Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Taotao Fang

Publications and source records attributed to Taotao Fang.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

The Ultra-Fast Outflow of the Quasar PG 1211+143 as Viewed by Time-Averaged Chandra Grating Spectroscopy

We present a detailed X-ray spectral study of the quasar PG 1211+143 based on Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS) observations collected in a multi-wavelength campaign with UV data using the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (HST-COS) and radio bands using the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). We constructed a multi-wavelength ionizing spectral energy distribution using these observations and archival infrared data to create XSTAR photoionization models specific to the PG 1211+143 flux behavior during the epoch of our observations. Our analysis of the Chandra-HETGS spectra yields complex absorption lines from H-like and He-like ions of Ne, Mg and Si which confirm the presence of an ultra-fast outflow (UFO) with a velocity ~ $-$17,300 km s$^{-1}$ (outflow redshift $z_{\rm out}$ ~ $-$0.0561) in the rest frame of PG 1211+143. This absorber is well described by an ionization parameter $\log ξ$ ~ 2.9 erg s$^{-1}$ cm and column density $\log N_{\rm H}$ ~ 21.5 cm$^{-2}$. This corresponds to a stable region of the absorber's thermal stability curve, and furthermore its implied neutral hydrogen column is broadly consistent with a broad Ly$α$ absorption line at a mean outflow velocity of ~ $-$16,980 km s$^{-1}$ detected by our HST-COS observations. Our findings represent the first simultaneous detection of a UFO in both X-ray and UV observations. Our VLA observations provide evidence for an active jet in PG 1211+143, which may be connected to the X-ray and UV outflows; this possibility can be evaluated using very-long-baseline interferometric (VLBI) observations.

astro-ph.HE↗

Discovery of an Ultraviolet Counterpart to an Ultra-Fast X-ray Outflow in the Quasar PG1211+143

We observed the quasar PG1211+143 using the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope in April 2015 as part of a joint campaign with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Jansky Very Large Array. Our ultraviolet spectra cover the wavelength range 912-2100 A. We find a broad absorption feature (~1080 km/s) at an observed wavelength of 1240 A. Interpreting this as HI Ly alpha, in the rest frame of PG1211+143 (z=0.0809), this corresponds to an outflow velocity of -16,980 km/s (outflow redshift z_out ~ -0.0551), matching the moderate ionization X-ray absorption system detected in our Chandra observation and reported previously by Pounds et al. (2016). With a minimum HI column density of log N_HI > 14.5, and no absorption in other UV resonance lines, this Ly alpha absorber is consistent with arising in the same ultra-fast outflow as the X-ray absorbing gas. The Ly alpha feature is weak or absent in archival ultraviolet spectra of PG1211+143, strongly suggesting that this absorption is transient, and intrinsic to PG1211+143. Such a simultaneous detection in two independent wavebands for the first time gives strong confirmation of the reality of an ultra-fast outflow in an active galactic nucleus.

astro-ph.HE↗

On the Host Galaxy of GRB 150101B and the Associated Active Galactic Nucleus

We present a multi-wavelength analysis of the host galaxy of short-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) 150101B. Follow-up optical and X-ray observations suggested that the host galaxy, 2MASX J12320498-1056010, likely harbors a low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGN). Our modeling of the spectral energy distribution (SED) has confirmed the nature of the AGN, making it the first reported GRB host that contains an AGN. We have also found the host galaxy is a massive elliptical galaxy with stellar population of $\sim 5.7\ Gyr$, one of the oldest among the short-duration GRB hosts. Our analysis suggests that the host galaxy can be classified as an X-ray bright, optically normal galaxy (XBONG), and the central AGN is likely dominated by a radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF). Our work explores interesting connection that may exist between GRB and AGN activities of the host galaxy, which can help understand the host environment of the GRB events and the roles of AGN feedback.

astro-ph.GA↗

The kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich tomography II: probing the circumgalactic medium

We propose the use of the kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (kSZ) effect to probe the circumgalactic medium (CGM), with the aid of a spectroscopic survey covering the same area of a SZ survey. One can design an optimal estimator of the kSZ effect of the CGM with a matched filter, and construct the cross correlation between the estimator and the peculiar velocity recovered from the galaxy survey, which can be measured by stacking a number of galaxies. We investigate two compelling profiles for the CGM, the MB profile (Maller & Bullock 2004) and the $β$ profile, and estimate the detectability against the synergy of a fiducial galaxy survey with number density $10^{-3}h^3\,$ Mpc$^{-3}$ and an ACT-like SZ survey. We show that the shape of the filter does not change much with redshift for the $β$ profile, while there are significant side lobes at $z<0.1$ for the MB profile. By stacking $\sim 10^4$ Milky Way-size halos around z $\sim 0.5$, one can get $\gtrsim$ 1 $σ$ signal to noise (S/N) for the both profiles. The S/N increases with decreasing redshift before it reaches a maximum ($\sim$ 7.5 at z $\simeq$ 0.15 for the MB profile, $\sim 19$ at $z\simeq 0.03$ for the $β$ profile). Due to the large beam size, a Planck-like CMB survey can marginally detect the kSZ signal by stacking the same number of galaxies at $z<0.1$. The search for the CGM in realistic surveys will involve dividing the galaxies into subsamples with similar redshift and mass of host halos, and scaling the results presented here to obtain the S/N.

astro-ph.CO↗

Chandra survey of nearby highly inclined disk galaxies -- IV: New insights into the working of stellar feedback

Galaxy evolution is regulated by the interplay between galactic disks and their surrounding medium. We study this interplay by examining how the galactic coronal emission efficiency of stellar feedback depends on the (surface and specific) star formation rates (SFRs) and other parameters for a sample of 52 Chandra-observed nearby highly inclined disk galaxies. We first measure the star forming galactic disk sizes, as well as the SFRs of these galaxies, using data from the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, and then show that 1) the specific 0.5-2~keV luminosity of the coronal emission correlates with the specific SFR in a {\sl sub-linear} fashion: on average, $L_X/L_K \propto (SFR/M_*)^Γ$ with $Γ=0.29\pm0.12$; 2) the efficiency of the emission $ L_X/SFR$ decreases with increasing surface SFR ($I_{SFR}$; $Γ= -0.44\pm0.12$); and 3) the characteristic temperature of the X-ray-emitting plasma weakly correlates with $I_{SFR}$ ($Γ= 0.08\pm0.04$). These results, somewhat surprising and anti-intuitive, suggest that a) the linear correlation between $L_X$ and SFR, as commonly presented, is largely due to the correlation of these two parameters with galaxy mass; b) much of the mechanical energy from stellar feedback likely drives global outflows with little X-ray cooling and with a mass-loading efficiency decreasing fast with increasing $I_{SFR}$ ($Γ\lesssim -0.5$); c) these outflows heat and inflate the medium around the galactic disks of massive galaxies, reducing its radiative cooling rate, whereas for relatively low-mass galaxies, the energy in the outflows is probably dissipated in regions far away from the galactic disks.

astro-ph.HE↗

Statistics of X-ray flares of Sagittarius A*: evidence for solar-like self-organized criticality phenomenon

X-ray flares have routinely been observed from the supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A$^\star$ (Sgr A$^\star$), at our Galactic center. The nature of these flares remains largely unclear, despite of many theoretical models. In this paper, we study the statistical properties of the Sgr A$^\star$ X-ray flares, by fitting the count rate (CR) distribution and the structure function (SF) of the light curve with a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. With the 3 million second \textit{Chandra} observations accumulated in the Sgr A$^\star$ X-ray Visionary Project, we construct the theoretical light curves through Monte Carlo simulations. We find that the $2-8$ keV X-ray light curve can be decomposed into a quiescent component with a constant count rate of $\sim6\times10^{-3}~$count s$^{-1}$ and a flare component with a power-law fluence distribution $dN/dE\propto E^{-α_{\rm E}}$ with $α_{\rm E}=1.65\pm0.17$. The duration-fluence correlation can also be modelled as a power-law $T\propto E^{α_{\rm ET}}$ with $α_{\rm ET} < 0.55$ ($95\%$ confidence). These statistical properties are consistent with the theoretical prediction of the self-organized criticality (SOC) system with the spatial dimension $S = 3$. We suggest that the X-ray flares represent plasmoid ejections driven by magnetic reconnection (similar to solar flares) in the accretion flow onto the black hole.

astro-ph.HE↗

XMM-Newton Survey of Local O VII Absorption Lines in the Spectra of Active Galactic Nuclei

Highly ionized, z=0 metal absorption lines detected in the X-ray spectra of background active galactic nuclei (AGNs) provide an effective method to probe the hot ($T\sim10^6$ K) gas and its metal content in and around the Milky Way. We present an all-sky survey of the $K_α$ transition of the local O VII absorption lines obtained by Voigt-profile fitting archival XMM-Newton observations. A total of 43 AGNs were selected, among which 12 are BL Lac-type AGNs, and the rest are Seyfert 1 galaxies. At above the $3σ$ level the local O VII absorption lines were detected in 21 AGNs, among which 7 were newly discovered in this work. The sky covering fraction, defined as the ratio between the number of detections and the sample size, increases from at about 40% for all targets to 100% for the brightest targets, suggesting a uniform distribution of the O VII absorbers. We correlate the line equivalent width with the Galactic coordinates and do not find any strong correlations between these quantities. Some AGNs have warm absorbers that may complicate the analysis of the local X-ray absorber since the recession velocity can be compensated by the outflow velocity, especially for the nearby targets. We discuss the potential impact of the warm absorbers on our analysis. A comprehensive theoretical modelling of the X-ray absorbers will be presented in a later paper.

astro-ph.CO↗

An HST/COS Observation of Broad Ly$α$ Emission and Associated Absorption Lines of the BL Lacertae Object H 2356-309

Weak spectral features in BL Lacertae objects (BL Lac) often provide a unique opportunity to probe the inner region of this rare type of active galactic nucleus. We present a Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph observation of the BL Lac H 2356-309. A weak Ly$α$ emission line was detected. This is the fourth detection of a weak Ly$α$ emission feature in the ultraviolet (UV) band in the so-called "high energy peaked BL Lacs", after Stocke et al. Assuming the line-emitting gas is located in the broad line region (BLR) and the ionizing source is the off-axis jet emission, we constrain the Lorentz factor ($Γ$) of the relativistic jet to be $\geq 8.1$ with a maximum viewing angle of 3.6$^\circ$. The derived $Γ$ is somewhat larger than previous measurements of $Γ\approx 3 - 5$, implying a covering factor of $\sim$ 3% of the line-emitting gas. Alternatively, the BLR clouds could be optically thin, in which case we constrain the BLR warm gas to be $\sim 10^{-5}\rm\ M_{\odot}$. We also detected two HI and one OVI absorption lines that are within $|Δv| < 150\rm\ km\ s^{-1}$ of the BL Lac object. The OVI and one of the HI absorbers likely coexist due to their nearly identical velocities. We discuss several ionization models and find a photoionization model where the ionizing photon source is the BL Lac object can fit the observed ion column densities with reasonable physical parameters. This absorber can either be located in the interstellar medium of the host galaxy, or in the BLR.

astro-ph.GA↗

High Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy of the Local Hot Gas along the 3C 273 Sightline

X-ray observations of highly ionized metal absorption lines at z=0 provide critical information of the hot gas distribution in and around the Milky Way. We present a study of more than ten-year Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of 3C 273, one of the brightest extragalactic X-ray sources. Compared with previous work, We obtain much tighter constraints of the physical properties of the X-ray absorber. We also find a large, non-thermal velocity at ~ 100 - 150 km/s is the main reason for the higher line equivalent width when compared with other sightlines. Using joint analysis with X-ray emission and ultraviolet observations, we derive a size of 5 - 15 kpc and a temperature of (1.5-1.8) 10^6 K for the X-ray absorber. The 3C 273 sightline passes through a number of Galactic structures, including the radio Loop I, IV, the North Polar Spur, and the neighborhood of the newly discovered "Fermi bubbles". We argue that the X-ray absorber is unlikely associated with the nearby radio Loop I and IV; however, the non-thermal velocity can be naturally explained as the result of the expansion of the "Fermi bubbles". Our data implies an shock-expansion velocity of 200 - 300 km/s. Our study indicates a likely complex environment for the production of the Galactic X-ray absorbers along different sightlines, and highlights the significance of probing galactic feedback with high resolution X-ray spectroscopy.

astro-ph.HE↗

X-Ray Absorption by the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium in the Hercules Supercluster

The "missing baryons", in the form of warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM), are expected to reside in cosmic filamentary structures that can be traced by signposts such as large-scale galaxy superstructures. The clear detection of an X-ray absorption line in the Sculptor Wall demonstrated the success of using galaxy superstructures as a signpost to search for the WHIM. Here we present an XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) observation of the blazar Mkn 501, located in the Hercules Supercluster. We detected an O VII K$α$ absorption line at the 98.7 % level ($2.5σ$) at the redshift of the foreground Hercules Supercluster. The derived properties of the absorber are consistent with theoretical expectations of the WHIM. We discuss the implication of our detection for the search for the "missing baryons". While this detection shows again that using signposts is a very effective strategy to search for the WHIM, follow-up observations are crucial both to strengthen the statistical significance of the detection and to rule out other interpretations. A local, $z\sim0$ O VII K$α$ absorption line was also clearly detected at the $4σ$ level, and we discuss its implications for our understanding of the hot gas content of our Galaxy.

astro-ph.CO↗

On the Origin of Highly Ionized X-ray Absorbers Detected in the Galactic X-ray Binaries

X-ray observations of the Galactic X-ray binaries (XRB) revealed numerous highly ionized metal absorption lines. However, it is unclear whether such lines are produced by the hot interstellar medium (ISM) or the circumstellar medium (CSM) intrinsic to the binaries. Here we present a Chandra X-ray absorption line study of 28 observations on 12 X-ray binaries, with a focus on the NeIX and FeXVII lines. We report the first detections of these lines in a significant amount of observations. We do not find significant dependence of the line equivalent width on the distance of the XRBs, but we do see weak dependence on the source X-ray luminosity. We also find two out of twelve selected targets show strong temporal variation of the NeIX absorbers. While the line ratio between the two ion species suggests a temperature consistent with the previous predictions of the ISM, comparing with two theoretical models of the ISM shows the observed column densities are significantly higher than predictions. On the other hand, photoionzation by the XRBs provides reasonably good fit to the data. Our findings suggest that a significant fraction of these X-ray absorbers may originate in the hot gas intrinsic to the X-ray binaries, and that the ISM makes small, if not negligible, contribution. We briefly discuss the implications to the study of the Milky Way hot gas content.

astro-ph.GA↗

On the Hot Gas Content of the Milky Way Halo

The Milky Way appears to be missing baryons, as the observed mass in stars and gas is well below the cosmic mean. One possibility is that a substantial fraction of the Galaxy's baryons are embedded within an extended, million-degree hot halo, an idea supported indirectly by observations of warm gas clouds in the halo and gas-free dwarf spheroidal satellites. X-ray observations have established that hot gas does exist in our Galaxy beyond the local hot bubble; however, it may be distributed in a hot disk configuration. Moreover, recent investigations into the X-ray constraints have suggested that any Galactic corona must be insignificant. Here we re-examine the observational data, particularly in the X-ray and radio bands, in order to determine whether it is possible for a substantial fraction of the Galaxy's baryons to exist in ~ 10^6 K gas. In agreement with past studies, we find that a baryonically closed halo is clearly ruled out if one assumes that the hot corona is distributed with a cuspy NFW profile. However, if the hot corona of the galaxy is in an extended, low-density distribution with a large central core, as expected for an adiabatic gas in hydrostatic equilibrium, then it may contain up to 10^11 M_sun of material, possibly accounting for all of the missing Galactic baryons. We briefly discuss some potential avenues for discriminating between a massive, extended hot halo and a local hot disk.

astro-ph.CO↗

Detection of A Transient X-ray Absorption Line Intrinsic to the BL Lacertae Object H 2356-309

Since the launch of the Einstein X-ray Observatory in the 1970s, a number of broad absorption features have been reported in the X-ray spectra of BL Lac objects. These features are often interpreted as arising from high velocity outflows intrinsic to the BL Lac object, therefore providing important information about the inner environment around the central engine. However, such absorption features have not been observed more recently with high-resolution X-ray telescopes such as Chandra and XMM-Newton. In this paper, we report the detection of a transient X-ray absorption feature intrinsic to the BL Lac object H 2356-309 with the Chandra X-ray Telescope. This BL Lac object was observed during XMM cycle 7, Chandra cycle 8 and 10, as part of our campaign to investigate X-ray absorption produced by the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) residing in the foreground large scale superstructure. During one of the 80 ksec, Chandra cycle 10 observations, a transient absorption feature was detected at 3.3-sigma (or 99.9% confidence level, accounting for the number of trials), which we identify as the OVIII K-alpha line produced by an absorber intrinsic to the BL Lac object. None of the other 11 observations showed this line. We constrain the ionization parameter (25 <~ Xi <~ 40) and temperature (10^5 < T < 2.5 10^7 K) of the absorber. This absorber is likely produced by an outflow with a velocity up to 1,500 km/s. There is a suggestion of possible excess emission on the long-wavelength side of the absorption line; however, the derived properties of the emission material are very different from those of the absorption material, implying it is unlikely a typical P Cygni-type profile.

astro-ph.HE↗

AEGIS: Demographics of X-ray and Optically Selected AGNs

We develop a new diagnostic method to classify galaxies into AGN hosts, star-forming galaxies, and absorption-dominated galaxies by combining the [O III]/Hbeta ratio with rest-frame U-B color. This can be used to robustly select AGNs in galaxy samples at intermediate redshifts (z<1). We compare the result of this optical AGN selection with X-ray selection using a sample of 3150 galaxies with 0.3 10^44 erg/s in our sample are not detected in our 200 ks Chandra images, most likely due to moderate or heavy absorption by gas near the AGN. The 2--7 keV detection rate of Seyfert 2s at z~0.6 suggests that their column density distribution and Compton-thick fraction are similar to that of local Seyferts. Multiple sample selection techniques are needed to obtain as complete a sample as possible.

astro-ph.CO↗

The Herschel-SPIRE Legacy Survey (HSLS): the scientific goals of a shallow and wide submillimeter imaging survey with SPIRE

A large sub-mm survey with Herschel will enable many exciting science opportunities, especially in an era of wide-field optical and radio surveys and high resolution cosmic microwave background experiments. The Herschel-SPIRE Legacy Survey (HSLS), will lead to imaging data over 4000 sq. degrees at 250, 350, and 500 micron. Major Goals of HSLS are: (a) produce a catalog of 2.5 to 3 million galaxies down to 26, 27 and 33 mJy (50% completeness; 5 sigma confusion noise) at 250, 350 and 500 micron, respectively, in the southern hemisphere (3000 sq. degrees) and in an equatorial strip (1000 sq. degrees), areas which have extensive multi-wavelength coverage and are easily accessible from ALMA. Two thirds of the of the sources are expected to be at z > 1, one third at z > 2 and about a 1000 at z > 5. (b) Remove point source confusion in secondary anisotropy studies with Planck and ground-based CMB data. (c) Find at least 1200 strongly lensed bright sub-mm sources leading to a 2% test of general relativity. (d) Identify 200 proto-cluster regions at z of 2 and perform an unbiased study of the environmental dependence of star formation. (e) Perform an unbiased survey for star formation and dust at high Galactic latitude and make a census of debris disks and dust around AGB stars and white dwarfs.

astro-ph.CO↗

Confirmation of X-Ray Absorption by WHIM in the Sculptor Wall

In a previous paper we reported a 3-sigma detection of an absorption line from the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM) using the Chandra and XMM X-ray grating spectra of the blazar H2356-309, the sight-line of which intercepts the Sculptor Wall, a large-scale superstructure of galaxies at z ~ 0.03. To verify our initial detection, we obtained a deep (500 ks), follow-up exposure of H2356-309 as part of the Cycle-10 Chandra Large Project Program. From a joint analysis of the Cycle-10 and previous (Cycle-8) Chandra grating data we detect the redshifted OVII WHIM line at a significance level of 3.4-sigma, a substantial improvement over the 1.7-sigma level reported previously when using only the Cycle-8 data. The significance increases to 4.0-sigma when the existing XMM grating data are included in the analysis, thus confirming at higher significance the existence of the line at the redshift of the Sculptor Wall with an equivalent width of 28.5+/-10.5 mA (90% confidence). We obtain a 90% lower limit on the OVII column density of 0.8 10^16 cm^-2 and a 90% upper limit on the Doppler-b parameter of 460 km/s. Assuming the absorber is uniformly distributed throughout the ~ 15 Mpc portion of the blazar's sight-line that intercepts the Sculptor Wall, that the OVII column density is ~ 2 10^16 cm^-2 (corresponding to b > 150 km/s where the inferred column density is only weakly dependent on b), and that the oxygen abundance is 0.1 solar, we estimate a baryon over-density of ~ 30 for the WHIM, which is consistent with the peak of the WHIM mass fraction predicted by cosmological simulations. The clear detection of OVII absorption in the Sculptor Wall demonstrates the viability of using current observatories to study WHIM in the X-ray absorption spectra of blazars behind known large-scale structures.

astro-ph.CO↗

Distribution and Structure of Matter in and around Galaxies

Understanding the origins and distribution of matter in the Universe is one of the most important quests in physics and astronomy. Themes range from astro-particle physics to chemical evolution in the Galaxy to cosmic nucleosynthesis and chemistry in an anticipation of a full account of matter in the Universe. Studies of chemical evolution in the early Universe will answer questions about when and where the majority of metals were formed, how they spread and why they appar today as they are. The evolution of matter in our Universe cannot be characterized as a simple path of development. In fact the state of matter today tells us that mass and matter is under constant reformation through on-going star formation, nucleosynthesis and mass loss on stellar and galactic scales. X-ray absorption studies have evolved in recent years into powerful means to probe the various phases of interstellar and intergalactic media. Future observatories such as IXO and Gen-X will provide vast new opportunities to study structure and distribution of matter with high resolution X-ray spectra. Specifically the capabilities of the soft energy gratings with a resolution of R=3000 onboard IXO will provide ground breaking determinations of element abundance, ionization structure, and dispersion velocities of the interstellar and intergalactic media of our Galaxy and the Local Group

astro-ph.HE↗

Redistributing hot gas around galaxies: do cool clouds signal a solution to the overcooling problem?

We present a pair of high-resolution smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations that explore the evolution and cooling behavior of hot gas around Milky-Way size galaxies. The simulations contain the same total baryonic mass and are identical other than their initial gas density distributions. The first is initialised with a low entropy hot gas halo that traces the cuspy profile of the dark matter, and the second is initialised with a high-entropy hot halo with a cored density profile as might be expected in models with pre-heating feedback. Galaxy formation proceeds in dramatically different fashion depending on the initial setup. While the low-entropy halo cools rapidly, primarily from the central region, the high-entropy halo is quasi-stable for ~4 Gyr and eventually cools via the fragmentation and infall of clouds from ~100 kpc distances. The low-entropy halo's X-ray surface brightness is ~100 times brighter than current limits and the resultant disc galaxy contains more than half of the system's baryons. The high-entropy halo has an X-ray brightness that is in line with observations, an extended distribution of pressure-confined clouds reminiscent of observed populations, and a final disc galaxy that has half the mass and ~50% more specific angular momentum than the disc formed in the low-entropy simulation. The final high-entropy system retains the majority of its baryons in a low-density hot halo. The hot halo harbours a trace population of cool, mostly ionised, pressure-confined clouds that contain ~10% of the halo's baryons after 10 Gyr of cooling. The covering fraction for HI and MgII absorption clouds in the high-entropy halo is ~0.4 and ~0.6, respectively, although most of the mass that fuels disc growth is ionised, and hence would be under counted in HI surveys.

astro-ph↗