arXiv subjects

Y. Copin

Publications and source records attributed to Y. Copin.

358 records · Page 20Linked to original sources

arXiv2002

A SAURON study of M32: measuring the intrinsic flattening and the central black hole mass

We present dynamical models of the nearby compact elliptical galaxy M32, using high quality kinematical measurements, obtained with the integral-field spectrograph SAURON mounted on the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma. We also include STIS data obtained by Joseph et al. We find a best-fit black hole mass of (2.5 +/- 0.5) million solar masses and a stellar I-band mass-to-light ratio of (1.85 +/- 0.15) in solar units. For the first time, we are also able to constrain the inclination along which M32 is observed to (70 +/- 5) degrees. Combined with an averaged observed flattening of 0.73, this corresponds to an intrinsic flattening of approximately 0.68 +/- 0.03. These tight constraints are mainly caused by the use of integral-field data. We show this quantitatively by comparing with models that are constrained by multiple slits only. We show the phase-space distribution and intrinsic velocity structure of the best-fit model and investigate the effect of regularisation on the orbit distribution.

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arXiv2002

SAURON Observations of Disks in Spheroids

The panoramic integral-field spectrograph SAURON is currently being used to map the stellar kinematics, gaseous kinematics, and stellar populations of a large number of early-type galaxies and bulges. Here, we describe SAURON observations of cold stellar disks embedded in spheroids (NGC3384, NGC4459, NGC4526), we illustrate the kinematics and ionization state of large-scale gaseous disks (NGC4278, NGC7742), and we show preliminary comparisons of SAURON data with barred galaxy N-body simulations (NGC3623).

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arXiv2001

The SAURON project. II. Sample and early results

Early results are reported from the SAURON survey of the kinematics and stellar populations of a representative sample of nearby E, S0 and Sa galaxies. The survey is aimed at determining the intrinsic shape of the galaxies, their orbital structure, the mass-to-light ratio as a function of radius, the age and metallicity of the stellar populations, and the frequency of kinematically decoupled cores and nuclear black holes. The construction of the representative sample is described, and its properties are illustrated. A comparison with long-slit spectroscopic data establishes that the SAURON measurements are comparable to, or better than, the highest-quality determinations. Comparisons are presented for NGC 3384 and NGC 4365 where stellar velocities and velocity dispersions are determined to a precision of 6 km/s, and the h3 and h4 parameters of the line-of-sight velocity distribution to a precision of better than 0.02. Extraction of accurate gas emission-line intensities, velocities and line widths from the datacubes is illustrated for NGC 5813. Comparisons with published line-strengths for NGC 3384 and NGC 5813 reveal uncertainties of < 0.1 A on the measurements of the Hbeta, Mgb and Fe5270 indices. Integral-field mapping uniquely connects measurements of the kinematics and stellar populations to the galaxy morphology. The maps presented here illustrate the rich stellar kinematics, gaseous kinematics, and line-strength distributions of early-type galaxies. The results include the discovery of a thin, edge-on, disk in NGC 3623, confirm the axisymmetric shape of the central region of M32, illustrate the LINER nucleus and surrounding counter-rotating star-forming ring in NGC 7742, and suggest a uniform stellar population in the decoupled core galaxy NGC 5813.

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arXiv2001

SAURON: An Innovative Look at Early-Type Galaxies

A summary of the SAURON project and its current status is presented. SAURON is a panoramic integral-field spectrograph designed to study the stellar kinematics, gaseous kinematics, and stellar populations of spheroids. Here, the sample of galaxies and its properties are described. The instrument is detailed and its capabilities illustrated through observational examples. These includes results on the structure of central stellar disks, the kinematics and ionization state of gaseous disks, and the stellar populations of galaxies with decoupled cores.

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arXiv2001

Kinemetry: quantifying kinematic maps

We describe a new technique, kinemetry, to quantify kinematic maps of early-type galaxies in an efficient way. We present the first applications to velocity fields obtained with the integral-field spectrograph SAURON.

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arXiv2001

Ionized Gas in Spheroids: The SAURON Survey

Early results are reported from the SAURON survey of the kinematics and stellar populations of nearby cluster and field E, S0, and Sa galaxies. We present maps of the Hbeta and [OIII] emission-line distribution and kinematics for NGC 5813 and NGC 7742.

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arXiv2001

The SAURON project. I. The panoramic integral-field spectrograph

A new integral-field spectrograph, SAURON, is described. It is based on the Tiger principle, and uses a lenslet array. SAURON has a large field of view and high throughput, and allows simultaneous sky subtraction. Its design is optimized for studies of the stellar kinematics, gas kinematics, and line-strength distributions of nearby early-type galaxies. The instrument design and specifications are described, as well as the extensive analysis software which was developed to obtain fully calibrated spectra, and the associated kinematic and line-strength measurements. A companion paper reports on the first results obtained with SAURON on the William Herschel Telescope.

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arXiv2001

The M 31 double nucleus probed with OASIS and HST. A natural m=1 mode?

We present observations with the adaptive optics assisted integral field spectrograph OASIS of the M 31 double nucleus at a spatial resolution better than 0.5 arcsec FWHM. These data are used to derive the two-dimensional stellar kinematics within the central 2 arcsec. Archival WFPC2/HST images are revisited to perform a photometric decomposition of the nuclear region. We also present STIS/HST kinematics obtained from the archive. The luminosity distribution of the central region is well separated into the respective contributions of the bulge, the nucleus including P1 and P2, and the so-called UV peak. We then show that the axis joining P1 and P2, the two local surface brightness maxima, does not coincide with the kinematic major-axis, which is also the major-axis of the nuclear isophotes (excluding P1). We also confirm that the velocity dispersion peak is offset by ~ 0.2 arcsec from the UV peak, assumed to mark the location of the supermassive black hole. The newly reduced STIS/HST velocity and dispersion profiles are then compared to OASIS and other published kinematics. We find significant offsets with previously published data. Simple parametric models are then built to successfully reconcile all the available kinematics. We finally interpret the observations using new N-body simulations. The nearly keplerian nuclear disk of M31 is subject to a natural m=1 mode, with a very slow pattern speed (3 km/s/pc for M_BH = 7 10^7~\Msun), that can be maintained during more than a thousand dynamical times. The resulting morphology and kinematics of the mode can reproduce the M~31 nuclear-disk photometry and mean stellar velocity, including the observed asymmetries. It requires a central mass concentration and a cold disk system representing between 20 and 40% of its mass. Abridged..

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arXiv2000

Galaxy mapping with the SAURON integral-field spectrograph: The star formation history of NGC 4365

We report the first wide-field mapping of the kinematics and stellar populations in the E3 galaxy NGC 4365. The velocity maps extend previous long-slit work. They show two independent kinematic subsystems: the central 300 x 700 pc rotates about the projected minor axis, and the main body of the galaxy, 3 x 4 kpc, rotates almost at right angles to this. The line-strength maps show that the metallicity of the stellar population decreases from a central value greater than solar, to one-half solar at a radius of 2 kpc. The decoupled core and main body of the galaxy have the same luminosity-weighted age, of ~14 Gyr, and the same elevated magnesium-to-iron ratio. The two kinematically distinct components have thus shared a common star formation history. We infer that the galaxy underwent a sequence of mergers associated with dissipative star formation that ended >12 Gyr ago. The misalignment between the photometric and kinematic axes of the main body is unambiguous evidence of triaxiality. The similarity of the stellar populations in the two components suggests that the observed kinematic structure has not changed substantially in 12 Gyr.

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arXiv2000

SAURON Observations of Disks in Early-Type Galaxies

We briefly describe the SAURON project, aimed at determining the intrinsic shape and internal dynamics of spheroids. We focus here on the ability of SAURON to identify gaseous and stellar disks and to measure their morphology and kinematics. We illustrate some of our results with complete maps of NGC3377, NGC3623, and NGC4365.

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arXiv1999

Probing a regular orbit with spectral dynamics

We have extended the spectral dynamics formalism introduced by Binney & Spergel, and have implemented a semi-analytic method to represent regular orbits in any potential, making full use of their regularity. We use the spectral analysis code of Carpintero & Aguilar to determine the nature of an orbit (irregular, regular, resonant, periodic) from a short-time numerical integration. If the orbit is regular, we approximate it by a truncated Fourier time series of a few tens of terms per coordinate. Switching to a description in action-angle variables, this corresponds to a reconstruction of the underlying invariant torus. We then relate the uniform distribution of a regular orbit on its torus to the non-uniform distribution in the space of observables by a simple Jacobian transformation between the two sets of coordinates. This allows us to compute, in a cell-independent way, all the physical quantities needed in the study of the orbit, including the density and in the line-of-sight velocity distribution, with much increased accuracy. The resulting flexibility in the determination of the orbital properties, and the drastic reduction of storage space for the orbit library, provide a significant improvement in the practical application of Schwarzschild's orbit superposition method for constructing galaxy models. We test and apply our method to two-dimensional orbits in elongated discs, and to the meridional motion in axisymmetric potentials, and show that for a given accuracy, the spectral dynamics formalism requires an order of magnitude fewer computations than the more traditional approaches.

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arXiv1998

Historic Light Curve and Long-term Optical Variation of BL Lacertae 2200+420

In this paper, historical optical(UBVRI) data and newly observed data from the Yunnan Observatory of China(about100 years) are presented for BL Lacertae. Maximum variations in UBVRI: 5.12, 5.31, 4.73, 2.59, and 2.54 and color indices of U-B = -0.11 +/- 0.20, B-V= 1.0 +/- 0.11, V-R= 0.73 +/- 0.19, V-I= 1.42 +/- 0.25, R-I= 0.82 +/- 0.11, and B-I= 2.44 +/- 0.29 have been obtained from the literature; The Jurkevich method is used to investigate the existence of periods in the B band light curve, and a long-term period of 14 years is found. The 0.6 and 0.88 year periods reported by Webb et al.(1988) are confirmed. In addition, a close relation between B-I and B is found, suggesting that the spectra flattens when the source brightens.

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arXiv1998

Correlation between the gamma-ray and the radio emissions

In this paper, the correlation between the gamma-ray and the radio bands is investigated. The results show that there is a closer correlation between the gamma-ray emission and the high frequency (1.3mm, 230GHz) radio emission for maximum data than between the gamma-ray and the lower frequency (5GHz) radio emissions, which means that the gamma-ray is associated with the radio emission from the jet.

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arXiv1998

Long-term Variation of AGNs

In this paper, we will discuss the long-term variations in the optical and the infrared bands of some AGNs. It is interesting to note that the reported periods of AGNs are of the similar values (about 10 years, see Fan et al. 1998a, ApJ, 507 in press, and references therein). DCF method shows the optical and infrared bands are strongly correlated suggesting that the emission mechanisms in the two bands have a common origin.

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arXiv1998

The infrared and optical variability of OJ 287

In this paper, the long-term historical optical (UBVRI) and near-infrared (JHK) data are presented with some new observations in the optical (February 1994-January 1995) and near-infrared (November 1995) bands included for BL Lac object OJ287. The new optical data in V-band are in agreement with the results reported by other authors (Sillanpaa et al. 1996a; Arimoto et al. 1997), a close correlation between the color index of B-V and the magnitude V has been obtained from our new observations; The new infrared observations presented here indicate that the source was at a high level in the infrared band during the observation period; From the available literature, we have got that the largest variations for UBVRIJHK bands are respectively: 4.72mag, 5.93mag, 5.18mag, 4.45mag, 4.07mag, 3.87mag, 3.78mag, and 3.54mag. A strong correlation is found between the optical and near-infrared bands when the DCF method is used, which suggests that these two bands have the same emission mechanism.

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arXiv1997

Galactic Globular Cluster Metallicity Scale from the Ca II Triplet. I. Catalog

We have obtained 2640 CCD spectra with resolution ~4 Angstrom in the region 7250-9000 Angstroms for 976 stars lying near the red giant branches in color-magnitude diagrams of 52 Galactic globular clusters. Radial velocities of ~16 km/second accuracy per star determined from the spectra are combined with other criteria to assess quantitative membership probabilities. Measurements of the equivalent widths of the infrared calcium triplet lines yield a relative metal-abundance ranking with a precision that compares favorably to other techniques. Regressions between our system and those of others are derived. Our reduction procedures are discussed in detail, and the resultant catalog of derived velocities and equivalent widths is presented. The metal abundances derived from these data will be the subject of a future paper.

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