arXiv subjects

J. Bland-Hawthorn

Publications and source records attributed to J. Bland-Hawthorn.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

arXiv2010

Double-lined Spectroscopic Binary Stars in the Radial Velocity Experiment Survey

We devise a new method for the detection of double-lined binary stars in a sample of the Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) survey spectra. The method is both tested against extensive simulations based on synthetic spectra, and compared to direct visual inspection of all RAVE spectra. It is based on the properties and shape of the cross-correlation function, and is able to recover ~80% of all binaries with an orbital period of order 1 day. Systems with periods up to 1 year are still within the detection reach. We have applied the method to 25,850 spectra of the RAVE second data release and found 123 double-lined binary candidates, only eight of which are already marked as binaries in the SIMBAD database. Among the candidates, there are seven that show spectral features consistent with the RS CVn type (solar type with active chromosphere) and seven that might be of W UMa type (over-contact binaries). One star, HD 101167, seems to be a triple system composed of three nearly identical G-type dwarfs. The tested classification method could also be applicable to the data of the upcoming Gaia mission.

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arXiv2010

The Civ line width distribution for quasars and its implications for broad-line region dynamics and virial mass estimation

We perform an extensive analysis of the Civ line in three large spectroscopic surveys of quasars. Differing approaches for fitting the Civ line can be found in the literature, and we compare the most common methods to highlight the relative systematics associated with each. We develop a line fitting procedure and apply it to the Civ line in spectra from the SDSS, 2QZ and 2SLAQ surveys. Our results are compared with a previous study of the Mgii line in the same sample. Civ tends to be broader than the Mgii line in spectra that have both, and the average ratio between the lines is consistent with a simplistic model for a photoionised, virialised and stratified broad-line region. There is a statistically significant correlation between the widths of the Civ and Mgii lines. However, the correlation is weak, and the scatter around a best fit is only marginally less than the full dynamic range of line widths. Motivated by previous work, we examine the dispersion in the distribution of Civ line widths. We find that the dispersion in Civ line widths is essentially independent of both redshift and luminosity. This is in stark contrast to the Mgii line, which shows a strong luminosity dependence. Finally we consider our results in terms of their implications for virial black hole mass estimation. The inconsistency between Mgii and Civ line widths in single spectra, combined with the differing behaviour of the Mgii and Civ line width distributions, indicates that there must be an inconsistency between Mgii and Civ virial mass estimators. Furthermore, the level of intrinsic dispersion in Mgii and Civ line widths contributes less dynamic range to virial mass estimates than the error associated with the estimates. The indication is that the line width term in these UV virial mass estimators may be essentially irrelevant with respect to the typical uncertainty on a mass estimate.

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arXiv2010

Distance determination for RAVE stars using stellar models

(Abridged) Aims:We develop a method for deriving distances from spectroscopic data and obtaining full 6D phase-space coordinates for the RAVE survey's second data release. Methods: We used stellar models combined with atmospheric properties from RAVE (Teff, logg and [Fe/H]) and (J-Ks) photometry from archival sources to derive absolute magnitudes. We are able to derive the full 6D phase-space coordinates for a large sample of RAVE stars. This method is tested with artificial data, Hipparcos trigonometric parallaxes and observations of the open cluster M67. Results: When we applied our method to a set of 16 146 stars, we found that 25% (4 037) of the stars have relative (statistical) distance errors of < 35%, while 50% (8 073) and 75% (12 110) have relative (statistical) errors smaller than 45% and 50%, respectively. Our various tests show that we can reliably estimate distances for main-sequence stars, but there is an indication of potential systematic problems with giant stars. For the main-sequence star sample (defined as those with log(g) > 4), 25% (1 744) have relative distance errors < 31%, while 50% (3 488) and 75% (5 231) have relative errors smaller than 36% and 42%, respectively. Our full dataset shows the expected decrease in the metallicity of stars as a function of distance from the Galactic plane. The known kinematic substructures in the U and V velocity components of nearby dwarf stars are apparent in our dataset, confirming the accuracy of our data and the reliability of our technique. We provide independent measurements of the orientation of the UV velocity ellipsoid and of the solar motion, and they are in very good agreement with previous work. Conclusions: The distance catalogue for the RAVE second data release is available at http://www.astro.rug.nl/~rave

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arXiv2010

Evidence of Early Enrichment of the Galactic Disk by Large-Scale Winds

Large-scale homogeneous surveys of Galactic stars may indicate that the elemental abundance gradient evolves with cosmic time, a phenomenon that was not foreseen in existing models of Galactic chemical evolution (GCE). If the phenomenon is confirmed in future studies, we show that this effect, at least in part, is due to large-scale winds that once enriched the disk. These set up the steep abundance gradient in the inner disk (R <14 kpc). At the close of the wind phase, chemical enrichment through accretion of metal-poor material from the halo onto the disk gradually reduced the metallicity of the inner region, whereas a slow increase in the metallicity proceeded beyond the solar circle. Our "wind+infall" model accounts for flattening of the abundance gradient in the inner disk, in good agreement with observations. Accordingly, we propose that enrichment by large-scale winds is a crucial factor for chemical evolution in the disk. We anticipate that rapid flattening of the abundance gradient is the hallmarks of disk galaxies with significant central bulges.

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arXiv2010

3D Integral Field Observations of Ten Galactic Winds - I. Extended phase (>10 Myr) of mass/energy injection before the wind blows

We present 3D spectroscopic observations of a sample of 10 nearby galaxies with the AAOmega-SPIRAL integral field spectrograph on the 3.9m AAT, the largest survey of its kind to date. The double-beam spectrograph provides spatial maps in a range of spectral diagnostics: [OIII] 5007, H-beta, Mg-b, NaD, [OI] 6300, H-alpha, [NII] 6583, [SII] 6717, 6731. All of the objects in our survey show extensive wind-driven filamentation along the minor axis, in addition to large-scale disk rotation. Our sample can be divided into either starburst galaxies or active galactic nuclei (AGN), although some objects appear to be a combination of these. The total ionizing photon budget available to both classes of galaxies is sufficient to ionise all of the wind-blown filamentation out to large radius. We find however that while AGN photoionisation always dominates in the wind filaments, this is not the case in starburst galaxies where shock ionisation dominates. This clearly indicates that after the onset of star formation, there is a substantial delay (> 10 Myr) before a starburst wind develops. We show why this behavior is expected by deriving ``ionisation'' and dynamical timescales for both AGNs and starbursts. We establish a sequence of events that lead to the onset of a galactic wind. The clear signature provided by the ionisation timescale is arguably the strongest evidence yet that the starburst phenomenon is an impulsive event. A well-defined ionisation timescale is not expected in galaxies with a protracted history of circumnuclear star formation. Our 3D data provide important templates for comparisons with high redshift galaxies.[Abridged]

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arXiv2010

An upper limit to the dry merger rate at ~ 0.55

We measure the fraction of Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs) in dynamically close pairs (with projected separation less than 20 $h^{-1}$ kpc and velocity difference less than 500 km s$^{-1}$) to estimate the dry merger rate for galaxies with $-23 < M(r)_{k+e,z=0.2} +5 \log h < -21.5$ and $0.45 < z < 0.65$ in the 2dF-SDSS LRG and QSO (2SLAQ) redshift survey. For galaxies with a luminosity ratio of $1:4$ or greater we determine a $5σ$ upper limit to the merger fraction of 1.0% and a merger rate of $< 0.8 \times 10^{-5}$ Mpc$^{-3}$ Gyr$^{-1}$ (assuming that all pairs merge on the shortest possible timescale set by dynamical friction). This is significantly smaller than predicted by theoretical models and suggests that major dry mergers do not contribute to the formation of the red sequence at $z < 0.7$.

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arXiv2009

Outlying HII Regions in HI-Selected Galaxies

We present results from the first systematic search for outlying HII regions, as part of a sample of 96 emission-line point sources (referred to as ELdots - emission-line dots) derived from the NOAO Survey for Ionization in Neutral Gas Galaxies (SINGG). Our automated ELdot-finder searches SINGG narrow-band and continuum images for high equivalent width point sources outside the optical radius of the target galaxy (> 2 X r25 in the R-band). Follow-up longslit spectroscopy and deep GALEX images (exposure time > 1000 s) distinguish outlying HII regions from background galaxies whose strong emission lines ([OIII], Hbeta or [OII]) have been redshifted into the SINGG bandpass. We find that these deep GALEX images can serve as a substitute for spectroscopic follow-up because outlying HII regions separate cleanly from background galaxies in color-color space. We identify seven SINGG systems with outlying massive star formation that span a large range in Halpha luminosities corresponding to a few O stars in the most nearby cases, and unresolved dwarf satellite companion galaxies in the most distant cases. Six of these seven systems feature galaxies with nearby companions or interacting galaxies. Furthermore, our results indicate that some outlying HII regions are linked to the extended-UV disks discovered by GALEX, representing emission from the most massive O stars among a more abundant population of lower mass (or older) star clusters. The overall frequency of outlying HII regions in this sample of gas-rich galaxies is 8 - 11% when we correct for background emission-line galaxy contamination (~75% of ELdots).

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arXiv2009

MMTF: The Maryland-Magellan Tunable Filter

This paper describes the Maryland-Magellan Tunable Filter (MMTF) on the Magellan-Baade 6.5-meter telescope. MMTF is based on a 150-mm clear aperture Fabry-Perot (FP) etalon that operates in low orders and provides transmission bandpass and central wavelength adjustable from ~5 to ~15 A and from ~5000 to over ~9200 A, respectively. It is installed in the Inamori Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph (IMACS) and delivers an image quality of ~0.5" over a field of view of 27' in diameter (monochromatic over ~10'). This versatile and easy-to-operate instrument has been used over the past three years for a wide variety of projects. This paper first reviews the basic principles of FP tunable filters, then provides a detailed description of the hardware and software associated with MMTF and the techniques developed to observe with this instrument and reduce the data. The main lessons learned in the course of the commissioning and implementation of MMTF are highlighted next, before concluding with a brief outlook on the future of MMTF and of similar facilities which are soon coming on line.

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arXiv2009

The Smith Cloud: high-velocity accretion and dark-matter confinement

The Smith Cloud is a massive system of metal-poor neutral and ionized gas M_gas >= 2x10^6 M_sun) that is presently moving at high velocity (V_GSR ~300 km s^-1) with respect to the Galaxy at a distance of 12 kpc from the Sun. The kinematics of the cloud's cometary tail indicates that the gas is in the process of accretion onto the Galaxy, as first discussed by Lockman et al. (2008). Here, we re-investigate the cloud's orbit by considering the possibility that the cloud is confined by a dark matter halo. This is required for the cloud to survive its passage through the Galactic corona. We consider three possible models for the dark matter halo (NFW, Einasto, Burkert) including the effects of tidal disruption and ram-pressure stripping during the cloud's infall onto and passage through the Galactic disk. For the NFW and Einasto dark-matter models, we are able to determine reasonable initial conditions for the Smith Cloud, although this is only marginally possible with the Burkert model. For all three models, the progenitor had an initial (gas+dark matter) mass that was an order of magnitude higher than inferred today. In agreement with Lockman et al. (2008), the cloud appears to have punched through the disk ~70 Myr ago. For our most successful models, the baryon to dark matter ratio is fairly constant during an orbital period but drops by a factor of 2-5 after transiting the disk. The cloud appears to have only marginally survived its transit, and is unlikely to retain its integrity during the next transit ~30 Myr from now.

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arXiv2009

Characterization and on-sky demonstration of an integrated photonic spectrograph for astronomy

We present results from the first on-sky demonstration of a prototype astronomical integrated photonic spectrograph (IPS) using the Anglo-Australian Telescope near-infrared imaging spectrometer (IRIS2) at Siding Spring Observatory to observe atmospheric molecular OH emission lines. We have succeeded in detecting upwards of 27 lines, and demonstrated the practicality of the IPS device for astronomy. Furthermore, we present a laboratory characterization of the device, which is a modified version of a commercial arrayed-waveguide grating multiplexer. We measure the spectral resolution full-width-half-maximum to be 0.75+/-0.05nm (giving R = 2100+/-150 at 1500nm). We find the free spectral range to be 57.4+/-0.6nm and the peak total efficiency to be ~65%. Finally, we briefly discuss the future steps required to realize an astronomical instrument based on this technology concept.

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arXiv2009

The Search for Celestial Positronium via the Recombination Spectrum

Positronium is the short-lived atom consisting of a bound electron-positron pair. In the triplet state, when the spins of both particles are parallel, radiative recombination lines will be emitted prior to annihilation. The existence of celestial positronium is revealed through gamma-ray observations of its annihilation products. These observations however have intrinsically low angular resolution. In this paper we examine the prospects for detecting the positronium recombination spectrum. Such observations have the potential to reveal discrete sources of positrons for the first time and will allow the acuity of optical telescopes and instrumentation to be applied to observations of high energy phenomena. We review the theory of the positronium recombination spectrum and provide formulae to calculate expected line strengths from the positrons production rate and for different conditions in the interstellar medium. We estimate the positronium emission line strengths for several classes of Galactic and extragalactic sources. These are compared to current observational limits and to current and future sensitivities of optical and infrared instrumentation. We find that observations of the Ps-alpha line should soon be possible due to recent advances in near-infrared spectroscopy.

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arXiv2009

Starburst-Driven Galactic Winds: Filament Formation and Emission Processes

We have performed a series of three-dimensional simulations of the interaction of a supersonic wind with a non-spherical radiative cloud. These simulations are motivated by our recent three-dimensional model of a starburst-driven galactic wind interacting with an inhomogeneous disk, which show that an optically emitting filament can be formed by the break-up and acceleration of a cloud into a supersonic wind. In this study we consider the evolution of a cloud with two different geometries (fractal and spherical) and investigate the importance of radiative cooling on the cloud's survival. We have also undertaken a comprehensive resolution study in order to ascertain the effect of the assumed numerical resolution on the results. We find that the ability of the cloud to radiate heat is crucial for its survival. While an adiabatic cloud is destroyed over a short period of time, a radiative cloud is broken up via the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability into numerous small, dense cloudlets, which are drawn into the flow to form a filamentary structure. The degree of fragmentation is highly dependent on the resolution of the simulation, with the number of cloudlets formed increasing as the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is better resolved. Nevertheless, there is a clear qualitative trend, with the filamentary structure still persistent at high resolution. We confirm the mechanism behind the formation of the H-alpha emitting filaments found in our global simulations of a starburst-driven wind. Based on our resolution study, we conclude that bow shocks around accelerated gas clouds, and their interaction, are the main source of the soft X-ray emission observed in these galactic-scale winds. [ABRIDGED]

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arXiv2009

RAVE spectroscopy of luminous blue variables in the Large Magellanic Cloud

CONTEXT: The RAVE spectroscopic survey for galactic structure and evolution obtains 8400-8800 Ang spectra at 7500 resolving power at the UK Schmidt Telescope using the 6dF multi-fiber positioner. More than 300,000 9 25 deg southern stars have been observed to date. AIMS: This paper presents the first intrinsic examination of stellar spectra from the RAVE survey, aimed at evaluating their diagnostic potential for peculiar stars and at contributing to the general understanding of Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs). METHODS: We used the multi-epoch spectra for all seven LBVs observed, between 2005 and 2008, in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) by the RAVE survey. RESULTS: We demonstrate that RAVE spectra possess significant diagnostic potential when applied to peculiar stars and, in particular, LBVs. The behaviour of the radial velocities for both emission and absorption lines, and the spectral changes between outburst and quiescence states are described and found to agree with evidence gathered at more conventional wavelengths. The wind outflow signatures and their variability are investigated, with multi-components detected in S Doradus. Photoionisation modelling of the rich emission line spectrum of R 127 shows evidence of a massive detached ionised shell that was ejected during the 1982-2000 outburst. Surface inhomogeneities in the nuclear-processed material, brought to the surface by heavy mass loss, could have been observed in S Doradus, even if alternative explanations are possible. We also detect the transition from quiescence to outburst state in R 71. Finally, our spectrum of R 84 offers one of the clearest views of its cool companion.

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arXiv2009

The Science Case for PILOT III: the Nearby Universe

PILOT (the Pathfinder for an International Large Optical Telescope is a proposed 2.5 m optical/infrared telescope to be located at DomeC on the Antarctic plateau. The atmospheric conditions at Dome C deliver a high sensitivity, high photometric precision, wide-field, high spatial resolution, and high-cadence imaging capability to the PILOT telescope. These capabilities enable a unique scientific potential for PILOT, which is addressed in this series of papers. The current paper presents a series of projects dealing with the nearby Universe that have been identified as key science drivers for the PILOT facility. Several projects are proposed that examine stellar populations in nearby galaxies and stellar clusters in order to gain insight into the formation and evolution processes of galaxies and stars. A series of projects will investigate the molecular phase of the Galaxy and explore the ecology of star formation, and investigate the formation processes of stellar and planetary systems. Three projects in the field of exoplanet science are proposed: a search for free-floating low-mass planets and dwarfs, a program of follow-up observations of gravitational microlensing events, and a study of infrared light-curves for previously discovered exoplanets. Three projects are also proposed in the field of planetary and space science: optical and near-infrared studies aimed at characterising planetary atmospheres, a study of coronal mass ejections from the Sun, and a monitoring program searching for small-scale Low Earth Orbit satellite debris items.

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arXiv2009

The Science Case for PILOT I: Summary and Overview

PILOT (the Pathfinder for an International Large Optical Telescope) is a proposed 2.5 m optical/infrared telescope to be located at Dome C on the Antarctic plateau. Conditions at Dome C are known to be exceptional for astronomy. The seeing (above ~30 m height), coherence time, and isoplanatic angle are all twice s good as at typical mid-latitude sites, while the water-vapour column, and the atmosphere and telescope thermal emission are all an order of magnitude better. These conditions enable a unique scientific capability for PILOT, which is addressed in this series of papers. The current paper presents an overview of the optical and instrumentation suite for PILO and its expected performance, a summary of the key science goals and observational approach for the facility, a discussion of the synergies between the science goals for PILOT and other telescopes, and a discussion of the future of Antarctic astronomy. Paper II and Paper III present details of the science projects divided, respectively, between the distant Universe (i.e., studies of first light, and the assembly and evolution of structure) and the nearby Universe (i.e., studies of Local Group galaxies, the Milky Way, and the Solar System).

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arXiv2009

Evidence for a Non-Uniform Initial Mass Function in the Local Universe

Many results in modern astrophysics rest on the notion that the Initial Mass Function (IMF) is universal. Our observations of HI selected galaxies in the light of H-alpha and the far-ultraviolet (FUV) challenge this notion. The flux ratio H-alpha/FUV from these two star formation tracers shows strong correlations with the surface-brightness in H-alpha and the R band: Low Surface Brightness (LSB) galaxies have lower ratios compared to High Surface Brightness galaxies and to expectations from equilibrium star formation models using commonly favored IMF parameters. Weaker but significant correlations of H-alpha/FUV with luminosity, rotational velocity and dynamical mass are found as well as a systematic trend with morphology. The correlated variations of H-alpha/FUV with other global parameters are thus part of the larger family of galaxy scaling relations. The H-alpha/FUV correlations can not be due to dust correction errors, while systematic variations in the star formation history can not explain the trends with both H-alpha and R surface brightness. LSB galaxies are unlikely to have a higher escape fraction of ionizing photons considering their high gas fraction, and color-magnitude diagrams. The most plausible explanation for the correlations are systematic variations of the upper mass limit and/or slope of the IMF at the upper end. We outline a scenario of pressure driving the correlations by setting the efficiency of the formation of the dense star clusters where the highest mass stars form. Our results imply that the star formation rate measured in a galaxy is highly sensitive to the tracer used in the measurement. A non-universal IMF also calls into question the interpretation of metal abundance patterns in dwarf galaxies and star formation histories derived from color magnitude diagrams. Abridged.

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arXiv2009

Astrophotonics: a new era for astronomical instruments

Astrophotonics lies at the interface of astronomy and photonics. This burgeoning field -- now formally recognized by the optics community -- has emerged over the past decade in response to the increasing demands of astronomical instrumentation. Early successes include: (i) planar waveguides to combine signals from widely spaced telescopes in stellar interferometry; (ii) frequency combs for ultra-high precision spectroscopy to detect planets around nearby stars; (iii) ultra-broadband fibre Bragg gratings to suppress unwanted background; (iv) photonic lanterns that allow single-mode behaviour within a multimode fibre; (v) planar waveguides to miniaturize astronomical spectrographs; (vi) large mode area fibres to generate artificial stars in the upper atmosphere for adaptive optics correction; (vii) liquid crystal polymers in optical vortex coronographs and adaptive optics systems. Astrophotonics, a field that has already created new photonic capabilities, is now extending its reach down to the Rayleigh scattering limit at ultraviolet wavelengths, and out to mid infrared wavelengths beyond 2500nm.

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arXiv2009

Warm gas accretion onto the Galaxy

We present evidence that the accretion of warm gas onto the Galaxy today is at least as important as cold gas accretion. For more than a decade, the source of the bright H-alpha emission (up to 750 mR) along the Magellanic Stream has remained a mystery. We present a hydrodynamical model that explains the known properties of the H-alpha emission and provides new insights on the lifetime of the Stream clouds. The upstream clouds are gradually disrupted due to their interaction with the hot halo gas. The clouds that follow plough into gas ablated from the upstream clouds, leading to shock ionisation at the leading edges of the downstream clouds. Since the following clouds also experience ablation, and weaker H-alpha (100-200 mR) is quite extensive, a disruptive cascade must be operating along much of the Stream. In order to light up much of the Stream as observed, it must have a small angle of attack (~20 deg) to the halo, and this may already find support in new HI observations. Another prediction is that the Balmer ratio will be substantially enhanced due to the slow shock. We find that the clouds are evolving on timescales of 100-200 Myr, such that the Stream must be replenished by the Magellanic Clouds at a fairly constant rate (>0.1 Msun/yr). The ablated material falls onto the Galaxy as a warm drizzle; diffuse ionized gas at 10^4 K is an important constituent of galactic accretion. We consider the stability of HI clouds falling towards the Galactic disk and show that most of these must break down into smaller fragments that become partially ionized. The Galactic halo is expected to have huge numbers of smaller neutral and ionized fragments. When the ionized component is accounted for, the rate of gas accretion is ~0.4 Msun/yr, roughly twice the rate deduced from HI observations alone.

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