arXiv subjects

Elmo Tempel

Publications and source records attributed to Elmo Tempel.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

The alignment of galaxy spin with the shear field in observations

Tidal torque theory suggests that galaxies gain angular momentum in the linear stage of structure formation. Such a theory predicts alignments between the spin of haloes and tidal shear field. However, non-linear evolution and angular momentum acquisition may alter this prediction significantly. In this paper, we use a reconstruction of the cosmic shear field from observed peculiar velocities combined with spin axes extracted from galaxies within $115\, \mathrm{Mpc} $ ($\sim8000 \, {\mathrm {km}}{\mathrm s}^{-1}$) from 2MRS catalog, to test whether or not galaxies appear aligned with principal axes of shear field. Although linear reconstructions of the tidal field have looked at similar issues, this is the first such study to examine galaxy alignments with velocity-shear field. Ellipticals in the 2MRS sample, show a statistically significant alignment with two of the principal axes of the shear field. In general, elliptical galaxies have their short axis aligned with the axis of greatest compression and perpendicular to the axis of slowest compression. Spiral galaxies show no signal. Such an alignment is significantly strengthened when considering only those galaxies that are used in velocity field reconstruction. When examining such a subsample, a weak alignment with the axis of greatest compression emerges for spiral galaxies as well. This result indicates that although velocity field reconstructions still rely on fairly noisy and sparse data, the underlying alignment with shear field is strong enough to be visible even when small numbers of galaxies are considered - especially if those galaxies are used as constraints in the reconstruction.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

Period change of massive binaries from combined photometric and spectroscopic data in Cygnus OB2

Context. Mass loss is an important property in evolution models of massive stars. As up to 90% of the massive stars have a visual or spectroscopic companion and many of them exhibit mass exchange, mass-loss rates can be acquired through the period study of massive binaries. Aims. Using our own photometric observations as well as archival data, we look for variations in orbital periods of seven massive eclipsing binary systems in the Cygnus OB2 association and estimate their mass-loss rates and stellar parameters. Methods. We use a Bayesian parameter estimation method to simultaneously fit the period and period change to all available data and a stellar modelling tool to model the binary parameters from photometric and radial-velocity data. Results. Four out of the seven selected binaries show non-zero period change values at two-sigma confidence level. We also report for the first time the eclipsing nature of a star MT059.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Unusual A2142 supercluster with a collapsing core: distribution of light and mass

We study the distribution, masses, and dynamical properties of galaxy groups in the A2142 supercluster. We analyse the global luminosity density distribution in the supercluster and divide the supercluster into the high-density core and the low-density outskirts regions. We find galaxy groups and filaments in the regions of different global density, calculate their masses and mass-to-light ratios and analyse their dynamical state with several 1D and 3D statistics. We use the spherical collapse model to study the dynamical state of the supercluster. We show that in A2142 supercluster groups and clusters with at least ten member galaxies lie along an almost straight line forming a 50 Mpc/h long main body of the supercluster. The A2142 supercluster has a very high density core surrounded by lower-density outskirt regions. The total estimated mass of the supercluster is M_est = 6.2 10^{15}M_sun. More than a half of groups with at least ten member galaxies in the supercluster lie in the high-density core of the supercluster, centered at the rich X-ray cluster A2142. Most of the galaxy groups in the core region are multimodal. In the outskirts of the supercluster, the number of groups is larger than in the core, and groups are poorer. The orientation of the cluster A2142 axis follows the orientations of its X-ray substructures and radio halo, and is aligned along the supercluster axis. The high-density core of the supercluster with the global density D8 > 17 and perhaps with D8 > 13 may have reached the turnaround radius and started to collapse. A2142 supercluster with luminous, collapsing core and straight body is an unusual object among galaxy superclusters. In the course of the future evolution the supercluster may be split into several separate systems.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

Filaments from the galaxy distribution and from the velocity field in the local universe

The cosmic web that characterizes the large-scale structure of the Universe can be quantified by a variety of methods. For example, large redshift surveys can be used in combination with point process algorithms to extract long curvilinear filaments in the galaxy distribution. Alternatively, given a full 3D reconstruction of the velocity field, kinematic techniques can be used to decompose the web into voids, sheets, filaments and knots. In this paper we look at how two such algorithms - the Bisous model and the velocity shear web - compare with each other in the local Universe (within 100 Mpc), finding good agreement. This is both remarkable and comforting, given that the two methods are radically different in ideology and applied to completely independent and different data sets. Unsurprisingly, the methods are in better agreement when applied to unbiased and complete data sets, like cosmological simulations, than when applied to observational samples. We conclude that more observational data is needed to improve on these methods, but that both methods are most likely properly tracing the underlying distribution of matter in the Universe.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

Galaxy pairs align with galactic filaments

Context. Gravitational collapse theory and numerical simulations suggest that the velocity field within large-scale galaxy filaments is dominated by motions along the filaments. Aims. Our aim is to check whether observational data reveal any preferred orientation of galaxy pairs with respect to the underlying filaments as a result of the expectedly anisotropic velocity field. Methods. We use galaxy pairs and galaxy filaments identified from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data. For filament extraction, we use the Bisous model that is based the marked point process technique. During the filament detection, we use the centre point of each pair instead of the positions of galaxies to avoid a built-in influence of pair orientation on the filament construction. For pairs lying within filaments (3012 cases), we calculate the angle between the line connecting galaxies of each pair and their host filament. To avoid redshift-space distortions, the angle is measured in the plain of the sky. Results. The alignment analysis shows that the orientation of galaxy pairs correlates strongly with their host filaments. The alignment signal is stronger for loose pairs, with at least 25% excess of aligned pairs compared to a random distribution. The alignment of galaxy pairs and filaments measured from the observational data is in good concordance with the alignment in the Millennium simulation and thus provides support to the ΛCDM formalism.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

Galaxies in filaments have more satellites: the influence of the cosmic web on the satellite luminosity function in the SDSS

We investigate whether the satellite luminosity function (LF) of primary galaxies identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) depends on whether the host galaxy is in a filament or not. Isolated primary galaxies are identified in the SDSS spectroscopic sample while potential satellites (that are up to 4 magnitudes fainter than their hosts) are searched for in the much deeper photometric sample. Filaments are constructed from the galaxy distribution by the "Bisous" process. Isolated primary galaxies are divided into two subsamples: those in filaments and those not in filaments. We examine the stacked mean satellite LF of both the filament and non-filament sample and find that, on average, the satellite LFs of galaxies in filaments is significantly higher than those of galaxies not in filaments. The filamentary environment can increases the abundance of the brightest satellites ($M_\mathrm{sat.} < M_\mathrm{prim.} + 2.0$), by a factor of $\sim 2$ compared with non-filament isolated galaxies. This result is independent of primary galaxy magnitude although the satellite LF of galaxies in the faintest magnitude bin, is too noisy to determine if such a dependence exists. Since our filaments are extracted from a spectroscopic flux-limited sample, we consider the possibility that the difference in satellite LF is due to a redshift, colour or environmental bias, finding these to be insufficient to explain our result. The dependence of the satellite LF on the cosmic web suggests that the filamentary environment may have a strong effect on the efficiency of galaxy formation.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

Galaxy spin alignment in filaments and sheets: observational evidence

Galaxies properties are known to be affected by their environment. One important question is how their angular momentum reflects the surrounding cosmic web. We use the SDSS to investigate the spin axes of spiral and elliptical galaxies relative to their surrounding filament/sheet orientations. To detect filaments a marked point process with interactions (the "Bisous model") is used. Sheets are found by detecting "flattened" filaments. The minor axes of ellipticals are found to be preferentially perpendicular to hosting filaments. A weak correlation is found with sheets. These findings are consistent with the notion that elliptical galaxies formed via mergers which predominantly occurred along the filaments. The spin axis of spiral galaxies is found to align with the host filament, with no correlation between spiral spin and sheet normal. When examined as a function of distance from the filament axis, a much stronger correlation is found in outer parts, suggesting that the alignment is driven by the laminar infall of gas from sheets to filaments. When compared with numerical simulations our results suggest that the connection between DM halo and galaxy spin is not straightforward. Our results provide an important input to the understanding of how galaxies acquire their angular momentum.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

An evidence for indirect detection of dark matter from galaxy clusters in Fermi-LAT data

We search for spectral features in Fermi-LAT gamma-rays coming from regions corresponding to eighteen brightest nearby galaxy clusters determined by the magnitude of their signal line-of-site integrals. We observe a double peak-like excess over the diffuse power-law background at photon energies 110 GeV and 130 GeV with the global statistical significance up to 3.6σ, confirming independently earlier claims of the same excess from Galactic centre. Interpreting this result as a signal of dark matter annihilations to two monochromatic photon channels in galaxy cluster haloes, and fixing the annihilation cross section from the Galactic centre data, we determine the annihilation boost factor due to dark matter subhaloes from data. Our results contribute to discrimination of the dark matter annihilations from astrophysical processes and from systematic detector effects as the possible explanations to the Fermi-LAT excess.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

Fermi 130 GeV gamma-ray excess and dark matter annihilation in sub-haloes and in the Galactic centre

We analyze publicly available Fermi-LAT high-energy gamma-ray data and confirm the existence of clear spectral feature peaked at E=130GeV. Scanning over the Galaxy we identify several disconnected regions where the observed excess originates from. Our best optimized fit is obtained for the central region of Galaxy with a clear peak at 130GeV with local statistical significance 4.5 sigma. The observed excess is not correlated with Fermi bubbles. We compute the photon spectra induced by dark matter annihilations into two and four standard model particles, the latter via two light intermediate states, and fit the spectra with data. Since our fits indicate sharper and higher signal peak than in the previous works, data favors dark matter direct two-body annihilation channels into photons or other channels giving only line-like spectra. If Einasto halo profile correctly predicts the central cusp of Galaxy, dark matter annihilation cross-section to two photons is of order ten percent of the standard thermal freeze-out cross-section. The large dark matter two-body annihilation cross-section to photons may signal a new resonance that should be searched for at the CERN LHC experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Environments of galaxies in groups within the supercluster-void network

Majority of all galaxies reside in groups of less than 50 member galaxies. These groups are distributed in various large-scale environments from voids to superclusters. Evolution of galaxies is affected by the environment in which they reside. Our aim is to study the effects that the local group scale and the supercluster scale environment have on galaxies. We use a luminosity-density field to determine density of the large-scale environment of galaxies in groups of various richness. We calculate fractions of different types of galaxies in groups with richnesses up to 50 member galaxies and in different large-scale environments from voids to superclusters. The fraction of passive elliptical galaxies rises and the fraction of star-forming spiral galaxies declines when the richness of a group of galaxies rises from two to approximately ten galaxies. On the large scale, the passive elliptical galaxies become more numerous than star-forming spirals when the environmental density grows to the density level typical for superclusters. The large-scale environment affects the level of these fractions in groups: galaxies in equally rich groups are more likely to be elliptical in supercluster environments than in lower densities. The crossing point, where the number of passive and star-forming galaxies is equal, happens in groups with lower richness in superclusters than in voids. Galaxies in low-density areas require richer groups to evolve from star-forming to passive. Groups in superclusters are on average more luminous than groups in large-scale environments with lower density. Our results suggest that the evolution of galaxies is affected by both, by the group in which the galaxy resides, and by its large-scale environment. Galaxies in lower-density regions develop later than galaxies in similar mass groups in high-density environments.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

Fermi-LAT gamma-ray signal from Earth Limb, systematic detector effects and their implications for the 130 GeV gamma-ray excess

We look for possible spectral features and systematic effects in Fermi-LAT publicly available high-energy gamma-ray data by studying photons from the Galactic centre, nearby galaxy clusters, nearby brightest galaxies, AGNs, unassociated sources, hydrogen clouds and Earth Limb. Apart from already known 130 GeV gamma-ray excesses from the first two sources, we find no new statistically significant signal from others. Much of our effort goes to studying Earth Limb photons. In the energy range 30 GeV to 200 GeV the Earth Limb gamma-ray spectrum follows power-law with spectral index 2.87\pm 0.04 at 95 % CL, in a good agreement with the PAMELA measurement of cosmic ray proton spectral index between 2.82-2.85, confirming the physical origin of the Limb gamma-rays. In small subsets of Earth Limb data with small photon incidence angle it is possible to obtain spectral features at different energies, including at 130 GeV, but determination of background, thus their significances, has large uncertainties in those cases. We observe systematic 2σlevel differences in the Earth Limb spectra of gamma-rays with small and large incidence angles. The behaviour of those spectral features as well as background indicates that they are likely statistical fluctuations.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

Double gamma-ray lines from unassociated Fermi-LAT sources revisited

We search for the presence of double gamma-ray line from unassociated Fermi-LAT sources including detailed Monte Carlo simulations to study its global statistical significance. Applying the Su & Finkbeiner selection criteria for high-energy photons we obtain a similar excess over the power-law background from 12 unassociated sources. However, the Fermi-LAT energy resolution and the present low statistics does not allow to distinguish a double peak from a single one with any meaningful statistical significance. We study the statistical significance of the fit to data with Monte Carlo simulations and show that the fit agrees almost perfectly with the expectations from random scan over the sky. We conclude that the claimed high-energy gamma-ray excess over the power-law background from unassociated sources is nothing but an artifact of the applied selection criteria and no preference to any excess can be claimed with the present statistics.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

SDSS surface photometry of M 31 with absorption corrections

The objective of this work is to obtain an extinction-corrected distribution of optical surface brightness and colour indices of the large nearby galaxy M 31 using homogeneous observational data and a model for intrinsic extinction. We process the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) images in ugriz passbands and construct corresponding mosaic images, taking special care of subtracting the varying sky background. We apply the galactic model developed in Tempel et al. (2010) and far-infrared imaging to correct the photometry for intrinsic dust effects. We obtain observed and dust-corrected distributions of the surface brightness of M 31 and a map of line-of-sight extinctions inside the galaxy. Our extinction model suggests that either M 31 is intrinsically non-symmetric along the minor axis or the dust properties differ from those of the Milky Way. Assuming the latter case, we present the surface brightness distributions and integral photometry for the Sloan filters as well as the standard UBVRI system. We find the following intrinsic integral colour indices for M 31: (U-B)_0=0.35; (B-V)_0=0.86; (V-R)_0=0.63; (R-I)_0=0.53; the total intrinsic absorption-corrected luminosities of M 31 in the B and the V filters are 4.10 and 3.24 mag, respectively.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

Reliability of the detection of the Baryon Acoustic Peak

The correlation function of the distribution of matter in the universe shows, at large scales, baryon acoustic oscillations, which were imprinted prior to recombination. This feature was first detected in the correlation function of the luminous red galaxies (LRG) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The final release (DR7) of the SDSS has been recently made available, and the useful volume is about two times bigger than in the old sample. We present here, for the first time, the redshift space correlation function of this sample at large scales together with that for one shallower, but denser volume-limited subsample drawn from the 2dF redshift survey. We test the reliability of the detection of the acoustic peak at about 100 Mpc/h and the behaviour of the correlation function at larger scales by means of careful estimation of errors. We confirm the presence of the peak in the latest data although broader than in previous detections.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2009

Dust-corrected surface photometry of M 31 from the Spitzer far infrared observations

We create a model for recovering the intrinsic, absorption-corrected surface brightness distribution of a galaxy and apply the model to the M31. We construct a galactic model as a superposition of axially symmetric stellar components and a dust disc to analyse the intrinsic absorption efects. Dust column density is assumed to be proportional to the far-infrared flux of the galaxy. Along each line of sight, the observed far-infrared spectral energy distribution is approximated with modified black body functions considering dust components with different temperatures, allowing to determine the temperatures and relative column densities of the dust components. We apply the model to the nearby galaxy M31 using the Spitzer Space Telescope far-infrared observations for mapping dust distribution and temperature. A warm and a cold dust component are distinguished. The temperature of the warm dust in M31 varies between 56 and 60 K and is highest in the spiral arms; the temperature of the cold component is mostly 15-19 K and rises up to about 25 K at the centre of the galaxy. The intensity-weighted mean temperature of the dust decreases from T ~32 K at the centre to T ~20 K at R ~7 kpc and outwards. We also calculate the intrinsic UBVRIL surface brightness distributions and the spatial luminosity distribution. The intrinsic dust extinction in the V-colour rises from 0.25 mag at the centre to 0.4-0.5 mag at R = 6-13 kpc and decreases smoothly thereafter. The calculated total extinction-corrected luminosity of M31 is L_B = (3.64 pm 0.15) 10^10L_sun, corresponding to an absolute luminosity M_B = (-20.89 pm 0.04) mag. Of the total B-luminosity, 20% (0.24 mag) is obscured from us by the dust inside M31. The intrinsic shape of the bulge is slightly prolate in our best-fit model.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2008

Anatomy of luminosity functions: the 2dFGRS example

Aims. We use the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey to derive the luminosity function (LF) of the first-ranked (brightest) group/cluster galaxies, the LF of second-ranked, satellite and isolated galaxies, and the LF of groups of galaxies. Methods. We investigate the LFs of different samples in various environments: in voids, filaments, superclusters and supercluster cores. We compare the derived LFs with the Schechter and double-power-law analytical expressions. We also analyze the luminosities of isolated galaxies. Results. We find strong environmental dependency of luminosity functions of all populations. The luminosities of first-ranked galaxies have a lower limit, depending on the global environment (higher in supercluster cores, and absent in voids). The LF of second-ranked galaxies in high-density regions is similar to the LF of first-ranked galaxies in a lower-density environment. The brightest isolated galaxies can be identified with first-ranked galaxies at distances where the remaining galaxies lie outside the observational window used in the survey. Conclusions. The galaxy and cluster LFs can be well approximated by a double-power-law; the widely used Schechter function does not describe well the bright end and the bend of the LFs. Properties of the LFs reflect differences in the evolution of galaxies and their groups in different environments.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Visible and dark matter in M31 - I. Properties of stellar components

We construct a structural model of the Andromeda Galaxy, simultaneously corresponding to observed photometrical and kinematical data and chemical abundances. In this paper we present the observed surface brightness, colour and metallicity distributions, and compare them to the model galaxy. In Paper II (Tempel, Tamm & Tenjes 2007) we present similar data for the kinematics, and derive the mass distribution of the galaxy. On the basis of U, B, V, R, I and L luminosity distributions, we construct the model galaxy as a superposition of four axially symmetric stellar components: a bulge, a disc, an inner halo and an extended diffuse halo. By using far-infrared imaging data of M31 and a thin dust disc assumption, we derive dust-free surface brightness and colour distributions. We find the total absorption corrected luminosity of M31 to be L_B = (3.3+/-0.7)x10^10 L_sun, corresponding to an absolute luminosity M_B = -20.8+/-0.2 mag. Of the total luminosity, 41% (0.57 mag) is obscured from us by the dust inside M31. Using chemical evolution models, we calculate mass-to-light ratios of the components, correspoding to the colour indices and metallicities. We find the total intrinsic mass-to-light ratio of the visible matter to be M/L_B=3.1-5.8 M_sun/L_sun and the total mass of visible matter M_vis =(10-19)x10^10 M_sun. The use of the model parameters for a dynamical analysis and for determining dark matter distribution is presented in Paper II.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Visible and dark matter in M 31 - II. A dynamical model and dark matter density distribution

In the present paper we derive the density distribution of dark matter (DM) in a well-observed nearby disc galaxy, the Andromeda galaxy. From photometrical and chemical evolution models constructed in the first part of the study (Tamm, Tempel & Tenjes 2007 (arXiv:0707.4375), hereafter Paper I) we can calculate the mass distribution of visible components (the bulge, the disc, the stellar halo, the outer diffuse stellar halo). In the dynamical model we calculate stellar rotation velocities along the major axis and velocity dispersions along the major, minor and intermediate axes of the galaxy assuming triaxial velocity dispersion ellipsoid. Comparing the calculated values with the collected observational data, we find the amount of DM, which must be added to reach an agreement with the observed rotation and dispersion data. We conclude that within the uncertainties, the DM distributions by Moore, Burkert, Navarro, Frenk & White (NFW) and the Einasto fit with observations nearly at all distances. The NFW and Einasto density distributions give the best fit with observations. The total mass of M 31 with the NFW DM distribution is 1.19*10^12 M_sun, the ratio of the DM mass to the visible mass is 10.0. For the Einasto DM distribution, these values are 1.28*10^12 M_sun and 10.8. The ratio of the DM mass to the visible mass inside the Holmberg radius is 1.75 for the NFW and the Einasto distributions. For different cuspy DM distributions, the virial mass is in a range 6.9-7.9*10^11 M_sun and the virial radius is ~150 kpc. The DM mean densities inside 10 pc for cusped models are 33 and 16 M_sun pc^-3 for the NFW and the Einasto profiles, respectively. For the cored Burkert profile, this value is 0.06 M_sun pc^-3.

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