- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/803/109
- Title:
- Spitzer/IRS spectral decompositon of AGN
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/803/109
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present results on the spectral decomposition of 118 Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) spectra from local active galactic nuclei (AGNs) using a large set of Spitzer/IRS spectra as templates. The templates are themselves IRS spectra from extreme cases where a single physical component (stellar, interstellar, or AGN) completely dominates the integrated mid-infrared emission. We show that a linear combination of one template for each physical component reproduces the observed IRS spectra of AGN hosts with unprecedented fidelity for a template fitting method with no need to model extinction separately. We use full probability distribution functions to estimate expectation values and uncertainties for observables, and find that the decomposition results are robust against degeneracies. Furthermore, we compare the AGN spectra derived from the spectral decomposition with sub-arcsecond resolution nuclear photometry and spectroscopy from ground-based observations. We find that the AGN component derived from the decomposition closely matches the nuclear spectrum with a 1{sigma} dispersion of 0.12dex in luminosity and typical uncertainties of ~0.19 in the spectral index and ~0.1 in the silicate strength. We conclude that the emission from the host galaxy can be reliably removed from the IRS spectra of AGNs. This allows for unbiased studies of the AGN emission in intermediate- and high-redshift galaxies--currently inaccesible to ground-based observations--with archival Spitzer/IRS data and in the future with the Mid-InfraRed Instrument of the James Webb Space Telescope.
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Search Results
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/777/156
- Title:
- Spitzer/IRS spectra of GOALS luminous IR galaxies
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/777/156
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present the data and our analysis of mid-infrared atomic fine-structure emission lines detected in Spitzer/Infrared Spectrograph high-resolution spectra of 202 local Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs) observed as part of the Great Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS). We readily detect emission lines of [SIV], [NeII], [NeV], [NeIII], [SIII]_18.7{mu}m_, [OIV], [FeII], [SIII]_33.5{mu}m_, and [SiII]. More than 75% of these galaxies are classified as starburst-dominated sources in the mid-infrared, based on the [NeV]/[NeII] line flux ratios and equivalent width of the 6.2{mu}m polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon feature. We compare ratios of the emission-line fluxes to those predicted from stellar photo-ionization and shock-ionization models to constrain the physical and chemical properties of the gas in the starburst LIRG nuclei. Comparing the [SIV]/[NeII] and [NeIII]/[NeII] line ratios to the Starburst99-Mappings III models with an instantaneous burst history, the emission-line ratios suggest that the nuclear starbursts in our LIRGs have ages of 1-4.5 Myr, metallicities of 1-2Z_{sun}_, and ionization parameters of 2-8x10^7^cm/s. Based on the [SIII]_33.5{mu}m_/[SIII]_18.7{mu}m_ ratios, the electron density in LIRG nuclei is typically one to a few hundred/cm3, with a median electron density of ~300/cm3, for those sources above the low density limit for these lines.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/709/1257
- Title:
- Spitzer-IRS spectra of Seyfert galaxies. II.
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/709/1257
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present our Spitzer-Infrared Spectrometer (IRS) spectroscopic survey from 10um to 37um of the Seyfert galaxies of the 12um Galaxy Sample (12MSG), collected in a high-resolution mode (R~600). The new spectra of 61 galaxies, together with the data we already published, give us a total of 91 12um Seyfert galaxies observed, out of 112. We discuss the mid-IR emission lines and features of the Seyfert galaxies, using an improved active galactic nucleus (AGN) classification scheme: instead of adopting the usual classes of Seyfert 1's and Seyfert 2's, we use the spectropolarimetric data from the literature to divide the objects into categories "AGN 1" and "AGN 2," where AGN 1's include all broad-line objects, including the Seyfert 2's showing hidden broad lines in polarized light. The remaining category, AGN 2's, contains only Seyferts with no detectable broad lines in either direct or polarized spectroscopy. We present various mid-IR observables, such as ionization-sensitive and density-sensitive line ratios, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) 11.25um feature and the H_2_S(1) rotational line equivalent widths (EWs), the (60-25um) spectral index, and the source extendedness at 19um, to characterize similarities and differences in the AGN populations, in terms of AGN dominance versus star formation dominance.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/736/133
- Title:
- Spitzer-IRS study of massive YSOs in galactic center
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/736/133
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present results from our spectroscopic study, using the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on board the Spitzer Space Telescope, designed to identify massive young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Galactic center (GC). Our sample of 107 YSO candidates was selected based on Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) colors from the high spatial resolution, high sensitivity Spitzer/IRAC images in the Central Molecular Zone, which spans the central ~300pc region of the Milky Way. We obtained IRS spectra over 5-35um using both high- and low-resolution IRS modules. We spectroscopically identify massive YSOs by the presence of a 15.4um shoulder on the absorption profile of 15um CO_2_ ice, suggestive of CO_2_ ice mixed with CH_3_OH ice on grains. This 15.4um shoulder is clearly observed in 16 sources and possibly observed in an additional 19 sources. We show that nine massive YSOs also reveal molecular gas-phase absorption from CO_2_, C_2_H_2_, and/or HCN, which traces warm and dense gas in YSOs. Our results provide the first spectroscopic census of the massive YSO population in the GC. We fit YSO models to the observed spectral energy distributions and find YSO masses of 8-23M_{sun}_, which generally agree with the masses derived from observed radio continuum emission. We find that about 50% of photometrically identified YSOs are confirmed with our spectroscopic study. This implies a preliminary star formation rate of ~0.07M_{sun}/yr at the GC.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/469/575
- Title:
- Spitzer mid-IR spectra of 3 molecular clouds
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/469/575
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- This work was conducted as part of the SPECPDR program, dedicated to the study of very small particles and astrochemistry, in Photo-Dissociation Regions (PDRs). We present the analysis of the mid-IR spectro-imagery observations of Ced 201, NCG 7023 East and North-West and rho Ophiuchi West filament. Using the data from all four modules of the InfraRed Spectrograph onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope, we produced a spectral cube ranging from 5 to 35{mu}m, for each one of the observed PDRs. The resulting cubes were analysed using Blind Signal Separation methods (NMF and FastICA).
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/MNRAS/395/1695
- Title:
- Spitzer mid-IR spectroscopy of LIRGs
- Short Name:
- J/MNRAS/395/1695
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present results on low-resolution mid-infrared (MIR) spectra of 70 IR-luminous galaxies obtained with the infrared spectrograph (IRS) onboard Spitzer. We selected sources from the European Large Area Infrared Survey with S_15_>0.8mJy and photometric or spectroscopic z>1. About half of the samples are quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) in the optical, while the remaining sources are galaxies, comprising both obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN) and starbursts. Redshifts were obtained from optical spectroscopy, photometric redshifts and the IRS spectra. The later turn out to be reliable for obscured and/or star-forming sources, thus becoming an ideal complement to optical spectroscopy for redshift estimation.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/658/778
- Title:
- Spitzer mid-IR spectroscopy of z~2 ULIRGs
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/658/778
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present the mid-infrared spectra obtained with the Spitzer IRS for 52 sources, selected as infrared luminous, z>~1 candidates in the Extragalactic First Look Survey (XFLS). The sample selection criteria are F24um>~0.9mJy, vFv(24um)/vFv(8um)>~3.16, and vFv(24um)/vFv(0.7um)>~10. Of the 52 spectra, 47 (90%) produced measurable redshifts based solely on the mid-IR spectral features, with 35/47 (74%) at 1.5<~z<~3.2. Keck spectroscopy of a subsample (17/47) agrees with the mid-IR redshift measurements. The observed spectra fall into three categories: (1) 33% (17/52) have strong PAH emission and are probably powered by star formation with total IR luminosity roughly a factor of 5 higher than the local starburst ULIRGs; (2) 33% (17/52) have only deep silicate absorption at 9.8um, indicating deeply embedded dusty systems -these data alone cannot determine the energetic nature of the heating sources in these systems; and (3) the remaining 34% are mid-IR continuum-dominated systems with weak PAH emission and/or silicate absorption. This subsample is probably AGNs.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJS/208/24
- Title:
- Spitzer MIR AGN survey. I.
- Short Name:
- J/ApJS/208/24
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present the results of a program of optical and near-infrared spectroscopic follow-up of candidate active galactic nuclei (AGNs) selected in the mid-infrared. This survey selects both normal and obscured AGNs closely matched in luminosity across a wide range, from Seyfert galaxies with bolometric luminosities L _bol_~10^10^L_{sun}_ to highly luminous quasars (L_bol_~10^14^L_{sun}_), all with redshifts ranging from 0 to 4.3. Samples of candidate AGNs were selected with mid-infrared color cuts at several different 24{mu}m flux density limits to ensure a range of luminosities at a given redshift. The survey consists of 786 candidate AGNs and quasars, of which 672 have spectroscopic redshifts and classifications. Of these, 137 (20%) are type 1 AGNs with blue continua, 294 (44%) are type 2 objects with extinctions A_V_>~5 toward their AGNs, 96 (14%) are AGNs with lower extinctions (A_V_~1), and 145 (22%) have redshifts, but no clear signs of AGN activity in their spectra. Of the survey objects 50% have L_bol_>10^12^L_{sun}_, in the quasar regime. We present composite spectra for type 2 quasars and objects with no signs of AGN activity in their spectra. We also discuss the mid-infrared - emission-line luminosity correlation and present the results of cross correlations with serendipitous X-ray and radio sources.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/845/120
- Title:
- Spitzer obs. of warm dust in 83 debris disks
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/845/120
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The architectures of debris disks encode the history of planet formation in these systems. Studies of debris disks via their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) have found infrared excesses arising from cold dust, warm dust, or a combination of the two. The cold outer belts of many systems have been imaged, facilitating their study in great detail. Far less is known about the warm components, including the origin of the dust. The regularity of the disk temperatures indicates an underlying structure that may be linked to the water snow line. If the dust is generated from collisions in an exo-asteroid belt, the dust will likely trace the location of the water snow line in the primordial protoplanetary disk where planetesimal growth was enhanced. If instead the warm dust arises from the inward transport from a reservoir of icy material farther out in the system, the dust location is expected to be set by the current snow line. We analyze the SEDs of a large sample of debris disks with warm components. We find that warm components in single-component systems (those without detectable cold components) follow the primordial snow line rather than the current snow line, so they likely arise from exo-asteroid belts. While the locations of many warm components in two-component systems are also consistent with the primordial snow line, there is more diversity among these systems, suggesting additional effects play a role.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJS/182/628
- Title:
- Spitzer quasar and ULIRG evolution study
- Short Name:
- J/ApJS/182/628
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We report the results from a comprehensive study of 74 ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) and 34 Palomar-Green (PG) quasars within z~0.3 observed with the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS). The contribution of nuclear activity to the bolometric luminosity in these systems is quantified using six independent methods that span a range in wavelength and give consistent results within ~+/-10%-15% on average. This agreement suggests that deeply buried active galactic nuclei (AGNs) invisible to Spitzer IRS but bright in the far-infrared are not common in this sample. The average derived AGN contribution in ULIRGs is ~35%-40%, ranging from ~15%-35% among "cool" (f_25_/f_60_<=0.2) optically classified HII-like and LINER ULIRGs to ~50 and ~75% among warm Seyfert 2 and Seyfert 1 ULIRGs, respectively. This number exceeds ~80% in PG QSOs.
