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Physical Processes

Dartmouth College

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Galaxies

Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Astrophysics and Astronomy

A Spectroscopic Survey Of Wise -Selected Obscured Quasars With The Southern African Large Telescope, Kevin N. Hainline, Ryan C. Hickox, Christopher M. Carroll, Adam D. Myers Oct 2014

A Spectroscopic Survey Of Wise -Selected Obscured Quasars With The Southern African Large Telescope, Kevin N. Hainline, Ryan C. Hickox, Christopher M. Carroll, Adam D. Myers

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present the results of an optical spectroscopic survey of a sample of 40 candidate obscured quasars identified on the basis of their mid-infrared emission detected by the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Optical spectra for this survey were obtained using the Robert Stobie Spectrograph on the Southern African Large Telescope. Our sample was selected with WISE colors characteristic of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), as well as red optical to mid-IR colors indicating that the optical/UV AGN continuum is obscured by dust. We obtain secure redshifts for the majority of the objects that comprise our sample (35/40), and …


Gemini Long-Slit Observations Of Luminous Obscured Quasars: Further Evidence For An Upper Limit On The Size Of The Narrow-Line Region, Kevin N. Hainline, Ryan C. Hickox, Jenny E. Greene, Adam D. Myers May 2014

Gemini Long-Slit Observations Of Luminous Obscured Quasars: Further Evidence For An Upper Limit On The Size Of The Narrow-Line Region, Kevin N. Hainline, Ryan C. Hickox, Jenny E. Greene, Adam D. Myers

Dartmouth Scholarship

We examine the spatial extent of the narrow-line regions (NLRs) of a sample of 30 luminous obscured quasars at 0.4 < z < 0.7 observed with spatially resolved Gemini-N GMOS long-slit spectroscopy. Using the [O III] λ5007 emission feature, we estimate the size of the NLR using a cosmology-independent measurement: the radius where the surface brightness falls to 10–15 erg s–1 cm–2 arcsec–2. We then explore the effects of atmospheric seeing on NLR size measurements and conclude that direct measurements of the NLR size from observed profiles are too large by 0.1-0.2 dex on average, as compared to measurements made to best-fit Sérsic or Voigt profiles convolved with the seeing. These data, which span a full order of magnitude in IR luminosity (log (L 8 μm/erg s–1) = 44.4-45.4), …


Black Hole Variability And The Star Formation-Active Galactic Nucleus Connection: Do All Star-Forming Galaxies Host An Active Galactic Nucleus?, Ryan C. Hickox, James R. Mullaney, David M. Alexander, Chien-Ting J. Chen, Francesca M. Civano, Andy D. Goulding, Kevin N. Hainline Jan 2014

Black Hole Variability And The Star Formation-Active Galactic Nucleus Connection: Do All Star-Forming Galaxies Host An Active Galactic Nucleus?, Ryan C. Hickox, James R. Mullaney, David M. Alexander, Chien-Ting J. Chen, Francesca M. Civano, Andy D. Goulding, Kevin N. Hainline

Dartmouth Scholarship

We investigate the effect of active galactic nucleus (AGN) variability on the observed connection between star formation and black hole accretion in extragalactic surveys. Recent studies have reported relatively weak correlations between observed AGN luminosities and the properties of AGN hosts, which has been interpreted to imply that there is no direct connection between AGN activity and star formation. However, AGNs may be expected to vary significantly on a wide range of timescales (from hours to Myr) that are far shorter than the typical timescale for star formation (100 Myr). This variability can have important consequences for observed correlations. We …


The Clustering Of Ha Emitters At Z=2.23 From Hizels, J. E. Geach, D. Sobral, R. C. Hickox, D. A. Wake Jun 2012

The Clustering Of Ha Emitters At Z=2.23 From Hizels, J. E. Geach, D. Sobral, R. C. Hickox, D. A. Wake

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present a clustering analysis of 370 high-confidence Hα emitters (HAEs) at z = 2.23. The HAEs are detected in the Hi-Z Emission Line Survey (HiZELS), a large-area blank field 2.121 μm narrow-band survey using the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope Wide Field Camera (WFCAM). Averaging the two-point correlation function of HAEs in two ∼1° scale fields [United Kingdom Infrared Deep Sky Survey/Ultra Deep Survey (UDS) and Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS) fields] we find a clustering amplitude equivalent to a correlation length of r0 = 3.7 ± 0.3 h−1 Mpc for galaxies with star formation rates of ≳7 M⊙ yr−1. The …


Dynamical Masses Of Early-Type Galaxies: A Comparison To Lensing Results And Implications For The Stellar Initial Mass Function And The Distribution Of Dark Matter, J. Thomas, R. P. Saglia, R. Bender, D. Thomas, K. Gebhardt, J. Magorrian, E. M. Corsini, G. Wegner, S. Seitz Jul 2011

Dynamical Masses Of Early-Type Galaxies: A Comparison To Lensing Results And Implications For The Stellar Initial Mass Function And The Distribution Of Dark Matter, J. Thomas, R. P. Saglia, R. Bender, D. Thomas, K. Gebhardt, J. Magorrian, E. M. Corsini, G. Wegner, S. Seitz

Dartmouth Scholarship

This work aims to study the distribution of the luminous and dark matter in Coma early-type galaxies. Dynamical masses obtained under the assumption that mass follows light do not match with the masses of strong gravitational lens systems of similar velocity dispersions. Instead, dynamical fits with dark matter haloes are in good agreement with lensing results. We derive mass-to-light ratios of the stellar populations from Lick absorption line indices, reproducing well the observed galaxy colours. Even in dynamical models with dark matter haloes the amount of mass that follows the light increases more rapidly with the galaxy velocity dispersion than …


Stirring Up The Pot: Can Cooling Flows In Galaxy Clusters Be Quenched By Gas Sloshing?, J. A. A. Zuhone, M. Markevitch, R. E. Johnson Jun 2010

Stirring Up The Pot: Can Cooling Flows In Galaxy Clusters Be Quenched By Gas Sloshing?, J. A. A. Zuhone, M. Markevitch, R. E. Johnson

Dartmouth Scholarship

X-ray observations of clusters of galaxies reveal the presence of edges in surface brightness and temperature, known as "cold fronts." In relaxed clusters with cool cores, these commonly observed edges have been interpreted as evidence for the "sloshing" of the core gas in the cluster's gravitational potential. Such sloshing may provide a source of heat to the cluster core by mixing hot gas from the cluster outskirts with the cool-core gas. Using high-resolution N-body/Eulerian hydrodynamic simulations, we model gas sloshing in galaxy clusters initiated by mergers with subclusters. The simulations include merger scenarios with gas-filled and gasless subclusters. The …


Structural Properties Of Discs And Bulges Of Early-Type Galaxies, Roelof S. De Jong, Luc Simard, Roger L. Davies, R. P. Saglia, David Burstein, Matthew Colless, Robert Mcmahan, Gary Wegner Dec 2004

Structural Properties Of Discs And Bulges Of Early-Type Galaxies, Roelof S. De Jong, Luc Simard, Roger L. Davies, R. P. Saglia, David Burstein, Matthew Colless, Robert Mcmahan, Gary Wegner

Dartmouth Scholarship

We have used the EFAR sample of galaxies to investigate the light distributions of early-type galaxies. We decompose the two-dimensional light distribution of the galaxies in a flattened spheroidal component with a Sérsic radial light profile and an inclined disc component with an exponential light profile. We show that if we assume that all galaxies can have a spheroidal and a disc component, then the brightest, bulge-dominated elliptical galaxies have a fairly broad distribution in the Sérsic profile shape parameter nB, with a median of approximately 3.7 and with σ∼ 0.9. Other galaxies have smaller nB values. …


The Oxford-Dartmouth Thirty Degree Survey - I. Observations And Calibration Of A Wide-Field Multiband Survey, Emily C. Macdonald, Paul Allen, Gavin Dalton, Leonidas A. Moustakas, Catherine Heymans, Edward Edmondso N, Chris Blake, Lee Clewley, Molly C. Hammell, Ed Olding, Lance Miller, Steve Rawlings, Jasper Wall, Gary Wegner, Christian Wolf Aug 2004

The Oxford-Dartmouth Thirty Degree Survey - I. Observations And Calibration Of A Wide-Field Multiband Survey, Emily C. Macdonald, Paul Allen, Gavin Dalton, Leonidas A. Moustakas, Catherine Heymans, Edward Edmondso N, Chris Blake, Lee Clewley, Molly C. Hammell, Ed Olding, Lance Miller, Steve Rawlings, Jasper Wall, Gary Wegner, Christian Wolf

Dartmouth Scholarship

The Oxford–Dartmouth Thirty Degree Survey (ODTS) is a deep, wide, multiband imaging survey designed to cover a total of 30 deg2 in BV RiZ, with a subset of U- and K-band data, in four separate fields of 5–10 deg2 centred at 00:18:24 +34:52, 09:09:45 +40:50, 13:40:00 +02:30 and 16:39:30 +45:24. Observations have been made using the Wide Field Camera on the 2.5-m Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) in La Palma to average limiting depths (5σ Vega, aperture magnitudes) of U= 24.8, B= 25.6, V= 25.0, R= 24.6 and i′= …


Large-Scale Power Spectrum And Structures From The Enear Galaxy Peculiar Velocity Catalogue, S. Zaroubi, M. Bernardi, L. N. Da Costa, Y. Hoffman, M. V. Alonso, G. Wegner Sep 2001

Large-Scale Power Spectrum And Structures From The Enear Galaxy Peculiar Velocity Catalogue, S. Zaroubi, M. Bernardi, L. N. Da Costa, Y. Hoffman, M. V. Alonso, G. Wegner

Dartmouth Scholarship

We estimate the mass density fluctuations power spectrum (PS) on large scales by applying a maximum likelihood technique to the peculiar velocity data of the recently completed redshift—distance survey of early-type galaxies (hereafter ENEAR). Parametric cold dark matter (CDM)-like models for the PS are assumed, and the best-fitting parameters are determined by maximizing the probability of the model given the measured peculiar velocities of the galaxies, their distances and estimated errors. The method has been applied to CDM models with and without COBE normalization. The general results are in agreement with the high-amplitude power spectra found from similar analyses of …


The Peculiar Motions Of Early-Type Galaxies In Two Distant Regions - Vi. The Maximum-Likelihood Gaussian Algorithm, M. Colless, R. P. Saglia, D. Burstein, R. L. Davies, R. K. Mcmahan, G. Wegner Jun 2001

The Peculiar Motions Of Early-Type Galaxies In Two Distant Regions - Vi. The Maximum-Likelihood Gaussian Algorithm, M. Colless, R. P. Saglia, D. Burstein, R. L. Davies, R. K. Mcmahan, G. Wegner

Dartmouth Scholarship

The EFAR project is designed to measure the properties and peculiar motions of early-type galaxies in two distant regions. Here we describe the maximum-likelihood algorithm we developed to investigate the correlations between the parameters of the EFAR data base. One-, two- and three-dimensional Gaussian models are constructed to determine the mean value and intrinsic spread of the parameters, and the slopes and intrinsic parallel and orthogonal spread of the Mg2–Mgb′,Mg2–σ,Mgb′–σ relations, and the Fundamental Plane. In the latter case, the cluster peculiar velocities are also determined. We show that this method is superior to …


Correlation Analysis Of Sfi Peculiar Velocities, Stefano Borgani, Luiz N. Da Costa, Idit Zehavi, Riccardo Giovanelli, Martha P. Haynes, Wolfram Freudling, Gary Wegner, John J. Salzer Jan 2000

Correlation Analysis Of Sfi Peculiar Velocities, Stefano Borgani, Luiz N. Da Costa, Idit Zehavi, Riccardo Giovanelli, Martha P. Haynes, Wolfram Freudling, Gary Wegner, John J. Salzer

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present results of a statistical analysis of the SFI catalog of peculiar velocities, a recently completed survey of spiral field galaxies with I-band Tully-Fisher distances. The velocity field statistic utilized is the velocity correlation function, ψ1(r), originally introduced by Górski et al. The analysis is performed in redshift space so as to circumvent potential ambiguities connected with inhomogeneous Malmquist bias corrections. The results from the SFI sample are compared with linear-theory predictions for a class of cosmological models. We generate a large set of mock samples, extracted from N-body simulations, which are used …


The Peculiar Motions Of Early-Type Galaxies In Two Distant Rregions — Ii. The Spectroscopic Data, Gary Wegner, Matthew Colless, R. P. Saglia, Robert K. Mcmahan May 1999

The Peculiar Motions Of Early-Type Galaxies In Two Distant Rregions — Ii. The Spectroscopic Data, Gary Wegner, Matthew Colless, R. P. Saglia, Robert K. Mcmahan

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present the spectroscopic data for the galaxies studied in the EFAR project, which is designed to measure the properties and peculiar motions of early-type galaxies in two distant regions. We have obtained 1319 spectra of 714 early-type galaxies over 33 observing runs on 10 different telescopes. We describe the observations and data reductions used to measure redshifts, velocity dispersions and the Mgb and Mg2 Lick linestrength indices. Detailed simulations and intercomparison of the large number of repeat observations lead to reliable error estimates for all quantities. The measurements from different observing runs are calibrated to a common …