arXiv subjects

W. R. Oegerle

Publications and source records attributed to W. R. Oegerle.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2000

FUSE Observations of the Low-Redshift Lyman-beta Forest

We describe a moderate-resolution (20-25 km/s) FUSE study of the low-redshift intergalactic medium. We report on studies of 7 extragalactic sightlines and 12 Ly-beta absorbers that correspond to Ly-alpha lines detected by HST/GHRS and STIS. These absorbers appear to contain a significant fraction of the low-z baryons and were a major discovery of the HST spectrographs. Using FUSE data, with 40 mA (4-sigma) Lyb detection limits, we have employed the equivalent width ratio of Lyb/Lya and occasionally higher Lyman lines, to determine the doppler parameter, b, and accurate column densities, N(HI), for moderately saturated lines. We detect Lyb absorption corresponding to all Lya lines with EW > 200 mA. The Lyb/Lya ratios yield a preliminary distribution function of doppler parameters, with mean = 31.4 +/- 7.4 km/s and median b = 28 km/s, comparable to values at redshifts z = 2.0-2.5. If thermal, these b-values correspond to T(HI) ~ 50,000 K, although the inferred doppler parameters are considerably less than the widths derived from Lya profile fitting, = 0.52. The typical increase in column density over that derived from profile fitting is Delta[log N(HI)] = 0.3, but ranges up to 1.0 dex. Our data suggest that the low-z Lya absorbers contain sizable non-thermal motions or velocity components in the line profile, perhaps arising from cosmological expansion and infall.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

The Ionization of the Local Interstellar Medium, as Revealed by FUSE Observations of N, O and Ar toward White Dwarf Stars

FUSE spectra of the white dwarf stars G191-B2B, GD 394, WD 2211-495 and WD 2331-475 cover the absorption features out of the ground electronic states of N I, N II, N III, O I and Ar I in the far ultraviolet, providing new insights on the origin of the partial ionization of the Local Interstellar Medium (LISM), and for the case of G191-B2B, the interstellar cloud that immediately surrounds the solar system. Toward these targets the interstellar abundances of Ar I, and sometimes N I, are significantly below their cosmic abundances relative to H I. In the diffuse interstellar medium, these elements are not likely to be depleted onto dust grains. Generally, we expect that Ar should be more strongly ionized than H (and also O and N whose ionizations are coupled to that of H via charge exchange reactions) because the cross section for the photoionization of Ar I is very high. Our finding that Ar I/H I is low may help to explain the surprisingly high ionization of He in the LISM found by other investigators. Our result favors the interpretation that the ionization of the local medium is maintained by a strong EUV flux from nearby stars and hot gases, rather than an incomplete recovery from a past, more highly ionized condition.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

The FIRST Bright Quasar Survey. II. 60 Nights and 1200 Spectra Later

We have used the VLA FIRST survey and the APM catalog of the POSS-I plates as the basis for constructing a new radio-selected sample of optically bright quasars. This is the first radio-selected sample that is competitive in size with current optically selected quasar surveys. Using only two basic criteria, radio-optical positional coincidence and optical morphology, quasars and BL Lacs can be identified with 60% selection efficiency; the efficiency increases to 70% for objects fainter than magnitude 17. We show that a more sophisticated selection scheme can predict with better than 85% reliability which candidates will turn out to be quasars. This paper presents the second installment of the FIRST Bright Quasar Survey with a catalog of 636 quasars distributed over 2682 square degrees. The quasar sample is characterized and all spectra are displayed. The FBQS detects both radio-loud and radio-quiet quasars out to a redshift z>3. We find a large population of objects of intermediate radio-loudness; there is no evidence in our sample for a bimodal distribution of radio characteristics. The sample includes ~29 broad absorption line quasars, both high and low ionization, and a number of new objects with remarkable optical spectra.

astro-ph↗