS1 spectra appear to support this result as well. Even the collateral features of NLS1s, such as the line asymmetries and continuum properties, appear to be easily explained within the context of this model. For better or worse, if the stellar wind line emission is correct, NLS1s are not much stranger than other AGNs.     

Study of the relation between the jet and accretion-disk emission in Blazars using RATAN-600 multifrequency data

We study the correlation between the emission from the broad-line region (BLR) and the emission in other wavelength ranges (from radio to x-ray) for the sample of 37 blazars (25 flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) and 10 BLLac blazars). Studying the relation between luminosities in various wavebands and the BLR luminosity is an effective method to examine the connection between the accretion rate and the luminosity of the jet.We used simultaneous RATAN-600measurements of blazar flux densities at six frequencies: 1.1, 2.3, 4.8, 7.7, 11.2, and 21.7 GHz. The observational data from other bands was taken from the literature. To determine the effect produced by the state of the object on the correlation, for the radio data we used the measurements obtained with the RATAN-600 in two states-namely, the maximum and minimum flux density values.We show that at some frequencies of the radio band, there exists a correlation of emission with the emission in the BLR for two types of blazars. In the FSRQ and BL Lac blazars, the correlation between the flux from the BLR and the flux in the radio band is indistinguishable in all cases, except for the case when a strong flux density variation was considered for the BL Lac-type of blazars (tens of percent). At the same time, the levels of significance for BL Lac (at certain frequencies p is worse than 0.05) in the active state indicate only the probable presence of connection. On the example of the sample, we show that the variability of emission significantly affects the level of correlation. Our results are consistent with the theoretical predictions about the close relationship of the accretion disk and the jet in blazars.     

Dependence of Geomagnetic Storms on Their Associated Halo CME Parameters

We compare the geoeffective parameters of halo coronal mass ejections (CMEs). We consider 50 front-side full-halo CMEs (FFH CMEs), which are from the list of Michalek, Gopalswamy, and Yashiro (Solar Phys. 246, 399, 2007), whose asymmetric-cone model parameters and earthward-direction parameter were available. For each CME we use its projected velocity [V _p], radial velocity [V _r], angle between cone axis and sky plane [γ] from the cone model, earthward-direction parameter [D], source longitude [L], and magnetic-field orientation [M] of its CME source region. We make a simple linear-regression analysis to find out the relationship between CME parameters and Dst index. The main results are as follows: i) The combined parameters [(V _r D)^1/2 and V _r γ] have higher correlation coefficients [cc] with the Dst index than the other parameters [V _p and V _r]: cc=0.76 for (V _r D)^1/2, cc=0.70 for V _r γ, cc=0.55 for V _r, and cc=0.17 for V _p. ii) Correlation coefficients between V _r γ and Dst index depend on L and M; cc=0.59 for 21 eastern events [E], cc=0.80 for 29 western events [W], cc=0.49 for 17 northward magnetic-field events [N], and cc=0.69 for 33 southward magnetic-field events [S]. iii) Super geomagnetic storms (Dst≤?200 nT) only appear in the western and southward magnetic-field events. The mean absolute Dst values of geomagnetic storms (Dst≤?50 nT) increase with an order of E+N, E+S, W+N, and W+S events; the mean absolute Dst value (169 nT) of W+S events is significantly larger than that (75 nT) of E+N events. Our results demonstrate that not only do the cone-model parameters together with the earthward-direction parameter improve the relationship between CME parameters and Dst index, but also the longitude and the magnetic-field orientation of a FFH CME source region play a significant role in predicting geomagnetic storms.     

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.     

Fermi gamma-ray and multi-wave band emission from TeV active galactic nuclei

Using γ-ray data detected by Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and multi-wave band data for 40 TeV active galactic nuclei (AGNs), we have studied the correlations between flux densities (F _R, F _IR, F _O, F _X and F _γ ) in the radio, infrared, optical, X-ray and γ-ray wave bands. Our results are the following: (1) For TeV HSP BL Lacertae objects (THBLs), there are strong correlations between F _γ and F _R and between F _γ and F _IR in all states (average/high/low); (2) The TeV radio galaxies (TRGs) deviate from the area occupied by THBLs; (3) The TeV flat-spectrum radio quasars (TFSRQs) have much stronger γ-ray emission than THBLs; (4) For THBLs, there are weak correlations between F _γ and F _X in all states as well as between F _γ and F _O in both average and high states, and a strong correlation between F _γ and F _O in the low state; (5) For THBLs, there are strong correlations between F _O and F _R in both low and average states as well as between F _O and F _IR in all states and between F _IR and F _R in all states, but no strong correlations among other bands are found. From these results, we suggest that for THBLs, the synchrotron self-Compton radiation (SSC) is the main mechanism of high energy γ-ray emission and the inverse Compton scattering of circum-nuclear dust is likely to be a important complementary mechanism. Compared with THBLs, TRGs and TFSRQs may have a different origin of high energy γ-ray.     

The nuclear luminosity and mass of type I seyfert galaxies

The nuclear mass M, bolometric luminosity L_bol, and the Eddington luminosity L_Edd are determined for fifty Type-I Seyfert galaxies from data on the luminosity and line-width of nuclear Balmer line H_β, assuming a mass accretion flow model. It is emphasized that the full width at zero intensity (FWZI), rather than the full width at half maximum (FWHM) should be used to give the velocity in the central broad line region. The histograms of M and of L_bol/L_Edd are shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for ready comparison with Type-II Seyferts and QSOs.Adding the data on the X-ray luminosities L_X for 38 Seyferts on our list, we have obtained the following correlations: L_x(2–10KcV)α(FWZI)², with γ = 0.50, and L_x(2–10KcV)α(M), with γ = 0.70 See Figs. 3 and 4. The implications of our statistical results are briefly discussed in terms of the spherically symmetric flow model of mass accretion.     

Radio Observation of the 11-Month Fermi-AGN at Urumqi Observatory

We carry out flux observation at 5 GHz for 124 sources from the ‘clean’ sample of Fermi catalog 1LAC (The First LAT AGN Catalog) with Urumqi 25 m telescope. We find that it is obvious that there is a correlation between the γ-ray and the radio flux density for blazars. For the subclasses, the correlation for FSRQs is strong, but the correlation for BL Lacs is weak.     

Core-dominance parameter and polarization for Fermi blazars

We study core-dominance parameter R and polarization for blazars detected by Fermi LAT. Our results are as follows. (i) The blazars detected by Fermi LAT have higher average R and polarizations than those not detected by Fermi LAT. (ii) Compared with BL Lacs, flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) have lower average R and the ratio of beamed luminosity to the unbeamed luminosity f. (iii) In the diagram of polarization-Doppler factor relations, FSRQs may have p=α+3 and BL Lacs for p=α+2. These results suggest that the high optical polarization is correlated to the beaming effect. High polarization and core-dominance parameters are significantly more common among the LAT sources. The difference in polarization and core-dominance parameters between FSRQs and BL Lacs are due to the difference in their beaming effects and jet model.     

The properties of jet in luminous blazars under the equipartition condition

In this work, we study the physical properties of the high-energy (HE) emission region by modeling the quasi-simultaneous multi-wavelength(MWL) spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of 27 Fermi-LAT detected low-synchrotron-peaked (LSP) blazars. We model the jets MWL SEDs in framework of a well accepted single-zone leptonic model including synchrotron self-Compton and external Compton (EC) processes for the jets in a state of equipartition between particle and magnetic field energy densities. In the model the GeV γ-ray spectrum is modeled by a combination of two different external Compton-scattered components: (i) EC scattering of photons coming from disk and broad line region (BLR), and (ii) EC scattering of photons originating from the dust tours (DT) and BLR. We find that the SEDs can be well reproduced by the equipartition model for the most majority of the sources, and the results are in agreement with many recent studies. Our results suggest that the SEDs modelling alone may not provide a significant constraint on the location of the HE emission region if we do not know enough about the physical properties of the external environment.     

Development of four magnetic storms in February 1972

Four magnetic storms were observed in February 1972, with instruments on the Explorer 45 satellite in the evening quadrant of the inner magnetosphere. The magnitude of the storms ranged from small, D_st ? ?40 γ, to moderate, D_st ? ?80 γ. During the development of the storms several substorms occurred. At the beginning of the substorms there was evidence of a partial ring current above L = 5. After the expansion phase of several substorms there was evidence of enhancement of a partial ring below L = 5. Distortions of the field in the east-west direction were observed, in conjunction with substorm expansions, that can be interpreted as due to field aligned currents flowing from the ionosphere. A substantial symmetric ring current, at L～4, developed during the largest storm. Very little additional ring current was contributed by the smallest storm. Relations between the magnetosphere inflation and ring current protons, plasmaspheric hiss, and ULF waves also measured on Explorer 45 were noted.     

Radar observations of the icy Galilean satellites

We report 12.6-cm-wavelength radar observations of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto made at the Arecibo Observatory in November 1977 and February 1979. When combined with previous observations, our results establish firmly the distinguishing radar properties of these satellites: (i) high geometric albedos, α; (ii) circular polarization ratios, μ_C, which anomalously exceed unity; (iii) linear polarization ratios, μ_L, which are approximately 0.5; and (iv) diffuse scattering which varies as cosⁿθ, where θ is angle of incidence and 1 ? n ? 2. We tabulate weighted-mean values of α, μ_C, μ_L, and n derived from observations between 1975 and 1979. The values of μ_C for Ganymede and Europa are nearly identical and significantly larger than that for Callisto. The values of n for Ganymede and Callisto are nearly identical and significantly smaller than that for Europa. Although significant albedo and/or polarization features are common in the radar spectra, the fractional rms fluctuation in disk-integrated properties is only ～10%. No time variation in the radar properties has been evident during 1976–1979.     

The UV spectra of NLS1s – implications for their broad line regions

We study the UV spectra of NLS1 galaxies and compare them with typical Seyfert 1 galaxies and quasars. The NLS1 spectra show narrower UV lines as well as weaker CIV λ1549 and CIII] λ1909 emission. We show that these line properties are due to a lower ionization parameter and somewhat higher BLR cloud densities. These modified conditions can be explained by the hotter big blue bumps observed in NLS1s, which are in turn due to higher L/L_Edd ratios, as shown by our accretion disk and corona modeling of the NLS1 continua. We also present evidence that the Boroson and Green eigenvector 1, which is correlated with the optical and UV emission-line properties, is not driven by orientation and hence NLS1s, which have extreme eigenvector 1 values, are not viewed from an extreme viewing angle.     

The effect of radiation pressure on the equilibrium points in the generalized photogravitational restricted three body problem

The existence of equilibrium points and the effect of radiation pressure have been discussed numerically. The problem is generalized by considering bigger primary as a source of radiation and small primary as an oblate spheroid. We have also discussed the Poynting-Robertson (P-R) effect which is caused due to radiation pressure. It is found that the collinear points L ₁,L ₂,L ₃ deviate from the axis joining the two primaries, while the triangular points L ₄,L ₅ are not symmetrical due to radiation pressure. We have seen that L ₁,L ₂,L ₃ are linearly unstable while L ₄,L ₅ are conditionally stable in the sense of Lyapunov when P-R effect is not considered. We have found that the effect of radiation pressure reduces the linear stability zones while P-R effect induces an instability in the sense of Lyapunov.     

Study of the apsidal motion in the eclipsing binary MZ Lac

A series of highly accurate photoelectric observations of the eclipsing binary MZ Lac was obtained with a 48-cm AZT-14 reflector at the Tien-Shan High-Altitude Station of the Sternberg Astronomical Institute from 1985 to 2004 to study its apsidal motion. We constructed a consistent system of physical and geometrical parameters of the components and the binary’s orbit: we determined their masses (M₁ = 1.50M_⊙, M₂ = 1.29M_⊙), radii (R₁ = 1.86R_⊙, R₂ = 1.35R_⊙), luminosities (L₁ = 0.79L_⊙, L₂ = 0.45L_⊙), surface gravities (log_g1 = 4.06, log_g2 = 4.27), age (t = 1.9 × 10⁹ yr), and the distance to the binary (d = 510 pc). The binary exhibits apsidal motion with the period U_obs = 480 ± 40 yr, while its theoretically expected value is U_th = 450 ± 40 yr. Spectroscopic studies of MZ Lac and calculations of the absolute parameters of the components are required to test our conclusions.     

Estimating black hole masses in quasars using broad optical and UV emission lines

We review past work using broad emission lines as virial estimators of black hole masses in quasars. Basically one requires estimates of the emitting region radius and virial velocity dispersion to obtain black hole masses. The three major ways to estimate the broad-line emitting region (BLR) radius involve: (1) direct reverberation mapping, (2) derivation of BLR radius for larger samples using the radius-luminosity correlation derived from reverberation measures, and (3) estimates of BLR radius using the definition of the ionization parameter solved for BLR radius (photoionization method). At low redshift (z ? 0.7) FWHM Hβ serves as the most widely used estimator of virial velocity dispersion. FWHM Hβ can provide estimates for tens of thousands of quasars out to z ≈ 3.8 (IR spectroscopy beyond z ≈ 1). A new photoionization method also shows promise for providing many reasonable estimates of BLR radius via high S/N IR spectroscopy of the UV region 1300–2000 Å. FWHM Mgiiλ2800 can serve as a surrogate for FWHM Hβ in the range 0.4 ? z ? 6.5 while civλ1549 is affected by broadening due to non-virial motions and best avoided (i.e. there is no clear conversion factor between FWHM Hβ and FWHM Civλ1549). Most quasars yield mass estimates in the range 7 ? log M_BH ? 9.7. There is no strong evidence for values above 10.0 and there may be evidence for a turnover in the maximum black hole mass near z ≈ 5.     

The radiation field in photospheric models for extreme supergiants

On the basis of assumed photospheric temperature models for 36 extreme supergiants (logg _e -values of 1, 0.5 and 0;T _e ranging from approx. 3700–33 000 K) photospheric fluxesS(τ_λ) were computed for 36 wavelengths ranging from 100 Å to 60 000 Å. The hot models are in perfect radiative equilibrium; the cooler show deviations up to 10%, sometimes even larger. Only in the relatively deep parts of the photospheres (τ₅?1) the radiation field at each geometrical level can be characterized by one unique radiation temperature; for smaller τ₅-values there are large deviations from local thermal equilibrium. The influence of deviations from local thermodynamical equilibrium on the fluxes is briefly examined, and appears small but for the shortest wavelengths. In tables and graphs we give for these models πF(γ)-values, integrated fluxes, effective temperatures, coloursU, B andV, and the Balmer discontinuityD.