Abstract
The population density of dwarf galaxies in low-density voids is likely determined by the dark matter halo mass function and how galaxy formation proceeds in smaller halos. This depends on ...the nature of dark matter itself, making the dwarf galaxy population a tracer of its properties. While dwarfs have been found in smaller, closer voids, they have proven difficult to find in larger, more distant voids through magnitude-limited spectroscopic surveys. This is because these surveys detect an overwhelmingly large number of objects behind the voids that must be verified spectroscopically, making void surveys prohibitively inefficient and expensive in terms of large-telescope time. Narrowband imaging for emission lines such as H
α
reduces the number of background objects, although the overall number remains large. If imaging is done through a filter set with overlapping transmission wings, then object redshift can be estimated from photometry alone. The precision possible is an order of magnitude greater than single-band photometry, with the caveat that the captured line must be identified through other means. Broadband photometry can be used to reject enough objects with emission of an unwanted type to make obtaining spectra of the remaining objects feasible. In this study, we present an H
α
survey for dwarf galaxies with
M
r
′ fainter than −14 mag through the center 4.3 square degrees of the void FN8. Using Sloan
g
′
,
r
′
,
i
′
photometry, we exclude enough O
ii
and O
iii
emitters that follow-up spectra of only a few dozen objects are required to statistically estimate the void population density.
Abstract
Gains in our understanding of stellar evolution over the last century are largely due to improvements in stellar models. One key aspect in the use of these models is a reliable ...transformation between theoretical values (such as luminosity and temperature) to observable quantities (such as magnitude and color). To assess the current state of this transformation, we sought to compare model-determined temperatures from color–magnitude diagram fitting to temperatures obtained from photometric colors or spectroscopy. Our sample for analysis was 88 nonbinary stars in the Hyades open star cluster. By applying a sophisticated Bayesian algorithm we fit five widely available model sets to high-quality photometric data combined with Gaia parallaxes. This analysis provides specific feedback for improving temperature–color transformations, as well as practical guidance for using results based on these models.
Abstract
We present the first results from the ongoing, intensive, multiwavelength monitoring program of the luminous Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 817. While this active galactic nucleus was, in part, ...selected for its historically unobscured nature, we discovered that the X-ray spectrum is highly absorbed, and there are new blueshifted, broad, and narrow UV absorption lines, which suggest that a dust-free, ionized obscurer located at the inner broad-line region partially covers the central source. Despite the obscuration, we measure UV and optical continuum reverberation lags consistent with a centrally illuminated Shakura–Sunyaev thin accretion disk, and measure reverberation lags associated with the optical broad-line region, as expected. However, in the first 55 days of the campaign, when the obscuration was becoming most extreme, we observe a de-coupling of the UV continuum and the UV broad emission-line variability. The correlation recovered in the next 42 days of the campaign, as Mrk 817 entered a less obscured state. The short C
iv
and Ly
α
lags suggest that the accretion disk extends beyond the UV broad-line region.
We present models of the Hβ-emitting broad-line region (BLR) in seven Seyfert 1 galaxies from the Lick AGN Monitoring Project 2011 sample, drawing inferences on the BLR structure and dynamics as well ...as the mass of the central supermassive black hole. We find that the BLR is generally a thick disk, viewed close to face-on, with preferential emission back toward the ionizing source. The dynamics in our sample range from near-circular elliptical orbits to inflowing or outflowing trajectories. We measure black hole masses of for PG 1310−108, for Mrk 50, for Mrk 141, for Mrk 279, for Mrk 1511, for NGC 4593, and for Zw 229−015. We use these black hole mass measurements along with cross-correlation time lags and line widths to recover the scale factor f used in traditional reverberation mapping measurements. Combining our results with other studies that use this modeling technique, which brings our sample size to 16, we calculate a scale factor that can be used for measuring black hole masses in other reverberation mapping campaigns. When using the root-mean-square (rms) spectrum and using the line dispersion to measure the line width, we find pred = 0.57 0.19. Finally, we search for correlations between f and other AGN and BLR parameters and find marginal evidence that f is correlated with MBH and the BLR inclination angle, but no significant evidence of a correlation with the AGN luminosity or Eddington ratio.
Abstract
Photoionization modeling of active galactic nuclei (AGN) predicts that diffuse continuum (DC) emission from the broad-line region makes a substantial contribution to the total continuum ...emission from ultraviolet through near-infrared wavelengths. Evidence for this DC component is present in the strong Balmer jump feature in AGN spectra, and possibly from reverberation measurements that find longer lags than expected from disk emission alone. However, the Balmer jump region contains numerous blended emission features, making it difficult to isolate the DC emission strength. In contrast, the Paschen jump region near 8200 Å is relatively uncontaminated by other strong emission features. Here, we examine whether the Paschen jump can aid in constraining the DC contribution, using Hubble Space Telescope Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph spectra of six nearby Seyfert 1 nuclei. The spectra appear smooth across the Paschen edge, and we find no evidence of a Paschen spectral break or jump in total flux. We fit multicomponent spectral models over the range 6800–9700 Å and find that the spectra can still be compatible with a significant DC contribution if the DC Paschen jump is offset by an opposite spectral break resulting from blended high-order Paschen emission lines. The fits imply DC contributions ranging from ∼10% to 50% at 8000 Å, but the fitting results are highly dependent on assumptions made about other model components. These degeneracies can potentially be alleviated by carrying out fits over a broader wavelength range, provided that models can accurately represent the disk continuum shape, Fe
ii
emission, high-order Balmer line emission, and other components.
Abstract
The AGN STORM 2 Collaboration targeted the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 817 for a year-long multiwavelength, coordinated reverberation mapping campaign including Hubble Space Telescope, Swift, ...XMM-Newton, NICER, and ground-based observatories. Early observations with NICER and XMM revealed an X-ray state 10 times fainter than historical observations, consistent with the presence of a new dust-free, ionized obscurer. The following analysis of NICER spectra attributes variability in the observed X-ray flux to changes in both the column density of the obscurer by at least one order of magnitude (
N
H
ranges from
2.85
−
0.33
+
0.48
×
10
22
cm
−
2
to
25.6
−
3.5
+
3.0
×
10
22
cm
−
2
) and the intrinsic continuum brightness (the unobscured flux ranges from 10
−11.8
to 10
−10.5
erg s
−1
cm
−2
). While the X-ray flux generally remains in a faint state, there is one large flare during which Mrk 817 returns to its historical mean flux. The obscuring gas is still present at lower column density during the flare, but it also becomes highly ionized, increasing its transparency. Correlation between the column density of the X-ray obscurer and the strength of UV broad absorption lines suggests that the X-ray and UV continua are both affected by the same obscuration, consistent with a clumpy disk wind launched from the inner broad-line region.
Abstract
We have modeled the velocity-resolved reverberation response of the H
β
broad emission line in nine Seyfert 1 galaxies from the Lick Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) Monitoring Project 2016 ...sample, drawing inferences on the geometry and structure of the low-ionization broad-line region (BLR) and the mass of the central supermassive black hole. Overall, we find that the H
β
BLR is generally a thick disk viewed at low to moderate inclination angles. We combine our sample with prior studies and investigate line-profile shape dependence, such as
log
10
(
FWHM
/
σ
)
, on BLR structure and kinematics and search for any BLR luminosity-dependent trends. We find marginal evidence for an anticorrelation between the profile shape of the broad H
β
emission line and the Eddington ratio, when using the rms spectrum. However, we do not find any luminosity-dependent trends, and conclude that AGNs have diverse BLR structure and kinematics, consistent with the hypothesis of transient AGN/BLR conditions rather than systematic trends.
Abstract
We carried out spectroscopic monitoring of 21 low-redshift Seyfert 1 galaxies using the Kast double spectrograph on the 3 m Shane telescope at Lick Observatory from 2016 April to 2017 May. ...Targeting active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with luminosities of
λ
L
λ
(5100 Å) ≈ 10
44
erg s
−1
and predicted H
β
lags of ∼20–30 days or black hole masses of 10
7
–10
8.5
M
⊙
, our campaign probes luminosity-dependent trends in broad-line region (BLR) structure and dynamics as well as to improve calibrations for single-epoch estimates of quasar black hole masses. Here we present the first results from the campaign, including H
β
emission-line light curves, integrated H
β
lag times (8–30 days) measured against
V
-band continuum light curves, velocity-resolved reverberation lags, line widths of the broad H
β
components, and virial black hole mass estimates (10
7.1
–10
8.1
M
⊙
). Our results add significantly to the number of existing velocity-resolved lag measurements and reveal a diversity of BLR gas kinematics at moderately high AGN luminosities. AGN continuum luminosity appears not to be correlated with the type of kinematics that its BLR gas may exhibit. Follow-up direct modeling of this data set will elucidate the detailed kinematics and provide robust dynamical black hole masses for several objects in this sample.
We present a variability study of the lowest-luminosity Seyfert 1 nucleus of the galaxy NGC 4395 based on photometric monitoring campaigns in 2017 and 2018. Using 22 ground-based and space ...telescopes, we monitored NGC 4395 with a ∼5-minute cadence during a period of 10 days and obtained light curves in the ultraviolet (UV), V, J, H, and K/Ks bands, as well as narrowband H . The rms variability is ∼0.13 mag in the Swift UVM2 and V filter light curves, decreasing down to ∼0.01 mag in the K filter. After correcting for the continuum contribution to the H narrow band, we measured the time lag of the H emission line with respect to the V-band continuum as - minutes in 2017 and - minutes in 2018, depending on assumptions about the continuum variability amplitude in the H narrow band. We obtained no reliable measurements for the continuum-to-continuum lag between UV and V bands and among near-IR bands, owing to the large flux uncertainty of UV observations and the limited time baseline. We determined the active galactic nucleus (AGN) monochromatic luminosity at 5100 , , after subtracting the contribution of the nuclear star cluster. While the optical luminosity of NGC 4395 is two orders of magnitude lower than that of other reverberation-mapped AGNs, NGC 4395 follows the size-luminosity relation, albeit with an offset of 0.48 dex (≥2.5 ) from the previous best-fit relation of Bentz et al.
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