- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/788/48
- Title:
- X-ray through NIR photometry of NGC 2617
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/788/48
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- After the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae discovered a significant brightening of the inner region of NGC 2617, we began a ~70 day photometric and spectroscopic monitoring campaign from the X-ray through near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. We report that NGC 2617 went through a dramatic outburst, during which its X-ray flux increased by over an order of magnitude followed by an increase of its optical/ultraviolet (UV) continuum flux by almost an order of magnitude. NGC 2617, classified as a Seyfert 1.8 galaxy in 2003, is now a Seyfert 1 due to the appearance of broad optical emission lines and a continuum blue bump. Such "changing look active galactic nuclei (AGNs)" are rare and provide us with important insights about AGN physics. Based on the H{beta} line width and the radius-luminosity relation, we estimate the mass of central black hole (BH) to be (4+/-1)x10^7^ M_{sun}_. When we cross-correlate the light curves, we find that the disk emission lags the X-rays, with the lag becoming longer as we move from the UV (2-3 days) to the NIR (6-9 days). Also, the NIR is more heavily temporally smoothed than the UV. This can largely be explained by a simple model of a thermally emitting thin disk around a BH of the estimated mass that is illuminated by the observed, variable X-ray fluxes.
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- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJS/245/17
- Title:
- X-shaped radio galaxies from FIRST
- Short Name:
- J/ApJS/245/17
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present a catalog of 290 "winged" or X-shaped radio galaxies (XRGs) extracted from the latest (2014 December 17) data release of the "Very Large Array Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty centimeter". We have combined these radio images with their counterparts in the TIFR GMRT sky survey at 150MHz, in an attempt to identify any low surface brightness radio emission present in these sources. This has enabled us to assemble a sample of 106 "strong" XRG candidates and 184 "probable" XRG candidates whose XRG designation needs to be verified by further observations. The present sample of 290 XRG candidates is almost twice as large as the number of XRGs currently known. Twenty-five of our 290 XRG candidates (9 "strong" and 16 "probable") are identified as quasars. Double-peaked narrow emission lines are seen in the optical spectra of three of the XRG candidates (two "strong" and one "probable"). Nearly 90% of the sample is located in the FR II domain of the Owen-Ledlow diagram. A few of the strong XRG candidates have a rather flat radio spectrum (spectral index {alpha} flatter than -0.3) between 150MHz and 1.4GHz, or between 1.4 and 5GHz. Since this is not expected for lobe-dominated extragalactic radio sources (like nearly all known XRGs), these sources are particularly suited for follow-up radio imaging and near-simultaneous measurement of the radio spectrum.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/852/48
- Title:
- "X-shaped" radio sources. II. Sample properties
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/852/48
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- In an earlier paper, we presented Jansky Very Large Array multi-frequency, multi-array continuum imaging of a unique sample of low-axial ratio radio galaxies. In this paper, the second in the series, we examine the images to learn the phenomenology of how the off-axis emission relates to the main radio source. Inversion-symmetric offset emission appears to be bimodal and to originate from one of two strategic locations: outer ends of radio lobes (outer-deviation) or from inner ends (inner-deviation). The latter sources are almost always associated with edge-brightened sources. With S- and Z-shaped sources being a subset of outer-deviation sources, this class lends itself naturally to explanations involving black hole axis precession. Our data allow us to present a plausible model for the more enigmatic inner-deviation sources with impressive wings; as for outer-deviation sources these too require black hole axis shifts, although they also require plasma backflows into relic channels. Evolution in morphology over time relates the variety in structures in inner-deviation sources including XRGs. With features such as non- collinearities, central inner-S "spine," corresponding lobe emission peaks, double and protruding hotspots not uncommon, black hole axis precession, drifts, or flips could be active in a significant fraction of radio sources with prominent off-axis emission. At least 4% of radio galaxies appear to undergo black hole axis rotation. Quasars offer a key signature for recognizing rotating axes. With a rich haul of sources that have likely undergone axis rotation, our work shows the usefulness of low-axial ratio sources in pursuing searches for binary supermassive black holes.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/788/105
- Title:
- XSTPS RR Lyrae in the north Galactic cap
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/788/105
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present a catalog of RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) observed by the Xuyi Schmidt Telescope Photometric Survey (XSTPS). The area we consider is located in the north Galactic cap, covering ~376.75 deg^2^ at RA~150{deg} and DE~27{deg} down to a magnitude limit of i~19. Using the variability information afforded by the multi-epoch nature of our XSTPS data, combined with colors from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we are able to identify candidate RRLs. We find 318 candidates, derive distances to them, and estimate the detection efficiency. The majority of our candidates have more than 12 observations, and for these we are able to calculate periods. These also allow us to estimate our contamination level, which we predict is between 30% and 40%. Finally, we use the sample to probe the halo density profile in the 9-49 kpc range and find that it can be well fitted by a double power law. We find good agreement between this model and the models derived for the south Galactic cap using the Watkins et al. (2009, J/MNRAS/398/1757) and Sesar et al. (2010, J/ApJ/708/717) RRL data sets, after accounting for possible contamination in our data set from Sagittarius stream members. We consider non-spherical double power-law models of the halo density profile and again find agreement with literature data sets, although we have limited power to constrain the flattening due to our small survey area. Much tighter constraints will be placed by current and future wide-area surveys, most notably ESA's astrometric Gaia mission. Our analysis demonstrates that surveys with a limited number of epochs can effectively be mined for RRLs. Our complete sample is provided as accompanying online material; as an example the first few entries of each electronic table are shown in the text.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/726/18
- Title:
- Young intermediate-mass stars in W5
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/726/18
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present the results of a survey of young intermediate-mass stars (age<5Myr, 1.5M_{sun}_<M*<=15M_{sun}_) in the W5 massive star-forming region. We use combined optical, near-infrared, and Spitzer Space Telescope photometry and optical spectroscopy to define a sample of stars of spectral types A and B and examine their infrared excess properties. We find objects with infrared excesses characteristic of optically thick disks, i.e., Herbig AeBe stars. These stars are rare: <1.5% of the entire spectroscopic sample of A and B stars, and absent among stars more massive than 2.4M_{sun}_. 7.5% of the A and B stars possess infrared excesses in a variety of morphologies that suggest their disks are in some transitional phase between an initial, optically thick accretion state and later evolutionary states. We identify four morphological classes based on the wavelength dependence of the observed excess emission above theoretical photospheric levels: (1) the optically thick disks; (2) disks with an optically thin excess over the wavelength range 2-24um, similar to that shown by Classical Be stars; (3) disks that are optically thin in their inner regions based on their infrared excess at 2-8um and optically thick in their outer regions based on the magnitude of the observed excess emission at 24um; (4) disks that exhibit empty inner regions (no excess emission at {lambda}<8um) and some measurable excess emission at 24um. A sub-class of disks exhibit no significant excess emission at {lambda}<=5.8um, have excess emission only in the Spitzer 8um band and no detection at 24um. We discuss these spectral energy distribution types, and suggest physical models for disks exhibiting these emission patterns and additional observations to test these theories.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/848/97
- Title:
- Young stellar variables with KELT for K2. I.
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/848/97
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- One of the most well-studied young stellar associations, Taurus-Auriga, was observed by the extended Kepler mission, K2, in the spring of 2017. K2 Campaign 13 (C13) is a unique opportunity to study many stars in this young association at high photometric precision and cadence. Using observations from the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) survey, we identify "dippers," aperiodic and periodic variables among K2 C13 target stars. This release of the KELT data provides the community with long-time baseline observations to assist in the understanding of the more exotic variables in the association. Transient-like phenomena on timescales of months to years are known characteristics in the light curves of young stellar objects, making contextual pre- and post-K2 observations critical to understanding their underlying processes. We are providing a comprehensive set of the KELT light curves for known Taurus-Auriga stars in K2 C13. The combined data sets from K2 and KELT should permit a broad array of investigations related to star formation, stellar variability, and protoplanetary environments.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJS/207/5
- Title:
- YSOs in LDN 1641 with Hectochelle spectra
- Short Name:
- J/ApJS/207/5
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We investigate the young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Lynds 1641 (L1641) cloud using multi-wavelength data including Spitzer, WISE, the Two Micron All Sky Survey, and XMM covering ~1390 YSOs across a range of evolutionary stages. In addition, we targeted a sub-sample of YSOs for optical spectroscopy with the MMT/Hectospec and the MMT/Hectochelle. We use these data, along with archival photometric data, to derive spectral types, extinction values, masses, ages, and accretion rates. We obtain a disk fraction of ~50% in L1641. The disk frequency is almost constant as a function of stellar mass with a slight peak at log (M_*_/M_{sun}_){approx}-0.25. The analysis of multi-epoch spectroscopic data indicates that the accretion variability of YSOs cannot explain the two orders of magnitude of scatter for YSOs with similar masses. Forty-six new transition disk (TD) objects are confirmed in this work, and we find that the fraction of accreting TDs is lower than for optically thick disks (40%-45% versus 77%-79%, respectively). We confirm our previous result that the accreting TDs have a median accretion rate similar to normal optically thick disks. We confirm that two star formation modes (isolated versus clustered) exist in L1641. We find that the diskless YSOs are statistically older than the YSOs with optically thick disks and the TD objects have a median age that is intermediate between those of the other two populations. We tentatively study the star formation history in L1641 based on the age distribution and find that star formation started to be active 2-3 Myr ago.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/775/116
- Title:
- z<0.06 active black hole galaxies from SDSS-DR8
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/775/116
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present a sample of 151 dwarf galaxies (10^8.5^<~M_*_<~10^9.5^M_{sun}_) that exhibit optical spectroscopic signatures of accreting massive black holes (BHs), increasing the number of known active galaxies in this stellar-mass range by more than an order of magnitude. Utilizing data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 8 and stellar masses from the NASA-Sloan Atlas, we have systematically searched for active BHs in ~25000 emission-line galaxies with stellar masses comparable to the Magellanic Clouds and redshifts z<0.055. Using the narrow-line [OIII]/H{beta} versus [NII]/H{alpha} diagnostic diagram, we find photoionization signatures of BH accretion in 136 galaxies, a small fraction of which also exhibit broad H{alpha} emission. For these broad-line active galactic nucleus (AGN) candidates, we estimate BH masses using standard virial techniques and find a range of 10^5^<~M_BH_<~10^6^M_{sun}_ and a median of M_BH_~2x10^5^M_{sun}_. We also detect broad H{alpha} in 15 galaxies that have narrow-line ratios consistent with star-forming galaxies. Follow-up observations are required to determine if these are true type 1 AGN or if the broad H{alpha} is from stellar processes. The median absolute magnitude of the host galaxies in our active sample is M_g_=-18.1mag, which is ~1-2mag fainter than previous samples of AGN hosts with low-mass BHs. This work constrains the smallest galaxies that can form a massive BH, with implications for BH feedback in low-mass galaxies and the origin of the first supermassive BH seeds.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/768/105
- Title:
- z~5 QSO luminosity function from SDSS Stripe 82
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/768/105
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present a measurement of the Type I quasar luminosity function at z=5 using a large sample of spectroscopically confirmed quasars selected from optical imaging data. We measure the bright end (M_1450_<-26) with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data covering ~6000deg^2^, then extend to lower luminosities (M_1450_<-24) with newly discovered, faint z~5 quasars selected from 235deg^2^ of deep, coadded imaging in the SDSS Stripe 82 region (the celestial equator in the Southern Galactic Cap). The faint sample includes 14 quasars with spectra obtained as ancillary science targets in the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, and 59 quasars observed at the MMT and Magellan telescopes. We construct a well-defined sample of 4.7<z<5.1 quasars that is highly complete, with 73 spectroscopic identifications out of 92 candidates. Our color selection method is also highly efficient: of the 73 spectra obtained, 71 are high-redshift quasars. These observations reach below the break in the luminosity function (M_1450_^*^~-27). The bright-end slope is steep ({beta}<~-4), with a constraint of {beta}<-3.1 at 95% confidence. The break luminosity appears to evolve strongly at high redshift, providing an explanation for the flattening of the bright-end slope reported previously. We find a factor of ~2 greater decrease in the number density of luminous quasars (M_1450_<-26) from z=5 to z=6 than from z=4 to z=5, suggesting a more rapid decline in quasar activity at high redshift than found in previous surveys. Our model for the quasar luminosity function predicts that quasars generate ~30% of the ionizing photons required to keep hydrogen in the universe ionized at z=5.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/819/24
- Title:
- z>4.5 QSOs with SDSS and WISE. I. Opt. spectra
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/819/24
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- High-redshift quasars are important tracers of structure and evolution in the early universe. However, they are very rare and difficult to find when using color selection because of contamination from late-type dwarfs. High-redshift quasar surveys based on only optical colors suffer from incompleteness and low identification efficiency, especially at z>~4.5. We have developed a new method to select 4.7<~z>~5.4 quasars with both high efficiency and completeness by combining optical and mid-IR Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) photometric data, and are conducting a luminous z~5 quasar survey in the whole Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) footprint. We have spectroscopically observed 99 out of 110 candidates with z-band magnitudes brighter than 19.5, and 64 (64.6%) of them are quasars with redshifts of 4.4<~z<~5.5 and absolute magnitudes of -29<~M_1450_<~-26.4. In addition, we also observed 14 fainter candidates selected with the same criteria and identified 8 (57.1%) of them as quasars with 4.7<z<5.4. Among 72 newly identified quasars, 12 of them are at 5.2<z<5.7, which leads to an increase of ~36% of the number of known quasars at this redshift range. More importantly, our identifications doubled the number of quasars with M_1450_<-27.5 at z>4.5, which will set strong constraints on the bright end of the quasar luminosity function. We also expand our method to select quasars at z>~5.7. In this paper we report the discovery of four new luminous z>~5.7 quasars based on SDSS-WISE selection.
