- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/MNRAS/443/725
- Title:
- Optical-UV-IR survey of North Celestial Cap
- Short Name:
- J/MNRAS/443/725
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We describe the final product of the North Celestial Cap Survey (NCCS) - the optical-UV-IR merged catalogue for the region within 10{deg} of the North Celestial Pole. The North Celestial Cap (NCC) region at {delta}>=80{deg} is poorly covered by modern CCD-based surveys. The optical part of the survey was observed in V, R and I with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) Observatory telescopes and was merged with GALEX UV and WISE IR data, producing the catalogue. More than four million objects were observed in at least one optical band. The final catalogue contains ~1.6 million sources observed in all three optical bands, of which some 1.4 million have WISE counterparts and ~300000 have GALEX counterparts. The astrometric accuracy of the optical NCCS data, derived from a comparison with the UCAC3 catalogue, is better than 0.2-arcsec and the photometry, when compared with Sloan Digital Sky Survey, is good to ~0.15mag for sources brighter than V=20.3, R=21.0 and I=19.2mag. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey point-extended source separation is reproduced with >92 per cent efficiency.
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- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/894/24
- Title:
- Optical variability of AGN from the HSC SSP survey
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/894/24
- Date:
- 03 Dec 2021 00:44:13
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We study variability of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) by using the deep optical multiband photometry data obtained from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC SSP) survey in the COSMOS field. The images analyzed here were taken with 8, 10, 13, and 15 epochs over three years in the g, r, i, and z bands, respectively. We identified 491 robust variable AGN candidates, down to i=25mag and with redshift up to 4.26. Ninety percent of the variability-selected AGNs are individually identified with the X-ray sources detected in the Chandra COSMOS Legacy survey. We investigate their properties in variability by using structure function analysis and find that the structure function for low-luminosity AGNs (L_bol_<~10^45^erg/s) shows a positive correlation with luminosity, which is the opposite trend for the luminous quasars. This trend is likely to be caused by a larger contribution of the host galaxy light for lower-luminosity AGNs. Using the model templates of galaxy spectra, we evaluate the amount of host galaxy contribution to the structure function analysis and find that dominance of the young stellar population is needed to explain the observed luminosity dependence. This suggests that low-luminosity AGNs at 0.8<~z<~1.8 are predominantly hosted in star-forming galaxies. The X-ray stacking analysis reveals the significant emission from the individually X-ray undetected AGNs in our variability-selected sample. The stacked samples show very large hardness ratios in their stacked X-ray spectrum, which suggests that these optically variable sources have large soft X-ray absorption by dust-free gas.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AJ/157/95
- Title:
- Optical variability of OJ 287 in 2016-2017
- Short Name:
- J/AJ/157/95
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We report on a recent multiband optical photometric and polarimetric observational campaign of the blazar OJ 287 that was carried out during 2016 September-2017 December. We employed nine telescopes in Bulgaria, China, Georgia, Japan, Serbia, Spain, and the United States. We collected over 1800 photometric image frames in BVRI bands and over 100 polarimetric measurements over ~175 nights. In 11 nights with many quasi-simultaneous multiband (V, R, I) observations, we did not detect any genuine intraday variability in flux or color. On longer timescales, multiple flaring events were seen. Large changes in color with respect to time and in a color-magnitude diagram were seen, and while only a weak systematic variability trend was noticed in color with respect to time, the color-magnitude diagram shows a bluer-when-brighter trend. Large changes in the degree of polarization and substantial swings in the polarization angle were detected. The fractional Stokes parameters of the polarization showed a systematic trend with time in the beginning of these observations, followed by chaotic changes and then an apparently systematic variation at the end. These polarization changes coincide with the detection and duration of the source at very high energies as seen by VERITAS. The spectral index shows a systematic variation with time and V-band magnitude. We briefly discuss possible physical mechanisms that could explain the observed flux, color, polarization, and spectral variability.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/900/58
- Title:
- Opt-IR LC compilation of DES Stripe 82 quasars
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/900/58
- Date:
- 11 Mar 2022 15:16:31
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The size of the dust torus in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and their high-luminosity counterparts, quasars, can be inferred from the time delay between UV/optical accretion disk continuum variability and the response in the mid-infrared (MIR) torus emission. This dust reverberation mapping (RM) technique has been successfully applied to ~70 z<~0.3 AGNs and quasars. Here we present first results of our dust RM program for distant quasars covered in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Stripe 82 region combining ~20yr ground-based optical light curves with 10yr MIR light curves from the WISE satellite. We measure a high-fidelity lag between W1 band (3.4{mu}m) and g band for 587 quasars over 0.3<~z<~2 (<z>~0.8) and two orders of magnitude in quasar luminosity. They tightly follow (intrinsic scatter ~0.17dex in lag) the IR lag-luminosity relation observed for z<0.3 AGNs, revealing a remarkable size-luminosity relation for the dust torus over more than four decades in AGN luminosity, with little dependence on additional quasar properties such as Eddington ratio and variability amplitude. This study motivates further investigations in the utility of dust RM for cosmology and strongly endorses a compelling science case for the combined 10yr Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (optical) and 5yr Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope 2{mu}m light curves in a deep survey for low-redshift AGN dust RM with much lower luminosities and shorter, measurable IR lags. The compiled optical and MIR light curves for 7384 quasars in our parent sample are made public with this work.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AJ/159/259
- Title:
- Opt-NIR light curve of the quasar 3C 273
- Short Name:
- J/AJ/159/259
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We monitored the z=0.158 quasar 3C273 between 2015 and 2019 in the optical (BVrz) and near-infrared (JHK) with the aim to perform dust reverberation mapping. Accounting for host galaxy and accretion disk contributions, we obtained pure dust light curves in JHK. Cross correlations between the V-band and the dust light curves yield an average rest-frame delay for the hot dust of {tau}cent~410days. This is a factor of two shorter than that expected from the the dust ring radius R_x_~900lt-day reported from interferometric studies. The dust covering factor (CF) is about 8%, much smaller than that predicted from the half covering angle of 45{deg} found for active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We analyze the asymmetric shape of the correlation functions and explore whether an inclined biconical bowl-shaped dust torus geometry could bring these findings ({tau}cent, Rx and CF) into a consistent picture. The hot varying dust emission originates from the edge of the bowl rim with a small covering angle 40{deg}<{theta}<45{deg}, and we see only the near side of the biconus. Such a dust gloriole with R_x_= 900{+/-}200lt-day and an inclination 12{deg} matches the data remarkably well. Comparing the results of 3C273 with literature for less luminous AGN, we find a lag-luminosity relation {tau}{prop}L{alpha} with {alpha}=0.33-0.40, flatter than the widely adopted relation with {alpha}~0.5. We address several explanations for the new lag-luminosity relation.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/866/83
- Title:
- Opt/NIR obs. of 1FGLJ1417.7-4407 neutron star bin.
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/866/83
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The Fermi {gamma}-ray source 1FGL J1417.7-4407 (J1417) is a compact X-ray binary with a neutron star primary and a red giant companion in a ~5.4 days orbit. This initial conclusion, based on optical and X-ray data, was confirmed when a 2.66ms radio pulsar was found at the same location (and with the same orbital properties) as the optical/X-ray source. However, these initial studies found conflicting evidence about the accretion state and other properties of the binary. We present new optical, radio, and X-ray observations of J1417 that allow us to better understand this unusual system. We show that one of the main pieces of evidence previously put forward for an accretion disk-the complex morphology of the persistent H{alpha} emission line-can be better explained by the presence of a strong, magnetically driven stellar wind from the secondary and its interaction with the pulsar wind. The radio spectral index derived from VLA/ATCA observations is broadly consistent with that expected from a millisecond pulsar, further disfavoring an accretion disk scenario. X-ray observations show evidence for a double-peaked orbital light curve, similar to that observed in some redback millisecond pulsar binaries and likely due to an intrabinary shock. Refined optical light-curve fitting gives a distance of 3.1+/-0.6kpc, confirmed by a Gaia DR2 parallax measurement. At this distance the X-ray luminosity of J1417 is (1.0_-0.3_^+0.4^)x10^33^erg/s, which is more luminous than all known redback systems in the rotational-powered pulsar state, perhaps due to the wind from the giant companion. The unusual phenomenology of this system and its differing evolutionary path from redback millisecond pulsar binaries points to a new eclipsing pulsar "spider" subclass that is a possible progenitor of normal field millisecond pulsar binaries.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/833/149
- Title:
- Opt/NIR obs. of M31N 2008-12a 2015 eruption
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/833/149
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The Andromeda Galaxy recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a had been observed in eruption 10 times, including yearly eruptions from 2008 to 2014. With a measured recurrence period of P_rec_=351+/-13days (we believe the true value to be half of this) and a white dwarf very close to the Chandrasekhar limit, M31N 2008-12a has become the leading pre-explosion supernova type Ia progenitor candidate. Following multi-wavelength follow-up observations of the 2013 and 2014 eruptions, we initiated a campaign to ensure early detection of the predicted 2015 eruption, which triggered ambitious ground- and space-based follow-up programs. In this paper we present the 2015 detection, visible to near-infrared photometry and visible spectroscopy, and ultraviolet and X-ray observations from the Swift observatory. The LCOGT 2m (Hawaii) discovered the 2015 eruption, estimated to have commenced at August 28.28+/-0.12UT. The 2013-2015 eruptions are remarkably similar at all wavelengths. New early spectroscopic observations reveal short-lived emission from material with velocities ~13000km/s, possibly collimated outflows. Photometric and spectroscopic observations of the eruption provide strong evidence supporting a red giant donor. An apparently stochastic variability during the early supersoft X-ray phase was comparable in amplitude and duration to past eruptions, but the 2013 and 2015 eruptions show evidence of a brief flux dip during this phase. The multi-eruption Swift/XRT spectra show tentative evidence of high-ionization emission lines above a high-temperature continuum. Following Henze+ (2015A&A...582L...8H), the updated recurrence period based on all known eruptions is P_rec_=174+/-10days, and we expect the next eruption of M31N 2008-12a to occur around 2016 mid-September.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/877/29
- Title:
- Opt & NIR SMARTS/ANDICAM photometry for DQ Tau
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/877/29
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present multiepoch optical and near-infrared (NIR) photometry and spectroscopy of the spectroscopic binary T Tauri star DQ Tau. The photometric monitoring, obtained using SMARTS ANDICAM, recovers the previously seen correlation between optical flux and the 15.8d binary orbital period, with blue flux peaks occurring close to most observed periastron passages. For the first time, we find an even more consistent correlation between orbital period and NIR brightness and color. The onset of pulse events in the NIR precedes those in the optical by a few days, on average, with the rise usually starting near apastron orbital phase. We further obtained five epochs of spectroscopy using Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) SpeX, with a wavelength range of 0.8-5{mu}m, and derived spectra of the infrared excess emission. The shape and strength of the excess varies with time, with cooler and weaker characteristic dust emission (T~1100-1300K) over most of the binary orbit, and stronger/warmer dust emission (T~1600K, indicative of dust sublimation) just before periastron passage. We suggest that our results are broadly consistent with predictions of simulations of disk structure and accretion flows around close binaries, with the varying dust emission possibly tracing the evolution of accretion streams falling inward through a circumbinary disk cavity and feeding the accretion pulses traced by the optical photometry and NIR emission lines. However, our results also show more complicated behavior that is not fully explained by this simple picture, and will require further observations and modeling to fully interpret.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/872/42
- Title:
- Opt. spectroscopy of redback ms pulsar binaries
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/872/42
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present the first optical spectroscopy of five confirmed (or strong candidate) redback millisecond pulsar binaries, obtaining complete radial velocity curves for each companion star. The properties of these millisecond pulsar binaries with low-mass, hydrogen-rich companions are discussed in the context of the 14 confirmed and 10 candidate field redbacks. We find that the neutron stars in redbacks have a median mass of 1.78+/-0.09M_{sun}_ with a dispersion of {sigma}=0.21+/-0.09. Neutron stars with masses in excess of 2M_{sun}_ are consistent with, but not firmly demanded by, current observations. Redback companions have median masses of 0.36+/-0.04M_{sun}_ with a scatter of {sigma}=0.15+/-0.04M_{sun}_, and a tail possibly extending up to 0.7-0.9M_{sun}_. Candidate redbacks tend to have higher companion masses than confirmed redbacks, suggesting a possible selection bias against the detection of radio pulsations in these more massive candidate systems. The distribution of companion masses between redbacks and the less massive black widows continues to be strongly bimodal, which is an important constraint on evolutionary models for these systems. Among redbacks, the median efficiency of converting the pulsar spin-down energy to {gamma}-ray luminosity is ~10%.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/873/92
- Title:
- Opt. & UV evolution of the TDE iPTF15af
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/873/92
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present multiwavelength observations of the tidal disruption event (TDE) iPTF15af, discovered by the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory survey at redshift z=0.07897. The optical and ultraviolet (UV) light curves of the transient show a slow decay over 5 months, in agreement with previous optically discovered TDEs. It also has a comparable blackbody peak luminosity of L_peak_~1.5x10^44^erg/s. The inferred temperature from the optical and UV data shows a value of (3-5)x10^4^K. The transient is not detected in X-rays up to L_X_<3x10^42^erg/s within the first 5 months after discovery. The optical spectra exhibit two distinct broad emission lines in the HeII region, and at later times also H{alpha} emission. Additionally, emission from [NIII] and [OIII] is detected, likely produced by the Bowen fluorescence effect. UV spectra reveal broad emission and absorption lines associated with high-ionization states of NV, CIV, SiIV, and possibly PV. These features, analogous to those of broad absorption line quasars (BAL QSOs), require an absorber with column densities N_H_>10^23^cm^-2^. This optically thick gas would also explain the nondetection in soft X-rays. The profile of the absorption lines with the highest column density material at the largest velocity is opposite that of BAL QSOs. We suggest that radiation pressure generated by the TDE flare at early times could have provided the initial acceleration mechanism for this gas. Spectral UV line monitoring of future TDEs could test this proposal.
