ABSTRACT
During the commissioning of JWST, the medium-resolution spectrometer (MRS) on the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) observed the planetary nebula SMP LMC 058 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The ...MRS was designed to provide medium resolution (R = λ/Δλ) 3D spectroscopy in the whole MIRI range. SMP LMC 058 is the only source observed in JWST commissioning that is both spatially and spectrally unresolved by the MRS and is a good test of JWST’s capabilities. The new MRS spectra reveal a wealth of emission lines not previously detected in this planetary nebula. From these lines, the spectral resolving power (λ/Δλ) of the MRS is confirmed to be in the range R = 4000–1500, depending on the MRS spectral sub-band. In addition, the spectra confirm that the carbon-rich dust emission is from complex hydrocarbons and SiC grains and that there is little to no time evolution of the SiC dust and emission line strengths over a 17-yr epoch. These commissioning data reveal the great potential of the MIRI MRS for the study of circumstellar and interstellar material.
The compact and, with
∼
4.3
±
0.3
×
10
6
M
⊙
, very massive object located at the center of the Milky Way is currently the very best candidate for a supermassive black hole (SMBH) in our immediate ...vicinity. The strongest evidence for this is provided by measurements of stellar orbits, variable X-ray emission, and strongly variable polarized near-infrared emission from the location of the radio source Sagittarius A* (SgrA*) in the middle of the central stellar cluster. Simultaneous near-infrared and X-ray observations of SgrA* have revealed insights into the emission mechanisms responsible for the powerful near-infrared and X-ray flares from within a few tens to one hundred Schwarzschild radii of such a putative SMBH. If SgrA* is indeed a SMBH it will, in projection onto the sky, have the largest event horizon and will certainly be the first and most important target for very long baseline interferometry observations currently being prepared by the event horizon telescope (EHT). These observations in combination with the infrared interferometry experiment GRAVITY at the very large telescope interferometer and other experiments across the electromagnetic spectrum might yield proof for the presence of a black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The large body of evidence continues to discriminate the identification of SgrA* as a SMBH from alternative possibilities. It is, however, unclear when the ever mounting evidence for SgrA* being associated with a SMBH will suffice as a convincing proof. Additional compelling evidence may come from future gravitational wave observatories. This manuscript reviews the observational facts, theoretical grounds and conceptual aspects for the case of SgrA* being a black hole. We treat theory and observations in the framework of the philosophical discussions about “(anti)realism and underdetermination”, as this line of arguments allows us to describe the situation in observational astrophysics with respect to supermassive black holes. Questions concerning the existence of supermassive black holes and in particular SgrA* are discussed using causation as an indispensable element. We show that the results of our investigation are convincingly mapped out by this combination of concepts.
How Dark the Sky: The JWST Backgrounds Rigby, Jane R.; Lightsey, Paul A.; García Marín, Macarena ...
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
04/2023, Letnik:
135, Številka:
1046
Journal Article
We present an estimate of the performance that will be achieved during on-orbit operations of the JWST mid-infrared instrument, MIRI. The efficiency of the main imager and spectrometer systems in ...detecting photons from an astronomical target are presented, based on measurements at subsystem and instrument-level testing, with the end-to-end transmission budget discussed in some detail. The brightest target fluxes that can be measured without saturating the detectors are provided. The sensitivity for long-duration observations of faint sources is presented in terms of the target flux required to achieve a signal-to-noise ratio of 10 after a 10,000 s observation. The algorithms used in the sensitivity model are presented, including the understanding gained during testing of the MIRI flight model and flight-like detectors.
The MIRI Si:As IBC detector arrays extend the heritage technology from the Spitzer IRAC arrays to a 1024 × 1024 pixel format. We provide a short discussion of the principles of operation, design, and ...performance of the individual MIRI detectors, in support of a description of their operation in arrays provided in an accompanying paper. We then describe modeling of their response. We find that electron diffusion is an important component of their performance, although it was omitted in previous models. Our new model will let us optimize the bias voltage while avoiding avalanche gain. It also predicts the fraction of the IR-active layer that is depleted (and thus contributes to the quantum efficiency) as signal is accumulated on the array amplifier. Another set of models accurately predicts the nonlinearity of the detector-amplifier unit and has guided determination of the corrections for nonlinearity. Finally, we discuss how diffraction at the interpixel gaps and total internal reflection can produce the extended cross-like artifacts around images with these arrays at short wavelengths, ∼5 μm. The modeling of the behavior of these devices is helping optimize how we operate them and also providing inputs to the development of the data pipeline.
Abstract
We present the ultraviolet luminosity function and an estimate of the cosmic star formation rate density at 8 <
z
< 13 derived from deep NIRCam observations taken in parallel with the MIRI ...Deep Survey of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF), NIRCam covering the parallel field 2. Our deep (40 hr) NIRCam observations reach an F277W magnitude of 30.8 (5
σ
), more than 2 mag deeper than JWST public data sets already analyzed to find high-redshift galaxies. We select a sample of 44
z
> 8 galaxy candidates based on their dropout nature in the F115W and/or F150W filters, a high probability for their photometric redshifts, estimated with three different codes, being at
z
> 8, good fits based on
χ
2
calculations, and predominant solutions compared to
z
< 8 alternatives. We find mild evolution in the luminosity function from
z
∼ 13 to
z
∼ 8, i.e., only a small increase in the average number density of ∼0.2 dex, while the faint-end slope and absolute magnitude of the knee remain approximately constant, with values
α
= − 2.2 ± 0.1, and
M
*
= − 20.8 ± 0.2 mag. Comparing our results with the predictions of state-of-the-art galaxy evolution models, we find two main results: (1) a slower increase with time in the cosmic star formation rate density compared to a steeper rise predicted by models; (2) nearly a factor of 10 higher star formation activity concentrated in scales around 2 kpc in galaxies with stellar masses ∼10
8
M
⊙
during the first 350 Myr of the universe,
z
∼ 12, with models matching better the luminosity density observational estimations ∼150 Myr later, by
z
∼ 9.
Aims. We present the results of near-infrared (NIR) H- and K-band European Southern Observatory SINFONI integral field spectroscopy (IFS) of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1433. We investigate the central ...500 pc of this nearby galaxy, concentrating on excitation conditions, morphology, and stellar content. NGC 1433 was selected from our extended NUGA(-south) sample, which was additionally observed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). NGC 1433 is a ringed, spiral galaxy with a main stellar bar in roughly east–west direction (PA 94°) and a secondary bar in the nuclear region (PA 31°). Several dusty filaments are detected in the nuclear region with the Hubble Space Telescope. ALMA detects molecular CO emission coinciding with these filaments. The active galactic nucleus is not strong and the galaxy is also classified as a low-ionization emission-line region (LINER). Methods. The NIR is less affected by dust extinction than optical light and is sensitive to the mass-dominating stellar populations. SINFONI integral field spectroscopy combines NIR imaging and spectroscopy, allowing us to analyse several emission and absorption lines to investigate the stellar populations and ionization mechanisms over the 10″ × 10″ field of view (FOV). Results. We present emission and absorption line measurements in the central kpc of NGC 1433. We detect a narrow Balmer line and several H2 lines. We find that the stellar continuum peaks in the optical and NIR in the same position, indicating that there is no covering of the center by a nuclear dust lane. A strong velocity gradient is detected in all emission lines at that position. The position angle of this gradient is at 155° whereas the galactic rotation is at a position angle of 201°. Our measures of the molecular hydrogen lines, hydrogen recombination lines, and Fe ii indicate that the excitation at the nucleus is caused by thermal excitation, i.e., shocks that can be associated with active galactic nuclei emission, supernovae, or outflows. The line ratios Fe ii/Paβ and H2/Brγ show a Seyfert to LINER identification of the nucleus. We do not detect high star formation rates in our FOV. The stellar continuum is dominated by spectral signatures of red-giant M stars. The stellar line-of-sight velocity follows the galactic field whereas the light continuum follows the nuclear bar. Conclusions. The dynamical center of NGC 1433 coincides with the optical and NIR center of the galaxy and the black hole position. Within the central arcsecond, the molecular hydrogen and the 12CO(3−2) emissions – observed in the NIR and in the submillimeter with SINFONI and ALMA, respectively – are indicative for a nuclear outflow originating from the galaxy’s SMBH. A small circum-nuclear disk cannot be fully excluded. Derived gravitational torques show that the nuclear bar is able to drive gas inward to scales where viscosity torques and dynamical friction become important. The black hole mass, derived using stellar velocity dispersion, is ~107M⊙.
We report serendipitous detections of line emission with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in bands 3, 6, and 7 in the central parsec down to within 1′′ around Sgr A* at an up ...to now highest resolution (<0.5′′) view of the Galactic center (GC) in the submillimeter (sub-mm) domain. From the 100 GHz continuum and the H39α emission we obtain a uniform electron temperature around Te ~ 6000 K for the minispiral. The spectral index (S ∝ να) of Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) is ~0.5 at 100–250 GHz and ~0.0 at 230–340 GHz. The bright sources in the center show spectral indices around –0.1 implying Bremsstrahlung emission, while dust emission is emerging in the minispiral exterior. Apart from CS, which is most widespread in the center, H13CO+, HC3N, SiO, SO, C2H, CH3OH, 13CS and N2H+ are also detected. The bulk of the clumpy emission regions is at positive velocities and in a region confined by the minispiral northern arm (NA), bar, and the sources IRS 3 and 7. Although partly spatially overlapping with the radio recombination line (RRL) emission at same negative velocities, the relation to the minispiral remains unclear. A likely explanation is an infalling clump consisting of denser cloud cores embedded in diffuse gas. This central association (CA) of clouds shows three times higher CS/X (X: any other observed molecule) ratios than the circumnuclear disk (CND) suggesting a combination of higher excitation, by a temperature gradient and/or infrared (IR) pumping, and abundance enhancement due to UV and/or X-ray emission. Hence, we conclude that this CA is closer to the center than the CND is to the center. Moreover, we find molecular line emission at velocities up to 200 km s-1. Apart from the CA, we identified two intriguing regions in the CND. One region shows emission in all molecular species and higher energy levels tested in this and previous observations and contains a methanol class I maser. The other region shows similar behavior of the line ratios such as the CA. Outside the CND, we find the traditionally quiescent gas tracer N2H+ coinciding with the largest IR dark clouds in the field. Methanol emission is found at and around previously detected methanol class I masers in the same region. We propose to make these particular regions subject to further studies in the scope of hot core, cold core, and extreme photon and/or X-ray dominated region (PDR/XDR) chemistry and consequent star formation in the central few parsecs.
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