Cosmological probes based on galaxy clusters rely on cluster number counts and large-scale structure information. X-ray cluster surveys are well suited for this purpose, since they are far less affected than optical surveys by projection effects, and cluster properties can be predicted with good accuracy. The XMM Cluster Archive Super Survey, X-CLASS, is a serendipitous search of X-ray-detected galaxy clusters in 4176 XMM-Newton archival observations until August 2015. All observations are clipped to exposure times of 10 and 20 ks to obtain uniformity and they span ~269 sq. deg. across the high-Galactic latitude sky (|b|>20deg). The main goal of the survey is the compilation of a well-selected cluster sample suitable for cosmological analyses. We describe the detection algorithm, the visual inspection, the verification process and the redshift validation of the cluster sample, as well as the cluster selection function computed by simulations. We also present the various metadata that are released with the catalogue, along with the redshifts of 124 clusters obtained with a dedicated multi-object spectroscopic follow-up programme. With this publication we release the new X-CLASS catalogue of 1646 well-selected X-ray-detected clusters over a wide sky area, along with their selection function. The sample spans a wide redshift range, from the local Universe up to z~1.5, with 982 spectroscopically confirmed clusters, and over 70 clusters above z=0.8. Because of its homogeneous selection and thorough verification, the cluster sample can be used for cosmological analyses, but also as a test-bed for the upcoming eROSITA observations and other current and future large-area cluster surveys. It is the first time that such a catalogue is made available to the community via an interactive database which gives access to a wealth of supplementary information, images, and data.
Based on observations from the FourStar near-infrared camera on the 6.5m Baade-Magellan telescope at Las Campanas, Chile, we present calibrations of the JHK luminosities of stars defining the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) in the halo of the Local Group dwarf galaxy IC1613. We employ metallicity- independent (rectified) T-band magnitudes-constructed using J-, H-, and K-band magnitudes and both (J-H) and (J-K) colors to flatten the upward-sloping red giant branch tips as otherwise seen in their apparent color-magnitude diagrams. We describe and quantify the advantages of working at these particular near-infrared wavelengths, which are applicable to both the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We also note that these same wavelengths can be accessed from the ground for an eventual tie-in to Gaia for absolute astrometry and parallaxes to calibrate the intrinsic luminosity of the TRGB. Adopting the color terms derived from the IC 1613 data, as well as the zero points from a companion study of the Large Magellanic Cloud, whose distance is anchored to the geometric distances of detached eclipsing binaries, we find a true distance modulus of 24.32+/-0.02 (statistical) +/-0.05mag (systematic) for IC 1613, which compares favorably with the recently published multi-wavelength, multi-method consensus modulus of 24.30+/-0.05mag by Hatt et al. (2017, J/ApJ/845/146).
This catalog contains a list of 30239 radio sources at 1.4GHz over the declination range of -5 to +82 degrees. This catalog is based on the Green Bank 1.4GHz Northern Sky Survey (Condon and Broderick, 1986, Cat. VIII/6) which was generated using the Green Bank 300 foot (91m) telescope. The threshold for identifying a 1.4GHz radio source was set at 100mJy. The catalog data include the source name, a confusion flag, right ascension (1950), declination (1950), 1.4GHz flux, a flag to indicate if the source is extended at 20cm, 4.85GHz flux (from Becker et al., 1991, Cat. VIII/13), a flag to indicate if the source is extended at 6cm, 365MHz flux (from the Texas Survey, Douglas et al. 1980; see Cat. VIII/42)), spectral index between 6 and 20 cm, and spectral index between 20 and 80 cm. Where possible, the source name is derived from the 6cm catalog of Becker et al. 1991 (Cat. VIII/13).
We present CCD photometry and spectroscopy for stars in Lucke-Hodge 58, an isolated OB association in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) northwest of 30 Doradus. The photometric catalog contains 839 stars with UBV magnitudes complete to V~19. We have obtained spectra and classified 35 stars; combined with previous published spectral types, we find 22 O-type stars. The earliest type is O3-4 V, and there are three WR stars in the association. The slope of the initial mass function, Gamma=-1.7+/-0.3, is in good agreement with other LMC associations. The presence of several evolved supergiants with masses about 15-25M_{sun}_ suggests that some star formation took place as early as 10 million years ago, but the majority of stars formed coevally within the past few million years.
We present a catalog of the 1525 most optically luminous galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with r-band luminosity L_r_>8L* and redshift z<0.3, including 84 super spirals, 15 super lenticulars, 14 super post-merger galaxies, and 1400 giant ellipticals. With mass in stars of 10^11.3^-10^12^M_{sun}_, super spirals and lenticulars are the most massive disk galaxies currently known. The specific star formation rates of super spirals place them on or below the star-forming main sequence. They must have formed stars at a high rate throughout their history in order to grow their massive, gigantic stellar disks and maintain their blue u-r integrated colors. Their disks are red on the inside and blue on the outside, consistent with inside-out growth. They tend to have small bulge-to-total (B/T) r-band luminosity ratios, characteristic of disk building via minor mergers and cold accretion. A large percentage of super disk galaxies (41%) have double nuclei, double disks, or other signatures of ongoing mergers. Most (72%) are found in moderate- to low-density environments, while the rest are found at the outskirts of clusters. It is likely that super spirals survive in these environments because they continue to accrete cold gas and experience only minor mergers at late times, by virtue of their enormous masses and angular momenta. We suggest that super post-mergers are the product of super spiral major mergers and may be the precursors of some giant elliptical galaxies found in low-density environments.
We use homogeneous samples of radio-quiet Seyfert 1 galaxies and QSOs selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to investigate the connection between the velocity shift and the equivalent width (EW) of the [OIII]{lambda}5007 emission line, and their correlations with physical parameters of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We find a significant and negative correlation between the EW of the core component, EW(core), and the blueshift of either the core (the peak), the wing, or the total profile of [OIII] emission; it is fairly strong for the blueshift of the total profile in particular. However, both quantities (EW and velocity shift) generally have only weak, if any, correlations with fundamental AGN parameters such as the nuclear continuum luminosity at 5100{AA} (L_5100_), black hole mass (M_BH_), and the Eddington ratio (L/L_Edd_); these correlations include the classical Baldwin effect of EW(core), an inverse Baldwin effect of EW(wing), and the relationship between velocity shifts and L/L_Edd_. Our findings suggest that both the large object-to-object variation in the strength of [OIII] emission and the blueshift-EW(core) connection are not governed primarily by fundamental AGN parameters such as L_5100_, M_BH_, and L/L_Edd_. We propose that the interstellar medium conditions of the host galaxies play a major role instead in the diversity of the [OIII] properties in active galaxies. This suggests that the use of [OIII]{lambda}5007 luminosity as a proxy of AGN luminosity does not depend strongly on the above-mentioned fundamental AGN parameters.
We present the redshift catalogs for the X-ray sources detected in the Chandra Deep Field-North (CDF-N), the Chandra Large Area Synoptic X-ray Survey (CLASXS), and the Chandra Lockman Area North Survey (CLANS). The catalogs for the CDF-N and CLASXS fields include redshifts from previous work, while the redshifts for the CLANS field are all new. For fluxes above 10^-14^ergs/cm^2^/s (2-8keV) we have redshifts for 76% of the sources. We extend the redshift information for the full sample using photometric redshifts. The goal of the OPTX Project is to use these three surveys, which are among the most spectroscopically complete surveys to date, to analyze the effect of spectral type on the shape and evolution of the X-ray luminosity functions and to compare the optical spectral types with the X-ray spectral properties. We also present the CLANS X-ray catalog. The nine ACIS-I fields cover a solid angle of ~0.6deg^2^ and reach fluxes of 7x10^-16^ergs/cm^2^/s (0.5-2keV) and 3.5x10^-15^ergs/cm^2^/s (2-8keV). We find a total of 761 X-ray point sources. In addition, we present the optical and infrared photometric catalog for the CLANS X-ray sources, as well as updated optical and infrared photometric catalogs for the X-ray sources in the CLASXS and CDF-N fields.
We compare the optical spectral types with the X-ray spectral properties for a uniformly selected (sources with fluxes greater than the 3{sigma} level and above a flux limit of f(2-8keV)>3.5x10^-15^erg/cm^2^/s), highly spectroscopically complete (>80% for f(2-8keV)>10^-14^erg/cm^2^/s and >60% below) 2-8keV X-ray sample observed in three Chandra fields (CLANS, CLASXS, and the CDF-N) that cover ~1.2deg^2^. For our sample of 645 spectroscopically observed sources, we confirm that there is significant overlap of the X-ray spectral properties, as determined by the effective photon indices, {Gamma}_eff_, obtained from the ratios of the 0.5-2keV to 2-8keV counts, for the different optical spectral types. Thus, one cannot use the X-ray spectral classifications and the optical spectral classifications equivalently. Since it is not understood how X-ray and optical classifications relate to the obscuration of the central engine, we strongly advise against a mixed classification scheme, as it can only complicate the interpretation of X-ray AGN samples.
We present new theoretical period-luminosity-metallicity (PLZ) relations for RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) at Spitzer and WISE wavelengths. The PLZ relations were derived using nonlinear, time-dependent convective hydrodynamical models for a broad range of metal abundances (Z=0.0001-0.0198). In deriving the light curves, we tested two sets of atmospheric models and found no significant difference between the resulting mean magnitudes. We also compare our theoretical relations to empirical relations derived from RRLs in both the field and in the globular cluster M4. Our theoretical PLZ relations were combined with multi-wavelength observations to simultaneously fit the distance modulus, {mu}0, and extinction, A_V_, of both the individual Galactic RRL and of the cluster M4. The results for the Galactic RRL are consistent with trigonometric parallax measurements from Gaia's first data release. For M4, we find a distance modulus of {mu}0=11.257+/-0.035mag with A_V_=1.45+/-0.12mag, which is consistent with measurements from other distance indicators. This analysis has shown that, when considering a sample covering a range of iron abundances, the metallicity spread introduces a dispersion in the PL relation on the order of 0.13mag. However, if this metallicity component is accounted for in a PLZ relation, the dispersion is reduced to ~0.02mag at mid-infrared wavelengths.
The morphology of galaxies provide us with a unique tool to connect and understand other related physical properties and their changes over the course of cosmic time. Only recently, thanks to big and/or deep surveys, we have access to a wealth of data for unprecedented number galaxies. The morphological catalogue of the OTELO survey galaxies detected in Hubble Space Telescope (HST)-ACS F814W images is presented. We explore various methods from previous works to separate early-type (ET) and late-type (LT) galaxies classified via spectral energy distribution (SED) fittings using galaxy templates. Together with this article we release the catalogue containing main morphological parameters in F606W and F814W bands derived for more than 8000 sources. The morphological analysis is based on the single-Sersic profile fit. The GALAPAGOS-2 software was used in order to provide multi-wavelength morphological parameters fitted simultaneously in two HST-ACS bands. GALAPAGOS-2 detects, prepares guess values for GALFIT-M, and provides the best-fitting single-Sersic model in both bands for each source. Stellar masses were estimated using synthetic rest-frame magnitudes recovered from SED-fitting of galaxy templates. The morphological catalogue is complemented with concentration indexes from a separate SExtractor dual, high dynamical range mode. A total of 8812 sources were successfully fitted with single-Sersic profiles. The analysis of a carefully selected sample of ~3000 sources up to z_phot=2 is presented in this work, from which 873 sources were not detected in previous studies. We found no statistical evidence for the evolution of low-mass end of mass-size relation for ET and LT since z=2. Furthermore, we found a good agreement on the median size evolution for ET and LT galaxies, for a given stellar-mass, with data in the literature. Compared to previous works on faint field galaxies, we found similarities regarding rest-frame colours, Sersic and concentration indices.
