arXiv subjects

Andreas Eckart

Publications and source records attributed to Andreas Eckart.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

The Milky Way's Supermassive Black Hole: How good a case is it? A Challenge for Astrophysics & Philosophy of Science

The compact and, with 4.3+-0.3 million solar masses, 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. 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 of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations currently being prepared. These observations in combination with the infrared interferometry experiment GRAVITY at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) and other experiments across the electromagnetic spectrum might yield proof for the presence of a black hole at the center of the Milky Way. 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.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

Polarimetry narrows down the possibilities for the Dusty S-cluster Object (DSO/G2) in the Galactic centre

There have been many speculations about the character of the dusty object moving fast in the vicinity of the Galactic centre black hole. The recent detection of polarized continuum emission provides new constraints for the models. The fact that the object is intrinsically polarized implies that it is non-spherical. The authors propose that a young star developing a bow shock can explain the main characteristics. However, more observations in the future are needed for the final confirmation of the nature of the source.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2017

Nature of the Galactic centre NIR-excess sources. I. What can we learn from the continuum observations of the DSO/G2 source?

The Dusty S-cluster Object (DSO/G2) orbiting the supermassive black hole (Sgr A*) in the Galactic centre has been monitored in both near-infrared continuum and line emission. There has been a dispute about the character and the compactness of the object: interpreting it as either a gas cloud or a dust-enshrouded star. A recent analysis of polarimetry data in $K_{\rm s}$-band ($2.2\,{\rm μm}$) allows us to put further constraints on the geometry of the DSO. The purpose of this paper is to constrain the nature and the geometry of the DSO. We compare 3D radiative transfer models of the DSO with the NIR continuum data including polarimetry. In the analysis, we use basic dust continuum radiative transfer theory implemented in the 3D Monte Carlo code Hyperion. Moreover, we implement analytical results of the two-body problem mechanics and the theory of non-thermal processes. We present a composite model of the DSO -- a dust-enshrouded star that consists of a stellar source, dusty, optically thick envelope, bipolar cavities, and a bow shock. This scheme can match the NIR total as well as polarized properties of the observed spectral energy distribution (SED). The SED may be also explained in theory by a young pulsar wind nebula that typically exhibits a large linear polarization degree due to magnetospheric synchrotron emission. The analysis of NIR polarimetry data combined with the radiative transfer modelling shows that the DSO is a peculiar source of compact nature in the S cluster $(r \lesssim 0.04\,{\rm pc})$. It is most probably a young stellar object embedded in a non-spherical dusty envelope, whose components include optically thick dusty envelope, bipolar cavities, and a bow shock. Alternatively, the continuum emission could be of a non-thermal origin due to the presence of a young neutron star and its wind nebula.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2016

Star formation and gas flows in the centre of the NUGA galaxy NGC 1808 observed with SINFONI

NGC 1808 is a nearby barred spiral galaxy which hosts young stellar clusters in a patchy circumnuclear ring with a radius of $\sim 240\,\mathrm{pc}$. In order to study the gaseous and stellar kinematics and the star formation properties of the clusters, we perform seeing-limited $H+K$-band near-infrared integral-field spectroscopy with SINFONI of the inner $\sim 600\,\mathrm{pc}$. From the $M_\mathrm{BH}-σ_*$ relation, we find a black hole mass of a few $10^7\,M_\odot$. We estimate the age of the young stellar clusters in the circumnuclear ring to be $\lesssim 10\,\mathrm{Myr}$. No age gradient along the ring is visible. However, the starburst age is comparable to the travel time along the ring, indicating that the clusters almost completed a full orbit along the ring during their life time. In the central $\sim 600\,\mathrm{pc}$, we find a hot molecular gas mass of $\sim 730\,M_\odot$ which, with standard conversion factors, corresponds to a large cold molecular gas reservoir of several $10^8\,M_\odot$, in accordance with CO measurements from the literature. The gaseous and stellar kinematics show several deviations from pure disc motion, including a circumnuclear disc and signs of a nuclear bar potential. In addition, we confirm streaming motions on $\sim 200\,\mathrm{pc}$ scale that have recently been detected in CO(1-0) emission. Due to our enhanced angular resolution of $<1\,\mathrm{arcsec}$, we find further streaming motion within the inner arcsecond, that have not been detected until now. Despite the flow of gas towards the centre, no signs for significant AGN activity are found. This raises the questions what determines whether the infalling gas will fuel an AGN or star formation.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2016

Detection of polarized continuum emission of the Dusty S-cluster Object (DSO/G2)

A peculiar source in the Galactic center known as the Dusty S-cluster Object (DSO/G2) moves on a highly eccentric orbit around the supermassive black hole with the pericenter passage in the spring of 2014. Its nature has been uncertain mainly because of the lack of any information about its intrinsic geometry. For the first time, we use near-infrared polarimetric imaging data to obtain constraints about the geometrical properties of the DSO. We find out that DSO is an intrinsically polarized source, based on the significance analysis of polarization parameters, with the degree of the polarization of $\sim 30\%$ and an alternating polarization angle as it approaches the position of Sgr A*. Since the DSO exhibits a near-infrared excess of $K_{\rm s}-L'>3$ and remains rather compact in emission-line maps, its main characteristics may be explained with the model of a pre-main-sequence star embedded in a non-spherical dusty envelope.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

Infrared-excess Source DSO/G2 Near the Galactic Center: Theory vs. Observations

Based on the monitoring of the Dusty S-cluster Object (DSO/G2) during its closest approach to the Galactic Center supermassive black hole in 2014 and 2015 with ESO VLT/SINFONI, we further explore the model of a young, accreting star to explain observed spectral and morphological features. The stellar scenario is supported by our findings, i.e. ionized-hydrogen emission from the DSO that remains spatially compact before and after the peribothron passage. The detection of DSO/G2 object as a compact single-peak emission-line source is not consistent with the original hypothesis of a core-less cloud that is necessarily tidally stretched, hence producing a double-peak emission line profile around the pericentre passage. This strengthens the evidence that the DSO/G2 source is a dust-enshrouded young star that appears to be in an accretion phase. The infall of material from the circumstellar disc onto the stellar surface can contribute significantly to the emission of Br$γ$ line as well as the observed large line width of the order of 10 angstrom.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

Conditions for star formation in nearby AGN and QSO hosts observed with near-infrared integral-field spectroscopy

Integral-field spectroscopy in the near-infrared (NIR) is a powerful tool to analyze the gaseous and stellar distributions and kinematics, as well as the excitation mechanisms in the centers of galaxies. The unique combination of NIR and sub-mm data at comparable high angular resolution, which has just been possible with SINFONI and ALMA, allows to trace warm and cold gas reservoirs. Only the NIR gives an unobscured view to the center and allows to study the conditions and impact of star formation in the centers of galaxies in a spatially resolved way. Here, we present recent studies of nearby Seyferts and low-luminosity QSOs performed by our group.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

A low-luminosity type-1 QSO sample. V. Overluminous host spheroids and their excitation mechanisms

We present near-infrared (NIR) $H+K$-band longslit spectra of eleven galaxies which are obtained with SOFI at the NTT (ESO). The galaxies are chosen from the low-luminosity type-1 quasi-stellar object (LLQSO) sample which comprises the 99 closest ($z\leq 0.06$) QSOs from the Hamburg/ESO survey for bright UV-excess QSOs. These objects are ideal targets to study the gap between local Seyfert galaxies and high-redshift quasars, since they show much stronger AGN activity compared to local objects but are still close enough for a detailed structural analysis. We fit hydrogen recombination, molecular hydrogen, and [FeII] lines after carefully subtracting the continuum emission. From the broad Pa$α$ components, we estimate black hole masses and enlarge the sample of LLQSOs that show a deviation from the $M_\mathrm{BH}-L_\mathrm{bulge}$ relations of inactive galaxies from 12 to 16 objects. All objects show emission from hot dust ($T\sim 1200\,\mathrm{K}$) as well as stellar contribution. However, the particular fractions vary a lot between the objects. More than half of the objects show H$_2$ emission lines that are indicating a large reservoir of molecular gas which is needed to feed the AGN and star formation. In the NIR diagnostic diagram all objects lie in the location of AGN dominated objects. However, most of the objects show indications of star formation activity, suggesting that their offset location with respect to $M_\mathrm{BH}-L_\mathrm{bulge}$ relations of inactive galaxies may be a consequence of overluminous bulges.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

Effect of an isotropic outflow from the Galactic centre on the bow-shock evolution along the orbit

Motivated by the observations of several infrared-excess bow-shock sources and proplyd-like objects near the Galactic centre, we analyse the effect of a potential outflow from the centre on bow shock properties. We show that due to the non-negligible isotropic central outflow the bow-shock evolution along the orbit becomes asymmetric between the pre-peribothron and post-peribothron phases. This is demonstrated by the calculation of the bow-shock size evolution, the velocity along the shocked layer, the surface density of the bow-shock, and by emission-measure maps close to the peribothron passage. Within the ambient velocity range of $\lesssim 2000\,{\rm km\, s^{-1}}$ the asymmetry is profound and the changes are considerable for different outflow velocities. As a case study we perform model calculations for the Dusty S-cluster Object (DSO/G2) as a potential young stellar object that is currently being monitored and has passed the pericentre at $\sim 2000$ Schwarzschild radii from the supermassive black hole (Sgr A*) in 2014. We show that the velocity field of the shocked layer can contribute to the observed increasing line width of the DSO source up to the peribothron. Subsequently, supposing that the line emission originates in the bow shock, a decrease of the line width is expected. Furthermore, the decline of the bow-shock emission measure in the post-peribothron phase could help to reveal the emission of the putative star. The dominant contribution of circumstellar matter (either inflow or outflow) is consistent with the observed stable luminosity and compactness of the DSO/G2 source during its pericentre passage.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

"Ice cubes" in the center of the Milky Way - Water ice and hydrocarbons in the central parsec

The close environment of the central supermassive black hole of our Galaxy is studied thoroughly since decades in order to shed light on the behavior of the central regions of galaxies in general and of active galaxies in particular. The Galactic Center has shown a wealth of structures on different scales with a complicated mixture of early- and late-type stars, ionized and molecular gas, dust and winds. Here we aim at studying the distribution of water ices and hydrocarbons in the central parsec as well as along the line of sight. This study is made possible thanks to L-band spectroscopy. This spectral band, from 2.8 to 4.2$μm$, hosts important signatures of the circumstellar medium and interstellar dense and diffuse media among which deep absorption features are attributed to water ices and hydrocarbons. We observed the Galactic Center in the L-band of ISAAC spectrograph located on UT1/VLT ESO telescope. By mapping the central half parsec using 27 slit positions, we were able to build the first data cube of the region in this wavelength domain. Thanks to a calibrator spectrum of the foreground extinction in the L-band derived in a previous paper, we corrected our data cube for the line of sight extinction and validated our calibrator spectrum. The data show that a residual absorption due to water ices and hydrocarbons is present in the corrected data cube. This suggests that the features are produced in the local environment of the Galactic center implying very low temperatures well below 80K. This is in agreement with our finding of local CO ices in the central parsec described in Moultaka et al. (2015).

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

Ices in the Galactic Centre : solid ice and gaseous CO in the central parsec

For the past few years, we have observed the central half parsec of our Galaxy in the mid-infrared from 2.8 to 5.1 micron. Our aim is to improve our understanding of the direct environment of SgrA*, the supermassive blackhole at the centre of the Milky Way. This work is described in the present paper and by Moultaka et al. 2015 (submitted). Here, we focus on the study of the spatial distribution of the 12CO ice and gas-phase absorptions. We observed the central half parsec with ISAAC spectrograph located at the UT3/VLT ESO telescope in Chile. The slit was placed along 22 positions arranged parallel to each other to map the region. We built the first data cube in this wavelength range covering the central half parsec. The wavelength interval of the used M-band filter ranges from 4.6 to 5.1 micron. It hosts the P- and R- branches of the ro-vibrational transitions of the gaseous 12CO and 13CO, as well as the absorption band attributed to the 12CO ice at 4.675 micron. Using two calibrators, we could disentangle the local from the line-of-sight absorptions and provide a first-order estimate of the foreground extinction. We find residual ices and gase-phase CO that can be attributed to local absorptions due to material from the interstellar and/or the circumstellar medium of the central parsec. Our finding implies temperatures of the order of 10 to 60K which is in agreement with the presence of water ices in the region highlighted by Moultaka et al. (2004, 2005).

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

A low-luminosity type-1 QSO sample: II. Tracing circumnuclear star formation in HE 1029-1831 with SINFONI

Circumnuclear star formation and AGN feedback is believed to play a critical role in the context of galaxy evolution. The low-luminosity QSO (LLQSO) sample that contains 99 of the closest AGN with redshift z<=0.06 fills the gap between the local AGN population and high-redshift QSOs that is essential to understand the AGN evolution with redshift. In this paper, we present the results of near-infrared H+K-integral field spectroscopy of the inner kiloparsecs of the LLQSO HE 1029-1831 with SINFONI. Line maps show that ionized hydrogen gas is located in spiral arms within the stellar bar and in a circumnuclear ring. Line fluxes and diagnostic line ratios indicate recent or ongoing star formation in the circumnuclear region and the presence of young and intermediate-age stellar populations in the bulge. In particular, we find traces of an intense starburst in the circumnuclear region that has begun around 100 Myr ago but has declined to a fraction of the maximum intensity now. We estimate the dynamical bulge mass and find that the galaxy follows published M_BH-M_bulge relations. However, bulge-disk decomposition of the K-band image with BUDDA reveals that HE 1029-1831 does not follow the M_BH-L_bulge relations of inactive galaxies. We conclude that the deviation from M_BH-L_bulge relations of inactive galaxies in this source is rather caused by young stellar populations and not by an undermassive black hole.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

ALMA backed NIR high resolution integral field spectroscopy of the NUGA galaxy NGC 1433

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 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 [Feii] indicate that the excitation at the nucleus is caused by thermal excitation, i.e. shocks which can be associated with active galactic nuclei emission, supernovae or outflows. The line ratios [Feii]/Paβ and H2/Brγ show a Seyfert to LINER identification of the nucleus. 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. 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 sub-millimeter 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 inwards to scales where viscosity torques and dynamical friction become important. The black hole mass derived using stellar velocity dispersion is 10^7 M_sun.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Dust-enshrouded star near supermassive black hole: predictions for high-eccentricity passages near low-luminosity galactic nuclei

Supermassive black holes reside in cores of galaxies, where they are often surrounded by a nuclear cluster and a clumpy torus of gas and dust. Mutual interactions can set some stars on a plunging trajectory towards the black hole. We model the pericentre passage of a dust-enshrouded star during which the dusty envelope becomes stretched by tidal forces and is affected by the interaction with the surrounding medium. In particular, we explore under which conditions these encounters can lead to periods of enhanced accretion activity. We discuss different scenarios for such a dusty source. To this end, we employed a modification of the Swift integration package. Elements of the cloud were modelled as numerical particles that represent the dust component that interacts with the optically thin gaseous environment. We determine the fraction of the total mass of the dust component that is diverted from the original path during the passages through the pericentre at $\sim 10^3$ Schwarzschild radii and find that the main part of the dust ($\gtrsim 90\%$ of its mass) is significantly affected upon the first crossing. The fraction of mass captured at the second passage generally decreases to very low values. As an example, we show predictions for the dusty source evolution assuming the current orbital parameters of the G2 cloud (also known as Dusty S-Cluster Object, DSO) in our Galactic centre. Encounter of a core-less cloud with a supermassive black hole is, most likely, a non-repeating event: the cloud is destroyed. However, in the case of a dust-enshrouded star, part of the envelope survives the pericentre passage. We discuss an offset of $\lesssim 0.3$ arcsec between the centre of mass of the diverted part and the star along the eccentric orbit. Finally, we examine an interesting possibility of a binary star embedded within a common wind envelope that becomes dispersed at the pericentre passage.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Perspective for optical high-angular resolution follow-up studies of X-raying AGNs

We explore the scientific potential of next-generation high-angular resolution optical imager to study the AGN/Host connection. The availability of a significant number of X-raying AGN with natural guide stars, allowing for adaptive optics at optical wavelengths, offers an interesting perspective to complement high-resolution work currently done in the near-infrared.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2013

A low-luminosity type-1 QSO sample: I. Overluminous host spheroidals or undermassive black holes?

Recognizing the properties of the host galaxies of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) is essential to understand the suspected coevolution of central supermassive black holes (BHs) and their host galaxies. We selected a subsample of the Hamburg/ESO survey for bright UV-excess QSOs, containing only the 99 nearest QSOs with redshift z<=0.06, that are close enough to allow detailed structural analysis. From this "low-luminosity type-1 QSO sample", we observed 20 galaxies and performed aperture photometry and bulge-disk-bar-AGN-decomposition with BUDDA on near-infrared J, H, K band images. From the photometric decomposition of these 20 objects and visual inspection of images of another 26, we find that ~50% of the hosts are disk galaxies and most of them (86%) are barred. Stellar masses, calculated from parametric models based on inactive galaxy colors, range from 2x10^9 M_sun to 2x10^11 M_sun. Black hole masses measured from single epoch spectroscopy range from 1x10^6 M_sun to 5x10^8 M_sun. In comparison to higher luminosity QSO samples, LLQSOs tend to have lower stellar and BH masses. Also, in the effective radius vs. mean surface-brightness projection of the fundamental plane, they lie in the transition area between luminous QSOs and "normal" galaxies. This can be seen as further evidence that they can be pictured as a "bridge" between the local Seyfert population and luminous QSOs at higher redshift. Eleven low-luminosity QSOs for which we have reliable morphological decompositions and BH mass estimations lie below the published BH mass vs. bulge luminosity relations for inactive galaxies. This could be partially explained by bulges of active galaxies containing much younger stellar populations than bulges of inactive galaxies. Also, one could suspect that their BHs are undermassive. This might hint at the growth of the host spheroid to precede that of the BH.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

The Galactic Center as a Paradigm for Low Luminosity Nuclei? The K-band identification of the DSO/G2 source from VLT and Keck data

The super-massive 4 million solar mass black hole (SMBH) SgrA* shows flare emission from the millimeter to the X-ray domain. The nucleus of the Milky Way has properties (stellar cluster, young stars, molecular gas and an accreting SMBH) that resemble those of currently higher luminous Low Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei. A detailed analysis of the infrared light curves shows that the flares are probably generated in a single-state process forming a power-law distribution of the flux density. Near-infrared polarimetry shows signatures of strong gravity that are statistically significant against randomly polarized red noise. Details of the emission mechanism are discussed in a synchrotron/self-Compton model. SgrA* also allows to study the interaction of the SMBH with the immediate interstellar and gaseous environment of the central stellar cluster. Through infrared imaging of the central few arcseconds it is possible to study both inflow and outflow phenomena linked to the SgrA* black hole. In this context we also discuss the newly found dusty object that approaches SgrA* and present a comparison between recent Keck and VLT K-band data that clearly supports its detection as a about 19m K'-band continuum source.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

The infrared K-band identification of the DSO/G2 source from VLT and Keck data

A fast moving infrared excess source (G2) which is widely interpreted as a core-less gas and dust cloud approaches Sagittarius A* (SgrA*) on a presumably elliptical orbit. VLT K_s-band and Keck K'-band data result in clear continuum identifications and proper motions of this about 19m Dusty S-cluster Object (DSO). In 2002-2007 it is confused with the star S63, but free of confusion again since 2007. Its near-infrared (NIR) colors and a comparison to other sources in the field speak in favor of the DSO being an IR excess star with photospheric continuum emission at 2 microns than a core-less gas and dust cloud. We also find very compact L'-band emission ($<$0.1'') contrasted by the reported extended (0.03'' up to about 0.2'' for the tail) Brgamma emission. The presence of a star will change the expected accretion phenomena, since a stellar Roche lobe may retain a fraction of the material during and after the peri-bothron passage.

astro-ph.GA↗