arXiv subjects

Willem A. Baan

Publications and source records attributed to Willem A. Baan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

ALOHA IRDCs Molecular Line Follow-up: I. Gas properties and kinematics

Infrared Dark Clouds are ideal sites for investigating the initial conditions of massive star and cluster formation. The A Lei Of the Habitat and Assembly of Infrared Dark Clouds (ALOHA IRDCs), a James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) Large Program, has mapped nearby IRDCs with SCUBA-2. Complementary molecular line observations are needed to characterise the physical, kinematic, and chemical properties of the dense gas. We aim to determine the thermal, kinematic, and chemical properties of clumps identified in the ALOHA IRDCs, and to assess their evolutionary status and level of star-forming activity. We performed single-pointing K-band and W-band observations towards 56 ALOHA IRDCs clumps using the Effelsberg 100-m and Yebes 40-m telescopes, respectively. We derived NH3 kinetic temperatures using the hyperfine group ratio (HFGR) method and identified infall and shock signatures from HCO+, H13CO+, SiO, and HNCO profiles. Water masers and NH2D emission were used as complementary tracers of chemical evolution and star formation. The clumps exhibit kinetic temperatures of 15-29 K. We detect NH2D emission towards 18 sources, with NH2D centroid velocities consistent with NH3, indicating both species trace the same dense gas component. More than half of the clumps display blue-asymmetric HCO+ profiles, identifying them as infall candidates. Water masers are detected in 22 sources, with prominent velocity ranges and variability. Broad SiO emission (>~20 km/s) indicates strong shocks, while narrower extents (<~6km/s) likely trace large-scale interactions or low-velocity shocks. The widespread infall signatures, shock tracers, masers, and NH2D emission suggest that relatively quiescent, chemically young material can coexist with dynamically active gas affected by early protostellar feedback, providing insight into the coupled physical and chemical evolution of massive IRDC clumps.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

The PARADIGM Project II: Characterising Nuclear and Diffuse Radio Components in Local U/LIRGs

Disentangling SF and AGN emission is essential for understanding galaxy evolution, yet remains challenging in merging systems where both processes are enhanced and spatially intertwined. Galaxy mergers drive gas inflows that simultaneously fuel nuclear SBs and BH accretion, shaping morphology from nuclear ($\lesssim 250$~pc) to large-scale ($\gtrsim 500$~pc) regions. Radio interferometry provides an unobscured view, but separating compact nuclear SBs, AGN, and diffuse SF requires multiscale, multi-frequency observations. We present a systematic method to characterise multiscale radio properties in 15 local ($z\lesssim 0.1$) U/LIRGs ($L_{\mathrm{IR}} > 10^{11}\mathrm{L}_{\odot}$). Using \emph{e}-MERLIN and VLA at 1.4, 6.0 and 33.0~GHz, we probe physical scales from $\sim 10$--$250$~pc to $\sim 0.5$--$3.0$~kpc. We decompose radio emission into nuclear (compact cores and nuclear extended) and large-scale (total and diffuse) components, comparing morphological properties (emission fractions, sizes, luminosities, surface densities) and investigating correlations with source classes, merger stages, and $L_{\mathrm{IR}}$. We find: i) nuclear emission contributes $\sim$50\% of total radio emission on average; ii) total multiscale diffuse emission (SF-related) contributes $\sim$80\% to total power; iii) nuclear emission components act together to correlate with total radio and infrared luminosities, which increase with merger stage, whilst diffuse emission at larger scales shows no clear dependence on nuclear processes; iv) sources with radio excess (lower $q_{\mathrm{IR}}$) show lower nuclear luminosity ratios $L_{\mathrm{R,33}}^{\mathrm{N}}/L_{\mathrm{R,6}}^{\mathrm{N}}$, indicating a deficit of high-$ν$ radio emission; since 33.0~GHz traces recent SF, this suggests the radio excess is dominated by non-thermal emission at lower $ν$, likely AGN-related, rather than enhanced SF.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

An inverted infall profile for the collapse of the massive star-forming IRDC SDC335.579-0.292

There is increasing evidence for global collapse of clumps over parsec-scales in massive star formation regions. Such collapse may result in characteristic molecular line emission profiles but the spatial variation of such lines has rarely been quantitatively examined. Here we explore the infall properties using the spatially-resolved HCO$^+$ J=1--0 and H$^{13}$CO$^+$ J=1--0 maps of the massive infrared dark cloud (IRDC) SDC335.579-0.292. We compare the observations with the analytical Hill5 model and radiative transfer models. This shows that the best-fit infall velocity towards the cloud centre to be well-constrained to $-0.6$ to $-1.6$ km s$^{-1}$ and the mass infall rate between a few $\times10^{-3}$ and $10^{-2}$ M$_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$. The comparison also highlights some limitations of the Hill5 method. We demonstrate that the width of optically thin spectral lines, which are usually interpreted as resulting from turbulent motions, are in fact dominated by unresolved, ordered infall motions within the beam. Our results suggest a complex collapse situation where there is a minimum in the infall velocity at $\sim2\times10^{18}$ cm (0.7 pc) with the infall velocity increasing at both smaller and larger radii. The parsec-scale infall with an inverted velocity profile indicates that the accretion in this massive star-forming cloud should have intermediate scales, at which fragmentation or filament formation has to occur before material flows onto the cloud centre.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

Shaping Outflows and Jets by Ambient Pressure: a Unified Framework

Astrophysical outflows are ubiquitous across cosmic scales, from stellar to galactic systems. While diverse launching mechanisms have been proposed, we demonstrate that these outflows share a fundamental commonality: their morphology follows the physics of pressure-confined supersonic flows. By extending classical deLaval nozzle theory to account for ambient pressure gradients, we present a unified framework that successfully describes outflows from young stellar objects to active galactic nuclei. Our model reveals a remarkable consistency in pressure profiles, characterized by a power-law exponent near minus two, independent of the internal characteristics of the outflow or the nature of central engine. This discovery suggests a universal mechanism for outflow collimation and acceleration, bridging the gap between theoretical models and observational features across a wide range of astronomical scales.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Magnetic Field of Molecular Gas Measured with the Velocity Gradient Technique II: Curved Magnetic Field in kpc-Scale Bubble of NGC\,628

We report the detection of the ordered alignment between the magnetic field and kpc-scale bubbles in the nearby spiral galaxy, NGC\,628. Applying the Velocity Gradient Technique (VGT) on CO spectroscopic data from the ALMA-PHANGS, the magnetic field of NGC\,628 is measured at the scale of 191\,pc ($\sim$ 4\,$''$). The large-scale magnetic field is oriented parallel to the spiral arms and curves around the galactic bubble structures in the mid-infrared emission observed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Twenty-one bubble structures have been identified at the edges of spiral arms with scales over 300\,pc, which includes two kpc-scale structures. These bubbles are caused by supernova remnants and prolonged star formation and are similar to the outflow chimneys found in neutral hydrogen in galactic disks. At the edge of the bubbles, the shocks traced by the OIII emission present a curved magnetic field that parallels the bubble's shell. The magnetic field follows the bubble expansion and binds the gas in the shell to trigger further star formation. By analyzing the larger sample of 1694 bubbles, we found a distinct radial-size distribution of bubbles in NGC\,628 indicating the star formation history in the galaxy.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Off-nuclear H2O maser and dense molecular gas in NGC1068

The results of high-resolution spectral-line observations of dense molecular gas are presented towards the nuclear region of the type 2 Seyfert galaxy NGC1068. MERLIN observations of the 22 GHz H2O maser were made for imaging the known off-nuclear maser emission at radio jet component located about 0.3" north-east of the radio nucleus in the galaxy. High angular resolution ALMA observations have spatially resolved the molecular gas emissions of HCN and HCO$^{+}$ in this region. The off-nuclear maser spots are found to nearly overlap with a ring-like molecular gas structure and are tracing an evolving shock-like structure, which appears to be energized by interaction between the radio jet and circumnuclear medium. A dynamic jet-ISM interaction is further supported by a systematic shift of the centroid velocities of the off-nuclear maser features over a period of 35 years. The integrated flux ratios of the HCO$^{+}$ line emission features at component C suggest a kinetic temperature T$_{k}$ $\gtrsim$ 300K and an H$_2$ density of $\gtrsim$ 10$^6$ cm$^{-3}$, which are conditions where water masers may be formed. The diagnostics of the masering action in this jet-ISM interaction region is exemplary for galaxies hosting off-nuclear H2O maser emission.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

VLBI Observations of a sample of Palomar-Green quasars II: characterising the parsec-scale radio emission

This study uses multi-frequency Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) to study the radio emission from 10 radio-quiet quasars (RQQs) and four radio-loud quasars (RLQs). The diverse morphologies, radio spectra, and brightness temperatures observed in the VLBI images of these RQQs, together with the variability in their GHz spectra and VLBI flux densities, shed light on the origins of their nuclear radio emission. The total radio emission of RQQs appears to originate from non-thermal synchrotron radiation due to a combination of active galactic nuclei and star formation activities. However, our data suggest that the VLBI-detected radio emission from these RQQs is primarily associated with compact jets or corona, with extended emissions such as star formation and large-scale jets being resolved by the high resolution of the VLBI images. Wind emission models are not in complete agreement the VLBI observations. Unlike RLQs, where the parsec-scale radio emission is dominated by a relativistically boosted core, the radio cores of RQQs are either not dominant or are mixed with significant jet emission. RQQs with compact cores or core-jet structures typically have more pronounced variability, with flat or inverted spectra, whereas jet-dominated RQQs have steep spectra and unremarkable variability. Future high-resolution observations of more RQQs could help to determine the fraction of different emission sources and their associated physical mechanisms.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

Unveiling the small-scale jets in the rapidly growing supermassive black hole IZw1

Accretion of black holes at near-Eddington or super-Eddington rates is the most powerful episode that drives black hole growth, and it may work in several types of objects. However, the physics of accretion and jet-disc coupling in such a state remains unclear, mainly because the associated jets are not easily detectable due to the extremely weak emission or possibly episodic nature of the jets. Only a few near/super-Eddington systems have demonstrated radio activity, and it remains unclear whether there is a jet and what are their properties, in super-Eddington active galactic nuclei (AGNs) (and ultraluminous X-ray sources). The deficit is mainly due to the complex radio mixing between the origins of jets and others, such as star formation activity, photo-ionized gas, accretion disk wind, and coronal activity. In this work, we conducted high-resolution very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations to explore the jets in the highly accreting narrow-line Seyfert I system IZw1. Our observations successfully revealed small-scale jets (with a linear size of $\sim45$ parsec) at both 1.5 and 5 GHz, based on the high radio brightness temperature, radio morphology, and spectral index distribution. Interestingly, the lack of a flat-spectrum radio core and knotty jet structures imply episodic ejections in IZw1, which resemble the ejection process in Galactic X-ray binaries that are in the canonical very high state. The high accretion rates and jet properties in the AGN IZw1 may support the AGN/XRB analogy in the extreme state.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Mildly Relativistic Motion in the Radio Quiet Quasar PG 1351+640

Measuring the proper motion of the emission component in radio-quiet quasars (RQQs) could help to distinguish between the origins of the radio emission and to understand whether the jet production mechanism is the same in radio-loud quasars (RLQs) and RQQs. PG 1351+640 is one of the few RQQs suitable for proper motion studies: it has two compact components on milli-arcsecond scales, a flat-spectrum core and a steep-spectrum jet; both components are >2 mJy at 5 GHz and are well suited for Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations. We compare recent VLBA observations with that made seventeen years ago and find no significant change in the core-jet separation between 2005 and 2015 (a proper motion of 0.003 mas yr-1). However, the core-jet separation increased significantly between 2015 and 2022, inferring a jet proper motion velocity of 0.063 mas yr-1, which corresponds to an apparent transverse velocity of 0.37c. The result suggests that the jet of the RQQ PG 1351+640 is mildly relativistic and oriented at a relatively small viewing angle.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

Measuring Data Loss resulting from Radio Frequency Interference

This paper presents an observing methodology for calibrated measurements of radio interference levels and compare these with threshold interference limits that have been established for interference entering the bands allocated to the Radio Astronomy Service. The measurement time and bandwidth intervals for these observations may be commensurate with the time and frequency variability characteristic of the interfering signals and the threshold levels may be appropriately scaled from the values presented in ITU-R RA.769 using a 2\,000 seconds reference time interval. The data loss for astronomical instruments may be measured as a percentage of occupancy in the time-frequency domain both for short and long measurement intervals. The observed time-frequency occupancy characteristics for non-geostationary satellite systems and earth stations in the mobile-satellite service may be incorporated into an effective power flux density simulation to obtain the effective data loss and sky blockage due to these services.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2023

Implementing RFI mitigation in Radio Science

This paper presents an overview of methods for mitigating radio frequency interference (RFI) in radio science data. The primary purpose of mitigation is to assist observatories to take useful data outside frequency bands allocated to the Science Services (RAS and EESS): mitigation should not be needed within Passive bands. Mitigation methods may be introduced at a variety of points within the data acquisition system in order to lessen the RFI intensity and to limit the damage it does. These methods range from proactive methods to change the local RFI environment by means of regulatory manners, to pre- and post-detection methods, to various pre-processing methods, and to methods applied at or post-processing.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

Interactions between the jet and disk wind in a nearby radio intermediate quasar III Zw 2

Disk winds and jets are ubiquitous in active galactic nuclei (AGN), and how these two components interact remains an open question. We study the radio properties of a radio-intermediate quasar III Zw 2. We detect two jet knots J1 and J2 on parsec scales, which move at a mildly apparent superluminal speed of $1.35\,c$. Two $γ$-ray flares were detected in III Zw 2 in 2009--2010, corresponding to the primary radio flare in late 2009 and the secondary radio flare in early 2010. The primary 2009 flare was found to be associated with the ejection of J2. The secondary 2010 flare occurred at a distance of $\sim$0.3 parsec from the central engine, probably resulting from the collision of the jet with the accretion disk wind. The variability characteristics of III Zw 2 (periodic radio flares, unstable periodicity, multiple quasi-periodic signals and possible harmonic relations between them) can be explained by the global instabilities of the accretion disk. These instabilities originating from the outer part of the warped disk propagate inwards and can lead to modulation of the accretion rate and consequent jet ejection. At the same time, the wobbling of the outer disk may also lead to oscillations of the boundary between the disk wind and the jet tunnel, resulting in changes in the jet-wind collision site. III Zw 2 is one of the few cases observed with jet-wind interactions, and the study in this paper is of general interest for gaining insight into the dynamic processes in the nuclear regions of AGN.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

VLBI Observations of a sample of Palomar-Green quasars I: parsec-scale morphology

We observed 20 Palomar-Green (PG) quasars at low redshift ($z<0.5$) with total flux density > 1 mJy, including 4 radio-loud quasars (RLQs) and 16 radio-quiet quasars (RQQs), using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 5 GHz. Ten RQQs are clearly detected in the VLBA images, and a compact radio core is identified in eight of them, indicating the prevalence of active galactic nucleus (AGN)-related radio emission in this flux-density-limited RQQ sample. The RQQs and RLQs in our sample have a division at $\sim$30~mJy. The radio emission from RQQs appears to be the result of a combination of star formation and AGN-associated activities. All RQQs in our sample have a 5 GHz flux density ratio of Very Large Array (VLA) A-array to D-array $f_{\rm c} = S_{\rm A}^{\rm VLA}/S_{\rm D}^{\rm VLA}$ above 0.2. The RQQs with $f_a$ (VLBA and VLA flux density ratio $S^{\rm VLBA}/S_{\rm A}^{\rm VLA}) > 0.2$ versus $f_a < 0.2$ show significant differences in morphology, compactness and total flux density. $f_{\rm a}$ of RQQs is systematically lower than that of RLQs, probably due to the extended jets or relic jets of RQQs on 10s to 100s parsecs which are resolved out in VLBA images. Future larger samples, especially with the addition of milli-arcsec resolution radio images of RQQs with total flux densities below 1 mJy, can test the conclusions of this paper and contributes to the understanding of the radio emission mechanism of RQQs, and the dichotomy and physical connection between RQQs and RLQs.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Magnetic Field of Molecular Gas Measured with the Velocity Gradient Technique I. Orion A

Magnetic fields play an important role in the evolution of molecular clouds and star formation. Using the Velocity Gradient Technique (VGT) model, we measured the magnetic field in Orion A using the 12CO, 13CO, and C18O (1-0) emission lines at a scale of 0.07 pc. The measured B-field shows an east-west orientation that is perpendicular to the integral shaped filament of Orion A at large scale. The VGT magnetic fields obtained from 13CO and C18O are in agreement with the B-field that is measured from the Planck 353 GHz dust polarization at a scale of 0.55 pc. Removal of density effects by using a Velocity Decomposition Algorithm can significantly improve the accuracy of the VGT in tracing magnetic fields with the 12CO (1-0) line. The magnetic field strength of seven sub-clouds, OMC-1, OMC-2, OMC-3, OMC-4, OMC-5, L 1641-N, and NGC 1999 has also been estimated with the Davis-Chandrasekhar-Fermi (DCF) and MM2 technique, and these are found to be in agreement with previous results obtained from dust polarization at far-infrared and sub-millimeter wavelengths. At smaller scales, the VGT proves a good method to measure magnetic fields.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Fallback in bipolar Planetary Nebulae ?

The subclass of bipolar Planetary Nebulae (PN) exhibits well-defined low-power outflows and some show shock-related equatorial spiderweb structures and hourglass structures surrounding these outflows. These structures are distinctly different from the phenomena associated with spherical and elliptical PN and suggest a non-standard way to simultaneously energise both kind of structures. This paper presents evidence from the published literature on bipolar PN Hb\,12 and other sources in support of an alternative scenario for energizing these structures by means of accretion from material shells deposited during earlier post-AGB and pre-PN evolutionary stages. In addition to energizing the bipolar outflow, a sub-Eddington accretion scenario could hydrodynamically explain the spiderweb and outer hourglass structures as oblique shockwaves for guiding the accreting material into the equatorial region of the source. Estimates of the accretion rate resulting from fallback-related spherical accretion could indeed help to drive a low-power outflow and contribute to the total luminosity of these sources.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

The obstructed jet in Mrk 231

Mrk~231 is the closest radio-quiet quasar known and one of the most luminous infrared galaxies in the local Universe. It is characterised by the co-existence of a radio jet and powerful multi-phase multi-scale outflows, making it an ideal laboratory to study active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. We analyse the multi-epoch very long baseline interferometry data of Mrk~231 and estimate the jet head advance speed to be $\lesssim0.013\ c$, suggesting a sub-relativistic jet flow. The jet position angle changes from $-113^\circ$ in the inner parsec to $-172^\circ$ at a projected distance of 25 parsec. The jet structure change might result from either a jet bending following the rotation of the circum-nuclear disc or the projection of a helical jet on the plane of the sky. In the large opening angle ($\sim60^\circ$) cone, the curved jet interacts with the interstellar medium and creates wide-aperture-angle shocks which subsequently dissipate a large portion of the jet power through radiation and contribute to powering the large-scale outflows. The low power and bent structure of the Mrk~231 jet, as well as extensive radiation dissipation, are consistent with the obstruction of the short-length jet by the host galaxy's environment.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

The nearby extreme accretion and feedback system PDS 456: finding a complex radio-emitting nucleus

When a black hole accretes close to the Eddington limit, the astrophysical jet is often accompanied by radiatively driven, wide-aperture and mildly relativistic winds. Powerful winds can produce significant non-thermal radio emission via shocks. Among the nearby critical accretion quasars, PDS 456 has a very massive black hole (about one billion solar masses), shows a significant star-forming activity (about seventy solar masses per year) and hosts exceptionally energetic X-ray winds (power up to twenty per cent of the Eddington luminosity). To probe the radio activity in this extreme accretion and feedback system, we performed very-long-baseline interferometric (VLBI) observations of PDS 456 at 1.66 GHz with the European VLBI Network (EVN) and the enhanced Multi-Element Remotely Linked Interferometry Network (e-MERLIN). We find a rarely-seen complex radio-emitting nucleus consisting of a collimated jet and an extended non-thermal radio emission region. The diffuse emission region has a size of about 360 pc and a radio luminosity about three times higher than the nearby extreme starburst galaxy Arp 220. The powerful nuclear radio activity could result from either a relic jet with a peculiar geometry (nearly along the line of sight) or more likely from diffuse shocks formed naturally by the existing high-speed winds impacting on high-density star-forming regions.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Radio activity of supermassive black holes with extremely high accretion rates

Radio emission from the high- and super-Eddington accreting active galactic nuclei (AGNs) has various origins: a persistent jet, the magnetized corona and the wind-like outflows. It is now still unclear which is the leading mechanism responsible for the observed radio emission and how the radio emission is related to other characteristic parameters such as the Eddington ratio and black hole mass. In this paper, we present the 5 GHz Very Large Array (VLA) observational results of a sample of 25 extremely high Eddington accreting supermassive black holes (EESBHs, the Eddington ratio close to or above one) from narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies, among which 22 sources are detected. Most of EESBHs show a compact radio structure from a few hundred parsecs to one-kiloparsec scale. We estimated the lowest star formation rate surface density required for producing the observed radio emission, and found it is higher than the largest value previously detected in circumnuclear starburst galaxies, implying that the radio emission is from the AGN activity. Along with a comparison sample, we find an overall inverse radio loudness and Eddington ratio correlation ranging from sub- to super-Eddington ratios. The high-Eddington and mildly super-Eddington AGNs (-0.5 ~0.6) have a flatter radio spectrum, along with its low radio luminosity: L_R/L_X~10^-5, their radio emission is likely dominated by a magnetized corona, and a radiation pressure caused jet is also proposed in this paper.

astro-ph.HE↗