arXiv subjects

T. Urrutia

Publications and source records attributed to T. Urrutia.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

The Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS) - Mrk 1018 returns to the shadows after 30 years as a Seyfert 1

We report the discovery that the known `changing look' AGN Mrk 1018 has changed spectral type for a second time. New VLT-MUSE data taken in 2015 as part of the Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS) shows that the AGN has returned to its original Seyfert 1.9 classification. The CARS sample is selected to contain only bright type 1 AGN, but Mrk 1018's broad emission lines and continuum, typical of type 1 AGN, have almost entirely disappeared. We use spectral fitting of the MUSE spectrum and previously available spectra to determine the drop in broad line flux and the Balmer decrement. We find that the broad line flux has decreased by a factor of 4.75+/- 0.5 in Hα since an SDSS spectrum was taken in 2000. The Balmer decrement has not changed significantly implying no enhanced reddening with time, but the remaining broad lines are more asymmetric than those present in the type 1 phase. We posit that the change is due to an intrinsic drop in flux from the accretion disk rather than variable extinction or a tidal disruption event.

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arXiv2016

The Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS) - What is causing Mrk1018's return to the shadows after 30 years?

We recently discovered that the active galactic nucleus (AGN) of Mrk 1018 has changed optical type again after 30 years as a type 1 AGN. Here we combine Chandra, NuStar, Swift, Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observations to explore the cause of this change. The 2-10keV flux declines by a factor of ~8 between 2010 and 2016. We show with our X-ray observation that this is not caused by varying neutral hydrogen absorption along the line-of-sight up to the Compton-thick level. The optical-UV spectral energy distributions are well fit with a standard geometrically thin optically thick accretion disc model that seems to obey the expected $L\sim T^4$ relation. It confirms that a decline in accretion disc luminosity is the primary origin for the type change. We detect a new narrow-line absorber in Lya blue-shifted by ~700km/s with respect to the systemic velocity of the galaxy. This new Lya absorber could be evidence for the onset of an outflow or a companion black hole with associated gas that could be related to the accretion rate change. However, the low column density of the absorber means that it is not the direct cause for Mrk 1018's changing-look nature.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2016

The Spitzer-IRAC/MIPS Extragalactic survey (SIMES) in the South Ecliptic Pole field

We present the Spitzer-IRAC/MIPS Extragalactic survey (SIMES) in the South Ecliptic Pole (SEP) field. The large area covered (7.7 deg$^2$), together with one of the lowest Galactic cirrus emissions in the entire sky and a very extensive coverage by Spitzer, Herschel, Akari, and GALEX, make the SIMES field ideal for extragalactic studies. The elongated geometry of the SIMES area ($\approx$4:1), allowing for a significant cosmic variance reduction, further improves the quality of statistical studies in this field. Here we present the reduction and photometric measurements of the Spitzer/IRAC data. The survey reaches a depth of 1.93 and 1.75 $μ$Jy (1$σ$) at 3.6 and 4.5 $μ$m, respectively. We discuss the multiwavelength IRAC--based catalog, completed with optical, mid-- and far--IR observations. We detect 341,000 sources with F$_{3.6μm} \geq 3σ$. Of these, 10% have an associated 24 $μ$m counterpart, while 2.7% have an associated SPIRE source. We release the catalog through the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA). Two scientific applications of these IRAC data are presented in this paper: first we compute integral number counts at 3.6 $μ$m. Second, we use the [3.6]--[4.5] color index to identify galaxy clusters at z$>$1.3. We select 27 clusters in the full area, a result consistent with previous studies at similar depth.

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arXiv2015

Extended Lyman alpha haloes around individual high-redshift galaxies revealed by MUSE

We report the detection of extended Ly alpha emission around individual star-forming galaxies at redshifts z = 3-6 in an ultradeep exposure of the Hubble Deep Field South obtained with MUSE on the ESO-VLT. The data reach a limiting surface brightness (1sigma) of ~1 x 10^-19 erg s^-1 cm^-2 arcsec^-2 in azimuthally averaged radial profiles, an order of magnitude improvement over previous narrowband imaging. Our sample consists of 26 spectroscopically confirmed Ly alpha-emitting, but mostly continuum-faint (m_AB >~ 27) galaxies. In most objects the Ly alpha emission is considerably more extended than the UV continuum light. While 5 of the faintest galaxies in the sample show no significantly detected Ly alpha haloes, the derived upper limits suggest that this is just due to insufficient S/N. Ly alpha haloes therefore appear to be (nearly) ubiquitous even for low-mass (~10^8-10^9 M_sun) star-forming galaxies at z>3. We decompose the Ly alpha emission of each object into a compact `continuum-like' and an extended halo component, and infer sizes and luminosities of the haloes. The extended Ly alpha emission approximately follows an exponential surface brightness distribution with a scale length of a few kpc. While these haloes are thus quite modest in terms of their absolute sizes, they are larger by a factor of 5-15 than the corresponding rest-frame UV continuum sources as seen by HST. They are also much more extended, by a factor ~5, than Ly alpha haloes around low-redshift star-forming galaxies. Between ~40% and >90% of the observed Ly alpha flux comes from the extended halo component, with no obvious correlation of this fraction with either the absolute or the relative size of the Ly alpha halo. Our observations provide direct insights into the spatial distribution of at least partly neutral gas residing in the circumgalactic medium of low to intermediate mass galaxies at z > 3.

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arXiv2015

The MAGNUM survey: Positive feedback in the nuclear region of NGC 5643 suggested by MUSE

We study the ionization and kinematics of the ionized gas in the nuclear region of the barred Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC~5643 using MUSE integral field observations in the framework of the MAGNUM (Measuring Active Galactic Nuclei Under MUSE Microscope) survey. The data were used to identify regions with different ionization conditions and to map the gas density and the dust extinction. We find evidence for a double sided ionization cone, possibly collimated by a dusty structure surrounding the nucleus. At the center of the ionization cone, outflowing ionized gas is revealed as a blueshifted, asymmetric wing of the [OIII] emission line, up to projected velocity v(10)~-450 km/s. The outflow is also seen as a diffuse, low luminosity radio and X-ray jet, with similar extension. The outflowing material points in the direction of two clumps characterized by prominent line emission with spectra typical of HII regions, located at the edge of the dust lane of the bar. We propose that the star formation in the clumps is due to `positive feedback' induced by gas compression by the nuclear outflow, providing the first candidate for outflow induced star formation in a Seyfert-like radio quiet AGN. This suggests that positive feedback may be a relevant mechanism in shaping the black hole-host galaxy coevolution.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

The MUSE 3D view of the Hubble Deep Field South

We observed the Hubble Deep Field South with the new panoramic integral field spectrograph MUSE that we built and just commissioned at the VLT. The data cube resulting from 27 hours of integration covers one arcmin^2 field of view at an unprecedented depth with a 1 sigma emission line surface brightness limit of 1x$10^{-19}$ erg/s/cm$^2$/arcsec$^2$ and contains ~90,000 spectra. We present the combined and calibrated data cube, and we perform a first-pass analysis of the sources detected in the HDF-S imaging. We measured the redshifts of 189 sources up to a magnitude F814W = 29.5, increasing by more than an order of magnitude the number of known spectroscopic redshifts in this field. We also discovered 26 Lya emitting galaxies which are not detected in the HST WFPC2 deep broad band images. The intermediate spectral resolution of 2.3Å allows us to separate resolved asymmetric Lya emitters, [O II] emitters, and C III] emitters and the large instantaneous wavelength range of 4500Å helps to identify single emission lines. We also show how the three dimensional information of MUSE helps to resolve sources which are confused at ground-based image quality. Overall, secure identifications are provided for 83% of the 227 emission line sources detected in the MUSE data cube and for 32% of the 586 sources identified in the HST catalog of Casertano et al 2000. The overall redshift distribution is fairly flat to z=6.3, with a reduction between z=1.5 to 2.9, in the well-known redshift desert. The field of view of MUSE also allowed us to detect 17 groups within the field. We checked that the number counts of [O II] and Ly-a emitters are roughly consistent with predictions from the literature. Using two examples we demonstrate that MUSE is able to provide exquisite spatially resolved spectroscopic information on intermediate redshift galaxies present in the field.

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arXiv2013

The Spitzer mid-infrared AGN survey. I - optical and near-infrared spectroscopy of candidate obscured and normal AGN selected in the mid-infrared

We present the results of a program of optical and near-infrared spectroscopic follow-up of candidate Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) selected in the mid-infrared. This survey selects both normal and obscured AGN closely matched in luminosity across a wide range, from Seyfert galaxies with bolometric luminosities L_bol~10^10L_sun, to highly luminous quasars (L_bol~10^14L_sun), and with redshifts from 0-4.3. Samples of candidate AGN were selected through mid-infrared color cuts at several different 24 micron flux density limits to ensure a range of luminosities at a given redshift. The survey consists of 786 candidate AGN and quasars, of which 672 have spectroscopic redshifts and classifications. Of these, 137 (20%) are type-1 AGN with blue continua, 294 (44%) are type-2 objects with extinctions A_V>~5 towards their AGN, 96 (14%) are AGN with lower extinctions (A_V~1) and 145 (22%) have redshifts, but no clear signs of AGN activity in their spectra. 50% of the survey objects have L_bol >10^12L_sun, in the quasar regime. We present composite spectra for type-2 quasars and for objects with no signs of AGN activity in their spectra. We also discuss the mid-infrared - emission-line luminosity correlation and present the results of cross-correlations with serendipitous X-ray and radio sources. The results show that: (1) obscured objects dominate the overall AGN population, (2) there exist mid-infrared selected AGN candidates which lack AGN signatures in their optical spectra, but have AGN-like X-ray or radio counterparts, and (3) X-ray and optical classifications of obscured and unobscured AGN often differ.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Diagnostics of AGN-driven Molecular Outflows in ULIRGs from Herschel-PACS Observations of OH at 119um

We report on our observations of the 79 and 119um doublet transitions of OH for 24 local (z<0.262) ULIRGs observed with Herschel-PACS as part of the Herschel ULIRG Survey (HERUS). Some OH119 profiles display a clear P-Cygni shape and therefore imply outflowing OH gas, other profiles are predominantly in absorption or are completely in emission. We find that the relative strength of the OH emission component decreases as the silicate absorption increases. This locates the OH outflows inside the obscured nuclei. The maximum outflow velocities for our sources range from less than 100 to 2000 km/s, with 15/24 (10/24) sources showing OH absorption at velocities exceeding 700 km/s (1000 km/s). Three sources show maximum OH outflow velocities exceeding that of Mrk231. Since outflow velocities above 500-700 km/s are thought to require an active galactic nucleus (AGN) to drive them, about 2/3 of our ULIRG sample may host AGN-driven molecular outflows. This finding is supported by the correlation we find between the maximum OH outflow velocity and the IR-derived bolometric AGN luminosity. No such correlation is found with the IR-derived star formation rate. The highest outflow velocities are found among sources which are still deeply embedded. We speculate that the molecular outflows in these sources may be in an early phase of disrupting the nuclear dust veil before these sources evolve into less obscured AGN. Four of our sources show high-velocity wings in their [C II] fine-structure line profiles implying neutral gas outflow masses of at least 2-4.5 x 10^8 Msun.

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arXiv2012

The Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey (SERVS): survey definition and goals

We present the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey (SERVS), an 18 square degrees medium-deep survey at 3.6 and 4.5 microns with the post-cryogenic Spitzer Space Telescope to ~2 microJy (AB=23.1) depth of five highly observed astronomical fields (ELAIS-N1, ELAIS-S1, Lockman Hole, Chandra Deep Field South and XMM-LSS). SERVS is designed to enable the study of galaxy evolution as a function of environment from z~5 to the present day, and is the first extragalactic survey both large enough and deep enough to put rare objects such as luminous quasars and galaxy clusters at z>1 into their cosmological context. SERVS is designed to overlap with several key surveys at optical, near- through far-infrared, submillimeter and radio wavelengths to provide an unprecedented view of the formation and evolution of massive galaxies. In this paper, we discuss the SERVS survey design, the data processing flow from image reduction and mosaicing to catalogs, as well as coverage of ancillary data from other surveys in the SERVS fields. We also highlight a variety of early science results from the survey.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

The extraordinary mid-infrared spectral properties of FeLoBAL Quasars

We present mid-infrared spectra of six FeLoBAL QSOs at 1<z<1.8, taken with the Spitzer space telescope. The spectra span a range of shapes, from hot dust dominated AGN with silicate emission at 9.7 microns, to moderately obscured starbursts with strong Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) emission. The spectrum of one object, SDSS 1214-0001, shows the most prominent PAHs yet seen in any QSO at any redshift, implying that the starburst dominates the mid-IR emission with an associated star formation rate of order 2700 solar masses per year. With the caveats that our sample is small and not robustly selected, we combine our mid-IR spectral diagnostics with previous observations to propose that FeLoBAL QSOs are at least largely comprised of systems in which (a) a merger driven starburst is ending, (b) a luminous AGN is in the last stages of burning through its surrounding dust, and (c) which we may be viewing over a restricted line of sight range.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Low-Energy Astrophysics: Stimulating the Reduction of Energy Consumption in the Next Decade

In this paper we address the consumption of energy by astronomers while performing their professional duties. Although we find that astronomy uses a negligible fraction of the US energy budget, the rate at which energy is consumed by an average astronomer is similar to that of a typical high-flying businessperson. We review some of the ways in which astronomers are already acting to reduce their energy consumption. In the coming decades, all citizens will have to reduce their energy consumption to conserve fossil fuel reserves and to help avert a potentially catastrophic change in the Earth's climate. The challenges are the same for astronomers as they are for everyone: decreasing the distances we travel and investing in energy-efficient infrastructure. The high profile of astronomy in the media, and the great public interest in our field, can play a role in promoting energy-awareness to the wider population. Our specific recommendations are therefore to 1) reduce travel when possible, through efficient meeting organization, and by investing in high-bandwidth video conference facilities and virtual-world software, 2) create energy-efficient observatories, computing centers and workplaces, powered by sustainable energy resources, and 3) actively publicize these pursuits.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2003

A serendipitous survey for galaxy clusters by the XMM-Newton Survey Science Center

We describe the initial results of a programme to detect and identify extended X-ray sources found serendipitously in XMM-Newton observations. We have analysed 186 EPIC-PN images at high galactic latitude with a limiting flux of $1\times 10^{-14}$ \ergcms and found 62 cluster candidates. Thanks to the enhanced sensitivity of the XMM-Newton telescopes, the new clusters found in this pilot study are on the average fainter, more compact, and more distant than those found in previous X-ray surveys. At our survey limit the surface density of clusters is about 5 deg$^{-2}$. We also present the first results of an optical follow-up programme aiming at the redshift measurement of a large sample of clusters. The results of this pilot study give a first glimpse on the potential of serendipitous cluster science with XMM-Newton based on real data. The largest, yet to be fulfilled promise is the identification of a large number of high-redshift clusters for cosmological studies up to $z=1$ or 1.5.

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