arXiv subjects

S. Haan

Publications and source records attributed to S. Haan.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2010

The Buried Starburst in the Interacting Galaxy II Zw 096 as Revealed by the Spitzer Space Telescope

An analysis of data from the Spitzer Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and AKARI Infrared Astronomy Satellite is presented for the z=0.036 merging galaxy system II Zw 096 (CGCG 448-020). Because II Zw 096 has an infrared luminosity of log(L_IR/L_sun) = 11.94, it is classified as a Luminous Infrared Galaxy (LIRG), and was observed as part of the Great Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS). The Spitzer data suggest that 80% of the total infrared luminosity comes from an extremely compact, red source not associated with the nuclei of the merging galaxies. The Spitzer mid-infrared spectra indicate no high-ionization lines from a buried active galactic nucleus in this source. The strong detection of the 3.3 micron and 6.2 micron PAH emission features in the AKARI and Spitzer spectra also implies that the energy source of II Zw 096 is a starburst. Based on Spitzer infrared imaging and AKARI near-infrared spectroscopy, the star formation rate is estimated to be 120 M_sun/yr and > 45 M_sun/yr, respectively. Finally, the high-resolution B, I, and H-band images show many star clusters in the interacting system. The colors of these clusters suggest at least two populations - one with an age of 1-5 Myr and one with an age of 20-500 Myr, reddened by 0-2 magnitudes of visual extinction. The masses of these clusters span a range between 10^6-10^8 M_sun. This starburst source is reminiscent of the extra-nuclear starburst seen in NGC 4038/9 (the Antennae Galaxies) and Arp 299 but approximately an order of magnitude more luminous than the Antennae. The source is remarkable in that the off-nuclear infrared luminosity dominates the enitre system.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

GOALS: The Great Observatories All-Sky LIRG Survey

The Great Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS) combines data from NASA's Spitzer, Chandra, Hubble and GALEX observatories, together with ground-based data into a comprehensive imaging and spectroscopic survey of over 200 low redshift Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs). The LIRGs are a complete subset of the IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample (RBGS). The LIRGs targeted in GOALS span the full range of nuclear spectral types defined via traditional optical line-ratio diagrams as well as interaction stages. They provide an unbiased picture of the processes responsible for enhanced infrared emission in galaxies in the local Universe. As an example of the analytic power of the multi-wavelength GOALS dataset, we present data for the interacting system VV 340 (IRAS F14547+2449). Between 80-95% of the total far-infrared emission (or about 5E11 solar luminosities) originates in VV 340 North. While the IRAC colors of VV 340 North and South are consistent with star-forming galaxies, both the Spitzer IRS and Chandra ACIS data indicate the presence of a buried AGN in VV 340 North. The GALEX far and near-UV fluxes imply a extremely large infrared "excess" (IRX) for the system (IR/FUV = 81) which is well above the correlation seen in starburst galaxies. Most of this excess is driven by VV 340 N, which alone has an IR excess of nearly 400. The VV 340 system seems to be comprised of two very different galaxies - an infrared luminous edge-on galaxy (VV 340 North) that dominates the long-wavelength emission from the system and which hosts a buried AGN, and a face-on starburst (VV 340 South) that dominates the short-wavelength emission.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2008

Molecular gas in NUclei of GAlaxies (NUGA). XI. A complete gravity torque map of NGC4579: new clues on bar evolution

We create a complete gravity torque map of the disk of the LINER/Seyfert 1.9 galaxy NGC4579. We quantify the efficiency of angular momentum transport and search for signatures of secular evolution in the fueling process from r~15kpc down to the inner r~50pc around the Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN). We use both the 1-0 and 2-1 line maps of CO obtained with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) as part of the NUclei of Galaxies-(NUGA)-project. We derive the stellar potential from a NIR (K band) wide field image of the galaxy. The K-band image, which reveals a stellar bar, together with a high resolution HI map of NGC4579 obtained with the Very Large Array (VLA), allow us to extend the gravity torque analysis to the outer disk. The bulk of the gas response traced by the CO PdBI maps follows the expected gas flow pattern induced by the bar potential in the presence of two Inner Lindblad Resonances (ILR). We also detect an oval distortion in the inner r~200pc of the K-band image. The oval is not aligned with the large-scale bar, a signature of dynamical decoupling. The morphology of the outer disk suggests that the neutral gas is currently piling up in a pseudo-ring formed by two winding spiral arms that are morphologically decoupled from the bar structure. In the outer disk, the decoupling of the spiral allows the gas to efficiently produce net gas inflow on intermediate scales. The corotation barrier seems to be overcome due to secular evolution processes. The gas in the inner disk is efficiently funneled by gravity torques down to r~300pc. Closer to the AGN, the two m=2 modes (bar and oval) act in concert to produce net gas inflow down to r~50pc, providing a clear smoking gun evidence of fueling with associated short dynamical time-scales.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Atomic Hydrogen Properties of AGN Host Galaxies: HI in 16 NUclei of GAlaxies (NUGA) Sources

We present a comprehensive spectroscopic imaging survey of the distribution and kinematics of atomic hydrogen (HI) in 16 nearby spiral galaxies hosting low luminosity AGN, observed with high spectral and spatial resolution (resolution: ~20 arcsec, 5 km/s) using the NRAO Very Large Array (VLA). The sample contains a range of nuclear types, ranging from Seyfert to star-forming nuclei and was originally selected for the NUclei of GAlaxies project (NUGA) - a spectrally and spatially resolved interferometric survey of gas dynamics in nearby galaxies designed to identify the fueling mechanisms of AGN and the relation to host galaxy evolution. Here we investigate the relationship between the HI properties of these galaxies, their environment, their stellar distribution and their AGN type. The large-scale HI morphology of each galaxy is classified as ringed, spiral, or centrally concentrated; comparison of the resulting morphological classification with AGN type reveals that ring structures are significantly more common in LINER than in Seyfert host galaxies, suggesting a time evolution of the AGN activity together with the redistribution of the neutral gas. Dynamically disturbed HI disks are also more prevalent in LINER host galaxies than in Seyfert host galaxies. While several galaxies are surrounded by companions (some with associated HI emission), there is no correlation between the presence of companions and the AGN type (Seyfert/LINER).

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

3D Studies of Neutral and Ionised Gas and Stars in Seyfert and Inactive Galaxies

We are conducting the first systematic 3D spectroscopic imaging survey to quantify the properties of the atomic gas (HI) in a distance-limited sample of 28 Seyfert galaxies and a sample of 28 inactive control galaxies with well-matched optical properties (the VHIKINGS survey). This study aims to address the role of the host galaxy in nuclear activity and confront outstanding controversies in optical/IR imaging surveys. Early results show possible relationships between Seyfert activity and HI extent, content and the prevalence of small, nearby gas-rich dwarf galaxies (M(HI)~10^7 Msun); results will be tested via rigorous comparison with control galaxies. Initial results from our optical followup study of 15 of our galaxies using the SAURON integral field unit on the WHT suggest a possible difference between Seyfert and inactive stellar and gaseous kinematics that support the conclusion that internal kinematics of galaxies are the key to nuclear activity.

astro-ph↗