We compile a catalog of reliable BLA (thermally broadened Ly{alpha} absorber) candidates along seven active galactic nucleus sight lines from a larger set of Ly{alpha} absorbers observed by the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We compare our measurements based on independent reduction and analysis of the data to those published by other research groups. We examine the detailed structure of each absorber and determine a reliable line width and column density. Purported BLAs are grouped into probable (15), possible (48), and non-BLA (56) categories. Based on 164 measured curve of growth (COG) HI line measurements, we statistically correct the observed line widths via a Monte Carlo simulation. Finally, we present new, high signal-to-noise ratio observations of several of the BLA candidate lines from Early Release Observations made by the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on HST.
We report on the measurement of the physical properties (rest-frame K-band luminosity and total stellar mass) of the hosts of 89 broad-line (type-1) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) detected in the zCOSMOS survey in the redshift range 1<z<2.2. The unprecedented multi-wavelength coverage of the survey field allows us to disentangle the emission of the host galaxy from that of the nuclear black hole in their spectral energy distributions (SEDs). We derive an estimate of black hole masses through the analysis of the broad MgII emission lines observed in the medium-resolution spectra taken with VIMOS/VLT as part of the zCOSMOS project.
We present the first quantified, statistical map of broad-line active galactic nucleus (AGN) frequency with host galaxy color and stellar mass in nearby (0.01<z<0.11) galaxies. Aperture photometry and z-band concentration measurements from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey are used to disentangle AGN and galaxy emission, resulting in estimates of uncontaminated galaxy rest-frame color, luminosity, and stellar mass. Broad-line AGNs are distributed throughout the blue cloud and green valley at a given stellar mass, and are much rarer in quiescent (red sequence) galaxies. This is in contrast to the published host galaxy properties of weaker narrow-line AGNs, indicating that broad-line AGNs occur during a different phase in galaxy evolution. More luminous broad-line AGNs have bluer host galaxies, even at fixed mass, suggesting that the same processes that fuel nuclear activity also efficiently form stars. The data favor processes that simultaneously fuel both star formation activity and rapid supermassive black hole accretion. If AGNs cause feedback on their host galaxies in the nearby universe, the evidence of galaxy-wide quenching must be delayed until after the broad-line AGN phase.
We have investigated the broad-line Balmer decrements (H{alpha/H{beta}) for a large, homogeneous sample of Seyfert 1 galaxies and quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) using spectroscopic data obtained in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The sample, drawn from the Fourth Data Release, comprises 446 low-redshift (z<=0.35) active galactic nuclei (AGN) that have blue optical continua as indicated by the spectral slopes in order to minimize the effect of dust extinction. We find that (i) the distribution of the intrinsic broad-line H{alpha}/H{beta} ratio can be well described by log-Gaussian, with a peak at H{alpha}/H{beta}=3.06 and a standard deviation of about 0.03dex only; (ii) the Balmer decrement does not correlate with AGN properties such as luminosity, accretion rate and continuum slope, etc.; (iii) on average, the Balmer decrements are found to be only slightly larger in radio-loud sources (3.37) and sources having double-peaked emission-line profiles (3.27) compared to the rest of the sample. We therefore suggest that the broad-line H{alpha}/H{beta} ratio can be used as a good indicator for dust extinction in the AGN broad-line region; this is especially true for radio-quiet AGN with regular emission-line profiles, which constitute the vast majority of the AGN population.
This catalog contains positions and magnitudes for 1577 stars with visual magnitudes brighter than 11.0. The observations were made with the 7-inch transit circle at the Copenhagen University Observatory from July 1981 to May 1982. The positions are reduced to the FK4 system for each night and over the whole meridian. The mean errors of the catalog entries are: in right ascension 0.006 seconds/cos(declination); in declination, 0.10"; and in magnitude, 0.06mag. The catalog contains 425 FK4 stars used for the adjustment to the FK4; 167 stars from the AGK3 zones +88deg. and +89deg.; 115 stars from the zone around the North Galactic Pole; stars from several PZT zones; some faint GC stars; reference stars for radio fields; and a few stars from earlier Brorfelde programs. The internal errors of a single observation are for right ascension, 0.0138 seconds/cos(delta), for declination, 0.216", and for the magnitude, 0.132 mag.
Using the SofI instrument on the 3.5m New Technology Telescope, we have conducted an extensive near-infrared monitoring survey of an unbiased sample of 69 brown dwarfs spanning the L0 to T8 spectral range, with at least one example of each spectral type. Each target was observed for a 2-4 hour period in the Js-band, and the median photometric precision of the data is ~0.7%. A total of 14 brown dwarfs were identified as variables with min-to-max amplitudes ranging from 1.7% to 10.8% over the observed duration. All variables satisfy a statistical significance threshold with a p-value <=5% based on comparison with a median reference star light curve. Approximately half of the variables show pure sinusoidal amplitude variations similar to 2MASSJ2139+0220, and the remainder show multi-component variability in their light curves similar to SIMPJ0136+0933.
We present the results of a multiband survey for brown dwarfs in the Chamaeleon I dark cloud with the Wide Field Imager (WFI) camera at the ESO/MPG 2.2-m telescope on La Silla (Chile) on 28-May to 03-Jun 1999. The survey has revealed a substantial population of brown dwarfs in this southern star-forming region. Candidates were selected from R, I and H{alpha} imaging observations. We also observed in two medium-band filters, M855 and M915, for spectral type determination. The former filter covers a wavelength range containing spectral features characteristic of M-dwarfs, while the latter lies in a relatively featureless wavelength region for these late-type objects. A correlation was found between spectral type and (M855-M915) colour index for mid- to late M-type objects and early L-type dwarfs. With this method, we identify most of our object candidates as being of spectral type M5 or later. Our results show that there is no strong drop in the number of objects for the latest spectral types, hence brown dwarfs may be as abundant as low-mass stars in this region. Also, both kind of objects have a similar spatial distribution. We derive an index {alpha}=0.6+/-0.1 of the mass function in this region of dispersed star formation, in good agreement with the values obtained in other star forming regions and young clusters. Some of the brown dwarfs have strong H{alpha} emission, suggesting mass accretion. For objects with published infrared photometry, we find that strong H{alpha} emission is related to a mid-infrared excess, indicative of the existence of a circumstellar disk.
We present the discovery of seven new T dwarfs identified in the Two Micron All Sky Survey (Cat. <II/246>). Low-resolution (R~150) 0.8-2.5{mu}m spectroscopy obtained with the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) SpeX instrument reveals the characteristic H_2_O and CH_4_ bands in the spectra of these brown dwarfs. Comparison with spectral standards observed with the same instrument enables us to derive classifications of T3 to T7 for the objects in this sample. Moderate-resolution (R~1200) near-infrared spectroscopy for a subset of these discoveries reveal K I line strengths consistent with previously observed trends with spectral type. Follow-up imaging observations provide proper-motion measurements for these sources, ranging from less than 0.1" to 1.55"/yr. One object, 2MASS 0034+0523, has a spectrophotometric distance placing it within 10pc of the Sun. This source also exhibits a depressed K-band peak reminiscent of the peculiar T dwarf 2MASS 0937+2931 and may be a metal-poor or old, high-mass brown dwarf. We also present low-resolution SpeX data for a set of M- and L-type dwarf, subdwarf, and giant comparison stars used to classify 59 additional candidates identified as background stars. These are primarily M5-M8.5 dwarfs, many exhibiting H I Pa^{gamma}^, but include three candidate ultracool M subdwarfs and one possible early-type L subdwarf.
We combine 131 new medium-resolution (R~2000) J-band spectra of M, L, and T dwarfs from the Keck NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey (BDSS) with 97 previously published BDSS spectra to study surface-gravity-sensitive indices for 228 low-mass stars and brown dwarfs spanning spectral types M5-T9. Specifically, we use an established set of spectral indices to determine surface gravity classifications for all of the M6-L7 objects in our sample by measuring the equivalent widths (EW) of the K I lines at 1.1692, 1.1778, and 1.2529{mu}m, and the 1.2{mu}m FeH_J_ absorption index. Our results are consistent with previous surface gravity measurements, showing a distinct double peak-at ~L5 and T5-in K I EW as a function of spectral type. We analyze the K I EWs of 73 objects of known ages and find a linear trend between log(Age) and EW. From this relationship, we assign age ranges to the very low gravity, intermediate gravity, and field gravity designations for spectral types M6-L0. Interestingly, the ages probed by these designations remain broad, change with spectral type, and depend on the gravity-sensitive index used. Gravity designations are useful indicators of the possibility of youth, but current data sets cannot be used to provide a precise age estimate.
The survey of the mid-infrared sky by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) led to the discovery of extremely cold, low-mass brown dwarfs, classified as Y dwarfs, which extend the T class to lower temperatures. Twenty-four Y dwarfs are known at the time of writing. Here we present improved parallaxes for four of these, determined using Spitzer images. We give new photometry for four late-type T and three Y dwarfs and new spectra of three Y dwarfs, obtained at Gemini Observatory. We also present previously unpublished photometry taken from HST, ESO, Spitzer, and WISE archives of 11 late-type T and 9 Y dwarfs. The near-infrared data are put onto the same photometric system, forming a homogeneous data set for the coolest brown dwarfs. We compare recent models to our photometric and spectroscopic data set. We confirm that nonequilibrium atmospheric chemistry is important for these objects. Nonequilibrium cloud-free models reproduce well the near-infrared spectra and mid-infrared photometry for the warmer Y dwarfs with 425<=T_eff_(K)<=450. A small amount of cloud cover may improve the model fits in the near-infrared for the Y dwarfs with 325<=T_eff_(K)<=375. Neither cloudy nor cloud-free models reproduce the near-infrared photometry for the T_eff_=250K Y dwarf WISEJ085510.83-071442.5 (W0855). We use the mid-infrared region, where most of the flux originates, to constrain our models of W0855. We find that W0855 likely has a mass of 1.5-8 Jupiter masses and an age of 0.3-6Gyr. The Y dwarfs with measured parallaxes are within 20pc of the Sun and have tangential velocities typical of the thin disk. The metallicities and ages we derive for the sample are generally solar-like. We estimate that the known Y dwarfs are 3 to 20 Jupiter-mass objects with ages of 0.6-8.5Gyr.
