We present new wide-field observations of Centaurus A (Cen A) and the surrounding region at 118MHz with the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) 32-tile prototype, with which we investigate the spectral-index distribution of Cen A's giant radio lobes. We compare our images to 1.4GHz maps of Cen A and compute spectral indices using temperature-temperature plots and spectral tomography. We find that the morphologies at 118MHz and 1.4GHz match very closely apart from an extra peak in the southern lobe at 118MHz, which provides tentative evidence for the existence of a southern counterpart to the northern middle lobe of Cen A. Our spatially averaged spectral indices for both the northern and southern lobes are consistent with previous analyses, however we find significant spatial variation of the spectra across the extent of each lobe. Both the spectral-index distribution and the morphology at low radio frequencies support a scenario of multiple outbursts of activity from the central engine. Our results are consistent with inverse-Compton modelling of radio and gamma-ray data that support a value for the lobe age of between 10 and 80Myr.
We present new radio and optical images of the nearest radio galaxy Centaurus A and its host galaxy NGC 5128. We focus our investigation on the northern transition region, where energy is transported from the ~5kpc (~5-arcmin) scales of the northern inner lobe (NIL) to the ~30kpc (~30-arcmin) scales of the northern middle lobe (NML). Our Murchison Widefield Array observations at 154MHz and our Parkes radio telescope observations at 2.3GHz show diffuse radio emission connecting the NIL to the NML, in agreement with previous Australia Telescope Compact Array observations at 1.4GHz. Comparison of these radio data with our wide-field optical emission-line images show the relationship between the NML radio emission and the ionized filaments that extend north from the NIL, and reveal a new ionized filament to the east, possibly associated with a galactic wind. Our deep optical images show clear evidence for a bipolar outflow from the central galaxy extending to intermediate scales, despite the non-detection of a southern radio counterpart to the NML. Thus, our observational overview of Centaurus A reveals a number of features proposed to be associated with active galactic nucleus feedback mechanisms, often cited as likely to have significant effects in galaxy evolution models. As one of the closest galaxies to us, Centaurus A therefore provides a unique laboratory to examine feedback mechanisms in detail.
A new sample of radio sources, with the designated name CENSORS (A Combined EIS-NVSS Survey Of Radio Sources), has been defined by combining the National Radio Astronomy Observatory Very Large Array Sky Survey (NVSS) at 1.4GHz with the ESO Imaging Survey (EIS) Patch D, a 3x2deg^2^ region of sky centred at RA = 09 51 36.0, DE = -21 00 00 (J2000). New radio observations of 199 NVSS radio sources with NVSS flux densities S_1.4GHz_>7.8mJy are presented, and are compared with the EIS I-band imaging observations which reach a depth of I~23; optical identifications are obtained for over two-thirds of the ~150 confirmed radio sources within the EIS field.
The Combined EIS-NVSS Survey of Radio Sources (CENSORS) is a 1.4-GHz radio survey selected from the National Radio Astronomy Observatories (NRAO) Very Large Array (VLA) Sky Survey (NVSS) and complete to a flux density of 7.2mJy. It targets the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Imaging Survey (EIS) Patch D, which is a 3x2{deg}^2^ field centred on right ascension 09:51:36.0 and declination 21:00:00 (J2000). This paper presents K-band imaging of 142 of the 150 CENSORS sources. The primary motivation for beginning infrared imaging of the sample was to identify the host galaxies of ~30 per cent of sources for which the EIS I-band imaging failed to produce a likely candidate. In addition, K-band magnitudes allow photometric redshift estimation and IK colours aid the identification of host galaxies (which are typically old, red ellipticals). Of the sources observed in the I and K bands, four remain undetected, possibly indicating high redshifts for the host galaxies, and eight involve complicated radio structures, or several candidate host galaxies, which have yet to be resolved. Thus, the host galaxy identifications are brought to 92 per cent completeness.
This paper presents a new grid-based method for investigating the evolution of the steep-spectrum radio luminosity function, with the aim of quantifying the high-redshift cut-off suggested by previous work. To achieve this, the Combined EIS-NVSS Survey of Radio Sources (CENSORS) has been developed; this is a 1.4-GHz radio survey, containing 135 sources complete to a flux density of 7.2mJy, selected from the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) over 6deg^2^ of the ESO Imaging Survey Patch D (EISD). The sample is currently 7% spectroscopically complete, with the remaining redshifts estimated via the K-z or I-z magnitude-redshift relation. CENSORS is combined with additional radio data from the Parkes All-Sky, Parkes Selected Regions, Hercules and Very Large Array (VLA) COSMOS samples to provide comprehensive coverage of the radio power versus redshift plane. The redshift distributions of these samples, together with radio source count determinations, and measurements of the local luminosity function, provide the input to the fitting process.
The Combined EIS-NVSS Survey Of Radio Sources (CENSORS) is a 1.4-GHz radio survey selected from the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) and complete to a flux density of 7.2mJy. It targets the ESO Imaging Survey (EIS) Patch D, which is a 3x2deg^2^ field centred on 09:51:36.0-21:00:00 (J2000). This paper presents the results of spectroscopic observations of 143 of the 150 CENSORS sources. The primary motivation for these observations is to achieve sufficient spectroscopic completeness so that the sample may be used to investigate the evolution of radio sources. The observations result in secure spectroscopic redshifts for 63 per cent of the sample and likely redshifts (based on a single emission line, for example) for a further 8 per cent. Following the identification of the quasars and star-forming galaxies in the CENSORS sample, estimated redshifts are calculated for the remainder of the sample via the K-z relation for radio galaxies.
We present a census of the 12060 spectra of blue objects ((g-r)_0_<-0.25) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 8 (DR8). As part of the data release, all of the spectra were cross-correlated with 48 template spectra of stars, galaxies, and QSOs to determine the best match. We compared the blue spectra by eye to the templates assigned in SDSS DR8. 10856 of the objects matched their assigned template, 170 could not be classified due to low signal-to-noise ratio, and 1034 were given new classifications. We identify 7458 DA white dwarfs, 1145 DB white dwarfs, 273 rarer white dwarfs (including carbon, DZ, DQ, and magnetic), 294 subdwarf O stars, 648 subdwarf B stars, 679 blue horizontal branch stars, 1026 blue stragglers, 13 cataclysmic variables, 129 white dwarf-M dwarf binaries, 36 objects with spectra similar to DO white dwarfs, 179, quasi-stellar objects (QSOs), and 10 galaxies. We provide two tables of these objects, sample spectra that match the templates, figures showing all of the spectra that were grouped by eye, and diagnostic plots that show the positions, colors, apparent magnitudes, proper motions, etc., for each classification.
We present a detailed description of the physical properties of our current census of white dwarfs within 40pc of the Sun, based on an exhaustive spectroscopic survey of northern hemisphere candidates from the SUPERBLINK proper motion database. Our method for selecting white dwarf candidates is based on a combination of theoretical color-magnitude relations and reduced proper motion diagrams. We reported in an earlier publication the discovery of nearly 200 new white dwarfs, and we present here the discovery of an additional 133 new white dwarfs, among which we identify 96 DA, 3 DB, 24 DC, 3 DQ, and 7 DZ stars. We further identify 178 white dwarfs that lie within 40pc of the Sun, representing a 40% increase of the current census, which now includes 492 objects. We estimate the completeness of our survey at between 66% and 78%, allowing for uncertainties in the distance estimates. We also perform a homogeneous model atmosphere analysis of this 40pc sample and find a large fraction of massive white dwarfs, indicating that we are successfully recovering the more massive, and less luminous objects often missed in other surveys. We also show that the 40pc sample is dominated by cool and old white dwarfs, which populate the faint end of the luminosity function, although trigonometric parallaxes will be needed to shape this part of the luminosity function more accurately. Finally, we identify 4 probable members of the 20pc sample, 4 suspected double degenerate binaries, and we also report the discovery of two new ZZ Ceti pulsators.
We use Keck HIRES spectra of 37 optically bright quasars at z=2-4 to study narrow absorption lines that are intrinsic to the quasars (intrinsic NALs, produced in gas that is physically associated with the quasar central engine). We identify 150 NAL systems, which contain 124 CIV, 12 NV, and 50 SiIV doublets, of which 18 are associated systems (within 5000km/s of the quasar redshift). We use partial coverage analysis to separate intrinsic NALs from NALs produced in cosmologically intervening structures. We find 39 candidate intrinsic systems (28 reliable determinations and 11 that are possibly intrinsic). We estimate that 10%-17% of CIV systems at blueshifts of 5000-70000km/s relative to quasars are intrinsic. At least 32% of quasars contain one or more intrinsic CIV NALs. Considering NV and SiIV doublets showing partial coverage as well, at least 50% of quasars host intrinsic NALs.
The Ophiuchus cloud complex is one of the best laboratories to study the earlier stages of the stellar and protoplanetary disc evolution. We constructed a control sample composed of 188 bona fide Ophiuchus members. Using this sample as a reference we applied three different density-based machine learning clustering algorithms (DBSCAN, OPTICS, and HDBSCAN) to a sample drawn from the Gaia DR2 catalogue centred on the Ophiuchus cloud that contains 2300 sources covering a sky area of 38deg^2^. The clustering analysis was applied in the five astrometric dimensions defined by the three-dimensional Cartesian space and the proper motions in right ascension and declination. The three clustering algorithms systematically identify a similar set of candidate members in a main cluster with astrometric properties consistent with those of the control sample. We constructed a common sample containing 391 member candidates including 166 new objects, which have not yet been discussed in the literature. We built the SEDs for a subset of 48 objects and found a total of 41 discs.
