arXiv subjects

Francesco Di Mille

Publications and source records attributed to Francesco Di Mille.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The Twentieth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First All-Sky BOSS Spectra, eROSITA-SDSS-V Mapper Coordinated Observations, and a Preview of the Local Volume Mapper

This paper presents the twentieth data release (DR20) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the third data release of its fifth generation (SDSS-V). SDSS-V is a panoptic spectroscopy survey that is mapping the stars, gas, and galaxies through three scientific programs: the Milky Way Mapper (MWM), the Local Volume Mapper (LVM), and the Black Hole Mapper (BHM). DR20 presents the first optical (BOSS) SDSS-V spectra from southern hemisphere for the MWM and BHM surveys; new optical MWM and BHM data from the northern hemisphere are also available, for a total over 3 million spectra of 1.5 million stars and half a million galaxies and quasars, with galactic and extragalactic x-ray targets coordinate with eROSITA DR2. DR20 includes integral field spectroscopy maps from LVM of six targets and 169 tiles, spanning Galactic HII regions, planetary nebulae, and nearby galaxies. Additionally, eighteen value added catalogs are also released with DR20, based on SDSS-V MWM and BHM data, and we present a new LVM visualization tool including an RGB HiPS map as a value added product.

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arXiv2025

Sloan Digital Sky Survey-V: Pioneering Panoptic Spectroscopy

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey-V (SDSS-V) is pioneering panoptic spectroscopy: it is the first all-sky, multi-epoch, optical-to-infrared spectroscopic survey. SDSS-V is mapping the sky with multi-object spectroscopy (MOS) at telescopes in both hemispheres (the 2.5-m Sloan Foundation Telescope at Apache Point Observatory and the 100-inch du Pont Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory), where 500 zonal robotic fiber positioners feed light from a wide-field focal plane to an optical (R$\sim 2000$, 500 fibers) and a near-infrared (R$\sim 22,000$, 300 fibers) spectrograph. In addition to these MOS capabilities, the survey is pioneering ultra wide-field ($\sim$ 4000~deg$^2$) integral field spectroscopy enabled by a new dedicated facility (LVM-I) at Las Campanas Observatory, where an integral field spectrograph (IFS) with 1801 lenslet-coupled fibers arranged in a 0.5 degree diameter hexagon feeds multiple R$\sim$4000 optical spectrographs that cover 3600-9800 angstroms. SDSS-V's hardware and multi-year survey strategy are designed to decode the chemo-dynamical history of the Milky Way Galaxy and tackle fundamental open issues in stellar physics in its Milky Way Mapper program, trace the growth physics of supermassive black holes in its Black Hole Mapper program, and understand the self-regulation mechanisms and the chemical enrichment of galactic ecosystems at the energy-injection scale in its Local Volume Mapper program. The survey is well-timed to multiply the scientific output from major all-sky space missions. The SDSS-V MOS programs began robotic operations in 2021; IFS observations began in 2023 with the completion of the LVM-I facility. SDSS-V builds upon decades of heritage of SDSS's pioneering advances in data analysis, collaboration spirit, infrastructure, and product deliverables in astronomy.

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arXiv2025

A new Bowen Fluorescence Flare and Extreme Coronal Line Emitter discovered by SRG/eROSITA

The nuclear transient eRASSt J012026.5-292727 (J012026 hereafter) was discovered in the second SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey (eRASS2). The source appeared more than one order of magnitude brighter than the eRASS1 upper limits (peak eRASS2 0.2-2.3 keV flux of 1.14 x 10^-12 erg cm^-2 s^-1), and with a soft X-ray spectrum (photon index Gamma = 4.3). Over the following months, the X-ray flux started decaying, with significant flaring activity on both hour- and year-timescales. By inspecting the multiwavelength light curves of time-domain wide-field facilities, we detected a strong mid-infrared flare, evolving over 2 years, and a weaker optical counterpart. Follow-up optical spectroscopy revealed transient features, including redshifted Balmer lines (FWHM ~1500 km/s), strong Fe II emission, He II and Bowen lines, and high-ionization iron coronal lines. One spectrum showed a triple-peaked H-beta line, consistent with emission from a face-on elliptical disk. The spectroscopic features and the slow evolution of the event place J012026 within the classifications of Bowen fluorescence flares (BFFs) and extreme coronal line emitters (ECLEs). BFFs have been associated with rejuvenated accreting SMBHs, although the mechanism triggering the onset of the new accretion flow is still unclear, while ECLEs have been linked to the disruption of stars in gas-rich environments. The association of J012026 to both classes, combined with the multi-wavelength information, suggests that BFFs could be, at least in some cases, due to tidal disruption events (TDEs). The observed X-ray variability, uncommon in standard TDEs, adds complexity to these families of nuclear transients. These results highlight the diverse phenomenology of nuclear accretion events and demonstrate the value of systematic X-ray surveys, such as eROSITA and Einstein Probe, for uncovering such transients and characterizing their physical origin.

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arXiv2025

Multiple Populations of the Large Magellanic Cloud Globular Cluster NGC 2257: No Major Environmental Effect on the Formation of Multiple Populations of the Old Globular Clusters in Large Magellanic Cloud

How the environment of the host galaxy affects the formation of multiple populations (MPs) in globular clusters (GCs) is one of the outstanding questions in the near-field cosmology. To understand the true nature of the old GC MPs in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), we study the Ca--CN--CH photometry of the old metal-poor LMC GC NGC 2257. We find the predominantly FG-dominated populational number ratio of $n$(FG):$n$(SG) = 61:39($\pm$4), where the FG and SG denote the first and second generations. Both the FG and SG have similar cumulative radial distributions, consistent with the idea that NGC 2257 is dynamically old. We obtain [Fe/H] = $-$1.78$\pm$0.00 dex($σ$=0.05 dex) and our metallicity is $\sim$0.2 dex larger than that from the high-resolution spectroscopy by other, due to their significantly lower temperatures by $\sim$ $-$200 K. The NGC 2257 FG shows a somewhat larger metallicity variation than the SG, the first detection of such phenomenon in an old LMC GC, similar to Galactic GCs with MPs, strongly suggesting that it is a general characteristic of GCs with MPs. Interestingly, the NGC 2257 SG does not show a helium enhancement compared to the FG. Our results for the Galactic normal GCs exhibit that the degree of carbon and nitrogen variations are tightly correlated with the GC mass, while NGC 2257 exhibits slightly smaller variations for its mass. We show that old LMC GCs follow the same trends as the Galactic normal GCs in the $Δ$W$_{\rm CF336W,F438W,F814W}$, $N_{\rm FG}/N_{\rm tot}$, and $\log M/M_{\rm \odot}$ domains. Our result indicates that the environment of the host galaxy did not play a major role in the formation and evolution of GC MPs.

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arXiv2025

eRO-ExTra: eROSITA extragalactic non-AGN X-ray transients and variables in eRASS1 and eRASS2

(Abridged) While previous X-ray studies showed the dominance of regular active galactic nuclei (AGN) variability, a small fraction of sources arise from more exotic phenomena such as tidal disruption events (TDEs), quasi-periodic eruptions, or other short-lived events associated with supermassive black hole accretion. This paper describes the systematic selection of X-ray extragalactic transients found in the first two eROSITA all-sky surveys (eRASS) that are not associated with known AGN prior to eROSITA observations. We generated a variability sample from eRASS1 and eRASS2 (Dec. 2019-Dec. 2020), which includes sources with a variability significance and a fractional amplitude larger than four, located in the Legacy Survey DR10 (LS10) footprint. The properties of LS10 counterparts were used to exclude stars and known AGN. The sample was additionally cleaned using pre-eROSITA classifications, archival optical spectra, and archival X-ray data. The final catalog eRO-ExTra includes 304 extragalactic eROSITA transients and variables not associated with known AGN. More than 90% of sources have reliable LS10 optical counterparts. For each source, we provide archival X-ray data from Swift, ROSAT, and XMM-Newton; the eROSITA long-term light curve (2-2.5 years) with a light curve classification; as well as the best power law fit spectral results at the peak eROSITA epoch. Reliable spectroscopic and photometric redshifts are provided for more than 80% of the sample. Several sources in the catalog are known TDE candidates discovered by eROSITA. In addition, 31 sources are radio detected. The eRO-ExTra transients constitute a relatively clean parent sample of non-AGN variability phenomena associated with massive black holes. More than 95% of eRO-ExTra sources were discovered in X-rays with eROSITA for the first time, which makes it a valuable resource for studying unique nuclear transients.

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arXiv2023

The Eighteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys: Targeting and First Spectra from SDSS-V

The eighteenth data release of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys (SDSS) is the first one for SDSS-V, the fifth generation of the survey. SDSS-V comprises three primary scientific programs, or "Mappers": Milky Way Mapper (MWM), Black Hole Mapper (BHM), and Local Volume Mapper (LVM). This data release contains extensive targeting information for the two multi-object spectroscopy programs (MWM and BHM), including input catalogs and selection functions for their numerous scientific objectives. We describe the production of the targeting databases and their calibration- and scientifically-focused components. DR18 also includes ~25,000 new SDSS spectra and supplemental information for X-ray sources identified by eROSITA in its eFEDS field. We present updates to some of the SDSS software pipelines and preview changes anticipated for DR19. We also describe three value-added catalogs (VACs) based on SDSS-IV data that have been published since DR17, and one VAC based on the SDSS-V data in the eFEDS field.

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arXiv2022

X-ray emission from a rapidly accreting narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy at z=6.56

This study aims at identifying luminous quasars at $z>5.7$ among X-ray-selected sources in the eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS) in order to place a lower limit on black hole accretion well into the epoch of re-ionisation. We confirm the low significance detection with eROSITA of a previously known, optically faint $z=6.56$ quasar from the Subaru High-z Exploration of Low-luminosity Quasars (SHELLQs) survey. We obtained a pointed follow-up observation of the source with the Chandra X-ray telescope in order to confirm the eROSITA detection. Using new near-infrared spectroscopy, we derived the physical properties of the super-massive black hole. Finally, we used this detection to infer a lower limit on the black hole accretion density rate at $z>6$. The Chandra observation confirms the eFEDS source as the most distant blind X-ray detection to date. The derived X-ray luminosity is high with respect to the rest-frame optical emission of the quasar. With a narrow MgII line, low derived black hole mass, and high Eddington ratio, as well as its steep photon index, the source shows properties that are similar to local narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies, which are thought to be powered by young super-massive black holes. In combination with a previous high-redshift quasar detection in the field, we show that quasars with $L_{2-10 \, \mathrm{keV}} >10^{45} \, \mathrm{erg \, s^{-1}}$ dominate accretion onto super-massive black holes at $z\sim 6$.

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arXiv2021

Raman-scattered O VI features in the symbiotic nova RR Telescopii

RR Tel is an interacting binary system in which a hot white dwarf (WD) accretes matter from a Mira-type variable star via gravitational capture of its stellar wind. This symbiotic nova shows intense Raman-scattered O VI 1032Å and 1038Å features at 6825Å and 7082Å. We present high-resolution optical spectra of RR Tel taken in 2016 and 2017 with the Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle (MIKE) spectrograph at Magellan-Clay telescope, Chile. We aim to study the stellar wind accretion in RR Tel from the profile analysis of Raman O VI features. With an asymmetric O VI disk model, we derive a representative Keplerian speed of $> 35{\rm km~s^{-1}}$, and the corresponding scale < 0.8 au. The best-fit for the Raman profiles is obtained with a mass loss rate of the Mira ${\dot M}\sim2\times10^{-6}~{\rm M_{\odot}~yr^{-1}}$ and a wind terminal velocity $v_{\infty}\sim 20~{\rm km~s^{-1}}$. We compare the MIKE data with an archival spectrum taken in 2003 with the Fibre-fed Extended Range Optical Spectrograph (FEROS) at the MPG/ESO 2.2m telescope. It allows us to highlight the profile variation of the Raman O VI features, indicative of a change in the density distribution of the O VI disk in the last two decades. We also report the detection of O VI recombination lines at 3811Å and 3834Å, which are blended with other emission lines. Our profile decomposition suggests that the recombination of O VII takes place nearer to the WD than the O VI 1032Å and 1038Å emission region.

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arXiv2020

SDSS J211852.96-073227.5: The first non-local, interacting, late-type intermediate Seyfert galaxy with relativistic jets

It has been often suggested that a tangible relation exists between relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei (AGN) and the morphology of their host galaxies. In particular, relativistic jets may commonly be related to merging events. Here we present for the first time a detailed spectroscopic and morphological analysis of a Seyfert galaxy, SDSS J211852.96-073227.5, at $z = 0.26$. This source has previously been classified as a gamma-ray emitting narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy. We re-observed it with the 6.5m Clay Telescope and these new, high-quality spectroscopic data have revealed that it is actually an intermediate-type Seyfert galaxy. Furthermore, the results of modelling the $Ks$-band near-infrared images obtained with the 6.5m Baade Telescope indicate that the AGN is hosted by a late-type galaxy in an interacting system, strengthening the suggested connection between galaxy interactions and relativistic jets.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

Escape of Resonantly Scattered Ly$β$ and H$α$ from Hot and Optically Thick Media

We investigate the escape of Ly$β$ from emission nebulae with a significant population of excited hydrogen atoms in the level $n=2$, rendering them optically thick in H$α$. The transfer of Ly$β$ line photons in these optically thick regions is complicated by the presence of another scattering channel leading to re-emission of H$α$, alternating their identities between Ly$β$ and H$α$. In this work, we develop a Monte Carlo code to simulate the transfer of Ly$β$ line photons incorporating the scattering channel into H$α$. Both H$α$ and Ly$β$ lines are formed through diffusion in frequency space, where a line photon enters the wing regime after a fairly large number of resonance scatterings with hydrogen atoms. Various line profiles of H$α$ and Ly$β$ emergent from our model nebulae are presented. It is argued that the electron temperature is a critical parameter which controls the flux ratio of emergent Ly$β$ and H$α$. Specifically for $T=3 \times 10^4{\rm\ K}$ and H$α$ line center optical depth $τ_α=10$, the number flux ratio of emergent Ly$β$ and H$α$ is $\sim 49$ percent, which is quite significant. We propose that the leaking Ly$β$ can be an interesting source for the formation of H$α$ wings observed in many symbiotic stars and active galactic nuclei. Similar broad H$α$ wings are also expected in Ly$α$ emitting halos found in the early universe, which can be potentially probed by the {\it James Webb Telescope} in the future.

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arXiv2017

Electromagnetic Evidence that SSS17a is the Result of a Binary Neutron Star Merger

11 hours after the detection of gravitational wave source GW170817 by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory and Virgo Interferometers, an associated optical transient SSS17a was discovered in the galaxy NGC 4993. While the gravitational wave data indicate GW170817 is consistent with the merger of two compact objects, the electromagnetic observations provide independent constraints of the nature of that system. Here we synthesize all optical and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy of SSS17a collected by the One-Meter Two-Hemisphere collaboration. We find that SSS17a is unlike other known transients. The source is best described by theoretical models of a kilonova consisting of radioactive elements produced by rapid neutron capture (the r-process). We find that SSS17a was the result of a binary neutron star merger, reinforcing the gravitational wave result.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

Extended narrow-line region in Seyfert galaxies

We present our recent results about the extended narrow-line region (ENLR) of two nearby Seyfert 2 galaxies (IC 5063 and NGC 7212) obtained by modelling the observed line profiles and spectra with composite models (photoionization+shocks) in the different regions surrounding the AGN. Then, we compare the Seyfert 2 ENLRs with the very extended one recently discovered in the narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy Mrk 783. We have found several evidences of interaction between the ISM of the galaxies and their radio jets, such as a) the contribution of shocks in ionizing the high velocity gas, b) the complex kinematics showed by the profile of the emission lines, c) the high fragmentation of matter, etc. The results suggest that the ENLR of IC 5063 have a hollow bi-conical shape, with one edge aligned to the galaxy disk, which may cause some kind of dependence on velocity of the ionization parameter. Regarding the Mrk 783 properties, it is found that the extension of the optical emission is almost twice the size of the radio one and it seems due to the AGN activity, although there is contamination by star formation around 12 arcsec from the nucleus. Diagnostic diagrams excluded the contribution of star formation in IC 5063 and NGC 7212, while the shock contribution was used to explain the spectra emitted by their high velocity gas.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2017

Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV: Mapping the Milky Way, Nearby Galaxies, and the Distant Universe

We describe the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS-IV), a project encompassing three major spectroscopic programs. The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 (APOGEE-2) is observing hundreds of thousands of Milky Way stars at high resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio in the near-infrared. The Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey is obtaining spatially-resolved spectroscopy for thousands of nearby galaxies (median redshift of z = 0.03). The extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) is mapping the galaxy, quasar, and neutral gas distributions between redshifts z = 0.6 and 3.5 to constrain cosmology using baryon acoustic oscillations, redshift space distortions, and the shape of the power spectrum. Within eBOSS, we are conducting two major subprograms: the SPectroscopic IDentification of eROSITA Sources (SPIDERS), investigating X-ray AGN and galaxies in X-ray clusters, and the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS), obtaining spectra of variable sources. All programs use the 2.5-meter Sloan Foundation Telescope at Apache Point Observatory; observations there began in Summer 2014. APOGEE-2 also operates a second near-infrared spectrograph at the 2.5-meter du Pont Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, with observations beginning in early 2017. Observations at both facilities are scheduled to continue through 2020. In keeping with previous SDSS policy, SDSS-IV provides regularly scheduled public data releases; the first one, Data Release 13, was made available in July 2016.

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arXiv2016

A Profile Analysis of Raman-scattered O VI Bands at 6825 Å and 7082 Å in Sanduleak's Star

We present a detailed modeling of the two broad bands observed at 6825 Å and 7082 Å in Sanduleak's star, a controversial object in the Large Magellanic Cloud. These bands are known to originate from Raman-scattering of O VI $λλ$ 1032 and 1038 photons with atomic hydrogen and are only observed in bona fide symbiotic stars. Our high-resolution spectrum obtained with the Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle (MIKE) spectrograph at the Magellan-Clay Telescope reveals, quite surprisingly, that the profiles of the two bands look very different: while the Raman 6825 Å band shows a single broad profile with a redward extended bump, the Raman 7082 Å band exhibits a distinct triple-peak profile. Our model suggests that the O VI emission nebula can be decomposed into a red, blue and central emission regions from an accretion disk, a bipolar outflow and a further compact, optically thick region. We also perform Monte Carlo simulations with the aim of fitting the observed flux ratio $F(6825)/F(7082) \sim 4.5$, which indicate that the neutral region in Sanduleak's star is characterized by the column density $N_{HI} \sim 1 \times 10^{23} {\rm\ cm^{-2}}$.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Formation of Raman Scattering Wings around H alpha, H beta and Pa alpha in Active Galactic Nuclei

Powered by a supermassive black hole with an accretion disk, the spectra of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are characterized by prominent emission lines including Balmer lines. The unification schemes of AGNs require the existence of a thick molecular torus that may hide the broad emission line region from the view of observers near the equatorial direction. In this configuration, one may expect that the far UV radiation from the central engine can be Raman scattered by neutral hydrogen to reappear around Balmer and Paschen emission lines which can be identified with broad wings. We produce H$α$, H$β$ and Pa$α$ wings using a Monte Carlo technique to investigate their properties. The neutral scattering region is assumed to be a cylindrical torus specified by the inner and outer radii and the height. While the covering factor of the scattering region affects the overall strengths of the wings, the wing widths are primarily dependent on the neutral hydrogen column density $N_{\rm HI}$ being roughly proportional to $N_{\rm HI}^{1/2}$. In particular, with $N_{\rm HI}=10^{23}{\rm\ cm^{-2}}$ the H$α$ wings typically show a width $\sim 2\times 10^4{\rm\ km\ s^{-1}}$. We also find that H$α$ and Pa$α$ wing profiles are asymmetric with the red part stronger than the blue part and an opposite behavior is seen for H$β$ wings.

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arXiv2013

X-Ray Grating Observations of Recurrent Nova T Pyxidis During The 2011 Outburst

The recurrent nova T Pyx was observed with the X-ray gratings of Chandra and XMM-Newton, 210 and 235 days, respectively, after the discovery of the 2011 April 14 outburst. The X-ray spectra show prominent emission lines of C, N, and O, with broadening corresponding to a full width at half maximum of ~2000-3000 km/s, and line ratios consistent with high-density plasma in collisional ionization equilibrium. On day 210 we also measured soft X-ray continuum emission that appears to be consistent with a white dwarf (WD) atmosphere at a temperature ~420,000 K, partially obscured by anisotropic, optically thick ejecta. The X-ray continuum emission is modulated with the photometric and spectroscopic period observed in quiescence. The continuum at day 235 indicated a WD atmosphere at a consistent effective temperature of 25 days earlier, but with a lower flux. The effective temperature indicates a mass of ~1 solar mass. The conclusion of partial WD obscuration is supported by the complex geometry of non-spherically-symmetric ejecta confirmed in recent optical spectra obtained with the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) in November and December of 2012. These spectra exhibited prominent [O III] nebular lines with velocity structures typical of bipolar ejecta.

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