Abstract We present a new upper limit on the cosmic molecular gas density at z = 2.4–3.4 obtained using the first year of observations from the CO Mapping Array Project (COMAP). COMAP data cubes are ...stacked on the 3D positions of 243 quasars selected from the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) catalog, yielding a 95% upper limit for flux from CO(1–0) line emission of 0.129 Jy km s −1 . Depending on the balance of the emission between the quasar host and its environment, this value can be interpreted as an average CO line luminosity L CO ′ of eBOSS quasars of ≤1.26 × 10 11 K km pc 2 s −1 , or an average molecular gas density ρ H 2 in regions of the Universe containing a quasar of ≤1.52 × 10 8 M ⊙ cMpc −3 . The L CO ′ upper limit falls among CO line luminosities obtained from individually targeted quasars in the COMAP redshift range, and the ρ H 2 value is comparable to upper limits obtained from other line intensity mapping (LIM) surveys and their joint analyses. Further, we forecast the values obtainable with the COMAP/eBOSS stack after the full 5 yr COMAP Pathfinder survey. We predict that a detection is probable with this method, depending on the CO properties of the quasar sample. Based on the achieved sensitivity, we believe that this technique of stacking LIM data on the positions of traditional galaxy or quasar catalogs is extremely promising, both as a technique for investigating large galaxy catalogs efficiently at high redshift and as a technique for bolstering the sensitivity of LIM experiments, even with a fraction of their total expected survey data.
Black holes, anywhere in the stellar-mass to supermassive range, are often associated with relativistic jets. Models suggest that jet production may be a universal process common in all black hole ...systems regardless of their mass. Although in many cases observations support such hypotheses for microquasars and Seyfert galaxies, little is known regarding whether boosted blazar jets also comply with such universal scaling laws. We use uniquely rich multi-wavelength radio light curves from the F-GAMMA program and the most accurate Doppler factors available to date to probe blazar jets in their emission rest frame with unprecedented accuracy. We identify for the first time a strong correlation between the blazar intrinsic broadband radio luminosity and black hole mass, which extends over ∼9 orders of magnitude down to microquasar scales. Our results reveal the presence of a universal scaling law that bridges the observing and emission rest frames in beamed sources and allows us to effectively constrain jet models. They consequently provide an independent method for estimating the Doppler factor and for predicting expected radio luminosities of boosted jets operating in systems of intermediate or tens of solar mass black holes, which are immediately applicable to cases such as those recently observed by LIGO.
Simultaneous radio, optical (both photometry and polarimetry), X-ray, and gamma -ray observations of the radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 (RL-NLSy1) galaxy J0849+5108 are presented. A massive ...three-magnitude optical flare across five nights in 2013 April is detected, along with associated flux increases in the gamma -ray, infrared, and radio regimes; no comparable event was detected in the X-rays, though this may be due to poor coverage. A spectral energy distribution (SED) for the object using quasi-simultaneous data centered on the optical flare is compared to the previously published SEDs for the object by D'Ammando et al. The flare event coincided with a high degree of optical polarization. High amplitude optical microvariability is clearly detected, and is found to be of comparable amplitude when the object is observed in both faint and bright states. The object is also seen to undergo rapid shifts in polarization in both degree and electric vector position angle within a single night. J0849+5108 appears to show even more extreme variability than that previously reported for the similar object J0948+0022. These observations appear to support the growing claim that some RL-NLSy1 galaxies constitute a sub-class of blazar-like active galactic nuclei.
We present deep CCS and HC7N observations of the L1495-B218 filaments in the Taurus molecular cloud obtained using the K-band focal plane array on the 100 m Green Bank Telescope. We observed the ...L1495-B218 filaments in CCS JN = 21-10 and HC7N J = 21−20 with a spectral resolution of 0.038 km s−1 and an angular resolution of 31″. We observed strong CCS emission in both evolved and young regions and weak emission in two evolved regions. HC7N emission is observed only in L1495A-N and L1521D. We find that CCS and HC7N intensity peaks do not coincide with NH3 or dust continuum intensity peaks. We also find that the fractional abundance of CCS does not show a clear correlation with the dynamical evolutionary stage of dense cores. Our findings and chemical modeling indicate that the fractional abundances of CCS and HC7N are sensitive to the initial gas-phase C/O ratio, and they are good tracers of young condensed gas only when the initial C/O is close to solar value. Kinematic analysis using multiple lines, including NH3, HC7N, CCS, CO, HCN, and HCO+, suggests that there may be three different star formation modes in the L1495-B218 filaments. At the hub of the filaments, L1495A/B7N has formed a stellar cluster with large-scale inward flows (fast mode), whereas L1521D, a core embedded in a filament, is slowly contracting because of its self-gravity (slow mode). There is also one isolated core that appears to be marginally stable and may undergo quasi-static evolution (isolated mode).
We present observations of a major outburst at centimeter, millimeter, optical, X-ray, and gamma -ray wavelengths of the BL Lacertae object AO 0235+164. We analyze the timing of multi-waveband ...variations in the flux and linear polarization, as well as changes in Very Long Baseline Array images at lambda = 7 mm with similar to 0.15 milliarcsec resolution. The association of the events at different wavebands is confirmed at high statistical significance by probability arguments and Monte Carlo simulations. A series of sharp peaks in optical linear polarization, as well as a pronounced maximum in the 7 mm polarization of a superluminal jet knot, indicate rapid fluctuations in the degree of ordering of the magnetic field. These results lead us to conclude that the outburst occurred in the jet both in the quasi-stationary 'core' and in the superluminal knot, both parsecs downstream of the supermassive black hole. We interpret the outburst as a consequence of the propagation of a disturbance, elongated along the line of sight by light-travel time delays, that passes through a standing recollimation shock in the core and propagates down the jet to create the superluminal knot. The multi-wavelength light curves vary together on long timescales (months/years), but the correspondence is poorer on shorter timescales. This, as well as the variability of the polarization and the dual location of the outburst, agrees with the expectations of a multi-zone emission model in which turbulence plays a major role in modulating the synchrotron and inverse Compton fluxes.
We describe the development of two circularly symmetric antennas with high polarization purity and low spill-over. Both were designed to be used in an all-sky polarization and intensity survey at 5 ...GHz (the C-Band All-Sky Survey, C-BASS). The survey requirements call for very low cross-polar signal levels and far-out sidelobes. Two different existing antennas, with 6.1-m and 7.6-m diameter primaries, were adapted by replacing the feed and secondary optics, resulting in identical beam performances of 0.73 ° FWHM, cross-polarization better than - 50 dB, and far-out sidelobes below -70 dB. The polarization purity was realized by using a symmetric low-loss dielectric foam support structure for the secondary mirror, avoiding the need for secondary support struts. Ground spill-over was largely reduced by using absorbing baffles around the primary and secondary mirrors, and by the use of a low-sidelobe profiled corrugated feedhorn. The 6.1-m antenna and receiver have been completed and tested. Results show that the co-polar beam matches the design simulations very closely in the main beam and down to levels of - 80 dB in the backlobes. With the absorbing baffles in place the far-out ( >; 100 ° ) sidelobe response is reduced below -90 dB. Cross-polar response could only be measured down to a noise floor of - 20 dB but is also consistent with the design simulations. Temperature loading and groundspill due to the secondary support were measured at less than 1 K.
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