arXiv subjects

R. Scarpa

Publications and source records attributed to R. Scarpa.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

The evolution of Radio Loud Quasar host galaxies: AO observations at z = 3

We report on ESO--VLT adaptive optics imaging of one radio-loud quasar at z $\sim$ 3. In spite of the large distance of the object we are able to detect its surrounding extended nebulosity the properties of which are consistent with an underlying massive galaxy of M$_K$ $\sim$ --27 and effective radius R$_e$ = 7 kpc. As far as we know this is the clearest detection of a radio loud quasar host at high redshift. The host luminosity is indicative of the existence of massive spheroids even at this early cosmic epoch. The host luminosity is about 1 magnitude fainter than the expected value based on the average trend of the host galaxies of RLQ at lower redshift. The result, which however is based on a single object, suggests that at z $\sim$ 3 there is a deviation from a luminosity--redshift dependence regulated only by passive evolution.

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arXiv2004

VLT adaptive optics imaging of QSO host galaxies and close environment at z ~2.5: results from a pilot program

We report ESO-VLT near-infrared adaptive optics imaging of one radio-loud (PKS 0113-283) and two radio-quiet (Q 0045-3337 and Q 0101-337) QSOs at z > 2. In the first case, we are able to resolve the QSO and find that it is hosted by an elliptical of absolute magnitude M(K) = -27.6. For the other two objects, no extended emission has been unambiguously detected. This result, though restricted to a single object, extends up to z ~2.5 the finding that cosmic evolution of radio-loud QSO hosts follows the trend expected for luminous and massive spheroids undergoing passive evolution. For Q 0045-3337, our high resolution images show that it is located 1.2 arcsec from a K = 17.5 foreground disc galaxy, which may act as a gravitational lens, since the QSO most probably lies within the galaxy Einstein radius.

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arXiv2004

ESO-VLT optical spectroscopy of BL Lac objects: I. new redshifts

We report redshift measurements for 12 BL Lacertae objects from a program aimed at obtaining high signal to noise (up to ~ 500) optical spectroscopy of a mixed sample of objects. The new observations, gathered with the 8 m ESO Very Large Telescope, allowed us to detect weak spectral features down to a line equivalent width as small as ~ 1 Angstrom. The new redshifts fall in the 0.2-1.3 interval. For nine objects we observe emission lines from the active nucleus. In the remaining three cases absorption lines from the host galaxy are found. For two objects we also detect absorption lines from intervening systems.

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arXiv2004

The nature of close companions of the BL Lac Objects 1ES 0502+675 and 1ES 1440+122

We report on deep radio images and optical spectroscopy of two BL Lac objects that have very close compact companions. The two targets, 1ES 0502+675 and 1ES 1440+122, were selected from the HST imaging survey of 110 BL Lacs as candidates for possible gravitational lensing. The new observations clearly demonstrate that the companion objects are not secondary images of the active nuclei but, in spite of the relatively low chance projection probability, foreground Galactic stars. Gravitational lensing appears to be unimportant to the BL Lac phenomenon. We discuss the radio properties of the BL Lac objects in the context of standard beaming models, and show they are as expected for beamed FRI radio galaxies.

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arXiv2004

Jets from Sub-Parsec to Kiloparsec Scales: A Physical Connection

The Chandra discovery of bright X-ray emission from kpc-scale jets allows insight into the physical parameters of the jet flow at large scale. At the opposite extreme, extensive studies of the inner relativistic jets in Blazars with multiwavelength observations, yield comparable information on sub-parsec scales. In the framework of simple radiation models for the emission regions we compare the physical parameters of jets on these two very different scales in the only two well studied Blazars for which large-scale emission has been resolved by Chandra. Notably, we find that the relativistic Doppler factors and powers derived independently at the two scales are consistent, suggesting that the jet does not suffer severe deceleration or dissipation. Moreover the internal equipartition pressures in the inner jet and in the external X-ray bright knots scale inversely with the jet cross section as expected in the simple picture of a freely expanding jet in equipartition.

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arXiv2003

The cosmic evolution of quasar host galaxies

We present near-infrared imaging of the host galaxies of 17 quasars in the redshift range 1 < z < 2, carried out at the ESO VLT UT1 8m telescope under excellent seeing conditions (~0.4 arcsec). The sample includes radio-loud (RLQ) and radio-quiet (RQQ) quasars with similar distribution of redshift and optical luminosity. For all the observed objects but one we have derived the global properties of the surrounding nebulosity. The host galaxies of both types of quasars follow the expected trend in luminosity of massive ellipticals undergoing simple passive evolution, but there is a systematic difference by a factor ~2 in the host luminosity between RLQs and RQQs (M_K(RLQ) = -27.55 +- 0.12 and M_K(RQQ) = -26.83 +- 0.25). Comparison with quasar hosts at similar and lower redshift indicates that the difference in the host luminosity between RLQs and RQQs remains the same from z = 2 to the present epoch. No significant correlation is found between the nuclear and the host luminosities. Assuming that the host luminosity is proportional to the black hole mass, as observed in nearby massive spheroids, these quasars emit at very different levels (spread \~1.5dex) with respect to their Eddington luminosity and with the same distribution for RLQs and RQQs. Apart from a factor of ~2 difference in luminosity, the hosts of RLQs and RQQs appear to follow the same cosmic evolution as massive inactive spheroids. Our results support a view where nuclear activity can occur in all luminous ellipticals without producing a significant change in their global properties and evolution. Quasar hosts appear to be already well formed at z ~2, in disagreement with models for the joint formation and evolution of galaxies and active nuclei based on the hierarchical structure formation scenario.

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arXiv2002

Broad-band continuum and line emission of the gamma-ray blazar PKS 0537-441

PKS 0537-441, a bright gamma-ray emitting blazar, was observed at radio, optical, UV and X-ray frequencies during various EGRET pointings, often quasi-simultaneously. In 1995 the object was found in an intense emission state at all wavelengths. BeppoSAX observations made in 1998, non-simultaneously with exposures at other frequencies, allow us to characterize precisely the spectral shape of the high energy blazar component, which we attribute to inverse Compton scattering. The optical-to-gamma-ray spectral energy distributions at the different epochs show that the gamma-ray luminosity dominates the bolometric output. This, together with the presence of optical and UV line emission, suggests that, besides the synchrotron self-Compton mechanism, the Compton upscattering of photons external to the jet (e.g., in the broad line region) may have a significant role for high energy radiation. The multiwavelength variability can be reproduced by changes of the plasma bulk Lorentz factor. The spectrum secured by IUE in 1995 appears to be partially absorbed shortward of ~1700 A. However, this signature is not detected in the HST spectrum taken during a lower state of the source. The presence of intervening absorbers is not supported by optical imaging and spectroscopy of the field.

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arXiv2002

The Fundamental Plane of Radio Galaxies

We collected photometrical and dynamical data for 73 low red-shift (z<0.2) Radio Galaxies (LzRG) in order to study their Fundamental Plane (FP). For 22 sources we also present new velocity dispersion data, that complement the photometric data given in our previous study of LzRG (Govoni et al. 2000a). It is found that the FP of LzRG is similar to the one defined by non-active elliptical galaxies, with LzRG representing the brightest end of the population of early type galaxies. Since the FP mainly reflects the virial equilibrium condition, our result implies that the global properties of early--type galaxies (defining the FP) are not influenced by the presence of gas accretion in the central black hole. This is fully in agreement with the recent results in black hole demography, showing that virtually all luminous spheroidal galaxies host a massive black hole and therefore may potentially become active. We confirm and extend to giant ellipticals the systematic increase of the mass-to-light ratio with galaxy luminosity.

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arXiv2002

A survey of extended radio jets in AGN with Chandra and HST: First Results

We present the first results from an X-ray and optical survey of a sample of AGN radio jets with Chandra and HST. We focus here on the first six sources observed at X-rays, in four of which a bright X-ray jet was detected for the first time. In three out of four cases optical emission from the jet is also detected in our HST images. We compare the X-ray morphology with the radio as derived from improved processing of archival VLA data and we construct spectral energy distributions (SED) for the most conspicuous emission knots. In most cases the SEDs, together with the similarity of the X-ray and radio morphologies, favor an inverse Compton origin of the X-rays. The most likely origin of the seed photons is the Cosmic Microwave Background, implying the jets are still relativistic on kiloparsec scales. However, in the first knot of the PKS 1136-135 jet, X-rays are likely produced via the synchrotron process. In all four cases bulk Lorentz factors of a few are required. The radio maps of the two jets not detected by either Chandra or HST suggest that they are less beamed at large scales than the other four detected sources. Our results demonstrate that, at the sensitivity and resolution of Chandra, X-ray emission from extragalactic jets is common, yielding essential information on their physical properties.

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arXiv2001

Host galaxies, BH masses and Eddington ratio of radio-loud AGNs

We compare the host galaxies properties of BL Lac objects with those of radio loud quasars (RLQs) imaged by the WFPC2 on board of HST. The considered objects (z<0.5) are always well resolved and their host galaxies satisfactorily modelled by ellipticals. After homogeneous treatment of the data we find RLQs hosts are systematically more luminous (by ~0.7 mag) with respect to the hosts of BL Lacs. Using the M_BH - L_bulge relation, derived for nearby elliptical galaxies, we have evaluated the central black hole masses of our sample of active galaxies. These data are discussed in conjunction with the nuclear luminosity and the Eddington ratio.

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arXiv2001

Detection of an X-ray jet in 3C 371 with Chandra

We report the detection at X-rays of the radio/optical jet of 3C 371, from a short (10 ks) Chandra exposure in March 2000. We also present a new MERLIN observation at 1.4 GHz together with a renalysis of the archival HST WFPC2 F555W image. Despite the limited signal-to-noise ratio of the Chandra data, the X-ray morphology is clearly different from that of the radio/optical emission, with the brightest X-ray knot at 1.7" from the nucleus and little X-ray emission from the brightest radio/optical knot at 3.1". We construct the spectral energy distributions for the two emission regions at 1.7" and 3.1". Both show that the X-ray flux is below the extrapolation from the radio-to-optical continuum, suggesting moderately beamed synchrotron from an electron population with decreasing high energy cut-off as a plausible emission mechanism.

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arXiv2001

Chandra Observations of the X-Ray Jet of 3C273

We report results from Chandra observations of the X-ray jet of 3C~273 during the calibration phase in 2000 January. The zeroeth-order images and spectra from two 40-ks exposures with the HETG and LETG+ACIS-S show a complex X-ray structure. The brightest optical knots are detected and resolved in the 0.2-8 keV energy band. The X-ray morphology tracks well the optical. However, while the X-ray brightness decreases along the jet, the outer parts of the jet tend to be increasingly bright with increasing wavelength. The spectral energy distributions of four selected regions can best be explained by inverse Compton scattering of (beamed) cosmic microwave background photons. The model parameters are compatible with equipartition and a moderate Doppler factor, which is consistent with the one-sidedness of the jet. Alternative models either imply implausible physical conditions and energetics (the synchrotron self-Compton model) or are sufficiently ad hoc to be unconstrained by the present data (synchrotron radiation from a spatially or temporally distinct particle population).

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arXiv2000

The HST Survey of BL Lacertae Objects: Morphological Properties of Low redshift Host Galaxies

We report on the optical properties of a sample of 30 BL Lac host galaxies in the redshift range $0.03<z<0.2$, as derived from HST observations. All galaxies are fully resolved in the WFPC2 (F702W filter) images, allowing a quantitative analysis in two dimensions. Most and possibly all these galaxies have characteristics very similar to those of ``normal'' giant ellipticals. The luminosity, ellipticity, isophote twisting and amount of disky or boxy isophotes are consistent with those found in non-active ellipticals and in radio galaxies. In all cases the BL Lac nucleus is well centered in the main body of its host galaxy, a result that argues strongly against the microlensing hypothesis for any significant fraction of the population. A search for faint sub-structures in the host galaxies has not revealed notable signatures of tidal distortions or sub-components (faint disks, bars, X features, etc.), and with only one exception, there are no prominent dusty features in the central regions. Instead, the BL Lac host galaxies are smooth and unperturbed, suggesting that strong external gravitational interactions are not important to ongoing activity. A careful examination of the environment around the nucleus, however, shows a high incidence of close companion objects, whose nature remains unclear pending spectroscopic observations.

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arXiv2000

Optical surface photometry of radio galaxies - II. Observations and data analysis

Optical imaging observations for 50 radio galaxies are presented. For each object isophotal contours, photometric profiles, structural parameters (position angle, ellipticity, Fourier coefficients), and total magnitudes are given. These observations, obtained in the Cousins R band, complement the data presented in a previous paper and are part of a larger project aimed at studying the optical properties of low redshift (z<0.12) radio galaxies (Govoni et al. 1999). Comments for each individual source are reported.

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arXiv1999

The optical properties of low redshift radio galaxies

We present morphological and photometric properties of 79 low redshift (z<0.12) radio galaxies extracted from two radio flux limited samples of radio sources. All objects are imaged in the R band and for a subsample we have also obtained B band images. The sample includes sources of both FRI and FRII radio morphological type. Through the decomposition of the luminosity profiles and the analysis of the structural profiles (ellipticity, PA, c4) of the galaxies we are able to characterize in detail the optical properties of the radio galaxies. The average absolute magnitude is M_HOST(tot)=-24.0 with a clear trend for FRI sources to be 0.5 mag brighter than FRII galaxies. In about 40% of the objects observed we find an excess of light in the nucleus that is attributed to the presence of a nuclear point source whose luminosity is on average 1-2% of the total flux of the host galaxy. The luminosity of these nuclear point sources appears correlated with the core radio power of the galaxies. Radio galaxies follow the same mu_e - R_e relationship as normal elliptical galaxies. The distribution of ellipticity, the amount of twisting and shape of isophotes (boxy,disky) do not differ significantly from other ellipticals. The evidence for recent interactions is therefore rather modest. Finally on average radio galaxies are bluer and have a color dispersion larger than normal elliptical galaxies, and the average color gradient in radio galaxies appears slightly steeper than in normal ellipticals. These results support a scenario where radio emission is weakly related with the overall properties and/or the activity have negligible effects on the global characteristics of the host galaxy.

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arXiv1999

HST Observations of BL Lacertae Environments

We analyze images of BL Lacertae objects obtained with the {\it Hubble Space Telescope} WFPC2 and the F814W filter. The nine objects cover a redshift range of 0.19 to 0.997. The relatively deep images are sufficient to detect galaxies at least one magnitude below M$^{*}_{I}$ (--21.4) and in most cases to three magnitudes below M$^{*}$. Galaxy enhancement over the average background is found around four out of the nine objects. Results for some cases are confirmed by ground-based imaging. In the other cases, the redshifts of the target BL Lac objects may be incorrect or they are truly isolated. These findings reinforce the idea that on average, BL Lac objects are found in regions of above average galaxy density. However, isolated objects apparently can host BL Lac nuclei too, a result that has implications for the processes that trigger/fuel the nuclear activity.

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arXiv1999

HST Observations of the Optical Jets of PKS 0521-365, 3C371, and PKS 2201+044

HST observations have led to the discovery of the optical counterpart of the radio jet of PKS 2201+044, and to a detailed analysis of the optical jets of PKS 0521-365 and 3C371. At HST spatial resolution these jets are well resolved, displaying knotty morphologies. When compared with radio maps of appropriate resolution, a clear one-to-one correspondence between optical and radio structures is found, showing that all detected optical structures are indeed related to the radio synchrotron emission. Photometry of the brightest knots shows that the radio-to-optical spectral index and the derived intensity of the equipartition magnetic field are approximately constant along the jet. Thus, present observations suggest that the electron energy distribution does not change significantly all along the jet.

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arXiv1999

The HST Survey of BL Lac Objects: Gravitational Lens Candidates and Other Unusual Sources

We present HST observations of seven unusual objects from the HST ``snapshot survey'' of BL Lac objects, of which four are gravitational lens candidates. In three cases a double point sources is observed: 0033+595, with 1.58 arcsec separation, and 0502+675 and 1440+122, each with $\sim 0.3$ arcsec separation. The last two also show one or more galaxies, which could be either host or lensing galaxies. If any are confirmed as lenses, these BL Lac objects are excellent candidates for measuring H$_0$ via gravitational time delay because of their characteristic rapid, high amplitude variability. An additional advantage is that, like other blazars, they are likely superluminal radio sources, in which case the source plane is mapped out over a period of years, providing strong additional constraints on the lensing mass distribution. The fourth gravitational lens candidate is 1517+656, which is surrounded by three arclets forming an almost perfect ring of radius 2.4 arcsec. If this is indeed an Einstein ring, it is most likely a background source gravitationally lensed by the BL Lac object host galaxy and possibly a surrounding group or cluster. In the extreme case that all four candidates are true lenses, the derived frequency of gravitational lensing in this BL Lac sample would be an order of magnitude higher than in comparable quasar samples. We also report on three other remarkable BL Lac objects: 0138-097, which is surrounded by a large number of close companion galaxies; 0806+524, whose host galaxy contains an uncommon arc-like structure; and 1959+650, which is hosted by a gas rich elliptical galaxy with a prominent dust lane of $\sim 5\times 10^5 M_\odot$.

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