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Richard E. Griffiths

Publications and source records attributed to Richard E. Griffiths.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The COSMOS-Web deep galaxy group catalog up to $z=3.7$

Galaxy groups with $M_{tot} \lesssim 10^{14}$ $M_\odot$ and up to a few tens of members are the most common galaxy environment, marking the transition between field and massive clusters. Identifying groups plays a crucial role in understanding structure formation and galaxy evolution. Modern deep surveys allow us to build well-characterized samples of groups up to the regime where structures were taking shape. We aimed to build the largest deep catalog of galaxy groups to date over the COSMOS-Web field effective area of 0.45 deg$^2$, leveraging the deep high quality data of the new COSMOS-Web photometric catalog resulted from the James Webb Space Telescope observations of the COSMOS-Web field. We performed the group search with the AMICO algorithm, a linear matched filter based on an analytical model for the group signal. AMICO has already been tested in wide and deep field surveys, including COSMOS data up to $z=2$. In this work, we tested the algorithm performances at even higher redshift and searched for protocluster cores at $z>2$. We compiled a list of known protoclusters in COSMOS at $2 \leq z \leq 3.7$, matched them with our detections and studied the clustering of the detected cores. We estimated purity and completeness of our sample by creating data-driven mocks with the SinFoniA code and linked signal-to-noise to purity. We detected 1678 groups in the COSMOS-Web field up to $z=3.7$, including lists of members extending nearly two magnitudes deeper than the previous AMICO-COSMOS catalog. 756 groups were detected with purity of 80\%. More than 500 groups have their redshift confirmed by assigning spectroscopic counterparts. This group catalog offers a unique opportunity to explore galaxy evolution in different environments spanning $\sim$12 Gyr and to study groups, from the least rich population to the formation of the most massive clusters.

astro-ph.GA

Enhancing Space Situational Awareness to Mitigate Risk: A Single-Case Study in the Misidentification of a Recently-Launched Starlink Satellite Train as a UAP in Commercial Aviation

Over the past several years, the misidentification of SpaceX Starlink satellites as Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) by pilots and laypersons has generated unnecessary aviation risk and confusion. The many deployment and orbital evolution strategies, coupled with changing sun specular reflection angles, contribute to this gap in space situational awareness. In this paper we present a case analysis of an incident that generated multiple, corroborating reports of a UAP from five pilots on two commercial airline flights over the Pacific Ocean on August 10th, 2022. This incident included two cell phone photos and a video of an unrecognizable and possibly anomalous phenomenon. We then use supplemental two-line elements (TLEs) for the Starlink train of satellites launched that same day and Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) data from the flight with the photographs to reconstruct a view of these satellites from the cockpit at the time and place of the sighting. The success of this work demonstrates an approach that could, in principle, warn aviators about satellites that could be visible in unusual or novel illumination configurations, thus increasing space situational awareness and supporting aviation safety. We conclude with recommendations for governments and satellite operators to provide better a-priori data that can be used to create advisories to aviators and the public. The automated simulation of known specular reflection off constellations of satellites could also support researchers investigating sightings of unfamiliar aerial or aerospace objects as likely being from normal versus novel space events.

physics.soc-ph

Much ado about no offset -- Characterising the anomalous multiple-image configuration and the model-driven displacement between light and mass in the multi-plane strong lens Abell 3827

Abell 3827 is a unique galaxy cluster with a dry merger in its core causing a highly-resolved multiple-image configuration of a blue spiral galaxy at $z_\mathrm{s}=1.24$. The surface brightness profiles of four merging galaxies around $z_\mathrm{d}=0.099$ complicate a clear identification of the number of images and finding corresponding small-scale features across them. The entailed controversies about offsets between luminous and dark matter have never been settled and dark-matter characteristics in tension with bounds from complementary probes and simulations seemed necessary to explain this multiple-image configuration. We resolve these issues with a systematic study of possible feature matchings across all images and their impact on the reconstructed mass density distribution. From the local lens properties directly constrained by these feature matchings without imposing any global lens model, we conclude that none of them are consistent with expected local characteristics from standard single-lens-plane lensing, nor can they be motivated by the light distribution in the cluster. Inspecting complementary spectroscopic data, we show that all these results originate from an insufficient constraining power of the data and seem to hint at a thick lens and not at exotic forms of dark matter or modified gravity. If the thick-lens hypothesis can be corroborated with follow-up multi-plane lens modelling, A3827 suffers from a full three-dimensional degeneracy in the distribution of dark matter because combinations of shearings and scalings in a single lens plane can also be represented by an effective shearing and a rotation caused by multiple lens planes.

astro-ph.CO

Generalised model-independent characterisation of strong gravitational lenses VIII. automated multi-band feature detection to constrain local lens properties

As established in previous papers of this series, observables in highly distorted and magnified multiple images caused by the strong gravitational lensing effect can be used to constrain the distorting properties of the gravitational lens at the image positions. If the background source is extended and contains substructure, like star forming regions, which is resolved in multiple images, all substructure that can be matched across a minimum of three multiple images can be used to infer the local distorting properties of the lens. In this work, we replace the manual feature selection by an automated feature extraction based on SExtractor for Python and show its superior performance. Despite its aimed development to improve our lens reconstruction, it can be employed in any other approach, as well. Valuable insights on the definition of an `image position' in the presence of noise are gained from our calibration tests. Applying it to observations of a five-image configuration in galaxy cluster CL0024 and the triple-image configuration containing Hamilton's object, we determine local lens properties for multiple wavebands separately. Within current confidence bounds, all of them are consistent with each other, corroborating the wavelength-independence of strong lensing and offering a tool to detect deviations caused by micro-lensing and dust in further examples.

astro-ph.CO

Hamilton's Object -- a clumpy galaxy straddling the gravitational caustic of a galaxy cluster : Constraints on dark matter clumping

We report the discovery of a 'folded' gravitationally lensed image, 'Hamilton's Object', found in a HST image of the field near the AGN SDSS J223010.47-081017.8 ($z=0.62$). The lensed images are sourced by a galaxy at a spectroscopic redshift of 0.8200$\pm0.0005$ and form a fold configuration on a caustic caused by a foreground galaxy cluster at a photometric redshift of 0.526$\pm0.018$ seen in the corresponding Pan-STARRS PS1 image and marginally detected as a faint ROSAT All-Sky Survey X-ray source. The lensed images exhibit properties similar to those of other folds where the source galaxy falls very close to or straddles the caustic of a galaxy cluster. The folded images are stretched in a direction roughly orthogonal to the critical curve, but the configuration is that of a tangential cusp. Guided by morphological features, published simulations and similar fold observations in the literature, we identify a third or counter-image, confirmed by spectroscopy. Because the fold-configuration shows highly distinctive surface brightness features, follow-up observations of microlensing or detailed investigations of the individual surface brightness features at higher resolution can further shed light on kpc-scale dark matter properties. We determine the local lens properties at the positions of the multiple images according to the observation-based lens reconstruction of Wagner et al. (2019). The analysis is in accordance with a mass density which hardly varies on an arc-second scale (6 kpc) over the areas covered by the multiple images.

astro-ph.CO

Chandra centres for COSMOS X-ray galaxy groups: Differences in stellar properties between central dominant and offset brightest group galaxies

We present the results of a search for galaxy clusters and groups in the $\sim2$ square degree of the COSMOS field using all available X-ray observations from the XMM-Newton and Chandra observatories. We reach an X-ray flux limit of $3\times10^{-16}\;ergs\;cm^{-2}\;s^{-1}$ in 0.5--2 keV range, and identify 247 X-ray groups with $M_{200c}=8\times10^{12}-3\times10^{14}\;M_{\odot}$ at a redshift range of $0.08\leq z<1.53$, using the multiband photometric redshift and the master spectroscopic redshift catalogues of the COSMOS. The X-ray centres of groups are determined using high-resolution Chandra imaging. We investigate the relations between the offset of the brightest group galaxies (BGGs) from halo X-ray centre and group properties and compare with predictions from semi-analytic models and hydrodynamical simulations. We find that BGG offset decreases with both increasing halo mass and decreasing redshift with no strong dependence on the X-ray flux and SNR. We show that the BGG offset decreases as a function of increasing magnitude gap with no considerable redshift dependent trend. The stellar mass of BGGs in observations extends over a wider dynamic range compared to model predictions. At $z<0.5$, the central dominant BGGs become more massive than those with large offsets by up to 0.3dex, in agreement with model prediction. The observed and predicted lognormal scatter in the stellar mass of both low- and large-offset BGGs at fixed halo mass is $\sim0.3$dex.

astro-ph.GA

Infrared Selection of Obscured Active Galactic Nuclei in the COSMOS Field

We present a study of the connection between black hole accretion, star formation, and galaxy morphology at z<=2.5. We focus on active galactic nuclei (AGNs) selected by their mid-IR power-law emission. By fitting optical to far-IR photometry with state-of-the-art spectral energy distribution (SED) techniques, we derive stellar masses, star formation rates, dust properties, and AGN contributions in galaxies over the whole COSMOS field. We find that obscured AGNs lie within or slightly above the star-forming sequence. We confirm our previous finding about compact host galaxies of obscured AGNs at z~1, and find that galaxies with 20-50% AGN contributions tend to have smaller sizes, by ~25-50%, compared to galaxies without AGNs. Furthermore, we find that a high merger fraction of up to 0.5 is appropriate for the most luminous (log (LIR/Lsun) ~ 12.5) AGN hosts and non-AGN galaxies, but not for the whole obscured AGN sample. Moreover, merger fraction depends on the total and star-forming infrared luminosity, rather than the decomposed AGN infrared luminosity. Our results suggest that major mergers are not the main driver of AGN activity, and therefore obscured AGNs might be triggered by internal mechanisms, such as secular processes, disk instabilities, and compaction in a particular evolutionary stage. We make the SED modeling results publicly available.

astro-ph.GA

Type 2 AGN host galaxies in the Chandra-COSMOS Legacy Survey: No Evidence of AGN-driven Quenching

We investigate the star formation properties of a large sample of ~2300 X-ray-selected Type 2 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) host galaxies out to z~3 in the Chandra COSMOS Legacy Survey in order to understand the connection between the star formation and nuclear activity. Making use of the existing multi-wavelength photometric data available in the COSMOS field, we perform a multi-component modeling from far-infrared to near-ultraviolet using a nuclear dust torus model, a stellar population model and a starburst model of the spectral energy distributions (SEDs). Through detailed analysis of SEDs, we derive the stellar masses and the star formation rates (SFRs) of Type 2 AGN host galaxies. The stellar mass of our sample is in the range 9 < log M_{stellar}/M_{\odot} < 12 with uncertainties of ~0.19 dex. We find that Type 2 AGN host galaxies have, on average, similar SFRs compared to the normal star-forming galaxies with similar M_{stellar} and redshift ranges, suggesting no significant evidence for enhancement or quenching of star formation. This could be interpreted in a scenario, where the relative massive galaxies have already experienced substantial growth at higher redshift (z>3), and grow slowly through secular fueling processes hosting moderate-luminosity AGNs.

astro-ph.GA

Discovery of Massive, Mostly Star-formation Quenched Galaxies with Extremely Large Lyman-alpha Equivalent Widths at z ~ 3

We report a discovery of 6 massive galaxies with both extremely large Lya equivalent width and evolved stellar population at z ~ 3. These MAssive Extremely STrong Lya emitting Objects (MAESTLOs) have been discovered in our large-volume systematic survey for strong Lya emitters (LAEs) with twelve optical intermediate-band data taken with Subaru/Suprime-Cam in the COSMOS field. Based on the SED fitting analysis for these LAEs, it is found that these MAESTLOs have (1) large rest-frame equivalent width of EW_0(Lya) ~ 100--300 A, (2) M_star ~ 10^10.5--10^11.1 M_sun, and (3) relatively low specific star formation rates of SFR/M_star ~ 0.03--1 Gyr^-1. Three of the 6 MAESTLOs have extended Ly$α$ emission with a radius of several kpc although they show very compact morphology in the HST/ACS images, which correspond to the rest-frame UV continuum. Since the MAESTLOs do not show any evidence for AGNs, the observed extended Lya emission is likely to be caused by star formation process including the superwind activity. We suggest that this new class of LAEs, MAESTLOs, provides a missing link from star-forming to passively evolving galaxies at the peak era of the cosmic star-formation history.

astro-ph.GA

Discovery of a bright transient ultraluminous X-ray source Suzaku J1305-4931 in NGC 4945

This paper reports the discovery of a bright X-ray transient source, Suzaku J1305-4913, in the south-west arm of the nearby Seyfert II galaxy NGC 4945. It was detected at a 0.5 -- 10 keV flux of $2.2 \times 10^{-12}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ during the Suzaku observation conducted on 2006 January 15 -- 17, but was undetectable in a shorter observation on 2005 August 22 --23, with an upper limit of $1.7 \times 10^{-14}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ (90% confidence level). At a distance of 3.7 Mpc, the bolometric luminosity of the source becomes $L_{\rm bol} = 4.4 \times 10^{39} α$ erg s$^{-1}$, where $α= (\cos 60^\circ / \cos i)$ and $i$ is the disk inclination. Therefore, the source is classified into so-called ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs). The time-averaged X-ray spectrum of the source is described by a multi-color disk model, with the innermost accretion disk temperature of $T_{\rm in} = 1.69_{-0.05}^{+0.06}$ keV. During the 2006 January observation, it varied by a factor of 2 in intensity, following a clear correlation of $L_{\rm bol} \propto T_{\rm in}^4$. It is inferred that the innermost disk radius $R_{\rm in}$ stayed constant at $R_{\rm in} = 79_{-3.9}^{+4.0} α^{1/2}$ km, suggesting the presence of a standard accretion disk. Relating $R_{\rm in}$ with the last stable orbit around a non-rotating black hole yields a rather low black hole mass, $\sim 9 α^{1/2}$ solar masses, which would imply that the source is shining at a luminosity of $\sim3 α^{1/2} $ times the Eddington limit. These results can be better interpreted by invoking sub-Eddington emission from a rapidly spinning black hole with a mass of 20 -- 130 solar masses.

astro-ph

Suzaku wide-band X-ray Spectroscopy of the Seyfert 2 AGN in NGC 4945

Suzaku observed a nearby Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC4945, which hosts one of the brightest active galactic nuclei above 20 keV. Combining data from the X-ray CCD camera (XIS) and the Hard X-ray Detector (HXD), the AGN intrinsic nuclear emission and its reprocessed signals were observed simultaneously. The intrinsic emission is highly obscured with an absorbing column of $\sim 5 \times 10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$, and was detectable only above $\sim 10$ keV. The spectrum below 10 keV is dominated by reflection continuum and emission lines from neutral/ionized material. Along with a neutral iron K$α$ line, a neutral iron K$β$ and a neutral nickel K$α$ line were detected for the first time from this source. The neutral lines and the cold reflection continuum are consistent with both originating in the same location. The Compton down-scattered shoulder in the neutral Fe-K$α$ line is $\sim 10%$ in flux of the narrow core, which confirms that the line originates from reflection rather than transmission. The weakness of the Compton shoulder also indicates that the reflector is probably seen nearly edge-on. Flux of the intrinsic emission varied by a factor of $\sim 2$ within $\sim 20$ ks, which requires the obscuring material to be geometrically thin. Broadband spectral modeling showed that the solid angle of the neutral reflector is less than a few $\times 10^{-2} \times 2π$. All this evidence regarding the reprocessed signals suggests that a disk-like absorber/reflector is viewed from a near edge-on angle.

astro-ph

The XMM-Newton wide-field survey in the COSMOS field: V. Angular Clustering of the X-ray Point Sources

We present the first results of the measurements of angular auto-correlation functions (ACFs) of X-ray point sources detected in the XMM-Newton observations of the 2 deg2 COSMOS field (XMM-COSMOS). A significant positive signals have been detected in the 0.5-2 (SFT) band, in the angle range of 0.5-24 arcminutes, while the positive signals were at the 2 and 3 sigma levels in the 2-4.5 (MED) and 4.5-10 (UHD) keV bands respectively. Correctly taking integral constraints into account is a major limitation in interpreting our results. With power-law fits to the ACFs without the integral constraint term, we find correlation lengths of theta_c=1.9+-0.3, 0.8+0.5-0.4 and 6+-2 arcseconds for the SFT, MED, and UHD bands respectively for gamma=1.8. The inferred comoving correlation lengths, also taking into account the bias by the source merging due to XMM-Newton PSF, are 9.8+-0.7, 5.8+1.4-1.7 and 12+-2 h-1 Mpc at the effective redshifts of 1.1, 0.9, and 0.6 for the SFT, MED, and UHD bands respectively. If we include the integral constraint term in the fitting process,assuming that the power-law extends to the scale length of the entire XMM-COSMOSfield, the correlation lengths become larger by 20%-90%. Comparing the inferred rms fluctuations of the spatial distribution of AGNs with those of the underlying mass, the bias parameters of the X-ray source clustering at these effective redshifts are in the range b(AGN)=1.5-4. (Edited to simple ascii.)

astro-ph

Precision Fe Kalpha and Fe Kbeta Line Spectroscopy of the Seyfert 1.9 Galaxy NGC 2992 with Suzaku

We present detailed time-averaged X-ray spectroscopy in the 0.5--10 keV band of the Seyfert~1.9 galaxy NGC 2992 with the Suzaku X-ray Imaging Spectrometers (XIS). We model the complex continuum in detail. There is an Fe K line emission complex that we model with broad and narrow lines and we show that the intensities of the two components are decoupled at a confidence level >3sigma. The broad Fe K line has an EW of 118 (+32,-61) eV and could originate in an accretion disk (with inclination angle greater than ~30 degrees). The narrow Fe Kalpha line has an EW of 163 (+47,-26) eV and is unresolved FWHM <4090 km/s) and likely originates in distant matter. The absolute flux in the narrow line implies that the column density out of the line-of-sight could be much higher than measured in the line-of-sight, and that the mean (historically-averaged) continuum luminosity responsible for forming the line could be a factor of several higher than that measured from the data. We also detect the narrow Fe Kbeta line with a high signal-to-noise ratio and describe a new robust method to constrain the ionization state of Fe responsible for the Fe Kalpha and Fe Kbeta lines that does not require any knowledge of possible gravitational and Doppler energy shifts affecting the line energies. For the distant line-emitting matter (e.g. the putative obscuring torus) we deduce that the predominant ionization state is lower than Fe VIII (at 99% confidence), conservatively taking into account residual calibration uncertainties in the XIS energy scale and theoretical and experimental uncertainties in the Fe K fluorescent line energies. From the limits on a possible Compton-reflection continuum it is likely that the narrow Fe Kalpha and Fe Kbeta lines originate in a Compton-thin structure.

astro-ph

Black Hole Mass of the Ultraluminous X-ray source M82 X-1

We report the first clear evidence for the simultaneous presence of a low frequency break and a QPO in the fluctuation power spectrum of a well known ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) in M82 using long XMM-Newton observations. The break occurs at a frequency of 34.2_{-3}^{+6}mHz. The QPO has a centroid at 114.3\pm1.5mHz, a coherence Q~3.5 and an amplitude (rms) of 19% in the 2-10keV band. The power spectrum is approximately flat below the break frequency and then falls off above the break frequency as a power law with the QPO superimposed. This form of the power spectrum is characteristic of the Galactic X-ray binaries (XRBs) in their high or intermediate states. M82 X-1 was likely in an intermediate state during the observation. The EPIC PN spectrum is well described by a model comprising an absorbed power-law (Gamma~2) and an iron line at ~6.6keV with a width sigma~0.2keV and an equivalent width of ~180eV. Using the well established correlations between the power and energy spectral parameters for XRBs, we estimate a black hole mass for M82 X-1 in the range of 25-520Msun including systematic errors that arise due to the uncertainty in the calibration of the photon spectral index versus QPO frequency relation.

astro-ph

XMM-Newton view of the ultra-luminous X-ray sources in M51

(Abridged) We present results based on XMM-Newton observation of the nearby spiral galaxy M51 (NGC5194 and NGC5195). Two ULXs in NGC5194 show evidence for short-term variability, and all but two ULXs vary on long time scales (over a baseline of 2.5 years), providing strong evidence that these are accreting sources. One ULX in NGC5194, source 69, shows possible periodic behavior in its X-ray flux. We derive a period of 5925\pm200s at a confidence level of 95%, based on three cycles. This period is lower than the period of 7620\pm500s derived from a Chandra observation in 2000. The higher effective area of XMM-Newton enables us to identify multiple components in the spectra of ULXs. Most ULXs require at least two components -- a power law and a soft X-ray excess component which is modeled by an optically thin plasma or multicolor disk blackbody (MCD). However, the soft excess emission, inferred from all ULXs except source 69, are unlikely to be physically associated with the ULXs as their strengths are comparable to that of the surrounding diffuse emission. The soft excess emission of source 69 is well described either by a two temperature mekal plasma or a single temperature mekal plasma kT~690eV) and an MCD (kT~170eV). The MCD component suggests a cooler accretion disks compared to that in Galactic X-ray binaries and consistent with that expected for intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs). An iron line (EW 700eV) or K absorption edge at 7.1keV is present in the EPIC PN spectrum of source 26. The spectrum of the ULX in NGC5195, source 12, is consistent with a simple power law.

astro-ph

A transition to a low/soft state in the ultra-luminous compact X-ray source Holmberg II X-1

We present three XMM-Newton observations of the ultra-luminous compact X-ray source Holmberg II X-1 in its historical brightest and faintest states. The source was in its brightest state in April 2002 with an isotropic X-ray luminosity of 2e40 erg/s but changed to a peculiar low/soft state in September 2002 in which the X-ray flux dropped by a factor of four and the spectrum softened. In all cases, a soft excess component, which can be described by a simple or multicolor disk blackbody (MCD; kT = 120-170 eV), is statistically required in addition to a power-law continuum (Gamma = 2.4 - 2.9). Both the spectral components became weaker and softer in the low/soft state, however, the dramatic variability is seen in the power-law component. This spectral transition is opposite to the `canonical' high/soft -- low/hard transitions seen in many Galactic black hole binaries. There is possible contribution from an optically thin thermal plasma. When this component is taken into account, the spectral transition appears to be normal -- a drop of the power-law flux and slightly softer blackbody component in the low state.

astro-ph

Multiwavelength Properties of the X-ray Sources in the Groth-Westphal Strip Field

We summarize the multiwavelength properties of X-ray sources detected in the 80 ks XMM-Newton observation of the Groth-Westphal Strip. We find 23 XMM-Newton sources within the WFPC2 fields. Ten spectroscopic redshifts are available from the DEEP and CFRS projects and 4 of these show broad Mg II emission (type 1 AGNs). Two of those without any broad lines, nevertheless, have [NeV] emission which is an unambiguous signature of AGN activity, one of which is a narrow-line Seyfert 1 and the other a type 2 AGN. We have made near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic observations using the Subaru OHS/CISCO spectrometer for five of the X-ray sources for which we found no indication of an AGN activity in the optical spectrum. We have detected H-alpha+[NII] emission in four of them. A broad H-alpha component and/or a large [NII]/H-alpha ratio is seen, suggestive of AGN activity. Nineteen sources have been detected in the Ks band and four of these are extremely red objects (I814-Ks>4). The optical counterparts for the majority of the X-ray sources are bulge-dominated with colors consistent with evolving elliptical galaxies, with starburst/AGN contamination. Assuming that the known local relations among the bulge luminosity,central velocity dispersion, and the mass of the central blackhole hold at about z=1, the AGN bolometric luminosity to Eddington luminosity ratio ranges from 0.3% to 10%. (abridged)

astro-ph

Cosmic Gravitational Shear from the HST Medium Deep Survey

We present a measurement of cosmic shear on scales ranging from $ 10\arcsec $ to $ 2\arcmin $ in 347 WFPC2 images of random fields. Our result is based on shapes measured via image fitting and on a simple statistical technique; careful calibration of each step allows us to quantify our systematic uncertainties and to measure the cosmic shear down to very small angular scales. The WFPC2 images provide a robust measurement of the cosmic shear signal decreasing from $5.2% $ at $ 10\arcsec $ to $2.2% $ at $ 130\arcsec $.

astro-ph