arXiv subjects

M. Latif

Publications and source records attributed to M. Latif.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

SKA$-$VLBI view of AGN jets in the early Universe

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are among the brightest sources in the Universe, and those that are also jetted are uniquely valuable at the earliest epochs, because their relativistic outflows can regulate the gas supply of their host galaxies, potentially affecting both early star formation and the rapid growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Their compact, high-brightness-temperature radio cores provide the sharpest beacons for very long baseline interferometry (VLBI), enabling direct constraints on Doppler boosting, jet duty cycles, and jet$-$environment coupling at extreme redshifts. In this White Paper, we discuss how the SKA-VLBI will provide sub-$\mu$Jy sensitivity together with milliarcsecond (mas) angular resolution to image and characterise jetted AGN at $z>6$ across SKA-Mid and SKA-Low frequencies. These observations can directly test SMBHs ($>10^6$ M$_{\odot}$) formation/evolution models (including jet-assisted super-Eddington phases) and infer the geometry of the Universe, directly probing the cosmological framework at high precision. Synergies with current and next-generation multi-band facilities will also be crucial to fully understand their host galaxies and their environment, providing an unprecedented panchromatic knowledge of the first jetted AGN.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Origin of supermassive black holes in massive metal-poor protoclusters

While large numbers of supermassive black holes have been detected at z>6, their origin is still essentially unclear. Numerical simulations have shown that the conditions for the classical direct collapse scenario are very restrictive and fragmentation is very difficult to be avoided. We thus consider here a more general case of a dense massive protostar cluster at low metallicity (<~ 10^{-3} Z_solar) embedded in gas. We estimate the mass of the central massive object, formed via collisions and gas accretion, considering the extreme cases of a logarithmically flat and a Salpeter-type initial mass function. Objects with masses of at least 10^4 solar could be formed for inefficient radiative feedback, whereas ~10^3 solar mass objects could be formed when the accretion time is limited via feedback. These masses will vary depending on the environment and could be considerably larger, particularly due to the continuous infall of gas into the cloud. As a result, one may form intermediate mass black holes of ~ 10^4 solar masses or more. Upcoming observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and other observatories may help to detect such massive black holes and their environment, thereby shedding additional light on such a formation channel.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Fine Structure of the Isovector Giant Dipole Resonance in $^{142-150}$Nd and $^{152}$Sm

Background: Inelastic proton scattering at energies of a few hundred MeV and very-forward angles including $0^\circ$ has been established as a tool to study electric-dipole strength distributions in nuclei. The present work reports a systematic investigation of the chain of stable even-mass Nd isotopes representing a transition from spherical to quadrupole-deformed nuclei. Purpose: Extraction of the equivalent photo-absorption cross sections and analysis of their fine structure in the energy region of the IsoVector Giant Dipole Resonance (IVGDR). Method: Proton inelastic scattering reactions of 200 MeV protons were measured at iThemba LABS in Cape Town, South Africa. The scattering products were momentum-analysed by the K600 magnetic spectrometer positioned at $θ_{\mathrm{Lab}}=0^\circ$. Using dispersion-matching techniques, energy resolutions of $ΔE \approx 40 - 50$ keV were obtained. After subtraction of background and contributions from other multipoles, the spectra were converted to photo-absorption cross sections using the equivalent virtual-photon method. Results: Wavelet-analysis techniques are used to extract characteristic energy scales of the fine structure of the IVGDR from the experimental data. Comparisons with the Quasiparticle-Phonon Model (QPM) and Skyrme Separable Random Phase Approximation (SSRPA) predictions provide insight into the role of different giant resonance damping mechanisms. Conclusions: Fine structure is observed even for the most deformed nuclei studied. Fragmentation of the one particle-one hole ($1p1h$) strength seems to be the main source of fine structure in both spherical and deformed nuclei. Some impact of the spreading due to coupling of the two particle-two hole ($2p2h$) states to the $1p1h$ doorway states is seen in the spherical/transitional nuclei, where calculations beyond the $1p1h$ level are available.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

Deformation dependence of the isovector giant dipole resonance: The neodymium isotopic chain revisited

Proton inelastic scattering experiments at energy E_p = 200 MeV and a spectrometer scattering angle of 0 degree were performed on 144,146,148,150Nd and 152Sm exciting the IsoVector Giant Dipole Resonance (IVGDR). Comparison with results from photo-absorption experiments reveals a shift of resonance maxima towards higher energies for vibrational and transitional nuclei. The extracted photo-absorption cross sections in the most deformed nuclei, 150Nd and 152Sm, exhibit a pronounced asymmetry rather than a distinct double-hump structure expected as a signature of K-splitting. This behaviour can be related to the proximity of these nuclei to the critical point of the phase shape transition from vibrators to rotors with a soft quadrupole deformation potential. Self-consistent random-phase approximation (RPA) calculations using the SLy6 Skyrme force provide a relevant description of the IVGDR shapes deduced from the present data

nucl-ex↗