ABSTRACT
Galactic outflows are known to consist of several gas phases; however, the connection between these phases has been investigated little and only in a few objects. In this paper, we analyse ...Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE)/Very Large Telescope (VLT) data of 26 local (U)LIRGs and study their ionized and neutral atomic phases. We also include objects from the literature to obtain a sample of 31 galaxies with spatially resolved multiphase outflow information. We find that the ionized phase of the outflows has on average an electron density three times higher than the disc (ne,disc ∼ 145 cm−3 versus ne,outflow ∼ 500 cm−3), suggesting that cloud compression in the outflow is more important than cloud dissipation. We find that the difference in extinction between outflow and disc correlates with the outflow gas mass. Together with the analysis of the outflow velocities, this suggests that at least some of the outflows are associated with the ejection of dusty clouds from the disc. This may support models where radiation pressure on dust contributes to driving galactic outflows. The presence of dust in outflows is relevant for potential formation of molecules inside them. We combine our data with millimetre data to investigate the molecular phase. We find that the molecular phase accounts for more than 60 ${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the total mass outflow rate in most objects and this fraction is higher in active galactic nuclei (AGN)-dominated systems. The neutral atomic phase contributes of the order of 10 ${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, while the ionized phase is negligible. The ionized-to-molecular mass outflow rate declines slightly with AGN luminosity, although with a large scatter.
We investigated the interstellar medium (ISM) properties of the disc and outflowing gas in the central regions of nine nearby Seyfert galaxies, all characterised by prominent conical or biconical ...outflows. These objects are part of the Measuring Active Galactic Nuclei Under MUSE Microscope (MAGNUM) survey, which aims to probe their physical conditions and ionisation mechanism by exploiting the unprecedented sensitivity of the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE), combined with its spatial and spectral coverage. Specifically, we studied the different properties of the gas in the disc and in the outflow with spatially and kinematically resolved maps by dividing the strongest emission lines in velocity bins. We associated the core of the lines with the disc, consistent with the stellar velocity, and the redshifted and the blueshifted wings with the outflow. We measured the reddening, density, ionisation parameter, and dominant ionisation source of the emitting gas for both components in each galaxy. We find that the outflowing gas is characterised by higher values of density and ionisation parameter than the disc, which presents a higher dust extinction. Moreover, we distinguish high- and low-ionisation regions across the portion of spatially resolved narrow-line region (NLR) traced by the outflowing gas. The high-ionisation regions characterised by the lowest N II/Hα and S II/Hα line ratios generally trace the innermost parts along the axis of the emitting cones where the S III/S II line ratio is enhanced, while the low-ionisation regions follow the cone edges and/or the regions perpendicular to the axis of the outflows, also characterised by a higher O III velocity dispersion. A possible scenario to explain these features relies on the presence of two distinct populations of line emitting clouds: one is optically thin to the radiation and is characterised by the highest excitation, while the other is optically thick and is impinged by a filtered, and thus harder, radiation field which generates strong low-excitation lines. The highest values of N II/Hα and S II/Hα line ratios may be due to shocks and/or a hard filtered radiation field from the active galactic nucleus.
We used MUSE adaptive optics data in narrow field mode to study the properties of the ionised gas in MR 2251−178 and PG 1126−041, two nearby (
z
≃ 0.06) bright quasars (QSOs) hosting sub-pc scale ...ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) detected in the X-ray band. We decomposed the optical emission from diffuse gas into a low- and a high-velocity components. The former is characterised by a clean, regular velocity field and a low (∼80 km s
−1
) velocity dispersion. It traces regularly rotating gas in PG 1126−041, while in MR 2251−178 it is possibly associated with tidal debris from a recent merger or flyby. The other component is found to be extended up to a few kpc from the nuclei, and shows a high (∼800 km s
−1
) velocity dispersion and a blue-shifted mean velocity, as is expected from outflows driven by active galactic nuclei (AGN). We estimate mass outflow rates up to a few
M
⊙
yr
−1
and kinetic efficiencies
L
KIN
/
L
BOL
between 1−4 × 10
−4
, in line with those of galaxies hosting AGN of similar luminosities. The momentum rates of these ionised outflows are comparable to those measured for the UFOs at sub-pc scales, which is consistent with a momentum-driven wind propagation. Pure energy-driven winds are excluded unless about 100× additional momentum is locked in massive molecular winds. In comparing the outflow properties of our sources with those of a small sample of well-studied QSOs hosting UFOs from the literature, we find that winds seem to systematically lie either in a momentum-driven or an energy-driven regime, indicating that these two theoretical models bracket the physics of AGN-driven winds very well.
We report a case of Zika virus infection imported in Florence, Italy ex-Thailand, leading to a secondary autochthonous case, probably through sexual transmission. The two cases occurred in May 2014 ...but were retrospectively diagnosed in 2016 on the basis of serological tests (plaque reduction neutralisation) performed on stored serum samples. Our report provides further evidence that sexual transmission of Zika virus is possible.
The study of ionized gas kinematics in high- z active galaxies plays a key part in our understanding of galactic evolution, in an age where nuclear activity was widespread and star formation close to ...its peak. We present a study of TXS 0952−217, a radio galaxy at z = 2.95, using VLT/MUSE integral field optical spectroscopy as part of a project aimed studying of the properties of ionized gas in high redshift radio galaxies (HzRGs). The Ly α line profile of this object presents various emission and absorption components. By utilizing Voronoi binning, we obtained a comprehensive map of the kinematic properties of these components. These observations revealed the presence of a redshifted, high velocity ( v ∼ 500 km s −1 ) bipolar structure of Ly α emission, most likely corresponding to an outflow of ionized gas. The outflow extends beyond the compact radio source on both sides, with a total size of ∼21 kpc. Its kinetic power (10 42.1 erg s −1 ) is about five orders of magnitude smaller than its radio power. Additional ionized lines, including HeII λ 1640, CIV λ 1550 and CIII λ 1908 were detected and their line flux ratios determined. The presence of HeII allowed for a precise redshift measurement ( z = 2.945 ± 0.002). Along with the recent discovery of a similar structure in TN J1049−1258, another HzRG, it displays the feasibility of using Ly α as a tracer of outflowing gas in high redshift sources, and particularly so when supported by non-resonant ionized lines such as HeII, which allow for accurate redshift and velocity measurements.
A quantum state of light is the excitation of a particular spatiotemporal mode of the electromagnetic field. A precise control of the mode structure is therefore essential for processing, detecting, ...and using photonic states in novel quantum technologies. Here we demonstrate an adaptive scheme, combining techniques from the fields of ultrafast coherent control and quantum optics, for probing the arbitrary complex spectrotemporal profile of an ultrashort quantum light pulse. The ability to access the modal structure of a quantum light state could boost the capacity of current quantum information protocols.
We present a case study for the debate between the American and the Australian plans, analyzing a crucial aspect of negation: expressivity within a theory. We discuss the case of non-classical set ...theories, presenting three different negations and testing their expressivity within algebra-valued structures for ZF-like set theories. We end by proposing a minimal definitional account of negation, inspired by the algebraic framework discussed.
•Human activities and the presence of domestic predators are primary stressors to urban wildlife.•Disturbance outside the roost disrupts clusters of roosting bats in buildings.•People in proximity to ...roost entrance exert antipredatory responses in emerging bats.•Domestic cats enter urban bat roosts and alter colony behaviour besides preying upon bats.
Proximity to humans is a primary stressor for wildlife, especially in urban habitats where frequent disturbance may occur. Several bat species often roost in buildings but while the effects of disturbance inside the roost are well documented, little is known about those occurring in the proximity of roosts. We tested the effects of anthropogenic stressors on bats by monitoring reactions to disturbance in a colony of greater horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum). We assessed disturbance by recording and quantifying the presence of people, domestic cats and noise sources near the roost. Disturbance outside the roost caused the disruption of roosting clusters; when cats entered the roost, bats decreased indoor flight activity. Emergence timing was delayed when people were close to the roost exit, and the delay increased along with the number of people. The occurrence of a cat increased the degree of group clustering during emergence. Cats entered the roost especially when young bats were present, and bat remains occurred in 30% of the cat scats we examined. We show that the occurence of human activities near roosts and free-ranging domestic cats are important albeit overlooked sources of disturbance.
We present integral field spectroscopic observations of NGC 5972 obtained with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer at the Very Large Telescope. NGC 5972 is a nearby galaxy containing both an active ...galactic nucleus (AGN) and an extended emission-line region (EELR) reaching out to ∼17 kpc from the nucleus. We analyze the physical conditions of the EELR using spatially resolved spectra, focusing on the radial dependence of ionization state together with the light-travel time distance to probe the variability of the AGN on ≳104 yr timescales. The kinematic analysis suggests multiple components: (a) a faint component following the rotation of the large-scale disk, (b) a component associated with the EELR suggestive of extraplanar gas connected to tidal tails, and (c) a kinematically decoupled nuclear disk. Both the kinematics and the observed tidal tails suggest a major past interaction event. Emission-line diagnostics along the EELR arms typically evidence Seyfert-like emission, implying that the EELR was primarily ionized by the AGN. We generate a set of photoionization models and fit these to different regions along the EELR. This allows us to estimate the bolometric luminosity required at different radii to excite the gas to the observed state. Our results suggest that NGC 5972 is a fading quasar, showing a steady gradual decrease in intrinsic AGN luminosity, and hence the accretion rate onto the SMBH, by a factor ∼100 over the past 5 × 104 yr.
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